Morning Readers! How has your week been? I hope you all managed to lose or maintain your weight this week. I'm pleased to say I managed to lose 7.5lb of the 9lb I gained last week.

I was determined to but at the same time, it's been really hard too.

After my wrist injury, I had an allergic reaction to the painkillers I was taking.

My legs, hands and face were all swollen due to it. I was retaining water, which explained the enormous gain last week.

Thankfully, after a trip to the Doctors, my weight loss journey is back on track once again.

I'm aiming to lose the rest of the 9lb next week with an extra lb or two along with it. To be honest, I'll be happy so long as it's a loss.

I must say, I'm really proud of myself as usually, I'd have given up by now. Especially after such a massive gain last week. I'd have made some really stupid excuse like, "The diet doesn't work!" or "I'm having to take medication that will make me put weight on. It's not worth starting it now. It's just a waste of time!"

Now I've taken the "No Excuses" pledge and I'm being 100% honest with myself, I know I can and will continue no matter what life throws at me. If you have weight to lose, please don't look for excuses. Make that positive start today. You'll be adding years to your life.

I'm also pleased to report that friends who are on the journey with me, have also lost weight too. Friend A has lost almost 3st, friend B has lost just over 1st.

Another friend who has recently joined the same Slimming World Group that I attend, has lost an amazing 11.5lbs in two weeks. A male friend has lost 1st 4lb and not forgetting my wonderful and long suffering Husband who has lost a staggering 5st 10.5lb. He looks fantastic and I must say, I'm falling in love with him all over again.

It just goes to show that men can do it too. Age makes no difference either. If you've got weight to lose, why not give it a try? No more excuses. Go for it and turn those tears into cheers.

A Recipe For Success

It's been reported this week that we seem to be eating too much red meat and that it's not good for us. Apparently we should be eating more fish and white meats like chicken, pork and turkey. So this week I thought I'd share a great recipe for a fish dish. It's so easy to make and really quick too as it only takes 30 mins. It just goes to show that cooking a healthy meal from scratch doesn't have to be time consuming. It's healthier and much quicker than most convenience foods.

Salmon Parcels (serves 4)

Ingredients

4 Skinless Salmon Fillets 1 Fennel Bulb, finely diced 2 Ripe Tomatoes, finely diced 1 Small Leek, finely diced Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper 4tsp Pernod (or other aniseed liqueur 4 Slices of Lemon 2 Courgettes, diced 1 Shallot, peeled and diced 100ml of Vegetable Stock

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 240 degrees C/Gas Mark 9. Cut 4 large squares of tin foil and place a salmon fillet in the centre of each one.

2. Mix together the fennel, tomatoes and leek, season well and divide the mix between the salmon fillets.

3. Add 1tsp of Pernod to each portion and top with a slice of lemon.

Fold the tin foil over to completely enclose the salmon. Place on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 15-20 mins.

4. Meanwhile, place the courgettes, shallot and vegetable stock in a saucepan. Place over a medium heat and simmer for 10 mins or until cooked, then serve with the salmon parcels.

You could add rice, couscous or new potatoes if you wanted. Let me know what you think of it.

There's no reason why the family can't follow the same healthy eating plan and still enjoy delicious meals at the same time.it's up to us to lead by example and show future generations that healthy food is not only better for us, but can be really tasty too.

See you lighter next week.

Love Wendy xxx