So tomorrow marks the start of week 2 and I cannot begin to tell you the relief that I feel! I keep trying to get back on the wagon over and over again for the last month and have finally managed to get 6 days under my belt and it has been problem-free. Where I was going wrong before was that I was being too restrictive and of course who wants to drink meal replacement drinks all day with only veges and a bit of meat for dinner? Haha not me cos I kept breaking my rules. I eventually “sucked it up” and came to realise that I couldn’t expect a quick fix to get rid of the weight I have put on and that’s when I started just counting calories and allowing myself to eat anything I wanted - so long as I still ate as the food pyramid suggests. And so far in the last week I’ve dropped some pounds and I’m feeling very positive about the whole thing. Last night I had an small ice cream cone after dinner and then this morning I was down from 147.2 to 145.8. Looks like I can have my cake and eat it? It’s all about sensible choices and eating in moderation - who would’ve thought aye?!

Well today there is a big work shared lunch which are usually great fun. I was planning on going along but then yesterday my friend asked if I could babysit her 4 month of baby for a couple of hours so I decided to skip the shared lunch and opted for the babysitting instead. I was more than happy with this (cos it also meant I didn’t have to be a slave to the kitchen last night preparing yummy foods) but then all my work mates thought that I wasn’t eating because of my diet! It kind of rubbed me the wrong way and who can blame me with comments like “just bring your carrot sticks and sit with us”. Um when do I eat carrot sticks? Although the lady who made this comment is life-long dieter, meaning she’s been dieting for her whole life and each time she ends up weighing more - so she tends to like to make rude comments about my diet or what I’m eating for lunch. Sometimes it reminds me of being a kid in the school yard when the bully would tease you about your new lunchbox or something and you’d go home all distraught and your mum would just explain that the poor bully is just jealous of your new lunchbox! I’m sure that the life-long dieter is just envious of the progress I’ve made over the last 5 months. I’m not ashamed to say that I am very proud of myself for losing 25 pounds. I may have made it look easy but I know that there was a struggle or some sort, to some degree every. single. day.

And the other thing is that even if I wasn’t going to be out for lunch and I could go to the shared lunch I wasn’t hungry at midday so that wouldn’t really fit in with my new “eat when you’re hungry and take time out to enjoy the food” theory. And anyways, I’m gonna have a scrummy yummy hot lunch at home and I’m also going to ‘indulge’ in a small date scone - something I am really looking forward to having. Yum!

Ok food time…

Breakfast: Oats (140), peaches (30), 1/3 banana (35) yoghurt (35) milk for tea (10)= 250.

Lunch: 2 slices wholemeal bread (145) 10gms cheese (30) 60gms baked beans (50) mini tomato and slice onion (10) yoghurt (35) =270.

Afternoon tea: milk for tea (10) 1 chocolate covered pretzel (25) = 35

<>Dinner: h/m vege soup (125) =125

<>Dessert: date scone & marg (265) 2/3 of banana (65)= 330.

<>Total = 1010.

Well so far I’ve got 1005cal planned out for the day but I’ve got a mini banana and some yoghurt with me if I’m still hungry after dinner (I’m working late at work so have my dinner with me). Also need to up my water drinking for the day since I’ve had none so far - unless I can count the two cups of tea I’ve had?

<><><><><><>UPDATE: Well it’s 7.50pm and I’m still at work but considering going home shortly. I have been downing the water (to test if I’m hungry or thirsty) and I’m kinda hungry but not like HUNGRY hungry - know what I mean? Haha. So anyways I was thinking about having my soup but I don’t want to eat it at work so I’m going to go home (via the mall to buy a book) and then eat it when I get home, out of a gorgeous bowl at the kitchen bench while browsing through todays paper. I just feel like eating my soup now at work would be a waste of the deliciousness of the soup. I know I’m sounding a bit like a crazy person but I’m trying the whole “evaluate if you’re hungry, what you’re hungry for and then appreciate what you’re eating” thing. So that’s what I’m going to do. And by the time I walk to my car, drive to the mall, drive home it”ll pretty much be 9pm and I should be hungry by then right? Ah now that just gives me something else to worry about. Should I be eating that late? What if I don’t ever feel hungry tonight? - haha that was just a joke I am sure I will be hungry by the time I get home :)