The Road to Recovery.

So, last week I had a fabulous weight loss of 4.5lbs. I knew it would be a good one, but it was purely down to being poorly and being off food for the first time in my life!

Weigh in last night. I felt so nervous as I have been eating normally and was expecting to see most of that loss back on. I kept everything crossed for a maintain. I did however see a gain of half a pound and I will take that and food optimise it off this coming week. Weight now, 13st 8lbs.

I am still happy and have suddenly had something click in my brain. I have lost 11lbs since 1st January, I need 3lb for my stone award. This week I will do it.

What clicked last night for me, was the fact I let too many things worry or concern me. Let's take the weather for example. For a couple of weeks it's been a case of 'it's raining AGAIN'. Why should this concern me? I have no control over the weather so there's no point worrying, moaning and getting down about it.

The one thing I am in control of is my weight loss. By acknowledging this I think I am making myself more accountable for the results on the scales.

I don't know where this new out look has come from, but I love it and I'm not letting it go.

On another note when the weather does improve I cannot wait to get to the allotment. There is a lot of work to do, but it's free exercise that will be so rewarding. I cannot wait to have a full season of growing my own veg, I love free food :)

I have started my week with a mushroom omelette and a fruit salad. I will not be swayed off plan at all this week, I'm going to count my syns and masure my healthy extras and I WILL get that next shiny on my book!

In my group this Saturday we'll be getting ready to launch our Slim For Good campaign, a 6 week weight loss challenge that also helps raise money for a local charity. Last year it was fantastic and we raised a lot of money for the Swindon branch of SANDS, a charity that supports parents of stillborn babies. I cannot wait to help another charity this year. It's heart breaking and heart warming at the same time.

One last thought for you this week:

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time" - Thomas Edison

Have a great week.

L x

Highs and lows!

It has been a few weeks since my last installment.

Firstly, my group that I run in a Saturday is now open on 2 sessions. 9am and 11am very exciting having just under 100 fabulous members.

Last Saturday I had an amazing group, for 2 reasons.

The first was the fact that losing a pound got me to a weight of 13st 12lb, and I got my half stone award at last!

This was made extra special because it was presented to me by Fran, one of my long standing (possibly long suffering) social team members. I could stop smiling.

Then we had our group Couple Of The Year 2014 competition. We had 3 nominations. A couple affectionately known as mum and dad, the 'newly weds' and the third option, who went on to win, was the lovely Amy.

Amy joined my group the day I first opened my doors. She's now part of my social team and a great friend.  She was a mum of 2 and it was her dream to have a third child with her husband. That was her reason for joining me. Her gorgeous little boy turns 1 in April. However, Amy's story doesn't stop there as a miracle has blessed her and her family and a second baby is on its way. Baby 'Lamby' is due to join us towards end of May.

Throughout all of this Amy has continued to come to group and has also showed it is possible to control your weight whilst having a happy, healthy pregnancy. That's why she was nominated, although I'm not sure what the guys at head office will think!

On Monday I was suddenly struck down with illness. My throat was very sore an swollen and I could hard talk or drink. I put it down to tonsillitis and got an early night. I woke up Tuesday in excruciating pain. I had slept for 13 hours and felt exhausted, no work for me.

Wednesday I headed to the doctors, a kidney infection. Now I am on super strength anti biotics and pain killers. I feel yuk and today missed running my group. Another Consultant was very supportive and ran the group for me, but I felt sad not being there.

NEVER in my life have I lost my appetitie, this week is a first. I dragged myself to weigh in on Friday morning. Another 4.5lbs off, total loss 11.5lbs now. 

I feel very conscious that great loss is down to being poorly, so straight back on plan when I can.

It's been an amazing few weeks, am praying for a maintain at my next weigh in, a loss of 2.5lbs would blow me away and get me my stone!

Can I do it?

Check back Wednesday and find out!!

Lou x

Thirteen, unlucky for some!

Weigh in tonight and another pound off, that's 5.5lb.  

Weight now 13st 13.5lb.

Psychologically dropping into a next stone bracket is a massive motivator, I'm not in the 14’s anymore. Granted I have been in these numbers before Christmas, but this time I am not seeing a 14 at the beginning of the scales again!

I entered my weight into lifeline online tonight, the fabulous free Slimming World website (for members attending group), and it's predicting that if I keep up this pace of weightloss I will be at target in May.  How amazing would that be!  

Yes I do still have a way to go, but I am going to really up my game this week and try and get another 3lb under my belt. I worked out that my current countdown expires on my birthday, April 9th.  It would be a dream come true to be at target then. I just have to realise I am the only thing that can stop me achieving this dream, so it's time to crack on!

I am still attending the gym, and I do enjoy it once I'm there, it's just the thought of going that's a struggle. I don't really want to go, but I don't want to feel fat on my wedding day either. The gym truly so he lesser of two evils.

I have for quite a hectic week ahead, which usually gets in my way of food optimising 100%, but if I am honest I think it's just been an excuse I've been making. I know I can make the right choices, I've just chosen not to in the past.

Wow it really is a new year and a new me!

Post-weigh in dinner tonight was made up of a can of Stagg vegetable garden chilli (2.5 syns), extra chilli and tobasco added, a BFree wrap (healthy b) toasted and topped with 5 Laughing Cow light triangles (healthy extra A) topped with chilli and jalapeños! It felt super naughty, was super filling and only 2.5 syns!

I am loving the new motivation I have, I think it's because I have decided I'm getting to target, and it doesn't matter if I get there losing 5 lb a week or 1lb a week, as long as the weight comes off I will be pleased and I hope my new found confidence rubs off on my fabulous members at my own group.

They know that I'm a member, they know I have my struggles, they know I'm one of them.

Cannot wait to post next Wednesday, hopefully I'll even have a shiny in my book!

L x

Positive Pants!

Weigh in last Wednesday saw the scales tease me with a brilliant 3lb loss taking me to 14st and half a pound, cannot wait to get into the next stone bracket.

Having only had 14.5 syns the week before and being disappointed with my 1.5lb loss, I decided to up my syns. I still stayed under my allowance, but enjoyed a few extra treats such as a Twirl for 11.5 syns and a extra BFree wrap for 6 syns and generally just took a bit of pressure off myself.

On a separate group my own Slimming World group is going from strength to strength! I had 96 members walk through the door last week and 97 this week!

My poor little venue just can't cope, so it's time to go double! I was the first Saturday group in Swindon and now I'll be the only double Saturday session! So excited. Members will be able to weigh at 9am or 11am. Hopefully this will attract some members back that aren't early risers.

This week I am focused but feel a little wobbly. I really want to lose 2.5lb this week to achieve the ever allusive half stone award. I have been sticking to plan, enjoying some syns and venturing to the gym.

That has lead me to venture into a new challenge for myself. I love taking part in Race For Life, but I've never really ran it. I want to complete this years race in 30 mins or less! I know to some that will sound easy, but I just can't run it doesn't come naturally. Tonight I completed my first 5km stink on the treadmill. I power walked it and it took 49 mins 53 seconds, have the best part of 20 mins to shave off that time by June! Am confident that by Food Optimising and continuing with my increase body magic, I will be able to achieve that!

I am looking forward to the scales this week, so wish me luck!

L x

Disappointed, but not disheartened!

Weigh in day!

This weeks loss, 1.5lb. New weight 14st 3.5lb.

I feel gutted, I can't lie. I know I stuck to plan and I kept a food diary and I went to the gym. So why didn't I get the result I wanted??

I have members in my fabulous group that ask me this week in week out, and as a member tonight I feel I have the right to be disappointed, I deserve more! 

So now I need to REALLY look at my week. Did I have my health extras everyday? Did I have 5-15 syns a day? Did I have lots of free foods? The honest answer is NO. The great news is at no point did I feel hungry, I ate a few free foods everyday and lots of super free, but I didn't have both my healthy extras everyday, in fact from memory I think I missed three of my healthy B's. As for syns, 5-15 a day is what Slimming World recommend. Usually I have no problem enjoying these, but after Christmas I just don't fancy any 'naughties' and finished my week eating 14.5 syns for the whole week.

I had two choices tonight after group. Be totally hacked off and have a binge, or take a step back and reflect on my week and have a food optimising dinner! I chose option 2 and feel so much better for it. A fantastic friend, who is also a member of mine, very wisely said I had to remember I weigh less tonight than I did last week. Thank you Amy you stopped me going for option 1.

Dinner was a BFree wrap with chicken tikka bites and a sauce made with quark, cumin, lemon juice and tobasco and I had some super free for a boost. A yummy food optimising dinner and all for 5 syns :)

I did go to the gym this week and actually attended a body combat class. My friends Lisa and Lesley are obviously delighted they finally got me to attend. It was horrid and a total shock to my system, but I have booked in again for Sunday. They say you have to try a food at least 6 times before you can truly say you don't like it, maybe the same applies with exercise :) I also dusted off the wii and got a few sessions in on that.

My plan this week is to really stick to plan.  I am going to fill up on free foods, get my healthy extras everyday and enjoy a very minimum of 5 syns a day. I didn't set a weight loss goal this week because I don't want to set myself up for failure, but it's time to commit. I would love 5.5lbs next week! What? I hear people say! I can do this and I will do it. Few more sessions on my wii as well this coming week. If you want something you've never had, you have to do something you've never done!

I am a Consultant and run a brilliant group at Freshbrook Community Centre in Swindon every Saturday. Some people believe because I'm a consultant I shoud know better! Sunday-Friday I am very much a Slimming World member, and am lucky to have a supportive consultant. My members drive me on and I believe they appreciate the fact that I am just as human as them, just as likely to have a wobble as them, just as desperate to achieve target as them. They are my extended family and I am grateful for every single one of them that have chosen me to help them along their journey. Including my own consultant, I feel like I have 70 consultants spurring me on every week.

Slimming World is magical, if you haven't found us yet, what are you waiting for?

Have a fabulous week.

L x

New Year, New ME!

So, the new year has arrived and what a year it's going to be. I can't lie, I did sit yesterday and looked at my 2013 and was disappointed that I STILL hadn't reached my target weight.  Needless to say I was not looking forward to attending group tonight!

I am my own worse enemy when it comes to trying to lose weight. If I have a good result on the scales I usually celebrate and reward myself with chocolate, wine or a takeaway.  Oddly enough when I have a bad result on the scales, usually down to my own poor choices, I commiserate with chocolate, wine or a takeaway! Admitting this to myself makes me face up to the fact that this is why I always seem to take 2 steps back for every one I take forward.

So what's going to be different this time I hear you say! Well first things first, I got weighed today and was chuffed to discover over Christmas and New Year I had only put on half a pound. The downside is I am back to my starting weight of 14st 5lbs, the good side is, I am back to square one, not further away by weighing more. It really is a fresh start.

I know that by Food Optimising 100% I could drop half a stone next week, but I'm going to take baby steps and am aiming for a couple of pounds a week, one award at a time.  I also plan to get reacquainted with the gym this week and may even attempt body combat, much to the delight of my friend Lesley!

I'm not setting myself any New Years resolutions, I am just going to work towards being fitter, healthier and happier so that on my wedding day I can feel truly amazing! 

Don't forget to share this blog with friends, the more the merrier!

L x

Early weeks

So, I am not great at this blogging thing, I keep forgetting to press publish!

Ok my first week I lost 6.5lbs, I was amazed and over the moon, then I missed group and this week saw a gain of 1.5lbs, gutted!

Last night I was fortunate enough to attend the Slimming World awards. It was a highly inspirational evening and I felt fab in my frock.  Here's a pic of me and the girls and the amazing Margaret Miles-Bramwell.

In the evening I donned what I thought was a fab dress, however I feel so different now. I feel devastated at how big I look.  I am just glad that I have noticed, it's a great wake up call for me to stop messing around and get to target for the first time in my life before my wedding.

Tomorrow I am straight back on plan and also going to hit the gym. I feel embarrassed for the first time in my life about my size.  Enough is enough!

Results will be posted on Wednesday!

Lou x