Weigh In .. Pleased ..

 

I wasn't feeling very confident at this weeks weigh in, main reason I wasn't feeling very well so I felt really heavy. I had an okish week, could of been better but also could of been a lot lot worse. I had missed an exercise session as well which didn't put me in a very confident mood.

 

I was very apprehensive when I stepped on those scales. The weight said 13.4 but I couldn't remember what my weigh in was last week and I forgot to look at my book so when I was passed my book back I nervously looked inside to see that I had in fact lost 1 1/2 pounds!

 

I'm extremely pleased with that, I had gotten off the weight I had put on last week, I am now well on my way to my 3 1/2 stone award! Come on!

 

Also on a side note I would like to say congratulations to my best bud and fellow slimming worlder Gareth for getting his 5 Stone Award. Yep that's right 5 Stone! Really pleased and proud of him, hes definitely my inspiration and he should be yours too, so go check out his blog here because he must be doing something right!

SW Lamb Casserole in Slow Cooker ..

I got given a slow cooker for Christmas by my lovely parents so I've been looking for SW friendly recipes to use when I came up with this one. The great thing about slow cookers is how easy they are to use and also how amazing the food tastes, the meat is always so tender, juicy and packed with flavour. Hence why I was wanting one for ages.

 

So I just made a simple casserole with a few veg to see how it goes, I'm glad I did though because it was gorgeous, this recipe serves 4 people and is about 1 syn from what I can work out with the gravy granules, but you don't have to add them in, I did because I thought it was too thin.

 

 

Ingredients:

700g boneless lamb joint, all visible fat removed

3 large carrots, cut into chunks

3 leeks, sliced

12 small new potatoes, quartered

Seasoning

800ml lamb stock

2tbsp gravy granules

 

1. Turn slow cooker on low and add the carrots, potatoes and leeks, cut any string off the lamb joint and place in middle of veg. Season.

2. Cover with boiling lamb stock, cover and cook for 8 to 10 hours.

3. When ready remove lamb carefully onto a plate and tear apart making chunks, remove some of the stock from the slow cooker and pour away.

4. Add the granules to the slow cooker with the veg still in and stir till it thickens slightly (if still too thin, add more granules just remember to syn).

5. Return the chunks of lamb and stir them in, then plate up.

 

I served mine with a Weight Watchers Petit Pan (HeB) and some no added sugar mint sauce (free).

If you do not have 8-10 hours, alternatively you can use it on high and the recipe will take 4-5 hours.

 



SW Macaroni & Cheese ..

This is a variation of mac and cheese I found. The whole dish serves 4 and is 3.5 syns if using your HeA for the cheese. It was gorgeous and creamy just what I needed, I put a little bacon, mushroom and sweetcorn in to make it a little different. It's a real feel good meal. Here's how I made it.

 

 

Ingredients:

300g macaroni

150g Philadelphia extra light

185ml semi skimmed milk

100g reduced fat cheddar cheese

300g bacon, fat removed and cut into squares

200g mushrooms sliced

half a can of sweetcorn

Frylight

 

1. Preheat oven 190c.

2. Cook the macaroni according to packet instructions, while doing this fry the bacon and mushroom in some Frylight until the bacon is golden and the mushrooms are cooked.

3. Mix the Philadelphia with the milk and half the cheddar cheese.

4. Drain the pasta and return to the pan, stir in the Philadelphia mixture, bacon, mushrooms and the sweetcorn, then transfer to an oven dish.

5. Top with the remaining cheese and bake in oven for 20 mins until cheese has gone golden.



Weigh In .. Getting Motivated ..

I'm a little late putting this up I know, but Tuesday evening was weigh in day and I had put on 1 and a half pounds, a little disappointing but also expected I guess. I had too much bread I know this and I wasn't getting into my diet at all, I was just generally struggling. I have yet to lose my 3 stone weight loss though so this I am pleased about.

 

A good thing to come out of a gain though is motivation. So after I had my Tuesday treat of a pasty I gave myself a stern talking to, got to keep going and start trying harder!

 

I'm only two days in but I am doing well, from snacking on syn free things to low syn meals. I've already been to the gym and I'm going again tomorrow. I will have a loss next week!

SW USA Feast ..

Tonight I had USA Sloppy Joe's, Wedges and Corn on the Cob.

 

Nice easy and gorgeous tasting dinner and for the whole lot it's syn free! I took the American method of sloppy Joe's and converted the ingredients so they are SW friendly. No syns but you have to use your HeB if wanting bread roll with it and it serves a family of four.

 

 

Ingredients:

400g extra lean minced beef

1 large onion chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

400g passata

1/2 pt beef stock

Seasoning

Corn on the cob

3 large potatoes, cut into wedges

1 tsp mixed herbs

2 tsp paprika

Wholemeal bread roll (no more that 60g for it to classify as your Heb)

Frylight

 

1. Preheat oven to 180c

2. Place onions and garlic in a frying pan sprayed with Frylight, stir-fry for 5 mins then add minced beef and cook until browned.

3. Meanwhile sprinkle the wedges with the paprika and mixed herbs and place on Frylight sprayed baking tray and bake in oven for 25-30 mins.

4. To the minced beef add the passata, beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. Mix thoroughly and bring to the boil. Season and lower to a simmer. Cover and cook for 25-30 mins stirring occasionally until thickened.

5. Ten mins before the end of cooking time place the corn on the cob in a pan of boiling water and boil for 10 mins.

6. Cut the bread roll in half, place a large spoonful of the Sloppy Joe mix on top and plate up with the wedges and corn.



Weigh in .. Speechless

This weigh in blog is going to make me sound like a liar.

In my last post I mentioned how I had a bad week and I was expecting a large gain. I stepped on the scales to be shocked into oblivion, not only had I NOT gained or even maintained I had lost 3 lbs!!

How you ask? I haven't a clue. The only conclusion I could come up with is the stepping up of my exercise and the healthy meals I was having, because even though I was snacking I was still having my low syn meals.

 

This week I am taking no chances though. I believe last weigh in was just an unbelievably lucky fluke. So this week is a low syn week, plenty of superfree and lots off exercise.

 

Also this week I got my gold body magic certificate and sticker for stepping up my exercise for 8 weeks, I going to celebrate this by going to the gym.

 

In group this week there was lots of new starters. It was great see, all new people starting a fresh and making a new change in 2013! I wish them all the best of luck!

Syn Free Sausage Roll Pasties ..

My journey continues but it is not going well, I haven't stopped eating, all bad things as well. I have weigh in tonight where the scales will show my downfall but I'm prepared. I've seem to write this week off, now I'm drawing a line under it, going to group this evening to get my motivation back and start a fresh! I'll let you know what the damage is but I'm expecting about 10lbs (no exaggeration).

 

I started my diet back up last night with some syn free sausage roll pasties. Obviously there is no pastry in them. For the outside crust I actually used instant mash. It's not the same as a pastry original but it's a damn good substitute!

 

 

Ingredients:

200g extra lean pork mince

125g instant mash

2 small onions

1tsp thyme

1tsp mixed herbs

1tsp Shultz spicy season all

Frylight

 

1. Chop 1 onion very finely and add to a bowl with the instant mash and mixed herbs, add some hot water, enough to make the mixture into a bread dough consistency. Put in fridge for at least an hour.

2. Preheat oven 200c. Chop second onion very finely and put with thyme, spices and mince, season and knead until forming a paste.

3. Lay out a sheet of cling film on a flat surface and place the mash mixture onto it, then cover with a second sheet of cling film. Using a rolling pin, roll out until a 4mm thickness. Peel back the top layer of cling film and tidy the edges and cut the width you want to the rolls/pasties.

4. Add a layer of the meat mixture and using the bottom layer of cling film roll the mash to form a tube with the meat inside. Seal the join and egg wash.

5. Spray a baking tray with Frylight and place the rolls/pasties on it. Bake in oven for 30 mins until gold brown and crispy.

 

So there we go a syn free alternative to rolls and pasties, this is just a simple filling I decided on, but you can change it up, use a filling you wish just remember to not have a wet filling or this recipe won't work.