Yes, you read right! I've actually made it to 2-months of healthy eating and exercise! Unbelievable isn't it! My weight has stooped to 14stone 3lbs. I exercise at least 4 times a week in the mornings before breakfast and I've started walking at lunchtimes with my friend at work. We do that 2-3 times a week, and its brisk, including an uphill stint! I've been digressing a bit from my healthy eating (I had a cadbury's dairy milk last night!) but all-in-all I've cut out most daytime snacks and just have something healthy in the evening (preferably fresh cherries but they've all gone from the supermarket shelves.. roll on strawberry season!).
I think its a bit much to expect me to get to a goal weight of 12st 7lbs by end of May, but below 13stone by then would be fantastic! Wow, to think... only one stone 3 lbs to lose before I'm 13stone. Easier said than done though.
I've been getting the munchies in the evenings and its left me a bit disillusioned but I'm sticking to the regime. Actually writing about it makes me realise how well I've done and how committed I should remain. It is a bit depressing not having loads of cake and sweets, but its not forever. I will still enjoy a treat when I'm in weight-maintenance (not gaining or losing) just not gorge out like I used to.
I'm starting to like the way my body looks a bit more, although I still see an oversized tummy and love-handles. My clothes are also looser, belts are on their innermost hole, and my shirts and tops are baggy. I wore a tight fitting shirt at the weekend and it felt great. Still caught a glimpse of my belly in the mirror though so I am still committed to losing that.
I've just calculated that today is exactly half way between my start day and my target date!!! Shame I've not lost half of the weight I wanted to lose (I've lost 18lbs and need to lose another 24lbs, so just 3lbs behind schedule!) but still its so encouraging that I'm on track and I only have to do the same amount of time again!!!
I know, though, that I'm bound to plateau and that will throw me off completely, but like I said - as long as I lose another 17lbs before the end of may to get me down to 13stone I will be well-pleased!
In other news, its time to order a new car - yipeee! Always an exciting time. We're going for a 7-seater this time and the Seat Alhambra Ecomotive features highly along with the new Citroen C4 Grand Picasso. The Seat has bigger and more comfortable inter space by the Citroen has a much higher spec with lots of lovely additional features. Not sure what we should do - really spacious for our large family, or really high-spec. I guess its just a car at the end of the day - as long as there is enough space, why do you need excess? I'm just trying to convince myself to get the Citroen because I want a semi-automatic transmission with fancy little air-con controls all around the car (even the kids have them in the back!)... I wouldn't say it was an impressive-looking car though. G wants a car with a sliding door to make it easier to get in and out, and she really likes the Mazda 5 but that's really only a 6 seater. The middle seat in the second row is tiny and hard! no child car-seat would fit there.
In yet other news, really worried about my eldest - R - at the moment. She's got lots of urinary problems that she's being treated for (frequent infections, overactive bladder leading to incontinence) and lately she's been having irregular heart-beats and heart palpitations. Scary - she's such a healthy and good little thing... she exercises a huge amount and is an excellent healthy-eater. We just hope we get through all this and she recovers her health.. poor bean.
We're worried too a little bit about H, who at 5 and a half years shows no signs of reading proficiently at all. They have him on the highest level of special-needs support in school and we met his teacher yesterday who was calming but also highlighted the extent to which he is falling behind. We're trying to support him as best we can but its tough. Really tough. He just seems to lack confidence and the will or attention-span to actually sit down and focus to learn. Frankly, I think it is an outrage that he should be dragged through a school system demanding such high expectations of such a young child - if he were born 10 days later he would be in a lower school year. There should be special-case arrangements for children like him allowing him to join the year below where he would be at least average in his academic abilities. I feel inclined to write a letter of complaint to the school, the education authority and the government. I think I will.
Youngest baby-C, however, is just lovely and never ceases to amaze me how she can carry on, cheerfully and smiling, despite all that is going on around her. Still determined and forceful, and thankfully so.
