Are you living?

30^th June 2017

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

Last day of the month, half way through the year, that went fast didn't it, did you enjoy the first half of 2017, did you reach the goals you set, get the things done you'd planned. Do you even have goals or plans or are you just living day to day, or should I say surviving? I heard this on the radio yesterday morning, someone asked the Dali lama what surprised him the most about humanity and this was his response;

“Man.
Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present;
the result being that he does not live in the present or the future;
he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

I remember doing a day course thing once and the chap running the course said to me, 'you seem to spend all your time focus on 'what next' or getting to the top of the next mountain that you never seem to stop and look back and enjoy the view'. That day I went home and took out all of my photo albums and looked back at some of the amazing adventures I'd had, the places I'd visited and the people I'd met along the way. Since that day, I've slowed down to the speed of my life and I focus on one day at a time. I probably have gone too much the other way as I never think about the future at all but for now it works for me.

These days I enjoy the simple day to day tasks, I have no desire for travel, I like to sit in my garden on a sunny day and listen to the radio or read a book. Time you enjoy wasting isn't wasted time at all really is it.

Back to the Dali Lama and his words, are you sacrificing your healthy in order to make money? Are you worrying about your future and forgetting to live in the now? Do you need to change things?

I'm just gonna change the subject and talk food but leave you with that food for thought. I had lovely meals yesterday, breakfast was egg and beans on toast, lunch was my Thai green chicken curry the for tea I had the most delicious Tandoori chicken shashlick and I had it with crispy potato things from Co-op, they were reduced to 39p, I was going to buy them at full price then spotted the reduced ones – result!

The sparrows outside my window are emptying the 3 feeders faster than I can feed them this week, this weather is really confusing them for sure. There's about 12 birds around it as I type, they are busy little things, I need to go top them up again, only did it yesterday.

I've just ordered me a colouring book, I enjoyed doing a bit of colouring the other weekend so I'm going to have another go, I've already got the crayons. It really does relax and occupies whilst the telly's on in the background.

I'm ready for a cuppa, so I'm going to get off, go check out the fridge and plan today's meals, I'm thinking meatballs in a nice sauce and maybe creamy mash mmm, yes please. Eggs for breakfast probably, right I'm off.

Here's to a good day, make Friday fabulous, live in the now BeYOUtiful and smile. x

Slow cooker experiment worked - result!

29^th June 2017

Can you remember who you were, before the world told you who you should be?

Well it's raining again, I want summer back! Who'd do I write to? Never mind, it's Thursday and I don't get to see much of the day as I spend most of it with my BeYOUtiful members at Bloxwich.

Let's talk food shall we, my day started with the plans of No Count so I had scrambled egg and beans on toast, then for lunch we had salmon, roast veg and wholegrain rice. My mate added soy sauce to her brown rice and so I did too, good call, works really well.

On the morning I'd put two large sliced onions in slow cooker, then topped it with a skinned whole chicken, I'd then added a can of reduced fat coconut milk and a couple of tablespoons Thai green curry paste. When I got home from my meeting on the night, I stirred it all through, as the meat fell off the bones, I took them out, it looked so good I ended up reverting back to Counting and had a small bowl with a couple of slices of bread and spread – mmm I love it when an experiment works, it was absolutely delicious and I've got enough for todays dinner. 

 The curry paste was from Asda and at 1sp per tablespoon it will become one of my store cupboard ingredients for sure. Anything that can just be thrown in the slow cooker and left works for me, the chicken was only £3 from Waitrose too, see not everything there is expensive.

I'm going to do a lot of experimenting this weekend I think, want to see what I can do with pulses and beans, veggie stuff as it's so good for us.

I've eaten some delicious lentil meals cooked by friends and members but when I try to make them myself, they aren't as good at all. The only one I've ever succeeded with was the day I did that cookery school thing, I made this;

Tempered Dhal with Spinach and Tomatoes

Total = 19sp or 23sp if tempering

Ingredients:½ tsp fenugreek seed,

1 tsp mustard seeds,

4 curry leaves
½ shallot [finely chopped]
½ tsp each fresh ginger and garlic pastes,

a little chilli [chopped)
200g red lentils [washed] (15sp)
½ tsp turmeric
salt,

150g tomatoes [chopped or tinned],

1 tbsp tomato puree
shredded spinach,

lemon juice

1 tbsp vegetable or mustard oil (4pp)

Temper [optional]:
½ tsp mustard seeds, ½ shallot [very finely chopped], 4 curry leaves, 1 tbsp oil (4pp)

METHOD:

Heat a little mustard/vegetable oil and add the seeds and curry leaves and cook until the seeds pop
Add the onion and soften, then cook in the ginger and garlic
Add the chilli, lentils, turmeric, 350ml water, cover, bring to the boil and then simmer uncovered until the lentils are almost cooked
Add salt to taste with the tomatoes and puree and continue to cook
Add shredded spinach and warm through to wilt
Taste, adjust and add a squeeze of lemon
Temper if required

Goes with: Plain rice or chapatti, other vegetable curries, yoghurt
Serves: 2+ as part of a Thali-style meal that includes several other dishes / accompaniments

Storage: Keeps in the fridge for a few days or freeze in portions

Now I remember this was delicious, the other dish that works really well and I've made a few times because it's so easy is this;

A Pot of Love

33sp total, Serves 4, 8sp per serving

Try this delicious one-pot meal with lentils, a rich source of iron to boost your energy and love you up.

1 tbsp olive oil (5sp)
2 onions, chopped
3 crushed cloves garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp curry powder
½ tsp cinnamon
4 sliced carrots
100g dried lentils (8sp)
200g brown rice (19sp)
500ml stock
1 diced apple (unpeeled)
4 sliced spring onions

In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat; cook onions, garlic, cumin, curry powder and cinnamon, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in carrots, lentils and rice; cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute. Pour in stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice and lentils are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the apple and spring onions, then cook, covered, for 5 minutes or until the spring onions are heated through.

Right I'm gonna go make me a mug of tea and think about ideas for lentils and all those other cheap grains, pulses and beans that we never eat because we don't know what to do with them! If you have any ideas or recipes, please send them to me.

Here's to making Thursday tremendous, we ain't scared of no rain! 

Anyone got a good veggie burger recipe?

28^th June 2017

Don't compare your life to others. There's no comparison between the sun and the moon. They shine when it's their time.

I ate 3 good big meals yesterday but they weren't No Count, today's will be I've decided. Yesterday looked like this;

Breakfast was 10SP of scrumptious, bacon, mushroom, egg, cherry tomatoes, beans and toast.

Lunch was sweet chilli cod, sweet potato mash, courgette ribbons and sea veg for 9SP.

used this from Home Bargains

Then my tea was a veggie bhaji burger, roast pepper, parmesan cheese and salad sandwich with onion, apply and mint salad and olives, 12SP and I need to have a go at making my own veggie burgers for sure. 

I think I'm going to have a mooch in my cupboards and see what I've got to have a play at making them today, I do like messing about in the kitchen. I was complimented on my cooking yesterday, the lady told me my food always looks really good. Most of the meals I cook don't take long either, or I can walk away and leave them to cook themselves. I think we all think cooking will take longer than we want to spend or time we don't have and it isn't always true. My lunch and dinner yesterday was a few minutes prep then bung in oven or on stove, whilst I did something else. I'm really hoping I get a delivery of the new chicken cookbooks today as I wanted to cook in my meetings next week from them! It's such a good book they flew out the first batch. We've got some great stuff coming out over the next few week, fizzy cola bottles mmm, then more useful stuff like these;

I love the split snack box, I'm going to start filling mine with fruit or carrots sticks to take to my morning meetings to give me something to munch on, leaving at 7.30 in the morning means I don't always want to eat fruit that early. The cooler bag is so cool – pardon the pun, but it is, #letsdothis, let's hope mom will agree to come for a drive one day and we can take a picnic with us. I use cooler bags for my meats and stuff when I go to the supermarket too, gets them home that bit cooler, especially if I have a few errands to run.

Today we're having salmon for lunch, I'm fancying scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast and tea I need to sort because I'm be shattered when I get home at half eight tonight.

Well it's not looking like a lovely summer morning out there, at least I won't have to water my plants ay! There's always a positive.

It was great to see so many members achieving their first stone yesterday, shows it doesn't take too long to make a difference if you stick to the plan. Then the lovely Angie received her two year award to maintaining her 3 stone weight loss, she looks younger every year!

Angie is proof that you can change the way you think and feel as well as the way you look. She still has health issues but her positive attitude helps enormously, don't get me wrong, she'll be the first to admit she still has wobbles and bad days but she realises and pulls herself round. Oh and she still enjoys eating out and brandy, life goes on when the weight loss journey begins...

Anyway, I've just heard mom moving about, actually I heard her fart! Yes we a sharing kind of family, sharing is caring! I better go make her a cuppa before she starts making more noise ;)

It make be midweek but let's not let it be a midweek slump, we can get over hump day, lots of healthy, pretend it's a bright sunny day even though it isn't, see a grey day as silver. We've got this BeYOUtiful.

I dared to mention the C word!

27^th June 2017

Because the next 6 months will go by no matter if you eat healthy or not!

Yay, I lost a pound and a half, so that's average of 1/2lb a week over the last 5 weeks, I'll take that! I've done the fast loser thing and it doesn't last long for me, whereas doing it this way, I'm still enjoying a bit of extra niceness at weekends. I also realised yesterday it was 26 weeks from Christmas! I know, shush with the C word, but it's something to help us set a goal. 26 weigh-ins, 26 opportunities;

1/2lb a week = 13lb

1lb a week = 1^st 12lb

1 1/2lb a week = 2st 11lb

2lb a week = 3st 10lb

Not losing anything = feeling exactly the same way as you did when you woke up yesterday morning and this morning, if you're good with that feeling then no prob, if you're not.... well I don't need to say anymore do I.

We went for breakfast at the cafe yesterday and I ordered poached eggs on toast because I'd seen someone have them the last time I was there and they looked lush, all runny and nice. Sadly when mine came they'd not only put butter on my toast but the eggs were hard as bullets, I was just about to eat them anyway when I thought no, I only get to eat three times a day, I'm not setting for what I don't want, so I sent them back, when they came back, they were delicious and I saved points by not having the butter.

My review with my boss went really well, there's always progress to be made, we can all improve so I have things to work on of course, I did something yesterday at that meeting I never do these days, I dared to think about the future.  With moms illness, I very much live in the moment for now, I don't dare to think about what the next few years might bring.  Yesterday my manager touched on it and planted the seed, so I listened, we never know what tomorrow will bring, but we can be ready for it!

I left feeling really good, so good that I ended up in Waitrose having a good shop. I really shouldn't be let out on my own! I just love lush food and there really is some in there, last nights tea was 14SP Indian spiced bhaji burger, giant roast portobello mushroom topped with fragrant oriental black quinoa salad. Different and delicious, I'm going to enjoy everything on the menu this week, that's for sure.

I need to have a go at making veggie burgers like that one I had for my tea last night, it was so good, full of flavour and goodness. Not today though, at £2.50 for 2, they're worth buying already made.

I'm contemplating a bit of No Count today, I've got a big piece of cod in the fridge, tempted to make fish fingers with it, mmm nom nom, we could have fish finger sandwiches, with chargrilled courgettes and some salad leaves, nice. Yeah definitely, that's lunch sorted, what to have for breakfast, decisions, decisions, I've got a giant mushroom left from yesterday, I could roast that, top it with an egg, add some baked beans, tomatoes, mmm sounds good. Damn, I love food!

Right I've got a busy day ahead, looking forward to seeing my members at Short Heath, I've got a good chat planned, here's to a good day. We've got this..

26 weeks till Christmas, my first goal is July 13^th though, I want a couple more pounds off at least by then, which has just reminded me I need another really good week, 100% from now till Saturday!

Mmm curry, it has to be done.

26^th June 2017

You live most of your life inside of your head, make sure it's a nice place to be!

Well what will the scales say today, we shall see! Whatever they say I plan to have another cracking week, see the best part about life is every morning you have the opportunity to become a healthier and happier version of yourself, I'm taking up that opportunity – are you?

I had a very productive day yesterday, having woke up thinking, I'm not in the mood for doing much at all, then looking at the living room knowing I had to at least hoover, something came over me and once I started I just kept going, gave the living room and the kitchen a good going over, I even got the cooker out and did behind it, before cleaning the floor on my hands and knees, my kitchen was so clean and tidy by the end of it, it had an echo! I wasn't up for cooking any recipes though so we had the last of the ready prepared stuff in the fridge, Shawarma style chicken and I added coconut rice and green beans, quite nice it was too. For my tea I had a ham toastie, that was lush. I still haven't looked to see what's in the Freezer, I will do that as soon as I've finished this blog.

Now I found a recipe card on my desk yesterday and it was the first one Weight Watchers did this year and I have to say it was my favourite, garlic chicken curry, now I know I'm likely to lose that card so I'm going to type it here, then it'll be online for anytime I want to make it, I'm definitely making it this week;

Garlic chicken curry

9sp per serving, serves 2

10 minutes prep time, plus marinating. Cook time 20 minutes

Small bunch fresh coriander

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2tsp garam masala

1tbsp mango chutney

2 x 125g skinless chicken breast fillets

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

400g tin chopped tomatoes

100g basmati rice

2 tbsp 0% fat natural Greek yogurt

• Cut most of the stalks from the coriander and set the leaves aside. Finely chop the stalks and mix with the garlic, garam masala, chutney and a pinch of salt to form a paste.
• Using a sharp knife, cut small slashes in each chicken fillet then flatten them slightly. Spread over the paste and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (or overnight).
• Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan or wok and fry the onion for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the chicken and marinade and turn to coat in the onions. Fry for 6-8 minutes, turning the chicken and stirring regularly. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Chop the coriander leaves and stir half of them into the sauce.
• Meanwhile cook the rice to pack instructions, and mix the remaining coriander leaves with the yogurt.
• Serve the curry with the rice and coriander yogurt.

Delicious it is, I know also that lots of my members have just put all the ingredients in the slow cooker and left it all day, I know when I first did it, I didn't marinate it as I was in a rush and just bunged everything in the pan.  I like it because it isn't a 'hot' curry.

Ooo I could just eat that now, but first I have loads to do, including getting to my meeting to be weighed, I've also got my appraisal with my boss later, might nip in Waitrose for a nosey at the good stuff as I'll be opposite there for my meeting. Need to decide what I'm eating, I want another really good week again, there's one glass of wine left in the bottle then when that's gone tonight I'll have another wine free work week, now that's serious ;)

Right I'm off, here's to making Monday magic, I might do meat-free Monday, go and look for something tasty and veggie, yeah I might, leave it with me.

What's your plan for the day BeYOUtiful?  

Super Sunday anyone?

25^th June 2017

If it costs you your peace, it's too expensive

Ooo the first thing I thought when I just typed the date was "pay day", than I thought food shopping because there's not really much else I want other than a new kitchen radio. The one I have now is the most expensive radio I've ever bought and it's sooner than any of the cheap ones, so the next one will be a cheap one for sure.

It's half 6 and I've been out with the dog for half hour, I'm surprised at how many people I've seen walking around this early on a Sunday morning without a dog, are they going somewhere or coming back?

My massage yesterday truly wiped me out, so after walking Alfie and doing the washing up I did sod all, we sat and watched the 6 parter Kat & Alfie, I enjoyed it until the rubbish ending! I was more frustrated by it because we don't tend to watch stuff like that anymore as mom can't keep up with the storylines but we'd started it and I wanted to see how it turned out, so I'd happily sat explaining what was going on over and over, so to end 6 hours of a decent story badly was a tad annoying! We're watching less and less tv these days because mom can't keep up, even an hour long one off isn't easy.

I've woken up with back ache and I have a house to clean and a garden to sweep so it needs to go away and soon!

Food wise I had a picky day yesterday, my breakfast was crackers, egg and the shredded polish veg stuff again. Then I had a Stilton pork pie with more pickle stuff later and red wine. I also had some apple and onion mint salad on it, I'd bought it from Essington Fruit Farm, but I can definitely make that myself soon.  I know that place is all 'fresh and free range' etc, but I paid £1.90 for 3 slices of pork yesterday, they weren't that big either, when I compare that to the 60p worth of ham at the Polish shop, it makes me think twice about going.  I didn't get my blue dot yesterday but I managed 5 days straight which is a massive improvement on previous weeks. I'm going to check my fridge contents this morning and sort out what meals I can do have before deciding what I need and when, where or how I'm going to shop. I actually need to not shop this week I think, I need to use what I have, get some of the stuff in the freezer used up. Yeah that's my plan and just buy any fresh stuff I need from over the road.

Life is very repetitious isn't it, every week we have to cook, clean, shop, do all those things that have to be done on a weekly basis. I've realised It's important for me to find a way of enjoying these things, I've always enjoyed cooking and shopping, now I'm getting satisfaction from the cleaning, I'm seeing it as 'exercise' and when it's done my house looks good and I've earned some FitPoints. I love my tidy bedroom, it's so nice to wake up in and to go to sleep in. I love having the cupboards under the stairs as it makes the hall look tidier. We're in a bit of limbo with the rest of the house, it'll be great once the wetroom is done, but that's end of August, then hopefully once that is done, my kitchen can be done and by the end of this year I should have a bang on house. I can't wait for the kitchen to be how it looks in my mind!

I really do love my simple life, my small world, I'm exactly where I want to be, it's nice here, a little messy, a few challenges but overall, I wouldn't change how it is, how I've lived and where I've ended up. I really am blessed with the best.

Oh I'm rambling again, it's because I'm content, I like feeling like this, it's the feelings I remind myself of when I'm having a 'bad' day, when my hormones kick in and I feel like everything's getting on top of me, on those days, I remind myself I was okay last week so it's not my life, it's my hormones, my emotions. You should've heard me yesterday afternoon when the Sky box froze and we had to reboot the system, the internet, the lot. I turned the air bluer than it's been for a while, I really raged, more so because there was a chap trying to sort my pc out remotely and it'd disconnected him. I can be very dramatic! But you know what, being dramatic, getting it off my chest and ranting, is why five minutes later I'm good again, I don't hold onto the emotions, I acknowledge, feel and let go. It's good to have a rant, it's good to have a cry, it's good to giggle, we wouldn't be given the capability to feel all these emotions if we weren't supposed to is my belief.

Anyway, I've got a house to hoover, a sink to empty, a floor to mop amongst other tasks so I better get moving, oh and Alfie's being clipped this morning so he's gonna be a happy, cooler boy later.

What to have for dinner..... now there's something to think about.

Yesterdays something that made my day memorable and I want to remember was seeing someone I like get something they want and being party to that! Yep my brother had two tickets for a concert and one of my BeYOUtiful members hadn't been able to get any as they'd sold out, so she's now very happy and going to see one of her fav bands.

Right, what's the plan for Sunday BeYOUtiful? Are you going to stay on track, go a little haywire, what's your plan – I'm staying on track, going to go check out my fridge, I'm thinking avocado, egg, bacon and toast for breakfast, then we won't need anything till this afternoon and two meals will probably be plenty, my third meal can be in liquid form ;)

Have a super Sunday, I'm going too!

We shall make it through the weekend!

24^th June 2017

We don't grow when things are easy, we grow when we face challenges.

Another day on track but I did have a glass of wine as I had the points left, done 3 days without, so it's all good. I had a busy day, the meeting with my carers support worker went well, I have a few forms to fill in this weekend now, the most important on being an application for a carers emergency card which I'll carry around and if anything was to happen to me, the emergency services would know moms at home and I take care of her, so they'd contact her and whoever I write down as a contact.

Meals that were planned got changed, turned out the chicken I'd had delivered on Wednesday should've been used by Thursday! Not impressed at all as I buy fresh because I don't want to have to freeze stuff when it arrives, I was cooking something else with chicken today – not now! The to top it off the salmon I'd bought Wednesday morning from the co-op that we were gonna have that day but didn't had gone out of date that day, use by same day is a little naughty for sure! Lesson learned, I need to start checking all the sell-by dates, but when you're in a rush, you assume when you're paying those prices the food is damn fresh.

I picked up a piece of sweet chilli salmon when I topped up with petrol and had that for my tea on salad, had a real kick to it too.

On my way back from collecting the commode on the morning, I passed the Polish shop so I decided it was time to investigate. Turns out everything in the shop is in Polish! You don't need cake translated though, you can see what it is, so I got mom a bit, she said they weren't very sweet! I bought me some stuff of the deli, an horseradish beetroot, carrot salad and coleslaw, I will definitely be going back for them. I also had some cooked meat from their meat counter and it was really good, really fresh too! No use by today on them! The bread looked amazing, I'll save that for another time...

I think I just about managed my 10k steps yesterday, I'm just syncing my Fitbit to find out, yeah I did just over, so since Monday I have done average 10k a day I'm chuffed with that, my Fitbit says 59,208 but I didn't put it on till lunchtime on Monday, I've got 65 FitPoints, none of which have been used, plus I'm entering the weekend with 26 weekly points left – WOO HOO! I've also got 5 blue dots in a row on my WW app, I've not every done that I don't think.

You watch, I'll get on those scales Monday and I won't have lost! If I haven't I'll just keep going because ultimately I know it will have to show at some point, I've learned in all my years as a coach that bodies are very weird things that sometimes work at their own pace.

Now what to eat today.... my original plans out the window obviously because of out-of-date gate, I do have some steak, that's a possibility, especially as it's Saturday and I'm not one for doing much after my massage. I've been having a fancy for noodles for a few days, don't think there's any in my cupboards, I used to love Batchelors super noodles and haven't had them for years, but at 9sp for ½ the packet, I'll think twice I reckon, I'd easily eat the whole packet to myself.

I might have steak, actifry sweet potato and veggies, I'll give my fridge a good sort out to then I'll go shopping Monday maybe after my meeting, or tomorrow if the weathers not so good. But first for a cracking good morning at the meeting, let's go have some giggles.

Yesterdays something that made my day memorable and I want to remember was lying on moms bed together and having a bit of love and a giggle.

Here's to surviving the weekend BeYOUtiful, we've got this! Let's do this, no messing about. I can feel me wanting to wander off track and eat lots of delicous food and drink copious amounts of wine – but I will stay strong and on track, we've got this!

Made it to Friday...

23^rd June 2017

Your energy introduces you before you even speak.

Day 5 and on track, yesterday afternoon got tough, I got peckish, I'm not sure if it was because I'd had a taste of a packet of crispy things and wanted more or that I was genuinely hungry because I had fruit for breakfast and one hard boiled egg because I didn't have time to cook my usual breakfast. I think possibly the first to be honest as I had fruit and yogurt every day the other week and I was ok, although then I was probably eating more afterwards!

Anyway, it was a good day, I ended on 32 Smart Points and I am being 100% honest with it too, no pretending something didn't get eaten or drank. I even found time to cook, I've prepared the chicken for today too – check me out! Yesterday we had teriyaki chicken from the new cookbook, delicious, possibly my favourite meal of the week so far, so good. For my tea on the night I stopped at the shop to get a cob, but they had a foot long French stick reduced to 12p, well, that was a no brainer. I got back and weighed it, ouch 16sp, I knew that the chicken I had to go in there was 6sp and I didn't want to waste too many weeklies so I started to tear out the doughy bread from the middle of the stick.

The finished meal - damn good! 

It saved me 6sp doing that, I might use that leftover bread this morning for something else, watch this space. Anyway this was the result and it was so good, just what my inner greedy bird needed for sure. After that and a mug of tea, I was ready for bed.

I didn't quite get my 10k steps but I wasn't far off and I do spend a lot of time actually working on a Thursday, plus Alfie didn't seen to want to walk very far yesterday even though it had actually cooled down.

I've got another recipe to cook today, Moroccan something, another one from the new chicken cookbook. I've also got a few errands to run, but first I have a lady from Carers Support coming to see me in 45 minutes so I better go put some clothes on! Although I have pjs on so I don't look too bad.

Heading towards the weekend, need to stay on track till weigh day Monday, I can do it, we can do it.

Let's do it!

Right short and sweet today, got too much to do.

Yesterdays something that made my day memorable and I want to remember was seeing how one of my members little girls has improved massively with her health as she was born with so many problems but yesterday she was laughing and smiling and it was awesome, it was also fantastic to see that persistence really does pay off because that member was not giving up on that little girl, she has spent the last year fighting for her and it's paid off. We all need to fight for ourselves as much as we would others!

Already had todays memory, it was just lying on moms bed and having a natter and a giggle with her because I don't have to rush anywhere on a Friday morning, the lady can take me in my pjs, there's nothing on show :)

Here's to a healthy & happy Friday – we got this BeYOUtiful! 

Turns out I'm officially healthy & happy!

22^nd June 2017

You must tell yourself, 'no matter how hard it is, or how hard it gets, I'm going to make it'.

Another glorious day on planet earth it was yesterday, hot, hot, hot, I love it, even if it makes me sweat a bit! I even smashed 15k steps on my fitbit which surprised me greatly, it told me 81 of my minutes were active minutes too, I was really chuffed with that as I didn't think I was particularly 'active' in my daily life, I know I get a lot done but 'active' means at a faster pace.

Anyhow after mom had her dementia review at the doctors, I had an NHS healthcheck at the local hub, the lovely Catherine did it, it was free (bonus) and she took my blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose, height and weight and asked me some questions.

Turns out I'm pretty damn healthy! Here were my results;

Apparently I've shrunk, that I'm not impressed about, I also thought I was 5ft 3.5in but I'm 5ft 2.5in, I tell everyone I'm 5ft 4 and WW think I'm 5ft 5in these days, mwah, ha ha! I'm overweight, it's official (we knew anway), yep, my BMI is 30 if I'm 5ft 2in and my waist was too big too. That was the only negative though really, obviously I drink too much, no surprise there, but my results overall said my changes of heart attack was only 3%, that's not a bad stat. My blood pressure was good, my cholesterol was only 3.48 which is less than their ideal 5, my healthy cholesterol was over their ideal too at 1.52, yep I passed all the tests and I'm a happy lady. To me it proved that you can be overweight and healthy, I already know you can be underweight and unhealthy.

It's important to focus on the healthy and happy, that way the weight loss will become the side effect. The improvements we agreed I should make were, to have 2 or 3 alcohol free nights a week, give my liver chance to recover and to add in some vigorous exercise as I didn't think I did any, having looked at my fitbit last night maybe I do. I do play to start skipping though in the garden, once I've made a space and swept it through, I will try to do that tomorrow, if not definitely at the weekend. Stripping and making two beds and loading and unloading my car was my vigorous exercise for yesterday.

If you live in Wolverhampton and want a health check contact Catherine on 07824 350716 or check their website www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/healthcheck you need to be aged between 40 & 74 and NOT have any of the pre-existing conditions (diabetes, arthritis, heart attack/stroke, treated high blood pressure, treated cholesterol). For other areas here's the website link

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/nhs-health-check/Pages/How-do-I-get-an-NHS-Health-Check-new.aspx

After I'd been for that, I had a busy afternoon, housework, cooking lunch for my bestie, we had a 9sp meal, chicken and pesto flatties, these were from M&S but would be easy to make yourself, it was just a flattened chicken breast, with a bit of pesto sauce on and a sprinkle of cheese. We had our with actifry potatoes and carrots, plus green beans. Really good. For my tea I had 4sp smoked trout (very much like smoked salmon tbh) and a rainbow salad.

My breakfast had been delicious too, 8SP parmesan cheese & eggy bread, crispy bacon, mushrooms & cherry tomatoes.   Finished my day easily on track, ate some fruit, drank some water, tried the new pepsi max ginger – very nice indeed. I did knock over my mug of tea when I got home from work, all over the floor and my new rug, whole mug too. The night before I scolded myself on horlicks, I never have these accidents when I'm drinking red wine you know, just an observation.

Right today, it's gonna be hot I think, although I may have seen forecasts of storms, I've got a busy day ahead, my busiest working day of the week with five meetings, leave the house at 7.30, get back tonight about 8, so I need to be prepared for staying on track. I have some diet pop, water, fruit and the choice of 3 recipes from the new chicken cookbook I think I might have a go at, if I don't feel like it, there is a prepared chicken meal in the fridge I can use instead.

On that note, I better get going, things to do, places to be.

Here's to a having a tremendous Thursday BeYOUtiful, healthy & happy – we got this.

Yesterdays something that made my day memorable and I want to remember was obviously my health check results. Also my mom asking for a cold, fizzy drink – I don't think I've ever seen her drink a can of diet coke! Go figure.

Another good day in the bag!

21^st June 2017

Live a life that causes your soul to dance inside your body...

Summer Solstice, the longest day, the pessimists amongst us might be saying 'oh it's all downhill from now' but that's not true, it's also the start of summer, oh yes and today is set to be a very hot day apparently. Today is a great day to check in on yourself, what progress have you made towards your dreams and goals, are you doing enough to help them come to fruition? If you are, woo hoo, go you, if not, what can you do? The Summer Solstice is the annual opportunity to take advantage of the abundance of light that can help us release burdens, doubts and fears, so we can become a little freer, how can you honor the sun – get in it, soak it up, since, dance or create, go out there and enjoy it in some way. Play, just because you're a grown up doesn't mean you can still play! At work all day and don't have time for playing? Go buy yourself a bunch of fresh flowers for the house, celebrate the new life that the sun gives.

Anyway back to all things Weight Watchers, I had an excellent day yesterday, ended my day on 28 Smart Points, check me out and I did track everything, no wine meant it was easy to stay in my allowance. My meals were delicious too, I had fruit for breakfast, mostly because I ran out of time, doesn't happen often but it did yesterday. For our lunch we had Chicken sausage panzanella for 6sp, it was delicious, on page 44 of the new Chicken cookbook, so many recipes I want to try in this book, I've ordered the ingredients for 3 of them to come in my food delivery today.

For tea I did a concoction with stuff that needed using and it was unexpectedly delicious, a couple of pieces of lambs liver, 2 slices of back bacon, a courgette sliced up, mushrooms, onion, all stir fried together, then served on a jacket potato with a little gravy and a spoonful of red cabbage, it was seriously good and only 13sp. I had a good 7sp left after tracking everything including my milk in my tea and the coca cola I'd drunk because I'd picked up the wrong bottle and it wasn't diet! I've fancied a mug of horlicks for ages so decided to use the points on that, 5sp for the light version – ouch! Then double ouch because I spilt it and scolded my leg, not impressed at al, wine has never caused me such pain! Just saying!

I ended up having a long walk yesterday morning, well not so much long as heavy, I'd took Alfie for a quick whizz round the block so he could do his business before the weather got too warm, we ended up helping an old lady find her daughters house, she'd come out of hers to walk down and had lost her way and ended up off track. By now it was too warm for Alfie so I had to carry him, we were out an hour, my arms know they've been weight lifting this morning I can tell you! The lady did have dementia but I do think the heat and dehydration had probably made her worse poor love.

My skipping ropes arrived so I'm going to start by building up a minute here and there to get me moving more, my fitbit had over 14k steps on yesterday, I was really pleased with that. Busy today so not sure I'll get that many on there but I'll aim for the 10k, mom and I are at the doctors this morning, I'm cooking my bestie lunch, then I have my meetings tonight of course. But apparently I'm off to walk the dog first because he's just appeared behind me! I've told him I've just got to post this blog.

Here's to a super summer solstice, enjoying the day, staying on track, focusing on the positives, I heard truly sad news off some of my members yesterday, it made me count my blessings!

Yesterdays something that made my day memorable and I want to remember was, the conversation in my meeting this morning about sleeping in this heat and the chat I had with the old lady I helped home, oh and my dinner which was epic!