I'm back - and it looks like I'm running too!!

I know, I know, I have said this in the past plenty of times... but I actually am back on it!!

I decided not to start back up again until I knew that I was definitely back with Weight Watchers well and truly...  

So to start off, I thought I would just give you all a quick update on my current weight loss journey...

Week 1 - 7.5lbs

Week 2 -2.5lbs

Week 3 +.5lbs

Week 4 -1lb

Week 5 -2lbs

Week 6 -3lbs

Week 7 -2lbs

Week 8-1lb

Week 9 -1lb

Week 10 +1lb

Week 11 +1lb

Well, I apologise now for the last 2 weeks, but theses have been weeks that have been better than they could have been as I seem to have eaten out lots over these last two weeks so hopefully I will be able to get back on fire with it this week....

Life? What's happening with it at the moment? Lots but I wont bore you all for now with it. But Baby O now looks like this.....

  

And here is Mr O and I last week out for a meal.  

                                            

Why did I decide to get back on it and loose my weight again? Simple. That guy there! I just don't want to be a 'fat Mum' at the school gate! I don't want to be an embarrassment to him. I remember once I had a 'tiff' with some kids at school about them calling my Mum fat and from then on I was really embarrassed about her. I never saw her as fat. I saw her as my Mummy! Maybe it was because I was going through the 'trying to be cool' stage at school? Or maybe it was the turn in me suddenly being embarrassed by my Mum as I was 'at that age'?... I mean, my Mum was working her butt off doing different jobs, bringing up 4 children (all with an age gap of 6 years) and trying to keep us all together. 

Ok, so that is one reason. The other reason is thanks to some awful photos that were taken of me.For example this is me in Australia back over the Easter period.

                                    

No selfie angle can hide a photo that someone else takes off the cuff! There is no excuse now. Baby O is nearly 3 and I can't exactly say it's Baby fat or baby fat anymore!

So, after 8 weeks, THIS has been the difference so far.... The photo on the left was back in June and then the one on the right was taken in September.

If you fancy seeing what I'm eating daily you can find me here...

WeightWatchers Connect: emma-joy89

Instagram: Thelifeofmrso

Bare with me as I also update the recipes on here to SPs and keep an eye out for all the new recipes and foody finds out there that I find... I'm aiming to do at least one new blog post each week. :)

 Here's to a new, healthier, slimmer and fitter me and being a health inspiration to my little boy....

Love, Mrs O xxx

go go go!!

This week I had to have a very good telling off to myself! As you may have read I keep on saying that I have 'started again' or that I need to up my game, well, in all honesty I haven't. One week I will loose a bit, the next gain some and I feel like a yo yo on a piece of weight loss string!

 

So on Thursday night I told myself off - I openly admitted it on the WW UK support group page on face book and the support I got from people was amazing - told you I love that group and this made me love it even more! Since February the pounds have been slowly creaping back on and i've gained a sickening 7lbs - and then reality hit me and realised why I am doing this all in the first place.

 

I worked out that I would eat really well and healthy and then I would have a few days binging on naughty pizza or naughty amounts of chocolate! But to loose weight you must be consisitant and yes, although those odd few days you CAN treat yourself but not every week and definately not EVERY day!!!

 

You may remember that I bought the propoints pack a few weeks ago... Well this has been my weight-loss-life-saver! And I can now say that those horrible 7lbs are slowly but surely coming off.... So just like my run up to Christmas, I thought I would start back up again on my weekly losses - that too is a great push as it's a written public chart!

 

Week 1 - 0lbs

Week 2 - 2lbs

Week 3 - 1lb

 

So when I sit down for lunch it now looks like this, with my journal stuck to the side of me! ....

 

 

So back to life in general.... What have I been upto? Hummmm well I've been busy as always - I had an amazing time singing with The Sydney Staff Songsters - we (The International Staff Songsters) did a joint concert with them in Staines on Wednesday 23rd April

 

On the Friday (25th) evening and all day on the Saturday (26th) we (The ISS) were recording

 

On the Saturday evening I was then the guest soloist of the Enfield Citadel Band of The Salvation Army (and as you can tell my voice was then shattered). I sung two contrasting peices - Ave Maria by Caccini and I also sung 'I feel like singing all the time' by Keith Prynn.

 

I'm just glad that day I started my day like this....

 

 

One of the great things about Weight Watchers is that you can use up your left overs and things in the cupboards and fridge like this...

 

 

I made a lovely chicken curry-esk thing with left over veg from the fridge.

 

And who knew how easy it was to make a small amount of jam to serve on crumpets for a lovely warm breakfast....

I just used up some left over blue berries (and 2 raspberries I think) popped them in the microwave for literally 20 seconds and put them on my toasted crumpets - you don't even need to use the butter - brilliant extra point saving tip!!

 

I have also made an amazing 3pp roast dinner - you can check out how and the recipe here....

 

 

I have also been loving my julienne peeler more and more - it saves so much time and makes your food look really posh with little effort!!

Ohhh.... Raddishes - totally fogot about these little gems until I found some reduced in Lidls!!

 

And talking about Lidls and bargains..... You can get a whole bag of mixed seeds from there for ONLY 99p... perfect for sprinkling on your salad to add a bit of crunch!!

 

 

Easter - remember back then?! Seems ages ago now but to stop myself going over-board on eating away on the chocolate I smashed my eggs up and pointed them all up into bags....

 

 

Ummm.... lunch!

 

Again, lovely low pp dinners - This was Cous cous and asparagus salad with fish and a corn on the cob - 9pp

 

You may have seen that I am in training at the moment for Race for Life - out running I have the opportunity to see some amazing views.....

 

I've also in these last 2 weeks found my love for pesto.... What better way to make pasta yummy than to add a bit of pesto to it ... for only 1pp for 1 tbsp it's not too bad on the points.

Dinner - Salad with 10x olives(1pp), 3pp chicken, pasta & pesto.

 

I spoilt myself and bought myself a Bobble - I try and drink a whole 1ltr at work a day and this bottle is 1ltr. If you haven't seen them before, it's basically a water bottle with a filter on it.

Oh, and then Mr O treated me to these Kofte kebabs... But they were so high in propoints I gave one to Mr O - so he ended up having 3!

 

 

So, back to normality - I have some amazing events planned for this weekend which I can't wait to share with you all....

 

Have a lovely week and enjoy the sun that is supposed to come....

 

Love, Mrs O x

2 weeks.....

So these last 2 weeks have seen my weight go up and then finally back down - slowly but surely!

 

I'm afraid if you are reading this post today in hope that it is all Weight Watchers related then I have sad news for you, for today it is not exactly WW friendly :/ Ok, the first bit is but then after it's not!  .... why? Well, during the week days I have kept to WW pretty well and then come the weekends I have really let my hair down....

 

So let's go from where we last set off....

 

So in my healthy ploy of eating lovely home made dinners and eating well in the week....

 

Yummy veggie Shepherds pie....  6PP value on WW - You can find the recipe HERE

 

 

A yummy cod curry.... I didn't realise how low in pp Cod was - it has now become new low pp dinner option. A serving of cod fillet is only 2pp!!! So using a jar of curry sauce that I had in the cupboard we made up this with some cauliflower rice... Yummm! :)

 

 

I have been enjoying the following as my lunch everyday....

 

Crispbread cracker breads light (2 = 1pp) and then popped some philly cheese (light) on top....

Fruit salad (strawberries, grapes & blueberries) with some yogurt - either a pot of WW yogurt or some Greek yogurt all 1pp.... Then either some WW biscuits (2pp) or a kitkat mini (2pp) for something sweet - or even a Sharon fruit like in the picture

 

 

 

I have learnt though to not make it up the night before as it goes like this..... YUCK!

 

 

Yummy breakfasts....

 

 

I've enjoyed my new find in Lidls of the mini fake magnums.... 3pp

These come in packs of 6 for £1.99 and you get the choice of white chocolate, milk chocolate or milk chocolate with nuts....

 

 

Oh, and I found these in Sainsburys .... old school ! Apparently they are only 5pp for a foiled packet... I will need to look into that and so I can confirm that with you....

 

 

My Daddy had his birthday, so I decided to give him 2 cards... one serious one and then this one that when you opened it up it had a princess to colour in.... I left it blank for him to colour it in when he was bored!!

 

 

Spring is finally here I think so it was time to get some daffodils...

 

 

And going on from Daffodils to Wales.....

 

With the ISS (International Staff Songsters) I went singing in Wales - check out my silly pose in a choir cloak that I found.....

 

 

I've also been experimenting with ideas for my hair for my sister's wedding and having fun with different hair styles...

 

 

Then this last weekend I have had the most fun in a long time.....

 

On Friday night I got taken to a surprise visit to The Royal Opera House with my bestie....

 

We went to see The Royal Ballet in Sleeping Beauty.

 

 

We also got an upgrade on our seats from here.....

 

 

To here....

 

 

 

And what trip to the theatre is complete without....

 

 

It is seriously THE BEST ice cream that I have had!

 

On the Saturday some of the female members of my family celebrated the last few weeks of my sister being a Newman before she gains a 'Stone'....

 

(This was a selfie I took on the bus!)

 

The beautiful Bride-to-be :)

 

 

We went and had a class on how to decorate cupcakes - we learnt a lot and who knew it would be so simple?!.....

 

 

Here are my creations.......

 

 

 

 

The after math....

 

 

 So, I hope you have all had a lovely week and here's to the next week :) .....

& it's now 2 weeks till my sister's wedding :)

 

Love, Mrs O x 

CATCH UP!

I saw this picture the other week and I it was the complete opposite to how I was currently feeling..... 

I haven't had a moment to spare to sit and write, but for once it's a good thing and a good feeling as my life has just been so fun! So this week's post is a catch up on the last few weeks and you'll see why I haven't been able to blog....

I had a lovely evening out with Mr O, Mr Ding Dong and his friend Emma ...

I fell in love with this... (but I can't find the packets anywhere only in £1 land....)

As usual I took photos of some yummy food that I ate.....

In sad news, I had to say goodbye to my favourite pair of PJ bottoms... I quite literally put my foot through them!...

Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th February ...

This weekend I spent the week up in sunny (yes, it really was sunny!) Glasgow... I was away this weekend with the Staff Songsters, I tried to keep to WW but it was really hard. So, I had decided to just try my best over the next week and that when I got back from my time off work I would start afresh on WW....

I did very stupidly manage to leave my shirts back at home, so I luckily managed to borrow a few shirts of my Mum's but they were rather big on me...... !!

Monday 17th to Friday 21st February ...

So on the Monday I travelled down to Bournemouth and met Mr Ding Dong along the way... 

Tuesday's outfit.... (hahahaaa! I'm such a poser!!)

(very annoyingly this dress has now shrunk in the wash :( )

And what week to TYC would be complete without a Shakeaway?!.... So I decided to have one very naughty shake called a Dave which is made up of ferrero rochiers and kinder buenos.... ummmmmm. I decided to go for a medium though and that was my only one for the week....

My inner child came out in me on the Wednesday when we spent an afternoon learning how to take notes by doodling... It also reminded me of how much I love pens! Especially Sharpies!!

  

All us staff members were given a little spot dot sticker to put on our little fingers to remind us of one of the students for that day and to remind us to pray for them all day too.

On the Thursday we decided to have a Christmas evening...... Why? Because you can! The Christmas tree and everything was up! 

The randomness also continued on that night when we all changed into our onesies....

(This is my lovely friend who I am so proud of :) Love you hun x)

And on the Friday we had the final festival - my 'cool group' wanted a picture of all our shoes... looks like I need to get myself some converses!!! (I'm the one with the full length boots!!)

And after the long tiring week I had to drive back home which took us over 3 hours to get back thanks to silly road works on the M25 :( But luckily I had my bestie beside me to keep me awake as we chatted about life and our reflections on the week.

This song is the song that spoke to me the most. On the Thursday night after the 'emotional devotionals' we all stood around the room singing this song. It was lovely to see the confidence on the faces of everyone as people were hugging each other and just being there for each other. (Thanks Len for this beautiful song)

So, when I came home on the Friday night the place hadn't burnt down but there were daffodils on all the window sills at home :) However I did find some burnt items which were these lids that had been melted together as they were by the hob (at least it shows that he didn't live off take aways all week!)

So I have to admit something here... I weighed myself on the Saturday morning only to find that I had put weight on ... but it's OK because I knew I had put weight on as I had not stuck to plan at all!! So we decided to enjoy our food that weekend... 

We had a lovely lunch out at our local farm shop / cafe ....

Mr O made some lovely focaccia bread... 

And as you can see in the corner of that last photo I get my chef's hat on and started preparing food for the week... 

So I made a lovely butternut squash and red pepper soup, and I also made this lovely banana bread as I had bananas to use up.... Recipe to follow but it's only 5pp per slice :)

I then chopped it all up into 12 sections (kept some out to eat that day) and then popped it in the freezer so I couldn't eat it all in one go....

So this last week I have been enjoying being back on WW as much as I can - I need to build up the 'good habit' inside of me though... I know it takes 2 weeks for it turn into a habit so I am really pushing myself on it... 

I'm trying out new ways of enjoying my breakfast...

 I'm still keeping my lunch box prepared the night before so that there are no excuses!

Still loving the jelly - but experimenting by putting unusual fruits in with it...

Enjoying cooking dinners again :) I've missed this whilst I've been staying in hotels 

And lastly ... coming home to these two silly boys and finding out that they have had a right old party without me each day! 

So, now lent is upon us.... What are you going to give up or take up? Mr O and I have decided to give up take aways - we can eat out but we can't eat on the go or bring it back to our home.... 

Love, Mrs O x