Wednesday evening, 20-11-24, a TV programme and seven signs

Evening, everyone.

I just want to spotlight a TV programme that is airing next Monday, BBC2 at 8:00pm.
It is entitled 'Irresistible:  Why We Can't Stop Eating' and is presented by Dr Chris van Tulleken, he of 'Ultra Processed People' fame.

Here's a link to some info on the programme which will also be on iPlayer plus a Q & A with Dr Chris.

https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/mediapacks/irresistible-why-we-cant-stop-eating

I will be watching it, that's for sure.

Today's meals:

The usual breakfast.

One syn for mixed seeds

Soup for lunch.  I added some mixed seeds and drizzled over a bit of evoo.

One and a half syns for the seeds and one syn for the evoo.

I had forgotten how easy and how tasty Jack Monroe's carrot, bean and cumin burgers are.  I split and toasted an English muffin, spread over some onion chutney, added the cooked burgers and topped them with a bit of cheese and half a mini tomato.

One healthy extra A, one healthy extra B, one and a half syns for the chutney, two syns for flour in the burgers and two syns for evoo for cooking plus two syns in the dressing.

I nearly forgot - three syns for a custard cream at Knit and Natter.

Summary:
one healthy extra A

one healthy extra B
thirteen syns - ooops

Tomorrow's meal plans:

B:  fruit, yogurt and mixed seeds

L:  hm soup - soup season has really started now, hasn't it?

D:  sardine arrabbiata, salad; fruit

Exercise:  SET class online

The Extra Bit:

Lindsey posted this yesterday on Facebook.  It is good.

Seven signs that you are on the right track (with your weight loss journey)

(that have nothing to do with the scales)

You have more energy.

You enjoy working out more.

You are getting stronger

Your clothes are fitting differently

Other people are noticing changes

Your nutrition has improved

You have more confidence.

Tuesday evening, 19-11-24

Evening, everyone.

It's turned so cold today - Winter seems to have booted Autumn out of the door with some areas having falls of snow.  We had sleet here this morning and plenty of rain but the temperature has really dropped through the day and It's been a bit tricky with craving stodgy food.  The cravings didn't win today but I need to be on my guard.
It's just what we were talking about in Slim Win chat yesterday and it was absolutely perfect timing as what people said has helped today.
Thank you, everyone.  xx

Today's meals:

Before Groove, I had an apple

Nectarine and peach slices from the freezer with kiwi.  Yogurt underneath but no seeds today.

I had a friend round for lunch and we had a hm tomato, red pepper and lentil soup with cheesy marmite toast.  Lovely and warming, also colourful on such a dull day.

one healthy extra AQ

one healthy extra B

one syn for seeds added to the soup.

Later on, I had an apple and an orange.  

I was so glad I planned a jacket potato for dinner - it was just perfect, just what I wanted.  

One A and two syns for the cheese, one syns for some salad cream under the cheese (I LOVE salad cream on a jacket potato), one syn for the bean mixture and two syns for salad dressing.

Afters was a couple of easy peelers.

Summary:

two healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

seven syns

Tomorrow's meal plans:

B:  fruit, yogurt and mixed seeds

L:  soup and fruit

It will be a bit early as I am going out, so I won't want too much.

D:  bean, cumin and carrot burger (a la Jack Monroe) in a roll, with stuff (chutney, maybe cheese, etc), side salad; fruit

Exercise:  personal training

Monday evening, 18-11-24

Evening, everyone.

Today's meals:

For breakfast, I dusted plums and easy peelers with cinnamon and Sugarly and it was so delicious!

One syn for the mixed seeds

I made the soup pretty much the same way as the red pepper and lentil - soup base mix, stock, garlic, chickpeas, two broccoli stems and some basic seasonings, all boiled up and blended.  It was really delicious.

Later on, I had an orange. 

One healthy extra B for the toast and one syn for some mixed seeds I sprinkled over.

Dinner.  Pasta bake always tastes a whole lot better than it looks and this was no exception.  Pasta, obviously, onion, pepper, mushroom tomato, mixed beans, capers and olives with mozzarella and it was gorgeous!

No afters - I was full!

One and a half healthy extra As, two syns for olives, two for evoo and that, I think, was that.

Summary:

one and a half healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

six syns

Tomorrow's meal plans:

B:  fruit, yogurt and mixed seeds

L:  hm tomato, pepper and lentil soup, bread; fruit

I have a friend here for lunch but she is a SW-er so no problem!

D:hm baked beans, jacket potato, cheese, side salad; fruit

Exercise:

The Extra Bit:

This evening's Slim Win chat is on why it is so hard at the moment (to lose weight, I mean).

Here's my basic initial thoughts, written before the chat so it's just a bit of preparatory pondering really..

1.  It is darker and mood lowers as the days get shorter.  We're stay inside more and inclined to extra nibbles.
2.  We are genetically programmed to fill up with stuff, when we can, that keeps us full and warm in the darker, leaner months and which creates more internal insulation.

3.  It's cold - we 'need' comfort food.  Or we 'deserve' comfort food . . .

4.  The shops are loaded with colour, light and 'special' food - luxury stuff, fatty, carby stuff, party stuff.  It's very hard to resist.  

5.  We're heading for days of celebration and family/friends get together and the temptation to start early is strong.  

6.  There are parties, Christmas meals, festive buffets, three for the price of two party foods, special alcohol . . .

7.  There's a whole load of science that explains but, as I don't understand much of it, I'll just say science says so!

Do you have any thought on this?  x

Sunday evening, 17-11-24 and not an ad!

Good evening, everyone!

Everything went well today.  I like being back on the healthy eating high road.

What I ate today:

Breakfast:  oaty pancakes with stewed apple and squishy plums and some seeds.

I mixed some of the stewed fruit in with the yogurt and it was so good!

Half a healthy extra B for oats and part of the other half for seeds.

Not a particularly exciting lunch but very tasty, all the same.

Afters was an apple and later on I had an orange.

One and a half syns for the cranberry sauce.

I decided to add potatoes to the roasted veg rather than have them for lunch.  Potatoes are a free food and the rest of the veg was all speed - broccoli and sprouts leftovers (and delicious roasted), pepper, tomatoes and mushrooms and I added some grated cheese too.

Two healthy extra As and one syn for a bit of evoo.

Summary:

two healthy extra As

nearly one healthy extra B

two and a half syns

Tomorrow's plans.

B:  fruit, yogurt and seeds

L:  soup, bread to dunk; fruit

D:  cheesy mixed bean and pasta bake, salad; fruit

Exercise:  Circuits class

The extra bit.

Have you come across an online company called Oat Pantry?  I heard it mentioned, looked it up and have ordered some rather delicious sounding flavoured porridges that work with Slimming World as a B choice.
For example . . .

Mince pie porridge, anyone?

It says:
Our limited edition festive porridge is here to prove mince pies aren’t just for Christmas, they’re for breakfast too! Combine the sweetness of apples, raisins and hints of orange, with pecans, almonds and warming festive spices – to add all the flavours of a mince pie to your morning breakfast bowl.

My immediate reactions was ' Uh oh - ultra processed' so I looked at the ingredients.

Gluten free porridge oats, Coconut sugar, Raisins [Raisins (99.5%), Sunflower oil (0.5%)], Flaked almonds, Dried apple, Pecans, Mixed spice [Cinnamon, Ground coriander, Allspice, Clove, Ginger, Nutmeg], Natural orange extract

Oh.  My.  Goodness!

Definitely not ultra processed.

35g is a healthy extra B and they can be used for porridge, overnight oats, cup cakes and, presumably, ground for pancakes or waffles, as with any oats.

This isn't an ad.  Apart from the fact that I have just sent off an order, they have no idea I exist.

And when they arrive, I will let you know what I think.

Not cheap, for sure, as you will see if you click the link but it's Christmas coming up and . . . well, you know!  There are plenty worse festive foods (and drink) to spend your money on!

Saturday evening, 16-11-24

Good evening, everyone!

What I ate today:

The usual breakfast, the fruit being apple and easy peeler.

One syn for the seeds.

I had lunch out with friends.  In the end I chose a chicken and bacon panini with salad and chips.  The whole thing came to over 1,000 calories but I brought half the panini home with me.

Here it is - taken apart, cheese and cranberry sauce added, put back together and squashed in the microwave toastie.  It was squishy to eat but it was lovely!
I also have a big old salad with dressing and seeds.
Afters was an easy peeler.

No idea about the panini but I added one healthy extra A of cheese and one and a half syns of cranberry sauce while the salad dressing was four syns and the seeds were one and a half syns.

I can't do a summary as I really don't know but I think all round it wasn't too far above when you remember it's extra syns (30) and I could have four healthy extras too.

Tomorrow's plans.

B:  fruit, yogurt and mixed seeds

L:  I thought I would have a roast and, as luck would have it, on the Morrisons deli counter there was some lovely looking sliced turkey breast.  The proper kind, just carved, not shaped and rolled and whatever.  So I got a couple of slices and plan to have them with some green veg, roasted parsnips, maybe a couple of Heck sausages (wrapped in bacon?) and some hm cranberry sauce.  I might do roasties, I might not - I have a few in the freezer from when I had leftovers.  Then fruit

D:  salmon, roasted Med veg, maybe salad; fruit

Exercise:  rest day today.

Saturday morning, 16-11-24 and a simple recipe: red pepper and lentil soup

Morning, everyone!

I was right - a bit of a gaintain yesterday, taking my above my target weight but still nicely in my happy zone.
However, I would like to lose that gain this week.  I've looked through the diary and, apart from today, there's no meals out, nothing to sabotage.  That's good!

What's happening  today?  Well, our SW Golden Oldies occasional walking group is off on another walk this morning but instead of stopping for coffee, we are parking in a pub and having lunch there afterwards.
I've looked up the online menu and it doesn't look all that SW friendly, I have to say, but on;line menus are only a guide and I'm hoping there will be some fresher stuff - a salad, maybe - on the board.  
We will see.

I am having today as my Eat-Your-Syns-Day today and I will also happily dip into my extra syns, if necessary.  I hope it won't be but you never know.

And the 8-16 fasting will go to pot for today too but only today.

What I ate yesterday:

The usual breakfast - the fruit was a pear, a kiwi and the last of the blueberries.
I'm going to lean more on the fruit I have in the freezer - it does need using up, I think.

One syn for the mixed seeds

I changed the plans a bit for lunch.
I was going over some Facebook stuff and one group someone mentioned red pepper and lentil soup - well, that was a good trigger if ever there was one.  I went straight into the kitchen and made a batch!  I'll pop the recipe, such as it is, in the Extra Bit.
Afters was an easy peeler.

So - the soup was free/speed, the toast was a healthy extra B and the hm baked beans (very spicy - the flavour has developed!) were, I think, half a syn for some chorizo and one syn for some evoo I made a batch of four portions).  

Dinner was simple - some bits of fillet steak from the freezer (I bought it as a chunk from Morrisons fresh meat counter and sliced it at home), a mixed crunchy salad with a bit of my dressing and some cheesy chips.
Just what I was craving - not very Meddy though.  Oh, well.

Two syns for some spray evoo to cook the steak, another two for ditto on the chips, two syns for salad dressing and one and a half healthy extra As

Summary:

one and a half healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

eight and a half syns

Today's plans.

B:  The usual fruit, yogurt and seeds but earlier than usual.  Normally on these walks, I take some fruit with me but that won't work this time round.

L:  No idea - see above.

D:  well, that really depends but I think I will go full on Meddy and have something with fish and grains and lots and lots of salad veg.

Exercise:  Walking.  David is planning a slightly longer walk than usual so that's good.

The extra bit.

A simple red pepper and lentil soup

As always, with my soups, amounts are variable and I would just say go with the flow.

Ingredients:

Some frozen soup base mix (Morrisons does it, as do other supermarkets or just chop some onion, carrot and celery - you don't need loads)

Roasted red peppers from a jar (in brine, not oil, and I used two)

Red lentils (I used about a third of a cup measure of them)

Chicken stock (I used powder)

Various seasonings - go easy on the salt.  I used pepper, garlic granules and some all-purpose mix (home made)

Water - just cover the ingredients and you can always add more if needed.

Method.

So easy!

Throw everything into a pot, soup maker or whatever - I used my Thermomix.

Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, until everything is soft and cooked.

Blend smooth, check seasonings and adjust, if necessary, add water if too thick.

Reheat and serve.

Variations:

different spices/herbs/stock

use a can of tomatoes or passata instead of (or as well as) stock

add shreds of leftover roast after blending

add milk/creme fraiche/cream/yogurt - just be careful it doesn't split

sprinkle grated cheese, croutons and/or mixed seeds as a garnish

The basic soup is syn free but remember to count any additions

Oh - and it freezes well.

Thursday evening, 14-11-24

Morning, everyone!

A much better day today, thank goodness.  Phew.
Weigh in tomorrow.  It will be a gaintain but that's OK, it won;'t be six pounds which is what would take me out of my happy zone.

What I ate today:

The fruit was kiwi, pineapple and blueberries.

One syn for the seeds

A bit hard to work out that syns for this but I am going for five - the bubble and squeak contained some cheese but not that much and I used spray oil.

Half an A and one syn for the sauce (not shown)

Afters was an easy peeler.

Half a healthy extra A and six syns

One of my favourites . . .

Two syns for salad dressing, one A for cheese and one and a half Bs for the bread.  Very filling and satisfying.

Summary:

one and a half healthy extra As

one and a half healthy extra Bs

nine syns

Tomorrow's plans.

Not Eat-Your-Syns-Day because I'm out for lunch on Saturday and will have them extras then.

B:  fruit, yogurt and mixed seeds

L:  hm baked beans on toast, tomatoes and mushrooms on the side; fruit

D:  steak, chips and salad; fruit

Haven't had steak for ages.

Exercise:  rest day