Long overdue...

Way back in the mists of January the lovely Lauren nominated me for “The Versatile Blogger” award and it has taken me all this time to get round to writing about it. I blame Work for making me be away from home for long swathes of time and Karma for not allowing me to win the lottery and thus spend all my time not working.

But there is it, in all its glory – isn’t it pretty?

When I first started blogging, nearly two (two!!) years ago it was really just to amuse myself. I like food, I like writing about food, but I also had come to appreciate reading about all those women out there who, like myself, struggled with achieving a healthy body and a healthy lifestyle. I have always believed that it is possible to lose weight (or, indeed, maintain a healthy body weight) while eating nice food. I continue to believe that – even though I don’t always manage it.

It was always my intention that this blog be both a celebration of food and a meditation on why it is so many of us struggle with our weight. If you reject, as I do competely, the idea that you only get fat because you are stupid and lazy, then what does that mean (answers on a postcard please...)? I continue to tussle with the emotional side of weight loss and gain (that will be those navel gazing posts that I still inflict upon you from time to time). I also continue to work on eating as much tasty food as I possibly can. I am not sure if that makes me Versatile so much as vaguely Confused. Either way, I am very grateful to Lauren for thinking of me, and to everyone who stops by and reads this blog from time to time.

Now, I believe that I am supposed to nominate ten other people for this award, paying the love forward. I’ve picked five of the many wonderful blogs that I follow – so each of them can regard themselves as been twice blessed. 

Peridot : I lurked on Peridot’s blog for a long time before plucking up the nerve to comment. She writes so beautifully and so truthfully about her weight loss and she has more willpower than anyone I have ever “met”. More than any other blogger I follow I want to give her a big hug. And then take her for a drink. Although since she is low carbing at the moment it would probably have to be a slimline tonic water.

Lesley : again, a really truthful blog. And with regards versatility, not only does she write incredibly well, but she takes the most amazing photographs. I’ve so enjoyed her recent posts where she takes her camera along with her when she goes out running, that I’ve almost, almost, convinced myself to try some outdoor runs when the weather improves a bit.

Linz has a social life that puts me to absolute shame; where she gets the energy to balance that, her crazy work schedule and personal training sessions is beyond me who spends most of her weekends lounging on the sofa like a Victorian maiden aunt.

Starfish : a fellow WWer who has lost a stunning amount of weight and does crazy things like surfing and riding bikes down very steep hills. I admire her bravery tremendously (again, from the refuge of my sofa).

And finally Jenny : this a food-ey blog rather than a diet-ey one. Check out the recipe index on this site, I promise you, you will want to cook practically all of them. She seems to be able to turn her hand to any sort of cuisine while catering for a family on a budget. I try and never read her posts while hungry.