Challenge yourself? Big News!

I like to think I live by the mantra “If it scares you – do it!”

In the past this has been running 10km, flying to Amsterdam to meet a friend on my own, going back to university at 25, so with that I would like to introduce you to my new challenge :

Swimming 22 Miles – The length of the English Channel- for Aspire the Spinal Injuries Charity, as every eight hours someone is paralysed by a Spinal Cord Injury and there is currently no cure.

I have 12 weeks in which to complete the challenge, but I’m aiming to do it in 10 with 2 weeks as a contingency plan. Here’s the scary bit – it is 1686 lengths of the pool and that works out to 168 lengths per week.

So I am a real life Dory – Just keep swimming. I start on the 12th of September and I am so excited to start, just to prove to myself that I can complete this challenge.

If you fancy sponsoring me – I have included the just giving link below just press the button, any amount no matter how big or small would be brilliant. Thank you in advance.

 

I will of course keep you updated with the progress

 

 

Unexpected Compliments

So as you know, after my tiny rant the other day that I’ve endeavoured to do some sort of physical activity everyday, well I’m continuing as I feel loads better for it, my skin looks better and my energy levels are up.

Like most women, I worry about what I look like in a swim suit, and being bigger I worry that people will comment on my choice of suit, the colour, the fact that I’m even going swimming and showing off so much wobbly bits!

Well last night after getting out of the water I nipped to the loo (I don’t know what it is about swimming but I always need the loo when I get out of the water!). After exciting the cubicle a woman in the toilets said, “I really love your swim suit, its such a lovely colour and really suits you” You have no idea what this did for me, as this suit is a blue floral pattern but its rather bright. I like it because it has a little skirt to try and hide wobbly bits.

We then proceeded to have a conversation about swim suits and where to buy the best ones from, and for me it was nice as I wasn’t expecting it at all.

 

Disheartened.

So today an ambulance pulled up outside my house, and the team where going into my neighbours house. Well my road isn’t massively wide so I thought, “I best move my car”.

The only problem with this was I was wearing the world’s worst jogging pants (I’m doing the housework today) so i nipped to change. I grabbed out pair of jeans and went out to move my car. All the time I was conscious of the fact that these jeans where a bit tight, especially around the thigh area, so once inside I looked and they where a size 22.

I’m, normally in a size 24, and they are only held on by my hips, but surely at nearly 2st down I should be a dress size smaller, or at least a jean size! It made me feel really unhappy, I keep putting off trying smaller clothes for this exact reason.

Today was weigh day and I lost 1.5lbs which in all honesty was about 1lb more than I was expecting.  I don’t know maybe I’m just feeling like my backside today and should go give my head a wobble.

Jeans.

So following on from my last post, I should share that I am still walking around in size 24 jeans. They are massive and if it was not for the fact that I have hips there is not a cat in hell’s chance that I would be keeping them up.

Now is the time to be brave right? I should of just not bothered. I have in my wardrobe sizes 24 down to 18, and thought that given the smaller gym bottoms and swim suit (i mean that fits my whole body!!!) that I would try on a size 22 jeans.

So I took out a nice brand new pair of dark blue boot cut jeans (I buy jeans when they are in the sale, or I buy them and then dont wear them as I am only going to asda ect) and pulled them on…..

They where tight, at my ladybits and around the top of my hips. On the plus side they did give me a cracking backside. But in another twist, I tried on a size 22 skinny jeans and these fitted perfectly. How does that happen? both from same brand, same size just different cuts…

I still ended up going out in my size 24 jeans as these felt comfy, I am just not sure how long I can get away with wearing them for.

Sportswear

So as I sit here and eat my dib dab (4 1/2 syns) I’m a rather happy girl.

I got weighed this week and I gained, shock horror, but it was 1/2lb. I’m not going to lament this as I had three good meals out with the other half and family. Nothing beats family time and seeing my gran actually eat more than a tiny amount.

So why am I happy about my lack of weight loss? Because I got into a swimsuit and pair of gym bottoms two sizes smaller. And not only that but the gym bottoms are so far out of my normal comfort zone that I cant believe I had to confidence to buy them. Ive still yet to wear them out but hey one step at a time.

I love them, and they are really comfy. Honestly Marks and Spencer sports wear range is brilliant, they offer some sizes up to size 24 which for a high street store for gym wear is not really heard of.

So I am stupidly excited because I have epic new gym gear and my water class resumes on Tuesday, I was hoping for sooner, but the woman didn’t return my call but she did say that because there is only three weeks till the schools break up and we loose the use of the pool, that they would look at a personal trainer for the 6 weeks holiday. I cant believe this, as I go to the gym but I’m not overly confident so hopefully this will help and speed up my weight loss.

 

iPad’s & Inches

 

Yesterday I took a iPad to be fixed, I had not used this iPad in over a year, but the digitiser wasn’t working and I couldn’t get access to it. I had also managed to break the charge port. YEY me and the amount of damage I can do.

So I returned to pick it up and the bloke in the shop is giving me a huge smile, so this being a little weird I pay and leave. Once back in the car now being able to access the iPad, I checked it out. One of the first photos is a progress picture of my weight loss with me in a bra and pants. No wonder the bloke was giving me a smile, and no I’m not embarrassed, although I don’t post progress pics on Facebook or any other social media, I’m not ashamed of my body.  Both my mother and gran found this hilarious when I told them even my partner had a good giggle.

So I don’t think I am loosing weight, I had a 1/2 gain last Thursday, but I am loosing inches, my clothes are bigger and looser. The top I have on today used to be tight at the boobs and arms, but there is loads of wiggle room. The smaller size jeans, although wearable are not as comfy as I would like (they are skinny fit and I don’t like things tight on my calves) I will get weighed on Thursday and see what happens. Hopefully a loss.

 

LMC

X

 

Dare I?

As followers of this blog will know, the whole reason behind me loosing weight is that I graduate next year and I am not walking up on that stage in front of a hall full of people in a tent. There are other reasons behind it but this gives me a goal, something to aim for.

Well being out and about I notice fashion and look at dresses – I’ve not specifically being looking for a graduation dress but I have seen some lovely dresses and today I think I may have found “The One” but now what?

Do I buy the dress?

This opens up a whole new can of worms, because if I where to purchase a the dress what size should I purchase? I’m a goal orientated person so if I bought the dress in a UK 14 it would give me something to aim for and knowing me I would probably end up needing a 12. But what happens if I don’t get there, and I’ve wasted my money and then need to find a dress in a 16?

What if I buy it and loose enough weight to fit into it but then don’t actually like the dress?  What if it doesn’t suit me?

I just dont know what to do, this in question: Graduation Dress 

Maybe I should just leave it and search for a dress when I know what size I have ended up.