From here to inskinnity! My mission to lose 13.5 stone!

On cloud 9 at the moment. I got an offer from Hallam for my Radiography course!! Totally unexpected as they are only offering the top 10% of candidates this week, if you remember I thought I'd really botched up my maths test!

Actually burst into tears when I found out as I honestly couldn't believe it! Anyway, now it's decision time. I've got offers from Leeds, Derby and Hallam. Kinda ruled Leeds out ages ago as it's one hell of a commute and placements are all over the place, so now it's between Derby and Hallam.

Really hard to decide on paper as both have a 100% employment rate and good feedback from students. Sheffield is 2 minutes down the road and Derby is an 80 mile round trip. I love the Derby campus though, seems a lot bigger than the Sheffield one. On the other hand Sheffield campus is in a lovely area of Sheffield, really near some cosy pubs, ideal for between lectures! (not sure how slimming that will be ;))

Anyway I messaged my friend who works as a radiographer at Northern general (biggest hospital in Sheff), she told me to take Hallam by a mile over Derby as the course is regarded as one of the best in the country. That kinda settles it for me. If people working as professional radiographers have such a strong opinion about one uni over the other, it must be for a reason. So seriously think I'll be going to Sheffield, gonna talk it through with Chris later though before I make a final decision. Will feel so good when I've accepted an offer and I know where I'm going to be studying for the next 3 years.

As you've probably gathered, I no longer give a toss about that pound! :D
 
Huge congratulations, can feel your happy vibes ooozing out of my PC!

Well done lovely, that's such a great boost, and goes to show how well you actually did in your interview.

Radiography is such an interesting career I've often thought, I hope you really enjoy it!
 
Yayyyy!
Congratulations!
I remember how excited I was when I got my uni offer (I only applied for one because I don't drive).
It sounds like Sheffield is the one for you from what you've said :) my mum was born in Sheffield but I've never been!

You must be sooooo excited, I think you can safely say 2014 is your year!

Keep plodding on with the weightloss, i'm the queen of disappointed at the moment but I know that giving up will only make me feel ten times worse! Think how awesome you'll feel on your first day at uni waltzing in at a size 16 xx

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Quite understandable why you are so in demand.... in my humble opinion :D
 
Brilliant news xx well done xx


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Aww thanks guys, such a lovely lot you are!

Feeling a lot better about things now, getting into uni has put things in perspective. Realised i've been putting way too much pressure on myself with weight loss. Worked out my calories last week and most days were 1000-1200, just not enough for someone my weight. Really need to stop being so bloody restrictive and loosen the reins a little. Had 1600 calories today, hopefully it'll give my metabolism a nice boost if I have some high/low days. This week then i'm aiming for low red days alternated with high (1500-1800) EE days and plenty of walking. If it doesnt work and I gain can reassess things next week, but honestly think it'll work. ALL my big losses 2lbs+ have come on the weeks I've had meals out/nights out etc, so looks like my body responds best to the weeks I shake things up.

Accepted my place at Sheffield Hallam tonight. It felt right from the moment I got the offer and speaking to my radiographer friend just confirmed things. Had a good chat with Chris and my Dad, then hit the accept button.

Feeling really positive about stuff now. Psyched I'll be on one of the best courses in the country and with only 41 other students hopefully i'll have the chance to make some good friends over the next 3 years. Also found out there's a student gym in my building that's £15 a month. Really chuffed about that, especially as personal training sessions are only £9 a session. Would be nice to have the help of a professional to sort me out an exercise plan. Really looking forward to it, determined the exercise side of my journey is about to start in ernest.

Coursework is almost done, just gotta write last question up, proof read and do references, then can hit that submit button!

Low red day planned for tomorrow, depending what time I finish my coursework I might squeeze a walk in too.

Hope you've all had a great day! :)
 
So pleased for you! It's such a great feeling when a decision just feels 'right'.

I think you are definitely onto something regarding weeks where you have a meal out.
I have generally had steady losses of 1-2.5lb with a few blips. I actually feel 2.5lb is quite good given that I am getting closer to target now and given that on the couple of occasions I've tracked calories I'm at about 1500, even though I get a decent amount of exercise. But I can achieve that even on weeks where I've had a higher syn day due to eating out. I think it might be that often when I eat out, I have meals that have a lot of syns, but actually in terms of calories it's not as bad as having those same syns in chocolatey snacks, because essentially I'm replacing a SW meal. Obviously if I go off track too many times in a week I do get a small loss or a gain!

And it does definitely sound like your calories are quite low. In general I believe it's not recommended to eat less than 1000/day or to have a deficit of more than 1000 below your base metabolic rate each day (sounds like you're pretty clued up about all that anyway!)
 
Gwella - Thanks hun. Yeah I really think I've been eating too little, my BMR is 2089 so on the days I've had under 1000 cals I've come out with a calorie deficit over a 1000! Definitely not good when it's happening 2-3 days a week!

At the end of the day I've got to realise I can't expect my body to survive on the same amount of food as a 11/12 stone person. I'm still classed as 'morbidly obese' so my body has much larger energy needs than most people. Really think I might have gone into starvation mode this last couple of weeks. I've only been having the crappy losses since the beginning of Jan when I got extra determined, looks like I was doing fine before and the new approach is backfiring. I lost more weight in December with a holiday and Christmas than in Jan, so clearly my body likes/needs those extra calories! Hopefully I've cracked it now though and decent losses will start returning. If I can lose more and eat a bit more it's a win-win scenario! :) I hasten to add I'm not going to be scoffing all the time, I'm just talking about an average of 200-300 calories a day extra, and I'll be aiming to get those mainly from extra fruit.

Looking forward to next weeks WI as it'll be interesting to see how my little experiment works. Carvery tomorrow night, Subway Friday and Indian Saturday! My metabolism won't know what's hit it! :D

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Having an AMAZING day today. Life is really good at the moment and I'm feeling so happy and positive. Incredibly excited about the future, feels like its a lot closer now I've made my decision about uni.

Coursework is all done and submitted at last - phew! Talk about last minute!

Had some good news too. I got in touch with the student loan people and it turns out I'm entitled to £2200 more than I thought I was, on top of my NHS bursary. Obviously most of my bursary/student loan will be going towards living costs, but it also makes it a lot easier for us to save for the wedding and it means I should be able to go on a Work the World placement abroad in my second year. I've been hoping I'd be able to afford to go, but didn't want to get my hopes up. I'm really interested in Sonography and they can arrange a maternity placement at a hospital in Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania, would be fantastic experience for me. Not to mention the fact I could fly over to Zanzibar after for a cheeky explore before I come home. If you've never heard of Zanzibar give it a Google, the beaches are truly out of this world!

Anyway, look at me planning my life 2 years in front when I've got a bleedin' wedding to organise! I gave Hallam a ring today and found out the summer break dates for next year - 25th July - 23rd August - so now Chris can get the time off work and I can come up with some sort of travel plan. Gonna start taking a look at different options and then getting it all priced up.

Didn't have time to fit a walk in today as by the time I finished coursework it was getting dark. Nothing's gonna stop me tomorrow though - wind, rain or shine I'm doing some body magic!

Week 24, Day 2 - Red
Breakfast - Chewy D - hexb
Lunch - tuna mayo(2 syns) sweetcorn ww wm pitta bread (hexb) with feta (hexa) salad with olives (1.5 syns), onion, tomato - 3.5 syns
Snack - 4 squares of chocolate - 5 syns
Tea - cheese (hexa) and onion 2 egg omelette
Snacks - muller, grapes
Total - 8.5 syns

Weekly syns - 16.5/10
 
Thanks Skinnyjeans, yeah it is pretty exciting. Got so much to look forward to atm, feel dead lucky!
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Absolutely throwing it down with rain today, so instead of the walk i'm going to start the 30 day shred and 30 day squat challenge. Will report back later on how I found them!

Setting off in an hour to see my friend and go for carvery. Reeeaaallly looking forward to it, feels like a proper treat. Also finally get to tell Nikkie about the wedding next summer! Eek! We don't want everyone knowing but I can't not tell my best friend. Just hope she wont be upset that i'm not having bridesmaids! At least we can start organising a kick ass hen do though.....No willies, handcuffs or strippers in sight!! I'm thinking a weekend in London, Liverpool or Dublin...

Having a nice chilled day today now the cwk is all done. Long lie in followed by an, erm, 'eclectic' brunch of muller, grapes and chewy D. Starting to feel a bit peckish again so think i'll get some babybel in a min.

Started a new book called Anonymous Lawyer (so funny!) and watched this weeks Weight Loss Ward. This week it seemed a lot more positive which was nice. Next up on my viewing schedule is a BBC programme about Russia, quite looking forward to that one!

Food for the day looks like this -

Week 24, Day 3 - EE
Brunch - chewy d (hxb), grapes, babybel (hexa), muller
Tea - Carvery - turkey, gammon, beef, peas, yorkshire (5 syns), carrots, stuffing (3 syns), roasties (4 syns) and gravy (2 syns) - 14 syns
Snacks - grapes, jellybeans ( 7 syns), muller
Total - 21 syns

Weekly - 37.5/105

Enjoyed my high syn day, even with the jelly beans and carvery only looking at 1500 calories max! Hopefully that'll help give my metabolism a nice boost.

Haven't been able to stop eating tonight! Not gone too over the top but could have eaten a lot more. These last few weeks I haven't really been that hungry but definitely having one of those nibble days today! Aiming for a low red day again tomorrow to balance things out. Subway for tea but I'll be opting for a yummy salad.
 
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loving reading your thread, beginning to end.... congrats on weight loss so far, congrats on your uni offers too - I have been on SW since September and have a lot to loose, I am only 5'3 so I feel really round, and I lvoe all your confidence, your holidays, you even went/going swimming, I so WISH I could be brave enough to swim and face "the walk of shame" I have started some walking this week, but to be honest I really do not enjoy it, music on/audible books, but its so hard, I know it will get easier... anyways just wanted to pop in and say hi adn well done, I do have a small diary, but its no where near as exciting as yours, but in case you would like to look http://www.minimins.com/slimming-wo...329733-5-4-3-goal-12-stone-loose-6-weeks.html - ps - how did the squat thing go??? :)
 
STW - Hey, nice to meet you! Can't believe you made it through the whole thing :) You're doing brilliant with your weight loss, will pop along and subscribe to your diary!

I haven't been swimming for a bit but off back again tomorrow, not worrying too much about the 'walk of shame' any more, though at first it was a huge deal for me.

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Arghhh! Feeling SOOO annoyed with myself today re-body magic! What a ridiculous decision to schedule Gillian Micheals 30 minute shred after a bleedin' carvery! I ate at 4pm so expected by 8pm I'd be okay, but oh no, still feeling full and bloated even now. Really annoyed with myself as was sooo determined to start today, but I'd probably be sick jumping around atm.

Not gonna beat myself up about it, I've scheduled swimming for 9am tomorrow so off to get my legs shaved in a minute and having an early night. Will start the squat challenge tomorrow morning too. Figure doing the challenge first thing in a morning pre-shower is probably the best time of day for me to keep it up.

Had a lovely evening catching up with Nikkie, sooo nice to get out and about again and be social. I've felt a bit like a recluse since Christmas. Making up for lost time now. Off to pics tomorrow night to see 12 years a Slave with Chris and visit his mum and dad, seeing American Hustle with another friend on Sat before visiting the parents, and Tuesday have a lunch date with another yet one of my neglected pals! It feels good to be back socialising again rather than cooped up in the house with a Biology text book!
 
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