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!

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!

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?



Harumph! ..

Okay so it's time for a quick update to tell you I am not doing well this week. Bread has made its way back into my life, once I started eating it, I just can't stop. So bread has been a downfall this week and snacking, yes I've snacked this week. It's been really hard going. I don't know whats wrong with me either, it's like my will power is just completely shot.

 

On Saturday night I was out drinking as well, vodka and diet cokes, 4 syns a glass. I forget how many I had! Me and the gang went to see someone from the X Factor sing, don't ask me who, I haven't got a clue. I don't feign interest in them kind of shows, but I heard bar and gathering and I was there. Also when I got back in around 3am I sought out apple pie and cream.

 

So there is my confession, you can't have a good week every week. I'm trying to get back on it now and get it in my head! I'm off to have a jacket potato with chili on top. No syns!

Chicken Curry ..

 

 

I have had a really bad week this week. I have no idea what's wrong with me, I've just been snacking so much, I can't stop. I've hardly got any exercise in as well. This week has be a total write off, which is upsetting because I only needed 2lbs for my 3 stone award. I know only have myself to blame but there has been no motivation in me.

 

When I woke up this morning I had to give myself  a stern talking to, I've started a new week from now. I'm not prepared for what the scales are going to say tomorrow but I will just have to deal with it and move on. I'm so disappointed in myself. So today I went for a syn free meal of quick and speedy chicken curry. Absolutely no snacking today.

 



 

 

It's real easy to make, for something quick but also delicious. If you own the SW iPhone app the recipe is on there. If not here it is.

 

Ingredients:

3 onions, thinly sliced

1 chicken stock cube

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tbsp curry powder, whatever strength you like

624g chicken, cut into cubes

400g can chopped tomatoes, drained

 

1. Place the onions in a frying pan with 1/4pt/142ml water and the stock cube, then cook, covered, for 10 mins. Add the garlic and curry powder to the mixture and cook for a further 5 mins.

2. Add the chicken and tomatoes plus another 1/4pt/142ml water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 mins.

3. Boil some rice and serve.

 

Makes 4 servings, or if like me, makes one and 3 for the freezer.

 

So all in all I am now back on it, and this week needs to be forgotten. Also as an added bonus here's a pic of my son this evening, enjoying a sparkler. Ha ha.

 



Meal Plan for the Week ..

 

So, normal Sunday protocol today. I had a scrummy Sunday lunch of chicken, veg, small Yorkshire pudding and gravy. I've done well with my snacking today, I chose grapes instead of anything fattening. I unfortunately couldn't get any exercise in today so I'll have to push myself tomorrow at swimming.

 

There is something I have tried different today and that is a meal plan, I have set out meals for the week and worked out the syns for each meal.

 

 



 

 

Sometimes when it comes to dinner I haven't thought of anything and I'm rushing to find something or I throw something easy together that I didn't really enjoy, and then that is when I snack on something that isn't good for me, so hopefully this will help with that, and working out before will give me some knowledge of what I can have for lunch or as a treat/snack. 

Snacking..

Snacking is the worst thing you can do, its actually the worst thing that I do. I think actually its my downfall. Its not the takeaways or all the fatty foods or anything like that, I mean they don't really help, But when it comes to snacking it could reverse everything I've done so far.

I get fruit in, the slimming world high-fibre bars, which are gorgeous by the way. But sometimes that just isn't enough, sometimes I look around the room and think I could just fancy something really good, or something not got. Like today I had a toffee crisp bar, unfortunately I looked afterwards at the syns, And when I looked at the syns it was 11.5, luckily from me I had none that day so far so I fitted it in okay. Still I didn't have to eat it.

Yes snacking is my downfall, sometimes I do it out of sheer boredom. I need to fill the time with something else, something that will take my mind off of snacking on chocolate or other foods that are bad for me.

So there is my confession. I had a cheeky chocolate bar that was 11.5 syns, but I made it so my dinner was no syns, So maybe I made it all okay. Also tomorrow I will try to get some exercise so I can work the extra syns off.