First exercise class

Oh dear it did not go well.

I went to the gym first and did 30 minutes on the cross trainer - fine and then used the weights. Had about 10 minutes rest before the class so I rested and drank water. The class went well until we had to lie on the floor (mat) and do some work there - well i started to feel travel sick - just like I do on my Pilate's machine and when Richard got me to do a couple of exercise on the floor in the gym. Well I made it to the end of the class - but felt dreadful - I should have gone to water aerobics afterwards - but it was all I could do to drive home. I had to lie on the sofa all afternoon just to stop my head spinning - I don't think exercise & I go together!

I have more classes booked but if I am going to have to get o the floor I do not want to do them. I think I will just have to try water aerobics and easy rider which is on a bike - so must be upright!

Plan B

Well have not got my photos yet but have decided on Plan B - once I have my photos - get out my pencil lines folder andchoose some of the sketches there to follow. I just LOVE pencil lines - I feel that some of my best layouts have come from pencil lines sketches - here are a selection.

I can't wait until 20.00hrs on a sunday evening when the new sketch is revealved. I like the look of tonight's - number 54.

ohhh my legs ache today!

Oh my goodness I can hardly walk today. My calf's are so stiff and painful that I am hobbling about like an old woman - hardly a glowing endorsement for exercise.

I think this is because I did the 30 full minutes on the cross trainer as he suggested instead of working up gradually to it. My legs felt fine at the time though. Perhaps I will just do 15 minutes on Monday and increase it over the week as I am planning to go everyday. Its craft day on QVC on Wednesday and I really don't have any money so it will be better that I am out of the house exercising instead of spending.

Really not sure what to expect when I go to SW on Monday - I have eaten loads this week - no cheating but just huge platefuls at each meal and proper meals not small things - I should really have put on loads but my trousers feel at bit looser - so we will just have to wait and see.

I have just finished reading this David Cassidy autobiography.



Wasn't he just gorgeous - no wonder we all fell for him.




It was a nice easy read and interesting to hear about his wilderness years and how he has managed to turn his life around - despite being screwd by his record companies, 'financial advisors' and ex wives.

I was glad to hear that he has been able to become a father to Beau - 
though he has another child - a girlKatie - though where she appeared from was not mentioned.


Bought the scrapbook magazine today and found an advert for a retreat here in Shropshire in May next year. - just 4 weeks before my scrapagogo one. - if only I had seen this advert first I would not have had to dash about all over the country. Anyway it looks very nice but I don't think I can afford both so perhaps I can think about just one day at Hawkstone Park instead of the full weekend - need to think about this one carefully.

I am missing scrapbooking so much without my craft room. I must dig out one of my monthly kits and really try and do a layout this week - its so hard with photos and stash all over the house but I don't want to get out of the habit of doing any. Usually I have a photo or story in mind that I want to use - but I have not at the moment which is really frustrating.

Right - Plan A - find at least 6 photos tomorrow and start to think of some layouts.

My induction at the gym

An early start to the day as my induction was at 07.00 AM!! My instructor is Richard and he seems very nice and has 4 children. He checked me over and did some tests.

Body fat - HIGH!! (37%)



BP - up slighty 133/86 - I am not too concerned as it was lower than this when I checked it at work last



pulse - low at 61- which surpised me as I can often feel it racing around my body.



Peak flow - good at 420 - though he says we can improve on this.

He then decided that for me to loose weight, increase my metabolism and tone up - I need to do a combination of cardio and weights! The plan is to do 30 minutes on the cross trainer - which I did - though the resistance was at the lowest possible level! Then use about 6 different weight machines to work different muscles- - my leg muscles seemed in pretty good shape but my arms were pathetic. I spent an hour after his assesment doing the programme, then went and had a short swim and a sit in the bubble pool which was lovely - but by this time it was 10 oclock and I was very concious that I had missed my breakfast and felt quite faint & hungry so decided to call it a day. The showers and changing rooms are lovely.

I have joined a gym!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I must be desperate to do such a dramatic thing - but I felt my weight loss was really slowing down now and as I had not been able to motivate myself to get om my bike or Pilate's machine - desperate times called for desperate measures.

I have joined Bannantynes as it is out of town so no parking or congestion charges to worry about and it has a pool so that I can swim.


It is a new modern built health complex. Steven went to look around a few months ago and I thought how lovely it was, but he decided against it as it was too expensive as he could only go 'on-peak times'. Well as I have the luxury of going in the day I thought i would go there only to find that it has gone up in price to £44 a month for no weekends and before 16.00 hrs. It is really expensive so I had better use it.

yeah - I have lost 3 1/2 stone now!

Yes I was a very clever girl and lost 1 1/2 lb this week to get me to this milestone - I am very pleased with myself. I was a bit disappointed with my weight loss - only 1 1/2 lb - especially as I have not eaten a lot this week because we have been so busy at work I have not had a break for 3 shifts so have actually felt hungry. I know last time I did not eat a lot I did not loose much so it is another reminder to make sure I eat plenty.

I wonder if it may have been because of that sugary fibre stuff I am now taking for my bowels- they are working a bit better now though.

I have been very busy this week on the computer trying to work my way through my new book by Scot Kelby


I have only got as far as page 35 - but have learnt a lot already. I was not naming my photos when i was acquiring hem - hence my pictures folder was full of lots of single photos - so spent ages putting them tidily into new folders and have remembered to name any photos as put on the computer now. I also backed up my photos - I did it last year but it could not read the disc to do an incremental backup so had to do a full one. It was going to take 35 Cd's to hold them all so i went and bought some DVDs and that only need ed 5 which was better but it still took ages. I also followed his instructions to make contact sheets so I know what photos are on the disc - a very good idea - i thought and here are the finished DVDs.

more weight loss!

I lost 2 1/2 lb this week at slimming and I am only 1/2 lb away from 3 1/2 stones loss - I really expect to loose that next week. Though I am not taking it for granted as I have started taking some fibre for my bowels 
(still sluggish) - called Regulase from ** but it appears to be pure sugar and there is no 
calorie content on the container so I may
be taking in far too many - we will have to wait & see next week.

I have been having lots of red days lately and am feeling really tired. I watched a programme 'the truth about food'' - showing the effects of diet on the body - meat eaters did better at sports than vegetarians, but those who ate carbohydrates did much much at sustained energy than those who ate meat. I have decided to have a few green days now to see if that will help me have a bit more energy - but I also think it may be because I have just finished four nights and hardly slept at all.

I have been naughty again at Amazon - bought 2 CD's David Cassidy & the partridge family. They are both lovely and I have been playing the constantly in the car & at home. They took me straight back to my Teenage years and all my David Cassidy posters all over my bedroom walls. I also bought Galapagos DVD & book - I saw one episode of this on the TV and thought it was so good - just had to have it.  Steven also caught an episode after I had ordered it and he was impressed and glad the whole series  was on its way. I also bought a book on Photoshop Elements 5 by Scott Kelby - so need to work my way through it to become more skilled at it.

Done a layout as well - took all day as I had to keep running up & down stairs and rifling throug boxed trying to find what I needed.


I just love this photo of Eleanor - Steven took it with the Panasonic compact camera - 
and I am so pleased with it, that I just had to do a layout  with it and I am quite pleased with the result, but just look at the chaos it created at the dinning at the table - I am missing my craft room so much!