Whoohoo Weightloss!

I'm a very happy bunny today!

I've been struggling with my (lack of) weight loss for the past 10 months, and I've been getting steadily more and more frustrated, disillusioned and discouraged with the whole process. On the other hand, however, I haven't really been *doing* the 'diet' properly either so it was hardly suprising that it wasn't really happening.

This year, as part of my "One Little Word" and the "Move More, Eat Well" classes that I've signed up for, I decided that I would get back to doing the 'diet' properly. It's taken me a while to get back into the swing of this but this morning I finally started seeing the results of my efforts. 2 lbs off this week!! Yay! So drinking more water, cooking fresh and TRACKING everything really does work!

Why did it take me nearly a whole year to remember that?!

Post Christmas Weigh In

I went to Weight Watchers today for my first weigh in after Christmas to find that I've gained 3½lbs. Now, I'd usually be getting really depressed at a figure like that but today I was actually happy about it! Mostly because I know how much I ate over the holiday period, how little I tracked (not at all!) and how much exercise I got (not much!). I also know that my scales at home told me last Friday that I had gained over half a stone!! It seems that my strict tracking, more exercise and eating waaaay better did the trick this week and limited the damage for my first weigh in. So yes, I'm actually happy with a 3½lbs gain.

I've been feeling a lot more positive this week and I'm thinking that maybe it's because I feel like I'm back in control of my eating again.... something that completely eluded me last year! Hopefully, I'll be able to hold onto this feeling for the rest of the year and can have some good results to show for it at the end of 2012.

How is everyone else going with their New Year Resolutions? Anyone else out there trying to lose weight this year??

Depression, Swimming and Eating a Frog

In January this year I chose the word 'Reclaim' as my One Little Word for 2011. I envisaged reclaiming my weight loss, my spiritual side, my house.... and I have done some of those things. However, the one thing that seems to have reclaimed me is Depression. I don't know why and I have been trying to fight it but it's been very hard going. Every time I felt like I was winning something would come along and knock me down. It's been a constant battle. However, the one thing I really didn't want to do was to go on medication. It may seem stupid but I have seen friends and family members taking their little 'happy pills' and they have worked. But I have also seen those same friends and family members trying to wean themselves off the pills only to go right back into depression again. It's not something I want. A lot of things have been affected by my state of mind. My weight loss, for one, has completely stopped. I have managed not to gain any so that's something to be grateful for, but I've hit a plateau. This plateau has lasted almost a whole year now and it's very frustrating! It was so frustrating that I stopped going to my Weight Watchers meeting for 3 weeks because I couldn't face the scales... and that didn't do my mental state any good either because I felt like I was quitting.

On Monday evenings I take Herself to her swimming lessons at the local community pool. As she's old enough to go in the pool on her own for the lesson I normally sit at the tables provided and do some reading or chatting etc. However, this past Monday I decided that I would go for a swim too. As the larger pool was available and there were some people doing lengths I decided to join in and do some too. I think I must have done about 20 in the half-hour I had available. It felt good! Little did I realise that the swimming instructor was watching me! The following day at Weeself's lesson she offered to devise a programme for me to improve my fitness, which I  gladly accepted. I LOVE swimming and would much prefer to be in the pool than the gym. I went along to the pool on Wednesday morning, child-free, and was handed a killer programme. 64 lengths!! A mile!! Never would I ever challenge myself to do that, but I got swimming and had finished all 64 lengths in an hour and a half. Wow. I shocked myself and, boy, did it feel good!!! I was buzzing for the rest of the day until the evening.

That evening I phoned my Stampin' Up! Upline, Julie, and she told me about Eating Frogs. Ewwww.  Ok, not that Ewww, as it turns out. Julie told me to identify the tasks that I least enjoy or have been procrastinating about the most. Turns out I have PLENTY of those!! Those are your frogs. They are not pleasant to eat, but once you have eaten it you are safe in the knowledge that nothing else is going to be that bad for the rest of the day. Julie said that I have to eat my frog first thing in the morning so that the rest of the day can go smoothly, because nothing else is going to be worse than eating that frog!  Thanks Julie for the pep talk, it was just what I needed to hear!! I identified that my first frog should be getting back to WW the next morning..... and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I hadn't gained any weight in the 3 weeks I'd been off. Despite shovelling in enough food to feed an entire army! (Somehow I think the swimming helped with that!)

So, I'm back. Yes, I'm still struggling with the Big D and that's mostly likely going to be a long term battle. But between swimming, to get the endorphins going and to boost the weight loss, and Eating my Frogs, to get past the things that are bogging me down, I feel like there is actually light at the end of this tunnel now. Maybe this year hasn't been a complete waste? Maybe I can 'reclaim' things that I thought were lost?? I don't know, but for now I shall go swimming again and eat another frog.

Thanks for reading all this way through! Leave me a comment please, I'd like to know how you eat your frogs!!

April WW Round-up

Wow, this is such a late post. I completely forgot to do a WeightWatchers round-up for April, although I did remember to take photo's. So it was obviously on my mind to do it and then life must have gotten in the way as it usually does.

So here are the photo's I took...

Strike the normal poses... LOL. As far as weight loss goes April was not great. I was still really struggling with the new ProPoints plan and getting my head in the right place. So my overall weightloss for the whole month of April was 1lb. As I said, not great. However at the end of April things started clicking into place for me and I managed to get my head together too... so I'm hoping for a decent overall loss in May!!

While I was taking these photo's this happened... and I thought you'd find it amusing.

... and then she insisted on having her photo taken....

What is it with my kids and always wanting to pose for the camera? At this rate they'll both end up as models when they're older!

Anyway, it's a lovely day here so I'm going to take them to the park. I haven't spent a whole lot of time with them lately due to being extremely busy with prepping for workshops etc. So today is going to be a Mummy and Daughters day and with the sunshine finally making an appearance I'm thinking that a trip to the park might be a good call.

Thanks for dropping by and leaving me a comment. See you soon!

March Weight Watchers Update!

Wow, things have been sooooo busy this past month (and a bit!). I've only just about been keeping up with the WOYWW posts and that's been about it. I had been intending to post an update on my weightloss at the end of March but it fell by the wayside in the mad rush to get ready for various workshops, mini catalogue launches, training events and well, life in general! I took the photo's and then they just sat there!

So, a quick summary of March?.... not great. LOL. Sorry. Truly though, I ended up only making it to my Weight Watchers meetings twice and neither time did I come back with good news. Which has also contributed to my lack of posts. Why post when it's just bad news all the time? I don't particularly want to end up depressing my readers!! At the last meeting, though, I had to face up to the facts that I just don't have my head in the game anymore. My leader, Mandy, asked me a question in the class and as I heard myself give the most ridiculous answer on the planet I was actually thinking "Why the heck are you saying that? You know what the answer should be and that ISN'T IT!!" Still, my mouth replied with the stupid answer and Mandy looked at me like I'd gone mad. Then she said: "Well, now we know where you've been going wrong!". Too damn true!! It made me really come away from the meeting knowing that I had completely lost the plot.

The good news is that after that hiccup, I went back to basics and studied the blurb they give us when we first start and I've done it all from scratch. Then I went away this weekend to Leeds and didn't get to weigh in, but I feel better in myself again. So I'm hoping that I'll be losing weight when I weigh in on Saturday!! Fingers crossed!

Here's the photo's I took at the end of March.... not much change visually at all!!

I'll post these up on the Fat to Fit page along with my weigh in results later this week!

Anyone got any tips or ideas on how to keep my head in 'the game' at all? I could seriously do with it!! I don't know how I managed it last year, but I certainly don't have it this year at all!!

Getting back on Track

I posted here about losing my way with the whole Weight Watchers thing. I am soooo grateful for the encouragement you guys gave me both on the comments and via email. It really picked me up, so thanks. You can come again!! LOL. It still took me a while to get myself back on track though. I was hoping that it would be an instant thing, cause I'm definitely an instant kinda gal, and that I would wake up the next day and just be fine with it again; have my weight loss head on straight and get right back into it again. Strangely enough that didn't happen. It took me a while.... and then I fell ill. Yes, properly ill with a stomach bug that didn't seem like it was ever going to go away. In the end I had to take extreme measures to stop it. It's amazing how medicinal Brandy can be especially when combined with Cayenne Pepper!

However, now that I'm over that episode I can safely say that I'm back on track. I went to my WW meeting on Saturday morning and found that I have gained 4lbs. Not too bad considering that I haven't been to a meeting since early January! But I'm also wondering how much having that bug must have helped me lose prior to the weigh in? A fair bit I'd say, but I'm not going to concentrate on that. 4lbs is what I need to shift to get back to where I was early January and then a further 3lbs to get back to where I was before Christmas. Not an impossible task really. I've been tracking my food again and following a meal plan this week so I know I've been good in that respect as usually my one huge weakness is not planning ahead and then just grabbing something from a shop somewhere. Which usually means it's really high in points as they don't tend to use low fat anything do they? So, planning ahead this week has been a big deal. Also, I've cut down on my snacking this week too. Hopefully between these two things I will see a result on the scales on Saturday.

The gym thing hasn't happened this week though. Only for one reason though.... I decided to use my child-free time yesterday morning to take a visit to the hairdressers. I haven't had my hair cut (or even trimmed) in about 4 or 5 years which has meant that 1. It was quite long (most the way down my back) and 2. It was in horrible condition. It had gone all whispy and had horrible split ends, PLUS the lack of care for it (other than wash and condition) has meant that it was falling out by the handful. So, it had to go!! Tell me what you think?

Sorry about the picture quality! I was trying to take a photo in the mirror without the flash and was struggling to hold the camera still enough. I think the style looks good and I'm really happy with how easy it was to get it looking good again this morning!!

So, while I was taking those pics I also decided to take some pictures for my monthly photographic record. I'm intending that at the end of each month I'll post a picture or two of myself here on the blog as a visual record of how I'm doing with the weight loss. So here are February's photo's....

Hmmm, I've just noticed that the mirror has some mucky fingerprints on which has made my jumper?(waistcoat? gilet? what *is* that thing?!!) look mucky too. Great!

I think I will add a page onto this blog for weekly weigh in updates and then do a monthly blog post with pictures and a review. Hopefully that way I'll keep motivated! So, tell me what you think of the new 'do'!

Thanks for dropping by and leaving me a comment!

(Wow, 2 posts in one day!! Wonders will never cease!!)

Part 3: Me! Me! Me!

Yes I know, it's all me, me, me isn't it? I'm so eager and keen to extol my own virtues to you that it's taken me ages to actually pull myself together enough to sit down and DO this post. My apologies. I have now started keeping a little notebook on my person which I'm using to write lists, reminders and ideas in. I'm having to do this now because I have so much on my plate at the moment that I keep forgetting stuff half way through doing them! I found myself putting the tub of sugar in the fridge the other day - and then couldn't figure out what I was really supposed to be putting in there. I walked into the kitchen two hours later to find the milk still sat on the kitchen counter. Anyway, now I have my little notebook so I'm hoping that if I put it down on a list it will eventually get done! Blogging is most definitely on the list!! In fact, I've actually got a couple of crafting posts in mind to do. Yeah, yeah I know you've heard it all before.... but this time I'll change! I promise!! LOL.

Anyway, I did promise you an update of everything I've been up to in 2010. I'll admit that firstly, it was a fairly quiet year and secondly, I'm not sure my memory is up to remembering all the important bits - but I'll try!

So in January last year after a horrendous Christmas full of enormous amounts of food and booze I saw some photo's that my Father-in-law took of me over the Christmas period. Yes. One of those photographs that makes you stop in your tracks with a gasp and the words "Is that really me? I look horrendous!" follow very quickly after.

Yes, that fat woman is me at 18 stone 12½ lbs. Not good! So, I decided that I would start on Weight Watchers again and get rid of the weight once and for all. I think I posted about it here in April. I also signed up for membership at my local leisure centre.

By March I had lost about a stone and was really pleased with my results. I got Herself to take this photograph so please excuse the odd angle and my head being chopped short!

By mid-summer I had lost about 2 stone and was feeling soooo much better! Although my weightloss slowed down a bit as having the temptation of barbeques and ice cream vans meant I wasn't sticking to it as well as I had been. By the time the school holidays had ended I was back on track. Christmas and New Year of 2010 I was 3½ stones lighter and I was in my element! I had dropped from a size 26 jean to a size 16! I bought a gorgeous evening dress for an awards ceremony from a 'normal' persons shop in a size 16 too!!

The last time I was a 16 was when Himself and I got married in May 2000. I made that wedding dress and only I knew at the time that while some of the wedding dress was a 16 I had used my sewing skills to 'ease' certain areas in order for it to fit properly.

So, it with a heavy heart that I must report to you that since January of this year I have been really really struggling with the whole diet thing. I haven't attended very many meetings, I haven't weighed in properly in over a month now and I *know* that I have gained weight in the last few weeks. My problem? Boredom, frustration, lack of will power.... and also a sense that I am so much happier in my size 16's that maybe it's not worth all the hassle and bother to lose more weight. However, in the back of my mind I also know that I'm letting myself down by not staying on track.

I took this photo a couple of days ago in the hopes that I can start taking photographic evidence of my weight loss over the next few months. I'm hoping that it will spur me on to get motivated again, but so far I'm failing miserably. So, I'd like to ask you all a big favour! I think I need some accountability in my life right, certainly with regard to weight loss. Can I ask, if one or two of you (or maybe more if you feel like being involved!) can post a comment on here holding me to this promise. I want to be accountable to you, my readers and followers, for getting back on track and posting on here at least once a fortnight about my progress -  even if it is just to report my last weigh in! Can I ask you to check in here regularly and yell at me in a comment or by email if I havent posted how I'm doing? I really really need to know that there is someone out there who will kick my bum (even in a 'virtual' way) if I don't get back on track and report in regularly. Please tell me you will help me in this way? I don't want to go back to what I looked like at the end of 2009. I really want to keep going with this and get down to a medically healthy weight, not just one that 'will do', but at the moment I feel like I'm losing my grip on this whole weight loss thing completely!

Anyway, I was going to share news of another journey I have embarked on, but it will have to wait now as this post has turned into War & Peace!! Thanks for all your comments, I really appreciate them and read them all. I'm looking forward to seeing you back here soon!

Part 2: Himself

Ok, I know that I promised to update on my weightloss 'later this week' but I've been hit with the most horrendous cold ever. As I write I'm sat in bed with my laptop and I've been in my PJ's all day. Consequently the photo I was going to take of me looking all svelt and slinky has not happened this week. I look rather a lot more like a hedgehog that's been dragged through a haystack... backwards. So excuse me if I don't take a photo right now; I don't really want to cause a stampede as you all run away screaming!

Instead I thought I'd update you a little on what Himself has been up to in 2010 and give myself a little bit of time to recover before I try to take a photo of myself.

So, what's he been up to? Himself would say:

Eat. Sleep. Work.

True as this may be, it's not the full picture even if it is a large part of it.

This year Himself decided to embark on Weight Watchers with me. He wasn't fat as such just a little tubby and in need of a healthier diet.... like most of us on this planet actually! His will power is amazing and has been really inspiring to see him shed the extra pounds! So far, he's lost 3 stone and is looking much trimmer. He's happy because he's back into his 'skinny man' clothes and feeling much better without the additional weight to carry around. Well done that man! I think his goal weight is only about a ½ stone away so not much more to do.

The other major change that has happened this year is that Himself changed jobs... well, sort of. These things are never straight forward with our family are they? His previous company has seconded him into the local water company and he was enjoying that job when it was announced that his employers were losing the contract in the next 5 year spending period. This prompted Himself to approach one of the companies that had been awarded the contract and they took him on in exactly the same role that he was in already. So the upshot is that he works in the same office with the same people on the same projects for the same salary BUT the paycheck is signed by a different hand. This move has also provided him with a good 4 years worth of steady work before the madness of tendering for the following spending period begins in earnest.

Eat. Diet. Sleep. Work..... and play with the girls. His engineering skills come in really handy when they're playing with Lego!

Thanks for coming by! I really appreciate and read all comments that are left. I will be posting an update on my weight loss and a few other things early next week so come back soon!

WW3 has started!

Having finished with breastfeeding in August last year I had been looking at myself again and thinking that my weight was definitely spiralling out of control. Ok, so I'd had to quit my last attempt at Weight Watchers due to falling pregnant. However, since then I'd gained over a stone again - all in the name of needing to eat more due to breastfeeding. Hmmmmm..... not good! Anyway, I dithered and swithered and finally persuaded myself it wasn't worth starting a new diet just before Christmas. Ha! After Christmas I got on the scale only to find I'd gained another stone during the festive period. Right. This was getting ridiculous and had to stop!! So mid-January I finally dragged myself off to a Weight Watchers meeting and took that first horrendously embarrassing step onto the scales of doom. The result was a whopping 18 stone 12.5 pounds! 

So I had these two pictures taken to remind me how far I had let my weight go. And I'm planning on taking a photo at fairly regular intervals to show my progress during this journey. I have an enormous amount to lose to get to my final goal weight. However, I know I can do it this time! In fact, I've already lost a fair bit... but I shall post about that another day!  

It's a losing battle...

But I'm rather happy about it! I've lost my first half stone and am dead chuffed! I have been anticipating this moment for a while and so went and bought my next dolly bead in preparation. Unfortunately I've been banned from wearing it until I reached the milestone properly... which I did this morning. So I have now added 'Tanith' to my bracelet! Isn't 'she' beautiful??

My next goal now is going to be to try not to put any weight on over the Christmas break! It's going to be tough, but I'm hoping that if I control my portion sizes, severely limit the puddings and chocolate and stay away from cheese completely that I should be able to do it. I might just treat myself on Christmas Day tho'... afterall, I can't be a stick in the mud all the time can I?

The other battle I've been fighting has not been so pleasant. Herself has now recovered from the 'water' infection but has then come down with croup, which has now turned into a nasty cold. And then to top it all off perfectly she started complaining about her ear being sore... one visit to the doctor's later she now officially has a double ear infection!! Just what I needed. Anyway, hopefully this next set of antibiotics will kick in quickly and she'll be fit in time for Christmas.  Speaking of Christmas, it's her nursery's nativity play this afternoon. Her first one! I'm sooo looking forward to it and will definitely be taking photos and possibly a video too.

I suppose I'd better dash off and go check that the various camera's are fully charged up and have enough film/memory!

WWII

No.... not World War II, just Weight Watchers 2! After getting on my scales here at home I nearly fell off them and had a major coronary, it seems that I'm now at the heaviest I have ever been. This is a combination of 1) not taking my medication 2) having developed a sweet tooth during my last trimester with herself 3) too many take-outs and 4) not enough exercise! Himself is also complaining that he is putting on all the weight that he lost the first time we did Weight Watchers and wants to stop gaining and start losing again. So.... it's back to counting points, cutting out take-aways and chocolates and making healthy choices. I've also purchased a Tai Chi DVD to get myself into some gentle exercise rather than trying to torture myself at a gym (not to mention the boredom of running in the same spot all the time!) I'm trying to set myself little goals on the way to my final goal, just so that I can keep focused. I'm aiming to lose my first half-stone by Christmas... and then NOT TO PUT ANY ON during the festive period. To this end, himself and I have agreed that I can have a little treat after losing each half-stone. I've decided to collect Troll beads... "What beads?" I hear you ask. Well, here they are have a look! I think they're lovely, but the one's I really like are these - Dolly Beads. Himself has bought me a bracelet and two beads as part of my birthday present so that I have something to put the beads on as I earn them. I must admit that collecting these teeny little beads could become quite addictive... and I'm hoping that they will keep me focused all the way to my goal weight!

So far I'm doing well. I've been on WW for 2 weeks already and have lost 3.5lbs so far! I'm dead chuffed as I normally find it really difficult to lose any weight. However, wanting to lose weight has spurred me on to start taking my medication again as that is supposed to help combat the insulin problems that come with having PCOS. It seems to be working... well the combination of medication, healthier eating and the occassional Tai Chi has at any rate! The real trick will be having a great festive season without putting any weight on. This year we have been invited to spend Christmas with my Sister-in-Law, her hubby and their two boys (along with all the rest of the family!), and as they generally cook fairly healthily anyway I'm hoping that it's going to be down to resisting all the chocs and peanuts and portion control.  The question is.... can I resist the peanuts?? I'm not sure!!

Anyway, keep any eye on this space.... I'll update occassionally on my progress and the lovely beads I have earned as I get them!