Morning Everyone! How are we all doing today? I hope you're all managing to see those great results on the scales. No matter how small a result it is, it's still a result. If you haven't had a great week, let's draw a line under it and start again.

I've had a mixed week and wasn't expecting anything special on the scales but was very pleasantly surprised with a 2.5lb weight loss. I'm not sure how that happened as my eating plan was all over the place. I've had 2 weeks where my head just hasn't been in gear. We're still sorting my parents home out and it really has knocked me for six.

There's still a bit more to do regarding the house but I'm pleased to say, I'm back in the zone and raring to go. Check out the picture I've included which is my starting weight and my current weight. I can certainly see a bit of a difference.

One thing that's really frustrated me this week is the fact that I can't do any heavy lifting. I want to be able to do things but my body keeps letting me down. Some people in my Slimming World group have joined a gym so that they can incorporate exercise into the healthy eating plan whereas others go for long walks.

Have you started doing exercise to help with your weight loss? What kind of exercise are you doing?

I struggle with the long walks and the gym because of the M.E. and the panic attacks which have given me a fear of open spaces. With the M.E. I keep falling and I get very dizzy too. This is why I want to try swimming as I know it would ease the joints and muscles for my M.E. and there is very little chance of me falling in the water. Unfortunately, the thought of getting from the changing room to the pool when I'm the size I am, makes me feel nauseous and the panic sets in? Does everyone feel self conscious in a swimming costume or is it all down to size?

I know I should be proud of what I have achieved and the fact that I am doing something about being over weight. I am proud of it but that self doubt is always there ready to creep in and knock the self confidence. It's certainly making me realise, it's not just my eating habits I'm needing to change but also the way I see myself. I need to get rid of the self loathing and find the fabulous new me that has bags of confidence. Do you need to make those changes too? Let's get rid of the self doubt and start creating the new us, inside and out. We need to start it today.

Strawberries and Cream (serves 2)

There's nothing better in this weather than sitting down to a bowl of strawberries and cream but often the cream can be full of fat and can jeopardise our weight loss. Today I'm going to share a recipe that means you can still enjoy having this tasty summer favourite.

Ingredients
1 punnet of Strawberries
1 tub of Quark
2-3 tbsp Sweetener (depending on your taste)
2-3 tsp of Vanilla Essence (depending on your taste)

Method

1. Wash and de-stalk the strawberries cutting them in half and divide them between 2 dishes. 

2. In a separate bowl, mix the quark, sweetener and vanilla essence until it's smooth.

3. Add it to the strawberries and serve.

It's so easy and very tasty. You could add little pieces of meringue for an extra special treat.It's a perfect way to enjoy a summer special but also a great way to enjoy one of your 5 a day.

All that's left for me to say is, have a great week, keep your comments and recipe ideas coming through and I'll hopefully see you lighter next week, Love Wendy xxx