ReSet 2017 - Week 3 results

It's been another while since I blogged, apologies for that.  Last time I'm sure I mentioned I hadn't been feeling too great.  Never in my life did I think that I would have to spend time just concentrating on being able to breathe and nothing else.  Well, I've ticked that box off my bucket list!! I went to the docs today and got some new friends to make breathing a bit easier:

So for this reason, I have found it really hard to keep up with the exercising this week, which is a bit of a bummer.  However things will get better and I'm looking forward to trying Strong by Zumba this coming week.  I guess though, with the amount I have coughed over this last fortnight, my abs must have had some sort of workout, right? Always the optimist me :-)

I am really excited to share my weight results this week with you all! Last week I was disappointed to not get down into the next stone bracket, but I have done it!! Pretty well into it, might I add!! So chuffed with this result.

My next goal is to now get into the 13 stone bracket (not by next week might I add, lol!) I haven't been less than 14 stone 4lbs for at least 5 years so to get past this would just be amazing for my self confidence. I know I can do it, it will probably take more effort on my part when ReSet is over and I don't have the support of all the others who are also doing ReSet, but I CAN do it and I WILL do it!

Darren and I had a discussion last night about life after ReSet.  He has his plan and I have mine.  I plan to continue as I am, but will allow myself a treat when it is a birthday or special occasion.  If I find that this encourages me to start indulging again in the sugar, then I will just have to pull right back again.  It'll be trial and error for me to see what I can manage physically and mentally.

One thing's for sure, I wasn't prepared for this beauty:

Look at the brightness of that green smoothie! It wasn't my favourite at all, but I did manage to drink it. I want a medal for that, haha!!  Below is a picture of tonight's dinner. Lemon chicken with savoury rice (small amount of rice with peppers, mushrooms, onions, spinach and carrot) and a splash of soy sauce. Super tasty!!  I prepared the chicken in the Instant Pot on the slow cooker function. Cooked for 5 hours and then kept warm until serving, how amazing is that?????

For this coming week, we had to prepare our own meal plan.  I was pleasantly surprised at my ability to put something together.  I was actually really dreading this part, but it wasn't too bad at all. Tomorrow however, I have a big day and attending a selection event in Edinburgh.  Lunch will be provided and I'm scared to peek at what will be available for eating.  Will just need to make the best choice of what is available, but this will be the first time I have even out.  Fingers crossed there is a lettuce leaf or something I can nibble on, haha!!

ReSet 2017 - Day 17

So I thought I should blog tonight, just to let people know that ReSet hasn't killed me. I'm still alive, although feel pretty dead.

On Monday night, I went to bed and woke up at stupid o'clock in the morning, wide awake and not able to get back to sleep.  Fast forward 20 hours and it was time to go back to bed. Everything in between is a blur.  My appetite has been shocking, I barely want to eat. Not good at all.

Today I managed to make a GREEN smoothie!!!! They are surprisingly good.

Ok, so it was brown but changed to green by the time I got to work

LOVING the blender, highly recommended!

So I tried something new for the first time tonight...AVOCADO! It was nice, but is it meant to have a strong taste, as this one didn't? Well I could taste the lime and tomato that we mixed through it, but not much else.

I guess in this picture it looks like I've filled my dinner plate, but this is actually a side plate.  Not sure if my stomach has shrunk or what, but I can't eat half the portion size that I was able to eat before.  

The ReSet plan has definitely become more of a lifestyle, I can't say I'm needing to think about it too much now. I still don't miss what I was addicted to before, I still need to work on the exercise.  It will come, perfection doesn't happen overnight, does it?

ReSet 2017 - Day 14 and 15

Well yesterday was just awful. I cannot recount a time when I have felt that ill in my life. After lots of rest and hydration, I am back to feeling (almost) myself again.

So at the end of week 2/ beginning of week 3, here is my weight result:

3 lbs and that precious quarter off!!

Truthfully, I was kind of hoping to be seeing the 14 stone bracket, but after how I was feeling the last couple of days (Saturday being tough having to resist many tempting delights and then Sunday feeling rotten), I am happy with my lot.  That's still a 9.5 lb loss in a fortnight which is truly brilliant. Darren lost 2lb this week, so that's 7lb loss in total for him.

This morning, I still wasn't feeling brilliant.  I couldn't face eating breakfast, as was still feeling nauseous.  I decided to sip plenty water and later in the morning, I felt like eating (and devoured) a juicy orange.  This was just enough to get my appetite going and for me to enjoy my tuna salad for lunch.

I knew what my body did and did not need today.  I can't say before ReSet that I was overly in tune with myself.  If I didn't feel full all the time, there was something wrong.  Today I actually took some time to figure out what I needed to do and definitely benefitted from doing so.  I had taken porridge to work with me and almost pushed myself to just eating it anyway, but it wasn't right, I would have felt worse.  So the moral of the story is... 

listen to what your body is telling you :-) 

So here is my latest addition to my kitchen gadgets (I feel like I am turning into my brother and sister-in law who also love their kitchen gadgets).  It is now time to experiment with my smoothies. If I start turning green or orange, you know I have had too many, haha!! I will post some pictures of my experimentation in future blogs, so watch out!!

ReSet 2017 - Day 13

Today has been the hardest day ever for me.  I have just had to fight temptation all day and its made me feel grouchy.  I wanted to go walking again today, but it was so cold outside and I could barely get a heat in me whilst in the house, so I didn't go.  I done my chores for the day, but that was about it.

I had egg, spinach and mushroom omelette with bacon for breakfast.  It was nice to have a change and it was reasonably filling.  We made another batch of green split pea soup for lunch and for dinner we had to use up some pork loin medallions.  These probably weren't the best choice, but we cut the visible fat off before cooking, so it hopefully wasn't too bad (we filled the plate with green veg, so there was some good on there). 

Whilst making the oat and blueberry muffins for tomorrows breakfast, I decided to make a green smoothie.

Yea, I had the same thoughts...not so green is it?
So in it, I used coconut milk, spinach, curly kale, and handful of mixed berries (blackberries, cranberries, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries). Will need to experiment with ratio a little, although with those berries, it's likely its just going to look brown.  It was really tasty though and just what I needed after resisting goodies ALL day.

So here's hoping for a better day tomorrow, with more enthusiasm to move more and be happy :-)

ReSet 2017 - Day 12

So the shopping has been ordered for next week's plan, here's hoping we have more success than last.

Today, we were again encouraged to reflect on our thoughts and feelings at this point in the plan.  If I am honest with myself, I haven't been as active as I need to be. Instead of making excuses, I decided to see what I could do to change this.  Friday evenings my boys have goalkeeping training, which they love.  I decided that instead of the hubby driving them there, we would walk instead. It's just short of a 4 mile walk all in, but we done it. I hit my 10,000 step mark just as I was turning the corner into my house, bonus!!

So I had a slice of my spelt loaf this morning with peanut butter and sliced banana.  It didn't look much on the plate, but the bread is rather dense and was definitely enough.  I really enjoyed it.  Now I know if I ever run out of bread for the kids, I can throw one in the oven pretty quickly.

Lunch - Piri Piri chicken salad

I'll tell you, this box would never fill me before.  I didn't manage to eat it all today, definitely feeling the difference and gradually cutting portions down, which for me is the best way. I then don't have that psychological block of "missing out" on something. Obviously this chicken was cooked in my Instant Pot (as are most of my other meals.) 

ReSet 2017 - Day 11

Look, look, look what I made!!!!

                                                    

Spelt Loaf!!!!

I've never made bread in my life!! It smells so good and looks so tasty, I'm gonna struggle not eating some tonight. It's for tomorrow's breakfast, with nut butter and banana. Oh man! My mouth is watering!!

I can't believe all the new things I am trying.  This hardly took any time at all to make, shove it in the oven for 45 minutes and voila!! It's so easy, why haven't I done this before?

So this morning I had overnight oats, with vanilla, blueberries and raspberries.  I think it's the vanilla that I don't like.  I could quite easily eat it without.  I left the berries whole too and that really helped. But on the whole, I was actually ok with it all this time and even finished it. Go me!! 

Lunch was so yummy, homemade split pea soup.  I was so looking forward to it, that I forgot to take a picture.  I had a mega busy day at work, I was just so happy to finally sit down and eat it.

Meatballs are a firm favourite in our house, especially homemade meatballs.  Tonight's menu was turkey meatballs and wholewheat spaghetti.  Not anything too different for us, as we usually have wholewheat pasta.  Another meal enjoyed by all (although my youngest daughter did say she didn't like them, that was after she had eaten 4 of them. I reckon she was just being lazy with her food, not new for her!)

So far today, I've had 1200mls water, I'll maybe get that up to 1500mls by the time I hit the sack tonight.  I feel like I should exercise this evening too as I've had a reasonable amount of carbs, probably just an "easy to follow" youtube workout.

Happy ReSetting all!!

ReSet 2017 - Day 10

Before I got married, I was pretty slim and very active.  Playing football was my favourite sport to play and I was pretty decent in my day.  I ate food for survival, I never really thought about what I was eating and never overindulged. Then I met Darren.  He enjoyed taking me out to different restaurants, eating nice food and devouring desserts. Fast forward 14 years and I feel like I'm 90 years old some days.  My hips pop so loudly, other people stare! "Yep, that was me," I say.  My knees like to give my hips a run for their money in the popping department.

During my workout tonight, the reverse lunges were definitely the worst. They always are though, however I could see from my reflection that I am beginning to get that leg lower to the ground.  That's a victory for me, a small but satisfying change.  I could feel the tightness in my hip, it felt as though everything around that area needed a good stretch. So that will be something (else) to work on.

I struggled to find good music tonight, something motivating, upbeat that makes you want to keep going.  What are your "go-to" tunes for exercising?

A fellow ReSetter asked me tonight what I have found the hardest.  I couldn't really think of anything as it hasn't been as difficult as I imagined.  However it dawned on me that my water intake could be better.  I have fallen back to only drinking 1000 mls some days.  Another ReSetter described to me exactly how I feel when I drink so much water...nauseous!! Who else feels this way? Why do I feel sick if I drink so much water? Is it psychological from throwing up in pregnancy? Who knows, I'm sure the ReSet boss will have a brilliant answer.  She is super supportive.  My hubby asked her a question the other night, her answer was straight to the point and in depth.  We are so fortunate to be supported so well! Thank you ReSet Boss!

ReSet 2017 - Day 9

Eat a healthy, balanced diet they say. What exactly does that look like? What does that mean for me?  Have you ever asked yourself these questions?

I should really know what a "healthy, balanced diet" looks like, I work in Public Health.  However, this will vary depending on health needs, lifestyle and many other factors, so there is no one answer.  Often when making family meals, we prepare one thing and everyone has to have the same.  However I have been thinking about the different energy requirements needed for each of the 6 of us in this home.  A typical dishing out of dinner would be the same size portion for myself and hubby, smaller portion for the older 3 children and an even smaller one for our youngest child.  Yet, they are all so different in their daily activities, some more active than the others.  The same between myself and hubby.  

ReSet has helped me to think more about what we are serving to each person, adapting to their personal requirements to fuel the body properly.  Although I am heavier in weight than my husband,  that doesn't mean my portion size needs to be the same or larger. I'm beginning to think about food in a completely different way.

Today I decided to have poached egg on wholemeal toast.  I didn't take a picture because after poaching my egg, part of it looked like it had part of an embryo in it.  I may not want to eat egg again for a while.

For lunch, Darren had made really delicious minestrone soup.  Now, Darren doesn't like anything too spicy, I tend to be the one who can handle the heat.  I'm not sure how much chilli he put in this soup, but my head about blew off.  It was still very tasty though and will definitely have it again.

I was really looking forward to tonights dinner.  I LOVE peppers and this dish had quite a lot in them.  It was super easy to make (well I think it was, but Darren does most of the cooking) and it was a firm favourite:

Chicken, halloumi, peppers and pesto with green vegetables

I really fancied a pink lady apple for a snack, so I had this this evening with a small amount of peanut butter (whole earth, no sugar). It was just so fresh to the palate and I still can't believe the choices of snacks that are available without having to reach for the junk!

ReSet 2017 - Days 7 and 8

So I completely ran out of steam yesterday to do a blog post.  It was my daughter's 10th birthday and was rather busy all afternoon and evening.  There was cake and not one little crumb passed my lips!! How great is that?? It wasn't even that difficult to refuse it.

It has been surprisingly (for me) not too difficult in achieving one of my main goals of doing ReSet.  However I have been reflecting on what the means for when these 4 weeks are over.  Knowing the addictive personality that I have, I'm not sure whether I will be able to reintroduce sweets, crisps or cake back into my diet.  I'm not sure I am capable of having some in moderation.  If I can't, then I will need to make a decision of whether I have to cut it out for the rest of my life.  Sounds drastic, but it may be my reality.  Time will tell, but it feels great knowing that I have been able to do it for just this short time.

So with week 1 being over, I weighed myself this morning and here is my result...

6lbs off!!! (oh! and a quarter!)

Mega chuffed!! Hubby also lost 5lbs this week, so we are 11lbs (and a quarter) lighter this week than we were last.

So here we are, heading in to week 2.  If someone had told me I could lose weight, feel healthier, have more energy whilst eating full fat dairy produce, eating some carbs, nuts and pretty much all the things that other diets I have tried tell me not to eat, I would never have believed you.  Note: this is not a diet, it's a lifestyle choice. It's clearly working for me, let's be positive and keep the motivation going!

ReSet 2017 - Day 6

So today was the beginning of the first weekend following ReSet. I wasn't sure how it was going to go as the hubby was working, I was having one of my couches cleaned, my son needed to get to football and I needed to finish off some birthday shopping for my eldest daughter tomorrow.  This meant having to be out of the house most of the day.

For breakfast I made myself some scrambled egg, peppers and spinach (with a small added amount of  cajun spice). Believe it or not, but I had never made scrambled egg before in my life as I never liked it when I was given it as a child.  So this was a new thing for me, I think it turned out ok.  It was quite yummy, although the guy cleaning my suite at the time was looking at it a bit strangely (Think he thought, "Peppers for breakfast?")

So before having my shower prior to going shopping, I decided to do a home workout.  We had been given a Tabata workout to do, but I wanted to actually follow someone as had never done something like this before.  So I done THIS workout, it was tough and sweaty, but I couldn't believe how quickly it was over.  I liked the variety of upper and lower body work and I stretched my spine in a way that I haven't done in years. I did need to use an inhaler afterwards though, just so I could breathe a bit more easily, lol!! I'm not asthmatic, but I seem to get a virus in the winter and the inhaler helps me breathe better, definitely after exercising.

I actually didn't manage to have lunch today and there was a hiccup with dinner.  In a nutshell, my food shopping was due to be delivered this afternoon, but I received a message to say there had been a system problem and my order was cancelled.  I was compensated for the inconvenience, but it meant having to go to the shops rather late in the day and I couldn't even remember what was planned for dinner. 

So we ended up having steamed smoked cod fillet, homemade potato wedges with a selection of green vegetables (brussel sprouts, whole green beans and green cabbage medley).  I did take a picture, but I have no idea where it has gone on my phone and like the rest of my day, nothing has really gone to plan.  Take my word for it though, it was delicious! I'm not sure if it was allowed, but by the time I got home, a McDonalds could easily have been on the menu, so its all gooooooood :-) 

I am all tucked up on my cosy couch, cuddling the box of tissues, hoping this cold doesn't linger for long and sipping on my water.

P.S.  I had 2 big achievements today. First, I shopped in Cadbury's and Thorntons stores today and wasn't tempted by the goodies around me, and secondly, I shopped on an empty stomach and stuck to the list! Booya!! These are big, personal NSV's!

ReSet 2017 - Day 5

I woke up this morning and I was feeling ravenous!! The feeling has not left me through most of the day. For breakfast we had a yummy strawberry and oat smoothie, made with coconut milk. (Mum if you are reading this, this is the first time I have liked anything with coconut milk in it. I know you love it!)

For lunch I had some left over soup from yesterday, which was filling, but very quickly I became hungry again.  I have been having my snack in the evening, but today I pinched a satsuma from a colleague at work (cheers Charly!) which filled a gap until I came home to the lovely, scrummy, yummy chicken burritos loaded with vegetables.

I fear for the rest of the evening, not gonna lie!  I have a snack pack of nuts on standby for if (read WHEN) I get hungry later. I usually feel like this when Aunt Flo is visiting, so its nothing new, but normally I will literally stuff my face.  Tonight, I need to remain strong and will probably do a YouTube kettlebells or zumba workout to distract me and make me drink more water. 

This weekend is going to be tough, particularly because we have a birthday.  Keeping busy will be the key (and maybe a zip on my lips too for added security!) 

Wish me luck guys, wish me luck!! See you on the other side!

ReSet 2017 - Day 4

WHAT. A. DAY!

This morning we had some snow, not a huge amount, but enough to throw me off my routine. My lovely hubby had set out the peppers and spinach to go with scrambled egg, but with having to clear the car of snow and leave a little earlier to get to work on time, I just didn't have enough time for my planned breakfast, so it was (hot) porridge and a banana instead. 

During the morning rush, one of my children was having a bit of a strop because he couldn't find his gloves and complaining he would be cold in the playground.  Normally, I would have blown from 0 to 100 very quickly, which never achieves anything and leaves everyone on edge.  However, after I dropped them at breakfast club and driving to school, it dawned on me how controlled and calm I was whilst dealing with a difficult child.  I know I spoke yesterday about how my mood has been much better, but it really has changed a lot! Not only is this plan benefiting me, it is benefiting everyone in my home.  I hate stressful mornings where I am short and snappy with my kids, even if there is reason to be, but it's never as nice as when everyone is happy.

Fortunately I had remembered to lift my soup mug out the fridge with the carrot, lentil and coriander soup that we made last night in the Instant Pot (yes, this machine really is so versatile and is used EVERYDAY!).  So I had this at lunch, which was really yummy and super filling.  The workplace can be very challenging, as there are often chocolates and biscuits lying around. Usually around 3pm, I'm having a craving for something to eat and I haven't had that this week.  I have also found that I have been more productive, achieving tasks that I have had sitting for a while and just not able to bring myself to do them.  I'm loving this new energy that has been unleashed both physically and mentally.

And because I have been so productive, I didn't manage to take any pictures today.  For dinner we had chicken fried rice, which everyone loved.  I probably would have added more veg into it though with some ginger, chilli and garlic to add more flavour. It's a similar dish to something we would have frequently in lettuce wraps. Yum yum!

On a little side note, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who reads my blogs and gives it a little like or a comment.  It really helps me stay focussed and on track throughout the day when I think about what I'm going to write about.  This is a very personal journey and those who are following the same plan will be doing it for their own reasons, but your support is much appreciated 💖

ReSet 2017 - Day 3

DISCLAIMER -  before you start reading there's a little TMI in this post!

So the only reason I am able to type this post this evening is because my fingers must be the only part of my body that doesn't ache from the home workout 2! I am SOOOO chuffed with myself though. When I first looked at it, I told myself that there's no way I'd manage 1 complete set, never mind the 4!  And guess what??? I managed all 4!! HUGE achievement for me.

Today I felt pretty good, no cravings throughout the day. I was even offered chocolate at work and I was able to refuse without feeling that I was missing out.  I had no headache today, but did struggle to drink water whilst at work.

After work I had swimming lesson run to do and by the time I got home, I had a complete crash in energy. I had left my workout until this evening and really thought I wouldn't be able to do it. I picked up after dinner though and managed to prepare tomorrow's food.

Whilst preparing the food, my hubby asked me if I had decided to make "being calm and chilled" my new year's resolution? My blank look obviously encouraged him to explain that he has noticed that my mood has been different recently and I am more relaxed.  So I'm not a complete psycho ALL the time, but I do have my moments of extreme mood swings.  Now I'm not saying my more stable mood is all down to ReSet, but I definitely think that it has been a large contributor.  I guess the sugar highs and lows from binge eating was having a huge effect on me.  What makes this an even greater non-scale victory (NSV) is that Aunt Flo has paid a visit too and this is when I'm normally at my worst.  Susan told us that we would benefit in many ways by following this plan and I'm beginning to see some of these positive effects. I think part of it is choice as well, intentional and unintentional, but it feels great!

Not going to focus too much on the food tonight, but here's some photos of what I had:

2 poached eggs on wholemeal toast

(Eggs done in sistema microwave egg poacher - 30 seconds)

Chicken Salad (the chicken was hidden underneath this lovely variety of vegetables)

Chicken breast cooked in Instant Pot - took 6 minutes, love it!

Bolognese and "courgetti"

I couldn't eat it all, portion wa too much, but here's a photo of our courgetti using our spiraliser

Water - 1500mls

ReSet 2017 - Day 2

One word... OUCH!!!

For anyone who has done a fitness session consisting of mainly squats, this picture will bring back memories for you!

This was me this morning, cue the hysterics from my children as I lowered my painful fat butt onto the toilet seat.  Worst thing about the whole thing is that it will be tomorrow when the pain is at it's worst! Yikes!

So today has been pretty similar to yesterday.  Have coped pretty well with eating, have managed to drink 1 litre of water whilst at work and have tried to take more steps where possible in my sedentary job.

The meals for today were:

Breakfast - Overnight oats with banana and vanilla

This was a bit easier to swallow, I used a bit more milk to make it less stodgy. Still not my favourite though.

Lunch - Mozzarella and tomato salad, mmmmmmm!

His and Hers 

Dinner - Sweet potato, spinach and bean stew

So the recipe was butter beans, but I wanted to add some variety, so I added butter beans, black eyed beans and chick peas.  I used my wonderful, amazing, super duper Instant Pot to cook this. Bunged all the ingredients in and cooked in 15 minutes!! I even cheated by using my mandolin slicer/cutter to prepare the vegetables, so was super quick to prepare too! Two out of 4 kids ate the lot, one ate half and the other point blank refused to touch it.  We enjoyed it though, was different, clean and filling. I am learning that with the help of my gadgets, there's no excuse not to have a healthy dinner, even when on a busy schedule.

Exercise - ReSet Home Workout 1(The Tester)

So I was to record how many of the following I could achieve in 1 minute. I decided to do some jump rope as a warm up, I was pretty much dead after this alone. But hey, I will compare this mornings results to my results at the end of the 4 weeks and see how much I have improved (if I'm not dead by then!)

Bodyweight squats - 19

Press ups (box) - 25

Bodyweight reverse lunges - 9 (these kill me every time. I could really feel the tightness in my leg muscles)

High knees - 22

Jump squats - 12 (also a killer for me)

Tricep dips - 13

Alternating side lunges - 16

Plank (forearm) 30 seconds!! (How rubbish is that?? My kids can do 8 minutes!!)

I have had a dull headache today, despite drinking all that water.  I'm guessing its my body's reaction to detoxing the refined junk out of it.  I've had a moment on the way home from work where my mind turned to chocolate, I kind of wanted some in that moment, but it was fleeting and I'm ok again.  I'm looking forward to my snack later, greek yoghurt and berries.

ReSet 2017 - Day 1

Day 1

So I set my alarm last night for 6:30am, with the intention of getting up and doing a Kettlebell workout on YouTube.  After only getting to sleep after 1:30am, I was not best pleased when said alarm was loudly ringing in my ear. I promptly switched it off and rolled over to go back to sleep for another hour. Five minutes later, I found myself getting up out my bed, threw my gym gear on and marched downstairs with determination that I was going to follow through with my plans. I have no idea where the change of heart came from, but I really enjoyed sweating it out as I followed the ripped guy on my TV screen.  Glass no.1 of water was consumed during this time 👍

Breakfast - Overnight oats with stewed apples and cinnamon

Well let's just say, for me, it tasted as good as it looks (in the pink cup!) Darren (my hubby) sent me an email that went like this: "Just eating my breakfast now. Wow!! If I have to eat this most days then I'll definitely lose weight."  At this point, I hadn't even touched it yet, but definitely wasn't looking forward to it at all.  I tried it cold, it wasn't going to go down. I heated it up in the microwave at work, it didn't really make it any better.  I did manage it though by 10am, only took about 30 minutes.  Not my favourite, but I would try it again.  It kept me full for 4 hours, thats pretty good going for me.

Lunch - Salad with tuna mayonnaise 

I was so looking forward to this and it was mega yummy!! When I was preparing it the night before, it really didn't seem much compared to what I would normally be looking for.  I actually struggled near the end to finish it as I was beginning to feel full.  So that was a good sign, but I forgot to drink *face palm*

Dinner - Sausages with sweet potato mash and vegetables

So we were advised to get sausages with the highest pork content we could afford.  The highest available in supermarkets appears to be 97%. These were chipolatas at only 90% as it is all Darren could find when doing the shopping.  We were also only meant to have 2, however I worked out that 3 of these is about the same as 2 sausages, so I'll take that.  We could have done better with the vegetables and substituted the peas for another variety, but there are some carrots and broccoli hidden under there too.  Now the last time I had sweet potato mash, I wasn't too keen on it. This time, combined with the onion gravy, it was super delicious so will definitely be doing that one again.  The kids really enjoyed this dinner too.

So I have a snack and 4 glasses of water to fit in this evening (I have drank one whilst typing this post) - we'll see how that goes.  Remember, this is a girl who normally only drinks 3-400mls per day, so I'm already doing better.  

And that's what this is about, making baby steps in the right direction to becoming healthier.  I was mega chuffed with myself for getting up earlier to exercise, it could have been so easy just to lay in bed.  It really set me up for the day. (Well in actual fact, my legs were pretty dead, I nearly fell down the stairs, but we'll not talk about that too much!)

All in all, I'd say its been a good day. Let's see what tomorrow brings...

** Update ** I have managed to drink 1300mls of water today!!! My kidneys won't know whats hit them.

Reset 2017

So that time of year has come around. You know, the time where you decide that this is going to be THE year, now is the time to eat healthy and get fit?  So I signed myself up for Reset 2017 by Susan at Run Well Fitness.  I have blogged before about my binge eating habits and my personal difficulties with food.  Reset is not going to be any easy feat for me.  The idea of 3 meals plus one healthy snack, clean eating, incorporating all food groups, drinking plenty water, choosing better options, good sleep habits and exercising 3 times per week sounds pretty reasonable, but when I compare it my normal habits, it's going to be tough going.

So at present, my meals aren't too bad.  My major downfalls are the high fat/high sugar snacks such as crisps, sweets and chocolate. I also only drink approximately 3-400mls of fluids per day, usually no added sugar diluting juice.  My husband wonders how I can function on such little fluid, but I guess I must get some from foods.  So trying to up this to 6 glasses of water per day is going to be tough.  I also live a pretty sedentary lifestyle, despite having 4 children.  At work I sit at a desk, I walk to my car, drive to clients homes, sit for around an hour, walk back to the car and then walk upstairs to my desk. In the evenings, I am normally taxiing my children to various clubs and music lessons in the car, reading books for homework, chatting to them about their day and then before I know it, it's time for bed. So this part of Reset will also be habit changing for me.

Right now, I'm looking forward to these personal challenges and turning bad habits into better lifestyle choices.  I have a buddy to help me too, a lovely mum from school but I will also be using my blog here to record my (honest) thoughts and feelings each day.

So here are my starting stats:

Weight 15st 10lbs
Height 5ft 6.25in
Waist 114cm
Hips 120cm

Basically clinically obese.  I know it. I see it. I feel it.

Here are my starting out pics.  At the end of the 4 weeks, I will post my after pics.

So here's to trying again 👍