Hannah's Weight Loss Journey

[Miller2]

Hello there, I'm Hannah.

I've been doing slimming world for a while now but to be honest the last year I just played at it. I got married in August and managed to get my stone award the week before and looked lovely in my dress, but I should have been much smaller - had I stuck to it properly I would have been. Saying that, I don't look at the photos and hate them, they are lovely and I am slimmer in them than I have been in a long time. Since August that stone has slowly gone back on; half a stone before Christmas and half a stone over Christmas and New Year.

I restarted my slimming world journey on Saturday and have about 4 and a half stone to lose in total. No more excuses. 2014 WILL be my year. I know that I have many hurdles that will get in my way (my Dad has terminal cancer), and there will be many more things sent to test me I have no doubt, but all I can do is my best. If I lose just under 1 and a half pounds a week, that would get me to target by 2015 - if I fall just short I really don't mind, I just don't want to look back over 2014 and think, I've spent the best part of £260 on slimming world (that doesn't include mags or hifi bars!) and have played at it yet again.

I turn 30 in July so I'd love to be 2 stone lighter by then. Anything more is a bonus.

I'm going to keep a diary here; I'm hoping it will give me the encouragement to stick to it. I don't even mind if nobody reads it - though if you do, feel free to comment or give me tips etc! I'm doing this for me I know it won't be easy (especially with all the biscuits and sweets in the office at work!) but I am fed up of being overweight, having hot flushes and being sluggish all the time.

No more excuses!!! Bring it on!!!!!!

 

[Miller2]

Good start to the week. Last night I've made some gorgeous Chicken and Barley Soup for today's lunch (I'll put the recipe below for anyone who is interested) - PPPPP: Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance!

I've started the morning off with some gorgeous blueberries and cherries. Yummy. Got half a kinder bueno with me if I feel like I want/need some chocolate (6 syns) and the lilt zero was on offer in Tesco so although they're syn free, if I feel like I want more sugar I can have that as it will hopefully satisfy my sweet craving. If all that doesn't work, I've got 2 HIFI light bars I can munch on! So all in all I have a large safety net today to stop me falling off the wagon. First day back at work today too, lots and lots of left over biscuits and sweets in the office from Christmas but haven't felt tempted yet. I am determined to get through this week without touching them. I've got pork steaks for tea (I will remove the fat - that's one of my 'playing at it' tricks - scoff the fat and don't count it). I'll be coating them in the Schwartz Cajun shake seasoning (free and blimmin' tasty!!!) along with some Broccolli, Carrots and new potatoes. I'm going to toss the potatoes in 1.2 tbsp of light mayo and 1/2 tbsp light salad cream too for some syns.

Feeling good for this week and looking forward to weigh in on Saturday morning already!!!

Chicken and Barley Soup
Makes a big pan

2 chicken breasts, chopped into small pieces
2 large carrots
1 red onion
2 small leeks
2 sticks of celery
2.5 tbsp of pearl barley
1.6l of chicken stock (requires 8 chicken oxo cubes)

Chop the veg into small pieces and put it in a pan. Add the chicken (I don't bother browning it as it cooks for ages). Add the pearl barley and chicken stock. Bring to the boil and then leave to simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. The barley will have puffed up and the flavours will be lovely.

 

[Jessieh90]

Hi Hannah,

Good luck with your SW journey - 2 stone by July is definitely achievable. I know what you mean about the 'playing at it', last summer I was 'playing at' doing SW (but in denial about it) and was getting so confused why I wasn't losing any more weight. I was totally ignoring the 1/3 of your plate superfree rule and just having tonnes of carbs (it's 'free' so I'm allowed loads mentality!)

Are you doing extra easy or original? x

 

[Miller2]

I do the extra easy. I always struggled on original. Before extra easy was brought in (yes, that's how long I've been 'playing at it'!) I used to do green days and got on well. I'd use my B choices for meat. I find extra easy fits in better day to day. I don't have to do separate food for my hubby (though if I fancy fish (which I love) he'll have to have pizza cos he can't stand it) and I find it not as faddy if you get my meaning - I'd struggle to do green or original long term. I see extra easy as a more achievable long term lifestyle change. The weight doesn't come off as quickly with extra easy I find, but I'm not after a quick fix. Slow and steady will win the race!

Which plan do you follow?

 

[bubble77]

Good luck on ur journey. I restarted today going it alone doing SW using last years books. Im hoping minimins keeps me motivated as there is so much support here. Life throws a lot our way but i feel we need to focus on something for ourselves. So for me its 40lb, anytime in 2014 will b good! Im putting my £5 class fee in a jar instead this year lets hope i lose weight and is £260 better off too. Im not lining other peoples pockets this year!! We can do this.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using MiniMins.com mobile app

 

[Miller2]

Just make sure syn values are up to date. Things change regularly. I know there are some porridge sachets that used to be a B choice at the start of last year. but they aren't any more as they've made them ever so slightly smaller, so there's not enough fibre to count as a healthy B. They go straight into syns now. It would be quite good going alone using this forum though as there are plenty of people to ask I'm liking it on here already.

I'm going to set up some marble jars. The marbles are bought on ebay already, just got to wait for them to arrive. You have two jars. One with the weight you have to lose and the other with the weight you've lost. Put one marble in each for every half pound you've got to lose/lost and each week when you weigh, move the marbles accordingly. Not tried it myself but I thought visualising one jar going down would be good so going to give it a try

 

[bubble77]

Great idea. I might just buy some marbles. Visuals are a good motivator.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using MiniMins.com mobile app

 

[Miller2]

I notice you did that last post from an app. Is it Android? I have an android phone and would love an app. When I search, two come up and wondered if you knew which one is the right one.

 

[bubble77]

Its in play store called minimins.com mobile app. Its really useful to have.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using MiniMins.com mobile app

 

[Miller2]

Got it thanks!

 

[bubble77]

Great! Day 1 over:thumbup: drinking my hot choc in bed now. Feeling good not like ive been on a diet. If anything ive eaten more than usual (but the right things)

Sent from my GT-I9100 using MiniMins.com mobile app

 

[Miller2]

me too! Had some gorgeous food today and not hungry

 

[bubble77]

Hows it going today? Im feeling adventurous -been cooking. Got pot of beef stew on (house smells lush). Also made a bacon and all veg u can think of rissotto for lunch. About to dig in.. yum yum. X

Sent from my GT-I9100 using MiniMins.com mobile app

 

[Miller2]

Had a mini slip up today and had 2 caramels out of the tin of roses at work. BUT I have synned them up. 2.5 syns each for those measly pieces! Still, I have stopped at two and have at least felt like I'm not missing out. So long as I work them into my syn allowance all will be fine.

I am trying hard not to weigh myself every day. I find this really difficult being a serial weigher! I used to weigh in the morning, after work and before bed. I have no idea why! My scales don't even read the same as the slimming world ones (which are calibrated) so I don't take any notice of the figure on mine, just the weight difference. Since my official weigh in at Slimming World on Saturday, I've been good and only got on the scales twice since. Once on Sunday night and once this morning. I'd love to stop so that on Saturday I can see the result of my hard work. I might take my scales round to my mum's (but my hubby does use them). Perhaps I should just move them out of our en suite and into the main bathroom. I don't tend to go in there.

All in all, 4th day of sticking to the plan properly and it is going well. I don't think I've stuck to the plan 100% in years! Not as hard as I thought it would be.

 

[Jessieh90]

I'm a serial weigher too weighed this morning and saw no weight loss so was so disheartened. Maybe get your husbnd to hide them and only get them out on a Saturday?

 

[bubble77]

Snap, always weighing myself. My hubby puts them in the loft now and leaves them out for me on a monday morning. I won't venture up there hate creepy crawlys. X

Sent from my GT-I9100 using MiniMins.com mobile app

 

[bridiepallett]

what a really good idea

Just make sure syn values are up to date. Things change regularly. I know there are some porridge sachets that used to be a B choice at the start of last year. but they aren't any more as they've made them ever so slightly smaller, so there's not enough fibre to count as a healthy B. They go straight into syns now. It would be quite good going alone using this forum though as there are plenty of people to ask I'm liking it on here already.

I'm going to set up some marble jars. The marbles are bought on ebay already, just got to wait for them to arrive. You have two jars. One with the weight you have to lose and the other with the weight you've lost. Put one marble in each for every half pound you've got to lose/lost and each week when you weigh, move the marbles accordingly. Not tried it myself but I thought visualising one jar going down would be good so going to give it a try

 

[Miller2]

I don't tend to get disheartened if I don't see a loss. It's just if I see a gain it gives me a kick up the arse. Trouble is, I was weighing that often, to be honest I couldn't have told you on Wednesday what difference there had been since Saturday! As I say, I do ignore the actual weight, I only use the ones on the slimming world scales for that so looking at 1/8 loss then next time 1/4 gain, then next time 1 loss then 2/3 loss then 1/3 gain etc, you see my point, my point is it's pointless hehe. Scales have been moved to the bathroom. Didn't even step on them when I moved em!

 

[bubble77]

Ha ha uve made me laugh, i get the pointless point. Im the same.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using MiniMins.com mobile app

 

[Miller2]

Right then - Wednesday. This is the midweek point my resolve normally just crumbles! Just had an apple, pear and a hifi light bar for breakfast, which leaves me one for later if I get peckish. Had a lovely veggie pasta bake for tea last night and did a smaller one for lunch today - packed full of pepppers, mushrooms, onion and tinned tomato with my a choice of cheese on top. Here's hoping today goes to plan!