What’s In Your Cupboard?

I am thinking about converting my under-stairs cupboard into a pantry and in the process thinking about what I would want to stock up on and store. Obviously it would need to be foods that I use all the time in various recipes and that are also Slimming World friendly. This got me wondering what would you stock up on? What do you use all the time in your cooking?

Some of the things I want to stock up on are:

• Chopped tomatoes
• Baked beans
• Passata
• Corned beef
• Tinned salmon
• Sardines/skippers
• Jacket potatoes (in appropriate storage)
• Pasta
• Spaghetti
• Noodles
• Rice
• Pudding rice
• Supernoodles, Pasta and Sauce, Savoury Rice etc
• Sugar free jelly
• Stock cubes
• Sugar free pop and squash

The Dream (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Looking at the list it doesn’t look like all that much so I’m sure I am missing a lot of stuff so I was wondering what would you stock up on?

 

My name is Vicky and I am addicted to weighing myself!

I can’t help it! Every morning I have to wake up and know what effect the previous days food has had on my weight-loss. Sometimes it has a negative impact when I have been super good and it doesn’t seem to be working. But on the flip side of the coin when I see that my eating is having a positive impact it is a huge motivator. It also helps me to see how badly I need to get back on track after a weekend of sheer indulgence. I know it is wrong to weigh myself most days but I can’t help it. A couple of weeks ago I went away for the week and I it nearly drove me crazy not knowing what was happening with my weight. But it did help me to break some of the weighing habit so now I have managed to only weigh myself every couple of days. You never know some time soon I might manage to only weigh in once a week in class. That will probably be about the time that I get to target some time after the wedding and honeymoon (I am probably going to end up gaining that week).

Anyway, onto other news…today’s food plan is as follows:

Breakfast – Shreddies (HEB), Semi Skimmed Milk (HEA) Banana (Superfree)

Lunch – Supernoodles (Free), Jelly and Mullerlight mix (0.5 syns)

Dinner – Spaghetti Bolognese (Free) MullerLight (Free)

What Is A Healthy Weight Anyway?

After weeks of debating I have finally set my target weight this week but the whole target weight setting process has got me thinking about 2 questions. What is a healthy weight? What does a healthy weight look like? In truth I don’t have a clue. I’m not a big magazine reader but everyday I am still bombarded by images of  other women (and men) that are at their so called ideal weights and are the pinacle of beauty. Now, I’ve been using my BMI to help me calculate a good time to stop losing weight and it works out at 7lbs less than I am now. However, I also know that this is not a huge amount of weight and wont change my appearance dramatically. When I lose this weight I will not have a body like so many of the so called celebrities.

While doing a quick scan of the internet I came across this across this post on a site called skinny vs curvy. This article is basically about how Miley Cyrus is underweight and even goes as far as saying her so called weight and height stats. I am 26 and consider myself to have a certain level of intelligence but when I look at this image I think I am looking at the image of a woman that is healthy and fit. I have even seen simliar on the front of fitness magazines. I believe that I am looking at something that I should be.

Source: http://skinnyvscurvy.com/miley-cyrus/touch-miley-cyrus-underweight-100-pounds.html

But then you read and find out that (if the stats are correct) that she is 5ft 4in and weighs 100lb. According to the Slimming World BMI calculator this would make her underweight with a BMI at a mere 17.2. This challenges everything I have been ‘programmed’ to think. It also challenges my ideas of what is beautiful, which can only be a good thing.

Now I’m not saying that everyone that has that body is underweight. I can’t say that because it turns out that I have absolutely no idea what a ‘normal weight’ is. What I am saying is that as I come to the last half stone of my weight-loss I intend to not only work on my outward appearance but also some of the wiring inside. I am going to start to change my thinking about what body beautiful is and try to be more satisfied with my body. I have got a long and happy future ahead of my which involve getting married, eventually having children, watching said children grow up and then have children of their own. To enjoy this I need to be fit and healthy  and at a normal weight that is healthy for me and not what tv and magazines try to tell me is healthy.

It’s Friday So That Means…Yesterday Was Weigh Day!!!

And I lost 1lb. I am so pleased about that. It also means that I am now 1.5lb away from my 1.5 stone award and 7lb away from target! It doesn’t sound like all that much but when I tell you that it look me 3 weeks to get that 1lb  (I have been finding it really difficult) it makes the 7lb look like its a million and 7. The biggest problem is that my wedding dress fittings start next week and I get married in January so I am running out of time. I know that 7lb really won’t make a massive difference but what a feeling it will be to be at target on my wedding day. Not only will I know I’m looking my best on the most special day of my life but it will also be the first time in my life (that I can remember) where I will actually be at a healthy weight and inside my healthy BMI! I am determined not to be embarrassed about these photos!

Usually I hate showing photos of myself, especially before photos, but you are in luck today. I thought I would share them today. I feel like it is all good for my own therapy to come to terms with the fact that I am losing weight and I am no longer the size I used to be. It took me a little bit of time to find some actual photos as I used to hide away from all photos and then if someone did manage to get a sneaky photo and I decided I didn’t like it I would then untag myself. But I have found a couple.

Before – Late Summer 2010

This was a weekend in Norfolk and as you can see I am wearing a baggy top but I was starting to actually fill it out.

Before – Christmas 2010

All I can see in this photo is that I look very square. I have lost all shape in my body (I am a natural hourglass shape) and my neck is starting to disappear and become thicker. I just wasn’t happy and looking back I was extremely unfit.

Before – April 2012

Sorry about the cutting off the top of my head, I’m pretty sure it was taken by my 7 year old soon to be sister-in-law but it shows me having lost a little bit of weight. This was 2 months into doing Slimming World. I hadn’t lost tons of weight by this point because I have always been a small weight loser. In fact I am having an amazing week if I lose 2lb (first weeks weight loss and the biggest weekly weight-loss I have had).

My before measurements were:

• Bust = 40″
• Waist = 34″
• Hips = 39″

Before BMI = 28.3

Today – 26th October 2012

You have to excuse the fact that is badly taken in a mirror by myself. I hate these types of photos but when I discovered that I had no current pictures of myself I had to resort to it. I think I am still in ‘avoid all cameras’ mode. I will make it my mission to get a proper and nicer photo taken but I think it serves the purpose. As you can see I am a slimmed down version of the first photos and although you cant really see it in the photo due to the camera, but I have much better chin and neck definition.

 

After measurements are:

• Bust = 35″ = total loss of 5″
• Waist = 29″ = total loss of 5″
• Hips = 34″ = total loss 5″

Current BMI 24.6

Not bad going really and if that is not motivation enough to lose that last 7lb I don’t know what is!

 

 

Weigh In Success!

Well, I have been AWOL for a week and I thought it was about time I got my bum back on here and updated everyone with my progress for both this week and last week. Last Thursday I lost a whopping 0.5lb. I will admit that after all of the effort and exercise I did I was disappointed and as a result I can honestly say I have not tried as hard this week. In fact I had another Indian and also then went to an all you can eat buffet last weekend…OOPS. Although to be honest I will say that as soon as it hit Monday I was back on it and had virtually syn free days (made easier due to my my hubby to be being at a conference in Germany) but only went to the gym once. This led to a 1lb loss this week. I am thrilled with that. I am now 9st 1lb and have a BMI of 24.8. I am now below 25! I have never been below 25. So this week I am going to have a brilliant week and maybe with some luck I can knock my weight into the 8st’s…fingers crossed.

Here I Am!

Well here I am! I have been doing Slimming World since February 14th and have lost a total of 1st 2lbs. I started at 10st5.5lb and being only 4ft11 this is rather a lot. It also gave me a BMI of 29.4…the highest I have ever been! Now though I am down to 9st3.5lb and a BMI of 26.2. I feel so much better look so much better because I have gone down a dress size, but I am struggling!

I have had a couple of weeks where I haven’t been losing and have maintained or gained and I really need to get back into control before I go back to my start weight. It isn’t through not understanding what I need to do and how to do it. It is just a sheer lack of motivation. I feel like I am so close and I am terrified of letting myself go and gaining everything I have lost plus more. This would be tragic because I am getting married next year!

So here I am. I have started this blog to help me keep losing weight , allow me to track my eating and show off my meals. Having already scoured the other Slimming World blogs I am also discovering that it is a great way of gaining inspiration. I am looking forward to keeping you guys and gals updated on my progress and gaining the motivation and inspiration that I have seemingly (temporarily) lost.

Tonight is WI! As negative as it sounds I will be happy with a maintain and will be ecstatic with a 0.5lb loss. Fingers crossed. As tonight is WI I will be starting writing down my diet diary tomorrow.

As tomorrow is the start of a new phase in my weight-loss I  am going to plan what I am going to be eating:

Breakfast

• Fruit and Fibre (HEB + 1syn)
• Semi – skimmed milk (1/2 HEA)
• 2 satsumas (FREE)

Snack

• Some sort of fruit

Lunch

• Low fat Supernoodles (FREE)
• Fat Free Muller Greek Style Yoghurt (1/2 syn)
• Fruit

Snack

• Fruit

Dinner

• Homemade salmon fish cakes (FREE)
• Slimming World Chips
• Veggies
• Fruit

I will also be going to the gym and will have to take a wander to the shop to buy some fruit. Lets hope it all goes to plan