Paprika Chicken & Bacon Warmer

I was challenged recently by Knorr to incorporate their fabulous Knorr Stock Pots into a recipe - the challenge was that it had to be gluten-free, much like their Stock Pots. They sent me a big box of lovely fresh ingredients, and left it up to me to decide what I wanted to make.

I decided to adapt this recipe to be gluten free and Weight Watchers friendly, and it worked a treat. This is a super tasty, super hearty, super warming Autumn dish... and it's low fat. Winner!

Paprika Chicken & Bacon Warmer

(adapted from here)

Serves: 4-6

400g chicken breasts (I used a pack of Sainsbury's mini fillets) - 10PP

200g bacon medallions - 6PP

800g baby potatoes, sliced - 15PP

1 tbsp cornflour - 2PP

Knorr chicken stock pot - 1PP

250ml white wine - 6PP

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce - 2PP

Salt & Pepper

Smoked Paprika

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 onion, chopped

6 mushrooms, chopped

1 pepper, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

300ml boiling water, for stock

2-3 stalks of fresh thyme

Frylight

42PP / 11PP - 4 servings, 7PP - 6 servings

1. Boil a pan of water and par-boil your potatoes for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
1. Chop up your chicken and bacon (I always use scissors)
2. In a plastic sandwich bag, add 2 teaspons of smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 of pepper. Mix together (I just shook the bag) and throw the chicken into the bag
3. Massage the bag from the outside until the chicken is well coated. To be honest, I think you could also just throw the chicken, paprika, salt and pepper into a bowl and stir it together too.
4. In a nonstick frying pan or wok, add the chicken and bacon, and cook until cooked through. You will probably need to add some Frylight and maybe a few splashes of water, to stop it sticking.
5. Remove the meat from the pan and leave in a bowl for a bit, then add the garlic and the onion into the pan. Stir for about 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook for another 2 minutes. Again, you may need to add another splash of water to stop it sticking.
6. Add the carrots and peppers, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
7. Combine the cornflour with a splash of water to make a paste, then slowly stir into 175ml of the wine (I used a jug for this).

8. Add the Knorr Stock Pot to a jug of 300ml of boiling water, and stir until it's dissolved.
9. Add the flour and wine mixture to the pan, and then immediately add the stock. If you wait, it'll stick and your vegetables will burn. I speak from experience...
10. Pop the potatoes and the meat back into the pan with all the vegetables, stir to combine and increase the heat to medium-high until it starts to bubble. Add another sprinkling of paprika, your sweet chilli, a further 175ml of wine and some more salt and pepper.
11. Leave to simmer and cook down for about half an hour. If you can, cover the pan, but we didn't have a lid and it was fine - I just checked it regularly and gave it a stir to make sure it wasn't sticking.
12. Just before stirring, strip the stalks of thyme into the mixture and stir them in. Have a taste, add any extra seasoning you wish and then plate that bad boy up.

This is my last post here on Where Are My Knees sadly, but you can catch me at my personal blog, Essbeevee, which is full of lots of yummy recipes and chatter.

Cheeseburger Casserole

Someone linked to this recipe on Twitter recently from the American blog SkinnyTaste (originally from a Bobby Deen cookbook) and I was intrigued by it. Cheeseburgers? In a casserole? With pasta? And not full of fat? DOES NOT COMPUTE.

Obviously I had to try it though, and try it I did. I am usually pretty faithful when it comes to following recipes, but I looked at all the weird American measurements and totally improvised this one. So not like me. I kind of based it on the quantities from other recipes I’ve done like a Spag Bol and a cheesy bake, and it was super yummy! It’s not QUITE as good as a cheeseburger (come on, NOTHING is) but it’s really hearty and filling and there’s cheese involved, and you know that I’m all about involving the cheese. I’ve modified it a bit, adding some extra flavouring and stuff, and a few more veggies.

Cheeseburger Casserole (originally from here)

500g extra lean mince 16pp

300g pasta 29pp

150g light cheddar cheese 12pp

3 tbsp Dijon Mustard 2pp

1 onion, finely chopped 0pp

1 red pepper, chopped 0pp

1 tsp salt 0pp

1 tsp black pepper 0pp

2 tbsp tomato puree 1pp

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 garlic cloves, chopped or crushed 0pp

1 carton/can chopped tomatoes 0pp

1 jar pickled gherkins 0pp*

60PP / 10PP

Serves 6.

To reduce points: drop the amount of cheese, make into 8 portions instead of 6, drop the amount of pasta (40g per person instead of 50g per person would be enough).

1. Preheat the oven to 150c.
2. Cook the pasta according to package instructions and drain.
3. In a large frying pan or wok, add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add oil if you need to (but remember to account for it if you’re counting) or FryLight, but a smidge of water will also work to stop it sticking.
4. Stir in the garlic and the mince, and cook until browned.
5. Add the pepper, and any other vegetables you fancy.
6. Stir in the tomato puree, then add the salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, chopped tomatoes and the mustard. Let the mixture bubble slightly until it’s slightly thickened – a few minutes. Stir frequently to make sure it doesn’t stick.
7. Give it a taste and add any extra seasoning you think it needs, but if you’re happy, chuck the pasta in with the sauce and stir it together
8. Spread the meat and pasta mixture into the prepared dish, and top with your grated 150g of cheese.
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and brown.
10. Sprinkle the chopped pickles over the top and serve – but if you’ve batch cooked this and are planning to freeze it, hold back on the pickles and only add them when the mixture is heated up and ready to eat.

*I’ve put 0pp on the pickles but it depends on what you buy. I bought a jar of pickled sweet gherkins and if I’d eaten the whole jar, it would have been a few points because of the sugar that was used to preserve them. However, allowing for a sixth of the jar was 0pp. So just make sure you check this – it’s not going to add a lot to the dish though. Also, if you’re not a fan of them, just leave them out!

SkinnyTaste also suggested adding sautéed mushrooms to the top which I did – I sautéed a whole punnet of chopped mushrooms in about 30g of Lurpak Lighter (5pp), a bit of salt and a couple of chopped garlic cloves which added an extra point per portion. I then put them on top of the bake when it was out of the oven so they retained their flavour. They were yummy, but I felt like the taste of the bake kind of drowned their buttery garlicky awesomeness. Next time, I’d just have them as a side.

Mexican Lasagne

I’ve spoken before about my love for Food Network, but if you have a similar addiction, you’ll know that most recipes on there don’t really fit on a website with a diet/fitness focus. So prepare to be even more shocked when I bring up Nigella – oh yes, I have a Nigella recipe for you today, and it’s really not naughty. AND I barely tinkered with it at all. I know, I know – I was surprised too. I kind of expected more of Nigella.

This Mexican Lasagne is vegetarian and super filling. I actually messed up my layers slightly as I forgot how to count, so I’m going to talk you through how I SHOULD have done it. It’s a really easy recipe though and very hearty. I must confess – even if it’s a touch TMI – I felt like it made me a little bloated, but it is quite carb heavy with the wraps and the beans. If I made it again, I’d cut down on the tortillas used (due to messing up the layers, I ended up using 12 in the whole dish which was overkill), decrease the beans and up the sweetcorn (and maybe the cheese). It’s a good, stodgy meal though – great for winter – and it freezes really well, so yay for that!

The main changes I made was cutting out the oil (honestly, you hardly ever need to cook with oil), upping the vegetables in the salsa (the salsa is almost entirely point-free, so next time I’d even be tempted to up the tomato!) and swapping the cheese. I think it would work with just low fat cheddar, though. I also changed the beans – the original recipe calls for black beans, but I couldn’t find them!

You can see Nigella’s original recipe here.

Mexican Lasagne
9 Weight Watchers wraps - 25PP
1 tbsp Tomato Ketchup - 1PP
3 cans Pinto Beans - 17PP
2 165g cans Sweetcorn - 6PP
200g feta - 15PP
225g mozzarella - 10PP
50g low fat cheddar - 4PP
2 onions
1 punnet mushrooms
2 peppers (any colour)
2 green or red chillies, chopped and deseeded (or not, depending on how spicy you like it)
3 cloves fresh garlic
Fresh coriander
800g chopped tomatoes (2 cans)
400ml water (swilled in empty cans)

Serves 8
78PP / 10PP

1. Preheat the oven to 200c.
2. Finely chop all your veggies
3. In a wok or non-stick frying pan fry the onion, pepper, mushrooms, chillies and crushed garlic cloves until soft
4. Add the canned tomatoes, then swill the cans out with water and add this too. Spoon in the ketchup and let the sauce come to a simmer, leaving it to cook with the lid off for about 10 mins. It should thicken considerably, but if it still looks watery turn the heat up and leave it a little longer.
5. Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix the drained beans and sweetcorn. Add the chopped mozzarella and feta, and mix together until well combined.
6. When the sauce is done (make sure to season to taste with salt/pepper and any other spices) you can start assembling. I just used my lasagne dish.
7. Smear a bit of the salsa on the bottom of your dish – enough to just cover it.
8. Add a layer of tortilla. To fit the space I used 2 overlapping wraps, then chopped a third in half and put it on either end (see the photo)
9. Add half the remaining salsa, then add another layer of tortillas over them
10. Add all of your sweetcorn/bean/cheese mix then add another layer of tortillas
11. Add the remaining salsa over the top, then sprinkle your cheddar over that.
12. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, then let rest for a good 10-15 minutes before slicing.
13. As much as you may not want to, leaving it to rest DOES make a difference. I ate it straight out of the oven and it fell apart – I had to use a spoon to get it out! When I portioned up the rest, it sliced incredibly neatly and I could use a fishslice to lift it out.

To reduce points – you could easily leave out a tortilla layer, and I doubt you’d miss it. You could also cut down on the beans, or switch the type of cheese. Next time, I’m probably going to do all three of these things and I think it’ll taste better for it! I also think the ketchup added nothing to the flavour – I’d use sweet chilli instead.

Weight Watchers Event: Simple Start Launch

Both Gem and I are big Weight Watchers fans, so when the WW team invited me along to a cooking challenge and to find out more about their new plan, I jumped at the chance. WW has worked wonders for me, and even though I slipped off track at the end of last year due to a calorific holiday to the States and Christmas, I really haven’t found it hard to get back into it.

The event was a lovely chance to meet the WW team and their new celebrity ambassador, Shelina (who won Masterchef last year). She showed us how to make a couple of healthy recipes – turkey patties, corn salsa and grilled pineapple skewers. Here are the recipes, if you want to make them! I bought my friend Anne with me, who is also a WW fan (there are more of us than you think) and she was amused by my cooking style – my philosophy has always been not to use utensils if I can use my hands! I did end up a bit messy, but that's how I roll.

What all of the dishes we made had in common were that they are all free under the new Weight Watchers plan, Simple Start. Simple Start is how new members will now be introduced to the plan, and is based on the Filling & Healthy plan that existing members will already be aware of. It’s basically about eating food that is naturally low in fat but filling, and then allowing yourself a small portion of things off the list every day. Then, after the first two weeks, members can choose whether or not to start pointing, or whether to stay on the Simple Start/Filling & Healthy plan.

Simple Start is perfect for people who don’t like their portions being restricted, or who can’t get their heads round pointing. The philosophy is that you can eat as much as you want of the foods on the list, so there’s no counting or portion control.

To be completely honest though, Simple Start is not the plan for me. It has a lot in common with Slimming World, which didn’t work for me because I am GREEDY. If someone tells me I can eat as much pasta as I want, then I totally will. But also, I struggled with the fact that to get the most out of your daily meals, everything really has to be made from scratch. My dinners usually are, but I do rely on shopbought soup and porridge packets, as well as cereal bars, low fat crisps and chocolate bars. The points system really works for me, because it restricts my food while also letting me have a little of what I fancy. If I did Simple Start all the time, I’d probably not eat the things that were off-list, and then I’d start majorly craving them – and so when I fall off the diet wagon, I can’t get back on it. My mum has just started WW with me and after a week on Simple Start, has switched to points and is getting on much better. She has a similar philosophy to me, I think.

I think everyone is different though, and Simple Start has already worked really well for a lot of people. When I get to where I want to on Weight Watchers, I do want to switch to Filling & Healthy rather than pointing forever. But for now, I definitely need that structure to get to where I want to be. It was a fabulous event though – I loved getting my cook on! Thanks for the invite, Weight Watchers!

Blue Cheese & Pesto Pasta

Picture the scene a couple of Fridays ago. It was pouring with rain the whole way home, it was cold, and all I wanted to do was get in my house, in my pyjamas and eat some stodge. Because I batch cook a lot, I generally have ready-made meals in my freezer, so I figured I'd have something like my mushroom lasagne, maybe a bit of extra cheese, and then flop.

Anyway. I got home, and discovered a problem - I'd worked my way through all of my freezer meals. Nothing left except a rubbish pasta dish that was entirely tasteless. So I was left with a choice - eat the boring pasta dish and be hungry all evening (don't you find disappointing food never really fills you up?), go out in the rain and buy food, or get a takeaway. And I... went out in the rain. I WAS IMPRESSED TOO. But it wasn't actually that bad in the end, and it meant that whilst I walked to Tesco, I could think about what I fancied to eat and work out the points on my phone. By the time I got there, I knew that I wanted pesto, I wanted cheese and I wanted broccoli.

See, this is what happens when you eat healthily for a while. You start craving things like broccoli. Bloomin' love broccoli.

Blue Cheese Pesto Pasta

240g Pasta - 23PP

500g Chicken Breasts - 12PP

150g Danish Blue - 14PP

3 tbsp Pesto - 4PP

100g Philadelphia Light - 4PP

4 cloves garlic

2 red onions

1 punnet mushrooms

200g spinach

Big bunch of Broccoli

=57PP / 10PP per person

To reduce points: Reduce the chicken (it really wasn't needed), less cheese, less pesto

Serves 6

1. Put your pasta on to boil as per the package instructions.
2. Chop up your broccoli and boil in a separate pan for 7-10 minutes until tender (if you're super organised you could use the same pan as your pasta, just do the broccoli first and then use the same water to do the pasta).
3. Chop up your chicken and cook in your pan or wok with a little water to prevent sticking.
4. Add half your garlic as the chicken is cooking so it absorbs the flavour
5. While these are cooking, chop up your onions and mushrooms and set aside for a moment.
6. When your chicken is cooked through, add 1 tablespoon of pesto to it and stir until the chicken is covered.
7. Add the veg, stir well and pop the lid on for 5-10 minutes while the veg softens.

8. Add your Philadelphia and stir well - the liquid in the pan will help turn the cheese into a sauce, but if it's lumpy, add a splash of milk.
9. Chop up your blue cheese and toss it into the pan. Stir well. It's a soft cheese, so it will merge into the sauce easily.
10. Let this simmer away for a while. Your pasta should be done by now, so drain it, then pop it back in the same pan. Add a tablespoon of pesto to the pasta alone and stir until totally covered.
11. Chop up your broccoli and add to the sauce, then throw your pesto pasta in too.
12. Add the spinach to the pan and cover for about 3 minutes until wilted. Make sure you stir the sauce at regular intervals so it doesn't stick.
13. When the spinach has wilted, stir well until combined with the sauce. Add your third tbsp of pesto to the pan and stir through.
14. And you're done! If you fancy, you could then pour all of this into a lasagne dish, cover with a little cheddar, and bake for 15 mins or so to let those flavours all really combine. I served it as it was though with a little extra cheese on top instead... NOM. Exactly what I fancied.

Plus, the benefits of batch cooking - I had five more portions of this to add to my freezer stash. Hooray! If I made this again, I'd definitely bake it, and I'd cut out the chicken as although it was nice, it really didn't add anything. I think bacon could be good though!

As always, let us know in the comments or on Twitter if you make this - we love to see your recipe pics!

Shock Absorber Sports Bra Review

We do love a good sports bra here at Team WAMK, we are all very aware of the importance of adequate support during any exercise.  Hopefully none of you let your babies swing wild whilst exercising!  If you do please do yourself a favour and get yourself a sports bra, you will thank us for it when gravity kicks in.  Shock Absorber sent us two of their sports bras to review, the zipped plunge sports bra and the Active D+ flexiwire sports bra, we put them through their paces and here are our thoughts.

Zipped Plunge Sports Bra - size range: 32-38 B-DD.
Stockists: www.shockabsorber.co.uk

Sarah tested this one and loved it.  It is really easy to get on and off due to the zip front, there is nothing worse than trying to pull a sports bra over your head when you are all sweaty.  I have had to wrestle out of my old one far too many times, almost as exhausting as the actual work out!  It felt really supportive on - in fact my 34C's didn't move a centimetre whilst running, rowing or boxing.  It was really comfortable too, there are no fastenings on the back so it is perfect for mat work.

The zip doesn't come in contact with the skin, there is a tab of fabric to prevent any potential rubbing and there is a hook which you do up first to make zipping that zip up much easier.

The fabric is also moisture-wicking to maximise comfort during exercise.  Apart from providing good support I love the way it looks.  The racer back means I don't have to worry about straps falling down my narrow shoulders and the neon trim adds nice detail.  The zipped plunge sports bra does everything I could want from a sports bra, now to work on the flat tummy so I can wear it without needing a top covering it up!


Active D+ Flexiware Sports Bra - size range: 30-40 D-G, 32-38 GG-H.
Stockists: www.shockabsorber.co.uk

Sarah V tested this one. It's a much more traditional style, and I found it more snug than other sports bras I've worn. I don't think that's about fit, though, I think it's the style and it was still perfectly comfortable. In the past, even the best sports bra hasn't stopped my boobs moving around when jumping up and down at zumba, but this was so supportive. This bra is actually specifically designed for women with larger busts.

Like Sarah's bra, this is moisture-wicking and fully breathable. It's a great sports bra and one I'd certainly recommend.

What I Ate Wednesday - Sarah V

I’ll be honest, when I’m on a diet, I eat very similarly day in, day out. In the winter, I have soup for lunch pretty much every day – and sure, I mix up the soup flavours, but nine times out of ten, I go back to the same ones (because they’re the BEST ONES).

I had a day recently where I ate a bit differently, so thought it was a good one to include here. Particularly because there’s a VERY surprising treat included... I’m a bit amazed I could get it in too and still be under my 26PP!

Breakfast

2 Alpen Light bars – 3PP

These are a godsend when you know you are going to have a bad day, or are eating on the run. Originally I thought they were quite high at 2PP each, but they’re victims to WW’s rounding up/rounding down policy. In reality they are probably about 1.6PP each – which would be rounded up to 2 - meaning that two is 3.2PP – which would be rounded down to 3! So useful – I always try to have a box of these at work and also at home. The Lemon Drizzle ones are so tasty but the Cherry Bakewell are the best ones!

Snack

Sainsbury’s Sweet & Salt Popcorn – 2PP

I am obsessed with these mini popcorn packets – they tend to hit the spot so much more than crisps as they satisfy the sweet and savoury craving all at once. The bags look small, but it’s more than enough for a snack. They’re amazing.

Lunch

Aubergine Parmigiana – 5PP

This is the recipe I posted a little while ago. I ended up having it for lunch every day that week – it reheated beautifully and everyone in the office was jealous. Plus, the halloumi chunks... yum. Having a slightly lower than usual lunch always makes a difference later in the day.

Snack

Krispy Kreme Donut – 9PP

WHAT WHAT? You heard me right, I managed to factor in a Krispy Kreme. You also heard me right, it is almost double the points of my lunch. I didn’t plan to have this, but someone brought them into work and I couldn’t resist. The best thing is I was already intending to have a low dinner, so it’s totally allowed!

Dinner

Butternut Squash Lasagne – 6PP

15g Cathedral City Light – 1PP

Bloody love this lasagne! It’s a really filling, tasty dinner, but shockingly low in points. The perfect recipe to make when you’re trying to have a good week, or perhaps trying to get back on track after a bad one!

Drinks

Water & Diet Coke

I drink about 3 litres of water a day, and sometimes allow myself a Diet Coke when I need a caffeine hit. I'm trying to get out of the one a day habit though - even though it's calorie free, it's so bad for you!

Total = 26PP exactly

Garlic & Mushroom Lasagne

A long long time ago (okay, a few months) I made a mushroom lasagne. I was excited about it. It had so much potential. It was based on an Ina Garten recipe, it had butter in it, and it was full of mushrooms and garlic which are two of my favourite things. What could go wrong?

Well, quite a few things, as it hapens. It wasn't BAD, it was just... meh. It was overly wet and after spending ages sauteeing mushrooms in garlic and butter, I couldn't taste it at all. Upsetting.

It bothered me though. How could a recipe with so much POTENTIAL be such a letdown? I couldn't let it go. So, I made some tweaks, and tried it again. And this time? This time it was EPIC. This recipe? Pah. But THIS recipe? I completely vouch for. If you like mushrooms, then you will flip for this. It's so rich and filling and tasty and wonderful and AWESOME.

Garlic Mushroom Lasagne
6 lasagne sheets – 11pp
1 cans Campbell's or Bachelor's Low Fat Condensed Mushroom Soup – 4pp
60g Lurpak Lighter – 9pp
125g Light Mozzarella - 6PP
200g light feta - 10pp
100g Low Fat Cheese - 8PP
6-8 x fresh garlic cloves - 0PP
2 red onions - 0PP
200g Spinach - 0PP
Black pepper – 0PP
4 x punnets mushrooms (about 1000g) – 0PP

48PP / 8PP

To reduce points - Use less cheese, cut out or cut down the butter.

Serves 6.

1 - Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
2 - Clean the mushrooms and slice them 1/4-inch thick. You can use normal closed cup, portobello, or a mixture. I used 2 punnets closed cup, a punnet of mini portobello and a punnet of shiitake.
3 - Heat a little of the butter in a large non-stick frying pan or wok. When the butter melts, add a couple of crushed garlic cloves and a handful of the sliced mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and they release some of their juices.
4 - They may become too dry, so add a little water. Toss occasionally to make sure the mushrooms cook evenly. When cooked, remove from pan, add another handful of mushrooms, another bit of butter, more garlic and more salt. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms and butter, then set all the mushrooms aside in a bowl.
5 - Go outside for a minute and then come back in. DOESN'T YOUR HOUSE SMELL AMAZING?
6 - Thinly chop up your red onions and cook until soft. Remove from wok, mix in with your mushrooms (you could also cook them together, to be honest).
7 - Steam your spinach by placing in the wok or your pan with a lid on for a couple of minutes until it wilts.
8 - Drain your mushroom and onion mixture. I recommend saving the liquid that comes out in a pan as you can use it later!



9 - To assemble the lasagne, place about half the mushroom and onion mixture in the bottom of your lasagne dish
10 - Cut up your feta and sprinkle over the top of the mushrooms.
11 - Add 3 of the pasta sheets over the top then add your spinach on top of that, spreading out evenly so every portion will get a good amount
12 - Add the rest of your mushrooms to the top of your spinach, then tear up your mozzarella and sprinkle on top.
13 - Add your last 3 pasta sheets.
14 - Pour your mushroom soup in a bowl and add a splash of the drained mixture from your mushrooms. This gross looking water is basically mushroom juice, garlic and butter - it's going to add some awesome flavour! Add as much as you want, and stir until you're happy with the consistency.
15 - It seems a crime to get rid of the remaining juices, but your mushrooms will release more juices whilst cooking though so you need to be wary of the dish getting too wet as it will sap the flavour of the mushrooms.
16 - Spread your soup over the top of the lasagne sheets - this is basically your white sauce.
17 - Sprinkle your low fat cheese (I use Cathedral City Light) on top, and add a few spritzes of FryLight, a dash of rosemary if you fancy it, and salt and pepper.
18 - Chuck in the oven! Bake for 20-30 minutes and then NOM.

I made mine 6 portions but you could actually stretch it to 8. It's very rich and filling. AND AMAZING.

How to get past a plateau

The above is a real chart of my weight loss since January. Starts off so well, doesn't it? A nice, steady downward slope. And then it kind of... straightens up.

Even when I've been losing weight steadily, I live in fear of the dreaded plateau. We all know it's coming, and sooner or later we are going to get to the point where nothing is changing. So what do you do?

My weight has just started really moving again for the first time since e start of June, and I've actually lost around 4lbs in the last week or so. It's not been a fluke, though - I've worked bloomin' hard to shift that! So I thought I'd share my tips for getting through a plateau.

1. Exercise
I'm sure there are some dieters out there who are instantly like 'I'm out.' I'm with you! Exercise is the WORST. And for the first few months of WW, I didn't do any. Then I started walking a bit more. I started making a point of taking the long way round, and instead of driving the 3 miles to my parents' house, going by foot. Eventually, I braved a Zumba class for the first time in almost a year. And you know what? I loved it!

My point is, start slow. Take it easy at first. But when you approach that plateau, it's time to step it up. And you might actually find that you enjoy it.

2. Go back to the start
My first few months on WW, I tracked literally everything I ate and I saw serious results. But gradually, I started to miss the odd day here or there. A night out was a total write off. And my weight stopped going down. Some weeks, it went up.

The last few weeks, I've started following WW like a newbie again. It's got my motivation back and made me aware of the little extras that were creeping in. Have a biscuit, it's fine. But it DOES count.

3. Set some new targets
That dress in a size smaller, getting to a certain weight, finally being able to wear skinny jeans... if you believe you can, then you can.

My goal was to fit into a size 12 bridesmaids dress for October and you know what? It fits. But it could fit better. So now I'm focusing on getting to a certain point, which would be the slimmest I've been for 7 years. It'd be kind of a big deal to me, and I'm 11lbs off right now.

4. Think about how far you've come
Sure, you look better. But how do you FEEL? After losing 2 stone, my self confidence is higher than it's been for a long time. I actually like photos of myself again. But physically, I feel so much healthier. The sore knees and back that were plaguing me last year have gone. My body is full of good stuff, and my tummy is both smaller and happier for it.

5. Try something new
Like a new exercise class, or some new recipes. There's tons on the Internet - on this blog even - plus in recipe books, magazines. Branch out, get out of your rut, and you might actually get excited about cooking healthily again. And I need to take this point on board, as I've been living on butternut squash lasagne lately. It's so good though!


You might have actually already achieved your target, and if you feel great as you are, that's awesome. You're not at a plateau, dude! You're at target! APPLAUSE.

If you have any other ideas, let us know in the comments!


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Monthly Summary: July

Rosie - After going to Greece at the end of May and spending three weeks in France in June, by the end of June I found myself almost ten pounds heavier and bloated and uncomfortable after six weeks of overindulging in wine, bread and cheese! If I'm honest I was pretty dismayed at myself, and the fact that I'd not been running for six weeks either meant that I was back to square one with my fitness as well as my diet. I've been trying to be really good again this month and have lost 5lbs in the last few weeks.  What I'm most pleased about is how much I've got stuck back into it in the last couple of weeks especially - I've been trying to stick to a low carb, high protein diet to get rid of some of my holiday belly fat and that seems to have been working, I'm also back onto my exercise and am loving running again - I ran five miles on Friday before I went to work and I felt amazing for it, as well as going on a four mile walk yesterday and going swimming, gym and rollerblading today! I need to keep 'being active' as part of my routine and I love how the sunny weather opens up more opportunities for long dog walks and bike rides! My only challenge over the next week is that it's my birthday on Wednesday, so I'll allowing myself some treats this week and then getting straight back onto it.

Sarah V - At the start of July I felt very down about my weight loss. I seemed to have plateaued around the same 2lbs loss and gain for a good 6 weeks. There were reasons though, June was a busy month and I ate terribly at Glastonbury! But I've got better at snapping back to being good once the badness is over. It was my birthday on Monday, just as my weight started to go down again and I was convinced I was going to ruin everything with lots of meals out and drinking. Luckily though I managed not to gain any weight and I am hoping to go to my weigh in tomorrow with a loss. I have finally done my two stone now but really want to get to three stone in the next couple of months. I just have to get more active, I think that's the key to kickstarting things again.

Gem - What a nightmare month, I've not been to class once, haven't been to the gym and now weigh about 7lbs more than I did about 6 weeks ago. I've allowed myself one final weekend of madness because it's my birthday tomorrow but I'm back on plan as of Tuesday morning. There's no way I'm letting a year and a half of hard work go down the drain. can one of you come and be my personal trainer please? You could follow me around with a megaphone telling me to jog or put the cake down...

Sarah - I have finally found that motivation I have been so lacking recently and am really happy to say I lost 3lbs last week.  We now also have a home gym so I have been getting some much needed exercise.  We currently have a treadmill and a punch bag so I will be making use of these each evening and sticking mostly to healthy foods.  I am not following any plan just trying to make better choices but still allowing myself some treats.  I have also forced myself to start eating breakfast after recently discovering overnight oats and the endless combinations meaning I will never get bored.  It's only a baby step but it's a step in the right direction and I feel really confident that I will be able to report back with even better news next month!

 

Honey Roasted Butternut Squash & Feta Salad

I'm really getting into making my lunch for work - my favourite way though, is to make something in bulk that will keep me going for a few days. I just can't get motivated to make a salad every night!

At the moment, I'm trying to be super good so I wanted to make something involving butternut squash as it's zero points. My best friend and I were brainstorming salad ideas like the cool kids we are, and we came up with this. It was amazing. It's barely a recipe, really - but it got a lot of interest on Twitter so as promised, up on WAMK it goes!

I made the squash in one go and boxed it into three portions along with a chunk of feta and a segment of lime - come lunchtime, I just grabbed a bag of rocket and dished it up. So many jealous stares at work, and rightly so - bloomin' delicious!

Honey Roasted Butternut Squash & Feta Salad

1 Butternut Squash - 0PP

200g Light Feta - 10PP

1 tbsp Honey - 4PP

1 lime

Rocket, to serve.

= 14PP / 5PP per person

Serves 3

1. Preheat the oven to 200c.
2. Pierce your butternut squash randomly all over and then put in the microwave (whole) for 3 minutes.
3. This will make your squash easier to cut and peel. Get it out the microwave, chop off the ends and peel.
4. Chop your squash into fairly small cubes and put in a big bowl.
5. Add a tablespoon of honey to the bowl of squash and use your hands to toss the squash until it's all well covered in the honey.
6. Put your squash in a roasting tin, add a liberal amount of salt and pepper and scatter over some dried rosemary if you fancy, and put in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
7. That's basically it! Serve hot or cold with a handful of salad leaves and a crumbled up chunk of feta. I used 1/3 of a 200g block, 1/4 would have been plenty.
8. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the top... and you're done! SO TASTY.

Aubergine & Halloumi Parmigiana

Welcome to day 2 of my VoucherCodes challenge! (Day one is here) I had various plans with this meal, and then totally changed my mind and went for something entirely different. But it’s really nice, and really low fat. Amazeballs.

I’m calling this Aubergine Parmigiana, but it doesn’t actually have parmesan in it, so the name is totally misleading. I personally feel that parmesan completely disintegrates when used in a bake, and other, more robust cheeses are a better bet. Plus, I had some halloumi in the fridge, and I don’t need much of an excuse to use halloumi. This recipe is incredibly low fat. Weight Watchers-wise, the only pointed thing is the cheese, and it would be tasty without. But, as you know, everything is a little better with cheese.

Okay, a LOT better.

Aubergine & Halloumi Parmigiana
3 x Aubergines - 0PP / 175cal
1 carton Passata - 0PP / 160cal
1 can of carton chopped tomatoes - 0PP / 88cal
1 onion - 0PP / 46cal
1 courgette - 0PP / 18cal
6 mushrooms - 0PP / 20cal
5 garlic cloves - 0PP / 26cal
225g light halloumi - 16PP / 549
75g low fat cheddar - 6PP / 236 cals
100g spinach - 0PP / 23cal
2 tsp artificial sweetener - 0PP / 2cal
Herbs e.g. basil, paprika
20PP / 5PP per person

Serves 4.

Calories: 578cal / 145cal per portion
WW Points: 20PP / 5PP per portion

Total cost: £9.05 (£2.26/portion)
To reduce points - Use less or no cheese.

1. Preheat the oven to 200c
2. Slice the aubergines lengthwise and then griddle a few at a time with a bit of frylight (or dry) until charred both sides. When done, place on a plate.
3. Slice the halloumi and using the same pan, griddle until browned. Set aside.
4. Cook your mushrooms, onions and courgette in a frying pan or wok with the garlic until soft.
5. Add the tomatoes, passata and sweetener and stir well.
6. Add the spinach, and put the lid on for a minute or so until it begins to wilt. Then stir into the sauce.
7. Add a healthy pinch of dried basil and of smoked paprika, if you have any and stir.
8. Leave the sauce to bubble with the lid off on a medium-high heat for 10 minutes or so. The sauce will thicken and reduce.
9. Time to assemble. Spread some of the tomato sauce into an ovenproof dish, then lay some of the aubergine slices over the top.
10. Repeat with a layer of tomato, a layer of aubergines, until everything is in the sauce (I managed three layers of tomatoes, two of aubergines)
11. Scatter the halloumi over the top and then grate the 75g of low fat cheddar over that.
12. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is brown and bubbling.

This is so low that I took it into work for lunch! So tasty, and it reheats beautifully.