Starting today... 2st to lose.

[owlets]

Whilst shopping with my super slim friend over the weekend I realised just how fat I feel - and getting on the scales provided proof. I've put on 2 stone - 1 stone of which has come on very recently ( think a month or two?!).
Other than looking lumpy and increasingly featureless, my legs are achy and I don't feel like I've woken up properly ever.
So, I'm going to start on the diet today. The plan is to eat lots of veg and fruits, lean meats, and limited carbs. I'm going to have 3 decent sized meals a day, and not snack unless I'm truely hungry.

I'm going to weigh myself and post on here every Tuesday. Anyone who wants to join in please do!

Starting weight; 11st 13.
(Target weight 10st so 1st 13lbs to lose)

rofl at £2.50

spoke to party mum. apparently the pool is quite shallow and dd2 should be able to manage. all i need to do now is be prepared to leap in fully clothed, i suppose!!! the birthday boy's brother is a v rambunctious chap who has a fair amount of sn (not malicious at all, but v into horseplay and fun and lack of understanding about safety) so i will need to keep an eye on wobbly girl! (and on super swimmer ds, who the brother is obsessed with, lol ) i think dd1 will be fine, so as long as i can get my eyes to move in both directions i should be fine!

right. next week is sensible eating week for us then... i feel v virtuous as i filled in my calendar before school started. get me!!! it won't last. it's already got crossings out...

Lord, the party sounds like its going to be, er ... fun! Good luck!

Now, I filled in my shiny new academic diary back in August last year - but then managed somehow to continue using my old 2012 annual diary instead and can no longer find the academic one.

First thing I did on my new calendar was write the school theatre trip in on the wrong day - using the pen that came with the calendar. Decided to only use pencil from that point onwards.

Its a deal - we shall both be the epitome of healthy eating food paragons next week.

Ds1 has just informed me I am talking about 50% gibberish and wrong words this evening - he is highly amused.

i hate it when i get like that. at the mo i'm just talking at about a billion miles an hour, which is v wearing for me, and probably for everyone else. i think it's caused by low blood sugar or something. i get a bit manic and breathless...

the party was fun, actually. the pool was a v small private one and dd2 could walk everywhere, and sensible dd1 looked after his sis. ds1 was kept amused by the older brother, who was quite calm (i wondered if it was a sensory thing from the pressure of the water) and they played some involved game that looked like a spy thing, but they claimed it was ninjas (!) for about two hours.

and i had 3 glasses of wine and summoned dh to drive us all home - not all bad though, as the woman who was egging me on to drink wine and call dh is the woman who runs the bootcamp, and so i appear to have signed myself up in a moment of weakness to make up for the loss of the ten pound challenge . i did tell her i would before christmas, but the ten pound thing seemed to be a good idea. maybe it was all karma! the bootcamp sessions are at the same time as the gym and aquacise thing was supposed to be, so all's well that ends well etc etc.

and although i get to do spinning and some sort of torture involving a bosu ball (wtf) i don't have to get my swimming costume on in an exercise class... all good, all good.

went skiing today but am truly knackered, so def haven't been eating properly. ds1 wants to go snow tubing tomorrow, and i suspect that involves a lot of climbing uphill. it's good for me, right?

and i'll make a nice big vat of veggie soup in the morning that will do lunches this week.

hooray! the week of back to school hell is over!!!!

Glad the party went well. You never get offered a glass of wine at children's parties around here.

I am very impressed by you signing up for bootcamp - from what I here shredding is a walk in the park in comparison to most bootcamps. As you said, it seems like it was fate with it being run at exactly the same times as your cancelled challenge.

I'd love to have a go at spinning, not heard of a bosu ball though - haven't worn a swimsuit of any description since I was 17.

Dd had a lovely birthday, really nice and simple, with just the family at home and then GPs round for a small party food tea. The cake was a success - blooming good job too - as it took me at total of around 8 hours to make and decorate on Saturday! I was rather pleased with it though, which is unusual because I'm usually really critical of my own cakes. She's is currently dancing around the floor to her new music box/jewellery box, so she's a happy bunny for the moment.

Unfortunately ds1 really struggled to cope with the day being different from a normal Sunday. He was sent out the room for being rude and 'teenagery' within the first half an hour of getting up, spent the whole time his GPs were here rolling around on the floor ignoring everyone (bit of a problem in our tiny living room and when his paternal GPs don't know about his dx) and then had a full on meltdown at bedtime, screaming and wailing at the world that dd's birthday had ruined his whole day - no in fact, his whole weekend. The surprising thing was though, that he came to apologise afterwards and said he was very tired and felt funny and couldn't stop himself, but that he didn't want to upset anyone, especially dd on her birthday. Which is a real step forwards for him. He's a bit wobbly at the moment anyway, as its just dawned on him that he only has a year and half left at this school and we keep having tears and upset about that at random moments.

Right, enough rambling, back to the topic in hand ...

I have started well so far today, just had my good old cinnamon and apple porridge and am about to go and log it on MFP while dd is quiet. I really do think MFP is key to staying on track for me. Its awful looking at all the red numbers at the bottom of the page when you go over on your calories etc.

Going to have a go on my new exercise bike for the first time in a few minutes and am even thinking of attempting a level 1 shred later, but not sure if I'll actually go through with it.

Salad for lunch, but not a clue what to have for my evening meal.

I know I've already done a mahoosive post today, but had to come back on and say - I did it!

Zero exercise for exactly one month today but I'm pleased report that I managed to do ten minutes on the exercise bike as part of my warm up, followed by a level 1 shred.

Can't believe how quickly my fitness level has deteriorated, but hopeful that I can start to get back on track now.

Forgot to say earlier, we've been invited to a sci-fi fancy dress party in March. Don't really want to go, but we have had to say no to their last two parties, plus another party for another member of the same 'gang' this coming weekend, so I don't think we have much choice. There is a chance that we won't be able to go anyway, as Mum is having her foot operated on this weekend and the wire removed sometime in March, so we won't have childcare, but I feel like I should prepare just in case.

Wracked my brains to try and think of a sci-fi character I could go as and the only one I could come up with was <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=aeryn+sun&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1365&bih=711&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=_lCL-2n98XXsIM:&imgrefurl=farscape.wikia.com/wiki/Sebacean&docid=0flOfnFG65wEXM&imgurl=images.wikia.com/farscape/images/1/18/Aeryn_sun_1.jpg&w=665&h=1000&ei=gx0UT-69DpCUOq2llcIJ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1149&vpy=325&dur=478&hovh=271&hovw=180&tx=151&ty=155&sig=106973108099843690726&page=1&tbnh=160&tbnw=109&start=0&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Aeryn Sun from Farscape . Easy costume, skinny combats, utility belt and black vest or <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=aeryn+sun&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1365&bih=711&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=b9AFvWOGHd8VNM:&imgrefurl=www.comicvine.com/myvine/queen_s_halo/blog/&docid=v0f9Appx-aUgkM&imgurl=media.comicvine.com/uploads/4/46357/1909382-sg10_cb_0002_super.jpg&w=600&h=799&ei=gx0UT-69DpCUOq2llcIJ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1034&vpy=279&dur=862&hovh=259&hovw=194&tx=124&ty=101&sig=106973108099843690726&page=11&tbnh=157&tbnw=112&start=208&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:18,s:208" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">scoop neck. I already have the same hair and colouring, so just need her figure now - yeah right! Oh well - can't have everything I suppose.

So anyway, I need to get my muscle tone back sooner rather than later and I reckon a run through of the whole shred, followed by Ripped in 30 is probably the way to do it.

I was a 12 just before Christmas, but as my muscles have returned to their pre-fitness wobbly state I am now pretty much a 14 again. Hoping they'll tighten up a bit quicker this time, as the fitness gear dh bought me for christmas is a tad, er ... snug.

oh, well done you!!! don't overdo it though - you need to ease back in gently (although how gently a level 1 shred is, is debateable...) maybe hold off ripped in 30 for a couple of weeks!!

the party sounds like fun - and how amazing that you are even contemplating aeryn sun - you have come such a long way in a year!!! have you already got the boots in the cupboard?! (just realised - the scifi party lol, not dd's - although that sounds like fun too, but no boots required)

way to go ds - he sounds as though he's becoming a bit more aware of both his own feelings and actions as well as how they affect other people - that's amazing!!

i still haven't tried mfp properly. i ought to have another look.

flax porridge for me for breakfast.

i'm not sure how the rest of the day is going to pan out, as dh's car wouldn't start this morning (it's -26, with wind chill of -35, and he didn't plug it in overnight, so it's entirely self-inflicted) so yet again i am carless as he's taken the 4wd into the city. and mondays are... well, mondays. i'm going to have to throw myself on the mercy of fil later, as dd1 has a ballet class, in theory dd2 has x country (but i think it will be canx due to the weather) and then there's brownies and pathfinders.... so not too complicated to sort without a car, oh no....

ds's paed appt is first thing tomorrow (0930), but before that i have a meeting with dd2's mentor (0845!) - so let's hope dh manages to get his car going... at least this morning i've got some time to organise!!!

Lol, I actually think I'm slightly mad considering going as Aeryn Sun, but at the same time think it might be doable - if I manage to get in a full 30 Day Shred and the whole of Ripped in 30 first! The mental image of me 45 lbs heavier dressed as her is really quite disturbing so yes, thinking about it, you're right, there's no way I'd have considered it this time last year.

The biggest reason for choosing her is that the outfit is so easy to do and consists of things I would probably wear anyway. I was looking at skinny cargo jeans this weekend before I got the costume idea and I already have a couple of black vests or tops that would be suitable. Having the right hair helps as well and coincidentally I just retrieved my Christmas present boots from the post office (where they were being kept after the postie failed to leave a card ) this weekend and they're probably suitable (flat biker-ish black knee boots). Although, if I could afford to invest in a course of full face botox to rid me of my current road map effect that would really help!

Ds1 has been making up for his new found awareness yesterday by driving up the wall since he came home from school. He honestly hasn't stopped talking (at me) once yet and its all computer games and lego. My poor ears!

Flax porridge sounds super healthy. Do you make it with ground flax seeds?

I have to confess I have been struggling a bit with a house full of left-over party food and birthday cake. I can hear it calling to me. Am sooo tempted to have a small piece of cake after dinner, as I've earned an extra couple of hundred calories from my workout today, but I know that its all or nothing with me and one bit of sugar will be the slippery slope.

Your Monday sound like a nightmare in terms of Mum-taxi-ing. Hope you manage to get through it all ok.

Is ds's paed appointment likely to yield a dx or more assessments?

well, in theory his dx was in writing in the psych report, the summary says: 'x meets the criteria to be identified as a gifted and talented student (code 80). in addition, he meets the DSM-IV-TR criteria to be identified with a dx of attention/ deficit hyperactivity disorder - combined type. as such, x qualifies for a mild/ moderate med code (58) to address adhd symptomology. additionally, x experiences difficulties interpreting social cues and he tends to misinterpret social situations.'

he didn't score highly enough on the as/asd tests to dx that way, and she doesn't really address the anxiety issues, but tbh the paed is on the ball as far as anxiety/ phobias is concerned, so we'll see how she weaves that in tomorrow. tbh it didn't throw up any huge surprises, but that's a bit of a downer because it still leaves us a bit lost for solutions...

i'm pretty sure she's going to suggest meds for the attention, in the hope that once he's not zoned out or off on a tangent it might be easier to pick the rest of it apart... but on the bright side, his continence has been a lot better. not perfect, but better...

lol at road map. step away from the cake!!!! i buy the porridge from the health food store - no idea how they make it, but it's v nice, which makes it easier! i suspect this might be because i add skimmed milk instead of water, but there is a limit to my virtuosity. it def has whole flax seeds in it, but not sure what else!

Oh dear, I was really hoping you would get some more answers and insight. I suppose at least you have a dx to work with.

How do you feel about the possibility of meds?

Good news about his improvement continence wise, I know when ds1 was still bedwetting at the age of 8, even just one night off was a huge relief, so its great that he's starting to make some progress there.

Good luck tomorrow, I hope she manages to come up with a plan of action for getting him the help and support he needs to show the world what a clever lad he is and also for helping him work on letting go of some of his anxieties and phobias.

lol, i was talking about daytime . there are some mornings that i'm not having to change sheets though - usually he leaks through the pull ups as well!!! so it is an improvement... she may well want to start him on night time meds again as he's doing reasonably well in the daytime i suppose...

i thought our washing machine was leaking yesterday (eek) as the carpet downstairs was sodden in the girls room. it turned out to be overflow from the humidifier in the furnace (it's so dry here we have humidistats in the houses), so i sent the whole day trying to get it to drain properly and dry out the carpets... i can't live without the washing machine!!!

i don't know about meds tbh. we've seen some improvements with zinc, omegas and epsom salts i think, but it's so difficult to be objective!! i think we probably will do a trial and see what happens. i don't think ds is keen, but i'm pretty sure she'll talk to him about it.

How did the paed appointment go?

I I've been to see Jungle Book with the boys' and their classmates today. It was very dark at the beginning and I thought I might have to take ds1 out, but he got through it and eventually even enjoyed it. Lots of littler children who were seated in the stalls started crying hysterically when it first started though, which doesn't bode well for the infants from our school, who are all off to see it next week. It does have a big jolly happy ending in true musical theatre stylee though.

Managed to squeeze in a shred when I got back, but am totally wiped out now and my poor muscles are screaming after a month off. I really didn't feel like doing it, but forced myself to anyway.

Hi, have been weighing myself this week and am fluctuating by up to 4lbs a day! Going to weigh in officially tomorrow morning and take that as my baseline.

Had my neuro appointment today. Lumbar puncture was all clear, but VEP results aren't back yet. She said that this would indicate a 'probably not MS' dx, but that because my neuro symptoms were significant they aren't able to say a definitive no. She is chasing the other results and will write to me once she's seen them. If they are ok, then I will go onto 6 monthly neuro review appointments, if they find any anomalies, she will see me again straight away.

I was a bit upset and very confused, as obviously I don't want an MS dx, but I also don't want to be left with no answers and facing an uncertain future. Am also pretty p'd off that the lumbar puncture itself caused a relapse over the Christmas holidays and set my progress right back, as it feels like it was all for nothing really.

We discussed ME, but she said officially in the UK neuros tend not to accept ME as a 'real' illness, because there's no physical/medical evidence it exists and even if it is dxd, there's no effective treatment. She was obviously not of that opinion herself though, was very sympathetic and understanding and said that the symptoms are so close to MS its really difficult to separate the two until there's enough medical evidence to back up a full MS dx.

My current and transient symptoms are all categorised as minor neurological symptoms (parasthesia, speech and language recall problems, memory problems) and unless I develop some major symptoms there's not much more they can do.

So basically I have to report back immediately if I have any more serious neuro episodes and at that point would be admitted for steroid treatment to slow down the relapse. If the VEP results come up with something she may refer me to the MS specialist service at that point and I would be allocated an MS nurse who would help support me in dealing with any symptoms.

All a bit vague and non-commital really. Nothing I wasn't expecting, but am still a bit low about it all the same.

Hope you fared better at the paeds yesterday.

oh bless you, but i am pleased you don't have an ms dx. even if you're still dealing with the unknowns, it does mean it isn't definitive... and since you've been losing weight and getting fitter, you've been much better at holding symptoms at bay? fingers crossed...

i typed a whole reply yesterday, but it obviously disappeared into the whole mn ether

he's got a prescription for vyvanse and a month's trial, which is what the psych said she recommended. i was a bit pissed off as the paed hadn't even read the report when we turned up, and couldn't find it. (and i schleepd out last week in a snowstorm on the only day in the week she's at that office to deliver it so she'd have it before the appointment). she gave me her computer and asked me to e-mail it to her at the appointment (fortunately the psych ahd sent me a copy to proof read) but then whilst i was doing it the receptionist found it.

soooo, we'll see what happens. ds made a huge saga out of taking the tablet yesterday, said he couldn't swallow it etc etc. but a lot better today. he felt fine yesterday, but this mornign said it took him ages to get to sleep last night (i didn't notice, but will peek tonight). he ought to be knackered today, he's got climbing and cubs after school, and gymnastics during school hours... so we'll see. and i've e-mailed his teacher and asked for some feedback.

the report had loads of recommendations, and fortuitously it's parent's evening next week (report cards tomorrow) so hopefully we can see what she makes of it all... and what they are going to do to support him now that he does have some offical codes and some other additional needs that have been recognised on the social side... and then we can see whether he think s school or home ed will work out best for him...

it looks as though it's easier to he officially at the end of the school year, as you have to register with a school board, but we'll see. i had an e-mail from college this mornign saying that i am registered until september 2012, so i can complete my msc... i knwo they are wrong (my registration ran out last august and i have been chasing them about extending since then) but i'm not going to argue. i'll just write up and submit, and when they tell me they won't mark it i'll lose the plot. so actually, it would be reasonably easy to he him until the summer if he feels that it would be better. we'll see afte the parent interview next week.

well, i went to boot camp this morning, so i'm finally off. and have the forms to register for twice weekly classes until june. so i finally pulled my finger out and went public . it was fecking difficult though. i'd say i probably did about half of the class and walked or jogged through the rest as there was no way my muscles were going to cope with a full hour of absolutely specific exertion. i can do an hour of exercise, but it was so very targeted that i was getting the major wobbles as my muscles were so knacked. and they have obviously all been doing it for ever, so i was the fat kid at the back, sweating and wibbling. motivating, anyway... clearly by june i will be svelte and not a juddering wreck... but i'm really pleased i did it. it was hard but it will get easier... won't it?!

i'm not weighing until tomorrow (4lbs a day is crazy!!!) but i'm not expecting to have shifted this week - but i damn well better from now on. i expect something back from public humiliation!!!

(the day didn't start well. dh's car wouldn't start and so he took mine, which meant i had to call a cab to get to the gym... it can only get better!!!)

Hi, how's it going with the meds so far then. Is he finding it any easier to take the pills?

Good timing with the report being prepared just in time for parent's evening. Fingers crossed it will give the school a better understanding of his needs and enable them to support him properly. If not, I guess you have your answer about home edding.

Great news that you can complete your MSc, hope they don't realise their mistake about your registration.

Well done for going to boot camp and getting through a whole class. What sort of things did they expect you to do? One of dh's team went to boot camp before work every morning for a month and said it was one of the hardest things he'd ever done, but he's totally addicted now. Yes, it will definitely get easier and you'll be surprised how quickly. By the end of my first round of the shred I felt fantastic and that was only a little over a month.

I have to say, once you get fit to that sort of level you don't want to give it up, which is why I'm so upset that I'm having to restart the shred at the beginning after my Christmas week off and post LP bed rest. I'm finding it really hard going this time. I suppose it was inevitable as the LP caused a relapse that I've been trying to fight, but there's no getting away from how exhausted and weak I am at the moment. It seems so unfair when it took me a full six months to slim down and build up my fitness. Why is it so hard to lose weight and get fit, but so easy to lose it all again in a matter of weeks.

I am not giving in though, I will keep chipping away at it as and when I feel able until I start feeling better, then I'll really get stuck in!

You and I will both be svelte and full of vitality by June.

Right, back to the matter in hand, first official weigh-in of 2012:

Weight: 20/01: 11st 0lbs (154lbs)

Target for next week (27/01): 10st 13lbs

Overal goal weight: 10 stone 4lbs (144lbs)
Prediction at 1lb a week loss is goal weight by Friday 30 March 2012.

I think a pound a week loss is a sensible target for now, as things have definitely slowed down since I started getting closer to my end goal.

still 12 stone here. not too fussed though - i know it will start moving again now after the christmas debacle.

ds has managed to take his meds okay - yesterday he moaned and whined a bit, but today he just took it without any theatrics. the paed did say he might find it easier to verbalise his thoughts, as they might be less jumbled in his head (he can really struggle to formulate an answer to a question, particularly if it's a two parter - you can see it all whizzing around and he doesn't know which to answer first, and you can see the thoughts bouncing off each other) - dh picked him up from cubs last night and said omg he talked non-stop all the way home, which is really unlike ds. so now of course, i'm worried about it being more of a manic thing from the stimulant, rather than just letting him get out what's always in there (!) we'll see over the weekend. the paed said she's seen a few kids who do become a lot more verbal and socially competent though, so fingers crossed....

the class was half spinning, but we kept having to leap off the bikes for different exercises mid-spin... sort of aerobics-y but more focus on particular muscles - i think at one point they had all been hopping on one leg for about 5 minutes, whilst doing some sort of random leg and arm exercise in mid air. i just kept changing legs, as there's no way i can do 5 minutes bouncing on one leg without putting my foot down and trying to do stuff with the rest of my body!! (yet, obv ) you probably do much harder stuff with the shred, but it's been a long time since i did push-ups of any description, let alone some sort of random power variety to music, and then a four way elbows to hands thing the same way...

30th march, eh? you go girl... if i aim for 11 stone at that point it should be easily do-able! take it easy though, you don't want to prolong any relapse by pushing it too hard x

Fingers crossed for you that the meds help ds and you start to see some positive results soon.

I would love to have a go at spinning. I watched some youtube vids of spin classes last year, when a friend of mine took it up. I think it looks like really hard work, but fun. I still hate push ups and do them from my knees instead of my toes unless they're walk out push-ups as I can manage one at a time - just.

The four way elbows to hands thing sounds complicated - and hard. Did you have to get into a plank position on your elbows then alternate lifting yourself up onto your hands and back down onto your elbows? If so its in level 3 of the shred, so quite an advanced move. Really effective though.

This morning I got stuck into the housework, then rearranged all dd's toys after last weekend's influx of birthday presents, but I seriously ran out of steam at lunch time and thought that was it for the day. I was really fed up when dh came home for lunch .... BUT after settling dd down for her nap and resting for a while, I felt a bit better and decided to try and get it at least a bit of shredding. Amazingly, I managed to get through a whole level 1 shred. So I'm now feeling completely wiped out, but happy. Too tired to cook dinner though and there's nothing in the house that doesn't need cooking from scratch.

Yes, that's the move exactly! Lol at it being level 3, no wonder it hurt.
Well done for sticking with it today instead of giving up - that must have boosted your confidence in your body a bit, and at least it shows you are getting stronger again after being so wiped out.

I went and got my lab work done today. Loads of blood and two different pee tests. As the request came through the post with the appointment, I don't even really know what they're looking for. Obv one of the urine samples is just to check for blood again, but goodness knows what all the blood was for - the last lot of tests were just routine bloods I think, and then the kidney scans and stuff... Not sure if I want to google or not. Two weeks until I see the consultant anyway...

Looks like takeaway night...!

Hmm, and on a slightly different note... You've got me thinking, if that's level 3, then I maybe could cope with starting the shred... It's always seemed v daunting...

Yeah! DO IT!

Honestly the shred is nowhere near as scary as people make it out to be. If I can do it pretty much anyone can and there are people who are 250lbs plus doing in over on MFP - the thought of which is what made me stick with it when I first started.

Eeurk at all that blood being taken - your poor thing. I suppose it means they are being thorough though, which is a good thing.

Just did a level 1 with dh. Idiotically did it before breakfast and it was sooo much harder. Won't be doing that again in a hurry.

Off to visit the friends whose party we're missing this evening. She called and invited us and the dcs for the day instead. Ds1 is on a mission though, as its upset his normal Saturday routine. He started last night, as soon as we told him we were going. The annoying thing is that he actually loves going there and they're great people to visit as my friend has Dyspraxia and AS, as do two of her nephews and her ds is as yet undx but most probably ADHD and AS, so they are completely understanding and don't bat an eyelid at his shenanigans. In fact he's mild by comparison. Its one of the few places I feel I can let the dcs go off and play and not worry about what will happen next.

Have a lovely day!
Will ponder some more on the shred...

I too want to lose 2 stone, just had a bereavement before Xmas and have eaten myself self silly, It' s so nice to see the 5 foot 2 brigade, reassuring to see a few the same weight as me 11 stone 8 (crap!!!) I have a few great things coming up firstly in a few weeks I am going to a place called Homefield Grange to do a weeks de-tox but want to lose a few pounds before that certain some-one sticks a hose up my bum, and in May we have our 25th wedding anniversary and don't want to look like a big heiffer to some of our friends that we haven't seen for years!!!! So bring it on...I am gain... But can I have permission to take next Wednesday off as it's my birthday!!!!!!

Well, that was a disaster. Dd fell on ds2, ds2 fell on friends ds he went very pale and quiet - turns out he'd broken his elbow! So my friends spent the evening in A&E with their ds while the party went on without them!

I feel terrible. It was a genuine accident, but all their ds would say when anyone asked was that ds2 pushed him! Luckily there were plenty of witnesses or I'd be worried that people might think it was deliberate.

Well my weight has stabilised, I have been the same weight now since Thursday. This happened last time I started shredding - a couple of weeks with no weightloss, but lots of change in inches.

My jeans are already fitting much better after just 4 shreds, so am not fretting about the weight just yet.

Welcome Redshoesblueshoes. Sorry to hear you have had a bereavement, understandable to indulge in plenty of comfort eating under the circumstances.

We are a pretty quiet thread, there's only me and Outofbody/Madwoman left now.

Congratulations on your 25 years. Dh and I will be celebrating our 20th Wedding Anniversary and 25 years together this July and are planning a big garden party - so am totally with you on wanting to be slim before then. I really want a gorgeous outfit - despite the fact dh is insisting he will be in fancy dress. I was initially planning to get to a goal weight of 10 stone 4lbs, but am now thinking it might be nice to get to 9 stone 12lbs which is what I was on our wedding day - we'll see how it goes.

Do you have a plan? For me its calorie control using My Fitness Pal, plus exercise in the form of a variety of Jillian Michaels DVDs, walking and using the exercise bike. I started out at 14 stone 4lbs and a size 18 last June and am currently 11 stone and a size 12, pushing 14 - so am in it for the long haul.

thanks moosemama, I got on scales this morning after posting that I was 11 8 now I am 11 13 oh my god!!!! last year I just cut down did general WW and used my new running machine that hasn't been switched on since August 2011. I just need to get back on track I was going to start on Monday but have tried to eat well today, it's no excuse but my dh works shifts in the evening sometimes and I eat cos I have no one saying NO. I would really appreciate your support, last night I read all your post and you have done an amazing job, well done. I hope to get at least 8-9 pounds off before 19th march when I go to my detox place because there I can lose about 5lbs in a week if I do lots of exercise etc. Over the last few times I have successfully lost weight I haven't ever got to my goal I want to this time! if you have anynadvice Imwould really appreciate it.

Its difficult to offer specific advice, Redshoes, because you have to find what works for you. Personally I have to go completely cold turkey on all refined sugar and high fat food, but I know that doesn't work for a lot of people. I don't 'do' diet food, low-fat, low-calorie etc, I just try to make sensible healthy choices and drink LOTS of water.

A normal day for me would be porridge made with water, chopped apple and cinnamon, a mixed salad or simple sandwich for lunch and either a salad, jacket potato or simple protein and veg based evening meal. If I've worked out enough to earn some extra calories and am feeling hungry, I try to stick to something like a babybel light or small handful of raising or brazil nuts.

My biggest problem was evening comfort eating as well. I swear stopping stuffing chocolate every evening made the biggest different when I first started trying to lose weight. I still have to fight the urge most nights though, even now.

Other than that, its exercise that's had the biggest impact. The more you exercise the more calories you burn. Would you consider trying an exercise dvd at all? It was starting the 30 Day Shred that really kickstarted things for me. Its hard work but so worth it. Alternatively, you could try one of the Davina dvds.

Have you had a look at My Fitness Pal at all? Its really helped me to keep track of my eating, see where I was going wrong and make the necessary adjustments. Basically it gives you a daily calorie goal, which already includes your calorie deficit for weightloss and then when you exercise, it allocates you some more calories to ensure you maintain a healthy net calorie intake. Its really easy to use and there's a very active diet and fitness community on there as well.