Ten pounds to lose, eeek!

Despite my good intentions over Christmas, the festive season combined with a cessation of my aqua classes, a trip to Las Vegas and too many cocktails have resulted in me putting on 10 pounds!! Eeek.

Last night the DH and I agreed we would start another race to lose half a stone (I'm keeping schtum about those extra pounds). We did this last year: I lost 10 pounds, he lost about the same, but as we'd both said we wanted to lose a stone, neither of us claimed the reward.

The prize this time is a weekend of walking for him if he wins, and for me, noise reducing headphones from Bose.

Last night we had a curry to "celebrate" the end of our bad ways, and today I went to the gym and he went for a run, which he does six days of the week. I remembered why I find going to the gym such a FAFF. Firstly, you have to assemble all your kit. For me, two sports bras and the usual shoes, trousers, top; the iPOD fully charged and its arm sleeve thing; heart rate monitor; bottle of water; two towels (I decided to wash my hair). It's much easier to go swimming, or aqua, because all you need then is your swimming costume, flip flops and a towel.

I've booked to go to aqua three times next week, and I'm back using Nutracheck, the online calorie counter.

Today I've been eating lots of fruit and veg. My skin is dry and spotty (if that's possible) after all the air con in the US plus the poor food there.

I'll keep you posted on progress - plus some of my diet secrets including how to create huge great meals for those with big appetites that still allow you to lose weight!

Detox - don't do it!

It's at this time of year (New Year's Eve) when everyone starts guiltily counting up the cost of Christmas in terms of weight gain, bloating and puffy eyes. You may also be thinking of some draconian New Year's resolutions to do with losing ten stone or joining a gym, or going on a detox. My advice? Don't do it!

Of course it's great to put our bodies first, and commit to eating sensibly for 90% of the time. And I do try to do this. But in my experience, joining a gym in January and making some pretty demanding resolutions is a bad idea at this time of year. January is a gloomy month anyway. Don't be too hard on yourself. If you want to resolve to improve some aspect of your life, do it in a gentle way. If you want to lose weight, maybe try to walk 10,000 steps a day using a pedometer -- and if you're still doing it in six weeks, then join a gym because your resolve is good (and you will have lost weight). Or resolve to lose a dress size in six weeks' time. Or resolve to keep a food diary each day, maybe using this great site

As for a detox, complete waste of time. Scientific studies have shown that our bodies are so advanced they can "detox" very effectively on their own even if you've consumed your own body weight in kebabs and steam pudding washed down with a month's alcohol units. Those special detox drinks are nothing but a con, and taste foul. Exponents of detox say you will feel light headed, maybe have spots - all signs the body is expelling waste. Nonsense - it's the cry of help from a body which is being starved and unable to respond effectively to the demands you're making on it.

So don't detox but instead aim to drink a lot of water, avoid pre-packaged foods full of transfats (pies, pastries, biscuits, ready meals) and include at least five portions of fruit and veg in your daily intake.

My own resolutions this year are about continuing to go to aqua aerobics, three times a week, and to walk more. I aim to eat sensibly 90% of the time and have been doing this in general. There were a few lapses over Christmas of course but I was happy to go back to a healthier regime a couple of days ago. I have another resolution which is to go to the theatre/cinema more often, and I'm looking forward to buying some tickets online shortly to make that one come true! It starts tomorrow with a trip to the Tutankhamnun exhibition. Have a Happy New Year!