To elaborate further on the post below, my sister (who's clothes I wish to steal) is thirteen years younger than me so has always been the "little" sister in all senses of the word. She has always been within a normal size range - although sometimes at the larger end of it. So being able to fit into her clothes is a major thrill. I wore one of her jumpers the other day and she cursed me out for getting it covered in dog hair, but it was her dog so I take no responsibility. Speaking of her dog, it is very hard to do 8 minute abs when you have a boisterous dog in the house.

I have been getting so many compliments on my weight loss, it is lovely. I just hope it doesn't go to my head so that I get into that "resting on my laurels" mind frame. That is a real danger zone for me (for most people I can imagine). I swing between seeing myself as having acheived so much and being quite thin now. I guess I have managed to lose a lot. More importantly, I've been implementing major lifestyle changes. Then the pendulum swings and I realise that I'm still not even within a "normal" size range. I still have so far to go. I guess if I get big headed I just need to head back to the gym classes so I can see myself reflected in the mirror next to some of those toothpick blonde girls and I'll come back to reality with a thud.

One thing that is stopping the big headedness is realising just how easy I've slid back into bad habits. Why is it so easy to pick up bad habits and so hard to pick up good ones?

Just to digress a minute, the other day I left work with the "I don't wanna go to the gym" loop playing my brain and decided for just a minute to consciously change that to "I love the gym, I love exercise, my gym is full of friendly, happy people". It kinda worked - well I went to the gym that night. But then the next night, I didn't just go to the gym but was actually looking forward to it. I haven't been since then because I've been away and I really have missed it. It hurts me not to go. By the way, I did my first Pump class (since the one and only effort last year - I was so unfit then and the instructor was a bimbo. I told her it was my first time and she just ignored me... I never went back). I loved it...afterwards I hurt in all the right ways. Having masocist tendencies does help with gym classes.

There was only two other girls in the class. One of them was on the bigger side of normal, the kind of person who I used to look at and think "I wouldn't mind having a figure like that" - not thin but healthy and achieveable (and, more importantly maintainable). I was comparing her body to mine in the mirror, as you do, and for once, the differences weren't that immense. I could actually see that it was possible to get from where I am now to where she is. That is pretty powerful stuff.

So, before I digressed, I was going to say this. A visit home makes you realise just where all your bad habits originated. And man, do I have some bad habits! These include (but aren't limited to) - numerous trips to the biscuit cupboard (including a 'little snack' while waiting for my toast to pop up this morning), having seconds and thirds after dinner. Having something to munch on while watching tv or movies. I guess to summarise, I've realised on this visit how I've grown up with the whole concept of food being something to look forward to. If you aren't eating, you are thinking of your next meal. Or your next snack. And you pick in between times anyways. The day is just an endless round of coffees and food.

I like to be in control of my environment. At home, I don't have handy snacks available. I have fruit and things that take effort to prepare. I don't stock up on a lot of food so I don't have endless options to pick from. That is good and it works for me but I think I need to think more about being in environments I can't control and having the strength to not eat food just because it's there. It's that constant feeling that I'm going to miss out if I don't eat.

We did go for a lovely walk along the beach yesterday. That was fun. I might try to fit in another one before I go home this afternoon.