MUMenTUM Momentum

I’ve been dieting for almost a year and have so far lost 39.5lb, just short of 3 stone, on the Slimming World diet.  That means I'm nearly 12 months into my lifestyle change of eating sensibly, drinking very little and generally feeling better about myself.  I'm down from a tight UK size 22/24 to a comfortable UK size 16 and I'm currently aiming to lose another 3 stone (42lb) and a UK size 10-12 (but truthfully I'd really like to lose another 5 stone and be a UK size 8-10 like I was when I was 30).

I find it helps to keep a food diary every day so that I can keep track of exactly what I put in my mouth nutritionally/calorie wise.  Apart from making sure that I eat a balanced diet according to whether I'm on a red, green or orange day, there are so many hidden calories/syns in other things... I need to keep on top of it or I end up way over my allowance.  For example, a home-made chai tea latte is 0syns if you make it with a tea bag and use your healthy extras allowance for the milk, an instant chai tea latte is 3.5syns but a regular size one from Starbucks is a whopping 10.5syns... a whole day's syn allowance!

Unfortunately, I put about half a stone back on again earlier this year when my husband was first ill but I’ve just about got back down to the lowest I've weighed since I was pregnant with YD.  I should be proud of that, but I'm actually kicking myself because I would have lost 3.5 stone or maybe even 4 stone by now if I hadn’t put that 7lb back on.  To be honest, I found it really hard to get that 7lb off again and now I feel as if I have plateaued as I've stayed pretty much the same for the past three weeks… annoyingly, even though I’ve been very good and stuck with the Slimming World programme, written down everything I ate and didn't go over my syn allowance at all, I actually put on 1lb this week! 

I’m quite upset about that… it’s not that time of the month and there’s no other reason I can think of for putting on when I’ve not overeaten.  Anyway as a result I have been a little bit down and used it as an excuse to fall off the wagon on Monday night.  I’d made a delicious and hearty Italian style tomato and bean soup – which really is a meal in itself – but I also put some home-made sunflower bread rolls in the oven for everyone else.  Well, they smelt so good I just couldn’t resist and I had not one, but two.  With butter.  Not just a smidge of butter either, thick butter.  So I beat myself up about it all day yesterday, then ended up having a take-away for dinner last night because we were running late and I just wasn't organised enough to cook.  I had/have been good apart from that and am really trying to stay on track... so it's just a little glitch... honest!

I've loved reading the different #MUMenTUM blogs and I am totally re-inspired.  I already know what I need to do – drink more water, eat less (but eat well) and take more exercise - I just need to keep on doing it.  I live 3 miles away from school so I have to drive in but I’m trying to park at least a quarter of a mile away and walk the last bit.  I’ve also just started methodically clearing the house room by room in readiness to move, taking our lampshades and curtains down and replacing them with the originals etc, so that’s about all the exercise I can manage at the moment.  Hopefully it will be enough to see a change this week?

I simply have to keep reminding myself that 1lb loss a week = almost 4 stone over a year.  I didn't get fat overnight and it's going to take just as long to get slim again.  Patience is a virtue.

There aren't many "before" photos of me!  This was taken last summer.

And I'm still very much a "work in progress" but I'm getting there!!!