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.



SW Sweeties ..

Just come back from an amazing gym session, feeling great. I extended my treadmill PB to 11 mins of running in 30 mins, I nearly died after it, haha, but now I feel great, even got some cycling, rowing, weights and cross trainer in this evening!

 

Been having a bad couple of days of snacking, only myself to blame, no self control. Today also I was making a chocolate cake for a friend and there was some chocolate left that just had to be eaten. But, I am starting a fresh, I've written out a meal plan which I haven't done in a while and I'm looking forward to next weeks meals.

 

Also today I tried a recipe I stumbled across when I was browsing the Internet. Jelly Sweets, an extremely easy recipe I thought, not to mention I already had the ingredients in.

 

Ingredients:

Sugar free jelly crystals (11.5g pouch)

3 tbsp gelatin powder

1/2 pt boiling water

 

1. Put the crystals in a jug with the boiling water and stir. Next stir in the gelatin until all is dissolved.

2. Pour into trays (I used ice cube trays) and put in fridge to set.

They have the same consistency of gummi bears with the jelly flavour. The mixture made enough for 2 ice cube trays and the whole lot is only 2 syns. You can have them as a treat, or maybe take them to the cinema to snack on, or if you have a 5 year old you can leave them on the side for him to steal. As you can tell by the pictures the kids love them!

Back To The Gym ..

I have never been so happy to see a gym in my life. It was the first session back after Christmas and New Year. I took it slow but I'm glad of what I achieved. I could feel though it had been a while since the last time I had any excise, not too mention the very heavy night of alcohol on NYE. It was all weighing me down so I'm glad that I had a salad today as well.

 

I'm back on it and hoping a high syn, mixed drinks night didn't do too much damage but the results will show next week.

 

Tomorrow is chili day, quite looking forward to it, I know, quite sad but I do love that meal.

Weigh In .. Final One of 2012 ..

The after Christmas weigh was upon me and I was prepared for anything. The scales could do their worst, but as it turns out I wasn't quite prepared for what I was looking at when I looked at the screen.

 

For the week over Christmas I had only put on 1 and a half pounds on, I was delighted, I hadn't really done any damage at all. This is manageable, well it's more than manageable, it's amazing.

I am at the moment  13 stone 7 lbs, so I am still maintaining that 3 stone weight loss!

 

I couldn't be more back on it if I tried, ready to battle onto my 3 1/2 stone award! It's salad tonight and tomorrow it's Iceland's Lamb Shanks in mint gravy, served with lots of superfree veg. I get the frozen lamb shanks, 450g each, 3 syns each.

 

So as this year is closing I wanted to say a big thank you to Slimming World because they have made my life drastically change, I can honestly say I would of never got this far without it. Never have a found a diet more easy and more productive than the Slimming World one. I have amazing meals, things I wouldn't even tried, and yet still I get results. I have pushed myself in the gym more than I ever thought possible, I mean I have never run on a treadmill before now and now it's the first thing I do when I enter a gym.

 

More importantly though I would like to say thank you to my consultant Mandy and the rest of the group because they are inspiration, support and friends. Would never have kept this up as good as I have without them. I now look forward to going and can't wait to spend time there, chatting, supporting and learning!

 

I am loving going into a new year a healthier, happier me. So I will see you next year, I hope its a good New Years Eve for everyone!

Christmas Break ..

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and you're going to have a great New Year.

I've just had a Christmas break from the blog and from Slimming World, but now I am back on it. Blog and Slimming World!

I gave myself the break because I knew I had so many things in the house I wanted to eat, from Pringles and chocolate, to my favourite slices of pie. I wanted to completely indulge and enjoy my Christmas so I gave myself a deadline, and the deadline is today. It ends now, I'm back on it!

It's 100% that I have gained, haha, but I am okay with this, I have come to terms with it. It was Christmas, it's going to be hard to lose any weight at Christmas. I think sometimes you just need a break from dieting sometimes, sometimes it can be a bit monotonous. So Christmas is a great opportunity for this.

We are back at group this Sunday evening and whatever the scales say I'll be happy, I have now drawn a line under it and I am starting a fresh. I've set a new goal in sight. At the start of June next year some friends and I are going on a week away to Bulgaria so for then I would like a whole new wardrobe of summer clothes preferably in a size smaller than I am now and also I would like to be 11.5 stone! Right now I have to lose 2 stone to get that but I haven't had my after Christmas weigh in yet.

So to sum up I have had an amazing Christmas and I'm prepared for weigh in, in two days time.

If you're in Slimming World and have had a bad Christmas get back to group and stay for the meeting, you'll get the boost you're needing to get back on it.

Alternatively if you have put on some weight on over Christmas that you are not happy about or you want to start 2012 a new person, why not get down to your local slimming group?

If you don't know where that is you can go on the website www.slimmingworld.com and search by your postcode or even easier use the iphone and Android app!

I guarantee you will get a warm welcome and ton's of support, you will get the help you need and an easy way to do it. I can honestly say that this is the easiest diet I have ever been on and the most successful by far!

So come on and take that first step to the new you! I'll see you there!!

 

 

I also would like to take a second to thank people who read this, you give me inspiration to write more and to help others, knowing someone is reading his keeps me going and keeps me motivated so have a great New Year and all the best for 2013!

 

 

Weigh In .. Expected ..

First off let me mention that I have one more weigh in before Christmas and I need to lose 3 and a half pounds, oh my god I can do this. This week is a complete low syn week of salads and pasta. I have to reach my Christmas target, I'd be so ecstatic!

 

So I told you about my horrendous week of meals out, I was going to try and be good the other days. That didn't really work out for me, from pasties at 2 in the morning (motorway services), hot chocolates and a take away. It has not been good, not to mention I had no exercise like I planned, it seemed everything was in my way last week. On Wednesday I had a poorly child, on Friday I caught his illness and couldn't even get up never mind go to the gym, and on our usual Monday swim night they closed the sport centre.

 

So all in all I had a bad week, and the scales showed that, I was pretty much hoping for less than 5lbs so I was pleased when the scale said I'd put on 2 and a half, I can cope with that.

 

After weigh in it was our Christmas raffle and I was delighted when I won a hand blender and a soup recipe book, I now have new recipes to try in the new year. Also I was really pleased the friends that we sit with all won something, including Gareth winning an actifry!

 

So on it this week for 3 and a half pound loss, wish me luck!

Weigh In .. Meal Out ..

Yesterday was weigh in day, feeling optimistic I was hoping for a 2lb loss. I got onto the weighing scales and came away with a 3lb loss. I'm really pleased with that, that's 6 1/2lbs in two weeks, I can definitely say my head is in it. I now need 1 more pound for my Christmas target of 3.5 stone loss.

 

After the weigh in it was time for our Christmas meal out. What a great night it was, full of laughter, great company and lovely food. Set at The Viking in Goole, I started with the Tomato and Basil soup with a crusty baguette which I savoured since it will be the only piece of bread I'll have this week. Next came the Traditional Turkey with all the trimmings, this including Yorkshire pud, stuffing ball, pigs in blankets and veg. It was absolutely delicious, for desert I had the Raspberry Blondie which was packed full of flavour and I even took a sneaky peek. It was a synful but gorgeous meal.

 

So today is the start of a difficult week, a high in syn meal last night, and now today is an in between day where I'll have salad, and it's gym tonight to really push myself. I really hope I can try and keep a maintain next week at least but we'll see. Also here's a pic of me and Gareth enjoying last night.

Busy and Hard Week ..

So just come back from last minute workout before weigh in. Me and Gareth did 40 lengths in the pool. Feel quite good about it as well today. Before that I had a simple ham and cheese salad getting my Healthy A in there. I am now just munching on an after body workout snack of a Hi-Fi bar, getting my Healthy B in.

 

This week is a busy Christmas week for Gareth and I, we have 3 meals out so it's going to be hard to get a loss in next week. We're going to try really hard all the other days and get lots of body magic in to try and make up for it, we now have something going on every day up to Thursday next week. Not to mention I'm going to see him everyday until Thursday next week, that's a lot of Gareth. Haha.

 

Today was Swimming getting our body magic in.

Tomorrow, I'll be at my son's Christmas play in the morning, then in the evening is weigh in. But tomorrow is a special weigh in, because straight after is our SW Christmas meal. I am very excited to have a great meal with great people. I think there is about 30 of us out of our group going. I've already chosen my meal of Tomato and Basil soup, Traditional Turkey dinner and for desert Raspberry Blondie.

On Wednesday we will be shopping then off to the gym, that day will be a food good day, of pasta or salad!

Thursday is London day, we're going down to London for a spot of shopping, meal out and into Winter Wonderland (if you want to know about Winter Wonderland, it's on Gareths blog here). This will be a hard day of hot chocolates, Harrod's cake's and a Mexican meal at Chiquito's. I'm going to try and choose good in the restaurant and restrain myself from the delicious cakes, but I'm not that strong!

On Friday it's gym day, trying to burn off what I ate in London.

Saturday is another day out. This one in York, where there will be a lot of walking around which I hope will help but will consist of a meal at Lendall Cellars which is a gorgeous restaurant in the centre of York.

Sunday is damage control once again by going to the gym, I'm going to really push myself to try for if anything a maintain!

Monday is back to Swimming, a last chance body magic session, and then we come round to Tuesday once again and weigh in, where we will learn our fate of the week.

Wednesday will be gym, depending on the results of the night before weigh in, it could be just a normal work out or pushing it to lose the gain!

 

So you see a hectic week of up and down food, I am actually optimistic that I can control this and not get that much of  gain. I use the in between days of meals as body magic days and eat syn free or very low syn foods such at pasta, salads or jacket potatoes. Also trying always to get my fruit and veg in (superfree foods). One things for sure is there is no bad snacking and no bread. I am cutting them out this week. I am in the zone!

Paella

Today I made one of my fave's, Paella. Really simple and so tasty.

 

Ingredients:

2 onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1pt chicken stock made with Bovril

227g/8oz tomatoes, skinned and chopped

340g/12oz long grain rice, dried

A few strands of saffron

113g/4oz raw tiger prawns

57g/2oz thin green beans, trimmed and halved

113g/4oz cooked chicken, skinned and diced

170g/6oz live mussels

1 red pepper

seasoning

2 tbsp chopped parsley

 

1. Put the onion, garlic and 1/2 pt of the stock in a heavy, deep frying pan. Cover, bring to the boil and boil for 5 mins. Simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 mins, until the onions are tender and golden. Stir in the tomatoes and rice and cook gently for 2-3 mins.

2. Bring the remaining stock to the boil and add to the pan with the saffron. Simmer gently for about 20 mins, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is fluffy and tender. Ten mins before the end of cooking time, add the prawns, cooked chicken and green beans.

3. Meanwhile, scrub the mussels under running water, discarding any that are cracked or open, Pop them into a pan with a little boiling water, cover with a lid and cook over a high heat, shaking occasionally, until the mussels open. Throw away any that fail to open.

4. Grill the red pepper under a pre-heated grill until charred, the remove the skin and seeds. Cut the flesh into thin strips. Season the paella to taste and serve garnished with the mussels and red pepper strips, sprinkled with parsley. 

 

Meal serves 4 and is completely syn free, I don't personally like mussels or pepper so I left them out and it tasted just fine without them.

 

Now after a great meal I am going to go get my body magic in and do a work out in the gym with Gareth.



Chicken Goujons ..

Just come back from an hours workout at the gym, getting ready for another great week. Didn't majorly push myself this evening, it was just a good workout. And I feel great for it.

 

Before that I had an easy meal of chicken goujons, SW chips and peas.

 

Ingredients:

4 portions of mini chicken fillets (about 16 pieces)

1 egg, beaten

25g golden breadcrumbs

A few potatoes, cut into chips

Fry Light

 

1. Preheat oven to 190c.

2. Spray a baking tray with Fry Light, place chips on baking tray and lightly spray again over the top.

3. Dip each mini fillet in the beaten egg and lightly coat with the breadcrumbs, place on another baking tray sprayed with Fry Light and pop both in oven for 30 mins turning once halfway through.

4. Serve with veg or a crisp salad.

 

This recipe serves 4, and is 1.5 syns each serving.

I have worked out that 25g of golden breadcrumbs is 4.5, so this dived by for and rounded up would be 1.5. If you want it syn free you can use wholemeal bread blitz in a food processor to make breadcrumbs and use this as your Healthy B choice.



Weigh In .. On It ..

After having a brilliant week where I really concentrated and tried so hard everyday, except one for Saturday where I was lured out to an Italian meal I am pleased to say that I lost 3 and a half pounds! I'm now down to 13 stone 4 1/2 pounds, and I only need 4 pounds off for my Christmas target. I'm pretty sure I can do this 3 weeks.

 

My head is seriously in it now, after this great loss I feel great and I'm ready for next goal. There will be no meals out this week so there is nothing stopping me. It is next week that will be a problem, 3 meals out. The first one will be our SW Christmas meal out, a 3 course meal after weigh in. Then onto Thursday where I'm going to London for the day and finally Saturday where I'm heading to York. This week has to be amazingly good to make up for next week.

On It Like A Car Bonnet ..

Just come back from a great work out at the gym with Gareth, broke a personal best! I go on the treadmill for 30 min's at the start and my record has been 8 minutes of collective running, today I did 9, and couldn't be prouder of myself, ha ha. I seriously had to push myself and get motivated but I did it. After that it was bike and cross trainer then onto the weights, we called it a night after that, feeling much better for what we had done!

 

Also food intake has been brilliant today. For lunch I had leftover chicken curry on a jacket potato, fruit for afters and for dinner I had gorgeous cheese salad, getting my Healthy A in. Now I'm just going for an after workout snack of a Hi-fi bar to get my Healthy B in. My head is really in it this week. I have completely changed my attitude and I'm ready for the scales next week.

No Weigh In ..

I'm not attending weigh in this as I have family matters at home, but in a way I am glad because I've had a horrendous week, from going back to old ways of snacking and too much bread, also drinking when I was out Saturday. It can only mean that I have put on.

 

This has been a quite a depressing start to the week, dieting and other matters at hand. Today I really sat down and had a word to myself, I had to stop this snacking, telling myself I'll be better later on in the week and not doing it. I'm going back to basics and writing everything down, I'm going to try cutting out bread completely this week to see if it helps.

 

I have had a good start today at turning it around, I've had 2 syns all day, by having a salad with mayo, and a fruit salad. I used my Healthy A on a babybel in my salad and I have my Healthy B left for a Hi-fi bar later on. I have quite a a few leftovers in the freezer so I will be using them up this week, and the frozen meals are all free.

 

I've come so far, I have to realise I can't mess it up now.

Weigh In .. A Little Late ..

Just got back from the gym with Gareth, and now I feel great. Always feel better after the gym, feel like I've contributed to my weight loss. Today is a great start to the week, got my superfree in and my Healthy A and B. For lunch I had left over chili with 2 slices of wholemeal bread followed by fruit. For dinner I made a favourite of Spaghetti Bolognese. Completely syn free, I had my Healthy A left so I popped a bit of grated cheese on top! Lovely!

 

 

 

Ingredients:

Fry Light

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

340g extra lean minced beef

230g button mushrooms, thinly sliced

400g can of chopped tomatoes

280ml beef stock

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

seasoning

280g spaghetti, dried

 

1. Spray a pan with Fry Light and cook the onions and garlic for 2-3 mins until just softened. Stir in the mince and cook until browned.

2. Add the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, stock and Worcestershire sauce. Season lightly and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15-20 mins until reduced and thickened. Check the seasoning.

3. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions. Drain and divide between 4 plates. Top with bolognese sauce and sprinkle with cheese if you want.

 

So easy, syn free and filling!

 

Also I haven't informed you of my results of this weeks weigh in. I stepped on the scales thinking of a gain and received a maintain! I'll take it, after the week I had, of alcohol, apple pie and just random snacking I'm pleased with that result. I really thought I'd blown it, I would like to keep losing every week but at this stage anything is better than a gain. So I am set for a new week, still need 7 1/2 pounds for my Christmas target. In 5 weeks, can I do it?