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

An alternative journey

Up to present, I have mainly blogged about our journey from Lincolnshire to Cornwall, but I have also recently embarked on another journey,  a weight-loss and healthy 'new me' journey

I have tried Slimming World before - and it worked, but I made excuses about not having time, difficulties in preparing meals when I am also cooking gluten-free for AJ and Neil and vegan for Amy  - any excuse really to put it aside and sink back into eating the usual staples and a few too many treats

I live in Cornwall for crying out loud, it would be positively rude to not sample all the many variations on the Cornish Pasty, all those scrumptious scones with luscious thick cream and extra fruity jam, not to mention the absolutely wonderful ciders

But.. since my last foray into the world of speed foods and syns I have gained the pounds I had lost and a few extra too

As usual it was dear hubby who took the brunt of my moaning about clothes not fitting, my huffing and puffing as I tried to walk ( there aren't many flat areas in Cornwall) and the deep sighs as I once again binged on something naughty and then regretted it the moment it had passed my lips

So, as a surprise ( and to no doubt stop my whinging ) Neil enrolled me at our local group and paid three months worth of subscriptions up front (no excuses now !)

Elaine and the girls all made me feel incredibly welcome and so the first step was taken

I am three weeks in and loving it

One of the key tools I have started using to keep me on track ( as well as my food diary and my fit log) has been to menu plan for at least a week and do all the shopping in one go ( on a full stomach so that I don't get tempted)

Here's this weeks menu plan which does include a recipe or two out of this months magazine

I am still at the stage where I have to keep checking my food optimising book

I am not terribly rigid with what I have on a particular day, sometimes I swap the meals around a little depending on what I fancy, but I know I have all the ingredients to hand and that the syns are already worked out for my main meals

Here are some of the meals I have been enjoying in the last couple of weeks

Slimming World quiche with a huge salad, the only syns are in the mayo ( lighter than light Helman's)

Most of my breakfasts now include fruit of some description, this time it was a couple of bananas, fat-free yoghurt and mixed berries

An alternative accompaniment to the slimming world quiche - mushrooms, new potatoes and baked beans, all free and unlimited

And a new ( to me) recipe - diet cola chicken with wholegrain rice, this was sooooooo tasty and syn free

Homemade chicken kievs with steamed veggies

Huge mixed salad, always free and also a speed food, I added ham to this and a balsamic dressing

Spicy Thai beef and vegetable rice - again totally syn free

Fruit platters are becoming one of my favourite 'go-to's 'for either breakfast or a light lunch

Baked basil cod with roast tomatoes and garlicky mash

And tonights meal was Slimming World fish and chips, asparagus, tomatoes and peas

Most of my meals are syn free or very low in syns, this leaves me plenty of room to have a drink or two at the weekend and treats during the day, I snack on popcorn, a little cheese, fruit or muller light yoghurts

I have not yet been hungry and I have really enjoyed trying lots of new recipes, and the bonus is that I have managed to quite easily adapt the recipes for both the gluten free and the vegan peeps

And finally the stats

Starting weight (12.8.15) - 13st 2lb

Current weight 12st 12.5lb

In the last three weeks I have slowly but surely lost a grand total of 5lb

I am aiming to get to 10st and my Club 10 weight is 11st 12.5lb

So, I have a long way to go, but to be honest, this time it doesn't feel like a diet

So thankyou to Neil for my subscription, Elaine for being so supportive and so fun and all the girls for their warm welcome

Love and lighter living

Tracey 

xxx