Weight Today: 154lbs (+/- 0lbs)

Breakfast: very small bowl of leftover risotto

Lunch: 65g of pasta with tomato and oregano sauce, pinch of grated cheese on top

Afternoon snack: small sweet popcorn at the cinema

Tea: miniature chicken pie, two potato croquettes and mixed vegetables

Water: 64oz

Exercise: 1 hour yoga

Ugh today has not been a good food day!

My exam went quite well though (finally - one exam I don’t feel sick about!) and I am studying later for the next one; Developmental Psychology.  I’m also making headway about gaining clinical experience.  A psychologist on the clinical psychology forum I’m a member of got in touch saying a 14-25hour vacancy is coming up in my area.  It’s a lot of hours, but an incredible experience, so even the interview would be a really good opportunity for me.

Also, DP finally kicked his butt into gear!  He’s got out of his funk and cleaned up a little, thank goodness.  Anyway, I’m off to make tea in a minute.  The cheesecake below was ridiculous! I was subsumed by “aaaaaah chocolate!” hormones, and couldn’t in any good conscience claim an OP food day! I am adding another contingency - only one piece of chocolate a day.  I don’t know what possesed me today, I’m just glad I reasserted self control before I ate the whole damn thing.  Naughty mango…

Weight Today: 154lbs (+/- 0lbs)

Breakfast: none

Lunch: tuna sweetcorn baguette on wholemeal with mixed peppers, plus a caramel slice

Afternoon snack: slice of cheesecake - around 540kcal, oh dear!

Tea: homemade risotto

Water: 104oz!

Exercise: 45 minute walk, 50 straight sit ups, 20 left side twists, 20 right side twists, 60 reps of 17.4lb weights

I love my risotto. I have a full-fat recipe (the original one I concocted) and a lower-cal one that I adjusted.  Instead of chicken I use extra lean turkey, red peppers and green peas.  I changed out the 35g of butter for 20g of low-fat margerine and change the richer italian cheese for a smaller amount of parmesan.  It is DELICIOUS and my token dish.  I am proud of it

Mango x

Brace yourself girls, this is sent to be a long post!  It’s been such an up and down day I feel like I’ve lived out 72 hours rather than under 24!

As I said in my last post there was all that drama with the police and stupid criminals last night, which meant I didn’t sleep tremendously.  I was horribly anxious this morning and felt to sick to eat so I’m afraid I didn’t weigh-in this morning; I couldn’t face extra stress!  My exam this morning was a 3 hour paper on Biological Psychology, Performance and Perception and is the worst subject for me.  It wasn’t a good exam and I’m sure if I passed it’s only a C3 (C-) or a D.  However, it’s over now and I’m focusing for the next one - Social Psychology and Individual Differences on Thursday afternoon.  Exams will all be over in a week, which simultaneously feels like forever and not nearly enough time.  I’ll get there though! Study hard…

Food today hasn’t been brilliant.  After the exam I went for lunch with some classmates and ordered a burger and fries with a pint of Magner’s cider (it was that kind of shellshock).  I ate the chips - there were only 9 little totsy ones! - and after two bites of the burger I decided I didn’t like it enough to make it worth the calories. I had a quarter of my pint; it took enough time for me to drink that to take the edge from my anxiety.  I got a baguette from my favourite sandwich deli instead, along with a little treat.  It’s 9pm now and I’m only just starting to get tickles of hunger.  If I have anything it will probably be only a small bowl of pasta with pesto.  I LOVE pesto!!

Weight today: ???

Breakfast: none - too anxious!

Lunch: two bites of a bad burger, 9 small fries then wholemeal tuna mayo sweetcorn baguette and a caramel shortcake

Afternoon snack: one maryland cookie (small), sunmaid raisins

Tea: tbc

Water: 80oz!!

Exercise: 45 minute walk, 50 straight sit ups, 20 left side twists, 20 right side twists, 40 reps of 17.4lb weights

I am super pleased with myself about my water, 80z is easier when you have pint glasses and a little diluting juice :)  The exercise was good too.  I cycled between the weights and different types of sit ups to vary it a bit and my stomach has that delicious “worked hard” feeling.

But the best thing about today - I joined Eileen’s May Challenge and I am totally, uber excited about it!  Seriously, I never knew I could be so damn motivated about little pixel stars!!  I have four from 2 on plan food days and the accumulated exercise.  I am determined to get a GREEN star as soon as I can!  Thank you a hundred times Eileen for motivating me - good job!

And McCupcake - I’m glad you got something from the paper.  It just clicked with me when I was studying that it was so relevant to what we’re all doing here!

Take care all,

Mango x

Hi guys!

I experienced an unexpected turn of events last night that stopped me from blogging - let me put in my stats and I’ll fill you in!

Weight Today: 154.4lbs (-0.6lbs)

Breakfast: cornflakes with semiskimmed milk and sunmaid raisins

Lunch: 2 tuna mayo toasties with extra light mayo and wholemeal bread (made on the George Foreman so no added grease!)

Afternoon snack: one maryland cookie (small)

Tea: fajitas with lean chicken, peppers, sweetcorn, extra light salsa, cheddar and small tortilla wraps; healthy living chocolate mousse for dessert

Water: 48oz

Exercise: 30 minute walk, 20 reps of 17.6lb weights

Yeah so more exciting stuff!  While DP was making tea last night he was looking out across the gardens of our flats and the flats of the parallel road.  (For clarification, there’s two streets in parallel with flats on them, and the gardens are back to back, so we can see their gardens and they can see ours).  Three suspicious characters climbed over the fence into the garden opposite and DP switched off the kitchen light so they wouldn’t see him watching.  The moment the light was off they hopped over the wall into our garden, broke open the window of one of the ground floor flats (thankfully unoccupied) and DP called the police straight away.  Within 5 minutes they were here but it was too late - they’d already scarpered, but there were sniffer dogs, crime techs and undercover detectives! DP made a statement, but sadly, we don’t think they’ll catch the guys.  What drama to have before an exam!

Anyway, I need to do some more studying right now, but I’ll definitely write about today later!

Mango x

My brain is currently enforcing an embargo upon any study-related activities.  How irritating.  I have an exam on Tuesday and while reasonably well prepared I still need to refine my knowledge.  Partly it is my fault for cutting it far to close to the wire to start studying, but at least I have learned from my error for next year.  However, when I am sitting here thinking “I need to learn this” and my brain just wont compute it is annoying.  I don’t have time to take breaks, but apparently my body has run out of adrenaline and cortisol to produce to get me into gear.

The embargo doesn’t cover anything else though, so I am still feeling highly motivated!  DP is at work until 9.45pm, so I am making chilli con carne for tea and eating mine early.  Once he’s scarfed down his (because no matter what I tell him he simply refuses to eat slowly) we are going for our walk. Not sure where, just a wee wander probably.

I took my starting weight today - 155lbs. I hate the 150’s.  I’ve been in them for a year!  And normally around the 155 mark too so it seems tantalising close to the 140’s yet so far away.  I am going to work hard to break that barrier down soon!

Thank you inkheatmeg for your comment, well done you for sticking it out!  I am hoping my boyfriend will continue to muck in and do his bit, but I have learnt that it takes 90 days to establish a habit, so as long as we make it to that point I’ll have established that habit by then!

Weight Today: 155lbs

Breakfast: wholemeal toast with raspberry jam

Morning snack: mini Twirl bar (140kcal)

Lunch: tuna steak and a pear

Afternoon snack: two maryland cookies (small)

Tea: chilli con carne made with lean steak mince, chilli kindey beans, chilli sauce and brown rice; with a pinch of grated cheese on top

Water: 64oz

Exercise: 30 minute walk (up hills!) and 20 reps of 17.6lb weights