Saturday 30 June 2012

Compliments and Remarks

I thought I would record any compliment or remark I get regarding my weight loss. If I keep them all in one place, maybe it will inspire me along the way.

28/6/2012 - Hazel from Slimming World said she could see a slight difference in my (she gestured this) jaw/double chin

Disappointed

I am so very disappointed that, with only 2.5lbs to lose before I reach the two stone mark, none of my clothes are too big for me,and none of my size smaller clothes fit me at all. I thought a stone was supposed to be a dress size, and maybe it is for smaller sized people, but it clearly isn't for me! I wonder where my weight has gone from because two stone is a lot, and yet I look no different at all. I guess it was spread very thinly over my vast body and it will take another two stone for any visible difference. I'm just a little sad because I've bought a few things, one size down, for my holiday and now don't have a hope of wearing them. I don't know if it makes sense or not. My mum thinks it's illogical to buy things in that size, but to me it seems madness to buy things in the size I still am but also was almost two stone ago.


Ah well, all I can do is keep going. I like the diet, I'm very happy with my losses so far, I have high hopes of being Slimmer of the Month, although I don't know how they work it out; so overall things are going fantastically, it's just that I'm so impatient!

Friday 29 June 2012

A bit of an update

I haven't written in my blog for a few weeks, but I enjoy looking back at old posts so I'll try to write at least a couple of times a week.


The last few weeks have been amazing. I've lost 13.5lbs, and been slimmer of the week every week (although two weeks were joint with other people), I've been doing a little bit of exercise too. I feel that this diet offers everything I need at the moment and I've so happy with the amount I've lost and how quickly the weight's come off.


My two current targets are


Get my stone and a half award (2.5lbs to go)
Get in the 22's by the time we go on holiday (11lbs to go)


I'm really worried about putting weight on on holiday, and I'm sure it's inevitable. I don't want to eat any pastries, and I want to stick to my plan as much as possible, but equally I'll be on holiday so i should be able to relax a bit. I really hope the weathers good because I want to swim every day, and I hope to be able to walk further by then. I want to take a box full of things like tuna, crackerbread, baking potatoes etc just to be on the safe side. Fruit and salad will be easy to get hold of, which just leaves the dairy stuff. I've heard it's difficult to get hold of extra low fat products so I will have to be careful.

Thursday 28 June 2012

Slimmer of the Week 4

Today's little update


START DATE 5th MAY 2012

05/05/2012 - 25st8      
08/05/2012 - 25st6           lost 2lbs
18/05/2012 - 25st1           lost 5lbs
24/05/2012 - 24st12 1/2  lost 2.5lbs

31/05/2012 - 24st10         lost 2.5lbs
07/06/2012 - 24st6 1/2     lost 3.5lbs
14/06/2012 - 24st3 1/2     lost 3.5lbs I have to say, I make it 3lbs but who am I to argue.

21/06/2012 - 23st13 1/2   lost 3.5lbs I make it 4lbs,but it sorts out the problem from last week
28/06/2012 - 23st10 1/2   lost 3lbs


                            total   25.5lbs

Thursday 21 June 2012

Slimmer of The Week 3

So much for having gained weight this week. I'm Slimmer of the Week again!!!! This never gets boring.Today I got 7 apples, 2 mug shots,a pot shot,2 grapefruits, a punnet of apricots, an orange,a satsuma, a fridge magnet and a sticker.No certificate again. HOWEVER I also reached my Slimming World stone and got a certificate and sticker for that. So...


START DATE 5th MAY 2012

05/05/2012 - 25st8      
08/05/2012 - 25st6           lost 2lbs
18/05/2012 - 25st1           lost 5lbs
24/05/2012 - 24st12 1/2   lost 2.5lbs

31/05/2012 - 24st10         lost 2.5lbs
07/06/2012 - 24st6 1/2     lost 3.5lbs
14/06/2012 - 24st3 1/2     lost 3.5lbs I have to say, I make it 3lbs but who am I to argue with slimming world

21/06/2012 - 23st13 1/2   lost 3.5lbs I make it 4lbs,but it sorts out the problem from last week


                            total   22.5lbs

Wednesday 20 June 2012

Weigh In tomorrow...

...and according to my scales I have gained about 4lbs. I don't think they can be right but I'm not feeling very confident about the weigh in.

I've been quite good this week, I've drunk lots of water, and I've been trying to do 15 minutes exercise each day (the only day I missed was Monday) so I'd better have a loss although I know theres no way i'll get my stone certificate.

I've got a few new aims/targets so I might as well write them all here

Drink 7 glasses of water a day * *
Limit myself to seven syns a day *
Eat 7 superfree foods a day *
Do 15 minutes of exercise a day, broken down into 5 or 10 minute chunks if necessary
Write a food diary every day, even if I haven't been good
Have hot water and lemon for my first drink of the day

* = Not on Thursday
* = Unless I'm out for the day as I need to be within easy reach of a toilet!

Monday 18 June 2012

I am still dieting

It seems to have been ages since I've updated my blog, I'm not sure why because I am still dieting,but I don't feel like I'm doing it properly because I haven't been following the 777 plan. I have six more weigh ins before my holiday though so I really want to get stuck back in. I'd originally thought I'd like to lose another stone by the holiday but I wonder if I try really hard, whether I can get in the 22s? Even 22st13.5 would be ok. That would mean losing 18lbs in 6 weeks which is probably impossible but it's just a target and would be amazing if I could reach it, but still fantastic if I lose a stone.

Thursday 14 June 2012

Slimmer of the week 2

This week has been so so hard.I've been unbelievably hungry all afternoon, every afternoon BUT much to my surprise and delight I lost 3.5lbs and was joint slimmer of the week. For some reason we didn't get a certificate but we I got a sticker, a magnet, a mug shot, an apple,an orange, a pear and a satsuma.How amazing is that. 

START DATE 5th MAY 2012

05/05/2012 - 25st8        
08/05/2012 - 25st6           lost 2lbs
18/05/2012 - 25st1           lost 5lbs
24/05/2012 - 24st12 1/2   lost 2.5lbs

31/05/2012 - 24st10         lost 2.5lbs
07/06/2012 - 24st6 1/2     lost 3.5lbs
14/06/2012 - 24st3 1/2     lost 3.5lbs I have to say, I make it 3lbs but who am I to argue with slimming world


                            total   19lbs

Wednesday 13 June 2012

Targets and rewards

My target weight loss is half a stone a month (although I would like it to be more) but I've been reading about people setting themselves rewards for reaching their targets.I quite like the idea but I don't know what to reward myself with. Obviously not food - I am not a dog. I don't have a lot of money either so that limits things a bit.

I literally can't think of a single thing - it scares me how much I rewarded myself with food. And punished myself. And filled in any gaps in my day. I really want to change my thinking but I'm still a million miles away from being there. I seem to think about food all the time and the day really drags.

Tuesday 12 June 2012

Food Diary for 12/6/12

water with lemon speed 1
6 glasses of water
1 glass of diet coke


nectarine speed 2
slice of pineapple speed 3
6 wholemeal crackerbread
2 laughing cow light triangles 
4 seafood sticks
apple speed 4


chicken speed 5
spinach speed 6
spoonful of salad cream 3 syns


jacket potato
2 teaspoons of flora light 3 syns
tuna speed 7
cottage cheese
spinach speed 8


slice of pineapple speed 9


It seems to have been a bad day, and I've certainly been starving all day, but it doesn't look too bad. Overdosed on the speed food though!



Monday 11 June 2012

Food Diary for 11/6/12

I'm being very brave writing this but I might as well get it out there.

Water and lemon
6 glasses of water
glass of diet coke

2 slices of granary bread
tin of baked beans
2 laughing cow light triangles
nectarine

jacket potato
chicken
spoonful of flora light
spoonful of salad cream

2 hifi mint bars
mango and passionfruit muller light

God know the syns.Probably within my allowance but not of my 777plan. Better day tomorrow.

Sunday 10 June 2012

Food Diary for 10/6/12

Water with lemon speed 1
6 glasses of water
1 glass of diet coke


6 wholemeal crackerbread
2 laughing cow light triangles
spoonful of cottage cheese
spinach speed 2
apple speed 3
plum speed 4
clementine speed 5
packet of velvet crunch crisps 4 syns


chicken speed 6
roast potatoes
broccoli speed 7
gravy 1.5 syns
mint muller light


It's incredible you can have a good day and still eat crisps!

I dreamed about chocolate

In my dream I had absolutely loads of it (massive bars of cadburys) squirrelled away and I was going to eat it in secret when there was nobody around, but I was never alone.

This is exactly what I was like before my diet, but strangely I haven't missed chocolate at all in the last month. I do get my mikado sticks in the evening so I guess I am getting some. I don't know what I miss really which must be a good thing.

Food Diary for 9/6/12

Today was potentially disastrous.


Water and lemon speed 1
5 glasses of water
2 glasses of diet coke


8 seafood sticks
5 wholemeal crackerbread
2 laughing cow light triangles


4 sausages 6 syns or 1,000,000 syns
slimming world chips
baked beans speed 2


4 mikado sticks 2 syns


As far as I know the Morrisons low fat sausages are 0.5 syns,but there is a chance I might have had the wrong ones,which would be about a million syns.


I'm really fed up that I might have wasted syns on something that wasn't even that nice.If I did, I doubt i'll lose this week,and I failed with water and speed food too. I will be brilliant today to make up for it.


Saturday 9 June 2012

Some more inspirational quotes

Being overweight is hard. Losing weight is hard. Choose your hard

Instead of giving yourself reasons why you can't, give yourself reasons why you can or should

Without self discipline, success is impossible. 


Success does not come to you, you go to it


Our greatest weakness lies in giving up
The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time



Do NOT reward yourself with food.  You are NOT a dog


Change your thoughts and you change your world 
 




Really grumpy today

I'm in a bit of a bad mood today. I tried on the size 24 swimming costume and unsurprisingly it doesn't fit my size 30/32 body. The last time I wore it was December 2007 when I weighed 19 stone. I also tried on a size 28 skirt that I really want to take on holiday and, what a shock, it doesn't fit me either. Looking at my reflection I don't think there's any way I will squeeze into it in 6 and a half weeks. However I am generally an optimistic soul so I remain hopeful and I'm going to try it on every Saturday and report back my findings.


9/6/12 Tried on the holiday skirt and I could do the button up but the zip wouldn't budge. Am bulging out everywhere in a very unpleasant way.


I will update this next week.


Another reason I'm so grumpy is because I stood on the scales this morning and have put on half a stone. In my heart I know its not possible,and that the only thing my scales are good for is to trip over in the night but I still feel upset.

Food Diary for 8/6/12

I was absolutely starving yesterday. Not sure why but maybe it was the after effects of Thursdays Chinese. I did keep to plan but there was a large and unwanted blip in the middle.


Water and lemon speed 1
6 glasses of water
1 glass of diet coke


6 wholemeal crackerbread
2 eggs
3 rashers of bacon
apple speed 2
plum speed 3
nectarine speed 4
satsuma speed 5
2 HiFi light bars 6 syns in total


jacket potato
half a teaspoon flora light 1 syn
tuna speed 6
spinach speed 7
mandarin muller light


I completely wasted my syns on the hifi light bars and I didn't even like them. I had a box of six, gave two away at class, and the children had the others. I definitely won't buy them again.


Friday 8 June 2012

Slimmer of the Week

So I went to Slimming World last night pretty sure I would have lost something, and really hoping for 2lbs to get my 7lb certificate, and to reach my personal stone. When I weighed in I was delighted to have lost 3.5lbs. The ladies weighing said that there had been some good losses this week so I never thought I'd be Slimmer of the Week, but hooray!!! I was! I'm hopeless in group situations so I was really embarrassed and pathetic, but so so pleased with myself. I got a certificate, a fridge magnet, a sticker and a basket of fruit. Then I got my 7lb award which was a certificate and a sticker. The certificates are now proudly displayed on the fridge and I hope to add to them soon. Only 5.5lbs to go until my next one.


I feel so inspired now. I've decided to do the 777 plan on a Friday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, then at the weekend I will have sausages, beans and chips or something similar. The sausages are only half a syn each and the chips and beans are free so nothing too drastic, but a bit of a treat; then on a Sunday we have a roast - the meat is free, the roast potatoes are done the Slimming World way and are free and so is the veg. The only thing with syns is gravy and it's only 1.5. Thursdays are a bit different because I don't like to eat and drink loads before my weigh in, then I can treat myself to something nice for dinner afterwards.


I honestly can't believe how proud I am that I got a sticker!



START DATE 5th MAY 2012

05/05/2012 - 25st8           
08/05/2012 - 25st6           lost 2lbs
18/05/2012 - 25st1           lost 5lbs
24/05/2012 - 24st12 1/2  lost 2.5lbs

31/05/2012 - 24st10         lost 2.5lbs
07/06/2012 - 24st6 1/2     lost 3.5lbs


                            total   15.5lbs 

Food Diary for 7/6/12

Today was a shocker food wise because it was my 15th wedding anniversary. 


6 crackerbread
2 laughing cow light triangles
half a mugshot 
spinach speed 1
cottage cheese
satsuma speed 2


So far so good


Then...


prawns
sweet chilli sauce
egg fried rice
3 spring rolls    Yes three but they were smaller than the ones we usually have.


I don't really know how many syns that was but I think approximately 22. Back on plan today.


Thursday 7 June 2012

It's My Weigh In Today

It's my weigh in today and once again I'm worried. I know that I've been really good, I just hope it shows on the scales.


I did the 777 challenge for three days, and it wasn't too bad. Hardest was drinking the water, I didn't really miss the syns. If it works I wonder whether it's possible to do three days a week like that and the other days just following the plan normally?


I'm really worrying about our holiday now. I only have one swimming costume and it's size 24. I'm still a 30/32 so I don't even think it's even worth trying on. I've looked online for a bigger one that doesn't cost the earth but can't find anything as I don't want, and can't afford to spend much on something I don't plan to need again. This time next year hopefully I'll be a lot smaller.


It's my 15th wedding anniversary today and we are celebrating by having my favourite chinese meal. I'm going to try and have it in the most slimming world way possible though. This is what I'm having, and I've rounded up the syns so, if anything, it's healthier than than this.


Prawns 
sweet chilli sauce 3syns
egg fried rice 4.5 syns
vegetable spring rolls 13 syns


I know it's a lot of syns but I think hope in reality it's nothing like that. It will all be cooked at home, no oil used and it is our anniversary!!

Food Diary for 6/6/12

Yesterday was a good day


1 water with lemon speed 1
6 glasses of water
1 glass of diet coke


apple speed 2
satsuma speed 3
nectarine speed 4
pear speed 5
6 wholemeal crackerbreads
2 laughing cow light triangles
spinach speed 6
spoonful of cottage cheese


1/10 of a weightwatchers sausage 0.5syn
jacket potato
spoonful of flora light 2 syns
tuna speed 7
spinach speed 8
raspberry and cranberry muller light
4 mikado sticks 2 syns

I don't know how I ended up having an extra speed food.I don't know whether that's good or bad.

Wednesday 6 June 2012

Food Diary for 5/6/12

Not as good today.


1 lemon in hot water speed 1
6 glasses of water


6 crackerbread 
2 laughing cow light triangles
spinach speed 2
spoonful of cottage cheese
apple speed 3
half a mug shot 1 syn
packet of velvet crisps 4 syns


few pieces of chicken speed 4
jacket potato
tuna speed 5
spinach speed 6
cottage cheese
mandarin muller light
4 mikado sticks 2 syns


So I had one speed food too little. I kept to my syns though,and hardest of all I had my 7 glasses of water. One more day to go until weigh in - I better have lost something this week.

Tuesday 5 June 2012

Food Diary for 4/6/2012

1 cup of hot water with lemon
6 glasses of water
1 glass of diet coke


6 wholemeal crackerbread 
2 laughing cow triangles
spinach speed 1
cottage cheese
apple speed 2
nectarine speed 3
kiwi speed 4
pear speed 5


jacket potato
tuna speed 6
spinach speed 7
cottage cheese
low fat spread 2 syns
raspberry and cranberry muller light yogurt


4 mikado sticks 2 syns


I did it!! I stuck to the plan perfectly. 

Why Do People Give Up Diets

The longest I've ever been on a strict diet was about 9 months. I did amazingly, even though during that time I had a holiday and Christmas. I lost over ten stone and looked and felt amazing. I was wearing a size 14-16 clothes (a size I hadn't been since reaching adulthood); but suddenly I couldn't do it any more and I started picking - and once I started I really couldn't stop. I think the trouble was that I had been on a complete meal replacement diet for all that time. Three packs a day, 8 glasses of water, and one week in four I could have a small amount of tuna or chicken with some salad. I have never experienced compulsion to eat, the way I did then. I didn't care what I ate, and I remember cooking some food and being so impatient that I ate it when it was still frozen in the middle. I was completely out of control. I had also been experiencing stomach pains of indescribable agony since Christmas (my meltdown happened at Easter). I went to the doctors and was immediately referred to a&e,it turned  out I had gallstones, and one had got trapped in the opening of my pancreas,blocking it and causing pancreatitis. I was in a bit of a state apparently. Now I have no gall bladder , and no wish to experience pain like that again! Now there is a warning on the Cambridge Diet literature that it can cause gall stones so I'm obviously not the only one to suffer.


Although that diet was quite easy to stick to as it was so clear cut, took food out of the equation completely, and most of all had huge weight losses week after week, it's clearly not good for you. Apart from the frozen food madness and near death pancreatitis experience, I lost a lot of hair - at least 50%. It also costs £50 a week.


I'm convinced that Slimming World is the way to go. No food is banned. You have syns every day so if you really want something you can have it, but syns are like currency and you become unbelievably frugal with them.However there are low syn versions of almost everything. I went shopping yesterday and bought some velvet crunch crisps (haven't tried them yet but I've heard they're lovely) which are 4 syns a bag, whereas Walkers are 9 syns. Snack a Jacks are only 4.5 syns too, so it's possible to satisfy a crisp craving without wasting precious syns. Another amazing discovery I've made is Mikado biscuits. Biscuits were my biggest problem. I LOVED them and could easily eat a packet in one go. Unfortunately they're incredibly high in syns - a Malted Milk (my favourite) contains 2, a Jaffa Cake 2.5, a Digestive is 3.5 for a small one,and a Shortbread finger is 5!! Mikado biscuits are little biscuit sticks covered in chocolate (I bought milk choc and Daim,but there is also dark choc, white choc and hazelnut)They contain just half a syn each!!!They're tiny - you're not getting anything amazing, but they feel like such a treat. I had four last night andlook forward to having some more tonight IF I stick to the 777 challenge and drink 7 glasses of water and eat 7 speed foods though. There's an incentive!


I'm sorry for rambling but to sum up...


Why do people give up diets? I think it's all down to sustainability, which is why I really hope Slimming World will be different.

Sunday 3 June 2012

New Challenge

I've had a dodgy weekend for food. Yesterday I ate so much that I still feel full of food and guilt now. I ate (and this is embarrassing to write):-


Brunch


4 eggs
4 rashers of bacon
2 slices of wholemeal bead with flora light
2 slices of ham from the fridge, standing up while my food was cooking
1 cold weight watchers sausage, as above
Some Tomato Ketchup
1 apple


Dinner


Roast Chicken
Lots of roast potatoes (done in the slimming world way)
Broccoli
A fair bit of gravy (made from granules)
A strawberry Muller Light


It's not really what I had but the sheer quantity of bacon and eggs; and I didn't need or even want the stolen ham or sausage. I didn't have any water yesterday either, let alone the hot water with lemon I've been having every morning.


TODAY EVERYTHING CHANGES


I've been reading about the 777 challenge. Basically you have to have 


7 glasses of water
7 speed or superspeed foods 
7 syns (no more than)


and I want to give it a go


This is my planned diet for Monday - Thursday (not including dinner on Thurday after weigh in)


cup of hot water with lemon speed 1


cup of tea (with splash of skimmed milk from HexA)


Lunch



6 crackerbread (HexB)
2 light cow cheese triangles (half of HexA)
handful of baby spinach speed 2
spoonful of fat free cottage cheese
apple speed 3


Mid Afternoon

carrot sticks speed 4
2 light cow cheese triangles (half of HexA)
kiwi fruit speed 5


Dinner

jacket potato
tin of tuna speed 6
teaspoonful of flora light
handful of baby spinach speed 7
spoonful of fat free cottage cheese
muller light yogurt

I want to buy lots of different types of fruit so I can have lots of variety (I'm thinking strawberries, pears, pineapple, cherries, satsumas, nectarines) but I have some kiwis that are just about ripe so that's why i've put them down.I will probably continue with the apple with lunch.

I feel a much more positive after writing this down. The hardest thing is going to be drinking 7 glasses of water but I think you can include the tea and water with hot lemon so in reality it's only 5 glasses. I could probably have squash as well but will just have it plain for the next few days.





Saturday 2 June 2012

A Little Bit Of Inspiration

I read this in the paper today


When someone is nasty or treats you badly, don’t take it personally. It says nothing about you but a lot about them


Pretty much every time I go out,someone will laugh at me and call me names. I can understand it but I hope I will never do the same to anyone.

Friday 1 June 2012

Second Weigh In

Last night was my second weigh in and I lost 2.5lbs. My head is quite pleased with this but my heart thinks it should be a stone or more. At times like this I wish I was doing The Cambridge Diet for speedy weight loss, but I LOVE the Slimming World group and enjoy the food,so I suppose it's no comparison.


Here's my updated chart


START DATE 5th MAY 2012

05/05/2012 - 25st8
08/05/2012 - 25st6
18/05/2012 - 25st1
24/05/2012 - 24st12 1/2

31/05/2012 - 24st10


Two more pounds until I've lost a stone. I really hope I can achieve that by next Thursday. If I could lose a stone every six weeks I'd be delighted, but in reality it's not very likely.