Musings: Ten things you don't realise about losing weight

When embarking on a weight loss journey there are certain things you realise about losing weight, you know, you'll need smaller clothes and you'll be smaller ('cause duh!) but there are also a lot of things you don't realise, which I'm sharing with you today.

1) You're shoe size shrinks. How is beyond me, but yeah, I've pretty much lost a shoe size.

2) Your confidence grows. Yes this may be obvious, but it grows in ways you'll never understand. For example I've cut my hair short, I say yes to social things more easily, I walk through restaurants without a sense of fear of getting stuck or knocking someones dinner off of the table with my fat ass (I can just visulaise Mean Girls right there.)

3) You still have nothing to wear. Everything is just too damn big, but you're either not ready for the next size down, or don't see the point in buying new clothes when you're going to be getting smaller too. Also all your big clothes still make you look big because they're too big. It's a real struggle.

4) Your bank balance decreases. See point number 3, and also you try stuff on in a smaller size and if it actually fits you just have to get it because it's a god damn size 12 top from Topshop (that was me yesterday btw...)

5) You can fit into new places. Ever sit in the same seat 'cause you know you'll fit? Just me? Well you'll actually be able to fit in other spaces too. And, more people will be able to sit on the sofa with you. And you may have to adjust your seat in the car now that there is more room between you and the steering wheel.

6) Your taste buds will change. I used to be all about the sweet stuff (strange that) couldn't get enough of it, but now I'm much more partial to savoury foods. I'd often chose a healthy 'fry' up over pancakes nowadays.

7) You start to notice you have bones. I honestly thought I'd woken up hungry in the night one night and eaten my skeleton as the only knowledge I had of being bony was when I banged my funny bone. Now I actually see collarbones on a daily basis, without having to make a funny face, and sometimes when I lie on my stomach I hurt my hipbone (shocked face).

8) People around you become diet experts. People who know you, but don't know you soon start seeing your success and giving you every piece of diet advice under the sun. Either that or they tell you you're looking too thin etc.

9) You get obsessive. You're still constantly thinking about food all the time, however instead of eating the first food that pops into your head, you give it thought and consideration and think about how you'll feel after you've eaten it.

10) You'll realise you're the exact same person you were before, just smaller. You can change the outside through weight loss, but you can't change the inside, remember that.

Food: Snacking on Filling and Healthy

 

I know for some, one of the big things that puts them off trying Filling and Healthy is the thought of the lack of sweet stuff and wondering how on earth they would snack. It's definitely something that concerned me. But I actually found that it wasn't that difficult at all. By eating filling and healthy foods I feel fuller and last a lot longer between meals, however sometimes I need a little nibble on something, and this is the type thing I reach for.

1) Frozen fruit

Whilst frozen fruit is actually quite nice to enjoy just on its own, you can use it to make lovely refreshing smoothies too.

2) Chicken/Meat

I bloody love chicken, I think it's great. At the start of the week I cook a whole chicken (and remove the skin) and put it in the fridge and just grab at that when I'm feeling peckish. If there is no chicken left I move onto things like ham etc.

3) Fruit and Veg

Maybe quite obvious, but yeah, If you're hungry grab a banana or a carrot. I always like to remember the saying that if you won't eat an apple, you can't be really hungry.

4) Popcorn

I have a filling and healthy popcorn recipe up on my blog already, but it makes a great snack and sweet treat.

5) Free Bread

Things like Warbutons Thins or Weight Watchers products are great if you're starving and dinner isn't for another few hours. A Warbie thin toasted is a great gap filler.

6) Cakes

This covers the more sweet treats/dessert side of filling and healthy, but I love nothing more than rustling up a F&H cake to nibble on. Plenty of recipes on the blog.

7) Weekly propoints

Don't forget, you have 49 weekly pro points that need to be used. A great way to ensure you're still having yummy treats but eating the good stuff too.

Musings: To Anyone Thinking of Starting a Weight Loss Journey

Maybe I'm a bit late to this party with January being over and all that (well over), however I'm a firm believer that there is no time like the present to get started on a weight loss journey. Here are some of the things I think are important, and I hope they help.

1) Take measurements & pictures

Oh how I wish I'd taken more 'before' pictures and had taken my measurements. Sometimes the scales don't budge, or you have days feeling a bit crappy and you need a reminder of how far you've come. I'm glad I did take the progress pictures I did, but sometimes it would be nice to see the inches I've lost too, or compare other photos than the few I have. Yes it's embarrassing when you're starting, but so rewarding once you've been on plan for a while.

2) Find a plan that works for you

I've always loved Weight Watchers, and Filling and Healthy is definitely the plan that works for me, however it's not for everyone, and that's ok. Maybe you don't want to follow Weight Watchers, maybe Slimming World or Rosemary Connoley or the 5:2 diet is for you.  It doesn't matter. just find something that works for you and that you can stick to, and that's all that matters.

3) Reward yourself along the way

I have a list of mini goals that I look at to make my weight loss seem less daunting. Each week I give myself a target to aim for, and once a goal has been reached I quickly give myself another one. Make a note of when you accomplished certain goals to remind yourself of your achievements.

4) Find a community and hold yourself accountable

I love Instagram and setting up my Fatty Wants a Biscuit account has been the best thing I've done. I've found a great group of people who are supportive and kind and help to spur me on. I hold myself accountable to things by posting pictures of my food and fitness progress and it really helps keep me on track. Find something similar for yourself.

5) Just do it

Don't wait till Monday or after that important event, start now. I started on a Wednesday, two weeks before my family holiday. I literally woke up that day, looked for a meeting and went. I still had a fabulous holiday AND lost 3lbs. Anything is possible if you just believe.

Image source

Food: Tastiest Gammon EVER

Ok, so maybe the title is a bit of a dramatic statement, but seriously, I've found my favourite most tastiest way to eat gammon and I just had to share it with you today.

"Tastiest Gammon Ever" servings="4-6" time="4+ hours" difficulty="easy"

Ingredients:

Gammon joint

Diet Coke

1tbsp of Sweet Freedom

Method:

1) Place your gammon in a large casserole dish and fill with water. Place a lid on top and bring to the boil.

2) Once the water is boiling, drain it away so you are just left with the gammon.

3) Then cover your gammon with diet coke. Bring to the boil and reduce to simmer for around 3+ hours (depends on the size of your joint, could be more etc.)

You could finish it here and just shred the gammon and eat it that way, or:

4) Remove your gammon from the coke and place in a roasting tin. Rub in the Sweet Freedom and place in the oven for around 15 mins.

5) Remove, carve and serve.

Notes:

I've left sizes and measurements our as it all depends on how many you're feeding and the size of you gammon. This was adapted from the Nigella coke gammon recipe. Technically you'd have to point this on Filling and Healthy as only gammon steaks are classed as free, but as long as I cut the fat off, I don't count it, so it depends if you're a stickler to the rules or not on points.

Fitness: My workout routine

Over the past month or so I've turned into a kind of new person, and my parents are slightly worried that I've been kidnapped by aliens.

Well, maybe that's slightly over dramatic, but I've begun to exercise. A lot. And enjoy it. It's crazy!

I was always the girl looking for ways to get out of PE at school, would avoid anything that could leave me feeling sweaty and would be out of puff going up the stairs. (Still kind of am the last one, guess things don't always change.)

Now however, I set my alarm in the morning to give myself time to workout before I begin work for the day. I'm very lucky now as I get to work from home which means I don't have to factor in getting to work time so I wouldn't have to get up as early as when I used to go to the office. But I've found working out in the morning really helps keep me focused and I take satisfaction in knowing that I've done my main workout for the day before 8am.

I usually do a morning workout on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Tuesday is weigh day so I like to do my work earlier so it's done before I head off to weigh in and so far every Monday I've been doing this I've either been too tired from a late weekend or had to drop my boyfriend somewhere.

I try to alternate a workout dvd/video with a run. So usually Weds/Fri will be a video and Thurs will be a run and I also try to do something on the Tuesday evening after weigh-in whether it be a run or a dvd.

I think one of the reasons I'm so into doing my videos is because I found out how to hook my phone to my TV and watch YouTube videos that way, which to be honest makes me feel like a Wizard. I've found lots of good channels that have great videos, but my favourite is definitely PopSugar Fitness. I find them really easy to follow, the instructor to be motivating and I love seeing the countdown timer. They also have their own app too which means you can do their workouts anywhere.

I've created a playlist on YouTube too, to show you the workouts I'm loving and whenever I try a new one I'll add it to the playlist if you fancy trying something new.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBdWscdmTw5DO6HFeGsQuYtR6CzMq6U61

Along with these workouts and runs I also like to make sure I go for a walk at least once a day too. 1) Because I'm obsessed with hitting 10,000 steps on my FitBit and 2) It means I actually leave the house each day.

I hope this post has been maybe insightful and not completely dull, and has even given you a new workout to try.