Morning Everyone! How has your week been? I'm pleased to say after plenty of rest, I'm feeling much better. I managed to lose 1lb this week so am happy.

I know some people would be disappointed with that but to be honest, it's 1lb in the right direction. My weight losses might have slowed down but to be honest, so long as I'm losing, I'm happy. Slow and steady wins the race. I don't care how long it takes, I will achieve my target. I don't have a time limit and will take each week as it comes.

People have said to me, "Who's winning in the weight loss competition between you and your Husband?". I always find that really hard as we've always said it's not a competition and all that matters is we support each other.

Others were turning it into a competition and it was starting to affect me. I became quite down about it and I know it wasn't getting me the results I should be getting. It didn't help that my Husband is able to exercise much more than I am. He's very active and does an hour of exercise 3-4 times a week. There is no way I could manage that without making myself ill.

It also didn't help that everyone was saying how wonderful Scott looked yet they still don't comment on me. They seem shocked when we tell them we've lost the same amount. They also say that because I weigh more, I should be losing bigger amounts and have lost a lot more than Scott. It really does knock your confidence and can easily knock you off the eating plan altogether.

It's taken me a while, but I'm finally getting my head around the fact that people will try and turn it into a competition between us. They always will notice Scott's weight loss and rightly so as he really does look amazing.

I haven't got to let those people get to me and knock me off track. I'm doing this journey for me and no one else. I deserve to be happy and feel good about myself and I won't let anyone make me feel any different.

Scott is now being told he's gone too far? He's still 5st above the top end of his ideal weight for his height. We'd never let him go too far. How much negativity have you faced while trying to lose weight? Has if affected your journey? Don't let it, keep that positivity and remember why you want to do this. Together we will do it!

Cowboy Pie (serves 4)

Ingredients

Fry light
500g of Extra Lean Minced Beef
6 Spring Onions (the white bulb finely sliced and the green leaves finely chopped)
500g of fresh diced Carrot and Swede
415g can of Baked Beans
300ml of Beef Stock
2 tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp of Dried Mixed Herbs
Salt and Ground Black Pepper
2 107g packs of Cheddar and Onion Smash
2 Eggs beaten 
Serve with a selection of vegetables

Method

1. Place a pan sprayed with fry light over a medium heat. Add the minced beef and stir fry for 3 minutes.

2. Add the spring onions whites and continue to cook for a further 2-3 mins or until the mince has browned.

3. Add the carrot and swede, baked beans, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce and herbs. Season well and then bring to the boil then cover and reduce the heat to a medium-low and simmer for a further 40 mins, stirring occasionally.

4. Preheat your grill to medium. Make the smash according to the packet instructions and add the spring onions greens and half the beaten egg and beat well.

5. Place the mince mixture in an oven proof dish and spoon over the mash roughing up the top with a fork. Then brush the top of the pie with the remaining egg and place under the grill until browned.

6. Serve with the selection of vegetables.

Don't forget, I'd love to try some of your recipes too, so get sharing them. Let me know how your weight loss journey is going too.

See you lighter next week, Love Wendy xxx