The Ring - 2002 American Psychological Horror

I love a good horror. There aren't many that'll have me hiding behind my hands but The Ring was one of the very few that did.  The story is based around a cursed video tape. After the 'cursed tape' has been watched a phone call is received by the unlucky recipient, upon answering hear a child's voice rasping 'Seven Days'. They then have an untimely demise seven days later.

I'm Still Alive

Seven day into 90DaySSS and I'd done it, a whole week, four High Intensity Interval Training sessions, following all recipes provided in my personalised plan.

It wasn't a breeze and required some effort in a number of areas.

Cooking

I do love cooking but usually cook after I've been enticed by alluring food images from Pinterest, or my fav vegetarian magazine. This way of cooking was entirely different, no images, just a burning desire for a healthier stronger future and putting my trust in a stranger with a wealth of testimonials and photos showing excellent results. The first weekend I'd cooked loads, ate loads and prepared loads. The first full week back at the office, still lots of work to finish in the house and a whole lot of cooking to do! Then away at the weekend assisting on the Hypnotherapy Diploma training course, still managed to prepare and stick to all meals (smug face) and that was with guests staying over, and friends who brought some Champers. I stuck to tonic, no vodka or gin.

What I Loved

Stuffed Peppers - really easy and straightforward to prepare, tasty and the ingredients are easy to get hold of. Easy to make two lots, so lunch is ready for the next day too. This will be a firm favourite in the weeks to come.

Go Go Green Smoothie - great, easy to take to work for breakfast, tasty (must get a proper blender though), green. Great until I added the powdered Wheatgrass. I'm not entirely sure whether powdered is the way to go, or fresh. The powdered stuff I ordered from the internet, god only knows where you'd get the fresh stuff? Anyway my lovely smoothie turned to pond, and tasted like pond and it was relegated to the bin, insert unsmiley face. Wheatgrass won't be featuring again in any of my food. Sorry Wheatgrass lovers. Please note: I do not know what 'Pond' tastes like but if I were to hazard a guess it would taste like Wheatgrass.

Salmon Fish Cakes - great and super easy to make, although mine sometimes turned into a kinda Salmon hash, fab with avocadoes and cottage cheese and another one easy to whip up for lunch the next day.

Struggles

Mostly with the quantity of food I was eating, and believe me this isn't usually an area I have a problem with. There was just sooo much. One day I skipped a whole meal as I thought I might be sick but that was the only one and re-thought my food plan to swap things around a bit. Quorn is easy and quick to cook, but really filling. So have started to have one fish, one Quorn in a day rather than two Quorn meals.

Drinking

Not the alcoholic variety, only two Vodka and slimline tonics since New Year's Day and I haven't missed it at all. But the sheer volume of water to drink. It's an area that requires more concerted effort. But habits are changing slowly, no coffee until I reach the office (I usually would have consumed two large buckets of coffee) and an Earl Grey in the afternoon, oops. But that's way, way better from my previous caffeine habit.

HIIT Sessions
When I first watched the YouTube video of the HIIT sessions I could see Joe was getting puffed out and thought, 'how hard can it be'? Well it appears quite hard indeed. I swear each 30 second stint is at least 30 minutes....but I continue with the self talk, 'that it's only 30 seconds', 'would I prefer to sit on the sofa and stay the same size and fitness level', 'would I feel good about myself if I avoided the HIIT session. The answer is always a resounding NO. NO I wouldn't, not for all the tea in China.

Not just seven days later, but 16 days later and I've survived, no expiration date after seven days. In fact feeling more alive, happy and energised than I have in a long time.

Starting 90DaySSS when I have 12 working days without a break, decorating to finish in the house, and getting back to work after the Christmas break might have been crazy. But succeeding in spite of the other challenges my belief that I can achieve the results that have alluded me for the majority of my adult life appear to be within my grasp.

I love seeing how well everyone else is doing, you are all such an inspiration to keep on working at this new lifestyle.

Here's to the next 'seven days'!