Christmas and New Year

So I had my weigh in last night to tell me how I had been over the Christmas period. I knew I had been bad, but not as bad as it ended up being!

My last weigh in was on the 18th of December, as there wasn't a class in my normal Slimming World home before Christmas and I couldn't make any of the others. Unfortunately this made me act a little worse than if I had been able to make it to weigh in. I think I took my foot off the gas a few days earlier than if I had been to the class.

The result of this was a 7.5lb gain. For the first time I really do feel quite ashamed. Especially as the ladies around me were losing or staying the same. The way I looked at it last night was that I could give up for a few more days and start the diet again with the rest of the world on Monday after the New Years celebrations and the last weekend of freedom was out of the way or I could start afresh from today.

So I started fresh today.

I am determined to lose at least half of what I gained over the Christmas crisis.

I have been very good today and I have a plan to get me through NYE tomorrow. There will be alcohol involved, but it will be done on flexi syns, and my Body Magic is going to be increased to doing at least 30 minutes every day.

We walked 5 miles today, and I will be back to the gym tomorrow (I was having a day off the gym today as my arms hurt so much from using the Xbox Kinect!!) for a big cardio session. They are starting spinning classes at the gym soon and I am looking forward to trying one! My other half says that they are knackering if you apply yourself but that you see results quickly!

I have also discovered that one of my favourite pastimes is beyond evil.

A Costa coffee each with a cake (shared) is a huge amount of syns. My favourite (the chocolate tiffin) is 21 and a half syns. I am shocked!!

Back on the wagon (and out of Costa) with dedication to the weight loss cause from 9.15am today.

How has your Christmas been?

Cinnamon and Raisin Mini Muffins

A little sweet treat to keep cravings at bay!

Cinnamon and Raisin Mini Muffins

Ingredients (makes 16)

Fry Light

6oz/170g self raising flour

1 level tsp baking powder

5 tbsp artificial sweetener

3 tsp ground cinnamon

2oz/57g Flora Light

3 medium eggs, beaten

5oz/142g fat free natural fromage frais

Zest of 1 orange

1 tsp vanilla essence

1oz/28g raisins

Icing sugar to dust

How to:

- Preheat oven to 180ºC. Place 16 mini muffin cases in a muffin tray and spray with Fry Light.

- Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and stir in the sweetener and cinnamon. Melt the low fat spread over a gentle heat, then whisk together with the eggs, fromage frais, orange zest and vanilla essence. Add this mixture to the flour along with with the raisins and stir until well combined.

- Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin cases and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through (you can test this by inserting a skewer into the middle of the muffin - it will come out clean if it's cooked). Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. Serve dusted with a little icing sugar.

Syns per serving: 2.5

Verdict:

Mini muffins with an almost bread like texture. A spicey Christmas flavour thanks to the cinnamon. They were good hot, straight from the oven - I never have the patience to wait for them to cool!
I was expecting the fromage frais to give a slightly bitter aftertaste, but this wasn't the case. They are very springy, so I hope this will mean that they will last a couple of days before going hard (something I find with SW cake recipes).

Again, I turned my oven to lower than what was recommended and took them out earlier than the recipe said. I did them in mini silicone cases and managed to get 18 out of the mixture. I was a little over keen with the icing sugar too - which is why they look like they have been snowed on!
 Appropriate for our weather at the moment though perhaps!

Tomorrow's (post roast) sweet is going to be the Christmas Chocolate Log with Raspberries - looking forward to it!

  

Wednesday Weigh In - Week 73 (& Chilli Bean Wraps)

I lost 1.5lbs this week! I was expecting a maintain or a small gain so I am very pleased with the loss! 5lbs to go to be at 3stone award for Christmas. 2 weigh ins. It's pretty achievable - it's just whether I can be good enough...

Yesterday I was at client Christmas drinks and errr... had quite a few of the drinks.

My will power went out of the window so it was definitely a flexi-syn day. I hardly ate a thing though so it may balance out? My hangover is hideous today though and all I want to do is eat. And eat. I'm obviously making up for hardly eating yesterday!

We did do a lovely lunch though - Chilli Bean Wraps.

My boyfriend just threw a load of ingredients together that worked wonderfully well. It was quite high syns though as we used tortilla wraps (I only had one) but they are six syns a piece:

One red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced

2 garlic cloves finely sliced

1 red onion chopped

Cook off all of the above in a frying pan until soft, then add one tin of mixed bean salad and taco seasoning. Stir occasionally until beans are cooked. Pop the tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds and grate a small amount of mature cheddar.

Load up the tortillas with the bean mixture and sprinkle cheese over, wrap up and enjoy! Delicious and filling lunch! I am donning my pinnie once more in a bid to make some tasty confection as I have had a couple of nights off - So tonight is Raisin and Cinnamon Muffins... Recipe and pictures to come soon!

Chocolate and Almond Brownies

Well I decided on the brownies to see me through tonight!

Another easy recipe to follow, although as before - I am not very sure about the cooking times! I took these out after 20 minutes and I wouldn't have wanted them in there much longer. Granted, I did it in the wrong sized tin for the recipe (oops) but if I had left them in for another 25 minutes they would have just been cinder! So I recommend that you watch them carefully during the cooking time.

Choc 'n' Almond Brownies

Ingredients (makes 15)

2 large eggs

6 tbspn sweetner

2oz/57g Flora Light

2 tsp vanilla extract

2.5oz/71g plain flour

3 level tbspn cocoa powder

1 tbsp baking powder

A pinch of salt

Fry Light

8 level tspn chopped almonds

How to:

- Preheat your oven to 180ºC. Whisk together the eggs and sweetner until the mixture is thick and pale. Beat in the low fat spread and vanilla extract

- Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt and fold into the egg mixture. Spray an 8inch/20cm square cake tin with Fry Light and pour* in the brownie mixture. Scatter the chopped almonds on top and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until springy to the touch.

- Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes before cutting into 15 squares. Serve warm or allow to cool completely.

Syns per serving: 3½ per square or 52½ for the whole tin

I believe that if you don't decorate them with the almonds then the whole cake will be around 34½ and around 2½ per square.

Once more, thanks to the Slimming World Just Desserts recipe book.

Verdict:

 

 I am very pleased with how these turned out! Although I wouldn't describe them as brownies (they certainly aren't squidgey enough for me to classify them in the brownie category) they have made a lovely light chocolate cake! It may be that I beat the mixture too much when mixing in the dry ingredients - beating in too much air may have caused them to be as light as they are. I am willing to try them again soon though. I think I will be taking them as a taster to weigh in and see what the other Slimmers think!   

 Tomorrow is a night off from the baking as I won't be back in time to do a proper dessert - lets hope I have some of these left!

The Chocolate Log will be next on the list though as I bought the fruit today... Looking forward to it!

*note: this for me was more of a 'smudge the brownie mixture around the tin with as many utensils as possible - it still didn't reach the corners!

Hot Lemon Soufflé

In my bid to find delicious low syn desserts I have decided I am going to try as many as possible from the cookery books I have. I don't count 'mango crush' or 'jewelled fruit salad' as a pudding by the way. It has to have ingredients other than fruit and yogurt.

After my lovely Banoffee Crêpes of Sunday evening, dessert number two was Hot Lemon Soufflé.

I will hold my hands up and say that I am not a very good chef nor am I confident in my ability to make something as complicated as a soufflé, but I have to say - it was pretty simple.

Recipe as follows:

Hot Lemon Soufflé

Ingredients (to serve 4)

Fry Light

2oz/57g golden caster sugar

4 tbsp artificial sweetner

200g pot fat-free natural fromage frais

3 eggs, separated

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Icing Sugar to dust

How to:

- Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Spray four ramekins with Fry Light and sprinkle the sides with a little of the sugar. Place the sweetner and fromage frais in a bowl and mix. Beat the egg yolks with the lemon juice and zest and stir into the fromage frais mixture.

- Beat the egg whites until stiff, then whisk in the remaining sugar until thick. Fold the egg white mixture into the fromage frais using a metal spoon. Divide between the ramekins and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until risen and golden.

- Remove from the oven and serve dusted with icing sugar.

Syns per serving: 3 

Again, thanks to the Slimming World Just Desserts book.

Verdict:
 (Again, excuse the phone photos - I will crack out my camera for any more!)

If they had been done in a slightly cooler oven (ours is fan assisted and I think it was too hot at 200ºC) at around 180º and divided between more ramekins I think they would have turned out much better. Overall they came out okay.
I only have two (large) ramekins so did the other in an oversized mug thinking that the recipe for four would be okay.
My boyfriend gave them a 4/10 - and said that they were a nice idea, and the flavour was good but that practice was needed in the cooking department!
 I will give them another go as they were much more simple to make than I expected!

Tomorrow night will be a Sausage, Bean and Potato Bake, and I am in debate over what pudding will be... Raisin and Cinnamon Mini Muffins, Choc 'n' Almond Brownies or Chocolate Chip Cookies?!

Something Sweet

My weakness is sweet things. When people say they have a sweet tooth I think them pretty lucky - I have a whole mouth full of sweet teeth! A concerted effort has begun to find a low syn recipe for something truly delicious.

Tonight was Banoffee crêpes with chocolate drizzle as found in the Slimming World Just Desserts booklet (I believe it was with one of this year's magazines).

I halved the amount as there were only 2 of us eating, but I can safely say they were gorgeous.

Banoffee Crêpes with Chocolate Drizzle

Ingredients (to serve 4)

2oz/57g plain flour

2 tsp artificial sweetner

1 beaten egg

1/4 pint/142ml skimmed milk, plus 3 tbsp for the sauce

Fry Light

200g pot fat-free natural fromage frais

1 pot of Smooth Toffee MüllerLight yogurt

4 bananas

Juice of one lemon

6 Rolos

How To:

- Sift flour and sweetner into a bowl, add egg and milk and whisk until smooth.

- Spray a small frying pan with Fry Light and pour in quarter of the batter, tilting the pan to spread the mixture. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until lightly browned. Flip and cook for another minute. Remove from the pan and keep warm whilst cooking the other pancakes.

- Mix together fromage frais and toffee MüllerLight, set to one side. Thickly slice the banana and pour over the lemon juice.

- For the sauce: put the Rolos and 3 tbsp of milk in a bain-marie and stir until melted. Cut each crêpe in half and ripple one half on to a plate. Spoon over the bananas and toffee mixture then ripple over the other half. Drizzle with chocolate sauce and serve immediately.

Syns per serving: 4 1/2

I did it slightly differently in that I didn't put lemon juice on my banana, nor did I mix the MüllerLight with the fromage frais - there would have been far too much yogurt. We had most of a pot of the toffee MüllerLight between us. I also used a large frying pan and made very thin pancakes.

Some pictures (please excuse the quality - they were taken on my phone): 

 

YUM!

Do you have any delicious sweet recipes that you can share?

Tomorrow night's pud is Hot Lemon Soufflés at 3 syns a piece... Can't wait!

No Shame in a Gain or Maintain

Weigh in didn't go so well last night - I came away with a 2 pound gain, rendering my goal of 3 stone by the 1st of December pretty much unreachable.

I have had many maintains and a few gains on my journey. I have come to the conclusion that I would rather have a few of these on the way and keep it off for the long term rather than lose all the weight I want to lose really quickly and then just eat one loaf of bread and watch the whole load fly back to my belly and hips.

When I have had a gain it often puts me in a negative mindset for the next week. I tell myself silly things like 'well if I try really hard and I only lose the weight that I put on is it really even worth it?' or 'well now I've blown it I may as well just carry on and blow it completely for the whole bloody week!'. 

Obviously this is not how gains should be dealt with, so I asked for extra help last night and my consultant gave me an S.A.S Log.

S.A.S stands for Slimmers Against Sabotage and I think it links your eating and your emotions, and how you go about choosing things to eat throughout the day.

You fill it in similarly to a Food Diary (which I recommend keeping when you start on your weight loss plan, but they key is that you must be honest - there is no point in cheating yourself) but you have to fill in some check boxes for each food you eat - varying between whether you have measured the item (if it's a syn/Healthy Extra) or whether you wrote it down when you ate it or you waited until later.

Day one is almost down and I'm not sure of the effect the S.A.S log has had - I will make an update after one week of logging (which I will be doing daily).

There are a few challenges this week - I have 3 meals out in the not so distant future. For two there will be options to chose from a menu. But I do face the challenge of one of the family Christmas get togethers on Sunday. A three course set meal. With a Slimming World un-friendly main of Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. I can't fool myself and pretend like I won't eat the ball of stuffing or drown the food with gravy. I will eat veg - probably quite a lot of veg, but the likelihood of them being cooked in Fry Light? Minimal.

These are issues that have to be tackled, because that is life, and life goes on whether you are on a 'healthy life plan' or not.

Hopefully I will be good enough for the rest of the week and do enough exercise to balance it all out... keep your fingers crossed that I lose my little gain - but please the message here folks... Have no shame!

Wednesday Weigh In

For anyone that hasn't been to a Slimming World class before, but tries to follow the plan at home - I urge you to go.

I have been to the same class since the very start of my Slimming World journey and remember feeling terrified when I first walked in. Now I am a confident person, and I am always happy to socialise, but I still remember feeling like everyone would judge me and that my weight would be revealed to the whole group when I walked through that door.

I couldn't have been more wrong. Although there were only 3 people in the class that first night I still felt welcomed with open arms. 

I have seen 5 consultants take over one from another in the time I have been in that group - some better than others, but they all come with the same consistent message - 'You can do it!'

If you can stay to Image Therapy (the group talk after the initial weigh in) as well it gives you a chance to get to know a few faces and share your experiences. I think only a handful of times I have missed an Image Therapy session - I have trawled through the snow and I have even gone to the weigh in between Christmas and New Year!

It's worth it - I promise. The consultants are there to motivate you, and to help you when you need it. If you have one bad experience with a consultant you perhaps don't like I can tell you that it won't apply across the board. They are lovely, helpful ladies (and men) that want you to achieve exactly what they have, so they can feel proud of you as you are of yourself.

How do you feel about 'weighing-in' at class?

Exercise, Excuses and Energy

I am not a natural when it comes to exercise. I always dreaded P.E. at school and I'd rather have been on the chess team than the netball team. It didn't matter what sport it was - I wasn't interested.

I have joined a few gyms in my time - always with good intention. The cross-trainer was my go-to machine and I'd spend 40 minutes sweating my face off on it and then head home.

I did classes (Legs, Bums and Tums; Total Body; Circuit Training; Body Pump) quite regularly at one point, but as soon as I moved away the classes became a thing of the past.

And then I met a boy. A boy that liked to run. To run for fun. The thought of running for more than 30 seconds brought me out in a cold sweat and I couldn't think of anything worse than running for 13.1miles of pain just to get a medal at the end. He was quite determined to get me to try though, following plans here and there and eventually persuading me on to a treadmill.

So thank you, Mr Runner for pushing me when I needed to be pushed.

I would not say that I was a good runner. Nor a strong runner. Not even a fast runner.

But I don my headphones, my running tights and gloves and can cover a distance not to be shrugged at. Granted, it's often not more than 5kilometres - but I can actually run for more than 20 minutes without dying. If you are an iPhone user I strongly recommend the C25k app. I only downloaded it about a week ago and have used it 3 times in that time.

 (Please don't judge me by my taste in music - I always find pop music gets me moving)

It lets you select the music you wish to listen to (from your iTunes) and then plug in and go! A lovely man (or woman if you so wish) will tell you when to start running after your warm up and when you are half way through, and when you have a certain number of minutes to go etc, You can then record how you felt about the run too.

I am aiming (as you may have seen in this post) to run a 10k at some point in late 2011. I'd like to be able to do it in less than an hour (please don't laugh). 

So I am quitting. Quitting on the excuses.

I could find excuses from anywhere. I will only get there by training often and will only have myself to blame if I don't!

Paula Radcliffe watch out!!

Here is to fewer excuses, more running and a mountain of energy...

Picture Post - Before and During

I often think that looking at your pictures and seeing how you have changed can be one of the most motivational tools.

When I went through a period when I struggled with SW I felt that it took a lot of effort to get me back into the swing of things.

Luckily, I had taken some photos the first night I had weighed in at Slimming World and I could compare them with recent photos and I can really see the difference!

I have included some below just to show you that it is achievable - and also to remind me to keep on trying!!

The picture that made me realise I needed to lose some weight!

This was the night of my first weigh in at Slimming World

The next few photos are the new and improved recipe...

Weekend away (Oct)

Race for Life in July

The one in the centre was at a family wedding, wearing a dress I haven't been able to fit into for years!!

Still a way to go yet - but these motivate me to want to get further!!

Do photos help you in your weight loss? 

 

10 Mini Targets

My mum always used to say that if you needed the motivation - stick a picture of you looking at your worst on the fridge. Once I recall coming home to there being pictures on the cupboard, bread bin, outside and INSIDE of the fridge!

I haven't done that so far, but I thought I'd stick a list of mini targets on the fridge to remind me to make the healthy option every time I opened it... So this is the list for the fridge I think...

I haven't quite decided on my end goal so far, BUT these are the few things I have to keep me going for the while. Mini targets are great because it gives you something to focus on if your final target seems miles away.

Abbreviations: WI - Weigh In, SW - Slimming World, TWL - Total Weight Loss

Weight Conversion: 2.2lbs = 1 kilo, Total Weight Loss to Date: 36.5lbs

 
My 10 Mini Targets to Achieve in the Next 12 Months

1. Lose 4lbs to get to 15 stone (1st December WI - TWL 40.5lbs)

2. Lose 4.5lbs to get to 3 stone award (1st December WI - TWL 41lbs)

3. Lose 11.5lbs to get my 3.5 stone award (30th January - with a maintain or small gain over Christmas and New Year. It's not realistic of me to think of it in any other way! TWL 48lbs)

4. Lose 13.5lbs to make my total weight loss 50lbs! (Mid Feb)

5. Lose 18lbs to get to 14 stone (1st March TWL 54.5lbs)

6. Lose 18.5lbs to get to my 4 stone award (Mid March TWL 55lbs)

7. Buy a pair of jeans in a UK size 16 from a high street shop! (1st April)

8. Lose 25.5lbs to get to my 4 1/2 stone award (30 April - TWL 62lbs)

9. Book in for a 10k run in September 2011

10. Lose 27lbs to get to 13stones 5lbs and a BMI of 29.9 - no longer OBESE! Just overweight! 

(TWL - 63.5lbs) 

And when I eventually reach the point of being 63.5lbs lighter than I started I will write another lovely list of mini targets that I can achieve until I reach that happy place!

Do you have a fridge of evil pictures?

A mini target or two that you'd share?

Personal Inspiration

As you may be able to see from my measurements, (and pictures soon enough) I am not quite hourglass - much more of a pear due to the weight I gained years ago going mainly to my hips. I believe I used to have an hourglass shape to my body and people have certainly commented that it is the shape that seems to be reappearing.

So I am inspired both by women of the past and present, and I thought I'd share a few with you.

All 'past' pictures thanks to Prelude's Hourglass Figure List.

Who?

Of the past:

Sophia Loren

 She has the best natural hourglass figure in my opinion. She is just completely beautiful and very classic.

 Rita Hayworth

Marylin Monroe

 I couldn't post about hourglasses and not include Marylin!

Brigitte Bardot

And Hourglasses of the Present Day:

 Scarlett Johansson

My favourite hourglass :)

Kelly Brook

Although teeny, she has a body to die for.

Christina Hendricks

Made famous for appearing in the hit series 'Mad Men', this girl has some cracking curves. I find her very inspirational shape-wise!

Halle Berry

(Sorry for the terrible photo of Halle Berry - I couldn't find any that weren't press shots!)

Who is your favourite hourglass?

Personal Achievements

So I think it is important to reflect on what you have achieved if you get stuck in a bit of a rut. Write a list of all the things you are proud to have achieved, and then look to add to it!

My most proud (weight loss) moments so far:

Joining Slimming World

Actually getting myself to a Slimming World class to get off on the right track was one of the hardest things - it was as if I was admitting that I might need help to do something as simple as losing weight. But anyone that has actually lost a lot of weight will tell you it's no easy feat. Taking that first step is what got me to where I am now, and will help me as I get to where I need to be in the future.

Each Weight Loss

Each and every weight loss has been important. I have often seen people shrug their shoulders at a 'mere' half a pound. If you lost half a pound every week for a year you would be almost 2 stone lighter!

Getting Awards

My lovely awards speak for themselves really... Every award was a 'punch the air with joy' kind of feeling that spurred me on to get that next little sticker or certificate. With Slimming World a certificate is awarded for every half stone (7 pounds) lost. I have them up to the 2.5stone - very close to the 3stone! I have managed to get 7 Slimmer of the Week certificates too! The Club 10 award was for losing 10% of my original body weight. It took me a while to get there as I plateaued for ages!

Starting to Exercise

Starting to exercise properly was another achievement. I have never really been an active person, regardless of the numerous gym memberships I have had. I have to pay a big thanks to my boyfriend in this - he is a runner and has tried his best to encourage me into a healthier lifestyle. I am glad he doesn't give up on me when I stomp my feet and refuse to go out for a run or to the gym - I would never have got anywhere!

I do enjoy some elements of exercise now, I can kill it on the stepper and I am trying hard to like running. Considering the first 'run' I went for I managed 27 seconds of a constant slow jog and then nearly collapsed I am happy to say I can run now for 20 minutes and not pass out! I have set some goals, but you will hear about those in a later post...

Running the Race for Life

I ran the Race for Life in July, a 5 kilometre run in a local park to raise money and awareness for Cancer Research. I managed to complete it in under 40 minutes and was so chuffed. My boy was on the finish line beaming at my final sprint. I lost 5lbs that week!

Winning my group's Woman of the Year 

My biggest achievement was winning our group's Woman of the Year.

I have only missed one group in the 69 I have done, I have trekked through snow, shown up on Christmas Eve eve, and been the only member to show up on more than one occasion.

I do love the group that I attend, and I know most of the people by name, but to get the recognition for that was unbelievable. That was a very special night, even if I had run to class and looked a mess!

Well writing that has made me feel pretty good! What are your biggest achievements/proudest moments?

The Vital Stats - Almost Halfway

So to get you up to date with where I am at the moment and show you the (slow) progress I have made, see the newer statistics below.

Midway Weight:
15 stone 4.5 pounds/97.3 kilos
Loss of 36lbs/16.3 kilos

Midway Measurements:
Bust - 38 - A loss of 4 inches! I can buy nice bras at last! (My boobs have shrunk though :( )
Waist - 36 - Loss of 4 inches!
Hips - 45 - Loss of 5 inches!

A total loss of 13 inches

Midway BMI:
34.5
Loss of 6 BMI points


Height:
5ft 6inches - no change surprise surprise!


Midway Shape:
Getting to the hourglass - definitely have a more defined waist, but it does make me feel like my hips are enormous... My legs have more shape too, thanks to the running I think.

My next few posts will tell you what I have been eating, what exercise I have been encouraged (dragged) into by my boyfriend and some of my favourite recipes.

The Vital Stats- The Start

Starting Weight:
17 Stones 13.5 pounds/just over 114 kilos

Starting Measurements:
Bust - 42 inches
Waist - 40 inches
Hips - 50 inches

Starting BMI:
40.5 - Obese

Height:
5ft 6inches

Starting Shape:
Square?

I had bad posture, and did exercise very rarely. I used to smoke, but it had been over a year since stopping, so the majority of the effects were no longer in my system.
I decided that I wouldn't get to where I wanted to be by myself so looked online at the different weight loss programmes. I felt Weight Watchers was quite limiting when I compared it to the Slimming World diet, so enrolled at SW.
When I joined Slimming World was still Green and Original plans, Extra Easy had not been introduced yet. I now follow the Extra Easy plan (blending the two plans together, cutting down on bread, cereal, milk and cheese).
I have enjoyed doing the Slimming World plan (most of the time) - I like the fact that you don't have to weigh your carbs or meat, and you can still have a little bit of luxury every day.
Any Slimming Worlders out there?

My Journey

I have been on the weight loss journey since July 27th 2009.
It was the day I moved to a new city and decided that a change was needed.
I longed to wear clothes from high street shops.
It had reached the point where I had convinced myself that I was a size 18. I was nearing 18 stone (in fact my first weigh in at Slimming World had been 17 stone 13 and a half pounds), and I was in denial. It had reached the point where I would just refuse to buy clothes in any size over a 20, whereas realistically I probably would have needed a 22 or a 24 to comfortably support the excess.
Here I share with you, dear reader, the trials and tribulations of the fight for a healthier Danielle.
They say you are what you eat, and 69 weeks ago I would have been rectangular, brown and melted in the sun. My addiction to all things sweet (except sugar in tea - why ruin the lovely taste of tea?) and a long ride on cupid's diet, an impressively weak will power and university lifestyle is what got me to where I stood, wanting to cry when seeing those numbers appear on the scales.
Roll forward 69 weeks, and I am almost three whole stones lighter (a great achievement in itself - although it has taken me a while to realise) and a regular exerciser.
I know when you do the calculations my total weight loss comes out at around half a pound a week, but I hate to think where I would have been if I had never assessed my life and made the decision I did.
I am almost at what I believe is my half way point.
I have been stretching the length of my journey recently, bouncing between gains and losses and not really taking a forward steps into a smaller me.
With my motivation dwindling, a fresh outlook is what is required.
I have set myself new targets (mini and very achievable) to get myself to the next stage of my weight loss journey.
Whether you have half a stone to lose, or a whole stack of stones to go, join me on my adventure - the treasure at the end will be the better me.

Stronger together, right?