SELF IMPROVEMENT - THE WEIGHT LOSS CHRONICLES.

So we all know the sayings.  ‘No pain, no gain',  ‘you reap what you sow' and my favourite, ‘cake solves everything!’.  Well ok, maybe that last one isn't actually a saying and is perhaps a little off topic but I'm only human after all! So it's been a mad week, family illness and work craziness etc. (I know, my excuse list is like Mary Poppins' bag, a never-ending supply of unnecessary excuses to pluck out at will) so strayed a little off plan this week.  There may have been incidences of McDonaldsgate, Greggsgate and midweek chinesegate.  Forgive me father for I have sinned! The actifry that I so excitedly bought in the new year sale remains neglected and abandoned in it's packaging.  The spinach that I so lovingly divided and froze remains untouched and redundant and still the kettlebells that I bought 3 months ago at the start of this journey have begun exercising alone so that their life's purpose will be fulfilled. I have an excuse for...

No gains for 5 whole weeks!!! Woohoo!! You know what's important in life?? Celebrating the victories! However small, however unimportant or insignificant you feel it is, however much you feel that it could have been better... it doesn't matter! Recognise it, share it, celebrate it! It's an achievement and you (and it) deserve to be proud and acknowledged! So every time you notice a non scale victory (or any other victory in life) then shout about it, post it, share it, celebrate it! Why? Because you deserve it! Have I done as good as I could have? No.  Have I done as much as I could have? Definitely not.   Have I achieved as much as I could have? Not at all. But... Have I done something? Yes.  Have I achieved something? Yes.  Have I made a conscious effort, made more mindful choices and gotten results? Yes!!! And that's what truly matters and by refusing to acknowledge that, I would be doing myself out of the recognition that I deserve for the effort...

Hi everyone!  Thanks for returning to read my rollercoaster diet journey.  Normally I start by going through all the trials and triumphs of the week and leaving the weigh-in result until the end, but this week I'm just going to get straight in there and announce proudly my 3lb loss taking me to 1 st 13 lbs overall!  😁😁😁 I was actually 8oz off 2 stone so I was a little bit gutted lol but I'm really pleased with how it's all going at the moment 😊 I haven't had any gains now for a month and I feel much more organised and controlled in what I'm doing and happy at the steady loss! Both my lunch flask and actifry have arrived this week and I have a freezer full of goodness for a food prep day so I've got no excuses but to eat fresh, mostly healthy, measured portions for this week.  I say ‘mostly healthy' because despite the title, I genuinely don't see this as a diet. My primary goal isn't losing weight.  Losing weight is a consequence of...

Christmas is over.  New year has come and gone and Easter is months away! 😁 though I anticipate a slight blip around Shrove Tuesday 🙈 So with no more excuses, I'm back on the wagon and I'm strapping myself in so that I can't fall off again. So today, although not technically day one, I'm going back to basics, back to the essentials that I know about, back to meal planning, back to shopping with purpose and back to focusing on the end goal (for those of you who don't know, I've promised myself a trip to Iceland to see the Aurora Borealis if I make significant progress).  So, I'm 100% in and ready to do this! For those that remember, I've struggled a lot with having to buy excess food and then throwing it out, so today I tried something new.  Firstly, I decided to do my shopping in Aldi, meaning that the overall cost was lower compared to where I would normally buy groceries.  Secondly, I bought the majority of food as either frozen or pre-pac...

New Year's Eve.  Tomorrow is the day - new year, new me malarkey.  I've been a sucker to it before myself, gym memberships, exercise equipment, kitchen appliances.  Hypnotised by a calendar change and consumerism seduction.  And this year, well!  This year takes it even further by starting the year and month on the first day of the week!  Monday 1st January 2018.  Does it get any better than that?! I'm more than a little OCD so trust me when I say that that is an OCD sufferers dream come true!  The fact is, yes, it's a new year but it's also the same me.  I'm no different today than yesterday.  I don't want a new me for the new year, I want the old me, still trying, learning and growing but just with an upgraded, more determined mind-set. Mind-set deluxe edition 2.0 platinum! So as tempting as it was to become overwhelmed by sales and offers, promises and guarantees and the very best that Photoshop has to offer.  The truth is,...