20/3/13

Bit later today as I have had soooooo much going on today!!
So, yesterday was a big day for me. I spent the day with my cousin. It was amazing. We had such a laugh! Definitely doing that again soon. I was very good with food too! I didn't get a chance for food yesterday morning before I left so I got to our meeting place a little early and went and got some prepared fruit and a cherry mullerlight from Tesco. That was lovely. I met my cousin, did some shopping and then went to get some lunch from Tesco. I bought a salad, chunky chicken and cottage cheese with onion and chive :) All free! I bought a ltr bottle of water to have with me as well to make sure that I wouldn't get dehydrated with all the walking that we planned to do and did do. I got home happy but slightly sore from all the walking. I have no idea how far we walked but I know we were on our feet for nearly 3 hours. I was so glad when I finally sat down!! :)
We went into B&M and I got some Mug Shots (3 for £1), a tomato and basil Pasta Vita (1.5 syns), some different tea-bags to try and some Alpen Lights (Double Choc and Apple and Sultana).. I walked down the sweety and chocolate aisle and I thought that I was going to be wanting to eat it all... but actually, I didn't. I just walked through it like a normal every day aisle. I did not crave one thing on those shelves.. Okay maybe the Me2You bear easter egg... but only because it was in a cup!! I want the cup!! hehehe!!
When I got home, I had my breakfast (2 weetabix and my milk) and had one of my Alpen Lights (3 syns). It came to deciding what we were having for dinner and my lovely sister suggested a Chinese from the take away. I tried so hard to get her to change her mind.. I didn't want take away.. especially with tonight being weigh-in. Mum had her arm twisted as well so it looked like we were having Chinese. My chicken chow mein is only 7 syns so I had nothing to be worried about as I'd only had 3 syns all day. I was only going to eat half and have boiled rice as that would only have been 3.5 syns. It got here and I just gave in and ate the tub of it. I felt so bad and bloated afterwards... I was and still am worried about it affecting what happens on the scales tonight.
Talking of weigh-in tonight, a few of the girls from my club and our consultant had a bit of a chat last week about sweet treats and decided to do an unofficial taster evening, purely sweet stuff. The few of us are all bringing something different. I decided that I would be adventurous and try out a SW mini cake recipe. I haven't tried baking SW-style before as the ingredients baffled me as it didn't seem right to make a cake without the traditional things (flour, marg, sugar etc). I gave it a try. I did as the recipe instructed.. the mixture did seem a little wetter than normal but I think that it could be because of the grated carrot. There seemed to be a lot of juice in the carrots as I was grating them. Anyways, I thought, if it's not going to work, it's not going to work. In the cases the mixture went.. Oven for 20 minutes.. went to check on them and the top was golden and firm so out they came. I have to say I tried one as I didn't want to look like a fool in front of my group if they weren't nice or cooked. I let them cool down for a while as I got on with other things... namely, re-dying my hair. If you know me and you're reading this, please do not laugh at my ridiculously purple traffic cone hair! I'm mortified right now! If you don't know me, thank god you never saw me before.. sigh!!
I went to the shop to get an orange for the frosting on my cakes, got back and thought I had better crack on as my class is at 7.30 (although I get there at 7 as I'm weigh lady) so I didn't have long and I wanted the frosting to have time to hopefully solidify a bit. Anyways, I made the frosting with Quark, sweetener and flavouring (which in this case is juice of an orange and I did a few vanilla as well) and covered the cakes and decided to try some... OMG! The frosting is amazing! Best bit.. SYN FREE!! I never knew sweet, fruity cheese could taste so good! My newest discovery. I think I will be making more cakes in future! :) For one of the cakes with all it's icing is 1 syn each!! just 1 syn for the wholemeal SR flour in it :)
The recipe for anyone wanting to try them:

Carrot & Orange Cakes 
This works out at a little just over 13.5 sins (for the flour)
I made 13 mini cakes, so 1 syn each.

3 eggs
6 tablespoons sweetener
85g wholemeal SR flour
2 teaspoon mixed spice
170g grated carrot

For the topping

Quark
Vanilla essence
Sweetener or any flavouring (I used the juice of an orange)

Whisk eggs and sweetener until thick & frothy (it kind of looks like ice cream)

Sieve flour and mixed spice, add to the mixture with the carrots and fold carefully until all mixed.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees

Spoon into muffin tin and bake for approx 20 - 30 minutes until golden and firm.

When cooked, leave to cool and then mix quark with sweetener and
vanilla essence/or flavouring and decorate (I used the zest of an orange)



So with all the baking done, I'm able to sit and relax before tonight. I have been really good food-wise and I have done quite a bit of walking so have re-started my Body Magic off again but definitely not at the rate that I started at. I'm going for my Silver award. I'm not expecting a huge loss tonight. I did so well last week that I can't expect another decent one this week. I would like 3lb off so that next week I have a chance of getting my 1.5stone award but I won't hold my breath. I need 6lbs to get to it. If I do gain, I won't get disheartened this time because I already know that star week is coming and my body doesn't let me get 2 good results in a row. Fingers crossed though..

Well, I best get off, I will post pics of my cakes tomorrow so you can see what they turned out like :) I also need to go find a hat to hide my hair under for the next year til it grows out hehe!!

If you're weighing today or tonight, good luck :)

19/03/2013

Morning all!!
Hope that you are all well!
I'm in a happy mood this morning. The last few days I have slept ALL night! wooohoooo!! It has really got me thinking that perhaps my weight is causing the problems that I have been having with insomnia. Perhaps it's all linked in to me losing weight. Lose weight = more sleep!! :)

Also, today is quite a big-ish day for me. I am meeting one of my cousins today that I haven't seen for years. I am so nervous but at the same time excited. We are going shopping.. something that I haven't done with anyone in a long time. Big step! It will be good though. I don't know what we are going to do about food but I know that I have to be super good as tomorrow is weigh in.
Tomorrow's weigh in is an important one. I lost all that weight last week and I am so worried that I have put some of it back on this week. Not that I have been bad or anything but because I feel like I have pigged out. As I said in yesterday's post, I have gone back to 100% basics. I have been filling up on pasta AND potatoes every day. I know it's all free and that I shouldn't worry but I can't help it. My up and down weight loss is really knocking my confidence. I won't let it beat me but if I could get it into some sort of steady pattern, that would be awesome! I don't mind how little I lose as long as it's a loss. So it would show more when I'm bad. I don't ever plan on being bad again!
We are having a little mini taster session tomorrow night with sweet treats. I don't know what I am going to make yet. I did see a recipe for mini muffins that looked gorgeous so possibly those but we'll see. They would have to get to tomorrow night though! ;)
My food diary from yesterday:

B: 2 weetabix, 250ml semi skimmed and a cup of tea (with milk from allowance)
S: 2 hard-boiled eggs and 3 milk choc covered rich tea (9 syns)
L: Jacket potato with spaghetti hoops with a little chili powder in them and cottage cheese
S: Pasta, baked beans, chopped toms, 2 sainsburys good for you sausages (2 syns), courgette, sweet potato, onion, pepper and cottage cheese.
D: Chicken with cajun seasoning, jacket potato, baked beans and light salad cream (2 syns)

13 syns total

I was definitely stuffed most of yesterday! I felt like a pig and a windy pig at that hehehe!
Well, I need to be off as I have to get ready for today..
Hope you all have a fabulous day and if you're weighing today, think light and believe in yourself!

The return... 18/03/2013

Hey girls.. (and guys if there's any out there)

I know long time, no post but things have been rocky and I almost gave up on SW and myself. I had 2 good weeks where I lost weight and then unexpectedly, I put on 2lbs when I needed it off for my stone award. I was very upset and didn't know what to do with myself. I was ready to quit. I wasn't getting the weight losses that I wanted and felt like enough was enough. 
My SW class members gee'd me up and told me not to give up. So, instead of feeling sorry for myself and eating like a pig, I went back to absolute basics. Food diary came out, a talk with my mum about food happened and I refocused and hard. 
I stopped exercising a few weeks ago due to the weight that it seemed to put on me and never leave. It was the best decision I ever made. I didn't expect that it would change anything but I thought I would give the plan a try without actual exercise. I still walked but no Rosemary Conely or Zumba or anything like that. Funnily enough, it worked! I lost weight.. no exercise helped me lose weight!!!!!
So, I did as I had been doing, no exercise teamed with a refocused me and a food diary and I went for it...
Last week, I lost 5lbs!! and got that stone award that I have been so longing for!! I actually cried. I couldn't stop myself. It had been a hard journey to that first stone. I hope that the next one isn't going to be as hard. No doubt it will be but very worth it. 

This week so far, I have been brilliant. Eaten lots of free foods and limited my syns as much as I could but not lower than 5. I have found that although I'm not having all of my syns that I am full and not in need of anything else by the end of the day. I'd say for me that was a plus and not a minus. 

Mum and I are trying out new recipes and foods.. some were amazing and others weren't but at least we tried them out. We had a paella, fish in sauce and a new way of doing lasagna... the paella was nice and would have been nicer for me with normal size prawns and not king prawns. I just kept imagining them with heads and they seemed slightly crunchy to me.. yuck!!! The fish in sauce was disgusting.... I never want to put anything like that near my mouth again. It was smoked haddock in a cheese sauce from Morrisons. Gross!! I'm not a huge fish person.. the smell is enough to put me off usually. I thought that I would give it a try though. If it wasn't for the fact that I was hungry by the time we ate, I would've left it. I ate it ALL and swore never to eat it again. The lasagna topping separated and went everywhere. I think it may have been the fact the cheese is light and therefore, lacks substance that sticks to the top of the pasta or something. 

This week has been pasta and potato-ful and lots of cottage cheese, that I have only started eating since starting up again because it's free and it's the only cheese I can eat without ruining my whole day by scoffing it like there's no tomorrow hehe!! I'd be a mouse if I could!! hehehe!! I used to eat it when I was much younger and stopped because I didn't like the taste... now I can't get enough hehe!! 

Tried making SW rice pudding... TWICE!! HUGE FAIL!! The first attempt boiled dry and couldn't rescue it... second attempt, I got it to the right consistency but the rice wasn't 100% cooked... added more water and let it do its thing... the rice was better so took it off the heat... what I didn't know was that it continued cooking..even off the heat and it boiled dry!!! AGAIN!! I have given up on making that for now until I have a bit more patience and lots more pudding rice hehe!! 
All pics are of food that I have had over the last week or 2.. :)
 




I would like to stick a little bit of a mention and a thank you in to a group of SW goers (The 2 Karens, Claire, Nat, Dawn and Rachel), my SW group and my consultant, Kelley that have all really been a big help recently. Without all of you, I wouldn't still be going. YOU ALL INSPIRE ME!! 
So that's me up to date and signing off for now. I PROMISE more regular posts!! I just need to get my arse in gear hehehe!! 
Hope everyone has a good week and your losses are good! :) 

15th February '13

Hi Everyone!

Sorry I went a bit AWOL!
Last week was very tough for me. I maintained on the scales and I don't know. I got frustrated with myself after everything. One weigh-in night treat turned into a week of whatever the hell I wanted. Every day I would say to myself that I would get back on track and something would come along and pull me down.
I had my birthday. I was supposed to go out on my birthday with 'my guy' but it turned out that he had other ideas - we broke up. Less said about him and my birthday, the better so I will move on. By this point, I was so upset with myself that I took all my motivation down. Everything. I was lost. Motivation gone. I ate myself into oblivion. I didn't care about the diet, exercising or anything.
So when this weeks weigh-in came around, I was nervous. I imagined that I'd probably put on all the weight that I had took off since starting this journey. I stepped on the scales and found that I'd maintained AGAIN! I felt a slight bit of relief but still unhappy with how things were going. I expect that I will pay for last weeks food binge next week and I will be ready for it.
My consultant gave me some SAS logs to fill out for the week and hopefully I can identify what's going on with what I'm eating. Something isn't right. The exercise hasn't helped. AT ALL! I'm going back to basics this week and taking the exercise a bit easy. See if I can lose anything without it. I never had any of these issues before when I did it. None of them and I was doing much my exercise that I have been doing this time around and less food too. I'm eating all that I should be. I'm not cheating or going over my syns unless I'm doing it flexi. I'm really unmotivated.
I have recommitted myself this week. I've got the logs and eating as much fruit and veg as I can possibly get in me and drinking more water than a waterfall. So fingers crossed that I don't get effected too much by last week.
Yesterday's menu:
Breakfast : 2 wholemeal slices, 2 fried eggs (in frylight) and baked beans
Lunch: Tuna Salad (tomatoes, carrot, cucumber, lettuce, white cabbage and red onion)
Dinner: Lean mince in gravy and mashed potato.

Healthy A: 125ml Semi Skimmed/20g Light Cheddar
Healthy B: 2 Wholemeal slices

Snacks: 2 Mugshots

Syns:
1 - Chicken Mugshot
1 - Tomato Mugshot
4 - 2 tblspns of Heinz Light Salad Cream
1.5 - Gravy Powder
-------
7.5 syns! (7.5 saved)

Today's menu:
Breakfast: 2 weetabix, 250ml Semi Skimmed
Lunch: Tuna Salad (2 eggs, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, potatoes, carrot, pasta, fat free fromage frais)
Dinner: Chicken Stirfry (Yum!)

Healthy A: 250ml Semi Skimmed
Healthy B: 2 Weetabix




                                                                                    Snacks: Vanilla & Choc Muller Light
Veg Pasta Surprise (potato, pasta, carrot, brussel sprouts, green beans and cauliflower in veg stock and herbs, boiled down and mashed up)

Syns so far:
3 - 2 Laughing Cow Light triangles

Wednesday 6th February

Well today wasn't expected at all but it has been BRILLIANT!
After all the trouble with the couriers yesterday and then not turning up, I was supposed to wait in all day again like I had nothing better to do. I had to make a choice. Stay in, mope and do nothing or go to the Zumba class that I mentioned yesterday.. So I thought, SOD IT! I thought about it and decided that if the courier came, I'd run home and deal with it but if he didn't come while I was out, bonus. I want to say a big thanks to my friend, Dave for making me see the light and the silver lining.
At 9.05 this morning, I was running round the flat trying to get myself ready and get a bag together to go to Zumba for a 9.15 start. I got there and felt my nerves bubbling up. I looked around and saw that I wasn't in a room filled with skinny, athletic types and started to relax. As the music started, I felt great. I couldn't help but smile. For my first time, I don't think I did that bad :) I loved it! I mostly kept up and I felt so good afterwards :) Definitely going back for more!
I came out of there, came home having not seen the courier....
I checked my emails and found that I have a job interview! My day went from brilliant to amazing!!! My first interview in a while for a good job :) Looking forward to that!
The courier arrived at 1pm for the parcel so I hadn't missed him this morning :)
So it came to this evening and I thought that because I've upped my exercise that I might gain weight again. I didn't. I maintained and I am happy with that. Next week is going to be my week for a loss! I just know it!
After all the excitement of today, I'm knackered so just a short post tonight. Back to full strength tomorrow!

Tuesday 5th February

1 day to weigh-in.. I'm so nervous. I have let the gain from last week, really affect me this week. Not in a really bad way, where I've eaten anything I wanted and gone off the rails but in a mental way. I have really worried about what I've eaten, what exercise I should or shouldn't do, amount of fluids I've drank. It's really got under my skin that after working so hard, I put weight on. I understand why and this week, I've taken measures to try and see it not happen again. My brain is still asking the same questions. It won't stop. After tomorrow, it won't be mentioned again. I promise! I need to know if I've done the same this week or I've actually lost some.
Well last night's dinner - syn free chilli con carne and rice! I'm not a big rice fan. I never have been. I'm more of a pasta person. Do you find that? or are you the opposite?
I didn't sleep well again. This is a re-occurring thing. I'm not worried - I've been dealing with it for a long time and still never fails to really royally pee me off. Ugh! On a brighter note, it appears no ill-effects from yesterday's extra exercise. BONUS!
Today is going to be a lazy day. I don't want it to be because the sun is out, looks really nice out like it was yesterday. I have been entrusted with a parcel to be picked up by the couriers at some point between 8am and 6pm.. so I have to wait in like I have nothing else to do til it's been taken. BOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Hoping that it will go soon though as I don't like starting my walk after the primary school next door kicks out at 3pm. I get very embarrassed and all the cars blocking the road like a car park, all the people crowded outside and mums with big pushchairs all blocking the pathways makes it a very hazardous way to walk. I like peace, quiet and calm when I walk so I can concentrate. Although, there is a very small chance that I may go out later in the day before my family gets home if it hasn't been picked up by 3.
As for food today, I started with hot weetabix and milk (both A and B choices) and I also synned a 20g mild cheddar stick (6 syns).. damn that cheese! luckily, there's only one left! once they're gone, they're gone...!!
I decided on an early lunch today because I was peckish. I had 2 eggs (done in frylight), lean bacon, chilli potatoes (coated in frylight and chilli powder and then dry fried) and spaghetti hoops.. omnomnomnomnomnom!! Was lovely!!
I have planned a tuna pasta salad for later on - really looking forward to that :)

More Later!!

Monday 4th February

Monday - everyone hates Mondays lol! Today (so far..) has been pretty awesome! The suns's been out, nice chilled relaxed day. Got everything done that I wanted to get done and have sat down for a bit before the family comes home :)
So I started today quite well, for breakfast I had hot weetabix (2 as HE B choice) and milk (250 semi skimmed as HE A choice). I used all my milk but that's okay because I have been drinking hot squash as a replacement of tea and coffee. I felt a bit naughty so I synned a 20g stick of mild cheddar (6 syns). Was totally worth it!
I didn't sleep well last night. I was tossing and turning all night. Could not get comfortable. So after breakfast, I decided to have a little snooze. Felt soooooooooo much better afterwards.
Only problem was, I didn't feel like going out for my walk. I was just going to stay indoors today and do my DVD and be done with it for today. I was talking to a friend and she said to me "stay indoors then, have a day off..You can always pick it up again tomorrow." That was enough to kick me into line and got myself ready to go out and off I went. Pounding the road :) I got a little tightness in the legs but I've put that down to trying to go faster than my legs want to go. I didn't really jog much today. I don't think I would've got home if I had. (Picture is of part of my walking route)

On my last stretch, I caught up with one of the lovely ladies that goes to my SW group. We were talking about Zumba classes that go on in the same hall as we go to for group. That's on a Wednesday morning or a Friday evening so I'm gearing myself up for that! My weigh in is a Wednesday night as well. Could be good for a little boost before weighing in! :)
When I got home, I was starving and fancied something big so I had fried eggs (in frylight), lean bacon, 2 low fat sausages (2 syns each), beans, and chopped tomatoes :) Was amazing! Enjoyed every last mouthful!

I let that settle and found some spare energy. I don't know where it came from but I was glad of it. I was only going to do 30 mins on Rosemary Conley but I found that I didn't want to stop! Did the whole DVD! 3 sections - all in 1 go! I feel amazing tonight! My body will probably give me plenty of grief when it realises what I've done hehe!
Don't know what we're having for dinner tonight - something yummy I hope!
More later!

Sunday 3rd February

I have a new resolve on me today. I'm starting again. I feel like I have let myself slip a little and I don't like that feeling. So, I have decided that I will be 100% focused on everything. Plenty of exercise and superfree foods.
I'm even considering Success Express plan from SW. It's supposed to help boost your weightloss. Although it's not really designed for a long time thing. A week or 2 at most. For those not familiar with it...
Your plates have to be 1/3 free foods and 2/3 superfree foods and then you syn all the things that aren't neutral e.g. meat on red or pasta on green etc. When synning food, you go for the HIGHEST syn value. It looks like a good plan! So from Thursday, I think I will give that a go for a week and see if it makes a difference to my weight loss. 
I have to say that today I'm feeling particularly fat, bloated and yuck! My mind is telling me that this week, I'm going to put on. I know it can be a self-fulfilling prophecy but it's also a motivator for me. I've agreed with my brain that if I do put on, that I'm NOT to get upset because I knew but I'll re-affirm my commitment the next week. There are plenty of weeks left of my journey to lose the lbs in chunks. If I don't put on and I do manage to lose or maintain, I'll know that all the water and the tablets are working. BIG PLUS!
So on with today, I was up in the middle of the night AGAIN! I munched my way through a 60g bag of roast chicken fridge raiders (2.5 syns), 3 Alpen light bars ( 2 as my HE B choice and 1 synned at 3 syns) and a pack of ham. I must have been hungry! I drifted back off to sleep all content and happy! That is one of my hazard areas - eating in the middle of the night. I go for anything I can get my hands on regardless of the syns. Luckily, there's no chocolate or crisps or anything in the kitchen or I would really be in trouble. 
I'm going to go out for my walk/jog soon and come back and have fruit and yogurt for my breakfast.
I have a potential danger area tonight - some Sundays, we go to my grans for dinner. She isn't really up with the SW plan. She's a skinny mini and eats what she wants. So, the rest of my syns for today are going to be saved for that (9.5 syns) 

well I went out for my walk/jog and immediately felt better when I got back! I was considering doing some Rosemary Conley but my mum needed help around the house today. So I gave the place a thorough cleaning - hoovering, dusting, mopping, tidying, putting away. I was definitely sweaty afterwards! All spotless now and 1 happy mummy! 
I had a cup of tea with a dash of milk and a 20g mild cheddar cheese stick (HE A choice) and a roast chicken Mug Shot. 
I've also prepared and in the process of cooking dinner tonight for my family (my mum, sister, gran) and me. We are having roast beef, roast potatoes (done in frylight), parsnips, carrots, sprouts, gravy (1 syn) and a yorkshire pud (4 syns)! omnomnom! Don't know what's happening for pudding yet but I have 4.5 syns left to munch something nice! :) I think I'll have fruit, Hartley's 10% mango and passion fruit jelly (o.5 syns) and an Activia 0% fat fat free mango yogurt :) my mouth is watering already. Still got an hour before the main dinner is ready! hehe! 

This evening, I think I will get an early night and dream of being slim and cavorting with my really hot, gorgeous man in my new slim body lol!! 

3 DAYS TO WEIGH-IN AND HOPEFULLY A LOSS ON THE SCALES!! COME ON GIRL, YOU CAN DO IT! 

Saturday 2nd February - updated!

So after my lovely walk/jog in the rain yesterday, I came home and... THE RAIN STOPPED! Just typical!
For my lunch yesterday, I had a tuna pasta salad with onion, pepper, carrot, peas, sweetcorn as well as tuna and pasta obviously...hehe! All free and made loads!!

While that was all cooking, I cut up some potato, courgette, carrot, pepper, and onion and sprayed it all with frylight and shoved it in the oven for roasted vegetables later on. Was yummy!

My mum and sister came home from work last night with 2 mini cream and strawberry sponges.. I was told I could have some but I resisted and said "when I'm in my skinny jeans and you 2 aren't, you'll regret eating that".. very proud of myself!

For dinner last night, had spaghetti bolognese again. Can't get enough of it!


So Saturday, a new day and I'm ready for it.
I have been drinking plenty of fluids. My made up bottles of squash are coming in very handy! I'm definitely drinking more now that I know that I'm dehydrating my body - hence the water retention.
I'm going to definitely going to push myself today and do as much exercise as I can to build up some sweat. Got a lot of housework to do, will have my daily jog and may even try out a new exercise DVD. On the subject of new exercise DVDs, has anyone tried the Jillian Michaels' 30 day shred?? I have read some good reviews but I want to hear it from real people, with real weight to lose that have been actively doing it.

Some motivation......
Don't know about food today yet. Not long got up! I know lazy of me! hehe!
Will have some breakfast and let that settle before going out for my walk/jog.

Well I went out and did my bit. The sun is out but it's cold and windy. I pushed myself a little bit by adding a few more sections of jogging. I think I'm getting fitter as I feel like I am able to do more :) Even if the scales don't show how hard I'm working, my body is definitely letting me know. 
I got home and thought that I would try another of the exercise DVDs - Gimme Gimme Gimme: The Workout (to Abba tunes). It looks fun but quite fast paced. I would need to be super fit to keep up with that. So that's gone out the window! Instead, I did 30 mins on my Rosemary Conley. Normally, I wouldn't exercise indoors with anyone here because I don't need their input in how wrong I'm doing it and laughing at my lack of co-ordination or moves. Today, I thought that I would test the theory. I was right not to do it while people are at home with me. Never again! It was off-putting and I was laughed at. 
I'm fully exercised today with 30 mins walk/jog and 30 mins exercise dvd. 
I have drank so much water already today! I feel like a weeble! hehe!
Not really hungry today. I've just managed a minestrone mug shot (a new one for me and didn't like it) and I'm full. I need to eat to maintain my weight loss. I can't force myself as that will make me sick. 
Well, the day didn't exactly go like I had planned. 
For lunch, I had a jacket potato with baked beans and a helping of fat free natural fromage frais. 
The rest of the day just flew by for some reason. I sat watching Birds of a Feather with my family for a looooong time and did little bits of housework inbetween. 
We had dinner really late last night but was ready for it when it came!
Had chicken breast, mashed potato (with 1 tsp of flora light and 1oz semi skimmed milk, between 3 of us), carrots and sweetcorn. 
I headed straight to bed pretty much straight away afterwards. Took those water tablets and fell asleep :)

Friday 1st February

It's 1st Feb, a new month, new start!

Yesterday was all a bit up in the air. Having had a bad night on Wednesday, I completely lost all my focus. I was doing the food optimizing but I was hardly eating. I ate randomly. The only meal I ate was dinner last night and picked throughout the day. I know it wasn't a good thing to do but it got me through the day. 

During the day yesterday, I went and bought some water balance tablets to see if there was any way of stopping the build up of water. I'm drinking plenty now so there really should be no need for it to happen. I used some old 1ltr bottles to fill up with water and a little squash to keep me going through the day. 

As for exercise yesterday, I planned no actual exercise as in jogging or anything but I did have to go out and spent loads of energy walking around town for an hour and a half. So I can safely say that I exercised! 

The muscles in my groin are all better now. I just needed rest and to keep going at a slower pace. I won't be doing that again.. I hope! Annoying!

So last night's meal was mince and mashed potato - yummy! 

I had all of my syns yesterday and a few over. I know, I mustn't sabotage myself but I really fancied Sunbites so I had them. 

Today is a new day and I have started with optimism and renewed determination. Although, I'm feeling a little headachy and bit off balance... not sure what that's about. 

This morning, I had 2 fried eggs (done in fry light) on 2 slices of wholemeal 400g bread (HE B choice) and 1 tblspn of tomato sauce. 

The weather doesn't look nice out there. It has been raining through the night and still lightly raining now. Is that going to stop me putting on my coat, trainers and upbeat music? NO! I'm just letting my breakfast settle and then I'm going out there. Wish me luck!

Thursday 31st January

I didn't blog yesterday as I wanted to see how I did on the scales last night before checking in.

I went along with full confidence and couldn't wait to jump on them scales! To find that I've put 1.5lbs on! Mucho upset! 

It has been explained to me that due to all the exercise, my body is storing water and more than likely, I'm losing inches rather than lbs. Still left feeling like I'd done something wrong and that I could've prevented it. Then part of me thought about my mini bday target and it left me feeling worse as now I have to not only lose 4.5lbs but also the 1.5lbs that I have put on this week. I've got the biggest uphill climb to conquer - 6lbs has to come off next week to keep me on track for it... it's nigh on impossible! 

On the other hand, I can't let this beat me. If I let it win and I slip, it's me that's going to pay the ultimate price in the end. So I have to find a way to pick myself up, dust myself off and keep going. I'm in this for the long haul! 

As a positive from last night, I did gain my Bronze Body Magic award. That gave me a little boost. At the end, I had a lovely lady asking me for advice on exercise and how Body Magic works. That made me feel very good! 

So today is the start of a new week and I have to remain focused! Got a long walk ahead of me today (not part of my exercise regime) so that will make me feel good. Exercise seems to do that - good old endorphins  kicking in. 1 helping of natural anti-depressant for me! 

I HAVE TO CARRY ON, GIVING UP IS NOT AN OPTION!

Tuesday 29th January

I was awake at 3.30am again this morning! Ugh! I treated myself to a Muller vanilla with dark chocolate and cherry underlay and went back to bed lol! It's my favourite one of the chocolate range.  It is 2 syns due to the cherry bit but it's totally worth it!
I woke up and decided that I would get some workout in before breakfast this morning. I looked out the window and saw the wind and rain.... I had to make a choice - sit indoors, on here til the afternoon and then do a bit of Rosemary Conley at my leisure or forget that it was windy and rainy and get my trainers on and hit the pavement..... So I got my coat and trainers on and off I went. I have never felt so good! I just kept thinking that proper runners and athletes don't stop for a bit of rain so why should I? :) 30 mins later, I was home, wet and fully exercised :) The only downside is that I think that I overdid it... :'( I've pulled the muscles both sides of my groin and it's a little achy tonight. If it still feels like this tomorrow, I'll try a little stretching to help them loosen up and if that doesn't work, I may have to take it a little easy. I don't want to because tomorrow is weigh-in day and any little bit of exercise could be the difference needed to hit my target for the week. I am aware that most of the time, our bodies are a week behind so if the decent weight loss isn't until next week, that's fine but if it impacts on this weeks, it'll be worth it!
So after my exercise burn out this morning, I had my morning fruit salad and yogurt. Tomorrow, I think I'll have something different and save the fruit for later in the day. I like some variety!
Today other than that has been quite a lazy one for me. It went really slowly for some reason.
For lunch I thought I would try out a recipe that one of my fellow slimmers had made - but adapted it slightly to my taste. I made mashed potatoes (no milk or butter) but mixed in some baked beans, cooked some lean bacon and cooked 2 hard boiled eggs to go with it. Was yummy!!!
I felt slightly naughty today. I fancied some chocolate so used 10 of my 15 syns for 4 jaffa cakes (2.5 syns each) :) They were so good!! Very naughty of me!! :)
Tonight, I'm having a chicken stirfry (chicken, beansprouts, pepper, courgette, sweetcorn, carrot, oil - 2 syns, soy sauce and egg noodles).. one of my favourite meals.

Today's syns - Muller light vanilla and dark choc yogurt with cherry underlay  - 2 syns, 4 jaffa cakes - 10 syns and oil - 2 syns = 14 syns

This time tomorrow, I'll know how I've done this week! T Minus 22 hours to weigh in! Fingers crossed for a good loss and I hit my target of 2/2.5lbs for the week, which leaves me on track for next week and my target of 1st loss for my bday! :)

Monday 28th January

I have this habit of waking up at stupid times of the night regardless of how much or little sleep I've had.. it's very annoying!
I made myself a hot lemon squash, which is my alternative to having tea as I like to keep my HE A choice for other things. In last night's case, that was me and my cheese addiction. I had 2 20g mild cheese sticks ( 1 as part of my HE A with a dash of milk for 1 cup of tea tonight and 1 was synned - 4 syns). I also tried a Mug Shot that I'd never tried before - Tikka with Pasta (1 syn). I'm not really keen on the noodle ones. I have to say the tikka wasn't my thing but I tried it and can safely say that I don't like it. After my splurge, I decided I'd go back to bed.
I woke up alive and feeling very positive about life, me, my weight loss and the challenges that lay ahead of me.
I had a lovely fruit salad for breakfast ( banana, clementine, plum, pineapple, apple, pear and grapes) with an Activia 0% pineapple yogurt on top! I love pineapple!! I love fruit :)

As I said yesterday, I planned on trying out one of my new exercise DVDs for a bit of variety. I tried the Biggest Loser: The Workout. I have to say it's a little advanced for me and the size of me. Once I've trimmed down a few stone, I can try that one again. It looks good and they have a set plan to help you get to your 'ideal weight'. It's just not for me right now. So, that DVD came out and instead went back to what I know and did my normal exercise DVD - Rosemary Conley Ultimate Body Workout. I feel completely comfortable with it. So did 30 mins on that, which is the first section. Tomorrow, I'll do 50 minutes - section 1 and 2. I need to get as much on as I can before Wednesday.
I also decided that I would go out and pound the road. I walk to start, build up to a light jog, to a slight run and then slow down and back to walking again and start the process again. I did 20 mins of that. I would normally have done more but the sky decided it was time to rain so I finished up and came home. Boy was I knackered when I got home!
I have to say that I always feel good after I've done it - regardless of whether it's just the DVD or the outdoor work or both. I always regret it if I don't do it. Who can say they have ever regretted exercising? No-one! I feel amazing tonight. I did have a little nap though hehe!

After my nap, I made some lunch. I really fancied something naughty - but not that kind of naughty! I made myself a mini fry-up SW-style! I had fried egg (done in fry light), lean bacon (all visible fat removed), beans and 2 slices of wholemeal 400g bread (HE B choice). I have to say that I have always loved my fry-ups... and look at where they got me! To be able to still have them with a few changes to how they are cooked is amazing! I have one at least twice a week. I can't get enough! It's all syn free! :)


Tonight, I'm having spaghetti bolognese..another big yum!! All free again!! Lean mince, mushroom, onion, plum tomatoes and spaghetti :)


I thought that I would also share with you my motivation board. I created this when I started again. It's a reminder of all I accomplished the first time and my SW role model's before and after pictures. Harriet Evans is proof that bigger girls like me can do it, lose all their excess weight, hit their target and look AMAZING! One day, that WILL be me! I can guarantee it! This hangs above the computer desk so that I can see it when I walk in the room and especially when sat here!

Syns for today: 1 syn for Tikka Mug Shot, 4 syns for extra cheese and 5 syns for a bag of Ryvita Minis. 10 in total.
T-minus 2 days to WI and 12 days til my bday and mini target!

Sunday 27th January - Part 2!

I woke up this morning and made myself a scrummy fruit salad (plum, grapes, apple, pear and pineapple) with syn free Activia 0% vanilla yogurt for breakfast!

I had planned on going for a walk/jog (my walk a bit, jog a bit method) but the day just didn't go that way. I did a load of housework instead though. I know it wouldn't have made up for the walk but I didn't really have a choice. 

Today was a first for me, I opened up my Slimming World cooking to 5 people. My mum, sister, gran and my sister's friend plus myself. I did a whole roast dinner on 5 syns! I'm very proud of that. We had roast chicken, roast potatoes (cooked in frylight), low fat sausages wrapped in bacon, stuffing balls, brussel sprouts, carrots and gravy and for dessert, we had baked apples with mincemeat (Healthy Extra B choice) and syn free Activia 0% Mango yogurt. I was stuffed after all that!! 

This evening, I started to feel a little peckish so I had a tuna pasta salad with onion, sweetcorn, pepper and baby plum tomatoes. 

For my Healthy Extra A choice, I opted for cheese over milk. So I have my cheese sticks already pre-weighed and munched on that. Was lovely! I miss my cheese! 

Syns today: 5 from lunch ( 2 syns for the sausage, 2 syns for the stuffing and 1 for the gravy), 1 syn for Tikka Mug Shot, 5 syns for bag of Ryvita Minis and 3 syns for a large chocolate chip Snack-A-Jack. 

Today I also created myself a new background picture for my computer. A few SW successes before and afters, some motivational phrases and the odd SW mention... now every time I'm sat here, I can see all the people that have gone from fat to thin and it will help me keep on track. 

Tomorrow is a brand new day! The snow from around the area is now gone, thanks to the rain we had last night! wooohooo!! So I will be back pounding the path. I treated myself to some different exercise DVDs last week as I already do one but I want a bit more variety. Going to try one of those out too. 

T-Minus - 3 days to weigh in!! Come on me, I can get the 2lb loss that I want this week, so that next week, I have 2.5lbs to lose to hit my 4.5lb loss goal that will see me 1st lighter for my birthday in 13 days! Eeeeeeeeeeek!! 

Sunday 27th January 2013

I started my journey on 2nd January 2013. 
There are lots of reasons that I started my journey this year and at all. All of which I will share later in the post.
3 years ago, I managed to lose almost an amazing 3st. I was just a few pounds away! Life got in the way - I got a job that required me to be there during the times that I would've gone to the meetings and I didn't feel capable enough to do it online. I needed the support of the group. So I quit. That was one of the biggest mistakes I could have made. That's all in the past now though and I need to look forward and be focused on what I can achieve now. 
I've started this blog as I'd seen some of the amazing other blogs that left me inspired to not only carry on down the path that I am on but to also, write my own blog about my own journey, from fat to thin! 

So my reasons, in no particular order:
1. I turn 30 in 2 weeks and I don't want to grow old looking like this
2. I have type 2 diabetes. I know that if I can get my weight under control, I have a chance to lessen the effect on me. Possibly, even get rid of it for good!
3. I want to be able to fly in an aeroplane, in 1 seat with the belt around me comfortably without any chaffing, tightness or embarrassment. 
4. I shop in 1 shop for my clothes and it's not as if you can mask the reason for going in there. It's a big girl shop and the world knows it! So I want to be able to shop anywhere on the high street and know that the clothes will fit straight off the rail. Also, it'd be a big save in money as big girl clothes are mucho expensivo compared to normal sized clothes
5. I want to be happy and confident in my own skin. Nothing more needs to be said on that. Anyone doing this for themselves will know what I mean.
6. Being big means that every photo of you has to be checked and criticized. I'm certainly not photogenic but it would be nice to not have to worry that I look the size of a beached whale - because I won't anymore! It would be great to look at photos of me and not be embarrassed by my size and lumps and bumps in all the wrong places.
7. I want to start a family. My weight has contributed to years of heartache in my failure to have children. All my friends have them, cousins the same age as me, have them.. I love children and I want my own. I have around 10 good years left so this is important and personal to me. 

The plan that I am following is Slimming World. I am trying out the Extra Easy for the first time. 
My start weight: 25st 10lbs (not my heaviest, I kept the 3 stone I lost off!)
My height : 5ft 8in
My Club 10 target (10% of your body weight): 22st 9lbs
I have set myself an interim target of: 20st 10lbs (5st off my start weight)
My PAT: 9st 7lbs

I have had 3 weigh-ins so far:

9/1/13 - 25st 6.5lbs - -3.5lbs
16/1/13 - 25st 1.5lbs - -5lbs - achieved half stone award! YAY ME!
23/1/13 - 25st 0.5lbs - -1lb
TOTAL LOSS TO DATE = 9.5lbs!! Very proud of myself!

I have set myself a 4 month goal - I want to lose 3st by 2nd May! The reason for the goal is to prove to myself that I am serious about this. I know that I am but my body needs convincing! 
I have also set myself a goal for my birthday! I have 13 days (2 weigh-ins) to drop 4.5lbs. I would love to be a stone lighter on my 30th birthday. So my challenge for this week is to lose 2.5lbs. I am being good but not being all panicky about it. I have increased my body magic (exercise) and really started concentrating on what I'm putting in my mouth like is it a free food? or a superfree? or syn? 

Well, I will update once or twice a week with what I have been doing and also once a week with my weekly weight. Fingers crossed for plenty of losses and hardly any gains! 

A NEW YEAR, A NEW SLIM ME!