Hey dolls,
Over the last few month I've been trying my best to keep healthy and shed the last few stone in baby. It's not always easy to eat healthy, I can admit a dominos is quiet tempting but I've swapped pizzas for healthy organic fruit & veg thanks to Lidl's new range.
Tonight myself and Chris filled a trolley full of healthy fruits, vegetables, meats and snacks. I've been very good throughout January and I will continue on into February.
I have my meals planned out for each day and snack to go with each meal. I think I bought every fruit Lidl had to offer. The organic oranges caught my eye on the way in as they are only 49cent. I bought the ingredients to make a hearty vegetable soup and every vegetable that goes into a stir fry. There is no way I can slip now that my fridge is stocked with only the best.
For snacks I picked up some of the organic chocolate covered rice cakes. They are some of my favourite snacks and I am dying to try their chocolate & coconut rice cakes. I also stocked up on a mixture of nuts to snack on. I keep a jar full of nuts so when I open the biscuit press they are the first thing I see.
Lidl has lots of healthy tips and recipes over on their website. http://www.lidl.ie The fakeaway section caught my eye and I will definitely be cooking their guilt free pizza and prawn curry. They also have a health and fitness section with lots of exercise tips and they have lots of exercise equipment and fitness gear in store.
Over the last few month I've been trying my best to keep healthy and shed the last few stone in baby. It's not always easy to eat healthy, I can admit a dominos is quiet tempting but I've swapped pizzas for healthy organic fruit & veg thanks to Lidl's new range.
Tonight myself and Chris filled a trolley full of healthy fruits, vegetables, meats and snacks. I've been very good throughout January and I will continue on into February.
I have my meals planned out for each day and snack to go with each meal. I think I bought every fruit Lidl had to offer. The organic oranges caught my eye on the way in as they are only 49cent. I bought the ingredients to make a hearty vegetable soup and every vegetable that goes into a stir fry. There is no way I can slip now that my fridge is stocked with only the best.
For snacks I picked up some of the organic chocolate covered rice cakes. They are some of my favourite snacks and I am dying to try their chocolate & coconut rice cakes. I also stocked up on a mixture of nuts to snack on. I keep a jar full of nuts so when I open the biscuit press they are the first thing I see.
Lidl has lots of healthy tips and recipes over on their website. http://www.lidl.ie The fakeaway section caught my eye and I will definitely be cooking their guilt free pizza and prawn curry. They also have a health and fitness section with lots of exercise tips and they have lots of exercise equipment and fitness gear in store.
I hope your January was as good as you hoped it would be and you are sticking to those New Years Resolutions. Lets stick together this February and be just as healthy. Check out Lidl's organic range which is in stores from today for a limited time.
Love Grace
This blog post was in collaboration with Lidl #sp
This blog post was in collaboration with Lidl #sp
About bloody time I hear you say. I know, right!!! I've had a rough few weeks with Slimming World and gaining weigh but this week I mixed it up and I think it was my best week in months. Just randomly on Friday I decided to follow the SP plan (I'll explain it later) and I'm so happy I did because it worked. I literally thought I was going to have a melt down or leave Slimming World if I didn't have a loss soon. Finally the week came and I've decided that going forward, the 4 days prior to weigh in I'll follow the SP plan.
So what is SP I hear you ask. Its pretty easy, on the SP plan you stick to foods that have S and P beside them in your slimming world book and have as much of them as possible. On this plan you get two HEB's (Healthy Extra B's) which makes me so happy because I can have two weetabix and my bagels. Happy Out!!! You have to avoid all other free food that aren't SP like bananas, grapes, blueberries & sweet potato but you can have 15 syns a day on SP. It's that simple, keep your slimming world book near for reference and you wont go wrong. This plan is great for a boost and a quick loss. I found it really worked for me so as I said I am going to follow the regular Extra Easy plan the 3 days post weigh in and SP the 4 days prior to weigh in! Hopefully this works and I can have a loss next week.
A lot of you where asking to know what I was eating on my SP days. Day 1 I started with 2 weetabix and lots of speed fruit. For lunch I had a bagel with some Slim Valley sausages (which are free and 100% fat free and can be found here ) and bacon medallions with two poached eggs and spinach. I snacked on fruit like apples and peaches but I did forget that bananas weren't speed. For dinner on day 1 myself and Christopher made chicken fajita with lots of speed veg. Instead of the wraps I had mine in a leaf of iceberg lettuce. It was so delicious.
On Day 2 I pretty much had the same breakfast, lunch and snacks but for dinner we made spaghetti bolognese but instead of pasta I made my own pasta from courgette and carrots using a spirializer that I got in Home Store & more. It was so surprisingly tasty that I went back for seconds and thankful it was free so I could fill up on it and not feel guilty. It didn't leave me stuffed or bloated like pasta usually would.
Day 3 I had the weetabix and berries again and then for lunch I had a bagel with spinach, chicken and poached eggs. Then for dinner I had a steak with lots of speed veg.
I feel like the SP days really contributed to my weight loss and I am so glad I did it. There are so many different meals you can make on it you just need to be a bit more adventurous. If you are in a rut and are struggling each week like I was I would definitely recommend trying the SP plan and see how you go. On that note I am starving and I am off to make dinner ( chicken kebabs from Slim Valley and sweet potato fries, in case you were wondering haha)
So what is SP I hear you ask. Its pretty easy, on the SP plan you stick to foods that have S and P beside them in your slimming world book and have as much of them as possible. On this plan you get two HEB's (Healthy Extra B's) which makes me so happy because I can have two weetabix and my bagels. Happy Out!!! You have to avoid all other free food that aren't SP like bananas, grapes, blueberries & sweet potato but you can have 15 syns a day on SP. It's that simple, keep your slimming world book near for reference and you wont go wrong. This plan is great for a boost and a quick loss. I found it really worked for me so as I said I am going to follow the regular Extra Easy plan the 3 days post weigh in and SP the 4 days prior to weigh in! Hopefully this works and I can have a loss next week.
A lot of you where asking to know what I was eating on my SP days. Day 1 I started with 2 weetabix and lots of speed fruit. For lunch I had a bagel with some Slim Valley sausages (which are free and 100% fat free and can be found here ) and bacon medallions with two poached eggs and spinach. I snacked on fruit like apples and peaches but I did forget that bananas weren't speed. For dinner on day 1 myself and Christopher made chicken fajita with lots of speed veg. Instead of the wraps I had mine in a leaf of iceberg lettuce. It was so delicious.
On Day 2 I pretty much had the same breakfast, lunch and snacks but for dinner we made spaghetti bolognese but instead of pasta I made my own pasta from courgette and carrots using a spirializer that I got in Home Store & more. It was so surprisingly tasty that I went back for seconds and thankful it was free so I could fill up on it and not feel guilty. It didn't leave me stuffed or bloated like pasta usually would.
Day 3 I had the weetabix and berries again and then for lunch I had a bagel with spinach, chicken and poached eggs. Then for dinner I had a steak with lots of speed veg.
I feel like the SP days really contributed to my weight loss and I am so glad I did it. There are so many different meals you can make on it you just need to be a bit more adventurous. If you are in a rut and are struggling each week like I was I would definitely recommend trying the SP plan and see how you go. On that note I am starving and I am off to make dinner ( chicken kebabs from Slim Valley and sweet potato fries, in case you were wondering haha)
I hope this helps & good luck with this week.
YOU CAN DO IT TOO
Stay Healthy & Happy
Love Grace xox
Hey girls,
I really am exactly what the title says and stuck in a rut :( I don't know what is going on but I just can't seem to get back on the band wagon. I tried so hard this week but I did have a few cheat meals and a bottle of wine. I really am so annoyed and so disappointed at myself. I gained again this week, I know it was only half a pound but I really wanted a loss this week.
I don't know what I'm going to do and I really want to get back on it. I'm still eating healthy but only about 70% of the time and I'm still training. I feel like a few months back I was doing a lot more by myself like going for walks and runs. I'm going to get back into it and I really want to do it this time. I'm so fed up and have lost so much motivation. I need to kick the crap and just get my head back in the game.
Sometimes when you give it your all for so long and are doing so well you just get fed up and fall back into old habits. I have definitely done that and it's so annoying. It happens all too often. I want this to be a lifestyle choice and not just a diet, I want to be fit and healthy for the rest of my life. Sorry if this post isn't as motivated as normal but sometimes we just don't do as well as we would have hoped.
I really am exactly what the title says and stuck in a rut :( I don't know what is going on but I just can't seem to get back on the band wagon. I tried so hard this week but I did have a few cheat meals and a bottle of wine. I really am so annoyed and so disappointed at myself. I gained again this week, I know it was only half a pound but I really wanted a loss this week.
I don't know what I'm going to do and I really want to get back on it. I'm still eating healthy but only about 70% of the time and I'm still training. I feel like a few months back I was doing a lot more by myself like going for walks and runs. I'm going to get back into it and I really want to do it this time. I'm so fed up and have lost so much motivation. I need to kick the crap and just get my head back in the game.
Sometimes when you give it your all for so long and are doing so well you just get fed up and fall back into old habits. I have definitely done that and it's so annoying. It happens all too often. I want this to be a lifestyle choice and not just a diet, I want to be fit and healthy for the rest of my life. Sorry if this post isn't as motivated as normal but sometimes we just don't do as well as we would have hoped.
If you are always feeling low and like you are stuck in a rut know that you are not alone. I am with you and we will be out of it today. Good luck to all you dolls.
Stay Happy & Healhty
Love Grace xox
Hey girls,
Today is a good week, not only did I buy a mini and a coffee machine (LIFE MADE) I also lost 3lb and I am feeling so much better. This week has been great so far.
From my last post what you need to take from it is to take every week & every day as it comes. Don't get bogged down on bad days.
I am delighted with my 3lb loss and it is all thanks to healthy eating and I also exercised a lot last week. I had a personal training session with Method Fitness. Follow Damy Here. Did my own at home workout and went spinning and did bums and tums. I also ate a massive amount of speed food.
If you aren't in slimming world and wondering what the hell speed food is. It is food, mostly fruit and veg, that speed up you metabolism and help you lose weight fast. I packed my fridge (well my Mam did haha) with water melon, honey due melon, strawberries and all sorts of berries. I also mad lots of slimming world dishes like spag bal, veg stir fry and a slimming world spice bag.
I find the key to sticking at any kind of weight loss or diet plan is to change things up. Keep meals interesting and have lots of speed food. I just uploaded my health and fitness Q&A video with lots of good tips and advice when it comes to weight loss.
Today is a good week, not only did I buy a mini and a coffee machine (LIFE MADE) I also lost 3lb and I am feeling so much better. This week has been great so far.
From my last post what you need to take from it is to take every week & every day as it comes. Don't get bogged down on bad days.
I am delighted with my 3lb loss and it is all thanks to healthy eating and I also exercised a lot last week. I had a personal training session with Method Fitness. Follow Damy Here. Did my own at home workout and went spinning and did bums and tums. I also ate a massive amount of speed food.
If you aren't in slimming world and wondering what the hell speed food is. It is food, mostly fruit and veg, that speed up you metabolism and help you lose weight fast. I packed my fridge (well my Mam did haha) with water melon, honey due melon, strawberries and all sorts of berries. I also mad lots of slimming world dishes like spag bal, veg stir fry and a slimming world spice bag.
I find the key to sticking at any kind of weight loss or diet plan is to change things up. Keep meals interesting and have lots of speed food. I just uploaded my health and fitness Q&A video with lots of good tips and advice when it comes to weight loss.
I hope all your journeys are going well and you are sticking to plan. Be active, that weather is beautiful out there so go for a nice evening stroll or get your morning run in. If you are lacking motivation then check out the 7am club I have going on FaceBook. It is amazing for sharing ideas and recipes. It is full of amazing inspiring ladies. Find it here
Until next time,
Stay happy and healthy
I love you all
Grace xox
Hey lovelies,
With yet another gain this week (That is now 7lb in 3 weeks) I am determined to get back on the health buzz. It really shows can't go off track as my body instantly gains weight. I was on holidays and took a break from the plan and really enjoyed myself. It isn't the end of the world and today is a fresh start. I could have gained a lot more if I wanted too but I ate so much speed food which really helped.
As you all know if you read my 4 week fitness challenge blog post I am giving myself a 4 week goal to get to target. That means I have to loose 2 lb a week to get there. To me that isn't too difficult. We will see next week.
I am going to be extremely strict on myself and I don't have anything planned this week that will sabotage my weight loss. I plan to exercise daily and eat lots of fruit and veg and cook lots of lovely new recipes.
I hope everyone is doing ok and sticking to plan better then me. Try not be to hard on yourself if you have a gain. All you can do is draw a line under it and start fresh. That is what I am doing today and will continue to do all week.
With yet another gain this week (That is now 7lb in 3 weeks) I am determined to get back on the health buzz. It really shows can't go off track as my body instantly gains weight. I was on holidays and took a break from the plan and really enjoyed myself. It isn't the end of the world and today is a fresh start. I could have gained a lot more if I wanted too but I ate so much speed food which really helped.
As you all know if you read my 4 week fitness challenge blog post I am giving myself a 4 week goal to get to target. That means I have to loose 2 lb a week to get there. To me that isn't too difficult. We will see next week.
I am going to be extremely strict on myself and I don't have anything planned this week that will sabotage my weight loss. I plan to exercise daily and eat lots of fruit and veg and cook lots of lovely new recipes.
I hope everyone is doing ok and sticking to plan better then me. Try not be to hard on yourself if you have a gain. All you can do is draw a line under it and start fresh. That is what I am doing today and will continue to do all week.
Just a quick post to check in and let you know where my head is.
Hope you all well.
Stay Happy and Healthy
Love Grace xox
Hey ladies,
After a lovely bank holiday weekend down in Wexford with my family I was very nervous to step on the scales this morning. I wasn't as good as I could have been and I did drink a lot of alcohol and eat a lot of junk. It was a tad disappointed but not surprised when I was up 3 pounds this morning. The first thing I said to myself was I enjoy the weekend and enjoyed all the food. I didn't over indulge for no reason or emotionally binge eat, it was a great weekend and I treated myself! Maybe a bit more than I should have.
I did cook slimming world meals and go for runs but I think the main reason I gained this week was due to the Bulmers I drank and only discovered that each can contains 9.5 Syns each!!!! I don't think the chipper chips and two slices of pizza helped either haha. OH or the Eddie Rockets last night!!! I am hanging my head in shame now haha!!!
What I can take from my gain this week is a clearer mind that I can't over indulge like that. I can have one day of it maybe but certainly not a full weekend. I am starting fresh today and with only 3 days until I fly to Tunisia I need to be very good because we have a week of all inclusive food and drink ahead of us. I don't want to be too strict on myself and I want to enjoy my holidays but I also need to be aware of what I am eating and make the best possible food choices.
At the end of the day a gain is not the end of the world. I makes you realise that you can't go on eating crap and expect a loss. Today is a new day and a fresh start. There is no point beating myself up about it or feeling guilty about it. I need to rethink and get organised. I want to try and do the SP plan for the next few days. This is just eating speed and protein foods. Weight loss isn't a short term thing, it's a lifestyle. You need to make permanent changes to your life and diet to maintain a healthy life. Yes, treats are allowed but everything in moderation.
To be honest, I don't feel great today. I had Eddie Rockets last night while catching up with friends and I just feel a bit bloated today. It isn't really worth it. It may taste amazing at the time but an hour or two later, when your body is trying to digest the junk food, it doesn't thank you for it.
What I want you to take away from todays post is, it's ok to have treats but in moderation, if you have a gain don't judge yourself and make yourself feel guilty, just learn from your mistakes.
I have set up a Facebook page where you all can join and share ideas and inspiration. I see so many amazing pictures of your meals on snapchat I thought it was a great idea if you could all help and inspire others too. You can search "The7amClub" on Facebook and you should find us all there.
After a lovely bank holiday weekend down in Wexford with my family I was very nervous to step on the scales this morning. I wasn't as good as I could have been and I did drink a lot of alcohol and eat a lot of junk. It was a tad disappointed but not surprised when I was up 3 pounds this morning. The first thing I said to myself was I enjoy the weekend and enjoyed all the food. I didn't over indulge for no reason or emotionally binge eat, it was a great weekend and I treated myself! Maybe a bit more than I should have.
I did cook slimming world meals and go for runs but I think the main reason I gained this week was due to the Bulmers I drank and only discovered that each can contains 9.5 Syns each!!!! I don't think the chipper chips and two slices of pizza helped either haha. OH or the Eddie Rockets last night!!! I am hanging my head in shame now haha!!!
What I can take from my gain this week is a clearer mind that I can't over indulge like that. I can have one day of it maybe but certainly not a full weekend. I am starting fresh today and with only 3 days until I fly to Tunisia I need to be very good because we have a week of all inclusive food and drink ahead of us. I don't want to be too strict on myself and I want to enjoy my holidays but I also need to be aware of what I am eating and make the best possible food choices.
At the end of the day a gain is not the end of the world. I makes you realise that you can't go on eating crap and expect a loss. Today is a new day and a fresh start. There is no point beating myself up about it or feeling guilty about it. I need to rethink and get organised. I want to try and do the SP plan for the next few days. This is just eating speed and protein foods. Weight loss isn't a short term thing, it's a lifestyle. You need to make permanent changes to your life and diet to maintain a healthy life. Yes, treats are allowed but everything in moderation.
To be honest, I don't feel great today. I had Eddie Rockets last night while catching up with friends and I just feel a bit bloated today. It isn't really worth it. It may taste amazing at the time but an hour or two later, when your body is trying to digest the junk food, it doesn't thank you for it.
What I want you to take away from todays post is, it's ok to have treats but in moderation, if you have a gain don't judge yourself and make yourself feel guilty, just learn from your mistakes.
I have set up a Facebook page where you all can join and share ideas and inspiration. I see so many amazing pictures of your meals on snapchat I thought it was a great idea if you could all help and inspire others too. You can search "The7amClub" on Facebook and you should find us all there.
Have a great week and stay happy and healthy.
Love you all
Grace xox
Hey Dolls,
With a 1.5lb loss this week (woohoo) and only 2lb until I hit target, this post is all about how I'm going to stay on track and get to my goal. If you've been following by journey and blog posts for a while you'll know I changed my target last month. I don't want to lose as much as I first thought. I am happy in my skin now and feel like if I went to 10stone I'd be too skinny. I am a curve woman and want to keep my shape but tone up and get fit in the process. My new target is 11 stone and I'm in reaching distance of it now!
This last week I was ok and stuck to plan most days. If you follow me on snapchat you'll know the terrible craving I had for a battered sausage and chips last week!!! I had to give in to it or else it would have driven me insane! I also pigged out on crisps and dip in my friend Denise's on Sunday. For the most part I was good but I did have some slip ups. I exercised about 4 times last week and I think that helped with the loss this week.
Enough about last week, lets focus on week 18 and what I'm going to do to stay on track and hopefully ( fingers crossed) reach my target next week. This week is going to be a tricky one as I have two events, a communion and a SoSueMe workshop planned. These are all massive risks and I need to be in the right frame of mind before hand and be prepared.
Yesterday I spent the afternoon cooking and preparing meals for the coming week. Our fridge is stocked with healthy free food and I have a big pot of speed soup to keep me going all week.
In class this morning there where a lot of disappointed and disheartened people. One thing to remember is that the week is over, the past is in the past and not to dwell on it for feel guilty for yesterdays mistakes. The best thing to do is start fresh everyday and try be as good and as motivated as possible. It's all about making the right choices, if not the right choice then the best possible choice you can make in that situation. For example, yesterday all I wanted with my cuppa tea in the evening was a bar of chocolate. I asked Chris had he any and he produced a little dark chocolate bar from Aldi. I looked up the syn value and it was worth 7syns. I hadn't thought much about it and then thought to myself is this tiny bar really worth the 7 syns??? I came to the conclusion that no, it wasn't. The hardest thing I had to do this week was put that bar back in the press and walk away. It killed me but it was the right choice. The best thing I can advise is to take ever meal and ever snack as it comes, be aware of exactly what is in it and think to yourself, is it worth it? If your answer is no then leave it behind. You will thank yourself on weigh in day :)
This week I am going to try my hardest to stay on plan, I am going to exercise regularly and make better choices when it comes to snacking or eating out. I really want that 2lb loss, lets see if I can do it. If not, there's always next week. Remember not to be too hard of yourself and don't judge yourself. This journey is a learning curve and we need to take baby steps.
With a 1.5lb loss this week (woohoo) and only 2lb until I hit target, this post is all about how I'm going to stay on track and get to my goal. If you've been following by journey and blog posts for a while you'll know I changed my target last month. I don't want to lose as much as I first thought. I am happy in my skin now and feel like if I went to 10stone I'd be too skinny. I am a curve woman and want to keep my shape but tone up and get fit in the process. My new target is 11 stone and I'm in reaching distance of it now!
This last week I was ok and stuck to plan most days. If you follow me on snapchat you'll know the terrible craving I had for a battered sausage and chips last week!!! I had to give in to it or else it would have driven me insane! I also pigged out on crisps and dip in my friend Denise's on Sunday. For the most part I was good but I did have some slip ups. I exercised about 4 times last week and I think that helped with the loss this week.
Enough about last week, lets focus on week 18 and what I'm going to do to stay on track and hopefully ( fingers crossed) reach my target next week. This week is going to be a tricky one as I have two events, a communion and a SoSueMe workshop planned. These are all massive risks and I need to be in the right frame of mind before hand and be prepared.
Yesterday I spent the afternoon cooking and preparing meals for the coming week. Our fridge is stocked with healthy free food and I have a big pot of speed soup to keep me going all week.
In class this morning there where a lot of disappointed and disheartened people. One thing to remember is that the week is over, the past is in the past and not to dwell on it for feel guilty for yesterdays mistakes. The best thing to do is start fresh everyday and try be as good and as motivated as possible. It's all about making the right choices, if not the right choice then the best possible choice you can make in that situation. For example, yesterday all I wanted with my cuppa tea in the evening was a bar of chocolate. I asked Chris had he any and he produced a little dark chocolate bar from Aldi. I looked up the syn value and it was worth 7syns. I hadn't thought much about it and then thought to myself is this tiny bar really worth the 7 syns??? I came to the conclusion that no, it wasn't. The hardest thing I had to do this week was put that bar back in the press and walk away. It killed me but it was the right choice. The best thing I can advise is to take ever meal and ever snack as it comes, be aware of exactly what is in it and think to yourself, is it worth it? If your answer is no then leave it behind. You will thank yourself on weigh in day :)
This week I am going to try my hardest to stay on plan, I am going to exercise regularly and make better choices when it comes to snacking or eating out. I really want that 2lb loss, lets see if I can do it. If not, there's always next week. Remember not to be too hard of yourself and don't judge yourself. This journey is a learning curve and we need to take baby steps.
I hope this post helped in some way and encourages you to get back in the game. I'll have two posts to follow of the delicious speed soup and breakfast muffins I made yesterday. Stay tuned for them!
Love
Grace xox
OMFG I finally did it....
For the last month I have been trying to get my 2 stone award and today is the day I did! You have no idea how happy I am and how proud of myself I am. When I joined Slimming World on the 20th of January I never imagined I would be down 2 stone in 14 weeks. It really goes to show, if you work hard, change your mindset and your diet, you can achieve anything. This week I was down 1.5 pounds :)
I am now only 3 pounds away from my target. I am very happy with my weight now but would like to tone up and get fit. I fit comfortably into a size 10 now and feel confident in my skin. That is the most important thing for me. It doesn't really matter what the scales say, it is how I feel myself and how I feel when I look in the mirror. I love being able to wear clothes now that I wouldn't have even tried on 3 months ago.
With summer approaching quickly I am so glad I got my diet and weight loss journey started in the winter months. I won't be paranoid or self conscience this summer on holidays at the thought of wearing a bikini by the pool or shorts. That idea would have scared the life out of me a couple of months ago.
This is just a quick post to say thank you to all of you, my followers are so amazing, supportive and you all push me to do better every week. I get emails, comments and tweets everyday from you all telling me I am inspiring you and motivating you. Well, let me tell you, you all are inspiring me and pushing me because I don't want to let you all down.
This is only the beginning of my new healthy lifestyle and there is so much more to come from FacesByGrace. The next step is fitness. I really want to be fit and be able to run long distances, well like 10 km haha. With the help of my personal trainer Damy from @MethodFitness I will hopefully achieve these results by the summer.
This week I am recording my weekly food diary and will have that up by Sunday or Monday. I hope these posts don't get boring and help to motivate you to do something to benefit yourself.
Stay Happy & Healthy
Love
Grace xox
Hey ladies,
Since uploading my last few transformation pictures I have been inundated with questions about how I lost the weight and i've been asked if I had tips when it comes to Slimming World or weight loss in general.
Apart from eliminating all the junk and crap food I ate before, I also cut down and practically stop having a lot of food that I normally wouldn't have taken much notice of before. Some of the meals I ate, before my weight loss began, never crossed my mind as being unhealthy or that they were contributing to my weight gain.
I used to order a bagel or a wrap on my lunch break and think to myself I was being healthy because I didn't have a Mc Donalds or the likes. When I actually think about a wrap or a bagel they are extremely unhealthy. I would normally have it with mayo, cheese, hot chicken and salad with a side of crisps and washed down with a coffee. The only healthy part was the small bit salad on the side. There where so many factors that contributed to my gain but the minute I changed my diet the weight started to fall off me! Literally.
I started swapping many food for healthier options and stopped having butter, oils, sauces, full fat milk. I replaced these with light cream cheese, fry light spray, homemade syn free sauces, light mayo and skimmed milk. These are the little things you don't think of, well I certainly didn't. And I believe these changes have aided in the weight loss.
I stopped buying chocolate, fizzy drinks and crisps. I must of had one of each every few days. Now I have water and the odd bit of chocolate. My motto is, if you don't buy it you can eat it.
I have also cut back so much on cheese. Cheese was my weakness, I used to have it before I ate a cheese sambo and in between meals I would snack on a slice of cheese. Not anymore, now I limit myself to 30 grams, if even, of Low Low cheese a day.
I rarely have bread and when I am looking for something filling and satisfying like bread I have a slims bagels. If you follow my snapchat story and on Instagram you will have seen I am obsessed with them.
When I am hungry or on the go I always try to have some fruit with me or a healthy option. It is so hard to eat for convenience instead of for health reasons.
The reason I post these blog posts is to try and get you to look at your own diet and see is there anything you can change to make it healthier and cleaner. Are you happy with you weight or could you work on it? These are all the questions you need to ask yourself and if the answer is no then do something about it. You're the only one that can. Let my journey be your motivation and enable you to see that it can be done.
Since uploading my last few transformation pictures I have been inundated with questions about how I lost the weight and i've been asked if I had tips when it comes to Slimming World or weight loss in general.
These before and after pictures keep shocking me.
Apart from eliminating all the junk and crap food I ate before, I also cut down and practically stop having a lot of food that I normally wouldn't have taken much notice of before. Some of the meals I ate, before my weight loss began, never crossed my mind as being unhealthy or that they were contributing to my weight gain.
I used to order a bagel or a wrap on my lunch break and think to myself I was being healthy because I didn't have a Mc Donalds or the likes. When I actually think about a wrap or a bagel they are extremely unhealthy. I would normally have it with mayo, cheese, hot chicken and salad with a side of crisps and washed down with a coffee. The only healthy part was the small bit salad on the side. There where so many factors that contributed to my gain but the minute I changed my diet the weight started to fall off me! Literally.
I started swapping many food for healthier options and stopped having butter, oils, sauces, full fat milk. I replaced these with light cream cheese, fry light spray, homemade syn free sauces, light mayo and skimmed milk. These are the little things you don't think of, well I certainly didn't. And I believe these changes have aided in the weight loss.
I stopped buying chocolate, fizzy drinks and crisps. I must of had one of each every few days. Now I have water and the odd bit of chocolate. My motto is, if you don't buy it you can eat it.
I have also cut back so much on cheese. Cheese was my weakness, I used to have it before I ate a cheese sambo and in between meals I would snack on a slice of cheese. Not anymore, now I limit myself to 30 grams, if even, of Low Low cheese a day.
I rarely have bread and when I am looking for something filling and satisfying like bread I have a slims bagels. If you follow my snapchat story and on Instagram you will have seen I am obsessed with them.
When I am hungry or on the go I always try to have some fruit with me or a healthy option. It is so hard to eat for convenience instead of for health reasons.
The reason I post these blog posts is to try and get you to look at your own diet and see is there anything you can change to make it healthier and cleaner. Are you happy with you weight or could you work on it? These are all the questions you need to ask yourself and if the answer is no then do something about it. You're the only one that can. Let my journey be your motivation and enable you to see that it can be done.
I hope you found this post helpful.
Stay healthy and happy!
Love
Grace xox
Hello my lovelies,
I hope everyone is taking full advantage of the warm weather. I am currently chilling in my garden, baking in the heat.
Here is a little progress picture. There is a year in the difference. A size 14 to a size 10.
Today was Judgement Day.
As much as I wanted to loose the pound and a half to get my 2 stone award, in the back of my mind I had doubts. When I stepped on the scales and my weight had remained the same, I have to admit, I was gutted. In saying that, I had a funeral this week on top of a lot of events where there was yummy eats and treats. I hadn't been as strict on myself this week as I had in previous weeks. I think this was the kick up the butt I needed to make me see that I still have to work hard and not allow myself as many Syns as I have been.
One big problem I have is coffee. I am obsessed with flat whites, cappuccinos and lattes. This week I vow to steer clear of them and to make better food choices.
Another update from me is that I have changed my goal. When I joined SW 13 weeks ago my initial goal was to drop 3 stone 3 pounds which would make me bang on 10stone. After the weeks passed and my weight dropped, I reevaluated my goal and changed it.
Now I want to be 11 stone or just under that. When I set my goal I didn't really think about it. I just pulled a random number out of my head and said it. Now I fit comfortably into a size 10 top and bottom I feel that if I went to 10 stone I would be too thin. I am tall at 5:6 and am very curvy. I have an hourglass figure and I am very happy with how I feel now at my current weight.
All I want now is to get fit, continue to be healthy and tone up. From here on in it is more of a healthy and clean lifestyle I want to lead. I want to get into nutrient more, research and understand the types of food I eat. I want to lead a balanced life where I am able to have the odd takeaway or bar of chocolate but never go back to the way I was. I am so much more happy & confident now and have so much more energy and drive then before.
I love that my journey has inspired you all to do it too and thats what pushes me to go further. If you would like to keep up with my daily schedule, stay motivated and inspired then follow my snapchat - Facesbygrace23.
I will leave you with some healthy food ideas from my week.
I hope everyone is taking full advantage of the warm weather. I am currently chilling in my garden, baking in the heat.
Here is a little progress picture. There is a year in the difference. A size 14 to a size 10.
Today was Judgement Day.
As much as I wanted to loose the pound and a half to get my 2 stone award, in the back of my mind I had doubts. When I stepped on the scales and my weight had remained the same, I have to admit, I was gutted. In saying that, I had a funeral this week on top of a lot of events where there was yummy eats and treats. I hadn't been as strict on myself this week as I had in previous weeks. I think this was the kick up the butt I needed to make me see that I still have to work hard and not allow myself as many Syns as I have been.
One big problem I have is coffee. I am obsessed with flat whites, cappuccinos and lattes. This week I vow to steer clear of them and to make better food choices.
Another update from me is that I have changed my goal. When I joined SW 13 weeks ago my initial goal was to drop 3 stone 3 pounds which would make me bang on 10stone. After the weeks passed and my weight dropped, I reevaluated my goal and changed it.
Now I want to be 11 stone or just under that. When I set my goal I didn't really think about it. I just pulled a random number out of my head and said it. Now I fit comfortably into a size 10 top and bottom I feel that if I went to 10 stone I would be too thin. I am tall at 5:6 and am very curvy. I have an hourglass figure and I am very happy with how I feel now at my current weight.
All I want now is to get fit, continue to be healthy and tone up. From here on in it is more of a healthy and clean lifestyle I want to lead. I want to get into nutrient more, research and understand the types of food I eat. I want to lead a balanced life where I am able to have the odd takeaway or bar of chocolate but never go back to the way I was. I am so much more happy & confident now and have so much more energy and drive then before.
I love that my journey has inspired you all to do it too and thats what pushes me to go further. If you would like to keep up with my daily schedule, stay motivated and inspired then follow my snapchat - Facesbygrace23.
I will leave you with some healthy food ideas from my week.
Until next weeks update, stay healthy, stay happy and stay focused. Only you can change you.
Love
Grace xox
Hey all,
I hope you all had a lovely and chocolate free Easter.... No, who am I kidding, I love chocolate but I kept it to a minimum this year. My mam and sister both got me a plant each :) I was delighted. I am obsessed with flowers. My mam also got me the mini lindt bunnies that are only 3 syns each so I have been rationing them for the week haha. I am trying to see how long the 6 will last but it's not looking good for those poor bunnies.
So a quick update on my weight loss. I lost half a pound this week. I was a bit gutted to be honest because I was hoping for 2 and a half pound but not to worry, I still am down which is great. I am pushing for the 2 pounds for this week and that will be 2 stone in 12 weeks which I can hardly believe myself.
So I posted a picture this week of mine and Christopher version of SW Chilli Beef and so many people wanted to know how to make it so I thought I would share it with you today.
You can add any veggies of your choice but this is our preference. Here is the original recipe but we tailored it to our taste. Chris likes to have his with nachos and this week for a change I had mine on an iceberg lettuce leaf and it was delightful.
Firstly we browned of 95% fat free lean mince in garlic and added onions. In a separate pan we added all the veggies, chillis, peppers, mushrooms and once they were cooked we added kidney beans and a tin of chopped tomatoes. We seasoned with salt, pepper, cumin, chilli flakes and Worcestershire sauce and then mixed the mince mixture in with it. We then added a pint of beef stock to the mixture and a cup of rice. Next bring it to the boil then turn the heat down and allow to simmer while the rice cooks. We then transferred the chilli beef to a pyrex dish, topped with Low Low cheese and stuck it in the oven till the cheese melted and turned golden brown.
After all your hard work the only thing left to do is sit down and enjoy your homemade chilli beef. I really hope you give it a go, it is one of my favourite meals and something myself and Chris love cooking together.
If you would like more post like this please let me know and to keep up to date with my daily meals and motivation then follow me on snapchat - Facesbygrace23
I hope you all had a lovely and chocolate free Easter.... No, who am I kidding, I love chocolate but I kept it to a minimum this year. My mam and sister both got me a plant each :) I was delighted. I am obsessed with flowers. My mam also got me the mini lindt bunnies that are only 3 syns each so I have been rationing them for the week haha. I am trying to see how long the 6 will last but it's not looking good for those poor bunnies.
So a quick update on my weight loss. I lost half a pound this week. I was a bit gutted to be honest because I was hoping for 2 and a half pound but not to worry, I still am down which is great. I am pushing for the 2 pounds for this week and that will be 2 stone in 12 weeks which I can hardly believe myself.
So I posted a picture this week of mine and Christopher version of SW Chilli Beef and so many people wanted to know how to make it so I thought I would share it with you today.
You can add any veggies of your choice but this is our preference. Here is the original recipe but we tailored it to our taste. Chris likes to have his with nachos and this week for a change I had mine on an iceberg lettuce leaf and it was delightful.
Now I will share with you how we made ours.
Firstly we browned of 95% fat free lean mince in garlic and added onions. In a separate pan we added all the veggies, chillis, peppers, mushrooms and once they were cooked we added kidney beans and a tin of chopped tomatoes. We seasoned with salt, pepper, cumin, chilli flakes and Worcestershire sauce and then mixed the mince mixture in with it. We then added a pint of beef stock to the mixture and a cup of rice. Next bring it to the boil then turn the heat down and allow to simmer while the rice cooks. We then transferred the chilli beef to a pyrex dish, topped with Low Low cheese and stuck it in the oven till the cheese melted and turned golden brown.
After all your hard work the only thing left to do is sit down and enjoy your homemade chilli beef. I really hope you give it a go, it is one of my favourite meals and something myself and Chris love cooking together.
If you would like more post like this please let me know and to keep up to date with my daily meals and motivation then follow me on snapchat - Facesbygrace23
See you same time next week :)
Love
Grace xox
Hey dolls,
Can I just say thanks again for all the lovely comments that have come my way since my last post. I'm so glad my journey is inspiring you. You might want to turn away now though!
I know it's not massive and I was practically on two weeks holidays so I am glad is wasn't a bigger gain.
Anyway, today is the start of Week 11 and I'm back on track. No excuses and no holidays planned, for a few months anyway haha. So as Easter approaches I wanted to give you all the heads up when it comes to how many Syns are actually in the eggs.
These are not the free type of eggs we at SW are used to, so beware! They have a massive amount of Syns.
It's holidays like these where we need to be on our toes and be well equipped so we don't fail and undo all the good that we have done so far.
Believe me I was as shocked when I saw the Syn value in some of these.
Let me start with my favourite chocolate. The Lindt Bunny! Without fail I get one of these for Easter and Christmas and for all other occasions when Lindt decides to make a glorious chocolate mould of any animal! But I will be rethinking my chocolate choices after today.
56 Syns is almost 4 days worth of Syns! Is it really worth it? I have asked my mam not to buy me any Easter eggs this year, that way I don't even have the option of having any. I told her to pick me up the mini bunnies if she can, that way I know I am only having 3 syns per bunny :)
Can I just say thanks again for all the lovely comments that have come my way since my last post. I'm so glad my journey is inspiring you. You might want to turn away now though!
Week 10 and I gained half a pound! haha
I know it's not massive and I was practically on two weeks holidays so I am glad is wasn't a bigger gain.
Anyway, today is the start of Week 11 and I'm back on track. No excuses and no holidays planned, for a few months anyway haha. So as Easter approaches I wanted to give you all the heads up when it comes to how many Syns are actually in the eggs.
These are not the free type of eggs we at SW are used to, so beware! They have a massive amount of Syns.
It's holidays like these where we need to be on our toes and be well equipped so we don't fail and undo all the good that we have done so far.
Believe me I was as shocked when I saw the Syn value in some of these.
Let me start with my favourite chocolate. The Lindt Bunny! Without fail I get one of these for Easter and Christmas and for all other occasions when Lindt decides to make a glorious chocolate mould of any animal! But I will be rethinking my chocolate choices after today.
Take a look
56 Syns is almost 4 days worth of Syns! Is it really worth it? I have asked my mam not to buy me any Easter eggs this year, that way I don't even have the option of having any. I told her to pick me up the mini bunnies if she can, that way I know I am only having 3 syns per bunny :)
I don't want to turn you off chocolate but I just want to make you all aware of how much sugar and fat is in these eggs! I couldn't believe it so had to share it with you all too.
Have some chocolate this Easter, just don't eat 5 eggs to yourself haha. Have a great week what ever you're doing and I'll catch you same time next week with a new update!
If you want to follow me on snapchat for daily food ideas and funny videos feel free to add me :)
My username is Facesbygrace23
Thanks for stopping by and Happy Healthy Eating
Love
Grace xox
Hi my loves,
Firstly let me say I am soooo happy that my journey and weight loss has inspired some of you to do the same. You have no idea how amazing it is getting comments, tweets and emails telling me I am the reason that some of you have joined Slimming world or began your own personal journey to weight loss. It makes it all worth while knowing I am helping others to achieve their goals. It's what pushes me to do better myself knowing that I have all of you behind me pushing me on.
So a quick update - As some of you may know, if you follow me on my social media, I was in Malaga last week on a hen party. I was not very positive last Tuesday as I queued up to weigh in but I said to myself "Feck it Grace, you were on your holidays and you enjoyed the last couple of days away!" I would have been ok with a gain as I had consumed a lot of alcohol and really enjoyed the food I ate, but I also made healthy choices when ordering and drank a lot of water in between drinks. I was so shocked when my consultant told me I was down 3.5lb. I literally couldn't believe it and to top it off I won Slimmer of the Week for a second time :)
I was sooo thrilled and proud of my achievements. I just wanted to get home so I could post a picture and share it with my amazing followers because I knew that picture would help some people who needed a bit of motivation.
Sometimes I even question how I am losing weight so fast but then I know I'm making better choices and it's reflected on the scales. You can't eat 10 packets of crisps and 10 chocolate bars a week and expect to have a loss! It just won't happen. I have my treat when I really want it and when I know I have been good and deserve it but other that that I stick to the plan. I don't ever eat Syns for the sake of it, I save them for occasions when I know I will need them.
For my 10th week in Slimming World I will do a Q&A post. For those of you who want to ask me anything, feel free to tweet me, comment on my Instagram or email me. I will leave all my social media links below.
To those of you reading this, you are reading it for a reason! You either are on your own journey to a healthier you or you want to start! I always say why not start today! What are you waiting for?
Thank you to everyone for their continued support! You have no idea how much it is helping and motivating me to keep going. It's not the easiest of things to do but believe me it is the most rewarding. I haven't felt this confident and comfortable in my own skin in years!
Firstly let me say I am soooo happy that my journey and weight loss has inspired some of you to do the same. You have no idea how amazing it is getting comments, tweets and emails telling me I am the reason that some of you have joined Slimming world or began your own personal journey to weight loss. It makes it all worth while knowing I am helping others to achieve their goals. It's what pushes me to do better myself knowing that I have all of you behind me pushing me on.
So a quick update - As some of you may know, if you follow me on my social media, I was in Malaga last week on a hen party. I was not very positive last Tuesday as I queued up to weigh in but I said to myself "Feck it Grace, you were on your holidays and you enjoyed the last couple of days away!" I would have been ok with a gain as I had consumed a lot of alcohol and really enjoyed the food I ate, but I also made healthy choices when ordering and drank a lot of water in between drinks. I was so shocked when my consultant told me I was down 3.5lb. I literally couldn't believe it and to top it off I won Slimmer of the Week for a second time :)
Here are some of the awards I have received over the last 9 weeks and my lovely bag of fruit for winning Slimmer of the Week
I was sooo thrilled and proud of my achievements. I just wanted to get home so I could post a picture and share it with my amazing followers because I knew that picture would help some people who needed a bit of motivation.
Sometimes I even question how I am losing weight so fast but then I know I'm making better choices and it's reflected on the scales. You can't eat 10 packets of crisps and 10 chocolate bars a week and expect to have a loss! It just won't happen. I have my treat when I really want it and when I know I have been good and deserve it but other that that I stick to the plan. I don't ever eat Syns for the sake of it, I save them for occasions when I know I will need them.
Here is a little progress picture and I am so happy with the changes in my body.
 |
| Week 1 Week 9 |
For my 10th week in Slimming World I will do a Q&A post. For those of you who want to ask me anything, feel free to tweet me, comment on my Instagram or email me. I will leave all my social media links below.
To those of you reading this, you are reading it for a reason! You either are on your own journey to a healthier you or you want to start! I always say why not start today! What are you waiting for?
Thank you to everyone for their continued support! You have no idea how much it is helping and motivating me to keep going. It's not the easiest of things to do but believe me it is the most rewarding. I haven't felt this confident and comfortable in my own skin in years!
Thanks for taking the time to read my posts! I love you all.
Love
Grace xox
Instagram - https://instagram.com/facesbygrace23/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/FacesByGrace
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/facesbygracexx
Snapchat - Facesbygrace23
Hey lovelies,
Since I started posting about my Slimming World journey I have been asked to share my meal plan with you. Today I want to give you a quick update on my weight loss and let you in on what I have been eating and how I am finding this new healthier me.
In the last 7 weeks I have lost 1 stone and a half, 21.5lbs down. I am over the moon and never thought I would have lost that much weight in such a short amount of time. This diet is really working for me and I know that I will keep it up and maintain it in the future. I am down to a size 10 now, clothes are fitting and are even too big now. It is such a confidence booster and I feel like a completely different person. If you want to change the way you feel about your body I urge you to start today and become that version you have always wanted to be. I got weighed in today and received my stone and a half reward. I was so thrilled.
Now on to what I have been eating. I think the best way to keep yourself in the game and to stop yourself from falling off the wagon is to vary your meals and keep all your meals exciting. It is hard at the beginning to think of new things to eat everyday but there are hundreds of options. Here are a few meal options
Breakfast -
Berries with fat free natural yogurt.
Weetabix(HEB) with berries, banana & slimline milk
Lean bacon medallions & eggs, slims bagel
Syn free pancakes & berries
Lunch -
Pasta salad with eggs and meat
Slims bagel with meat, hard boiled egg, turkey or chicken
Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon.
Fruit salad
Snack -
Muller light yogurt
Fruit
Carrot sticks
Brogues crackers & cottage cheese
Dinner
Chicken filet, veg and potatoes.
Spaghetti Bolognese with fresh veg
Lasagne with salad
Chill beef with veg
Since I started posting about my Slimming World journey I have been asked to share my meal plan with you. Today I want to give you a quick update on my weight loss and let you in on what I have been eating and how I am finding this new healthier me.
In the last 7 weeks I have lost 1 stone and a half, 21.5lbs down. I am over the moon and never thought I would have lost that much weight in such a short amount of time. This diet is really working for me and I know that I will keep it up and maintain it in the future. I am down to a size 10 now, clothes are fitting and are even too big now. It is such a confidence booster and I feel like a completely different person. If you want to change the way you feel about your body I urge you to start today and become that version you have always wanted to be. I got weighed in today and received my stone and a half reward. I was so thrilled.
Now on to what I have been eating. I think the best way to keep yourself in the game and to stop yourself from falling off the wagon is to vary your meals and keep all your meals exciting. It is hard at the beginning to think of new things to eat everyday but there are hundreds of options. Here are a few meal options
Breakfast -
Berries with fat free natural yogurt.
Weetabix(HEB) with berries, banana & slimline milk
Lean bacon medallions & eggs, slims bagel
Syn free pancakes & berries
Lunch -
Pasta salad with eggs and meat
Slims bagel with meat, hard boiled egg, turkey or chicken
Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon.
Fruit salad
Snack -
Muller light yogurt
Fruit
Carrot sticks
Brogues crackers & cottage cheese
Dinner
Chicken filet, veg and potatoes.
Spaghetti Bolognese with fresh veg
Lasagne with salad
Chill beef with veg
I love trying new things and mixing up my meals to keep me interested. The key to weigh loss is a healthy diet. You can have small treats but not to often and not a lot. Keep your plate packed with lots of lovely colours and eat lots of speed food to help aid in your weight loss.
I will report back next week with some progress pics and my fitness routine that I will be kick starting next week :)
If you have any questions let me know in a comment below
Happy Healthy Eating
Grace xox
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