Sunday Summary 68

Another week, another Sunday Summary! 

Rosie - This week has been a particularly difficult one in terms of my ability to keep my level of exercise up and eat healthily. I've been on a course during the day and then in the evening there's been several hours of coursework so although I managed three morning runs I didn't manage to do my exercise DVD or get on the bike at all.  I normally eat my cereal at my desk in the morning so not being at work has meant I've plumped for hot chocolates or Diet Cokes in the morning to stave off hunger rather than my usual bowl of granola - not good! I've managed to increase the distance I run however and all in all I've had a fairly healthy week so I've still managed to lose a lb which I'm pleased about.  I'm off to a festival on Thursday so planning a few good healthy days with lots of exercise before then.

Sarah -  I've really gotten into the swing of Slim-Fast and am actually enjoying it! Now that my body has adjusted to the lower calorie in take I do not feel hungry at all.  I find it really easy to stick to the plan during the week but the weekends are where I usually struggle so I am using myfitnesspal in conjunction to keep track of my calories if I do go a little off plan.  Thankfully this has worked for me and I have lost 2lbs this week.  I am really happy with this as I usually struggle to lose more than a pound a week.

Gemma - Is at Reading festival this weekend.

Lauren - I finally managed to get a gym membership sorted out this week and it has been my saving grace as I've managed to lose 1lb despite eating rubbish all week! I've been really struggling to get my head into the healthy eating game over the last couple of weeks - I think hormones and high-stress levels are the culprit - so thats my focus this week. My best friend is home from Australia for a week and there will be lots of eating out and boozing so I'm going to make healthy choices where I can and try to squeeze in a few runs as I won't be able to get to the gym. Hopefully I won't do too much damage and will be able to start September in a better frame of mind where eating is concerned!

How has your week been? How do you cope with a change of routine? Any tips gratefully received!

Slim-Fast 3 2 1 Plan - An Overview

The basics of the Slim-Fast 3 2 1 plan are simple - you have three snacks, two meal replacements and one 600 calorie balanced meal a day.  Sounds simple enough!

The ready made shakes are my favourite, especially the banana

I start the day with a Slim-Fast shake, have a mid-morning packet of one of the Slim-Fast savoury snacks, have a Slim-Fast Meal bar for lunch, a chocolately Slim-Fast treat mid afternoon which sees me through to the meal I look forward to the most, the 600 calorie dinner.  After this I have another Slim-Fast snack and the day is done.  My approx. calorie intake a day is 1325.

The Slim-Fast mixer makes sure you don't get bits of unmixed bits of powder in your shake!

Slim-Fast is a relatively cheap diet to follow, all products are currently on a 3 for 2 offer in Sainsbury's so one shake, one meal bar and three snacks works out to under £3 a day.  I know I was easily spending more than £3 a day on just lunch alone!

The Chocolate Peanut are my favourite of the meal bars, they are like a filling cereal bar

You don't need to buy the snack bars, you can replace them with fruit or even another snack as long as it is under 95 calories.  They are not nutritionally balanced and really are just to help you stay on track.  Personally I really like the Slim-Fast treats and would buy the chocolatey ones even if I wasn't on a diet.  Especially the Chocolate Caramel Treat, it's heavenly!!

 Slim-Fast snacks are all 95 Calories

These Slim-Fast snack bars are so good! They are unlike any diet snack bars I have had before, they do not taste at all artificial or have any strange sweetener aftertaste. YUM!

The first few days were hard.  Adjusting to a lower calorie intake is always a struggle but it was especially hard this time round as I had just come back from holiday where I had definitely over indulged.  I am really enjoying having the milkshakes for breakfast.  Breakfast is one of those meals I tend to skip if I don't have something to hand and the ready mixed shakes are perfect to take to work and drink at my desk.  The snacks don't feel at all like diet food (except maybe for the portion size but I really need to get used to controlled portions anyway!) and I like having a meal bar at lunch time as it gives me something to chew.  I think I would quickly get fed up if I was just drinking my calories each day.  

I really, really look forward to the evening meals and have been trying to make my plate as full as I possibly can with my 600 calorie allowance.  It goes further than you may think and just the thought of it keeps me motivated throughout the day.  It really does suit me to have the freedom to be flexible with my evening meal and helps keep me on track.  And I have just realised that most of Wagamama's main dishes are under 600 calories.  Helloooo!! I know where I am eating out from now on ;)

I have been following the plan for 8 days now (and I am counting my 600 calories to the exact calorie!) and have lost 3lbs so far.

Have you tried the Slim-Fast plan before? How did you get on with it?

You can find more information on the Slim-Fast plan along with meal suggestions, a community forum and some fascinating Slim-Fast stats at www.slimfast.co.uk

**Slim-Fast have sent me a months worth of product to trial but all views are my own

Sunday Summary 67

We have been overwhelmed by both the sheer amount of applications for our final WAMK team member, as well as the amazing and inspiring stories you've shared with us in your entries.  It really is going to be an incredibly difficult task to narrow it down. We just wanted to let you know that the closing date for entries will be this Monday (20th).  It'll take us a little while to sort through your applications but we promise we'll share the news with you as soon as possible!

Rosie - A very lovely blogger got in contact with me recently on Twitter when I was feeling a bit disillusioned with having not lost as much weight as I'd hoped through the exercise that I'd been doing.  Her boyfriend is a personal trainer and has been helping me with my diet and fitness goals which is absolutely amazing.  I'm going to be blogging some of the tips and tools I've picked up this week.  My objectives this week were to do four morning cardio sessions, four evening cardio sessions and start cutting out all the naughty, sugary food from my diet.  I managed to go running four times, and also did some sessions on my exercise bike and with my new DVD (which I'll be reviewing here shortly) so I feel really good about the work I've put in this week.  Birthday celebrations have also rolled into this week, meaning a meal out at Pizza Express last Saturday and a dinner out on Thursday so keeping my healthy eating up has been trickier.  I've lost a lb this week; I thought I'd have lost more but it's really just the beginning of my new exercise regime so I'm trying not to feel too disheartened.

Gemma - I had such a good start to the week with a 1.5lb weight loss on Tuesday but I'm afraid I'm away with the girls in Torquay this weekend which means pub lunches, fish and chips and lots of wine. I'm going to try and have a great few days before I go to Reading Festival on Thursday but when I'm there I'm not really going to worry about my diet. I've packed plenty of Weight Watcher cereal bars in my rucksack and I've got some dried fruit and nuts but it is going to be very hard to track everything I eat. I'm going to take my own advice from the Festival Survival Guide post that I wrote last year and will try and stick to healthy and filling food and opting for spirits and mixers instead of beer. My weight loss is really slowing down at the moment which is becoming an issue but I'm 3 stone lighter than I was this time last year and 6 stone lighter than I was at Reading Festival two years ago so I'm trying to be positive.

Lauren - I gained 1.2lbs this week, which needless to say I'm not thrilled about. I put it down to a booze and BBQ filled weekend last week and the fact that the dreaded 'time of the month' is looming. Fortunately I haven't got any big social events lined up this week so I can focus on eating healthily and sticking to my points. I'm also hoping to get a gym membership sorted out some time this week. The gym is right next to the train station so I can go either before or after work and I'm hoping to fit in at least 4 workouts a week, which is the same as what I was doing at uni at the peak of my weight loss. I know that at this stage in the game the weight isn't going to come off quite as quickly, but like Gemma I'm focusing on the positives - I've suffered through the last few summers covering myself up and looking forward to winter when I could hide under layers, whereas this year I'm enjoying being able to wear dinky summer dresses and shorts. Hopefully this time next week I'll have some better news to report! :)

Sarah - I managed to lose 1lb this week which I am actually okay with.  I had a team building day on Thursday which ended with a curry and beers and unfortunately put pay to any further loses.  This week is a clear week though so I am going to go for it!  I really enjoyed following the Slim-Fast this last week, the shakes are tasty and I enjoy both the meal bars and the snacks.  The highlight is definitely the 600 calorie evening meal which goes really far is you choose wisely.  I've just had oven cooked battered cod, chips and mushy peas which felt really naughty.  Those 600 calories are my favourite of the day.  I've also discovered that most of my favourite meals at Wagamama's are under 600 caloriesm so I know where I will be heading even more to eat out. YUM!

How has your week been? Make sure you let us know how you've been getting on.

Guest Post - Lori from Miss Lori Loves

This weeks guest post is brought to you by Lori from Miss Lori Loves.

I've always struggled a little bit with my weight, when I was in school and a lot younger although I wasn't what you would call fat I wasn't slim either. I was always the chubbiest one of my friends even though I didn't overeat or have too many sweets etc, quite the opposite I was always a really healthy eater but I wasn't into sports so I think that avoiding PE was my downfall. 

The same goes for nowadays, I still eat quite healthily although I'd say now portion control is not one of my strong points which meant that I've always remained a little on the chubby side as an adult. 

I'm by no means huge however I am a very petite person, I'm 5'2 in height so any extra weight really shows up on me and makes me feel absolutely massive. Clothes wise, I normally wear a size 10 however I'd say that this is mostly down to my height as usually anything above a this size drowns me in the arms or legs or is too tall in the torso. Recently I’ve been feeling my jeans can be a little tight so I’ve wanted to lose some weight and tone up more so I can comfortably fit into my clothes. 

I’d like to lose 10-14lbs roughly which would put me around the 9 stone mark which for my height would be my ideal weight.  I’ve lost around 6lbs in the past few weeks and I’d like to share with you a product which I’ve felt has helped me more than any others in the past. 

Skinny Sprinkles Appetite Control and Energy Drink is a new type of weight loss supplement. They are different to a lot of weight loss drink aids as they are a supplement rather than a meal replacement. These are taken 3 times a day in the place of a snack 15 min before a meal to help you feel fuller for longer and therefore less likely to have the urge to snack. They are a little sachet of strawberry flavoured powder which is mixed with water to make a smoothie type drink. The taste isn’t unpleasant but it isn’t delightful either however strangely enough I was craving the taste of these after a few days.  They work because the active ingredient Glucomannan is a special type of dietary fibre (which is scientifically-proven by the EFSA to aid weight loss reduction as part of a calorie controlled diet.) this slowly thickens when added to water. 

When you have a drink you don't feel full afterwards but if you have a meal you do – yes we all know this! The reason why is down to what is called 'gastric emptying'. When you have consumed a meal your stomach knows you have eaten and the 'trap door' between the stomach and intestine closes so that the stomach can digest the food. When you consume a drink the stomach does not need to digest the drink so the trap door does not close. That is why drinking water for example does not make you feel full. Because Skinny Sprinkles thickens into a gel like consistency in your stomach, the stomach responds to it like it would to food and delays gastric emptying – giving a feeling of fullness.

Skinny Sprinkles  also contains guarana and caffeine which is great for a little energy boost, although the caffeine content is minimal so won’t leave you with the shakes and insomnia like some weight loss supplements have, just enough for a pre workout boost. 

The packaging is also gorgeous and really discreet to pop in your handbag and not embarrassing like some weight loss products look. I take these to work with me and people are always asking what they are because they could be anything, at first look I wouldn’t have thought they were a weight loss drink.

The photos I’m sharing in this post is after 6 days of taking Skinny Sprinkles, I had to have ear surgery last week so I’ve had to stop my diet and exercise regime at the moment but as soon as I’m back on the mend I’ll definitely be using Skinny Sprinkles again to help me shift any lbs I’ve put on from being stuck in bed.

I’ve lost around 6lbs since I started and feel much less bloated which I think is amazing as I’ve tried loads of other diet supplements with varied degrees of success but this has been by far the best for me. I was really surprised how full I felt and how little of my normal (probably huge) portions I was eating and I’ve not been reaching for my mid-morning or afternoon snacks like I usually would. I think that even after taking these for a few weeks and stopping the snacking habit has been broken for me which is great as these “little snacks” probably were adding large inches to my waistline.

You can buy these in packs of 21 which should last 1 week from the Skinny Sprinkles website. They come in a great “letterbox friendly” pack so you don’t have to collect them from the post office if you aren’t home for delivery.  

For more information about ingredients and how they work please see Skinny Sprinkles website. 

Remember: Drinking these alone will not make you super skinny overnight these are to aid weight loss alongside a balanced diet and exercise, which is the only real way to lose weight healthily and keep it off.