Ta Da! #final-weigh-in

We made it!!! WOO HOOO!!!! Final week of the challenge... 

People sometimes ask 'why do you bother doing challenges?' and the answer is purely selfish... I need motivation... I need to see others losing weight so my competitive side will up its game! Yes there are times when I'm about to go to bed and I think 'feck I've got to do the chart' which is why my ability to lose count is bad! But if you look below, everyone who stuck it out, is down, be it half a pound or a stone, everyone is NOT UP and that was the goal in the run up to Christmas... people motivate each other, and seeing that, stops me face planting a bun! Simple as that... it's all about me dontchyaknow! 

I won't add up the grand total till early next week once everyones checked in but seriously look at the losses... you're all amazing and I KNOW no one wants to lose all that again when January strikes! 

AND, a HUGE thank you to all my guest posters.. if you ever need to check in with someone who's journey is real and they've been struggling too, people who have really been there... these people are the ones to follow... No one likes Miss Smug in fat camp... especially when you've been struggling all your life like me... so knowing that you've had a bad day/week/ month... it's nice to know that we've all been there and that you can start again without all the guilt and emotional head wreck and still continue your journey! 

If you need a boost over the next two weeks... have a scroll through their blogs and I guarantee you'll be back on track before you know it! 

John - http://19st-10k.blogspot.ie

Verette - http://www.abetterme.ie/joomla/

Jacqui - http://jwacqui.blogspot.ie

Rob - http://twelvereasonswhy.com

Vicki - http://happybubblegal.blogspot.ie

Zoe - http://59lbstogo.blogspot.ie

Claire - http://theniptuckfoodblog.blogspot.ie

Paddy - http://smallerplate.blogspot.ie

Stacey - http://www.soupyd.com

I'll do a final post next week before Christmas to tot up how much the group have lost but be very proud of yourselves... imagine if you'd thrown in the towel a few weeks ago... I know for sure I'd have been up! So well done everyone! x

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All together now in the style of Elvis!

I'll have a GLUUUUU-TEN free Christmas without wheat...

See what I did there?! *gets coat*

Any excuse to play a Christmas song to be honest... It'll be all karaoke next week!
Tangent... the girl with the pink bow in her hair... how brilliant is she swooning! 

Some M&S goodies for the gluten free lovers amongst us... Honestly, gluten free stuff just makes me feel less bloated... and there's some really good offerings out there now, LIDL, Supervalu and many other places have upped their game... for people in your family who can't eat stuffing and christmas cake there's some great choices out there now...  I passed these on my lunch break and thought I'd ProPoint them for you ...

Made Without Wheat Coffee and Walnut Cake per 1/6th - 9PP 

Made Without Wheat Mini Coconut Macaroons x 1 (25g) - 3PP 

Made Without Wheat Ginger Snaps x 1 (17g) - 2PP 

Made Without Wheat Spiced Cookies x 1 (18g) - 3PP 

Made Without Wheat Triple Chocolate Cookies x 1 (17g) - 2PP 

Made Without Wheat Mini Cheese Crackers x 1 pack - 3PP 

Made Without Wheat Cheese Puffs x 1/4 bag (25g) - 3PP 

Made Without Wheat Caramel Pecan Squares x 1 - 5PP 

And they're small!

Made Without Wheat Chocolate Loaf, whole thing, 250g  - 27PP 

If you like chocolate cake and don't eat puddings or christmas cake 

and hate baking this cake is for you!

Made Without Wheat Almond Frangipane Traybake, whole thing 287g  - 40PP 

yes FORTY!

Made Without Wheat Scotch Pancakes, per pancake - 3PP 

All Butter Gluten Free Top Iced Christmas Cake 600g  - 58PP 

Gluten Free Christmas Pudding Large, (454g) - 36PP

Below - Small individual 100g pudding - 8PP

Gluten Free Mince Pies, per pie - 5PP

Made Without Wheat - Rich Fruit Cake, 375 loaf - 34PP

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Christmas Trimmings...

More goodies ProPointed from my fabulous leader... share amongst yourselves!

Trimmings 

Avonmore sour cream per 100ml - 7PP
Avonmore cooking cream per 100ml - 5PP
Lakeshore Goose Fat per 100ml - 25PP Jar (200g) - 51PP
Ballymaloe Cranberry Sauce 1Tbs (15g) - 1PP
Tesco Finest Cranberry Sauce 1Tbs (15g) - 1PP
Tesco Sage and Onion Stuffing 50g serving - 4PP
Paxo Sage and Onion Stuffing, per 100g - 3PP
(Cooked Weight)
Jus Roll 6 Filo Pastry Sheets per sheet - 4PP
Jus Roll Pastry Vol-au-Vent cases - 2PP each
Lidl 'Connell Bakery' Sage and Onion Stuffing per 60g serv - 3PP
Goose meat, with skin roasted, 100g - 8PP
Goosemeat without skin roasted, 100g - 6PP
Turkey breast roasted without skin, 100g - 4PP
Schwartz southern fried wedges spice 35g packet - 3PP
Schwartz Garlic & Rosemary roasties spice 35g packet - 3PP
Schwartz dauphinesse potato bake 40g packet - 5PP
Schwartz Cheese & Chive potato bake 35g packet - 3PP
Tesco Sunflower oil 1 tbsp 15ml - 3PP
Tesco Tomato Passata 1 500 ml carton - 4PP
Sacla Basil pesto whole Jar 190g - 25
Tesco Extra Light Soft Cheese 100g - 3PP
Tesco Extra Light Garlic and Herb soft Cheese 100g - 3PP

Christmas Desserts

Romantica 1/6 or 125ml - 6PP
Vienetta Mint 1/6 or 108ml - 4PP
Vienetta Vanilla 1/6 or 108ml - 4PP
Tesco Trifle Sponges 1 sponge / 20g - 2PP

Custard - PP per 100ml

Tesco Low fat - 2PP
Tesco 425g - 3PP
Birds - 3PP
Birds low fat - 2PP

Avonmore creams - PP per 100ml

Fresh Cream - 10PP
Light Cream - 7PP
Fresh Whipped - 5PP
Double Cream - 13PP
Baileys Whipped - 5PP 

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Repeat after me...

OK... say the following sentence out loud... 

and again... 

and once more... 

Christmas is nearly here... stressing over your weight will just add to the other stress going on over the silly season... yes you've got to have a plan but invariably things will happen that are out of your control... Auntie Mary will arrive with her 'legendary' Christmas cake and you HAVE to have slice... you'll be out with the girls and your 3 drink rule will be gone in the first cocktail! There's no point worrying about it... yes, you can do damage limitation... you can plan for the meals you make yourself... you can get the family off their bums for a walk or a bike ride or a boogie in the kitchen... you are in control... but sometimes life throws things at you but are you going to sit in the corner saying 'sorry I can't I'm on a diet!' no way nelly .... sitting worrying about it won't make Christmas a fun one... nor will worrying when you're facing the scales in January... 

What's my plan? From Christmas eve at midday and all Christmas day, I'm a free agent! No ProPointing, no way, not me! I know subconsciously I'll be doing it anyway, cause I'm kinda brain washed now, but I'm going to enjoy my Christmas, the stuffing, the gravy, the roasties..  all of it! NOM! Also from midday on NYE to midday on New Years Day... it's a ProPoint free zone! I LOVE New Years Eve more the Christmas... so I'm going to enjoy every minute of it... including the full breakfast on New Years morning... I work too hard not to enjoy it and life's too short... and worrying about it won't change it... so forget about the worrying, make a decision what you want to do... as far as I can see we have three choices...

Option 1 
Throw the tracker out the window and face the scales in January knowing you're going to be up and accept that and have a bloody good time ...


Option 2
Be happy to maintain over the two weeks... enjoy yourself and plan the meals that are in your control... there are 21 meals every week... there's not a starter and dessert for all of them! You wouldn't have a full Irish every morning during the year... why are the next two weeks any different? 


Option 3
Plan to just stay on track and be happy with that... and more power to you... 

but whatever you plan to do... worrying won't help! You'll only add to your blood pressure and the family stress that the season is full of! and the scales will still be there and regardless of which option you go for, we'll all be back on the wagon together! 

now deep breath... 

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The hardest step is always the first.... #weigh-in-10

Penultimate week of the challenge! One last week to get the head down before it all kicks off! Well done to those sticking it out to the end... I know it's the hardest time of the year with temptations EVERYWHERE!!! 

This weeks guest post is by an amazing person, who life dealt a devastating blow... This time last year she lost her wonderful husband Chris, just 9 weeks after their wedding day ... When you read her blog you will just be in awe of how amazing she is... She has lost an amazing 5 and a half stone and is currently training for the London Marathon in 2015! You can find Stacey AKA SoupDragon ... 

Twitter HERE

Facebook HERE

Instagram HERE 

Blog HERE

The hardest step is always the first step...

By Stacey Lynch

SoupDragon

Long before we were married, Chris would tell me it didn't matter to him what I looked like, or what dress size I wore, or what food I ate – he would always tell me he loved me for my heart and what was inside. The whole inner beauty argument. I guess the comfort of knowing this deep down and having his reassurances meant that I became happy with myself and didn't have a burning desire to change. I was content with where I was. He was a real food lover too and we were lucky enough to have the means to eat out often and enjoy great home cooked food too. I had very good intentions of losing weight for our wedding and did try – but the age old nemesis – my crumbling spine – put paid to all that. I was prescribed steroids and various other medications and my weight just ballooned upwards. I was not able to do very much exercise either – even walking from the bedroom to the bathroom was torture enough some days. I was so unhealthy and my weight was having such a detrimental effect on my back condition. Sore back = no exercise = comfort food = weight gain = sore back. It was a never ending cycle of self destruction.

To be honest – my back was and always will be an excuse. I have suffered with my spinal condition for 20 years, every so often it flairs up and I am floored. I have never been a size 10 super model (and never will!) but I was using the fact I had a sore back to hide behind and not tackle the ever increasing problem of my weight. When Chris died I was over 19 stones (280lbs), was wearing a UK dress size 22/24, had terrible acne and little energy for anything. During January I had plenty of time to think – it was time to make some changes. If I didn't start looking after myself, I would be no good to Ronah or anyone else. Suddenly thrust back into being a single mum meant that I had to stand up to the mark. No one else was going to pick up the slack if I was laid low. I spoke with my GP at length and we agreed a timetable for stopping all the medication. She encouraged me to go back to Weight Watchers, knowing I had some success with them in the past. Coming off all the medication was a nightmare and it wasn't until mid February that I started the plan with any level of commitment.

 

This was something I could control. Losing Chris was out of my control. The funeral arrangements and those first terrible weeks were out of my control. My future plans had suddenly all be thrown into question. My whole life seemed to be spiralling out of control. But this was something, one thing, I had the power to change and could decide what entered my mouth – good or bad. In my world of chaos, this was one thing that helped me gain some small level of balance back. Whilst struggling to create my new “normal” after losing Chris, I was able to plan my meals and stick to the plan with some gusto. A sense of determination has helped me too. No one can do this for me and if I want to be the best Mum I can be, I have to make the changes required. I have to just get on and do it. No excuses. No hiding behind my back or my grief.

As I write today, I am over 5 and 1/2 stones down and am wearing a UK dress size 14. I still have some way to go and I will get there. I know that I can achieve what I have set my mind to. The past 10 months have shown me that I am able to do so much more than I think I can do. Chris would be proud of me – this I am sure of. I miss him every day, and every day life is tough. Many days I want to give up and go back to where I was. I just know that I can’t do that.

The hardest step is always the first step. Have you taken the 1st step today? I would love to be able to help and support you along your path to being the best you can possibly be.

Stacey x

Stacey Christmas song is her husbands favourite and a beautiful classic... 

Nearly there... again, shout out if I missed you! Can I also just do a small shout out to Emma, who reached goal this week losing an AMAZING 14, not a typo, FOURTEEN stone! That's like 3 Victoria Beckams! C'mon everyone... one last push for Christmas... 'Rockin' not 'Rolling' around the tree! Just think about how you'll feel if you have to lose the SAME weight again in the new year! 

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Stocking fillers - part 3

I play it pretty safe when it comes to skincare... I don't like things that irritate my skin or over power with scent... we've all been on the Luas beside THAT person... Nivea is kind of my go favourite and it is with most of my family ... and this Christmas they've brought out little Christmas baubles... I KNOW! with mini treats that I had to share...  

Seriously cute no?! and €5.99 for the Hydro lip balm, 

roll on deodorant and their moisturising cream, and the mini ones are great for emergency dry elbows and hand cream! Plus apres pool.. perfick... 

AND there's a bauble for the boys! With Shave balm, moisturiser for the sensitive types, 

and deodorant! Perfect for a weekend away! Drop the hint gals! 

They also have a 'Gorgeous Beautiful Skin' pack that includes 3 full size goodies and a hot pink rose shaped shower puff thingy, the waterlily shower gel smells SO good... 

and it comes in a pretty quilted toilet bag for €10.99!

It's in the Skinny Mums stocking as I type... only so I can 'borrow' it when I need to!

The heart shaped tin that the 'Luscious Beautiful Lips' pack is pretty enough 

to hold trinkets all year and there's four lip balm treats in there, for the desk, car, 

handbag, gym bag, coat pocket ... the list is endless if you're like me... for €8.99

Lots of lovely Christmas treats out in the pharmacies at the moment .. oh.. oh... and there's a beautiful navy blue vanity case including BB cream, cleansing mousse, the one I keep instagramming .... and their micellar cleansing water which leaves your skin feeling so good... so keep your eyes peeled! 

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