A day to make one cudgel their brains

Had a bad day.

I have eaten a whole bag of fruit pastilles, 5 jaffa cakes, a club biscuit, 3 custard creme's and 3 slices of toast. I tried to have a jacket potato with prawns and salad for lunch, but I just ate the prawn jollop and a few leaves. I feel a bit sick.

I have been a bit down today. Can't really explain it. My brother moved into his first house yesterday and we went to see it today. Its lovely. It reminds me of our first house. DH had bought the house with his ex girlfriend a year before I met him. I moved in with him when we married... It was a bit of a heap, but I did it up as best I could. We didn't have any cash or anything and had to move just after we married as I was pregnant with DS.

My brothers place was expensive. Don't get me wrong, they could not have got anything cheaper other than a flat, so they stretched themselves and got this 2 up 2 down little mid terrace 1800's cottage which is lovely. Basically the same as our first place but in a different town. But.... It has been re plastered, wooden floored, stripped reclaimed pine doors, brick floor uncovered in kitchen, original fireplaces (2 of them!) both in open working order for snug nights in, brand new double glazed windows, working central heating, cute courtyard garden that is tastefully gravelled and honeysuckled and fig treed and rose bushed and 'victorian' wrought ironed. All the light fittings are 'period' style and cute. The bathroom has a lovely white suite and nice tiles. The kitchen is new and simply needs an open bottle of wine ad the smell of a roast to top it off.

I sound like I begrudge him it. I don't.

I just wonder when we will ever get a break. Our house still isn't finished and we have lived here for 6 years. They always seem to be endless money pits. All 3 of them have never been show house quality. Ever. My brothers is. Once he has put all his stuff away and found places to show off his junk (including the 7 or 8 antique trinket boxes and curios my mum has had in her bureau for the last 35 years which he has decided will look 'quaint' in his house and has simply taken - oh and a very old and probably valuable Japanese water colour), he will just have to kick back and watch the telly and drink a cold beer.

I think of the slog we still have to do on this gaff. It made me cry actually.

Some people lead seemingly charmed lives. My brother is one of them. I do everything on the level, work hard and pay my taxes as does DH. Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's etc. My brother is a cantacerous arse of the first order and everything falls into his lap effortlessly.

I am quite sure that their wedding will be wonderful and they will have 2 delightful children at exactly the right time for them and they will be perfect and healthy and they will have charmed lives too.

I can't help but be secretly peeved at my lack of luck.

I could go on and on about the complete opposites of our lives, my brother and I.

Think of something awful.... that's my families life.
Think of something jammy.... that's my brothers life!

You probably think I am being sensitive. I'm not.

Maybe one day I will be able to afford a house that is already 'done'. Mind you I couldn't live with my Mum and Dad for years stashing my cash away like he has been able to. I was married at 20 and had DS at 22.

I would change my life.

I know I should say I wouldn't change my life for the world, but I would. I love my husband and my son to bits and I would definitely change all of our lives for the better, if only I knew how.

Mind you, everything comes at a price. Maybe we have paid our's.

weigh in tomorrow. Can't be bothered to drive to slimmingworld, and seeing as I haven't been there for the last 3 weeks, I think I shall use the break to change to weighing at the chemists from now on.

I will let you know what the damage is tomorrow.

nighty night

Exercises for a Flatter Stomach

A few years ago Mike Thornton had a beer belly. He shared this feature with two-thirds of American men. But after a friend said he looked like 'a before picture' he swore off fast food, started exercising and was able to lose 30 pounds and two waist sizes in about three months. Today he is a personal trainer in Dallas.

He says exercises such as 'the plank' help to tighten the transverse abdominis. He calls it "the beach muscle because it's the one that we all draw in at the beach when the girls walk by".

See his exercise tips for a flatter stomach here.

Michael Moore Loses Thirty Pounds

Michael Moore says he has lost thirty pounds over the past three months.

He changed his breakfast to oatmeal each morning. He has switched from white bread and pasta to whole grains. He's walking 10,000 steps a day with his pedometer and has hired a trainer. He also says he has forced himself to sleep seven or eight hours a day; that it is harder to lose weight if you are getting less sleep.

His blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar have returned to normal levels.

The Wanderer Returns!

Back.

Boo hoo.

Not feeling too good due to lack of sleep and body being completely disorientated.

My band held up well during the holiday. I don't think I have put on much weight, if any. I still feel the same and if the photo is anything to go by, doesn't look like I have either... so that's the main thing!

Sri Lanka was FABULOUS. Everyone should go there! Its an unbelievable place and the people are wonderfully warm and made us welcome like no other nation ever has. Anyone worrying about the Tamil problems or the effects after the Tsunami should just no worry. We felt safe and secure with all the police, army etc out and about on the streets (much more than in the UK!) and rather than being threatening it was actually a nice thing to see, and they smiled too!

The effects of the Tsunami were not visible at all really where we were. We travelled along the cost road (Galle Road) and the driver told us where it had come to and what had happened etc, but everything had been re built or was being re built. There was a little more obvious destruction nearer to Galle apparently, but it was again, mostly re built. If I hadn't known there had been a Tsunami, I would not have known if you get what I mean.

The hotel was wonderful and the staff were AMAZING. I would recommend this place to everyone.

Anyway, band wise, I ate everything, curry included! There was nothing I found aggravated my band and I have no incidents on the plane from swelling of the band or anything like that. I had no problems at all whilst I was there and I didn't feel deprived. I did not think about what I was eating, just ate when I was hungry, and I didn't have any guilt either. I had pudding most meals, and just ate what I fancied. There was always plenty left on my plate at the end of a meal and I felt contented in all respects.

I will weigh in on Monday 11th June and let you know how things have gone weight wise.
Check out my SO TANNED pic on the 'weight loss in photo's' link on the right.

Comedic Take: WLS is the EASY way out!

We have a community game that we play at the LAWLS Neighborhood called Fun Friday. Each Friday one of the Neighbors composes a question and we all join in the fun of answering it. Last week's question from Too Slim Stu was "If you were a stand up comedian, what would be your best three jokes about your surgery and subsequent life??"This of course resulted in some terrific and funny posts about

Refresher: WLS High Protein Diet

This is a previously published article I'm pulling forward in response to questions lately about the high protein diet. It was helpful to me to re-read exactly why the high protein diet works - and then recommit my focus to high protein eating. I hope you find this refresher helpful too.Gastric Bypass Patients Succeed Eating High Protein DietBy Kaye BaileyThe first rule for successful weight loss

Before and After Weight Training Pics

Adam shows us some pretty impressive pictures of how his body has changed over 100 days with an intensive fitness and weight lifting program. It seems hard to believe this kind of transformation would be possible in less than four months but if it's true, it's very inspiring. See his three minute video here.