Am happy to report a more positive post today! Thank you so much to everyone who has emailed me or written lovely messages on the Forum. I've been hanging out here for almost three and a half years now and it's amazing how comfortable you get in this warm and friendly environment. All these weeks I have barely even confided in the people I see every day - it's not the kind of thing you really bring up at the school gates - yet I felt completely comfortable telling you lot! I'm also delighted (not to mention relieved) that things are well and truly back on track - not least due to the intervention of our two boys. They sat us down, told their mum and dad how ridiculous the whole thing was and made us both sign an agreement to 'cut the BS' (their expression, not mine!) Unconventional it may be but nevertheless it has worked! I always knew we had wonderful kids (not that I'm biased or anything) but they have really been fantastic through this horrible time and while they have learned that their parents definitely aren't perfect, they still love us anyway.
If there's one positive thing to have come out of this, it's really got Noel motivated! I had to laugh when he told me he had been feeling all insecure about getting older and going grey and so on. Not that I'm not sympathetic of course but he's been going grey since he was 21 (from the stress of living with me he insists) so I've been living with it quite happily for the past 15 years and am not about to change. That's the whole great thing about getting old together isn't it? Still, I'm extremely proud to announce that he has given up smoking for almost two whole weeks now! He's also started running every day too and ran his first 5km yesterday. Now there's something else we can do together! The only difference is, I love running and he definitely doesn't - every day I ask him happily 'so, did you enjoy your run?' he looks at me as though I've gone round the twist. At least he's out there and doing it I suppose, it's not like there are any rules that you have to actually like it! I've been so impressed by his willpower that I've also chucked in the wine - my last remaining vice - yes, really! Well, I'm only on day three but I figured if Noel has finally got the willpower to give up the evil ciggies (or 'stinky sticks' as Ali calls them) then surely I can summon up the willpower to give up the booze. Between us both, we stand to save a fortune now! Let's hope we can keep it up!
It's the second week of the school holidays here and we've been flat out doing fun stuff. Last week was spent at a cricket workshop in Hamilton. The boys love it and it's so good for them, it really gets them out of their comfort zone and means they have to mix with lots of other kids they don't know. It's so neat to watch - the first day they're all really shy but by the end of it they're all big team mates. This week they've joined the holiday program at the local gym - for just $12.50 for the whole week they get four hours of swimming and all sorts of other sports every day for five days. Awesome value if you ask me, and they just love it. Mind you, it's not all out and about - we've been having heaps of fun at home too. You should see our family cricket pitch! It gets mowed every week and Noel even made a little roller by filling a 20 litre bucket with quick-set concrete and welding up a handle. It works a treat and we have hours of fun out there, although apparently my bowling leaves a lot to be desired...
Just a short post today as I have to go and pick the boys up from the pool in a minute. Tomorrow is the last weigh-in for my Biggest Loser challenge and while I won't know the final loss until tomorrow, I can officially announce I have dropped two dress sizes from a 14 to a 10. Me - a size 10! I can't believe it, I have to keep going and looking at the label on the new shorts and swimmers Noel bought me yesterday. I was convinced there had to be some mistake and that they had just been put on the wrong hanger in the shop. I haven't been a size 10 since I was 21! I certainly never dreamed it was possible again but it's been done almost entirely the SS way, exercising for free or at the very most for a minimal cost - not to mention the fabulous support and motivation I have got from being part of the SS Weight Watchers merry clan! Now don't laugh but That's Life magazine are going to do a story on losing weight the SS way and we're going to make a YouTube video of exactly how I did it to link to in the magazine, egads I'm SO embarrassed! Watch this space over the next couple of weeks if you want a giggle. It should be a scream but hey, if it helps someone else then I guess it's worth the embarrassment!
