The New Year Diet Project, Monday 26th March 2012

Well, I am going to begin with a pile of excuses re my weigh in results!!! How's this for a goody?!


I bought my deck of Tarot cards with my earnings from my first school holiday job, I was 14 and worked for a hairdresser in the city. I still can't read them all on my own, so use a fabbo book by Tracy Porter, 'Tarot, The Definitive Guide'. I sometimes do a spread to send me to sleep.

My happy chappy, well fed and content.

Last night, my first card was the Nine of Cups. Check out this, happy chappy above. The books reads: 'you are thinking of a social occasion where the invitees will be expected to eat, drink and make merry. As a result of the socialising that will take place, you may find yourself putting on weight, so it is important to watch what you eat.....'   No Joke, I had cooking classes booked for today!!! How bizarre is that?!


Now, the cooking classes, run by Siobhan and Carlo, Wildwood Valley, 'Mad About Food Cooking School'. What a fantastic day. They are located on a beautiful country property. Delightful views through the bush to the sea. Sounds weird, but we did a mix of Thai and Tuscan. Our chefs having a home in Yallingup and a home in Tuscany, Siobhan having cooked for Longrain in Sydney.

Wildwood Valley, 'Mad About Food' cooking classes, the reason Im well fed and content!

Too many delicious dishes to talk about, but I will mention the figs that Carlo prepared. The figs, grown on the property, are small, tight and dark, he spread a little Blue Costello (a mild, soft blue cheese) on the fig, then wrapped a strip of pancetta (or could be proscuitto) around, and then popped all under the griller. To be served with a wine! Very delicious.


We also enjoyed an amazing Caramelised Pork Hock with Chilli Vinegar from Siobhan. From Carlo a beautiful Zuppa di Pesce. The whole experience of watching their enthusiasm and getting in there myself to chop or roll out pastry, has giving me renewed interest. All this dieting and bringing everything back to base does kind of kill ones love of cooking.


The guys from Wildwood Valley have some wonderful things on offer. Not only do they do these classes. But they have some Italian language classes, accommodation in cottages on the property; weekend residential cooking classes; how about a tour to Tuscany?! Visit their websites. I love their style and their sense of fun, we even enjoyed a glass of wine with Carlo's delicious aperitif's. Wildwood Valley and Mad About Tuscany

I haven't even weighed myself, but this morning, Sunday, I was at 66kgs, back to where I started! Puckety puck! The body seems different some how, not sure how, for the better I hope. Any way, Excuse #2, I have started to raise the kgs in my kettle bells, I have gone from 5kgs to 8 to 12kgs. For some reason my appetite has increased. I have freaked out, but will just keep at it. After all this looking at what I eat, I have got to be healthier! I know all the extra supplements are costing me a fortune.


I am going to publish this early. And tomorrow, morning, after I weigh myself, pick myself up off the floor after collapsing from shock, and then stop crying, I will post the result at the bottom of the page. Till then..


Till now.. Have stopped crying, 66.5kgs!!! that is above my start weight. Has any one else had this problem? Often, its only the people who have lost weight that give us the feed back. It is hard to come to terms with the ups and downs of losing it. Some one said that it could be 'muscle' that I have gained!!!??? (highly unlikely) That did make me feel better and will research it a bit more to justify myself. I think if you build muscle, the muscle will then burn the fat, that's the theory. I was doing low level exercise as a bit of a test. But, that obviously doesn't work. Plus, having a huge couple of weeks before hand with a birthday, and lots of eating out didn't help.


New strategy, go back to my old routine, eggs + coffee for breakfast. Soup or smoothie for lunch. Fish + steamed veges for dins. Calorie count. The wine is a biggy for me. Will just do the best I can. Continue to ramp up the exercise. The weather in Margs has just cooled down. Got caught this morning in the rain and sheltered under a huge, beautiful Peppermint Tree, it was magic. Love to exercise in the cool. Oh well, here I go again. Strategy #2.