Lose Weight and Keep it Off

While I had intentions to start my squat challenge last week, nothing happened. I set the time in the diary and then all my timings went to pot. I tried this three days in the row, and every day I kept finding myself behind. It got to the point that I was stressed and tired about missing everything that I'd set; that I wasn't even getting any needed breaks throughout the day. For those who don't know, I work from home. I'm a freelance writer and now I've become an editor on a variety of sites. While I completely love my job, it does take up a lot of my time. The more I sit at the desk, the more I realize just why I'm so overweight. But trying to find a life balance in my weight loss journey--or even add my weight loss journey into my life--isn't easy. I'm done beating myself up for not sticking to a plan. Quite honestly, my weight loss is the last thing on my mind at the moment. I really wish I was at least two dress sizes smaller. I want to be ...

t's that time when I start thinking about weight loss again. The plan I had at the start of the year has gone out of the window yet again. It's all the same excuses. But falling off the wagon isn't the worst thing that I can do. The worst thing is not even sticking to blogging about it. We have a tendency with blogs and social media to only show the good side. There's this need to be the perfect versions of ourselves and that means avoiding the bad. Yet, the bad times are when we need most of the support. This is the point when we need to lean on each other. It's just so hard to be honest about failures. We don't want to admit when we've not stuck to the plans we've laid out. Yet one of the reasons for tracking is to see where it all went wrong. This is a chance to look at how moods affect eating choices and what happened to lead to a blowout. It's also a chance to see how we get back on track with things. So, with that in mind, I'm maki...

I started my June challenge of tracking every day so well. I thought I'd be able to keep up with it and then I stopped tracking for a couple of days. I just couldn't get back into tracking after that. Did you know it takes 6 weeks to set a new habit? I've gone so long without tracking that I've fallen out of the habit and I'm finding it hard to get back into the habit of tracking. I'm finding it hard to stick to goals that I want to achieve. This is completely normal. I refuse to beat myself up for it. After all, my wants and needs over the last two months have changed considerably. I'm actually not following the Weight Watchers diet at all right now. But that doesn't mean I'm eating whatever I want. I'm actually still losing weight, but without Weight Watchers to do it. I'm sticking to smaller portions and a healthy diet. I've cut back on sugar and treats without really thinking about it. When I do snack, I opt for a handful of...

Oh dear! This has been the worst week of the June Weight Watchers challenge. As usually happens, I have completely fallen off the wagon. Well, not quite fallen off the Weight Watchers wagon but I haven't been tracking. My tracker since Saturday is completely empty. However, Friday I did managed to lose 1.5lbs. I'm happy with that, especially since I didn't make it to the gym all week. While I like to hit the gym once a day, I do find it difficult. Right now I'm suffering from a bout of insomnia (it happens now and then and I've learned to just roll with it and let it work out by itself) and my work schedule is jam-packed. I know a lot of people say this, but I don't use work as an excuse. I hate working long hours and as a work at home mom I should be able to control it. But sometimes work piles up and I take on a lot at once. I know my limits and when I am/am not making an excuse. So, what's the plan? Well, right now I am sticking to points. I...

I didn't quite make it through the full week of tracking on Weight Watchers this week. I had a 48 hour period where nothing at all was tracked. I wanted to go back later and fill it all in, but once weigh-in came around on Friday I just didn't have the motivation to do it. On this occasion I was lucky. The lack of tracking didn't mean a gain. I lost 0.6lbs, so that's about normal for me. Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook, SmartPointsTM Edition: Over 500 Delicious Recipes for the Healthy Cook's Kitchen Maybe part of the benefit is the heat. I'm not eating anywhere near as much as I would in the winter. I don't want food that is going to melt all over me and I need food that is full of water. I've found myself drinking way more than the 8 glasses that I designate for myself on most days (yesterday wasn't quite 8). When it comes to skipping Weight Watchers tracking, it's easy to fall off the wagon completely. I needed to get back on t...

I'm not quite into the first week of the challenge but I have had a weigh in. My weigh-in day is FRIDAY and then the day after starts a new week for my points. Despite not quite being a week, I have learned a lot while doing my June weight loss challenge and I thought now would be a good time to update. I have managed to track every day. It's not always easy, but I have been able to do it. I haven't quite tracked the ProPoints and calories like I wanted, but I've tracked all my SmartPoints. Here are three things I've learned. Weight Watchers 2016 Smart Points (Beyond the Scale) Deluxe Member Kit Diet Plan Books + Calculator + Journal 1) Sometimes just writing the food down is enough. The only person you cheat when you don't track is yourself. But it can be really hard to track every mouthful, right? I found it much easier with the app but since I don't have a SmartPoiuts app I often have to wait until I get home. So I track the actual food...

I realized the other day that I hadn't been posting here at all. Admittedly, weight loss hasn't been a priority of mine for the last two months. I've had so much going on that something has had to give. And that something was my weight loss journey. But I've recently had to buy new clothes; not because I was falling out of my others or because they needed replacing. I've had to replace them because they're getting too small! I hate that feeling. It's the summer and I'm 20lbs heavier than I was last summer, when I wanted to lose 40lbs. So now I want to lose 60lbs. And I only have myself to blame. It's not because of a diet that doesn't work. I know Weight Watchers works, but I have to stick to it. I actually tried calorie counting rather than doing Weight Watchers. It did start working, especially as I found out that I wasn't quite eating enough. Even sticking within my points, I wasn't quite eating enough calorie wise and I...

It has been such a long time since I've blogged. I've not got much of an excuse. Mostly, I fell out of love with blogging. This place was meant to be me documenting my journey, sharing tips along the way. Instead, it became more of a weight loss blog with just tips and less about my actual journey. Plus, I was getting to the point where I didn't know what to say. I kept going back and forth on diet plans and I wasn't sure what I really wanted. In January I made the decision that I was ready to lose weight again. I downloaded the Ultimate Value Diary app to track on Weight Watchers (ProPoints/Points Plus but it does have the option for SmartPoints) and did start following the plan again. But i didn't see the weight loss results that I once did. I wasn't sure if it was because of not physically going to the meetings or something else.   Weight Watchers: A Beginner's SmartPoints Guide For Rapid Weight Loss And Clean Eating - Plus 50 Quick and Easy W...

It was Thanksgiving here in Canada this week. We decided sort of last minute that we would do a Thanksgiving dinner and make a day of it. It was our first Thanksgiving, so we didn't go all out. In fact, it was one of the most peaceful and enjoyable holidays we've had. It was also a good holiday for weight loss, although it would initially seem impossible. This was because of some careful planning and being sensible with portion sizes. Keeping the Meal Simple The first part of keeping this Thanksgiving on track for weight loss was keeping it all simple. We didn't go all out with fancy trimmings and extravagant starters or desserts. We just opted for a simple turkey with the usual garlic butter beneath the skin, homemade roast potatoes, mashed potatoes and cauliflower cheese. Oh and the veg. But that's it. We didn't bother with cranberry sauce, stuffing, and all the rest. And you know what? It was all great. There was no feeling of anything being missed. ...

So, it’s Friday. It’s time for the first weekly update since I decided to make a change to this blog. I came to a blank when I first realised what day of the week it was. I just didn’t know what tip to give you. This last week hasn’t been the best for me diet wise. I’m not completely off it but it hasn’t been the main thing on my mind recently. Work has been hectic (and I mean hectic) and I haven’t been able to do anything exercise wise because of the pain in my shoulder—which has led to losing feeling at times in my arm and fingers and pain down my back. So, I’ve just been stuck behind a computer, wondering what I could possibly share with you. With it being October, there are a few things going on. Here in Canada it’s Thanksgiving on Monday but I don’t really have tips for that yet. This is my first Canadian Thanksgiving. So, instead, I thought I’d look forward to Halloween instead. When we’re losing weight, whether we’re on the paleo diet, Weight Watchers, or even a...

It’s been 30 days in September and I’m at the end of the challenge. I promised that I would update you with how it all went. Overall, my eating habits have improved. The takeaways that we did have were all planned in advanced and we thought carefully about the type of food we would eat. While out for meals, I’d try to choose something healthier, whether they were salads, tacos rather than pizza, or even cutting out the desserts altogether. The scales say I haven’t lost any weight since two weeks ago, but I’m not that bothered about the scales right now. I feel better in myself. I’ve walked every day except yesterday because of work commitments. I made sure I either picked my daughter up from school or took her in the morning. Sometimes I even did two trips out to do both drop off and pick up. I’m going to stick to this way for the time being. My head isn’t in the game to follow a plan right now. I need to focus on what makes me happy and it is freeing to not constantly b...

There’s a misconception that when you want to lose weight you need to cut out fat. And then there are weight loss diets that tell you to cut out all carbs. I never recommend these types of diets. Let me make it clear that there is a big difference between low-carb diets and no-carb diets when it comes to weight loss. Low-carb diets make you think about what you’re putting in your mouth. They encourage you to focus on healthier carbs that won’t lead to high blood sugar levels and energy crashes afterwards. And the no-fat diets? Well you can’t cut out all fats—and you really shouldn’t. Yes, your body needs some fat. No sure about this? Really don’t think your weight loss diet needs carbs and fats? Well let’s look at what they do. Carbs give you energy: while protein is good for energy levels, carbohydrates are better. They metabolize a little quicker. Carbs are actually the main energy source for your body. Carbs help the digestive system: you know fiber is import...

Whatever type of weight loss diet or regime you’re on, make sure you’re getting enough protein and fiber. Most diets out there will include at least one of the two in large amounts, since they encourage you to at least eat vegetables. But why are the two so important? Couldn’t you go a diet without both? Well, you could but you wouldn’t have the healthiest lifestyle. You may even find it harder to feel satisfied while you lose weight. Protein and fiber in your weight loss diet helps in a few ways: They help you feel fuller for longer: both of these food groups break down slower than the likes of carbs and fats. Have you ever wondered why you feel fuller after a bowl of porridge than you do after a couple of slices of toast? Well, this is why. By the food breaking down slower, your body uses it up over a longer space of time. They make you feel fuller quicker: on top of that, you’ll find that you don’t need to eat as much to feel fuller. Fiber is especially beneficia...

Yesterday, I looked at whether you really need to use protein powders for weight los s. While you don’t, there will always be some who prefer to use supplements or need to supplement their lifestyle or diet because of choices or needs. Because of that, I want to make your choices and search for protein powders to use easier. That’s why I’m sharing the top three powders available for women who want to lose weight. Whey protein powder is considered the better option out there. It has less lactose in it, which helps to keep the sugar content down and helps those with dairy or lactose intolerances and allergies. Optimum Nutrition This whey powder tends to make the top of any list of protein powders. That’s because it’s affordable, effective, and easy to digest. It comes in different sizes, but if you’re new to whey protein powders I’d suggest getting the smaller packet first to trial it. If it works for you, then invest in the larger packets to save money. ...

I came across this question recently. My husband uses protein powder after exercise to help him repair his muscles. While they’re mainly used by men, there are also some women who use them. But do you really need protein powders to lose weight? Can they help or will they just make it harder to shed the pounds? Your body needs protein Let me start by saying that our bodies need protein. I’ll get into that in more detail later this week, but cutting protein out of our diets is bad. The protein helps with the building of muscle and aids with losing weight because it fills us up for longer. You can get protein from all sorts of foods. There’s no need to use protein powders really, but they can help to increase the amount you get if you don’t eat the right type of foods. There are vegetarians and vegans who can struggle to get enough protein. Those who workout a lot may find they need extra protein to help their muscles repair. Protein powders can help you lose weight...

I had to go shopping this weekend for clothes. Not because I’ve gone up or down sizes, but because the fall and winter weather is starting to close in. We need all sorts of clothes that we’ve never really had to buy before with the change of country. According to the scales, I’ve actually put on 7lbs since the start of the month! I know I said I was going to wait until the end of the month, but my husband bought some digital scales and I wanted to see. The scales that I had been using were manual and much more likely to be wrong. So, maybe I haven’t put on weight. Maybe it’s the fact that the scales were wrong. But it’s not nice to feel like I’ve lost only to find out I’ve gained half a stone! I’m well over the 13st mark now and I just need to make some changes. On a positive note, my husband—and I trust him when he says this—thinks that I look like I’ve lost. Maybe I’m just changing my shape rather than actually losing weight. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I can’t...

Late night snacking is a pain when it comes to weight loss. We always reach for the bad stuff, thinking we need to eat more or just because we’re bored. When I looked at emotional eating the other day, I mentioned that boredom was my issue. To be honest, it was the boredom at night which always led to late night snacking. I needed to curb this if I wanted to lose weight and keep it off. I put a plan together and made sure I lost the weight. The best thing about the Weight Watchers diet was that I could find a way to still snack without resorting to the bad stuff. You can do it on diets like the paleo, keto, Atkins, Slimming World and so many more. Here are my tips for curbing late night snacking so you can lose weight and keep it off. Recognize you’re doing it: This has to be the first step. If you don’t realize that you’re snacking, then you’re going to struggle to curb it in the first place. Food diaries are great—but you do have to make sure you track every lit...

There are still days that I have sugar cravings. I don’t think they will ever completely go. But I have beat the majority of them. I don’t get them on a daily basis anymore and when I do get sugar cravings I find it much easier to push them to one side. How did I beat my sugar cravings? It wasn’t too hard actually. Well, it wasn’t as hard as I expected. I did have to put some effort into it, but I didn’t feel as sad or annoyed that I was giving something up. I’ve not switched to sweetener either. In fact, I prefer drinking full fat pop over diet forms (except Coke because I hate the furry feeling I get in my mouth from full fat Coke!) when I do decide to have them. Making the decision to beat my sugar cravings was the first step. I needed to be proactive and committed to it. I made sure my husband knew that the diet change was coming and why. It helped that the Weight Watchers diet made a move to SmartPoints. I wanted to conserve my points and that meant not having the s...

If you’re an emotional eater, then welcome to the club. My emotions have controlled so much of my life. I eat because I’m bored or because I’m sad. If I’m stressed, I’ll not eat food but I’ll get empty calories from alcohol or pop. The good news is that I managed to stop emotional eating. This was essential to help me lose weight and keep it off after my first daughter. It’s been key to help me maintain my weight and now lose it over the last few months. I don’t have any secret tips or advice for you. Everything I’m about to tell you, you’ve probably heard in the past. But I’m hoping that by letting you see how it’s worked for me will help you stop emotional eating too. I Find Something Else to Do This is the most important part of no longer being an emotional eater. My main problem has always been that I eat because I’m bored. So I’ll try to find something that keeps my hands busy. For me, it’s writing. If I’m typing away then I can’t pick up food to eat it! Oth...

I mentioned yesterday that I wouldn’t be following the paleo diet in full. While I went over some of my reasons, I have to admit that the paleo diet downsides and risks are part of the reason why I’ve decided to focus on it but not making it a full-time lifestyle. As I do the research into the diet, I wanted to share with you the downsides that I’ve found. I’m not saying the diet doesn’t have its benefits but I want you to be fully informed to help you make a decision for your health. The Paleolithic People Didn’t Live That Long There was a comment yesterday that point out the good point that the people of the Paleolithic times didn’t live that long. That is certainly the case. Over the centuries, our lifespan has increased to the point where people now live into their 90s and even to 100+! But the diet wasn’t the only reason for early death. This was a time with little knowledge about food. They would become prey to larger animals and have to deal with no knowledge ...