Rain, rain, go away, come again another day (but not until after the bank holiday weekend please)

Given that we are a soggy island, people’s reaction to rain always amazes me. Today on my 10 min walk from the tube to my office I saw a woman in a black pencil skirt, teal top, lipstick pink heels – and an umbrella matched EXACTLY to her shoes. Who would ever have thought of such co-ordination? Still, better than the man who had fashioned himself what looked like a shower cap out of a Sainsbury’s carrier bag. Stylish.

But I was envious of the girl, dressed in work-out gear, with a gorgeous little blood orange sweat-top with ruched sleeves and black leggings. Can you IMAGINE being able to wear leggings with a short top and looking pert-arsed rather than a visual affront? I can’t. I think if I dieted for the rest of my life (which, let’s face it, is entirely probable), I couldn’t pull that off. Sigh.

I have had a very mixed week. On the positive side, I have not thrown caution to the wind – in fact, I have had caution in a desparate stranglehold. I have had 88 syns out of what is allowed – for a normal person – 105. But I haven’t met my rules – I usually allow myself 5 during the week and 15 Fri/Sat/Sun (although if I hit 20 on one or two of those days I don’t castigate myself too much). A weekend with my mother meant a few more treats than I should allow myself – but as SWise One says, sometimes other things are more important than dieting. This was one of those weekends. I did what I could but I’m trying not to beat myself up over a bit more lassitude. Of course, I may not be able to stick to that once I encounter SoD tomorrow (although a sneaky WI BEFORE the weekend – 2 days of utter virtue – lead to me being 1.5lbs up. ???).

I’m also thinking very carefully about the forthcoming weekend. I want to enjoy the birthday treats without throwing – nay hurling – the diet completely out of the window. Not every meal has to be a defiantly anti-diet choice; there are things I really want (cake, wine, heedless and hedonistic restaurant choices) but there are equally things I don’t need to have ‘just because’. I keep thinking about McDonalds! Better to have a really delicious artisanal burger in the pub halfway round one of the 11 mile walks I’m planning – that is worth breaking the diet for (only because it’s my birthday) whereas a Big Mac is not. It’s just headfuckery (if you’ll forgive the graphic phrase) and I’m not giving in to it. I gave bf a run down of what I wanted to do for the whole weekend (Friday to Tuesday (inc)) and he did say “That’s THREE really long walks”. Yep! I’ve given him a pass to reduce one if he’s knackered. I think we’ll be fine though.

In other news, Operation Stiletto is limping along. Literally. I wore heels all day on Thursday and it took until Saturday lunchtime until the balls of my feet stopped hurting. Yesterday and today I have only worn heels in the office – not sure that’s going to be enough to make me a proficient and pain-free high heel wearer, given that I spend most of my time in the office sitting at a desk. When I go to the loo though, the air feels thinner.