Jenny Craig Competition

I think at one point or another most of you reading this blog will have considered using something other than your own will power and nutrition knowledge as a route to losing weight. Wouldn't it be so much easier if things were done for you - if you were told what to eat and when, and even had it prepared for you. There are many plans like this available, including Jenny Craig.
If I'm completely honest, if I had the money, I would totally go down the route of using a weight loss plan where food is delivered to me and all I would have to do it heat it up and eat it. Of course, it's not going to stop me buying a slab of chocolate or snacking unhealthily in between meals, but it would take a huge load of the stress of dieting off. I love cooking, but sometimes I want to be cooked for! But, like I said, £50 a week is way out of my budget - in fact, I usually feed a family of four for around this amount.
But to celebrate their newly launched website Jenny Craig Uk are giving bloggers have the chance to win some fantastic prizes (including £400 to spend at Evans Cycles!) just by asking a question.

The prizes on offer include:
1st Prize – A £400 contribution towards a brand new bike from Evans Cycles (http://www.evanscycles.com) and a 28-day Jenny Craig weight loss package including food hampers and personal weekly phone weight loss consultations.
2nd Prize – A £50 voucher for Sheactive (http://www.sheactive.co.uk) and a 28-day Jenny Craig weight loss programme including food hampers and personal weekly phone weight loss consultations.
3rd Prize – Three 3rd prize winners will each get one 28-day Jenny Craig weight loss package including food hampers and personal weekly phone weight loss consultations.
For your chance to win all you need to do is:
A) Cook up a tasty nutritional question to spice up Jenny Craig's new blog;
B) Describe the question you would like Jenny Craig UK's weight management experts to answer on your own blog and link to the contest in your post;
C) Tell us about your entry by leaving a comment with the URL of your entry in the comments on this post on their blog, or tweet @JennyCraigUK using the hashtag #AskJennyCraig before 11.59pm (UK time) on 13th September 2012.
I think my question would be:
I am a big snacker and often eat out of boredom. What would you recommend for some healthy snacks (that aren't boring!) and to keep my mind off food between meals?
Let me know if you enter, I would love to know your questions too!
Hx

Weekly Weigh In and SCC Update

Morning,

I had a good result on the scales this morning, but it's somewhat bittersweet as I have flu and have eaten very little since Friday. I don't think I've had more than 10 ProPoints any day the whole weekend, and yesterday my total was 6 (I'm usually allowed 29 a day plus a weekly allowance of 49) since I've just felt so sick. So although I weighed in at 2lbs less than last week, I'm pretty sure it's not a true representation. Although I have been drinking gallons of water (4 litres yesterday) so I know I'm not dehydrated, it's going to be interesting to see what happens this week once I am feeling better.

Previous weight: 13st 9 1/2lbs (191.5lbs)
Current weight: 13st 7 1/2lbs (189.5lbs)
+/-: -2lbs

I am hoping to at least maintain this week, as I've now entered the 180s!

Last weeks goals were:

Lose at least 1lb so that I enter my 30s at my lowest weight ever - Yep! 30 tomorrow....
3 workouts at least, including a swim and something new - nope :( I ordered myself a skipping rope though, and a little birdy told me that a Jillian Michaels surprise might be waiting for me in the morning...
Cheer the eff up! - Yes! A good night out really helped, even if I have been at deaths door ever since...

This weeks goals:

Maintain my weight at least, lose if I can.

Work out! Anything is better than nothing. Re-do week 3 of C25k minimum.

Continue to track and drink 2l of water.

Spring Chick Mini Challenge: Go caffeine free. Think I can do this. I barely drink any diet coke any more, and I'm sure if I want coffee I can cope with decaff. As it happens I've just run out of regular coffee and only have decaff in the cupboard, so if I do my usual trick of forgetting to buy more anyway it wont be hard!

Tomorrow is my birthday, so I will be hibernating. Not looking forward to it for a variety of reasons so plan to mope about and act like a sulky teenager all day. Then Thursday I'm going to put on my big girl panties and get over it! Onwards and upwards!

Now I need bed and a box of tissues...

Hx

Menu plans

I'm slowly getting into the habit of menu planning although this week's one is incomplete so far. I'm going out on Friday night and I don't know what food choices there will be at the place I'm going to. So because I undoubtably wont be able to restrain myself, and will be drinking alcohol (which I rarely do now) I'm trimming my points for the rest of the week. Weight Watchers say this isn't the way to follow the plan, and give you a weekly points allowance for times like these, but it has worked for me in the past and seems like "damage limitation" to me. I will be having a good old dance to burn some of the calories off though!

There also isn't a planned meal for Monday evening either. I weigh in on a Tuesday morning, so I usually have something very light such as fish and salad or chicken and steamed veg on a Monday night, and Mr FGS has something different - so I don't have a "meal" to plan as such. I have some quorn fillets in the freezer and there is always fresh veg in the fridge, so I know that's there and I don't have to "plan" it as such.

Snacks are the same. I have plenty of fresh fruit and veg - celery, carrots, apples, bananas, grapes, mango - and things like plain fat free yoghurt and cottage cheese, as well as low-fat crisps and Weight Watchers snack bars.

Getting my mojo back this week! For my new exercise I ordered a skipping rope! Once it comes I plan to do 5-10 minutes of skipping a day and I think this is manageable. I'm restricted to doing exercise in the evenings once the children are in bed which means my time with Mr FGS is cut into, but 5 minutes of skipping I can fit in while DS1 is at pre-school and DS2 is safely strapped into his highchair eating lunch or whatever. I can't wait for Spring when I can rely a bit more on the weather being better.

How is your menu shaping up for the week? Link me to it if you've posted one!

Hx