Number 7. Lose some weight.

Number 7. Lose some weight.

I have never ever done a diet, but I quite clearly need to lose some weight, not because I am unhappy or uncomfortable in my own skin, quite the contrary, but I have known for some time that the extra weight is not good for my arthritis/joints and the older I get the harder it will be to shift!

I weighed myself on my 39th birthday, I will not share that information with you as to what the scales said but I recorded the information!!

Anyway as I left it and did nothing about achieving this goal, by the end of June instead of having lost weight I'd actually gained 10lbs!!

I needed to do a diet that didn't make me feel like I was depriving myself of anything/cutting things out, and that more importantly I was still sitting down with my family on an evening and still eating the same as them. I also didn't want to be counting calories, or points etc...a diet needed to fit in with me!
I've always eaten a well balanced diet, I've just eaten too much! I do walk and had been swimming regularly until early this year which is probably accountable for the weight gain of 10lbs!

I saw a friend on Facebook was promoting a new diet, and had actually given up another job to become a promoter of this diet, she invited me to her house to talk about it and so far I've not looked back!

I am doing the Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge, and I have set myself the initial target of losing 20lbs within 90 days. I need to lose more than that but the concept of the diet is that you do it in 90 day challenges to keep you focused.
I have 2 shakes a day, breakfast and lunch, 2 snacks and sit down with the hubby and kids and eat the same as them on a night. The product/shake powder is highly nutritious and is packed with minerals and vitamins, as well as been a weight loss product it can also be used by people who are in to fitness as a supplement for their normal diet.

The 90 days comes to an end on the 6th October, so far with 29 days left to go I have lost 15lbs and inches from all around my body. I do not feel like I'm on a diet as I've still had takeaways, alcohol, chocolate, etc..but I've made changes which are helping the weight come off and when you've got stones to lose, not just pounds it feels great to be making a difference!

For more information please ask me or go to: www.clairearundel.bodybyvi.com

DAY 90 RESULTS:

Day 90 of my Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge, which was to lose 20lbs.
I'm amazed at how easy I've found it and can't wait to start my next 90 day challenge to lose 15lbs.
My results are as follows: Weight: 22lbs LOST...woo hoo!!
Arms= 2 inches lost
Boobs= 3.5 inches lost
Tummy=4.5 inches lost
Hips=5 inches lost
Calf=1.5 inches lost
BMI= dropped 2.8 points

Still along way to go but I'm on the right path now to making a difference!

Number 36. Raise some money for Arthritis.

Number 36. Raise some money for Arthritis.

On Saturday 14 Sept 2013, I hosted a fundraiser at Cass Hall, King Street, Driffield in aid of the Psoriasis & Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance.(PAPAA) My lovely friend Siobhan who also suffers helped me invaluably with the day! 

At 32 I started getting Psoriasis and at 34 the arthritis began its not the easiest of conditions to live with on a daily basis and raising awareness is really important!

The day was so well attended, I really couldn't have been happier with the support, and it was lovely to see people enjoying themselves over a cuppa and cake! We had the usual raffle, tombola, cake stall and a lovely water colour which was donated by the artist himself, Alan Allsop which we also raffled! We had  handicrafts/stalls by local traders 'Chocolate & Pink', 'Railton Farm Gifts', 'Little Miss Allsorts', 'Avon', 'Made in Heaven', 'Forever Living', handmade cards & bunting by Gail Rowley, and candles with Nicola Hogg. 

This is a photo of the original water colour beautifully framed by the artist himself, Alan Allsopp who is 84 years young! It is a scene in the Yorkshire Dales. It was won by Michelle Bell. It was so lovely of Alan to contact me and generously support us. 

I'm over the moon to say the day raised £484:90 which is fantastic! As well as raising such a great amount of money, to highlight awareness of the condition was definitely achieved and other people who are also suffering locally have contacted me. I feel that we may now need to set up a local support group and future events will be arranged, which was beyond my initial expectations! 

It isn't too late to support as I have created a Just Giving Page, you can donate by clicking on the link below:

http://www.justgiving.com/Claire-Andrew-Arundel1

Thank you to everyone who made the day a success I'm just so so happy! 

Lots of love

Claire

Number 9. Visit a new country.

Number 9. Visit a new country.

There are so many places in the world that I hope in my lifetime I get to see. I've travelled quite a lot of Europe but Italy is a country I've longed to go to for so long and there are so many parts of it that I want to see.

I am incredibly lucky, I have the best husband ever, I had also added to my list that I'd like to ride in a gondola and the kids were desperate to come to so we hunted for a holiday that would include a day in Venice so I could kill two birds with one stone! 

We found the perfect holiday with Thomson, staying at the Villagio Amare on the Venetian Riviera, hotel/apartments with pool & private beach, a rarity in Italy! We booked for 23-30 August 2013.

It truly was a fabulous holiday the apartment was lovely, the beach & pool were fab and we hired a car so we could see and do more! We visited Burano, Venice, Caorle, Verona and a waterpark and apart from the fact I came home covered in bites (no-one else) it was a great week and I can't wait to go back to Italy again!

 

Number 16. Ride in a Gondola.

Number 16. Ride in a Gondola.

When I wrote my list I tried to make it as achievable as possible, this however was one item on my list that when I added it I didn't really think it would happen, but I was wrong!!

I've never been to Italy and there is so much of it I would like to see and share with my family. The Venitian Riveria though was a good start and the highlight of our day in Venice was the evening serenaded gondola ride!

It was one of those experiences that as it was happening and you are living the moment it seems so surreal! I was incredibly moved by it, I didn't cry but I was close to tears!

The gondolas are just so lovely, very plush! It's not a cheap thing to do for 40 minutes entertainment but it was worth every single penny!

As we were queuing for our ride all the 'gondoliers' were milling around and one stood out as a typical 'slick' Italian and I said as much to my hubby and kids, it was then very amusing that he steered our gondola, you will notice him as he wanted to get in all our photos! We named him 'Slick'!! 

All in all this is a life experience I will never forget, a beautiful memory!