tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44443075740335282742024-03-19T04:06:46.632+00:0059 pounds to goZedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.comBlogger477125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-84099916372122411302019-05-21T17:58:00.000+01:002019-05-21T17:58:31.733+01:00Another Week Goes By<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have to say now we are nearing the end of May I am finding myself slipping back into my bad habits of just ignoring the plan at the weekend. The past couple of weeks, once work is done on a Friday I ignore my tracker and just enjoy myself. I am definitely eating a little bit more mindfully than I was before - only eating when hungry and not raiding the fridge just because its a 'day off' but I am definitely not eating well.<br />
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I do not think my May results will mimic my April ones scales wise, but I will be happy if I am not gaining. I'm off work this Friday and out and about, so another long weekend to deal with. I need to make a plan for my weekend meals going forward, as I think I am letting myself get to hungry and then just eating whatever is there for the sake of it. So I am going to have a bit of a think in advance about what I will be eating this weekend and see if I can track a little bit better.<br />
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Meal plan up to Friday is done, so at least I know I can control that aspect of things.<br />
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-13837610317438565112019-05-13T19:38:00.000+01:002019-05-13T19:38:02.567+01:00Summers Coming<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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May is here and it looks like the sun is out, no idea how long it will last but fingers crossed we get a few weekends out of it. My only problem with the sun is I find it so much harder to stay on plan. I know a lot of people look forward to summer for the salads and fruit etc, and while that is all great, I associate the sun with BBQ's and drinks. And while I know you can have healthy BBQ's, for me it never works out that way. I can make as many healthy salads as I want and think I'll just eat a chicken breast, but before I know it I've had 2 jumbo sausages, ribs as well as my chicken breast (plus all the salads).<br />
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We still have that Irish thing of needing to make the most of the sun as it might be the only weekend we get it. I also have the guilt of trying not to ruin everyone elses fun just because I can't control myself. It's a work in progress - just like everything else!!<br />
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I know I am a little late with this update, but I didn't get to blog last week over the bank holiday. I had said previously that I was going to track my losses/gains over a monthly period rather than weekly, and my April results are in and I was down 3lbs overall. I stuck mostly to my tracking except for one day and I feel really good about the result.<br />
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May has been a bit of a shakey start. I am slipping back to my weekend habits of completely losing the run of myself on a Friday and trying to track retrospectively - which never works. Was much better over the bank holiday than I was this past weekend and as a result I don't feel great this morning. I feel very bloated and uncomfortable and my skin is breaking out a bit. Meal plan done for the week and determine to lose this bloated feeling by the weekend. Heading out after work on Friday so will be a day off plan, just need to get lots of healthy stuff that doesn't take much prep into the house for Saturday so I don't resort to the pizza/chips out of desperation.<br />
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-43045813532975352552019-04-29T19:30:00.000+01:002019-04-29T19:30:07.794+01:00Another Month Goes By<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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End of April is here already, it really feels like only yesterday I was setting myself a challenge for April and now all of a sudden its over. I have to say I am really happy with how April has gone. My challenge was to track every single day 100% honestly - even the days I went off plan. And I have kept to that challenge so far bar one day. I don't even have a good reason as to why I didn't track on Friday, I was home alone and I gave into old binging habits. I don't remember what I ate so I have no way to track it - but I know I went way over my daily allowance. I know it started with a bowl of fruit and fibre, but where I went after that I do not know. </div>
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In the grand scheme of things, one binge like this in month is huge progress for me. I had found myself revisiting this style of eating more frequently since the start of the year. It's something I have always struggled with. I can go months and even years without doing it, but it always creeps back in. So while I recognise that I have made progress in the past few months, I can't help but be disappointed with myself for letting it happen. I would love to be able to say goodbye to this habit forever, but I feel it is something I will struggle with forever. </div>
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So I have no idea how I will do on the scales this week, I have been keeping track of my progress and looking at my weight loss on a monthly basis rather than weekly and so on Thursday my April results will be in. No matter what happens though, I feel like for the most part I have gained a lot of the control I lost back and am fully motivated and committed to keep it going. </div>
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As always I have a new meal plan for the week! Trying a couple of new recipes as well as a few old favourites! </div>
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-58582004508062868042019-04-15T20:12:00.002+01:002019-04-15T20:12:57.933+01:00Getting Back to Myself<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'm halfway through my April challenge and things are going really well. I have managed to track every single day, even on my treat days. Both weeks I have gone over my weeklies by more than 30 but judging by how I have been eating when I am conscious of tracking compared to my treat days before - I don't even want to think about how many I was going over for the weekends I haven't tracked at all. </div>
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I feel like I am finally back in a good frame of mind and I am really starting to feel good again. I realised just how down I had gotten about the weight I had gained, and how much of a knock on effect my weekends off plan were really having. I am sleeping much better (for the most part) and I definitely am feeling more alert in work. I am hoping that over the next few weeks I will start to see a similar improvement in my running. I would love to get my pace back to where I was a year and half ago and just feel strong again. </div>
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We were a little busy this weekend so the meal plan was done in a rush on Saturday morning. I had hoped to revisit some of the recipes on my blog and start to organise and revamp things but it just wasn't to be this week. I have started sorting through them and categorising them, I promise the revamp of the blog is coming some time in the near future. For now I'll just be sticking with some old favourites.</div>
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-66458254747714262442019-04-08T21:11:00.002+01:002019-04-08T21:11:33.467+01:00The Start of Something New<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Last week I set myself a challenge for April, track every single day no matter what. I had the best intentions but I was a little worried heading into the weekend. There have been so many times this year that I have felt like I was ready to get my head back down and stick to the plan, and then the weekend hits and all my best plans go out the window. We were having friends over for Sunday lunch and I knew I was going to go over my SmartPoints, as I was planning a few drinks on Saturday night at home to use up some of my weeklies. I tracked as much as I could in advance and then made sure to track all the extra's I had nibbled on straight after they left. I ended up 34 over my weeklies (oops) but as it was all tracked I was a little bit more mindful than I would usually be, and had I not bothered I am sure I would have been so much more over.</div>
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So the first weekend of the challenge has been a success. I have another tricky event this weekend, heading to the Gin Experience with my sister, so I know tracking is going to be tough but I will be doing my best. I am feeling a little better about things and confident that I can get through that challenge. Whatever the result on the scales are, getting through 30 days tracking as much as possible will be a big win. </div>
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Meal plan is done. I seem to have a few high Smart Point dinners, but the plan is to keep back 4 of my dailies each day to try and reduce the minus figure showing on my esource each day! </div>
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-43627533521375540292019-04-01T20:44:00.003+01:002019-04-01T20:44:57.589+01:00It's been a while....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's been a while since I posted anything here and I am pretty aware. I keep making promises to post more recipes but finding the time and the motivation is really difficult right now. Anyone who follows me over on facebook and instagram will be aware that I have been struggling a lot this year. I seem to have lost my motivation and not sure where I can find it again. It started out with me learning to love my body regardless of my weight, and so my motivation to lose the last few pounds to get back to goal was not really there.<br />
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In the past few weeks though that has changed, and not only has my attitude towards my appearance change but I also am not feeling my best. Despite the fact that I am actually the same weight as I was in January when I came back from holidays, I have started to dread looking in the mirror. Any time I go out I feel like my confidence has gone and I am hyper aware of my appearance. Then totally separate to my appearance I have noticed my health being affected. My skin is awful at the moment. I am feeling bloated and full all the time. I am tired all the and seem to have very little energy or motivation to do much other than what I absolutely have to. I am finding it difficult to concentrate and feeling down more than usual.<br />
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You would think all of that would be enough to give me the kick I need to snap out of it, but in reality I am on a downward spiral. The worse I feel the worse I eat. Monday to lunch time Friday I am generally on my normal routine, but the problem is I am eating so much junk at the weekend that no matter what I do Monday to Friday it is not enough to make up for it. I have found myself binging again which I think is the real problem. I think if I was just having bad meals at the weekend then I could balance that out, but any time I am alone in the kitchen I am straight to the cupboards, promising myself I will have a light dinner knowing full well that is not true. It's back to the secret eating that I used to do all the time as a teenager and in my twenties, but I have had mostly under control since getting to goal.<br />
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So what now? Where do I go from here? Today marks the start of a new month and I am setting myself a challenge. Not to lose a certain amount of pounds in the month or to cut out certain food groups. Instead I am going to challenge myself to be honest with myself. Apart from a couple of days where I know it will be very difficult to track, I am going to track absolutely everything I ate. My WW coach gave us the challenge on Thursday but it was just for a week and I failed miserably. But my failure got me really thinking about it, why is it so hard to be honest about what is going in my mouth. This evening for instance I had a couple of boiled sweets while I was cooking dinner, and usually I would conveniently forget about them, but tonight they went into my tracker.<br />
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So even if it means logging 80 SmartPoints or roughly estimating rather than being 100% accurate, I will be more realistic about what I will be eating. I think that being honest with what I am doing will really help to realign myself and get me to a point where I start to feel better. While we haven't booked any date for a wedding or anything like that, I want to get myself into a good state of mind so that by the time that happens I am not panicking or worrying about how I will look or feel on the day. I want to be 100% focused on my fiance and what the day means to us both. So my journey to get myself back to a good place starts now!<br />
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I will be going back to weekly meal plans but will no longer be logging my weekly weigh in results. Instead I will be looking at my weight loss on a monthly basis. I had a busy March and I was hoping throughout it all that I could maintain my weight and instead I managed to lose 1lb. As I said I have no set weight loss goal for this month, but I am hoping the changes I make in other areas will lead me to see some sort of loss on the scales over the 4 weeks.<br />
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So here is this weeks meal plan! I hope you all have a good week.<br />
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-51366717605366480822019-02-26T15:16:00.001+00:002019-02-26T15:16:39.334+00:00Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: Feb Week 4<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Keeping this short and sweet because if I am being honest I don't have much to say. I am still struggling to get my weekends under control. I managed to lose half a pound this week and I was definitely less OTT with my treats this weekend but I know my head is not fully in it. I don't seem to have any urgency to lose these few pounds to get back to goal and I am not sure why. </div>
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March is also going to be a busy month for me. I am off to Leeds for a girly weekend this weekend, and I know it will be a boozy and foody one. But I am seeing my bestie and I haven't seen her in almost a year so it is long overdue and I am really looking forward to it. I also have a romantic weekend away in Cork towards the end of March and the whole weekend is basically centrered around food and different eating experiences. Realistically if I can manage to maintain my weight throughout March I will be happy. </div>
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The only way to get there is to keep meal planning for Monday to Friday and stick to that, so that is exactly what I am doing! At some stage I will find my Mojo! </div>
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-47452576978517207942019-02-18T19:19:00.000+00:002019-02-18T19:19:03.415+00:00Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: February Week 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Another week goes by and another gain on the scales. I have to say I have been so far off track on the weekends lately I shouldn't be surprised. I guess I was hoping that keeping myself fully on plan for the rest of the week should be enough to at least STS on the scales. Clearly its not and I need to pull back my mad weekends a little bit. I seem to have lost a lot of the self control I used to have. Before it would be an off plan meal, and the rest of the day would be about making good choices. Whereas now I find myself just going mad for the day and I think that's what the problem is. </div>
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I find myself not getting too stressed about it which I guess is good and bad. I don't want to spend the next year being hung up on being a few pounds over my ideal weight and getting myself angry every time I see it on the scales. For balance, I don't want this attitude to allow the scales to creep up and up until I am back to an unhealthy weight. I am happy that I am not beating myself up about the few gains I have, I know I still need to have a little more awareness of not getting too complacent. And most importantly I want to learn how to be more mindful on my 'treat' days. </div>
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My meal plans still do keep me on track for the most part Monday to Friday so keeping this habit up. Is it helpful for people for me to post them? Is there anything else you'd like to see in these posts? Any feedback on how I can make this place a more helpful site for the readers is more than welcome! </div>
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-53280928522152729652019-02-11T21:18:00.001+00:002019-02-11T21:18:34.734+00:00Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: February Week 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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No matter what I did last week I wasn't able to pull back enough to make up for my Friday & Saturday off plan. I also think that the fact I'd lost 2lbs when I wasn't expecting it the week before probably played a part. So i gained 2.5lbs at weigh in this week. Obviously I would like to see the scales go down, but one of the things I wanted to work on this year is focusing on other aspects of a healthier lifestyle. I have found over the past few weeks that I am sleeping better, my skin has improved and I am really enjoying the food I am eating Monday to Friday. Because I have my work lunches prepped, I have a more time to focus on taking an actual break.<br />
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I did have another busy and food filled weekend; I ended up eating out 3 times and getting a takeaway over 2 days. As much as I enjoyed it, I was pretty ready to get back to regular home made food again on Sunday. This weekend is quiet enough, I am going to allow myself I little treat on Thursday and a few drinks on Saturday night but the plan is to be a lot more mindful the rest of the weekend.<br />
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I've switched up the format of the meal plan this week. I am hoping in the next few weeks I will be doing a bit of a revamp on the whole blog. Going back and tidying up some of my old posts and reformatting things a bit. I'll also be looking for a bit of feedback on how to make things better over here, so if you follow me on Instagram and Facebook keep and eye out. I really would love to hear from you!<br />
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Meal plan done for the week, food for lunches prepped and feeling good for the week ahead!<br />
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-56092427176163799492019-02-04T19:30:00.000+00:002019-02-04T19:30:02.876+00:00Meal Plan & Weigh In: February Week 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have been very lax about posting so far in 2019, and I will change as soon as possible. I had every intention of posting my meal plan last week, but an unfortunate 2 day hangover meant that both Sunday & Monday (by the time i got through work) were a complete write off! I'm not sure how, but depsite eating my way through my hangover on Sunday I still managed to lose 2lbs at weigh in on Thursday. That bring my January weight loss total to 5.5lbs, only 2.5lbs to get rid of the rest of my Christmas gain. </div>
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I've been feeling quite positive about my WW journey. Trying to focus more on how I am feeling and less worrying about the number on the scales (though it is hard not to get a little boost when the scales are moving). I am trying to be mindful about my eating. Focusing on why I want to eat my preplanned 'healthy' foods during the week in work instead of going out and grabbing a chicken fillet roll, crisps and chocolate. When I do have a treat or go off plan, whether it was intentional or not, to actually enjoy it and not feel guilty about it. Last Sunday I fed my hangover; crisps, chocolate, cheese, bread, pizza...all the stodgy stuff you crave when the hangover hits. Instead of feeling guilty and worrying about the scales all week I just moved on with my week as normal. I didn't undereat to make up for it, or kill myself with extra activity. I woke up on Monday and had my normal breakfast, lunch and dinner. </div>
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I didn't have the best start to this month. For some reason on Friday I was just a bit picky with my food and I had such an awful week in work that as soon as I got home I could hear the bottle of wine calling me. So I shared a bottle of wine with my partner, had some garlic bread with my dinner and had a few chocolates. </div>
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Did I need them? No</div>
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Do I wish I could handle my emotions around food better? Yes</div>
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Will I feel guilty about it? No</div>
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Guilt would not have changed what happened on Friday, and it may have affected every day since. Instead of going down the rabbit hole of self hatred I have done before I choose to now accept that I am human and sometimes my emotions get the better of me. I like to think of myself as a rational person, but we can't live life by rational & logic all the time. I have feelings that sometimes take over and for me that leads to over eating. I will always try and change that, but I refuse to feel guilty about it any more. </div>
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Back to my usual meal planning. Only way to make it through the week. I had a planned day off on Saturday but got myself back on track on Sunday and have a good week ahead of me (once I don't let the stress take over). We are out 2 days this weekend, so just need to focus on the days before and after that and ensure to keep up the activity! Hope you all have a great week.</div>
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-90764995434874723472019-01-21T21:20:00.002+00:002019-01-21T21:20:32.942+00:00Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'm going to keep this post brief as I am working on a longer post dedicated to some goals for 2019. I am firmly back in the swing of things and managed to lose 3lbs of my Christmas gain. It may have gone on quite quickly but I know it will be slower to come off and I'm ok with that. I would rather lose it again gradually than try to rush it for no real reason. I feel like I am back into a real routine and that's how I work best. When I am enjoying the food I'm eating and not overthinking everything. </div>
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Planning works for me and it always has. When I have to go to the shop to get lunch, for some reason I am more likely to stray from the plan and go for something unhealthy. Not only then do I feel guilty, I also feel bloated, sluggish and just not myself for the rest of the afternoon in work. So having my packed lunches ready to are key. For dinner I find it a lot easier to think of healthy meals on the fly for the most part, but when I have had a stressful day - if I have to think too much about what I am going to make I will be reaching for whatever is ready in 5 minutes. So getting home and being able to start cooking straight away means before I know it I have a tasty healthy dinner ready to go. </div>
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I started doing these meal plans and sharing them back in 2016, and they have been the best thing I have done in terms of tools for maintaining. I have not been perfect in those 3 years but I am far from where I was when I started. </div>
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-38183864187329248372019-01-14T21:27:00.001+00:002019-01-14T21:27:04.550+00:00Hello 2019<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'm a little late with my first post of the year. It has been a crazy few weeks since my last post and I just have not had the time for this. I finished up at my last weigh in losing half a pound, not quite hitting my Christmas goal but feeling pretty good about things. My last weigh in was the Thursday and in that weekend before Christmas I managed to have one full day on plan, one mindful day and one blowout. And then it all went out the window Christmas and my holiday. I came back and had a week where I was all over the place, but despite the temptation to skip it, I brave the scales at my studio/workshop and accepted my gain. I could feel the gain in my clothes and I knew I was up a substantial amount. Had I managed to get myself organised when I got back from my holidays I could have probably done a fair amount of damage control but I didn't and so I was not surprised when the scales said I was up 8.5lbs! Its a lot to gain in 3 weeks, but I don't regret one second of it as it was the best Christmas I've ever had.<br />
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It started out with a very special Christmas morning. My 2nd ever waking up in my own home and the first year that I was spending the full day with my love. Usually we spend Christmas day with our own families but since my family were in Morocco we got to be together this year. If that wasn't special enough, after exchanging all our gifts I got an extra special bonus gift....a proposal! The rest of my Christmas day went by in a bit of a blur. We had a couple of hours in the morning for the 2 of us to enjoy the moment before we headed up to his family to share the news.<br />
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I had a lovely 2 days with my inlaws to be, and then we headed home for one night in our house before we headed off to meet my family in Morocco. I'm not sure if any of you have been to Morocco, but Marrakech is completely mental. We flew in the night of the 28th and after checking into our hotel we went for a wander to find some dinner. We were both shattered and we had a long journey the next day so we took it easy that night. For some reason we decided to stay in a town 5 hours south of Marrakech to start and the bus trip to get there was not fun. </div>
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Once we arrived though it was very relaxing. We were staying in a Riad just outside a small town called Mirleft with a lovely pool. We had a local woman who cooked our meals for us most days and so all there was to do was chill out. Its not the type of holiday I usually enjoy but after the madness of 2018 it was actually well needed. The locals were all very friendly and nice, but if you do plan on heading there and enjoy a drink on holiday, be warned it can be hard to come by. There were a couple of restaurants that would source wine for you if you gave them notice, but the prices to take it away were pretty high and so my sister and her boyfriend made the 2 hour trip to Agadir before picking us up at the bus stop to stock up on enough wine & beer to keep us going through New Year. </div>
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There are some beautiful beaches in the area, one small one 5 minutes from our Riad but a particularly beautiful one if you venture 20ish minutes down the coast. Legzira Beach is described as Morocco's most unique beach and it is really lovely. There is a natural arch in the rocks about halfway down, and once you go through that there is a 2nd on that collapsed a few years ago just a little further down. While we just walked the beach and relaxed on the sand for a bit before lunch there are activities like quad biking and parasailing. That was how we spent the day on New Years eve before heading back for a lovely dinner, drinks and games. </div>
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After a lovely relaxing time in Mirleft, we headed back to Marrakech for our last 4 days. On our first night we stayed in the new part of the city near the bus station for ease of transport, but this time we were staying right in the middle of the Medina. What we didn't realise was that if you are staying in a Riad in the Medina, chances are you cannot get a taxi directly to your Riad. We got a taxi from the bus station and it left us in the main square to navigate ourselves the rest of the ways. All of the streets off the main square basically turn into a maze of small windy alleyways that are a bustle of tourists, locals and vendors and down each little laneway. You also have to contend with young kids trying to offer you help (not for free) and trying to convince then you are fine when you are really lost. Eventually we end up down a very deserted little laneway to a door that had the tiniest plaque with our Riad name on it. Once you ring the bell and they let you in its a whole different world. </div>
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<img alt="Image result for riad villa wenge" 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" 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It has the feel of a small boutique hotel, though because of the close proximity you can hear everything that goes on in the main area from the room. Its totally quiet at night time, but mid afternoon can be a little loud. A lot of the riads in the medina seem to be like that and they are lovely. Though if you visit Morocco, there is generally no door on your en suite bathroom. The toilet is usually behind a dividing wall, but there is no door. Marrakech took a bit of getting used to. As soon as you step outside you are being shouted at left right and centre by all the street vendors. The main square has snake charmers, monkeys, henna artists and all sorts of stuff for sale. I even saw some of the henna artist grab peoples hands and just start drawing. They will try to get money out of your for anything (I heard taking photos of the street vendors directly comes with a fee, so I didn't even try it.) But once you learn to ignore all the calls you can move around pretty quickly. What really struck me about the vendors is how they remember you, you walk past a stall first thing in the morning and when you go past again in the afternoon they seem to know who you are. They are all very pushy but harmless and quite friendly when you get down to it. </div>
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We spent an afternoon in the Souk which is basically just a maze of different stalls which was surprisingly relaxing compared to the main square. You have to haggle, something I hate to do but it has to be done. We managed to get a lovely chess & backgammon set down from €160 first offer to €35 by the end. It can be a little stressful but state your lowest price and just walk away. If it is something they are willing to see for they will chase you down to accept your offer. The food was amazing and very varied in Marrakech. You can get traditional food, lebanese, asian, european and of course all the usual fast food options. I hate to be so Irish, but not all restaurants will serve drink and when you do get it, its not cheap. If you don't drink much you can eat for a king fairly cheaply in Morocco, but once you add booze it evens out to be similar enough to home prices. Another thing that is fairly common in some of the restaurants is belly dancing shows and live music. </div>
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I think that 4 days is one day too long in Marrakech, if I was to recommend it I would say 3 days in plenty and if you want to be there longer maybe look into some of the day trips outside Marrakech for the other days. I'm sure there are things we missed but it is a tiring city, and I was done after 3 days. </div>
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I've been back to reality for over a week, and while it took me until my weigh in to get my head back in the game I am ready to hit 2018 running. The gain is behind me now and the important thing is to get back to my normal routine. Life is for living and I wouldn't change my Christmas or holiday for anything. While being 1 stone over goal is not ideal, it is not the end of the world I just need to not keep going. I'll the few pounds down, even if it takes me 5 times as long to lose as it did to gain I will get there. </div>
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So with that said, I have my first meal plan of the year done. Lunches are prepped for the week and nothing standing in my way but myself. </div>
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-13463969514424942342018-12-17T19:30:00.000+00:002018-12-17T19:30:02.388+00:00Last Meal Plan & Weigh In of 2018!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I know I say this a lot, but I can't believe how fast time is going by. It really felt like yesterday I was gearing up for 10 weigh ins until Christmas and here I am with just one more left. Last week was the week I was most worried about. I had 2 full days off plan and I wasn't sure how it was going to go but I managed to still lose 2lbs this week. My plan for the hungover roast chicken after my christmas party went down a treat and it really helped me get myself back on track straight away (something I have always struggled with after a night out). </div>
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It brings my total loss of my Christmas to 7.5lbs so far with one more weigh in to go. I'd love to say I am confident that I will lose the last 2.5lbs to meet my Christmas goal on Thursday but to be honest I will feel lucky to maintain this week. I had a planned day off on Friday which alone would have been fine, but I went a bit overboard on Saturday. I had hoped to be able to stay on track for the day but I was a little hungover when I woke up and I didn't have a real plan in place for the day. I was also heading to a housewarming in my parents house and I just couldn't help myself with all the lovely nibbles and finger food they had...and the cheeseboard we tucked into at the end of the night. </div>
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I am also finding the temptation to give into 'Christmas Eating' so hard at the moment. I know I will be fine between now and Thursday when my weigh in is, but I really want to be able to keep tracking all the way up to Christmas Eve. Best intentions, but I am worried that once that final weigh in is done all hell will break loose. I need to take the pressure off myself, otherwise I am likely to end up in an all out binge if I do crack. So for now my focus is on getting to Thursday and then after that I will reassess and see how I can cope with this weekend. </div>
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-19075924430340021412018-12-10T19:59:00.001+00:002018-12-10T19:59:22.589+00:00Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: December Week 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So I knew last week that I wasn't going to get a loss, but luckily I managed to pull it back after the weekend enough to lose half a pound. So I think I can safely kiss goodbye to my goal of losing 10lbs by Christmas. I'm 5.5lbs down so far and there are only 2 weigh ins to go. But whether I make the goal or not the scales are going in the right direction.<br />
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My mini goal was to fit into a dress I wanted to wear for the Christmas party and I tried it on last wednesday and it fit. So I was delighted with myself, but then something changed between wednesday and Saturday and after a stressful 10 minutes trying to get the zip up, it burst and I was done. Luckily I had a back up dress that did fit, but I have to say I did not feel great after that. I put it behind me and had a great night though and while I drank to excess I stopped eating when I was full which meant only eating half my main course and not touching dessert.<br />
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The day before I had a lovely day out in town, was treated to an amazing Michelin starred lunch followed by M&S for dinner (and not their low fat range). So it probably wasn't the best day to be trying to squeeze into a dress. Either way I enjoyed my weekend, had my treats and I'd be naive to think I could get through the holiday season without having days like this.<br />
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Last week I did mention my plan to make sure I did not give into my hangover and have a third off plan day. So on Saturday afternoon I prepped my roast chicken, potatoes and veg and when it came to cooking dinner on Sunday it was stress free. I stuck to my 23 smartpoints for the day and it felt really good to be as hungover as I was and stick to my plan.<br />
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I have a couple of days now to do some damage control to make up for my 2 days off plan. This weekend I have another lovely meal out, but I will be home by myself for the day so I will be able to keep my earlier meals low points. I am off to a housewarming/christmas party on Saturday but my plan is to drive and not drink, so all I have to do is stay away from the nibbles (which are my down fall). There is a bake sale in work on Wednesday, and while I will be contributing a peanut & chocolate cheesecake and maybe some home made marshmallows I made today, I usually find it quite easy to abstain from eating the treats like that in work. Its a tough time of year but I am doing my very best. If I could even lose 2 or 3 pounds in the next couple of weeks to get me back under 11 stone I will be happy.<br />
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As always the plan is key, and I am not skimping on that!<br />
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-16181668817502082142018-12-03T20:55:00.002+00:002018-12-03T20:55:17.057+00:00Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: December Week 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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December is on us and we are down to 3 weigh in's until Christmas. Despite my hopes, I was up 1lb this week. I am not surprised as my one day off plan was really OTT and I did go over my SmartPoints the following day too. On top of that I was definitely retaining some water this week and to be honest looking at previous weeks where I am retaining water, 1lb up is a good result. </div>
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So the weekend just gone was the first really manic weekend of the Christmas period. We headed out after work on Friday to the see the lights in Dublin Zoo and our original plan had been to head for food and a few drinks after. We knew how busy the weekend was going to be so we opted to head home and get a takeaway and open a bottle of win instead. Got plenlty of steps walking around the zoo and chose on of the healthy options from Camille. Since I had made good choiced during th day, I only used 6 of my weeklies on wine leaving 29 in tact for my usual Saturday night. </div>
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Saturday we headed out for my sisters birthday and she wanted to go for Pizza and drinks. I made good choices during the day, and while I had a full pizza and shared some bread and dips as a starter, I didn't go too mad on drinks and managed to save myself a hangover on Sunday morning. I woke up and made a healthy breakfast before getting stuck in to prepping a healthy dinner for my friends who were coming over in the afternoon. As I was hangover free I was not tempted to pick and stuck to my plan of a healthy dinner. I made crumble for dessert and again just had some baked apples for myself with Halo Top ice cream. I also kept myself busy before they arrived cleaning and getting the place all festive (once December hits the tree can go up!)</div>
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So 3 weeks and 5lbs to hit my Christmas goal, which is a lot to ask. I have another busy weekend coming up. Friday I have the day off work to head into town and do some Christmas shopping with my love. I know we will most likely stop for a drink, eat our lunch out and grab dinner in M&S to take home. It's a rare day that we are both off work together, so I will make wise choices but I will enjoy my day. Saturday is my work Christmas party. My plan is to eat well and low SmartPoints during the day, skip dessert and do as much dancing as possible. I also plan on prepping everything for a roast chicken & potatoes on Saturday afternoon so all I have to do on Sunday is put it all in the oven and I'll have a healthy dinner removing the temptation for a hangover pizza. </div>
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I also took the monday off, and there is a charity bake sale on Wednesday so the plan is to spend Monday baking for that and not eating any of my baked goods. Going to be tough but I hope my motivation is still as strong then as it is now making it quite easy to resist. In the mean time I have my meal plan done for the week and I am organised and feeling strong. I just need to ensure I can get back out running again this week after 4 rest days! </div>
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-77416168957743875752018-11-26T21:02:00.003+00:002018-11-26T21:02:51.540+00:00Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: November Week 5<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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And just like that are into the last week of November. I have 16 more working days until I finish up for Christmas (and 15 portions of soup in the freezer to keep me going for lunches). This weekend is when the real silly season starts for me and we have a busy one planned. We are heading to see the light show straight after work on Friday night, so that will either mean a takeaway when we get home or grabbing food out. Saturday we are heading to the dogs and for pizza for my sisters birthday and Sunday we are having a couple of friends up for Sunday lunch. This weekend I hope to make good choices during the day on Friday and keep as many of my dailies for that evening as I can. If I can manage to keep to my dailies that day I will be doing well. Saturday we will have a lot of stuff to get done during the day so I won't have time for lots of treats or eating, I can't go too mad with drinks on Saturday as I have to cook for friends on Sunday. And finally since I am in charge of the menu for Sunday I know I can stick to my dailies that day. </div>
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I managed to lose 2lbs so I have so far lost 6lbs of my Christmas goal of 10lbs, right on track considering there are 4 weigh ins left. I am hoping to get a decent loss this Thursday coming, but I had a bit of a mad day out on Saturday where I definitely went more overboard than intended. The plan was to get back to it yesterday morning, which I did but then for some reason at my parents I got stuck into the crisps and guacamole before dinner and ended up about 5 smartpoints over for the day. Not much I can do about it now, except work extra hard and try and get a bit more exercise in than I did last week. </div>
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Still keeping the meal plan simple, nothing too fancy just enough to know that I can throw it together when I get home from work quickly and easily!! Only way for it when its busy! </div>
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-72653252243604389832018-11-19T19:11:00.000+00:002018-11-19T19:11:06.550+00:00Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: November Week 4<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Was down half a pound this week so the scales are still moving the right direction. There have been times where I would have been disappointed with a loss like that, no matter what I told myself I would always expect more after a good week on plan. However the older I get the more I appreciate how valuable each and every half pound loss actually is. </div>
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I had set myself a goal of losing 10lbs by Christmas and this weeks half pound loss means I have 6 more lbs to go and only 5 weigh ins. I am remaining optimistic but also slightly terrified of what December will bring. I already have something on each weekend from now until Christmas week, and while I know I can manage one night off plan and be relatively ok, its the weeks that have multiple events going on that worry me. Also our last weigh in before Christmas is the 20th of December and my focus this year will be sticking to the plan right up to Christmas Eve, and doing my best to control myself on Stephens day before we head off on our holidays. I always have this plan, and I always fail miserably. It seems that as soon as I walk out of that last weigh in my Christmas Eating/Drinking starts.</div>
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I'll be keeping track of my losses on my little Christmas tree. Each week I'll add a new bauble and the star represents the total loss so far. I like to have visual queues to keep me going, There is something very satisfying about keeping a regular check like this in a visual way. </div>
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The weeks are getting busier and being organised is going to be crucial, so meal plans are extra important now. I found it really difficult to pick dinners this week and need some new options to add into the mix. I am considering getting a pressure cooker sometime soon and hoping to be able to try some new recipes with that. I'm running low on soup in the freezer and so I'll be doing my best to stock up this weekend. With some many treats around the office having healthy and filling lunches ready to go is the only chance I have to stick to my plan. </div>
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-62108153822753883862018-11-12T19:24:00.000+00:002018-11-12T19:24:04.582+00:00Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: November Week 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'm not sure about the rest of you, but after a holiday or week off plan I am always tempted to skip my meeting, get myself back on track and have a great week in the hopes to avoid seeing a gain on the scales. We know its a bad idea, but it is always so scary to go to weigh in knowing full well you have gained. But to be honest, skipping is the worst thing you can do for a number of reasons.<br />
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<li>I tried to get myself back on track the minute the plan landed, but something just wasn't clicking. I needed the shock of the class and the scales to really draw a line in the sand and to move on. </li>
<li>Sometimes the results aren't as bad as you think. For me this time, they were. But it helped me knowing where I stood. </li>
<li>Even if you do manage to get yourself back on track, and have a perfect week the following week. Your results are going to be diluted due to the fact you haven't registered the gain. Take my results for example, after my holiday the scales showed me as gaining 4.5lbs and this week I lost 3.5lbs. Had I not gone and registered the 4.5lbs gain, the scales this week wouldn't have shown a loss at all, it would have shown me gaining 1lb since the last weigh in before holidays. And no matter how you try to rationalise it, it is never nice to look at a gain after a perfect week on track. Instead I saw the real results of my perfect week and it motivated me to keep it going. </li>
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So I am back in the swing of things and feeling good about it. I had a planned day off on Saturday for my goddaughters birthday party, followed by a takeaway and some wine. I wrote off my weeklies and woke up Sunday morning and got back to normal. Anyone who follows me over on Instagram, I am tracking my days on plan and my exercise in my stories daily. It is just another good way to keep myself honest. If I know I'm risking my little star on my calendar, it means I am less likely to go off plan. I have 4 more weeks until my work Christmas Party and one busy weekend the weekend before, but I am determined to fit into my dress and so far that is what is keeping me away from the chocolate and crisps! No major social outings this weekend, just a few drinks with the rugby so hoping to be able to stick 100% to my dailies and weeklies (though who knows once I have a few drinks in me!)</div>
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-59776354611633472892018-11-07T20:00:00.000+00:002018-11-07T20:00:09.306+00:00Red Lentil Soup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Its been a long time since I posted a recipe. I have been meaning to make myself dedicate more time to my blogging for ages now but life just seems to constantly get in the way. I have a few recipes I have been experimenting with a few recipes over the past year and I want to get back into it more. A lot of them are just ones I happened to throw together and liked the results, and I will need to try them again to decipher the notes I made in order to recreate. But I have a few that are ready for sharing now, starting with some lovely Red Lentil Soup.<br />
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I got really excited when I found out lentils no longer had to be counted, as lentil soup was one of my absolute favourites when I was younger. Red lentils in particular, used in dahls and curries were my go back when I was a vegetarian (a long time ago now) but in recent years I felt they were pointed quite high and so didn't use them as much as I'd have liked. Now they are 0 SmartPoints I love using them and this soup is a favourite.<br />
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The base of this is from the Hairy Dieters Vegetarian book only without the Harissa Paste. Leaving this out means you can add any herbs/spices/flavours you want to mix it up a bit but if I am being honest my favourite version is the basic recipe - no additional flavours needed. It freezes really well and so I usually double up the recipe when I am making it to get 10 portions instead of 5, knowing it is going to last in the freezer.<br />
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Serves: 5<br />
SmartPoints per Serving: 1<br />
Ingredients:<br />
1 tbsp olive oil<br />
1 large onion, finely chopped<br />
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped<br />
Bunch of coriander stems, finely chopped<br />
200g red lentils<br />
400g can chopped tomatoes<br />
1 litre chicken/vegetable stock (I make up with 1 knorr stock pot)<br />
Salt & Black Pepper<br />
Lemon Juice (optional)<br />
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Heat the oil over a medium heat and when hot add the onions. Cook until soft and translucent, stirring regularly before adding the garlic and coriander stems. Cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly. (If you wish to add any other spices/herbs do so here and cook for another 1-2 mins).<br />
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Add the lentils and stir to coat with the onion mixture before adding the stock. Bring to a boil before reducing to a simmer and cooking for 10 minutes.<br />
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Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through. Season well to taste with Salt & Black pepper and add a little lemon juice. If you prefer a smoother soup, you can use a stick blender to blend to desired consistency but one of the things I love about this soup is the slightly chunky texture.<br />
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Serve immediately. Alternatively this will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days and in the freezer for up to 6 months.<br />
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-27578506167745843072018-11-05T18:56:00.000+00:002018-11-06T15:30:00.543+00:00Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In November Week 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'm here to confess, despite the best intentions to not lose the run of myself last weekend it happened anyway. I tried so hard not to slip into holiday mode before I left but I know I was a little lax with things. I was probably being 95% honest on my tracker so not the worst. I packed my running gear and had great plans to get lots of exercise, drink loads of water and eat lots of fruit in between all my holiday treats....none of that happened in reality. What actually happened was a weekend filled with alcohol, indulgent food and a little bit of walking. </div>
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Was it what I planned? No</div>
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Do I regret it? Absolutely not!! </div>
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I had a great weekend with my sister (who I don't get to spend enough time with), I got to catch up with my cousins (who I hardly get to see) and I got a well needed break from work. I got back early on Tuesday morning and did not get myself back on track until the Wednesday, and even at that I did sample some of the Halloween choccies in work. So I was absolutely dreading my weigh in. I toyed around with skipping it but I knew that it was a bad idea so I faced the damage and I was up 4.5lbs. It seems a lot but I gain weight so easily. I am sure some of it is water weight but it was deserved and I will get it off. It almost wipes out the work I have done since joining back in September but I am refusing to dwell on it and I walked out of my ww meeting feeling determined. </div>
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As it stands there are 7 weigh ins until Christmas, and 5 until my work Christmas Party. I have a dress at home I want to wear to the Christmas Party but as it stands it won't fully zip up. So I have 5 weeks to lose between half and 1 inch to fit into it comfortably. If I don't, I really have nothing else to wear, so failure is not an option right now. I have a couple of things on this November but nothing that will mean a major blowout and 2 or 3 days where I am a little relaxed with my tracking in 5 weeks is doable for my goal. </div>
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I spent all afternoon prepping enough soup to keep me going for the next 3 weeks, so I am ready to go and no excuses to stray from the plan. Lots of cooking getting done and trying to mix things up in order to stay the course. We can do this! </div>
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-383555880494585982018-10-22T17:47:00.002+01:002018-10-22T17:47:15.040+01:00Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: October Week 4<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'm not sure how, but I managed to lose 1.5lbs this week, and considering that once again I lost the run of myself at the weekend it is a miracle. I was 100% on plan Monday to Thursday and I did manage to get a lot of running in but I wasn't sure it would be enough. </div>
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And now here I am on a Monday, the other side of the weekend and I have been even worse. I went drinking on Friday and then of course fed the hangover all day Saturday. I did manage to get a very easy going run done and a bit of walking with my friend on Saturday. Sunday I seemed to just graze on things throughout the day and then had a very indulgent roast chicken dinner at my parents house last night. I did not look at my Esource from Friday lunch time until this morning, and I know I did not track what I ate over the weekend properly but I made some effort. </div>
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I won't be weighing in this week as I am off to Spain for a sisters weekend on Thursday. I am trying to be on track 100% between now and then and will be determined to make some good choices and get some exercise while we are over there, so fingers cross I can keep that promise to myself. For now, here is the meal plan I will be attempting to stick to! </div>
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-63828789695726694212018-10-15T07:30:00.000+01:002018-10-15T13:46:10.277+01:00Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: October Week 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I am quickly falling back into my old habits of giving up tracking fully at the weekend and letting the binge take over and I am not sure why. I am heading to Spain for a girls weekend with my sister in a week and a half, plus Christmas and my trip to Morocco is looming so I should be more motivated than ever - but it seems once Friday hits my motivation disappears. Last week I gained 1lb, but to be honest I had been expecting more. I usually gain during my TOTM and its usually more than 1lb. I should have been motivated on Friday to stick to the plan 100% but I found myself picking at the breakfast treats in the work canteen throughout the day. I went ahead and had my usual 'day off' on Saturday and had a fantastic day out with my love and failed to get myself back on track yesterday. </div>
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As usual I have woken up this morning and am back on plan with a week of healthy meals prepped but whether it is going to be enough for me to lose anything this week...I highly doubt it. 10 more weigh ins until Christmas and 10.5lbs to lose. I need to get my act together if I am going to make this happen. </div>
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-33184809376612300302018-10-08T19:30:00.000+01:002018-10-08T19:30:04.000+01:00Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: October Week 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I had a really busy week last week in work and was home late most evenings, and instead of trying to stress myself out about getting a blog post out I just decided to skip the week blogging. I have not however missed a weigh in. After my first great loss of 4lbs, the following week I gained 1lb. I'm not sure why as I had tracked everything and had felt like I'd had a really good week. I had decided to not dwell too much on it, it may have been the big loss the week before balancing out and I decided to look at it as 3lb loss over 2 weeks instead of focusing on the gain. </div>
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That weekend however I went a bit mental. I'd had a stressful week in work and so on the Friday night we decided to get out for dinner and drinks after work. Ate and drank way more than I should have. Woke up on Saturday and ate very well all day as I had a planned night out with the girls on the cards. I had already obliterated my weeklies the night before and so I did my best to limit the dailies I have and not have any post drinking food on the way home. That all went to plan until, but then Sunday hit and I was tired and hungover and just seemed to say yes to everything. Big turkey coleslaw sandwich and crisps for lunch. Grazing on snacks throughout the day and then rack of lamb with all the trimmings for dinner. </div>
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Woke up on Monday morning and I was ready to go. I planned to get out running each day last week to try and do some damage control and kept well within my dailies all week. I was hoping to manage a STS at last Thursdays weigh in and I was delighted to have lost 1.5lbs. I think I managed that in part due to the unexpected gain the week before, and the fact I had 4 perfect days in the run up to weigh in. </div>
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This week I am a bit all over the place. I went over my weeklies a little bit last night when I had my parents over for dinner, but nowhere near to the extent as I did the week before. I am hoping to be able to pull it back again this week and get out to do some more running. I have to travel for work on Wednesday which always makes it a little more difficult to stay on plan, but I am staying positive that I can manage things ok. I have my meal plan and I am hoping to stick to it. Slowly but surely as they say! </div>
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-25394951661793187122018-09-24T21:03:00.003+01:002018-09-24T21:03:51.603+01:00Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: September Week 4<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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First full week back to class done and I managed to lose 4lbs. I was really hoping for a big start but I wasn't sure how things would actually go on the scales. So I am delighted with my first week and this time it has just motivated me even more. I had said a few weeks ago I was going to prioritise my Thursday evenings and make sure I didn't miss my weigh ins, and of course didn't I go and sign up for a run this Thursday evening. I should still make it to my weigh in before the run but I just won't be able to stay to the class. The alternative to to find a class on Wednesday evening but there aren't really any that suit. </div>
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I may have signed up for a 5km race, but my running is a disaster lately. I haven't really got back into it since the Rock'n'Roll and I can't seem to find the motivation. I tried to sign up for another training plan on Runkeeper but the app is a disaster lately and just seems to crash any time I try to do anything more than log a run. Typical that I'd been toying around with signing up for runkeeper go for years, I finally do and the app just turns to rubbish....</div>
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I need to figure it out though because I love running but it is so disheartening to have lost all stamina. After this 5km on Thursday, I am going to do the Halloween Night Run on Oct 23rd and the Morun 10k on November 24th. If we do the Run In the Dark with work I will be running that too. So I have lots of events coming up to try and discover where my mojo went! </div>
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I used up all my weeklies (and probably a few more) on Saturday evening on a real treat night, so I have to be on the straight and narrow this week to make sure I reel it back in and continue the progress on the scales in the right direction. Onwards and downwards as they say! </div>
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4444307574033528274.post-14680143089830389762018-09-17T21:12:00.001+01:002018-09-17T21:12:07.183+01:00Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: September Week 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This week I bit the bullet and made it back to my weight watchers meeting last Thursday and faced the official weigh in. Somehow I found my way back to being 1 stone over my goal weight again which is not fantastic but it is what it is. I got access to esource and jumped straight in first thing on Friday morning and it has really helped. </div>
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For the past couple of years I have been a pen and paper tracking person, but it is difficult to keep it up 100%, you aren't always in a position to track things as or before you eat them and its easy to misplace the tracker and forget to mark things on it. The recipe builder is fantastic and the fact you can find and amend existing recipes in the database is very handy too. The fact I have this on my phone means there aren't really any excuses. There are definitely some downsides, it can be difficult to find things in the database, and the fact there is no barcode scanner can be a little tricky. I know the official app has some additional features on top of the barcode scanner not available on the esource itself. We also have no idea what happens once our free trial is over in December. How they will charge for the usage, will it be worked into the weekly meeting fee or will there be additional charges. I know in the UK members pay a monthly rate that covers both meetings and online tools which is A LOT cheaper than we pay in Ireland without app access. So adding additional costs on top of the weekly meeting fee seems a little much. But again I don't know what the plan is so we will see what happens and they say over the next few weeks. Also the fact that for this free trial period gold members need to go to every class to get the code is not great, does remove some of the gold member benefits. </div>
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But for the moment I am loving it and finding it has kickstarted my motivation again. I had a full weekend on plan and I still have 10 weeklies left so I am hoping for a good weigh in on Thursday. This Saturday is a little bit of a celebration here and so I need to build up some fit points and will definitely not have any weeklies leftover once Saturday is over. What I will not do is let the celebrations spill over to Sunday and the rest of the week. </div>
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I've been really bad about running lately and so this week I am getting back to it. I have signed up for a 5km on the 27th of this month and the MoRun 10k in november so I need to get back to running regularly again. </div>
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I'm hoping that this time around my motivation will stick and I can get myself back to goal in time for Xmas. </div>
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Zedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313190263246009719noreply@blogger.com0