Failing memory!

I am very quick to put myself down. It comes from my fifties childhood I think. We were never allowed to boast and it was rare for anyone to give us praise lest we became conceited. That is how things were and my contemporaries seem to have similar stories.

So. I have been telling those who have asked at Fat Club that the last time I went down the Slimming World route I lost 2 stone and put it all back on again. This is my recollection. I lost the weight for my elder daughter's wedding. I know I didn't lose as much as I wanted but I felt comfortable enough.

How the mind plays tricks. Yesterday I came across my SW pack from that time. Yes. I had lost 2 stone. But my starting weight was 18 stone 10. I certainly have not put that much on in the intervening time which is actually a cause for great encouragement. My Mother-of-the-bride wedding weight was 16 stone 10, which seems heftier than I remember.

But the good news is that last night I tipped the scales at 17 stone one and a half, a drop of 1.5 lbs, but not a million miles away from my last lowest over 2 years ago. Am very pleased. And I also earned my first sticker for half a stone's weight loss. Because we are on the countdown to Christmas I also got to fill in a paper doll cut out which will go into a draw for all of us who lose 7lbs in the next 12 weeks. There is a £25 prize so motivation is high!

Have cheated a bit this week too. Again a lot of red wine, but also a bar of chocolate sneaked in. And I was too tired to wait for a shish kebab last night and settled for a very fatty donner. Hey ho!

One Fat Lady

Me at 17 stone 3.

On the plus side that is one stone lighter than at the end of August.

Good News Day!

Yes. Two pieces of very good news. The first is that I have achieved the first part of my late-life ambiton. Today I received an email from the London Gamesmaker site. I have been selected as an EVS Mobility Team Member for the Olympic events at Lord's Cricket Ground in 2012. This is good news on several fronts. Lord's is my spiritual home. I have been an avid cricket watcher since my early teens. OK so cricket isn't in the Games per se but I'm certain you can't take the cricket atmosphere out of Lord's. Secondly St John's Wood is my nearest venue. I can be there in around half an hour. I was beginning to think that Stratford and the Olympic Park was rather a long commute and that maybe I'd fail in the stamina stakes! So. Shall I be driving electric vehicles? Who knows, but I'm really looking forward to the training.

By the way I had to sign something that inferred talking about the organisation or any backstage Olympic stuff on Facebook or a blog was not on. This blog is about my losing weight (we hope). I have no intention of saying anything negative about my Olympic dream at all. Just so you know , , ,

And I've lost another 2lbs. My scales hadn't moved all week so I was pretty despondent when I went to SW yesterday evening. I had stuck to the diet other than overindulging in red wine. 2lbs is a good loss for the second week. Hopefully I'll get my half stone award next Wednesday. Fingers crossed.

I am aware that I should put pictures on her just to show how large I really am. The trouble is I try and keep out of photographs! I may make an exception and ask one of the kids to take one. Watch this space.

A flying start

I have been good this week. Not very good but good enough! Yesterday I weighed in with Elaine for the second time and I have lost 4lbs. Am mighty pleased. My target for next week is to score under 17 stone. There is a very pyschological thing going on when you get to the next descending number.

Has the food been nice? Yes but it's been boring. I have all the SW recipe books but after a day at school I don't ever feel like starting anything new. So I have cooked normal stuff for my family and then I have cooked for myself. On the first night I made a huge lasagne but was so tired I went to bed hungry. This is not the way it can continue and tonight I am making Turkey Cacciatore from an SW recipe. It could be a breakthrough. On the other hand it might not be very good. There were some jolly strange offerings at Buffet Night last week. Whoever thinks couscous is a good base for a cheesecake needs their head examined!

Our group lost 97lbs between them last week. I would guess there are around 40 regulars so the diet works.

I have upped my exercise too. On days when I have more time I swim 600 rather than 400 metres and  I incorporated  a 30 minute session in the gym on Friday.

Just need to knock the red wine on the head really . . . .

Biting the bullet

Today I rejoined Slimming World which is, IMHO, the only diet which works for me. I cannot be doing with calorie counting, points systems, meal replacements or any of the other miracle cures for fattties that are in the current marketplace.

Having put on 3lbs on holiday I am pleased to say that careful monitoring of my food and drink intake over the last couple of weeks meant that I weighed in this evening at 17 stone 9lbs. Still  huge but, I like to think, on the way down.

But before I really praise myself I have to remember that today (before SW natch) I ate 3 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (Mr Reese ought to be hung, drawn and quartered for inventing those delectable little, calorific treats), followed by a Reduced To Clear Pizza Express American Hot Pizza.

The scales will tell all in the morning.

But. Elaine the wonderful SW leader was delighted to see me, gave me a hug, but more importantly inspired me to get right back on the plan.

And there were quite a few people there heftier than me.

Onwards and downwards!!