Self-gifting: A new way to lose weight!

Category: Weight Watchers

17
Nov
2016

Self-gifting: A new way to lose weight!

I’m starting to appreciate the positive effect being kind to yourself can have on weight loss. This does sound very cheesy but being able to say I’m not perfect but I’ll keep on going has (I think) enabled me to stick with Weight Watchers (and try to improve my eating habits) for longer than I have ever have done on any other weight loss plan. It’s about progress and not perfection – stolen from a meme I saw this morning!

Being positive and kind to yourself can help you recover quicker from a minor blip too. In the past if I felt as though I went off track, I’d write-off the whole week. Now, I might have a little pep talk with myself and start afresh there and then; or the next day at the very latest.

Being kind to yourself may also mean putting yourself first and being a little ‘selfish’ – be it making the time to cook healthy foods, going to a gym class you like or simply giving yourself a pat on the back once in a while.

I’ve had to remind myself of this lately, as I’ve had some set minor set backs in the last few weeks. You can probably guess what one of those is if you’ve read my last post and another was my local Weight Watchers meeting closing.

Finding another to go along to as proved way more difficult than I thought it would; and until it closed I hadn’t appreciated just how important it was to me and my weight loss success. It’s been a good month of trying to find times and venues that work and up until last week, my weight loss had pretty much stayed the same. This week however I was gutted to have put on 2lbs. On the flip side, I think I’ve found a new meeting to go to weekly, as it really helps me to stay focus, and the members were (as always) so lovely. In this meeting we talk about kindness how we’re often kinder to others than ourselves – which led on to jokes about buying ourselves gifts but I thought, why not! I definitely need to start doing that more, especially if it could help my weight loss! (And yes I’m aware that Christmas is just 6 weekends away and it’s probably not the most suitable time to be all for buying myself stuff.)

That said, here’s to self-gifting and kindness; because we should be our own biggest fans and not our biggest critics.

14
Sep
2016

You can eat out and lose weight!

Categories: Weight Loss, Weight Watchers

I love eating out and it always make me feel sad when people think you can’t eat out and follow a weight loss plan – you can! Below are a few tips I’ve found helpful when choosing what to eat, when eating out – and a lesson I’ve learnt the hard way!

Tips for eating out and losing weight

Go for lean meat or fish
These options will keep you feeling full and are generally lower in calories and SmartPoints (if you’re following Weight Watchers like me).

Say yes to veggies
Opting for a dish full of veggies will also help you to feel full, contribute to your 5-a-day and will lead you to feeling a little smug that you’ve ordered something healthy out!

Look at the menu before you go
You’re more likely to stick to a healthy choice if you make the decision in advance. That goes for how many courses you may like as well. I’ll often order a starter because other people are, but I’m never that fussed by starters and end up thinking why did I bother eating that? I’d much rather have a pudding!

Ask for sauce on the side
Sauces can be laden with a high number of calories or SmartPoints – ask for it on the side so that you can be in control of how little or much you smother your food in.

Go for a sorbet or share a pud
I love a pudding but out of all the choices on a menu, these are often the most troublesome for someone wanting to make healthy choices and lose weight. That said, most places will offer a lighter fruity option or sorbet. Or, simply share the pudding you want the most with a friend!

For Weight Watchers members –
Check to see if the Weight Watchers app or Eat out book has the SmartPoints value of the dishes available at your chosen restaurant. Then track it! On too many occasions I’ve picked a meal, eaten it and then checked it’s SmartPoints values after. More often than not I’m shocked by what the meal has cost me and wished I had done my research before eating. On special occasions a high SmartsPoints meal doesn’t bother me too much, but sometimes I might be eating out 3 times in week and then I’ve already used up all weekly allowance on the first outing!

31
Aug
2016

Why does a broken routine lead to binge eating?

Categories: Weight Loss, Weight Watchers

I’ve spent the last few weeks visiting family and celebrating some special occasions with friends. It’s been such a lovely time but in the back of my mind I’m constantly beating myself up over not being able to stay in control of my eating when I’m away.

It means so much to me to to lose the excess weight I’m carrying, yet the sight of cake, ice cream, home cooked pies and prosecco makes me forget all of that instantly!

Breaking bad
I have a habit of either being really ‘good’ when it comes to my diet or ‘really bad’. I try to plan treats into my day, but if I go off course I tend to think – “Oh i’ve ruined it now, so I might as well go crazy and eat everything in sight!”. If I just stopped after a few squares of chocolate for example, it really wouldn’t be the end of the world – or the end of my diet – but do I do that? On this occasion the answer is a big no! I eventually got back on track and had two healthy days before my Weight Watchers weigh-in and I exercised on both days. Amazingly I lost 1lb!

With the new Weight Watchers plan there’s a lot of literature on positive thinking. My personal favourite is the 80/20 rule – the idea being that you make healthy choices for 80% of the time – after all no one is perfect! In hindsight I think this is something I obviously need to remember a little more often, and not let one slip up lead to binge eating on foods that could sabotage my weight loss efforts.

My goal for the next few weeks is to be a little kinder to myself, allow for treats in moderation; and have a go at saying no when I’m offered a tempting and high-calorie food that I know will just leave me feeling gross and too full.

20
Aug
2016

5 summer snacks that are Weight Watchers friendly

Categories: Food, Weight Watchers

I’m a huge snacker and so finding foods that are low in Weight Watchers SmartPoints that will either keep me full or satisfy my sweet tooth are a big must for me.

Here’s a little round up of the snacks I’ve been enjoying this summer.

Frozen grapes
Pop a box in the freezer and hey presto you’ve got yourself some nibbles! Frozen grapes are not only 0 SmartPoints they are also great for chewing or sucking on. I find I take a longer to eat a handful of frozen grapes than any other snack.

Popcorn
I love the sweet and salty variety and there are so many low calorie options in supermarkets and by the tills. They also make a good sharing alternative to a bag of crisps!

Banana ice cream
Freeze a loads of bananas and then blend them with vanilla extract and a drop of skimmed milk and there you have it – banana ice cream.

Hard boiled eggs
These little fellas are actually really filling. I like making a load at once and keeping them in the fridge. They’re great to have after a workout or before dinner (if you get peckish like me mid-afternoon).

Apple and almonds
A power plates instructor told that eating some almonds and an apple is a great post workout snack and you’re getting some good fats along with sugar to give you a boost. I’m paraphrasing and could be completely wrong but I like the idea of it!

19
Aug
2016

4 Reasons Why I’m Loving Weight Watchers

Categories: Weight Loss, Weight Watchers

Joining Weight Watchers has changed my life in more ways than one. For anyone who thinks the programme is for old ladies who just eat ready meals, you couldn’t be anymore wrong. I’m a huge advocate of the plan and here’s why…

P.S I promise no one from Weight Watchers has sponsored this post!

It Works
This first reason is pretty straightforward – Weight Watchers works! I feel like I’ve been on a diet my whole life, but it was only after I joined Weight Watchers that I saw real success. When you first join you’re given everything you need to be able to follow the plan – and you’re not alone. Their app is amazing for tracking what you eat and I’m a huge fan of the meetings – it’s a place where you can get real tips on how to eat healthily and lose weight.

It’s taught me how to cook
This is something I didn’t set out to learn, but I’m glad it happened by accident. As part of your membership you gain access to loads of recipes. They’re easy to follow and taste delicious. I’ve cooked the recipes for friends and family and no one ever knows (until I tell them) it’s come from my Weight Watchers stash of recipes. After testing out a few recipes, I was soon applying the methods I had learnt in creating my own dishes! Now that I’ve got the hang of it, cooking from scratch feels a lot easier (and tastes better) than depending on jars of sauces and so on.

It’s given my confidence a real boost
Being overweight not only makes my clothes feel uncomfortable or harder to move about doing everyday tasks, it really does get me down. When I’m carrying extra weight I don’t feel like myself and I simply want to hide from everyone and everything. I’ll wear all black and if possible I’ll do my best to get out of social functions. However, once those pounds start to fall off it’s literally a weight off your shoulders and you feel free in so many ways. Knowing i’m doing something active to change my eating habits for good, feels truly amazing. The plan has also showed me how vital it is to have a positive mindset to your weight loss and your relationship with food – it can make a huge difference to your success.

It’s made me active and I like it!
Weight Watchers isn’t just about eating the right foods. The programme also teaches you the importance of moving more and being active does get addictive! Being able to walk more, run for a little longer and have the energy to try new sports feels amazing. I was also the kid who made excuses to miss P.E – I still can’t believe that I now actually exercise voluntarily!

My Weight Watchers success so far…
I joined Weight Watchers after a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time turned up at my house looking amazing! I had to know her secret – It was Weight Watchers. That week I found my local meeting and went along. I was so nervous and afraid of being the biggest person there. Everyone in that room, from the leader to fellow members to the meeting helpers was fantastic. When I left with the plan details by my side, I was terrified that I wouldn’t be able to put the plan into practice – even though it all seemed straightforward. It took a tiny bit of time to get used to but by the end of the first week I got it. That week I lost 5 lbs! In the months that followed I got engaged and had an even bigger reason to finally lose the weight that had keep me down for so long. I lost almost 3 stone in time for my wedding day and felt amazing.

A year after I got married I fell pregnant and ate, ate, ate. Long story short, I put on 5 st during pregnancy. Having followed the plan before I thought i’d be able to pick up where I left off. However this time round has been so different as my whole lifestyle has changed. After some weight loss success over the course of a year I decided enough was enough – I needed to be back attending Weight Watchers meetings. I’m so glad that I did, as in the two months I’ve returned (properly) to Weight Watchers I’ve lost over a stone!