Step Up In Fitness

 

 

This week i feel great i have really tried to stay focused on my Slimming World journey and the Food Optimsing plan. I have really tried to think about getting a third superfree foods into my meals and also trying to think out the box, by this i mean thinking what other things i can try or eat to give my body what it needs.

One of the ways i have tried this week is by increasing my fitness sessions. So this week i have completed 3 gym sessions and 40 lengths at the swimming Pool.

As the quote says above set yourself a goal and then kick it in the face, if you feel that your body can give some more push yourself to acheive that bit more, trust me it feels great. One of my main goals is to improve my training in the gym. When i first started at the gym back in October 2012 i got on a treadmill and could just about manage 3 minutes of running before i was totally done in plus 27 minutes of fast walking and also walking with the treadmill on an incline to increase my heart rate and burn those calories. My total time on a treadmill has always been 30 minutes, this gets my heart rate going so i can push on with the rest of my training. Each week since then i have tried to push myself a little bit more. I am now upto 15 minutes running in 30 minutes so basically 50% of my time is spent running. This week i have hit the gym 3 times meaning i have done an extra training session to normal weeks and i feel great. I have worked every muscle in my body from legs to core to arms and chest and i can really tell a difference. I am hoping that i can try to keep this up in the coming weeks. I also managed to run on my treadmill on an incline which really was a tough challenge but i got through it and did this for 3 minutes out of my 15, i see this now as a stepping stone, remember set the goal and kick it in the face, i can do it in time and i will. Determination really is key.

After my 3 gym sessions totalling around 4 hours i have also done 40 lengths in the swimming pool which we all know is great all body workout. Now 40 lengths is not my personal best as i know i can easily do 50 but 10 short of my best isn't too bad and i really enjoyed it so im not disappointed at all.

So tomorrow its weigh in and time to see if the scales reflect my hardwork and determination lets hope so! I will be happy to see a loss of 2lb anymore than this and i will be really happy as it all heads towards my next award of 5 and half stone.

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.

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.

Cheese, Ham and Broccoli Pasta

 

Here we go then the 3rd and final recipe of the day.

 

Slimming World Cheese, Ham and Broccoli Pasta

 

Ingredients

200g dried pasta

6 x extra light cheese triangles

200g Brocolli, stalks removed

100g mushrooms, sliced

1 x Large Onion. chopped

400g Ham, cubed

Fry Light

 

Method

1. Place pasta in boiling water, add in the brocolli and cook until the pasta is soft and the brocolli is cooked through. Drain and Set aside.

2. In a frying pan, sprayed with fry light, fry the onions and the mushrooms until they are soft, add in the ham and fry for about 5 minutes until the ham has warmed through. Add in the Pasta and brocolli and stil the mix well. Add in the cheese triangles and mix really well until the cheese has melted and coats the pasta. Serve immediately.

 

This is a very filling dish, it incorrporates your superfree and makes a very tasty meal. The above ingredients serve 2 people and is 3 syns per serving. However to make this syn free you could use the cheese element as your Healthy Extra A for that day.