Rome baby

We’re probably going to Rome for my birthday:-D I’m so excited! We thought we would go away for my birthday, but figured it’d be in the tent, surfing in Wales or North Yorks. Then Raine suggested I look at the flights to and accommodation in Rome, I thought they’d be way out of our budget, but they’re not. I can get us flights and accommodation for under £200. Only thing stopping us is Raine’s work – she mightn’t be able to take my birthday off, and she really needs to if we’re going to be able to do it - otherwise we’d be in Rome for a day, which is obviously no good. I’m so excited, it’d be a dream come true. I’m going to eat pizza and pasta and ice cream and look at Roman things...

I’m losing weight, I’ve lost 4lb so far, I’m aiming for 2lb a week, so I should be where I want to be somewhere in August. I’m on a diet (calorie controlled, not a fad one – people ask me ‘what diet are you on’. Answer: the eat less diet - the one diet that works, and doesn’t kill you!) and I’m exercising. When I feel tempted not to go to the gym or to eat something calorific I use the Chandler (‘Friends’ geek joke) mantra, “I’m a strong, beautiful woman”...I use it a lot.

Blackpool sports facilities are brilliant! I can’t believe what I get for my money (swimming, gym and classes). My dad and I are going to Tai Chi together on Thursday. That’s my first class, once I get tired of exercising on my own I’ll sign up for some others. Going to the Gym is very entertaining. It’s mostly full of older people, and the women are hysterical. Both gyms are being fitted with new equipment, and people aren’t amused. The stuff is really good, but I don’t think they like change, and they seem to like whinging a lot. One woman told her friend, “I’ve been coming here for four years and I haven’t lost any weight.” I imagine they reward their workout with a McDonalds. Another woman got on the exercise bike next to me, stayed on it for what couldn’t have been more than a minute and complained that “it can’t be right – it says I’ve only burned 7 calories.” I strongly suspect it was right. The general consensus seems to be that being in the gym building alone should burn a few hundred calories, and if it doesn’t there is something wrong with the gym.

I’m getting very interested in food groups (I’m so cool;-)), and making our diet even healthier. I’ve always tried to get my 5+ of fruit and veg a day, but now I’m also trying to swap foods for wholegrain alternatives (they’re all really tasty, so far) and integrate more beans and pulses. All but one of my tablets makes me very hungry (it was when I went on this mix of drugs that I put on weight), so it’s really important that I find foods that keep my energy levels up and hunger to a minimum. We’ve been having a lot more vegetarian food. Everyone knows how much I *love* cooking, so it’s not something I’m giving up while I’m dieting, I’m just finding new meals (although most of our meals aren’t too calorific, I’m just tweaking the recipes a bit, or having fun finding new dishes).