Loser

So today this happened...

The only time that I've been called a loser and it didn't sting. Today, I won our SW group's Greatest Loser 2020. With a total weight loss of 5 stone 13.5 lbs since April the 1st, I narrowly beat Mr G who weighed in in the blue corner at 5 stone 9 lbs. That damned 6 stone still eludes me. But never mind, because I am on cloud nine today.

I've had so many lovely comments, on Facebook, and in group. I was told that I was a beautiful person on the inside and outside - and I said thank you. Even if I don't believe it for one second, someone has taken the time to compliment me, and it was meant from the heart, so I accepted it. I've spent so many years saying 'Oh, don't be silly' 'What, this old thing?' 'I look like I've been dragged through a hedge!' etc. We're told that we're inspirational and I just don't get it, because at the end of the day, I'm nothing special. I'm a housewife and a mother. But if we make even one person think 'You know what? I can do this too.' then it kind of makes it all worth it.

I had loads of hugs, congratulations and I'm finally starting to feel good about myself again, for the first time in decades. Mr G is looking great too. I love the bones of him, and I really couldn't have done it without him. We probably couldn't have done it without each other, but if he had been sat eating pies and kebabs and pizza in front of me, then I would have caved.

But in all fairness to him, from that morning I woke him up and told him that we, not I, we were starting SW that morning, he has taken it all in his stride. He has ventured out of his comfort zone where a lot of foods are concerned. He has tried things I never thought he would try. He has developed a love of cooking, thanks to Two Chubby Cubs and Pinch of Nom. He is absolutely amazing, my biggest cheerleader, always has unwavering faith in me, whatever I decide to do, and I always have his unwavering support too. I love him so much, I'm actually going to marry him all over again, very soon. When I get to target, I'm going to find a gorgeous wedding dress, in white (stop laughing) and we are going to have the wedding day that we should have done. Instead of me being knocked up wearing a lilac suit from Bon Marche *eyeroll*

And then I decided to bite the bullet and post our picture on Pinch of Nom. Never done this before, always marvelled at those who did, they inspire me to keep going. Figuring I might get maybe thirty, forty likes... currently on 1292 and my phone keeps pinging. So more lovely, lovely comments there :-)

What else have we been up to then, since I last posted. Oooooh yes, Tyres and Testicles updated for 2020.

Friday, Mr G on a day off. We like to get out for the day at least once. Nothing exciting. Usually food shopping, knowing us. But we've been trying to mix it up a little, you know? Holyhead. Colwyn Bay (what? They've got a Heron!). So, he decides that he fancies Llandudno. Bloody freezing, icy cold wind and rain. Llandudno. In February.

I packed a healthy SW friendly lunch for us... and true to form, we'd eaten it by 9.45 am in the car park. Honest to God. So, come actual lunch time... no, we didn't even make it that far. Come 11.30 am, we are famished. And all we have in the car is a Hi-Fi bar and a piece of fruit. So, as I'm perusing the rails of clothes I realise something.

Me: Steve. Where would we be now, if we weren't here?

Mr G: Home.

Me: No. Well, yes, but no. Where would we be now, if we weren't here?

Me G: AT. HOME.

There's like some kind of weird stand off. Mr G speaking slowly to me as if I'm simple, and me staring at him waiting for the penny to drop. With the sales assistant hovering, looking bewildered, and giggling to himself.

Me: Where should we be this weekend? Where would we be now? And don't say 'AT HOME'.

Mr G: Oh. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh! Wrexham. London.

Me: Correct. And what would we have been eating?

Mr G: Come on...

So, we had fish and chips for lunch. Because we'd have been having - fish and chips for tea in Everland, a Premier Inn all you can eat breakfast - twice, very probably a pie from the butchers market in Wrexham, a very unhealthy packed lunch taken down to London with us on the coach, and despite my protestations to the contrary, a skinful of wine and beer. So weighing all that up, we would have been facing one almighty weight gain today anyway, so... we need very little swaying sometimes.

  
Look at that cheeky face. He knows. He knows he's being naughty and he doesn't care. He does not give a bakers, does he? Bless him.

I bought him a new hippie shirt because his old one looks like Homer's Mumu. He bought me two new Country Rose blouses (size 16!!) from Edinburgh Woolen Mill in the sale, because all my others are hanging on me (gutted). And we went to Primark and I treated myself to some deeply unsexy underwear. I don't care. I'm built for comfort. As far as I'm concerned, if I can't pull them up to my collarbone, you can keep them.

So, on the way home, on the A55, he turns the music down. 'Oil light has come on' he told me. He'd only just put oil in. So, we come off the A55 at Tal y Bont, and come home through Bangor, and of course, being just before school pick up on a Friday, the world and his wife are out, huge tailbacks. It sounds like we're driving a tractor. We get home, finally, and he phoned our mechanic who told us not to drive the car, and he would recover it on Monday. So, our car is in the garage, and Mr G has had to borrow my father's car to get to work tonight. Tyres or Testicles folks! In my case, both!

I went for coffee to Starbucks with my SW friend Annwen, which I really enjoy. Just sat people watching and putting the world to rights with a skinny latte. We take Hi-Fi bars with us and pretend they're brownies. We're going to Llandudno on Wednesday for lunch and to get me measured for a bra. I'm at that point now that I'm just plucking bras off the peg and hoping that they'll fit. All I've achieved is giving myself the third tit. You know, when you wear a bra that isn't right, and it pushes up the two sides of both breasts to give you the illusion of three? No? Just me, then?

Tonight's tea was salmon, roasted with bay leaves and tomatoes, on a bed of edamame pasta, and dressed with a homemade tomato, garlic and spinach sauce. The salmon was lovely, the pasta, not so. It's been languishing in my cupboard since my last low carb attempt, and I finally bit the bullet and tried it. And I now wish I hadn't. It was awful. Some non-pasta pasta is good, like the lentil pasta. But the rest of this went straight in the bin.

Meal plan for the week to follow... tomorrow... when I've finally done it :-)