My last post before the long autumn/winter hibernation was all about the aim to turn my remaining excess weight into cash for the kids. Back in September, I was determined to do it within six months or less – and I was convinced that by going public, I’d achieve that. Unfortunately, I didn’t. September can still feel like summer; it can lull you into a false sense of security, in which it’s difficult to believe that winter is just around the corner. The truth is that winter is the worst possible time to lose weight – what with the lure of comfort food and the definite anti-lure (if that isn’t a word it should be!) of the idea of going out for a walk in the wind and rain, or getting up on a dark, cold, wet November morning to go for an early swim! Add to that the fact that my exercise bike collapsed under the strain some time in November – probably in protest at having been used almost every day for the last few years (I’m sure these things are designed to be bought, used once and then spend the rest of their lives covered up in the corner).
Then, right in the middle of the six-month window I’d opened for myself, there was Christmas. I come over all Mumsy around Christmas and start cooking (the compulsion to get into the kitchen and make food from scratch usually wears off in the new year – but not this year). Aside from Christmas puddings, which I’ve made since around 2004, this time I rediscovered my ability to make pastry (I hadn’t done it since I was twelve), so took on the making of the mince pies, as well as doing the bulk of the cooking for lunch on Christmas Day – and obviously I couldn’t expect anyone else to eat my food unless I was prepared to join them (well, that’s my excuse – and I’m sticking to it!).
To be honest, Everything I’ve said so far has been an excuse – the simple fact is, I lost discipline – lost sight of my ultimate goal. Now, though, with spring in the air (well, it was last week!), the book in print and the launch in the planning – plus a new exercise bike-cum-cross-trainer – my resolve is back. I’ve lost three pounds in the last fortnight and am aiming for at least another half a stone before my company launch, on 11th May. So if you agreed to sponsor me, prepare to part with your cash – and if you didn’t, great news – there’s still time!
When I missed my original deadline, I was tempted to believe the whole plan was a failure; but then I thought again: one of the things I try to impress upon the kids I work with is that to screw up is ok – to give up isn’t. If you keep trying, you’ll get better – and eventually you’ll achieve. … So I have to practice what I preach, don’t I?
