Weigh In 21

And the results are in and I'm down another pound. Still waiting for my bubble to burst and this great streak I'm on to end, but I'm loving it as long as it lasts. But in reality what I've done to make it work this time. So here are my top tips

• Tracking - I can't stress this one enough, it really does make all the difference. Every other time I've done WW my tracking has been hit and miss, but this time I'm tracking 99% of the time. I use an app on my phone, its always with me, saves a list of foods I eat regularly, has a calculator built in and it tracks my weight loss. But whatever way you find works for you then go with it.
• Planning - On a tuesday after WI I like to look at what I have planned for the week so I can work my weeklies around it. If I have nothing on I plan a treat for myself. I also try to look at what food I have at home so that I'm not caught short. 
• Bulk up with veg - I like big portion of food, I won't feel satisfied without it. So instead of making overall portions half the size I have seriously switched up my ratios. Much smaller portions of carbs, smaller portions of protein and way bigger portions of veg. 
• Have healthy snacks to hand - Its always good to have some fruit or a low fat snack somewhere near by, in your handbag, in your car, stocked up at home, on your desk at work. You want to be prepared for whenever you get a craving. Now that fruit is free on the program, its much easier to plan for these.
• Move more - I haven't really got back into the swing of exercising too much. Jogging isn't coming as easily to me now I'm a little older  (thats my excuse and I'm sticking with it) - but I am walking almost every day. You don't need to go from couch potato to marathon sprinter, but just do a little more than you used to and slowly build it up. It does make you feel great. 
• And the most important one of all - ENJOY YOUR LIFE!! Don't make following WW a chore or you will struggle from day one. You can plan for almost anything and fit your favourite foods into the program someway, maybe not every day but you can have them. I love to eat out and do a couple of times a month. But I choose carefully, and plan in advance for my meals out. Because of this I don't feel deprived and don't have to tell friends etc no to social plans, or be the bore with the plain salad and water because I'm on a diet. In fact I think if I didn't mention WW, most people wouldn't even know I was dieting.

Anyway, thats what is working for me. Would love to hear whats working for everyone else so let me know in the comments :)

Summer's Here!!

So the sun has been out and that means one thing - ice cream temptation everywhere. Here is a list a few of the ice creams/pops available and the pro - points. If we are going to be tempted then its best to be armed with the information.

Walls
Loop de Loop - 2pp
Twister - 2pp
Super Split - 2pp
Calippo - 2pp
Solero Exotic - 3pp
Brunch - 6pp
Ice Berger - 5pp
Maxi Twist - 5pp
Feast - 8pp
Magnum, original or white - 7pp
Magnum, almond - 8pp
Magnum, double caramel - 10pp
Cornetto Original - 6pp
Cornetto Mint - 5pp
Cornetto Strawberry - 5pp
Choc Ice - 4pp

Mars 
Bounty, standard size 59ml - 5pp
Bounty, large 100ml - 8pp
Snickers Bar - 6pp
Mars - 5pp
Malteaser - 6pp
Galaxy Cone - 7pp
M&M Cone - 5pp
Starburst Smoothie - 2pp

I know its not the same but frozen fruit is a really nice alternative if you are organised enough to have it ready, I particularly like frozen mango, banana, strawberries, grapes and blueberries. I prefer to buy these fresh and freeze myself if I'm going to be eating them as is and using shop bought frozen fruit in smoothies and desserts. Also you can make your own ice pops using sugar free squash, or just water with lemon juice/zest or water and mint (best to let the water sit in the fridge for the flavours to infuse for a day or so before freezing).

But I hope everyone is making the most of this glorious weather while it lasts and getting out there and maybe even fitting in a little walking!!

Weigh In 20

Never been so happy to see a STS than I was this week. I have to say I was so good up until saturday night. I had kept nearly all of my 49 weeklies for my big dinner out and had only used 3 dailies. 7 courses and wine there was no way I was going to even be able to track it. So I just wrote off all my weeklies and the rest of my dailies.  Was well worth it, we went to Bang on Baggot St and I swear each course was like a little taste of heaven. Dinner was a real event, 3 hours it took and we had some nice wine and everything. It was just lovely. Now if I had just stopped there I may have been ok, but I was in a real grazing mood the next day and I know there is lots of stuff that I ate that did not go on my tracker. Then when WI day came around I was getting sick and very stressed out in work and so I ate rings around myself before WI that day. So needless to say a STS was a very welcome sight on the scales.

Have really pulled myself back into gear this week. Its all going down on the tracker - have a couple of events this weekend but going to be so good on myself and not have it fall to pieces again. I am aware I haven't posted a recipe in ages, but I just baked a lovely chocolate cake tonight so will post the recipe for that. And I'm thinking of doing a post on sauces and marinades, just need to put a list together. 

Weigh In 19

I got it! My 2nd stone, and its so pretty. I was my usual nervous self, especially since I'd been away for the weekend and tracking had not been 100%. There was a lot of guesswork done but I really think that I have had a general change in my thinking. I make better choices without realising it and pay a little more heed to when my body tells me I'm full. But whatever I am doing worked as not only did I get the stone, I am 2lbs over  which means 30lbs in total. Thats 15% body weight gone, and halfway to goal. 

I treated myself to an Eddie Rockets after weigh in. Usually I don't pig out after but I had been craving eddies for ages so I just went for it. Didn't count it or track it and it was so worth it. Loved every mouthful. Am back on track today and keeping all my weeklies for a nice 7 course tasting menu in Bang. Another week down and looking forward to the next one already.

Marks and Sparks!

So as I have said before I try to cook fresh as much as possible but as we all know that some times doesn't happen. When I can I cook up big portions of a pasta dish or a rice dish so I can freeze individual portions and have my home made ready meals to hand. Even with this there are some times when I am unprepared - I forgot to take something out of the freezer I was supposed to. Something comes up which means I just don't have time to cook or I am just feeling lazy. And there is an M&S on my way home from the dart station after work. So over the past while I have tried a few of these.  And here are my thoughts.

You have the 2 different ranges that tend to be weight watcher friendly - the obvious Count on Us and then the Simply Fuller Longer.

My preference is always going to lie with Simply Fuller Longer - if you read the ingredients on the back they are good ingredients and all recognizable. Sugar is pretty far down on the list of ingredients which is always good as it is usually one of the top ones in processed foods. And the big one, very few of the ingredients are listed as 'low fat' versions and yet these are still low in propoints. Things like feta

Weigh In 18

I was so hoping for my second stone this week. I was good and stuck to my propoints - I did use most of my weeklies but I have been doing that a lot and its been working for me. I did a bit of extra walking this week (still nervous about my back injury so I don't want to push the exercise too much, though I did a bit of jogging on one of my walks). Up I got on the scales and I was down a half a pound. Now don't get me wrong, half a pound is half a pound and I am happy enough with it - but I am just so disappointed that I don't have my second stone. I know I will get it, hopefully next week, but I wanted it this week.

So I need a plan for this week to keep me on track. I am going to Leeds to visit my friend - and she is one of those people who loves her chocolate and sweets and is TINY!! If she wasn't one of my best friends I might hate her :-) We did a lot of eating together as children and it is pretty easy to revert back to that when I am with her. Last time I went to Leeds (last time i was on weight watchers) I gained weight. Now I was there for 5 days, I went straight after my WI and I did not get back on track when I came home so I definitely deserved it. I do not want a repeat of last time, so careful planning is in order. I'm only going for 2 days this time, and I have to be sure that not a single weekly is used unless I am in Leeds. Am going to make the best choices possible in the lead up to it. My current challenge is to use less propoints for my lunch to leave some for incidentals. Lets hope it works :-)

Weigh In 17

Another week, another loss. Am 2 more pounds down and only 1lb away from my second stone. I am going to work extra hard this week to make sure I am down that pound. I want my second stone so badly - just so I can get started on the next one.

I'm starting to really need some new clothes, and the urge to spend all my money buying them is getting to me. But because I am only halfway there, and I don't want to waste money on clothes that I will hopefully shrink out of quickly - so I have decided to find other treats for myself to keep my mind off it. And for the moment that is going to be make up. I'm going to spend the next few months buying all the makeup that I need but never wanted to spend the  money on. I started with a full make up brush set - next on my list is a proper foundation, concealer and powder - as well as some beauty goodies from Lush. They will all be my treat for hitting my 2nd stone :-)