How I'm feeling after 5 weeks on a meal replacement diet #Boostbuddies

Firstly I'd like to apologise for not updating you last week, there were a few reasons for this, as you know I was in Croatia (holiday spam coming soon!) until Sunday and my intention was to write my update on Monday, but after a day of travelling and with a mountain of washing to tackle all I wanted to do was relax with the children so I had a day in the park! I then got down to tackling the washing mountain and before I knew it I was back to work so I thought instead I'd give you an extended update this weekend...

There's been so much going on over the last two weeks that its tough to know where to start!

I went to Croatia and was a little bit naughty food wise

I'd been looking forward to this break for so long that I really wanted to make the most of my time away and that did mean that there were days that just didn't fit in with two meal replacement shakes a day, so yes I had a few 'cheat' days. I ate a few ice creams and tried the local cuisine, but I also walked a lot, swam and ate salads as much as possible. One thing I have learnt so far in this diet programme is that when you are committing to something like this on a long-term basis, you have to let yourself have bad days and just start fresh the next day without beating yourself up. I realised that one or two days of enjoying myself wasn't going to have that much of an impact in the longer term.

I wore a swimsuit

I don't have a lot of body confidence, if I'm honest with myself I never really have, whatever size I've been (from 8 to 18). I am always uncomfortable revealing parts of my body that are usually covered up so for me wearing a swimsuit is a significant thing. However, I've been thinking a lot recently about how I view my body and how other people view my body. Two particular other people, in fact: my children. 

My children see my body in a completely different way to me, they see my back as something to climb on to see high than they can from the ground, they see my legs as somewhere to hide and feel safe if they are unsure of a situation, and they see my arms as somewhere to hold them tight, to lift them up and to comfort them. When I wear a swimsuit, all they see is their mum ready to get in the water and play with them, to laugh and splash and have fun together. 

So that is what I see when I look at this picture:

I've lost 3lbs in the last two weeks

With everything going on I decided to be a bit kinder to myself and have combined week 4 and week 5's weight loss, which has taken me to a total of 17lbs down. Every pound is a step in the right direction and each time I see the number on those scales go down I get a little bit more sure in the belief that I can do this!

I've lost over a stone in the last 5 weeks and I'm feeling healthier, more confident and am feeling much more comfortable in my clothes.

For me, that's a win!

I joined the gym 

One of the first things I did when I got home from Croatia was to join the gym. I've seriously increased my physical activity over the last 5 weeks and am finding that exercise if helping me to feel happier and more positive in my outlook on life in general as well as supporting my weight loss goals. I'll be sharing more about my progress in the gym over the next few weeks.

You can read more about why I want to lose weight and catch up on my first and second-week XLS #Boostbuddies diet posts as well as how I lost a stone in 3 weeks.

Don't forget, you can check out my video diary over on youtube.  and catch up with me on my social channels; on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook,, I'd love your support and I need the motivation!

I will be back to update you next week.

Disclaimer: I have received free product and support from XLS during my weight loss journey, but am not being paid. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

How I lost a stone in 3 weeks with #XLS meal replacements!

I won't keep you reading too long to find out how much I've lost this week as I did kind of give it away in the title!

I lost...
2lb!

Not a great amount, especially in comparison to the previous two weeks, however, it is a loss and it does mean that in the three weeks since I've been using XLS meal replacement shakes, I've lost a grand total of ONE STONE!

How I lost a stone in 3 weeks

I've been trying to lose weight albeit somewhat halfheartedly for over a year now and in all that time I haven't come close to the weight loss I've achieved in the last three weeks.

I've been having an XLS shake for breakfast and one for lunch (usually strawberry for breakfast and chocolate or vanilla for lunch) and then eating a low fat, calorie controlled meal in the evening each day.

For the first week, I was extraordinarily strict with myself and didn't snack at all or touch a drop of alcohol, however that proved difficult to keep up and in weeks two and three I started having a healthy snack such as fruit or a handful of nuts in the afternoon and sometimes in the evening. By week three I'd also treated myself to a glass of wine or two. I've seen the amount of weight I've lost decrease when I've allowed myself small indulgences, however, I've also been upping my exercise game and I've been doing a HIIT workout twice a week (on my lunch hour when I work from home) and walking a lot further.

Walking further with FITBIT

Back in January, I invested in a Fitbit, but until the last month or so I'd been forgetting to wear it for half the week. Since I've started the #Boostbuddies programme, I have been making sure I consistently wear the step counting device and have been challenging myself to go above and beyond my daily step goals, it was hard at first but the more I've done the easier I've found it to do more; last week along I achieved over 100,000 steps, which included exceeding 20,000 on three individual days! If you'd told me a month ago I could do that I would have laughed in your face!

I find joining a weekday or weekend challenge and pushing myself to compete with friends has really helped me to go outside of my comfort zone!

Going Forward

I've been thinking about where I want to be at the end of this programme in five weeks time and I'd love to double what I've achieved so far and make it a total of two stone which will be the kickstart to my weight loss I've been looking for! That will mean losing 2-3lbs each week for the next 5 weeks, this coming week I'm on holiday so it will really be a challenge for me, wish me luck!

You can read more about why I want to lose weight and catch up on my first and second-week XLS #Boostbuddies diet posts.

Don't forget, you can check out my video diary over on youtube.  and catch up with me on my social channels; on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook,, I'd love your support and I need the motivation!

I will be back to update you next week on Monday..

Disclaimer: I have received free product and support from XLS during my weight loss journey, but am not being paid. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Week two of #BoostBuddies and still going in the right direction

I'm now two full weeks in the XLS Nutrition Meal Replacement Plan and this week hasn't felt quite as difficult. Maybe it's the sunny weather that is making eating salads that bit easier and making me more inclined to walk further.

Two weeks ago I shared my reasons for wanting to lose weight and last week I discussed my weight loss goals, today I'm going to talk to you about my week and share with you how much I have lost. I also want to share the fact that my confidence has grown somewhat and really making an effort to get into the picture more. The above shot was taken on a visit to the Lake District on bank holiday Monday, I enjoyed playing about with the children, and worried a lot less about how I looked.

I was quite hesitant when I stood on the scales this week as I really wasn't sure if the number would have gone down by much or even at all. This week saw me resist a lot of temptation, from an amazing looking buffet lunch and cake at Blog On, to a whole host of sweet treats in the office. I've been preparing small pots of fresh fruit in the mornings so I have something sweet to snack on if the craving gets too much. I find a handful of blueberries or chopped strawberries seems to satisfy it well.

As well as replacing two meals a day with XLS Nutrition Shakes, I've also been very conscious of the food I have been eating for my evening meals, determined to make the healthiest of choices.
This week we made the most of the beautiful weather and enjoyed a family BBQ in the garden, I chose a single bean burger with salad and a corn on the cob.

So back to the scales, I was pleasantly surprised to see the number reduce by another five pounds!

That's a total of  12lbs down in just two weeks of replacing two meals a day with an XLS nutrition shake!

I'm really pleased by the result after two weeks of using the XLS shakes as meal replacements twice a day. I'm starting to see a little difference in the pictures I think and I'm really happy with the numbers on the scales. This week will be another tough one as we're off on a trip to Alton Towers at the end of the week to celebrate the end of the SATs and my husband's birthday. I'm going to struggle with healthy food there I think, but hopefully the epic walking will counter any extra calories!

Check out my video diary over on youtube.  and catch up with me on my social channels; on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook,, I'd love your support and I need the motivation!

I will be back to update you next week on Sunday.

Disclaimer: I have received free product and support from XLS during my weight loss journey, but am not being paid. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

My First Week on a Meal Replacement Diet #Boostbuddies

Today marks the end of my first week on the #boostbuddies diet programme with XLS Medical, Last week I shared my reasons for wanting to lose weight and today I'm going to talk to you about my week and share with you how much I have lost, but first of all, I want to share my goals for weight loss.

My Goals with XLS Nutrition and #BoostBuddies

• I want this programme to mark the start of a lifestyle change for me, not just be a short-term fad. I will be using the eight weeks of the  XLS nutrition #Boostbuddies programme to kick start my weight loss and in this time I aim to lose around 20 to 25lbs, in the longer term my aim is to lose at least 50lbs overall by the end of the year. 
• I'd love to go down to a dress size isn't in the 'plus size' range so I have more choice over the clothes that I wear and I can dress like a woman in her early thirties rather than feeling like I'm choosing clothes designed for my Mum's generation!
• Most of all I want to feel healthier and that I can keep up with my children (and maybe even outrun them on occasion?)

This is me one week ago at the beginning of my journey:

What is XLS Nutrition?

XLS Nutrition is a healthy weight loss meal replacement shake. It combines high-quality proteins, essential vitamins, minerals and macronutrients into a powder that you mix with milk to make a pleasant tasting shake that replaces a meal and has fewer than 250 calories.

My First Week

I've been using the XLS Nutrition weight loss shakes for a week now, replacing breakfast and lunch with them each day and then having a healthy calorie controlled meal in the evening. I've been really motivated this week and have managed to cut out snacking completely  - I'm not sure how much I'll be able to maintain that for 7 more weeks but I will certainly be making healthier snacking choices.

I've been enjoying lots of salads for my main evening meal, mixing them up with beetroot, feta cheese and avocado and enjoying a small bowl of blueberries or raspberries as a sweet tasting pudding. I haven't drunk any alcohol at all this week either.

I've really stepped up my physical activity this week too. I've been walking lots and monitoring my steps using my Fitbit Charge HR, I hit 82000 steps this week which is my personal best since I started using the Fitbit earlier this year. I find joining inchallengess with my friends really motivating and have been choosing to walk the longer way to get to somewhere and getting off the tram a stop or two earlier and walking the rest of the way. I've also been making use of lunchtimes on the two days a week I work at home to do a 30-minute workout from youtube. A much better use of my time than watching TV!

I was quite nervous to step on to the scales this morning as I really wanted my hard work to pay off, but thankfully I wasn't disappointed:

Week 1 Weight Loss:  -7lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am absolutely thrilled by the result after a week of using the XLS shakes as meal replacements twice a day. I'm not sure if I can see any difference in the pictures yet but i'm happy the scales are showing a change. I'm feeling really positive about the coming week, although I am at a blogging conference tomorrow where I know there will be lots of temptation! (If you see me there do NOT let me eat the cake!!)

Check out my video diary over on youtube.  and catch up with me on my social channels; on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook,, I'd love your support and I need the motivation!

I will be back to update you next week

Disclaimer: I have received free product and support from XLS during my weight loss journey, but am not being paid. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Why do I want to lose weight? #BoostBuddies

This is a photograph of me taken by my 7-year-old daughter.

I don't like photographs of myself and am much more comfortable on the other side of the camera however, I am forcing myself to be on this side of the camera for a change to record a weight loss journey I am about to embark on, but first of all, I wanted to discuss an important question:

Why do I want to lose weight?

You could look at the image above and think that the answer to that question is obvious. I'm fat. Why wouldn't I want to lose weight? It shouldn't be assumed that everyone wants to be a size ten and have a washboard stomach, though.

Why is it that we ostracise those of us in our society who are on the larger side? Is my opinion any less valid because I weigh more than you? Are you a nicer person than me because you are thinner?

Of course not, however that is often how larger people are made to feel in today's world. Sometimes it feels that the more you weigh the more invisible you are and the less your voice can get heard.

In a society where we are increasingly becoming more sensitive to other cultures and ways of life, where we are more accepting of those who are different to us, fat shaming is still far too common and it can seem that 'fat' people are an easy target, good game to poke fun at and quite frankly not taken seriously.

The extra weight I carry is just a collection of fatty cells, it does not make me a bad person, it doesn't make me less capable and it shouldn't mean that I don't have a voice.

I want to make it clear that yes I do want to lose weight and I have my own reasons for that which I will share with you, but I am not losing weight to become a better person. I'd like to think that I'm already the person I want to be, the parent my children can count on and a friend that people can turn to.

I want to lose weight because I can see that my size is having an impact on my daily life, I get tired and out of breath more easily and I'm less able to run around with my children outdoors. There are also health implications as I have recently been told by my doctor that I am at risk of type two diabetes and it would be beneficial for my health to lose weight. I want to be able to have a better quality of life that includes being active, enjoying days out with my family. I'd also love to be able to have the confidence to dress differently and be more adventurous with my clothes.

 It's important to me that I share my weight loss journey in a healthy way. Not just in a physical sense but also mentally. I have two children at really impressionable ages and I do not want them to see me obsessing over my weight. I will weigh myself once a week and I will show them that I am eating healthy and exercising regularly.

I want them to know that this is me now and I'm not embarrassed or ashamed of my size.

 


Over the next eight weeks, I'll be sharing my weight loss journey as part of the XLS Nutrition #Boostbuddies programme, you can follow my journey on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and I'll also be sharing weekly updates here and on youtube. 


Disclaimer: I have received free product and support from XLS to kickstart my weight loss journey, but am not being paid. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

#wwback2best weeks 3 & 4...

Firstly i'd like to apologise as It's been a really busy few weeks I'm just catching up with updating you about my weight loss journey! After a fairly good start I was a little disappointed at the numbers on the scales these last two Fridays  only 1lb off each time. This will be partly due to  a few indulgences and meals out with wine! At least it's going down , but considering my original rather ambitious target and the amount of weight I actually need to lose it's not looking promising for me to achieve a loss of 2 stone by Christmas...

However I need to be realistic and honest with myself. I need to admit that I am still doing well by continuing to lose each week and by counting my points each day I have seen my diet become much healthier, my portion sizes have reduced significantly and I have cut down a lot on snacking. But it doesn't feel like I've been on a 'diet' for the last month and I think that is partly due to way that the Pro Points plan works...

Rather than cutting out all treats and living on lettuce leaves it's all about balance and knowing that I can have occasional treat as long as I budget for it points wise. The other thing that keeps me going is the yummy recipes in the cook books that I was sent to help me with the challenge. I was sent  Weight Watchers Member's Favourites and Weight Watchers The Complete Kitchen . I was really surprised at the variety of recipes in these books, especially the vegetarian sections and have really enjoyed trying some of them. So I thought I would share one of my favourites with you....

Weight Watchers Spring Vegetable Risotto - I love risotto, it's one of my favourite meals however the way I usually make it isn't exactly low fat, so I was delighted to find this recipe for a version that is just 9 Pro Points per  portion! I have made this a few times and included different vegetables each time dependent on what we had in the fridge, I think my favourite has to be butternut squash and asparagus, yummy!

What you will need...

2 teaspoons low fat spread
1 leek sliced
2 carrots peeled and diced (I like to swap this for 1/2 a butternut sqaush)
400ml vegetable stock
125g dried arborio rice
100ml dry white wine
100g asparagus tips chopped roughly
75g frozen peas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
15g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

What to do...

1 Melt the low fat spread in a large lidded saucepan or frying pan. Add the leek, carrot and two tablespoons of the stock. Cover the pan and cook gently for 5 minutes.
2 Remove the id, stir the rice in with the softened vegetables and cook for 1 minute, stirring, until the rice starts to look translucent.
3 Add the wine to the pan and allow it to bubble until it is absorbed. Place a small lidded saucepan over a low heat, pour in the rest of the stock, cover and keep hot (barely simmering) while  you make the risotto.
4 Add a third of the hot stock  to the rice and vegetables and simmer gently until all the liquid has been absorbed. Repeat this process twice more until the rice is swollen, slightly stick and tender, but still has a bite to it.
5 When the last of the stock has been added, fill the same pan with boiling water and return to the boil. Add the asparagus tips and peas and cook for 3 more minutes until tender. Drain and refresh briefly by running under cold water.
6 Stir the asparagus, peas, basil and Parmesan into the finished risotto and serve in warmed bowls, sprinked with freshly cracked black pepper..

Top tip - I find eating meals like this from bowls rather than large plates can help with portion sizes. 

This recipe was taken from Weight Watchers The Complete Kitchen, published by Simon & Schuster 2012, pg 176

Love is in the air, and in the belly....

It's Valentines day!

Are you in love?

Are you comfortable in your relationship?

Have you put on weight since you were single?

I have to admit I wasn't actually that surprised to hear that 90 per cent of women put on weight when they settle down with a long term partner, with the average female gaining 16 lbs! This has been revealed in a new survey commissioned by weight management company, Lighter Life.

The study showed that a 56 per cent majority started to gain weight four to six months into the relationship; with most citing that this was when they reached the ‘comfy’ period.

I have to admit that in the time I have been in a settled relationship with my husband I have for the main part been heavier than when I was single or 'dating'.

Of the 1000 women surveyed by LighterLife, 35 per cent cited an increase in cosy nights in as a key reason for their weight gain. One in five women said it was because they felt comfortable enough not to worry about their figure, whilst one in ten blamed more calorie-laden romantic dinners in restaurants. 19 per cent said that it was due to matching portion size with their partner.

I can relate to all of these, but like twenty percent of these women, I believe the major factor for me is feeling comfortable in my relationship, after all isn't that one every woman wants? A man who loves them for who they are, not what they look light or what dress size they are? Well, to an extent, yes. But weight gain doesn't just affect your appearance and the size of your clothes. It has an impact on your health too.

 

Of the 90 per cent who said they gained weight after meeting their long-term partner, two thirds put on between one and two stone. A quarter gained less than one stone and a worrying 12 per cent put on over two stone, placing them firmly in the overweight or even obese category.

 “Lighter Life have coined the term “Love Stone”, as something that embodies the extra pounds British women associate with the comfy stage of a relationship.”

And whilst diamonds might be a girl’s best friend, this stone most definitely is not. More than half of the women are still trying to lose the extra weight one year on, whilst 28 per cent have already shed their ‘love stone’. Of this 28 per cent, one in three lost weight to look their best on their wedding day.

Practicing GP and TV personality Dr Hilary Jones says: “There’s nothing wrong with a few treats now and then and it’s important to feel comfortable with your figure whatever size you are, but eating portions that are too large or not healthy will ultimately have an impact in the long term.

“Women need 500 less calories a day than men, but when meals are prepared together it is easy to match the size of the portion. Just a few extra calories a day is enough for weight to creep on over time, as this survey demonstrates.”

The LighterLife programme is designed for people with a stone or more to lose, and combines weekly counselling sessions with nutritionally complete food packs and a management programme to help people maintain a healthy weight after reaching their goal.

LighterLife has recently seen an increase in couples starting the programme, whether to lose weight in the run up to their wedding or simply to support each other in their quest to get healthy.  Realising men and women want different things from their weight loss programme, they offer a specifically tailored ‘man plan’ for men who wish to shake off their excess in an easy and quick way.

So there's some 'food for thought' for you this Valentines day....

If you have any weight loss questions why not join Lighter Life on for their live Twitter chat with Dr Hilary Jones 1-2pm today?