Have my cake, eat it and still lose weight.

Dear reader,

Good morning and thanks for your comments yesterday Karen and Joyful, it's always great to have support.

In my quest to lose weight I joined Slimming World last night. A really nice group. It's strange really as I know what to eat and should be able to do it myself but the thought of going every week to be weighed and writing my progress down makes me far more motivated than doing it alone.  There's also a bit of healthy competition with a slimmer of the week award. Strange how a little sticker brings out the competitiveness.

Last night after the meeting I cooked two sea bass fillets, fried in a squirt of fry light with a jacket potato with natural yogurt in it and a mini Babybel light along with a large salad. Big man had oven chips and mushy peas.

This morning I duly measured out my 250ml of semi skimmed (which didn't look much) for my two Weetabix. I diluted the milk with water and it tasted fine with granulated sweetener on top.

I am still going with the couch to 5k running plan. Today was a big day for me- week four.
You do a 5 min walk, 3 min run, 90 secs walk, 5 min run, 2.5 min walk, 3 min run, 90 secs walk and the final 5 min run with a cool down 5 min walk.
I don't run fast only a jog and turned the gradient down to zero today. I was tough but I do feel a bit of a buzz when I finish.

I must make it very clear, I am no runner, don't like it, out of breath, legs hurt. That was me but I am getting into it now.

Today I will have an egg lunch, maybe omelette or egg salad and tonight at work will have jacket potato and baked beans with some fruit.

They mentioned last night the half syn cake! All goodies such as chocolate, wine, crisps, cheese and a hing extra is referred to as syns. For instance a curly whirly has 8 and a packet of French fries crisps is 6. I am allowed 10 a day. Tough choices but I was very interested in this cake for just half a syn. I could eat it all! Here is the linkHalf syn cake

How are all my weight loss ladies doing? I know we have lost touch a bit but I'd love to hear from you.

Stretchy pie.

Dear reader,

Hope you are well. Have a few days off work which is great although has taken me two days of afternoon snoozes and 10 hours at night to feel fully recovered.

Have been raiding the freezer and larder to use up leftovers that I have stashed. One of our recent meals was a beef stew in the slow cooker. There was a bit left which I froze but not really enough for two more dinners.
I had a couple of packs of Approved Foods pastry mix in the larder and thought A pie would use the remains of the beef stew. I chopped three carrots and par boiled and added them to bulk out a bit, also chopped some mushrooms which were lurking in the fridge, just reaching the slightly wet stage.
I was chuffed to make another two meals from leftovers. 

                         

We had this with chips and peas. 

Mushy peas are 17p a tin in Asda and tinned potatoes 15p. I like these in the larder for quickness. 

Did the weekly shopping today and spent £55 in Asda. Am still in awe of people who do it for much less.

Despite not writing myself for a while, I have been reading your blogs daily. I love hearing of all the different lives going on that we share on our blogs. I sometimes have real difficulty entering the numbers and letter which let me leave a comment. 

So here is a hello and thank you to you: Frugal Queen, Elaine Collier MF in 3, Pam in Tydd, Karen at Chelmarsh, SFT, Sue (both of you) Mean Queen Ilona, John at Going Gently (very, very funny) Angela at Tracing Rainbows, 9-5, Frugal in Norfolk and Suffolk, Snap that and CT mum. 

Everyday life on a shoestring-please forgive my sloathness. I haven't forgotten you. X

X

Oh do jog on!

Dear reader,

As part of my weight loss challenge I am doing the couch to 5k. Let me tell you, I am couch with a capital C.
I don't like running, never have. I hate the feeling of breathlessness, I hate the aching legs, I hate the red face and its just generally unnecessary. The stupid runners who don't stop to cross the road, we've all seen them. Lycra clad, headphoned spitters!

When I was about 20 a jogger jogged onto my windscreen.  I was pulling out of a junction, obviously not quickly enough for running man who landed face first on my car. He was starring at me through the windscreen of my Fiat Uno and I was starring back. In my panicked attempt to put my hazard lights on and get out and help him, I squirted him with the screen wash. He jogged off looking a little red eyed.

Anyway, I digress. I was telling you about my hatred of running. (Secretly, I'd love a pair of the Lycra tight bum, skinny leg track suit bottoms from Sweaty Betty)
Yes, hot, sweaty, puffing, NOT FOR ME.




Or so I thought....................


I downloaded a podcast. NHS couch to 5K. Brilliant.
Laura, (she's really nice) tells you when to run and when to walk. Lots of walking at first which was just as well. Anyway, I am now on week 2 and on to week 3 next.

I think I might actually be enjoying it. Ssssshhh, I don't want the runners to know that I might actually have joined them.

Have bought all healthy food this week. Chicken, fruit, salad and fish.

Tonight we are having chicken pizza. The chicken is the base. I butterfly the chicken fillets and grill them really slowly with a spray of oil to stop them catching. I spread a bit of garlic paste over mine. (Well actually it's just garlic and water that I blended-makes a great garlic paste but it does stink the fridge out but you can freeze it)
Once the chicken breasts are cooked, spread with a little homemade sauce. Tinned tomatoes, garlic, onion, however you like yours. Then add toppings of your choice. I used low fat mozzarella, olives and peppers.

What healthy recipes have you tried recently?  Let me know.

Stay safe.
X

Couch to 5k and quick dinners

Dear reader,

Hope you are well. Weather not too bad here, quite mild. We usually have snow this time of year so it's quite mild.

Have been running quite well and am doing the couch to 5k or C25k for short.
Only on week one but from small acorns.....

We are doing well with the monthly spend so far and have cut down on the shopping a lot. Am just trying to go every other week now and am spending about £85 a go.

Am trying to use up every little bit of food we have. For instance, Big Man likes jacket potatoes with tuna inside. I bake them and then remove the potato and mash it up with the tuna before restuffing.
There's usually a bit left over-Fishcakes!

Have been cutting up celery and carrots to have with homemade humous, lots of leftover ends-vegetable soup. Even threw in some lettuce leaves. Lovely!

Tonight did a quick dinner, ham, eggs and oven chips for Big man. I had pasta and a simple tomato sauce I made over the weekend.

I have tried to buy a few different veg that we wouldn't normally eat. This week was celeriac.
Ugly looking thing with wizened edges but I peeled half and had it as mash with a beef stew. The other half I squirted some lemon juice on to stop going brown. Then I grated it in the processor with a white cabbage and made coleslaw. Quite nice, slightly aniseed tasting. Probably wont get again.

I got a bag of parsnips in Lidl for 39p. Have par boiled and roasted and will freeze for quickness to use again. Saves time when in a hurry.

What do you do to save time when cooking? Have you got any go to recipes that are quick and easy?