Halloween

As it's Halloween I feel it only necessary to write about all  the lovely treats we can have without using up too much of our Pro Points. In last weeks Weight Watchers magazine that was free with the RTE Guide there were some tips especially for the Trick or Treat Season and after reading through the magazine I found some great Recipes. I am going to try and make the pumpkin pie later. This is my pumpkin carved and I saved the bits inside for pie.

Weight Watchers  Pumpkin Pie - 25 Pro Points Per Recipe

Weight Watchers Halloween Cupcakes - 81  Pro Points Per Recipe

 As we all know treats laying around can be very tempting and when your not keeping track of how many little sweets or crisps your eating those can be the worse times for over eating and maybe the times we actually forget to track!

There were also some helpful tips on how not to over indulge ourselves and  teach the kids a healthy attitude to treats.



Happy Halloween :-)
Regards Naoimh

Post Natal Depression

                                                                          Today I would like to draw your attention to a man named Patrick Holford. I had never heard of him until recently when my aunt was telling me that she signed up to his newsletter and how some information she received was very beneficial to her. So I did a bit of research and found out that he is a pioneer in new approaches to health and nutrition, specialising in the field of mental health. He is regarded as Britain's best-selling author and spokesman on nutrition and mental health issues. Also he is frequently being quoted in national newspapers from the Daily Mail to the Guardian so this guy knows what he's talking about. He is a popular on radio shows as a presenter and on national television as both interviewer and guest.

But the main reason I have brought him to your attention today is because on his newsletter this week he talks about Post Natal depression (PND). Fortunately I have not got (PND)  but I think it is only fair to gather some information for those who feel they may have symptoms or are going through it. It is difficult enough after having a baby without feeling depressed so below is some information I have quoted from his newsletter I received this week.

Basically, what he has said is that a new survey from the charity 4Children has found that three in ten new mothers may experience postnatal depression (PND). The figures show that around 33% of mothers who experienced depression symptoms during pregnancy went on to have PND and 25% of mothers still suffered from PND up to a year after giving birth. Worryingly, 70% of those who sought help were given antidepressant medication, predominantly SSRI's.
The safety of using SSRI's for the babies of nursing mothers is unknown. Some studies have linked the maternal use of Prozac to colic in nursing infants. Women may choose to take antidepressants and not to breastfeed. This not only compromises the baby's early nutrition, but deprives the mother and child of bonding which can worsen the depression.
There is good logic and substantial evidence that optimum nutrition can be a highly effective alternative to SSRIs. Common nutritional imbalances connected to depression are blood sugar imbalances, lack of chromium, amino acids, B vitamins and essential fats. The solution is a low-GL diet, high in omega 3 fats.
It's important to realise that your baby is the number one priority by your body when you are pregnant, and also during breastfeeding. This means that any nutrients it requires it takes from you. If you do not take precautions, the likelihood is that you'll be deficient in some key nutrients by the end of pregnancy. Low levels of certain nutrients, such as omega 3 fats, magnesium and zinc, have all been linked to PND. Progesterone deficiency is also a common cause. Totally Nourish offer specially formulated before and after pregnancy products to ensure you keep yourself and your baby healthy.

All of the above  information is quoted from an email I received by signing up to his website. I just felt it was better explained in his words as I am not a doctor and the information was easier understood by myself in his explanation.You can sign up to his newsletter for free through visiting this website http://www.patrickholford.com/

He also goes on to say that he has a book Optimum Nutrition Before, During and After Pregnancy that gives more detail on how to avoid PND and what to do if you already have it. There is also a section on how hormone imbalances can lead to PND in his new book Balance Your  Hormones.

I hope this may be of some help to any of you out there that feel you or a friend may have symptoms to PND. Remember you are not alone.
Regards,
Naoimh

Weigh Day!!

 Today is weigh day and needless to say I am not surprised that I gained 1 lb. Like I said it is TOTM for me so, naturally I'm nearly always up on weeks like this. I will try my best this week as I always push myself that bit harder on weeks I am up.I don't mind so much this week but I want the scales going in the opposite direction next Friday.

I know I am going to need a lot of self restrain, especially for the weekend as I will probably go out for a few drinks tomorrow night and with Halloween approaching with soo many treats lying around I will be lucky to have my weekly 49 pro points left by Monday. Once the weekend is over I should be back on track. So preparation is the best thing for the weekend ahead. 

I like to keep account of  how much alcohol I consume when I am out which can be hard, especially when I'm enjoying myself, but by having a pen and piece of paper in my handbag I just put a tick down for every drink I have consume and so when I am applying my lipstick in the toilet or something I just put a tick down for every glass or bottle I have had. It seems a bit awkward but trust me it's way easier than trying to remember the next day.I can point everything when filling out my tracker.I think any tips that you feel are working for you are always worth sticking to.

Regards, Naoimh

Temptation Times..

  I can't believe it's Wednesday already. I have just realised I only have one day left to my weigh in Friday morning. I have been good excercise wise and I went to my Zumba classes this week, I am actually just back from tonight's class where our teacher Liana had us do 10 dances one after the other which was a  really  good work out. But in regards to eating this week I haven't been so good. I made an apple tart the other day so lots of pastry and it's TOTM for me so I felt I needed something sweet today and ate 2 croissants which did nothing but fill my tracker sheet with 12 extra points that could  really do with not being there at all. I feel like my silver 7 is slowly slipping from my grasp! Also the amount of ''special offer'' chocolate that keeps making it's way out of my fridge and into my mouth is beyond ridiculous. I need more self control!! HELP!! 

 I have tracked everything I ate all week and looking back at what I consumed I am shocked. I would't be surprised if I have gained a few lbs. Also with the Bank holiday weekend  AND Halloween approaching  that can only lead to more than a few glasses of vino and  a lot of picking at treats
But I am only human so the best thing for me to do is to try and be extra good Thursday and allow myself a nice healthy day with lots of fruit and veg, like a healthy detox, and hope the scales have something nice to say  to me Friday morning...

I hope you are all having a good week, if not let me know or share some tips of what you do if your having an off day!?
Regards, Naoimh

Kettle Bells

Aah Sunday afternoon. I love rainy days like this just curling up and watching the telly. Except this morning I had been burdened with a slight hangover from the wine I drank last night. I'm not too sick as I   didn't drink that much wine. I had 2 measures of 175ml. For every 175ml of white wine I drink there are 5 Pro Points which I mix with 7up Free that has a 0 Pro Points value, great I know!!! So I know exactly what I drank and have it pointed ahead of time.

I was up early enough with Michaela so the sickness had subsided  by 12 and seeing as it looks like the floods outside I couldn't even go for a walk. So I tried a work out I recorded on the telly ages ago. It's called  Kettle Bells For Mums and its not too much of a high impact workout. It was just what I needed to get me sweating after the alcohol I had last night and get me moving around.I also drank lots of water which I think helped too.

It's starts off with your stretching, you see cardio exercise will help with overall fat reduction  but if  you want toning it's mostly about doing non-moving exercises like the plank, performed on knees or toes (which is supposed get you a toned tummy without doing sit ups)!

Here is a demonstration of The Plank. It is a bit hard the first few times you try it but I promise it does get easier with practice.

                                           



The main workouts are mostly a lot of stretching exercises, particularly using 1 or 2  kettle bells. It is a great way of getting your upper body strength back. I remember when I first tried to do a sit up after I had my baby and I just could NOT get my body to cooperate, it was like I was incapable of it but I suppose it's just because the muscles have not been used in sooo long it takes time for your body to adjust. So it's good that there are workouts out there that are solely for mothers getting back in shape because the worst thing you can do is push yourself too hard by doing things your body isn't ready for yet and get an injury.It's also very hard trying to get back in shape after a baby so to know that these workouts are especially for your post baby body that work on your problem areas is a good thing to know.

Here is a demonstration of a kettle bells exercise for beginners. The particular exercise I did I recorded from the Active channel on my Sky Box.

                       

Hope this of some help. Let me know if any of you try this out or find any other helpful exercises or tips.
Regards,

Naoimh

It's Weigh Day!!

 
So today is Friday and as you all know by now 'It's Weigh Day'. This is my favourite day of the week, especially if I'm happy with what the scales has to say about me. I was really happy with myself as I lost half lb. It wasn't the full pound that I was hoping for but hey half way there! Just think losing anything is much better than gaining something. I'm really happy today as I am almost there to my first silver 7. Your probably thinking will she ever get that 7 we are hearing of every week, but I will not rest until I receive it.
I had a good week food wise, although when I came home from Zumba Thursday night I ate a full pizza with a pro points value of 12. Not the worst thing I could have ate and fortunately I had accumulated enough activity points throughout the week to cover it. I had a moment of weakness and just felt I couldn't resist...so I enjoyed it, pointed it and moved on.
All in all it was a good morning at Weight Watchers. It was very busy as there were a lot of new members which is always great to see and a lot of other people in the group are doing really great. I love staying for the meeting as I like hear other peoples stories and share tips and recipes. We were talking of Halloween and the ALL the sweets that will come our way. I will have to be careful as I do have a bit of a sweet tooth!

There is a FREE Weight Watchers magazine in the RTE GUIDE today which I went out and purchased right after class. Inside there are some great recipes and tips as well as inspirational stories of other members who achieved there weight loss goals. It's great to read the experiences of other members as it reminds you not everyone is the same and just because you are not losing weight as fast as others, once you don't give up you will eventually get there!

Hope you all have a good weekend :-)

Regards, Naoimh

Fast Food

 
BUT ARE WE LOVIN' IT TOO MUCH?

Today I would like to talk about fast food, with one company in particular,  Mc Donald's! I don't think there is a person you know that hasn't heard of this company. The company now operates 77 restaurants in Ireland, 41 of which are drive through outlets with some restaurants being open 24 hours a day.

In weight watchers we are reminded not to deprive ourselves of anything. It is not a diet we are doing instead we are making healthy decisions about what we eat. My leader, Sinead, said something great  in class this week. She said you should never feel guilty about anything you eat, enjoy it, point it and just move on. I totally agree with this, food is there to be enjoyed. I just feel that in our society today people tend to eat way too much  fast food, but what is this doing to our bodies in the long term? I feel we need to train our  brains into eating healthy for example if I have a day where I feel I just want to give up I just remind myself :
                              
          looking good in my bikini will be way more satisfying than eating this!!
 

As some of you may be joined weight watchers I have done a bit of research for you.So below is a list of everything you can order in Mc Donald's in Ireland and as I like to help you all along our weight loss journey I have pro pointed them all for you.I am not encouraging people to run out and get a Big Mac I just hope that by knowing what propoints are in what it may help you to make better decisions when eating fast food. So enjoy your food, but remember to eat in moderation and as part of a balance diet.

Regards, Naoimh


BREAKFAST 

Sausage & egg Mc muffin  12pp                              
Double sausage & egg Mc muffin  15pp
Bacon & egg Mc muffin  9pp
Double bacon & egg Mc muffin  11pp
Bacon roll with brown sauce  9pp
Bacon roll with Heinz tomato ketchup  9pp
Bacon & cheese toastie  6pp
Ham and cheese toastie  6pp
Cheese toastie  6pp
Pancake and sausage (no syrup)  18pp
Pancake (no syrup)  14pp
Pancake syrup  5pp
Muffin and jam  5pp
Hash Brown  4pp
Oatso simple (plain) with milk  5pp


SALADS

Grilled chicken caesar salad  5pp                          
Crispy chicken caesar salad  9pp
Side salad  0pp
Croutons   2pp
Low fat caesar dressing  1pp
Low fat balsamic dressing  1pp


DESSERTS

Fruit bag  1pp                                                        
Apple pie  7pp
Sundae-caramel  8pp
Sundae-chocolate  8pp
Sundae-strawberry  6pp
Nestle tollhouse triple choc cookie  7pp
Nestle tollhouse choc cookie  8pp
Sugar ring donut  6pp
low fat blueberry muffin  8pp
Double choc chip muffin  14pp
Smarties McFlurry  10pp
Crunchie McFlurry  10pp
Dairy Milk McFlurry  11pp
Shake chocolate 475ml  10pp
Shake chocolate 610ml  14pp
Shake strawberry 475ml  11pp
Shake strawberry 610ml  14pp
Shake vanilla 475ml  11pp
Shake  vanilla 610ml  14pp

BEEF

Hamburger  7pp                                              
Cheeseburger  8pp
Double cheeseburger  12pp
Big Mac  13pp
Quarter pounder with cheese 13pp
Double quarter pounder with cheese  18pp
Big tasty  23pp


CHICKEN

McChicken sandwich  15pp                        
Chicken legend with mayo  13pp
Chicken legend with salsa  14pp
Chicken McNuggets (4pce)  5pp
Chicken McNuggets (6pce)  7pp
Chicken McNuggets (9pce)  11pp
Chicken selects (3)  10pp
Chicken selects (5)  16pp

FISH

Filet-O-Fish  9pp                          
Fish fingers  5pp

FRIES

Fries (small)  6pp                               
Fries (regular)  9pp
Fries (large)  13pp
Twisty fries  15pp

CONDIMENTS

Barbeque dip 25ml  1pp                  
sweet & sour dip 25ml  1pp
sweet curry dip 25ml  1pp
Ketchup dip pot  1pp
Ketchup sachets  0pp
Mayonnaise dip pot  4pp
Sour cream & chive dip 50ml  5pp
Sweet chilli dip 50ml  3pp
Smokey bbq dip 50ml  2pp

DRINKS

Diet coke (small)  0pp                             
Diet coke (medium)  0pp
Diet coke (large)  0pp
Coca-Cola(small)  3pp
Coca-Cola (medium)  5pp
Coca-Cola (large)  6pp
Sprite (small)  3pp
Sprite (medium)  5pp
Sprite (large)  6pp
Fanta (small)  3pp
Fanta (medium)  5pp
Fanta (large)  6pp
Natural mineral water 0p
Tropicana  3pp
Robinson's fruit shoot  0pp
Cappuccino  2pp
Latte (tall)  4pp
Latte (grande)  5pp
Milk 250ml  4pp

WRAPS

Sweet chilli crispy chicken wrap  12pp         
Spicy vegetable wrap  12pp
Crispy chicken & bacon wrap  13pp
Salsa & mayo grilled chicken wrap  9pp



                       

Daily Activities

This morning I took my daughter for a walk in her buggy. I'm glad I got it done earlier because the wind outside now would blow you away. I just did a 30 min brisk walk which is whats needed to be done daily to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. It is also benificial to be doing outdoor activities so as to get your daily dose of Vitamin D which plays a very important role of assisting with the maintenance of bone health along with calcium.The buggy added a resistance which made it feel like I was working harder than my usual walk. Also it was great for Michaela as she gets a bit of fresh air and has a nice long nap after being out so I can relax and have a bit of time for moi.

I have Zumba class tonight so I cant wait to get moving as I don't feel like I did enough activities at the weekend. I was at a party Saturday night where I danced quiet a lot but other than that and my walk today, that was about it. Time to start working hard and lose a lb to get my silver 7 on Friday morning.

Although I attend 2 classes of Zumba a week at €8 a pop, the costs can add up and I know it may be difficult for people to always have money to spend on such luxuries. That's why I want  to remind you there are always ways of doing FREE EXERCISES, so no excuses! There are plenty of things you can do for free  e.g.  walking, running, sit ups, skipping rope or even just playing with the kids that are sure to have you burning calories and not just a hole in your pocket!

What I like to do is record things on my Sky Box.There is a channel called the Active channel where I record workouts I feel I should try. So when I get the time I will try the workouts that are stored on my t.v. There are some great workouts always being shown and a lot of the time they are especially for woman wanting to get their bodies back in shape from pregnancy. It's so much better than racing out to get the latest fitness DVD just to let it sit on the shelf gathering dust from being viewed once.

Hope this helps and also the image is from http://www.123rf.com/  some really good images.
Regards Naoimh

Super Foods!

Today I would like to draw your attention to whats known as Super Foods. Super Foods are also known as Functional Foods or a food that delivers a Structural or Functional health benefit. Used daily, they may help maintain a healthy heart, boost your energy and support a well-balanced diet and active lifestyle.

The Linwoods range of delicious, nutritious ‘Super Foods’ is the perfect solution for those who want to ensure a quality to life and livity of health benefits due to the vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids that are found naturally in these foods. 

The range of ground seeds, nuts and berries can add that healthy boost to almost everything you eat. Importantly all the products are GLUTEN FREE and have NO ADDED SUGAR.

I have tried some of the products here myself. For example, instead of sugar in my porridge every morning I put the Milled Flaxseed, Walnuts, Brazil nuts, Almond and Q10. It has a savory taste from the nuts which I enjoy as a completely different element to my porridge.

I have also tried the Milled Flaxseed and Goji berries. I would normally put this in a yogurt or sprinkle it over fruit, it has a sweet taste and adds a crunchy texture.
                                           

 
I hope this was helpful as taking care of your health should be a top priority to maintain a happy and healthy life.
Regards,
Naoimh                                                                                                                   

It's Weigh Day!!

I'm sooo happy for weigh day :-)

Today was my weigh in at weight watchers and I couldn't be happier. This week I have lost 1 and half lbs. I really needed the scales to be on my side this week as I had gained half a pound in last weeks class which got me really upset especially as I had tried so hard. I did the same exercise as usual, my 2 Zumba classes but I avoided any takeaways and stayed off the alcohol and boy has it paid off.

As my weight stands I have 1 more lbs to lose to be down half a stone which I feel would be a great accomplishment. It just goes to show that hard work and perseverance really do pay off. So this week I will be trying just as hard as that is the first mile stone I want to cross, and also I will get my first silver7. How great would that be?!

I will be drinking alcohol this weekend as I am attending an 18th Birthday party for my brothers girlfriend (I have to live a little) but I will be keeping track of how much white wine I drink and make to sure to mix it with 7 up free so as not to use many of my weekly points.
Hope you all have a good weekend.

Happy Friday everyone xx
Regards, Naoimh

I Feel Like Chicken Tonight!!

For tonight's dinner I had a very filling chicken fajita with salad at a low pro points value of just 10.This is great considering my daily pro points allowance is 29. It is also a very healthy option including my protein, carbohydrates and  recommended daily amount of vegetables. It was also extremely tasty.
Who says eating healthy has to be boring?!


The list of ingredients needed if you are cooking for 1 are as follows, and if there are more people  for dinner you can always up the quantity of whats used.
Today, I have put the pro points values next to each item for anyone that is following the weight watchers plan so the hard work is done for you  :)

                                                              CHICKEN FAJITAS

Ingredients
1Breast Chicken                                                                       4pro points
Low fat cooking spray                                                              0pro points
1 Red Pepper                                                                           0pro points
Mushrooms                                                                              0pro points          
1 onion                                                                                     0pro points                
100grams Fajita Mix                                                                 2pro points
1Wrap                                                                                      3pro points
Lettuce, onion, tomato, pepper, cucumber                                0pro points
1 tbls of  LOW FAT Mayo.                                                     1pro points


Preperation:
Firstly, what I did was chop the chicken breast, peppers, mushrooms and onion into pieces and place into separate bowls with chicken in one bowl. peppers and mushrooms in another and onions in another.
N.B Leave some peppers and onions aside for the salad mix.

Prepare your salad by cutting the lettuce, tomato and cucumber and adding the leftover peppers and onions.Mix them together with the mayo and a bit of pepper for flavour

Cooking Guidelines

Place the pan on a low heat with 2 sprays of cooking spray
       
Place the onions on the hot pan

About a min later put the chopped chicken pieces in and cook till the meat is white throughout!

Place your chopped veg in with the chicken and stir together.

After 5mins add 100 grams of the fajita mix to the pan.Whilst waiting for the mix to blend together, you can heat the wrap in the oven on a low heat for 3mins.

Add the mixture to the wrap and fold with a side of salad

That's it, hope you enjoy,

Regards, Naoimh
 

My Vegetable Soup Recipe

I have just come back from my Zumba class tonight and am totally exhausted. It  is hard work but feel great afterwards knowing that I have it all over an done with (till next week).

Today was a busy day I was at a kids birthday party where there was burgers and chips and CAKE!! I just had a cup of tea and some fruit because I know that if I ate those things I would be really disappointed later and it would ruin all my hard work of  eating healthy
.I wasn't even hungry but the smells would drive you mad, so when I got home I had a nice healthy bowl of 0 pro point soup. This, for anyone that isn't joined weight watchers is a soup with completely no points whatsoever!!I added a breast of chicken boiled in water and it was like a meal fit for a king :).The recipe and cooking guidelines for the soup mix I made are below, it's sooo easy and the best thing is there is no right or wrong way to make this because you can use ANY veg you like.  Just to know though there are pro points in some veg  e.g. parsnips, peas, potatoes, corn.
                                                                            My Veggie Soup

INGREDIENTS
2carrots
cauliflower
broccoli
1 onion
celery

• Basically what I did was peel and dice all my veg, put them in a colander with a pot of hot water below and cook till soft.
• I used the water below as my stock, so when the veg was cooked I poured it over and blitzed together with a hand held food blender.
• Add some salt and pepper for flavour.

And voila,
Thick veggie soup with 0 points.

Hope this is of some use.
Naoimh

Stretch Marks

Today I have started my first of many treatments to rid me of my dreaded stretch marks! Like many woman, who unfortunately get stretch marks whilst pregnant I cannot accept that these are permanent and part of my body now.I had been researching ways of getting rid of them for the last couple of weeks and decided to get laser treatment.

So this morning was my first treatment at Cork Laser Care which lasted all of 10 Min's.The areas I had done were my tummy and back and the sensation was nowhere near painful as anticipated.It felt like a little pinch and was over with before I knew it.I have been told that the pain level should get a bit higher and may feel hotter against my skin but by this time my skin will have adjusted to the treatment, so no biggy :). My next treatment is in 7 weeks as the skin needs time before the next session. It is a bit costly at €200 a session but I feel you can't put a price on happiness and for these to be gone would make me extremely happy :D.I will be keep you posted in the next few months if the treatments are working.

Best Regards,
Naoimh

my personal info..

So at the moment my weight is 10stone 8lbs and my height is 5'4. Also my BMI (body mass index) is 25.5.
For me to lose  5%  of my BMI would leave me at 10st 1 lbs
For me to lose 10% of my BMI would leave me at   9st 7 lbs which is my goal to have a healthy BMI.

I feel it is important to have a goal without being too hard on yourself. I think if you have a goal you can make that happen, if you try hard enough!

A little insight about this blog..

Hello there fellow mamas.

This is my first of (hopefully many future posts). What I want to do is give people an insight into how I am coping with my weight loss after my baby of 4months. Now i know it will be a long and slow process to achieve my goal weight but I feel by sharing my experience with other woman that are going through the same as myself we can swap ideas like recipes, workouts or just even what you feel works, like your own secret weapon to fight the flab :).

So at the moment I am joined in Weight Watchers and have been since July this year.Since then I have lost a WHOPPING 4 and half pounds!! Yeah I know doesn't seem like much and I am REALLY trying.I feel for the last 2weeks  that I am stuck in a rut that as I lose half a pound another pound appears from know where knocking me right back again.

This weekend I have been very good, really putting myself to the test.I have vowed not to eat any junk food or let a drop of alcohol touch my lips.Like my own little experiment, to see if these things (and I do take them in moderation) really do make a difference?!

I have a weigh in every Friday morning at 11am and look forward to the day every week to see if my hard work pays off each week, most of the time it does not.So the question always stands in my head. Is it really that difficult to shed the baby lbs even when you eat healthy with daily exercise????  If anyone else has a problem like this, I would love to hear from them.

Every week I will give an update of my weight and share with you what I have lost or gained and any tips that may or may not be of interest .


I also attend 2 ZUMBA classes a week which I feel really helps me.It is so enjoyable and the dances are lots of fun but at the same time hard work.I like to push myself to get the best results that I can.

Thats all for now as I will be updating the site in days to come.
Any posts much appreciated

Regards,Naoimh