Wash the floors, Cinderella, do the dishes Cinderella

I am cooking dinner for 9 people on Monday. I've decided to do

• cider and mustard chicken,
• red pepper and courgette couscous
• green beans with garlic and proscuitto in balsamic vinegar
• roast butternut squash
• salad

with plums and greek yoghurt for afters. The best bit about it all is that it's all low-fat yet (hopefully) still tasty. The less fun bit about having people over to the flat is that I have to clean the place from top to bottom. I am not a naturally tidy person. I can live with mess, as long as it's my own. Hence there are clothes drying all over the living room, piles of magazines on the floor and random crap pretty much everywhere. So far I've cleaned the bathroom and kitchen, next job is to tidy up the living room and mop the floor. Luckily I'm going out tonight for a picnic and a film (Somerset House again for the premiere of "The Soloist.") so I've got a reward for all the cleaning.

A stone down

I'm now a stone lighter than I was in January. It's such a thrill to go on the scales and see 10:11. It makes me think that 9:11 is entirely possible. I can really notice it when I wear certain trousers, which means that as per usual it's coming off my waist first. My boobs remain resolutely the same size. I've been reading the blog of a girl who lost 5 and a half stones in about 6 months. She was following the Lighter Life plan, which is meal replacement shakes. I couldn't do that, I'd get the shakes myself! But she went from size 18 to size 12, and her photos are really inspirational. http://ohyeahsheslosingit.blogspot.com/

What's really interesting is that I haven't done much exercise recently, but I have been really careful with what I've been eating and drinking. For example, only had one glass of wine at little G's birthday barbeque, and I had fruit rather than birthday cake. I also didn't eat any chocolate cake at SM's party on Friday. I'm much better at abstinence than physical activity. Must be the Catholic/ Scottish upbringing!

So a typical day's menu goes as follows:
Branflakes with strawberries and blueberries, with skimmed milk.
Pasta with courgettes, mushrooms, turkey rashers, with a bit of salad.
Lamb with couscous and salad.
Plus loads of tea and diet coke, and muller yoghurts or fruit if I'm feeling hungry.

I really should do some exercise today. I'm going to find out if the lanes are open at Deptford pool. I can't go on Tuesday (ladies night) as I'm off to see Tom Stoppard's Arcadia. Dahlink.

Update: I did 12 lengths in the pool.