Monday #Mumentum & @Slimavite Update

A couple of weeks back I told you how nice my nails were and I even got a tweet from @NewMumOnline telling me how good I looked when she saw me at a blogger event. So if I tell you that this week I broke four of my nails and now my hands look pretty scruffy, would that give you a clue as to the kind of week I have had?

Today is one of those days where I'd like to hide and not report in but what good would that do? I could pretend the week had gone well and that I was still on track but that does not help me at all and it just makes me a liar.  On the other hand I could completely beat myself up and get all mardy that I have had a pretty awful week and again that does me no good. So I need to be sensible and take the middle road.

It has been a bad week.  I have felt completely hormonal and very, very hungry.  Some of this I think is down to the time of the month, some of it may be going to bed too late and therefore not having enough energy to resist when my emotions tell me it is time to eat.

Rarely this week have I had my @Slimavite milkshakes instead of a meal. I have allowed myself to go with the flow and to eat whatever I fancied.  There have been at least two days that have been bingeful and I have seriously overeaten.

The good news, it has stopped.  I cannot go on like this, if I do I will not meet any of my goals that I set a couple of weeks ago and that would be a real let-down. Yesterday I planned all my meals for the week and went shopping, so we are fully stocked with good healthy foods and I have my shakes.

I pray for a better week.......  please Lord. I am willing to do whatever is needed of me.  I want to be rid of this weight that causes me so much misery and stifles my life.

This weeks update -
Weight 1 Sept 2011 17st 13lb
Weight at start of Slimavite diet (26 October 2011) 17st 10lb (yes the weight I lost in Sept went back on again!)
Weight Sunday 6th November 17st 5lb
Weight Sunday 13th November 17st 2lb
Weight Sunday 20th November 17st 4lb

Total Loss since starting to use Slimavite shakes 6lb (yes sadly it has been a gain this week)



Disclosure: I have been provided with the Slimavite shake powder free of charge and I am required to blog a weekly update. I am not instructed what to write and I remain honest.

Doing #Mumentum the @Slimavite Way!

I expect you all know by now that I have an real issue with food and have been seeking to try and sort this out for years now.  26 years to be precise!  That's a long time isn't it?  I recall going on my first diet aged 12 years old and it has never stopped since then.  One word - exhausting!  The mental exhaustion of carrying this weighty burden (ha ha see what I did there) is massive.

Nearly 2 weeks back I started to use @Slimavite shakes for 2 meals a day and to be honest for the first week or so I had good days but then I also had bad days.  I always find you have to be in the right place mentally to diet and to have enough mental energy to try and sort your food out.  Otherwise I can just get busy and find myself eating something before I even realise it is in my mouth. Planning is key for me.

Last week was much better, I felt motivated to stick with my shakes and for the whole week (bar 1 day) I used the meal replacement shakes for 1 or 2 meals a day. Normally breakfast and lunch.  I have to say it has been a good week. I do not find it particularly hard to have a shake instead of a meal.  I make sure I have a big glass of water first to line my stomach and slightly fill me up and then I drink my shake.  As I mentioned before they are nice and frothy and filling.  After a shake I do not feel the need to reach out for any food due to hunger, of course wanting to eat on my emotions is quite another thing.

Not content with just using the shakes to help me lose weight I am trying to adopt a holistic approach to 'Operation New Michelle' and I am also following the 12 step approach which I have learnt in my eating disorders group over the last couple of years and listening to my Thinking Slimmer slimpod each night. I think all these things combined have meant a good week for me.

So I won't leave you hanging any longer, how have I done?

Weight 1 Sept 2011                                  17st 13lb
Weight at start of Slimavite diet                  17st 10lb (yes the weight I lost in Sept went back on again!)
Weight Sunday 6th November                   17st 5lb

5lb loss, which I am pleased about as my food was anything but perfect.  Much better but not perfect and yesterday I had a lovely event and to be honest the chocolate cake there was very good!

As well as my 5lb loss the really exciting news was that since the beginning of September I have lost 1.5" off my waist and 3.5" off my hips, 1" off my bust and 0.5" off each thigh.  So the exercise that I have restarted must be paying off.

Something I have also done in the last week if define some goal for myself in terms of what I wish to achieve with this weight loss and those will help to keep me focused -

1. Wear a lovely Wallis top I got in August 2010 and have only ever worn once.  It would be fab for all the Christmas do's I have coming up. Only 4 weeks to shift a good stone to be able to do this!
2. Be able to wear my engagement ring again (currently it is too tight)
3. Feel really comfortable when I speak at Brit Mums Live in June 2012. That is 7 months away and how amazing would it be if I can be down to a size 16/18 by then.  I am currently pushing a 24.

So that is where I am right now.  I'll post again next week with my weekly Operation new Michelle update!

I'll leave you with some gruesome pics of me at my starting point.

So fellow weight loss pals, how are you all doing right now?

Reasons to be Cheerful (The On A Break Edition!) Week 43

<center> <a href="http://mdplife.blogspot.com/search/label/reasons%20to%20be%20cheerful"><img width="150" alt="Reasons to be Cheerful at Mummy from the Heart" src="http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac230/RebaMc/reasonstobecheerfulv2-1.jpg" height="150" /></a></center>

I know, I  Know!  I am not supposed to be here, I'm on a bloggy break but here is the thing. I was never going to let #R2BC slip and I was so busy enjoying myself since I decided to have a break last Friday that I have not got organised and arranged for anyone to be guest host today, so here I am!

You quite like seeing me here though, right?

So I am now feeling super cheerful and have loved my week without pressure.  Let me share some of the things that have made me cheerful -

1. Taking my Mum and Nan out for lunch on Sunday and then on to the park so the kids could play and have an ice cream, the simple things with family are the best!

2.  Having a night out with dh on Monday and no children to come home to.  Yes I felt poorly but with some decent cold and flu tablets we managed a nice meal and the cinema.  Then this morning as there was no kids I did not wake until 9am, that really is a treat!

3. I have been in bed by 11pm ready to sleep every night since last Thursday.  That is a big one and could account for why I feel so much better.  Some nights I have been asleep by 10pm and I have been on the PC for a total of about 2 hours in the last 4 days in total - massive change!

4. The finally yesterday I started my diet.  I am now trialling @Slimavite shakes and following their bite plan.  This is day 2 and I am doing good, thank the Lord.  As well as using the shakes I am following all my guidance I have learned from my Eating Disorders meeting over the last couple of years and I have a food sponsor who I contact daily to commit my food to.  That way when I feel like going off plan I know I have to think twice as I am accountable to them, God and myself! 

I am pleased to report that I like the Slimavite shakes, I was a bit dubious as although I have done shake diets before I have always used pre-made shakes and I assumed the ones you have to mix yourself might not be as nice.  So far I have had the chocolate and vanilla flavours and I like them a lot.  You get a special metal ball to go in the shaker and this seems to really help mix them well and produces a good frothy milkshake and the kids keep eyeing them up!  I have managed to discourage them by telling them my shakes are full of vegetables!

So there we go, I'm feeling good and positive and ready for tomorrow....  but nothing really has changed, I'm still taking my break.

Guest hosting #R2BC over the next few weeks are -

Thursday 3rd November 2011  A Matter of Choice

Thursday 10th November 2011  Kate on Thin Ice

Thursday 17th November 2011  Seasider in the City

Thursday 24th November 2011 Bod for Tea

Thursday 1st December 2011 Lakes Single Mum

and then it will be back with me...

Over to you, what is making you cheery this week? If you are new to Reasons to be Cheerful, then check out HERE and then link up a cheery/ gratitude post from the last week.

As you know, sadly I won't be round to visit everyone but don't let that stop you going and reading and commenting on others that have linked up.  Don't forget reasons to be cheerful is all about spreading the cheer!

Thanks for all the wonderful comments, tweets and emails I have had in the last week.  My bloggy mates rock! Mich x