Half of me: A Slimming World Journey

Weigh-in 18: So close yet so far...

2015-06-01T05:10:00.000-07:00

Argh. I just needed 1.5lbs to get my 3 stone award and I have only managed .5lbs. So frustrating as I should have tried that bit harder.

I need to make sure that I don't let this get me down this week... because that could be a game over moment for me.

Weigh in 17: Not sure how I've done it...

2015-05-25T05:06:00.000-07:00

...But I am a further 4lbs down this week. I've been eating a lot of speed and protein foods. My favourite meal at the moment is steak with asparagus, green beans and broccoli. Yum!

So my total weight loss is now: 2 st 12.5lbs. Hoping next week I'll get that 3 stone award.

Weigh-in 16: Finally

2015-05-18T05:03:00.000-07:00

After a few weeks of toing and froing in this stone bracket, I finally am seeing some movement. Lost 4lbs this week - bringing my weight down to 17 st 5lbs.

Plus I got my 2 1/2 stone award. Hurrah!

Weigh in 15: Gain

2015-05-11T04:58:00.000-07:00

Only a small gain but after last week a 1/2 lb gain wasn't what I was hoping for... although, considering all my eating and drinking at the weekend, I'm hardly surprised.

Must try harder!

Weigh in 14: Bank Holiday meals out

2015-05-04T04:55:00.000-07:00

Three meals out in three days has caught up with me... My weight has stayed the same, but it was expected. I have nothing to stop me this week so hoping to make some big changes this week!

Week13: Keep on trucking...

2015-04-27T04:52:00.000-07:00

Slimmer of the Month! Losing one more pound this week - bringing my total to 10lbs - has given me my first Slimmer of the Month title. How amazing is that?

It's been a truly astounding month. I feel lighter, healthier and generally better in m mind and body. Slimming World has completely changed my life.

Week 12: Unstoppable?

2015-04-20T04:48:00.000-07:00

Wow. Following the plan is really working for me. I feel like I've really got to grips with it. So much so that this week I dropped a further 3lbs to 17 stone 9.5lbs.

Slimmer in the week for second week running...

The weight just feels like it's dropping off me now. I've noticed changes in my body, but I see a lot more needed...

Week 11: Holiday catching up with me...

2015-04-13T04:46:00.000-07:00

Wow. I'm not quite sure how it happened, but I managed to lose 6 lbs this week! I can only guess that I retained some water with my extra cakes, bread and travel-induced bloating.

I got three big awards this week which I am very proud of:
- Slimmer of the Week
- 2 stone award
- Club 10 (10% down)

I feel so charged to lose more. Let's hope I can do it!

Weigh-in 10: Post-holiday moment of truth

2015-04-06T04:44:00.000-07:00

A week of playing the 80/20 game (80% good/20% syn) seems to have paid off or me. I've no idea how but I've managed to lose a pound - despite a week of eating 'normally'... but, in a controlled manner.

So my new weight loss total is: 1 stone 6.5lbs.

I am wondering whether I might have a gain next week as my body plays catchup... but I am really hoping not.

Weigh-in 9: 1.5 stone award :)

2015-03-23T04:39:00.000-07:00

So my weight loss roll continues. This week I've lost 1.5lbs - getting me the 1.5 stone award I was chasing this week.

I'm away on holiday this Sunday for two weeks of fun in the sun... so I'm hoping to keep it under control while I'm away. It would be horrible to lose my losses for a couple weeks away.

But for now, I'm planning on just celebrating and enjoying my success so far.

Weigh-in 8: On a roll...

2015-03-16T04:25:00.000-07:00

I'm not quite sure how I managed it, but I lost 4.5lbs this week. I was away at the weekend - so meals out and boozy nights out. I've tried to stick to plan as much as possible, keeping my syns well under control.

So my new weight is 16 st 8lb - a total loss of 1 st 6.5lbs. I'm so close to that next award (1.5 stone) that I really need it soon.

I feel hungry.. and it's certainly not for food,

Weigh-in 7: Keeping up the pace

2015-03-09T04:18:00.000-07:00

After last week's mammoth 4lb loss, I wasn't quite expecting what I saw on the scales tonight. I lost 3.5lbs - bringing my weight down to 18s 11lbs!

So that brings my total weight loss to 1st 2lbs (16lbs). What's more, I got my 1 stone shiney, as well as the Slimmer of the Week prize. How cool is that?

I'm hoping that things just keep going and going... but I expect that - after 7lbs in two weeks - I'll be lucky with a small loss next week.

Weigh-in 6: Dinners out... yet still managed to lose weight

2015-03-02T04:15:00.000-08:00

So last weekend was a stressful, working one for me. This on its own impacts on my weigh loss planning - but more so when work involves travelling, staying in hotels, lots of drinking and meals out.

In all, I had three days of travelling. So you can imagine my complete surprise when I registered a loss of 4lbs this week - bringing me to 19 stone 1lbs.

I'm just 1.5lbs away from my stone award now and I really am determined to finally nail it.

Weigh-in 5: Oh dear...

2015-02-23T04:10:00.000-08:00

Well after four weeks of losing, I got sidetracked. I registered a gain of 3lbs. I know exactly where it came from: stress eating!

I've not been feeling great in my relationship and work has been stressful and I've been leaning on the crisps too much. So I've looked around at syn values for crisps to find some good options and alternatives:

Popcorn is a fab alternative and it gives that salty hit I'm looking for.

Boots Shapers maple syrup popcorn - 5 syns
Sainsburys mixed flavours popcorn (individual bags) - 2.5 syns
M & S salted popcorn bags - 4 syns

But, crisps aren't a no-go either:

Velvet Crunch - 4 syns
French Fries - 5 syns
Monster Munch - 5.5 syns
Walkers Baked - 5 syns

So I think my snacking options are there... No excuse to gain again next week!

Weigh-in 4: Still strong (and Slimming World Slimmer of the Week!)

2015-02-16T04:02:00.000-08:00

So one month in and I am now 11.5lbs down! Yep, a further 2.5lbs closer to my goal. And I got Slimmer of the Week. It was quite exciting and now I have a lovely big bag of fruit to keep me going over the next week.

Hopefully I can keep this going as I am so close to that first stone award.

Weigh-in 3: Keeping going...

2015-02-09T03:57:00.000-08:00

So heading into my third weigh-in, I was not expecting a huge loss as 7lbs a week isn't sustainable.

I was very pleased to see that my weight reduced by a further 2.lbs to 19 stone 4.5lbs. So my total weight loss is 9lbs. My clothes are feeling a bit looser... but no one notices but me. Oh well, it will happen soon enough.

And best of all? I feel a zillion times better!

Weigh-in 2: Making progress

2015-02-02T03:54:00.000-08:00

After a week on plan - feeling well-nourished and never going without - I got on the scales tonight to see a weight loss of 7 lbs. My new weight is 19 stone 6.5lbs.

Losing such a large amount in the first week on Slimming World isn't a huge surprise. Usually people lose between 2 and 8 lbs.

So one week in I'm half-a-stone down, with a a shiny 1/2 stone sticker added to my book :)

Hoping next week I can stay on track....

Weigh-in 1: Facing up to reality

2015-01-26T22:00:00.000-08:00

Today was my third re-start of Slimming World and it was nerve-wracking to say the least... until I walked through that door.

I've been thinking about joining up since before Christmas but with so much temptation around it felt like I'd only be sabotaging myself.

Plus, I thought I'd try to see how much progress I could make on my own. But I struggled. In early January, I weighed 21stone - a complete high.

But tonight, my weigh in was 19 s 13.5lbs. So, at 5'5", I'm about 10 stone higher than I really should be.

Looking forward to seeing how I transform...

Week 2 - Slimming World Weigh In

2012-07-30T13:19:00.003-07:00

Been a while and I must admit that my commitment of late has been a bit, erm, lacking. Luckily for me, though, it appears that my good times have outweighed my bad times. However I think that my luck is just about out.

A tremendous amount of exercise (more than 20 miles of walking; 2 hrs laser tag) and 3 good days on SW meant that I achieved a whopping 3.5lb weight loss in week 1.

Follow that up with 7 days of eating well at the start of every day, going over syns on most of them and quite a bit less activity (maybe 5 miles and 2 hrs laser tag) meant that I lost just 1/2 lb at my week 2 weigh in.

Of course it's better than a gain and - let's face it - I *should* have gained. I did a pre-weigh at work this morning and was a whopping 2lb up. Where did the weight go? I'm not sure I know.

But what I do know is this.

I need to pull it together and get back to basics. That means: lots of vegetables; some fruit; some lean meat; a Hex A; a HexB and no more than 15 syns per day.

My son's birthday is this week, so might have some distractions on Friday. However, I'm going to do my best to ensure that I work my way around them!

Here's to seven days on track!

Are you facing the perfect storm?

2012-07-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

Ever had plans that suddenly went unplanned? Well, the last few days have thrown me some unexpected temptations that I hadn't prepared for. And, yes, I caved. I don't think details are really necessary, but let's just say that the last two days have been the perfect storm of the dieting world. Combine stress and new situations with easy-to-access nibbles and the rest is history...

Or is it?

So... I'm going to draw a line under it. Well, I'm going to try to. (Just been given another stressful bit of news by DS. Is it any real wonder that I eat?!?!?!)

Yes, I'm quite frustrated, but I'm not going to let this feeling be the be-all-end-all of this weight loss plan. After all, we're just at the beginning.

For now, it's given me some food for thought about my food triggers. (Stress is a HUGE one.) Here's to tomorrow being a much better day...

2012-07-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

Slimming World: 24 hours in

A full day into Slimming World and I must confess that the day has been a steep learning curve. For starters, I went into the day spouting that I knew the plan. Guess what, I didn't really! I guess I added a few new rules (and about a dozen or so syns per day) since my last experience with Slimming World.

Let's break it down...

One lump or two?

For many years I've chosen sweetener over sugar, but complacency in recent months has seen sugar become my additive of choice to teas. I'd not really thought about it much... until I got into work and had a sugary tea waiting for me on my desk. It's nice to have a hot drink waiting for you - but is certainly not worth the 2 syns it cost me. I'd have much preferred munching a Cadbury's Fudge bar!!

Got a semi?

My milk of choice for several years has been skimmed... but I've been buying in semi-skimmed milk in recent weeks. Worst part of it is... it wasn't so much for taste as it was for ease. My son's been on milk overload, making 6 pt jugs the better choice. However, they only sell skim at 2 or 4 pints. The pennies that I might have saved have certainly added up to pounds... just not the financial kind!

Cheese whiz!

Cheese has re-entered my life with a real passion... and not the low fat kind either! It took some real control at dinner time, but it's all part of the retraining.

2012-07-16T11:33:00.001-07:00

Q: How much weight can I lose in a year?
A: 3 lbs if you follow my example

(But I wouldn't advise it!)

This afternoon I put on a brave face and headed down to my local Slimming World meeting. Nervously, I hopped onto the scales. And I had good reason to be unsure of the outcome - especially as I overindulged in a custard doughnut and crisp feast earlier in the day. Fortunately, the scales were working in my favour. Instead of the 19 s 6, I was weighed at 19 s 4.5lbs. [Note: Last July I weighed in at 19 s 7.5lbs]

The plan hasn't really changed since I did this last July. However, some of the foods which were syn-free, such as Onken yogurt, are no longer so. Wish I'd done my shopping *after* the meeting, but what's done is done. (Luckily they only weight in at 5 syns for a big tub of vanilla, so not too bad as a breakfast option.)

For dinner I made a syn free chicken and prawn paella. To prepare for tomorrow I've spent some time looking through the cupboards, freezer and fridge working out my meal plan. I'm thinking...

Breakfast: Strawberries and bananas with Onken yogurt

Wholemeal toast with Philadelphia light cheese

Lunch: Chicken with cous cous and leafy salad

Dinner: Pasta with bolognese sauce and cheddar cheese

Snack: Tea with skimmed milk

Apple

Tomato mugshot

Apple & Pear squash - sugar free

2012-07-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

Let battle commence...

Tomorrow I will face possibly my toughest opponent - myself - in what I hope will be a conclusion to a lifelong battle to gain control of my weight.

Over the years I have fought my demons under the guidance of leaders such as WW, Atkins and Jenny Craig. Yes, they knew how to rally the troops with established strategy, but with an offense-only attack on obesity, I, like many, went AWOL. While I left that little bit slimmer, I made up for loss with growing disillusionment with the dieting in general.

Abandoning the mainstream, I rambled from pillar to post in my search for weight loss. From neuro-linguistic programming to acupuncture, I left no stone unturned in my quest for the one true way to not only lose weight but keep it off.

You name a system or programme and chances are that I've tried it. MyFitnessPal? Spark People? Diet Chef? Yep. Yep. Oh, and yep.

Which has brought me here today. I'm quickly approaching 40 and I'd be a liar if I said the prospect of spending another decade fighting weight didn't scare me. So I've resolved to win this battle once and for all. (Of course, like any good fight, it will take time.)

Generally, a battle is well-defined in its duration, area and force commitment. What's more, it's defeat needs to be determined from the outset.

So on the eve of battle, I need to address these important issues. After all, how do you set out to do anything without a clear understanding of what it is that you're really doing. A SMART approach to weight loss is absolutely essential.

How much will I lose?

My goal is to lose 50 per cent of my starting weight... I'm estimating that my starting weight will be in the region of 19 s 6lbs - 272 lbs. This would mean that my goal should be 136 lbs (9 stone 10 lbs). This would put me in the healthy BMI range for my height (5'5").

When will I lose weight by ?

This is one that I've been thinking about a lot. You see, I'd love to say within a week, month or even a year. But this is part of my big problem with weight. Working on a weight loss of no more than 1 lb per week, I can expect to reach my goal within 2.5 years. But the goal isn't just losing the weight - it's keeping it off. That's why my aim is to lose the weight by year 3 and to keep the weight off until year 5. This will require significant commitment. But surely my lifelong health is worth a five-year period of positive living.

How will I lose weight?

Over the years I've gathered a huge amount of information about weight loss techniques and approaches. This time I hope to amalgamate this knowledge by closely examining the physical, mental and emotional aspects of my weight loss.

And I'm not doing it alone. I've decided to follow the Slimming World programme, drawing on the support of weekly meeting. What's more, this will be backed by regular counselling sessions to explore the thinking behind my food issues and a varied physical programme which includes sessions in the pool. gym and out in nature.

How much will losing weight cost?

I'll be honest - taking a multi-prong approach to weight loss will come with a heavy price tag. But that's in the short-run. While I'd normally be spending money on food itself, my money will also be spent on support for the mind, body and soul with lots of new indulgences and activities.

To be continued. Find out more by checking back from time to time.