Weight loss chart - to 9 April 2013

Sticky satay chicken

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
Fry lite
Ground chillis to taste

Method
Put everything except the chicken into a small pan and cook over a low heat until it melts and mixes.
Add the chicken and coat thoroughly in the sauce.
Cook until the chicken is cooked - break it up to get mre flavour into it.
Enjoy!

6.5 syns for all of it on extra easy

Here's hoping...

In an unusual step, I'm blogging before weigh in today. I figure it gives me a chance to be honest about the week, rather than trying to justify the result from the scales.

Wednesday - Friday were great - food optimising all the way, getting my HEs, at least 1/3 superfree food and keeping my syns within acceptable tolerance (i.e. 15-45 over the 3 days).

Saturday - pretty synful since I didn't hold back at a birthday party - I was driving, so no alcohol, but had more than my fair share of party food! That after starting the day pretty well with porridge, a banana and an egg for breakfast before a session with a personal trainer, then following that up with grilled fish ramen (which I figured was probably the lowest syn food at Wagamama).

Sunday - big breakfast, some of which was good on SW, lots of which was not. Onto lunch - a lamb roast, complete with non SW roasties and a giant yorkshire. Sufficiently filling not to need another meal, but made up for that with half a pack of Revels.

Monday and Tuesday have been better, mostly on plan, but did succomb to the charity bake sale.

So what do I expect this week?

I'm hoping that I've not gone too far on Saturday and Sunday and can still get a loss or maintain, but would not be surprised with a gain.

The big positive has been that when I've been responsible for what's available to eat I've made pretty good choices, and in the coming weeks I will have pretty much full responsibility.

I'm also hoping that my wife and I can regularly get to the personal trainer - it'll kick start my exercise and hopefully help me shed some weight/get fit at the same time. We've asked for 2 sessions per week, so with a bit of luck I will finally get a body magic award in the not too distant future!

Admitting defeat...

Having tried to go it alone, I've failed massively in sticking to plan, my clothes are starting to feel a bit tight again and when trying on new clothes I've had to try a bigger size than before.

I admit it - I was wrog to stop getting weighed at group. I think I need that check every week just to keep me on track, so I've decided to go back to group, starting tomorrow.

I'm hoping that I've not done too much damage, but know that with the help of my wife and my fab SW group I can repair it pretty quickly.

I'd been umming and ahhing for a wile, thinking "I'll get back on track soon", but the final prod came in two forms

• Firstly, I've won the SW readers' recipe competition (see here for my winning entry: http://group.slimmingworld.com/recipes/peri-peri-potatoes.aspx and here for when it first appeared on this blog: http://slimmingman.blogspot.com/2012/01/recipe-peri-potatoes.html - I wish mine looked as good as the one made by the SW chefs!), which means that I'm going to be the proud owner of a shiny new slow cooker (we've got one already, but I think this one will be bigger, and sears too :-)). Inspired by that, I've picked up the extra easy all in one cookbook and look forward to trying out some of the recipes - if my group are lucky then I might bring some to taster nights!
• Secondly, my mum has recently started SW online and we were discussing it at the weekend. She told me I should start back at group, and since it was her birthday and mothers' day weekend, I'm not going to argue!

To my group, I look forward to coming back, but please take it easy on me if I've been really bad an piled on the pounds!

Off target...

When I started SW I had a specific goal in mind - to lose as much weight as possible before my wedding. It worked. Although I fell short of my overall target of losing 4 stones I did manage to lose 2.5 stones.

I subsequently put back on half of the weight I lost and over the last year or so have fluctuated between 1 and 1.5 stone off my original weight.

I still have a target to get to that original 4 stones off, but I don't seem to have the motivation any more. I've got no reason to get there other than to be at a healthier weight, so it's not happening.

I know that SW works, and I know the plan. I even know when I'm making decisions about what food I have which would be best for food optimising, but I just don't make the right choices.

It's getting to the point where I'm thinking about having a break from the whole thing - I've maintained this weight for long enough now that perhaps it's what I'm destined to be, and I suspect that given the eating habits I've developed I'd probably maintain the weight wthout getting weighed every week.

I'm a slim man

Comin' to ya from a slimming group
I'm losin' with super speed soup
And when you lose weight you got something
So don't worry cause I'm losing
I'm a slim man
I'm a slim man
I'm a slim man
I'm a slim man
Got where I got the hard way
Counting my syns each and every day
So honey don't you fret
Cause I ain't giving up yet
I'm a slim man
I'm a slim man
Superspeed!
I'm a slim man
I'm a slim man
Listen

Took a third of super free food
Added two thirds free that tasted so good
I make my soup from free stock
When I start slimmin' I just can't stop
I'm a slim man
I'm a slim man
I'm a slim man
I'm a slim man
Well grab the scales I'll weigh you in
Give you hope and be your Slimming World friend
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm a slim man
I'm a slim man
You're a slimmer
I'm a slim man
I'm a slim man
I'm a slim man

The long and winding road...

5 weeks into 2013 and I've somehow managed to lose 5lb, with only one week showing a gain.

So far so good you say? Maybe, but it hasn't felt like that until today. There have been times when I've been ready to throw in the towel, stop worrying about trying to stick to the plan and just eat whatever I want.

Over the last year my weight has tended to yo-yo around the same level and it's got me down in the past, but it's time to draw a line. 2013 has started well in terms of weight loss - at the same rate of loss then I'd lose another 3 stone by the end of the year and therefore achieve my interim target.

I've discovered the wonders of our slow cooker and used it for a few meals this week. Preparing or planning meals in advance seems to be a big factor in achieving a loss, so I'm hoping to do more of that in future.

Another thing that helped was having such a supportive group - when I felt like giving up they played a part in persuading me not to and made me feel so welcome when I went to weigh in.

The other person who takes a lot of the credit is my amazing wife - without her I could often fall into a pit of despair and self loathing. She is my strength when I am down; my support when I cannot stand; my hope when I have none; and I love her more than words could ever say.

As an aside, I've not added to this blog since November, but still had over 300 hits in January (the second highest hit rate since I kicked the blog off just over a year ago. Thanks to all those who read this blog - I hope it helps you some way on your journeys.