Sunday, 9 February 2025

Sunday, 09-02-25

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.  Blackberries, kiwi and apple with yogurt and seeds.  So delicious.  I love Fage 0% Greek yogurt!
One syn for the seeds.

Just look at this gorgeous plate of Sunday roast  All syn free too.  Win win!

Later on, I had an orange.





Lamb does make a tasty toastie with cheddar and chutney (something fruity, I can't remember exactly what and can't be bothered to go and look.
I finished off with a pear.
One healthy extra A, one B, one and a half for chutney and three for evoo in the dressing.

Summary:
one healthy extra A
one healthy extra B
five and a half syns


Tomorrow's plans:

B:  bubble and squeak with fried egg and tomatoes on the side
(leftovers - I managed to make more roasties than Grandson would polish off.  Victory!)

L:  Greek lamb salad; fruit
I've made a rather nice, Greek-ish lemon-oil dressing to use.

D:   burger sandwich, chips, peas or corn
Home made burger but as a sandwich rather than in a roll - or I might give the bread a miss, I'll see how I feel

Exercise:  none as decorator is arriving.  I'll go to Circuits on Wednesday instead.

Saturday, 8 February 2025

Saturday, 08-02-25

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:

No photo of breakfast but it was just some fruit.

The Welsh rarebit for lunch was really nice and why I haven't made this before is beyond me.  I just used one and a half healthy extra As worth of cheese, one egg yolk and most of the white, some mustard powder and some pepper all mixed together, spread on bread (toasted on the underneath) and popped under the grill until browned and cooked through.
One and a half healthy extra As, one healthy extra B, one syn for seeds in the salad and half for some fake dressing (still using it up)

Later on, I had an orange.

Dinner was a cheesy corned beef bake - a better name than a corned beef hash, I think.  I drained, dried and cut up the contents of a small tin of potatoes and roasted them in the air fryer using spray oil.
I fried some onion, mushroom and tomatoes, adding garlic and a pinch of chilli flakes.
I cubed half a small tin of lean corned beef.
In an oven proof dish I placed the vegetables, cubed corned beef and browned potatoes and topped it all with some grated cheese before popping it back in the air fryer until it was piping hot and the cheese had melted.  It was really tasty.
I had some grapes afterwards.
Half an A and three syns for the cheese, two and a half syns for the corned beef and that was that!

Summary:
two healthy extra As
one healthy extra B
seven syns
Tomorrow's plans:

B:  fruit, yogurt and seeds

L:  roast lamb dinner; fruit

D:  cheesy lamb toastie, salad; fruit

Exercise:  rest day

Friday, 07-02-25

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 jumped (stepped!) on those scales at group and it was three pounds off.  So pleased with that.  Not so pleased that I had to pay, having had my week of grace, but it is what it is!  My fault.  😄

Another cheering thing - I'm seeing some gaps in the freezer.  I know gaps are not necessarily ideal or economical in terms of electricity, etc, but I had so much in it at the start of the year and wanted to save some cash by using it up a lot more.  
Also, ideally, I could do with a much smaller freezer anyway.  The money I'm saving by using stuff up can maybe go towards this in due course.

And - note to self - get lamb out of the freezer for Sunday . . .
What I ate today:

I took fruit salad, vanilla yogurt and mixed seeds to our taster session and it was enjoyed by all - there was a very little fruit left, a bit of yogurt and some seeds (which have now gone back in the jar).
I had some more (the photo) when I got home, plus some weetabix loaf which Pam always brings.   I asked her and she had worked out that each slice was two syns so I had two at group and two at home (she gave me some), so that's eight syns plus two syns for seeds.
I am definitely going over syns today - never mind!

It was cold and dark and damp and I was feeling cold and 'hungry'.  I know myself well enough to realise that I wasn't actually proper hungry so I turned up the heating and changed my salad to some spray fried veg - onion, pepper, tomatoes and mushrooms with some garlic, a pinch of chilli flakes, salt and pepper.  With the toastie, it was really filling, warming and satisfying and sorted out the 'hunger' without falling into the junk food trap (not that I have any but Morrisons is only round the corner).
One and a half healthy extra As, one healthy extra B and one and a half syns for chutney.

Later on, I had some strawberries that I didn't put in the fruit salad.

I wasn't feeling 100% comfortable about going over my syns for today so I had a look at what I had in the freezer and went for another Cook's meal, lemon and herb chicken, three and a half syns rather than seven and a half. 
Unfortunately, it's the first of their meals I really didn't like.  I was expecting a strong lemon flavour (I love lemon) and a little bit of herb but got all herb and couldn't detect any lemon at all.  For me, not nice.  I ate the chickpeas and chicken but threw away the rice.  I hate waste but I found this unpleasant.
Can't win 'em all!

Summary:
one and a half healthy extra As
one healthy extra B
fifteen syns - right at the top but most of it was heart and gut healthy stuff - seeds, dried fruit, etc.

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  fruit, eaten during a walk . . . assuming the walk happens.  If not, the usual.

L:  Welsh rarebit and salad; fruit

D:  corned beef hash, done my way, salad or veg; fruit

Exercise:  a walk, hopefully.

Thursday, 6 February 2025

Thursday, 06-02-25

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.

Weigh day tomorrow.  I'm confident I have lost a bit so no worries.  :-)
It is also a taster session so I'm taking fruit and yogurt because that's my usual breakfast and it is delicious.  If it doesn't all get used up, I can bring it home again.  
What I ate today:

The usual, the fruit being blackberries, raspberries, mango and pineapple, all from the freezer.
One syn for the chia seeds in the yogurt.
The broccoli stem and butterbean soup, slackened with a bit of milk, was absolutely delicious.  It's funny that you add protein and fibre (butterbeans) and get cream!!
I had an apple and some grapes later on.
One healthy extra B (croutons), part of an A (milk) and one syn (mixed seeds).
A very tasty hunter's chicken type dish (using a bit of hm tomato, pepper and lentils soup for the sauce) and a good salad.
Dessert was two easy peelers.
One and a bit As for cheese, two syns for seeds and two for some evoo in the dressing.

Summary:
two healthy extra As
one healthy extra B
six syns

Tomorrow's plans:

B:   taster session at SW group

L:  cheese and chutney toastie, salad; fruit

D:  chicken Dijon, chips.
Another Cook ready meal, a bit heftier at seven and a half syns but it can be an Eat Your Syns Friday!  It comes with veg as part of the meal.

Exercise:  rest day

Wednesday, 5 February 2025

Wednesday, 05-02-25

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 was so chuffed this morning.  I'm being a bit naughty about getting on those scales in between weigh ins but I am and I was back into single digit stones.  Woo hoo.  Not target range yet but getting there.  It's really cheered me up.
What I ate today:

Breakfast.  The rest of the plums from yesterday plus a chopped apple and yogurt.  No seeds so syn free.
A big old salad for lunch, packed with good stuff.
No fruit afterwards - I was full up.
One healthy extra A, one healthy extra B, one syn for seeds, half a syn for rubbish dressing, two syns for good dressing, one and a half syns for olives.

Six syns for the whole meal.

Teriyaki salmon noodles for five syns.  Good old Cook's.
I had a small apple to finish, just before my eating window closed.

Summary:
one healthy extra A
one healthy extra B
eleven syns

Tomorrow's plans:

B:  fruit, seeds and yogurt

L:  broccoli and butterbean soup, croutons, seeds; fruit

D:  hunter's chicken (h m), salad or veg; fruit

Exercise:  SET online

Tuesday, 4 February 2025

Tuesday, 04-02-25

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:

I got round to stewing the manky and tasteless plums and they were much nicer with some cinnamon and some sweetener.
I had half with pears and my usual yogurt and chia seeds and it was delicious
I don't syn stewed fruit.
One syn for chia seeds.
I had a portion of the ham and split yellow pea soup and it was delicious.  I sprinkled over some mixed seeds and added some croutons and some cheese.  SO delicious.
Afters was an apple.
One healthy extra A, one healthy extra B and one syn for the seeds.

Dinner was a liver, bacon and onion Cook's ready meal and I sided it with sprouts, carrots and broccoli.  Really tasty.
I ramped up dessert and made some yogurt black forest ice by blending frozen cherries with yogurt and some chocolate skinny syrup.  It goes semi-frozen and I then pop the mix in the freezer for half an hour or so.  It's so nice.
I don't syn blended fruit.
The liver and bacon was four and a half syns.

Summary:
one healthy extra A
one healthy extra B
six and a half syns
Tomorrow's plans:

B:  fruit, seeds and yogurt

L:  feta, olive and butterbean salad; fruit

D:  teriyaki salmon noodles
Another Cook's frozen ready meal

Exercise:  personal training

Monday, 3 February 2025

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, 2 February 2025

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.


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.

Saturday, 1 February 2025

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 January 2025

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.

Thursday, 30 January 2025

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