November 2021 | SlimWithPhil

Christmas Diet Challenge

November 25, 2021November 25, 2021Philip Eley

The Christmas Diet Challenge

OMG… Christmas Dinner, with turkey, stuffing, pigs in blankets, all those wonderful trimmings, and yes, those controversial brussel sprouts as well. The magnificent christmas pudding, set alight with Rum, (or Brandy, if you prefer), with even more Rum added to the sauce, (smells gorgeous, and my taste buds are dancing at the thought), has hardly been digested. Then, the dreaded diet word has already landed on everyone’s lips. But this year is going to be different. I started my Christmas Diet Challenge on the 27th September. Yes, 12 full weeks before the big day.

Why A 12 Week Christmas Diet Challenge?

Well, 12 weeks is plenty of time to lose those extra few pounds I’ve gained, like half the country, throughout lockdown. And by calling it my Christmas diet challenge, it gives me a really good focal point, and a really big ‘WHY‘ My reason for doing it. Which should see me through! Plus, autumn has arrived, and we all know what that means, less outdoor activities and even more hot delicious food. Sounds great doesn’t it. Mmmm… But…! Not for the waistline.

So by focusing on a Christmas Challenge, dropping a few of those excess pounds, not only am I getting a really good head start before Christmas arrives, but I’m also doing a fantastic job at weight management. And let’s face it, the colder, autumn/winter months, can really mess up our plans when it comes to weight-loss management, if we take our eye off the ball.

My Big Reason

But the real biggie for me. I can relax and enjoy Christmas with the family, without the worry of gaining so much weight that guilt ruins it for me. I want to enjoy Christmas, and be able to over indulge, if I want to. Mince pies, sweets, the tins of chocolates, and please, let’s not forget the shortbread biscuits.

Doing my diet challenge in the 12 weeks leading up to Christmas, has so many extra benefits. Ever hered the saying, “It’s to late shutting the stable door, after the horse got out” Well its kind of true. It easier losing weight because you really want to. It’s also easier if you have a big goal to work towards. But let’s clarify that a little. It’s never to late to start, there’s just easy times to start.

So How’s It Going?

Well, I started on Step 2, that’s 3 products per day, of around 200 calories each. Then a regular meal of about the same 200 calories. So 800kcals per day. I’ve set myself a target of 21 pounds, (1.5 stone). And I plan to move up the Steps in the last 4 weeks. The first 3 weeks went basically to plan. I was really pleased with my losses, slow and steady, and dropping as planned. Half a Stone in 3 weeks, (7pounds), I was well on target.

A third of the way to goal and only 25% of the time. Brilliant! Week 4 however, slight hiccup! Well, sometimes life just gets in way. Family, meetings, birthdays, then there’s the self sabotaging, that’s the worst. I think it comes from boredom, you’re not hungry, just bored! I gained 2 pounds, I was devastated. This would have derailed me years ago, but not this time. I dusted myself off, reminded myself why I was doing it, and got right back on it .

Mindset Adjustment Sorted

Week 5 was brilliant I lost 5 pounds. Got the 2 I gained, back off, and added another 3 to the minus column. Week 5 was a great week and refocused my determination to reach goal. Just goes to show that if your readjust your mindset and re-focus, little mistakes, stay as little mistakes.

There’s no need for complete derailment. Week 6 was another 2 pounds off. I’m now at minus 12 pound in 6 weeks, so back on target again. I’ve also noticed I’m sleeping better again, which as a effect of losing weight, is a pleasant bonus! Week 7 saw just 1 pound, its another loss, so the trend is still going towards a great Christmas. Week 8 and it’s a brilliant 4 pounds lost. I’m so pleased I’m doing this Christmas Diet Challenge. Its going to be a brilliant Christmas this year. A total so far of 17 pounds lost and only 4 more to reach target.

Moving Up The Steps

Week 9 will see a change in plan, as I’m moving to step 3. This will allow an extra 200 calories every day, giving me a new daily calorie intake of 1000. But the best part is that I can still continue to lose weight. While at the same time indulging in a few extra calories.This will allow my body to become familiar with a little extra regular food every day. Stepping up this way allows the body to adapt slowly, and really benefits you long term for good weight management.

In addition, the extra calories will allow for a little more exercise, mainly strength training, resistance bands in particular. Resistance training helps maintain muscle, and the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest. In my mind it’s a double bonus. Look good and feel fitter, and at the same time my body starts working for me by burning the fat while I’m resting.

What Have I Been Eating? Well, I’m Pleased You Asked!

As you know, I’m on The Cambridge Diet, (actually, its The 1:1 Diet now), and it’s meal replacement products. About 3 and a half years ago when I did my weight-loss journey, I mainly had the apple and cinnamon porridge, and a few bars. I was never adventurous enough to try all the other meals in the range. The Porridge worked for me, it was fulfilling, and I hardly ever felt hungry, so the old saying, if it ain’t broke… came to mind!

Mixing It Up This Time

This time is a little different. I’m mixing it up a bit, and loving it. I’m still enjoying my porridge, but I’m having the mixed berry and the original as well this time. Soups are great as well, especially the Chicken ‘n’ Mushroom and the Vegetable with Croutons. If you like noodles, there’s the Chicken Noodle Soup, and for a taste of Asia, don’t forget the Oriental Chilli Soup.

Loving the savoury meals as well. Regularly having Mac Cheese, Spag Bol and Tikka Vhicken Curry. Again, im finding they’re satisfying my hunger, are really tasty and there’s a great variety of to choose from. Sometimes I have the Thai green curry with noodles, as a side dish, with baked cod or smoked haddock. A few florets of cauliflower and broccoli, and it’s like being out for dinner. Certainly doesn’t feel like I’m on a diet trying to lose weight before Christmas.

So much To Choose From

Some days I don’t fancy a savoury meal or soup, so I go with a shake or smoothie. The Blackcurrant and Apple smoothie wins my vote, mind you, the strawberry and banana with oats, comes in a close second. For chocolate lovers, there’s the chocolate, or chocolate mint shakes, there nice, but I’m not really a big chocolate fan. And if I’m out and about, I take a bar with me. So convenient, and really helps stop temptation if I’ve popped in somewhere for a pot of tea. My favourites have always been the apple and cinnamon and lemon yoghurt bars.

New Products

But the new Cookies and Cream bar, is definitely moving up the charts, in the last few weeks. On a side note, the new Sweet ‘n’ Sour with noodles, savoury meal, has this week, hit the number 1 spot. It’s great with roasted chicken breast and green beens. With these new products being added to the range, I’m not sure if I want this challenge to ever end.

But… Back To The Christmas Diet Challenge

With the challenge being two thirds complete, only 4 weeks of the original 12 weeks left, and my weight loss being well on track, ahead really, I’m kind of thinking, this Christmas is going to be brilliant. No worrying about putting a few pounds on, or not enjoying an extra portion of Christmas pudding with Rum sauce. No, this Christmas is going to be fantastic.

And after all the restrictions, and lockdowns, it really needs to be extra special this year, for everyone!

So if I only lose just 1 pound each week, for the next 4 weeks I’ve hit target. But you know what, I’m guessing that I’m going to smash my original target, and probably lose an extra 3 – 5 pounds. Which isn’t a bad result, as I’m definitely having seconds on the Christmas pudding!

A Few Clients Have Joined The Christmas Diet Challenge

This year a good number of clients have joined me in the Christmas Challenge, and the results are amazing! Two clients have already smashed there target’s, losing over 2 and a half stone each. Another 3 clients are very close to losing 2 stone. And 4 have just reached a stone and a half. I’m so pleased for everyone who is taking part, and the difference it’s making to their lives. I really think its going to be a wonderful Christmas this year.

It’s Not Too Late To Join The Challenge

For anyone thinking it’s too late to join the Christmas Diet Challenge, it’s not! There’s still 4 weeks until the big day, ample time to drop quite a few pound along the way. If you’re interested, then please get in touch for a chat about your options.

I hope everyone has a brilliant Christmas this year, and hopefully you’ve been good enough for Santa to treat you extra special.

P.S… I’ll update you in the new year how the next 4 weeks go! Merry Christmas everyone!

Philip Eley – The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan – Sunderland

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Autumn Gardening

November 24, 2021November 26, 2021Philip Eley

Autumn Gardening – It’s All About Preparing For Spring

As autumn set in and the days get shorter and darker, autumn gardening mainly consists of preparing for the coming spring. There’s the final tidy-up, getting everything prepared for the coming winter months.

There is of course, pruning, and more pruning, seems to go on forever. And kind of looks all bare and sort of sad and lonely, but also, the thought of the new potential you are developing for next year, when everything springs back to life and is wonderful again.

There’s also the mulching to add extra nutrients into the soil and help improvethe structure. Two or three inches of really good composted farmyard manure, should do the trick. Not only will this add extra nutrients to the soil, but it will help protect, to some degree, tender plant roots from the worst of the winter temperatures.

So when everything is all prepared, tidy-up completed and tools washed and oiled ready for the following season, what’s left to be done in our gardening?

Bulb Planning

Planting your bulbs — Time to plant your bulbs

I get excited every year when it comes to planting spring flowering bulbs. Of course, like almost everyone, I love the daffodils, especially the double petal varieties, like ‘Cheerfulness’ ‘Ice King’ and my personal favourite ‘Bridal Crown’. Not only are these daffodils a kind of showoff with their double blooms, but they also have wonderful scents.

Tulips are another popular spring flowering bulb, reliable and consistent, well for me they are, year after year they appear like clockwork. Never lift them, just make sure I let them die back at there own pace, with plenty of liquid seaweed feed.

I occasionally like to add a few new varieties, and this year its going to be, a double variety called ‘Angelique’. An outstanding Tulip with blooms that are a ‘soft blush pink‘ that tends to deepen with age, developing a rich apple blossom ink at the edges, and green markings on the outside.

My second choice this year has to be ‘Black Parrot’. Dramatic blackish-purple, cup-shaped flowers with irregularly cut wavy petals on sturdy stems. Should look spectacular planted in clusters along with Angelique for contrast. Two new colour’s. Dramatic blackish-purple and a stunning soft blush pink. Hopefully they’ll make a great addition and look fabulous come the spring.

Star Of The Show

But the star of the show for myself, has to be the humble Hyacinth. They look fantastic, smell gorgeous and naturalise brilliantly. I planted 5 in a pot 3 years ago, I’ve lifted them in July ready to relocate this year, and 27 bulbs came out. Yep 5 turned into 27 that’s 22 free new plants for free, what more could you ask for.

This year I’m adding to the Hyacinth collection with. ‘Gypsy Queen’. A stunning peachy/orange flower with an intense perfume. It should start flowering in March and April, and they tend to last for weeks.

Hyacinth Peter Stuyvesant — Peter Stuyvesant

Another new bulb I’m adding to the Hyacinth collection this year is called ‘Peter Stuyvesant’. A deep, dark violet blue with a highly sweet fragrance. It should look fantastic next to the double daffodils ‘Replete’ another favourite of mine.

This year I’m also going to try a few muscari bulbs. Also known as the grape Hyacinth, because of their urn-shaped flowers resembling bunches of grapes. Commonly blue, but there are other colours available. I’m going with a mixture, to complement the tulips and daffodils for mid spring colour.

I Plant Late And Deep

Mid to late November is the idea time for putting tulips into the ground, but a maybe a few weeks late for others like hyacinths or muscari. On that idea disagree. But feel free to follow your own routine. I tend to go with what has always worked for me.

I also plant slightly deeper than recommended adding an extra 2 inches at least. I think this helps protect them from the extremes of the weather, and really helps with naturalisation. They may flower a week or two later than normal, but with the British weather, that’s not really a great disadvantage.

Autumn Gardening – Its A Waiting Game

Tic toc tic toc — Tic . Toc . Tic . Toc…

Now its the frustration of waiting for nature to take it course, and show its results. We’ve done what we need to. Prepared the soil, planted the bulbs, mulched the surface to add extra nutrients, but like anything that’s going to look fabulous, the one eliminate we cannot control, ‘TIME’. As the weeks pass, we tend to forget those bulbs we planted, and continue to attend to the everyday things that need our attention.

The weeks become months and suddenly, there’s signs of life sprouting, teasing us with a promise of beautiful thing to come in just a few short weeks. Then, as if suddenly, the garden Is full of colour and gorgeous fragrance. The waiting, actually didn’t seem that long after all. You can now thank yourself for the hard work you put in in the autumn.

Autumn Gardening And Weight-Loss

I often think about how weight-loss journeys are so much like autumn gardening. Both take time to show fantastic results, results that were really worth waiting for. Both offer the same frustration while waiting, yet once there the wait didn’t seem that long after all.

I think like gardening, anything that is worth doing, really does needs the journey of time to produce the best results. And just like the bulbs turning into beautiful flowers, we also need the time to transition and become new.

Be A Bulb

Like the bulbs, we’re also growing, most of the time it’s hard to see progress, the bulbs grow for months underground, invisible to the eye, but they are growing. Then a small sign of life pops up. A tip pushes up through the surface, giving promise of further development and spring flowers and gorgeous fragrance. Again it seems to take weeks, even months for the magic to happen. But when it does the final results are amazing!

Our weight-loss journeys are very similar, weeks go by with little to really see. Yes the scales show losses, our clothes seem to fit a little better, but it can be hard for the eye to recognise a major difference. Like the bulbs, endurance and being persistent, keep going and the miracle will happen. Its when you get the recognition from friends and colleagues , “WOW! OMG you’ve lost so much weight, you look fantastic!” That we really bloom!

Nature is brilliant and can teach us so much if we listen carefully, and try to emulate a few of it’s habits, especially patience. It takes time to grow, rise up, and reach our full potential.

Philip Eley – The 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan – Sunderland