YAAAAAAWN

I had a pleasant but quiet New Years. S and I went to see “The Golden Compass” (which was fantastic, btw – two thumbs up on that one) then went back to his house and just sat around chatting and enjoying each others’ company until midnight and after. I had to drive home as I had Mum’s car, so I didn’t get in until after 3am, and then Jemima decided to be a pain in the butt and attack me regularly for the next two hours (I think she was peeved as I’ve been away overnight several times recently). So I’ve had hardly any sleep worth mentioning, and I’m spending today alternately trying to do nothing and then doing stuff because I forget that I'm not doing anything :-D

My family’s Christmas and New Year festive period officially ends at the end of tomorrow, which is Mum’s birthday. After that, dieting kicks in!

I have two main goals for 2008: get my weight under control, and get my finances under control. I have lots of plans about how to do this, and my first plan is to take weight watchers seriously this year. I’m going to lose at least 15 and preferably 25 kilograms by next Christmas. It’s totally achievable, I just have to set my mind to it. It’ll be slow going until I move to Little Country Town, as I won’t have full food control until then, but then it’ll be action stations!

These are the things I’m going to do to lose weight:

1. Eat a 19-points-per-day diet, partly by buying pre-prepared Weight Watchers products to make up as much of my diet as possible. This will also help with being organised, as I can buy the pre-frozen WW dinners for some nights of the week and therefore won’t have to cook when I’m really busy.

2. Jump on the treadmill for 30-60 minutes’ brisk walking after work every day. Or walk around the town once the weather cools.

3. Get a dog later in the year, and take the dog for walks before and after school.

4. Do regular daily housework to keep my house looking nice (as I overeat if I feel bad about how my house looks) and to give myself some extra exercise.

5. Look at starting sports – I know the town is always looking for people who can join their football, netball and hockey teams, and tennis pennant club. I wouldn’t mind giving hockey a crack (no pun intended!) or getting back into tennis. I don’t know how my bad hand will stand up to either of those, but it’s worth a try and it’s a good way to integrate into the town as well.

6. Look at other ways to get exercise, like swimming laps at the pool while it is open (November to March, it’s an outdoor pool), going to the town’s gym (casual sessions $6), spending time bushwalking the spectacular hills nearby the town, and not using the car to get to the supermarket, post office, church etc which are all 5 minutes’ walk from my house!

I really want to do this . . . be prepared for alternate whinging and celebrating as I get started!

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I began my preliminary planning for teaching today, because I couldn’t relax without starting it, despite the fact that I’m so dozy. I’m thinking of possibly starting with a sea & water theme – I need to find out whether that’s something they’ve done recently. I’ve got ideas for a couple of excursions and some interesting lessons, and there’s a science module I can run along the same theme. It feels good to be coming to grips with it all!