Introduction!

This is my new blog.  Some people may know I did a blog last year telling the story of my daughter's battle with Neuroblastoma and how we fundraised to go on a special holiday.  That blog is no longer available.  Telling Isla or my story is something I'm leaving for now, but plan to re visit some day.
However, the reason for this blog is to share my weight loss journey, and hopefully fundraise for my daughter Isla at the same time.  I'm hoping people will sponsor me as a way of supporting me, and keep me motivated. 
For the people that are unaware, my daughter was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a form of childhood cancer at 5 months old.  She has just completed treatment after 22 months.  We've just had scans and a urine test taken to see if she's in remission.  We know that the MRI is clear, but waiting to hear from the MIBG and urine test, which can sometimes take up to a month?!  Isla had stage four Neuroblastoma, intermediate risk.  Hopefully she never gets it back but I have no crystal ball.  Neuroblastoma has a very high rate of relapse, and we're fundraising for more treatment not currently available in this country if she relapses.  If Isla reaches 5 years in remission, then the money will go into research or to help other children with Neuroblastoma.
A month prior to Isla's diagnosis I had just began a diet to lose the baby weight, I was breastfeeding so didn't want to do it sooner.  I was doing well on the diet, but the way I found to cope with Isla's illness was to comfort eat or have some wine or vodka when at home, never drunk just enough to help relax.
I'm not ashamed of this, it really helped me mentally.  For me, staying strong and sane was a definate priority.  I am a lover of food, love cooking, baking, eating and trying new food and dishes.  I love cookery programmes.  This last couple weeks in the run up to going back into hospital and while in hospital, I've enjoyed treating myself with a take away or chocolate and I find it helps me.  I wanted to get to this point before I started the diet, hopefully a fresh start without hospitals and treatment.
Tomorrow evening, I will be joining a 'fat club', so that I can stick to their plan and have a weekly weigh in.  I'm hoping the discipline of a weekly step on the scales will keep me motivated.  I know what the scales in my house say, but have no idea if they are correct or not, but I have about five stone to lose.
For the sake of my weight loss challenge I will be asking for sponsorship to lose about four stone by 29th November, so just over nine months.  For some people this may seem like a long time, but I have polycystic ovary syndrome and find the weight is not easy to shift.
I hope to do this blog at least weekly, maybe detailing what I've had to eat, exercise, what the difficulties and successes are.  I know that I use food and drink as my crux, and hope I can change this to exercise instead. 
I've done a few diets over the years, and my weight does go up and down, but this is usually dependant on what's going on with life.   Today, I'm at the heaviest I've ever been.  I once came close to this weight for a period of about one month when I completed my degree.  Sitting every night studying for exams, chocolate got me through!
So just now I'm going to soon enjoy finishing my bar of Dairy Milk, and I will report back once I've had my first class at 'fat club'.