About 5 weeks ago I was all hyped and excited about getting my arse back in the saddle by New Year, that hasn’t happened. Then at about 4 weeks I was all ready to start a plan that would involve more meals but smaller ones, that didn’t happen. Then I decided I would just go with the flow get everything sorted and get on top of everything before I started any more talk of plans or goals. And where has that left me….

Three weeks until Christmas, and if we want to get really technical this time in three weeks it will all be over! Of course most of my plans involve the New Year so it’s technically just under four weeks. And although I had some whimsical notion that I would see the New Year in by riding. Like most New Year’s resolutions I know that just isn’t going to happen. It’s not because I don’t want it too or haven’t in the past tried. But no matter how you look at it new year’s day is a bank holiday and not just any bank holiday it’s the first one of the year and I like to make the most of those little extra down time days by taking it easy with my family.

To be fair in the past we have usually been entertaining the family members we didn’t get to see at Christmas. It’s almost like another Christmas day just without the presents. This year I do believe we will be on our own. We were having a quiet Christmas up until about 2 weeks ago when everything changed and we now have a plethora of guests arriving from the 21^st until the 28^th of December. It’s going to be hectic to say the least… luckily I love it. Family at Christmas is what it’s all about to me. What I don’t love is that we have two more weeks at school. Which would be ok just? If it wasn’t for the nativity, the school disco, the drop in session, the cake sale and an end of school assembly. Yep all that in the next two weeks and I’m sure I’ve missed something out.

So with all the will in the world I just know I won’t be in any state to start thinking about exercising the horses for at least another four weeks. Which I do find frustrating but equally I know on some days it’s enough just to have to muck them out. Esp. Christmas morning in the past 6 yrs. I have realised there really is no good time to go out and do them. I hate that feeling of leaving my family inside. On the flip side though there are times when I am outside with the horses and I hate leaving them to join my family. It really does feel as though my heart is in two places at times. (Not that I would have it any other way) I love them all.

So my new kind of plan is to keep doing what I am doing with the horses and at least try to flick them over so they don’t look like abandoned wild beasts. And in the New Year I will bring them back into work (whilst praying the bad weather we are meant to get doesn’t materialise). I am sticking to three meals a day. I wouldn’t say they are particularly small or big really, I’m just having what I fancy within those time frames with a definite no to snacks. I found if I messed around too much it leaves me open to failure so even if I’m not particularly feeling breakfast I still have a small bowl of cereal. Lunch can be anything from a takeaway to a sandwich and piece of cake. As for dinner that is when unless I am out I try not to have a dessert.

Needless to say yesterday I ate far too much and woke up in the middle of the night feeling very toxic! I hate it when I feel like that but I never seem to think about the consequences when I am eating a large packet of crisps followed by a giant bar of Cadbury’s.

Still it’s all good; it has helped my resolve this morning : today is the beginning of my 6 week challenge. Ok I’m not sure if it’s exactly 6 weeks technically if I finish on Sunday the 23^nd of December. Just looking at the calendar though I think if I stick with it until the end of that day it might just be.

Want to hear what I’m doing? I’m so pleased it has all kind of fallen into place. I’m sure there will be times when I will have to be strict and not deviate. But my plan is this….

Mon-Fri

Lunch: basic lunch with fruit juice.

Dinner: main meal with toffee yogurt for dessert.

On a Saturday I will replace the yogurt with some kind of goodies to have in front of the TV while watching a Christmas film. And on Sunday’s it will be replaced with a proper homemade dessert.

Everything else the same I am going to try and get myself through the tough times with either a mint or even the odd sugared almond.

I will also try to get my water intake back up.

Exercise is something I will discuss in another post.

Now I am hoping to get my weight down below 20st or at least be able to squeeze myself into some size 20’s by then. Again another post is needed for my reasoning on this.

But there you have it my 6 week challenge has begun TODAY.

I am in fairly good mode though and although I have eaten chocolate or cake on a daily basis… I have been trying to cut down as much as possible. Not to the point of missing dinner, but if I can have something light I will.

Some evenings I have been extremely hungry, but luckily because I am eating a treat or two a day I’m not having those major cravings. I won’t say they aren’t there altogether, generally though if I remind myself of what I will be able to eat come the following day I am just scraping through.

I’m not sure where my motivation is coming from, all I do know is I don’t want to see 23stone on the scales ever again and if I’m not good now, what with Christmas coming I just know the scales can quite easily creep back up.  Sure it’s frustrating and makes me a bit of a Christmas Grinch.

But when I got on the scales this morning and saw 21^st 8lbs…. for the first time in years. For me it’s worth it. And I’m sure once Santa arrives Horatio will forget all about his grouchy mum.

We also sorted our Christmas cards this morning…. So here it is…

Wishing You All A Very Merry Christmas x

Fortunately I have an extra hour today to get things done, Horatio is staying for the after school craft club. and i’m hoping to get the halloween decorations packed down, more washing and cleaning.Walk the dogs and spend some time with Nas and Spirit!

It feels like I haven’t spent any real time with them in ages. except for their nightly kiss and cuddle I have been dashing out to do them inbetween either entertaining or cleaning up before/after the entertaining lol.

Thats it now though we can have a quiet couple of weeks before the Christmas crazies start. its only 48 sleeps you know.

The second Christmas was a special one, our first one with Horatio. This year we had hubby’s family over, only four of them but boy did it have an impact. i told them all on Christmas eve that i would be getting up early to open mine and Horatio’s present – anyone with young kids knows that you’re up anyway – i wasn’t rude and said if they wanted to get up i would wait a little bit, no one said anything so i left it at that. i must also point out, not only did i want to enjoy Horatio’s first Christmas, i also had five horses to muck out and make comfy for the day oh and cook dinner (with hubby’s help) ok that’s not true he generally cooks it but if I’m not there to hold his hand he can go into a bit of a meltdown -this year i am going to write out an action plan for him to follow- he he. Anyway his family didn’t get up and hubby had a bit of a meltdown anyway saying we should wait…. as you can imagine it was a bit tense in our house and after all that i found out they had already opened their presents to each other in their bedrooms. grr.

By the third year we had moved to our current house, which isn’t as big as before but still has one nice open plan room, which is lovely for big crowds the only downside is there is no escaping into another room (except the toilet) we again did lunch for my dad’s family this was a fairly relaxed Christmas, if you don’t count the keeping 11 people topped up with food and drink.

Last year we went out as a group for lunch, this again was non eventful and not very memorable, i didn’t enjoy the meal or the overcrowded squashed in restaurant, one of the main reasons for going out is so we would have more space and not have a disjointed lunch. to make up for the lack of atmosphere on Christmas day, we decided to do lunch at ours on New Year’s day…. hubby was desperate to try goose, never again.

This year we have five full days of Christmas starting on Christmas Eve when we pick up the turkey and visit family, Christmas day we have 10 adults and 3 kids, Boxing Day will be a minimum of 5 guests. On the Monday we have hubby’s family 8 adults and 2 kids here for a buffet all finished off with a meal on the Tuesday.

i can’t wait, i love Christmas i really don’t get the bah humbug people, i used to think it was just because people don’t have the money to enjoy it, not that I’ve ever had any money it’s just i prioritised Christmas over the bills… (Wrong I know) it’s the same this year we aren’t as flush as we would like to be but then who is. So rather than making it miserable we’ve put a £10 cap on presents for the adults, this is for two reasons one because we just don’t have the money this year and the other is the last few years it’s been heading up to almost £50 per adult and i swear I’ve never seen anything we’ve ever bought anyone again! So much so I’ve actually asked for it back if they don’t intend to use it. This year they are getting novelty fun gifts or even some smelly’s, as for us footing the food bill that’s not going to happen, last year they all paid £60 a head to eat out so this year they can all contribute towards the food.

We all know Christmas shouldn’t be about the money, but it’s hard not to focus on that when you are skint lol. Nor is my Christmas about the religious side of it, obviously as Horatio grows up he’ll know that side, but i won’t take him to midnight mass or anything like that, i feel for me that would be hypocritical i would only go for the Christmas carols. And it would be the only time of the year other than weddings that i set foot in a church. We all have our own beliefs and i celebrate it in my own way. Horatio will have to find his.

My focus for this year is to start building special memories for the kiddies in our family, like the ones i have of Christmas. It’s about spending time with family and friends, enjoying a board game or two, a feel good movie and of course a whopping lunch followed by a tonne of sweets. For me it’s about having fun and enjoying the one day of the year everything stops, no shops no cold calls. And even if it’s because they have to be everyone is in a happy mood.

 We’re getting our tree today; house should look like a grotto by the time we’ve finished. Seeing as we got 6 tubs of decorations from last year and 2 full of new stuff we’ve bought this year. We’ve also got a drawer full of Christmas goodies which is rather tempting, this year though I have vowed to make more stuff rather than just buy the overpriced processed cakes and nibbles you can get at this time, I will admit they do still tempt me. And sometimes I still buy them, 99% always disappoint.  We are usually on the go right up to Christmas Eve when I nearly always have to dash out and buy some last forgotten present.  It will be different this year, I’m pre planning the meal itself and stocking the freezer with homemade nibbles and cakes. As well as taking time out to sit and read Christmas books to Horatio and snuggling on the sofa watching a film. This is all in between keeping up with taking the dogs out on long walks and getting the house ready for the onslaught of guests.

My diet isn’t going to stop either. i’m going to stick to the same principles and if i have a day where i have a bit to much then i’ll try and cut back the next day or try and do some extra exercise. i’m also keeping the fruitbowl full and will make sure i have at least one piece a day regardless.