Plans

 Bit of a mixed up post today.
I've been ill for the last week- some kind of gland swelling virus thing that made me look like a hamster! But now I can chew again and so am getting right back on track.
I was curious thinking about some of the crash-diet plans I've followed in the past, and how they would fit into the WW points scheme. One of them- the little black dress diet(yes i know its utterly naff)- I've tried a few times. Most days are about 10-12 points, with a couple of anomalies(6 points of butter for 1 persons scrambled eggs? madness) which can raise a day up to about 35 points. Its all a bit rubbish but they have lots of recipes and feature masses of fruit and veg- FILLING FOODS! So I'm trying a little experiment. Im going to follow the plan, adding or subtracting foods as I go to match the points to my daily allowance. Hopefully this will act as a bit of a kickstart and help to keep me on track for a while. It saves me having to make a meal plan at the very least!

Another little plan I've concocted is making little snack bags. You can save up to 4 points a day on WW, so I decided to make that easier to do by making 4 point snack bags, containing the sort of foods I might normally nibble on-cereal bars,biscuits, cocoa,skittles etc.- I will allow one of these bags a day, with all other snacks being of the piece of fruit or zero points variety, which hopefully will achieve the following
-Limit the amount of snacks I have, putting more focus onto getting properly balanced meals
- make saving points easier- I just dont have my snackbag!
-Stop me picking mindlessly into the cupboard, everything has been portioned off and sectioned out, so no more eating an entire pack of biscuits in one go!

I've also come up with another little method which makes everything much easier. I set aside a bit of time after my food shop to chop up all my veg in one big go. Everything goes into nice stackable boxes in the fridge and saves SO much time and washing up later in the week. Now making a salad takes under a minute, because everything is just waiting there for me to use it!

 This is the week I start to lose again.
Watch this space!(Hopefully soon there'll be a bit MORE space and a bit less me...)

Emotional Baggage

I've been slipping and sliding treacherously on this weight loss track for a good couple of months now.
Thoughts of "Can I REALLY do this?" , "What's the point?", and "I really don't care any more" have been bouncing around with all too alarming frequency.

Til now.

I've just finished packing my stuff to go back to Uni. And there are two MASSIVE changes to my attitude as a result.

1) There's an awful lot more going back to uni than came home with me before christmas. That's because I'm FITTING BACK INTO MY OLD CLOTHES!
You may recall I packed everything that didnt fit away in size order before I went back to uni after the summer. TONS of that stuff fits again now. And lots of the old stuff is going immediately on ebay when I get to uni - I'll link you to the page when i've listed it. Maybe you've lost a lot of weight already and need some new and lovely clothes in the next size down - lets see how many people can slim into and out of any one of these skirts and dresses!

Really, really excitedly...

2) I've got a large wheely rucksack. It is stuffed to the very last inch with all my folders and books for uni. It's incredibly heavy. I can barely lift it. I thought I'd weigh it and see just how heavy it was...

It weighs in at 2 and a half stone.

Which is just about exactly how much weight I've lost so far.

And I can barely lift it, it's that heavy.

Just the thought that I've gotten rid of that much excess fat, weight and utter misery is enough to make me cry with joy.

And I now have a much better understanding of just how much I've achieved.

I'm capable of losing so much more than that. And that is starting right now.

I really, really reccomend this little project for all you people who've lost some weight, but are beginning to plateau, to lose momentum, to lose faith.

Go get a bag. A big bag. Or a suitcase, whatever.
Put  it on the scales.
Start grabbing items and stuffing them in. books, groceries, small children..you get the picture.
Keep on doing it til the scales read out at however many pounds you've lost so far.

Now lift that bag.

Thats some pretty heavy emotional baggage you've been clinging on to. Let it go now.

You're SO much thinner.
And you can do so much more.

It's a new Dawn, It's a new Day, It's a new Year...

And I'm feeling good.

Last year was the year I decided once and for all that something had do be done about my size, my health and my fitness.

Since July I have made a damn good start on that and have so far achieved the following:

1. Lost between 2 and 2 and a half stone (I'm not sure of the exact number because i missed a few meetings and...well...xmas.). Still- TWO WHOLE STONE!
   

 2.I went from looking like this :

To looking like this:

3: I have got down to wearing size 16 jeans.

4: I discovered many new, healthier options to foods I used to eat, which I actually prefer to the original fatty versions!

5: I actually committed to a ftness class at the gym - something I NEVER thought I would be doing.

and likewise.

6: I HAVE LEARNED TO LIKE EXCERCISE! and not just like- crave!

And this year I will achieve even more!

First goal- getting into the 12s by my 21st (18th january)...fingers crossed!

And Happy New Year!