My weight loss journey

Tag: Weight Watchers

08
Oct
2018

My weight loss journey

I used to find the phrase ‘weight loss journey’ really bizarre and a little bit silly, until I realised that changing your eating and exercise habits for good really does take you on a journey of discovery. It was seven years ago that I decided to start my own weight loss journey and today I’d like to share with you what 2018 has contributed to my weight loss experiences. Warning: This post contains verbal diarrhoea.

Pre-2018
In case you’ve not read my blog before (or you’re not one of my family and friends… hi Michelle), let me share with you why I wanted to lose weight.

I’ve always felt like the ‘fat’ one and over the years my ‘obese’ (according to the NHS BMI charts) weight levels started to get me down. I would cry a lot about my body image and I would feel guilty eating (be it healthy or not). So, I joined Weight Watchers (now called WW) after many years of yo yo dieting. It was the first slimming group I’ve ever been too and the only time I successfully lost weight week after week. Not just that, but it encouraged me to exercise and learn how to cook healthily from scratch. (This is not a WW advert but the way, just what happened to me). A little while after I joined WW I got engaged and my motivation to get to my ‘goal weight’ went through the roof. Fast forward two years, I lost 50lbs, got to my goal weight, dropped 5 sizes and felt amazing.

Then I went on honeymoon and gained a lot of weight in just two weeks – almost a stone if memory serves me right. I was disappointed and disgusted with myself. In hindsight I still looked slim and could fit into my smaller dress size, but I wasn’t happy. Months went by and I maintained the new higher weight and came to terms with it. I then fell pregnant with my first child and gained five stone.

Having a baby and that extra weight completely threw me. Not only was I learning how to be a mum, but those old feelings of hating the body I was in came rushing back with great force. I’m very aware as I write this that way worse things could happen. I just had a precious baby (and my daughter is everything), but my body felt so alien and simply disgusting. Which is really harsh considering it (my body) just grew a human being and managed to push it out of another one!

A negative start to the year
It’s been three years since then and I did reach my ‘goal weight’ once more, but that was in 2017; and so my 2018 started in a less than positive way. I was heavier than I was in 2017 and feeling incredible down about that fact. In hindsight, (again) it really was only a few pounds but because I beat myself about it so much, I ended up comfort/overeating and the weight crept up towards the end of 2017.

In 2017 I had also run 10k in under hour in a fun run, and whilst I’m incredibly proud of that I hadn’t realised just how much of my year had been focused on training for the run. Without a major event to work towards, and with the change in weather, I was lacking enthusiasm to get out and work out.

Body positivity
I started reading more about body positivity and felt that I needed to change my mindset in 2018. It wasn’t healthy for me to be so transfixed on a number on the scales and having that fun run to work towards made me realise that it’s the getting fit and healthy that really inspires me. If I aim for that, then any excess weight (fat) will in turn come off. I absolutely loved reading Megan Jaynee Crabbe’s Body Positive Power and it had a way bigger impact on me than I could ever imagined. I would hugely recommend this book if you are constantly beating yourself about your body.

New learnings
My thinking started to change and I decided that I wanted to learn the facts about good nutrition and exercising healthily. This is something that, in my view, WW has always encouraged but I wanted to further my understanding and seek out more sources of information – which I’ve been doing and I have enjoyed. I’ve also seeked advice from Personal Trainers and have learnt a lot about the importance of resistance training, and protein – to name just a few things.

Wrap it up
In a nutshell, I’ve been re-educating myself this year and working hard to question my attitude towards food, exercise and body image. It’s been challenging in places but I feel like (without being super cringey) I’ve grown a lot and have made some good progress in cementing healthy habits and a healthier outlook.

Give me the facts, how much do you weigh?
I’m not going to tell you that, although I’ve had some fun featuring in various WW articles and you will probably find the answer if you Google it! I will say that I’m 12lbs away from my ‘goal weight’ and feeling a lot slimmer and toned than I did at the start of the year (despite weighing a little more). I’m also feeling less bothered by that number on the scales and have enjoyed working on my muscles! Yeah I said it, if you happen to be in my house after I’ve been to the gym it’s common to see me flexing my new muscles to anyone willing to inspect them – normally my 3-year-old.

Binge eating
Plus, one of the biggest changes and something I’m most proud off is the decrease in binge eating episodes, which used to be a common occurrence. It was usually set off by bad news or having an indulgent weekend and then feeling guilty about it come Monday. Instead, I’m enjoying those occasions where I may eat and drink a little more but not letting then send me into a downward spiral of unhealthy habits.

The end
So, good luck to you all if you are trying to improve your health (be it physical or mental) and if you managed to read the majority of this post, then well done to you because I really did go on a bit!

Chloe xx

03
Sep
2018

Hello September!

Categories: Baby & Me, Weight Watchers

Although I’ve not been in school for quite some time, September for me still feels like the start of a new year and a chance to embrace new (or old) goals and to get stuff done! Holidays have come to an end, there are less and less social functions to attend and getting back into a routine actually feels good. This month has already started with a huge positive…

Post-holiday happiness
I write this post after a two week vacation in Italy, which was absolutely amazing and I was able to witness two of my best friends get married. I’m well and truly still in a happy holiday bubble, but instead of having post-holiday blues (which may still come), I feel rejuvenated and excited for the rest of the year. Towards the final days of my holiday I was delighted to see a little feature in Weight Watchers magazine of me and my daughter.

Weight Watchers
The article is all about how Weight Watchers encouraged me to get back into exercise after having my daughter. Seeing the feature made me feel so proud of the many healthy habits I’ve adopted since being a Weight Watchers member. The holiday I’ve just taken was a huge example of how different I am compared to trips away pre-Weight Watchers.

A healthier me
Over the course of two weeks I went for several jogs, walked lots, swam, went to the gym and enjoyed plenty of healthy food choices with a few treats thrown in (aka wine and ice cream). A younger me would of binged on unhealthy food just because I was away and would of left all gym clothes at home. That same person would of returned home a stone heavier and feeling terribly guilty about all the indulgences. Then I would of fall into a downward spiral of feeling horrible about my weight and myself.

For some this may sound crazy and a bit dramatic, but this has been a previous consequence of many holidays. I know a lot of people who are able to go away, eat what they like, come home happy and not give a damn about any fluctuations in weight – so please don’t take this as me saying you’re doing anything wrong. It’s just for me that ‘letting go’ approach on holiday meant eating everything and anything and then feeling rubbish about myself after.

“Fruit salad mummy?”
I’m also incredibly proud of daughter who appears in the magazine article. She is such a confident little thing and was both hilarious and well behaved during the photoshoot. It’s for her that I also want to continue eating well and exercising regularly – I want to be a healthy mum that can play without getting out of breath within seconds and to set a good example of how to eat well. On holiday when we were talking about the day ahead she would often ask if I was going to eat a fruit salad again for breakfast. It may sound silly, but hearing her recognise me eating something healthy made me feel great.

Support
I’m so thankful for Weight Watchers for encouraging all of the healthy habits mentioned above. Joining the programme has deepened my interest in nutrition, has encouraged me to try new sports and in turn has led me to meet whole host of fantastic people who continue to support me as I work towards my health goals.

Never sporty
I was never a sporty kid at school and if you told me then that I would one day enjoy running, spinning, long walks and would even have one-on-one personal training sessions, I would of burst out laughing. Weight Watchers taught me the importance of exercise and gave me the confidence to try new things and discover activities that I could keep up long-term. I am also so thankful for the several PT’s I’ve been in recent contact with, who have helped me embrace lifting weights and have giving me extra guidance on what to eat for good health and effective weight loss.

A negative outlook
I have to admit, that until I saw the final Weight Watchers article mentioned and had a little September inspired overview of how far I’ve come, I was feeling less positive about myself and weight. Whilst I’ve lost a lot of post-baby weight and am proud of all the healthy decisions I made on holiday, I’ve been feeling frustrated that I’m not at my goal weight. I got there last March and somehow it’s crept up a bit. However, with this new month and feeling inspired I would like to announce that I will draw a line under that, and do my best to get to that goal, but ultimately to continue to work on leading a healthier life for the rest of my life.

Thank you for reading this mind dump,
Chloe xx

10
Jun
2018

#WW5kMyWay Complete!

Categories: Fitness

Following on from my appearance in the Weight Watchers magazine all about my taking part in #WW5kMyWay last year, I’m happy to share that I have completed the fun challenge once again!

Last year I walked 5k with fellow Weight Watchers members and this year I ran 5k with my ultimate bestie and fitness buddy. Here’s a photo of us once we had finished, another of me looking far too happy holding a piece of paper and a snap from insta!

02
May
2018

I’m in the Weight Watchers magazine!

Categories: Fitness, Weight Watchers

If you follow me on Instagram, twitter or Facebook you would have seen some very chuffed posts this week about my appearance in the June issue of the Weight Watchers magazine. I am absolutely thrilled to be featured and I still can’t get over the fact that I’m actually in the magazine.

If you’ve not seen those posts here’s what it’s all about… last year I took part in an event called #WW5Kmyway. The idea was to complete a 5k in any style you wanted. Be it walking, running, swimming, dancing, whatever! My lovely Weight Watchers Coach teamed up with a fellow Weight Watchers group and together we walked 5k on a very hot summer’s day. The event really gave me the fitness boost I needed.

Pick up a copy of the Weight Watchers magazine asap to find out more about the event and my full story; plus here’s how to get involved with this year’s #WW5kmyway.

Chloe x

26
Feb
2018

Weight Watchers for beginners

Categories: Weight Loss, Weight Watchers

For anyone wondering about joining Weight Watchers, I’ve put together a little overview of what Weight Watchers is like – everything beginners to Weight Watchers may want to know.

I’ve been a member for quite some time now and the plan helped me lose 50lbs for my wedding back in 2013 and another 50lbs after having my first baby (forget eating for two, I was eating for 10 at the time!). If it can work for me, it can definitely work for you!

What is Weight Watchers like?
It can take a few days to get used to, but once you understand how the plan works it’s straight forward to follow, plus there is an amazing app included which makes it all really simple. You can eat anything you like, but you get more from the plan when you pick healthy foods. Plus, you’ll receive loads of great information and advice on what’s best to eat for weight loss.

What is Weight Watchers Flex?
If you join Weight Watchers today, you’ll be following their new ‘Flex’ plan – it includes more foods than ever before with a SmartPoints value of 0. There’s also more flexiblily with when and how you use your daily SmartPoints values.

What is Weight Watchers No Count?
There are two ways to follow Weight Watchers, counting (every food as a SmartPoints value which you deduct from your tailored daily and weekly points allowance) or no count. To follow no count you eat foods from a set list, which includes things like chicken, wholegrain pasta and fat free greek yogurt. If you fancy chocolate, or booze you then have to deduct their points value from your weekly allowance (which you still get with no count).

What’s a Weight Watchers meeting like?
A really friendly, informal place to talk about your weight loss. There’s a Weight Watchers Coach waiting to chat about your weight loss and to weigh you – no one else sees or knows your weight. This happens first and then there’s some time to pick up some weight loss friendly treats, gadgets or cookbooks, if they take your fancy, from the pop up shop. Last part of the meeting is where a Weight Watchers coach focusses on a particular aspect of the plan and weight loss tips, this is also a time for you and other members – if you wish – to talk about your weight loss so far, anything that you struggle with, or anything that you find helpful.

What kind of food can you eat on Weight Watchers?
Anything! The personalised allowance you’re given helps with portion control, but you can use it to eat anything you like. However, you’ll get the most out of your allowance by opting for foods best for good health and weight loss, such as lean meat, fish, eggs, fat free dairy, wholegrain pasta and rice, fruit and vegetables.

Top tips for Weight Watchers beginners

Download the Weight Watchers app – it makes it really easy to follow the plan.
Opt for lean meat, fish, eggs, fat free plain dairy alongside plenty of fruit and veg – lots of these foods have a 0 SmartPoints value and will help you make the most out of your Weight Watchers allowance.
Plan your meals in advance if you can – this helps you stay on track.
Don’t deny yourself anything, have what you enjoy just work out the SmartPoints value of it first. If it’s high in SmartPoints just have a little bit of it or seek out an alternative.
Attend your Weight Watchers meeting every week or if you’re an online member, weigh yourself just once a week at the same time.

P.S This is not a promotion – I am not being paid to write this – but for full disclosure I did previously work for the company. But I really should get some commission for how much I talk about Weight Watchers 😉

I hope you found this useful and thanks for reading,
Chloe x

23
Oct
2017

Why you’ve not seen how much I’ve lost lately

Categories: Baby & Me, Weight Loss, Weight Watchers

I’ve been a little quiet lately when it comes to sharing my weight loss stats and that’s because i’ve been slowly gaining weight (well losing and then gaining what I lost) – since I got to my weight loss goal in March. Whilst I feel slimmer in some ways and definitely fitter, that pesky number on the scales has been rising and we all know I’m a little bit obsessed with the scales. So, here’s what i’m struggling with and how I hope to turn it around. Plus, should I hide my scales?

My trouble zones

Evening snacking: When it’s dark and my daughter is in bed I seem to snack like there’s no tomorrow. It feels like it’s a bit of me time and for whatever reason, my hands and mouth seem to constantly want food in them! But, i’ve got a couple of strategies…

I used to snack on frozen grapes. Because they’re frozen they take longer to eat and being grapes you get that satisfaction of going back for more. Does that make any sense? I kind of got out of the habit of eating them, especially when it’s a little colder, but i’m bringing grapes back! Also, when colouring with my daughter the other day I found it surprising therapeutic and kept my snacking hands busy, so I may actually get some of those adult colouring books and pencils which I used to think were a bit gimmicky – you win, i’m buying you!

Events: I’m guilty of admitting defeat before an event has begun. “Oh I’ve got a party and I know i’m going to be terrible so i’m going to be a massive piggy”. Instead of creating a game plan and making healthy choices during said event, I don’t track (and I usually track everything I eat and drink) and get carried away with the old prosecco, which eventually leads to drunken munchies. My strategy for this one is…

I must plan ahead and track what I’m eating and drinking during the moment. So that I feel better about those occasions where I will eat and drink more (but could do it more sensibly), I could go for a buggy run before the event to hopefully balance out any extra indulgences.

Tiredness:
Like many people, I tend to eat more when I’m tired, I just need to go to bed earlier!

To weigh or not to weigh: that is the question
While all of this has been going on, I’ve had more compliments lately on looking slimmer (people probably just being nice, but I’m taken those compliments vey seriously haha) and my stomach does feel flatter. Being able to complete a 10k run in a decent time I hope is evidence too that my fitness levels are ok, so why do I care about the number on the scales? I don’t know. It’s been my marker of good health for so long, I guess it’s tricky to abandon them.

Sometimes I think ‘should I just hide the scales’, as they can really get me down if I put on weight on when I feel like I should of lost a few pounds. Plus, I do love my Weight Watchers group, so perhaps I should bin my home scales so that I only weigh once a week at my meeting (as opposed to several times a week). That said I’d really like some Fitbit scales for Christmas!

My plan of attack
So that’s where i’m struggling and this is my successful weight loss plan in a nutshell…

Eat frozen grapes during evening snack attack
Get my adult colouring on to distract my hands during evening snack attack
Plan and track what I’m eating during special occasions to prevent massive binge on booze or food
Go for a buggy run the day before or morning of a special event as a damage limitation strategy
Go to bed earlier when possible
Weigh only once a week at my Weight Watchers meeting
Start taking my measurements to see if I am losing inches
Ask for some Fitbit scales for Christmas

Thanks for reading this brain dump, I really appreciate it.
Chloe x

09
Oct
2017

5 reasons to feel motivated this Monday

Categories: Phil & Teds Sport Running Buggy, Weight Loss, Weight Watchers

Hello Monday! It’s October and as the days feel colder and the nights draw in closer, i’m determined to keep motivated with my healthy eating and exercise, so that I can feel my best in time for Christmas. After a pep talk with myself, I’ve come up with a few reasons to feel motivated this Monday and I would like to share them with you.

1. Christmas is just 10 weeks away. If you were to lose a healthy 2lbs a week, that could mean a weight loss of 20lbs (that’s over 1 stone) in time for Christmas!

2. Beyonce wasn’t built in a day 😉

3. I’ve loved running with my buggy and I don’t want the colder days to stop us from enjoying a good jog outside. So, i’ve dug out extra warm layers for us both, our running buggy rain cover (just in case we get caught out), and our gloves… winter fit kit complete!

4. I’ve already spotted a load of cool Christmas jumpers I’d like to stock up on, but this year I’d love to purchase one and not feel like the incredible hulk when I wear it – anyone know what I mean by this?

5, I’m guilty of overthinking this whole weight loss thing, I often have to remind myself to simply “trust the process and the results will follow”.

About the photo
This picture makes me laugh so much! I was maybe a bit dramatic crossing the finishing line of the 10k run I completed a few weeks back, but it really did mean the world to me. If you missed my post about it, here’s a little link to how I trained with my running buggy and run 10k.

07
Jul
2017

10 things you should know about my weight loss right now

Categories: Baby & Me, Weight Loss, Weight Watchers

So, I thought I’d share a little update about my weight loss journey.

Things you should know…

1. I’m “officially” 3lbs away from goal.
2. I say the above with quotes as I missed my Weight Watchers meeting this week – the scales at home (prior to leaving for the meeting) said I had gained 3lbs. That would make me 6lbs away from goal.
3. The above sent me into a slight rage as I couldn’t understand how that happened, then I got upset with myself. I soon calmed down but missed my meeting as a result.
4. I’m not proud of what happened above but I did stay on track that day; and even went out for a buggy run. So that anger made me quite productive!
5. My daughter likes bringing me the biscuit tin.
6. Today I ate a biscuit and I liked it.
7. Weekends seem to be my downfall these days when it comes to staying on track.
8. I’m hoping to break the above habit this weekend.
9. I really hope I lose some pounds this week coming.
10. Any tips for healthy weight loss are, as always, very welcomed! How do I get to goal?!

Use the comments box below or post on my Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

03
May
2017

What my healthy day looks like

Categories: Food, Weight Watchers

I’ve shared a lot of details about my eating habits when I’m off plan (chocolate, chocolate, chocolate) but maybe not enough about what I eat when on I’m track. So here is a typical healthy day for me, and all of this adds up to my Weight Watchers allowance of 30 SmartPoints.

Breakfast: Porridge made with a banana, water and a splash of skimmed milk. Plus a coffee with skimmed milk.

Lunch: Chicken salad with a brown sandwich thin toasted and torn up to become ‘croutons’. Finished with 150g of strawberry Skyr yogurt, some fruit and vegetable crudités.

Dinner: Two lean Heck pork sausages with potato mash, butternut squash waffles (finally got my hands on some of these), broccoli, gravy and baked beans. Plus a Weight Watchers chocolate bar.

Snacks: Fruit, Veg, tea/coffee, cereal bar

Workout: On this particular day I also managed a 20 minute buggy run with my little one (now I’m just showing off).

Voila, there you have it.

What do you think of my healthy day?
I would love to hear your thoughts on my healthy day and what does a healthy day look like to you? Leave a comment below or leave a message on my Facebook, Instagram or Twitter page.

Chloe x

16
Mar
2017

How to lose a pathetic 2lbs in 10 long weeks…

Categories: Baby & Me, Weight Watchers

2017 started off very well. Over the festive period I managed to maintain my pre-Christmas weight and I was thrilled not to have gained. At this point I was just 4lbs away from my weight-loss goal. Being able to maintain my weight over such a busy and food-dominated time of year, gave me hope that I would reach my goal in no time. 10 weeks later and I’m still not there!

I’ve been feeling so frustrated with that fact lately, and as much as I have lost most of what I set out to lose, those last few pounds would make me so happy!

My 2017 weight loss so far
January should’ve been an easy month in theory, yet I had a bit of a binge flip towards the end of the month which meant I had lost and gained the same amount of weight. I ended Jan the same weight I was after Christmas.

February was going to prove challenging, as it’s my birthday and those closest to me know I like to celebrate the one day over a period of several weeks. It was also the birthday month of some very close friends of mine, and I thought it rude not to drink and eat my body weight in prosecco and cake. Despite all of that I did manage to lose a little bit in Feb, but that brings me to the grand total of 2.5lbs in 10 weeks.

Time to be realistic
I’m very familiar with stats that say a 1-2lb weight loss per week is healthy, so why aren’t I 10lbs pounds down? Ok, so with all the birthday fun and odd binge, it was never going to be 10lbs, but 5lbs would of been cool. Strangely, a lot of people have commented on my changing shape but i’ve not taken much notice. That was until this morning.

Changing shape and losing inches
Although my weight hasn’t changed much, I decided to try on a bridesmaid dress i’m set to wear later this year, that was too small for me in December. To my utter disbelief I could zip it up! I can’t believe it! I guess it goes to show that it’s not always about the number on the scales, dropping dress sizes can feel amazing and I do feel as though my fitness has really improved lately – which is probably due to the fact that I’m pushing a buggy when I go running these days!

So, despite staying the same weight this week and being a frustrating 2lbs aways from my goal, I will remain positive that i’m feeling strong and I have lost a few inches without truly noticing.

This little moment then lead me to raid the heap of pre-baby clothes I have stashed away – turns out I can fit into another three items that didn’t fit me last year. Wooo! (Those items are in the photo!)

Thank you
As always, if you’ve read this post – thanks very much for taking the time to do so and thank you for all the lovely comments and support you show me via my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter Pages. You’re keeping my going and giving me lots of inspiration too. Also, shout out to Weight Watchers, Phil & Teds and Strong Vibes, for helping me shed almost 5st of post-baby weight.

Chloe x