WI Result (29th October 2007) and meeting

Well first things first, I lost 3lbs. That means I have now lost 12 stone and half a pound so my mini goal this week was beaten by half a pound. I'm not setting any mini goals for next week. I simply want to get to the 12s by the end of November. I can do that I think.

As you know we had a Halloween themed meeting this week. It was a great success. The hall looked really good with all our pumpkins and decorations and everyone made an effort to dress up.
I know you are dying to know who our special guest was. Well, it was Karen (Madgranny) from the WW forums. I have got to know Karen very well through emails etc and it was wonderful to meet her and her husband in person this evening, even though it was very frantic at the meeting. Karen's husband very kindly read her speech out to the class as she has lost her voice.

We had pumpkin soup, pumpkin pies, witches broomsticks and Halloween cup cakes at meeting as well as a raffle and a fun quiz on the tables for people to do. I think everyone had a good time. I have posted a couple of pictures here for you to see (thanks Deb and Lucie for taking them).

The other news I have is that local paper is going to run my story so far within the next day or so. I am SO nervous!!! The photographer came along tonight to take my picture and I have emailed them before pictures and spoke to someone about my journey so far.

Vicky xx

A typical day!!! (menu plans)

As Weightwatchers goes, yesterday was pretty much a perfect day for me so I thought I'd finally get round to doing a post on what I eat. OK, here goes:

This is my menu for yesterday:

Breakfast:

30g of rice crispies with skimmed milk - 2.5 points

Mid Morning snack:

1 medium sized banana - 2 points

Lunch:

Tuna and mayo sandwich on WW bread , no spread - 3.5 points
WW black cherry yoghurt - 1 point

Mid Afternoon snack:

Half a tin of pears and half a tin of peaches in natural juice - 2 points

Dinner:

Cheese and spinach lasagne from Simply Autumn cookbook (serves 2 at 5.5 points per serving but added an extra point for extra cheese) - 6.5 points
WW Chocolate and raspberry fusion - 3.5 points (not worth the points though as did not like it)

Total points: 21 (my points are 21)

My days are simply variations on this. I do like sandwiches and so tend to have these for work most days although if I want to save points for dinner, I will have soup. Sometimes breakfast will be cornflakes, weetabix or oats so simple instead of rice crispies but I do try and stick to 2.5 - 3 points for breakfast. I've been trying to cook recently so have been doing WW cookbook recipes for dinner although sometimes if I am in a rush I do confess to cheating and having a readymeal. I also do simply things such as chicken, potatoes and vegetables or salad. I am lucky in that I like most foods so am pretty adaptable. Of course, normally I do not have desert so the 3.5 points I wasted on the horrible fusion would be used for potatoes and vegetables. I do point my veg as I know what it does to me if I don't.

I am also lucky in that I don't drink much alcohol so do not waste points on this.

I think the biggest thing that helps me is that I do a lot of exercise and although I must earn lots of bonus points, I do not count them or use them. Also, I make sure I drink plenty of water during the course of a day.

I hope this helps you.

Vicky xxx

I'm very excited...

About my meeting this Monday night. We are having a Halloween themed meeting. Fancy dress is optional but I have the things to dress up as a witch and I know Marie and a few of the others are dressing up as well. We are doing food from Weightwatcher recipes such as pumpkin soup, pumpkin pies, witches broomsticks and Halloween cupcakes and there will also be some spooky music and decorations, including pumpkins.

However, what I am most looking forward to is the fact that we have a very special guest coming to our meeting to tell her story. She is known to many of you reading this, especially those that post on 5+. I won't ruin the surprise by telling you who but it will be wonderful to meet her. We are also hoping that the local press will be interested in our "witching hour!"

Hopefully I will be able to get some pictures of the evening. I do know that this week I have been really good in the hope of having a 2.5lb loss to take me to that 12 stone off mark. After all, our special guest will need to know my WI result!!! However, TOTM has arrived and with those 3 good losses I am not sure it can be done. Still, I'm still going to have a great weekend in the hope that it can.

Vicky xxx

My goals this week...

Are very simple. They are:

1. To not be lazy, and
2. To try all I can to lose 2.5lbs so I have lost 12 stone.

Although I've have 3 really good losses in a row now (3lbs, 3.5lbs and 4lbs), I've become a bit complacent in the gym recently, i.e. I've not been very much. I went to the actual gym gym once last week and once the week before although last week I did manage to go swimming on Friday night and to circuits on Sunday with Tasha. Circuits is probably the best exercise I do as, although it is very hard, I sweat so much so surely that has to be good for fat burning right? I think the darker evenings have made me just want to go straight home from work ans snuggle up in my PJ's but I can't afford to do that every night, not only because exercise helps my weightloss but also because I am trying very hard to get fit and if I don't exercise even just for a few days, I do notice the difference. So this week I will go the gym Wednesday and Thursday evening after work as well as Saturday and Sunday morning and also to swimming on Friday evening and circuit training again on Sunday.

I've also become a bit lazy with walking and have been taking the car when I can or getting a lift or the bus. This week I pledge to go for a walk around the block every lunch time and, if I get time I will also try to go for a walk at the weekend, even if it is just walking to and from the gym.

All this exercise this week will hopefully help towards my other goal of losing 2.5lbs. I'm not sure I can do it after the previous 3 weeks but I've had my treat this week (plum and almond square) and if I watch my sugar intake for the rest of the week, I should be able to give it a really good shot.

Wish me luck.

Vicky xxx

The plum and almond squares

For those of you that go to meetings I am sure you will have seen the plum and almond square recipe towards the back of the irresistible magazine. I brought the ingredients to make them last week and my parents and everyone at work loved them.

At the weekend I went and brought enough stuff to make 48 of them to take to meeting this week. It was an expensive shopping trip though as on the back from Tesco I hit a deer and there is a £200 excess on the insurance. However, the important this is I am ok and was not hurt and on Saturday evening I made the squares.

The squares went down very well at meeting last night and if you are thinking of making them, I would really recommend it. If you don't go to meeting but would like a copy of the recipe email me at vicky@weightlosschallenges.co.uk and I'll send you a copy by email. It won't be for a couple of days or maybe until the weekend though.

I have a few squares left and rather than eat them, I am going to take them to work! They will eat them!!!!

Vicky xxx

My WI result (22nd October 2007)

Lost 3lbs this week. I really am very surprised as I have had two great losses (3.5lbs last week and 4lbs the week before) and I was expecting a 0.5lb this week. Anyway, of course I will happily accept it. Another 2.5lbs will see me having lost 12 stone in total. I hope to get there next week or the week after.

Will post more later in the week. Hope everyone is well.

Vicky xx

Sizes matters!!!

I'm talking about clothes here. When I started WW I was a size 32. Actually, I was probably more like a 34 or 36 but Evans or my catalogue do not go up to that size so I squeezed into size 32 and even size 30.

I have no idea what size I am at the moment. What I mean is I'm around about a size 18 but that depends on the shop, make, style and all the rest. In Evans I am a size 20, 18 and 16! Infact, a couple of t-shirts that I brought in Evans in a size 20 ages ago still do not quite fit (they will do in another half a stone). However, I'm writing this in a size 16 smock style top from Evans which fits perfectly so where is the sense in that?

I've spoken about my size 18 "skinny" jeans already. I brought them from Bon Marche along with two pairs of black trousers (different styles). The trousers fit well despite the legs maybe getting a bit loose now. The size 16 black and grey trousers I brought in Evans last week are also a perfect fit.

Years ago I brought a black dress. I was on the verge of "giving up" at my attempt of Weightwatchers that time. I wore it for the first and last time to my nan's funeral. That was early December 1996 and it was a little too tight so I hang it up and never wore it again. Last weekend I tried it on and it fitted ok. This weekend I tried it on with some accessories as I planned to wear it to the dart presentation at the end of November and now IT IS TOO BIG!! It is a size 22! Where is the sense in that?

Who wants to be a bigger size then they actually are though? I really do believe that clothes manufacturers should think about that and standardise their sizes. It would make us all feel so much better about the size we are. What do you think?

A year ago today....

I made a decision that changed my life forever. I decided to rejoin Weightwatchers yet again.

I stood outside the hall and smoked a cigarette before going in to join and I was shaking so much as I filled in the forms, paid my money and got weighed. Fiona, the leader was lovely and put me at ease straightaway. Despite having done Weightwatchers countless times before I stayed for the new member talk at the end and when I got home I threw away all the unhealthy food. I was however very surprised to lose 13lbs in the first week but it just goes to show how much rubbish I was eating before.

Fiona left after I had been going for a few weeks and Diane, the next leader did not stay very long.

I reached my 10% milestone in December (36lbs) and in January not only did I give up smoking but I also received my 50lb certificate from Elaine, who stood in as leader for a couple of weeks. Then at the beginning of February Marie took over the meetings and my weightloss continued at a steady speed. I achieved my 75lb target in March and shortly after that I did something I have not done since late 1998, I weighed less than 20 stone. In March I also joined the gym and not only that, I enjoyed it.

In May I became a helper at my meeting and also achieved my 100lb certificate. In June I went on holiday and managed to maintain. I've never not put on weight on holiday before.

Marie gave up our Sholing meeting in August but I moved to another meeting run by her. It was at this meeting that I recorded my 10 stone loss. However, I only attended this class for 2 weeks before transferring to a busier meeting, also run by Marie.

Since then I've achieved my 150lb certificate and got to know Marie fairly well. I've helped at other meetings too. I've lost 162.5lbs in total to date and am finally feeling that I've cracked this and will not only get to goal, but stay there.

My life is completely different to how it used to be. I first walked into Weightwatchers with my head down and did not speak to anyone. On Wednesday of this week I stood up in front of a Weightwatcher meeting and told my story. I could never have done that before. This time last year I could barely walk but now I walk as much as possible. I'm feeling fit and I am able to buy clothes from "normal" shops for the first time in many years.

Weightwatchers has become a way of life for me now and I hope that the next 12 months will see me get to goal. I certainly won't ever get back to the weight I was this time last year that is for sure.

Vicky xxx

The tale of my skinny jeans!!!

I don't know if I am happy or sad at the moment. A few entries ago I spoke of my straight waisted "skinny" jeans and even had the picture to show. I think I lived in these jeans when they fitted, which incidentally was for 2 weeks 6 days.

It struck me on Wednesday of last week that the legs were getting a bit long and by Thursday I worked out why. BECAUSE THEY ARE GETTING TOO BIG!!!

I've washed these jeans in the hope that they will shrink and be wearable for a few more weeks but on Monday I went and brought some size 16s. They are a bit tight but I suspect I'll be wearing them sooner than I thought.

My WI result (15th October 2007)

I was determined to have a good week this week. I really wanted to lose 2.5lbs to get me into the next stone and so I could say I had less than 50lbs to go to get to goal.

Despite having a roast turkey dinner with all the trimmings and fruit crumble with custard for pudding yesterday I managed a 3.5lb loss this week. That makes me to 13 stone 12.5lbs, to my 23rd silver seven and also means I have only 48.5lbs to go to a healthy BMI, which is my first goal.

This week I am going to make sure I do some exercise and try and be good as possible after two good losses. I'm not going to set the world alight this week but if I can lose 1lb I'll be very happy. After all, my next little target is my 12 stone loss, 5.5lbs to go and it all helps along the way doesn't it?

Vicky xxx

Mum and I

Every year my family all go on holiday to Devon, although this year was probably our last year of all going together. My stepfather always insists on taking loads of pictures and in years past, I'd have deleted them or just hidden from the camera in the first place. This year when we went in June was probably the first year ever that I have not hidden from the camera.

Today, we took a day trip to Devon as Mum wanted to buy something in a particular shop in Dawlish and I wanted to go to Brixham on a special mission (it is top secret). I actually asked my stepfather to take a picture today.

I added some pictures here. One was taken on holiday last year, one was taken on holiday this year (In June) and one was taken today. I think you will be able to work out which was taken when. I've also added a side by side comparison and all I can say to that is OH MY GOD!!!!

I'll be back with my WI result tomorrow. Hope you have all had a great weekend.

Vicky xxx

It's been 13 lbs...

Since I showed any last comparison pictures so I got some more taken today. WOW! I never realised that 13lbs would make such a difference.

So in the first picture (from the back) I've added the comparisons from last time. I was 15 stone 13 in the first shot, 15 stone in the second shot and I'm 14 stone 2 this week (although if the scales are to be believed in the gym this morning I've lost a great amount this week). Infact, the same can be said for all these pictures.

I'm so happy with my weightloss now. Today I tried on a black dress that I wore once in December 1996 and that was to my nan's funeral so I wore it for a few hours only. It looks great and when I lose a few more lbs it will look even better so I'm going to try and wear it to mum's dart presentation at the end of November. I hope it is not too big by then.

Let me know what you think of the pictures.

Vicky xxx

My Christmas target

I've decided that I need an ambitious target to get me though to Christmas. I am going to take a deep breath and aim for 12 stone 7lbs. This will take me to within 4lbs of being simply "overweight" so I would be absolutely delighted with this. 11 years ago I got to roughly this weight before I gave up so I'd be delighted to get here as I know I was looking good.

I am trying very hard to lose 2.5lbs this week as I know it will take me to the 13s. Also, it will take me to less than 50lbs to go until a healthy BMI. A healthy BMI is something I have only ever dreamed off and have never had, although I did get to within a couple of pounds of it in 1992.

After I get past 13 stone 13.5lbs I'll be aiming for 13 stone 7 as this will mean I have lost 12 stone. Then I'll aim for 12 stone 13lbs to get me into the 12s and 12 stone 9lbs which will see me having lost 50% of my body weight. WOW!!!

On 20th December we are having our works Christmas party at the Jury's Inn hotel. I am determined that I'll be looking good for then. My boss told me yesterday I should buy a "frock" (who uses that word anymore?) to wear. I've never worn a "frock" in my life so I don't think so!!! However, I have got a top in mind that I would love to wear. I'll keep you posted.

Vicky xxx

My WI Result (8th October)

Very pleased to say I lost 4lb this week. I am delighted as it takes me to 14 stone 2lbs AND (stop press) I now weigh less than 200lbs so I have completed my little target of getting to less than 200lbs by 19th October 2007, my Weightwatching anniversary.

I've now lost 159lbs in total (11 stone 5lbs) and it strikes me that there are lots of people who join WW's who weigh less than this. This all helps me to feel good.

Right everyone, after a good week just recently I have found I slack a bit and loss 0.5lb or similar the following week. Not sure I will get into the 13s for next week but I'm going to try.

I'll set some new mini goals for later on in the week. For now I am going to enjoy my dinner and the WW choc and orange biscuits I brought at meeting tonight.

Vicky xx

7 more Weigh In's...

If you have been following my blog throughout you may recall that I used to play for and be captain of a darts team in a league run by my mum. I stopped playing about three years ago to concentrate on my Open University degree. However, I still keep in contact with that team and one of them works with me now (I got her the job).

I saw the rest of the team for the first time in ages at a presentation in early June. I'd lost 7.5 stone since they had last seen me. Then early in August I went to a match to have my picture taken with Helen, who weighed what I had then lost.

Since then I've lost another 17lbs and I'm avoiding all of them as on 24th November the league has another presentation and I want them to all be surprised at how much more I have lost.

My aim is to get to as close to 12 stone 13lbs by then as possible. I know I won't get there as with 21lbs to lose, it is too much but if I could get into the low 13s I will be very happy.

There are a lot of people in the dart league that I know and at the last presentation in June I got a lot of nice comments so it would be very nice to get lots more. No doubt I'll have to buy something new to wear as all my clothes will be too big. Whoever said losing weight does not have to be expensive eh?

4 stone to go...

Until I have a healthy BMI!! Who would have thought when I stood on those scales for the first time I would ever be saying that? Back then I had 15 stone and 1lb to lose but that was then and things have definitely changed since then.

Last Thursday I helped Marie at a different meeting as he usual helpers were on holiday. It was a very nice meeting. I'd taken my book with me which has some before pictures in and you can imagine everyone's surprise when they were told how much I had lost and then saw the pictures. I realised that I'm loving people's reactions now and I can't imagine having ever been that big anymore. One thing I do know is that I'll never be that big again. Infact, I'll never let myself get even to the size I am now although any future pregnancies might have a say in that.

I've drawn myself a chart so I can cross off the lbs on my way down to a healthy BMI. Infact I have drawn two as I have one to my personal goal as well although this might change when I get there.

My WI Result (1st October 2007)

0.5lbs off for me this week. I expect many would be disappointed with that but I am actually very happy as it is TOTM and it arrived very rudely and has left me feeling very bloated and "fat" which is quite funny really. I know I am fat (I really do hate that word) but I am sure you all know what I mean.

Anyway, I now have exactly 4 stone to go to get to a healthy BMI. WOW, just 56lbs! That sounds so good.

Only a short entry for me tonight as I am off to bed so goodnight and I'll post more soon.

Vicky xxx