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Showing posts with label happy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label happy. Show all posts

Make a happy life...

Something I was thinking about over the weekend... No one is handed happiness... No one is handed a free pound weight loss at the scales for the craic... Anyone who follows me on social media knows how I celebrate the half pound loss... because of PCOS, because of a gammy knee, because I have so much weight left to lose, losing half a pound is hard work for me... Wouldn't it be lovely if when we got to the scales our leader just looked at us and said, 'don't worry about getting on that... Here's a silver 7... I think you've lost a couple of pounds...Off you go...'  sadly it doesn't work like that.. after a week of tracking, swimming, walking and drinking ALL the water, a half a pound gets a round of applause in my camp! Because it's not easy...  




If you want it bad enough, make it happen for you, no one can do it for you.... you want to swim a mile, then go for it... positive people will encourage and applaud you when you swim half a mile and that will push you forward to swim the full mile... don't rain on anyone else parade because you think they're doing better than you are, losing more than you, getting fitter, and are happier, they worked bloody hard for it... so get your pompoms out and pat them on the back... we all set goals that we think we can't achieve and when we reach them we're in shock! It's all relative... some who gets their first stone in class is as over joyed as someone getting their 4th stone... they both know how hard it is... and everyone knows it gets tougher as you get closer to goal... so pompoms out this week and cheer on someone you know is working towards a goal... tell them you're in awe of them... tell them you'd never be able to achieve what they have... it's all good karma baby! 




Twas the night before Christmas...





A slight 'Doll' spin on the original...





T’was the night before Christmas, when all over the place...


There were mince pies and roses to stuff in my face…

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

Sadly they’re extra large, AGAIN this year… 





The family were nestled all snug in their beds, 

Avoiding the kitchen for a midnight spread… 

Whilst rolling off my spanx and loosening bra straps, 

I was just settling down for a sugar free nap... 




When out in the kitchen there arose such a clatter, 

I sprang from the couch to see what was the matter... 

Away to the pantry, I flew like a flash, 

Tore open the fridge door and checked on my stash… 




The marshmallows on the door, like new-fallen snow 

Sent thoughts of a binge to my belly below... 

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, 

But a marzipan Santa, and eight chocolate reindeer... 




A huge chunk of icing so luscious and slick, 

I knew in a moment, I’d probably be sick… 

The sweet-coated Santa, those sugared reindeer 

I closed my eyes tightly but still I could hear… 




"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! 

On, Comet! On, Cupid! On Donner and Blitzen! 

From the back of the cupboard, under the stairs in the hall… 

She’s got goodies hiding everywhere, we’re in for a ball!” 





I should have said no, resisted each bite… 

I fought the temptation with all of my might… 

The light from the fridge wasn't just a flirtation… 

The thought of a snack became infatuation… 





Dressed up in my bestest, sparkly red dress… 

Feeling a little tighter from too much excess… 

My mouth was still drooling, my ever increasing belly, 

shook when I laughed like a bowl full of jelly… 





And then, in a twinkling, I remembered the crisps… 

‘There’s dip in here somewhere’ I said licking my lips 

The peanuts, the pringles, the cheese and the crackers, 

Were pushing my mind far away from my tracker… 




I spoke not a word, but went straight to work, 

Ate all of the goodies… then turned with a jerk… 

And laying my hand, beside my heartburn, 

And shaking my head, up to bed I returned… 




I eased into bed, to the heavens I cried, 

If temptation was gone I’ll be skinny by and by… 

and I mumbled again as I turned for the night.. 

I’ll be good in the morning… till I take the first bite! 




I wish you all a very Happy Christmas… 

Be safe over the season, have a healthy and happy time 
with your loved ones, family and friends... xxx 










Happy new year!!! Part 2!



Nope... I haven't gone mad... I'm not drunky... today we celebrate the new year... Part 2.. the sequel... We are half way trough 2014! HALF WAY!!! Do we all remember on the 1st of January? All those promises we made to ourselves... I'm gonna be thinner... smarter... happier... less stressed... so where are we with all that?! There is 6 months left in 2014 and considering how fast the first 6 months went, hang onto your pants!!! 





Resolutions are a bit... meh... we pretty much all set the same ones... we all look at the new year with hope... 'this will be my year...' and its all so positive till we wake up with the mother of all hangovers ... get a 'full irish' then promise ourselves.. hands on hearts... that tomorrow is the beginning of the rest of our lives... sound familiar?! 



A new year can start at any time... start today... start on the 5th of august... we get so hung up on dates and schedules that we forget that its up to us to feel good and look after our bodies... no one else is in charge of you... so, start with your next meal... make it a healthy one... like my leader says... we eat 21 meals a week... just because you feck up one, doesn't mean you should throw in the towel ... so ... anyone on the fence at the moment... don't let the excuses win... 



'the kids are off school' ... are they force feeding you 99s? 

'I'll start after my holidays' ... why not start now and have a little splurge on your holidays? 

'I'll wait till they go back...' ah here... that's two whole months away!!! Just think of the damage you could do in two months! Plan stuff ... encourage them to eat well... have fun with food... teach them to bake... make fruit kebabs... rainbow jelly .. they're own ice pops... Dealz have the molds in at the moment for €1.49... make it a little competition ... see who makes the best ice pops... let granny play Simon Cowell... XFactor style... it's all about getting  creative ... if you really want to do it... you will... Just think by the end of the year... this ... 


0.5lb a week is 13lbs less 
1lb a week is 1st 12lbs
1.5lbs a week is 2st 11lbs
2 lbs a week is 3st 10lbs


Happy New Year The Sequel... this doesn't mean you get another Chinese new year by the way... chancers! 


Seasons... Weigh in #6


My back garden looks like I have green fingers! 

Spring has sprung and decided to feck off back to the cave for a while... May is effectively so far.. rubbish... 




The world runs on seasons… Summer means holidays… swim suits… Winter for cuddling up and hibernating … Spring wakes us up a bit… a bit…  Christmas… Easter… back to school … the calendar year is divided up so that just when you think you’re ready to start… something else is on the horizon!


The thing is… this healthy eating lark is for all year round and sometimes we use bank holidays… easter… a confirmation… a wedding to ‘start again’ … it’s a mentality that you’ve just got to get and I think I’m slowly getting there… how many times have we said.. ‘sure look we’ll have a blast and enjoy ourselves and we’ll start again next week/Monday/when we get home’… our bodies have no clue what season it is.. they get cold… hot… hungry… thirsty… sore… energised… tired… and … wait for the cliche… food is just fuel … I know! I know! its taken me YEARS to get this... AND why can’t cream cakes and pizza be fuel anyways!??! groan… 



We’ve only got one body…  it’s our responsibility to take care of it… no one ties you down and force feeds you chips on a Saturday night…  and no one is saying you can’t have chips on a Saturday night... or not have a good time and be ‘norma-no-mates-I’m-doing-weight-watchers’ in the corner… but you know when you’ve overdone it, you feel sluggish… it effects your skin… your mood… and you know what you have to do… but sometimes it’s easier to ignore your body and tell yourself that soon… soon, you’ll be back on track…  and emotional eating is the root of many problems… For years I treated my body like a rubbish bin… bingeing.. purging... bingeing again.. a vicious cycle... wondering why the reflection in the mirror was so hideous… I still struggle to look in the mirror… emotional eating has taken its toll on me… and there are days …even after losing nearly 7 stone when I think I just can’t do it… and i feel like enough is enough and I'm never going to be where I want to be...

The ‘seasons’ will continue… Next January… the shelves will be heaving with Easter eggs… birthdays will happen every year… and yes.. have a slice of cake but be kind to your body… nourish it… and it will repay you… that karma lark really works… 


This week I was down 2.5lbs! After all the ‘cowboy’ shenanigans over the bank holiday…  I honestly had no idea how it was going to go but I knew I had made good choices… I’m learning to make better decisions… I’m sharing treats… OK so I didn’t share the 99 but I mean that’s just ridiculous! Before we got to the main event.. I made sure I had eaten something that I knew would get me past the chicken wings, bread and coleslaw… I took control … I still had loads of fun ...  I had a few diet drinks amidst the gin… not enough to stop a massive hangover (twice!) but still it could have been a million times worse! 



A super long walk on the beach… line dancing (I’m reviving that by the way!) lots of fruit and water all helped… I made a decision before I got there to only have the breakfast grill on one day even though it was there for free all weekend, wafting about all bacon-esque… but the alternatives were just too yummy to miss out on and I knew I'd feel so much better eating healthier... and as soon as I got on the scales I was SO glad I behaved!  

Even when I got on the plane it was water and fruit… I just wanted to feel better in my skin again… and that comes with time… years of doing weight watchers has changed my palette.. even full fat milk tastes funny now! Think of your lifetime as the seasons… where are you now? Summer…autumn… Late spring… your body needs to last you all the way through to winter and fuelling it the right way will mean just that… so… 





Here’s what seasonal fruit and veggies are up for May… these bad boys will be cheap as they’re gonna get at this time of year ALDI are doing some great deals at the moment in veg! 


okra
courgettes
aubergines
rhubarb
artichokes
asparagus
spring peas
broccoli
lettuce
baby spinach
leeks
cabbage
cauliflower
new potatoes 
scallions/spring onions

cherries
pineapples
apricots


Courgette is a personal fav of mine.. the Skinny Mum grows it and we overdose every year, like we get hives kind of overdose! 

Jamie Olivers nifty way to make Courgette penne’ can half your points and it tastes SO good! Here's a diagram that I .. *coughs* stole... things I do for you people! 


Courgette penne

Jamie cuts penne shaped courgette… 

I could only find this version online but skip to 1:28 to see how he cuts up the courgette… sneaky little beggar! Just shows we eat with our eyes and if you got a plate of this mixed with half of your usual pasta you’re digestive system would high five you and you could half the propoints for you pasta... more wine anyone?!

Also… courgette spaghetti… dear god try this! I make mine.. steam it for 2-3 minutes and pour your sauce and meatballs on top… DELISH!!! 

Courgette spaghetti how I make it… 




Click on the link to go directly to the recipe!


The other hero in the supermarkets at the moment is rhubarb…. and I mean who doesn’t love a crumble!!! I just stew it in a little diet 7up and use it on my breakfast… a few tablespoons stirred into porridge… swoon… 


Here’s the WW version for 3PP and the portion is HUGE!







And here’s two fab rhubarb recipes from one of my favourite cooking site www.skinnytaste.com 







aaaannnndddd.. last one... here’s a fab recipe for cabbage.. use the lardons from Lidl or Aldi and that’s all you have to propoint! 



Sorry its a bit 'bitty' but its easier to post the YouTube links so you can see how other people are making this fab food! 

Fantastic losses again! Woo Hoo! Total so far in the challenge is 106lbs that's 7st 8lbs!!! 

WOWZER!











Pixi H2O Skintint

Ok... summer is coming despite the weather today! The summer IS coming! OK?!?! Tinted moisturisers and sunscreen ahead! In my quest to seek out the ultimate tinted moisturiser... I've discovered this...


Pixi H2O Skintint is a water based tinted face gel that states it’s ‘hydrating, long lasting and water resistant with a semi-matte finish that lasts all day’ and it does most of these just not all day! It comes in three shades Cream, Warm and Nude, me being of the sallow skinned variety I inevitably ended up with ‘nude’ which is perfect…  




It’s very hydrating and light which is perfect for the coming months or for bringing on your jollies… foundation is a no no in the heat for me and this does have enough coverage … heat and foundation do clogged pores and irritated skin make! 



I was surprised that it was more pigmented than your average tinted moisturiser and whilst it didn’t cover up the 'rosie cheeks' entirely but it did tone down the redness and even out my skin tone… my skin just looked brighter… and because its got chamomile and lavender it looked a lot calmer … 



It’s got a very ‘gel’ like texture when you pump it out first but is has that ‘bursting’ effect of colour once its applied … 



Tangent: The pump dispenser is perfect for travelling so you can only use what you need to…  and because it’s water based, it quickly becomes very fluid and it feels lovely and cool on your skin…  it lets your skin breath a little … 


Sadly because its a water based product it doesn’t last as long as you might like, I got 4 hours out of the first application but I’d say setting it with a powder would sort that out for dinner al fresco in the Med … *snaps fingers* aaaaand awake! 

Only down side… no SPF! gggrrrrrrr… but if you bring it on your hols you’ll be lashing on the sunscreen anyway! 


All in all, I love it ... if they sorted the SPF out it'd be a killer product! 
Top tip… give it a good shake before you use it...  


You can get this product online here...

Free shipping with Beauty Bay... 

Free shipping if you spend over £35 on the Pixi site... 

cheaper/free shipping through ASOS depending on what else you get! eek! 



Try walking in my shoes... Weigh In 4


You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You're the one who will
decide where you go.

Dr. Seuss



This week one of my favourite subjects... SHOES!!! Ahhh many nights have been spent drooling and perving online ... shopping baskets have been full only to cancel and delete because the Credit Union manager lives a few doors down and I can't risk him spotting the postman! 

Shoes make us feel good... cause our feet don't gain weight... or bloat... or get PMT'd... they remain consistent... like our earlobes! We can buy them KNOWING they will fit... and we'll feel good about ourselves... as the saying goes... Give a girl the right pair of shoes and she will conquer the world... 

The other saying.. never judge someone before you've walked a mile in their shoes... SO true... you don't know what's going on in peoples lives... the struggles they have... losing weight can be a real struggle for someone and a doddle for someone else... 
Instead of being all judgey... OH it's easy for him... She's down EVERY week... maybe ask what they did differently... 
A lady in my class got to goal this week... she's been losing the SAME 1lb since CHRISTMAS! This week she couldn't stay for the meeting but she was at the gate BEAMING when I arrived and I just knew she'd done it! I gave her the biggest hug! "we're celebrating next week 'cause I can't stay' he said .. and every single person who came in was thrilled for her... she was the hot topic in the queue for the scales...  we've been giving advice and wondering 'what if's' and 'maybe try that' for weeks and all she did this week was change her exercise routine... she's a walker... but instead of going the same route as usual... she got in the car and drove to a new spot and walked there... the hills were a little bit different... the pace was different ... it was a little bit longer but her body noticed the change and she lost that one feckin' pound! It can be as simple as trying something a little bit different... and out bodies get used to eating the same thing... and exercising the same way... try something a little different this week... if you live on porridge.. have weetabix for the week... drink green tea instead of normal tea at your tea break... have a bigger lunch and a smaller dinner... sometimes something very small can make the difference...  
It was like an ICA meeting outside in the car park... and everyone was delighted for her... because we all know the struggle... and it meant so much to her... 

So time to change your shoes ... be they fancy or practical... get em on ya! 


I'll start with the most common one.. your runners, trainers, sneakers... run, jog, walk, stroll... put em on... leave the house for 10mins, out the front door and you'll have to come back... 20 min walk DONE! Simples...


In case you dissolve in the rain or are a vampire... get your DANCING shoes on... now if you want to go all riverdance.. I'd recommend it... I went to a ceili last year and the sweat was dripping off me by the end of it and such great craic! 


But what about Salsa, Zumba, Bokwa, Hip Hop ... there's loads of classes out there to suit your tastes and have a boogie with like minded boppers!



By the way there's nothing stopping you from putting on these bad boys and turning up the volume and bopping around your kitchen for a few tunes! 



 No money till pay day... get yourself done to the bowling alley and burn off some calories... from laughing if nothing else! 


You might not have a boat but everyone lives near a park or by the seaside to stick on a pair of walking shoes and just enjoy the breeze... 
catch up with the gossip or just give the dog a treat!




Go for a HIKE! Be at one with nature... you can flake out on the couch when you get back but I guarantee you'll feel SO much better than if you never left the house ...




No laughing... I've seen these down in my local pool and it helps build muscles in your legs I'm told! But still they're 'shoes' and maybe snorkeling or diving is something you've wanted to get into... why not join a club over the summer? Or hire some gear when you go on your holidays... its all exercise... plus you get to see fishes AND maybe treasure!  



I only WISH I was cool enough to wear these... and have balance... and you don't need a Roller-rink... out on the footpath.. down the park... your abs will be killing you after one go just from trying not to fall!   


AND Roller Derby is becoming a big thing at the moment... its fun... fantastic exercise and plus you get all that aggression out!


OK so you will need a rink for ice skating but over the winter months you can get your skate on... if you're a bit wobbly go at the quiet times till you get some confidence and trust me you will not be the only person falling down! 

 Maybe a ski lesson or two... think Cadburys Milk tray man! 





For those who like to spin about... inside or out!



Soccer, tag rugby, rugby, GAA, football, basketball ... whatever you love doing... 
stick on your special shoes and do it! 


No one knows what struggles people are going through every day... Sometimes we just assume that everyone is doing much better than us, life is a breeze for them and we're the only ones struggling, that's not true... as Depeche Mode sang... "try walking in my shoes" ...  


Shoe logic... This also applies to gin! *coughs*


Nearly half way through the challenge and the loss to date is 5st 8.5lbs!!!! 
78.5lbs in total!!! Dear god you lot are only FAB!!!

Chart below... if I've missed you.. just shout you know where to find me! 


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