14/07/09: Food

Breakfast
1 (M) banana - 1.5pts
1 (M) Starbucks skinny latte - 2.5pts

Lunch
1 (L) jacket potato - 4pts
Baked beans - 2.5pts

Snacks
1 (M) pear - 1pt
1 pot WW black cherry yoghurt - 1pt

Dinner
330ml Fanta twist - 2.5pts
Salad - 2.5pts
Chicken - 4.5pts

TOTAL: 22/22pts

We didn't go running today for no particular reason other than I couldn't wake up as usual and I didn't feel too great this evening. I'm going to call an early night and if I wake up early tomorrow, I will go for my first run of week ten. My shin's still a little sore so it might be for the best.

13/07/09: Food

Breakfast
1 grande skinny latte from Starbucks - 2.5pts
1 medium banana - 1.5pts

Lunch
Deli sandwich - 8pts
Crisps - 2pts

Dinner
Chicken - 4.5pts
WW Beans - 4pts

TOTAL: 22.5/22pts

12/07/09: Food

Brunch
Foot long turkey Subway (with salad and light mayo, no cheese) - 10pts

Snacks
Japanese rice crackers - 6pts

Dinner
Chips - 5pts

TOTAL: 21/22pts (+ 5 bonus pts)

Not exactly the healthiest choices today, but I had a lot of salad in my Sub? Not good enough? Hmm, I guess I'll just have to try harder from tomorrow.

11/07/09: Food

Breakfast
40g Fruit n Fibre - 2.5pts
100ml skimmed milk - 0.5pt

Dinner
Chicken fajitas @ Chiquito's - 14.5pts
Cocktail - 4.5pts

TOTAL: 22/22pts (+ 2.5 bonus pts)

Yes, it doesn't look like I've eaten a lot today, but it was because I was trying to save my points for a meal with my friend at Chiquito's. I also went swimming at midday so I got a couple of bonus points in the mix too. It's only 2100 but I'm actually quite tired so I think I'll be off to bed in a minute. Goodnight!

10/07/09: Food

Breakfast
1 tall Starbucks skinny latte - 1.5pts
1 medium banana - 1.5pts

Lunch
Salad with dressing - 1.5pts
Ham - 2pts
Baguette - 5pts

Snacks
1 primo Costa skinny latte - 0.5pt
1 pot of strawberry WW yoghurt - 0.5pt
1 small glass of Irn Bru - 1pt

Dinner
Spinach, red & yellow peppers with dressing - 0.5pt
Chickpeas - 2pts
Croutons - 2pts
Feta cheese - 3pts
1 small white wine - 1pt

TOTAL: 22/22pts (+ 5 bonus pts)

09/07/09: Food

Breakfast
1 instant coffee (with skimmed milk) - 0.5pt
1 bag of Kellogg's mini breaks (original) - 1.5pts

Lunch
Baby leaf salad with dressing - 1pt
Ham - 1.5pts
Seeded roll - 4pts

Snack
1 small Starbucks skinny latte - 1.5pts
Watermelon - 2pts
500ml Irn Bru - 3pts

Dinner
70g Fruit n Fibre - 4pts
1/4 pint skimmed milk - 0.5pts

TOTAL: 19.5/23pts

08/07/09: Food

Breakfast
1 sesame roll - 2.5pts
1 latte - 1pt

Snack
pineapple - 1pt
2 biscuits - 2.5pts

Lunch
Salad bar (new potatoes, cucumber, lettuce, tuna, red onions, lima beans) - 5pts
1 boiled egg - 1.5pts

Snack
1 large banana - 2pts
1 tube of Fruit Pastilles - 2.5pts

Dinner
80g dried pasta - 4pts
1tsp pesto - 0.5pt
small glass of white wine - 1pt

TOTAL: 23.5/23pts (+ 1.5 bonus pts for walking briskly)

Fluid: 1L Volvic water, 1 small latte

After yesterday's lapse, which I still hate myself for, I still managed to eat over my points today. Sure, it's only 0.5pt over unlike yesterday's 19, but I did think that I'd try hard to cut back today in the run up to Friday's WI. Hmm. I now do have a good reason to fear Friday.

07/07/09: Food & ultimately a binge

40g Fruit n Fibre - 2.5pts
1/4 pint semi skimmed milk - 1pt
WW yoghurt - 1pt
mutli seeded roll - 4pts
salad w/ dressing - 1pt
ham - 1.5pts
4 finger Kit Kats - 5pts
small latte - 1pt
6 slices of pizza - 25pts

Total: 42/23pts (+ 4 bonus pts for running)

I've been in a horrible mood since getting home and I was home alone so I caved in to some pizza. I feel so fucking stupid, it's not even worth any sympathy. I need a slap. I'm so angry with myself that I thought the only thing I deserve is to throw it all back up again but I knew that would be a scary road to travel down so I have this disgusting food bubbling away in my stomach. I want to cry and punch something. WHY DID I DO IT?!

06/07/09: Food

1 banana - 1.5pts
400g watermelon - 2pts
salad with dressing - 0.5pt
ham - 1.5pts
multi seeded roll - 4pts
1 Costa primo skinny latte - 0.5pt
noodles - 5pts

Total: 15/23pts (I physically can't eat a lot today because of my TOTM.)

Fluids: 1L Volvic water, 1 mug of green tea, 1 coffee

05/07/09: Food

40g Fruit 'n' Fibre - 2.5pts
1/4 pint semi-skimmed milk - 1pt
Uncle Ben's long grain & wild rice - 5.5pts
Sainsbury's GBTY ham & cheese chicken kiev - 4.5pts
500ml Irn Bru - 3pts
200g M&S couscous with veggies - 6pts

Total: 22.5/23pts (+ 2 bonus pts)

Running let me down but I am happy to report that I've eaten nearly all of my points - woo!

04/07/09: Food

1 bag Kellogg's mini breaks (original) - 1.5pts
1 veggie fajitas (without any cheese, guacamole, sour cream or salsa) - 11.5pts
1 bowl of fries - 5.5pts
1 can Pret a Manger grape & elderflower drink - 2pt
WW baked beans - 2pts
1 ham & cheese chicken kiev - 4.5pts

Total: 27/23pts (used banked 4pts from yesterday)

Fluids: 1L of Diet Coke and 1L of water

Mexican food at Chiquito's was my splurge of today. I felt full and well fed by the end of it so I'm chuffed. I've also promised myself that this week, I'm going to stick to my points. I realised that yesterday's underspend of points is NOT good. Yeah, I managed to save the maximum 4 points for today's meal but it's not right. I can't justify doing this to myself and always crossing my fingers for a weight loss every WI! When I get into the 13's, I'm going to be consuming one point less so I better make the most of my 23pts and that's not so I can eat a bar of chocolate or eat lots of bread, but spend it wisely and healthily.

I think I'm failing at my challenge of drinking 1.5 litres of water a day. Does 1L of Diet Coke even count as water anyway? Maybe it does but it's not exactly the healthiest way to take in fluid, I guess. I raised the subject "Is fruit squash bad for you?" on the WW forum and got an echo of "no, as long as it's got no added sugar in it", which sounds absolutely fine. But what worries me is the ingredients - seriously, what is phenylalanine (it's in Diet Coke as well as a No Added Sugar Robinson's Fruit & Barley squash)? A great suggestion was to add mint leaves or lemon slices instead, which actually sounds very refreshing and I will buy mint leaves and lemon tomorrow on our trip to Sainsbury's.

Week 9 WI Results: 14st 1.25lb

Last post for tonight (but the most important)...

I lost 1.75lb this week and as usual, I'm very thrilled about this. Even more thrilled because I've officially lost a little over one and a half stone since 1 May! I still am gobsmacked at how far I've come on this journey already. I really feel like a new me.

I managed to stop myself from eating a chocolate bun today. We had a little team tea this morning and I grabbed a chocolate bun out of habit. I took it back to my desk but just let it sit on a piece of paper for the whole day. I looked at it and thought "I grabbed it, but I don't actually want it" and I was really happy with myself. My will power was very strong at that moment and I wanted to wallow in it for the whole day so I let it sit on my table whilst I casually shrugged off the idea of scoffing it. Impressive, huh? I should try and remember that attitude whenever I feel like I could eat my right arm off!

03/07/09: Food

1 Innocent pure fruit smoothies (strawberries & bananas) - 2pts
1 salad bar (rice, carrots, cucumbers, sweetcorn, new potatoes, green beans, read onions, olive oil)- 8pts
1 primo Costa skinny latte - 0.5
Chickpeas with red pepper and spinach - 2pts
40g feta cheese - 3.5pts
3tbsp M&S reduced fat french dressing - 0.5pt
Croutons - 2pts

Total: 18.5/23pts (+ 4 bonus pts for running)

I'm saving points for tomorrow because I feel like I deserve a little, I repeat, a little bit of a splurge. :)

02/07/09: Food

2 medium brown bread - 2.5pts
2 1/2tsp peanut butter - 2.5pts
1 banana - 1.5pts
1 Muller light mandarin yoghurt - 1.5pts
1 Tesco's light choices salmon and cucumber sandwich - 4pts
2 boiled sweets - 1pt
1 white coffee with 1 1/2 tsp white sugar - 1pt
stir fry (noodles, veg, fry light, sweet chilli sauce) - 4pts

Total: 18/23pts

Fluid: 1L of water, 1 can of Diet Coke, 2 mugs of coffee... not very good, is it.

As usual, I couldn't bring myself to have my full 23 points the day before WI. We're running tomorrow and I had a restless night yesterday because it was so hot, so I'm also too tired to eat.

I'm currently super addicted to You Are What You Eat. I love Gillian McKeith's no-bull tactics and cheesy visual messages. LOVE IT. I don't care that she's just some random skinny lady who likes to eat goji berries until the cows come home. I actually find her programmes inspiring; I immediately want to go out and get some raw veggies and chow it down with a big smile. Mmm!

Right, got my WI and my run tomorrow morning so I'm going to just chill out this evening and go to bed early.

01/07/09: Food

40g Fruit n Fibre - 2.5pts
1/4 pint skimmed milk - 0.5pt
coffee and skimmed milk - 0.5pt
M&S salted mini pretzels - 1.5pts
1 medium jacket potato - 2.5pts
baked beans - 4.5pts
2 granary bread - 3pts
Chicken - 2pts
M&S oven chips - 5pts

Total: 22/23pts (+ 2.5 bonus pys for swimming)

Fluids: 1.5 litres of water, baby! Plus, 1 mug of coffee and a 500ml Diet Coke.

Had a serious hankering for some chip shop chips, a large meaty pizza, a donner kebab, a chicken burger, a beef burfer, lots of mayonnaise and ketchup, a battered sausage, gallons of lager... all at once. I've had a super shit day where nothing went right and I didn't even enjoy my swimming that much because I was in such a horrendous mood by the time I got to the leisure centre.

I think I've calmed down a bit now. I cannot wait to wave goodbye to today. I went swimming quite late today so I better hurry up and have a shower and get ready for bed. Another early morning for me tomorrow!

30/06/09: Food

I had to leave early for work today because it was our department's away day. We did quite a few different things but none of it was really what you'd call physical (apart from a 3 minute bike trial and a bit of walking around). I still hoovered food up during lunch time. As a matter of fact, I ate so much food I actually don't remember what I ate... but I remember eating a lot. In other words, I've royally cocked up my point counting today. This morning wasn't so bad, I ate breakfast; 40g Fruit 'n' Fibre, had around 1/4 pint of skimmed milk, and 25g of mixed fruits and nuts on the coach. Lunch time was a whole different story and I vaguely remember eating at least:

• 3 chicken wings (w/ skin)
• 3 mini chicken satay type things
• 1 onion bhaji
• 1 chicken skewer type thing
• 1 large handful of wedges
• a few other assorted chicken type things in different forms
• 1 weird small canape type thing with soft cheese and red onions
• 2 small profiteroles

Can I just add that these were all probably deep fried or shallow fried in oil and there was NO, and I seriously mean this, NO salad bar or fruits unless you counted the pineapple that came with the cheese (eww) or the floppy cucumber that came on a mountain of tuna mayo on white bread. Shocking.

Then after the whole away day, some of us (including yours truly) went off to the pub and I must say sloe gin and lemonade is now my favourite drink - so I drank 5 of that...

Yes, I screwed up WW wise today and I feel shit about it. I could've been a more careful with the food like taking the skin off the chicken wings or not eating those profiteroles, but I had a very very weak moment and I will pay for it. I wouldn't be surprised if I actually see my first gain on Friday's WI. I just hope I can do enough between now and then to at least scrape a STS (stay the same). I can't dwell on it too much as what's been done has been done. I'll just be extra good for the rest of my WW week! Plus, I'm still so full that I'll go to bed without eating dinner 'cause I might just throw up. Lovely.

On a small positive note, I was totally able to drink 1.5 litres of water from the sheer fact that it was absolutely boiling today! I probably drank a little bit more than that in fact. Mind you, all that alcohol I drank later must have dehydrated me anyway... damn it!

29/06/09: Food

45g Fruit n Fibre - 2.5pts
1/4 pint skimmed milk - 0.5pt
4 strawberries - 0.5pt
5tbsp balsamic vinegar for my salad - 4pts
couscous - 3.5pts
1 bag of Kellogg's mini breaks (original) - 1.5pts
1 bottle of Irn Bru - 3pts
100g wholegrain pasta - 1.5pts
1/2tbsp pesto with broccoli - 1.5pts

Total: 18.5/23pts

Fluids: 1L Volvic, 2 mugs of rooibos tea, 1 mug of green tea, 500ml Irn Bru.

So, I could have done without the bottle of Irn Bru, but I don't think I can cut fizzy drinks completely from my diet right now. I'm still chuffed that I managed to drink a litre of water today. I'm going to include my three mugs of tea as part of my fluid intake... hopefully that's allowed, but I'm still going to try my best to drink mainly water.

I have a very physical day tomorrow. I will be running tomorrow morning and then my work department is having their away day and I managed to pick four things that requires me to move a lot (at 30-something degrees!). Hmm, that'll earn me quite a few bonus points! But I've decided to bank the few points left over from today because I have no idea what they're going to feed us tomorrow. I've packed a couple of healthy snacks for tomorrow (25g mixed fruits & nuts and 1 small bag of pretzels), but I have a feeling there won't be a lot of sitting down and having cups of tea during the tasks so I don't know when I'll be able to eat them. Still, apart from the lunch worry, I'm REALLY looking forward to it. I think it would have sounded less fun when I was bigger and smoked a lot, but now that that is all in the past, I can't wait to sweat it out. I hope I'll have enough energy after my scary first run on week 8 though. Eek!

28/06/09: Food

2 Sainsbury's BGTY garlic & parsley chicken kiev - 10pts
1 small tin WW baked beans - 2pts
1/4 pint semi-skimmed milk - 1pt
1tsp muscavado sugar - 0.5pt
2 Oreo cookies - 2.5pts
1 bag of Kellogg's mini breaks (original) - 1.5pts
100g wholegrain pasta - 1.5pts
15g cheddar cheese - 1.5pts

Total: 20.5/23pts (+ 3 bonus pts for running)

Week 7, 3rd Run: and other rambling bits

Time: 1900
Duration: 2 min running + 2 min walking x8 (32 min + 1 min extra running for the hell of it)
Route: R Rd and W Ave
Weather: 27C - cloudy - very humid
Sleep: around 10 hours...

I slept sooo much last night but it was a pretty late night because I was fart arsing around with my new laptop for ages after I published last night's post. I woke up this morning and the last thing on my mind was running. My body felt really heavy (though my daily sneaky peek this morning said I've lost half a pound since Friday) and I was very lethargic. To be honest, my day has been a laze-fest of sitting in front of my laptop watching BBC iPlayer and 4oD and occasionally getting up to pour myself a glass of water or grab some food. Oh, I did do the last set of laundry and hung them out, though. Woohoo...

So, running was put off until 1900 but my boyfriend and I pinky-promised (yes, because we're still 5 years old in the head) that we would go running today regardless. First of all, that was probably the hottest condition we've actually run in and I am definitely feeling it right now (my cheeks are bright red). Secondly, though I found it tough (I guess the running on Friday, swimming on Saturday and then running again today has caught up with me), I still managed to bash out an extra minute right at the end to prepare myself for week 8.

I can't say I'm overly confident about week 8. It's a 3 minutes run followed by a 2 minutes walk times by seven, which means a total of 35 minutes of sweat and hell. Err, don't blame me if I'm not jumping for joy at this news. Still, I am hopeful that it's not as bad as I think it is in my head. If I keep to my pace and find some sort of inner zen peace, it might even be enjoyable. Yeah, probably not, but I can pretend.

I forgot to weigh myself today. You'd think I've been measuring myself for 7-8 weeks, it will be second nature by now but I'm quite slow on the uptake so I would need a big neon sign saying "It's Sunday - MEASURE YOURSELF" on the ceiling so it's the first thing I see when I wake up. Depending on how much time I have tomorrow morning before I go to work, I will either do my measurements tomorrow morning or I might give it a miss for this week and see how the results look next Sunday.

Going back to my lethargy today, I am wondering why I felt like this even after 10 hours of sleep. Surely I'd have more energy than a child who ate his body weight in sweets and drank gallons of Coca Cola? I'm very curious; maybe I slept "too much", I didn't have enough energy after my weak excuse for dinner (a medium bowl of soup) last night, maybe my late night kept my brain buzzing when I thought I was asleep, the humid weather, or even the processed food I'm eating these days could be a factor? I have to admit, the food I'm eating right now wasn't in my perfect picture of healthy living. I had a much more fluffier image of myself making my own houmous or my own grilled chicken pasta with tomato sauce, etc. I go through so much processed junk these days because it's actually easier to calculate the points - they do it for you! You got your kcals per serving with your sat fats and BAM, you got your points. Not only that, it's so easy to make. All you need to do is either put it in microwave, add boiling water to it, order from the menu or just a matter of opening the packet and scoffing it. No faffing around with hobs or scales or waiting 30 minutes for something. But it's NOT the way I want myself to be like when I get to my healthy weight - I mean there are people out there who are my goal weight but have a worse diet than me (consuming foods high in salt, MSG, other additives, high in pesticides, etc)!

So, I've got a handful of challenges I'm going to set myself from tomorrow (I've been secretly writing these up for a few days - sly, I know - but none of them are original, actually some should be common sense). Anyway, the first challenge will be to drink 1.5 litres of water (minimum) every day. I was trying to do the Volvic Challenge right at the beginning of my WWO journey but it took a back seat as I was starting my new healthy lifestyle, which also meant I quit smoking and started running. As I've so far done well on those three, I think it's time to add the "drinking plenty of water journey" to my list. Wish me luck and I shall report back daily in my food entries.

On a final note, gosh, I can't believe I've stopped smoking for this long. Go me!

27/06/09: Food & swimming

This entry is brought to you on my brand new sexy laptop.

2 eggs - 2.5pts

1/4 pint semi-skimmed milk - 1pt

1tsp muscavado sugar - 0.5pt

1 can of Irn Bru - 2pts

1 Kellogg's mini breaks (original) - 1.5pts

1 foot long veggie delight Subway (wheat bread, no cheese, light mayo) - 8.5pts

1 small glass of rose wine - 1pt

1 bottle of Magners pear cider - 3pts

1/2 tub of M&S spicy red lentil soup - 2.5pts

Total: 22.5/23pts (+ 3 bonus pts for swimming for 45min)

Swimming went well, even though we only swam for 45 minutes. I didn't want to push myself too hard because I'm running tomorrow as well. This will be the first week I'd have exercised for five days out of seven. How healthy is that?! Plus I only had 3pts for dinner and I still made the best choice without falling for junk food. Wow, I'm getting good at this.

Hmm, I thought I'd have more to say seeing as it's the weekend, but I guess not. That's all folks! I'm off to play with my new laptop. Mmm.