Guest Post - Zero Point Ice Cream by Laura from Knead Whine

Hi, I'm Laura from Knead Whine. In the last 15 weeks I've lost 16lbs and am 11lbs away from target. I'm with the Weight Watchers programme and honestly can't believe how easy it is. I can have a little bit of what I want and the weight comes off. I'm a huge fan of sharing something a little bit naughty with my three year old - a slice of lemon and poppy seed cake at Pret or a falafel mezze salad from Starbucks shared between two is very few points.

My favourite discovery BY A MILE is zero point icecream (although knowing that a Green and Blacks dark mini is two points is something else I'm rather fond of!). Having discovered something I love, I couldn't help but try different variations and add the odd point here and there as I went.


Option one: - Banana, raspberry and cinnamon
Stats: two servings, 1 propoints each.

Recipe:
One banana, cut into coins and frozen
A handful of raspberries
A tablespoon of cinnamon - split between two people made for one propoint each.

Freeze the banana in coins, freeze the raspberries. Sprinkle with cinnamon and blend. We enjoyed this at the end of a really busy day at school fête and Newburyfest. Could have done without the cinnamon actually. Nicely pink and raspberryish.

Option two: - Bananaberry
Stats: one serving, one propoint (pointless without the meringue)

Recipe:
One banana, cut into coins and frozen
A handful of Waitrose essential berries mix
Grating of fresh nutmeg
Two mini Waitrose meringues

Blend together all ingredients except the meringues. Place meringue on top. Enjoyed on a very hot evening after a day of Tumble Tots and owl making.  

Option three: - Creamy banana
Stats: - one serving, one propoint

Recipe:
One banana, cut into coins and frozen
40g (to taste) of no fat natural yoghurt.

Blend banana and yoghurt together. A slight yoghurt tang and tasted like an even creamier version of the original. Enjoyed this on the night that the storm was promised to break after the hottest day of the year. 

Option four: - Peanut mocha
Stats: - two servings, two propoints each

Recipe:
Two bananas, cut into coins and frozen
2 teaspoons smooth peanut butter
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
20ml coffee - a good way to make use of the little bit that is always left over after I've used the coffee machine in the morning.

Blend ingredients together. This was quite tasty - although it could do with either dropping the peanut butter (making it only 1 propoint) or the coffee.

I've got loads more that I want to try out - a plain mocha option, a cashew butter option, maybe even an avocado option! Now I've started with this the possibilities are (almost) endless.

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!


Image source

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Protein Mug Cake Recipe

I'm currently trying to eat 'clean' - no refined sugars or processed foods - along with trying not to eat many carbs.  Trust me when I say that on that diet, sweet treats are few and far between. So I was at a bit of a loose end this afternoon when I had a real hankering for a warm slice of cake to have with my afternoon cup of tea.  I suddenly remembered that I'd seen people post protein mug or bowl cakes on instagram - cakes made with protein powder and cooked in the microwave.  I did a lot of scouting around the internet and finally found a recipe on a MyFitnessPal forum.  I have the Cookies and Cream flavour Whey Protein from My Protein which I bought a few weeks ago, it's only £12.89 for a kilogram so it's really good value and I thought it would be amazing in milkshakes (it is!) and in baking.  The recipe said to use vanilla protein powder but it was still delicious with the flavour I had.

Ingredients:

1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder 

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 
1 tsp sugar or sugar substitute (I use Truvia baking blend) 
1/4 tsp baking soda 
pinch of salt 
1 egg 
1 tbsp almond milk 
1 tbsp peanut butter 

Instructions:

Mix all the dry ingredients in a mug (protein powder, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt) with a fork until well blended and there are no clumps. Add in the egg and almond milk and mix until smooth. Drop the peanut butter into the center of the chocolate mixture and press down to submerge. Microwave for around 1 minute on high (give or take some time depending on your microwave), but watch it! It will start to bubble over the top. If this happens, stop microwaving, press batter back into mug with fork, and continue microwaving. When finished, cake should be cooked but still very moist. It is okay if not all the batter has cooked! 

This is what it looked like pre-microwaving:

Mine took about 1 minute 30 seconds in the end, when I took it out it looked like this:

It slid out of the mug easily and exposed a gooey base of peanut butter goodness!

I put the ingredients into My Fitness Pal to save it as a recipe and it says it has:

311 calories
4g carbs
16g fat
31g protein
455g sodium
4g sugar

I worked it out to be 7 WW Pro Points but I could be wrong.  Whatever diet or plan you're on it's a great way to get protein and satisfy that sugar craving without going overboard on calories or filling up on the naughty kinds of sugars.  I served mine with blueberries and greek yoghurt and it was really yummy.

It was a much firmer consistency than cake normally is, very very filling and really felt like such a treat.  I'll definitely be making it again and looking up more recipes.

Let us know if you make this or if you try any other protein cake recipes!

Saints & Slimmers Review – diet meal delivery

Saints & Slimmers aim to help you to lose weight by supplying you with ready-prepared calorie-controlled meals (and meal replacements like bars and shakes). After a few months of only very loosely following the Weight Watchers plan after a big weight loss I was looking forward to trying out a more structured diet plan for a few days. I was provided with three days worth of food to trial which followed three different plans. 

I have never tried any plans like this before and I always aim to prepare my food myself although I occasionally have a ready meal if I'm in a hurry so I was a little worried about not being able to chose what I ate or if it would suit me. 

Saints & Slimmers Nutritionist Charlotte Mullins says “We recognise that one diet plan does not fit all so we have designed several different plans. We all gain weight differently and we are all different in our approach to weight loss, so it stands to reason that not every diet plan should be the same.”

“We offer sensible diets that provide healthy meals and tasty meal replacement products that are scientifically proven to help people lose weight. Key products contain active ingredients such as green tea extract and L-Carnitine and are enhanced with protein and fibre meaning followers stay satisfied and fuller for longer so no excessive food cravings which often see us heading for the biscuit tin.” 

So what did all of this mean for me and how did I get on with the plan? 

Day 1.  The VLCD   600 kcals a day (average 4lbs weight loss in a week)

Breakfast : Meal replacement product - 100% natural shake

Lunch : Meal replacement product - Chocolate Milkshake 

Evening : Meal replacement product - Soup

I was a little worried about day one because if i didn't like any of the products I wouldn't be able to replace them and I find it difficult to drink milkshakes if I don't like the flavour (banana, gross) but I didn't need to worry. I liked the shake I had in the morning which I added fresh milk to and the soup and other shake were both very palatable. I loved having extra time in the morning because I didn't need to make breakfast or prepare a packed lunch. I made sure I drank plenty of water and didn't feel hungry on day one at all.

Day 2.  The VLCD 800 kcals a day (average 3lbs weight loss in a week)

Breakfast : Muffin

Mid morning : Summer Berries Cereal snack bar 

Lunch : Meal replacement product - Sinless Meal bar Chocolate 

Evening : Meal Replacement Product - Strawberry heavenly Milkshake

I found day two a bit of a struggle. All the foods are high protein and fibre and very filling but I have an hour lunch break and found it a little odd to just eat a bar. The milk chocolate bar was so very filling but I found it a little hard to eat as the texture was unusual. I really wanted a huge milky coffee in the morning with my cereal bar and it was hard to say no to a Costa. I also met with friends after work this day and had to settle for a glass of water rather than a gin and tonic which was a little heartbreaking. Again, despite the amount of food appearing to be quite small I was full all day.

Day 3.  The Complete  1200 kcals a day (average 2lbs weight loss in a week)

Breakfast : Porridge 

Mid morning : Deluxe Chocolate 

Lunch : Meal replacement soup

Evening : Low calorie ready meal 

You can also add up to 200 kcals of vegetables / fruit and dairy to The 'Complete' plan.

Day three was by far the best day on the plan. I liked all of the foods on this day and the ready meal was a welcome break from sweet bars and shakes. I was also able to add fresh food this day and had a lovely fruit salad with my soup for lunch. I really didn't feel like I was eating diet food on day three and could easily follow this plan for three/four days a week and go for lower calorie options on the other days.

Overall, it's great resource for people who struggle for time to prepare foods and who have to find the time to eat on the go. It's easy enough to snack on a meal replacement bar at lunch or drink your milkshake on the way to work. I found the lack of fresh food a little odd and difficult to get used to but if you prefer to cook your own meal in the evening like I do you can, having two meal replacement bars/shakes for your other meals. I think this would suit me much better and would allow for things like cooking for friends and making sure I can sit down with my family and eat the same things as them. 

They also have a range of tools, advice and online support available to help with your weight loss. Saints & Slimmers allow you to access their tools, information and advice, and interact with their online community without any purchase required. If you do decide to purchase food from Saints & Slimmers you can just try a few days to see if you like it before you commit to a month. I think the price of the plan is reasonable for the products you receive and levels of support you can access. 

I was surprised that I got on with the plan so well and I lost 2lbs in the three days. I would seriously consider buying the Breakfast and Lunch plan for £2.14 per day and making my own evening meal.

Have you ever tried meal replacement products? What are your thoughts on these types of diet plans?