Saturday 3rd March 2018
Hi everyone,
March is here and it’s still freezing, but lighter days are on the way and the world is full of promise with spring, and hopefully sunshine, in sight. ( I hope you’re all managing to keep warm in this cold snap.)
February was quite a tough month as far as maintaining went as an old back injury re-surfaced which meant that I had to stop running. That, in turn, meant I had to eat a bit less in order to stop any weight gain which was not easy. Maintaining really is a fine balance and it’s all about working out what suits you. You can read more about maintaining in the ‘No Count Explained’ section under ‘Maintaining’.
Last Saturday really gave me a boost though as I was able to meet up with about 90 other Weight Watchers (Connect users) at a hotel in Birmingham. Some of us have met before, but many were meeting for the first time after chatting to each other on Connect for months. It was brilliant to be in a room with such inspirational, determined, dedicated and supportive ladies and gentlemen who all had that one thing in common: we’re all trying to lose weight or maintain a weight loss. Listening to people sharing their weight loss stories really helped us believe that we could do it too. Yes, we want to walk into a shop and pick up a hanger with a lower size on it. Yes, we want to eliminate health issues caused by being overweight. Yes, we want to be fit and agile enough to play with our children or grandchildren. And yes, it does take time, willpower and determination: but it is definitely worth it!
Last month, I also discovered something which is going to be very handy on my WW journey: SlimLine Wine. Wine with zero sugar and zero carbs! This means that a 200ml glass of wine is just 3sp, instead of the usual 5sp – and it’s still 10% proof. It is bottled in Italy where they have produced a white wine, a red wine, a sparkling wine and a rose sparkling wine. I’ve tried the white wine and the sparkling wine. Because they have zero sugar, they are on the dry side but I found them both very crisp and refreshing – and it felt good to be enjoying an alcoholic drink with no sugar in it.
There are also 80% fewer sulphites which means that a hangover is less likely. They are vegan and vegetarian-friendly (they are not certified by the Vegan Society but they have it confirmed their wines have no casein, albumen, gelatin, or isinglass).
At the moment, this wine can be bought online only at www.slimlinewine.com/store It is sold in bottles of 2 or 6 and is £8.99 for a bottle of wine and £10.99 for the sparkling wine. There is currently an offer on where you can have free delivery of 6 bottles with the code: slimchristmas – ideal if you have someone who would like to share the wine with you. (I’d just like to add that I am not receiving any commission for letting you know about this wine; I’m just doing what I can to help a small, new business, and letting you all know that there is a sugar-free alcoholic alternative out there.)
It has been great to see so many of you enjoying the recipes on the website – the Blondies and Brownies have been a great success and I am indebted to Mands (@mands5781) for her original Blondies recipe which I have been adapting. They make a great low point snack or dessert and I’m looking forward to trying out more variations on the recipe this month.
Thank you to everyone who has commented on the website during the last month and to everyone who has helped spread the word about it too. I really do appreciate your support and I know I wouldn’t be where I am now without you. I hope you all have a very successful month ahead; good luck if you’ve just changed over to No Count (I hope you enjoy it as much as I do) and good luck with all WIs! You can do this!
Helen xxx
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