We Fight we Break up we Kiss we Make Up

So it's the day before Valentines day, the day which will be the first marker post New Year dumping and I'm looking on it slightfully fearfully as if all special occasions (pagan, commercialised or otherwise) in my life will bring some sort of mini or major life disaster.

After yet another night of vino, music and dancing on the cobbled streets of the West End I have found myself lying in bed with not a person but a laptop at my side, and although yes I do find myself asking whether it would be better if he was there instead I've started to find the bed more comfortably roomy, than empty now. The pangs of regret have kind of dulled and 9 times out of 10 I feel optimism as opposed to anything else. I feel empathy, I have started understanding his actions more and maybe I am kidding myself but putting myself in his shoes has helped me I only wish sometimes he would put himself in mine.

5 Things I have Worked out about Men - I shall quote Katy Perry - who are Hot 'n' Cold

1. The Ostrich Approach - yes right up there at number 1 is the old burying-his-head-in-the- sand-routine, an oldie but a goodie. If you aren't there you don't exist, if he keeps busy he has nothing to think about and if he doesnt look at his mobile you won't have texted. Yes you know he has a great time when you are together but not enough to bear any imprint on his mind afterwards obviously.

2. Excuses, Excuses, Excuses - he has great excuses for everything. You give him get out clauses all the way, damn you throw that boy out the door because quite frankly you would rather he told you he was going out with his mates so you can organise your night better, but instead there will be last minute changes by him which have either been known for weeks but forgotten about or happened last minute meaning you are low on the pecking order, or some bus was on fire so him and his mates managed to put it out with nothing but bottles of Evian to aid them, they saved the orphaned school children and after shedding tears of joy and much bonhomie they decided the only way to maintain this feeling of complete enlightenment , would be to go out get hammered and not come back til the next day. Okay maybe that hasn't happened so far but you kind of end up on tenterhooks waiting for the next instalment, almost contemplating getting the popcorn out...

3. They are CONFUSING! - he doesn't want to feel neglected, ignored or to know that you are having a good time. But he won't show that in an obvious way i.e the text asking what you are doing that night, whether you would be home, it would be cool if you are but if you're not it's ok, but no really actually stay out have fun!' You ask him the same and he is stumped as to why you need to know and you are like 'Are you for frickin real!?'

THANK YOU 'STRETCH' FOR POINTING OUT THAT THIS IS BASICALLY A CASE OF 'I CAN'T HAVE YOU BUT DON'T WANT ANYONE ELSE TO HAVE YOU', IT SUCKS BUT THERE YOU GO.

4. No Pressure - he will call, text, organise a date, compliment you but only when he wants to. You so much as look at him the wrong way and he jumps like a cat in bath water. You back away, he comes forward, you come forward he backs away, it would almost be poetic were it not the fact you wanted to rip his bloody face off!

5. He Loco - you have decided enough is enough, you realise that you are not the psycho he is and that life is too short for putting up with someone who you have come to depend on to make you happy so you take away his control of that and make your own happiness instead and realise that it's not as scary as it first seemed. Then he'll reel you back in again, because right now you have a little chip in your head that is telling you, you are still his. And so the cycle continues...if you let it that is.

Let me explain it like this you are most probably at that stage in a relationship (or post-relationship in my case) where it's so much easier to just accept a situation because at least now you have learned to accept it and well it's not as if he's cheating is it? But think about how much time you spend trying to sort his life out, sort his mess of a head out, help him decide one way or the other what he wants and think about what you get back for that. It probably bears nothing in relation, do you think he spends this much time thinking about you? In short no it's highly unlikely but he has the addedbonus of being able to hold his own life down quite well and having you there as back-up should he need it.

Get rid of him. Just back off and be you again and stop letting this guy do this to you. Stop worrying no one will match up because I've been out there and I've seen the talent and ladies...it is GOOOOOOOOD.

10 Things you Need to Do Now!

1. Go out more

2. Start flirting again

3. Stop waiting for his texts

4. Concentrate on another area of your life, no doubt they've gone to pot of late

5. Get the weight down a bit

6. Laugh more

7. Work harder

8. Look out for opportunities

9. Love yourself

10. Who's he again?

;)

xx

Alli...

I am fond of cheating when it comes to dieting, in fact it really gives me a buzz to be able to stick my tongue out at all those dull as dishwater scientists who insist 'eating sensibly and regular exercise will ensure consistent and safe weight loss' blah blah yada yada. I don't want to lose weight over a year I want to lose weight now!!!!

However after spending many many years getting to know myself I am aware of my failings when it comes to my constant efforts at losing weight and that is I don't do 'extreme'. Yes I want to lose weight quickly and I am quite certain about that fact but I don't like the ways in which you need to do this. I didn't do the maple syrup diet because I don't like maple syrup, Cabbage soup made me retch, 5 days on the first stage of Atkins and I started craving vodka and porridge so much I had contemplated blending the 2 together for a drunken power breakfast, 2 days on the smoothie diet and my blender broke...basically every effort I have made to lose a few pounds has sunk without trace, squashed by my disgustingly unnatural lack of willpower.

So....

I have decided to try Alli, as the blurb says 'the only FDA approved over-the-counter weight loss product' which can increase your weight loss by 50%... 50%!!!! Does Alli work? It almost seems too good to be true I know but I am satisfied that the far from glamorous side effects (i.e frequent trips to loo, if you're not near one God help you) dims it's perfection somewhat and therefore makes me less suspicious. Apparently (from a completely unscientific perspective) the pill blocks about 25% of fat in your food from absorbing into your system and instead removes it from your body 'naturally' hence the horror stories of midnight trips for Pampers and the suggestion that you keep a spare change of clothes with you 'just in case'

So far this is my third day and so far so good. No embarrassing disasters on buses but I think that's because I am far too afraid to so much as look at never mind taste anything over the recommended fat grams. That's not how the pill is suppose to work but God darn there's nothing like the threat of pooing your pants to stop you reaching for a Greggs Sausage roll!! So here I am banana in hand, contemplating the number of fat grams in a portion of Chickpea Curry and whether my waist band does indeed feel slightly looser or whether I am in fact unconsciously holding my stomach in and living in my own skinny wee fantasy world. Who knows I but think this is one diet remedy I can stick to... as long as my reputation stays in tact.

LP xx