I can do it!

[daisybell18]

Have just been inspired by a poster on the image therapy thread to retrace my steps back to last year when I was losing steadily.

I have asked myself how I felt at that time and I had to admit it was "blooming marvellous" I used to leap out of bed full of energy and confidence. I took great pride in my new shape and was generally content and happy, happy, happy!

There is no point beating myself up so I need to recreate what was going on then. One thing I did religiously was prepare a menu plan the day before? I have not being doing that and as a result end up compromising and mixing original, green and EE days and not accounting for my syns.

That is going to change from today. If you fancy joining me - post along! We can share food ideas and use the thread as a discipline to stay on track.

So my green day

Breakfast - Grilled tomato and fried egg ( no fat)

Snack - banana

Lunch - cottage cheese and pineapple salad (lettuce, cucumber, beetroot, celery, tomato, apple)

Snack - 2 ryvita, Philadelphia cheese (HEB) and ginger jelly (2 syns)

Dinner - pea and asparagus risotto and braised red cabbage ( 1/2 syn) followed by sugar free jelly yogurt and strawberries

Drinks ( 6 fruit and herb teas, 1 black tea and a diet coke for this evening)

I feel better already! Have the ingredients for breakfast and will then go shopping. Need to think ahead to Sunday when I will be at a horse show all day (not riding) so the temptation to snack will be strong.

Chicken out of the freezer for red day tomorrow.

 

[daisybell18]

Yesterday was a busy day as my son had his first horse show. Managing not riding! Somehow I went through the whole day with a sandwich and muffin cakes (note the plural!) Not good. Why is it that when I am in a situation out of the norm I revert to type?Did stay on track when home with beans and scrambled eggs which is one of my favourite comfort foods late at night. Today -green day Breakfast - Weetabix (HEB) Lunch - mixed salad with beans of some description Dinner - vegetable casserole with half a Lincolnshire sausage, cauliflower and cabbage. Rhubarb for dessert. Will probably make a fool using fat free yogurt.

 

[daisybell18]

All clear from consultant following op. No malignancy - hooray!!!

My head is now in a totally different place. Started kettle bells last night - light duties only but it's a start

Past successes have come with menu planning and exercise schedule so here goes

Breakfast - warmed berries with fat free Greek yogurt

Lunch - puffball steaks and asparagus salad (my son presented me with a giant puffball that he had found at the stables) how lucky I am. Will fry with fry light after dousing in garlic and rosemary. Might try some in egg and breadcrumbs too

Dinner - mixed bean chilli with rice and green beans. strawberries and rhubarb with yogurt.

Snacks - banana, 5 Brazil nuts,

Kettlebells - resistance week 1, ( will do as much as I feel comfortable with) walk to seafront

Positive thoughts - full of energy at last, planted squashes and courgette plants today long with 2 dozen onions, thoughtful son and best friend who both show they care.

 

[daisybell18]

Did second KB session yesterday and did a full set of cardio

Today - shopping on foot including detour via sea front then walking to station to meet hubby this evening. Will also hunt out shred DVD

Gave in to the evening munchies yesterday but had porridge oats, sweetener and fat free yogurt so at least I was restrained.

Have been thinking about sugar. Apparently it takes six weeks of abstinence to lose the craving. Maybe when my fruit parcel is eaten, I'll give it a go?

Blast - fruit compote and natural yogurt

Lunch - mushroom omelette and salad

Dinner - chicken curry, rice, green beans and asparagus. Strawberries and yogurt

Snack - banana, satsuma, Brazil nuts(5) mini chocolate bar

Must take my measurements today so need to track down the tape measure.

Also need to set myself some targets and rewards. Got down to 11 st 7lbs 18 months ago so 11 st should be achievable. 154lbs

That means I have 34 to lose! 1.5 per week on average should see me hit target by Xmas.

Targets
(181) half stone, (hair cut)
(174) one stone (manicure)
(170) 10% (trip away)
(167) 1 1/2stone (pedicure)
(160) 2 stone
(154) target

Will go through the wardrobe to find my next aspirational outfit(flowered canvas peddle pushers) for end of July methinks.

 

[daisybell18]

Am still chomping my way through a giant puffball mushroom. Imagine a large football, white and with the texture of marshmallow. Absolutely amazing. Takes on the taste of the ingredients it is cooked with a bit like tofu. So what's on the menu for tomorrow? Mushroom soup????

Tomorrow's menu

Breakfast. - fruit and yogurt

Lunch - mushroom omelette and beans with salad

Dinner - bean chilli on rice. Red cabbage slaw. Strawberries and rhubarb crumble

Snacks - banana, satsuma, chocolate, Brazil nuts

 

[daisybell18]

Missed yesterday menu planning and paid the price. The syns snook in!

Today - orange and yogurt

Lunch - large mixed salad with cottage cheese ( leaves, radishes and mange tout from the garden, tomatoes, grated carrot, potato salad)

Dinner - smoked haddock chowder followed by homemade raspberry yogurt icecream.

Snacks banana, ryvita and Philly with jam, iced coffee

Kettle bell session this morning week 1 core

Have noticed that when I am talking to friends I am incredibly upbeat. Why don't I feel the same with family? Need to crack on with business plans but feel as if I have concrete boots on. All these feelings affect my eating.

 

[Cathd1990]

Here to subscribe as I am stuggling to food optimise therefore keep maintaining my weight.

I think i need to take a leaf out of your book and change my days around I have only ever done EE as i am not sure how the others work but i will be looking into it.

You are doing great, keep up the hard work it will all be worth it in the end.

 

[daisybell18]

Here to subscribe as I am stuggling to food optimise therefore keep maintaining my weight. I think i need to take a leaf out of your book and change my days around I have only ever done EE as i am not sure how the others work but i will be looking into it. You are doing great, keep up the hard work it will all be worth it in the end.

Welcome CathD. great to have some company What brings you to SW?

As you will see, I use this thread to keep me focused and one of the key things for me is meal planning. If I know what is ahead! I tend to stick to it. When I first came across SW there was no such thing as extra easy. The system was for original days (red) and green days. Basically red days are high protein and low carb and green days vegetarian. The usual rules for EE apply but with 2 healthy extras instead of one and no requirement for the third veg at every meal. I really don't know any other way. A friend has started SW in the past year and she loves the flexibility of EE. Perhaps we can share experiences?

Today's plan. - red day

Breakfast - Grated apple and yogurt

Lunch - Tuna salad with red cabbage slaw

Dinner - Gammon, fried egg, cauliflower, roasted cherry tomatoes and new potatoes (HEB)

Snacks 2 ryvita (HEB) Philly light (HEA) and a spoonful of ginger jam (3syns). Banana. Iced coffee.

Today's exercise will be walking and gardening. Don't think you can count knitting! Still get tired mid afternoon but assume that is after effects of anaesthetic. Weigh in tomorrow morning so extra good today as I need to see the scales move to keep me motivated.

 

[Cathd1990]

Hey,

I decided to join slimming world because I've hated the way I look for ages and finally decided to do something about it and as extra motivation i have a group holiday booked for August. Usually I don't care what i look like on holiday as i am never going to see the people again but this holiday is with 5 of my friends and i don't want to look like a beached whale in my bikini in front of them.

I always say i need to start planning my meals because i think it would probably work out better for me but i am lazy and can never think of anything different to have i seem to have the same things all the time

I think I may start swapping my days round maybe have a day of EE then green then red and just keep rotating it. Hopefully that will help as i am fed up of maintaining.

Might copy your meal plan from yesterday for tomorrow as it sounds lovely!

Good luck with your weigh in, let me know how you get on?

 

[daisybell18]

CathD - I know what you mean about not wanting to be the fatty in the crowd! (Hope you're not offended) that is exactly how I felt when I started. A very good friend of mine announced she had joined SW and I couldn't bear the thought of being big when she lost weight. You can see how competitive I am!!

Meal planning is essential for me - without it I go off plan usually in a big way. Today was a prime example. I went to a country fare after a breakfast of two weetabix. Good enough start to the day. Took a banana and apple to tide me over if I got hungry (grandson pinched the banana) and an apple wasn't enough. Result - I scoffed a bar of chocolate I had bought 72 % cocoa but I ate the whole bar!! By the time I hit home at 3.30pm I was ravenous and reached for the biccy tin. fatal!

If only I had planned ahead I would have had a picnic lunch ready. Lesson learned

Tomorrow - green day

Breakfast -pineapple and ryvita (HEB) with Philly cheese (HEA)

Lunch - tuna (HEB) salad (red cabbage slaw, cucumber and sun blush tomatoes)

Dinner - pasta with homemade pesto (some olive oil but no Parmesan as I am allergic to cheese) fresh fruit and fat free yogurt

Snacks - banana, iced coffee (HEA)

Final session of week one kettle bells.

 

[Cathd1990]

Not offended at all, that is exactly how I feel.

I went completely off plan this weekend as i ended up meeting friends for what was supposed to be a few drinks but turned out to be alot of drinks and strolling in at 4.30am with take away :-/ so yesterday i wanted hangover food.

Back on plan today although i think it is abit late as my weigh in is on Wednesday.

I have planned my meals for the next two days

Today is:

Breakfast: Pint of lemon water and Cappuccino muller light

Lunch: Pineapple

Dinner: Baked potato with beans, mushrooms, peppers and onions.

Exercise: Jog round the park as training for 5K race for life.

How did you get on at your weigh in?

 

[daisybell18]

Weighed in on Sunday and lost 2 lbs. could have been better but I am still quite pleased

CathD

I know it's tempting to really cut back when you have had a blow out but you don't appear to be eating much according to your plan. When I first started SW I was always asking how. I could eat so much and still lose weight. It worked and I found when I cut back the weight loss slowed.

Today's plan - E E

Breakfast - weetabix, HEB. Milk HEA and sweetener

Lunch - smoked mackerel, salad, mango and pasta

Dinner. - low fat mince, cabbage, carrot, tomato sauce. Rhubarb and yogurt

Snacks: banana, apricots,

Exercise : walking

 

[Cathd1990]

Well done

Yeah, i do tend to cut back after a blow out maybe that is why my weight loss has slowed down - also noticed i havent been drinking much water lately.

I will be back on track tomorrow - dreading my weigh in tonight.

 

[daisybell18]

How are you doing CathD? I have just returned home after a girls weekend in London and was thrilled to have lost 1.5lbs this week. Only 3 lbs to get below 13!

Planning again

Breakfast - scrambled egg, beans and sliced tomato
Lunch - bulgar wheat, cucumber, tomato, beetroot, 5 chopped Brazil nuts (HEB) pineapple or mango
Dinner- roast chicken (HEB) veg, dry roast potatoes. Fruit salad with fat free yogurt

Snacks - masses of fruit teas, iced coffee, ryvita with peanut butter (4syns)

Did week 2 resistance on kettle bells this morning and will be walking into town.

Battery nearly dead so need to go!

 

[daisybell18]

Feeling pleased with my eating so far this week. Did resort to a packet of crisps yesterday but they were my only sins.

Breakfast. - fruit and ffyogurt.
Lunch - grilled gammon, mange tout, carrots, mango salsa, new potatoes. Fruit salad. (this is not our usual lunchtime fare but we have a visitor)
Dinner - omelette and salad

Snacks - ryvita, cream cheese (HEA) jam (3 syns) , iced coffee

Walk to the seafront and gardening

I my aim this week is to lose 1.5 lbs. I have a pair of gorgeous cut off trousers that I want to be able to wear when (or if) the weather improves. They don't meet across my waist yet! A combo of kettle bells and SW might just do the trick. I find it hard not to get mad with myself as I was wearing them two summers ago before the weight piled back on. I know that it is destructive but sometimes just creeps up on me. Lesson learned for this time.

 

[janetelizabeth]

You're doing really well. I love the green plan too.
Don't worry about the bag of crisps...that's what syns are for.

 

[daisybell18]

You're doing really well. I love the green plan too. Don't worry about the bag of crisps...that's what syns are for.

Welcome janetelizabeth. - thanks for dropping in to my diary

I tend to mix the green and red days but have to admit to getting confused from time to time. Mire often than not I decide what type of day it will be at lunch time. For example breakfast today was fruit and yogurt, lunch sardines and salad. I could have the sardines as HEB on a green day or have more protein for dinner. I actually had haddock this evening so my new potatoes were the HEB.

I struggle with syns to be honest. Even the name makes them sound naughty. Don't have access to SW online or any of the syn books so there is a bit of guesswork involved. Tend to stick to free foods wherever possible and as I love fruit and veg that's not too hard to do. My treat today was a waffle cone (5or 6 syns probably) filled with Greek yogurt and forest fruit icecream which is 1 1/2 syns. (Free foods but blitzed)

Exercise has always eluded me until I found kettlebells. I love it. 20 mins on alternate days is manageable for me and the results justify the effort.

What brings you to this site and slimming world?I'd love to hear your story

My plan for tomorrow

Breakfast
Scrambled egg and baked beans
Lunch
Cottage cheese, mango salsa and pasta salad
Dinner
Fish curry (HEB) followed by fruit salad
Snacks
Ryvita, Philly cheese (HEA) and mashed banana, Freddo bar (6syns?)

Today I did a kettlebell session and did a 45 min walk.

 

[daisybell18]

I have been reviewing the diary I set up when I first joined SW in jan 2012 (thought it was jan 2011) The theme of the diary was tips for success which loads of people gave me as I started my SW journey. It really inspired me so I decided to put them in my current diary

Eat plenty of super free foods
Stop eating when you are full
Make a public commitment to an exercise target
Find innovative ways to prepare your favorite foods
Stay off the scales between weigh ins.
Use a food diary to plan ahead
Make time for structured exercise
Do not let a slip become a slide
Drink loads of water

I notice that I still haven't mastered the "stop eating when you are full" but I have swapped my plate for a smaller one. This way there is a limit to what I can physically get on it!

The "do not let a slip become a slide" obviously passed me by as I have put over a stone back on during the past 8 months so I didn't learn too well did I? The slimming support group I set up worked really well for me. I certainly felt that I needed to set an example so couldn't be the one to put on weight. Maybe that's something I could set up again?

Today I have stuck to my plan really well (substituted grilled gammon (tiny piece) for fish curry as I didn't have any rice?the fish has now been made into fish cakes ready for dinner tomorrow evening.

Breakfast - fruit salad and fat free yogurt
Lunch - pasta salad, tomatoes and cucumber. Peach and an apricot
Dinner - fish cakes, peas, brocolli, carrots. Grilled pineapple and vanilla cream (yogurt, vanilla and spoonful of Philly )

I am quite proud of my fruit and veg intake. Usually eight a day at least - a habit I gained in Austria where the Govt advice is 8 a day not the 5 recommended here.

Kettlebells tomorrow and plenty of walking at the equestrian centre.

 

[daisybell18]

Had a slip last night but will not be sliding off plan. We were invited to a friends for a barbecue. In some instances BBQs are a great option - grilled meats and plenty of salad. Not the case here unfortunately. Burgers, sausages and ribs accompanied by oven baked wedges soaked in oil, potato salad, ratatouille (again swimming in oil) - you get the picture. This was not a close friend so you just know there are times when you are going to have to swallow the calories. One burger, rocket salad and a spoonful of ratatouille. Small plateful but not small enough to cause offence. I had taken diet lemonade so had two diluted pimms to go with the food. Not a complete disaster but so annoying as I am really working hard at this

Will be trying to make up for it today. Can I do no syns?

Plan for today - extra easy

Breakfast
Fruit salad and yogurt

Lunch
Hard boiled egg, mango salsa and green salad

Dinner
Fish cakes, mange tout, peas, broccoli, carrot

Snacks
Apricots, iced coffee,(HEA) peaches, ryvita ( HEB) and mashed banana

 

[daisybell18]

Weigh in today and 1 1/2 lb loss. Will soon be below 13st stone again.

Have been working at my sons stables today so plenty of exercise.

Food so far

Breakfast - fruit salad, yogurt and a slice of wholemeal toast (HEB) with marmalade

Lunch - tuna sandwich (HEB) cucumber, peach, piece of lemon cake (6 syns)

Dinner - grilled chicken, aubergine, courgette, broccoli, mange tout. Rhubarb and yogurt

Snacks - choccy finger (1.5 syns) apricot, banana