A Mountain to Climb

Mountain Number One

I climbed some mountains last week. But Friday’s mountain was one of extreme frustration and disappointment. I had been hoping for a substantial loss at the scales. I did not get it! I didn’t go to my Bluebrook Park group because of mountain number two - see below - so I weighed in another group. Putting one and a half pounds on was a shock. Nigella was also there and she put on two pounds.

We must have made the most miserable and confused looking visitors the Friday morning group had ever seen. The problem is that I had secretly been hoping to do a ‘Phillip’ and lose a stone in 4 weeks. I had previously lost seven pounds in the last two weeks and thought I might manage that again last week and this week. With eight and a half pounds to lose this week I know I will not get close to that target.

I lost my head with the stress of it all which is not like me. I am usually peaceful, happy and level headed, always seeing the positive side of things. I was a complete misery on my mountain of failure. Jackie and June said that the scales must have been broken and at the time I agreed. Then I thought ‘but what if the scales are accurate, then what?’ I became a complete morose nutcase for the day and did nothing useful at all.

The ‘tablet of terror’ looms large in my mind today. Only 2 days of fear and trembling to go. Then I can ‘move on’, ‘draw a line under it’, ‘get back on it’, ‘look forward’, ‘forge ahead’, ‘make up for lost time’, ‘pick up speed’, ‘hit my target’ and finally ‘gain some momentum’. (Add your own synonym of choice)

Pen Y Fan, Brecon Beacons

Mountain Number Two

My second mountain to climb was on Saturday. For many years, a group of men I know have climbed the highest peak in the Brecon Beacons, Pen y Fan. I have been invited before but knew in the past that there was no way I could climb a mountain. I was fat and very unfit. The last time I went up a mountain was Mount Snowden and then I took the train. The shame of it. But this year I decided to join the guys. I have lost a lot of weight and have been walking an average of 10 miles a day in the last month. I had confidence that I could do it. I made it to the top and back down again without struggling at all. 8.5 miles in 4 hours including packed lunch at the summit.

I felt almost euphoric at the top and made a complete nuisance of myself bragging to the other guys. They tolerated me politely and pretended they were glad to have me there. Well, that’s not true, they are better friends than that. They all know my story of recovery and really congratulated me wholeheartedly. Dinner in the pub for the evening was a great celebration, full of tales of derring-do from previous year’s climbs. I will definitely go next year.

Mountain Number Three

And so my mind turns to Saturday morning and my Slimming World group. A mix of fear and trepidation combined with wanting to get it over and done with. I’m not the only one. It’s only a small step up to the scales but it can feel like a mountain climb.

I see from the Facebook Group that Gail has ‘fallen off the wagon’, Harriet had a ‘boozy catch up with a friend’ and Taylor is going to be ‘completely focused’ when she returns from Crete. All different mountains to climb. See you there Saturday morning ‘Bright eyed and bushy tailed’ to quote Mandy-Lace.

I Like Being At The Top Of A Mountain!