Do you ever go through patches where you just feel totally invincible, like nothing can stop you? I'm having one of these times at the moment and it feels great! I suppose it's a result of some of my New Year's resolutions coming together - now I just need to keep up the effort! I feel healthy and strong and in control. Nothing seems to phase me at the moment and I am somehow managing to make time for everything, long may it last. I've even managed to read two books already this year and am about to start on 'My Steve' by Terri Irwin. I'm a bit worried about it to be honest - what if it makes me cry? I made a right plonker of myself last night watching the kids' movie 'Bridge to Terabithia' - I was crying absolute buckets and just couldn't seem to compose myself. Noel thought it was hilarious and the kids thought I was mad, telling me Mum! It's not real for goodness sake!
Anyway, have gone off topic there, where was I? Ah yes, feeling fabulous! I forgot to mention I have been on a diet for almost two weeks now. According to Annette Sym I'm not supposed to treat my new healthy eating habits as being on a diet but I don't know what else to call it. I just know I've made some BIG changes. It became kind of necessary really, well summer arrived and I discovered in horror that I couldn't do up ANY of my shorts. Seriously. Even the ones I could do up had a nasty habit of popping open every time I bent over or sat down so I could hardly wear them out of the house. Shocking really if you consider I bought them less than a year ago. There was no way I was going to fork out on a whole new summer wardrobe; I was just going to have to slim down enough to fit into them. So far it's going well, I can fit back into all my shorts except one pair and only one other pair (alas, one of my favourites) continues to defiantly burst open when I do the 'bending over test'. I haven't checked the scales yet this week - Thursday is weigh-in day but I managed to lose one and a half kilos in the first week. I don't want to tempt fate but at the moment I'm finding it so easy - maybe it's because I'm in the right headspace for it now, where I haven't been before? I've only made a few changes but I guess they're big ones for me. I've pretty much cut out bread and any I do have is wheat-free. I've basically slashed all my portions in half - or even less than half in some cases. Might sound a bit drastic but believe me I could eat a LOT - and you know what? I'm not even hungry! I haven't felt hungry once, in fact it's more the opposite; I can't believe how little it takes to really fill me up these days. My goal is to lose seven kilos - well, in an ideal world I would lose 12 but I'd be more than happy with seven!
The 'Symply Too Good To Be True' books are really helping me (thanks once again to the Vault for introducing me to the wonders of these books! An unexpected bonus of these is that we are saving a bundle on food! Because each recipe says how many servings they make and whether they are small or large portions, we are now only eating what we need and saving or freezing the rest, rather than simply scoffing the lot because it was there. Most of the leftovers make great healthy lunch options too, so we are also saving there! Not to mention many of the recipes make great use of what we already have in the garden. I've been making my entire menu plan using Annette's books and everyone has loved all the recipes so far. Yet another bonus is the majority of the meals don't contain flour so they are very easy to adapt to being wheat-free for Liam. I'm looking forward to Thursday for the next weigh-in! If only I could just cut out the wine too - I guess Rome wasn't built in a day but I swear I WILL get there!
I also forgot to mention another incentive for trying to lose weight - the boys have roped Noel and I into doing a triathlon in just a couple of weeks! Noel and the boys have entered as a team - Ali is swimming 300m, Noel has to cycle 13km (as you have to be over 13 to do that part) and Liam is running 4km. The boys can do their part with their eyes shut, it's their dad I'm worried about, he hasn't been on a bike for years! As for me, I'm hoping to do the whole lot - I just have to get a check-up at the doctor's today to make sure my dodgy leg will stand up to the running. It's been over two years since I was able to run properly and I'm not too hopeful but keeping everything crossed! Liam first did the same event when he was nine and to this day I have never been so proud of him in my life. He was the youngest entrant by far and I was convinced I was going to have to go and find him half way round the course and bring him home on a stretcher - boy did he prove me wrong! He was back at the finish line in no time and had sailed past countless adults on the way. I cried buckets that day too, much to Liam's embarrassment! That was the last time he was truly well, before his health problems began so I think this is why he wants to do it again this year, to prove to himself that he's healthy again and can do it. I know he will :-)
Talking of Liam, he's been keeping busy all week with one of his Christmas presents - a real tool kit! It's a proper adult's one and only cost $30 from The Warehouse but I reckon it was probably the best value out of everything we gave him. It's got everything he needs and comes complete with it's own canvas bag. He's been outside all day every day building things - I couldn't tell you what any of them are but he's having a lot of fun making them! How's everyone going with the 'No Impulse Buys' challenge for this month? I'm doing pretty well - in fact I guess I'm doing really well compared to previous form. So much of the SS way of life is permanently ingrained already though - the Stop Think Save, the Eight Steps - that's not to say I don't still slip up occasionally but it just goes to show how much those mantras stick in your head. You know what one I reckon is going to be REALLY hard though? Next month - No Spend Month. I've forewarned Noel and he's all for it but I wonder REALLY how he's going to cope with it. I'm certainly looking forward to putting the kids through it! Thank goodness they go back to school on February 4th, that will certainly make it easier. It's my niece's birthday in February too so I had better find her a present while it's still January! I think I'm going to have to really sit down the week before and work out as much of our routine for February - after school sports and activities and suchlike and whatever else is likely to crop up so we don't get caught out. Only two weeks to go so I'd better start putting my thinking cap on!
