New group

Weight loss update, I have currently lost 16st 3lb

My blog this week is to talk about my new Slimming world group that opens on the 13th June.

Within a few months of joining slimming world I soon realised that one day in the future I would love to do what my consultant Katrina does for me and my fellow group members, earlier this year I attended one of slimming world's consultant opportunity events to find out some info about how I go about becoming one, after the event I was happy with what I needed to do. I passed my interviews and then was formally offered the role. A few weeks ago I attended a training course at head office, where I met some fabulous people on the same journey as myself answer we all had a great time.

My new group now opens in 3 weeks I am seriously excited about that fact whilst also being a bit nervous at the same time, will I get people through the door on the first night, will I remember everything I need to say.

The thing I am looking forward to the most is being able to help people change there lives and feeling like I do every day since losing all my weight, in some ways the feeling is undescribable but the feeling I get when my kids smile at me when we are running around the park is so wonderful it makes all the effort and commitment worth while. 

Losing weight is no easy journey there are days when all you want to do is eat the wrong foods and go back to all your bad habits, but it's those days you remember what your consultant told you in group and gets you back on the right track. It's that reason why all slimming world consultants have to have done the plan so they know exactly what their members are going through.

Over the next few weeks before "opening night" I am doing my promotion which is pretty full on, I have thousands of leaflets to deliver, posters to put up, attend community events to name just a few, but I will treat the whole thing the same way I have always treated the plan, the more effort and commitment I put in the better the results I am going to get.

Before I know it the night will be here and I can start to support all my new members, be it on the end of the phone when they need help, celebrate with them when they do well and as a group we will all have fun and support each other .

If anybody from the Sidmouth area reads this blog and is considering trying to lose weight, give me a call or pop along to my group one night to meet me and I promise you that I will do everything in my power to help you achieve your weight loss dreams and give you the magical feeling I get every day.

HINTS AND TIPS

Weight loss update, this week I lost 7lb which takes me to 15 stone 5.5lbs off in total 

This week i wanted to share a few tips that hopefully help you stick to your weight loss journeys.

1. Don’t even try to change your eating until you have learned important skills, such as how to motivate yourself every day, how to get yourself to use good eating habits, how to withstand hunger and craving, and how to get yourself back on track immediately when you make a mistake.

2. Motivate yourself every day by reading a long list of reasons that you want to lose weight every morning. Pull out this list at vulnerable times of the day, as well.

3.Eat everything sitting down, slowly, and enjoy every bite–whether or not you feel like it. It’s much more difficult to allow yourself to eat off plan, eat mindlessly, or binge if you are doing this.

4. Stay accountable. Write down what you eat in a food diary, or via a smartphone app

5. Change your mindset about food and eating. Recognise that you can eat whatever you want whenever you want OR you can be thinner. You can’t have it both ways. Having the syns on plan will help this a bit.

6. Prove to yourself that hunger is never an emergency (if you don’t have a serious medical condition). Skip lunch and snacks one day. You’ll find that hunger is only mildly uncomfortable, compared to real discomfort such as you might have experienced after surgery or after breaking a bone; that hunger comes and goes, lasting no more than 5-10 minutes at a time, usually; that hunger is certainly tolerable.

7.  Teach yourself the difference between hunger (that empty feeling in your stomach when you haven’t eaten for a few hours) and craving or the desire to eat (which you will feel in your mouth or throat). Ultimately, you want to just label what you’re feeling (hunger, craving, tiredness, boredom, or a negative emotion) and tolerate it without eating. In the short-run, have a list of powerful distractions to turn your attention away from food.

8  Regularise your eating with a set plan of meals and snacks. Some people do well with no snacks, some with a snack after each meal, some with two snacks after dinner. Eat only when it’s time to eat; not when you feel like eating.

9. Tell yourself that every time matters. It’s not necessarily the calories (after all, cookie crumbs are not very fattening); it’s the HABIT. Every time you eat something you weren’t supposed to, you strengthen your giving in muscle, which makes it more likely that the next time you’ll give in and the time after that and the time after that. Every time you stick to your plan when you’re tempted to eat something else, you strengthen your resistance muscle, which makes it more likely that the next time you’ll resist, and the time after that and the time after that.

10.  Try to exercise regularly.

11.  Drink plenty of fluids, sometimes when you think you are feeling hungry just having a glass of water will make you feel 100% better.

12  Talk, do be afraid to talk things through with a friend or another member from group, chances are they have had similar feelings and will help you through any tough times.

  

TIP OF THE WEEK

Have plenty of variety in your diet, it is all to easy to get stuck eating the same old foods every week. Try to keep things fresh by introducing new and different foods into your diet.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

ingredients

380g steak, all visible fat removed
2 garlic cloves
2 onions, 2 turnips, 3 carrots and 2 courgettes
Fry Light
A sprig of rosemary
1 tbsp beef stock made with Bovril
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
2-3 tbsp artificial sweetener
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

method

1. Prepare the ingredients: cut the steak into bite-sized pieces; peel and crush the garlic; peel and chop the onions; turnips and carrots; slice the courgettes.

2. Heat a large pan sprayed with Fry Light. Add the steak and fry for 5-6 minutes until lightly browned. Add the garlic, onions, turnips, carrots, rosemary, stock, chopped tomatoes and artificial sweetener and stir well. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the courgettes and cook for a further 8-10 minutes or until just tender. Season well and serve garnished with freshly chopped parsley.

Tip: Ring the changes by using extra lean beef or pork mince instead of steak in this recipe.

YOU CAN FOLLOW ME VIA TWITTER, @PAULPALMER227

BAD WEEKS

                                                      Me with all my awards to date

This week i had a small gain of 2.5lbs taking my total to 14st 12.5lbs off in total.

There is no real theme to this weeks blog but instead i just wanted to talk about how i deal with gaining weight like i have done this week.
So i got to group this morning after having a great week, i have been 100% on plan with no more Syns than usual and even resisted all the Easter eggs and hot cross buns over the easter weekend but when i stepped onto the scales i saw a gain of 2.5lbs. The first thing then entered my head was oh my god what has happened and straight away i started to feel bad and beat myself up. After a few minutes i then start to think back over the last week to find out why this might have happened. Did i cheat somehow?, did i not measure things right? have i eaten the wrong stuff? all these though go spinning through mind.
After a while i realized that i had not done anything wrong so i looked at the bigger picture, i have lost 10Lbs over the last 2 weeks so i cant expect to have big losses every week. i then realized that my fitness regime was different this week, because of the bank holiday my usual step classes weren't on and i didn't play squash this week so have hardly done any cardio workouts, what I did instead was a lot of weight training at the gym. So instead of losing weight this week i have lost inches which is some ways is just as important. Like my consultant says muscle weighs more than fat.
So i think the main thing to take away when you have weeks that you weren't expecting is to take stock and really think things through and don't let it get you down because if you do that is when you will be tempted and then eat the wrong things and then before you know it one bad week turns into two and then things can spiral out of control.
Another big point i would say is that when you have a bad week it is important that you don't just walk out of the group but to stay and talk things over with your consultant and the other members. The feedback you get from them is invaluable and will help to get your head in the right place before you go home.

I hope that after you have read this blog the next time you have a bad week you will think about what i have said and maybe put my ideas into practice and hopefully then turn things around for the following week.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

4x 115g skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp grated lime zest
juice of 2 limes
1 tsp ground ginger and 1 tsp finely grated garlic
3 tbsp mild curry powder
½ red onion
200g cherry tomatoes
110g baby leaf spinach
400g boiled wholemeal pasta shapes
2 x 150g pots fat free natural yogurt
2 tbsp Vanilla Müllerlight Yogurt
6 tbsp finely chopped mint
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
1 tbsp soy sauce
Fry Light

1. Cut the chicken into thin strips and place in a bowl with the lime zest and juice, ground ginger, garlic and curry powder. Toss to mix. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour (overnight if possible).

2. Thinly slice the onion and halve the tomatoes, place in a bowl with the spinach and cooked pasta and mix.

3. Make the dressing: place the natural yogurt, vanilla yogurt, mint, coriander and soy sauce in a food processor and blend until smooth.

4. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Heat a non-stick griddle pan sprayed with Fry Light. Add the chicken to the pan (in batches if necessary) and cook for 6-8 minutes, turning once, until cooked through.

5. Divide the salad between four serving plates, top with the chicken strips and drizzle over the dressing.

Tip: This recipe is not suitable for home freezing.

YOU CAN FOLLOW ME VIA TWITTER @PAULPALMER227

Weight loss update, i lost 3.5lb this week which takes my total to 14st 6lb lost . It also means i hit my double century by losing 202 pounds, i was also crowned my groups great loser 2013.

This week i wanted to talk briefly about some of the effects of weight loss both positive and negative

Starting a healthy eating program can put you on an initial emotional high. It's exciting to make a fresh start. But as time goes on it's normal to start missing your 'former food life,' comfortable rituals, like curling up on the couch with chocolates while watching TV. It's also tough to let go of the freedom that comes with just eating whatever you want, whenever you want, as much as you want. Honestly, it really is a mourning period as you come to terms with letting go of the former relationship you had with food. Sometimes no matter how motivated you are to adopt healthier habits, these feelings can make you want to throw in the towel. Just remember, it's not that you don't have enough willpower – you're just human.

Change is always difficult, even when it's a healthy change. If you feel like giving up, think about all of the reasons why you're doing this that really matter to you. It may sound cheesy but making a list can really help. Write down of all the 'pros' of staying on track. For example, maybe you're looking for more energy or confidence, or you want to be a healthy role model for your kids or family. When you feel like falling back into your old routines, remind yourself how important the things on that list are to you. And if your old habits were to meet emotional needs, experiment with alternatives to fill the void. For example, if you used to turn to food for comfort or to celebrate, try out other ways to meet those needs that don't involve eating.

One of the biggest effects i have experienced is the further along my weigh loss journey i have come the colder i have been feeling, honestly before i joined slimming world i lived in shorts and t-shirts all year round but now i have had to buy jumpers, hats and scarves and really feel it in my extremities. It is not a massive negative but it is certainly an effect of my weight loss.

A couple of other weird effects i have found is that is firstly my balance suffered for a while which i suppose as i lost weight my center of gravity must have changed, i would be playing squash and reach for the ball and then fall over, it is fine now but was a strange feeling at the time. the other effect is my buoyancy has changed quite dramatically, i no longer float like i used to but now just sink to the bottom.

Another effect i have felt is more of a mental issue, in my own head i still feel like a large person, i still have habits like crossing my arms over my stomach to hide my belly because of feeling self conscious, even though that belly is not there any more. When i buy new clothes i automatically pick up the biggest sizes, and even when i hold the right size in my hands i look at it and think 'that's not going to fit'. I think this comes from years of being a large person and things like that just become second nature so i think it will probably take some time to overcome those habits.

On a more positive note i have found that it is the little things i encounter on a day to day basis have the most profound effect on me. Recently had a check up with my GP and in the waiting room i never used to fit in the chairs with the arms so always had to find one without, but last time i fitted comfortably in the ones with arms. It was a very simple thing but it certainly put a smile on my face.

Just being able to go go into a normal shop to buy clothes is an amazing feeling, i spent years buying my clothes online from websites like 'sizedwell' and 'fatmanclothing.com'. Its not just an emotional thing but also a financial one to, the differences i have found are huge, i can now pick up a t shirt for a couple of quid whereas before i could easily pay £30 for one. 

Without a doubt the positives outweigh the negatives so what i have learnt is to not dwell on any negative things but to remember all the positive things and look forward to a much fit and healthier life.

TIP OF THE WEEK 

Don't bottle things up, if any negative thoughts enter you mind share them with a loved one or a friend and talk them through. If you let them build up you will find yourself tempted by all the wrong things and will end up sabotaging your plan.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

4 egg whites

198g castet sugar

71g coconut

  

1. Beat the egg whites until frothy (Make sure no yolk whatsoever has contaminated the egg whites, otherwise you could be whisking for ever!)

2. Add the sugar and beat until stiff. 

3. Fold in the coconut and using a metal teaspoon, drop small amounts of the mixture onto a parchment covered baking sheet, creating 30 macaroons.

4. Bake for 30 minutes in a preheated oven (170ºC/325ºF/Gas Mark 3).

5. Remove from oven, and allow to cool for a few minutes before removing them from the baking sheet.

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @PAULPALMER227

                                        LATEST PICTURE UPDATE

Weight loss update, this week I lost another 3lb taking my total loss to 14st 2lb, only another 4st 11lbs until target= BRING IT ON !!!

EXCUSES

If making excuses was an Olympic event, would you be a gold medalist? For many people trying to lose weight, making excuses not to exercise or modify their eating habits is often their greatest barrier to weight loss success.

If making excuses is one of your barriers to successful long term weight loss, adopting some of the tips in this blog will help you on your way to becoming the healthier and happier person you know you can be.

Why people make excuses

All of us make excuses from time to time. The most common reasons that we make excuses not to do things, like exercise regularly to lose weight, include: 

• Making excuses is easy.

• We have our priorities wrong.

• We are busy and have limited time available each day.

• We don't know how to start what we said we would.

• We believe tomorrow will always come.

• We lack commitment and integrity.

• We can always find more pleasurable things to do.

• We like instant gratification and are generally impatient.

• We don't have strong or well-constructed goals.

• We don't really believe that the benefits of action outweigh the costs.

• We have a negative attitude.

• We prefer to play the role of a victim of circumstance.

• We mistakenly think heart disease, diabetes & other lifestyle diseases will 'never happen to us'.

• We are happy to live in a state of denial.

• We have a very, very short memory (we've forgotten how bad we felt the last time we tried to put on our jeans or saw a photo of ourselves for example).

Here are some common weight loss avoidance excuses

• I don't have time.

• I have too many other priorities (work, kids, housework, etc).

• Nobody wants to help me.

• I don't get any support at home.

• I'm injured.

• I don't feel good.

• I'm too out of shape.

• I'm too upset.

• I'm too busy taking care of the kids.

• I do enough exercise at work.

• I'm too tired.

• My problem is hormonal.

• It's too hot, too cold, or it's raining outside.

• Exercise is boring.

• I'm too heavy.

• I can't afford to eat healthy.

• Exercise is really hard.

• I don't know where to start.

• I'm too old.

• I might fail.

• I'll start tomorrow.

• I hate exercise.

• I can't get motivated.

Overcoming these excuses

If any of these popular excuses are stopping you from achieving your ideal weight and becoming happier and healthier there is good news for you - they can all be overcome. Here's how:

No time. 

• Look at what you are actually spending your time on and eliminate unnecessary or unimportant things from your schedule.

• Reassess your priorities - your health should be high among them.

• Look for opportunities to combine things, like spending time with the kids and walking or exercising while watching TV.

• Keep a daily diary to plan your day.

• Simply get up earlier or stay up later.

• Remember exercising for even 15 minutes a day is better than nothing.

• Planning meals is the key to healthy eating for the time challenged among us.

Too many other priorities. 

• Change your priorities and let everyone around you know what they are.

• Remind yourself how important your weight loss goal is to your health and happiness.

• Keep a photo of yourself from when you started close at hand to remind you of your priorities.

• Simplify your life, maybe you're trying to do too much.

Nobody to help me. 

• Join a gym
• Speak to your consultant
• Talk to a friend

• Educate yourself by reading articles on exercise and healthy diets

• Don't confuse help with doing all the work for you - at the end of the day what you do will determine whether you succeed or not.

I don't get enough support at home. 

• Support is great, but you can succeed without it if you have to.

• You'll find those around you become more supportive if they know you're serious and see first hand the effort you're putting in.

• Get started anyway and you'll find the support comes as you prove how committed you are and begin to get the results you crave.

I'm injured. 

• Almost everybody over 30 has some form of injury or ailment to deal with; the key is to find ways of working around them.

• Find something you can do, if you can't run, walk, if you can't walk, swim, if you can't swim, cycle, or dance.

• Remember you goal is to lose weight, so any activity that uses energy will help.

• Get advice or help from your local GP, physiotherapist.

• Injuries aren't an excuse to eat poorly so don't try to manage your injury frustrations with unhealthy food.

I don't feel good. 

• Nothing will help you feel better than becoming fitter and eating healthier.

I'm too out of shape. 

• This is the reason you should exercise, not the reason you shouldn't.

• Start with simple exercise at a relatively low intensity (such as slow walking) if you can't manage anything more strenuous.

• Remember to talk to your doctor before starting any exercise program.

I'm too upset. 

• Exercise and healthier eating are great ways to help you cope with the many stresses of life.

• Try taking your frustrations out on a punching bag and I promise you'll feel better and burn valuable calories.

I'm too busy taking care of the family or kids. 

• Incorporate them in your exercise routine and make healthier meals for all of you.

• If you have very small children, push their pram around your local park, with older children walk next to them while they ride their bikes, go swimming together or take them to the zoo and just walk around.

I do enough exercise at work. 

• Even very active jobs aren't necessarily well balanced so plan your exercise programs accordingly.

I'm too tired. 

• Exercise and healthier eating will help you get better quality sleep.

• Exercise and healthier eating will increase your energy levels so you'll be able to cope better with all of life's challenges and be able to exercise as well.

• If you lead a busy lifestyle and add exercise on top you will feel a little more tired for the first few weeks, but after that your body will adjust and you'll have more energy than ever.

My problem is hormonal. 

• Exercise and good nutrition can help counteract the effects of and may sometimes even help stabilize hormones.

It's too hot, too cold, or it's raining outside. 

• If you know it's going to be hot, exercise in the early morning or late evening when it's cooler, or exercise in an air-conditioned space.

• If it's too cold, wear a few layers of clothes to start with and shed these layers as your body warms up from the exercise.

• If it's raining outside, exercise inside.

Exercise is boring. 

• Find an exercise that you like - there are plenty of choices.

• Remember your priorities - exercise isn't for entertainment, it's to help make you happier and healthier.

• Varying your routine can help you overcome exercise boredom.

• The fitter and stronger you become, the more you'll enjoy exercise.

I'm too heavy. 

• If you are very heavy, speak to your doctor before exercising to find the safest exercise program for you.

• Start out slow and easy.

• Being heavy doesn't stop you from eating less and more nutritionally.

I can't afford to eat healthy. 

• Natural healthy food like fresh fruit and vegetables is the cheapest food around!

• Try frozen fruits and vegetables

Exercise is really hard. 

• It doesn't need to be hard to be effective.

• Easy exercise is better than no exercise at all.

• Exercise becomes easier the more of it you do.

I don't know where to start. 

• Start by seeing your doctor for a health check.

• Join your local slimming world gro

I'm too old. 

• You're never too old to benefit from healthier living, just be sure to see your doctor first before starting an exercise program and take it easy to begin with.

• Don't believe the myth that as we get older we naturally become larger, becoming larger for most of us is a matter of lifestyle, not age.

I might fail. 

• You haven't failed until you give up.

• Remember losing weight is not an event.

• Think positive and stay committed.

I'll start tomorrow. 

• Be honest with yourself.

• Just do it today!

I hate exercise. 

• Exercise can be fun - try walking the dog or playing catch with your children for example.

I can't get motivated. 

• Setting clear goals and having a progressive plan combined with the right intensity of desire are the keys to motivating yourself.

• If you need help, get it.

• Being around others with the same goals as you can be very motivating, so staying at your group each week will help you.

Conclusion 

No matter who you are or what your circumstances you can lose weight if you change some of your lifestyle habits.

For many people trying to lose weight, making excuses not to exercise or modify their eating habits is often their greatest barrier to weight loss success.

If making excuses is one of your barriers to successful long term weight loss Ihope the information provided above will help you overcome this detrimental habit and help you on your way to becoming a happier, healthier you.

Final Thought 

If after reading all of the above you still feel the need to make excuses remember this thought from George Bernard Shaw:

People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them. 

Tip of the week

Stay positive – no matter what the scales say each week, keep a positive state of mind, draw a line under any slip ups and move on.

Recipe of the week

Ingredients

1.5-2kg/3lb 5oz-4lb 8oz pork shoulder, all fat removed
5 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp mustard powder
500g passata
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 tbsp sweetener
salt and freshly ground black pepper 

1. In a small bowl, mix passata, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, mustard powder, garlic, sweetener and seasoning. Transfer to a small pan and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.

2. Meanwhile, trim and remove all visible fat from the pork and sear all sides in a hot frying pan sprayed with low calorie cooking spray. Transfer to a roasting tin lined with aluminium foil and pour the sauce over the pork making sure all the meat is covered. Cover with the foil and bake on 160°C for 4-5 hours.

3. Remove the pork from the oven and place on a cutting board. Allow the meat to cool for approximately 15 minutes, then shred into bite-sized pieces using two forks

Enjoy!

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER - @PAULPALMER227

EXCUSES

Weight loss update – this week I lost another 3.5lbs which takes my total to 13st 13.5lbs lost, so I will be working hard to achieve that 14st award next week.

Last week I talked about emotional eating so I thought I would expand on that topic a bit further

Many of us learn that food can bring comfort, at least in the short-term. As a result, we often turn to food to heal emotional problems. Eating becomes a habit preventing us from learning skills that can effectively resolve our emotional distress. Depression, boredom, loneliness, chronic anger, anxiety, frustration, stress, problems with relationships, and poor self-esteem can result in overeating and unwanted weight gain.

By identifying what triggers our emotional eating, we can substitute more appropriate techniques to manage our emotional problems and take food and weight gain out of the equation.

How to Identify Eating Triggers

Situations and emotions that trigger us to eat fall into five main categories.

• Social. Eating when around other people. For example, excessive eating can result from being encouraged by others to eat; eating to fit in; arguing; or feelings of inadequacy around other people.
• Emotional. Eating in response to boredom, stress, fatigue, tension, depression, anger, anxiety, or loneliness as a way to "fill the void."
• Situational. Eating because the opportunity is there. For example, at a restaurant, seeing an advertisement for a particular food, passing by a bakery. Eating may also be associated with certain activities such as watching TV, going to the movies or a sporting event, etc.
• Thoughts. Eating as a result of negative self-worth or making excuses for eating. For example, scolding oneself for looks or a lack of will power.
• Physiological. Eating in response to physical cues. For example, increased hunger due to skipping meals or eating to cure headaches or other pain.

To identify what triggers excessive eating in you, keep a food diary that records what and when you eat as well as what stress, thoughts, or emotions you identify as you eat. You should begin to identify patterns to your excessive eating fairly quickly.

How to Stop Emotional Eating

Identifying emotional eating triggers and bad eating habits is the first step; however, this alone is not sufficient to alter eating behavior  Usually, by the time you have identified a pattern, eating in response to emotions or certain situations has become a habit. Now you have to break that habit.

Developing alternatives to eating is the second step. When you start to reach for food in response to an eating trigger, try one of the following activities instead.

• Read a good book or magazine or listen to music.
• Go for a walk or jog.
• Take a bubble bath.
• Do deep breathing exercises.
• Play cards or a board game.
• Talk to a friend.
• Do housework, laundry, or gardening
• Wash the car.
• Write a letter.
• Or do any other pleasurable or necessary activity until the urge to eat passes.
• Have a glass of water

·         

As time goes by you will find that you start to feel less attached to the types of food that are no good for you and develop new healthy habits.

On a personal note my Achilles heel was eating chocolate in the evenings whilst watching tv, I used to break up the bar and would sit picking at it, so I decided to limit the amount of time sat in front of the tv and when I did I replaced the chocolate with grapes or some other type of fruit that I could pick at. As the weeks went by I found myself no longer thinking about the chocolate and also breaking that association of watching the tv and eating chocolate.

You can’t expect to make this changes overnight, but if you work hard at trying to make a difference you will start to see significant results within a few weeks.

TIP OF THE WEEK

TALK- since I joined slimming world I have found that the most useful tool at my disposal is talking to someone when I am feeling a bit low and thinking about cheating. You could talk to a loved one or maybe a fellow member. Just by talking you will find that that you soon start to feel better and no longer want to cheat.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK 

INGREDIENTS

198g quark
¼ -½ tsp cardamom seeds, finely crushed
5 tbsp artificial sweetener
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 x 100g pots Smooth Vanilla Mullerlight yogurt
1 sachet gelatine
1 egg white
1 pomegranate, halved and seeds removed

METHOD

1. Whisk the quark. Add the cardamom seeds, sweetener, vanilla extract and yogurt, and continue to whisk until the mixture is smooth.

2. Place 2 tbsp of hot water in a small heatproof bowl and sprinkle with the gelatine. Stand the bowl in a saucepan of simmering water and stir until the gelatine has dissolved. Cool, and then whisk into the yogurt mixture.

3. Beat the egg whites until softly peaked and gently fold through the yogurt mixture. Spoon into four individual moulds. Chill into the fridge for 3-4 hours, or overnight, until set.

4. Dip the moulds in hot water for a few seconds and tip out onto serving plates. Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and serve immediately.

Tip: *Pregnant women, the elderly and babies should not eat raw eggs.

THE EMOTIONAL SIDE OF DIETING            

Weight loss update – This week I have lost 6.5lbs which takes my total loss since joining slimming world in April 2012 to 13st 10lbs which when averaged out is over 3lbs per week.

This week I wanted to touch on the emotional side of dieting, most people who decide to go on a diet are probably emotional eaters.

What is Emotional Eating?

Sometimes, the desire to eat has nothing to do with a rumbling in your stomach telling you that you need to eat. We get a strong longing for foods, particularly fattening, comforting foods, when emotions spike or plummet. We want to eat and (we think) nothing else will do. 

Are you an emotional eater?

If you eat to change your feelings, especially when you are not hungry, then you are probably an emotional eater.  Emotional eating means you let your emotions tell you when and how much you eat.

• Do you crave certain foods like chocolate when you're upset or stressed?
• Do you ever eat without realizing you're even doing it?
• Do you often feel guilty or ashamed after eating?
• Do you often eat alone or at odd locations, such as parked in your car outside your own house?
• After an unpleasant experience, such as an argument, do you eat even if you aren't feeling hungry?
• Do you feel the urge to eat when you see others eat like seeing food advertised on television?
• Do you eat because you feel bored or there's nothing else to do?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, you are an emotional eater. 

Emotional eating can sabotage your weight management efforts. Getting a handle on your tendency to eat in response to emotions can be one of the most important factors in achieving long-term weight loss success. 

I know that for a long time before I joined slimming I could answer yes to most of the points above. So how did I overcome this situation, truthfully I don’t think you can get over those feelings but more of a case of learning to manage them. One of the best exercises I was taught by my consultant was to create a for and against list of reasons I wanted to lose weight, this makes you take stock of your life and really think about things

I have mentioned in previous blogs about the reasons I joined slimming world, most of these reasons were only highlighted when I made my list, I keep that list to hand so if I have a day when I feel I could slip back into old habits I can look at it and it reminds me why I am dieting in the first place.

With all the best intentions in the world we are still only human and occasionally little hiccups may occur and how we deal with them is the important thing. I personally try not to let them get to me but to just draw a line under it and start again, if you dwell on the mistakes you are more likely to fall back into bad habits.

I believe that the main reason for my success is slimming world itself, having that network of people in group who are all trying to achieve the same goal means you always have someone to talk to and support each other.

People around you can also have an effect of your weight loss, I have spoken to people in my group and they have told me about friends telling them “how great they look all the time” or “you don’t need to lose any more weight”, these types are things are said as compliments but can often have adverse effects on your weight loss, if you are continually being told that you look good you can start to believe it and get lazy and then see your losses come to a halt and then you put more pressure on yourself to start losing again which in itself can have a negative effect so you get stuck in a bit of a vicious circle, it is at times like this to get out that list to re motivate yourself.

Losing weight can also have an effect on people around you, I know that the further I have come in my journey the more time I spend going to the gym or playing squash etc. so you have to be mindful of loved ones not feeling left out but include them in your journey, it is all too easy to get wrapped up in the whole losing weight thing that you can easily forget how you are effecting people around you.

TIP OF THE WEEK

DON'T OVER DO IT, Over the last couple of weeks I have been becoming a bit obsessed with exercising and found myself doing 2-3 hours a day which resulted in my weight loss slowing down quite dramatically, I was still losing inches but not a lot of weight, which again can affect you emotionally, so this week I cut it down to about an hour a day and saw my loss creep back up again.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1-2 tsp cayenne pepper or paprika
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp ground cumin
500g extra lean minced beef
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 red and 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into small bite-sized pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g can red kidney beans in chilli sauce
400g can mixed beans in brine, drained
300g dried long-grain rice
Coriander sprigs, to garnish (optional)
Chunky salad (cucumber, red onion and tomato), to serve

1. Place a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the cayenne pepper or paprika, cinnamon, cumin and minced beef and stir fry for 5-6 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes and peppers and bring to the boil. Season well, cover tightly and cook over a low heat for 20-25 minutes.

3. Add the beans, stir to mix well and return to the heat for another 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile cook the rice according to the packet instructions, drain and keep warm.

5. Remove the chilli from the heat and serve in warmed bowls with the rice. Garnish with the coriander, if using, and serve with the chunky salad.

Remember you can follow me on twitter @paulpalmer227