Well the sun has definitely had it's hat on this week up North. It's just like summer. Had all my washing out on the line all week and I'm dying to get all my summer clothes out too, but I think that might be tempting fate a little lol.
Every week I get quite a few people e-mailing, texting, ringing me or just knocking on my door with messages or questions about my weight loss. This week I was moved once again by a chef I know telling me that, because of our conversation two weeks earlier, she had made the decision to join a gym and change her life style to a more healthier one. She told me the defining moment came for her when she told me she was going to join a slimming club and I had told her, ' it's you that loses the weight and you wanting too, not the slimming club, you!'. She went away and thought about it and instead of spending her money every week on a slimming club membership she has used it to join a gym instead. I went on to ask her if her gym was full of the people she imagined went to gyms, she said she was very shocked to see everyone was normal and they were all different shapes and sizes and no one looked at you!!!! Just what I had tried to reassure her two weeks previously. She, like I, was put off going to a gym because we thought it would be full of fit people in hardly any clothes. She went on to say, this time it was going to be different for her. After listening to me and taking on board what I had told her, she felt she could really do this and that I had been her inspiration! I was again really proud that my knowledge and experience had helped someone else.
It wasn't really third time lucky for me this week, as I had imaged it being. I had my next operation cancelled for the third time this year and we're only in March, boo. I was supposed to be going into hospital next week for a thigh and bottom lift, as you'll know I've lost 14 stone in weight, which has left me with some hanging skin in places. Last June I had excess skin removed from my stomach and next weeks op was supposed to be my second operation with two more skin removal operations to follow. Apparently there's been a mix up at the hospital and I wasn't on the operating list for next week, which is deeply disappointing after arranging our lives around it and then the recovering time afterwards. I've had so much to do in preparation for this operation, not just with organizing our families life around it, but mentally getting into the right frame of mind, as its a big thing to put yourself through mentally and physically. Its definitely not a vain thing I'm undertaking, I'm having these operations done to finally be able to put the past behind me and move on for good. The amount of skin I'm having removed will make such a difference to everyday life for me. I'll no longer have to strap up my excess skin every morning before I get dressed and I'm really looking forward to feeling the difference when I run, as my training is going really well at the moment. But I think everything is for a reason and I'm trying to stay positive about the cancellation. On the plus side, I definitely wont be in hospital for Mother's Day, which I love because the family spoil me for the day and thats what Mother's Day is all about. Also we've been invited to a friends 40th birthday bash, which we thought we couldn't make and I've been asked to attend a ground breaking ceremony in Manchester for the new Ronald McDonald House they're going to be building there.
I had a meeting this week with the charity I'll be running for in the Great North Run 2011 and London Marathon 2012. They got in touch with me and asked to meet with me and talk through some fundraising ideas they thought I might be interested in supporting. It's an absolute dream for me to be involved, as our family has used Ronald McDonald House at Alder Hey Hospital in the past and the facilities there are incredible. It's truly an amazing place, it's a home from home at the most incredibly stressful time in your families life and it really does make such a difference to what you're going through. The ground dig is the first event I'll be going to and thats on 13th April. We went to the ground break for the extension at the Ronald McDonald House at Alder Hey 9 years ago with Christopher, when Ricky Tomlinson was doing the first dig on site. Christopher and Ricky where featured in all the press things about it. How weird is that, 9 years later they have asked me to attend in a totally different capacity.
We did 10 miles first thing Saturday morning. It was pretty hard going and when I've run since my legs have felt really heavy. Hey ho, we're going to do another long one this Sunday. In the next month I want to be able to complete 13 miles, so we'll know for sure that we can run that distance. Cant really believe it myself, only 6 weeks ago I couldn't run for 10 yards without stopping and we actually started training to 2 miles, which I found incredibly hard going. Now we go out 3 times a week and do 5-6 miles each time.
We'll it's Friday and that only means one thing in the Forrest house, movie and home-made take-a-way night. If that makes any sense, I actually make a healthier option take-a-way meal ie pizza, curry, burgers, something along those lines. So tonight it's 'Pizza night', Christopher's chosen this weeks menu. So the pizza dough is in the bread making machine as we speak and my home-made Summer Pudding is setting in the fridge. We just love Summer Pud, all that fresh fruit and it's so good for you. I use brioche instead of normal white bread. It makes all the difference. Just got to make the coleslaw and a big bowl of salad, yummy. Christopher has also chosen this weeks film which is the Elephant Man. I bought this film years ago for us all to watch together. I loved this film when I first watched it in the 80's, I found it so inspirational with a strong message that nothing in life is perfect and there's always someone worse off than you. Millie, our oldest daughter, was born with a cleft lip and palate and she also has cerebral palsy, so the messages in this film actually touch on our lives. I love watching films like this with our children, it sends out such a good positive message.

Well it's Blog time once again! What a good week we've had. My runnings going really well.Me and Chris  ran 7 miles first thing Sunday morning!!!!!  UNBELIEVABLE!!  Well, we thought so!!
Millie, our first born who's nearly 15, has been talent spotted in Disability Athletics for the shot put. So all day Saturday we were at Sportcity, next to  Manchester City Football Club, supporting her while she attended a training day. At the end of the day, Millie was approached by a coach from Wigan Harriers to train with them every week, as they think she's got  real potential and  she could go far in the world of disability sports!!! We're all really thrilled for Millie, as she's sports mad, but is very limited  to what she can manage , due to her cerebral palsy.
Our middle daughter, Alex, had an  eye test this week and needs glasses, it turns out shes short sighted just like her Daddy. God she looks so cute in her new specs lol. She's not so keen, so I keep reassuring her that she looks beautiful in them, aw.
Christopher, our little boy, had another appointment at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool. It was for a fitness test on a treadmill, to see how fit/unfit he actually is, according to his age group. He's going to be having more heart surgery at some point, so these test's are to help map everything out.
I'll be running the GNR and the London Marathon with my husband Chris, so even though training is hard at times, we've got each other to push each other on and keep each other company which is lovely. And someone to shout at on a tough day!!??!!   I've been going through and typing up all my hand written recipes this week, which is a job and a half, as some are very well worn and sticky lol. Lots of them are very tasty and healthy and have helped me immensely through my weight loss. So watch this space, hopefully at some point, they'll all be featured in my book when its published!!!

Well I've managed it, yay! Doing this blog thingy has taken me sometime, I can tell you! There's never enough time in the day for these things and I seem to spend my life playing 'catch up', anyway. Leading this busy life that I do, after spending years being under active because I was morbidly obese, is fantastic and I wouldn't have it any other way now.
Well it's four weeks into my Great North Run (half Marathon) training and finally I'm getting it, yay! My running has now become a lot easier and I'm now doing five miles a day, five days a week. Trying to also be very good with what I'm eating, as I find there's nothing worse than running when you've eaten a poor diet that day. My book is also coming along nicely and I'm really enjoying writing it. It's been a very emotional journey for me, at times, but all in a good way. After losing 14 stone in weight recently, my book has helped me immensely to leave the past behind and make me even more determined never to return to my 'OLD' bad habits and ways.