Feeling good...

Hey lovely people!

So I had my weigh in last Saturday and I lost 6lbs!!! Delighted is an understatement.

However, last weekend was also my first challenge in terms of occasions and well I'm happy to report that I was on my best behaviour. It was my nieces 5th birthday and there was all sorts of goodies available to eat as well as beers etc for the adults... I had 1 very small slice of cake and that was it.

Proud!!!

Then on the Sunday it was the baptism of our best friends new baby and there was cake, a massive buffet and lots of alcohol. I drank water with ice all day and have 4 mini spring rolls. While everybody around about me were sitting with wine and plates full of delicious looking food, I kept my focus on my goals and how rubbish I would feel if I slipped... So I abstained!

I've never felt this in control of my life before. I know it sounds utterly ridiculous as it's only a diet to most people... But I have never felt more determined and more committed to this journey. I have continued to go out walking with my husband and my dogs every night... regardless of the weather or my excruciatingly sore blisters and I am pushing myself every night to walk further and faster... And believe it or not I am seriously enjoying myself. 

Anyway, I hope that you are all having a wonderful week.

Take care lovelies. 

xxx

Weekly Roundup...

Hey lovely people,

So tomorrow is my weigh in day and I am feeling optimistic. I have seriously tried sooooo hard this week and I  have thought about and planned everything I've eaten. As well as this I have made a real effort to go out a walk every day... Something that I must admit I'm guilty of doing far too little of. My job as a photographer is 30% standing and moving and 70% sitting and editing so I find that most of my day is spent in front of the computer. But I have pushed myself to move around a lot more on an hourly basis as well as having my little evening walks.

So let me just share with you some of the meals I have eaten this week:

Don't they look delish... Here are their pro-points values (remember my points allowance may be bigger than yours so you can have more or less dependent on your allowance):

Porridge (45g) with semi-skimmed milk (213ml) & raspberries (handful) = 8 Pro Points

Spicy Vegetable Cous Cous (150g) with spinach & sliced cucumber = 5 Pro Points

Spinach (plateful - I really love spinach... lol) with salt & pepper = 0 Pro Points

Fresh Tortiglioni (250g) with a spicy tomato sauce (75g) with spinach = 14 Pro Points

Banana (1 med) & Raspberry (handful) Smoothie (Juice 150ml) & ice = 3 Pro Points (330ml glass)

Chicken (165g) & rice noodle (200g) & sweetcorn (100g) stir-fry (soy sauce added) = 14 Pro Points

These are just some of the meals I ate this week and they were all super filling and tasty, which just proves you don't have to eat food that tastes like cardboard when you're on a diet.

I hope that any of you who are on this same journey have had a really good week and you are feeling positive and healthy and I will report back with the outcome of my weigh in tomorrow morning,

Wish me luck...

Take care lovelies. 

xxx

What A Difference A Day Makes...

Hey lovely people!

So after such a positive start to the week yesterday I have woken up today feeling pretty ill. I've been battling with a chest infection for the last few weeks and I've had some good days (like yesterday) and some not so good days... like today! 

Not only that but the effects of yesterdays mammoth swim have taken their toll on my unfit body and I am currently walking a bit like a robot... Lol!

However... the good thing about feeling rubbish (certainly in my case) is that I am repulsed by greasy, unhealthy foods and more inclined to fill my body with "good-for-me" foods and drinks like soups, vegetables and water. I also started my day with a lovely steaming bowl of porridge with a handful of raspberries which actually managed to make me feel better by just looking at it.

Anyway, I'm going to keep this brief and just say that despite feeling really rubbish I'm still 100% dedicated to keeping on my plan. This is the biggest difference in the way I feel this time around. There was never really an end goal... But I know now that I have something I want to work towards and that fact just makes this entire journey that little bit easier!

I hope everybody on this same journey are feeling positive and have their end goal in sight!

Take care lovelies. 

xxx

It's been a good start to the week!

Hey lovely people! 

So it's Monday morning and instead of the usual Monday blues I normally suffer from, I made a conscientious effort to get into the proper frame of mind and get some exercise done. 

Before I done that though, I drank a little pro-biotic yoghurt drink. Now I know there's a lot of people who don't see the benefits in these drinks, but I suffer from Immune Deficiency and I often take antibiotics which strip my body of any good bacteria already there. Therefore these little drinks are great for keeping my good bacteria all topped up. 

So after that my cousin and I headed to our local leisure centre and went for a swim. It is my absolute favourite exercise, not only because it's low impact but also because I am (for some weird reason) a really strong swimmer. It's something I done a lot as a child and I think it's really been beneficial to me as an adult. Anyway, my cousin and I had lots to chat about and before I knew it we had swam up and down the pool for a solid hour without stopping. 

I'm telling you... The minute I stepped out that pool my legs felt like jelly! It's amazing how you don't really feel the effects of the exercise you're actually putting your body through when you're in the pool. That's why I love it. It is such a low impact sport, which is kinda perfect for people like me with sore joints that often prohibit me from doing regular workouts or even walking long distances. 

When I came home I logged my activity on my weight watchers tracker and couldn't believe that my exercise had amounted to 25 pro points! Now, I don't intend on using these extra points... but how amazing is that? For a 1 hour swim! AMAZING! 

Now is it just me, or does anybody else ever feel absolutely famished after swimming? My stomach is always growling when I come out the pool and this is where you have to be careful. Any other time I would quite happily go home and have a cheese and ham sandwich with mayo, a wee coffee and chocolate cake to congratulate myself on my swim... LOL! Not this time!!! I came home and had a banana and raspberry smoothie with a bowl of porridge. It was delish! :)

So it's now half past 1 in the afternoon and I'm feeling a little bit peckish so I am going to have some cous cous with spinach... and my mouth is literally watering at the thought of it. :)

I hope you all have a fabulous day lovelies. And remember... If you are undertaking a new diet or fitness plan in your own lives YOU CAN DO IT!!! :) Always think positive and PLAN PLAN PLAN your meals. It is the best advice I have ever been given!

Take care lovelies. 

xxx

It's A Weighty Issue!

Hey lovely people,

So I recently made a decision to lose weight. This is an ever-present thought in the back of my head, due to being really overweight for quite some time now. But as serious as I thought I was being each of the other times, I didn't realise until recently that this wasn't actually the case. I often convince myself that I am absolutely well and truly determined to shift the load, but when it comes down to actually doing it, I never rise to the occasion. 

This time is different! I have not only signed up for the Juice Plus diet, but I've made a commitment with my husband that we will lose weight together.

The thing that got the ball rolling in the first place??? Lying in my bed at night and imagining my poor husband having to arrange my funeral!

Now, let me be clear. I am very overweight, however I have several visits with my doctor keeping checks on things, and other than that I am perfectly healthy. I have no ailments or disorders, and have healthy BP and cholesterol levels. I drink water by the gallon, and have a relatively healthy diet (except for the amount I eat) and so there are no immediate threats of death. But for some reason... since I was a little girl, I have always had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach telling me I won't live past 30. I honestly don't know why, but it's a substantially heavy feeling I've always had. So being 28 and turning 29 this year, you can imagine the feeling of impending doom I am currently experiencing, and therefore this is a last ditch attempt to get myself into shape, so as to not tempt fate any more.

On that note, as mentioned before I've started the Juice Plus diet. I won't bore you all with the details but if you want to know more then just click here. The sole purpose of mentioning it though is my way of committing fully. I've committed my money and not i've committed my word to you all. I will make a point of updating you on my journey every week, whether i've lost or gained and hopefully you will enjoy being a part of this little junction in my life. 

Before I finish, I'd just like to say for the record that I don't believe that happiness can solely be found in being thin or skinny. I am a very happily married woman, and I know for sure that my husband still loves and adores me and would find me attractive at any size. This change in my life is solely for me, and nobody else... So please don't go changing yourself for the sake of somebody else. 

Take care lovelies. x

Monday Wish List - True Blue Inspiration - Part 2

Hey lovely people!

Well I just couldn't resist adding another few items to my Wish List and I thought that because there were still blue pieces included, that I would just share them with you and include them as part of today's post.

So this is another Yours Clothing selection, again for Spring... but with a little edginess. 

Black Biker Boot With Double Buckle And Zip - £38

Black Biker Jacket With Zip Details - £50

Black Ponte PU Panel Stretch Full Length Legging - £18

Blue Dobby Military Style Blouse With Dipped Hem - £23

Black Leather Look Studded Shopper Bag - £16

Black Sunglasses With Silver Rhinestone Detail - £4

I absolutely love this edgy look this season - with that bright pop of colour from the blue shirt.It's just such a fashionable look, especially with all the buckles and studs - it just adds a little extra something to the look. I also think that £50 for a Biker Jacket is super reasonable considering some other stores are often asking for double that amount, despite not offering even half of the sizes available at Yours Clothing. 

The following selection can be found at SimplyBe.

Elizabeth Arden Rectangular Sunglasses - £94

Black Jet Set Earrings - £12

Juno Duffle Bag - £65

Biker Jacket - £60

Daniel Sofy Boot - £104

Denim Babydoll Dress - £30

Ok, so I know that a lot of these items are super expensive (i.e. the sunglasses and the boots) but I just couldn't keep them to myself! I love them. The sunglasses reminded me of the original Ray ban Wayfarers, but are slightly more rectangular and have that funky detail on the side. And those boots... I mean really!!! Distressed leather is something I'm super into and I just adored the strap and buckle detail! Again though, I've found a biker jacket that's a great price and looks fab and adding this to the adorable denim dress is just a match made in heaven! 

So I'm done for the day with my Wish List clothing pieces... I think! I hope you liked them and will give these 2 great sites a visit. They really do offer fantastic clothing at really affordable prices and you can really bag yourself a fantastic outfit for a bargain price... that is if you stay away from the designer boots and sunglasses! :-)

Anyway, have a lovely day whatever it is that you might be doing.

Take care lovelies. x

Your idea of "Inspiration" is very different from mine!!!

Hey lovely people!

This post is the result of a recent post I had the displeasure of reading on my Facebook. The age old debate of fat vs. skinny. It angered me so much that it ended up being all I could think about.

So, the post that offended me, was basically a photograph of a fit young lady working out with the words "Work For It" written across the bottom of the photo. That's fair enough... And some would definitely find that inspirational. Some would even share the image themselves, myself included. However, the person who posted it then wrote above it "One for all you chunky ladies"... Yep... this is seriously what they wrote!!!

Livid doesn't even describe how I felt when I read that. Especially because I know for a fact that said person is in a position to heavily influence my younger sisters... beautiful young girls who already have major insecurities about their weight.

So after voicing my opinion to said person on the matter, it got me thinking... When are people going to realise that their words are hurtful? When are people going to realise that their opinions on the way a person should look are subjective? People come in all shapes and sizes and just because one small minded person thinks that women should look a certain way doesn't mean they're right!

Let me be clear, I am not a skinny or thin person. I am very aware of the fact that I am overweight. This has been a problem for years, and admittedly I am often unhappy with the way I look. However the difference between myself and the average 16 year old girl (aside from the age difference) is that I am generally quite a confident person, who over the years has let go of a lot of the insecurities I have about my weight. But not every girl has the confidence that I have. This is where the worry begins.

It worries me because I know how it affects my sisters. They often feel overwhelmed by how high the bar is set by celebrities... But the difference in that scenario is that there is a safe boundary that exists there due to the fact that technically we don't see that as "real life". You can separate yourself from the famous faces and bodies you see on TV. But when people actually connected to your life start adding the pressure by saying these things out loud and on social platforms like Facebook, I think we're in real danger of setting too high a standard on our vulnerable youngsters. Simply put, we are setting the kids of this generation up to fail... And to feel terrible about themselves as an added bonus. 

Don't get me wrong, I am not encouraging destructive lifestyles and unhealthy life choices. I do believe that we should all eat the proper foods and exercise as much as we can... But if a person falls down in either of these areas, do they deserve to be shamed because of it? 

So I will end this post with this, my opinion, which of course is a subjective one.

• I believe that everybody is a beautiful person regardless of their looks, their weight, their skin colour. If they are good people then they are beautiful people.

• I believe that people should look after themselves and should aspire to be the best version of themselves that they can.

• I believe that people like myself who are overweight should choose to the best of their ability to lead a healthy life.

• I believe that individuals who are subjected to negative narrow-minded comments from negative and narrow-minded people should simply feel sorry for those people... they have nothing better to do with their lives than bring people down and fill the world with negativity. These people are a waste of time and energy.

• Finally... and I think most importantly, I believe that people who, like myself, are sometimes unhappy with their weight (whatever weight that might be), should stand up, look in the mirror and tell themselves they are beautiful... Over and over again until they believe it. It is simply the truth!

Don't ever let anyone ever make you feel like you are anything less than amazing... 

Take care lovelies. x

P.S I just wanted to share a few photos of super sexy women, who are bigger than society would deem "average" sized... But are gorgeous and confident about who they are!