Saturday, 18-07-20 (long message alert)

Good morning

Yesterday, I hinted about a bit of a change for a short time and here's what it is.
Have you heard of Muscle Food?   I've bought meat from them before and have always been pleased.

They do something called 'Do the unthinkable' which is, basically providing meals and snacks for set periods of time which are calorie controlled, high protein and low carb (but not no carb).  One can choose to do it five days, six days or seven days per week and a week at a time - one doesn't have to commit to the full twelve weeks.
There's a huge amount of choice.  Some are ready meals (which can be frozen) and some are meal kits to make up.  All the vegetables come as part of the deal, but drinks don't.

The snacks are also part of the plan - three meals and three snacks each day.  It sounds an awful lot for someone who has cut out snacks and I suspect I might tuck some of them away for another time, but we will see.  Or I could use each snack as part of the meal, I suppose, given that I don't want to abandon the restricted eating too much.  Maybe I could make it an eating window of ten hours rather than eight.  I will have to decide.

Anyway, I've ordered five days and one week, just to see.  It will be a bit different and it will be interesting.  Although the meals can be quite small (by the looks of things), the idea is that the higher than usual protein content means that I should feel full and the little and often element should (they say) ensure that I don't feel too hungry.

It's not cheap so I will have to ignore 'frugal' element for a few days and I will try to match it to Slimming World as much as possible although I haven't checked if they give the values of those foods.  I suspect not!
There's also an exercise programme that goes with the meals, delivered online, and to give it a fair go, I will do as much of that as I can.

I have been thinking about this for quite a while now, it's not an impulse decision.  It's not something I can justify for too long because of the cost, apart from anything else, but I'm quite happy to give it a go for five days.  If I don't like it or if it doesn't jolt my body into losing a bit more of this remaining podge, no problems, but it can't hurt and the exercise programme will be positive anyway.

So there you go - the box should be delivered tomorrow and I'll let you know how it goes.   Wish me luck, eh?

Yesterday's photos:

It was sunny enough to be out in the garden to eat this tasty bacon and  mushroom omelette.  Lovely.


Between sorting out clothes, cleaner arriving and so on, I totally forgot to have lunch until I had been at the allotment for some time.  So no photo of minestrone soup, roll, etc.  I had a couple of plums and used some oil while cooking dinner, which will have redressed the balance a little bit, I hope.

Dinner was nice and, look, see the little pile of courgette at the bottom - that's the first courgette from the allotment.  A bit undersized but, oh, the flavour!

Today's plans:
B:  pancakes with fruit and yogurt
I'll make the pancakes with wholemeal flour this time.

pancakes = 283 cals
150g fruit = 40 cals
1 tbsp agave nectar = 44 cals
total = 367 cals
SW:  one heB

L:  ham salad, fruit
Nice and simple.

three thin sliced of ham = 62 cals
salad = 50 cals max
10 mls raspberry vinaigrette = 26 cals
20g red onion chutney = 42 cals
piece of fruit = 55 cals
total = 235 cals
SW:  one syn for the vinaigrette and two for the chutney

D:  teriyaki salmon, new potatoes, fresh veg; yogurt
I have the sauce ready and I plan to marinade the salmon in the sauce and then either bake or steam it.

salmon (est 140g) = 265 cals
teriyaki sauce = 25 cals
150g new potatoes = 113 cals
100g broccoli = 30 cals
100g green beans = 24 cals
yogurt = 80 cals
total = 537 cals
SW:  half a syn for the yogurt

S:  none

Body Magic:  some step and there's a 'taster' session for the DTU (do the unthinkable) so I might try that.

Summary:
one healthy extra B (oops)
three and a half syns
1136 cals