Bad prizes

Not much to report today. Oh, except, in a friendly team competition, I won THIS monstrosity at work:

Normally, I would have been thrilled, and possibly scarfed the lot in that one afternoon. Instead I midly panicked for 15 seconds, before flinging them in my bag and taking them home as a present for a delighted Joel.

Seriously, I never even knew I had this kind of willpower.

Catch-ups

Today was another one of those days that really should've been quite hard. But luckily, it wasn't. Apologies for banging on about Slimming World's fabulous organisational skills - but they really helped me. Today I was off work all day - and in for overtime between 4-8. And then meeting my friend Sian for drinks and a catch-up afterwards.

Here's how the day would've normally gone:

Get up

Eat 2 packets of crisps and a sandwich

Have some chocolate

Get bored, and have some more crisps

Have lunch (usually pasta COVERED with grated cheese and ham)

Go to work

Have tea compiled of crisps, Diet Coke and chocolate from the vending machine

Get the tram to the pub

Meet Sian, get smashed on cider and black until the pub closes

Find an open Subway on the way back to the bus station, and microwave it upon return home

Here's how the day actually went:


Got up

Had lunch (pasta with ham - both Free - and a small amount of cheese for Healthy Extra A)

Got bored, had a Hi Fi bar (Healthy Extra B)

Went to work

Had prepared tea compiled of ham and light Philadelphia wrap and low fat French Fries

Had a lovely power walk to the pub through Manchester's artiest district

Met Sian, had 2 Diet Cokes and made them last for 2 hours

Got home and ate a Fat Free yoghurt

So yeah. Had a wonderful time with Sian and was healthy all the livelong day. Even during the evening "graveyard" shift - which actually turned out to be quite busy and therefore took my mind off ALL the snacking I could have been doing. And the walk up to Piccadilly was MARVELLOUS, it should've taken me ten minutes but I ended up stretching it out as much as I could, just trying to make it last longer. I was enjoying myself so much that I was purposefully taking my time through the Northern Quarter, taking in the sights. Got to the pub and drank Diet Coke all night - giving me a nice clear head for all our catching up! Felt very proud of myself.

BODY MAGIC: Walking for 30 mins through town

Getting better......

 

My confidence and organisational skills are growing every day. I never thought when I joined SW a mere week ago that I'd emerge as such a newly organised person. I've even regained my love of cooking, as opposed to my usual throw-it-in-a-pan, microwave, or order-takeout attitude. And it feels SO good. Walking into my kitchen tonight - as I grilled lamb chops and boiled vegetables - it smelt like so many of those evenings spent back home, with Mum's reliably healthy meals sending delicious aromas through the house.

Mind you, I struggled today. With it STILL being a Star Week I was prone to feeling grumpy and sore, and ending up eating loads of additional stuff I didn't need. Thankfully they were all low-fat, so not the normal shite I'd grab, but still...... I've gone over my Syns for the day so definately have to try harder tomorrow.

Today I had:

Breakfast: Apple (amazed I've kept this up, I normally tire of fruit very quickly)

Lunch: Chicken and Bacon wrap (unfortunately with a dressing made of Caesar AND mayo)

Snack: Snack a Jack crisps

Tea: Rosemary Lamb chops with potatoes and broccoli



Snack: Hi Fi bar

Snack: French Fries crisps with Chicken Pate

Snack: Vanilla fat-free yoghurt

Ugh. I mean, I'm still sticking to the Healthy part at least (as apposed to snacking on biscuits and chocolate), but MAN do those Syns add up quickly. Must make more of an effort. I keep hearing and reading stories about people who lost half a STONE in their first week - so presumably sticking RELIGIOUSLY to the plan must have something to do with it. I also bought a Slimming World magazine at Asda after work...... right before realising that it's almost a quid cheaper when bought at group. Oh well!

Just to briefly digress - in regards to this diary, I'm now not going to mention walking to and from the bus stop as "Body Magic," as it's something I do every day, and not really worth noting.

On the plus side though, I have a weekend coming up with 3 events that would certainly involve a great deal of temptation...... and I've managed to completely avoid all of it.

EVENT 1

Shopping in town with Auntie Pam and Mum

WHEN

Saturday afternoon

TEMPTATION

Have been asked if we want to "do lunch"

SOLUTION

Have sourced (with the help of UrbanSpoon) some local restaurants that specialise in healthy options, yummy salads and tasty noodle dishes. Currently have it narrowed down to Croma or Wagamama's.

EVENT 2

A celebratory tea at Mum and Dad's in honour of Grandma visiting and Joel's birthday

WHEN

Saturday evening

TEMPTATION

An O'Connor family celebration? Crack open the wine, cheese and biscuits!

SOLUTION

Standing proud with my fellow SW member and Woman of the Year - who has promised to make a delicious, healthy, Free meal that everyone can enjoy. DESSERTS INCLUDED!

EVENT 3

Joel's 29th birthday meal

WHEN

Sunday evening

TEMPTATION

After exhausting all possible ideas of a restaurant he'd like, we have opted for a posh Indian. Which involves curries.

SOLUTION

After relentlessly poring through the Indian section of the Syns tables, I've planned in advance to order either a Prawn Bhuna or Lamb Rogan Josh with plain Rice (without naans and poppadoms) - as 2 options I know I'd still enjoy, but with slightly lower Syn values than the other available dishes. This will be accompanied by only one cheeky glass of wine to celebrate, followed by some virtuous Diet Cokes.

It's funny, ORGANISING my own food on a night out should suck the fun RIGHT out of it. But it doesn't. It actually feels amazing.

Along with this I've spent tonight curled up on the sofa with the latest SW magazine - tearing out recipes and continuing to feel inspired by countless Before and After photos. To me, the moment of truly knowing I've made it, is if I ever got picked to be a SW cover girl. I can think of no higher accomplishment.

Healthy Menus

 

 However refreshing it was to have 2 whole days off work, I still had to return today, after the Bank Holiday. But I was weirdly glad - getting back into routine always helped me diet effectively in the past, and today was no exception. My day went as follows:

Breakfast: Hi Fi Bar

Morning snack: Apple

Lunch: Chicken, egg, bacon, pasta and potato Caesar salad



Snack: French Fries crisps with Chicken Pate

Tea: Chicken Casserole

I mean, if that doesn't look like a menu of health, then I don't know WHAT does. Maybe a little too chicken-based, but hey - it's Free and in abundance. The casserole was a bit of a bugger, as I hadn't really planned it in advance - plus I'm on Day 2 of my "Star week" which meant I was practically weeping in pain over the garlic and onions frying in the pan. But it was soon done easily enough, and smelt delicious. And Joel enjoyed it, which made me feel better!



Simply chop and brown the chicken, fry the onions and garlic, bring the carrots and potatoes to the boil in chicken stock, and then sling it all together in a casserole dish to bang in the oven for 30 mins. So simple, even I couldn't cock it up.

Sadly, tonight's culinary triumphs were ruined by a crippling bout of period pains - so severe that Joel had to run off on a mercy mission to Asda for painkillers. I'd been collapsed on the sofa moaning all evening and usually tend to crave chocolate and sweet things around this time, but funnily enough the only thing I was craving today was Diet Coke. And LOTS of it. So Joel, bless him, returned home with Feminax and a 2-litre bottle of the stuff....... PLUS some Ryvita and low-fat herby cheese spread, "in case you needed some comfort food." God bless him. Even at a time like this, he still supports the ultimate goal.

And truth be told, so did my brain. Tonight it seemed to just push the old cravings aside, and demand nothing more than Diet Coke (Free), a Rocky Road Hi Fi bar (Healthy Extra) and Fat Free toffee yoghurts (also Free). I guess I re-embedded Slimming World quicker than I thought!!

So in 15 minutes we're going to curl up in front of "Hell's Kitchen" and I'm going to period-binge, Slimming World-style. Good times!

Back in the game!

LOSS: 2 POUNDS

NO. WAY.

Seriously. So, apparently, a girl can have 2 Subway sandwiches, a large Popcorn, a Macdonalds and party food in a week, AND be on her period when she gets weighed and STILL lose weight??! Bloody hell. I'd forgotten how baffling this slimming malarky can be. Needless to say, I was overjoyed. Well, in between eating rubbish on odd occasions last week (and immediately getting violent diaorrhea after eating the party food yesterday) I must have done something right! And holding a friend's baby for about an hour at the party probably burned off some arm-calories, at least.....

So yeah, I'm over the moon. Mum's chuffed with me too, which means a lot - and she gave me some (totally Free) Chicken Pate' she'd made, which I'm really looking forward to, as her pate's are usually GORGEOUS! Speaking of the Woman of the Year, Auntie Sandra (my godmother, who's also joined the group) brought in a "Before" photo of Mum - presumably taken about 10 years ago. Well, Christ, the only part of the photo I recognised was the sideboard from our lounge. Because that's how different she looks now. I stared down at that familiar yet unrecognisable woman, dressed in white, arms uncomfortably crossed over her ample chest, a double chin. And I looked across the room at the woman stood in profile in a flattering dress, with curves in all the right places, chattering happily to the other members. And that, more than anything, made me more determined to lose weight.

I also totally inspired myself today whilst doing a good old Bank Holiday Spring-Clean - discovering my old Slimming World recipe book and several recipes torn out of the various SW magazines. After sifting through hundreds of recipes, I finally wrote down all the ingredients I'd need for several meals, priced them up on the Asda website and have listed them for the Big Shop next week. I CAN'T BLOODY WAIT. Feeling organised truly kicks arse, and is definately a staple part of the SW mentality - particularly meal planning.

Even better - 2 of my best friends, Louise and Alex, now both live in London and want to lose weight too - so we've agreed to Skype each other every Monday after class, so we can share hints and tips and encourage each other. Did it for the first time tonight, and they had a weigh-in in Louise's bathroom, so we all had a starting weight. So, yeah. It was fun to see them again - and I'm going to email them throughout the week with Syn Values and Free Foods.

Louise and Alex:

Thought for the day......

More slip-ups

I must say, it hasn't been so bad slipping back into the old ways, after Tuesday's little slip-up. Munching Hi Fi bars on my break at work, BabyBels or Apples for a mid-afternoon snack and attempting a healthy tea. Filling in my Food Diary at work. It's been quite fun actually.

Which is why I was slightly annoyed that by the time Joel's dad and brother had left from visiting us this evening (10pm), we had no choice but to get drive-thru Macdonalds for tea. GODDAMIT!!

BODY MAGIC: Walking to and from the bus stop

RECIPE: Chicken Curry

This meal's great if you just want an Indian takeaway and can't be rammed cooking - but don't want to order out for fear of packing on 2 pounds at weigh-in next week. This only takes about 30-40 minutes and is absolutely yummy.

(DISCLAIMER: As I'm terrible at measurements, quantities etc.... I don't always put them down accurately. My recipes are always to serve 2 - just use your own common sense. If you make too much, freeze some for another day. If you make too little - learn for next time!)

YOU NEED:

Chopped tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp mild curry powder
1 small onion
Fry Light
Diced chicken
250ml chicken stock
Plain rice

SYNS:

Free

TO MAKE:

Fry onions and garlic in Fry Light over a Low heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chilli flakes and curry powder and stir until simmering.
Meanwhile, fry the Chicken for 2-3 mins over a High heat in Fry Light. When browned, add the tomato mix and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 25 minutes, stirring throughout.
Meanwhile, cook rice according to packet instructions.
Season the mix, spoon over rice and SERVE.

Goddamit!!

Well, I screwed myself. Royally. Today Joel and I went to see "Ted." And with the combination of me working till 6, the film starting at 6:45, and an O2 moment offering us a free large popcorn - I found myself breaking my Slimming World on the very first day. We raced to Subway for a quick and easy tea (a 6 inch, so I guess I still tried!), off to Poundland for some drinks and sweets, and to the cinema for 2 and a half hours of hilarity.

Grrrr..... Must try harder.

BODY MAGIC: Walking to and from the bus stop

One Year Later

There's a LOT I need to update you on. Actually, I could sum it up in a few sentences. Basically, I quit. Last year, a month or so after I stopped writing my diary, I decided to leave Slimming World for financial reasons...... in that I couldn't afford the £5 a week. Shameful as it sounds, I was a little sticky money-wise around the end of last year, what with Christmas coming up and all. So I left, telling myself I could handle it, that I'd absorbed the Group's teachings, and that I'd no longer keep owing Louise money.

Well, I was a right wally, it turns out. I couldn't stick to it at all. Oh, I tried for a few weeks, but with the pressures of Christmas coming up, I soon completely forgot. As I settled into our new home, I started drinking alcohol again, chocolate found it's way back into my diet and the takeaway menus soon came back into rotation. I gained back the entire 10 lbs I lost, and then some. And the worst thing is, I didn't really care. Joel and I continued to eat out and order from Dominos, the local Indian, the Chinese down the road...... anytime we'd had a stressful day and felt like we "deserved a treat."

And then recently, things changed. Following a shopping trip with my Auntie Pam, a week later Mum broke the news to me..... that several family members - since seeing me recently - had actually voiced concern about my weight. They were genuinely concerned for me, to the point where they had actually intervened with Mum to tell me the uncomfortable truth.

So with that shameful kick up the arse, I made the concious decision to re-join Slimming World. And boy, am I ever glad I did. Walking back into that room with all the familiar faces, it felt like coming home. Slightly pissed off to discover that I was now a whopping 17 stone 5 pounds. And kind of confused...... you read about women who weigh 13 stone who look double the size of me, with actual health problems too, while I have none. But I was determined to overlook it, and treat it as a mere stepping stone to overcome. The rest of the meeting went brilliantly - in fact, Mum won "Woman of the Year!" So she was treated to a glittering tiara, sash, silver pen, a rose and some luxury bubble bath...... and damn, I felt proud of her! Not to mention inspired to lose as much weight as she has (I think 3 and a half stone in total).

                     

So there you have it. I'm back in the game.