New life, new me......

WelshWoofer

Get over the cold and we'll see about starting something for December - a few weeks yet!

fedupandskint

Brill - started with a cold this weekend and now have a sore throat - when does this end!? Better be over soon so I can get back to normal and recapture my exercise mojo again!

WelshWoofer

Just been looking at the diary and I have 4 weeks to work before the Xmas school holidays and subsequently the Xmas food onslaught.

So, with this in mind I have decided to make a 4 week effort to firm up and maybe lose a pound or two that can be gained back over the food fest.
I have visitors next weekend and have a works do on the 14th but other than that I have no excuses to hold me back.


So the effort involves....

• No less than 210 minutes of exercise a week (30 mins a day) - walking, running and swimming
• A bit of work on the abs area - crunches etc - to firm up the belly
• Sticking to 1500 cals a day (MFP says I should be around 1750 to maintain and its worked so far so I'll cut down just a little bit)
• No sweeties!

Its just 28 days starting tomorrow - anyone with me?

WelshWoofer

Haven't been here for whst seems like ages!
Life just gets in the way sometimes.

Not a lot to report - a visit from family, lots of work and a little bug to cope with but I'm back to normal now.

Its only 3 weeks to Xmas :eek::eek::eek:
Need to get a few small things but have the main pressies for family and that's all I'm buying for this year so not much left to do. During a tidy up I found some Xmas cards I bought in the M&S sale last year and some wrapping paper so won't need to get that.
I'm going home to Wales on Xmas Eve and will probably come back on the 27th. We're going out for Xmas lunch and mum won't let me take anything so I'll probably just take some posh cheeses with me as dad and I like a bit of cheese in the evening after a day of scoffing:o

Have decided to now focus on the money situation as life seems to have calmed down a bit and after Xmas everyone seems to hibernate a bit. I want to get the £5k for emergencies squirrelled away and kept separate from the everyday savings and pay off the smallish CC account I have. So plenty to work on ! There's about £3k in the emergency account at the moment so £2k to go......

What else?
Need to reign in the grocery spending a bit as its creeping up - no need really for some of things I succumb to in the supermarket.
I'd also like to start putting a little bit away each month towards a summer break so finding the money for a holiday isn;t such a drama.

I started by phoning my old gas/elec company to find that they owe me £50 - that's now on the way back to my account:T
Will now go and have a look at the accounts and see what else can be economised on.

WelshWoofer

Finally its the weekend!:j:j:j
No visitors, no extra dogs, no big plans - just some me time to be able to have a relax and do what I want to.

Need to get some proper exercise done - thinking a 5k run and a 1 mile swim. Will also have to do the usual chores - shopping, cleaning and washing - and have plenty of schookl work to keep me occupied. Just 2 weeks to go now though thankfully.

Just seen the headline on the paper in the shop - coldest week for 20 years to come next week:eek: As long as it doesn't rain I don't mind the cold.
One week to payday....

WelshWoofer

Had a busy day so far - walked the dog and did a 5K run first thing - not a bad time surprisingly. Then cleaned the whole house and tidied round, had a bath and deep conditioned my hair and did a face and body scrub.
Then off to the nice vegan shop for some goodies for the next few weeks (spent £10 but it will last a while) and then popped to Morrisons for the rest of the shopping (hate that shop but was passing so thought it would save petrol going to Tescos). Then walked the dog in the big park on the way back there's only a little walk to do later.

Staying in tonight and watching a film on boxoffice for £3.49 rather than going to the cinema and spending £8 on a ticket and another £5ish on pop and sweets. Think the new Batman is on so will watch that for some mindless relaxation.

Am quite tired now so will have a bit of a sit down and then make a curry for tea using up a load of stuff in thefridge and a cheating Lloyd Grossman sauce that was half price.

So not a bad day - been quite productive so far, legs are stiffening up though so I may be sore tomorrow!

WelshWoofer

Well, I'm covered in an itchy rash that is really starting to get on my nerves:mad:
Couldn't go swimming as, apart from looking like a leper, I don't think the chlorine would have done me much good.
Did a long dog walk instead though.

So, payday in 4 days and I'm not overdrawn and, disaster notwithstanding, should be ok until Friday, have plenty of food and petrol so no big spends required.

Can finally pay off the sofas on Friday with the extra £200 from working half term - all saved up and paid off before the interest free period runs out - quite proud of myself!

Need to get a grip with eating too - seem to be constantly hungry lately - no need for it, just being greedy sometimes.
Had a good food day yesterday and a passable one today (stayed within maintaining cals) but am constantly thinking about food:o
Have done my nails tonight to stop me picking at nibbles and made my lunch ready to take tomorrow.

No meeting after school tomorrow so will try to use the extra hour to do some proper exercise as well as dog walking. Famous last words.....:rotfl:

WelshWoofer

Not a lot to report really - just the usual mid week slog.

2 days to payday and if it carries on as it is I'll be in the black when I get paid - hurrah!:j:j Fingers crossed.

Just thinking about my next set of goals as I need to have something to focus on to keep me going or I get fed up and lose motivation.

So here's a work in progress.....

Money

1. Save another £1000 by June - sounds big but the sofas will be paid off and I don't have any big plans for the next few months
2. Make a spending diary and stick to it - found one on the web and it looks quite good
3. Keep to the grocery budget
4. Don't get overdrawn
5. Pay off at least half of the CC (the only debt I have)

Home

1. Get the spare room decorated and buy new bedframe and wardrobe
2. Get the niggly little jobs sorted out - 6 or 7 jobs that probably will take 30 mins each but never get around to them

Health and Fitness

1. Stay between 9st 7 and 9 st 10 at the most - will no doubt fluctuate a little bit but that should be a realistic goal
2. Run my first 10K
3. Build up training from 5K to 10K runs
4. Continue swimming and go at least once a week

Personal Fabbing

1. Keep up with general routine of hair dying, nails, eyebrows, face masks, scrubs, moisturiser, make up etc
2. Investigate botox on frown lines
3. Keep psoriasis in check with the occasional sun bed
4. Buy some spring clothes that fit and flatter

Work

1. Make some noises about promotion if not mentioned

Will have a think and see if I should add more to the list.

WelshWoofer

Haven't been around for a few days as the dog has had a major drama and had to get rushed into the animal hospital on Thursday evening with suspected pancreatitis. Turns out after multiple Xrays, blood tests and ultrasound that its not that - it may be a really bad infection showing in the lymph glands or a problem with his adrenal gland. He's on strong antibiotics (came home on Sat afternoon) in the hope that they will reduce the inflammation that can be seen on the ultrasound - the alternative is that it could be cancer - lets hope not, fingers crossed for the antibiotics. A new scan tomorrow will hopefully show an improvement.
Good job he's insured - the vet bill is already in excess of £1000:eek:
Had to miss the work Xmas do too because of being stuck in the vets although I couldn't have gone knowing the dog was ill - at least its a few pounds saved on drinks etc, a waste of £25 for a ticket though:(

Other news - I've been paid and now have the full amount in savings to pay off the sofas - will try to do that later in the week - have to do it during office hours so its a bit awkward with work.
I've also squirelled away a few pounds into savings accounts to start off a holiday fund and a bedroom redecoration fund. Will be some time before I can afford either but you have to start somewhere:)

Did a big food shop on the weekend - shouldn't need to go until after my trip home for Xmas now, maybe just some fruit needed.

Feeling a bit frazzled after the past few days so will have a quiet evening and maybe get my hair dyed and do a face and body scrub.

WelshWoofer

Well, the dog seems much better -still gets tired quite quickly in comparison to before but has his personality back.:j
I have to sit down and sort out the insurance claim tonight - thinks it well over £1000 now:eek: Worth every penny thought to get the poocher better.

Have finally finished work for Xmas - whole weeks off - hurrah! I'm shattered - its been a tough old week with one thing and another so I'm looking forward to unwinding a bit.

I've posted my "fabbing" goals on the frump to fab thread and thought I'd out them here to so I can't forget...

• To lose 5 lbs and keep them off - I weighed this morning and am now 1lb heavier than when I finished my "diet" and I don't want to put any more back on and could do with firming up a few wobbly bits
• To finish my 10km run on March 1st for charity without walking at all - need to get back into some serious training
• To start properly training for the 1 mile open water swim - can do the distance ok but would like a better time
• To make myself take off my makeup every night - I am still rubbish at this
• To keep up the basic fabbing routine - am quite good at scrubs, face masks, moisturising and keeping nails tidy but could be more polished in general
• To get some more money saved in the bank for emergencies

I'm off for a sit down and a few Pringles:o - the exercise regime starts again tomorrow.