31st July 2010 facebook email

When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.

What to write, for a change I’m stuck for words. Woke up with a sore throat – typical cos I’m going to have a pampering weekend. We had a lovely girls night last night, talking rubbish and eating Chinese – all no points of course!

So I’m having a weekend off my diet because the foods will be included and I plan to enjoy it ;-) That doesn’t mean you need to though, you can be good, do as I say not as I do this weekend please!

We shared lots of laughs last night, did you know laughing makes us feel good but research shows that nowadays we only spend six minutes a day laughing compared with eighteen minutes in the 50s. So this weekend look for opportunities to laugh, smile and generally feel good. Maybe watch a funny film, I personally enjoy stand up comedians. Anything to make you feel good will help you with your diet because everything’s easier when we’re happy.

Weight Watchers have changed their website for monthly users, so if you haven’t logged on for a few days, go check it out. And if you’re not a monthly pass holder, treat yourself next week whilst its only £12.95 for your first month, that’ll save you some money through the summer.

As I’m having a chill out weekend, maybe you can use this weekend to slow down too, give yourself permission to relax. Take some time to chill, I walk Alfie daily now and yesterday I realised whilst we were stood sniffing the grass that it’s lovely not to rush when out, to just wander about aimlessly and stop and stare for a while – I really enjoy it. Then Alfie told me to stop sniffing the grass and get a move on ;-) only joking!

Well I better go pack my overnight bag, don’t expect an email tomorrow ;-)

Remember Life Starts NOW!

Are you living yet :-)

Great Read if you need one for your holiday

 Buy it from Amazon

If you want to read something that's different this year, then here's the book.  I read this is a couple of days which is most unlike me, then passed it on to my mom to read.  Fantastic!  And I will be reading it again at some stage.

Synopsis

Felix Shill is in trouble. His only friend wants to disassociate with him, his marriage is on the verge of collapse and he is about to be fired. Just when he thinks things can't get any worse, Felix misses an important flight and with it the one chance that he had to save it all. His life, as he knows it, is over. The following day, Felix learns that the plane crashed with no survivors. Listed as dead, he seizes the opportunity to start a new life. But first he decides to exorcise a few ghosts from his past. Discovering the secrets of his childhood will, he hopes, enable him to gain the closure that he needs in order to start his new life. However, as he journeys across a panic stricken London, Felix uncovers more than he expected. Much more. A whole new beginning awaits him. All he has to do now is survive the next forty eight hours.

What you waiting for - go buy a copy!

Tracker 29th July 2010

Could have been better!

Breakfast
ham salad sandwich 4pts

lunch
chips and curry sauce - small tray, 10pts maximum!

Tea
jamaician water biscuits, ww tuna tin in thousand island dressing (VILE!) and primula cheese - 5pts

Not much attention paid to my diet today as you can see - hey ho!

July 30th 2010 - facebook email

Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines. Robert Schuller

I will start …….

WHEN?

If you’ve been struggling the last few weeks or even months to get back on track then you need to think of your goal and ask yourself why haven’t you gone for this goal? What sort of excuses do you make to yourself so that you don’t have to take the first step to getting back to it? Are your excuses relevant? And if you are not going to go for your goal now, exactly when do you plan on getting back on track? Difficult questions? Then answer this one:

I will do it when……….

What are you waiting for? Start now to make your weight goal closer and you will feel so much happier about yourself.

This week we talked about the obstacles that stop us achieving our goal and losing weight, and there are loads, FOOD being the obvious one, it’s everywhere and we like it! So instead of focusing on the negatives and the reasons that its so difficult – focus on the positives. What are the benefits of losing weight other than weight loss, in what ways do you feel different, what do you notice about things you do in everyday life? Such as;

Feel Healthier
Do you have more energy?
Do you sleep better?
Do you get heartburn less?
Do you notice that your self-confidence is higher?
Do you like the feeling of being in control?

So many benefits, these were just a few!

Here are some Little things make a difference when you lose weight, that members have told me in the past;

It’s not always the scales that tell us we are a weight loss success

· Losing my back boobs!
· Being able to wrap a bath towel right round me….not having to use a great big bath sheet
· Getting my belly under the water when in the bath
· Not having sore thighs in the summer from them rubbing together.
· Being able to run upstairs, without being puffed.
· Catching a glimpse of myself in a shop window and noticing I actually look pretty normal sized now.
· Being able to fit into shoes better, you don’t realise that you have fat round your feet.
· I can cross my legs under the desk at work.
· I can put my legs up to my chest and get my arms around them (hugging them) I love to do it just because I can!!)
· I can RUN!!!! Yipeeeeee!!!!!!!
· When my son cuddled me and said I can touch my hands at the back now.
· Realising I still have bones. In the 6 years that I was hugely fat I had forgotten that underneath there was a good set of bones.
· My sleeves not looking like sausages with the skin about to burst.
· Not being self conscious about going out.
· Not having to wear heavy tights to hide all the bumps and lumps.

Can you think of anything to add……

So are you back on the Weight Loss wagon yet?

Remember Life Starts NOW!

Are you living yet :-)

Tracker 28th July 2010

Breakfast
melba toasts & cottage cheese 3pts, and delicious, I really like both, I'm not eating them because they're diet foods!

Lunch & Tea was chicken casserole - it's all gone now ;)

Snack WW cookie bar 1.5pt & WW barbecue snacks 1pt

29th July 2010

If in our daily lives we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. Thich Nhat Hanh

Well with a name like Thich Nhat Hanh, you’d have to smile wouldn’t you! I’m sticking with the happy theme again this week, because when you’re happy it’s easier to lose weight! So today’s happy tip is to become positively aware.

Pick up some happy-making positive energy by trying the following;
- Be on the lookout for anything of a positive nature such as a person’s smile as you walk along the street.
- Listen for uplifting words; what effect do they have on you and others around you.
- Watch people’s body language and look for those who walk tall with a spring in their step.
- Notice how some people can override a negative comment and ignore a potential put-down.
- Work on turning a negative into a positive, for example if its raining outside remind yourself a rainy day makes a sunny day all that much more enjoyable.

If you focus on the positive energy around you, your mood will lift higher and higher. It’s not a coincidence that I’m happier more often than I’m not, its something to do with all the positive books and the inspiring quotes I read.

Sometimes we get caught up in the moment, in the mood, in our thoughts and they can bring us down, for example yesterday when I arrived at my meeting, I’d not only forgotten all the member cards but the cash tins too! You can imagine it can’t you, I was cussing and letting my negative mind take over when all of a sudden my shop girl said, “happy, happy, happy remember” and I started to laugh realising in the scheme of things it really wasn’t important! So if we all have that thought whenever something goes wrong or we slip up with our weight loss efforts, the journey becomes so much easier.

Have a happy, happy, happy, day – remember ;-)

Remember Life Starts NOW!

Are you living yet :-)

Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards

Some people think tarot, angel and oracle cards are all a load of hocus pocus, but personally I think they're good thinking tools, when I use them they give me something to focus my thoughts and energy on. Whether they work as a divination tool - well only the user can decide that, they usually are spookily appropriate for the situation or question they are drawn for!

I drew one this morning for a friend and it was very accurate for her situation at the moment, however the thing I love about these cards is anyone that reads the following will be able to take something from it, either about a situation at the moment, a past one or one that's not yet happened! This is what the card said that I drew.

Kali
Endings & Beginnings

"The old must be released so that the new can enter"

Message from Kali: "I sing praises to those whose hearts accept the universal order, which only appears to be chaotic and ever-changing. In actuality, everything is designed down to the smallest detail, to be in perfect operation. The dance of the universe is a happy one, with energy swirling and twirling in a never-ending celebration of life itself. Join this dance, dear one, and enjoy the remarkable journey of the weavings of the story of your life. Do not fear what appears to be a change or a loss. It's only the transitioning orbit of energy interplaying with you and your loved ones. Embrace it as evidence that you're alive! Embrace your deepest emotions as a signal of your true human essence!"

Various meanings of this card: Your current changes are for the best. Keep your thoughts positive, as they're very powerful. What appears to be a loss is really the beginning of a happy new phase. let the past go. It's time to move on.

About Kali
(Pronounced KAL-ee): This ultra powerful Hindu goddess is feared by those who don't understand the natural cycles of birth, death, and rebirth. Kali is the embodiment of Mother Nature, who cleanses away the old with natural storms and fires to make the ground fertile with new crops and life. Kali is the ultimate get-things-done goddess, and she's a powerful ally to those who call upon her. Like a wise stage mother, she'll push you beyond your comfort zone to reach the heights of your potential.

Tracker 27th July 2010

Breakfast
egg (1.5) on toast (1.5) 3pts

lunch
Beef casserole 5pts

tea
chicken casserole 10pts

snack
Weight Watchers cookie bar 1.5pts

Loving the casseroles I made, still have a days worth for tomorrow - I never tire of casserole!

28th July 2010 - facebook email

It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived. Helen Walton

Change one thing at a time, whether it’s to lose weight or to improve your life! It’s so much easier to break things down into smaller bite sized chunks. So here’s your first one for today.

Change one thing about the way you begin your day!

Think about what could make it easier to get going on a positive note when you wake up in the morning. The mood you wake up with can decide your mood for the entire day so it’s really important to start well.

Here are a few suggestions;
- You might decide to hang up a notice to yourself with a message on or a smiley face so that you can smile as soon as you get up.
- Would you feel brighter in the morning if you knew lunch was prepared because you did it the night before?
- Set your alarm earlier so you can take your time getting ready.
- Have a set of positive affirmation cards, or angel cards and choose one each morning to make you feel positive.
- Think of or write down 3 things that you’re grateful for in your life, pick 3 different things each morning!
- Read a quote from my Happy book.

Think about it, what one thing could you do that you know will make a difference to your day.

If you’re day starts well, anything that happens throughout the day is easier to cope with!

Just imagine if your weight stayed the same on the scales this week because you said yes instead of no 7 times last week, just changing one of those yes’s to NO this week might be the difference that gets you a loss on those very same scales next week!

So go one start with that gratitude list, what 3 things in your life are you grateful for today, mine are;

1) My big expensive double mattress that has just made sure I had a wonderful nights sleep.
2) Alfie my dog who makes sure I wake up without the aid of an alarm clock, then goes back to sleep on moms bed!
3) My computer and Internet connection that means I can communicate with you everyday – how fantastic is that!

Don’t just close the email, make your list, and do it every morning!

Remember Life Starts NOW!

Are you living yet :-)

Things to learn from dogs

I recently read a story about a greyhound that was rescued from a race track. On her 100th race, her hind leg fractured from the run but her handler continued to race her – perhaps knowing that she would finish last and thus betting on the other dogs. 17 races later, the fractured leg shattered and the poor girl collapsed on the track.

Luckily a greyhound rescue organization had a foster home for her and a volunteer veterinarian to rehabilitate her. Once she recovered she was found a new home. The most impressive thing about the story was that she didn’t hold her past experiences against the life she now lives. Despite being beaten, caged 23 hours a day and abused, she is still the most gentle, loving dog that you could ever meet. When you compare this to people you know that require years of therapy for much less traumatic experiences. Medication. Doctors. Baggage. But not with this brave and very loving dog, we can all learn a lot from her, her heart – and her capacity to forgive, move on and love – is truly one of my life’s greatest treasures.

27th July 2010 - todays facebook email

Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

An educational email this morning! Making those brain cells work ;)

I have a friend who’s very clever and uses big words I sometimes don’t understand ;-! But she always challenges me and makes me think about things. We were chatting at the weekend about the whole ‘choices’ thing and how it’s not as clear cut, and black and white as you have the power to choose in all situations. Of course she was right its not that cut and dry and there has been lots and lots of research on the subject. All the choices we make aren’t conscious ones; some are subconsciously or unconsciously made which totally confuses everything. Anyway this conversation reminded me of the ‘stages of change’ model, which is something I’ve read about in the past, so I thought I’d share it with you as these emails are mainly about diet, however this model can be used for any part of your life where you’d like to change.

The Stages of Change Model was originally developed in the late 1970’s and has been applied to a broad range of behaviors including weight loss. The idea behind it is that behavior change does not happen in one step. Rather, people tend to progress through different stages on their way to successful change. Also, each of us progresses through the stages at our own rate.

Stages of Change
There are five stages of change in the model; these are precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. Precontemplation is the stage at which there is no intention to change behavior in the foreseeable future. Many individuals in this stage are unaware or underaware of their problems. Contemplation is the stage in which people are aware that a problem exists and are seriously thinking about overcoming it but have not yet made a commitment to take action. Preparation is a stage that combines intention and behavioral criteria. Individuals in this stage are intending to take action in the next month and have unsuccessfully taken action in the past year. Action is the stage in which individuals modify their behavior, experiences, or environment in order to overcome their problems. Action involves the most overt behavioral changes and requires considerable commitment of time and energy. Maintenance is the stage in which people work to prevent relapse and consolidate the gains attained during action. This stage can extend from six months to an indeterminate period past the initial action.

So the good news is hopefully if you’re attending my meetings on a weekly basis you’re already at the ‘action’ stage, which means any choices you make regarding your diet are consciously made because you have already made that decision to lose weight. They may not be easy choices and you may make the wrong choice for any number of reasons, personally, here I find the thing that helps most is you don’t give yourself a hard time over any of it! By being gentle, forgiving and loving yourself you’re much more likely to succeed than thinking negative thoughts about yourself.

Some of you may still be in the ‘contemplation’ stage and that’s just fine, when you’re ready, you know where I am, hopefully the rest of you are at the ‘maintenance’ stage which is fabulous, congratulations and remember the hard works not over - my ‘maintenance’ stage started 6 years ago and I still have relapses!

We sometimes view ‘relapse’ as failure and that feeling of failure may cause us to give up! Because I have relapsed many times since starting my very first diet when I was 18, I prefer to see relapse as taking one step backwards but then taking two steps forward, we learn from trial and error. I think dieting relapses are almost inevitable and become part of the process of working toward life-long change, once we accept this concept, we don’t tend to beat ourselves up so much for what we consider ‘failure’. Every time we relapse we have learned something new about ourselves and about the process of changing behavior.

So I believe life is a journey not a destination; it’s a continual process so make sure you’re treating yourself well along the way.

Have a great day and I hope that hasn’t taxed your brain too much for this time in the morning!

Remember Life Starts NOW!

Are you living yet :-)

Different meals list

a couple of years ago I decided to go as long as I could without repeating the same meal, and I managed over 100, I found the list the other day, so here it is - it might give you some ideas, or at least show you that variety is possible, even when you're losing weight.

1. Blackberry Smoothie made with Greek yogurt & skimmed milk (2pts)
2. Vegetable curry (1pt)
3. Herby beef meatballs made with British beef in a Shiraz & slow roasted onion gravy Sainsbury's Taste the difference (10pts)
4. 2 dry fried eggs on 2 crumpets (4.5)
5. Weight Watchers coronation tuna, cheese triangle & jacket potato (4)
6. Indian restaurant tandoori mixed grill main (5.5)
7. 2 apples (1pt)
8. Roast chicken leg, butternut squash, roast carrots & potatoes, peas & gravy (8.5pts)
9. Pack Ryvita Sweet Chilli Bites, cottage cheese & beetroot (3pts)
10. 2 farley's rusk with milk (2pts)
11. Chinese chicken & couscous with diced carrots & peppers (4.5)
12. Chicken & mushroom pie topped with mash potato, butternut squash and carrots (5.5pts)
13. Cantaloupe melon (2)
14. Roast Lamb, jacket potato carrots, peas, gravy (11)
15. Sushi rolls (8.5)
16. 2 shredded wheat with skimmed milk (2.5)
17. Spinach & 3 cheese parcel (Cranks from Waitrose!) with stir fried veg (cabbage/carrot/courgette/mushroom/onion/garlic/soy sauce/Italian stock cube) 5pts
18. Roasted vegetable & basil crispbake (Cauldron) 4pts & mixed salad leaves
19. Mango/peach yogurt/skimmed milk smoothie
20. Pizza Nanns (2 Weight Watcher nann breads topped with tomato puree/cheese slice/ham/pepper served with salad leaves & beetroot
21. Tuna with lemon mayonnaise, water biscuits & salad leaves
22. 2 Weetabix with hot water and 10g sultanas
23. Spicy red pepper & tomato tortelloni /sprouts/peas
24. Lambs liver & onions, jacket potato, mushy peas & gravy - Too big a portion!
25. Buffalo pie, butternut squash, peas & chips
26. Croissants, bacon, sausage & scrambled eggs (too many points)
27. Broccoli and stilton soup with garlic bread
28. Pepperoni Pizza
29. Big Mac & Fries
30. Roast Buffalo, acorn squash, roast carrots/potatoes/parsnips, Yorkshire pudding, peas, red wine gravy
31. Chicken Leg
32. Noodles, chicken, baby corn & cauliflower with soy sauce (yuk, in a rush)
33. 3 kiwi fruits (you can have 3 for a point) & a WW yogurt
34. WW Potato & Leek soup with added chicken & a green pepper
35. Sardines in tomato sauce (3.5) 8 Carrs water biscuits (2.5) with soft cheese & black pepper (½), 185g bag of salad leaves, sweetcorn (½).
36. Red papaya, kiwi, mandarin orange segments, 1 weetabix (crushed) ww raspberry yogurt
37. 2 smoked cod fishcakes (Ocean Pure from Morrisons - delicious 3pts each but if you eat both 6.5), carrots, courgettes baby corns, leeks, pepper in mushroom soup sauce
38. Weight Watchers Lasagne & carrots, courgettes, baby corns, leeks, pepper
39. 20g bitesize shreddies, kiwi, papaya, mandarin segments, Shape yogurt
40. Weight Watchers Sweet & Sour meal with sweetcorn
41. Mashed potato, curried beans with sultanas
42. Apple & Sharon fruit
43. Prawns (1.5) & Bellota sliced meats (Sainsbury's taste the difference) (7.5), parma ham (2) soft blue cheese (3) & salad leaves,
44. Cauliflower in broccoli & stilton sauce
45. Slice of toast & low fat spread
46. 2 lamb chops (6), mashed swede & potato (2), peas(.5), carrots, roast pepper & courgette, gravy (1)
47. Parma Ham, Olives, 2 Finns crispbreads, salad leaves & cucumber
48. tropical fruit salad & ww peach fromage frais
49. Wild Mushroom Soup (with added extra mushrooms) & garlic bread
50. Leftover bubble & squeak (mash potato&swede, carrots, peas, courgette, pepper & soft cheese, tomato ketchup - delicious
51. Toast & creamed mushrooms using Sainsbury's low fat soft cheese with black pepper
52. 5 Birds Eye Fish fingers (4.5) 2 dry fried eggs (2.5) stir fried veg (mushrooms, courgette, onion, garlic) & green beans
53. Chive & Cheddar Cheese on Toast with a spoon of curried baked beans
54. 2 sharon fruit, 2 kiwi, 2 ww yogurts (1 strawberry, 1 raspberry)
55. Sardines in tomato sauce (3) tangy tomato couscous (3) roasted squash/pepper/courgette
56. Crackers, cheese and chive cottage cheese & lobster
57. Pineapple cottage cheese & finns rye crispbread
58. Chicken curry (sainsburys cheap curry sauce with chicken thigh & an onion) & rice
59. Ryvita minis with sweet chili, Strawberries & yogurt
60. Mango Slices
61. Smoked Mackeral 8.5pt! Balsamic roasted vegetable couscous
(Sainsbury's taste the difference) 5.5pts
62. Strong Cheddar on Finn Biscuits
63. 2 pears & small piece pecan pie
64. Spam (2), Mediterranean tomato couscous (2), bread (2), parsnip crisps (2) Cheese (2), lettuce
65. 2 sausage (5.5!), 2 bread (4), cheese (2.5)
66. Smoked Bacon medallions, tinned tomatoes, mushrooms
67. fish & chips (half portion)
68. Bread & tinned tomatoes
69. 1/2 scotch egg & mince pie (Not a recommended diet combination!)
70. Brocolli & cauliflower cheese (5), roast parsnips (2.5), onion and leeks
71. Tofu stir fry (mushrooms, tomatoes, onion & garlic)
72. Apple & yogurt
73. Chicken Hot Mot (Morrisons)
74. Sea Bass with caramelised orange & ginger butter (7), potato wedges (2), leeks & mushrooms
75. Papaya & raspberry yogurt
76. prawns & pasta in a Dolmio tomato & red pepper sauce with baby carrots, mushroom, and leek
77. Bisto country vegetable chicken casserole with added potatos, onions and baby carrots
78. Tinned fruit (pears, pineapple, peach, strawberrys, mandarin oranges) & shape yogurt & a fresh pear
79. Alaskan Salmon poached in skimmed milk with frozen peas/carrots/cabbage -added tablespoon of wholegrain mustard, garlic paste & teaspoon of cornflour to thicken into a sauce at the end - bloomin delicious
80. Lemon & basil Chicken with roasted Mediterranean vegetables braised puy lentils & potatoes (Sainsbury's super naturals) (6pts) tasty
81. Tinned fruit (pears, pineapple, peach, strawberrys, mandarin oranges) & ww peach yogurt and a farleys rusk!
82. Piri Piri marinated chicken & basmati rice with chargrilled red pepper & caramelised onion (Sainsbury's super naturals)
83. Tin Minestrone Soup
84. Beef Hot Pot - home made & delicious
85. Boiled egg & soda bread
86. Pastrami, eggs & salad cream
87. 4 triangle sandwiches & chips
88. Beans on toast & tinned tomatoes with cheese triangle
89. Spam fritter (4pts tastes nice but very bad for you I would think!)
90. Jacket Potato with Margarine, chicken goujons, beans
91. Dry Fried Egg sandwich
92. Aberdeen Angus Beef, Yorkshire Pudding, parsnips, peas, carrots, mashed potato, sprouts, gravy
93. Oatso Simple with golden syrup
94. Chicken & Mushroom Tikka Masala (using WW sauce)
95. Oatso simple with blueberry and apple
96. Flame-grilled chicken with red wine sauce, herby new potatoes, green beans & cherry tomatoes (Champneys from Sainsbury's cool counter)
97. Home made shepherds pie with taco seasoning, mushrooms, peas, leeks
98. Krackawheat & Philadelphia light
99. 1 weetabix and mixed tinned fruit
100. WW Ocean Pie and lots of frozen veg
101. butternut squash stuffed with taco lamb mince
102. 6 Krackawheat & philadelphia light
103. Kentucky Fried Chicken 3 drumsticks (10.5) 1 corn (4) 2 fries (8) chicken bites with mexican sauce on (4)
104. 2 Kentucky Chicken Thighs (9) Corn (4) Salad (lettuce, cherry toms, cucumber)
105. Tesco light choices forest fruit & raisin fruit bar (1.5) & Weight Watcher Fromais Frais (0.5)
106. Ham Salad (lettuce, cherry tomatos, cucumber, red pepper) (2pts)
107. Tin of Meatballs (6.5), mashed potato (2.5), peas (0.5)
108. 2 dry farleys rusk & a tesco fruit bar (3.5)
109. barbecue mince & mash
110. Meal out - Pate (2) with 4 quarters of toast (1) (no crusts), Mushroom Suet Pudding (8), few carrots & sprouts in butter (3), 2x roast potato (4)
111. 2 Raspberry rusks in milk (3.5)
112. Asda Chicken and Mushroom snackpot (5)
113. Barbecue Pork and lots of veg (baby corns/cabbage/peas/leek)
114. 2 boiled eggs on rye thin crispbread
115. barbecue pork, rice, beans & baby corn, crispbread, ham & mayo, cherry tomatoes
116. 30g puffed wheat & a banana
117. Sainsbury's Tinned Chicken Stew (very tasty, cheap and filling for the points!)
118. Chinese takeaway - Chicken Chow Mein (7.5), 2 spring rolls (10)
119. 30g porridge & blueberry compote (mixed with milk from allowance)
120. Sainsbury's Tinned Beef Stew & tomato ketchup
121. 2 eggs, beans, 2 small slices bread, cheese triangle
122. dry fried egg & beans on a crust of bread
123. Wholemeal spaghetti and sausages on Jacket potato with beetroot
124. Mixed meat kebab in pitta with lots of salad (dog ate half!)
125. 5 clementines & Veg sushi 4 small pieces
126. Apple, grapes, banana, Latte & a chocolate piece & Special k bar forest fruit
127. Jacket potato, cauliflower cheese & sprouts
128. Dried apricots, strawberry yogurt, Crust toasted & jam
129. Spinach, potato, peas & coriander Soup & salad
130. 2 slices quiche, chips & salad
131. 2 toast marmite & blackberry jam, Yogurt, 4 dried apricots
132. Panini avocado, Brie & cranberry jam, Salad & olives, 1 qourn scotch egg
133. Salad with ww thousand island tuna
Lettuce, tomato, spinach & rocket, cucumber, beetroot & carrot
134. Oatso Simple with golden syrup and apple, blackberry compote & 1 clementine
135. chick pea dhal with chicken, onion, carrot & cucumber added
136. Banana on 4 rye crispbread with fruit compote, 4 clementines, yogurt
137. 30g dried porridge oats, raspberry yogurt, 2 clementines
138. Tesco Chicken Kiev & large salad (cherry tomatoes, lettuce, rocket, spinach, cucumber)

Tracker Monday 26th July 2010

Haven't tracked all weekend, had a lot going on and as I often say, sometimes life gets in the way and our priorities change and that's what happened for me this weekend.

So back and focused this morning and started my day with;
2 slices Warbutons white bread (from a 400g loaf) 1.5pts
15g smooth peanut butter 1.5pts
thin scrap raspberry jam 1/2pt

Delicious, just what I fancied and a reasonable amount to spend on a breakfast 3.5pts

So now it's 1pm and I've just put not one casserole in the oven but two, one chicken and one beef, they won't be ready till teatime, but as I know I'll be eating healthy then I've just indulged in a crisp sandwich for my lunch for 4.5pts worth every bit. ;-)

Tea beef casserole made from;

8pts of beef
4pts of potato
onions
carrots
and oxo cubes with water

delicious and will do more than one meal.

26th July 2010 facebook email

Frame every so-called disaster with these words ''In five years, will this matter?"

Well I enjoyed my walk up the Wrekin at 7am yesterday morning and it meant my exercise was done and I was home by 9am with a whole day ahead of me.

Monday already, that weekend flew by didn’t it? However it went for you, let’s all start afresh today, beginning of a new week, a new diet, heck why not a new life. Today can be the start of anything you want it to be ‘-)

I don’t know about you lot but I miss my junk food and takeaways sometimes, pizza and stuff! Now I know that we can still have them as long as we’ve saved for them but what about having them and not needing to save points. Here for example is a recipe for chicken dippers, which can cost quite a few points when bought ready-made;

Chicken Fingers with Barbecue Sauce

POINTS: 3
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 12 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

they're just as tasty as takeaway versions and the kids will love 'em too!

2 level tablespoons mustard
2 tablespoons buttermilk
60 g dried breadcrumbs
450 g chicken breast, uncooked, skinless, boneless, cut into 12 equal strips
6 tablespoon barbecue sauce, hickory-flavored preferred

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 8/230ºC/450ºF. Place a large baking sheet in the oven to preheat.

In a shallow dish, whisk together mustard and buttermilk. Place bread crumbs in a separate dish. Add chicken to mustard mixture; turn to coat. Transfer chicken to bread crumbs and turn to coat.

Remove the hot baking sheet from oven and coat with cooking spray. Place chicken on baking sheet and bake 6 minutes; flip and bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 6 minutes more.

Serve chicken fingers with barbecue sauce on the side.


Then there’s pizza, I love pizza and the Weight Watchers Pizza and Pasta cookbook which is now half price has some great recipes in it, but here’s one I’ve had off their website which is available to monthly pass holders.

Pizza with Mega Topping

POINTS: 2.5
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 25 min
Cooking Time: 12 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Love pizza? Then you’ll adore this one with its delicious topping.

50 g Pasta Gusto Sun Dried Tomato, (1¾ oz)
1 portion 9 inch thin & crispy pizza base, (1 x 20cm)
2 tablespoon tomato puree
150 g Pepper, red, or use bottled roasted peppers, packed in brine, drained
150 g artichoke hearts, (5½ oz), (canned in brine), drained
2 teaspoon oregano, dried
25 g feta cheese, (1 oz)
1/8 teaspoon pepper, black, Freshly ground

Pour boiling water over the sun dried tomatoes to cover them. Leave to soak for at least 20 minutes, then drain and slice them.

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 6/200°C/fan oven 180°C/400°F.

Spread the tomato puree over the pizza base, then top with the peppers, artichokes and sun dried tomatoes. Sprinkle with oregano, then crumble the feta cheese over the top. Season with black pepper.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cooked and golden.

Notes - Add chunks of roast chicken to the topping, if you like.


Remember Life Starts NOW!

Are you living yet :-)

25th July 2010 facebook email

25th July 2010

Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special. Don't wait for old age to wear purple - be eccentric now.

The focus of this weekend for me is forget about food, find something else to occupy your mind.

We had a lovely time yesterday, went for a drive, couldn’t decide where to go so everytime I got to the end of a road, I said “left or right mom” and she picked we ended up at an Buildwas Abbey, followed by Wenlock Priory, which were both lovely to look round and stretch our legs. If we’re honest, we were on the search a nice little tea room or coffee shop with a garden and a lovely view to sit and watch the world go by, but we couldn’t find one! So if you know of any let me know for future drives out.

It’s 5.15am and I’m just gonna give Alfie a quick whizz round the block then I’m jumping in my car to meet my brother to have an early morning walk up the Wrekin! Going early means we’ll still have a full day left to do stuff after our walk – good eh.

Fancy trying something different for Sunday lunch today. What about Garlicky Stuffed Chicken Breasts.

Serves 2, 5pts each

Preheat oven gas mark 6 farn ove 180oC
Combine 40g low fat soft cheese
1 garlic clove, crushed
handful basil leaves, chopped
season with black pepper

Place 2 x 125g skinless chicken breasts between two sheets of clingfilm and bash with a rolling pin to flatten slightly.

Cut a slit in each breast to make a pocket. Spoon the soft cheese mixture into each pocket.

Place 1 chicken breast, slit-side-down, on 2 slices Parma ham and roll the ham round the chicken tightly. Repeat with other chicken breast.

Mist a baking try with low fat cooking spray. Place the chicken on the baking tray and bake for 25 minutes. Meanwhile boil 250g new potatoes for 15 minutes, adding 175g green beans, trimmed for last 3 minutes of boiling.

Drain, arrange on 2 plates with the chicken and serve.

Alternative instead of soft cheese try blue cheese for a truly tasty yumminess, more points though.

Remember Life Starts NOW!

Are you living yet :-)

July 24th facebook email

If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift!

What a beautiful morning and Alfie is all well again so we’ve been out for a lovely walk because he’s having his fur cut this morning! I had a day of total relaxation yesterday and it was lovely, didn’t really pay attention to my diet, after I’d had my massage I bought and cooked a chicken and we all picked at that throughout the day! I did save a bee though, he was exhausted on the drive so I gave him a spoonful of honey and he ate some and flew off – how cool!

So the six weeks holiday has now started and some of you will be going on holiday, today maybe! Enjoy them, whether you plan to stick to your diet or not, I’ll be here when you get back to help you get back on track. Please don’t disappear for the whole 6 weeks though! Even if you can’t stay to the meeting, you can still pop in to get weighed and have a chat.

Whilst on holiday a good mindset to have is to remind yourself you have a choice whenever you think about eating. Tell yourself, “I can eat this”, or “This is my choice”, whenever you eat anything. It’s especially important to do this if you planning to overeat in a compulsive way because “I’m on my holiday” and you are maybe feeling a little out of control. It’s always good to remind yourself you have a choice, you can continue overeating or you can choose not to go crazy just because you’re away.

When you’re in a restaurant remind yourself that you can eat anything you want and as much as you want. And that you can return the next day and eat even more! Then, choose what really works for you, remembering the consequences of your different choices.

Yes remember to remind yourself of the consequences included in the choices you are making. For example, “I’m choosing to eat this tub of ice cream and feel nauseous and guilty afterwards.” You are free to eat anything and everything – but you don’t have a choice about what the consequence will be. Ignorance isn’t bliss – it catches up on you later doesn’t it!

If you do feel deprived whenever you don’t eat something you fancy, it’s because your not acknowledging or remembering your motivation for losing weight, so think about that right now.

What’s My Motivation?

Think about it; ask yourself, “Why don’t I eat some more cake?” Or “Why am I eating an apple for my snack instead of a chocolate bar”. We always have reasons for the things we do, but often we lose sight of what they are.

So remember what your motivation is, try and make it something other than “I wanna be thinner”!

Can you think of anything you like about eating less, besides weight loss? Make the effort to notice how your life is better when you eat in healthier ways.

Do you have more energy?
Do you feel healthier, have less coughs and colds?
Do you sleep better?
Do you get heartburn less?
Do you notice that your self confidence is higher?
Do you like the feeling of being in control?

Thinking about these questions might help you cope when temptation looms, always remember you have a choice, you can say yes or no when faced with eating something!

Finish this sentence;
I want to eat less because……

This is your motivation!


Remember Life Starts NOW!

Are you living yet :-)

23rd July Facebook email

A jug fills drop by drop. Buddha

I had a lovely day yesterday, great vibe in the meetings, to be honest I have a lovely day everyday at work, these days I never do any work, it’s all fun!

So it’s 3.30am and I’ve been up an hour, poor little Alfies not well, he’s got a poorly stomach – something he ate I think! So at least I can get all my Friday work done early, then I’ve got a massage booked and after that I’m going to go back to bed and have an afternoon snooze – may even stay there till Saturday! Been a while since I did that ;-)

Well I’m really and truly impressed at people’s generosity, yesterday Amanda (Thursday morning meeting) raised £250 for the Stroke Association and now she’s over half way towards her sponsorship total. If you want to sponsor her you can do by clicking here http://www.justgiving.com/amandasmith-wilcox or you could by one of my happy books in the meeting next week, minimum donation 50p, we raised £30 yesterday selling those, so thank you everyone.

Silly (real name Gilly from Wednesday’s meeting) bought me in a recipe swap to share with you all, her original recipe for Spaghetti Bolognaise was 11pts, so here is her swap which works out at 3½pts;

100g Quorn mince 1½pts
40g dry pasta 2pts
30g Sainsbury’s tomato puree (a small double concentrate tin 142g) 0pts
water to thin puree
Onion, mushrooms, celery, garlic, courgettes and hers. 0pts

I’m assuming, as there was no instructions, that you cook the vegetables, add the garlic and mince then add the tomato puree. Cook through and enjoy.

We had some great meal/menu ideas this week in the meeting with our come dine with me theme, lots of ideas for me for my challenge in November ;-) and a lot of ideas of meals I shall be cooking from my Weight Watcher cook books over the next few weeks.

So today is the last day of term for a lot of kids, here’s to sticking to your diet over the six weeks holidays – you can do it, and you can bring the monsters to my meetings ;-)

Remember Life Starts NOW!

Are you living yet :-)

22nd July 2010 facebook email

Happiness isn't an outside job; it's an inside job.

Sticking with the happy theme! I’m a bit of a book flicker; I buy them, flick through them and put them on a shelf to gather dust till the next time I pick one up.

Yesterday I noticed one staring at me from my shelf called “The 12 Secrets of Health and Happiness” by Louise Samways, and I picked it up thinking, mmm I wander what they are, as I hadn’t got time to sit and read the entire book, you guessed it, I flicked and here are what she believes them to be;

Secrets of Happy People

The 1st Secret – Happy people are optimists.
The 2nd Secret – Happy people like themselves.
The 3rd Secret – Happy people have a sense of personal control.
The 4th Secret – Happy people enjoy the doing.
The 5th Secret – Happy people like people.

Secrets of Healthy People

The 6th Secret – Healthy people like themselves enough to have a healthy lifestyle.
The 7th Secret – Healthy people are socially connected.
The 8th Secret – Healthy people are flexible.
The 9th Secret – Healthy people feel they have an important role in life.
The 10th Secret – Healthy people feel part of something bigger than themselves.

Secrets of Peace of Mind and Contentment

The 11th Secret: Matching perceptions to beliefs.
The12th Secret: Adjusting your focus.

I might go back and read this book because some of those secrets seem interesting. It’s easy to say, “I can’t help it”, whether we’re talking about feelings or actions, but we can. I know that eating makes me gain weight and I also know I love food and I take medication that gives me an insatiable appetite, in the past I’ve overeaten and said, “I can’t help it, it’s just who I am”, guess what, it isn’t, it was who I was choosing to be at that time, and sometimes even now it’s who I still choose to be! But it’s always a choice, whether a conscious one or not. Just as my medication might make me feel hungry, it doesn’t mean I have to give into that hunger! And if I do, carrots and soup fill you up just as well as crisps and biscuits.

Remember happiness is less a matter of getting what you want, than wanting what you have! If you’re life’s complicated, only you can simplify it. If you have problems, only you can solve them. The great thing is each and every one of us is phenomenal and has the power to do anything we put our mind to – isn’t that amazing to realise!

The 6th Secret is interesting isn’t it! Healthy people like themselves enough to have a healthy lifestyle. Mmm, if like me your instant reaction was defensive then there’s some truth in that statement ;-) So it hit a nerve with me, has it with you? This is a paragraph from the book;

“Healthy eating is easier if you like yourself enough to want to take good care of yourself. If in the past you have had trouble eating well most of the time, have a good think about your answers the following questions:
- What is preventing me from eating well?
- What would need to happen or change for me to be eating healthier food?

So definitely some food for thought for me there, what about you?

Remember Life Starts NOW!

Are you living yet :-)

Tracker 21st July 2010

Skimmed milk in drinks 2pts

Breakfast
2 slices toast 2.5pt
cheese triangle 0.5pt
spoon baked beans 1pt


Lunch
Buttered green vegetables 1.5pts
baby potatoes with sundried tomato dressing 1.5pts
duck fillets with oranges sauce 2.5pts
baby corns

Delicious!

Tea
Cottage cheese with Pineapple 2pts
Weight Watcher Crackers 1pt
Jar Asparagus
Snack Ritz & light philidelphia snack pot 2.5pts

snacks
Weight Watchers bar 2pts
drumstick lollipop 1pt


Total 20pts
earnt on pedometer = 5pts

july 21st facebook email

For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life." Alfred D. Souza

How true is that quote! How many of you are waiting till you’ve lost your weight, till the kids have left home, till the mortgage is paid?

Stop waiting – start living! This week in the meeting we’re talking about how to still socialize, entertain and stick to the plan, I’m amazed and delighted at some of the ideas and menus you’re all coming up with and wished I was actually coming round to eat them!

And I’m going to make a conscious effort to cook more over the next few weeks, because after all I really enjoy eating good food! Yesterday I had some McCain Rustic Oven Chips Skins-on which when weighed frozen, prior to cooking they are only 1.5pts per 100g that’s really low! And they were tasty.

Today I’m cooking duck, I shall let you know how that turns out ;) and then this weekend I’m going to trawl through my cook books and look for some tasty dishes to cook, I’ve already found a few in this months magazine mmm.

Someone commented on my facebook status this morning “you are so lucky Bev that you always seem to be happy”, my response was “5% luck, 95% continual hard work & self development”. Firstly and most importantly, I’m not always happy, but when I’m not I acknowledge the feeling and have a conversation with myself (not out loud ;-) you never know who’s listening!) I either try to ascertain why I’m not happy and if there’s anything I can do to change that, or if its just ‘one of those days’ you know the ones, you don’t know what’s the matter with you, you just don’t feel like smiling, well on those days, I just say to myself, “Okay so today’s going to be one of those days, it’ll be gone soon enough, just go with it.” I don’t resist my feelings; I acknowledge them, accept them and work through them.

Apologies if that’s a bit deep for a Wednesday morning but hey ho, it’s stopped you thinking about food for a couple of minutes hasn’t it!

So today have the best day possible you can, as someone else commented on the same facebook status yesterday, “I'm happy that I don't have a reason to be unhappy ;-) lol xx”
I love that response, don’t you!


Remember Life Starts NOW!

Are you living yet :-)

Letter of Complaint from 2007 ;-)

Dug this letter out of my memory box this week, made me smile ;-)

2007

To whom it may concern.

My name is Andrea, and I attend the Tuesday morning Weight Watchers meeting at Wesley Church, Short Heath.

I would like to make a complaint about my Weight Watcher leader. Before I tell you here name, I wouldn’t be surprised if you can guess whom I am complaining about, perhaps you may have received other letters of a similar nature.

As I have already told you, I have been at Weight Watchers for a year, which is HER fault.

I have been to other slimming clubs, including Weight Watchers in my 39 years, and have never had the trouble I have had with this leader!

For some unknown reason, she seems to make me want (want I tell you) to go to each meeting every week. She is forcing me to lose weight with her mind changing tactics - well I won’t have it! (I’ve been brain washed.)

Up until now she has forced me to loose 75lbs, I can’t seem to shake her off. If she isn’t texting me, she insists on me listening to some positive affirmations. She has little notes pushed through my door (normally when I am trying to have a cake with my coffee) the woman is trouble!

I thought it best that I write, she is VERY infectious, full of life and trouble (trouble, I tell you) her name…. Beverley Longsden

I’ll carry on going to these classes, to see if you can do something about her.

If she goes on much longer, I’m frightened that I may reach my goal, feel better, look fab, and then, I may have to carry on going to Weight Watchers because she may have infected me!

She also has a great team around her, who weighs in, cash up and run shop, they too are pains, asking how you’ve done, and encouraging people. PLEASE!

I’m really sorry I had to bother you with this complaint; I just hope I don’t have to take it any further.

Yours slimmer than ever

Andrea.

Tuesday 20th July Tracker

After my morning walk with Alfie, in which we take a very long time to go nowhere, I had a delicious breakfast.

Skimmeed milk for drinks = 2pt

Breakfast
2 slices brown toast 2.5pts, 3 slices turkey rashers 1.5pts, leftover tinned tomato & lettuce, so in theory a BLT toastie, very nice start to the day for 4pts

Lunch
Tesco finest Salmon, spinach and lemon fishcakes 3pts
McCains Rustic Oven Chips 3.5pts = these are 1.5pts per 100g which is really good for chips!
mixed vegetables 0pts

Dinner
1 slice toast 1.5pts
1 boiled egg 1.5pts
tablespoon beans 1pt

snack
melba toasts & low fat cottage cheese 2.5pt

total so far today; 19pts

points earned on pedometer = 5pts

July 20th 2010 - facebook email

If you can’t accept losing, you can’t win. Vince Lombardi

Well I gained 2lb yesterday, I’m not surprised I’ve been eating like there’s no tomorrow, but I got back on track yesterday morning and have decided to have a booze free week to help me get back on track. I even went for a 50 minute walk yesterday without the dog as it was too warm for him, so I earnt an extra 2pts, which meant I earnt a total of 8.5pts on my pedometer yesterday!

My members lost 131lb yesterday, so they obviously had a great week!

I’m not stressing over my weight, it will come off when its ready, I’m in a very calm, happy place right now and living by the motto, “Life just is – so go with the flow”. I listen to my body more these days, if I get up at the weekend and don’t feel like doing anything – I don’t, if I don’t feel like cooking – I don’t, I have a ready meal, and I’ve found that the balance is restoring, by listening to what’s going on inside, I’m giving myself time to respond. And because I let my body relax this weekend, it wanted to be more active yesterday ;-)

I was talking to a member yesterday who’s having a rough time, she’s going through a divorce and it’s not pleasant as you can imagine, and it is causing her all sorts of frustration and anger and instead of facing those feelings - she’s eating. She doesn’t want to still be married, but nonetheless has lots of emotions going on inside. Unfortunately as with any situation similar to this, if you keep feeding it then you’ll never process those feelings. I suggested she go home and instead of eating junk food which was actually making her feel worse, that she write a letter to her ex saying all the things she was thinking, really go to town. I then told her to get a match and burn that letter, it doesn’t have to be sent, but at least she’s got those thoughts out of her head, she’s acknowledged them instead of seething over them whilst gaining weight! If you’ve got a problem or next time you have, try it – its very therapeutic. I’ve wrote a couple in my time ;-) oooo they really help!

Instead of ignoring how you feel, listen to your thoughts, question yourself when you head for the kitchen, ask yourself why you’re there! Then try and be truthful with your answer, and don’t just reply, “Because I fancy it”, that’s sometimes the answer but more often that not, there’s an emotional reason you’ve got that’s making you want to get something else when you’ve already eaten.

So here you go with another habit changing tip;

Face Obstacles Rather than Sidestep Them –
You will most likely meet challenges along the way to acquiring your new habit. If events occur that get in the way of you accomplishing your goal, rather than complaining or trying to sidestep them see them as perfect opportunities to focus your attention more strongly in the right direction.

Remember Life Starts NOW!

Are you living yet :-)

Tracker 19th July 2010

Well as expected I gained two pound! No surprise there, I've overeaten this week but it's ok as I'm going to put it right this week ;-)

1pt skimmed milk for cups of tea & cereal = 2pts

Breakfast
20g puffed wheat = 1pt

Lunch
2 stuffed mushrooms (philidelia light, red & yellow peppers, spring onions), bit of leftover salmon and frozen mixed vegetables = 6pts

Went for a 50m walk on afternoon, Alfie was too warm to go so I went on my own, so was able to go at a reasonable pace, so added any extra 2 activity points to my day.

Dinner
Packet of Turkey rashers 2.5
1 slice brown toast 1.5
Egg fried in WW Oil Spray 2
Tomatoes 0

Snack
Cottage cheese & melba toasts 3pt

Total = 18pts

Plus earnt a total of 8.5pts on my pedometer!

19th July 2010 facebook email

A diet is the penalty for exceeding the feed limit! Unknown
Monday morning yet again, and yet another wonderful weekend gone by, and now planning ahead for the week and next weekend ;-)

Had salmon yesterday it was delicious, just mixed some honey with cool mustard and poured on top then cooked it in the oven for 30 minutes, we had it with stuffed mushrooms and it was delicious. I’ve struggled this week with being hungry, not real physical hunger just “I want to eat the world” feelings so this week I’m going to make an effort to cook everyday, starting today with …., mmm not sure now what to cook, might have a look through the Weight Watcher cook books find comething new.

Maybe I’ll get some inspiration from my meetings, we’re doing a come dine with me theme this week, so who knows what might come out of that.

Well I got lots to do so here’s today’s habit changing tip;
Practice, Practice, Practice - No new habit comes without hard work. If you fall back into your old ways, don’t condemn yourself and don’t give up. Like everything else, the more you practice your new behavior, the more expert you will become at doing it. Practice consistently and soon it will become second nature.

Remember Life Starts NOW!

Are you living yet :-)

Tracker 18th July 2010

Started my day with a lie in, followed by some work on my book, then me and Alfie went for a walk.

I let Alfie lead the way, so we were out a good while, but we didn't get far! We walked through the long grass when there were perfectly good paths he ignored! By doing this though, we forgot where we were, and where we were supposed to be going and noticed the tiny frogs no bigger than my finger nail making their way across the grass, we also spotted a dead creature, a little mouse or similar, poor thing. Today's walk made me realise there is more than one way to get where you're going and more than one way to get what you want! We still got our exercise and ended up back at the car but we didn't walk round the lakes looking at the same view as we always do, we viewed it from the other side.

Breakfast was delicious, I made a four egg omelette and added 3 extra egg whites, me and mom shared it and had 1 slice of toast with a bit of spread. Total = 4.5pts

I cooked salmon in honey and mustard and served with stuffed mushrooms for our main meal which was delicious and the rest of the day isn't even worth writing about!

Tracker 17th July 2010

I had a lovely day yesterday, didn't much bother with breakfast, just grabbed a small chunk of gammon ham as I was making a cup of tea.

I had an early appointment at the Chi Rooms for my what is at the moment a weekly massage, it's my one indulgence, some women have their hair or nails done, some have fake tans, I'd rather feel fantastic with a top-to-toe massage and look how I've always looked ;-)

When i got back Katie was already at mine and we took mom and Alfie for a drive up on top of the Long Mynd, Church Stretton. It was a bit breezy up there so after a quick scoot around we drove into Cardingmill Valley instead where we had a little walk and a cuppa. We also had lunch and it was jacket potato and baked beans (no butter of course) so lunch was only about 4pts and I really enjoyed it too. I rarely have jacket potatoes because they take time to cook and I'm a fast cook ;-)

My evening was spent in a state of pure relaxation, watched the Accidental Husband on tv, had a chicken, ham and lettuce sandwich then slept through big brother before going to bed and having the best nights sleep. Bless Alfie for not disturbing my slumber, we managed to stay there till 5.30am.

It's now Sunday morning and has been raining, so today's going to be mostly spent being creative indoors with a walk round with Alfie inbetween. The perfect day.

I've made some mistakes in my life, some real whoopers, but if I hadn't I wouldn't be where I am now and this place is amazing ;-) I'm in a very good place with very good people around me, I'm very grateful for my life.

18th July 2010 - facebook email

A diet is the penalty for exceeding the feed limit! Unknown

So it’s Sunday, a great time to relax and contemplate all that is life and how wonderful you really are no matter what you weigh!

Here’s something I came across this weekend that I think proves how utterly phenomenal you really are, read it and let it sink in, better still, click the link at the bottom close your eyes and listen to the music and the man saying it all out loud, its fantastic and so are you.

The Miracle is YOU!

When you were first conceived you were a double strand of DNA in a fertilised ovary, dividing 50 times you had over 100 trillion cells more than all the stars in the Milky Way. Then you were born into existence. Each of your cells do over 6 trillion things per second, just think how a human body knows how to kill germs, digest, make babies and talk – all at the same time!

The miracle is YOU.

Your heart beats 101,000 times per day, during your life it will beat three hundred million times. Each day you take 23,000 breathes, your blood travels 60,000 miles per day on it's journey through your body. 25 million cells are being produced in your body every second. You’ll blink at least 15,000 times today.

The miracle is YOU.

Your brain has about 100 billion nerve cells, if all your DNA was stretched it would reach the moon 6,000 times. You shed 600,000 particles of skin each hour. Your bones are four times stronger than concrete. Your eyes can distinguish up to one million colour surfaces and can take in more information than the largest telescope in the world. Your lungs inhale over 2 million litres of air daily.

When you touch anything a message is sent to your brain at 124mph. Your skin consists of up to 280,000 heat receptors. The length of your blood vessels would circle the globe 2½ times. You have the ability to distinguish over 10,000 different smells and your tongue has over 10,000 taste buds.

The miracle is YOU.

So listen to the music, just listen to the deep inside. There are universes dancing inside your body. There are sunsets shining in your heart. There are symphonies playing inside your toes, rivers of blood effortlessly flows. There is a full moon beaming in your bellybutton. There is a cool breeze blowing in your lungs. There is a gentle rain that falls from your eyes. There is an army of love in every step. There is love-making in your every motion, in your body devotion.

The miracle is YOU.

So realise, visualise, it’s all inside – the galaxy of amazement.

Should you ever forget, just close your eyes and…

Listen to the music.

Just listen to the music, deep inside.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYgl_z05bqY

Here’s today’s habit changing tip;

See your striving as part of the big picture - deciding to adopt a healthy habit is part of the larger framework of your life. The work you put into hitting your target will help you build the strength, wisdom, and power to attain this goal as well as greater accomplishments. The path to your goal is as important as the goal itself.

Remember Life Starts NOW!

Are you living yet :-)

16th July 2010 Tracker

Pretty abysmal tracker as I was so tired, felt like all my energy had been taken away from me so I just chilled out and enjoyed the calmness of the day. Spent lots of time with my dog Alfie and working on my 'book for me' which is a collection of all the things I've heard, read and seen in my life that's enhanced it and made me the person I am today, when finished it'll be my own little self help book, that I can did in and out of instead of wading through all of the books on my shelves.

So here it is;
Breakfast - 2 small slices toast (3pts)
Lunch - Pot noodle (7pts) nice though I haven't had one for years.
Tea - gammon ham sandwich (5pts)
wine - (6pts), the other 1.5pts from the bottle is still in the glass, I fell alsleep!

I also kept picking at the gammon joint throughout the day so who knows how many points I consumed. Hoping for a stay the same on the scales on Monday!

17th July 2010 - facebook email

The time for action is now. It’s never too late to do something. There is nothing permanent except change. Unknown.

Hell starts next Friday – yes the dreaded 6 weeks holidays! Don’t use it as an excuse to fall off track, you can still come and get weighed and follow the plan even with children around you, they may even be able to help! Try and use this weekend to plan how you will cope, if you usually get your exercise whilst they’re at school or by walking them to school, think of an alternative, take them swimming, go to the park – you can have huge fun on those swings, roundabout, seesaw, be careful of the slide though as you tend to get wedged in at the top ;-)

There is no problem that you can’t find a solution for! Will power only gets you so far, what you need is a strategy, a plan, some tactics on how you can cope with particular situations. For example I know if I’m hungry on a Thursday after my last meeting of the week, willpower is not stopping me from pulling up at the Tesco garage and buying whatever’s on the reduced section, now willpower has no change at that time, he’s just holding the door open for me to walk in. What will stop me is not taking my purse to the meeting in the first place because Tesco don’t do credit! Willpower is now sitting in the passenger seat of my car directing me past the garage!

So use this weekend to think about the things that cause you problems on your weight loss journey and what you could do to make it easy to cope with those problems and I know 6 weeks at summer camp or borstal for the kids sounds like a nice dream idea, but that ain’t gonna happen so think of something else ;-)

Here’s today’s habit changing tip;
Expect help at crucial moments - The Universe is on your side because you’re a part of it. When you come to a point where you have given your all to reach your goal but are running out of steam, trust that something will happen to help you get past the tipping point.

When you feel like you’ve hit a brick wall, use that imagination of yours and

- Dare to imagine what it might feel like to be comfortable in your own body.
- To be in control.
- To stop comparing yourself to others.
- To be good enough!

Imagine what it’ll look like when your current challenges are no longer a problem and you are leading a life that you love.

Albert Einstein said that you cannot change a problem with the same mind that created it!

So try looking at that brick wall with a different mindset, you always have options, you could go round it, over it or bulldoze straight through it! As long as you make it to the other side, how you get there doesn’t matter.

Remember Life Starts NOW!

Are you living yet :-)

16th July 2010 facebook email

I try to watch what I eat but I’m not fast enough! Unknown

223lb lost yesterday and one young lady achieving her goal, it’s been a great week all round, and the vibe in my meetings is very positive, I love it.

It’s my belief that as long as your happy you can cope with anything, happiness is my main ambition in life, and someone commented on it yesterday on my facebook wall, so today’s tips are all to help you find happiness because everything in life, including dieting is so much easier when you’re smiling!

Be Happy
If you are looking for happiness, you've come to the right place! Happiness is a state of being that only you can create. Happiness is a choice that you make.

Be Your Own BFF
Enjoy your own company. Embrace everything about you! Without a doubt, it’s the most important step towards being a happy person.

Smile, Giggle, Snigger, or Chuckle!
Smiling releases serotonin in the brain, which instantaneously gives your mood a lift.

Warm Up Your Tootsies
Pull on your best pair of warm socks, wiggle your toes and enjoy a cozy kind of bliss.

Sing Out Loud!
Shut the doors and the windows tight, put on your favorite song, and let your voice ring! The cars a great place for this too – I love the looks you get ;-)

Indulge in Dark Chocolate
Savor a small piece and watch your mood improve. (NOT A BLOOMING BIG BAR!)

Expect a Miracle
Believe that something wonderful will happen for you today. The universe is waiting to shower happy blessings on you.

Meditate, Pray, and Chant
Research shows that people who are spiritual tend to be happier and healthier than those who are not.

Laugh at Your Shortcomings
We all make mistakes; none of us is perfect. Forgive your imperfections, accept your faults, and laugh.

Sleep, Baby, Sleep
Seven or eight hours each night should increase your energy and decrease moodiness.

Count Your Blessings Daily
Gratitude, the emotion of thankfulness, is one of the key ingredients for living a happy life. Make gratitude a habit and happiness will be yours.

Wake Up Early!
Start the day off on a happy foot, with a happy thought. The morning hours are full of spiritual energy and prana (life force).

Let the Sun Shine In
20 minutes of sunlight per day improves mood and wards of Seasonal Affection Disorder (SAD).

Create a Positive Affirmation
Think it, read it, say it, sing it! "My happiness brings me more happiness."

Say "Good Job!"
Give yourself permission to pat yourself on the back. Recognize your accomplishments and positive qualities.

Catch Happiness from Others
Remembering that happiness is contagious, surround yourself with happy, positive people who share your values, goals, and dreams.

Grow a Garden
Watching plants grow and thrive under your care is wonderful!

Pencil in 'Quiet Time’
Each and every day sit awhile, without television, without magazines, without the Internet. Just be!'

Look to the Future
Set goals and then make plans to succeed and take action. Pursuing something we value always makes us happy.

Accept What You Cannot Change
Don't waste your precious time, energy, or thoughts on something that is beyond your control. Let it go.

Take a Cat Nap
A 10-minute nap is all it takes to rejuvenate your spirit and get the happiness to flow.

Love Everything
Love who you are. Love what you are doing. Love the person you're with. Love your friends and your enemies, too. Love! Love! Love!


Remember Life Starts NOW!

Are you living yet :-)

Tracker Thursday 15th July 2010

Breakfast
2 slices toast 3pts

2nd Breakfast!
ham salad sandwich 3.5pts

Lunch
burger & stuffed mushroom 10pts

Dinner
Oops Pizza, Tesco Finest Italian ham, mushroom & mascarpone pizza, it was reduced and the plan had been to share it but mom didn't want any so I ate it and it was 18.5pts!

On a positive I only had 1 medium glass of wine for 2pts

It's been one of those weeks where I've wanted to eat my own head, anything and everything I've seen, I've wanted to eat so I'm praying that I at least stay the same come weigh day. I'm going to try and be as good as possible this weekend too. Might get in the kitchen and try and put together some culinary delights to take my mind of wanting to eat the contents of the fridge!

I just had to share this letter, its made me feel so good.

Hi ,
I've been waiting to send this letter I wrote for a while so here it is.

Dear Bev,

There are no better words to say than thank you so much.

What you have helped not only me but my whole family to achieve is phenomenal. Our whole lives have been changed for the better, forever all because you took the time to listen, to care and to be there as a support not only as a leader but as a friend.
You have wiped away my tears when I was sad and praised me when I have achieved and never once have you judged me only to say tomorrows the start of a new day, a new week and a new you.

I remember the first class I came too I was so unhappy with myself that I broke down in front of everyone and cried, but not one person judged me or laughed there were no side looks or sneers just words of comfort, advice and encouragement from all of my now fellow Weight Watcher friends. I say friends because that's what they have become. Their words and your big hug allowed me to think that by being strong and focused this could be done. The following week I came back with a different look on life and a sheer sense of determination and to top it all I lost 4.5 lbs. I knew then that this was the start of my new positive outlook on life.

The day I reached goal I couldn’t tell you how nervous I was, my stomach had been churning all morning I knew I had a lot to achieve but I felt so determined to get there I hoped I had lost the 3 lb that I needed. It was my turn to be weighed and you said you wanted to weigh me - you seemed as nervous as me but when I stood on the scales I didn’t even look at what they said, your scream said it all I had lost 5 lb and got to goal we both hugged and cried and I remember feeling so excited I think I was shaking a little but your were just full of praise for m, again I say thank you with your help I had lost 65 lb. The news that I had reached goal soon spread around the class and everyone was full of praise and congratulations for me of which I so much appreciated I felt great, a million dollars at that moment I was on top of the world thanks to my friend at WW.

So to end my ongoing letter (I know I can ramble a lot!!!) I want to say to an angel in disguise (yes that's you) you can never know just exactly what you have done for me and my family, the new lease on life you have helped us to achieve is indescribable.

In each class and to each member you give your heart, soul, blood, sweat and tears and by doing this you make us feel like an individual like someone special. What you do helps change lives so please never stop being you. Remember you are GREAT.
Love and thanks always

Melissa, John, & Amelia xxx

P.S. John has also lost 79 lb and is still losing all through the advice you give at class; I come home and pass this on, thank you.

This we now know is who we want to be and we will never look back and its all thanks to you.
xx

15th July 2010 facebook email

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. Unknown

4.44am I got out of bed this morning and it’s Thursday which means I’ve got 3 mornings to follow where I haven’t got to get out of bed – hurrah. I’m struggling a little this week with my munchies but still carrying on. doing my best and smiling.

Mom and me are blaming Katie as she bought biscuits round!!!!! Bad Girl, mom’s gonna put weight on today now, look out Katie that’s all I’m saying.

So how’s everyone’s week going, despite having the munchies as soon as 4pm hits I’m really good, very positive, my meetings and my members are buzzing, great weight losses yesterday we lost a total of 130lb and got one member to her goal weight.

I’ve had a very moving letter this morning from a member who achieved her goal last month, it’s had me in tears and made me feel terrific and very proud, with her permission I will share it with you.

So today’s habit changing tip is inspired by that member;
Take One Step at a Time - Reaching any worthwhile goal requires many small steps. Set yourself up for success by breaking down the path to acquiring your new habit into realistic, attainable steps that are just enough for you. Mastering one small step at a time will also keep you from getting discouraged.

To create a masterpiece takes time and…
Remember you’re working on a masterpiece…..
YOU!

So what one step can you make today, will it be to put some time aside to plan ahead, will it be to include a bit of activity, maybe you could make sure you eat at least 5 portions of fruit or veg today or drink 2 litres of water!

The list is endless of small changes, it could be something to boost your self image, here’s a challenge, go stand in the mirror right now and look yourself straight in the eyes and say “I LOVE YOU”.

If you’re sitting there saying “I can’t do that”, then all the more reason, low self esteem and not learning to love yourself can be the biggest setback on your weight loss journey. Once you learn to love you for you, the rest becomes easier.

Remember Life Starts NOW!

Are you living yet :-)

Tracker Wednesday 14th July

Breakfast
Banana on toast 2.5pts
4 dates 1pt

I bought a box of dates last night when I spotted them on the shelf at the Tesco garage, I went to watch Sex & the City film the other week and they were eating dates and I fancied them then, this is the first time I've noticed them in the shops. They were delicious but they wouldn't been better without the stones.

I need to eat healthy today so I don't get the munchies again later, I'm doing so well I don't want another blip on Monday ;0)

Lunch

tasty lunch
Sainsburys chicken and brocolli fishcake (3pts) I really enjoyed this.
new potatos (2pts) (straight from someones garden mmm)
and frozen green beans.


Tea
Jenny made me a cooked pork dinner, bless her she dropped it into my meeting, now that's what I call "meals on wheels" and it was absolutely delicious, just what I fancied and only 3points because it was all veggies. So my day had gone really well only consumed 11.5pts all day, then it all went pear-shaped because my mate Katie had dropped round and bought mom my favourite jammie dodger biscuits and I ended up eating 5 so that's easily 10 points! Boo!

Hey ho, could've been worse ;-) At least I earnt 5pts on my pedometer, walking nearly 9 miles throughout the day.

July 14th Facebook email

How you think about a problem is more important than the problem itself – so always think positively. Norman Vincent Peale.

Wednesday already, where do the weeks go, I can’t believe we’re half way through July so soon!

Well yesterday I had the munchies, they started around 5pm and I mentally believed I was ravenous, I knew I wasn’t really hungry because I’d had such a large lunch. I have noticed if I have a carb heavy lunch that I do get hungry quickly, so maybe I should steer clear of pasta and other carbs in the day, or maybe its hormonal I’m not sure. Anyway, someone mentioned peanuts at the scales and I’d only just managed to get them out of my mind after craving them for a few days, so now the thought was back and that’s what I ended up having for my tea, a 90g bag of KP salted peanuts and they were delicious for 9.5pts! So my day ended on 28pts but I had earnt 5pts on my pedometer so I’m chuffed because I also had 3 Weight Watchers bars. As you can see my tracker was not the healthiest of choices yesterday but it was the most satisfying and I got to get the peanuts out of my system, if I’d bought them before work I wouldn’t have eaten the bars or the lollipop!

So how’s your week progressing, my members lost a staggering 176lb yesterday which is just fabulous, congratulations if some of that was yours.

Here’s today’s habit changing tip;

Create Your Own Affirmations - Reinforce your desires, goals, and commitments by creating a short, inspiring statement that is positive and captures the feeling of well-being you want to achieve from your new habit. Throughout the day, say your affirmation aloud with exuberance. As you do, be sure to deeply feel what you are saying as being true for you.

The Top 10 Tips to Begin the Practice of Positive Affirmations

Positive Affirmations are things we say to ourselves that build us up and make us strong. They empower us to take chances and to be our best. Thoughts run through our mind thousands of times a day and are often negative. Making positive affirmations a daily practice gives you a powerful tool to strengthen your inner foundation and follow your bliss.

Get over feeling funny.
- Doing something new takes practice and because it is unfamiliar it might feel funny at first.
- Get over it. So often, it doesn't feel funny to talk negatively to ourselves, but praise feels awkward. Just do it and don't worry if it feels funny. In time, you will feel less and less awkward.

Begin your affirmation with "I."
- The more you personalize what you say the more it will hit home and stick.

Put your affirmation in the present tense.
- Keeping the statement in the present will give it more power. Avoid can, will, could or should in your statements.

Make it short and sweet.
- Make the affirmation meaningful to you. If affirmations are too long, you may find it cumbersome or difficult to say on a regular basis. Longer affirmations work well during meditative moments.

Practice.
- Teaching our inner voice to speak well to us takes some practice. For most people it is an under developed muscle. Practice and your affirming voice will become stronger.

Clear vision.
- Hold a clear vision of what is possible for you in your life. Picture yourself absorbing the positive affirmations as they become a part of you.

Write it down.
- Writing down the positive affirmations helps your mind remember the new statements.

Repeat them often.
- Repetition facilitates learning. The more often you say positive affirmations the more they become a part of you.

Make them fun.
- Enjoy yourself with them. Laugh and hold out a sense of lightness.

Remember to be gentle.
- Remember that the more you nourish and cherish yourself the better able you are to live a life you love. Be patient and loving as you learn something new.

Here are a few affirmations to start with:

I love myself.
I have a beautiful figure.
I listen with love to my body’s message.
I deserve the best and I accept the best now.
I can see the me I want to be.
I am slim, trim, and lead a healthy lifestyle.
I know that I count and I act as if I do.
The quality of my life depends only on me.
I am powerful and I love it.

Remember Life Starts NOW!

Are you living yet :-)

Tracker Tuesday 13th July

breakfast
3pts worth of Chorizo

Lunch
tasty chorizo linguine 7pts (recipe on previous blog)

snack
lollipop 1pts

tea
90g back of KP salted peanuts 9.5pts
multibag packet of Quavers 1.5pts
2 slices small sliced hovis and egg whites with low fat mayo 2pts
3WW bars 4.5pts
glass wine 2.5pts

points earnt on pedometer 5pts

Had a real munchie, I want to eat the world afternoon as you can see, so I think I might be hormonal but we'll see!

tasty chorizo linguine

This was my lunch today, took 10 minutes,

chopped spring onions
frozen peas
frozen ocra
linguine
tomato puree
chopped up slices of chorizo

cooked linguine, at the same time microwaves peas & ocra, and in a small frying pan fried spring onion in tomatoe puree, adding peas and ocra once they were cooked.

finally combine everything and voila, delicious lunch. I made two quite large portions using 8 points of linguine and 5pts of chorizo, the rest was zero points except the peas which were probably a point.

Really very filling for 7pts

July 13th facebook email

You are younger today than you ever will be again. Make use of it for the sake of tomorrow. Unknown.

Lovely morning again, no sign of rain, me and Alfie were out walking at 4.30am! He woke me up with his hiccups ;-)

So yesterday was a huge success on the scales I lost 4lb, and my members lost 142lb so smiles all round! Especially the morning meeting as 22 of them lost 55lb, which is an awesome average. I was pleased that I’d lost the 2lb I’d gained the week before and another 2lb, which means I’m now only 7lb off my goal, a pound a week and I will do it before the conference – yay.

It’s not the willpower that’s helping me this time its strategies, it’s putting in place coping strategies amending things so I can cope.

I’ve realised if I don’t want to eat it, I need to make sure I don’t have it in the house so I cant eat it, no willpower necessary there, you can’t eat what isn’t there!

With my wine, I make sure I start drinking later in the evening so I can only drink so much and I ensure I have enough points left from my allowance in case I drink more of it than planned.

And I’ve started walking and moving more so that I earn more points again in case I go a little over.

I’ve realised I can diet easier from Monday to Thursday night so I am extremely good on those days and try and save a few points for Thursday – Sunday night!

All these little tweaks make all the difference.

So what could your tweak of the week be?

Maybe it could be something relating to today’s habit changing tip;
Get Your Heart Beating - Find a form of exercise that is fun for you—and do it. Getting energy flowing through your body regularly will help you feel strong and more confident.

Here’s just a few ideas;

A – Aerobics
B – Boxing, Ballroom Dancing
C – Circuit Training, Cycling, Climbing
D – Dog Walking, Dancing
E – Ergo (a fancy name for a rowing machine!), Elliptical trainer
F – Flexi-Bar
G – Golf, Gymnastics, Gardening
H – Hula Hooping, Hiking
I – Ice Skating, In-line Skating
J – Jumping!!! Jogging
K – Kick Boxing, Karate
L – Lunges, Leap Frog (do you remember that, can you still do it)
M – Marathon Running
O – Outside Exercise
P – Power Plate, Pilates
Q – Quality over Quantity (ok so not an exercise but work thinking about)
R – Running, Raquetball
S – Spinning, Step, Sword fighting, Stair Climbing, Strength Training, Swimming
T – Tight-rope walking, Treadmill, Tennis, Tai Chi
U – Underwater exercise (such as aqua aerobics)
V – Variation
W – Walking
X – X-rated(mmmm!!!!)
Y – Yoga
Z – Zumba

Remember Life Starts NOW!

Are you living yet :-)

Tracker - Monday July 12th 2010

Weigh in day this morning and I lost 4lb, thrilled to say the least, that's the 2lb I'd gained the week before plus 2lb and what's fabulous is I'm not being as strict as I have been in the past, I'm eating foods I enjoy not that I feel I should eat, my expectations aren't so high and I'm much more relaxed about it all. So I'm in a really good place right now, not just diet wise but life, I feel fabulous and positive and motivated and above all HAPPY which is always my mission in life.

Breakfast

grapes (½)
cherries (½)
banana (1½)

Lunch

Sainsbury's Itaian 5 Prosciutto crudo slices (3½) with couscous and salad total =(6½)

Dinner

Sainsbury's Indian Lamb Rogan Josh - 12pts! but absolutely delicious
served it with basmati & wild rice (2½)

Wine (2½)

Total for day = 26pts

Earned 4pts on pedometer

July 12th facebook email

Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there. Will Rogers

Monday morning again, did you have a great weekend; are you looking forward to getting on the scales this week? I am! I’m hoping for a loss as I’ve been reasonably good, I’m trying to fit the diet into my lifestyle, i.e. eating less Monday – Wednesday and easing the breaks of a little Thursday – Sunday without going crazy of course! I can finally see where I’m losing it from so that’s motivating me to get back to goal now more than every, I’ve got 2 months before my conference.

Had a lovely dinner yesterday, lots or roasted vegetables, broccoli and beef in gravy which I had from Asda for £3, it was delicious; I couldn’t have cooked a joint that tender! There’s a picture of the packaging on my blog.

Well it’s the start of a half price sale in my meetings this week! WOW, check these offers out;

Pizza & Pasta was £5.95, now £2.95
Essentials Pack was £9.95 now £4.95
Delux Essentials Pack was £19.95 now £9.95
Quick & Easy was £7.95 now £3.95
Fabulous & Filling was £9.95 now £4.95
Shop was £5.50 now £2.75
Eat Out was £4.50 now £2.25
Track was £4.50 now £2.25
Pedometer was £16.95 now £8.45
Calculator was £9.95 now £4.95
DVD was £9.95 now £4.95

NOW if you haven’t got any of the above, now’s the time to get them, don’t wait as stocks are limited.

Here’s today’s habit changing tip;
Choose Your Friends Carefully - Old habits are often tied to former routines, friends, and hangouts. Creating a new lifestyle comes with new choices. Choose friends and associates who model the new way of life you want to lead.
I’m not suggesting you dump your best mate because she eats doughnuts! Just become aware of their reactions to your diet, do they help or hinder you? Are they pleased that you’re trying to lose weight or does it make them feel guilty about their size! Do they feel that it means you won’t have fun together anymore because you’ll be boring? Just by being more aware of these things you are more likely to be able to cope with these situations.
Remember Life Starts NOW!

Are you living yet :-)

Day 6 - Tracking

Yesterday went well to say it was a lazy Sunday, I spent the best part of the day on my pc working on a project so the first meal I had was lunch which was

Beef in gravy 6.5pts served with lots of roasted vegetables and brocolli. Delicious!

For my evening meal I made stuffed mushrooms, with large mushrooms obviously stuffed with smoked turkey rashers, spring onions, extra light philidelphia cheese and the stalks from the mushrooms. They were delicious and only 2.5pts for two.

I had a can of John Smiths bitter made into two shandy's which was 2pts and then a couple of glasses of wine on night for 4.5pts after I'd sat reading in the bath for an hour which is great to unwind.

Also enjoyed a night time snack of crackers and primula extra light which was 3pts.

So not really bad for a Sunday, I'm looking forward to a weight loss this morning I think!

Sunday Dinner for the lazy lady!

This was really tender and tasty, 1/3 pack has 4.5pts in it, I had half of the pack for 6.5pts and served it with lots of roasted vegetables and brocolli. Delicious!

Backing up my pc... Got quite emotional!

I'm just sorting through and backing up my computer and finding out some documents to email someone and I came across a letter sent to me last year and it's made me quite emotional. I love my job, it's so rewarding seeing people change, but to be thanked is just the icing on the cake and the letter below written by one of my members makes me tearful everytime I read it because she was an inspiration to me, I admired her determination and persistance and never ending smile ;)

--------

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. ~ Winston Churchill

I just wanted to put down a few words to try to explain just how grateful I am for all the support you have given me over the past few years. It is important for me that you realise the enormity of the impact you have made on my life. When I first walked into your Weight Watchers meeting, I was probably at the lowest point in my life. I was in my mid twenties with a good job and my own home, yet what should have been the best time of my life was, in truth, the most miserable.

When I first stepped on the scales at that first meeting I was 22 stone 2 and a half pounds. Far from looking at me with the horror I expected, you reassured me that I could change, and made what seemed an impossible challenge suddenly seem achievable.

Over the years you have celebrated my success and consoled my disappointments, but through all of this you never gave up believing that I could do it. You did more than give me practical advice on weight loss, you made me believe that I deserved to be the person I wanted to be and empowered me to make the choices I needed to ensure that happened. Your magic is not just in your knowledge of diet and exercise but in your holistic approach to each person’s individual goals. You made me realise that eating the right food is only half the battle and that I had to learn to understand and like myself before I could succeed.

My life now bears no resemblance to the one I had before, in fact I don’t even recognise the person I used to be, physically or emotionally. When I was 22 stone I would never have believed I could be as happy and confident as I am now. This Christmas there will be no tears because I can’t find anything to wear, no avoiding having my photo taken, no feeling like the fattest person at the party; I will be donning my party frock and heels with the best of them and showing off the results of my hard work!

So, I leave you, 10 and a half stone lighter and 110% happier than I was when this journey first began. I could never ever begin to pay back the support you have given me. There are very few people who can truthfully say that they have changed someone’s life, but you have changed mine.

Thank you

Bek xxx

July 11th facebook email

Save a secret place in your heart where your dreams can dwell and blossom. Unknown

I had a lovely day yesterday spent a few hours being productive and creative on the pc on morning then mom, Alfie and me went round Katie’s for a coffee and to walk the dog then we nipped to get fruit and veg from the Holybush. Read my book for an hour in the bath, after which I went for an hour and a half massage – bliss, spent rest of day chilling out.

For someone who didn’t want a dog, I’m so glad we got him, he’s just lovely and so funny, yesterday at Katie’s he was playing with the hosepipe, not scared of water at all, I’ve put a video some pics on my blog, he’s not scared of anything!

As it’s Sunday I thought instead of talking food and diet I’d share with you things I’ve learned from my dog since having him! Because it’s my belief that everything and anything can be your teacher, if you’re wise enough to lend a curious ear.

Every day, my dog Alfie and I go out on our walks and once a week we go to the training class. It turns out he’s a very wise dog and here’s some of what my canine companion and his pals have taught me:

· If you wag your tail, people will pet you.
We don’t have tails, but we do have the human equivalent: a smile. Use it! Especially if you want to make new friends.

· If you love someone, let them know.
Dogs have no problem expressing their affection. We could use some of that.

· There’s no such thing as strangers.
I’ve had so many unmet dogs jump up on my lap and plop down. We’re all just friends, brothers and sisters that haven’t yet met.

· You don’t need much to be happy.
Dogs are really, really happy. Interestingly enough, few were standing in line for an iPhone 4. Hmm.

· You’re never too old to play.
Even the elderly canines aren’t too sophisticated to chase a ball and get down and dirty. Mom’s dog Lucy was still running around playing the day before she died!

· There’s nothing wrong with sticking your face in someone else’s ass.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No further explanation necessary ;-)

· Everything is an adventure.
More accurately, everything can be an adventure – if we allow ourselves to see it as such. I still haven’t heard a dog complain that he’s bored.

· Give lots of hugs and kisses.
They are a resource for renewable.

· A full belly and a good nap are two of life’s greatest pleasures.
Enough said.

· Love your true friends no matter what
Your pooch never judges you he just sits with his head in my lap when I need him!

So back to dieting here’s today’s habit changing tip;

Review Your Day - At the end of each day, sit quietly and reflect on how well you did in taking the next step toward your goal and practicing your new habit. Ask yourself what you can do better next time to insure that you will behave or respond in the way you want to. Focus on that tomorrow.

Remember Life Starts NOW!

Are you living yet :-)