Astounded!

You could knock me down with a feather! OK, it would still take quite a sizeable feather - one from an ostrich, or a moa, maybe - but you could still knock me for six. Why? I hear you ask.

Well, this day has not been what I'd expected at all. It started with my trip to the physio.

Contrary to all my expectations, based on poor hubby's recent negative experiences, it was really, really useful and the woman who dealt with me and my 'little problem' was just great.

She spent over an hour with me and was really helpful and understanding, sympathetic even. She was happy to answer all my (silly?) questions and concerns, to the extent of getting out anatomical models to show me the muscles involved to help me understand what has caused the problem and what I need to do and to avoid, and why.

I came away feeling a lot more positive and with a swathe of exercises to do. No problem - I will follow her program willingly. Let's hope for some signs of improvement in the three weeks until I see her next. What's more, I've been promised some training on how to use the Swiss ball properly on my next visit.

But the real surprise of the day was visiting the dietician. I have, as I've mentioned in earlier posts, put on some weight and was dreading this 'confession' time. I thought she'd be disapproving and I'd end up feeling like a complete failure, even though there have been some pretty unavoidable reasons for my drifting off the weight loss pathway. Boy, was I ever wrong!

She asked me how things had gone in the last three months and, after I told her the tale of woe, weighed me. She then congratulated me!

Yes, I have gone back up to 80kg (clothed). Yes, that is an increase as I was 79kg when she last saw me. But she was pleased that, even though things had been pretty rough, I'd not piled on the weight and undone the good progress I've made over the last year or so. She reckons that is a good indication that when I reach my final target weight I will be able to maintain it.

We talked a bit about eventual targets, which is something I've always shied away from until now. We both agreed that somewhere around 67kg (ten and a half stone) should be achievable and she said that she'd be happy with that as a healthy weight.

Actually, she sees no reason I could not get down to 63kg, that's just a shade under ten stone.

So, I now have my target for this next year - all that remains is to set a short-term one to get me firmly back on track.

I am one very happy fat lass.