Believe...

My biggest weakness... self belief... I've been working on my self esteem my whole life and some days I just get so tired of it... It's exhausting trying to be positive all the time... For all the times people have said 'you look well...' or 'you're doing great, stick with it' the only person I really believe is me and I'm not so nice to me sometimes. 

It's an Irish thing, we're always putting ourselves down... It's been bred into us that if we think we're great then we have 'notions' but if you're constantly putting yourself down, you make the people you love unhappy... they love you for you... they want to see you smile... they want you to be full of beans and run into the sea on holidays in your swimming cozzie... but if you don't believe that they love you just for being you, then that all starts with how we speak to ourselves... So give yourself a compliment.. go on.. I'll wait... go on... say it... you've gorgeous eyes... you're so kind... you make people smile every day... you make the best lasagne in Ireland... whatever it is that makes you fabulous, you've got to believe it too... because if you put yourself down all the time, the people you love will stop trying to make you believe what's really true, that you are amazing! So this week, promise yourself you'll be kind to the reflection in the mirror... that woman looking back at you is doing pretty good.... x

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Good riddance!

Guilt... anyone else suffer from it?! When I get down in the dumps about my weight (and I do, a lot!) the guilt trips I send myself on are unreal... 'How did I let myself get to this size?!' is the first thing I rant to myself about... A lot of the time instead of being proud of myself and how far I've come, I just wonder how I could have let myself down over the years and get into this mess to start with... Where would I be in life now if I have control over my emotional eating? What kind of person would I be if food didn't comfort me and hate me at the same time...  It can even get to the point where I truly believe there's no point in going on with this journey because 'good old me' will just revert to type and put it all the weight back on again eventually right?!  This all boils down to damaged self confidence... like most people on this journey, our self esteem takes some brutal hits... from early childhood it can start to bruise and we believe what people say to us, especially those who don't have out best interests at heart... We listen to the negative talk, the back handed compliments, the digs from family and think they must be true... When I think of the energy, the hours I've wasted on the 'what ifs?' and 'might have beens' it's exhausting... the past is exactly that, the past, we can't change it! What we can change is the here and now... how we treat ourselves, what food we buy, how we cook our food, who we let into our lives, how we deal with saboteurs,  these are all things we can control... this week forget what might have been and focus on what will be... Lifting the guilt will be a burden off your shoulders... and good riddance to it! x

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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! 

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100 days!

So... time to motivate this bottom of mine and get lighter for the next junket! I'm pretty sure I should have been an air hostess or at the very least be the wife of a hot airline pilot!!! Anyways... in 100 days I'm off on my USA road trip with my best pal and I want *cue spice girls song* I REALLY REALLY want... to have my 10th stone in my paws before I go... is it achievable? Absolutely... but will I sabotage myself? NOT THIS TIME MAMA! After my mental and wardrobe 'spring clean' it's time to focus on tracking, exercising, weighing portions and getting the last few stone gone!

So a 100 day countdown it is... my pink tracker will be with me at all times, a birthday gift that I'm going to use well! I've added my chart below, if anyone wants to try a challenge for themselves feel free to print it out and tag along with me! (I can email a PDF to anyone who would like it!) It's a 100 day countdown which will bring us to the 1st of August 2015 starting today! That's 14 weeks and 2 days! 1 lb a week is a stone lighter before you face the beach or bare all to the rest of the summer folk... think about it... 

I'll be doing a weekly countdown post, I'm going to exercise everyday so I'll track my progress on instagram, just to keep me even more accountable! So if you fancy it, tag along with me and set yourself a goal... want to fit into that bikini? Get into the next stone bracket? get a silver 7 or even hit goal? We all need something to keep us motivated and summers nearly here, and August is the month when everyone is in holiday mode, how do you really want to feel when it comes around... it's easy to get sidetracked and 'wait till the kids go back to school' ...but the arms will be out, flip flops donned, shorts and swimming cossies with limbs bared all over the shop! We all know that feeling of dread... well that could be gone and filled to the brim with the feeling of confidence! Imagine what you could lose in 100 days! Who's with me?!

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O! WOW from LV ESSENTIALS

Now I'm not a brush-a-holic like the real beauty bloggers... I've been given make up brushes as gifts and a lot of the time I'm looking at them wondering what they're for! I have a few chosen ones, I love my Eco Tools foundation brush and my Flawless foundation and shading brushes are my trusted old friends ... 

I also stick with my fingers, blending professionals after all these years... but I was asked to try the O! WOW brush by Cailyn and it ain't like the others gals... it's ridiculously soft, doesn't leave strikes and works with ALL the creams... BB, powder, liquid foundation... all of em... it's the perfect mix between the standard 'flat' foundation brush and the newer 'round' buffing brushes... The bristles are tightly packed so it feels like velvet when you run your fingers over them... I'm always dubious when products make massive claims but it really gives a flawless finish... I used it with my tinted moisturiser and it blended it perfectly... 

Next up... idefine liquid eyeliner... If your a wingtip gal at the weekends, or just for putting out the bins... this is brilliant... it's small but perfectly formed and so easy to control! You know what I mean! The pigment is dense and jet black... I mean JET black!! I'm all about the slick eyeliner in the summer with a brush of colour... so I'm looking forward to using this lots!

Last up the BB compact... This is the 'not-gonna-spill-in-your-bag-ever!' BB cream... it dispenses the right out with a press of a button... the coverage was good and the finish quite matt so you'll need to add a hint of high lighter to give you a bit of glow... but the compact itself is lovely, great little mirror and the way it dispenses means you're not going to be binning any of it...

LV ESSENTIALS is 100% Irish owned and operated, and growing its product list all the time... check them out online >>> HERE <<<

How much? 
O! Wow Brush €29.99
BB Fluid Compact €29.99
BB Fluid Refill €22.99
Idefine Liner €15.99

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Boohoo SS2015

Spring is here.. clocks are right back where they belong.. the daffs are out and the weather will cooperate! It will, no it will... positive thinking and all that! 

I have only recently discovered BOOHOO.COM's plus size collection, they won Cosmopolitans 'Best Dressed Curves 2014!' In a word SASSY! 

The GORGEOUS Nadia Aboulhosn... rocks every single thing she puts on! I dare anyone to body shame this woman! SHE IS HAWT!

 

I was at BooHoos Spring/Summer launch and I'm just going to let the pictures do the talking! Can I just say, I'm SO glad the 70s look is back in... Gorgeous crochet and lace additions to soft flowing fabrics... I'm gonna go all Charlies Angels on you this summer, just watch! 

Come on... you knew I'd find the shoes first! LOOK! and the shades... too cute! 

First up... the details... 

and some hippy chick LOVE to share... the pics don't do the colours any justice... 

If you've got good legs... you need these shorts.. 

if you don't... get squatting and lash on the fake tan... we don't have much time! 

the fabric is so soft, and they're SO flattering... 

Next up... white is always a summer colour 

and these pieces all have beautiful crochet, lace and fringe detailing... 

Cutest dress on the rails for sure! 

See, Charlies angels! Gorgeous white blazer with a 'D ring' buckle belt,

I'm pretty sure Farrah Fawcett Majors had one just like this...

again the fabric as so soft, it just hung beautifully!

What?!? Just cause I can't eat them doesn't mean I can't wear them... 

Cute T-shirt from the Mens Collection

Check out the #WeAreUs to see more!

Did I mention the shoes?! *drools*

There was ice cream too! and sorbet to get us in the summer mood... 

Watch... The heatwave will come, I tell ya!

Have a peep on your lunch break and check it out! Don't forget look in the 'sale' section too... some fabliss bargains to be had! They do sizes up to 26 and the fit is bang on! I've ordered two things from them and was delighted with the cut, fabric and fit of both!

Online >>> HERE <<<

and the Boohoo Plus Size range... >>> HERE <<< 

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Easter Challenge - Weigh in 6

1 weigh in left! just one! So farthe loss has been... 

drum roll please... 

11st 2lbs! 

ELEVEN STONE AND TWO POUNDS!!!! 

Thank you so much to everyone who stuck with it... the motivation is just fantastic! 

Comment your losses below before Saturday and

I'll have the final chart up Sunday announcing the winners!

The goodies are all set to go too! 

There's the lowest chocolate treat you can get for Easter, 

Choc Shot and Choc Shot Orange from Sweet Freedom! 

Choc Shot ProPoints like so... 

1 tsp, 5g - 0PP

2 tsp 10g - 1PP 

3 tsp 15g - 1PP

4 tsp 20g - 2PP

5 tsp 25g - 2PP

6 tsp 30g - 2PP

7 tsp 35g - 3PP

8 tsp 40g - 3PP

9 tsp 45g - 3PP

10 tsp 50g - 4PP 

Whole bottle 320g - 24PP

The latest Weight Watchers Cookbook and all sorts of other treats! 

If I've missed a weigh in or message, just shout! 

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