Slimming World

Slimming World Update – Week 91/92

23/04/2015 by MrsSavageAngel Leave a Comment

Hi there

How’s your week been? Or should I say weeks? Yeah sorry about that. Symptomatic of the wider issue I feel. That’ll make sense in a minute.

Anyway, last night’s weigh in was a gain, same as the week before. Well, you know, that’s what you get from eating home made biscuits and cheesecake and banana bread and ice cream and crumble (Crimble Crumble for your FND fans!) and drinking wine and beer. It’s not rocket science guys. I didn’t gorge. I just ate. Ate things I wanted to and had missed. Ate and drank socially and in good company. Ate because my will not too has left the building.

Because you see I just don’t care as much as I used to. But then I’m dealing with stuff every day I didn’t used to. My meals are all healthy and planned and delicious, but what comes in between is not. The first few days of every week (after weigh in) are positive and thoughtful, but then something happens or something slips and the rest of the week falls into the abyss too. I’ve heard about people talk about this feeling but until fairly recently this wasn’t me. I could live my life the way I wanted and still lose weight. But something’s changed. People tell me all the time how well I’ve done and I don’t know if that’s wonderful or awful. On one had it’s lovely reminder to give myself a little pat on the back, but on the other hand it makes me feel dreadful because I know I haven’t come as far as I set out to. I want to feel that high of getting off the scales with a well earned loss, I do. I just don’t want it enough at the moment.

And there in lies the problem.

I still weigh more than most people who join ever will. But I can wear clothes I never dreamed of and look better than I ever thought I would. I’m not saying I’m giving up and going back to how life used to be (seriously I’m not OK!) I’m just kind of happy bimbling along here for a bit. And that’s why last night, after a fantastic discussion with my consultant and my group, I’ve decided to reset my target to 6 stone loss and maintain for a bit. Slimming World allow you to reset your target to anything you feel comfortable with at any time in your journey and I just think I’m not nearly focussed enough to push myself forward at the moment. But staying here? That I can do.

I don’t want you to think me a failure. I honestly never considered this an option before (trying to maintain), but once we talked about it, it just felt right. For me. For now. I’ve come to dread every weigh in, mostly because I know I have to write about it. I know it’s only pressure I’m heaping on myself, no one else is making me feel this way, but removing that pressure from a life that has plenty of other stuff going on (new, uncharted, scary, sad stuff) seems not a bad thing to do right now.

As my plan is to stay at target for a while, these posts could get awful boring. So I’ve decided to give the updates a rest. I still write plenty of other stuff you can read, should you feel inclined, but unless I have something positive and interesting to say I wont be writing the weekly updates for a while. I hope you can understand.

So long and thanks for all the fish

xxxx

Slimming World Update – Week 90

09/04/2015 by MrsSavageAngel Leave a Comment

Hiya

How’s your week been? I hope you’ve had some of the good weather we’ve had this week. Man alive it’s sooo good to feel the sun on my skin and the grass between my toes again. I always thought Autumn was my favourite month, but the older I get the more I love the summer. I think I was born to walk bare foot! The sunshine just makes everything feel more hopeful.

We’ve had an amazing week in real life too! It was Oscar’s third birthday last Thursday. I know, my little itty bitty baby is now a strapping three year old, with a shock of blonde hair and the cheekiest grin. We had a day out on Thursday for him, which if you missed you can read about here and then a full on celebration on Saturday at The Hen House, in Haslemere. I’ll be writing a post about that shortly, but suffice to say we had an awesome time.

But as far as the food has gone this week? Well, let’s just say it’s not been quite so awesome. On top of Oscar’s birthday shenanigans the house has also been awash (sort of) with Easter chocolate. Add to that party food, the odd tipple to celebrate and cake, well let’s just say this week was a write off.

At least I assumed it was.

Last night’s weigh in was a weigh and run. Not because I didn’t want to stay, but because I was coming out the back end of a 24hr bug and feeling ropey to say the least. To be honest, I could have just not gone at all, but I felt that would only compound the chance of me continuing to gain, so regardless of the fact that I felt rough and was going to have to face the result of an Easter/Birthday week, I made the effort and went.

What I wasn’t expecting, in any way, was the result I got.

OK, so I want you to understand I DO NOT know how this happened (unless the sun can melt weight!). I also DO NOT mean to advocate Prosecco and M&Ms as a weight loss method. But yes, this week I have had a loss. And a rather substantial one at that. I lost 5.5lb taking me to 6 stone 2lb lost. When I looked at the scales I was convinced it said 5.5lb ON. I sort of sighed. Then my sad face turned to a shocked face and I had to be asked if I was OK. I continued to be baffled all the way home. I seriously can’t explain what is going on with my body at the moment, and I’m well aware this week might come back to bite me on the behind next week. However, it has given me a much needed kick in the right direction.

Funnily enough a couple of other things have happened to bolster my motivation this week. Firstly I had a message from a friend I haven’t seen, or even spoken to, in about 8 years. She said she’d just seen a picture of me (ahh good old social media, how I love thee, you weird little thing!). It said:

I hope you don’t mind me messaging you out of the blue but I saw a picture of you and did a double take so I just had to tell you how bloody fantastic you look!

This friend was someone who helped me enormously when I lost some weight back in 2006. She was my inspiration, in the way I hear people tell me I have been for them. So it was super flattering to hear her say how impressed she was with my progress and a real boost. Secondly, I was looking at getting some boots online. I haven’t bought any boots since winter 2013, and I know it’s the end of the season but they really are falling apart! I used to buy my boots from the plus size retailer Evans, as their wider fit suited me. Now, although my feet are much smaller than they were, they are still wide fit (I’ve had wide feet literally all my life – I was an H fitting as a child). So I thought I’d take a look on the Evans website, to see if they had anything in the sale. Now, I haven’t visited their site for aaaaages (I’ve not needed to) and almost as soon as I landed on their homepage, I just felt so very sad. Like, I don’t really know how to explain it, but sad that this used to be my life and desperate that I don’t want this to be my life again. I had a quick look around, feeling worse and worse and closed the browser. I didn’t get any boots.

So all these things combined to make me think a bit really. To make me not want to slide back into oblivion. And I’ve come up with a new target for myself. I want to get back to what I was just before Christmas. And I want to do it by the time I go on holiday. To do that I need to lose 8.5lb in 5 weeks. I think that’s realistic.

And I don’t ever want to have to shop in Evans again.

I’ve got some super meals planned this week, including a couple from the Slimming World Fake Away book:

Pan fried Salmon, stir fried vegetables and noodles
Steak, SW Chips, salad, mushrooms and red cabbage
Black Bean Pork with peppers, green beans and noodles
King Prawn Dopiaza with spinach and rice
Chicken and Aspragus Risotto

And I’m feeling really focussed for the week ahead.

Let’s see if can’t limit any damage the last week may do to me next week! I’m going for a loss of 2lb.

Enjoy the sunshine and smile.

We can do this.

Xxxxxx

Slimming World Update – Week 89

03/04/2015 by MrsSavageAngel Leave a Comment

Hi guys

Just a quick update this week.

So I don’t know if any of you follow me on Instagram, but if you do you’ll know I spent the past week uploading pictures of my meals – not normally something I do. I thought perhaps if I could keep a visual diary it might help me stay focussed AND get a little accountability back in my life. If you do follow me, this is the kind of thing you’ll have seen:

My lunches and dinners have all been fully on plan and optimised to the max. The only syns in any of these was in the sweet chilli sauce in the noodles. Boom!

Only this wasn’t all I was eating. Yes my meals were all bang on, but in between? What I like to call the hidden food? The bits and snacks no on sees you eating? Yeah, they’re the ones that caused me to gain 3lb this week.

Shit.

I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately. I just cant stick to it. Some days I can’t, some days I just don’t want to (and mark me there is a difference). I’ve taken a food diary this week and I fully intended to use it. It’s Friday already and I haven’t written a single thing down. No point in lying, I haven’t. I had a syn free dinner last night and am currently preparing one for tonight (my favourite Pepperpot Stew, with green beans and rice) but I know I’ve gone over my syns yesterday and today. And if I’m being honest I know tomorrow probably wont be totally food optimised either.

I feel a bit like I’m unravelling. It’s all well and good saying ‘Oh yes I’m going to do this and this and wont do this and blah blah blah’, but if it comes down to the crunch and you do the opposite it’s just all bluster and hot air. Good intentions never helped anyone lose weight.

Sorry this hasn’t been more positive. It’s hard to inspire others when you don’t even have the inspiration to help yourself.

Laters

Slimming World Update – Week 88

26/03/2015 by MrsSavageAngel Leave a Comment

Hi chaps

How was this week for you? Mine was better. Not brilliant, but not as awful as it has been. I guess its called ‘coming to terms with the situation’. Any who, I’ve not been gorging the way I did last week, however I have taken a much more laissez faire attitude than I normally would, to the food I’ve been eating. A ‘what happens, happens’ approach if you will. Meh, its been OK, but has obviously resulted in another gain. 0.5lb on. Which has heartbreakingly (for me) just dipped me back under the 6 stone mark to 5 Stone 13.5lb lost. Bleugh.

But over the past few days I’ve started to feel a change coming on. Due in part (maybe!) to the effect eating fat has had on my gall stones. Owch! That’s not helping anyone! So I’ve gone back to planning meals a bit more carefully. For dinner this week I intend to have (although not necessarily in this order):

Pulled pork, with roasted butternut squash and green beans
Chicken casserole made with carrots, onions, celery and split yellow peas, served with broccoli
Bolognese made with peppers and mushrooms and pasta
Gammon, with SW Chips, eggs, mushrooms and salad
Pan fried salmon, with noodles and many and varied stir fry veg

Dinners I’ve made before and know. The pork is divine and makes so much I may actually have this twice. I’ve also stocked up on fruits such as pears, melons, bananas, grapes and frozen raspberries:

as opposed to these ones. These are OK, but go a bit more mushy when defrosted and don't taste nearly as nice — as opposed to these ones. These are OK, but go a bit mushy when defrosted and don’t taste nearly as nice

So I have the wherewithal to give my body a break from the crap. But I’m not pretending it’ll be easy. I find the snacking unbelievably hard to control, particularly after an extended period of indulgence! Its about mind set I guess. Being mindful of every minute. Stopping and asking every time is this really what I want. It’ll take a lot of energy, but I’m just taking one day at a time. Kind of like you would if you were a new member I suppose. And I think if I can get a good day in the bag, that can lead to another. And another and before you know I may just have a whole week I can be proud of!

I’m also drinking more water. And when I say water I mean, actual water. I’m not a water drinker as you may know. Can’t stand the stuff usually and stick to Robinson’s sugar free Apple and Blackcurrant squash. Only they’ve gone and changed the recipe and I really don’t like the taste. I had a couple of glasses before deciding I really didn’t like it and actually water might be boring and not taste that nice either, but my god it was better than this. Slightly disappointed, but in the long run, if it gets me drinking more plain water, its probably only for my own good.

So this week I’m definitely feeling more positive about facing the week ahead. And then yesterday a photo popped up in my Timehop that made me stop and think.

Have a great week people

xxxxx

Slimming World Update – Week 85

05/03/2015 by MrsSavageAngel Leave a Comment

Hi chaps

Lets cut to the chase this week. Gained 0.5lb. Wasn’t a surprise, glad it wasn’t more. Total lost now is back to 6 Stone 1.5lb lost (85 1/2lb or 38.7kg). But no use dwelling too long. What’s done is done. The brownie and Danish pastry and cookie and krispie cake are eaten. Yep. This past week contained some awesomely on plan meals and some ridiculous ‘treats’. I must start sending the things I bake with Oscar into the office with Ben. I am simply rubbish with temptation!

I did have some small triumphs in the shops on Saturday, which you can read about here if you’re in the mood.

Last night’s group was really interesting. Our usual consultant was away and we had the lovely Helen stand in. The group was small, which it always is if our usual consultant isn’t in attendance (I’ve never understood that. To me group is group. I don’t go just for Sara’s top banter – sorry Sara 😉 ). Anyway we had a really interesting discussion on what constitutes Free Food and what’s Syn Free Food (which I totally get now, thanks for putting me right Helen) and a really thought provoking discussion about what constitutes a plate of optimised food. I’ve always tried to keep a meal one third super free or speed as its called now, but sometimes I add those veg into whatever it is I’m making, curry, bolognase etc because I a) don’t enjoy having ‘extra’ veg on the side of my plate with these meals (it just somehow feels wrong) and b) I cannot be buggered to cook up veg separately, making more mess, when I could just add them to the one pan. Helen’s point was that having extra vegetables on the plate takes up room you then can’t fill with rice or pasta etc. I’m not someone who can eat vast mounds of rice or pasta (even in my largest days), but I do see what she was getting at. Plus, I guess it could be a visual thing. The more different things you can see on your plate the more you feel you’ve eaten? Anyway, despite my initial balking at this idea, I came home and realised other than a few dishes, this is exactly what I do. So while I don’t think I’ll suddenly start serving extra veg with my curry, I absolutely will keep doing it with my other meals.

Thanks for a great group Helen.

So this week I’ve got some real challenges ahead. Firstly we’re off to Devon for Ben’s grandparents Diamond Anniversary celebration. While I’m not concerned about the meal itself so much, I know there’ll be wine. Plus there’s the journey there and back. It’s such a long way and as the non driver in the family it’ll mean just sitting for nigh on five hours. I think I’ll go and stock up on fruit and chicken and the like for when the nibbles strike. Fortunately Ben’s nibble of choice when long distance driving is Liquorice Allsorts. I can’t stand them so no temptation there! Phew!

On the up side this week, I do get to wear my new dress. So, you know, swings and roundabouts.

If I work hard at staying on plan before and after hopefully I can minimise any damage I’ll do in wine.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Have a great week

Xxxx