LadyWitch - Bridezilla cometh

[LadyWitch]

The Main Quest...

 

...Get Married!

This is happening on the 8th Feb 2014. So, just under 3 months to go! Still have a lot to do before then, but my primary goal is to get down to 10st (140lb) by the end of January. (I have 1 stone (20lb) to go!)

 

Goals to achieve this:

1/ Get back to 90% Paleo. I did the Whole30 in my last challenge, and then went off the rails after it finished, so I need to get back on track... (4 CON)

2/ Strength train 3 times a week. I was ill for a lot of the last challenge so my strength training really slipped, so I need to get back into it... (4 STR)

3/ Practice, practice, practice. For the same reason that the strength training got sidelined, my dancing did too; after the show I crashed and have been to one class since then... So, I need to do two hours of dance practice, on top of the two classes each week. (2 STA, 2 DEX)

 

 

Life Quest...

 

Get Married... That's it... When it comes right down to it, all the stuff I haven't gotten done yet is just 'fluff'. I could happily turn up on the day, say 'I do' and that would be it. So, if I don't get something done, I'm not going to stress out about it. Instead, I'm going to focus on making the day memorable, magical and full of love... nothing else matters.

 

 

Motivations...

 

After the Whole30, my diet got derailed. Partly that was due to being ill, I had no energy for cooking, and started craving all the things I shouldn't be having, and partly due to the mental process of 'hmmmm Whole30 is done, I've successfully re-introduced dairy, that means I can have CHEEESSSEEEEE!' We've eaten a LOT of cheese over the last couple of weeks, add that to the crap and lack of exercise and I've gained 3lb since finishing it... Well, as of today, I am well, and have the energy to care. So, I started the day with a workout - I'm focusing on push-ups, squats and planks, but may add in lunges and pull ups as I go along, and will be going to my burlesque class tonight (if nothing else, we're doing a fan workshop tonight!)

 

Starting stats:

Weight: 160lb

Bust: 37 (94cm)

Chest: 31.5 (80cm)

Waist: 30 (77cm)

Hips: 40.5 (103cm)

Thigh: 24.5 (68.5cm)

[GingaNinja]

LadyWitch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Welcome back to Adventurers *salute* <3 <3 missed you

[Nephaisys]

Welcome! Can't wait to see how well you do this one.

 

You've been a huge inspiration to me, I haven't even thought about wedding planning yet, but I love the personal touch of hand-made stuff, and will be following in your footsteps.

You can do this!

[LadyWitch]

Thanks guys!

 

I decided to return to the Adventurers as my 'good habits' slipped drastically after the Whole30, so I felt a need to return to basics... and I feel more at home here! I don't really 'fit' in any of the other guilds just yet (as dancing isn't really covered by any of them!) and I'm happy to be adventurous as much as possible

 

As I manage to make things, I'll post pictures, and no doubt there will be a ton of ranting and swearing between now and the big day but then thats part of the fun - at what other time in her life can a woman get away with being a controlling busybody, prone to emotional outbreaks and frequent murder attempt?! JK (mostly!)

[LadyWitch]

Here's the starting photo I forgot to upload on Monday... It's getting a bit nippy for these but they are a great way of tracking things, especially as my brain lags behind quite a bit and it's only by comparing photos that I can see how well I'm doing.

[GingaNinja]

I was freezing on Sunday when I was taking mine as well! It is the best way to see your progress though! I totally take my measurements and then totally forget!

[mummybear]

I'm thinking i might take some photos as well.... Even though i am totally not looking good.... but i might bite the bullet and do it this challenge, because i would love to see my body change with bambino I took belly pictures with BabyBear but i also put on like 5 stone, which is so totally not happening this time, well shouldnt happen if i can help it  

 

I took measurements and i start taing them every saturday morning but i found that yes you can see the numbers going down like with your weight but unless you can suddenly fit in an old pair of jeans i wonder if its just a fluke or something? If you know what i mean?

 

 Anyhoo! Glad i've found you again, and Thumbs up and good luck x

[LadyWitch]

Mummybear, welcome! Good to see you again, I'll try and head over to your thread in a bit and be noisy! I'm not sure I've ever mentioned this, but I used to call my dad Pappa Bear, and to him I was Baby Bear, so I smile every time I see you post about your BabyBear

 

Today has gone fairly well, I walked into town and back, which is about 1 1/2 miles each way, and I've done my push ups... We're also supposed to be going out later, which will mean another walk into town, although we'll probably get a lift home. 

 

I realised a little while ago, that I keep posting stuff about my exercise, but other than the occasional mention of Paleo or the Whole30, I seem to have stopped posting food updates... So, to change that, breakfast today was 4 rashers of bacon and an apple; lunch was chicken and asparagus; and dinner tonight is roast beef (which is in the oven atm and making me HUNGRY) with loads of veggies on the side. I'm then going to introduce K to a paleo mug cake that I discovered yesterday and could very easily get addicted to... We don't seem to have dinner together very often atm, so we're making the most of it, hence the desert

[Tateman]

I went a little crazy between challenges too, but was able to lose the weight again.  Good to see you back here.  That wedding will be here soon!  Your food for the day sounds delicious

[Arilian Princess]

Yay! Looking good and paleo cake in a mug?

[mummybear]

i couldn't get on with the paleo mug cake so maybe i didn't do it right but the description was more of paleo bread in a mug and to be frank it was vile! So any link to your awesome one would be fab! I just have to convince my stomach that eggs are not the enemy, because it seriously thinks they are at the moment which is poopy!

 

As for paleo recipes, i do lots of roasts, or crockpot meals which are my favourite, lots of currys, i did a BBQ Ribs rack in the crock pot which were amazing! And then i do things like soups and stews and chillis and then have it on its own or with shredded cabbage which i prefer to the cauliflower rice

 

 I LOVE ME SOME CROCK POT!  

 

 Lol, sorry for that, i'm obviously easily excitable this morning, what types of paleo foods are you cooking?

[LadyWitch]

Here's the link for the cup-cake... I suppose technically it's not Paleo as it uses cocoa, but I use fair trade stuff as dark as you can get it! And god is it tasty!!! We had it with clotted cream last night, which is also not technically Paleo... But oh well got to enjoy yourself occasionally...

http://www.delightedmomma.com/2012/09/3-minute-chocolate-paleo-mug-cake.html

As for what else we cook, we use a lot of tomato pasata, or tinned tomatoes as a base, and spice it up with either curry powders or herbs, it can then be used with chicken, pork, turkey, anything really. Also having a lot of butternut squash, courgettes and aubergines atm, I'm loving experimenting with them... One of the current favourites is roasted butternut squash, with courgette that has been grated and fried up with pine nuts, Yum! Also starting to use coconut milk a bit more to change the flavour/texture of the curries we make...

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[mummybear]

i dont use tomatoes a lot and i think its because i associate it with pasta so much but i LOVE paleo lasanga!  instead of the pasta sheets its leek sheets gotta love the hairy bikers for that idea lol 

[GingaNinja]

I love lasagne, it is pretty much the only pasta style dish I really miss, people have used courgettes sliced lengthwise like pasta in it though which is pretty neat idea. I think if I was going to make lasagne though, I'd just have to deal with the consequences of possibly feeling terrible the next day.

[Tateman]

I love lasagne, it is pretty much the only pasta style dish I really miss, people have used courgettes sliced lengthwise like pasta in it though which is pretty neat idea. I think if I was going to make lasagne though, I'd just have to deal with the consequences of possibly feeling terrible the next day.

Yeah, I love me some lasagna too.  it's one of my old foods I use to love, that is still good to me haha.

 

That cake in the mug looks pretty good.  I might have to try it sometimes.

[Arilian Princess]

I wasn't a fan of lasagna usually Because I found to many layers of noddles but I quite like the zucchini lasagna and found it freezes quite well

[mummybear]

yeah thats why i said to use leeks cut length wise instead because its amazing! I did try the courgette/zucini idea and it didn't work for me but it might work for someone else so definitely give it a go nomy nom

[LadyWitch]

We've used sliced sweet potato or aubergine before, but never thought to try leeks... May have to give it a go!

[Arilian Princess]

How's the wedding planning going? Going to do a paleo cake?

[Nephaisys]

I have found such a love of sweet potatoes lately. With a little ghee oil and chilli powder, chilli flakes, in the oven for 15 minutes... lush!

 

I can't believe you're brave enough to post pictures - it's so freekin' cold! How's week 1 been for you?

[LadyWitch]

Bah... I seem to have dropped off the face of the earth again... Why is it so hard to open a webpage and read/post comments?! Especially when I'm sat at my computer all day every day Oh well, update time...

 

Last week went ok... Not great, but not bad either. I did both dance classes, for the first time in over a month, which I felt good about, but I felt really uncomfortable in the belly dance class - I've gone from being one of the best in the class, to struggling to keep up with the routine that they're learning. It's my own fault for missing so many classes, and I'm sure I'll catch up eventually, but right now its horrid! (I'm not used to being best at anything, so the shock of it probably went to my head, and now I don't like going back to being just 'OK')

 

I managed two sessions of bodyweight exercises, not three, but it was better than nothing, and better than I've managed so far this week... Why is it that even though I KNOW I'll feel great if I do them regularly, I can't find the energy to do them? Admittedly, my back is playing up slightly since belly dancing, but that's because it had a month of not doing anything and is now complaining... I'm not listening to it, and trying to stretch it out, but its still off putting (it especially makes squats a problem, as every time I squat, my back twinges on my)

 

As for food, well... that's been iffy too. Gluten-free grains seem to be slipping in, as does an increasing amount of dairy; and I keep telling myself that I'll do better 'tomorrow', and of course, tomorrow never comes I know what I need to do (cut them completely) but I've gotten used to having a cup of tea (or more than one) a day, and with the weather getting colder, hot drinks are a must... and I get bored of fruit teas. I know, I know, excuses excuses... So, this is me, going cold turkey on dairy again... I admit that I've already had my cuppa today, but no more... 

 

Hopefully, cutting dairy will kick start the weight loss again, but it's so cold I'm also having trouble with the whole 'move more' part of things... I kinda vegetate when I get cold, and going outside is absolutely the last thing I want to do (for some reason, I'm terrified of getting cold, always have been). My exercise levels have dropped to barely anything, and getting myself moving gets harder each day as my body stiffens up... I can't afford a gym atm, so it's not like I can go exercise in the warm somewhere, but while I'm at home, I spend my spare time curled up on the sofa reading...

 

So, in answer to AP's question about wedding stuff, not alot has been done! Two of my bridesmaids are coming over this weekend to get some planning done, and to start making decorations... but, I'm soooooo not ready for them! I'd planned on having mock-ups of both their boleros done, and if possible actually have the first one finished; I've got one mock up done, and that was finished two weeks ago (it doesn't help that I had a friend over on Saturday to show me how to use a sewing pattern, as I normally just make things up as I go along. Now, I really want to get the steampunk jacket that we started on finished which isn't a priority, but I really, really, want to do!)

 

Not sure really how to get back on track with everything... I feel like there are a million things I need to do (which there are) but I keep burying my head in the sand (or book) and hoping it all goes away. Which I KNOW is a bad attitude to have, and only makes things worse, but I'm stuck in a vicious cycle and can't seem to break free... although, I finished my book last night, so if I can just avoid starting a new one, I may actually get something done!

 

Ok... I'm done whining now... I have four hours today that are either gaps in shifts, or quiet shifts, so I will do my bodyweight workout in one of them, and use the others for working on the boleros... I'm going to put away the steampunk jacket, and not let myself work on it until I've finished 2 out of the 3 boleros... and the third one needs to be mostly done, but can't be finished until Bridesmaid #3 arrives from New Zealand the week of the wedding. Goal is to get one of the boleros cut out, and tacked together by Friday, and try and get the second mock up done, so it can be tried on over the weekend (I may end up roping them into to helping cut fabric etc)

[LadyWitch]

Workout done:

Star jumps (Warmup): 100

Push ups: 16 15 14 13 12 = 70

Squats: 30 x 5sets = 150

Lots and lots of stretches!!!

 

And between sets, I cleared my dining table (which is in the middle of my living room), put away the steampunk jacket and started putting my to-do list on post-it notes to be prioritised... Now a quick bite to eat (left over turkey meatballs and cherry tomatoes) and its on to a busy shift

 

So far, so good!

[GingaNinja]

Sounds like you've had a busy week, I have always been the same with procrastinating, just hide away and do something productive like reading books and drinking tea! It is cold up here in Scotland as well and that is pretty much all I want to do as well and nothing is quite like breakfast tea with milk in it, so I feel you.

 

You sounds like you are doing great despite having a lot on, looking after your health is most important and all the other stuff with fall into place no doubt!

[Arilian Princess]

Heh, I know the feeling about the cold. I've been stuck outside at work so when I get home all I'm wanting to do this set is sleep. :/

 

But you have made a sticky note list of chores and now have a bribe to complete the two boleros. The sooner you get progress on these the sooner you can get your jacket done!

[LadyWitch]

That was my plan AP and it seems to be working... have the first bolero cut out and tacked together, just need to get my friend to try it on (she's supposed to be popping in sometime this afternoon to do that) and I have the mock up done for bolero 2... Still need to finish my post-it to-do list, but I've already ticked off another item on the list, so I am progressing... Said item was finally getting around to collecting our Authorisation to Marry and sending it off to the registrars, we gave notice in May, so it's taken me long enough!

 

Anywho... yesterday went reasonably well, as I did the workout I wanted, and started to cut fabric etc. Dinner was roast pork and all the (paleo) trimmings, and the left overs from that will be going into a paleo pie for tonights dinner... I finally feel like I'm starting to make progress on things, but I still feel a little overwhelmed... 

 

K has the day off tomorrow to get ready for his weekend away (he's on cooking duty Friday night, so will cook curry at home to take and be re-heated, but there needs to be three different types of curry - Hot, Medium and Veggie!) So, when he's not cooking, I'll ask him to do some tidying, or at least the hoovering! I then have him away from Friday to Monday, but my Bridesmaid Jenni staying over Friday-Sunday, so I'll be cooking for the same amount... unless my other Bridesmaid Cherry wants feeding too (she lives two minutes away, so is unlikely to stay over, although it has happened before!) but we're all following low-carb diets of one sort or another, so cooking wont really be any different... But, I can almost guarantee that there will be the odd alcoholic drink consumed over the weekend, and possibly cake...