Slimming World - Scan Bran

Scan Bran is one of Slimming Worlds best weapons, apparently you can guarantee loses of at least 2lbs on weeks you fit lots in.  This didn't work for me the first week but I am assuming my body needed to get used to unrefined fibre before I saw the benefits.

 

It's like a harder, more cardboard like version of ryvita. Now I know this makes me a bit of a freak but I quite like it plain!  Other than that I usually top it with extra light cheese triangles and nibble on it for breakfast.  It's very filling and it is meant to have all the other benefits associated with lots of fibre ;) Just make sure you drink plenty of water with it or you could have unwanted consequences...

Lots of Slimming World followers have been really inventive with scan bran to make it more palatable and easier to fit into their diet which includes a variety of cakes!  I decided that in the name of research I really should test some of these.  I will post a recipe a week for the next few weeks, first up:

Curly Wurly Scan Bran Cake

Ingredients

4 Scan Bran
2 eggs
3 or 4 tbsp sweetener (to taste)
1 sachet Belgian Choc Options
26g Curly Wurly bar

Soak the Scan Bran in boiling water to soften. Then drain and mash.
Beat the eggs and stir into mix, along with the sweetener and Belgian Choc Options
Chop the Curly Wurly into pieces and add to the mix
Pour the mixture into a microwavable bowl and cook for around 6 minutes
When cooked the cake will be springy to the touch and will have pulled away from the side

You can also cook the cake on 200°C/Gas Mark 6 for approximately 30 minutes

It's just 12 Syns for the whole cake and can be divided into as many slices as you like

I was pleasantly surprised just how nice this cake is, I gave my boyfriend some to try and he wanted more!! I couldn't really taste the curly wurly to be honest so am going to try it without next time which would be just 6 syns for the whole cake :)

Sunday Summary #11

Hope you're all having a lovely bank holiday weekend and allowing yourself a few treats ;)

Sarah - I've had a really busy/stressful week at work which has meant I haven't eaten as much as I should. I haven't eaten any junk though so I am really proud of myself. I made sure that I took packed lunches with me so I wasn't tempted by the fast food the rest of the project team were enjoying. I am currently on holiday in Wales and am determined to stay on plan this coming week. I am going to team this with lots of long walks and exercise as with the 16 hour days I've been working I just haven't had the time or energy to exercise. I have lost 1lb this week and my total weight loss stands at 11 lbs.

Gemma - I had a much better result at my weigh in this week, 3 lbs off which takes me to a grand total of 30.5 lbs loss. I really stuck to the plan last week but this week has been much more tricky. I went for a day out with friends and had cream tea and went to a house party last night and didn't measure my alcohol intake so I'm hoping to stay the same at my weigh in on Tuesday. I don't go out very often because I'm always in work so I don't mind slipping off the plan occasionally. It's just been one of those weeks, going to have a Sunday roast with all the trimmings to try and cure my hangover and start back on the plan in the morning.

Charlene - For reasons I don't want to go into on here, weightloss and exercise has been the last thing on my mind this week. I've been spending as much time as possible out with friends, which usually involves consuming too much food or alcohol. Not good. I'm feeling a bit more positive this week though so I'm hoping to get back into the 30 day shred and try and be a bit healthier with my food choices.

Sarah V - I felt SO positive when I started this week. I was really healthy all last week and felt really in the zone again, but I got weighed on Tuesday and had stayed the same. I could rationalise as to why - hello, monthly visitor - but it still made me feel a bit gutted and rather than making me determined to be good, my morale slipped a bit. I haven't been DREADFUL, but there's been a biscuit here, a bit of cake there... one of those weeks. I'm off to Italy on Wednesday so I am giving myself a diet break - when in the land of mozzarella and pesto, you kind of have to! But I am determined to get back to it when I return...

Lucy - A GOOD WEEK! YAY! I started interning on Monday (I know, I know, you're all bored of hearing about it) which means my alarm is set for 5:45am and I don't get home until 7pm at the earliest. I've been having at least 5 of my 5 a day and I'm taking salads and other healthy snacks for lunch (except Babybel - I accidentally ordered the full fat ones instead of the light ones, oops) and then for dinner I've been having quick and easy stuff that is also healthy. On top of this, I'm doing probably around an hours (sometimes more) walking per day - 20ish minutes there and back to the train station plus around 10 minutes to and between tube stops. Now, last week I weighed myself before embarking on my first week and I was surprised, I'd gained weight since I last weighed myself and I'm putting it down to all the sweet treats I'd made at home and the fact I'd spent the day before with my family eating a ridiculous amount in celebration of my cousin's birthday, BUT, I weighed myself this morning and I've lost 4lbs, so if I keep going in this direction... hopefully the results before my birthday will be goooood!

That's it from us, how has your week been?

Slimming World - Joe's Sausages

Since starting Slimming World I have practically become a vegetarian.  I am a carb addict so find it much easier to follow green days over red days and don't trust myself not to over indulge on extra easy so cutting out meat has been the easiest solution.  As summer is coming up and BBQ's suck without sausages and burgers I decided to give Joe's Sausages a go and see how I get on following red days.

Joe's sell sausages, marinated meats, grill sticks and burgers all of which are certified free foods on Slimming World red days:

I placed my order and chose my delivery day and then dreamed about sausages!  I ordered several packs of sausages, burgers and various flavoured chicken.  Joe's has a minimum order of 8 packs so you could always order with a friend or another Slimming World member at your local group.

I wanted some meat for a family BBQ but couldn't wait and planned a red day in anticipation of their arrival...I decided to treat myself to a mixed grill along with some gammon and steak and syn free pepper sauce, yum! 

The chicken was gorgeous, exactly as I had expected it to be.  The sausage looked like a normal sausage but had a firmer texture.  I guess that's from removing the fat and packing more lean meat into it.  My boyfriend also tried both and gave them the thumbs up too.  Can't wait to try the burgers at the BBQ now!

Oh and Joe's website says that each sausage is only 1 point on Weight Watchers so you guys can join in on the action too, I definitely recommend them.

Sunday Summary #10

Another week down, they are really flying now!!

Sarah - I've been really good all week and mixed in a few red days but I am really struggling.  I have only lost 1lb this week and it's really disheartening when you know you have stuck to the plan :(  I heard about the benefits of scanbran on twitter so decided to try that and have eaten two packs this week and still only 1lb :(  Helen has been a little gem and helped me no end this week.  She thinks that I am not eating enough but I am seriously struggling to eat more healthy calories.  I feel like I am eating none stop as it is. Anyone got any advice for me? I know I need to up my exercise but I haven't even been able to fit in the shred this week with how hectic work is, next week is going to be even worse but I have a week off after that so plan to do a few hours each day to make up for it!

Gemma - I was very disappointed when I stayed the same weight this week at weigh in but this is the first time it's happened since I started the Weight Watcher plan in February. I had a weekend of not counting my points properly so this led to me being annoyed with myself but I've been extra good all week and I did a sneaky mid week weigh in and I think I will be pleased at the scales this week. I had a day off on Wednesday and made a few recipes that other people have posted on here and Charlene's Crispy Greek Pie was amazing. Trying a few new things kept me interested and stops the Weight Watchers plan from becoming dull. I can now fit in to some of my old dresses and I can definitely see a difference in the way I look and feel.

Charlene - I didn't gain any weight this week, which is quite good considering I ate out a few times and also indulged in a Dominos pizza on Tuesday. I pulled a muscle in my leg doing the Shred so haven't been exercising this week but I think it's okay now so hopefully I'll be back on the wagon as from tomorrow and will be back on track to losing a few lbs and toning up!

Lucy - Average week for me - I've spent it at home which means I always over indulge in baking and this week was no exception, I made cupcakes, millionaires shortbread, lemon cake and flapjack. But to counteract that I've been doing the 30 day shred and have only missed one day because my legs were in absolute agony. I'm not sure how I'll get on with doing it for the next few weeks though, I'll have to see how tired I am after I get in from work. I've also got lots of healthy meals planned for lunches and dinners, I got a mega healthy Tesco shop and I'm looking forward to actually not turning to food to cure boredom!!

Sarah V - FINALLY I feel like I'm back on track. I lost 1.5lbs which gave my motivation a real boost, and I haven't wavered TOO far from the path all week. I am currently aching all over after a 'bootcamp' I went to yesterday, organised by Aussie haircare. But it's a good ache! Next week, I am hoping to do more of the same!

That's all from us this week, how have you been getting on?