Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Poking fun at it all

Thought of the day

Week 14 the verdict

I'm up half a pound and I'm not happy about it at all! I don't know why I reach half a stone loss and then self destruct!

I got no exercise in at all last week and it really showed! So far my plans to exercise have not come to fruition bit I will change that tomorrow!

Here's to a more successful week 15

Monday, January 30, 2012

Hurray for Marian Keyes

I received a wonderful email today from Marian Keyes' website informing me that her new newsletter was ready for reading.  I am a HUGE Marian Keyes fan.  I love everyone of her books from Watermelon right through to the Brightest Star in the Sky.  She is an amazing author. Her books are clever and funny and have just right amount of sentimentality and heart.  Her characters are brilliant.  I've never read books where I can't wait to find out more about the characters.  Her creation of the Walsh family and their stories has kept me entertained for many a year now.  They are books that I will happily read, again and again and again and again! So to hear that she is releasing another book about the final Walsh has me extremely excited! I can't wait to read it.

It's a happy Monday (to distract me from the fear of the scales)....

Damn it, it's weigh day

Damn it, it's weigh day again and this week has not been my best week!
Between working late, visitors and downright laziness I did no exercise this week. None at all whatsoever. My routine was out of sync (and I didn't do a whole lot to get it back into sync). I don't know what the heck is wrong with me! When I reach my 7lb, I loose the plot and then stop trying. That flippin self destruct button is always close to being pushed! Think I need therapy!

Anyway, I have decided that last week was a "rest" week and that this week is a "get back on that saddle and ride til your skinny" week.

I was out this weekend. Not once, not twice but three times. I was out for drinks on Friday night with himself's family to celebrate the 39th Anniversary of himself's uncle turning 21 (I'll let you do the math).  It was a fantastic night and loads of fun had by all. Then we headed out again for our friends birthday on Saturday night. That resulted in not getting home till after 3am having consumed copious amounts of Corrs Light, somethings called Cointreau Bombs (like a Jagger bomb with Cointreau instead) and accidentally leaning on a strangers puke... Needless to say I wasn't feeling overly sociable yesterday.

Although, despite the seedy head upon my both Saturday and Sunday afternoons, I didn't eat a single crisp or fizzy jelly (until we  got a DVD last night and I ate some jelly beans and popcorn, though not a lot!!!)

Then the hat-trick that rounded off the weekend was out for dinner last night because neither of us had it in us to cook anything. So what did I order? I had a dirty big beef burger and chips - although, once again, I didn't actually eat all of the chips!

So the plan for this week:

Move, move lots more than last week! Kettlebells, running, Davina McCall. Aiming for 8 hours this week so need to get going!
Cook all my dinners and lunches tonight for the whole week. I'll be working late, going to exercise classes and need to be eating on the go.
Keep all of my 49 ProPoints for the weekend because I have got a wedding to attend!

Will keep you posted on the outcome.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Week 13 - the verdict

So it's week 13 and I have ditched another 1.5lb! I'm delighted but really thought I'd have lost a little more than that! Obviously all my running and kettlebell-ing is paying off though and in fairness I was out Saturday night and had quite a few bottles of beer which definitely went over my weekly points allowance!

All in all not a bad week!

I didn't achieve my goal of 8 hours exercise this week. I managed 5.30 hours this week. Next week I will aim for the 8 hours again.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Exercise balls - feck it!

Kettlebells was an experience last night! I picked the wrong weight to begin with. And by picking I mean it was the only one left because I was so late. So I was trotting around the circuit with a heavier than usual weight and by god did I feel it! So the circuit last night was a little different in that the trainer included exercise balls for us to to do sit ups, the plank and this other thing that looked like we were kneeling down saying our prayers and rolling forward on the ball.

It turns out, should you ever enter a competition that requires balance related skill, do not pick me for your team because you will absolutely loose. I cannot use it. I swear, I am ridiculous.

Firstly, when I sat on it I was instantly afraid the bloody thing was going to pop (that's the warped view of myself kicking in right there). Then doing the sit ups I was so afraid that I was going to roll off the blasted thing that I couldn't commit to the Up bit! On the next round of the circuit we had to do the praying thing. That wasn't too bad. I managed to do it, but didn't look half as long or graceful as my friend did (probably because I am not, in fact, half as long or graceful but that is neither here nor there). On the third way round we had to do this plank thing.

I made a holy show of myself. The group before us (and after us for that matter) didn't seem to have any problem in doing this. I, on the other hand, was an entirely different ball game (hehehe you get it!).

I couldn't do it. I was trying to hold myself up and steady but the ball kept moving on me. I was rolling to left and right and instead of just letting myself topple over I fought it, so I looked even worse. I nearly knocked my friend off her ball and the same with the girl who was in our group. Eventually, after a lot of trying the bloody thing shot out from underneath me, flying across the room drawing attention to my unbalanced self and sent me flying to the ground. I thought my friend was going to get sick laughing at me.

So to all those in the class that could manage that particular gem i say Damn you sporty folk and the exercise balls you rolled in on....

So it's all my metabolism's fault


Here's a very interesting article on our metabolism and how it affects us depending on our age... I know I'm clinging on to my 20-somethings by my fingernails,  but by jaysus I'll continue to cling on in there until the candle on my cake says 'oh no, its the big 30!"

http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/stay-slim-forever-121143236.html

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Kettlebells - third class

Back from my kettlebells class and learned a new trick with the monstrous weight! I learnt to swing and flick (said in a repetitive monologue inside my head in the same voice a Hermione Granger tells Ron to 'swish and flick' in the first Harry Potter- apologies for the tangent!)

Any who! It's a difficult enough move, especially because I haven't quite figured out how to stop it bashing in to my arm! I bruise like a peach so I'll be lovely and blue tomorrow!!

Oh the squats! They are feckin hard enough without adding a bloody weight in there but I did them! There was a frightening moment when I really didn't think I was coming back up from a particularly enthusiastic one! I did my little sit down, dropping the bell as I squatted. I went to pull the bell back up and stand straight with the intention of squeezing my but-tock (said like forest gump), but nothing happened. It was like someone pressed pause on the bottom half of my body! Then I had a wobble and thought "a feck, I'm going down"!

Thankfully nothing as embarrassing as that happened and with a rush of gratitude for Davina McCall and her DVD which I can only assume deserves the credit for my newly acquired balance, I huffed into a stand position, had a squeeze of my but-tock and put the bell down!

Much to my delight the class was pretty much over at that point!

My brain was loving the class! It totally enjoyed every second, so much so that it couldn't believe it was time to go!

The rest of my body on the other hand! Well let's just say that it's less than polite response to brain was something along the lines of your not doing the physical work so stop encouraging her!!!

I'll be punished tomorrow!!!

Looking forward to Thursday's class! It's a circuit!

Monday, January 16, 2012

Goals for week commencing 16 January 2012

Since last weeks goal setting went so well, I have decided to do it again this week and see how I go.

This weeks goals are:

  1. Loose -2.5lb
  2. A minimum of 8 hours exercise
    • 2 x 3.5 mile jogs
    • 2 x Kettlebell classes
    • 5 x 30 Minute workouts
    • 3 x 30 minute jogs
  3. Defrost my freezer
  4. Clean the back bedroom
  5. Learn to make WW Scones

Week 12 - the Verdict

I'm down -2.5lb and delighted with myself. I said that I wanted to loose a minimum of 2.5lb this week and I have achieved that, although I would be happier if I lost a little bit more!! But it's ok! I've achieved this weeks goal and am proud of myself.

Next weeks goal is the same -2.5lb. The same amount of work is going to have to go into this weeks effort plus some!!! Here's to an excellent week

Exercise tip

Thought for the day

Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise

~ Sigmund Freud

It's weigh day

It's the 13th Weigh day and it's the first one that I am actually not feeling dreadful about. I am confident that with the amount of exercise I did (just over 7 hours, thank you very much) and the careful pointing and tracking I should have a loss on the scales! I will be happy with a loss of 2lb!

I was counting up the hours of exercise I did over the last week, and I'll be honest, I was shocked. I don't think I have willingly moved that much in years! Thankfully, my thighs, gluetes and calves have decided to give up the rebellion and fall in line with the regime. Just need to get my arms and stomach to follow suit and sure we'll be laughing!

I decided this weekend that I needed to set myself a date to work towards. My goals are good but I need something big to get me up and moving more. So, on the 14 April 2012 I will be going for my first wedding dress shopping trip. If that doesn't motivate me, nothing will. I just need to remember that I break out in a sweat every time I think of 'the fear'... (aka accidental ripping a dress or something equally as shameful happening to me!)

So here's hoping tonight's scales reflects all my hard work, otherwise I'll be devo!

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Goals to be achieved for the week commencing 9 January 2012


The goals for this week?

- Join Kettle Bells
- Go for 45 minute runs
- Do 4 sessions of Davina's DVD
- Stay within my points
- Defrost my freezer
- Put clothes into wardrobe
- Loose 2lb

Above are the goals I had set myself to be achieved by the end of the week commencing 9 Jan.

So far, of these goals I have achieved;

Joining Kettlebells and completing 2 classes
Going for 3 runs 45 mins or more plus 1 hour long walk
I only achieved 2 sessions of Davinas DVD
I have stayed within my points

I will need to wait until tomorrow to see if I he achieved my 2lb weight loss but I am feeling quite positive!

Friday, January 13, 2012

Tweaks to the ProPoints Plan

I was reading the February edition of the WW magazine from the UK last night and it had an interesting article in it regarding the tweaks to the ProPoints plan.

Ok, so firstly they have been researching for the last year and have discovered that it is nutritionally and healthy to drop to 26 daily ProPoints and 49 Weekly ProPoints. The first week back we were given a menu plan for the the week, kind of like the kickstart week on the old points plan. It's all laid out for you and pointed up. My leader reckons that this is a good way to kickstart the weight loss and is also a good way for people close to their goal weight or who have reached a plateau to drop the pounds.

Now, according to the magazine article I was reading (which I don't have to hand but will get a copy of), with the tweaks that have been made to the plan, it is possible to have a "count free day" in that if there is something going on, such as a wedding or a day out, it is possible not to count your points and just eat until you are satisfied. BUT you must only choose filling and healthy foods. If you choose foods that are not these i.e. Green shaded in the book, then you must point them and these are taken out of your weekly 49 ProPoints. They reckon it is a good idea to do this because it helps prepare you for maintenance.

According to the article, you can eat as much as you like, as long as you stop when you are satisfied and you can do this as many days as you like. Interesting no?

I am going to do the kickstart week next week, just to see how well it goes.

Thought for the day

Success is a journey, not a destination

~ Ben Sweetland 

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

First kettlebells class complete

I have just come back from my first kettlebells class with Dinny the instructor of Fingal Kettlebells. It was unbelievable! It was hard and sweaty and good fun and I'll be going backing tuesday!

We'll see how I feel tomorrow though....

The Six Secrets of the Most Successful Slimmers - Courtesy of Rachael Anne Hill


 

The six secrets of the most successful slimmers

It's that time again when we all resolve to clean up our eating habits, get fit and lose weight but statistics show that less than 5% of us actually succeed long term.  So what does it take to make sure that you win the war against weight gain?
According to the National Weight Control Registry (a massive ongoing US study that has tracked the eating and exercise habits of over 10,000 people who have successfully lost at least 30 pounds for a year or longer) there are six habits that set the successful slimmers apart.

Habit 1: Successful slimmers are realistic goal setters
Instead of focusing on a weight that they would like to be to look good they focus on a weight that they know will help them feel good.
It's no use being super slim but eternally hungry or tired. Focus instead on a weight that is realistic for your body, one that will help you to be healthy and happy long term. Ask yourself what is the lightest I have been in my adult life for a period lasting longer than six months. This will give you a good idea of what is a realistic and achievable weight for you.

Habit 2: Successful slimmers want to be a 'tortoise' not a 'hare'
Weight losses of the study's participants have ranged from 30 to 300lbs and have taken between one and 14 years.
Whilst no-one is suggesting you should take 14 years to achieve your goals, these statistics do emphasise the importance of taking a slow and steady approach. Long term success is never achieved with a fast fix solution so aim to lose no more than two pounds a week. Any more than this and it is highly likely you'll be losing lean muscle tissue which will only reduce your body's ability to burn calories in the long run.

Habit 3: Successful slimmers take full responsibility
They realise that there is no point blaming external people or circumstances for their weight.  They also understand that they must lose weight for themselves — not to please others and accept that there are no magic pills or potions that will do it for them.
Be honest enough to identify the real reasons you have gained weight in the first place and have the courage to tackle those root causes head on. Accept that whilst others may be able to eat anything and never seem to gain a pound you simply cannot and therefore need to adopt an eating an exercising regime that takes this into account.

Habit 4: Successful slimmers exercise — a lot!
The successful participants lost weight in a number of ways, 55% with the help of some kind of programme whilst 45% achieved success by themselves.  However, almost all have found that in order to maintain their weight losses they need to exercise for approximately an hour a day.
Start by upping your general activity levels. 62% of the successful slimmers watched less than 10 hours of TV a week and 75% achieved their exercise hours through an increased amount of walking. Buy a pedometer and aim for the recommended 10,000 steps a day. Walk or cycle to work and back and power walk through your lunch breaks. Then, once you're moving more build in some structured exercise on top. Start attending fitness classes, swim after work, enroll in a tennis club or take up dancing. Whatever you do, find a way of exercising that fits with your lifestyle and adds quality to your life.

Habit 5: Successful slimmers don't even try to be perfect
They understand that to be a long term success it's all about getting it right most of the time — but not all! They don't ban foods and they certainly don't beat themselves up when they 'fall off the wagon'. They see exercise and healthy eating as something they deserve to have in their lives to help them feel better not as a grueling regime or a punishment. They eat smaller portions which enable them to have the odd treat here and there and they don't just reward themselves with food. They understand the value in other rewards such as a manicure or a hot bath and they don't obsess over the scales.

Habit 6: Successful slimmers eat real food
They also eat at regular intervals. 78% ate breakfast every day and almost all monitored calories or portion sizes but steered clear of pills, potions or pre-packed diet foods.
Eat at least seven servings of fresh fruit and vegetables a day along side good quality, slow releasing carbohydrates. Limit fat, sugar and alcohol and adopt a consistent eating pattern regardless of whether it's a weekday, weekend or holiday.  Make sure you listen to your body too and only eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full.

(article taken from http://www.yahoo.ie/)

Thought of the day

Week 11 - The Verdict

I am a little disappointed that I am up 0.5lb but it's not a big deal. It's only half a pound and if I am entirely honest, I am not that surprised. I think I got off a little lightly over chrsitmas and that maybe it's taking me a little while to ramp up.

I am completely motivated to loose 7lb by the end of January. It is happening!! I am joining Kettlebells tonight with two lovely friends of mine. I have heard tales of marvelous weight loss and body shape changes and all sorts of magical things that come from such a class. So I'm going to go at it like a bat out of hell (or something else that goes really fast).

Here's to a new week with wonderful losses!

Monday, January 9, 2012

It's Weigh Day ....

Image courtesy of shutterstock.com

It's weigh day today and I'm not feeling all that confident. Damn my love of going out and having a good time and thinking 'feck it, sure it'll be alright'! Was out for dinner in Eddie Rockets on Friday night and it was delicious. I didn't stick to my plan, sure why would I? Where's the fun in that? Nothing like a bit of self sabotage to get the weekend rolling in the right direction. So instead of ordering my chicken in a bowl and regular fries, I ordered the chicken fillet burger and fries smuthered in cheese. It was so tasty that I could happily have climbed up into the bowl and lived there!

Saturday was a much more disciplined affair, until I got to the restaurant. I woke up and did about 45 minutes of my Davina McCall DVD. Then I had a lovely breakfast of egg, toast and parma ham followed by a lunch of veggie soup. Not of the home made variety, but one of the Dunnes stores soups that kind of look like the Cully and Sully soup. It was 6 ProPoints but very tasty. When i went out for dinner and ordered a cocktail (or four) and then had loaded potato skins which had mashed spud, bacon and lots and lots of cheese (are you seeing a trend here). Followed up with Spicy Wedges and chicken enchiladas covered in? Yep, you guessed it, more cheese. DELICIOUS!

Yesterday was better though. I was very good. I even went for a run for nearly an hour which is unheard of after a night out. This happened primariliy because I had to leave the celelbrations early on Saturday night due to pesky strobe lights and lazers in the night club we were in. Couldn't risk having a seizure after so long being seizure free!

But here we are at Monday and I am in possesion of my 20/20 hindsight vision and I know that I didn't do enough to loose anything tonight. A whole week of being good and doing the right stuff ruined in 72 hours!

This week will be better!

Thought for the day

What happens is not as important as how you react to what happens

~ Thaddeus Golas

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Yummy snack for 2ProPoints

Mmmm... Just had a tasty little snack of an organic Strawberry yogurt by Glenisk!

For only 2 ProPoints sure it's perfect!!

New favourite thing!

The Goals for Week Commencing 9 January 2012

This week shall be a good week. I know this because I have no engagements that will lead me to alcohol and eating out bar a wee date with Himself at the cinema. I also know it will be a good week because this weeks dinners are prepared and freezng as we speak. Finaly, it will be a good week because I am joining Kettle Bells on Tuesday night.

The goals for this week?

- Join Kettle Bells
- Go for 45 minute runs
- Do 4 sessions of Davina's DVD
- Stay within my points
- Defrost my freezer
- Put clothes into wardrobe
- Loose 2lb

Simple and easy to achieve. Lets see where we get to this time next week.

This weeks Mantra

Run Fat Bi*ch, Run!

I am in no way calling myself a fat bitch, but I want to run more this week and find this quite a motivator!! This is stolen from the title of a book which is getting great reviews and I am dying to readby Ruth Field

Link to Eason's website below for a review and if you would like to purchase

http://www.easons.com/display.asp?ISB=679677_410

Friday, January 6, 2012

Thought of the day

Fall down seven times, get up eight

~ Japanese Proverb

Eddie Rockets ProPointed Menu

I am going out for a bite to eat with two of my most favorite people on the planet (at least two of some of my most favorite) and a catch up. Eddie Rockets was the decided upon venue. I decided to do a little research and see what ProPoint's I am looking at and exactly how much I'd have to move my backside over the next couple of days because my 49 ProPoints are being saved up to celebrate the turning 30 of one of my other most favorite people on the planet!

Anyway, courtesy of http://www.magicmum.com/ member Angel09 I have this list (just so you know what your getting)

Classic hamburger-19pp
Classic with cheese (cheddar)-23pp
Smokestack-35pp
Double take-28pp
The veggie-16pp
Fish (in a bun)-16pp
Hamburger in a bowl-9pp
Chicken fillet burger-14pp
Chicken in a bowl-4pp
Buffalo wings (4,without sauce)-6pp
6 chicken tenders (no sauce)-11pp
Foot long hot dog-5pp

Regular fries -14pp
mash-2pp (not sure if that's right,medium potatoes are 3 pp in the book)

Caeser salad-7pp
Caeser with chicken-11pp

Float (coke,orange,sprite,8oz)-11pp
Diet coke float (8oz)-5pp
Malt shake-28pp :(
Knickerbocker glory-11pp.

I'm going for chicken in a bowl!

Nollaig na mBan Shona Dhuit (Happy Womens Christmas to you)

Today is Nollaig na mBan in Ireland. Also known as Little Christmas. I learned today that this day is the day when the women of Ireland hang up their aprons, down their cooking utensils, cleaning utensils and get together for a chin wag and a laugh and leave the chores to the men folk in their lives. It's an old tradition, apparently, and one that is dying out. Not in my house, I can tell you. No sir-ee! I shall be heading home and telling himself, 'Oi, cook for yourself, it's my Christmas!' and I will also say, You can do the cleaning, the washing and ironing, I'm not doing... oh wait. Hang on a sec. Now that I think of it, the only thing I actually do in the house is the cooking and maybe a little bit of washing up after the dinner. So, eh, perhaps I'll keep me gob shut and say nothing.

It has been quite a distressing Nollaig na mBan and I am rather looking forward to it being over! Apart from having a stressful day in work with a lot of demands being placed upon my weary shoulders. The day started off dreadfully. It was quite vexing if I am to be honest. .

My car wouldn't start.

Now I'm not sure if you are aware, but the morning time wouldn't be my favorite time of the day and lets just say I am less than approachable. I have my routine down to a T. Don't speak to me. Acknowledge me with only a nod if you must. Leave me be until I've had some breakfast, some tea and a chance to come into the morning. So needless to say, discovering that my car is banjaxed didn't endear me to this first Friday of the year.

Then, to make things worse, I took out my phone and went to dial the first number I always dial when something of this nature goes wrong (or actually when anything goes wrong really). I went to dial my Dad's number. Just as I was about to press dial, I remembered there was little point in calling that number. My Dad no longer lives 20 minutes away from me. He now lives a good 3 and half to 4 hours away in Donegal. His particular living arrangement was less than helpful to my situation. So I got annoyed with him. I decided to ring the house to give out to him for up-ing and leaving me four years ago to live in the back of beyond. I was going to ask him 'who do you think you are abandoning your first born and leaving her to fend for herself'? (In the more rational afternoon light I realise that it is quite difficult for a parent to abandon a 29 year old, them being an adult and all). Thankfully, he didn't answer and my text appeared somewhat humorous to him.

I shall ring to apologise later this evening.

Once I got over my anger, I got upset. It was only 815 and I was on an emotional rollarcoaster to rival that of any Disney Land attraction. I wanted to cry because who else could I phone? My dad was the one that would have come over and picked me up, dropped me to work, fixed the car and picked me up from work (realising, again, in the cold light of the afternoon that this is rather spoiled!). So eventually I realised that I have got Himself in my life and he is now solely responsible for emergencies such as these (providing of course my Dad isn't in the vicinity), so I rang him instead. And he gave me instruction on what to do.

Call Himself's Uncle who is a mechanic and who, much to my eternal appreciation, came up to the house right away and sorted it all out for me.

Himself also organised for me to have a lift into work so that I wouldn't need to deal with public transport and the weirdos that seek me out on it first thing in the morning.

Essentially, I was saved and Himself and his uncle are my hero's (when my dad is not around, when my dad is around no one can be a hero but him).

So, what has this got to do with weight loss? i hear you ask. Well my little friends. This is the type of debacle that, I am ashamed to say, would normally set me over the edge into a pity party and eating frenzy (I swear, that's how important my morning routine is to me!). But today! Well today it didn't have that effect.

I had planned to sit waiting for my lift to work while polishing off the remainder of the Roses (even the orange and pink ones that no one likes). I nearly had the tin out. But i stopped. I thought about how I'd feel when i scoffed the lot. I asked would it change the shite start to the morning? The answer was NO! It wouldn't change a thing except that I'd feel even more shite for blowing my points!

That to me is progress... Remember the epic fall from the wagon I had two weeks before Christmas?!!!

Nollaig na mBan Shona Dhuit agus Athbhliain faoi Mhaise Duit

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Week 10 - The Verdict

I am delighted to report that the scales did not explode / blow up / yell at me to stop squashing it. I thought that it might. Instead it was rather kind to me and told me that I am only up 1.5lb, which is far less than what I imagined or expected because lets face it, my alcohol consumption over the Chritmas period had reached 'drink it off a sore leg' levels!

So i'm only up 1.5lb, but I absolutely did not achieve my goal that I set, so I shall not be treating myself this month. But next month, by the end of January 2012 I'll have smashed my goal to pieces!

Thought for the day


Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new

~ Albert Einstein

It's the first Weigh Day of 2012

Image courtesy of looneytunes09.wordpress.com

It's the first weigh in of 2012 and I'm starting to get a little nervous. I really wish I had done less of the eating, drinking and being merry and more of the running, tracking and pointing!!! But not to worry, the time machine I am currently working on is taking longer than anticipated to perfect, next year I'll be able to go back and correct all the mistakes I make once I've learned the lessons!

So what do I think is going to happen? Well I definitely think that I will have missed my goal of achieving a 7lb weight loss by 31 December 2011.  That's one goal that has definitely passed me by. But it's OK, I'm getting right back into it and I'll have achieved my goal of -7lb by the end of January 2012!!

I've also had a good chat with the various body parts the rebel against my exercising (they being my thighs, glutes and calves). I have told them I have prepared an exercises plan for the week. 1 hour a day. Regardless of their protests it's happening. I will get us nice and skinny in no time!

I'm all set for the week. Meal plans are done. Dinners are cooked and frozen and just need to be defrosted and reheated. Lunches are well and truly planned, today's lunch was actually really very tasty altogether!

Dinners this week include:
Creamy Chicken Pie
Beef Chilli HotPot
Moroccan Stew
Meatball pasta bake
Thai pork and egg fried rice
Prawn Nachos

I'll be going out for my dinner on Saturday night to celebrate one of my best friends turning the big 30! Herself, her hubby and myself and H2B shall eat nice food and dance the night away!

Fingers crossed I don't blow up the scales tonight. It'd be awful disappointing for new members!!

Wish me luck!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Waist Circumference - Health Advice from Weight Watchers

This is an article I found on http://www.weightwatchers.ie/fitness-and-health/health/health-archive/waist-circumference.html

Weight Watchers dietitian, Zoe Hellman, explains why your waistline is an important indicator of your health.
As the weight of Ireland as a nation increases, so waistlines are expanding. With these excess inches, come the added health risks of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Apple Or Pear?

Most people have one of two body shapes; often referred to as apple and pear shaped figures. People who store fat around their middle (abdomen) are said to be apple-shaped and tend to have a greater risk of developing conditions such as heart disease. Losing weight and reducing excess inches around your waist will help to reduce this risk.
Those whose fat is stored around their hips and thighs are said to be pear-shaped and tend to have a lower risk of developing conditions like high blood pressure. Before you pull out a tape measure to measure your middle, read on to find out how to do it accurately.
  1. Find the bottom of your ribs and top of your hip bone.
  2. Breathe out naturally whilst standing.
  3. Place a tape measure in the middle of these points and wrap it around your waist (for many people this is where the tummy button is)
  4. Check your measurement against the table below
HealthyIncreased Health RiskHigh Health Risk
MenLess than 94cm (37")Higher than 94cm (37")Higher than 102cm (40")
WomenLess than 80cm (32")Higher than 80cm (32")Higher than 88cm (35")
If your waistline is above a healthy level, the good news is that losing weight and shedding those excess inches around your waist can really help to reduce the potential health risks.
And incorporating more activity into your daily life can help too. Recent studies have shown that people with low activity levels are more than twice as likely to have a waist circumference above healthy level compared to those with high activity levels.
Losing inches from around your waist can be a great indicator of weight loss success and a brilliant way to stay motivated if the scales don’t always show a change in your weight.

Set Up For Success

Goal setting is best when you don’t bite off more than you can chew. Steady progress working towards realistic goals is the way to stay motivated and achieve your ultimate aim of your Goal Weight.
For most people, losing a relativity small amount of weight, about 5-10%, is enough to reduce the health risks associated with being overweight, like type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure that can lead to the development of heart disease.
There are also huge benefits for emotional health; people who have lost 5-10% of their body weight report improvements in quality of life, symptoms of depression and perception of appearance, energy and vitality.
So, aim for your first 5% and get off to a flying start for your motivation – and your health!

Happy New Year

2011 ended perfectly!! It was spent with himself and our wonderful nephew (well, really he's himself's nephew I've just claimed him as mine cause he's brilliant!). We had loads of fun babysitting and playing with him. Waking up in 2012 to the words 'Choo Choo' was possibly one of the best starts!

So what does the new year bring? For me its the end of the holiday feasting, or at least it will be from tomorrow. It's back into running and even taking up Kettle Bells!

What's a kettle bell? Have a look below!
Image Courtesy of kettlebellexerciseshq.com


Kind of looks like Mickey Mouse (clearly that's from spending too long watching the Junior Channel with my lovely nephew)! Apparently this thing is going to tone me and help me loose weight. Isn't it exciting!! Now, considering I struggle with my little 1kg weights, I think that this is going to be a hilarious class for me. One that requires strength, coordination and balance... things I possess in abundance you might say. Actually, no, you wouldn't say that at all, but sure feck it we'll give it a bash and see how it goes!!!

New years resolutions? I don't want to say that I've made any, because to be fair, I always break them within a couple of days. But I do plan on continuing with the changes I have made.

1. Continue with WW and reach my goal weight by 31 December 2012
2. Continue with running and fitness
3. Complete the women's mini marathon in June 2012
4. Continue being a non-smoker!

It's not a lot, and I have been doing all of this since October (well, the training for the mini marathon is to begin). Need to trick myself into believing that these are not new years resolutions, as you know from reading my blog I am mildly rebellious and like to self sabotage.

I have big plans and goals and desires for 2012 and they ALL revolve around getting fit and healthy so I can stand on my best friends altar with pride and a skinny ass!!

Here's to 2012 being the year that I achieve my goals, don't self sabotage and have the time of my life planning the biggest day of our lives!

Happy 2012 to you all

xxx