Tales From The Scales - Week 7 - *officially* down 1 lb

A day late in doing this, but for some reason 'Blogger' wouldn't let me sign in yesterday...did anyone else have a problem?

After stepping on the official scales of truth, I can proudly announce that my official weight is 290 lbs....so my bathroom scales weren't telling lies to me!

Challenge Stats so far:
Start weight: 297 lbs
Current weight: 290 lbs
Challenge goal: 266 lbs
Loss so far: 7 lbs

Week 14 Weigh-in - 290 lbs

Missed 2 week for different reasons, so headed back to my meeting to assess the damage, and pleased to see the scales of truth show me officially 1 lb down at 290 lbs.

We were introduced to the new Woman's Way & Weightwatchers run up to Christmas programme. Haven't had a chance to read it properly yet,but am catching a plne this evening to the UK so hopeing to get some reading time then, to see what's what.

Tales From The Scales - Week 6 - down 1 lb

Missed Week 5, so please don't think you're going mad.

Not officially weighed-in at a weight watchers meeting for the last two weeks, so today's weigh-in was done on my bathroom scales...so the caveat is that they will not be as accurate as the weight watchers scales.

My bathroom scales give me 20 stone 10 lbs (290 lbs)

Challenge Stats so far:
Start weight: 297 lbs
Current weight: 290 lbs
Challenge goal: 266 lbs
Loss so far: 7 lbs

Busy busy busy!

Mad busy recently...so here's a quick summary

Went camping down in Co. Kerry last weekend with a group of friends, fabulous!




Didn't weigh in last week as I didn't get back from Kerry until Monday night, too late for my meeting. By the time I got around to checking on any other local WW meetings I'd seemingly missed those too (all seem to be Mondays or Tuesday?)

Entertained my mother who was visiting until she flew back to the UK Tuesday evening.

Started a new (temporary) job on Wednesday....sod the exercise pledge, mucking out and exercising 8 horses a day is plenty exercise for little old me! Using muscles I haven't used for years, and boy do they know how to complain....need to take out shares in Radox Muscle Ease!

Took one of my Jack Russell Terriers to an Irish Kennel Club Breed Championship show on Saturday, and after not showing any dogs for the last 18 months I was delighted when she won the Open Bitch class, then she won the Bitch Challenge, and was Reserve Best of Breed....not bad for a day out!
[Old photo...not the prizes she won this weekend...just showing y'all what she looks like]


Sunday I messed around at home with my VW Beetle project, and had a little tinker with the wiring loom. Pleased to report she now starts on the key, and we no longer have to resort to a very complicated 'hot-wiring' procedure to get her starter motor to turn. Not a huge job in the grand scheme of the things I have planned for her, but satisfying to have done something and achieved what I set out to do that day!



Today is a Bank Holiday Monday, but horses still have to be fed and mucked out, so off I trooped. Ran out of diesel *twice* on the way home (my emergency diesel can didn't have enough in it to get me home, and I had no cash on me! Doh! But J came to the rescue with a another can of diesel. In my defence my fuel gauge isn't working properly, and I forget that I shouldn't trust it. I'd rather it just didn't work at all...then I'd pay more attention to the mileage I'm doing compared to the diesel I'm putting in, but instead of being a dead gauge its a plain old *lying* gauge!
No weigh-in today either, as its a bank holiday over here in Ireland....will try and trust my bathroom scales for the Challenge Weigh-In on Wednesday.

Well I think that just about brings us all up to date...and hopefully time is now back on my side I can get back to posting on here more regularly!

Chat soon x

Tales From The Scales - Week 4 - down 1 lb

Slowly but surely...down I go. 1 lb down this week, and I'm glad to be a loser. Better than a 'maintain' and 100% better than a gain!

Challenge Stats so far:
Start weight: 297 lbs
Current weight: 291 lbs
Challenge goal: 266 lbs
Loss so far: 6 lbs


Just noticed I completely forgot to blog about my Weight Watchers weigh-in on Monday...so this post can surely cover that too!
The meeting this week was based around lunches, and whether we were finding it easy to make good choices at lunchtime. Our leader explored the points values of what could be perceived as healthy options pre-packed sandwiches....shocking really, and in future I will try to plan for this if I know I'm not going to be at home for lunch time.

October's Exercise Pledge - Day 8

Had to work today, and then attend a meeting in Dublin afterwards, not returning home until gone 11pm.

With this in mind I went marching around the streets of the town where I work, during my lunchbreak.

Should have been doing a weights workout...but the walk was better than nothing.

Work was good, busy today, and busy days always go quickest. Also currently trying to input the data from our latest stocktake, so satisfying to have been able to put a dent in all those facts and figures.

The meeting was interesting, and a good opportunity to catch up with old friends who I've not seen for a while.

A long, but satisfying day...its bed time now...night night x

October's Exercise Pledge - Day 7

Another session from the Power of 3 video, and boy do I know it! Not starting to feel easier yet, but its still early days...and I know that it will.

Absolutely staggered and amazed! 2007 RWC

I've been a life-long England rugby fan, in a family of rugby fans (I even played for my college and University - loose-head prop)....and made a pledge with my mother a few years back to go to an England game in every 6-Nation stadium. we haven't got very far with this pledge, having only managed Twickenham (of course) and the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff so far...2 down, 4 to go!

But, I digress, I've followed the England team and experienced the elation of the highs, most notably the 2003 RWC, and the utter despair of the lows (too many to mention)...and went in to the 2007 RWC with a measure of trepidation, impending gloom, humiliation, and a tiny measure of hope. I didn't expect much...and our first few pool games did nothing to make me think any more...but then all of a sudden we were in the Quarter Finals....facing Australia! Ah well, we'd have a reasonable run but really didn't expect much from the Quarter Final, an fully expected to be coming home after a good and proper thrashing. But what's this? We scraped a win 12-10...against one the Rugby Super Powers. Not a pretty game, but nonetheless, when the whistle went at 80 minutes, we had more points on the board than Australia, and so we progressed through to the Semi-Finals...we won a reprieve and and extra game, we weren't going home!
France then surprised many and beat another Super Power, New Zealand, and they progressed to the Semi Finals too! I felt a bit happier with that, in my mind, psychologically France was an easier team to overcome than New Zealand...but then again they had just beaten New Zealand, so had proved themselves very worthy opponents, and we couldn't afford any complacency.

So Saturay evening, with a little more hope, and good measure of trepidation I sat down to watch the Semis...spent lots of it with my hands over my eyes, spent the final 10 minutes of the match in the kitchen with my hands over my ears...reminiscent of my behaviour during the 2003 RWC final, where I spent the last 15 minutes in the bathroom, with the TV on mute, and the door firmly locked, but we won then....and OMG, we've just beaten the French! I don't know how, I don#'t care how, it was another ugly match, with neither team showing any particular brilliance...but again at the FULL Time whistle, we had more points than the opposition, and we are now heading to the FINAL next weekend, facing South Africa who gave us a proper and deserved ass-whooping during the pool stage. I can scarcely believe it, and certainly didn't expect it...my emotions are all over the place...but bring it on.

Go ENGLAND!

October's Exercise Pledge - Day 6

Couldn't drive out anywhere today as J had taken my camper off to work on in his farm workshop. Replacing my broken exhasut manifold (bus will sound less like a tractor when it comes home), and putting my thermostat bck in (bus will now have a properly behaving temperature gauge)...so instead I took myself and a couple of dogs for a good long walk on the lanes around here. Not quite the full hour that I pledged, but not the 20 minute cop-out either. So very pleased with myself.

October's Exercise Pledge - Day 5

J spent the day down in Kilkenny again, but this time I chose to stay at home.

According to my plan I should have gone up to Golden Grove for a good hours walk...but heavy showers made me less inclined to do this...call me a fair-weather-walker if you want...but instead I did 20 minute shower-dodging walk up the lane at home and felt happy that I'd made myself do that.

October's Exercise Pledge - Day 4

Back on track today, and another session with the Power of 3 video. This time it the turn of my abdominals to do some work....and boy do they know it! Youchy!

Going to start looking on eBay for a DVD version of this...the video is grand, but my remote control is missing...and manually fat-forwarding and rewinding to find the right bits to work to is becoming a bit of a pain in the butt....pun not intended!
Kinda ruins the flow of the workout.

If you see any good bargains give me a heads up!

October's Exercise Pledge - Day 3

Spent a day out with J today, down in Kilkenny, playing with his '71 Volkswagen project....came back via Carlow where he dropped a part off an engineering firm.
Got home in the dark so went for a 20minute walk up the lane with a torch. Not really very exciting, fulfilling or fun....but done nonetheless!

Nostalgia and possbily another beetle!

Minding my own business at home today and a car pulls up outside. This is odd. We live miles out in the countryside, and we live down a farm track. So no traffic passes the cottage directly...and its not the kind of track to attract Nosey-Parker's...it just looks like a boring old farm track.
I wait for the driver to come and knock on the door...but she doesn't. She gets out and goes for a wander around the place. So I stir the dogs up and make them bark lots...just so she knows I'm not here on my own...then I stick the biggest (and softest) on a lead, and march out the door to see what this visitor is up to.

Turns out she was born here, and her family lived in this cottage for a few generations. When she lived her, she lived with her siblings, her parents and her grandparents! Yikes, this place is tiny, and with just two of us living here it feels like a squeeze, I can't imagine how it was with 8 people living here!

We spent a lovely couple of hours wandering around, while she pointed stuff out to me and gave new meaning to things I pass and mostly ignore on a daily basis. She showed me where all the farm buildings ( now long gone) used to stand. She showed me the area, now overgrown with brambles, where flagstone steps led down to the stream, which in those days was their only source of fresh water. She told me the names her family gave to all the fields that belong to this cottage, and we reminisced and wallowed in nostalgia together for a good while.
She didn't want to come in the house as she was afraid of the dogs (who were still barking), but she described to me how it used to be, and I know that previous owners have changed the inside structure around a lot, so much of what she told me I had heard before from both my landlord and my nearest neighbour (who incidentally lived here for a good few years too).

Then she discovered one of my Beetles, Tipsy parked up around the back of the cottage, and asked me if I liked old cars. She told me she had a few dotted around the farm where she lived with her husband...and had at least one old beetle there too. I asked her how much she wanted for it, and she laughed and told me she fully expected to pay someone to take it away...and that I could help myself. Whilst it maybe totally rotten, I'm sure there will be bits on it that will come in handy with the current, and future, restoration projects. Can't look a gift horse in the mouth, so hopefully I'll go and have a look, and see just what she has got, over this coming weekend.

Feel like I have the startings of a good friendship here...and I hope to see more of her soon.

Also, if we have any ghostly occurrences in this very old Irish cottage, at least I can now put a name to them....her Grandmother, Granny Walsh died here over 30 years ago...knock three times Granny Walsh...

October's Exercise Pledge - Day 2

Today on the list was to do a workout from Davina McCall's Power of 3 video. I chose to do the Upper Body workout, sandwiched between the warm-up and cool-down. A whole 30 minutes...found it tough, and had to walk-on-the-spot through some of it. But this will get easier, won't it?

Suffice to say I completed what I pledged to myself I would do...and there's a second set of initials on my print-out.

Tales From The Scales - Week 3 - up ½ lb

Up this week, but to be honest I expected to be up more so I'm pretty happy to have only a ½ lb of damage to repair for next week. It could have been a whole lot worse.

Just noticed, that even with the ½ lb gain I've lost my first 5 pounds on the challenge, so I guess I've earned one of these...



Challenge Stats so far:
Start weight: 297
Current weight: 292
Challenge goal: 266 lbs
Loss so far: 5 lbs

October's Exercise Pledge - Day 1

OK, so I spent the morning sorting out a 21-day plan on MS Excel, which I duly printed off and stuck on the noticeboard, so I can't miss it, ignore it, forget it etc etc...
21 days took me up to the 29th October....so what the heck, I threw the 30th and the 31st in to it too, which gives me the rest of October to work on forming this habit.

After that I indulged in a little aversion therapy...it became quite necessary to watch the exercise video the whole way through, and make notes about where on the tape the 3 separate programmes are so I can forward to whichever programme I want to do on whatever day. I watched the video whilst enjoying my breakfast, my ritualistic cup of tea...and not feeling even a little bit guilty that I was eating instead of *doing*.

But then enough was enough...time to to something!
According to my carefully worked out planner today's session was from Joyce L Vedral's "The 12-Minute Total-Body Workout". Working from page 41 to 53. The session was as follows:
3 sets of 10 repetitions of
Flat ID Dumbbell Presses - Chest
Incline ID Dumbbell Flyes - Chest
Front ID Lateral Raises - Shoulders
Pee-Wee Rear Lateral Raises - Shoulders
Double Arm ID Kickbacks - Triceps
Double Arm ID Overhead Extensions - Triceps

Feeling very pleased with myself for taking this big step and making a start on this pledge. Was harder than I imagined, and whilst I wasn't puffing, I was noticeably breathing harder by the 3rd set of each exercise, and built up a rewarding bit of sweat. So, unlike my expectations, its a bit more than sitting about (or standing) and flailing some weight about. Now, ten minutes later, the muscles I worked today don't feel uncomfortable or tight, but they definitely feel like they've done something.
My dumbbells are 2¼ lbs, rather than 3, but only because I couldn't find any 3lb weights when I was shopping for them...and 2¼ lb weights are better than no weights eh!

Rewarding myself with a lovely cool glass of water right now as I type this, and sneaking a peak at my initials in the 'completed' box on my print-out.
First step taken and achieved! Yay me!

Week 11 Weigh-in - 292 lbs

DoGdamn the monthly curse!

Up a half pound this week, but to be honest I expected to be up more, so I am happy with just a half pound to demolish this week.

Last month I was up 4lbs during my TotM, so a half pound is nothing to demolish in my weight battle.

My biggest problem seems to be that for a 24-48 hr period right in the middle of my TotM I devlop a ravenous appetite which just doesn't want to be satisfied. This time, after my 4lb increase last month, I had a battle plan. Make lots of 0 point snacks readily available....so I filled the fridge with carrotsticks and cucumber strips...and made a huge pot of Zero Point Soup....and I happily scoffed into these thinking the munchy monster would be satisfied and yet, at zero points I was doing no damage...but boy was I wrong. I'd finish my 0 point snack, and then turn to the cupboards, because the hunger hound just wasn't happy. I raided the fridge, I raided the cupboards, I filled out on pasta and potatoes and other high-point fillers and comfort food...and I went continually over my points...so really I *AM* grateful that the scales showed a mere half pound gain....but I need to be ultra strict with myself this week.

I feel better tonight than I felt last night. Last night I was on the phone to my mother in the UK in despair. She used to be a Weight Watchers leader (although in her day they were called 'Lecturers') and she's a great source of info and fantastic support on the end of the phone when I'm at my wit's end. I feel with this monthly gain I'm constantly taking 2 steps forward and 1 step back. I have my TotM and inevitably gain that week. Then I spend the next week or two repairing the damage, and then the third week hopefully shows a true loss, and then its TotM and I'm back to square one again. It can't go on! If anyone has some handy hints and tips on how to keep this monster at bay I'd love to hear them. If I can control it at half a pound each month I'll be very happy. Its easy to repair half a pound....but last months 4 lb gain was a real shocker!
I'm currently on the Points plan (I think you guys on the west side of the Atlantic all it Flex), so maybe I'll try 7 days of Core plan next month, and see if that makes any difference. Perhaps the indiscipline of grazing my fill of points each day is leaving me with too much temptation...I'll let you know next month if it works.

A Matter of Excercise - making a plan!

I think its time to get serious about exercise...OK, I have six dogs here at home, and they get walked everyday....but I have been walking dogs everyday since I was given my very own dog (in a multi-dog family home where there were always several), Trouble - a female terrier cross, when I was 16 years old....so I have been walking dogs almost every day for the last 17 years (those clever clogs out there will now know I'm 33 [grin]) and my theory is that my body is used to this regular exercise, and thus I have gained weight in spite of this daily walk.
So in order to boost my body into letting go of even more of that weight I need to exercise MORE.

I have a few options open to me....I could walk the dogs for a little longer each day.
I could go on a separate walk, and walk harder, at another time of day.
I could go to a gym.
I could work out at home.

So here's my plan.

I feel if I just walk the dogs longer this won't have enough of an impact. I'm not necessarily striding out throughout the whole walk....its more of an amble, a chance for the mutts to stretch their legs, empty their bladders, sniff all those new sniffs and checkout their favourite places, and for me its a chance to switch off and wind down.
The 'gym' idea is out too...I don't have one very near. The closest one is a half hour drive...and I just know I wouldn't keep it up, so why set myself to fail? I also couldn't afford to go regularly...so we'll strike 'gym' off that list right now.

So this leaves me with two options remaining
1) to go for a walk on my own, without any canine distractions, and walk out properly. Maybe bring along the MP3 player, and lose myself in some music while I stride along.
2) To work out at home. I've a video workout that I bought a year or so ago (and *NEVER* followed, not even once), and that is Davina McCall's Power Of 3
And I've got a great book, again I've read it but never followed it, and that is Joyce L Vedral's 12-Minute Total Workout. I even bought myself a couple of proper 2 lb weights to use with this book recently...but still haven't done anything.

I don't want to dive in, do too much, too soon, and put myself off. I know my own psyche and again, I don't want to set myself up to fail. I need to make a small commitment now, one I know I can stick with and make into a habit....and once the daily habit is formed I can take it further and introduce more. One that will overcome the "I can't be bothered", and replace it with "sure it'll only take a short while, lets go!"

I hereby pledge, on my blog, in public, to try to do something new every day for the next 3 weeks. Don't they say it takes 21 days to form a habit?
On Mondays, Wednesday and Thursdays I will do a short workout from the video.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays I will do something out of Ms Verdal's book.
At the weekends I will go for a nice walk, without the dogs, in someplace new.
If, for whatever reason, I can't do any of these things (work, out, away etc) I will make an effort to go for at least a 20 minute walk instead...
When I've done whatever I'm doing for that day I *will* blog it, and make that a habit too.
Catch you all tomorrow, after my 12-minutes weight session!

If anyone has any knowledge of the two workout items I mentioned, the video and the book, or any opinions on my plan of action...please sing out. I love hearing from you.

Tales From The Scales - Week 2 - down 1 lb

Weighed in Monday 1st October at my Weight Watchers meeting, and my weight loss for this week was -1 lb

Challenge Stats so far:
Start weight: 297
Current weight: 291.5
Challenge goal: 266 lbs
Loss so far: 5.5 lbs

Week 10 Weigh-in - 291.5 lbs

Down just 1 lb this week.

OK, I sound more disappointed than I should, but I just can't convince myself that it *IS* good. And really, it is....because I don't think I really deserve it.

Tuesday night we went to a meeting for an organisation we're both on the committee for....and knowing we wouldn't be home until gone 10pm we decided to go early and eat in the hotel where the meeting was being held.
I made the best food choices that I could, but they just weren't point friendly. Really going to have to re-think this if the next meeting co-incides with one of my work days (not home early enough to cook & eat properly before heading to the meeting).

And then 2 other days I went over my points...not way over, but over nonetheless....so only mananged 4 days out of 7 within my points this week. Really should have shown a gain on the scales if anything. So I'll take that 1 lb loss and learn to be happy with it....just difficult when the previous two weeks have shown such fantastic losses of 5 lbs and 4.5 lbs respectively.

So back on track this week, no meetings, no distractions...just me and my tracker.