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