Michelle - U are looking ver glam in that foto!!!

Helen - I think i have been inspired by you, cos i seem to have agreed to do a half marathon in PARIS!! this SUMMER!!! I dont know if this is inspiration or just plain crazyness on my part!!! All will be revealed soon i guess.
I have to agree with redox gal, jogging on the treadmil for half an our really took it out of me today. As pecock2 said hairy legs only help with swimming, haha.

It is surprising how important his forum has become to my weight loss. I only discovered this wen my laptop broke down and my weightloss stalled! Now you wudnt think that those two wud eva b connected! But it makes sense tho, i guess but waffling away here iam sort of reflecting, andd planning and being kept in track by all u ladies as well.
shmoooooo

I'm suffering with revenge of the killer mince pie

Last night I went to spend an hour with my elderly neighbour across the road and she gave me a Mr Kipling Deep Filled Mince Pie and a glass of that dark sweet sherry (I think its called Bristol Cream) and this morning I woke up in AGONY (and its DH's day off ) I feel like the Sigourney Weaver character in Alien did just before the creature popped out of her chest (except this is a bit lower down behind tummy button level). In recent years I've had a bit of heartburn if I eat more than one helping of mince pies, Christmas cake or Christmas pud but nothing like this - so I'm wondering if it hurts more because there is less of me.

So... all our lovely plans for the day are cancelled - we had planned to go to the beautiful Clumber Park for a long walk in the woods and watching the dogs play in the lake and then go to Jolleys (big pet shop) to get them their Christmas outfits so we could try them on them before buying this time.

So now DH has taken the dogs over on the Moor and I think I'm going back to bed. One blummin mince pie........

As christmas gets closer I'm starting to worry about what I'm going to eat and drink.
We are off for 2 weeks, and usually spend most of that time lazing around, eating and drinking.
Has anyone got any tips, which do not involve sewing my lips together?
Carole

Difficult one. Last year I dieted right through Christmas and I was as miserable as ****. This year I'm having five days off dieting - but I'm trying to be vaguely sensible about it so I don't put back on too much of the weight which I've struggled so hard to lose.

When it comes to actual meals I'm fairly okay. We both have really learned to love low GI foods, lean meat/poultry and loads of vegetables - and I've got a couple of non-meat meals planned.

As for goodies... well, my theory is 'If you haven't got it you can't eat it'. In previous years I've bought twenty or more boxes of fairly cheap and ordinary sweets and chocolates and loads of savoury snacks - and we would eat ourselves silly and not really enjoy our meals.

But this year, apart from my Boxing Day party supplies which are safely locked up, I've bought DH and I just three (large) boxes of very expensive chocolates for and no savoury snacks at all except for DH's twiglets and cheeselets (both of which I HATE). My plan is to eat the chocies just a one or two at a time, so I really enjoy and appreciate them - and make them last through until New Year's Day - but if we pig out on them and eat the lot in one sitting then thats tough - I won't be buying any more. Same with cheese and booze. I did put in a Sainsbury on-line order for a HUGE variety of fresh fruit and nuts, so if we get the munchies we can fill up on those.

Shmoo - well done on signing up for the half, they're not too bad, honest (says the one who is meant to be doing a 13 mile training run this evening...)

I'm not sure where you're living, but if you want to join a running club mine is pretty close to most of the main student areas and seems to have a few student members. It might help with the training (but then again it's not compulsory - I ran my first three halves before joining, and Frus has done one too without joining a club).

Morning all,

Sarah, I hope your indigestion has settled by now, my mumgets horrible heartburn when she eats pastry of any kind, eve since she was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabeties....she never suffered before, so now she can't eat it. You did make my mouth water with the description of it though, yum, Mr. Kiplings....yum, yum, yum.

Well my boys are home, can't remember if I posted yesterday after they arrived or not. Had a lovely evening with J...just chatting and watching some telly...he's just got up now, and we're going to unload the trailer with his life objects in, but first I have to take a bed apart and move other furniture, as he's decided he want the bigger room, which I've just finished preparing for Mum, and move all that furniture into what I thought was going to be his room....she won't mind where she sleeps, but we'll be having a busy day.

I'm tired too, got woken up at two, and couldn't get back to sleep, at three, our bedroom was swaythed in light from the house behind us sensor lights all going on...Dave got up and looked out the window and there was two policemen walking around the house, then another appeared with a dog, and walked through the little bit of wood onto our driveway.

So we decided to come downstairs and see if they were going to knock on the door, they didn't but they went in everyone's gardens, over through the wooded area that leads over to another road. By this time, I'd made a cup of tea, and the dogs of course wanted to go out, but I was wide awake.

I turned the outside lights on and left them on to go back to bed, as I felt a bit unnerved by then. So it took me until five to doze back off, and I slept through my alarm and apparently so did Hannah, although I think she made it to school on time, if not, she'll just have a 'tardy' and they'll get over it.

Ok, must get on, start with this furniture... changing over rooms and unloading the day your Mother arrives.... only I do this sort of thing, I'm sure.

Well that must have been un-nerving BritNJ- Did any neighbours tell you what had happend?

It looks like maybe they were looing for a weapon or drugs or whatever. BIt scarey though, innit?

Chris - I think I'd have rung the Police to find out whats going on - you have a right to know why someone's walking around on your drive in the middle of the night scaring the wits out of you.

I don't know what this is - it doesn't feel like indigestion (I used to get a lot of that when I was big) - this pain is centred behind my tummy button through to my back and comes in waves. Ouch! Its a shame because its DH's birthday tomorrow but he couldn't get the day off so we're having his birthday dinner this evening.

Add me to the admirers of micheleherts hair.

I have indigestion too many baked crisps and not enough water I think

I think I'm going to gain...

I bought mini mince pies yesterday my first Christmas thing! I'm not going to buy much I did buy my Mother a 39p bang on the door advent calendar though. And seen as it was already the 12th I had two of the chocs... Just to help out obviously.

Chris be careful moving furniture. Watch your shoulder. Is Dave working today? Bit of excitement last night. They should tell you what they're doing on your property.

I bought a jar of mincemeat and will make my own mince pies this year.

Sarah hope you feel better for your hubbie's birthday celebration.

Having a little break... have lugged I don't know how many boxes up the stairs and the single bed down, not have to lug the queen size up....

Haven't seen any of the neighbours to ask if they were woken up, but it is scary not knowing...would like to know who or what they were looking for. I'll try and catch a neighbour later on.

Mum's room is staying intact, J's decided the smaller room will do for now, however, we've put all the boxes in there so once we get the bed sorted, we'll have to lug them all into his room so at least my mum can get into her bed tonight... just checked her flight status and it's on time, so that's a good thing

Happy birthday to Mr. Sarah for tomorrow... hope you fel well enough to enjoy his birthday meal Sarah... and if that pain continues, get yourself to the docs please...

CG.. shoulder is already hurting, but it's going to rain, so that's prob why, more than lugging furniture and boxes... I think I'll give curves a miss today though.

Well I haven't done badly on the Christmas food buying alread. I got some of those pouches packets from marks & Spencer - Cranberry Sauce and Brandy sauce for Mum and my Brother. Also 1 Stollen and some whiskly marmalade and I thnk I got 3 of those packs of sweets they do - you know the turkish delight and some others (can't remember as they are already at Mum's!). I have also got a small jar of cornichons (yum!) and will get some big gherkins from the Polish shop with maybe some herrings or stuff like that for my Dad.

Must get some pickled walnuts as it is not Christmas without them! Or of course Trifle whcih Mum will make - won't you Mum??! If not she is going to be put in the shed at the bottom of the garden.....

I'm not in charge of christmas shopping, although my mum has apparently raided the English shop for supplies. I did eat a slice of christmas cake today though

Which I will probably run off in a little while, I appear to have been coerced into doing a half marathon training run tonight. I was trying to decide whether to do that or the 10k route, then my friend texted to say that she can't do it and she doesn't want to let the bloke down who she'd promised she'd run with, so can I turn up and do it with him instead so that he isn't left on his own. And I agreed for some reason? Still, he's pretty slow so it shouldn't be a hard run, just a long time out in the cold.

Still no presents bought

But today I got Christmas fairy cakes bucks fizz, cava and part baked (new years day) croissants. As long as I have bucks fizz and croissants for Christmas day and NY day morning I'm happy.

I got the Christmas radio times as well. Hurrah!

Hello everyone

Veggie you sweetheart thanks again for the tracker that is the pink swirly one I wanted.

When I first had my hair cut I hated it. I had that at the beginning of September I've since had it cut again since then I kind of got used to it.

Hope your feeling a bit better this evening Sarah maybe it is trapped wind
that can be an absolute bugger.

I am going food shopping next Thursday with Martin we both have the day off. Hopefully I won't go too mad at Christmas. It was last Christmas that I discovered this forum and it has been such a huge help to me, and I love to hear everyone's news. I remember last year going up to ten stone 10lbs and feeling lousy. This year I don't want to go any heavier than nine stone 10lbs.
It has taken me a year to lose just over a stone what a plodder I am.

work is difficult at the moment we have even more crap than usual around.
I've been slack at the gym but have continued to walk each day.

Saturday I am going to do some more present shopping and chill out in the evening.

My boys have just had a massive fight nothing new there really but I am very cross with them. Fortunately hubby came home and sorted it. He's had to pop out again but he is going to speak to them when he gets in. They are 13 and 15.

Ooh Clydgirl I just love a homemade mincepie I find the shops ones so sweet mind you I still eat them I am especially partial to the Marks puff pastry ones.
I love tucking into to cheese and biscuits and really strong pickled onions at Christmas. I don't do the cheese and biscuit thing too much during the year or I wouldn't be able to stop!!!

Have a lovely evening everyone.

Michele