Week 3 continued..

As i have been ill, i have found the more rundown i have felt the more i've turned to pastires & bread products. A big no-no & most likely the reason why i have gained weight again. :(
I'll admit i have been aiming to reduce the junky foods but cannot truly see me ditching them entirely as i have found in the past the more i try to cut things out the more likely i am to being binging etc.

I hadn''t actually considered using a spell or similar to help lose weight. That's got me thinking now! :)
I have used some distraction techniques or meditation to try & distract myself from my cravings.
One little visualisation i often find myself doing in the supermarket is when i see a treat which is quite likely highly fattening etc i visualise a heavy brass set of scales onto one side of which i place the naughty treat & on the other an alternative healthy option. I then focus on 'feeling' the healthy option as extremley scrummy while recreating the sensation of something which is too sickly sweet & quite disgusting when i 'see' the junk treat. I have found that doing that when i am trying to choose options for my shopping trolley reduces my junk food buys to maybe 1 in 5.

Its all down to convincing my 'little ego' or unconscious self to see junk food treats and sweets as something which will make me feel ill. It will then begin to crave that which i visualy create & view as really scrummy or enjoyable. ie: fruit, vegetables, and savoury items of healthier options. They do say its all in the mind. Well, i decided if it works for other things, such as my panic disorder & other people's phobias then surely it can help with losing weight. :)

I'd love to know if anyone else does something similar? If so how effective do you find it?

Week 3 check-in

This week has been a mixed bag yet again.
I have felt drained & ill all week. My sinuses are clogged up & i have a constant headache. Looks like my seasonal sinusitis & head cold have officially begun. Due to being ill i have been a naughty girl several times this week & i know my weight has gone up though my trousers etc are continuing to feel looser on my body.
A check of my measurements are as follows:

Chest:38 (higher!)
underbust: 32 (same)
Waist:34 (lost an inch!)
Hips:37 (same)

I am pretty happy about it even though i know my weight has now gone back up to 10st 1/2lb. I guess i gained on my chest though a bit confused as to why there of all places. LOL
Im really glad to see my waist is losing slowly though. That is the one area of my body which i would like to reduce & tone the most.
The daily walks with our new dog Kody is obviously doing wonders for my figure. I'd recommend it to everyone. Simple really does work best. I've also begun decluttering my things bit by bit. Im proud to announce i have decluttered & moved furniture in my bedroom today in an effort to make a change & make it mnore useable for me.

I have also been bargain hunting this past weekend & spent a grand total of £7.49 on a second-hand pair of curtains which are a gorgeous mix of teals & blues as well as a cast iron bookstand which i am going to use to hold my Book of Shadows. :)
I would definitely count it as a good day out. As part of my newly inspired creativity i purchased several blank canvases in a sale (yet another bargain!) and will hopefully be dusting off the easel & paints for some much needed artist time.
Ill i may be, but this week has had its up moments. :D

A belated blog...of an amazing week.

This past week has had so mcuh going on, i've been falling asleep at my desk before i could even begin to type!
As of thursday we are now the proud owners of a gorgeous 7 month old puppy.
Meet Kody.  :)

The added walking has really helped me in my fitness challenge. I have gone from my previous weight of 10st 2lbs to...wait for it...9st 12lbs! Seeing as how much of a rutt i've been for several months now where i couldn't see a visible difference anywhere this has really been an eye opener. Guess exercise is key to where i've been going wrong.

I have also decided to take advantage of my scarily in-depth digital scales. They give you the percentages of your body. ie: fat weight, water weight, muscle mass. they also rather niftily tell me how many calories i should eat to maintain my current weight. I usually just weigh myself but have decided to pre-set myself so everty time i weigh myself it will remember me & bring up the %'s etc.

My current stats are as follows:

fat mass: 19.8

water mass: 56.9

muscle mass: 57.8

and according to scales i should consume 1973 calories to maintain my current weight of 9st12lbs. So intheory if i were to exercise more than that the level of calories suggested can maintain me or else somehow eat less calories than suggested, then i would lsoe weight. right? 

Ok, bit too complicated for me. LOL

I think i will stick to just eating as healthy as i can & keeping my exercise levels as good as this past week. That seems to be doing the trick. Though i will continue to research other ideas also.

             
I must admit i have done no yoga since monday, the dog has long since worn me out. LOL
In a good way though. I'm also going to bed before midnight (shocked i definitely am) & i am now getting up before midday & getting into some form of routine. I ate salmon for my tea tonight, with mashed potato (mashed with reduced fat creme freche instead of butter). It gave it a creamier texture also & sliced leeks which were thrown into already boiling water for a couple of minutes. Just enough to soften them but keeping their flavour & nutrients without over boiling. Tasted phenomenal.

I've been drinking more herbal tea & water to vary it up a bit but i am definitely drinking more. I can't say i've been overly successful in cutting out snacks etc though i am eating mostly healthier snacks while keeping some sugary items. Cutting them out all together just makes me think about them more. Less temptation seems to inspire more temptation if that makes sense. 

Another good thing to come of this past week is i've seemed so busy i haven't had time to get distracted by food so i guess that's also a plus. No time for emotional eating habits. hehehehehe
I put together a simple meal last week with plain rice & small bacon pieces with plenty of vegetables in a tomato & herb sauce put together by myself. I must admit it tasted so much better than the jars you can get, though i have found some at my local supermarket which after reading the ingredients list fare much better in the healthy stakes than previous ones i have used. Im actively making the time to check ingredients listed etc as well as price now & must declare my shopping seems to be cheaper as i spend the time looking around instead of grabbing what im used to.

I haven't taken a photo all week so will have to crack on & pull the old camera or phone camera out & start snapping again. Life is so much lovelier to explain or remember with visual accompanient. :P

Oh, and as promised some photos from my visit to Ironbridge last week.

Checking in..i been a bad girl :(

 I'd like to start by saying i started out well, it just fell apart midweek & it my fault entirely. I've been feeling a bit under the weather but i don't think that's a good excuse tbh as i am usually in some pain or another thanks to my neck etc.
I've put 2lb back on. :(
my measurements have stayed the same & i have seriously not done well. Tried to claw it back on saturday by taking a walk around Ironbridge with a friend of mine. We were out from 10am to just past 2pm, so we did plenty of walking. Obviously didn't make that much of a difference though.

Restarted my plan afresh as of this morning since i failed so miserably the latter of last week. Yesterday i was too knackered as i've come down with a cold on top of everything else so i was feeling very sorry for myself.
I've kept my meals healthy & light spread out today. Had fruit with rduced fat creme freiche for breakfast, with an elevenses bar as a snack to tie me over until dinnertime when i had a salad & low-fat yoghurt. My partner did oven cooked chips (slightly healtier option). I rarely have input when its his turn in the kitchen though i must admit he cooks pretty healthy stuff, its just the portion control he's not so good at. lol

I have also done a session of yoga today including the cobra & plank which are both very good poses for the core muscles & stimulating the fat deposits around the tummy. I feel envigorated after a session of yoga so feeling pretty good. :)
I've also dusted off a book i found on bookshelf which i forgot i owned! Bad girl. Its called Garden your way to Health & Fitness. Seeing as my garden is a relative jungle & i need to get fit...seems like a good choice of reading material. I'll let you know what i find. :)

I also need to drink more water. Haven't drunk half as much as i should have.
I'm determined to crack on with everything & make the most of my opportunities. Having read the latest mini-challenge post, i must confess i think i fall down on snacking as boredom eating. I find myself getting fidgety & instead of finding somethign constructive to do i raid the kitchen & comfort eat. Im setting myself a short plan of ideas of what to do when i get fidgety. It is as follows:

1) pick up a book & read for 30minutes (if time allows)

2) do some stretches or turn on some music & do a little dancing (or in my case enthusiastic dancing- badly i might add)

3) search for healthy recipes & plan to make at least one of the newly found dishes in the coming week

4) ANYTHING that STOPS me SNACKING! ;)

ps: I will add some new photos i took while out at Ironbridge when i've had chance to upload them.

Prettied up!

I decided to truly make my mark on this: my blog.
How do you all like the re-design? Not too dark is it?
I also added a couple of my favourite photographs that i have taken on the right-hand sidebar. I also think a bit of colour adds life to a page.
Let me know your thoughts! :D

To scratch an itch..

Where did this wonderful sunshine come from? Beginning of October, all set for chilled winds & fallen leaves. I feel kinda cheated. LOL
Done a fair bit of walking this afternoon, stretches this morning & decided that instead of getting my partner to pick up a big pack of cat food & other supplies from the store i would take my shopping trolley & haul it myself. Worked up a bit of a sweat especially as its so warm today, but every bit of exercise can only help.

My neck has been sending further pain down my back. Not sure if its just the pain spreading out or if its having a knock-on effect on the rest of my back. Certainly hope its not the latter. I've received a confirmation letter for my orthopaedic appointment though so fingers crossed they can get to the bottom of it as im beyond tired of it now.

I'm looking forward to the upcoming chatroom moot at the Pagan Meridian this coming friday. It should be fun. It'll be nice to catch up with folk. :)

My fingers are itching to do something creative. May have to dig the paints or charcoal out. No idea what i want to do as yet, but theres that inner itch that needs some scratching. I will have to attack some paper creatively. :P

As the full moon draws closer i feel as if im being stretched tight. Not sure what this signifies but i hope it is something good.

When i said an uphill climb...

Hi folks!
I was prepared to begin the Get Off Your Broom: a Witchy Fitness Challenge yesterday with a little light gardening to kick-off some of that fat-burning. My partner bless him, decided to take me out for the day. Where may you ask? Conwy Castle in Wales!
Several hours later after much climbing & walking of the battlements & i do believe the fitness has got off to a brilliant start. Feel the burn, i most definitely am! LOL

Since i wasn't online yesterday, here are my vital stats if you will.
Hips: 37"
Waist: 35"
Chest: 37"

My weight currently sits at 10st exactly. I would like to be somewhere between 8st6lbs & 9st but knowing my ability to stick to things am not sure i can manage to lose a whole stone in 3months. What i do think is possible is to tone up what i have & if i loise weight while doing so big thumbs up! :)

The worst area which i really wish to say bye-bye too is my tummy. If i manage to even knock 2inches off it i would be chuffed as...well a chuffedy thing.

My plan is as follows:

1) Walk at least 30minutes every day.
2) Yoga at least 2-3 times a week
3) Other regular activity such as gardening, weights & regular sit-ups etc at least 3-5 hours a week.
4) Drink plenty of water
5) Cut out sugary drinks & snacks, replace with healthier alternatives, eg: water, fruit, salad etc
6) cut down on floury items such as bread etc.
7) Constinue to research & put into action anything that may help such as recipes, foods i have avoided through blind-shopping syndrome (ie: throwing in everything i normally buy ignoring what else is available) & any other ideas or tips which could prove useful during the next 3 months.

On a final note: Good luck everyone! We can & will do this! :D

BB, Py xx

PS: Just for any of you who may be interested, here are a couple of photos of my wonderful day in Conwy.