Showing posts with label Hairy Dieters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hairy Dieters. Show all posts

Monday, 13 January 2014

Weekend One

I expected to really struggle this weekend, as days off are when I have the strongest urge to eat poorly, especially at this time of year, when it's generally really pretty hard to get out and about, and motivated.

My mood was very positive yesterday, which helped me eat "well". I always find I eat better when I'm happy, and I'm happy when I eat better. It's a lovely cycle to be in, it's just awful when I'm in the opposite cycle. Bad food, bad mood- I'm beginning to realise that! I was looking forward to catching up with my "wife" yesterday, after we'd both had a busy and trying week! We changed the venue of our catch up and went to the gym instead. Costa wasn't really missed, as we still got to have a gossip, moan and fix the world, but whilst burning fat too. It's definitely the company that counts with me, not where we are. Not many people would come to the gym with you as a social event, so thank you Sarah!

Not quite the people watching environment that we find in Costa:



The gym (plus the 80 squats from the challenge) somehow didn't kill me off completely, so after lunch (egg white omelette with peppers and mushroom- 2 points) Andy, Noah, Rosie and myself went for a good walk. Not only did I get to put my beloved Hunters on (I have a tendency to be a wee bit pretentious, but at least I can own up to it), I got to spend quality time with my favourite people (the dog is blatantly included here as a person) and Andy and I did our usual and "plan" our future. I love these moments- simple and pretty unremarkable to many, but precious to me.

Saturday evening was fabulous! Once Noah was in bed, I went to Deborah's for tea. Rather than getting a take away, I cooked us sweet and sour chicken á la Hairy Dieters, and she made us a gorgeous Rosemary Conley "rocky road" pudding. The meal was gorgeous- go us- and it was less than 400 calories. Better than an actual take away in every sense. I enjoyed Chinese food without the nasty after effects (is it just me who gets food hangovers?!), and got to talk and talk about all kinds, all night. Deborah and I can both talk for our country, so it was no surprise that my "early night" was midnight! It is definitely the sign of a good friend when you can not see each other for a month, and then have an evening full of laughs and chatter. It's even more of a testament that we had abstained from alcohol for the night.

The boys were very considerate of my late night, as we all slept until 10am! I was sorry to miss a morning swim with my lovely sister, but goodness the sleep was lush! We had another perfect family day, as we went on a walk around Longlands Lake near Cleator and Egremont. It's tiny, and you can do a lap in 20 minutes (possibly 30 with a pram and a hyper Labrador). We did two. I think three turns around the lake would be ideal, but the cold was giving me earache so I took that as a sign that Noah would be a bit chilly too.

Praise The Lord for rest days in the squat challenge! I think I may just recover in time for tomorrow's expected 90 squats. I just keep thinking of Khloè Kardashian's fabulous derrière, and use that as my inspiration. I will have a gravity defying arse one of these days. It is my mission. I am most definitely all about the arse in terms of my aspirations for my figure. Just thinking about it makes me want to jump out of bed and do 90 squats... But that's insane!

The butt of it... Sorry, I am obsessed!









Tea tonight was paprika meatballs and salad. It was damn good, even if I do say so myself. It was one of those meals that I could never replicate as I can't remember what herbs I actually put into it.

Going to get snuggled down to sleep now. Another day, another proverbial dollar tomorrow. Thanks for continuing your support, here's to another loss this week!


Ali xxx

Friday, 10 January 2014

TGIF...

I was all for an early night, and I was snuggled on the sofa watching my favourite American exports- tonight it was New Girl (my number one, it must be said), Modern Family and The Big Bang Theory- when the Mr Big Lass reminded me to do my 30 Day Squat Challenge, for which I thanked him! I did find it sweet really as he knows it's important to me and it shows his support. If only he remembered to remind me earlier in the night. Today was day 5, and I had to do seventy-five squats. Wow! I feel as though I've swapped knees with my Nanna! Let's see how I manage at the gym tomorrow!

My knees:



I was all set to go and help my lovely cousin, Kristi, celebrate her upcoming wedding, but I felt drained beyond belief after work. I think a night in my pjs is just what I need. Starting to feel more human, and less like I've had the life sucked out of me by that thing most of us have to go to called a job. I wish Kristi and Doug all the best for their wedding tomorrow!

Ordinarily (minus that year before Noah when I got my arse into shape), I would have came home from work feeling like this and got Andy to take me to Asda so that I could binge on pizza, crisps, chocolate and booze. I wouldn't have just had one, I would have had them all. Food is all too often a real comfort for me, but I am trying to break the cycle. For our naughty night tonight I have pepper and courgette lasagne with a HUGE side salad (zero points, 19 calories), with a sneaky weight watchers garlic bread. It was a very generous plate full, but all in I only used up 10 points, and less than 600 calories. Not bad for my "binge". I did allow myself a full fat, calorie laden chocolate sundae from Asda (5 points, 195 calories). It was Devine, and I still have points to spare for the day, not that I could possibly use them. I have definitely reintroduced the word "moderation" to my dictionary this week!

I'm looking forward to a weekend with my boys! Hoping to take Noah swimming, and to get out and about if the weather allows it. I'm going to the lovely Deborah's house tomorrow evening for a long overdue catch up. I'm not drinking, and we're having a "Fake away" and healthy snacks. I'll let you know how the Hairy Dieter's Sweet and Sour turns out. See, I'm learning that I don't have to miss out on the things I like, I just have to adapt the version that I eat. I hope you all have a peaceful and enjoyable weekend.


Ali xxx

Monday, 6 January 2014

First day back.

Reality hit me today. And it hit me hard!

I'd been back at work for all of five minutes when I felt as though we'd never had a Christmas break. I'll let you decide whether or not that's a good thing! It was really hard leaving Noah with his child minder, but everything we do is for our kids isn't it? And I know that I'm working to give him everything he wants. He'll appreciate it, that I'm sure of! I would normally have had a sneaky biscuit or some chocolate to cheer myself up, but today I powered through without, and felt good. I really appreciated my lunch though! Which, by the way, was a Weight Watchers soup (Tomato... Lush) and a sugar free jelly (any excuse to please my inner kid). My total points for lunch were two, but I was full enough and didn't feel remotely starved. I turned to the Hairy Dieters for tea tonight. We had gammon with boiled potatoes and parsley sauce. I really enjoyed it, Andy wasn't so keen though. The calories for this was around 400... I had a smaller piece of gammon (not by choice, Asda was just a bit stingy) and this includes the count for the potatoes- or as Noah now says, the "taytoes"! Points wise, in terms of Weight Watchers, it was 8. 


 This is the meal, but as my skill of presenting food is lacking, it's a photo from the book!


Will power has made me resist a pudding, and I hope that the hunger stays away until bed time. I'm even getting a pre-sleep swim in tonight, start as I mean to go on and all that... So, at the end of my proper day 1, I'm pleasantly surprised by how I feel. Although I will most definitely be treating myself to a bottle of Prosecco on Friday night! After all, I'm still the same girl!

Ali xxx