Monday 26 April 2010

What does 11.5 lb weight loss look like?

So I said last week that if I had a good weight loss at the next Weigh In that I would post some 'Progress photos'. Kinda wish I hadn't now but nevermind - I did promise honesty after all!

Those of you who followed my journey with Slimming World last time round will have seen my cringe inducing bikini pics. These are not those - I am not that brave this time, ha ha. These will have to do:

Weighing in @ 11 stone 3 lbs after stuffing my face in Africa & Nepal
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And x 6 Weigh In sessions later - - 11.5 lbs lighter! 1 stone to go!



I can see (& feel) a huge difference in my clothes. My tummy is flat again, my hips are not spilling out over the top of my waistband, and my butt is considerably less horrendous. Let's see my mom try & embarass me at the supermarket check-out now! Ha! Just need to crack on with the exercise now to get toned & I'll be back to normal :-)

By the way, I've received a couple of emails from random people who have come across my Blog telling me that Slimming World is "b*llocks" & "doesn't work". Can I just say - - in your face!!! :-) All the weight I have lost is purely down to healthy eating - NO 'fad' diets, NO starvation, NO stress! This is called Food Optimising & it promotes a healthy attitude towards food & nutrition. Fact. If you still disagree, please do me a favour ... why not go & sit in on a Group one evening & hear the success stories, see the happy faces & feel the positive energy. You can't ignore proof that big.

I have never believed that those 'fad' diets work - no matter how many recommendations they come with. Replacing food with a milkshake is NOT healthy. Getting 'diet' food delivered to your door is NOT going to change bad habits in the long run. I'm even wary of Weight Watchers with their 'Points' counting system - anything that comes across as constricting & feels "like a diet" will eventually lead to failure if you have big issues with food. Slimming World & the 'food optimising' plan is - as far as I can see - the only sensible & natural method available to those that really want to change their life, change their habits & ultimately change their future.

Getting off my soap box now ... au revoir!

Sunday 25 April 2010

Weigh In Result - 22/04/10

Sorry for the delay in posting this week’s update but I’ve been incredibly busy since Thursday evening & this is the first chance I’ve had to sit down & get Blogging.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect this week as I’d been in a bit of a stressed out state of mind (men!) & hold my hands up to overindulging the weekend before (Carly!). Ummm, and then my sister came round on Weigh In day & we decided to make use of my mom’s new sun-deck. And - picture the scene - to christen the deck in style, we needed something to drink. So yes, up until about one hour before Weigh In, I was lazily slurping wine in the glorious sunshine. But! I still lost 2.5 lbs so hoorah!

Starting Weight:
11 stone 3 lbs

Current Weight:
10 stone 5.5 lbs

Total Lost:
11.5 lbs

Target Weight:
9 stone 7 lbs

Still to Lose:
12.5 lbs

Check that out! Less than a stone to go already! Okay, it’s ON now because - remembering last time I went through this - the weight loss starts slowing down a bit now so I need to keep on the ball. "Dear Waist-line, I'm watching you ......."

Family Update: My mom lost 1 lb which was a well deserved loss & I’m super duper proud. She had a tough week & normally that would have guaranteed to have her reaching for the fridge or nipping to the shop for a choccie bar a-bit-too-often. Not this time, not my Clever Mommy. She stuck to her completely Syn-able Freddo Frog thingys when she needed a ‘sweet fix’ & the rest of the time she was totally On Plan. Go Mom!

The Boy lost 2 lbs this week which was another “How????” moment for me. The child just never seems to get his ‘just desserts’ for eating ... well ... too much dessert! I clean his room every week & this week there were a few chocolate bar wrappers, one family sized bag of Doritos (empty), full fat coke bottles (also empty) & not to mention other wrappers from various treats that are not allowed on SW. Hmmmm. Still, he has been playing football quite a bit with his friends so we’ll give him credit for that. Keep it up!!

So, I made a deal with myself at Group that I was going to get back to cooking from scratch & trying out lots of lovely SW recipes (been a bit lazy with the old jacket potatoes lately) but then I landed myself a new job on Friday (very exciting!) & then finished the day off at a friend’s house eating Lamb Tagine (not of the SW variety) & ....... homemade passion fruit meringue cake. Whoops. Although, we did make up for it by playing Just Dance on the Wii for about 2 hours straight later that evening :-)

Saturday was a ‘good food’ day. One of my best friends & her son came to visit so it was nice to have some new mouths to feed. For lunch, I tried out some homemade burgers with SW chips & salad. Went very well – even if I did get confused half way through & add mint to my beef mince thinking momentarily that it was lamb. In the evening, my friend mentioned that she had tried my Success Express pasta dish after I had posted it so we had a dish similar to that. Her son stuck to chicken flavour Super Noodles. By the bucket load.

Today has been crowned “Sushi Sunday” & I think it will become a regular thing in this house. My mom is super talented when it comes to this stuff & she made us a gorgeous selection for lunch today, including some yummy squid. If anyone is interested, don’t hesitate to get in touch & I will email over the method & recipe.

My Clever Mommy Made This!!
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After that super healthy & saintly lunch, I went to Morrisons to stock up on this week’s Muller Lights, Quark, cottage cheese, veg etc. Shoping after you've eaten (and eaten well) is such a top tip. I went in such a good frame of mind & was totally turned off by all the pastries & other sickly 'yummies' that usually attract me. I could almost feel my halo glowing.

For tea tonight, I made run-o-the-mill Spag Bol (zzzzzz) with a Syn-Free SW dessert for afters. It was a recipe for Lemon Meringue Pie that we were given at Group last week but I am re-naming it Lemon Pudding with Meringue Top though because - unless I did something very wrong - it ain’t no pie dude!

Verdict: Slightly sharp. Would add more sweetener next time - another 2 tbsp? And also, I couldn’t get my meringue to crisp up – it went a bit soggy. Booooo. I think next time I will cook the meringue separately & then pop it on top once both parts are baked. But overall it was very nice & I will be making it again!
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LEMON PUDDING W/MERINGUE TOP
300g Quark
1 x lemon (juice & grated rind)
3 medium eggs (separated) 6 x tbsp sweetener
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Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Beat Quark until creamy. Add lemon juice, rind, egg yolks & 4 tbsp of sweetener.
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Share mix between 4 ramekins and bake for 10 minutes.
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Whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form & add remaining sweetener (the 2 tbsp).
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Remove desserts from oven & place meringue mix on top*. Bake for a further 5 minutes or until golden.
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*As mentioned, I’m not doing this next time – I’m going to bake them separately & then put them on top of the pudding.
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Oooh! And speaking of recipes, I’m on a roll today! After the dessert, I decided to give the much talked about SW Quiche a go. I made some of the mini-ones using a muffin tray. The recipe I used said it would make 6 but I think I used the wrong size muffin tray as I got 11 out it. Bonus! They have been 'tested & tasted' by both The Boy & Mom .... Verdict: BIG Thumbs Up!
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These will be absolutely perfect on summer picnics, at work with a salad lunchbox, or as a Syn Free Snack anytime (on Extra Easy & Original).
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MINI QUICHES
6 - 11 Round slices of ham (I used Yorkshire ham cut fresh from the deli counter – the recipe called for 6 but I ended up using 11)
1 x leek (finely chopped)
4 x rashers of lean bacon (all fat removed, chopped)
1 x green pepper (chopped)
1 x red pepper (chopped)
Fresh black pepper (to taste)
Fresh chives (chopped)
Half a tub of Quark
3 x eggs
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Cherry tomatoes
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Spray the holes of the muffin tray with Fry Light & line each with a slice of ham. I cut mine to the centre on one side so it was easy to ‘curl & fold’ if you get what I mean?!
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In a pan, spray Fry Light & cook leek, bacon & peppers. Add the remaining slice of ham (chopped). Divide mixture into the ham cases & add chopped chives.
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Beat Quark, eggs & mustard together with a little black pepper. Carefully pour equal amounts into ham cases & decorate the tops with cherry tomatoes.
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Stand muffin tin in a baking tray half filled with hot water. Place in oven at 160C/Gas 3 for 30 minutes.
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Once cooked, leave to stand for approx. 10-15 minutes before trying to remove ham cases from the muffin tray.
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And they do stand up – I promise! See ...
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Well I really hope everyone has a great week. I’ve got a good feeling about this one people. I’m totally prepared for it. Clare drummed it into us at Group this week that PLANNING is everything & you know what ... she is 100% right! (And P.S. Sorry Clare - You were only saying last week how my Blog isn't just about what I eat & I seem to have devoted a whole post to recipes, ha ha. Hopefully there will be a bit more chit-chat during the week!).
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Thursday 15 April 2010

Weigh In Result - 15/04/10

I'm baaaack! Sorry there was no update last week but I was too busy having fun in New York City :-) I had a wonderful time and can't wait to go back one day. Amazing place.

Tonight was my first Weigh In for 2 weeks and I was expecting a bit of a gain. I did try to be good in New York but - really - how good can you be when you are in Central Park on a hot day and there are street vendors selling Ben & Jerrys on a stick? Yeah. Thought so.

So I was pleasantly surprised - okay, I was chuffed to bits - when I stepped on the scales tonight and found that I had MAINTAINED my weight loss. Thank you God! I have put it down to the fact that one of the first things I did in NY was go out and buy some low fat cooking spray and I stuck to my usual 'energy omelette' breakfasts. I'm such a good girl *shiny halo*

The rest of my meals were hit & miss *ahem* Sometimes I'd have a jacket potato, but then the next day I'd opt for a juicy burger (minus the bun). But I walked a LOT around the City and across both the Brookly and Manhattan Bridges, and more importantly, I didn't over-indulge when it came to alcohol - my main downfall when it comes to my weight. I think the most I had in one night was 3 G&Ts, so - go me!

I also ate quite a bit of Sushi in the last few days. After I'd had it one night for dinner, I actively sought it out for my lunches too. And again at the airport. And at Paddington Station on my way back. I think that and the intensive walking saved me to be honest. It could've gone really pear shaped - or rather my figure could've!

Yummy Sushi


So here I am - back on Plan and ready for a good weight loss next week. Bring it on! I'm going to go to the supermarket tomorrow and stock up on all the 'usual suspects' so I don't have to think about it too hard. Group tonight was very good - our Consultant had lost 5 lbs this week and you could tell she was really fired up and wanted everyone else to get on board. I've come away with a few recipes to try out - the '10 Speed Food Soup' and a ..... wait for it ..... mashed potato sponge cake thing. There were mixed reviews from other members about the latter recipe but hey, I'll give it go and report back :-)
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Treat night wasn't as bad as usual tonight either. I had a homemade steak baguette (granary) and a bottle of cider. Much better than a Chinese or a bag of chips.
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As for the rest of the family - well, my mom lost 1 lb last week which was great to hear while I was away, but she didn't come tonight as she had double booked herself. Naughty. And Mike didn't go last week as he was too busy getting drunk at a beach party (teenagers!) - so he had an expected gain this week and snuck out before the end of Group. Come on guys - pull yer socks up. The Boss is back now!!! :-p
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Hope everyone else out there had a good couple of weeks. The Spring is really warming up now and summer is right around the corner so don't lose your mojo peeps - imagine yourself in that bikini (hell, put up pics around the house like I do!) and make it a reality this year! I've only lost just over half a stone and the difference is noticeable in my clothes, my figure and my skin. If I get a nice loss next week, I'll be tempted to put up my current before and after pics to show you what my loss looks like in reality. Every few pounds of fat/bloating gone really makes a difference I swear so don't focus on the big numbers and just stick at it. You'll be so pleased - and super proud of yourself - that you did.
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Best of luck for the next 7 days everyone :-)
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Friday 2 April 2010

Weigh In Result - 01/04/10

Big sigh of relief! I didn't fill in my Food Diary this week & I was terrified I had gone off Plan a little bit. I was distracted over the last 7 days (life etc) & it just goes to show that Slimming World becomes 'second nature' very quickly because even though I wasn't really 'thinking' about what I was eating, I know for a fact I was eating well. And so when I stepped onto those scales last night ... another 2lbs off :-)

Starting Weight:
11 stone 3 lbs

Current Weight:
10 stone 8 lbs

Total Lost:
9 lbs

Target Weight:
9 stone 7 lbs

Still to Lose:
1 stone 1 lbs

It would have been a bit more if had been very good but I will admit to having a bowl of Seriously Cinnamon cereal when I shouldn't have (the man-child's fault!) & possibly one or two cheeky glasses of wine when my Syns for the day had already been used. Hmmm, & I did go a bit nuts on the Skinny Cow ice cream one night. So PHEW!

I was also terrible about cooking the meals I had planned out last weekend. I did make the lamb curry which is always a hit & was delish, but the fish pie got neglected, as did the chicken & mango salad. Shame on me. I also made the 'Zero Syn' dessert I told you about last week but it was ewwwww so I won't pass on the recipe. It involves whisking egg whites for a few hours (well, it felt like it anyway) & it reeeeally wasn't worth it. I was kind of glad about that as I didn't want to have to make it again to be honest. Waaaay too much hard work!

And so to the star of the show - - The man-child lost 3.5lbs this week bringing him to a total loss of 9lbs so far. He got his Half Stone Award and Slimmer Of The Week. YAY!!! He was very naughty this week (although he won't admit what he ate) so that was a lucky 3.5lbs BUT it shows that he isn't just eating whatever/whenever as the weight is still coming off. So I'm still very proud :-) He is also still running which I'm sure helps loads.

My mom had a much better result this week too - another 2lbs off. So happy for her! She has told me that something in her head has finally clicked & she is not craving all the rubbish foodie things she used to. You have no idea how much this makes me smile. She has really struggled with her weight for the last 18 years or so & I can't wait to see her in the body she wants. She is very excited about being able to wear clothes that suit her personality rather than her shape. I'm going to really enjoy going shopping with her. Advance warning - Party at our house when my mom gets to her target weight!!! :-)

Here are a some homemade food pics from this week:-

Lamb Curry with natural yoghurt, spinach & rice


My favourite salad - 2 x poached eggs, chopped up bacon, baby new potatoes, salad greens, cucumber, grated carrot, cherry tomatoes & raw pepper. I use Balsamic or Caesar Fry Light salad spray as a dressing.


One of my morning omelletes - 1 x egg, spinach, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes & 28g mature chedder


And here's another - 1 x egg, spinach, salad tomatoes & 42g fresh mozzarella



1 x banana on 2 x slices of wholemeal toast (from a 400g loaf). I have this when I am bored with snacking on Muller Lights. The bread is your Healthy B for the day & you can Syn 1 tsp of butter (2 Syns)

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Achievements: I got into my skinny jeans this week! AND I was able to zip my knee high boots up over my calves. Woohoo!
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Aims: Bye bye wobbly 'baby' belly - since my 'baby' is turning 17 next month, I figure it's time to stop using that excuse ;-) Must tone up.
With Easter this weekend, I'm going to use my Syns on alcohol & a big ol' roast dinner on Sunday. No choccie eggs for me. I actually don't feel 'hard done by' because I know it'll be worth it when it's bikini time!
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* * REMEMBER, 1 x large Easter Egg (& the choccie bar that comes with it) equals approximately 90 Syns. Holy Moley! * *
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Dammit! I just wrote a whole piece about a yummy homemade 'catsup' (ketchup) that my mom made today but Blogger decided to lose it somewhere in cyberspace so - cheers Blogger. I will put the recipe on here another time. It's very good!
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Have a happy & healthy (& yummy) week everyone!
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