More chocolate than Christmas!

So this is me last year at 15st 2lb (top) and then today at 14st 1lb (bottom). A stone lighter but I don't think you can tell at all? I mean I know my clothes are slacker but I can't tell by looking in the mirror. I was hoping that having the photos side by side I'd have a wow moment. But I have to say I'm gutted. My face is maybe a little bit thinner but that's pushing it. Ah man!! I guess I need to lose another stone to get a difference. Poops!

So I had my update with the dietician this week. Her scales weren't working, the battery has gone, so we used the surgery scales, fair enough I thought. Anyway

I stood on them and it showed 83kg which is a loss of over 13kg! Which in old money is nearly 30lbs or over 2 stones! She was well impressed but I had to tell her it was a load of bollocks!! Such a shame, 30lbs in 8 weeks would have been awesome! She 'borrowed'  the batteries to get her normal scales going - and I'd lost 4.4kg. but this was my target pretty much, about 10lbs (5% of my weight). So that was good, kind of, that 13kg will haunt me... What could have been?? Though I think it's hilarious, the other poor souls who got weighed on the surgery scales - they'll have a shock next time when they put weight on!!! So I don't go back for another 4 months. My target is 6kg. That's got to be easy (surely? Please?)

My hubby likened me to a puppy this week. And he did not mean cute and adorable with a wet nose. No, he said that after eating my favourite thing was having a nap!

Have a super Easter. Hope you get lots of chocolate eggs and hot cross buns. I will, as best as I can, try to resist!

If you see the Easter bunny laying little brown eggs don't eat them, they're not chocolate!

I'm Welly Happy

Look!! I've got wellies on. Long wellies! With my trousers tucked in.. And... Welly socks! I'm so excited. It's been so long since normal wellies fit me. I used to have those shorter half boots. Oh my this is great.

So, I just have to tell you! Last week I just needed to lose ONE pound and that would be my first stone!!! A full stone gone. Just what I wanted. Now because I work I don't have time to write this on the Friday morning before posting, I write it on the Thursday evening ready for the next day. So I weighed myself this morning  (i.e. Thursday) I hadn't lost the lb yet. So writing this I just don't know yet. You're going to get 2 for the price of 1.

If it's good news -

Yay I've lost a stone! My plan is to a) keep it off. b) lose another one. I like the 5-2 plan and it appears to work. I have to boast and say that since new year I have lost weight every single week. Sometimes just ½lb and occasionally 2lbs but I never had a gain of even maintained. I'm so proud. I... Just... Need... To... Keep... This... Up!!! Here comes the next one! I shall post a before and after photo next week.

If it's bad news -

😭😭😭😭😭 Argh (sob sob sob) I'm so gutted (sob sob) I just can't (sob snivel) speak (snivel snivel hiccup).


Next week I have my catch up with the dietician. Fingers crossed she's happy with me. I must remember to take the stones out of my pocket before I go. Talking of doctors... My GP rang on Monday and the results are in, (remember the 24hr blood pressure monitor) I have high blood pressure! Shock horror.... Yes I know I do! Well she's put me on medication. I'm so disappointed as I really hoped I could turn things around. But like my mate says 'it's better to take a pill than take a stroke'. Maybe I can still improve it and I'll be taken off the meds? I just need to lose another stone....

The minute you think of giving up think of the reason you held on for so long.

Drum roll please....I DID IT!!! 🤸🎉🏆

Pass my belt

I was never any good at Hangman but even I can get this clue. These Cancer Research billboards posters are kind of in your face. I guess that was the plan.... Good plan! Do we call them billboards? Is that American? Talking of billboards, 3 Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri is a brilliant film! Anyway, I digress.

This is one reason not to be the O - word. And we know all the others. I've listed them at one time or another. But it made me think about reasons to be fat 🤔. I came up with... 1. Being a plus size model (though if everyone was slim this would be a moot job). 2. Being a sumo wrestler! But I don't fancy this and I'm pretty sure you need to be Japanese too. Any one up for this one? 3. Your other half really fancies you with the extra blubber? Now this one could potentially be a real reason. Some people (I believe) really dig the fat. Would you want to lose weight knowing your partner might go off you? I would hope that if they loved you they would want you to be happy and healthy. I mean, lots of men and women still love their partners when they put weight on, shouldn't it be the same the other way round?

I actually lost a teeny bit of weight last week which was an absolute miracle as I had a weekend away (just home with my mummy) and Mother's Day. I ate in the car going. I ate biscuits. I ate supper and pudding at my sister's. I cooked a lovely roast dinner for Mothering Sunday and then had a scone with clotted cream (thank you other sister for mums gift ha ha ha). Then I ate in the car coming home. Like I said, a small miracle.

My jeans are so baggy they are pretty revolting! My size 16s are so very nearly fastened! Another week or so I think. I just need a belt until then!

As the late, great Professor Stephen Hawking once said "Look up at the stars, not down at your feet".

Survived

This was the snow after we'd been dug out. Quite impressive I think! We survived but did my diet? Stuck in the house, no where to go apart from a walk in the snow, huddled in front of the fire to keep warm, with crisps and biscuits and chocolate and boredom to keep me company. Things not looking good. Working is helpful. When I'm busy I'm not obsessed with food, honestly it's true. I can easily miss lunch. I mean obviously I don't ignore the sweets that sit around the office but meals are different. The scales might have a wee cry this week I think.

You can't worry about other people and their weight loss. A friend in my circle joined Slimming World at the same time that I started to lose weight. Week 1 she lost 6lbs, week 2 8lbs! Steady 1lb or 2lbs each week. I think she's almost 2 stone down! It's amazing. I've not done anything like that. If I had, you would know about it. I'd be shouting very loudly! Am I jealous? God yeah! But this is my race. I can't run with anyone else. We are all different. We are made differently. We lead different lives. I'm not in a competition with anyone. This is my weight loss and mine only. I take ownership and I'll do what I need to do, in my own chocolatey way! But well done my friend, you're running your race amazingly.

So I am currently wearing the blood pressure monitor! Every 30 minutes it squeezes my arm. Ouch! It's tight. But my bloods are all ok and the ECG looked good too. I can't imagine sleeping with all this squeezing but I think I did last time. (Does that sound rude?) It'll be worth it I'm sure.

Sunglasses are like real life Facebook... You can stare at people without getting caught!! 

Snow days

Work closed and staying indoors (I'd like to say warm and cosy but not the case on Wednesday) does not help the healthy eating. I have walked with my dog but it's been so cold we've not gone that far. I had a broken boiler and no heating on Wednesday. Lit the fire and stayed in the living room wrapped in a blanket all day. The house was freezing! Engineer came at 1pm. Left at 3pm. House finally toasty at 5pm. I couldn't go anywhere as I was waiting for him to arrive! I only had hot chocolate and biscuits to keep me company. Although shivering burns calories too.

I have been going back to the gym after my horrible cold, though not in this weather. Took me a day or two to register that I don't need the gym and I can do stuff in the house. A little HIIT. Squats, lunges, Spiderman crawls and the plank. I've probably told you all before but I'll tell you again...I could do the plank for over 4 minutes about 3 years ago!! Now it's more like 30 seconds. But practise makes perfect and I know my goal.

I've been to my first appointment with the hypertension clinic. My blood pressure is down a little, but it's still high at 154/94. She's done my bloods and I'll be getting the 24 hour monitor again next week. But, and it's a big but for me, no meds yet! I'll still keep losing weight and hopefully things will change. How I wish I'd tried last year - oh hold on...I was trying to lose weight last year, and the year before, and the year before that and....

I am close to losing my one stone. Honest. This is not a ploy to keep you reading. Though if that was the only reason you read this you'd have given up months ago. Thank you for staying with me.

I'm so grateful and thankful that I have a roof over my head, food in the kitchen, power and fuel. And my family are warm and safe. I pray for those that are not so lucky. Keep safe everyone xx

One way to get high blood pressure is to go mountain climbing over molehills!