Naughty Things I Got Away with as a child....?

Ok - So on the weight-watcher community site there is a theme every Friday and I wanted to start doing the theme blog as its a great way for people to get to know each other, and luckily my WW friend Tom seems to always know what the Friday Theme is!

Unfortunately this is a difficult questions, namely because my pi$$ poor memory means that I hardly remember what I got up to last month, never mind as a child.

Overall I was a pretty good kid, although I did have this terrible thing where I just would not brush my teeth. Don't ask me why - I just didn't want to do it. I remember once when my Dad asked me if I had, and I lied, so he marched me down the hall telling me he was going to check to my toothbrush. I remember desperately trying to think of excuses: "maybe it's dried out already!"

You didn't get away with much in my house - take sick days from school, my head would have to literally have to be hanging off my head before my Mum would let me stay off school. And as an only child until I was 7 I had the full attention of 2 sets of eyes at all times.

When I got a bit older, and after my brother was born, I used to blame a lot on him. And I would steal his action men and force them to marry my barbies. Always did prefer action men to ken dolls - and today a bit of muscular roughness beats a pretty boy any day of the week! My brother used to go nuts!

My Dad said that one thing I always try to get away with was reading after lights out. This would often backfire though, when my Dad would shout up the stair and ask if I was sleeping, and I would shout back "YES!"

Ah to be young again!

Of course the naughty things I got away with when I grew up a bit....well lets just say that is a whole different blog entry ;)

Holiday Time :D

Well, I STS this week, at exactly the weight I wanted to be at for my holiday (5 days!!! ECK!!!) I still have a long way to go - but the compliments I have been getting have been amazing. The exercise is obviously paying off - because the difference in my arms, shoulders, chin (yes - only 1 chin) and face!

Check out my photo - see what you think - there is exactly one year between those photos - and my weight has fluctuated immensely between them. But to date on this WW attempt I am bragging a loss of 1 stone! Slow, sometimes painful, progress, hindered by an under active thyroid and a weakness for cheese and alcohol (although surprisingly never at the same time!).

But I have a brighter horizon now - literally - Thailand in 5 DAYS! Uber excited! I am nervous about destroying all my hard work so far, but this isn't a lie-on-the-beach-all-day-get-steamin'-every-night kinda holiday. We are going shopping, trekking, white water rafting, to see shows, to walk and visit places. A year ago - 6 months ago even - the idea of a 3 day jungle trek would have struck fear into my heart! Now, I cannot WAIT to try it out!!

And most of all - I am looking forward to holiday were I can capture the great, funny, beautiful moments and memories on camera - and not burst into tears when I look at them later!

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” - Helen Keller

the pout is on purpose!

My last blog may have had...well a hint of depression. I was so frustrated and upset last week it was atrocious!

However, I went out for the 1st part of my birthday celebrations on Saturday, surrounded by good friends and looking rather fabulous is my little black dress (if I do say so myself!) and I realised that at times life is going to throw curve balls at me and eating is not the way to overcome these things!

When I saw the quote from Helen Keller - an American educator and author who was both blind and deaf - it really spoke to me! Things in life are not going to come along without any work on our part, good things don't come to those who wait! You have to want, go out and get and most of have faith that you will!

I have pretty low self esteem - until I have a few drinks - with my inhibitions sufficiently lowered I strut myself and chat to guys without any reservations. I truly believe I am beautiful!

What I need to do is channel those feelings into my everyday - have faith that I will get to the size, shape and weight that I want to and deserve to be! I am worth all this hard work - I am worth the cheese ban, the sweat at the gym, the change of lifestyle! I have to believe it!!

So today I took 2 WWmagazines and I stuck my face over the cover girls! They are proudly pinned up on my door in my room so everyday before I leave I look at them and say - that is me!

My goal is no longer a weight or a size - its to feel confident every day! It's to get on the cover of the WWers magazine!!

What goes up??

Must come down.....

As you can see from my last post I knew that last week would be a dozey - I had way too many nights out and lunches and dinners with mates - But I was at the gym 4 times! Put on 1lb....

Problem this week is my motivation has completed pi$$ed right off! I haven't been on the computer, I haven't been tracking, I haven't actually cared! I had a fantastic night out on Saturday which turned into a complete nightmare involving my friends. Sunday was a wash out and I could not lift the depression all week. My world - my friendships - and the images and beliefs I had about them - has been blown wide apart. There is no healing that, not with food, or cigarettes, or alcohol, or conversation - and trust me this week I have done them all!

I haven't exercised, I have ate cheese, white bread, biscuits, chocolate, crisps - I have SMOKED which I am so so so so so so so so so so raging about it is unbelievable!

I am off the rails - and its only Saturday!

The last four weeks have been difficult - I have worked my ass off, and tracked and lost a bit, then put it on, lost a bit, put it out - maybe its the workouts - maybe not!

Tonight I am heading out for the first half of my birthday celebrations - there is going to be alcohol - lots of alcohol - and I am just going to write off the remain 30wpps I have left for it (and then some). I am going out feeling fabulous - surrounded my amazing friends and I not going to care about this! I have never been the fat person who doesn't go out on the night out - I have always been the fat person who breaks down when getting ready for the night out but once I am out - I don't give myself a second thought! So I will enjoy tonight - regardless - but tomorrow I have some serious thinking to do!

Good things come in threes....

And so, unfortunately, does the bad! Why is it that a you never have a week where you have one meal out or one lunch date or one (insert a food-related potential weight-watcher nightmare here).

So this week I had a conference that I wanted to attend - I love a good conference, you get to listen to interesting people, network, thrash out potent social issues. I actually met an academic hero of mine, nearly keeled over when I realised who he was. Shamelessly introduced myself though during on the tea breaks and gushed about how influential and useful his work was....to me anyway. I tell ya something - academics LOVE it when that happens. Steven Hicks has a groupie HAHA!!

But alas conference lunches are another matter (EVIL THING 1) its all mayonnaise - lots of mayonnaise - and PASTRIES!!! I used to love a conference lunch but my head knew that I had to make a sacrifice somewhere and dinner was more important. So I stuck to the ham salad sandwiches and took a 1 point yogurt and some fruit with me, drank tons of water and tried to avoid the PASTRIES!!!

Having successfully navigated that particular minefield I then met my friend for dinner, at an Italian (EVIL THING 2). Now I know....I know....that I should have chosen a tomato based sauce - I know! But di'maggios fusilli espanola is just too delicious: chicken, chorizo, white sauce and cheese....to die for! And of course my friend had just pasted her masters degree so a large glass of wine was required....

Then of course there is the pudding.....like the example shown in the picture. The example which was also the pudding that I had at this dinner!!

.......................................................................moving on then!

The difficult thing with eating out is when you do decide to have a blow out the points are a nightmare to work out. So I scanned the eating out guide and picked a similar white sauce pasta and ice cream sundae and that is the best I can do I'm afraid. Need to hope the exercise I am doing - because I never touch those points - is making a difference!

What's that? Oh EVIL THING 3 - I have a night out for a friends birthday on Saturday night, and only 22 points....6 drinks - which where I come from, is the warm up session!!