Reality check...

I've decided this will be my last blog for a while...

I've lost 4.5lb over the last 2 weeks, so hopefully my weightloss is back on track - I'm still hopeful of losing a few more lbs before the end of the year so I can start next year from a good place.

I had a health assessment yesterday and, as expected, I'm overweight and unfit. Some of the numbers (body fat, cholesterol, hip to waist ratio and VO2) were pretty scary when compared to those for a healthy person, and apparently if I want to maintain my current weight I'd need to eat over 3000 calories per day!

One of the things that the assessment brought home to me was that I seriously need to improve my fitness levels. With that in mind, I am planning to get more exercise (so today I've had 3 walks and done some DIY, which adds to the walks and tree planting I've done over the weekend). I'm putting this blog on ice as part of my effort to do more active things (e.g. housework, getting on top of batch cooking, swimming and walking) on an evening. Hopefully that will get me fitter so the next time I have an assessment it'll not be such bad news!

It's been fun writing this blog, and at times it's also been challenging and emotional. Without the support of my wife, my group and readers of this blog I wouldn't have managed to keep going on my SW journey, so thanks to you all (especially my wife!).

Hello blogging my old friend...

It's been quite a while since my last post. I'm sorry I've been away for so long - life has been pretty manic so I've not had much time or inclination to blog.

Since I last posted I've gone off the rails a bit - possibly as a result of life being as it has been - some pretty stressful times at work combined with being v busy at home combined to mean eating what was convenient rather than anything SW friendly.

We've also been celebrating my wife's birthday for a week or so, with plenty of synful food as a bit (or should that be a lot!) of a treat.

I think I'm back on track again now, and still have a mini target of finishing the year at the lowest I have been this year - it just becomes a bit harder now!

I know it's a wihle until Christmas, but I am planning to figure out our menu for Christmas day in the next week or so. With a bit of luck and preparation I can maximise my food optimising when we are cooking over the Christmas period so we don't have to worry quite as much when we're not. I just have to try to resist the Heston Blumenthal Christmas pudding that keeps calling my name in Waitrose!

I've only got one or two 5 day weeks before Christmas, so am hoping that I can make use of some of the time I have off to prepare some meals in batches - that way it's easier to stick to plan and see the weight drop off. I'll keep you posted!

We're in this together...

This week I put on 1lb. It wasn't supposed to happen since we were at home for the weekend so had control over what we ate. It happened because we were decorating so neither of us could be bothered to cook or clear enough space in the kitchen to do so, so ended up having a couple of takeaways.
Other things that happened during the week meant resorting to synful comfort foods, so in all a 1lb gain probably isn't that bad.

I would dearly love to weigh less at the end of the year than I have done all year, so to kick start that I have set a target of 4lb loss this week. In past weeks I've gone for 1lb loss just to get something, but have decided that the only way to do it this week is to target a big loss and really go for it. How am I going to do that? Well, firstly my wife and I will be doing "the scan bran challenge" (if you've not heard of this, it's using scan bran [5 a day]) as your HE), we went for a "big shop" yesterday and bought loads of yummy free and superfree foods, and we're both in "the zone". We got back from a fantastic group on Tuesday and were going to have 1 last takeaway before kicking on with the week since we fancied some chips. Instead I made some SW chips, which we had with Joe's pepper steak, roasted butternut wedges and curried veg. It was gorgeous and more satisfying than a takeaway since it was syn free!

Last night we had salmon, noodles and stir fry veg. I usually use prawn, crabstick or chicken when I cook a stir fry, but the salmon was fab - will be making that again. Inspired by a conversation on my SW group's facebook page I made sweet chilli rice pudding (pic and recipe to follow). My wife couldn't stand it, but I really enjoyed it so will be doing that again!

More decorating this weekend, so more body magic. At the minute I'm hoping for good things this week. I'm in a good place SW wise, so fingers crossed!!

Thank you for being a friend...

I managed to lose 1lb this week. On reflection I'm pretty happy with that.

Friday started off as a really bad day - I got myself into a foul mood for various reasons and indulged in a breakfast baguette. I was ready to descend into synning the rest of the day away until the members of my SW group all offered words of support which helped me get back on track.

Group was fab last night too - so supportive and friendly with plenty of laughs. It was a marked contrast to a meeting I was at today, when people were distinctly indifferent to offering any kind of support to some things that would benefit the community. It's times like that when I realise how lucky I am to have the support of my SW group. You are all awesome!!

I overdid my syns a bit today - I had a training session at work with lunch provided and since I was hungry and hadn't brought anything in I had to indulge in the sandwiches. Tea was completely syn free and delicious - beans, Joe's sausages and bubble and squeak.

I've decided that I would like to lose on averag 1/2lb a week between now and Christmas. If I achieve that then I will be back at the weight I was last Christmas, and the lowest I have been this year. Wish me luck!!

We are not alone...

I read this article about childhood obesity on the BBC website today. Reading the stories of some of the people who contributed reminds me of some of the experiences I had in my younger (and not so younger) years:

• I seem to be one of the few people who enjoyed school dinners and quite often had seconds, especially of pudding!
• I received a lot of verbal relating to my size whilst I was at school, and that led to me being extremely miserable. I enjoyed my education, by hated some of the people I had to share it with.
• Once I got to university I discovered alcohol as a way to help me interact socially (believe it or not I've always been quite shy) and indulged frequently in fast food (the Pizza Hut buffet challenge was at least a termly outing).
• I left home to move down south for work and continued where I left off from uni in terms of my alcohol intake. I resorted to food as a comfort when I felt low or homesick, or simply had nothing else to do.
• I moved to a flat in Leeds and on 2 separate occasions was verbally abused in the street. On each occasion I was by myself whilst the offenders were with a gang of friends so had strength in numbers. I took comfort in the fact that I coudl lose weight, whereas they would always be morons.
• I had no reason to lose weight until I met my wife. Once we got together I had a reason to live and began enjoying my life again. I lost 1 stone in the year before I joined SW by changing my eating habits (in particular making sure I had breakfast every day and having a jacket potato for lunch).
• We joined SW to lose some weight for our wedding and I managed to shed 2.5stone.
• I slipped back a bit up to the end of the year, then started this blog and have fluctuated around the same weight for most of this year.

I know that I have issues with food - I resort to it as a comfort when I'm down or a friend when I've nothing to do. If I can shake that habit and get back into the swing of being a food optimiser then I'm sure the next chapter will see me at target weight living life to the full.

Gotta get through this...

I put on 1lb this week, due to takeaways and cake.

I have a pretty impressive knack of ordering the lowest syn stuff (e.g. boiled rice and foo yung), but then eating everything else that's put in front of me.  The even more frustrating thing is that I can make low or zero syn versions of a lot of the stuff I have from takeaway, but because of the convenience we order in.

Perhaps by planning in advance I might be able to avoid some of this, but having done so before it never works out that way.

For the next 3 or 4 weekends I'm not going anywhere, so maybe that'll help get control over food - planning to do a "big shop" tomorrow night, so might dig out my favourite recipes.

My wife lost 2lb this week - I'm so proud of her! She keeps telling me I need to do more (or at least some!) exercise, but I never seem to find the time - it's getting dark when I get home from work and I don't have time in the morning. I figured I could invest in some exercise equipment and remembered enjoying using cross trainers, but on looking at them online I've found that I need to lose at least a stone before I get below the maximum weight to use them. :-(

Think

Think (Think) think (Think) think (Think) think (Think)
You think (Think) think (Think) think about it (Think)
You better think (Think), think about eating one third super free
Yeah think (Think, think), fill the other two with free
Lets go back, lets go back, lets go way on back when
I hadn't started slimming so I weighed an extra stone or ten (Just go on)
I ain't no psychiatrist, I ain't no doctor with a degree
It don't take too much high iq's to see what food did to me
You better think (Think) think about eating one third super free
Yeah think (Think, think), fill the other two with free
Oh free food (Free food), free food (Free food), free food, yeah free food (Free food)
Oh now free food (Free food), free food (Free food), free food, oh free food (Free food)
Oh, right now
Hey, think about it
You, think about it
There ain't nothing I'd refuse when my synful hunger wins (it wins)
I want to change but I won't if I keep eating lots of syns
Hey (Think) think about eating one third super free (eating one third super free)
Baby, think (Think), let your scales go, fill yourself with free
I was walking around everyday, eating foods that made me grow
Now I want to shift some weight and get down to a healthy low
Yeah think (Think) think about eating one third super free
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (Think, think), let your scales go, fill yourself with free
You need group (Need group) and they need you (Don't you know?)
Without each other there ain't nothing people can do
Yeah yeah, think about free (eating one third super free)
'Till the fall of the night, think about it right now
Oh free food (Free  food), free food (Free food), free food, yeah free food (Free food)
Free food (Free food), free food (Free food), free food, free food (Free food)
Right now
Hey, you, think about it
There ain't nothing I'd refuse when my synful hunger wins (it wins)
And I want to change but I won't if I keep eating lots of syns
Hey think (Think), think about eating one third super free (eating one third super free)
Baby, think (Think), let your scales go, fill yourself with free
You need group (Need group) and they need you (Don't you know)
Without each other there ain't nothing people can do
Yeah yeah, think about free (eating one third super free)
'Till the fall of the night, think about it baby, right now
(Think about a weight loss) To keep me
(Think about a weight loss) Baby
(Think about a weight loss, think about it)
(Think about a weight loss) a weight loss
(Think about a weight loss) Right now
(Think about a weight loss, think about it) Think about
(Think about a weight loss) Baby
(Think about a weight loss)
(Think about a weight loss, think about it) Think about it
Think about (Think about a weight loss) a weight loss
(Think about a weight loss) a weight loss
(Think about a weight loss, think about it) Don't even reach for syns, pick up free
You had better stop and think before you think
Think

21st century boy...

My last post took the total views on this blog to over 2,000, so I wanted to record a few thanks:

• To all of those who have read the blog and made me want to carry on writing it;
• To all of those who have commented and kept me motivated;
• To my SW group for the support and inspiration they have given me throughout my SW journey; and
• Most importantly, to my wife who has supported me throughout and who loves me whether I put on, maintain or gain.

To you all, thanks for making this journey worthwhile!

High maintenance...

I maintained this week, which is pretty good after having had an afternoon tea, a couple of bits of wedding cake and a couple of individual garlic flatbreads. The rest of the time I was v good - salads or leftover free foods for lunches and loads of fruit as snacks.

I think, however, I may be eating too much fruit.  At work we get baskets of fruit delivered every Monday and Wednesday and every time I walk past them I pick out a bit of fruit and eat it. I think I'm doing it more out of force of habit than actually eating it because I am hungry, so wonder if that's having an adverse affect on my weight loss.

I've been thinking (which some would tell me is a dangerous thing to attempt)... when I first started on this journey I had a reason to lose weight - to feel confident and comfortable in my wedding suit and to llok my best for our big day. Now I don't seem to have a reason - I'm just trying to lose weight because I want to. Except that as much as I want to I still can't avoid temptation on a regular enough basis to sustain a loss, instead fluctuating around the same weight for months on end. I need to find something to aim for, something that will get me truly motivated again and help me get over my love of all of the wrong food. If I can't manage that then I don't know whether I will get any further with my weight loss and could just as easily give in and go back to eating foods that I like all the time without worrying about the consequences. I know that's not the right thing to do, and I sincerely doubt I will do it, but sometimes I do feel like jacking it all in. At group we are now in teams, with each team being awarded points based on pounds lost and awards achieved by its members. Hopefully that will spur me on, since I don't want to let my team down. Let's see how competitive I get after a few weeks of this.

Next weigh in marks the start of a new month, so I'm going to set myself a mini target: to lose weight at more weigh ins than I put on weight. Wish me luck!!

Jammy dodger..

I got incredibly lucky this week - after celebrating my first anniversary by steering well away from plan I managed to somehow come away with a 1/2lb loss.
I am back on plan now, since I don't want any of the excesses of last week to catch up with me.

Gotta get through this...

I have been hovering around the same weight for ages now - lose a bit, put a bit on etc. This has to stop now!

I'm going to try to get better at keeping a food diary on here, and will be taking into work today: the shortbread; chocolate; and banana bread that is threatening to sabotage me.

I know I'm not going to be able to control what I eat on Friday (7 course taster menu plus wine with each course as the start of my wife and my first anniversary celebrations), but will watch it like a hawk the rest of the time.

In the words of the little engine that could: "I think I can, I know I can"!

Slim with your man...

Sometimes it's hard to be a woman
Giving all your love to just one man
You have good times you have bad times
Doing things that you don't understand
But if you love him you forgive him
You know, it's hard to understand
But if you love him
Oh be proud of him
'Cause after all he's just a man

Slim with your man
Help him to lose the pounds too
And something warm to come to
When nights are cold and lonely
Slim with your man
And tell the world you love him
Keep givin' all the love you can
Baby, slim with your man

Not again...

In a week when I was careful about what I ate when I ate out (e.g. salads without dressings for starters and mains at Frankie and Benny's) I managed to put on 1.5lb.

That's largely down to eating too many cakes. My wife made some batches for a local fair and there were loads of leftovers and offcuts. Unfortunately my willpower was very sadly lacking. It's so frustrating to let myself slip back like that when if I had lost even 1/2lb I would've had losses three weeks in a row for the first time in over a year.

It's my 1st wedding anniversary on Monday and I am currently 1 stone heavier than I was when I got married. I am determined to get back to that weight and beyond to target, but it's clear it's not going to be an easy journey.

My wife managed to lose 2lb this week. I'm so proud of her for losing 6.5lb in 3 weeks! Hopefully we can spur each other on to our goals.

A bit at a time...

I lost 1/2lb this week, taking my total loss to 1.5st (again!!). I was disappointed at first because with the exception of Friday I thought I'd had a good food optimising week.  What I hadn't realised is that on Friday alone I'd had over 70 syns!

This loss makes it two weeks of losing in a row, thanks to the support of my wonderful wife. It's been over a year since I last loss weight for three weeks in a row, so I'm targetting at least a loss next week - hopefully as big as possible!

IMAGE therapy this week was awesome! Such a supportive, friendly, happy atmosphere with plenty of tips.

With support like that I'm getting from my wife and from group I feel like I'm getting back on track. 2.5st to my first target (the target I set when I joined - when I get there I'll see whether I feel I need to lose more weight) and 17 weeks left this year, so if I am able to average 2lb per week I'll get my target this year. I'll certainly give it a shot!!

Hit the road fat...

Hit the road fat and don't you come back
No more no more no more no more,
Hit the road fat and don't you come back
No more

What'd you say
Hit the road fat and don't you come back
No more no more no more no more,
Hit the road fat and don't you come back
No more

Weight gain weight gain, oh you treat me so mean,
You're the meanest weight gain that I have ever seen,
Well I guess if you say so
I'll have to go to Slimming World (that's right)
Hit the road fat and don't you come back
No more no more no more no more,
Hit the road fat and don't you come back
No more

What'd you say
Hit the road fat and don't you come back
No more no more no more no more,
Hit the road fat and don't you come back
No more

Now Baby, listen Baby, don't you treat me this-a way
Cause I'll be back on target some day,

Listen close and it will be understood,
Stick to food optimising and you'll do yourself good
Well I guess if you say so
I'll have to go to Slimming World (that's right)
Hit the road fat and don't you come back
No more no more no more no more,
Hit the road fat and don't you come back
No more

What'd you say
Hit the road fat and don't you come back
No more no more no more no more,
Hit the road fat and don't you come back
No more

Weight loss chart - August 2012

Still hovering around the same level, but hoping to keep that line rising!!

 

 

Gimme some losin'...

After a gain of 4lb last week I set myself the aim of losing that weight this week. I surprised myself by surpassing that and ended up with a 4.5lb loss!! Dead chuffed.

The secret of my success is really nothing to do with me. My wife rejoined SW last week and she's been doing most of the cooking. We've had some gorgeous food and hlped each other through all week.

We've stuck so well to plan that we even managed to indulge in some flexi-syns.

This week was also the first on the way towards my bronze body magic - after 16 months as a SW member it's about time I got regular exercise to help my weight loss and general health. 3 days of decorating and loads of walks certainly helped give me a boost this week.

In a moment of madness I agreed to set my target for next week at 4lb again! I will give it a really good go and can't see any reason why I shouldn't have a decent loss, particularly since I've got a fab, supportive wife, a weekend at home (and so control over what I eat) and some great looking fresh veg from one of our SW group members's allotment. It'd be nice to do well enough to get a slimmer of the week award again - it's been ages since my last (and only!) one.

One slight downer SW-wise this week was that there weren't many staying to group tonight. I find that the more people that stay, the more ideas I get and the more motivated I am for the next week.

I'm baaaaack!

Yummy curry for tea tonight. Syn free and gorgeous. Recipe to follow!

Long time no see...

It's been a while since my last entry on here since I missed a week of WI due to holiday.

The holiday was great - a welcome break - but was about as far off plan as possible, with the exception of a night where my wife and i made everyone a SW friendly meal (they loved the virtually syn free coleslaw and the SW chips!). The result of all that was a 4lb gain - leaving me at the heaviest I've been all year.

My target for the next week is to shed those 4lb, which i am determined to do and have the tools and support to do so. The two key things that will help me do that are that my wife has rejoined SW and that we did our "big shop" post WI.

My wife has been supportive throughout my SW journey, but with her joining me again I know we will spur each other on. When we used to go to group people thought there was competition within our household to lose the most weight, but that has never been the case - we're both so proud of each other when we do well and quick to pick each other up if we don't.

Shopping after WI resulted in a trolley (and now a fridge and cupboards) full of super free, free and v low syn foods. A four day weekend will give me plenty of time to experiment with new recipes, or simply help keep on plan. It also means that I'll get more exercise through walking the dog - something that I've pledged to do more of, even if that does involve picking up poo on a regular basis!

Post WI shop

Check out all that free and superfree food!

Chart attack...

I decided to have a bit of a play with Excel (I know, what a geek!) and came up with this chart that tracks my weight loss from the weight I was before I started SW to my current weight. I'm planning to update this once a month. As you can see, I flew through the first few months, but have fluctuated wildly ever since. Hopefully with this pictorial reminder I can aim to get the line going back up again!

Fell at the third...

Was it too much to ask for a third loss in a row? Apparently so, but that's what I get for eating too much ice cream and having a takeaway.

We've put up new stars in group to mark our progress towards target. Mine is at the 1 stone mark when the best award on my book is 2.5 stone. That's pretty depressing to say the least.

I will do my best to stick to plan this week - I need to go into my holiday on a high because i will have very little control over what is on the menu when I am away.

I need to exercise more and make use of the freezer for multiple portions of sync free meals.

Staying to group for the second week in a row - hoping that will inspire me.

Show me the mojo...

3.5lb off this week. So chuffed! That puts me back at 1.5 stone lost in total and is the first time in ages I've lost weight two weeks in a row - here's hoping for the hatrick next week!

I think it was partly down to having a good start last week - that loss wasn't as much as I'd hoped for, but combining the 2 weeks gives me something to build on. I also felt I did well at the two garden parties I went to at the weekend - at one I was BBQ chef so avoided picking at food (and my fab wife bought me some chicken kebabs so I could avoid sausages and burgers), and at the other I avoided sausage rolls, samosas and garlic bread, instead opting for rice, chilli and kedgeree (although I did have a few bits of dessert!).

Keeping the plan somewhere near my mind, rather than locked away at the back, meant that I paid more attention to what I was eating - I made a massive batch of cabbage and leek soup which I've been eating every day since I made it, and experimented with some other new recipes - I think I'm beginning to rediscover my SW mojo!

I stayed to group for the first time in a while and people were genuinely pleased to see me - at first I was staying because my arm was forefully held behind my back, but I'm glad I did it and will do so more often in future. We've got such a friendly group that it's about time I started giving them the support they've given me - thanks folks!

After group, I got home and made some turkey pasta (sorry - we ate it that quickly that I didn't get a chance to take a pic!) and some SW quiche (that I was planning on lasting a few days for lunch, but which I've had half of already!). Food optimising has never tasted so good!

I've got a couple of social occasions coming up that could make it difficult to stick to plan, so I'm aiming to stick to it the rest of the week and minimise the effect of those occasions. Tune in next week to find out how I did!

Recipe: leeks and cabbage soup

Take a look at this gorgeous soup. Eating one portion now, 5 in freezer and another in fridge.

Syns
Free on EE

Ingredients
3 leeks, chopped into 1/2 inch slices
1 cabbage, roughly diced
3 veg stock cubes
Handful of frozen sprouts
Couple of handfuls of frozen casserole mix
Pearl barley

Method

1. Make up loads of stock with the stock cubes, bring to boil.
2. Add all of the other ingredients and cook until tender.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Baby steps...

When I used to run regularly (believe it or not I completed two half marathons when I was younger), I used to use the approach of taking "baby steps" to get to the top of particularly difficult hills, or when my energgy was running low.
At weigh in this week I'd lost 1/2lb - a baby step on the hill towards my ultimate goal.
The running analogy is quite fitting because, in an effort to kick start my weight loss and get some new awards under my belt (since it could be quite some time until I get my next weight based award of 3 stone!), I went out for a run twice last week. I didn't get particularly far (less than a mile), which at the time was quite disheartening, but I know I have it in me to run as far as I used to. At one point I tried to power up a hill, but ended up struggling and deciding to walk the rest of the way. Transferring that to weight loss, as much as it's frustrating I know that the best way is to lose a little and keep it off, so every week that I have a 1/2lb loss is another 1/2lb closer to target.

I think I might struggle slightly this week - I'm at two parties at the weekend and helped a friend celebrate her birthday last night. Hopefully the good work I've done the rest of the time, along with the cumulation from last week will help me to stay on track, or at least not fall too far away from it.

One of the ladies from our group got to target last week, and has quite often only lost little bits at a time. She's probably not aware, but she's an inspiration to those of us who are plodding along.

Recipe: Scrambled beans

SynsFree on EE if using cheese as HE

Ingredients
Cheese, grated
Eggs, beaten
Baked beans

Method

1. Put all ingredients in a pan and cook until it resembles scrambled eggs

Resisting temptation...

This is what I was faced with in our office kitchen on more than one occasion this week. Fortunately I resisted!!

Recipe: Scampi and onion rings

SynsFree on EE if using wholemeal bread as HE

Ingredients
King prawns, cooked
Onion, sliced into rings
Fine breadcrumbs from wholemeal bread
An egg or two, beaten
Peri spices
Fry light

Method

1. Mix the breadcrumbs and peri spices
2. Dip the onions and prawns into the egg then coat them with the breadcrumb mixture
3. Put onto a baking tray and cook in the oven (200 degrees C) until golden

Recipe: Mushroom korma, prawn jalfrezi, and lentil and sweetcorn curry

Syns
Free on EE

Ingredients
Peppers, chopped
Onion granules
Garlic granules
Ginger
Korma curry powder
Jalfrezi curry powder
Madras curry powder
Fat free greek yoghurt
King pawns
Mushrooms
Sweetcorn
Chopped tomatoes
Can of lentils
Chopped spinach
Fry light


Method
Mushroom korma

1. Fry the peppers and mushrooms with onion granules, korma curry powder, garlic granules and ginger
2. Add the greek yoghurt and mix well

Prawn jalfrezi

1. Fry the peppers with onion granules, jalfrezi curry powder, garlic granules and ginger
2. Add the prawns and tomoatoes and cook to reduce the liquid
3. Add the greek yoghurt and mix well

Lentil and sweetcorn curry

1. Fry the peppers with onion granules, madras curry powder, garlic granules and ginger
2. Add the spinach, lentils and swetcorn and cook until hot

Too many cookies spoil the cook...

I put on 3.5lb this week, so now am 0.5lb off the heaviest I've been this year.

That's a big number, but is easily explained when you see just a sample of my intake for the week:

• Chinese takeaway
• Indian takeaway
• pizza
• cakes
• cookies
• alcohol
• shortbread
• sandwiches

I keep telling myself that I keep going along to weigh in because it helps me to keep track of where I am even if I have put on - that it keeps me in control. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm kidding myself and would be in the same position if I didn't get weighed every week, but feeling a bit less guilty because I wouldn't be quantifying it.

I decided not to stay to group tonight because I felt that had I done so I would've become emotional and taken the time and attention from those who deserve the support.

When I started this journey over a year ago, my aim was to lose weight for my wedding. Now my aim is just to lose weight - for nobody other than myself. I think that might be the problem. I know that losing weight would be good for my health and general well being, but since I'm loved by a wonderful woman I no longer need to lose weight for my self esteem or confidence.

Do I still want to lose weight? Yes
Do I have the tools and support I need to lose weight? Absolutely!
Will my love of food get in the way? Most likely

This week I was told of a detox diet where the least weight anyone had lost in a week was 11lb. As tempting as that is, I know that it wouldn't work for me in the long term. For me to be successful in losing weight and keeping it off I need to permanently change the way I eat. When I was really into SW last year the weight dropped off and stayed off. Now that I'm on and off plan my weight is fluctuating a lot, but I am still lighter than I was when I started this journey, so something has stuck.

I'm off on holiday in just over 4 weeks, so maybe that gives me something to go for. To get back to 1.5 stone off I need to lose 4lb. To get back to my lowest weight this year I need to lose 8.5lb. To get back to 2 stone off I need to lose 11lb. I reckon (hope??) at least one of those is achievable. Wish me luck!

As I mentioned in my last post I'm no longer on Facebook. I hope that doesn't stop my friends from group in offering their support or asking for mine - together we can all get to where we want to, and I will be staying to group next week.

On the subject of friends, that reminds me - I've not had any responses to my previous post. Please, please, please comment and offer your suggestions - I could really use all the inspiration you can offer at the moment.

A fortnight lighter...

I was away last week, so had to miss weigh in, which usually means that bad habits creep in unabated. Queuing for weigh in this week I was expecting to have put on weight and gone into the next stone up. I had convinced myself that would be the case and had decided that I would accept what the scales decided then move on with shifting the gain the next week. Imagine my surprise when the scales showed I'd actually lost 1.5lb! Looking back I can see that there were times I've been very good and stuck to plan, and others where I've forgotten what the plan looks like, so I'm not sure what to attribute the loss to.

Rather than deciding to continue as I have for the last 2 weeks and hoping that I continue to lose weight, I am getting back onto plan - I know that works, so we will see how it goes.

Another thing that might help a bit is that I am likely to be less sedentary on an evening - I've left Facebook since I was spending every second each evening pressing refresh to see what was going on in the world. This is another step in my taking control of my life, which I hope will help my weight loss as well as my general wellbeing (some stuff that I used to read on there got me fuming, so my stress levels should decline as a result of not reading it anymore!). There is one drawback, however - by not being on Facebook it's harder to get the support, ideas and recipes of my group if I'm going through a rough patch. I hope to ease that difficulty somewhat by staying for IMAGE Therapy more often and I guess if I have any trouble between meetings I'll post on here and hope someone can gee me up!

I get by with a little help from my friends...

OK, so last week I put on 1lb over two weeks of not being totally good. This week I have some great food, refuse loads of very synful food and end up putting on 1/2lb. I wasn't a happy bunny at all last night.

A few tantrums (about how I am never ever going to be able to eat anything that I haven't prepared myself so I know exactly what's gone into it), half a tub of Ben and Jerry's Phish food, a good night's sleep, and a lot of supportive comments later, and I'm back in the food optimising zone.

I've had a few bits of assorted fruit for breakfast/snacks, a couple of mugshots for lunch in preparation for a possibly syn laden tea - I'm off to a quiz tonight where food (BBQ) is provided. I shall be doing my utmost to minimise my syn intake - I'm thinking kebabs and salad rather than burger and bun. Wish me luck.

I won't be at weigh in for a couple of weeks now since I'm away for work next week (so there's another challenge to my food optimising ability!). I hope that I can continue eating in the way that I did last week - I'm still clinging to the possibility that the gain was a carry forward from the previous week. I can but dream!

In an effort to keep myself motivated, I'd like to put a bit more effort into this blog and my SW journey with a bit of help from my readers (both of you!):

• Slim, slim a song... I have had some thoughts of rewriting song lyrics to fit with SW - here's my first effort. Let me know if you have any suggestions for the next attempt.
• That's the way to do it... I've decided to try and inspire myself by putting together some tips to make cooking on SW easier and more varied (i.e. the way I was doing it in the early days of my journey). This is a post I'd planned a while ago, but felt that given I wasn't actually losing any weight that I wasn't in the best place to give others any advice. Let me know if you have any suggestions for tips to include/tell me what really helps you.
• Ready, steady, cook!... I've not put any recipes up for a while because I've not come up with anything new. I want to get back into the creative swing of things, so I'm happy to have any suggestions on meals that you've always wanted to be SWised, but haven't known where to start.

Tumshrinking...

(We'll be singing, when we're slimming, we'll be singing)
I lose some weight, then I put on again;
I really want to lose more weight.
I lose some weight, then I put on again;
I really want to lose more weight.
I lose some weight, then I put on again;
I really want to lose more weight.
I lose some weight, then I put on again;
I really want to lose more weight.

(Slimming the weight away, slimming the weight away)
He eats an HEa, he eats an HEb
He eats some superspeed, he eats some superfree
He syns the food that he ate before he lost weight
He stays to group because he thinks it is great
(Oh Slimming World, Slimming World, Slimming World)

I lose some weight, then I put on again;
I really want to lose more weight.
I lose some weight, then I put on again;
I really want to lose more weight.
I lose some weight, then I put on again;
I really want to lose more weight.
I lose some weight, then I put on again;
I really want to lose more weight.

(Slimming the weight away, slimming the weight away)
He eats an HEa, he eats an HEb
He eats some superfree, he eats some superspeed
He syns the food that he ate before he lost weight
He stays to group because he thinks it is great
(Don't fry with oil, use some Frylite)
I lose some weight, then I put on again;
I really want to lose more weight.
I lose some weight, then I put on again;
I really want to lose more weight.
I lose some weight, then I put on again;
I really want to lose more weight.
I lose some weight, then I put on again;
I really want to lose more weight.

The boy needs (image) therapy...

Last night I put on 1lb over 2 weeks. I'd expected a bigger gain than that since a lot of that time I'd been off plan. I had got the fortnight off to a decent start SW wise and that's helped to manage the gain.
Last night was the first time I've stayed to group (other than taster nights) for quite some time (the last time was probably towards the end of last year) and will definitely not be the last time. I'm hoping/planning to stay to group more often since I picked up some great tips and realised that although there are a number of members of the group storming ahead with their weight loss and approaching target, there are also others like me - people who are yo-yoing and haven't lost much (if any) weight compared to the start of this year. The support and advice that people were giving was fantastic - we've got a really good group and I now have renewed determination to get my head in gear and shift this weight.

I got back from group and made a keema curry, a chicken and courgette curry and (kind of) sweetcorn pakora - all dead simple, but really tasty. Hopefully my inspiration will continue and I can start coming up with some new creations to share with you all on here.

Here's to a week of positivity followed by a loss on Tuesday. When my consultant asked how much I was aiming to lose I said 2lb. Most others in the group are aiming for 3lb so it's very tempting to decide to aim for that too. I think I'll play it safe though - with a goal of 2lb if I manage 3lb I'll be delighted since it's more than expected and if I only manage a small loss then it's still not far off what I was aiming for. At the moment any loss is good!

We'll see...

I lost 3.5lbs on Tuesday - made up for the 3lb gain the previous week and went a little way towards the 4.5lb gain before that.

Having been a bit inspired by taster night, I came home and made some fishcakes (fish, smash and thai cous cous mixed together and fried in fry light), then followed that up with traffic light curry (fish and tomato, sweet potato and chick peas, and spinach and potato) on Wednesday then chilli on Thursday. All low syn/syn free, and there were leftovers of the curry and chilli for work - yum!!

Friday night was less good (got a chinese takeaway) and today is going to be off plan too (BBQ for the jubilee). Hoping that I'll have done enough the rest of the week to get a second loss in a row, but we'll see.

Spiralling out of control...

Last week at weigh in I put on 4.5lb (over 2 weeks). This week I put on another 3lb.

That takes me just half a pound below my heaviest this year - which was way back in January.

I fear that I'll have another gain next week - I've got little control over what I eat on Thursday and Friday since I'm at a conference and for some of the meals I expect there'll be little choice, then I'm away over the weekend so the control's in someone else's hands then too.

My overriding emotion at the moment is fear - I'm scared that if the gains go on for much longer I will be back to where I started over a year ago. I've just thrown out a load of big clothes so really don't want to get there, but it feels like it's inevitable.

I knew I'd put weight on over these few weeks - a combination of my sister's birthday, and my birthday (which I celebrated with my wife then my family one weekend and my in laws the next). I think that I used that as an excuse though - in reality I've lost the inclination (or is it the ability?) to say no.

With credit to Joey Trebbiani, if the plan was a line, I'd be so far away from it that it would appear to be a dot. Simple things, like not eating bread/dough or cakes, and ensuring I eat my HEs (usually 2 Babybels and 2 Alpen Lights) have eluded me with sandwiches, pizza and 3 birthday cakes (one from my wife, one from my family and one from my inlaws!) being the key components of my diet for the last couple of weeks.

I feel a bit better getting all of this down in writing - if nothing else it's stopped me from thinking about sticking my fingers down my throat as a quick fix.

It hurts to be moving in the wrong direction - it's like the light at the end of the tunnel getting fainter and further away. Hopefully I will be in better spirits after my next weigh in, but I don't expect so at the moment.

No, really?

I got a bit of a surprise this week - where I'd expected to put lb on I've actually lost 2lb!

I was pretty good most of the time, and my HEs included a couple of days of scan bran, but at the weekend I had pizza, sushi and cupcakes so had expected that to outweigh the positives.

It's nice to get a surprise like that - maybe it shows that although I'm not following the plan 100% I have enough aspects of it ingrained in my psyche that I'm allowed a slip every now and then. On second thoughts, it's that sort of mentality that let me put a stone back on, so I need to make sure I snap out of that pretty quickly!!

The next couple of weeks could be difficult ones in which to stick to the plan - I have time off for bank hols and for my birthday so am expecting to end up over indulging in synful food. I guess I just need to do my best to keep the syns under control.

Hopefully I'll have more good news next week - only 3.5lb to go to my 2 stone award (4th or 5th time round...) so it'd be nice to make a dent.

Four steps forward, three steps back...

I lost 4lb last week and was absolutely delighted with that. It's a shame I've undone most of that this week by putting 3lb back on.

It was all going so well until the weekend...

• Friday night: Indian takeaway
• Saturday lunch was jacket potato with beans and salad, but I had a chinese buffet for tea and other than not having deep fried stuff I wasn't that careful about what I had.
• Sunday lunch was a non-SW Sunday roast, then pizza for tea since the kitchen was out of bounds due to my wife baking cakes for charity.
• Monday involved a cake (or 3) from the charity bake sale at work and a fairly synful cheesy pasta.

Of all of those, Friday's takeaway was the one thing that I could excuse myself for not being careful about having been in A&E for over 2 hours due to collapsing, losing consciousness (for over 30 seconds) and not breathing (for 15 seconds). Had I not started breathing again when I did the doctor told me he would've performed CPR. That was a very scary thing to be told, but after a few checks I was given a clean bill of health - something that I had wondered if I would get given that I've been pretty sedentary for a long time.

Tomorrow is the start of another week, and I have already made a lit of low syn/syn free foods to get from the supemarket tomorrow night. Hopefully by planning ahead I can food optimise to the max this week.

Food diary 20/4/12

Breakfast: Fruit

Lunch: Mugshots, loads of melon

Tea: Boiled rice, part of a poppadom (2 syns), onion bhajis (11 syns), bit of naan bread (8 syns), takeaway curry (12 syns), can of pepsi (7 syns)

Drinks: tea, water

Total syns for the day: 40

Total syns for the week to date: 52

Average syns per day: 17.3
I missed out on HEs and overdid the syns today. It wasn't without good reason though - more details to follow in my summary of the week on Tuesday!

Food diary 19/4/2012

Breakfast: fruit

Lunch: Jacket potato with beans, loads of fruit

Tea: Stir fry veg, leek, mushrooms and onions with pasta, noodles, pesto (1 syn) and 2 babybel (HEa). 2 weetabix (HEb), yoghurt and jam (2 syns)

Snacks: Loads of fruit

Drinks: tea, water

Total syns for the day: 3

Total syns for the week to date: 12

Average syns per day: 6

Tomorrow is the start of a tricky time SW wise - takeaway curry tomorrow, out for a meal on sat and away from my kitchen for the weekend. I'll just have to try to not have too much, stick to what's lowest in syns, steer clear of syns whenever I have control and get back to it as soon as possible.

Food diary 18/4/2012

Breakfast: oaty bar (HEb), fruit

Lunch: Crunchy salad, no dressing, 2 babybel (HEa)

Tea: Leek, mushroom and smoked salmon omelette, spaghetti hoops, mini magnum (9 syns)
Snacks: Loads of fruit

Drinks: tea, water

Total syns for the day: 9

Total syns for the week to date: 9

Average syns per day: 9

Problems coming up: possible curry and drinks on Friday, plus a weekend away from home. Will have to minimise my syns for the rest of the week to make up for it and then just hope for the best.

What a difference a diary makes...

Well I lost 4lb this week - despite a massive 90+ syns at the weekend!

I think the thing that went for me most this week was keeping a food diary on here. It sometimes made me think twice about whether to have synful foods, and it helped a lot to keep track of my total syns for the week.

That loss means that I've finally shed my Christmas weight gain and I'm back to below my club 10 weight - 2 pretty significant milestones for me since they were both weighing me down a bit.

With a further 2.5lbs weight loss I will be at 2 stone off altogether - that is my next target. Wish me luck!

I'm planning on keeping the diary going, but have already identified the weekend as potentially pretty synful due to being away from home. I'll just do my best, try to choose sensibly if eating out and let the scales show how I've done next Tuesday.

Food diary 17/4/2012

Breakfast: oaty bar (HEb), fruit

Lunch: Tuna nicoise salad, no dressing (1 syn for the olives), 2 babybel (HEa)

Tea: Special fried rice (chicken, crabsticks, rice, egg and loads of free veg)

Snacks: Loads of fruit

Drinks: tea, water

Total syns for the day: 1

Total syns for the week to date: 118.75

Average syns per day: 16.96 - nearly pulled it back to average of 5-15 having sinned massively at the weekend!

Food diary 16/4/2012

Breakfast: banana and nectarine

Lunch: Fruit salad x 2, crab sticks, chicken mugshots

Tea: Chicken chow mein

Snacks: 2 babybel (HEa), 2 Alpen lights (HEb), loads of fruit, yoghurt

Drinks: water, tea

Total syns for the day: 0
Total syns for the week to date: 117.75

Average syns per day: 19.63

Food diary 15/4/2012

Breakfast: Banana, oatybar (HEb)

Lunch: Prawn crackers (about 7 syns),edamame beans, kimchi chicken yaki ramen (chicken with noodles and spicy sauce - say 5 syns), chips (4 syns), birthday cake (15 syns)

Tea: Philly light (HEa), tomato and basil rice (4 syns)

Snacks: Part of easter egg (15 syns)

Total syns for the day: 50
Total syns for the week to date: 117.75

Average syns per day: 23.55

Food diary 14/4/2012

Breakfast: Nothing

Lunch: Potato and egg salad and tub of fruit

Tea: Frankie and Benny's crab salad (say 5 syns for the sweet chilli dressing) and a slice of birthday cake (about 15 syns)

Snacks: Philly light (HEa), weetabix oatybar (HEb). A third of an easter egg (about/at least 20 syns)
Drinks: diet coke

Total syns for the day: 40+

Total syns for the week to date: 67.75+

Average syns per day: 16.9375

Food diary 13/4/2012

Breakfast: A pear

Lunch: chicken tikka sandwich (1 tbsp ASDA low fat chicken tikka sandwich filler at 1.5 syns and 2 slices crusty white bread at around 4 syns per slice), 2 babybel (HEa), mullerlight, apples

Tea: 1/2 pack of tandoori salmon (3.25 syns), noodles, veg. Fromage frais, 2 weetabix (HEb) and frozen blueberries

Snacks: Pears, mild curry pot shots

Drinks: water

Total syns for the day: 12.75

Total syns for the week to date: 27.75

Average syns per day: 9.25

Food diary - 12/4/2012

Here's what I've had today:

Breakfast: a banana and an apple

Snacks: nectarine, pear, apples, jam sandwich [2 slices of crusty white bread (around 4 syns each), 2 teaspoons of jam (1/2 syn per tsp)]

Lunch: mashed potato, porridge oats (HEb), fromage frais, 2 x babybel (HEa) and mixed veg mixed together (a bit like last night's veg and crabstick pie: http://slimmingman.blogspot.com/2012/04/recipe-veg-and-crabstick-pie.html). Apples and grapes

Tea: Chicken fried rice (boiled rice added to stir fry veg, wafer thin chicken, chinese five spice and soy sauce all fried in fry light). Fromage frais, greek yoghurt, frozen blueberries and sweetener.

Drinks: water

Total syns for the day: 9

Total syns for the week to date: 15

Average syns per day: 7.5

Recipe: Veg and crabstick pie

SynsFree on EE if using cheese as HE

Ingredients
1 packet of mashed potato
Frozen veg (I used spinach, brocolli, carrots and peas)
3 eggs, beaten
A handful of crabsticks, chopped
1/2 tub of quark
2 x babybel, grated (HE)
Onion granules
Garlic granules
Salt and pepper

Method

1. Make up the mashed potato according to the instructions.
2. Microwave the veg for 2-3 minutes until cooked
3. Add the veg, quark, crabsticks and egg to the potato and mix well.
4. Add onion and garlic granules, and salt and pepper to season
5. Put the mix into a flan tin (spray with frylight first if not non-stick)
6. Grate the cheese over the top
7. Cook in a preheated oven (200C) for 30 minutes
8. Enjoy!
   

Food diary - 11/4/2012

I'm going to go back to basics and try to record everything I eat in a daily food diary blog entry - let's see how long I can keep this up!

Here's what I've had today:

Breakfast: porridge oats (HEb) with a Mullerlight

Snacks: bananas, nectarines, apples, pear, grapes, melon, 2 x Alpen lights (3 syns each)

Lunch: 2 chicken noodle mugshots

Tea: A veg and crab stick pie type thing, including babybels as HEa - recipe and pics to follow. Mullerlight

Drinks: water

Total syns for day: 6

Total syns for week to date: 6

Average syns per day: 6

Bank holiday blues...

Another 1lb on this week. It was to be expected after consuming at least a pizza, alcohol, a donut, ice cream, 2 Snickers, a Mars bar and an Indian meal. If anything, I got off lightly.

Since before Christmas I have fluctuated around the same weight - I've lost 5lb this year, so I'm still around a stone heavier than I was when I got married.

I am still determined to get to my target weight, or maybe lower, but sometimes it's hard to keep on track. I have therefore decided to stop thinking of my weight in comparison to when I got married, and instead to focus on becoming the lightest I have been this year, then the lightest I've been in the last two years, then the lightest I can remember being. By focussing on a more positive angle I hope to put my past weight behind me and to concentrate on a slimmer future.

On a positive note, I had a sort out of my wardrobe, possibly for the first time since starting on my SW journey.  As a result I filled 4 bags with clothes that are too big for me - some of which looked like tents. I've still got a handful of smaller clothes that I got in readiness for a (slightly) trimmer figure that don't fit me yet, but I'm hoping to fit into them soon.

One thing that might help me get into a smaller, lighter, shape is the 30 day shred - my copy arrived in the post today, so I'm hoping to get started tomorrow. I will try and keep you updated with the results and pain!

Mustn't grumble

I put 1lb on this week. That's less than I expected for the following reasons:

• Takeaway pizza and onion rings after last week's weigh in;
• A planned single drink (diet coke) in the pub that turned into several pints, a few shots of sambuca, a wee dram of whisky, and not a diet coke in sight as we got home 7 hours later. It was well worth the hangover in the morning!
• 2 cupcakes and 4 muffins beautifully baked by my fantastic wife.

Back on it again now - popped into the chippy on the way back from weigh in as a treat for my wife. Once I got there I decided I didn't fancy it, so this is what I had instead:

Keep losing, losing, losing...

Another 2.5lbs off this week - so that's losses for two weeks in a row for the first time in ages.

Dead chuffed - I've overdone the syns on occasion, but the secret seems to have been resisting temptation most of the time, sticking to free food during the day, loads of fruit, and not being away at the weekend (so I had control over what I was eating and how it was cooked).

Highlights this week:

• SW breakfast (with fried potato cubes - yum!)
• BBQ with Joe's burgers, Joe's peppered steak and homemade coleslaw
• Apples, apples, apples!

I love it when the plan comes together...

I lost 2.5lbs this week, thanks to following the plan most of the the time.
Much happier than previously and have a renewed determination to stick to plan when I can. I reckon the online shop I did this week will help me to do that - where possible I ordered syn free foods/healthy extras.
I've also decided to go syn and HE free during the day so that I can ensure that no syns "accidentally" creep in. By doing so I reckon it gives me a bit more choice in the evening, since nothing's off limits. It also works out cheaper since it makes me prepare lunch to take rather than going out and buying it.

At this point it would be appropriate for me to apologise to my long suffering (well, since September) wife. I've recently tried a few SW recipes that I've enjoyed, but she hasn't. She has been kind in her words and I really appreciate her support. Love you baby! x

Into and out of the abyss

At weigh in tonight, I've put on 2.5lbs over the last two weeks - pretty much in line with what I was expecting given that I've been off plan for some time now.

Looking back through past weigh ins shows that I've only lost 1.5lbs this year. The bigger reality check is that I am now the same weight as I was 9 months ago and that's pretty hard to take.

It's not a case of not believing in the plan - I know it works, because I lost 2.5 stones before slowly putting the majority of it back on. The issue is that I've got out of the food optimising mindset - I no longer question myself about what I'm eating, so it's very easy to veer miles away.

Nobody else can decide what I eat - I'm a (sometimes) rational, (hopefully) intelligent person with my own mind. I just need to get that mind back into the habit of thinking before eating. Easier said than done, but my weight and my health is in my own hands and I still want to get to my target weight - it's just going to take (a lot) longer than I originally hoped.

Simple things...

I had to miss weigh in yesterday since I was working late. In a way it was a relief because I am pretty certain the scales wouldn't be nice to me, and deservedly so. I haven't been 100% on plans for quite a while and think it is starting to impact on the inches as well as pounds.
I need to get back on it so I can throw out all my fat clothes and fit into my nice new ones.
I did, however, take a step towards that today - wore my (smallest) suit for a client meeting for the first time. There's something about wearing a suit that fits well that makes me feel so much better about my self. Here's to the next size down!

Mixed emotions

It's been a while since I last posted on here, for which I apologise.

I've put on 1/2lb in each of the last 2 weeks (leaing me with a total loss of 1.5stone, a full stone heavier than at my lightest on SW), and have come off the scales feeling completely different each time.

Last week I came away from weigh in confused as to how it happened. As soon as I got in the car it all came flooding back - funny how you think you've stuck well to plan because you have selective memory!

This week I was expecting a sizeable gain - 2 bottles of wine, a few cakes and a few meals out would've warranted it - but was pleasantly surprised with the small gain. That's not to say I wouldn't have preferred a loss - of course I would, but in the circumstances I got off lightly.

I have been drafting a post with some tips for how to make inspired food on SW, but given my gains in the last few weeks I don't feel in a position to offer advice to anyone. Instead, I will try to get back on the wagon and get some losses under (or away from!) my belt before I publish it - that way I will feel less of a fraud.

For me, weekends are the killer - where possible I can food optimise during the week, but at weekends it's difficult to always make the right choice when eating out and very hard to tell people who cater for me that I'd rather eat something more SW friendly. Any tips?

Don't look back in anger...

At weigh in tonight I put on 1.5lbs - the amount I lost last week, which takes my total loss back down to 1st 8lb, or 3lb off in total since I started this blog just over a month ago.

Am I surprised? No - after a week in which I had: pizza; chocolates; a curry with my wife and some friends; a chinese takeaway; and several cupcakes, I expected a gain.

Am I disappointed? Absolutely not - because it was expected and I was aware of what I was doing, it's not hit me like some gains have done. That's definitely a good thing, since it means that I'll not get into the spiral of guilt and I'll not go to such extremes that I become a control freak and stress myself out over my eating.

At the end of the day (and I've said this many times before), following the SW plan is all about making long term changes to the way I eat. I proved to myself last year that I could lose weight in doing so, and I'm confident it will happen again. I've still got a lot of weight to lose and the best way to keep it off is to lose it slowly and steadily.

Here's to a step back in the right direction next week. Scan bran challenge anyone?

A great way to end the weekend

SW potato and sweet potato chips, Joe's sausages, mushy peas and SW curry sauce (courtesy of this blog: http://zoe79.blogspot.com/2008/08/chip-shop-curry-sauce.html , but made with quark rather than fromage frais)

Absolutely delicious!!

Recipe: SW breakfast noodles

Syns
Free on EE if using cheese as HE

Ingredients
Noodles
Cherry tomatoes
Bacon, fat removed, cut into strips
Samphire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samphire)
Mushrooms
Spring onion, chopped
Baked beans
Parmesan (from HE)

Method

1. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions.
2. Cook the beans according to the instructions.
3. Fry the bacon until cooked.
4. Add the mushrooms and fry until cooked.
5. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until they start breaking up.
6. Add the samphire and spring onion and fry for 1 minute.
7. Mix the noodles with the bacon mixture.
8. Serve with beans and a few spoons of grated parmesan.

Recipe: Fish cake medley

Syns
Syn free on EE

Ingredients
Salmon chunks
Smoked haddock chunks
Haddock chunks
(I got all 3 of the above in a fish pie mix)
Tin of crabmeat, drained
5 or 6 Potatoes, peeled and quartered
Chopped dill
Chopped parsley
Lime juice
Teaspoon of dried chillis
Lemongrass
Chives
4 eggs, beaten
Fry light
Teaspoon of mustard powder
A spring onion, chopped
Ground ginger

Method

1. Put the potatoes in a pan of boiling water and cook until it starts breaking up.
2. Drain the potatoes and mash well (no need to add anything other than salt and pepper)
3. Steam the fish (salmon, haddock and smoked haddock - separately) until cooked (a minute or 2 in a microwaveable bowl covered in clingfilm will probably be enough)
4. Flake the fish and crab into separate bowls (we'll be making 4 lots of fishcakes)
5. Add 1/4 of the mashed potato (assuming you have the same amount of each type of fish) to each bowl and mix well
6. Add ingredients to each bowl as follows:
• Salmon: dill, parsley, 1 egg
• Haddock: dill, parsley, 1 egg
• Smoked haddock: dill, parsley, 1 egg, mustard powder
• Crab: lemongrass, spring onion, chillis, ginger, chives, 1 egg
7. Mix well
8. Put fry light in a hot frying pan, then add the mixtures a spoonful at a time, flattening down to create patties.
9. Turn after a few minutes and cook until brown on both sides
10. Serve with stir fry veg and cherry tomatoes and enjoy!

A kick start

I started another new food optimising week by checking my progress on the SW website. According to the predicted weight loss chart I should achieve my initial target weight in time for my 1st anniversary. I'm hoping to do so sooner, but would be delighted if I do manage to get (initial) target by then, since the wedding and the support of my wife is what kick-started this whole journey in the first place.

I've got off on the right footing this week - breakfast consisted of:

• A banana;
• A fat free toffee yoghurt;
• 4 apples; and
• A strawberry Oatibix bar

All syn free, with the Oatibix bar being my HE for the day.

Planning to have a syn free mugshot (or 2) for lunch, and we've got plenty of low syn/syn free food in the fridge, freezer and cupboards, so hoping to have a good week this week. Some of the stuff we've got was bought especially to try out/create some new recipes, so watch this space!

The only thing that could scupper that slightly is a curry on Saturday night, but I'll just need to save up some syns; have a flexi syn day; or pick something food optimising.

Wish me luck!

Don't know how I did it!

Very pleased to lose 1.5lb this week - it takes my total loss to 1st 9.5lb.

I'm still trying to fathom out how it actually happened though! Syns over the weekend consisted of sharing two large pizzas with my wife, a bowl full of mayo laden salad, a milky hot chocolate, half a bag of minstrels, and wee dram of fab scotch whisky!
Plus points for this week include discovering low syn pancakes (and having a massive batch of them!), loads of fruit, more nice low syn meals and finding mugshots, which could be my new lunchtime staple.
Shovelling snow and another walk with the dog also helped.

A couple of weeks ago I was disappointed at having a gain, since it meant I'd lost less than 1lb per week, but I had a word with myself and quickly realised that if I kept up that rate I'd lose nearly 4 stones over a year, which would get me easily past my current target and the steady loss should make it easier to keep it off. Watch this space to see if I can make it - here's hoping!

Recipe: super chicken noodles

Syns
Syn free on EE if using cheese as HE

Ingredients
Chicken and herb light Super Noodles
Mushrooms, quartered
1 onion, diced
Sweetcorn
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Fry light
Cooked chicken pieces
Philadelphia light (HE)

Method

1. Cook the noodles and sweetcorn according to the noodle packet instructions
2. Fry the onions and mushrooms in fry light until softened
3. Add the chicken and continue to fry
4. Add the noodles and tomatoes to the onions and mix thoroughly. Enjoy!

Recipe: chicken and tomato pasta

Syns
Syn free on EE if using cheese as HE

Ingredients
Pasta
1 onion, diced
Mushrooms, halved or quartered
1 yellow pepper, diced
Chicken, cubed
Parmesan cheese (HE)
2 garlic cloves, diced
6 Tomatoes, quartered
Fry light

Method

1. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
2. Fry the onions, garlic and pepper in fry light until softened.
3. Add the chicken and fry until browned
4. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes and fry until the tomatoes have broken down and create a bit of a sauce
5. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce and stir well
6. Serve covered in parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Recipe: Tuna and onion smash pizza

Syns
Free on EE if using cheese as HE

Ingredients
Cheese, grated
Passata
Onion, diced
Tuna flakes
Dried mashed potato mix

Method

1. Make up a packet of mashed potato with half the amount of water specified on the packet, so it forms a thick mixture (I find it mixes better if you pour the packet into the water rather than the other way round)
2. Spray a baking tray with fry light, then put in the mash - pack it together and flatten it so it's fairly thin.
3. Spray with fry light and bake in preheated oven (200C) until golden (around 15 mins I think), then turn over and do the same to the other side
4. Once the base is cooked, spread with passata, diced onion and tuna, then top with grated cheese
5. Put back in the oven and cook until the cheese is bubbling

 

Now that's how to start a day!

I woke up very early this morning (one of the not so joyous things associated with having a new puppy!). Instead off going back to bed I figured I may as well start the day and get into worked early.
Before I did, though, I made myself some SW pancakes. They tasted great, although they didn't stay in one piece. That was either down to my inability to cook pancakes (the same happens with regular ones), not soaking the oats in the yoghurt for long enough, or needing and extra egg.
This is one recipe I will be trying to perfect!
As a bonus, I was first into the office - not often that happens!

Another one bites the dust

At weigh in today I lost 1lb, taking my total loss to 1st 8lb , another step in the right direction.
I feel a lot more positive this week - brought on by having plenty of SW friendly food and keeping the syns in check a lot more.
This week my syns included takeaway pizza (flexy syns!), naan bread, half a garlic baguette, 1.5 cupcakes and a glass of wine - just goes to show that as long as you keep track of the syns and food optimise the rest of the time you can lose weight.

Recipe: Hummus

Syns
Free on EE

Ingredients
Can of chickpeas, drained
2 cloves of garlic
Black pepper
Fat free yoghurt/fat free fromage frais/quark
Lemon juice

Method

1. Put the chickpeas, garlic and pepper in a food processor and blitz
2. Add a couple of tabespoons of yoghurt and a few squirts of lemon juice and blitz until smooth.

Recipe: Peri potatoes

Syns
Free on EE

Ingredients
New potatoes, halved
An onion, diced
A red pepper, diced
Turkey rashers
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Peri peri spice
Paprika
Fry light

Method

1. Put the potatoes in a pan of boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes
2. Fry the onions and pepper in fry light for 2 or 3 minutes
3. Add the turkey rashers to the onions and fry until cooked
4. Drain the potatoes then add them to the bacon and fry until golden
5. Add the tomatoes, a sprinkle of paprika and a sprinkle of peri peri spice to the mixture, then cook for another 2 or 3 minutes (until the tomatoes break up)
6. Enjoy!

Recipe: Peri peri chicken with giant couscous

This was delicious and packed quite a punch!

Syns
Free on EE

Ingredients
Chicken mini fillets
An onion, diced
A red pepper, diced
Frozen peas
Frozen sweetcorn
Passata
Peri peri spice
Lemon juice
Giant couscous
Fry light

Method

1. Put the chicken in a bowl with peri peri spice and lemon juice and mix well
2. Cook the couscous according to the packet instructions
3. Fry the onion and peppers in fry light, then add the peas and sweetcorn
4. In a separate pan fry the chicken in fry light until cooked
5. Add the chicken to the onion mixture, then pour in the passata. Mix well and cook until bubbling
6. Serve the couscous topped with the chicken mixture

That don't tempt me much

Having not had anything to eat yet today I went to the kitchen to grab a drink and was faced with this load of goodies. I must be enjoying being on plan at the moment because I wasn't in the least bit tempted.
Very pleased not only with my will power (which I didn't need much of), but with my sweet tooth disappearing again. It should make food optimising a lot easier.

Time off for good behaviour

For the last 2 evenings it's been my wife's turn to cook, so I've been treated to two fantastic meals!

Last night was sausage pasta (syn free using Joe's sausages), with garlic bread for syns. It was gorgeous and there's enough left over for me to take to work for lunch tomorrow - yummy!!

Tonight was chicken curry (syn free), with naan bread for syns. Another triumph for the tastebuds, and there's some of that leftover too - always great to have syn free food handy.

Super free, smashing, grated

Tried tuna and onion smash pizza for tea last night. It was a big hit with my wife who is mad about pizza, so we will be having more of them in future!

That sinking feeling...

At weigh in today I put on 1.5lbs, taking my total loss to 1.5 stone, a stone heavier than I was at my lowest last year.
I know why I put on (alcohol, curry out, and synful treats), but that doesn't make it any easier to take.
For the sake of my sanity I need to get my food optimising head back on. I refuse to have to throw away clothes because they are too small and I will never be able to wear them again.
Here's hoping for that lottery win so I can't open a low syn SW friendly restaurant. I can but dream.

A lot of what you like does you good.

A curry out on thurs for my bro in law's birthday and a party on sat means I am not expecting great things at weigh in on tuesday. That said, I have enjoyed myself and know it's not a typical week, so will get back on plan and keep my eye on the long term rather than getting obsessed with potential short term gains.

Recipe: Pepper chicken chow mein

I remembered to take a pic of this one, and it was gorgeous!!

Syns
Syn free on EE

Ingredients
Joe's pepper chicken steaks, chopped into bitesize chunks
Mushroom stir fry
Egg noodles
Fry light

Method

1. Heat a wok on a high heat, add fry light and the chicken and fry until cooked.
2. Cook the noodles in a pan of boiling water.
3. Add the stir fry to the chicken and fry for 3 or 4 minutes. Make sure to keep stirring in the bits of sauce that stick to the bottom of the pan.
4. Drain the noodles then add to the chicken and veg. Mix thoroughly and serve. 

Recipe: Chicken tikka

Syns
Syn free if using the pitta as HE.

Ingredients
Diced chicken breast or thigh, visible fat removed
Tikka powder
Fat free natural yoghurt
Fry light

Method

1. Mix the yoghurt and powder together in a bowl.
2. Add the chicken to the bowl and mix until well coated. Store in the fridge overnight or use straight away.
3. Heat a frying pan, then add fry light and the chicken.
4. Fry until cooked then serve with a wholemeal pitta and salad.

The restaurant...

Wouldn't its be great to run a SW friendly restaurant?

If I had the money, the premises, the expertise and the staff I think it could be a great venture. Since I have none of that I will have to stick to experimenting in the kitchen and building up a catalogue of recipes to share with you all.

I wonder how many recipes I would need for a book and how much I would make from it...

Recipe: King prawn chow mein

Syns
Syn free on EE

Ingredients
Medium egg noodles (chilli flavoured work really well)
Pack of stir fry veg
King prawns
Chinese five spice
Dried chillis
Soy sauce or fish sauce
Fry light

Method

1. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions then drain.
2. Heat a woke too a high heat then add fry light and the stir fry.
3. Fry for a few minutes then add the prawns, a teaspoon or two five spice, a teaspoon of chillis and a few splashes of soy sauce.
4. Fry until the prawns are cooked then add the cooked noodles. Mix thoroughly then serve.

Recipe: Pasta carbonara

Syns
Syn free on EE if using the Philadelphia as HEb and the pitta as HEa

Ingredients
An onion, diced
A handful of mushrooms (chestnut mushrooms work better than normal ones), quartered
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, diced
3 or 4 bacon medallions, fat removed and chopped
2 or 3 tablespoons of quark
2 x 35g tubs of Philadelphia Light per person
Fry light
Pasta


Method

1. Add some garlic (or garlic flakes or ground garlic), a few sprays of fry light olive oil and some black pepper to a pan of boiling water then add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions.
2. Put a frying pan on a high heat then fry the onions and garlic in fry light until soft.
3. Add the mushrooms to the onions and fry until soft.
4. Add the bacon to the mushrooms and onions and fry until cooked.
5. Drain the pasta, then add in the bacon mixture and stir until well mixed.
6. In the (now empty) frying pan, add in the Philadelphia and quark and stir until the mixture darkens having taken on some of the flavour of the bacon, onion and mushrooms.
7. Add the Philadelphia sauce to the pasta and stir until coated.
8. Serve with salad or superfree veg and a wholemeal pitta rubbed with garlic then grilled.

I must be doing something right...

Another 3.5 lbs off, taking the total loss to 1 st 8.5 lbs. Only 2 st 5.5lbs to initial target.
Part of that loss must be due to 2 lots of 2 hour walks at the weekend - perhaps dog ownership should be prescribed for weight loss!

A necessary evil?

After a syn free chilli with potato and butternut squash sw chips last night, today was a day where the wheels could nd did fall off.
I had  training course in london which meant a very early start. Food for the day started well - a banana and a fruit salad for breakfast.
Unfortunately hunger set in at the first break and was filled with the only thing available - a danish pastry.
Lunch wasn't low in syns either - mini sausages, plus sandwiches which were on every kind of bread except wholemeal. No fruit on show either, but at least there was diet coke. Other than not eating or adding packed lunch and fruit to the full bag of work I already had, I am not sure what better options I had.
Another day to chalk down to flexy syns, but at least I've not got any others like this planned in a while, so it's back to plan.
Will be interested to see how I fair at weigh in tonight. Fingers crossed!

I'm too flexy?

Weekdays have been pretty good this week - plenty of food optimising going on, and nice food again.

The weekend, on the other hand has involved quite a bit off plan foodwise - let's just say that flexible syns have been used to cover a fab meal out (some of which was actually low syn/syn free) and crumble for pudding after Sunday lunch, all of which were very enjoyable, and following which I don't feel guilty in the slightest. Over the last 9 months I've realised that SW leads to a healthy lifestyle and that weight loss/maintenace is a long term strategy, so blips in the short term are acceptable and help keep a healthy balanced life! Better that than to get into a spiral of guilt and comfort eating/depression.

Going green...

Waiting for me after group yesterday was a fantastic low syn chicken curry made lovingly by my wife (naan was a few syns, but well worth it).

Lunch today was gorgeous leftover moussaka/cottage pie (see previous post) with Babybels followed by weetabix and yoghurt.

That all led to tea - green risotto! Risotto made with onion, garlic, anything green from the fridge and freezer (savoy cabbage, leek, courgette, brocolli and peas) and parmesan for syns - would've been free if not for the Babybels at lunch. This time the peas were there for their free value, the other stuff gave us the 1/3 superfree. Amazing what you can do with whatever you find in the fridge/freezer/cupboard.

Back on track...

Having put back over the last 2 months on half of the weight I'd lost between April and September, it was back to plan with a vengeance this week. I managed to lose 2.5lbs which took my running total to 1st 5lb lost, 2st 9lb to (initial) target.

What helped this week?

• Loads of apples, bananas, blueberries and pears as snacks;
• Varying healthy extras - weetabix, Kellogs fibre bars, mini Ryvitas and wholemeal pittas; Babybels and Laughing Cow.
• Lots and lots of home cooking:
• King prawn, chilli and lime linguine;
• Omelette, SW chips, beans and peashoots;
• Stewy risotto type thing;
• Chicken tikka with fajita veg, salad and pitta;
• King prawn chow mein;
• SW fry up;
• Steak, minted mushy peas and SW chips;
• Pasta carbonara;
• Moussaka/cottage pie;
• Onion bhajis; and
• Mango sorbet.
• Crab sticks!
• Nice treats (e.g. chocolate liquers) as syns.

What didn't help this week?
Thinking that peas were superfree - must make sure to include other veg/fruit next time!