-3lbs

Booo! I was down 4 lbs on Saturday and only down 3 today! Oh well, still progress. Going to try not to weigh myself til Monday again.

Asos package

I ran excitedly to the post office earlier to collect my package and the queue was out the door- bloody Christmas packages! Eventually I picked up my ASOS package and practically ran home.
My shoes are ridiculous- high, platform heeled and very dangerous.... but gorgeous all the same!
The first dress wouldnt zip up above the waist- hoping a different bra and reaching my Christmas goal will take care of that . I think it'll be flattering once it fits!
The second dress is verging on too big. It is definitely not fitted enough on the waist, even with a little belt. So, with more weight loss on the cards, I'm exchanging it for a 12. Wooooo!! I know that it's because the sizes obviously run big on the particular dress but ordering a 12 definitely has big feel-good factor!
So, one too big and one too small. Definitely a 14 now then! :D
I'm off to eat lunch now and head off to the gym and to weigh myself. Hoping for 4/ 5 lbs off since last Tuesday. Will update later.
~Claire.

Saturday night

So I'm feeling great this weekend, apart from the hangover! Got lots of compliments yesterday about weight loss. Got all jujjed up and went out for a few drinks and had lots of fun. Really hoping the scales is on my side tomorrow. I'm over my Polo mint illness too.

Coat- Dunnes Stores
Purple top- Primark
Skirt- New Look
Bag- Primark
Ring- Primark
Tights with bow detail back-seam
Shoes- New Look

Makeup:
Makeup Forever HD foundation
17 blush China Pink
Banila 'The Secret' liquid highlight
Benefit Boing concealer
NYC pressed powder
Eyes:
MAC pigment Copper Sparkle
NYX pigment Red
VOV Color Song single shadow (don't know shade # but it's a coppery gold)
Nouba liquid liner Red
NYC liquid liner Sable
Maybelline Expression Kajal black liner
Etude House Black x Black mascara
Active false lashes
Lips:
Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick Midnight Plum 338
Essence XXXL shine lipgloss 13 Rock On

:O Sugar-free Polo mints are not my friend

In my effort to curb cravings I've been consuming lots of low calorie snacks; apples, carrot sticks, rice cakes etc.. This week I thought I'd give mints a try; at 80 calories for a whole packet where could I go wrong?!? The answer? Shart. Yep, shart.. as in shit and fart.

EVIL!!!

There is a warning on the label saying that excessive consumption may produce a laxative effect. But to me, excessive would be like three packs. I ate almost a full one and very nearly had an accident- well actually I kinda did. Ew! Thank God it didn't happen in public!!
So, believe me when I say- sugar-free Polos: use with caution.

Anticipation

I'm sitting in the office at my Mum's work helping out for a few hours and wearing my size 14 trousers! :)

I was so annoyed because I missed my delivery from ASOS yesterday and went in to the post office with the slip to pick it up today and was told they don't do package collection on Saturday! Grrrrr! It's a post office.... POST office! What's the point of being open if I can't pick up my damned post?!!?!So now I've to wait til Monday and I'm very anxious to try these size 14 dresses on and see if they fit and if they look in any way nice!

Also on Monday is my weigh-in. I've been cheating and weighing myself at the gym and apparently I've lost 4lbs since Tuesday but it's not official til Monday.

The gym is going well. I've been 4 times this week including swimming twice as well as my usual mixture of weights and cardio, weight machines and free weights with fitness ball. I'm trying to remember to keep my core engaged as much as possible too. Food-wise I've been doing good this week too- mostly healthy meals and snacks and generally low-calorie.

Yesterday, though, I relaxed for the day and had some treats. I'd a pint of Coors Light, over half of a homemade pepper and chorizo pizza (I went light on the chorizo and cheese and heavy on the fresh chillis) as well as half a bag of microwave popcorn and 2 packets of Banshee Bones which are my weakness (at least they're only about 100 calories per pack). I also had some chicken and veg soup and a couple of apples with peanut butter as well as water, Coke Zero, 2 cups of green tea and 2 double expressos.

Saturday night is looming which means white wine and X Factor. Tomorrow I'll probably sleep all day, eat something low calorie like soup (surprise, surprise) and then get my usual Chinese takeaway of (dry, battered) salt and chilli chicken and boiled rice- cos I'm badass like that! And then it's Monday and my weigh-in and Asos dresses! Can't wait!

Size 14 bitches!

I'm helping out at my Mum's work tomorrow so tried on some work trousers I bought a looooooong time ago that wouldn't fit me! THEY FIT!! SIZE 14 BITCHES!!!!!!!!
That is all!

On my soup diet

So I was meant to be on a soup and smoothie diet but I didn't buy my fruit so had soups and a W W frozen dinner as well as some snacks.
Today I ate:

*Veg and chicken soup: 115 cals
W W Spag bol 306 cals
1 slice Hovis Nimble wholemeal bread 48 cals
*Mexican chilli soup 135 cals 604
Half a packet of sugar free Polo mints 40 cals
Granny Smith apple x 3 198 cals
*Veg and chicken soup 115cals
Activia fat free forest fruit 58 cals

2 green teas**
2 peppermint teas
Double expresso
Water

1015- wow that's low! And I'm not hungry! I'm totally not doing this daily but I want to start changing my eating patterns. I 'm doing 2 days to kickstart a healthier routine and then might do a day here and there on the days I'm not working out. Any more and I'd start going crazy missing real food. (I'd also probably faint at the gym.) On my gym days I'll be aiming for 1300- 1500 ish.

*Soups are Tesco own brand. Half a carton is a portion and, although they're a little high in salt, they are really low in calories while being quite filling. They're chunky so I add a little water, pepper and chilli and puree them because I hate the chunks. I know pre-made soups aren't the healthiest but they're crazy handy, on special offer at the minute, taste good and there's no difficulty calculating calories.

Also plan to get a good workout in tomorrow. I skipped the gym because I was busy today and my muscles were sore from Tuesday's workout- think it was the fitness ball exercises with weights that did it. I'd a nice swim afterwards too, which I hadn't done in a few weeks. I want to get back into that habit so will be trying to get a swim in tomorrow as well as a good weight/ cardio mix.
** Throw away your condoms peeps- you're protected!(Click on the pic to read more.)

Plans

Where I'm at:
September:

Ok, so it's a bad picture but even with that you can see I have a belly, regardless of the angle.

November:I'm def getting more waist definition and less belly. SLOWLY getting there!

(Excuse the visible bra. Turns out I don't have many plain black bras. Silly pink ribbons! )

** First outfit is from New Look in size 16 but could have benefit from some Spanx-esque support!
** Second outfit: Top (14), jacket (14) and jewellry are Primark. Skirt (with belt) is from ASOS (16).

So yesterday and today I lowered my calorie intake significantly. Tomorrow will be a soup and smoothie day. May do it for Thursday too if I'm not too hungry.

I had put on a pound but I've lost it and am back at 12.12. I've decided I need to stop weighing myself so often and from now on it'll be on Mondays only. The next few Mondays are important!

Christmas kicks off for me on Saturday 18th when I'll visit my sexy bitch friend Charlene in Galway, two hours away. A night of hijinks will ensue no doubt seeing as that is the unofficial night of the 12 pubs of Christmas.

(The 12 pubs is a popular kick-off of the festivities. It's a big, messy pub crawl with rules. One drink per bar in a certain time frame with a certain amount of loo breaks and so on. Dirty Irish alcos, eh?! I don't know that I fully approve because I know me with 12 drinks and it ain't pretty but each to their own!)

Anyway, so I'm working towards Christmas size 14 and it will have to be achieved by the 18th which, as of now ( 2.40am 24th Nov), gives me 25 days. I don't know how many lbs this will take but if I can be losing 2 a week, I'll be well pleased!

Aaaaaand plateau

Time to go hardcore. Haven't lost anything in the last couple of weeks. I need to address this straight away. So pissed off! So I need to step up the gym, cut calories and cut down on the treats. I want to be in size 14 for Christmas.

Don't go changin'

Oh dear! I've been talking with lots of different people and been around a lot of people trying to lose weight. I have also become aware that a lot of people are out to prove things with their weight loss. I would like to think I'm losing the pounds because it will help ME in the long run, not impress other people. I let myself slide down the slippery slope; ignoring how big I was getting, burying my head in the sand and thinking that if I 'OWN' it, then it's fine (even if I was secretly deeeeeeeeeeeply unhappy). So now, every so often, I look in the mirror and feel good! I'm regaining control of my body. It is a JOURNEY and not an easy one but there is no need to be a dick just because you're on track.

I know a girl who has lost a lot of weight- who never even had MUCH to lose- and is seemingly determined to draw attention to how different she is now; not physically but in her lifestyle. It makes me sad because she seemed very much an 'OWN IT' type of girl. I get that you're proud of yourself but there's more to a person than their dress size.

Weightloss is only one part of your life but because weight and body image are so important to women it can really effect other aspects of life. I'm lucky because my housemate has joined Unislim so is very much on the wagon and we can talk about shared excitement when we drop a few pounds and are very supportive of each other. It's nice to cut through the bullshit and be honest. Weightloss is as simple as eat less, excercise more. There's no need to be a total psycho about it. It's not easy but it shouldnt rule your life either.

Pump IRON

I look good eh?!

So eating wise things are not quite ideal. But, on the other hand, exercise is going well. I've been at the gym 6 out of the last 7 days! Some days are more productive than others and I havent been swimming in weeks (which I miss but it's too cold and miserable to walk home from the gym with wet hair). Still, though, things are generally going well. I'm mixing cardio and weights and lots of stretching and messing around on the ball and with dumbbells. I also have the 15/20 minute walk to and from the gym which is usually brink because it's rainy as helllll these days!

It's less than 6 weeks to Chrstmas now so I really need to get back in the game. Diet is key!! When Kate Moss was quoted as saying "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." there was uproar with people saying she was encouraging anorexia etc.. Well, whatever about that, she has a point. You aren't going to look how you want to and eat all in sight. Balance is the key.

I'm struggling with my late evening snacking. I haven't even eaten anything too bad all week but I'm eating too much at night. I really want to get to goal by Summer and I won't if I don't kick my ass in gear! As it is, I definitely won't hit my Christmas goal. :( So that spells the end of my generous late night snacking.

That being said, I WILL still treat myself if I really want it but I DEFINITELY need to start questioning whether I do want it.

On that note, check out Suzi Storm's tips. I love her no bullshit attitude!

Feelin goooood

Weightloss is going well, though I weigh myself more than I should (at least twice a week). On Wednesday I had put on a pound but I lost it and another by today. So another pound down! :)

I only made it to the gym twice this week and probably won't make it Sunday so will only be 3 times and I have been aiming for 5. I'm not bothered though really. Going for quality over quantity and my two workouts this week have been great- sweaty and long and varied. (Haha that sounds really pervy!)

Also not beating myself up over diet. As long as I'm not overeating or existing on junk, I think it's healthier to eat plenty and not deprive myself and have a couple of unhealthy or calorific snacks if I really want them. I know what I'm like and if I went cold turkey on all the 'bad' foods, I'd end up binging and falling off the wagon or else I'd reach goal and then treat myself by pigging out and resuming bad habits. It makes a lot more sense to me to maintain an 80% success rate from week to week. As long as I'm losing weight, I'm doing something right!

Primark/ Penney's accessories

I'm really poor but can't resist the occassional trip to Penney's. I picked up a cute bag, €9

a little charm necklace €2 and so tackily cute!

and three cheap and cheerful rings. Loving the ironic cheap accessories like the floral knuckleduster €3 (the black patches are from my camera or computer)

and the oversized silver ring. €3

They'll be a fun contrast with my usual style of pencil skirts and streamlined shapes for nights out. This cameo is really cute too. I don't like to wear much jewellry so a statement ring is cute and simple.€3

I also got some kinda ugly boots to keep my feet warm and dry.

€8

Can't believe it's November

I've lost 3lbs more! I am now 12.13! Yay! Under 13 stone now and striving for 12ish by Christmas.
Gym is going really well. Back on track and I'm feeling great. I'm doing less cardio and more weights. A personal trainer I know (not MY personal trainer- I'm not that swank) advised me that high reps of low weights would do a lot better for me at this stage. Cardio after a few months kind of plateaus. So for the last two weeks I've been doing less cardio and doing it with weights when I do.
I'm still cheating a bit diet wise but I'm eating mostly healthy stuff. I'm allowing myself hangover days and treats though and having a takeaway once a week- swap the fried rice for boiled though. Saturday nights are for drinking still but it does seem that my resistance has gone down so it's hard to get the right balance between sober and hammered.
Keeping a food diary is hugely helpful. I'm addicted to peppermint tea at the moment and having something to drink helps me from eating myself out of house and home! Eat lots of protein and drink lots of water peeps!!

Pictures are from Halloween obviously!! I was a living doll!