WEEK 18 WEIGH IN 2013

Hey All,

I hope this post finds you all well. I want to start by thanking all of you that have read my post from last week with all the photos of me over the last few years. (my most read post to date, eeek)

The comments in the post itself and the support through Twitter has blown me away. So thank you to all you lovely ladies and guys. Its nice to know that I’m not alone, when it is a very personal journey that we’re all on. Weight loss and gain has become a part of me and my life but an embarrassing part! And I’ve chosen to go public to keep me on track and it’s the support of all of you that keeps me going at the moment. If I didn’t have to report back every week, I feel like I would have fallen off the wagon a lot more and be sitting in a ditch in my own gluttony right now kicking myself that I have to start over AGAIN!

But I don’t, thankfully and today I have good news to report, well kinda. I hit the scales on Saturday morning and I was down 2lbs. This was the 2lbs that I gained last week. So I’m back on track.

I must admit that I had been hoping for a 3lb lost just so I could say that I got rid of the gain AND lost an extra pound.

BUT 2 lbs is good ESPECIALLY when I had a 3 day loooong weekend and a busy week!  At the weekend I ate out (choose the wrong food, pasta carbonara, yummy but bold) and I think that I spent a lot of time over the next few days burning that off! So I caught myself out with that!

EXERCISE

I went to a spinning class on the bank holiday Monday, which was fab after doing nothing all weekend! But I over done it and pulled my back! So I had to take it easy on Tuesday. Wednesday I managed a walk without pain! I decided to chance a spin and abs class on Thursday, I was fine and a full hours spin on Friday evening, this was grand too, well tough, but no back ache or pain afterwardsJ  

So I think it’s the 3 spinning classes that saved me this week and got me back on track

FOOD

Admittedly I could have been better with my food over the last week. The long weekend in my head means eating out and treats and ice cream!  I was trying to be careful and I ate out on Saturday night, which we  know I picked the baddest thing on the menu! On Sunday, I had a lovely roast dinner in the afternoon, I was going to see Comedian Billy Connelly that evening and to meet friends for drinks. I never ate before heading out, so I was hungry and temptation was around me. I had a bottle of coke and a packet of Rolo’s at the gig and afterwards a few drinks and a pizza slice!!

These things happen I know and it makes me normal and I shouldn’t beat myself up about them! But sometimes it seems like the harder I try to “be good” the bolder I am!

So I was glad on Monday that I had a spin that evening, I did have a bacon toastie for my breakfast, not too bold but yummy and I had a super delicious butter icing cupcake that day too!

4 good days followed the gluttony of my 3 day weekend! But sometimes the good days take longer to undo the damage of the bad days! My weekends should come with a warning label or I should have my jaw wired shut on Sat & Sun!

Thankfully my bad weekend didn’t catch me this week, but it has thought me that I won’t get away with eating like that all the time. Even when I reach my target, I’ll have to be carful and find a balance that works for me. It’s something that I know that I’ll battle with forever. But once I stay in control and positive I’ll win

Here’s to a good week ahead. I’m aiming for a 3lb loss this week.

I hope you had a good result with your weigh in xx

15lbs lost, 45lbs to go.... 

Photo Diary of ME the Yoyo Dieter

I promised you this photo diary of my journey so far last year in November (Where did the time go) Read it here if you like.

2006 - It was at the end of  this year that my mother joined Motivation weight loss clinic with me because she could see that I was struggling and that I needed help. I did loose a stone and felt great. It was a real confidence. 

2007 - My best friend asked me to be bridesmaid for her wedding, I was thrilled. The 3 of us (my other best friend and the bride) all joined weight watchers  it was a weekly outing for us and we were also walking when we weren't counting our points. 

Around the same time I booked a 12 month working holiday to Australia and had visions of myself going off to Oz being slim and gorgeous! 
But sadly once we got our dresses and they fitted, I fell back into my old eating habits. 
The wedding day came around and the dress fitted.. only just! Its terrible to look at your best friends gorgeous wedding album and only see yourself in a negative way! 

Off I went to Thailand and OZ and diets and eating well were the last thing on my mind. It didn't help I guess that I went with two boys and was happy and well able to eat and drink as much as they did!! (not a good thing, as I now know) but I was on my holidays!! I want to burn every single photo of me from this trip! have a look...

2008 - I came home and I’d gained all the weight I’d lost the year previous and then some!! I was settling into a new job and the weight piled on. 

However, it was a weekend away in December and THIS PHOTO that made me realize that I had a serious problem that needed to be dealt with or else rather than it being for vanity (which it is for me at the moment) it would be a health issue in later life. 

January 2009 – Salsa Slims – this was a 10 week dance class, you were weighed in week one and week ten and the biggest loser won money. They gave you a food diary and the dance class was for one hour every Monday. The rest was up to you. But I guess it brought out the competitive streak in people to win the cash. I lost nothing.

March - 2009 - My friend joined the weight loss clinic that I had been with previously and was doing really well on it. I decided that this is what I would do too.. I joined up, but because I was obese, they put me on a different program to her, which was over seen by a doctor and lasted for 20 weeks. Her program cost her €600 in total, mine was closer to €2,500! We both lost 2.5 stone, which is good. For her this was all the weight she needed to loose and she looked amazing. A new woman with a new wardrobe. I was so happy for her, but envious also.

July + 2009 - I joined weight watchers after the 20 weeks was up in an effort to keep the weight off me for my approaching holidays

But once the holidays were over, I slipped back into my old habits and the weight crept back on slowly!! (doesn't it creep up on you sometimes? Or is that the denial speaking!!) 2 stone of it!

Jan 2010 - I was feeling very low, I heard a competition on the radio to win a 12 week program in a personal training gym. I entered the competition. Got to the final 20 and was interviewed. I didn't win the placement but the gym offered me a discount on joining.

March 2010 – I joined Key to a New You. This was different is everything else I had tried. I had a food plan and diary and weekly weigh in’s but I also had to do 3 x 30 minute personal training sessions aswell as 2 spinning/ core or circuit classes a week. It was very time consuming. But the results were great. I lost over 2 stone

July 2010 - I was in a bad car accident, I had 5 fractured, so I was out of action for 10 weeks, I managed to maintain my weight for those few weeks. But I found training very difficult and slow afterwards. I left there around Nov 2010.

OCTOBER 2010

November + December 2010 I left the gym and with that went my routine! In came the cold dark evenings aswell as the tins of sweets for Christmas, and I didn't hold back.. have a look at these!

NOVEMBER 2010

January 2011 – I knew that after the Christmas break I would need a push, so Christmas week I rang and made my appointment to start with a new private weight loss clinic in January.

The Diet is easy and straight forward. The exercise is 20 minute walk daily. There are no supplements or pills. It’s a lifestyle change, but a realistic one.

I lost 1 stone in the first month of joining. It then took me 6 months to loose the next stone.

JANUARY 2011

MAY 2011

NOVEMBER 2011

Jan - April 2012 I took a break form weekly weigh in's thinking that I could loose weight by myself! But sadly I couldn't! 

April 2012 I went back to my weekly weigh in's and was back to square one weight wise. I had 3 weddings in May/June, so I had to get back to it. Lost just under a stone.

July - October 2012 - I put my back out squatting incorrectly! I was out of action for 10 weeks! But 2 physio sessions and 15 adjustments with a chiropractor has got me back to being able to power walk on the flat and I was able to enjoy my holidays pain free.

A week on hols and I'm bursting out of my clothes!! 

January 2013 I decided that I would commence with Operation Skinnie Minnie, read all about my progress here and see the photo's of me in my lycra.....

Operation Skinnie Minnie update #1 
Operation Skinnie Minnie update #2

Operation Skinnie Minnie update #3

Operation Skinnie Minnie update #4

My aim is to hit my target weight this year before my best friends wedding and also before I'm 30.

I've spent my 20's being ashamed and embarrassed of how I look and my weight has held me back in all aspects of my life.

But no more, by putting up these photos, you can see how much of a yo yo dieter I've been

I am a repeat offender but I’m also a fighter and I refuse to give up.

TODAY:

I’m 29 years old,

Height 5ft 8”

Dress size 16

WEEK 17 WEIGH IN 2013

+2lbs this week. There's no way to sugar coat it! I did everything I normally do 3 walks and 3 x spinning classes! But I was away for a night last Saturday, went out for a yummy blow out 3 course dinner and on Sunday morning had a full Irish Breakfast, which was yummy... made me feel sick as a dog and I think I spent the rest of the week trying to burn off those 2 bad choices that I made!!

On the scales I was up 1lb in muscle, 0 in fat (which is good) which leaves 1lb of being up unaccounted for!
So I'm guessing its a left over pound from me eating like a pig last weekend!

These things happen from time to time I know and being away for a night was lovely and great and long over due but me being out of a routine always throws my eating habits out the window too.

For me I see eating out as a lovely treat and instead of choosing wisely I decided to have a blow out. I was conscious of what I was doing and I cared, kinda. But not enough to stop  me from eating all the crap!!

yes I felt awful guilty, super bloated and my belly did not thank me in the days after.. Lotsa hot water and lemon and exercise did help. So I was punished for my badness!

I woke on Thursday morning with a scratchy sore throat and I could feel a head cold coming on (I'm the queen of head colds at this stage, so I can feel the signs!)  Thursday was a looooong day for me and I was hungry too! I went to my spin and abs class hoping that I could sweat the oncoming sickness out of me and get rid of the hunger pangs!! I went to bed early on Thursday night! It was the only solution I had!!

However I felt like crap on Friday, like there was a weight coming down on my head and I had a horrible headache!! If I coulda rang in sick to work, Friday would have been that day! But I didn't, I went to work and did not suffer in silence! I tried a vitamin C drink and it helped a little!
I skipped my lunchtime walk because I knew I would walk to the garage and buy the contents! I was that hungry and feeling sorry for myself!! Yip! I'm a disaster when I'm feeling a bit off! I didn't give in tho!

So I was extra gutted about my weigh in since I went to bed hungry 2 nights in a row!!

I've been advised that I need to start making my own free soup again to use in these circumstances, because I'm not meant to feel hungry like that!

So I'm just gonna put this bad weigh in behind me as a blip and plan better for next week!

I hope your enjoying the long weekend xx

13lbs lost, 47lbs to go.... 

Neon Flower Nail Art (pic heavy)

Happy Friday Everyone :)

As you saw from yesterdays post, I was wearing the new Rimmel London Salon Pro- 711 Punk Rock.
I decided that I would jazz my nails up a little to brighten them and make them more summery.
So with the help of with my trusty dotter and my new neon colours (which I'm lovin if you havent noticed) I thought that some lovely bright flowers would be the way to go.

I think the grey as a base coat was too dark for my neons, because they didn't POP in the way that I had hoped they would! Its hard to distinguish between the orange and pink also!

Over all they did jazz up my nails but I would ahve like them to be brighter..  So I will be testing and trialing my neons as flowers/spots on different colour bases in the coming weeks.

You have been warned... haha

Are you a fan of the neon trend or am i on my own for this one?

NOTD -Rimmel London Salon Pro- 711 Punk Rock

After reading lotsa blogs with rave reviews about this new polish, I was dying to get my mitts on one of the new  Rimmel Salon Pro with Lycra  for a very long time and check out the high shine for myself. So I decided that 711 Punk Rock was the lucky one that I would purchase. Admittedly I’ve been going a little neon crazy of late, so I kinda surprised myself that this was the colour that kept catching my eye. But it did. I HAD to have it.

There's 22 new shades, 9 of which are formulated with Kate Moss' help and I haven't seen one yet that I haven't wanted. These goes for other brands also I must admit!! Hey, this girl knows what she likes and its polish, lotsa of polish in pretty colours J

This definitely needs at least two coats to be high shine and cover all of my lumpy nail bed! (don’t ask) The brush is great to work with (very similar to Sally Hansen) The polish itself wasn’t gloopy either, it applied easy and wasn’t as messy as others, could be to do with the lycra added to this new line?

I did add a top coat to these, not because it particulary needed it but because it was late and I need my beauty sleep.

I also decided to take photos of this in different lights to show how the Grey kinda changes a little. here we go......

The formulation is spot on and the shine incredible. This promises 10 days chip free wear, I don't usually leave my polish on for that long, but this ended up lasting for 7 days on me, now there was tip wear after 2 days, its unavoidable for me but not a huge deal unless your looking very closely. But it didn't chip until day 7 which is good if you ask me, I then enjoyed helping it to chip even more and then removed the lot.

These cost €6.45, I got mine in Boots along with an Apocolips lip gloss (luv it) and and FREE mascara.. Over all a bargain. .now which will I buy next.. hmmmmmm decisions decisions.

Have you tried any of these yet?

Leopard Print Nail Art

THIS WAS SCHEDULED TO GO UP LAST FRIDAY!! JUST REALISED IT DIDN'T! SORRY!

But better late than never eh!

Hey Guys, 

This is my 100th post already, can't believe that! (well 101 now)

In my last post you saw this lovely Sally Hansen Fairy Teal, I decided to make this post a two parter because I took A LOT of photos! I thought that leopard print would be a nice touch to this colour and I was right :) I used my nail art pens from Penneys (2 for €2.50) Bargain.

This was so easy to do and took less than 20 mins to have both hand done. I waited before I added my NYC Grand Central Station as a top coat.

I apologise for the quality of the photos. I used my phone and between the flash and bad lighting the photos are quite dark, but you get the idea

LEFT HAND 

RIGHT HAND 

You can see from the background (my bedroom wallpaper) that I'm a big leopard print fan. Not to the Bet Lynch stage, but I do own a whole lotta leopard print bits and pieces so me adding leopard print on my nails is definately a natural progression.. hee hee

I like this look, are you a fan?