The ups and downs of motivation

So I have had an amazing week back on plan slimming world style. Kept within my syns every day, tried out new recipes, and really have got my mojo back, enjoying being on plan again. 

Slimming world coronation chicken

Got on the scales at group, thinking yes! Bang this one of the of park. Nope. Maintained. 

WHAT THE BLEEDING FUCK.

I literally got off the scales wanting to hit someone/something. After all this time not quite being on plan it's actually more disheartening when you have been on plan and didn't get the loss you wanted. But carry on I shall. I could have quite easily eaten my weight in cookie dough, but I had already decided to have tuna pasta when I got home. So glad I did.
I think this week I am going to go back to all those favourite foods that I always really enjoyed eating, and keep that motivation, which is much easier with the great friends you make in the process. For example this morning I went out with one of the girls, and just enjoyed having a good old chin wag whilst enjoying a morning walk. Body magic without even feeling like that was what we were doing. Hopefully this week I will get a good loss. My only 'problem day' is Saturday night, where I am going out for dinner and then going out clubbing afterwards. The plan is to eat really healthily and well with a big breakfast to start with, so that I can use all my syns on the food and drink of an evening. The other danger area is the day after hangover food, so I think if I plan my food for Sunday, I'm less likely to stray off plan.

Weetabix with sliced banana and a choc shot

Dirty chip shop curry. Filth.

The other really lovely thing about this week is being able to keep my resolution of self love going in the right direction. The plans have slightly changed- in March I am going to Bucharest with one of my friends who used to live and work out there. Will be amazing to have someone in the know to go with to get a true insight into the city. Still haven't booked the holiday with my best friend in May, but we are just going to be looking for deals when they come up. October is getting booked soon, and if all goes to plan, will be going to Peru. Looking forward to going to a place that is really different and unique. I don't like going to typical holiday destinations, so this will be perfect.
Also this week, I had my lush spa treatment at Bath Spa. I find when I am struggling with myself, having that time to have a proper relax and pamper always helps me get my confidence and mood back to where it needs to be. I was going to have the comforter treatment, as I haven't experienced it yet, but I could only get availability for Synaesthesia. Definitely the right decision in the end. I have had two of these treatments before, and have always enjoyed that little protective bubble that you come out of your treatment with. This one however, I don't know whether it was because I was at a different spa, or what it was, but I really felt I got transported back to the magic of that first synaesthesia treatment. The massage bar word I chose was perspective, and the alice in wonderland bottle I chose was forgiveness. They give you a bubble bar and a massage bar of the same fragrance (perspective) to help transport your mind back to that calm state. I have definitely been using the massage bar as a moisturiser every day since the treatment, which has really helped me to lift and keep my mood where it needs to be. It has also been a really nice way to calm my mind when I have started to get anxious or stressed. As I am prone to overthinking, this has been really helping me to think of things in a much more productive way, rather than it spiraling out of control.
Hopefully this will make new grooves and will see the results long term.
This journey of slimming and self love is long, but in the end it is worth it :)

Getting my Mojo Back

So as you well know, I have been losing weight with slimming world since the end of May with brilliant results that I am very proud of (check out My Instagram to see more of that). I have been yoyo-ing since the beginning of the year for different reasons, but with the help of a friend and my awesome consultant Sharon I have started to get my mojo back.

Today my friend and I went to Chichester to help her find some clothes, as she has also lost a lot of weight and wants to be able to show it off. It was amazing the amount of shops that have been opened up to us now that we have lost the weight, which has been one of my personal goals. It made me enjoy shopping again and feel much more girly. There was one nemesis shop though that always annoyed the hell out of me when I was much bigger. Topshop. The shop where unless you are a small size 16 you had no hope of getting through the door, let alone try any of that shiz on. I think it bothered me especially when I was a teenager at college, with all these magazines having topshop stuff that I couldn't wear, and see all these other girls always want to go in there, because it was 'the shop' to go in.

Well I walked back in there today just to see what I had been missing for all these years. Apparently nothing. I have been missing out on nothing. None of it is my style, nothing really jumped out at me at all. Now, my 16 year old self can feel at rest, knowing that she didn't really miss out on anything. I definitely had a style all of my own at college. This probably all seems stupid now looking back, but as a 16 year old who was a bit tubby, everything mattered. Now I know when I pass by I am not missing out on anything, even though I can fit my ass in their clothes if I wanted to.

I have also been doing loads of slimming world recipes today, which has really started to bring my motivation back. My favourite of the day would have to be the coronation chicken sandwich filler that my best friend heard about from her group, Because who doesn't like coronation chicken??

The lovely heartwarming bit of my day was I got a card through the post from my slimming world consultant wishing me a good week. I'm very lucky to have an amazing slimming world consultant in Sharon, who helps us smile through the really difficult bits. It has joined my other bits on my inspiration wall, which I use to make sure I keep going.

I'm having to start IOU's for my terramundi pot, as I never have £1 coins when I need to put them in the pot, but I can only see it as a good thing. On the flip side, it definitely shows when I am feeling down about myself. Made me realise that I can have days where I feel great, but a lot of days where I put no money in there at all. So my next aim over this week is to find things that I am proud of to make sure that I put some money in my pot every day.

New week, new challenges. New week, new goals. 

Here's to a new week.