Thursday 28 February 2013

Blow Out

I have to admit that this week has been a bit of  blow out with food and exercise. I went to Disneyland on Monday and although did lots of walking still ate more than I normally would (prawn sandwich for breakfast, Burger with cheese and mushroom for lunch and huge 4 cheese pizza for dinner...salads are not part of the Disneyland Menu choice!), Tuesday I was to tired to care what I ate and actually was really hungry in the morning. Yesterday it was my 1 year's anniversary at work and so we had cake in the afternoon and although I had an extra light lunch to compensate in the evening I went for a few drinks where I had a very nice cheesy garlic bread pizza thing and then when I went home Biggy and got Pringles and Cava which I had a fair share of as well as a small portion of home made Moussaka. Then today I had a good breakfast and a healthy lunch, but then failed with home made apple crumble cake and still have to have dinner tonight. So really... so far a bad week. I should be able to be good over the next couple of days but do have friends coming for lunch on Sunday so another danger zone ahead of me.
 
The other bad thing is that I haven't gone to the gym yet this week. Obviously I couldn't go on Monday and Tuesday I was knackered, Wednesday I went out for a drink and tonight I could go but my gym stuff is at home which means I have to go home first and we all know that the hardest thing to do. What I must do is go to the gym on Fri,Sat and Sun and make up for things instead.
 
One good thing that did happen today was that I was debating what to have for lunch and really couldn't make up my mind I was looking at salads of around 340/400 calories and then was thinking actually I would like something hot and was looking at a Healthy ready meal range. I was in the process of putting the salad back after having chosen my hot meal of around 400 calories and then saw this really skinny pretty girl walk past just carrying a plain salad and some fruit, I thought to myself, well Katherine, if you want to be thin you are not going to manage it by eating beef in red wine and cream sauce with rice for lunch even if it is 400 calories. SO I put everything back and chose a plain salad mix with a pot of prawns with chili bits for a grand total of 200 calories. Of course this was later ruined by the home made cake that I ate later but still little steps!
 
Tonight I am going to just have a soup for dinner to compensate for all the cake and actually I should still come in at 1500 calories for the day! All I can do is draw a line and do things for the rest of the week that will compensate for the bad things.

Wednesday 27 February 2013

Style Re-Vamp

So I am getting quite excited as next weekend (9th) I am having a wardrobe re-vamp! Whoop whoop. I am meeting with one of my best friends and we are hitting the shops to give me a re-vamp. As we all know I am so tired of all my clothes and am desperate to change my style...instead of waiting for 6 months when I have lost all the weight I want I am having a mini revamp now. I am only buying 10 items or so but they will be core items that I am happy in. All of them will be from cheap-ish shops so I don't panic when they become to big. I have asked my friend to come along as that way she can advise me and stop me from buying clothes that are my old style or don't really suit me. The aim will be to buy things that will go with all the other items so I can literally put anything on and feel good and look good. I would rather have just 10 times in my whole wardrobe but love each one of them than have 30-40 (like I do now) and feel like I have nothing to wear. My first job will be to start going through my wardrobe and having another sort out, charity shops here I come! The shops we will be hitting will be places like:

I actually really love this shop. It's a bit like a treasure trove, sometimes you go in and you don't find that much and other times I just want to buy the whole shop. I think they do quite a smart preppy look and are always following the catwalk which is good for me! The other thing I like is that they do their normal line and then a  Et-Vous line which is slightly more expensive but really nice. The one bad thing is that they don't do my shoe size (8) in store which is a right pain as they do quite nice shoes!


I really like H&M, compared to the rest of the high street I think they do really good basics that are fashionable, bright and fresh. My burgundy pumps were from H&M and I am totally in love with them. The one thing I would say is that you do have to have a route around as some things are a little wacky but in general I love it, cheap prices, good quality and good image. The one negative thing is that they don't do my trouser size (at the moment) although I am a size 16 now their 16 is too small for me. 



Now I think New Look have their ups and downs. sometimes I go in and I think everything looks a bit crap and has a bit of a teenage style but other times ( like at the moment) you can go in and find lots of things. My new skinny jeans are from there and they are my new favorite item, especially as they come with a fantastic price tag! They have some really nice jumpers in their at the moment as well as some great little shoes I want to buy. I also find that New Look cater for all different shapes and sizes which is good for me however the quality isn't always the best. I bought a long black dress from them a week or so ago and already the stitching is coming out... it was £15 though so what can you expect.




Tuesday 26 February 2013

WeighIn, Disney, Update


Omg...what a long long day...So I got up at 3am and didn't get home until 12.15am! Crazy! I was actually fine for most of the day it was only when I got in the car on the way back and my legs decided to start to cramp up did I start to feel the pain of it all! Disney was really fun and it was a great day with my god-daughter BUT omg it snowed all day. I totally wasn't expecting that so my nice new ballet shoes got taken off once they had got a soaking and were replaced by a pair of Mickey Mouse Wellies (Disneyland up £35, Street Cred down 35!) It snowed all day, luckily it wasn't settling but it was constant and quite thick! Food wise I was ok yesterday apart from not drinking enough water and the massive 4 cheese pizza I ate in the evening. To be honest I was quite full after half of it and would have happily left it but I wasn't paying for the meal and I was dammed if I was going to waste a £20 pizza so I did eat it all. The thing I had in my favor was that we did do alot of walking yesterday so I am sure I had burnt off alot of calories during the day!

I did manage to do a quick weigh in at 3am yesterday and saw 195lbs I am pleased with it but am not taking it 100% due to my old style scales. I have done a lot of looking and am sure I am no longer bang on 14stone and I am 99% sure it says 195lbs. Either way I have had a loss this week and that's all that matters! I't think don't think I will truly be able to say until I have lost 3-4 lbs and am away from the Big numbers written on the scale.

In regards to a photo of my jazzy outfit yesterday I just didn't have time to take one but I have put together a nice little outfit for today. You can see how my shoes are looking a little bit battered but still look cute. Normally with skinnies I would wear these brown-mid calf boots that I have but I have just realised that actually they are really ugly and really don't suit me.I actually have quite short legs and because they are the chunkiest part of me wearing the mid-calf boots don't help as they make me look shorter and dumpier. Anyway I took few photos of my outfit today - what do you think? Can't wait to buy a new wardrobe in a few weeks and really think about what I am buying. This outfit took me about 30 minutes and lots of changes to actually decide on!!! I am wearing blue skinnies, a blue striped shirt, with navy cardigan and of course burgandy  ballet pumps. Figure wise it's nice to see my backside is getting smaller but still want to work on the lower part of my stomach (pouch area)...I am doing exercises for that in the gym but as we all know results don't happen over night! 






Friday 22 February 2013

Trip to Disneland

I am going to Disneyland on Monday for my god-daughters birthday! I am looking forward to it but OMG... it is going to be a LONG day as I am literally going just for the day. I have a taxi coming to pick me up form my home at 3.30am....yes that's right..3.30am to take me to London to St Pancreases so I can get the 5.30am train. I want to arrive at 4.30 as I need to print my tickets etc...anyway then I arrive in Paris and have to get the metro to Disneyland. I have to admit that I am quite nervous about doing this all by myself as all though I used to speak quite good french I have forgotten it all!!! Then will follow a fab day in Disneyland dinner and then me rushing back to Gare Du Nord to get the last Eurostar back...I am petrified that I am going to miss the train and be stuck in Paris for the night!!! I won't be back in the UK until around 10.30 and then Biggy is coming to pick me up from London. #Love
I have been thinking about to wear for the day as although I want to look on trend enough not to embarrass myself on the french rue's  I also need to wear something that is suitable for all day running around after a very excited 6 year old!  So I had a little look around the shops today and have put my outifit together.. I am going to be starting with some lovely burgundy pumps that I found in H&M and matching it with some black straight leg jeans I already have. I was then thinking about what to wear on top as the weather at the moment is freezing but I know we will be going in and out of places so don't want to wrap up too much. So I found this really nice simple vneck t-shirt also in a burgundy which I am going to wear under a already purchased long sleeve cream jumper that is slightly see through so you will be able to see the burgundy t-shirt underneath. I am going to finish it all off with some gold accessorise....I have this great gold chunky necklace that sits perfectly on my collarbone and will wear just some simple gold studs. Then a nice big winter coat and I will be ready to go! Now just to wake up at 3am and get ready!

Thursday 21 February 2013

30 Things About Me

Oh my goodness...I think this is actually going to be quite hard to do...but here it goes:

1) I am 5ft 7
2) I have been described as Posh but I don't actually think I am
3) I absolutely love the era of Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Munroe etc for films
4) I would love to be one of those sexy Italian or Spanish women
5) I love the fact that I have curves (even though I am working on making the curves smaller)
6) I have been appalling with money in the past and it is only since being with Biggy that I have got under control
7) I love shopping and find it very hard to go for 2 weeks without buying something
8) I have a brother that I don't get on with very well as much as I try
9) Before I went to Venezuela for a month I was very Pro Britain and didn't realise the joy other cultures can bring
10) I have never had a British boyfriend
11) I LOVE Latin music and can think I can dance Salsa, Merengue, Bachata and shake my booty to Reggeaton
 
12) I have a tattoo which I had done at the age of 16 - it was supposed to be a 5yr tattoo but hasn't gone in the slightest
13) I over think about things far to much and then worry about them
14) I have two sides one who is super confident and nothing can harm me and the other side that is not confident and worries what other people think. The super confident side always wins.
15) I never wore skirts or dresses as an adult until I was 26
16) I have some grey hair
17) I worked in hospitality as a career for about 2 years and had the best time of my life until I realised that the career was impossible
18) I am very self assured and know that I will have a good life with all the materialistic things I want
19) I am quite materialistic(!) but not in a showy way
 
20) I believe I have quite a good sense of humour
21) As I lose weight I become more and more into fashion
22) I believe that you can change who you are and am not afraid to do it
23) I have to stop myself correcting people who don't put T's on the end of the word or say "ache" instead of "H"
24) I don't like time wasters or people that dither
25) I am a traditional Leo and will be very protective and loyal if you are a friend
24) I have been let down by "friends" so much right up until 5 months ago and now will no longer stand for it
25) I am very quick to make decisions and follow through with them and don't like to hang about
26) I am not good at being told I am wrong or being given advice that I don't initially agree with but will consider it in my own time and if I agree will admit that I was wrong
27) I am actually quite shy but won't show it
28) I can never decide on what to wear and have cancelled a night out because I don't feel good in anything I wear.
29)I would love to be a chic housewife who is the ultimate hostess in a giant house
30) Blogging has allowed me for the first time to successfully lose weight and keep it off

Wednesday 20 February 2013

Sneaky Peak

 Morning everybody! I am in a very good mood today. I just seem to be really in control and in the zone at the moment which is a really nice feeling! I had a sneaky peak at the scales this morning and think I am in to the 13 stone range if just... it's hard to tell exactly as I am still using my old scales as I refuse to use the WW ones...but it means that it's hard to see the lbs sign clearly when you are around a stone mark as the numbers are so big. Let's just say I'm the 13 stone side of the numbers 14 on the scale! 


I went to the gym on Monday and Tuesday and had a really good workout... to the extent that I was actually really enjoying it! I have been doing 45 minutes on the elliptical trainer followed by some core toning exercises. I am loving the fact that at the moment I am enjoying the gym and enjoying the workout. It makes such a difference compared to dreading going! I am pushing myself harder at the moment as well, the last few weeks when I had been doing the elliptical I was sweating but wasn't to out of breath by the end  of it. I was doing 30 mins on level 5/6 and am now doing level 9/10 and doing 45/40 minutes...I am definitely sweating more and am out of breath a lot more by the end of it!   


Food wise I have done really well over the last 2 days...when I put in my stats onto MFP I said that I wanted to lose 1.5lbs a week so it put me onto a calorie limit of 1330 a day... I was fine with this until I watched "Supersize v's Superskinny" last night (love it) Dr Christian was talking to this guy who ate on average 1300 calories a day and the Dr said how that it was the same amount as a 6 year old boy... so I decided to up my calorie limit to 1500 a day which should allow me to lose just over a 1lb a week. Also had a bit of an empowering moment today ... I  picked up some Ryvita to go with my lunch and loved the fact that I could look at all the packets and straight away compare calories. It made me feel a lot more in control rather than just hoping they will be low in points. It was a very good feeling! 

Also I am thinking of shaking up my blog a little...traditionally this has been a blog about weight loss and I want to continue that theme but I also want to include a bit more about the other passions in my life and talk more in general about me (how narcissistic does that sound!) I think it's very easy to let weight loss consume you and I know it is a topic I talk about alot to my friends. It's almost like I have replaced a food addiction to a weight loss addiction! So be prepared to find out more about me....

Tuesday 19 February 2013

Big Announcement

I was talking to one of my colleagues yesterday who is a WW follower, she is a gold member and still sub-consciously thinks about points and adds them all up in her head... we we were talking about WW and I asked "Do you think you will do WW forever?" and this got me to thinking.. .I really like WW and have been doing it properly... I lost 10lbs with it and although I have gone up and down a few lbs in January and February that was because of over eating rather than WW not working....BUT I realised that in the big scale of things (ironic) I am no further ahead of understanding food than I was previously. I realised that WW and the points system although does work and shows you how some foods are better than others for you due to how they are broken down and used by the body... if I was abandoned in a foreign city I would  have no idea about food by looking at the packaging and trying to figure out the points... basically what I am trying to say is that in the long run and "forever" style of things I think it is better to count calories and fats etc rather than working to the points system. I lost 16lbs by counting calories and today I am alot more educated and dedicated than I was at the beginning of this journey. So I came to the decision to cancel my WW membership and return to the popular "My Fitness Pal". I think in the every day situations ...FOR ME... it is going to be more feasible. 


At the moment when I go shopping although I try and plan in advance what we are eating and try to work out points or at least estimate them I never work out points on the spot ..this is mainly because I don't want to get my calculator out and do all the workings out in the middle of a shop... by counting calories and recording all the other health aspects you already have that information straight to hand and so I won't end up making uneducated decisions. Also at the weekend I hardly ever record points... something that is my own fault granted... but mainly because of the hassle of having to work out points there and then. My Fitness Pal does also have a few other benefits .. it's free for a start and although I only paid £12 a month to WW £12 is still £12. On the app the best thing is the bar code scanner which works amazingly well and is something I did really miss on the WW app. I was just doing WW on line and can get all the same support and information that I got from WW from  MFP. The other thing that I really really do like weather it is true or not is that at the end of the day you "Complete" the entry..once you have pressed the button it then come up saying "If every day was like today you would weigh ---lbs in 5 weeks" and this really keeps me motivated or kicks my arse into gear...



I know that I can always return to WW if I want to but I want to see how I go with MFP... exciting times.... 

Monday 18 February 2013

Monday WI: 18.02.13

Ok so back to 196... all good apart form the fact that this is now the 8th week that I have been going up and down and haven't got any further than 196lbs. Never mind... moving on and moving on to better things. Currently feeling really good and really in control. On Saturday I went to the gym and did a hefty workout of 60mins on the cross trainer where I burnt over 900kcals and did over 9k. Then followed this up by doing lots of toning exercises mainly focusing on my core....which is now killing me (no pain no gain!!) Sunday was a glorious day and so instead of going to the gym I went out for a brisk 30 minute walk in the sunshine. 


I will admit I had a small disaster yesterday but have realised my mistake and won't be making it again... Biggy asked me to make a cake. Which I did but I have a love of raw cake mixture (given to me by my family when allowing me to lick out the bowl and in the past would make a 1 egg cake mix and then just eat the whole thing raw...) anyway I made a very nice cake, I made the mistake of ignoring the good voice in my head shouting at me saying it wasn't worth it and think of WI tomorrow and instead ate a couple of spoonfuls.. I soon regretted it however as within 5 minutes I was feeling a bit ill as could feel the heavy raw cake mixture starting to expand in my stomach ...I had also baked bread which was a bit stupid as I didn't really want to eat it just wanted to bake something... anyway I cooked it and when I thought it was cooked sliced some off to give it a go .. I saw it was looking a bit stodgy inside but tried it anyway.. it was nice but hadn't cooked properly all the way thorough. I still ate the slice wedge I had cut and so then had added slightly under cooked bread to the mix of raw cake mixture that was already sitting heavily in my stomach. The worse thing is that Biggy and I were having a roast that evening and I knew that at the time of eating all the stupid food. So when it came to the roast I wasn't hungry but didn't want to not eat as that was our evening meal together. Instead  I did have the smallest slice of chicken and just veg with no potatoes or parsnips. Anyway the lesson for me is to really think about the value of food I am going to eat and to try and avoid situations where I am going to be tempted. 

I know I say this every week but I am really confident that this week I will break the 14 stone barrier and get into the 13 stone bracket... I have planned all my meals for the week and so far there is nothing that can throw me off my plan. I am going to the gym 4 times this week and am actually looking forward to it..and am drinking my prune juice (obsessed with it)...My focus for this week is going to be self love through eating healthy and respecting my body internally (how much of an idiot do I sound!) 

Friday 15 February 2013

Where Is Everybody?

I have noticed over the past week that the blogging world seems fairly quiet at the moment... not that many people are posting or and don't seem to be around much...?! Where is everyone? Can anyone recommended any other good blogs for me to start following? Have a good weekend everybody... mine will be mainly spent in the gym after our 4 course Valentines meal last night! 




Thursday 14 February 2013

Happy Valentines!

Happy Valentines everybody! 



My new found love at the moment is Prune Juice... I bought some the other day and not only does it clean your system out big style it is also tastes yummy and really really fills you up! I find it fairly sweet so I have been mixing it with Diet Tonic water and it makes it taste perfect. I am planning on having a glass of it in the morning when I wake up and also a glass just before diner. I can not explain actually how filling it really seems to be. When I had some last night I was then feeling really full, so when it came to dinner I  only had a small portion... perfect! It also really does clean out your system properly and so in that sense is great for helping with weight loss... I am not saying drink a whole liter of it in one go or anything but I think if you drink it regularly it might help! 

Health wise this week I am feeling really good, I am eating healthily and going to the gym and in general feeling really in control. I am hoping that I have had a bit of a light bulb moment .. I feel like I have... it's the simple understanding that if I eat healthy things my body will be healthy and I will lose weight...I know that sounds so simple and obvious but I feel like it has just been a bit of a light-bulb moment... all the chocolate and unhealthy food just aren't worth the gain on the scales or the constant going backwards and forwards for months on end. 

Also in regards to constant thinking and over analyzing I got a couple of books out from the library and started reading  them.. one was about "Loving YOU" and the other was "Why Do Women Over Think?"... now the "Why Do Women.." was OK and made some valid points... but to be honest I couldn't be bothered to read all of it... and it was only when I read the "Loving YOU" one did I lose the plot. It was such a load of crap... but I did take one thing from it... if you don't make time to love yourself you will always be unhappy with yourself. So I defiantly do want to take more care of my body from healthy eating and going to the gym to doing my nails and taking care of my hair regularly. As we all know when you feel good you take better care of yourself....I also realized that I just really need to calm down.. I have a great life with a sexy boyfriend that finds me incredibly sexy, I have good friends, a good job know where I am heading and really need to stop thinking so much.... if there was a problem somebody would tell me. Work would say if I wasn't doing a good job, my friends would tell me if i was acting like an idiot, Biggy would tell me if I had done something wrong so unless that happens... I really have nothing to worry about... I just need to think about being healthy and loving myself...that's it! 

Wednesday 13 February 2013

Gastric Bypass Awareness


Sometimes, even the most committed gym-goer and extreme dieter will find it difficult to stay motivated and achieve healthy weight-loss. For these individuals, gastric bypass surgery may be a consideration. This is a serious and life-altering procedure and should always be discussed fully with a medical professional. Before speaking with your doctor, there are a number of things any potential patient should be aware of

Making Choices Whether using NHS services, or opting for private treatment, choosing your hospital and surgeon is key. Do as much research as you can to ensure your surgeon has enough relevant experience and a good track record. Most surgical procedures are completed without difficulty, though poor standards of care can lead to patients having to launch medical negligence cases .Unhygienic practices, a lack of aftercare can all lead to problems, so make sure you learn as much about your doctor, hospital and procedure beforehand to avoid having to make any medical claims.

The Procedure: A gastric bypass operation splits the stomach into two smaller pouches, and makes the digestive system shorter. This reduces the stomach’s capacity, meaning you are not able to eat as much, which will aid weight loss. There are a number of variations on the procedure, with many surgeons aiming to use ‘laparoscopy,’ the least invasive method.

Reasons for Gastric Bypass: Individuals should only consider gastric bypass surgery after they have tried alternative methods of weight loss. Regular exercise and a healthy diet should both be followed before resorting to surgery. There are also a number of weight loss medications which can be used to help shed the pounds. Gastric bypass procedures are carried out to treat obesity, the main criteria for this being a BMI (body mass index) of over 40.

Recovering from Surgery: It is important to weigh up the risks and reasons for surgery against the hoped-for outcome. One risk of surgery is blood clots, which can cause serious complications – you may have to take medication to thin the blood after surgery, to reduce these risks. Those considering gastric bypass surgery should be aware that full recovery can take several weeks. Immediately after surgery you will be on a diet of liquids, with solid foods being introduced gradually. A hospital stay of around three to six days is normal, although regular activity should not be resumed for a number of weeks. At this stage, patients return to hospital for a second, minor, procedure which takes around 15 minutes.

Life after Surgery: If a gastric bypass operation is completed without complications, many patients can expect a greater quality of life after surgery. It will
be possible to eat only small amounts of food, and a healthy diet and exercise will be encouraged by your doctor. One effect of gastric band surgery is a reduction in functionality of the small intestine, meaning daily vitamin and mineral supplements need to be taken.

There is a lot to consider when thinking of gastric bypass surgery, and all of these issues should be discussed in full with a doctor.
 
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Please be aware this is a sponsored post

Tuesday 12 February 2013

Who am I?




I don't want to sound dramatic but at the moment I really feel like I don't really know who I am or what I want. The trouble is that I question everything incessantly. I was with my BEST friends at the weekend who have known me for over 10 years and even with them I was thinking "Do they still like me" "Am I acting like an idiot" " Am I boring?" these thoughts go through my head all day long. I think about things that have happened in the past and think I wish I hadn't done, said, acted like that and then spend hours thinking about how it could have been better or changed  I over think things, I always have but it seems to be getting worse. 

Now I am actually a pretty confident person and to anyone else all of this would probably come as a surprise. But as soon as I enter the world of my own mind by confidence crumbles and I don't know what I am doing. I feel that part of this is due to losing weight and changing things in my life. At the moment I am in limbo... Image is very important to me and I am still having to use my old image as I haven't got to where I want to be to buy new clothes yet. Clothes really effect the way I feel and act and that's one thing that makes me feel nervous as I know I don't look good (in my eyes) or portray the image I want. Also I know that  I have said there are a number of things I want to change about me so when  I don't follow through with things I  feel guilty. However the things I want to change (like not drinking so much as that is what causes me to be stupid) are good things to change and in my mind what I want. I think the thing is is trying to find a balance. I think also I am becoming old before my time as well... I concentrate on keeping a tidy house, and being the perfect housewife... I am 27 and although that is quite old for me I also need to get back the person that was up for partying... now unless it's  planned I don't want to do it. I am not talking about going back to student life or anything but more enjoying the cities and enjoy being a young professional who has a bit more money and no responsibilities. I need to remember that there is quite a big phase between "student" and "yummy mummy" 

With the overthinking thing, I just need to shut it up. I think (ha)  because I am not so happy with my "life stage" I am thinking about things that really don't need to be thought about. I am changing, I am losing weight, I am changing my image, my interests are changing, I am coming into my adult self - a change always brings a period of instability but instead of worrying about it I need to embrace it and look at it and rejoice in the changes. Although I might not know exactly where I am going it was my confidence in myself and my self belief that started the change. 

With food it's the same old story and I need to just start doing it... I know I say it over and over again and I know that I am going to have  to keep on telling myself the same thing again and again and again. I find that most of it is a mental thing and like a habit .. as we all know these habits were made over  27 years and aren't going to go away over night... but it should be as simple as this... If I eat healthily I will have a healthy body... it's not rocket science... it's the most simple equation of all time.  I have lost 26lbs and only need to lose another 14 until I get to my goal weight.. after that it's the weight watchers goal that I still want to hit but it's the 13stone which is most important to me at the moment....14 little points.  


“‘Be careful of your thoughts, for they become your words.
‘Be careful of your words, for they become your actions.
‘Be careful of your actions for they become your habits.
‘Be careful of your habits for they form your character, and
‘Be careful of your character because it becomes your destiny!’


Monday 11 February 2013

Weigh In - 11.02.13

Right I had a gain this week which I was totally expecting. It all started back on Thursday when I went out for dinner with my parents. We had a lovely 3 course meal but it was all very filling and very high in calories  I was OK with it until Friday came around...I just couldn't get my act together on Friday and ate really badly. I ate crisps, cookies, jelly babies, ice cream ... you name it I probably ate it. Then over the weekend I visited friends in Bristol and that was another 2 days of just sheer eating and not holding back. I don't know what my problem was because if I am honest when I was eating the "bad" food I wasn't even enjoying it that much. Even on Sunday when we got home I just kept on eating even though I knew I wasn't hungry. 

So I weighed in at 198lbs...to be honest I am thankful it's just that as I was expecting alot more... I can feel the fat on me and can feel all the extra saturated fat just clinging on and running through me. Not nice at all. I think alot of it was Emotional Eating... but that is a post for tomorrow as there are quite a few things to say.. 

Thursday 7 February 2013

New Scales..So not worth it

A few days ago I went out and bought some digital scales. The reason being is that I currently use the old style scales and find it hard to see exactly where I am on the lbs. I know that as I get closer to my goal every lbs lost will count, I am also stepping on the scales every day at the moment (debate all in its self) and want to see clearly what my weight is doing..My first decision was what scales to buy. The last set  I bought were good until they got transported from one house to another and then they broke... so I was prepared to spend about £20. I ended up buying  a set of WW scales for just under £20. They look good and tell you your  weight in stone, lbs, kg and include 1/4  of lbs etc which is good.

Now I know that a new pair of scales will tell you a different weight to your old ones and I was totally expecting to see a small gain (why is it it will never ever tell you a loss..??!!) so I stood on the scales nervously and then jumped off them in shock... the WW scales said I was 14 stone 8 3/4 lbs (204lbs)... I moved the scales around a bit from place to place to see if that would make a difference but no... Now I know that this just isn't right. I got on the scales at the gym and it said the same weight as my old scales from home. As much as I want to use the new scales I am not prepared to accept 8lbs just to use some fancy pants scales. I have worked to hard to just accept it... so now I am in a dilemma of what to do... a) I have wasted £20 b) I want to use digital scales c) it has cast doubt on my weight even though a heavy duty set has backed up my home scales.  



Any advice out there? Anybody else have WW scales that show a totally different weight? BTW... interestingly my parents have WW scales at home and it always adds about 10lbs  to my weight.

Wednesday 6 February 2013

Workout At Home



Workout at home

Between work and family, it can become difficult to carve out time in your schedule each day to head to the gym. If you find it impossible to keep up a workout routine that requires commuting time or special preparations, consider creating your own fitness program at home. You don’t need any fancy gym equipment or a whole lot of time. Just half an hour each day using these easy tips can help you trim your waistline and starting leading a more healthful lifestyle.

Tackle that list of chores. You may not think of household chores as a workout, but pushing the vacuum cleaner -  Pushing the vacuum cleaner - can burn more calories than you thought. If you’re in the mood to multi-task while the little ones are either sleeping or away, just give your house a deep cleaning, making sure to keep moving the whole while. At the end, you’ll have done something great for your health and your home.

Have a dance party. Exercise has been known to boost endorphins, those little feel-good chemicals responsible for your post-workout high. Add a bit more joy to that by blasting a playlist of your favourite songs for 20 to 30 minutes, and you’ll have a surefire way to shed pounds and stave off mood swings. And the best thing about any kind of dancing--it doesn’t have to be a technical style like tap or ballet--is that it doesn’t even feel like a workout, so you may actually lose track of time.

Search for workout videos. Whether you purchase DVDs or stream them online, using videos as a part of your exercise routine is a great way to stay motivated and add variety. You can find programs for everything from high-impact cardio to muscle-toning pilates, making this a less expensive yet effective alternative to having a personal trainer. But the main perk of using videos is that you can pop them in whenever is most convenient for you, meaning you don’t have to work around anyone else’s schedule.

Get some fresh air. Walking is one of the most highly recommended ways to get back in shape, especially for new mothers. This form of exercise is easy on joints and adaptable to your current endurance level, so if you’re easing into a physical fitness regimen, start here. You could even accomplish your training goals by taking laps around your home or apartment complex. To challenge yourself even more, increase your weight-bearing load by bringing the baby along. Just make sure to wear sunscreen and avoid high-traffic areas.

Use your own body weight for lifting. You don’t have to own any weight machines or free weights to start getting toned. Some of the best exercises for weight training are calisthenics like push ups, abdominal crunches and squats. In addition, focusing on building muscle will actually help you burn calories faster, which is an essential goal for weight loss. Increase the number of reps and sets you do each day, and you’ll start to feel stronger and thinner in no time.

Tuesday 5 February 2013

Funny Story

Ok so last night I was on my way home and had a bit of shizer day, wasn't really in the mood for the gym and all in all was just feeling a bit Poo. I was going to go home and do some toning exercises at home....I was feeling fine with it although I did have a bit of deep rooted guilt as knew I really should go to the gym and also had a feeling that I would get home and probably not end up doing the exercise as something would get in the way...like emptying the dishwasher..

Anyway I had to stop for petrol on my way home and I stepped into the garage to pay and of course was rammed by shelves of chocolates and creme eggs etc...I put my hand up to get one and then thought ... no ... I don't want one it's not worth it... then I went up to pay and right there by the counter were those Malteser Bunny Rabbits. Now I LOVE Maltesers they are my favorite chocolate in the whole wide world and every time I walk past those bunnies I have to show such self will not to have one ...I mean seriously they are like 1 GIANT malteser!! Anyway I ended up buying one and devouring it and LOVING IT... however in a way it was a blessing in disguise. I was minutes away from driving past the gym but the knowledge that I had just ate a chocolate pushed me over the edge I was sitting on and I went to the gym. I was sitting at the roundabout and literally groaning out loud as I turned the car left to the gym instead of going straight ahead to get home... 

I did 30 minutes on the cross trainer at a higher level than I normally do so I burnt 450 calories and did just over 4km which I am quite pleased with and then did some toning exercises. I enjoyed it, felt good about myself and had worked off the guilt of the bunny! It totally put me in the right frame of mind to make sure I go to the gym tonight and on Friday as well.... I can't go Thursday as my parents are taking us out for dinner....damn the chocolate bunny I am going to turn into a gym bunny! 


Monday 4 February 2013

Weigh In - 04.02.13

Firstly I can not believe it's February already, the year is going to fly by... I can tell!!! So WI in this morning resulted in staying bang on 14 stone (196lbs) and to be honest I am fine with that. I was really worried that I was actually going to have a gain so to see 196 is OK with me. 

The last week wasn't great for me in regards to eating. I always seem to do this, I get a good Weigh In and then eat really badly that week which of course results in me going up and down on the scale continuously!  I know I say this all the time and to be honest I am getting a bit bored of saying it... but I do really need to sort it out. I know what I have to do and I also know it's just a case of habit. I was thinking about it over the weekend...now bear with me on this one.... I clean all the time, I like our house to be nice and clean and tidy and can't abide mess (for more than a day)....now the point is, I never used to be like this. I would have never described myself as overly tidy, I mean I wasn't a slob and my house didn't look like a bomb had gone off or anything but I wasn't as tidy or clean as I am now by a mile! I changed, keeping a clean and tidy house became a priority for me when we moved into our lovely new home and it hasn't just been for the first few weeks but it has been constant and now is a very strong habit. This is what has to happen with my food habits. 


Like I said I know what I have to do and now I just need to follow through...and constantly. It is the most boring thing to read every 2 weeks that "OMG...I let myself down" ...."OMG I ate a whole box of chocolates"...."OMG I just couldn't say no"  because the thing is all those things that happen are all my doing and my lack of self-control. I have the passion and I have the the ability to change as I have changed quite a lot already in the months that I have been doing this and I know that I am not going to become this healthy amazing person over night who follows through all the time....But I could make a start. It's like I said in the previous post (Letting Myself Down..BUT...Fixing it) I know what I have to do and I just really have to get on with it. I know this is the same old message I say again and again... but it will continue to be the same message until I get it truly into my head that this IS what has to happen! 




And thinking about it I need to embrace it as well... as perhaps I am not wanting to fully embrace it as I am scared of the changes it will bring...will I still stay the same person or will I become one of those people that say no to everything and will only eat holistic food etc (nothing wrong with that but not who I want to be!) I have to realise that doing this will only make me a better person and help become the person I want to be. I will change but the change will be good and won't make me a totally different person....so I have to do it, embrace it and not see it as a restriction diet thing but instead something that will help and fit in with who I am.