Monday 4th Feb 08

Weight 10 st 10 lbs
(150 lbs)

Lbs to lose - 28 or thereabouts

Book Description
A hilarious and heartwarming tale of a real-life superhero who battled the bulge and won.

Synopsis
In January 2001 Shauna Reid was twenty-three years old and twenty-five stone. Determined to turn her life around, she created the hugely successful weblog "The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl" and, hiding behind her Lycra-clad roly-poly alter-ego, her transformation from couch potato to svelte goddess began. Today, 8,000 miles, seven years and twelve-and-a-half stone later, the gloriously gorgeous Shauna is literally half the woman she used to be.In turn hysterically funny and heart-wrenchingly honest, "The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl" follows the twists and turns of Shauna's lard-busting adventure as she curbs the calories and learns to love the gym. There are travel tales from Red Square to Reykjavik, plus romance and intrigue as she meets the man of her dreams during a pub quiz in Glasgow. As her UK visa rapidly runs out, will she be deported back to Australia or will love triumph? Entertaining and action-packed, this is the uplifting true story of a young woman who defeated her demons and conquered her cravings to become a weight-loss superhero to inspire us all.

This is the book I have just started reading and I am really enjoying it (got it from Asda)

We had a nice weekend away. On the way to the hotel we called at the OK Diner for breakfast
The kids looking happy waiting for their breakfast! They did cheer up as the weekend went along.
The drive there
Where we ate (next to the rooms where we stayed)
Me by where our room was.
View from just outside our door
Me when we went for a walk
We went for a 40 minute walk on the Saturday after we settled into the room, went to Llanwrst.
Today am trying to keep (get) motivated into eating healthily today. Am in the middle of making a pork and apple meatloaf and will also do stewd apple and custard for tonight. Is it lunch time yet?

Mmmmm just had lunch. Did a veg stir fry (mushrooms, celery, onion, tomatos, carrots, spring onion, sweetcorn, chick-peas, red pepper, courgette) oh and I did have 2 small slices of tonights pork and apple loaf just to see how it tasted!!! Very nice. Hope the kids will like it (am going to do it with mash and steamed veg for R and I - J and Neil NEVER eat veg, though I may be able to hide some in the mash?

Have been plasetering bits of wall in the kitchen, have half painted one wall and painted the bannister and posts in the hall (and up the stairs). So, been fairly busy then. Need to finish plastering (patches), paint WHOLE of the kitchen and finish painting the hall. PHEW. At moment, washing machine pipes at the back are leaking, as is pipe to dishwasher and now the tumble dryer is not 'condensing' - ie collecting the water'drawn' from the clothes. Oh and the fridge freezer is making small puddles too as is knackered. ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

OMG, it is actually getting really difficult to eg fasten shoes, put socks on etc. I mean, ok, at the moment my joints are not fab but I think a lot of the problems are due to how much my stomach has expanded. I think I am beginning to resemble a round ball shape again? NOTHING fits me, am confined to wear an elasticated skirt and baggy t-shirts.
When we were in the hotel room, every room has mirrors in and no matter which mirror I looked in (sideways, frontways, on one foot etc)...I still looked the same - despairingly BIGGER.
J took a pic of me next to R in the restaurant and OMG the double chin alert.
Did my measurements the other day - OH NO

More about our weekend away

The more I think about it, the more I think we ought to go away for a night here and there more often. I mean, ok at first (ie at the diner) the kids looked a bit miserable but they soon brightened up. There was snow around the diner and we tried to turn into the car parking place but the car would not go up the slope and was skidding! After eating a nice breakfast we set off for the hour and a half drive to Trewfriw. The pub part of the hotel was nice, looked cosy and then we were shown to our room - very nice, double bedded room, large bathroom and another bedroom with bunks for the kids, plus tea and coffee making stuff oh and a TV.
The with a bit of moaning I managed to get everyone to agree to a walk to Llanwrst (which we were told by the staff was about a 20 minute walk).
Wandered round Llanwrst (started raining). Went to a cafe and then headed back - getting very rained on but since it was not too cold we actually enjoyed it.
Had hot bath back at hotel and relaxed a bit before going to restaurant part about 6.20pm for evening meal, which apart from the odd little bicker/moan from the kids, we had a nice time. Neil and I got a bottle of wine to take back to the room (very overpriced). Did not manage to drink more than a glass of it as had indigestion. Kids bunked down, reading and Neil and I watched a bit of tv then fell asleep. We got up at 7am and at 8am went over to the restaurant for a lovely cooked breakfast. Neil and I then went for a walk (kids would not go), before heading back home.

Wed 6th Feb 2008

Soup and something (?) for tea today.

It's too cold out

Both kids were up and dressed by 6.45am this morning! WOW! It is now 7.45am and they have both gone to school (Neil drops R off at the school breakfast club and drops J off at his friends so they can walk onto school.
Am working half day today. I am going to make a sweet potato soup later (WW recipe). Did okish last night. Maybe I should do a food diary for a few weeks?. Am off to work in about 20 minutes (get picked up by work colleague.
(2pm) Grrrrrrr I am cold and nothing fits me, nothing. I have just munched my way through a (cold) cottage cheese salad which I ate as quickly as I could to A. Warm myself up and B. Cos I was hungry.
I have the heater on in the front room and I am so so cold. I cannot bear the thought of digging out my swimming costume and heading off to the gym. Because A. I am sure it no longer fits me and B. After I have walked to school (in the cold) I would then have to wait by the bus stop (in the cold) and then get off the bus and walk to the gym (in the cold) then get cold while putting on my too tight costume (normally the water in the pool is warm thankfully)
I am too cold and yet it looks nice out (very deceiving though as it is IS cold). All I want to do is get R from school and snuggle up with her on the couch in the warm. I AM going dancing tonight (might just do one hour not two).
I have been through pretty much my whole wardrobe and the drawers and let me say, there is only about 4 things that fit me. I just want comfy clothes to slob out in on the couch later.

Spent most of the late afternoon and early eve laying on the couch. Ok, I didn't go to the gym or dancing - really did not feel like it. Watched Torchwood in the eve (and then caught up and watched last weeks on the computer as I missed it on tv)

Work ok, we had an Away Day (brainstorming day) at a hotel/conference centre.

Not feeling v relaxed at moment. R watching tv, J has friends round. Be glad when it is early evening and they in bed and Neil home.

(From Janeys site!)
1. What time did you get up this morning? 6.45am for work

2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds. Diamonds - I love sparkle

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Pirates of The Carribbean

4. What is your favorite TV show? Torchwood/My Family

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Porridge

6. Favorite cuisine? Any eating out place so I don't have to cook

7. What are your middle names? Sheena

8. What food do you dislike most? Sea food

9. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Anything by BLINK 182

10. What kind of car would you drive? Don't drive, never even had a go

11. Favorite sandwich? Egg Mayo

12. What characteristic do you despise? Those who are 'two-faced'

13. Favorite item of clothing? Long skirts or anything that hides lumps and bumps

14. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would it be? Capri

15. What color is your bathroom? Lemon and blu (unfinished)

16. Favorite brand of clothing? Anything that fits and doesn't cost a lot

17. Where would you retire? Devon/Cornwall

18. What was your most memorable birthday? The one everyone forgot/ignored (my 40th)

19. Favorite sport to watch? None really

20. Furthest place you are sending this? Not sure.

21. When is your birthday? August

22. Are you a morning person or a night person? Mid morning

23. What is your shoe size? UK 3

24. Pets? No

25. What did you want to be when you were big? A nurse

26. How are you today? Not v relaxed

27. What is your favorite lolly/sweet/chocolate? Minstrels, everton mints

28. What is a date on the calendar you are looking forward to? 2nd March (US trip)

29. Piercings? 2 each ear

30. Place of birth: St Asaph North Wales

31. Love someone/something so much it made you cry? My 2 kids (Neil)

32. Favorite Restaurant: Surfers, West Kirby

33. Favorite Alcoholic Drink: Dry white wine

34. Favorite ice cream: Cart'de Or (or however you spell it)

35. What color is your bedroom:Pink

36. From whom did you get your last e-mail? Rachel in the US and Kathy in Ohio

37. What do you do most often when you are bored? Read, eat and sleep

38. Bedtime: about 11.00 pm.

39. What are you listening to right now: J in his room with his friends, playing guitar and a girl singing (J's friend)

40. What is your favorite colour/s? Pink pink and pink

41. Which came first the chicken or the egg? Whatever

42. What are you wearing? PJ's, am slobbling out

43. What is the greatest place on earth? Anywhere where we are all on holiday together and happy

44. How would you react to a flat tyre? Tell Neil

Sun 10th Feb

20 days till I go to see Rachel in Kentucky!

R and I have the morning to ourselves, J and Neil have gone to Liverpool (plus J's cousin C) for the 1850 band practise in the rehearsal studios.
I have to try and find my swimming costume so R and I can go swimming later (when Neil gets back).

R and I watched Transformers in the afternoon. Not going swimming. Feel blah. Neil and J back. Made a leek/onion and celery soup, v nice. Added some chopped bacon to iy - am aiming to eat less carbs. Might try treadmill later

Went on treadmill, ok it was only for a 10 minute brisk walk, but better than nothing!!!
Oooooo I could just eat a BIG bowl of cereal, any cereal, like vornflakes or rice crispies or something with LOADS of hot milk. But I won't. I will be good. I do not need to eat as I had a healthy evening meal. I might just have a banana though - to stop me from having the cereal!