There are some people out there who will tell you constantly that “diets don’t work”. Even when they see the weight coming off, they are waiting and watching for you to ‘fall’. They want you to eat junk food with them and overindulge in the ol’ alcohol – all in the name of a good night out. They are even quite happy to see you putting on a few inches around the middle and digging your ‘fat clothes’ out from the back of the wardrobe. They will convince you that love handles are ‘cute’ and that a found face is ‘angelic’.

“Social Sabotagers” is what they are and they’re up to no good I tell you, no good.

What is a Social Sabotager?

Do you have someone in your life (maybe in your house!) who – whenever a ‘social’ situation crops up is guaranteed to say:

“Go on, one won’t hurt” ... or

“I feel like MacDonalds for lunch. Why don’t you just have some fries?” ... or

“Well if you’re allowed 15 Syns a day, why not have 45 today and then none for 2 days?” ... or

“What’s the point in coming out if you’re not going to drink with us??” ... or

“You only live once!”

They just don’t seem to appreciate the delicate line between success and failure when you have a bad relationship with food and are battling to fix it.

The problem with “One won’t hurt” is that they’re right – one won’t hurt at all. But when does one ever stay as one? I can’t eat one cube of chocolate from a Dairy Milk bar. Can you?

The “fast food” trap – Again, I can’t walk into McDonalds and order a small fries after smelling the rest of their menu cooking or seeing everyone else in a state of Burger Munchin’ Bliss. Give me a Quarter Pounder ... now!!

And the danger of Pre-Spending your Syns (having a few days worth in one go) is two-fold. 1) You will feel like pooh once that junk food hits your system all in one go. You’re not used to it anymore so you will immediately feel sluggish and bloated. Yuk. This can then lead to yet more ‘comfort eating’ to cheer yourself up. And you will then have the added fear factor of “But what if I want a glass of wine tomorrow, or a Galaxy Ripple during my fave tv programme?”. Nope. Can’t. You had them all two days ago remember? You could use your 15 Syns for tomorrow and start afresh the next day ... but will you remember? And here begins a vicious circle, see.

One of my biggest irritations is when I’m told that I’m not going to be fun if I’m not drinking. And it’s a trap I always fall into. And – shamefully – sometimes push onto others. “Oh okay then, I’ll drink with you guys”. And I don’t know about you, but once I get that taste of vodka, it’s a very slippery slope until my head hits my pillow anywhere between 2am-5am.

And finally – “You only live once!”. Very true – however, I’d rather live it in clothes I choose to wear and not clothes which ‘will do’ because they hide my ‘fat bits’.

Do you recognise any of this? Please feel free to add your own!! :-)

So anyway, today I’m going to Name & Shame the biggest Social Sabotager I know. And you know what? I bet you know them too!!!

It’s ME!

I am my own Social Sabotager. I am always saying stupid things to myself, such as the things listed above and more. I am the first one to find an ‘excuse’ to eat whatever I want. Someone is upset? Here, let’s some chocolate to cheer you up. Oooh, it’s a Bank Holiday and the sun is out – drinkies!! Oh lovely, here comes friggin' Star Week (SW ladies know what this is lol) – well blow it, I’m pigging out now for sure.

Once I get into a mindset of “I can’t be bothered”, everything spirals. The more I tell myself I can’t do it, the more true it becomes.

Case in point: The last 3-4 weeks have involved Bank Holiday weekends, lots of social occasions, a few upsets and Star Week. I have practised ‘Flexi Syns’ for a few days, been On Plan for a few days, and then gone totally off the rails for a few days. Every week. And each time it happens, I count down the days to Weigh In and think “Well, you’ve definitely put on this week – might as well write it off and start afresh on Thursday”. And every week, it’s Treat Night after Weigh In which involves large amounts of grease, and then Friday I haven’t bothered to go shopping so it’s “grab whatever is to hand” and run out the door to work, and then the weekends have been full of visiting friends or having people over or necessary housework or SOMETHING and then BOOM it’s Monday and I STILL haven’t been shopping for my precious lifesaving Muller Lights etc.

SORT IT OUT NEFFY!

The last two Weigh Ins at Group have resulted in two gains for me. Bad times. The Boy hasn’t gone at all because he’s been Off Plan since his birthday. I’m going to nag nag nag until he comes back, don’t you worry. My mom on the other hand has been keeping her head down and ignoring the crazy eating habits of the “dwellers in the roof” (yup, that’s me and The Boy) and has actually had a loss two weeks running and is very close to her 1 stone award. And I cannot tell you how wonderful that is. My mom used to be the BIGGEST Social Sabotager of all – if there was any excuse to eat sweets or platefuls of toast, she was there with bells on. But now, she is doing incredibly well!! I don’t know where her amazing willpower has come from but I can’t see it going any time soon. Things have changed around here for good it seems.

So ... what am I going to do? I’ll be honest. Not much. I still have quite a few social engagements to get through in the next few weeks and I know that if I try to go back On Plan 100% right now, then I will be lining myself up for a fall. I know my own mind and I know I just won’t be able to do it. And that will make me rebel against it (because I’m stubborn like that) and that will lead to an even bigger weight gain. Stupid yes, but true nonetheless.

I have decided that for the next 3-4 weeks until all my socialising has calmed down a bit, I’m going to stick to Plan 100% during the weekdays but be Off Plan with no pressure at weekends. It might sound totally scary and alien to those of you on here who are fellow SW devotees but right now it’s what I need to do. And I don't adovate it and I certainly don't suggest you do this with me! I don't want to get blamed for your gain!! lol

On a positive note though, last night (in a moment of clarity) I got all my old back catalogue of SW magazines out and I ripped out about 30 odd pages of recipes that I want to try in the next month. I really NEED to get back in the kitchen – I haven’t really cooked anything for at least two weeks in all honesty. Apart from a bit of pasta. That’s quite shocking considering what the Plan is all about! And honestly, I’m excited about some of the lovely recipes I found. It did give me a little boost :-) I will try them out and report back (with pics of course) so that hopefully some of you can also get some new inspiration.

Happy June people! You only live once – live it healthy!

Weigh In Result ... & Man Of The Year!!

Time to celebrate!

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Tonight a very successful Weigh In for the family (I lost 2 lbs; the Boy also lost 2 lbs; & my mom - who swore blind last night that she had put on this week - lost 1 lb). And it was also a yummy "taster evening" jam packed with inspirational dishes. And ...... drum roll ...... we had our Man Of The Year 2010 award. Excitement!

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For the "tasters", I took the SW quiche (that I posted the recipe for on here the other week), and mom took her homemade tuna sushi. Lots of requests for the sushi so I will post full details in the week so people at home can try it out. The food from everyone on offer tonight was sooooo good - I was very impressed by our Group. My friend Christine made a humous which I'm definitely going to post the recipe for here when I have it. We dipped carrot sticks & raw peppers in it and oh-my-god - delish! There were a few desserty type dishes which I will also definitely post here as they were SO YUMMY (finally!!). So far I've never had any luck with SW desserts so I'm eager to try the ones out that I tried tonight. One, for instance, was a Spiced Apple Cake. I can barely allow myself to think about it now that I'm home with none here to snack on - it was that good *drooool* And at 6.5 Syns for two small pieces, it is less than a Galaxy Ripple & waaaaay more satisfying. Will post the recipe as soon as I get it from the member who made it.

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Clare invited a successful SW Consultant to speak to us tonight. She has been in the local & national papers (and on GMTV) for her 9 stone weight loss & she looks great. I think it really helped a lot of our members to hear that her weight loss had at times been a struggle & - yes - there were some weeks where she didn't succeed. But she confirmed that the key is to just keep going & you WILL get there if you want to. By the way, it only took her 23 months to lose that weight. And - as I often repeat on here - it was simply down to a change in her eating habits & then some exercise when she reached a point she was comfortable with. No tricks, no crash/fad diets. Just dedication, commitment & faith in herself that she could do it. And she did. Wonderful to see & very inspiring for our Group. Thank you Clare for arranging this!!!
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Next up was the Man Of The Year 2010 award.
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We have two guys in our Group ('the Boy' and another chappy, Scott, who is one half of a lovely couple). The guys were asked to come up to the front with Clare & say a few words about their weight loss. In typical 'bloke' fashion, they both clammed up & the whole process took about 5 minutes, ha. Bless them. They both looked fab though (& proud of themselves - rightly so) & it was cool to see some before/after photos & clothing that Scott had brought in.
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The Boy

(with our wonderful Consultant, Clare)

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Scott

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“Cut to the chase Neffy”. Okay, the nominations were counted and I am SUPER PROUD to announce that my darling bouncing baby boy WON !! :-) There was only 1 lb in it between his & Scott's weight loss so they were both very deserving but I must admit that I was chuffed to bits for the Boy. I am still in awe of his dedication to the Plan & the support he gives me at home. When I am having a bad evening & I desperately want an extra glass of wine or some chocolate, he'll be right on hand to tell me "Don't give up mum". We have a chalkboard in our kitchen & he wrote an a very supportive message for my mom & I this week, awwwww. And let's not forget - he turns 17 next Friday & yet he turns up to Group each week, sacrificing his Thursday nights with his friends & then he sticks to the Plan 95% throughout the week. It must be very tough for him (even tougher than last time we did SW a couple of years ago) & I'm so glad that he got recognition for his hard work tonight.

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WELL DONE !!!

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The Boy receiving a SW mug, pen & certificate

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BEFORE: February 2010

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AFTER - 1 stone 6 lbs healthier!

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The Boy said to me when we got home ..... "I'm buzzing" :-) That about sums up the vibe in our house this evening. Hoorah!

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Feeling very positive about the week ahead. I do have a 'danger zone' over the weekend as I'm going away to visit extended family but I will plan for that as much as I can (within reason - I plan on enjoying myself!) & hopefully I can do some 'damage control' when I get back :-)

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Have a beautiful, inspirational & successful week everyone! Be gorgeous!!

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P.S. Look what these two were up to while Clare was trying to conduct Group tonight. In their own little world enjoying their SW taster desserts ...... hehehe

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We can still seeeeee youuuuu!

Weigh In Result - 22/04/10

Sorry for the delay in posting this week’s update but I’ve been incredibly busy since Thursday evening & this is the first chance I’ve had to sit down & get Blogging.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect this week as I’d been in a bit of a stressed out state of mind (men!) & hold my hands up to overindulging the weekend before (Carly!). Ummm, and then my sister came round on Weigh In day & we decided to make use of my mom’s new sun-deck. And - picture the scene - to christen the deck in style, we needed something to drink. So yes, up until about one hour before Weigh In, I was lazily slurping wine in the glorious sunshine. But! I still lost 2.5 lbs so hoorah!

Starting Weight:
11 stone 3 lbs

Current Weight:
10 stone 5.5 lbs

Total Lost:
11.5 lbs

Target Weight:
9 stone 7 lbs

Still to Lose:
12.5 lbs

Check that out! Less than a stone to go already! Okay, it’s ON now because - remembering last time I went through this - the weight loss starts slowing down a bit now so I need to keep on the ball. "Dear Waist-line, I'm watching you ......."

Family Update: My mom lost 1 lb which was a well deserved loss & I’m super duper proud. She had a tough week & normally that would have guaranteed to have her reaching for the fridge or nipping to the shop for a choccie bar a-bit-too-often. Not this time, not my Clever Mommy. She stuck to her completely Syn-able Freddo Frog thingys when she needed a ‘sweet fix’ & the rest of the time she was totally On Plan. Go Mom!

The Boy lost 2 lbs this week which was another “How????” moment for me. The child just never seems to get his ‘just desserts’ for eating ... well ... too much dessert! I clean his room every week & this week there were a few chocolate bar wrappers, one family sized bag of Doritos (empty), full fat coke bottles (also empty) & not to mention other wrappers from various treats that are not allowed on SW. Hmmmm. Still, he has been playing football quite a bit with his friends so we’ll give him credit for that. Keep it up!!

So, I made a deal with myself at Group that I was going to get back to cooking from scratch & trying out lots of lovely SW recipes (been a bit lazy with the old jacket potatoes lately) but then I landed myself a new job on Friday (very exciting!) & then finished the day off at a friend’s house eating Lamb Tagine (not of the SW variety) & ....... homemade passion fruit meringue cake. Whoops. Although, we did make up for it by playing Just Dance on the Wii for about 2 hours straight later that evening :-)

Saturday was a ‘good food’ day. One of my best friends & her son came to visit so it was nice to have some new mouths to feed. For lunch, I tried out some homemade burgers with SW chips & salad. Went very well – even if I did get confused half way through & add mint to my beef mince thinking momentarily that it was lamb. In the evening, my friend mentioned that she had tried my Success Express pasta dish after I had posted it so we had a dish similar to that. Her son stuck to chicken flavour Super Noodles. By the bucket load.

Today has been crowned “Sushi Sunday” & I think it will become a regular thing in this house. My mom is super talented when it comes to this stuff & she made us a gorgeous selection for lunch today, including some yummy squid. If anyone is interested, don’t hesitate to get in touch & I will email over the method & recipe.

My Clever Mommy Made This!!

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After that super healthy & saintly lunch, I went to Morrisons to stock up on this week’s Muller Lights, Quark, cottage cheese, veg etc. Shoping after you've eaten (and eaten well) is such a top tip. I went in such a good frame of mind & was totally turned off by all the pastries & other sickly 'yummies' that usually attract me. I could almost feel my halo glowing.

For tea tonight, I made run-o-the-mill Spag Bol (zzzzzz) with a Syn-Free SW dessert for afters. It was a recipe for Lemon Meringue Pie that we were given at Group last week but I am re-naming it Lemon Pudding with Meringue Top though because - unless I did something very wrong - it ain’t no pie dude!

Verdict: Slightly sharp. Would add more sweetener next time - another 2 tbsp? And also, I couldn’t get my meringue to crisp up – it went a bit soggy. Booooo. I think next time I will cook the meringue separately & then pop it on top once both parts are baked. But overall it was very nice & I will be making it again!
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LEMON PUDDING W/MERINGUE TOP
300g Quark
1 x lemon (juice & grated rind)
3 medium eggs (separated) 6 x tbsp sweetener

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Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Beat Quark until creamy. Add lemon juice, rind, egg yolks & 4 tbsp of sweetener.

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Share mix between 4 ramekins and bake for 10 minutes.

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Whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form & add remaining sweetener (the 2 tbsp).
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Remove desserts from oven & place meringue mix on top*. Bake for a further 5 minutes or until golden.
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*As mentioned, I’m not doing this next time – I’m going to bake them separately & then put them on top of the pudding.

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Oooh! And speaking of recipes, I’m on a roll today! After the dessert, I decided to give the much talked about SW Quiche a go. I made some of the mini-ones using a muffin tray. The recipe I used said it would make 6 but I think I used the wrong size muffin tray as I got 11 out it. Bonus! They have been 'tested & tasted' by both The Boy & Mom .... Verdict: BIG Thumbs Up!

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These will be absolutely perfect on summer picnics, at work with a salad lunchbox, or as a Syn Free Snack anytime (on Extra Easy & Original).

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MINI QUICHES
6 - 11 Round slices of ham (I used Yorkshire ham cut fresh from the deli counter – the recipe called for 6 but I ended up using 11)
1 x leek (finely chopped)
4 x rashers of lean bacon (all fat removed, chopped)
1 x green pepper (chopped)
1 x red pepper (chopped)
Fresh black pepper (to taste)
Fresh chives (chopped)
Half a tub of Quark
3 x eggs
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Cherry tomatoes

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Spray the holes of the muffin tray with Fry Light & line each with a slice of ham. I cut mine to the centre on one side so it was easy to ‘curl & fold’ if you get what I mean?!

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In a pan, spray Fry Light & cook leek, bacon & peppers. Add the remaining slice of ham (chopped). Divide mixture into the ham cases & add chopped chives.

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Beat Quark, eggs & mustard together with a little black pepper. Carefully pour equal amounts into ham cases & decorate the tops with cherry tomatoes.

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Stand muffin tin in a baking tray half filled with hot water. Place in oven at 160C/Gas 3 for 30 minutes.

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Once cooked, leave to stand for approx. 10-15 minutes before trying to remove ham cases from the muffin tray.

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And they do stand up – I promise! See ...

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Well I really hope everyone has a great week. I’ve got a good feeling about this one people. I’m totally prepared for it. Clare drummed it into us at Group this week that PLANNING is everything & you know what ... she is 100% right! (And P.S. Sorry Clare - You were only saying last week how my Blog isn't just about what I eat & I seem to have devoted a whole post to recipes, ha ha. Hopefully there will be a bit more chit-chat during the week!).

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Weigh In Result - 15/04/10

I'm baaaack! Sorry there was no update last week but I was too busy having fun in New York City :-) I had a wonderful time and can't wait to go back one day. Amazing place.

Tonight was my first Weigh In for 2 weeks and I was expecting a bit of a gain. I did try to be good in New York but - really - how good can you be when you are in Central Park on a hot day and there are street vendors selling Ben & Jerrys on a stick? Yeah. Thought so.

So I was pleasantly surprised - okay, I was chuffed to bits - when I stepped on the scales tonight and found that I had MAINTAINED my weight loss. Thank you God! I have put it down to the fact that one of the first things I did in NY was go out and buy some low fat cooking spray and I stuck to my usual 'energy omelette' breakfasts. I'm such a good girl *shiny halo*

The rest of my meals were hit & miss *ahem* Sometimes I'd have a jacket potato, but then the next day I'd opt for a juicy burger (minus the bun). But I walked a LOT around the City and across both the Brookly and Manhattan Bridges, and more importantly, I didn't over-indulge when it came to alcohol - my main downfall when it comes to my weight. I think the most I had in one night was 3 G&Ts, so - go me!

I also ate quite a bit of Sushi in the last few days. After I'd had it one night for dinner, I actively sought it out for my lunches too. And again at the airport. And at Paddington Station on my way back. I think that and the intensive walking saved me to be honest. It could've gone really pear shaped - or rather my figure could've!

Yummy Sushi

So here I am - back on Plan and ready for a good weight loss next week. Bring it on! I'm going to go to the supermarket tomorrow and stock up on all the 'usual suspects' so I don't have to think about it too hard. Group tonight was very good - our Consultant had lost 5 lbs this week and you could tell she was really fired up and wanted everyone else to get on board. I've come away with a few recipes to try out - the '10 Speed Food Soup' and a ..... wait for it ..... mashed potato sponge cake thing. There were mixed reviews from other members about the latter recipe but hey, I'll give it go and report back :-)

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Treat night wasn't as bad as usual tonight either. I had a homemade steak baguette (granary) and a bottle of cider. Much better than a Chinese or a bag of chips.

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As for the rest of the family - well, my mom lost 1 lb last week which was great to hear while I was away, but she didn't come tonight as she had double booked herself. Naughty. And Mike didn't go last week as he was too busy getting drunk at a beach party (teenagers!) - so he had an expected gain this week and snuck out before the end of Group. Come on guys - pull yer socks up. The Boss is back now!!! :-p

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Hope everyone else out there had a good couple of weeks. The Spring is really warming up now and summer is right around the corner so don't lose your mojo peeps - imagine yourself in that bikini (hell, put up pics around the house like I do!) and make it a reality this year! I've only lost just over half a stone and the difference is noticeable in my clothes, my figure and my skin. If I get a nice loss next week, I'll be tempted to put up my current before and after pics to show you what my loss looks like in reality. Every few pounds of fat/bloating gone really makes a difference I swear so don't focus on the big numbers and just stick at it. You'll be so pleased - and super proud of yourself - that you did.

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Best of luck for the next 7 days everyone :-)

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Weigh In Result - 01/04/10

Big sigh of relief! I didn't fill in my Food Diary this week & I was terrified I had gone off Plan a little bit. I was distracted over the last 7 days (life etc) & it just goes to show that Slimming World becomes 'second nature' very quickly because even though I wasn't really 'thinking' about what I was eating, I know for a fact I was eating well. And so when I stepped onto those scales last night ... another 2lbs off :-)

Starting Weight:
11 stone 3 lbs

Current Weight:
10 stone 8 lbs

Total Lost:
9 lbs

Target Weight:
9 stone 7 lbs

Still to Lose:
1 stone 1 lbs

It would have been a bit more if had been very good but I will admit to having a bowl of Seriously Cinnamon cereal when I shouldn't have (the man-child's fault!) & possibly one or two cheeky glasses of wine when my Syns for the day had already been used. Hmmm, & I did go a bit nuts on the Skinny Cow ice cream one night. So PHEW!

I was also terrible about cooking the meals I had planned out last weekend. I did make the lamb curry which is always a hit & was delish, but the fish pie got neglected, as did the chicken & mango salad. Shame on me. I also made the 'Zero Syn' dessert I told you about last week but it was ewwwww so I won't pass on the recipe. It involves whisking egg whites for a few hours (well, it felt like it anyway) & it reeeeally wasn't worth it. I was kind of glad about that as I didn't want to have to make it again to be honest. Waaaay too much hard work!

And so to the star of the show - - The man-child lost 3.5lbs this week bringing him to a total loss of 9lbs so far. He got his Half Stone Award and Slimmer Of The Week. YAY!!! He was very naughty this week (although he won't admit what he ate) so that was a lucky 3.5lbs BUT it shows that he isn't just eating whatever/whenever as the weight is still coming off. So I'm still very proud :-) He is also still running which I'm sure helps loads.

My mom had a much better result this week too - another 2lbs off. So happy for her! She has told me that something in her head has finally clicked & she is not craving all the rubbish foodie things she used to. You have no idea how much this makes me smile. She has really struggled with her weight for the last 18 years or so & I can't wait to see her in the body she wants. She is very excited about being able to wear clothes that suit her personality rather than her shape. I'm going to really enjoy going shopping with her. Advance warning - Party at our house when my mom gets to her target weight!!! :-)

Here are a some homemade food pics from this week:-

Lamb Curry with natural yoghurt, spinach & rice

My favourite salad - 2 x poached eggs, chopped up bacon, baby new potatoes, salad greens, cucumber, grated carrot, cherry tomatoes & raw pepper. I use Balsamic or Caesar Fry Light salad spray as a dressing.

One of my morning omelletes - 1 x egg, spinach, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes & 28g mature chedder

And here's another - 1 x egg, spinach, salad tomatoes & 42g fresh mozzarella

1 x banana on 2 x slices of wholemeal toast (from a 400g loaf). I have this when I am bored with snacking on Muller Lights. The bread is your Healthy B for the day & you can Syn 1 tsp of butter (2 Syns)

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Achievements: I got into my skinny jeans this week! AND I was able to zip my knee high boots up over my calves. Woohoo!

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Aims: Bye bye wobbly 'baby' belly - since my 'baby' is turning 17 next month, I figure it's time to stop using that excuse ;-) Must tone up.

With Easter this weekend, I'm going to use my Syns on alcohol & a big ol' roast dinner on Sunday. No choccie eggs for me. I actually don't feel 'hard done by' because I know it'll be worth it when it's bikini time!

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* * REMEMBER, 1 x large Easter Egg (& the choccie bar that comes with it) equals approximately 90 Syns. Holy Moley! * *

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Dammit! I just wrote a whole piece about a yummy homemade 'catsup' (ketchup) that my mom made today but Blogger decided to lose it somewhere in cyberspace so - cheers Blogger. I will put the recipe on here another time. It's very good!

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Have a happy & healthy (& yummy) week everyone!

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Week 2 - Progress

Just popping on to update on what I've been eating lately :-)

I'm disappointed to report that I haven't been very good at the whole Success Express thing. I usually love that Plan and really get on board but for some reason or other, it slipped away from me this week. I have stuck to Extra Easy though so I'm still hoping for a good result tomorrow night at Weigh In.

For breakfast, I have swapped eggs for Weetabix this week. Not sure why, just fancied cereal (which is weird for me) so I'll only list my lunches and dinners:

Friday
L: Pasta with vegetables (I posted a pic of this in my post below)
D: I ate out. Had a bit of tapas. Naughty. Nuff said.
Syns: Quite a few probably ...
Snacks: -

Saturday
L: Jacket potato w/ tomatoes, lettuce, mushrooms & 42g feta cheese.
D: Gammon steak w/ red onion, tomatoes, mushrooms & broccoli
Syns: 1 tsp butter, 1 x Twix
Snacks: 1 x Muller Light Tangerine, 1 x banana

Sunday
L: Jacket potato w/ baked beans, tomatoes & lettuce
D: 1 x chicken leg (skin removed), broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, peas, parsnips
Syns: 1 tbsp gravy (granules), 1 x Cadburys Twirl
Snacks: Apple

Monday
L: Banana (forgot to have a proper lunch)
D: Pasta w/ Quorn mince, broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, garlic
Syns: Portion of a jar of pasta sauce (I ate at a friend's house)
Snacks: Apple

Tuesday
L: Pasta w/ Quorn Sausages (chopped up) & mushrooms
D: A few slices from a beef joint, roast pototates & a tomato
Syns: 1 tbsp Extra Light Philidelphia, 1 tbsp gravy (granules)
Snacks: -

Wednesday
L: Beef cold cuts, 2 x roast potatoes & baked beans
D: Steak (lean) w/ lettuce, grated carrots, peppers, cucumber & Fry Light Salad Spray (balsamic)
Syns: 1 x small bottle of Premium brand beer
Snacks:Pineapple chunks (fresh), Muller Light Toffee


I have missed chocolate a lot this week, hence why I've had a couple of bars. But I haven't gone over my 15 Syns (apart from the night I went out to eat - couldn't be helped). Otherwise, I'm very happy with my meals; I'm never hungry and I feel so much healthier already. My clothes are less snug (only a bit!) and I can definitely see the difference in my 'back fat', ha ha. That'll be the lack of booze no doubt. I had a small bottle of beer earlier today as a treat (I was painting the kitchen cabinets) and I feel quite uncomfortable and bloated now.

My mom and son are doing great as well - very proud. And they are both still feeling very positive which spurs me on too. Doing this together makes it so much easier. It really makes me happy to see our 'automatic food choices' changing already. For instance, I cooked steak & salad (with grated carrot) tonight and my son actually said he preferred it to steak & chips! I can already see definition in my son's face and my mom is busy buying up summer clothes for her holiday in June - in a smaller size. Happy days!!

Treat night: When my son and I did SW before, Weigh In night was always dubbed 'treat night'. Psychologically, we found that works for us. Basically, if we've had a good result (or maintained) then we 'treat' ourselves afterwards with whatever we want to eat within reason. It keeps us going through the week. When you feel you are about to throw in the towel because you desperately want something 'naughty', you can console yourself and keep going, reminding yourself that you can have it - guilt free - after your Weigh In. Hoorah! Last week, my son had a pizza; my mom & I had spare ribs (me) and duck (mom) from the Chinese. Within the hour, we all felt sick from the grease. Lesson learned. This week, my son has decided that he's having a baguette from Subway, I want a big bowl of Seriously Cinnamon cereal (mmmmm!) and my mom is eyeing up a mini-trifle. Much better I think :-)

Newsflash: My son and I - and his girlfriend - joined a gym this week. I only went because I heard it had a Power Plate (which in case you hadn't heard is the latest celeb craze and I wanted to try and 'jiggle' my fat off) but I ended up having to do an 'induction'. It's run by the British Heart Foundation and is actually really friendly and family orientated. I've always been wary of gyms with their intimidating men pumping weights and making odd noises, but this one was lovely and I really enjoyed the induction actually. Wow. We have been given a 30 minute work out plan using all the machines for 2 minutes each. Baby steps, baby steps. We'll increase our time on the machines as we feel it getting easier.

So how is everyone else doing? What have you been eating? Have you increased your physical activity? Talk to me! :-)

Extra Easy? Extra confusing!

So I am now only on Day 2 of my return to Slimming World and, in all honesty, I'm finding it a bit 'odd'. I am - by nature - a creature of habit. Hence why I put on weight in the first place. Bad habits I can hopefully correct on this journey - but the habit of previously choosing a Green day or a Red day on SW ... well that's quite tricky to get my thought process to re-programme. For those who know absolutely nothing about SW, the 'old plan' was roughly this:

Every day choose:
2 x Healthy A's, such as your cheese (28g chedder, or 42g mozzerella) and semi-skimmed milk (250ml)
1 x Healthy B choice, such as oatmeal (28g) or wholemeal bread (2 slices of Nimble)

Then choose whether you are having a Green day or a Red day, i.e:

Green - All veg was FREE, as was pasta, potatoes and rice. Eggs and beans were free too. Eat as much as you like, fill your plate. Enjoy! If you fancied meat that day, you had to either use it as your Healthy B choice and weigh it (75g of tinned tuna for instance) or you could Syn it.

Red - Basically the opposite of Green but all veg is still FREE (except peas for some reason), as were eggs. Now though, you can have as much meat and fish as you like, but you need to measure your carbs and use them as a Healthy B or a Syn.

Then it got a bit more complicated and went into SuperFree foods and Speed Foods etc. They were fun when you got the hang of them and really boosted your weight loss. 'Success Express' anyone? Hell yeah!

So .... does that all make sense? Probably not, but then it didn't to most people until they actually attended a Group meeting and then - click! - it all fell into place.

But moving on. Now there is this thing called 'Extra Easy' and from what I can gather so far - and I am struggling a bit as I said so don't take this as gospel yet - almost all of your veg is SuperFree, your meat, pasta/rice/potatoes etc are Free (pasta on the same day as meat?! Has SW gone MAD???), and you now only get 1 x Healthy A and 1 x Healthy B per day. Boooo! Syns are (unfortunately) the same. The key thing also seems to be the fact that 1/3 of your meal is meant to be SuperFree - every time? I'm not sure but it seems so. But that to me is just SuperConfusing and SuperImpractical and A SuperWasteOfTime when the 'old plan' worked just brilliantly thank-you-very-much.

Now, the other thing I'm struggling with is putting Green and Red food on my plate. I just can't stop seeing my food in categories and it's freeeeeaking me out that it's changed. See - creature of habit! So now I am eating meals which I *think* and *hope* are Extra Easy (if I'm doing it right) and feeling ... well, a bit guilty I suppose. Which isn't a great feeling when you're trying to tuck into a nice meal.

An example of the food I've had so far:-

SuperFree (SF), Free (F), Syn (S), Healthy A (A), Healthy B (B)

BREAKFAST - Omelette made with 1 x egg (F), spinach (SF), chopped deli ham (not processed rubbish)(F), tomatoes (SF) and 42g mozzerella cheese (A).

LUNCH - Steak (F), peas (F), tomatoes (SF), onion (SF), 1 tbsp low fat natural yoghurt (F) .... today was gammon steak (F), beans (F), 2 x eggs (F).

DINNER - Homemade chicken kebabs (F), pineapple chunks (SF), corn on the cob (F), 2 tbsp low fat natural yoghurt (F) .... today was pasta (F), brocolli (SF), tomatoes (SF), onion (SF), spinach (SF), 1 tbsp low fat natural yoghurt, herbs (F).

SNACKS - 1 x banana (SF) sliced up on top of 2 x slices wholemeal Nimble bread (B), 1 tsp butter (S) and/or MullerLight yoghurt (F)

So that's a small window into the first two days of my journey. Oh! I also spent some Syns on a 440ml can of Stella and a Cadburys Cream Egg. I'm within my limit for both days though.

Hmmmmm. I'm just Blogging to work it all out in my mind really :-) Has it helped me? Ummm, no. I guess I am just nervous as I don't really understand the new plan properly yet. It took me about 3 weeks to 'get it' last time so I know I just have to patient. But I'm scared of making a mistake and putting ON insteading of losing. Eeeeep! All will be revealed at Group next week ...

The First Weigh In

Some of you will remember when I previously turned to Slimming World during a period of my life where I was incredibly unhappy and literally piling on the weight week after week. I sat around feeling sorry for myself, drinking far too much beer in front of the television and ordering take away food. Lazy, unmotivated, mildly depressed - it's an easy trap to fall into when life looks bleak. Incredibly, it took me less than 6 months to put on over 2 stone - and I hadn't even noticed because I was so down in the dumps.

However, after a mere 2 months attending Slimming World and increasing my physical activity, I had lost over a stone. And a year later, I was back down to my target weight. I felt great, looked great (even I noticed! lol) and raved about Slimming World to anyone who would listen. Some of you will have followed my previous 'online diary' and seen for yourself the "before and after" bikini photos - that 2 stone loss really made the world of difference. As those photos are now out of date, I won't post them here now. But I will be taking some new ones this week and will post those later down the line.

"Wait? You said you had lost the weight!" ... Yes, I did didn't I.

After my stint volunteering in Africa eating nothing but carbs and then onto Nepal where I ate nothing but curry and dumplings - oh, and returning home for Christmas and eating ... well, pretty much everything! - I have put on *ahem* a few pounds.

A few days ago I was in a supermarket with my mom. The woman at the checkout noticed all the fruit and veg that we were buying and made a comment about how healthy we were. I explained that it was because we were trying to lose weight for the summer. She looked at me and said "What on earth do you need to diet for?". Before I could answer, my mom piped up behind me and said "Because she's got a big butt!".

I came home from the supermarket and stood in front of my full length mirror in my undies taking in the 'view'. And I finally saw the damage that travelling had done. Where my thighs had once been smooth, they were now dimpled. Where I once had a waist, there was now just an undefined tyre. When I turned around, the dreaded 'back fat' that I had fought so damn hard to lose last time round was undeniably there. And yes, my butt was indeed big.

After the initial panic, I realised that I could actually control this. All I needed to do was to swallow my pride and get my (big) butt back to Slimming World.

Those of you who know me personally, or have read my other Blogs, will know to expect this diary to be both honest and real. I won't hold anything back - weight statistics, recipes, tips, tricks, good days, bad days, cheating days, photos. It will all be here. After all, weight is just a number and that does not define who I am. I am not scared of a number. If it makes someone feel better about themselves, or someone else relate to me, or inspire a friend ...... great - that's the point!

So tonight I went along to Group as a 'Re-Join' and stepped bravely onto the scales. I expected maybe an unwelcome extra stone to flash up but no ... I have managed to put on almost 2 stone. Again. Here are my stats:

Height: 5 ft 5 in

Current weight: 11 stone 3 lbs

Target weight: 9 stone 7 lbs

Total to lose: 1 stone 10 lbs

Current BMI: 26.2

And - ta da! - here is a 'virtual model' to illustrate my stats:

11 stone 3 lbs

9 stone 7 lbs

Losing 1 stone 10 lbs might not sound like much to those of you who feel you want or need to lose more but that really isn't the point of Slimming World and it's probably what I love about it most. Slimming World is more of a 'healthy eating for life' plan rather than one of these stupid fad crash diets, or those home delivery diet services now on offer. How does getting someone to bring food to your door - diet or otherwise - prepare your mind for dealing with meals by yourself when the time comes. Where's the personal responsbility in that? It's a cop out and no wonder people always put the weight back on. Slimming World teaches you about food. It encourages you to eat loads - as long as you eat right. I knowingly (and stupidly) turned my back on Slimming World when I reached target and - sure enough - I fell back into bad habits. I stopped measuring my cheese and could get through a block per day, I went back to having chocolate whenever I wanted, I drank far too much on nights out, I shovelled Nepali curry into my mouth night after night without a second thought. Blah blah blah. All because I wasn't thinking about what I had been taught. Duh! I have learned my lesson, I know that Slimming World works and I can't wait to get back on track with it and into my bikini this summer.

Slimming World has changed quite a bit since I last went so I am busy this evening reading my new book. Whereas before it was all Original Days and Green Days, it is now something called Extra Easy (which seems to be a bit of a 'free for all' which I can't get my head around at first glance). And they have taken away one of my beloved Healthy A's which I think I will struggle with as I love milk and cheese - and you can't have both now unless you Syn one of them! Syns are the same though (between 5 and 15 per day) so I can still look forward to a few G&Ts at the weekend. Hoorah!

Well, I will be back in a few days to explain what I have been eating and what I think of the new plan. Wish me (and my big butt) lots of success!