I’m so glad I took my WW meeting’s 12 week track book.  It’s really got me on the straight and narrow this week and back into the habit already - I can’t have lost it after all!

You know, there are people who know me who have all asked if, after gaining 3lbs, I’ve stopped; if I’ve given up.  I kind of look at them as if they’re crazy and say “Of course not!”  with a laugh.  It seems absurd.  But, when I look back at how I used to behave, in the past their comment would have probably been met with a “yes”.

I don’t know what’s shifted in my head.  I don’t feel like anything has, but some screw must have loosened a bit!  Now, my attitude is that, yes I gained 3lbs but who cares?  If I’ve lost them once I sure as hell can lose them again!  And I will!

I’m looking forward to doing more exercise and getting moving again once my toe has healed up.  Autumn has well and truly started here - with the exception of yesterday, which was gloriously sunny, it’s rained seven days in a row.  That’s ok though.  I’ve got plenty of workout DVD’s, I’ve got cleaning to do, I’ve got a Wii Fit, I’ve got music I can dance to!  I am beginning to be successful in training myself that every little bit counts and that 10 minutes dancing, 30 minutes on the Wii Fit or whatever is better than that time sitting on my ass doing something sedentary.  20 sit ups at night are better than none and will go that little bit further to toning my muscles.  Slowly, slowly.  The turtle wins the race after all!

Oh, and since I can’t comment on your blog Sunny, I was thinking upon your t-shirt problem.  A couple of ideas, anyway.  Are they long enough to reach past your butt?  If so, I think you should go for them with leggings underneath (like the kind that reach mid-calf) and heels to glam them up!  If not, a pair of shorts and heels or cool sandals.  Are you handy with a needle?  Would it be possible to take it in a little?  None of that might be any use, I don’t really know much about American sports-style shirts (which is what I think you meant in your post - sorry if I’m wrong) but I thought I’d say just in case!

I don’t know if that’s the right French, but either way I’m back safe on Scottish soil and a happy about it.  How have you all been these last two weeks?  Well, let me tell you about France.

France was lovely, warm and sunny most days with rain a couple.  We stayed in a town called Aujac, relatively close to Saintes and Cognac.  We lived in a big gite with my aunt and uncle and my parents.  For one week my cousin joined us, for the second my aunt and uncle on my dad’s side. Around Aujac they grow only three crops; maize, grapes for wine and sunflowers.  That was one of my favourite things - the rows and rows of sunflowers that were so bright and yellow.  Happy flowers

The holiday was nice, it was good to get away.  It was just unfortunate that we were so far away from civilization.  Unfortunately DP and I aren’t old enough/haven’t been driving long enough for it to be cost-effective for us to hire our own car so we were reliant on other people, which is difficult, and we weren’t in walking or cycling distance of… well, anything really.  My family enjoy shopping (not a trait I share, I’m an in-grab-out kind of girl) so a lot of our days were visiting and trawling round towns.  Some were nice but in the heat of the day the last thing I wanted to be doing was trawling shops :s

So in some ways it’s felt like I’ve really not been on holiday but in others I’ve had a nice time.  One of the best things was that I weighed in at 11st 1lbs this morning - 1lb lower than when I left, which I really couldn’t believe after the diet we had on holiday.  Trying to get affordable food for 8 people who all have different dietary needs is ridiculous-pizza, pasta and pastry was what I consisted on.  So that just goes to show the difference exercise can make!

Now I’m home I’m back to tracking and feeling so much better for it, and DP has started tracking too!  He can’t make meetings because of his working and study hours, but he’s using the resources I have to make a difference to his wait too.  So now I get the joys of proving him wrong - I really can lose weight consistently - and beating him at it too!

Smiles to all of you,

Mango x