jenniebellie

(Wow!)

Today I got into my old work trousers, a size smaller than I am wearing now.  I'm so chuffed. I wore them all day, they felt a bit tight, but I'm just so pleased.  I just had to record this fact!

{Halfway through the week already}

This (slimming) week is going fast.  I've upped my free foods except for today, and the scales are looking promising so far this week.  However today, I had no breakfast but an early lunch of Batchelor's noodles, 98%, and then had to rush out at midday and didn't get back 'til 6pm.  I had nothing to eat all day, and then ended up cooking something I couldn't eat for the family, and then it was so late, I ended up with Quorn burgers and syn free chips. No veg or fruit in sight.  I've had no Healthy Extras all day, and felt guilty, so forced some Baby Bel lights down, just for the sake of it.  Silly really, because I am just not hungry, and I am sure one day without eating lots of free food won't alter a thing.  I'm not working tomorrow, so I will ensure I eat lots of free food to make it up.

I'll definately make tomato and red lentil soup tomorrow, and get a proper family tea cooked with plenty of veg in, and snack on grapes. I am coming to the conclusion, that I eat much better during the week, when I take packed lunches to work, 'cos I really stock up on fruit and salad stuff.

I was out all day yesterday, and saw quite a few people who haven't seen me since I started my diet, and two or three of them, said they could definately notice I had lost weight, mainly around the face, so that was fabby feedback.  I also resisted lots of cake and chocs waffed under my nose, and stuck to my packed lunch and tea, which did contain, lots of free food.

I've also began thinking a little more about when I should start exercising to enhance my weight loss.  I know SW say, you can lose weight on their plan, without exercising, and I have proved that before, and lost three stone, but I know, I am going to need to exercise at some point, because my life style is very sedentary, more so than before.  I've always said from the beginning, that I would consider exercising when I got to the point of only losing 1lb a week, well I am not there yet and am still losing well.

My problem is, that my health will only allow me to do moderate exercise, tiring myself out physically is really a bad idea, it will make me worse, but no exercise is not right either.  I really don't fancy swimming, although it really would be the best for me.  I just can't bear the thought of getting wet and cold, or being in wet, dirty changing rooms, Yuck!! 

I'm very tempted by cycling again.  I used to cycle madly.  In fact it's probably only three years ago, maybe four now, when I cycled over twenty miles in one go at the weekends, I adored it, but I think cycling will be a bit too energetic for me to start with, and I really do not want to upset my legs, as they are behaving themselves at the moment.  Walking is good, and free, and probably something I really ought to consider, and I did quite a bit of power walking last year during the summer.  I did suffer some leg problems afterwards, but 1 or 2 miles would suffice, rather than 5, and perhaps at a slower pace. I love walking and listening to my MP3 player!  Now can't you see, I am trying to convince myself, and talk myself into some exercise?

We'll see.  I guess I shall debate this same conversation for some weeks probably before I take the plunge.  You're probably reading this and screaming at me, to just shut up and get on with it, but it's not that simple for me, I really do need to consider my health first.

{Week Four - Weigh In}

I did it again, and exceded my expected target, I wanted to lose 2lbs, thought I'd lose about 1.5lbs, but actually lost, 2.5 lbs. Really pleased, especially as I've been ill this week. So that's 12 lb altogether in 4 weeks, averaging 3lbs a week.  That's brilliant.  Next week I want to lose 2lbs and get my stone award. 

Strangely, I'm really not budging any inches.  I didn't actually measure myself before I started, I meant to, but never got round to it.  My work trousers are slightly easier around the waist, but no-one will notice.  I think my face may be looking slimmer, but no-ones commented, but I often think, you need to lose a good stone and a half before anyone particularly notices.

DH also asked about my progress tonight, and said well done, so that meant something to me tonight. Maybe he is beginning to realise that I am determined this time.

So what am I going to focus on for this week? 

Definately more free food than last week.
More speed foods
Less syns.

I've uploaded my food diary in the right hand column here.  I shall go back and look at week three, and see what I ate then.

Today is my 26th day without wine !
Starting weight     202.5 lbs
Today I weighed    190.5 lbs
Total loss                 12 lbs
Still to lose          36.5 lbs

{The end of another week}

It's weigh in day again tomorrow.  I'm looking forward to it, because I am sure I have lost at least one lb, but I'd like it to be between 1.5 and 2lbs. It's been a difficult week, being so ill, dehydrated, and popping so many pills and lemsips, but I'm feling better now, and ready to go back to work again tomorrow.

I made some great tomato and red lentil soup for lunch, it always warms me up.  I ate so much I couldhardly stand afterwards, and when it came to supper time, I just made a bowl of syn free chips.  However I did make everyone else a toad in the hole.  That wastotal temptation, I adore it, but didn't let it pass my lips.  I feel quite saintly about that, and consider it as my first real temptation that has tested me.

More tomorrow, with good news I hope.

{Concern}

I'm still under the weather, but feeling better and am out of bed today, but I'm concerned because I so desperately want to keep up my weight loss, and I can't cope with a gain so early on in my plan.  I'm drinking loads of lemsips, taken strepsils and eating quicker food, which tends to be synned.  My free food has halved, and I am so concerned that I won't lose this week.

The scales are showing me as going down, but I feel that is because I am dehydrated, although I have upped my fluids this week.  I know it's really stupid, but I will feel I have let myself down big time if I didn't lose weight this week.

My worry stems from past experience.  I start off completely determined, have one blip week, gain weight, and then I lose interest, and begin to mess around , not fully on plan, and feel a bit of a failure, give up and pile on more weight.  I KNOW this is how I sabotage my weight loss attempts, and something in the back of my mind is telling me, it might happen again if I don't lose weight this week.

I've got shopping today, so have plenty of free foods in the house again, and have prepared some pasta and tandoori quorn for my packed lunches, and have loads of fruit.

Must stop worrying :0)

{Not feeling so good}

I've got the flu, it appeared very suddenly yesterday morning,and I've spent most of today either in bed,  or lying on the sofa in my PJs.  I ache from head to toe, can hardly walk, and have terrible sinisitis, plus the nrmal head cold. In fact I am really feeling very sorry for myself.

I have been eating, but not much, I stomach pains, I think caused my swollen glands, but managed a yoghurt for breakfast, ryvitas for lunch, and DH cooked a veggie spag bol this evening.  I couldn't complain, but I had to add up all the syns, tomato puree, olive oil, half a glass of red wine, it soon mounts up, but I had a very small portion, so I have probably overestimated my syns today.

Lem Sip Max, seems to be all we have in the house, and it 's working to a point, and having had 4 today, I was pleased to find out they are only 0.5 syns each, so that's only 2 syns for today.  My syns are much higher this week, and I've eaten much less free food, so we'll see how it goes, but I think a lb loss this week will be all I can expect. But when a girl's ill what can she do?  I'll hopefully feel a bit better, so I can get out to the shops and buy some free food, to prepare for my lunches next week.

{The Dreaded Meal Out}

So last night was the night out I had been dreading.  I was trying to avoid going out for a meal for my husband's birthday/our wedding anniversary, and we made it to the cinema first to see Rocky Balboa (Not sure on that spelling), and a large diet coke, and then I reluctantly agreed to go for a meal to Frankie and Benny's. 

I had a tomato and mozzerella salad to start, and asked for no dressing.  I covered it in black pepper, and it was fine. Then I asked for a tomato based sauce for pasta without any oil in it, and they did it for me, I was very chuffed, and if a restaurant, especially a chain one can produce something different from the set menu then, it's a fab restaurant.  I even had some parmesan on my pasta, and used both my Healthy A choices.  I had no alcohol, no dessert, and am chuffed to bits that I didn't let myself down.

{Week Three - Weigh In}

I did it again, infact even more than before.  Yes, I lost 3.5 lbs!! YAY!!  I'm very pleased with myself, very pleased!  I received my half stone award too.  Now that's 9.5lbs in three weeks. And it shows my determination to really suceed this time.

When I got back from SW class, my DH didn't ask me how I'd got on, and I was busting to tell him, but I left it for a while, and he still didn't ask.  When I eventually told him, he said "Well, Jennie, we've been here before with you haven't we, you'll never keep it up, and anyway, it's only fluid you're losing!!"  :ph34r:  I think that was unfair, and has made me even more determined, AND I'll prove him wrong! I think there may be some element of envy there too, because he has made no effort to lose weight, and really needs to, and he probably knows it.

I'm not going to let anyone sabbotage my efforts.

Tomorrow is dh's birthday and our wedding anniversary, and we were supposed to be going out for a meal.  This meal has been bugging me for the last few days, I just really don't want to be tempted in anyway, and I'm not sure I will feel comfortable or enjoy it.  I just don't want to break the 100% being on plan, I really don't want to be tempted to drink wine, or eat anything I can't syn.  So for now, I've said I don't want to go, and we'll go to the cinema instead. I can just have a large diet coke, and be happy with that.  Anyway, we never get the chance to go to the cinema ourselves, so we'll enjoy it, and DH can have all the popcorn he wants.

I handed in my food diary to my consultant, and I am half expecting a phone call to say, I'm not eating enough Healthy Extras, or syns, I know that already, but I am stuffing myself with free food, so I know I'm not starving myself.

Tonight I had fried eggs, syn free chips, and baked beans, yum.

I'll upload my week three diary to the right hand column of my blog.

Today is my 19th day without wine !
Starting weight     202.5 lbs
Today I weighed    193 lbs
Total loss                 9.5 lbs
Still to lose          39 lbs

Gained my half stone award!

{Another Good Day}

My lunchbag was very full today, I made myself a pasta and sauce quiche yesterday, and took half for my lunch today, plus some homemade and syn free hoummous, loads of fruit and a rocket salad.  I have a bit of a thing for rocket at the moment.  I love the wild, organic rocket.  It's fiercely expensive, but I just love the strong peppery taste in a salad.  My dh says I might as well eat dandelion leaves!! (Gosh aren't they poisonous!!)

The scales are still looking kind, and I'm hoping for a 2lb loss on Thursday, I'll get my half stone award if I lose one pound, and I'll go down into that next stone.

I watched "You are what you eat" tonight, and felt positively slim and saintly, when I looked at all the rubbish those people eat.  However, it did make me think a bit more about doing some exercise.  I'm doing nothing at the moment, not even walking much. Exercise was something that I knew I would eventually start, not just yet, but perhaps when my weight loss slows down a bit, I may start swimming, something that is not too strenuous, but I want it to be something I'll keep up, and the thought of getting wet is not my ideal.  I'd really love to get out on my bike, so once the evenings begin to draw out, I think this will be my focus, but I mustn't over do it, as this will do my health more harm than good, but a 30 minute bike ride will be something I would look forward to, two or three times a week.

I've only had 13.5 syns this week so far with one more day to go, so I am going to treat myself to a bar of chocolate, and a cup of something hot before I hit the sack.

Midweek ponderings}

My appetite is definately waining, yesterday I went all day on a Hifi bar for breakfast, and didn't even contemplate food, until 5pm. I cooked a roast, which I had no problem in eating.

Syn free roast potatoes are as good as the real thing, if not better.  Stirfried savoy cabbage is another one of my favs, except there wasn't much left after everyone else had tuacked in.  Quorn sausages were again served up, and they are beginning to become my staple diet.  I did make a pretty good gravy though just for me.

I fried onions, mushrooms and a couple of cherry tomatoes in fry light, until they begin to char, add some (veggie) beef bovril stock, the normal one without BEEF written on it, a touch of sweetner, and any herbs etc you fancy, I use thyme and coriander. And keep cooking for as long as possible while the rest of the meal is cooking.   As the liquid begins to reduce, it becomes quite thick and syrupy.  You can strain out the veg if you want.  I leave mine in, and pour over your roast whatever.  I treated myself to a Yoorkshire pud, 3.5 syns, and was completely satisfied, I couldn't believe I used to have three!

It's DH's BD and our anniversary on Friday 19th, and I'm going to book us in to an Indian restaurant.  I'm lucky it's the day after my weigh in, so I shouldn't have to worry too much about my syns.  I shall be sensible, and I've decided not to drink, I'd like to keep up my aclcohol free stint up for just a little bit longer.  It's definately helping me with not snacking in the evening.

In the past, even when on SW diet, I have always wanted to snack in the evening, ryvitas and laughing cow cheese, or a packet of crisps, a Hifi bar, or even a hot chocolate, but desire is just not there, so I'm thrilled,.

I weiged myself this morning and my moving average is going down each day, and I'm just hitting under the 14 stone mark, which is fab, but I'm feeling fat today, a bit bloated, and that always worries me, that I'm not going to lose this week.  I hate that feeling, especially when you know you have been as good as gold!