Saturday, 05-07-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  I'm now in my target range and am aiming to keep this steady while following Mediterranean diet principles and the Slimming World structure.

What I have eaten today:

Before I get into the two meals, this morning I made . . . 

. . . these - using the baguette recipe from yesterday and shaping into rolls rather than longer products.

The recipe made nine at roughly one B and three syns - ish.

Seven are in the freezer, I had one for my burger and one is making a filled roll for tomorrow.  Nice!

It looks messy but it was just as delicious as yesterday's.

Working out syns is pretty much an estimate.
I think the pancakes and the cheese together make one healthy extra As and half a healthy B while the salad has one syn's worth of mixed seeds and two syns for the evoo in the dressing.

That's the best I can do really.

I had some strawberries for afters.

A home made burger in a home made roll with home made chutney.  Lovely!

One and a half syns for chutney,  one B and three syns for the roll. one A for cheese, one and a half syns for stuff in the burger.

Summary:

two healthy extra A

one and a half healthy extra Bs

nine syns

Tomorrow's plans:

L:   cold meat roll, finger salad; fruit

D:  meatballs in tomato sauce, pasta, grated cheese

Exercise:  a lot of walking

Friday, 04-07-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  I'm now in my target range and am aiming to keep this steady while following Mediterranean diet principles and the Slimming World structure.

I woke early this morning so set to and made some baguettes for the first time.  Not 'proper' ones, just my usual recipe to give me some practise in shaping and using my newly acquired baguette tin.

And at SW I weighed for the first time in eight weeks.  No, I wasn't in target range but I wasn't far off and I'm in the nine stone bracket, not the ten stone.  Very happy about that!

What I have eaten today:

Alex made carrot crepes with a tomato, cheese and spinach filling - except that the carrot batter didn't work properly so I knocked up a quick batch of normal batter to make crepes.

Later on, I tweaked the batter and it pancaked perfectly - too much milk or not enough eggs and flour.  I have made a note to that effect on the recipe.

This was Alex's portion . . .

And this was mine.  No idea of syns and I have one of Alex's to reheat tomorrow as they were very, very filling.

No idea of syns and I'm not fretting, especially as this evening is an off plan meal anyway.

When I make it again, then I will work out the syns properly.

How I enjoyed this!  The baguettes turned out lovely, the chutney was home made as was the butter (leftover cream after Christmas, popped in the freezer).

So naughty in SW terms and I couldn't eat like this every day, but oh, it was good.

Back on track tomorrow.

Tomorrow's plans:

L:   The leftover tomato, cheese and spinach filled pancake with salad; fruit

D:   h.m. cheese burger, salad, coleslaw and chips; fruit

Another I have been fancying for a while. My recipe makes one me-sized burger and some meatballs.  I read somewhere that you can add sourdough starter to your mix rather than breadcrumbs.  I don't add breadcrumbs anyway but I might have a go, just to see.

Exercise:   a walk

Thursday, 03-07-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  I'm now in my target range and am aiming to keep this steady while following Mediterranean diet principles and the Slimming World structure.

What I have eaten today:

Unusually, lunch was sweet rather than savoury.  This morning, I made a batch of sourdough blueberry pancakes, all carefully measured out so I know what I have to count - and I don't syn cooked fruit.

Half a healthy extra B and one syn for a bit of maple syrup - the rest is all free or speed ingredients.  There's protein from the egg and the yogurt.

After Groove, I sliced the loaf I made in the morning and froze all but the two ends which I am calling a B and three syns.

When it came to dinner, I realised it was silly to cook something (and probably freeze half) when I had plenty of stuff already in the freezer so I got out the last portion of the chicken and mushroom risotto from the cooking demo and four sweet potato falafels (a SW recipe) and had them with a salad.  Afters was some grapes.

So two syns for the risotto and one for some salad cream.

Summary:

no healthy extra As

one and a half healthy extra Bs

seven syns

Tomorrow's plans:

L:   Not totally sure, it depends what Alex would like, but it will be on plan, for sure.

D:   I'm going off plan to have something I have fancied for a while.  hm baguette, French cheese (probably Boursin and camembert or Brie), chutney, grapes and some red wine.

Exercise:   walk to SW and back again

Wednesday, 02-07-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  I'm now in my target range and am aiming to keep this steady while following Mediterranean diet principles and the Slimming World structure.

It's so much cooler this morning, we have had rain and my system seems to have sorted itself out, thank goodness.  I think it must have just been a reaction to the heat.

What I have eaten today:

Lunch was a jacket potato with bean and veg chilli and some coleslaw I made yesterday but didn't have.
It was delicious but the portion was way too big so I saved half of the jacket, the chilli and the coleslaw with the intention of having it in the evening, maybe with a bit more salad and some cheese on top.

One syn for oil in the chilli and one and a half for salad cream.

To what I saved from lunch I added a salad, some mixed seeds and some grated cheese.  It was tasty, felt different and good and filling.
For afters, I had some garden blueberries, some raspberries and some yogurt.

On top of the syns for lunch, I had one healthy extra A and half a B for the seeds.

Summary:

one healthy extra A

half a healthy extra B

two and a half syns

Tomorrow's plans:

Br:   Blueberry pancakes with yogurt and fruit and, if that's not enough, I can have some salad later on.

D:  chicken curry with rice; fruit

Exercise:  Groove at Shimmy Studio

Tuesday, 01-07-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  I'm now in my target range and am aiming to keep this steady while following Mediterranean diet principles and the Slimming World structure.

(Written on Wednesday am - just pretend, please)

Not a great day, sadly.  It was baking hot and my tum went on me mid-afternoon (possibly the heat, I really don't know) so I had a few bits and bobs, nothing that I photo-ed.

What I have eaten today:

Breakfast was nice - I'm not great with eggs though, am I.  Not to worry!

Two and a half syns for avocado and one healthy extra B.

That's all the photos I have.

Things seem to have settled somewhat now so fingers crossed . . .

Tomorrow's plans:

Br:   jacket potato, chilli, salad; fruit

What I should have had for dinner and, as I defrosted the chilli, I must use it or lose it.  

D:  depends on the weather - probably a simple egg and cheese salad.

Exercise:  personal training

Monday, 30-06-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  I'm now in my target range and am aiming to keep this steady while following Mediterranean diet principles and the Slimming World structure.

What I have eaten today:

After circuits this morning (very tiring in the heat), I polished off the gazpacho that I had planned to have yesterday but didn't.  No photo so here's the one I took the other day.

One syn for evoo.

I will be making some more - it was so good and felt really 'healthy',

I had planned a salad with some baked salmon but remembered that I had veg that needed using up so I had them instead, steamed - green beans, corn and asparagus.

I made a little salad veg pickle to have on the salmon too.

A bit of light mayo for dipping the asparagus in was one syn but the rest was all syn free

It was light and refreshing and very, very satisfying.

Wimbledon has started so you have to, don't you.  Yogurt, not cream, though.

Syn free.

Dinner was more of the lentil and veg bolognaise sauce with added chicken, penne pasta and hard Italian cheese on top.  The salad had seeds added.

So half a healthy extra A, half a B and two syns for evoo

Summary:

half a healthy extra A

half a healthy extra B

four syns, all for evoo

Tomorrow's plans:

Br:   avo toast with egg and asparagus for dipping, bit of salad; fruit

D:  bean chilli in a jacket potato, side salad, maybe coleslaw; fruit

Exercise:   groove but, if it's as hot as today, I am driving down, not walking.

Sunday, 29-06-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  I'm now in my target range and am aiming to keep this steady while following Mediterranean diet principles and the Slimming World structure.

Sorry this is late.  I was so tired last night, I couldn't put two words together coherently.  Please read it as if it was written last night.  :-)

What I have eaten today:

Lunch was at a Thermomix cooking demo.  They made devilled eggs, sous-vide apples, potato salad (including the mayo) and sticky chilli beef with vegetables.  The 'naughtiest' things on the table were the mayo and some ice-cream they served with the apples.  It wasn't appropriate to take photos, sorry, and I have no idea how to syns it but all the main ingredients were free or speed and cooked from scratch.

This was dinner - a lentil and vegetable bolognaise sauce with spaghetti.  It looks murky but it was delicious.  It was supposed to make two portions but made three so one for tomorrow and one for the freezer!

I also had plenty of fruit and some nuts.

No idea of SW values today.  I will tighten up again tomorrow.  

Tomorrow's plans:

Br:   salmon salad; fruit

D:   chicken, lentil and veg penne pasta bake, maybe side salad; fruit

Exercise:   Circuits

Saturday, 28-06-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  I'm now in my target range and am aiming to keep this steady while following Mediterranean diet principles and the Slimming World structure.

What I have eaten today:

Feta dip with seeded crackers and finger salad for inch.  I made the dip yesterday and there was just enough for three little quenelles (which sounds like I know what I'm talking about, doesn't it?).  Afters was some fruit.

One healthy extra A and two syns for the feta dip and one B and two syns for the crackers - I thinks that's a bit high but better to over than under estimate, don't you think?

A nice, mixed salad with cold turkey and beef, feta, mixed seeds, olives and loadsa speed stuff.

One healthy extra A, three syns for the Caesar dressing, three for the olives, one for the mixed seeds.  I think that's it.

Dessert was some cherries.

Summary:

two healthy extra As

one heathy extra B

eleven syns

Tomorrow's plans:

Br:   out for a cooking demo so no idea

D:  lentil and veg bolognaise, side salad; fruit

Exercise:   a walk

Friday, 27-06-25

Just to let you know there won't be a post this evening as I have family round and won't be able to wrote one.  Back tomorrow .  xx

Thursday, 26-06-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  I'm now in my target range and am aiming to keep this steady while following Mediterranean diet principles and the Slimming World structure.

What I have eaten today:

I didn't take a photo of lunch with Val as it wasn't appropriate but it doesn't matter because, as hoped, there were leftovers and dinner was exactly the same.

The gazpacho went down a treat.  Val loved it, I loved it.

Super healthy although I have to count six syns for the extra virgin olive oil.  Very heart healthy but . . . this is Slimming World.

I do wonder, thought, when they say you have to syn blended fruit (I don't) but not blended vegetables.  Ours is not to reason why . . .

And then the chicken pasta bake.  I used orzo as the pasta and it was delish.

Two syns for the salad cream (for both meals, not for each meal).

Half a healthy extra A for cheese at lunchtime.

I'm also counting the seeded crackers I had as my healthy extra B and two syns.

Summary:

half a healthy extra A

one healthy extra B

ten syns

Tomorrow's plans:

Br:   I think probably fruit because I will have a good old off-plan feast in the evening - with wine!

D:  I have Dave and Anna round:
Starters:  creamy feta dip, hummus, seeded crackers and buckwheat soda crispbread

Main:  Make-your own salad

Pud:  what else but fruit!

Exercise:   I doubt I will have time!

Wednesday, 25-06-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  I'm now in my target range and am aiming to keep this steady while following Mediterranean diet principles and the Slimming World structure.

What I have eaten today:

Oh dear, a very unexciting photo.  Under the lid there is an egg and two bacon medallions and it was so tasty.  I didn't really want anything else with it.

The chicken, pepper and mushroom risotto was really nice again.  I 💛 leftovers.

As well as these, I had an apple, some grapes, some strawberries, some ice cream (ooops), and a partridge in a pear tree.

Summary:

no healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

no idea about they syns but lets call it the full fifteen.

Tomorrow's plans:

Br:  chicken pasta bake, seeded crackers, salad; fruit

D:  There might very well be some leftovers from lunch.  If so, I will have that; if not, there's bits in the freezer.

Exercise:  SET online

Tuesday, 24-06-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  I'm now in my target range and am aiming to keep this steady while following Mediterranean diet principles and the Slimming World structure.

Happily, I did manage to do Groove today.  Leonie very kindly managed to get my start time changed so I was able to drive there, do the class, freshen up and get to the demo in plenty of time.  Excellent.

And I am still doing OK with the two meals a day.

What I have eaten today:

Lunch was out at a Thermomix 07 demo.  Leonie cooked a chicken, pepper and mushroom risotto and then we had it for lunch.  Delicious but no photo.  However, I brought two portions home with me, one for tomorrow and one for the freezer so there should be a photo tomorrow.  I can syn it because I know exactly what went into it and it was two syns for evoo.  The rest was all free/protein/speed.

I came home again and made some seed crackers.  Because they are home cooked and I know what's in them, I am going to count what I ate as a healthy extra B and three syns.

This was dinner - the rest of the tortilla with a few salad bits on the side.

One A for cheese and that's it.

Summary:

one healthy extra A

one healthy extra B

three syns

Tomorrow's plans:

Br:   egg and bacon muffin with tomatoes and mushrooms.  Definitely a brunch today!

D:  It was going to be a pasta bake but not it is chicken, peppers and mushroom risotto with a salad on the side.

Exercise:   I have two classes - circuits changed from Monday and personal training in the afternoon.

Monday, 23-06-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  I'm now in my target range and am aiming to keep this steady while following Mediterranean diet principles and the Slimming World structure.

What I have eaten today:

In the end, I went for chicken, chutney and cheese quesadillas with a salad and it was very nice.

One healthy extra A, one healthy extra B, one syn for chutney, one syn for salad cream and one and a half syns for mixed seeds.

Afters was an apple and an orange

I used my roast dinner leftovers to make a sort of Spanish tortilla.

One healthy extra A, one and a half syns for mixed seeds and three syns for evoo in the dressing. 

For afters, I had the rest of the raspberries with yogurt and more seeds

One syn for the seeds.

Summary:

two healthy extra As

one healthy extra B

nine syns

Tomorrow's plans:

Br:   Not sure as I am out to a Thermomix demo and they cook for us to eat!

D:  the other half of the Spanish tortilla with veg or salad veg; fruit

Exercise:   Groove

Sunday, 22-06-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  I'm now in my target range and am aiming to keep this steady while following Mediterranean diet principles and the Slimming World structure.

I have to show these - the first fruits from my blueberry bush.  It's a good year for them - it is absolutely loaded with fruit, more than it ever has been before.
It's lucky blueberries are a speed fruit.

At this time of year, I find a quick wander round my garden first thing in the morning grounds me for the day, if you know what I mean.  There's something about seeing vegetables, fruit and flowers grow that is deeply sustaining.

Do you find that or maybe that's just me!!

What I have eaten today:

This was the roast dinner for four.  I put the dishes on the table in a bit of a hurry so it looks rather untidy but it all tasted great.  And there's enough left over for at least one more meal, more in the case of the chicken.

I didn't syn things so have no idea but it won't have taken me out of a calorie deficit.

No As or Bs.

Maple bacon pancakes - very delicious - with blueberries from the garden and tomatoes.  It doesn't look much but it was very satisfying.

half a healthy extra B for the pancakes and two syns for the maple syrup

I don't normally show desserts because it is usually just a piece of fruit but my lovely friend and neighbour, Chris, bough me some that she had picked in her garden.  I had them with yogurt and a tbsp that fruit coulis I won in the SW raffle a few weeks ago.

One and a half syns.

Summary:

no healthy extra As

half a healthy extra B

known syns three and a half plus whatever dinner was - the cranberry sauce and one titchy [pig in a blanket.
I won't be over syns.

Tomorrow's plans:

Br:  croque madame (from the new book), side salad; fruit

D:  leftovers from today's roast, one way or another; fruit

Exercise:  I can't go to circuits tomorrow morning but I can access something of Lindsey's online later on.

Saturday, 21-06-25

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to my blog where I talk about my ongoing Slimming World and associated health journeys.  I'm now in my target range and am aiming to keep this steady while following Mediterranean diet principles and the Slimming World structure.

In the winter, I really miss the insulative (is that even a word?) qualities that my overweighness used to give me.  I really didn't feel the cold at all.  Now - totally different; as soon as the temperature drops, out come the layers!

However, come the warmer weather, which used to be absolute purgatory for me, I am loving it.  Nice and warm but not over-hot unless it is very humid.  The fans help, of course, but I had fans before.

It's a lot easier to put on the layers and warm up than to cool down once we are overheating, isn't it?  Especially in this weather.

I must remember this come the colder weather again!  Positive is always good!

What I have eaten today:

More of the sausage, bacon and bean casserole.  I added some water and cooked the bulgur wheat in with the casserole instead of rehydrating it separately.  With some chilli flakes and cheese on top it was delish.

One healthy extra A, one syn for the casserole (smaller portion that yesterday's) and half a syn for salad dressing.

Afters was some strawberries and yogurt with strawberry chia sauce on top.  Half a syn for the chia seeds.

A bit later on, I had my healthy B in the form of some marmite on toast.  Very tasty!

I will make this gunpowder chicken again; it was so easy and so flavoursome.

I made the coleslaw yesterday - one syn for seeds and one syn for salad cream.

I finished off the strawberry chia sauce - half a syn.

Summary:

one healthy extra A

one healthy extra B

four and a half syns

Tomorrow's plans:  

D:  roast chicken dinner - chicken, stuffing, roasties, roasted peppers and onions, broccoli, carrots, cranberry sauce, gravy

(I won't have all the trimmings)

T:  maple bacon pancakes, maybe leftover veg from lunch; fruit

I haven't bought bacon in an age but treated myself to some good (i.e. more expensive) bacon on Friday and it has to be used.  Not terribly Med. friendly but works with SW.

Exercise:  a yoga video from YouTube, maybe a walking one as well.  I'll see how much time I have got.