I don't know how I did it!

My weight loss has been slow since I joined our local Weight Watchers group back on November 1, 2011 but last night I finally lost a further 600gms which gave me a total loss of 5.1 kgs - I am super happy. I could not believe that I had still lost weight in the past week, given the Australia Day 4 day weekend that we enjoyed with our visitors from Melbourne.
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I think my juicing has helped my weight loss - the juice is filling so I do not snack between breakfast at 8am and lunch at 12 noon, just a cup of coffee at work usually. The juice also makes you 'regular' if you know what I mean (definitely daily for me!) and I think it flushes unwanted things from your body. It is a bit costly but I guess I am not buying snack foods and I buy the cheapest apples (Sundowners were $1.97/kg compared to Pink Lady's $3.94/kg). I am investing in my good health.
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I have started taking Fish Oil to see if it eases my back and shoulder joint pain. It could take months before I may notice a change. The oil tastes fine and I just have a little bit of orange juice to wash it down. Lets see if I can see an improvement.
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It's a beautiful sunny, clear blue sky day here today. My garden is looking colourful but very neglected. Because I have been having physiotherapy (with acupuncture) on my back and shoulder I am not game to get out in the garden in case I strain something. The weeds aren't taller than the plants yet so that's okay!
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We have a book club that leaves books at work and I was couldn't resist buying Julie Goodwin's latest book - The Heart of the Home. I got it for $20 but it retails for $49.99.
It has some lovely recipes along with her stories of her childhood and growing up and enjoying home cooked food. There are many recipes I will try but will have to modify the fat content in them. Recipes using a knob of butter (100gms) are just not good for you!
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Last night at our WW meeting, we had a small tasting of some low fat dishes that some of the committee members had made. I will cook the Lamb Chasseur tonight - it only has 6 ingredients - lamb, onion, mushrooms, bacon, canned tomatoes and beef stock - it was delicious.
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Enjoy your day - I hope the world is throwing some nice weather your way - it's a cracker of a day here!
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Cheers - Joolz

Juicing...

I got out my juicer and made my veggie/fruit juice this morning...
(Raw beetroot, carrot, celery, apple & orange)

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This is it before I stirred it... pretty, isn't it?
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A glass full of goodness!
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We had a chicken Caesar Salad for dinner last night (sorry no pics) and I used Praise 99% fat Free Caesar dressing and it was delicious. I chopped up baby cos lettuce leaves, browned off some lean bacon then my chicken tenderloin pieces and let them cool off. Once cooled/cold, sprinkle the lettuce with bacon pieces and chicken, add the dressing (I don't like to use too much) then sprinkle in some croutons (I buy mine but you can make them too). Finely grate some parmesan cheese over it all and give it a good toss. I find you only need about 2 tablespoons of the cheese and that is not a lot, weight wise. Enjoy!
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It was a little bit ironic as I had just bought the January copy of Australian Healthy Food Guide and it suggested swapping the normal dressing for reduced fat version. I did that before reading it! This edition is packed full of good swapping ideas so I will share a few over the coming days.
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Angus & I are walking each morning (40 minutes) and I am really enjoying it. He makes me accountable for going.
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HEALTHY SWAPS
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Instead of feeling hungry after only having a piece of fruit for breakfast because you are trying to be good - Add extra fibre and protein by adding a handful of muesli, a tablespoon of LSA (ground linseed, sunflower and almond) and a good dollop of low fat yoghurt to a bowl of fruit salad (chop it up the night before).
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Instead of getting a pie from the bakery - Make extra dinner and pack it so you have healthy left overs for lunch the next day.
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Instead of pouring sauce or dressing like it's going out of style - Use a tablespoon or a pump bottle to spray a small amount over your meal.
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Instead of choosing juice, cordial or soft drink throughout the day - try to choose WATER first. Add some fresh lemon or lime juice or a few sprigs of mint for flavour.

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Instead of having icecream or custard for dessert - opt for low fat versions. Individual serve packs will reduce the likihood of over doing it. Make a low fat fruit crumble with apples and berries.
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As you can see, I am back into it! I didn't over-eat over the Christmas/New Year break but I did eat a little too much of my favourite thing - CHEESE! I have it out of my system now and will not be buying any delicious, scrumptious, mouthwatering vintage cheddar (Cracker Barrell!).
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Cheers - Joolz