Here we go again

I see I haven't posted on here for nearly a year now. Well I can still jog for 30 minutes in one go, but I'm not a lot faster than I was. I have stopped going at lunchtimes during work now as I was having difficulty getting faster without getting really sweaty and disgusting, and even with a bathroom that's not quite what you want if you have to sit through an afternoon at work.

And since the clocks went back I haven't had chance to get out during the week as its dark when I get home. Only a month to go and then maybe I will get back into things again.

Anyway, the weight has been creeping a little recently - I'm 5'4", and around the 9 stone mark. I lost a lot of weight about 5 years ago and have maintained it, and my original goal, which I achieved was 8st 7lbs, but I've spent most of the time since around 8st 10lbs. I've just got back after a weeks holiday, and to be honest the last six months I've struggled to keep my weight below about 8st 12lbs, and tomorrow is my post holiday weigh-in which I suspect will come in just over the 9st mark.

I want to stop the creep - but the problem with being relatively small is that its terribly difficult to get those last few pounds off. So I'm starting an experiment. A countdown to my next holiday in June when I will be wearing a BIKINI for the first time in my life ever (outside of my back garden that is.)

So I have a plan that will hopefully help me lose half a pound a week for six weeks, maintain for one week, then half a pound a week for another six weeks, then maintain for about four weeks before my June holiday. I'm going to keep this blog as a food and exercise diary.

I'm the kind of person who enjoys food far too much to be accountable unless I'm writing it all down - and I quite enjoy writing it all down anyway so I don't have a problem with that.

Here's the plan:

Exercise:

- 20-30 min walk every week day at lunchtime
- 3 cardio sessions a week lasting between 30-60 minutes, either jogging, exercise bike or exercise DVD
- 2 strength sessions a week lasting between 20-40 minutes, either free weights or exercise DVD

Food:

Following a calorie shifting plan - so I don't get fed up with not being able to eat enough.

Weight loss phase:

Sunday 2000 cals
Monday 1300 cals
Tuesday 1500 cals
Wednesday 2000 cals
Thursday 1300 cals
Friday 1500 cals
Saturday 1500 cals

If I have a social event planned on a Saturday I may swap the calorie allowance for the Sunday.

The only food/drinks I will not be counting are water and tea (with or without milk).

I'm not restricting any foods but I will by trying not to eat sugary foods as snacks, as I've had quite a few fillings in the last two or three years.

We begin tomorrow - and I have holiday leftovers to eat up plus I'm going out for a meal with a friend, so may not be a great start but will do my best.

Tomorrow I will weigh and measure myself, and then do it again at the end of the first six weeks.

Here's todays food diary for starters, I haven't counted calories I reckon its around 2000-2100.

Breakfast: baked beans on toasted sunflower seed roll, glass of pineapple juice
Snack: packet of french fries, few mint imperials
Lunch: sunflower seed roll, few slices of various cheeses, few slices of mexican chicken, salad, clementine, cereal bar
Snack: handful of salted nuts
Dinner: sausage and mushroom pasta, white magnum

Here's hoping I weigh less than I think I do tomorrow morning.