The inevitable 'review of the year' post

Being New Year's Eve, I had to write the inevitable 'review of the year' post really.

Towards the end of 2012, it was pretty good as we'd just got married. However, spoiling our honeymoon period a little, I lost my job last December. This led to my depression going from mild to moderate/severe, which (of course) led to compulsive overeating. I gained back almost all of the stone I'd lost in 2012 (a 12lb gain, to be exact) over about 3 months.

So I was feeling pretty useless last winter, but thankfully an opportunity to do some admin for a carers' charity came up. This helped me to feel rather less useless, gave me some good work experience and (most importantly) helped them out for a few months.

In feeling better about myself I was able to start losing some weight again. As summer rolled round, the work at the charity dried up, but by then I was back on the Fluoxetine (an antidepressant) so I was able to continue feeling better.

In July, I did a course in employability and computer skills - something else to boost my self-esteem. That was months ago and I'm still not in work, but the ECDL qualification should help me to get something eventually.

Talking of self-esteem, perhaps the best thing for my mental health this year has been the Self-Esteem group  I've attended (run by the NHS). Knowing that other people feel a similar way to me, and having a structured course and good advice from the ladies who ran it on how to work on not feeling like that, has been very helpful. The course was largely based on a book called Overcoming Low Self-Esteem. I made some good friends on that course, who I hope to continue seeing.

I can't say I'm fixed quite yet, but I'm getting there! My new year's resolutions are about working towards getting better, and getting my life back on track.

The main life-back-on-track resolution is to get a job. Rather more easily said than done, but essential for my mental health and my husband's.

I also want to lose at least a stone, perhaps even a stone and a half (21lbs) to get to my goal weight. To get to a size 12 in 2014 would be a nice achievement.

Another resolution is to continue to work on my mental health. To be kinder yet firmer with myself in working towards improving my life.

I'd also like to be more creative in 2014, so I've started a new art journal. Not in a diary like previous years, so no pressure to record every day. I intend to draw/write something as often as I can though, whether it is a positive affirmation, an emotional rant or just a doodle.

At my heaviest this year, I weighed 11st 4lbs (in March I think), and at my last weigh-in of the year (20th Dec) I weighed 10st 1lb - a loss of 1st 3lbs (17lbs) in 2013. If I can have a similar loss in 2014, I'll be very close to my goal! Dread to to think what I weigh after the Christmas eating and drinking though ...

Happy New Year to anyone who might be reading this. We'll be spending it with Big Bang Theory and wine. Here's to a 2014 full of possibilities! 

Nearly halfway there!

So, after a couple of months of ups and downs, I've got down to the lowest weight I've been since I started Weight Watchers. I lost 1/2lb this week, taking me down to 10st 9.5lb, which is a loss of 26lbs (1st 11.5lb) so far, woo. I have just 2.5lbs to go until I'm halfway there, and will have lost 2st of the 4 I decided to lose when I started in February 2010. I should be able to lose those 2.5lbs in a couple of weeks - fingers crossed!

Want these shoes for my wedding!

I've bought my wedding dress (well, my Mum has anyway!) since I last posted, in a size smaller than I currently am. I'd love to be a size 12 (1st 2.5lbs (16.5lbs) to go) for my wedding day in the Autumn, though I'd still be happy with being on the slim end of size 14. I think size 14 is a more realistic goal! I'd have to have my dress taken in if I get any slimmer than that - not that that would be a bad thing at all :) Now I just need to get my shoes, jewellery, hair accessories ...

Image from Elle

I will have to treat myself to something nice once I reach that size 14 milestone. The shops are starting to get their Autumn ranges in, so it would be good to get me some new season clothes. Disappointing British summers tend to make me want to just skip this season altogether and go straight to Autumn. Fashion magazines start talking about A/W trends about now, and I get impatient to start wearing new things - nice jackets and such. Looks like there will be some decent military/utility jackets around this season - I do like this one from Burberry Prorsum, and their little bow belts - perfect for showing off the tiny little waist that I will have! I do like a bit of velvet too, which looks like it's coming back for A/W - a good incentive for slimming back into my size 14 velvet dresses. Though I'll probably end up going geek chic in a big knit like I usually do. At least I'll be on-trend!

A little treat

A half a pound weight loss this week, and 2.5lbs off last week, means that I now only have 3.5lbs to go until I'm 10st 7lb, halfway to goal, and a size 14. I've been planning for a while that I would treat myself to a few new clothes once I got to size 14, and this week I couldn't wait. I like to give myself some little non-food treats sometimes when I've lost weight, and Friday just happened to be payday. So I went to New Look straight after my meeting, saw some purple skinnies and tried them on. Size 14, and they zipped right up. So I had to have them.

I've been wearing a few 14s lately anyway - I wear a size 14 skirt to work most days. Won't be long til I've lost the 3.5lbs and I'm 'officially' a size 14! The jeans will fit better then, lol. It took me about 6 months to drop my first dress size, but that was nearly two years ago, so I've been waiting a long time for this! I have the wedding to motivate me now though, so I will get there, and beyond to size 12.

I have 1st 3.5lbs (17.5lbs) to go until I'm 9st 7lb, and a size 12. If I want to be there for the wedding, I have 17.5lbs to lose in 24 weeks. I can do it!

Inch Loss

So, in the past eight weeks, I have lost 2" from my waist, 1.5" from my hips, and 2" from my thigh. Gained half an inch on my upper arm though, randomly. Maybe I've gained muscle at the gym? An error in measurements is more likely though, and it is only half an inch after all!

I've lost on average half a pound a week since I restarted Weight Watchers. It's not a vast amount, but 4.5lbs (down from 11st 6lb to 11st 1.5lb) is enough of a loss to see a difference, so I'm happy. If I can lose 8.5lbs in the next 6 weeks I'll be a size 14 for my 30th birthday (29th April), which would be great, but I'll be happy to get there by the summer. The main goal for this year is to be a size 12 for our wedding, which will hopefully be at the end of October (even though we haven't got anything booked yet!), so fingers crossed (and eyes crossed so I can't see cakes) for that.

Back on it

Just been for my fourth meeting since I've restarted Weight Watchers, and I've lost a pound so far. Had lost 1/2 lb the second week, then put it back on (oops - naughty chips), and lost 1 lb this week. Feeling optimistic that I can keep it up :)

Hoping to lose a stone by the summer - I need to dig out a summery size 14 dress for inspiration :D

Another half pound off

Right. I've had 10 of my weekly points already, and weigh-in was only 12 hours ago. Think I should stop now :) Need to save some for tomorrow's Chinese takeaway, nom nom nom.

Another half pound off this week:



It's a little frustrating to only lose half a pound, but I have to remember that every loss is good! 3.5lbs to go til I get to 10st 7, and get my next silver 7. Hopefully I'll finally manage to get there by the end of this month.

Hopefully 10st 7 will mean size 14 like I've been saying for months now. I have in fact started wearing a couple of size 14s lately, though to be honest they are still a little bit small! Lose another inch though, and they'll be fine.

Yayness

I seem to only want to post the positive on this blog. That's not what it's about though - it's supposed to be about everything weight loss related, good and bad. I've avoided posting here over the past couple of weeks, because two weeks ago, I didn't go to my meeting, and I'd put on 3lbs at my next weigh-in. Negatives are fine if they can be balanced out with positives though. My positive this week is that I have lost 4lbs! Yayness. 4lbs is in fact the most I've lost in a week.



4 more lbs to go til I'm 10st7 and halfway there! Hopefully that'll take me down to a size 14 too ^_^

Take off your skinny jeans ...

Tried on one of my pairs of size 14 jeans just now. I think of them as my skinny jeans, although technically they're straight legs. Anyway, they do up (just)! I've had to lie down to do them up before, but I can do them up standing up now. That's an achievement to me anyway :P

I'm slowly but surely losing inches:



Just another inch or two (5lbs?) til I can actually wear my size 14s! I won't get there by the end of this month like I'd hoped, but I will get there for my birthday. Which, incidentally, is the same day as the Royal Wedding. I may even have lost 29lbs, for my 29th birthday on the 29th of April! XD

10% again

In my previous post, I mentioned getting back down to my 10% goal of 11st 3lbs. Well now I'm 11st 2lbs, woo! Lost three pounds this week :) So now I know what's in the Totally 10% booklet:



It's full of motivational stuff, like the health benefits of weight loss, and how to get into good habits.





Losing 3lbs this week has got me thinking. If I lose 3lbs a week, I'll be a size 14 by Mid March. Or if I lose 2lbs a week, I'll be size 14 by late March.

I'm aiming for a size 12 eventually, though my goal weight might make me slimmer than that. I worked out in this post from last year that, because I was a size 18 when I started, at 12st 7lbs, and I got down to a size 16 when I was about 11st 7lbs, that losing a stone also equals dropping a dress size. If I'm right about that, I'll go like this:

Size 18 = 12st 7lbs (My starting size/weight)
Size 16 = 11st 7lbs (I'm currently 11st 2lbs)
Size 14 = 10st 7lbs (9lbs to go)
Size 12 = 9st 7lbs
Size 10 = 8st 7lbs

If I do end up a size 10 though, I'll be able to shop in teen ranges (both size 10 and age 14-15 have a 27.5" waist, according to the New Look website), which should save me a bit of money. And if I get down to a size 8(!) I'll be able to wear the right (kids) size for my height. Do I want to be that thin though?

What a smoothie

I made my own smoothie/milkshake thing, inspired by this Weight Watchers recipe:



Mine was a slightly over-ripe banana, about half a pint of skimmed milk, and a pot of low fat strawberry yogurt, all blended together. Very nice it was too, and for a ProPoints value of 6.

Being used to the old Points, 6 sounds like a lot, but I don't think it's too bad. Even if that is a high ProPoints value, it was a healthy drink so I won't worry :) I only started on the new plan yesterday, so I'm still getting used to what points are in things.

I've been somewhat over-indulgent over the past few weeks, getting lazy and complacent with my point-counting (or rather, not counting). I didn't manage to reach my size 14 for Halloween target, which I am a bit miffed about. I'm still on my way down to size 14 though, and I will get there before Christmas! I think change, i.e. the new plan, should be the kick start I need to get me back on track, thinking about my food more, and therefore losing weight again.

These boots were made for walking ...

Stayed the same this week, grr. I've done more than twice the amount of exercise today than I did in the whole of last week, so I think I will have lost at next weigh-in (despite tonight's chips!). The ubiquitous pedometer tells me that I've earned 3.5 activity points today (compared to 1.5 points for the whole of last week), and that I've done 18347 steps and 7 miles. It did go beep while I was sitting on the bus though, so I'm not entirely sure how accurate it is!



I mentioned my Social Anxiety in the previous post, and my SA is to blame/thank for all the walking I've done today, as I've had to visit Remploy (an organisation that helps people with long-term illnesses and disabilities back into work) in Wolverhampton. I had my WW meeting this morning, so walking up the hill to that was the first mile. WW finished at 10:30, so I had some time to kill before I caught the bus at 1:15, which I of course spent wandering round Merry Hill (local mall), so that was another couple of miles. Then there was the wandering round the streets of Wolverhampton trying to follow the route Google Maps gave me, and then finding that the Remploy office was in fact a straight line from the bus stop (sigh). Still, I've got some exercise today, and I'll know where they are next time!

Talking of shopping, lots of the shops have their Halloween things in and, as I love all things spooky, I've been stocking up. Accessorize have a little Halloween range, and I had to have these bat studs. Only two weeks to go til I can put the decorations up - I can't wait!

What bad knee?

It occurred to me the other day, when the boyfriend and I were comparing ailments (lol), that my bad knee no longer hurts.

Boyfriend - Well I've got a bad back.
Me - Well I've got a bad knee ... Oh no I haven't!

It's actually got so much better that I had to think to remember which leg it was (the left, incidentally).

It used to be so bad in fact, that sometimes it would stop me from going out. I have a condition called Social Anxiety, and as part of my therapy last year I was told to go out every day for a week. So I was walking to the shops every day, which was good for me in terms of getting me out of the house, and was also good exercise, but wasn't so good for my bad knee. I woke up on the Saturday, after a week of walking, and found that I could barely move. I had a therapy group to go to that afternoon, which I couldn't go to because of the knee, so I was pretty miffed.

The knee wasn't that bad every day, but it still wasn't right. It would ache after a walk to and from the shops, and would quite regularly give way under me. Now that there's not so much weight on it, the days of the sore knee are (hopefully) behind me, and I'm very glad about that.

Getting there ...

Lost a pound and half today, woo! So now I'm 11st 1lb, just half a pound away from my next silver seven (the little sparkly stickers WW give you for every 7lbs you lose), and eight pounds from being back to a size 14. Which is probably why I look so smug!

The flowery top I'm wearing under the black cardi is one I've recently slimmed back into, yay. I'm wearing a big jumper over it now though, because it's blooming cold today!

I'm sure I've mentioned my "size 14 for Halloween" mini goal before. Well, I've made myself a little spreadsheet to chart my progress. I'm currently on track to get down to 10st 7lbs (147lbs) by the end of October. Once I get down to 10st 7lbs, I'll be halfway to goal!

Ups and downs

Weight-wise, I seem to have been a bit up and down lately. Over the past few weeks, I've been down 3.5lbs, up 1lb, down 1.5lbs, up half a pound, and, this week, down half a pound. Although, that's four pounds in five weeks, so that's really not that bad.

I got to my 10% goal last week too, yay :)

I got a dinky little keyring:



And a booklet full of inspiration:



I just need to keep up the good work really! I also to get a proper exercise routine started, as that is what's missing from my routine. I'm currently only 3.5lbs from my next silver 7 - that'll be a stone and a half, three-eighths of the way to my goal weight. I just need to get moving more to stop having so many gains!

Not only am I 3.5lbs from my next silver 7, I'm also 11lbs away from being a size 14. I've found that dropping a stone also seems to mean dropping a dress size. Well, I was a size 18 when I started, at 12st 7lbs, and I got down to a size 16 when I was about 11st 7lbs. I'm 11st 4lbs now, so in theory I have 11lbs to go until I'm a size 14. In 11 weeks' time it will be late October, so, as long as I don't put any weight on between now and then (although I think I probably have a pound or so of leeway), I'll be a size 14 for Halloween. :D You never know, I might even be a size 12 for Christmas!

Oh! :)

It seems I'd completely miscalculated my 10% goal. I don't know what I'd done to work it out as 10st 10lbs, but it is in fact the first two digits of of your start weight in pounds. My start weight was 175.5lbs, so my 10% goal was to lose 17lbs, or to reach 11st 4lbs. I did that yesterday, so I've reached my 10% :D I'll get a keyring and everything.

Back on track

I gained a pound last week, oops. I know where that came from though - I went over my points 5 days out of 7, so it wasn't that much of a shock. I got back on track this week though, and I've lost that pound, plus half a pound more. The fact that I lost 3.5lbs the week before makes it pretty good overall too - four pounds in three weeks is pretty healthy. I'm only 3.5lbs from my next silver 7 (the stickers WW give you for every 7lbs you lose) too - that'll be a stone and a half, three-eighths of the way to my goal weight. :D

I also have a new favourite treat. Pre-WW, we used to have multipacks of chocolate bars in the fridge all the time, which I would just be constantly dipping into. I put had to a stop to that when I started WW (even if I did just switch to WW Belgian chocolate cakes!). Therefore, until this week, I hadn't had a Twix since I started WW five months ago. Lately though, I'd really been fancying one, so I bought one of those dangerous multipacks.



And, I found that I have enough self-control to have a multipack in the fridge again. I can take out one small, individually-wrapped finger of Twix (2.5 points) at a time, without feeling the urge to eat the whole pack.



It sounds so cheesy, but joining Weight Watchers really has changed me!

Thinspiration

Silver 7s, the little sparkly stickers WW give you when you lose 7lbs, are pretty :)



I've lost 17lbs so far - hopefully I'll be getting another silver 7 in a couple of weeks!

In a previous post, I was talking about what inspires me to lose weight. The "How I Lost 4st" article I mentioned is one of those things, as are little targets like silver 7s. Another thing that motivates me is thinking of all the clothes I'll be able to fit back into. Your Week, the mini magazine we get at WW meetings, was talking about motivation a few weeks ago. One of the suggestions was to hang up a piece of clothing that you want to slim back into. The piece I hang up for thinspiration is this little pinstripe dress:



I wore it on my second date with my boyfriend of four years, with fishnets and sparkly flats. With the memories attached to it, it'll be really great to be able to wear it again. My target dress size is 12, though the dress is actually a size 14. It'll fit better when I'm a 12 though, because I'm a bit top-heavy!

Woo!

Well, not quite yet! But I'm getting there. This headline is actually one of the things I use to motivate me - the article was in Look magazine a couple of months ago, and is about Jennifer Hudson's weight loss. She lost four stone, going from a size 18 to a 12, on Weight Watchers. This is exactly what I'm in the process of doing, so I do find it inspiring to have an occasional look at. :)

In fact, I lost 3.5 pounds at weigh-in today :D So now I have 2st 11.5lb to go. I did think I'd lost, because my jeans have been feeling looser over the past week.

I wonder if I could lose 3.5lbs next week? That would be half a stone in a fortnight (yay), without resorting to drastic diets like this one in Grazia:



"The diet's tough, there's no way round that - no grains, which means no bread, pasta or rice; no beans; just a smidgen of fruit and no alcohol." It works, I'm sure, but I could do the same eating properly on Weight Watchers, and not cutting out all the good stuff. I know which I'd rather do!

Inch loss

Since I started Weight Watchers in February, I've lost 2" from my upper arm, 2" from my waist, 3" from my hips and 2.5" from my thigh - so I've dropped a dress size. I put my hand on my stomach earlier and there was less of me than I expected, which was nice :D Still got about 9" to go til my waist is a healthy size, but I'm getting there!

Picturing it

I joined the Weight Watchers forum last night. I thought you had to be a paying WW member to join, and, as I had a referral from my doctor and I therefore don't have to pay, I thought I couldn't join the site. It seems that I could though! Everyone is really nice and supportive there - one of the girls posted a link to a thing called WeightWatchers Picture It - a little application that lets you see what you'll look like at your goal weight. All you do is upload a 'before' photo, mark where your head, hips etc. are on that photo, then you get a sliding scale so you can see what you'd look like at different weights. Here's mine (look at the chicken legs! Hehehe):


Try it yourself at www.weightwatcherspictureit.co.uk/. (Try it on IE if you're a Firefox user though.)

After yesterday's overindulgence, I'm back on track today. Had my usual breakfast of cereal and skimmed milk (2 points), a leftover lunch of a roast chicken and pea sandwich (8 points), and fish, oven chips and salad for dinner (6.5 points). I've also done what my pedometer tells me is a 'healthy' amount of exercise today. :) Hopefully I'll find I've lost a bit at weigh-in this week!