19 / 183. 164 days to go.

I still have 0.75 litre of water to drink for the day of my minimum 4 litres per day, so i can't go to bed yet! I have been out today and so i don't drink water when i'm out because of going to the loo. So i have a lot to catch up to ensure that i have all the water i need. I have checked my ketosis levels and i am still in ketosis, despite having two days of a glassful of water, followed by the other 3.5 litres in the evening and night time.

Last night i rented a movie to watch while i drank the last 2 litres of water. And, of course, the usual amount of loo trips ensued throughout the night.

I have decided to decorate my lounge next month. It has been planned for about a year, but taken me this long to save up. I'm not doing it myself, but rather will employ my local handyman for the job. He helps me with the garden from time to time and the maintainance of the house. Just the big jobs that i can't manage.

I will take up the stained carpet and sand and stain the floorboards (well, he will do that). He did it in the bathroom and actually I love it. It looks great, and is practical. For reasons i wont go into here i couldn't have tiles or anything like that up there without doing a lot of other work in addition to having new flooring.

So, stained floorboards is the way in the lounge, too. I'm lucky to have them, a lot of houses have a hardboard or MDF sheeting. My skirting boards are all stained and waxed, as are the original doors, so it should look nice. ;D

Then on the walls, i am having the dark wallpaper overpainted. It is a flat paper, not embossed in any way. And because it is an old house, if i took this wallpaper off, i would have to line the walls anyway. Painting over the paper is ideal and saves money.

The ceiling is papered also (its a nice flat, smooth ceiling) and the paper on the ceiling is in good condition. A dry wipe down and it will be fine.

Then because i am changing the colour scheme, the curtains will have to go.

I shall keep my sofas and other furniture. So the new decor has to compliment that. The seating is a reasonably neutral colour, so thats good. Its a dark gold colour (sounds vile but it isnt).

Since a couple of days ago, i have noticed that any feelings of lethargy have gone. I am more energetic generally and i seem to be able to do and think more. I do feel that i am getting my life back already :p

So yesterday after i finished at the hairdressers, and then today as well, i went out looking at rugs and curtain fabric to see what kinds of colours are available and how i could make a colour scheme with them.

I have settled on a scheme of ivory or pale stone colour for the curtains and i will have the walls painted the same colour as those. Then the rug that i have chosen is a funky 'hairy' rug with strands of dark gold, black and off-white all mixed together to make it patterned, but not patterned, if you know what i mean. There is a wallpaper border above the picture rail which is dark gold and black, and i intend to keep that where it is and just paint the paper behind it. (should be tricky, but i'm hoping that low-tac masking tape will help)

My furniture is traditional, but updated traditional. It is very elegant looking, rather than old fashioned (but its still comfy). The room as it stands now is done in a traditional decorative style, but i want to make it modern. That room has been like that for about 10 or 11 years now (except the sofas which are not that old). And i am so fed up with the dark 'victorian' colours.

I'm bringing a piece of modern art from another room and hanging that in the newly decorated lounge. And the art (prints) that is there already is going into the hallway upstairs.

Also, i have decided to get rid of my dining table and four chairs. It is all set up nicely, but it makes the room look cluttered and old fashioned. It is the first piece of furniture that i ever invested in, many many years ago, and it has sentimental value.

However, if i get rid of it, i can push the chair back and rearrange the room (also getting another small cabinet out) so that it looks much more spacious. Additionally i'm thinning out the photographs and vases on display, to give it a much more streamlined look. I think that, as well as updating the look of the whole room, it will be much more relaxing without the clutter (think 'House Doctor'! :DD)

So, back to my dining table and chairs. Well, at the time it was an awful lot of money for a young person to spend on a piece of furniture (I was about 19 or 20 when i purchased it). It still looks nice-ish as its not too stylised. But it is time for it to go. The memories and so on will still be there, and i just don't need the table because i have a dining kitchen with 4-6 chairs, that looks modern-ish and not too kitchen-ish. I always use that table when guests come around anyway!

Letting go of my table is something quite interesting. I wonder what else i am letting go of, symbolically.

Yes, i am letting go of my fat. True.
I'm letting go of my fat-making lifestyle.
I'm letting go of the past?
Is that it?

My relationship break-up happened five years, ago almost to the day. WOW :roll: is it that long already?

I was so hurt for at least 3 of those years. The last two years i know that i have found a lot of peace, and joy in my life. I do like being single. So much so that i worry about letting anybody else in to my life-space.

I just cannot imagine being comfortable with adjusting to living with another person again. I droop when i think about how many times i might have to inform the other of my plans and activities. And shudder at the thought of having to justify what i want to do, or even to explain what i have been doing. Especially when it might be "Not much in particular, just thinking, or being with the cats, or reading about life (on the internet)".

I live my life in a way that suits me nicely. I go by the 'seat of my pants' as far as enjoyment goes. Apart from work, which is obviously at specific pre-determined times, if i feel like watching TV, i do it. If i have a sense of restlessness I will go out for a drive, or call a friend. If I'm tired i nap. And if i'm awake i stay up.

And i get to watch WHATEVER i want on TV, WHENEVER i want. :.

A bit selfish?
Is that okay? To be selfish is OK? Or is it a sin.
I suspect it is the latter, and so for my own good, i know that i do need to find a partner again, sooner or later.

I'm not getting any younger, though. 41 already. Almost 42 by the time i've slimmed down.
And, oh my goodness, that dating thing! 8| Gasp.
I don't want to even think about it.

Mind you, i have been musing about getting some cosmetic dental work done. 88| When i have successfully finished this drastic diet plan, and begun eating again, it will be because i am at the weight that is right for me. So as a big treat to myself, and as a huge reward for achieving the weight loss, i would like to indulge myself. And if work continues to go well, as it is at the moment (crossed fingers) then i can afford to have whitened teeth and whatever else needs doing to give me a perfect smile.

That should help in the romance department!