Number-land (Part 2)

Dear Diary,

In keeping with my recent success, I decided to check back in and give an updated version of my losses:

STARTING WEIGHT: 17st 5lbs
STARTING WEIGHT IN KGS: 110.2kgs
STARTING WEIGHT IN LBS: 243lbs
STARTING BMI: 35.9

CURRENT WEIGHT: 15st 12lbs
CURRENT WEIGHT IN KGS: 100.5kgs
CURRENT WEIGHT IN LBS: 222lbs
CURRENT BMI: 32.8

WEIGHT LOST: 1st 7lbs
KILOGRAMS LOST: 10kgs
POUNDS LOST: 21
PERCENTAGE OF BODY WEIGHT LOST: 8.6%
BMI DECREASE: 3.1


So yeah, quite proud of those results! Have also definitely decided to stick with the idea of treating myself with certain weight loss milestones, as an extra incentive. Already decided on the small tattoos for the major ones, like the Stones, but have also opted to treat myself to a little bit of jewellry everytime I reach a Half-Stone. After all, there's no point getting new clothes every time, and a necklace is something pretty you can keep forever. The idea came today after a discussion Auntie Pam and I had today, about the money David left us - and how we're both going to buy a timeless pendant/bracelet etc.... to always remind us of him. So in a similar fashion, everytime I hit a half stone, I'm going to buy a cute necklace or a charm for my bracelet. Maybe fruit-themed.....?

xxxxx

RECIPE: Beef Bourginon

Dear Diary,

Today was my bi-weekly day off, and quite frankly, it was much better than the last one. Still on a high from last night, Joel and I decided to make it a fun yet productive day.

GOOD THINGS THAT HAPPENED TODAY:

I walked past my 1.5 stone certificate and got excited again.
We were up and out at the gym BY NINE O'CLOCK - which was actually kind of cool, given how there was virtually no-one there.
Had a nice lunch.
Joel got a phone call confirming he got the job he was interviewed for last week.
Caught "Evil Dead" at the Printworks (not a patch on the original, in my humble opinion).
Found out from Mum that David had left me £500 in his will - leaving me completely gobsmacked. Thanks to him, I can now afford the dream holiday to New York in Autumn.
Made a delicious Slimming World Beef Bourginon for tea.

And it is this, my friends, which I share with you today:

INGREDIENTS:

Diced Beef
900ml Beef Stock
100ml Red Wine
4 Shallots
2 Celery Sticks
3 Carrots
6 tbsp Tomato Passatta
2 Garlic cloves
6 button Mushrooms
Fry Light
4 Bacon rashers

SYNS:

1

TO MAKE:

Fry Shallots and Bacon in Fry Light in an oven-proof casserole dish for 5 mins. Remove.
Fry diced Beef in same dish, also in Fry Light. Once browned, add the bacon and shallots again, plus the Garlic, Passatta, Carrots, Celery, Wine and Stock. Season, and bring to the boil.

Cover with tin foil and cook in pre-heated oven for 1 hour (NB: The actual recipe says 2, but screw that, I ran out of time! Didn't affect the meal, though).
After this, put the chopped Mushrooms in the stew, and place back in oven, uncovered, for 30 mins. SERVE.

I say it about all these recipes, but it really is true - this meal packs an amazing scent, like a heady, Christmass, rich red-wine stewing kind of smell. Breathe it in and rejoice that such a wonderful meal exists.

Milestone Monday!!

Dear Diary,

LOSS: 3 POUNDS

Yes, you read that right. This week, I lost a WHOPPING 3 pounds, putting me firmly at my next longed-for milestone of 1 AND A HALF STONE!!

Obviously, I'm thrilled beyond all belief - was the only person to actually win an award at Group last night, but Joan was very sweet and announced that I'd worked really hard for it. So got a big clap from everyone, and lots of congratulations from my Auntie Sandra and co. (Mum wasn't there tonight as she'd booked it as a holiday - but rest assured she screamed down the phone when I rang to tell her!)

I'm so chuffed. Still can't believe it - it seems I'd managed to break the bob-around-one-weight-for-a-month pattern and finally changed my ways. I guess cooking healthy Slimming World teas this week definitely helped - not to mention dragging my ass to the gym during Star Week!
Oh my god - STAR WEEK!!! I'd completely forgotten! If I can lose 3 whole pounds whilst retaining water and going all bloated, IMAGINE what I could lose next week.....? If I keep it up, go to the gym, and keep cooking nice SW meals as often as I can, I could EASILY hit my 2 stone in the Race to Rhianna! (For those who don't know/can't remember - I'm going to see her on the 15th June with my friends in London, and my target is to lose 2 stone by then)

Back to tonight - Louise and Alex were unable to Skype/Facetime, so we arranged to do it tomorrow instead. After such a long day, I was kind of pleased - not that I don't LOVE talking to them every week and comparing notes, but I'm usually totally knackered after working all day, standing up for half an hour on a packed tram, bolting down some tea (poached egg on wholemeal toast, tonight), going to Group and then not being able to chill out properly until about 10pm. So instead, Joel and I went to Asda pick up a celebratory drink (beer for him, and mini bottle-that-equates-to-one-small-glass of Rose' for me) and curled up in front of Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares for the night. I stuck my certificate up on both the Achievements Wall and my Facebook wall, and had about 8 "Likes" before the night was out.

 

 xxxxx

RECIPE: Provencal Chicken

Dear Diary,

As today was one of those lovely lazy Sundays where nothing needed doing except housework and tattoo after-care, I though it was the perfect chance to try out a recipe I hadn't done before, one that needed preparation and time. Got myself incredibly organised first thing in the morning by sorting/chopping/decanting all ingredients that didn't need cooking and setting them aside for later. The result? A stunning dish of French perfection, with a wonderful cassoulette to boot!

(P.S: On a side note, said tattoo is recovering nicely!)

 

 

(DISCLAIMER: 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! Also, this recipe doesn't accurately follow the Slimming World recipe, due to lack of certain ingredients - therefore some tiny changes have been made)

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

1 tsp Chilli Flakes

2 Chicken Breasts

Tin of Chopped tomatoes

Tomato Passatta

Lemon juice (from about 1/2 a lemon)

3 cloves of garlic

1 tbsp Herbs de Provence

150ml Chicken Stock

1/2 Red Onion (chopped)

3 Potatoes (peeled and thinly sliced) - OPTIONAL!

Fry Light

 

SYNS:

 

None!

 

TO MAKE:

 

Mix the Chopped Tomatoes and Red Onion together, and spread over the bottom of an oven-proof Casserole dish (having been sprayed with Fry Light first)

OPTIONAL! - If you want to thicken up the dish like I did, boil some Potato slices for 4-5 mins to soften, and arrange on top of the Tomato-Onion mix

 

 

Then cook your Chicken Breasts in Fry Light over a high heat for 4-5 minutes each side, before transferring to the Casserole dish.

Mix together the Herbs de Provence, Lemon juice, Chilli Flakes and chopped Garlic, and spread over the Chicken.



Finally, mix together the Stock and Passatta, and pour over the dish. Cover with tin foil and bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove the foil, and cook for a further 20 minutes. Breathe in that sexy, herby, French scent, and SERVE. Et voila, bon appetite!

RECIPE - Manhattan Burger

Dear Diary,

Thanks to my trusty new Recipe Book and Thursday's Big Shop, tonight's tea was a roaring success. I know this kind of thing is probably said all the time by fellow slimmers all over the country, but it completely threw me just how much you could eat, whilst still slimming! Not to mention this was my first time making Slimming World chips.... which were gorgeous! So, as a little tribute to our American Cousins, here is the deliciously guilt-free Manhatten Burger and Fries.

(DISCLAIMER: 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!)

INGREDIENTS:

Extra Lean/Lean Beef Mince
2 Garlic Cloves
2 sliced Red Onion rings
2 Tomato slices
2 wholemeal baps
2 Light Baby Bels (or 2 small slices of your favourite cheese)
3 large Potatoes
Fry Light
Salt

(Just to point out - this is NOT the exact recipe from the SW magazine, this is me following it my way, doing it with less ingredients)

SYNS:

Absolutely none, provided you use the wholemeal bun as your Healthy Extra B and the cheese as yor Healthy Extra A!

TO MAKE:

Pre-heat the oven to 200. Peel the big potatoes, and slice into however-thin/thick-you-want chip shapes. Boil for 4-5 minutes to soften, and drain.
Arrange chips in single layer on a tray lined with baking paper - NOT tin foil though, as I tried this and they stuck to it like crazy. Spray with Fry Light and scatter Salt over, to season. Bake in oven until crispy (about 15-20 minutes)

Meanwhile, grate the Garlic cloves into the Lean Mince and massage until absorbed. Squish the mince into burger shapes, spray with Fry Light and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side. (PS: The recipe SAYS this, but if you're like me and accidentally make your burgers too thick, then cook on each side as long as possible, then put the pan in the oven for 10 mins to finish them off and cook thoroughly)
When chips are crispy and burgers cooked, arrange the chips on a plate, and put the burgers on the buns. Top with either a small slice of your favourite cheese or a Baby Bel (sliced into 2 halves), a ring of Red Onion and a slice of Tomato - plus a lettuce leaf, if you have one! SERVE.

Fruit and Ink - Part 2!

Dear Diary,

Well, that's it. I've done it. I am now the proud owner of my 2nd tattoo!

DISCLAIMER: I realise this is a weight loss blog, but my tattoo is kind of about that, so I'd like to spend today talking about it.

I was booked in for 5:30, half an hour after my shift finished. Was half tempted to ring Joel and ask him to come and sit with me - but I was going out with work-mates afterwards, and you're not allowed to have anyone sit with you and hold your hand anyway. Pottered around the newsagents below for a bit - frantically slurping Diet Coke to keep my blood sugar up (yeah, I did my research!), eyeing up a nearby customer's tattoos, and jabbering to my friend Brooksey to try and calm myself down. Eventually he left to meet the others for a drink, and I was alone, having bumped into the guy who tattooed me last time - Chris - outside.

As I sat there upstairs, signing medical/permission forms and watching some of the men I'd seen yesterday banter and jockey with each other about a paint job on one of the walls, my butterflies were RAGING. I was getting nerves that almost felt as intense as stage-fright, and started wondering if tattooing myself as a reward for losing weight was really worth feeling this sick and nervous over. No idea why I was so scared this time - I was nervous first time around, but that was more apprehension, fear of the unknown. This time I completely knew what I was in for, and could still clearly remember the nature of the pain I went through back in January, and exactly what it felt like. My hands were cold and clammy, nearly slopping Diet Coke all over myself every time I went to have a drink.

Eventually got called round the corner by Chris, his station all clean and prepared. We figured out where it was going, what colours I was having and pressed the stencil against my hip. At this point, my fear seemed to throw all my dignity out the window, as I found myself mumbling about the Stretchmark CENTRAL that seemed to have popped up on my side overnight, and whether they would ruin the tattoo or not - which he assured me wouldn't, if anything, the tattoo would hide them. Eventually he got me lay down on my side on the table, a squeezy Comic Relief red nose toy clutched in my hand (nabbed from work), my top hiked up and my trousers pulled slightly down. As he started the outline and the old, familiar pain kicked in, I found myself jabbering nervously again - completely forgetting that Chris doesn't seem to talk half as much as I do, and has a rather dry sense of humour that takes getting used to (well, if you're me, anyway).

So I nattered away, crushing my stress ball, wincing and trying to stay still and calm. And then from somewhere behind me, one of the men started bollocking his friend - for being a talented tattoo artist and yet cocking up a simple task and mis-placing the tape to prevent paint stains on the floor. Suddenly, we were all laughing, and then - bless him - the same guy wanders over to have a look at my apple, and see how I'm getting on. And what do you know, he was the customer from the newsagent downstairs! No wonder he was looking at me as I wittered on to my friend about shading and outlines.....

Next thing we knew, I had two guys stood over me peering at the work-in-progress, chattering away. My nerves completely vanished as I twisted around to talk to the friendly, funny men who I'd found so intimidating and scary only yesterday. I guess it shows appearances can be deceptive, after all! Maybe they'd sensed I was nervous as I'd sat, pale-faced and quiet in the Reception area, or maybe they were just bored. But they asked why I was getting an apple, how many tattoos I had and whether I'd be back. They assured me that even hardened customers still get nervous when they come in for a new piece, and joked that I "shouldn't drink for 3 weeks" when I mentioned that I was meeting friends afterwards. They showed me some of their tattoos and chattered about future plans for their bodies, (commending my stone-loss-fruit-joined-together-by-filligree-vines idea) and above all, totally distracted me from the pain I thought I'd be going through. And whether they did this on purpose or not, it felt like an act of absolute kindness.

On a side note, I don't know whether it was the distractions, or simply the placement on my body - but (and I feel like such a hypocrite for all the times I sneered at people who say this) this one really didn't hurt that much. I went in prepared for the intense slice-my-skin-open-and-put-your-cigarette-out-in-the-wound pain I'd gone through last time, only to feel a few slivers of bearable pain, a mildly irritating scratching, and even bouts of TICKLISHNESS. Seriously! Can you imagine feeling ticklish over a tattoo? I've heard people say that and thought they were totally batsh!t crazy, but it's true. Which I discovered as I realised, a little too late, that I'd chosen possibly the most ticklish place on my ENTIRE BODY to get one done. Ooops! Tried to lie as still as possible whilst giggling and feeling my feet twitch.

Soon we were nearly done, as the comments from Chris's colleagues veered into the "oh, last bit now, coming up!" territory. Looking at my finished tattoo, I had the same (internal) reaction as last time, when I looked in the mirror and the first thing I thought was; "OH SH!T! It looks NOTHING like I thought it would!! What have I DONE?!" But after the initial 5 seconds, it started looking great, and I remembered how my first one had ellicited the same panicked response, before going on to look amazing once it had "settled in." I guess it's stupid to just assume that tattoo artists can just read your mind and instantly transfer your idea, totally exact, onto your body. Back in the present, I was getting loads of reassurancs from my new friends that it looked brilliant, and felt a momentary twinge of regret that an artist as talented as Chris (whose portfolio boasted huge, intricate, ornate pieces ranging from the religious to the incredible) was stuck on his last appointment of the day doing a small, not-remotely-complex design on a girl who would probably always keep it hidden. But he assured me he'd enjoyed it - especially since he'd put his own spin on the design. I'd simply wanted a red outline, with only the stem (brown) and the leaf (green) shaded in. But after some gentle persuading from the professional, we'd opted for the whole thing to be coloured in..... but with a black outline and some subtle blending of yellow, green and white - to make the apple look more realistic, and give the illusion of a sun spot, reflecting off the surface. I'd never have thought of that. The man's a genius! Well, see for yourself:

 

 

I love it. I'm so, so proud of it, in fact, I'm THRILLED. I was proud of the "book-erfly" (See here) but merely because it represented me taking the plunge, finally striking something off my Bucket List, and being brave enough to do something I knew would hurt. I love reading books, and I'm proud that it's what I'm known for. I'm proud of my book collection, and the lessions they can teach me. And, because of the quote and the man it will always remind me of (David), having it done felt like a kind of catharsis, a way of easing the grief somewhat, with a little tribute.

 

But THIS tattoo, to me, represents achievement. I only had it done a matter of hours ago, and I can almost feel my heart burst with pride and happiness everytime I look down at it. Sure, it's still in the phase where it's all swollen, bumpy, red and sticky and has to keep being washed, but I know it'll look even more lovely when it's healed, like my bookerfly. And most importantly, it's proof - and a constant reminder - that I CAN do something I put my mind to, I HAVE lost weight, and I WILL lose more. Even if someone looks at it and only sees an apple, I will forever know what it means TO ME. And that's the important bit.

 

xxxxxx 

The Terrific Three

Dear Diary,

3 THINGS THAT MADE MY DAY AWESOME:

1) A text from Louise commending me for not succumbing to chocolate temptations and telling me I should maybe "plan a non-eating or drinking payday treat" to stop myself getting tempted by a big night out. The girl read my mind!

On a related note;

2) Paying my tattoo deposit. Had a nice little walk on my lunch hour to make my "down payment," as they say. Slightly awkward moment when I walked in, to face about 6 heavily tattooed guys all staring at me, as I walked through the door in my uber-conservative work clothes and Marks and Spencer's coat, haha. But they were nice enough, and told me to turn up 10 minutes early tomorrow. Eeeeee, excited!

3) Tonight's Big Shop. Not only could I now get my lovely new size-lower swimming costume, but I'm not even kidding - our shopping trolley was about 60% fruit and vegetables. It was actually INSANE. I used to pride myself on hating anything "green" or "rabbit food," but now I've truly changed. To the best of my knowledge, we bought:

Red Peppers
Apples
Potatoes (yeah, yeah, I know. But all the better for making SW chips with!)
Mushrooms
Sweetcorn
Spring Onions
Carrots
Tomatoes
Celery

Not to mention a TON of yummy meat, fish and pasta, etc.... for new meals. Joel's been cooking tea almost every night for the past few months, so now it's my turn. Not to mention I'm getting the urge to flex my cooking muscle again, especially after spending the whole week in the company of paper, scissors and sellotape, compiling an absolutely MASSIVE collection of recipes accumulated through backdated SW magazines.

I'm not even kidding, there must be 70 recipes in there so far. And the good news is, technically, it can NEVER BE FINISHED. All I need to do is nab some plastic wallets and a file from work, and I'm sorted!

xxxxx