WEEK TWELVE 19/03 -- 25/03

Oh and this week had started off so well too. 

Been doing more exercising, some weights, avoiding the junk food and beer and I even started losing a few pounds too. 

So please, why do I feel so rubbish as I write this today. 


Well looking back to Friday that was great, met with my Brother and few others to follow the Cheltenham Festival and Gold Cup Day. Even had a few winners including the big race itself which was nice but the day got bad cos I was drinking and though felt I was enjoying it at the time once i got home it was sickening. 

We won the rugby on Saturday and that was awesome beating the French, I came back into work and there's just so much spinning around my head that I can't even focus on the positive things that my year had been delivering me so far. 



Yet I still feel really on edge, I know I am still very emotional about losing my friend and think I am just worried what will be going wrong next. Need to "snap out of it" but as anyone who has even been remotely affected by depression will know this is impossible and there is no magic fix or cure. 

Have to keep taking it on step at a time, one day after another. I DID get through the week so I really ought to be happier about it, stop looking backwards and keep focusing on the future. 

Easter weekend, I am NOT scoffing choc eggs, but I will be out to Richmond or Bushy park or I might even nip down to Brighton or Beachy Head, both are favourite locations of mine the air is crisp and the view is refreshing. 

Have a wonderful Easter out there. Be nice.

"Oh, what fun we had, but at the time it seemed so bad

Trying different ways to make a difference to the days!"

WEEK ELEVEN 12/03 -- 18/03

Hello, Have been looking forward to this week for quite a while, going to be having a nice few days off to enjoy myself and it's the annual National Hunt racing festival at Cheltenham. 

Usually it's a good week to enjoy and I will out seeing my Brother and a few others for Gold Cup Day on Friday. 



Before then we are enjoying the weekend with FA Cup action on the TV, and Wombles away to Morecambe FC in the league. Sadly the Dons lost 2-1 so our play off push is taking a bit of a battering of late, there's still time to put things right again and at least the fear of relegation is not hanging over us. 

6 Nations rugby too with England playing Wales and despite a bit of a scare in the last few mins the boys did the job and secured the triple crown 25-21. Now it's all about beating the French in Paris to collect their first Grand Slam since 2003. 

Work has been better a few things that had been worrying me during the previous week have turned out to be fine in the end and that's making me realise that I should stop the worrying and just keep working hard on what I can as well as planning more for the future. 

After these days off we'll have Easter to help shorten the working week again :O)   And lots of plans for end of April including going out to Ascot for my birthday, a trip down to the coast and more time with my friends. 

Easter comes up soon so try not to scoff too many eggs, I am still trying to lose weight and it's coming off slowly which is fine. Spring cleaning will be the next task probably over the Easter break and aside from clearing loads of clutter (where does it all come from though) it's just as useful to clear the mind and free up some positive energy too and channel that towards Spring / Summer.

WEEK TEN 05/03 -- 11/03

A quiet week for us this one, was up high last time having lost a little bit of weight and seeing that I had been making good progress this year. Then we crashed back down to earth losing someone very dear to me and have been feeling low since then. 

Add to that the annual Mother's Day saga where it hits home again that I am alone without the people that matter most and I guess I really hate this time of year, but use it to keep remembering. 

I knew this process would have it's UPS and DOWNS so will keep on dealing with it and looking forwards, we are not doing too badly at 10 weeks in. 

Coming up fast are a few days off for the Cheltenham Festival which is an annual fixture I do look forward to, should be out with my brother and we'll see if we can find a couple of winners to help make the week even better. 

April will see my birthday and again I have a few days off to go out and enjoy myself. Will be attending Ascot Races on Wednesday 27th, another annual fixture that we've been attending for over 10-15 years now, and I will be aiming to get down to Brighton for a day out and who knows what else.

Given that this time last year I was just finding out I was out of work I am determined to make better use of this year. 

Onwards and upwards, I'll leave you this week with one of my favourite cartoon strips. 

WEEK NINE 27/02 -- 04/03 TIME TO WEIGH IN AGAIN.

Farewell February and hello to March. A merry St David's Day to my Welsh friends and foes...

Spring will soon be upon us, though my Daffodils came out at Xmas. And it's time to have a look at my progress (or not, as the case may be) and update my stats after 2 months. 

Just to recap, when I started this on Jan 1 the intention was clear to make small changes throughout the year and aim to make my life better, feel stronger, more active and happier. I can safely say that so far so good, but as with all progress it helps to have some other form of measure. 

I took some simple measurements in Jan so I could compare throughout the year, I would love to lose some weight this year and here is where we began 2016 at;

Opening Weight at 1st Jan -- 23st 6lb 

Measurements (inches) 
Neck -- 22
Chest -- 54
Stomach -- 57
Waist -- 48
Thighs -- 27
Biceps -- 14


Revised Weight as at 4th March -- 22st 13lb 
 -- I've lost 7lb that's fantastic news. 
Small victories but very happy with that outcome. 

Measurements (inches) 
Neck -- 21
Chest -- 54
Stomach -- 56
Waist -- 47
Thighs -- 27
Biceps -- 15

Not a big amount of change elsewhere but the waistline is going down as my clothes are much looser especially in the trousers. I have just ordered a few new pairs to replace these anyway and the belts have had new holes drilled in them.

Now I know some of that change is caused by natural stretching of fabric, I'm not totally stupid, however it's still pleasing to see small gains / losses and will keep me going into spring and onwards. 

Still not looking too great, but it was Saturday morning to be fair at the crematorium and I hadn't shaved or got my mojo on yet.