New month, new goals.

Usually when people start new diet or exercise plan, they tend to do on Monday. It's so easy to say on Friday that "I'll start eating healthy and exercising on Monday, so now I'll just go to the grocery store, buy all these things I'll have to give up and eat while I still can." I've done that in the past. But there lies the biggest problem, in the sentence. I'll have to give up. That is the problem for me at least. The moment I think that I cannot have all those unhealthy but oh so tasty treats, I start thinking about them all the time. And my workplace does not help towards it. 

Last Thursday we had this Fancy Dress Up day at work and the theme was Disney. People brought there all kind of yummy treats and all of them were placed across my table. I could see and smell them and I'm sorry to say that I cracked. Had some small pieces of cake and sweets. We also had our company meeting during that day, so we ordered 15 pizzas to the office and I had to slices of pizza. Then my thoughts started going on 100/km, now I have screwed up this, it doesn't matter, I'll just eat everything that I can. But somehow I motivated myself not to eat more treats or pizza. That is something that should be for everybody, you might crack and have some treats, but then continue with your diet. Forgive yourself and the forget the treat, not staying to think the treats, because then you are thinking about the treats, mentally torturing yourself. Thought's are so powerful and sometimes you are just tired of saying no to yourself when you want something. I dressed up as Minnie Mouse, easy and not too time consuming. I did not take the costume off or wash the makeup before I went home, so I got some funny reactions on the bus.

So from Friday I continued normally eating my Cambridge products, soon going through the withdrawal again, but this is my choice and I'll live with it. There were still so many treats left and my coworker L had some, but usually she eat's really healthily and no sweets. But that day it was me. I know I should not compare myself to anybody, except the person I was yesterday. One thing I really want to experience, that people really notice that I have lost weight and then they might even comment it. I might be vain that way, but being truthful, that motivates me. 

On Saturday I took the morning easy, visited library, tried to join the Reading Sport and Leisure centres by visiting the Central Pool, but their reception was closed. That annoyed me a bit, because there were three people standing behind the desk. But there are other locations so went next to the Palmer Park Stadium location. Well of course everything did not go so easily. Their card machine was not working at the moment and I did not have any cash with me. That problem was easily corrected by walking to the ATM near by. Now I have a gym membership. Going today try it to my closest gym location, in Meadway. 

Also decided to walk to Decathlon sports store in Reading, they were having sales. I so wanted to buy so much and different things, but I decided to stick with the things I need, like new bottoms, few tops, long sleeved shirt and some socks. I have been in Decathlon before, but only in Shanghai. It's a good store and the products work for me. Next to Decathlon, there was this HobbyCraft store, full of everything, like my own personal heaven/hell, because I really wanted to buy so much. But I came home only with Fiskars scissors, To-Do-List and Foam board for my next project. The Fiskars scissors were quite expensive, but I know that they are good.  Now I have this motivation for doing different craft projects, but I'll start slowly, because not trying to spend all of my money there. It would be so easy. 

The routine is starting to build

Time to write again! There has been so much to do and see, and after the work started, I have been so tired in the evenings, so I haven't been updating in more than two weeks, sorry about that.

So my work started on the first of July and boy, I was nervous. On the first day, my boss told me to come there around ten, because she had some conference call at nine, but normally I'd start around nine. I took a train from Reading to Basingstoke and from Basingstoke to Aldermaston where my job is. I know, a really small place, but I do not mind, because I still live in okay sized city. Normally I will travel my journey to and from work by bus and it takes under an hour, so not bad. Of course the traffic affects the journey times.

On the first day I did not even do much. My boss L held me this little info session, what the company does, different departments, what my duties are going to be etc. So mostly I sat there and watched as our IT-technician L worked his magic to make my computer to work and have all the necessary programs. Around four, I was told that I could leave little earlier because I really had nothing to do there, so L ( not my boss but my coworker) drove me to the bus-stop so I would know where to go. Did I tell you that that my first day at work was really hot day? Like around +30 degrees celsius and I was suffering. But the worst thing was when I came home and in the evening I could not sleep so well because of the heat. Luckily I found a fan in my room so that helped a little.

Now I have been working for a week and a half and I would say that everything is going fine, I#m learning my tasks, getting to know my co-workers and I like it. The days go so fast and I'm home around 6:30pm and thats okay. I just have to get used to getting home that late.

Last Wednesday I had a day off because I had to visit Jobcentre in Oxford, for getting a national insurance number. A national Insurance Number or NIN, is needed when you pay taxes, get some benefits from the government or something like that. Few days after I came to UK, I called to a Jobcentre and made an appointment for the interview. They told me what I need to have when coming there; a proof of identity (passport), proof of living in UK ( tenancy agreement, bill of something sent to your address) and a number that they gave you. Well I had everything needed, but when I was there, they only asked for my passport. Lucky me. In the interview part they just asked why am I in UK, how long have I been there, do I have a job, am I married and do I have other nationalities than Finnish. It was quite easy and took under 25 minutes, including the waiting time.

Before I went back to Reading, I visited a O2 store and wanted to change my Pay as you Go-simcard in to a monthly bill. For that you need to have a bank card from a UK bank and luckily I had that. They also did not do a credit check, because I took only just a Sim card, not a phone with it. I read so many times that people could not pass a credit check for some reason, and I was happy that I got the monthly contract. So now I can say that everything is okay.