Weigh in results!

Yes it's that time again I know they come round really quick!
This week has not really been a memorable one in terms of its neither been a great week or a bad week. One thing that I did do was go to the gym on my own. I can hear people saying yeah so what? Big deal. However for me this is a huge step at one time I would never go anywhere alone apart from getting in the car to work or to a friends house. Now I do not know if it has anything to do with my weight loss but something has changed and off I went to the gym alone and I must say I did well! I did what I had to do and never gave up so I am rather proud of myself for doing it!
So onto the scales at Slimming World this week, again I went alone this was because Charlotte's little boy wasn't very well so she couldn't make it.
I got on the scales and was happy to see a weight loss of 2.5lb I was really happy with this. I am now boasting a total weight loss of 5 stone 3 pounds and I still can't believe this is happening to me! As it was the last weigh in of January it was time to announce Slimmer of the Month. We were told that this person had lost 10lb in this month! It was ME i didn't even realise i had lost this amount since christmas. I left group very happy and very proud of myself plus I was full of enthusiasm for the coming week.
I think I am going to go for a 2lb weight loss this week and next week meaning in 2 week time I should be blogging about my 5 and half stone award! Keep an eye out

Beef Lasagne!

For a couple of week's now i have really crazed a really nice lasagne with some chunky wedges on the side. However due to me being busy all the time i seem to never have had the time to prepare and make one. This week i thought i have some spare time this weekend it has got to be a lasagne for tea. I did a quick shift at work today and came home and started preparing tea. If you like the look at my lasagne above here is the ingredients and method for you to give it ago.

Ingredients

Lasagne

500g Extra Lean Beef Mince

1 x Medium Onion

1 x Red Pepper

1 x Green Pepper

300g Mushrooms

Passata (I used passata with garlic and herb to add more flavour)

8 x Dry Lasagne Sheets

40g Reduced Fat Cheese

 

Bechamel Sauce

2 x Level tbsp Cornflour

275ml Skimmed Milk

150g Fat Free Fromage Frais

1 x Level tsp Dijon Mustard

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

1. Prepare all of your veg or whichever superfree you choose to bulk up your filling.
2. Lightly spray a frying pan with Fry Light and add in the mince cooking until just turning brown. Then add in your veg and cook until they begin to soften.
3. Add in your passata and allow the mixture to cook until all your ingredients are fully cooked through.
4. Meanwhile, In a small bowl blend together the cornflour with a little of the milk. Pour the rest of the milk into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Then add in the cornflour mixture and simmer for 1-2 minutes stirring continuosly until the sauce has thickened.
5. Remove the sauce from the heat and gradually beat in the fromage frais and mustard. Season well with salt and pepper, then reheat gently being careful not to boil as the fromage frais will curdle.
6. Once everthing is prepared and cooked prepare your lasagne dish, firstly add in a layer of the mince mixture, top with lasagne sheets then some of your Bechamel sauce, building up your layers as you go finally ending with a topping of sauce. Once finished add your cheese to the top.
7. Put your lasagne in the oven on Gas Mark 6 for approx 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and cooked. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

I served mine with cajun potato wedges and peas. The lasgane serves 6 people and is 3 syns per serving if using the Cheese as part of your Healthy Extra A allowance. The picture below shows my completed meal and it was so tasty and very filling.

Cottage Cheese Quiches!

 

 

Weekend off work so i thought its maybe about time i started trying some new Slimming World friendly recipes. The group that i attend has a fantastic Facebook Group where members can get support and inspiration from other members. People also post pictures of food they are having and things they have made and how they have turned out. There is one member on the group, im sure she will know who she is if she reads this, is so very inspirational. Her food pictures and recipie ideas are brilliant and really give you different ideas on what to try next.

This recipe is one that i have seen her produce and thought they look delicious so thought i would give them ago. So here is the recipe for Cottage Cheese Quiches and here's how you too can have a try.

Ingredients

4 medium eggs

300g Fat Free Cottage Cheese (I used onion and Chive Flavour)

Your choice of filling maybe you could add some superfree into them?

 In mine i added Ham, Mushrooms and Tomato.

 

Method

1. Prehat your oven to Gas Mark 5 and in a deep muffin tin spray the little compartments with a little fry light.

2. Chop your fillings up so that they are small enough to go into the tins without over filling them.

3. In a bowl blend together your eggs and cottage cheese until it is fully combined.

4. Place your filling into the muffin tin and then carefully pour in you egg/cottage cheese mixture so that each compartment is well covered.

5. Place them into the oven for approx 30mins or until they are firm and golden brown.

6. Remove them from the oven and then you can either serve them warm or cold the choice is yours.

 

The above recipe should make about 10 individual quiches and the best bit is they are totally syn free. They can be enjoyed as part of a meal, maybe serving them with a nice salad or can be used as a snack. Due to them only being muffin sized they are also perfect to add into your lunch bags for work.

 

 



Weigh in.....I DID IT!!

I went to weigh in tonight feeling neither good nor bad. I hadn't had a terrible week but I somehow felt I hadn't done the greatest either. All day I have felt very bloated and basically fat (yes as unbelievable at it sounds even fat people have fat and thin days) plus i feel like am starting with a dreaded cold.
I got on the scales and looked down to see a weight loss of 1lb!!! I knew I had done it I have finally got that magical 5 stone award and I feel on top of the world never did I ever believe I would hit a weight loss of 5 stone half a pound!
I always seem to say its all down to the support of my group and Mandy my consultant but this time I am going to say that my biggest ever thanks goes 2 very special people and they are Charlotte and Joanne! My group and consultant are still fab and really have helped me on my journey but without the 2 people above I wouldn't be enjoying this award right how!
Firstly Joanne... After all without her own hard work with her own Slimming World journey I would have never been inspired to walk into that group!
And secondly my best mate Charlotte... She is my constant rock all week every week she picks me up and boosts me to do the best I can. She is my workout buddy and I have to say without her I probably wouldn't be attending a gym let alone enjoying it!
So a massive thank you to Joanne and Charlotte plus thanks to Mandy and group for your constant support every Tuesday night.
This week I would like a loss of anything 1lb or over as I will then drop into my new number!

Boredom is a killer!

I don't know about anyone else but I personally find boredom an absolute killer not only does it affect your mood but your diet seems to slip too.
Now I know what everyone is thinking that because I'm bored I sit and eat, well that's not strictly true. I don't sit and eat I seem to sit and think about food which in itself is bad! You think up all the "bad" food you think you want too eat which only makes you feel far worse!
So the point am getting at with this post is, I really want to know what everyone else does to conquer their own boredom or when bored and food is all you want what do you put your hands on?? I try to be good and stick to my slimming world diet but sometimes it just doesn't work so come on people help me out!!

My Mad Fat Diary!



This post has no real relevance to my usual blog posts, however i can't not blog about this fantastic new tv programme. The new series is called My Mad Fat Diary and it tells the story of Rae Earl, a 16 year old girl who is struggling with her weight, diet and basically life. It first aired on E4 on Monday 14th January however because i recorded it i have just managed to watch it.
It is a brilliant and funny look at life as a "big" teenager, i laughed at the story lines and characters for most of the 45 minutes it is on. If you get the chance to catch up with it please do, it really does cast a light on bigger peoples lifes. You will be able to catch up with it on 4OD on the net, please do you will not be disappointed. The series is due to run for 6 episodes so catch up while you can.
The TV series is based on a book by Rae Earl of the same name, i will be adding this to my Wish List on Amazon because i normally find that the original book is better than the tv show or film, if this is anything to go by the book must be fantastic.

It's Tuesday Night Once Again!

Tuesday nights come round really quickly and this means back to group for catch up with all my Slimming World family and time to face the scales!
This week I have had a really good week I have been food optimising all the way and made some really healthy choices. I has been to the gym twice and even managed 50 lengths at the local swimming baths so I was quite hopeful when I got on the scales.
I got on and watched the numbers jump up and down until they finally settled and revealed a weight loss of 4lb. I was over the moon and slightly disappointed all at once. Firstly i felt great i had pulled a brilliant weight loss and my hard work all week was finally showing on the scales however my second feeling of disappointment was in the back of mind. I had really wanted just another half a pound loss which would have taken me to the magical 5 stone award! My disappointment soon vanished and pride took its place, i had got a fantastic result and 4lb in one week is a brilliant acheivement how could i let myself be disappointed. Plus in image therapy afterwards i was named Slimmer of the Week i truly was chuffed to bits. This week also saw a couple of our new members step on the scales for their first week, and there was some fantastic results too, keep it up guys and you will see the results of your hard work in no time!
The aim for this week then is getting a loss off just half a pound, however you all know me better than that and know i like to push myself for decent numbers. So my actual target loss for this week is 3lb not only will acheive my 5 stone award i will drop into a new number on the scales, this means a hell of alot to me as the number i will drop into is one i have not seen for many a year.
Here's to a good week and pray i drop into the number!

Gold Body Magic Award!

This Tuesday in group me and Charlotte received our Gold Body Magic award. This means that we have done 2 and a half hours of exercise a week and maintained it for 8 weeks.
I am so proud of this award as it really shows my efforts in the gym and swimming are really paying off and it is recognised by Slimming World. Before I started this journey I could barely be bothered to do anything I was unhappy very unfit and so lethargic, I always made the excuse I was tired after work or I didn't have time, these excuses were made not just about exercise but also with simple things like seeing friends which I deeply regret. Now I am so active and my new weight loss and exercise has changed me as a person, I have more energy and feel great for it. Nowadays I am out of the house 5 nights a week doing something, be it exercise or just being with my great friends, in comparison to before where it was more like 6 nights in and 1 night out.
So this award really does mean the world to me and really shows how much I have changed for the better.

Snow heading for Britain? Time for some Winter Sun!

So apparently Britain is going to get about 3 weeks of snow, well i don't know about you but that does not sound like a good thing to me and really does make me think about heading to the sunshine and hitting the beach rather than putting on scarfs, hats and warm coats.

 Where can you go to hit the sun and the beach? Well below is a couple of selections to warm your winter cockles and maybe give you an idea about where you would like to head off to next.

The Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are made up of 5 islands however most people will only know and travel to 4 of them Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Tenerife. All of the islands boast really nice warm temperatures during our winter months with an average daily temperature of about 23 degrees i wish i was there now.

 The Canary Islands, whichever you picked, all have there own places of beauty, nightlife, gorgeous beaches and lovely places to stay and eat. You can travel in the knowledge there really is something for everyone. All of the islands are roughly and 4 to 4 and half hour flight from the UK and majority of regional airports serve at least one of the Islands.

Egypt

This place really is like marmite some people hate it and some people adore it, me personally i love the place. Egypt is about a 5 to 5 and half hour flight from the UK but it is well worth it when you land. The average daily temperature here is about 26 degrees during the day. The country has so much to offer tourists from fantastic beaches for you to chill out on all day, to a new culture to explore plus not forgetting the many historical places you get to explore too. The two main areas in Egypt are Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada both have gorgeous beaches plus they are both on the Red Sea so the underwater world has to be explored either by snorkeling or scuba diving it really is a priority to do in Egypt.

Caribbean

If you have a little bit more time to give to get away from Britain and its cold weather then why not head to the Caribbean. This is the ultimate destination for relaxation and exploration. With so many different islands to choose from all you need to think about is which has the best beach and heat for me. The flight time from the UK varies depending where in the Caribbean you go but it generally ranges from 9 hours to 11 hours and with a high daily temperature it really is worth the flight times. The hotels on offer here range from basic all the way through to pure 5 star luxury it really does cater for all. What could be better than sipping a cocktail looking out over the view shown below!!

First Weigh in for 2013!

The above quote really sums up how i have been feeling this week. I have put everything into my Weight Loss and i was quite excited to step on those scales this week knowing i had really give it my all. 

 Before my weigh in though i will need to start back on the 2nd January when i got back to my Slimming World lifestyle. I decided enough was enough and got on the scales to finally see what the damage had been and draw a line well and truly under the festivities. As you have read in my previous blog post, Post Christmas Weigh In, i had a gain of 5.5lbs. When i got on my own scales on the 2nd January i had gained another 3.5lbs. So all throughout the Christmas period i had gained 9lbs which i wasn't too bothered about, i knew what i had done and knew i had to get back on it.

 So back to Tuesday and trying to remember that i had to get rid of that extra 3.5lbs before a loss would even register at group. When i got on the scales and were told i had lost 2.5lbs i was fuming, i had really tried this week and felt like i deserved more out of my efforts. When i sat down and got talking to Charlotte (my sensible support) she informed me i should be over the moon after all i had actually lost 6lbs this week. When the realization hit i was chuffed to bits with my loss and it has really pushed me on to have another outstanding week. I am going to try and go for 4.5lbs this week to hit my 5 stone however any loss i would be happy with after all a loss is better than a gain no matter how small or large it is.

 This week in group also saw a lot of new faces walk in to start their own Slimming World journey, it was great to see so many people so eager to get going and next week will be brillaint to see how they have done. So from me i will say a very warm welcome to Goole's Tuesday Evening Slimming World meeting you are sure to find everyone very friendly and welcoming.

2013 and A New Start!

Today is the 3rd January 2013 and for many people it has been a day of going back to work and back to reality after the Christmas period. If you have been reading my blog and thinking maybe you should give Slimming World a go, now is the time to change. A new Year and a new you, if i can do it so can you.
The details on the image below show full details of the group times for the group i attend with Mandy as the Slimming World Consultant. There are a variety of times so you can attend whichever group suits you.

If you are not near to my group in Goole don't worry there are plenty of Slimming World groups up and down the country where each and every one will be as warm and welcoming as ours. Don't be afraid of walking in as a new member you will be greeted with a smile and made to feel like you have always known everyone. Take that first step for yourself not for others and see if Slimming World can make you as happy and healthy as it has made me. Check out the Slimming World Website at www.Slimmingworld.com to find your nearest group and lets make 2013 a great year for all.

Fast and simple lunch idea!

 

 

This is a fantastic, tasty and really quick lunchtime idea which really is ideal for anyone who doesn't know what to take to work for their lunch or simply someone who hasn't got time to stand and mess around creating a lunchtime meal.

The picture above shows my idea of a mock "stir fry". It basically consists of a Batchelors Deli Noodle Box and some quick, microwavable veg.

The Deli Boxes come in 4 brilliant flavours, firstly there is Mild Curry, BBQ Beef and Chow Mein all of which are brilliant at only 1.5syns per box and the fourth one is Chicken flavoured which is 2 syns per box.

How can you create this filling lunchtime meal? Cook your Deli box according to the instructions on the box and then i bought Tesco Microwaveable vegetables, which come in a number of different varities, all adding to your intake of that very important Superfree foods of course. Simply cook your veg as per the packet instructions, once they are cooked and your noodles are soft, mix everything together to create your quick, simple meal.

The whole thing takes aprox 5mins to make so everyone can squeeze in this brilliant dish antime of the day.