Sunday Summary - Week 52

One whole year of Sunday Summaries complete!  This week we thought we would do something slightly different and update you on our ups and downs of the year and of course our progress.

Sarah - This year has seen me start with making healthy choices and realise that it is harder than it seems and that a structured weight loss plan is much easier to stick to. I joined Slimming World, left Slimming World for Weight Watchers and finally trialed Jenny Craig before returning to Weight Watchers.  My total weight lost stands at 27lbs and a whopping 22.5" - 6.5" of which has come off my hips alone!  The before picture is from my first post where I am wearing a size 14 dress and the after picture was taken today wearing a size 10 dress and bags of confidence!

It has been anything but easy, I am roughly back where I was at the end of October but I guess getting married, going on honeymoon followed by Christmas & New Year is enough to throw anyone off track.  I have learnt that any plan will work as long as you stick to it - it is honestly just about choosing a plan that you can stick to.  When I could no longer find the motivation to stick to Slimming World I switched and haven't looked back.  I was criticised by my old leader for my decision but this is my weight loss journey and I need to do what is best for me. Weight Watchers has made me enjoy food again and taught me the benefits of portion control which will help so much when I reach my goal.  I have begun an exercise regime I intend to stick to, it is hard fitting it around everything else in my life but it is worth it. After only two weeks I can already feel my body getting stronger which is a great feeling.

My goal for this year is to get to my first target weight (13lbs to go!) and then to set my final target.  I will not give up on the exercise, I will get the body and fitness I want this year and then I will work hard to maintain it, I can do this!


Gemma - This year has completely changed my life. I've lost 5 stone 3.5lbs, dropped from a size 22 to a 14/16 and gained so much confidence. I had already lost about half a stone through Weight Watchers before we started Where Are My Knees but I have lost 1.2lbs a week on average for over a year. The first photo is the one I used in my first post on here and the second is a photo I took last week.

Before I started my weight loss programme I was a bit of a recluse, I would make excuses not to go out and I always felt like the odd one out. I now really enjoy going out socially and get excited about what to wear on the weekend. In 2012 I've noticed a big change in my size and inches have been dropping off quickly. I can now buy clothes that I really like from any shop rather than buying the only thing that fits.

The Weight Watchers plan has really worked for me, I get a daily allowance and a weekly allowance (which I usually blow on the weekends) no food is off limits as long as I count it and I find it really easy to follow.
Keeping a food diary and weighing all my food may seem excessive but this amount of control has really helped me to change my eating habits. I get a lot of support from my leader Pat and all the lovely members at my class. It sounds a bit silly but the highlight for me has been buying a size 14 dress in Primark last week, not been able to do that since I was 15.

I don't really have a goal weight but I think I would like to lose about 7 stone in total and be 12/14. I know Weight Watchers will always have to be a part of my life and when I reach a weight I am happy with I will still go to class as a Gold member to maintain my weight.

Just want to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported me on here and on twitter, couldn't have done it without you!



Sarah V - I'm actually weighing in at about 5lbs more than when I started Where Are My Knees. But despite that, I've learnt a lot in the last year. The biggest thing for me that I've noticed is that I make SO many excuses! It's really made me address my eating habits and exercise habits (or lack thereof). I'm planning to give my routine a shake-up this year. I've been doing the same diet plan on and off for too long and I find that I bend (and break) the rules far too often, so I'm going to try something new. And I have really noticed a difference since getting closer to 30 - it's getting so much harder to lose weight. I'm going to re-focus on exercise and really try and get back into all those good habits that I've lost.

I've realised that when I'm dieting I get obsessive about being good, but when I'm not dieting I turn into something of a competitive eater. I really need to learn to find a balance between the two, because this way isn't really healthy. My goal for this year is the same as last - to lose 2 stone - but mostly it is to get back into good habits and conquer my issues with food.

Charlene - Writing this has made me realise that I haven't done amazingly with my weight loss. I've had ups and downs, and as it stands I've lost 8lbs from my starting weight. 8lbs over a year is nothing when you compare it to what the other girls have done, but if I'm honest I've gained a lot more body confidence lately which I am more than pleased with. I don't have a lot of weight to lose anyway (my goal has always been to tone up and have a flatter tummy rather than lose a lot of weight) but I've been working on how I feel about my body and I've accepted I'm always going to have curves and a wobbly bum and you know what? I'm happy with that. Moving on into 2012 I'd still like to lose a few lbs, get fit, tone up and eat a healthier diet but most importantly I want to feel good about myself.


Lucy - Will be updated soon!


So this sums up our journey over the last year, if you would like to be included in our pledgers round up post this week please tweet us your summary for inclusion.

my thoughts on jenny craig

It's been just over a month since I finished my 1 month trial of the Jenny Craig diet programme. I posted about it previously (you can read the posts here) but basically, I got sent 1 month worth of Jenny Craig food to trial - including all breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks in the hopes to lose some weight.

I have a bit of a mixed opinion of the diet plan, lots of positives, but a few negatives too.

At first, I was loving the food. Most of the meals were really nice, particularly the lunches which included soups and little pots of mashed potato - total comfort food! The dinners weren't so good though, and probably the one thing that I didn't like about the diet was the fact that for the full month I trialed it, I only had a selection of 7 different main meals. This meant that I was eating the same foods every week. It quickly got boring and I found myself dreading dinner, hating the taste of foods that I once liked because I was sick of eating the same thing. I am vegetarian though, and a few other bloggers who have sampled the diet seemed to get a larger selection of meals - one getting a different main meal every day of their 2 week trial so maybe it's only the vegetarian options which are limited.

I did learn some great eating habits though. Jenny Craig made me realise that I definitely wasn't eating enough (any?) fruit and having to bulk my meals up with fresh veg made me fall in love with vegetables again. There's nothing better than a big bowl of your favourite vegetables, mmm.

Eating 3 meals per day, and snacks in-between, kept me from snacking on unhealthy foods, just as long as I had the healthy snacks that I was allowed by my side. I found that some days I wasn't actually needing to eat my snacks either because I just wasn't hungry. I learned that portion control was my main problem, and the portions from Jenny Craig were smaller than those I'd usually cook myself although they still filled me up.

I lost 6lbs in total over the month. For the girl who finds it extremely difficult to lose weight, even with a healthy diet, this was a great result. I lost a total of 4 inches across my body too and I felt a lot healthier, if that makes sense, and not bloated either.

I left it so long to post this review because I wanted to see how my new found eating habits would survive after the Jenny Craig food ran out. Although I haven't strictly been sticking to the meal pattern (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack) I've lost a further 2lbs and continue to eat lots of fresh fruit and veg. Although I found the meals boring after a while, I did find it much easier sticking to a healthy diet when I had the task of picking what to eat done for me.

Overall I did enjoy most of my experience with the Jenny Craig trial, I just wish there were more choices for vegetarian food. If you're interested in trying out Jenny Craig they currently have a special offer on where you can get a 50% discount on a two week programme, which works out at just £38.50 a week/£5.50 a day for all your food and consultations which is an absolute bargain as I spend that on lunch alone some days!

Sunday Summary #45

Another week done! How was yours?

Gemma - After the disaster of last week I lost 3.5 lbs this week taking me to -4.5 stone all together. I had another big night out this weekend and I didn't even bother to count points after my 4th large glass of wine. I had veggie burger and chips the next day to cure my hangover and a wispa gold. I've got two days to turn it around before my weigh in on Tuesday. I'm really enjoying all my new found confidence and enjoy wearing all my new dresses but I'm trying not to slip back in to old habits and undo all my progress so far. Why is weight so hard to lose but so easy to put back on?

Charlene - I've finished the Jenny Craig diet and lost a total of 4 inches and 6lbs throughout the 28 day trial. I've got mixed feelings about the diet, but I'm posting an in-depth review later this week so I'll save my thoughts until then. It's back to eating my own foods now, and it'll be hard not indulging in things I've missed. I'm going to try and stick to the eating pattern and bulk up on vegetables like Jenny Craig taught me, so here's hoping for more losses...

Sarah -  WW got so much easier for me after the first few days, a couple of the days I didn't even want all of my daily points.  I am eating loads of fruit and veg, wholegrains and lean protein but getting the sweet treats that I crave at the same time and life is good!! I still weigh in on a Thursday and lost 2lbs in my first week.  I still had 30 weekly points left last week and was hoping to better that this week but after visiting the chip shop on Friday (250g chips - 16 pro points) and a trip to Nandos on Saturday I have already munched my way thru 30 of my weekly points.  Ooops.

Sarah V is in the wilds of Scotland this weekend, trying to stay away from fried breakfasts!

Baking Mad Monday - Banoffee Layer

It's Charlene's turn to take part in the Baking Mad low calorie baking challenge this week!



As with the rest of the girls, Baking Mad sent me most of the ingredients, and all I had to add were bananas, dates, low fat spread, lemon juice and crème fraiche.

I was impressed with how quick this was to make - it was ready within 15 minutes, most of that time was spent poking at the dates and trying to get them to turn to 'toffee' as the recipe suggests. I'm not a fan of dates, but the addition of a little bit of sugar made them almost like toffee and a small amount in the layered dessert was a nice addition!



INGREDIENTS:
4 low fat oatcakes
3 tsp half spoon granulated sugar (silver spoon)
1 tbsp low fat spread, melted
75 grams pitted dates
2 bananas
Lemon juice
2 tbsp crème fraîche low fat
1 dark chocolate square

DIRECTIONS:
001. Place the oatcakes in a food processor and process until the become crumbs. You could also put the biscuits into plastic bags and beat with a rolling pin.

002. Mix the crumbs, 2 tsp sugar and melted low fat spread.

003. Place the dates, remaining sugar and 4 tbsp water in a small pan and heat gently until the dates have become soft. Beat the mixture so it resembles toffee.

004. Slice the banana and toss in the lemon juice to avoid browning.

005. Spoon half the biscuits crumb in the bottom of two glasses. Top with sliced banana then the date puree followed by crème frachie. Repeat the layers until all the ingredients have been used finished with a dollop of crème fraiche and banana.

006. Grate the chocolate over the cream and serve immediately.



Mmmm, it felt really indulgent eating these, and it was guilt free knowing that there was no fatty cream, biscuit base or sugary toffee to sabotage my diet! I will definitely be making these again, and also trying them with different fruits. They look great too, so would be a perfect way to impress if you're having friends over for dinner!

Sunday Summary #44

Another week already, phew! How are you all getting on with your goals? We'd love to hear!

Gemma - Bit of a disaster this week, I put 1lb on when I weighed in class on Tuesday. I had a bad weekend before and I couldn't reverse the damage in one day. I have weighed at home this morning and I have lost this lb and a little more so I'm not too disappointed. I have stayed within my points this week but I have used a lot of them for coffees and treats rather than food and this is not a trend I want to see continue. I will put it down to the cold weather this week and try and snack on more healthy food next week and have more filling meals.

Charlene - Feeling really un-motivated with my Jenny Craig diet now, I'm almost finished though. I'm trying hard to stick to it but I'm getting bored of the same foods. I spoke to someone else who is doing the diet and they've got a different food for every day of their 2 week trial, whereas I only have 7 different main meals so it's the same things every week. I upped my hours at work so I'm now doing 12hr shifts and having to take breakfast, lunch AND dinner into work with me. Does anyone have any healthy ideas except from soup? I have access to a microwave.

Sarah V - I lost 1.5lbs at weigh-in this week, but have seriously fallen off the wagon since then. A combination of celebrating my best friend's engagement and a ridiculously busy and stressful week at work has lured me off the healthy path and towards alcohol and naughty food! I'm going to try and get back on it this week, although like Charlene I am struggling with Jenny Craig, it's only Week 2 but I'm getting bored already! Just got to try and stick to it, I guess!

Lucy - Had a bit of a nightmare this week, if you read my blog or Twitter you'll know I'm in London for two weeks. My accommodation didn't work out as planned so I am now in a house-share with at least five other people and the kitchen is disgusting and the fridge is mouldy, thus meaning I don't want to buy things that need refrigerating or use many pots and pans, so I am having to spend a small fortune on meals for one every night. Certainly not the most ideal of situations but not a lot can be done unfortunately. I am starting my Maxitone diet not this week but next, so hopefully we'll start to get back on track then!

Sarah - I have been struggling to get back on track since the honeymoon :( I am just not in the right place at the moment for Slimming World.  I love the diet and I know it works but you have to want that more than you want cake and at this moment in time cake is winning hands down each time... So, I still want to lose weight (23lbs or so more please) so I have decided to give Weight Watchers a go for a month or so and see how I get on with it.  I have joined Weight Watchers online via Quidco (thanks to Mrs Sock!) and will get £30 cash back meaning 3 months membership will only cost me £2.85, a bargain hey!  If any of you are thinking of doing the same thing let me know and I will send you a referral email :)  I am now on day 4 of WW and am constantly hungry even though I am eating loads of fruit and veg and am hoping that my body gets used to 26 points worth of food quickly!

A Day in the Life of Jenny Craig - Vegetarian #1

A lot of people have been saying that the thing they'd like to know most about the Jenny Craig diet is whether or not the food tastes nice, so I thought I'd do a couple of posts sharing what I'd eat on a typical day and let you know what I think of some of the dishes.



Here's my food for today. I've got Jenny Craig packaged food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I then have 3 other snacks throughout the day which I've chosen as a pear, a yoghurt and one of the Jenny Craig cereal bars. It doesn't look like much on it's own, but lunch is bulked up with at least 1 cup of salad, and dinner is bulked up with at least 1 cup of veg. Lunch and dinner both have additional nutrients that I need to add (eg 1 protein, 1 starch or 1 fat).

TODAYS MENU

Breakfast:
Chocolate coated wheat flakes
1/2 cup of milk, 1 banana.

Snack: 1 low fat yoghurt

Lunch:
Noodles in sweet & sour sauce
Salad, min 1 cup
Add 2 protein (I chose 1 slice of quorn bacon & 1/4 cup cheese for my salad)
* Also used 1 "limited" portion which was 1tsp of chilli sauce in my salad

Snack: 1/2 cup milk, 1 pear

Dinner:
Thai vegetable curry with rice
Add 1 protein (I chose my 1 left over slice of quorn bacon)
Cooked veg, min 1 cup (random mix of my favourites!)

Snack - Jenny Craig cereal bar.





So far the food has mostly been good. I'd say that I don't get that excited over the dinner meals to be honest. None of those have really wow-ed me. I had pearl barley and asparagus risotto for dinner last night and couldn't eat it because it tasted quite meaty, even though there was no meat in it. I know that's a bit of an odd description but it just didn't taste right and was a bit mushy and bland. Apart from that (and a mushroom stroganoff - but I don't like stroganoff anyway), I've enjoyed everything I've ate so far. I enjoy having my veg as a 'starter' and then having my dinner separately as a 'main' course!

I really love the lunches in particular - the soups are brilliant (and filling!) and there's a little pot of mashed potato with croutons and rosemary that is so stodgy and satisfying and feels like such a treat! The pasta pots do taste a bit pre-packed but are still nice. The sweet and sour noodles I had today had an amazing chilli kick to them and were packed full of flavour!

I feel like I'm eating constantly, and I'm definitely eating more often than before however I've noticed that I do get hungry at meal times whereas before the diet I was snacking, on unhealthy foods, so often that I wasn't hungry at mealtime. I definitely think this is something to do with correct portion sizes. I've been getting really bad chocolate/sugar cravings at night because that's when I'd usually sit down and snack, so I've decided to swap my after lunch snack (chocolate biscuit, cereal bar or potato bites/crisps) with my after dinner snack (fruit or a yoghurt) which has really helped.

I've stuck to the diet religiously and I haven't eaten anything from the "limited" foods (I can eat up to 3 portions of these a day if I want) apart from 1tsp of chilli sauce in my salads so I'm crossing my fingers for a loss when I weigh myself on Sunday!

If you have any questions, or anything you'd like me to cover in a post let me know!

The Jenny Craig programme explained

I think one of the things I struggle with the most when sticking to a diet is the fact that it's not me who decides what we eat at home and it's not me who does the food shopping either, so I don't have complete control over what I eat and how healthy (or not) it is. Being on a diet plan is something I've thought about for a while. I think it would make me feel more in control of what I was eating, which would be a big help.

When Jenny Craig contacted me asking if I would like to try their programme for a month I said yes! Jenny Craig was founded in 1983 and upon doing my research I've found a lot of positive weightloss stories. They don't just send you the food required for the diet but they guide, support and motivate you throughout the programme in the form of weekly phone call consultations with your own personal consultant.

Sounds good so far, right? Not only that but their food looks tasty (see some of their dishes for yourself here) and they even have menus to cater for vegetarian, vegan and kosher diets. I must admit, I'm a bit sceptical about how such 'normal' dishes (pasta, cheese, and there's even chocolate) opposed to 'rabbit food' will help me lose weight but a chat with the Jenny Craig team has taught me about portion sizes and the amount of faith they have in the programme has almost reassured me that it will work for me!





I received my delivery of food for the month this morning and my first thought was that everything looked quite clinical and ready meal like but on closer inspection I do actually like the sound of the meals. Each morning I start off with a cereal or porridge, followed by a snack (eg. fruit or yoghurt), lunch is a selection of yummy sounding soups or noodle dishes. I then get yet another snack which I can pick from potato bites (crisps!), chocolate biscuit bars or a cereal bar. Dinner comes next and there are 7 different meals available including pastas, thai curry and risotto and I get another snack (again, fruit or yoghurt are recommended) before bed. All of the food can either be microwaved or cooked on the hob and is really quick to make.

It seems like such a lot of food but the portions look smaller than what I'm used to so I'm feeling positive so far. I've just ate lunch (pot of noodles [which turned out to be pasta!] in a cream sauce with salad) and has filled me right up! The good news is that non-starchy vegetables (brocolli, courgette, salad and my favourite.. mushrooms!) are all free foods which I can add to my meals to bulk them up.



I didn't get a clear photo of my whole menu, but here's a snippet of what this weeks menu looks like. As you can see there are extra foods to add on to lunch and dinner which are simply labelled as '1 protein, 1 fat' which gives you some freedom to pick and choose. The shopping list of things I need to buy is minimal, only including items like salad, fresh fruit and veg, yoghurts, cheese (yes, really!) and bread.

So... here goes! Wish me luck! I'm hoping to lose a healthy 1-2lbs per week and kickstart my weightloss for 2012! I plan on doing a few more posts on my progress throughout the month - please let me know if there's anything in particular you want to know!

* Jenny Craig has provided me with a free 1 month trial however all opinions about my experience with the programme are my own and are completely honest.

New year, new resolutions

With the 1st of January fast approaching, the majority of us will be thinking up a new set of New Year Resolutions to stick to throughout the coming year and I don't think I'm wrong when I say that the majority of us will be setting a goal to lose some weight! It might only be the couple of lbs you've gained throughout the festive period, it might be more, or you might just want to be more healthy, exercise more and become fitter. We're all in the same boat.

It takes a lot of hard work and motivation to stick to your goal and lose weight so we'd love to hear what your goals are, and how you plan to stick to them. Here's our own goals to start off...

Charlene - I'll admit that I've been a complete failure when it comes to losing weight this past year and I've definitely put some on. I think I need routine, in the form of planned meals or a set diet, to make this work. Living at home with parents and not being the one doing the weekly food shop is difficult. I also need to rejoin the gym and I'm going to keep a diary of food, exercise and inch/weight loss. The thing I struggle most with is my sweet tooth so I need to think of ideas to keep that satisfied in the healthiest possible way and the other biggie is that I also need to learn to say NO to the free takeaways, cakes and sweets at work every day.

Sarah - I am really pleased with my progress in 2011.  I felt like a million dollars on my wedding day and that was my main aim.  I have since had five weeks off, a week in the run up to the wedding, two weeks on honeymoon, a crazy week of work followed by Christmas and now New Year.  I have gained 7.5lbs of the 25lbs I managed to lose but I am fine with this... you only get married once after all!! My goal for 2012 is to get back on plan and lose about a stone and a half.  I need to stick to Slimming World 100% and wear my hotpants more often!  I think I will be happy when I get to my current goal weight but can always lower it if not.  I am still mostly fitting into a size 10 so it's just a case of feeling as good when not wearing ultra flattering clothes.  I have also done something I swore I would never do again and joined a gym! 2012 will be the year that I not only get to target but also get fit in the progress.

Sarah V - I charted a graph of my weight losses and gains this year and it looks like a heart rate monitor - up and down, up and down! I've fluctuated a lot and am currently the exact same weight now as I was when we started this blog, which is frustrating as I made such a good start in the Spring and lost nearly a stone. I make way too many excuses and allow myself to be swayed by holidays, special occasions, parties and friends and that's why I haven't been able to stick to a diet for more than a few weeks at a time. I have a big birthday in July and my goal is to feel good about my body by the time I get to that landmark age. So overall I resolve to conquer some of my food issues and get to a point where I am eating healthily, but not obsessing and overeating the moment I'm 'off-diet'. So rather than fixating on weight loss, I am going to focus on living healthily instead.

Lucy - so, hello. It's been a while. I think I've been avoiding reality since I returned from Australia, ignoring the fact that I've been eating everything in sight and not wanting to do anything about it. I really need to have a sit down and think about what I'm going to do for 2012, I need to stop saying I'll do things and then just... not follow them through. I'm miserable and I'm fed up, not just with my weight but with my life in general at the minute; I 100% know that if I even just lost a stone I would be so much happier within myself but it's just making myself start. I need to have some willpower, I need to discipline myself and I need to learn to say no. Things have got to change.

Gem -I'm really happy with my 2011 weight loss and want to continue this in 2012. I lost over 4 stone this year but after three weeks of indulgence over the festive period I have put about 5-6lbs back on. My first aim is to shed all the Christmas weight by following the Weight Watcher plan perfectly and keeping an accurate food diary and weighing all my food. I want to lose at least another 20lbs this year to reach my ideal size and then maintain the weight with a mixture of Weight Watchers and exercise. As Christmas shows, I can't maintain weight loss on my own and go off the rails if I don't regularly weigh in. I hope to become a 'Gold Member' of Weight Watchers and successfully keep the weight off, wish me luck!

Let us know what yours are!

Sunday Summary #33

Hey guys it's been a very busy week here at Where Are My Knees?

Gemma- This week has been a total diet disaster! Non stop eating cakes, pizza and M&S sandwiches on the go. I couldn't go to weigh in on Friday because I was in London to see Britney but I weighed at home this morning and I think I have put about 2lbs on.(Could also be the 'time of the month') I have until Friday to get it all back off, I've not put anything on at a weigh in since I started my diet and I wont let this week be the first time it happens. I have a few mornings off so I need to hit the gym or set up my cross trainer in the garage. I will be happy with 0.5lb loss this week and then I want a steady loss of 1.5-2 per week leading up to Christmas.

Charlene - I'm too scared to step on the scales but I think I've put weight on over the past two weeks. :( Eating out at a restaurant or bar every night is taking it's toll and the only healthy option for a vegetarian is a caesar salad minus the chicken (basically not very exciting, or very filling) gets boring after 2 nights. I only managed to go to the gym once last week because of horrid shifts but here's hoping I can go every day this week! I'd be happy to just remain the same weight at this point in time rather than continue to gain!

Sarah V - I'm actually stunned, after a week away eating whatever I liked, I somehow lost 1lb! It's been a mad week and I've been a bit off colour so I haven't really been thinking of dieting much, so I'm a bit dubious about what the scales will say on Tuesday. But I'm determined to put the excuses aside now and start seeing some serious results on the scales before Christmas!

Sarah - I weighed in on Thursday and have gained 2lbs this week.  But after a week of hen nights and awards I am actually okay with this!  I am trying to be good again now but can't really lose too much more in the run up to my wedding as that will mean I need to squeeze in another dress fitting!  I am craving junk really badly at the moment too, someone take the ice cream away from me...

Lucy is still in Australia, lucky lady!

How has your week been?  Any tips to share with us all?

Sunday Summary #31

Happy Sunday everyone! How's your week been?

Sarah V - I'm cross. I gained 2lbs in my weekly weigh-in and I really shouldn't have. I went for a team lunch at Harvester the day of my Rosemary Conley class and even though I was really quite good (no chips!) it showed on the scales in the evening. The next morning I hopped on our digital scales and they showed a loss. CROSS. But it's actually reignited my motivation. I've had two lots of zumba this week, and even though I'm away next week visiting friends, I am plotting ways to keep myself on the diet straight and narrow. I've even found a zumba class close to where I'm staying! Madness. I'll let you know how I get on next week...

Charlene - ARGH! I've completely fallen off the wagon this week. It started well, but as I realised just how busy I was I let the 30 Day Shred slip (I feel so guilty that I've failed the challenge that I set us all!!)

Gemma- I lost 1.5lbs this week which I am rather pleased with. I had a bloggers meet up on Wednesday and had a muffin, krispy kreme and loads of lovely buffet food after the event so I was happy for a loss. I was good for the rest of the week so it proves you can still have fun on a diet. I want to lose another 1.5-2 this week as it is my last weigh in before the Cosmo Blog Awards and I would love to reach -50lbs before I go. My average weight loss per week has dropped from 1.4lbs to 1.3 lbs and I want to reverse this trend. I would like my average loss to be 1.7 a week so I need to step it up after my trip to London in a couple of weeks time.

Sarah - I went cold turkey from hotpants this week and I maintained.  I kept an eye on my measures this week too and I am happy to report that they are still the same so the effects of wearing hotpants isn't reversed the moment you stop wearing them.  Can't wait to get them back on and start losing again, keep your fingers crossed for me!  There is still time to enter our hotpants giveaway - what are you waiting for?!

Just a reminder that voting for the Cosmo Blog Awards ends tomorrow morning so you still have time to vote.

If you wanted to vote for Where Are My Knees? in the Health, Diet and Fitness category we would really appreciate it :)

Sunday Summary #30

Wow, number 30 already! The weeks are flying by.

Sarah - I have been REALLY naughty this week so was very surprised when I stepped on the scales at WI and had lost 1lb :)  I have also lost another 1/2" off my waist, thank you hotpants!  To give you an idea of how naughty I have been since my last WI I have eaten: 1 x zinger tower burger, 1 x pub burger & chips, 2 pints of lager, jacket potato with full fat cheese, sweet & sour chicken balls & egg fried rice, 2 x cream scones, 1/3 of a massive millionaires cheesecake (amazing btw!), 100g salted peanuts, a twix, 1/2 tub ice cream, malteaser bunny, a billionaires shortbread bar, a couple of cupcakes that I made and a packet of crisps.  I wouldn't like to work out the total calories but it's a lot more than my 10-15 syns a day. I was also meant to be doing Charlene's 30 day shred challenge but embarrassingly I haven't started it. I've been both too busy and too lazy! I have made a pact with myself to show restraint and exercise this week so wish me luck!

Gemma- I lost 0.5lb this week which is great news, I was a little worried because I went to a wedding on Wednesday and had a roast dinner and dessert with clotted cream and bacon rolls in the night eek. I am now at -47 and I want to work hard to get my -50lb certificate. I'm hoping to lose about 1.5 this week. I have organised a Cardiff bloggers meet up which is on Wednesday, there are going to be free drinks and food so I will have to save up all my weekly points for that and try not to go too mad. It's been a long and busy week in work so I'm going to treat myself to some chow mein, curry and mushrooms tonight. (about 10 ProPoints)

Sarah V - I lost 1lb this week. I'm trying not to get disheartened as my weight IS going down, and since I went back to Rosemary Conley properly at the start of September, it's gone down steadily, week by week. But it's been a month now and I haven't lost a whole half a stone - when I went back in March I lost nearly a stone in my first month! There's a lot more I could be doing to step it up though so I just have to keep trying and factor in some more exercise. Every week since I've been back there's been something - normally just a day where I haven't been able to control my diet very well, or a meal out or something, and I think those days are making a big difference, even though I'm being really good the rest of the time.

Charlene - It's been quite a good week. Haven't weighed myself (feeling rather scared of the numbers to be honest) but the 30 day shred must be working because I feel a lot more confident about my body and think I'm looking more toned too! My diet hasn't been too bad lately either. I'm really starting to notice that eating my meals at odd times causes me to snack more or just skip a meal alltogether and end up filling up on junk instead so I've been trying to be a bit more organised!

Lucy - Is on her holidays in Australia now, lucky lady!


Have you entered our competition to win a pair of hotpants yet? Tell us all how your week has been!

Fleetly Challenge (update)

We're now onto Day 5 of our 30 Day Shred challenge - 16% complete! There were a few kinks to start with, but I think we've figured it out all out now and so far quite a few people have joined the challenge and started logging their workouts! If you missed our previous post on Fleetly and the Where Are My Knees? Fleetly challenge then you can click here to read it.

There was a bit of confusion over how to actually log the workouts, so I thought I'd put together a little guide of how it works. It's quite simple to use, I think the issues were simply because when I set it up I wasn't 100% sure how it was going to work until we started logging our exercises but Samer, one of the helpful staff members at Fleetly, has sorted everything out for us - thanks!

001. Sign up at Fleetly (you can simply link it to your Facebook in one click or create a stand alone login) and follow this link to the Where Are My Knees? Challenge. You can then click to join the challenge. A lot of us are friends over there so feel free to add us (you can see everyone taking part under 'competitors') as friends to liven up your timeline a little.

002. We've created 3 different work outs for the 30 Day Shred - Level 1, 2 and 3 - which you can see linked in blue in the image above. It's recommended to do each level for 10 days but there's no pressure to move up a level if you're not ready. All you need to do is click the workout for the level you've completed that day and the page you're directed to will have a bright orange 'log' button.

003. Next, select the date you wan't to log the exercise on, this is great if you can't get online one day - you can always backdate your exercises, and then select 'start logging'. You will see 'add' buttons next to the individual exercises, click these (you can fill in more detailed information such as how many reps you completed if you're aiming to gain points for your timeline but this won't affect the challenge) and then click the 'done' button at the top and you should see your points in the standings increase!

I hope that helps everyone! If you've got any more questions or suggestions on future Fleetly challenges then please let us know!

We'd also love to hear how you're getting on with the challenge so far! Have you stuck to it, or have you been naughty and skipped a day already? Personally my legs are BURNING! This usually passes by day 6 or 7 though so I'm going to push through it!

Sunday Summary #29

Hey guys, how has your week been?

Gemma- I had a 2lb loss on Friday which I'm really happy about. I've got a wedding on Wednesday and I have a lovely dress and new shoes which I can't wait to wear. I don't think I would have been as excited about the wedding this time last year, I would have been trying to find a cover up/shrug for my arms and would have worn black tights to cover my legs. It is a lovely feeling not to be worried about how I look. I will be happy for a small loss or to stay the same this week. The wedding menu is leek and potato soup (will probs have cream in) roast beef dinner and strawberry and clotted cream torte, obviously more than my 37 pro points daily allowance. Trying to be saintly before and after the wedding to make up for it but you know what, my friend is only going to get married once (hopefully) so I'm going to make the most of it and have a few glasses of champers!

Charlene - Bit of a naughty week food-wise for me! I had a pizza to celebrate some good news but I've restarted the 30 Day Shred and today is day 2 so I'm not letting it bother me too much. I didn't weigh myself but I've taken measurements and will update after each level/10 days. Found out I'm going to be living in a hotel and eating out most nights for the next two months because I'm away with work. It's going to be difficult and it's worrying me slightly already (especially since the rest of my colleagues order takeaway food for dinner at work on almost every shift!) but I think I might have access to a gym! Lots of willpower will be required!

Sarah V - Not a bad one for me. I lost a pound and a half at my weekly weigh in, and apart from one cheeky burger on Friday night, have been really good - I even managed to do a night out without resorting to chips or fast food, and I went on a 3 mile walk even though it was boiling. I am really hoping to have a couple of weeks with more significant weight losses though - at the moment I am doing a pound or so a week, which is nice and steady and in the right direction, but I put on quite a lot of weight over the summer, and expected to ping back a bit faster than this. I've set myself a target of doing a further stone by Christmas, so we'll see how I get on!

Sarah - I've had an alright week this week.  If you have read my hotpants review you will already know that I've lost 0.5lb and 2" this week so I am a happy bunny!

Lucy - on her way to Australia so will be awol for a few weeks

Update us on your progress and don't forget you can join us on our 30 day shred challenge on Fleetly!

Fleetly

A few months ago we were contacted about Fleetly.com, a new website and iPhone app developed to make fitness more fun by making it social and by adding a bit of competition. I've been signed up to Fleetly as part of a their trial period since we first found out about it, but Friday was the first day that it finally went live for everyone to sign up to and I thought it might be of interest to some of our readers!

Fleetly is a little bit like Foursquare in the sense that you log your activities to gain points and unlock medals. Now this itself, in my opinion, would be a little bit boring and not very motivational, so Fleetly have created a 'Challenges' area. If there's something that will make me perform better it's competition!

Challenges are by far my favourite part of the website. There are already some challenges created such as 100 workouts in 2011, a 100 mille running challenge and even a challenge to see who can do the most crunches in 2011. Challenges are great motivation because you can view a leadership table which tells you how far ahead/behind you are from other competitors and there's also a wall where you can leave comments and interact with other people who are taking part.

There's also a section of the website dedicated to workouts. You can create a custom workout to log on your profile or you can pick from one of the pre-made ones. You can even filter workouts by body area or by quickness, see which ones your friends are doing or even find out what the best workouts for travelling are. Each exercise comes with a description telling you how to safely perform it and a video demonstrating it. And you can, of course, track your weight on it too.

The only downside that I can see is that the application is only available to download via the Apple app store. I use Android and I know that I'd be a lot more active on the website if I was able to access it on my mobile and update on the go.

I've gone ahead and set up our very own Where Are My Knees? challenge over on Fleetly. I know a lot of us have had great results from the 30 Day Shred in the past so I've decided to Challenge everyone to complete 30 consecutive days of the shred. All you need to do to compete is sign up to Fleetly and follow this link and join the challenge.

The challenge starts on the 1st of October and is only a bit of friendly competition and a good way to keep each other motivated. Anyone is welcome to join in and please feel free to add me as a friend - it gets a bit lonely over there when you've got no friends! ;)

What do you think of Fleetly? If anyone else has any other ideas for challenges we could set up that would help your motivation, or if you'd like to set up one yourself and share it with us, let us know!

Sunday Summary #28

How has your week been guys? We have had an amazing week thanks to being shortlisted in the Cosmo Blog Awards. If you nominated us please let us know, we would love the opportunity to say thank you!

Gemma- I stayed the same this week which is rather disappointing, I'm working a lot next week so hopefully I will be rushing around a lot burning off calories. I also get better results when I'm working everyday because I can only eat things I have packed for lunch, we don't have a canteen or biscuit tin in work so I can't pick at food. I went out for a hen night yesterday and had a chicken salad for lunch but the pub had bottomless chips and kept on filling bowls of chips for us. I also went a bit crazy in the evening drinking huge cocktails from disco balls and I'm going out again tonight. I'm going to need to hit the gym this week if I want to reach my pre wedding goal of fitting in to my dress.

Sarah - I somehow managed to lose a whopping 3.5lbs this week! Happy is not the word :) Hopefully I can keep losing every week now and have got past the little rut I had found myself stuck in. Most of the clothes I have bought recently have been a size 10, a fantastic feeling. There are still a few dresses in my wardrobe that are too tight but they should fit in another 7lbs or so. I am getting there!

Lucy - I have to say, being nominated for the Cosmo Blog Award has made me realise that I need to start pushing myself more; since I moved home from uni I haven't really been dieting at all. I haven't been eating hideously, but I on the same note I haven't been keeping an eye on what I do eat. I go to Australia a week today and I haven't lost a substantial (if any at all) amount of weight since we started this blog and the reason? It's down to pure laziness. Without making excuses, I guess the whole idea of going and the fact it's come around so quickly, hasn't really felt real, and it still doesn't to be quite honest. It's more than too late to make a difference now, but when I'm back on November 7th, and whether we win that award or not, I'm going to pick myself up and TRY AGAIN. Thank you everyone for the continuous support though, and sorry for letting you all, and myself, down.

Sarah V - I lost a pound this week which was less than I hoped. But I've stuck with the diet and apart from the odd minor blip, have managed to stick to it. Certain annoying female afflictions may stop me losing this week but at least I know that if I keep this up, I'll see the results next week! I completely agree with Lucy's above comments, my motivation has slipped a lot too, and the nomination has made me realise that there are people out there who love this blog, and I owe it to them to take it seriously and commit to this diet. Plus, I have some winter clothes I'd really like to squeeze into!


Over to you lovely lot, please fill us in on how you've been getting on this week. We'd also love to hear from you on any amazing recipes you've tried, any great tips or new exercise classes you've done - let us know!

Sunday Summary #23

Happy Sunday! How's your week been?

Sarah V - I lost 3lbs this week, which I'm really pleased with! Slowly but surely I'm returning to my pre-summer weight. I'm determined to lose again in my next weigh-in, so have been walking to work and trying not to be too bad. Although a summer of bad habits has meant my resolve has slipped somewhat, but I'm getting there.

Gemma - I lost 2.5 lbs this week, much better! After two weeks of staying the same because of various birthdays and weddings I was really happy with my good loss. This week I have been trying some new recipes too keep me interested and motivated and I'm hoping for another 2-3 lb loss this week. I'm going to Torquay next weekend which I'm little worried about but if I have two bad days I will just try and be extra good the rest of the week. I am now -41 lbs and I want to be -50lbs by the 5th of October for a friends wedding.

Sarah - I've spent this weekend in Brixham visiting some of the boyfs family so no Sunday weigh in for me this week.  After putting on 1lb at my class weigh in two Thursdays ago I am happy to report that I had lost 2lbs this Thursday... let's hope I haven't spoilt it all in one little weekend!

Lucy - Sorry for my lack of Sunday Summary last week, I had a traumatic day - I got stuck in a lift for two hours and then had to get a taxi to York instead of the train because I was going to see Olly Murs. I then had the Monday off work and traveled back down to London and yeah, I'm sure you get the issue! Anyway. I go to Australia in exactly 42 days and I'm still at square one. We've been doing this blog for twenty three weeks now and I am pretty much in the same place I started. I have no idea what my issue is. It's never too late to start again, is it...?

Charlene - No weight loss this week but I might have indulged in all the free cakes and doughnuts at work a little bit too much. And err, a chinese takeaway. Not good! Lots of fruit in the kitchen though for healthy snacking and I'm going to go at least 3 runs this week aswell as doing some arm weights and crunches.

Sunday Summary #22

Happy Sunday everyone! Eeek, it's 20 past midnight - technically still Sunday right?!

Sarah V - I've been a bit poorly this week so missed my slimming class and didn't do any exercise. I haven't really lost my appetite, but I also haven't really felt like snacking, either. So I've been eating pretty well, and as of this weekend, the scales were looking pretty positive. I'll know for sure next Tuesday though - I am away visiting friends this weekend which always tests my dieting resolve!

Sarah - I've had a chat with my Slimming World consultant to try and find my missing motivation.  I had gained 1lb by the time I went to class on Thursday so I need to turn things around pretty quickly.  I still weigh the same as I did last Sunday so I have managed to undo this already and am now determined to get a good loss this week!  I know what I need to do its just finding the willpower to stick to it oh and I need to find the inclination to start the 30 day shred again and to stop just talking about doing it!

Gemma - I didn't weigh in last week because it was my birthday but I did go this week and I stayed the same (boohoo). I have eaten out loads over the week because of my birthday and on Friday when I went to the South West blogger meet up but I take my Weight Watchers 'Eating Out Guide' with me everywhere so I always knew what the low point options are. I haven't had any alcohol this week so I'm hoping for a good loss next Friday. I have a wedding in 8 weeks and my dress fits but it is very tight so my next mission is for that dress to fit and look fabulous at the wedding!

Charlene -  I've had quite a good week! I went running for the first time in a long while and managed to run 3.6k at what I think was a record time for myself! It was raining and getting dark which is why I think I pushed myself harder - I just wanted to be home. I've done quite well dietwise too. I've got a sweet tooth so I've realised that I'll never be able to cut out things like chocolate or cake but I feel a bit more in control of how much I eat when I do have a craving. Hoping to do more running this week and some arm exercises. Does anyone know any specific exercises that are good for the dreaded bingo wings?

Lucy - 

Sunday Summary #21

Happy Sunday everyone!

Sarah V - After my birthday last weekend I was determined to get back on track. At my weigh in on Tuesday, I'd gained another 2lbs which I expected after all the birthday meals out I'd had - but from then onwards have really got back in the zone. I did an extra zumba class on Thursday, walked to work most days and have done my best to eat well. I've had a couple of slips - a BBQ on Friday night for instance where I forgot all of my tips! But overall, I'm feeling back in the zone, and hopeful for a good weightloss result on Tuesday.

Sarah - My motivation seems to have disappeared :( I have gained 2lbs this week and cannot stop craving and eating crap. An overnight work conference really didn't help especially the very limited choice of calorie laden food followed by beers, lots of cosmos and champagne... I really need to stop this and get back on track, someone please kick me up the ass.

Gemma -It was my birthday on Friday and I can honestly say I've not stopped eating and drinking since the wedding last weekend. I did manage to stay the same weight which was all down to making wise choices. I'm now a lot more aware of what foods and drinks should be avoided and I stuck to a lot of chicken and salad when eating out for my birthday and one or two gin and slimline tonics. If I hadn't been following the Weight Watchers plan since Feb I probably would have put about 5lbs on this week from eating loads of carbs and drinking lots of cocktails. I'm really happy with maintaining my weight this week.

Charlene - It was my birthday on Tuesday so I think it's safe to say that after 4 nights of drinking, eating at restaurants and a big chocolate birthday cake that I haven't lost anything! Ah well, your birthday only happens once a year! I keep getting cravings for going out a long run, however this only seems appealing when it's late at night and probably not safe. Although, cravings for exercise! YAY! Going to drag myself out of bed early tomorrow and run!

Lucy - This week I've been mostly living off macaroni cheese out of a packet, houmous wraps, grapes, pineapple, crisps and chocolate. And the occasional banana. It's difficult living in a flat and not having kitchen essentials - I have a bowl, a plate and a pan. That's pretty much it! I'm not sure if I'll have lost any weight but I'm definitely not eating as much as I usually do.

Sunday Summary #20

Happy Sunday all!

Sarah V - It was my birthday on Friday and as such, this week has been a bit of a write-off. I gained 2lbs on Tuesday and I'm not confident about this week's weigh-in! But I am a firm believer that dieting is about give and take, and if there's one occasion you should be able to do (and eat) what you want - it's your birthday! However, I'm feeling positive about getting back to it for good tomorrow, and after being back at Zumba for two weeks, am loving exercise again. This week, my mission is to eat healthily every day again, and try and walk to work every day too - instead of giving in to that extra 30 mins in bed!

Sarah - I've gained 1lb this week which I am actually okay with seeings as my little sister got married on Monday and we spent most of Sunday and Monday celebrating. I really did think it would be more especially seeings as it's also 'that' time of the month. My goals have now changed as I am now on the count down to my own wedding in less than 4 months and have been going walking for at least an hour every day. 25lbs in 16 weeks feels like such a challenge so I am counting on you guys to help me out!

Gemma - I lost 2lbs at my weigh in on Friday which I was very happy about. The wedding I attended yesterday was one of my main reasons for losing weight, I felt happy with the loss of 38.5 I have achieved and my next goal is a wedding in October and I want to be 50+ lbs in to my weight loss by then.
This weekend has been a total write off. I've had a cream tea, cooked breakfast, champagne and wedding buffet food. I haven't thought about my diet at all and it will be my birthday on Friday so I'm not sure that it will be a good week. I think one week off since February isn't bad at all!

Charlene -

Lucy - I've been quite good this week, as promised, although I'm still finding that I have a lack of motivation. I really do not know what's wrong with me. I'm headed to London today for three weeks for work experience and for the first fortnight I'll be living in student halls, there's an Asda just across the road and I'm planning on buying meals each night rather than stocking up with a load of stuff that'll probably just end up getting thrown away when I move out. I'm going to have to be ultra strict with myself and hopefully I will be...

How has your week been?

Keep Cool and Enjoy

The sun has been shining in Scotland for the past few days and I don't know about you guys, but as soon as the sun makes an appearance I can't stop dreaming of Mr Whippy ice creams, Magnums and Fab ice lollies. I decided to pick up a little pack of cheap ice lolly moulds and set to work making a selection of refreshing ice lollies that wouldn't sabotage my attempts at dieting!

001. The Simple Squash Lolly
I'm sure everyone ate these as a kid at somepoint. Simply dilute some squash (my favourites are the Robinsons ones with no added sugar!) with water, pop it in your moulds and freeze. I always have great fun sucking all the flavour and colour out until I'm left with a crunchy bit of ice.

002. Total Greek Lolly
Another super easy way to make ice lollies is to mix up a Total Greek Yoghurt Split Pot - the Honey one in particular feels like such a treat - pop it in your ice lolly mould and voila, 0% fat ice lollies! These only last a few days though before the yoghurt crystalises. Err, not that they'd be around long enough for that to happen anyway! ;)

You could also use plain greek yoghurt and mix in pieces of chopped fruit and berries or a few chocolate drops to satisfy a sweet tooth if you wanting something with a bit of bite!

003. Frozen Smoothie Lolly
Another idea I had was to make some Smoothie and freeze it in my moulds. I also get smoothie inspiration from the Zumo website, strawberry being my favourite! It's also possible to simply freeze pre-made bottles of smoothie that you can buy some the supermarket but I'm always concerned about the amount of added sugar and other nasties in them.

What are your favourite healthy summer treats?