I've had trouble with getting on the site but now worked out why :)
I've been ill but now okay and back in fine shape.
I've been busy busy busy.
So now all that is out of the way - hello everyone
I've been celebrating far too much and realise that I stand no chance of succeeding in Endurer's Challenge, but I'm not disappointed. In many ways I'm happy with a maintain or thereabouts. I've actually come to appreciate that taking a pause can be just as good as running on ahead. These moments of "not being in the mood" are going to be valuable to me in the months to come. My main negative thought concerns the ability to maintain. Let's face it, with 9 stone (126 lbs) to lose maintenance is a big thing - no point in doing all that hard work and regaining the lot and believe me I know people who have and I don't want to be added to the massive regain list. So taking a pause and maintaining at steps as I go along will prove to me that I can do it.
Okay, yesterday I had a crapper but today I've woken up all enthusiastic again. Is it the fact that it is sunny? I think this may be a big factor. Perhaps I need to use my lightbox more - going to be an experiment over the winter I think. I don't want to resort to tablets to deal with the SAD. It's started so early this year!
So, back on the Diet Chef :D
Hubby's birthday today - got no plans. He's stressed at work and even though it is our 40th birthdays, I just can't seem to get up any enthusiasm for them. Thing is, they don't feel special - not that I mind being 40, but I've never been a big birthday person, not at 18, 21 or 30. It just doesn't excite me. Now Christmas - woohoo! I may not be Christian but I love the whole concept of Christmas - the spiritual, religious and good tidings. Not so up on the overdraft side though hehe
Oh yeah, I'm thinking of Christmas already - too early? Probably haha But it's only 12 weeks away
As you can see from my graph I have totally been out of the zone the last couple of weeks and have regained loads. However, I have learnt from the past and not regained everything I had lost and more on top. A mini-victory.
I am still dreading weigh-in on Thursday. I doubt I will have lost and my results will be detrimental to my team. But I still have time to redeem myself before the end of the challenge.
I will catch up with everyone today - apologies for not having the time to do so before.
So sorry not posted much on people's blogs - work has been nuts. Normally got 8 working but current just 3 of us. Will catch up when things have calmed.
Hoodia - my friend seems to be having great success on this and I was wondering if it really does work. I've read some "scientific" research but it's hard to whittle out the rubbish from the good. Nothing beats actual experience to be honest.
Hope you are all doing okay. I've not even weighed in this morning due to fear of them scales. I promise to do so next week.
Go yellow team :D And pinks, of course :D Good luck for today.
Seriously, I'm full of get up and go, enthusiasm, blah blah and can't stop eating everything heading my way at the weekend. I'm worried I'm heading towards being a binger again what with dieting like mad on weekdays, eating like crazy on the weekends. Right, it stops here!
Other than the eating issue, I had a great weekend. Mother was nice to me again - she's having a bad time re dad and we had a moment of mother/daughter bonding.
Sunday I rested up then went to see a friend in the evening which made a change. I've not really allotted much time to friends since dad died and we've taken to see mum every Saturday. I kind of miss the old routine of geocaching and visiting National Trust places.
1. Loss of 8.5 lbs - you know, when you are working from day-to-day it just doesn't seem like it is moving very fast, but that is just the mind playing tricks.
2. Definitely feeling great Can run up and downstairs easier already and do not feel as heavy and bloated.
What I haven't achieved:-
EXERCISE - I've done some but when it comes down to it, the momentum just is not there right now. But it has been a busy month, then I broke my toe and well, that was it. I let "life" take over rather than taking over my life.
So, goals for month 3:-
1. Lose more weight.
2. Takeover my life more and exercise at least 10 mins a day - it's not much, but it's the start of a habit that I shall grow.
3. Pay more attention to my appearance. Working from home makes a person lazy - I rarely put makeup on these days, etc.
4. Study OU course starts end of September but I've already worked through the first week bar the practical experiment - got to build a rain gauge hehe
5. Tackle the emotional eating.
My worries right now:-
1. Maintenance - I don't want to go back to bad eating, but am I going to regain if I go out once a week? Will I have to watch every mouthful 24/7? I'm not sure I want to do that. I'd love a 90:10 of good to bad hehe
2. Skin - oh my main worry. I can see the creepiness already. I worry about the stomach pucker belly. But then I can give it two years and have surgery I guess. But I do worry over this. Vanity huh!
I think I may not post on my blog every day - it can be hard to find things to post - every couple of days should see me through. That will give me more time to read other blogs and get lots of advice.
I honestly thought I'd be in for a gain this week, but have adhered to the diet strictly for the last few days and it has paid off! Now I wonder what I would have lost if I had stuck with it all week.
So Week 4 of Endurer's Challenge has gone and I am still on track for my target. I admit, it will be hard but on the other hand it does appear that my loss is perhaps going to be more than the 2 lbs a week I estimated originally - given what my doc said that should not surprise me but I do not want to expect more than that. I'm just as happy with the small figures.
This week, I'm going to be a good girl. I want to see how well I can do next week and, of course, I really want to make that target I set for myself. Never made a challenge target before so there's an incentive to succeed
Finally back on track. For a moment there I thought I wasn't going to manage a whole day of sticking to the programme. Nothing worse than self-doubt.
I admit, without EP I would not be doing so well - this site is such an inspiration and I feel part of a "family" - everyone has been so welcoming. Thank you again Yep, can't say that enough.
Nearly the end of my second month. It's gone so quickly so the diet can't be all that bad hehe I'm looking forward to doing the second month review as I think it will put things in perspective for me. I've not been exercising much due to an injured toe - nothing like bashing an already deformed toe.
Not sure about WI tomorrow - think I shall be letting the Yellow Team down. Possibly a gain this week, at best I shall stay the same. Fingers crossed my body can pull a miracle and I lose ½lb or something. Hey, I'll settle for an ounce right now hehe
Okay, after thinking about it I realise what made me go off the rails. My mum yet again. Why does she always have to put me down? My niece got 9 GCSEs so we went round on Saturday with a card. My mother said, in front of me, "Caroline didn't get that many" - my response "Actually, you are right, I got 10", which is true - I did one extra two years early. I then thought how tactless was I to say that in front of my sister-in-law considering, but it was an immediate response. Sometimes I wonder why I love my mother as much as I do - she drives me nuts.
Didn't manage to get back on track - going to do so today - work will distract me and I will find something to do tonight to occupy my mind. I've regained what I lost last week - probably a lot of water retention due to the carbs so it may not be a total lost cause this week. If I maintain I'll be happy. I refuse to end up back at where I started but can handle backtracking by a week. I'm determined to reach that Endurer Challenge target though and I'm running it fine at the moment so need to put some serious work in over the next month.
Will catch up with all blogs later - not been positive so not wanted to post.
OU course starts end of September but I've already worked through the first week bar the practical experiment - got to build a rain gauge hehe
Yep, can't say that enough.