My First Week Back On The Healthy Bandwagon #WeeklyWeighIn

As most of you know I have been a member of Weight Watchers for some time now and having previously done amazing with my weight loss, 2014 was just a complete waste. I never put in the effort and yet expected results. I really did waste last year . I could have easily been at my gold weight by but I was just lazy. Lazy with my food choices and in my fitness. So after having the whole of December off of Weight Watchers and eating anything and everything possible in those four weeks I expected to see over a stone of weight gain when I went back to my meeting in January. I was relieved to find out that I had only put on 7lb which considering what I ate and the sheer amount I ate was a blessing. 

I really did expect to struggle in my first week being back on the Weight Watchers bandwagon.I figured it would be really tough to pull in the reigns after such a long period of indulgence but I was pleasantly surprised at how well I managed to get back into the swing of things. I went into my first meeting with such a positive attitude. I told myself that I would not be in this meeting after the next New Year still wondering why I wasted the last year and having still not shifted the weight. I decided to take each day as it came and not even think about my weigh in until the day was here. I found it so much easier to plan each day in the morning and to just have one good day after the next. Gradually I will be able to plan the week ahead like I used to and have no fear of falling off track.

Over that first week I fell in love with food again. I don't mean all the wonderful indulgent things we all love like chocolate and cake, but real food. I used to love making meals from scratch, trying out new ingredients and having loads of fresh fruit and vegetables in the kitchen to cook with. The amount of fast food and sweet snacks I ate over December had made me lose my passion for food so I was glad that Weight Watchers was giving that back to me. It may sound like a cliche but it has never felt like a diet for me. I have always eaten what I wanted to eat and never deprived myself of anything. Just look at some of the beautiful meals I made last week.I really do look forward to meals times now and have even dusted off the old cook books in search of new recipes.

So Saturday came and It was time to Weigh In . 3lbs down! I was very pleased as it proved that I was very much back on track and heading in the right direction. Onwards and downwards! I have made good choices again this week and look forward to Saturday and seeing if it has paid off. I plan to keep you updated each week sharing my weekly weigh in results as well as some of the lovely meals I have been making. Who knows, maybe I will inspire some of you to make some? You don't have to be a weight watcher to enjoy delicious healthy food. Are you on a healthy kick yourself this year? Would love to know how you are getting on? You can also follow me on Instagram by clicking here. I post regular fitness and foodie updates, so be sure to follow to some inspiration and support.

Groundhog Day

Do you ever have them days where it seems as if you are just reliving a previous day? I'm not talking about a case of deja vu , I'm talking about those days you wake up and just know what the day will bring ? Like you are doing a previous day all over again? Well that's what Saturday was like for me. Not because of some spooky time warp or some cosmic, divine intervention, but just simply because it was a day that I had done so many times before.

You see Saturday is weigh in day for me. Although I should probably use the past tense for that sentence. It "was" weigh in day for me. But given the fact that I seem to have dropped off of the weight watchers wagon all together , Saturdays seemed to just become Saturdays again. So this weekend saw me returning to my meeting. It was my day one all over again.. My fresh start day. Most people only seem to have one "day 1" all over again. I seem to have had far too many that I care to remember. I must seem like the queen of excuses just lately as this year there has been something happening in my life to test me at each and every single turn. The minute I feel like I am overcoming one hurdle, another one is waiting for me around the corner, much more bigger and difficult to handle than the last. But everyone has difficult times right? Everyone experiences heart aches and hardships in their lives so why do I constantly use any stress in my life as an excuse to over indulge and forget about my weight watchers journey all together?

For far too long now I have been intent on beating myself up and dwelling on the fact that I am the same weight that I was last year. So what?! I'm not back where I started, I haven't put all that weight back on and I haven't given up and quit weight watchers all together. No one judged me when I went to my first meeting and tipped the scales at almost 20 stone so why on earth should I believe that people are going to judge me for losing weight more slowly than others or achieving a lesser result every week. I have done amazing (tooting my own horn here) to lose 5 stone so far. Recent holidays have swerved that more to the 4 stone mark now but who cares? I seem to have well and truly woken up and smelt the coffee. It doesn't matter how long it takes me to get to my destination. What matters most Is that I don't stop my journey.

So this is me.. Starting again and getting back into that place I love. Where I felt happy because it 't truly didn't feel like dieting. This is me getting back into that healthier lifestyle and making wonderfully filling and healthy meals again as opposed to grabbing a quick snack. This is me realizing again that nothing tastes as good as losing weight feels.

So Saturday may well have been my groundhog day but I am in the right mindset now that it is not going to repeat itself anytime soon. Here is to a wonderful week of smart food choices, tracking and enjoying weight watchers once more...

Butternut Squash ZERO Point Chips - Weight Watchers

I though zero point chips only existed in my dreams! But I have found a healthy alternative to chips and one that is just as tasty (even more so in my opinion)

I'm not a fan of soups so had never tried butternut squash before but I am now converted. For us weight watchers the butternut squash when baked is quite simply a zero point potato which Is a dream come true for us!

Method:

Start by preheating your oven to around 180-200 degrees.

First you need to cut/chip your butternut squash. You might struggle to cut the squash so zapping it in the microwave for 10 seconds before really helps. If like me you don't have a microwave then a decent set of knives will do the job.

I always use start by cutting the squash in half length ways. One half I keep in the fridge for another day (squash will be fine to store in a container for up to 5 days in the fridge when cut)

Next Take a spoon and scoop out the seeds.

At this stage you can peel the squash which is easy to do with a vegetable peeler. I personally like to keep the skins on when making chips or wedges for a more rustic texture/taste.

Cut your squash in half again width ways and then cut into desired sized chips or wedges.

Places them onto a baking tray and (if your a weight watcher) give them a few sprays of fry light oil, If you are not too worried about the oil then drizzle them with a little olive or vegetable oil.

Next choose some spices to add. I usually add salt, pepper, chili powder or paprika. I find this all taste amazing on squash chips.

Bake for around 20-25 minutes or until they start to crisp at the edges. Depending on how crispy and chip like you want them you can leave them in for longer or take them out sooner for a softer style chip.

...And thats it! Enjoy!

Let me know if you try them, and what you think :-)

Delicious - Magazine Review

Delicious magazine offers readers so much more than your typical "foodie" magazine. Not only is it bursting with mouthwatering recipes and meal ideas, its also packed full of indispensable articles from healthy eating to the top ten must have kitchen gadgets, not to mention all the stunning food photography! This is a definite must have magazine for anyone who enjoys spending time in the kitchen. 

At first I was concerned that like a lot of other magazines in a similar genre, the magazine would be full of adverts and that when it came down to it, the actual content would be a tiny amount. I couldn't have been more wrong. Yes, there were adverts but these were few and far between, and each one relevant to the magazines niche. 
I fully recommend this magazine, whether you cook a little or a lot, there is something for everyone inside!

Why not head over to "Lets Subscribe" where you can subscribe to this and many other magazines and even bag yourself a massive saving in the process! The cover price of this magazine is £3.80 and worth every penny. But you can save up to 31% through a 12 month subscription.