Wednesday 30 January 2013

dietdevil: 45, fish and chips , flowers . friends and family....

dietdevil: 45, fish and chips , flowers . friends and family....:   So today it is exactly 45 years since I made my appearance into the world.    January 30th 1968 at Hillcrest Maternity Hospital i...

45, fish and chips , flowers . friends and family.

 
So today it is exactly 45 years since I made my appearance into the world.
 
 January 30th 1968 at Hillcrest Maternity Hospital in Alnwick Northumberland is where I breathed my first breath on a cold Northumbrian winter's morning ``and here I am  several  years on.
 
Birthdays don't really float my boat to be honest. My last 'special' one was my 40th and my next special one is my 50th.................I can't be 5 years away from 50. I just can't!
 
Oh but I am , so I suppose I should get used to it.
 
I have had beautiful flowers, lovely cards, loads and loads of best wishes and some money to 'get my hair done' ( my mother and mother in law ). Boots vouchers to 'buy my own make up ( hubby and kids ) , a delicious smelling bath bomb ( Leanne, friend and fellow blogger ) and lots of love.
 
This has all warmed the cockles of my frequently gloomy heart. I took a few minutes to think about my Dad and the fact that it's now 5 years since he died and Hattie wrote on my Facebook wall that she wished she was here to celebrate it with me. I wish they were both here right now but they're not and I miss them both.
 
It was book group last night and we had our customary spread of goodies including one of the nicest and gooiest chocolate cakes I have ever eaten. This should have satisfied me but tonight we have had a birthday dinner of fish and chips ( my fave takeaway ) and wine and there is also some choccy on standby.
 
I think I will give fat club a miss this week. It's for the best. Ladies of 45 shouldn't have nasty shocks.
 
Back to  the lettuce leaves tomorrow..................probably.

Sunday 27 January 2013

dietdevil: Broom Broom

dietdevil: Broom Broom: So I am possibly the most fickle blogger ever, in the whole wide world. I had intended to blog at some point every day but the last one was...

Broom Broom

So I am possibly the most fickle blogger ever, in the whole wide world. I had intended to blog at some point every day but the last one was on Martha's 16th birthday which was 12 days ago but will lead me into today's blog rather nicely.
 
She got her provisional license on Thursday so without further ado I booked her into the CBT day long course at Penzance yesterday. This meant that she didnt really have time to think or worry about it and she had a grand old day with Steve and Dan, the hairy instructors.
 
She passed, thank goodness and as soon as her dad picked her up she did say that roundabouts worried her. Her sister hattie said the same thing 4 years ago, and to be honest, they still worry me as I am not one of life's natural drivers!
 
 
Today she went out on her own and she drove up Bedford Road, through the doctors surgery, round library corner and then back up to where we live. I wasn't nervous at all. I didn't feel all weepy and stressed. Honest. Really.
 
She has now gone to Tescos.
 
And on the weight front? Well I am back on track with a vengeance! Have lost 8 pounds in 3 weeks and I haven't had wine for a month. Not intentionally but have sort of ( shock horror ) gone off it a bit.......
 
I may have to rekindle my taste for it when Martha's moped journeys get longer and longer...............
 

Tuesday 15 January 2013

dietdevil: 16 years gone in a flash............

dietdevil: 16 years gone in a flash............: So today Martha is 16. I can't quite believe it and to be honest I can't even remember her being a baby now. A LOT happened in 1997 - M...

16 years gone in a flash............

So today Martha is 16. I can't quite believe it and to be honest I can't even remember her being a baby now.

A LOT happened in 1997 - Martha Elizabeth was born, Tony Blair became prime minister and Princess Diana died. The first 2 events made me happy. The last one made me sit in front of the telly and think of conspiracy theories.

When I took a pregnancy test  back in may 1996 I was in a hurry, thought it was negative and threw it in the bin. It was only that night whilst lying in bed that I read the instructions properly  and realised that I had read the results wrong so in the middle of the night I rummaged through the bin, had another look and thought ''oh my god - I AM pregnant''.

I had the usual sickness and it was at 34 weeks the midwife decided that the baby wasn't growing properly and they sent me for another scan. The good news was that Martha was growing properly, she was just in a very unusual position and wasn't playing ball with the rule book. they also told me that I was having another girl which I was thrilled about. Back in those days they very rarely revealed the results of a baby's sex at an early scan so I felt very important.

The birth was awkward, she was a week late, 2 pounds heavier than her sister and still lying in a really odd position so when she was born I was very relieved that I got to meet our new addition in perfect health.

She was the most affectionate little girl, her best friend was ( and still is ) Billie Goulden and this is one of my favourite pictures of them when they were about 6 with their faces painted.

They spent hours and hours in our gardens - in paddling pools that grew in size every summer and finally a huge trampoline bounced on most days before and after school.

She loved sleeping ( she still does ), adored horses ( still does ) , has a wicked and naughty sense of humour ( still does sometimes ) and is now all growed up.

She has had a lovely day today - spoilt by her friends and was baked a beautiful cake by her boyfriend.  

She is possibly one of the stroppiest teenagers I have ever met but I love every inch of her.

And if she reads this blog she will quite literally kill me.

And I am not joking.

Sunday 13 January 2013

dietdevil: Proper job brunch and dread of putt putt putt

dietdevil: Proper job brunch and dread of putt putt putt: So yesterday the depression returned. It can just hit you when you least expect it and I had a few tears. Lots of stuff going on in my life...

Proper job brunch and dread of putt putt putt

So yesterday the depression returned. It can just hit you when you least expect it and I had a few tears. Lots of stuff going on in my life at the moment and a bit overwhelming. 

This is why that I am glad that I have returned to Slimming World. 

I am not one of those people that loses their appetite when stressed or miserable. It's just the opposite and I think this can explain part of the mahoosive weight gain when I was avoiding fat club and the scales.
 Being back 'in the zone'  has given me something positive to focus on amongst  all the other stuff and it gives me some control.

It means  that although I can't really drink gallons of wine and chomp on chunks of chocolate, I can eat meals like this .....

and enjoy every last mouthful.

It means that hopefully I will soon fit into all the new clothes I bought last year without having to risk hernia / dislocating any limbs / heart attack etc so fingers crossed that i can keep it up.

Our house is very quiet without Hattie. Martha is 16 in 2 days time and will soon be whizzing around on Cinderella the lovely little moped parked in our garage. I am hoping that years of riding horses will mean that she wont fall off but I know my heart will be in my mouth every time she drives it, just like it was when Hattie was 16. It's all part of growing up and one that I dread but I have to bite my tongue and let her go - even if it's only up the road to school and back.

We always used to laugh when Hattie became mobile as every week there would be another moped parked outside school as another year 11 turned 16. There doesn't seem to be as many now and apparently Martha will be the first girl but we shall see. I remember when Hattie took her moped test in Penzance and straight after when we were driving home and went over a roundabout she said ''oh yeah, you have to give way to the left don't you?''
WE eschanged glances and I still don't know to this day if she was joking or not and it was only when she started driving cars that she told us all about her near misses on Cinderella.

I hope Martha drives safely and keeps quiet too................





Friday 11 January 2013

dietdevil: woo hoo I did good.

dietdevil: woo hoo I did good.: So tonight was my first weigh in after rejoining fat club last week and I lost 3 and a half pounds. I was very proud of myself and had a ha...

woo hoo I did good.

So tonight was my first weigh in after rejoining fat club last week and I lost 3 and a half pounds. I was very proud of myself and had a handsome reward of something I would rather not talk about but it rhymes with ''churger and bips''. I know I know, but I had been ever so good all week and   felt that I deserved something nice and it was 'bleddy ansum' as they would say down here in St Ives.

Hattie went back to uni yesterday morning and I had a little sniffle. By the time I went to bed and had sipped a couple of vodkas it was more of a howl. I went into her bedroom, stroked her pillows ( in true psycho momma stylee) and then the tears flowed.

She is only up the road in Cardiff.

She is happy there.

She will be home at Easter.

St Ives is officially abandoned now. I walked through the streets today and there was  hardly a soul in sight. Nice if you're in a hurry but not so nice if you're trying to earn a living from it.

It is also very cold.  According to my fancy iphone and the weatherman the whole country has a 60% chance of snow in the next couple of days. It should hit my hometown of Alnwick tomorrow but I bet you it doesn't hit St Ives.

I love Cornwall but I do miss the snow that we used to have when I was a lass up in Northumberland. The utter silence when you woke up ( no cars as the roads were blocked ) and then the sound of spades against concrete as paths were being cleared. It also meant NO SCHOOL which was also a bonus. A friend of mine is desperate for it to snow and IF it does we are going to build a snowman.

And in the meantime, I shall avoid any churger and bips.

Wednesday 9 January 2013

dietdevil: Are pickled onions proper veg?

dietdevil: Are pickled onions proper veg?: So today it is freezing! The weatherman says it is going to snow this weekend. I don't really care as long as I am inside and warm. Hattie ...

Are pickled onions proper veg?

So today it is freezing! The weatherman says it is going to snow this weekend. I don't really care as long as I am inside and warm. Hattie goes back to Cardiff tomorrow and I always keep an eye on the weather there when she's away and then worry if she gets too cold. You don't stop being a Mum when they're 20!

Cold weather calls for comfort food. My stab at vegetarianism has failed miserably and even more so tonight as I decided to have pork chops, 'healthy chips', baked beans and some stray pickled onions left over from Christmas. very nice it was too.


And tomorrow is my first weigh in at the new group! I am nervous. keep your fingers crossed that I have done well. I think I have done everything right but the truth will out at those darned scales.

Tuesday 8 January 2013

dietdevil: Good Lord, I'm a porker!

dietdevil: Good Lord, I'm a porker!: So as this blog is meant to be about diets and I haven't been on one for a while then let's get back to the nitty gritty of it  shall we? ...

Good Lord, I'm a porker!

So as this blog is meant to be about diets and I haven't been on one for a while then let's get back to the nitty gritty of it  shall we?

My name is Liz. I am a yo yo dieter. I like food . I also like wine. I like cooking. I like eating. I like reading. I like writing. I like watching rubbish telly. I really dislike my job.

I lost 4 stone in 2011 so I could go and see Take That with my oldest friend and I didn't want to wobble when I danced. I felt fab!

I spent most of 2012 trying to recapture the giddy heights of being an iconic loser but failed and then gave it all up last October.  I tried fasting (LOL) I tried 'doing it at home'. I even bought some Slimfast. Our fabulous group's consultant then gave up Slimming World too so as it was December by then I thought ''oh what the hell, pass me some more cheese''.

On January 1st I woke up and thought I could feel a few extra rolls so on January 3rd I started a new group in the next town. It's a bit like trying a new chippy. You know you like chips but they're never quite the same if you go elsewhere. Not necessarily bad, just different.

I HAD PUT ON A STONE AND A HALF IN 3 MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So for all of you people out there that think it's easy to lose weight, let me tell you - yes it is fairly easy, it's the keeping it off that's the problem and that's where I went wrong.

Luckily my oldest friend Nicola has come to the rescue again and this year we are off to see The Pet Shop Boys in June. That has given me some sort of goal and it means that I have started eating strange things like fruit and vegetables and drinking lots of water.
 
I have even made my famous swiss roll today so I must mean business.
 
I know fat people are a source of amusement for many but it's seriously not funny.
 
 We all know at least one person that can eat and drink whatever they want and remain slim , well I will never be one of those people so I must try and get to grips with behaving myself and just having the odd treat once in a while. All my slimmish clothes are too tight and I gave all my fat clothes away , I have at least one extra chin and I don't' even want to think about my bottom.
 
So there - I have said it.
 
 And next time I feel tempted to stray I just have to remind myself of The Pet Shop Boys and Slimming World and when I see a naughty looking pasty or a cheeky piece of cake,  I must think
 
''It's a syn''!

Tuesday 1 January 2013

dietdevil: 1 / 365.

dietdevil: 1 / 365.: So today is the first day of 2013. I was born in 1968 so that means I am 45 this year. I feel old. I feel tired and I also feel that I may ...

1 / 365.

So today is the first day of 2013. I was born in 1968 so that means I am 45 this year. I feel old. I feel tired and I also feel that I may have been a bit optimistic regarding my new year's resolutions......I have eaten meat and I am feeling a bit guilty.
 
I therefore resolve to write a blog post every day this year as I feel that it's something I can achieve. I nearly managed it last year and so today is day one.
 
New Year's Eve passed without major incident. Martha and all her friends went out dressed as cavegirls , they all got a bit tiddly and came back cold and wet with throbbing little pink feet from cramming them into ridiclously high heels. Hattie had an impromptu night out with Ben and Ben, two of her nicest frriends. Hubby went to bed early and I watched Alan Carr and ate chocolate and had a glass of wine. It was nice.
 
Today we had our annual lunch out at the Sheaf of Wheat and there was NO CARVERY! Talk about gutted! I settled for a steak and guiness pie which was delicious and I could barely move afterwards.
 
I still managed to eat this though....................................
 
 
which I think goes to highlight the fact that I really need to get back on track with the whole diet type scenario.
 
My oldest and bestest buddy Nicola  and I are off to see my favourite ever 80's pop group - The Pet Shop Boys in London in June so that is this year's inspiration.
 
Hubby took the tree down today which is the happiest I have seen him since he took it down last year. He is even more humbug than me but I now feel ready to tackle the new year. I know there will be some tough times, but I will face them and deal with them.
 
 
Roar!