It's hard to believe it's already been a whole month since I embarked on this journey and decided to take back control of my life. No, good heavens, I haven't been any kind of saint, and yes it has been quite a rollercoaster. I didn't lose when I thought I really should have but right at the end, I got a very pleasant surprise after all, which has definitely motivated me to stay on this path and keep pushing forward.
In part one, Mommy's Mental Health: Chapter 21 - Taking Back The Reins - Part 1 I gave you guys some background into my bilateral knee injuries that have been giving me hell, and how the inability to be active has affected my mental health.
I started to hate how I looked and how I felt inside, all while trying to be a good mom, put up with my shitty boss, organise my mom's life and reach for my dreams as a musician and songwriter. To say my plate has been full is definitely accurate....
I've been emotional eating for sure, and without my usual active life, there has been no way for me to burn the calories when I have an off day.... and over time, they build up.... rather than being balanced out by my good days... and that's been super hard to come to terms with.
It's meant I needed a different approach, that if I were under any other circumstances, I would not be able to manage or afford... however, I am immensely privileged in that I have managed to get assistance from a knee specialist, my GP and even a dietician and all I had to do was pay for the products and the GP visit. Both the knee specialist and the dietician have helped me for nothing, which is just phenomenal.
In other good news, I've been able to pull some strings on the surgery side, and I MIGHT just be inline for the proceedures I so despirately require, in order to get my life back to normal.
None of this, of course would be possible, without the love and support of my phenomenal husband person 
Of course, my beautiful children, my beautiful home and my fur babies have also been immensely integral in both comfort, love and affection, which have all just made life so much more worth living.
The other great thing that has kept my head above water, is music. So another big thank you to my partner in crime and music, 
So, to give you guys an idea of what I've been up to and the progress I've made, here are my weigh ins, my food diaries and some shots of what I've been munching and drinking.
All in all I feel like I'm finally back in the drivers seat, and I am also feeling immensely grateful and humbled by the amount of people who have reached out and helped me when I felt like I was drowning.
Day 1 Week 1
Tuesday 04.04.2023
113.6kgs
Week 2
Wednesday 12.04.2023
113.5kgs
Week 3
Thursday 20.04.2023
114.4kgs
Week 4
Thursday 27.04.2023
109.9kgs
Lifegain milkshake powder comes in strawberry, chocolate and vanilla. I'm vitamin B deficient, and although I normally cant absorb it this way (I get injections) I've definitely felt the symptoms of my deficiency lessen significantly. I have had a vit b 12 shot as well though, so I'm doing great!
A v ery normal lunch for me, which is actually damn tasty. I swop between avo and low fat cottage cheese and season with tomato, a squeeze of lemon a TINY bit of salt and pepper, all served ontop of a slice of low gi high seed content bread that keeps me going for hours.
Homemade chicken soup: I will post the recipe for this, but yes, you can have the noodles. This isn't a diet where you starve yourself or cut out entire food groups. I wasn;t well this week, so the completely homemade chicken broth with veggies and TONNES of garlic was EXACTLY what the doctor ordered and I could enjoy it, even with a slice of bread and a blob of cheddar dropped in while it was still steaming!
The Saviour of Flavour: yes, I have cut out all unhealthy condiments, which means byebye mayo, tomato sauce, sweet chilli sauce, chutney etc...
But "Crack?" I put that on freaking everything!!!!!
Words: 504 Reading: 3 min Claire's Crazy Cakes, Bakes and Kitchen Hacks: Chapter 10 - Homecooking with Crack
Taking a break from the world with my gorgeous husband and our kids. The mental break was phenomenal. It's so important to remember how our mental and physical wellbeing are interlinked. You can;t have one without the other.
My morning shake:
![]:(
My average lunchbox (I pack eggs in sometimes instead of having bread. Super satisfying, especially if you still have your tomato for flavour!
Now these two following pictures are 
My shopping trolly full of healthy simple carb replacements!
This stuff is like the lifegain, but is 5 times more expensive.
Disclaimer these milkshakes are NOT like the herbalife deal which is a crock of sh1t. These milkshakes are specifically designed to rebuild muscle and FEED your body, especially after an accident like mine and should only EVER be used when prescribed by a healthcare professional. Remember, it's not the milkshakes magically making you thin. IT's a whole change in attitude and mindset that allows your body to let go of cortisol and water, both of which don't look great on anyone. If you can exercise, that is definitely the way to go to remain in a calorie deficit (which is THE ONLY WAY you can lose weight) but if you;re stuck like me, your change in diet needs to be more drastic.... BUT that doesn't mean it has to be boring or that you need to starve. Believe me, I've been there and done that:
Mommy's Mental Health: Chapter 13 - The Elephant in the Room - Living with Body Dysmorphia - Part 1
Which reminds me.... I should do another episode about that subject....
But the point is, that this is about improving my quality of life and learning to love myself. Not destroying myself with an eating disorder. I've got that t-shirt already (although it doesn't fit anymore 🤣🤣).
Other than drink plenty of water and save your carbs for wine, that's all the wisdom I have for you today! Until next month 😘😘😘