jenniebellie

{Week Thirteen - Weigh In}

Another 2lbs gone this week.  It's really sinking in now, what a fab weight loss I have had. 

Lots of people ask me "How do you manage it?"  Well, I stick to the SW plan rigidly, write everything down, never cheat myself, not even once, I stay focused, determined and keep telling myself, this is the LAST time, I am going to ever lose weight, so investing half a year, or a whole year to get there is nothing.

I'm a veggie, so I eat green days every day, and eat plenty of Quorn, lentils, beans, veg and fruit, some rice, but mainly potatoes or pasta.

I have around 5-7 syns a day, and as I no longer drink alcohol (because I have to take medication now) I struggle to eat more than that.  I don't have a sweet tooth, so use them up mainly with sauces, tomato puree, stock cubes and the occasional mini cadbury's treat size chocolate bar.

And that's it!  The only thing I really feel deprived of, and totally avoid, is a Pizza Hut pizza, but have you seen the syn values??????? It's more than the weekly syn allowance, and just not worth it.  It would take me 20 minutes to eat a big pizza, and then it's gone, but my weight loss is going to last me a life time, so which would you rather?

One thing I have changed since my meagre 1/2 lb loss last week, is some exercise.  I promised myself, that as soon as the clocks changed, and the evenings got brighter, I would start walking everyday. So far I've managed 4 evenings since Sunday, and my husband, has decided to join me, and I am very grateful for his arm.  We do about 20 minutes an evening at a reasonable pace, and although my medical condition causes my legs to feel very fizzy afterwards, those symptoms have eased more quickly each day.  However tonight we walked further, and quicker, and I have slightly overdone it, and my legs are very wobbly tonight, but I am going to keep going, it's got to be doing me some good, and I can feel it's enough for my general fitness to improve considering I currently lead a very sedentary lifstyle.

This weekend is the weekend I go away, and I am very anxious about it, and what I can eat, and what will be provided.  I'm attending a one day photography course, but staying in a Travel lodge for two nights, so even breakfast will be a takeout.  I am planning on taking lots of free foods with me, and will be cooking up lots of quorn sausages before I go, taking Mullerlites, loads of fruit, and some Babybel lights cheeses etc, all in a cool bag, and hopefully, that will substitute a couple of meals, and plenty to snack on during the days.

I am trying to prepare myself for a "maintain" next week, but I am sure I could go for a 1lb loss, if I am really careful. I'll let you know how I get on.

Today is my 89th day without wine , and I'm not remotely tempted!
(in fact I've gone right off the smell of it too!)

Starting weight                    202.5 lbs
Today I weighed                    171.lbs
Total loss                              31.5lbs
Total % lost towards target      64.95%
Still to lose                           17lbs (Nearly 2/3rds of the way, and averaging 2.5 lbs a week)

{Week Twelve - Weigh In}

I wasn't looking forward as I normally do to my weigh in this week, because being at home for the last two weeks, my diet has changed.  Instead of eating loads of fruit and veg for my breakfast/lunch, I'm eating either nothing or eggs and quorn sausages and baked beans etc, which is not quite the same, although completely free, they are not speed foods etc, so I was worried I might gain.  I'm not eating the quantity of food I normally eat either, but have been eating all my Healthy Extras, which I don't normally.

One thing I didn't do last week was keep a food diary, I always do, and always promote writing one, but this last week, I've not been feeling well, my routine has been out of the ordinary, and well no excuses really, I just need to remember.  So I've started it for this next week, and promise myself to keep it up to date this week.

Anyway, I still had a loss, but just half a pound, I'm ok with it, but I am a bit disappointed, it's not a gain, and I haven't blotted my copybook.  I really want to avoid a gain at all costs, so I will take last week as a bit of a warning, and ensure I have a great week this week before my weekend away.

I've had a great few moments this last week, when I've felt really good, and I must hang on to those feelings and remain motivated.

Mother's Day was a fantastic day on Sunday, and I managed to get into some much smaller tops that have ben sat in a drawer for at least 2 years, and that was a fab feeling, especially when the kids said how slim I looked, so here is a pic of me feeling slim, looking certainly slimmer than I have for a while, and something for me to look at and remember that "I feel good" feeling.

The clocks change this weekend, and it's going to be lighter in the evening, so I am going to make the comittment of doing a 20 minute brisk walk each evening, enough to get me out of breath and a bit fitter.  I think it will do my health good, and tire myself out a bit in the evenings so I can sleep better.

Today is my 82nd day without wine , and I'm not remotely tempted!

Starting weight                    202.5 lbs
Today I weighed                    173.lbs
Total loss                              29.5lbs
Total % lost towards target      60.83%
Still to lose                           19.lbs (I'm over half way now.)

Quorn Ball Curry

Just thought I'd share a recipe tonight.

It's one of my favs.  We had it tonight served with chopped raw tomatoes, chopped up cucumber, Plain VLF Fromage Frais, mixed with a desertspoon of mint sauce (not jelly) a tsp of sweetner, and for everyone else Naan Bread and Mango Chutney.

Dice two onions, and a clove of garlic and fry in spraylight, or dry fry.  Mix in 1 level tbls of Patak's Korma Curry Paste (2.5 syns) stir for a bit, then add a can of chopped tomatoes, and about half a pint to a pint of chicken or beefless (we are vegetarians) bovril stock, and 1/2 tsp sweetner.  Leave this to simmer away.

Grill or fry in spraylight a packet of Swedish Style Frozen Quorn Balls (syn free), I usually do two packets for 5 of us, and once they are browning, boil your basmati rice, and add the balls to the curry sauce and simmer for upto 10 mins.

I like mine very saucy, you may like yours thicker, just only add 1/2 pint of stock.

So your only syns are the curry paste, and I do have a spoonful of Mango Chutney (1 syn)

Enjoy.

{Week eleven - Weigh In}

Week eleven already, wow, that's kinda crept on me, the weeks are going so fast.

I've not blogged since my last weigh in.  I'm off sick from work, and have been battling with medication, my health condition and a few other stressful issues, and have been bad at eating regularly.  I have been snacking on fruit most of the week, strawberries, a lovely juicy overripe melon, and plenty of sweet crisp black grapes, that I eat like sweets.

Any meals I have cooked, have usually contained quorn of some description, which is just so low in fat.

One of my favourite quorn snacks is Quorn and Borlotti Burgers.  They are from a SW Free Green Recipe Book.  I basically whizz up an onion, borlotti beans, coriander, S&P, thyme, dried chilli seeds, an egg, and then add the quorn mince.  I pile it on a chopping board, and use a small circle cutter to form burgers.  I bake them in the oven until crisp on the outside.  They are frree on a green day, and are great with tahini sauce, which can be a Healthy Extra B.

I bought another butternut squash this week, to make some more soup, I love that soup that was in the last SW mag.

Just thought I'd share with you my little gallery of certificates that I have on my fridge, there's no way I am going to spoil that achievement when I open the fridge door.

The highlight of the week, was getting into my black skinny cords again.  They are size 14, but have always been a bit of a small fit, so when I got into them very easily last Saturday, I was very excited!!  It's been two winters since they fitted me last.

So to tonight's weigh in?  I was worried, that my loss would be a lb or less, mainly because I know I haven't eaten enough this week, and when your free foods dip, you risk a weight gain!  However I was hopeful this morning when I jumped on the scales, and when I got weighed officially this evening, I had lost a whopping 2.5 lbs.  I was so pleased, and this gained me my 2 stone award.  Woo hoo, I'm one happy lady.  In fact I only have 19.5 lbs to lose to get to my initial target, which I was planning on reaching around September time.  So I weigh 12 stone 5.5lbs now, and I am going to try hard to get down into that next stone by the end of March.  (That's probably a bit of a tall order, but I can have fun trying)

I am going away then for two breaks around the Easter School holidays, and will find it hard to stick to the SW plan. I shall try my utmost, but France is hard enough to find veggie food, leave alone low fat veggie food!  But if I steer clear of alcohol, and fat, I should be able to manage.

I've just been searching though my old clothes drawers, and found 3 pairs of work trousers, and two pairs of jeans all size 14, and unworn for probably 2 years.  I'm going to try them all on tomorrow.  Wish me luck.

Today is my 75th day without wine , and I'm not even tempted!

Starting weight                    202.5 lbs
Today I weighed                    173.5lbs
Total loss                              29lbs
Total % lost towards target      59.79%
Still to lose                           19.5lbs (I'm over half way now.)

{Week ten - weigh in}

Another 2.5 lbs this week.  Wow, it's slightly scary to see so much weight fall off me, but it'sgreat at the same time, and I look back to those first few days and weeks, when I so longed to be slimmer, and I'm half way there all ready, amazing.

It does all boil down to determination, I am not allowing myself to deviate from plan at all, I am being very strict, not messing around with plan, not cheating, and not hoping to get away with anthing, just sticking to plan, and frankly, quite enjoying it.

Giving up the alcohol, has been the biggest factor, it's got to be that, that has helped me.  I'm loving speed foods, strawberries, melon, grapes etc, I eat them like sweets, and take them everywhere.  Also Manadin Mullerlight has become my most favourite yoghurt, and I have that for my breakfast.

Butternut soup, has been  great for snacking on this week, it's so filling.

I was thrilled to find out this week, that I was slimmer of the week, AND Slimmer of the Month of February too, I was really shocked about that one, cos one week, I only lost 1lb, but I guess, I have been consistent in my weight loss, throughout the month.  I well over half way now to my initial target, and I was hoping to get there for September, but I think I'll reach it before the summer which will be fab.  Then I can go and buy new clothes!!

My daughter, probably my biggest critic, but fab support, said to me yesterday, Mum, why are you wearing that jumper?  Well it's a bright pink one that I haven't been able to get into for some time, and I thought it made me look quite slim, she said, Mum, it doesn't hang right at the bottom, it just makes your stomach look enormous!! Well I have had three children, was my reply, but she dragged me to my wardrobe, and showed me what I should be wearing!!  LOL, I know she means well.

In fact she told my DH off last night for not enquiring how much I'd lost this week!!   Mmm.

Reminder for next week.

I must keep up with my food diary, I've become a bit lapse, and I must update this blog more often.  I feel so motivated when I write here.

Today is my 68th day without wine , and not missing it a bit!  No honestly, I'm not.
Starting weight                    202.5 lbs
Today I weighed                    176lbs
Total loss                              26.5lbs
Total % lost towards target      54.64%
Still to lose                           22lbs (I'm over half way now.)

{Week Nine - Weigh In}

Another wonderful week for me, I lost 3lbs.  Again more than I thought, however I was confident of a reasonable loss this week.  I've eaten lots of speed foods, quorn, strawberries and other fruits and vegetables, and am definately noticing the inches are budging.

I really am not a chocolate person, but I have been inclined to have a mini treat bar at about 4.5 syns a bar as a treat in the evening.  This has raised my syn levels a bit more this week, which I believe may have boosted my metabolism a bit, and spurred on the weight loss.

I'm actually half way to my target of 48.5 lbs, as I have lost a total of 24lbs.  And that makes me feel totally motivated.

It's so hard starting off a healthy eating plan, you get to week two, and wish you looked thin, and become impatient, well I'm half way through and really feeling the effects.

I have to be honest though, one of the most common questions I get asked is, do you feel better for it, and honestly, I'm not sure I am noticing much change yet healthwise.  I am finding having a flatter stomach an advantage though, because I can reach my feet again!

I maybe wrong, but as my BMI has gone under 30, I am now classified as "overweight, rather than "obese", now that is a real mile stone!

I'm definately going to have my monthly progress photos taken tomorow.  I can't wait to compare them with my very first ones taken in the last week of December.  There should be a very noticible difference.

I'm almost decided to take up swimming, maybe two evenings a week, and need to check out the local pool timetable. I think it will help me tone my body, probably more than help my weight loss.

I have one little alarm bell ringing in my head now.  On 30th March, I am going away for the weekend with a few friends to do a photography course, and | get really paranoid, about not breaking my SW plan, so I need to really think about that well in advance, and take food with me, and ensure I keep off the alcohol!  That might be my first real test.  But I am thinking positively, and there are always ways of eating on plan if you try hard enough.

Today is my 61st day without wine , and not missing it a bit!  No honestly, I'm not.
Starting weight                    202.5 lbs
Today I weighed                    178.5lbs
Total loss                              24 lbs
Total % lost towards target      49.4%
Still to lose                           24.5 lbs (Just about halfway)