Obsessed

I think I have a serious girl crush on Lisbeth Salander.
Yes, I know she's a fictional character. And I don't really give a monkey's.

Crazy busy.

In fact, so busy I barely have time to breathe.
I'm running around from one cocktail party to another, from gym to work to the shops to home, and then to yet another party. This hectic lifestyle seems to be working well for my weight loss plan: this morning I was 120.1. When I saw it, I almost jumped for joy. Not much further to go!
I'm also getting ready for my holiday, which is going to be a challenge: Barcelona is a city full of devilishly good food and I'm going with my boyfriend, so avoiding food is not an option. Instead, I'll go for small portions and low-calorie items. And I'll walk. A lot. After all, there's no better way to do some serious sightseeing than on foot.
All I need to do now is convince my partner that taking the metro is a no-no when you can walk.
I hope the new trekking shoes I bought him as a surprise gift will do the trick.

A surreal experience.

Saturday night: no sleep. Instead, pedaling along with 1400 other cyclists all through the night. Just an empty road, lots of bike lights blinking in the pitch black, lots of laughter and friendly people. The sound of bike chains rolling on the cogs, the sound of changing gears, the bats flying above our heads. And then the sunrise, not dramatic, just slowly creeping in, the night giving way to a new day. The cool morning on the pebbly beach, nothing but a tiny cafe - and bikes, an unbelievable number of bikes. Then the station, the train we were thrown out of ("Only four bikes allowed", said the conductor, and there were 50 or so), riding for another 30 miles to the nearest big station, pushing myself even more. Running on empty, grunting on the uphill parts, going against the wind. The train home, no time to sleep, talking to other fellow crazy people who did the Dunwich Dynamo this year.
An unforgettable night.
Now I know why some people say it's addictive. I can't wait for the next year's edition. Meanwhile, more cycling next weekend. And the weekend after that.
No change on the scales, I'm afraid; not yet. I turned into an Omnomnom Monster yesterday - I think it was the combination of lack of sleep, hunger, muscle pain and exhaustion that made me devour more than I should have. A total of 1200-1300 kcals, so not that bad really, but my stomach wasn't very happy. This is what happens when you get used to not having normal-sized meals.
Oh well.
Back to normal today (cereal with skimmed milk for breakfast, sushi for lunch, air for dinner), and I'm planning to visit the gym, too. And yes, I did cycle to work, ignoring the whines and complaints of my sore bum.
Still tired. Need sleep. Or more coffee. Or both.

So I can't go liquid all the way tomorrow.

Apparently, that would leave me with no energy for Saturday night's ride.
Oh well. I'll just stick to 1000. And so sorry, but the big pasta meal for dinner tomorrow won't be happening. In fact, dinner tomorrow won't be happening at all, period. Unless fat-free vanilla Activia counts for dinner, that is.
I'll stick to bran flakes with skimmed milk, sushi and a kiwi/strawberry smoothie. That, plus some coffee, should get me through the day.
If I stick to my usual pace, I should burn around 4000 kcals. How's that for a good workout, huh?

I must be doing something right.

The black pencil skirt I couldn't take a step in is not so tight anymore.
My black satin trousers hang loose on my hips and thighs.
And my "measuring skirt" that I've had since I was 13... Well, let's just say it's done its job. It's roomy now, surprisingly big, it wraps around me easily and there's still some space left between it and my waist. I used to say to myself that if I fit into this skirt, I'll be thin enough.
I'm not.
Back to my master plan now: anything between 600 and 800 kcals a day, plus lots of exercise. Went to the gym this morning, then cycled to work. Recently I've been locking myself up in one of the shower cubicles during my lunch break and doing lunges and squats while reading a book. Any way is good to squeeze in some more exercise.
And the Dunwich Dynamo is approaching. I've just read some advice on how to prepare for the ride. One of them was to "eat a large pasta meal the night before". I find it difficult to even think about eating a large meal of any sort, let alone pasta, in the evening, but if that's what it takes, I might give it a try.
120 miles. At night. With no medical or logistical support whatsoever. Sounds crazy? Well, I'm crazy enough to do it.
I just hope I'm strong enough to get to the end.

Surprise, surprise.

After 5 days of eating around 1000 kcals a day I haven't gained a single pound. Which is good news.
The bad news is I haven't lost anything either. But now it's back to normal, back to my usual work/gym/home/feeding everyone but myself pattern. The party's over, time to get to work again.
And I will.

Sophie passed on the Blogger Addict Award to me, so I shall comply and reveal my five pet hates and five greatest loves. So:

J'adore:
- cycling, especially long distances. I guess I just like putting my endurance to the test.
- high heels. I can't live without them, I feel naked in flats.
- my two completely mental cats. Oh, what the hell, I love all cats in general.
- those balmy nights by the Thames when sitting on my balcony and watching the city lights seems to be the best thing on Earth.
- books. Need I say more?

Je deteste:
- reality TV. I can think of many nicer things to waste my time on.
- people who text while crossing the road and completely ignore me when I ring my bell to warn them. I'm sure one of those of days I'll hit one of them. And I won't even be sorry.
- cargo pants. Perhaps there are some people out there who look good in them. I'm not one of them.
- looking at my bank balance around the end of the month. Ouch.
- nosy people who insist on giving you advice, even though you never asked for it.

Five fab people I'd like to pass this on to are:
Hazy, because I'm curious of your answers,
Pretty Wreck, because reading you is pure delight,
Kristal, because sometimes you remind me of... well, the younger me,
Kemper, because you deserve it,
Lund3on, because you're a rebel and I've always had a soft spot for rebels.

Two days of eating dangerously.

And somehow I still managed to lose almost a pound. Yee-haw!
Plus, I have an enormous hangover today (from all the wine we got on the house last night), which means I can't even think about food at the moment. If it wasn't for the headache, I'd actually enjoy being hungover.
I was supposed to go for a day trip with friends today, but, to be honest, I don't really feel like going anywhere now. I'd rather stay home and watch the cats play. They have a new favourite game: one cat hides behind the curtain and the other one paws it frantically. Sometimes I'd like to be a cat. I'm sure they appreciate life's simple pleasures.