My progress - Week 1

A-ham.... here I am again, after nearly a year eating the most beautiful pizza in the world ~ in Naples, Italy, where I lived with my husband for 9 months ~ and fortunately, not gaining more than 2 pounds... Well, this is because my job involved A LOT of walking!!! And I mean, a lot!

Italy and all the pasta feast has stayed behind. Then, a month of mum's food in Brazil ~ also BEAUTIFUL food!, and now I'm back into reality. No more holidays, no more pasta every day... but also, no more walking all day long. =( Oh, Dio, how am I going to keep my weight now?

Back to Weight Watchers. I say Weight Watchers and not any other one (I'm sorry, 'others', it's nothing personal) because that's where I feel safe, that's where I feel comfortable.

Last Wednesday was my 1st week weigh in.. Surprise, surprise... 3.5 pounds off!!! And I felt like I didn't deserve it! Well, I kinda got messed up with my points, and it was my mother-in-law's birthday, and I did everything during the weekend, except keep track of my food intake!! Shame on me...

Anyway, happy surprise. I asked my leader what I could do when I felt really hungry and it wasn't time to eat yet. Mind you, at my house the dinner time is around 5.30pm. If I eat then, I am ABSOLUTELY STARVING by 8.30!!!

Solution?? "0 points Soup"! Yep! I've tried, and it works!

The recipe:

Garden Vegetable Soup (Makes 4 servings)

2 medium carrots, sliced
Small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
500ml stock, made from cubes and water
1/2 small green cabbage, shredded
100g green beans
1tbsp tomato purée
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 courgette, diced

Spray a large saucepan with low fat cooking spray, heat. Sauté the carrot, onion and garlic over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add stock, cabbage, beans, tomato purée, basil, oregano and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until beans are tender. Stir in the courgette and heat for 3-4 minutes. Serve hot.

Enjoy!!!
See you next time.

Love,
Dani. xx

7 tips on how to lose pounds AND save pounds!

Well, who would have thought that by losing weight you can also save loads of £££???

Tighten your belt in more ways than one! Here are some 'different diet tips' that will benefit your dress size AND your pocket!!!

1. Chew gum ~ You know when you feel you 'have' to eat something sweet in the middle of the afternoon? Well, a new study says that chewing gum can cut these suggar cravings.

So, all you have to do is buy a 10-stick pack (32p) at the beginning of the week and when cravings hit, instead of eating a bar of chocolate (40p), chew two sticks each day. This will cut 1,400 calories and save you £1.68 a week. Dietician tip: fill up on fibre and protein at lunch time. You won't probably be hungry by 3pm. =)

Estimates:

* per month: - 1 3/4 lb; + £7.28

* per year: - up to 1 1/2st; + £87.36

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2. Hide the take away menu ~ Forget about the regular takeaway menu. In big supermarkets you can get fabulous takeaway taste for less money and calories. A medium deep-pan pepperoni pizza costs £7.50 to deliver and only half of it has 906 calories. But a Pizza Express Home Cook Margarita (8in) will cost you £3.85 and if you it the whole thing it has 546 calories. You can even share it, making it down to 273 calories! How about pizza once a week? =)

Estimates:

* per month: - 1lb; + £15.81
* per year: - up to 12lb; + £189.80

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3. Smaller plates, smaller portions ~ 9in across is a healthy-portion-sized plate. 12in in the average plate. The reason why you serve too much is because the normal portion you serve in an average plate looks tiny. A 9in plate will help you cut calories and your cost by a third.

Estimates:
* per month: - 4lb; + £50.51

* per year: - up to 3 1/2st; + £606.14

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4. Make your own smoothies ~ Buying a medium blueberry smoothie at juice bar Crussh gives you 235 calories and costs £2.65. If you mix fresh, canned or frozen fruit at home, you can make smoothies cheaply. Suggestion: 1 banana blended with 3tbsp canned blackcurrants in fruit juice. Add water if it's too thick for you. Now you have a 147-calorie smoothie that costs only 62p a day.

Estimates:

* per month: - 1/2lb; + £61.75
* per year: - up to 6lb; + £740.95

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5. Forget the TV ~ 36% more pizza; 44% more crisps; 71% more pasta. This is what we eat if we eat while watching TV, according to studies. When we are distracted, we don't notice how full we are and we eat more than we need. Want to cut your calories and food bills by at least one third? Switch off the TV!

Estimates:

*per month: - 2 1/2lb; + £15.45

*per year: -up to 2st 2lb; +£185.50

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6. Hide your treats ~ Leave your biscuits at the front of the cupboard and everytime you open it, you 'will have to have just one'. Keep them at the back, or in a dark container and it will halve your calories and costs.

Estimates:
* per month: - 1lb; + £2.51

* per year: - up to 12lb; + £30.16

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7. Quit the gym - invite a friend to jog ~ The average price of a gym is £46/month. And if you are like 73% of the members, you never go! If you swap it for going jogging 3 times a week, for 30 minutes, you burn 825 calories FOR FREE! Plus the fact that if you are going with a friend, you are five times more likely to stick to it.

Estimates:

* per month: - 1 1/2lb; + £46
* per year: - up to 1st 4lb; + £552

Do you feel motivated?

Do you feel motivated?



Motivate means, according to the Cambridge Dictionary: to make someone want to do something well.



So, do you feel motivated?



Some people sleep day and night. Exactly. Day and night! They sleep because being awake is not interesting for them, while the sleep gives them the chance of doing and being anything you want; no rules, no limits! You can even choose the shape you want to be, the size you want to wear!

Wouldn't it be great if we could just transfer the image we have of us in our dreams to reality just by waking up? Well, it doesn't exactly happen this way. When we notice that most things in our lives are more dreams than reality, it is time to wake up! Look at the beautiful, fullfilling future you can have ahead!

The problem is that we can be really lazy, most of times. We just 'wait' till things get better. It's: 'oh, tomorrow I will start my diet.', or 'Monday. Because Monday is the international diet day.'


Stop that right now. The time is now, any day, today! Think about why you want to lose weight and grab your motivation right there!

Need help? I can give you some reasons not to wait another day....



1. To be healthier: you don't want to have diabetes or heart problems, do you? =)


2. Get married: all right, you might still have to find 'the one' in your life. But why not make yourself even pretier for when he/she comes?


3. Going on that dream holiday: summer is there! Start moving so you can spend a great time with friends, family or your loved one at the beach, wearing a gorgeous two piece! ;o)


4. Look good and feel good with yourself: no more low self-esteem or hiding behind the table ~or worse, behind your bag ~ at the parties! Show how friendly and fun you can be!


5. Wear nice clothes: remember what I said about 'hate clothes shopping' last post? Well, once you lose weight, it will become a pleasure, trust me!



And many more reasons that only you can think of!



But what's most important is not to do this just to look good for other people. Your motivation must not be only your best friend who looks like a Hollywood star, or that dress you bought 2 sizes smaller...


The main motivation MUST BE YOURSELF!!! Now, at this exact moment!


So....



* Do for yourself what you think is worthy.


* Do for yourself what you have always dreamed of.


* Do for yourself what one day you gave up and now you can try again.


Do it for yourself.


And only God knows... soon you will be somebody else's motivation!!!!

Good luck!


Count on me!

Take care,


Dani =)

'In the begining was the fat..."

OK, I know the word 'fat' sound horrible, but that is the truth, isn't it? And I have decided that in this blog only the truth shall be said!

I will tell you about my beginning...

I am 32 years old and have been overweight (OK, a not so offensive word) since I had this awful boyfriend that ruined my self-esteem and all he did was eat ~ a lot. I used to play volleyball for 3 hours, 5 days a week, which I don't anymore. I am a comfort eater (also because of my already said ruined self-esteem) and have to watch very carefully everything I eat, because a single little chocolate may lead me to eat the whole box!

I am happy, though. I now have a boyfriend who loves me the way I am ~ or whatever I may become after I get to my goal weight =) ~ and who encourages me 'nearly' all the time (except when he talks about chicken balls hehe). I am a constant 'Weight Watcher', go to the meetings every week and even help in my meetings, what gives me extra motivation. I'm also a huge fan of my leader, who has been like a 'mum' to me.

I know people gain weight for loads of different reasons. It doesn't matter much in my opinion. I think in the end we are all the same; most of us we feel frustrated, we hate going clothes shopping, and it takes us a long time to decide what to wear when we go out. Sadly, some of us don't even go out anymore. They are too afraid or embarrassed of people looking at them.

Some people go on loads of different kinds of diets (I've been there!), other take more actions, such as surgery; others get addicted to exercise, and so on. The thing is, we eventually get to a point that 'we've had enough!' And when we get to this point, we should really go for it. Make plans, establish a goal for yourself, look for help in a weight lost group. Just don't give up.

I've been a 'Weight Watchers' member for 6 months now, and I have to confess I have been kind of lousy. So far, I have lost 16 pounds. I know, I know, I could have done way much better, but that is just me. I love my food. And I never fooled myself thinking it would be easy. On the contrary I KNOW it's a daily struggle. And that makes it worthy.

So, all the women ~ and men ~ who want to join me in this odyssey, keep tuned to my blog. You are going to read serious things, funny things, and more: there will always be a supportive environment, and we can leave each other messages of encouragement, and even tips.

Welcome aboard!
Take care,

Dani =)