our-slimmingdown

[our-slimmingdown]

Lurgy is in the Hampson Household!

So I’ve been trying to fight off a horrible cold since Christmas Day evening.. and I just realized why! I haven’t been taking my supplements, or my daily medicine since Christmas Day! D’oh! Talk about Christmas getting in the way! 

Restarted taking them today, going to fight this cold before I go back to work alongside a lovely cup of warm water, lemon slices and tsp of honey. 

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Handy to know for when it finally happens. Not long now. Hopefully 2018 will be our year! :)

Baby Brain Development Food During Pregnancy

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The time is coming. You have got this.

Could not be more relevant right now.. Happy in the knowledge that it’s 2017 and I’m already fixing my mistake, and trying to be better before I step into 2018. Healthy mind = Healthy me. 

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Ready to kick those Adipose!

I read something today about an old saying... ‘Nothing changes if nothing changes’ and it is true! So I went back to Slimming World last night and I gained. I gained big. 2st 1lbs to be exact. That is over 7 weeks mind you. I’ve accepted this and I am ready to move on. 

Most of you won’t know this except very close family and friends but Jack and I have recently started attending a fertility clinic and I am undergoing new medication but for it to be really helpful and a success, I have been advised to continue losing weight.

Because of my wonderful husband, Jack he has given me an extra incentive of every stone loss I can have either a Lindy Bop item or Irregular Chocie Item. Isn’t he amazing?!

I am now armed with a meal planner, SW books, a 4 week planner and high fi bars! I will do this. So onward and downwards! Adipose I’m coming for you!

Love and Light, 

Penny xoxo

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Haven’t really made this public, except with my SW group. But I decided 7 weeks ago to weigh in ‘blind’ because I was struggling to get under 18st and my 5st award. I made the decision to try this for 12 weeks.  Well 7 weeks into weighing in ‘blind’ and I finally got my 5 stone loss award which puts me somewhere under 18 stone! I could not be happier! I just want to thank my consultant, Amanda Ritchie for being such a supportive inspiration. If it wasn't for your texts and Image Therapy I wouldn't have got this far. I'd have given up ages ago, so thank you very much!

And a huge thank you to my wonderful husband Jack for not letting me go off the rails, keeping me on track and supporting my decision to weigh in ‘blind.’

Slimming World truly is changing my life for the better.

Onwards and downwards to my next award / loss! :) Penny xoxo

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Sometimes, It's helpful to look back on how far we have come. As you know (on FB) I went to my friends wedding last night, and one of my school friends looked right past me.. and had to double check who I was! (which in itself was a wonderful feeling!)

Yesterday, I had to buy myself a new suit too.. and to be honest the waist measurement shocked me! In the left photo, I was a 54" round the waist, and in the right photo I am a 30" (perhaps not anymore after the gorgeous cupcakes and copious amounts of alcohol consumed last night, but we are only human, and it's allowed, but that's still a loss of 24" in the waist!).

Has it been an easy journey? No. I can tell you it's been filled with tears, anger, denial, hatred and a lot of the time self loathing. Is change ever easy? No.

Is it easy to change a lifetime of bad decisions, choices and coping mechanisms overnight? No.

Was it worth it? Hell yes! Simply put, it was the best decision I have ever made.

Or should I say decisions...

You see, weight loss, is a very mental journey (as with most transformations) it starts and ends with the mind and you don't just decide to change one day. You don't wake up one day and say "Today's the day I'm going to change." It's not instantaneous, It takes time. You have to be willing to wake up everyday and decide that you are committed to becoming who you truly want to be. EVERYDAY. It's not just one big decision, it's lots of little ones.

I have seen people come into group, desperate to change, and they want it NOW NOW NOW, and then get disheartened, leave and quit. They give up on themselves and believe me, I've been there too!

Like I said, you aren't just dealing with the physical issues of being fat. No - that tends to be the bodies physical manifestation of what's happening INSIDE.

You are dealing with a lifetime of perhaps being bullied, emotional scars, coping mechanisms, obsessive eating, literally years and years of turmoil inside yourself - and you want to change in a couple of weeks, or a few months?

You have to decide to change for life, and commit if you want to see success, and most of all have compassion for yourself, because you are literally unbecoming. You are healing yourself from the inside out, and it is the most beautiful and courageous act you could ever do.

If you have made it down this far, congratulations. You deserve a pat on the back, but I would also like to give a massive shout out to my Slimming world Consultant, Amanda Ritchie.

Because, she has been one of the few who have sat through the tears, and the angry episodes - and offered nothing but compassion, kindness and dedication, and I wouldn't be the person on the right, if it were not for her support.

I'd love to see you at group, and support you in making that change for life... and commit to yourself.

So, if it's 7 lbs you want to lose or 70 lbs (or more, the sky is the limit!) and you want to do it in a healthy way where you don't have to starve yourself or have shakes, or slim tea and just eat good filling food. Then I invite you along to any of these three sessions in St.Ives, Cambridgeshire.

Monday 9.30am Corn Exchange (town centre) Monday 5.30pm and 7.30pm Crossways Centre, St. Ives, Cambs

Her Slimming World group page is here: https://www.facebook.com/Amanda-Slimming-World-St-Ives-468…/

Make your commitment to yourself today <3 x Love and Light, Jack x

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Addicted to Food

I’m watching Addicted to Food, a series on Netflix, and I cannot express how much I resonate with this series. When I was 12 years old (Year 7), I was diagnosed with ‘Binge Eating Disorder’ and went for counselling in my local town. However, due to having to move house, and home life going haywire, I stopped my counselling and nothing more was done about my weight / issues etc... 

While watching the show something especially resonated with me. They said; “Think of your food as medication. So you take the prescribed amount of medication throughout your day.” This makes you approach food with caution instead of mindless eating - which I do so often! I watched the series, as the people were not allowed to weight themselves (your number on the scales is not important) and just focused on healing mentally, and coming to terms with how to eat well. I especially loved the concept of using an ice cream scoop to measure out portions of food such as pasta, mash, rice - starchy, fatty food but filling up on vegetables, fruit, sweet potato... So much like Slimming World (but without the scoop :L) From watching this series, I was able to unlock a part of me, that I have suppressed. I reject people’s compliments, and don’t believe them. I have a way of deflecting their comment, and passing it on about someone else. From the past 4 months, I’ve come to realize that for me... 

Being Fat is an addiction. Even when I have had a full, hearty SW friendly dinner (and I couldn’t possibly eat any more), I still fixate on what I’m used to eating (high sugar, fatty, processed food). I get so wound up that I cannot eat this food, that I take it out on the one person who’s closest to me. Food is my addiction, just like someone suffering with alcoholism, or drugs. 

Every minute I go without practicing my addiction a miracle is happening. I just need to find the strength not to relapse so bad. I need to control this disease, and know that I can have the occasional item of food, and still feel good about myself, and not spiral out of control. When I deny my ‘craving’ it strengthens my will to succeed. I need to remember this feeling of saying ‘no’ and making myself feel, and look better. Inside and out. 

I know I have rambled, but this helps me take a little pressure off my chest, and makes me feel I am making an improvement about my own self discovery.

Love and Light, 

Penny xoxo 

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This is my husband at his 10st 7lbs loss in total. 8st 7lbs gone completely just in 2016! In the beginning of 2017 - Jack declared target, and has amazed me, and is one of my biggest inspirations! I love you, and am so proud of you! I hope will one day I will be where you are now. 

You. are. amazing. 

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2014 to 2017!

A lot has happened in the past 2.5 years. Jack is now at target, and walking the path of maintaining. He has lost a total of 10st 7lbs, and has done an incredible job. I could not be more proud of him. The difference is incredible (Photo to follow).

However, I slipped off the rails, quite a bit and piled some weight on and more in 2015. Things were not good for me. 

2016 I pulled that back, and managed to lose 4stone and 7lbs. I have now struggled for the past several months of 2017, and have been stuck in a rut once more, a wall standing in my way. 

Recently, I completed my Masters Degree in Reiki, and this has started to help me heal, and break down those walls around me. I’m restarting this plan, for the last and final time. This is my third time, and this time I will do it. There is no more excuses. It’s being fat, and miserable or actually taking control and doing it myself. 

I am stepping onto those scales Monday, and I’m no longer going to look at the numbers. The weight of my body is not my focus any more. I spent 4 months getting upset because I couldn’t get under 18st, and even on my good weeks, when I noticed my body was changing, I put myself down and sabotaged myself because my weight hadn’t gone down as much as I wanted it to. 

I promise to post more, and keep you all updated, and I will be sharing the progress of my amazing Sister and Mum’s journey - and Jack’s maintaining progress. 

Have a wonderful Easter x

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10/10 photoshop :)

Such a shame it's photoshopped! I bet this would be delicious! Garlic Diet Coke! What's not to love?! :D 

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2 years in a row and we've both won. Jack won Man of the year in our group and I won Woman of the year in our group! :D Thanks everyone for nominating me :) x

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Banana Cake

Banana Cake

Need: 28g Self Raising Flour (4 1/2 syns) 2 Eggs 1 tsp Baking Powder (1/2 syn) 1tsp Vanilla Essence (Or Extract) 1 Mashed Banana (5 syns) Sweetener to taste (I used 4tbsp) 1 Muller light (Vanilla) Fry light 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

Method: Preheat your oven to 180'c / 360f Weigh out 50g self raising flour in a bowl. Then add your sweetener, amount optional, vanilla essence (or extract), vanilla Muller light, baking powder + cinnamon In another bowl break up 1 banana and mash it down, I used a pestle to mush it up. Put mashed banana in your first bowl, break 2 eggs onto the mix and using a hand blender, blend until smooth Cover your cake tin with baking parchment, fry light the parchment then pour in your mix Cook for approx 40 minutes, or until knife comes out clean Once cooked, allow to cool for 10 minutes, then cut up and enjoy!

TOTAL SYNS 10 syns for whole cake! We split into 8 sections which = 1.25 syns!

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Dulce Gusto Syn Values

Dulce Gusto Drink Syn Values :) 

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Inspiration!

We've been lacking in posts for a while now. Life seems to get so hectic, and little things that we love to do get put aside, like this page. Thought we'd kick start with a lovely bit of inspiration, from a good man! I'm sure he wouldn't mind me posting this, after all he is amazing and such an inspiration! 

Gordon Cruickshank's before and after. In the first picture he was 17st 12lb & now he's at target of 12st 12lbs with a brilliant 5st loss! Well done Gordon!

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Dinner we made this week. Apologies that the photo isn't the best and rest assured it tasted so much better than it looked   To the left side, we had spiced new potatoes + green beans In the middle, we had Broccoli Dhansak in a blended carrot + lentil sauce To the right, we had side serving of rice

ALL SYN FREE AND AMAZING - Recipes come from the family feast book on a budget. If you would like the recipe, I'll gladly pop on here for you all :) x

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Keep Calm poster for our 2nd week challenge! 5 scan bran + 5 glasses of water per day! Think that's do able. 

Gunna make a scan bran cake this week :) 

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Hello all! Just wanted to say a MASSIVE thank you for following this blog. Like we've said before it means a lot to us, and we hope that we'll be able to help others to lose weight, and make healthier lifestyle choices the natural way! 

Why not start the 12 week challenge with us? First week's challenge, read all your Slimming World Books (Or Weight Watchers etc..) Whichever plan your on, take your time over the next 7 days and read your books, it will help you and make a difference in your weight loss this week!!