My confidence is soaring

I can't promise it will be easy but I can guarantee the benefits to your long term health are very much worth it. I know from the texts and emails that quite a few have decided to join their local Slimming World group whereas others are giving it a go at home. Whichever way you decide to do it, I will be with you every step of the way.

One thing that has really helped me along the way has been the fantastic support from Dawn, my consultant, the group that I go to and my husband who’s eating all the same meals as me! I can't tell you just how important it is to have that supportive network around you, to help you get back on track when you have those rough days. Those rough days do happen, trust me. I will always be here with my weekly blog, giving tips and recipies to help us on our way to success. Together, we can do it!

Christmas is coming and Wendy's losing fat!

This week has been a tough week for me as my husband has been baking biscuits for our Church Christmas Fayre. I should add that he works as a Chef so his cooking smells fantastic anyway but the smell of 100 Christmas biscuits in our kitchen was absolute torture. I did have a couple of biscuits and they were delicious, but not tasty enough to send me off track on my journey to a slimmer me.

The thing I have learned about losing weight is that it’s ok to enjoy the odd treat as long as you get back on track and don’t blow the rest of the week, so that’s what I did. The biscuits were put out of reach until the day of the fayre and I even made some lovely Butternut Squash Soup to take with me in a flask, so that I wouldn't be tempted by too many of the lovely goodies at the fayre. It's like I said last week, if you plan ahead, you're less likely to be tempted and fall of the weight loss path.

I went to my weigh in today not feeling overly confident. I knew I'd stuck to the eating plan but you’re still never sure what numbers will show up on the scales. I have to say that I am delighted to report that I lost 5lbs this week. I was over the moon and shrieked with delight. It means that I'd reached my next half stone target. It also means I've now lost a total of 4st 8lbs. In the 23 weeks since I started losing weight, I've gone from 32st 3lb down to 27st 9lb. I can't believe the difference. My energy levels have increased and my confidence is soaring. I feel like a different person.

One lady at the Church Fayre said she could see a massive difference in me. My face is thinner but I looked so much happier and had much more confidence. It's great when people start to notice. I'd spent so long never daring to speak to anyone and hiding in the background rather than being the fun and bubbly person I used to be before the weight crept on. Can you imagine what I'll be like when I get near to my final target? There'll be no stopping me. What differences would you notice in yourself? I'm now finding that I don't have to paint the false smile on my face and pretend that I'm so happy with life. I now am genuinely enjoying life.

In group this week we talked about the dreaded "C" word. Yes, you guessed it, Christmas! It's only 3 and a bit weeks to Christmas and no doubt you'll have various parties to go to whether it be a sit down meal or a buffet. The good news is that you can enjoy yourself and let your hair down without blowing your weight loss. It's all about planning ahead and choosing wisely. Here are some tips on how to stay in control.

1. If you're going for a sit down meal, try and get a copy of the menu before you go so that you can choose wisely before you go. (Plan ahead)

2. Ask for boiled or baked potatoes rather than mashed, roast or chips.

3. Have plenty of vegetables and remove any visible fat off the meat including skin on the chicken.

4. If having pasta, try and have a tomato based sauce rather than the creamy sauces.

5. If you're going to a buffet, consider eating at home before you go just in case there aren’t many healthier options available at the buffet

6. When you do eat at a buffet choose healthy filling foods like lean meat sandwiches in wholemeal bread, chicken with the skin removed and pasta salads and watch out for creamy sauces or dressings and mayonnaise

7. If it's a friend’s party, why not take a couple of healthy dishes with you. The host will be thrilled that you've helped but it also ensures there's some healthy options there.

8. When having alcohol, drink spirits rather than lagers, ciders and wines. A vodka and slimline tonic is a better option or even a gin and slimline tonic.

9. Most importantly, enjoy yourself. After all it is a party and it's only one night from a whole seven days.

To help you plan your Christmas Day and enjoy it, I've decided to let you see my Christmas Day Menu. I'm still going to enjoy my day and hopefully keep my weight loss under control. I have to say, our Christmas is quite a strange day my Husband works every Christmas Day. Therefore it's a day where I'm on my own and more likely to get the munchies especially as you can smell the turkey cooking in the oven. This year, I'm going to do my best to plan ahead so I can avoid the pit falls.

Breakfast

Bacon, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, poached eggs, baked beans and 1 level tbsp ketchup.

Lunch

Salmon wrapped around a mix of quark,spring onion, lemon zest and herbs. (You can use smoked salmon if you wish for more flavour)

Dinner

Roast Turkey with carrots, brocolli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, Slimming World-style roast potatoes and parsnips, gravy, stuffing balls and cranberry sauce. Follwed by a serving of Christmas Pudding with low fat custard.

Snacks

For snacks, I'll have plenty of satsumas and festive fruit on hand too but, to be honest, with the menu I've planned, I can't imagine needing any snacks. It's great to know I have them should I need them though.

Slimming World Christmas Pudding

227g/8oz mixed dried fruit
1 tbsp brandy
57g/2oz self-raising white flour
85g/3oz fresh white breadcrumbs
57g/2oz dark brown sugar
170g/6oz carrots, finely grated
1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and grated
1 level tsp mixed spice
½ tsp grated nutmeg
pinch of ground cinnamon
grated zest of 1 orange
grated zest of 1 lemon
227g/8oz mixed dried fruit
1 tbsp brandy
57g/2oz self-raising white flour
85g/3oz fresh white breadcrumbs
57g/2oz dark brown sugar
170g/6oz carrots, finely grated
1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and grated
1 level tsp mixed spice
½ tsp grated nutmeg
pinch of ground cinnamon
grated zest of 1 orange
grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs, beaten
142ml/¼ pint Guinness or stout
25ml brandy, for serving

Low fat Custard to serve

Method

1. Put the dried fruit in a bowl with the brandy. Turn the fruit over in the liquid and leave to soak for several hours or overnight.
2. The following day, mix together all the ingredients, except the eggs and Guinness, in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the beaten eggs and Guinness, remembering to make a wish.
3. When the mixture is thoroughly mixed, pour it into a 1.2 litre/2 pint pudding basin. Cover with a double thickness of greaseproof paper and then a piece of foil and tie securely with string.
4. Place the pudding in the top of a steamer above gently simmering water. Cover with a lid and steam gently for 7-8 hours, topping up the water in the bottom of the steamer, as necessary.
5. When the pudding is cold, replace the covers with clean ones and store in a cool, dry place until Christmas Day.
6. Reheat on Christmas morning by steaming gently for 3 hours before turning out on to a serving dish. Decorate with a sprig of holly or pour over the brandy, set it alight and serve it flaming. Add a small helping of low fat custard as a sauce.

NEXT week I'll include some great recipies to help impress your guests over Christmas. I will close with a thought from Dawn, my consultant. "It's not what you eat between this Christmas and New Year that's important, it's what you eat between New Year and next Christmas that does the damage." I'll also add some pics of my favourite meals that I've cooked so you can see how delicious they are.

Keep adding your comments on to the blog as I would love to know how you're all doing. Don't let the stress of Christmas get you down, if you have a bad day, pick yourself up and start again the next day. We could all still lose another 3lb before Christmas.

See you lighter next week,

Love Wendy xxx