100% this week, no more messing about...

20 June 2017

As I began to love myself, my relationship with everyone changed.

Well that was a warm one wasn't it! We've all had an unsettled night in our house, poor Alfie kept moving around the floor in my bedroom to find a cool bit, there wasn't a cool bit on my bed, I've got to have sweat pounds off – I wish! I hadn't sweat any off yesterday, I got a stayed the same on the scales – no shame in a maintain.

This week I just got serious, I've bought myself a dress to wear to a meeting next month and I really want that half stone off, I've done a pound of it so far, so another 6 to go in just under 4 weeks. To do that I've got to start being a 100% Weight Watcher not a, oh I'm eating really good meals kind of Weight Watcher! It's not just the meals that cause the damage, it's not tracking the milk in my tea, pretending that extra glass of wine didn't happen, picking at moms leftovers (yes it's not just kids that have leftovers), forgetting how to say no, saying yes too often, it's the forgetting at the weekend how important it was to stay on track after weigh day.

I had a glass of wine left in a bottle from the weekend last night so I weighed it and enjoyed it, I won't be having another glass now until Saturday and then only if I have the spare Smart Points. I took my fitbit out of my handbag at lunchtime yesterday and popped it back in my pocket, then I went for a 45 minute walk on my own to earn some FitPoints, I'd already walked Alfie on the morning and he'd been in the mood so I easily hit my 10k steps yesterday. I ended the day on 31SP, that included the milk in my tea, the 3 dried apricots I'd enjoyed as I passed mom the bag and the spoonful of mango sauce I put on the side of my curry. Yep I tracked it all, 100% honestly! I also drank a good few pints of water and ate fruit, I had apple, satsuma and banana for breakfast, strawberries later and plenty of salad and veg. See I can do it when I put my mind to it, I won't lie, it is easier when the sunshines.

The main thing I've done though is changed my thoughts, I have decided I'm going to be happy, I'm not going to let my situation control how my mind works, I will focus on the positives, the smile moments. I think that realisation came when I laughed in the changing rooms on Friday, just remembering how in years gone by that same situation would have had me in tears and made me feel miserable but now it made me giggle was proof that you can change your thoughts, change your mindset and change the way you look at things and the way you behave. It's all in your head and your the one in control of that!

I've even ordered a skipping rope! Yep I'm going to have a go at skipping for a few minutes a day, I can always wear a tena lady if needed :) I don't just want to lose weight, I want to tone up a bit, I've noticed my body had become middle-aged, my legs have always been quite strong but I'm not as active as I was even 5 years ago, so they need toning, I'm going to try and walk more and do the skipping thing. I'm also going to have a look at the videos on the WW website, https://www.weightwatchers.com/uk/m/cms/ww-fitness-videos I wanna tone up my arms a bit, I opted for a dress with a sleeve yesterday because of my arms, I don't want to feel the need to do that.

Stone by September, I haven't forgot, I have forgot the date of the area meeting, but it's in my diary. Ah, it's the 16^th, so now I have how many weeks.... 12 weeks, come on I'm doing this!

In two weeks you'll feel it,

In four weeks you'll see it,

In eight weeks you'll hear it.

I wanna hear it, do you?

I have a plan, I'm taking it one day at a time, I've got food in my fridge and cupboards that will help me stay focused, I've not bought the foods that won't. Mom's going to help me too, she doesn't know it yet but I'm sure she'd like to lose a few pounds too, so together this week, we are going to get our healthy on. I've had a look through the new Chicken cookbook, when I have to get shopping I'm going to get the ingredients to some of those meals, but first I'll eat what's in the cupboards, 5 days to pay day and I went a little crazy buying a dress in Sainsbury's then another dress, 2 pair of shoes and a handbag, well I had a coupon didn't I!

On that note, I may not be lighter yet but the one thing I am is in love with myself, not in a conceited way, in a kind way and after sitting in my meeting as a member yesterday and seeing others who haven't got to that place yet, I'll keep this version of me over the thin still not happy with myself version of 20+ years ago.

I down loaded a memory journal yesterday, I would've bought the hard copy but it was about £35 so I bought the PDF version for $8, better bargain, one of the things it asks you to do every day is 'Write something that happened today. Something you would like to remember.' It then went on to explain

YOUR DAILY MEMORY

Write down something that you would like to remember. Something that made YOUR day memorable. Feel no pressure here (every day can’t be entirely awesome). One sentence is good enough. Did you have something delicious for dinner? Met a friend for coffee? Did the sun shine?

Writing down a daily memory will not only provide your life with more chronological landmarks (and give the perception of a longer, fuller life) but also train your brain in focusing on the positive.

I'm going to do this, I'm going to blog it and also put it on my timeline each night, that way it'll come up in my 'on this day' in years to come, it's important to focus on that positive stuff.

Right I'm off, I need more water and a shower to cool me off, here's to another 100% day, no 80/20 in my world this week..... 

Yesterday's Daily Memory;

Coming home to find a friend had popped in to keep mom company, done my washing up & swept my kitchen floor  & having another friend do her upmost to keep me motivated & on track via text for the last month 😂 it's finally working xx

It's hotting up!

19^th June 2017

One bad chapter doesn't mean your story is over.

And so begins another week, although this one is starting HOT, what a warm day it was yesterday and there wasn't any breeze at all, there's a little this morning so I've got all the windows open to try and cool the house down before the sun gets hotter.

There wasn't a lot done in our house yesterday, I didn't manage to clar up the kitchen on the afternoon, the floor still needs doing, actually the whole house needs a hoover but that wasn't going to happen yesterday. Walked Alfie twice, the random dog asked for a walk in the middle of the afternoon, 29 degrees and he wants to walk, barmy boy.

Foodwise I had a delicious bacon and mushroom sarnie for breakfast and mom fancied fish and chips so I had a fish sandwich with a superfood salad and it was delicious.

Weigh in today, I'll take anything it gives me, I said I'd do 2lb but who was I trying to kid.... To get 2lb off I'd have to be 100% on track and I haven't done that for a very long time. What I have been this week is in control of the snacking, I haven't bought the stuff so I haven't eaten it.

So I've paused my blog to come out with Alfie for a walk, it is lovely and fresh out here. Yesterday we were sitting in the shade - I never do that but it was evident it was gonna burn bad otherwise. Mom and I read the papers to each other, I did manage to find the odd happy story in amongst all the gloom.

Life is always better when you focus on the good stuff, even when that's difficult to do. There was a fantastic photo in one paper of 3 goslings and it said if you could only see 3 you weren't looking hard enough, there was a 4th in the clouds. The lady had took the photo as part of the 365 challenge, basically taking a photo every day of the year. I'm always taking photos but I do like the idea of taking one a day as a way of documenting my year. Yesterday's would have to be this one;

That's how we all felt by bedtime, so hot, no air, I assumed a similar position on top of the bed about half hour later (luckily there isn't a photo of me), I wasn't covered in fur though thankfully!

Oh it appears we are on a walking mission this morning, he's helping me burn a few calories before my weigh in I hope.

Not sure what's on the menu today, we're working through the fridge contents by use by dates. It's all healthy and delicious stuff though, whatever I'm having.

Right I'm waffling and I want to enjoy the scenery for a bit so I'll catch ta later.

Here's to another healthy and happy day, focus on the smile moments BeYOUtiful, I'm going too.  

Writing it down!

18th June 2017

The days worthwhile when you make someone smile.

What a glorious morning, Alfie's already got me out and walking about, it'll be much too warm for him later on so we'll enjoy the morning quiet. I've only just rolled out of bed long enough to make mom a cuppa. 

Yesterday was as predicted a very good day, I found out I was in the Chronicle a week or two back which is great just wished I had a copy of it to show mom and my boss of course.  After. Cracking meeting on the morning, I enjoyed my massage more than usual if that's possible.  Then I spent the afternoon in the garden, I actually read a magazine from cover to cover, thoroughly enjoyed doing nothing but chilling. 

I had egg and mushrooms on toast for breakfast, lunch was 11sp trout, poppy seed & lemon potato salad with a lemon & Dijon mustard dressing, that was really tasty. Then I even ate a bowl of fruit, whole orange which I cut myself ill have you know lol, apple and a few grapes. For tea mom and I shared an M&S potato, cheese and bacon bake. It was 10sp in half, but really tasty and if we'd been hungry I had served a piece of fish with it to bulk it out and maybe some veg. 

Yes food was delicious yesterday. I'm contemplating a long walk on my own this morning but it's already really warm so we shall see. Alfie's giving me a decent walk to be honest, although he's eating grass as I type, bless him this weather doesn't suit him at all.   

The power of the scales or Trevor as he's called  in my meetings, mostly because he's a tool and upsets people quite often, I named him as I wanted folk to realise they wouldn't let another person steel their joy and make them feel miserable as quickly as they give those scales the power to do!  

Now I decided yesterday that I was going back to living in the moment and focusing on the good stuff, the happy, the smiles, the things I'm grateful for rather than letting the negatives consume my thoughts. I was found to add "easier said than done" here but actually it isn't, once  I made that decision, it actually was easy because focusing on the good stuff is far more enjoyable. Just paying attention and looking for them. Now in that magazine I read yesterday, one article was about making lists and she talked about how one of her friends sat at night and reflected over her day writing a gratitude list. I thought why wait till the night, why not every time something makes you smile, or you acknowledge something you're glad of, why not make a note of it right there and then, I could be in a notebook, on your phone, heck a post on Facebook but by writing those moments down, they are there as a reminder on the days when doom hits, the days when you want to cry for whatever reason because life just seems so difficult. On those days you can get out those notes and realise there's a lot of good in your world and acknowledge that it's just a bad day today.  

You could do the same with your weight loss journey, acknowledge every good thing whether it be a healthy choice you've made or a benefit you've felt because of the weight loss you've had so far.  I may not be as slim as I have been at other stages of my life but I’m psychologically in a far better place these days, the changing room incident that made me chuckle on Friday would have made me cry in the past.  Not having a ‘perfect’ body would have left me distraught and miserable for weeks, I’d punish myself by under eating or overeating and killing it at the gym.  Yeah my Weight Loss happy and healthy list would be a long one even on weeks I didn’t lose these days.  Yesterday, I could’ve written that everything I ate was not just delicious, it was good for me too. 

My smile list yesterday consisted of a really thoughtful offer via text, a lovely thank you card of Tina’s grandson, he’d chosen the card himself because it was small like him :). Making my members laugh and forget their worries for a short time is always a positive to any day, a conversation with my massage lady about bingo wings, the entire day was one big smile yesterday if I’m honest.  

By writing them down, they won’t be forgotten on the darker days, I will re-read the lists over and over, I’ve written it in my Harry Potter notebook so it’s bound to be magical!

Here’s to a wonderful day, enjoying life the Weight Watcher way, healthy and happy BeYOUtiful, take care of you. 

Being silly is the best medicine...

17^th June 2017

The six best doctors are sunshine, water, rest, air, exercise and diet.

I had a lovely day yesterday, went to M&S to do some nice food shopping, my meals are going to be epic this weekend. Then I decided to have half hour shopping in TK Maxx and ended up in the changing rooms, WELL what's wth those surround sound style mirrors, what a scary sight they are.... We never, really look at ourselves that closely other than in those rooms where everything appears magnified, scary for sure. I just burst out laughing, the sales chap must have thought I was a nutter, I got my mobile out and I've took photos from every angle and NO you can't see them as they'd curdle milk! I've saved them and they are there as a reminder, actually maybe I'll print the buggers and stick them in the fridge and on my wine rack – it's a good job I love myself I tell ya cos otherwise I'd be crying in a cupboard right now. It's official, I've hit middle age, my body has changed so much, the weight gain is evident and I looked like a character from Doctor Who, however if I'm not happy with it, I need to do something about it. Having said that, this morning, looking in my mirror on the landing, it doesn't look quite so bad ;) I shall continue with the healthy and happy plan and do the best I can with the situation I have.

Back to food! For lunch we had these;

Tasty, if a little too quickly eaten, 14sp for half of each. Then for tea I had Coconut, lemongrass & lime leaf chicken breast escalopes with coleslaw and WW wraps 11sp.

I can't wait for my next meal, so many new things to try, I love it. I'm even considering a salad for breakfast, well they look so good.

This sunshine better last all weekend, I need me a long walk I decided yesterday, either getting in the car and driving to the Wrekin or maybe just through the farmers fields on the edge of our estate, to be honest that's glorious enough and right on my doorstep. I want to sit in my garden tomorrow with my book and chill, I think I'm going to re-read 'Stepping out of the cloud' by Emma Triplett as it had some really good tips in there and I feel I could maybe do with a few at the moment. I've got me a magazine to have a read of too, so real downtime this weekend I reckon.

Today I've got a massage to enjoy too, that's my treat for this week, turn off completely for an hour and forget the world.

Last night reminded me of the importance of fun, I love to laugh but fun and silliness has been missing lately and I was reminded of that last night when Bonnies dad made me jump out in the kitchen, we all laughed and it instantly lightened my mood and I stayed there with that lifted mood. I know this morning will be full of chuckles, it always is, so here's to a weekend of sunshine and laughter, lightening the moment and not taking life too seriously. I've been in danger of thinking too much lately and it needs to stop, it's not who I am or what I do, so back to living in the moment, not thinking too much because you end up creating a problem that wasn't even there in the first place.

Back to focusing on and enjoying the small things, the simple things, the things that truly matter like sunshine, loved ones, laughter oh and of course fine wine and delicious food! Remember every time you are able to find some humour in a difficult situation, you win. On that note BeYOUtiful, I'm off to get ready for a sunshine kind of day.

Survived another day...

16^th June 2017

Be strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when you need help, and brave enough to ask for it.

I do love a slow start to the day, rolling over and managing to snooze for a little while, then getting up and making myself a mug of tea whilst I walk round the house opening curtains, turning on my Scentsy warmers and changing the waxes in them to make my house smell good, whilst they warm up I've also turned my diffusers on and put 'boost' oil in, it says wake up to brisk bouyant bergamot, energizing mint and a hint of balancing amyris on the website, well I like the sound of that! I've just took mom her cuppa and medication and we're both starting our day relaxed. It'll all change in half hour as I have the doctors this morning about my prawn incident and then I'm off shopping, I'll enjoy this time though.

Oh I've just had a flashback, my lunch yesterday was amazing, a whole trout I sliced a lemon and lay it inside it with some fresh dill and oregano, sliced onions and red pepper. I baked it for half hour and had it with samphire and some quinoa and freekah, both grains, I bought them together in a mix from Waitrose last year, I cooked that as per instructions on the packet but added a fish stock pot to it, what a delicious meal. Breakfast had been egg sandwich which I took with me and tea was leftover pulled pork in a bit of Sainsbury's basic curry sauce on a jacket potato. Survived another day is what I did right there, there's still the big glass of red wine, but it's progress, we're coping with life right now and I'll take anything I can.

I slayed the pineapple in the kitchen too yesterday, so if your one of my members you know I'm not great with fruit, it often sits in my kitchen and threatens me, this pineapple I bought at the weekend because it was only 29p, all week it's sat there mocking me, “you've gotta eat me, you need to prepare me, you coward you, come on!” I'd spent the week not listening and thinking, 'yeah but you were only 29p, you can rot and go in the bin!' but yesterday I got the knife and prepped and sliced it and I have to admit, it tasted lush. It's not going to make me any better with fruit but again every time I do it is a mini achievement in my house. Today I'll be buying ready chopped fruit, as there ain't no shame in it. Yesterday when I left the house at 7.30am I had a kitchen sink full of washing up glaring at me, the work surfaces were hiding, no they weren't scared they were just covered in crap and Alfie was looking at me longingly and stroking my leg saying, 'I wanna walk' and I'm saying 'I ain't got time, I'll take you when I get back', the last thing I was doing was preparing fruit, but what I was able to do was take a little bag of ready chopped apple with grapes in out of the fridge and eat it on my way to work. Yep I'm proud to say I buy ready cut fruit!

I'm going to M&S to shop today, going to treat myself to some goodies, I have a discount card today and I'm not afraid to use it ;) If I can only eat 3 meals a day, I'm gonna make them good ones this weekend to attempt to keep me on track. It's the dine in offer too. Now it's too easy to opt for the bad stuff but I'm gonna go healthy, I fancy the sound of chicken sharwarma! Until I see it though and check out the nutritional info I won't know if it's healthy. My side dishes with be the salads or veggie choices and the dessert, well I think strawberries might be a choice so.... but then mom might get something. We're both trying to be healthier as she's gained a few pounds not being as mobile as she was.

Right I better get this day started, I may be BeYOUtiful but I need a wash! Oh the sky is so blue and the sun is shining, my kind of day... Let's enjoy it shall we?  

No emotional eating here today!

15^th June 2017

Rule your mind or it will rule you.

Yesterday was emotional, I'm good at not thinking, worrying for me is a waste of time, about as useful as a wooden rocking horse, it gives you something to do but gets you nowhere. However when I was walking the dog yesterday morning, for a moment I thought about the look of pain in my moms face that morning and I was just consumed with emotion and the tears flowed and they wouldn't stop, I feel so helpless about her pain, the lack of power I have to do anything about it and I cried and cried. I called the Admiral Nurses (the dementia nurses we raised £5k for in Feb/Mar so thank you again everyone) when I got home, they helpline were wonderful and she talked to me until I calmed down and gave me ideas for help, I felt calmer once I'd had that chat. I went back to the doctors but I couldn't get an appointment or to talk to him as of course he's overworked, I have left a message to say her painkilling medication still isn't working and the pain is affecting the dementia so we shall see if he gets back to me. She has her dementia review next week so if I don't hear anything at least I can ask them! It's all awful, watching someone in pain is just horrid but I will not focus on that today, today I will focus on smiling, enjoying my work and making moms day as comfortable as possible and maybe throw in a few giggles along the way for her, distraction is the key. Dementia sucks!

Anyway back to more enjoyable things, I managed to stay on track yesterday and didn't emotionally eat, or eat through frustration or boredom or any of those reasons that cause us to overeat, I won't lie, I was quite impressed with myself. I ate fruit for breakfast, then a late lunch of salt and pepper cod with asparagus and sweet potato, it was tasty indeed. I put a joint of shoulder pork in the slow cooker, I took off all the fat, put some sliced onion, celery and garlic underneath it and a bit of stock in with it, then I cooked it on low for about 10 hours until it was completely cooked through and I shredded it. 

I then made a No Count coleslaw with some quark and a sachet of the new Smoky BBQ sauce from the meetings, I had that in a WW wrap for my tea, really tasty. I might have the leftovers with some mash and veg for lunch today. I've also got a whole trout that needs cooking so I'll bake it with lemon and dill, actually I'll have that for my lunch and make my pork dinner ready to have for my tea. The trout will be lush on a bed of couscous, mmm nom nom. See having good food to look forward too makes it easier for me to resist the junk, eggs for breakfast for sure, I might make an egg sarnie and take it with me to eat when I'm at work so I don't have to rush this morning, not hungry yet either.

I've already eaten my little back of fruit, apple and grapes, yesterday mom and I sat in the garden for a bit, I picked the raspberries we have growing, pulled up the spreaders otherwise the entire garden will become on massive raspberry bush, mom sat and cut the weeds up so they'll fit in the bin easier. Wasn't it a hot one yesterday! Apparently it's here to stay for a week, hopefully I'll get to enjoy it over the weekend, I do love to sit in the garden, good book, sunshine, you can't beat it.

We had a new Weight Watcher cookbook delivered yesterday too, all chicken recipes, so I'll take a look at that over the weekend see if there's anything worth making.

Today is going to be a No Count day, a positive day, putting my big girl pants on and getting on with the business at hand – we got this BeYOUtiful, let's have a good one.

Here's to another great day...

14^th June 2017

Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you'll understand what little chance you have in trying to change others!

Morning and a glorious one it looks like from my window too. I've already been down and put a joint of pork in the slow cooker, I'm experimenting! I've never been a pork fan but I'm going to cook it slowly and see if I can shred it and then have it with gravy and mash I think, we'll see, I might go down the sweet and sour route yet.

Yesterday was a No Count success, breakfast was egg and tomatoes on toast, lunch was a nice big piece of salmon on a bed of couscous and vegetables, I added a stockpot to the vegetables which once the couscous was cooked and stirred through made for a delicious meal. The for my tea I had Weight Watcher wraps stuffed with home made coleslaw and chicken. I bought the coleslaw pack from Morrisons already shredded but instead of using the dressing in the bag I mixed quark with mint sauce, tasty it was.

I think it'll be a counting day today because I want gravy on my pork, ooo be nice on a bap, or with mash and veggies, whatever I have I will finish the day on track, I want 2lb gone by Monday.

The salmon I had yesterday was immense, it was off the fish counter at Morrisons, £3 per steak though, it's not cheap to be healthy and tasty is it! The cod I've bought was the same price and I had a trout for about the same. If you compare it to the piece of pork I had for £6, that was a couple of kg I bet, the fish was about 200g per piece. Mmm I know you can buy healthy cheap but if you want the tasty stuff too, it does push the price up.

Couscous is cheap, that's a great way of bulking out the meal and getting it tasty, I'm loving those stock pots for adding flavour quickly and without effort.

Oh we had telecare here yesterday, they've bought me a pill dispenser not a minute too soon as after I'd left the house yesterday, mom must have gone back to sleep, then when she woke up she thought I'd gone out without giving her, her breakfast and medication so she'd got up and found it herself, thus double dosing! At least this way I can lock it all up and she can't get to it. They've also given her a pager watch thing that she can press to get my attention or it will go off automatically if she falls. It's not going to work though because when I came home from work, she'd took it off and left it on the side!

I rang the carers support team 6 weeks ago and the lady said someone would call me within 2 weeks to arrange an appointment, yeah you guessed it, they haven't. The forms I filled in almost two months ago now, heard nothing. It's a good job we're managing isn't it. I believe its carers week this week. If you're interested http://www.carersweek.org/about-us there's info there. I'll continue to do what I'm doing, I think it might mean another trip to the doctors for her as her ankle is now swollen and I'm not sure what's going on there.

I will stay on track and lose 2lb this week!

What will you do BeYOUtiful? Enjoy your day.

When you're reminded your just greedy!

13^th June 2017

Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.

As suspected I gained a pound, it only works if you follow it, my meals have been okay but it's the extras I've been having on top. Right this week I've committed to 2lb off, I need to stop messing about and just do what I know I can do. Ended yesterday 100% tracked, with a blue dot and that was with having Eggs Benedict for breakfast in the cafe after the meeting. I didn't make the supermarket, I opted for an hour in the cafe with 3 members from the meeting, much more needed.

I did finally have a clear out of my ingredients cupboard though, threw away any out of date spices and stuff, now to get stocked up with stuff to help my weight loss, tinned veg for a start. I do have all those grains to use up though, I think today I might opt for No Count and see what I can do with some of them, nip and get some spring onions, carrots, mushrooms and get a bit creative for lunchtime. Couscous topped with fish would be tasty, that's lunch sorted. Egg and tomatoes on toast for breakfast, keep it simple and use some of those tomatoes in the fridge, then tea, well, I can think about it, I have potatoes so chips is the obvious, ooo or a sweet potato jacket, just need a topping! Mince beef with a flavouring of some sort perhaps. Yeah that's more like it, I hadn't got my food shopping head on yesterday, I wouldn't have bought good food, but I think for sure, No Count will help me this week to make wise choices and keep me in check. I will lose 2lb, I want to lose 2lb, I shall stay focused for the coming week, 6 days left, 1 day done.

I sat there last night thinking I'm not hungry, I don't need any tea but I want to eat.... What's that all about ay, I'd had a substantial breakfast that had kept me going for hours, for dinner I had leftover swede and mash with leftover gravy, I didn't have a lot but it filled me up again. Then when it came to my third meal of the day I was running out of points, the breakfast set me back 17sp easily. In the end I decided on a 4sp tea, Weight Watcher crackers with a tin of WW tuna in coronation sauce, I just wanted to eat something nice without the points or effort and that did the job. I distracted myself too to take my mind of eating, then we went to bed. Rock and roll in our house!

As I was told yesterday 'stop blaming the weather, we're just greedy! We don't need an excuse to eat, we just love food'. She wasn't wrong! I don't need an excuse, I do just like eating, however this week that eating is going to be good food, the remaining crisps are wrapped in a carrier bag in the shed for the food bank, there's a food bank at Bloxwich on Thursday, I might take them there, as they won't survive another weekend in my house, I need them out of my house especially as they're not even flavours mom would eat.

Right I need to go sort mom out, so I'll be off. Here's to making Tuesday tremendous, whatever the day may throw at me and from the noises coming from mom, it's going to be testing!

Healthy and happy BeYOUtiful, healthy and happy xx   

Too much food, not enough meals '-)

12^th June 2017

Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud.

Roast chicken dinner, it doesn't get much better than that, there's enough left over in the fridge for the same today too, might need to be done! We had to have chicken for tea last night too because when I bought the chicken from the Co-op yesterday morning it was 2 for £7, as they didn't have any salmon, I picked up one whole chicken and a half chicken in lemon and garlic, not noticing the use by date on it was the same day, so we had that for tea on ranch dressing coleslaw – so good.

This week I plan to get some grains back on my plate, I'm thinking couscous or quinoa as I know they're in my cupboards, might do a couple of No Count days this week, get some cod or trout, yeah I need to visit a fish counter, I'll just steer clear of the prawns!

I need to look for some more stock pot type things too, I feel a stroll round a supermarket coming on, maybe the big Sainsbury's in the town after I've been weighed, a good mooch looking for ideas.

I bought some tomatoes yesterday because they were reduced and I've roasted them, now to decide whether to make a pasta sauce or tomato soup with them, decisions, decisions.

I got quite frustrated trying to write my meal planner yesterday, I feel like I've lost my mojo, or maybe I'm just going through a period of enjoying simple food that quick and easy to make. I look through the recipe books and think 'nah', so back to basics for me it is then. I need to have a good week, I want to get a couple of pounds off over the next 7 days because I know I haven't done great again this week – it don't work if you only do it from 6am – 8pm! That hour from 8-9pm can completely blow your day and that's where I've been going wrong, moms gonna have to go back to skips and wotsits because I can't resist the Walkers crisps, I just can't. I try, I even put them in the food bank stuff in the shed and went and fetched a bag out! Maybe if I do a bit of No Count, I'll be fuller, if I have chicken dinner today, I'd have to either not have Yorkshire or point today do No Count tomorrow. At least there's a choice I guess, oh why isn't the good stuff on the free list lol.

I really do need to go back to basics, see the points I have and decide how I want to spend them, its food at the end of the day, if I don't have Yorkshire pudding today, I won't die, I can still have a delicious day, it's the gravy that made the dinner yesterday to be fair, so loads of veggies, swede and mash, chicken and gravy is going to be epic and help me with my weight loss, which is a priority for me for this week. I'll have fruit for breakfast, save me some points, then a delicious chicken dinner.

Tea is still under negotiations, I have those tomatoes that need using up, I'm thinking either some white fish roasted with a little chorizo on a bed of courgetti spaghetti which I'm loving right now or persian kofta skewers (or I'll do as meatballs), I have a spice packet that just needs a few things adding to it and that would be delicious on the courgetti spaghetti too, mix some roasted tomatoes pasta sauce through, mmm. This is why I struggle to lose weight, too much delicious food, not enough meals!

I've started a 'meals I loved' list to help me with future meal plans. I've got some sweet potatoes I bought because they were reduced too (need to stop doing that), so I'm thinking sweet potato curry, I could actually make that this afternoon and eat it tomorrow or Wednesday, it'll get better with time.

You can read the indecisiveness in my blog can't you, I just don't know what I want to eat because I want to eat everything, the weather isn't helping at all, if it was hot I'd be planning salads etc, but it can't decide whether to be hot, cold, wet or dry, it's crazy weather, we need some summer now thank you very much.

Right I've got a meeting to get ready for, as a member this time though, I'm not hopeful for a loss I have to say, I need to get more 80/20 as opposed to 60/40!

Let's do this, I will nip to the supermarket for inspiration on my way home, I need fresh, healthy ingredients to make me smile in the kitchen.

Happy Monday BeYOUtiful.

What a glorious day...

11^th June 2017

If you aren't willing to work for it, don't complain about not having it!

What a glorious morning, let's hope it's going to stay dry and sunny, it'd be nice to sit up the garden this afternoon. I do fancy spending some time in the kitchen today though, I'm feeling a Sunday roast possibly, decisions, decisions, I'll need to go to the shops if I do that, but whatever I have, I need mash and gravy in my life today for sure. Yeah, chicken dinner and an hour making a meal plan for the coming week and doing a shopping list, how lucky are we that we get a choice, I'm just watching a squirrel run round outside and he can have monkey nuts or monkey nuts and that's only if I put em out, otherwise he's got to go hunt for his dinner.

I had a lovely relaxed day yesterday, meeting on the morning where as always we had a giggle and started my weekend off well, followed by a massage, dog walk then the afternoon in front of the tv, very nice it was.

I'll be doing more in the way of housework today but not yet, another cup of tea first...

I need to get my kitchen mojo back, I really enjoyed getting creative again in the kitchen the other day, so need to get back to that, the difference a chicken stockpot made to those courgettes was simply the way forward, I need more things like that in my kitchen, I know we can mix our own concoctions together but seriously, sometimes you just want someone else to have got the measurements right for you don't you! I need to sort out my ingredients cupboard, throw away out of date stuff and see what I have left. I also want to use some of the couscous and any other grains I've got going on in the cupboards. Yeah cupboard sort out today it is, let's see what I've got, what I can do with it and what I need to make it complete. I might have a declutter too, anything I'm not using in there can be boxed up and moved on, no point in a gadget that isn't used or a pan that's never used, I know I have an omelette maker that's been used once if that, time to say bye, bye.

I reckon Alfie will be asking for a walk in a bit, I do hope he's up for a good, long one, earn some FitPoints before tomorrows weigh in! The second cuppa has worked it's magic, I'm ready to get going, I've got some Weight Watcher training to do online too, so I may look at that later, today will be a useful day, I'm recharged after my afternoon of rest yesterday.

Sunday – let's have ya!

Enjoy your day BeYOUtiful, because I know I will.

On track...

10^th June 2017

Just because you aren't making progress as fast as you think you should does not mean you aren't making progress. Keep going...

We decided to go healthy for lunch yesterday, we both want to lose weight so healthy is the way forward, I've got that meeting on July 13^th that I'd like half stone gone for and my bestie has a wedding at the end of July she wants 10lb gone. We need to remind each other of this and remember for the next 4-6 weeks. We've got this!

I'm so glad I made that decision too as our lunch was delicious if I do say so myself I baked my salmon fillets with a little lemon and some chives, then roasted some vegetables alongside them. I sliced 2 courgettes into very fine strips so they were about the same thickness as the wholewheat linguine I was cooking, I cooked it in a separate pan with a chicken stockpot to add a little flavour to it and then when both were cooked I stirred together and the result was delicious, would definitely make again, my portion was 10sp or No Count, bonus.

Having cooked like that yesterday, it's given me some of my cooking mojo back, I enjoyed it, I'm going to get back into being more creative in the kitchen, that's one of the things I plan to do this weekend, sit and plan and get creative. Looking at the weather, there won't be much else I'll be wanting to do! What a wet, murky day, not to worry, I'll find plenty to do indoors, also I play to have a day of doing not a lot of anything after my meeting this morning.

It goes to show where you shop can save you a lot of money, I wanted salmon, I popped into M&S because I was going to treat us to something really nice, the salmon was £6.50 for 2 pieces, in Co-op over the road I got 4 pieces for £7 not a bad difference! Plus I had collected points on my Co-op card since it's opened so I got them for free using that. I need to nip to Lidls to check out how much they are there as I really do like a bit of salmon and if doing No Count it makes it free, worth it on a counting day too I reckon as it's tasty, mmm.

Had a fantastic night at Essington last night, it was lovely to see the room so full and the best bit was when one of my new members said, 'I've got a good feeling about this meeting, I had it as soon as I walked in, you know when you're buying a new house and it just feels right, that's how it felt'. How lovely is that to know that my helpers and my members are doing something right! Actually they're obviously doing everything right if that's how a new member feels on their first night.

Now what to eat today? I enjoyed having fish yesterday, now fancying some white fish but don't have any fresh, theres a couple of pieces in the freezer but they've got to have been there over a year! I enjoyed the pasta too, not had that for a long time, maybe a No Count day today, ooo I have steak, that can be my dinner with chips and mom can have egg and beans, mmm steak and onions and mushrooms, sorted. I'll have eggs on toast for breakfast. I definitely need to write a proper shopping list and plan some meals tomorrow then. I've got a bag of ranch coleslaw mix, that'll go nice on the side too and I can what's left for a snack with some crackers later if I want, or on a slice of bread.

Anyway, I'm starting to waffle about food, I can't help it, I likes it a lot, the chips might have to be mash, see my minds still on the food, ooo mustard mash or chorizo mash, maybe I'll end up counting so I can have that, decisions, decisions, so nice to have the choice.

Right I'm off, here's to making our grey sky silver and having a cracking good day, we can survive the weekend BeYOUtiful, we got this!

It's gonna be a good day.

9th June 2017

You are entirely up to you...

Friday morning, got my bestie nipping over for lunch, all is good in my world, it won't help my weight loss today won't but I've decided today that's okay, tomorrow I will be doing 100% and all weekend, I have a plan lol...

Seriously though, I've lost 2lb in 2 weeks, I want the half stone by July 13th if possible, and a stone for September, those goals are still in place.

Let's make that even more real for myself, because I have a very short memory and forget those goals, despite having put a sign up in my office!   Today is the 9th June, if I take tomorrow as day 1, that means I have this plan.   

10th June - Day 1

17th June - week 1 done

24th June - week 2 done

1st July - week 3 done

8th July - week 4 done - I will have lost my half stone!

15th July - week 5 done

22nd July - week 6 done

29th July - week 7 done

5th August - week 8 done

12th August - week 9 done

19th August - week 10 done

26th August - week 11 done

2nd September week 12 done

9th September - week 13 and where I will have lost a stone!

That makes it real, notice the language I'm using, I'm writing as if it's definitely going to happen, none of that namby pamby 'I hope', 'I should', 'I want to', not I'm saying it with conviction, "I WILL!" 2lb down, 12lb to go, starting in the morning, actually I won't be ridiculous today, I'll just enjoy lunch and I know it won't be within my Smart Points allowance, the rest of the day will be okay.

Why half stone by July you may be thinking, I've got a big WW meeting thing and as I'm trying to find reasons to focus on, that's good enough, I would like to be half stone lighter, finally shed the Christmas gain and all my clothes will fit better, although I think a new dress may be on the cards, so if you've seen something you think would look great on me, send me a link because these days I'm a lazy shopper too.  Stone by September for my area meeting, I want to get back closer to my official goal and show that I too can do the Smart Points thing and get the results and not just motivate and coach my members to do it!

I'm going to make it through Saturday with what I know I have in the fridge, then Sunday I'm going to do some meal planning when I have time to sit and breathe.  Plus can I order some sunshine please because everything in my life is easier to do when the sun shines.

I have a dog sat behind me, dogging me, he wants to go for a walk, I'm telling him I want to drink my tea and finish blogging, he's pretending he doesn't understand by giving me the look, I know he does, I also know he's going to win and I'll get dressed and take him.  Although it's raining at the moment so I'm going to delay it as long as I can because I had my haircut yesterday and its still looking good this morning, I don't want that spoiling!

Okay I need to type fast because he wants to go, I'll do me some meal planning, I might use my dog walking time to start thinking about ideas, although I enjoy listening to my audio book when I'm walking the dog. 

Yeah I'm off, I can't take this pressure lol, I can't see him but I can feel the sadness, the silent pleading for a walk, I love my crazy life I do.

Here's to a fantastic Friday, be grateful for all you have and all you are because you are truly BeYOUtiful.