2015 in Review.....

Christmas week already, this year has flown by!!!  And there has been so much happening with me that unfortunately Blogging and lets be honest loosing weight have taken a back seat!

I went back to my yo-yo dieting ways and kinda fell into a really bad habit of being “good” Mon – Thurs, going off the rails Fri – Sun and repeating this over and over and over.

I’ve decided to do a little review of my year on the scales to see if I’ll break even for the year or end the year with a gain!!  Given the strain on my black work pants today I’m guessing I’m on the up.

And although I’m very much aware of it, sometimes I think I’m ok as I am, and that maybe this is how I am and how I will be and I should just accept this.. buy my clothes and just live with it…

But what I want for myself and what I see when I look in the mirror don’t match and if I’m being really honest, how I look affects how I feel, which then in turn affects every aspect of my life!

Which makes me not want to go outside the door, which makes me want to eat all the rubbish in an effort to eat/ hide my feelings… which does not help my situation one bit.. it’s a very vicious circle…

one which I’m very aware of for the last few years but have yet to break long term…..

So here are the numbers…….

Month	Gain/Loss	Reasons/ Excuses
Jan	-5	Jan motivation
Feb	Up 6	Birthday/ Got Engaged
Mar	-1	Celebrating engagement
April	up 3.5	Easter / Viewing wedding venues
May	-1.5	Barcelona
June	-2	Wedding Booked
July	?	No Slimming World Weigh in's
August	?	No Slimming World Weigh in's
Sep	-7.5	Back to Slimming World
Oct	Up 4.5	Nan passed away / House move
Nov	-1.5	Getting settled in new house
Dec	up 4.5	Christmas Fun

I’ve basically spent the whole year loosing and gaining the same 10lbs… 

So what we learn is that I’m consistent in talking the talking but not at loosing the weight….

This has all been said before by me, I’m sure yer all thinking would I change the record….. I’m down but I’m not out… The last few months have been tough and stressful for me and yes I’ve been over indulging ((but when I cook & bring my lunches to work, its all healthy..))

So it’s the weekends and snacking that is my biggest problem and will be my big issue going forward…. I don’t want this post to be negative or whingey.. but I do want it to be truthful.

I wont be making new years resolutions but I do hope to find a new routine for myself that involves healthy eating and exercise… these for me go hand in hand….

I will also be making a come back on the blog.. I’m thinking that if I go back to weekly blogging I’ll be more accountable

AND my group is getting a new leader in the New Year, so I’ll have a 100% clean slate after the drama’s of last summer, which I feel I need

Thank you to those that have hung on in there with me these last few years, I hope you have a happy and healthy Christmas and we’ll get the results that we are craving in 2016

You can find me on the following:

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Just discovered Snapchat, how much fun is it :)   @happybubblegal



***Photos from Google Images***

February Update

February.. February... February has been a great month for me personally but a crap month for weight loss I'm sorry to say!! Following on from last months performance report/ confession, things didn't improve for me... I had a good week food wise after my last post and even went on the Operation Transformation Walk with my mother, we walked it in 51 mins and really enjoyed it, it was great to see so many people out supporting the leaders

OT 5k

Then something life changing happened to me.. my boyfriend proposed.. it was a total surprise to me, but needless to say I said yes and we are thrilled, I'm still on cloud 9..... and he done it on cupcakes.... I KNOW.. he knows me so well :-) 

The proposal

So all things slimming world and food related went out the window as we shared our good news with family and friends all weekend long... I went to work on Monday and they surprised me with cake (can you see a theme here..lol) so we had this gorgeous fresh chocolate cream sponge at work to celebrate and I took the rest home for the mister :) 

Work celebrations

Last Wednesday night we went to Dublin to see Noel Gallagher and at check in the hotel upgraded us to the BRIDAL SUITE, it was a total conscience that we were upgraded, (I smiled and flashed the ring AFTER the fact.. lol) So it was a lovely break away that involved car snacks, eating out and vodka, for two days..

Noel Gallagher

I didn't make it to weigh last Thursday night, but I'm pretty sure I would have seen a gain of happy pounds/cake pounds... 

Two things are helping me get back on plan..

1. A proper food shop that included visits to Iceland, Dealz, Aldi & Tescos... €80 later....I'm ready to eat clean and proper

Slimming World Friendly buys from Iceland

2. This weight loss magnet that I bought from ebay here... (I emailed Leanne about the postage & paid €12.67 total for mine) I bought the magnet version, and its stuck on the fridge as a reminder of what I WILL ACHIEVE.. How cute is it :) 

Weight Loss Magnet

So I'm definitely living in a happy bubble for the last 2 weeks and will be for a while yet, but its time for me also to start eating better and get those scales moving....

Weight lost to date: 0lbs
Onwards and Downwards, the Slimming World way :)

You can find me on the following:

Facebook >>> HERE <<<

Twitter  >>> HERE <<< 

Instagram  >>> HERE <<<

***Photos from Google Images & My Own***

Weight loss for me = Excuses, Excuses

I'm the queen of putting things off and having a "fabulous" excuse as to why I didn't exercise or why I ate shite on that particular day!!

But there’s no hiding from the scales... dun dun duuuuuuun....

Each time I go for a weigh in I have a pretty good idea whether I’ll be up or down on the scales! Regardless of the outcome, I go ready with lotsa reason excuses as to why I’m up or down.

Up 2lbs  - My excuses

“The weather was crap all week, I got no walks in!”

“I was sick and starving, so I may have had a biscuit or 7,  (nervous ha-ha,) oops!”

“I’m very bloated and constipated, I’d say that’s what it is”

Down 2lbs – more excuses

“I drank LOADS of water”

“I was walking the roads the whole week”

“I’m starting to get into it now”

The same on scales

“I’m stuck!!”

“Maybe my bodies getting used to my food/ exercise routine”

-          The truth in this case usually is that I had a ball Sat + Sun and spent Mon – Fri getting rid of the weekends gain. Hence I’m the same!

Yet I give my “surprised face”  and one of the above excuses!!

Yes I realise I’m only fooling myself, wasting my own money and their time with my pathetic excuses!!!

For me its all about what I put in my gob. They say that weight loss is 70% food and 30% exercise and I’m starting to see that as being true.

Yes exercise makes you feel great, sleep better and my bowel is always happy when I’ve been moving my ass.

But the reality is (well for me anyways) its all about what I do or don’t put into my mouth on any given day, at any given hour!!

and for me, this truly is a daily battle!! “I’m never full” I’ve always been this way.

I have learned a few tricks and some will power along the way. But I still can’t bring myself to leave a morsel on my dinner plate!! Not when I won’t be eating till breakfast again!!

I realise that it sounds like madness and I feel a bit silly admitting it out loud, but it’s the truth. I assume its from as a child we weren’t allowed to leave the table until our plates were cleared and the line about the poor starving children was thrown in for good measure!!  I was always a little food hoover as a child and its never really left me!! I have been trying to “reprogramme” myself and I do sometime have to talk to myself to talk myself down and away from the fridge or the biscuit tin!!! Out loud in fact! I have to say “NO you don’t want a biscuit” and I feel silly but it does stop me 90% of the time from eating the wrong thing at the wrong time!!

My tricks for not eating

·         I tell myself I don’t want it

·         I tell myself I’ll regret it and its not worth it

·         I tell myself I’m not hungry, as I listen to my belly grumble in disagreement

·         I leave the room if others are having “something nice”

·         I brush my teeth

·         I drink herbal tea, (cuz choccie biccies are mank with herbal tea)

·         I paint my nails or attempt nail art over them if they were painted the previous night!

And that’s kind of it. In the summer months, I’d go for a walk and talk myself down from the food. But with the dark evenings, painting my nails will going forward and has been my saviour!

You can’t eat with wet nails after all!! Well I can’t anyways. So you’ll be seeing my nails in a LOT of different colours in the next few weeks.

So there you have it, a few of my excuses and some of my tricks.

Do you have any tips for me? What works for you? I’d love to hear back form you