One, two, skip a few …

Weigh-in was last night and I was actually pleased to have ‘only’ gained 3lbs.  I didn’t go last week because we had some nasty looking weather so that’s a 3lb gain over two weeks of eating rubbish and I’m just relieved it wasn’t more.

I’ve got the cold at the moment and am really craving sugar but I’m going to get back on track as soon as possible.  I’ve plenty of healthy food in the house so it should be easier to eat that than to go to the shop to buy rubbish.  Shouldn’t it?

Weigh In: Fantastic Loss!

I was hoping to lose the 4lbs I gained last week but I’ve gone two pounds better and lost 6lbs!  I’m allowed a little squeeee! for that, I think 🙂  I have achieved this by committing to the food diary (and knowing my Consultant would ask to see it has kept me writing) and walking rather than driving where possible.  The weather’s been atrocious this week so I’ve not walked as much as I’d have liked.

For rewards I’m having some chocolate (Synned, of course!) at the moment and I’ve awarded myself a direct transfer of £1 for each lb lost added to my rewards spreadsheet.  This, added to what was already there, has allowed me to have two books from my wish-list.  They’re both Kindle books so I get some of the instant gratification I crave!

Next week, I’d like to lose 1.5lbs (as this is what I usually lose when I’m working the Plan properly).  I will achieve this by sticking to the Green option and filling in my food diary daily – my Consultant will ask for it next week if I don’t hand it in voluntarily.  For exercise I shall continue to keep the car away from home so that I have a 10 minute walk to collect it if I want to use it.

And the chocolate’s delicious!

Ah, Motivation! I’ve Finally Found You!

Well, I don’t know where it’s been but motivation arrived home last night and, gosh, I’m pleased to see it!

I now have a healthy goal in mind:  I want to learn dressage.  I rode throughout my childhood and have the rosettes to prove it (I wonder where they are?)  Other things got in the way when I was about 14 or 15 and I stopped going but I’ve had an intermittent itch to go back for a while.  I never liked jumping but enjoyed flat-work.  My favourite lessons focussed on changes of gait, precision and correct form – in other words, very basic dressage.

Last night I was thinking about weight-loss and exercise.  The advice is always to choose a form of exercise that you enjoy and it occurred to me last night that riding is really the only one I’ve ever liked.  I was fit, strong and a healthy weight all the time I was riding.  That’s what my body was trained to do – I have large thighs to prove it!  Since I’ve gained weight, all my muscle has turned to flab but surely if I rode again it’d turn back into muscle?

A ‘Learn Dressage’ goal works on lots of levels.  I need to lose weight and get fitter before I contemplate booking a lesson else the pain of unaccustomed activity will outweigh my pleasure.  I also need to save some money (riding’s an expensive hobby) but I worked out last night that if I stop buying rubbish (I spent £4 on Pepsi Max yesterday) I can ride for an hour a week.  I need to ditch the caffeine, stop bringing clutter into the house and have a reason to save money anyway so a whole lot of boxes are being ticked.

The only unknown is my allergies:  Even through I rode for years, I was allergic to something at the stables (whether the horses or the hay and straw I don’t know).  I’m willing to put up with a certain amount of discomfort in the hope that my tolerance would rise but don’t know how bad it will be.

I have a plan.  I have motivation.  And I’m going riding!