12 Things for 2012

12 Things for 2012

Last year I set out in January with a list of things to do/achieve, the majority of which I achieved.  Unlike resolutions I haven’t set these in stone, they are just a list of things I want to get done at some point.

1.    To Finish 2012 at a lighter weight than I did 2011.  I have always been rather wary of setting myself unrealistic expectations in relation to my weight loss.  However after the spur my ‘Birthday Weight Loss Challenge’ gave me, I think that setting specific targets with dates attached will be motivating rather than disheartening.  I have set specific goals related to my weight loss over the year, but my main ambition is just to end he year lighter than I entered it.

2.    Wear a size 14 Bridesmaids dress.  I haven’t just said this for the hell of it.  I have been asked to be a bridesmaid for my lovely friend Sarah (who I met through Weight Watchers).  The wedding is planned for December, and having hovered around a 16 (sometimes bigger sometimes smaller) I would love to get in to a 14 in time for the nuptials.

3.    Run (not walk) a 10K.  To run a 5K was something I achieved last year.  This year I want a bit more of a challenge, so I think a 10K will offer me that.  Wish me luck, I think that this going to be hard!

4.    Go on a Date.  Last year I set a task of ‘developing a love life’.  This was a little ambitious, as I had no Idea of how to start.  This year I still want it on my list.  I have been single for such a long time it is quite frankly unhealthy (and a little bit sad).  So I have set my target low… 1 date, in the whole 12 months… I can do that… Can’t I?

5.    Drink More.  I feel that I am perpetually dehydrated; I do not drink enough, of anything, in the day.  I am not going to state the stupid figure of 8 glasses of water per day, totally unappetizing, but I want to make sure I have at least 3 drinks whilst at work.  I have previously got home to realize that I have not had a drink all day.  If I’m not careful my kidneys are going to start to protest.

6.    Get more involved online.  This one is borrowed from it sux to be fat.  I have been really lax in getting involved in the blogging community, commenting on blogs, discovering new blogs, posting in my facebook group and tweeting.  OK it’s not like I have a massive following, but what is the point in writing a blog if I don’t get involved.

7.    Drink less coffee.  Anyone who has seen my daily food posts may notice that I have a BIG love for Costa Skinny Cappuccinos.  The benefit of having a point’s card is that occasionally you get a free coffee.  I have been getting a lot of free coffees.  Instead of having my ‘once a week’ post weigh in coffee, I had been visiting 2/3 times a week.  This can’t go on! Drinking a double shot at 6pm generally means I am not getting to sleep until late.  I’m past 30 now; I need all of the beauty sleep I can get!  So bye bye mid week coffee.

8.    Write on my Blog.  This one is related to number 6.  I started this blog and then had a big gap when I failed to post anything.  I hate that when I am following a blog, so why on earth should I do that myself.? It may be a bit ambitious to say I will post every day (although if I am feeling super motivated I may well do) so I am going to aim to post at least once a week…Hopefully

9.    See my friends more.  Last year with family illnesses, I spent most of my time off at home with the parents looking after them.  Quite frankly I neglected my friends, both at home and far and wide.  I stopped texting, Facebooking, calling and I didn’t go visiting.  So I am determined to make more of an effort with texts, phone calls, letters and visits this year…weather they want to see me or not!

10.          Read more books.  I love books and reading, but I am so sporadic in doing so.  I’ll go through a phase when I will read a book a week for 2 months and then not pick one up for another 3.  I also tend to go for the familiar tomes I have on the shelf, even though I have a little stock of books I have not read.  So I will aim for a book a month, and make reading part of my routine.

11.          Carry on with all of the things I achieved in 2011:  Well why bother doing them if I’m not going to keep it up!

12.          Be happier at the end of 2012 than I was at the end of 2011.  2012 is looking bright, granted it is only the 5^th, but what the hell, start as you mean to go on!

 Happy New Year everyone!

Thursday 5th Jan 2012 - The one where I feel saintly

Breakfast:
X 1 Müllerlight Strawberry: 3PP
 
Lunch:
X 1 Wholemeal Bagel: 6PP
X 1 portion of Chicken and bacon sandwich filler: 3PP
X 1 Apple: 0PP
 
Dinner:
X 1 Portion of White Rice: 6PP
X 1 Portion of Peas: 2 PP
X 1 Chicken & Vegetable Ragu Thingy I made up: 5PP

Snacks:
X 1 WeightWatchers Mini Roll: 3 PP
X 1 Costa Skinny Cappuccino: 1PP
1/4 Pint Skimmed Milk - For tea: 1PP
X 1 Fudge Bar: 3PP
 
Points Used: 33
Points Earned: 4 - Still rocking that pedometer action
 
Challenges:
Going for coffee! Oh the cakes and biscuits look good, and as soon as I have resolved that I shall be having coffee alone, the barista asks the question "any cakes or pastries with that?" and it makes me question my resolve. But I didn't break!

Achievements:
My will power. I have had the option to have a BIG door step sandwich for lunch, I said no and stuck to my bagel. I had the choice of having Indian take away, I said no. I had the choice of having a a cake with my coffee, I said no. Rocking the plan for a second day running.

Tomorrow:
Heading out for my sisters Birthday and it's all a bit last minute. I pigged out on Sunday (you know last day of the holidays and all) and used most of my weeklies so I don't have a safety net. I have made a decision to go for Malibu and diet coke (the very thought of vodka makes me feel ill) and I have budgeted for 5. Unfortunately I am also not sure what I'll be having at dinner so I am not sure what the damage is going to be points wise.  I am going to aim for a fruit laden lunch, and skip the bagel and aim for some thing a bit less pointy. I really don't want to undo all of the good I have done over the last week. Fingers crossed.

Verdict: gooood!

The one where I reflect on 2011

11 Things for 2011?

I set out in 2011 with a to-do list for 2011 so before heading in 2012 I thought I would see how well or not I did.  2011 has been a rollercoaster year, especially with the illnesses of both my Mum and Dad.  However I am looking forward

1.    Take a photo of myself at every weigh in.  I have not really tracked my progress and this should be an easy way to do it. – This one I failed miserably at, I’ll probably give it another go, but I am not making any promises!

2.    Cook at least 3 meals during the working week.  I have a terrible tendency to use ready meals or rely on cereal when I get home from work; I am determined to cook more. – This I have managed to do, up until I became ill in September

3.    Run (not walk) a 5K.  This was one of the things on my list for last year and for various reasons (mainly laziness) I didn’t achieve it.  I am determined to do it this year. – Yay I did this.  OK I did it slowly but I did it.  This was one of my major achievements this year, I remember when I started I could barely run 50 yards

4.    Develop a Love Life.  Last year I wanted to find some friends in Colchester, and I think I have done that (hopefully).  Next stop love life, I have no idea how to start with this point but it’s on the list so I will at least try.  Possibly sorting out numbers 5 and 7 may help! – Another epic fail.  Possibly a little bit ambitious, because I have no idea where to start!  Another

5.    Wear more make up.  It may seem stupid but I think for my self esteem and confidence I need to spend a bit more time making myself look good (better) even if I don’t necessarily feel it inside. – This has happened!  Saturdays and Sundays I prettify even if I am just popping to Tesco.  Also unusually I have been putting on make up to go to work… just a little bit.

6.    Buy less packaged fruit.  I spend a fortune on it, it is quite obscene really, obviously a better choice than a chocolate bar but I buy it too often.  More whole fruits for me. – Although still a part of my diet, I have eaten loads of whole fruits.  Figs, persimmons, grapes and Satsuma’s have been the go-to fruits this year.

7.    Go to bed earlier.  I am quite naughty and often stay up late (Ssshhh even on a school night) but not enough sleep is prematurely aging and I don’t want to hit 30 looking like I am 45. – Actually much to my surprise I have been setting my alarm to make sure I am in bed for 10.30.

8.    Spend some time on me.  With work and life it sometimes does not give me enough time to live, I am going to try and set aside 30 mins a day to spend on me not distracted by anything/anyone else. – I have kind of done this; I have been spending at least 30 mins reading (also improving my brain).  I had also aimed to try to blog every day (for a bit).  So this is a tick!

9.    Aim to eat Vegetarian for at least one day a week.  Not only do I want to lose weight I want to be healthier and I don’t think eating huge amounts of meat is all that healthy – I’ve done well with this, veggie stir-fry’s, goats cheese pies, roasted vegetable quiches, all great meal alternatives.

10.          (Purposely) Exercise at least once a week.  OK I walk all of the time, and the bonus points do rack up, yes they help but I want to do more.  I don’t think I will ever be one of those people who are addicted to the gym, but I would like to be one of those people who enjoy exercise when they do it (I think this one might be a bit of a stretch) – Thank god for Zumba! I have been pretty active over the last year.  I have jogged more and I have developed a love for Zumba.  Such a pity my class isn’t running in 2012, going to have to find a new one because I certainly don’t want to give it up.

11.          Be happier at the end of 2011 than I was at the end of 2010. Nuff Said really – Was feeling rather depressed this time last year.  OK I have had a few low points in 2011, and quite frankly I can’t wait to see the back of this year and start 2012.  But I am feeling so positive about the coming year and this is a definite tick.

So bring on 2012!  And my 12 things to do in 2012…

Happy New Year everyone!

Tuesday 1st November 2011 - Day 3 - The one when I have shown the inability to eat or drink like an adult

Tuesday 1st November 2011

 Breakfast:
x 1 WeightWatchers Roasted Peanut Bar: 2PP
x 1 Ski Peach Yogurt: 2PP

Lunch:
x 1 Wholemeal Pitta Bread: 4PP
x 1 Small Tin Tuna in Brine: 1PP
x 1 Tbs of M&S Low Fat Mayo: 1PP
x 1 Packet of WeightWatchers BBQ Snacks: 2PP
x 1 Portion of Grapes: 0PP

Dinner:
x 1 Chicken Breast: 4PP
x 1 Tsp Olive Oil: 1PP
x 1 Portion Amoy Thick Udon Noodles: 6PP
1/2 Packet Amoy Hoi Sin Sauce: 2PP
1/4 Corgette: 0PP
1/4 Head Broccili:  0PP
1/2 Red Pepper: 0PP
1/2 Red Onion: 0PP
x 3 Mushrooms: 0PP
x 3 Baby Corn:  0PP
x 10 Cashew Nuts: 2PP 

Snacks:
x 10 Almonds: 4PP
x 1 WeightWatchers Chocolate & Vanilla Biscuit: 1PP
x 6 Squares Green & Blacks Mint Dark Chocolate: 6PP
x 2 Servings Green & Blacks Almond Chocolate: 5PP
 

Points Used today: 42
Weekly Points Used: 10
Bonus Points Earned: 3 - Pedometer on all day and though in the office I tried to move about as much as possible. I also took a longer walk home to try and get those last few steps to the third point.

Challenges:
Today the complete opposite from yesterday, one appointment... in the office... all day... Boring... Need to be wary on days like today as these seem to be the occasions when I take a little trip to Aldi and return with enough cake to feed the entire building not just myself and work colleagues. My plan was not to bring money in to the office therefore not visit the snack machine... Check and Check, no matter how appealing those Walkers Cheese and Onion crisps looked I followed the Grange Hill Gangs Advice and just Said NO. I also chose not to head over to Aldi and charged Alison to buy the sparking water and tissues I needed, therefore no temptation to buy chocolate.
Did have a bit of a chocolate moment, but put it away.  As I still have my weeklies it isn't a disaster.

Achievements:
I didn’t give in to temptation when faced with naughty snacks and stuck to what I had planned to eat.

Tomorrow:
Going to be an interesting one. Firstly I can’t make Zumba this week :(. I love that class and to night is the first week back after two weeks off. I need it... but it has to wait.

Secondly, the reason I can’t make Zumba is that I am hosting the company stand at a Careers fair until 7pm. Once we've packed up 7:30. Once I have got home 8pm. This is not good for me. I hate eating late, I have no doubt that I will be hungry by the time I finish, and there won’t really be am opportunity to grab a snack whilst I am there. It is times like these that I tend to head to the shop and grab a ready meal, and I don’t go for the healthy ones! In fact I am not sure the little Tesco even sells healthy ones?!

Planning on prepping my ingredients for tomorrow’s dinner tonight so not too much fuss when I get home, fingers crossed... And if I do go a bit awry I still have most my weeklies to get me out of a hole.

Verdict: Not Hungry and in control

Monday 31st October 2011 - Day 2 - The one where I am rushed off my feet

Monday 31st October: 

Breakfast:
X1 WeightWatchers Really Seedy Bar:  2PP

Lunch:
X1 Packet WeightWatchers BBQ Snacks:  2PP

Dinner:
X1 Pork Loin Chop:  6PP
X1 Apple:  0PP
X 1/2 Red Onion:  0PP
160g McMcain Nicely Spiced: Wedges:  5PP
80g Peas:  2PP
80g Broccili:  0PP
X1 Persimmon:  0PP
X1 Fig:  0PP
100g Grapes:  0PP

Snacks:
X 10 Almonds:  4PP
X1 WeightWatchers Chocolate & Vanilla Biscuit:  2PP
20g Dried Mango:  2PP
500ml Diet Coke:  0PP
X6 Squares Green & Blacks Chocolate Mint Chocolate:  6PPMilk ForTea x 2 Cups:  1PP

Points used today: 33
Weekly Points used: 1
Activity Points Earned: 5 - Walked my butt off 5 miles today

Challenges: So busy! From starting work at 8:30 am to getting home at 6 pm I barley had time to get a drink of water let alone eat. Sitting on the train heading back to Colchester this is the point in the day where I grab a quick (which is shorthand for high point) snack. With my determination dial set to max this week I headed away from crisps and headed toward some dried mango.  Lower in points and one of my 5-a-day.

Achievements: 5 bonus points earnt so far this week and as its only Monday I thinks that's pretty good.

Tomorrow: Most of the day in the office, temptation of Jaffa cakes and many cups of tea. So lunch is made for tomorrow and sitting in the fridge for the morning.  I have also packed some of thise EPIC Chocolate and Vanilla Biscuits.  These have got to be some of THE NICEST snacks WW hav ever produced, and in no way do they taste like WW. 
I've also decided that as I am not travelling anywhere I dont need to tak my purse, so no money for the vending machine...Sounds like a plan.

Verdict:  Despite being mildly dehydrated pretty good!


 

The one where I discuss a 'Positive Attitude'

OK I am now officially back at WeightWatchers. OK I was never really officially gone, but I am now refocusing on the count down to Christmas.

Today's meeting was on a topic which is surprisingly apt considering I have been in the process of devising a little project with the idea go get me back on track and my weight going in the right direction i.e. down.  But before I unveil, The Meeting!

The Art of Positive Thinking

Oh how I have missed my weekly WW Meeting. Not having the accountability of weighing in each week for me is a tad dicey. It's the 'F*#k it' moment I get when faced with temptation (usually a takeaway or cake) when I think 'I'm not weighing in this week, I'll be extra good next week to make up for it'. Unfortunately the extra goodness often doesn't come and when I do finally weigh in I am 3 lbs heavier than the last time I weighed in ( and on this occasion, after 3 weeks of no weigh in it's 3 1/2!).

So today's meeting topic came at a great time for me, ‘Developing a positive attitude toward your own weight loss journey’ and not letting a lapse (or even a relapse) lead to a Collapse.
 
I am a dedicated WeightWatchers member; however I do often describe myself as 'The Worst WeightWatcher in the world'. This isn't 100% true, but I am very prone to lapses, and have often found myself drifting back towards old unhealthy eating habits. Despite the odd (quite frequent) lapse I have always returned and got back on plan and I have never found my weight creeping back up to where I once was.  In my 3 years (yes 3!) of being a part of WeightWatchers I have never 'left', the longest I have ever gone without going to a meeting is 3 weeks.  And in the terms used in today’s meeting though I have had lapses (and relapses) I have never had a collapse.

Despite my ups and downs, although I may have lost faith in myself I have never lost faith in the plan (no matter what form it may appear).

I think (and this is probably for others to judge rather than me) I have had a positive and healthy attitude to weight loss.  I am doing this for myself and it is for the long term. It not just a quick fix.

I think many other people who may be in a similar situation to myself would have probably given up or ‘Collapsed’ by now, but a big part of why I am still going is down to my 'Positive Attitude'. So below I have put some of the tips for staying positive and how to bounce back from a lapse we discussed today in class.

1.  Remember why you are doing this:  Sometimes when you have been working your butt off to get those pounds moving it is easy to forget why you started you weight loss journey in the first place.  Phyisically and emotionally we change so much that the initial spur that prompted us to head to our first WeightWatchers meeting has been lost. Revisit it. As part of my blog I have written down my motivation. I am not suggesting everyone start a blog (but is it really such a daft idea?) but get those before pictures out, write it in a note book, stick it on a post it note on your vanity mirror! Anything that can help you re-focus on you.

2. Be realistic:  I know perfectly well that if I was a very good girl I could lose 104 lbs in a year. I would be at gold.

However I also know that losing 104  lbs in one year, is for me completely unrealistic. I have a life, I eat out, drink beer, eat cake, love pizza, love chocolate.  Yes I do know that you can do all of these things and say within points, but there are occasions when you may not know the PV’s in all that you are eating and on those occasions I prepare my self for small losses/SS/or a gain.  I don’t want to be that person who everyone avoids because they are the diet bore; some times you need to be realistic and manage your own expectations.

3.  Use others as thinspiration:  I love my class, and one of the things that I love about it is that there are so many people who are role models.  Just today 2 people reached their 50 lbs!  Some people may seem de-motivated by how well others may be doing in a “I can never do that” way.  But surely if they can do it why can’t you?  Are these successes proof that the plan works?

4. Be kind to yourself:  No one is perfect.  Not matter how much you try you cannot be a ‘perfect Weightwatcher’ all of the time.  It can be easy to beat yourself up about ‘falling off the WW Wagon’.  It happens; it doesn’t make you a failure it makes you human.  Pick yourself up dust yourself off and start over again.

Attitude is a key part of anyone achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.  It doesn’t always come straight away, often the motivation to head to your first meeting comes from a negative place.  But by transforming your attitude you can aid your transformation on the outside and make sure that it lasts.

And now to my Plan to get back on track to Christmas.  Keeping on the themes of accountability and positivity I have come up with a plan… which I will post in due course and hopefully some of you will join me.

My final point, I have finally let my WW friends know about this blog… Hi guys!