Nearly at the end of my third week on ProPoints and I'm still on plan! Had one minor wobble last week with too much wine and a curry, but still came out with a loss! Here's progress so far:
Week 1: -2lb
Week 2: -0.5lb (even with the wobble!)
Week 3: ??
Third weigh in is tomorrow evening but sneaky peeking at the scales (and the feel of my clothes!) tells me I'm in for a decent loss this week! Started at 10.5lb to goal, as of last week was at 8lb to goal and am hoping I'll be closer still tomorrow night. Would very much like to be back at goal by mid April.
Yummy things I've been eating...
Tons of fresh fruit with yogurt and seed/nut mix I made myself - fab pudding for just a couple of points or a brilliant late night snack which takes a while to eat and doesn't use too many weekly points!
Bolognaise made with soya mince and a dash of balsamic vinegar which really seemed to make a difference. Only pointed ingredient was the mince!
Home made butternut squash soup - once with courgette and once with red pepper and chinese five spice. Both yummy!
And, being the chocolate addict I am, Curly Wurlys for 3pp each and orange Club biscuits for 3pp each.
Now, potential things to knock me off kilter coming up in the next couple of weeks...
This weekend we're dancing in another show, yay! I'm in 7 dances so roughly half an hour of dancing on stage "banging it out" as we like to say, plus rehearsal beforehand. Doesn't sound bad, right? Think of all the PP I'll earn! It's the night out after and hungover Sunday that's gonna do the damage! Am determined to save my weeklies for the weekend and stick to my daily points for the other five days so I'm sure it'll work out alright, but when I'm hungover I'm constantly hungry! It's a challenge.
And... the following weekend we are moving house!! Very excited about this but controlling what I can eat on moving day will be difficult, and we'll be treating our hard working moving team (mums, dads and mates!) to take away surrounded by boxes at the end of it. Again, think of the PP I'll earn, but keeping in control of those points over the weekend will be difficult.
Still, I can make sensible decisions and if I have a dodgy week when we move it'll all be back under control by the next weigh in and I can get straight back on it. Right..? ;)
If anyone's reading my ramblings thank you, and I hope you're enjoying eating ProPoints style too! :)
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
Sunday, 17 February 2013
Here's my line... --------------------------------------
Hello everyone! Remember me?!
Am so ashamed my last post was August last year. Where have I been?! The lack of posting coincides with the increased work pressures and lack of time to myself, so I can blame a little of my absence on that. John is now running his own business - a mobile noodle bar essentially! - which is going from strength to strength. However this means I now work six days a week as we have a stall on the market every Saturday, so with only the one day off a week my time is normally taken up with washing, cleaning and hangovers from the night before!
On a positive note, my weight has remained fairly static since August. It floats around between the 11st 7lb and 11st 12lb marks depending on how "good" I've been, and it went up a little more after Christmas, but I count not regaining all the weight as a success all round!!
So why am I back? A few things have spurred on my return. Firstly, in response to the ridiculous and laughable mockumentary that Dispatches produced a few weeks ago Weight Watchers posted this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUvaEiVHMaU
About 4 and a half minutes in you'll see me!! WW used the footage taken at the catwalk event I did in 2010 of me and a couple of other ladies. How slim was I?! I am approximately 10-12lb more than this these days, and although I'm still a size 12 and still a healthy BMI - yes, Dispatches, contrary to your rubbish report some of us do succeed!! - my body shape is different. I had to give up running because of my knee problems, and I've exchanged Body Combat for dancing twice a week which I love but which isn't as intense.
Watching this video made me feel both proud and sad that I wasn't still in the same position with my weight.
In addition to that I got the results of my final exams on 6 February and I passed! No more study, no more revision and no more exams!! Big weight off my mind.
Add to that the fact that in a couple of months time the sun will be shining and the summer clothes will be reappearing and there's my motivation.
I have been trying since January to shift some weight alone with minimal success. I can stick to things for a couple of weeks but then lose my focus and put it back on. So this week I rejoined a WW class. I'm embracing ProPoints and so far I'm actually enjoying it! The first time I tried ProPoints I had limited success, so I'm trying to apply sense to it and not eat quite so much fruit and zero point food as last time. Let's face it - eating an entire butternut squash so you have enough points for a bar of chocolate can't really be the point. And it didn't work. Just because it's zero points doesn't mean it's zero calories!
Here's my stats:
Start weight (13 Feb '13): 11st 12.5lb
Weigh in day: Wednesday
5% goal: 11st 4lb
Goal weight: 11st 2lb
Things I'm loving this week include these:
Energy bars: http://www.weightwatchers.co.uk/food/rcp/RecipePage.aspx?recipeId=7018852
Eating these for breakfast. Yum! Cut them slightly bigger so 5pp each.
And these dark chocolate kit kats, 2 finger - 3pp.
Lots of cups of tea, with skimmed milk, too!
So off I go! I will report back, promise!!
Am so ashamed my last post was August last year. Where have I been?! The lack of posting coincides with the increased work pressures and lack of time to myself, so I can blame a little of my absence on that. John is now running his own business - a mobile noodle bar essentially! - which is going from strength to strength. However this means I now work six days a week as we have a stall on the market every Saturday, so with only the one day off a week my time is normally taken up with washing, cleaning and hangovers from the night before!
On a positive note, my weight has remained fairly static since August. It floats around between the 11st 7lb and 11st 12lb marks depending on how "good" I've been, and it went up a little more after Christmas, but I count not regaining all the weight as a success all round!!
So why am I back? A few things have spurred on my return. Firstly, in response to the ridiculous and laughable mockumentary that Dispatches produced a few weeks ago Weight Watchers posted this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUvaEiVHMaU
About 4 and a half minutes in you'll see me!! WW used the footage taken at the catwalk event I did in 2010 of me and a couple of other ladies. How slim was I?! I am approximately 10-12lb more than this these days, and although I'm still a size 12 and still a healthy BMI - yes, Dispatches, contrary to your rubbish report some of us do succeed!! - my body shape is different. I had to give up running because of my knee problems, and I've exchanged Body Combat for dancing twice a week which I love but which isn't as intense.
Watching this video made me feel both proud and sad that I wasn't still in the same position with my weight.
In addition to that I got the results of my final exams on 6 February and I passed! No more study, no more revision and no more exams!! Big weight off my mind.
Add to that the fact that in a couple of months time the sun will be shining and the summer clothes will be reappearing and there's my motivation.
I have been trying since January to shift some weight alone with minimal success. I can stick to things for a couple of weeks but then lose my focus and put it back on. So this week I rejoined a WW class. I'm embracing ProPoints and so far I'm actually enjoying it! The first time I tried ProPoints I had limited success, so I'm trying to apply sense to it and not eat quite so much fruit and zero point food as last time. Let's face it - eating an entire butternut squash so you have enough points for a bar of chocolate can't really be the point. And it didn't work. Just because it's zero points doesn't mean it's zero calories!
Here's my stats:
Start weight (13 Feb '13): 11st 12.5lb
Weigh in day: Wednesday
5% goal: 11st 4lb
Goal weight: 11st 2lb
Things I'm loving this week include these:
Energy bars: http://www.weightwatchers.co.uk/food/rcp/RecipePage.aspx?recipeId=7018852
Eating these for breakfast. Yum! Cut them slightly bigger so 5pp each.
And these dark chocolate kit kats, 2 finger - 3pp.
Lots of cups of tea, with skimmed milk, too!
So off I go! I will report back, promise!!
Wednesday, 1 August 2012
"Official" weigh in result and NSV
Back from my training course without inflicting too much diet damage! In fact, quite the opposite somehow.
Official weigh in night is Tuesday night, so after the 3.5 hour drive home from Crewe I hopped on the scales. And couldn't believe my luck.
Last Tuesday evening my scales told me I was 11st 13.8lb (my official start weight was on another set of scales which I will be weighing on with a friend from next week, but due to training couldn't do this week...!). Nasty. Yesterday they told me I was... 11st 8lb!! Minus 5.8lb in a week?!?
I know. I don't believe it either. But last week was TOTM which clearly had some impact on that result. And while part of me doesn't believe I've lost that much in a week my clothes say differently. My NSV was trying on a dress this evening that I bought about 2 months ago that didn't fit over my bum or really do up. Tonight it fits perfectly!
Didn't get this result in weeks on ProPoints, so I am sticking to old Points forever!!
Want to be back at goal by the end of the month. Now feels totally achievable :)
Bring on the next Weight Watchers week! :)
Official weigh in night is Tuesday night, so after the 3.5 hour drive home from Crewe I hopped on the scales. And couldn't believe my luck.
Last Tuesday evening my scales told me I was 11st 13.8lb (my official start weight was on another set of scales which I will be weighing on with a friend from next week, but due to training couldn't do this week...!). Nasty. Yesterday they told me I was... 11st 8lb!! Minus 5.8lb in a week?!?
I know. I don't believe it either. But last week was TOTM which clearly had some impact on that result. And while part of me doesn't believe I've lost that much in a week my clothes say differently. My NSV was trying on a dress this evening that I bought about 2 months ago that didn't fit over my bum or really do up. Tonight it fits perfectly!
Didn't get this result in weeks on ProPoints, so I am sticking to old Points forever!!
Want to be back at goal by the end of the month. Now feels totally achievable :)
Bring on the next Weight Watchers week! :)
Sunday, 29 July 2012
Day 7, and another Points vs ProPoints post!
I've been considering old style Points versus ProPoints and the pros and cons of each over the last couple of days, mainly because I have so much more success on old Points, and my verdict is that the reason is the way each plan forces your mind to see food.
This doesn't sound like a very simple blog post, granted, but it's not as complicated as it sounds...
Old Points
Set number of Points per day
Able to save Points up to a maximum of 12 per week
Only way to top this up for treats is to earn Activity Points
ProPoints
Set number of ProPoints per day
Unable to save any ProPoints
Bank of ProPoints for treats
Sure you can all spot the difference now, but I'll elaborate, because it's me. Old Points teach you to earn your treats. ProPoints teaches you to have them anyway.
Now, I don't know about you, but the whole reason I went on Weight Watchers in the first place is because I'd had the treats anyway!
When I've tried to do ProPoints I've had less to encourage me to exercise, so to have those treats I've stuck to my 26 ProPoints a day (approximately 1000 calories before allowing for 0 point fruit and veg) and used my weekly ProPoints for alcohol, chocolate and eating out.
Sounds like exactly how you're supposed to follow the plan, right? And doesn't sound all that bad either because I'm getting those treats in the week?
Flip it up and look at it this way: On old Points I am on 20 Points per day. Weight Watchers had two main rules when I began that plan which were that you had to eat a minimum of 16 Points per day, and you could only save a maximum of 12 Points per week. The difference between the minimum Points and my daily Points is 4 Points each day.
4 Points is the equivalent of 4 squares of Dairy Milk chocolate.
4 squares of Dairy Milk chocolate is the difference between me being miserable and me feeling unrestricted and happy on plan.
Making sense? What I'm trying to say is that in order to stick to plan I have always built a treat into my daily diet. It's my motivation to get to bed at the end of the day within my Points allowance. And why might I fall off ProPoints after every couple of days? Because to stick to 26 ProPoints per day I find it impossible to build those treats in without stuffing myself with 0 ProPoint fruit. And what happens when you do that? You eat too many calories and don't lose weight.
And throughout all of this I don't need to exercise to earn those weekly ProPoints.
I truly believe that the mentality I use to stay near my goal weight (I say near, as we all know I've gained some weight, but two and a half years after goal I'm still wearing a size 12, so we'll stick with near!) which is that if I've done exercise I deserve the treat is the success factor for me.
To conclude my long and rambling Sunday morning blog I will leave you with some evidence to support this theory...
My scales are showing a likely weight loss of about 3lb this week. On ProPoints it took me two to three weeks to lose this much, often because I fell off plan during the week. But the biggest measure of success for me is the fact that I am happy. I have eaten chocolate and cake, I have drunk wine and Costa coffee, but I've been to the gym and to dance and I have lost 3lb.
I am celebrating this success a little early though. This afternoon I am off to a two day residential training course for work. At these things they feed you. A lot. *big sigh* Just when I was getting somewhere!
See you when I'm back, but hopefully still without that 3lb! :)
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Day 3
It's day three of the attempt and so far so good.
I now have my official start weight - 11st 11.75lb. I therefore have 9.75lb to lose to return me to my goal weight. The challenge is on, once again!
I need to keep that skinny image at the forefront of my mind, and I'm hoping this blog will help me do that. I'm tracking and I'm weighing with a friend to motivate me, plus John has promised me a new book on my Kindle for every 3lb I lose so that's also a motivation as I've found a new favourite author whose books I want to read. I've tried to find a non-edible motivation (!) as I often focus on a binge of some sort to keep me on plan and it's not a good way to do things.
So far so good with sticking to plan. I have to make it to Sunday afternoon, then from Sunday night to Tuesday afternoon I'm on a residential training course with not much control over my food, although I can try to make sensible choices. I am planning to weigh Sunday before I go, then again on Tuesday evening when I return which will be my official weigh in. Hopefully then I can kick myself up the bum and get back on it Wednesday without too much difficult!
God, I do ramble on.
Sunshiney smiles :)
I now have my official start weight - 11st 11.75lb. I therefore have 9.75lb to lose to return me to my goal weight. The challenge is on, once again!
I need to keep that skinny image at the forefront of my mind, and I'm hoping this blog will help me do that. I'm tracking and I'm weighing with a friend to motivate me, plus John has promised me a new book on my Kindle for every 3lb I lose so that's also a motivation as I've found a new favourite author whose books I want to read. I've tried to find a non-edible motivation (!) as I often focus on a binge of some sort to keep me on plan and it's not a good way to do things.
So far so good with sticking to plan. I have to make it to Sunday afternoon, then from Sunday night to Tuesday afternoon I'm on a residential training course with not much control over my food, although I can try to make sensible choices. I am planning to weigh Sunday before I go, then again on Tuesday evening when I return which will be my official weigh in. Hopefully then I can kick myself up the bum and get back on it Wednesday without too much difficult!
God, I do ramble on.
Sunshiney smiles :)
Sunday, 22 July 2012
Serial (cereal?) Dieter
Yep, that's me.
Up and down like a flipping yo-yo.
Lose half a stone diet attempt number six million, thirty-three thousand, four hundred and twelve begins tomorrow.
8lb to lose to get me back to goal. Am finally able to exercise properly (gym at least, no Combat yet :( ) so I can do this.
Deep breath, suck it up, get on with it!
Up and down like a flipping yo-yo.
Lose half a stone diet attempt number six million, thirty-three thousand, four hundred and twelve begins tomorrow.
8lb to lose to get me back to goal. Am finally able to exercise properly (gym at least, no Combat yet :( ) so I can do this.
Deep breath, suck it up, get on with it!
Sunday, 15 April 2012
On the wagon once again!
So I'm well and truly back on the WW wagon! Managed a few days up until Easter without too many wobbles, then over Easter weekend things went a little (a lot) wrong. 2 Easter eggs wrong. And a bottle of wine, pizza, kettle chips, chocolate raisins and muffins! Oh, and an amazing hotel breakfast which included a pain au chocolat, about 6 pieces of toast and some very yummy and very buttery scrambled egg with smoked salmon. Although we also went for a meal at Prezzo and I had a salad, so unbelievably it could have been even worse!!
So, after that horrendous weekend I kicked myself up the bum and got back on ProPoints on Tuesday morning. I have a lovely shiny new Journal (a 12 week tracker basically) which gives me some sad little satisfaction to fill in! Also managed a night out last night and didn't go over my planned points, so I still have 18 weeklies left to get me to Thursday (the end of my week - Thursday seemed the safest day to weigh!).
This week I have mostly been eating:
Breakfast
Tinned peaches/pineapple, drained, with a tablespoon of Morrisons Eat Smart low fat natural yogurt (1pp) and 20g of muesli (2pp)
Toast (4pp) with a poached egg (2pp), mushrooms and tomatoes
Lunch
Salad with butternut squash and tuna (2pp) with a tsp of light mayo
Dinner
Quorn fillets (4pp) with a tsb of pesto (1pp) with salad
A seriously yummy thai green curry (recipe from the WW website) which was 6pp (we swapped chicken for white fish which reduced the pp value) with 40g rice (4pp)
Pitta pizzas made from a pitta bread (6pp) spread with a little tomato puree, a tsp of pesto (1pp) and a light Babybel cheese grated on the top (1pp). Also put some cooked mushrooms, courgette, peppers and red onion on there and then grilled until it went crispy round the edges. Very yummy!
I have eaten tons of fruit too - really like that fruit is now 0pp. Also been munching WW cookies (2pp) and WW jaffa mini rolls (2pp).
Pitta pizzas and thai green curry were the highlight of the week I think - I'd recommend both!
And that's all I have to say about that. Am enjoying ProPoints more than my initial attempt last year, and sneaky weigh in on my scales is showing a loss, so will stick with it until Thursday and hope for a good loss. Friday we are off to Norwich for the weekend so I'll be well and truly off the wagon whilst away. Lets hope I can jump straight back on next Tuesday!
I feel this post was a little dull - I am perhaps uninspired due to the horrendous hangover I've been suffering today! Will try to make my next post a little more exciting, promise!
So, after that horrendous weekend I kicked myself up the bum and got back on ProPoints on Tuesday morning. I have a lovely shiny new Journal (a 12 week tracker basically) which gives me some sad little satisfaction to fill in! Also managed a night out last night and didn't go over my planned points, so I still have 18 weeklies left to get me to Thursday (the end of my week - Thursday seemed the safest day to weigh!).
This week I have mostly been eating:
Breakfast
Tinned peaches/pineapple, drained, with a tablespoon of Morrisons Eat Smart low fat natural yogurt (1pp) and 20g of muesli (2pp)
Toast (4pp) with a poached egg (2pp), mushrooms and tomatoes
Lunch
Salad with butternut squash and tuna (2pp) with a tsp of light mayo
Dinner
Quorn fillets (4pp) with a tsb of pesto (1pp) with salad
A seriously yummy thai green curry (recipe from the WW website) which was 6pp (we swapped chicken for white fish which reduced the pp value) with 40g rice (4pp)
Pitta pizzas made from a pitta bread (6pp) spread with a little tomato puree, a tsp of pesto (1pp) and a light Babybel cheese grated on the top (1pp). Also put some cooked mushrooms, courgette, peppers and red onion on there and then grilled until it went crispy round the edges. Very yummy!
I have eaten tons of fruit too - really like that fruit is now 0pp. Also been munching WW cookies (2pp) and WW jaffa mini rolls (2pp).
Pitta pizzas and thai green curry were the highlight of the week I think - I'd recommend both!
And that's all I have to say about that. Am enjoying ProPoints more than my initial attempt last year, and sneaky weigh in on my scales is showing a loss, so will stick with it until Thursday and hope for a good loss. Friday we are off to Norwich for the weekend so I'll be well and truly off the wagon whilst away. Lets hope I can jump straight back on next Tuesday!
I feel this post was a little dull - I am perhaps uninspired due to the horrendous hangover I've been suffering today! Will try to make my next post a little more exciting, promise!
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
And I'm back!
Ok. I'm rubbish. 9 months since I last posted. Ouch.
9 months and roughly 9lb coincidentally!
Yes, I have gained some weight. And I'm gutted. Life distracted me from dieting. More specifically, self medicating through some difficult times with wine distracted me!
Anyway. Here I am. After 10 days on a high protein diet which promised to make me tone up fast I've lost no weight and no inches. So, as I've no patience and am hating the size of my bum I'm biting the bullet and getting back on WW. ProPoints, which is still a new frontier for me, but my mum has recently done it and told me the daily points have now reduced to 26, which seems better, so I'm giving it another go.
Start tomorrow morning, so I'll try and blog about it over the next few days.
My goals are:
Get back to target and a little beyond - I am currently 11st 11lb. Goal is 11st 2lb officially and I am aiming for 10st 13lb (my personal favourite weight).
Get back in my size 10/12 dresses and jeans comfortably.
Get where I want to be by 1 July.
So, I have sensible, achievable targets. Once I've seen the first couple of pounds come off I may feel happier, so please people, DON'T LET ME GIVE UP!!
Thanks for reading this far, I appreciate all the support I can get.
Smiles and positive dieting thoughts!!
Hannah x
9 months and roughly 9lb coincidentally!
Yes, I have gained some weight. And I'm gutted. Life distracted me from dieting. More specifically, self medicating through some difficult times with wine distracted me!
Anyway. Here I am. After 10 days on a high protein diet which promised to make me tone up fast I've lost no weight and no inches. So, as I've no patience and am hating the size of my bum I'm biting the bullet and getting back on WW. ProPoints, which is still a new frontier for me, but my mum has recently done it and told me the daily points have now reduced to 26, which seems better, so I'm giving it another go.
Start tomorrow morning, so I'll try and blog about it over the next few days.
My goals are:
Get back to target and a little beyond - I am currently 11st 11lb. Goal is 11st 2lb officially and I am aiming for 10st 13lb (my personal favourite weight).
Get back in my size 10/12 dresses and jeans comfortably.
Get where I want to be by 1 July.
So, I have sensible, achievable targets. Once I've seen the first couple of pounds come off I may feel happier, so please people, DON'T LET ME GIVE UP!!
Thanks for reading this far, I appreciate all the support I can get.
Smiles and positive dieting thoughts!!
Hannah x
Friday, 3 June 2011
Back on track :)
Hello bloggers :)
I've been rather absent recently - I've been struggling with life, maintenance and exercise - finding the balance after leaving home has been hard.
But, I think I might be getting somewhere now. Thank goodness for exams.
Don't look at me like I'm a bit mental - there's method in the madness! I've got exams next week for the qualifications I'm taking through work and I've had this week off work and have next week too. And I'm back on "vintage" points. I struggled with ProPoints - mainly because I don't really struggle with binging or letting one slip knock me off balance - I know that an hour in the gym or running will generally fix the mistake if it's kept under control. I can totally appreciate that for those people that struggle with exactly these diet problems will do fantastically on ProPoints, but for me simplicity may well be the key.
After 4 days on VP the scales are treating me well (I know I shouldn't get on there every day but at the moment it's a good motivator!) and I've high hopes for weigh in next week. With only 6lb to shift to get back to my ideal weight I've got my fingers crossed it'll only take 3 or 4 weeks! And as I've not been at work fitting the exercise in has been blissfully easy again - it's the only thing I miss about being a student!
On that note, I tried to embrace the phenomenon of morning running today. I dragged myself out of bed at 6:25am, and out of the house at 7am after snaffling a banana. At approximately 7:06am I wished I hadn't bothered. And by 8am I was ready to crash. I managed 4.7 miles (not an achievement!) in an hour (very slow) but I did it and earned some nice shiny bonus points which I'll be taking to the coffee shop with me later!
Another, somewhat related, advance is that I've signed up to run the Chippenham Half Marathon on 11 September. I can currently run 7 miles. It's 13 for the half. And I've got... 14 weeks til the big day. So that's fine. 8 miles is the target for next weekend I think.
So there we go. That's me at the moment! Still here, still maintaining (or thereabouts!) and still looking for ways to get rid of those flipping wobbly bits!!
Although, for anyone in the same situation as me - 1 year on the wobbly bits are less wobbly, my skin is looking better and my tummy has improved from needing to be tucked in to now just resembling a bit of a paunch! This is an improvement, believe me! I have high hopes that in a couple of years I'll have a body resembling some famous fabulous woman, but for now I'll be wobbling round the streets in the pursuit of the perfect bum and washboard abs!
Keep smiling :)
I've been rather absent recently - I've been struggling with life, maintenance and exercise - finding the balance after leaving home has been hard.
But, I think I might be getting somewhere now. Thank goodness for exams.
Don't look at me like I'm a bit mental - there's method in the madness! I've got exams next week for the qualifications I'm taking through work and I've had this week off work and have next week too. And I'm back on "vintage" points. I struggled with ProPoints - mainly because I don't really struggle with binging or letting one slip knock me off balance - I know that an hour in the gym or running will generally fix the mistake if it's kept under control. I can totally appreciate that for those people that struggle with exactly these diet problems will do fantastically on ProPoints, but for me simplicity may well be the key.
After 4 days on VP the scales are treating me well (I know I shouldn't get on there every day but at the moment it's a good motivator!) and I've high hopes for weigh in next week. With only 6lb to shift to get back to my ideal weight I've got my fingers crossed it'll only take 3 or 4 weeks! And as I've not been at work fitting the exercise in has been blissfully easy again - it's the only thing I miss about being a student!
On that note, I tried to embrace the phenomenon of morning running today. I dragged myself out of bed at 6:25am, and out of the house at 7am after snaffling a banana. At approximately 7:06am I wished I hadn't bothered. And by 8am I was ready to crash. I managed 4.7 miles (not an achievement!) in an hour (very slow) but I did it and earned some nice shiny bonus points which I'll be taking to the coffee shop with me later!
Another, somewhat related, advance is that I've signed up to run the Chippenham Half Marathon on 11 September. I can currently run 7 miles. It's 13 for the half. And I've got... 14 weeks til the big day. So that's fine. 8 miles is the target for next weekend I think.
So there we go. That's me at the moment! Still here, still maintaining (or thereabouts!) and still looking for ways to get rid of those flipping wobbly bits!!
Although, for anyone in the same situation as me - 1 year on the wobbly bits are less wobbly, my skin is looking better and my tummy has improved from needing to be tucked in to now just resembling a bit of a paunch! This is an improvement, believe me! I have high hopes that in a couple of years I'll have a body resembling some famous fabulous woman, but for now I'll be wobbling round the streets in the pursuit of the perfect bum and washboard abs!
Keep smiling :)
Sunday, 27 March 2011
A little reminder of how far I've come - and how hard we all find it sometimes.
Today my Mum and Dad popped round and my Mum brought a photo of me and her from a few years ago. Her exact words... "I've found a photo that will make you cringe!!" Yeah, it was that bad.
I've just been on the WW boards having a little look round and saw a post which said "I'm ready to be thin now".
I remember saying that too.
"I've tried so hard, for such a long time, so why aren't I thin yet?"
If you've read my biog on here then you'll know it took me two long years to reach goal (after years of failed attempts before) and I never thought I'd get there. No one thought I'd get there to be honest. Both John and my Mum have admitted they never really thought I'd do it. But then why would they? I'd failed so many times before. If I thought about getting to goal myself I didn't really think I'd get that far. I dealt with it one step at a time - a stone or half a stone as a target - because if I'd have thought about it as 4 and a half stone from the beginning it would have seemed completely unachievable.
So now I wish there was some way to show everyone struggling why they should keep going, keep fighting and get where they want to be. There's no way to put into words how much losing the weight changed me. It was like I was locked inside myself because of my size - without any confidence and always wishing to be someone else. Every morning I wake up and can't feel that fog of sadness around me anymore I am grateful.
I know not everyone feels this way about themselves, but I want anyone that does to know that if your weight is the reason then you can find the strength to change yourself. I really hope I don't sound patronising - I'm basing this on the way I felt at my heaviest and so many times when I just wanted to give up and comfort eat it all away.
Please don't give up. The hardest thing is to keep going, but if you can be strong and achieve your goal it could change your life in more ways than you'd ever expect.
Keep smiling :)
xxx
I've just been on the WW boards having a little look round and saw a post which said "I'm ready to be thin now".
I remember saying that too.
"I've tried so hard, for such a long time, so why aren't I thin yet?"
If you've read my biog on here then you'll know it took me two long years to reach goal (after years of failed attempts before) and I never thought I'd get there. No one thought I'd get there to be honest. Both John and my Mum have admitted they never really thought I'd do it. But then why would they? I'd failed so many times before. If I thought about getting to goal myself I didn't really think I'd get that far. I dealt with it one step at a time - a stone or half a stone as a target - because if I'd have thought about it as 4 and a half stone from the beginning it would have seemed completely unachievable.
So now I wish there was some way to show everyone struggling why they should keep going, keep fighting and get where they want to be. There's no way to put into words how much losing the weight changed me. It was like I was locked inside myself because of my size - without any confidence and always wishing to be someone else. Every morning I wake up and can't feel that fog of sadness around me anymore I am grateful.
I know not everyone feels this way about themselves, but I want anyone that does to know that if your weight is the reason then you can find the strength to change yourself. I really hope I don't sound patronising - I'm basing this on the way I felt at my heaviest and so many times when I just wanted to give up and comfort eat it all away.
Please don't give up. The hardest thing is to keep going, but if you can be strong and achieve your goal it could change your life in more ways than you'd ever expect.
Keep smiling :)
xxx
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
ProPoints - the new frontier!
This is Day 4 of ProPoints and so far so good :)
Went back to weigh in last night and am an expected 7.5lb above the weight I would like to be. I am, luckily, still within those lovely 5lb above goal so am technically still gold, but as I like to be weighing a little less than goal I wasn't best pleased.
My saving graces so far have been Options hot chocolate at 1 point a go and which I always keep a sachet of in my handbag, and carrying fruit around with me everywhere for sudden attacks of the munchies has also been useful!
First couple of days were super difficult but today has been the easiest day so far and I'm hoping the trend will continue! I remember the first couple of days were always the hardest, even after a minor slip off plan, so I wasn't expecting things to be easy. I am glad it's not so difficult today though!
Cooked a yummy recipe last night that was shared on the WW forums - stuffed butternut squash. With Quorn mince instead of meat I made it just 2 points a serving! Brilliant as I'd been out for lunch with work and used 14 points on a Leggera pizza at Pizza Express - the seriously yummy prawn one!
So, top tip for today - Options hot chocolate! When the sugar cravings hit break out one of those! It's hot so it takes a while to drink which keeps you busy, and they actually taste chocolatey - something an apple simply cannot achieve!
Good luck to anyone pointing too - just remember, the sun is out but, if we are good little Weight Watchers, the muffin top needn't be!! :)
Went back to weigh in last night and am an expected 7.5lb above the weight I would like to be. I am, luckily, still within those lovely 5lb above goal so am technically still gold, but as I like to be weighing a little less than goal I wasn't best pleased.
My saving graces so far have been Options hot chocolate at 1 point a go and which I always keep a sachet of in my handbag, and carrying fruit around with me everywhere for sudden attacks of the munchies has also been useful!
First couple of days were super difficult but today has been the easiest day so far and I'm hoping the trend will continue! I remember the first couple of days were always the hardest, even after a minor slip off plan, so I wasn't expecting things to be easy. I am glad it's not so difficult today though!
Cooked a yummy recipe last night that was shared on the WW forums - stuffed butternut squash. With Quorn mince instead of meat I made it just 2 points a serving! Brilliant as I'd been out for lunch with work and used 14 points on a Leggera pizza at Pizza Express - the seriously yummy prawn one!
So, top tip for today - Options hot chocolate! When the sugar cravings hit break out one of those! It's hot so it takes a while to drink which keeps you busy, and they actually taste chocolatey - something an apple simply cannot achieve!
Good luck to anyone pointing too - just remember, the sun is out but, if we are good little Weight Watchers, the muffin top needn't be!! :)
Monday, 21 March 2011
Bad, bad blogger!
Hello there girls and boys!
Ok, I'm sorry. I've been a rubbish blogger since the festivities of December distracted me from blogging and lured me into a vortex of chocolate and cake!
But, I am back! A nasty shock on the scales this weekend has well and truly kicked me up the preverbial and I am ready to take control again. Christmas, moving house and two indulgent weeks on a residential training course with endless cakes and biscuits has done half a stone of damage and if I don't shift them now I'm sure I'll end up piling a few more pounds back on too.
And I'm not prepared to let that happen!
So, ProPoints... hello! I started on the ProPoints plan yesterday and am going back to weigh in tomorrow evening to make sure I do this. The aim is 7lb in 5 weeks - oh, how simple, I hear you cry! Let's not speak too soon, I am, after all, a recovering chocoholic. Just because there are only measured amounts of chocolate in my cupboard it doesn't mean I won't black out whilst in the queue at Tesco and accidentally purchase a family size bag of Malteasers!
Already I'm finding it hard to stick to 29pps a day. Yesterday I did Combat and earned 9pps (really earned them - new Combat tracks = HARD!) and ate thre2 of those in addition to the 29 daily pps. Today I think I will also be two or three pps over, but then again three is better than 30. Must keep these things in perspective.
Finally, I will NOT, repeat... WILL NOT... let this rule my life. I will learn to make those better decisions a bit more often again, and I will get back to where I want to be. Then I will eat normally. I must resign myself to the fact that I have a somewhat obsessive personality and leave it at that! :)
On that note... here we go again! Let's hope I've got some tips and good news soon!
Ok, I'm sorry. I've been a rubbish blogger since the festivities of December distracted me from blogging and lured me into a vortex of chocolate and cake!
But, I am back! A nasty shock on the scales this weekend has well and truly kicked me up the preverbial and I am ready to take control again. Christmas, moving house and two indulgent weeks on a residential training course with endless cakes and biscuits has done half a stone of damage and if I don't shift them now I'm sure I'll end up piling a few more pounds back on too.
And I'm not prepared to let that happen!
So, ProPoints... hello! I started on the ProPoints plan yesterday and am going back to weigh in tomorrow evening to make sure I do this. The aim is 7lb in 5 weeks - oh, how simple, I hear you cry! Let's not speak too soon, I am, after all, a recovering chocoholic. Just because there are only measured amounts of chocolate in my cupboard it doesn't mean I won't black out whilst in the queue at Tesco and accidentally purchase a family size bag of Malteasers!
Already I'm finding it hard to stick to 29pps a day. Yesterday I did Combat and earned 9pps (really earned them - new Combat tracks = HARD!) and ate thre2 of those in addition to the 29 daily pps. Today I think I will also be two or three pps over, but then again three is better than 30. Must keep these things in perspective.
Finally, I will NOT, repeat... WILL NOT... let this rule my life. I will learn to make those better decisions a bit more often again, and I will get back to where I want to be. Then I will eat normally. I must resign myself to the fact that I have a somewhat obsessive personality and leave it at that! :)
On that note... here we go again! Let's hope I've got some tips and good news soon!
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
Body Shock
Right, I'm afraid I'm going to have a rant.
So I'm off work this week preparing for and sitting exams. And therefore I'm back with my old friend daytime TV. Today both This Morning and Loose Women are discussing body image.
This Morning commissioned an investigation into body image and questioned 3000 women of different ages and sizes. Over 80% of women said they were unhappy with their body. See the video of their discussion with actress Shobna Gulati here: http://thismorning.itv.com/thismorning/life/womens-body-image-survey-results
And why are we unhappy with our bodies girls?
We all know why we feel less than lovely at times. Because we're comparing ourselves to perfection. I'm guilty of it now more than ever - if I have even the smallest glimpse of my wobbly bits under my clothes I am disappointed. Disappointed rather than devastated, mind you. Which is an improvement on how I used to feel, but definitely not how I imagined being slim. And that's all I am. Slim. Not perfect. And I realise now I never will be.
But I've got a serious complaint to make on this very issue. Not only do we have to contend with perfection, we now have to contend... with children. Take a look at this:
I was on www.very.co.uk looking for a dress at the weekend. I scrolled past this and actually thought I'd selected children's clothing as well.
How can women be expected to compare their bodies to that of a child?! It made me really angry and if I thought it would do any good I would have complained to very.co.uk. As it stands, I doubt they'd care.
Quite frankly, when we've this to contend with, how can we have a healthy body image? Comparing our bodies to those of very young adults is ridiculous. As far as I can see the only women on their website that actually look like women are those modelling their "plus size" range! And considering plus size models are only a size 12 to 14 we're clearly being given a skewed image even there.
Please comment on this below, I'd really like to know your opinions. Has the way you see your body changed through weight gain or loss? Are you happier with yourself or more critical now than before?
Thanks!
Hannah
So I'm off work this week preparing for and sitting exams. And therefore I'm back with my old friend daytime TV. Today both This Morning and Loose Women are discussing body image.
This Morning commissioned an investigation into body image and questioned 3000 women of different ages and sizes. Over 80% of women said they were unhappy with their body. See the video of their discussion with actress Shobna Gulati here: http://thismorning.itv.com/thismorning/life/womens-body-image-survey-results
And why are we unhappy with our bodies girls?
We all know why we feel less than lovely at times. Because we're comparing ourselves to perfection. I'm guilty of it now more than ever - if I have even the smallest glimpse of my wobbly bits under my clothes I am disappointed. Disappointed rather than devastated, mind you. Which is an improvement on how I used to feel, but definitely not how I imagined being slim. And that's all I am. Slim. Not perfect. And I realise now I never will be.
But I've got a serious complaint to make on this very issue. Not only do we have to contend with perfection, we now have to contend... with children. Take a look at this:
I was on www.very.co.uk looking for a dress at the weekend. I scrolled past this and actually thought I'd selected children's clothing as well.
How can women be expected to compare their bodies to that of a child?! It made me really angry and if I thought it would do any good I would have complained to very.co.uk. As it stands, I doubt they'd care.
Quite frankly, when we've this to contend with, how can we have a healthy body image? Comparing our bodies to those of very young adults is ridiculous. As far as I can see the only women on their website that actually look like women are those modelling their "plus size" range! And considering plus size models are only a size 12 to 14 we're clearly being given a skewed image even there.
Please comment on this below, I'd really like to know your opinions. Has the way you see your body changed through weight gain or loss? Are you happier with yourself or more critical now than before?
Thanks!
Hannah
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Every time I try to revise something exciting happens.
This time?
Only the video from the WW Fashion Show! Woop!
Literally just opened the book and this little link was brought to my attention!
Check it out:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150289833815022
In other news, I've been to my WW meeting tonight, lost 1lb despite the 2 weeks with days in London and everywhere else, which was good. Got the new ProPoints info but as I'm off to London again Thursday and Friday for my boyfriend's birthday I won't be giving it a go until next week. So I'll keep you posted on that.
In case I don't have time to post before Sunday, have a good weekend lovely followers! :)
Only the video from the WW Fashion Show! Woop!
Literally just opened the book and this little link was brought to my attention!
Check it out:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150289833815022
In other news, I've been to my WW meeting tonight, lost 1lb despite the 2 weeks with days in London and everywhere else, which was good. Got the new ProPoints info but as I'm off to London again Thursday and Friday for my boyfriend's birthday I won't be giving it a go until next week. So I'll keep you posted on that.
In case I don't have time to post before Sunday, have a good weekend lovely followers! :)
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Cosmopolitan Magazine!
Two posts in one day, what's going on?
Well. Guess what?!
I'm in COSMO!!!!!
P.124, my weight loss "story"!!
I'm a bit excited.
Wow!
Well. Guess what?!
I'm in COSMO!!!!!
P.124, my weight loss "story"!!
I'm a bit excited.
Wow!
ProPoints?
Ok, so a very helpful Annie commented on my last post with a link to a very detailed article on the Weight Watchers points changes.
ProPoints.
Seems to me the article is slightly biased towards WW, but then I am guilty of this myself, so we won't worry about that.
My initial reaction is that generally points values for foods have increased, as has the daily allowance which wouldn't really have much of an impact as they've changed together, but then if they've upped both what benefit is there to upping either?
Fruit is now zero points which is a good idea and seems to be to encourage people to choose healthier options over sugary snacks. Obviously this is beneficial to dieting as fibre will fill you up and sugar will just give you cravings and make you hungrier.
49 points a week for treats. 49 points. If we're assuming that points have approximately doubled that's 24.5 points a week (in current terms) to use on "treats". That's 4 bars of Dairy Milk a week. Currently I can just about fit one into my weekly points if I'm on 19 a day. I admit I do fit in what I would imagine will be classed as "treats", for example WW cookies and chocolate bars or dessert, but I also use my points on fruit. I guess some people just don't though.
So, I guess overall I can see that it's mostly a rebranding to move with the times. Apparently it's all off the back of the theory that calorie counting alone isn't good enough. But with that theory implying that eating wholegrain foods and fruit and vegetables will cause your body to burn more calories, why wasn't the Discover Plan good enough? Surely that's exactly the point of Filling Foods?
I think I will have to reserve judgement until I've tried it. I can see how it will work now at least, and I'm sure it will work well.
But, why fix what ain't broken?
ProPoints.
Seems to me the article is slightly biased towards WW, but then I am guilty of this myself, so we won't worry about that.
My initial reaction is that generally points values for foods have increased, as has the daily allowance which wouldn't really have much of an impact as they've changed together, but then if they've upped both what benefit is there to upping either?
Fruit is now zero points which is a good idea and seems to be to encourage people to choose healthier options over sugary snacks. Obviously this is beneficial to dieting as fibre will fill you up and sugar will just give you cravings and make you hungrier.
49 points a week for treats. 49 points. If we're assuming that points have approximately doubled that's 24.5 points a week (in current terms) to use on "treats". That's 4 bars of Dairy Milk a week. Currently I can just about fit one into my weekly points if I'm on 19 a day. I admit I do fit in what I would imagine will be classed as "treats", for example WW cookies and chocolate bars or dessert, but I also use my points on fruit. I guess some people just don't though.
So, I guess overall I can see that it's mostly a rebranding to move with the times. Apparently it's all off the back of the theory that calorie counting alone isn't good enough. But with that theory implying that eating wholegrain foods and fruit and vegetables will cause your body to burn more calories, why wasn't the Discover Plan good enough? Surely that's exactly the point of Filling Foods?
I think I will have to reserve judgement until I've tried it. I can see how it will work now at least, and I'm sure it will work well.
But, why fix what ain't broken?
Friday, 5 November 2010
Here I go again!
Well. Where to begin?!
I guess first of all I should explain where I've been and why there has been a distinct lack of blogging going on! I had the week in London training I mentioned in my last post which was stressful and not much fun thanks to a horrible, noisy hotel and a lack of people to make it interesting. Following that I had 3 weeks at work which were manic and involved a lot of financial rubbish that I couldn't get my head around at all. Then another week in London which was much more fun with lots more people and a nicer hotel. Met some lovely people and hopefully made some friends :). And finally this week I've had 3 days at work and another 2 days in London! Plus in between all that I've been to Wales, to the Peak District, and I believe at least once out on the town ;)
So there we go. It's been busy.
Now I know what you're all thinking... How the hell do you do all that on Weight Watchers?
Short answer... you don't.
I very quickly learned that breakfast and lunch in a hotel clocks up the points to unmanageable levels, and once you add on the dinner in a restaurant you've had it.
However. Jumping on my scales yesterday morning I was very pleased to discover that I was actually the same weight I was before that first week in London.
To be honest, dear followers, I have only a vague idea as to how this happened. If you've been reading my "tips" then I'm sure you can guess what has helped here. It's my favourite one of all... being SENSIBLE.
How boring it sounds.
Quite honestly I wasn't really that sensible at all. I had chocolate fudge cake, biscuits, ice cream, pizza, chips, muffins and croissants. I can only assume that my efforts to only eat half the cake (ignoring the confused looks from those I lunched with!), eating two biscuits a day rather than 6, having vanilla ice cream instead of cheesecake, and eating vegetarian pizza somehow helped?! The chips, muffins and croissants I have no idea about. And I did manage one Body Attack class which was immensely hard and after which I stuffed my face in Nandos!!
So, I might have got away with it (although I say might as I'm not entirely convinced I have yet). But to be quite honest I don't feel as if I have either. I feel wobbly. Well. More wobbly than usual!
In the past 14 days I've been to the gym only about 3 times. And my body isn't really happy about it. Tough luck because now I've got tons of revision to do as I've got exams in 3 weeks.
So back on points I will be going!
For 3 days anyway. Then I'm off to London again, for fun this time!
Oh dear.
Anyway. That's the catch up. Now lets get down to business.
I've heard a few things about WW changing their points. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I like the way it works now. One of the most concerning things I've heard is that the diet will be more like Slimming World. Given my history with that plan I don't welcome this! We will just have to wait and see what it really will entail. If anyone has an opinion on this please comment, I'd like to know a bit more about it but I've got Risk Management coming out my ears currently and haven't found the time to do any research ;).
To conclude, a tip, as is the tradition. Sitting in a room with nothing to do but listen whilst lectured to and eat every 90 minutes I desperately tried to find something to stop me reaching for the biscuits and sweets surrounding me, and this has inspired my tip for today. It's a fairly standard dieting trick, but when you're only eating out of boredom and just need something to do, it works.
Instead of nibbling, drink! Now, don't get too excited. I'm not recommending becoming an alcoholic. Personally I have developed a taste for fruit tea. Twinings Cranberry, Raspberry and something or other specifically (or not). A hot drink which contains no points can keep you busy for at least 30 minutes. Teabags which have the little string on them to fiddle with are particularly useful for keeping your hands away from the nibbles too!
Of course you can drink anything - 0 points options will work best in such a situation of course! But the trick is to stay distracted. Similarly, chewing gum can have the same effect, and the sweets you can buy at WW meetings and online for 1 point a box are also good - although don't eat too many of those because you'll have a poorly tummy soon after!
And that's it for now lovely people! I'm off to the hairdressers first thing tomorrow morning and I've no idea what I want doing, so I must decide! Oh, and I don't think I ever disclosed what my exciting thing I'd done was... I had my hair chopped off! Ok so it's not really short, but it's about half the length it used to be, which was a fairly big deal at the time!
Have a fabulous weekend if you've read this far, I'll try and post again on Sunday :)
Happy Bonfire Night too!
I guess first of all I should explain where I've been and why there has been a distinct lack of blogging going on! I had the week in London training I mentioned in my last post which was stressful and not much fun thanks to a horrible, noisy hotel and a lack of people to make it interesting. Following that I had 3 weeks at work which were manic and involved a lot of financial rubbish that I couldn't get my head around at all. Then another week in London which was much more fun with lots more people and a nicer hotel. Met some lovely people and hopefully made some friends :). And finally this week I've had 3 days at work and another 2 days in London! Plus in between all that I've been to Wales, to the Peak District, and I believe at least once out on the town ;)
So there we go. It's been busy.
Now I know what you're all thinking... How the hell do you do all that on Weight Watchers?
Short answer... you don't.
I very quickly learned that breakfast and lunch in a hotel clocks up the points to unmanageable levels, and once you add on the dinner in a restaurant you've had it.
However. Jumping on my scales yesterday morning I was very pleased to discover that I was actually the same weight I was before that first week in London.
To be honest, dear followers, I have only a vague idea as to how this happened. If you've been reading my "tips" then I'm sure you can guess what has helped here. It's my favourite one of all... being SENSIBLE.
How boring it sounds.
Quite honestly I wasn't really that sensible at all. I had chocolate fudge cake, biscuits, ice cream, pizza, chips, muffins and croissants. I can only assume that my efforts to only eat half the cake (ignoring the confused looks from those I lunched with!), eating two biscuits a day rather than 6, having vanilla ice cream instead of cheesecake, and eating vegetarian pizza somehow helped?! The chips, muffins and croissants I have no idea about. And I did manage one Body Attack class which was immensely hard and after which I stuffed my face in Nandos!!
So, I might have got away with it (although I say might as I'm not entirely convinced I have yet). But to be quite honest I don't feel as if I have either. I feel wobbly. Well. More wobbly than usual!
In the past 14 days I've been to the gym only about 3 times. And my body isn't really happy about it. Tough luck because now I've got tons of revision to do as I've got exams in 3 weeks.
So back on points I will be going!
For 3 days anyway. Then I'm off to London again, for fun this time!
Oh dear.
Anyway. That's the catch up. Now lets get down to business.
I've heard a few things about WW changing their points. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I like the way it works now. One of the most concerning things I've heard is that the diet will be more like Slimming World. Given my history with that plan I don't welcome this! We will just have to wait and see what it really will entail. If anyone has an opinion on this please comment, I'd like to know a bit more about it but I've got Risk Management coming out my ears currently and haven't found the time to do any research ;).
To conclude, a tip, as is the tradition. Sitting in a room with nothing to do but listen whilst lectured to and eat every 90 minutes I desperately tried to find something to stop me reaching for the biscuits and sweets surrounding me, and this has inspired my tip for today. It's a fairly standard dieting trick, but when you're only eating out of boredom and just need something to do, it works.
Instead of nibbling, drink! Now, don't get too excited. I'm not recommending becoming an alcoholic. Personally I have developed a taste for fruit tea. Twinings Cranberry, Raspberry and something or other specifically (or not). A hot drink which contains no points can keep you busy for at least 30 minutes. Teabags which have the little string on them to fiddle with are particularly useful for keeping your hands away from the nibbles too!
Of course you can drink anything - 0 points options will work best in such a situation of course! But the trick is to stay distracted. Similarly, chewing gum can have the same effect, and the sweets you can buy at WW meetings and online for 1 point a box are also good - although don't eat too many of those because you'll have a poorly tummy soon after!
And that's it for now lovely people! I'm off to the hairdressers first thing tomorrow morning and I've no idea what I want doing, so I must decide! Oh, and I don't think I ever disclosed what my exciting thing I'd done was... I had my hair chopped off! Ok so it's not really short, but it's about half the length it used to be, which was a fairly big deal at the time!
Have a fabulous weekend if you've read this far, I'll try and post again on Sunday :)
Happy Bonfire Night too!
Saturday, 25 September 2010
And breathe....!
Well. What a rubbish blogger I have been.
But, to be quite honest with you, since I last posted I don't feel like I've stopped to breathe. Although strangely I found time to eat...!
After two weeks on training courses, a week on a cruise with a 24 hour buffet, and two weeks battling the fatty inside I am 1.5lb more than before it all. Which isn't hugely bad. And after 3 evenings in the gym I'm feeling better (although not weighing any less). And on Monday I've got another 5 days away on training.
My plan is now to get the next week out the way without gaining anything and then I'll get back to normal the following week. I do realise it's only a pound and a half, but I'm convinced I can feel it round my middle!
In other news I had an amazing holiday, have finally started feeling like I'm making real progress at work, and today I did something fairly big that I've been wanting to do for months and haven't had the guts. But I'll tell you about that next time because I don't want my lovely friends to know until they see me, it'll be more fun that way!
Now, it's Saturday night, it's late, and I'm signed up for a 28 mile cycle ride tomorrow. Yes, I am mad. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I hope it turns out to be more fun than Race for Life!
I know I owe you a month worth of tips, but this one is a good one. It's one that a lot of us forget to do, and it's something I've not done for a couple of months... until today.
My tip for today... Relax.
It's so easy to pack the weekend full of stuff. Stuff that fills the time. But sometimes the time shouldn't be filled. Sometimes you should be able to do your nails (broken nails are not a good look), have a hot chocolate and chill.
I used to feel the need to fill my time with stuff. Now I realise time filled with nothing can be very good for you too :)
And, coincidentally it is Sunday tomorrow. A day of rest I believe?
So everyone chill out.
I'll be in the middle of Wiltshire on a bike, but it's fine, you chill.... ;)
Love and hugs! :D
But, to be quite honest with you, since I last posted I don't feel like I've stopped to breathe. Although strangely I found time to eat...!
After two weeks on training courses, a week on a cruise with a 24 hour buffet, and two weeks battling the fatty inside I am 1.5lb more than before it all. Which isn't hugely bad. And after 3 evenings in the gym I'm feeling better (although not weighing any less). And on Monday I've got another 5 days away on training.
My plan is now to get the next week out the way without gaining anything and then I'll get back to normal the following week. I do realise it's only a pound and a half, but I'm convinced I can feel it round my middle!
In other news I had an amazing holiday, have finally started feeling like I'm making real progress at work, and today I did something fairly big that I've been wanting to do for months and haven't had the guts. But I'll tell you about that next time because I don't want my lovely friends to know until they see me, it'll be more fun that way!
Now, it's Saturday night, it's late, and I'm signed up for a 28 mile cycle ride tomorrow. Yes, I am mad. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I hope it turns out to be more fun than Race for Life!
I know I owe you a month worth of tips, but this one is a good one. It's one that a lot of us forget to do, and it's something I've not done for a couple of months... until today.
My tip for today... Relax.
It's so easy to pack the weekend full of stuff. Stuff that fills the time. But sometimes the time shouldn't be filled. Sometimes you should be able to do your nails (broken nails are not a good look), have a hot chocolate and chill.
I used to feel the need to fill my time with stuff. Now I realise time filled with nothing can be very good for you too :)
And, coincidentally it is Sunday tomorrow. A day of rest I believe?
So everyone chill out.
I'll be in the middle of Wiltshire on a bike, but it's fine, you chill.... ;)
Love and hugs! :D
Monday, 23 August 2010
The best you can do?
Good Evening my lovely followers! I'm really pleased your numbers are multiplying! I'm in the double figures now, and I love each and every one of you for reading! Even if I just help someone with one blog it will be worth it.
So, this week I'm away from home and in a hotel for work. Which presents an interesting challenge. What to eat! I have no kitchen, obviously, and all food is provided in this hotel. And I'm going on holiday in just 2 weeks. No way am I risking those lovely summer clothes being too tight before I even leave the country!
At the end of day 1 I have remained almost in control. Bagel for breakfast, coffee by the gallon, a biscuit, some pretty rubbish sandwiches and 3 pieces of chocolate for lunch, and chicken with ratatouille and one "fondant" potato for my dinner. I don't know how bad the potato is, I've not much of a clue what the fanciness means, but I know I could have added cheesecake, a lot more biscuits and probably plenty of alcohol in there too already! And I've 3 more days to go.
I know there is a buffet breakfast and lunch so those should hopefully be easy enough, and I reckon if I pick wisely there I can get away with a bit more in the evening. So there's the plan!
Pick the best and hope for the best!
This is clearly a learning curve for me so I promise to keep you updated and to hopefully come up with some sort of useful info at the end of it!
Tomorrow night we've got a formal dress-up do, hope it's not too naughty!
Never thought I'd care so much about the calories! At least there's a gym here! ;)
So, this week I'm away from home and in a hotel for work. Which presents an interesting challenge. What to eat! I have no kitchen, obviously, and all food is provided in this hotel. And I'm going on holiday in just 2 weeks. No way am I risking those lovely summer clothes being too tight before I even leave the country!
At the end of day 1 I have remained almost in control. Bagel for breakfast, coffee by the gallon, a biscuit, some pretty rubbish sandwiches and 3 pieces of chocolate for lunch, and chicken with ratatouille and one "fondant" potato for my dinner. I don't know how bad the potato is, I've not much of a clue what the fanciness means, but I know I could have added cheesecake, a lot more biscuits and probably plenty of alcohol in there too already! And I've 3 more days to go.
I know there is a buffet breakfast and lunch so those should hopefully be easy enough, and I reckon if I pick wisely there I can get away with a bit more in the evening. So there's the plan!
Pick the best and hope for the best!
This is clearly a learning curve for me so I promise to keep you updated and to hopefully come up with some sort of useful info at the end of it!
Tomorrow night we've got a formal dress-up do, hope it's not too naughty!
Never thought I'd care so much about the calories! At least there's a gym here! ;)
Friday, 20 August 2010
You've got to move it, move it!
Good evening everyone! :)
I am multi-tasking. Big Brother and blogging!
So I was thinking hard on the way home this evening about what to blog about today, and about what I have struggled with the most in my quest for slim-ness.
Ironically, one of the things I found hardest to achieve is now one of the most enjoyable aspects of my life and something which has given me a lot of confidence in myself.
Did you guess what it is yet?
I'm sure you did....
Oh yes. It's all about the exercise!!
My tip for today? Find a way of moving more that you ENJOY!!
I realise that this can seem an impossible feat. By now you should all know enough about me to guess how little exercise I actually did. Just walking up the stairs in my house made me so out of breath I'd have to have a rest at the top! When I started losing weight I forced myself to go to the gym whilst absolutely hating it, but once I started seeing the results it was slightly easier to force myself to go. But forcing yourself to exercise for the sake of losing weight is never going to last. If something isn't enjoyable you won't keep doing it. We all know that.
To make my tip plausible I recommend... Body Combat!
Body Combat is the most fun exercise class I've ever done! Any exercise class is fun (I never thought I'd say that), and the benefit of a class is that you have to keep going until the end. No giving up! I never get bored in a class because every four or five minutes there is a new track on the stereo and something different to do. You get a brilliant all over workout in most classes and you WILL notice the difference.
Now, I know what you're thinking. You don't want to go on your own. Honestly, most people do. You won't be the only one on your own, and after a couple of weeks you'll be chatting to everyone else. It's normally the same people each week so you'll get to know them a bit.
So that's it for today. Exercise is fun. It makes you feel good about yourself and improves your body, which, in turn, improves your confidence. There are so many different types of exercise out there that there will definitely be something you enjoy - whether it's lovely calming yoga or heart-pumping high intensity aerobics!
Stay positive :)
I am multi-tasking. Big Brother and blogging!
So I was thinking hard on the way home this evening about what to blog about today, and about what I have struggled with the most in my quest for slim-ness.
Ironically, one of the things I found hardest to achieve is now one of the most enjoyable aspects of my life and something which has given me a lot of confidence in myself.
Did you guess what it is yet?
I'm sure you did....
Oh yes. It's all about the exercise!!
My tip for today? Find a way of moving more that you ENJOY!!
I realise that this can seem an impossible feat. By now you should all know enough about me to guess how little exercise I actually did. Just walking up the stairs in my house made me so out of breath I'd have to have a rest at the top! When I started losing weight I forced myself to go to the gym whilst absolutely hating it, but once I started seeing the results it was slightly easier to force myself to go. But forcing yourself to exercise for the sake of losing weight is never going to last. If something isn't enjoyable you won't keep doing it. We all know that.
To make my tip plausible I recommend... Body Combat!
Body Combat is the most fun exercise class I've ever done! Any exercise class is fun (I never thought I'd say that), and the benefit of a class is that you have to keep going until the end. No giving up! I never get bored in a class because every four or five minutes there is a new track on the stereo and something different to do. You get a brilliant all over workout in most classes and you WILL notice the difference.
Now, I know what you're thinking. You don't want to go on your own. Honestly, most people do. You won't be the only one on your own, and after a couple of weeks you'll be chatting to everyone else. It's normally the same people each week so you'll get to know them a bit.
So that's it for today. Exercise is fun. It makes you feel good about yourself and improves your body, which, in turn, improves your confidence. There are so many different types of exercise out there that there will definitely be something you enjoy - whether it's lovely calming yoga or heart-pumping high intensity aerobics!
Stay positive :)
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