Sweet potato, onion and celery soup

Last Monday I went round my friends flat and she offered to cook me lunch after I was finished at the gym, which was very kind. She wanted something light, as did I really because I was going out for dinner in the evening. Luna offered to make me a soup. I offered to get the ingredients for her to cook with including some whole meal 60g rolls (remember I'm on Slimming World guys!). So I picked up sweet potatoes and onions and she made me some soup! I absolutely fell in with it, it was tasty so I decided so make my own version!

Ingredients:

• Frylight
• 2 big sweet potatoes
• 1 onion
• Celery sticks
• 2 vegetable stock cubes
• 1 pint of water
• Salt and pepper for seasoning

 I chopped up the onion (with many tears!), peeled the sweet potatoes and the celery, fried the onions and celery off in frylight in a large sauce pan, added the chopped sweet potato. Boil the kettle, measure out a pint of hot water and add 2 vegetable stock cubes. Once they have dissolved, add to the sauce pan and turn the heating down to a medium heat and wait until the sweet potato is soft. Then I blitzed it with an electric hand blender until it was a thick creamy soup!

Before and after

This will do at least 3 portions so I will take some to work, some for my mother for her lunch tomorrow if she would like it and its entirely syn free on Extra Easy and Green plans.

Fatty to fittie

image from google

To date I have lost over 4st 7lbs, which has taken me just over 3 years. I've been doing slimming world souly, just wanting to shift the weight, didn't really think that my body was going to be like when I had got rid of all the excess weight. I'm not 'saggy' as I haven't lost a great deal compared to some people, but I have gotten to the point where I wanted to start toning up my tummy, legs, arms etc. Not wanting to go all 'HULK' like but you'no, firm skinned ;)

After coming back from Download festival, I sat down and had a conversation with my mum (who I go to with advice from here, there and everywhere) and I explained to her that I'd like to join a gym (again!). I used to be a member of 'Nuffield Health and Wellbeing' which was a shocking £42 per month! Although you had access to a swimming pool, steam room, sauna, gym and classes, £42 seems really steep! I looked into a few more gyms such as 'DW Sports', Swindon council gyms etc, I decided to look into the newest gym Swindon has. I had heard a lot of great things about 'Kiss gym' although it is about 10/15 minute drive from my house, I went to have a look.

'Kiss gym' doesn't have a reception desk, but as soon as I got there I was greeted by a very friendly member of staff/personal trainer, who give me a tour of the gym. It had everything I wanted in a gym. They had running machines, elliptical trainer, stationary bikes, stepper, spinning bikes, weights, mats, kettle bells, punching bags and classes. There is underground parking. I was told it was £15.99 per month but there was a joining fee. My heart sank because joining fee's are the worst, but I was told I could have £10 off the joining fee which went from £25 down to £15! Hey, a tenner, is a tenner at the end of the die plus I'd already fell in love with the place! So, I signed up and headed straight in. I had a small induction, but I didn't really need it as I had been to gyms in the past. I did 20 minutes on the running machine, which I have never been able to do! I have to say, joining 'Kiss gym' which the best decision I have ever made!

I had joined Thursday 17th July and since then I have been Monday, Tuesday evening (exercise class) and Friday. My goal is go out at least twice a week. I have also measured myself as I'm stepping away slowly from using the scales and focus on exercise and toning. 

My measurements:

Bust: 36"

Waist: 34"

Hips: 42"

I'm pear shaped.

I will measure myself again in a month and see if there is any changes, wish me luck ;)

My weight loss story

imagine from google

As loosing weigh is such a huuuge part of my life I decided that I wanted to share with you guys my journey so far.

What made me lose weigh in the first place? 

Basically I was a big girl always had been but in 2011 I was weighing a staggering 16 stone 10lbs, dress size 22 top and 20 bottoms. It never bothered me though, I was with a guy who loved me for me. We used to cook food with a lot of oil, go out for dinner or order in a takeaway, as I only saw him at weekends as he was in the Navy. To me, it didn't feel like I 'pigged' out that often. After our relationship ended in May 2011 I was really down about everything especially since I thought it was my fault I decided to book a ticket to Download festival and have some fun! I met my current boyfriend Dan there who apparently thought I was attractive (at almost 17 stone that is something I will never understand!) so we had a lot of photo's together.

This photo was the one I saw after I came back, and I couldn't believe how big (okay, fat) I was. I was so down and depressed I knew I had to do something about it and stop feeling like I did.

So, what did I do about it?

 I started swimming. I downloaded myfitnesspal for my iPhone and started to calorie count. I lost half a stone in my first week, this inspired me to keep going. Within 6 months, I'd lost around 1 stone 10lbs which bought me down to 15st. I stopped over Christmas, and I ended up gaining weight like you do, ended up being 15st 5-6lbs. Within another year or so (I was yo-yoing a lot! I'd lost motovation), I'd lost another 7.5lb , bringing my weight down to 14st 11.5lbs. I felt very stuck, I'd lost the ability to lose weight by calorie counting and exercising. I guess I had been doing it for almost 2 years it was bound to happen sooner or later.

The photo on the left was taken May 2012 and the photo on the right was taken March 2013.

This was because of calorie counting and exercise.

So, 'Slimming world'?

After trying Weight Watchers (it worked so well for Dan's mum), I decided to look into 'Slimming World'. I had been thinking about joining for a while especially since I've heard and seen such amazing results. My mum wasn't keen as I already spend £34 on a gym membership which I use and love, but I felt like I needed to go and have a look around and see what it was all about. So, I told her I was going to the gym (I still do!) and I went to my nearest meeting. I was nervous and I automatically thought that I was going to be the biggest on there, but it was fine. My group is very lovely, they are supportive and they encourage me and I have had some amazing weight losses over the past 22 weeks. To date I have lost 2st 7lbs (4st 7lbs all together) I had enjoyed every moment of it. I've had my 'ups and downs' but its THE best decision I have ever made. I enjoy not calorie counting and eating good food and eating until I am full, it is fantastic! I truly recommend 'Slimming World'. I'm so close to my target weight which is 12st, but I am considering changing it. I'd like to get my 3 stone award, which would bring me to 11st 11.5lbs. I will see how I feel when I reach it. I have 4.5lbs to lose until I get that beautiful blue shiny sticker!

This isn't the best of photo of me and the fella, but this is our most recently one. Although I still have my double chin, you can see the differences in almost 3 years of dieting/changing my eating habits. I love this photo and I adore this man!