Chillaxing all day is nice!

31^st August 2013

“Real courage is when you know youre licked before you begin, but you begin anyway.”  Harper Lee

Once I’d finished doing the paperwork in my office which was around 10.30am (I did start at 5am though!  It means I have to do a few hours today and tomorrow but that’s ok I needed to stop yesterday) I didn’t do a fat lot of anything, I chilled for the rest of the day.  I went for a massage, my first in a month and it was wonderful, I slept through a lot of it but my muscles still had the benefit and I can feel the difference this morning, I wasn’t quite the Neanderthal creature when I got out of bed for as long as I usually am, it normally takes a while for me to straighten up to my full 5ft 4in self :0).  I had a walk round Essington fruit farm and treated myself to a bit of their posh grub, which

 
made lunch easier, a simple turkey dinner, ready cooked turkey off the deli and frozen mash and bubble and squeak, obviously I had to guestimate the frozen values but I was near enough, my lunch came to 13pp, for breakfast I’d had peanut butter on nimble toast 11pp, 48g of peanut butter cost me 8pp and it only just covered two small slices of toast, from a tip off a member I’ll be having smooth next time I’m brave enough to buy a jar because it goes further.  I didn’t bother with tea, wasn’t hungry, but I did have about 20g of St Agur cheese and a couple of slices of thin sliced beef and a slice of nimble, so that was 4pp followed by a very early Friday night, was in bed by 9pm and slept till 6.30am, feeling refreshed and re-energised now.

And that was my day, oh we watched a film too, I am 40 or something, it was okay, funny in places but a bit long drawn out and a little too ‘real’ for my liking, I likes the happy escapism myself, I can get realism in everyday life!

I’m thinking of doing some cooking this morning after the paperwork, Lynne and Jen are coming over and we were going to go out somewhere but we’ve decided to stay home and enjoy the garden instead and have a good chin way.

There’s a nice looking Butternut squash and sage pasta recipe in this months magazine, I already have all the ingredients for that, ooo maybe me and Jen can do some baking together, muffins or something mmm likes that idea ;) there’s a banana and white chocolate muffin (5pp each) recipe in that mag too or the new 20 minute meal cook book has Banapple Muffins for 2pp each, I like the idea of getting two cakes or fruity flapjack squares 3pp) in same book, they’d make great breakfast bars, in our red folders the 1 blue book there’s a delicious recipe for grab and go fruit & nut energy bars, that might be on the cards – I’m getting carried away now can you tell!

Well before I get any more carried away, I’ll go and I can check my cupboards for ingredients, I’ve then got a couple of hours of office work before I can even contemplate spending time in the kitchen.

However you’re spending your day, have a great one.  Enjoy the sunshine and the last day of August, Sensational September starts tomorrow!

Bring it on J

BeYOUtiful & Eat Gorgeous. xx

A wonderfully emotional week xx

30^th August 2013

Try not to take everything personally, things that people say and do don’t always have anything to do with you.

It’s been a real emotional week in my meetings this week, we discussed how not wanting to feel certain emotions lead to emotional eating in the meeting and we even got a little emotional too.  In Awesome August my amazing members have lost 118 stone, how inspiring is that, and now we intend to make September Sensational and I can’t wait, get those kids back to school, if you haven’t been through the holidays grab a mate and get back to a meeting, there’s even an offer on that if two friends join together it’s only £2.50 each for the first week, Weight Watchers realise together is better.

Tuesday morning the gorgeous Jane achieved her 100lb weight loss and I took great pleasure in awarding her with a certificate, I asked her how she was feeling and she replied, “emotional”, and then went on to explain how over the years she had sat in numerous meetings watching awards and certificates being handed out and feeling that it would never be her!  I asked her what was different this time and she replied “YOU”, I won’t lie this really made me feel good to think that I could make a difference in someone’s life, so I asked why.  She told us all that since she joined I have always told her and all my members that they are gorgeous now and that they have to love themselves as they are and not wait for the weight loss before doing so, Jane never used to like herself very much at all, but she listened and took it onboard and now she loves herself because she’s realised she is as amazing and wonderful and I’ve told her she is and that everyone who loves her already knew she was!  Because she changed her thought pattern she now takes care of herself because she deserves to be loved and looked after and she eats healthy and nutritious food because that’s part of the taking care routine and the bonus of such behaviour is that weight loss becomes a side effect.    Here’s a photo of Jane before and now, personally I’ve always seen the gorgeous, the only difference for me is it now comes in a smaller healthier package with a much brighter smile.

Doesn’t she look amazing, so if you’re giving yourself a hard time for having no willpower, or you’re getting angry with yourself for not sticking to the plan or when you look in the mirror you say horrible things to your reflection, please realise that’s not helping, nothing works well if you treat it badly, so instead try a bit of forgiveness, accept your human and you aren’t perfect, realise no one can stick to the plan all the time and when you look in the mirror – do so with love. X

As for the emotional eating, I might come back to that over the weekend ;-) when it’s usually more appropriate!

So how was my day?  Well I was 45pp in credit to start the day (weeklies & activity) I earned 4pp yesterday on my trusty pedometer which isn’t my wineometer at the moment because of me being on the wellness wagon (boooo ;) could’ve killed for a good glass of red last night!

I opted for a Filling & Healthy day again,

Breakfast was crumpet, egg, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes (Zero meal on f&H, 5pp on a PP day)

Lunch was Smoked/Plan River Cobbler fish (Asda 4pp), Tilda Brown Basmati (6pp) Corn on the cob (2pp), carrots (Zero meal on F&H, 12pp on PP day)

Tea was 69g wholewheat spaghetti (6pp gotta love the accuracy of the WW kitchen scalesJ), ½ red pepper, 2 spring onions, 2 mushrooms, 20g parmesan (2pp), 1 egg (2pp), 22g chorizo sausage (2pp). 1 teaspoon olive oil (1pp)  (4pp On F&H day (used healthy daily allowance for oil), 13pp on PP day)

Diced & fried all the veggies in the oil, whilst boiling the spaghetti, drain spaghetti, and stir in the cooked egg then mix everything together and serve.  I had it with asparagus spears too because they were reduced in the Asda.

Snacks

100g Greek Yogurt, raspberries, blueberries (zero on F&H, 1pp on PP day)

Banana

Walkers Sunbite crisps (3pp- member bought them for me to try, so glad I didn’t have a 6 page because I would be writing 18pp here otherwise, too nice they were!)

45g Peanut Butter – 8pp (shouldn’t have bought a jar, worked out there’s 63pp in the jar! I need to get mom to hide it now, I’ve already spent about 18pp on it so far this week, tis nice though, might have it on toast for brekkie, at least its part of a meal then)

2 bottles Becks Blue 1pp

So because of doing Filling & Healthy, I ended up using 16pp from my weekly/activity ProPoints, 49-16 = 33pp in credit still to get me through the weekend, should be fine as I’m not drinking, and that’s your maths lesson for today J.

Here’s to another day of Healthy & Happy Eating Gorgeous & BeYouTiful, because even if you can’t see how wonderful you are, I can!

 

 

 

 

 

Ravenous doesn't even come close!

29^th August 2013

Anyone can run away, it’s super easy.  Facing problems and working through them, that’s what makes you strong. 

There needs to be a balance!  You can be all ‘diet’ ‘weight loss’ ‘exercising’ but where’s the fun and enjoyment in that - over-exercising and only eating certain foods and judging them by what quality protein, carbs or fibre they are!  Nah, what’s the point in being ‘super-fit’ if you don’t really enjoy it, or do anything other than go to the gym and diet? 

If you enjoy a gym class – do it, but don’t do it because you feel you have to do it.  Don’t eat mung beans because they’re going to get you thin, or drink green tea because someone said it has a slimming effect (that stuffs yak).  Find a happy balance where you’re enjoying the journey, the food you eat is both good for you and nutritious most of the time, the odd moments of indulgence are just fine.   A little of what you fancy does you good, it’s all about balance.

Yesterday I had my “I could eat a scabby dog” head on, I couldn’t get full, and I know it was my hormones raging because it happens every month, but this month I tracked it and kept with the “my body is a shrine” mantra because I want to get well so everything I ate was nutritious and tasty, oh except one of the new Weight Watcher chocolate and coconut biscuits because I have to try before I can sell J

So here’s a look at a real tracker from a woman who was HUNGRY!

 

 
 

54pp consumed, however luckily I was having a Filling & Healthy day, so if you notice all the foods highlighted in green I don’t have to count them, so my true tracker would only include

1 ½ teaspoons of olive oil 2pp (the other two are out of my F&H daily allowance

Peanut butter 8pp

New Weight Watcher bar 2pp

2 bottle alcohol free lager 1pp

So only 13pp have to come out of my weeklies/activities and I earned 6pp yesterday, so it’s all good and I’m still on track and my crazy day of hunger has passed.

I still have,

Tuesday used 30pp, earned 7pp so had 3pp left over to add to my weekly 49 = in credit 52pp

Wednesday F&H day, used 13pp extra, earned 6pp, so still in credit by 45pp

That’s your maths lesson for today J

And no I wouldn’t dream of eating that way on a filling and healthy day all the time, if I did I wouldn’t be eating to my appetite as I don’t always feel that hungry and I wouldn’t expect a weight either.   The healthy meals looked like this, it was the extras that did the damage!

 

 

 

I have to say the Tuna we had for lunch yesterday was to die for, had it from Asda 2 for £4, have never cooked tuna before so I googled it and found a very nice man in a video showing me what to do, so I poured the oil on and a bit sprinkled of salt, fried for 1-1 ½ mins each side, the put in the oven (on full) for 2 minutes.  Both mom and I loved it and it will be a new addition to my meals regularly from now on – delicious.

To try and fend off the hunger I also made some cookies,

Mash together 1 banana, add 60g oats and a handful of raspberries. shape into cookies & bake for approx 20 mins.  total for all the cookies 6pp or completely F&H!  I only made 4, but wished I’d made 6, and I only ate 2 they were plenty, I’d started to fill up by then!

So here’s to a Triumphant Thursday J almost the weekend already!

If you’ve had payday and you can spare a pound, please sponsor me, make this 15 mile hike worthwhile.  http://www.justgiving.com/bevsww

 

Or you can text BEVL99 £1 to 70070

Go on do it please ;0), if you’ve ever enjoyed reading this blog or had a food/meal idea, surely that’s worth a pound xx

 

 

 

 

It's all good ;-)

28^th August 2013

“Difficulties in life are intended to make us better, not bitter.” Dan Reeves

You can think yourself happy (or at least happier) if you use positive language – even when you’re just talking to yourself inside your head.  Negative words can lower your mood, whereas you can control your mind to lift your mood by using powerful positive words.  So say things like ‘I can do that’ rather than I’ll never be able to do that’.  Give it a go, what you got to lose!

I’m a glass is half full kind of girl, I’m not sure I’ve always been that way, but I do know I’ve spent plenty of time over the last ten years working on how I behave or react to situations in my life.

So here’s an example, two scenarios, you’re sitting in a hospital pharmacist for your medication.  You're told the waiting time is 35 minutes.  Do you;

1)  You tut, sit down and spend the next half hour moaning about waiting, saying out loud, "this is ridiculous, what's taking so long, why does it take 30 minutes to put a bottle of tablets in a bag". You're getting angrier and more stressed by the minute, you're moaning now about how much you're paying to park and it feels like forever before they call your name. And when you do get your medication you walk out muttering about how you’ve waited all that time for this and you’ve got better things to be doing!

Or
2) You say thank you to the lady and comment "it takes as long as it takes", you sit down and use the time to take a break from your day whilst thinking to yourself how these tablets are going to start to make you (or whoever you’re collecting them for) feel well again, isn't it great that we have a health service, and yes you have things to do but it'll have to wait because this is your priority and the medical staff are doing the best they can with the resourses they have.

Which you choose, makes a massive difference to how you feel internally, both physically and emotionally.  I watched a room full of people behaving like scenario 1 yesterday whilst I sat there being scenario two.

The same approach can be used for healthy eating and weight loss, you can get all wrapped up in how difficult it is, how long it's going to take, how you'd rather not have to do it.  Or you can see it as a way of life, taking care of yourself and loving yourself enough to want to feed yourself healthy nutritious food most of the time whilst still enjoying the odd treat and moments of indulgence.

So my trip to the hospital went as I expected, I've been given another two weeks of antibiotics because they won't operate and remove the cyst until the infection has gone (understandably so), so instead of sulking about the fact I'm looking at a good few months before that's likely to happen, I'm smiling at my reflection every time I look in the mirror because I looks silly and I’m thinking how can I give myself the best chance of healing.  For the next two weeks I've decided to help those antibiotics do their thing by cutting out all alcohol and eating as healthy as possible, no ready meals or junk food, just good clean filling & healthy nutritious food and plenty of water. I will be fighting fit the next time I see my consultant in six weeks time!

So a little planning is in order, a shopping list and a sort out of the kitchen cupboards, that’ll give me something to do this weekend.  Until then, I’ll nip to Asda today with my filling and healthy list of foods and get a few things to add to what I already have to make a couple of meals and I’ll start looking for some new recipes to try, I like a change and I haven’t tried much new lately.

I gained a pound at the scales this week, I’m not surprised, I did have my pity party at the weekend because I didn’t feel fab, but it’s all good, I’m back on it again, healthy & happy forever remember. 

Fresh tracking week started yesterday & it looked like this;

Breakfast - Bacon & mushroom Sandwich – 11pp

Lunch – Chicken & rice casserole – 10pp

Tea – Chargrilled Aubergine Soup (recipe on WW esource) with nimble bread – 6pp,
I then went and got another slice of bread to dunk which was 3pp a slice because all the nimble had done!

Too much bread over the day, but it was healthy bread at least, I did however have my five a day or more! 

Total for day – 30pp

Earned on pedometer – 7pp

I’m tracking on my phone app, so no excuses.

Here’s to a healthy day, my body is a shrine this week J what’s yours?

Eating Gorgeous :) Already BeYouTiful - even with a big lump on my neck!

Cooked breakfast & chip butty - proper British food!

27^th August 2013

Once you accept the fact that you're not perfect, then you develop some confidence.  ~Rosalynn Carter

So that was the last Bank holiday of the summer, did you survive?  Mine was very chilled out, spent at home and because yesterday was so lovely we sat in the garden most of the afternoon chilling out.  Hopefully will find out more about my neck today, appointment with the consultant in-between meetings, so a busy day too.

I had a lovely cooked breakfast yesterday morning which could’ve been either a completely filling and healthy breakfast using your daily healthy oil, or 12pp on the ProPoints plan.  Delicious doesn’t have to be dripping in grease.

For lunch it was the chicken and bacon casserole 10pp, we didn’t eat till after two because I wasn’t really hungry so I put out a smaller portion and still left quite a bit of it because I was still satisfied from breakfast. 

 About 7pm though I got my ‘I want to eat’ head on and we opted for a chip butty, and this example shows that even a healthy version where the chips have been cooked in an Actifry with only a bit of oil can come out at 14pp.

A standard portion of chips from a chips shop in the Eat Out guide are 14pp for 210g, now I know from local chips shops in Wolverhampton/Walsall when I’ve bought a ‘normal/regular’ portion, they usually weight 2.5lb - which would come up as 78pp!  So if you have scales and like a bag of chip shop chips, weigh them at least once.  Add a deep fried piece of cod to that at 16pp and OUCH, you’ve spent 94pp in one meal, would you like bread and butter with that!  I don’t think anyone would nip to the shops and buy a 5lb bag of potatoes, peel, chip and fry them, then share them between two thinking that was an acceptable portion size would they? 

So wish me a short waiting list after today’s appointment, I really want this lump in my neck gone, it’s uncomfortable and affecting my day to day movement and my sleep!  Boo!

I asked at the beginning of the blog if you survived the weekend, I know some of you will have had a fabulous time, however not been on track with the plan and you know what – that’s fine.  As long as you enjoyed yourself, without guilt and you get back to sensible eating today, then it’s ok to have a day or two off, I know I’ve not been 100% and I’m ok with that, I’ll take whatever the scales have to say this morning with a smile on my face and a lump in my neck and get back to reining in the daily ProPoint usage ;-)

Here’s to TRACK IT TUESDAY! You in?

Have a great day, EatGorgeous & BeYOUtiful. xx

Planning Christmas already - am I sad?

26^th August 2013

“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

Made chicken and bacon casserole (recipe here - http://wwbevsworld.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/heres-to-week-of-f.html) yesterday and never got round to eating it so that’s today’s lunch sorted, I also did a chicken biryani cook in the bag which I wasn’t impressed with.

I had broccoli & stilton soup with a bread roll at the café in Boundary Mills, we went to have a look at their sale, I also finished off Jen’s sausage roll and regretted it later because it gave me heartburn.  I didn’t really track anything yesterday decided to have a day off, my tea consisted of little packs of cookies from Iceland which Lynne bought with her for mom - I have to admit are nice, 4pp for a packet of 6 biscuits, think I had two packs of strawberry and 2 individual orange ones, so wasn’t ridiculous.  I then decided that lager was the best form of pain relief for my neck and a hot chocolate with a drop of JD, it worked I slept quite well.

Today’s going to be a F&H day I thinks because I had my eating head on yesterday and I’m thinking it’ll still be there, plus I have that casserole to go at, will have a couple of slices of nimble toast for brekkie, actually need eggs just fancy a proper cooked breakfast, mmm walk down the Tesco garage maybe.  Just checked my mobile app for my cycle and exactly 9 days before, happens every month I get an appetite to consume as much as possible, so this time I’m going to make sure it’s better than yesterdays choice of cookies! 

You can tell its bank holiday Monday it’s pretty grey out there this morning!  Still gonna go have a nice walk with Alfie and blow away the cob webs.

I don’t see much else being done today, I can’t do much as it aggravates my neck and the doctor told me to take it easy till my appointment on Tuesday so I’m going to, might try reading today, I have a book but I’ve just not been able to concentrate.   

Sad I know but we were planning Christmas yesterday!  Lynne, Jen and I were talking about what we need for our second perfect holiday in Wales, and apparently according to Jen aged 9, Hot Chocolate, cream and marshmallows are top of the list, tin of roses were the top of Lynnes and Sherry was on mine because that’s a Christmas must J  We had to have a Tesco Christmas shop last year and I’m not a fan, but I’ve found a Morrisons for this year, a little further away but it’ll be worth the drive, and as I will get there before them I’ll be able to have a drive out.  Scary that we’re planning Christmas already isn’t it but it’s only 120 days away and that’s not a lot, plus we get a holiday then so I loves it!  I’ve also been told they want another treasure hunt, so I need to get my thinking cap on again don’t I.

You know what that’s what I’m going to do today, sort the Christmas treasure hunt – sad maybe but at least it’s enjoyable and might take my mind off my pain in my neck, I know I could take painkillers but I don’t like the side effects from them much so I’d rather put up with the pain, it’s not so bad if I don’t do strenuous stuff like painting fences (Friday!) or cleaning floors on hands and knees (Saturday!)  So yes a creative day will be fun ;-)

Whatever you’re doing – enjoy.  If you are overindulging on the eating front, make  sure you’re enjoying it, there’s nothing worse than eating with guilt, not only does it make it less enjoyable but it also interferes with the metabolising of the food I believe!  So never ever do guilt eating, always EatGorgeous for the right reasons and enjoy it! ;-)

 

 

 

 

Even mistakes mean you're trying xx

25^th August 2013

Don't be too hard on yourself, there are plenty people willing to do that for you. Love yourself and be proud of everything you do. Even mistakes mean you're trying xx

Willpower smillpower, last night I had a pity party and willpower was nowhere to be seen, this is why you shouldn’t have certain junk in the house!  So let’s rewind a bit, I’d had a very productive morning, cleaned my office took me over two hours, even cleaned the windows and the floor on my hands and knees. 

As you can see my office took some cleaning!

 

When I’d finished I started to feel a bit rubbish, my neck really started to hurt and started to ache in my legs and generally feel yak!  So I made us some lovely food and even eating was hurting, so I tried resting and took a bubble bath, then I tried a glass of red wine but didn’t enjoy it so I tried painkillers.  Decided on a bottle of lager which my brother had brought round for me  which ended up at four (I don’t have lager in my house for this reason-I likes too much – 12pp), then whilst helping Alfie look for his treats I stumbled across a tub of Pringles (moms, she’s told to hide them from me but I found them!), I didn’t eat them all because I gave them to her to re-hide, but I had a good 10pp!  I’d already had my tea, so now have well and truly used all my weeklies and anything else I might have had left over! 

Here’s my tracker;

Breakfast - Oats & sultanas 6pp

Dinner - Delicious Pumpkin & pinenut fiorelli, roast veggies mixed with sweet chilli cheese spread, chives, shallots, & tomato purée. 9pp

Tea - lost the will by now;Ryvita, WW spread, cheese 10pp, Glass of wine 6pp, Stella 12pp, Pringles 10pp

Total = 53pp

Earned 3pp,

Ooo I’ve actually got 6pp left from my weeklies/activity ProPoints so rather pleased with that, and the lesson of the day is if you don’t want to eat / drink it – don’t have it in the house!  And don’t give me that, ”Oh I have to have it for the kids/husband/whoever” line, think do you? They probably don’t need so much of it either,  or maybe you could buy them the stuff that isn’t your absolute favourite, or like me get them to hide it!   I’ve had members whose husbands take the junk to work with them in the boot of their car to stop the member accessing it during the day.  Let’s remember this stuff – cake/chocolate/crisps/beer should be treats not the norm so buy less and only buy as much as its safe to have in the house.  If I’d had a large slab of galaxy in my house last night chances are I’d have eaten it because I was all out of willpower in the middle of my poorly pity party and no amount of reminding me how much I’d like to get back to my goal or how important it is to be healthy and happy would have stopped me, having said that eating a galaxy would have made me very happy J

I’m roasting a chicken today, going to have a proper dinner I think, and also might make either my favourite chicken and bacon dish or a biryani for tomorrow, decisions, decisions.  One thing I won’t be doing is anything strenuous because my neck doesn’t like it, until I see the consultant Tuesday lunchtime it’s all about the taking it easy!

Here’s to a laid back Sunday, but I do have to admit it is lovely sitting in my clean, tidy office. 

Have a great day. xx

 

I'm perfect at being me, are you perfect at being you?

24^th August 2013
Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently! Henry Ford

Had me another lie in, thank you very much, 7.45am might not seem like one to most but for me it’s a good extra 2 hours.   

This is what yesterday looked like;

Breakfast 6pp Breakfast - natural yogurt, banana, raspberries, blueberries & oats

Dinner 12pp tea, st agur chicken, beetroot falafel (from Waitrose, they were delicious, 4 for 6pp already eaten one!) & roast veg

Tea went a bit astray -  16pp! Crust of bread (6pp) 4 x ryvita (4pp) garlic butter (2pp) StAgur Cheese (4pp)

I used some weeklies there didn't I and of course I took a good chunk out of them with my vino ‘-) first glass since the antibiotics, they’ve finished now, lumps gone down, it still hurts but I feel ok in myself, I’m sure it’s pressing on nerves though because I keep getting funny sensations in the back of my arm, we shall ask lots of questions Tuesday at the hospital.

I’m all about the Healthy and Happy as we know, I do enjoy indulging in a bit of junk now and again but try my best to feed myself good nutritious food because I believe it makes me feel well.  I also believe you can be healthy at an weight, you don’t have to be ‘thin’ to be healthy and by loving the skin you’re in and being kind to yourself, feeding yourself and your family nutritious food then ultimately you will be happy too and weight loss is likely to become a side-effect.  I believe everyone is already gorgeous and by being their true selves and not trying to be someone else they can realise they’re loved for who they are.

Where’s that come from ay? Well last night we were watching tv and I had my glass of wine in my hand, mom and I were chatting and reminiscing, we were watching something with young folk in anyways and I remarked that I remember when I was younger never feeling good enough, I always felt that I could look that bit better, or be that bit smarter, or fit in that little bit more, or earn that bit more, or try that bit harder.  Yet my mom had always told me I was good enough and perfect as I was, so where did those thoughts come from?!  By my mid 20’s I started reading lots of books to try and understand myself and what made tick and I think by the time I hit my 30’s I was starting to get there, and the last 5 years I’ve got there, I’ve realised “I’ll do”, actually I’ll more than do, I’m perfect at being me and others seem to agree!  What I weigh doesn’t seem to be an issue for any of my family, friends or members and to be honest if it is, I’ve realised that’s their problem not mine!  I’ve realised it’s okay not to be like everyone else, but to be me, I’m the female who’s always got up early in the morning and gone to bed early at night, I’ve never wanted to be a party animal, clubber or pub frequenter.  I’m happy doing what I do, and it’s okay to flit from one passion, hobby or pastime to another, as long as it isn’t hurting anyone.

Yep I’ve learnt from all that reading that there wasn’t anything wrong with me to start, nothing to fix, nothing to change, the only thing I needed to do was accept who I was and go with the flow!

How about you?  Are you still trying to fit in, to impress, to be someone you think you should be?

If so, then ask yourself why, no one else can be YOU and you are already fantastic so get happy with that person you see in the mirror and go have a Super Saturday, because you’re amazing!

Love Yourself First xx

23^rd August 2013

Your body hears everything your mind says – stay positive & love the skin you’re in.

YAY it’s Friday and the suns shining at the moment although the forecast has changed and isn’t so fab for the bank holiday weekend – BOO! ;0) Never mind, I’m sure I’ll find something to keep me amused, especially as I’m feeling much improved, the lumps still there but nowhere near as painful and I have an appointment after my meeting Tuesday at the hospital so all is progressing thankfully.
Great day yesterday, I’ve loved that the moms on a Thursday morning have still come to the meeting and bought their kids with them, yes it’s a loud lively meeting but if we’re honest most of that noise comes from me and the moms J, I love the fact that we all have a giggle and everyone embraces each other, I’ve got everyone from my young moms with their babies to my golden oldies, sounds a bit twee but it feels like a bit family.  Then that last meeting Thursday night is like a girls night in, we have a good natter about things such as where the best Supermarkets are and have a Weight Watcher meeting at the same time – perfect end to a fab week.  Plus we lose weight!

It really helps having my meals planned on a Thursday because it stops me going for something not so good and nibbling throughout the night, yesterday looked like this;

6pp breakfast - Toast, banana, raspberries, blueberries topped with Activia natural yogurt & honey mmm

10pp lunch - smoked basa, Uncle Ben’s peshwari rice, carrots, butternut squash & spinach!

12pp Tea - Beef goulash & jacket

Really nutrition day of Eating Gorgeous, the jacket was a home grown one (thank you Jane), Activia natural yogurt is the best I’ve ever tasted, can’t get it many places but they have the big tubs in Morrisons thankfully.

I also had a couple of bottles of becks blue (1pp) and earned 5pp on my pedometer, moms been walking Alfie for me this week, although I do plan a good walk with him when I’ve finished writing this, I needs fresh air and vitamin D!

My ‘to eat’ list is getting longer! Today I think I’m going to make chicken breast stuffed with St Agur, beetroot falafels and veggies, I also want to do Chicken Jambalaya from the new cookbook 20 minute meals due out soon, chicken  Jalfrezi hairy biker recipe – mmm bit of a chicken theme there!  I want to include more fish too because it’s full off goodness, and having been on antibiotics all week I want to get some goodness back into my body as they kill everything good and bad don’t they!  Just looked and the Chicken Jalfrezi recipe is here - http://wwbevsworld.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/what-beautiful-bank-holiday.html spooky I cooked it the last bank holiday!

 

 

One of my members had a new tattoo when she came to get weighed yesterday, now I see a lot of tattoos there not something I’m a huge fan off (each to their own) but this one I loved, she’d had “Love yourself first” tattooed on her arm, brilliant and something all of you should do – loving yourself first not the tattoo J I’m more inclined to suggest you print it out and put it somewhere prominent so you can read it often.  It’s something not many people do, yet its something that would do you the world of good, it doesn’t make you selfish at all, it’s more about self care, if you’re not taking care of you, you won’t be in any fit state to take care of anyone else.

So today keep that at the forefront of your mind, Love Yourself First, Eat Gorgeous and as always BeYOUtiful. Xx

Enjoy your day.

Life's too short to starve!

22^nd August 2013

“A pound of pluck is worth a ton of luck.”  Nils Nilsons sister

Almost the weekend, and it’s a Bank Holiday one at that!  I’ve no plans so will mostly be hoping my neck hurts less so I can be in my garden doing all those little jobs that need doing.

Another on track day yesterday and because I’m focusing on the filling and healthy I found that food I didn’t really think about food most of the day other than meal times, oh yes and whilst having a walk around Morrisons.  I have to say I was extremely impressed with their fruit and vegetable section, I’ve always thought they had the best fruit and veg section of all the supermarkets when you compare quality and price, yet yesterday it’s been improved.  The have a couple of stand that have cold mist being pumped over the veggies to keep them fresh and lots of new different varieties, I bought yellow courgette, orange tomatoes, samphire, graffiti aubergine, smoked & rose garlic and Kohlrabi to try and I liked that the labels on the counter suggested how to cook them.  I also bought a couple of packets of microwave packets, “Quinoa & Wholegrain rice with a hint of garlic” 6pp in half packet and another one I can’t remember.  So my lunch yesterday was delicious, nutritious and colourful.

Here’s my tracker for yesterday, I was initially planning on a F&H day but as I had the packet rice, I went with ProPoints but using mainly F&H foods;

Breakfast

Scrambled egg (4pp), mushrooms, tomatoes and beans (2pp), oil (1pp) = 7pp

Lunch

12pp of EatGorgeous! Steamed trout fillet, with Quinoa & wholegrain rice, roasted smoked garlic, tomato, pepper, butternut squash, yellow courgette and samphire mmmmmm

 

Tea

Leftovers from yesterday – Wholegrain rice, butternut squash, chicken & the juices out the maggi cook bag – really tasty even if it didn’t look fab. 12pp

I earned 9pp on my pedometer and took 8 painkiller and 3 antibiotics J, I added the drugs bit because I’m sure they’re affecting my digestive system, I can tell my stomach feels differently, so today I shall be drinking lots of water to try and sort it out!

If you’re in my closed group which is for existing members in my meeting only and you can’t see me on Facebook this morning, I’ve changed the name to Bev’s Happy Owls, everything else is the same so don’t worry about it. xx My Weight Watcher page is still called Bev’s Weight Watchers and open to everyone.

So today’s my busy day and I have leftover goulash for tea, already prepared, lunch will be smoked haddock, I’m thinking with potatoes and veggies, mmm, what about breakfast? I’ll think about that one because at the moment that could be F&H or ProPoints, decisions decisions, I do have some Beetroot falafels in the fridge I want to eat though so if they’re ok till tomorrow they can wait and I’ll go with the F&H day.

I know I’ve shared this recipe before but my lunch yesterday reminded me of how good it is and I shall be making it again soon so thought I’d share;

Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic Serves 4, 13pp each

 

2 tbsp regular olive oil                                                     8 chicken thighs (skin on, bone in)

1 bunch (about 6) spring onions                                       small bunch fresh thyme

40 garlic cloves (approx 3-4 bulbs), unpeeled                 2 tbsp dry white wine

1½ tsp sea salt flakes or ¾ tsp pouring salt                     Ground black pepper

 

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.  Heat the oil on the hob over a high heat in a wide, shallow, ovenproof and flameproof casserole (that will ultimately fit all the chicken in one layer, and that has a lid). Sear the chicken, skin-side down. This may take two batches, so transfer the browned pieces to a bowl as you go. Once the chicken pieces are seared, transfer them all to the bowl.

 

Finely slice the spring onions, put them into the casserole and quickly stir-fry them with the leaves torn from a few sprigs of thyme.  Put 20 of the unpeeled cloves of garlic (papery excess removed) into the casserole, top with the chicken pieces, skin-side up, then cover with the remaining 20 cloves of garlic.

 

Add the vermouth (or white wine) to any oily chicken juices left in the bowl. Swill it around and pour this into the casserole.  Sprinkle with the salt, grind over the pepper, and add a few more sprigs of thyme. Put on the lid and cook in the oven for 1½ hours.

 

My other favourite recipe is the chicken and bacon one pot casserole on the Weight Watchers poultry recipe cards, I’m thinking that’s on the two eat list for next week too.  Mmm.

Life really is too short to undereat and starve!  Healthy and happy all the way.

Here’s to another day of Eating Gorgeous.

BeYouTiful xx

 

 

Filling & Healthy all day long :)

21^st August 2013

 Motivation will almost always beat mere talent. Norman R. Augustine

I gained 1.5lb yesterday, I’m not disappointed though, I’m putting down to the fact I’ve been unwell, taking medication and haven’t really moved all weekend, so I’ll take that, I’m still 2lb lighter than I was a fortnight ago and I’m not overeating, I’m focusing on healthy and happy and I feel good for it.  Maybe the lump in my neck weighs ;-)

So yesterday I did a Filling and Healthy day, no ProPointing required and I enjoyed it too, had;

Breakfast – 2 crumpets with 2 poached eggs and tomatoes

 

Snack – 0% Greek yogurt, blueberries, raspberries, banana

Lunch – Rosemary and herb chicken breast, brown rice, onion, butternut squash, sweet potato, red pepper.

Tea – Beef goulash and sweet potato chip chunks.

Hot chocolate and a shot of whiskey (3pp) from weeklies

Earned 5pp on pedometer

So I quite enjoyed not having to ProPoint and doing this Filling & Healthy lark, so I’m thinking I might do it again today, also because I have leftovers that will save me cooking, I need to make something today for tomorrow as I’ll be too busy to cook tomorrow.  Ooo I might make a batch of soup today, that’d tide me over, I need to go get a few bits for that, pop in the Asda after meeting this morning I thinks.  Maybe curried parsnips if I can get any or butternut squash - did you know Butternut squash is not only zero ProPoints, but it has just 80kcal in 200g, which provides half of your daily vitamin C needs. It’s also a great source of potassium and magnesium, and curry powder contains turmeric, which research shows keeps your joints healthy and protects against arthritis.

Do you care?  Are you remotely interested in how nutritionally balanced your diet it?  Or do you just wanna be thin and as long as you stick to your allowance and lose weight that’ll do?

I think if you follow the Filling & Healthy plan then automatically you’re getting a good, balanced nutritious diet, obviously you need to learn portion sizes but that comes with practice.  Last night I thought I would easily eat 2-3 portions of that beef goulash but when it came to putting it out I had about 1½ portions, now I wasn’t ProPointing but if I had been that would’ve set me back 10pp so not a ridiculous amount, I also wasn’t even tempted to snack after eating my tea.

On the ProPoints plan, you can eat a good, balanced, nutritious diet also, or you can spend it less wisely, what I’ve found is the less wisely I spend mine the more hungry I am and the worse my results at the scales, so if you’re not bothered about what the foods doing to your body, try to eat healthier because it’ll give you a better result at the scales.

I easily ate my five a day yesterday and plenty of fibre, I don’t analyse my meals to see if they’re nutritionally balanced, I just try to make sure I use fresh ingredients where possible.

A good tool to use if you’re not getting the results you want is to track a little differently, get a pad and make 3 columns and head them up “Filling & Healthy”, “Treats, junk & booze”, “other”.  Then as you track your day put the ProPoints in one of the three columns.  If the treats/junk/booze column has the most ProPoints in it, then maybe your diet needs tweaking a little.  The first two columns are obvious, F&H is anything highlighted in green, T,J & B is anything all your cakes, crisps, chocolate, wine, even if the treats are low fat, low sugar ones – they’re still treats!  Then the other column is anything else that doesn’t fit in one of the first two columns J such as a ready meal or white bread or pasta.

It’s an interesting exercise to do even if you are losing, it helps you get to know yourself better and how you treat food, if there’s a lot of treats and junk you’re still using food in an emotional way.

Right I’m off, got painkillers to pop and antibiotics to take, going to my meetings yesterday was a good distraction from the pain, so hopefully I’m on the mend as I wouldn’t have been up to going at all last Friday.

Have a great day, EatGorgeous, BeYouTiful and take care you of you because you’re worth the effort.