It has been a strange couple of weeks since my last post. We've had Christmas, for one. Normally this is a time for celebration and togetherness, but this year I've felt very un-together. My brothers both live in Southampton, but one doesn't drive so it's hard to get them over here at the same time when there is no public transport. We saw them on Christmas Eve but there is nothing that beats a proper Christmas Day celebration. I am always left with feelings of guilt; could I have collected them all and brought them to mum's, should I have put aside my own wishes for a family day at home to go over there? In the end though, I know I have to do what is right for us, so Scott, Flo and I had our Christmas morning sauna and brunch followed by present unwrapping and then roast duck for lunch. I was feeling pretty lousy already with a cold, but the sauna seemed to help.
In the evening we walked to mum's with all our presents (I live just a couple of miles from my mum, so we get to drink too!). We arrived to find a rather somber room full of people not watching the carol concert on the tele. My gran was in a foul (and still unexplained) mood, and my dad was doing his best to wind everyone up. Flo and Izzy, my niece, soon livened things up, but I was very conscious of a worsening cold. In hindsight we should probably have stayed at home to avoid spreading our bugs to the family, but I had to weigh up the guilt of not going and the guilt of sharing my cold. Neither option was particularly appealing.
After much gift sharing, food scoffing and whiskey Mack guzzling, we made our merry way home with flo asleep in her pushchair. We've since had a sickness bug which affected just Flo and my dad (who is never sick) and the cold has progressed to my lungs as well as to my grandparents (which is the LAST thing I would have wanted). So the days between Christmas and new year have been fraught with guilt. I had to go to work on the Thursday Friday and Saturday as I am not yet entitled to sick pay, so I dragged myself in each day.
Work definitely warrants a mention in this review of 2012. I began the year having worked yet another Christmas in retail at M&S and was determined to change things before another Christmas hit us, so I applied for all sorts of non-retail jobs, particularly accountancy and bookkeeping ones. I wasn't contacted by a single employer until I finally bit the bullet and applied to a banking group. I had never considered a career in banking having worked at Skandia in the past, but having sailed through the online selection process I found myself with the prospect of working for a bank! Not only were they happy to take me on part time, but they also impressed upon me the chance of progression, even at part time hours.
Just what I needed after a career in which I'd been under constant scrutiny, constantly questioning my own ability and dreading the next surprise inspection. Teaching was not a career I could return to without some serious adjustments to my self-confidence and my work-life balance. And so here I am, a customer adviser for one of the country's biggest banking groups, thoroughly enjoying my job, getting on well with my colleagues and feeling like I can genuinely help people with their financial problems.
For so many of my friends 2012 has been an atrocious year, and yet I find myself looking back and thinking, wow! That was awesome! We have had our share of bad years, and have been through all kinds of financial difficulties, but this year we really got our shit together. I have been doing Scott's accounts for a few years now, and feel a bit like Yoko Ono at times when I try to control the artistic side of what he does too, but anyone who has seen his work progress this year will understand just how talented he is and how very proud I am to call him my husband. He has been published in lots of magazines this year, and is even being paid by some of them. He has worked with some incredible models and performers, and is more in demand than we could ever have anticipated. Hopefully with my support he can continue to expand his portfolio of clients and we'll start to see some real returns for his time and talent. So yes, 2012 has been really good for us, but there is no reason that 2013 can't be even better. In fact, I intend to do everything in my power to see that it is!
Monday 31 December 2012
Thursday 20 December 2012
A review at the end of the year.
So here it is, the final weigh in of 2012.
2012 was a year in which I saw myself gradually eat my way into a size 18-20 in clothes, fairly unnoticeably. Yes, my clothes were no longer fitting, yes buttons were popping open on tops and blouses, and yes, a colleague kindly pointed out (in my previous job) that I needed to go up a size. The thing is, I didn't FEEL any different - that's the trouble with gradual weight gain - you don't realise the tiny changes that are building up.
In July I went on holiday to Cornwall - one of my favourite places, and somewhere I've always felt comfortable. I had a great time, don't get me wrong. It's just... the photos... When Scott uploaded the photos there were so many of me looking really solid around the middle, making me look OLD and just not looking like me. You'll notice that the photos I've tended to put up are of me from the shoulders up.
Goodwood in September was another time when I saw photos and thought, "I don't want to be like that anymore"... By this point I had already begun my weightwatchers journey, so I knew I was headed in the right direction, but any kind of "goal" seemed a long way off.
At the weekend, Scott, Flo and I went to London for the day - a very rare family day away from home. We did a few touristy bits (Natural History Museum, Hamleys, Carnaby Street) and took Flo on the underground for the first time (well, the second, but she was too tiny to remember the first). it was great to have the time out. I wore heeled boots all day, carried bags and toddlers and had lots of photos taken, and, wait for it, I FELT GREAT! I was wearing my slimmer size 14 jeans, my size 14 coat, and felt like I deserved to wear them. (You know how sometimes you can sneak into a smaller size due to the brand being over-generous, the stretch being more than adequate, or the cut being slightly irregular, but never actually feel like that's your size...)
The day after London I was poorly, but I recovered within 48 hours to be back full of energy and enthusiasm. My eating habits have changed, so my energy levels have improved, and my overall fitness is on the up. Walking is about all the exercise I'm doing at the moment, but I'll be cycling in the spring, so perhaps 2013 will be even better. Work is going great, Flo is flourishing at preschool, and Scott's photography business is coming on in leaps and bounds. Oh, and I lost another pound this week, taking me to 12st12lb - a total weight loss of 1st 12lb. Nearly 2stone!!!
Merry Christmas everyone! See you on the other side!
2012 was a year in which I saw myself gradually eat my way into a size 18-20 in clothes, fairly unnoticeably. Yes, my clothes were no longer fitting, yes buttons were popping open on tops and blouses, and yes, a colleague kindly pointed out (in my previous job) that I needed to go up a size. The thing is, I didn't FEEL any different - that's the trouble with gradual weight gain - you don't realise the tiny changes that are building up.
In July I went on holiday to Cornwall - one of my favourite places, and somewhere I've always felt comfortable. I had a great time, don't get me wrong. It's just... the photos... When Scott uploaded the photos there were so many of me looking really solid around the middle, making me look OLD and just not looking like me. You'll notice that the photos I've tended to put up are of me from the shoulders up.
Goodwood in September was another time when I saw photos and thought, "I don't want to be like that anymore"... By this point I had already begun my weightwatchers journey, so I knew I was headed in the right direction, but any kind of "goal" seemed a long way off.
At the weekend, Scott, Flo and I went to London for the day - a very rare family day away from home. We did a few touristy bits (Natural History Museum, Hamleys, Carnaby Street) and took Flo on the underground for the first time (well, the second, but she was too tiny to remember the first). it was great to have the time out. I wore heeled boots all day, carried bags and toddlers and had lots of photos taken, and, wait for it, I FELT GREAT! I was wearing my slimmer size 14 jeans, my size 14 coat, and felt like I deserved to wear them. (You know how sometimes you can sneak into a smaller size due to the brand being over-generous, the stretch being more than adequate, or the cut being slightly irregular, but never actually feel like that's your size...)
The day after London I was poorly, but I recovered within 48 hours to be back full of energy and enthusiasm. My eating habits have changed, so my energy levels have improved, and my overall fitness is on the up. Walking is about all the exercise I'm doing at the moment, but I'll be cycling in the spring, so perhaps 2013 will be even better. Work is going great, Flo is flourishing at preschool, and Scott's photography business is coming on in leaps and bounds. Oh, and I lost another pound this week, taking me to 12st12lb - a total weight loss of 1st 12lb. Nearly 2stone!!!
Merry Christmas everyone! See you on the other side!
Wednesday 12 December 2012
No longer a baker's dozen!
It has been a week of "being good" food-wise. I've had the odd chocolate, the odd *cough* Toby Carvery, a teeny tiny takeaway and, oh yeah, a complete Finnish Christmas dinner! For the uninitiated, a Finnish Christmas dinner is a joy to behold, and a joy to consume - we had Christmas ham, herrings, smoked salmon, potato bake, swede bake, carrot bake, red cabbage, *covers Flo's ears* reindeer, mushroom pie, mushroom salad, beetroot and apple salad and COPIOUS amounts of red wine.
Throughout my time with Weightwatchers I've not felt like I was on a diet. I've cut down on the alcohol, stopped buying daily chocolate bars, stopped sitting with a bowl of kettle chips whilst watching a film, and just thought a little more about the choices I make on an hour-to-hour, day-to-day basis. I don't feel deprived, I don't stand out like a sore thumb when eating with friends and family (ie I don't have a huge plate of salad when I eat out) and I still keep losing weight. It really goes to show how just a few small changes can make all the difference.
Would I like to sit eating a big bar of Dairy Milk? Yes! Would I enjoy it at the time? Undoubtedly! Would I beat myself up afterwards for wasting a week's worth of bonus points on a moment of idiocy? Damn right! I know I can have a small amount of chocolate, enjoy it, and then carry on with my day guilt-free. Feeling guilty about food is so unhealthy, as you inevitably start to either resent the diet, resent the forbidden food, or worse, resent the people around you who are, perhaps unwittingly, tempting you to eat. Nobody forces me to eat chocolate, crisps or KFC - I choose to. I know I can balance my diet by easing off in other areas. That's just how it works for me.
So, here's the great bit of news for this week - I've lost 2.5lb this week, which brings my weight down to 12st 13lb - yes, that's right! I'm under 13stone! This was my goal by Christmas, so I feel I've really achieved something this week. My total weightloss is now 25lb (in-meeting is 22.5lb) which is the most I've ever lost with Weightwatchers. Before I got married I lost 21lb but that took me down to 10st 2lb and a size 12. This time I'm thinking I ought to aim for 11.5-12st which would be a loss of around 3stone.
Another really positive note for the week - I've bumped into a few people I know who I've not seen for a while, and they've noticed a change in me. For some it's purely a size thing, but others have noticed a greater vitality, and more of the "old" Jeanie back. This is a combination of the weight loss and my new job, both of which are giving me the confidence to face the world with a smile.
Once again, thank you all for your support and encouragement. Hopefully will have some photos for you soon x
Throughout my time with Weightwatchers I've not felt like I was on a diet. I've cut down on the alcohol, stopped buying daily chocolate bars, stopped sitting with a bowl of kettle chips whilst watching a film, and just thought a little more about the choices I make on an hour-to-hour, day-to-day basis. I don't feel deprived, I don't stand out like a sore thumb when eating with friends and family (ie I don't have a huge plate of salad when I eat out) and I still keep losing weight. It really goes to show how just a few small changes can make all the difference.
Would I like to sit eating a big bar of Dairy Milk? Yes! Would I enjoy it at the time? Undoubtedly! Would I beat myself up afterwards for wasting a week's worth of bonus points on a moment of idiocy? Damn right! I know I can have a small amount of chocolate, enjoy it, and then carry on with my day guilt-free. Feeling guilty about food is so unhealthy, as you inevitably start to either resent the diet, resent the forbidden food, or worse, resent the people around you who are, perhaps unwittingly, tempting you to eat. Nobody forces me to eat chocolate, crisps or KFC - I choose to. I know I can balance my diet by easing off in other areas. That's just how it works for me.
So, here's the great bit of news for this week - I've lost 2.5lb this week, which brings my weight down to 12st 13lb - yes, that's right! I'm under 13stone! This was my goal by Christmas, so I feel I've really achieved something this week. My total weightloss is now 25lb (in-meeting is 22.5lb) which is the most I've ever lost with Weightwatchers. Before I got married I lost 21lb but that took me down to 10st 2lb and a size 12. This time I'm thinking I ought to aim for 11.5-12st which would be a loss of around 3stone.
Another really positive note for the week - I've bumped into a few people I know who I've not seen for a while, and they've noticed a change in me. For some it's purely a size thing, but others have noticed a greater vitality, and more of the "old" Jeanie back. This is a combination of the weight loss and my new job, both of which are giving me the confidence to face the world with a smile.
Once again, thank you all for your support and encouragement. Hopefully will have some photos for you soon x
Wednesday 5 December 2012
You've got to... Accen...tuate the positive...
I'll get the negative out of the way straight off - I've put on half a pound this week (shock horror!) but I am totally putting it down to the fact that I wore jeans and hi-top trainers instead of my usual workwear to the weigh-in.
Ok. so, that aside, here are some awesome positives that are making me smile immensely this week:
Only two more weigh-ins before Christmas... Can I get to the elusive 13 stone mark? I'm certain I can, and I'll let you know next week how I get on. For now, though, I'm off to wrap some Chrimbo presents.
Ok. so, that aside, here are some awesome positives that are making me smile immensely this week:
- I bought myself my first pair of size 14 jeans since the year I got married (2000)
- The jeans fit me comfortably
- One of my friends at M&S (where I used to work) commented that the jeans I was wearing (my supposedly skinny size 16s) were too baggy on the bum and I needed some smaller ones (thank you Kait!)
- I've had a good start to my working week
- Scott is being published in no less than 4 separate magazines this month
- Flo has been given her part in the preschool nativity, as a camel (rather than Mary, as she had told us!)
Only two more weigh-ins before Christmas... Can I get to the elusive 13 stone mark? I'm certain I can, and I'll let you know next week how I get on. For now, though, I'm off to wrap some Chrimbo presents.
Wednesday 28 November 2012
It's the final countdown! (diddle-ee-dee, diddle ee dee deee)
As the title suggests, we are in the final countdown of the year, so yes this post is about the run-up to Christmas, but sung in a very cheesy American karaoke voice with optional (compulsory?) air guitar...
Last week I did not blog. "Boo hiss!" I hear you cry... Well, I was feeling pretty let down (by myself) as I put on a pound last week. A well-earned pound, but a pound all the same. I knew it before getting on the scales, and short of turning up to Weightwatchers in a bikini and flip flops, nothing was going to tell the scales otherwise. And yes, before you ask, I HAD shaved my legs and cut my toenails - all to no avail! So no, I didn't blog, and yes, I did feel guilty about it all week.
Failure at the scales did not affect my mood, however, and I had a stonkingly good week at work, hit the shops at the weekend (being paid does make that a better experience!) and did still more Christmas shopping yesterday. I've even started wrapping (yes, wrapping) in November - ME! I've bought lovely crafty bits for Flo and I to make - going for full-on Kirsty Allsop status this year. I bought real meat from a real butchers, and have been eating sensibly, even going for the jacket potato with tuna yesterday rather than the all day breakfast (which was definitely calling to me with its cholesterol-laden voice).
You will, then, forgive me for being rather smug tonight. As not only did I lose the pound I'd put on last week, but an extra 2lb into the bargain, taking my weight to 13st 1lb. I'm nearly there!!! I've officially lost 10% of my body weight based on my WW start weight, which is an official 20.5lb. With the extra 2.5lb I lost between first getting on mum's scales and my first weigh-in, that's 23lb. One and a half stone (and a bit)!!! Tonight I received my 10% keyring at the meeting, and it made me feel even more motivated to keep this going.
Did I mention going shopping? Ooh, yes... shopping when you're losing weight - herein lies the problem. Do you buy clothes as you lose weight (because everything's getting a bit baggy and shapeless) or do you wait it out, see if you can drop another dress size? I'm split on this. I bought a size 16 coat early on in the autumn, and it was a snug but not tight fit. Seeing my reflection whilst wearing it the other day I felt (and looked) older than I am. Much older. Scott reckons it would be better if I put the fake fur hood trim back on, but the shapeless nature of the coat will never make me feel anything other than frumpy in it. Yesterday I found the solution - a gorgeous navy blue (work colour!) fitted hip-length duffle coat with furry hood trim and twiddly toggles. I loved it immediately, bought it as an early Christmas present to myself, and have since shown anyone who'll listen (and many who won't) that it is a size 14! Yippeeeeeeeeeee!
Definitely one of my smuggest blogs yet, but, hell, I think I deserve it! *smug face*
Yet again, thanks for the awesome support, the encouraging comments, and the recipe requests - it makes this process seem even easier knowing you're all behind me :D
Last week I did not blog. "Boo hiss!" I hear you cry... Well, I was feeling pretty let down (by myself) as I put on a pound last week. A well-earned pound, but a pound all the same. I knew it before getting on the scales, and short of turning up to Weightwatchers in a bikini and flip flops, nothing was going to tell the scales otherwise. And yes, before you ask, I HAD shaved my legs and cut my toenails - all to no avail! So no, I didn't blog, and yes, I did feel guilty about it all week.
Failure at the scales did not affect my mood, however, and I had a stonkingly good week at work, hit the shops at the weekend (being paid does make that a better experience!) and did still more Christmas shopping yesterday. I've even started wrapping (yes, wrapping) in November - ME! I've bought lovely crafty bits for Flo and I to make - going for full-on Kirsty Allsop status this year. I bought real meat from a real butchers, and have been eating sensibly, even going for the jacket potato with tuna yesterday rather than the all day breakfast (which was definitely calling to me with its cholesterol-laden voice).
You will, then, forgive me for being rather smug tonight. As not only did I lose the pound I'd put on last week, but an extra 2lb into the bargain, taking my weight to 13st 1lb. I'm nearly there!!! I've officially lost 10% of my body weight based on my WW start weight, which is an official 20.5lb. With the extra 2.5lb I lost between first getting on mum's scales and my first weigh-in, that's 23lb. One and a half stone (and a bit)!!! Tonight I received my 10% keyring at the meeting, and it made me feel even more motivated to keep this going.
Did I mention going shopping? Ooh, yes... shopping when you're losing weight - herein lies the problem. Do you buy clothes as you lose weight (because everything's getting a bit baggy and shapeless) or do you wait it out, see if you can drop another dress size? I'm split on this. I bought a size 16 coat early on in the autumn, and it was a snug but not tight fit. Seeing my reflection whilst wearing it the other day I felt (and looked) older than I am. Much older. Scott reckons it would be better if I put the fake fur hood trim back on, but the shapeless nature of the coat will never make me feel anything other than frumpy in it. Yesterday I found the solution - a gorgeous navy blue (work colour!) fitted hip-length duffle coat with furry hood trim and twiddly toggles. I loved it immediately, bought it as an early Christmas present to myself, and have since shown anyone who'll listen (and many who won't) that it is a size 14! Yippeeeeeeeeeee!
Definitely one of my smuggest blogs yet, but, hell, I think I deserve it! *smug face*
Yet again, thanks for the awesome support, the encouraging comments, and the recipe requests - it makes this process seem even easier knowing you're all behind me :D
Wednesday 14 November 2012
Not feeling 100%
I'm not feeling 100% today. D'ya wanna know why? Do ya? It's because I've lost 10% of my body weight, so I'm now only 90% of the old me!!!! Wahoooooooooooooo!
Can you tell I'm pleased? I've now lost a stone and a half, and losing 10% of your bodyweight if you're obese (as I am) gives many health benefits, for example reduced cholesterol, improved blood pressure, less chance of having type 2 diabetes and more. I lost 1.5lb this week, taking me to 13st 3lb. 13st by Christmas doesn't look too difficult now... maybe even by the first week of December!
I didn't look at my BMI (Body Mass Index) when I started, but have calculated it now. When I started the WW plan 72 days ago my BMI was 34.2, so I was well and truly in the OBESE category. Now my BMI is 30.7, so I am edging closer to being just "overweight".
I'm going to put my success this week down to eating the sort of food that I love in quantities I never would have been content with. Many of you who are friends with me on Facebook will have read POTATOGATE. For those of you who are not, here it is... "Dinner tonight was roast chicken, roast potatoes, cauliflower and carrots. Due to my weight watching, I went for masses of veg, one chicken breast and just one, very crisp, perfectly formed roast potato. This is my treat, you see. I don't resent this, it's how I choose to make my diet work for me. What I DO resent is saving my ONE potato till near the end of the meal, at which point a certain small person looks longingly at the potato, then lovingly at me to say, "Mummy, can I have just one more potato? Please?" before swiping said potato off my plate with her fork."
I can easily give up roast potatoes in the sort of quantities I used to eat - easily 6-8 potatoes with my roast - but to lose my only potato right at the end of my meal did make me irrationally upset. I made a chocolate and ginger cheesecake at the weekend to eat with friends after dinner (my friend Steve cooked a wonderful chicken casserole with buttery mash and greens). I had a small slice (and may actually calculate the entire recipe in terms of points if I ever make it again) and loved the indulgence of it, the naughtiness of it, and the fact I had 4 days to reign it all back in again in time for my weigh-in. That for me is key - I can indulge, as long as I then get back on track.
My other way of coping with "the diet" is by making soups. I am currently working my way through a batch of zero point vegetable soup - ingredients below. One of my colleagues at work commented today that the soup smelled of "farts". Lovely! And I won't deny, there are some breezy side-effects associated with eating so many vegetables... but if I eat a lovely tasty soup with zero points for lunch, I can then eat a normal dinner with my family, side effects or no.
Once again, I thank you all for your comments, messages and support. Only a few more weeks until Christmas, so maybe I'll get a photoshoot with my lovely man then...
Warming cabbage soup
Half a white cabbage, shredded
One butternut squash, diced
3 large carrots, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 onion
1tsp oil
1 tablespoon of flour
1 chicken stock cube in 3 pints of water
Paprika
Coriander (ground and leaf)
Black pepper
Fry onion in oil. Remove from heat, then stir in flour. Add stock gradually, stirring to make a roux sauce (but without the milk). When all the stock is combined, return to the heat, add vegetables and stir until you reach boiling point, then leave to simmer until all vegetables are soft. Add spices to taste (I used about 1tsp of paprika, 1/2 tsp of each type of coriander and a good pinch of black pepper. Keep tasting until you're happy with it. Nutmeg works well with this soup - just use what you have.
Can you tell I'm pleased? I've now lost a stone and a half, and losing 10% of your bodyweight if you're obese (as I am) gives many health benefits, for example reduced cholesterol, improved blood pressure, less chance of having type 2 diabetes and more. I lost 1.5lb this week, taking me to 13st 3lb. 13st by Christmas doesn't look too difficult now... maybe even by the first week of December!
I didn't look at my BMI (Body Mass Index) when I started, but have calculated it now. When I started the WW plan 72 days ago my BMI was 34.2, so I was well and truly in the OBESE category. Now my BMI is 30.7, so I am edging closer to being just "overweight".
I'm going to put my success this week down to eating the sort of food that I love in quantities I never would have been content with. Many of you who are friends with me on Facebook will have read POTATOGATE. For those of you who are not, here it is... "Dinner tonight was roast chicken, roast potatoes, cauliflower and carrots. Due to my weight watching, I went for masses of veg, one chicken breast and just one, very crisp, perfectly formed roast potato. This is my treat, you see. I don't resent this, it's how I choose to make my diet work for me. What I DO resent is saving my ONE potato till near the end of the meal, at which point a certain small person looks longingly at the potato, then lovingly at me to say, "Mummy, can I have just one more potato? Please?" before swiping said potato off my plate with her fork."
I can easily give up roast potatoes in the sort of quantities I used to eat - easily 6-8 potatoes with my roast - but to lose my only potato right at the end of my meal did make me irrationally upset. I made a chocolate and ginger cheesecake at the weekend to eat with friends after dinner (my friend Steve cooked a wonderful chicken casserole with buttery mash and greens). I had a small slice (and may actually calculate the entire recipe in terms of points if I ever make it again) and loved the indulgence of it, the naughtiness of it, and the fact I had 4 days to reign it all back in again in time for my weigh-in. That for me is key - I can indulge, as long as I then get back on track.
My other way of coping with "the diet" is by making soups. I am currently working my way through a batch of zero point vegetable soup - ingredients below. One of my colleagues at work commented today that the soup smelled of "farts". Lovely! And I won't deny, there are some breezy side-effects associated with eating so many vegetables... but if I eat a lovely tasty soup with zero points for lunch, I can then eat a normal dinner with my family, side effects or no.
Once again, I thank you all for your comments, messages and support. Only a few more weeks until Christmas, so maybe I'll get a photoshoot with my lovely man then...
Warming cabbage soup
Half a white cabbage, shredded
One butternut squash, diced
3 large carrots, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 onion
1tsp oil
1 tablespoon of flour
1 chicken stock cube in 3 pints of water
Paprika
Coriander (ground and leaf)
Black pepper
Fry onion in oil. Remove from heat, then stir in flour. Add stock gradually, stirring to make a roux sauce (but without the milk). When all the stock is combined, return to the heat, add vegetables and stir until you reach boiling point, then leave to simmer until all vegetables are soft. Add spices to taste (I used about 1tsp of paprika, 1/2 tsp of each type of coriander and a good pinch of black pepper. Keep tasting until you're happy with it. Nutmeg works well with this soup - just use what you have.
Wednesday 7 November 2012
Eating out, Eating in, Eating Everywhere!
Ok, hands up who noticed I didn't blog last week? Or were you (like me) too busy thinking of the poor little mites dressed in skimpy little Halloween costumes, dishing out sweeties to the ones who braved the cold snap and rain and then polishing off the leftovers... not that I did that... much...
I have to admit, I love the autumn - it's a time of year where it's acceptable to dress from head-to-toe in snuggly knitwear, to spend time indoors baking, and to eat delicious hearty soups. Put another way, it's a time when you are more likely to catch a glimpse in a shop window or store mirror whilst wearing said knitwear, plus a huge coat, scarf and hat, and think, "My word, I look big!" It pays to remember that underneath all those layers there is a very different shape, and that everyone else (if they're sensible) is equally wrapped-up and couldn't care less how lumpy you feel. The baking thing, though, can get dangerous. I've found myself baking more biscuits (which I have to eat whilst warm, of course) and this week I've made a huge batch of chutney. Not eating it all is a challenge, so I'm giving things away - it's the cooking I enjoy, not the extra weight when I eat it.
I've had a few "challenging" days in the past fortnight. Days in which, had I let myself, I could have EASILY eaten a full week's worth of points in one meal.
My colleagues and I went out for a Chinese meal last week, all paid for by the company. This in itself is risky - you mean, I can eat what I like and don't have to pay? *Claps hands in delight!* I will at this point admit that the starter platters were very tempting, but my appetite is thankfully less than it once was, and I stuck with the non-battered dishes (mostly) and far fewer items overall. When the crispy duck with Hoi Sin and pancakes came round I asked if I could have hot and sour soup. Not a problem. And boy, was I relieved this evening when I asked my WW leader about my choice - duck pancakes work out at 9points each, and you can easily eat 3 or 4. Hot and sour soup - 4points! Winner!
A good friend of ours came round for a curry just two days after the Chinese meal, and I'm afraid I just had my usual curry, rice, popadoms and naan bread... so I really deserved to put on weight - surely? Well, considering the Chinese was taken up by one week's bonus points, and the Indian meal used the following week's bonus points, I just ate sensibly the rest of the week, bulking up on veg and fruit, keeping alcohol to a minimum and just taking it easy.
Imagine my surprise (and joy!) to find this week that I've lost another 3lbs. This takes my total weight loss to 19.5lb - 1st 5.5lb (official WW loss is 17lb - 1st 3lb). Not bad for 9 weeks. At this rate I should get to my 13st target by Christmas - only 5 more weigh-ins to go and only 4.5lb to lose!
Right, that'll do for now - thanks for the support everyone, and fellow Weight Watchers - hang in there!
I have to admit, I love the autumn - it's a time of year where it's acceptable to dress from head-to-toe in snuggly knitwear, to spend time indoors baking, and to eat delicious hearty soups. Put another way, it's a time when you are more likely to catch a glimpse in a shop window or store mirror whilst wearing said knitwear, plus a huge coat, scarf and hat, and think, "My word, I look big!" It pays to remember that underneath all those layers there is a very different shape, and that everyone else (if they're sensible) is equally wrapped-up and couldn't care less how lumpy you feel. The baking thing, though, can get dangerous. I've found myself baking more biscuits (which I have to eat whilst warm, of course) and this week I've made a huge batch of chutney. Not eating it all is a challenge, so I'm giving things away - it's the cooking I enjoy, not the extra weight when I eat it.
I've had a few "challenging" days in the past fortnight. Days in which, had I let myself, I could have EASILY eaten a full week's worth of points in one meal.
My colleagues and I went out for a Chinese meal last week, all paid for by the company. This in itself is risky - you mean, I can eat what I like and don't have to pay? *Claps hands in delight!* I will at this point admit that the starter platters were very tempting, but my appetite is thankfully less than it once was, and I stuck with the non-battered dishes (mostly) and far fewer items overall. When the crispy duck with Hoi Sin and pancakes came round I asked if I could have hot and sour soup. Not a problem. And boy, was I relieved this evening when I asked my WW leader about my choice - duck pancakes work out at 9points each, and you can easily eat 3 or 4. Hot and sour soup - 4points! Winner!
A good friend of ours came round for a curry just two days after the Chinese meal, and I'm afraid I just had my usual curry, rice, popadoms and naan bread... so I really deserved to put on weight - surely? Well, considering the Chinese was taken up by one week's bonus points, and the Indian meal used the following week's bonus points, I just ate sensibly the rest of the week, bulking up on veg and fruit, keeping alcohol to a minimum and just taking it easy.
Imagine my surprise (and joy!) to find this week that I've lost another 3lbs. This takes my total weight loss to 19.5lb - 1st 5.5lb (official WW loss is 17lb - 1st 3lb). Not bad for 9 weeks. At this rate I should get to my 13st target by Christmas - only 5 more weigh-ins to go and only 4.5lb to lose!
Right, that'll do for now - thanks for the support everyone, and fellow Weight Watchers - hang in there!
Wednesday 24 October 2012
Finger lickin' good! (or bad?)
After last week's telling off at Weight Watchers I could easily have gone either way - I could have become the militant, hardcore Weight Watcher, always with a 1point snack at the ready should temptation come my way, constantly munching on fruit and turning my nose up at the slightest whiff of vino or, dare I say it, cake... or I could become the "hang-it-all, I'm quitting" type, having a major binge whilst blowing raspberries and sticking my fingers up at my tracker...
Not me! I focused on making lovely home-made soups, bulking up on vegetables and choosing leaner cuts of meat and fish. My salmon and vegetable soup last week saw me through a couple of work lunches, then I opted for freshly-made sandwiches with simple fillings from the convenience store up the road.
At the weekend I took Flo to Southampton. This, in itself, is not a major event, granted, but it could have turned into a foodfest easily! The thing with it being just the two of us for a change, is that there is less pressure (perceived or otherwise) to eat crap. We walked from our home to the ferry (about a mile), took the little train up the pier, then the ferry across the water to Town Quay, where we picked up a free bus to take us to West Quay. Perfect! In true "ladies that lunch" style, we went to Marks and Spencer for a pot of tea and a babycino. We had no cake as we had eaten lunch before we left (Strike one to Jeanie!). After a bit of window shopping and picking up a few basics, we went to Asda and chose a quick snack - cooked chicken skewers (only 1 point per 2 skewers) and some fruit, then headed home. So no MacDonalds, no Pizza Hut, and no oh-so-sneaky Fat Jackets (they sound as though they should be healthy, but you really don't want to know!).
That's half of the week done, easy peasy! Throw into the equation a family birthday party on Sunday, though, and you can start to panic... it's days like Sunday that I'm glad I don't dip into my bonus points on a regular basis. I had a biscuit (that I'd made, I might add), some nachos, dips, chilli with rice, CHOCOLATE CAKE and other nibbles. This I could probably get away with on any good week. This week, though, I took my parents home after the party, around 6.30-7pm, driving past a MacDonalds and KFC. When I say driving past, I actually mean, driving into and ordering an eat-in family bucket with extra crispy strips. My part in this calamity cost me 20 points. Maybe 25 with the popcorn chicken of doom I accidentally "helped" Flo with.
Monday I did a big weekly shop, stocking up on fresh fruit and veg. This makes my life SO much easier from a diet perspective, as most fruit and veg are "free" on WW, so I tend to fill 3/4 of my plate with veg, with small amounts of meat and potato. Sounds dull, but I love veg, and I don't feel at all deprived.
Enough of that! I shouldn't polish my halo TOO much - I've been less than angelic food-wise. Tell that to the scales, though, because today I weighed in 3.5lb LESS than last week! This takes my overall weight loss to 1st 2.5lb, and my WW weight loss to 1stone exactly. I reckon I can lose another half stone at least by Christmas, so here is my pledge - to weigh 12stone-something by my final weigh-in on 19th December. I know I can do it, with or with out Colonel Sanders!
Yet again, thank you all so much for the support - I love your comments after my posts :D
Not me! I focused on making lovely home-made soups, bulking up on vegetables and choosing leaner cuts of meat and fish. My salmon and vegetable soup last week saw me through a couple of work lunches, then I opted for freshly-made sandwiches with simple fillings from the convenience store up the road.
At the weekend I took Flo to Southampton. This, in itself, is not a major event, granted, but it could have turned into a foodfest easily! The thing with it being just the two of us for a change, is that there is less pressure (perceived or otherwise) to eat crap. We walked from our home to the ferry (about a mile), took the little train up the pier, then the ferry across the water to Town Quay, where we picked up a free bus to take us to West Quay. Perfect! In true "ladies that lunch" style, we went to Marks and Spencer for a pot of tea and a babycino. We had no cake as we had eaten lunch before we left (Strike one to Jeanie!). After a bit of window shopping and picking up a few basics, we went to Asda and chose a quick snack - cooked chicken skewers (only 1 point per 2 skewers) and some fruit, then headed home. So no MacDonalds, no Pizza Hut, and no oh-so-sneaky Fat Jackets (they sound as though they should be healthy, but you really don't want to know!).
That's half of the week done, easy peasy! Throw into the equation a family birthday party on Sunday, though, and you can start to panic... it's days like Sunday that I'm glad I don't dip into my bonus points on a regular basis. I had a biscuit (that I'd made, I might add), some nachos, dips, chilli with rice, CHOCOLATE CAKE and other nibbles. This I could probably get away with on any good week. This week, though, I took my parents home after the party, around 6.30-7pm, driving past a MacDonalds and KFC. When I say driving past, I actually mean, driving into and ordering an eat-in family bucket with extra crispy strips. My part in this calamity cost me 20 points. Maybe 25 with the popcorn chicken of doom I accidentally "helped" Flo with.
Monday I did a big weekly shop, stocking up on fresh fruit and veg. This makes my life SO much easier from a diet perspective, as most fruit and veg are "free" on WW, so I tend to fill 3/4 of my plate with veg, with small amounts of meat and potato. Sounds dull, but I love veg, and I don't feel at all deprived.
Enough of that! I shouldn't polish my halo TOO much - I've been less than angelic food-wise. Tell that to the scales, though, because today I weighed in 3.5lb LESS than last week! This takes my overall weight loss to 1st 2.5lb, and my WW weight loss to 1stone exactly. I reckon I can lose another half stone at least by Christmas, so here is my pledge - to weigh 12stone-something by my final weigh-in on 19th December. I know I can do it, with or with out Colonel Sanders!
Yet again, thank you all so much for the support - I love your comments after my posts :D
Wednesday 17 October 2012
Blame Toby
I think I got off lightly this week - I was fully expecting Katie at WW to say "You've put on two pounds!" so was very relieved to have stayed the same. Here's why...
First: I didn't track. This is one of the fundamentals of Weight Watchers - you have to track. Keeping tabs on the food you've eaten during the day not only allows you to reward yourself on low-point days but also means you have an accurate idea of how many "bonus" points you can use if you happen to go out for a meal.
Second: I baked biscuits. I'm usually pretty good with this, as I can restrict myself to one or two. I took half of them to my mum's as my brother, sister-in-law and niece were all there for the afternoon. Of course I had to try a couple more while I was there. What I didn't need was the extra 4 or 5 when I got home. For that I look to my next issue...
Third: Scott was away most of the weekend. Being the wife of a very successful and busy photographer has its perks, don't get me wrong (I can get as wrinkly as a prune and he magically smooths away the lines on any photos of me in Photoshop!) but one thing I find difficult is the amount of time he's away from home, particularly at weekends. I usually end up either not making much of a meal for myself, concentrating on Flo, or I say "stuff it!" and eat like a pig. It's daft really, as it is SO counter-productive, but I can't tell myself that at the time.
Fourth: I went out for the day with mum and nan. This is always a positive thing - I get to spend some quality time on a four-generation day out. What makes it slightly awkward is the fact that occasionally we want to celebrate, and this week nan was adamant that we would celebrate my new job by stuffing ourselves silly at the Toby Carvery at Christchurch. In and of itself this wouldn't really have been a problem, as I restricted my potatoes to three, and went for turkey rather than beef and positively HEAPED my plate with veg. What really did it for me was the afternoon tea at Stewart's garden centre - a sharing plate of sandwiches, scones, fairy cakes and shortbread. It's one of those "too good to miss" type deals, and I think for all of us it cost around £10. I didn't need it though, and I should have said to mum and nan to just get themselves a cream tea and I'd have some fruit salad. The fact that I didn't is purely my fault. I'd still like to blame Toby though.
Fifth: I haven't been shopping since last week. I'm out of my favourite fruits, I've got very little in the stock cupboard, and I'm all out of home-made soup. Unfortunately, until I get paid at the end of the week, this situation is not going to change. Having to wait an extra ten days after my usual payday is actually fairly crippling financially.
At my WW group this evening, only a few women had lost weight. Many had stayed the same, and some had put on. This led to quite an interesting discussion on our lack of self-control. One woman suggested that over-eating actually IS a form of control - we CHOOSE to eat more, whether we feel worthless in ourselves, or, worse, to SPITE someone else. I feel both apply to me this week. I am perfectly capable of saying no to food, it's just that this week I chose not to. I said I'd be honest and open in this blog, so there you are. I haven't failed, but I'm not impressed with myself. Next week will be better. Scott is away all weekend again, but I'm going to try and keep busy and make sure the fruit bowl is full of tasty treats. The cap of resolve is firmly in place - woe betide any who try to knock it off!
First: I didn't track. This is one of the fundamentals of Weight Watchers - you have to track. Keeping tabs on the food you've eaten during the day not only allows you to reward yourself on low-point days but also means you have an accurate idea of how many "bonus" points you can use if you happen to go out for a meal.
Second: I baked biscuits. I'm usually pretty good with this, as I can restrict myself to one or two. I took half of them to my mum's as my brother, sister-in-law and niece were all there for the afternoon. Of course I had to try a couple more while I was there. What I didn't need was the extra 4 or 5 when I got home. For that I look to my next issue...
Third: Scott was away most of the weekend. Being the wife of a very successful and busy photographer has its perks, don't get me wrong (I can get as wrinkly as a prune and he magically smooths away the lines on any photos of me in Photoshop!) but one thing I find difficult is the amount of time he's away from home, particularly at weekends. I usually end up either not making much of a meal for myself, concentrating on Flo, or I say "stuff it!" and eat like a pig. It's daft really, as it is SO counter-productive, but I can't tell myself that at the time.
Fourth: I went out for the day with mum and nan. This is always a positive thing - I get to spend some quality time on a four-generation day out. What makes it slightly awkward is the fact that occasionally we want to celebrate, and this week nan was adamant that we would celebrate my new job by stuffing ourselves silly at the Toby Carvery at Christchurch. In and of itself this wouldn't really have been a problem, as I restricted my potatoes to three, and went for turkey rather than beef and positively HEAPED my plate with veg. What really did it for me was the afternoon tea at Stewart's garden centre - a sharing plate of sandwiches, scones, fairy cakes and shortbread. It's one of those "too good to miss" type deals, and I think for all of us it cost around £10. I didn't need it though, and I should have said to mum and nan to just get themselves a cream tea and I'd have some fruit salad. The fact that I didn't is purely my fault. I'd still like to blame Toby though.
Fifth: I haven't been shopping since last week. I'm out of my favourite fruits, I've got very little in the stock cupboard, and I'm all out of home-made soup. Unfortunately, until I get paid at the end of the week, this situation is not going to change. Having to wait an extra ten days after my usual payday is actually fairly crippling financially.
At my WW group this evening, only a few women had lost weight. Many had stayed the same, and some had put on. This led to quite an interesting discussion on our lack of self-control. One woman suggested that over-eating actually IS a form of control - we CHOOSE to eat more, whether we feel worthless in ourselves, or, worse, to SPITE someone else. I feel both apply to me this week. I am perfectly capable of saying no to food, it's just that this week I chose not to. I said I'd be honest and open in this blog, so there you are. I haven't failed, but I'm not impressed with myself. Next week will be better. Scott is away all weekend again, but I'm going to try and keep busy and make sure the fruit bowl is full of tasty treats. The cap of resolve is firmly in place - woe betide any who try to knock it off!
Wednesday 10 October 2012
It's ok to be naughty, as long as you track it!
Some weeks I can walk into my Weight Watchers meeting feeling virtuous, knowing I've "behaved" and avoided over-indulging. This is NOT that kind of week. I walked into the meeting feeling anything BUT virtuous. I have to blame my best friend Kirsty for this. Yes, that's right, I'm taking no part in this where blame is concerned. Here's why:
Eleven days ago I baked delicious chocolate biscuits. 16 of them to be precise. These were 3 points each, so I was careful and limited myself to a couple. However, on the way to visit Kirsty ten days ago I felt that my chocolate biscuits might not be entirely to the liking of our little monkeys, so I picked up a tube of Cadbury chunks and a BIG tube of Smarties (you know, the Christmas ones). We had a lovely time, ate lunch, ate a few biscuits and then looked at the sweets. Kirsty was dubious about keeping both tubes, so I opted to take the Smarties home with me. Flo LOVES Smarties, right?
WRONG!
On the revelation that Flo doesn't like Smarties I steadfastly decided that I could resist them. Unfortunately I put them on a shelf right above the coffee machine, right in my line of sight all day. I managed to ignore the tube for a week, but then the weekend hit. Scott was on shoots all day Sunday so I was a bit down, and sought solace in the little pellets of loveliness. In handfuls. Till they were gone. Granted, this ended up spread over 3 days, but still, a lot of points for not a lot of point, if you see my point. I tracked the tube, using my bonus points, and resolved to be extra good for the rest of the week.
So yes, I blame Kirsty. I love you really, Kirsty, but never ever let me take chocolate home with me.
To make up for my chocolate dalliance, I decided to make a huge vat of soup - always good for a bowl of soup, me. I'd picked up a side of salmon from the bargain shelf in Tesco, so I went for salmon and vegetable. I made enough for 14 individual portions (only used a tiny bit of salmon though - cut the rest up for other meals). Last time I made soup I thought it would be a good idea to batch up two bowls at a time in takeaway tubs, because in my head I always sit to eat a meal with Mr C. Sadly we don't always eat together, particularly at lunchtime, which is traditionally my soup time. Needless to say, my last soup was in double quantities, with me eating two portions for 5points rather than one portion for 2 points. I would not make this mistake again. My salmon soup I portioned into little Ikea freezer bags (the press-seal ones) using 4 ladles per bag. Each portion - 1 point :D
Ok, so a little bit of penance, a little bit of making amends... but still had to walk into Weight Watchers feeling as though there was evidence of my Smartie-related wrong-doing all over my face. Incredibly I managed to lose a further 1.5lb this week, proving that it's OK to be naughty, as long as you track it!
So, overall weight loss is now 13.5lb (WW official weightloss is 10.5lb). I weigh 13st 11lb, so I'm getting there, slowly. I think I'd like to aim for 13 stone by Christmas. I'm sure I can do it - 1lb a week consistently from now on should just about get me there. My leader asked me about my blog at the meeting this week, so if any of my lovely Marchwood ladies read this, please say hello on the comments. Thank you for reading xxx
Eleven days ago I baked delicious chocolate biscuits. 16 of them to be precise. These were 3 points each, so I was careful and limited myself to a couple. However, on the way to visit Kirsty ten days ago I felt that my chocolate biscuits might not be entirely to the liking of our little monkeys, so I picked up a tube of Cadbury chunks and a BIG tube of Smarties (you know, the Christmas ones). We had a lovely time, ate lunch, ate a few biscuits and then looked at the sweets. Kirsty was dubious about keeping both tubes, so I opted to take the Smarties home with me. Flo LOVES Smarties, right?
WRONG!
On the revelation that Flo doesn't like Smarties I steadfastly decided that I could resist them. Unfortunately I put them on a shelf right above the coffee machine, right in my line of sight all day. I managed to ignore the tube for a week, but then the weekend hit. Scott was on shoots all day Sunday so I was a bit down, and sought solace in the little pellets of loveliness. In handfuls. Till they were gone. Granted, this ended up spread over 3 days, but still, a lot of points for not a lot of point, if you see my point. I tracked the tube, using my bonus points, and resolved to be extra good for the rest of the week.
So yes, I blame Kirsty. I love you really, Kirsty, but never ever let me take chocolate home with me.
To make up for my chocolate dalliance, I decided to make a huge vat of soup - always good for a bowl of soup, me. I'd picked up a side of salmon from the bargain shelf in Tesco, so I went for salmon and vegetable. I made enough for 14 individual portions (only used a tiny bit of salmon though - cut the rest up for other meals). Last time I made soup I thought it would be a good idea to batch up two bowls at a time in takeaway tubs, because in my head I always sit to eat a meal with Mr C. Sadly we don't always eat together, particularly at lunchtime, which is traditionally my soup time. Needless to say, my last soup was in double quantities, with me eating two portions for 5points rather than one portion for 2 points. I would not make this mistake again. My salmon soup I portioned into little Ikea freezer bags (the press-seal ones) using 4 ladles per bag. Each portion - 1 point :D
Ok, so a little bit of penance, a little bit of making amends... but still had to walk into Weight Watchers feeling as though there was evidence of my Smartie-related wrong-doing all over my face. Incredibly I managed to lose a further 1.5lb this week, proving that it's OK to be naughty, as long as you track it!
So, overall weight loss is now 13.5lb (WW official weightloss is 10.5lb). I weigh 13st 11lb, so I'm getting there, slowly. I think I'd like to aim for 13 stone by Christmas. I'm sure I can do it - 1lb a week consistently from now on should just about get me there. My leader asked me about my blog at the meeting this week, so if any of my lovely Marchwood ladies read this, please say hello on the comments. Thank you for reading xxx
Wednesday 3 October 2012
New job, new dress size, new goals!
It would appear I had a rather good end to September/start to October. Last Friday I completed my final shift as a bra fitter and this week I've been training for my new job. It's strange. Over the years I've had many different jobs, and have left for all sorts of different reasons - end of contract, move to permanent role elsewhere, to go and do something "worthwhile", to have a baby etc. This time was different again.
Working in retail is fairly straight-forward. I'll never say it's easy, as you're on your feet most of the day, face to face with the public who often have a very set (and perhaps not terribly accurate) idea of the sort of person they are going to be served by, all the while smiling, staying positive and making the best of what you do. It is not a job I disliked by any means, but it was certainly not fulfilling all that I seek from a career.
The key objective for me in leaving was to move into a business where working part-time hours doesn't automatically put you on the back foot. Banking seems to match this objective really well. I'm not allowed to say where I work (some of you may know already), as we've been told emphatically that we cannot publicise this in case someone uses the information to make us commit fraud, or to blackmail or bribe us. Sounds pretty drastic, but I can see their point. Anyway, suffice to say, I now work for one of the UK's leading financial institutions, and will be seeking to progress from a cashier to an adviser as soon as I am qualified. Because I can progress. The phrase used in my interview was "part-time hours, full-time mentality".
So this week, training has well and truly begun. I'm working Mon-Fri for the first time in 3 years, which has been a culture shock to say the least! Granted, I've not had to travel too far, as my training is in Southampton, whereas my fellow trainees have traveled from South Cornwall, South Wales, West Sussex and Hertfordshire. Unfortunately temptations are many when you are training, particularly with a chap delivering sandwiches, crisps, hot food, chocolate and other tasty treats every lunchtime. I've averted diet disaster by taking in a flask of hot soup, purchasing a salad, and today taking in more soup, this time for microwaving in the training department.
So, what is the outcome of this tumultuous week in terms of my Weight Watchers diet? A loss of 2.5lb, taking my total loss to 11.5lb and my official WW lost to 9lb. I also wore my size 16 smart trousers today for the first time this year (couldn't do them up before!) so I'm definitely heading in the right direction. My current weight stands at 13st 12.5lb. My 5% goal is 13st 12lb, so I'm now looking at my new goal of 13st 3lb, which would be a 10% drop from my start weight of 14st 10.5. Not bad, eh?
I'm feeling pretty good about how quickly this is happening. I'm not hungry, I don't feel deprived, as I'm still eating occasional chocolate and snacks, and tonight I've had one of my favourite meals as a real (high in points!) treat - home made lasagne with garlic bread. Yum! So, onwards and upwards (or downwards might be more apt!). Thanks once again for all the support. I love to hear that you've read my blog, and even more when you comment. It really means a lot and makes the whole journey much easier.
Working in retail is fairly straight-forward. I'll never say it's easy, as you're on your feet most of the day, face to face with the public who often have a very set (and perhaps not terribly accurate) idea of the sort of person they are going to be served by, all the while smiling, staying positive and making the best of what you do. It is not a job I disliked by any means, but it was certainly not fulfilling all that I seek from a career.
The key objective for me in leaving was to move into a business where working part-time hours doesn't automatically put you on the back foot. Banking seems to match this objective really well. I'm not allowed to say where I work (some of you may know already), as we've been told emphatically that we cannot publicise this in case someone uses the information to make us commit fraud, or to blackmail or bribe us. Sounds pretty drastic, but I can see their point. Anyway, suffice to say, I now work for one of the UK's leading financial institutions, and will be seeking to progress from a cashier to an adviser as soon as I am qualified. Because I can progress. The phrase used in my interview was "part-time hours, full-time mentality".
So this week, training has well and truly begun. I'm working Mon-Fri for the first time in 3 years, which has been a culture shock to say the least! Granted, I've not had to travel too far, as my training is in Southampton, whereas my fellow trainees have traveled from South Cornwall, South Wales, West Sussex and Hertfordshire. Unfortunately temptations are many when you are training, particularly with a chap delivering sandwiches, crisps, hot food, chocolate and other tasty treats every lunchtime. I've averted diet disaster by taking in a flask of hot soup, purchasing a salad, and today taking in more soup, this time for microwaving in the training department.
So, what is the outcome of this tumultuous week in terms of my Weight Watchers diet? A loss of 2.5lb, taking my total loss to 11.5lb and my official WW lost to 9lb. I also wore my size 16 smart trousers today for the first time this year (couldn't do them up before!) so I'm definitely heading in the right direction. My current weight stands at 13st 12.5lb. My 5% goal is 13st 12lb, so I'm now looking at my new goal of 13st 3lb, which would be a 10% drop from my start weight of 14st 10.5. Not bad, eh?
I'm feeling pretty good about how quickly this is happening. I'm not hungry, I don't feel deprived, as I'm still eating occasional chocolate and snacks, and tonight I've had one of my favourite meals as a real (high in points!) treat - home made lasagne with garlic bread. Yum! So, onwards and upwards (or downwards might be more apt!). Thanks once again for all the support. I love to hear that you've read my blog, and even more when you comment. It really means a lot and makes the whole journey much easier.
Wednesday 26 September 2012
Big changes in the Chalmers household
Ok, so I'll get to the point straight away today - I lost 1/2lb... I'm a bit dejected about this, but I'm realising this shouldn't feel like a failure in any way - it's still a loss, and I had an exceptional week last week. It takes my total loss to 9lb and my official Weight Watchers loss to 6.5lb. I'll try to explain why this may not have been such a great week in terms of weight loss...
Firstly, Scott and I have rediscovered fajitas. These seemingly innocent little wraps filled with spicy goodness are sneaky little buggers! The wraps alone are 5pts each (unless you buy the tiny WW ones for 3pts) and I always have 2 (before it would have been 3 easily!). I used lots of peppers, onions and mushrooms plus a small amount of chicken (I kept this separate so Scott could lean his towards chicken and I could lean mine towards veggies). Add a dollop of sour cream for 1pt and some salsa and it's not difficult to have a 20 point meal - 2/3 of the points for the day. And we did this two days in a row!
We also ate out Saturday, having a notoriously dangerous Chinese buffet for lunch. I tried to stick with the vegetarian options or the non-battered meat, but the sauces are very high in fat and sugar, so to be honest, I probably used most of my bonus points for the week in that one meal :(
So, all things considered, I did well to lose at all really - I didn't deserve to! lol!
On a more personal, non-weight-loss related matter, there are some Big changes in the Chalmers household from next week - this Friday is my final shift at Marks and Spencer, so no more bra fitting for me (and no more slightly-too-tight uniform either, for that matter!). On Monday I start working for the Halifax, and will be embarking on two weeks of training full-time. The job itself starts on 17th October, and I will be working Weds-Sat each week. I start work at 8.45 now, so will be sending Flo off to nursery two mornings a week, along with her regular one-day preschool session. She gets breakfast, a snack and a cooked lunch each day there, and will then be with my mum for the afternoons, prior to my collecting her after work.
This new working pattern also means that I will be home for family dinner time and Flo's bedtime EVERY DAY for the first time in two years! The effect this should have on both our diet and our sleep patterns I can only guess at, but I am definitely looking forward to being a mummy in the evenings again. My Mum heard for herself the sort of things people think about working mums sending their children to nursery this week, and I actually feel that the way I'm working things now will be better for Flo, better for mum and better for Scott and I as a couple. Scott will no longer need to schedule his photoshoots around my shifts, as I'll be home before him every day. Hell, we might even have some time to ourselves in the evening occasionally!
It really feels like the right time for me to be making such a drastic change. I'm very grateful for the support from my colleagues and friends in getting to where I am today, and look to the future with an eager sense of trepidation and excitement.
Firstly, Scott and I have rediscovered fajitas. These seemingly innocent little wraps filled with spicy goodness are sneaky little buggers! The wraps alone are 5pts each (unless you buy the tiny WW ones for 3pts) and I always have 2 (before it would have been 3 easily!). I used lots of peppers, onions and mushrooms plus a small amount of chicken (I kept this separate so Scott could lean his towards chicken and I could lean mine towards veggies). Add a dollop of sour cream for 1pt and some salsa and it's not difficult to have a 20 point meal - 2/3 of the points for the day. And we did this two days in a row!
We also ate out Saturday, having a notoriously dangerous Chinese buffet for lunch. I tried to stick with the vegetarian options or the non-battered meat, but the sauces are very high in fat and sugar, so to be honest, I probably used most of my bonus points for the week in that one meal :(
So, all things considered, I did well to lose at all really - I didn't deserve to! lol!
On a more personal, non-weight-loss related matter, there are some Big changes in the Chalmers household from next week - this Friday is my final shift at Marks and Spencer, so no more bra fitting for me (and no more slightly-too-tight uniform either, for that matter!). On Monday I start working for the Halifax, and will be embarking on two weeks of training full-time. The job itself starts on 17th October, and I will be working Weds-Sat each week. I start work at 8.45 now, so will be sending Flo off to nursery two mornings a week, along with her regular one-day preschool session. She gets breakfast, a snack and a cooked lunch each day there, and will then be with my mum for the afternoons, prior to my collecting her after work.
This new working pattern also means that I will be home for family dinner time and Flo's bedtime EVERY DAY for the first time in two years! The effect this should have on both our diet and our sleep patterns I can only guess at, but I am definitely looking forward to being a mummy in the evenings again. My Mum heard for herself the sort of things people think about working mums sending their children to nursery this week, and I actually feel that the way I'm working things now will be better for Flo, better for mum and better for Scott and I as a couple. Scott will no longer need to schedule his photoshoots around my shifts, as I'll be home before him every day. Hell, we might even have some time to ourselves in the evening occasionally!
It really feels like the right time for me to be making such a drastic change. I'm very grateful for the support from my colleagues and friends in getting to where I am today, and look to the future with an eager sense of trepidation and excitement.
Wednesday 19 September 2012
Week 3 - Goodwood Revival and more!
Following on from last week's party weekend, this week I had another diet wrecker to watch out for - Goodwood Revival! Scott was there with the Vintage Hair Lounge from Friday to Sunday, taking photos of the hair and makeup makeovers, the artistes at work, the racing, the Spitfire fly-bys and of course the amazing cars.
On the Saturday, Flo and I joined him, leaving home just after 6am, arriving on site around 7.30. We found the pie counter for breakfast. I bought a bacon roll which I shared with Flo and Scott. Having started so early, by around 10am I felt like it must be lunchtime, so went off in search of healthy, hearty food. Big fail! Pie counter again, this time a sausage roll. Again I shared it. Lunch was a bit better - a rather dry (aka not too much sauce, so good for diet) chicken tikka.
This is me with Sharon from the Vintage Hair Lounge. She is seriously funny, extremely good at what she does, and immensely passionate about bringing the style, femininity and glamour of vintage looks into our faster paced world. You really feel different when you've spent time with people who live their lives in a different way, with different outlooks. I love it! Oh, and this is Sharon's lovely mum, Gloria, with a very sleepy Flo...
Festivals are an absolute killer for dieters. I had no idea what churros were before Goodwood. I know now. They are hot gooey sticks of loveliness, full of fat. But soooooo yummy. And mid afternoon, a very welcome snack. I counted them on my WW planner as I would donuts. Oh, and of course, Scott had to buy me a pint of Goodwood ale. Zoiks! We took a hell of a detour on the way home thanks to crappy roadsigns telling us "All routes this way" - a 10-mile trip north to Midhurst, adding a delightful 18 miles and 30 minutes to our journey. I'm pretty sure I ate something rubbish when I got home too.
Still, the weekend was amazing, the atmosphere was fantastic, everyone looked amazing in their vintage attire from the 40's, 50's and 60's and hey, a day off the diet shouldn't make tooooo much of a difference, should it?
One promise I made to Scott when we started this was that the money we DON'T spend on takeaways will be used to buy really good meat, so I bought a couple of beautiful rump steaks for us this week. It was a very welcome treat, and with a baked potato and some Philly it was pretty awesome.
The rest of the week has been pretty good - I made a lovely chicken and vegetable soup with a tomato base, which has been excellent for lunches. I've bought tons of fruit, stopped taking sugar in my tea and coffee, and have generally stuck within my daily allowance.
Even so, it was with some trepidation that I got on the scales this week at fat club. Flo was on the stage at the back of the hall, so I was a little distracted, but, joy of joys, this week I lost 4lb! I now weigh 14st 1.5lb A-ma-zing! Really happy. So, lets see how this week carries on. I've done what I call a "good" food shop, and have bought lots of fish, chicken fillets, Quorn and vegetables.
I'm still feeling really positive, and looking forward to getting my first silver seven at WW next week - basically a silver sticker when you lose half a stone. The 2.5lb I lost before my official weigh-in don't count, as that would have me on 8.5lb already, but next week I'll definitely lose some more. Watch this space...
On the Saturday, Flo and I joined him, leaving home just after 6am, arriving on site around 7.30. We found the pie counter for breakfast. I bought a bacon roll which I shared with Flo and Scott. Having started so early, by around 10am I felt like it must be lunchtime, so went off in search of healthy, hearty food. Big fail! Pie counter again, this time a sausage roll. Again I shared it. Lunch was a bit better - a rather dry (aka not too much sauce, so good for diet) chicken tikka.
This is me with Sharon from the Vintage Hair Lounge. She is seriously funny, extremely good at what she does, and immensely passionate about bringing the style, femininity and glamour of vintage looks into our faster paced world. You really feel different when you've spent time with people who live their lives in a different way, with different outlooks. I love it! Oh, and this is Sharon's lovely mum, Gloria, with a very sleepy Flo...
Festivals are an absolute killer for dieters. I had no idea what churros were before Goodwood. I know now. They are hot gooey sticks of loveliness, full of fat. But soooooo yummy. And mid afternoon, a very welcome snack. I counted them on my WW planner as I would donuts. Oh, and of course, Scott had to buy me a pint of Goodwood ale. Zoiks! We took a hell of a detour on the way home thanks to crappy roadsigns telling us "All routes this way" - a 10-mile trip north to Midhurst, adding a delightful 18 miles and 30 minutes to our journey. I'm pretty sure I ate something rubbish when I got home too.
Still, the weekend was amazing, the atmosphere was fantastic, everyone looked amazing in their vintage attire from the 40's, 50's and 60's and hey, a day off the diet shouldn't make tooooo much of a difference, should it?
One promise I made to Scott when we started this was that the money we DON'T spend on takeaways will be used to buy really good meat, so I bought a couple of beautiful rump steaks for us this week. It was a very welcome treat, and with a baked potato and some Philly it was pretty awesome.
The rest of the week has been pretty good - I made a lovely chicken and vegetable soup with a tomato base, which has been excellent for lunches. I've bought tons of fruit, stopped taking sugar in my tea and coffee, and have generally stuck within my daily allowance.
Even so, it was with some trepidation that I got on the scales this week at fat club. Flo was on the stage at the back of the hall, so I was a little distracted, but, joy of joys, this week I lost 4lb! I now weigh 14st 1.5lb A-ma-zing! Really happy. So, lets see how this week carries on. I've done what I call a "good" food shop, and have bought lots of fish, chicken fillets, Quorn and vegetables.
I'm still feeling really positive, and looking forward to getting my first silver seven at WW next week - basically a silver sticker when you lose half a stone. The 2.5lb I lost before my official weigh-in don't count, as that would have me on 8.5lb already, but next week I'll definitely lose some more. Watch this space...
Wednesday 12 September 2012
Birthday Week - Eek!
This week could have been pretty disastrous as far as my Weight Watchers diet is concerned - a toddler birthday party with very tempting finger food, cakes, and of course, more than a little stress; a big (nay, huge!) friends and family party with yet more cake, a huge vat of chilli and alcohol; the obligatory family meal at the local pub, plus the amazing news that I got a new job. All adds up to weight gain, rather than loss, on the face of it, doesn't it?
Well, I was very good on Saturday, making sure there were lots of fruit options in terms of snacks. I allowed myself a slice of chocolate cake at the kids party, and tracked it using my points calculator - 6 points! For the grown-up party I made a chilli using lean beef mince, lots of veg and chopped tomatoes, plus a vegetarian option made with beans and veg. I gave myself just a small portion of rice, some nachos and low-fat soured cream, and a mixture of both the meat and veg chilli, resulting in a filling, hearty meal.
Alcohol can be a problem for me at parties, as I tend to wander around with a huge wine (beer?) glass and keep topping up. Instead of this usually sad state of affairs, I opted for a bottle of Bulmers (again, 6 points) which lasted forever, some sugar-free fizzy pop and then a late small glass of rioja. Yum! This did mean that I was a bit of a grumpy arse by the end of the night, as everyone else was much more drunk than I was, and I was rather too aware of the noise we were making. All in all though, not bad.
A family meal with Flo and Scott on my birthday (the Sunday) was pretty successful - gammon, jacket potato and peas with a fried egg and slice of pineapple. I'd saved my points through the week, so still managed to stay within my limits. Fantastic!
Finding out I had a new job was a bit brilliant, but also made me want to celebrate/commiserate imminently leaving M&S. Thorntons Moments were a good option - one point each, easy to control myself.
Even with my self-control, I still had a slice of birthday cake for breakfast this morning, then a "slightly-too-large-to-be-diet-worthy" bowl of vege chilli for lunch. Weigh in this evening at Marchwood was scary. Usually in the first week you're expected to lose 4-6lb. I would be lucky not to PUT ON! So I was very relieved to find I'd lost 2lb, meaning I'm now down to 30points per week, and aiming for a better weight loss next week. I'm not entirely thrilled, but certainly not disappointed.
Onwards and upwards (or downwards, whichever way you look at it!).
Well, I was very good on Saturday, making sure there were lots of fruit options in terms of snacks. I allowed myself a slice of chocolate cake at the kids party, and tracked it using my points calculator - 6 points! For the grown-up party I made a chilli using lean beef mince, lots of veg and chopped tomatoes, plus a vegetarian option made with beans and veg. I gave myself just a small portion of rice, some nachos and low-fat soured cream, and a mixture of both the meat and veg chilli, resulting in a filling, hearty meal.
Alcohol can be a problem for me at parties, as I tend to wander around with a huge wine (beer?) glass and keep topping up. Instead of this usually sad state of affairs, I opted for a bottle of Bulmers (again, 6 points) which lasted forever, some sugar-free fizzy pop and then a late small glass of rioja. Yum! This did mean that I was a bit of a grumpy arse by the end of the night, as everyone else was much more drunk than I was, and I was rather too aware of the noise we were making. All in all though, not bad.
A family meal with Flo and Scott on my birthday (the Sunday) was pretty successful - gammon, jacket potato and peas with a fried egg and slice of pineapple. I'd saved my points through the week, so still managed to stay within my limits. Fantastic!
Finding out I had a new job was a bit brilliant, but also made me want to celebrate/commiserate imminently leaving M&S. Thorntons Moments were a good option - one point each, easy to control myself.
Even with my self-control, I still had a slice of birthday cake for breakfast this morning, then a "slightly-too-large-to-be-diet-worthy" bowl of vege chilli for lunch. Weigh in this evening at Marchwood was scary. Usually in the first week you're expected to lose 4-6lb. I would be lucky not to PUT ON! So I was very relieved to find I'd lost 2lb, meaning I'm now down to 30points per week, and aiming for a better weight loss next week. I'm not entirely thrilled, but certainly not disappointed.
Onwards and upwards (or downwards, whichever way you look at it!).
Wednesday 5 September 2012
First weigh-in
So, since starting my blog Monday I've had an amazing amount of support from friends old and new, with comments and private messages coming from so many people. Quite overwhelming. I'm not running the marathon or doing something amazing for charity, I'm just trying to lose some weight to look better on the rare occasion Mr C catches me on camera and to be healthier for my very energetic little girl.
At the moment we have no scales at home that work, so I weighed myself at mum's expecting to see 15stone something, but was pleasantly surprised to see that my weight has no ballooned - just my body! I weighed 14st10oz on Monday, having started following the Weightwatchers ProPoints plan from that morning. I measured myself too - hips, waist, bust, thighs and arms. It's all in cm on the WW site, which means very little to me, but at least I've made a start in recording my stats so far.
Monday was actually very easy - I started with Weetabix and banana. Not inspiring, but filling. Mid morning however, I had an ominous instant google message from the mister:
Scott: "How many points in a Belvita breakfast biscuit?"
Me: "Hang on... *uses points calculator to find out*... 2 points.
Scott: "Each?"
Me: "Yeah"
Scott: "Oh. I've had four."
Me: "Four points?"
Scott: "Four biscuits."
Me: "A quarter of your day's ration of points..."
One thing I'm liking about WW is the increased flexibility, aimed at creating more realistic lifestyle choices, less deprivation and a more consistent weight loss. I get 31 points per day, plus the plan allows for 49 bonus points across the week, to be used either as "overflow" if your day's points aren't quite enough, or to save up for a special occasion. As an example, a Lamb Rogan Josh is 24pts - 3/4 of the day's ration or just half the bonus points. The thought of having the option to have a weekly Indian takeaway is rather appealing. Not quite yet though!
Tonight (Wednesday) I had my first weigh-in and meeting. It went really well, particularly as I have already lost 2.5lb - I weighed in today at 14st 7.5lb. Progress already! My wobbly bits are just as wobbly as ever, and my clothes are just as tight, but there is definitely a glimmer, nay, a ray of hope. Let's see how the next few days go. Over and out!
At the moment we have no scales at home that work, so I weighed myself at mum's expecting to see 15stone something, but was pleasantly surprised to see that my weight has no ballooned - just my body! I weighed 14st10oz on Monday, having started following the Weightwatchers ProPoints plan from that morning. I measured myself too - hips, waist, bust, thighs and arms. It's all in cm on the WW site, which means very little to me, but at least I've made a start in recording my stats so far.
Monday was actually very easy - I started with Weetabix and banana. Not inspiring, but filling. Mid morning however, I had an ominous instant google message from the mister:
Scott: "How many points in a Belvita breakfast biscuit?"
Me: "Hang on... *uses points calculator to find out*... 2 points.
Scott: "Each?"
Me: "Yeah"
Scott: "Oh. I've had four."
Me: "Four points?"
Scott: "Four biscuits."
Me: "A quarter of your day's ration of points..."
One thing I'm liking about WW is the increased flexibility, aimed at creating more realistic lifestyle choices, less deprivation and a more consistent weight loss. I get 31 points per day, plus the plan allows for 49 bonus points across the week, to be used either as "overflow" if your day's points aren't quite enough, or to save up for a special occasion. As an example, a Lamb Rogan Josh is 24pts - 3/4 of the day's ration or just half the bonus points. The thought of having the option to have a weekly Indian takeaway is rather appealing. Not quite yet though!
Tonight (Wednesday) I had my first weigh-in and meeting. It went really well, particularly as I have already lost 2.5lb - I weighed in today at 14st 7.5lb. Progress already! My wobbly bits are just as wobbly as ever, and my clothes are just as tight, but there is definitely a glimmer, nay, a ray of hope. Let's see how the next few days go. Over and out!
Monday 3 September 2012
"Weight Watching", or "Funny what you find when you buy a new fridge"
It has been a funny few years since I last blogged. I tend to use Facebook to catalogue the mini hilarities which come from having a daughter like Flo, but my new quest is a little different, and not one I want to plaster all over Facebook because a)it's a bit personal, b) I might fail miserably and c) I'm not that anal that I want to shout about what I had for breakfast on peoples' newsfeed. With that in mind, the occasional blog post about my lifelong battle with my weight will have to do for now.
Before I was pregnant I was generally around 14 and a half stone and a comfortable size 16 - yeah, heavy enough, and big enough, I agree. I actually lost weight in the early months of pregnancy, not through sickness, but from eating more healthily. I was lighter after giving birth than before I started. All sounds great, particularly when you factor in the virtually guaranteed weightloss associated with breastfeeding. Yeah, well breastfeeding stopped more than 18 months ago and my eating pattern has not improved. Scott and I are eating more convenience food, more takeaways and, well, just more!
I've no idea how much I weigh now, but I would imagine it's somewhere between 15st 4lb and 16st and an uncomfortable size 18. Not good. My clothes generally still fit, but I'm noticing shirts are straining around the belly which had returned to flat (ish) after pregnancy, so I can't blame baby belly, just food and drink.
Last night I went online to buy a new fridge (lovely retro one!) and found a super cheap, reliable supplier who offer cashback through Quidco, so I had a browse of Quidco's site and found that they also have a cashback deal with Weightwatchers. Now, I've done WW before, so I know it works for me for weightloss, and for longer-term eating habits. That said, I was always crap at having £5.25 with me each week for the meeting, so I was pleased to see they do a monthly pre-pay plan. £10 cashback for the first month, which was a reduced rate of £16.95 already has actually given me the push I needed to go for it.
Weightwatchers has lots of e-tools for tracking your eating through the day, and rewards you for exercising, so I've started logging my food from this morning - Weetabix x 2 = 3 points, plus another 2pts for semi-skimmed milk (I'll be changing to skimmed, as it's half the points) and a sliced banana on top (bananas were always a point each on the old WW plan, but now they're free, so bananas ahoy!!!) has made for a yummy breakfast.
My first meeting is on Wednesday, so I'll be blogging again with a definite start weight and a 5% weightloss goal. I'll be putting up a suitably gross "before" photo too, and will start measuring my waist, hip, bust and thighs to see if weight and size decrease at the same time. It's not going to be easy, but I'm going to be brutally honest about how this goes, as for me the shame of being as big as I am and as unfit as I am far outweighs the image of jolly Jeanie. New mindset established - let's do this!
Before I was pregnant I was generally around 14 and a half stone and a comfortable size 16 - yeah, heavy enough, and big enough, I agree. I actually lost weight in the early months of pregnancy, not through sickness, but from eating more healthily. I was lighter after giving birth than before I started. All sounds great, particularly when you factor in the virtually guaranteed weightloss associated with breastfeeding. Yeah, well breastfeeding stopped more than 18 months ago and my eating pattern has not improved. Scott and I are eating more convenience food, more takeaways and, well, just more!
I've no idea how much I weigh now, but I would imagine it's somewhere between 15st 4lb and 16st and an uncomfortable size 18. Not good. My clothes generally still fit, but I'm noticing shirts are straining around the belly which had returned to flat (ish) after pregnancy, so I can't blame baby belly, just food and drink.
Last night I went online to buy a new fridge (lovely retro one!) and found a super cheap, reliable supplier who offer cashback through Quidco, so I had a browse of Quidco's site and found that they also have a cashback deal with Weightwatchers. Now, I've done WW before, so I know it works for me for weightloss, and for longer-term eating habits. That said, I was always crap at having £5.25 with me each week for the meeting, so I was pleased to see they do a monthly pre-pay plan. £10 cashback for the first month, which was a reduced rate of £16.95 already has actually given me the push I needed to go for it.
Weightwatchers has lots of e-tools for tracking your eating through the day, and rewards you for exercising, so I've started logging my food from this morning - Weetabix x 2 = 3 points, plus another 2pts for semi-skimmed milk (I'll be changing to skimmed, as it's half the points) and a sliced banana on top (bananas were always a point each on the old WW plan, but now they're free, so bananas ahoy!!!) has made for a yummy breakfast.
My first meeting is on Wednesday, so I'll be blogging again with a definite start weight and a 5% weightloss goal. I'll be putting up a suitably gross "before" photo too, and will start measuring my waist, hip, bust and thighs to see if weight and size decrease at the same time. It's not going to be easy, but I'm going to be brutally honest about how this goes, as for me the shame of being as big as I am and as unfit as I am far outweighs the image of jolly Jeanie. New mindset established - let's do this!
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