Life just sometimes gets in the way and the confusion with Weight Watchers bread doesn't help!

I am having one of those days where I am extremely jealous of celebrities. They not only have all the money in the world but they also have all the time in the world to exercise. If I had the life of a celebrity I would have had this weight long gone. Instead I arrive into work this morning to find that I have to help out on a project. This project will be great for my career but it also means working overtime all week which means no WI. I was gutted when my boss told me especially as I had made such an effort to be good yesterday and today. Anyway I am not going to let it get me down. I had a little mini blow-out tonight. For the record I had two Malteaser bars and....ok this one is bad, but I had a Mint Dairy Milk bar. I now have 8 days to add to the loss that I should have gotten tomorrow; my scales were showing a lb loss this morning and my scales are pretty accurate. I am really going to put an effort in this week as I really want to get my silver seven within the next two weeks. I have 3lbs gone so need 4 more; 2lbs a week is definitely doable. I hope everyone else has a great WI this week. Now for some more complaining!

Thin Slice Pan

I am going to do some nitpicking with Weight Watchers Brennans bread. Homemade soup has long become a favourite of mine for lunch. With the soup I love to have a ham sandwich made with Weight Watchers wholemeal bread.

Thick Slice Pan

Originally I used the thin sliced bread as I thought it was lower in points than the thick slice. The thin slice is 1pp per slice while the thick slice is 2pp per slice.

Thick Slices

One day I couldn't get the thin slice pan anywhere so I decided to get the thick slice pan. To my shock 2 slices of the thick pan is 3pps which is the same as 2 slices of the thin pan. Then I noticed that the thick slices are shorter but thicker than the thin slices, so effectively you are getting the same amount of bread.

Thin Slices

That is, until I got the thin sliced pan last week, and to my shock what used to be nice long slices, are now short slices. It still has the same thinness, yet the nutritional value is the exact same.

The thick sliced pan is definitely better value but I find it heavy on the stomach. I am also trying to reduce the amount of bread I eat which is why I preferred the thin slices. I feel like I am being robbed. Has anyone else found this problem or is it just my imagination?

Exam Time and Staying on Track

It is that time of year again where you will see stressful students wandering around. It can be a nightmare for anyone on WW. This is the first year in a long time where I do not have exams. It was during the Leaving Cert that I was at my highest weight. The thing you have to remember is that it is vital to eat properly during exam time. You will feel so much better, more energised and you will not have the general sluggish feeling that comes with eating poorly. Ask yourself; what are your study flaws; are you prone to stress eating? If so then here are some tips to get you through those stressful times:

1. Do a big grocery shop before you start into study. Get your WW staples along with whatever low point treats you like. If you do not have time to do a shop, write a list and get someone else to do it for you.

2. When planning out your study schedule for the next day, take a few minutes and plan your meals as well. Planning and tracking takes only a few minutes. It will help you stay on track throughout your exams.

3. Exercise is key. Not only does it help with WW but it will also help you study. Exercise is known for rejuvenating the body and can help with concentration. You need to take breaks so use that time wisely. When I was studying for my Masters, I started the day with a good workout and then during the day I did smaller workouts. Then at night, if I was not tired, I would do another workout. I probably did more exercise during my exams than I did during the summer.

4. If you attend meetings, try your best to attend them. They are only 20 minutes and will make a nice change of scenery from your study.

5. Most importantly, do not stress. Focus on what is important, your exams. WW comes second. Do what you have time for and feel comfortable with. If you gain a few lbs over those weeks, you will lose them again over the summer.

Low Point Treats:
Fruit - 0pps
Jaffa Cakes - 1pp for one cake, 3pps for 2 cakes, 4pps for 3 cakes, 5pps for 4 cakes (not really sure how the maths work on that one, but its what the calculator says!)
Curly Wurly - 3pps
Skips - 2pps per pack, 5pps for 2
Popcorn 30g - 4pps
Options Hot Chocolate - 1pp
Milky Way Bar - 3pps per bar, 5pps for 2
Various WW snacks

My Fitness Challenge Day 12 and 13.....and a bit of a WW ramble!

This post is all over the place and a bit of a ramble so I apologise!! It starts with last Sunday's fitness post and then goes on to today's!

Nothing like doing a good workout on a Sunday afternoon. It really does put you in a good mood. I also find it stops me from boredom eating or in this case hangover eating. I did 30DS level 2 day 2 today. I did it in 37 minutes which is not great but an improvement. Just something to note if you do 30DS, for the walkout push-ups make sure to bend your knees if you are not that flexible. The instructors do it without bending their knees but I would only end up injuring myself if I kept then straight.

I finally got around to doing Banish Fat Boost Metabolism again. It was much easier this time round and I even enjoyed it. I will admit though that I skipped the burpees. I have never been able to do them so rather than risk injuring myself, I just jogged on the stop for that exercise. It took me 1hr 10mins previously to complete it and I am proud to say that it only took me 57mins this time around! I am already looking forward to next weekend and doing it again.

Eek my fitness challenge was put on the wayside this last week. I have not been sleeping that well and the tiredness got the best of me, not to mention work was extremely stressful this week. I finally gathered to energy to do a workout on Saturday (yesterday). I did BFBM and I did it in 51 minutes! I had intended on doing 30DS but I was wrecked after doing BFBM. I was feeling really disheartened until I was reading a WW supplement. It talks about how we are more likely to fail if we are too hard on ourselves. So instead of being annoyed with not doing my planned exercise, I am proud of myself for doing BFBM.

Today, Sunday, I am sitting here writing this and putting off doing my workout. Even after a 10 hour sleep last night, I am still tired and just drained of energy. I have no idea why. Granted I do have my TOTM but I have never been this tired before. Also I should add that my previous attempt to try and overcome the TOTM weight gain myth is well and truly abandoned. Now in fairness I have not been as bad as I have been in the past. The worse is picking at the rich tea biscuits, which for some reason my Mum decided to buy a double packet of before going on holidays! Maybe a sneaky bar of chocolate as well and okay a few bottles of fizzy drinks.....and not diet. However if you have read my previous posts you will now that I can easily demolish a share bag of Minstrels and tube of Pringles in one sitting so I am not going to stress over a few biscuits. I really have come a long way in the space of a few weeks. My scales are showing me as STS so there is still hope to get down a lb or two before Wednesday. Anyway I am going to get up and do my exercise and the next paragraph will be about my results.......when this programme finishes, I'll definitely do it then!

If you saw me this evening, you would laugh your head off at me. I was a mess. I got up started, to do 30DS, and after the warm-up, I gave up. I decided to do a few sit-ups instead. There I was lying on the floor, thinking how ridiculous I was being; so up I got and did level 2 day 3. I was sweating like a pig by the end of it. My phone died during it so no idea what my time was but I say it was bad enough. I am just glad I did it. Now to push myself to do it tomorrow.

Going off topic again, my appetite seems to be all over the place this last week. It probably is a mixture of PMS and lack of sleep. When I get up in the morning, the last thing I want to do is eat but I force myself as I know I'll be starving in work. Then as it turns out I am starving anyway by 10. Nothing seems to work, I've tried porridge and boiled eggs. Then lunch comes and I could easily skip it as I just don't want to face food.
Come dinner, I am hungry but nothing appeals to me and funnily enough neither does junk food. I had bought  some gorgeous smoked salmon the other day, it cost €5, but I have yet to open it as its the last thing I want to eat. This evening I had planned a gorgeous beef and trimmings dinner but I wasn't that hungry. I am proud of myself as instead I just had some beef with two poached eggs. It was a light meal and better than not eating anything or even worse, eating crap. I am open to suggestions on how to overcome this and I am willing to try anything! I know I probably just need to wait it out but I really don't want it to effect my plans or my weight loss journey.

That Dreaded Time of the Month and Weekly WI

You do everything right; you plan, you track, you exercise and you drink your water. Yet when you step on

that scale at your WI your worst fear comes true; you are up. There is no explanation for it. Or its there? Is the dreaded time of the month (TOTM) the cause? Most people will put their gain down to that reason. However scientific research has found that the opposite should in fact happen; you should lose weight. I know you are probably cussing at the screen right now, not believing a word I am saying. I would have been one of the first to blame it on the bloating and the water retention until I read this article.
http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=42321&sc=801

Now it should be noted that I have looked into this further and there appears to be conflicting evidence regarding this. It may or may not be true. However this article gave me some hope that I may just get a loss last week. The main causes of weight gain during TOTM are water retention and increased appetite which can both lead to bloating. There are ways to possibly overcome these causes. To prevent water retention; you should limit your sodium intake and increase your water intake. This also applies to processed foods which are high in salt. Avoiding heavy carbs may also help prevent bloating and high fibre foods will help with bowel movements.

That sounds easy enough right? Well this is the hard part; say NO to your cravings. Stick to your plan, do not allow yourself to succumb to temptation. If you are feeling hungry, then snack on fruit or drink some tea, particularly green tea. Do some exercise. Exercise will not only help you ignore the cravings but will also aid in preventing a weight gain. If you were to look back over your tracker from a TOTM week you will most likely find you had gone over your points; and that does not include the items you did not track!

It is important to keep track of your weight loss pattern during your TOTM weeks. You should always highlight or mark the weeks you have your TOTM on you weight loss tracker. I always highlight the date so that I know that particular week I had my TOTM. Before I did it to prevent me from being disheartened over gains. Now I am doing it so I can monitor my eating patterns during those weeks. Some people may think this is excessive obsessing with WW. If you are like me and would like to see a consistent loss every week, then it is important to keep track and to make necessary changes. I have looked back over my old weight trackers from the last time I did WW. I was kind of surprised at some of the results and it does show you can lose during your TOTM. The weeks I gained I have no doubt that other factors i.e. eating crap, played a role in that gain.

Week 1 - +0.5lb
Week 2 - STS
Week 3 - -5lbs (not sure what happened that week!)
Week 4 - +0.5lb
Week 5 - STS
Week 6 - +1.5lbs (more due to lack of following the plan)
Week 7 - -1.5lbs
Week 8 - +1.5lbs (was the beginning of my plateau and yo-yoing)
Week 9 - -1lb
Week 10 - -0.5lb
Week 11 - -1lb
Week 12 - STS
Week 13 - +0.5lb

So why am I stressing out over TOTM? Last night I had my WI but I did not reach my weekly target of 2.5lbs. I only lost 0.5lb. I really do not want to see a gain next week as it would set me back as I am only down 3lbs. 3lbs in two weeks is good but not so good if I see a gain next week. So I really want to see a loss. Although, if I am being honest with myself, the reason for such a small loss this week was that I was only about 60% good; so to get any kind of loss was a good result. I also found myself writing off my weeklies, more than once. This is a bad habit to get into and it is what happened to me the first time around on ProPoints. The weeklies are the reason I am not the biggest fan of ProPoints. It does not help that I caved to the cravings this evening.

So I am setting myself a challenge this week to try and get a loss on the scales at my next WI, on Wednesday.  I am going to lower my sodium intake, make sure I am drinking 3 litres of water a day and I am going to make sure I reach my exercise target over the weekend. I am also going to make a big effort to stick to my daily points and to only use a few of my weeklies for a girls night on Saturday. I am going to make sure I am getting enough sleep and avoiding all fizzy drinks. These are two goals I set myself a few weeks ago. As I have said before weight loss is not just about the results on the scales but also about the other changes you make in your life. Here is to a good week and hopefully a good result on the scale.

Sometimes all we need is a little push.....Part 3

 Yesterday, I finished up by talking about changing your diet. Today I am going to focus on making changes not just in your diet but throughout your life.

Weight loss is a lifestyle change so it is important to look beyond your weight loss. Set yourself goals to change things in your life that will make you feel better and be healthier. However pace yourself. Do not

make drastic lifestyle changes overnight. Every week or two, pick one goal and try to implement the changes into your life. My list includes;

• Exercise at least three times a week
• Give up fizzy drinks
• Cut down on wheat products
• Snack on fruit or light healthy snacks to prevent hunger pangs
• Up protein to maximise points instead of treats
• Have two low calorie days to help kick metabolism
• Cut down on sugar
• Drink green tea or hot water when feeling hungry between meals
• Increase fibre 
• Switch to wholewheat products

Dump the black clothes. Are you like me and wear baggy, comfortable clothes? Are those clothes mainly black? I know mine are. Wearing bold colours will give you the confidence you need and no matter what weight you are you deserve to feel good. You have to remember that you are doing this. You are losing the weight and making good changes in your life. You do not need to wait until you achieve goal to wear the red dress you always wanted to. Shop around, try the clothes on and buy a red dress that fits you properly and suits your figure. You will be amazed at how good you will feel.

If you do WW from home and you are struggling then find a family member or a friend that you trust. Make them your WW leader. Every week you have to tell them your weight loss. Make yourself accountable to them. This will make it easier for you to stay on track and hopefully give you the fear to motivate you.

Focus on the good and not the bad. So you have had a bad day, big deal. Ask yourself what did you do right? You only had one bar instead of two. That in itself is an achievement and you should focus on that. Positivity is so important for your weight loss journey.

 

Lacking motivation to exercise? I find that planning exercise in advance can help motivate you to exercise. I find that it is the initial push to

get up and start the exercise that I lack motivation. Once I start, I fly through it
and I love it. I always feel so much better after it. This is why planning really helps me, as if I have it planned, it feels like I have to do the exercise.

Sleep is so important. If you are tired you are going to lack motivation and are prone to giving up. Make sure you are getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night. It really will help you get motivated.

Browse the internet for weight loss stories to help inspire you. You are not alone and there are so many others who have gone through what you have. By reading their stories you will muster up the motivation you need to continue your journey.

This may sound counter-productive but if you are lacking in motivation, take a week off from WW. Sometimes stressing and worrying about losing weight can cause you to plateau. A break can allow you time

to think about why you are doing this and what you want at the end of the journey. It can make you realise the importance of losing weight and why giving up is not an option. Sometimes a blow out is what you need to motivate you to get back on track. It is so important, though, that you do actually get back on track. One week is sufficient. Any longer and you risk never coming back!

This is easier said than done but STAY OFF THE SCALES. You only need to weigh yourself once a week. You may say to yourself that weighing yourself regularly is a great motivator. I used to think this but it is perfect if you are down but, if you are up or have stayed the same, then it can demotivate you.  This happened to me only yesterday when I stepped on the scale that morning and saw that I had not changed. This was after being perfect the day before. I do know that my weight is not going to drop overnight however it still put me off. I found myself that evening nearly throwing the towel in. I got over it though. The only problem is I cannot put the scales away as other people use it and I got given out to the last time I tried to put them away. I need to learn to walk past them instead of stepping on them.

If you feel like you are about to quit, you need to ask yourself one question; will I be better off? If the answer

is yes then by all means go ahead. If the answer is no then you need to slowly get your head back in the game. You will not lose the weight if you are not in the right frame of mind. You may lose a bit initially but either you will give up or the scales will. This will not happen overnight and you need to give yourself time. As I said before, take it one day at a time. If you have a bad day, then forget about it and move on.

That is a lot of information to process so I am going to leave you with some very simple and basic tips. If you start to have cravings or are bored, start planning your goal wardrobe. Go for a walk, do some exercise or simply go into another room. Go for a drive and listen to some music but leave the purse at home. Getting past your cravings are essential for staying motivated.

Sometimes all we need is a little push.....Part 2

Yesterday I promised I would post tips on how to get motivated. These are tips that I have picked up through out my time in WW and from other sources on the internet.

The first one is a good starting point. Set mini-goals. These are a vital key for your weight loss journey. Weight loss goals include silver sevens, stones, 5% and 10%, drop into a lower BMI category and a drop into a new stone bracket. Do not forget other goals such as exercise goals and clothes goals. The satisfaction you feel when you get to cross off those goals will spur you on. If you have a competitive streak in you then go into competition with yourself. Dare yourself to reach those goals. Some people may prefer to have deadlines for these goals while others prefer to achieve them at their own pace. Do what you feel comfortable doing. Make sure your goals are realistic and your deadlines are reasonable. By putting yourself under pressure you are setting yourself up for failure.

Remember to celebrate the small victories. Half a pound is better than a stay the same or a gain. Being able to zip up your old jeans is an amazing achievement. Running around with your children and not being out of breath is something you should be proud of. Reward yourself with non-food treats. Let go of the fat person inside of you and embrace the new skinny to be you.

A little trick I learned from my leader was to write, on my tracker, all my treats in red pen. This highlights the amount of treats you are eating and it is easier for you to see exactly how many points you are using on
treats. You should always plan your three main meals first. Make good hearty meals with foods that will keep you fuller for longer. Then once you have done that, you can see how many points you have left and you can allow for treats.

Photos are a great motivator. I recently did up a collage of photos with pre weight loss pictures, pictures

from when I lost the weight and pictures since I put the weight back on. I am gutted at how I look now. I had done so well but it does show me that I did it once, I can do it again. That collage is now my background picture on my laptop so I can see it all the time.

Another trick I learned from my leader was to set up a few alarms on your phone. You set them up for times that the cravings tend to kick in. You can name them whatever you like. She suggested naming them after her so it is like she is calling you to remind you to be good. I have on mine 200lbs and heavier since January. This is to remind me that I am now in the 200lbs and if I keep going I was be reaching the 300lbs.

Do not be afraid to get lost in your thoughts. A tip for newcomers or even the old hands at WW, write down your feelings that first day you join WW. Stick it somewhere that you can see. Think about how you feel/felt at your heaviest. Were you happy? Think about how you feel/felt at your lowest weight. Keep focusing on that

feeling. Write down your thoughts so you can refer back to them when you are struggling again. Think about what it would be like to be at goal weight, to wear nice clothes or to have the confidence to walk tall. Visualise yourself in your dream body. How does that make you feel? I know it gives me jitters. My leader said before that we can be that hot girl we are always envious of, if we want it bad enough.

Changing things up is so important. The weight loss journey is a long one and you need to make sure you do not get bored. Make sure you are regularly changing your meals around and not eating the same foods all the time. If you are eating the same things all the time then you are more likely to give up. The internet is your best friend. You can Google recipes. They do not necessarily have to be low fat as you can adjust them yourself to make them WW friendly. The same applies to exercise. You will eventually get bored of the exercise you do. One way to keep your exercise fresh is to try out classes with friends or go for a run/walk with your friends. You will not get bored and they can help motivate you as well.

Tomorrow's post will conclude with more advice and tips for helping you through your journey.

Sometimes all we need is a little push.....Part 1

Weight loss is not an easy journey. There are good days and bad days. There are going to be days where you feel like giving up. I am a follower of the Weight Watchers thread on boards.ie. I noticed over the last week or so that a few members have been lacking motivation or are struggling after weight gains. As an experienced WW struggler I thought would do a post on things that I have found helpful in the past. I have included my own tips and advice but I also have rounded up a load of information on the net.

The first thing you have to remember is that it is not a race. While it would be lovely to have the weight lost for the wedding in a few weeks, you have to realise that you most likely will not lose it by then. Yes you can do a crash diet and lose a stone but that stone will be back on straight after along with more. Weight loss is not for summer, it is for life. Think about how long it took you to put on the weight. It did not happen overnight. For me, I put it on over a three year period. The slower the weight comes off the better. It is more likely to stay off. By losing it the slow and healthy way, you are less likely to fall back into old habits when you reach goal. I stressed so much about losing the weight for my holiday last year that when I came home I rewarded myself for my hard work....with food. I gained back all the weight I lost and more. I was putting myself under the same pressure this year until I realised there will be other events after my holiday and I should look towards them.

If you have been struggling recently it is important to take it a day at a time. Do not be worrying about the end goal as it may seem so far away right now. As you may know, I have a tendency to binge eat. I would love to say I have cured that but I have not. Thursday and Friday of last week were terrible. However I did not let it get me down. Instead I focused on the positives from last Sunday. I went shopping and the cupcakes that I love were on special offer. Of course I picked them up and put them in the basket without even thinking about it. It was not until I was at the checkout that I realised that this is why I have gained weight while supposedly doing WW. I went and put them back on the shelf. Later that day a similar incident occurred. I was in the shop buying my bus ticket and I was so frustrated with how WW has been going, that I decided to write the day off, even

though I had been good up to then. I picked up a Mars bar and put it on the counter. While the clerk was getting my ticket, the WW angel in me, made me put the bar back. It is not an easy journey and you will have days like those. Willpower is the key. Easier said than done I know. You need to ask yourself do you really want that bar of chocolate. Can you have something smaller and within your points allowance? After the cupcake debacle I realised that they are 7pps each. Not bad considering they are a decent size cupcake. So, two cupcakes are 14pps. There are 4 in the packet so I two (because let’s face it who stops at one!) last night as a treat and gave the other two to my family. This is what I have to realise. I can have nice treats within points. I do not need any more than that. I may initially want more, but I have to learn to say no, everything in moderation. The problem is the days running up to Friday but I will take it a day at a time. I will make sure I am eating healthy, nutritious meals and not going hungry. If you are hungry and not eating substantial meals you will be more likely to reach for the cookie jar.

Do you have a tendency to overeat? Are you struggling? A great motivator is money. There are three financial factors that need to be considered; how much you spend on healthy food a month, how much you spend on junk food, and how much do you spend on WW meetings a month. When you tot this up, if your habits are like mine, you will be shocked at how much money you have wasted by not sticking to the plan. I

would find I spend so much money on being healthy but yet I am eating so much junk. I would sometimes end up throwing out the healthy food. Keep you receipts and keep note of how much you spend on food. Track your WW attendance. Are you skipping meetings for fear of the scales? If so that is another €5 down the drain. Are you like me and rejoining classes after every failed attempt? That is a waste of another €10. If someone who has not struggled with their weight was reading this, they would probably say quit, it is a waste of money and obviously is not working. Yes I have not been perfect since January and I have gained weight while supposedly doing WW. However I know that if I was not doing WW I would have put on so much more weight.

Tomorrow I am going to continue this post and include lots of tips on how to find the motivation you need to continue your weight loss journey.

Fitness Challenge Day 11 (Day 1 Level 2 30DS)

Today I finally got around to starting level 2 and boy do I miss level 1. I forgot how hard level 2 is. This level is very tough on your wrists as there are a lot of plank moves in it. It is a very good all round body workout

though so if you do get this far, persevere. It took me a whopping 40 minutes to do it. I could not remember some of the moves so that counted for some of the additional time but I did find it tough. It is a big step up from level 2 so my advice is make sure you are ready to move on before starting it and take your time.

Circuit 1:

Strength

Walking push-ups

Squat with wide rows

Cardio

High knees

Squat thrusts

Abs

One leg lift double crunches 

Swap legs

Circuit 2:

Strength

Static lunge with medium grip row

Pendulum lunges with hammer rows (one leg)

Switch legs for repeat

Cardio

Jumping oblique twists

Skaters

Abs

Chest press holds with double leg lifts

Double crunches

Circuit 3:

Strength

Military presses with leg extension (one leg)

Chair squats with v arm raises (I found this very tough on the arms so you may want to use lighter weights or even do one round heavy weights and one round with lighter weights.)

Cardio

Plank jacks

Double jump rope (do normal jump rope if you want)

Abs

Plank oblique twists

Chicken Stroganoff

Following on from my Hearty Meals post, this recipe is one of my favourites. It has a great taste to it and you do not feel like you are on a diet eating it. Bon appetit!

Propoints: 8 pps

Discover Points: 6 points

Serves: 2

Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

60g rice
200g lean chicken fillet
1 tsp low fat butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can low-fat condensed chicken soup
30ml half-fat creme de fraiche
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
Salt and pepper

Method:
Cook rice according to package instructions; drain and return to pan to keep warm.
Cut meat into thin strips. In a large frying pan, heat the butter. Add onions and garlic and saute until soft.
Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Stir in chicken soup, mushrooms, Worchestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
Simmer until chicken and mushrooms are cooked. Add creme de fraiche; stir until well blended.
Remove from heat and serve with rice.

* Can be made with beef instead of chicken for the exact same propoints. 100g lean beef is 3 propoints.
** For the low fat chicken soup, the only brand I have been able to source so far is Erin. I have found it in all the main supermarkets.
*** I use Tesco's own brand half-fat creme de fraiche which can be found alongside the other creams.

Here We Go......Yet AGAIN

So I have a confession to make! Last week I rejoined WW for what must be the thousandth time. I know I must be a pain but it was something I felt like I needed to do. I went back to the meeting I went to when I originally lost the weight. Why did I not go back there initially? Because I was embarrassed. I should not have been as the leader could not have been more welcoming. She has always taken a keen interest in my weight loss and could not have done more for me when I hit a long plateau. It felt so good to be back and it was nice to see some old faces as well. I weighed in at 14st 4.5lbs which meant a whopping 5lb gain since the week previous. Anyway I am not stressing about that and for the first time in ages I look forward to WW. Tonight was my first WI and I  was down 2.5lbs. That was my target so I was delighted. I am now back out of the 200lbs and I am not going back. As you will read down further that really scared me. Next week I want to get out of the 14's so I am aiming for another 2.5lbs. A bit optimistic but I am going to try really hard. Last week, I went through a lot emotionally, and I know she probably is not reading this, but I could not have got through it without a very close friend. Anyway I actually wrote the following last week but  I just did not have the nerve to post it. I guess I was embarrassed about rejoining again but I am doing this blog for me and any others who may be in the same position as me, so here goes.

Since January, I have been like a broken record. I have restarted WW nearly every week. I keep saying it

has finally clicked yet it has not. Until tonight that is. Well I am hoping it has. Tonight I realised that I am nearly 24. I hated myself for letting my weight ruin my teens. I vowed I would not let it ruin my 20's. Yet here I am, hating life because I am fat. I was away in London at the weekend and it was a very emotional weekend away. I hated the photos from the trip. I look huge in all of them. I met an ex boyfriend (of all the people to bump into) whom I had not seen since I put back on the weight. None of my clothes fitted comfortably on me and I hated the sight of myself in the mirror. One of my friends made a comment about how she could not reach her shoes over her fat belly. This girl weighs 8.5 stone. I know this because she constantly moans about how fat she is at 8.5 stone.

Try being 14st 4.5 lbs. This is what I am. A whopping 14 stone 4.5 lbs. Why is tonight different from my other 'light bulb' moments? It might not be but I discovered a few things today. My size 18 work coat is starting to get tight. In the space of two weeks I have gained 7.5lbs :O Some of that is due to legitimate reasons but not all of it. I stepped on my scales at one point and it read 14st 9lbs. Holy crap, I was only 13st 8lbs just before Christmas. I am inching closer and closer to 15 stone. I have officially tipped into the 200 lbs. It is no longer a matter of I want to lose the weight, but now more that I HAVE TO.
I also realised that I have gained nearly a stone since January all the while supposedly doing Weight Watchers?? How does that happen. Besides the wasted money, it is wasted time. I have been faffing around with classes and leaders and I have decided once and for all to go back to my original leader. Yes I know you heard me right, I am rejoining Weight Watchers for what will be the third and LAST TIME in the space of 4 months. I think I need to do this. I now have 2 months free of major social events (other than usual Saturday nights!) so that will give me enough time to get settled into Weight Watchers. I did not have this the last two times. The first time I joined was two weeks before Christmas. The second time was the week before Paddy's weekend and then of course Easter. I know, excuses, excuses. I have something now that I did not have before, fear. I am terrified of the scales getting higher.

I had not intended on writing any of this. It does feel good to get it off my chest as I have been stressing about it since my meeting. The important thing is to forget the past on focus on the future. This time around I have set mini goals but I am not setting deadlines. I am taking it a week at a time and as long as the scales are down then I do not care. I am going to cross off each mini goal as I reach them, whenever that may be. I need to keep reminding myself, a lb a week is nearly 4 stone a year. So for what is the umpteenth time, here is to goal!

My Fitness Challenge Days 5-10

I decided to document the remaining days together so as not to clog up the blog with lots of posts!

I did day 5 on Thursday. Yet again I had to force myself to do it as I was exhausted after work. I am always so tired after work that normally I come in throw my dinner in the microwave and collapse on the couch. Now I make myself do the 30DS and then allow myself to collapse :) Funny thing is, I always feel so much better after I do it. I can really feel it starting to affect my stomach. This is great as I have been feeling very bloated lately. I managed to do it in 25 minutes which is not too bad. I was distracted by something else so I have to up the ante to get back to 23 minutes.

The tiredness got the better of me on Friday so day 6 was left until Saturday. I was not feeling the best on Saturday but I made myself do it. I took my time at it though, 29 minutes which was not too bad. I had intended on doing Banish Fat Boost Metabolism and No More Trouble Zones, however I ended up having to visit a family member in hospital. That took up most of my day and by the time I got home, I just about managed to get through 30DS. On a side note, for the squat and punch exercise, try and squat as low as possible. Also take note that the proper form is to hold your head up and look straight ahead. I only realised today that I tend to look down at the screen while doing this exercise. By keeping proper form, not only do you prevent injury but it helps keep the abs tight.

Day 7 did not go according to plan either. I ended up going for drinks with some friends so I only had time to do 30DS. I was even slower again today, completing it in 29 minutes. I have got back into the habit of taking quick breaks in between exercises so I need to reign that in. I really wanted to measure myself today but I am holding out until Wednesday when I should be finished.

Monday was day 8 of 30DS and while I was doing it, I decided to do day 9 as well. What I did was, I did circuit 1 once through and went back and did it again before moving on to circuit 2. I was sweating like mad doing it but I am really starting to feel the effect it is having on my body. It took me 50 minutes to complete it so about 25 minutes for each round which is not too bad. I am going to do day 10 tomorrow (Tuesday) and then wait until Wednesday to measure myself.

Delighted I finally completed level 1 yesterday along with Jillian Michaels No More Trouble Zones. I really felt it today, I could barely walk. I took my measurements this evening and they are not that good. I am not too disheartened though as I can feel the effect it is having on my body. I am looking forward to starting level 2 tomorrow.

Recipe Time

I have not really posted many recipes since I started the blog. I have not really made any meals, more wanting quick and easy dinners. Kind of sums up my attitude to WW in recent months. I made a big effort at the weekend to try some new recipes. The BBC Recipe website is great for recipes and meal ideas. All you have to do is switch the ingredients to more WW friendly items. I have a good few recipes to share with over the coming weeks. I will start with my new favourite, gammon steaks with colcannon mash and white sauce. I also have a great lunch recipe, smoked salmon pate. It is really versatile as can be served with brown bread or crackerbread or whatever takes your liking.

Gammon Steak with Colcannon Mash and White Sauce
Serves: 4

I unfortunately could not get the smooth white sauce.
First time making it so not too bad!

ProPoints per Serving: 10pps

Ingredients:
4 gammon steaks

For the Colcannon
1.5kg floury potatoes
100g low fat butter
500g green cabbage (I used kale), sliced
250ml hot, skimmed milk
salt and pepper

For the White Sauce
25g low fat butter
25g plain flour
600ml skimmed milk
salt and pepper

Method:
Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until soft.
Drain the water and mash with half the butter.
Heat a pan until hot and add the remaining butter, two tbsp of water and the sliced cabbage. Cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until just cooked through.

Add the cabbage mixture to the potatoes, then add most of the hot milk. Do not pour in all the milk as you may not need it all. Season to taste, with salt and pepper, and beat until creamy and smooth. Add more milk if necessary to achieve your preferred consistency.
Meanwhile, for the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan.
Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat and gradually stir in the milk to get a smooth sauce. Return to the heat, and stirring all the time, bring to boil.

Simmer gently for 8-10 minutes and season with salt and pepper.
Finally, grill the gammon steak for 8-10 minutes, until cooked.

Smoked Salmon Pate
Serves: 6
ProPoints per Serving: 3

Ingredients:
255g smoked salmon
110g extra light Philadelphia cream cheese
2 tbsp half fat creme de fraiche
2 tbsp chopped chives
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper

Method:
Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until it has the consistency you desire. Season to taste but remember that smoked salmon is quite salty by itself.

Good Hearty Meals

Every meeting my leader mentions 'Mammy dinners'. When people join WW, we tend to forgo the 'Mammy dinners' in favour of seemingly healthier, low pointed foods. I was one of these people. I was also eating the same types of food day in day out. My meals were based around my 'treats'. I put treats in inverted commas because the word treat implies a single, one-off item. For me, treats meant three or four low point items consumed throughout the day. This could easily add up to 12/15 points alone. If you are one of these people, a little trick I learned was to write all treats in red pen on your tracker. This was you can clearly see how many points you are using on treats.

It has finally clicked that with me that weight loss is not a quick fix thing. It does not matter what plan you follow, you have to take it a week at a time. Some weeks you will be perfect and see a loss, others you may see a gain. In January I was panicking because I was running out of time to lose the weight before X, Y or Z. The truth is I want to lose the weight for me, for life. The reason I am saying all this is because this time around I have decided to listen to my new leader and focus on eating delicious, filling and healthy meals.

Since deciding to do this I am eating more red meat. Before I would have stuck religiously to plain chicken fillets. Beef is delicious and the juices add so much flavour to your meal. I had this gorgeous steak dinner for only 11 propoints. It consists of 150g lean sirlion steak fried in low fat butter (5 pps for beef, 1pp for butter),  100g potatoes, mashed with salt and drop of slimline milk (2 pps for potatoes, 1 pp for milk), roasted veg dripped in balsamic vinegar and sea salt (2 pps for parsnip). It was so filling and I did not feel bloated after it either. The gravy is made from the juices of the meat and a tbsp of Bistro granules which are zero propoints.

Slimbos with smoked salmon,
poached eggs and caeser mayo.

The new craze at the moment are Slimbos. They are thinner versions of ciabattas. They are great for open sandwich recipes. One is 3 pps and two are 5 pps. I have used them for Steak Sandwich, Smoked Salmon and Poached Egg Sandwich and Breakfast Butties. You can load up with side salads or roasted veg to make yourself a gorgeous meal.

The Hairy Dieters Recipe book has some fantastic recipes in it. Their recipes are low calorie versions of every day meals. I have made their Chicken and Ham Tangle Pie, Lamb Hoptpot, Italian Meatballs and many more. I will post some of the recipes along with the propoints over the next few weeks.

Chicken Stroganoff

My mum makes a gorgeous beef stroganoff which I love. However it is a very creamy dish. I have altered the recipe to make it more WW friendly. It is only 8 propoints and makes a great change from the typical spuds and meat dinners. I have posted the recipe in a separate post.

When new members join Weight Watchers, they believe they will be eating carrot sticks and lettuce for their meals. As I have shown, this does not have to be the case. You can have lovely home cooked meals if you so choose. It is about using your points wisely. If you eliminate the junk from your diet, you will have plenty of points for good hearty meals. You will probably find you will crave junk food less as you are more satisfied and less hungry.