Minimise Me - Weight Loss Weekly #4

I'm really 'in the zone' now and I'm actually so proud of what I've achieved already. I'm able to avoid temptation by thinking of how far I've come and picturing myself slim, like I used to be, which helps to keep me on track. I've thought about sticking some pictures of myself a few stone lighter in the fridge in case there are any days when I feel like a binge session though!

I've had the odd treat here and there as I'm not willing to deprive myself completely of my favourite things, but I'm including them within my calories or working harder to burn them off afterwards.

I didn't manage my 2 workouts on Tuesday and Wednesday as I'd mentioned last week but I did walk the dog several miles in the snow to compensate. That is one thing I need to improve; how active I am.

I was surprised to put on a pair of trousers to see that they were slightly baggy on my thighs on Thursday and this made me realise that it won't be ling until my body has changed enough for others to notice my efforts too (I hope). The Mr is great for motivation and he has complimented me no end which I really appreciate. It's lovely that we are doing this together and he has now lost 6lb!

Week 4 =

Minimise Me - Weight Loss Weekly #3

I was left feeling a little disappointed after last Monday's weigh in, where my weight reduced a tiny bit but not enough to register as a pound, so I decided to try a lot harder. 

Lesson learnt; Popping to the pub needs to be avoided at all costs!!

I've been eating so much healthier and my Coca-Cola cravings seem to have stopped. I can't hear the fridge calling me to raid it like Pac-Man anymore which really helps too. Some days I've even gone to bed a few hundred calories under my daily allowance which for me, is incredible and I'm so pleased with my progress. 

Again this week I've been drinking more water, eating more fruit and veg and trying to get more sleep. My goal for the week ahead is to get three hour long sessions of exercise in, which is easily doable. I'm scheduling these in for Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and I will take some pics of my Polar monitor to share the calories burnt and time completed.

Week 3 =

Don't Wait Until Monday - Diet Chef

You indulge far too much and then feel fat... so you comfort eat and then feel even worse!

It fast becomes a vicious circle and the pounds soon turn into stones, you get stressed about your appearance and it really starts to alter your life. 

Over the past 5 years I've put on 3 stone. 3 STONE. When you are in a new relationship and you're really happy you don't worry about things quite so much. You spend more time with your loved one and less time exercising, you enjoy takeaways or eating out to save time spent on cooking and you treat each other to wine and chocolates. After a while it hits you. You can't do up your clothes and you have put on weight. Lots of it!

I'm at the point where I'm almost 30 and I'm unhappy with my body. I want and need to change for

Meal Planning and Motivation

The past few weeks have been hard. Problems with my eye, another upper respiratory infection and sinusitis have meant I've not been exercising or watching my weight so much- eek. However, now that I'm feeling better and November has arrived I've decided to sort myself out with daily Zumba sessions and calorie counting.
I'm still going to make the most of the slow cooker with some hearty winter foods but I shall be controlling my portion sizes and thinking about a pretty dress I want to fit into for the fast approaching party season!

This weeks menu

Slow cooked lamb stew and dumplings
Slow cooked chicken korma and rice
BBQ Pulled pork with potato wedges and salad
Spaghetti bolognese with garlic bread

Friday we are eating out with friends at our local Indian restaurant and Saturday my mum is cooking for the entire family.

My weight loss motivation for the week is...

Will your slow cooker be making an appearance this week? 
What motivates you?

Have a great week!

Meal Planning Monday

It won't be long until the days are a lot hotter (fingers crossed) so this will probably be the last week of comfort style food before it's replaced with pasta, salads and BBQs!

This weeks menu...

Spaghetti bolognese with garlic ciabatta
Sweet and sour chicken with noodles
Chinese style slow cooked beef with rice
Salmon, cream cheese and chive farfalle
Chicken Tikka Masala with naan

I managed to lose 8lb last week which was amazing (I even changed the scales batteries as I couldn't believe it at first!) by increasing my fruit and veg intake, cutting out junk and calorie counting. I shall continue to do the same this week and hopefully lose a bit more... ready for my bikini - ha!
 

What's on your menu this week?

I'm linking this over with At Home With Mrs M.

Weekly weigh in #5

Another 1lb off this week which is great news, however I feel quite bloated today from a large intake of diet coke at the weekend so I imagine it would've been a bigger loss if not for that. It was better to drink diet coke though and offer to drive, while at a pub quiz on Saturday, rather than consume calorie packed wine and spirits so I made the right decision. I'm hoping for a 3lb loss next Monday!

I need to really push myself and put some effort in if I want to reach my target of 7lb per month... I lost 4lb during January.

• I've started the 30 day shred which is going well so far, even though I've spent a few evenings aching in my legs. No pain no gain!

• I've managed to avoid alcohol and snacking in the evenings.

• I've been walking the dog and enjoyed it more now the sun has made an appearance.

• Sleep can help greatly when it comes to weight loss so we have actually ordered a new TV bed, mattress and memory pillows for an ultra comfy bedtime. Neither the Mr or I have been sleeping well recently so we felt it was a necessity to replace our current bed - plus we are decorating our room at the moment anyway so it was perfect timing!

• I've been having a smoothie every day which is 2 of my 5 a day straight away each morning.

Patient.co.uk review

When I discovered I was pregnant at 18 I used it as an excuse to eat for two, assuming the pounds would just fall off after birth... but they didn't. Almost 9 years later I still carry some of the extra weight but 2013 is the year to alter my ways, get fit and eat healthier and Patient.co.uk is here to help.

By taking their MyHealth survey, a medical questionnaire which is medically backed, you can discover how healthy you really are and set goals to improve your lifestyle. The survey is free, takes around 10 minutes to complete and is very easy to do. You simply answer questions on diagnosed conditions and medication, family history, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, measurements and so on and then you are provided with a Q score, which places you in a line of 100 imaginary people which represents the risk of getting ill or getting heart disease. As you can see my score wasn't that great with a medium risk result but I was able to set personal goals to improve my score with lots of great information on how to do so. 

By viewing the lifestyle factors and going through the various categories it informed me of the benefits of a lower fat diet, among other things, (I eat and drink a few too many sugary products) and ways to reduce fat including:

• Whenever possible, do not fry food. It is better to grill, bake, poach, barbecue, or boil food. If you do fry, use unsaturated oil. Drain the oil off the food before eating.
• Choose lean cuts of meat, and cut off any excess fat.
• Avoid adding unnecessary fat to food. For example, use low-fat spreads, spread less butter or margarine on bread, measure out small portions of oil for cooking etc.
• Watch out for hidden fats that are in pastries, chocolate, cakes, and biscuits.
• Have low-fat milk, cheeses, yoghurts, and other dairy foods rather than full-fat varieties.
• Avoid cream. Use low-fat salad cream, or low-fat yoghurt as a cream substitute.

It was simple yet useful advice that I did need reminding of! The score definitely hit home and made me realise how bad my health really is. It has encouraged me to increase exercise and improve my eating habits to therefore reduce my weight and measurements to help move me closer to the safer area of the chart.

You can set a 12 week health program and receive weekly emails with advice on how to stay on target which I did too.

If you are trying to get healthier during the new year it may be worth giving the MyHealth survey a go!

*Sponsored post*

Weigh in weekly #4

I feel as though I let myself down this week. While out on Wednesday evening we had a takeaway and we had pizza on Friday too - bad move, although at the time it felt like a good move for convenience and a nice treat!

Ever since I've felt so bloated and uncomfortable that I've regretted it, so lesson definitely learnt. 

+1lb this week

I wasn't expecting a good result on the scales this morning after a few other naughty nibbles too including Mini Eggs (how moreish are they!?) and a lack of exercise due to the heavy snow and the Mini Mes being at home. But I need to make time. 

I've found that this week I've started to snack due to boredom and being stuck inside but I need to find my willpower and resist the urge to hit the fridge again although a 1lb gain isn't as bad as I expected thankfully!

I am wiping the slate clean and straight back on to the calorie counting and 5 weekly workouts from this morning. I don't want to feel the way I do about myself and continuing to slip back into old habits will not do me any favours.

If you are attempting to lose weight this year how is it going? 
What keeps you motivated?

Weigh in #3

I had some really bad headaches last week, possibly caffeine deprivation, so the majority of my exercise was simply walking the dog - although this was in deep snow at times. I did however eat reasonably well and when I weighed myself on Friday I had lost 1lb just since the Monday which I was really pleased with!

I haven't weighed myself today, my official weigh in day, as the kids are off school due to the snow and I had already eaten my breakfast before realising so I shall just carry on through until next Monday.

How have you done this week?

Weigh in #1

The first week of 2013 went well with a lot of salad, fresh fruit smoothies and not a drop of alcohol but with a few Christmas goodies left in the house temptation did take over on a few occasions!

With the Mini Mes back at school today I'll have some spare time each day before work to exercise and I intend to give it 100%, these pounds won't shift themselves unfortunately.

With squinted eyes I climbed onto the Wii Fit board to weigh myself this morning and this is the result...

I wasn't expecting to lose anything this week with getting back into the routine of calorie counting after the Christmas festivities and very little exercise so I'm OK with today's result of staying the same. I think I'll find it easier from today to stick with 1,300 calories a day and an average weekly weight loss of 2lb to reach my goal. I intend to look at the picture above every time I crave chocolate to remind me that nothing tastes as good as being slim again will feel. I've already done aerobics this morning after the school run.

How do you stay focused when losing weight?

How many pounds did you lose this week?