Oops, Bracken, I have left a message for you on the exercise thread! I am still trying to get to grips with this site, but am really enjoying it. MITM has explained to me how to "friend" now so I will try again to friend both you and Carole x x LMV your cobbler sounded lovely. I would so love to do a cooking course. It's difficult over here because I still have such trouble with the language and accents. It is on my to do list for the future though. I have enjoyed hearing the different things you and your Husband have cooked. xx

Hi,
....so challenge is to lose 1/2 stone by 21st July.....Im up for that!

I apologise as I have just skimmed over all the posts this evening. I havent been running to plan this last week. Friday I gave blood, and it didnt go too well - my iron was well up, then I had leakages when they shoved in the needle(sorry if anyone is squeemish). That evening I was feeling lethargic which is normal for me so got an early night, and was still lethargic Saturday, then mother nature kicked in and I felt rotten for much of the weekend. I am hoping that this was just because my body was recovering and then the added hormonal sway threw it off balance. Anyway I am now better, and managed to fast Tuesday, but this will be the only fast day this week. We had my daughters preschool trip today, so I couldnt cope with a fast day and 15+ 3 to 4 year olds! Tomorrow we are at a wedding too, but I am not drinking to avoid the calories!

Todays scales showed a 2lb loss, but that counteracts the 4lb gain at the beginning of the week. I am planning to fit in some more exercise to get to the 1/2 stone target!

So I have just been online spending my reward vouchers on days out for summer rather than TD - I have managed to get a trip to Legoland, Dinosaur world, Cadburys(!), Theme park, Safari park and Prezzo vouchers for me and Daisy over summer holidays. It will just be me and her, as Hubby will be working 6/7 days a week over summer(he;s a carpenter who fits out school/laboratory furniture, so summer is our manic time), so I want to try to do a few trips to fill up the weeks and keep her entertained.

Bracken - I too will friend request you. You should be able to accept friend requests on profile I think?

Right going to go and get a cuppa now, will get back here over weekend to update on all that exercise! x

Hi all, just thought I would mention a site I have found courtesy of MFP. It's called weightgrapher.com. Don't know if any of you use it. It has helped me because it puts in perspective a day or two when my weight rises. It is not the usual graph, it shows your weight trend, and being a "serial weigher" I record my weight on it every day. It has already shown me a pattern to my eating so now I am NOT going to worry re a gain on Monday, rather I will look forward to seeing Friday's result! Just thought it may be worth you having a look x x

Hi all, Hope you are all well and Saffy, hope you are over your food poisoning. New8 I am sure you will soon be right back on track. The Hairy Dieters have some great recipes don't they?
I just have to share my news! For the first time I can ever remember I have weighed on a Monday morning and have actually lost a bit of weight compared to Friday! The weekend has always been my downfall, OK, the Chardonnay..... but thanks to MFP and logging in I was able to enjoy a couple of glasses of wine on Friday and Saturday. I think I have always at the back of my mind thought "I can catch up through the week". But usually I am just back to square one the Following Friday and the whole process begins again. This weekend however I stayed within my daily calories and ate sensibly leaving enough for my wine. I am also having soda water with it now to make it last longer and not have the "munchies" the next day. I know it may sound daft but this is such a breakthrough and I hope a turning point for me. Logging on seems to make every calorie count and I seem to be using them wisely. Happy Monday Crackers x x

Hello all and good to hear so much good news all round. LMV, I really enjoyed your description of your run with its lovely scenery, and of course terrific that you are in training. MITM, despite your bikini woes (and let's recognize that if it's bikinis you are worried about fitting, you are really near your goal weight!), it's good to hear that you are persisting with Jillian (your Jillian legs) and logging in the journal. I'm glad that has proven useful. I am logging in mine and despite a lot of family gatherings recently am doing quite well. I don't think I ever have a really good day at this point if I have not logged at all, although somedays if I have eaten away a lot I don't attempt to do the calorie counts. BM, great to hear that things are going well and that you feel very positive about how you have been managing. Seeing a weight loss is really reinforcing but I think it is also important how you have reflected on what created your successs.I have seen pictures of the smoke you mentioned recently- can't imagine trying to walk with that in the air. New82, good to hear that you avoided that food poisoning but so unfortunate for all concerned. The Newmarket races would really appeal to me as that venue seems to be a place I've heard mentioned in many books and movies. I do not actually go to the races much here as I am more of a showjumping fan. As for strawberries, I basically freeze them, plain with no added sugar. I also usually do a few jars of freezer jam as it can be made with much less sugar. I haven't made any yet but have frozen quite a lot of berries. One of our local farms stopped pick your own this year (where I usually picked)because of "too much littering and too much theft." It is such a shame as more and more people want to pick local food and there are fewer places. I must get out to the patch again as the season will soon be over with the high 30's temps we are having. I have not yet mentioned here my new forey into vegetable gardening. I have grown no vegs because my garden is very shady. However, this year I now have a 4' by 5.5' raised vegetable planter garden. It was a project done at my brother's school- I supplied the lumber and students built it. It is about four feet high, a wooden box on wheels; the gardening tray is about 8'' deep and the remainder of the box is hollow. There are some painted vines on it and my brother put on a wooden plaque with these lines from Wordsworth: "Nature never did betray the heart that loves her." I love those lines (though am capable of seeing their irony if one thinks of Mallory on Everest or Shackleton in the Antarctic!) I have planted 4 tomato plants, some spinach, red chard, red lettuce, a few miniature carrots and a few beans, one zucchini plant and a couple of nasturtiums on the edge. I also put some herbs on the surrounding ledge. I had my first 'harvest' last night when I cut some romaine and red lettuce and spinach for the basis of a salad. It was delicious. My little garden is parked in the sunny driveway and in winter can be rolled into the garage. I should leave now and do some weeding before it is impossibly hot. Also I want to post on the exercise thread. Regards.

Evening Crackers!

BRACKEN - Thank you for putting my bikini woes back into perspective!!! Not that I will be needing to wear one again any time soon - it's freezing here. Your vegetable planter sounds ideal, my husband has one for growing his herbs on his terrace at work. In our vegetable garden we make long 'mountains' to grow our vegetables on, which makes weeding and picking alot easier.

BM/NEW8 - Well according to the 'weightgrapher' my current trend estimates I'll lose my 4lbs and be at target on the 14th September!!! In 10 days they've got me sussed!

SAFFY - Hope the training is back on track for this weekend and that you are fit and ready.

LMV - Are you still training?!!!! My mother has been unable to find my magazine yet but promises to keep looking!

Well today I've done very little except sit with my head in tinfoil and wait for all my many grey hairs to magically turn blond.... And watch the tennis - so not alot of calories burnt today. Will have to do better tomorrow.

Hi all,

5lb weight loss.....am amazed and keep checking I havent read the scales wrong! Very happy girl, and am thinking that the fasting is finally starting to pay off and working as it should as to be honest my 5 feast days this weekI havent been watching what Im eating as I was, and have the packet with 3 chocolate digestives left to prove it!

MITM - weightgrapher give me to 21st September to meet my first target which is 11lb away! Seem such a long time away, and I am wondering if I will make it! Im sure you can get 4lb off before me!

Today im off to the seaside with my Dad and Daisy and am so looking forward to fish and chips! I was having a job managing my fast days this week, as normally it would have been Tues and Thurs, but I wanted my fish and chips, so I chose to do consecutive fast days, which I hadnt done before. It sounds a lot worse than what it was and after feeling exhausted last night, and getting an early night, this morning I am feeling great.

Got to dash.....Daisy calling.

Evening Crackers!

NEW8 - well done that's an impressive amount of pounds loss!!

BRACKEN - Great to hear that you're in a good place at the moment. Don't give up, keep going and just take it one day at a time until the next big weigh in!

Well I too have a spring in my step - amazing what a good haircut and highlights can do for the spirits! My hair gave me the confidence this morning to try on again a pair of 'summer' very smart, cropped trousers (navy of course!) I had hanging unworn in my wardrobe. I didn't intend to keep them as I thought they were too tight when I first tried them on. But with my hair suddenly making me feel quite glamorous I decided to put them on once more. It's surprising when you look good from the head down, I also had make-up on (as I was heading out to meet the 'english' ladies in town) the difference it makes. Yes the trousers are still very tight, not quite as tight due to Jillian, but this time round it dawned on me, they're meant to be tight, sleek and sexy! And with my little jacket on I looked 'hot'. However before I get totally carried away, as the trousers sit below the natural waist, when I sat down to join my friends, I was all too aware of the baby muffin top concealed beneath my jacket! So those 4 remaining pounds have still got to be shifted because next time, it might be too hot to wear a jacket!