Week 25, 26, 27 WI (this is getting ridiculous :p)

I am beginning to doubt the usefulness of updating this blog with my weight-loss efforts when there isn't actually any weight loss happening...

The good news though is that over the past 3 weeks I have crawled back down to where I was 5 weeks ago, cancelling back out all but 0.1 kg of last post's gain.

The results so far are therefore:
Total loss: -11.7 kg / -25.8 lbs

In the meantime, it has not been a straight road from A to B. I have seen the scales change by over 2.5 kg from one morning to the next, then go back down slowly over the course of the next 3 days or so. This has happened at least 4 times over the past 3 weeks. So, I guess I should start seeing a pattern there and take a closer look at what it is I eat differently on the days my weight goes up. So, I've done just that and, invariably, the answer is: alcohol. One glass of wine can put me up 1 kg! Of course, I chalk it down to water retention, but it's still a little bit over the top and I'm wondering if I don't have some kind of allergy to alcohol.

I know, I know, it should be so easy to just not touch the damn stuff. (and I'll just leave it at that, no "but")

Aside from that, I have not been sticking to points like I should, which is obviously not helping either. I go about 20 points over per week, which is really only 3 a day, or the equivalent of 210 kcal, so I should still be getting a small loss with that, mathematically speaking. Or maybe I'm just kidding myself and you really do have to stick to the magic Weight Watchers formula for it to work (in other words: half the effort does not mean half the loss...).

This week (week 28) is in the same trend, I'm 16 points over by now and weigh in is on Monday.

So, what am I going to do about it, really?

At the risk of sounding completely pathetic, lazy and utterly devoid of willpower, I'm going to say: not as much as I should. OK, I will stay away from alcohol; OK, I will try harder to stick to points, I will go and buy more WW deserts and yoghurts for when I want something sweet, I will buy more fruit and vegetables, I will choose potatoes over pasta or rice as often as humanly possible and OK, I will get off my ass more often and go out for a walk. But I have to face facts and accept that I am not / will not put more effort than that into it right now. And stop expecting that at this rate I will be a size 12 by Christmas.

I really hope I will regain my "WW mojo" soon and get serious about it and have another good series of losses and be another 2 stone down by the end of the year, but right now it's obvious I don't feel compelled to do it.

Truth is, I already feel a whole lot better about myself and about what I see when I look in the mirror. I can fit into some of my old clothes again - another couple of kg and I'll be able to fit into a whole lot more of them - and I can look at pictures of myself and not feel disgusted. So maybe this is a place I feel comfortable at for now. I'll call it "practice maintenance" and any loss will be a bonus. Maybe taking the pressure off will do me good. It took me several years to put this weight on, I can deal with it taking a little longer to come off. For now.

Week 24 WI

Cringe, cringe, cringe... I almost didn't write this post, but then I suppose I have to face facts.
So, here goes...

I gained 2.2 lbs/ 1 kg this week.

I am not a happy bunny and I have no one to blame but myself.

So I have just put back on the result of 5 weeks' effort. And although I can acknowledge that I made some very bad choices this week (a pub quiz on Monday evening with 4 beers and chips, cheddar and garlic mayo, for example) and have not been exercising at all, I am still really disappointed because I know I am still a hell of a lot healthier than I was 6 months ago.

Also, I have been on WW for almost half a year now and have *only* lost (not even) 11 kg / 24 lbs. I am feeling discouraged to say the least.

Yesterday I think I didn't do too bad, but I ate out lunch and evening, so hard to know if I pointed correctly. And I'm just getting bored of the whole pointing thing anyway... I just want to be able to eat without thinking about it. This whole food relationship thing is a real curse and I just don't want to have to deal with it for the rest of my life :(

Well, that's enough whining from me for one day... Butt kickings welcome.

Week 22 & 23 WI

I really need to update my blog a little more regularly, lol!
Last week I stayed the same, so didn't post - again - and this week lost 0.5 kg/1.1 lbs, getting me my 25 lbs star :-)
I'm glad I'm losing, but it's all going a little too slow for me... even though I prefer slow and steady than yoyo down and straight back up.

The reasons I haven't been losing at a great pace are
a) I'm not doing enough (any) exercise
b) I'm "treating" myself a bit too often
c) I'm being more lenient on the wine and alcohol front - too many celebrations, including my birthday this week

Having said that, I know I should be making promises to run 15 miles a day and never touch a drop of alcohol again, but I won't cause that really isn't realistic.
Instead, I want to try and keep making healthier choices as I noticed this week just how much my body is influenced by what I eat: pasta, bread, alcohol and anything sugary really send me into a downward spiral of eating crap, so I will be avoiding them as much as possible from now on.

Anyway, enough ramblings, here are the results so far:
Loss this week: -0.5 kg / -1.1 lbs
Total loss: -11.8 kg / -26 lbs

Good luck everyone, I saw some fantastic results on other people's posts :-)

Week 20 & 21 WI and a NSV

Well, I stayed the same last week, so didn't even bother to post as I've been really busy with getting my business started up. This week I lost a little under a pound, so not great, but I went a whole 25 points over this week, so I am actually quite happy with that.
Starting up the business and getting used to this new rhythm of working from home has been a bit stressful, so I think that's influenced my eating. Getting it all under control again, planning healthy meals this week with lots of veg and hope I'll be back on track in no time :)

So, the results so far are:
Loss this week: -0.4 kg / -0.9 lbs
Total loss so far: - 11.3 kg / -24.9 lbs

Oh, I wonder if they give a star for 25 lbs lost??? That should be next week then :)

Hope everyone else is doing well!

Oh, and a bit of a NSV for me this week as I fit into a pair of size 18 trousers!!! Although they're in some kind of stretchy velvet material and I probably can't fit into any of the other 18's I have piled in my wardrobe, but I'll get there eventually :)

Picture time

A friend posted some pics she took of me this weekend and I realised I was wearing the same top as in some of my "before" pics, so decided to compare them. Here's the result:

I tried to frame them similarly so they're easier to compare... what do you think? I definitely see a difference in the way I "fill" my clothes :)

Week 19 WI

And finally got my 10% off!! Woohoo :)

Only lost half a kilo, but it was enough to get my 10% and drop me into the next stone bracket, so lost a point too...
I really want to try and stick to points from now on, as I've been a bit lax and do notice I'm not losing as fast as others who are probably much more disciplined than me :p

So my updated results are:
Loss this week: -0.5 kg / -1.1 lbs
Total loss so far: -10.9 kg / -24 lbs

I am getting impatient, so really need to see the numbers go down to stay motivated...

Week 18 WI

I guess all the walking cancelled out the extra chips and hotel biscuits, so am quite happy about this week's result even if it's only a small loss:

This week's loss: -0.2 kg / -0.4 lbs
Total loss so far: -10.4 kg / -22.9 lbs

Still haven't reached my 10% but am sure I can get there next week. Which also means dropping a point as I will be in the 14's, yippee!!

Good luck to everyone else for their WI and hope you all have a great Easter Monday!

A weekend in Bristol

Just got back from a really nice weekend away with Anne. We went to Bristol by train (first class, hehehe) and spent 3 days there.

Friday was quite rainy but we got lots of walking done, visited the Clifton Suspension Bridge and spent a few hours at Bristol Zoo... I just love the animals :)
Then had a gorgeous dinner at a random Greek restaurant. If you're in Bristol, check it out, their food is divine: Entelia.

Saturday was gorgeous and we took the train to Bath for the day and completely milked our 2 for 1 sightseeing bus tour tickets. The tour guides on the busses were so nice and gave us lots of interesting info we wouldn't have had otherwise. I treated myself to fish & chips for lunch, but got the healthy-ish option of cajun grilled salmon instead of fish in batter, which was yummy. I of course absolutely adore chips with malt vinegar, so no healthier option there, ahum!

Saturday night, after relaxing back at the hotel for a few hours, we went out to The Shed for drinks on the the terrace overlooking the river Avon, followed by a really nice dinner. I had the Scottish smoked salmon
followed by a thaï green vegetable curry. Yummy :)


Today we took day passes for the ferries and went up and down the river all day, stopping off at the SS Great Britain, the one thing I absolutely wanted to see. It was really, really worth it, absolutely amazing! I love maritime history, especially stories about ocean liners, so I was in heaven. The museum and the ship are beautifully presented and there is just so much to see and read about... and of course the ship itself is the highlight of the tour. I am completely awestruck by how well it has been restored and how amazingly the interior has been reconstructed to give us a glimpse at how it must have been in those days. I even got quite emotional walking through the 3rd class quarters. This is a picture of the engine room:

I wonder if any of my ancestors immigrated to New Zealand on that ship, as there were quite a few Armstrongs listed in the passenger records. I will ask my mum next time I speak to her... Also, the whole visit to Bristol was a bit of a pilgrimage for me as it is where my mum went to university, so it was really strange discovering the city and imagining her living there all those years ago (well, about 40!).

We finished off the day with a nice late lunch on a sunny terrace overlooking the water and I actually got a bit of a sunburn. So now after this really nice weekend I'm back in London for the last 3 days of my trip and wondering what to do with the time I have left as the course is over and I don't have any other obligations... I think I'll try and get a ticket for Priscilla Queen of the Desert or Mamma Mia and maybe go to Tate Modern. Fill up on culture before heading back to Brussels ;)

Week 17 WI

Goodbye 10 kg!!!! Yay! A week later than I hoped I made it past the 10 kg lost :) On to my 10% which I will achieve by next Monday!
I am really pleased to see the scales going down again as I have been really good. Okay, I had a few glasses of wine last Thursday, but apart from that I've been angelic ;)

So the results are:
Loss this week: -0.9 kg / -2 lbs
Total loss so far: -10.2 kg / -22.5 lbs

It's weird because it seems like a lot and not a lot at the same time... I mean, 10 kg is heavy... more than a 6-pack of water... and that's all weight I'm NOT carrying around with me everywhere I go anymore. On the other hand, I'm only a quarter of the way there... it seems like a long road ahead.

Which brings me to mention what an inspiration my fellow bloggers have been to me so far. It is great to see people who are 60 or 100 lbs down the road and are living proof that it really is an attainable goal :) You rock, girls!

Week 16 WI

Well, I was just going to skip this one, as I am completely gutted by the result of a week of sticking to points and walking 3 miles a day: I gained back a third of what I'd lost last week.

So unfair, but there you go...

Anyway, this week's results are therefore:

Gain this week: +0.5 kg/+1.1 lbs
Total loss: -9.3 kg/-20.5 lbs

So much for my 10 kg and 10%... but I'm determined to get them over the next couple of WI's. I also have the impression I get bloated at Anne's... no idea why this is, but my fingers are all puffy and I could well be retaining water which would explain why I gained. Maybe the floor heating? Hmm.

Despite the gain, I did have a minor NSV: my size 22 trousers are getting way too big for me, and I tried on one of my old size 20 trousers and it fit :) So I must be doing something right!

Oh, and I got a haircut this week at Toni & Guy - first time in 8 months!... feel so much better :)
Here's a quick shot of it :)