Got my 4 stone award !!!!!

I got my 4 stone award yesterday, you have no idea how happy that made me. I didn't stop smiling all day. I definitely think the introduction of exercise is what has restarted my weight loss. This week I have been swimming, to Aerobics, Aqua Fit, Aqua Aerobics and walking.

Good day today and my Top Tip!

Another good day today on both the eating and exercise front. I did 55 minutes swimming length's, 30 minutes on the exercise bike and 10 minutes dancing. I then came home and made a big batch of chilli and pasta, portioned it up and put them in the freezer ready for when I need them. For me personally, batch freezing is the key to keeping me on track, that way I always have something to eat if I've been out or forgotten to make something. Nothing I freeze ever takes more than 10 minutes to cook so I take something out, pop it in the microwave then make a cuppa and have a sit down. By the time I've finished my coffee my lunch/tea is ready and I've not nibbled on anything I shouldn't have while I was waiting.

Aqua Zumba

So far it's been another good day today - fruit for breakfast, vegetable stew for lunch and Slimming World chips, mushy peas and curry sauce for tea. I do love Slimming World food.

I went with a friend to Aqua Zumba today, it was the first time I'd ever been and I really enjoyed. I will definitely be going again, but will need to find my swimming shoes out, my feet were sliding everywhere, my co-ordination is not that good to start with but that just added to the problems lol.

Drawing a Line Under It

I went out to a friends 30th birthday party last night, had a few drinks and ate what I wanted, I didn't go too overboard but think I definitely went over my syns. I feel a little guilty this morning about not sticking to plan last night, but today is a new day, so I'm drawing a line under it and carrying on as normal. I've already done 30 minutes on my exercise bike and all being well I should be going swimming or to Aqua Fit at some point today so the exercise should help with last night blip.

UPDATE - 1 hour swimming lengths without stopping and stuck to my meal plan all day.

Before, So Far and the Difference

The first picture is at 20st 9lbs at the start of my journey in May 2011.

The second is at my current weight of 16st 10.5lbs (the lowest weight I've been in years).

The bottom one shows the difference with the 3st 12.5lbs I have lost.

Slimming World Wrap

I was suprised at how much I enjoyed this.

2 beaten eggs mixed with 1 tsp mixed herbs, pour into a frying pan sprayed with Fry Light and cook both sides until golden brown. I served mine with Quron Bolognese.

Chicken Curry

1 large cauliflower broken into florets, 1
 chopped onion,
2 garlic gloves,
Chicken pieces,
Curry powder and chicken stock.

Put the cauliflower in a pan with enough stock to almost cover the florets and boil until really soft. When soft, drain BUT KEEP THE STOCK, blend the cauliflower and gradually and re-add the stock until you have the consistancy you want, add curry powder and chopped garlic. Cook the onions and chicken then add to the sauce, heat through and serve. Its really nice and doesn't taste like cauliflower at all.

Baked Bean Lasagne

Baked Bean Lasagne - 2 HxA's and 10 syns for all of it.

Cook 2 tins of baked beans and 2 tins of tomatoes in a pan with 2 chopped and fried onions, garlic and herbs. Layer in a dish with lasagne sheets. Finish with a layer of lasagne then pour on 250ml of white or cheese sauce (syns vary) then sprinkle on your HxA of cheese and bake in the oven.

Bolognese Pasta Bake

I made this then portioned it up and froze so I always had something for those times I'd been busy or not planned my meals.

500g Quorn mince,
1 large chopped onion,
2 large carrots (diced),
2 tins of tomatoes,
1 carton of Passata,
Garlic,
Mixed Herbs,
500mls of Bovril stock
500g of Pasta.

Fry the onions, carrots and mince then add all the other ingredients and simmer BUT DO NOT add the pasta, cook this seperate. When the pasta and bolognese are cooked, mix together and put in oven dishes (mine made enough for 2 oven dishes). Add the HxA of cheese for the amount of servings you are making and place in oven untill cooked.

I've joined a gym!

Yes, that's right, last week I joined a gym (I would've lost the bet on that one lol). Although I have to admit I have only been to the actual gym once, I have been swimming everyday since joining (sometimes twice) and have been to Aqua Fit too. It's amazing how excited I got when I joined and saw all the different classes I can go to. I'm hoping to try Aqua Zumba and Zumba next week. It's weigh in day tomorrow so I'm hoping all the exercise I've done since last weeks weigh in has paid off.

Slimming World Rice Pudding

I heard someone in group last week talk about Syn Free Rice Pudding so I knew I had to try it. I was in no way convinced it would be all that nice.............how wrong was I. Delicious and so filling.

4oz Pudding Rice
375ml Skimmed Milk (HxA)
375ml Water
7 tbsp Sweetener
Pinch of Nutmeg or Cinnamon.

Place all the ingredients in a slow cooker, mix well and leave until "creamy". Add more sweetener if necessary.

I'm baaaaaaaaack!

From about Easter I completely lost my way with Slimming World. I would still go to the meetings but very rarely stayed and never really stuck to it at home either. I'm not sure the reason behind it but I suddenly found it hard to stick to the plan and went back to binge eating (at least once a week). So the following months my weight was up and down then I stopped going at all in July. But once September came, something inside me clicked and I very sheepishly went back to group to find I had put 7.5 lbs on, some people may have cried but I was thrilled, I thought not going at all over the summer it would have been more, but I was confident I could lose the 7.5lbs over the next few weeks. After the meeting I came home, read through all my books and planned my meals for the following week. The following week at weigh in I had lost 2lbs and the week after that 4.5lbs. I'm still feeling confident and motivated to lose weight.