Not long to go.  Presents all purchased and wrapped, just the nice curly ribbon to add (need a hand with that!)

The Christmas decorations are due to go up on Thursday.  My weight loss in the lead up to Christmas is going well.  

The Personal Trainer (Matt) came to visit last Tuesday.  I was all warmed up in the freezing cold garage gym ready to impress him with my progress.  Thankfully the cold weather is an incentive to keep moving when I’m in the home gym.

And impress him I did!  I showed him that I can RUN!  

Ok, ok, I’m holding on for dear life to the bar on my treadmill, but my new HIIT training session now incorporates running for 2 minutes at 5mph!  

I plan to get this exciting event videoed to share with everyone (and to prove it does happen!).

This is interspersed with walking at 3mph.  I love this sort of training, as you know that you’ve only got to “push” yourself for a short space of time, and it’s perfectly achievable.  Slowing down to the walk feels so wonderful after I’ve been running my little cotton socks off.

Best of all, this style of training is designed to prolong calorie burning after the exercise session has been completed.  When I am sat at my computer entering my training results, I am still burning the calories.

Of course, he paid me lots of compliments about my progress, but has set me some new targets to work on before he nest visits in January 2015.

I have continued to use 5:2 fasting in the lead up to Christmas.  I have even gone so far to plan a fast day for Christmas week and another for News Years week.  Uncertain how that will go, but the days are pencilled into my diary, so that’s good for a starter.

Finally, my “Success Story” has been published on the Weight Loss website I have used to help me achieve my new sylph life figure:

http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/v2/article.htm?title=simone-(aka-pineapple27)-success-story&from=lb

Sadly you can only read it by signing up – so maybe now is the time to do something about that expanding waistline….?

I have received so many compliments via the Forum that I have been quite overwhelmed!

Goats Cheese & Butternut Squash Pasta Bake 

Preparation Time:         30 mins

Cooking Time:                30 mins

Serves:                              2

Calories per serving:    389.9

Ingredients

Squash, Butternut, Raw         –       300g

Fusilli                                        –       40g

Onions, Red                             –       100g

Cabbage, Savoy                       –       121g

Asparagus, Trimmed              –       86g

Buffalo Wings Sauce, Franks –       ½ Tbsp/7.5ml

Oil, Sunflower, Flora               –       1 Tbsp/15ml

Oil, Olive, 1 Cal, Spray             –       20 Sprays

Cheese, Goats, Welsh              –       100g

Peel and finely slice onion. Finely slice cabbage. Peel, de-seed and cut butternut squash into 2cm chunks. Cut the asparagus into 2cm lengths.

Method:

Heat oven to 200 degrees. Spray a roasting tin with half of the olive oil spray (10 sprays), add the butternut squash chunks and then spray with the remaining 10 sprays. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes, turning half way through. Once cooked, leave oven on for final stage.

Meanwhile, Place the fusilli into a pan, cover with boiling water, and cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat the Flora oil n a wok. Add the onion and cabbage. Stir fry over a medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the asparagus and continue to cook for a further 10 – 15 minutes until the vegetables are thoroughly cooked and fairly soft.

Once all these various stages are complete, combine all the ingredients, not forgetting the Buffalo Wings Sauce (if you like a little added spice!) and place into an oven proof shallow dice.

Slice the goats cheese and arrange over the top of the pasta mixture. Place the dish into the hot oven, and cook for about 15 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Wowweeee!!!  I have learned all about High-intensity interval training today!

I am not a gym bunny – in fact I haven’t been into a gym ever!  But this is exciting and interesting stuff….

Read on….

Those of you who know me will have been part of my journey from a size 24, 14 stone couch potato (two and a half years ago) to where I am now, a size 16, 9 stone 10lb much more “energetic” person.

My exercise journey started in February 2013 with a free assessment from a personal trainer at the Physio I attend on a regular basis.  I didn’t do any exercise at all then, and because of my disability, was very sedentary.  I kitted out my garage with some bits of equipment (“borrowed” treadmill, wobble board, stepper, elastic resistance bands, floor matting) bought myself a heart rate monitor and began to slowly but surely build up a little exercise regime for myself.

Back in the early days, exercise was really hard work.  I puffed and panted after 5 minutes of slow walking on the treadmill and needed to rest often.  But as time wore on, I worked up the amount of exercise I was doing, the walking speed got quicker and I can now walk for 3 x 15 minutes at a time, 2.7mph (for me, with short legs, that’s power walking speed!)

There is no doubt that my fitness levels have improved and my physical capabilities have grown.  Alongside this, so has my confidence in myself to exercise and move.   This has had a massive impact on many other aspects of my life and I now enjoy some of the physical activities that were previously denied to me.  I now enjoy gardening in the Summer (and lots of leaf raking in the Winter!).

But recently I felt the need to re-energize my exercise routine – which had kind of fallen by the wayside over the Summer, due to the heat and having caring responsibilities.  Having said that, I was spending a lot of time doing things in the garden, many of which I wore my Heart Rate Monitor for.

I booked for a personal trainer to come to visit me today for a 2 hour session.  Two days ago, I went back to the treadmill and garage gym just to reassure myself that I’d not embarrass myself when he came!

He’s just left, and whilst most of the session was me demonstrating my previous warm up and exercise regime and planning the exercise I’ll be building up to before his next visit (in a month) I am totally AMAZED with what I have achieved!

I have always worn an HRM (heart rate monitor), and realised that I was burning a lot of calories during my exercise sessions (about 1,500 in two hours, including 30 mins warm ups) but I do nothing more vigorously than the walking on my treadmill which doesn’t even get me out of breath.  I was keen that he could advise me on just what I should be aiming for in terms of my heart rate.

Apparently, when I am walking at 2.7mph, my heart rate of around 120 – 130 bpm is working at 75% of it’s maximum!  Therefore, as shown by the calorie burn, I am definitely giving myself a good workout.  The other great news is that I shouldn’t need to exercise as long during each session (1.5 hours max) or as often (I was doing 4-5 times a week for 2-2.5 hours).

What I will now be aiming for is so give myself a 2-3  times a week HIIT session (High-intensity interval training) of only 15 minutes.  This is a cardiovascular exercise strategy alternating periods of short intense anaerobic exercise with less-intense recovery periods.  So one minute of walking at 3.7mph which gets my heart working to 95% of it’s capacity.  Now 3.7mph wouldn’t get most peoples heart to that kind of level, but for because of my disability and body shape, the amount of energy I need to put in to moving clearly is over and above that of the “average” person.

So….. less time spent exercising, exercising less times a week – but changing the TYPE of exercise I do, which should all have positive consequences.

Best of all, I feel enthused, motivated and ready to go!  My mojo is back!

My message to anyone starting on their weight loss journey – especially those who have yet to discover the benefits and joys of regular exercise…..  ANYTHING is possible… moving even a little to start with is better than not moving at all.  Time spent exercising can replace the rime spent eating and thinking about food.

It may take time, it most definitely takes effort, but the end result is just so worth it!

Lately, this virtuous girlie has fallen by the wayside a little 

About a year ago, mother in law came to live with us after being diagnosed with a terminal illness.

We didn’t expect her to be living with us for very long, but a year later, she’s still here and shows no signs of leaving anytime soon  BUT, she has in the past four months been diagnosed with vascular dementia and her mental deterioration has been scary and rapid.

A recent infection has also caused a steep decline in health and in memory, function, mobility, etc, etc. It’s making life quite stressful here at home and we have learned to take each day as it comes.

Two and a half weeks ago, my step-dad had a stroke. He and my Mum live locally – about 12 miles away, and my Mum was already struggling a little because he has Alzheimer’s.
Whilst his physical recovery has been pretty good, the stroke and subsequent two week hospital stay did nothing to help his mental state.  He became quite aggressive, confused, argumentative. Didn’t like being in hospital and didn’t understand why he was there. The effect on my Mum (79 years old) hasn’t been good. She has her own health issues, a lot of pain, doesn’t sleep well, etc.

She’s become a bit more forgetful and has been struggling emotionally with my step-dads variable state of mind and plans for his return home. He was discharged yesterday, and things seem to be ok (so far!)

I think I might be forgiven for having put my exercise regime a little to one side…..

So why the reference to walking by the river and sweeping leaves?
We have a lovely garden here and one which we enjoy spending time in, both relaxing and working. We grow a few vegetables and we are both sun worshippers.  Over the summer months and because we’ve been denied a holiday this year, we’ve spent a lot of time outside.

The centrepiece of the garden is an enormous oak tree. It’s beautiful, but this time of year, it’s a full-time job to sweep the leaves that fall from its branches.

With my improved health and mobility, I have been enjoying working in the garden over the Summer. Now the weather is more autumnal, I enjoy going out there with a rake and raking leaves. I love being outside, I love seeing the results of my labour. I wear my HRM and I earn myself exercise calories. It’s nicer than being inside the confines of the garage gym! AND I achieve something, as well as earning calories. I see the bags filled with all those leaves that I have swept. I know that tomorrow, there will be more leaves to sweep, but I don’t mind! That’s my exercise planned for tomorrow (as long as it’s dry!)

Today, I asked hubbie if he’d come down to the river with me and walk. We drove down to the banks of the Thames. I had donned my heart rate monitor and trainers. It was a bright sunny afternoon and the meadow alongside the river was full of people exercising. Men playing football, people walking dogs, people rowing and kayaking down the river, people walking, cycling…..

And me!!! I was walking! I was walking and enjoying it. There were benches dotted along the path, and I was impressing myself by pushing myself to walk past the next bench and to the one that followed. We walked up and back down the river bank, enjoying the sounds of the river, watching the ducks and geese, the dogs chasing balls and sticks.
THIS is what it has all been about and why this journey has so been worth it. It’s not just about the thinner, smaller me who can now buy clothes in “regular” shops. It’s about walking hand in hand with my hubbie along the riverbank. We are taking time out of our caring responsibilities and giving ourselves some “me” time. We are getting fresh air and exercise and I am earning myself some calories.

I am just loving these everyday things that so many people take for granted and which for so many, many years have been denied to me because I had allowed myself to become overweight and unfit.

Well watch this space!  This is just the beginning!!

Griddled cauliflower steaks with olive oil

Griddle tomatoes and chopped garlic

The salsa – chopped cauliflower, black olives, sun dried tomatoes, fresh parsley, olive oil and fresh lemon juice

Continue roasting until brown in the oven

 Calories per serving:  130 

Roasted Carrots with cumin and sesame seeds, topped with crumbled feta cheese

This week, I weighed in at my LOWEST weight yet.  9st 4.4lb!  Amazing given the scoffing I did at the girlies weekend I enjoyed last weekend!  Two fasts sorted out the over-indulgence!

Griddle pan – give vegetables a whole new dimension….

Vegetables have become very much a staple part of my intake each day.  Luckily I love them!  I have started to experiment with different ways of cooking them to change the flavour and texture, and roasting and griddling most definitely are the way to go!  I use a griddle pan like this:  just a tiny amount of oil and on a low heat for about 30 minutes turns courgette, mushrooms, asparagus and many other vegetables into a caramelised mouthful of heaven! 

I have developed a huge love of roasted butternut squash. No need to peel (the skin softens), but cut up into 2cm chunks, take seeds out, spray baking tray with one calorie olive oil spray, add butternut squash BNS, spray again and bake for 30 mins at 200 , turning half way through. 250g of it cooked in this way is only 88 calories! I serve it alongside my meal instead of potatoes/rice/pasta.

In fact, all kinds of veg are delicious roasted… roasting really intensifies the flavours – carrots and parsnips become super sweet and courgette cut into thinnish strips and roasted in the oven caramelises takes on a whole different flavour of its own.

Cauliflower – how’s about pureed cauliflower (in place of potato) or….. (and I keep meaning to try this recipe) – cauliflower steaks? 

http://www.bonappetit.com/reci pe/cauliflower-steaks-with-olive-relish-and-tomato-sauce
or 
http://www.thekitchn.com/recip e-chipotle-lime-grilled-cauliflower-steaks-recipes-from-the- kitchn-204490

(oohhhhh now I’ve looked at those recipes I am even more determined to use one of them!)

Sweet potato – bake it in the oven, leave the skin – it looks a bit yukky but tastes divine….. Serve with a salad! Well, salad makes a nice change to regular “veg”.

Plenty of low calorie vegetables is certainly the way to go for me since I’ve been on 1,100 calories a day – even with the fasting and exercise! 

Convenience foods also play their part in my diet.  Earlier in the week I enjoyed “Creamy Chicken & mushrooms” made from scratch with Philadelphia Stir and Serve Garlic and Herb sauce, served with a big pile of swede (150g) and savoy cabbage(130g)! Whole meal (big plateful, and one whole chicken breast) was just 311 calories!!!

I have been asked many times recently about my success and how I have achieved my loss (now almost 5 stone – 31kg), so I thought I would share!

I’ve used 5:2 fasting as just ONE of the tools to assist me during my journey. Basically for two days a week, I limit my calorie intake to 500 calories. I go from the night before a fast day to dinner time the following day (around 5pm) just drinking fruit tea and water, and then eat one meal that is around 400 calories. This usually involves lots of vegetables and some protein like chicken or fish.

I do ensure that I stick to my allocated weight loss calories for the whole week though, so… 2 x 500 calories on two days and the remaining 6,700 calories distributed amongst the other 5 days. The allocated calories are low as I am close to my goal weight and because I am so short (4ft 9 inches – 145cm).

I also exercise really hard on as many days as I am able to, usually 1.5 to 2.5 hours , and earning between 700 – 1400 calories each time (measured using a heart rate monitor).

I don’t eat meat often, have more or less cut out pasta, bread, rice and replaced with low calorie alternatives (courgette spaghetti, cauliflower rice, crisp breads). When I do eat those things, I only have a small portion (50g dry weight of pasta and rice, 50g of homemade ciabatta bread).

I don’t really eat many sweet treats (but do occasionally!), even after two and a half years of weight loss, I log what I eat every single day and still weigh all my food to enable me to work out how many calories I am consuming. I cook most of my meals from scratch using fresh ingredients and lots of vegetables and search out low calorie recipes which I adapt.

I have more or less given up alcohol…. which as well as being full of calories (half a bottle of red wine = 330 calories), have made eating out a special treat that we enjoy once in a while rather than planning to include indulging in food every time we leave the house.

We rarely have a take-away meal.  I now just see these as far too calorific and usually full of fat or MSGs.

I have devoted a LOT of time to this, more or less made it a part-time job, and spend the best part of most days exercising, planning meals and cooking meals.

Finally, I have just carried on going even when things get tough!  I have been following this way of life for over 130 weeks so my weight loss averages less than half a pound – 225g,

I do hope this helps anyone who struggles! If you look at my weight loss graph, there have been blips along the way, but I just keep on going!!!

So a big part of all this weight loss has to be maintaining, right?  In some ways, losing the weight will probably turn out to be the easy part.

Becoming overweight isn’t something that happens overnight.  It happens over weeks, months, years of bad eating habits.  Now that I have successfully lost 4.5 stone, I can look back and understand why I got to the situation I found myself in almost three years ago.

I am disabled – but that in itself doesn’t give me a reason to be overweight.  It meant that because my mobility is restricted, my walking, my ability to exercise – then I needed to eat less calories (many less calories!) than my two younger, taller, physically fit sisters.  They are both a foot taller than me.  I’m only short because my femurs are shortened.  If I hadn’t been damaged by Thalidomide, there is a good chance I would have been a 5ft 9, long legged fit bird!  By “fit” I mean athletic, rather than attractive…  they are both!

My sisters both lead very “physical” existences, to the point of being a bit excessive.  Not that I knock that, and they’ve even considered if perhaps their wish to participate so fully in everything physical is because of my disability.  We’ll never know.  Anyhow, both aged 48 and 50, they enjoy visiting the gym, cycling a 9 mile round trip to work, water based activities, running, walking, mountain climbing, trekking, etc, etc.  They both enjoy a real physical challenge – there is no doubt about this!

Me and my two “bigger” little sisters, aged in our late twenties.

It may just be the company I keep, but I don’t think many of my friends of similar ages are quite as “sporty”!

Back to me.  At school, I was encouraged to join in all the various sporting activities on offer.  Tennis, rounders, badminton, gymnastics, athletics….  The school I attended cannot be faulted for ensuring that I got to have a go at all of these things and more!  Sadly, my involvement alongside my pals served to make me feel a bit of a physical failure.  I mean, having the high jump bar lowered to about 50cm and being tasked with virtually stepping over the damned thing did little for my self-esteem.  

I was spared having to endure some of the longer distances when it came to running, but I was forced to run the 100m and 200m.  How demeaning.  I’d only just left the starting line whilst my classmates were being cheered over the finishing post!

I did manage to hit the ball once in rounders.  I was so shocked by this event that I forgot what I was supposed to do next!

The poor girl who partnered me for tennis and badminton spent the whole of the hour picking up stray balls and shuttlecocks!

So, I have learned I either have to (1) move a lot more and a lot more regularly and (2) eat less.  Ideally finding a good balance of the two.

Exercise is a bit of an issue for me.  Until two years ago, I believed I really didn’t like exercise!  Now I’ve discovered that I do enjoy exercise, as long as I can do what I want to do and fit it around my life.  A good “workout” leaves me feeling virtuous, alive, in less pain, able to move much more easily – and – best of all, it earns me some calories so that I can enjoy occasional treats and meals out.

I haven’t exercised during the recent hot weather spell we’ve enjoyed, but that ended about two weeks ago.  I now am using the excuse that I have an extremely heavy 11ft long 5 barred wooden gate leaning up against my treadmill and across the centre of my “gym”.  But the guy is coming to instal the gate on Saturday at 8am….

I know it’s just a question of getting back into it again, and I am absolutely sure that I will do.  Far from hating getting out of my bed on dark Winter mornings and spending an hour or two in the cold air of the garage, I enjoy being able to get my day going early and working up a bit of a sweat ahead of my shower.  I especially enjoy my weekend workouts, when my showered is closely followed by a calorific and enjoyable cooked “brunch”.

Well today, I did it! After 2 years and 5 months (130 weeks) I have reached and exceeded
my goal weight of 9 st 7 lbs!

I’ve lost a total of 4 and a half stone (63lbs).

My start weight at the end of February 2012 was 14 stone and I was a size 24.

I am now 9 st 6.6lb and size 16.

I am only 4ft 9!

It’s been hard work, but well worth everything!

To celebrate, I put on a bikini I had bought a couple of months ago, and had some shots taken.  Looking at the picture of me in my bikini, I found I was self-critical of what I saw.  In my head I saw a sleek, slim body.  The picture showed loose skin and wobbly bits.  However, I stuck the picture on FaceBook and shared it with the world, and the more I looked at it (alongside the “before” picture, which was REALLY unflattering) the more I realised just what a remarkable feat I have achieved!  I have shifted the equivalent of 9 newborn babies!!!

I was in Southsea today collecting my Mum from a weeks holiday.  I saw many, many obese people – like myself – enjoying a portion of fish and chips.  However, my fish and chips was a reward for my years of hard work, and was also the first take away fish and chips I’d eaten during my weight loss journey.

They tasted WONDERFUL……

And now the really hard work begins.  Maintaining my new weight.

I plan to try and get to 9 stone and then to maintain my weight between 9 and 9 and a half stone.  It sounds easy, but I am sure it will be a challenge!