So close

Five's always been my lucky number, mainly becasue it's the date of my birthday and now it's starting to make sense. I've lost another 5lb this week, taking me to 27.5lb or half a pound off two stones, which is almost 1/7 of the weight I have to lose. Even my dad's impressed and that takes some doing. He's trying to lose weight himself, mainly by going for a nine-mile walk every day but he's rather haphazard with his eating and doesn't weigh or measure anything. I looked up his calorie requirement on WLR and told him how many he should be eating and he said he'd start looking at packets. He's been allowing about 350 calories for breakfast, which is around 70g of muesli and milk but he weighed it the other day and it was 4oz, or over 100g so over a hundred calories more. And I doubt he's reduced the portion size. He's making a curry for dinner from his Indian recipe book and I bet it has tons of oil in it. I'm tempted to buy him some electronic scales and a calorie book but he wouldn't use them.

Mind you, he hasn't got that much weight to lose. He's about 14st 6lb and wants to be 13st 7lb so less than a stone. I'm sure he could do it in no time if he really put his mind to it but he'll be doing it half-heartedly for months. I guess it gives him something to think about now he's retired! I could spend almost all my time focused on my eating if I didn't have anything better to do; in fact I did when I wasn't working. Well, that and QVC. At least I've got two and a half days more work this week before going away. And I'm hoping they're going to need me for at least a week when I get back. If I could have a job until the end of November I wouldn't be too stressed. Then I could have three weeks off before Christmas and look for something for the New Year. Three weeks to do my shopping - easy!

I'm already thinking about eating at Christmas and if I can possibly manage to lose weight or stay the same over the festive period. We're off to Jim's sister's in Abergavenny and I think we're having organic goose for Christmas Day, which will be heavenly. I just have to avoid eating all the skin from the carcass when no-one's looking! And only have a small portion of christmas pudding and no cheese. And ration out my Christmas choccy for the next six months rather than eating it all in two days and feeling bloated and sick. And not drinking too much. It's only staying off the booze that helps me to lose weight. I barely drink alcohol these days as I'd rather spend the calories on food. I'll have some in Devon but try not to get blotto. And it would be a crime not to have some white wine when we go to Fishworks on Tuesday.

I'll have to remember to take a pad and pen with me to Devon so I can write down what I'm eating and drinking so I can enter it in my food diary when I get home on Sunday. I won't stress too much if I go over a little bit as it is my only holiday this year but I think it might have been an error to buy some Green and Black's chocolate bars to take with us for after dinner nibbles. But there will be more than 10 of us to share it. i wonder if there's anywhere near the cottage to have a cream tea? It would be a shame to go to Devon and not have one. But it would be about 500 calories. Hmmm. I think if I lose half a pound this week I'll be more than happy. And that two stone will be mine, all mine. Mwahahaha!!