Chapter 14 - Willpower in Weimar

This week I´m spending four days and nights in a hotel on a business trip with all day meetings.  Tempation is all around me.  It´s staring me right in the face as I type this. A Toblerone and milka bar in the glass cabinet mini bar of my hotel room.  The plate of fruit somehow doesn’t have the same level of excitement, but I will try and focus on the grapes and apple if temptation comes my way.

So far I haven´t had much willpower in Weimar.  My first naughty stop was the Thuringer sausage and beer which welcomed me to Weimar after a motorway breakdown on the way here last night. I wasn´t in the mood for calorie options or being choosy  – I was just plain starving and pleased to get to this beautiful former East German town in one piece after freezing my ass off on the motorway. Unfortunately, freezing ones ass off doesn’t really result in loosing a few pounds from ones bottom. What a shame. I sure felt like I deserved it being stuck on the side of the motorway in minus 8 degrees.

I successfully ignored the mini bar and woke up to a wonderful breakfast buffet. I avoided the bacon and eggs and went for the brown roll with turkey and cucumber, low fat cheese, fruit salad, but then I had a weak moment and gave in to a pancake. Oh well, you can´t win them all…..

Next test of temptation was lunch. After salad and vegetables and a wee piece of meat I was tempted by a little glass of lemon yoghurt mousse.

Next stop was coffee break.  Next fail! A blueberry muffin made its way into my mouth and I tried to cancel it out with some pineapple, passion fruit and then a pot of tea.

At seven it was time for dinner. After antipasti and soup I couldn’t face meat or pasta so went for some green cabbage and potatoes. Not too bad I suppose. A couple of glasses of wine went down too……and after an hour or so….I just had to go and check out the desert buffet and came back with panna cotta, figs and a tiny piece of chocolate cake. Goodness knows how many points I ate today. I didn’t count and won´t count them.

It sounds like a non- stop all you can eat feast day. I have to watch out.  I have to find some willpower from somewhere. Tomorrow will be a challenge.  If I go on like this for the next three days I will be sure not to just have a flat tyre on the car journey home, but some more spare tyres around my waist. Wish me luck!  

"I will not eat the Toblerone out of the mini bar - I will not eat the Toblerone out of the mini bar - I will not eat the Toblerone out of the mini bar - I will not eat the Toblerone out of the mini bar" ............ 

Chapter 13 - Valentines Love Heart

Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet and so are you………  this brings back memories of valentines cards in my school days. Today is the 14^th February  - Valentines Day. A special day where hearts jump and florists, restaurants, chocolatiers and jewellers potentially make lots of money. Potentially, meaning if people now follow the somewhat commercial driven tradition, which actually dates back to the year 496AD from a Christian martyr named Saint Valentine.

My husband fell for the commercial trap. Maybe he didn´t want to risk the emotional pressure and my sulking if he hadn´t bought me anything.  I got home to find some beautiful flowers and a special valentines cake. It reminded me of a miniature version of our wedding cake. Very romantic. Very calorific. Very delicious.

We went out for dinner and I opted for a salad with roast beef and pineapple and came home for desert – the special heart shaped strawberry cake. I LOVE cake. I LOVE my DH. I HATE my diet today. But who cares? 

Life is for living and loving!

Chapter 12 - This little piggy went to market......

... remember the nursery rhyme? It was one of my favourites as a baby and involved lots of tickles to make me smile. Perhaps thats where my fascination for food markets began.

Anyone who drops by will notice my kitchen is literally full of fruit and vegetables at the moment. Even more so after our weekly shop and trip to the vegetable market yesterday. I love the buzz of markets. It takes me back to my childhood in the summer holidays where I spent Tuesdays with one Grandma, going to the local shops and visiting the local market, then Wednesday with my other Grandma in her town also at a bustling fruit and veg market. I remember getting juicy cherries and fresh furry peaches. There were other things too. I remember getting excited about getting jumping beans which jumped around on my hand, new ribbons for my hair or a baby doll which wet its pants.

Even whilst on holiday abroad, I drag DH along to the local markets to experience the hustle and bustle and admire the beautiful presentations of vegetables. I suppose he should think himself lucky that my shopping problem spreads into all areas and doesn´t just stop at shoes, clothes, jewellery, scarves, cups and scented candles – but also for fruit and veg, or maybe just food shopping in general.  Perhaps it’s the marketing side of me which likes to admire Point of Sale presentations and see what brands and new products are instore, or in market terms see whats outside on the counter or in boxes. Or is it really my shopaholic side?  Maybe the whole "have to find a bargain" attitude? Whatever it is, I feel better about the whole fruit and veg market experience. Maybe my photos from around the world let you know why. It´s somewhere where retail therapy has a different meaning and fortunately  - usually healthy (if you ignore a few things from the British markets).

UK & Ireland

Greece, Thessaloniki

Cape Verde Islands

Mallorca

Switzerland, Carouge, Geneva

Chapter 11 - Chocolate Santa gets murdered

It was just another manic Monday. The day didn´t begin well at all.  I overslept a little and was finally half way to work, when I realised I´d left my laptop at home........a quick detour back home and then rushed to my meeting. The day progressed into a mean Monday with anything that could go wrong, indeed going wrong. I gave up at seven thirty and headed home, frustrated. It was then, after eating some of last nights vegetable leftovers that I saw him on the shelf. 
Santa Claus with his colourful foil wrapping, his ribbon and the jingly bell,it was almost as if it was ringing for my attention. Without hesitation, he was in my hand and undressed, his head smashed on the kitchen table and bit by bit, he was gobbled up, except for his feet. Dark chocolate Santa  - you were the victim of my frustration this evening. Sorry. 


I´m feeling sorry for myself now. Not for Santa. Not only do I feel sick after eating Santa right down to his knees, I´m disappointed with myself for giving in and being so weak.  I´m off to bed now to sleep off my chocolate fix. Hopefully I won´t feel so sick tomorrow. 
Good thing is - all the Christmas chocolates are now gone. But its only 75 days until Easter Sunday when the chocolate bunny bells might start jingling in my direction. Until then I have to work on my willpower and ways of dealing with manic Mondays. Chocolate is not the answer!  Sweet dreams! 

Chapter 10 - Year of the Rabbit (...or was it rabbit food?)

Kung Hei Fat Choi! 

Today is Chinese New Year and marks the start of a special year of favourite animal – the rabbit.  Rabbits have been my favourite pets since childhood– with Mr Snuffelupokos, Silver and Forest, all of which were funny characters who brought much joy into my life.  The only thing I have in common with rabbits right now is the rabbit food diet which I am eating. Plenty of carrots, vegetables and seedy things, albeit in the form of muesli.  Or maybe the way I had to jump around like a crazy animal at zumba tonight.

Chinese New Year resembles yet another new start this year. I have decided to boycott the Chinese takeaway Mr Wok downstairs in my works building and choose more healthier alternatives. I heard  a rumour yesterday that they are even closing down soon……but I don’t think it has anything to do with me avoiding them at lunchtime for the past four weeks.

New Year. New healthy me. With or without rabbits or Chinese food. 

Chapter 9 - Fit in February

My scales showed a measily minus of one hundred grammes this week.  Not a good wake up welcome on the first day of February. Let´s think optimistically - at least one hundred down is better than up or nothing at all.  Week 4 maybe wasn´t as easy as I thought. Perhaps I fell into euphoria and kidded myself that everything was working so well that I didn’t think it mattered that I didn´t drink enough on some days, or that I ate 9 points worth of chocolate one day, even though I was still within my points allowance. Fooling ones self that everything is going hunkydory obviously doesn´t work. 

I felt really grumpy today. I needed some new motivation so - new month - new luck. My new motto is getting fit in February. I really do need to kick my bum a bit more and do more exercise.

After my first zumba class last week, I will be going again this Thursday. I´ve ordered some DVD´s to groove around the living room at home and I´m eagerly awaiting the parcel. 

Tonight I took part in a power walking course, which will take place every Tuesday. A personal trainer guided us around the city park and I liked it a lot. I must admit checking out the participants at the beginning and worrying whether I was going to be the fattest. Luckily I wasn´t.  Apart from fact that it was freezing cold and my sports jacket has now shrunk and become very tight since I wore it last,  it was great and I felt much better afterwards. Thanks to Steffi, who found the newspaper article about this course. It´s much better having a fixed time and appointment. I would NEVER have ventured out into the cold on my own. 

I´ve checked out the times of the swimming baths and might try an aqua fitness course at the weekend. My clothes horse has once again found its previous life of an elliptical trainer, waiting for me to step on and watch tv or read my trash mags. I just need to DO IT! and stop finding excuses.