A little R & R

No weigh in this week as hubby and I have taken off for a week’s peace and quiet.  We’re visiting family and going out on day trips – the aim of which is to walk off all the syn-ful food I’m eating.

Hubby has surgery next week to try and fix his snoring.  He did offer to get me a course of hypnotherapy so I could sleep through it but I told him that I’d have to be dead to stand a chance, plus even then the racket would probably resurrect me.  So under the surgeon’s laser it is.

Weight loss will be a hit or miss affair for the next couple of weeks.  Hubby will be in a fair amount of pain afterwards and I am likely to feel stressed (and guilty) about it all.  Hopefully I can reach for the grapes rather than the chocolate.

Weigh in – I’m back

Today’s weigh in saw a 1lb gain over 2 weeks.  I’m actually quite pleased by this as the second week was spent on a cruise ship and, if you’ve ever been on one, you’ll know how more-ish the food is.

On board I realised that I AM capable of judging my appetite AND want versus need.  It wasn’t always easy to stick to the Slimming World plan – salad and grated carrots gets a bit samey after a couple of days, plus the veg choice at dinner wasn’t always something I liked – but, even eating more bread/pastry than I should, I managed to make mostly sensible choices.  My plate was never filled up (unlike previous cruises), plus I still managed to have a large glass of wine most evenings.  Maybe having to push the wheelchair around for at least an hour most days helped.

So, I’ve learnt that I can possibly loosen the reins a little and, as long as I show constraint on portion sizes, it won’t bring about too much weight gain.  And that, my friends, is good for my soul.

(I did go look at the gym on board but that was all I did.  Far too many sporty, fit looking types for my comfort level).

Bon voyage

As I sit here typing this post I am trying to pass the few hours until daughter and I leave for our cruise – the menfolk are staying here (their break together is in September).  It’s going to be fun and probably, for me, a good work out.

Daughter has a chronic pain condition which means that she has mild aches constantly that can flare into eye-watering intensity for no good reason.  There’s no warning when it’s going to happen.  When it does happen it leaves her shuffling round the place like a little old lady who has lost her zimmer frame.  So, I’ve hired a wheelchair for the week.  We may not need it (fingers crossed) but we’re taking one so that she can get out an about during our port visits if it’s not such a good day painwise.  It’s a manual wheelchair and she’s not the best ‘driver’, hence why my muscles will be getting plenty of strength training.

The weather is forecast to be pleasantly warm.  We’re hoping that warmth will help with her pain, as cold makes her a lot worse.  Imagine getting the most awful pains in your hands just by taking a cold can of pop out of the fridge.  Not fun.

I am going to have to be extra-vigilant on the food front.  It is so easy, as I know from previous experience, to stuff yourself on the delicious 5 course meals.  There is also a buffet, which will be fine IF I stick to the salad end of things.  If I stray to the creamy, chocolatey pudding end I’m doomed!

So, there’ll be no weigh-in post tomorrow, nor any newsy posts during the week.  The boat does have internet access – by the minute – but I’m quite likely to lose myself online for an hour or so.  Instead I’ll go ‘cold turkey’ till I get home.

Be good, and I’ll ‘see’ you all next week.

Weigh in

It’s getting old, another half pound on.  Not that I don’t deserve it – and more.

I now need to lose 4lbs to get to my Club 10 (loss of 10% body weight).  So, I’m using today to plan the rest of the week’s dinners and write the shopping list for them.

With it being Easter at the weekend I thought I’d bake something puddingy.  I think I’ve found something but will post about it nearer the time.

I might go for a walk this afternoon.  The wind is cold and ‘lazy’ – it goes through you instead of round you.

My daughter and I have booked our trips for shore-days on our forthcoming cruise.  I wouldn’t normally bother with them but I’m not sure how far it is from the docks to the action AND daughter may not be able to walk that far.  Funnily enough, 2 of the 3 involve alcohol.  Don’t worry, there’s a gym on board.  I will be spending plenty of time in there, burning off all the excess.

Back on the streets

Now, before you all go and have a whip-round to save me from homelessness, what I really meant was I got the running shoes back on this morning.  I did 1.9 miles in 27:29 minutes – a mix of jog and walk.  It made me feel on top of the world.  TMI warning – A hacking cough for the next half hour as my lungs kicked out all the phlegm they’ve collected burst my bubble a bit, but better out than in, eh  ;-).  I even remembered to do all my stretches when I got back so hopefully the muscles won’t be too achy later.

Weigh in is tomorrow and I’m looking forward to it.  Even though I didn’t stick strictly to the plan whilst away I don’t think I’ve done much damage, weightwise.  Fingers crossed.

For Mothers Day my kids bought me wine and chocolate.  Time to exercise the willpower.

Weigh in – and what I’m doing this week

This week saw me put on half a pound.  I wasn’t too surprised as I’ve been lazy for 3 weeks whilst fighting this cough/fever/sore throat/catarrh thing that’s doing the rounds.

Last week I got my Silver Body Magic award, so this week I am starting my Gold.  Gold means I have to do 4 (I think, could be 8) weeks of 10 x 15 minutes or 5 x 30 minutes sessions of exercise – enough to get the blood pumping and the sweat pouring.  In just over 24 hours I have managed to tick of 7 x 15 minutes (a 45 minute walk, a 45 minute jog/walk and a 15 minute swim).  Needless to say I am now sitting with my feet up, staring at the sunshine, watching hubby finish off our lunch of pasta, gammon ham and tomatoes.

Tomorrow sees us attempting 45 minutes of badminton (or racket ball, depending on what’s available), which will take me to my 10 x 15 sessions.  The rest of the week will be a bonus – OR I’ll be feeling thoroughly miserable with achy joints 😉

Why all this mad activity?  Hubby and I are at Center Parcs.  We’ve left our kids guarding hearth and home.  The youngest is 19 so they are old enough.  Eating out here is very difficult if you want to stick to the SW plan.  Yes, there are cooking facilities in our villa but it’s my holiday too so there’s not going to be much self in the self-catering (a cooked breakfast and a very light lunch).  So all this exercise is going on counteracting the rather tasty, and synful, meals on offer.

Last night we had tapas.  Tonight it’ll be the American diner.  Hubby fancies sticky ribs.  I’ll have a long look at the menu and take it from there.