Chocolate Eton Mess

LOVE this, Quark with sweetener, bournville hilights, vanilla essence and strawberries, with crumbled merengue! 4 Syns of deliciousness!  Why deny yourself! Juicing, shakes, pills etc??? Give Slimming World a go!!

Quark Fish Pie, Courgetti, Carroti and Samphire

Loved this, someong from group posted up a Slimming World fish pie the other day and it looked lovely! Here's my take on it, fish pie mix, prawns and a tuna steak fried in frylight with rainbow pepper with dill, parsely and samphire on courgetti and carroti, courgette spaghetti and carrot spaghetti from Tesco!

New Link - Kell's Slimming World Adventure

Kell's Slimming World Adventure

Great read, great recipes and some inspiring ideas and honesty! Clicky click and give it her a read!

Speed Dodger

Oops......there's some nights I just can't be arsed with chopping ...Linda McCartney Red Onion and Rosemary (Syn Free) sausages in a toasted wholemeal (HEXB) thin! Hit the spot!! Sandwich Like YUM!

Arla Skyr Honey Yogurt and Watermelon

Been waiting to try this as it sounded lush, and it was delicious! Great honey flavour and only 3 Syns for a 450g pot which is huge! Had it with watermelon and a dusting of Cadburys chocolate sprinkles!

Slimming World Salt and Lime Pepper Calamari

Decided to try a new recipe tonight using the Lime Pepper I bought from Tesco today. I've never cooked squid before, not unless you count a shop bought bag of frozen ready made calamari! So I ordered some squid from Tesco and got three little ones for just under £2.00. I squidged out the tentacle bits and chopped off the wingy bits, and chopped the main body into rings. I used a tablespoon of flour which is two Syns, but only half (if that) of is stuck so I'm counting one Syn! Then I poked the tentacle bits and decided I couldn't eat them so left them out! Chucked the rings in the bag of flour, salt and lime pepper and shook. Chucked into a very hot pan for about four to five minutes and had with salad and my HEXB wholemeal thin toasted and cut into little triangles.

Syn Free Food Treat

I've got out of the habit of having regular food treats. It's something I used to do years ago when I got to target weight. I'd follow plan weekdays and then eat what I wanted at the weekend, then the weekend crept into Friday, then Thursday....you get the idea? Diets I've followed before had always be so much more restrictive on what and how much you can eat that it's so easy to fall off the wagon as soon as you start eating normal food at normal quantities on the weekend. 

As I've found Slimming World to be so much more like a healthy eating plan where you just tweak normal every day food, in normal portions I don't really feel like I need a treat - other than wine ;-) I'm probably happier with a Slimming World burger than a Whopper from Burger King these days! I also like how they don't ask you to up your Syns once at target, which would just encourage me to slip back into bad habits. 

The easier a plan is to follow the easier it is to stick to and end up as a new normal . The more difficult and time consuming it is to follow the more likely I am to get fed up of it's restrictiveness and go off plan. It's easy to be more laid back around planning meals if all you have to have is a fridge full of normal food. As long as it's there you don't have to plan everything in advance, you can just open the fridge and decide on the spot. It's also nice and easy to have fall back food in the cupboard or freezer for a busy day. Pasta, couscous, tuna, beans, potatoes, Iceland ready meals...I could go on! So it's not the end of the world if you've not had time to spend all day planning your evening meal, then weighing and measuring it all out when you get in before you can even cook and eat it!

Whilst the food optimising plan might seem really complicated when you first read through it, as it begins to make sense and sink in it's surprisingly easy to follow. If you're struggling get help in group, or most Slimming Word groups have online Facebook pages only accessible by the members of their group where you can get help, support and advice.

I digress, now I just need to decide what to have for dinner and which pepper pot to use first!!

Slimming World Iceland Singapore Noodles

Making room in the freezer for a few bits coming tomorrow. The Slimming World Iceland ready meals are so huge they take up a lot of room! Very impressed! This was really nice, quite spicy although I needed to add a bit of salt! Best of all completely FREE! Even ate the peas, and I don't like peas much!

Food Shop

Just finished my online shop, this week I'm treating myself to some flavoured peppers grinders! Love pepper on order is a Rainbow Peppercorn Grinder a Roast Garlic and Pepper Grinder and a Lime Pepper one too!

Also was inspired last week by a post from someone in group of a fish pie which looked delicious so I'll be doing my own take on that just as soon as I've found a good Quark white sauce type recipe.

Bought the Tesco courgette spaghetti, or courgetti and some carrot spaghetti too which I'm planning to use with the above.

Also ordered some of the Arla Skyr Honey yogurt which is 3 Syns for a 450g pot, I've heard good things and can't wait to try it!

Watermelon and Weigh In

I've been at home today, feeling nibbly, have eaten a lot of this! It's free, and speed and delicious!

Weigh in yesterday was 1/2 below bottom target range, so that means I can  have an extra glass of wine this week doesn't it? 

Millionaires Shortbread and Bournville Magic Pancakes

Love a choclatey breakfast!

35g oats (HEXB)
1 Total 0% yogurt
Bourneville HiLights (2 Syns)
Few drops of Cupcake World Millionaires Shortbread flavouring
2 tsp Sweetner

Mix the above and leave overnight.

Add 2 x Eggs, mix well and fry in Frylight.

2 Syns for the whole lot, I managed to get 11 out of this mix. 

Friday Night Burger Lovin' .....with Wine

Still can't quite believe you can eat burgers and lose weight! Happy Friday xx 

Starve Binge Dieting Cycle

This started for me in my late teens early twenties when I first started dieting. I've been on all kinds of diets but my own downfall has been restricting what I eat by eating very small amounts of the wrong foods, especially on days where I want a glass of wine or three in order to stick to plan. It seems so simple now, getting the most amount of food for the least calories by choosing wisely 5% mince instead of just lean, removing fat and having a third of a plate of speed food. But, until that lighbulb moment clicked on and started shining I'd eating small portions of high calorie foods! I got to target, but then what? I'd add more points, calories or drop the shakes choosing treats in order to try to maintain and fell easily back into bad habits. The problem I find is when you've been restricting your food intake and let go of the reigns a bit with treat food the bloody horse takes off and you're galloping back down the road to binge central!



At the time you don't think you are starving yourself, you're genuinely not interested in anything that's not on plan and can easily skip a meal or eat very little because you're focused, your goal is in sight and you're losing weight at the rate of knots! By restricting the food intake you can get the wine in and you hit target!

I initially resisted Slimming World because I thought portion control was my whole issue and thought by giving me free reign to eat as much of certain foods as I wanted would send me spiraling out of control and end up with me being bigger than ever.

For me once the control has gone and I've gone back to eating without counting points or calories the weight starts to pile back on, and it's then really difficult to snap back into "starve" mode to get it back under control. It was at this point I decided I might as well give Slimming World a go! I'd got to target, I'd started putting weight back on and thought the way I'm going it's not going to make any difference.

The first week I went for it with everything, all on plan but let myself eat as much as I wanted, and couldn't believe it when I lost 3 1/2 lb! By about week three the novelty of a cooked breakfast and huge lunch, and a huge dinner had begun to wear off and gradually over the weeks the meal sizes reduced as I settled into the plan and the weight came off.

I had tried a few time in the past that "diet" where you say to yourself I'll just eat what I want and eventually if I'm not restricting myself I'll naturally lose weight as I wont be craving anything. You can probably guess how that worked out for me.....not very well. This is the closest thing I think I'll get to it! If you're realistic and you struggle with your weight you have to restrict some things. It's a simple calories in versus calories out sum at the end of the day, but if you can still enjoy normal everyday foods just tweaking things here and there and watching out for synned food and your HEXA and HEXB, which is't really difficult then it's as close as I think you can get to that ideal.

I love the way that Slimming World educates you about food, I love the way they and their members are so inventive. If there's something you love, and miss you can bet there's a Slimming Worlded version of it somewhere on the internet, and nine times out of ten it's good enough to satisfy! I love you can feed the family the same things as you're eating and how they encourage you to eat normal every day foods and cook from scratch. It doesn't feel like a diet in the traditional sense of the word, but a re-education to learning a new normal way of eating and a normal relationship with food.

I'm sure I'll be in for some up's and downs as I try to stay at target but I feel like I've already made some important changes and am learning a new normal way of eating!

Check out here to see the kinds of things you eat on Slimming World!

Slimming World Pasty / Steak Bake Recipe

This Slimming World steak pasty recipe is all over Instagram today, and it's free if you use the thin as a Healthy Extra!

Orangey

Run out of Tesco quark so used a Total 0% yogurt, Bournville HiLights and orange essence with a clementine on top.

No Fat Roast In The Bag Honey and Mustard Gammon

I removed the fat and covered in 1 Syn of wholegrain mustard and 2 1/2 Syns of honey so 3 1/2 Syns in total. Shoved in a medium roasting bag and into the oven on 160 for about 1 1/4 hours. I'm calling it 1/2 Syn per portion roughly. Had in a wholemeal thin, healthy extra, with rocket and a salad on the side! Bought a bag of baby leaf and kale salad, it's OK a bit like nettles though. Think I'll stick to standard baby leaf salad in future!

Weekly Weigh In

Little bit late with the Monday Weigh in this week as I'm a little out of routine! Where I should have more time as my boy is on a school trip I've found myself a little lost without him and struggled to get motivated! I'm a complete control freak and any change to my routine completely throws me out! I had big plans this week to ramp up the exercise while the boy was away, but a pulled muscle in my shoulder means I've done a lot of sitting on my arse! Sods Law!

Anyway......lost 1 1/2 this week taking me to 1 1/2 below target. Aiming for another half pound this week so I'm two below target and therefore giving myself some wiggle room for when we are away over the summer for a few weekends......and out of routine! If I can teeter on the three pounds below target that would be even better!

6th week at Target and not doing too badly!

Took the Chorizo Bites and some of the Iceland Slimming World Mediterranean Chicken Sausages with me to tasting. Bought two packets of the sausages and really didn't like them much. VERY garlicky! Thought I'd free up some room in my freezer and take them to tasting for everyone to make their own mind up after I gave them a bit of a slating in Image Therapy the other week!

Rude People and Feeders

Love this post from spanjee_sw on Instagram

I totally agree, and can relate to some of those comments. I'm not sure why people think it's OK to make rude comments about a persons weight when they are losing or have lost their weight. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't hear people making rude, sarcastic or patronising comments about someone being too big, but somehow some people think it's OK to do this when you've lost weight.

I've had.....

You've lost too much weight!
Are you sure you're eating?
You're eating too much!

It got worse as I got near target to the point where I'd tell people I was't losing anymore rather than argue with them as to why I needed to lose another two pounds when asked! Sometimes it's just easier that way!

But my absolute pet hate are "feeders"

Have a couple of biscuits, they wont hurt!
I got you this cake!
Have a couple of chips!
It's Slimming World Friendly....as it drips with oil.....

I think nearly everyone who has ever dieted has come across feeders. These are the people who try and force feed you anything bad, will buy you cakes without asking and then try and guilt trip you into eating them. I've done everything from giving in and eating it, saying I'll have some later and then trying to get away with not having any....

....Don't forget to have your cake!

I've said I'll take it home and eat it after dinner, and then given to my husband or son.

It can actually be quite embarrassing trying to refuse things as the feeder argues with you that you should have it. To be honest nine times out of ten I actually really am not bothered by whatever is being offered. I'd rather save my Syns for a glass of wine. So I've put my foot down, and it's got easier. Now people don't pester me to eat things, and never buy without asking, or expect me to have something just because they've bought everyone one!

Some things are easier to lie about, like being at target when you've only a pound or two to lose, and some battles have to be fought to protect yourself and your weight loss!

Slimming World Chocolate Cake!

400g Black Beans - drained
3 Eggs
2 Tbsp Sweetener
2 Cadbury's Bournville Hilights sachets
1 tsp Instant Coffee
Vanilla Pod or Essence
Juice and Zest of 1 Orange (or orange essence)
1 tsp Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt

Blend all of the above in a food processor, line your tin with baking paper sprayed with Frylight and pour the mixture into the baking tin.

Optional - Sprinkle 25g Chocolate drops on the top.

Bake on 180 for about 25 minutes.

6 Syns for the whole cake without chocolate drops, 12 Syns with. I made mine without. Freezes really well too!

Smoked Paprika, Thyme and Garlic DIY roasting bag chicken

I used the Maggi roasting bags a couple of weeks ago which are Synned on Slimming World so in this weeks shopping I ordered some plain roasting bags and added my own spices for a free dinner! Very impressed, the spices were lovely and the chicken just fell apart so much I took it off the bone with tongs!