Weighing in for the first time.

As part of the challenge I'm aiming to lose at least 30kg and keep it off over the year. I'll be updating this bit monthly because I don't want to obsess about it. Admittedly I am a big girl and I feel unhealthy at present because I've spent the past few months doing very little. It's a moot point. I have PCOS (polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) which means that weight loss is often difficult as my body is naturally insulin resistant which means that certain dieting fads aren't a good idea. I am going back into eating a Low GI diet which means more whole grain products, less sugar and eating foods that offer slow release sustained energy. Because I cannot afford a gym membership I've made it an aim to go on a long brisk walk each day and mess about on my Wii - we have Just Dance and Wii Sports. I am doing pretty well on this so far. Already told Husbeast I'll be going running with him by the end of this year.

Day 1 as a 30 year old. Need to act my shoe size* rather than my age.

(*size uk 7 by the way)

I spent most of yesterday hanging out with family, visiting Bluewater to buy a few books. Gamestation to buy Pandora's Tower on the Wii, having a meal at a gorgeous restaurant called Bartellas in Meopham (www.bartellas.com - if you're interested in going there, they also do a gluten free menu)  and then chilling out and having a relatively early night with my Husbeast.

Today we went down to Rochester and took photos around Rochester Castle and the Cathedral precincts,

Rochester Castle

In the Cathefral Precincts

walked through to Chatham and mall-ratted around the shops. I am keeping with my aim of doing more walking even though KFC beckoned for lunch. Got home and started on Pandora's Tower. I am not usually a console player so it's taking some time for me to get used to the controls although the anime graphics and playable imagery is impressive for most of the Wii games  I've seen so far. I got the special edition as well with the tin, art book and guide. It keeps me occupied whilst I lust after Guild Wars 2 as I neither have the cash for it, nor the PC adequate for it. Tonight we are watching tv, fussing over the furkids (they heard the rattle of a packet when dinner arrived and are extra inquisitive now) and I'm struggling with what else to write.

Maybe I need to write a bit more about me,

I am a self confessed nerd, mostly into horror, sci-fi and fantasy books. I play D and D weekly with friends, we play a system created by our D.M (which I won't describe in too much detail because he's looking to publish it one day) and collect tabletop RPG game books, share my Husbeast's sword collection and have a varied musical taste ranging from heavy metal, punk, gothic music and more mainstream stuff. I can talk gothic fiction themes til the cows come home and have regular manic creative blasts of energy which I'm currently focusing into my jewellery making and trying to set up my own business and maintaining my website,

www.pettsoriginals.co.uk

www.facebook.com/pettsoriginals

I also write and have three novels on the go and a planned piece for NaNoWriMo for the first time ever although I've been plagued with writers block for a while which is slowly lifting. My other hobbies are cultivating chillis, rat wrangling (we have three very affectionate furkids) and needlework crafts (crochet, knitting and loom knitting.)

I am currently unemployed, and trying to find a day job for the time being to pay the boring things in life like rent and bills and finding alternatives to help me overcome anxiety and depression at times.

Just Five days to go.

I'll be honest and say I'm feeling lousy with mood swings and anxieties, but that seems to be how my mind is coping with being out of work, fluctuating in depressive moods and with a short attention span for anything but books and making things and even then I have to be in the creative/bookworm mood. Saturday starts the clean slate and the beginning of the list. I am trying to work out how to do this. A daily posting? or do I do a weekly summary or something less structured. I also am trying to plan out some of the activities such as giving blood as they need registration first. I am going to try and get hold of a video camera to do some v-log posts along the way as it will break things up from the wall o' text format. 

I've set up the ticker for my weightloss goal. It's only a simple HTML thing from ticker factory, but it does the job well unless doing the ECDL course over the next few weeks gives me some insight into making my own one or a friend helps out.

The second 15.

1.  Complete at least the first of the Sins trilogy.(not at the same time as NaNoWriMo) 
2.  Walk 30 miles in one day. 
3.   Learn how to Podcast. Produce a semi-regular posting
4. Get back into art using a wide array of mediums. Create 3 pieces and exhibit them. Then sell them for charity.
5. Take the time to hand make or put a unique spin on gifts for people.  
6.    Write in an entirely new genre to you,   
7.     Set up my own business and make enough to not need a “day job”  
8.   Do some voluntary work.  
9.   Practice random acts of kindness. (unfortunately a cliché but, the sentiment is there) 
10.   Rediscover your inner child. 
11. Embrace your spiritual side. (NOT meaning religion, but an awareness of self and place in the world.) 
12.  Learn to function in this world despite the mental drain that is depression and find a therapeutic outlet   that isn’t necessarily medication or medically orientated CBT. 
13. Set up a friends reunion and catch up with people that have been away for years.    
14. Watch the sun set on 7^th Sept 2013 and rise on 8th Sept 2013.  
15.  Get the years experiences published in a print media.

Suggestions needed.

Ok readers out there, I need suggestions for the " do 30 new activities in the space of the year" bit of the list.  Firstly let me point out I am a wuss, so a suggestion like "Go on the UK's largest rollercoaster" would also count as my scary moment for that month. I am game for most things though.

Give me some good suggestions please.

The first 15 on the List.

1.  Lose 30lb in weight (and keep it off) stage 2 – if that’s too easy, lose 30kg
2. Take 30 minutes each day to reflect on the positive and record it somewhere.
3. Do 30 new activities in the space of a year.  
4.  Keep a photo record and blog of the whole year.  
5.     Do at least one thing a month that scares you.  
6.    Practice a musical instrument and do a 30 min set by the end of the year at an open mic night.  
7.    Give blood at least once. (no excuses, no more tattoos until it’s done) 
8.   Learn 30 words /phrases in another language (not French, German or Spanish) and practice them on a native speaker. 
9.  Travel as far as you can on £30.30 (and include the return journey). photograph the journey, destination and modes of transport used. (must use more than one type of public transport)  
10. Whilst doing #9. Explore the area you’ve arrived at. Spend no more than £30.30 on food, presents for people and buy a memorable item to blog about. 
11.  Cook a 3 course themed dinner for the whole family at the halfway point  
12.  Raise at least £300.30 in the space of the year for Charity. Find new and inventive ways of raising the money. 
13.  Spend more time with keeping in touch with friends and family, write actual letters and send them snail mail.  
14.   Learn to accept that the person you were made you the woman you are today. Life experiences are valuable and not necessarily all positive. Ensure that you have learnt equally from the positive experiences and the negative ones. 
15. Attempt NaNoWriMo in November.

Setting up the Just Giving Accounts.

With less than a month to go it's starting to feel real. I set up the Just Giving Accounts for the Charities I want to support and I'm still working on the List. Please feel free to donate to the charities. For some reason I can't put both Charities on the same page so here are the links below.

 For Ovarian Cancer Action go to,

https://www.justgiving.com/Emma-Pett82

For the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation go to,

https://www.justgiving.com/Emma-Pett1982

Please give generously because I will too and don't forget to gift aid donations.