4 October 2011 – New week new start

Barcelona was wonderful but I ate far too much. Luckily I also walked miles and miles which probably helped counteract some of it. Then I came back to the UK with a stinking cold, a ton of washing and work to go back too. Boo!

17 October 2010 – the Southampton 10k

Looking cold because I was

When I ate my morning muesli I was feeling a little nervous. Mostly this was about coming last in the 10k race and looking a prat. At least it wasn’t raining. Walking the last half mile from Rae’s car to The Common we relished it was freezing though and, just in our running gear we shivered our way through the wait for the start. Even with a fleece on I looked as if I was shivering in the photo Rae took while we waited, mostly because I was.

31 August 2010 – walking in ancient footsteps

Vesuvius

Yesterday was the perfect day and including all the walking I think I was still within calories. I slept like a baby and this morning breakfast was great as it was continental style so no bacon and eggs to tempt me just a croissant and yoghurt with some lovely fresh orange juice. Over breakfast we decided we’d climb Vesuvius today and tomorrow we’d visit Pompeii. It felt as if we had to see the mountain so we could really appreciate the ruins of the town even though I was itching to walk those ancient streets.

2 May 2010 – Turning fifty, maybe not as bad as I thought

Champagne on the beach

Last night I went to bed in my forties and this morning I woke up in my fifties. Half a century. How did I get so old? Whatever happens now I’m closer to the end of my life than the beginning, unless I live to be a hundred and one of course but I somehow doubt that will happen. Does this mean I’m officially over the hill? I feel the same today as I did yesterday, the same as I did at twenty, at least until I look in the mirror and see the wrinkles and the saggy bits.

1 May 2010 – Happy Anniversary

What a view!

Waking up with sun shining through the balcony doors it took me a while to work out where I was. Through blurry eyes, with no glasses, I looked about me. A huge room, two massive double beds, Commando sleeping peacefully in the one beside me. On the wall a giant TV and, in front of it a sofa and a low coffee table with a bowl of fresh fruit, some dishes of nuts and a bottle of wine, an empty bottle of wine. This was the start of my last day as a forty something.

19 February 2010 – letting off steam

Last night all the girls came to mine for a girly night after work. We planned it on Monday afternoon when everyone was feeling down and depressed and we’d been looking forward to it all week. Well I had anyway. On Thursday night I prepared some nibbles. Yes I know they were the last thing we all needed but as none of us had eaten I thought it might soak up the alcohol a bit.

20 September 2009 – Barcelona, what a city!

Casa Batlló, my favourite of all Gaudi’s creations

As this is just a weekend break we wanted to make the most of the time we had but today was Sunday so we weren’t sure what would be open, especially as Spain is a predominantly Catholic country. We decided to head towards the centre of Barcelona and see what we could find. After all, the Gaudi buildings could be looked at from the street, even if everything was shut. If the worst came to the worst we could head for the beach.

24 August 2009 – bridges well and truly burnt

Burning my bridges

Another pound down this week. Two would have been nicer but I’m not complaining. There wasn’t much time for celebrating though because I was working in Gosport so everything was a bit of a rush, especially as I have to make a decent lunch to take with me. When I’m working in the village I can eat at home and I leave later so I have a more relaxed morning. There was no opportunity for personal job hunting either. Mind you I feel as if I’ve exhausted every avenue, I’ve applied for so many jobs and short of applying for the same ones again there isn’t much more I could do. Working in Gosport all day just made me more determined though, I really couldn’t stand that horrible atmosphere every day.

11 June 2009 – emotional eating and back in the twelves

Oh dear!

I’ve been doing a bit of emotional eating since I got the reply from the driving instructor. It’s not big and it’s not clever and it’s certainly not doing me much good on the scales. When I weighed in on Monday I was back to twelve stone. Two pounds back on in one week. The problem is, now I’ve gone back to eating carbs I just can’t resist the lure of the bread and the potatoes and all the things I deprived myself of last month. I haven’t been too out of control but, when I stopped the Atkins, I promised myself I was going to eat sensibly. I didn’t. I have my morning muesli then a sandwich for lunch and a sensible dinner with potatoes or rice or pasta but none of it seems to fill me up. An hour after I’ve eaten I’m hungry again and before I know it I’m eating a bag of crisps or a chocolate biscuit. It could be worse I suppose, it could be a family sized bag of crisps or a whole packet of biscuits but it’s enough to get the weight climbing again. I have to find a way to break this cycle.

1 June 2009 – a fond farewell to Atkins

Hot, bothered and emailing a driving instructor

It was boiling today. I know I shouldn’t complaint but, when you’re overweight hot weather is hell. I’d love to be able to wear cool little strappy tops or short sleeves and short skirts but I daren’t inflict my flab on the general public. It has to be long sleeves and trousers all the way when you’re big and it gets so hot. I feel like I’ve permanently got a beetroot face covered with a film of sweat. It hardly seems worth putting on make up because it slides off in a few minutes and I’m constantly popping off to the loo to spray myself with deodorant. I’m paranoid I’m going to smell.