Falling off the wagon.

Image from weheartit.

As you may have seen in our Sunday Summaries, my original amazing weight-loss results have slipped somewhat. After about two months where I was losing every week, I hit a period where first I plateaued, and then my weight started to creep up again. That’s why I’ve been a bit quiet here lately, because I’m a bit ashamed of how my eating habits have become corrupted.

I know that Charlene has already posted about this, but I wanted to add my piece too, as it's one of the most devastating parts about weight loss. It's so much easier to put it on than lose it. Also, we talk a lot here about what to do when it's working, but I find that when I fall off the wagon, all my good habits go out of the window and I find it really hard to get back into the mindset. Which is exactly where I am now.

Over the last few weeks I’ve had: a wedding, a hen do, a baby shower, several parties, a holiday to Italy and two music festivals. The sudden introduction of serious food-shaped temptation – and so much of it – meant that my willpower didn’t even put up a fight. Let’s face it, I knew I was never going to go to Italy and eat salad for every meal.

So how do you deal with stuff like this? My approach is to wait for the bad things to end – I've promised myself that, now that Glastonbury is over, I’m going cold turkey for a while. I’m sure a better way would have been to go straight back to the diet after Italy, be as good as possible at Glastonbury, and then slide back into saintliness once that was over. But I find that all or nothing works best for me. If I have a chip, I want a plate of chips, you know?

I haven't been back to Rosemary Conley since before my holiday, so I have no idea what I weigh, but I suspect I'm about back at square one. So now, it's just about getting motivated again and getting back into all the good habits I was in before. And trying to forget how amazing high-fat foods taste (so not fair).

What about you? Is anyone else going through difficult temptation periods at the moment? Is it just the curse of summer? How are you dealing with it? And why on earth can’t it be as easy to lose weight as it is to gain it?

I'll keep you guys posted as to my progress - I'm determined to get back to it. I don't want to let you all down!

Sunday Summary #15

Is it really Sunday again already!

Sarah - I've really struggled this week. I carried on with Fast Forward but it didn't have much effect. I have now switched back to regular Slimming World so am at least not hungry all the time. I have only lost 1lb this week which makes me very :( That's now 19lbs in 10 weeks of Slimming World and 7lbs to lose in 4 weeks... I can do this!! I have my Sisters hen party on Saturday so am going to be to plan 100% up until then and keep my fingers crossed that I don't do too much damage in one day.

Gemma - After 2 weeks of not being able to go to my weigh in I finally managed to go this week and I lost 3lbs. I'm really happy with that because I had a few days without tracking my points and I lost a little motivation because I hadn't been to class or spoken to my leader for 2 weeks.  I'm currently on a hen weekend and I drank loads of cocktails but tried to drink water in between and I ate a chicken salad for our meal out so I hope I managed to limit the damage.  I moved house on Friday and as I mentioned in the post earlier in the week, the new house doesn't have a kitchen. We went to the chippy in the night because we were too tired too cook and we couldn't find our plates anyway. Weigh in this week is going to be interesting...

Charlene - Exercise wise, it's been a good week. Food wise, not so much. I've ate out at restaurants far too much this week and although I've tried to make healthy choices, it's still not been what you'd call diet friendly. No loses for me this week but the exercise is making me feel great!

Lucy - Okay so even if this week had been a good week for me, I'm almost certain any good work would have been cancelled out by the sheer amount of stuff I've eaten and drank over my 21st birthday weekend.  Silver lining? It's Monday tomorrow...

Sarah V - is at Glastonbury this weekend

How have you gotten on this week? If you're struggling for motivation don't forget we are only a tweet away!

Guest Post - Danielle from @daniellefirth

Today's guest post was written by Danielle from @daniellefirth.



After being inspired by Where are my Knees (so refreshing to see a blog not featuring size 8 clothes and cupcakes!) I decided to get off my bum and do something about the weight I had been piling on over the last few years.

A combination of being settled in a relationship where our favourite activity seemed to be going out for stodgy meals, and getting a ‘desk job’ saw me put on almost 4 stone in as many years. I have a long way to go but I thought I'd share my journey so far.

The two main things that have helped me: The My Fitness Pal Calorie Counter, and something I NEVER thought I would do in a million years... Spinning class. My Fitness Pal is available online or as an app on androids/ iPhones etc and it is GENIUS.

Everything I eat, I log. And I never lie to my little calorie counting pal, if it's a bad day it's a bad day - the angry red bar just helps me make the next day even better. The app initially suggested that I consume 1250 calories per day, and if you exercise, you earn more calories. If I wanted to go out for tea and have a pudding, I just went for a little jog (read: wheezing power walk) first.

I've enjoyed curries, Sunday lunches and even a hot chocolate fudge cake - as long as it's in the 1250, anything goes - although I do try to stick to low fat foods, and get my 5 a day in. Where Are My Knees of course comes in handy for low fat meal ideas too.

Now - exercise wise. I am certainly not the fittest... In fact, think female version of Jim Royale. Going to the gym alongside lycra clad hotties with model proportions filled me with dread. So when I signed up to a 7 week summer trial, I was pleased to notice that 50% of the members were pretty much just like me. Yes, there was the occasional Paula Radcliffe-alike pounding the treadmill at 70mph, but there were also lots of wobbly bits like mine around so I felt less uncomfortable.

After researching (good old Google) how to get the best out of my membership, I discovered interval training and the idea of spin classes. The idea of spinning, and classes generally scare me. But no more than a lifetime of bulging out of dresses and hiding in photos. So I bit the bullet and went for it. And... It HURT. I was tired, I ached all over, and my legs felt like they were going to drop off. So. Clearly this works. I went straight to reception afterwards and signed up for the next 3 classes before I had chance to change my mind.

For those who aren't familiar with spinning, it involves cycling along to tracks and speeding up, slowing down, standing up and sitting down to the beat. Personally I hide (suffer) at the back and imagine myself in a bikini during the particularly grueling parts.

So after four and a half weeks of three spinning classes per week and 1250 calories per day, I have waved goodbye to 1 stone and 4lbs. And I've just had a Nandos to celebrate (rice not chips!)

A typical day:
Breakfast: 1 slice wholemeal toast and half a grapefruit
Snacks: Fruit
Lunch: Vegetable soup (homemade) or tuna salad with low fat dressing
Snacks: Asda crispbread with red pepper and chilli cottage cheese (and the odd jaffa cake!)
Dinner: Whatever I fancy – I just skip the pudding

New House Dilemma

I really need your help!

I'm moving house on Friday and I'm leaving behind a lovely home and moving in to a place that needs a lot of work and renovation. The house I'm moving in to doesn't have a kitchen at the moment and it will take a few weeks of ripping off plaster and making sure all the major structural work is done before we fit the kitchen.

I'm a little worried about all the take aways we will be having and going totally off my Weight Watchers plan so I would love to know what easy meals I can make with limited kitchen facilities and only a little time. There is only so much cereal and toast you can eat before you get totally bored!
I will have a microwave, toaster and kettle at my disposal but not much else.

Do you have any meal ideas for me?

Sunday Summary #14

Another week been and gone, they sure are flying by.

Sarah - I tried Slimming Worlds 'Fast Forward' plan this week and I have to say it's pretty miserable :( It's a low calorie diet that feels like a diet, I have been hungry all week. BUT I have managed to lose another 3lbs this week which after those 3 weeks of only 1lb losses even though I was an angel and stuck to plan 100%, it has most definitely been worth it. I have now lost 18lbs in 9 weeks on Slimming World. My sisters wedding is in 5 weeks and I want to lose at least another 8lbs by then although I am secretly hoping to keep up these 3lb a week loses and achieve a whopping 15lbs ;)

Gemma - Another week without a weigh in which is rather annoying. Weigh-ins are on a Tuesday morning or Thursday evening and I was in work for both of these. I have a feeling that I put weight on the first week I missed class and I've managed to lose it again this week because I've been very strict. I'm moving house on Friday and have a hen night on Saturday so I hope all the lifting and moving things will cancel out the cocktails the next day. I'm still working towards my ultimate goal of fitting into a size 16/18 dress for my friends wedding at the end of July and I can do it! only about 5 weigh-ins left eek.

Charlene - I'm determined to get back on track and have restarted the 30 day shred. I'm using heavier weights (rather than tin cans) this time so hopefully I'll get some good results. Food wise I've been quite good. I seem to have lost my appetite a bit and haven't been craving 'bad' foods at all.

Lucy - I too have totally fallen off track this week, it was my last week at work and the office has been full of sweet treats, I was taken out for amazing Thai food on my last day and then this weekend I have been away on a surprise trip for my 21st birthday. I don't think eating well will be an option this week because of my birthday which is on Saturday! I'm moving home tomorrow though so I'll probably start the shred again at some point! Really need to get back on track...

Sarah V - I feel rather ashamed of myself lately as my eating and exercise habits are not really worthy of the other Where Are My Knees girls! I always knew June would be difficult with Italy at the start and Glastonbury at the end, but I didn't realise just how much it would destroy my motivation. I'm eating terribly. I've made a pact with myself now to get Glasto out the way - I'll try and be good, but we always eat on the run so much that it's not easy - and then attack the diet with renewed gusto when I'm back. I'm just hoping I can get my motivation back!

How has your week been? Inspire us with your achievements!!

Guest Post- Lauren from A Little Less of Lauren

Todays guest post is written by the lovely Lauren from A Little Less of Lauren

I can’t ever remember not being ‘fat’. It has always been an issue for me, from the time when I was 11 and couldn’t be a bridesmaid for my auntie because they only made the dress for age 12-13 – far too small for my tall and chunky frame. I remember feeling like an absolute elephant, and as time went on I only became more aware of being larger than the other girls in my school – not only was I bigger than them, I was also much taller. I never let anyone know that it bothered me, and other than my pathological fear of the P.E changing rooms and my refusal to wear the skin-tight black mini-skirts that comprised most of my peers’ school uniforms, nobody would have known that I was conscious of my size.  

When I was 14 I changed secondary school, and academically I went strength from strength. At a comprehensive school in a county where Grammar schools reign, I was certainly the big fish in a little pond and I did well in every subject. I also got along well with my peers and had a lot of friends. I was never ‘popular’, as such – but I got on well with a lot of different people and there was nobody who I particularly disliked. I was becoming increasingly conscious of my size – by this point I was wearing a size 16-18, compared to the size 10s that most of my friends wore – but I didn’t let it show and I carried on doing well. Succeeded in exams and having a lot of friends allowed me to kid myself that being fat didn’t matter, because I was good at other things instead. 

The first time I joined Weight Watchers was in my first year of 6th Form. My confidence was at an all-time low after splitting from my first serious boyfriend – looking back, I believe it was the beginning of the depression I’ve suffered from ever since. In spite of that, it hadn’t been my idea to go. I was merely there to accompany a friend. At the time I weighed just under 14st. After losing 8lbs I got bored and gave up. I wasn’t there for myself, and my motivation dried up quickly. 

Five months later I went back – this time at the suggestion of my mum. In five months I had gained 2st and was just under 16st. Again, I wasn’t there for myself and my motivation to stick to my Points Allowance disappeared quickly – I was more interested in eating Ben and Jerry’s and drinking a wine. I don’t think I had allowed myself to really see how big I’d gotten. If I had, I would have done something about it quicker. 

The next time I went back to Weight Watchers was in January 2010. I’d completed my first term at University, running mainly on a diet of takeaways and huge portions of pasta. I was also very deeply depressed – although I was slightly more depressed when I got on the scales and read 19st 11.5lbs. It would have been so easy to give up there and then – it was such a huge number that I felt like I’d never be able to achieve it. For some reason though, this time was different. I was there for myself, not because a friend had asked or my mum had dropped hints about me being too big (although she had, many times. I had ignored them as thoroughly as I’d ignored my expanding arse). I knew that I had to lose the weight, because I couldn’t go on being miserable about my size anymore. Not only that, it was ruining my health – I couldn’t even climb the stairs anymore without getting out of breath. Knowing that I was there for myself made all the difference, and something just clicked. I knew I could do it. I lost 10lbs in my first week and continued to lose steadily after that. 

Almost a year and a half later, I’m 4st 3lbs lighter – 80% of the girl I used to be. I still have another 3st 11.5lbs to go – which will bring me to a total weight loss of 8st. I could have been at goal by now, but I’m more than happy to admit that I’ve slipped off the wagon a few times. Eating sensibly at university isn’t easy, and sometimes the lure of takeaways and alcohol has been too strong. I will never be one of those people who no longer craves junk food, and losing weight will be a constant battle for me. Despite my slip-ups, I’ve never regained all the weight, simply because I’ve always managed to get my head back in the game before things got that bad. That, more than anything else, tells me that I’ve truly changed.  

I can now say, without a shadow of a doubt in my mind, that joining Weight Watchers was the best thing I have ever done. If I hadn’t, I would have continued to gain weight – weight that would have eventually killed me. I may not be at my goal yet, but I know I’ll get there – nothing is impossible anymore. Without me even realising it, Weight Watchers has become one of the most important parts of my life. I’m happier and more confident now than I have ever been before. 

A Few Weight Loss Tips 

• Do it for YOU! Losing weight to please your family, your partner, even your kids truly will not work. You have to be in a position where you’re ready to do it for you, otherwise you will just come to resent the people that you’re doing it for.
• Don’t deprive yourself. If you want something sweet, have something sweet. We all crave treats sometimes, and there’s nothing wrong with that as long as it’s in moderation. I always make sure I have Weight Watchers bars (2 ProPoints) two-finger KitKats (3 ProPoints) and Sugar-free jelly (0 ProPoints) in the house for the times when I’m craving something sweet. I also swear by Options Hot Chocolate Sachets, which are 1 ProPoint each. 
• Fill up on 0 ProPoint Fruit and Veg. You can have fruit with any meal and use vegetables to bulk up your meals so you don’t feel like you’re going without.  
• Distractions are key. If I’ve had a bad day, or I’m feeling bored and peckish, I find something to do to distract myself from the biscuit tin. Updating my blog, having a long hot bath or even painting my nails always work wonders for me.
  
• Be open about what you’re doing. The whole world and his wife knows that I’m on Weight Watchers – I’m always updating facebook and twitter with my weigh-in results and people are constantly questioning me about it. Being open about whatever plan you’re on makes it much easier to fit it into your lifestyle, particularly when it comes to socialising or eating out.

Motivation - Where are you?

We've been running this blog for 3 months now and I'll admit it, I'm struggling. It seems that I'll find something that works for me (the best thing ever being The 30 Day Shred), I'll be hugely enthusiastic about it, do it religiously and then… nothing. I just stop.

I was seeing results after just 10 days of The 30 Day Shred. It was probably the quickest I've ever noticed any sort of change in my body so it was obviously working really well. So why stop? If I had kept going who knows, I might have had the flat tummy I long for by now. I promised myself I'll start doing it again. But I just can't seem to find the final push I need to get off the couch and JUST DO IT.

I know a lot of you have been doing this whole weightloss thing for a lot longer than me, so I've been wondering. How do you keep yourself motivated? Does diet and exercise really just become a habit after so long? How do you pick yourself back up after falling?

Greek Yogurt- Dip and Potato salad

I hate it when you buy something especially to use in a recipe, you only use a little bit of it and the rest goes to waste! I've come up with two simple ideas of how to use 0% fat Greek Yogurt and use the whole pot- Potato salad and garlic and chive dip. Potato Salad Ingredients Serves 1
200g Potatoes	4
1 tablespoon Yogurt, Greek, 0% Fat	1
1 tablespoon Dill, Fresh	0
1/2 Lemon	0
50g Prawns, Peeled & Cooked	1
2 teaspoons of Capers in Brine	0
Cucumber	0

 Method

Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the potatoes and cook for 12-15 mins until tender. Drain, rinse in cold water and when cool enough to handle, cut into bite-size pieces. Mix together the yogurt, dill and lemon zest and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the remaining ingredients to the potatoes and mix in the yogurt dressing, before serving.

Garlic and Chive Dip

Some shop bought dips can range between 3-7 pro points for a 1/4 of a tub and this dip is only 1 pro point per serving which means you have more points to use on filling foods instead of snacks. The Weight Watchers tortillas are very spicy so this dip goes with them perfectly. Making the dip is really simple, I crushed half a clove of garlic and chopped a little chive in to the yogurt and stirred.

Pret Topcorn

So, everybody, I have recently discovered a new snack that has quite possibly become the best snack in the whole entire universe. It doesn't sound exciting when I say that it's only popcorn from Pret, but trust me on this one, it is.

This picture isn't mine by the way, I got it from here

Okay so if you haven't tried this I bet you're thinking, 'er, what? SWEET AND SALT?!', because that's exactly what I was thinking. The girl I'm working with absolutely adores this stuff, and she is an obsessive calorie counter, so I decided to try some. Since that day, I have probably had about four or five bags and I seriously cannot get enough. It's definitely one of the nicest popcorn that I've ever tasted and the mixture of sweet and salt is enough to satisfy any sort of craving you might have.

And the best thing? The bags are properly huge (surprisingly, 25g of popcorn is A LOT) and there's only 123 calories in a bag! And another good thing, it is suitable for vegans as well as being dairy free, gluten free, GM free, wheat free & yeast free. Amazing.

If Sweet & Salt doesn't tickle your fancy, there is other flavours available, I've definitely seen chocolate and toffee, not entirely sure what they're like calorie-wise but if you've tried them, let us know!

Have you tried this sweet & salt stuff? Does it take your fancy?

Sunday Summary #13

Wow, thirteen weeks since we launched the blog, incredible! We have something relatively exciting in the pipeline too so keep your eyes out for that!

In the mean time, how have your weeks been?

Sarah - This last week I have been trying to boost my weight loss using Slimming World's Success Express and I am happy to say it has worked!! I have lost 3lbs this week and smashed the 1 stone barrier!!  I have now lost 15lbs in 8 weeks on Slimming World.  I am going to try another one of their 'emergency' programmes called Fast Forward next week which will hopefully boost my weight loss even further... I now have another reason to lose weight and tone up, I am getting MARRIED!!

Gemma - I had an away day with work on Tuesday so I could not go to my weigh in so I have no idea how I have done this week. There have been lots of free lunches with work and loads of cake brought in so I'm guessing I've stayed about the same and fingers crossed I haven't put anything on. I've got so much going on this summer with a hen night, moving house, a wedding, blogger meet ups, my birthday and going to see Ke$ha that I'm getting a little worried that I'm going to put a bit of weight back on so I'm going to start adding exercise in to my diet plan when I finish work next week. I'll be going to Zumba, keep fit and yoga. I will let you all know how I get on!

Charlene - To follow!

Lucy - this week has probably been the worst since I began interning but it still wasn't too bad. I went for lunch with the girls in the office on Tuesday and we went to Carluccio's but I chose a pasta salad which was absolutely gorgeous. Then I had Lola's cupcakes yesterday (not that nice - don't waste your money!) but other than that, it's not been too bad. I'm yet to weigh myself though but I feel as though my face looks thinner? Maybe it's just my imagination but I hope not! Oh, as I type this though I'm sat eating from a jar of Jelly Beans that were given to me at an Avon launch I went to on Thursday, oops...

Sarah V - I'm back from a week of overindulgence in Italy, and I know I've gained. I haven't had an official weigh in since I got back so am relying on my very undeniable scales, but I think I gained about 4lbs. I'm trying to get back into good habits now which is proving much harder than I thought! I'll keep you updated...

That's it from us for this week, how did yours go?

Guest Post - Laura at The Smile Is Fake

Todays guest post was written by Laura from The Smile Is Fake

Vegetarian Falafels
Serves 4

Shopping List:
400g can of chickpeas
A handful of curly parsley
Half an onion
1 small garlic clove
1/2 tsp curry powder
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground coriander leaves
2tbsp plain flour



To keep a flowing routine in the kitchen, I find it super handy to have everything laid out in correct measurements before starting and then it's way easier to prep.

1. Firstly drain the chickpeas from the can, rinse with water and pat dry using kitchen paper to remove excess water. Place the chickpeas into your food processor.

2. Roughly chop the garlic clove and onion and add to the chickpeas, throw in your handful of curly parsley (roughly chop first and remove any unwanted stalks), curry powder, cumin, ground coriander and flour.

3. Now for the fun - depending on what food processor you use mix away as much as required until the ingredients become a thick paste. Note that if there are any lumps or bumps remaining this is fine it simply adds texture



4. Place enough mixture in your hand to create a small round ball (roughly the size of a small satsuma) pat the ball into a flat round 'pattie' style thick pancake repeat until you have 12.  If you are wanting to serve the Falafels straight away simply add 2tsp of olive oil to a frying pan and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes, over a medium heat until each pattie is golden brown.  Failing that place them in a bowl, cover with clingfilm and pop in the fridge until ready to cook but don't leave in the fridge uncooked for more than 24hrs

5. Serve with toasted pitta bread, salad and dips of your choice (salsa and low-fat soured cream are always a hit). If this is a weekend treat why not add a bowl of chunky homemade wedges.

So that's my super healthy recipe shared. I know it's a veggie option, but you'll be amazed at how many 'meat lovers' are left wanting more!!!  For those (like myself) concerned about calorie content, each serving averages at 280kcal (that's including pitta bread, salad and dips) just remember if you do sneak a few wedges onto your plate be sure to take their nutritional value into account!

ENJOY!!

Pimm's and Strawberry Jelly

Fancy something summery for only 2 Pro Points per serving? This Pimms and Strawberry jelly is perfect for all the nice weather we are having at the moment, is pretty guilt free and easy to make, lovely stuff!

Ingredients

150ml (1/4 pint) of Pimm's
8 sheets of Gelatine
600ml (1 pint) of sparkling water, I used a strawberry flavour one but you could use lemonade or any flavour  soft drink.
125g of Strawberries, sliced
Mint and cucumber to decorate

Instructions

Put the gelatine in a bowl of cold water and leave to soak for 5 minutes.

Put half of the Pimm's into a saucepan and heat until it simmers. Remove the gelatine from the bowl and squeeze the excess water out, add the gelatine to the pan and remove from the heat. Stir until dissolved.

Stir the remaining Pimm's and water into the mix. Put a slice of strawberry in the bottom of 6 small moulds or glasses and pour the mixture over, just enough to cover the strawberry. Chill for 30 minutes.

Repeat this step of adding more strawberries and mixture until it is used up and leave to chill for 3 hours until set. (I found that they tasted better the next day)

Voila!

Two For Tuesday

One of my biggest weaknesses when it comes to dieting is pizza. I love pizza and could eat it every day but it's usually the bad type of pizza I go for. I just can't resist ordering greasy take away pizza in that iconic blue and red box, complete with the garlic and herb dip, especially on a Tuesday. Come on, you know the one I'm talking about - D********!

A few weeks ago I had MAJOR cravings for take away pizza and it was suggested that I make my own pizza from scratch because it would taste better and more importantly, would be much healthier. But you know what? The reason I wanted to order pizza from the overpriced grease factory in town was because I was too lazy to go to the effort of making my own pizza from scratch. The thought of making my own dough and waiting an hour for it to rise just didn't appeal when I could click a few buttons and an effort free pizza would be on my doorstep in 30 minutes.

Unfortunately I did give in to temptation and parted with £10 of my hard earned cash in return for 1,744 calories (yes, really!! in one medium size pizza!!) and a bloated tummy. I'm not gonna lie, the pizza tasted bloody amazing but afterwards I couldn't help but feel terrible. Not only because I had wrecked my hard work at the gym that week, but because I had ate far too much and the sore tummy majorly outweighed the delicious pizza I had just forked out for. And then there was the weight I'd probably gain from stuffing my face. That's when I decided that I was going to come up with a plan that would stop me from resisting the urge to… well, stuff my body full of fat just because I'm feeling lazy. I bring to you… LAZY TUESDAYS.

First off, you need a pizza base. You can buy these pre-made in supermarkets, but you can also make your own bases from scratch and freeze them in advance. I've tried this recipe so far and it's been a success.

A good tomato sauce is what can make or break a pizza and this simple recipe from Jamie Oliver tastes great. I've been making the sauce in advance and freezing it in an ice cube tray and just pop 2 or 3 out at a time and defrost when needed.

Toppings and cheese are the easy part. 99% of the time there are foods in my fridge, freezer and cupboard that would make a great pizza topping. Mushrooms, courgette, olives, pineapple, sundried tomatoes, peppers and of course meat for those of you who aren't vegetarian. The list is endless.

It takes 10 minutes max to spread some tomato sauce, chop up and arrange some topping and throw some cheese over it and then a further 15 minutes to cook. That's probably less time than it would take for a Dominos to be delivered and I bet it cost half the price aswell as being much healthier.

What are your biggest diet weaknesses? Have you found a way to combat your cravings?

Slimming World - Ginger Scan Bran Cake

Another scan bran recipe for you as promised last week.  This one is really scrummy especially if you add a sachet of options jazzy ginger hot chocolate to the mix! If you do this you need to add 2 extra syns.  If you eat the whole cake (!!) you can deduct 5 syns and count the scan bran as a healthy extra B.

Ginger Scan Bran Cake

Ingredients

 

5 Scan Bran

2 large carrots, finely grated
3 or 4 tbsp artificial sweetener (or to taste)
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp of ground all-spice (or to taste)
1 tsp cinnamon
28g finely chopped stem ginger
3 eggs, beaten

Method

Pour boiling water over the Scan Bran and leave for 1 minute so that it softens, then drain and mash.
Blend the Scan Bran, carrot, sweetener, ground ginger, all-spice, cinnamon and stem ginger, mixing very thoroughly. Then add the beaten eggs and stir until completely mixed. Transfer the mixture into a microwaveable dish – about 6½in/16cm in diameter.
Microwave on high for about 15 minutes, or until cooked. The end product should be reasonably moist.

 

It's just 9 syns for the whole cake and can be divided into as many slices as you like.

Sunday Summary #12

Another week almost over, how has everyone got on?

Sarah - I have lost another 1lb this week but I have been feeling very demotivated at my last three losses, all a measly 1lb each week.  Yes, yes I know a loss is a loss etc etc but when you are sticking to plan 100% and now do more exercise in a day than you used to in a week it gets disheartening.  In fact this last week I have walked roughly 35 miles and still only 1lb :( I have decided that Slimming World online is just not working for me.  On Thursday I took action and went along to my very first class.  It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be to be honest and I am excited to see what the next week weeks brings.  I am still weighing in myself each Sunday for consistency but I will also get weighed every Thursday evening.  My running total is now 12lbs, that first stone is almost in reach, I can nearly taste the success!!

Gemma - I lost another 1lb this week and it's been a pretty good week for me. I've had a bit of a cold so I've been hungry and wanting nice things so I have shared my bank of 49 points out between each day rather than blowing them all on the weekend like I usually do. I've had nights in with a cup of tea this weekend for me so there hasn't been any temptation. Hope to see another 1- 1.5 lb loss this week. Been very busy in the kitchen trying out lots of things from my Weight Watcher magazine which is keeping my diet interesting.

Charlene - I haven't been able to weight myself yet but I'm not sure if I'll lose any weight anyway. I've done quite well with eating healthily this week, but I haven't done much exercise. I'm going to restart the 30 Day Shred tomorrow and hope that life doesn't get in the way this time! Did anyone complete it last time we started it? I'd love to hear from you if you did!

Lucy - I'm writing this on Saturday morning because I won't get a chance tomorrow I don't think because I'm heading to Manchester to see Take That tonight (SO EXCITED, I heard Gary Barlow is planning to propose to me). Anyway, this week has been another good week for me - constantly on the move, eating healthily and I discovered a new snack which I mentioned on Twitter during the week and hopefully I'll get a chance to post about it next week. However, I do seem to think that eating everything in sight is allowed on weekends and I need to learn that it isn't! I haven't weighed myself yet but fingers crossed it's a loss, even if it's only a little bit :)

Sarah V is in Italy this week so we hope she is eating her body weight in pasta, pesto and gellato! Life is too short to be good all the time :)

That's it from us for this week, how have you been finding your challenges?  If you're struggling to stay on track don't forget you can always tweet us instead of reaching for that pizza or chocolate bar :)

Guest Post- Rosie from A Pocketful of Rosie

Todays guest post was written by Rosie from A Pocketful of Rosie

Me and food have always had a love/hate relationship. I love eating it, I hate how fast it makes me put on weight! I have always been a bit ‘chunky’, but I really put on weight in the last 2 ½ years since I’ve been with my boyfriend. Nights in eating takeaway pizzas, Indians, and other generally ‘bad’ food made me go up from being 8 ½ stone to 10 stone 8 lbs, and from a size 8-10 to a size 12-14. It doesn’t sound like much, but for teeny tiny 5’’2 me it was a lot! It was enough to make me feel less confident in my own skin, and feel like I was much fatter than everyone else around me.

I didn’t really have the motivation to do anything about it until Where Are My Knees started up, and I joined the other ‘pledgers’ in promising to make lifestyle changes to lose weight/tone up. My aim was to go back down to a healthy weight for my height (at least to 10 stone), which seemed like it was going to be quite a battle!

For me, exercising wasn’t really an option. I’ve always been really lazy, and I really couldn’t find the motivation to get up and do it. That only left changing my diet, which I found much easier to do! These are the changes that I made:

-          I changed my portion size. I used to fill up my biggest plate at each mealtime, and then feel obligated to eat it all, so by switching to a smaller plate it made it seem like I was eating as much, almost ‘tricking’ my stomach into being full.

-          I swapped 90% of my meat for turkey. I’m very much a meat eater, and couldn’t have given it up, so by switching to turkey (which is much lower in fat and higher in protein that many other meats) I reduced my intake of fat by lots!

-          I swapped my white bread for wholegrain, which actually I prefer now!

-          I swapped all of my snacks for fruit/low fat yoghurts

-          I have been drinking LOTS of water and fruit juice, which I’m not sure has had too much of an effect on my weight, but has definitely had an effect on my skin

-          I’ve generally been watching my calorie intake if I’m going out for a meal or having to buy lunch from boots/Tesco’s etc.

-          I have one cheat day a week, where I eat something higher in fat (usually Doritos or cheesy bread – yum!)

By making these small changes, I’ve lost 8lbs in 8 weeks! I was actually shocked, because I don’t have scales at University, and when I weighed myself for the first time in a month and a half, I’d lost half a stone! People have commented that I’m looking slimmer, which is really nice, and I feel a lot more confident about going out bare legged and about the fact that I have to bare my bod on holiday over the summer!

I thought I’d share with you my turkey meatball recipe, which always goes down well! It’s actually much tastier made with turkey than beef/pork!

For the meatballs:

250g Turkey Mince

Half a red onion, diced

1 egg, whisked

Some breadcrumbs

For the sauce:

Half a red onion, sliced

A tin of chopped tomatos

Pasta Sauce (if needed)

Also:

60grams of pasta per person

1 teaspoon of olive oil

1.      Mix the turkey mince, diced onions and egg in a bowl. It will be a bit gooey, so add some breadcrumbs until it is firm enough to shape. Roll the mix into equal size meatballs (the mix should make about 10-12) Then roll the meatballs in some more breadcrumbs so they are completely covered.

2.      Fry the meatballs in a teaspoon full of olive oil, turning occasionally, until browned all over. (you can also grill, but they are much tastier fried, and olive oil isn’t too bad for you!)

3.      Put the pasta on to boil before you add the sauce to the meatballs

4.      Add the red onions and chopped tomatoes to the meatballs. If needed, add some pasta sauce too until the meatballs are covered.

5.      Leave the meatballs/sauce to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked.

6.      Serve the pasta, and then the meatballs on top.

7.      Enjoy!

A day in the life of Weight Watchers #2

I did a 'day in the life of...' post before and I think that people were surprised at the types of food you can eat on the Weight Watchers plan. My last post was for a day when I am in work but this is what I ate today on my day off. I had a little more time to cook so I made two full meals that were filling rather than filling up on low point snacks.

Here is what I ate-

Breakfast

Bread - 3 points
Jam - 2 points

Lunch

3 Low Fat Sausages from Lidl (very tasty and worth trying) - 4 points
Batter mix (egg, flour and water) - 5 points
Instant gravy - 1 point
Sweetcorn - 1 point
Veg and onions for gravy - 0 points

Drinks/Snacks

Hot chocolate - 1 point
Juice - 2 points
Cuppa Soup - 1 point

Dinner

Rice - 8 points
Green beans - 0 points
Kebabs (extra lean mince, onion, chilli and spices) - 6 points

Extras

Milk for tea -1 point
Digestive biscuits - 4 points
Fruit - 0 points

39/39 points

Are any of you doing the Weight Watchers plan? Have you got any low point food ideas you can share with me?