Carrots and Sticks

Last night, over a wonderful meal of tempura prawns, paella and pavlova, washed down with plenty of wine (following a margharita of course!) I bemoaned the fact that I didn't seem to be losing much weight. Indeed, strangely it seems to be going on. How can that be?
My friend explained that I was too busy punishing myself, telling myself what I shouldn't do - like wolfing down the very foods I crave. As we drank our lemon and ginger tea (no milk, no sugar, no calories hey!) my friend expounded some more wise words. As this was following a bottle (or two) of wine, plus the margharita my recollection of the exact wording is a little hazy, but the gist is that rewards work, punishments don't.
So that is going to be my guiding principle for the next few months. I will eat the foods I love - but not the foods that happen to be lying around in the fridge. I will dance to my favourite music, even if it makes my daughter cringe and I will arrange a holiday, some little trips and lots of shopping outings to ensure I have nice clothes to suit the slimmer, kinder-to-herself me!!
Right now I have been given the added 'joy' of being able to walk or cycle everywhere as someone has crashed into our parked car and probably written it off. As it's pretty ancient we won't get much back off the insurance so looks like it will be shank's pony for a while. How come we pay out all this money and yet insurance companies always seem to find a way to come out on top? Hmmm.
Anyway, back to the diet. I'm off to have my favourite breakfast/ brunch of low fat sausages and tomatoes. Yummmm

I will be losing it - just you wait

Autumn is here and the leaves are starting to fall. Oh those trees have it so easy. They stand there, looking great, with different colours and textures that suit the season (unless they're evergreen of course...) and then, just when they might be saying to each other "Ooh, I seem to have put on a few pounds recently - could do with slimming down a bit," their leaves take the hint and drop off, leaving them with a stick thin figure all through the winter season and perfect for next spring's fashions when they arrive.

That is what I want to do. I'd like to be able to tell my body that there are bits of it that really don't belong on me any more and could these fat blobs please melt away right now. Wouldn't that be good!

Instead, I've found I just can't stop eating at the moment. True, I'm eating all the right things - I still have my favourite, tasty low fat, low calorie breakfasts, lunches and dinners... but in between I have my favourite high fat and sugary snacks and in the evening I enjoy my glasses of wine just a little too frequently!

Why am I doing this to myself? Is it something instinctive about preparing for winter? I love feeling slimmer and I hate seeing blobby me reappearing, but I'm finding it really difficult to get on the right track.

But today I am going to start going for it big time. I have Christmas as my goal and hope to be able to slide into something that makes me feel slim and sexy by then! I also want to go skiing - and be able to get up when I fall over... Not sure if that's affordable this year, but I hope I can find a way.

So I shall step up the exercise. Today is beautiful and I plan to cycle for a couple of hours, with some steep hills to burn off the calories and build up my muscles. And it will work! I have just refused a sausage roll offered me by my daughter and believe me sausage rolls are one of my biggest temptations and downfalls. So there it is. I will be back losing it from today!

Do the pump 'n' spray and lose some weight today,

Can you lose weight and save money in these dire times?
Well, according to the government you just need to eat less.  Control yourself and keep off the cream buns and the weight will drop off.  Hmmm.  Not so sure about that.  I find that my weight loss(or sadly gain) fluctuates with the seasons and my mood, and that what I eat is only a part of the problem.
But, clearly anything that can enable calories in to be less than calories used will help in the fight to get thinner.  so here is my top tip for the day.    Remember the 'Shake and Vac' advert?  If not you can watch it here.  

Well meet the Pump 'n' Spray.  This is from Lakeland Plastics and you fill it with the oil of your choice. 

It dispenses a fraction of the oil you would usually pour in cooking, so you save massively on the oil as well as on the calories you're putting into your meal. Plus of course it gives you a bit of exercise (you have to pump before each spray).  I also suggest a little dance around the kitchen whenever you use it - to the  tune of the Shake and Vac advert.


You may hate me for getting that tune in your head, but at least you might be thinner and richer!

The ups and downs of cycling in Sussex

As Dave was doing his flight sim show at Shoreham airport I decided to cycle over and show my support.  (It had turned out to be a bit of a family affair with James doing some filming there and Charli helping out too.

I cycled just over 31 km which took about 2 and a quarter hours.  The first and the last bit were the worst - a long slog up the very steep Tongdean lane in Withdean to start with and again, climbing Tongdean lane at the end to get home.  I know those are the very bits that help burn the fat, but I wish there was an easier way - especially at the end of the ride... The rest of the cycle was fab.

 Most of it was along the sea front, including the port road and lock in Shoreham harbour.
 Can anyone explain why bikes are not allowed on the prom here in Brighton and Hove?  I mean, bikes tootling along and looking out for other users, not those in a hurry - who should be on the road of course.  The prom must be about 20 m wide along here. 

Anyway, I felt pretty pleased with myself.  But I did possibly cancel out the positives with just one little negative... When I arrived at the airport Charli was starving and the airport cafe had closed - having run out of food!!!!  So I drove to McDonalds to get her a burger - and found myself eating one too - how did that happen:)
Still it was a good cycle and I'll do it again some day soon. 

My cunning plan to lose weight

It seems to me that my wannabe fat self (lets call her Lard) has been making some sneaky moves on my wannabe thin self (I'll call her Beyonce!). I really don't recall giving Lard permission to drag me towards biscuits, crisps and cheesecake - whilst keeping away from the gym on the flimsiest of excuses. "Your trainer lace is broken." - I have spares, somewhere, or "If you go now you might be late back and you'll miss checking with your dental hygienist on facebook..".

All the time Beyonce, bless her, has been under the impression that she has, by and large, been sticking to the straight and narrow -avoiding chips and dumplings, whilst leaping on her bike frequently and pedalling pretty furiously. Beyonce - and I'm with her on this one - is gutted to find that the weight is going the wrong way; 8 pounds - and that's on the kind and friendly scales. The gloating scales can just sit there and 'wait' for the moment. I'm going nowhere near them.

But, as I mentioned, I have a cunning plan. This is based on trickery and deception. Lard will not know what's slithered off her until she's just a mere globule of fat.  And here is an example of how it will work.

It's 4.30 pm and Beyonce is putting the finishing touches to her work for the day.  A tick here, a tick there and a shimmy across the floor as she sings to John who has come to replace the light bulb.  Soon it will be time for home.

At this point Lard, in that rather devious and manipulating little voice of hers, pipes up.  "Oooh don't forget that you need to go to the staff room to pay for those sweeties you had yesterday.  You know the white chocolate mice.  Have you forgotton that all the profit goes to charity?  And such a good cause too.... maybe you should get some more?"

Beyonce though is ready! "Yes Lard Great Ormond Street Hospital is a good cause isn't it.  However, I think I could better support them by taking part in a fun run.  So I'm going to get into training by jogging home this evening - up that steep hill."

"No, no!" shrieks Lard " You might hurt yourself.  You're too old and unfit. Anyway, you've got too much work to carry home in that bag of yours."

But Beyonce has the final word.  "Lard - I have a flash pen, with all my latest lyrics and toons on.  I don't need any heavy books in my bag, just a song in my heart and a spring in my step.  And I'll put the money in the sweet box tomorrow.  Come on let's go.  Got me lookin so crazy right now..."

Thus will I defeat slobbery old Lard and allow Beyonce to sing and dance her heart out, in a lightened up sort of way.  Wish us luck:)

 

New goals at the Seagulls Amex Stadium

Monday morning and I wasn't at work!  No I was at the brand new Amex Stadium in Falmer, Brighton - the home of the Seagulls - and a fantastic place it is too! The sun shone and life was good.

It was also meant to be a day that showed my determination, stiff upper lip and general ability to reach my goals and win in the weight loss war (yeah!)  So why is it then when you go out on a trip, even when the trip is only 5 minutes away from home, the first thing you want to do when you get there is eat your packed lunch?  I felt so hungry, despite a good 'how to be slim and still eat sausages breakfast' of quorn sausages, tomatoes and toast.  And so did everyone else.
We were on a special sporty day playing football, hockey, rugby and rounders - brilliant idea and
almost guarenteed to help the pounds fall off - were it not for the fact that it was the young students I was with who were doing the sports while I stood and watched...
But:

• I did not start nibbling - I waited until I could sit down in the stands and have my lunch - Goal!
• I kept away from those extra sandwiches and crisps... Goal!!
• I felt motivated enough to take the long, uphill  50 minute walk home afterwards... Goal!!!          

 

Ok, there were a few lapses afterward.... but I'm going to feel proud of myself.  I really think that thinking yourself slimmer is half the answer.  They say 'you are what you eat', but I also think' you are what you think you are'.   Not profound, but I think it's true...

I could curl up and cry - but I'm going to jump up and down instead and scream

Ohhhh, I am so woeful.  I have been 'coasting' with my weight loss campaign recently.  The plan was to have my hols in Turkey and then get straight back on to the diet and exercise plan when I returned.  I know it's a winning combination because it worked!

However.... I've sort of done that.  I've gone back to my favourite low fat yet filling breakfasts, lunches and dinners and I've been out cycling and swimming a lot.  But I guess 'coasting' isn't enough for me as I've put on 8 pounds in the last few weeks. Eight pounds!!!!!!

 So I need to take action.  Lots of it.  For a start the zumba wii game that I got for my birthday in June... needs to be taken out of the box.  I shall jump up and down and sing along with it for a session every day (almost... yeah a bit of copping out going on already).
The other things I know I have to do are stop the nibbling and cut down on the vino.  Both of these have crept up - actually rather leapt up if I'm honest...

So it's back to Sparkpeople every day too, which is an amazing site and has seen me through some tough times.

Ok, now I'm off to Zumba!!!!