wow so much change!

Well tons has changed since my last blog.  Sadly, me and my fiance parted ways just before Christmas so the festive period hasn't been quite as festive as I would like.  We're still on speaking terms which is good but it's not the most amazing thing in the world.


This sudden development means that 2011 will be filled with even more change than I have anticipated.  Not only will I be adapting to life as a single lady, I shall be finding a new home too.  Scary but exciting at the same time I guess. 


I've been using the gym as a distraction from the crappy feelings and it's been going OK.  I plan to really step things up now, and make sure I eat right too.  I'm doing the Great Manchester Run in May and plan to be slim enough to RUN it and run in shorts!  That's a massive challenge for me!  Looking forward to it though.


Not much to report at the moment but just wait and see what I have in store for you all in January...CHALLENGE!!!  


Happy New Year to you all and thanks for your support this year


Lauren xxx

A Stitch in Time Saves...?

So you all know my trials and tribulations with my weight (when will they ever stop?!) and I know many of you are facing your own battles.  Many of you share those battles with me which is great as it's comforting to know I'm not alone.  One of my friends from work, Gaynor,  has been kind enough to let me share her story with you all so here it is:

Gaynor - the story so far

Gaynor's "before" pic

"After having my son, having 4 operations since his birth where I have not been able to even lift a kettle, I finally admitted defeat. 

I've tried to lose weight over the years but will totally admit that it was always half-hearted. Don't know what made me change my mind but I began to HATE what I saw when I looked in a mirror, I would either avoid them or go and cook a pizza cos of the image staring back at me. Probably the same image i'd been looking at for a long time but something made me look different. It also changed my personality as well, I no longer looked forward to going out, not only to pubs but even to peoples houses. The though of going to a big party like the O2 Awards had me in a blind panic as some of my friends well know.

My friend had had an acupuncture stitch a few weeks before, she told me that no food was off-limits and it seemed to be working so I thought I would try that. I rang Morningside Acupuncture Clinic in Hebden Bridge and got an appointment for a couple of weeks later. I was very apprehensive about it, was I wasting my money (£120 is not cheap but its 6 months Weightwatchers or Slimming World), would it hurt, would it actually work or was I just fooling myself again.

I was very surprised to find out that it didn't hurt at all, it was a very sharp shock but not painful. There are a few rules that you have to follow, Dr Landale explained them all very clearly:

1. you must rub the stitch for 30 seconds between five and 45 minutes before eating, the longer you leave it, the better

2. You need to reduce today's meal by the amount you left yesterday but you must always leave a little on the plate. Basically you eat until you feel comfortable, not stuffed but content that you have had enough

3. Take 3oz protein and one multi-vitamin with minerals each day

As I left, I was still a little apprehensive, could I follow all these rules, would I remember to rub the stitch before I ate and did I really have the willpower to actually leave food. No time to think, I couldn't start with the stitch until the next day so it was off home to pig out, eat what I wanted and to drink some cider for the last time!! (you can drink cider and lager but its advised not to as it won't work as well due to the sugar content)

I was surprised at how easy it actually was though, I weighed myself as soon as I got up the following day (Thursday) and rubbed my stitch whilst doing that. After I had had a shower and got dressed, it was 40 minutes before I was able to eat my breakfast and I was surprised at how little I could eat. This carried on with every meal. On an average day, I now have 3 small meals, porridge for breakfast, soup only for lunch and usually chicken with potatos for my evening meal. I'm not hungry enough to snack between meals. I used to take a punnet of strawberries to work every day but the tubs got smaller and smaller to the point that I have now stopped taking them.

I did start off by carrying around a little bottle of washing up liquid and occasionally squirt my food as soon as I had finished eating so that I couldn't pick!!

I now find it so so easy, i'm really surprised and really happy with the results. I weigh myself as soon as I get up on a Thursday morning (naked so there is no excuse that my clothes this week are heavier etc)

I'm pleasantly surprised with the results. So far I have lost 17lbs in 5 weeks. I still make homemade pizzas on a Saturday night (my bases have just got a lot smaller ha ha) I still go out for meals and I still have a glass of wine when I want one. My confidence seems to be a lot better and I actually feel better about myself.

I've still got a long way to go but hopefully I will carry on the way i'm going. I know that if I didn't go out for a meal, always ate healthy food only and didn't drink, I would lose weight a lot quicker but i'm only human and I now have a life again so i'm gonna live it!!"

I'm sure you're all with me when I wish Gaynor tons of luck and can't wait to check in again in a few months time.  The acupuncture stitch is by far one of the more unusual methods of weight loss and I'm really pleased it's working for her.  I may even save up for one myself!

Groundhog Day, C210K and Loser Calendars.

Well it's been a little while since I've blogged, mainly because I've been doing absolutely nothing diet and fitness related.  I mean nothing.  I'm the biggest I've ever been and not amazingly bothered which is worrying!  I do need to do something as the scales now shout at me.  I'm out of the 14s though which has been an ambition for a while, sadly it's the wrong side of the 14s.  I didn't think having a goal of getting back into the 14s would exist!  Alas, the scales read...

15st 3lbs

I've signed up for the Great Manchester Run next May and whilst I say this every year, I'm determined to actually run it this time.  So where does a girl with excess baggage, boobs and a bad knee start with training for such an event?  Well I've come across this little app (oh yes, I'm an iPhone girl now) called Couch to 10K which looks like the perfect starting point for me.  It breaks you into running gently and builds you up.  It's a 13 week programme which seems like a lot but the thought of running 50 minutes constantly seems like the impossible!


Have a look at the schedule, you may want to use something similar yourself if you fancy getting fit, or even training for a run like me...I like the first week personally, 30 seconds running is just fine for me thanks!

Schedule

Week	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
1	Run :30, walk 4:30, 7 times.	Run :30, walk 4:30, 8 times.	Run :30, walk 4:30, 8 times.
2	Run 1:00, walk 4:00, 9 times.	Run 1:00, walk 4:00, 8 times.	Run 1:00, walk 4:00, 8 times.
3	Run 1:30, walk 3:30, 10 times.	Run 1:30, walk 3:30, 8 times.	Run 1:30, walk 3:30, 10 times.
4	Run 2:00, walk 3:00, 11 times.	Run 2:00, walk 3:00, 9 times.	Run 2:00, walk 3:00, 10 times.
5	Run 2:30, walk 2:30, 12 times.	Run 2:30, walk 2:30, 10 times.	Run 2:30, walk 2:30, 10 times.
6	Run 3:00, walk 2:00, 13 times.	Run 3:00, walk 2:00, 10 times.	Run 3:00, walk 2:00, 11 times.
7	Run 4:00, walk 2:00, 10 times.	Run 4:00, walk 2:00, 9 times.	Run 4:00, walk 2:00, 9 times.
8	Run 5:00, walk 1:00, 10 times.	Run 5:00, walk 1:00, 8 times.	Run 5:00, walk 1:00, 9 times.
9	Run 7:00, walk 2:00, 7 times.	Run 7:00, walk 2:00, 6 times.	Run 8:00, walk 2:00, 5 times.
10	Run 10:00, walk 1:00, 4 times.	Run 20:00, walk 1:00, run 20:00.	Run 22:00, walk 1:00, run 22:00.
11	Run 25:00, walk 1:00, run 25:00.	Run 30:00, walk 1:00, run 25:00.	Run 40:00, walk 1:00, run 10:00.
12	Run 45:00, walk 1:00, run 20:00.	Run 50:00, walk 1:00, run 15:00.	Run 44:00.
13	Run 50:00.	Run 40:00.	10K Run.

The great thing about this app is that you can play your music and a little voice interrupts and says "run now" when you need to run and "walk now" when you need to walk.   No more clock watching (that was why I've given up before, I just couldn't bear seeing how much running I had left to do)

screenshot of C210K app

So the app looks like the above on your iPhone, and the best part is, you get to play your own music!  Usually these things involve listening to some awful dancy type music with bleeps when you're supposed to change your speed.  With this you can train along to whatever you fancy.  Metallica, Paramore and Foo Fighters make up the majority of my C210K playlist.


I've been paying for the gym now for 2 months and I've been once.  Appalling.  I sat and thought about why I don't go and various reasons came up such as "I'm tired", "I don't have the time" etc.  Yet I have the time to sit and watch garbage telly.  I have the motivation to go to the MacDonalds Drive Thru.  Therefore these are not reasons at all, just excuses.  In a desperate attempt to force myself to go, I've started scheduling it into my calendar, the same way I operate at work.  Geekiness rules.

My geeky calendar!

Wish me luck folks.  Again.

Demons, soup bagging and curious music venues.

Oh dear it really has been a while hasn't it?!  I've been gone a little while and let things get a bit out of control.  Not back to my old ways entirely however binge eating has featured heavily.  Not good.  I'm talking full on, let's get a McDonald's on the way to getting tea, having tea, then polishing off loads of chocolate and crisps etc.  Secret eating at its finest.  Yesterday gave me the reality check I needed...

15st 1lbs - eek!

I'm back in the 15's.  What the hell?!  I shouldn't be surprised but it still wasn't particularly nice to see.  Conquering some food demons this evening as I'm going out for a meal with my team at work.  I'm not particularly great at eating in front of people I don't know really really well.  It generally ends up in me eating far less than I actually want, and then eating a shedload of food when I get home.  Not anymore!  I shall eat whatever the hell I like!  We're going for a curry so should be good fun.


Now let's talk soup bagging.  After purchasing some delightful veg boxes last week, I realised that they were still untouched.  What can we make with veg?  SOUP!  I made a gorgeous cauliflower soup.  Now I'm not sure of the exact nutritional value but it can't be that bad.  The recipe is entirely made up (aren't they the best) and I can testify that it is FIT so if you fancy a bash yourself, go for it...

Ingredients

• 1 Onion, diced.  Tears from cutting the damn thing are optional.
• 2 Potatoes, diced.  Good old fashioned muddy ones are best.
• 1 Cauliflower, divided into florets.  I never noticed how much a cauliflower looked like a bouquet of flowers after you've removed the leaves before now.  I freely admit I walked around the kitchen clutching it as if I was at a wedding.  Is that a bit weird?
• 1 litre stock.  I haven't specified the exact stock but strictly speaking I think you should use vegetable stock. However I only had two veggie Oxo cubes so added 3 chicken ones!  If you can be bothered making real stock go for it.
• Any herbs/spices you may have knocking about.  I couldn't really tell you exactly what went in as I'm not 100% sure now!

Method

1. If you've done your bit for the planet and bought fresh, proper veg, wash it.  Mud is great for authenticity to prove it came from a field - not so good for taste.  If you're a corporate slave, take your veg out of the packet ;)
2. Chop veg as necessary
3. Fry off your onion in some garlic olive oil (normal will do but garlic is tastier) until it's soft.
4. Add the potatoes and cauliflower, and fry for a further minute.
5. Add the stock and leave to cook for, well until the veg is soft.  It's soup for goodness sake, you can't burn it right?
6. Allow your mushy veg to cool a bit and liquidise.  If you're into chunky soup, only do 3/4 of it.  If you like it smooth, do it all.  Not rocket science!
7. You're done.  If you love meat like me, why not get some bacon bits to chuck on it?  If you don't love meat, what's wrong with you?!

Obviously you make more than enough for one person so the dilemma is what to do with the rest?  I decided to embark on a soup bagging journey as I couldn't face a freezer full of tupperware soup, it can be quite overfacing.  Now soup bagging is something that requires a lot of skill, co-ordination, patience and, as I discovered to my cost, a funnel.  Ladling soup into dinky freezer bags sounds a lot easier than it actually is, especially when the cold version of your delightful creation resembles wallpaper paste.  Behold the first soup bagging result...

Soup bagging at its best

I can't go without mentioning the top night I had last Friday watching The Reet Hot Chili Peppers (do I really need to tell you what they are?) at our local...hmm I've no idea what it is. A music venue?  A pub?  A dive?  I'm really not sure!  Anyways they were great as always and had a great night with my lovely mate Lizzie.  OK so we're not thin but we're a damn good laugh and know how to have fun.  Surely that's more important than panicking over eating a chocolate bar?

Me and the gorgeous Lady Lizzie!

Butties in pubs rock

See how much fun you can have with a butty?

No idea what I was doing here, I just like the colour my hair looks!

Zumba and youtube stars!

Well I beat the odds, and managed to drag myself out of bed for Zumba this morning and I feel loads better for doing it.  However, I have a few "comments" about the class.  The woman doing it wasn't the usual woman doing it and I've a strong feeling she was a frustrated dance teacher because this sure as hell wasn't Zumba!  Last time I checked, there were no "Yee Ha-s" in Zumba.  Nor were there Grapevines.  A few people commented that the teacher wasn't really doing Zumba and was basically like a frustrated dance teacher on crack.

I counted the dances, we had line dancing, cha cha cha, merengue, samba, salsa, dutty wine (more on that one shortly), slaggy hip rolls (I really have no other word for them), the list goes on.  All a very good workout it has to be said, but I went for Zumba, not an audition for Strictly Come Dancing.  The instructor clearly presumed we all possessed psychic powers as she moved on from step to step without actually warning anyone, firstly that she was changing direction, and secondly what steps she was actually doing.  This made for a very confused set of people it has to be said.  However, I'm pretty impressed with my moves.  I kept up better than most in the class, didn't bump into anyone and was a few sequins short of a Strictly contestant!  Honest!

Now onto the extremely inappropriate dutty wine.  There were older ladies in the class and whilst I am pretty good at "drip dropping way down low", I NEVER want to see pensioners dutty winding ever again.  It is wrong.  I have no  other words to describe it.  For those unfamiliar with the term, you basically shake your arse whilst twisting your neck and moving your legs like a butterfly.  Imagine your grandma doing it.  That's what I was subjected to!

So this class was an education and certainly not the normal Zumba class.  Back to normal next week apparently. For those not sure about Zumba...click here to see what it SHOULD be like...

On a side note, I came across a video of the start of the Race For Life yesterday which me and my mate Lizzie did.  Click here and fast forward to 3:16 - there we are strolling past, yabbering away.  We had a great natter which makes me wonder why we don't go for long walks together more often - it's not like we'll run out of things to talk about!  My mate Julie is going to join us next year as I force them both to do not only the Race For Life but the Great Manchester Run (10K) too.  If I can do it, anyone can.  

Oh and I WILL be wearing shorts next year.  You can hold me to that.

Demand Your Right to Twinkle and some wise words from moi!

I've shared this on my Facebook page before now but I've never shared it on here.  Those kind fairy creatures over at Sole Kitschen decided to work their magic on a quote I came up with a while back and here  are the results...

StarStruck cards...demand your right to twinkle

Love yourself, love the heart charm!

wise words eh?

OK so I'm no Marilyn Monroe but a quote from me nonetheless!

In its full glory...love it!

This card is available for just £2.50 at  Sole Kitschen.  Make sure you visit the site, it's well worth it.  Sole Kitschen is the brainchild of the fabulously talented Sara Smallman who I used to work with a while ago and is an independent business (not one of these awful corporate money making machines) celebrating all things handmade.  Here's a little bit more about them...

"We believe in love, magic, cake, wishes and being excellent to each other. We also believe that every one deserves to sparkle. If you would like to become a Kitschenette, please email us. We are always looking for beautiful things to sell and fabulous people to meet."

You can email Sole Kitschen at  allaboutme@solekitschen.com

Shocks (really not) and Swishes

Prepare to be amazed folks...I'm STILL in the 14's!  I think I may officially give up trying to get out because you know something, I'm quite happy at the moment.  I've joined a gym (yet to visit it but don't hold that against me), I've managed to stop myself getting into the dangerous spiral of bulimia again.  That was hard.  Really hard.  I've had lots of binges over the last few weeks but I've managed to stop those too.  Sometimes you need to start hitting rock bottom to get back on top and that's where I'm headed.  I'm so proud I didn't let it win.  Mr Scales told me this morning...

14st 12.6lbs 

(0.2lbs weight loss from last week, feeble but a loss!)

Well that's the confession bit over, now for some fun stuff.  Have you ever Swished?  It's so cool!  Basically, you bring in a load of clothes you don't wear anymore and exchange them for something fabulous.  I managed to find the most gorgeous pencil skirt amongst other things.  I don't quite fit in it yet but it's something to aim for right?  For those who have never heard of Swishing but quite like the sound of it, head over to www.swishing.org to find out more and maybe even organise your own Swish!

Me with said pencil skirt

Me and my gorgeous mate Julie after bagging ourselves some great new clothes

So, time to revisit my mini goals I always forget about (quite possibly why they never get achieved eh?)...

Weight

Get down to 14st 7lbs

Fitness

Be able to do 5 full pressups

Clothes

Be able to fit into my polka dot pencil skirt/black pencil skirt from Swish and not look pregnant

Quite looking forward to achieving them now and I have a great new take on things after my blip.

Lauren xxx  

Impossible goals or goals I've not fulfilled yet?

Well what a miserable failure my "back on it" week has been!  I've frequented various fast food establishments and probably done enough to make the Cadburys shareholders extremely happy but you know something?  WHO CARES?  So what?  I ate something.  I clearly do care or I wouldn't be writing a blog about much I don't care but oh well.


Weighed in a day early this week and guess what?  1lb off!  No idea how.  I keep losing and putting back on the same stone, it's draining.  I wanted to be out of the 14s by the end of September but with less than two weeks of it left, I doubt that will happen.  Current weight...  

14st 10lbs 

So my mate Jo asked me today if I fancied doing the Great North Run this time next year and I nearly choked on my BK Whopper!  I mean seriously, the girl who only just finished the Great Manchester Run (that was down to sheer stubbornness, not fitness) doing a half marathon?!  No  way!  Then I sat and thought about it.  Why not?  Why can't I do that?  OK so I've been trying to get out of the 14's for about 3 years at least now and failed miserably.  Oh and don't forget my knee that resembles a balloon more often than not due to how messed up it is.  Oh and I have zilch motivation.  Need I go on? 

It would be nice to do it though.  Actually it would be amazing!  The feeling of crossing the finish line of the Great Manchester Run is amazing enough (I'm addicted to it, hence why I've done it three times) so imagine how fantastic I would feel after that?

I get messages sometimes on my Facebook page and to my email address saying that I motivate people.  I've no idea how because I've not actually achieved anything.  I'm watching all these people I've set off on their weight loss journeys beat me and me just stay in the same place.  About time I flipping well took my own advice!  I'm glad I've motivated people, I'm glad people are achieving their goals.  One of my best mates, Lizzie, is now 26 inches and a stone lighter than she was a month ago which is amazing!  I'm so proud of her.  She keeps me sane and at least keeps me trying to carry on, even if I'm not there yet.  I can't remember who said this but someone said that every setback is another opportunity to learn.  How right that person was.

First thing.  New Year's Resolutions.  I never stick to them.  Lesson learnt?  Don't make them!  At least don't make them at New Year.  You may remember a little while ago I had some goals.  I'm doing baby steps now.  No more grand gestures as they've obviously not worked for me.  Once I've achieved one, I can move onto the next.  I'll cross them out as I go so I can see how much I have achieved

Weight

Get down to 14st 7lbs

Fitness

Be able to do 5 full pressups

Clothes

Be able to fit into my polka dot pencil skirt and not look pregnant

Who knows, maybe next year I'll be running with this lot...