Slimming World Update

First the stats :

Starting weight on 5.8.15 - 13st 3.5lb

Current weight 30.9.15 - 12st 9lb

Lost 8.5lb

So, I am losing on average a pound a week

Doesn't seem much, but, when you put it into perspective, at that rate, I will be almost a stone and a half lighter by christmas

I am aiming more for a new lifestyle, healthy eating that I can maintain without feeling like I am deprived or 'on a diet'

So far so good

Here are some of the meals I have been enjoying ( most of which my family have been eating too - no complaints so far !)

Beetroot risotto, salad and a dollop of fromage frais

Slimming world pizza ( the base is actually chicken and it was so yummy)

Gammon, egg, spinach and potato rosti stacks, mushrooms and roasted cherry tomatoes

A favourite for lunchtime, wholemeal toast (HexB) with spicy beans, mushrooms, onions and tomatoes

Garlic and herb chicken, homemade coleslaw and salad

Fruit salad, fat free yoghurt and crumbled pecans, I sometimes have one of these for pudding or as my breakfast

Wholegrain Ryvita (HexB) , with Laughing Cow Light spread cheese (HexA) ham and pickles

Cooked breakfast with grilled tomatoes, bacon, mushrooms, beans, Drakes pudding and a ducks egg

Fruit salad with fat free yoghurt, a large banana and an Alpen light bar (HexB)

Large vegetable stir fry with home-made and syn free chinese sauce, with meringue, lemon yoghurt and dessicated coconut for pudding

Overnight oats - these are so lush and more like a pudding than a breakfast and I have had them for both

Crab salad and a bowl of home-made spicy butternut squash soup

I have found that the Alpen Light bars are lower in sugar, lower in fat, lower in calories and higher in fibre - gram for gram than the Hi-fi light bars AND they are currently on offer at both Co-Op and Poundland, so that means they are also half the price of Hi-fi light bars - it's a no brainer, so as you can see I am stocked up for quite a while !

One of the little tasks I set myself each week is to prep all my fruit and veg for the week and store in tupperware in the fridge, it keeps nice and fresh and is all ready to go should I get an attack of the munchies

I have found this little tip saves me time and saves me syns as I don't reach for something that is easy but naughty

I tried a couple of days on the SP plan last week and felt that although it was quite restrictive ( no carbs ie potatoes, bread, pasta, rice) I did feel better in myself on those days, less bloating, more energy and I did lose 2lbs, even though I had a couple of meals out and a few extra syns here and there

I am going to try and do a full week of SP this week to see if it makes much difference to my overall feeling of well-being and of course to see if it does in fact give me a little extra boost with the scales

Stay tuned, I will let you know how I get on

Love and happy eating

Tracey

xxx

Teetering on the soapbox

I touched upon the subject of cooking in yesterdays post, how much I am enjoying using a well planned and efficient kitchen to prepare my meals.

You may have also noticed some of the cookbooks I used are vegan ( for my daughter Amy's meals) and gluten free (for my son AJ and hubby)

I cannot possibly leave the subject of gluten free cooking without addressing the appalling article led by the Daily Mail and closely followed by several other tabloids

I have long since stopped reading newspapers, as, at best they are ok for fish and chip wrappings, at worst they are inflammatory, lie-mongering weapons of mass hysteria

The NHS does NOT spend the reported millions on Coeliac NHS prescriptions, it spends a fraction of what has been reported

Coeliacs do NOT get free reign to order junk food and sweets on their prescriptions

The TINY bit of help a Coeliac receives in the form of a prescription is surely contributing to a healthier patient with less symptoms and complications - both long term and short term, therefore resulting in less treatment, fewer prescriptions and a reduction in costlier procedures and treatments later

AJ receives a prescription at the moment. At diagnosis we were given a list by his consultant of NHS approved foods and I can tell you categorically that it did NOT contain any puddings, cakes or sweet treats

AJ receives Pasta, flour, bread, pizza bases and crackers, all his meals are cooked from scratch and are healthy and nutritious

Try shopping for gluten free items and ingredients yourself, they are scarce, overpriced and inconsistent in availability, but for AJ and all his fellow coeliacs they are vital to keeping healthy

There are so many other prescriptions and groups of people that should be targeted if the NHS were indeed overprescribing, a recognised, diagnosed and totally incurable disease should not be one of them !

AJ's latest prescription contained the above ingredients, I use the staples to supplement the other ingredients I need to buy to give my son a healthy and varied diet. There is indeed pizza bases, we make our own pizzas with fresh ingredients and the two bases he receives provide a small treat twice a month

This week I have used the flour to bake two cakes and some sausage rolls

I tweaked the recipe on the back of the box for the Juvella flour for this chocolate sponge cake

I also made some scotch eggs from a traditional recipe by switching out some of the ingredients for gluten free variations

You can read Coeliac UK's response to the daily Mail article HERE

Neil CHOOSES to be gluten free as he has read numerous documents that suggests gluten can be inflammatory to some of the conditions associated with MS, this is his choice and although he does feel better for eliminating gluten from his diet, he has NOT been diagnosed with Coeliac disease and therefore is NOT entitled to any prescriptions for gluten free products. On the other hand AJ has been diagnosed with Coeliac disease and has been under treatment for vitamin deficiencies (caused by the damage in his gut from previously eating a gluten containing diet)

On a positive note, AJ has been gluten free for 18 months now, he has gone from being under 7 stone ( at 6'1") at diagnosis to 10.5 stone and 6'3"

From suffering severe daily headaches and an upset stomach for much of the week, AJ is now largely pain free 

AJ had become lethargic, sedentary and very quiet, a little withdrawn to be honest, fortunately his diet has brought me back the happy-go-lucky, laid back and fun boy he always used to be

Daily Mail - get your facts straight, speak to those in the know (without misquoting and embellishing those facts) and consult a Coeliac before printing such utter b****cks in the future !

Love and healthy eating

Tracey

xxx