Off Pro Points - Disaster This Way!

Since January this year I have been doing really well, managed to get to my 5% weight loss and was starting to feel really good. This was with the help of going to a weekly Weight Watchers class with my daughter, who was also doing really well. Then disaster! My OH and I went to France for a weeks holiday over Easter and I have just not been able to get back on the Pro-Poins again.

I feel myself gaining weight, pressure on my joints, knees hurting from walking, tiredness and lethargy.

I have stopped weekly food planning, online shopping is last minute and not planned. I am losing control again.

I have to get my mind and will power back in control!!!!

diet, dieting, Weight Loss, obesity, fatblogging, hypnosis, Andrew Johnson

Back on the slimming wagon

Yikes, got on the scales this week and definately need to get back on that slimming wagon train again and head for destination target weight. We are celebrating the big 30 anniversary this year in Paris at a concert, so got to be heading on the down track to enjoy the occasion and be fit enough to walk around the squares and parks of that romantic city.

Tried Weight Watchers last year, attending class on and off and using the web tools but just did not get on with it. Back to Scottish Slimmers and trying the updated PEP as on online member and using the forum for support again - I have had the most success with Scottish Slimmers, I just need the will power to stick to it.

This year I am putting me first, hubby next and work definately last in my priorities!

diet, dieting, Weight Loss, obesity, fatblogging, hypnosis, Andrew Johnson

Tracker so far

3 May
- Pro Points 46 Daily and 3 weekly (end of normal week)
- 63.5 checks

4 May (Day 1 of week)
- Pro Points 46 Daily and 24 weekly
- 103 checks (38 over daily limit)

As I am not working at present, and stressed about our financial security, I snack all the time. I have to try and convert them to lower check/Pro Point healthier (less sweet) snacks - and reduce the snacking urge. Busy hands, less snacking!

5 May
- Pro Points 46 Daily and 1 weekly (25 to date)
- 66 checks (1 over daily limit, 39 over in total for week)

Is my horoscope today prophetic?

My horoscope today says:

'The old, outmoded methods are falling by the wayside, making room for new growth. A fresh career opportunity will come your way, causing you to make dramatic changes to your personal life. You might break off a troubled relationship or move to a new neighbourhood. You could launch a new fitness regime which forces you to break ties with toxic people. Don't be afraid to break a bad habit for the sake of something better: A new life, free of addiction and pain.' (Yahoo)

Nothing could be more spot on - I have a toxic relationship with food, and bad habits of over-eating. I am also riddled with pain in my back, my knees, my elbows and one of my hands. I do want a life free of addiction to food and free of the crippling pain I am suffering. My back is so bad now that I cannot stand up without support, yet my doctor says it is my part slipped discs just twinging, that there is nothing wrong!!

I know, it is ages since I last posted here and you are wondering if I am still on that weight loss journey. Well the answer is yes, I am, just going backwards more than forwards!!! Such a typical yo-yo dieter.

I joined Weight Watchers 10 week ago, but have only attended 3 times in 10 weeks. I found I was back up to 24st 2lbs, so was well on the way to regaining everything I had lost. In my first week on the new Pro Points plan I lost 10lb and then lost my way again - I bought WW products (mainly chocolate bars) and ate the lot in one go and lost my way for the whole week. I struggled to gain control again and when I found it again went back to weigh in and had gained a couple of pounds. I made the mistake of buying more chocolate from WW again, and yet again ate the lot in one go!!

So, what have I learnt - stop buying the WW chocolates at meetings as I eat one, I eat the lot.

The next thing is to log everything you eat and drink - well I am back to logging again (I count my Pro Points and my Scottish Slimmers checks). I currently follow the SS recipes (which I just love) and convert them to the WW Pro Points.

I have enough reasons to want to lose weight:

- to get free of constant pain;
- to find my self-esteem again;
- to find my sex life again;
- to enjoy life with my new grandson; and
- to maximise my life so that I can have a long and happy retirement with my husband and family when I reach 60.

In the short-term though, I just want to ease the physical pain I am in and look forward to my holiday in Canada this summer so that I can be reasonably active.

I am going to make a promise to myself and my blog:

- I am going to post here everyday;
- I am going to count my Pro Points and my SS Checks daily:
- I am going to plan every week;
- I am going to start to try and exercise twice a week.

Help me to help myself make today's horoscope come true.

Holiday Weight Loss - it can be done!

Wow, it can be done. You can go on holiday, enjoy yourself and still lose weight. I have lost 2 lbs this week. That is a novelty for me (except for New Zealand, where I was so active).

We have enjoyed ourselves, eaten out several times and not stinted ourselves with treats such as ice cream (Carte d'or chocolate ice cream is the best) and wine. The thing is to keep them as treats.

I have counted everything, and estimated when out. To help balance the times of eating out I have stuck with no check/low check meals and my every day bonuses (yogurt and fruit). In between meals I have filled up with water.

I will just keep writing everything down, planning ahead when I can and catching up if I have to. Now I just have to get through the challenge of 4 dinners out this week, and 2 lunches out, and a week in Hong Kong to follow!





diet, dieting, Weight Loss, obesity, fatblogging

Reject the chips!!

It can be done, yes (I SHOUT) 'IT CAN BE DONE' - you can resist the chips in favour of salad and keeping PEPtastic.

Was it will-power? Was it a double dose of inspiration? Was it motivation? Well, not in this occasion I am sorry to say - it was the size of the queue waiting for the chips at the chip fry stall at Le Saillant food market! Next time it will be Miss Motivation as the feeling of virtuousness makes me feel special, so special I think I deserve a treat. What!!! No chocolate! How will I reward myself? I know, a punnet of freshly picked strawberries, which are juicer and sweeter than any other I have ever tasted. I can cope without chips and chocolate. Life is not at an end, it is just leaving the starting blocks of my PEPing with Scottish Slimmers.





diet, dieting, Weight Loss, obesity, fatblogging, French Producers Markets

Holiday Catch Up

A quick catch up today. We are on our summer break in the Limousin region of France. The journey over started last Monday, via the in-laws and an Italian dinner out! Before catching the late night ferry from Portsmouth we had fish and chips as well.

I have been almost PEPtastically good since then, even entertaining guests twice whilst sticking to PEP!

Dinner menu 1 - slice melon and slice parma ham (EDB + 2 checks), Chicken Korma and rice (16), jelly mousse (2 checks), 2 glasses red wine (8 checks)

Dinner menu 2 - Pork in sweet plum sauce with firecracker rice (brilliant) (16 checks), nectarine and SS cookie crumble (EDB + 4 checks), 2 glasses champagne (8 checks), 1 glass red wine (4 checks). I only had 4 packets of SS cookies to go round 5 people!!

The weather was hot travelling through France on the first day, was nice the next day and then turned gray and overcast. Yesterday it rained all day, but today is sunny and bright again.

I am planning and looking forward to a PEPtastic week.





diet, dieting, Weight Loss, obesity, fatblogging, hypnosis, Andrew Johnson,France

Miss Motivation is well and truly back

OMG, Miss Temptation has been rearing her blobby head and Miss Motivation has been sadly lacking! My o/h has not been able to be with me during the week in Liverpool and big boxes of chocolates have found the way into my shopping bag when he was not there.

Well, Miss Inspiration came along and waved a magic wand, and a well placed kick up the ass which has helped to bring Miss Motivation well and truly back! I have lost 4lbs this week - yipeeeeeee!

I think, maybe, reminding myself of why I have been losing the pounds has helped - I would never have been on a round the world trip and experienced the wonder of New Zealand without the motivation to tackle those excess pounds in the first place. Writing up my travel blog has helped to bring back my focus, I want to travel to Darwin and northern Queensland next, and am re-visiting Hong Kong at the end of August.





diet, dieting, Weight Loss, obesity, fatblogging, hypnosis, Andrew Johnson

151 Checks Over

Ok, fess up time. I am 151 checks over for the week and already 3 days into the week. Given that I am allowed 65 checks a day, I have already eaten more than 2 days extra for the week so far. Unless I stop eating now I will never haul back on that, but I can try to remedy this in a small way. So here I go!





diet, dieting, Weight Loss, obesity, fatblogging, hypnosis, Andrew Johnson

Demons in my head!!

Oh dear me, back at stop start again and the demons are back in my head again. I have not started my hypnosis again and finding control a difficult thing to get back into.

Fraid the demons have had me eating anything and everything and found myself going to the hotel shop last night and buying banana ice cream!!! I don't even really like banana ice cream but the voices just would not be silenced until 1/2 the ice cream was inside my tummy. This morning I feel bloated, lacklustre, fed-up, disappointed and have very ripe wind (a common side affect I find)! Good job my o/h is not here. Oh! If he was I probably would be in control and not out of control.

The day before I found myself losing the battle with the demons and eating madly on low fat soya crisps and all my small bars of chocolate for the week.

I work better with support from my o/h rather than on my own. Also, I am completely fed up, so give in to temptation far too easily.

I have work to be getting on with, but am lethargic and fed up, but for a change at least I am blogging and spilling out my terrible deeds.

Let today be the day that I finally get myself together to listen to my hypnosis recording and start to get my head and those demons back under control.






diet, dieting, Weight Loss, obesity, fatblogging, hypnosis, Andrew Johnson

Repair the damage!!

Down after a brilliant holiday, fed up working away all the time, no stability until my o/h gets a new job and we know where we will end up making our home, getting time to spend together when we are not knackered all the time.

I have returned and gone into free fall, eating too much, drinking too much and feeling fat, bloated, achy and slow. Today I will vow to continue my long-term weight loss battle again - I have not given up, I have just had another blip, I will continue and succeed.

I must also get back to my hypnosis tape on a regular basis - like every day for 21 days without interuption. I tried, but could not keep it up, and look where it has got me!! Bigger than a long time, if I don't get control I will be back where I started!

diet, dieting, obesity, weight loss, fatblogging, hypnosis, Christmas, Andrew Johnson

Milestone on the journey

It wasn't until I updated my ticker that I realised that I had reached another milestone on my weight loss journey, I found that I was 0.5lb under 300lbs!! It may still be a lot of lbs to lose, but that has brightened my day considerably and keeping reminding myself of that will help to keep my PEP head firmly glued on.

It just proves that little targets as well as big targets are important to us throughout this journey and if we keep achieving all those little targets we will reach the end of the journey and find that we have really been brilliant.

I read the winners stories on the website yesterday, and they do give you great inspiration. I cannot wait to get my January edition of Boost (which I will read when I come back from travelling in mid February). I suspect I will need inspiration when I come back from travelling, or I will have to book another holiday to look forward to and work towards!! This weight loss journey is a very expensive, if not mentally expansive, one for me!

diet, dieting, obesity, weight loss, fatblogging, hypnosis, Christmas, Andrew Johnson,

Oh Dear Me!!

I must get back into control. Greenock was good for me, but Birmingham has left me out of control. After our wonderful Caribbean dream holiday I have not got back into my diet and so far have gained 12 lbs.

I must, I really must, get back into the diet and gain control of my eating. I must stop craving chocolate, luxury coffees, and cakes (sorry Starbucks, I fear I will be spending less there now).

diet, dieting, obesity, weight loss, fatblogging,

Walk my feet off (and my big bum)!!

I am now working in Birmingham during the week, my consultancy at Greenock has come to an end. I loved working in Greenock, the people I worked with were great and the consultancy was rewarding and developmental for me.

Having only just started in Birmingham, I am still trying to get to grips with what I am there to do.

Now to the point of this post - the centre of Birmingham is more hilly than you realise. Everywhere I go is either up hill or down hill, and I have to walk between buildings and around buildings constantly!

This has helped to speed up my weight loss and tone up my thighs and bum - I end up feeling like I have done a work out every day. I might start to wear my pedometer more regularly!

Now I only have 2 lbs to go before I reach my 5 stone weight loss.

diet, dieting, obesity, weight loss, fatblogging,

Holiday Clothes!!!

Because I work away from home during the week (now in Birmingham not Greenock) I only get Saturday and Sunday at home. This weekend is very busy as we are packing to go on holiday to Antigua and the BVIs on Thursday.

I have deliberately not tried any of my old holiday clothes (shorts, skirts, trousers, t-shirts, dresses) in case they did not fit and then I would feel rotten and go on a food bender.

Well, the weekend before the holiday arrives and I woke up at 7.00am and got all my old smaller holiday clothes out of the cupboards and wardrobe and tried them on. Only 1 skirt and 1 pair of trousers DID NOT FIT!!!! (They were a size 22). Everything else fitted, even some size 24s. I cannot believe it!!! I am so thrilled and it has been a real boost to me. Instead of breaking out in holiday mood and having lunch out I popped to the shops and got the ingredients for mushroom stroganoff instead (served on 1 slice of toast) - lovely (I add paprika and cayenne pepper to give it bite).

I did feel able then to go shopping for 2 more swim suits (because my top has shrunk I had to get size 24s), 2 t-shirts and another floaty summer dress, as well as a pair of Croks and Crok flip-flops. My feet used to be so swollen all the time that I could never get them on.

I was feeling a bit down that it has taken me over 15 months to loose almost 5 stone, but now I feel really pleased because that 5 stone has made a huge difference to me.

diet, dieting, obesity, weight loss, fatblogging,

My Easter Egg!

Yes, I did have an Easter Egg. Eldest daughter bought my OH and me an egg each - a lovely Green and Blacks organic dark chocolate egg at 606 calories per egg. I ate the whole egg today to get it over and done with and to leave no temptation for another day. How good of me. Now I feel sick! Serves me right. Too much chocolate in one go, I am not used to it anymore.

Still, that is it for another year. I did count the checks in to my weekly total, so I will make up for it later in the week, expect a weight loss next Monday!

Please note, though, I bought my dieting daughters flowers and plants. Can I have flowers instead of chocolate next year please?

diet, dieting, obesity, weight loss, fatblogging, Easter,Chocolate,

Short French Break!

Bonjour

I have returned today from a short French break to our house in the Limousin. Very cold, but lots of blue sky and sun with the occasional snow storm or rain which was over with quickly. At least the sun makes you feel brighter and less gloomy.

My brother and sister-in-law joined us for the first time to see the area and the house. For the first time the OH and I got the chance to just be tourists in the area and did loads of firsts for us:

- we were up and about early enough to see the whole of Brive market on Saturday, excellent, especially the covered market;
- we found the olive oil shop and the household gift shop, I feel a major shopping spree coming on for both of those for Christmas and anniversary presents!
- after lunch yesterday (lovely 5 course lunch in the local hotel) we drove out to Pompadour, home of the national stud for France, and stumbled (for the first time) on a 3 day horse eventing competition and got the times of the opening of the local château.

What a treat is was to see the place as a tourist and do so many firsts with our guests. A good time was had by all. They can come again.

My sister-in-law is a very talented artist and drew several sketches of scenes and a water colour of the primroses from the garden, which was awash with lovely colour.

I mainly stuck to the eating plan but built in 1 unplanned treat a day - delicious French desserts! Overall, I was better than I normally am. I shall await the scales tomorrow morning!

Ah, to tomorrow! My first day in Birmingham. I am full of trepidation and excitement. My friend is coming with me this week, to help her kick start her return to work after a period of sick leave due to work related stress and so that we can brainstorm together for her as she has a strategy to write. We are good at strategy, we can go back to our MBA days together.

18 days until Antigua - will I cope!

diet, dieting, obesity, weight loss, fatblogging, France, MBA,

This Week - So Far!

I still stumble when it comes to Wednesday and am heading home from Scotland! I get to Glasgow Central station and the Thornton's is just too tempting. Partly it is tiredness, partly it is me rewarding myself for coping again with another week away from home, partly it is me just fed up with living with pain and not being able so see a way out of it. As my weight has reduced I do seem to live with less pain, but then you get complacent and are less prepared for the next bout of arthritis pain.

Excuses, I know, I should just admit that I have low will-power, low resolve, and am still dealing with my ingrained desire to reward myself (good or bad) with chocolate.

No matter how much I plan for this weakness I can still exceed whatever I allow myself (I think that is part of the game we play with ourselves sometimes). You can plan for overeating but the devil in your head wants to be really naughty, not planned naughty. I will have to think of some new tactics to get over this because when I reduce my checks it will be even more difficult to maintain weight loss.

It has been a good week so far because I have not fallen out with anyone, been sick, felt the world was against me, or had to deal with stupid people. I really must look for positive reasons why I have good weeks, such as exercising every day (not), taking up a new hobby (not)!

I did have a real treat on Saturday morning (no not that!), I had an Indian Head Massage. Very relaxing and made me feel tall, long necked and slender for the rest of the day. I have booked a Reflexology session with the same lady for next Friday. I cannot wait.

I may go to Tia Chi next Friday morning as well, there is a class in the village. This may be my only chance to go and give it a go, as I may be starting work in Birmingham from Monday week. That will be mostly full-time (down Monday, back Friday).

I feel apprehensive about the Birmingham assignment. Have I still got the drive for the very senior position I am taking on? Have I got the stamina to cope with the travelling and walking? Have I got the willpower to cope on my own for another 2 nights? I will miss my OH very much, especially as we are renewing parts of our life that have been dormant for so long.

Oh well, I can only but try!

I will be getting a new Dietline mentor. My current lady is retiring. I feel, especially on the 2nd set of 12 weeks, that we really developed a good rapport, so I am concerned about starting to develop that rapport again with someone else. The other issue that concerns me greatly is that the new lady has different hours that do not easily fit in with my working week, if I cannot find agreement with her over the call in times I will have to ask for someone else. The older I get the less easily I find I cope with change.

Fingers crossed for a good weight loss tomorrow on weigh in day.

diet, dieting, obesity, weight loss, fatblogging, Indian Head Massage, reflexology,

My Week Got Better

Although last week started out miserably with a tummy bug which laid me low up on Scotland, the week did get better when I went to the Scottish Slimmers meet at the Panjea Curryoke in Glasgow. Youngest daughter and I, both SS Forum members, wen and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

We made the trip up on the Saturday and arrived at the Crowne Plaza to find we had been upgraded to a Club room - lovely room, huge bed, free drinks and snacks in the Club lounge! We virtuously went swimming in the hotel pool and spa before getting ready for our night out. Getting ready included mini bottles of champagne we had bought at M & S in Edinburgh when changing train and a drink in the Club lounge, so we were very merry when we set off.

Although we tried to be diet good, we were not that good (alcohol seems to weaken the resolve!) We did dance and youngest daughter sang (I think that is what you call it anyway!) I think she me bribe me not to play the video I took on my camera to anybody though.

The great part of the evening was meeting so many people we have chatted to on the SS Forum and putting faces to Forum names. A great night was had by all.

Youngest daughter and I went swimming again in the hotel spa before setting off for home. We did go back to PEPing on the Sunday, but by then the damage was done. Weigh in on Monday found a 1 lb weight gain for me, so not as bad as it could have been (I think being ill during the week has something to do with it, but I would not advocate tummy bugs as a weight control or diet aid).

diet, dieting, obesity, weight loss, fatblogging

4st 7lbs loss to date!

I have lost 4 st 7 lbs. Yipeeeee!!!! I am never going back, I may slip off track, but I am never, never, ever going back.

diet, dieting, obesity, weight loss, fatblogging