I am writing this blog as a lame attempt to distract myself from eating the bag of chocolate buttons that is currently sat in my cupboard. They are taunting me with their sugary goodness and I am very close to giving in.
Do not feel sorry for me. Since Friday I have already consumed a chocolate and cherry brownie with salted caramel and ice cream (an anniversary dinner treat), a bag of marshmallow crispie bites (because I happend to walk past Costas) and a slice of gluten free chocolate cake (because I was at a birthday party). The weight loss plan has seriously suffered and I don't need any more sugar. I don't need any more sugar. I don't need any more sugar.
The diet has been slow and steady but things are going in the right direction. I am four pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight but would like to lose a little more and I'd like to get there sooner rather than later. A much awaited trip to the physio this week will hopefully start to get rid of sciatic pain that I've had since pregnancy meaning that I might be able to move about without hobbling like an old lady and do a bit more exercise. (In my head I like to exercise, in the real world I do not but it would at least be nice to have the option!)
I am now starting to feel thinner and some clothes are starting to feel looser but there is still a way to go. So I will NOT eat those chocolate buttons!
Monday, 26 May 2014
Sunday, 25 May 2014
The small but wonderful things part 5
Happy bank holiday weekend everyone! I hope you've had a lovely week.
It's felt like a pretty busy week here. Although on paper I can't say I've done loads, O is tearing around the place which has meant I've been tearing around after her trying to make sure she doesn't whack her head on something, or eat something she's found on the floor or empty every shelf within reach. It's exhausting!
This weekend marked my fifth wedding anniversary so my wonderful things this week are going to be marriage/anniversary focussed.
• A baby free night. My husband and I were privileged to be given a night away as an anniversary gift. There was tons of stuff about this that was brilliant; - not having to constantly watch a baby, afternoon naps when we liked, sleeping until we woke up, eating out, having someone else prepare breakfast. Lovely.
• Laughter. I am very fortunate in the fact that my husband and I laugh a lot. I don't take this for granted and I hope that we continue to find stupid things funny.
• Compromise. My husband and I moved in together on our wedding day. To many I know that this sounds old fashioned but it meant that when we got married a new chapter really started. There was a tangible change. This also meant really practising the art of compromise as we learnt to live in the same house. There are things about the way each of us lives/behaves that drive each other up the wall. I have a messy tendancy and don't have any housekeeping routines. J hates doing any form of diy and prefers to meal plan. We both get frustrated at each other about these things (and others) but we compromise. We work around them. For us these things, although annoying, are not deal breakers. I appreciate that we can both make compromises.
• Choice. One of the best things about the relationship I have with J is that we know we are able to make choices with the support of the other. Having worked with survivors of abuse and violence, I realise the power of being able to make my own decisions. I believe this makes us stronger because at the base of our relationship is the fact that we choose to be together and to make it work.
The reality is that I don't actually see any of these things as 'small' but they are wonderful because they help to sustain our marriage in a healthy way. It's not always easy and we sometimes both feel like the grass might be greener somewhere else but I wouldn't change any of it :-)
It's felt like a pretty busy week here. Although on paper I can't say I've done loads, O is tearing around the place which has meant I've been tearing around after her trying to make sure she doesn't whack her head on something, or eat something she's found on the floor or empty every shelf within reach. It's exhausting!
This weekend marked my fifth wedding anniversary so my wonderful things this week are going to be marriage/anniversary focussed.
• A baby free night. My husband and I were privileged to be given a night away as an anniversary gift. There was tons of stuff about this that was brilliant; - not having to constantly watch a baby, afternoon naps when we liked, sleeping until we woke up, eating out, having someone else prepare breakfast. Lovely.
• Laughter. I am very fortunate in the fact that my husband and I laugh a lot. I don't take this for granted and I hope that we continue to find stupid things funny.
• Compromise. My husband and I moved in together on our wedding day. To many I know that this sounds old fashioned but it meant that when we got married a new chapter really started. There was a tangible change. This also meant really practising the art of compromise as we learnt to live in the same house. There are things about the way each of us lives/behaves that drive each other up the wall. I have a messy tendancy and don't have any housekeeping routines. J hates doing any form of diy and prefers to meal plan. We both get frustrated at each other about these things (and others) but we compromise. We work around them. For us these things, although annoying, are not deal breakers. I appreciate that we can both make compromises.
• Choice. One of the best things about the relationship I have with J is that we know we are able to make choices with the support of the other. Having worked with survivors of abuse and violence, I realise the power of being able to make my own decisions. I believe this makes us stronger because at the base of our relationship is the fact that we choose to be together and to make it work.
The reality is that I don't actually see any of these things as 'small' but they are wonderful because they help to sustain our marriage in a healthy way. It's not always easy and we sometimes both feel like the grass might be greener somewhere else but I wouldn't change any of it :-)
Sunday, 18 May 2014
The small but wonderful things part 4
So what wonderful things have happened this week?
• Warm sunny days. Need I say more?
• My little girl giving me kisses. By kisses I mean when I say 'can I have a kiss', she puts her lips to mine. Often dribbly (her not me) but just the cutest thing ever!
• My new straw trilby hat. My old one was somewhat destroyed during a flight home from italy two years ago. I finally got a new one to accompany my summer wardrobe (by summer wardrobe, I mean the tops that are usually worn with jumpers will not be worn with jumpers. Oh, and I have a few skirts and dresses that are only worn when the sun shines).
• Chocolate cake. I know I have mentioned it before, but is there ever a time where cake doesn't brighten one's day?!
Hope you've all had a lovely week!
• Warm sunny days. Need I say more?
• My little girl giving me kisses. By kisses I mean when I say 'can I have a kiss', she puts her lips to mine. Often dribbly (her not me) but just the cutest thing ever!
• My new straw trilby hat. My old one was somewhat destroyed during a flight home from italy two years ago. I finally got a new one to accompany my summer wardrobe (by summer wardrobe, I mean the tops that are usually worn with jumpers will not be worn with jumpers. Oh, and I have a few skirts and dresses that are only worn when the sun shines).
• Chocolate cake. I know I have mentioned it before, but is there ever a time where cake doesn't brighten one's day?!
Hope you've all had a lovely week!
Aaaand breathe....
Life can be so fast paced can't it? As we struggle to balance work life, home life, relationships, time with friends and family etc it can sometimes be difficult to feel like we are living at all amidst the differents facets of our lives. Days, weeks and months whizz by and I often wonder what on earth I actually did with my time. Did I savour that time and fully enjoy it or did I not really pay any attention and let it pass by. Too often its the latter.
Now I am in no way saying we should stop to savour every single moment of our lives or we'd never get anything done but I do feel I want to challenge you (and me) to think about the quality of our lives. Are we making the most of it? Are we fully investing in and enjoying our relationships and the experiences we have?
Something I often long for is a slower pace of life. A pace of life in which I fully enjoy the relationships I have, the places I visit, the things I experience and the food that I eat. Too often these things are overlooked because I am thinking about what I have to do, what I think I should be doing and sometimes what I'd rather be doing. I rarely stop to just be and enjoy.
This weekend presented an opportunity to really put these thoughts into practice. As I've previously written, my mum is a keen gardener so for Chrismas J and I bought her a day out at a garden she'd spent years watching and being inspired by on Gardener's World. It was a great opportunity for my mum and I to spend some time together so we booked out a whole day to wander and sit. Stunning weather was perfectly timed as we looked around the gardens, stopping of course for lunch and cake breaks. It was like time slowed down and not only did we have time to walk around the gardens but time to sit in them. I noticed that at first I found this a little hard as I felt I should be on the move, looking around. Then however I realised that I could appreciate the gardens and the time with my mum more by stopping to enjoy it.
So I challenge you readers to stop and enjoy life for a bit. Everything else can be done later.
Now I am in no way saying we should stop to savour every single moment of our lives or we'd never get anything done but I do feel I want to challenge you (and me) to think about the quality of our lives. Are we making the most of it? Are we fully investing in and enjoying our relationships and the experiences we have?
Something I often long for is a slower pace of life. A pace of life in which I fully enjoy the relationships I have, the places I visit, the things I experience and the food that I eat. Too often these things are overlooked because I am thinking about what I have to do, what I think I should be doing and sometimes what I'd rather be doing. I rarely stop to just be and enjoy.
This weekend presented an opportunity to really put these thoughts into practice. As I've previously written, my mum is a keen gardener so for Chrismas J and I bought her a day out at a garden she'd spent years watching and being inspired by on Gardener's World. It was a great opportunity for my mum and I to spend some time together so we booked out a whole day to wander and sit. Stunning weather was perfectly timed as we looked around the gardens, stopping of course for lunch and cake breaks. It was like time slowed down and not only did we have time to walk around the gardens but time to sit in them. I noticed that at first I found this a little hard as I felt I should be on the move, looking around. Then however I realised that I could appreciate the gardens and the time with my mum more by stopping to enjoy it.
So I challenge you readers to stop and enjoy life for a bit. Everything else can be done later.
Sunday, 11 May 2014
The small but wonderful things part 3
It's been a while since I've posted in this mini series so apologies.
It's been quite a tough few weeks (for a couple of reasons that I won't bore you with) coinciding with a tetchy teething baby who wants to explore anything and everything. She's completely fearless, despite a headbump after launching herself out of my arms and has been climbing all over the place whist I watch her, terrified that she'll attempt a death defying stunt. Her mood has been on a knife edge and so my attempts to keep her safe by moving her or putting her in her playpen have been met with temper tantrums, screaming and actual tears. I'm exhausted. My brilliant husband has been great over the weekend and took her out for a long walk as a final attempt to pacify her cries. I stayed at home and just sat in silence.
Having had my moan I can still say that I wouldn't change my baby for anything and have been able to enjoy some of the small but wonderful things during the past few weeks....
• Tapas. I love tapas, especially in the sunshine overlooking the beach. A rather unusually sunny and free Tuesday meant J, O and I went out for lunch. O slept in her pram whilst J and I troughed our way through a selection of scrummy tapas.
• My aging but faithful car had it's MOT and I usually dread this event due to the list of expensive repairs that need to be done on my car. This year I was delighted to be told that my car needed a new.... wiper blade. Result. I can afford that :-)
• The fact that 'Jack is back'. If you don't understand this phrase, you probably won't care and if you do, you probably will.
• Chocolate raisins. I just love them.
I'd love to hear about the small but wonderful things in your lives. Feel free to comment if the mood takes you!
It's been quite a tough few weeks (for a couple of reasons that I won't bore you with) coinciding with a tetchy teething baby who wants to explore anything and everything. She's completely fearless, despite a headbump after launching herself out of my arms and has been climbing all over the place whist I watch her, terrified that she'll attempt a death defying stunt. Her mood has been on a knife edge and so my attempts to keep her safe by moving her or putting her in her playpen have been met with temper tantrums, screaming and actual tears. I'm exhausted. My brilliant husband has been great over the weekend and took her out for a long walk as a final attempt to pacify her cries. I stayed at home and just sat in silence.
Having had my moan I can still say that I wouldn't change my baby for anything and have been able to enjoy some of the small but wonderful things during the past few weeks....
• Tapas. I love tapas, especially in the sunshine overlooking the beach. A rather unusually sunny and free Tuesday meant J, O and I went out for lunch. O slept in her pram whilst J and I troughed our way through a selection of scrummy tapas.
• My aging but faithful car had it's MOT and I usually dread this event due to the list of expensive repairs that need to be done on my car. This year I was delighted to be told that my car needed a new.... wiper blade. Result. I can afford that :-)
• The fact that 'Jack is back'. If you don't understand this phrase, you probably won't care and if you do, you probably will.
• Chocolate raisins. I just love them.
I'd love to hear about the small but wonderful things in your lives. Feel free to comment if the mood takes you!
Sunday, 4 May 2014
The wannabee minimalist
This post is a bit of a rant. A rant about the state of my house. Now, I realise I am partly to blame for this but I am being driven mad by the amount of stuff in my house. Everywhere I look there is stuff and I am desperately wanting to get rid of it. I sense a clearout is looming...
There is lots of stuff in our home that is necessary and needed for living such as clothes, cooking stuff, cleaning stuff and baby stuff. There is lots of stuff in our house that isn't necessary but allows us to have a nice quality of life like books, cds, dvds and musical instruments. Then there is the stuff that has crept it's way into the house but isn't really used like ornaments, 2 chocolate fountains and all that stuff that's kept 'just in case'.
I often feel horrified by the level of materialism in our society but as I look around my house I realise my morals and values are not being reflected in my own lifestyle and I want this to change. I also believe there is a strong link between our mental health and the environment we live in. I cannot always change what happens outsde my house but I can change the environment in my house. I am hoping a less cluttered home equals a less cluttered mind and I could certainly do with feeling a bit lighter. I also want O to grow up realising that life is more than the amount she accumulates or consumes. I hope that she will be considerate of the impact her lifestyle has on the world and that she will be able to find contentment in what she has rather than wishing she had something else. This is something I know I have a tendancy to do but I feel more challenged about it knowing that I am now responsible for another human being.
I feel like the time is here to really tackle the amount of stuff in my house. I suspect the charity shop will be getting a few boxes of stuff in the near future and I am look forward to walking through rooms without having to step over or around things!
There is lots of stuff in our home that is necessary and needed for living such as clothes, cooking stuff, cleaning stuff and baby stuff. There is lots of stuff in our house that isn't necessary but allows us to have a nice quality of life like books, cds, dvds and musical instruments. Then there is the stuff that has crept it's way into the house but isn't really used like ornaments, 2 chocolate fountains and all that stuff that's kept 'just in case'.
I often feel horrified by the level of materialism in our society but as I look around my house I realise my morals and values are not being reflected in my own lifestyle and I want this to change. I also believe there is a strong link between our mental health and the environment we live in. I cannot always change what happens outsde my house but I can change the environment in my house. I am hoping a less cluttered home equals a less cluttered mind and I could certainly do with feeling a bit lighter. I also want O to grow up realising that life is more than the amount she accumulates or consumes. I hope that she will be considerate of the impact her lifestyle has on the world and that she will be able to find contentment in what she has rather than wishing she had something else. This is something I know I have a tendancy to do but I feel more challenged about it knowing that I am now responsible for another human being.
I feel like the time is here to really tackle the amount of stuff in my house. I suspect the charity shop will be getting a few boxes of stuff in the near future and I am look forward to walking through rooms without having to step over or around things!
Thursday, 1 May 2014
Kate the terrible dieter...
For the past couple of weeks operation 'lost the pregnancy weight' has not been going to plan. I had lost about half a stone and then sort of plateaued (which is ok as the weight was staying off). Then disaster hit. I've been feeling a bit out of sorts over the past few weeks and as such haven't had much of an appetite which has meant I haven't really fancied troughing on junk food much. The disaster has been the return of my appetite. An appetite that has been craving the three dreaded c's - carbs, cheese and chocolate. Due to recent visits from the easter bunny we've had chocolate in the house and I haven't shyed away from eating as much as I can without breaking into my husband's eater egg. I also haven't shyed away from eating delicious garlic bread, potatos, enchiladas, pasta, sandwiches all with a generous helping of cheese. My portion sizes have increased pushing my waistline with it. Now I am not going to get overly dramatic about it, after all it has been a real treat not to calorie count but I was a little upset to see an extra 2 pounds on the scales this morning.
I want to get back on track. I did a three mile walk yesterday and intend to walk more. Unfortunately an 8 month bout of sciatica following my c section is somewhat limiting my ability to do much other exercise but with some physio (finally got referred by the GP) in the next month, I am hoping to be able to move and exercise more without wincing in pain.
I am also going to make changes to my diet. Having scoffed my way through 3 easter eggs there is no more chocolate around and I am planning to go back to limiting my carb and cheese intake.
I am planning to drink more water and eat more fruit and veg.
This weight will come off!
I want to get back on track. I did a three mile walk yesterday and intend to walk more. Unfortunately an 8 month bout of sciatica following my c section is somewhat limiting my ability to do much other exercise but with some physio (finally got referred by the GP) in the next month, I am hoping to be able to move and exercise more without wincing in pain.
I am also going to make changes to my diet. Having scoffed my way through 3 easter eggs there is no more chocolate around and I am planning to go back to limiting my carb and cheese intake.
I am planning to drink more water and eat more fruit and veg.
This weight will come off!
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