This is my Journey..

[StacieG]

My name is Stacie. I am 23 years old and have always been over weight.

The more I think about it, the more and more difficult it is to understand why I have been big, but when I was a child there wasn't all these concerns about 'healthy eating'..crisps were deep fried.. fat was in everything!..now it has changed and healthy eating is everywhere you turn!

I have tried the Slimming World diet when my mum joined, she lost 3 stone a few years ago but I never went to group and gave up after a little while. This time, I took the initative and said right I am going to join Slimming World and said to mum...are you coming? She was less into it than me but I am more determined now than ever!

I have joined a friday group which is big, there are nearly 35 of us!..I really like it, I have no problems going into group and being there on my own because I feel so comfortable and I think this is helping me along the way. I love sharing stories and trying to help people and give suggestions and I think that is what group is all about!!

When I first weighed in I was 20.1... the heaviest I have ever been and that was on the 16th January 2010... as of last week I am now 19.1 and I am aiming for my 1 and half stone award on Friday.

I think my mentality of life has changed, I want this change for not just me but for my 5 year old daughter. I have grown up a lot and thought that I might have done my growing up...but I think I have made some new milestones. I look at life differently.. you take each day as it comes and you are the only one that can control your life.. you control it not it controlling you.

I am determined...I will achieve this!!!!

 

[Louise24]

Yay to you, great that you've made that step and gone to group, also you've done brilliantly well so far.
I also go to group on my own and don't mind it, although it's scary the first time. Good luck for Friday, let us know how you got on. x

 

[StacieG]

Thanks Louise, this forum helps alot. I understand that there are a lot of people in the same boat, but it is lovely to hear that everyone goes through the same troubles that you do yourself! It is like having a group meeting at your fingertips!!

I have also decided today that I am going to set myself a mini target. Aiming for 2 stone by the 23rd April, ready for my dad's birthday party on the 24th!! *fingers crossed*

 

[StacieG]

Today is Thursday, I weigh in tomorrow morning so today I am thinking about what I should (and shouldn't!) be eating!!.. I felt like I hadn't been doing enough so I have been doing exercise each night on the wii. Spenting about an hr for the last two nights.

I have tried to stay away from using all of mine syns. Today I had my haircut, so I haven't had anything to eat until about an hour ago..wanted something quite..although I did stop myself from grabbing a sandwich from the garage when I stopped to get petrol! (very proud)..

From dinner tonight I was going to make sweet and sour chicken with chicken chow mein...but then I drove past the butchers and they had t-bone steaks half price!.. so we are having those for dinner instead with a salad and homemade sw chips to ensure I keep my syns to a minimum (syn only for extra light mayo on salad)

Tonight I am going to go for a 'last chance workout' as I have started to name it, although my legs are still so sore from last night I am going to give it my all, it is important.. I need that 2lb a week to keep on target for my mini target of 2 stone by April 23rd and target next year!
I shall see how the scales look tomorrow... *watch this space*

 

[StacieG]

Ok, here I am again.... had dinner, was not impressed with the quality of the steak and needless to say I won't be buying it from there again!
I am a bit disheartened tonight, my mum has joined sw at the same time as me as I mentioned but she has put on and lost to the point of in the last ten weeks she is only 2 pounds from where she started and I said to her tonight, fancy doing some exercise with me. It would only be light upper body because she had a knee operation a few months ago but atleast it was something to give her that little boost. She didn't want to, said she was too tired and couldn't be bothered and would rather sit and go to sleep in the chair.
This frustrates me because I keep asking her, do you really want to do this? don't come if you don't!..don't waste your money..and she says she does but her attitude says something different. It is hard it is my mum and I want her to do it because I know she wants to but I can't motivate her and that is what I am finding the most difficult.
My legs still hurt lots from last nights exercise but it is important to me and I haven't lost 19pounds in the last 9 weeks from sitting on my ass!..like I said before I am determined and she likes to think that I am gonna give up... I tell you here and now I'm not in a place where giving up is now an option. As long as I can still move and I can still breathe there is always an option. *rant over*
Weigh in tomorrow ...all shall be revealed!

 

[Louise24]

Hi hun - understand you are concerned about your mum, but at the end of the day, sw will only work if YOU want it to, your mum has to have the drive that you have and if she hasn't got it then it's not a problem, she should just wait until she has.

I'm sure you know yourself that diets only work if your head is in the right place at the time, it may be that she'd rejoined again to support you, rather than for her own goals.

Well done on the exercise too, but don't flog yourself girl, remember, slow and steady wins the race. You've done brilliantly but remember to let yourself live a little too.

Lots of luck for tomorrow, let us know how you get on.

 

[StacieG]

Well..here I am, I weighed in this morning... da da da! 1 and half pounds lighter!!! arrrggghhhh that dreaded half a pound that seems to be effecting a lot of my group members!!.. I am happy because it is a loss and that is important it is all in the right direction, just frustrated that it wasn't just that little bit more!

On a really happy note, after last night when I was sat ranting about my mum... she bliming came in with a 3 and half pound loss!!...she was well chuffed and I was so happy for her, now she has had that she said she wants to lose more and she in now in the next stone..she finally has the motivation that I have. She also slimmer of the week!
Talking of slimmer of the week... I got Slimmer of the Month as I have lost 9 1/2 pounds in the last month... blimming chuffed with that. I can't really believe how well I am actually doing. It is great though and I am really enjoying it.

Although I said last night I was going to do some exercise, I didn't. When I exercised on Wednesday night I went quite hard and didn't do a proper cool down and my right thigh is killing, it keeps giving way which isn't so good. So I am gonna let my muscles recover before I go at it anymore!
Tonight mum and dad are going to have a takeaway, I have decided that I am going to make mine instead, going to make the sweet and sour chicken and the chicken chow mein that I was going to the other night!...ah well start the week as I mean to go on!

 

[StacieG]

Well, what can I say if I am going to be truthful with myself, then will be with you lot. Last night I did give in, I had the chinese; chicken chow mein, sweet and sour chicken and egg fried rice from the takeaway and do you know what I regreted it straight after!
I was bloated, and I had this horrid greasy film in my mouth and I was burping. It was just grim and then I said I never want this feeling again!

So today attitudes were different, my mum and dad have taken my daughter to the beach and I have stayed at home and spent the last hour and half on My Fitness Coach - Cardio ... doing cardio boxing..needless to say my arms ache but I feel better for it! I have already sat down and written a list of the superspeed foods that we will buy and eat to help the weight loss. This week is gonna be a complete food optimising plan! - stuck to!!

 

[StacieG]

Here we are again...
The weekend didn't go to bad... we went out yesterday and there was not a lot of choice! so I had a bacon steak with salad and...chips! I had some but didn't eat them all and then in the evening because I had the chips at lunch I did not have any yorkshire puds with my roast! Made the most lovely roasties to go with the lamb, did them in the oven with frylight, salt and pepper with some dried mint on the top...yum!

As I mentioned the other day I spent an hr and half doing Cardio Boxing with My Fitness trainer on the wii!..I now still 2 days later regret spending that long on it!.. I need to heed the warnings that you would ache...I still ache, actually struggled this morning to even put the handbrake on the car!!!!

I have my graduation ceremony tonight..so I am trying to plan as much as I can... need to cook dinner before I go but it has to be quick because I only have an hr to get everything ready and eat!.. I have had weetabix with milk this morning to increase my HE's!
Well there we go haven't got much more to say...so will update tomorrow! x x

 

[StacieG]

Graduation on Monday was lovely.. although the pictures comfirmed to me the reasons why I am on this slimming journey. I was the biggest one there.. and the person who was bigger than me...well she was a year ago..now she is 10 stone lighter thanks to SW!
I don't want to be the fat one anymore, I want to be the person who can be proud in the way in which I look, be happy with what I have and feel comfortable and confident in myself!

Saying all that I didn't look at the pictures until Tuesday so I had what felt like at the time only slightly guilty Fish and Chips.. by the time we got home it was nearly 10 and I hadn't eaten for 12 hrs.. I needed something quick and it was also I nice treat to end a lovely day!

To make up for my syning meals (chinese on Saturday and fish and chips on Monday) I have tried to have no syns, I managed it yesterday: yellow plums, pasta carbonara with ham, mushrooms and onions, dinner was mixed bean chilli with rice and salad finished with strawberries. Today I am aiming to have another syn free day with lots of fruit to try and help me on the scales. I have put that added bit of pressure on myself for the half a pound this week with all my slipups.
I have been doing soem stuff on the wii, although I would have loved to have been out on the bike the weather has been so aweful not really something I want to attempt right now. Yesterday was probably this first day my back and shoulders didn't hurt from the boxing that I did on Saturday; the way my body reacted I really must have put a lot into it. I have done some different things on the wii such as the Rhythem parade and skateboarding but I just dont really feel like my body is getting anything out of it. I suppose I am in the oldschool mind set that you body can't be burning off that much if your really aren't sweating!... Well I have done over 2hrs this week which is good...looking to do some more today, maybe in two stints and get up to 4 hrs shall see...

For dinner I have decided to cook the Rich beef stew with mustard mash, gonna try and get the syns out, such as using stock for the mash and mustard powder instead of jar mustard.. and lots of fruit! Not sure what to have with lunch though. May make a ratatui and have it with some pasta and my HEA of low fat cheese. Who knows!

*Weigh in thursday night this week because of good friday, lets just hope I don't weigh heavier in an evening!*

 

[StacieG]

Well what can I say... I did it the 3 days up to the weigh in last night I had no syns. I weighed in half a pound lighter which gave me my Stone and Half Award!!!!... My C said that because it was the evening I was gonna be weighing heavier and if that was a weigh in (this morning, like normal) that would have been more like 2lbs. I am happy with half a pound it got me to that mile stone.
My next target is to get my 2 stone by the 23rd of April, thats 7 pounds... I hoping for 8 though as that will give me my Club 10!!..

The more i think about it the more and more I can't believe how well I am doing. I never stick at something this long and although all along I have been saying I want to make this change for life... I suppose maybe deep down I thought I would slip up and give in a lot more than I have. I am really proud of my achievements and I can't wait until next year when I am hopefully to target!!

 

[Louise24]

Well done Wow - just looked and you've not had a single gain or STS in 11 weeks, how brilliant is that!!

 

[StacieG]

I know, thats what I aim for not even care if I get half off atleast it is off and not on!! lol

 

[StacieG]

The more I think about it the more I think I am doing well but I am doing rubbish!.. there are people who are smaller than me that are losing 4/5/6lb a week!.. there is me losing half a pound. This week I am gonna sort it.. I will see how the scales are on Friday, but if I don't achieve it this week...next week is defo a 3lb!.. I want to get that stone award before my challenge of the 23rd!.. I would love to get my club 10 before then as well atleast on that day!!...

The challenge is set!

 

[StacieG]

Right... 3 days later.. don't really know what to say thus being one of the reasons why I haven't posted. I have tried my hardest not to give in to chocolate this weekend, when I have done I have tried to make sure it is only small amounts to ensure I don't go over my daily syns. I also try to have meals without syns to allow me to have them during the day in snacks if I want to.

I have been keeping up with the exercise, since the beginning of the month I have done nearly 5 hours...my parents managed to pick me up a old school cross trainer today for £20.. it has no resistance but I managed to get my heart rate up to 163. Enjoyed it and will keep it up trying to get my hip up to the job for the Race for Life 5k in May!

Ah well... weigh in on Friday morning...lets just hope it doesn't say what the wii says! lol

 

[StacieG]

So...here we are again the evening of weigh in day. I went... and I am 2lbs lighter for it. It was so nice to step onto the scales and see that it was down. Although as I have mentioned through the week I have had some slipups.. I don't think I have done too badly, no takeaways and no major mishaps with the chocolate. I am now 5 pounds away from my 2 stone award and 6 away from my club 10. I really want to do it..2 members of my group this week weighed in 5lbs lighter! was really inspirational to see, especially as one of them has been really struggling!!

So...for dinner today I decided that I wasn't going to have a takeaway or anything that was going to spoil the week before it started... we decided we were going to make a curry (see Biryani thread) managed to find a really low syn jar (3 & 1/2 syns for the whole thing) and made it into a really nice EE meal. My mum is now on the same track, she admitted in group today that she hasn't really got into it but now she has got her head into the right place and got her 1/2 stone award.

I haven't done any exercise in the last two days, have had visitors and other things to do so have just been chilling out which has been nice, although I really wanted to do some tonight but my daughter was overly tired and wanted me to go to bed at the same time as her...thus the reason why she is asleep and I am sat in bed writing this!..tommorrow is expected to be another nice day so I think I will get out and do something, maybe some more gardening or go for a jog along the sea front. Who knows...

Well there we go upto date... see you soon x x x

 

[hennyhamster]

hi Stacie, you are doing amazingly well x Where did you get the sweet and sour chicken and chow mein recipe from? Thanks x

 

[StacieG]

Thanks Henny, just keep on plodding on!
I had the sweet and sour chicken from the Ultimate Slimming World recipes book...and the chowmein is in the newest magazine. Hope this helps x x x