Happy happy happy

Friday was my birthday. Off plan entirely, I enjoyed a lovely day shopping, eating and drinking with my lovely friend, Lynne. Last week I had the 3lb gain I expected and my hopes for this week are that I can maintain. After all, what with my birthday Friday and a long overdue catch up with old friends involving lots of wine, homemade bread and a trip to our local award winning ice cream parlour, Equis, I've definitely gone over on syns. Still, April is a hard month for me and we are halfway through now.

It is always handy to have a reference point to compare things against though and my birthday weekend is an ideal point of comparison.

This weekend last year I was at my friend's little boy's Christening. I had lost 2st I think. I felt great. My clothes was starting to loosen and the dress I wore on that day was looser than the wedding I wore it to the previous summer. Richy had bought me a top for my birthday which was a touch small but within a fortnight fitted perfectly. It was a size 22, as was the dress.

This year Richy bought me another top. It's  a size 14. And it fits. I went shopping in New Look. I took various size 14 things into the changing room. They all fitted. I picked one top up in another shop in a size 14 and just paid for it, there and then. I didn't even try it on. What's that about?

Another birthday present was a cast iron shallow casserole from mum and dad that I've been coveting for a while. I used it last night to make a tremendous paella (which was happily low in syns to account for antipasti style starter of bread, olives, cheese and Spanish meats... and wine). I've attached a picture of the paella - I was so pleased with how it looked.

The other picture is me at the christening last year and this weekend on the train heading into town with Lynne. Although I recognised the significant drop in dress sizes, when I compared these photos knowing that it was exactly a year I was genuinely shocked.

Made me smile, though. A lot.

April again?

Sad news... I'm looking at a gain tonight. I was away last week and although what I ate wasn't *too* bad, I had too many pints in my mum and dad's local and thats all extra calories. The trip away was on top of a fun filled overnight trip to Edinburgh, complete with cooked breakfast, dinner out and lots of wine and cider, a Krispy Kreme donut and an ice cream as hangover food so really I am on a highway to nothing. Thankfully I've had a week (almost) back on plan to reduce the damage but with it being the Easter holidays it's hard - a day trip out with our besties and their two girls ended with a few drinks and a pub dinner on top of our picnic. None of this has helped with the weight gain this week but the top and bottom of it is that I've enjoyed every minute and every mouthful.

Despite the gain I am still in the righr frame of mind... no mean feat all things considered. At the peak of this gain (approx 7lb) I could really feel the difference. I've never noticed that before and that shows me that during this (incredibly frustrating) period of little or no losses that my body has been changing. Some of it is mental changes but maybe I have needed this time for my mind to catch up with my body. For the first time in my life I am beginning to feel really really good. I continue to have the confidence to try new things with my hair, makeup and clothes.

The weight will start moving soon I'm sure of it, although the next few weeks might be hard. Anyone who was reading my little blog this time last year might remember a series of posts about how hard April is for me. My birthday is coming up, and my 10th wedding anniversary trip to Oban in a fortnight. I can only hope to get through the month as unscathed as possible.

Wish me luck.

Checking in

*tap tap tap*

Ahem. Hello? Anyone here?

It's been a funny old few weeks. Still wallowing, still gymming, still not losing much to speak of but most importantly still sticking to plan. Mostly.

In the last few weeks I've lost 2.5lb. I am now only half a pound from my 6.5st award which is still proving hard to achieve. Unfortunately I have a week holiday from Slimming World this week so I won't be getting that award this week but hopefully the damage I do this week won't be so bad that I can't squeeze a wee half pound off by a week on Wednesday.

That said, this weekend is Easter weekend and although it isn't chocolate a-go-go in my world, I had a very hefty night out on Friday (drinks, dinner, more drinks, chips, full English) followed by a visit to my mum and dad's (cake,  wine, gravy, puddings). We are off work this week which makes things worse, but we have a quiet weekend ahead and hopefully we can eat well and be back on plan on Wednesday and right back on it when we get home on Wednesday night.

I think the main reason I haven't posted for a few weeks is because I don't have anything new to say. There are only so many times you can say the same thing, after all. Changing shape, toning, losing inches. Blah blah blah...! It's all true but I just want to see that number going down. 2lb will get my into the next stone down and I can't wait for that.

Anyway, here's a progress picture from this weekend. Excuse the cheesey grin, folks.

Ttfn.

Still here

Still floundering. Still treading water. Still on plan. Still faffing around. Last week I gained a pound. I didnt know why and I still don't really. What I do know is that after weigh in last week I felt massively deflated and for the first time since I started this whole journey I wanted to drown in a sea of wine and pizza.

Importantly, I didn't. I am aware that although the scales are stubbornly not shifting just now, my shape is. An outfit I wore just a few weeks ago looked much better on me this weekend and it's key that I keep these changes in mind.

In my last post I said I was going to drink green tea, increase my water intake, try red and green days and be vigilant. I can honestly say I have done all of these things as well as a few Success Express days and going back to and - importantly - joining the gym which is a bizarre ritual in this new life I never thought I'd see myself doing. Green and red days are a bit odd so far. Green come more easily and naturally to me but I think the almost carb-less red days are worth doing. The extra A and B choice is nice to have too but it encourages me to eat more bread... which is NOT a good thing! Last night I had my favourite red day dinner so far - North African eggs with sausages. It was quick to prepare and so delicious, just like my homemade coleslaw which I have served this week with pulled pork sandwiches and salads and it's great to munch on from the fridge.

Coleslaw

Half a white cabbage, finely shredded
Half a red onion, grated
1 carrot, grated
1 radish, grated

1/2 tsp wholegrain mustard
4 tbsp fat free natural yoghurt
1 tbsp extra lighy mayo
Juice of half a lemon
A good pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
Finely chopped coriander, to serve

Mix together your dressing and season to taste. It needs a good amount of salt and pepper so don't be shy!

Toss through your vegetables, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavours to develop and the veg to soften slightly.

With summer coming this is a great recipe to have up your sleeve. The best bet? This will keep for 5 days or so - if there's any left! ;-)

Bon appetit!

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!

A year in - PICTURE POST!

Last week was my 12 month anniversary at Slimming World. I lost 3.5lb so my total loss for the full 12 months is 88.5lb. That's 6st 4.5lb in real money. Christmas weight off, plus a bit more so it's onwards and, well, downwards. Originally I had hoped to lose 2.5lb this week but that ain't never gonna happen after my weekend. I'll be happy with a wee bit off though and I'll get my 6.5st award the week after next. Ultimately the goal is 9st I think, or thereabouts so a way away yet but I hope to get there by the summer.

Anyway this post is less about where I'm going and more about where I've come from. The picture in the blue and white dress was taken in summer 2011 and the other one last weekend.

Take a look!