It was an intense week.
For a start, my willpower failed me and I scoffed an ice-cream.
Over Easter I attended a wedding, a baby shower and a dinner party. There was temptation in all directions and I managed to avoid them ... but I just couldn't resist the ice-cream. At the dinner party I had to concede I have become the kind of guest I abhor. I don't even pander to vegetarians at my own house yet here I was telling the host precisely what to cook. On Easter Monday I walked the Lake Hayes Track. It was meant to be an easy day on the exercise front but it wasn't as easy as I expected - luckily the beautiful scenery made it worthwhile.
I hauled myself out to the gym after work on Tuesday although I wanted to head home, watch Coronation Street and scoff hot chips. I forced myself to do some time on the cross-trainer and a painstakingly slow 5km on the exercise bike. The gym has TV screens so I attempted to take my mind off the pain by staring at the sports broadcasts.
I resolved to suggest to management that it should screen BBC World and old episodes of The Sopranos.
By Wednesday I was in no mood for the group training and unimpressed to discover holding weights on the shoulders while doing squats was part of it. Suffice to say, I don't think I'll be representing my country in weightlifting at the London Olympics.
After Wednesday's session I met friends in Frankton for drinks - or in my case, a banana smoothie. We meet most weeks but thankfully my mates weren't eating dinner in front of me. I was green with envy as other diners indulged in pizza and cheesecake.
Thursday is my favourite day of the week. It's my rest day.
On Fridays I'm supposed to be up at 6am for an RPM class. Alas, I couldn't drag myself out from under the duvet so I had to drag myself to the pool after work for a session of aqua jogging.
I've adjusted to the fact I now spend Saturday morning at the gym. So I got through Saturday. And then it was Sunday.
For the fourth time in less than a month I hauled myself up Queenstown Hill. They need a coffee cart up there. To celebrate the fact I've survived four weeks of the challenge I indulged in a Hush Spa facial. Afterwards, a friend told me my skin was glowing.
I'll attribute that to the wonderful staff at Hush. It's probably too soon to give the exercise regime the credit.
Tomorrow night the Queenstown Film Society 2011 season opens. There will be glasses of bubbly and delicious cheese ... for everyone else, that is. For me, the charming staff at Dorothy Browns will be cracking open the sparkling mineral water!
