Monday, 27-11-23

 Good morning, everyone, and welcome to my maintaining on Slimming World blog where I talk about the meals I enjoy while maintaining my target weight and keeping a healthy balanced diet.

What did I think of the Just Spices Mini-Advent Calendar?

Well, for a start, it wasn't that mini really, either in price or in content.  Twenty five different spice mixes, toppings, etc, is quite an achievement.  I got it on offer with the bigger one and with 'free' things - a nice recipe book and some other toppings in tubs but the spice if you just got that one isn't that cheap, not really.

There were some mixes that I thought really good.  The chicken seasoning, the avocado topping, the scrambled egg one, the oatmeal spice, the banana loaf mix and the roast potato seasoning, plus others, were jolly delicious and I'm hoping there will be full tubs of these in the larger calendar.

There were a few I really wouldn't bother with again - the rice all rounder and the oddly named bowl topping come directly to mind and there were a few others too.

I'm glad I gave it a go though - it was really good.  I wouldn't get it again as I reckon each year will me much the same.  But I will be keeping an eye on the site and, maybe, giving any new mixes a try.

Yesterday's meal photos:

Yummy waffles for breakfast.  I've got the timing right now - these look dark because I added coffee essence, not because they are scorched.  The 5% yogurt is nice enough but I think I prefer the 2% really.  Hopefully, Sainsbury's will start stocking it again soon.

This was really good!

After looking it up, I cooked the lamb chops in Nellie the Ninja, five minutes on each side at 180 and they were perfect for me as I like my lamb cooked through.  You know what lamb chops are like - lots of bone and fat, but two gave me enough meat to satisfy.  I have two more in the freezer that I need to have soon as they're quite 'old'.

Confession time:  I lost it late afternoon and the evening was well off plan.  All that beige food on Saturday has ignited my 'addictive' side so today needs to be super healthy and 'clean' but tasty enough to really, properly satisfy.

Was Saturday's food worth it?  Hmmm - ask me again later in the week and fingers crossed for today - please.

Today's meal plans:

B:  fruit and yogurt

SW:  syn free

L:  cheese, bacon and cranberry toastie, salad; fruit

A bit of a festive vibe going on here with the cranberry sauce, home made and syn free because I don't syn cooked fruit and will use sweetener.  I might add some thinly sliced onion to the sauce too.
SW:  one and a half healthy extra As, one healthy extra B

D:  cottage pie, veg; frozen fruit foam

Yesterday, I made extra roasted parsnip and potato so I might have enough for a mash topping to the mince.  If not, I will soften some sweet potato from the freezer to top it up and I will add a bit of egg for richness.  That means I will have an egg white to use up so I can make some frozen fruit foam as well.

I have portions of savoury mince ready in the freezer.

SW:  I think this will be syn free.

Exercise:  small group circuits class today

Summary:

one and a half healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

syn free, I think

For information:

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.