At last, I hit that all important stone mark last week.

But, now I have to apologise for the delayed update on that matter having been away in Jersey this weekend. Yes, the land of the wonderfully creamy milk producing cows...

So far, the damage isn't too bad (at 2lbs on) with two days to get back on track before the next weigh in. A vat of veggie soup is being planned for the hob tonight.

Actually, although we did eat our way round the beautiful island, as Jersey Tourism flaunted their best bits for the group of journalists I travelled with, we also spent a fair bit of time wandering about and generally being active.

Balancing fantastic cuisine with walking a fair old bit, and a couple of gentle sessions in the hotel pool was the way to go.

And the diet gods must have been smiling on me. Creme brulee is somewhat of a weakness so far as pudds are concerned with me... so imagine my joy at "exotic trio of creme brulee" being on Saturday's menu?!

Low and behold, a feast for the eyes arrived at the table, but there were no ceramic pots of creamy loveliness topped with molten sugar. Instead, a small coconut sponge based morsel topped with burnt sugar, a mangoey-moussey concoction with a sliver of caramelised pineapple, and an orange sorbet toped with a sliver of burnt orange... do you see what they did there?!

The sorbet was the only one I polished off in entirety so was left feeling fairly guilt free.

Hurrah!!!

As previously reported, my weight loss had become as static as my blog... until last weigh in, and all of a sudden 4lbs had disappeared.

Several weeks of no loss, and good effort, finally paid off. Normally, 4lbs in a week wouldn't be particularly something to celebrate as it's rather a lot in just seven days.

But when you've shifted nothing for a while, I guess it just catches up at some point.

I've not just got 1lb to lose to reach my stone mark, and then seven until I hit my 10 per cent.

I've set my target for that as my birthday weigh in (why oh shy did I not chose my class day more cleverly as it lands on a day you really want to treat yourself) although am not going to hold my breath as it would mean a consistent loss of more than 2lbs a week, something I've not managed thus far.

Think think thoughts for me!

Well, blogging hasn’t been exactly successful for a few weeks.
But then neither has my diet.
Like my blog nothing has happened and despite my best efforts, no weight has dropped off my hips for some time now.
OK, Easter crept in there – but not a smidgen of egg-shaped chocolate passed my lips on an Easter weekend away, which also featured a beach trek and climbing around a ruined castle, as well as keeping up with a non-stop toddler.
I’ve not gone mad, and have been eating sensibly but it’s been all in vain.
And as I’ve been lingering just above the one stone loss mark for weeks, it’s been getting somewhat annoying to not yet have quite reached that landmark.
The secret, according to my Weight Watchers’ leader, is that I have been too strict on myself.
Under their world-renowned Points system, you have a set amount that you have to eat in order to lose weight. Ducking under it too much and for too long means the weight loss plan will not work. If you are not eating enough, your body clings on to everything you put into it and therefore it becomes impossible to lose weight – well that’s how I understand the science of it.
So this week, I’ve been religiously counting (well, as religiously counting as an atheist can be) my Points intake. I even had to force an ice cream dessert (albeit Weight Watchers) down my neck one night while already feeling quite contentedly full from dinner.
Fingers crossed that come Wednesday night and my next weigh in session I will be back on form and able to celebrate being kicked back into action.
Failing that, I guess I’ll just have to have my cake and eat it all in the name of dieting. Keep your fingers crossed for me...

Any avid on-line readers of Shape Up Swindon may remember that I "tried something new" in the form on fitness hooping a few weeks back.

Now, my first (and second and third) attempts were pretty dismal. As someone who usually picks up aerobics classes quite easily I did get disheartened and as a result have not been for several weeks.

Last night I had made plans to go swimming with my other half, but at the last minute was offered a standby place in the hooping class at Calne Leisure Centre.

And what a transformation!!! I had expected to be back at phase one, dropping the dratted hoop every fourth rotation and spending more time picking it up than actually hula-ing it.

But no. Straight away I seemed to slip into a relaxed rhythm and the hoop gracefully swept round my middle.

OK, in my absence over recent weeks the rest of the class had become pretty expert and were gliding into grapevines and pivots like nobody's business but I did not feel like the class dunce who wanted to hide in the corner any more.

I may not have managed marching while hooping, squatting while hooping, or any of the other steps. But I hooped triumphantly at my own level, grinning (and grimacing too at times) like a Cheshire cat at my success.

At previous outings, I had not been convinced of the fitness benefits of this class but "mastering" (note a very loose use of the word, in inverted commas) the skills last night I was certainly getting more puffed than before and I can feel it more in my abdominal muscles today.

Was it all mental in the fact I'd had no chance to think about going, or have I been visited by the hooping fairy who has bestowed me with hips of power?

So – lesson of the day: If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!

To read about my first attempts at fitness hooping, visit:
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/search/display.var.1983334.0.going_round_in_circles.php

Grrrrr!

Rather annoyed at self as I've stayed the same this week - but having had little time to exercise and going away for the weekend, it was never going to be a great one.

Now it would all be rather fine if it was just my mini-failure to deal with... but it's not. A friend who's also dieting hit the stone mark this week. I'm genuinely pleased for her, but I am annoyed at myself for not getting there yet.

So, I must take it as inspiration and turn a negative feeling into positivity (oh, that karma stuff always comes back to bite you on the slowly shrinking butt!).

Having got any Mother's Day indulgences (well, I had to keep Mum company when she tucked into a lovely pud) out of the way, I've got no excuse this week and will be sucking on a lettuce leaf for the foreseeable future.

Had a bit of a treat this weekend, a few days back down in Devon and Cornwall visiting my parents.

After a couple of nights at home, I was then able to whisk off my mum for a Mother's Day visit to a spa and hotel in Cornwall.

The fresh sea air and beautiful scenery (the hotel overlooked a stunning beach and the surrounding cliffs) took my mind forward to summer months as I tend to spend a week or so camping with the other half in Cornwall each year.

With that in mind I felt re-inspired to focus on my diet as the more I loose now the better I will feel (and look) when it comes to donning the bikini and hitting the beach, although warm coats and wellies were more suited to this weekend.

I am a bit of a water baby, having grown up on Cornish beaches, and love spending time in the sun and on the beach when the weather's right. But I haven't felt fully relaxed in that setting for a while due to my weight, which is a shame as being at the coast is the most calming and re-invigorating place I could picture for myself.

Can't wait for the summer now – might just have to book now for a few more spa treatments (fake tan anyone?) just to put the finishing touches in place!

(PS – I avoided pasties, clotted cream teas and ice cream, oh so tempting!)