Measuring Progress #1

I've decided to scrap my weekly weigh day results as I feel like it's clogging up my blog.

Instead I want to most monthly progress posts. In these posts I'll tell you my weight loss from the month, along with putting up progress pictures.

The first time I did Weight Watchers (this is my third FYI) I took progress pictures to monitor how I was doing and found it really motivating, so I'm doing it again!

Above you'll see pictures from the start of my journey to now. That's 25lbs difference!

I'm really excited to see next months progress pictures now too.

I also want to share 3 non scale victories each month too, as I believe that they're great motivators to keep going.

1) Completing the Couch to 5K

http://instagram.com/p/t-v-QQDJqp/

As I've said before the last time I attempted just day one I couldn't complete it. I had two goes and both were unsuccessful. To be able to say I've completed just day one is an accomplishment in my eyes, to do it more than once makes me want to dance with joy! I honestly wish I could bottle up the feeling I had when I completed week one, it was amazing!

2) Feeling confident on a night out

http://instagram.com/p/t2iPzODJld/

Again, I've mentioned before I began shutting myself away from the world as I was ashamed of how I looked. Last weekend saw me going out for one of my bestest friends birthdays (which turned into her engagement night too!) and I honestly felt really good. Especially compared to the other picture when I went out in April

3) Clothes are fitting better

http://instagram.com/p/tuS88WDJmD/

On my other weight loss attempts my main goal was to drop dress sizes and look good, and whilst that's still nice my main reason for joining WW this time is to become healthy. However, I must admit I'm loving the fact that clothes that looked crap now look good! Yay me.

https://twitter.com/fattybiscuit/status/518313963533377536

So, see you again same time next month?

P.S If you can't wait to see how much weight I lose, I'll still be posting it on Instagram/Twitter :)

Food: Filling and Healthy Apple Cake

Today's recipe is another adaptation from something I saw on the Filling and Healthy Fanatics Facebook page from Michelle Brooker.

I based mine more an apple flan/tart/upside down cake. I'm great at deciding stuff, right?

 

The recipe itself is pretty easy to follow and your left with a nice dense apple cake that you won't want to put down. If I do say so myself.

I personally love that it's quite dense and moist, it feels like proper cake & really indulgent!

It would be perfect with custard or ice cream too, or just a snack on its own.

Now it's your turn to make and enjoy!

"Filling and Healthy Apple Cake" servings="6-8" time="30 mins" difficulty="easy" Zero pro points on Filling and Healthy

Ingredients:

1 apple

2 tsp sweet freedom

1 tsp of mixed spice

80g Oats

1 banana

2 eggs

vanilla extract

1 tsp baking powder

120ml skimmed milk or unsweetened almond milk

1 tbsp sweetener

Instructions:

1) Preheat your oven to 160 oc

2) Cut up your apple and spread them out across the tin, then sprinkle with sweet freedom and some mixed spice

3) Blitz the oats in a food processor or blender till it resembles flour

4) Add the rest of the ingredients, except the milk, and blend

5) Slowly add the milk until it becomes a cake batter like consistency

6) Pour the mixture over the apples

7) Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and springy to touch

8) Place on a wire rack to cool

9) Flip it over and serve

Notes:

I found that it could actually have some mixed spice or ginger in the actual mixture to add something extra to it too!

It's zero pro points on F&H for a slice and one for the whole thing!

Fitness: Couch to 5K

The 'fitness' category of this blog is severely lacking; it's because I'm not a very big fitness buff.

Gyms really intimidate me  and I don't really want to sign up for any classes etc.

In my head I try to earn 20 activity points a week, which I've done so far just by walking! However last week, well Saturday to be exact I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and went for a run!

Well, I say run, it was more like a zombie shuffle, but I did it.

I've attempted the Couch to 5K once before and it resulted in my dad having to get the car and pick me up half way round due to me feeling like I was going to pass out.

This time I actually managed to complete it. The sense of pride and accomplishment spurred me on to do the next day (which I did and managed to do faster than the first day) and I will be attempting the third day tomorrow (hopefully)!

I've always admired runners and envied them at the same time. I'm really hoping that this programme will help me build up my running so that I have some stamina as well as help with the whole weight loss programme.

I know that if I hadn't lost the weight I had then this would've been completely impossible and I'm really proud of myself for doing it.

So watch this space and hopefully you'll see some more Couch to 5K posts coming up! Or even more fitness posts!

Food: Making Lunch Last

Losing weight is tough! It takes a lot of time and dedication and it can be very easy to find yourself slipping up.

Being quite an organised person I've found that planning and prepping food has been detrimental to my success so far. Therefor I thought I'd show you how I end up making my lunch last; saving pounds and lbs.

On a Monday or Sunday (usually a Monday as that's when I have the most time) evening I like to make a big pot of something that I can use in different ways throughout the week. For this example I've got a big smokey BBQ chicken chill esque product that I plucked from my imagination. All free on filling and healthy.

On Tuesday I made healthy wraps with it:

http://instagram.com/p/tkVGQ9DJn7/

On Wednesday I had enchiladas:

http://instagram.com/p/tm5SvQjJkL/

Thursday was Nachos:

http://instagram.com/p/tpd6m-jJqB/

And I finished it on Friday with a tortilla bowl:

http://instagram.com/p/tsDE11DJhu/

I find that doing this not only helps me save money, it also helps me save time as I'm not wondering what to have for lunch each day. Plus its super tasty and super filling to, it keeps me going till dinner which is always good.

What do the scales say?

I managed to lose another 1lb today which I'm happy with as it's another pound gone forever, and I knew I couldn't keep losing 3lbs every week.

Onwards and downwards.