Highs and Lows

GAIN: 3 POUNDS

Dear Diary,

As you see above, I have once again royally screwed up. After all of the whining, self-pitying, motivation and promises of last week - after trying hard to Food Optimise 100% and stick to it, I must have had a severe delayed reaction. Because just 4 days ago, I found myself back on the scales, brimful of confidence..... only to see that I've gone back to a mere 12 pounds total weight loss. Completely gutted if I'm honest, knew I'd mis-behaved but never assumed that it would catch up with me after 3 solid weeks of maintaining......

Decided to allow myself that one Monday night to p!ss and moan, flail about and bawl about how "I'm sick of being so f***ing FAT!!" before gritting my teeth Tuesday morning and swearing to carry on as planned.

The weekend before was a mixture of Good and Bad. Went out for Taylor's birthday on Friday - and whilst a very fun time was had, I stuck to a very modest three vodka-and-diet-cokes instead of my traditional concoction of cocktails, various spirits and cider. Saturday was fantastic, with Joel and I going to see a brilliant play called "The Machine," and then to Tampopos for my favourite Asian Free meal afterwards, for a lovely late tea.





And then Sunday was spent up at Auntie Pam's, who threw a beautiful summer buffet which was all taken entirely outside - and lasted from 1pm to roughly 10pm, as our family do's tend to! Well, technically, everybody else left about 8 o'clock, but Joel and I got asked to stay behind after Mum and Dad left. And it was fantastic - not only did we tan ourselves further by staying out in the garden chugging Prosecco/Diet Coke, but there was just this fantastic sense of school kids being let out of the classroom. Not to mention we left with a metric ton of healthy food and David's old Playstation 2, plus a small TV and about 20 games!



So that takes us back to Monday, and my inevitable foul mood. It didn't help AT ALL that after Group (and on the way home), my Gain was ALL Mum and Dad could talk about. I mean, I know it's a big thing in my life now, but I seriously just wish we could talk about something else for once. I know they care, I'm just getting a little bored of constantly being asked "how I've done this week," and "where I think I went wrong last week" etc.... On the way home, Dad (who clearly didn't get the "tell Dad I don't want to talk about it anymore" message I gave Mum) lasted through about 3 minutes of small talk, before jumping right back on the hot topic. Not to mention I was getting blasted from all angles for my "behaviour" at Auntie Pam's buffet for - SHOCK HORROR!! - eating one halved ciabatta roll and..... oh my god, ONE CRISP AND ONE MINI PRETZEL!! I know, right?! That's not even an exaggeration - I literally had one of each, before Dad started crying "Verboten! Verboten!" at me and frowning. Then I had Mum doing the whole "Should you really be doing that.....?" when Auntie Pam poured me a small glass of Prosecco (which, as you probably know is 4 Syns a glass, i.e: THE LOWEST FRICKING SYN VALUE for an alcoholic drink, bar Vodka and Bacardi) Not to mention the inevitable "Ooh, should you have taken that much?" when I walked out with a serving of ENTIRELY FREE FOOD. Lean beef, salad, tomatoes, peppers, salmon and prawns. Oh, and when dessert came out, all I had was a few grapes, a handful of raspberries, and a TABLESPOON of ice cream. Completely ignored the chocolate eclairs, roulade, and cheese with biscuits. But do you think anyone commended that? Nope, just pointed out the faults.

I mean, for God's sake!! One of the MAIN GODDAMN COMPONENTS of Slimming World is that you can eat hearty portions of Free food and that is FINE. You CAN have a second helpings of SuperFree food, meat and fish. Joan herself advised it at Group on Monday, when I begged to know what had gone wrong - told me that if you eat more Free food, it raises your metabolism. That's what Joan told me, a qualified dietician. I know for a fact that the reason I've gained so much lately is my total inability to keep my Syns below the allotted 15 a day - and it sure as sh!t ain't because I went back for a second helping of salad and fish on Sunday.

And what p!sses me off the most is how people at work and my family (apart from Auntie Pam and Grandma) spend all their time just JUDGING me on every little thing I put in my mouth - EVEN IF IT'S SLIMMING WORLD FOOD!!
Especially the guys at work; "Oooh, are you SURE you should be drinking Hot Chocolate, Katie?" "Well, yes, it's Low Fat Options hot chocolate that I've specially prepared, which is only two Syns." "Yeah..... but wouldn't it be better if you DIDN'T have the two Syns?" "It's only two." "But imagine if you DIDN'T have the two! Then it would be even HEALTHIER!!" "Well maybe, but if I did that every single day, I'd go absolutely stark-bollock mad, craving sweet things all the time, until one day the inevitable pressure of depriving myself constantly will make me completely snap, and go on an epic, pound-piling binge - which is the ONE THING Slimming World advises you against doing." "Hmmmm....." "You don't believe me, do you....?" "Wellllll..... it doesn't make sense to ME, but if that's the way you're doing it....."

Sorry, I'm just so f***ing SICK of people judging me all the time, especially when they don't even understand the rules of Slimming World - and aren't even ON it! - and only go off the whole eat-nothing-and-lose-weight shtick that's been so wrongly peddled for years, as opposed to the SW eat-a-balanced-diet-that-allows-for-a-daily-amount-of-sugar way. I realise I'm not losing weight at the rate I want to, but that's MY MISTAKE, because I've been f***ing stupid, lazy and irresponsible, not because SW doesn't work. It does. IF YOU DO IT PROPERLY.

Ugh, rant over. Had to get that out. Anyway, moving on to more pleasant notes: this week has been brilliant. Slotted effortlessly back into the Slimming ways, and have managed to keep my Syns down to below 15 (and even 10!) Syns a day. Went to see "The Machine" again on Wednesday with Auntie Pam (who was sold after I raved about it on Sunday) - and after spending all day on Google trying to figure out a healthy place to go for tea, eventually settled on fit Italian, Pertutti's. Oh my god. Go, if you are able. Had the same starter as Auntie Pam, which was tomato, rocket, garlic and basil bruschetta. As for the main course..... well, on a normal day I'd have leapt on the Seafood pizza without a moment's thought, but decided to Health it up by getting the same dish - but on Spaghetti instead of Pizza. We also refused desserts and resisted wine - bearing in mind that Me + Awesome Big Sister I Never Had + No-one driving, usually = WINE O'CLOCK! Allowed ourselves to feel very smug indeed, whilst enjoying a lovely, non-judgemental girly catch-up and planning what lovely healthy meals we're going to make/how much swimming and walking we're going to do in France.

Look at that. Seriously!

 

 

So, all in all, this week so far has been nothing short of great. Let's hope it continues!

 

 

Xxxxx

An Excellent Week

Dear Diary,

If I do say so, this week has been INCREDIBLE. With a huge dollop of inspiration in me from last weekend, I set to work much more focused and dedicated. Check it out:

MONDAY:

Made a HUGE portion of healthy veggie pasta which saw me through a tea and 2 lunches

TUESDAY:

Returned to the gym and didn't leave until drenched in endorphin-filled glory. (NB: Joel kicked off over some stupid little thing that night, and while the tiff didn't get resolved until Wednesday evening, was very good and didn't drown my sorrows in chocolate/wine etc.... Simply remained calm, made Omlette for tea and ate SW-approved snacks)

WEDNESDAY:

See above. Also, have got back into the habit of eating a regimented lunch at work every day - Wholemeal bread sandwich (using the 2 slices as Healthy Extra B), crisps (counting the Syns), Mugshot (Free) and Muller Lite yoghurt (Free). Snacks throughout the day = Apple (Superfree), Lite Baby Bel (Healthy Extra A) and Tomato Mackerel (Free).

THURSDAY:

Made absolutely gorgeous Seafood Risotto for tea. Eagle-eyed readers of this blog will surely remember the disastrous attempt at this dish last time, in which I took close to an HOUR merely stirring rice. But for some unfathomable reason, this time it all worked out beautifully. Chucked in prawns and mussels and the whole thing was a delight.

FRIDAY:

Joel made Fish and Chips for tea - I removed the breadcrumb batter from the fish and substituted chips for rice. Still managed to be delicious!

SATURDAY:

On shift-swap, so was in work where lunch/diet could be firmly kept an eye on. Made a variation on my famous Red Pepper Chicken casserole for tea - pan-fried chicken breasts stuffed with pepper slices, served with a chopped tomato, basil and onion salsa.

SUNDAY:

Making the most of not being in work, Joel and I went for a long, Body Magic-filled walk around town, stopping at Tampopo's for amazing (Free!) and favourite lunch of chicken breasts and flat noodles in Asian stock. For tea, had a gorgeous Gammon with mustard crust and a fried egg (in Fry-Light, of course!)

So there you have it. A brilliant week, that wasn't as hard to stick to as I thought. Just need to keep fingers crossed now and PRAY for a 1.5 pound loss tomorrow. Even if it's just half a pound, I'll be glad of anything. Actually, no I won't. That's just cheesy. I want to get what I aimed for and achieve what I planned, I want a goddamn HUGE loss - 3, maybe 4 pounds in one go, just to light a fire under my ass and get me going with fervor and excitement. Unlikely, I know. But then again, I once lost 8 pounds in a week. Who KNOWS what could happen?

Xxxxx

Contrite Apologies

Dear Diary,

Again, it's been a while. I really need to stop leaving it so long in between posts, before the few readers I actually have decide to turn tail and flee to more interesting blogs!

So, moving back a few weeks, when I made my last entry - as you may recall, I was getting ever-closer to the wonder that is Rihanna (and David Guetta) down in London. Well, the weekend was brilliant, London was beautiful as always, and it was fantastic to hang out with old friends (and fellow slimmers!) Not to mention the show itself was absolutely AMAZING - I maintain that nothing can make you feel happier than participating in a 70,000-strong rave-a-thon to "We found love" and "Only girl in the world." Even got a little choked up during the tour title end song ("Diamonds") just imagining how it must feel to have that many people sing your own lyrics back at you!

But I digress. If we take a minute to look at the weekend from a Slimming World perspective, this is how it went:

(DISCLAIMER: Any time I use the words "Good" and "Bad" - it is purely from a Slimming point of view. For example, I might describe an incredibly delicious and fun meal as "Bad," or a very long, knackering walk - that completely sucked ass - as "Good." OK? Cool.)
  
THURSDAY

Got paid and treated myself to two new dresses for the weekend. AND THEY WERE BOTH A SIZE 16!!! Haven't been a size 16 for 2 years,  nearly cried with joy - GOOD.

FRIDAY:

Arrived at Louise's after train-and-tube-journey for a lovely bridesmaids-meeting-the-ushers soiree' - Ushers were really funny and nice - and it was wicked to see Louise, Alex and Mark (Louise's fiance') again.

STARTER:

A very large, colourful assortment (or Antipasti, I think it's called) of cold meats, bread, mozzarella, peppers, gherkins, bruschettas, salsa and tomatoes - NOT SURE, POSSIBLY COMBINATION OF GOOD AND BAD - SUSPECT MOSTLY GOOD. Either way, felt very smug and happy munching on a pepper (which I've recently started liking - not to mention them being the design for my 2-Stone tattoo!)

MAIN:

A huge portion of 4-Cheese Lasagne with salad - SALAD = GOOD,  LASAGNE = BAD
DESSERT: 

 An UNBELIEVABLY gorgeous Chocolate and Polenta cake - BAD

DRINKS: 

Vodka and lemonade on arrival ("just the one, after that  train journey!") - GOOD
Rose' Wine - which started off as "just the one" but kept getting mysteriously topped up throughout the meal (which I suspect I didn't attempt to stop, the drunker I got) - BAD
Aquavit Dill - Some insane aperitif Mark served us that tasted exactly like whiskey, but apparently wasn't. Finished the whole glass. Don't even LIKE whiskey - BAD

SATURDAY: 

Woke up in Alex's' bed with APPALLING hangover - didn't even remember the journey from Barbican to Hammersmith. Cured hangover with nice walk to local caff for greasy fry-up  - BAD.

Being given some of Alex's clothes that are now too big for her - GOOD, AS ALEX IS VERY STYLISH AND THIS SHOULD IMPROVE CONFIDENCE..... BAD AS I HAVEN'T YET REACHED THE STAGE WHERE CLOTHES ARE TOO BIG FOR ME - AND AM NOW IN FRIEND'S CAST-OFFS.

Met up with the other girls to commence hair/make-up/dressing up preparations before going for a nice late lunch..... Sadly the pub we went to didn't seem to serve any salads - and any healthy looking fish dishes/steaks were WAY out of budget range. Opted for burger and chips - BAD, DEFINITELY BAD.

Walk from bus stop to Twickenham stadium - and consequently up 16 FLIGHTS of stairs to get to our seats - GOOD.
Raving to Rihanna and subsequent hour-long walk to alternative bus stop through a horde of 70,000 zombies (well, mostly drunk fellow gig-ers) - GOOD.
Midnight Pizzas and garlic dough balls back at Alex's - BAD.

SUNDAY:

Going for breakfast at balls-achingly cool and artisan cafe - had fry-up - BAD.

Hauling an insanely heavy (due to acquisition of Alex's clothes) overnight bag around Westfield and to tube station - GOOD.

Got home exhausted, sweaty and starving - only to find caring boyfriend had got us each a Subway for tea. Haven't had one in 6 months, tasted as good as a Last Meal - BAD.


So, there you have it. My amazing, fantastic, fun weekend turned out to be a bit of a shambles, Slimming-wise. Not to mention I got very ill on the Monday, and opted out of going to Group. Don't get me wrong, I was scared about what the scales would say - but I still would have liked to known how I did and and how much damage control was needed. Only problem is, I then spent the whole week gradually relaxing my standards so much, that by the time I got to Monday again, I was once  again poorly. It probably didn't help that on Sunday (the 23rd) after a Memorial Tree Planting for David, the whole family went for a nice pub lunch. Tried to be healthy (chicken and bacon salad to start, Fish Pie for mains, no pudding) but unfortunately, the combination of rich food and an incredibly aggressive Star Week was enough to knock me sick again - so ended up missing ANOTHER week at Group.

The week that followed wasn't the best. I lapsed further into unhealthiness, only went to the gym once, went to bed early every night and had constant stomach pains and bouts of lethargy. My bones started aching again - which even I know isn't right for a 26 year-old, I got tired easily and justified everything I did wrong with the occasional healthy meal and infrequent exercise. The good news is at least I must be somewhat adjusted to a healthier lifestyle, if eating unhealthy things messes my body up so much. The bad news is, I'll never be able to eat to my previous capacity again. And while that's certainly a good thing, I can't pretend I won't miss those nights where I could down pints/cocktails/spirits and still have room for cheesy chips afterwards.

But that said, last night I was ready for action. Despite constant dreading - and even one night where I had 4 consecutive nightmares about getting weighed (that reduced me to waking up in tears), I decided to pull my socks up and get back to work. Because I had something of a revelation over the weekend. It occurred to me that I am a predominantly lazy person. And whilst I already knew this, and even joke about it a lot - it sank in on Saturday when I looked around our house and saw it properly for the first time in ages. The bathroom that needed scrubbing, the pots that it was my turn to do stacked in the sink, the mess everywhere. The certificates on the wall and my weight chart that hadn't been updated since the beginning of June, my 1.5 Stone certificate taken down, and the beautiful necklace I bought myself for this achievement hidden away somewhere. The fact that Louise and Alex are STORMING ahead of me in the weight-loss stakes, despite us all starting Slimming World at the same time. The list of direct debits coming out and the budget of £10 I'd had to give myself for the week, due to my reckless over-spending in London. And I was fed up with it. Don't get me wrong, Joel and I don't live in a pigsty, but it just showed me how I seem to let things slide all the time.

So I've decided, that's it. I'm done with all this bollocks. I'm completely fed-up and bored of being a lazy, disorganized cock-up who never finishes anything, recklessly over-spends just because it's "fun," flakes out all the time and justifies everything with half-arsed excuses and implausible reasons not to do things that the rest of the population seem to manage quite easily. Right then and there, I made a decision to stop f***ing about,and be the best person I can. Spent the entire weekend relentlessly cleaning the house, getting into all those little corners and generally bringing everything up to showroom-standards. Cooked a wonderful Chicken and Mushroom casserole for tea, got a little exercise (not to mention the Body Magic engineered from waging war against the house) and generally felt a lot better about myself. So, yeah. No more excuses.

With that in mind, I returned to Group yesterday feeling a lot better about things. A little nervous, but ready to face whatever happened head-on. Would you believe it though, I MAINTAINED!!! After 3 weeks of - let's face it - VERY relaxed standards, I was genuinely expecting a gain of about 7 pounds. Thank God that wasn't the case - feel like I've had a very lucky escape. Have nothing to distract me from Slimming now, thanks to having almost NO social life for the next few months - not to mention plenty of Overtime coming up! The only events coming up in July are Taylor's birthday (one of Joel's friends) on the 12th, then Joel and I going for a meal and to see a play on the 13th. That's only ONE weekend out of a whole month - so I guess, for the Birthday I can just not drink (I've done it before when out with them), and if they go for a curry (as Taylor usually likes to do) just make sure I minimize my Syns for the week to do some damage control. As for the Play, I'm sure Joel and I can just find somewhere in town that does a healthy, Slimming-friendly meal, before enjoying the delights of a premiere about the World Chess Champion's battle against a machine.

Actually, now I think about it, there's a lot of upcoming events in August-September too. There's a Tattoo Convention at the Gmex on the 3rd of August, a friend's baby's 1st birthday on the 10th, Sian's Hen party on the 24th, and a girl from work's on the 31st, Joel's 30th birthday is on the 2nd of September, Sian's wedding on the 15th, and a family trip to France (for 4 days) on the 20th. So, whilst quite big events in themselves, only 7 in the course of 2 months! OK, I'm completely screwed, haha. But at least I can plan ahead. For the convention, I can always take a packed lunch, and not eat at any of the snack booths. For the baby birthday, hen do's, wedding, and Joel's 30th I'll just have to severely damage-control things, and France should be a doddle. Plenty of long walks, a swimming pool to ABUSE with exercise, and healthy Mediterranean food.

Coming back to last night, Louise and Alex were very encouraging on Skype, and together we worked out that if I lose a pound and a half a week, that should put me back to my 1.5 Stone by the Tattoo convention in August (irrelevant, but I like to have milestones!), 2 Stone by Sian's wedding/France in September, 2.5 Stone by my birthday in October, and 3 Stone by Christmas! So, am now in a very happy (and organized) state of mind, ready to face the week ahead.

BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!!!!


Xxxxx

Catching up...... again

Dear Diary,

First of all, a MASSIVE apology to any readers I may actually have, for the 2 month-long hiatus from this humble blog. Believe me, I had no plan or excuse for abandoning it for so long..... and it wasn't just the blog I ignored. But that's another story.

Actually, no it's not. Might as well go into it now.

So, as you may remember, back on the 22nd of May, I hit my next milestone by finally losing my Stone and a Half - the most I've ever lost. But unfortunately, and for no reason other than I got complacent and lazy, I p!ssed it all away and ended up putting on the whole half-stone again. Or, a pound shy of it, anyway. In the following 3 WEEKS.

I can't even begin to tell you how ashamed I am. How horrified I felt when I got back on those scales to see a 4.5 pound gain after a "fun week" of relaxing my standards "just a bit." But for me, "just a bit" isn't an extra bit of cheese now and again, a cheeky Snack bar one day, or being a little heavy-handed with the salad dressing. It was boozy nights out, chocolate bars after lunch every day, and takeaways for tea a few times when I "just couldn't be bothered" cooking that night. I was skipping the gym for practically a whole 2 weeks and justifying everything with a casual "oh, I've lost it before, it'll be fine" and protesting that everyone's allowed to treat themselves now and again.

But it's not right. There's treating yourself, and then there's throwing it out altogether. Slimming World is something that has to be stuck to. It's harsh but true - pounds do not lost themselves. It takes work, focus, and a sh!tload of effort - with a side of restraint. Yes, you can have the ODD lapse here and there, but have to get straight back on it the next day. And for me, the next day became a month.....

What's frustrating, more than anything is that I've completely set myself back, now. Instead of any further losses taking me on to my Club 10 (a mere 3 pounds away, by that point) or potentially reaching the longed-for 2 stone by the time we went to Rhianna, I've just tumbled all the way back to Square 1 (or, Square 1-stone). It ALL has to be re-lost, all over again - treading ground I've already covered before. That's the truly dis-heartening bit.

Before then, it was going great guns. I attempted to flex my baking muscle by providing some Slimming World vanilla and chocolate cheesecakes for Grandma's birthday buffet.....

Put simply, I never want to bake again. I suck at it. But at least the result were pretty. And rather strangely, people ate more of the Low-fat cheesecake than the Full-fat cheesecake. Would never have thought the "diet" option of something would be the tastiest..... (apart from diet coke, of course). As a side note: the only reason there was a "full fat" version was because Asda had run out of Quark, so had to substitute Marscapone instead.

I also treated myself to a beautiful Swarovski crystal-studded Apple necklace for my 1.5 Stone - but sadly no photos available at the moment as I hid it in a fit of rage, claiming I didn't "deserve" to wear it after my gain.... and currently can't remember where it is. So watch this space!

(Although, since I don't think I've posted it yet, here's my first half-stone necklace. Different, right?)



After this last fortnight of depression - this Monday's Group session really pricked my ears up. Joan was really inspirational, and seeing another Group member receive her 4 Stone award (after only being on SW for 2 MONTHS - what's she eating, DUST??!) gave me a kick up the backside. Not to mention a Skype conversation with Louise that took place before Alex logged on. Don't get me wrong, Joan's great but there's something about a conversation between 2 friends who've known each other 15 years that just beats being one in a room of 35 women (or men!) Being that it was a while ago, I can't remember exactly what was said - but suffice to say she made me feel tons better, helped me plan the week, encouraged me to return to the gym and generally inspired me to work harder. So if you're reading this: THANKS LOUISE!!! (*waves*)

So, that's what I did. Joel and I went back to the gym, which didn't feel hard as such, more like easier-than-I-thought-it-would-be. I discovered a new piece of equipment, the rowing machine, and enjoyed full use of the swimming pool again (HEAVEN in this weather!) I started planning my week, writing EVERYTHING down in a food diary again, and making healthy, SW meals. Haven't had a single takeaway or bit of chocolate - and my only deviation has been Squares crisps (5 syns a pack). Definitely a positive week!

So, we're back to where my story began. Almost at the end of a week that felt incredibly difficult, but at the same time, like coming home. Adjusting back into old routines and feeling - not praying - that I've lost weight this week. Monday will be my final weigh in before Rhianna, and even though all hopes of a Club 10/2 stone achievement have now flown out the window, the best I can hope for is some - ANY - kind of loss. Have no further obstacles this weekend - have work tomorrow (and work is where I can stick to a diet best) and am going for a meal at Mum and Dad's (which will 100% be a SW meal) so I'm quietly confident that I've done the best I can.

Also, if you'll permit me to go all girly (and nothing-to-do-with-Slimming-World) for a minute:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!! OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD IT'S RHIANNA IN 7 DAYS!!! OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD AND DAVID GUETTA TOO!!! OH MY GOD AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!! I AM SO FRICKING EXCITED!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAGH OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!!! I'M GONNA BE SEEING RHIANNA AND DAVID GUETTA LIVE THIS TIME NEXT WEEK, SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

That's all, folks!

xxxxxxx

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