Happy New Year – Let’s get Started!

So a lot of you will be reading this and already kind of know me now, and I’m sure (hopefully) there’ll be a few new faces joining us here

I’ve continued on the road with my Slimming World Journey and it’s stood me well, I recieved my 5st Award

My total weight lost is 5st and 3lbs.

I’m now wearing a size 12/14.

I’ve started writing about Fashion & Beauty! You can read all about it here: THE AGORAPHOBIC FASHIONISTA

AND! I have a NEW Facebook Page The Agoraphobic Fashionista on Facebook

It feels amazing. In saying that, it’s been a little anticlimatic and I think this is mostly due to Christmas taking it’s toll on my motivation and willpower.  I let myself eat whatever the hell I wanted and honestly? Feel like I’m suffering a food hangover :S This is Day 2 of being back on track completely for me and I’m glad I am.

I have to say though, if it hadn’t been for the support on my Facebook Page: SERA’S SLIMSPIRATION I wouldn’t be here writing this post right now. I’ve had such amazing support from both Facebook and Twitter I can’t express how grateful I am that you were there for me in my hour of need

I found it hard to find the will to ‘come back’ to the Slimming World Way. There’s no point in lying to you about it. It’s not easy changing your eating habits completely. It’s a great thing to do and I swear by the plan but it’s a huge and drastic change to make.

The reason I’m telling you this is because I know a lot of you are or have restarted or just joined Slimming World and at this stage are probably finding it a little tough. Believe me when I tell you that the first few weeks are the worst. You’re retraining the way you use and enjoy food. You’re doing it because you want to feel better about yourself so don’t give up. You’ve taken a HUGE step in your life and you should feel very proud that you walked into that meeting, signed up and weighed in for the first time. It takes a lot of bravery!

Basically, I just wanted to let you all know I’m back on plan.

I wanted to let you all know how grateful I am for your help and advice getting me back to where I want to be in regards to willpower and determination.

I’m here for any of you whatever problem you might have that I could possibly help with.

Remember, we’re all in this together!

Much Love & Happy Slimming

Sera

xxx

Looking back and taking stock…

The  journey I’ve been on this year has, yes, as this blog goes, mainly been about my personal struggle with my weight.

What I haven’t discussed or gone into is the emotional journey I’ve also been struggling with.

As I’m sure you maybe all know now I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder some years back now. I deal with OCD tendancies, depression and agoraphobia as a result of 1. A chemical imbalance & 2. Situations that have occurred in my life.

From an early age I was teased about my weight. I don’t think I was particularly overweight up until my late teens but was always made feel I was. I had a serious issue with my body image, I still do.. I’m sure many of you can relate to this.

I came straight out of high school and moved away from home over to England where I first of all lived in a house full of student boys. What joy it was too. :S

Living hand to mouth in the true sense of the word. Working a few hours here and there at a local coffee shop. Eating like a king one week and barely scraping by the next – typical student lifestyle! Well worse, I wasn’t a student so no student loans etc for me!

After a few years in England I visited America. This is the first I remember starting to feel overweight. In the American heat (we were there through the Summer) I could barely function outdoors. I felt heavy, unhealthy and ill most of the time.

When I came back from America I decided to try and lose weight and I still to this day do truely believe I tried! I tried Weightwatchers, Atkins, British Heart Foundation Diet, Rosemary Conley etc etc etc etc you get the picture?

Nothing was working and I became complacent again. I had a great wee job in a Musical Instrument Store, I had a brilliant social life the only problem was my partner at that time and I had completely grown apart. I started drinking a lot.

And so I moved out on my own. Got myself my own place, got a new job and vowed to turn my life around.

Then I met someone new.

All of a sudden I found myself caught up in an abusive relationship and I, at that time, had no idea how to get out of it. I was in England, by myself, not wanting to go home to my family out of sheer pride. The drinking got even worse.

It was at this point my self esteem bottomed out.

The lovely, ever gentlemanly Mark (no names have been changed) gave me a nickname that will haunt me for a long time.

He called me Flubber.

I’m not even kidding.

He constantly put me down about my weight and quite soon in I found I had no friends left I could turn to, no social life to speak of and absolutely no self esteem.

It was with a heavy heart, minus a front tooth and minus all my belongings including my beloved musical instruments that I came home nearly 6 years ago now.

Throughout the last 6 years I’ve had some amazing times

I’ve met my husband  …………..

We became parents….

I’ve come so far. Yes, I can totally say that out loud now. I’m proud of what I’ve gotten through and continue to get through.

Despite turning my life around one thing remained. I couldn’t look at myself in a mirror. I still hated my weight. I felt utterly mortified every time I went up a dress size.

 

So after I had my son I decided to join Slimming World. I came to the realisation that I was holding myself back. Nobody else was. So I took responsibility for myself. My health. My mortality.

5 stone down now and I’m pensive. I’m still unwell. I’m still struggling with my mental health issues but I’m working on it. I have enough strength to keep going and work on those just as much as I have done with my weight.

At the end of the day, nobody is waving a magic wand.  You make your own happiness in this world!

So, can weight loss change you?

YES!

If it’s something that’s holding you back, if it’s something you need to do for your health.

It feels as if I’ve been given back control, no! That’s not corrent. I’ve taken back control over something in my life. My spiralling weight gain. I feel empowered. I know I’m nowhere near finished my Journey but it’s a journey I know I’ll look back on with fond memories for a change!

Here’s to us girls, taking back control

 

 

And we have a Winner!!!

Finally guys and dolls! The giveaway is over! It’s been great! Your feedback and support have been amazing and I hope to still see your faces even though I’m not giving anything away

A little reminder of what the winner recieves:

Plus EVERYTHING LISTED HERE: MY BLOG GIVEAWAY

THE DRAW

THE WINNER

Highlighted in Blue…..

Ms NATALIE McNALLY

I sincerely apologise for the poor picture quality but felt it was essential to show the process!

Please get in touch via Facebook or Twitter Natalie to arrange delivery of all your goodies!!

And to EVERYONE who entered or even spared a few minutes to read the blog, Thank you so much. It really does mean the world to me that so many people are supportive of my Journey. Much love to all of you!

 

All the Junk in my Trunk…

It’s been a couple of weeks folks, longer since I gave you a ‘weigh in update’.

I’ve not been feeling great personally so haven’t been concentrating 100% on my Slimming World Plan however I have more or less been sticking to it.

This week saw me lose 3.5lbs.

I have only 0.5lbs to go to reach my 1st target of a 5st loss.

I started Slimming World at the end of April 2011.

I looked like this:

         

At the moment, I look like this:

 

Yes it’s better than it was but there’s still a lot of work to be done and I’m nowhere near finished yet.

The one thing I will have to learn to accept is that I will forever have all the junk in my trunk. 

I will always have curves……. but hey! That’s ok by me………

I personally found it quite easy with Slimming World. It’s just the one that’s working for me.  It’s my way of life now.

As I said, long way still to go. But I’m feeling good at this point in My Journey.

My Blog Giveaway

This blog was born 6 months ago after I joined my local Slimming World Group in a last ditch attempt to lose weight before I lost out on being able to play with my son. We were already at a point where I found I couldn’t bend down to change his nappy. I couldn’t buy decent clothes, everything came from plus plus size stores. I had avoided full length mirrors for so much longer than initially suspected.

It was time to make a change.

So after losing a bit of weight on my own I joined Slimming World and the weight started dropping off. Slowly, steadily but surely. And after just 6 months I’ve lost *just about* 4.5 stone. I have gone (in that time frame) from a clothes size 26/28 to a curvy 14 all over.

It’s an amazing feeling. And I’ll be forever grateful to Slimming World for their fantastic lifestyle eating plan. I haven’t found it very difficult to stick to and it feels maintainable.

So if you are sat reading this at home and you haven’t yet looked up the details to your local group and you’re at the point I was 6 months ago my advice to you? Do it. It’s nowhere near as bad as you think it’s going to be and after a few weeks sticking to the plan you’ll definately notice a difference. In your clothes size, your weight, your BMI and you might even find you have a bit more bounce in your step!  Just click on the linked writing below – it’s the first step!

SLIMMING WORLD WEBSITE

So onto the exciting stuff!!!

I have a Slimming World / Foodie related Giveaway to bestow apon you all!!!

It’s not terribly exciting, it’s just a way to say Thanks to all of you who read this. Thank you for the continued support of my weight loss journey.  Each and every one of you are a great motivator.  And I honestly couldn’t have got this far without the fantastic response on both Twitter and Facebook.

First things first:

THE PRIZES

One of the best brands I have stocked in my kitchen constantly are SCHWARTZ they do an amazing range of Syn Free herbs and spices, low syn herb mixes etc so I thought I’d share:

And…………

If you win you will also get a great wall chart (or just pop it into your recipe folder!) Listing all herbs and spices and how best to use them from schwartz.

With some recipes on the reverse (easily adaptable to Slimming World)

I will also be including, for the winner, something a little different!

And some good old faithful friends of mine……

To get you started with your ‘Free Food Knowledge’

And to keep you on track during your weight loss journey…

(Sign from the lovely Julie Roberts: the brains behind Big Occasions )

Last but certainly not least: The winner will be provided with a Printed Version of a collection of my recipes to date.  These are recipes I have created myself with a lot of time and effort such as the one shown below!

Phew! I’m worn out just listing the prizes!!! I hope the winner has just as much success with them as I do at home!

HOW IT WORKS

1. Follow this Blog.

2. Leave a comment below with your favourite Slimming World meal, your name and your email address.

3. Add Sera’s Slimspiration on Facebook (simply by clicking either the underlined writing or clicking the Facebook button at the side of your page.

Although not necessary you can also follow me on Twitter: @sera_mcdaid (click on my handle or the twitter button at the side of the page.)

Every Retweet or mention of this Blog Giveaway earns another comment. You must ‘@’ me on Twitter for this to qualify.

Every ‘share’ on Facebook gives you another entry also.

It is your own responsibility to leave the comment below. So don’t miss out! Keep track of your Retweets and mentions, if you’re unsure please give me a shout and I’ll try my best to count your entries.

The winner will be selected by means of a Random Number Generator found on RANDOM.ORG so the more comments you leave the more numbers you get entered – SIMPLES!

Unfortunately this Giveaway is only for U.K and Ireland Entries.

The Winner will be announced and duely contacted on November 18th.

I won’t be pestering people to enter BUT I will gently remind you all every now and again just to ensure you get an entry!

ALL THOSE GOODIES!!!!

Confessions of a Diet Spill

I’ve lost count of the sheer amount of people who get in touch with me, panic stricken that they’ve gone completely off plan. Or the blog entries I read where people are stressing that they’ve ruined their chances of a loss.

SO!

I planned a 3 week break from my own Slimming World class.

I set out 1 week to eat whatever the hell I wanted and boy did I!?

It was my Birthday as well so my plan was to eat what I wanted that week, not worry about syns or superfree or anything. Then the 2 weeks after, back on plan as much as I could. And yes, I was so incredibly nervous stepping on those scales yesterday but I did and you know what – really wasn’t too bad at all!!!

What I’m going to do in this post is run you through an approximation of the syns consumed during my time off and what I did to get back on track.

First up!

Tesco Pain au Chocolat (All Butter) = 12.5 syns each and I consumed 3 of these that week = 37.5 syns

Of course there was Birthday Cake = 15 syns per 1/8th of cake and I had 2 x 1/4 servings that week = 60 syns (!!!!)

There were also Cupcakes :S They were beyond gorgeous = 17.5 syns and I had 2 of those amounting to 35 syns

And for my Birthday Dinner we had Pizza, Wedges and a Spicy Dip which I work out at:

*Approximately 33 syns for my share of Pizza

*Approximately 26 syns for my share of the spicy wedges

*Approximately 10 syns for my share of the dip

So for dinner = 69 Syns (dude!)

So the Birthday Celebrations amounted to around about a whoppingly (and extremely shocking) 201.5 syns :S

I wrote everything down that I was eating however I didn’t syn it at the time. I allowed myself the treats and synned them a week afterwards.

So the result? Was it worth it?

NO!!!

I felt SO ill as a result! I felt sluggish and hungover even though I hadn’t had a drop of alcohol…. I did’t have ANY superfree foods that week and I’ll be honest and tell you I won’t be rushing to do it again!

I felt this issue needed to be addressed especially in the run up to Christmas, which we’re all looking forward to and let’s be honest here…….. I know I’m looking forward to eating naughty lovelies and yes I’ll more than likely overeat. BUT! What I have learned is that there are only a very few times I’ll allow myself to do this per year and if I make that my lifestyle choice then I think it’s acceptable, personally. It’s good to allow yourself a couple of occasions where you can let loose dietry wise or else you will end up pulling your hair out because it feels as if you’re on a diet….. This isn’t the point of our ‘Slimming Battles’. We are all here to make a Lifestyle Change for the better. Whether it’s because of your relationship with food or just because your metabolism doesn’t work the way it used to. I know this journey for me is a lifetime one. So I have to allow myself freedom on a few occasions. And I’m glad I did.

What I will say is that it may be a good idea at Christmas to do as I will – keep track of what you eat, you don’t have to ‘syn’ it at the time, do that later when you’re feeling positive enough to do so. Make sure and fill your dinner plates with as much Superfree Vegetables you possibly can and try to eat some fruit? Keep your soft drinks to diet and if you are over indulging (as I will be) make smart choices! Weigh up your options and choose the ones that suit you!

So we’ve had the indulgence confessional…..

Now! What I did in the 2 weeks after to try and ensure I stayed on track – relatively :S And of course……… if it worked!!!

(I do not have scales at home by the way, I think this is a good idea for me personally. I don’t think they aide my journey so they’re not necessary for me.)

I tried very hard to keep all meals syn free and always made sure I had at least 1/3rd Superfree on my plate. Bog standard basics really!

I cooked a variety of different meals.

I didn’t go without syns – I was having 10 – 15 syns per day and I’ll be honest and admit there was one night I felt woeful and had about 37 syns worth of chocolate :S But the next day compensated with only 1 Ripple at 8.5 syns.

And so to the Conclusion my lovelies…………..

Did I pull it back on track?

Why YES I did!

I attended my Weigh In yesterday and had a loss of 4lbs

My goal through all of this was to Maintain or to see if I could Maintain BUT a loss is even better!

And of course it meant that I got this!

I flew through the 4st so I’m aiming for the 5st for Christmas and it would be great to be a sz 14 all over – will be working hard for it!

My Progress So Far:

Week 1: -3lbs

Week 2: -5.5 lbs (got my 1/2 stone loss certificate!)

Week 3: -1/2 lb

Week 4: -4lbs

Week 5: -3lbs (got my 1 stone loss certificate!)

Week 6: -2lbs

Week 7: -2lbs (got Slimmer of The Month)

Week 8: -2lbs (got my stone and a half award)

Week 9: -1lb

Week 10: -4lbs (got my Club 10 Award)

Week 11: -1 (got my 2st Award)

Week 12: -4lbs

Week 13: -1/2 lb

Week 14: -4 lbs (got my 2 & 1/2 stone award)

Week 15: MAINTAIN

Week 16: -4.5 lbs

Week 17: -2lbs

Week 18: -1 .5 lbs

Week 19: – 1/2 lb

Week 20: – 2.5lbs

Week 21: -3lbs

Week 22: -2lbs

Week 23: -3lbs

Week 24: HOLIDAY

Week 25: HOLIDAY

Week 26: HOLIDAY

Week 27: -4lbs

TOTAL TO DATE: – 4 st 3.5lbs

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Recipe Review: Syn Free Breakfast Muffins

This isn’t one of mine, it’s a tried and tested Slimming World Recipe and I thought I would share it on here

It’s nice, it’s simple, it fills a hole – there isn’t much more you could want in a Breakfast / Brunch.

Ingredients

Mushrooms

Ham

4 eggs

a dash of semi skimmed milk

chives

Beans to Serve

Method

1. Chop up mushrooms and ham and pop into the bottom of some bun cases.

2. Beat eggs with milk, add salt, pepper and chives and then pour this mixture over the ham and mushrooms.

3. Cook in a hot oven for about 40 minutes.

VOILA!

Give it a go – it’s very simple!

The only thing I would say about this recipe is: If you can, invest in some silicone bakewear ie bun or muffin cases as the paper ones do tend to go soggy!

Syn Free Creamy Spicy Pork Chow Mein

It’s been a wee while since I delighted you all with a new recipe on here but today’s creation was too good not to share fast and quick on here before I forgot what I did to make it so yummy!

Basically we got to the stage tonight that everyone gets to in the month: BROKE! So it was a case of ‘making do’ with whatever I could find in the fridge and cupboards! Luckily I had some Pork Chops right at the back of the freezer so whatever happened today we were having Pork for dinner.

I had also some amazing Red Ramiro Peppers I had gotten a week ago and had no idea what to do with them but they look so cute I wanted to put them in something!!!

The Hubster is not a fan of pork in any capacity really (except sausages!) So i had quite the task in front of me!

However armed with an idea that’s been brewing since last night when I left the Pork Chops out to defrost I set about creating culinary deliciousness! And boy! I’m pretty impressed! I’m not a fan of anything stir fry like and to this day had not found a Syn Free Stir fry I’ve enjoyed – and I’ve tried lots! But this one I’m definately having again……….. and again!

It’s cheap and it’s easy! You can substitute here and there and basically chuck whatever you fancy into it It may look like a lot of ingredients but chances are you’ll have them hiding away somewhere too

The Ingredients I Used:

Baby Sweetcorn

Water Chestnuts

(THE STIRFRY MIX)

3 Pork Chops (trimmed of all visable fat and cut into strips)

2 Garlic Cloves

1 Ramiro Red Pepper (roughly sliced)

1 Carrot (peeled and ‘ribboned’ cut into very thin strips)

1/2 Red Onion (also ribboned)

(FOR MARINADE)

2 x Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

1 x Tbsp Mild Curry Powder

1/2 Tbsp Hot Curry Powder

1/4 Tbsp Chilli Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Chicken Bovril

Knorr Chicken Stock Pot

1/2 Teaspoon Paprika

1/4 Mug of Hot Water

(FOR NOODLES AND TO SERVE)

Fat Free Natural Yogurt

2 Nests Sharwoods Egg Noodles

1 x Tbsp Hot Curry Powder

2 x Tbsp Chilli Powder

2 x Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

Handful of Beansprouts

The Method to My Madness:

1. About an hour before you want to start cooking dinner (bearing in mind it only takes about 15 mins to make), prepare your pork and pop the ingredients for your STIR FRY MIX into a container with your MARINADE MIX, seal and set aside to work it’s magic!

2. After an hour get a Wok or a Frying Pan out and another saucepan and this is all you will need!

3. Start frying your Baby Sweetcorn and Water Chestnuts until they start to golden at the edges, then throw in your STIR FRY MIX and fry until Pork is cooked through.

4. Add a little more water if you need it. Pop your Noodles onto boil along with the Curry Powder, Chilli Powder and Soy Sauce.

5. Remove your STIR FRY MIX from the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of Fat Free Natural Yogurt – you should have a beautiful creamy texture.

6. Drain Noodles and return to hot saucepan with a little FryLight, add a handful of BEANSPROUTS and stirfry that for a few minutes to heat through – add a few dashes of Soy Sauce.

Serve your STIR FRY MIX on top of your Noodles and boys oh! ENJOY!

Me? A Feature?

So as you all probably know by now lovelies I write articles for a fantastic Website Magazine by the name of Daily Waffle (just click on the name and it should take you straight there!)

My archived recipes can be found by clicking on the writing below:

Sera’s Daily Waffle Recipes

But what I wanted to share with you today is a feature the following fantastic Blog and fellow Daily Waffler Emma Murray wrote recently about Yours Truely.

Emma went above and beyond in this blog entry and I’m so appreciative and thankful for the kind words she published!

Please click here to be taken to the article featuring Daily Waffle and Sera McDaid

 

This lady is well worth following in all capacities! You can find her blogs on my blogroll to the side of the page!

 

Apart from that Dollfaces I just wanted to Thank You all for sticking with me thus far

xxx

 

Taking a Break

I gather that this is the point where a lot of people in a similar situation (weight wise) to my own start to feel the way I’m feeling.

For 22 weeks now I have not gone over 15 syns and I have lived and breathed Free and Superfree, watched everything I’ve put in my mouth, been slightly fanatical about it! I think when you weigh in at 20+ stone initially you ‘have’ to become a little obsessed with what you are doing.  I managed within a couple of years to get my weight down a little and on my own got to 16st 13lbs which is what I weighed in as at my first ever weigh in with Slimming World.

At my last Slimming World meeting on 15th September I weighed in at:

12 st 13.5 lbs

I’m ecstatic I’ve got to here – 1/2 a lb more and I will have lost 4 stone since the 13th April.

Still classed as ‘Obese’ and still a bit heavier than my small 5ft frame can cope with so I still have work to do.

I always knew this was going to be a long journey, there was never any disputing that really, and I had reached a point this week where I knew if I didn’t step back slightly then I was going to absolutely blow it.

It gets frustrating sometimes to know others who can eat whatever they like and they will never end up like I did. This week I knew my Birthday was coming up, so after lots of talking to friends, family and the hubster I decided to take 2 weeks ‘away’ from Slimming World.

I’m not throwing the towel in and I’m also not sitting stuffing my face with every piece of chocolate I can find.

Simply put, I’m still keeping a food diary, I’m indulging slightly more than I have been but the most important thing is I’m still having Free / Superfree food and I’m writing EVERYTHING down. I plan on enjoying my Birthday with a takeaway and maybe some wine and I know there will definately be cake. Which I’ve learned is ok it’s my Birthday!!! Then it will be back at it for another few months and hopefully I’ll be in a place come December where I can have a lovely indulgant Christmas (within reason!).

I’ve learned this last while that even though I said from the beginning, ‘this is a lifestyle change’ / ‘I’m doing this for life now’ ….. this week the realisation has hit. Yes, I can have indulgant times, sparingly. Very sparingly! It’s about making smart choices. Knowing that if you’re going to be having cake on a certain day, be good either side.

At the end of the day, this works for me. Quite obviously. The results speak for themselves. As just this week I have become a size 16

AND I have been wearing my husbands pyjama bottoms which is the best thing ever! Never thought I would fit into anything his skinny ass owned!

And an amazing gal got me a fantastic hat and as a result I think I have a photograph of myself I’m relatively proud of:

But in saying that, it may not be for you. If you’ve decided it is then Good Luck and I wish you the Best of Luck on your journey. Remember there will be ups and downs and some really frustrating times but it’s all about changing your life for the better.

xxx

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Week 1: -3lbs

Week 2: -5.5 lbs (got my 1/2 stone loss certificate!)

Week 3: -1/2 lb

Week 4: -4lbs

Week 5: -3lbs (got my 1 stone loss certificate!)

Week 6: -2lbs

Week 7: -2lbs (got Slimmer of The Month)

Week 8: -2lbs (got my stone and a half award)

Week 9: -1lb

Week 10: -4lbs (got my Club 10 Award)

Week 11: -1 (got my 2st Award)

Week 12: -4lbs

Week 13: -1/2 lb

Week 14: -4 lbs (got my 2 & 1/2 stone award)

Week 15: MAINTAIN

Week 16: -4.5 lbs

Week 17: -2lbs

Week 18: -1 .5 lbs

Week 19: – 1/2 lb

Week 20: – 2.5lbs

Week 21: -3lbs

Week 22: -2lbs

Week 23: -3lbs

 

TOTAL TO DATE: – 3st 13.5lbs

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