How To Stick To Your Weight Loss Programme (and Why I Quit Weight Watchers)

Long-time readers of this blog will know that way back in 2011 I started Weight Watchers for the first time. I lost successfully with it, to the tune of almost two stone (28lbs) in three months. Over the years I gained a bit back, then lost a bit more, lather, rinse repeat. Which brings me to now. I am at my lightest weight since I don’t know when, and have come to the realisation that to stay at this point I need to track my food. Sure, I can have the odd day off for a special occasion, even a week here and there to enjoy a holiday, but 80-90% of the time I need to track.

So why have I quit Weight Watchers (WW)? Well, as you may or may not know, Weight Watchers completely revamped their programme just before Christmas 2015 and introduced a whole new system of counting points. Basically it now heavily penalises foods high in sugar and fat, and encourages you to eat foods high in protein. This is all well and good and I’m sure it’s much better for you than the previous system, but for me, in order to stay on plan in the long term I need flexibility. I need to be able to have a little bit of chocolate if I want it. I need to be able to enjoy a meal out and not worry about going over my points. (In fact, going over my points is likely to make me think ‘why bother?’ and write the whole week off.) To that end, I have quit WW and am now following the old plan by myself. I have an app that tracks the points and it’s like nothing has changed. It’s great.

I have been thinking recently about what helps me to stay (mostly) on track and have compiled a list of my top tips.

How to stick to your weight loss programme

Have a late breakfast

I know this isn’t possible for everyone, but as I have a desk job I can eat breakfast pretty much anytime I like. I’ve found that if I wait until around 9am I am far less likely to want a mid-morning snack (although I will have some fruit if I fancy it). My lunch break is usually around 12.30pm so by having a later breakfast I can easily make it through until then.

Have a good lunch

Since I started adding half a can of soup to my usual sandwich and fruit lunch I find I don’t crave chocolate (so much) mid-afternoon. I will still have a snack – usually an apple or some sultanas, but I don’t feel the temptation of the vending machine nearly so much.

Drink plenty of water

The app I’m using now to track my WW points also has a section to record your healthy choices and one of those is how much water you’ve drunk. I aim for 8 glasses a day (or 4 refills of the pint glass I keep on my desk) to know I’ve had enough. You’ve probably heard that if you feel hungry, more often than not you are actually thirsty. Turns out, this is true.

Wear a pedometer

You can now enter the number of steps you’ve walked per day on the official WW app (and on the pro points one I’m using), either by syncing up your Fitbit or, if you have a cheapo tracker band like I do, manually. The app then converts the steps to WW points. Which you can eat, if you need/want to do so. I find wearing a wristband pedometer encourages me to move more in general. I’m keen not to break my run of days that I’ve achieved my 10,000 steps so you’ll often find me marching on the spot whilst watching TV or You Tube (which has to be better than sitting on my butt, right?) to get my total number of steps up.

These are all things that help me to stay on track so I hope you find them useful too. Whatever you choose to do though, just stick at it and the results will come. Don’t beat yourself up about any gains or plateaus and remember to enjoy yourself along the way.

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How To Stop Shoes Rubbing

One of the most popular search terms that brings people to my blog is ‘how to stop shoes rubbing’. From my vast experience of shoes (I currently have 78 pairs – some people would call that vast) I can tell you what I have learned.

Firstly: buy good quality if you can. Shoes with a leather lining are going to be infinitely more comfortable than synthetic ones. Leather stretches so shoes that are leather inside and out will have enough give in them to mould to your feet after a few wearings.

However, if your budget (or your ethics) won’t stretch to real leather, try to find shoes with fabric insides. Synthetic leathers will make your feet sweat and that leads to rubbing. Fabric doesn’t do this and I have found it to be infinitely more comfortable as a shoe lining.

Finally, check out the foot product aisle in Boots (or your local chemist/drugstore of choice). You are looking for two things: Anti blister stick and blister plasters. Compeed make an anti blister stick which is magic. You rub it on to your feet and it provides an invisible barrier which stops your shoes rubbing. It won’t damage your shoes and it won’t hurt your skin. I keep a stick of it in my handbag at all times during the summer. If it’s too late for that, get some blister plasters (Scholl or Compeed do the best ones) and use those to stop existing blisters hurting and rubbing further.

Ask Shoegal...

Got a style question you want me to answer? Ask away and I’ll publish my answer on the blog!

Anonymous asks:
Hi, I love your blog and read it all the time. I am wondering if you think it is more flattering to wear mid-rise or high-rise jeans. Also do you think it is better to tuck in your tops or leave them untucked or even half tucked, thanks 

I am in my 30s now, so for me personally, a mid-rise or high-rise jean is a must. No low cuts for me. Besides, the lower the waistband the more chance there is of the dreaded muffin top or of flashing your pants (or worse) at the back when you bend down. Whether mid- or high-rise is most flattering really depends on what you are wearing with the jeans. A fitted top will be fine over either rises of jeans but I find a looser fitting top needs to be tucked in at the front (see below) and for this the most flattering style of jeans for me is a mid-rise. For this reason I would say the mid-rise is certainly the more versatile style of jeans but it really is down to personal preference.

When it comes to tucking or not tucking, that really depends on the jeans. If I am wearing a belt (and usually I am – my waist is much smaller than my hips so jeans tend to gape on me at the back and need a belt) then I like to either fully tuck in or at least tuck in the front of my top. This is partly so that the belt doesn’t cause an odd lump at the front (though this can be avoided with a flat belt – I have a chain belt that doesn’t cause lumps) and partly because I can end up looking as though I have no waist if the top of my jeans is completely covered. I find tucking in at the front creates some sort of shape. I will often tuck in a top completely if I am wearing a long, loose cardigan over the top. This again gives me some sort of shape beneath the cardigan.

All of this is merely what I find works for me, so if you prefer a lower rise or even a high-waisted cut then go with whatever works for you. What rise of jean do you find most flattering? And is tucking in your top a must for you or a big -no?

How To Stop Shoes Rubbing

Ah, summer. The time of warm weather and a chance to wear shoes without socks or tights. But what do you do if the lack of socks means that suddenly your shoes start to rub?


I have mentioned Compeed Anti-Blister stick many times before and it still remains a summer must-have for me. I carry it around in my bag at all times so I have it when I need it.


You may know Scholl for their Party Feet, but did you know that they also have a wide range of gel pads that you can stick to your feet or shoes to prevent rubbing? The Sore Spots are little pieces of gel designed to protect your feet from those parts of the inside of your shoes that rubs your toes.

Flip Flop Strips are designed to protect your feet from the straps of your flip flops, whilst toe post cushions will stop flip flops rubbing between your toes.


There is also the Profoot Soft Gel I reviewed last week which can be cut to whatever shape or size you require for custom made comfort.

The Scholl products and Compeed Anti-Blister stick are available at Boots, and the Profoot Soft Gel can be found at Sainsbury’s.

Reader Question: Boots by Priceless Shoes

Amy writes:

Hello, I have been reading your blog for a while and I've noticed you order quite a lot of shoes from Priceless Shoes. I'm interested in buying a pair of ankle boots, I just wanted to ask about the fit, since my ankles are a bit on the thick side, I'm just trying to be cautious before buying :P.
Thanks in advance.

Hi Amy
So you noticed my Priceless obsession then? I love the cheap prices and most of the shoes and boots I own from Priceless are really comfy. I don’t have any actual ankle boots from there – but all the knee highs I seem fairly generous on the ankle. However, I would say my ankles are average to slim – you can see what they look like in proportion to the rest of my legs on my photos.

The booties I wore last Wednesday are a great style and because of the wide opening would not be a problem over your ankles. Many of their styles are made from faux suede that has some stretch in it so that could be a consideration when selecting which boots to buy. Any style which is pull on is likely to be more roomy in the ankle that one with a zip too.

I hope this is helpful. If you have any specific styles in mind, drop me an email and I may be able to go to my local store and check them out for you (though they often don’t have the full selection of styles in store).
Shoegal

Reader Question

Reader Lesa says:
“Boots question: I love boots, and have a few pairs. However, I live in a really warm climate. Do you think it’s okay to break them out, even though it’s not really cool?”

Lesa, I think you should wear what you want to wear. If it really is warm, try a pair of paler coloured boots – such as tan or pale grey, or a bright colour, so they don’t look as wintery. And wear them with bare legs so you don’t get too hot. I will often wear boots in the summer – usually because it is raining, but it is October now. So I say if you want to break out the boots, go for it!

Reader Mail

Hello Shoegal!
I often read your posts and i like your blog a lot! Keep on going!!! ;)
I'm writing this email to ask you for advice.
I'm fond of summer boots to wear with dresses or tight jeans. I just bought high sand colour suede boots to wear this season. However, I don't know what kind of purse to match. What colour should I pick?
Must the purse be in creme suede, as well as the boots?
Please help me on it.
Thanks
Ana



Hi Ana
Thanks for reading the blog and thanks for your mail.
Your boots sound fabulous! I am fond of matching my bag to my shoes, but sometimes it is better to stay in the same colour family rather than go for an exact match. You could try a darker sand colour, or even brown for a bag. Alternatively, pick a purse that picks up a colour from your dress, or blends with other accessories in the outfit – such as your jewellery or belt. Summer is a great time for experimenting with colour, and this year there are plenty of 80s brights around so have fun with it!
You don’t say what style your boots are, but I would go for a slouchy, casual style bag if the boots are a slouchy kind of suede, and a more structured shape if the boots are a smarter style.
I’ve included some ideas so you can see the kind of thing I’m thinking of – all images from ASOS.com.
I hope this helps.
Shoegal
x

Reader Mail: New Look Shoes

I have had several questions from international readers recently regarding New Look shoes.

As New Look do not ship overseas your best bet for getting hold of some is through the British eBay site – www.eBay.co.uk
There is always a huge variety of styles and sizes available, often at bargain basement prices as the shoes were not that expensive to start with. Many of the shoes available will be new or hardly worn and many sellers will ship internationally.

Reader Mail: Gok’s Fashion Fix

Reader Simone emailed me with this query:

Hi

I saw a belt on Gok’s Fashion, I think it was the red carpet episode. The model was wearing a long flowing dress and he put a big belt, a black one. I think he put silver or gold material in the inside of the belt and I so, so want to find out where he bought the belt. Please help as I’m going to a wedding and would love that belt.

help
help

Simone

Hi Simone
I think this is the one you're referring to:

The belt is £35 from Warehouse and appears to only be available in dark red and stone now. Good luck with the wedding and glad I could help!
Shoegal

Reader Mail

The lovely Rachel emailed me with a question about tights:
I was wondering if you know the Wolford tights, I mean the expensive ones like £20 or more??? They look great but are they worth it? What's about them that they cost so much? I think I might go for some but not sure.

I've not tried Wolford tights, they are a bit pricey for me. But from what I hear about them, they are supposed to be worth the money so long as you look after them properly and hand wash them. (But then my motto is ‘Life's Too Short For Hand Washing’ so perhaps it's best I don't invest in them!) Try Googling for a review, there's bound to be one out there somewhere.

My current tights tip is Accessorize. The teal ones I bought at the weekend and wore on Monday are from there. They are 90 denier and I'm sure that the full range of colours is not yet in store as there were only the teal and blue I got, and a red pair I think. The quality is superb. I'll post a review once I see how well they stand up to washing.Thanks for continuing to read!

Reader Mail

I got the following question from a reader:

Dear Shoegal,
I'm going to a wedding in November but all my dresses are fairly summery, and I can't afford a new one. How can I accessorize/layer in a classy but effective way so I don't freeze to my champagne flute?!
Chilly of Leeds

Dear Chilly of Leeds
I would suggest adding tights and either a long sleeve top underneath the dress or a cardigan or jacket over the top. Depending what the dress looks like, you could either go for grey or black additions, or alternatively, pick out one colour from the dress and use that – if it has any darker colours in it such as purple or dark green then these would be ideal additions to ‘winterise’ it. Then add some jewellery, heels and a smart coat and you will be all set.

Top Tights Tip

I was watching Gok’s Fashion Fix on Thursday and he gave out the following tip whilst dressing one of his models: To make coloured tights brighter, put a white pair underneath. Clearly it’s far too warm for two pairs of tights at the moment, but come Autumn, I will definitely give this a go (I have cream tights rather than white, but that should work too, right?).

Also From My Stats…

I notice a bunch of people are still Googling ‘how to stop shoes rubbing’. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again people: Compeed Anti-Blister Stick! Boots, £4.99 ish.

Packing A Capsule Wardrobe

I noticed on my referral stats that someone had found this site by Googling just that, packing a capsule wardrobe. This is something I aim for each time I go away and it was only last weekend that I felt I had truly succeeded. So I’ll share with you the list of what I took and the combinations I wore in case it’s of any use to you. Now bear in mind that this is outerwear only, clearly you will have to add the appropriate number of undergarments for the length of your trip. This list was for a weekend away in a city, leaving Friday evening and returning Sunday evening.

To Pack/Wear to Travel:
Teal beads
Teal shrug
White tank
Skinny jeans – for flats
Blue coat
Blue metallic shoes
Black shrug
Black/silver cami
Dark jeans – for heels
Black trousers
Turquoise cami
Silver flats
Flared jeans – for flats
Blue cardi
Grey tank
Blue beads

The Outfit Combinations:

Friday night – travelling down
Silver flats
Flared jeans
Blue cardi
Grey tank
Blue beads

Saturday Day – wandering around city centre
Silver flats
Skinny jeans
Turquoise cami
Blue cardi
Blue beads

Saturday Night – meal/drinks out
Dark jeans or black trousers
Black/silver cami
Black shrug
Blue metallic heels
Blue coat

Sunday Day – brunch & walk at the coast
Flared jeans or skinnies cropped
Silver flats
Teal shrug
White tank
Teal beads

From My Referrals…

I've come up with a new title for these 'advice' type posts.

Is it still ok to wear pointy shoes?
Well I should hope so! Otherwise I can kiss goodbye to most of my shoe collection for a start. But seriously, pointy shoes are classics and will therefore never go out of style. There’s something very feminine about a pointy toed high heeled shoe peeping out from under jeans or trousers. And they look fab with a skirt too.


How does Asda cashmere wash?
I only own one cashmere sweater from ASDA but it’s been through my washer twice and has come out fine (the cashmere is getting softer if anything). I put it through on a 30˚ delicate wash and just used my ordinary detergent (*slaps self on hand*, use Woolite or similar next time Shoegal).

A Question From A Reader

I've got a question for you Fi! Where can I find a really well-fitted polo-neck to wear under dresses etc this winter? All my current polonecks bunch up if worn beneath things and create considerable bulk - have you seen any nice fine-knits in your shopping travels?

Thank you in anticipation,
Caroline
Secondhand Shopper


Dorothy Perkins have this ‘cashmere’ sweater at £25 (it’s only 5% cashmere though), and when I was in there at the weekend they had various thin polo necks in a variety of colours for about £15.


New Look lack a proper website but also had thin polo necks, perfect for layering.

I don’t know how tall you are Caroline, but my current favourite knit is this one from Long Tall Sally. It’s pricey at £32 but I’ve got my cost per wear fairly well down as I’ve worn it constantly for the last month or so. In fact, I bet my readers are wishing I’d find something else to wear. It’s thin and light weight and is perfect for layering (check my outfit archives for the last month or so!) and is also available in red.

This M&S roll neck is just £9.50 and is available in 6 colours. It looks quite loose on the model but if you try sizing down it could work.

I would try Gap as well as I find all of their sweaters and t shirts to be very thin.

I hope this gives you a few ideas as to where to look. Let me know how you get on!

More Fictional Reader Mail

Do cropped jeans look good with knee highs?
By knee highs I assume you mean boots, so my answer is yes! I am a great believer in showing off fabulous boots and what better way than wearing them under crop jeans. It’s a cleaner look than tucking your jeans in which can lead to bunching around the knees.


Do I have to wear tights with sweater dresses?
No, you can wear leggings, jeans, cigarette pants, anything you like in the way of skinny trousers. I would steer clear of wide legs under a sweater as volume on the top and bottom will just make you look, well, voluminous! And please, never go out in a sweater dress with nothing on your legs. You will be cold and blue legs is not a good look.


What tights go with cream shoes?
Cream, nude, brown, blue, black. It really depends what you’re wearing as the rest of your outfit.


Will knee high boots go with a wrap dress?
Absolutely! Knee high boots will go with most things.


What shoe colour would you put with a teal dress?
Whatever colour you like. I would go with teal or brown and have my other accessories brown too, but that’s because I like the combination of teal and brown. Black or grey will also work well.

Fictional Reader Mail (and a Real One!!)

First up, the real one. The lovely Bec writes:
Shoegal, my work ankle boots are nearing the end of their life and so I need some comfortable hardwearing shoes that I can wear socks with (my feet aren't built for the Northern climate), what would you recommend?Shoe-shy of Guiseley

If you take a look at her excellent blog, you will see that she is trying to live ethically and this therefore rules out many of the stores I would immediately go to. However, not one to be easily deterred, I have still come up with some ideas.

Dear Shoe-shy
I know you work in the city centre and this involves walking a fair bit so you won’t want much of a heel. (I would advise a small heel as opposed to flats though as this will make the footwear look more professional.) As I am not sure of your budget, I have kept my recommendations to around £50. Mary-Janes are huge at the moment and this pair from Clarks have a fairly low heel:

In a lovely shade of burgundy (because you don’t have to stick to black), they are £39.99.

Sticking with Clarks, if you want to replace your boots with more boots, there are a couple of options:

£39.99
£44.99

A knee high boot is a versatile option, perfect for keeping the rain out (and we get a lot of that in the North!). They can be worn with skirts or trousers and always look smart. This pair is from Marks & Spencer and at £65.00 they are excellent value for leather boots.

Turning to Shoewawa for inspiration, I recommend you try Beyond Skin for ethically produced shoes. They are not harmful either animals or humans and their footwear is produced in England. However, you will be paying a price for the ethics, as many of the styles are around £150.
Shoegal

And now for the questions taken from the referals page of my stat counter:

Are brown tights with cream shoes OK?
As long as the tights are not too dark a brown, and there is cream somewhere else in the outfit then yes. However, I don’t think cream shoes are really the best choice for the autumn winter season. Couldn’t you go with brown shoes and cream tights instead?



Where can I buy suits for tall gals?
My favourite sites are Long Tall Sally and Tall Girls. Miory also has some lovely suits in long lengths. Check out any of the links in my ‘Shops I Love’ section.



What outfits go with grey tights?
Loads of things! My favourite at the moment is a denim skirt and grey sweater with boots. Grey is a great alternative to black and will go with practically any colour so have some fun and experiment! Whatever you put with it, you’ll be bang on trend as grey is a hot colour this season.



Is it OK to wear nothing over leggings?
No, absolutely not! It is never OK to wear any trouser garment with nothing on top. But for the purposes of this reply I shall assume you mean ‘is it OK to wear leggings without a dress or tunic over them, just with a regular top?’ In which case, my answer would be: No, absolutely not! Leggings are supposed to be an alternative to tights and you wouldn’t wear just your tights as your lower garment, I hope. So stick to putting a mini skirt, tunic or dress over those leggings and you will continue to look fab.



Can I wear brown shoes with black tights?
Yes, so long as you are wearing something else brown and something else black in the outfit. It used to be considered a huge fashion faux pas to wear brown and black together, but the rules have changed in the last few years and I think it looks quite chic. However, you should never wear a brown outfit with brown shoes and black tights: people will think you got dressed in the dark and took the wrong pair of tights out of the drawer.

Half Size Shoes

My mum was complaining the other day that her feet were hurting. She was wearing a small heel for the second time in about 20 years but that wasn’t the problem. She said it was the top part of her shoe that was rubbing because she was wearing a 7 and really needed a 7½. But the shop didn’t do half sizes and not so many places do. So I thought I’d do some research to help her out as it will also make a good post. However, it didn’t turn out too well as my mum was right, not many places do make half sizes. In fact, all I managed to turn up was Marks & Spencer, Jones the Bootmaker (who also stock a size 9/42 I was pleased to note) and a site called Footwearsolutions.co.uk. And that’s it unless you want E fitting or wider, in which case there are a limited number of specialist sites.
If anyone knows of any where else that I’ve missed, please feel free to let me know in the comments.

Fictional Reader Mail

(Sorry Kasmira, I’ve pinched this idea from you!)
Since my readers don’t email me to ask for my advice (why don’t you do that?), I’ll answer some of the questions asked in referring searches instead, and put it in the style of a letter because, well, it’s just more fun that way.

Dear Shoegal
What are the best shoes to wear with a long denim skirt?
Confused

Dear Confused
I have a long denim skirt of my own (although I don’t wear it much, it’s hard to walk in) and I find that knee high boots work well with it, either heeled or flat, especially when paired with thick tights in winter. If the denim is not too heavy, you could try it with flip flops in summer too. Mine is a thick, heavy denim so I stick to wearing it in the winter and pairing it with boots.
Shoegal



Hello Shoegal
How do I stop my shoes and boots rubbing my poor little tootsies?
Sore Feet

Dear Sore Feet
If you are wearing your shoes with bare feet you need to get yourself to Boots or Superdrug (or the local equivalent) and buy yourself the magic green stick that is Compeed Anti-Blister. You will find it with the other foot products such as corn plasters, Scholl everything and innersoles.
For boots that rub, I suggest wearing thick socks inside them for a while to help stretch them out a bit. Do this even when you’re wearing tights: no one is going to see the socks inside your boots. If you know it is a particular toe that gets rubbed, put a large plaster on it for cushioning. I know Scholl make some sort of gel cushions for the tops of toes as part of their Party Feet range but I have not experimented with those and so I don’t know how effective they are. If anyone has tried them, please leave a comment and let us all know how you got on.
Shoegal



Shoegal, I’m really tall (6ft) and I am struggling to find tights that are long enough for me. Can you help?

Hi there,
Try MyTights – they have a section for extra-tall and XXTall ladies and offer advice on the best brands for tall ladies of the ones they stock. Tall Girls currently have a range of footless tights, if that’s what you’re looking for; personally I don’t see the point. Long Tall Sally also carry a small selection of tights but these are all by Levante (who I can highly recommend for length), who are stocked at MyTights. I am happy to buy tights in pretty much any high street store – just check the size guide on the back and the Lycra content. If there’s plenty of Lycra in them then even those tights that say they are only suitable for up to a height of 5’10” will be fine for you.
Shoegal