There isn't a quick fix to fit!

Wednesday 26^th June 2013

Don’t reward yourself with food – you’re not a dog!  Don’t graze constantly – you’re not a cow!

OUCH, that line of words stung didn’t it!  But when I read it, it does make sense and gives me food for thought so to speak.

I lost 1/2lb again at the scales this week, so that’s 1/2lb a week in the last 5 weeks, I didn’t get weighed the week I was on my holiday, so 2lb in 5 weeks including a week in Wales is good for me, I’m actually thrilled come to think of it now I see that written down, because I’ve enjoyed those 5 weeks, I’m keeping my Healthy and Happy Attitude and being a Happy Owl ‘-) which includes treats and glasses of red wine.  It also includes ways to move more that are enjoyable, sometimes productive and not painful. 

It seems as if so many of the weight loss plans out there are based upon lack and force and stress - low calorie meals, low fat foods, low pleasure eating, intense exercise, and lots of self punishment. How can such an approach possibly lead to health and happiness? 

Healthy and Happiness can only come from self love and nourishing your mind, body and soul, it does not come from beating yourself up, starving yourself or forcing ‘diet shakes’ down your neck!  My personal self care is not a competition or a race, it’s a life long job!

There’s something for you to think about, there is NO quick fix solution for lasting weight loss and good health, and it’s a continual daily balance of healthy eating, moving more whilst enjoying real life and the challenges it throws at us.

And it’s the challenges that make some days more difficult to get that balance right, however with continual self love, group support and support from others not forgetting having a kitchen that’s full of good healthy, tasty food it makes it easier.  If you’re working on changing your habits for life then you find when those life challenges crop up your habits will help you cope better.  Having odd moments of excess happen to all of us, and that’s ok; it’s how you cope with them and what you do afterwards. 

Yep I find the Ha Ha approach works just fine for me, together with all the support I receive from fellow Weight Watcher members, friends and family. 

So how was my day yesterday, it was great, I went with a Filling and Healthy day, my shopping wasn’t arriving till the afternoon so I had porridge for breakfast, and for lunch I made scrambled eggs, baked beans, calorie controlled bread toasted with Weight Watcher spread and a couple of slices of pastrami. 

My shopping arrived and the time I would have spent driving to and from the store I used to make the lentil soup recipe that’s on the 7 day planner and I blogged yesterday, and I prepared the vegetables for my tea which was

 

Oven baked ratatouille & smoked haddock

Onion, garlic, courgette, pepper,

Aubergine

Tinned tomatoes

Cod fillet

1 tsp healthy oil

 

Roast the vegetables in the healthy oil for 15 minutes.  Add some tinned tomatoes and place the fillet on top. Return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes until

the cod is cooked.

The planner was for cod but I fancied smoked haddock, now I’m not a ratatouille fan but it’s been a long time since I’ve eaten it so I thought I’d give it a try and it wasn’t bad at all.  I think if I did it again instead of tinned tomatoes I might use fresh cherry tomatoes instead. 

 

My tea took half hour to cook when I got home so I used that time to water my garden pot plants and I finished my day extremely satisfied, feeling healthy and happy.

My treat of course, I’m sure you’ve guessed was a lovely big glass of wine, after all I had earned 8pp on my pedometer which covered it easily.

So here’s to another day of F&H, I’m going to follow day 7 of the plan (because I can) which is creamy mushrooms on toast for brekkie, lentil soup for lunch and vegetarian cottage pie for tea, although I’ll switch lunch and tea round as my main meals at lunchtime. It also includes snacks and treats of

 

Crumble - warm some frozen berries in a pan with some sweetener (if required). Press into a ramekin, top

with some oats and place under the grill for a minute.

Corn on the cob

Low fat plain yogurt

Not bad at all, I don’t usually do desert but I might, we shall see.

So whatever you do to lose weight, bare some of that in mind because a beautiful lady rejoined my meeting last night and said to me, “I’ve realised whenever I’ve joined before I’ve been looking for a quick fix and now I know there isn’t one, it’s life long changes I need to make.”  Boy do I look forward to helping, supporting and watching her succeed.

Have a magnificent day, it’s your choice remember. xx