Time To Get Serious

Dear Anyone,

Although I'm not one to make new year's resolutions, there are two things I have to get serious about this year: losing weight and driving.

I've recently discovered that my workplace might start holding Weight Watchers meetings at lunchtimes. That would be perfect for me, because I can't find any other time that would be convenient, and since work gets in the way of life, the least they could do is help me out! I've done Weight Watchers before, a few years ago, and I definitely think it's the best diet around. It's realistic and all about portion control really. You can eat whatever you want as long as you remain within your point allowance. It also helped me to see just how crap some foods are. For example, my point allowance was 22 points per day. Now when I go to McDonalds I would usually have a Big Mac meal or a Quarter Pounder meal. When I looked it up in the Weight watchers 'Eating Out' book, a Big Mac meal came up to a total of 21 and a half points! Just that alone would leave me with half a point for the rest of the day! And McDonalds would usually just be lunch - I would have already had breakfast and be planning what to have for dinner! That helped to put things into perspective. So I think it will be next week that we find out whether the meetings will go ahead at work, because people have to register their interest by this Friday, and permission will be granted if they can get 25 names. Fingers crossed! Plus I have a friend (Bumper) who works at a gym, so with him there I'd get free access - no excuse really.

With driving - I started my driving lessons back in 2003 with the AA (which back then was pretty expensive), but I had to stop when we moved to a different area. Then I was unemployed, soI couldn't afford to take it up again, and I guess I just procrastinated after that. But the thought of driving makes me quite nervous, and I never used to actually look forward to my lessons. I feel like there is far too much to concentrate on all at once, and I might be one of those nervous drivers who makes stupid mistakes. When my friends are driving and start effing and blinding at other drivers, unless it's a blatant stupid mistake, I try not to comment, because for all I know that might be me in the future! But I know it's something I have to do. I know London has a very good transport system, but I refuse to still be taking buses when I have children. I can not be one of those mums who struggle to fold up a pushchair in time for the bus's arrival, or be refused access on to the bus because there are already two pushchairs aboard. No thank you.

As it stands though, I'll have to wait until February to get things in motion, because January is the brokest month ever and I'm really feeling it. But I'm determined to see these things through.