Christmas - a bliss or a disaster?

We are about to leave tomorrow for Oreini Arkadia, Greece and of course since yesterday I have swollen glands, fever and aching bones. No this is not the flu... It is what happens to me, when I stress myself or get tired which I did since I had to prepare two dinner parties each 4 days apart. So I was in a complete hype, preparing and cooking and buying things, which by the way cost an absolute fortune. So, you realise, diet was not followed in the very least. The only thing that I am trying at is not to gain any more weight and worsen things. So I try to eat one meal a day and so far it is working although nibble quite a lot. And then.. there is the other matter with the dog. So, our dog Argos, the most beautiful golden retriever, died literally on the operating table. This was not supposed to happen, yet it did. So I made it my personal mission to buy my mum another dog, since I do not want to think of her alone in that big house. I think she welcomes another dog but I doubt she would go into looking for him herself. So initially I called all the Greek golden retriever kennels (at least the reputable ones) and noone had a puppy ready to go. One thing lead to the other and I located another kennel in Cyprus. And so Cracker was on his way to us, yet at the last minute the doctor said there was a problem with his eye and I backed down. I then found another dog, a flat coated retriever from France - a greek breeder suggested this kennel as a very good one - and so Pepsi was supposed to come last Thursday only his flight was annulled and now we are expecting Pepsi on Monday - I hope that nothing will happen and that indeed he will come. I will however be in the mountains with my older sis, but this should provide my mum with ample time to bond with 16month old Pepsi. Mean while, Cracker's eyes apparently are fine, so I have asked the Cypriot lady to send him to me without charge because funnily enough I have bonded with him even without knowing him. Surprisingly enough, Giota said that she was thinking how Cracker would be maybe happier living with us and she will consider my request. So... maybe our family will be the proud owner of two dogs, instead of one, the more the merrier! Of course, with my diet and all having a Pepsi and a Cracker I am not sure how it could work! Of course if we combine all this with me nephew Max we then have a Pepsi Max and a cracker (which could be DIET) and so it will all end up beautifully!

That is it for now, wish me a speedy recovery in order to have a good time in Arkadia!

Happy New Year,

Elena

CRAZY WEEK @ WORK

It has been a couple of days since my last visit to my blog but it seems forever. Work is really hectic, we are in the middle of an acquisition, in fact it is us who are being bought. Never did I think that I would go through such periods not so much of uncertainty but more of indecisions and politics. Personally, I do not feel that my job is at risk or that I am at risk, maybe because I do not care so much about what happens. This is not true. I care. But I know that I am valued in my company and I know that the "way" that I was hired, as a talent, is a shield that even now in this turbulent times and after almost 10 years since my beginning still shields me from uncertainties such as the ones that most other colleagues face at this moment.

So ... back to my reality. These past few days have not been great for my diet effort. I have been careless and not so much followed every single Weight Watchers point that I ate. The problem is that although I cherish Weight Watchers and I think is it s diet style that suits me, the fact that I enrolled on line but then had to dis-enroll because the online version is onle available for certain countries. So, I am trying to find someone with a credit card in the UK, and that someone up to now was my younger sister who is studying in the UK but after almost a fortnight she called me to tell me that the credit card is in fact a debit card and that our mum has to transfer money into it. And after all these phone calls, is your card her yet, I have to wait my mum to come back from the Emirates, where my other sis is. Grrrrrrrr..... The problem is the Weight Watchers meetings are unavailable in Greece as they left completely..Went bust in Greece or something. So on line is truly my only option!

At the same time, Christmas is round the corner and I must lose at least 3 kilos, 3 solid fat kilos, by then. I will do it. I will be very disciplined. I will try really hard. I also have a wedding to go to, in December and I so want to look nice!

Anyway, from tomorrow I will be really carreful with everything that I eat. Talk to you soon!

Countdown

So... 33 years old, two adorable children, a great supportive husband... and greatly lost as well. I love my life, full of challenges true, yet also rewarding and fulfilling. And yes still my life is dominated by a large extent to how much food I have had and how full I am . I connect every aspect of my life to food. Love, hate, sadness, boredom, stress, tiredeness; everything can be solved merely by feeling full. And once I am indeed full, then it does not feel nice any more. I start feeling really heavy and the only thing that will settle me is to lie down by the couch and watch a film or go to sleep.

So, I think enough is enough. I need to change. I need to make the effort and make all the changes needed to change my mentality and my way of living. For myself, my marriage, my children and last but not least my health.

And so this is my battle to lose weight. My war. A war with many battles. Some will be lost, I know that even from the start. But I need to win more battles that the ones that I will lose. And in the end, I do realise that controlling my eating habits is something that will forever haunt me, however I am prepared to go down that road. The alternative is to get older, fatter and far unhappier than I am now. And this is something I am simply not prepared to do.

Therefore, this is my pledge. 1 year. 365 days. 20 kilos to lose. A target stretched but doable which will make me enjoy Christman of 2010 and make me make a different far happier New Year's resolution for 2011.

Good luck, Elena.