WoW!!!!!

Well, got on the scales today for WI and was seriously expecting a STS, but got the flaming shock of my life!!! 2lbs OFFFFFFFFFFFF!! That takes me to 13st 2lbs (184lbs)! I'm so, so, so, so happy!! Gives me all the more motivation to work hard and get down to the 12's for next week!

I tried on a pair of jeans yesterday as well, that I haven't worn for ages and I bought when I was at my biggest (14st odd) and am very pleased to report that they are going to the charity shop! They were hanging off me and even with a belt, not a chance! All bunched up! The pictures on the fridge are helping too, I see them going in and out of the kitchen and when I go near the fridge, bread bin, biscuit box, etc.!

I'm totally over the moon this morning and am now off to do half an hour with Maya (My Fitness Coach on the Wii)...

Catch you all later in the week and those that also have a WI today, all the best, I know that you'll all do really well!

Love
Weeza xxx

Now and then....

Been digging through some old photos and found some of me 10 years ago, when I met David.... This is what I'm aiming for!!!



Not been too bad this week, but not been great either!! Hoping to redeem myself with some extra exercise tomorrow and Sunday!!

See you Monday for WI day! Have a great weekend!

Weeza
xxxx

Fitness Assessment Number 2

Morning all!! I've done my fitness assessment on the Fitness Coach on the Wii this morning! I must have miscalculated my weight on the last one (still not used to working only in pounds) and my weight was the same as before. But, I've lost an inch off my bicep, half an inch off my thighs and one inch off my hips!! I'll say that I'm happy with that ;-)

I'm trying much harder with keeping within my points and I'm back doing the Fitness Coach everyday now! I'm following the recommendations on there for days and times now as well, more likely to follow it! I get Saturday's off, so hopefully I can do some Pilates or yoga, maybe a very long walk with the dog! If I'm really good, I should see 2lbs off this week, which takes me 2lbs from the 12's (12 stones range).

I've had a battle with BT this morning as well. I received my final phone bill, as I've moved our line and calls to Sky, and it was £83.13! My usual bill is £12, so I was horrified! I called, got sent around the houses 3 times and then finally lost my rag with them and hung up. I found on their website that there's a live chat facility, so I used that and spoke to an advisor, who told me the same things that the 3 people that I spoke to on the phone. I explained that I never received the letter they said that I should have done, renewing my contract for another 12 months! (If you are with BT, beware that your contract is renewable every 12 months, unlike contract mobile phones, where you then go month by month, once the initial contract period ends). She "gave me the benefit of doubt" and said that they would refund the cancellation charge of £88.06 and I would receive a cheque credit of £4.93!! Woohoo!!! Louisa 1 - BT 0!!

So, I'm off for now, catch you all later in the week! Keep up the good work everyone!

Love, Weeza xxxx

Another pound down!!

Morning all!! It's Monday and weigh in day!! I was expecting a STS this morning, how wonderfully surprised I was to see a pound off!! This means that I'm ONE STONE (14lbs) down from January!!!

I didn't touch the Wii from last Tuesday, I've been a little depressed and didn't feel much like it... Saturday I had a dog roll from the snack van at a auction that we went to, but I tried to be good later on. Yesterday I was REALLY good! We went to the RSPCA day yesterday and spent a good hour walking around. That kind of made me feel a little better about the fact that I'd done relatively little exercise during the week! Last night, I had a couple of Pimms and diet lemonade and woke up this morning full of energy, so got Maya out and did 30 minutes with her. Upper body today, but did 15 minutes of high intensity cardio first. I was panting and sweating, just as you're supposed to! I feel energised and ready to take on the world now, although I have a feeling that come tea time, I'll be unable to lift my arms! ;-)

I'm so pleased that even with very little effort last week, I lost 1lb, so I'm motivated more now to do more this week! I really, really, really want to be in the 12's, that would be a major achievement, as I haven't been in the 12's for over 2 years now! I'm beginning to like the fact that my clothes fit or are more loose now! I've refused to buy size 18 clothes, so the size 16's have been a little tight for some time!!

Right, I'm off now, have meal plans to work out for the rest of the week. We've got Steak and Mushroom Pie tonight (WW cook eat enjoy Cookbook, page 186). Very yummy and can't wait, it takes 2 hours to cook before you even put it in the oven!!!

Good luck this week everyone!

Weeza xxxx

Bad, bad, bad, bad girl!!!

I sometimes wonder what my level of commitment is to my weight loss and if I really understand the effort that I'm going to really need to put into it as well.... I have a weakness, it's not food, it's alcohol... I'm not an alcoholic (really, I'm not), but I do like a drink! I've swapped wine for vodka as it's not as calorific, as I can drink it with zero points mixers, like diet lemonade or flavoured water. It sounds terrible as I write it, that I've swapped wine for vodka, as vodka seems kind of hard-core, but not drinking wine has made an enormous difference to me. My skin for starters! Drinking wine made me really spotty and now, I'm virtually spot free! I need to have more alcohol free days, I know that, I will not succeed unless I do!

All this is because I drank too much last night and had a wobbly head for most of the day. I've been helping in the workshop and I kept dropping things and tripping over, all because I was a bit jaded. I've had a conversation with David about it tonight and we both agree, we drink too much. Oh, and I smoke too much as well... Time for a change me thinks....

So, Maya's been left on the shelf since Tuesday, we've been really busy and I was too knackered after we'd finished up in the workshop. She's coming back out tomorrow though, 30 minutes of sheer punishment from my animated babe!!!

Food wise, well, the plan is in the kitchen, and I do look at it to check. There's been a few adjustments but seems that all is going according to plan!!

Right, that's me for now. Hope everyone else is keeping up with the motivation and promises to themselves for the week!!

Love to all,
Weeza xxx

Crow's Feet....

Is it just me, but I've noticed that as I'm losing weight, my crow's feet or should I say, laughter lines, are becoming more apparent... Does this mean that if I get the 3+ stone off that I need to get down to 10st 7lbs, I will be all wrinkly??? :-)

I think that with the invention of many anti-aging creams, this is the last of my worries! I won't be (hopefully) wrinkly anywhere else (although I have a feeling my boobs will be in a race to see which one can reach my belly button first)!!!

Been really busy today, the accounts for the business need to be prepared and completed before the end of the month and we've had 2 more bikes in today and there's another due in tomorrow evening! This is all good, I hope that it continues!! My bike didn't get put back together today, instead I've put the new front indicators on, checked the spark plugs, given the carbs a quick squirt and David's sorted the cam rattle (it was a sticky tensioner) and found that the clutch cable didn't just need oiling, it needed replacing!! It's nearly worn through as it was so dry!! One should arrive tomorrow morning, so we can put it all back together and I can actually ride the damn thing!!!

Food... Well, I was on the forum on WW today and there's sooooo much inspriration. In fact, I feel a bit of a fraud! My goal is 3 and three quarter stone from January's figure of 14st 4lbs. I want to get to 10st 7lbs, the weight I was happy at, 10 years ago. I've managed to piss about for 3 years and do nothing except put weight on, but some of these WW users have more than 5st to lose and are half way or over!! What more do I need as motivation, than these formerly "big" ladies (and lads), who have through sheer determination and a desire, lost so much weight, that I'm ashamed!!

Anyway, logging off for now! I'm back with Maya on the My Fitness Coach in the morning, we have a 30 minute session, which I'm sure will punish me!!! ;-)

Catch ya all laters!!

Love
Weeza xxxxx

After all that....

Well, disappointed to report that today's weigh-in shows only one pound off :-( Never mind, I guess that I knew really, the early optimism of the 3lbs serves me right for getting on the scales mid-week!! I have drunk a lot of fruit juices, which I didn't (stupidly) realise that they are actually quite heavy on the points! So, back to it this morning, Maya (My Fitness Trainer on the Wii) has told me off as well, for being inconsistent with the workouts! Crikey, even the animated computer person's having a go!! ;-)

I'm sorting the meal plans out for the week later and I'll be very, very, very strict and will absolutely run EVERYTHING through the WW website before I eat it... or drink it!!

I'm off now to take the tank and airbox off the bike, really been putting it off, but after doing the oil and filter change myself, I think that checking the cam chain tensioner can't be that hard really, and David's there to help me! Then is the labourious task of putting all the fairings back on!

Off for now, will try to update tomorrow with my progress!! ;-)

Love
Weeza xxx

I'm very optimistic!!!

After a fairly appalling start to this week, where I'd gained a pound, I've put 100% more effort into it this week and a sneaky peek at the scales tells me there's 3 pounds (just over a kilo) come off!! I had my assessment on the Wii Personal Trainer today and I've lost 5lbs (about 2kgs) and 1in off my bicep, 3 off my waist, 4 off my hips and 2 off my thighs!! This is though, since the 19th of April when I first set it up, but still, I'm happy! The Trainer also said that I need to do 6 days out of 7, 3 lots of 30 mins and 3 lots of 15 mins, but I've made it 30 mins on all 6 days. Saturday's I get off! I'm making more of an effort to walk the dog with David now as well, trying to make sure that we're out for at least 30 mins.

Also, I did a meal plan for the entire week, which is printed out and in the kitchen. If I eat something, I either tick it off or cross it off and replace with something else if appropriate. This has made me think about what I'm doing a lot more as well. I'm aiming for 6lbs off this week, so I'm at 13st (182lbs/82.7kgs). That would mean that since I came back from Thailand in January, I would have lost 10% of my body weight!! My goal is still 10st 7lbs (147lbs/66.8kgs) and my official 10% goal is 12st (168lbs/76.4kgs). I'm aiming for 3lbs a week from here on, which if I actually achieve it, will mean I'm at goal weight for my birthday in November!!

I'm going to take a photo of me in the same clothes as the original photo in Bangkok, to see if there's a visible difference in the stone (14lbs/6.4kgs) that's come off since then. I'll post it as soon as it's done, I have to dig the clothes out first!! ;-)

Job front, nothing much has changed, I was rejected for the 2 second interviews that I went for, not enough experience in certain areas, but overall the feedback has been great. I've also decided not to go for the position with the AV company as it's really outside of my field.... The second interview is in Blackburn as well, which is a bloody long way!

Right, that's enough from me for now, back after next week's weigh-in and measure up!!

Love
Weeza xxxx

Ouch!!!

I decided to cancel my gym membership, it's an unnecessary expense at the moment, what with being unemployed!! I bought My Fitness Coach for the Wii a while back and decided yesterday to do 15 minutes of Pilates and 30 minutes of the Fitness Coach, hard work, but felt great afterwards. On the other hand, today my stomach muscles, tops of my shoulders, lats and deltoids are killing me! Loving the fact that I can feel that I've exercised and have no excuse to not do it! I've set the Wii up with the days and times that I'll exercise and it works the program out for me! Great!

On the weigh in front, I stayed the same again this week, mostly due to laziness... I'm trying to be good or at least better this week, I'd like to see me back down closer to the 13st (182lb/82kg) mark come next Monday. That would mean a loss of about 5lbs, which is achievable at this weight. As long as I watch the Points and keep up the exercise...

On the job front, I've had 2 second interviews now and I've got 2 firsts lined up, one on Thursday and one on Wednesday next week. Both seconds went well, but the one closer to home this morning, I really panicked about and I don't think I've ever been that nervous at an interview!!! Sweaty palms, shaky, stuttering!! Not good, but they had made allowances for it and the parts that I really had great knowledge of, I flew on. The reason for the nervousness was that I had to prepare and present on the vendor that I would be looking after, with only information publically available on the internet... The interviewers asked a couple of questions that I really couldn't answer, as the information is not online, or if it is, you have to register for it as a partner. Anyway I should hear tomorrow or Thursday on the one from this morning and Monday for the other one on Friday. Fingers crossed on both of them!!

So, other than that, life is good. I'm going to be working on David's website this afternoon, needs some serious tweaking now that it's searchable on the internet, is on the van and the business cards and is in the Surrey Herald as we took out an ad. Had the first call from the ad already and we had a couple of lads come up to the workshop this afternoon after finding us on the internet! All good stuff!

Right, that's me for now, I'll update when I have more news... :-)

Take care all and enjoy the limited sunshine that we're having!!

Love
Weeza xxx

Sausages.....

Most of you will know about my obsession with sausages, particularly those that I work with. When the snack truck used to come round in the morning, I would buy 2-3, sometimes 4 (if I was having a bad day), large sausages, like you get in a hot dog roll, only without the bread. Each of these amazingly tasty morsels were as greasy as hell and certainly not the low-fat variety, which was probably one of the early reasons for putting on weight. It was around the time that the snack truck arrived at the office, that I starting gaining weight. That and boozy lunches, eating the wrong foods with the wine and giving up any form of exercise! Anyway, back to the sausages. I found that Tesco do a low-fat sausage and they are actually very good, a plain pork version and more recently a Cumberland version. When I stopped being in the office full time and out on the road, I stopped eating so many sausages, and a treat now is the low fat ones. You can even fry them, as hardly any fat comes out, even if they are pricked all over. Imagine my delight, when I come home from work on Friday and David's bought a pack of Richmond sausages. Now these bad boys are so high in fat, they could probably clog your arteries in one sitting, but they taste like no other sausage! The ONLY way to cook them is in the George Foreman Lean Mean Fat Machine. You can see just how fatty they are, as when after they've cooked, the fat drip tray underneath is almost full of fat and juices. Before the days of the dog (who now consumes that fat with a frenzy), we let it solidify before scooping it out into the bin. Approximately 5 dessert spoons of fat for 8 sausages, which is disgusting! Still, even though they are Foreman'd, they are still incredibly high in fat. So, we had them on Friday and then guess what.... Another packet on Saturday morning! Jeez, not good! I'm now off sausages for the foreseeable future, as I need to wean myself back off them!

Other than that, the diet has been shocking! It's slipped badly, I've been hit and miss on the Alli, been better than usual with the booze though, which is good. However, after an amazing day of deals in the office on Friday, I bought 2 bottles of rose cava on the way home and as David doesn't really like it, I polished off one and a half myself!! A bit of a sore head the next morning, but nothing I couldn't handle!

On the exercise front, I've been wearing my pedometer religiously and maintaining the minimum 3800 steps or more. Today I've done 8438 steps, of which 1415 were aerobic (14 mins). I've rejoined Riverbourne gym, I've been once in the week since I joined, but I put my back out the day after I went and it's not been strong enough to go back. I went to yoga with Helen on Tuesday, first time in over 6 weeks, and my back was twinging a bit, so didn't risk the gym. However, going back tomorrow straight after work. I've also sorted out the menus for home for the week, so that I'm back on plan and I've got skimmed milk for the office again, as I'd started using semi-skimmed milk in the office. I've got salad stuff, pasta, rice and tuna in spring water, plus new potatoes as well for some substance to my salads!

Anyway, off for now, sorry it was a while again, I'll try to come back tomorrow night, to log if I've behaved and what the weigh in is!

Take care all
Weeza xxxx