Sorry its been so long!

I think I got myself all blogged-out. I didn't realise I'd not posted for so long!

Well I'm still plodding along with CD. Currently 2lb's short of reaching the 4 stone mark, so pleased with that. It's taken 4 months to get this far but at least I have gone past the half way mark. Not sure what the final goal will be, but I've dropped from a size 22/24 to an 18 which is great and I got some jeans from the Debenhams sale a couple of weeks back that were size 16 and could get in them - just couldn't move or breath!

My mum started CD when she came back from her holidays and she is doing well too. One good thing is that she wasn't as big as me to start so she's been giving me some of her clothes that are too big for her and when I get too big for them, I'm selling them on ebay!

I've added a couple of photo's - the first a shockingly awful one of me taken at a dog show last year - probably the biggest I've been. I hate the photo as I look so bad but in many ways it reminds me that I never want to go back to that size. The other photo was taken at the beginning of June and I can really see the difference!

Hope everyone is doing well with their losses too.

Wendy x

Day 28 on CD

Have been to get weighed today and very pleased to report that I've lost 4lbs, so that makes up for the 1lb gain last week. Very happy now!!

Day 27 on CD

Still sticking with CD but still bored with it! I think I need to try and regain my focus so this week I'm going to make extra effort to catch up with everyone's blogs.

It's strange as I don't really notice any of the loss in myself yet other people have. After we went to collect Molly on Thursday Tracy posted some pics on The Refuge, including some of me (eeeek!!) and loads of people commented on how well I was looking. Its lovely, of course, but apart from tightening my belt an extra 5 notches since I started, I don't feel any different.

Yesterday I took the dogs and went down to south Wiltshire to see my friend Helen. She adopted a gorgeous Black Lab boy from us a few weeks ago and 'officially' I was doing her post adoption check, but it was also a chance to catch up. Helen lives in a tiny little village in a chocolate box cottage with her hubby and 4 dogs, 3 cats and free range chickens and guinea fowl. I'd completely forgotten about the chooks but thankfully Molly wasn't at all interested. Poppy and Helen's Chocolate Lab, Bert, have a bit of a luuurve thing going on so he was very impressed with me arriving with another choccie girl for him to schmooze. All of Helen's dogs are fab and they welcomed my lot straight in and played around in the garden.

When offered, I was very good and declined a cheese scone but just had a coffee. Helen's hubby was cooking bacon to make a sandwich but thankfully I wasn't the slightest bit tempted - mainly because he forgot about it being in the frying pan and was busy planting up the vegetable beds until Helen screamed at him that there was smoke billowing out of the house! I went in to use to loo and the whole cottage was full of thick smoke. Any worries I'd had about the tempting smell of cooking bacon wafting out were replaced with the stink of burnt frying pan. Probably just as well.

We took the dogs off out to a place called Wardour Castle and had a really good walk. All the dogs got on so well and did plenty of running about and some swimming. Helen's elderly and somewhat eccentric Bull Terrier, Cassie, kind of fell in the water and looked rather surprised but fortunately Helen pulled her out before she had the chance to swim or float out too far. Poppy stayed at the cottage with Helen's husband as she wouldn't have managed the walk but Bumpy and Molly had a good run.

I had been organised and taken a tetra pak of chocolate milkshake with me so drank that on the way home. It was a really lovely day as the weather was good, and the company lovely as always.

I will be getting weighed tomorrow and have tried to drink as much water as possible. I really, really want to make up for last week's gain and get to the 3 stone mark before my birthday in a couple of weeks. Must stay with the water/wee/water/wee routine!

Day 23 on CD

Worked Tuesday and Wednesday so didn't get time to blog. Have been drinking loads and loads of water, so keeping focused!

Today has been a very exciting day. I went with a friend to the kennels where some of the homeless Lab Rescue dogs stay while we wait for them to find new homes. I took Poppy along with me to meet a little Lab girl who has been in the kennels for a few months with no home offers. The plan was to see if Poppy was happy with her and if so, I would foster her. I would also like to proudly point out that while Tracy had a bacon bap from the services, I drank my chocolate tetra pak!

The info we had was that she was originally a breeding bitch and then passed on to a couple who ended up keeping her in the garden. So, for the last couple of years, she had been living out in the garden but because she barked a lot, they gave her up to us.

I'm hoping we can overcome the barking with a bit more routine in her life and of course the company of Poppy and Bumpy when I'm not here. I'll start off leaving her for short periods to try and get her used to being left and see how we go. So far she is being very sweet and loves everyone and everything. We've been to the vets to get her registered and as she was a bit pongy from being in kennels, she has had a bath. After her exciting day, she's worn out now and fast asleep in Bumpy's bed (he's on Poppy's bed).

So, here she is. Please meet Molly

Day 20 on CD

Not a great start to the week. Went and got weighed today (instead of Tuesday as I'm going to be at work) and I've put on a pound. I know its not the end of the world and I've still lost over 2.4 stone, but its a bit of a blow. But, rather than feel cross with myself I'm just going to keep on going and up the water intake. I was working nights last week and I know I always drink less water during the night, so all being well next week will be a good loss and make up for this blip.

Sorry for my grumpiness last week. I'm feeling a bit better now and trying to focus back on the positives rather than the negative thoughts that are normally buried away. I'm sure I will be happier once the weight has gone but I suppose at the moment, what with other things going on, the negative side of me comes out more. Maybe being a Gemini I've got a bit of a split personality.

In non-diet news my parents are now in Barbados. I left work early on Saturday morning and took them up to Manchester airport. Got them there safely and in plenty of time, only to get a phone call from my mum when I was driving home to say they had been offloaded from their plane as one of the engines had caught fire!! Once I was home I checked some online flight info sites and phoned my uncle in Barbados to let him know they would be delayed. Eventually they left Manchester at about 5.30pm. According to the email I had from my uncle earlier, they are enjoying themselves, no doubt helped by the fab weather and what seems to be a drinking tour of the island.

I did have a nice surprise though - while we stopped for coffee on the way to the airport my dad gave me an envelope and said it was an early birthday present (birthday is next month). It was a document from the DVLA confirming that he had purchased a number plate for me - K9 WVP!! Appropriate for me, with the dogs and my initials. It's a very lovely thing as he know's I've wanted it for ages. He wanted me to have it early so I could have the plates on my car in time for my birthday. Unfortunately, silly Dad hadn't signed the form so I can't change them yet. Never mind.

After I'd dropped my parents off on Saturday I popped in to see a friend who I've not seen for a while and she noticed the difference in me, which was nice. Had a coffee and a good chat before I made my way home.

Poppy has been to the vets today to have more fluid drained. She's been going off her food and being rather flumpy but after having 5 litres drained, she seems much happier. She has just eaten some dinner so hopefully will be perkier now she's not carrying the fluid around.

As always, thank you for the lovely comments. I know I am useless at leaving comments for everyone else, but I do read.

Good luck to Sarah Angelica Maybe who is starting CD today. I'm going to have a good week this week and drink plenty of water and look forward to a good loss next time.

Day 17 on CD

Been a bit rubbish at updating this week. Weigh in on Tuesday was fine, lost anothe 3lbs so current total is 347lbs which is good in 2 months.

Had been on nights, then a day off then back in on nights for overtime. Leaving early tomorrow though to drive my parents to the airport.

Still feeling bleurgh. Trying not to be and give an outward show of someone who's happy but feeling down. Don't know why really. Having niggling feelings that although I know the weight is coming off and I know its showing, what if it doesn't make me happier? Maybe I've put too much importance on it and stupid thoughts that if I can sort the weight out I'll end up being happy.

Thank you for the lovely comments. I've not read them properly as I got a bit snivelly and I'm at work so will read again properly from home.