The week moves on

Well, perm my hair and call me Curly. Cut my legs off and call me Shorty! I took my period yesterday. I wasn't expecting it for about a week. I just keep forgetting that my cycle has shortened, and my time to "surf the crimson tide" creeps up on me nearly every month these days. Yes, I realize that that's too much information for some, but it's relevant, as I believe it's the reason for my half pound gain this week. That half pound is a fairly consistent wee visitor on the week that my period arrives. It makes me feel better to know that there was a genuine reason for it. I can concentrate on a loss this week, though I was pretty concentrated on that anyway!

I had plans with TMM, my cousin BB and her hubby CB, for a Chinese takeaway last night. We usually know a few days in advance of these occasions, as BB and CB are members of Slimming World, so we all like to plan for carry out food. I knew from early on exactly what I was going to order, and I was fairly sure it would be about a day's worth of calories, so I worked my day out around it. I ran early, earning 600 cals, then I had a very protein rich breakfast of scrambled eggs, to keep me satisfied. I had no lunch. That's probably not for everyone, but it works for me. Coffee and water, along with some sugar free mints, kept me happy at work. Then we had the meal not long after 7 pm. I ordered Chicken Chow Mein, and had half a portion of chips as well. The chips were totally unnecessary, but yummy! And I worked it all out at about 1000 cals for the whole meal. Including my exercise calories, I think I finished the day just about balanced.

I didn't go running this morning. I wanted to, but I decided that I needed a recovery day. I could feel my thighs protesting yesterday as I ran. The last thing I want to do is injure myself through over training, and the surest way to do that would be to not listen to my body. So much as I wanted to run this morning, I lay on. I felt a bit guilty, and I will definitely miss the extra calories, but I needed the rest, I ran ten miles on Saturday, four on Sunday and five yesterday. I'm doing okay so far, as far as putting in the work is concerned.

I've been and gone and done it!

I made my entry to the 2017 Belfast Marathon public. It's on Facebook, and I've set up a JustGiving page, so soon everyone that I know will know about it. Now I'll have to do it, especially as I've just had my first sponsorship :-) It's a good thing that I started the training plan last week, and the mileage will start to increase now.

Well, I had my pizza, cheesy garlic bread and chips for tea last night. I know that sounds like a lot...okay, it was a lot, but it was less than I'd have eaten pre weight loss. A small pizza and TMM and I shared the garlic bread and chips. Still, it was a big meal. So I finished the day with my calorie bank account very overdrawn but I was a very happy camper, every mouthful having been savoured and slowly devoured. Worth every kcal! I went to bed pretty damn stuffed I can tell you.:-) Seriously, not the healthiest way to try to fall asleep, but man alive! it was good.

I was surprised and pleased that it didn't make this morning's run difficult. I thought all that carby nonsense bouncing around in my tum from the night before would be a hindrance, but it wasn't.

That's 20km I've done over the past two mornings. It's easy to see that this is a different programme to the one I  followed two years ago. The mileage has started to increase substantially already. It took me about eight weeks to build up to a 16k run last time. This time it's by the end of the second week. That's okay though. I'm lighter and fitter this time around, so in a way, it's as much about pace as endurance. 

And on a weight loss note, a customer asked me today where the other girl was, who used to work here. You know, the one who'd been here for years, who wore DMs all the time? Uh huh, he meant me! So I waved at him and said, "Hello!" He wouldn't believe it was me. He actually almost demanded that I show him an old photo of myself. :-) The one of me with Sammy the Rottie soon convinced him of my veraciousness. Yes, that was me. So now he thinks I'm a weight loss goddess. And I'll be smiling all day because of it. 

Sammy Sausage. I miss him. 

Obsession

Sometimes I get an idea in my head and it takes root. I get fixated on it. The last one I really remember going for ages was a few months ago when I got obsessed with the idea of having pizza. The best thing for me to do is to run with it. I plan for it, work it into my food for the week, make sure I earn a few extra exercise cals and then I can enjoy it, guilt free. I was starting to crave pizza again this week so I planned to have it tonight. I prefer to eat high cal stuff, or go out for dinner, early in the week. Then I have more days to ensure I get back on track before my next weigh in. It's worked for me so far. I have not deprived myself and have still managed to lose weight.

However, I had a new obsession for Ferrero Rocher, which took root yesterday and I needed to address it before the pizza. I saw a large box on sale, the selection one, with three different varieties in it. I managed to avoid buying it. But it played on my mind enough that I decided to bite the bullet. I bought a smaller box and worked out the calories.

It's not ideal to eat them on the day of my large fry up, but I have six full days to make sure I earn back the over spend. This way, the urge will be dealt with and I can move on.

I ran for about an hour this morning, so that went some way to assuaging my guilt over the chocolate, and now I'm just thinking that I'll get the pizza out of the way too. I'm running plenty at the moment (I'll do about an hour and a quarter tomorrow) so there are exercise calories in the bank. Then, hopefully, I will be a good little calorie counter for the rest of the week. I only have five pounds to lose to get into the nine stone bracket. I'd like to do that sooner rather than later, so I want to be careful, foodwise, for the rest of the week, after today.

Another encouraging factor, to help me stay on track after thoday, is my B M I, which is now 26.5! I'm well chuffed with that :-)

Said no to takeaway!

Last night I practised great restraint. TMM fancied a takeaway. I'd had feeling he might suggest it and told myself I'd just cook something healthy for myself. When he suggested it however, the idea of a Chinese chicken chow mein was really appealing and I seriously considered it. But chalk one up to the healthy options, I said I was okay cooking and I made myself a spicy pork sweet and sour. It was lovely. He still fancied takeaway, so got a pizza. Goodness knows how many hundreds of calories I saved myself! I was very pleased to finish the day slightly under target. A pizza would never have allowed that.

It's the first time in a couple of months that I've managed to say no when a Chinese or pizza has been on offer. We used to eat them at least once a week. In recent months, it's been far less for me, though TMM still eats them a little more than I think is healthy. But I hate the idea of nagging him into eating less processed food. I don't want to become an evangelist, or worse, to become smug and all about him having to eat better just because I do. Of course, then I want to balance it with wanting him to live well. All I can do is make sure if I'm eating well, that the option is there for him to as well. Lord knows, he's big enough and ugly enough to take care of himself. Thankfully though, a lot of the time, we do manage to eat together, and for the most part, home cooking is the way we choose to go. Tonight was a perfect example. He got home from work a bit before me, and by the time I was in the door, he was cooking spuds, cauli and bacon medallions. All very low cal, especially as I now tend to eschew most condiments, especially Tommy K. Too full of sugar. 

But none of this means that these things are entirely off the menu. If I fancy a bit of ketchup with my fry up, I will have it. And I'm definitely not abstaining from chicken chow mein and pizza for ever. I just want to eat it less, so that when I do have some, I truly enjoy it as a treat, and not something I feel entitled to have every day. Where's the fun in that? It's nothing special. It becomes common place.

A couple of NSVs in the last two days. All of a sudden, they are coming thick and fast. Like the double takes. I'm starting to see people look at me twice as they have to check that it's really me. One guy who delivers to us at work, stood at the counter and looked at me in my office, shook his head and said,"Fucking amazing!" And that was it. That was all she wrote :-) I'm 100% sure it was a compliment.

One of my work mates finally commented yesterday. He was a bit reticent, I think afraid of insulting me. But he basically said,"I'm not meaning to be cheeky, but have you lost a lot of weight?" I was chuffed to see that someone in work had noticed! At last. So I just said that, yes, I had, and it wasn't at all cheeky. In fact, it made my day.

Today, my NSVs were clothing related. I can get back in to my biker leathers, not that I have a bike at the moment. My leather trousers and textile jaket, that zip in to a one piece, fit again. And actually look okay! Also, a vintage red leather biker jacket, from the 70's, given to me by a fellow alcoholic at AA about eight years ago, I can wear it again! I'm super chuffed about that, as it's a pure classic piece of clothing. And I love it! Guess what I'm wearing tomorrow!!! And TMM asked me to try on a green leather jacket of his. It fits too, actually better than my own red one. So I now have two leather jackets at my disposal. Oh, and a Winter coat, that I bought in a charity shop, for £3.50. It fits snuggly, so by the end of winter, when I no longer need it, it should be too big, if I keep losing. Even as my losses slow down, this should be the last Winter that I need that coat. Because, as I've said before, is will be the last time I need to lose weight.

So, Friday tomorrow. The end of my first week back to work after my week off. As far as food is concerned, I've ended each day within budget. Mostly even a little under. As far as exercise goes, I've managed one decent walk with TMM and one short one. Not so hot. No running at all. TMM gets up for a very early shift at work in the morning, so I will try again then. I will finish my working week with a wee three miler before breakfast. I will keep setting the alarm until it takes!