I've absolutely stormed it this week and lost a whopping six pounds

AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (that's an excited 'aahh' by the way)

After being so disappointed last week with "just" losing one pound I stormed this week and lost SIX POUNDS!!!! Six friggin' pounds!!!! Holy moly!!!

I got Slimmer of the Week and my one and a half stone award.

YIPPEEE!!!

Yes, I've tried really hard this week with meals and snacking less and counting syns more, but I honestly never thought it would be as much as that. I didn't even lose that much during week one!

You'll see from the food diary below that my meals were all pretty spot on. I tried to eat even more than usual at meal times to stop me snacking or craving things after tea and that worked most days. But, of course, there were days I needed that sweet/chocolate fix.

I had a few stumbling blocks this week which could have de-railed me but I stayed focussed. My first difficulty was Saturday when me and Tom met a friend at Ed's Easy Diner. I was prepared for it and had a small bowl of speed soup before I went so I was starving and ordered the whole menu! Then when I was there, I had a chicken Caesar salad. I had it without the dressing, croutons and Parmesan - making it essentially a bowl of chicken and lettuce - but I felt so good for making that choice.

Then, on Sunday, I made pancakes for Tom for breakfast and pulled out the big jar of Nutella. I, however, had syn free pancakes with fat free natural yoghurt and fresh berries. BOOM.

I've no idea how my willpower was so strong. Each time I was tempted I just remembered my disappointment last week at "only" losing a pound.

Each week I get people asking me how I can eat x, y and z and still lose weight. A perfect example of this was Friday's breakfast - a bacon and egg sandwich. The bacon was lean and fat free and fried in fry light with an egg also fried in fry light. I made it with two slices of wholemeal bread as my HEB and was away. BEAUT.

This week has been great. I feel so happy and positive and shocked. I ate good meals this week but they were good, solid meals not just leaves and salad.

I've had some major comfort foods and amazing teas. Tom even asked one night how eating so much (my plate was piled so high!) could result in a weight loss. Well, when he gets home tonight he'll have even more questions!!

I couldn't recommend Slimming World any more if I tried. It's not just the brill recipes and flexible eating plan, it's the whole concept. The consultant of my group is incredible - she's so friendly and supportive and picks you up and gets you back on track if you have a rocky week; the group are amazing as well; and the support online.

I never ever thought I could lose as much as 6lbs in one week! My total loss is now up to 1st 9lbs in ten weeks. Yipppeeee.

This week I'll be in a bikini for the first time since August and I'm not scared. I'm not dreading it. Of course, I've still got a little bit further to go until I'm at my target but I'm going to be happier in my bikini tomorrow night than I would have been ten weeks ago. Hell, I wouldn't have even got in a bikini.

I'm rambling now.

If you're considering giving Slimming World a go, have a peek at some of the recipes for the meals I've made this week. See how easy they are, see how full my plate is and how good they look, and give them a try. You'll be surprised I'm sure.

This week is going to be tricky because it's Tom's birthday and we have loads of meals out planned and a hell of a lot of prosecco to drink. And I can't wait.

Slimming World isn't a diet, it's a lifestyle change. And life happens. This week will be tough but I will food optimise at every given opportunity and hope for a maintain at best.

See you all next week - hopefully I'll be just as upbeat and positive.

Week Ten food diary

Day One

Breakfast: Overnight oats (HEB) with loads of speed berries

Dinner: Homemade (by my mum) sweet potato, carrot, onion and orange soup with chilli flakes for an extra kick.

Snacks: Three pears (it was a snack-y day!)

Tea: SW chicken supreme with lettuce, spinach and tomatoes

Snack: 'Syn bin' bag of three chocolate orange segments (7.5 syns) and a multipack Mars bar (7.5 syns)

Syns for the day: 15

Day Two

Breakfast: Bacon and egg sandwich on two slices of wholemeal bread (HEB)
Snack: Pear

Dinner: Homemade SW butternut squash soup

Snack: Apple and pear

Tea: Pizza topped chicken (pizza breast sliced open and flattened then topped with a sauce of chopped tomatoes, chilli and garlic and toppings of lean bacon, peppers, onion and 50g mozzarella [5 syns]) with homemade chips and salad.
Syns for the day: 5

Day Three

Breakfast: Lean bacon, poached eggs and beans with spinach
Dinner: Homemade SW butternut squash soup
Tea: Chicken sofrito (SW recipe) with spinach, lettuce, peppers and tomatoes
Snacks: A 'syn bin' bag made up of a Crunchie from multipack (7.5 syns), one segment of chocolate orange (2.5 syns) and a 15g bag of chocolate buttons (4 syns)
Syns for the day: 14

Day Four

Breakfast: Syn free sweet Slimming World pancakes with fresh strawberries, raspberries and fat free natural yoghurt.
Dinner: Ham salad sandwich on two slices on wholemeal bread (HEB) and a packet of Walkers French fries (4.5 syns)
Tea: Cottage pie topped with swede mash served with carrots, broccoli and green beans
Syns for the day: 4.5

Day Five

Breakfast: Overnight oats (HEB) with a stack of speed berries
Snack: Strawberries, raspberries and kiwi
Dinner: Butternut squash jacket (like a jacket potato) with baked beans
Tea: Chicken jambalaya (SW recipe) with lettuce, spinach and cherry tomatoes
Snack: A syn free sweet pancake with free natural yoghurt and a tablespoon of Sweet Freedom Choc Shot (2 syns)
Syns for the day: 2

Day Six

Breakfast: Overnight oats (HEB) with loads of speed berries
Snack: Apple and pear
Dinner: Butternut squash jacket (like a jacket potato) with baked beans
Tea: Chicken and bacon risotto (SW recipe) with green beans
Syns for the day: 0

Day Seven (weigh day)

Breakfast: Melon
Dinner: Leftover chicken jambalaya with spinach, lettuce and cherry tomatoes
Snack: Pear
Tea: Leftover chicken and bacon risotto
Syns for the day: 0

You may also like: Some of this week's Slimming World recipes