I’ve been such a crappy blogger lately, for which I can only apologise.  I leave for France early on Saturday morning, but we’re leaving Dundee on Friday to night to go to my aunt and uncle’s.  Their son (my cousin) is looking after our cats for us while we’re away, and my aunt and uncle are coming to France too so we’re getting a lift to Glasgow airport with them.  It’s all quite exciting!  I’m one of those compulsive people who makes lists and lists of lists; so DP and I have plenty of jobs to do before we leave including a top to bottom clean of the flat so it’s nice for us to come home to.

How are your weeks going?  I stepped on the scale today for an unofficial weigh in and came in at 11st 0.25lbs, which I was psyched about!  That’s down 3.25lbs from Thursday (I think) which is unbelieveable!  I’m expecting some variability for my official weigh in given that I’ll have eaten and be wearing more than underwear, but that’s ok.  I feel I’m on the right path and WW is certainly working.  Woo!

My writing book has arrived and these swirling stories that have been going around haven’t found their way to paper yet, but I’m looking forward to making progress while I’m on holiday.  Tonight, I’m just looking forward to kicking back and watching Ugly Betty at 9pm and hopefully some of House season 5 if my old boss has finished with it!  I think I’m going to make some low fat scones too.  Yum yum

Mango x

Good evening sister chicks, how are you all?

I’ve had a good day!  My friend and I went for a long walk from Dundee to Broughty Ferry, had a diet coke, then walked back.  It was lovely and sunny, and it was really nice to socialise and get some exercise at the same time.

I had my second Weight Watchers meeting today.  I was pretty nervous; last night DP and I had a (small) spat and I made the bad decision to over-indulge.  But I lost a pound and a half!  I was so over-excited, it was almost like getting my exam results again!  It incentivised me to keep going, stay dedicated and move forward on it.  Goal is a pound a half closer and I can almost taste it!  One happy girly.

I’ve one more meeting before we’re off to France, but today I bought the exec kit that has plenty of supplies in it; 3 month tracker, shop and restaurant points (so now I know exactly how many calories are in everything from Starbucks!) a points calculator and a tape measure.  I took my measurements last week, and I’ll take them every month - in this case just when I get back from holiday on the 2nd or 3rd of August and I’ll post them then.  Still totally psyched over it!

My writing book is arriving tomorrow - happy about that too! :D  I have written short stories for years but this time I’m going for a full book.  I’ve had an idea brewing for a fortnight but I am a fussy writer - I need the perfect book to write in, it should be here tomorrow and I can start writing!  Yey

I hope you’re all having great Thursdays!

Mango x

So I am feeling a lot better today

I got up early after a good sleep and went off to Boots (high-street beauty/pharmacy etc kind of place).  I got the rest of my skin care products which begin with my new WW regimen tomorrow :)  Boots have an amazing own-brand line called No.7 and I won’t use anything else.  Their make up and skin care products are quite expensive, but they’re the only kind that really work with my combination skin and don’t give me an allergic reaction.  I have weird oily to combination skin and pretty much all moisturisers make me either more oily or make my skin tacky but I heart No.7 which is just perfect!  So all in all, I’ve spent close to £80 on skin care alone!  And that’s only for cleanser, toner, lip care, eye gel, day sorbet (moisturiser) and night sorbet.  They’re huge fat pots though.  I kind of balk at the money, but I was getting that for holiday anyway and hey, beautiful skin makes me feel gorgeous.

Work was another long day (the temperature’s gone up yet again!)  I wasn’t meant to be working today but one of my workmates is moving house so I covered his shift.  It works out ok though as he’s buying my drinks for my leaving party! :)  Both the managers were in pissy moods but hey, it’s done now and I’ve got tomorrow off.  Back on Saturday, but let’s not think about that!

SO on to my very first Weight Watcher’s meeting!

It was really, really good.  My friend turned up and we went in and got our books and got weighed.  It’s a big meeting and about 40 people go in but only 5 (including me) stayed for the actual meeting.  A lot of people apparently just go in to get weighed and that’s it, which I wasn’t aware of.  That’s what my friend did.  She kind of scoffed a bit then left.  I do love her, but she’s one of the incredibly intelligent people who thinks they know the answers to every single one of life’s dilemmas and does have a tendency to look down her nose at some things.  That worried me a bit and I felt quite apprehensive, but I was happier once she left.  I also found another friend of mine goes, which I didn’t know about and she’s lovely.  She stayed for the meeting too.

My leader is absolutely lovely!  She remembers everyone’s name and their weaknesses and she spent quite a bit of time with me after going over everything with me.  I explained I’d had so many false starts and was quite apprehensive but she was very encouraging and I did feel really welcome there.  I’m feeling really motivated and I’m looking forward to going next week!  I don’t know if my friend will go back, but I will.  I’m aiming for 1lb a week.  I’m starting at 11st 5lbs, so there’s a way to go.  But I feel I can get there

Mango x

ADDITION:  I’d just like to let you all know I’ve got a Twitter account and if you’d like to follow me, my @ is 21katykat01.  If any of you have a Twitter, give me a shout with your @!

I got some of my orders through from Bravissimo today.  I love that store!  Anyone above a D-cup should shop there :D  I got a beautiful lingerie set and a tankini and swimsuit for my holiday.  I feel absolutely fab in all of them which makes such a huge difference!

It’s been sunny again today, but is getting a little overcast now.  It’s really nice and warm though, so I can complain!  My cousin came through too for a little while before visitng her bf in hospital (he has really bad tonsilitis) and it was really nice to see her.  Im going to visit her on Tuesay and see her and her brother, and her bf who should be out of hospital by then.

So here’s a couple more up-to-date pics of me, which I took last night.  I was bored and had access to a mirror and a camera lol I am a poser…

My hair looks so weirdly blonde, which it doesn’t normally.  It’d been up all day which is the only reason it has so much volume.

So posing over!

I’m starting another blog on blogspot too that’s less centred on weight-loss and is more about student life.  I’ve not got it off the ground yet, but once I have I’ll pop the link in my Blogroll.

How’s everyone’s week going?

I’m having a lovely day today.  The fog has been burnt off by the sun and it’s turned into an absolutely beautiful day.  I’ve been out for a walk to and from uni and at the moment I’ve got the TV on in the background and I’m finishing off the final parts of my Brownie Guide Leadership Qualification.  It’s one of those days where I get reflective, but in a nice way.  It’s one of those days I look at where I feel thankful for a lot of things and I feel proud of a lot of things and look at things I want to do.

I’m proud of my academic achievements.  Today was the prize giving ceremony at university so now I have a certificate to frame and put up on my wall.  (The cheque’s been put into my bank account and I’m especially thankful for that, it couldn’t have come at a better time!)  A lot of the people were in their graduation robes and it just reaffirmed how hard I need (and want) to work so that when it’s my turn to put on those robes next year for my graduation I can feel truly proud.

I’m thankful for my opportunity to get to university, for my parents being able to support me so I can focus completely on my studies next year.  I’m thankful for my health and my peace of mind.  I’m thankful for this new “at peace” mentality. I’m thankful for all you chicks here, who keep me on the straight and narrow and a place to tell my own story.

I’m making progress.  Maybe not weight wise or size wise right now (I don’t know, I’m not weighing or measuring any more) but I am feeling a lot happier.  I’m still committed to making a healthier, fitter me.  DP and I are budgetting so I can start a dance class next semester, which I’ve wanted to do since we moved here.  Plus I’m doing my Walk With Me! every day and still enjoying it.  I’ve come to the conclusion that if you want to move more it’s a good choice.  Yes, it’s basically a step counter, but it motivates me more than any other one I’ve had.

I want to keep moving, to keep making progress.  I want to change the world one person at a time :)  That’s the life mission I want to dedicate myself to

Days like today make me feel hopeful and ambitious and ready to take on anything.  I wish I could share the feeling with you, but since that doesn’t go through the internet cables too well here’s some encouragement instead:

You’re wonderful!  Being here, working as part of this community, you’re streets ahead.  That little sunny feeling you get when you lose a pound or push yourself to a new limit in your workout or the quiet satisfaction when you get your house spotless - internalise it, make it your little inner sun that brightens your mood when it just feels too hard.  Make use of what being a community means - come here when you need support and you’ll get it!  You’re turning your life around.  Be proud, be strong and well done!  You’re all inspirational

Mango x

Chicks I have to say, you are all so amazing.  Again I want to say thank you so much for all your lovely comments, you really are all the best.  You all know I’ve been struggling recently and it’s no deviation from the truth to say it is all your support that has got me through it.  More than my friends or DP, it is my friends here who all care so much and know exactly what it’s like to lose focus who’ve brought me back.  I have a big smile today!

I got some other news from the university today, too.  I won the Philip Burgess Prize, which is an award for outstanding contribution to the School of Psychology over the last academic year.  It really is an honour to be awarded it.  I just want to help people, but it is lovely to be recognised for the work you do.  I am attending the prize-giving ceremony on the 24th of June.  There’s also a £116 award, which is so nice!  The award was set up by a previous lecturer of the School, who set it up to recognise students who help out and make a difference.  I hope he’s at the ceremony so I can thank him in person.

I got in a 90 minute walk today for my “moving”, and I will do some crunches later too.  I am a bit of a freak but I love doing crunches.  Well, more I like the feeling of working my muscles.  I’m also going to get the new DS game “Walk With Me!” from work tomorrow.

It’s pretty expensive - £49.99 retail price, but I get 25% discount (the benefit of working in a games store) and have store credit from trading old things in so I won’t have to pay for it.  I know essentially it’s a bit gimmicky and a pedometer does the same thing but the game focuses more on moving rather than the specifics of what you’ve walked.  And if I’m really fed up of it, I can always return it.  Glorified step counter I know, but I’m a sucker for gadgets haha.

I hope you are all having great days and that you have good weekends.  I’m working all day tomorrow (when it’s supposed to be sunny, boo) till 6.15pm but the sun’s up until 11.45pm here until summer solstice anyway, so I should get to enjoy some sunshine.  Also working 5 hours on Sunday but it’s supposed to be torrential rain then so I don’t mind too much

Mango x