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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Tis the season to drink lattes... fa la la la laaaaaa...

More great lists from my leader to share... it's easy to 'pop out for a coffee...' at least know how much it will cost you! Put that mince pie down!!!  

Costa Coffee

Hot Chocolate Full Fat Milk Massimo/Large - 12PP
Hot Chocolate Full Fat Milk Primo/Small - 7PP

Hot Chocolate Skimmed Milk Massimo/Large - 7PP
Hot Chocolate Skimmed Milk Primo/Small - 5PP

… With Marshmallows and Whipped Cream

Hot Chocolate Full Fat Milk Massimo/Large - 16PP
Hot Chocolate Full Fat Milk Primo/Small - 10PP
Hot Chocolate Skimmed Milk Massimo/Large - 12PP
Hot Chocolate Skimmed Milk Primo/Small - 8PP

Festive Lattes

Cinnamon Latte Skimmed Milk Massimo/Large - 6PP

Cinnamon Latte Skimmed Milk Primo/Small - 3PP

Gingerbread Latte Skimmed Milk Massimo/Large - 6PP

Gingerbread Latte Skimmed Milk Primo/Small - 3PP

Hazelnut Latte Skimmed Milk Massimo/Large - 6PP

Hazelnut Latte Skimmed Milk Primo/Small - 3PP

Vanilla Latte Skimmed Milk Massimo/Large - 6PP

Vanilla Latte Skimmed Milk Primo/Small - 3PP

Starbucks Coffee

Hot Chocolate whipped cream - Tall - whole milk - 13PP

Hot Chocolate whipped cream – Tall – Semi milk - 12PP

Hot Chocolate whipped cream – Tall – Skimmed milk - 12PP

Hot Chocolate whipped cream – Tall – Soy milk - 12PP

Hazlenut Mocha with whipped cream – Tall – Whole milk - 10PP

Hazlenut Mocha with whipped cream – Tall – Semi milk - 9PP

Hazlenut Mocha with whipped cream – Tall – Skimmed - 8PP
Hazlenut Mocha with whipped cream – Tall – Soy milk - 8PP

Caffe mocha with whipped cream - Tall - Skimmed - 7PP
Caramel macchiato with sugared syrup - Tall - Skimmed - 4PP
Caramel macchiato with sugar free syrup - Tall - Skimmed - 3PP
Gingerbread latte with whipped cream - Tall - Skimmed - 6PP
Gingerbread latte with whipped cream - Grande - Skimmed - 7PP


Tall skinny toffee nut latte with cream - 6PP
Tall skinny toffee nut latte without cream - 4PP


Grande skinny toffee nut latte with cream - 8PP
Grande skinny toffee nut latte no cream - 5PP


Tall skinny peppermint mocha with cream - 9PP

For festive flavours, just add in extra from syrups and toppings

Syrups and Toppings

Bar Mocha syrup per pump - 1PP

Flavoured syrup per 2 pumps - 1PP

Whipped Cream Topping - 2PP

Caffe Mocha with whipped cream – Tall – Whole milk - 9PP

Caffe Mocha with whipped cream – Tall – Semi milk - 8PP

Caffe Mocha with whipped cream – Tall – Skimmed - 7PP

Caffe Mocha with whipped cream – Tall – Soy milk - 7PP

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Don't give up... #motivationmonday

Plenty of reasons to give up... 

and even more reasons to keep going... 

Remember why you started? 

then don't give up! 

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This is my journey and I'm driving the car... #weigh-in-9

As this goes to post I'm on the way down from a sugar high and contemplating the scales on Saturday morning... when you hear the sound of wailing from Dubins south side tomorrow morning, you'll know its me shouting at the Belgians! The Christmas Markets were AMAZING but that's for another post... but I'll fess up after my weigh-in... I promise... 

This weeks guest post is by the new kid on the blogging block... you know when you giggle along and smile at a post, you know you're just as guilty as they are... when you nod along thinking 'yup, me too!'... or you start to well up because you've felt the very same way... you're onto a winner... one of the first times I 'talked' to Paddy on social media he told me the story of the boys giggling in Tesco... and I have felt that pain... I've felt that embarrassment... and his honesty is palpable... he tells it like it is, with a funny twist... and that's why people love him...  I've been a huge fan since he started blogging... Ups or downs, his story is one we all understand... definitely worth a follow... you can find him ..  

Twitter  HERE 

FaceBook HERE 

Blog HERE 

This is my journey and I'm driving the car...

by Paddy Hourigan

Smaller Plate  

Back when I worked in O2 I used to dress up as Santa for the kids Christmas party. I loved it; it was great seeing their little faces light up and playing a part in the magic of Christmas. The irony was lost on me at the time and it's only now that I can see it for what it was. I was 20 years old, dressed up as Santa Claus because I fit the bill. Our body shapes were the same... (Round is a shape, yeah?). I could actually shake my belly like a bowl full of jelly and get away with it. It's actually mortifying when you think about it, isn't it?

Santa has an excuse I suppose. One night a year, he eats about 6 million biscuits, has 3 million glasses of milk, beer, Guinness and whatever else and then he sits on his arse for another 364 days. Sounds like heaven, doesn't it? Life doesn't work like that though. This time last year, I was in Tesco's and some kids had been laughing in one of the aisles. I was convinced they were laughing at me, the fat man in the sweet aisle so I went home and cried my little eyes out. That night, I ended up going online to see what I could do and I stumbled across John Quinlivan's blog and the Skinny Doll's journey. I stayed up until about 2am reading everything, laughing and crying with every post.

On December 2nd, 2013 I took the bull by the horns and went to face the scales. I'd been to Weight Watchers before. I'd always lose a stone or so and celebrate by putting it back on again along with a few extra pounds for good luck. (Lads, don't judge, if a famine hits Ireland again, the fatty's will outlive everyone else... who'll be laughing then!?) About two weeks in, my lovely boss in work, Ms Sarah Duff, was chatting to me about Weight Watchers and she said something that has stuck with me ever since... she said "Make 2014 the year you become the person you want to be". And I did.

In the last 11 months, I have quit my job, gone back to college to train as a teacher, cleared my debt and lost 4 stone to date. I took up running, inspired by John and the constant pressure from my friend Grainne and went from looking like a beached whale when I walked up a stairs to being able to run for an hour solid without stopping. I discovered a different love of food thanks to my WW leader Verette and started to make all of my dishes from scratch. I started to write for fun, I blogged. I turned my life around and learned loads in the process.

Thinking I was king of the world, I decided to stop going to Weight Watchers in September after money was non-existent when I went back to college. I've maintained my weight loss but the latest lesson I've learned is that you don't get rid of something that works perfectly. This week, I gave myself an early Christmas present and re-joined with a view to reaching my goal weight in 2015. Why? Because it works. Bad habits can creep back in so easily if we let them, but I'm stopping them right now. Why? Because I refuse to allow myself to become the person that is asked to play Santa next year. I refuse to be the guy in the sweet aisle, sweating buckets picking up a Golden Crisp, in case anyone spotted me. I'm taking control again. This is my journey and I'm driving the car, I'll go as fast or slow as I want, but I will not reverse, not a chance, penalty points or not.

I was incredibly humbled when Skinny Doll asked me to write for this year's challenge. It meant that I was part of something bigger and that my blog was doing the same for others as hers did for me. I'm not perfect; I've a long way to go before I get to goal, but I'm getting there, it's a journey. I keep saying it, but if I could haul my 22 stone arse off of a couch last January and start running, then anyone can. Go on, make 2015 the year that you become the person you want to be... what's the worst that could happen?

Paddy x

and it seems my blogger pals have the same awesome taste in Christmas Tunes as me! 

Hair brushes at the ready!!! 

Chart below... I'll be updating it over the weekend too once I face the music,

so do let me know if I've missed you out.. 

with my gallivanting this week I may have missed you ... 

Nearly there... don't give up now! 

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