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

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

Working again today so I’m feeling pretty worn down, but I’ve got a nice week coming up!

I am visiting my new Brownies tomorrow!  And this isn’t the chocolate variety.  Brownie Guides are like young girl scouts, in the UK we have Rainbows (5-7 years), Brownies (7-10 years), Guides (10-14 years) and Senior Section (14-25 years).  I’m nearly finished my leadership qualification and I will be taking over the Brownie pack in August, where I am going to be Brown Owl, which I’m totally psyched about!  Brownies love to do badges and are much easier to deal with than the pre-pubescent Guides I work with at the moment.  I’ve already worked up a provisional program, which I can shape up once I know the school term dates (because Brownies only runs during the school term) and how this pack likes to do something.  If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer, or just to understand what on earth I’m talking about, check out the Girlguiding UK website.

I’m also going to stay with my parents for a few days, and I am looking forward to seeing them.  They’ve been so good to both me and DP, and helped us out of more than our fair share of financial problems recently.  It’s also nice to spend time just the three of us (I’m an only child) without DP.  While they’re at work I can play my computer or the Xbox and I’m also taking readings to work on for my dissertation project and some Brownie stuff.  And exercise of course!  I’m meeting them at the train station on Tuesday then we’re heading out for a meal and to see Angels and Demons, which my dad’s been dying to see for ages.  My parents are great, and I’m glad I can spend some time with them.

Weight is back to 154lbs.  It’s officially been 2 weeks now, and I’m 1lb down.  It’s not brilliant progress, but it’s better than going no where.  I need to keep pushing hard, probably try to push more than 64 oz of water a day and do as much exercise as I can.  Because, as DP keeps reminding me, while the scales might not show a difference, the exercise can’t be making things worse and if I can trim off some body fat, it’s all good.

Hope you all had a good weekend!  And P.S. I am waaay excited about being joint fifth in W8C at the moment (until everyone else updates tonight!!!)  DP hasn’t heard the end of it!

Also - I thought I’d share this, Lolcatz get me through the sad times

Work was looooong.  It’s a horrible day today, and also the week before payday for most people so I spent 8 hours of doing very little!  I took in a delivery for an hour which passed the time, lifting boxes up and down stairs, lots of heavy lifting etc. (good exercise!) but other than that - nothing!

I was annoyed after step going up to 156.2!  Yesterday I was 155.2 and today I was 153.8lbs, which I was a lot happier with!  DP is making me a meal tonight and we’re having a movie night, so it will be nice just to snuggle in and relax

I’ll update more thoroughly soon, but just wanted to let you know I wasn’t dead!