Start Again

Weightwatchers.

Last week I put on a pound. I didn't know why but it might have been because I wasn't eating enough.


This week I put on half a pound. This was because I had a fab weekend.


I am back where I started.


I am starting again.


Minigoal: 12 st 3 lb by May 5th

The Great Escape

Last weekend James and I ran away! Ages ago, before Christmas we looked in our diaries and realised we needed to book a weekend away. Weekends get sucked up into life and before you know it it's Monday morning again. We are very good at giving our time to our friends, our church, our Scouts and very good at forgetting to give time to us.
So we booked the intriguingly named Windsor Room here: The Pearl Fisher in Whitstable and on Friday evening James picked me up from the station and we went on our adventure.
It was so lovely. We went out for dinner in a sweet little bistro, drank good wine, ate too much food and slept in until after nine. The breakfasts were superb. On Saturday morning James and I both had smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, which was cooked fresh at a time of our choosing and was placed in front of us with heart shaped toast after scrumptious cereal and fruit.
Saturday we mooched -round the harbour, and the little boutique shops. We ate seafood, and had tea and Lemon Curd cake overlooking the beach. We chatted, and walked. James skimmed stones. We had oysters. We watched the rugby :-(
We read the weekend papers on Saturday and Sunday :-)
On Sunday morning, instead of returning straight home we took a drive to the tip of Kent and spent an hour or so in Broadstairs, on the beach and promenade, and NOT playing crazy golf!
It was a lovely weekend and much needed us time. I love my husband and running away with him is so much fun. H x

Come and join my Flora London Marathon Cheering Squad

When: Sunday April 13th 2008
Where: Mile 17 - Mudchute DLR Station. Easy access from central London
Why: Because I am volunteering for Leukaemia CARE and I need your help.

At 8am on April 13th I will be staking out a spot on the Marathon Course to cheer on (primarily) Leukaemia CARE's 200 or so runners. I will be joined throughout the duration by friends and family members. It would be WONDERFUL if someone could join me at 8am to help me gain a space and keep me company for a few hours. If not then anytime from 10.30 am until about 2.30 pm. For as long or as short as you can do.

We'll have flags, and rattles, baloons and banners. I'll have a cool box full of snacks, and there are some pubs nearby so we might even manage a swift half!

Come and soak up the marathon atmosphere, cheer on the runners (I bet you know someone who is running), spot celebrities, and take bets on whether Paula Radcliffe stops for another wee! What a great way to spend a few hours on a sunny Sunday in April - and all for a great cause.

Email me on huggyhannah@hotmail.com if you can make it. I look forward to seeing you and thank you in advance.

Week One

Well after my first week back on Weight Watchers I am pleased to report a 1.5 lb loss. I feel good and back in control of my eating and not the other way around.
I am enjoying planning menus and eating good home cooked food.
So 7.5lb in 3 weeks. Hmmmmm.
I have had a slight downer this week though. I went to give blood on Tuesday night. I haven't given blood for 18 months due to sheer laziness and I was all ready to go. I feel healthy, hadn't taken any medication etc etc so it came to my finger prick test.
A drop of blood is supposed to sink in 15 seconds in the magic solution if it's Iron content is high enough. Mine sank in over 30. Not good. So the lovely nurse took blood out of my arm and put it on a machine that reads your Iron level. 120. Apparently between 120 and 140 is a good range for women, but to donate blood it had to be 125.
So I left, with a full arm of blood, feeling dejected and bought some vitamins the next day.
I now have to wait 4 months.
Man that's annoying!
H x

Wednesday: Weight Watchers and Weird Films

Well I went back. A week later than planned but I got there. It was a new meeting to me, in a new place and on a new day. I was nervous. Being a re-joiner is odd. It's a good thing because I've realised I need to stop my slide up the scales but not so good that I let it happen in the first place. Anyway I needn't have worried too much, the leader is Sarah, who was leading my Warlingham meeting when I got to goal! As I queued to pay (yes I have to that again) Sarah saw me, and came over to say hi. It was so nice to be welcomed. Anyway. I am 9lb over my goal weight and I have 4 weeks to get back to it to obtain that star! The heat is on......

After staying to the meeting I was really motivated and went home to a yummy meal of Tacos, to start date night. This week is Cubs half term so we took advantage of Orange Wednesdays and went to the Cinema. Now James and I are not film buffs, but the cinema is always fun.

Or at least confusing. We went to see 'No Country for Old Men.' Other people had told us this film should be seen and it is Oscar nominated. It was odd, and uncomfortable. I think it was a good film. I certainly didn't get bored. You can go and read plot synopses and reviews elsewhere so I won't go into it. I am not sure I understood it, although perhaps I wasn't supposed to. It's the sort of film I think I need to discuss over a pint! James didn't get it either. But despite all this I think I am glad I saw it, although I don't think I liked it!

Hannah

Worship

MY TROUBLED SOUL, why so weighed down?

You were not made to bear this heavy load.

Cast all Your burdens upon the Lord;

Jesus cares, He cares for you.

Jesus cares, He cares for you.

And all your worrying Won’t help you make it through.

Cast all your burdens upon the Lord.

And trust again in the promise of His love.

I will praise the mighty name of Jesus,

Praise the Lord, the lifter of my head.

Praise the Rock of my salvation,

All my days are in His faithful hands.

My anxious heart, why so upset?

When trials come, how you so easily forget

To cast your burdens upon the Lord;

Jesus cares, He cares for you.

Robert CritchleyCopyright © 2001 Thankyou Music

Dan preached on A Worshipping Life on Sunday night. And we sang this song at the end of the service. And as we sang the Holy Spirit reminded me once again that its not about me, it's all about Him, and it gets better: Every single one of my days are in God's hands, good, bad, ugly, fun, difficult, grey, sunny, sad and happy. He's got them. Everyone. Hooray!

I love the image of God being the lifter of my head, just gently drawing my vision and my sight line from my feet scuffing along the floor to a wider view where the sun pours in and the wonder of creation astounds me once again.

It was the Alpha Holy Spirit Day on Saturday, which I joined for the morning. The Holy Spirit is something I find confusing so it was good to explore some things about it. It was a shame to miss the afternoon but I had a prior date with some Warriors. I was thinking especially about fruits and gifts of the Spirit, exploring a bit more about Hospitality. Every time I pray about hospitality I get a picture of my new house. Be interesting to see how that pans out. I have also been thinking about being filled with the Holy Spirit and how the Spirit works in people. On Sunday evening I asked the Holy Spirit to help me Worship, to dedicate my life to God again, to help me reflect God's worth in my day to day life. It's a tough one, but at Alpha last night and this morning in our Bible reading I have had answers, along with more to think about. I am enjoying how Alpha is refreshing my faith, and God as always is holding my hand, lifting my head and helping me along the way. H x

Valentine's Day

I don't do Valentine's Day but I do do Chocolate Fudge Cake.
James I love you.
Hannah x

Re-Start

• This evening I am re-starting WeightWatchers. There are a couple of reasons:

My jeans are tight. They are also falling apart. I don't want to buy a new pair in a bigger size. When I was Weightwatching last time I promised myself I would never own a pair of FAT jeans again.

• I know I weigh over my goal weight. I got to goal on 15th March last year. If I am at goal or below on 15th March this year then I get a little star to add to my keyring. If I missed out due to sheer lazines I would hate myself.


• I want to look good in a bikini this summer. I don't love my body right now, but I know why and only I have the power to change this. So I am going to.


• Moonwalking will be easier if there is less of me to carry! I found that as I lost weight running became easier. I am using the same theory for walking.

I have tried to follow Weight Watchers without going to meetings but I am the queen of lying to myself. I need to go to meetings for a while, set myself a new goal and just do it.

and if one person says 'Don't be silly you don't need to lose any more weight.' I am going to smile, say thank you and then ignore them.

Hannah

New Blog

http://moonwalkingsisters.blogspot.com/

It's in addition to this one. Check it out x

Lent Promises

Today is shrove Tuesday, or pancake day!
"The reason that pancakes are associated with the day preceding Lent is that the 40 days of Lent form a period of liturgical fasting, during which only the plainest foodstuffs may be eaten. Therefore, rich ingredients such as eggs, milk, and sugar are disposed of immediately prior to the commencement of the fast. Pancakes and doughnuts were therefore an efficient way of using up these perishable goods, besides providing a minor celebratory feast prior to the fast itself."
This year I am using Lent as a re-start and re-fresh. I am making three promises:
1. I am not going to eat Chocolate. Since before Christmas my weight has been creeping back on. This scares me and I need a big kick up the bottom and to restart Weight Watchers with a commitment. Chocolate is an occasional treat that has been becoming a lot less occasional. I don't need it. I am going to stop eating it until Easter
2. I am not going to eat Biscuits. They are my downfall. I am incapable of having just one. They give me short term pleasure and long term displeasure. I am not going to eat any until Easter.
3. I am giving up Facebook. I once again have an unhealthy relationship with it. I use it at work and at home. I spend far too long on it and check it over and over again. It is boredom driven. I have tried telling myself not to but my resolve has been poor. When I was skiing I had no desire to check Facebook. This shows me that I can live well without it. I am going to deactivate my account and when Easter comes I will think about logging back on.

So what am I going to do instead. Well whenever I want to eat chocolate or biscuits I am going to drink water. I am going to find a skinny picture of me and focus on it. I might also put the Moonwalk logo on my noticeboard too as a reminder that it will be easier to walk 26.2 miles if there is less of me to carry! Whenever I want to log into Facebook I am going to pray. I am going to refocus on God and his plan for me.

And throughout Lent I'll be blogging. So stay in touch? Hannah x