I am now firmly back with Weight Watchers—I struggled mightily with ProPoints when it was introduced, but now seem to have the hang of things—and I am trying to exercise more consistently.  In fact, I am trying to do everything consistently and build new habits.

I’ve had two full weeks of WW now and have managed to lose 4lb, which I’m quite pleased about.  I had also started jogging with the C25K programme, which I was really enjoying, until I sprained my ankle by tripping in a rabbit hole.  Stupid rabbits.  I hope to get back to it in a few weeks; the outside of my ankle still gets quite sore if I do too much.  In the meantime, I have been working on my abs with the very, very popular 10 Minute Solutions: Blast off Belly Fat DVD.  I’d really like to see some improvement in this area before September!!  I definitely need to develop a consistent exercise routine as little bits here and there aren’t going to get me the body I want!

B: Blueberry porridge with ground flax and skimmed milk 9pp

L: Salad from M&S probably.  I am not feeling at all hungry yet

D: Pasta with chorizo, chilli and loads of broccoli 15pp, WW chocolate cheesecake 5pp, strawberries

So far I’ve lost 14.5lbs in this round on Weight Watchers.  I can’t see much of a change in my body, to be honest.  The only thing I’ve noticed that my rings are sliding round on my finger and are slightly irritating when typing.  I did have one slightly bizarre comment that my back was looking less fat!!

This week’s loss should be interesting to say the least.  I’ve been sick since Friday evening with some delightful vomiting virus that The Monster passed along to me.  I am still dehydrated, but nowhere near as badly as yesterday when my skin was wrinkled all over.  Today I have managed to get up and down stairs several times and have managed to eat twice, albeit not very much.  I suspect that this will make it quite hard for me to lose during my first week on ProPoints.  Oh well, it’s not a problem until it actually manifests as one!

And so to ProPoints.  I’m really looking forward to it.  I was a bit gutted that all the online tools didn’t change over today like we were originally told they would, but never mind.  I’m sure I can get the gist of things quickly enough tomorrow to shop for a couple of dinners (no way am I attempting a proper shopping trip so soon).

Fruit being 0 proPoints is a big bonus.  I don’t tend to eat much fresh fruit, mainly because of the points and also from laziness (can’t be bothered de-seeding or peeling) but lately I have discovered the joy of Waitrose’s berry and grape salad in my porridge.  It was so delicious and the addition of the fruit made for a massive and filling breakfast.  Easily duplicated without having to trek to Waitrose, too.  I’m also hoping that frozen fresh fruit will be 0 proPoints, too; I can’t see why it wouldn’t be if it is just fruit.  I anticipate me eating a lot more fruit in future, which is good as my Five A Day is usually 4 vegetable and 1 fruit.

I slept half the afternoon and felt weak as a kitten for hours afterwards. Not only did I feel shit, I felt tremendously guilty for abandoning the family and missing my planned workout.

Breakfast: 1/2 banana & pecan breakfast loaf; small skinny flat White coffee

Lunch: Moroccan roasted vegetable couscous

Dinner: Tarragon chicken with brown basmati rice and fine green beans. WW chocolate profiterole dessert.

Tomorrow I’m off to a craft fair with my MIL Should be fun and all the walking will be good for me. Monday is my Weight Watchers meeting so I need to be especially good—really want to lose again this week. A silver seven would be nice!!! Is it really sad that I love the idea of getting a sticky silver star? Rhetorical, totally.

And on that note, I am going to sleep. NOW!

I am currently back at Weight Watchers, but with a difference: I finally gave in and joined a meeting. It’s nowhere near as cringe-worthy as I had expected and I have actually managed to lose which is more than I managed alone at home. Maybe it’s the fear of stepping on oh-so accurate scales?

I lost 4.5 pounds in my first week and I haven’t seen a loss like that for AGES!!

My goal for October is to lose 7 pounds and work out at least twice a week. I think that’s a realistic goal I’d also like to blog more frequently and perhaps I’ll find a way to add photos from my all-singing all-dancing iPhone to enliven posts!!

Today’s been pretty quiet, too.  Himself and The Monster went out with Granddad on his boat for the first time.  The Monster was very nervous beforehand but it sounds like he had an amazing time being a pirate.  We had a marvellous example of three-year old logic when he insisted that swans were fish as they were swimming in the river, so clearly they couldn’t be birds.  And are ducks birds when they’re swimming in the pond.  Yes!  I beat a strategic retreat at that point.

While the boys were out, I did oodles of laundry as I’ve let Mt Washmore get a bit over-tall lately, bravely ventured forth to Sainsbury’s, hoovered up loads of crumbs, smashed one of my measuring cups (so gutted about this) and did a bit of cooking.  I’ve been doing a lot of cooking with The Monster lately and it’s nice to just get down to it on my own without having to be “on” and explain everything constantly while preventing Dire Accidents.  It was properly relaxing which is something I really need.

Breakfast was a luscious strawberry porridge.  I whipped up my usual porridgespr with flax and wheatgerm, then swirled in some St Dalfour no-added-sugar strawberry jam and topped the whole thing off with sliced strawberries.  So good.

Lunch was not quite as delicious as breakfast, but still pretty acceptable.  I spread some reduced-fat guacamole on a wholemeal wrap, tossed on some baby spinach (my new favourite salad leaf after reading all about how good spinach is for eye problems), some roast chicken breast and a couple of tablespoons of hot salsa.  It would have been so much better with regular guacamole, but who can spare the calories for that?  Even if avocado is full of fab mono-saturates.  I also totally forgot to photograph it.  Ooops.

Dinner was outrageously good!  I made the Pad Thai recipe (using chicken breast) from Stella Does Healthy Eating, an absolute gem of a blog.  And based in the UK, too!  My gold-standard for Pad Thai is the one at Latymers pub in Hammersmith, and this came pretty damn close.  It was totally worth the time it took to julienne the carrots and spring onions.  It had a real kick to it and the sweet/sour/salty flavours balanced beautifully.  This is definitely one that I’ll make again and again, although I’ll add some beansprouts next time.  And when Himself is away on business, I’ll treat myself and make it with king prawns!!

Apres-dinner treat was most delicious, too.  I made Hot Chocolate Fudge Babies and they were simplicity itself to make as well as tasting damn good.  I did intend to have a peach as well, but after eating one I knew I wanted to spend my last few calories on another one.  I’d totally recommend this recipe to everyone (well, everyone who isn’t allergic to nuts) and I’m planning to make the Tiramisu bars next.  Mmmmmm.

As far as exercise goes, today was a rest day.  I was quite surprised to not be sore after yesterday’s workout, but it did have a decently long stretch in the cooldown so I suspect that helped.  I reckon that I burned a few more calories than usual for my rest days as I’ve been dragging the hoover around and even did the stairs which is no mean feat when you consider how heavy our Dyson is!  And now I have more laundry to fold, so I must away…

We had a picnic in the sunshine with incredibly plump chickens wandering around under our table and an old grey mare watching hopefully in case we felt like offering her something tasty.  We were good and obeyed the “Do not feed the horses” signs though!   Much as I adore cooking and showing off with it, I don’t really do picnics.  My idea of a picnic is nipping into Sainsburys and picking up a sandwich, water, fruit and whatever else catches my fancy.  So The Monster had some chicken and sweetcorn sandwiches, a little oatmeal cookie and some berry juice.  I had a Rainbow salad for a very reasonable 300 calories which was very colourful and had some seriously yummy soya beans in it.  I’m a total sucker for soya beans;  fresh or roasted, I don’t care!  We also shared the best part of a punnet of sun-warmed strawberries which were incredibly fragrant, juicy and properly strawberryish.  Delicious!

‘Twas a nice sunny day out.

Once we got home, I left The Monster to his own devices in his room while I got in my workout.  I tell you… hot days really put the work into workout.  I did The FIRM’s Total Body Time-Crunch which is a new one for me.  I totally struggled in the cardio sections—just couldn’t get my footwork right—but I reckon I’ll be much better next time round.  I still managed to burn 552kcal which, when adjusted for the calories I would have burned doing normal things in the same amount of time (background calories), is 487kcal.  Nowhere near as much as I expected to burn, but then I was reduced to marching on the spot for a fair bit of the cardio.

Breakfast: Usual porridge with raisins and a dash of vanilla extract

Lunch: Rainbow salad and a handful of strawberries

Post-workout snack: Raspberry protein shake made with skimmed milk for a change; original 9-bar

Dinner: Homemade burger & chips (extra-lean steak mince, spices, garlic; wholewheat & seed roll; reduced-fat guacamole; baby spinach; sweet-potato oven chips)

Apres-dinner treat: Mango buttermilk sherbet.

This week I have lost 1lb, bringing me back to 18st 4.  I am pleased, but that is tempered by the knowledge that I would have lost more, had I not totally lost it and binged last night.  Why do I do this the night before weigh-in??  Do I subconsciously want to stay fat forever??

Whatever the reason, I am going to keep a damn good eye on myself next Thursday.  The scale needs to keep going down as I am fed up of losing and regaining the same few pounds.  Plus, I have a pretty necklace picked out if I manage to get under 18 stone

And now I must go.  I promised the Monster that I’d take him to see some horses!

Despite all of the arse-ache I’ve been putting up with, I have somehow managed not to go off the rails.  I desperately wanted to.  I was even prepared to steal the Monster’s left-over Easter egg.  I wound up pacing the kitchen while I roasted a chicken breast for a clean and healthy oven, muttering to myself like a crazy bag lady.  I will not buy chocolate.  I will not make icing.  I will not eat sugar. Crazy but effective.

I want, far more than I want comforting sugary stuff, to see the scales drop this week.  I gained a pound last week and that irks me, but I know it was just because I ate dinner after 10pm.  I feel that I doubly-deserve to have lost this week as a result!!  On that note, I had my monthly appointment at the eye hospital this morning where I was complimented on having managed to lose 7lb in May.  It really is bloody good going considering all the horrible medicines I’m on, most of which mess with your metabolism and actively encourage weight gain.  Le sigh.

Breakfast: Porridge with ground flax and wheatgerm (my usual) with dried cherries and cashew butter

Lunch: Wholemeal wrap with reduced-fat houmous, roasted chicken breast, baby spinach and some chilli powdder.  Bear peach fruit yo-yo.

Dinner is looking like lemon-griddled chicken breast with giant couscous, chickpea and feta salad.

One day I’ll get around to taking pictures of my meals!!

Today is a rest day.  Normally I’d spend the evening belly dancing, but there’s no class as it is half-term.  Bah, humbug!  I need the practice as I’m performing at a local festival next weekend.  I also really need to sort out a veil… I should go and Google dimensions and then make my way to a fabric shop.  But first, I must go and pot on my courgette plants!!

Right before we went on holiday to America, I heard about Tosca Reno and Clean Eating and found myself intrigued.  Despite shovelling junk into my mouth every day, I’ve always been interested in nutrition—just terrible at expressing it!  The concept of treating my body as if I’m an athlete in order to get an athlete’s body isn’t rocket science, but it somehow clicked with me. Also hearing that nutrition is 80% of getting a nice lean body and 10% genetics and a further 10% genetics cheered me up lots.  I know exercise is important but I am fed up of hearing it touted as the only way to get thin.

I’ve already been doing The South Beach Diet so it isn’t a huuuuuge leap to move to the whole clean eating thing.  It just means clearing out a little bit of junk, especially artificial sweeteners, and paying a hell of a lot more attention to eating regularly!!  There are other differences, but for the most part I don’t feel that it’s a huge change from me “being good” on South Beach to living a healthier lifestyle.

I’ve been following the Cooler 2 approach since Monday and I think I’m doing okay so far.  I’ve cut out artificial sweeteners and caffeine (so no Pepsi Max), have been drinking loads of water and trying to get 5 or 6 meals in daily.  I’ve also been taking flax seeds and wheatgerm and feel cleaner inside, which is rather nice.  I have had a couple of bad headaches and a bit of lethargy which I am putting down to detoxing, and possibly too few calories, but the jury is still out on that one!

I’m looking forward to the burst of energy that I’m supposed to be feeling and also my bodyfat melting away

Until Dave bought me a Wii for my birthday I was completely sedentary and now, thanks mostly to EA Sports Active for the Wii, I am working out five days a week.  I’m even actively seeking ways of getting in more exercise!

This week, however, I did something I haven’t done in years and bought after viewing an infomercial.  The shameful thing was that I didn’t watch it on late-night TV… nope, I saw it on YouTube.  The shame…  I bought ChaLEAN Extreme, a hard-core weight-lifting program with the simple premise that Muscle Burns Fat.  It’s nice that someone agrees with me… I’ve always maintained that belief even through numerous weight-loss debates with Dave and other people!  Just a shame I haven’t practised what I’ve preached, eh?  So, the concept was attractive to me and I love the idea of raising my BMR by increasing muscle mass.  I’m hoping to start it after I finish my third round of EASA so that I’m strong and flexible enough to lift without hurting myself.  There’s also the small matter of needing some more free weights!!

I also ordered a copy of Hip Hop Abs, mainly because it was £7 and I like the idea of standing crunches,  I guess we’ll see what it’s like… if nothing else I’ll learn some hip hop moves and work up a sweat.  Not a bad thing.  I was quite disappointed that the postman didn’t bring it today, actually!  I quite fancied having a dance after the school run.

As for workouts I’ve actually done, I completed workout 4/20 with EASA on medium.  I used my new stronger resistance band and got an awesome upper body workout.  I also noticed that I’m getting much better at the running drills—I see “perfect” a lot more frequently than “too slow”.  I wonder if there’s a “too fast”??