Weigh in update

I have started back on my weight loss journey, again! I have gained back 1 1/2 stone which means my loss from January 2011 is back to 3 1/2 stone. I have been back on plan for a week and lost 2lbs, so officially 3 stone 9lbs down.

I was hoping it was going to be more and I'm not sure why it wasn't more than that. I ate really well all week, snacks were kept to a minimum and I had one cheat meal of Fish and Chips at the seaside, this in itself is not much to do any damage, just like one good meal a week would not see me lose any weight.

If you are a long time reader of my blog you will know that I do night shifts which can sometimes impact on my eating and weigh in results. Before having Charlotte I would turn my days upside down so breakfast was around 8pm, dinner time at 2am-3am and tea time was at 8am, however, I am unable to do this now. I have to be up a lot earlier in the day to look after Charlotte when Jonathan is in work, therefore, being up many more hours than I would be normally. I am currently on night 2 of 7 of trying to work out a new routine, I'm not completely sure of what I am going to do yet. However, on my desk a bag of fruit and a tub of salad are waiting to be eaten.

Pork with jacket potato, philidelphia and roasted cherry tomatoes

Wanted to share one of my favourite meals to have, this is a really filling evening meal and you get plenty of your veggies included.

For the jacket potato I place in microwave for 5 minutes before transferring to the oven to finish cooking. I topped this with Sweet Chilli Philedelphia

I fried some pork steaks with mushrooms in some frylight.

Boiled some mixed veg.

Roasted some cherry tomatoes in the oven.

Delicious!

Back on the wagon

My baby is now 5 weeks and 1 day old and I have failed miserably at getting back on the dieting wagon. For those of you that don't know I gained 15lbs throughout my pregnancy and then lost 20lbs, however, I have gained 2 of those back. I am still below my pre pregnancy weight but I still have a lot more to lose. My current weightloss is 74lbs (5 stone 4 pounds)

Today is day one of being back on my diet which is loosely based on Slimming World as I don't go to class so have to rely on a lot of the older information that I have but this works for me.

I would like to lose a stone (14lbs) for Christmas which gives me 6 weeks. I am hoping that eating well and getting plenty of walking in with Charlotte will help me get to this target.

A New Direction

After having my consultants appointment and booking in for my Glucose Tolerance Test (test for gestational diabetes) and being told by the nurse she would be surprised if I didn't get it due to having three risk factors I have decided I have to do something to try and prevent it happening or at least be in control of my eating before my test and possible meetings with dietician.

I have been doing a bit of research and have decided that I don't think Slimming World is the best plan for me to follow for managing my sugar levels. Reasons for this are:

• I eat a lot of carbohydrates as I love my green days, now, I am not aiming for low carb or no carb just more sensible choices when choosing what I eat. 
• Portion control is not really part of Slimming World apart from healthy extras and syns
• A lot of foods contain sweeteners i.e. yoghurts

Don't get me wrong I love the Slimming World plan but at this moment in my life I feel it is not going to serve me well. 

I am still at the early stages of my research and a lot of things I have found have been American and I don't know how much 1/2 a cup is and I don't even think I've ever tasted peanut butter! Also, a lot of information I have doesn't give any ideas of portions, just suggestions of what to eat. 

So my new direction is to try and follow a diet suitable for balancing my sugar levels, a plan where I eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, choose my carbs wisely (wholemeal mainly). I am also going to have to seriously limit my chocolate and cakes which have kept me good company for the last few weeks! So all in all I have a lot more to think about before I can put a shopping list together. 

Lastly, I am sorry if you follow this blog for Slimming World, whenever I do meals I will inform of what parts are Slimming World friendly and I am sure most of them will be more or less Slimming World I just need to approach things differently for a while. 

Creamy stilton pasta

This is probably my all time favourite recipe that I have come up with and I have spoken about it many times it makes me think that I have blogged it before so I apologise in advance if I have because I can't seem to find it. just a shame I can't eat blue cheese at the moment but guess this could work with a strong crumbly cheese like a Lancashire cheese.

Ingredients
 Healthy Extra of stiliton cheese, I use a garlic and mushroom white stilton that I get from a local market
Quark
Vegatables of your choice I used peppers, onions and mushrooms.
Herbs
Pasta

1. Crumble the stilton in the quark overnight so that the quark can absorb all the flavour.
2. Cook the pasta
3. Fry up vegetables and herbs
4. Drain pasta and combine all the ingredients

 

 

Tuna toastie

I made this the other day, I was due a shop so only had a few bits in.

You will need
Wholemeal bread
Tin of tuna
Extra light mayonnaise
Pinch of mustard powder
Chives
Salt and Pepper
Splash of balsamic vinegar
Tomatoes
Pickle
Mixed peppers
Laughing Cow Light triangles

1. Mix tuna with mayonnaise, mustard, chives, salt and pepper and balsamic.
2. Slice the tomato into thick slices and grill or fry in frylight.
3. Toast the bread
4. Spread toast with Laughing Cow Light add layer of peppers, followed by a layer of pickles.
5. Add tuna on top and finish off with grilled tomatoes.

I used two slices of wholemeal bread from a 800g loaf as my two healthy extras on a red day. Usually it's two slices from a 400g loaf but thought one slice from a 800g slice would be the same as two from the 400g.

Weigh in 26/01/2012

I maintained this week which was really unexpected as I had been good with food and upped my water intake (1.5 litres a day) I had also done plenty of walking (at least 21 miles) so I am not sure what has gone wrong.

So the plan for this week is to continue with the good food intake and also continue to drink plenty of water and to continue with my walking. From Thursday I have nine days off work and I plan to get on my bike unless we have ice or snow, if the bike is not possible then the Just Dance workouts will resume.

I had been toying with the idea of joining a gym but it seems a lot of money to spend when I have a bike, my legs and the outdoors.

I am also going to give this local initiative a call to see if they can help me with the exercise part of losing weight. I do struggle with motivation for this as I really hate doing it and am also concerned of people pointing and laughing, which I know shouldn't bother me because really most of the time this is an insecurity in my own mind and no one else even notices me, I ain't that special!!! I did sign up to the initiative before but what they offered me a lot of psychological work which I felt didn't benefit me so hopefully this time I will be able to get something more suited to me, plus I am more motivated to reach my goals this time. Does you locla area have any initiatives? If so have you tried them? What did you think?

Weigh in 19/01/2012

Today's weigh in was good one I lost 2lbs :-) Which takes my total to 67lbs (4 stone 11lbs) which means I am 3lbs away from 5 stone (70lbs) loss, which I think is the first time the stones and lbs reach a milestone together.

This week has definitely been easier with tracking even if it was a little boring having to write everything down I also had moments of panic where I remembered I hadn't written down what I'd just had and made a mad dash for my little skanky playboy notepad!

I am now on my nights until next Wednesday morning at 7 am, i am currently just about to finish my 2nd night so five more to go :-( I usually have a good loss when I do nights as I struggle on my days off. I would really love 3lbs off but would be happy with 2lbs. My plan for the week is lots of walking around the sites that I look after and I am also going to make the Speed soup with some variation, it will probably end up with leek, carrot, onion, spring onion, baked beans, green lentils, tomatoes and mixed beans. This should keep me going until the end of my nights and means that I don't have to faff around before going to work making my breakfast and dinner at the same time.

Hope you are all doing well, as always anything you would like to see or suggest please leave me a comment :-)

My goals 2012

I know I have already mentioned a few of my New Year's resolutions in my Happy New Year post but last night when I couldn't sleep (thanks Miss Monthly!) I started to think of making goals which in part was inspired by my friend Bert who blogged about his 2012 goals. It got me thinking of the SMART objectives which I'm sure most people have done on some training course, if not it stands for Specific, Measureable, Achieveable, Realistic and Time so with this in mind I wrote down my goals which I will share with you.

1. To lose at least another 4 stone
2. Ride my bike regularly - I am aiming for twice a week
3. Get down to a size 16-18
4. Try new recipes and food

I feel that all these goals fit in with the SMART objective as I can measure each one, they are achieveable, realistic and have the time scale of 2012. The only one I am worried about is the size 16-18 as I am not sure how far away in weight I am from that size as I found that my dress size dropped quickly in the first couple of stones but in the last 2 1/2 it has hardly changed particularly on my bottom half where I carry most of my weight.

For my goals to work I really need to look at where I have been going right and where I have been going wrong. For a start I know my food is good I more often than not stick to plan and always have a range of healthy and filling foods in my kitchen cupboard. I have been going very wrong on the exercise front I took part in the Lifestyle Change Challenge last summer/autumn which is when most of my weight came off and actually I have lost much since I stopped regular exercise.

I think key to making goals work is not making them too unrealistic, I did this often in 2011 which left me not achieving many of the goals that I set myself which in turn leaves me feeling like I haven't achieved anything, which of course isn't true! So what are your goals? How do you plan on achieving them?

Weigh in 05/01/2012

Weigh in this week was good because I have managed to lose 5lbs which means all Christmas weight is gone and I only have to lose another lb until I  am where I was in the middle of December. I expected the weight to come off quickly as I didn't believe I'd gained much fat (apart from round my face!) I have eaten really well, although not completely on the Slimming World plan as I have been having two healthy extra B's on extra easy instead of one I have eaten plenty of super free foods and drank a lot more water.

Next weeks plans are to finally get onto my bike, I have no idea how far or for how long I can ride but I am hoping that it will start to make the fat fall off quicker.

Hope you are all doing well, I have quite a few blog posts I want to write and I am off until Thursday so expect lots of good stuff!

Weigh in update 08/12/11 and 15/12/11

So I haven't updated my weigh in for a couple of weeks, sorry!! I  maintained last week and lost 1lb this week, it takes my total loss to 4 stone 9lbs (65lbs) I haven't really been sticking to Slimming World just trying to eat 3 meals a day and do less snacking. My heart is still not completely in it at the moment but I am glad that I am not putting on weight.

I have had a couple of non scale victories (NSV) in the past two weeks! Number one is that I went to see Whitesnake and was standing, now usually during a gig my back, legs and knees hurt this time they didn't I had loads of energy to dance and was able to stay out late and walk back to the hotel. I compared this to the last time I saw Whitesnake in June and I remember that I was very uncomfortable then and I was also 2 stone 4lbs (32lbs) heavier. I always enjoy gigs but this will be the one I remember that I wasn't uncomfortable and that it was a big milestone in my weightloss. Some pictures from the gig are below, I am now entering another phase of being obsessed with David Coverdale!!

My second NSV is that I bought a new winter coat in four sizes smaller than last winter and not only that that it only cost me a tenner from Tesco!

Even though I haven't lost a lot of weight recently I have some really great NSV! 

Update: skipping weigh in, being ill, new foods

So, this week I cancelled weigh in I have been poorly with a virus so I knew the scales were going to be weigh me as losing quite a bit due to the virus. It has now been 5 days and I feel OK but am not eating much, I am hoping my appetite returns soon I feel so weak!

Before the virus struck me, my week with food was going well with my favourite meal being egg fried rice, Thai salmon fishcake with sweet chilli sauce and a dollop of fat free Greek yoghurt.

Egg fried rice was made by stir frying spring onions, garlic, ginger and peppers. Adding rice and soy sauce until warmed through, finally cracking an egg into it and stirring until cooked. The fishcake is 1 syn and you can get them from Aldi. It is probably my favourite meal.

I have bought some new things to try which I haven't got round to yet. I bought a celeriac which I think I will make into a topping for a cottage pie and some figs which I have only ever eaten in a biscuit. Any suggestions of what to do with the figs or how to tell if they are ripe are gratefully received. I was thinking of stirring into some Greek yoghurt with a bit of honey. 

Weigh in update 03/11/11

I stayed the same this week so it's still a total of 4 stone 5lbs (61lbs) loss. I am OK with this as I have struggled this week with cravings and have only done minimal exercise. Thinking about what I have done in the last couple of weeks, a big gain then a big loss a maintain is probably a good thing to give my body a bit of a rest.

It was Jonathan's birthday yesterday so we went out for a meal, I think I chose wisely I had lamb rump, roasted sweet potatoes, vegetables and mint gravy. Tonight I am out for a fireworks display and a curry for one of my best friends birthday. After this I am on an eating out ban until the end of the month!

I still haven't been out on my bike, I am going to see if I can get in my car otherwise I am going to need a thingymebob for my car!

I have also looked into my numbers for October and here they are:

Lbs lost: 2
Inches lost: 3

It's pretty pathetic but roll on this month when it will be more awesome. Below are my total inch loss so far this year in the areas I measure.

Hips: 12
Waist: 7.5
2nd Belly (area between boobs and belly!): 7
Under bust: 6.5
Bust: 8
Neck: 1.5

I am happy overall but wish that I had got more off my waist and a bit more of my hips as this is where I carry most of my weight.

Christmas Planning

Following on from my previous post it got me thinking about how to plan around Christmas, usually I know I am going to eat a lot a Christmas but doesn't bother me but after my huge gain after my holidays I realised I need to be serious about this weightloss and not let things get in my way.

People say it's only one day, technically it is but if you think about what happens near Christmas and you have yourself a lot of days to get lost in food in and drink.

For me it starts in the last weekend of November when I go to Lincoln Food and Drink Festival with my Mum, we stay in Lincoln for the weekend and spend the Saturday at the festival watching cooking demonstrations,purchasing and sampling lovely food we are also staying in a nice hotel with a fancy restaurant this year so we are having a meal there too.

The there's the chocolate advent calender.

Next up in the Christmas Markets, this year I will be going to the one in Lincoln (yes that will be two trips to Lincoln in two weeks ) with Jonathan, his Mum and Uncle again there are plenty of food stalls, the sell Ostrich burgers which are to die for and I love the gluhwine and hot chocolate with baileys.

Most people go to a work Christmas do which again would involve food and copious amounts of alcohol. I won't be going to mine but my brother to be awkward decided to be born exactly a week before Christmas which will be a trip to the Manchester Christmas market and a meal.

We are now a week from Christmas and I haven't even started on the the shopping where the temptation to grab a quick bite to eat on the run, pre Christmas drinks or the day itself.

It's quite overwhelming having to think about all of this when I am torn between wanting to stay as much on plan as possible to thinking 'sod it I love Christmas I am going to eat, drink and be merry'. The problem is after it all the merry will be much more of a depression of weight gain and self pity of why do I do this to myself?

Earlier in the year when I was trying to think of where I would like to be in terms of weightloss I had decided on being at 6 1/2 stone loss so that I could have a cushion of 1/2 a stone to put on over Christmas, at the time Jonathan said that it was ridiculous, I sulked at him but actually he is right why would anyone who was overweight ever think 'oh I'll just put on 7lbs!'

So this year I am taking control, the first thing I will be doing is getting a an advent candle like the one below which are available in Aldi from this Sunday on their special offer deals.

Next I am going to enjoy the weekend away with my Mum and get back on track on the Monday, after all it's only a couple of days. The Christmas Market will be fine I will be driving so the gluhwein and baileys will be out the window and Ostrich burgers are extremely low in fat. My brother's birthday will be easy too as I will choose to drive, therefore saving me syns on alcohol.

Shopping just needs to be organised and prepared for I will take some Slimming World friendly treats in my bag.

Then Christmas begins with a night out on Christmas Eve, I am going to enjoy this night drink sensibly and try and get to a dancefloor to work it off. Christmas Day will start with a good breakfast to see me through to to best meal of the year, with plenty of veggies of course. Boxing day is buffet time so plenty of lean meats and salad to be had. So in a nutshell my plan is to enjoy myself, cut down where I can, fill up on veggies and have a right good time!! How about everyone else?

Christmas Target

I have been thinking about my Christmas target, originally I wanted to be at 6 stone (84lbs) loss for the year which would leave me to lose 23lbs in a little over 8 weeks.This is achievable but I put a lot of pressure on myself at the beginning of my journey to lose weight, if I remember correctly I wanted to have lost 8 stone by the end of this year which I am nowhere near, so taking this into consideration I am aiming to lose another stone before Christmas which would take my total loss to 5 stone 5lbs (75lbs).

I haven't got an elaborate plan to achieve this next target as it should be easily done, I am just going to continue to make good, home cooked and healthy food. I am however going to start exercising more as I need to start to tone up as I am losing because I have started to notice the lose skin which I know will happen but I want to try and make it not as bad as it would be without exercise. I hope that last bit made sense!


So what are everyone's Christmas targets? Anyone planning on doing anything extra to get to their targets?