Smile it's The Weekend Blog Hop {11}

It's that time of the week that we all love, it's almost the weekend. Because of that I just love Fridays, it's my favourite day of the week.

Years ago Friday was always Pay Day, the day your Boss gave you that little brown envelope full of cash with everything hand written on the front. When did we stop getting those and Pay Day become monthly and your money went straight into the bank? It sure didn't seem the same once the little brown envelopes stopped, did it?

A quick update on the diet front, after a tough week full of cravings and a couple of blips, I jumped on the scales this morning and I've lost 5lbs this week, yes you read right 5lbs.
Feeling pretty pleased with that but know it won't carry on that way, I'll only lose a pound or so a week from now on.
 I wish it was quicker but 1lb at a time is the healthiest way to lose it and keep it off, fad diets just don't work because as soon as you start eating properly again all the weight just piles back on again.

Badger Boo had a trip to the Groomers and came back looking a right little smarty pants, he really enjoys posing for his post groomer  picture. He knows as soon as it's done he always gets a chewie for being good.

As soon as I lift him off the table he starts charging around the garden barking his head off, telling me to hurry up, nothing like the serene pup you see in the picture. I really like this picture as it's the first one in ages that his cataracts don't show up in.

Poor Badger has had to go on a diet too, whilst he is by no means fat he is starting to get a little bit of a covering over his ribs. I've never had to worry about his weight before as he's always been a finicky eater, but over the last few months food has suddenly became his number one priority. Prevention is better than cure so I've nipped the weight gain in the bud.

Wish I was so strong about myself though!

Hope you all have a great weekend

xxx

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Smile it's The Weekend Blog Hop {10}

I found out a couple of weeks ago that the Specialist is happy to operate on me now and let me have a pair of new knee's. I'm understandably very nervous about the operation, so I've opted to wait a few months to allow me to lose some more weight. The less I weigh the more chance of success.

The diet has pretty much fallen by the wayside these past 18 months or so, what with everything that's been going on here, but on Monday I took the bull by the horns and jumped on the scales with my eyes shut. As I opened my eyes and peeked at the reading I fully expected to see I'd gained a lot some weight, but I was in for a pleasant surprise! 
I had actually lost 4lbs since I'd last weighed myself, how amazing was that!

So it's out with the chocolate and processed food, and back in with home cooking and sensible eating, I hadn't realised how easily I'd slipped back into the bad habits again.

It's been a tough week food wise, but to take my mind off the cravings for chocolate I've finally made a start on the huge pile of ironing that's been taking over the bed in my craft room. 
It's not strictly exercise but it's not sitting around on my bug fat bum either, at last I'm back to not wearing clothes that look like I've slept in them.

I'll keep you all updated how I'm getting on, but don't panic I won't be boring you to death with pictures of what I had for Dinner, I really hate it when people do that, mostly the food they post looks so unappetising as food is really hard to photograph well. 

If your a new follower you can read all about my weight loss story so far here, but be warned the first picture is hideous and I won't take responsibility for shock it may cause you.

Hope you all have great weekend.
xxx

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FreeCycle, Allotment and Potato's

 At last the allotment is taking shape and showing results, do you remember how bad it was when we took it over? If not then take a look here.

The back half is still covered in tarpaulin to stop the weeds growing as not been able to devote as much time to it as we would like, with Himself going in and out of hospital and my own Bad Days thrown into the mix.

But we have made a good start and stuff is growing, others at the allotments say we have achieved a lot in a short space of time, so I guess we have.

Now Panic and Freak Out

Only two and a half more shifts to go at work and next Wednesday I officially become a retired person Eekk!

 I'm only 47 years old, but they say I'm not fit enough to work there anymore so that will be that.

It has been quite an emotional week.

 Because of the way the shift system works I had to start saying my goodbyes this week, as I won't get to say my goodbyes to some of the wonderful people I have worked with over the last 13 years as they will be on rest days next week. 

Mind you there are some people I'm so glad I will never have to set eyes on or make polite conversation with ever again. Luckily they are only a small percentage of the workforce, most of the people there are brilliant and have been great to work with. Several I consider to be very good friends and I really hope we keep in contact after I leave.

So what will I do with myself?

I have absolutely no chuffin' idea!

Regular readers of this blog will know how much I have fought against this retirement decision, but to be honest I have got to the point now where I'm actually starting to look forward to it.

Love the title of this little book of quotations and thought it very apt lol

My job has kept me clean and sober for 13 of the 15 years since I cleaned up my act and stopped wasting my life. It's not always been easy, I deeply regret the years I wasted staring into the bottom of a Whiskey bottle and being estranged from my son, but I stuck with it and now we have a proper relationship again, and just because I will have time on my hands soon I intend to continue to remain clean and sober.

I love my job but as one door closes another one opens, well hopefully it will after Christmas as I will need to find myself a part time job to support myself **gulp**

A couple of weeks ago I knuckled back down to a healthy eating plan again, I really hate the word diet, I had worked so hard to lose over 7 even stone in 2010/11 and although I haven't put any weight back on, I am still a fatty with rubbish knees who needs to lose another 80 pounds. You can check out my weight loss story here, but I warn you the first picture is truly horrendous!

I've put a weight lose tracker on the left hand side of my blog under the Archive, because if I do it publicly I'm hoping it will keep me on track.  This is what it looks like (see little dog below) and as you can see I have lost 8lbs already, only another 72 to go.

I'm looking forward to spending a lot more time with my family, friends and of course my little dog Badger Boo plus spending time doing things that I enjoy, as for the last couple of years my life has just been work and sleep as I'm always so exhausted.

Through this blog I have had some wonderful support from people I have never even met, plus made some really good friends. I don't know what the future holds but rest assured I will be keeping you  all updated.

Vets, Vets, Physio and Jumpers

Last week we thought Badger Boo had a stroke which was our Vets diagnosis, he was very ill and it resulted in a referral trip to Fitzpatricks, better known as the Bionic Vet. 

What an amazing place, luckily for us it is quite near to where we live, but people travel across the country to attend this amazing practice.

We were told by our vet he would need an MRI scan to determine whether or not he had had a stroke, luckily for my purse after the most in depth examination it was decided it wasn't a stroke as he was showing none of the usual signs.

We saw Dr Tim, and after checking Badgers reflexes and bending him in all sorts of directions **none of which he minded I might add** a quick look in his ear found the source of the problem. 

It was a GRASS SEED! It  had caused a middle ear infection affecting his balance. To say that was an expensive and embarrassing experience is an understatement, thankfully we didn't have to have the humiliation of the MRI too.

Who ate all the Pies?

The diet has been pushed aside over the last few months, far too much stress in my life over whether or not I was going to lose my job, than to be worrying about what I've been eating, and then getting a telling off by the nurse at the "Fat Clinic"

Although the job situation still hasn't been resolved, I'm more relaxed about the situation as I'm now being kept in the loop about what is happening.

My joints have been giving me some serious pain of late, so thought I had better check out my weight on the scales. 

Hey Fatty Bum Bum

*Screams and covers eyes*

Sorry I should have put a warning on this post, this picture is very scary!!!

The hideous photo that shocked me into losing weight.Only in the album now to make me remember how I never want to look again!!! :- August 2009 - 26 stone 1lb aka 365lbs

When I saw this picture I was in total shock!

 I had no idea how heavy I had become. Approx 5 years before I'd had a very bad fall at work, injuring my left knee and back. Trouble was I was still eating as if I was running everyday and going to the gym. Even though I knew I was FAT, at this point I was still getting about reasonably ok most of the time, but had no idea what I