From here to inskinnity! My mission to lose 13.5 stone!

That sounds fantastic, I'm sure you'll be up for it by the time it comes round. I wish I could do something like that but I can't even swim so it's not even on my radar! I am learning though, all part of my Gold Body Magic plan...

If/when you feel ready to start running, you should look at the Couch to 5K plan. It's a 9 week plan to get people from couch potato to running 5k in around 30 minutes. I am half way through week 4 and it really seems to work (well so far anyway....!) In week one I thought I was going to pass out after running for 60 seconds (when I say running, it's really more of a slow jog - any slower and it would be a walk!), but on Monday night I actually ran (jogged!) for 5 minutes straight and, including walking breaks, 16 minutes in total. I can't believe it! I'm already thinking about some sort of 5k run early next year but I'm going to try and not get too far ahead of myself, there's a long way still to go.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do and I look forward to following your progress x
 
Bev - Well done on your couch to 5k success so far! I'm pretty sure I'll be trying the plan myself at some point, by the time next spring comes around I'll hopefully be under 20 stone and will feel more comfortable running. You should definitely try one of those 5k races, will be a great way to celebrate getting to the end of the plan!

For the time being though for me a low impact exercise like swimming is perfect, I'm planning on hitting the pool tomorrow and despite how busy I am today I'll be getting some kind of body magic done.

I've got loads of work on today as I'd just accepted 4 new jobs when a client sent me some urgent work that needs to be completed today. So I've got 7 articles to write in total before I go out at 6 for tea. Some days I can really whiz through it, but after a crappy nights sleep I've got a feeling it's going to be one of those days where I really have to push myself to get it all done. On days like this I always break it up and do something to let my mind rest between each one - article; breakfast; article; hair dye on; article; hair dye off; article; lunch - you get the idea!
 
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Wow, congratulations on this weeks weigh loss! :) 9.5lbs in 3 weeks is amazing, go you! Keep going like that and you'll hit all your mini goals in no time.

The Great North Swim callenge sounds alot more appealing than any sort of running, haha. Plus the Lake District is so beautiful you can kill two birds with one stone by have a little break up here.

You're doing so well, I love catching up with your diary entries.
 
Well done on your losses so far
 
Well done for the loss :D very confident you will see the number 22 on the scales next week!!
 
Thanks guys! Flix, if I don't see the 22's next week I'll be gutted. It's still a horrific number, but psychologically much less horrific than the 23's if you know what I mean. Only need to lose over 1/2 a pound though and then it's gone for good! :) Well done on your first stone loss, bet it feels fab!

I should be hitting a lot of my mini targets in the next few weeks - getting into the 22's, losing my first stone and getting my BMI under 45 shouldn't be too far off now! I'd love it if I could manage one a week for the next 3 weeks! It's always a great feeling knowing you've met one of your targets, I was surprised at just how awesome getting my half stone award felt! Speaking of achievements I'd love to get a slimmer of the week or slimmer of the month at some point. I've just missed out this week by 0.5lbs on slimmer of the week and 1lb on slimmer of the month (even though I only did 3 weeks instead of 4!), so it's making me think that one of these weeks/months I might actually get one of them. I've stuck my half stone award on the kitchen cupboard door so would be nice to have some other awards to keep it company!

I'm still doing a bit crap with the exercise and only managed a 10 minute walk, but tomorrow I've got a lot less work on so should have time to go to lane swimming between 12 and 2pm. Haven't been swimming for a few weeks so will be nice to get back into the water.

At the moment I feel super tired, I've been having rubbish sleep lately asfinding it really hard to switch off. There's so much going round in my head - new job, starting my open uni course, applying for my degree, interviews for volunteer work, copywriting work and deadlines, holidays (only 6 weeks to go till Lanzarote and I haven't got any holiday clothes, booked cattery, car parking etc), weight loss, exercise, kittens etc. To be fair I'm loving my life at the moment and finding the thought of the future really exciting, it's just everything is in flux and it feels like my entire life is changing! I just need to learn to switch off better!

I'm also trying to plan something for Chris's birthday at the minute. It's not while February but I need to make it super special so want to book things well in advance. I was thinking of taking him on a mini break somewhere, but I'm not exactly flush with money at the minute so it'd need to be to a pretty tight budget. I was thinking about one of those mini cruises to Bruge where you get 2 nights on the ship and can stay at a hotel in Bruge for the night. Then I could take him out for a nice meal in Bruge and get him drunk on Belgium beer! Sounds like it'd be fun... The other option is a bargain break to Athens, with the economy over their being so crap at the minute you can get some amazing deals, although it's a long way to fly just for a couple of days... Thoughts/ideas anyone?

Food diary for today was pretty good. I even managed to refuse a magnum while Chris and his family ate one! Amazingly I didn't even feel like I was missing out as I knew I had a big pile of fruit and yoghurt waiting at home with my name on it! We've arranged to go out for Sunday dinner again this weekend, so rather than having any takeaway treats or chocolate I'm going to be saving my syns up for Sunday and the 3 course meal. If I'm good for the rest of the week there's no reason I can't enjoy myself and have a sunday splurge!

Week 4, day 2 - EE

Breakfast - 2 Hi Fi bars (HEXB)
nectarine
Lunch - crunchy nut cereal and milk (HEXA) - 5.5 syns
Tea - salmon, new potato, carrots, peas and mushrooms - at Chris's parents so I'll allow 3 syns for any oil used when frying the mushrooms!
Blueberries, raspberries and grapes covered in 1/2 a pot of mullerlight
Syns - 8.5
 
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The trip to Bruge sounds good, that'll be worth looking into. I'd love Athens too but I know what you mean about it being a bit too far for just a few days. My friend went to Barcelona for her 30th recently and loved it. They got it for a really good price and her and her hubby both enjoyed it even though she's a sun worshipper and he's a sightseer (this always causes problems for them!). It was the best of both they said becuase there are some lovely beaches nearby (although apparently they avoided the main one) and there's plenty to see too. The flight's not too long either.

It sounds like you are super busy at the moment so I'm not surprised you're tired. You've got so much on but at least it's all good stuff, it's just a bit of a juggling act really isn't it!

I'm sure you'll get SOTW or SOTM sometime soon if you keep going the way you are x
 
Bev - I'd love to go to Barcelona too. I've actually not been to mainland Spain yet so it'd be nice to see it. My Mum and Dad went to Barcelona a few years back and absolutely loved it, so I'll have to check out the prices. Having said that it looks like Bruge is going to be the winner as I spoke to my friend who went in Feb last year and all month the ferry company were doing BOGOF tickets, making it £75 in total for 2 people! Of course there's the hotel in Bruge for the night too, but at this rate I could afford to stay somewhere really special, I just hope they do that offer again next year! They don't have any prices up for the new year yet so I'll have to bide my time for a few months. Its funny how I'm so rubbish at planning meals yet so good at planning holidays! :D

---

Well I can't believe I'm actually typing this, but I've just got back from the pool and I feel like Rocky!! I've only gone and swam 80 lengths in 1hr 25 minutes! :wow:

It's incredible I even went at all as I've had such a rubbish morning that I just wanted to go back to bed. I'll explain! Remember the care home from hell that I worked at for a couple of weeks? Well today was meant to be pay day, except they haven't paid me ANYTHING, I only found out when I checked my account this morning! I'm hoping its just some kind of administrative slip up so I sent them a polite email asking when I'll be paid, but in my heart of hearts I really don't think I'll be seeing any of the money. The place is so badly managed and run though that it could be a genuine mistake, but either way I'll be getting in touch with the CAB if I don't get any joy, there's no way I'm working for nothing, even if it is just a couple of weeks! I was in a right state when I found out as honestly was relying on the money for my share of the bills. I'll be fine as thankfully Chris has a good job (and a kind heart, bless him) and I've got a fair bit of writing work in the pipeline, but it made me feel so stressed out and absolutely furious! I hate to have to put a burden on him financially, we do practically share money but I don't want him to think I'm taking the piss, he should be able to enjoy his spare cash not dole me out because I've not been paid! Grr! Anyway, I took all that anger and frustration with me to the pool and did something positive with it, and now I feel loads better! I'm still mad but I'll just work extra hard next week to bring in some money. Its not that bad as I've got my permanent part time job lined up for October to do alongside my writing. Plus I'm due about a grand back in overpaid tax, whenever the tax people pull their finger out that is! Anyway I know I'm stressing about money for no reason, it's not like I can't eat or pay the bills, but I expect to be paid for the work I do, and all the time I was working at the home I could have been earning at least double that if I was doing my writing! :mad:

Anyway, moving on now, as just thinking about it gets my goat! I can't believe in just over 3 weeks I've gone from doing bugger all and weighing nearly 24 stone to swimming 80 lengths and weighing 23! I know I've got a hell of a long way to go, but if you can do that much in just 3 weeks I can't wait to see where I'll be when I'm starting uni next September!

The best thing about it though is the endorphins really are making me feel great, so relaxed and happy! I honestly feel like I've been for a massage or something, not swam over a mile in the pool! It's made me realise the Great North Swim challenge on lake Windermere is definitely an achievable target for me too. Hell, if I can swim 80 lengths now I can only imagine how good I'll be in 9 months time! While I was writing this I was thinking, "OMG what if all the hotels get booked up" as there's going to be so many people attending, over 5000 apparently last year! So with that in mind I've had a look on Booking.com and reserved one, it's completely free to cancel up to a day before so no cost involved yet if I change my mind, but got a 4 night stay with breakfast for £250, so a pretty good bargain for a weekend in June! As you don't have to pay until you go I don't have to worry about finding the money either, so I thought what the hell... now I've just got to get the balls to sign up for the race! It costs £40 to enter which you have to pay upfront, so I want to be certain about it before I commit.. but I really think I'm going to do it!

I've been reading an old thread on the Mini mins SW forum about 'fishy week', it's well worth a read if you've got a spare minute. Basically a lot of SWers have found that having some kind of fish for lunch and tea each day for the week really boosted their weight loss. Seriously, take a look, in some cases people near the end of their journey were losing 8/9 lbs!! I don't think I could manage a full fishy week, I think I'd feel too restricted, but I am going to try and eat it more. Had salmon for tea last night and tuna and prawns in my salad today. So for the next few days 'till weigh in I'm going to try and include as much fish as possible and see if it has any extra impact!

I can't believe it's nearly 4pm already, especially considering I've done zero work all day and we're off to the cinema tonight! In case you're interested it's to see The Way Way Back, the new Steve Carell comedy. Anyway, I guess I'd better get my skates on and get doing some writing! I'll stick my food diary on here and edit it tonight with anything extra I eat. Hope you're all having a great day, thanks so much for all the comments and support, I really appreciate it!

Week 4, Day 3 - EE

Breakfast - Hi-Fi Bar - HEXB (last one, *sob* they were so yummy! I'm going to have to buy some more next week!)
Lunch - Morrisons salad bar - Beetroot, cucumber, sweetcorn, grated carrot, lentils, chick peas, tuna pasta (3 syns for mayo), prawns, tomato
Dinner - Lean steak with onion, mushrooms and SW chips
Supper - Fresh pineapple
 
The trip to Bruge looks like a goer if you can get that deal again. How nice it'll be to be able to splash out a bit on an extra special hotel for your night there too.

Wow, check you doing 80 lengths, that's fab! I'm glad it's made you feel a bit better and also given you a bit more confidence about the Great North Swim.

I was reading the bit about you booking a hotel just in case and, it's funny, because that's exactly what I did yesterday. I put in for some Commonwealth Games tickets, only a few for a particular day so I'm not hopeful of getting them, but then I started to think about how full/expensive the hotels will be when people start finding out if they've got tickets in a few weeks. I got online and they're already expensive but I managed to find one for £126 which is pretty good considering so I just went ahead and booked. I can always cancel it if (or most likely when!) I find out I haven't got the tickets.

The fish weeks sounds like it's worth trying - for you anyway, I don't eat fish. Hopefully it'll push you well into the 22s...

Enjoy your film tonight x
 
Bev - Haha, I'm glad it's not only me booking hotels so far in advance! It's not so bad if you can cancel them for free though, at least then you'll have the accommodation sorted for when you get the tickets, fingers crossed! Where is the Commonwealth games next year anyway? I'd love to see an event like that, though Chris pretty much hates sport and my friends are the same. I'm going to try and get in the draw for Wimbledon tickets next year though if I've got the money, my Mum has always wanted to go too so it'd be lovely to take her. After Murray winning it this year though I bet every man and his dog will be after tickets, so not holding my breath!

---
Decided to write today off as a none starter with the writing work and focus on tomorrow instead. I feel nice and relaxed at the minute which will hopefully help me get a decent sleep tonight. So far I've had 3 hours sleep a night for the last 4 days, which is really getting me down and making me feel like doing nothing, another reason why the mega swim today was such an achievement!

Tomorrow I've got an interview for a voluntary position at 10am and then I'm off to meet three of my friends at Meadowhall (big shopping centre) for lunch. It's rare we're all off together, two of my friends work in schools and the third does shifts in a care home, so its always a nightmare organising a get together! I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that tomorrow lunch isn't going to be the healthiest, there just don't seem to be any super healthy choices. We're going to the food court bit so can all pick our own thing and then sit together, but when I've looked at the options online it's all KFC, pizza hut, Maccy D's etc. The only place remotely healthy is the potato place, so I think I'll be going with a jacket potato with cheese and beans! If I have a green day I can probably get away with using the cheese as my 2 x HEXA choices, the beans and potato will be free, and if I ask for no butter it'll be completely syn free! That seems pretty crazy really as those potato's are like door stops so it's probably got a gazillion calories! It's hard to get out of the traditional calorie counting way of thinking sometimes, but it feels so good to be able to eat something like that and not have to use any syns.

I've just noticed there's a couple of swimming sessions tomorrow afternoon too,. I could always go on the way home from seeing my friends as long as I manage an early start and get some writing work done. Chris always gets up at 6.30 so that'd give me 3 hours before I need to leave for my interview, works in theory if I get a decent nights sleep!
 
Cheese Thief said:
Where is the Commonwealth games next year anyway? I'd love to see an event like that, though Chris pretty much hates sport and my friends are the same. I'm going to try and get in the draw for Wimbledon tickets next year though if I've got the money, my Mum has always wanted to go too so it'd be lovely to take her. After Murray winning it this year though I bet every man and his dog will be after tickets, so not holding my breath!
Click to expand...

They're in Glasgow next year. None of my friends and family are overly fussy for it but I'm sure if I get the tickets then someone will come! I'll be very jealous if you go to Wimbledon, I'd absolutely love to go but, again, nobody will go with me :( I'm an avid tennis fan but I think I may have to remain an armchair fan for the time being :rolleyes: x
 
Babytree - Thanks hun, I was amazed myself TBH! Had a bad morning so think it helped to take the frustration out. Are you starting a diary on here?

Bev - If it wasn't for my Mum I wouldn't have anyone to go and see Wimbledon with me either, so I know how it feels. I'm sure someone will come with you to the commonwealth games though, especially as it's not that far away! I seriously doubt I'd be lucky enough to get the Wimbledon tickets. I need to read up actually how the draw works but I don't think you can apply anyway until December!
 
Cheese Thief said:
I seriously doubt I'd be lucky enough to get the Wimbledon tickets. I need to read up actually how the draw works but I don't think you can apply anyway until December!
Click to expand...

I'm not hopeful that I'll get any Commonwealth Games tickets either but you've got to be in it to win it and all that! The applications for the Wimbledon Public Ballot are already available (from 1 August I think) and you can request one up to mid-December then submit it by the end of December. You find out if you've got tickets is mid-February I think. Good luck!! x
 
Bev - Sounds like you know more about this than me, I'd better get myself entered! Thanks for the help!

---
Well today has been fab, but sadly also rather synful! If you remember it was my lunch out with the girls. So lovely to see everyone and catch up with all the news. They were also really positive about my SW journey, it's great to know they'll be behind me every step of the way. Around a year ago one of my best friends Nikki lost 5 stone, and this afternoon in the park we had a good chat about it, she's finding it hard to maintain atm as she's got a new boyfriend and she's finding all the meals out tricky. It so nice to know someone else is going through the same thing as me, albeit at a different stage. She's not doing SW but when I think how much she's lost and how great she looks it's really inspirational. We've said we're going to go on walks together and when I've lost a couple of stone I've agreed to join her for kick boxing classes! I don't know how I'll find them, I'm a bit apprehensive about going but it might be fun so it's always worth a pop!

Anyway, all that was positive, the food a bit less so. Okay, it wasn't THAT bad, I've only had 17 syns so we're not talking about a major train wreck here, but it's still over my 15 total, and I really wanted to do a bit better with the meal out on Sunday coming up. All it comes down to in the end is 2 syns, and guess where that came from? A little knob of butter!! As planned I went for the jacket potato with cheese and beans (having a green day so using the cheese as my HEXA), but when the serving lady asked if I'd like butter I just replied "yes" without thinking. It wasn't until it was on my potato that I though "what the heck have I done that for", but I'd have felt completely stupid for telling her I've changed my mind and she was already putting the cheese on, gah! I know it's nothing to get worked up about, but still!

The next 5 syns came from a special K biscuit bar thingy and the other 10 from a Tesco City Kitchen Katsu Curry, it was one of those healthy ones you can get that only contains 380 calories. I'm quite amazed at the syn value as most of it is chicken, veg and rice with the syns coming from a bit of curry sauce... but anyway, it's sooo yummy that it's totally worth the syns.

So yeah 17 syns, the first time I've ever gone over my daily total without planning it in advance, as in a meal I knew about beforehand. I'm a bit disappointed with myself, but then again it's taught me to think what I'm saying when I'm eating out. It's so easy to add those syns without even thinking about it! At least it was only 2 extra syns, it could have been a lot worse.

Body magic wise I had another walk today, 2 miles around the park with Nikki, so looks like the first week of Bronze will be done tomorrow! Me and Chris are going on a 3.5 mile walk around Damflask Reservoir in the morning if it's nice, and after looking at the forecast I think the walk is on! I know 3.5 miles doesn't sound like a lot to a normal person, but it's a decent distance for me. I've been trying to do some walks since starting SW but the furthest I've gone so far is 2 miles, so it'll feel like an achievement I guess!

Week 4, Day 4 - Green

Lunch - jacket potato with cheese, beans and a pesky bit of butter -2 syns (HEXA and B - I think jacket potato counts as a B??)
Snack - Special K chocolate biscuity thing - 5 syns
Tea - Tesco City Kitchen Chicken katsu curry - 10 syns
Supper - grapes, pineapple, raspberries 1/2 a pot mullerlight

Total syns - 17 :(

Gotta say I'm a bit disappointed as done really crappy today as far as super free is going, except for supper (that I haven't actually eaten yet). Tomorrow I want a really low syn day, I'm thinking 5 or under to make up for today and to save some for the meal on Sunday! That should be achievable as it's the rescheduled BBQ from last week in the afternoon. I'm having my super healthy chicken veggie kebabs, and I'm sure I can throw together some kind of super free omelette together for lunch.
 
Sounds like you had a fab day and I'm glad you were able to chat it all over with your friend. You will be great support for each other.

Don't worry too much about the extra syns, these things happen and, not to sound too negative, it won't be the last time so best just to put it behind you and move on. I hope manage your low syn day tomorrow, which will make you feel a bit better about it though.

Some good news... potato is free on Green so you didn't need to use a HEB on it :) x
 
Ah fab, cheers Bev, I'm still a little unsure on HEX's when it comes to my green days!

After a bit of a lie in I'm about to get ready for my walk. We're dropping by Subway on the way over for some lunch and I'm getting a SALAD! :angel09: I'm even taking a syn free dressing so my lunch should be completely free, well unless I decide to have olives, and I do love olives so for 2 syns I think its worth it.

Woke up feeling a little lighter again today, I really wish it was weigh day so I could see how I'm doing, sooo excited to be in the 22's this week! *fingers crossed*



​
 
Dont feel too bad about yourself, u could have just gone wild and completely forgot about your diet but you didnt, and u had control....

Its great you have supportive friends, my housemate is obsessed with exercise so if im being lazy she makes sure I know about it but it keeps me going :).

And yeah potato is free so get some bread down ya :) xx
 
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