Summers Coming

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).

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!!

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.

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.

Weekly Meal Plan and Weigh In

I missed last weeks meal plan, I had an absolutely mental week last week. Monday night I was out seeing the Streets in Dublin and wasn't home until after midnight. That really put me a bit behind for the week. I also had some stuff going on work wise which had me running around a bit like a headless chicken for most of the week. I don't want to go into the detail but it ended very positively for me, but it was a lot of stress. While I didn't get a chance to post last week, I did not go off plan. I had a couple of extra drinks through out the week, celebratory and otherwise, but I really took advantage of the weather and upped my exercise last week. It helped that the wellness committee were running a competition for the person who could have the highest step count in one day last week. I came 5th and won myself a €50 voucher.

Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: February Week 2

Finally last week the scales started to catch up with me and I lost 1.5lbs. Still 7.5lbs above goal but starting the feel a bit better about it. We went out for dinner with my parents on Friday night and while trying on different outfits the night before I had lost the self consciousness I'd been feeling the past few weeks. My bloating seemed to have gone right down and starting to feel like it was my body again. 

Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: December Week 2

Last week I was so convinced I was facing a gain, and just hoping I could do enough for a STS. I didn't feel like I had gained, and I was doing everything I could to counter the few off plan meals I had. I upped the pace on my runs and it really paid off, as I managed to lose half a pound by the time weigh in came around! I was pretty surprised, but it does just go to show that if you make sure that you don't use a weekend full of events to lose the run of yourself then a loss is possible no matter what. I had 3 days where I had events at which I did not hold back, but other meals on those days were usual on plan meals. I worked hard and enjoyed my treats and it did the job. 

Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: November Week 5

Last week I was up half a pound. Even though I knew I had oversnacked on Sunday, I really was hoping I had done enough to pull myself back. I know a lot of people can get away with an 80/20 attitude and still see losses, but I really can't. I can just about get away with having a night off pointing and see a small loss if I am 100% on plan the rest of the week. I find with every year older I get, the more difficult it is to maintain and the less I seem to be able to eat. 

Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: November Week 3

The weeks are flying by, can you believe there are only 6 weeks until Christmas Day and 6 more weigh ins. This week I lost half a pound which brings my total since rejoining class to 2.5lbs. I am still 7lbs above goal, and I was really hoping the progress would be a little faster and by now I would be at least back within my 5lbs of goal. I'm not going to lie, its really hard to stay motivated at the moment, and I am screaming at myself to take my own advice. If anyone else was saying this to me, I'd be telling them that as long as the scales are going in the right direction you should be happy, or stick with it and the scales will catch up....but it is so difficult. 

Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: November Week 2

I have to say I've felt pretty great over the past couple of weeks. I feel motivated and excited about what I'm eating for the first time in ages. I really want to stay on plan and while I have been tempted to stray there is something inside that is making me stick with it. The only problem is, I am yet to see the physical benefits. I feel pretty bloated at the moment, and my skin is in bits. I have a rash on my face (which I think is stress related) and my skin is blotchy and uneven. I have very little energy and my running is improving but very slowly. Last weigh in I lost the half pound I gained the previous week.

Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: November Week 1

Happy Halloween!! I've always loved Halloween, getting to dress up and be someone else for a night. I think its been about 4 years since I last had a costume and I didn't get organised again this year, but next year no matter what I will have a costume. This year is also the first year we are getting trick or treaters being the first year in our new home. So there have been LOADS of sweets in the cupboard. I have so far had excellent self control and my plan is to try and forget that they are there. Since going back to class I have also kept a stash of 2 sp weight watcher bars in the cupboard and they have been doing the trick as a sweet fix in the evening. 

Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: October Week 4

Had my first official weigh in after heading back to class on Thursday and I am delighted to report I lost 2lbs. Great start and really boosted the motivation to keep on going. I was meant to be out 2 nights in a row at the weekend, but I had such an awful week in work and I wasn't feeling well that all I could do was stay in. So instead of using up all my weeklies on booze, I spread them out over the whole weekend but they were well and truly used up by the end of the weekend but all tracked and counted. 

Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: August Week 4

I was a little worried that I had over indulged in the preparation & aftermath of the half marathon last weekend and it would show on the scales. I was pretty happy to see that I had maintained my weight! I reverted this week a little and didn't track a thing all day on Saturday and decided to then write off my weeklies. I went back today and tried to retrospectively track and I definitely went over my weeklies which is not great. I also was planning on heading back to running this weekend, but Saturday got away from me and I woke up on Sunday with one of the worst headaches ever that just did not seem to go away for the whole day and by the end of the day I was sick to my stomach as well. So while I got a fair amount of walking done on Saturday I got absolutely no exercise done on Sunday. 

Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: July Week 4

End of July already, but at least the sun is making itself at home! Last week was a pretty good week for the most part. I used up all my weeklies at the weekend thinking I wouldn't use any for the rest of the week, but since my birthday was Tuesday it was rather silly of me to think I would skip dessert that day. And I ended up having 2!! So I was over my weeklies a bit and ended up gaining a pound at my Thursday morning weigh in (I think mother nature played a part in it too). 

Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In July Week 2

I'm a little late again this week, I've a bit of a cold at the  moment and yesterday I just had no energy by the time I got home from work. My stress has not really reduced but I feel like I am managing it a little better and feel like I can finally get my head back in the game properly. I've been messing around for far too long, and its not helping anything. Knowing I am letting my health slip back is just adding to my stress. 

Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: April Week 2

After my complete meltdown the week before last, the newfound resolve I had last Monday stuck throughout the week and I am back to myself. I went to my weigh in on Thursday and I was up half a pound which I happily took. I hadn't been in two weeks, and in that 2 weeks my trip to Bruges and a week off plan happened. So I am pretty sure my great week last week had an effect on my weight. It did still leave me half a pound above goal but I am not concerned about it. 

Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In

Last weeks weigh in was not great, but I knew it wasn't going to be. The previous weekend we had a brunch out planned with my family to celebrate my Dad's birthday. As we were going on the Sunday and it was brunch I didn't think it would be that bad - and so I used up some weeklies on the Friday & Saturday (probably more than I should have). Of course I should have known what my family are like and we ended up drinking copious amounts and staying out drinking until nearly 10pm. Then of course, I had to stop for a drunken McDonalds on the way home. 

Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In March Week 3

Last week I had a great week. I found my motivation and really enjoyed the plan. I went to weigh in and was down 2.5lbs which brings me back in side goal range. I'm still 4lbs above my goal weight so I really need to focus to get myself back there. I have found myself quite complacent this year. I haven't really fully recovered from Christmas and it's tough going. I'm heading to Bruges the weekend after next and I was really hoping to be back to my goal weight in time for it, but its going to be tough going to get there. 

Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: March Week 1

After a disastrous couple of weeks, last week I really gave myself the kick up tbe bum I needed to get myself back on track. No more mindless snacking, tracking everything I ate and really  got my focus back. I knew it was a tricky week for me in terms of weigh in, but considering the result the week before I was hoping for a small loss or at the very least a STS. Unfortunately it was not to be and I was up another pound on the scales this week. I am not going to dwell on the reasons why, instead I am just going to put my head down and keep on plugging away. Some weeks our bodies don’t cooperate.

Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: Feb Week 4

I don't really know what happened last week, but as anyone who follows my facebook or instagram might know, I seemed to get worse and worse the closer it got to weigh in. So I can hardly be surprised when weigh in came around and I gained 3lbs!! My body can gain a lot of weight really easily in a short space of time and it seems to get worse the older I get. I faced the music anyway, and started my new week as soon as I walked out of that weigh in. 

Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In: February Week 3

Last week I wasn't sure how my weigh in was going to go. I had gone completely off track the previous weekend and while I managed to get back to it on Monday I wasn't sure it would be enough. Weigh in came around on Thursday and I was surprised to be down 1.5lbs. Thinking about it though, I had missed my weigh in the week before after having a great week, so I think it was that showing more than anything. 

Weekly Meal Plan: Feb Week 2

I had a great week last week and so I was really looking forward to weigh in, but by the time Thursday came around I knew I wasn't going to make it. I have a 45 minute walk from work to my class, followed by another hour to get home once it ends (15 mins on the luas and 45ish walking) and the weather was so bad on Thursday I decided to skip weigh in. If I had been skipping becuase I had a bad week and was afraid to face the scales, I wouldn't have done it. But as a gold member I need to learn not to be so dependent on my weekly weigh in's. I definitely still need to regularly go to weigh in's, but missing one every now and then when things are going well is absolutely fine. 

Weekly Meal Plan & Weigh In

So despite recovering well last week, I still had 3 full days off plan, so I knew I was going to be up last week. The question really was what sort of damage control had I managed. I was up half a pound which I will take and run. It could have been a lot worse, but there is a lot to be said for damage control. I also think I didn't fully deserve the 1lb gain I had the week before, but over the 2 weeks the gain makes sense.