Sunny Sunday

It is a beautiful day and I feel beautiful....
My darling really knows how to take care of me and he has been fabulous this weekend.

We had a lovely day yesterday apart from the wrong Blues winning, but they were the best team on the day. Our day will come...

We went to doggy class in the morning and my little Titch was a star, she is doing so well now I think I might try taking her out on my own this week. After doggy class we brought three more boxes back from self storage, it is only a quarter full now!!!

We then went to the Volfest which was very enjoyable. There was a school drum/samba band playing and they were amazing. If they had a CD I would have bought it. The beat of the drums really gets to me emotionally and I don't know why, must be something primitive within me.

Then we watched the footy and my emotions were all over the place again...I think Everton or really on the brink of great things now. Then in the evening it was "Britain's Got Talent" emotional again. I am glad Diversity won they were Superb.

No exercise apart from walking yesterday as my back was still pretty fragile.

Today was weigh-in day one pound loss again, I know they say slow weight loss stays off but it's rather tedious. I am not going to make 60 by 60 if it carries on at this pace. Maybe there will be a better loss next week due to stepping up the exercise, I really hope so.

Tomorrow the team I have supported since I was in my mother's womb, play in the FA Cup Final.

David Moyes has worked wonders with the club over the past seven years and he is a hero to all Evertonians. He has nurtured the players into the squad we see today, They have a belief in themselves and the manager. He hasn't has the big money transfers that other clubs in the Premiership have had. Everton is not a big glamorous club, but it has several big hearts who truly love the club. Bill Kenwright the Chairman has put his heart and soul into Everton since he was a young actor. He finally found a Manager with a heart equally as big and between them they have brought the club on in such a steady, strong manner.

Tomorrow I hope and pray Everton gets the reward for all the hard work, for all the belief, from the Chairman to the tea ladies, from the groundsmen to every supporter who has stuck with the club through the bad times. Boy there have been some bad times....

Tomorrow there with be members of my family, here on earth and in heaven, cheering on the Mighty Blues.

COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!

Friday Evening

What a gorgeous day it has been. So why is it the wonderful weather brings out a mad, manic members of human race? It has been horrendous at work and I was so glad to finish at 4:30.

I have not done any exercise today, my back was very fragile this morning. Though I have noticed I feel taller?? It's a weird feeling. Don't know if it is the stretching that is helping, but for safety sake I am having an exercise free day.

We were treated to a Magnum Ice cream by one of the girls today, it was absolutely Divine and that was my only "sin" of the week. I have been an angel this week. Lot's of healthy food , strawberries and raspberries are out of this world. We are having a chicken salad for tea and I am really looking forward to it. I adore salads when the weather is like this.

We have a busy day tomorrow, dog class at nine. Football at three...Come On You Blues!!!!
In between a visit to the Volfest at Norton Priory. So I am hoping not to slip up.

Here's to a FabUlous Weekend.....

30 Minutes and Counting

Thirty minutes exercise again today, my back in complaining a little. Will see how it feels in the morning, may give it a rest tomorrow.

Healthy eating still on course, loads of fruit and fibre, I am actually enjoying my food a lot more.
Feeling very positive at the moment, long may it continue.

!2 Minutes More....

I did a further 12 minutes exercise tonight so that is my 30 minutes for today.
Healthy eating still on track, so a pretty good day altogether.

Nordic Walker

This is my new toy, but not my new body;)

6am Exercising..

Well as I thought, as soon as my man arrived home at 9pm he set to with the assembling of the Nordic Walker. At 10pm I was having a first try on it..

This morning I have been up since 6am and have done 12 minutes on the Wii and 12 minutes on the walker. Broke out in a sweat for the first time in a long time, so it must be working:)

Feeling good right now, long may it continue.

Sixty Things To Do Before Sixty

I have been compiling a list of Sixty thing I wish for/want to do/before I am Sixty.
I have divided the list into categories. Health is the first one...

1. Lose 60 pounds.
2. Get BS under 7.
3. Exercise every day.
4. Build up to walking 60 miles a month.
5.Learn Pilate's.

Only Fifty five to go....

Tuesday Again?

How does Tuesday come around so fast? Time is flying faster and faster. I cannot believe it is June on Monday!!

Well I lost the other half pound to go with the one from last week :0)

I must admit I relaxed over the Bank Holiday weekend, visiting my daughter down in Hampshire. I don't see her often enough so we just had a good time and ate what we wanted. It was quite healthy most of the time, but the chicken, Stilton and bacon salad on Saturday afternoon was amazing but calorie laden.

I have upped the exercise since Saturday, we went walking on Saturday evening, I have been on the Wii twice since getting home on Sunday. My darling ordered me a present a week ago. I arrived home this evening and it was left outside the door. It is a Nordic Walker exercise machine, so it is stood here beside me, waiting for my darling to come home and put it together.l'll be trying it out around 10pm...lol

I have been thinking about my eating habits and have decided to follow a low GI plan. It is the most sensible route for me with having diabetes. So my books are out on the worktop and the fridge yet again is full of healthy food. So here I go again.

Lightbulb Moment

I had a "light bulb moment" today, in fact it wasn't a light bulb, it was a "Mega Spotlight Moment".

I was holding James the beautiful five month old son of my daughter's best friend. He was so heavy I couldn't stand up with him. I asked Jo, his mum what he weighed.
Fifteen pounds was the reply. I sat there playing with him and it dawned on me, I need to loose FOUR James'......

If I was struggling to hold him, my poor skeleton, heart, lungs, liver, kidney's and muscles must be more than struggling!!

It is gobsmacking to think about it and it has made me all the more determined to get a move on and lose the weight and get fitter.

Today I have done ten minutes on the Wii Fit Board.
I have done 4000 steps.
I have done 5 sit up's, well my version of them...
I have eaten healthy food.

I am only taking baby steps at the moment, but at least I am taking them.

My mood is improving, I feel I am back in control. Taking things a day at a time and not looking for big numbers.

If the wonderful Sir Ranulph Feinnes can climb Everest at the age of 65 by just plodding, there is much hope for me.

God Bless the Man

Right This Is the Day I Really Get to Grips

What date is it?
Yes May 20th.
So how many months to my birthday?

TEN.

What have I done to get in the SassySlimSexy Mode?

Lost four and a half lousy pounds that what!!

I am an utter disgrace and it has got to stop. NOW.

Okay it has been an emotional few weeks but that is no excuse, I am not a child I am a grown woman and I have got to face reality. If I don't start doing something NOW

I may not even reach my sixtieth. I am fat, disgracefully unfit, I look old and feel old. I do not deserve this I deserve better. My body deserves better. It needs to be honoured and respected by it's owner. I wouldn't neglect my car the way I neglect my body. So I must begin to look after and maintain this poor, sad neglected shell that my soul inhabits.

For my soul to flourish it must have a suitable vessel in which to rest.
So the work starts TODAY

I love me, I love my life, I just need to take more care of what carries me....

Sad Day

Today was a sad day, we said goodbye to my gorgeous friend Les.

The service at the crematorium was packed,with folk from three weeks of age to 90 something, all there for the love of a fabulous guy.

His coffin entered the the building to "The Time Warp" and we left to the same song.
Friends and some family were dressed "Rocky Horror" style. The laughter and tears mingled and the feeling of love for this wonderful man was almost palpable.

This world is a sadder place but heaven a joyful place because of the brilliant Leslie John Birch 1959-2009.
Good Night God Bless Les.
xxx

Oop's is it Monday already?

I can't believe how fast time is going and I can't believe it is almost a week since I have posted here.

Not much to report actually, have lost a measly half pound this past week. I think, no I know it was what we had to eat on Friday and Saturday that did it. I was a s good as gold all week, then we started a weeks holiday on Friday and DH bought pizza's AND garlic bread!!

I am going to try to get a walking routine sorted this week, and reprogramme the Wii. So will be doing some exercise every day.

Happy 50th Birthday My Gorgeous Les

Me dear friend Les should have been Fifty today.

On Sunday afternoon I was helping him plan a small celebration for this coming Saturday for his "Inner Circle". My contribution was going to be a Strawberry Pavlova.

He always called me "Gorgeous" and I believe he meant it.
He was a Very Special Guy and a Very Treasured Friend.

He was my confidant in the long lonely years of unhappiness. He knew my story before anyone, he was my shoulder to cry on, my delightful giggle mate.

On Sunday afternoon we were with him and his mum, as he left the room for a few minutes he turned and looked at me and winked saying "Tell mum about your Internet affair, she will love it" I was quite taken aback and his mum looked puzzled. So I had to give her a brief history of how my beloved and I met. She was fascinated and thought it was a lovely story Phew!! He came back in to the room with a mischievous smile on his face, cheeky bugger..

We left him about twenty minutes later, after wonderful big hugs and kisses. Saying I would see him just after seven on Monday evening...

Les passed away on Monday morning at seven.

Rest In Peace my darling

Wednesday Morning Again....

Where do the weeks go?

These coming three days of the week are my danger times. My husband is away fourteen and a half hours of the day. So I have to cook for just me and I have always felt it wasn't worth cooking for just me...

but since I found the quote I have shared here about self love it has made a big difference to me. I am taking baby steps in self love but getting there. I was brought up by a mother who felt it was vanity to take care of your self. So taking care of my skin and all that enfolds (rather more than it should at the mo!!)has not been on my agenda. Over the years I have received some beautiful gifts of body lotions, cleansing milks and suchlike. I have not used them, each time I tried I could here my mother's voice talking about vanity.

So I have had pretty bottles, jars, and tubes of some lovely, delicious smelling potions in baskets either in my bedroom or in the bathroom. But have been unable to use them:(

That was until this past weekend:) I have been decluttering (another topic another time) and was about to throw most of these bottles, jars and tubs away. I opened one of the jars and and spread a little of the body butter on my arm and it smelt gorgeous. Somthing slipped , yes slipped, not click, slipped in me and I went and had a shower and then slatherd my body with the body butter and I felt wonderful. My husband liked it too;) So guess what, I have started using it daily and I am loving it. A friend at work comments on the gorgeous smell as I walked past her, I sadi " Yes, it's me and it it is what you bought me for Christmas two years ago!!" She was gobsmacked.

Quote That Struck a Chord

Love yourself, love your neighbour, love your enemies, but begin with self-love.
You cannot love others until you love yourself.
You cannot share what you do not have.
If you do not love yourself, you cannot love anyone else either.

Don Miguel Rutz

Facing The Reality

Well I have posted my before pictures,and here are the figures to go with them.

Height 5'6"

Weight 228lbs

Bust 48

Midriff 43.5

Waist 45

Tum 51.6

Hips 47

Not sure of my BMI but think it is around 35, not healthy anyway:(

So the reality is not pleasant, but it is fixable.

I am determined that I will weigh around 60 pounds less by my birthday and be a darn sight fitter.

Before Photos

A New Week Begins

I have had a lovely weekend, busy, social and productive.
Food matters were so-so but I have lost 2lbs so back on track.
The fridge is bursting with healthy Delicious stuff.
The exercise starts in earnest tomorrow with the countdown to the
Twightlight Walk on July 4th. Mind you I did some gardening today, yes me digging and planting is a sight to behold. Also shifting more stuff from self storage yesterday and sorting that today. So that was exercise wasn't it?

There is a Pilates dvd and the exercise bands propped up by the tv, that starts tomorrow. The Wii fit board has been neglected of late so that's being dusted down too. Then with the 8 week training plan for the walk I should be gasping for breath by Friday....

But as my gorgeous Scottish friend has shown over the past two months exercise is part and parcel of the equation to a healthy lifestyle. So encouraged and inspired by her results I am feeling pretty positive. As long as my back behaves it's self, I am sure that will benefit over the weeks and months.

I also need some before photo's on here so I can track my progress visually. I will get my dear husband to take some tomorrow. I will not be happy with them, but it is a great motivation to see the difference as positive progress is made.

So onwards and downwards.....

Today Feels Good

I have had a good day today, emotionally, physically and healthy eating wise. That doesn;t sound or look grammatically riight but I know what I mean:)

I found an eight week fitness plan for the race for life in a magazine and that is now stuck on the kitchen door and I plan to start following it on Saturday. That will take me up to JULY 4 when I am planning taking part in a Twilight Walk for our local hospice.

I have had plenty to eat today and not been tempted by the biscuits at work.

I hope this lasts..lol

Mixed Emotions

Well I had a wonderful weekend up in Scotland, we ate healthily mainly. DH's mum is a very good Scottish cook. We enjoyed delicious meals, didn't eat out at all. I didn't do as much walking as planned as my back started playing up and guess what, I gained a pound:(

I am not too put out by it but want to see a loss of three pounds this week to get me back on track. I have gone back to good old fashioned calorie counting.

Over the past couple of days I have had nudges from the past, firstly I found my
weight loss record card from when I lost 6 stone. Then while sorting through books we have had in storage, I came across the cookery book from the class that helped. So I feel that I am being guided back to what worked for me.

After trying Slimming World, Rosemary Conley, Weight Watchers without any success, it seems that going back to Slimmers Uk would be the answer, but they no longer exist...
So I will do it myself, starting with a calorie allowance of 1500 per day. I know this works so I am doing it.

I have a dear friend, a beautiful man whom I have loved and admired since I met him 21 years ago. Last night I went to visit him at our local hospice, he is on his final journey on earth and he is totally amazing. He has been fighting cancer for 23 years and he is on a losing streak now. He is not compaining, not bitter, he is just so wonderful. He is 50 next week and is hoping to have a party at a friends house. He is not wanting any presents, he says he has no need of material stuff now. He just wants time, time with friends and family, to laugh to cry, to eat to drink, to do the simplest of things.

I hope he has that time, I will be there..

Weekend Away

Well last night was great, I enjoyed a curry with all the accompaniments and half a bottle of wine. It was great.

Today I have been on high fibre and plenty of fluids so hopefully will cancel out some of last nights damage.

We are off to Scotland tomorrow for the weekend. Going to see my lovely new mother in law.
She is 82, 4ft nothing, plays golf a couple of times a week. She is such an example on how to live your life into old age. I always look forward to seeing her. It is always healthy eating at her house, good Scottish cooking.

The downfall is visiting his aunties, their Scottish hospitality is second to none. So that mean lots of cake and biscuits. I do try to be good.... and then there is the baker in the village:( Oh dear it's going to be tough, but I will try to be good.

I will be back on Monday and hopefully will have lost weight or at least stayed the same. There are a lot of walking opportunities around Dollar, so I can walk off some of the treats whilst up there.