A Mini Update

Well it's been a hectic week but....
We're in! A huge huge thank you to everyone who helped on Saturday. You are all Angels and we wouldn't have been able to sit down to eat in as much comfort as we did if it wasn't for you.
There are lots and lots of good things about our house. It feels like home already and I love that James and share a vision for it and the home it will be become.
I love going upstairs to bed, and waking up and going downstairs for Breakfast.
I love sitting down at the dining table, saying grace and eating my supper with my husband and chatting about our days and our plans.
I love having people drop in, and having a gorgeous tea set to serve them tea in and brownies to give them. Please feel free to drop by if you're passing. We really really mean this!!
I love that this is the place where our marriage will continue to grow through its early years.
There are some not so good things too:
Upstairs is a mess, but we tripped to Ikea last night and purchased a bedside unit to match the one we have and a chest of drawers. This will alleviate some mess and I can start finding homes for things. Bedroom then study need sorting.
The kitchen is more annoying than we thought it would. We discovered it has no drawers when we went to put stuff away on Saturday. The work surface area is tiny and the washing machine is in such a place that you can't put powder in the drawer. The cupboard where the fridge fits also has the electric meter and the fuse box in, so it can't go in there.
We had a designer round to quote for a new kitchen last night and there is not much work surface space to be created. However we could create more storage and drawers. The quote was not extortionate. We're going to wait for a while and also get a quote to move the meter and fuses. We may also need to put in a shelf somewhere to locate the toaster and the microwave. Whilst the kitchen is annoying the exciting thing is that it's ours to plan, and change and experiment with.

In other news: I lost 2lb at Weightwatchers this week but check out my sister's blog for her amazing week one weight loss!

H x

Weigh In

Well I finally have a net loss. I recorded a 2.5 lb loss on the WW scales this week. Hooray. It's feeling normal again and I am motivated to do my best this weekend.

Alice and I are even going walking together on Sunday, witih Daddy's lunch as the motviation to keep us going!

Have had the ming the last few days, feeling really lethargic, headachy and sore throat. I gave in this morning, rang in sick and slept until noon. I am much recovered and restored, sleep is amazing.

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

Got to Goal!

At my Weight Watchers meeting on Thursday March 15th I weighed in at 12 stone, 2.5 lb giving me a BMI of 24. I had originally wanted to get to 12 stone. Well I like round numbers, but after a great chat with a lovely leader I reset my goal at 12 stone 3 lb. The top end of my BMI is 12 stone 6lb, which is the weight I could have become a GOLD member.
OK science bit over.
I joined Weight Watchers on May 25th last year and I have been a member for 43 weeks. In total I lost 46lb. The challenge now is to stay this weight.
I know I sound like an advert but Weight Watchers has changed my life. It has taught a whole new attitude to food. I can honestly say there has never been a time when I've felt like I was missing out on something. As I've lost weight it has been easier to exercise. Running the Hydro Active in September was a major achievement for me, the former cross country cheater. I feel better about myself, and I have learnt how to have time for me, a challenge for someone as perpetually busy as me.
I'd love to say that losing weight was really really hard but it wasn't. There were times, and weeks when it was a struggle, or days when I'd eaten all my points and I still wanted more food. There were weeks where a visit to the gym didn't materialise, or I stopped counting points or stated deceiving myself about how much I'd eaten. These were the weeks, I stayed the same weight, or put some on. Christmas was difficult but I accepted I would put on weight, and I did. I don't think I ate as much as I have in former years, and nor did I want to. James has been very very supportive and I couldn't have done it without his help. I love him very much for this, he has never had to lose weight in his life!
I have been counting points for the whole time I've been doing Weight Watchers, but there is another plan called 'Core' which is a list of foods you can eat freely until you are full at meal times, and snack on fruit in between. My plan is to stay on points until after the wedding, then learn how to maintain using a mixture of Core and Points. I am determined that this is how it is going to be from now on. Food and I have an uneasy relationship, and I will be easily seduced again if I am not careful. However I am happier with the new way of things and I am positive about the future.
So here are some before and after photos:

March 24th 2007

March 24th 2007

Healthy

Yesterday at Weight Watchers I achieved a really really important goal. I'm not quite at my goal weight yet. I have 6lb to go....
However I now have a Body Mass Index of 25. Which puts me at the top of the healthy range for my height. I am officially healthy!!!
When I have finished losing weight I will have a BMI of 24.
When I started I had a BMI of 31. This put me in the significantly overweight range.
I know that BMI is not an exact measure but for me it's an achievement and one I want to maintain.
My goal is to hit my final weight by the end of February, which is around the time my wedding dress is due into the shop for fittings.
When I get to goal I'll post some before and after pictures, as much for me as for you lot. I can't quite believe I've come this far. Now for the last 6lb, but first where did I put that piece of cake....
H x

Weighing In

Well it's two weeks since I joined WeightWatchers. I have to say my first meeting was a bit like an out of body experience. But so far it has made me focus on food and my eating in a really positive way. I don't feel like I am 'on a diet'. I do feel like I am starting to understand my eating, my picking etc. I have even managed to eat out twice and for the first time in a LONG time I only had two courses!
It's actually quite fun, although the drive to meeting fills me with a bizarre nervousness.
And the results - well in the first two weeks I have lost 6.5 lb. Chuffed? I'd say so! H x

Weight Watching

Well the diet wasn't working. I wasn't getting anywhere nearer to being a 'Little less round nice girl :-)' (thanks Mike)
I was getting miserable about it and looking at some recent photos made me grimace. It was once again my counselling course that helped me. We looked at action planning and setting goals in a helping relationship. In threes we had to tlak through an issue that we had and set goals. It was cathartic. It was good to be honest about my issues with weight and the way I can lie to myself about what I am eating. I am queen of 'one more won't hurt' as I shove another biscuit in my mouth. I have a sweet tooth and I LOVE food. E-Diets wasn't doing it. I was accountable to no-one but myself and it was easy to skip weigh in. So my group set a goal for me to join Weight Watchers before we meet again next Wednesday. Being the tight fisted Capricorn that I am the 'join free' before 28th May spurred me on and I found a local meeting the next day.
Surprisingly it was all OK. The people are normal, the leader is a real person with a sense of humour and the plan is fab. I've stuck to it so far and I even managed to have a bit of my boss' birthday cake. Now that's what I call a diet! H x