Cheerio April!

April has been a good month full of sunshine and the promise of good things to come. The grass has been cut, we've enjoyed eating outside, pulled the first homegrown rhubarb, treated myself to a fabulous Nespresso machine and enjoyed the spring blooms. Behind the scenes the finer detail of the house move seems to be ticking along. We're in that bit of no mans land, wishing and willing everything to run smoothly - fingers crossed it is! So I head into the merry month of May feeling positive about what's ahead x

My Slimming World April has been a good steady month - I've lost 4.5 lbs, annoyingly no awards (that'll be tomorrow, fingers crossed) April has been a great month on the exercise front, running a 5k in under 28 mins!! I'm just 4.5 lbs away from target so I'm heading into May on a mission

My Take That tickets have arrived - just two weeks to wait - I'm sooooo excited. I have a meal with friends in the diary and of course half term holiday week to look forward to. May could be a very good month, here's hoping it is for us all x

Exciting plans

As you may know, we're hoping to move house soon. The house is 'Sold Subject to Contract', we believe everything is going according to plan and the scary realisation is, that it could be as little as 9 weeks away. Half of me wants to get cracking, packing boxes etc, the other half of me says wait, what if something happens!! I was hampered by the gorgeous weather over the Easter break but I do think I need to start! I'm not going to actually start packing but I am going to start going through cupboards and drawers and having a good de-clutter. Piles for the car boot, piles for the charity shop, piles for the bin and things to give away!

I've been 'pinning' like a mad woman over recent weeks - sorry if you follow me. I have so many ideas that I want to bring to the new house. All the things that annoy me here, will be sorted there, one way or another. I will find a way to store the endless pairs of shoes that end up lying around (Ikea). I will find a way to stop piles of rubbish forming daily on the end of the kitchen table. I will create space, so we don't all get in each others way at tea time - the list could go on forever.

I took Sophie and Sam 'wish list' shopping to Ikea on Saturday. It's been 7 years since they will have had the opportunity to start their rooms from scratch. A lot of their current furniture is flat pack to get it up to the 3rd floor and will either stay here or be pulled apart to get it out. Both have quite set ideas about what they want and I have promised to decorate their rooms first, so they both have their own spaces to be in, amongst the expected chaos. For this first time in Ikea history, we came home with very little but with our heads full of ideas. Exciting times ahead x

Friday weigh-in!

Yay! another 1 & 1/2 pounds off for me this week - just another 1/2 a pound and I'll get my 4 stone award and just 4 & 1/2 pounds to TARGET!! I really hope to get there by the end of May.

And I'm losing weight eating all this amazing food!!

Homemade bacon, burger, mushroom stack

Baked salmon and pesto mushrooms

Homemade meatballs in a onion, mushroom, green pepper and tomato sauce.

Toasted Kingsmill Thin with mashed avocado, smoked flaked salmon and poached eggs.

So this is the 'Oh my god, is that really me' face!!! 

1/2 a pound away from 5 and 1/2 stone in total.

Seriously the best thing I've done in a long time, was walk through those Slimming World doors back in September - my life is now so much happier.

Making the most.......

.....of this fabulous weather!

Hasn't it been glorious?

 I really must say, I've been loving this warm sunshine and have a stack of jobs piling up to do as a result. Thinking it will all change tomorrow, I've been out in the garden making the most of it. Sadly, I do think it's all about to change tomorrow but I'm hoping there may be more sunshine here before too long.

Collett Park has looked stunning. The blossom is a picture at the moment and the spring bulbs have been beautiful. I will really miss the park when we move and our lovely garden.

We're pondering whether to plant much in the veg beds due to the move. Am thinking peas as they crop quite early and maybe a few beans and pumpkins in case the new owners are green fingered - we don't want to leave them with empty beds. My rhubarb is doing brilliantly this year, well worth the wait and my peonies have suddenly made an appearance. The garden we hope to move to, is established and very pretty so we won't be taking too much with us. Fingers crossed everything is moving in the right direction with the move. You never know do you, so I'm quietly wishing everything goes to plan.

Friday weigh-in

1 and 1/2 pounds off for me this week taking me to 3 stone 12 lbs altogether!
Pretty chuffed with that and I felt I'd had a really good food week.

I've set my final Target - just 6 pounds to go!

My consultant asked me to do the 'jeans shot' the 'get in one leg sho't now I'm nearing Target, which I  just about managed to do - size 18 down to a size 10/8!!!!!!

I'm still running and enjoying my exercise class - I'm pretty chuffed with myself and how I'm managed to change my life and health in 7 months.

This gorgeous weather is helping - you want to be outside and eating fresh, clean, healthy food - here's hoping this is the start of a lovely warm, sunshiny Summer.

This was last night's tea - it was delicious.

Here's to another good week.

Friday Weigh-in

Whoops! Forgot to post this yesterday - I lost a pound!

That's 3 stone 10.5 lbs in 30 weeks or 7 months. I'm pleased with that, although am a little frustrated at how slowly the last few pounds are coming off. Target is in touching distance now, hopefully by the end of May given the slow speed I'm going at the moment.

I'm still eating the most delicious food - this was a chicken, bacon and mushroom stack, served with butternut squash chips and a salad and it was absolutely delicious.

I made myself go out for a run this morning and boy was it hard work running into the wind. I nearly stopped  and nearly turned and did only 3k but am chuffed with myself that I kept going and still (just!) came in at under 30 minutes.

I picked my first home grown Rhubarb yesterday from the garden, oven baked it and had it for breakfast this morning with raspberries, Rachel's Organic Low Fat Rhubarb Yogurt and some Crunchy Bran and jolly yummy it was too!

I can't shout anymore positively about the Slimming World plan and the life and health it's given me back. I've been shopping and it feels brilliant to pretty much buy anything. Never in a million years would the old me have chosen the bright dress on the right or for that matter worn a dress at all but at £5 I couldn't resist, I now just have to actually wear it out!

Have a great weekend - it's back to school routine's on Monday sadly. This Easter break has pretty much whizzed by so on the countdown for May half term now.

Bank Holidays

Aren't Bank Holidays the best, although this year I was up and out bright and early to take Sam to Bath A&E for an x-ray, after falling badly on his hand on Saturday. Happy to report there doesn't seem to be a break but have to go back for another x-ray to check, due to where the injury is!

Came home and spent the rest of the day out in the garden enjoying the fabulous warm sunshine. Hoping this is the proper start of eating outside and the wearing my flip flops again!!

Everyone enjoyed the Easter treats and I was surprised by an old fashioned egg, with treats actually inside!

We ended the day with a walk around the park - perfect x

This morning started with a run and a Personal Best!
So chuffed I can now run the whole 5k with no walking at all and I did it in under 30 minutes!
I'm going to sign up for the Wells 5k in May as a practise run out before the Bath 5k. 

Never in my wildest dreams did I EVER think I'd be a runner!

Just goes to show that if we make changes, changes then happen!!

Happy Easter!

 Wishing you all a very Happy Easter

The Easter Bunny came but the kids wanted money rather than eggs this year, so just the one each.

I've just enjoyed my last Hot Cross Bun and boy was it worth the syns,

I enjoyed every last buttery mouthful x

Have had an egg filled weekend, just not the chocolate variety.

I did however treat myself to a Green and Black's selection box - 4 syns per 15g bar, so a nice little treat to have whilst everyone else devours their chocolate.

I really don't mind missing out on the treats when I see the results on the scales. I had to buy an outfit for an upcoming social event with Jeff's work. 'Lounge Suits' is the dress code, so something smart for me and I found this, surprisingly in New Look. I sometimes don't recognise the 'new me' but am pretty pleased I've found 'her'!!

I need to get some colour on my legs as the 'do' is in 4 weeks time, so I have my shorts on this morning willing the sun to shine. The grass has had it's first mow and the bulbs are now in full flower, so here's to a lovely Easter for us all x

Friday Weigh-in!

So a little miracle just happened........

......I just lost 1/2 a pound.

I am so very lucky - I was ready to expect a gain and at the very best a maintain, the scales even wobbled but by the skin of my teeth I came in with a loss!

I have eaten a few treats, I have picked a little more than I ever have (Sam's brownies), I haven't drunk my water in the same way or exercised in the last 5 days but I guess it was all within my syns and 'on-plan'. 

In 29 weeks I have never gained or maintained and I would so love to get to target that way. I will only have myself to blame if I don't, so back to it with a little more focus this week.

Lunch is synned and 'on-plan' 7 syns for the Hot Cross Bun and 3 syns for the butter! I had to have a Hot Cross Bun at Easter, so I did my homework and found the lowest syn bun, gave the rest of the pack away at group and will enjoy every mouthful. Chocolate doesn't bother me but Hot Cross Bun's are another matter x

It's grey and damp here, I'm hoping the sun will pay a visit or it will at least dry up. 

Have a lovely Easter weekend and if you're having a few treats, enjoy them!

My SW March!

March was a good SW month for me - I only lost 4.5lbs but I did achieve my 3 & 1/2 stone Award and got into the HEALTHY BMI range for the first time in over 18 years!! I've started running and can manage a 5k and joined an exercise class, again for the first in over 20 years! I've signed up for the Race for Life Bath 5k in June and have set my TARGET weight.

So here's hoping April will be a good month too. I'm really hoping I'll get my 4 stone Award and fingers crossed meet Target too but that might just be out of reach as my weight loss has slowed down. I intend to keep up with the exercise and have challenged myself to improve my running pace each time I go out.

When I look at comparison pics I feel so motivated to get to target! These photo's are a year apart and there is 3 & 1/2 stone difference. I know which picture I prefer. 

With the Easter weekend fast approaching, I've done my homework and worked out the lowest synned Hot Cross Bun. I can do without the chocolate but love a Hot Cross Bun, so I've planned one in for Good Friday after weigh-in!! Lidl's Rowan Hill Bakery Bun's come in at the lowest 7 syns per 60g bun.

Now do I have just the one or treat myself to two - decisions, decisions xx

Farewell March......

March has been a mixed bag - started off badly with my pothole/tyre incident and cooker blowing up but ended on a real high with the house sale/move! Here's hoping April is a good month too.

Spring is certainly here now and very welcome it is too. We've just got back from a couple of days in Cornwall - just the break we needed and we were treated to such glorious weather whilst we were there too - blue skies and sunshine.

 

We spent all day yesterday in sunny St Ives.

The tide was very low - hard to think Jeff and Sam were jumping off here in the Summer - at least they could get a good look at what was beneath them.

Lunch was at our favourite spot 'The Hub!' it really is the best place to eat - fab food, fab views, great atmosphere - what more could you want!

I went 'off-plan' and enjoyed every mouthful x

I did resist the pasties and yeast buns and fudge......

.......and whilst everyone enjoyed a flake 99 ice-cream, I took photo's of seagulls!!!

To be honest I'd rather be happy as I am now, feeling good about myself than stuffing myself with all the yummy treats - the odd treat won't hurt me but I eat in a completely different way now and really am happy with the way I am and what I've achieved.

Beautiful tulips have greeted us on our return - here's hoping we have a sunny Easter weekend so we can get out in the garden and enjoy it x