Apologies for not having blogged for a while. It's a busy time of year, apparently!
Whilst I'm not a great believer in celebrating arbitrary dates in arbitrary calendar systems, it seems an appropriate time to reflect on what has been a pretty remarkable year and look forward to the coming twelve months. And I'll make no apologies for deliberately reflecting on the positives and achievements.
The biggest change in my life in 2011 is that there is now a lot less of me than there was this time last year. In January I enrolled with Slimming World and I have lost 3½ stone in that time. Not only has this had obvious health benefits but it has made a huge psychological difference to me. I've had to get used to people complimenting me on how good I look, which has been quite a novelty. I've had to buy a whole new wardrobe and I can shop in "normal" shops again. I can dress with confidence instead of hiding behind unflattering clothes. But most of all I feel in control of my body again, which is so important for someone like me who has confidence and self-esteem issues and who has in the past used comfort and binge eating to deal with depression. And I've met some great people in the Slimming World group. The eating plan itself isn't rocket science. I think what makes you lose weight is the support you get from your fellow slimmers at the weekly meetings.
Alongside Slimming World, I continue to run, which obviously helps with the fitness and weight loss. My daily commute is no longer cycling, it is mostly on foot now. I also ran the Westonbirt 10k and the Forest of Dean Half Marathon in 2011. A bigger challenge awaits in 2012, more of which later. Running also hugely helps my mental well being. I feel great after a good run. I feel in tune with my body and I feel in control. Conversely I get really cranky if I go more than a couple of days without a run, as was the case when I was injured over the summer.
My relationship with alcohol also changed in 2011. I went from New Year to Easter without touching a drop, until I was led astray in the Welsh Mountains. I was on and off the drink over the summer, but as I write this I haven't had a drink since the last night of panto (see below) which was a very distant 64 days ago. I wouldn't have described myself as an alcoholic - I never drank alone or at home and I could easily go without a drink for long periods - but if I did have a drink I found it difficult to stop at one or two. This in itself wasn't the end of the world, but the drinking sessions would lead to over-eating, tiredness, poor decision making and eventually bouts of depression which, if I wasn't careful, became a vicious circle. Not drinking has obvious health (physical and mental) pay-offs as well as financial benefits, and I still find myself going out and enjoying myself just as much, but without the downside. So I'm going to keep off the sauce until at least April 22nd (see below for the significance of that date) and see how it goes.
Alongside Slimming World, I continue to run, which obviously helps with the fitness and weight loss. My daily commute is no longer cycling, it is mostly on foot now. I also ran the Westonbirt 10k and the Forest of Dean Half Marathon in 2011. A bigger challenge awaits in 2012, more of which later. Running also hugely helps my mental well being. I feel great after a good run. I feel in tune with my body and I feel in control. Conversely I get really cranky if I go more than a couple of days without a run, as was the case when I was injured over the summer.
My relationship with alcohol also changed in 2011. I went from New Year to Easter without touching a drop, until I was led astray in the Welsh Mountains. I was on and off the drink over the summer, but as I write this I haven't had a drink since the last night of panto (see below) which was a very distant 64 days ago. I wouldn't have described myself as an alcoholic - I never drank alone or at home and I could easily go without a drink for long periods - but if I did have a drink I found it difficult to stop at one or two. This in itself wasn't the end of the world, but the drinking sessions would lead to over-eating, tiredness, poor decision making and eventually bouts of depression which, if I wasn't careful, became a vicious circle. Not drinking has obvious health (physical and mental) pay-offs as well as financial benefits, and I still find myself going out and enjoying myself just as much, but without the downside. So I'm going to keep off the sauce until at least April 22nd (see below for the significance of that date) and see how it goes.
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| HTC Singers |
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| It's behind you... |
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| Fugue live at Pucklechurch |
In February I was taken along to a performance of On the Town and Lazing Around by Horfield Theatre Company and I liked it so much that I joined the company! Initially I joined their newly-formed choir, HTC Singers, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience as we worked towards our inaugural summer concert. I hadn't sung in public since school and it was pretty nerve-wracking, especially my solo during the Les Mis medley. But it was a very rewarding experience to find out what I was capable of, to bring together a thoroughly professional show and to make lots of new friends in the process.
Following on from the success of the summer concert, I was talked into auditioning for HTC's next production, a Halloween panto - Franky Panky. Remarkably I got through the audition and landed the part of a simple villager named Horst Roff, a part that involved singing (OK), dancing (not so OK) and quite a few lines (gulp!). The rehearsal schedule was quite gruelling and I especially struggled with the dancing, both remembering and actually doing the routines. There were many tantrums along the way, but come October half term it all came together and we again put on a great show. Once again it was not only the thrill of being up on stage performing, but it was also the camaraderie and the friendships made along the way that made it all worthwhile.
Another spin-off from HTC has seen me dusting off the old drumsticks and getting behind the kit once more, following the launch of Fugue. (The nucleus of the band comes from HTC). After several months of rehearsals, we finally got our act together enough to perform on stage on the penultimate day of the year! We did four numbers at Pucklechurch Open Mic and it seemed to go down pretty well. So here's to bigger and better things for Fugue in 2012...
Following on from the success of the summer concert, I was talked into auditioning for HTC's next production, a Halloween panto - Franky Panky. Remarkably I got through the audition and landed the part of a simple villager named Horst Roff, a part that involved singing (OK), dancing (not so OK) and quite a few lines (gulp!). The rehearsal schedule was quite gruelling and I especially struggled with the dancing, both remembering and actually doing the routines. There were many tantrums along the way, but come October half term it all came together and we again put on a great show. Once again it was not only the thrill of being up on stage performing, but it was also the camaraderie and the friendships made along the way that made it all worthwhile.
Another spin-off from HTC has seen me dusting off the old drumsticks and getting behind the kit once more, following the launch of Fugue. (The nucleus of the band comes from HTC). After several months of rehearsals, we finally got our act together enough to perform on stage on the penultimate day of the year! We did four numbers at Pucklechurch Open Mic and it seemed to go down pretty well. So here's to bigger and better things for Fugue in 2012...
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