Bad Things

Well, well, well.  It's been a little while hasn't it?  My wrists, hands, backside and eyelashes are all duly slapped and I'm back on the fatty-to-thinny wagon.

It would be fair to say that I've lost my way a little these past few months, a few bad habits creep in one by one.  Then after a little while, you convince yourself that they're not that bad after all.  Then a few more creep in, and you (again) convince yourself that they're not that bad and that you'll get back to the angelic ways soon.  And anyway, when exactly is 'soon' because 'soon' never quite seems to arrive does it?

I did quite well for a while, kept going to weigh in, but not staying to class.  I had many, very legitimate and honest reasons.  Working late, other things to do, feeling unwell, looking after friends or poorly other half or poorly dog.  And do you know what?  I could carry on making excuses until Kingdom Come. I didn't really feel like going to class this week.  I got home from work, I was bloody starving and to be quite honest, simply couldn't bear the thought of sitting at home for an hour waiting for class time to come round then cooking my tea when I got back home some time around 8:30pm.  So, guess what I did?  (Brace yourselves, because this is truly groundbreaking.) I had my tea BEFORE going to class. "What a rebel!" I hear you cry.  "But you're not supposed to eat before a weigh in" I hear you silently scream at me.  Yes, maybe you're not.  But I figured, as I haven't weighed in for 4 weeks now, then what difference does 1 extra meal make?! (and really, I suppose, what difference would it make any other time - unless you're eating a whole cow for tea, it's really not going to make that much a of a change to your weight loss/gain, but these are the silly things we convince ourselves of).

And so off I went to class, I'd put weight on as expected, and i know why.  I've been cheating and not attending class.  So I'm back on the wagon. I'm spending this week trying to iron out, one-by-one, the bad habits that have crept in over the past few months and by Tuesday (the start of a new week as weigh in is Monday night) I shall be lighter (if not in body then certainly in mind) and back on the straight and narrow.

As an indicator of some of the 'cheats' and 'allowances' you make for yourself, i thought I'd list some of the bad things (see what I did there) that I've eaten/done over the past few months.  Uh-oh!

• Creme egg, mini eggs, Easter egg, Malteaster bunny (they were in season!)
• Chocolate bars (Cadbury's dairy milk bubble with white chocolate centre mmmmmmmm)
• Bread (not very bad, but carries high syn value, so needs to be moderated with other bad stuff)
• Crisps
• Vanilla slices
• Ice cream sundaes (on a couple of meals out)
• Eccles cakes
• Biscuits and cookies

Well, when you put it like that, it look seven worse. I feel like I've just confessed now, so maybe I should say some Hail Marys, kneel at the alter and cross my chest?! (I'm not religious, but every little helps, right?!)

So there it is.  I've done quite well this week. Admittedly, I've had as few more syns than I should do thought they were conscious choices and were done to use up food that we already had in the house rather than it go to waste.  And each day has progressively improved over the week, so I do know that I'm heading in the right direction.

Who knows what my weight loss will be this week?  As long as it's a loss, I really don't mind.

Hippy xxx

Last Christmas

Can I call it 'Last Christmas' already or is it too soon?  Either way, it's definitely the last Christmas that I'll be the weight that I am now. 

It's been a while since my last post, so quite a bit has happened (some good, some not so good!).  December and the run up to Christmas was hectic for me (as I expect it was for most people) so I simply didn't get chance to sit & compose a new blog post!  Which is why, here I am, on the night before I go back to work (!) taking a few moments to fill you in on what's been going on!

The best thing (and most important thing) is that I made the target of 2 stone loss for Christmas - at my last weigh in before the big day - as of Monday 19th December, I was exactly 2 stone & half a pound lighter than I was on the night I enrolled (7th November 2011) for Slimming World! 28.5lbs in 6 weeks.  I was truly amazed, and absolutely thrilled.  I was only aiming for a stone by Christmas, so to have doubled it was an amazing achievement. 

The Friday before my Monday weigh in, I'd gone to our work Christmas party too - I'd saved my syns for the week so I could enjoy the evening, guilt-free!  I totted up around 80-90 syns with the food & drinks on offer, and still managed a 5lb loss that week (not sure how as the only "dancing" I did was to Tina Turner's 'Proud Mary' like a woman possessed!).  I even managed another Slimmer of the Week award!  So I was set up nicely for the Christmas break.

I'd planned that I would only have 2 'treat days': Christmas Day and the 27th December - the latter being because my weigh in day (usually Monday) had moved to Tuesday (Boxing Day being the 'true' weigh day), and I didn't want to entirely sabotage my hard work by having a treat day just before a weigh in!  So, that's what i did.  And I am pleased to say that on Tuesday's weigh in I had stayed the same, which was great. 

That's where the good stuff ends.  By the end of Tuesday I was besieged with the Christmas Lurgy (to be fair I've got through the whole of 2011 with barely a sniffle and not had a serious cold or flu since winter 2010, so I'm quite pleased about that as I normally have 2 or 3 a year).  I have spent lots of time this week with my dear friends, Kleenex Balsam tissues, paracetamol, decongestants & Jakemans Throat & Chest Soothing Menthol Sweets!  Although I'm now feeling much better, I'm still not 100%, but well enough to return to work tomorrow :( Booooo. 

Consequently, since last Tuesday I have pretty much lived off porridge, toast, crumpets & Heinz Cream of Chicken Soup.  I haven't measured milk, nor counted syns purely because these foods were the only ones that I fancied eating, and I knew they weren't food optimised choices.  I have at least, eaten 'proper' meals for tea the last couple of days.

Whilst I'm disappointed that I didn't adhere to my original plan of food optimising throughout the festive break, I also know that I have nothing to gain from being angry with myself. I was ill and we all know that even the most basic of tasks is a chore when not feeling your usual self.

I'm prepared for a gain of up to 7lbs tomorrow (again a Tuesday weigh day due to the bank holiday).  I'm hopeful that it won't be more than 7lb, but if it is... then it is, and the solution will be the same as if it is 5lb on, 3lb on, maintained or 2lb loss - continue with the SW food optimising plan and keep on track for even bigger losses throughout 2012.

I've upped my exercise regime a bit since i last posted too.  I've managed to do the required weekly times & sessions for Bronze Body Magic, and am now on my 3rd week (i think!) for Silver.  I try to do 20-30 minutes most days on Just Dance on the wii or a walk, and I'll be starting swimming again soon (a friend messaged me this weekend to see if I'd go with her so I've said I will once I've shifted the remnants of this lurgy).

So my next targets are:

• Achieve Club 10 (10% of body weight lost)
• Achieve Silver Body Magic

and I'm aiming to do both of these by the end of January.

Thanks to all of you who have offered support in any way and thanks for continuing to share my story.  I wish you all a very happy, healthy 2012 - Happy New Year to you all!
Hippy xxx

Sometimes it's hard to be a woman

And so a tough week comes to an end and a fresh start is ahead (after a good night's kip).

It's fair to say that this past week has been challenging.  With baking cakes 2 nights, ladies night another, visiting friends (with home made mince pies having just come out of the oven), unhelpful shop assistants and the inevitable hormonal emotions, you could say that I'm relieved to have it all over with.

I spent last Tuesday & Wednesday night baking for a Ladies Night on Thursday - with the cakes to be sold to raise money.  Tuesday, I made double chocolate mini-loaves and carrot cakes.  I've made both of these recipes before so wasn't all that bothered by having my kitchen full of them.  I took a small sample of each into work on Wednesday and cut them up quite small so that everyone could have a try of both kinds.  Mid-afternoon, I had a small piece (an eighth of a mini-loaf - the mini-loaf being the size you can buy in the bakery counter at Sainsburys), but I wrote it in my food dairy (having guesstimated the syns at 3 - it was a very small piece).  Wednesday night, a made a new recipe - rich gingerbread.  It smelled so nice in the oven, and more so when it came out.  But! I resisted temptation.  The plus side of 2 nights baking is that I spent 2 nights on my feet in the kitchen, pottering around, baking when I would otherwise have been on the settee or on the computer!

 Double chocolate mini-loaves (left) and mixed sizes of carrot cake (right).

Rich gingerbread loaves.

So off to the ladies night I went with a friend.  Resisted (very easily) the free mulled wine (don't like wine) and (less easily) mince pie on arrival.  In fact, I actually said yes to the mince pie out of habit, then checked myself and said no thank you.  Luckily, the lady who had offered knew that I was losing weight so she didn't think I was snubbing her offer!  Not all of the cakes sold, so I brought some home to give out to family & friends.  Some went to my parents, some to my friends, some to work...you get the idea.  But because I'd not made the gingerbread before, I wanted to try some. Uh-oh. After much umm-ing, ahh-ing and generally gazing longingly at the sticky topped gingerbread loaves, I decide that I would satisfy the craving by having half of one of the mini-loaves. I figured half was better than a full one, and would be recoverable and not the downfall of the week.  So I ate it.  (And had moral high ground as hubby also had half a full sized gingerbread loaf!!!!!!) Didn't feel guilty. And you know what else? The world did not end!  I  don't intend to make a habit of it, but it's nice to know that I can do that if I should want to.  'Everything in moderation' eh?

I think my biggest challenge came on Saturday.  I'd been feeling a bit emotional all week.  Please note that this doesn't not mean that I was ready to burst into tears at the sight of a puppy or baby.  Just that the emotions were a tad unpredictable.  A couple of weeks back, my Grandma bought me a cardigan.  It was a very nice cardigan, but unfortunately, it didn't fit.  The cardigan was size XL and this particular high street shop doesn't go any larger than that.  Which I'm fine with - and that is one of the reasons I don't shop there.  (Being a plus size means you accept that there are only a handful (if you're lucky) of high street shops in which you can look for clothes.)  So I went into the shop, straight to the counter and asked the lady if I could please return this item.  Without looking up, she asked me what was wrong with it (too small) and subsequently would I like to change it for another size. 

This is the part where the emotions kicked in.  I really wanted to say to her that if she had bothered to look at me or the garment in question not only would she realise that 1. I am clearly to big to shop in that shop and 2. the garment was actually in the largest size they sell.  I didn't say any of this (except in my head) but smiled sweetly and explained that no I didn't want that and i would just like a refund.  We then had a whole palaver because my Grandma had (innocently) cut the tag out and 'we can't accept returns without a tag' and then 'have you got the savings card used as part of the payment'.  It was all a bit much.  So I left the shop (eventually) with my money (and a gift card - they split it between cash & vouchers), feeling jolly rotten and fed up with being fat.

So I went to Evans to see if I could find a nice top for the Christmas party. No. No nice tops for parties.  Tried a few on for casual/work.  Have now gone down 1-2 sizes (depending on style) in tops, BUT because my hips have not changed in proportion (I've lost half an inch off them now) the tops are way to tight around my hips. I still can't get in any trousers (again - the bloody hips!), so I'm still left with my one pair of work trousers that I wash and dry every night of the week.

Evans is right opposite Costa Coffee.  I came out and was so tempted to run in and bury my face (literally) in a massimo gingerbread latte and slice of chocolate tiffin. I didn't, and who knows how I didn't, but I just turned and walked away.

Although I have stayed within the allowances of the slimming world plan, I haven't perhaps chosen the healthiest options this week, so although I looked forward to class (I always do), it was with a sense of trepidation.

I don't think I would have taken a gain very well tonight.  I am very pleased and relieved to say that I lost 4lb. Making a total of 21.5lb, thus achieving my stone & a half. It was also a nice surprise to get the Slimmer of the Week award too. So I now have another certificate and another 2 award stickers...

So I'm now only 6.5lbs off my next target of the 2 stone.  If I can lose 3.5lb this week and next week, I'll have it off in time for Christmas.  It's achievable, just. But I also don't want to lose heart if I don't achieve it.  I have a couple of Christmas parties coming up, so I think it would be more prudent to say that I will be happy as long as I lose weight in the 2 weigh ins prior to Christmas.  I don't want to gain more than 1-2lbs during the Christmas week (and my weigh day will be the 27th - not much time get rid of the the Christmas meal) and back on track for losses in the New Year.

Incidentally, I have decided that I will be having Christmas Day 'off', so that I can enjoy the day without feeling guilty.  I may also have Boxing Day, but that's still to be decided.  I certainly will not be having any more than that.

Targets for this week:

• achieve week 4 towards Bronze body magic award
• continued loss (ideally 3.5lb, but happy with 2lb)

Thanks for reading,
Hippy xxx

A perfect 10

Well, 10.5 really.  Because that's how many pounds I lost this week!

I really wanted to write a new post tonight, whilst I'm still on a bit of a high, because I feel fantastic! 

I was very much hoping that I'd lose the 4lb that I put on last week (it turned out to be that time of the month [or quarter in my case] after all!).  Even if I hadn't have got the 4 off, but had 2 or 3, as long as it was in the right direction, I'd have been happy.  I am absolutely thrilled, and this is why:

• my net loss after just 3 weigh ins is 17.5lbs
• I have achieved my first target of losing a stone before Christmas (and no, that doesn't mean for me to put half of it back on - cheeky!)
• I'm 3.5lbs into my next stone
• I now have 3 awards (7lb, stone & slimmer of the month for November)
• my weight is moving in the right direction
• I'm changing my life now and my future life
• I've now lost a total of 7 inches - 3 from my chest (isn't it always the way?) and 4 from my waist.  Sadly none from the hips (see they really don't lie), but there's plenty of time.
• It has been easy so far.

I'm absolutely elated. I said to friends earlier tonight that if I could bottle this feeling and give it away, then I would.  Right now, I have all the motivation I need (though I do still await the moment when I lose it!). 

After last week's disappointing result, I didn't lose heart.  I just carried on doing more of the same, and believed that it would work - and it did.  On reflection, I'm glad I put that 4lb on last week - when I was still motivated enough for it not to bother me, because I've proven to myself now that if I do have a good week (diet & activity wise) and the result (weight loss) isn't there, that it is worth sticking with it because the results will show eventually.  In my case and on this occasion this was 1 week later, but it could be more than that at other times.

Tonight, I felt confident enough to share my blog with the other class members at our group.  I didn't plan on doing it tonight, or ever for that matter.  This blog is personal to me, and I really set it up to express my feelings and help me through what is undoubtedly the biggest task I've ever faced.  I've shared it with close friends and family, and gradually, I'm getting the confidence to share with others.

There were a couple of ladies tonight in group (and I hope they don't mind me saying so) who seemed to be struggling (motivation & weight loss wise) and I just thought on the spur of the moment, 'do it, share it'.  Not because I think I can help, or offer great wisdom on the losing of weight, but because you'll see that someone else is in the same situation as you.  I don't kid myself and think I'll be this motivated and this determined forever, I know there will come a time where I lose my way, maintain or even put weight on.  And that's why I've written this blog and writing this post now, so that when that time comes, I am prepared! I will have a whole host of experiences, feelings and general ramblings to look back on to spur me on and put me back on track.  And if my ramblings help somebody else to do that, or even give them a giggle (it has been known), then I'd be thrilled.

I stick my awards (stickers we get when making achievements) on the front of my green food optimising book that you take to class for weigh-ins.  I find it's a good reminder of how far I've come - and I see it every week at class as a minimum (and generally most nights as it's usually on the chair arm next to me).  I've not decided where the Slimmer of the Month certificate will go - I think maybe on the kitchen cupboards.  It seems a tad juvenile, proudly displaying my achievements, but you know what, I don't care.  Keeping these reminders around me, will stop me going back to 17.5lbs heavier than I am today.  So to share them with you:

Here are my awards so far

And this is what my weight loss chart looks like online after today's weigh in (red = progress; blue = predicted progress; purple = next target; green = club 10 target).

My next targets are:

• A further stone off by my birthday in late January, or even better, by Christmas (though this is a big ask as I realise the weight loss will slow down)
• Achieve a 3rd week towards bronze award for Body Magic (activity based rather than weight loss based)

This week I'm baking more cakes (to sell at a ladies night - not for me), so I shall be looking but not touching double chocolate cakes, carrot cakes and gingerbread loaves. I'm addicted to pineapple at the moment, so I'll just make sure I have plenty of that on hand if I get peckish looking at the cakes. ;)

Thanks again to everyone for reading.  Your love, support & friendship is second to none, and I very much appreciate you all sharing my witterings.

Lots of love,
Hippy xxx

Je ne sais pas pourqoui...

...I put 4lb on this week!

After losing 11lb in my first week, I was very optimistic and fully expectant that I would lose the 3lb needed to get that stone off.

I had a good week, followed the plan and achieved my goal of one week towards body magic bronze award - I actually ended up doing around 3 hours of activity. I've had lovely home made bolognese, ham minestrone soup, lemon syllabub and pasta with tomato & veg sauce (all syn free).  I've made the perfect poached egg (as you may have seen in my last post!).  I really have been good.  I don't think I would mind so much about gaining weight if I had cheated, but I can honestly say I haven't (at least not intentionally).

To illustrate just how good I've been, I baked 2 batches of double chocolate muffins, iced them with vanilla buttercream & decorated with marshmallows  (pictures below) for my Goddaughter's 14th birthday and I didn't even have one of them. Granted, I had to lick a couple of smears of icing off my fingers when I'd finished, but that is nothing (and I'd hardly had any syns that day, so I think I'm covered)! 

At work, someone came back from a trip abroad and put a big box of chocolates in the middle of the office.  Every time I walked past the chocolates were winking at me and calling my name (at least it felt like they were) but I didn't cave in.  At one point I thought, "well, I've not had any syns yet today, so I could just have one", but I didn't because:

1. I wasn't hungry, so I would just be eating for the sake of eating
2. I didn't really want one
3. Chocolate is my weak spot and I was afraid once I started, I'd be opening the floodgates
4. I was being good and I had the will power to just say 'no'

Although I am incredibly disappointed to have gained 4lb, I haven't lost my motivation or determination.  I've still lost 7lb, which is still half way to my Christmas target of losing a stone and I've still changed my diet (as in eating habits) & lifestyle for the better.  Admittedly, there are certainly still changes to be made, but Rome wasn't built in a day, and likewise many stones are not going to be lost in 2 weeks.

On another note, I have seemingly lost inches already.  3 inches of my chest and 2 inches off my waist.  So there is a different kind of loss this week.

My class leader (who is fab by the way) suggested it may just be down to fluid retention - particularly if it's 'that' time of the month.  She told me that some of her attendees can vary by as much as 7lb for this reason, and that I shouldn't be too shocked as it will undoubtedly happen from time to time.  The problem I have is that I don't know when it's 'that' time, because I don't have a regular cycle (probably because I'm so overweight more than anything).  So far in 2011, I've had 2 periods. That's it. Now, at first glance, this may seem like a blessing (and in some ways it is), but it also makes the cycle unpredictable (therefore unable to gauge if I'm in a bad mood for a genuine reason or because the hormones are out to play) and worse, you imagine have 3-4 months worth of period all at once  (ouch).  Oh and did I mention they can last for 3 weeks!  Excellent.  I can tell you all just want to share them with me.  (What's that, silence?)

That's just another reason why I cannot and will not lose my determination just because I happened to put 4lb on.  I'm focusing more on the fact that I am 7lb lighter than I was 2 weeks ago.

I've not been very well the last few days - I've hurt my back (not sure how, just woke up with it hurting on Sunday) and on top of that yesterday and today I've been extremely nauseous and bloated :( .  I'm still sticking with the eating plan, and I'll be aiming to get a second week towards the Body Magic Bronze Award, but I may not maintain the same level of activity that I achieved last week, due to my back being so sore.

I had a reassuring text message from my class leader today who confirmed my food diary for last week looks fine but that I may just need to drink more.  I had already started drinking more yesterday (more to combat the nausea!) but have carried it on through today.  Makes you need the loo more, but then that's more walking to and from the toilets (and I have 8 steps to get to our office toilets so even more beneficial) - I'll just have to hope the colleagues don't think I'm on drugs or something!

I think I may have waffled on enough for now, so I shall leave you with my targets for this week:

1. Weight loss: any loss would be good, but I'd like to get that 4lb back off (although this may be a big ask).
2. Achieve a second week towards Bronze Award (Body Magic).
3. Stay motivated, on track and determined.

Thanks for reading and supporting.
Lots of love,
Hippy xx

Here's what I resisted this week!
Double chocolate muffins (before icing)

 Double chocolate muffins now covered in vanilla buttercream and marshmallows.

Don't forget, I didn't eat ANY of these!

Could it be magic?

So.  I'd had a pretty good week last week (so I thought).  I followed the plan, kept checking back in the book that I was doing it right.  But it felt too easy, you know?  So despite the fact I'd had a good week, there was a little doubt in the back of my mind that just kept niggling, "It's been way too easy, there's no way you'll have lost weight".  Despite all of that, I was excited (I know, my life must be lacking for me to be excited) about going to my first proper weigh in at Slimming World on Monday night.

I paid my class fees, and stood in line waiting to be weighed, with a growing sense of both anticipation and dread - in equal volumes!  I took my cardigan off (every little helps!), put my bag down, and stepped onto the scales. Last week, I was xx stones and 13 pounds (I'm not ready to share my weight with you just yet).  The display steadied and showed xx stones 2 pounds. 

I was gutted.  I'd put 3lb on.  It really was too good to be true.

I looked again, and it dawned on me, the first number was the same as last week.  That meant I'd lost weight.  Not only that, a lot of weight.

I'd lost 11 lb.

ELEVEN POUNDS.

E.L.E.V.E.N. P.O.U.N.D.S

The girls asked me to stand still a bit longer. Ha! You try standing still when you've just realised you've lost 11lb in a week.  I felt like that joke Peter Kay used to do "I'm on a new diet, I've lost 13 stone in a day" (whilst sucking his cheeks in & pouting his lips).  I thought for a minute they were going to say the scales were wrong.  But they didn't....it went in my book that my weight difference was -11!

OH MY GOD! Never in my life have I been so truly and utterly flabbergasted.  I was so many emotions at once: happy, excited, thrilled, eager, giddy, ecstatic and annoyed (that I hadn't done this sooner).  I wanted to go running around the room with my arms waving and me screaming incoherently.  But I didn't!  I just got very, very giddy indeed.

So it was a good first week.  I got my first half a stone (& a shiny sticker to go with it), lost an extra 4 on top of that, am only 3lb off my first interim target (a stone by Christmas) and I stuck to the eating plan as well as achieved my activity target (use the stairs at work and do not use the lift - I didn't use it once).

Our SW class was quite inspirational.  Our class leader had just been to the SW Woman of the Year competition, where the winning lady had lost 19 stone (no mean feat)....in just 2 years (incredible).  If I'm honest, I've got at least 15 stone to lose (if not more) so hearing stories like that are a great example of what is possible with motivation, dedication and most importantly support.

I've shared this blog with more people now.  The response I've had from family, friends and colleagues in addition to the new people I have met at our SW group has been incredible.  Everyone has been so supportive, and the reactions when I passed on news of what I'd lost were incredible.  Knowing that I've got that support there is a brilliant feeling, not only because I know that you're all happy to help me on my way, or put me back on the straight and narrow if I should stray but most importantly, the fact that the reaction has been so very positive proves to me that I really, really needed to do this.  So, I thank you, each and every one of you for this support, for your kind words and your encouragement.  It really does mean the world to me and you can never appreciate just how much it helps.

Thank you,
Hippy xxx

P.S.

Targets for this week:

• Lose at least 3lb to achieve my first interim target of 1 stone loss
• Maintain using the stairs at work and go for a 5 minute walk every day.

P.P.S.

I almost forgot.  Today, I braved poached eggs (again) for dinner (that's lunch to Southerners). I used the aforementioned silicone pouches - the trick is to have the water deep enough for them to float but the water simmering so as not to tip over the pouches!  They were perfect and hopefully there should be a picture here as proof!

How do you like your eggs in the morning?

Unfertilised, fertilised? Fried, scrambled, boiled or poached?

I like all of the above (especially with a runny yolk!).  Well, the food related ones in any case.  My favourite being poached.  But, and this is a big but, (hence why I'm on the diet!) I'm still striving to find the method that makes the perfect poached egg.

I don't like to microwave them - they go rubbery. In a pan of water they go watery and separate.  Though, admittedly, this is better than rubbery, as at least you can catch all the bits of egg and get some sort of nutritional benefit from it without feeling like you're chewing gum.  A few months ago, we bought a couple of those little silicone egg poaching cases - they're designed to look like half a cracked eggshell and the idea being you put your egg inside one, pop it into the boiling water and approximately 5 minutes later you have your perfect poached eggs.  Sounds simple, yes?

Yesterday for lunch, we decided to have poached eggs on toast.  I made Hubby's first and was quite impressed with the result (even if I do say so myself).  He had 2 perfect poached eggs.  I encountered difficulties when it came to getting them out of the water - trying to do so without burning fingertips on the steam or water from the pan. I eventually cobbled together a clumsy method using a ladle and my hands.  Glamorous it was not, and I really can't imagine Nigella keeping her bulging bosom and breathy undertones free of curses were she to be in the same situation (then again she can probably make them okay without the need for said silicone moulds).

Having sorted the Hubby's lunch, I set about making the same for me. EPIC FAIL! The first 2 eggs & their moulds, toppled over into the water and emptied said contents all around the pan.  So, in the bin they went. Attempt 2: turned the power down on the hob a little, put a little less water in the pan, popped the eggs in & covered (as per instructions).  This time I wasn't going to be fooled, oh no! I kept taking the lid off to check that the moulds hadn't toppled over.  After the elapsed time of 4-6 minutes, I checked them, but found because of my lid-removing checking, the whites were still partly raw.  Left them in for a while and ended up with solid yolks (see above: I like runny yolks) and partly cooked whites.  Two more eggs for the bin. 

At this point it was fair to say that I was disgruntled at the unfairness of it all - I had made Hubby's lunch without issue, which by this time he had eaten and come to "supervise" me in the kitchen - you know since I was obviously incapable unless I was under his watchful eye.  I was hungry and just wanted my poached eggs thank you very much.  At one point the Hub did suggest I might be better opting for scrambled egg.

1. I had just binned 4 eggs in my quest to get a good poached egg.
2. He had has his lunch of poached eggs on toast - he didn't need to compromise with the poor cousin, scrambled eggs.
3. I haven't yet thought about a way to make healthy scrambled eggs (my scrambled eggs usually have lots of butter/marg in)
4. I WANTED MY EGGS POACHED!

So, I think you can imagine my reaction at this.  You may have also figured that I can be quite stubborn/obstinate when i want to be.  So we went for attempt 3.  The moulds tipped a little bit & let a little water in on top of the egg, but I think this only served to help cook the top of the eggs cook.  This time we had success.  It's a good job, because I had no more eggs left at that point and I dread to think what I would have done had they not worked.  Probably gone in to a petulant sulk for an hour or so! Ha ha.

So you see, eggs may be "good food, fast & simple" (or words to that effect from the advertising campaign), but they can be more complex than you could ever imagine!  I think it will be a while before i have poached eggs again.  I need to get over the stress of it all.

Aside from the egg drama, yesterday was my first weekend day on the new regime.  I was a little apprehensive about how I'd get on with it being a slightly different routine, but I did okay.  I stuck to the plan, made a lovely sausage & veg casserole (out of the supercharged slimming book that's in the SW starter pack - if you're going to make it, be cautious with the chilli flakes, I put 1.5 tsp in & it was quite fiery!) and had a jolly good day thank you very much.  I had lots of veg & sauce left over from the sausage & veg casserole, so I'm planning on cooking some pasta later to mix with it & have for lunches this week.  I think I'm going to attempt the chunky minestrone soup later (also in the supercharged slimming book I think) and see what that's like.

So, coming up to the end of my first week.  On reflection, not at all difficult.  In fact, I can quite honestly say, that this has been incredibly easy.  I think I've interpreted everything right (I hope so), and I'm looking forward to making more changes (and hopefully progress) as the weeks go on.

I'm baking double chocolate muffins, iced with vanilla buttercream icing this week for my Goddaughter's birthday.  And I'm not even bothered that I won't be having any.  Of course, that may be a more difficult thing to say when they are in front of me, but I'm sure I'll get through it.

I'll report back with the results of the weekly weigh in.  Until then, keep smiling!

Love,
Hippy xx