WOW, WOW AND WOW

What a fab weigh in today...four and a half pounds off!  Proved to myself today that I can do it!  Todays post is just going to be short and sweet!

Breakfast:
Smoothie made from Raspberrries, Banana, 25ml apple juice (1 syn), natural yoghurt and skimmed milk from 350ml allowance

Snacks:
Apples, bacon roll (fat cut of and roll Healty extra B) and 2 Hifi bars (12 syns)

Lunch
Ceaser Salad (sorry no picture) and 1 and a half syns

Dinner
Lamb rogan Josh, swede and carrot mash served with boiled rice

My treat tongiht is a bottle of wine.  So much for not drinking!

What a windy old day!

This morning got woken up by the wind, just before my alarm went of.  I think it was the wind blowing the fence panel down! I had set my alarm 15 minutes earlier just in case I was going to have a struggle to get to work!

My day started with the normal fruit smoothie, of a banana, Black Forrest fruits, natural yogurt and some of my milk allowance.  This so sets me up for the day:)

I did at my breakfast have three Go-ahead slices at 3 syns each and a total of 9 syns, sorry no pictures as I totally forgot!

Lunch was another bowl of pumpkin soup that I had the other day and I have used the same picture from the other day so has a bit of pork on it (which I didn't have as I had none left).  I also can't quite remember what veg is in in it apart from the pumpkin, passetta, the odd potato, but I now its all super free.

I debated as to whether the weather at lunch, but risked it and went for a 45 minute walk!  Didn't get to wet or blown over! Quite proud that I did it as it wouldn't have taken much to stay in the warm and read my book!
I did have a afternoon snack of a small piece of chocolate cake, which I allowed 6 syns (hard to judge as it was home baked by someone else).  But the odd treat never hurt someone!

This afternoon got home from work to find with joy my Avon has arrived, so a pampering session for me after dinner, as I brought myself some treats.  I decided to go through instead of going for another walk.  The weather was chucking it down with rain when I got home and didn't want to get soaked to the skin and make myself ill.

I did enjoy a tomato mug shot about 6.30pm to keep hunger at bay as other half has gone out and waiting for him to return so I can get dinner on, so no pictures yet, but we are having Venison (cooked on the griddle) with potato's, carrots, Cauliflower and courgettes,  Yum.

You don't know how much this is helping me as I am becoming more accountable in doing this.  The other thing I try and do each is write down 5 positive things which are:

1) I loved going out for a walk when I initially didn't really want to (was using the weather as an excuse)
2) I can enjoy my time without using wine/vodka as a prop and trying out new beauty treatments instead
3) I have also realised I am acting first and thinking after (hence the reason I had the bit of cake)
4) I also don't needs loads of food to feel full, my soup at lunch was enough and didn't need salad or a jacket potato to go with it!
5) I also eat out of boredom!

Thanks for reading and I hope you all have a fab evening!

What a day today

Today we had a family lunch and we needed to be there for 1pm, which put paid my visit to the gym and the pool this morning due to the time it opened would mean I wouldn't have time to do what I wanted there and be back in time to have a shower and change.  So chilled out this morning and watched the India Formula One instead on the telly.

For breakfast I had a smoothie made from: Black Forrest Fruits (Blackberries, Blackcurrants, Cherries and Grapes), a banana, natural yogurt, 25 ml of apple juice (0.5 syns) and skimmed milk from the 350ml Healthy Extra A allowance.  I served this with slimming world pancakes (made from 35g of porridge which is my healthy extra 'b' and a muller light mixed together and left in the fridge overnight.  Then when ready add 1 to 2 eggs and mix and then heat up a frying pan and spray with fry light), more Black Forrest Fruit, 2 teaspoons of Honey (2 syns) and 2 rashers of bacon.  Pictures:

Late on we walked uphill to where we were having lunch and it took us 30 minutes.  What a good workout! We arrived promptly at 1pm and were the first to arrive.  I must admit admit I was expecting to eat at about 1.30 to 2pm but not at 3.00pm, by which time I was starving!  I had been so good up to this point and not touched any booze that was being dished up and stuck to diet coke :) I have to say I don't think it was intended to be this late as there was an emergency dash for a gas bottle as the original one had run out :)

I had a lamb chop, burger, peas sweetcorn, pasta, potato's a additional bread roll which I had to syn, having used my Healthy 'B' allowance already (I picked it up as I was hungry and there was a lack of super free) and served with lettuce, tomato, carrot stick and cucumber (the only super free on the table).  I did have a teaspoon each of coleslaw and potato salad (allowed one syn for bath as not sure on how to syn this as very minimal.  We tried to leave at about 4pm and was asked to stay as the birthday cake was coming out for the birthday girl.  I resisted this as it was being dished up in large amounts and didn't want to use any remaining syns on this.  Sorry no pictures for this food as I would have looked stupid taking pictures of this.

About 4.30pm we made our farewells and walked back home.  I must have got thirsty as I wanted to stop at the pub on the way home and the other half agreed.  I managed to drink 2 pints and eat a packet of Honey Roasted nuts, not very clever and cost my at least 33 syns  I am not going to beat myself up about this as I enjoyed it and started to relax, as I don't really enjoy family get togethers.

This evening I had a late dinner as I knew if I didn't have anything I would pick at things I have in the house that I shouldn't!  I had some left over Lamb Rogan Josh served with rice and more salad leaves!.

I am trying to keep a note of five good things that have happened or I have learnt during the day.  Here is my list for today:

1) Listen to those that are trying to support you, as even if they aren't right in their own good way they are just trying to help you!
2) It doesn't matter that you don't do all the exercise you have planned, what matters more is that I am moving more (and hey I still walked for an hour today!)
3) Listen to the inner voice more.  I.E I need to think and question myself more before I act1
4) I haven't fallen of the waggon today by having my two pints of cider and packet of nuts, as I enjoyed this the most out of my day.  We are allowed a bit of fun and this was it for me today!
5) Tomorrow is another day!

Thanks for reading!

Why can't all days be like today?

I have a had a fab day trying to loose weight.  I was up early for a Saturday (about 8am) and organised my breakfast which was a fruit smoothie.

The smoothie is made up from milk, which came from my Healthy A allowance, natural yogurt (free on slimming world) and Black Forrest fruits, which include grapes, cherries, blackberries and blackcurrants (which are all super free).  This gave me the energy boost to get going to the gym as I really didn't want to go today.  I do go however and did 45 mins in the gym and did weights, CV and toning work.  I followed this up with a swim and only managed 30 minutes.  I had planned to do an hour in each, but considering I really didn't want to go at least I did something, which is better than nothing. 

I got back home for about 11.30am, as I had to stop at the shops for wholemeal bread.  When I got home I had a early lunch as I needed the protein to start repairing my body after the exercise.  I had a bacon sandwich, which was on plan as fat is remove as much as possible and bread is my healthy extra b allowance.  I had this with homemade pumpkin soup made up from left over super free veg such as peppers, broccoli, brussels and of course pumpkin.  There was also potato on there which is also free.  The soup was topped with left over pork croutons and added extra flavour.

Lunch was followed by a shower and a food shop.  Food wise we always start at the local butchers and buy most of our fruit, veg and meat there as the quality is fab and is cheaper than local supermarkets, with the bonus of fab customer service. Here's a link to their website http://www.villagebutchers.co.uk/

We then headed onto Waitrose to buy a few store cupboard items, as is the usual routine as on the odd occasion the butchers haven't quite got the odd bit we need.

With the shopping unpacked, the housework was done, lamb rogan josh in the slow cooker and I then headed on out for a walk.  My intention was just to go out for an hour so I could reach the 10k steps we are supposed to reach every day.  I ended up walking for an hour and a half and have so far done 13,414 steps today!  Total exercise today is 2 hours 45 minutes.  Hey I should be biggest lose!

When I got home I got the rice, broccoli and cauliflower on for dinner and it filled me up a treat.  I so wanted to eat one of my home cooked mince pies that were cooling down on the wire rack, but I resisted them and just waited for my dinner.  I have so far resisted the wine to.

Pictures of dinner (or whats left of it):

 I also was I bit cheeky today and brought some mini scream eggs at Waitrose.  I ate 2 of them, and will only have the occasional one, as I couldn't find the syns for them so I have taken the syn value of a mini cream egg (they are essentially the same thing) and are 2.5 syns for one, so that takes my syns to a total of five so far today.

For those of you that don't know the Extra Easy Plan that Slimming World offers, it works something along the lines of splitting foods into the following groups:

Super free:   This includes most veg and fruit, but not all.
Free:           This includes high carb veg such as potatoes, peas, sweetcorn and beans, meats and fish

Slimming world suggest on this plan you fill up more than a third of your plate with super free as this is what will start to fill you up and the rest of your plate with free food.  None of this food has to be weighed or measured.  But be sensible about it.

The other two groups are:
Healthy Extras:    You are allowed one A and one B on the extra easy plan.  'A's include things a milk or cheese allowance and 'B's' include things like breads and cereals.  These need to be weighed
Syns:          This is for your naughty bits like wine and chocolate.  These also need to be weighed to work out the correct syn value.  You are allowed a total of 15 a day.  Some people work them over a week, so they can save them up for night out.

And talking of night's out, i need to and get ready!

Who said weight loss was easy?

Well whoever said this, isn't the brightest spark in the book!

I have struggled since I started my journey back in January 2012, but I am still following the slimming world plans and the weight is coming of me again!  Need to remember the following:

Success is not a race, be patient.
Success leads to success.
Success is always a work in progress.
Success doesn't come to you - you go to it.
Success is a journey, not a destination. Focus on the process.
Some people dream about success - while others wake up and work hard at it.
Success is achieves and maintained by those who try and keep trying.
Everyday is a good day to SUCCEED!
If at first you don't succeed - try, try again.

I love this quote as it reminds me that I need to keep trying every day to achieve my goals and only by trying will I succeed and be successful at loosing weight!  It has reminded that you can't sit back and it will happen I need to make it happen, but by being patient as I will get there!

My success since starting my slimming world plan is that I have lost weight (nearly two stone) and that I have the tools now to carrying on loosing the weight in my own time and not to rush the process.  Two months ago I was trying to loose weight like the people in The Biggest Loser. Australia 2012 which I had been following! I can do the 2 hours exercise but it was wearing me out and guess what I was eating more of the wrong things as I wasn't concentrating on my food!

First lesson that I learnt, concentrate on my food first and back this up with weight loss!
Second lesson that I learnt, enjoy the right foods and enjoy exercise.  You won't stick to whatever plan you are following if you aren't enjoying it!

Oh my god, I cant believe its been 6 months!

I have definitely been slacking and my thoughts have been else where.  I am starting to get back on track!  Back to nearly 2 stone weight loss and I have a pound and a half to go, which I hope to achieved b y my weight in on Tuesday.

Why Tuesday?  My last weight in before my 2 week holiday!  When I did this holiday last year only put on 4lbs over the fortnight, so the pressures on!

Food and exercise wise I believe I am mentally ready for my holiday!  I have recipes and my new slimming World mag to take with me!  I am also taking my steamer! (I am self catering!)

Minor setback or not?

the scales on my weigh in on Tuesday 29th of Jan, stated I had lost 5 and half pounds! Fab, great, whoop and I jumped up and down with joy!  Helped me to win win slimmer of the week and month!  Weigh in on Tuesday the 5th I had put on a a pound a half!  I hadn't been that bad! Then I was told they were different scales as basically the old ones had failed.  This things happen! Upset understatement, but I kept telling myself I had lost 4 pounds in two weeks!

But more importantly than that its motivated me even more to keep going! I've worked out that if I carry on loosing 2 pounds a week I can have lost nearly 4 stone by my birthday!  I am also aiming to fit into my red dress for a wedding in June!

Just a reminder what it looks like (I know its a bad picture!)

I have also entered the Race for Life again this year.  This is a 5km race you can walk, jog or run and help raise money for cancer research.  The last 2 years I have walked it!  This year my aim is to have lost enough weight to try and run it!

I have also completed a 6 month plan which is stuck on my notice board next to my desk which includes things that I want to get done this year but don't necessarily relate to my weight loss journey so I'm afraid I'm not ready to share the whole lot!

Ive had a fab day trying to become fitter, I spent 33 minutes in the gym on the cross trainer and on the treadmill and then spent an hour swimming, clocking up 3.5km on all 3 activities.  This is part of one of my steps to be ready to run the Race For Life!