Hey again everyone,

I feel like I’ve been gone forever but I haven’t really.  I’m just more coherent again today, the pain is easing and I actually slept for 8 hours last night.  It feels like I haven’t slept properly in forever.  The pain would wake me up, then keep me awake.  Last night, though, was heaven

As I said in one of my previous posts, I got my allocations for next year and I’m really looking forward to my classes.  I’m also getting an Asus Eee PC 1005HA netbook.  I just need to decide whether I want a black or a blue one.  I’ve scoured the internet for ages looking for one - I had a few specs it needed to match up to.  Basically, for £255 this gives me a lightweight, easy to carry laptop that will connect to the internet in uni (unlike my current laptop) with a battery life of 8.5 hours that will definitely last through lectures so I can type notes up as I go rather than spending 3-4 hours doing it afterwards.  In a year when I’m doing so much work, every hour I can save means a lot.  Woop!

One other thing I’ve done this week is to start an award.  It’s called the Queen’s Guide Award, and is the highest accolade you can achieve in Guiding.  As you might know from previous posts, I’m a pack leader of a Brownie unit.  Guiding has different groups for girls from 5 to 26.  As I’m still under 26 I’m in the oldest group, the Senior Section.  The award I’ve signed up to start takes three years to complete and has four huge sections.  It’s a lot of work but I really want to do it!

Some people like to take the mick about being involved in Guiding, but I think it’s a great chance for people like me, who have some spare time, to be role models for impressionable young girls in a world where there aren’t a great selection of role models in the media.  More than that, it’s great fun getting to know these girls, watching them grow up so much in such a short time.  It’s quite an honour really.

Anyway, today I’m off to uni to hand in my keys.  My research assistant post is finished now since I can’t get about (I’m getting a lift in today) and I’m meeting a friend for a diet coke before my weight watchers meeting.  I’ve gained all 5lbs back (humiliating) through laziness and no exercise.  My meeting has this thing where a 12 week tracker gets passed about the class week-to-week so a different member has it each time.  I’m going to ask for it this week to get me back on track with… well, tracking!  Hopefully that will get me back on the straight and narrow. 

My mood is resembling the weather - overcast!  There’s a culmination of factors involved; being up on the weigh in this morning, stucking studying again (2 more days to go…), feeling sore and in the end not being able to do more than half hour of partner stretches which won’t count towards an exercise star.

Bummer.  I’m hoping I’ll feel better tomorrow, I just have to keep loading in the ibuprofen and fluids.

Weight Today: 154.6lbs (+0.6lbs)

Breakfast: none

Lunch: raspberry jam sandwich, Crunchie (one piece of chocolate for the day!), 2 jammy dodgers

Afternoon snack: lightly salted kettle chips

Tea: sausage and tomato pasta (grilled sausage cut up in pasta with a homemade tomato, garlic and mixed herb sauce)

Water: 64oz

Exercise: only 30 minutes of partner stretches

I really want to start doing Weight Watchers again.  I did them for a while a year or so ago and didn’t really stick with it long enough to see positive changes, but so many people are having good experiences with it, it makes me want to give it a go again.  I find it easier than calorie counting.  I shall have to wait till we’re in better financial climates though - it’s not cheap on a student budget!

I think it’s finally hit me.  I was 154.6lbs this morning.  Also, I didn’t drink as much water yesterday.  Do your muscles weigh more when they hurt?  I am SORE today = major muscle inflammation.  Off work today because I was sick during the night I was getting so nervous about this exam, which is ridiculous.  I need to chill out and just keep studying.

I wanted to exercise and catch up on stars!!  But right now even walking is a challenge