Friday, 13-10-23

 Good morning, everyone, and welcome to my maintain journey blog.
This morning I find out how much damage my holiday scoffing has wrought.   I do have the option of not weighing as my last weigh in was in target range, but I have decided what's the point in not getting on those scales.  Better to know than not know, I've done my best this week, I have to expect a gain after last week's pig-out and it won't change anything for the better or for the worse when I know.  So - deep breath and go for it!  :-)

Fingers crossed, please.

Yesterday's meal photos:

Nothing fancy about breakfast but it was delicious.

The carrot and lentil soup was such a lovely Autumnal colour, quite spicy so I was glad I had planned some yogurt and I also added one syns-worth of mixed seeds which I dry toasted in a little pan.

Dessert was two plums and a small easy peeler.

I love salmon and, as you can see, I roasted onion, courgette (from the garden), pepper, mushrooms and tomatoes (also from the garden but ripened indoors).

That was it, I didn't want anything else and my tum felt quite a lot better today so maybe things are getting back to normal again.  Hope so.

Today's meal plans:

B:  Good old pancakes with fruit and yogurt
I might go for a citrus theme this time - citrus pancakes with orange segments and a drizzle of choccy orange sauce on top
SW:  half a healthy extra B

L:  griddled halloumi chips with yogurt and maple syrup dip, side salad; fruit
I can't remember the last time I had halloumi but I do like it so - why not.  The recipe for the yogurt dip said use pomegranate molasses but I don't have any so googled and it suggested maple syrup instead.  I might actually try agave nectar as I have some and it does have a maple-y sort of hint to it.  Anyway - something a bit different.  I have half a B to use so, maybe, some garlic croutons to add to the salad would be nice.
SW:  two healthy extra As for 70g halloumi, half a healthy extra B and around two syns for whatever syrup I use

D:  chicken and bacon pasta bake; fruit/yogurt
This will just be a throw it together concoction and I'll add olives and some feta rather than cheddar, I think.
So - spray fry some onion, pepper and mushroom, add some finely sliced chicken, then some seasoning and some chopped tomato and let it all bubble away.  Mix in some cooked pasta, olives, top with crumbled feta and pop under the grill for a short time.
Nice!
SW:  25g black olives is one and a half syns and 50g light feta is five syns as I have had both my healthy extra As and am not sure - yet - whether I am back in target or not.  If I am, I can call it a third A - yes, playing with words/numbers, but it helps.

Exercise:  a rest day but I might go for a walk, depending on the weather.

Summary:
two healthy extra As (or three)
one heathy extra B
three and a half syns (or eight and a half - it makes no difference as far as calories are concerned)

The Slimming World structure:

While following the plan, you can have . . .

Any amount of speed and free food - BUT try to have a third of your plate as speed food as a sub for free food, NOT as well as . . .  Eat to satisfaction, not to stuffed-ness!

Two healthy extra As (calcium) and one healthy extra B (fibre) - details in the SW pack and on the SW web site/app.

Between five and fifteen syns-worth of synned food - again, details in the pack, site and app.  They are a limit to stay within, not a target to hit.

As a target member, I can also have . . .

Another two healthy extras each day
Another fifteen syns up to three times each week

BUT - only if I need/want to.  It's a limit, not a target

. . . with the ultimate aim of not needing to count healthy extras, syns, etc at all but just knowing and eating well instinctively.