How it all began...

I used to be fit. Well, I had a modicum of fitness... I ran the Great North Run nearly two years ago. And when I say ran, I mean for over half of it I was running and for a similar amount of time I was walking quickly. I lost weight, I felt great, and I could run at least 2 miles without wanting to die. And then I stopped. I tried occassionally to pick it up again, but kept falling flat due to the painful fact that I hate running.

Anyway, over the year and a half since that pinacle of fitness I have tried to keep myself fitish. I walk to work, which is just under 2 miles and try to do other things. At the end of the year the fiance and I even went dancing. That was great. And then Christmas and chocolate happened, the mornings were dark and I started to regularly take the bus to work and I began to feel like a blob again... And then, the staw to brake the provebial camel's back, I was weighed by my doctor last Friday. And I cried. Not there and then, I at least had the decency to wait until I got home and could do so on the fiance's shoulder. I wailed and sniffed and God Bless and love him he was wonderfully supportive. "We eat quite well", says he, "but what can I do to help you further... We could start walking more - we could go for a walk tomorrow". I sniffed and smiled and knew he loves me. And to be true to his word he prodded me out of bed on Saturday morning for a brisk and bracing 50 minute walk near where we live. Bless.

But! Walking alone will not save me. My doctor asked if I had a goal for weight loss - I said I didn't want to be a fat bride when the fiance and I wed (this was nearly called fat bride, but as I am determined not to be...). So this is my mission statement:

FOOD:

• I will not snack between meals, unless the snack is healthy
• I will only eat sweats when I am at the cinema
• I will eat smaller portions of food that is lower in fat
• I will eat a varied breakfast (not just poached eggs)

EXERCISE:

• I will go for a long walk with the fiance at the weekends
• I will walk to work (at least 4 days per week)
• I will walk home from work every day
• I will do my stretching and crunching yoga type exercises at least 5 times a week
• I will go to the swimming pool at least once a week
• I will start running again.

And then, because I have the best friends in the world, one of the troop challenged me to a bet - the one who has lost least weight by 3rd May must give up something chosen by their significant other. And that thing must be something that we don't want to have to give up because the period of abstinance must be 3 month! Eek! The fiance wont tell me what it is he'll make me give up (to give himself more time to think of something). But I must be determined to win the bet. Which means that I must do more exercise, get myself fit and carry out my mission statement in full.

So! The persuit of fitness begins... And to help me I shall track my progress here. I doubt that anyone will be reading, but if you are - it'll probably be boring and I probably wont keep writing, so I'd give up now if I were you....