Monday, 03-02-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  At present, I am working to reduce my 'bad' cholesterol through diet, particularly using the Mediterranean way of eating.

What I ate today:

The usual breakfast of fruit, chia seeds and yogurt.

One syn for the chia seeds.

I'm rather annoyed with myself for forgetting to photo lunch because it was lovely.  I used the ingredients to make a quesadilla rather than a pizza using tomato puree and ketchup for the red sauce and a filling of onion, peppers, some stir fried veg and some mozzarella cheese plus a simple salad on the side.

I had some grapes and an easy peeler for afters.

One healthy extra A, one B, one syn for sauce, one for mixed seeds and half for dressing

Sometimes you just have a totally delicious day.  I mean, I always like what I make or I wouldn't make it but some are better than others.  Lunch was lovely and dinner was just so, so good.

I used half a chicken breast fillet, some Spice Queen fajita spice mix, onion, yellow pepper, the last of a bag of stir fry veg from the freezer, some home made chips (air fried), some grated cheese, some mixed seeds and some tomato and red pepper on the side.  Oh, and some yogurt to balance the spice.

I was too full for anything else.

The cheese was an A and two syns, the seeds were one syn and I am pretty sure everything else was speed or free.

Summary:

two healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

six and a half syns

perfect SW!!

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  fruit, seeds and yogurt

L:  soup, croutons and grated cheese, maybe side salad; fruit

D:  liver, bacon and onion (Cook's ready meal), sprouts, broccoli, sweet corn; fruit

Exercise:  Groove and, weather permitting, the walk there and back.

Sunday, 02-02-25, broccoli and butterbean soup and some sad news

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  At present, I am working to reduce my 'bad' cholesterol through diet, particularly using the Mediterranean way of eating.

I made a lovely and simple soup today.
Two broccoli stems

Bit of onion and a bit of carrot

Chicken stock (could use veg)

half a can of butterbeans

seasonings to own taste.

I just boiled up the chopped vegetables in the stock and seasoning, adding the drained butterbeans near the end.  Then I blended it all down, checked and adjusted the liquid and seasonings and bobs your uncle, three thick portions of soup which I will probably dilute down with some milk or yogurt when I actually use it.  For now, they are in the freezer.

Nothing radical, nothing different but using what might otherwise be thrown away and some fresh chicken stock I had in the freezer.  Also, butterbeans give a lovely, creamy texture without actually using cream.

Very satisfying all round.

And I am using the rest of the butterbeans in a feta, olive and butterbean salad in a few days.

What I ate today:

This was really tasty - smoked haddock fried is just a tiny bit of butter and a poached egg that, surprisingly for me, was cooked just right!

Two syns for the butter.

I served it on some watercress and mixed leaves.  I do love watercress so looked it up and it really is very good for you.

There's lots of info about watercress on the Internet.  Here's a link to one.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/285412#benefits

My favourite sort of roast.  Bit of lean meat, a small potato roasted, some sauce and loads and loads of vegetables - parsnips, carrots, onion, sprouts and broccoli - although we will not notice how 'rusty' the broccoli is, OK?

The chicken was part of a pack of sliced chicken from Morrisons and it was really nice.  There's a tiny bit of homemade cranberry sauce that I had to use up for ages to go with it.
No gravy - I can take or leave most gravy.

A nominal half syn for the sauce - made with sweetener, I doubt it is even that but better safe than sorry.

I was quite low on syns so I decided to spend six on another slice of bread so I could have more toastie.  Really filling with a scruffy old salad on the side.  

One and a half syns for some chutney, six syns for the extra bread, one syn for some seeds and half for some commercial dressing (UPF but needs using up and I don't want to waste it)

Summary:

two healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

eleven and a half syns

Tomorrow's plans:

B:   fruit, seeds and yogurt

L:  wrap pizza, salad; fruit

D:  loaded fajita chicken chips and a side salad; fruit

Exercise:  circuits

Today, the news came through that Margaret Miles-Bramwell, the founder and guiding light of the whole Slimming World business passed peacefully away this morning with her family by her side.  

Obviously, I had no direct connection with Margaret but the work that she started and oversaw for so, so long has made a huge difference to my life and, for that, I am so very grateful.

RIP, Margaret, and condolences to her family, friends and colleagues.

I think everyone can access this link, member or not.  

Saturday, 01-02-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  At present, I am working to reduce my 'bad' cholesterol through diet, particularly using the Mediterranean way of eating.

I went to pick up my Cook's order and, when I got it home, I found they had got it a bit wrong.  I went back and it was no trouble, they added the missing item without a quibble and, as an apology, handed me a box of two lemon cheese cakes.  Very nice of them except when I checked the syns I was 'eeeeek'!

Fourteen syns.

EACH!

Not to worry, they're out of sight in the freezer and maybe I can have one to celebrate getting back into target zone when that happy day arrives.

What I ate today:

It was a busy morning so I just had this very quick and simple breakfast.  

Part of a B for mixed seeds.

When I went shopping, I bought some cooked chicken and made a simple chicken salad to go with the soup.  Very nice and pretty filling too - I was having a hungry day today and that bit of extra protein really helped.

Another part of a B for the seeds and two syns for the salad dressing.  The soup was one syn for some sundried tomato I added in before blending.

For dinner, I chose to sample one of the ready meals, jerk chicken with pineapple salsa and I added some salad on the side because I made plenty earlier.

The jerk chicken, etc, was three and a half syns - that's really not bad at all, is it?  - and it was delicious.  It's a lunch bowl size but, for me, plenty for a full meal with a good salad on the side.  It was spicy but not uncomfortably hot, there was plenty of shredded chicken, a good amount of pineapple, peas, beautifully cooked rice - for my taste if just needed a bit of salt, that's all.  I really enjoyed it.

So three and a half syns for the meal, half a syn for a commercial dressing.  Also I added more mixed seeds to the salad and, as I haven't had any bread, etc, today, I am calling all the seeds a healthy extra B rather than syns.

Summary:

no healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

seven syns

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  smoked fish with a poached egg, tomatoes and  mushrooms

L:  roast chicken dinner; fruit

D:  cheesy chicken toastie, salad; fruit

Exercise:  rest day

Friday, 31-01-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  At present, I am working to reduce my 'bad' cholesterol through diet, particularly using the Mediterranean way of eating.

I got on those scales at group for the fist time in about eight weeks this morning and . . . I was pleasantly surprised.  Yes, I had a gain, yes, I am outside of my happy zone, for sure, but it was better than hoped and not unreasonably far away from what I want to get back to.  Taking it slow, sensibly and steadily, I ought to be back by the end of February.

And now I have access to the app tools, I have checked my Cook's order and, yup, do-able with Slimming World.  I thought they must be but it is nice to know for sure.  

What I ate today:

I used almost all of the remaining Med mix frozen fruit and it was lovely.

One syn for some chia seeds.

This was the pasta bake.
Two portions of frozen beany mince mix, four healthy extra As.  I had a quarter and grandson, Alex, scoffed the rest - quite a complement from my nearly 27 year old grandson.

So I had one healthy extra A, one syn for the bean mix, one syn for added seeds and two syns for salad dressing.

When it came to dinner I though 'what is my gastronomic soul crying out for' and the answer was 'egg on toast'.

Yes, I overcooked the eggs and there's no speed in sight but it was just lovely!

Two healthy extra As

Summary:

one healthy extra A

two healthy extra Bs

five syns

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  fruit, seeds and yogurt

L:  cheese and chutney toastie, salad; fruit

D:  not sure yet.

Exercise:  SET online.

Wednesday, 29-01-25 and Thursday, 30-01-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  At present, I am working to reduce my 'bad' cholesterol through diet, particularly using the Mediterranean way of eating.

Sorry about yesterday - I goofed come the evening (see below) and was so tired after the meeting I was at that I scoffed and went straight to bed.

Weigh in for the first time in two weeks and I reckon I have gained ten or eleven pounds since before Christmas.  I'll know for sure tomorrow.

What I ate yesterday and today:

Yesterday:

The fruit was blackberries, raspberries and pineapple.

One syn for chia seeds.

Nothing special but very tasty - apart from the tomatoes which I am close to throwing out, they're so watery.  I won't, that would be a waste, but I will probably fry them in a little evoo until they are all thick and gooey and all the water has evaporated away..

One healthy extra B and two syns for the avocado.

I was out in the evening and, stupidly, went to Morrisons after the meeting and bought (and ate) rubbish junk.  Sigh!

Today:

After yesterday's slip up, I had a bit of an upset tum ( served me right!) so skipped breakfast.

Lunch was the Cook's roasted veg and chickpea curry because I had thawed it out for yesterday's dinner.

I've been told the syns of the three meals I've had from Cook's and this one is four syns so that's OK.

It was delicious.  Not hot, just spicy and loaded with good things.  The sauce included lentils so I decided not to have any grains but I do like a dollop of yogurt on my curries and chillies.

So lunch was four syns.

The liver, bacon and onion, by the way, was four and a half syns and the tagine was three and a half syns - all very SW friendly.  I should have access to the SW site again after weigh in tomorrow.

I had planned in a pasta bake for dinner but then realised that's what I'm doing tomorrow for lunch.  I just wanted something simple and 'honest' so beans on toast it was.  And it was delicious!

One syn for some brown sauce in the beans and a healthy extra B

Today's summary:

no healthy extra Asa

one healthy extra B

five syns

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  fruit, yogurt and seeds

L:  cheesy pasta bake and salad; fruit

I have grandson, Alex, round for lunch.

D:  If there's any leftover pasta bake, I might have that.  Otherwise something simple like marmite on toast or egg on toast or something like that.

Exercise:  online class

Tuesday, 28-01-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  At present, I am working to reduce my 'bad' cholesterol through diet, particularly using the Mediterranean way of eating.

What I ate today:

Blueberries, raspberries and grapes with yogurt and chia seeds in the nice dish I won in last week's raffle.  Nice.

One syn for the chia seeds.

I'd planned soup but remembered I had some tuna left from yesterday so I mixed it with shredded lettuce, cucumber and red onion and stuffed it into a pitta instead.  I'd forgotten how nice that is.

Afters was a pear.

One healthy extra B, one syn for salad cream and two for a tsp of evoo in my salad dressing.

For dinner, I defrosted some chicken leftovers (from a SW Kitchen meal), straining off quite a lot of liquid.  I cooked and mashed a bit of potato and mixed in some cheese - cheesy mash is lovely!

And an orange and apple for afters.

One healthy extra A and the rest was syn free.

Summary:

one healthy extra A

one healthy extra B

four syns

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  fruit, yogurt and seeds

L:  toast, avocado and a fried egg, simple salad or, maybe, mushroom and tomato

D:  Roast vegetable and chickpea curry, quinoa; fruit

The last of the three Cook's meals I bought.  Hoping it is as nice as it sounds - the quinoa is extra and might be cooked by me or it might be part of a pouch.

Exercise:   personal training

Monday, 27-01-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  At present, I am working to reduce my 'bad' cholesterol through diet, particularly using the Mediterranean way of eating.

I've been so impressed by the deliciousness of the Cook's frozen ready meals that I've put in an order to pick up from our local shop on Saturday (so I can call it next month's budget!).  I've indulged in . . .

Chicken Dijon

Liver, bacon and onion x 2

Lemon and herb chicken

Hoisin duck noodles

Jerk chicken with pineapple salsa

Prawn noodles with mango and coconut

Teriyaki salmon noodles

They're all under 400 calories and, with veg or a salad, should make very satisfying and tasty meals - fingers crossed.  Got to give them a go anyway!

By the way, I meant to post this early because of being out all evening but didn't have the time so, as often, please pretend this is Monday, OK?  
Thanks.

What I ate  today:

Brunch:  some of the tomato, pepper and lentil soup and a mushroom omelette.  Nice and filling.  I had an apple for afters.  I had planned some croutons but then realised I'd used two Bs for bread and hi fi bars and that was more than enough.

I had an apple for afters.

One syn for the soup and one for the mixed seeds on top.

Here's the packed tea I will be taking with me to eat on the coach.

From left to right - two easy peelers and some grapes, a tuna and cucumber sandwich and two hi fi bars (I won them in last week's raffle) and some tomatoes, carrot and yellow pepper.

A bit of a healthy A for the cheese triangle I spread on the bread instead of butter (you need something or the bread goes soggy), a healthy B for the bread, one and a half syns for salad cream in the tuna and that, I think, is that!

Summary:

a bit of a healthy extra A

two healthy extra Bs

three and a half syns plus they give out a sucky sweet on the way there and a bag of crisps on the way back.  I should stay within syns overall though.

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  apple, orange and pear

L:  some sort of hm soup, croutons, mixed seeds; fruit

D:  creamy chicken and veg potato topped pie, broccoli and sprouts

Exercise:  Groove

Sunday, 26-01-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  At present, I am working to reduce my 'bad' cholesterol through diet, particularly the Mediterranean way of eating.

What I ate today:

This made a nice change for breakfast.  Two eggs, one broken up chipolata sausage, three sliced mushrooms, some scrambled egg seasoning, a dollop of yogurt, seasonings and some seeds for the omelette and some salad stuff on the side.
Two syns for the sausage and one for the seeds, three in total.

 The next frozen ready meal from Cook's, Moroccan lamb tagine, and it's another positive review from me.  Delicious sauce, loads of lean and tender lamb pieces, chickpeas that were soft but not mushy - I really enjoyed it.
I added some bulgur wheat to the tagine and had the salad in a separate bowl which worked well.

I don't know the syns but the calories were 307, give or take 20 or so, so really not high.  The rest was all syn free.

I had an orange for afters.

Cheese on toast for dinner.  There's chutney under the cheese and tomato.  I didn't burn the toast, it was pumpernickel!

One healthy extra A, one healthy extra B, one syn for chutney and one for salad cream.

Afters was an apple.

Summary:

one healthy extra A

one healthy extra B

five syns plus whatever the tagine was - which won't be much.

Tomorrow's plans:  a bit different because I am out from mid afternoon to late at night so I'm doing a two meal day plus fruit to keep me going.

Brunch:  soup, mushroom omelette

Packed meal:  cheese and chutney sandwich, side salad, two hi fi bars, fruit

Exercise:  circuits

Saturday, 25-01-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  At present, I am working to reduce my 'bad' cholesterol through diet, particularly using the Mediterranean way of eating.

Not doing all that well at the moment though.  

What I ate today:

The usual breakfast, the fruit being raspberries, blueberries, a plum and a pear.

One syn for chia seeds.

A really delicious tomato, pepper and lentil soup.  I use a good quality can of chopped tomatoes (Mutti) and some sun dried tomatoes and they really made a difference to the flavour.
I have two more portions of soup and one to use as a pasta sauce, all in the freezer.

Afters was an orange.

One syn for the soup, one syn for mixed seeds and one healthy extra B

The bread was more than one B and I baked a loaf, sliced it and ate the bits that fell off.  Well, I wasn't going to waste them, was I?  I reckon it all came to another B so I'm having two Bs today.

The sliced bread is now out of temptation's way in the freezer.

A tiny steak with mixed fries and a simple salad for dinner. 

And then I lost it - again.  Not saying any more but oh, dear, I really feel bad about this.  Start again and have a think about why.

Moving on . . .

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  sausage and mushroom omelette.

Maybe I need to start the day with something light but warm at the moment rather than the fruit and yogurt.

L:  Moroccan lamb tagine, bulgur wheat, side salad; fruit

The second of the Cook ready meals I am trying.  Still no idea of syns but the calories are OK - 307 - meaning that even with the bulgur wheat and salad, the whole meal will be below 500 calories

D:  cheese and chutney on toast (as almost always on Sundays), side salad; fruit

Exercise:  rest day

Friday, 24-01-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  At present, I am working to reduce my 'bad' cholesterol through diet, particularly the Mediterranean way of eating.

Today was my last week of not weighing so I will brave those scales next week and hope for the best.  I won't be in target range but, hopefully, I won't be too far away.

I won the raffle, which was nice.  It was a nice sundae dish which I will  definitely use plus some things to make a sort of sundae thingy.
a pot of flavoured Kvarg - I tend not to use this since I lowered my intake of UPFs but I had it for breakfast - waste not, as we say

a four pack of ready made jelly - I think I will regift that into the basket next Friday as I really don't want to eat it.  No judgement, it's just not for me.

two hi fi bars which will do nicely for a packed tea on Monday

a punnet of half blueberries and raspberries - perfect for breakfast fruit!

What I ate today:

Breakfast:  the pot of kvarg with fruit.  The lighter coloured plum was nice and squishy but tasted of nothing at all to the extent that eating it was unpleasant - so I didn't, I chucked it out which is most unlike me.  I think I will stew the others from the punnet with some spices.

Half a syn for the kvarg.

Pasta bake and salad for lunch.
One healthy extra A for the cheese, two syns for evoo in the dressing and the seeds I added can be part of a healthy extra B - I had enough bread yesterday to sink a battleship so I haven't planned any in today!

Dinner was the Cook's liver, bacon and onion ready meal to which I added some sprouts and broccoli.
If you don't like liver, ignore this next bit.  I do but I don't cook it because I have never cooked it well in the past.  

I thought this was quite delicious.  It was lamb's liver so not too strong tasting and it was so tender.  The chunks of bacon were very lean and the sauce/gravy was rich and deeply savoury and would go well with some cheesy mash.  For me, it was a generous portion and, if I were having it for lunch, I might divide it into two portions but, as it was dinner, I scoffed the lot.

I'm definitely getting this again.  Liver is very good for one and it's a useful thing to have available.

The only thing I would dispute is that it advises half an hour in the oven from frozen and I don't see why you can't let it defrost over the day and warm it gently in a saucepan; there was certainly enough sauce to do that and one doesn't like to turn on a whole oven for one small tray of food.
There's quite a long list of ingredients but they are all recognisable ad food apart from a couple of small things that make it U.P.  I can live with that!

It was 297 calories, it can't be all that many syns.

Dessert, by the way, was an orange.

Summary:  Rather vague because of the dinner but . . .

one healthy extra A

a bit of a healthy extra B

two and a half syns plus whatever the liver meal was.  

That's OK!

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  fruit, seeds and yogurt

L:  roasted red pepper, tomato and lentil soup, croutons; fruit

D:  steak, mixed fries (potato, carrot and parsnip with some sweet potato chunks), side salad; fruit

Exercise:  maybe a walk, weather permitting.

Thursday, 23-01-25, an excuse and a request

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  At present, I am working to reduce my 'bad' cholesterol through diet, particularly the Mediterranean way of eating.

Well, I missed last night, didn't I.  I was so, so weary and kept felling a sleep.  However - really bad night and overslept so had to dash off to Slimming World.  There's no way I can pretend this is Thursday now but it is Thursday's perspective so I'm not changing the tense of anything.

Probably because I was so tired, I lost the plot and the evening was Not Good At All; that's all I'm saying but the line has been drawn and we move on.

While wandering around Longacre's, I fell for some nice looking ready meals from Cook.  As I don't have access to the SW app for a few more weeks, I went by the calories but if any of you do have access and could look the following up, I'd be really grateful.

They are:

Roasted vegetables and chickpea curry (218 cals)

Moroccan lamb tagine (307)

Liver, bacon and onions (297)

I don't feel any of them can be that high in syns and the calories are reassuring but it would be nice to know for sure!

Thanks in advance.

I'll be weighing at group next week so should have access back again.

What I ate today (Thursday):

I thawed some mixed fruit for breakfast - lovely and colourful - and, as I had a manky orange, I used the good parts of that too.  Because the bread for lunch weighed less than a healthy extra B, I counted the chia seeds in the yogurt as the rest of the B.

I haven't had an all day breakfast for a while and really enjoyed this.  OK, the sausages were kind of UP but they were quality, high meat, two syns each and so nice - and I have them to use so use them I will!  Tasty and filling.

Most of a healthy extra B for the bread and four syns for the chipolatas plus half a syn for a bit of brown sauce in the beans.

The rest of the day was, as already mentioned, something of a crash so no more photos and no SW values.

Tomorrow's (Friday's) plans:

B:  fruit, seeds and yogurt

L:  veg pasta bake, side salad; fruit

D:  liver, bacon and onions, veg; fruit

Exercise:  housework!!