My word

My word this year will be moderation, the definition sums up exactly what I mean.

(the quality of being moderate; restraint; avoidance of extremes or excesses; temperance)

During my years of dieting when I was good I was very good and when I wasn't I was terrible, a real feast or famine mentality and even now, once I have something I shouldn't have I really struggle to not stuff my face with rubbish for the rest of the day/week/month.

So moderation is going to be the way forward for me, not just with regard to my weight, also in regard to money, I spend an enormous amount of money every month and I'm not entirely sure what it goes on, I'm always buying food but we never seem to have the stuff for proper meals which means that I go back to the supermarket and buy more stuff and end up throwing half of it away. So I'm going to meal plan and buy only what I need. I have also withdrawn cash for groceries and spending money for the month to make myself more aware of what I spend.

Scale was good this morning, 14st 11lbs (207 lbs) 1 pound over my lowest. 46 pounds lost, 14 more to go to meet my band anniversary goal.

Mrs Lisa C asked what fish pie was, I assumed that everyone had fish pie! Its basically white fish in a sauce with mashed potato, you can make it with any fish or seafood, I don't actually make it myself, I buy it ready made. I like it and its quite easy to get down.

Have done ok so far today, my kids are mad about drop scone/pancakes at the moment so I've made them a batch for lunch and just had a tiny taste, I have a chicken breast in the oven. As part of my grocery shopping plan I went to the butchers today which I don't normally do and bought some chicken and turkey, the chicken breast are enormous, much bigger than from the super market and much cheaper, not sure that I'll manage more than half.

Breakfast was 2 slices of toast with laughing cow light 250 cals 10g protein

cheeky pancake taste 50 cals 0

an enormous chicken breast with a little blue cheese 400 cals 50g protein

with 150g's of raw yellow pepper 40 cals 0

Hope to carry on the day like this, am going to try and get the kids out for a bike ride (them not me) later, we're going stir crazy all being stuck in here together.

Happy new year! Hope that everyone has a lovely evening.

Food

Probably not going to do this that often as writing it is dull, reading is must be dreadful!

Thanks for the green vegetables advice, I find that veggies really fill me up so I don't eat much, I realise how ridiculous that statement is! It never really dawned on me, I don't know how I would function without you guys to prod me!

Toast and peanut butter 300 cals 10g protein

tiny home made pancake 100 cals 2 protein

chicken breast stuffed with blue cheese 300 cals 40g protein

fish pie and broccoli 200 cals 10g protein

protein bar 200 cals 20g protein

milk, laughing cow light 200 cals 15g protein

Am quite pleased with that, I ate less than half of my fish pie as the broccoli was so filling, I'm still astounded by my stupidity. Chicken breast stuffed with a little Danish blue cheese was amazing, will have that again with some veggies on the side!

Being able to eat toast is a recent thing, it has to be well toasted and I have to be careful but I can do it, I'm really glad as its so easy, the bread I use has 3.5g of protein per slice I noticed today, stupid things make me happy, think that its the lack of sleep!

Thanks lovelies.

Very long post, proceed with caution

Morning lovelies,

There isn't much sleeping going on here, I'm even waking before the kids, awful. Without sleep I am a horrible horrible cow, best avoided really.

I think that I'm worried about Isobel's birthday party (on 23rd of January as too much going on at Christmas) I had a dream the other day that whilst the party was going on I was running around trying to buy a cake as I had forgotten to get one.

So I got up at 5am and have ordered books for the party bags, individual cake boxes for the cup cakes, lollies for the magic lollipop tree and have enquired about the invitations, hopefully this will calm me down and enable me to sleep. I've already booked the hall and the dj/entertainer, just need to sort out the table stuff, table cloth, plates and serving platters and then what food I am going to make.

I've probably mentioned before that her school friends parties have been in the main extravaganza's! I feel the need to try and keep up and I hate myself for it!

Managed to keep on the straight and narrow yesterday, don't normally write it down but if I do maybe it will make me think twice if I have to write it down?

toast and laughing cow light for breakfast 250 cals 6g protein

turkey chilli for lunch 300 cals 20g protein

protein bar snack 200 cals 20g protein

2 laughing cow light triangle snack 40 cals 6g protein

scallops and peas for dinner 200 cals 7g protein

protein bar snack 200 cals 20g protein

Scale was great this morning, 14st 12lbs, (208 lbs) this is 2 above my lowest, am going to do my best to get back there. Total loss of 45 pounds, am going to have lost 60 for my band anniversary on the 25th of March, so that's another 15 pounds to loose in just under 3 months, so doable if I just get on with it. My mini goal is 13st 11lbs which will be 60 pounds down.

George starts at another pre-school next Thursday, I loved his old school but it was just too far away (when we enrolled him we were planning to move house, this is unlikely to happen now) so he is moving to a preschool which is closer and attached to the school he will attend. He will be doing 4 mornings a week so this gives me more time for me, I should be able to get to the gym 4 days a week without a problem and this should really help my weight loss.

I tried to give blood on Boxing day but was turned away again as my iron levels are too low. They were even lower this time than last time and they're probably going to ban me from donating for a few months. Not sure how to address this, I do have a list of foods that help, they've also suggested that I drink orange juice whilst eating as this aids the absorbtion of iron, I hate orange juice and I try not to drink whilst eating.

Has anyone else had this problem?

I take a multi vitamin, I don't really want to take iron tablets if I can really help it.

Enough moaning for me today, have a lovely day all xx

I breeched it.

The scale said 15st today, I've just been eating so much rubbish, most of the chocolate is gone now, I'm going to get back to normal from today.

Nothing very exciting happening here today, have been trying to sort out the house now we have 2 tonnes of extra plastic rubbish in it! We have moved George in to a larger bedroom to try and house some of the stuff! I need to sort through Izzy's room and the playroom, there is so much stuff that they don't use. Isobel has started to get very attached to every soft toy she lays her eyes on, even ones that have not been looked at for a couple of years, I'm going to have to do this when she's not here.

We went out for dinner last night for Isobel's birthday meal which got cancelled because of the snow, she loved it and behaved really well, George was a pain! We have ongoing toileting issues and that was most of the problem, I'm so over toilet training just now! I was really good, had a chicken salad and ate all of the chicken and a little salad, had pancakes and ice cream for dessert (I know!) but actually it wasn't very good so I had a little ice cream and left the rest. Why then did I come home and eat loads of chocolates?

Anyway, today is another day! Happy Wednesday everyone!

Chocolate poisoning?

Hope that everyone has had a fantastic holiday.

We've had a fantastic time and were all thoroughly spoilt. I now have to find room for all the kids new toys! Think that we're going to move George in to a larger bedroom tomorrow and use it as an opportunity to get rid of some stuff.

My lovely husband bought me an iPhone, I have been after one for ages and Paul and I had many discussions about it, I have a mobile phone, a laptop and and iTouch, why did I need a iPhone, the answer is that I didn't need one, I wanted one. I almost upgraded to one a couple of weeks ago, but for some reason changed my mind at the last minute, as it happens this was the same day that Paul bought the phone, somehow I must have known!

I got lots of other bits and bobs, nail polish, 2 scarves, clarins skin care, an iPod docking station and some Joules wellies. My little brother also bought us a big box of chocolates! a huge box! I'm ashamed to admit that there aren't many left. I've eaten far too much.

My Christmas goal was always to stay below 15 stone (210 lbs) today I was 14st 13 lbs (209 lbs) my gym has closed for most of the holiday which is rubbish really but its cheap. We did go on a long walk with the kids so I could try out my wellies!

Off to catch up with your blogs, hope that everyone is well and happy.

Christmas eve musings

Thank you to everyone for your comments and support over the last 10 months, it will be my 9 month anniversary tomorrow! I have lost 46 pounds since being banded, not that much compared to some but I'm happy with that.

This time last year I hadn't considered the band, not sure what I weighed but I guess that it was somewhere around 18 stone (252 lbs) I am sure that I was really unhappy as I'd gained the 40 pounds I'd lost a few months before, I felt like I was letting myself and my children down, this year I feel so much better.

Today has been a good day so far, Paul took the kids to the zoo this morning which meant that I could finish wrapping presents whilst I watched the end of season 6 of Grey's Anatomy, OH MY GOODNESS! McDreamy! I cried through most of it. Season 7 starts in the UK in January and I can't wait.

Paul and the kids came back and we made popcorn and watching The Snowman, it was lovely.

I've just found a new protein bar, we don't seem to have many things like that available here, I found one aimed at woman, called sculptress bars, it's 205 cals and 20g of protein which is great, I had one whilst wrapping and it was ok.

Scale today is sticking at 14st 11 (207 lbs) I'm really happy with that, would always like to loose more but that's fine.

Hope that everyone that celebrates has a very happy Christmas and people that don't have a wonderful day.

Christmas eve eve

Thank you for all your kind wishes for Izzy's birthday yesterday, this is her blowing out her candles, I love seeing the smoke on the picture. Her cupcake is pathetic but I will do her a big cake for her birthday party in January. She had a lovely day with her "best" friend and her family and my Mum. She got a couple of furreal animals, she had the cat anyway and has never been that bothered but got a dog and a monkey. They are quite weird, George is now obsessed with the monkey which is causing huge problems. I might go out and see if I can buy George a furreal animal for Christmas, gah, children!

I have to confess to not being great at the party, there were tiny pastries and lovely savoury things aswell as marshmallows, I say this like I didn't know! I bought the stuff!

I ate far too much, by some miracle I've not gained anything, perhaps it will show tomorrow, I'm going to be a good girl today. Weight is 14st 11lbs (207 lbs) Paul has just popped out for something, as soon as he is back I'm going to the gym.

Can't believe that its almost Christmas, I need to wrap a few presents as well as go and fetch George a furreal freaky thing, but other than that I am DONE!

Have a marvellous day all xxx