Watching your finances when unemployed.

I previously wrote a post called “my finances – where the hell do I start” – looking back at that post has been a great inspiration to me recently.  Between my recent unemployment and the fact that we are approaching a new year I thought it was a great time to revisit this post and get some new focus on my finances.

Revisiting this post has re-established for me the importance of the envelope system.  Putting cash in to a relevant envelope so that you can spend it each week on the relevant items you intended it to be spent on.  Note the important word, intended.   The rules of this system are simple and work whether you are being paid weekly or monthly.

·         Work out your budget – what money do you need for the coming week / month?

·         Divide that money in to the relevant categories such as car fuel, groceries, kids clothes, dining out, clothing.

·         Label your envelopes with the relevant categories.  You may want to leave space to write down how much money you are putting in and then where the money is being spent. It will be a quick reference for you throughout the week or month.

·         Put your money in to the relevant envelopes. For example if you have budgeted 300€/$ for your groceries put that in the grocery envelope. Do the same for every other envelope.

·         Only use money in a specific envelope for a specific item.  Don’t be tempted to take money from the grocery envelope to put in the dining out envelope.  You are defeating the purpose.   If you do this than it is more  likely you will  not have enough money left to eat for the rest of the month. 

·         If you realize that a budget set for a given category isn’t realistic, discuss it with your spouse and consider adjusting that category.  If you don’t have a spouse maybe discuss with someone else who will help you keep on track.

·         Have a goal in your in sights.  Whether is a new dress that you want or to pay off a larger bank debt.  Any money that you have left remaining in these envelopes at the end of each week or month should go towards that. 

Ever since I started using the system I have found it beneficial, but even more so since being unemployed.   My money is now limited and this system has kept me completely focused on my money and budget.  More now than ever I need this envelope system.  It is so easy and simple that I can’t figure out why not many more people are using this every day. 

Being unemployed in the first place is hard, having limited money is even harder.  But why not try and make it easier if you can at all by trying this system.

 Do you have a goal in mind? Are you considering using this envelope system? Have you used this before and do you have any reviews on it – let me know in the comments.

S

Weight Watcher Wednesday - A new meal for you to try

I am not going to diary my thoughts today about my weight loss. I completed a post on Monday regarding the organisation for me around my weight loss.  So I am going to give you a meal that you can try out. 

I have made this myself and it is wonderful - please try and let me know how you get on. 

Weight Watchers Pitta Pizza

1 large thin pita bread (150 calories) 

1/4 cup pizza sauce 

1/4 cup mushroom 1

/4 cup green pepper 

10 small black olives 

1/2 cup kraft fat free mozzarella cheese (other brands don't taste as good and don't melt as KRAFT cheese does) 

2 teaspoons parmesan cheese 

1 pinch pizza seasoning or 1 pinch oregano

( change around the vegetables to suit what you would like to have - I have used peppers, mushrooms and onions. )

Directions: 

1 Spread pizza sauce on pita. 

2 Lay on the vegetables first so it is held together by the cheese. Top with both mozzarella and parmesan cheese and seasoning. 

3 Spray cooking spray lightly over cheese. 

4 Set oven on broil and place in oven for 2 minutes or until cheese looks mostly melted.

Let me know how you get on and any tweaks to this amazing meal.

Enjoy! 

S

Organising My Weight Loss

You will remember last week I spoke about how I am struggling with my weight loss.  In fact right now I am going back to day one and starting all over again.  Not weight wise – weight wise I am still below goal (I hope!) but I know that I have gone above my own personal weight goal.  So I have decided to go right back and complete a cleansing and a reminder post of how I can get back on track.   I thought this might be useful for some of you out there also. 

Weight loss and organisation go hand in hand!

When you start any weight loss programme the first thing that you need to do is arm yourself with all the information that you require.  

Things you need are:

Your actual weight,

Pro points / tracking,

Renewed inspiration material,

Menu plans,

Exercise plan,

Your actual weight

This is one thing at this moment in time I do not know the answer too because I was too scared to go to my weight watchers meeting and get on the scales.  Yes I am a chicken!  There I said it!  Ok so as far as I know from my last weight watcher meeting I was 9 stone 10 pounds. I am hoping that I haven’t gone above it.  However in recent weeks I am eating – when I say eating it is more picking at food! I am annoyed at myself – in fact I am furious with myself.  Even when I am taking something out of the cupboard and actually eating it - I am beating myself up. Hence this getting back on track phase I am in right now.  So I need to know my actual weight – that will wait until my weight watchers meeting on Thursday – and if you don’t hear from me on twitter Thursday morning – give me a big shout out and telling off.

I weigh myself on my own weight watchers scales earlier in the week however I got conflicting results so I am wary on using it as an actual – first I was 9 stone 11 and then I was 9 stone 9 a few hours later.  So the actual weigh in is the one that counts for me.

Pro Points / Tracking

Knowing pro points in food that you regularly eat is half the battle – the other is having a pro points
(or points plus) calculator to hand.  How you want to record these points is entirely up to you but I use an app on my phone for both points and tracking.   I am in Ireland so weight watchers doesn’t have an Ireland app – so this works for me.

The Iwatchr app for the iphone is amazing.  You can calculate your points for both Europe and the US on it – there and then so you don’t need to bring the book with you.

You can also store in points of frequently used items so that you can reference them quickly and then add on to a daily log. Yes there is a daily log and you can also calculate the points that you have from exercise.

The phone app is great – as you can take it out in the supermarket and check the pro points of a product.  It is brilliant! When I first downloaded the app the next thing I did was go through the weight watchers book and added in the points of my frequently used foods.

Tracking is the best way to discover what you are eating and how many points you are taking each day.  So from today the point tracking starts –  I can no longer avoid it – it has to be done!  

Renewed inspiration material,

 I have spoken previously about my photograph that I use as inspiration – that needs to take front and centre in my mind.  My BFF also sent me a photo recently that really is worse than what I actually thought was my worst.  So I am off to print that now as inspiration and I am going to stick it on the inside of the biscuit cupboard also so that there is no avoiding it!  Never go back.

I also have some lovely pins over on Pinterest – why not follow me.  Take a look at them and take some that will help you get through as inspiration.

Menu plans

As I said at the start of this post – weight loss and organisation go hand in hand that is why planning your meals is very important.

Sit down at the start of the week or even the start of the day if you don’t have that much time and plan what you are going to eat for your dinner each week/day. I use dinner as my main - because for me that is the most pointful meal of the day.  From there I back track on my points for the day and divide out.

It is hard to plan out meals but if you can take some time today or this week do so – look at meals that you can have and look at the points.  Taking this little bit of time will mean the most to you in the long run!

Over the coming weeks I will add some of my favourite meals up here pointed out so that you can try them as well.

Exercise plan

Exercise is important – and it cannot be ignored when it comes to losing weight. I am still walking which is my exercise of choice.  But unfortunately my food choices are sabotaging my efforts with walking.  So hopefully getting back on track with my food will help me see a loss on the scales.  Remember that everyone can find time to fit exercise in to their day  - all it takes is twenty minutes a day –  remember this can even be fitted in to your lunch hour!  It really is that simple!

I promise that I will keep everyone updated on my weight loss over on twitter – please follow me to keep up to date and I will post another update here soon.  Hopefully all good news.

Do you have any tips or words of hope for me during this struggle with my weight loss!  Please leave them in the comment section on the blog or on twitter.

Stay strong

S

Weight Watchers - I'm Struggling!

At any given stage with weight loss, people struggle and at the moment I am struggling. I am currently at home and not working which means I am constantly walking to the cupboard and taking either a biscuit or a bar a chocolate. Anything that has sugar in it. This is not good. 

It is boredom pure and simple. 

I am constantly thinking of ways to keep myself busy.  This blog being one of them. I am not sure if any one really reads this page – I know I am getting hits each day but if anyone is reading I ain’t too sure.   But this is taking my time up each day and keeping me busy so for me its all good and if anyone out there is listening, well thank you and please take some time to connect with me on twitter or email.

Outside of my blog I can tell you that I have the cleanest house in Ireland.  In fact if I take out the vacuum cleaner another time I may not have any carpet on the floor. 

I am still walking – my exercise of choice – but I am finding it hard to stay about from the biscuit cupboard.  It is soooo all in my mind.  Boredom and hunger are easily confused.

When in work, I noticed that I had my scheduled break times – I always knew when it was 1030am as my tummy told so from hunger.  I always knew when lunch time was approaching – again my tummy told me so.

But when you are at home – your brain has more time to think and is not distracted by my usual work load – so I think my body is taking my mental slow down as being near that break time it is so used to having.  Hence getting hungry.  Outside of the above I am not doing much. All my friends and family are working so I am spending most of the day on my own.  This in itself is quite depressing which is why I am trying to fill my day as much as possible. 

I was last at a weight watchers meeting three weeks ago – I was up on the scales and while I wasn’t thrilled at that I wasn’t depressed from it and I thought hey I can get that down.  It has now been three  weeks since I stood on the scale and I am terrified.  Absolutely terrified. Actually beyond terrified. It is scary to be scared of a scales and in all fairness I know from my three years in weight watchers a scales is not that terrifying.  

We must accept what the scales said whether it is up or down – and we must treat each day as a new day and each weigh in as a new start.  So tomorrow is weigh in day and I am terrified. But stay in touch with me and we will see how we will overcome whatever the scales may say tomorrow.  I will post updates on twitter.

 

They say that the best thing that you can do is to drink water.  I am not a big water drinker – worse so since I am out of work.   But I am trying – ok well I have just taken out one bottle of water – but it is a start right. Water is not only good for your complexion but it is also good to make you feel full and not eat as much.  So the water drinking starts today! No more avoidance.  I am going to deal with this little podgy belly and this small thing called a weighing scales head on – and you know what ... I am gonna beat it. 

Do you have any tips and tricks to help ease this bad streak that I am going through at the moment –connect me with me on twitter or via email.

S

What exercise are you doing to stay in shape?

When I first joined Weight Watchers I dreaded the word exercise.  I had seen people who were much skinnier and fitter than me going to the gym, running or walking to keep fit.  At that point I felt like I was too fat to do any of that.   But it was also at that point that I realised everyone has to start somewhere.   So I did.

My exercise of choice is walking.  I love getting out in to the fresh air putting on my music and just walking.   It feels so invigorating after a day in the office to come home and put on my work out gear and go.  Whilst out walking I find that my thoughts often wander to what went on during the day in work, replaying a discussion in my head with a friend or family member.  But most importantly I find it very good to take a moment to think why the hell I am doing this.  Why I have decided on a cold Irish Winters night to go for a walk – well it is simple my health. 

I have tried many sports since I starting with Weight Watchers, some because I have always wanted to and I found confidence to do so when I started losing weight.  Others because I thought they would be fun.

I tried many times when I was younger to learn how to swim – and my new found confidence of losing weight helped me get back in the pool and learn how to swim.  I enjoyed it and it was great exercise and it also helped me achieve a dream – being able to swim. I am now not so scared to get in the pool when I go on holidays.

For fun i joined a salsa class – it was one of those salsa to lose weight classes. I enjoyed the salsa part but the instructor was an utter tyrant and took the fun out of the class for me so i finished the course and put it down to experience.

No matter what type of exercise I tried the one thing that I have loved and enjoyed doing is putting on my running shoes and putting in my iPod and just walking.  And you know what it’s free.  I am a great believer in fresh air being brilliant for your mind, body and soul.  This way it is.   

I also find that walking fits better in to my lifestyle in that you are not stuck to set regime – you can go whenever you have some spare time in comparison to a class whereby you are stuck to a timetable.  I often see people when I am driving to work at 0730 in the morning and they are out walking as it is only the time of the day that they can get to fit this in to their schedule.  Or on my way home from work at 1730 people are out walking as well.

I tend to go walking about 1830 – you see thats the thing it doesn’t matter what time of the day it is – you can always go walking.  You don’t have to wait for someone to be free to join you – you don’t have to wait for space in a class. You can just go! 

I am now at a point that I never thought I would be at - I miss when I don't go for a walk. I miss when I have not done any exercise at all in my day.  Thats a good sign and a sign that I am fit and healthy and in a better place than I was three years ago when to walk to the bathroom was a chore and I figured that was exercise lol

I would love to try out some more exercise classes – but my schedule doesn’t allow for that.  But for some of you out there classes may just suit.  What classes are you currently taking to help lose weight?

Inspire me to try something new by leaving a comment below.

S

My reasons for joining Weight Watchers.

Anyone that is even contemplating joining Weight Watchers has a defining moment when they say “enough is enough”.  For some it is standing in a changing room of a store and something doesn’t fit and you say “it’s ok – the fit on these clothes is really bad I just need a bigger size” and for others it is a photograph.

What was it for me? It was both. Let me examine and explain one at a time to you.  

“It’s ok – the fit on these clothes is really bad I just need a bigger size” (disclaimer – I am speaking about people here who are genuinely overweight to the point of obese)

I blame Stacey and Clinton on “what not to wear” for this in some way.  I include wonderful Gok Wan in this as well.   They all say it’s ok to get a bigger size so that a trousers or dress fits you.  Yes, I agree in some cases that is very true but when you know that you are overweight (and some people are on these shows) then you need to be told sternly with no punches “lose weight”.  

Sometimes TV show folk it is not ok to get a bigger size, you need to get off your ass and walk / run / swim to lose the weight for those trousers or dress to fit you better.  I know these TV shows help people on how to dress better but in some cases they would be better off telling people to lose weight as well. 

I kept saying to myself, it’s ok it is the clothes that are all sized wrong – but then when a size 16 starting being the norm and then that was not starting to fit – I said whhooooahhhhh ! Something isn’t right here – buts it’s ok I will wear black ... black is slimming right.... WRONG that’s where the next point of my epiphany comes in.

The photograph

It is such an innocent thing to do at the time – capture a wonderful moment in your life.  But then you get home on the high of your holiday and can’t wait to see your photos and then BOOM.  You see it! The photograph that you really can’t believe is you – it’s not is it?  Is that me? Ok so who else was there when those photographs were being taken – crap that is definitely me in that photograph.

That is exactly the conversation I had with myself almost three years ago on returning from a holiday with my best friends.  These girls always got dressed up so glam so before my holidays I knew I needed that something special.  So I bought a beautiful black dress.  Remember black is slimming isn’t it?  Emmm trust me when I say black may be slimming but it isn’t a miracle worker.

When I saw the photograph I thought OMG – and to this day I still call the day that I look inflated.  At the time the photograph was taken I thought I was fabulous and trust me the following photograph after that one of me on the dance floor after a few drinks – I really did think I was sexy and fabulous.  But looking back at the photograph I wasn’t it fabulous or sexy as I thought I was.  In fact I am/was embarrassed to look at the photograph.    But I still look at it – to remind me of that defining moment when I thought I was fabulous and sexy but really I wasn’t it.   When I look at I feel embarrassed and ashamed.

That photograph now stays with me at all times - but it has taken many forms and is in many places.  Firstly, the photo is on my dresser so that I see every single day the way I did look and how I looked during my weight loss and how I look at goal weight.  It is a great picture to look and remember what I have achieved also.

Secondly, the photo is on my phone – in the photos section not on the front screen.  So that when I get tempted or feel why the hell am I doing this – I look at it and I think yeah this is why.

Confidence – do you have it / do you actually need it?

You are sitting there saying to me that it is about confidence to get started to lose weight, and I agree confidence is required to walk in to a gym and start training, confidence is required to get your swimsuit on and get swimming – BUT ... and this is a big but (no pun intended) but you don’t need confidence to put on your tracksuit and walk.  Yes, walk – even if it is in the dark or early morning you just need to cop on to get off your ass.

That’s all it takes – cop on – just a little bit self acknowledgement and self awareness to know that now is the time to take action.

So whatever you reasons are for taking that brave step to walk through the door of weight watchers and admit you need help – just do it.    A wise women once said – “the only thing stopping me is me” and nothing truer has ever been said!

If you are brave enough – add you reasons in the comment section below on why you have joined or are joining weight watchers.

Just know one thing you are not alone – and you will realise that when you walk in that weigh in room – and do yourself one favour – stay for the meeting – you will meet some great people who are all there for the same reason as you ! 

S