You will see that I have already signed up for Tiddlyompompom’s June Challenge as I come before you all to declare my failure to achieve the challenge I set myself for May. Oh dear, and like my maypole dancing in … Continue reading
So the end of the day is drawing near. The end of Day One of my May Personal Challenge inspired by Tiddlyompompom and I am happy to report that I have not eaten any chocolate today and I have been … Continue reading
Go Mar Mar Go!
On Sunday 17th April 2011 David and I took Esther and William to London for the very first time. We went to watch the marathon, to support every amazing person who volunteered to take part and in particular to cheer on David’s older brother, Martin.
See our banner above!
People who run the marathon spend the best part of a year preparing for it, many run for their own personal sense of achievement and many run to raise money for charity. Whatever a person’s motivation it is a huge challenge and commitment so I would like to say well done to absolutely everyone who took part. You should be very very proud!
I have to say though that being a supporter, a spectator, at the marathon is not without challenge, particularly if you brave our busy capital city with twinfants in a giant double buggy!! By the time we got home last night I felt as though I had run a marathon of my own!
Packing for our day in London was like packing for a holiday, there are just so many what ifs and in cases. David took a huge rucksack and I had a small change bag and this is what we had inside …
Picnic for us
Lunch and tea for the babies
Pots and spoons
Juice for us
Water cups for babies
Wipes
Muslins
10 Nappies
Nappy bags
Cotton wool
Spare clothes for Esther and William
Spare top for me
Books for babies
4 bibs plus clean spare plastic bibs
Change mat
Warm clothes for Esther and William
Picnic Blanket
Bicycle pump
Puncture repair kit
Our banner
Sun hats
Sun cream
Teething / rattly toys
Chewing gum
2 muslins
Cotton wool
1 nappy / sack and wipes
Lip balm
Cameras
Hand gel and cream
Disinfectant wipes
mascara and eye lash curlers
Calpol / Nurofen / teething powders
Vaseline for Esther
Cardigan for me
Purse
So much stuff needed mainly by two of the tiniest possible people. And I have to say that we did use most of what we took.
Despite the mammoth packing required we did have a brilliant time. The 80 minute train ride from Charing to London passed without incident. The babies really were very good. We walked to our viewing spot at Tower Bridge, from Victoria Station, along the South Bank. It was a glorious sunny morning and we were met with friendly smiles and positive comments about the twins all the way. We had take out coffee and breakfast like proper city folk and it was just a lovely lovely day. Esther and William were very well behaved enjoying seeing the sights of London from their newly frontward facing buggy.
When we reached Tower Bridge there was a crowd there but it was not too busy and everyone wasin high spirits cheering complete strangers with the same warmth and enthusiasm as the people they knew and were there to support. It was a great atmosphere, everyone was happy and sharing a common purpose of supporting people striving to acheive a personal or charitable goal.
We erected our banner and waited in the blazing sun for David’s brother to run past. He saw us and waved as he passed us. I am glad we were there to help spur him on.
After seeing Martin we collapsed on to the nearest bit of grass we could find and had lunch, fed the babies, let them have a play and soaked up more of the celebratory vibe befre walking back along the iouth Bank and battling our way into Horseguards Parade to again raise our flag and wait for Martin to finish the race. We were joined by Martin’s wife and children, his Mum and Dad and sister and other friends and family. How wonderful for him to have so many of us waiting there as he crossed the finish line. I hope that we were a comfort to him after his enduring trial. I know that my friends and family would have been a comfort to me after such a huge event.
We all went together for an ice cream in Green Park before making our separate journeys back to Kent reflecting on a beautiful day supporting an amazing and important event.
And again, I say well done one and all who ran yesterday. I am in awe of each and everyone of you. Well done.
And well done to Esther and William who determinedly survived the day without complete meltdown, an achievement of their own which means that we may even brave London again one day, in fact we definitely will for the Buggy Push!!
Well done everyone!
This week is my third week on the Jenny Craig Weight Management Programme. I have to say that I am feeling good. I have had two comments on how slim I am looking and I weigh 9 stone 6 pounds. I have lost a steady 5lbs which I am happy with.
Last week my consultant corrected my calorie count to take into account the fact that I am breastfeeding twins. I am now eating up to 2300 calories a day by supplementing my Jenny Craig foods with recommended foods from their Grocery List.
This plan is so easy to follow and allows me to eat some lovely foods. I have porridge with blueberries for breakfast washed down with a fruit tea. This afternoon I used my milk allowance, a banana and a spoonful of cocoa powder to make a delicious dark chocolate milkshake / smoothie. It was lovely and healthy too!
My favourite foods so far are the mushroom and bacon risotto and mushroom stroganoff with rice. I also love the potato snacks and chocolate bars.
As part of the programme I have also made sure that I am more active. I have been out walking most days, with my double buggy, and have been more active in my play with the babies. I am feeling the benefit of this exercise and my bingo wings do seem to be tightening up.
I am looking forward to next week when I will re measure my vitals and see if I have lost inches as I think that I have.
Last week I was asked to reflect on what kind of eater I am. I am definitely an emotional eater. if I am struggling with the babies I eat, if I am bored I eat. I just like to eat, and the great thing about the Jenny Craig plan is that I can eat, I am positively encouraged to eat and still I lose weight. It is great!
But … it is also expensive. I am lucky enough to be writing this review in exchange for a 28 day trial of the Jenny Craig programme, I am not sure that this is something that I could afford to continue myself. What I can continue though are the methods and ideas that I am learnign every day to develop a healthier relationship with food.
I will always now eat little and often. I will refer to Jenny Craig’s free foods and portion control. I will continue to exercise regularly. I will continue to try and have a positive outlook about my weight loss that will remain steady until I reach my desired weight.
Jenny Craig has made me think that my goal might just be possible, and this ugly duckling will become a swan in time for her wedding!!!
Thank you Jenny Craig!
This morning I had my Jenny Craig consultation with a lovely lady called Claire. We reviewed the week and I admitted to my cheating. We discussed the fact that I am breastfeeding twins and she explained that my calorie intake should not be 1200 calories but 2300 calories so it was no wonder that I had found the need to cheat!
Today Claire is going to send out new, adjusted, menus to allow for the extra calories.
Not sure that I will eat the full 2300 calories but what I will do is continue regulating my portion sizes and being aware of how much salt there is in certain foods. Too much salt leads to water retention which can lead to excess weight!
The main focus of today’s consultation was finding out what kind of eater I am.
There are 5 main styles of eater as identified by the Jenny Craig Programme:
Uninformed Eater; Emotional Eater; Unconscious Eater; Social Eater and Balanced Eater.
I am an emotional, unconscious eater. I miss some meals, I eat food because it is there and I also tend to eat when I am bored and sad.
You can learn more about these eating styles and discover what style you are by looking at the Jenny Craig website.
This week I have been asked to reflect on my eating style and try to avoid eating when and what I shouldn’t.
Today I have so far eaten porridge and a banana, soup and crumpets and a Jenny Craig snack bar. Looking forward to Jenny Craig chilli for tea!
Wish me luck! I will let you know how I get on x
Oh dear, yesterday I fell off the diet wagon spectacularly, enjoying not only pancakes with sugar and lemon but also fajitas and flapjack! Not because I do not want to continue with the plan, not because I particularly lack motivation but because I wanted to enjoy the last day before Lent. For Lent I have given up fajitas, flapjack and caffeine. I will feast again at the end. To counteract my over eating yesterday I upped my activity and went for a 9 mile cross country walk pushing almost 2 stone of babies in their double buggy. The weather was glorious and we completed the route in 3 hours, quite good going I think!
But back to Jenny Craig’s Plan today. I was naughty yesterday but am back on the diet today. I started the day with porridge and blueberries from my free fruit allowance. It was really a rather nice way to start the day. I am back on the diet and raring to go.
For lunch I am having yesterday’s Winter Vegetable Soup which is easily prepared in the microwave. This is great when parenting twinfants! With the soup I am allowed some bread and cheese and also some salad. I am going to have some cherries though instead of my salad. Tonight I am having mushroom stroganoff and rice supplemented with lots of free veg and a little parmesan cheese.
On Monday I found the Bacon and Mushroom Risotto okay but I had to supplement with a lot of veg to feel satisfied. I am thinking that I might actually like to become a vegetarian. Maybe next Lent I will give up meat and see how I get on!
The soup today was quite nice and definitely filled me up. A filling lunch that will give me plenty of energy for the afternoon, playing with Esther and William.
Looking forward to dinner tonight and seeing how satisfied I feel at the end of a full Jenny Craig day.
I think I should point out that I am getting this 28 day trial for free but receiving no financial reward for the reviews. These are all my own, very honest findings and opinions and I hope that people will find them helpful.
Today is the first day of my 28 day Jenny Craig Weight Management Plan trial. I am feeling quite apprehensive about it actually, almost like I am on trial. The children must have sensed my heightened mood as they have been awak and raring to go since 5.30am. It is now 7.45am and they are already back in bed having had a breakfast of fresh, warm apple puree and a good play. Bless.
Now I am about to start my day. Today’s breakfast is a 40 gram serving of muesli with half a cup of milk. I can also have as much fruit as I like and as much tea, though without sugar. I usually have just one.
Before that though I need to weigh myself and make a note of my measurements too. These details are recorded on my Jenny Craig Lifestyle Graph. I have to measure my bust, waist, abdomen and hips.
Here goes
Bust = 93cm / 36.6 inches
Waist = 79cm / 31.1 inches (Oh my God!! I used to be 26/28 inches!)
Abdomen = 92cm / 36.2 inches
Hips = 92cm / 36.2 inches
And I weigh (in the morning, after a large mug of tea!) 9 stone and 11 pounds. So ideally, I have 11lbs to lose.
Crikey I am larger than I thought, and must look kind of barrel shaped as bust, hips and stomach are all about the same. If I needed some extra motivation I think that I have just found it!
Time to make my muesli!
Along with my Jenny Craig meals and snacks I can have as much free food as I like. My free foods include: diet drinks; tea and herbal tea; fresh chilli; garlic; herbs; spices; Worcestershire sauce; Balsamic vinegar; asparagus; bean sprouts; broccoli; celery; mushrooms; onions; peppers; sugra snap peas; tomatoes. I can eat as much of these as I like. Can almost make vegetarian fajitas out of that little lot! No wraps though!
I can also eat up to 3 servings per day of any of: melon; strawberries; honey; jam; jelly and low cal hot chocolate.
The Jenny Craig menu plan states that it is important to eat all the foods on your plan and aim for weight loss of 1 to 2lbs a week. The free foods are designed to increase your satisfaction without significantly increasing your caloric intake.
I have never been on a diet before and have always thought I would be terrible at sticking to one as I am such a fussy eater but I really do think this plan could work for me as I can fill up on veg should I not like one of the specified meals. I am looking forward to getting started now.
Will let you know how I have got on at the end of the day.
Jenny Craig – Initial Telephone Consultation
For the next 28 days I am going to be trialling the Jenny Craig Weight Management Plan.I wanted to trial this programme before committing to it or something like it in preparation for my wedding later this year. In July 2010 I gave birth to my beautiful twins Esther and William. It is now March 2011, I get married in September and I am still a stone heavier than my pre pregnancy weight.
I weigh 10 stone and ideally I would like to weigh 9 stone. I am hoping that the food, one to one support and activity plan from the Jenny Craig Programme will help me to achieve my goal in time for my big day.
First of all it is important to know that this is not a diet as such but a weight management programme. One of the great things for me is that you still get to eat crisps and chocolate and even chocolate flavoured breakfast cereal; it is about doing so in moderation. Jenny Craig promotes moderation not deprivation.
For me this programme has begun with a consultation with Programme Director, Ian Robson. He is very open and friendly, very good at his job (!) and we immediately got on well.
He talked me through the main aspects of the Jenny Craig plan and what I would be getting as part of my 28 day trial.
Ian talked to me as though I would be embarking on the plan for 12 months. This is the recommended time frame for losing weight with Jenny Craig.. This is the time that their experts recommend is needed for not only losing the weight but learning the right tricks and tools for maintaining your new weight and keeping the fat off! Jenny Craig offers 3, 6 or 12 month programmes with 12 being what they think to be the best time frame for losing weight healthily. On average customers using the programme have about 3 stone to lose, for me I am aiming to lose only one stone but I want to make sure that I keep it off.
So how can Jenny Craig help me to do that?
The programme is all about portion control and educating people about their eating habits. Using Ian’s analogy the Jenny Craig team view their clients like computers whose wiring or programming is wrong. They need to take the memory out, wipe the hard disk and reprogram. For many of us in order to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight after the initial loss our food habits need to be revisited and rewound.
Ian and I talked about the fact that as children we are often made to eat everything that is on our plate, no matter what the portion size, and in fact we are rewarded for eating a huge portion of main by being given pudding, only if we completely empty our plates. I am currently weaning Esther and William and already I am saying this to them, just a few more mouthfuls and then you can have something nice for dessert!
We need to eat the foods that we enjoy but in moderation and this is what the Jenny Craig Plan supports
So, how is it going to work?
Straight from the horse’s mouth “I am about to embark on a journey of self-discovery where I will learn to understand my current diet and lifestyle habits and develop new skills, techniques and knowledge to help manage my weight successfully in the long term.”
But how?
For the next 28 days I will eat a calorie controlled diet. This will consist of 1200 calories a day eaten in the form of a breakfast, a morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and evening snack. Jenny Craig does not allow people to eat less than 1200 calories a day as it is just not sustainable. On the Jenny Craig programme you can choose to have all your food delivered to your door ready for you to pop in the microwave or heat on the hob. They also provide snack bars and crisps. You then supplement what they provide with your own fruit and vegetables but they provide a Grocery Guide to ensure that you purchase the best food for the diet or plan that you are following.
The programme is designed to fit around your lifestyle. During your first telephone consultation you will discuss in detail how you live your day to day life, what you eat, drink and how you exercise. It is like a friendly chat with somebody new who is going to help you achieve a goal. Jenny Craig provides you with a weekly consultation plus a telephone number for their care line that you can ring at anytime for further support. This can be for menu advice if you are going to be eating out or to ask what activity you can do to work off that extra digestive biscuit or glass of wine!
The Jenny Craig diet is sodium correct and so should reduce fluid retention in the body. Because of this I can expect to see my biggest drop in weight during the first week of the plan as my body gets used to this lower salt intake. I have to say that I do not add any salt to my food currently but am aware that there can be hidden salt in some foods. I am going to be interested to see what happens as the weeks’ progress.
One of the things that I really like about this plan is that it is an education about eating that can have a positive effect on the whole family we learn about proper portion sizes and what Jenny Craig terms as eating and burning.
This programme is designed and constantly adapted to fit around your lifestyle and as a mother of twins I certainly hope this is true as no two days are the same for us.
And what am I going to feed my partner?
Please follow our journey over the next 28 days as I aim to lose a stone with Jenny Craig.
You can find out more about the plan by looking at their website, their Facebook page or by following them on Twitter.
Wish me luck!