Which trousers???

I love trousers!  You probably already know that if you are a regular reader of my blog  Dresses and skirts are not my thing.  I don't feel right in them.  I feel comfy in trousers.  You don't have to be careful getting out of the car or bending down.  You can just sit down without having to smooth down your skirt/dress in case you are showing too much flesh and you don't have to worry about your dress/skirt being tucked in your knickers when you've been to the loo.  Trousers are definitely the way forward!

It's not that simple any more though.  There are so many different types of trousers.  There's skinnies, straight, boyfriend, bootcut, flare, leggings, jeggings, harem pants, ankle grazers, cigarette pants, cargo pants, chinos . . .  to name but a few!  Which style do you choose???

I tend to wear a lot of skinnies.  I used to think I was too fat to wear skinnies but now I love them.  I used to wear bootcut but now I hate them.  So with that in mind I decided to try on a few pairs of my trousers with a basic white T-shirt and a pair of nude heels to see if the style of trousers makes a difference to how fat I look!  Brave I know!!!!

So what have I deduced?   That I look fat in all of them!!!  However if I stand sideways I look thinner.  So if you see me out and about don't be surprised if I'm walking sideways!  I wish I'd worn a black T-shirt I might have looked a bit thinner!  Because it's not just style of course, it's colour too that can influence how fat or thin you look!  God, why is it so complicated???!!!

 These are my Gok at Sainsbury's skinny jeans.  I love these jeans but are they flattering?  Not with this top!

 These are my burgundy flares from Primark.  I love these because they are comfortable and swishy.  Quite flattering from the side!

 These are my M&S harem style pants.  I actually love these.

 These are my burgundy leggings from Primark.  Would be fine with boots.  I would never wear them out like this.  They are comfy and feel much better quality than Primark!

So what do you think?  Which style of trousers do you like to wear?  What style would you never wear?  Come on share your style secrets.

I saw these two adverts in a magazine the other day.  I love them both but I don't think I could wear either.  Mutton dressed as lamb comes to mind.  But still, I do love them!  Would you wear them???

Another Girlie Supper!

Ready for Girlie Supper - blouse from Next, leggings from Gok at Sainsbury's and boots from Stylist Picks

On Friday night I went to a Girlie Supper at my friend Paola's house.  It was a supper with a difference for us.  Whoever hosts a Girlie Supper normally does all the cooking but at this supper we shared out the courses.  Sarah brought nibbles, Annita and I provided the starter, Paola did the main course, Jane and Heather each did a dessert and Claire did the cheese board.  It worked really well.  We had an amazing meal and drank loads of champagne.

Hopefully Paola didn't feel too stressed as she only had to do one course.  It can be quite stressful cooking all three courses.  We always say at our Girlie Suppers that no one should feel under pressure.  We would be quite happy with beans on toast because it's all about spending time with our friends rather than having a sophisticated menu.  In saying that though I don't think we have had a bad meal.  In fact quite the reverse.  Whoever hosts always makes a real effort and we are thoroughly spoilt with delicious food and lots of wine.

We are trying something new on Wednesday.  I'm hosting a Wine Tasting and Pizza evening.  Hopefully it will be fun.  I will update you on how it goes!

I'm back on my diet today.  I had a bad week last week with lots going on and I've strangely decided to become a Domestic Goddess recently - which is so not me! - and I've been trying out lots of new recipes.  We have been eating far too well.  Rich and my son seem to like it but it's not so good for the diet!

My friend, Jane, has persuaded me to join her in giving up chocolate for the month of February!  We are both chocoholics so it's not going to be easy!!!  We can't have chocolate in any form - no chocolate biscuits or cakes or anything at all with chocolate in it or on it!!!!  Arrrggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

This is us at Paola's with her gorgeous Dalmatian - Crash

A Night at the Cinema

Last night I went to the cinema.  I went with my friend Jane and a workmate of hers who I hadn't met before.  We went to the Screening Rooms which is a bit like going business class at the cinema.  The seats are large and comfy with lots of leg room and small tables for your drinks and nibbles.  There's waiter service from a menu of wines, beers, soft drinks, hot drinks, hot and cold snacks, chocolate and ice creams.  It's divine!!!

We went to see Les Miserables.  We knew it was a long film and a musical but we didn't know too much more. We settled down with a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc and a block of chocolate.  I was a bit worried I'd be bored as the film was almost three hours long but it was brilliant!  I highly recommend it!

The shock was that by the time we left the cinema the snow had really come down heavily and the roads were treacherous making the journey home quite scary!

It really doesn't matter what you wear at the cinema as it's mostly dark but I wore brown skinny jeans from River Island, M&S jumper/tunic, Dorothy Perkins boots.

Living the High Life!!!!

Despite the snow I have had a very decadent few days!!!  On Thursday Rich and I had a Spa Day booked.  I'd bought the voucher from Living Social back in November.  I wasn't expecting much to be fair.  The voucher cost £35 for the two of us.  It was at the Greenway Hotel which I'd never actually heard of so expectations were quite low.

So when we walked in I was pleasantly surprised!  It's beautiful!!!  The staff in both the Spa and the restaurant were absolutely lovely.  The decor is gorgeous.  The pool area is so nice.  Low lighting makes it feel really intimate.  Lovely comfy loungers and even a sofa where you can relax.  The pool is great and it has two spa beds in it which have jets in them so you can lie back and be massaged.  There's two saunas - a hot one and a not so hot one and a steam room.  Outside in the courtyard there's a lovely wooden, rustic hot tub.  It was so fabulous sitting in it whilst the snow was falling.

Our deal entitled us to use of all the spa facilities from 10 til 6, a two course lunch each with a glass of champagne and 20% off all spa treatments.  The lunch was superb. Rich had starter and main but obviously I had main and dessert.   The Chicken Caesar salad was gorgeous and the chocolate fondant with vanilla ice cream was divine.  The decor and ambiance is so chic it made the whole experience feel really special.

We chose to use our 20% discount off treatments and both had a 40 minute Tranquillity Divine Soul Anti-stress Ritual.  It was gorgeous!  So a massive success.  I will be looking out for future offers at the Greenway!  Definitely want to go back!!!

On Saturday evening we had girlie supper at our friend Cath's house.  It was exciting because Cath has recently had an extension and it was the first time I'd seen her new kitchen.  It's fabulous and looks so big.  We had a lovely supper, delicious food and lots of banter as the girls were looking on a dating website that Sarah had seen advertised.  We had to ask why men put such unflattering pictures on when they are trying to attract a partner.  I think that could be our new business - styling men and photographing them for dating websites.  We could "Gok" them!

I wore black Gok skinny jeans, dark grey Next top with floral print back, M&S boots and my horsey snood.

Yesterday - Sunday - I went on another Spa Day!!! Yes I know that is crazy.  Two Spa Days in one week.  It's a bit like buses - you wait for ages then two come along together.  When I'd booked the Greenway I hadn't realised that this one was going to come along.

So Cath, Jane, Paola and I went to Cowley Manor!!!  It's got a fabulous reputation and I've wanted to go for years.  It cost £75!!!  It's a January special offer.  It's usually much more expensive.  For that we got use of the Spa facilities, a two course lunch and a 60 minute treatment.

Our approach to Cowley Manor was so beautiful - down a snow covered lane, into the drive with Cotswold stone pillars up to the beautiful and very grand Cotswold Manor House.  In contrast the Spa is very modern but they have used Cotswold stone alongside glass and slate so it still feels in keeping with the surroundings.

We were given our robes and shown to the changing room.  Then we took up our places on loungers by the indoor pool.  We were the only people there for most of the morning although it did get busier after lunch.  We all thought it lacked something.  Namely a jacuzzi.  The indoor pool wasn't that warm and the sauna and steam room were hot so you can't exactly sit in there for too long.  A jacuzzi/hot tub is such a social place and if it was located outside it would have been amazing to be in the hot tub in the snow.

As the day wore on we warmed to the place more.  I guess as we started to relax.  There were nice magazines and newspapers to read, water jugs and glasses provided and a bowl of tangerines which we happily munched on.  We had out treatments - all four of us at the same time which meant no one was left at the pool with no one else to chat to.

Three of us had facials and one massage.  The facial was so good.  The beds had heated blankets on them so you were so warm and cosy and they were adjustable so you didn't have to lie flat on your back, you could have your head up, feet down, etc.

After our treatment we had lunch.  I'd say it was nice but not amazing.  Then feeling totally chilled out and full we went back to our loungers to relax.

After a little while they started to remove the cover from the outdoor pool and steam began to rise.  We decided to go out and dip a toe in to see how cold it was.  Quite cold!  But we couldn't rest.  There was something so enticing about swimming outside in the snow.  We adopted a strategy of going outside in just our swimming costume, walking in the snow and getting really cold, then jumping into the pool which in contrast felt warm.  It was brilliant.  We went in twice and had a good swim around, tried our hand at synchronised swimming and then got out, ran back inside and straight into the indoor pool - which in comparison felt like getting into a hot bath!

So we had a lovely day.  Will we go back?  I'm not sure that we will.  They do have lovely products in the changing rooms but I think may be we can get better value else where.  We did, however, decide that well being is important and we should try to do more of this sort of thing.  It's now our quest to sample as many spas as we can this year.  So, if anyone has any recommendations or knows of any
good offers please let me know!!!

Finally I'm sharing a few photos of Cowley Manor and our day - excuse the quality!

The Diet goes on . . .

I've now been dieting for two weeks.  It's been quite a roller coaster ride what with crazy diets and loads of exercise!!!  I weighed on Monday - twelve days in to my diet and I'd lost a total of 9 pounds.  I was really happy with this!!!  Woop woop!!!!!

I haven't found the eating too bad so far but the last two evenings I've given in and had a glass of wine with dinner.  It's really really hard to stop at one.  A lovely cold glass of Makutu Bay!  Who can resist!

 I'm still tracking my calories on my phone. I'm allowed 1155 calories a day.  It's not too hard.  I have cereals for breakfast, egg on toast or tomato soup and a bit of crusty bread for lunch and then whatever I want for dinner with either vanilla yogurt and fruit or jelly for desert.  I snack on apples, tangerines and Rich Tea biscuits.

I am exercising lots though!  This week I've already done loads.  I feel really tired tonight.  My back aches and my left hip is sore but I feel good too.  On Monday evening I ran with my lovely running buddy, Heather.  We ran 4.32 miles.

On Tuesday morning Rich and I did an early gym session.  I did interval training on the bike, resistance work on my legs and bingo wings, core stability/abs work and walking lunges and squats with weights.  Then I swam 30 lengths.

At lunchtime I walked with my good friend Jane and our dogs for about an hour on snowy Cleeve Hill.

Last night I ran again with Heather.  We ran 4.56 miles.  We ran for 50 minutes without stopping.  I track our run on my phone now!  We started running in April 2012.  When we first started we ran 20 steps, walked 20 steps.  I did a ten week beginners course with Cleeve Ladies Running Club.  We never imagined we would be able to run for 50 minutes without stopping.  There have been times when we have thought we would never get any better.  We have hit a plateau and just not been able to move on.  But we have persevered and we are so proud of our progress.

Today, once again, Rich and I did an early gym session.  I didn't want to do any aerobic exercise in the gym because of all the running I had done already this week.  I felt I needed to give my joints a rest so I did more resistance work and abs/lunges/squats, etc.  Then I swam 40 lengths.

This afternoon I walked my dogs for an hour.  When I walk I don't dawdle I walk really quite fast.  Thankfully though, tonight was a no running night.  Chilling in front of the TV watching Gok!!!

Tomorrow evening Heather and I will do a shorter run - about 3 miles.  And on Friday I will probably go to the gym and walk the dogs.  So quite a bit of exercise!  I do rest at the weekend though.  The only thing I might do is walk the dogs.

I have an exciting weekend coming up!!!  Girlie supper at our friend Cath's house on Saturday evening and then a really posh spa day on Sunday.  More details to follow . . .

Diet Shocker!!!!!

As you all know I started the Doctor Gundry diet on Tuesday of this week.  I knew it would be tough but I was only doing the first phase to boost my weight loss which lasts two weeks.  How hard can it be to keep it up for two weeks?!!!

So Day One I skipped breakfast as I couldn't face protein and leafy green veg and anyway I'd got my gym induction at 9am.  When I got back though I had my snack of nuts or seeds.  I had 45g of cashew nuts.  They were ok.  For lunch I had two medallions of bacon with salad leaves.  In the evening I went for a run with my friend Heather and when I got back I had dinner - chicken breast, sugar snap peas, asparagus and broccoli.  A bit later on I had 40g of Brazil nuts.  I'd also had six and a half glasses of water - not quite the 8-10 glasses he recommends but close.

Total calories consumed 843 but I had burned 745 from my exercise so net calories were 98!  I felt like I had no fuel in the tank and struggled with my evening run.  And I needed to wee alot!!!

Day two we headed off for a 7.30am gym session.  I felt quite tired.  I did the resistance work and some core strengthening exercises and lunges and squats with weights.  I thought I would try to do ten minutes of interval training on the treadmill but I just couldn't do it.  I had no energy.  I decided to head to the pool and enjoyed swimming 20 lengths followed by relaxing in the jacuzzi.

By the time I got home I just wanted to curl up and go to sleep!  I forced myself to eat breakfast.  Boiled egg and salad leaves.  Oh joy!!!  I'm not much of a breakfast person but as everyone says breakfast is the most important meal of the day I do try to eat it.  Normally just a small bowl of cereal.

I then had my mid morning snack, 30g of Brazil nuts.  Then I went for about a 50 minute walk with my dogs and Jane and her dogs across Cleeve Hill.  For lunch I had a bacon and onion omelette and unable to face salad leaves opted for grated carrot.  Carrots are allowed raw but not cooked.

Rich and I then went to Sainsbury's.  What a joyous trip that was!  We spent ten minutes in the vegetable aisle but I really didn't want to put any in the trolley.  I usually love salad but the very thought of it was turning my stomach!  I was still feeling exhausted and had a burning feeling in the back of my throat and my stomach felt like I'd drunk way too much wine the night before - really acidic.  I walked past all those lovely carbs and stared longingly at them!!!

I was going to the cinema with three of my friends last night and wondered if I would be able to stay awake!  I skipped dinner as I'd been late having lunch and actually couldn't face eating anything I was allowed to eat!  I did, however, stay awake through the film because it was absolutely brilliant.  Go see The Impossible I highly recommend it.

My lovely supportive friends tried to lure me into temptation!  Jane had mini eggs and Sarah had those fried egg sweets and both thought I should be able to eat them as I'm allowed eggs!!!!  I resisted.  I think Paola just thought I was completely crazy for being on such an extreme diet.

When I got home I just didn't want to put anything else in my stomach it felt so bad!  I swear I would become anorexic if I kept this diet up!  My total calories consumed for the day were 775.  I'd burned 566 through exercise.  Net calories 188!  I'd also had to wee eight times, unheard of for me!!!

This morning I woke up at about 6.50am needing another wee.  I walked to the bathroom in a complete daze.  I had stomach pains and I felt really sick.  I got back into bed and slept until about 9am.  I awoke still feeling exhausted.  Back to the loo again but I had to stop and hold on to the wall half way there as I had a dizzy turn.

I got back into bed and asked Rich to get me a cup of tea.  I never drink tea, always black coffee.  I just needed something that would soothe my stomach and as I take my tea with milk I though it would help.  It did.  I also had a Rich Tea biscuit.  Carbs!!! Yay!!!

I decided to weigh myself and I've lost three and three quarter pounds in two days but the way it made me feel was just not worth it.  I had a bowl of cereal for breakfast.  I was still feeling dizzy when I stood up and Rich told me that Dr Gundry says if you have low blood pressure it does make you really dizzy.  I always have low blood pressure.  I felt like I used to feel when I was pregnant!  Not good!

I wanted to go to the Opticians as I need glasses for night time driving but I didn't feel stable enough to go on my own.  Rich drove me there and accompanied me in so that I didn't fall over.  Also I couldn't concentrate.  I'd got a really important email to send but I just couldn't clearly collate the information I needed.

I have now had a bowl of tomato soup and some crusty bread and a small Kitkat bar.  I do feel a bit better but still a bit wobbly.  I have been able to send my email though.

My advice is don't try diets like this.  I've always thought that cutting out whole food groups was wrong but Dr Gundry's science was very convincing.  However, if I feel like this after two days it can't be good for me.  I've had to cancel running tonight.  I've been running around three times a week since last April.  That has to be better for me than some crazy diet!  If you are obese and putting your health/life at risk may be this is for you but otherwise reduce your calorie intake and exercise more.

Happy sensible eating and exercising.  Believe me it makes you feel good unlike the alternatives - over eating and no exercise or extreme diets!  Good luck xxx

Officially OLD today!!!

Today - 7th January 2013 - my youngest child turned 18!!!  All of my offspring are now adults.  I must be very OLD!!!  I've tried to convince Rich that in order to deal with the trauma of being so old and childless I should be allowed another dog, but he's having none of it!!!!  

His presents all ready for him!

Me ready to go out to lunch with Rich, my son and his two best mates.

We had a lovely - if not enormous! - lunch out at The Plough at Ford.  I wore my Forever 21 blouse and my Gok skinny jeans and M&S boots.  

Today was also weigh-in day.  I was really pleased as my diet only started last Wednesday so I've only had 5 days of dieting and I've lost 4 and three quarter pounds!  Yayyyyy!!!!  Rich has lost 8 pounds in the same time period!!!  Whoop whoop!!!

Tomorrow is day one of Dr Gundry's diet for me!  I think I'm going to struggle.  It's also our gym induction so it's all systems go.  I will keep you posted!

The Diet Update

I've done three full days of dieting and frankly I'm not thin yet!  I've set up the app on my phone and input all my details.  It has then worked out that in order to lose two pounds a week I can consume 1216 calories a day.  It wouldn't allow me to lose more than two pounds a week.

So far it's not been difficult but it is early days!  I ran with my friend Heather on Wednesday and Thursday evening.  Friday was rest day.  I'm going to try to sort gym membership for a couple of months today.  Then the plan is to run three times a week and gym twice a week.  I intend to use the treadmill for a bit of interval training at the gym and also do strength training and swimming.

In my running magazine it says that losing weight is one thing but maintaining it is quite another which we all know to be true.  It offers three tips to keeping the weight off:

1.  Keep exercise levels high
2.  Weigh yourself at least once a week
3.  Be accountable - either by exercising with a friend or join a club or make your goals known to all   your friends

My friend Paola suggested a plan where for 5 days a week you eat whatever you like and for 2 days a week you fast.  Women should only consume between 400 and 500 calories on these two days and men can have 500 to 600 calories.  Lots of people follow this regime but it must be tough on the two days when you fast.

My husband, Rich, is also dieting.  He follows Dr Gundry's Diet.  He did it last year and lost loads of weight very quickly and did maintain it for quite a long time.  Then he got naughty and put weight back on but he's still not as heavy as he was before he started with Dr Gundry.

On Thursday I put the Livestrong app on his phone and we tracked his food for the day.  He ate over 1400 calories.  The app had calculated he should consume 1350 calories but he just continued to follow the rules of Dr Gundry's diet.  He did no exercise.

I on the other hand I consumed 994 calories.  I also burned through exercising  (running and riding) 861 calories.  So my net calories consumed were only 133 calories.

On Thursday morning - just 48 hours into our diet - Rich decided to weigh himself.  He had lost five and a half pounds!  I couldn't believe it.  I didn't expect to have lost anything in two days and he'd lost so much.  I remember this also happened the first time he followed this diet.  The first two weeks are strict and it's meant to kick start your weight loss.

I decided to also weigh myself.  I'd lost one and a quarter pounds.  More than I expected but in comparison to Rich it was kind of insignificant!  I'd eaten less than him and exercised but he'd lost more weight than me.  How unfair is that!!!!

I had resisted Dr Gundry because I know it won't really suit me.  Most of my diet is made up of carbs and that's a no no with Dr G.  I did think that may be I can do the two week "Tear Down Phase" to kick start my weight loss.  I've been reading Dr G's book and the science behind what he's saying is very powerful.  It makes you feel stupid to not follow it but it does banish just about everything I love!!!  Chocolate, cake, white wine, pasta, etc.  I can have gin but no tonic!!!  And that's forever on Dr G's diet!

On Tuesday I am going to start the two week phase.  I'm not sure if I will complete it but I'm going to give it a go!  I can't start on Monday because it's my son's 18th Birthday and we are going out to supper.  I have to have a palm size portion of protein for breakfast, lunch and dinner with leafy green vegetables.  I have to have two snacks of seeds and nuts.  I have to drink 8 - 10 glasses of water a day.  I'm allowed one glass of red wine a day.

The allowed proteins that I like are:

Beef - inc steak, mince, etc.
Pork tenderloin
Bacon
Chicken
Salmon
Shellfish
Whitefish
Tuna

Dairy:

Eggs
Yogurt - plain and unsweetened

Vegetables:

Lettuce
Spinach
Watercress
Bean Sprouts
Beans
Broccoli
Carrot - raw only
Cucumber
Garlic
Herbs
Mushrooms
Onions
Peppers
Sugar Snap peas - not shelled peas

Beverages:

Coffee
Tea - black, green, white or herbal
Red wine
Water


I am going to find this really hard!  I'm not one of those people who loves eating their greens.  Rich happily tucks into spinach and poached egg for breakfast but it's my worst nightmare!  And note, no fruit allowed.  No bread. Not even a Rich Tea biscuit.  Hell!!!!!  If I don't lose half a stone I will be gutted.

The Consequences of Feeling FAT!!!

Stepping on to the scales after Christmas is never a joyful event.  Far from it!  And so, if you are one of those people who love shopping you are probably not in the mood for clothes shopping.  You take your normal size into the changing rooms and it won't go over your hips, won't zip up or just leaves rolls of fat bulging over the sides.  This kind of experience is to be avoided at all costs.  You knew you were fat before the scales confirmed it so you really don't want these totally unsympathetic new clothes to scream it out loud in a very public changing room.  You may feel like ripping said clothes off and curling up into a ball and sobbing loudly but I find the assistant in Next is not too keen on this behaviour.

But girls there is one thing you can always buy whether you feel obese or skinny.  I have to add here that feeling skinny is an unknown concept to me!  You can buy shoes!!!  They always fit!  God I love shoes!  So I have to admit that's what I've done!  Firstly I ordered some ankle boots from Next.  They arrived a day or so later and I pulled off the packaging to reveal my beautiful, sexy, orgasmic boots.  I tried them on with a slight hesitation - if they don't fit I will cry - but they fitted!  And I LOVE them!!!  Oh great joy!  Who needs clothes when you can have shoes or boots.

It didn't stop there however.  In my inbox I get regular newsletters from Stylist Picks.  I've never bought anything from them but I quite enjoy browsing their newsletter.  Their latest one was advertising their sale.  I happened to stumble across - by some slip of the mouse - the shoe section.  I reasoned with myself that I didn't need more shoes.  I've got loads of shoes.  But then the sale prices twinkled away at me taunting me like a bar of chocolate or a glass of NZ Sauvignon Blanc.

This morning my new footwear arrived.  To be fair it would have been rude not to take advantage of these bargain offers.  It was so exciting unwrapping them.  They came in black shoe boxes with black ribbon tied round them.  Inside the shoes were delicately wrapped in tissue paper with a little sticker holding it in place.  It can't get better than this even at Jimmy Choo surely?  They felt expensive and sexy and perfect.  Oh I LOVE my new shoes and boots!!!

Yes I didn't stop at one pair I bought a beautiful pair of black ankle boots for just £25 and a pair of black and tan shoes - a snip at just £15.  You are obviously nodding in agreement that I had to buy said footwear at such bargain prices.  There really was no alternative!  And I do really LOVE them.

So here they are:

My Next boots

My £15 Stylist Pick shoes

And how lovely is the box!

My gorgeous £25 Stylist Pick boots!

What an exciting day!  It's given me a real boost from my cold which even with Nurofen Express is giving me a splitting headache and eyes that I just want to close as they hurt so much.  So I deserved cheering up!

I also though I'd share with you some of my Christmas presents.  Rich bought me things from the list I'd given him.  Not sure how he'd get on without a list?!!!  May be next year I will try it.  I'd really love a surprise but one I like not one I'd have to pretend to like.  Tricky!  So he bought me several books.  I'm on book two, Cheryl Cole's autobiography.  I've already read David Walliam's.  Shout if you want to borrow it but WARNING it is rather dark.  He also bought me a bottle of perfume and the following items:

As you may have guessed I love tweed.  This is from an inexpensive equestrian company called Rydale.

This is my Pull and Bear top which you will probably remember I wore Boxing Day.

This jumper is also from Rydale.

This bag is from Joules and I love it!

It's probably the most expensive bag I've owned at around £90!!!!

And this is what my daughter bought me:

This purse is from Joules and it's gorgeous!

I love what a contrast the lining is.

And a furry headband also from Joules.

My son bought me a laptop cover which I asked for and this lovely handbag.

This is from Oasis and will go beautifully with my new Next boots!

And my friend Jane bought me some yummy chocolate from Hotel Chocolat and this fab snood:

As you may have gathered I love horses!

I was also lucky enough to get a spa voucher from Richard's daughter and several other gifts from them and two very appropriate plaques from my lovely friend Theresa but I will share these with you another day.  Today is officially SHOE DAY!!!!

Diet and Fitness

Like a lot of you I am beginning my diet and fitness regime today.  I am fed up of eating rubbish and feeling fat!  Although I won't be feeling like this in a week or so and will be craving chocolate!!!

I've weighed myself but I do find that the scales are not always a friend to me.  They never say what I want to hear.  People will tell me I've lost weight but the scales don't necessarily agree.  I think I build muscle fairly quickly and as we all know muscle weighs heavier than fat but takes up less space.  With this in mind I have also taken my measurements: bust, waist, hips, thigh, calf and upper arm.  Hopefully this will give me a truer reflection of what's going on.

I'm not completely ready for my new regime as I haven't yet cleaned out the fridge and cupboards to get rid of all temptations.  I haven't been to the supermarket to do a healthy shop.  I haven't signed up to a gym.  But I do intend to eat sensibly and to exercise and within the next few days address all the above tasks.

I bought a running magazine which gives you an exercise plan to lose body fat.  I have thought for some time that running - even three or four times a week - is not enough if you always run at the same pace.  The plan supports this.  Sometimes its ok to do this but sometimes you need to do quick sprints for short bursts and then recover and do it again and again . . .  Also you need to do strength training.

I'm adapting this plan to work for me.  I want to use the strength training to tighten my core (which should give me a flatter stomach), bum and arms.  I also want to do some swimming because that works well on the stomach.  Alongside this I intend to ride a couple of times a week and walk the dog 4 times a week.

I'm not going on one of these diets where you only eat nutritious shakes and lettuce leaves or cabbage soup.  I have an app on my phone called Livestrong where you can track everything you eat.  I find it's the best way.  Otherwise you conveniently forget that mid morning cereal bar you had, etc.  If you create a profile where you input your age, sex, height, weight and how many pounds you want to lose a week it works out how many calories you are allowed each day.  So you just have to enter everything you eat and it tells you how many calories you have used and how many you have left.  You can also track your exercise and how many calories you have burned.

I think it's important to allow yourself the odd day off from your diet too.  So, for example, if I'm going to a girlie supper I will have pudding and wine but then the next day get straight back to being good again.  That way it's not so hard.  You don't feel like you are denying yourself all your favourite things.  The hardest thing is when Rich has wine with dinner.  Nothing looks as good as a large glass of Sauvignon Blanc!!!


I hope to reach my target weight by the end of February.

Happy New Year!!!

Ready to go out on New Year's Eve

Dress from Next.

Well it's day one of 2013.  I can't say that I've done very much other than take my son to pick up his car.  It was good to have a lie in this morning after a late night.  For the past few days I've been fighting off a sore throat and this morning I woke up with a head cold.  I've had a couple of Nurofen and a Lemsip and am determined to keep it at bay as back to running tomorrow!

Last night - New Year's Eve - we had a fab night.  There were ten of us who had dinner at Wesley House (which is beautiful) followed by dancing.  Many of the people we were with are really close friends and so it was a perfect way to welcome in the New Year.  Three of the people we were with I have known for longer than I've known my husband!

When we arrived we enjoyed several bottles of champagne along with canapés before being shown to our table.  The Wesley always looks fabulous over the Christmas period like a real fairytale winter wonderland.  Our table was in the atrium which was actually where our civil ceremony took place less than two years ago so it has a special significance for us.

We enjoyed plenty of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc along with our meal and lots of fun and laughter.  I think we all danced so much that our feet ached.  The highlight was when Sarah put in our request for Bon Jovi and S Club 7!!!  It got absolutely everyone dancing though.  Well everyone except our friend Pat who wasn't actually capable of standing by then!

Here's a look at the other girls dresses:

Do you have a favourite dress?  Any ideas on which is the cheapest/most expensive dress?  Please share your thought.

Finally a photo of Rich and I: