Time For Fatty To Face The Music

 

It is Thursday tomorrow which means one thing... "Weigh In"! Normally I am not bothered by the thought of the scales, even if I think I'm due a small gain or maintain, I take it in my stride because I know I can work it off just as quick. So why is this week so different? Well I'll tell you why. Its because I haven't tracked anything for about 2 weeks. To be fair, I have been inhaling my food like a gannet so fast lately that I wouldn't even have the time to track it beforehand. I just dont know whats wrong with me lately.

I went to Blackpool last week and even though I was only going for 3 days, I knew I was going to miss weigh in so gave myself a week off of weight watchers. Doing this instantly gave me free reign to eat what I wanted whenever I wanted. Starting with the full english breakfasts at the hotel to the bags of donuts on the pier. I was an eating machine. The more I ate the more I felt crap about eating it in the first place, so what was the solution? Eat some more! Don't get me wrong I wouldn't change my time away as we had a lovely time and some lovely meals out and I always said I wasn't going to go away and be pointing but "Hello"! .. I am not on holiday anymore, so why can't I get rid of this greedy voice in my head thats always telling me I will start afresh tomorrow?

Anyway this is what has led to me sitting here on the night before weigh in venting and fretting about my 6+ lb weight gain I am convinced I am getting tomorrow. But lets face it, the fear doesn't seem to be doing the tick as I have just polished off pop corn and Cadbury cookies prior to starting this post! So maybe I need that gain to kick start my journey again?

But lets look at it from another perspective. So I gain x amount tomorrow. Will it stay forever? Can I never get rid of it? Hell no! I'll be working my ass off getting rid of it by the next week so why should I let myself get so angry with the thought of a gain? It's because I am angry with myself for letting those bad habits and old ways sneak back in and without realising it, eating like I was before I joined Weight Watchers. I am great at giving people advice and pep talks about how to not let it ruin your goals and move onwards and upwards when you have a set back but taking my own advice? Now thats a harder pill to swallow.

Well what can I do? I cant change the fact that I am getting weighed and I cant erase all the crap I have eaten these past few weeks so I need to face them scales head on and take whatever result I get. The fact is this isn't a quick fix its a lifestyle change and one of the longest and hardest journeys I will make in my life and I have already achieved so much since last year. I wont let it beat me, I will just come back more determined to lose this weight!

Until tomorrow.....

What A Difference A Year Makes...

The last time I had been out on the town was well over a year ago which is why I was so excited to be going out last Saturday. Every time I have gone out, I have always felt so self conscious and as much as I come out of my shell once the alcohol is flowing I used to spend the whole night tucking myself it, covering my arms up and trying my best to hold in the belly. I used to look at all the people out and think to myself how lovely they all looked and it honestly just made me feel worse about myself as no matter how much effort I put into my new outfit it didn't take away from the fact it was a size 22 and really didn't look no where near as good as it did on the size 10 mannequin in the shop window and this is no exaggeration but I was always one of the largest people in the pub! As much as I was upbeat and bubbly, it isn't until I look back now I realize how much of a front that actually all was. I was not happy with the way I looked, not even close, but it was easier to plaster on a smile than to deal with the weight and do something about it which is why I stayed overweight and unhappy for so long.

Now even though I am far from reaching my goal weight, when I went out on Saturday it was like a completely different person. Looking back now, not once did I even mention my outfit (in a negative way) when I was out, not once did I worry that my top was very figure hugging and not once did I worry about being the first person on the dance floor. I felt absolutely incredible and cannot believe how much of a different person I was. I was still me, but I was the me that no one got to see and enjoy her company because I was always to self conscious to ever let myself go and enjoy life. I took so much pleasure in being able to buy new jeans which wear super skinny and made my legs look sexy and sleek as opposed to tree trunks, new shoes which look great and didn't buckle under the not so attractive cankles and the fantastic figure enhancing top which nipped in at the waist showed off my curves and was short enough that it didn't cover my bum. It didn't need to be longer my bum is smaller, MUCH smaller so why not embrace it and show it off a little? I even saw school friends who commented and couldn't believe the transformation.

This was me last year (Hand Over Face)

This is me now!

The last time I went out I was 5 stone heavier and wore an outfit which was 3 dress sizes bigger! I know I have a long way to go on this incredible journey but I am having the most amazing time getting there and learning to love myself again.

*This post is in collaboration with New Look

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 :-)

One Woman's Trash..

As most of you are aware I am on on a weight loss journey. So far my grand total is 61lbs lost which is amazing but it's definitely beginning to become a strain on the old purse strings. Obviously I am over the moon at such fantastic results and although I still have a long way to go, losing such a substantial amount of weight means lots of new clothing being bought. I am finding it difficult to keep replacing certain wardrobe essentials each time I drop a few inches from my body so I am really trying to keep the spending to a minimum.

I said right from the start that my ultimate treat for reaching my goal weight would be a huge shopping spree to celebrate and I know I will be bursting with joy when I am able to slip my slender self into a nice pair of G Star jeans or a slinky little black dress. Until then though I am making do with the bare necessities when it comes to clothing.

As a result of the weight loss I found my wardrobe was overflowing with clothing which no longer fitted me and with them all being in good condition I decided they were too good to just throw away and I was going to make a few quid out of them if I could. My first thought was Ebay. Having used them previously I was aware of how things worked on the site and felt confident I could get a sale on there. Obviously when selling on Ebay you need to take all the relevant fees into account when deciding if its the best place to sell your items. If after the fees and charges it works out to still be financially beneficial to sell on Ebay then go for it! Millions of items sell every day on there so your almost sure to get a sale. If its not really worth your while selling on there then you will be pleased to know that its not the only place to sell your clothes. You have all heard of Music Magpie right? The place that buys your old dvds, cd, phones etc? But.. Did you know they also buy your old clothes too? They give great rates especially with designer labels. Another great thing with them is they offer a free posting/courier service so you are not troubled with posting and packaging problems/charges.

Failing being able to sell online, then car boots are always a winner. Whats more you are more likely to sell bulk/job lots at car boots especially if they are all of the same size. There are hundred of car boots held every weekend, just search in Google to find your nearest.

Whatever you do don't just chuck them away. Earn a few pound from your old clothing and put it towards something special. I made a tidy little sum from a bundle of clothing which was just too big for me. I am going to put it towards my big shopping spree as a reward for reaching my goal weight.

Red - The Gallery

Wow .. Feels good to be back...

Anyway, this weeks theme for "The Gallery" is RED.

So here's my picture. Yes it's a picture of me, and yes it's a bit self indulgent but who cares, I have a reason to be a show off this week after being presented with a certificate of achievement at last weeks weigh in for losing 50 lbs! So this weeks gallery is my chance to show off a bit and enjoy the fact that I actually liked seeing a photo of myself for the first time in a very long time!

Why not head over to Sticky Fingers and check out the other gallery entries :-)

Quorn Tikka Masala With Bulgar Wheat (WW Friendly)

A delicious meal and very Weight Watcher friendly at only 9 pro points total meal value.

Using the Weight Watcher Tikka Masala Sauce.

This is what I call a "bung it in" recipe. So if you are not hot on a certain ingredient you can replace with something else and put in whatever you fancy.

  .

Start by gently frying off some mushrooms for 2-3 minutes.

When they start to turn golden brown add in your frozen Quorn Chicken 
pieces. (100g = 3 pro points)

Gently fry off until chicken pieces are cooked through.

Next pour in your Weight Watchers Tikka sauce (Half a jar = 3 pro points)

Gently stir ensuring all chicken pieces are covered, turn down heat and allow to heat through until you are ready to serve.

Preparing the bulgar wheat...

To cook bulgar wheat you use 5.5 parts water to 1 part bulgar wheat.

Start by measuring out your bulgar wheat. (60g Dry = 3 prop points)

Place your water in a pan (with stock if required) and bring to boil.


When boiling put the wheat into the water, cover and turn down, letting it simmer for approx 15 minutes, or until all the water has absorbed.

When ready leave pan to stand for 10 minutes, gently fluff up with a fork and serve.

Add some vegetables on the side to complete your meal and remember if you are a "Weight Watcher" fill your plate with your zero heroes.

My Second Super Seven!

Well it's official! I have now lost over a stone (Biggest grin ever) My total weight loss for the past 4 weeks is 14.5 lbs. I am over the moon as I never imagined I would have such a good loss. If I am honest I was rather sceptical about Weight Watchers, and really did not expect to lose any weight. I have loved getting proved wrong!

Onwards and upwards! Here's to another loss next week!

Fancy shedding a few pounds yourself? I cannot recommend Weight Watchers highly enough. If you follow the plan than you will get the results you want..

Head on over to there site now and take advantage of there £1 joining offer (That's both online and weekly meetings)

Weight Watchers

Early Days..

OK, So I am on day 3 of my new Weight Watchers Pro Points plan. I am really surprised at how easy it is to follow. I am still tediously looking up "everything" in my handy little point checker book, but as time goes on, I guess things will stick with me and I will automatically know point values for certain items I eat more frequently. I must admit, when I first went to the meeting and the group leader was explaining about how to count points and that everything must be weighed before hand, so to calculate the right number of points, I just thought "Oh god, I'm going to be spending half my life weighing food". When it comes down to it, it literally takes no more than 5 seconds to pop some rice or a potato onto the scales. So there really is no excuse for not weighing anything before hand. There are even some fantastic little hints for when you are dining out and cant just pull some scales out of your pocket. Such things like how to use your fist to use as a size comparison for a potato or how one portion of spaghetti (pasta) would fill a five pence coin. So even when you are out, you kind of get an understanding of how big your portions are and how to calculate the points.

I wont lie, I am a "big" eater! If I wasn't then I wouldn't be at weight watchers ;-) so the portion sizes are very different to what I would normally have. For instance, they say a portion of mashed potato would be similar to the size of a lime. Well in that case I have been having around 8 portions on my plate up to now. I would easily have a mountain of mash with my Sunday dinner. So with the portion sizes being so different to what I am used to, Im learning to eat things that will keep me fuller for longer so I am not starving within a few hours.

I love the fact that you have zero heroes. Besides a few, every fruit and vegetable is 0 pro points, which is fantastic as you can have plenty with your dinner and not rack up any extra points. I personally love fruit and vegetables so this is great for me, and I have probably had more fruit and veg in the past few days than I have in the past week! The pro points plan is definitely changing my eating habits, and getting me making much healthier meals,which is great!

I am a night snacker! Most definitely. I would snack on things at night time. Biscuits, tea and cake, crisps.. all the naughty things. I thought "No way can I give these up" But I have found much tastier alternatives, and if I want to I can still enjoy some biscuits or piece of cake. That's the great thing, its all about moderation and portion size as opposed to what you can or can't eat! When I fancy something sweet, I have been having a meringue nest filled with fresh strawberry's with lot of sprinklings of sweetener (Tate and Lyle granulated sugar substitute- The best sweetener out there if you love your sugar)

There are also plenty of chocolate or cake bars out there in the Weight Watchers range. I have some myself. They are very tasty and only a couple of points each :-)

I am really looking forward to going back next week..Hoping I have lost a little. Id be happy with a pound even! Just something to show its working.

As I said before, I will keep you updated. If there are any fellow weight watchers out there or anyone who blogs any tasty healthy recipes I would love to hear form you, leave me a comment/follow :-)

Weight Watchers

After hearing some very good reviews on the new pro points plan at weight watchers, I have decided to bite the bullet and give it a go. I have wanted to join weight watchers for a while now, but never fancied the thought of doing it alone. So after a mummy friend of mine suggested going, I though why not?

I have tried a few diets in the past but never really stuck to anything or changed my eating habits. And I wonder why they never worked? All the diets I tried before just seemed so restrictive, always full of things you had to give up! Where as the pro points plan works quite differently than anything else. Its not about giving up the foods you love, its all about moderation and portion size. Nothing is really "off limits".You just have to plans you meals carefully, and make your daily points allowance last. There are also extra weekly points (49 I think) for when you have a cheeky bottle of wine or meal out at the weekend maybe.

I have always been a larger sized lady, but I am at my heaviest I have ever been before. I was at a nice sized 14 before having my daughter. Not skinny granted, but at a comfortable weight and was more than happy with my body. Obviously, whilst pregnant I gained weight, and lots of it! After having Aalliyah I was far too relaxed and thought "Well I've put on weight anyway" and didn't really watch what I ate at all. I kept thinking Id start a diet and or exercise plan soon. Days turned into weeks, then months and years. Before I knew it, it was years later and I'd barely lost anything. I was roughly up to a size 18 at this point. My weight went up and down, but not by any more than a few pounds here and there.

In January this year I quit smoking, its been around 9 months now , and while I am over the moon at the fact I actually quit for good this time! The weight I have put on since quitting has really got me down. I know the benefits of quitting smoking far outweigh putting on a few pound and you can always lose the weight, but it doesn't change how you feel in yourself. I am now up to a size 22 and can honestly say I cant remember the last time I actually weighed myself!! Tomorrow is my first meeting at Weight Watchers and I'm dreading the initial weigh in as its then I will find out exactly how much weight I have put on!

On the plus side, I've got plenty of extra weight to shift, so I'm hoping if I stick to the healthier lifestyle that the pro points plan gives you, and start getting more exercise then I will soon start seeing and feeling a difference.

Will keep you updated on my progress..

Until tomorrow....