Thursday, 16-06-22

Good morning, everyone.

I found this article very interesting.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/van_tulleken

It's definitely an effect I have felt and it's extremely hard to break out of.  I'm so grateful that I have the time, skill and knowledge to make pretty much all my meals from scratch - or close to scratch.

Regarding the focus areas - I don't think I need to be so specific for a while.  They have got me over a big old hump so have worked well, but there's no point making life unnecessarily cluttered  if it doesn't need to be.
I won't set specific ones each week unless I notice an area that's a problem and feel I need to work on it but, moving forward (as the phrase goes), there are some general 'principles' to keep in mind.

They are:

• Syns in meals, not in snacks - because syns in meals tend to enhance the meal.  Things like chutney, sauce, etc, can make a big flavour difference.  Syns as snacks tend to be what I mentally think of as 'rubbish' although that's not a criticism, just how I feel they are for me.
• Keeping up the exercise - because it makes me feel positive and happy, it's upping my metabolism and burning those calories while it improves my health and general fitness.
• Higher protein and speed, lower carb - because, for me, it fills and satisfies and makes me feel energetic, not sluggish

And all within the general SW structure of speed, free and protein foods, healthy extras, and 'syns' (I still hate that term!!) because I find it works brilliantly for me.

End of lecture!  :-)

Yesterday's meals:

I do love a sweet omelette with fruit and yogurt.  It's so delicious.  Perfect for a warm summer morning.

I know it looks a bit odd (that's the feta) but this was delicious, much nicer than I expected.  In the end I didn't add any Parma ham as there was loads without it and I forgot to add the olives (so ate them afterwards - I dearly love olives).

I can't remember if I had any fruit for dessert.

Later on, I had one plum.

It was so warm and I was so tired yesterday evening that I didn't cook vegetables, I just knocked together a choppy salad to go with the steak and had two tsps of my home made green tomato chutney on top (which is definitely improving as the months roll by).
It was just right!

I had a yogurt to follow and that was that.

Focus areas:

Syns in meals, not in snacks:  Yes - there's been a few blips this week but nothing too terrible

Regular swimming:  Friday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday

High speed/protein, lower syns (under ten):  Yes

Today's plans:

B:  yogurt and fruit salad

I had planned a cooked breakfast but don't really fancy one right now.  I have apple, orange, berries and melon so it will be a nice fruit salad and will do me through the day, I expect.

SW:  one and a half syns for 100g 5% Greek yogurt.

L:  cheesy shredded pork pitta, apple coleslaw, salad; fruit

Got to finish off the pork today so I might be nibbling it between meals  too.

I rather fancy shredding the pork, adding some grated cheese, some grated apple and shredded lettuce and filling the pitta with that.  Some onion chutney would be nice too but I don't have any.
The apple coleslaw is simply cabbage, carrot and apple, nothing posh.

SW: one healthy extra A for the cheese, one healthy extra B for the pitta, one syn for super-light mayo

D:  griddled chicken, salad; yogurt and fruit

It's going to be warm for a few days so I'm keeping things simple.

SW:  one and a half syns for a level tbsp cranberry sauce and half a syn (maybe) for yogurt, depending in what I have.

Exercise:  Maybe a swim.  Annoyingly, I have a delivery between twelve and four which I HAVE to be in to receive.  If it comes before around one thirty, there will be time for a swim before the pool gets too busy after school.  Fingers crossed.

Now THIS is my sort of exercise!  

Summary:

one healthy extra A

one healthy extra B

four and a half syns

From the freezer:

pitta

chicken