Slow and Steady

Well, it might not exactly be supersonic speed, spectacular progress, but it is progress none the less. Another lb off this week, taking me to 12st 11lbs.

In the end, I'd rather be moving slowly but steadily in the right direction, than zig-zagging unpredictably up and down. Actually, thinking back a couple of weeks, that was exactly why I changed my weigh in day, so I guess it's working!

Being able to see my true weight loss, rather than the ups and downs of the weekend allows me to be far more realistic with my goals. There's no point me aiming to lose a stone by Christmas when I only average about 1.1lb losses each week, because unless I change something radically from what I've been doing for the last 40 weeks I won't meet that goal.

Side note: can you believe I've been at this 40 weeks already??? When I started out, I kind of hoped I'd be finished already, but I also secretly thought I wouldn't stick it out this long. So to have lost 51lbs in 40 weeks is great, but to have got to a place where I feel comfortable to just keep plugging away at this healthy new lifestyle? In the words of the Mastercard ads ... priceless.

I'm finding at the moment that my confidence and self-image is up and down all over the place. Somedays I feel great and totally feel like I look hot (today's one of those days), and other days I think why do I bother because it makes no difference to everything else I think is wrong with my life.

Yesterday I woke up thinking "this is still going to be me when I'm 40. Still single, still renting and unable to afford my own place because I can't manage my money, just more lonely and desperate". Well, whatever happens, I can't let that stand in the way of me getting healthy an looking after myself.

This weekend's going to be a bit of a minefield eating wise. We're having a full on girls' weekend whilst the boys are away in Amsterdam. They banned us from going, but we're damn well not going to sit around waiting for them to get back with tales of partying, so we're doing our own thing. Tonight is going to be relaxation: G & T's, chick flicks and pumpkin carving for Halloween. Tomorrow day we're going to Stratford (home of Shakespeare) for the day. We're having lunch out tomorrow, hitting the shops and doing some sight-seeing. Tomorrow evening we're making sushi and tapas, and then maybe heading out for some drinks. I'm going to have to plan carefully so I don't stray too far off track.

I've been invited out for a bike ride with friends in Sunday morning which I might do. I did Balance last night, and as expected the hip track was .... well, challenging. I nursed myself through the class though and I did feel better for it. The class was really friendly with a lovely chatty instructor called Becky. She was great at giving out alternatives for injuries and making me feel at ease when I got completely lost in the warm-up. I'll definitely go back next week.

This morning however, all my aches have kicked in full force. Not my back injury, that's still ok, but all the muscles that are feeling abused after this first week back exercising. My hamstrings and inner thighs from circuits, upper back and shoulders from Combat and bow my calves after super tight from Balance. I'm going to take a few days off now to let it all subside. We're going to be walking around enough tomorrow to keep me moving.

Have a good weekend!

-- Posted from my iPhone