Day 4
I have had a few good days. Tuesday night, 'the dinner at friends multiple desserts' disaster was averted. I thought about it in the afternoon and decided that I needed to take action, so I made fruit kebabs with two types of grape and melon, plus orange. When revealed at the dinner, there was a mini cheer from all the dieters at the table and I felt like my halo was shinning.
On the menu so far has been couscous, jacket potatoes + tuna + sweetcorn + cottage cheese. The classic salad and jackets. Spicy pan fried chicken & mountains of veg. Nothing really exciting, however the 'weekly shop' is coming up tomorrow so if I do a bit of planning, excitement might make it onto the menu next week.

I have a pitch to make to 'Dragons Den', it is called 'The superstore of no temptation'. It is a small shop where travellers (dieters/healthy eaters) could do their shopping in one trip with no temptation at all. It would probably be quite a small shop and specialises in cleaning products- no calories in a bottle of Jif ( still can't bring myself to call it Cif, the same goes for Opal fruits and Marathons)- plus cleaning takes most of us into negative calorie scores. I must stop swearing and using the ''C" word... CALORIES (shudders). I came up with this idea as I popped into a shop the other day. If magically all the food stuff that was bad for us and unhelpful disappeared, leaving just the good stuff, then it would be a breeze and weekly shopping would take half the time. Plus, it wouldn't be so painful having to walk past the cakes, chocolates, crisps, bread, and other yummy stuff. On that trip, I left the shop having bought a bunch of bananas, a packet of peppermint tea, and some hay for the guinea pigs. There really wasn't a lot else I could have bought.

Oh! I nearly forgot I had to go through the ordeal of Knitting Group, with tea and CAKES. This weeks cakes were a sponge topped with blackcurrants and a fruity bread pudding, which sparkled with sugar. I sat there eating fruit salad from a pink tupperware box, trying to convince myself that it was ok. It wasn't ok, the group are very vocal; "Mmm, this is the best cake you have ever made for us, Nic!" "Oh! This is scrumpcous bread pudding Pauline, and so filling!". I gritted my teeth around a chunk of melon and tried to imagine myself basking in the sunshine of my final destination 'Hippy Chicksville'. It's an awful long way off, but it will be truly worth it in the end. For now I will head for 'Norma', which is on the other side of this hill I see in front of me. If I haven't travelled at least 3 miles by next week I think I might cry, as it seems quite a steep incline for the beginning of a long journey.

I will sign off with the funniest thing that happened this week, my darling daughter came in from school saying "It's been a terrible day, I just need to eat something to make me feel better" and guess what see comfort ate? A raw mushroom and a banana. She is no daughter of mine. I say "grow a pair and get some chocolate down your neck girl". I thought this was funny, however I do lead a rather boring and somewhat sheltered life.

First day of my journey.

@ DAY One.
Well as the title of this blog says I am a 'BIG BERTHA'. I don't want to be one, I want to be a 'Hippy Chick'. This is my journal of how I get from 'Bertha' to 'Hippy Chick'. The ups and downs of my journey. I am at least five stone over weight and I am planning to tackle this journey a stone at a time. I am calling it a journey, as I am actually visualising it as a 3D map set out before me. Like a make believe world, with rough and smooth terrain. Mountains to climb, with scenic picnic and beauty spots along the way. I am sure there are some unseen crevasses too (nasty little boogers).

So, my first destination on my journey is marked with an X, a place I am calling 'More Normal NORMA'. It is a place I was at just a few months ago, before I put on a stone in weight very quickly. I have been the same weight for at least the last 2 years, then all of a sudden I started gaining and reached 'BIG BERTHA': grid reference (15,4). So today is the first step towards 'NORMA', grid ref: (14,4). ETA approx 7 weeks (or sooner, if I get my skates on).

Let me tell you about the town of 'More Normal Norma'. As I have already said, it is a place I once lived for about 2 years, not too bad a place. The town folk are a jolly-ish bunch, not really that active, however they can be seen every so often out walking their dogs. They eat a healthy-ish diet, supplemented with oven chips, cake, chocolate, rich tea biscuits, and bowls of cereal before bed. Their hobbies are not dissimilar to 'Bertha' folk, watching TV, knitting/crocheting, socialising, and avoiding housework. The 'Norma' folk have a slightly better way of dressing than the 'Bertha's'. Whereas the 'Bertha's' have a limited wardrobe of 3 pairs of trouser that actually fit, the 'Norma's' are wealthier and have many more items to wear. Although they are a colourful lot, I would say they have an old fashioned comfortable (frumpy) charm, "bless 'em".

Anyway, that is were I am heading for a short stay, and it will be good to see the old place again.

Distance to travel: 14 miles.
Mode of transport: on foot.
Companion: one friend.
ETA: 7 weeks.
Grid ref: 14.4.
Baggage: loads, hoping to leave some in rubbish bins along the route.

DAY ONE. Up dressed and on my way, with a good food guide under my arm. The weather is good and the out look for the day is fine. At teatime I will be stopping at a small hamlet called 'Dinner @ friends house'- I will have to watch out as there is a nasty bit of stone path. This section is known to the locals as 'multiple desserts'. I will have to try and skip this section, as I don't want to fall down here and twist my ankle. So wish me luck as you wave me goodbye.