Happy Monday everyone! As you all know, I went back to Weight Watchers the 2nd January and although the weight loss is quite slow at the minute, it is still going in the right direction! I would be lying if I said that this week was easy, because it wasn't. Getting up on those scales last week to find just a half a pound gone really upset me, so much so that I had a big cry in the middle of the class! If that had of happened to me the previous times that I was in Weight Watchers, I would have just walked out of the class, but this time I don't have time for that, I just have to take each loss and allow it to add up to a great end result! However, the leader on Wednesday really helped me to not quit. This lovely lady was filling in for my usual leader and she was so kind and I felt like she truly understood how disappointed and upset I was feeling! I didn't feel patronized or pushed to the side, she sat with me and gave me some tips and tricks, she even wrote out a typical day which she would have food wise and gave it to me so I could bring it home and try to follow it. Although I have been extremely good food wise since I rejoined, this leader really encouraged me to go back to basics and even to try new things out which may help my weight loss this week. Although my weigh in isn't until this Wednesday ( and I could be jinxing it), I have found these tips so simple yet so effective! So here are a few things which I have tried out this week for you to also try, whether you are in week1, 2 or 3 of your own journey! Water, water and more waterOK I know this isn't a new thing, of course water is good for you and it helps weight loss but I am and always have been an absolute disaster when it comes to drinking water. The thing is, I just don't drink enough of it! I always forget about it! Not only is it extremely dangerous to not keep hydrated ( we all know what happened to me in week two of healthy eating - I was dehydrated!) especially when you are exercising, it really helps your weight loss, massively! The leader on Wednesday said that she had a similar week during her journey like mine last week, where she felt like she had a great week but the scales only showed that she was half a pound down and she felt that did not show how hard she worked that week at all! She said the following week she made sure to drink 2 liters a day and then the following week, the scales showed that she was 3 pounds down! Don't get me wrong, I definitely have not drank 2 liters a day, baby steps people! But I have definitely upped my daily water intake this week. One tip that the leader ( I can't remember her name!!) gave us was to buy the small kids bottles of water around your house/ apartment, i.e one on the stairs, one in the hall, one by the cooker, one by your bed etc., and each time you pass a bottle you have to take a few sips out of it. Yes the bottles are small, but at least you are getting more than you would have done and if you are like me and simply forget to drink water, it reminds you! Another way to remind yourself would be to set a reminder on your phone or if you have a food diary or tracker, write it in your tracker so that when you go to look at it, you will remember to drink it! Baby steps! Plan a day beforeI think for me the hardest part about Weight Watchers and indeed any sort of weight loss plan is the planning and time that is required. You can't leave the house for the day without planning and bringing your lunch with you, otherwise you can forget about it! Of course there are times that you can't bring your own food, I am hardly going to bring a salad to a restaurant, but if there is a day you are meeting someone for lunch you can at least plan the rest of your day around it in advance, making sure you have a low enough day so that your lunch will not effect your day and you will still be on track. Even if you aren't heading out for food, planning is key! You need to make sure that whatever you are planning on eating that you have all of the ingredients, because if you go to make something and realise you don't have the correct ingredients, that can throw you off track! Planning also helps you when you are having an off day and all you want is to stuff your face with everything but if you have a plan, you are more than likely to stick to it! On Saturday, we had some friends up for drinks and games, so I decided to make myself some homemade hummus to go with carrots and peppers for a snack. I also made Chicken Kebabs so that when i was getting hungry and I had pizza on for everyone else, I wasn't tempted to eat the pizza! All I had to go was pop the kebabs in the oven and just like that I was satisfied and still on plan! Planning allows you to still have a life, but you are just prepared and able to still stay on track! take the stairs!Of course we know that exercise is great for mind, body and soul and of course we know that regular exercise also helps weight loss, however, sometimes things pop up and we can't make it to a class or we simply can't face the gym. Although I encourage people to workout even for 20 minutes as it improves your head, sometimes we can't no matter what we try to do, life can get in the way! Instead, why not just take the stairs to your apartment instead of getting the lift or if you have two bathrooms, why not walk upstairs instead of using the downstairs loo. These may seem like tiny little things, but each extra step you take will help you towards your weekly goal and soon it will all become a habit! By all means if you can, try to workout at least three times a week as taking the stairs is simply not enough however it is something extra that you can do that will definitely help you! For me I love walking and swimming. I find they both help clear the head and they each work a lot of muscles, however we live in Ireland and sometimes it is hard to motivate yourself to face the hail stones and winds that seems to surround our little island these days, so the leader suggested that if the weather is so bad, why not drive to your local big shopping center and do laps of it! I know it sounds a little crazy, but you are still walking and you can even treat yourself to an americano at the end of it! The bad weather is simply not an excuse to not move! If walking is your preferred form of exercise why not treat yourself to a fit bit or even download an app on your phone which can record the amount of steps you take where you can keep track of each day and this will motivate you to smash your own records! Swap and experiment!Healthy eating and weight loss programs can sometimes feel very repetitive and frankly boring. It can be so easy to be fed up and just want to eat a burger! However you have t remember you are doing this for YOU, no one else but for YOU and it is up to you to keep this weight loss journey interesting! Some people find it easy to eat the same things day in and day out but I am not one of those people! I like to try at least one new thing for dinner a week, whether it is the easiest thing on the planet that doesn't really matter, as long as you try something new that is all that matters. There are so many different recipes available out there, sometimes it is just knowing where to look! The weight Watchers books you get in class are very good with giving different ideas and the best part is is that they give you the points value so you don't have to calculate it yourself! Recently, my friend Fíona introduced me to a website called Slimming Eats: www.slimmingeats.com/blog/about. This a a blog page set up by a lady living in Canada, where she shares your recipes which, get this, have the Slimming World and Weight Watchers values for each recipe worked out! I have only tried a handful of recipes but I have looked through her plans and they are very unusual yet very filling and tasty. You can choose whether you want an easy or slightly more difficult recipe, so it is perfect for everyone! A lot of the meals feel like you are having a really bold and fat filled meal when in fact you are right in track! When you are counting points and tracking everything, sometimes there seems to be no way to have your favourite chocolate bar now and again, right? Well, on Wednesday, the leader informed me that in a pint of unsweetened almond milk there are 2 smart points where as in a pint of semi- skimmed milk are there 11 points!!! And if you are like me and like to have Weetabix and gallons of coffee, you are definitely using those 11 points a day easily! SO for me, it was a no brainer to switch milk this week, and yes there is a difference in the taste, however a week later and I have just gotten used to it! It means I can have a packet of chocolate buttons now and again! Another substitute which I have tried is cauliflower rice. Before you start thinking I have totally lost it, yes of course it isn't normal rice however with chicken and curry sauce, you would hardly know the difference! It is also fab in a stir fry and is very filling! I have also swapped mince for quorn so it means the normally high points dinners such as a lasagna is now relatively low and I can still have a treat during the day! buddy up!You know how it is, it is so hard to get up and go for a walk but if you have a friend, sister or a mam who is willing to go with you, it seems ten times easier to face the dark nights and workout right? It is the same for weight loss. I love having my mam doing the same plan because it means we can share recipes and different tricks that we find helpful along the way. It is also great to have the support. Don't get me wrong, Mark is a great support however there is no way he will ever swap rice for cauliflower!! So it is great to have the support from someone who is doing it too and who gets it! Unfortunately, we all don't have someone who is doing it with us, so another way to get your support system is through the classes provided by Slimming World and Weight Watchers. Any other time i went to Weight Watchers I would get weighed and make some excuse as to why I couldn't stay for the class. However this time, I am trying to stay for each class, even when I am not happy with the number on the scales that day. It is a great way to meet new people, hear how everyone is getting on and to know that you are not the only one who is growing through it because weight loss is bloody tough and emotionally draining!! So it is nice to have people around you that understand what you are going through! So guys, there you have it, there are the five tricks which I have tried to incorporate into my weight journey this week. Of course you don't have to do all five at once, even if you pick two to work on this week and then three next week, these little changes will help to motivate you, to keep you interested and most of all to help you towards your ultimate goal! Fingers crossed the hard work this week has paid off, I will let you all know on Wednesday and if you try any of these tricks let me know how you get on! I hope you all have a good week and remember to stay positive! Love as always, Em X
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January 2018
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