Happy New Year

Just a quick post to wish you a Happy New Year.

I hope you are all seeing the New Year in with the ones you love and I wish you all the very best for 2009.

Here's to a happy, healthy, skinny New Year!!!

Christmas is officially over!

Bertie's band amnesty is over, he hasn't let me eat much today! All I've managed is a chicken lasagne and I struggled with that. I appear to have lost another pound of my excess weight so am now only a pound over what I was before Christmas - I haven't really done anything specific to do it so I'll have to give the credit to Bertie!

I'm back to work tomorrow, I don't expect it will be too busy. Well, lets hope not as I am the only one in on my team! I'm going in for 8.30 and plan to get away by 3.30 if possible so shouldn't be too bad.

I'll come home to collect my stuff and the dog and then I'm off to my boyfriends. We're going to see the New Year in with some friends but it won't be a wild night as my boyfriend has to be in work early on New Year's Day. We're meeting up with some of his friends on New Year's night.

The mortgage company have acknowledged receipt of our application and say it will take 10-12 weeks to process!! I think I will be annoying them a lot!!

Another step closer ...

The mortgage application is finally off my dining table and is winging it's way to the mortgage company as I speak. I am feeling very excited as we have now done everything we can to move things forward and we just have to wait for the bank to do their thing - I will be hassling them until it's done!!

Bertie has drawn the line today and said enough is enough - I haven't been able to eat much at all. I haven't felt hungry either so that is fine. Might get some of those extra pounds off - one had already gone this morning so only two to go!

Tomorrow is my last day of holiday, I'm back in work on Wednesday - that time has really flown! It will be quite nice to get back in to routine (if I keep saying that, I might start to believe it!!!).

I'm back!!!

Well, all the presents have been opened, the turkey has been eaten and the wine has been drunk!!! I've had a lovely Christmas, although it has all gone by in a flash!

We had a really nice meal with my boyfriend's parents on Christmas Eve. We left in time to get home for Gavin and Stacey. Christmas Day was a bit frantic! I'd promised to do the roast potatoes for dinner and also to steam the Christmas pudding. I know it doesn't sound like much but the problem was getting the timing right. I think I did the potatoes too early and they had to hang around while we ate our starters so they weren't as crispy as I normally get them but everyone else said they were fine. The rest of the time has been spent just chilling out.

Bertie has been very good to me over the festive period - he's allowed my to enjoy my Christmas without going too mad. I think I have put on a few pounds but I have enjoyed myself and I will work on those in January. The idea of the band is that I eat like a 'normal' person and 'normal' people will put on a few pounds over Christmas, the difference for me now is that once I go back to reality (ie not eating crap) it will work off which is what happens for 'normal' people - well, that's my theory anyway!! I have quite a lot of chocolates in the house at the moment, which I am going to give to my mum to take in to the nursing home where she does voluntary work. They can either give them to the residents or save them for a raffle.

The good news is that I found my P60 on Christmas Eve - when I was looking for something else! I will be posting off the mortgage application tomorrow - whohoo, things are moving on!!

Time to relax!

Not being too smug but I have now wrapped all my presents (although I still have one or two to wrap on behalf of my dad and boyfriend - MEN!!!) and I am ready for Christmas! Tomorrow I need to go and get petrol as the light has come on and I want to pop over and see a couple of friends. Then we are going to see my boyfriends parents for tea - I've agreed to drive so I'll be glad to get home and have a glass of Christmas cheer!! I love it on a Christmas Eve night when everything is done and you can relax and look forward to Christmas Day!

We've had a really busy day today, the mortgage application form finally arrived. So it has been completed and is ready to be posted on Monday. I got massively frustrated with banks today ... we are getting our mortgage with my boyfriend's current bank. As I am new to the bank, I have to produce certain documentation for the mortgage, one piece of which is my last P60 which I cannot for the life of me find. I have been stressing about this so I made him ring them today to let them know. He did the security check and told them the problem, he then handed the phone to me and I talked to her as I had a few slight problems with the other documents which we sorted out. I then mentioned the P60 and she said she had given the advice to my boyfriend and because I wasn't the customer she couldn't tell me! There was no way she was going to tell me so I handed the phone back to my boyfriend who put it on speakerphone and asked her to repeat the advice which was they don't need the P60!!! I mean - why couldn't she tell me that, it would hardly have broken the Data Protection Act!!!

I then had a run in with my own bank ... one of the other pieces of documentation is my last three bank statements. The problem is, I have gone to paperless banking (after constant pressure from the bank to do so!) and the mortgage bank want originals. I rang my branch to ask them to let me have copies and was told not only will it take 14 working days but will cost me £5. I was livid, I cancelled my paper statements after being constantly badgered to do so by the bank. This obviously saves them time and money in sending them out and now that I need original copies they want to charge me for something I would have got for free!!! So, I asked for the latest statement which they will send for free and advised them that I would be switching back to having paper statements (which I have done!). I've printed off the latest three statements from my online banking page and hope that will be sufficient for the mortgage bank, otherwise I will have to stomach the £5 - but it's the principle of the matter which makes me soooooo mad!!!

Sorry - that turned in to a massive rant, it wasn't intended to be one but banks do drive me mad!!!

We also got to the solicitors to produce our proofs of identity. So,even though I've ranted, I'm very pleased as I feel that things are finally moving forward. It's a shame that everything is going to stop now for Christmas but it is Christmas so I'm going to enjoy it in the knowledge that things are happening and, hopefully, we will have our house very soon in the New Year!!

I'm feeling very tired, I hardly slept last night. I seem to have developed a very irritating cough which seems to come into its own once I lie down. I kept coughing last night which drove my boyfriend mad (not to mention me!!). I'm hoping that it will be better tonight and I can get a decent night's sleep.

I'm not sure if I will get to post again before the big day so I am going to wish you all lots of love and happiness over the next few days. Have fun, whatever you are doing. I will post again as soon as I can.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Just a quick post!

Phew - only just got a few minutes to post a quick post!

It really is the Christmas buzz at the moment! We had a big family meal out yesterday. It is a family tradition of ours that we go out the last Sunday before Christmas. I was a bit nervous as Bertie has been a bit strictly lately but, bless him, he must be going soft for Christmas. He let me eat all my meal without any fight. I didn't go too mad, I didn't eat anything else all day and I haven't managed to eat too much today either but that is fine, it was yesterday that mattered!

Anyway, I'm off to my boyfriend's now, I hope to get a chance to post again tomorrow! Hope you are having fun wherever you are!

Another week over!

It's been a funny week! I finished work on Wednesday and was soooo glad to walk out at 3.30 (I absolutely love flexitime!!). My boyfriend was waiting for me when I got home and we had a nice cosy night in front of the telly.

It was his birthday yesterday, we had a cooked breakfast with my parents - Bertie would only let me have half a sausage, a spoon of baked beans, a rasher of bacon and half an egg (actually that sounds like quite a lot!!). Then we went for another viewing at the house with both our parents (who hadn't met before). We've got lots of ideas on what we want to do with the house - it is really exciting! I then took my dad shopping to get my mum's Christmas present. I'm so excited because we've got her a laptop which I know she is going to absolutely LOVE!!

Then we all went back to my boyfriend's parents as we were going out for an Indian meal. My parents are really not in to curry but they were brilliant and did their best! The meal was lovely and the parents seemed to get on well.

Today, my boyfriend and I spent some time shredding paperwork and clearing my attic room and then took a trip to the tip - it feels so great to de-clutter and good to do it before we move.

He's gone home tonight as he is going out with a mate for a Christmas drink and possibly another curry - glad we're not sharing a bed tonight!! He'll be back over tomorrow and we're out with the family for a Christmas meal on Sunday - PHEW, this Christmas lark is exhausting!!

My weight is a bit wobbly, looks like I've gone up a pound in the last day or so. I'm not worrying, it is Christmas, normally I would have been putting on loads of weight now so I will chill and see how things are afterwards. Bertie is so tight at the moment, I don't think it is likely that I will be able to do a lot of damage with food (the wine might be another matter though!!).

I will post again when I can!

Next few weeks...

It's my last day at work today until New Years Eve.

My boyfriend is coming over tonight and I think we will be together pretty much most of that time as he is off as well. This means that I may not be able to post much over the next week or two. I will post when I can but they will probably be short and sweet!

Where did the weekend go?!!

It seems to be a recurring theme lately but I've been so busy, I don't know where the time has gone!

I was exhausted on Friday, I got in to work and I was supposed to be covering until 4.30 but my boss took one look at me and said she would cover it and I could go home earlier if I wanted - which was really nice of her. I managed to get away by 3.45 which was great. My boyfriend caught the train over and met me at work and we had a lovely evening just chilling out with a glass of wine.

On Saturday we saw the financial consultant who was great - he's told us that we will have no problem getting a mortgage. We then took my parents across to see the house from the outside. My dad is a retired builder so it meant a lot to us to have his opinion on the house. He was really impressed with it and couldn't see any obvious problems with it. We also took the dog, who ran around the garden like she owned it already - she even marked a few spots, bless!!

We spent the evening with some friends watching the X Factor final with an Indian take away. I need to get it in to my head that I can't eat the same quantities and that I would be better just having some of someone elses meal - not my boyfriend who likes his curry the hotter the better! He was driving so it was lovely to let my hair down. I only managed about a third of my curry and I was stuffed to the gills!

On Sunday we had my boyfriend's parents over for lunch. Then his brother and his wife and little girl came over. It was very busy but I enjoyed having them all over. The poor dog was quite bewildered by it all in the end - she's not used to lively four year olds! It was nice when they had all gone and we could curl up on the sofa and watch TV. It will be so nice when we live together and one of us hasn't got to drive home on a Sunday night.

I'm really not able to eat much at all at the moment which is good. I'm sure I won't be able to do too much damage over Christmas although all the naughty stuff seems to go down fairly well, so I'll still have to be fairly careful.

Only two more days in work and then I'm finished for Christmas - can't wait!! I'm off until New Year's Eve which is such a treat, last year I was still working at 4.15 on Christmas Eve - that is just one of the reasons why I have a new job this year!!

Stunned!!!

Well, it has been an interesting 48 hours!!!!

Our offer on the house has been accepted and we are proceeding with the purchase! We are both so excited I don't think either of us has slept in the last three days! The house is amazing, it needs some work doing on it but we can take our time and do it properly. Once it is finished we are going to have a wonderful home. We just need to get everything sorted out now. I am such a worrier, I'm sure I won't sleep properly now until it is all signed and sealed! We've now got our solicitor appointed so it somehow seems more serious.

I had a busy day in London yesterday. I managed to get up at 5.30 which was an amazing feat in itself! It was absolutely freezing when I left the house at 6.15. It was still dark when the train left at 7. The meeting went well, I found out at lunchtime that our offer had been accepted and I must confess I don't think my mind was on the meeting for the rest of the day!

I got back to Bristol in time to attend the Avon Obesity Service Christmas drinks do! It was great to meet people who were at varying stages of the process. I must say Hi to Elaine who I met and I know reads this blog - you are a real inspiration Elaine. I hope I'm looking as good as you this time next year!

The other bit of fantastic news is that I managed to lose 3lbs this week, I'm not quite sure how - I'm sticking by my coffee theory - but I'm totally delighted. That is 22lbs altogether. I did say early on that I was hoping for 3 stone by Christmas. I realise now that was totally naive but I can proudly say I got over halfway there and who knows where I might be this time next year - I just hope, wherever it is, I am wearing a pair of skinny jeans!!

It's just non-stop!!!

Had such a busy day today. I had loads of plans for work tomorrow and I got in today to find I have to attend an all day meeting in London instead. So I've been manically trying to rearrange my work plans and get my travel plans organised. Can't believe I have to catch the 7am train tomorrow - gonna have to get up at 5.30 and I am not a morning person!!

I am so excited, my boyfriend and I viewed a house this evening which we are both totally in love with. It is absolutely gorgeous - although it needs a lot of work doing to it, only cosmetic though. We've put an offer in and are now waiting to see if it will be accepted - I am so anxious I can hardly breathe!!

Haven't had time to think about food!!!

My little theory!

My weight seems to have suddenly kick started itself and I'm not sure why.

It isn't earth shattering or anything but it seems to be a steady pound a week at the moment which is fine. I couldn't think of anything I'd done differently until this morning at work. I stopped drinking coffee back in the summer after I felt sick when I'd had two in quick succession. Recently, I've started having a skinny latte in the morning when I haven't managed breakfast and it is since around this time that I've noticed my weight starting to move.

I'm wondering whether there is any connection ... anyone out there know if this is likely?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!!

I am now in full-on Christmas mode!

The tree is up, after a lot of huffing and puffing! It fell over twice and did not want to sit in the stand properly at all. We finally got it in there and managed to ease it into the corner and no one is touching it again now! We went to a farm in South Wales to get it and it was so idyllic - there were geese and turkeys in the barn - we agreed that neither of us would mention cranberry sauce when we got out of the car! We bought it yesterday but were too busy/tired to put it up last night so we left it out in the garden over night. This morning it was covered in frost, it was so pretty.

I thought I would surprise my boyfriend on Friday, he was going out for a curry with the lads and then was going to go gliding on Saturday and come over here on Saturday evening. I thought I was seeing my cousin and his family with my parents but I'd got it wrong and ended up with nothing on so I thought I'd drive over to spend the night at my boyfriends. So, I drove over to his, 40 miles and one hour later I got to his house, put the telly on and had a cup of tea. Half an hour later, my mobile went. It was him asking where was I as he'd phoned my house and my mother's and I wasn't there. Anyway, after a few minutes, it turned out that I was at his house and he was at my house - he'd wanted to surprise me too!!

I had a lovely day in Lytham on Thursday - we didn't even see any snow (apart from some on the hills in the distance when we were on the M6). The only problem was the cava was flowing freely but it was too fizzy for me to even think about risking a glass. We didn't get home until 9.30 and I was shattered the next day - which turned out to be a day from hell!

I'm not really looking forward to going in to work tomorrow but this is my last full week before Christmas as I finish on 17th and I can't wait!

The weight seems to be coming off at the moment, although I'm not aware that I'm doing anything different. I stood on the scales this morning and I'd gone down another pound and it was teetering on the next one. I know this could change before my 'official' weigh in but it makes me feel great! My family have commented that my bum is looking smaller which is always nice to hear!

Whohoo!

I am amazed!!!

For some unexplained reason, I have lost another pound this week - I even did a little dance when I got off the scales because I really don't know how that worked but I am really chuffed.

Bertie is the MAN!!!!

I'm off to Lytham for the day, here's hoping we don't get snowed in!!

Macaroni cheese

I am sitting here, next to a plate of cold macaroni cheese.

I was really enjoying it but Bertie decided enough was enough and stopped me half way through - he was quite forceful, he used the slime technique which is a bit mean. For any non-bandits, this is when your mouth starts to fill with slime and you are scared that you will get a PB, which is a productive burp which I probably don't have to explain but it is when you bring it all back up again!

Still, in the current climes it is good to know that a supermarket ready meal actually lasts for two meals now - I shall be taking the remainder to work tomorrow for lunch!

I am now over the present packing stress - the parcels are winging their merry way to Australia which is always a relief. My next test of stamina was to buy the Christmas wine - this is my traditional contribution to the family festivities. If anyone breaks into my garage in the next few weeks they will be able to have a fab party, there are 12 bottles of wine, two tins of M&S biscuits and two tins of Celebrations...ah, but I'm not telling you were the garage is though!!!!

The joy of Christmas!

It is only 1st December and I am already at screaming point!!!

I do love Christmas, I am a real kid at heart but I hate all the faff involved! I had a tough day at work today because I was out of the office for the last three working days either delivering or receiving training so I had a lot of catching up to do. I had to attend a meeting at 4pm and then typed the notes up before I left so didn't leave the office til 5.30 and then had the drive home from hell - having to stop to get petrol in the freeeeezing cold on the way. So how did I relax? I wrapped all the presents for Australia and then spent an hour with my mother packing and repacking boxes to get the optimum weight in each one - on the third time of repacking my patience was wearing thin. Then after we'd taped the boxes up so that no-one was getting in them until 2011, my mum decided that one wasn't packed well enough as things were sliding around inside it so we had to slice the tape open to pack it more securely and then tape it somemore!!!! I think we were both sick to death of Christmas by the time we'd finished!!!

There are times when only a chocolate biscuit will do and I don't care what Bertie thinks, it's going down!!!!! Bah humbug!!

PS - normal service will be resumed, probably tomorrow!!!

Shhhhhh!

Keep the noise down, my head is a little fragile!

Why do I do it? I went out last night with my parents and some friends of theirs. We went to Keynsham, which is near where I live, for their Victorian evening. They close off the high street and have street stalls and attractions - it is really lovely and last night was very wintry as it was cold and a bit foggy. When we got there I realised that I wasn't going to be up to walking too much, so I stayed with the men (who had the very sensible idea of going to the pub!) while the ladies braved the high street. The pub was jam packed but we managed to get a table by the fire, I was two glasses of red down by the time the ladies caught up with us! We then ate at the pub, the food was lovely but I only managed one course before I was totally stuffed. I did, however, manage a third glass of red!

When we got home, I fell into bed and slept almost through. However, I am convinced I felt an earth tremor during the night - it was just like when we were in Kefalonia in October. There is nothing mentioned on the news so maybe I didn't and it was just my imagination, I'm really not sure.

Yay!!!

Another pound off - not sure how that happened mind you!! I'm not sure if it is psychological but my clothes feel much looser today!

Did I mention I LOVE MY BAND!!!!

Vicious!!!

I am learning (the hard way!) that my band is downright vicious when it wants to be.

If anyone reading this is thinking about having a band, please don't think that it is an easy solution. It isn't!!! Don't get me wrong, I love my band and the freedom it is giving me, but believe me, the band is in control! Anyone reading this who has a band themselves will know exactly what I mean!

Today I have, for no apparent reason, had a day where I can hardly eat anything because Bertie (band!) is not letting anything through without a fight! I couldn't even manage a full bowl of soup at lunchtime. I have eaten a small packet of cheddars (I was working away from the office and hadn't taken any breakfast) which I ate in three goes throughout the day! At lunchtime, I couldn't face a jacket potato so I had the soup and a bowl of about 12 chips (of which, I managed 3/4 of the soup and ate probably 8 chips). I am now heating up some pasta but I don't anticipate getting much of it down - guess what I'm having for lunch tomorrow! I honestly worried that my lunch was going to make a reappearance at one point which would have been horrific as I was with a colleague running two training sessions.

It is so weird because I have days when I think there is nothing doing with Bertie and I need a fill and then I have a day like today when, for no obvious reason, I have very forceful restriction. He really does have a mind of his own but at least I know he is doing his job and I do love him!!

Life is just so busy!!

I honestly don't know where the time is going at the moment! I have been chasing around like a mad thing.

I am feeling all smug because I have practically finished my Christmas shopping, only got to get something for my boyfriend - just the important one, eh?!! I have bought him some aftershave and a jumper but not his main present. He keeps saying he doesn't know what he wants which doesn't really help! I am very relieved, particularly that I have got all the presents for my family in Australia because the last posting date will be sometime next week. I love buying presents when I know that what I have found will be exactly what the person wants and some of the things I've bought have made me very excited - I sound soooo sad!!! I confess, I love Christmas - I always have, I turn into a little girl again (except I now have a credit card - yikes!!).

Anyway, I promised to tell you how our weekend went, so here goes.

We got to the hotel by 4.15 which was good going and were in our room by half past. The room was lovely. The bed was HUGE!!!! My boyfriend is 5' 10", he laid across the bed and it was exactly the same size, plus it had a wooden frame around it which added another 8 inches. It had lovely linen and lots of pillows and cushions - it was divine! We had a flat screen telly with DVD player and a CD player as well. The bathroom was massive with a walk through shower across the back wall. The monsoon shower had a massive shower head which totally drenched you as soon as you turned it on. Let's just say we made the most of the facilities!!!

We were ready by 6.30 and our taxi wasn't coming until 7.30 so we went down to the hotel bar for a drink. There was a function on and it was very busy, which was a bit of a shame. I saw a guy who I recognised from the telly but I couldn't place who he was.

We got to the restaurant on time and were shown to a lovely table in a quiet corner. The staff were brilliant and very attentive. I was very apprehensive about eating out (after my experience at TGIs the other week!) but I was fine. I had cheese souffle to start, it was served with sliced pear and crushed walnuts. It is not something I would have ordered pre-band, but WOW I am still dreaming about it, it was gorgeous. I don't normally like sweet with savoury but the pear really brought out the flavour of the souffle (get me, I sound like Lloyd Grossman!). My boyfriend had mussels. For our main course, I had a smoked salmon and haddock fishcake on a bed of spinach in a butter sauce with mashed potato, again it was delicious. My boyfriend had Toulouse sausages with mash potato and onion gravy. To finish we shared a flaming baked Alaska. I didn't manage to finish each course but I thoroughly enjoyed what I had. My boyfriend was a little disappointed but he is a bit of a grumpy b*gger and very hard to please! I think he just made poor menu choices. I found my food to be delicious and it was very reasonably priced, certainly not out of place with other good quality restaurants in Bristol.

We went back to the hotel and had another drink, which we took up to our room and we watched a DVD in bed.

We had breakfast at 10am although I really couldn't stomach it! He had a full English and I had scrambled egg with bacon, which I pushed around the plate! We discovered who the mystery celebrity was, he was having breakfast on the next table. His voice gave him away in the end, it was the comedian Dylan Moran.

It was a shame to have to leave but I think we will be trying some of their other hotels soon - the girl on reception recommended their Brighton and their Henley ones as being particularly nice.

I was pretty tired for the rest of the weekend, I didn't go out on Saturday night. I just didn't have the energy so my boyfriend went out for an hour on his own to have a drink with his mate. Which meant I could watch the X Factor in peace!! We had lunch at his parents on Sunday which was lovely. We had beef, which I have tended to avoid since getting my band. It was fine, although I could only manage one slice. His mum says she can see a difference in me, which is great!

I stood on the scales and no apparent damage - so far!!!!

Tired but very happy!!!

This will be a short post as I am very tired but I wanted to stop by and say hi!!

The weekend has been fantastic, Friday night went very well - I will post all about it in the week! It seems to have been a very long weekend, probably because I left work at 3pm on Friday and we had checked in to the hotel by 4.15. I'm going to avoid the scales for at least a week - they are not going to bring good news, I'm sure of that!

I've got a busy week lined up, I'm planning to do some Christmas shopping tomorrow night and Tuesday night, then on Thursday I have some friends coming over for pizza and Mamma Mia and I am going out for dinner on Friday night with my parents - my boyfriend is on lates so he can't come.

I'll try to post tomorrow night when I get home.

Busy, busy!!

I don't know where the week has gone - its just flown by!!

Work has been very busy, for some reason all the naughty people are abusing their internet access at the moment - I had four new cases this week, all with varying degrees of abuse. The worst was someone who has racked up over 26,000 hits in a five week period - to put this in perspective, we normally dismiss someone who averages 3,000 in a month!! No prizes for guessing where that one is heading!

My weight has, again, remained steady, although my work skirt keeps twisting around which it didn't do before so I guess there is a bit more slack there now! I think I will be getting a fill early in the new year!

I am very excited about my weekend - although I should say now that I don't know when I will get to post again!! We are having our big night out tomorrow - I can hardly sit still with excitement (how sad am I?!!). Then on Saturday we are going out for one of my boyfriend's friend's birthday and then going to his parents for lunch on Sunday. I don't think I will be too lively in work next week.

I'll post again as soon as I can but I think the earliest it will be is Sunday night - have a good weekend!!

Lovely weekend!

Well, it was back to work today after a lovely but rather busy weekend!

I managed to cook the roast dinner and we ate at about 7ish which wasn't too bad. It was rather nice, if I do say so myself!! We were quite late going to bed and I had to be up for work this morning - my boyfriend, who works shifts and gets every 5th week off, is on one of his weeks off this week. He tried to start a conversation with me at 1.30am - it started with 'are you awake?' ... 'well, I am now'. I got my own back by making a lot of noise when I got up!

I am noticing that I feel quite a bit of restriction lately - although the scales are not dropping dramatically! I am going to stick to my decision to hold off on another fill until the new year but I think I will need to act quite soon after that.

I'm getting excited because I have a special night lined up for Friday. My boyfriend's birthday is mid-December and as a result it is absolutely pants to try to take him out on the night as everyone is having Christmas parties, the restaurants are packed, the food is mediocre and the service is a bit fraught, so I decided that we would do it a bit early this year. I'm taking him to the new Raymond Blanc restaurant which opened in Bristol last month - it looks amazing on the website. Then, as a special treat, we're booked in to the Hotel Du Vin for the night (my company has a special deal with them - so I'm not splashing the cash too much!) - I'm sooo excited. Apparently, the room has a roll topped bath and a monsoon shower (whatever that is!!!), I think I will come back like a wrinkled prune! I'm on the early at work so I'm hoping to leave at 3pm so that we can get to the hotel as early as possible to make the most of it!!!

Shattered ....

I am soooo tired!! I've just dragged myself out of bed - mainly because the dog was crossing her legs and her tummy was rumbling!!

I've had a brilliant weekend. Friday night was great fun. I was manning the phones from 6.30 until 9.15 when the second shift took over. I took £360 in donations which was okay, some of the others around me took more (one girl had three individual donations of £100!). The atmosphere in the call centre was brilliant, they had a magician coming round to entertain us as well as a face painter and a balloon modeller (or is that modelist - I'm sure you know what I mean!!). The people calling in were lovely and so generous. The running total for our call centre when I left was over £62,000! The time flew by and I didn't really want to go home but I knew I had to because I had such a busy day planned for Saturday.

I was up quite early on Saturday morning to get sorted for my trip to London. My friend and I go twice a year to see a show for each other's birthday. She organises the trip when it's for my birthday and I organise it when it's for hers. It is quite a little ritual now! Whoever organises it doesn't tell the other one what they are going to see until we are on the coach. When we get to London, we take a taxi to the theatre and then find a restaurant as nearby as we can and have a long, leisurely lunch. After the show, if time permits, we have a quick coffee before heading back to get the coach. The coach leaves Bristol at 9.10am and gets us back for 8.45pm which is just long enough. It was my turn to organise this trip!

Yesterday, went very smoothly indeed. We got to our stop in London at 11.30 and were at the theatre by 11.50! Fortunately for us, there was a Garfunkels restaurant just two doors down from the theatre. I love Garfunkels because there is such a variety of choice on the menu. I had an omelette which I knew would be 'band-friendly', followed by an ice cream sundae which I also knew would be 'band-friendly'. I also had a nice large glass of rose!! Am definitely getting some fierce restriction at the moment because that was all I could eat all day!!

The Sound of Music was brilliant!! I was a bit apprehensive because it is such an iconic film and I've felt a little let down when we've seen other shows that have been based on well-loved films. We saw Mary Poppins (one of my all time favourites) and both found it quite dark and very different to the original. We also saw Dirty Dancing (who doesn't love that film?!!) and it kept so closely to the original film script that it just didn't feel right, you were aware that they were following a script - also the guy playing the Patrick Swayze role just couldn't fill his shoes, I spent most of the show thinking 'why on earth would she fancy him?'!!

Anyway, the Sound of Music avoids these pitfalls.

**** The following paragraph contains spoilers for anyone going to see the show****

The show is fresh and vibrant. It sticks fairly closely to the original story but due to time contraints it obviously has to be condensed down a bit. This is done very well. The script is not identical to the film and there are three new songs which kept it fresh. The children were fantastic. My only gripes (and I concede that I'm probably being a bit picky) were, Simon McCorkindale is a bit too old to play the captain, Summer Strallen played it for laughs a bit too much (but that is probably how it has been scripted and once I got past that it didn't annoy me so much) and they changed the reason for the captain's engagement to the baronness being called off and more or less implied it was due to her policital view not being in line with his rather than that he was in love with Maria. Having said that, I really enjoyed the show and it brought a tear to my eye on more than one occasion which, as a hardened Sound of Music viewer, I didn't expect! If you want to see a great show in London, I would thoroughly recommend it.

My boyfriend is coming over later and I've stupidly told him I will cook a roast dinner. I have all the food in but I am too tired at the moment - guess we'll be eating late today!!

Taking things cautiously!

Well, it has been a strange week, I have been careful about how much I have eaten and how I have eaten it. The restriction seems to have kicked back in - either that or I have learned to listen to it more carefully!

We went out to lunch at work today, I didn't realise until it was too late that we were sitting at the opposite end of the bar to the toilets and I was trapped in the corner!! We've just had a restructure at work and my new boss was taking us out so I definitely did not want to throw up on him!!! I ordered a fishcake as I know these tend to go down quite well. I managed to cope without throwing up although I couldn't eat the whole fishcake and I left about half of the chips - better that than chucking up on my new boss!

The scales are down a pound, slowly slowly!!!

I am one of a team manning the South West phone line for Children in Need tomorrow night - my company are providing the lines, then I am in London on Saturday with a friend to see the Sound of Music. I'm really looking forward to the weekend - will tell you more about it in my next post but I'm not sure when that might be yet!

Mortified ...

Well, I suppose it had to happen sooner or later. The band has put me firmly in my place and caused me extreme embarrassment to boot!

To be honest, I've been cruising for this for some time. I haven't been feeling much restriction of late and was becoming a bit nonchalant about the whole band business. I was eating pretty much what I wanted and taking normal sized bites at that.

Tonight, my boyfriend and I went to see Quantum of Solace and then for a bite to eat afterwards. We went to TGI Friday's (not sure I can ever show my face there again!) as it was next to the cinema. Now, I was hungry before we got there and we did have to wait ages for our food which may have had an impact on events. I ordered chicken fingers and chips which I knew would probably fill me up quite quickly. When they finally arrived, I tucked in with gay abandon - foolish woman!! I managed one chicken finger before I knew I was in terrible trouble. It got stuck, I thought I would be okay if I could burp - usually that will ease things and I can continue. I was in total agony, I managed a few burps and thought it was going to pass but then the pain came back with a vengance and I became very scared. Unfortunately, we were just about as far from the toilets as you could get and I was scared that if I tried to get up and walk I would throw up everywhere. We were in a fairly quiet corner with not many people around (thank heavens for small mercies!) so I thought I'll just sit here and hope it passes. Fortunately, I had a napkin in my hand (and it was a decent strength one at that!!) because another burp came very quickly and, before I knew what was happening, I had brought up the food and a load of slime. Luckily, it went straight into the napkin and I don't think anyone on the nearby tables was any the wiser. I had a few more smaller napkin fulls before I was finished. I was mortified. Not only did I have to leave a virtually untouched plate of food but I had to leave a massive wad of slime filled napkins. Full marks to TGI's, the waiter was lovely and even took my food off the bill without asking - I was too mortified to admit what had caused it, although I did make it clear that it was me and not the food!

My boyfriend was an angel and didn't blink an eye. In fact, he drove me home - I was supposed to be dropping him off at the train station to go home.

Once again, the band reigns supreme and I have learnt a number of things:

1. Make careful choices from the menu
2. Always have a wad of good quality napkins to hand
   
3. Chew, chew, chew and chew some more
4. Always get a table near the toilets!

I've only just shifted the heavy feeling in my chest and I am beginning to feel hungry (everything I ate ended up in the napkin!) but I daren't touch a thing.

I realise I am going to have to show this band some more respect if I don't want to be banned from every restaurant in Bristol!!!

STRESS!!!!!

Sorry for the lack of posting this week - as you might guess from the title, it has been a stressful week for me!

I work as an HR Consultant for a large company, we give managers advice on how to manage their staff - usually when they have done something wrong! We advise on disciplinaries, grievances, capability issues, ill health - the works! My job, in a nutshell, is to protect the company from tribunal claims by making sure the managers follow the correct process when managing staff. Usually, it isn't particularly stressful but this week it was! I have to add that when it gets stressful it is usually down to the manager not wanting to take my advice because they want to get rid of someone without having to take the time and effort to do it properly.

The case that stressed me out the most this week is a very unusual one. For obvious reasons, I can't give much detail, but I will say the manager involved has been putting the employee's interests before the company's in a very misguided manner. This employee is likely to end up taking the company to tribunal and because of the manager's behaviour will have a much stronger case. He is likely to claim discrimination on the grounds of his disability and could cost the company tens of thousands of pounds plus reputational damage. Fortunately, I have been taking advice from our legal department in managing it all along and it has now been handed to them completely to manage, so I am confident that I haven't made the situation worse but it has been horrible case to manage. We have tried to do everything we can to support this employee but he and his manager have played games and twisted everything we've said in an effort to squeeze more and more out of the company - ohhh it makes me mad, particularly as a disabled person myself who doesn't see my disability as a meal-ticket!!!!!

Things got particularly stressful on Thursday and it was so interesting as it was my first really horrible day since getting my band. My natural reaction was to go and buy a bar of chocolate but when I thought about it I knew my band was feeling abnormally tight and it wouldn't go down so I didn't bother. We had a team night out that night as well and I was not able to eat much of my lasagne either.

Weight hasn't been fantastic this week. I stayed the same again although it did vary during the week. Still it is THAT time of the month and my system has been a bit sluggish lately - if you know what I mean - suffice it to say I'm on the Fybogel and prune juice!!!!

Just checking in!

Nothing much to report today. I've had a fairly quiet week at work so far. My cold is clinging on for dear life - I've never had one hang about for so long!

I got a letter yesterday, inviting me to a Christmas drinks party at the Spire hospital on 10th December, from the Avon Obesity Service - should be interesting. My boyfriend can't understand why I'd go! I'm really looking forward to it - I'll get to meet some other bandits!

Nice weekend!

Apologies for the absence - I've had one of those weekends which was meant to be quiet and then turned out anything but!!!

Friday night was fairly quiet but Saturday went by in a bit of a blurr! I had my legs waxed in the morning and the place I go to for that is a 10 mile drive each way - I know that is daft but I feel comfortable with the girl who does it and the salon is in a lovely town which has a great shopping centre. When I got back, my cousin was here and we had arranged to go to lunch. We went to a lovely pub and had a good old natter. Neither of us wanted a huge amount to eat as we both had plans for the evening but we both got more than we bargained for! He ordered a sandwich with chips which turned out to be of doorstop proportions! I knew I couldn't manage a sandwich so I ordered a starter of spicy meatballs. They came on a huge slice of garlic bread and smothered in tomato sauce and cheese. I just ate the meatballs and left the garlic bread - my cousin doesn't know about the band and he would have worried if I'd had to run off to the toilet with my hand over my mouth!

After lunch I drove over to my boyfriend's as we had made arrangements to see some friends for the evening. These are the friends who got us together. They have the most gorgeous daughter who is 15 months old and just so charming! We had a lovely meal with them - we had pumpkin pie for dessert which I've never had before, it was nicer than I expected.

Today we went out for lunch with one of my boyfriend's cousins and her husband. I've only met them a couple of times and never really had much time to chat to them so it was really lovely to get the chance to get to know them better.

So, I've had quite a busy time foodwise. I can seem to eat quite a bit but I am sticking to the decision I made on Thursday regarding bands - I don't want to have a totally miserable Christmas!

It was my nephew's 13th birthday today - where on earth have those years gone?!! They live Oz so I had to phone him to wish him happy returns of the day. What is it with boys of that age - his sister is 11 and chatted away to me 19 to the dozen, he made some effort to talk but was clearly distracted (by his computer game I later heard from his sister - isn't sisterly love great?!!). I guess now he's a teenager I can't expect much more but I miss the chatty little boy he used to be. I know his sister may go that way as well once those hormones kick in but she is such a delight, you can have a totally adult conversation with her. That sounds like my nephew isn't a delight - he is a really lovely boy and wasn't rude in anyway, he just clearly had more important things on his mind! Truth is, I miss them terribly! I haven't seen them for nearly three years and I'm not sure when I will see them next. I also worry that when I do, it will be far too tiresome for them to spend time with their dippy aunt!!

Busy day ...

I'm still feeling a bit under the weather, my voice is lovely and husky though!! I had already booked today off work as my car was being serviced so it was nice to have an extra day to recover - although I haven't been taking it easy!!!

I was up early as they were due to pick my car up between 9 and 11 and it is parked in the garage behind my house. My house is practically hidden from view on the main road, down a narrow lane, so at 8.45 I went to put it on my parents drive where it would be easier to find. Fortunately, as I got to the end of the lane they were just pulling up to collect it which was great timing!

Then a workman arrived to look at my garage door. It is an automatic roller one and for some reason had decided not to come down properly. The chap was lovely and did a brilliant job. All working fine again.

Then my Mum and I had agreed we would venture to the new shopping centre in Bristol - Cabot Circus. It was our first visit and we loved it. If anyone lives near Bristol and is going there I can highly recommend Carluccio's for lunch - the food is divine and the staff are excellent. They also have a deli which has the most amazing bread and cakes.

On the way home, we popped in to do some food shopping. I was in the dog food aisle when my boyfriend rang me, there was another woman in the aisle who only heard my side of the conversation and probably thinks I should be certified, it went like this:

"We've been to Cabot Circus this afternoon .... No, there weren't any clowns.... No, there weren't any tigers .... No, there weren't any elephants .... No, it isn't a very good circus"

She did give me a funny look!!!

My car was waiting for me when I got back and it had been cleaned inside and out - can't complain at that!!

I have stayed the same this week, weight-wise. This isn't too bad since for most of the week I was showing as having put on two pounds! I was chatting to my mum about it over lunch. There is a definite difference in what and how I eat now, for example we had bread and oil to start but I only had a little bit (waaaayyy to scared of bread these days!), I had lasagne for lunch and that was more than enough. Pre-band I would have wolfed down the bread and oil, scoffed my lasagne and felt cheated if I didn't have a pudding.

I'm toying with the idea of having another fill but I do have reasonably good restriction, I don't want it to go so tight that I can't eat anything and I know I can lose weight if I concentrate on what I'm eating. We agreed that I should leave it as it is for the time being and review it after Christmas. Then, if I want, I can have a fairly tight restriction for a few months and see how that goes.

I've really enjoyed my day today, back to work tomorrow but at least it's only for one day! Sounds like I hate my job - I don't, I'm just not feeling 100%!

Under the weather

I've succumbed to the nasty bug that seems to be doing the rounds at work - I've got a sore throat and feel pretty yuck! I went to work yesterday but didn't feel well and found it hard to concentrate. I didn't feel any better today so I decided to stay at home and I've mooched around the house all day. I've got tomorrow off so hopefully I'll be feeling fighting fit again on Friday.

Was it ever worth it??!!!!

Well, as I am coming to understand, the band always has the last laugh!!

After my naughtiness on Friday night, the band has more than reprimanded me! It is certainly the boss and is quite capable of letting me know in an almost brutal way! On Saturday, I eventually tried to eat a boiled egg (with soldiers - I love my mum, I'm 42 but I'll always be her baby!!!!!) but old bandie was having none of it, the soldiers were not going to go down so they had to be abandoned and I struggled to eat the egg - took me about quarter of an hour! I had this at about 1.30 and then managed to eat an M&S lasagne at about 8pm and that was all I got down all day! Then on Sunday I managed two weetabix at lunchtime and then we had Sunday roast (we eat at tea time on a Sunday), I put up a small plate of food for myself and couldn't manage all of that. Then this morning, I stood on the scales (I know, what can I say, I'm an addict!!!) and the bl**dy thing said I'd put on two pounds!!! It's having a laugh!!!

Today has been quite weird, I just haven't felt hungry at all. I didn't want breakfast, at lunchtime I had a jacket potato with tuna mayo and cheese. Normally, this would go down really easily but not today. I struggled big time and had to leave quite a bit as I started to feel the food sticking in the back of my throat - nice!!! I couldn't face dinner, still feeling like something is stuck in the back of my throat. All I've had since lunch is a packet of hula hoops - not healthy, I know, but I just fancied them and knew they would go down.

Much as I love my band, I do sometimes think he (and it must be a he - no offence guys!!!) is having a laugh at my expense!! It is almost as though he thinks, right lady you took the mickey yesterday so I'm gonna take the mickey today - just as well I have a sense of humour!!

A wee bit naughty!

This makes me laugh a bit because it tells me how much I've come since getting my band!

My idea of being a wee bit naughty now is that I shared a portion of fish and chips with my mum last night - I mean SHARED, that was never in my vocabularly in relation to food before! Actually, when I say shared, I wouldn't say I had half even. It was enough, it took me quite a while to get it down and if I am being totally honest it did make me feel a wee bit queasy later on so I might not be so keen to try it again in a hurry. It was tasty though!

This is what I love so much about the band - I can have treats like that now and again but I can't go mad and stuff my face with them. Actually, I can go mad and stuff my face but it takes considerably less food to feel that my face has been stuffed and so I can't do so much damage!!

Another good thing with the band is that we ate at about 7pm last night and I'm still not hungry again, I thought about eating something earlier and I just couldn't face it yet.

Whohoo!!!

Another 2lbs lost! It wobbled a bit and then settled on 2 so it might only be 1.5 but I am very chuffed, long may it continue!

Followers!

I've added this new gadget to the blog - it would be lovely to know who follows my ramblings, so please don't be shy!!

Surprised!

I'm not exactly sure what I am doing differently (if anything) but my band seems to have suddenly realised what it's there for and is doing it's stuff!

I am still amazed that I got away without putting on any weight on my holiday, I must confess that I actually expected it to catch up with me after a day or so and that I would put on 3lbs overnight!! As it goes, I seem to have lost some more - official weigh day tomorrow so fingers crossed!!

I am definitely finding I can't manage big portions but I can manage enough food to feel satisfied which is brilliant. For example, tonight I wasn't particularly hungry but knew I needed to eat something. So I cooked four fish fingers and had them with some tomato ketchup - yummy!! Pre-band I would have scoffed them down in a sandwich in the blink of an eye but I really struggled and have felt full all evening.

One thing I have noticed is that my food is taking me ages to eat and is often stone cold by the time I finish - which tends to put me off a bit!

My rollercoaster ride is certainly on the up at the moment - long may it last as I am loving this band right now!!!!

Busy, busy!!!!

Sorry for my absence, I ended up having a busier weekend than I expected!

I've done a lot of eating out since my last post so I am a bit worried about what the scales may say on Wednesday. Friday was my boyfriend's dad's birthday and I took a long lunch break so that I could meet up with them for lunch. I still ended up gulping my meal down and having to hotfoot it back to work afterwards. In the evening, we had dinner with some friend's of my boyfriend - I was still full from lunch so really struggled and felt a bit embarrassed at what I had to leave. I've then had lunch out with my parents today which was fab.

One thing I have noticed, which is really great, is that places are starting to offer 'smaller appetite' meals which are smaller versions of some of the menu choices. They had this in the restaurant on Friday and again at the pub today. At least that way you are not paying for food you know you can't eat and you are not embarrassed at having to leave an almost untouched plate of food!

We were supposed to go to a party last night but, after getting ready, neither of us really felt like going so we curled up on the sofa with a glass of wine and some nibbles instead - probably not a good idea but so comforting!!!

Sunny days!

Well, we had a lovely holiday in Kefalonia. The weather was fabulous, not a drop of rain and the temperature was in the mid to high twenties - it was actually too hot at times! The hotel we stayed in was very nice, although it was just outside Lixouri which was lovely but, if any of you know the island, this is on the peninsula so is rather isolated. The season ends on the island at the end of the month and our hotel is due to close on 19th so it and the surrounding tavernas were gradually closing down around us which was a bit of a shame because it narrowed your options rather! What was nice though was that there was no scrum for the sunbeds around the pool! You could wander down there at any time and have your pick of the beds! If you want a holiday on a beautiful island which is totally unspoilt and you enjoy being away from the crowds and the hustle and bustle, then I would thoroughly recommend it. If you do go, you must see the fishing port of Fiscardo, the beautiful Myrtos Beach and also the Melissani lakes.

We did experience a couple of earth tremors while we were there, which were quite exciting! One was very early in the morning and I woke up when my bed shook - my boyfriend managed to sleep through that, so he didn't even feel the earth move!

I have had some rather important morale boosters. The first one was when I was packing my suitcase, I looked in my wardrobe and found a linen blouse I bought back in April for work during the summer. When I brought it home it and tried it on in gaped dreadfully and I put it in the wardrobe and forgot all about it. When I found it, I tried it on not really expecting a change (I know I've lost a stone but it doesn't feel that different at the moment!). I was wrong!! The blouse fits perfectly and it was ideal on holiday. I also tried on a skirt that I last tried to wear when I was in Majorca (also in April!). When I put it on then, it was so tight I had to take it back off again as it looked dreadful. I'm sure you've guessed that it was fine and I got plenty of wear out of it on holiday.

The final morale booster was getting to my seat on the plane. When we went to Majorca, I felt crammed in to my seat, the seatbelt was at it's maximum capacity and I couldn't get the table down flat - I was mortified. This time I fitted in the seat comfortably, I had plenty of spare seatbelt and the table went down no problem. I know airlines differ and I know I have only lost a small fraction of my excess weight but I think my weight loss so far has had an impact (we flew with Thomas Cook to Majorca and Thomsonfly to Kefalonia).

It is funny how small achievements spur you on to do better - I am loving the band at the moment and feel very positive about my future with it! I also found it funny that I was so aware of my weight loss goal that I had convinced myself that I'd put on weight during the holiday - just goes to show how your perceptions change, I thought I'd pigged out but I couldn't have. Next time, I will be aiming to come back from holiday having lost weight - or am I just being silly now?!!!

I love my band!!!!!!

I will post a full update later on but I just wanted to officially say that I love my band - now I know I will probably be cursing it good and proper in a few weeks (even days) time but right now I absolutely LOVE it!!!!

I got back from holiday late last night, stood on the scales this morning and I weigh exactly the same as I did the morning I left for Greece - how fab is that?!!!!!! I wasn't an angel either, I ate more or less what I wanted (I had chips most days for goodness sake!), I had a pudding each evening and I drank plenty of wine and vodka (not together!!). So I'm not sure how it happened, but I've checked the scales twice and they are adamant I weigh the same!

I do believe that one of the biggest differences is no fizzy drinks. Normally I would enjoy a beer at lunch time (sometimes even two) or I might have a fanta (not diet of course!) but I only drank water during the day. Also, I avoided bread most of the time. I really think these things have made a difference and I am absolutely delighted - I think it is a first for me to go on holiday and stay the same!

See you soon!

As you can see from the time I am posting this, I am suffering from pre-holiday insomnia!

I seem to have so much to do and no time in which to do it. I am working tomorrow and we have a team day which is stretching on to a meal in the evening. I could do without it really because I haven't packed yet and we will need to leave fairly early on Tuesday morning. I think I might make my excuses and leave as soon as I am able. I am still trying to get some washing done and I can't pack until I get the smaller suitcase from my parents who only arrived back from Portugal at two and a half hours ago!!!

For our team day we have to take an object which reflects us to talk about ... where on earth do they get these ideas!!! I'd forgotten all about it until my friend sent me a text to remind me - I haven't a clue what to take, was gonna take my passport but I think I would be in severe danger of getting it flushed down the toilet as I've been winding them up all week!

Anyway, I don't think I will get much time to post later today so I'll sign off now until I return. I am back in the UK very late on 14th so probably won't get to post much before the 15th.

Have fun, keep safe and see you soon!

Have a little patience!!!

It appears that all I need at the moment is a little patience! My weight is coming down, albeit slowly, and I must just be patient.

I have now lost a stone - whohoo!!! I am getting quite good restriction, the last few days I haven't seemed to be able to finish any of the portions of food I prepare - time for a mind adjustment, I think!

I've been doing some thinking and realise that I am expecting overnight miracles which, frankly, just aren't going to happen! I have lost a stone in three months which isn't earth shattering but in a year that would equate to four stone. At the moment, I am happy with that. I can't promise that I won't get a bee in my bonnet again soon but for now I am going to stop mentally beating myself up over it!

I might even hide the scales - but let's not go too mad!

Still struggling!

I'm still struggling with the weight loss - I stayed the same this week which is not what I was hoping/expecting!

I seem to have good weight loss the week immediately after my fill and then it peters out. What I can't believe is that it is not coming off despite the fact that I am eating considerably less than I did before the band.

I've just had words with my boyfriend who was asking how it is going and then making me feel as though it is all my fault - I am trying to lose weight!!! He claims he is trying to be supportive but it just makes me feel worse than ever.

I'm going to see how things are when I get back from my holiday and if things are much the same, I will speak to the nurse at the clinic about getting another fill. I just don't want to get it full to the max too quickly - who said this was an easy option?!!

Holiday Insurance

I had quite a pleasant surprise today when I booked our holiday insurance.

I work for a major insurance company so applied via the staff intranet. I put all the details in and got the quote which included a 10% staff discount. Once I had the quote, I rang the helpline to disclose that I have a medical condition - they ask questions online like do you have a condition for which you have received treatment in the last five years, well I don't have ongoing treatment as such but I don't want them to turn around and decline my claim if I haven't declared it. While I was on the phone, I thought I should also mention the band not necessarily to get it covered but, again, I didn't want this to be a reason to decline any potential claim if I hadn't declared it. The upshot is, for a premium of £6.45 they are covering my band for any problems while I am on holiday. I wasn't really expecting this but I think it is a small price to pay for the peace of mind whilst I am away. I may have been able to get the cover due to the fact that I said the band was not done for cosmetic reasons but to help ease the symptoms of my underlying condition - but if you have a band and are planning a holiday it is worth asking!

I've decided to try to be a bit healthier in my food options this week, particularly in eating more fruit as I have not been eating so much since my band. This is because you have to avoid eating the skin and peeling things is a bit of a faff at your desk. I've been avoiding bananas as they can be a bit of a problem as they are quite gunky. Anyway, I took a small banana and two satsumas in my lunch today. The banana went down fine, but I did take it slowly! I only managed one satsuma. I'm not sure if it was the skin on the segments or what but it didn't go down too well - normally, I would eat two without a second thought, it's all new experiences!

I'm excited!!!

After lots of discussions (some of them heated!!) we have finally booked a week's holiday in the sun - whohoo!!! We are off to Kefalonia next Tuesday and I can't wait - it has been too cold and dreary this summer and I need a fix of sun. We're really pleased as we have got the hotel we wanted and decent flight times from a local airport and it hasn't broken the bank.

I'm interested how the band reacts on its holidays and whether I can manage a week without putting on weight.

The band has been a bit of a cow today - I've only managed half a small pasta salad from M&S, half a packed of quavers, half a chicken breast and some savory rice and some apple pie and ice-cream. It seems to have been a day of lots of halfs!!!

Mini victory!!

I had a mini victory yesterday in my battle with the bulge!

We went out for dinner with my cousin and his family. While we were deciding where to eat, I sat down on a chair outside a bar - this chair was one of those ones which have arms on them. Normally, I avoid these types of chairs as my thighs are so big they dig in which is not only painful but looks hideous! I'm sure you've guessed my victory ... I had no problem, I fitted in the chair without it digging in. I thought it was a fluke but we ended up eating al fresco (it got bloomin' cold as it got later!), the chairs were different but they also had arms and again I fitted in it without it digging in. So, whilst I might not be losing weight at a phenomenal rate, my body shape must be changing and to me that is more important.

I'm starting to wonder whether I need another fill, as I managed a full dish of lasagne and best part of a pudding last night. My boyfriend was amazed at what I managed to eat (and so was I!). I think it may have been partly due to me not eating much else all day and both courses were fairly soft so would go down quite easily. I've been panicking all day thinking I've pigged out - how times change! I'll see how things go, I haven't been terribly hungry today so have just had some crackers and philly. I'm doing roast chicken for dinner so I'll see how that goes. I'll keep you posted - as ever!

Feeling good!

I'm feeling good with my band - it is still vicious at times but I am getting used to what I can and can't eat.

My main problem food is bread - I haven't risked it since my issue last Friday and to be honest, I'm not missing it. When I talk to friends they all say they love bread but it bloats them out so they tend to avoid it.

A friend came over tonight and brought a pizza with her. I was a bit apprehensive as I wasn't sure whether it would go down or not. It was fine - in fact it was gorgeous, it was an M&S one in their two dine for £10 offer. It was just like a homemade one with marscapone, pesto and tomato - yumm!! It wasn't very big but we shared it and had some salad and it was plenty for my new tum!

Today I had two completely separate people comment that they could see I'd lost weight - in fairness, they both know about the band but it is still nice that people are starting to notice. That is three in as many days - whohoo, it must be working!!

Slowly does it!

Only a pound off this week but I am delighted!!

I know that the way the band is working now means it is inevitable that the weight will come off. It is still giving good restriction and I am not able to eat huge amounts - whohoo!!!

One of my colleagues at work yesterday commented that she could see a difference in my face (she's just returned from two weeks holiday). I was chuffed as I think my face has changed a little bit too. She knows about the band so I am looking forward to someone who doesn't know about it noticing the difference but I don't think that will happen just yet!!

That which must be obeyed!!!!

Well, the band continues to exert it's control over me - I think it is going for world domination!!!!

I had a relatively quiet weekend. I struggled with food that normally goes down quite easily like jacket potato and grated cheese - although I did manage some chocolate so all was not lost!!!

Today I haven't really eaten much and to be honest haven't really felt hungry. I had a Weight Watchers cottage pie for my tea and the dog had the last few mouthfuls as I was stuffed and they are not exactly large! I do try to make sure I drink plenty to keep myself hydrated, I also drink yoghurt drinks and smoothies so I know I am getting at least some nutrition - mind you my fat store could keep me going for months!

I am very pleased as I am sure I will see some results on Wednesday - fingers crossed!

OMG - revenge of the band!!!

Where do I start ............!!!!

I've had an interesting few days!! On Thursday I met up with a group of friends, we get together at each other's houses every few months, we all bring something to eat and sit and chat. My friend decided to do a chilli, which was lovely! When we got there she had crisps and dip which went down rather nicely, I then sat down to my chilli - I avoided the salad in case it got stuck. I got about 2/3 of the way through my relatively small portion of chilli when I had what must have almost been a productive burp (known as a PB). I suddenly felt the food come up to the back of my throat. I've never had one before and it really panicked me - some of the people at the table don't know about the band, and in any case you really don't want your food in your lap whether people know about it or not!!! I stopped eating immediately!! After a little while I was able to manage a little bit of cheesecake but I didn't have any of the other pudding that was there (normally I would) and I couldn't touch the bowl of heros chocs she put out.

Then yesterday, I had my first experience of something getting stuck in the band. It was entirely my own fault and I have certainly learned a very valuable lesson. I was at my parents house and they had some very close family friends over from Ireland who we don't get to see very often. We sat down for a meal and I was really hungry. There was a plate of bread next to me and without thinking about it I ate half a slice with some butter - big mistake, HUGE!!!! After about 30 seconds I started to feel really ill. I had an awful pain in my chest and my mouth started to fill with saliva. I left the room and went to the toilet and brought some slime up but the pain in my chest was awful. I felt really embarrassed because they didn't know about the band and it just looked strange so I went back to the table but I couldn't eat anything and I had to go back out again and brought some more slime up. I was lucky and it passed after about 10 minutes but my chest still felt a bit sore and I didn't dare eat anything else (I did manage a little bit of ice cream much later but not a lot!). I ended up explaining to my mum's friend what had happened and she was incredibly supportive but I really do not want to experience that again.

I still feel a bit fragile today. So far, I've managed 1 weetabix (with some difficulty!) one large choc chip cookie from M&S which didn't go down too well and a jacket potato with cheese which normally goes down really well but I struggled a bit with that too.

I realise now my band can be a right b*tch if it wants to so I'd better stay in it's good books!!!!

Weigh in Wednesday!

I'm a happy bunny!! I weighed in today and I have now lost 12lbs in total. This represents a 4lb loss since my fill last week - I'd put two pounds on immediately before the fill but didn't adjust the ticker as I was so upset!

I am happy with the way things have gone since the last fill, it seems to have made a big difference and the restriction has not reduced at all so far. I'm hoping that this will continue for some weeks to enable me to get a good run at the weight loss. I'm starting to notice a difference in my clothes and don't feel quite so bloated - I'm not sure that the weight I've lost will make that much difference yet so I think it is more a case of me looking for the changes but whatever it is, I'm feeling good!!!!

Feeling good!

It's been a good day today - apart from having to drag my sorry a*s out of bed against my better judgement! It wouldn't have been so bad if I'd been on the early and so dragging it out at an ungodly hour, but no I was on the late so was trying to drag myself out at 8am which is practically lunchtime!!!

I am really enjoying the restriction (is that a bit sadistic?!!). I had a cereal bar for breakfast, normally I wolf them down but I had to take it slowly and felt quite full afterwards. I had some crackers and philly for lunch and then a fromage frais during the afternoon. Tonight I've had a Sainsbury's Be Good to Yourself macaroni cheese and had to throw some away. I do find that I enjoy a nice cup of tea throughout the day - I was always a tea drinker before but now I find a hot drink eases the band if it feels a bit tight.

My mum said today that she could see a difference - she is my stauchest supporter and my fiercest critic (in a good way!) so I appreciate her input as I know it is genuine - not what she thinks I want to hear. I'm not sure if I was imagining it but when I looked in the mirror this evening I thought my face looked a bit thinner - whohoo!!!

All going well!

Well, I've had a busy few days!! I haven't posted for a while because I haven't had a chance to get the computer to myself!

My boyfriend came over as a surprise on Thursday evening, which was lovely! I then went to his on Friday and we came back to mine yesterday. He has only just left to go home so I came straight on line to update the blog!

Things are very different following my last adjustment. I managed to eat a Sainsbury's cottage pie on Thursday without any problems. I kept my lunch fairly soft in work on Friday to avoid any reappearances!! On Friday night, we went out with some friends for a curry. I normally have a chicken curry but I knew I would struggle with the meat so I decided to have a Chana Masala which is made with chickpeas - it was divine and easy to digest, although I only managed a few spoonfuls with some rice. On Saturday, I made my boyfriend crusty ham rolls but knew I wouldn't be able to eat any so I laid out 6 crackers, a slice of ham, a small slice of cheese and two mini chicken tikka fillets. I was really hungry as I hadn't had any breakfast. I manage three crackers, half the slice of ham, half the cheese and one chicken fillet and I was stuffed! Later on (after several glasses of red wine - which always goes down well!!) I managed just over a quarter of a pizza with some coleslaw.

Today, I managed 1 weetabix for breakfast and then had chicken with potatoes and veg for dinner with a chocolate pudding and ice cream (I even chucked half the pudding away!!).

I stood on the scales this morning and my total weight loss is now 12.5lbs - I haven't adjusted my ticker yet as I always count my weight loss on a Wednesday but that means I have lost 4.5lbs since the adjustment last Tuesday (I'd put 2lbs on the week before but couldn't bring myself to adjust the ticker!).

I do feel that this latest fill has made a big difference and I am quite excited to see how things pan out over the next few weeks.

Feeling better about things!

I'm taking things very slowly following my fill.

I took soup to work for lunch and a variety of smoothies and yoghurt drinks to keep me going. I've found that although I am not struggling to get fluids down I am drinking them more slowly - two cups of tea went practically cold before I finished them!

When I got home I had some custard (weird I know but I just fancied it and it was mush!!) and then a bit later I had some instant porridge which has left me feeling more satisfied. So far, no pain or difficulty, I am going to try to stay on mush tomorrow and then more normal textured food on Friday.

It's weird and I'm not sure it isn't my imagination, but I feel slimmer/lighter today! I wore a top with short sleeves and they definitely feel looser. Let's hope this is the start of the action!!!

Be careful what you wish for ...

Well, I had my fill today and I was worrying over nothing!

The nurse wasn't at all surprised to see me and when I explained that I was still not losing weight she commented 'well you've only got 2.5mls in there'. She was very understanding and has given me a further 2mls so I now have 4.5mls. She said I will definitely see a difference with this. I believe her as well because she also told me that if I have any problems tonight or tomorrow I'm to ring her straight away and she'll take some back out!!

It was just as well I took the appointment today as she is off for a few days from Friday so it probably woud have been over a week before I could have seen her and she is dashing off all over the place to conferences in the next few weeks - I tried to persuade her to let me come too!!!

So far, I've had a cup of tea and a tin of soup and I feel fine. I couldn't quite manage the whole bowl and I had to take it quite slowly so that's a good sign.

I mentioned to her my concern about having more than half of the band full and she told me that I won't get to full and, even if I did, they can go over if necessary (although that is a secret so don't tell anyone!!).

I'm feeling quite excited now, really hoping to see some results.

Taken decisive action ...

Well, I have another fill booked and it is tomorrow at 4pm!!!!!! Have I done the right thing???????

The extra four pounds have disappeared but I don't really feel that I have sufficient restriction. I can eat practically normal portions of food and whilst I can't eat three big meals in a day I can still pack away quite a bit of food. I know that when I have restriction not only am I unable to eat too much, I don't really feel like food at all. Whereas, at the moment I am hungry and, as I say, I can pack quite a bit away.

I didn't intend to get the second fill so quickly!!! I phoned the hospital thinking I would get an appointment on Saturday which would be four weeks since my first fill but there was a slot tomorrow at four so I took it without thinking and now I'm panicking a bit! I really need to start shifting some weight so I know it's the right thing to do.

My boyfriend and I are looking at trying to get a quick week away in October so it would be nice to get some weight off before that.

We can't agree on where to go though - I fancy a Greece or Cyprus but he wants Morocco or Egypt (and I really don't fancy either of those, I'm sure that is a ploy on his part to avoid going altogether!!). He refuses to go to the Canaries and we have been to Portugal and Majorca in the last year. Anyone able to suggest a nice place to go that is cheap and cheerful, not long haul and will be warm in mid-Oct? I know, I'm not asking for much, am I?!!!!

Still a bit glum!

Well, the scales dutifully backed down a bit and two of the hideous four pounds have disappeared but I am still not happy.

I am trying to keep things in perspective as, reading on the ukgastricband forum which has lots of input from people at varying stages of the band process, it can sometimes take several fills to get the right restriction. I'm going to see how it goes and if nothing is happening in a week or so I will arrange for another fill. What worries me is that my band is only 7ml and I already have 2.5ml in there so I'm limited in the number of fills I can have - I'm sure it doesn't work like that (in so much as another 1 or 1.5ml could give me massive restriction on top of the 2.5ml) but I can't help but worry! Then again I am one of life's worriers so that's nothing new!

I'm off to my boyfriend's for the weekend so may not get to post again until Monday - have a good weekend!

The wanderer returns!

I'm back from my trip away, I was on a training course for two days and actually quite enjoyed it. I liked what I saw of Ipswich (unfortunately, it wasn't much!).

I'm feeling very down about the band at the moment. I think I need another fill already. My weight seemed to be going down at the weekend but I came back from Ipswich and it appears that I have put on four pounds!!! Now, I know from the information in 'How the scales lie to us' (see previous post) that this is not possible but it is really annoying when the scales jump like that! Especially since the colleagues I was away with kept commenting on how little I was eating - I am so glad they know about the band otherwise that could have been quite awkward!

I will see how things go over the next few days but I think I will need to get another fill quite soon - from what I understand it is quite common to need a few adjustments before you really start to see some results but it is very frustrating and I can't quite ignore the little voice in my head saying 'you've spent all that money on a useless piece of latex'.

Just thought ....

... I might be a bit elusive over the next few days!

My boyfriend is coming over later and I'm not sure whether he will go home tomorrow or Monday morning (it will depend on what shift he is on).

If he goes home tomorrow I should get a chance to get online and post tomorrow night. If not, I am off to Ipswich with work on Monday and won't get home until late on Wednesday night so I doubt I will get a chance to post until Thursday - so please don't think I've run away!!!

I'm looking forward to my trip to Ipswich as I haven't been there before - shame I will be in the office for most of the time!

Mixed feelings

I haven't posted for a few days because I've been feeling a bit down.

I'm not sure why really, I think it is a combination of being very tired and having lots going on at work. In addition to that, I'm not feeling so much restriction with the band and so have managed to eat quite a bit. I'm a bit disappointed in that because it is only two weeks since I had the fill and I expected to get quite a few weeks restriction from it.

I'm not sure whether I am just picking food that I know will go down easily or whether it is down to the band. When I had the fill, the nurse said it might not give me as much restriction as I would like so maybe that is why it seems to have reduced. My weight went up slightly over the last few days but is back down again now - that gets me down and I know it is my own fault for getting on the scales but at the moment I just can't seem to help myself. You can tell me till I'm blue in the face that it is about changing my attitude to food and I know that is what this battle is about but in reality I want to see results on the scales too!!!

I'll give it a couple of weeks but if I'm still not happy I will arrange for another fill. I'm beginning to feel that this is quite an emotional rollercoaster!

I'm loving it!

Another two pounds off - I can't believe that the weight is coming off!

I'm eating food I enjoy and not feeling deprived at all!!

All back to normal!

After all my drama on Friday night, I am back to normal and fighting fit again!

My tummy was still a little upset on Saturday morning but that soon cleared up and I felt fine. I went out for an hour with my mum and we had some lunch. We shared a panini which was plenty to keep me satisfied without feeling too full. Later I travelled over to my boyfriend's house and we went to dinner at some friend's of his which was really nice. Fortunately, they did spag bol followed by trifle which went down a treat!!

On Sunday, I had a rasher of bacon in a bread roll and only just got it down! I then went to see some friends who were having a BBQ. I didn't really want much and in the end just had a sausage with a spoonful of coleslaw and a spoonful of pasta salad which was plenty. My friend had made some lovely puddings so I just had a smidgen of each to taste them! All I drank all day was tea - I am feeling my age!!! Mind you, that made up for the gallons of wine I drank the night before!

When I got back to my boyfriends (he'd been out with some of his friends separately!) I wasn't very hungry but he ordered a chinese takeaway. Normally, I would have ordered something too but I knew I wouldn't be able to eat it so I just had a few spoonfuls of his which was plenty - although he does like his food more spicy than I do!!!

Today, I woke up very eary and could feel that my band was tight so when I did get up I didn't have breakfast straight away. I had a nice cup of tea to try to loosen things up. I then had some weetabix. Other than that, all I've had is some Ritz crackers and homous and I don't feel hungry.

I'm beginning to realise that the band seems to even things out. If I have a day when I can eat more, the following day I don't need so much. I think I was able to eat quite a bit on Saturday because I didn't eat much on Thursday or Friday.

Feeling better!

Well, I'm feeling better this morning but last night was a bit of a worry.

I was sick again after posting my last message. I was getting really worried as this was after taking the anti-sickness medication. I phoned NHS Direct and a nurse called me back. We went through lots of questions. She wasn't concerned about the vomiting as such but understood my concern about the band (excessive or violent vomiting can cause the band to slip out of place). She said that the medication should kick in but if not and I am sick again I should call my out of hours doctor and get their advice. She felt that my band should be okay from what I had told her.

I managed to get a reasonably good night's sleep and I feel lots better this morning.

I've managed to eat a cereal bar and drink a glass of milk and they've stayed down so my band must be okay - if it had slipped I would not be able to keep anything down.

I took a sneaky look at the scales this morning to judge how I'm doing a full week after my fill. I am four pounds down but, being realistic, I must take in to account that I have not eaten much in the last 24 hours so that loss may not all be down to the band! Either way, I'm pretty chuffed to be seeing some results at last!

I'm off to spend the weekend at my boyfriends so probably won't get to post again until Monday at the earliest - am not going to risk using his computer! Have a fab long weekend!

Poorly sick!

I've not had a very good day.

Last night I had another episode of low abdomen pain exactly like the one I had just before my op - see post on 30th June. At least I know that it was nothing to do with the yummy yoghurt diet! I was in quite a bit of pain so I laid on the bed and put my electric blanket on which seemed to ease it and I fell asleep.

Again, I was feeling tender this morning but I went in to work as normal because last time I had this I was fine after 24hrs. Not so this time! I was due to be on a conference call for two hours and I managed just 10 minutes and I was in a lot of pain. I had to leave the call and return to my desk. I took some Solpadol which was given to me on my discharge from hospital but little did I realise that it contains codeine which does not agree with me. The pain went but I ended up feeling really sick!

I couldn't stay at work and left at 1pm to come home. I managed to get an appointment with my doctor this afternoon but he wasn't able to shed any light on what is going on. Apparently, it doesn't fit into any normal pattern - that's just typical me!! If it happens again I will have to go for a pelvic scan.

I felt totally wiped out so I came up to bed at 6pm and fell asleep for 2.5 hours. I woke up feeling better but since then I have been sick twice which is really not good. Both times I have just brought up fluid as there is nothing in my stomach. I am a bit worried as being sick is really supposed to be avoided at all costs. My mum went to the local midnight pharmacist and got some anti-sickness tablets that the nurse recommended when I was in hospital and I've taken one of them - fingers crossed it does the trick!

Whoo, it's working!!!

OMG - I got a shocker today!!!! I stood on the scales expecting the normal "stayed the same" but I've lost two pounds!! I'm well impressed as the fill was only done on Saturday - mind you, I suppose I haven't really eaten much since!

I'm so glad it finally seems to be working!

Something's different!

I know it's early days but I can definitely feel a difference since having the band tightened.

I am eating less than I was before (obviously!!!). I can feel that the band is tighter in the morning so I don't tend to eat much as it won't go down. Today for example, I ate a cereal bar at about 10.30am, I then had 6 or 7 crackers with 2 laughing cow cheese triangles for lunch and for my tea I had a bowl of homemade vegetable soup with a piece of bread. I drink quite a lot of tea during the day and I did have an innocent smoothie this afternoon. I feel perfectly satisfied and know I would struggle if I tried to eat any more than that.

I actually feel that things will start to move now so fingers crossed. Tomorrow is weigh day, I'm not sure how much will show this week since it has only been four days since the tightening so if there is a difference then fine, but I will judge it more next week when I have had a full week with the new restriction.

How the scales lie to us!

Extract from sheet given to me by the nurse:

How many times have we said - don't weigh daily and yet here we are again on the scales leaning to the left and the right, before and after a trip to the loo and dressed or undressed.

So - you can't resist this life by numbers then? If you can't get rid of the habit then TRY to understand what you may be reading in the numbers. You may then throw them away.

Our bodies are about 60% water. There are normal fluctuations in the body's water content and this can really panic someone who is a number addict.

Two things influence water retention, i) water consumption ii) salt intake.

Strange as it sounds, the less water you drink, the more your body will retain. If you are even slightly dehydrated your body will hang on to its water supplies with a vengance, possibly causing the number on the scales to inch upward. The solution is to drink plenty of water.

Excess salt (sodium) can also play a big role in water retention. One teaspoon of salt contains over 2,000mg of sodium. We should generally try to eat around 1,000 and 3,000mg of sodium a day. Sodium is a surprisingly sneaky substance. We think of salt being at its highest in things like crisps and nuts BUT a food doesn't have to be savoury or salty in taste to have a lot of sodium in it. An instant packet of dessert can contain 1,000 mgs per 100gms and some contain almost four times as much sodium as an ounce of salted nuts.

It is very common for women to retain several pounds of water prior to menstruation but it usually goes as quickly as it comes. To reduce the retention the key is to drink more water, reduce high sodium foods and up your exercise.

Another factor that can influence those little digital numbers is glycogen.

Glycogen is like a fuel tank/energy reserve full of stored carbohydrate. Some glycogen is stored in the liver and some is stored in muscles. This energy reserve weighs more than a pound and its packed with 3-4 pounds of water when it is stored.

Your glycogen stores shrink during the day if you fail to take in enough carbs. As they are used and you are sensitive to appetite you will experience a small, imperceptible increase in appetite. Your body will store this fuel reserve along with its associated water.

It is normal to experience glycogen and water weight shifts of up to 2 pounds per day even with no changes to your calorie intake or activity level. These fluctuations have nothing to do with losing fat, although they can contribute to panic states when you stand on the scales.

Other factors - most people tend to forget about the actual weight of the food they eat. For this reason, if you are going to weigh yourself, do it first thing in the morning before you have had anything to eat or drink. A weight gain in one day isn't fat it can be the weight of the food and drink you have consumed in a meal!

To store one pound of fat, you need to eat 3,500 calories more than you body is able to burn. In other words, to actually store a meal as 5lbs of fat, it would have to contain 17,500 calories!!! Hardly likely, or even humanly possible!

When you gain 3-4lbs overnight, relax it is likely to be water, glycogen and the weight of your dinner.

The best way to work out if you have lost weight ... How do you look? How do you feel? How do your clothes fit? Are you rings looser? Do your muscles feel firmer? These are the true measurements of success. If you are excercising and eating and drinking mindfully then a small number gain is nothing.

NUMBER FLUCTUATIONS ARE PERFECTLY NORMAL. EXPECT THEM TO HAPPEN, TAKE THEM IN YOUR STRIDE!

My first fill!

As regular readers will be aware, I had my first band fill on Saturday. It was very interesting!

I started off with a little moan about how little weight I'd lost. The nurse, who is absolutely lovely and has a band herself so really knows her stuff, was almost a little cross with me!! She said you aren't supposed to be losing weight at this point, that is what the fill is for. She gave me a leaflet entitled How the scales lie to us - I will put this in another post later, it makes for very interesting reading for anyone who has daily fluctuations and really tells you not to weigh everyday as the readings are not at all accurate!

We talked about the changes in my eating behaviour ie not snacking between meals, not always having a pudding when I eat out and being okay to share/leave food. She was very pleased with this and said the idea of the band was to retrain my thinking about food. Yes, it is to lose weight but that should really be a symptom of my new relationship with food.

We agreed that I probably didn't need a huge band adjustment, I felt as though I was teetering on the brink of losing and just needed a nudge in the right direction. I found out that I have a 7ml band and she gave me a 2.5ml fill. She did say that I might not get as much restriction as I was hoping but she felt it was better to take it in easy stages.

I sat on the examination table and she filled the syringe with the fluid, I thought that needle doesn't look too bad. Then she took that needle off and put on an industrial size one!!! It was a little worrying but there was nothing to worry about, it didn't really hurt much at all.

I had to take big gulps of water while she adjusted the amount she put in.

I then had to stick to fluids for 24hrs, and then mush yesterday and today.

I can feel a difference, I didn't really feel like much breakfast this morning so just had an innocent smoothie carton. I had fishcakes for lunch with chips (not exactly mush, I know but relatively soft!). I could only eat 1.5 fishcakes and I even LEFT some chips in the bowl.

I'm feeling a little bit peckish now so I may have some soup later. So far so good - lets see what the scales say next week!