Stuck in the middle with... me

I never wanted this to be a blog about how perfect it all is. That's not real life. This weight loss game is all well and good when the going is good, but what about when the going is less good? What then?

I will come clean - I am stuck. I got my 6st award well before Christmas and have yet to get my 6.5st award. I have hit a plateau and I am pissed off, not least because I am far from being done. I also don't really know what to do about it, having never really had any problem before. A few people have suggested that my loss might simply be slowing and I get that to a degree... but I have another 3 stone to go before I set target, and target MAY be lower than that. I can't help shake the feeling that if I can jump the hurdle of my 6.5st award then things will start moving again in the right direction.

I have a feeling I might see a gain this week - or maybe another maintain - so in the absense of any official help I am basing my next moves on advice I have picked up from other people over the past (almost) 13 months.

Drink green tea
I am told this can boost metabolism. Is this true? I have no idea, but it can't harm.

Increase water intake to 2l daily
I've actually been doing this anyway for he past few days so I will carry on. Again, it can't harm.

Be vigilant
Extra care with healthy extras and syns and the amount of superfree I am eating.

Try Green and Original days
This is a biggie for me because I have been an Extra Easy girl (no jokes please) from the start. Green allows unlimited carbs and limits meat and Original (or Red as it is sometimes known) is the othet way about. You can still have meat/carbs, just you need to measure them out and they are much more restricted.

Hopefully if I can successfully manage some green/original days I might be able to kick start my system. Maybe I'm too used to it now. I suppose I am. I don't NEED to look at my book much now (although I still do) because I know what I can and can't have. Tell you something though,  nothing changes if nothing changes... and something needs to because I am so not finished changing yet.

Wish me luck.

Keep it real

This post is not entirely diet related in the sense that it isn't so much about Slimming World as our diet more generally.

Nobody in the UK can have possibly missed the recent furory surrounding the discovery of horse meat in our processed foods. In case you have managed to avoid this (or are an international reader) in a nutshell certain major supermarkets and fast food chains have been found to be selling products claiming to be beef but which actually contain a certain amount of horse meat. Today a major UK frozen foods brand revealed that up to 100% of the meat in its BEEF lasagne is not actually beef... it's horse. A further suggested piece of EU legislation (which apparently the UK is trying to get an exemption from, should it become law) would see mince only have to contain 50% meat, the other 50% being (I assume) fat, water and unmentionables.

Really? Is this how far removed we have become from the food we eat? Do we really care so little about what we eat that these companies can substitute meats like this? Because the reality is that people will still buy frozen ready meals. I know that in other parts of the world horse is an accepted meat, but not here in the UK. Loads of people are aghast that "trusted" brands could lie to us like this. Many won't care that much. As a nation we have become massively detached from our food, unaware of where anything comes from, unable to cook on any level at all or even really want to. "Why stand and make a lasagne when *insert food producer here* will sell me a frozen one for my whole family for £3?" It's a good question - I can't make a lasagne for 4 people for £3, but then mine contains beef... and vegetables... and not an -ism or -ate to keep it fresh for months on end.

I know I go further into making my own food than most - I don't know many people who occasionally make their own butter, for example. I know I am slightly unhinged and a bit obsessive about fresh ingredients, and I'm not asking or expecting anyone to go to the lengths I do to feed my family. There isn't anything wrong with buying carefully selected jars and packets but what I would like to see in the UK is for us to give more of a toss where our food comes from. Let's get Home Economics (my missed vocation) back in schools. Let's make fresh foods cheaper than bulked out ready meals. Let's stop our supermarkets taking all of our money and bring back proper markets. In honesty, it's this household food policy which has helped me to lose almost 6.5st this year.

And here endeth the lesson. Next time, more diety goodness. I've attached a recent salad picture to keep you going.

Ciao!