Saturday, 30-04-22

 Good morning everyone!

Three pounds off yesterday,. despite birthday celebrations.  Cheers!

The focus for next week is exactly the same

1. keep the detailed diary for Jen
2. five or under syns
3. ten or over speed fruit and veg
   

 . . . with the aim of losing as much as possible.

So here's hoping for the coming week.

Yesterday's meals:

I changed my plans slightly and used a couple of large Portobello mushrooms instead of toast.  It was so delicious.  Then I had a plum.

I have half the can of tomatoes and beans to use up another time.

Because I hadn't had toast for breakfast, I decided to have an Aldi high protein sandwich thin which is a healthy extra B.  The topping was half a can of drained tuna, one tsp horseradish sauce, one tbsp super light mayo and most of 30g grated cheddar, all mixed together and spread over the halves of the thin (I didn't toast the outside but you could).  Then sprinkle the remaining grated cheese over the top and just let it brown and bubble under the grill.  Very nice.
Afters was some melon.

Later in the afternoon, I had a few plums

I had some chilli con carne in the freezer, left over from the other day.  I jazzed it up with some peppers from a jar, some mushrooms and some jalapenos, put them in a bowl with chips, added grated cheese and popped it under the grill.  It was very nice, pretty filling and I'm quite glad I didn't make any salad.

Dessert was a yogurt and that was that!

Focus:

the diary continues

ten speed (I didn't have many for breakfast)

two syns

Today's plans:

B:  bacon, sausage and beans with some mushroom and tomato on the side

The beans are leftovers from yesterday
SW:  this should all be free, speed and protein

L:  cheesy bbq tuna crimpie, side salad; fruit salad and yogurt

Using a sandwich thin, this should be quite tasty.

SW:  one healthy extra B , one healthy extra A and half to one syn for some bbq sauce

D:  steak, chutney, roasted veg, other veg; Mullerlight

Just what it says!  I'll use some of  the leftover tomatoes which might make it a bit more like a chunky sauce although I want to keep some of the juice (which was quite thick) for a pitta pizza further on in the week.

SW:  one and a half syn for some chutney, half a syn for the Mullerlight

Exercise:  gardening

Summary:

one healthy extra A 

one healthy extra B

three syns

From the freezer:

sausage

bread

steak

butternut squash

sweet potato

And using up leftovers from yesterday, always a Good Thing!

Friday, 29-04-22

Good morning everyone!

It's weigh in today.  Whatever it shows, it's not a big issue.  I have really enjoyed my healthy, SW friendly meals this week and am motivated to continue.  That's what matters.
There's some poundage to lose but I feel I am in my happy place as far as food is concerned.

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast was a pot of yogurt and some fruit.  I had it in dribs and drabs and didn't take a photo.

Lunch was  goats cheese and parma ham with griddled nectarine, rocket and a balsamic glaze (which I had on the side and used just a bit).  I meant to take a photo but Val and I were chatting nineteen to the dozen and I just forgot.  The cakes were extremely tempting but I was full.  

So dinner was the only photo I took and this was lovely.  Two onion and rosemary sausages, some kidney beans and a whole range of speed veg plus sweet potato which is free, not speed, all sir fried in spray and and wow!!   Oh - and broccoli on top!

I was very full so no yogurt

The weeks focus:

The diary is printed and ready to take tomorrow.

I have no idea of syns because of eating out.  Soft goat's cheese doesn't count as a healthy extra and parma ham is synned but I did cut off all the fat and I really don't think I went over syns.  Also, to balance that, I had no healthy extra As or B so it all balances as far as calories are concerned.

Twelve speeds.

Today's plans:

B:  beans on toast, tomatoes on the side

One slice of bread and half a can of beans will be plenty.

SW:  half a healthy extra B.  The rest is free or speed

L:  Tuna melt, finger salad; fruit

This is nice and it is something Mum used to make.  Mix some canned tuna with some mayo and some horseradish sauce.  Spread it on toast (I will spray air fry it for extra crunch), maybe add some halved cherry tomatoes, sprinkle over 30g grated cheddar and pop under the grill to melt the cheese.  It's very nice and one slice will be enough.

There will be tuna left over for another day (tomorrow, I guess) - I will need to have a good think.

Actually, just pondering, I wonder how some bbq sauce would work rather than horseradish and mayo - I'll think about it.

SW:   half a healthy extra B for the bread and one healthy extra A for the cheese.  One tsp horseradish will be plenty for half a syn and one tbsp super light mayo for half a syn.

D:  chilli loaded wedges, side salad; yogurt

This is a SW recipe.

https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/recipes/nacho-style-feast

which I will modify to work with what I already have.

I can air fry the wedges and use my basic savoury mince to which I will add some of the recommended seasonings (cumin, fajita spice, etc) plus some extra veg.

SW:  one healthy extra A for cheese but the rest is, I think, free apart from the Mullerlight which will be either half or one syn

Exercise:  A walk and some gardening.

Summary:

extra As 

one healthy extra B

two syns

From the freezer:

bread

savoury mince

Thursday, 28-04-22

Good morning!

Yesterday's meals:

I love mushrooms, I love cheese, I love marmite and I love wholemeal toast so this is a winner.  Two slices of this bread is a B choice but this was a 'heel' slice, an end of loaf and quite chunky so I'm calling it my B for the day

Lunch.
In the end, I boiled up one portion of basic savoury mince, added some tomato puree, some mushroom and some of my garden grown dried chilli (they pack a real punch!) plus some water and half of a drained can of kidney beans.  After it had simmered for a while, I spooned off half of it, cooled it and re-froze it - this is safe because it had been thoroughly cooked.  So that's another meal sometime.  The remaining kidney beans are for today.

It was quite a lot but more than half the bowlful is speed food.

I had an orange to finish off.

And, finally, I really enjoyed this too.  The roasted veg just lifted the whole dish both in colour and in flavour.

I finished the day's food with a yogurt for one syn and some strawberries

This week's foci

The diary is up to date

Nineteen speed

Three and a half syns

Today's plans:  not intermittent fasting today

B:  fruit and yogurt

I had planned a cooked breakfast but I don't think it is going to work today so fruit it is!

SW:  one syn and speed

L:  lunch out with Val.  We're going to Robyn's nest and I think I will go for what Chris had last week, which looked pretty SW friendly, especially if I ask for the dressing in a jug.  It's not on the sample menu online but it was on the menu there.  Basically, it is a salad with veg and nectarine and she said it was lovely.

SW:  I'll have to judge this afterwards.

D:  sausage and bean bake; mullerlight

I've been fancying this for a while.  Just bake/roast a couple of the onion and rosemary sausages with squash, sweet potato and assorted other veg but must include tomatoes for the juice.  I also have some kidney beans from Wednesday so I will chuck them in too. I might have it with konjac noodles, it depends how much it makes.  Or maybe some spiralised carrot?  I'll decide later.

SW:  the noodles will be one syn, the Mullerlight half to one syn but the rest should be speed or free.

Exercise:  a walk, maybe

Summary:

Unsure at the moment

From the freezer 
veggie sausages
squash
sweet potato

Wednesday, 27-04-22

Good morning!

It's Wednesday, two more days until weigh in and I have no idea how it is going because I'm staying well away from my own bathroom scales, but I seem to have got my excitement about food back again.  It's a bit hard to describe but you know when you have a day's meal planned out and you really, really look forward to the colours, flavours and textures . . . it's that.

So, this evening's meal wasn't exciting me.  I knew it would taste great, I knew it was healthy, but the excitement wasn't there - until I thought 'roast some of the veg' and suddenly it lit up.

Daft, isn't it?  Is it just me, I wonder?  

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast . . . and a good mixed fruit salad is more filling than one would think.

I decided on a wrap in the end because I hadn't had one for a while.  It was lovely!  Then I had a plum and some raspberries.

I only used half of the coleslaw I made so that's half a syn off!  :-)

It looks a bit messy, I know, but this was really nice.  I started with a basic savoury mince and some cooked pasta, added liquid smoke, Henderson's, soy sauce, some sweetie drop red peppers, some slices cornichons and some slices of jalapenos, both from jars (made it quite spicy), popped some cheddar on top and baked it for a short while.  I just shoved some cherry tomatoes on the plate too.

A yogurt for afters and that was my day's food.

This weeks foci (I prefer that term to 'challenge' or 'target'

Still keeping the detailed diary

Sixteen speeds

Three syns

Today's plans:

B:  marmite mushrooms on toast, tomatoes on the side
This is the Pinch of Nom recipe using mushrooms, marmite and Philly lightest
SW:  two syns for 50g Philly lightest and the toast is my B choice

L:  jacket potato with cheesy mince, coleslaw, side salad; fruit

Just what it says . . . although I might use just half of the mince and add some chilli or fajita spice and some beans of some kind.  That would be tasty.
The coleslaw is the other half of yesterday's make.

SW:  one and a half healthy extra As for 45g of the cheese and half a syn for mayo in the coleslaw.  The rest is protein, free and speed.

D:  braised steak, assorted veg; Mullerlight

I will spray roast some of the veg seeing as I'm not having any carbs with this meal.

SW:  half to one syn for the Mullerlight

Exercise:  personal training, a walk round town

Summary:

one and a half healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

one syn max

From the freezer

bread

cheese

mince

braised steak

butternut squash

sweet potato

Tuesday, 26-04-22

Good morning!

Yesterday was definitely proper back on track and today feels good too.  I still have loads of supplies in the freezer which is helping as it's a sort of guidance for me.

Because I really stocked up well last week, I don't need to do a shop this week as my list is very short and nothing is essential, just items I'm getting a bit short on.  I may need some more fruit by the end of the week though but that's about it.
Which means that next week I will have a longer list and I'll start posting SW shopping hauls again.

Yesterday's meals:

I'm definitely enjoying having a wider variety of fruit.  Really ought to do this more often.

Simple air fried salmon with the mustard, agave nectar and lime drizzle and a whopping big mixed salad.  I had melon for afters and later on I finished off the last of the mango and pineapple.

I'm finding this tip useful - I treated myself to a small glass stray bottle and use it to spray balsamic vinegar over my salad - it makes a tasty sort of dressing.  Don't do it until just before eating though or it wilts the leaves!

Apple and onion sauce goes so, so well with pork.  I just softened half a peeled and sliced onion in a bit of spray oil and some water.  I added a small, cored and sliced eating apple, some balsamic vinegar and some sweetener and simmered until the apple was 'soft' and the liquid gone.  It worked well.

There should have been carrots on the plate too - I accidentally left it in the water.  Still, there was enough anyway and maybe I can add some of them to dinner today.

For dessert, I made a sugar free jelly and had some of it with yogurt and fruit to make a sort of sundae - no photo, sadly.  It was nice.

Challenges/things I am focusing on:

I'm keeping a detailed diary to print off and take in to Jen - I think it is helping.

Thanks to the fruit salad and the lunch time salad I had 21 speeds (not the same as a five-a-day portion but I certainly exceeded that too)

Two and a half syns

Today's plans:

B:  the last of the posh fruit salad

There's not loads left and I'll probably add some more melon and some blueberries, etc.  I've decided that now and again I will get a bowl of it together - it's been so nice having a greater mix of fruit.

SW:  speed, free and protein

L:  pork pitta/sandwich/roll/wrap, coleslaw, salad; fruit
The last of the pork and I will decide which bread I fancy the most when I need to get it out of the freezer.  I'll probably have a tbsp onion chutney with it as I have a jar that needs scraping!

SW:  the bread will be my healthy extra B, the chutney will be one and a half syns and the mayo for the coleslaw one syn.

D:  cheeseburger pasta bake, side salad; yogurt

The side salad is a maybe, it depends how much the pasta bake ingredients make.  I'll cook 40g wholewheat pasta (much nicer than white) and add a portion of my cooked savoury mince (maybe jazzed up with some extra flavours like a bit of liquid smoke) and some sliced cornichons, top with some grated cheese and bake so it melts.  Yum.

SW:  one and a half healthy extra As for 45g grated cheddar (or whatever I get out of the freezer) and one or half a syn for the dessert, depending on which one I have.

Exercise:  a walk, probably

Summary:

one and a half healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

maximum three and a half syns

From freezer:

cheese

savoury mince

bread or whatever I have

Monday, 25-04-22

  Good morning!

Oh, what a lovely day it was yesterday.  Straight back on the wagon today though.

Yesterday's meals:

A montage of breakfast (the healthy bit, top left) and the afternoon tea plus a campari and tonic (my absolute favourite drink) and prosecco (pretty much my second absolute favourite drink.

It was all lovely.

Come the evening, I just munched on a few grapes - didn't want anything else.

Today's meal plans:

B:  fruit salad and yogurt

Leftover fruit salad from yesterday.  Lovely!

SW:  speed and protein

L:  salmon salad; more fruit salad

I love salmon with salad and I will make the mustard, agave nectar and lime drizzle to go over it when it's cooked as it's really delicious.
SW:  half a syn for grain mustard, half a syn for agave nectar (half a tsp of each)

D:  pork fillet with apple and onion sauce, assorted veg; yogurt

Just what it says, nothing complicated.  The pork and the sauce are already cooked and the veg prepped.

SW:  I'm not synning the cooked apple and the yogurt will be half or one syn, depending on which one I have.

Exercise:  circuit training.

SW Summary:

no healthy extras today

two syns

From the freezer:

salmon

Sunday, 24-04-22

 Good morning!

Yesterday went brilliantly until late afternoon when a present arrived with some birthday goodies.  I didn't intend to start in on them but they kept calling to me and I gave in.  Oh, dear.  I suppose you're only 70 once in a lifetime!
At least I didn't have dinner AS WELL!!!

Today is going to have to be off plan as well.   As it is my birthday, we (the family) are going out for an afternoon tea.
This will most definitely be off plan!

Yesterday's meals:

Omelettes are so easy, aren't they.  This kept me good and full through the morning walk and until lunch time.

Very tasty - toastie with salad and I had some grapes afterwards.

See above for dinner.  :-)

Today's meal plans:

B:  posh fruit salad, yogurt

I have two melons on the side, ready to use today, but was a bit worried that if I cut into both, I might not use it all before it went off.  So I googled 'can I freeze melon' and, yes, I can.  Cheers!  
I reckon with melon, grapes, pineapple and mango along with the usual fruit, I can quite rightly call it posh!
I bought prepared pineapple and mango, something I never, ever do, but there were no pineapples and the mangos were hard when I shopped for them yesterday.
SW:  speed and protein

Tea:  Naughty, naughty, naughty.  But very, very nice, I am sure.  xx

D:  I'm hoping nothing but it all depends really.  With any luck, I won't be hungry, but if I am, I have lean meat and veg all prepared from yesterday.

Exercise:  Not a lot!

SW Summary:

Off plan

Saturday, 23-04-22

  Good morning!

Well, as expected, weigh in wasn't great.  Four and a half pounds on - eeeeek.  I suppose it could have been worse; in fact, I was anticipating around half a stone or so - one week missed and a holiday as well.

Jen suggested I fill in the diary for a week or so.  She knows I plan meticulously but the diary is a retrospect thing - what I have actually eaten rather than what I plan to eat.  So I will be doing that for a week or so and let's hope it helps.  The idea is to take it in next week for her to read over and advise, if necessary.  One must be completely honest - there's no point not being really, it's just a waste of time and paper otherwise.

Yesterday's meals:

Just fruit and yogurt for breakfast, surprisingly filling.

Bacon and sausage sandwich with a simple salad for lunch.  I had the planned apple later on in the afternoon.

It looks like a big old plateful, doesn't it?  In act, apart from the steak and the two cheese triangles in the sauce, it is all vegetables and speed vegetables at that!

I really do recommend roasted cauliflower and broccoli stalks.  In winter, I make soup from them but it isn't soupy weather now so I added some frozen butternut squash chunks and roasted them together for around half an hour-ish, adding a cut up tomato for the last ten minutes.  A few cloves of garlic would be nice in it too but I don't have any fresh garlic.

This week's challenges are:

Back to Basics - which is the SW term for getting back to the real basics of the plan, as you did in the first month or so

seven or fewer syns

over ten speeds

Yesterdays was seventeen speeds and two and a half syns.  That'll do!

Today's meal plans:  I'm going for flavours I really love

B:  bacon and mushroom omelette with tomatoes
Getting out the ingredients earlier, I realised it is all the twos with the omelette - two eggs, two rashers of back bacon with the fat cut off and two mushrooms.  Only one tomato though because it's a big one.

SW:  speed and protein

L:  cheese, turkey rashers and onion toastie, salad; fruit
Goodness, how I am loving toasties at the moment and when you spray the bread, you get the crunch without the syns (or calories)
SW:  the bread is a B, the cheese will probably be one and a half As, the rest should be free as I will soften the onion in spray oil.

I bought the turkey rashers on impulse and am relieved to find that they are a free/protein food.

D:  roasted pork fillet, apple and onion sauce, veg; yogurt
I'm having a Saturday roast rather than a Sunday roast as I can't tomorrow

To make the sauce, I will soften some onion, add some sliced eating apple, add a bit of balsamic vinegar and perhaps some sweetener and let it all simmer away.

The pork loin was a special in Morrisons so it's not even that costly and I will have some left for Sunday evening, if it's needed.

SW:  I don't syn cooked fruit so this could easily be free/speed and half a syn for the yogurt

Exercise:  a walk with some of the SW group

SW Summary:

one and a half healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

half a syn

From the freezer:

bread

and that seems to be all.

Friday, 22-04-22

  Good morning!

Weigh day today and I am dreading it after two weeks when I have NOT been a good SW Girl.  Oh, dear, I with I could stabilise myself and get properly pack on track long term.  I'm close to despair at times.
Still - face the music and then move on.  What else can I do?

Yesterday's meals:

No photos and not SW friendly, what with a birthday lunch!

Today's meal plans:

B:  fruit and a yogurt

SW:  speed and free

L:  bacon and sausage sandwich, salad; fruit

SW:  one healthy extra B and one syn for some bbq sauce

D:  steak, mushroom sauce, roasted veg, green veg; yogurt

SW:  half a healthy extra A for two cheese triangles, half a syn for the yogurt

Exercise:  gardening

SW Summary:

half a healthy extra A

one healthy extra B

one and a half syns

From the freezer:

onion and rosemary sausage

bread

steak

Thursday, 21-04-22

 Good morning!

No photos as yesterday was a very busy day at Dad's, doing more clearing and sorting.  Breakfast and lunch happened as planned.  Evening didn't as I was late home and grabbed something quick from Morrisons.

Today's meal plans:

B:  Just some fruit as I'm having lunch out

L:  Lunch out with a friend to celebrate birthdays

D:  The cheesy stuffed mushrooms, etc, planned yesterday

Exercise:  None - I'm stiff from yesterday's hard work!

SW Summary:

off plan

From the freezer: 
just the mince.

Not a SW day but life happens and I'm back on it tomorrow.

Wednesday, 20-04-22

 Good morning!

It was so nice to get back to healthy eating (which is what the SW plan really is) again yesterday.  My tum is settling down again now and I'm looking forward to meals.

This is not a good week for a fresh start with two meals out but that's life, I will just have to work through it.

Yesterday's meals:

Fruit salad and 0% Greek yogurt for breakfast

A pretty 'expensive' lunch that used all my healthy extras.  I made the onion relish by thin slicing a red onion and boiling it up with some water and some balsamic vinegar, covered, until the onion was soft.  Then I added a carefully measured ten grams demerara sugar and let it all bubble until the liquid was all gone.  A bit of salt and pepper to finish it off and it was nice in the toastie - I used half for one syn and the other half can be for today.
I had a couple of plums for afters.

The Ninja-ed beef was OK but I don't think I'll do it that way again.  I'll probably slow cook but I will wrap it in foil - it did dry out a bit which the instructions said wouldn't happen.  Not to worry, it all tasted good.

Today's meal plans:

B:  fruit salad and yogurt

Same as yesterday because I have fruit salad left over.

SW:  speed, free and protein.

L:  chicken and chutney pitta with salad; fruit

I'm not at home for lunch so this is what I will be taking with me.  It's all prepped and in the fridge.

SW:  half a healthy extra A for two cheese triangles (instead of butter), one syn for the chutney and one B for the pitta.

D:  mince stuffed mushrooms, roasted veg, other veg; yogurt
I'll use some of my savoury mince from the freezer, fill a couple of portobello mushrooms, top with grated cheese and have it with veg.

The roasted veg is a way of using some cauli and broccoli stems - I will cube it to the same size as the frozen butternut squash, spray and season it all and  - well, roast it!  I think it should be lovely.

SW:  the mince is free, all the veg should be free or speed, the cheese will be one healthy extra A and the yogurt is half a syn.

Exercise:  Up and down stairs, lifting, carrying.  Generally a most energetic day!

SW Summary:

one and a half healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

one and a half syns

From the freezer:

bread

mince

butternut squash

Tuesday, 19-04-22

Good morning!

Well, I'm back after a thoroughly enjoyable long weekend away in Bury St Edmunds, staying at the Premier In  with a meal deal each day - that covers an 'all you can eat' breakfast and payment (well, part payment really) for whatever evening meal you want.
I have to admit, starting off the evening meal with a double pink gin and (slimline!) tonic is a highly civilised pleasure I need to get un-used to again!

Oh, well.  It was good but it will show on Friday and I need to be totally back to basics for several weeks now.  Friday's weigh in will not be a fun experience but I made my choices and now we move on again.

So Back to Basics (as much as possible) is my challenge for what remains of this week and next week too.  Also, low syn, high speed and minimal carbs (of the potato/past/rice sort)

I do have an incentive.  If you read my other blog, you will know I treated myself to a lovely Seasalt dress which is, sadly, just a bit tight at the moment.  I want to be wearing it comfortably by the time I go to Southold or, more importantly, the next week when I have a break at the new Potters at Five Lakes.
I will hang it up in my bedroom so it remains in sight!

Today's meal plans (no photos from yesterday):

B:  fruit salad and yogurt.

This was something I had each day in Bury and, if it had stayed at that, it would have been fine.  However . . . all you can eat - you know.  Disaster!  :-)

SW:  mostly speed and the Greek yogurt is protein

L:  toastie and salad; fruit

This will use my healthy extras, both As and B and I have cooked chicken to add as well for filling-ness
SW:  two healthy extra As, one healthy extra B and lots of speed vegetables

D:  short rib of beef with home made gravy and plenty of veg; yogurt
I tried cooking a short rib in the Ninja using the dehydrate function (which also slow roasts) yesterday.  It's now all wrapped up and I will reheat it this evening and see . . . it's very hard to find good UK recipes for the Ninja - they are mostly either USA recipes (using cup measures, weird words and weird processed stuff) or things I can work out for myself anyway.  However, I have found what seems to be a really helpful Facebook group and I will probably start a Ninja recipe tab in here, when I have a few more.
SW:  the steak is protein (must cut off any remaining fat), the gravy is free and the vegetables will pretty much be speed.    The yogurt is half a syn

Exercise:  I will be spending time in the garden, dealing with stuff that has taken the opportunity to explode during my absence.

SW Summary:

two healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

half a syn

From the freezer:

just the bread

Thursday, 14-04-22

Good morning!

I've downloaded the Premier Inn menus and, very helpfully, it has all the calories.  I know they are averages, not exact, but it's a really good indication of how things are going.  It's the same for the breakfast menu - all calorated!  I also see that there's a kids' menu with a pasta dish, a pizza thingy and a spag bol.    Of course, this might just be a sample menu - I'll know that only when I get there as they have the menus available in the rooms.
So I can make semi-informed choices.  It won't be SW based but I didn't expect that.

However, as I won't be doing SW for the weekend, I won't be posting the usual in here.  I might take some meal photos but probably not.  However, I will be proper back on Tuesday.

Happy Easter to you all.  xx

Wednesday, 13-04-22

Good morning!

Yesterday's meals:

The soufflé omelette didn't work as well as I'd hoped - I won't bother again.  It tasted good though.

Before lunch, I had cooked and scoffed the salmon so for lunch I had marmite and cheese triangles on toast followed by fruit.  No photo.

The curry was good.  One cooked chicken fillet, torn into chunks -plus onion, pepper, mushroom, sweet potato with chicken stock, coconut milk and half a small jar of massaman curry paste from M&S (half a syn for one tbsp) I've popped the other half in a pot in the freezer as it was jolly tasty!

I have no idea how many syns the coconut milk took - I didn't check!

Today's meal plans:  still bits and bobs meals!

B:  egg on toast, tomatoes

. . . and I only have one tomato so I will save that for later and open a can of cherry tomatoes in sauce instead.

SW:  one healthy extra B

L:  mushroom risotto; fruit

Just a container grabbed from the freezer!

SW:  on the lid it says half a healthy extra A

D:  hunter's chicken, chips, salad ; yogurt

This will use up the other chicken fillet and also what's left of any tomatoes, fresh and/or canned.

SW:  one and a half healthy extra As and two syns for some mayo to dip the chips into.  Also two syns for a tsp oil and half for the yogurt

Exercise:  an hour of personal training today - yay!

Summary:

two healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

four and a half syns

From the freezer:

bread

risotto

bacon

Tuesday, 12-04-22

Good morning!

I'm abandoning the challenges until next week.  I have stuff in the fridge that I have to use up now or throw away before Friday so I'm concentrating on that.

Yesterday's meals:

Very tasty!

Leftover turkey and a whoppa of a salad.  Lovely.

No dinner photo - it was nice though.  I had enough veg leftover not to need to roast any so that's good.

Today's meal plans

B:  sweet soufflé omelette with fruit and yogurt

I will soufflé it by whisking up the egg whites separately, mixing the sweetener/skinny syrup with the yolks and folding the two together.

I have some fruit to use up and there's also some in the freezer so that's OK.

SW:  half a syn for the yogurt

L:  salmon and salad
I have cooked salmon to use up.
SW:  should be all free, no syns

D:   chicken curry and rice

I have cooked chicken and I rather fancy something like a curry so I will see what sauce stuff I have got and create accordingly.
SW:  I can't say about the syns until I know what I'm using - it may be I will use coconut milk and that does carry some syns.  

Exercise:  lots of housework, packing, organising, etc.

Summary:

NA today

From the freezer:
the salmon was from the freezer

probably veg for the curry

Monday, 11-04-22

Good morning!

Yesterday's meals:

Two medium eggs, half a tsp cocoa powder (half a syn) and some skinny syrup (I used caramel), whisked together and spray fried as for any omelette

Spread Mullerlight (toffee or millionaire's shortbread flavour) down the middle, add fruit of choice (I used raspberries and blueberries) and fold the sides over.  Decorate and enjoy.
REALLY nice.

I didn't take a photo of lunch as Beth and Alex were round, but it was very tasty.

Well, I used up all my healthy extras on this monster toastie - the plate is small which is why it looks so very huge; the bread is my usual kind!

The only extra thing added was some caramelised onion chutney for about three syns.
No syns - naughty!

I did enjoy it!

Challenge:  

ten speeds but some were repeats - not having speed at one meal (in the evening) makes a big difference

no SP days yet

Today's SP meal plans

B:  cooked breakfast
I'll probably have bacon, egg, fried bread (done with spray oil and baked or air fried), mushrooms and tomatoes
SW  The bread is half a healthy extra B

L:  turkey, salad; fruit
Using up the last bits of leftover turkey from yesterday.  
SW:  one and a half syns for one tbsp onion chutney

D:  salmon with roasted speed veg, other veg (leftovers from yesterday); yogurt

I'll probably make the drizzle I made last week - half a tsp grain mustard, half a tsp agave nectar and some lime juice for one syn the lot - to go over the salmon.  It was so good.

For the roasted veg, I have broccoli and cauliflower stalks, butternut squash, onion, red pepper and tomatoes.  It'll likely make more than I can manage so some will do for tomorrow.

SW:  one syn for the drizzle and half for the yogurt

Exercise: circuit training today

Summary:

no As

half a healthy extra B

three syns

and it's definitely an SP day!

From the freezer:

salmon

veg

Sunday, 10-04-22

Good morning!

Today I will be definitely off plan for lunch but it's just one meal from three in the day and twenty one in the week so it should be OK.  Real Life!

Yesterday's meals:

The choccy porridge, using a tsp cocoa powder for one syn, was delicious.  It had orange segments underneath and berries on top.

Lunch was the cottage pie and the baked beans and, as there was cottage pie left, I changed the plans and polished the rest off for dinner with a salad instead of what I had planned.  I'm glad I did.

Today's meal plans

B:  sweet choccy omelette, fruit and yogurt

I so enjoyed the sweet omelette earlier in the week that I'm having it again, adding a tsp cocoa powder to the mixture and well as some caramel based skinny syrup, just to see how it goes.  I know Cherie has tried it and liked it.
I have some 'millionaires shortbread' Mullerlight which should go nicely with it all.
SW:  one syn for the cocoa powder and half a syn for the yogurt

L:  roast turkey dinner; pavlova

I'm using another piece of the rolled turkey breast I bought for Christmas, cut into portions and froze.  I have just a few pigs in blankets left too so it's a good opportunity to use them up.  I think I also have some stock to make gravy.  The rest will be the usual roasted veg, other veg, etc, etc.
The pavlova is because I had made it to take to Beth on Mothering Sunday but that's when she went down with the plague so it was cancelled.  I popped the base in the freezer and, as they are over, I will use it.  They can take the rest home with them.

SW:  off plan, sorry, just for this meal.

D:  leftover turkey, mushroom sauce, roasted veg; yogurt

I LOVE roasted veg and, if you choose carefully, they are all speed foods

SW:  half a healthy extra A (cheese triangles in the sauce) and half a syn.  Possible another syn if I add grain mustard to the sauce for a bit more ooomph

Exercise:  apart from rushing around doing a roast dinner, none.

Summary:
half a healthy extra A (triangles for the sauce)

syns unknown

From the freezer:

turkey

pigs in blankets

meringue base, stock

squash and sweet potato

turkey stock

something veggie for Beth

Saturday, 09-04-22

Good morning!

Weigh in was a maintain yesterday which was a bit of a blow although maybe the Wednesday blip was enough to cause a temporary gain.  Oh, well, it is what it is and I'm looking ahead now.

And to cheer me up, I won the raffle which was a really useful systema salad box with a little knife and fork and a container for salad dressing.

Exactly like this one.  Lucky me.

I will most certainly make use of this over the year, especially when I am on my short breaks.

The new challenges for the coming week (up to Thursday lunchtime) are proving somewhat difficult for a few reasons.  The first is that I have a reduced number of days as I'm away from Thursday, there's a limited number of days I can have as SP days - today I have things to use up quickly and there are also other things that need to be used up by Thursday and also Beth and Alex are here for Sunday lunch so I won't be inflicting SP on them - they both look forward to my roasties, for a start.

So . . .

no alcohol (obviously)

ten or more speed foods (it's not a challenge in that it is easy but if I don't set it, I might not - if that makes sense)

two SP days, one of which is also meat free.

Thursday to Monday, I won't be able to follow the plan so easily so I'm pondering some specific challenges for those four days.

Yesterday's meals:

A lovely breakfast of choccy orange hi fibre bran muffins - which might sound an abomination to all good muffins but actually they were rather tasty and I thoroughly enjoyed them.

I was out for lunch and had some fruit.

I didn't have the planned and made dinner but totally forgot to take a photo of what I did have (sort of shakshuka type thingy), sorry.  It was nice.

Today's meal plans:

B:  choccy porridge with orange and berries

I fancy something nice and warming and I will need to have it earlier than usual because I'm off for a walk this morning - some people from the group meet up and we walk through to the central park, have a coffee and walk back again.

SW:  half a healthy extra A for milk and one B for oats plus one syn for a tsp cocoa powder

L:  pan fried turkey (or, in my case, possibly chicken) tikka, salad; fruit

This recipe is in the SW Fast and Free recipe book.  It's accompanied by a kind of salsa which I will also make.
SW:  no syns

D:  cheesy cottage pie, baked beans; yogurt

OK, so I made the cottage pie but didn't have it so I MUST have it today or put it in the freezer.  I also have leftover baked beans.  Two good reasons why today can't be an SP day!  :-)

SW: one healthy extra A or if I have more than half of the pie, it will be another half healthy extra A (cheese) plus half a syn for the yogurt

Exercise:  a walk with some of the SW group

Summary:

two healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

one and a half syns

From the freezer:

turkey or chicken

and I'm saving the cottage pie from the freezer - half of it anyway!