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
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 all,
After I posted about losing a stone in 4 weeks I was requested to share my food diary and let you in on what I have been eating :) I started out the week doing great but by thursday I had event after event and the healthy eating did suffer a bit. This week, starting from today I am going to go 100% SW and count everything I eat and share my food diary next Wednesday. For this week I am going to share my ups and downs of the week and a bit of motivation to keep you on the right track to weight loss.
To be honest, I was so scared for this weeks weigh in because of a number of factors. Starting off the week I was unwell with a stomach bug. On Thursday I attended a Cocoa Brown event (where I indulged in small tube of cookies & creme ice cream and some sweets, Oh and a glass of pink Champagne haha)
On Friday I attended the YouTube Event in Google HQ - watch the vlog here, and if you know Google, you will know that means free food, and not the type of free food we like to hear in Slimming World haha. I was very good and opted for a salad with half a roast chicken and some pasta. I then went to a Dior event that evening and was handed another glass of bubbly! Don't these people know I am on SW haha? I met my friends afterwards but decided not to drink (will power!)
Most of Saturday was spent curled up in a ball with stomach cramps but I did feel ok later that evening and my mam and I decided to order a takeaway. I went for chicken and black bean sauce as it has the lowest number of syns (8 if you have boiled rice)
Sunday came and I had my usual "Irish Fry" but my free version, 3 lean bacon medallions, 2 poached eggs and a slims bagel (HEB) It’s what I look forward to all weekend. I then went to visit my sisters wedding venue as they were hosting a wedding fair. Of course we sampled some wedding cake, chocolate fondant and more champers!
You can see why I was dreading weigh in this week.
We ate in the restaurant of the hotel and by that time I was in a negative mind set, as I had syned so much that week, I said sure feck it ill have a burger! Not the best choice but I had it bun less and only ate half the chips! Still a better food choice but not the best.
By monday I felt like crap BUT I really enjoyed my weekend. I was back to basics for the two days and then yesterday, day of weigh in, typically, I got my period! I was 99% sure I was going to be up and didn't even want to attend my weekly Slimming World meeting, but when I stood on the scales I was so relieved to see a lower number. I was down 1.5lb :)
I had to share this quote, I think it is hilarious
I had to share this quote, I think it is hilarious
The moral of this weeks story is, you have to enjoy yourselves, if you are going to make bad food choices just don't make the worst! I could have had the burger, bun and all and ate all the chips, but I didn't. I could have drank myself silly on Friday night and ate a big Mc Donald's afterwards but I choose not to. I could have ordered egg fried rice with my takeaway but I CHOSE NOT TO!
Only YOU can control your choices. No body is forcing you to eat certain things and over indulge. Please try and make healthier choices even if they are still slightly bad. And always go to your weekly weigh Ins even if you’re scared! You could still be down or have maintained :) Even if you are up it will only push you to work harder this week to achieve your target.
Happy healthy eating and if you have any questions you can comment below or email me grace.mongey@yahoo.ie
Love
Grace xox
Now that I have your attention, Let's get real. There are no secrets. Its all about what goes into your mouth and how much you move your body.
In the last few months I have let my diet go and decided that as it is the new year I will try lose some weight (how cliché of me) When I say some weight I mean about 2 stone (15kg) and get back to my old body and feel confident in myself again.
I have had some health issues in the past that have made me gain some weight but now I am in a happy state of mind where I want to begin this new healthy lifestyle and keep it going.
Food is the number 1 factor that will either help or hinder you on this weight loss journey.
I have decided that every friday I will post about weight loss, healthy eating and fitness.
In the last few months I have let my diet go and decided that as it is the new year I will try lose some weight (how cliché of me) When I say some weight I mean about 2 stone (15kg) and get back to my old body and feel confident in myself again.
I have had some health issues in the past that have made me gain some weight but now I am in a happy state of mind where I want to begin this new healthy lifestyle and keep it going.
In todays post I want to share with you the biggest attribute when it comes to weight loss and that is FOOD
Food is the number 1 factor that will either help or hinder you on this weight loss journey.
The rule to weight loss is as follows
Many people believe if they continue eating as normal but exercise that they will lose weight. That is not the case. When it comes to weight loss diet is the most important factor.
You must consume a clean healthy diet in order to lose weight and exercise comes second to help stay fit, tone the muscles and also lose weight.
I wanted to share some of the food I purchased this week and give you an idea of what you should be eating. This is not everything I will be eating but it is a lot of my staple things to get me through my week.
I like to stock up on a lot of fruit and veggies to make salads, to have with dinner or to snack on with hummus or cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is extremely low in fat but very high in fibre and if you can get past the mushy consistency you will love it. I love it with these Nairns oat cakes with are a slow release in energy and low in sugar.
I am a huge peanut butter fan and before I knew any different I would pick it up in my local supermarket off the shelves. That was until I discovered it was highly processed and full of bad fats. I now opt for almond butter or natural peanut butter which is far healthier. I love to have this on bananas or apples and it is so delicious it is a treat for me and feeds my sugar craving.
Speaking of sugar, I have mentioned it before, ( here )mbut sugar is your worst enemy. It is in almost all processed foods and does nothing but turn to fat once consumed. You wont believe how much sugar producers put into food to make it taste better. Even foods you consider somewhat healthy contain grams and grams of sugar. Take a blueberry flavoured yogurt. It could contain up to 14gm of sugar, a can of coke, 23gm the list is endless.
Next time you are in a supermarket take a look at the sugar contain of the foods you are picking up. You will be shocked.
When grocery shopping it is best to keep to the outer aisle of the shop as they contain most of the natural non processed foods i.e fruit, veg, dairy etc. the inner aisle are packed full of processed crap that our bodies don't want or need.
When planing meals it is important to think of what you are actually eating. Each meal should contain some sort of protein i.e meat, chicken, eggs, nuts and should contain some fruit and vegetables.
Try cut out most white processed carbohydrates i.e white bread, pasta, rice. They contain nothing but sugar. Instead substitute them for good carbs like sweet potato or quinoa ( a super food, grain high in protein)
Eat smaller meals more often to avoid binging. Snack on fruit (preferably in the morning and before noon as they are high in natural sugar which takes longer to digest) Almonds are extremely high in protein and release energy fast, veggies and hummus.
Keep it simple and clean, add in some daily exercise and you are flying.
Trust me, I have been there and done it. Now I am doing it for the second time and this time its gonna last.
Let me know what type of healthy posts you would like to see.
Love
Grace xox
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