HEALTH FROM THE INSIDE OUT

My body seems to hate me. My pancreas is a bit of an arsehole (I’m diabetic), my cholesterol hasn’t got the memo about where I need it to be, it would appear that my gut has more issues than a Jeremy Kyle guest (suspected IBS), I need to lose weight (I have PCOS and a metabolism that has been sleeping since 1995) and other fun stuff. I’ll not be beaten though.

Clearly my body is somewhat lackadaisical in the behaviour department. I’ve been on a diet pretty much constantly since I was 18yr old (mostly swinging between SW and WW) with some success. In recent years a mixture of boredom and these plans just not suiting my somewhat unique situation has meant that progress has ground to a halt. I was diagnosed as type 2 diabetic last year after years on Metformin as a pre-diabetic and thankfully have a brilliantly supportive health team.  

Seeing what I eat and how hard I’ve been trying to lose weight and deal with my various health issues, my fab health team are confident that I’m doing all that I can. As what I’m doing hasn’t been particularly successful in terms of managing my diabetes and losing weight I’m cranking things up a bit. I’ve adopted a lower carb / Meditteranean-type diet, and have even started looking at including aloe vera juice (there is evidence that it helps with blood glucose, cholesterol and gut health so I’m giving it a go) and yesterday ate Freekah for the first time (which I’m pronouncing freaky because it sounds good).

Will it help, will it not? There’s only one way to find out. Thankfully it doesn’t taste vile so that’s a bonus!

Cutting out all processed food and snack foods (I’ve not eaten either for years), avoiding bread and being strictly dairy-free (gut issues), not drinking alcohol, not having a sweet tooth and eating basic home-cooked, nutritious meals constantly (in sensible portions) would, you would think do the trick. It hasn’t and isn’t and I can’t afford to be complacent. 

So…

I take your healthy balanced diet and increased activity levels and raise you a concerted effort to boost health from the inside out, taking any (sensible) options that are available to me. If that means trying new things (no faddy, juice plus, artificial nonsense thank you), I’m game.

Here’s hoping that my next diabetic review (end of June) shows some good results! I’m six pounds lighter in a month since my last review so here’s hoping these changes make a difference.

Any recipes, nutritious foods or sensible suggestions are most welcome. 

Slimming Down and Hitting the Sales

nickiprofAug

I’m back at Weight Watchers….

Yes, I know, you’ve heard it all before (although to be fair it is usually Slimming World), however this time I mean business and it certainly seems to be paying off. WW have a new Smartpoints plan which works brilliantly for me and so I’m hopeful I’ll see some significant weight losses over the next six months.

The problem with slimming down is the fact that you can’t take your clothes with you. I’ve already lost a few pounds and if I lose too many more my jeans will let me down and I’ll be shamed on the school run for flashing my M&S belly-grabber knickers.

In the past, I’ve refused to buy new clothes when losing weight because of course I knew I’d be (hopefully) shrinking out of them. I’ve made do with what I’ve got (despite it looking too baggy) or hit the charity shop for some “in-between” basics. This time around I’m doing things differently. I’m not waiting until I hit goal before buying new clothes, I want to enjoy clothes and feel good about myself now!

This is of course where the Yorkshire/Irish mix in me (frugal leaning towards being tight when it comes to spending on myself) is in conflict with my “I want to look nice and have nice things” self. The answer…. Sale shopping!

One thing I do not do, or do as rarely as possible is go physically clothes shopping. I hate it! The queue for the changing room, the VERY unflattering lighting and huge mirrors coupled with that unique changing room smell makes it a nightmare for me, and one to be avoided at all cost.

This time around I’ll be hitting the online Vivienne Westwood sale instead of the charity shops or even the online Joules sale (if I’m feeling brave enough!). I’m making another new clothing change too, this time around I’m not going to keep my “big” clothes. They encourage me to slip into them when I gain a few pounds rather than keep slimming to stay in the new size (slimmers will understand what I mean!) so they have to go!

I’m quite looking forward to this next leg in the Grand Nicki Weight-Loss Journey, including (for the first time) designer clothes shopping online.

To keep me going (I’m determined!) share with me your top Weight Watchers or slimming down hints, tips and tricks!