Going it alone...so my diary and you I hope become my group! :)

[Gemsta]

Hi all...

I'm new here, but not new to SW. Several years ago I lost 1 1/2 stone with SW but lost my way with the days of Green & Original. Back in last year August I got on the scales for the first time in many months and was shocked to find I weighed 16 stone. My birthday was approaching so I told the other half I wanted 3 months subscription on SW online as my present I set my target for 11 stone what I was when we got married and weighed in after my first week on my birthday to find I'd lost 5lb. I was thrilled!

I follow EE and I've managed to loose between 0.5 - 6lbs every single week (apart from the 4.5lb gain over Christmas and New Year!) and got my 2 1/2 stone award on Friday, so I'm half way there..I would like to be at target by May which is when we usually go away

So here's hoping you'll subscribe and join in with me...I'd be thrilled to know your loses for the week and hope we can support one another through the good and bad times

Gem

 

[Gemsta]

Today (planned/or had)- Other half is at a Outdoor Pursuits thing in Wales with friends so that leaves me to suit myself.

So I've changed the bed..on 3rd and last load of washing..blitzed the bathroom and put the chicken in the slow cooker for later.

Food

HEA - 250ml Semi Skimmed Milk
HEB - 35g Porridge Oats

Breakfast
1 chopped Banana good handful of Blueberries & Porridge Oats with milk
Options Belgian Choc Orange = 1 1/2 syns

Snacks
Banana & Apple
Highlights Fudge = 2 syns
Kellogg's Special K Biscuit Moments Chocolate 2 pack = 5 syns
Batchelors Super Low Fat Noodles Chicken & Herb
Options Belgian Choc Orange = 1 1/2 syns

Dinner
Roast Chicken, Broccoli, Carrots, Sweetcorn, Peas and 'Secret' Roast Potatoes
Gravy = 1 tbsp Gravy Granules made up = 3 syns

Fruit Salad
Apple, Strawberries, Kiwi, Blueberries with a Activia 0% Raspberry Yoghurt

Total Syns = 13 syns

 

[Gemsta]

Monday 19th January...Yesterday's food...just in from work (nightshift)

Breakfast
Highlights Fudge -2 syns
HEA - 250ml semi-skimmed milk
HEB - 35g Porridge Oats with Frozen Forest Fruits and Frozen Cherries (defrosted overnight)

Options Chocolate Orange - 1 1/2 syns
Apple

Chicken Salad, Jacket Potato & Homemade Coleslaw (Red & White Cabbage, Carrot and Onion) - 1 syn
Blackcurrent (NAS)& Lemonade (Diet)

Slim a Soup Chicken & Leek - 2 1/2 syns
2 Plums
Special K Biscuit Moments Chocolate - 5 syns

= 12 Syns

Is anybody reading this??...lol...

 

[Hubz]

Hi, good luck with your weight loss.

Whats the "secret" to the roast potatoes I am wondering.........

 

[Gemsta]

Hi Hubz... My spin on I guess Oxo Roasters. I par boil the tatters for 6 mins, drain and shake well and add to a well Fry Light sprayed roasting tin, spraying again all over the tatters. After about 20 minutes make up a stock cube (I prefer the chicken one myself) adding about 150ml of water then pour in the tray over and around the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Put back in oven until golden brown and cooked. The potatoes absorb some of the liquid and where it catches the tray gives a lovely flavorsome crunchy edges. Call them 'Secret' potatoes in this house because when people come and I do them the SW way they always say how nice they are and how do I do them....I tell them it's a secret...lol...

 

[ForbiddenFruit]

Those potatoes sound scrummy Gemsta

I'm on EESP this week as I've only just signed up, for the first time ever, but I'll add them to my recipe list for when I'm doing ordinary EE.

 

[Gemsta]

Hi ForbiddenFruit... They are lovely a real hit in this house! Good Luck on your journey! You won't regret it.. I feel great and I'm only half way there.
You must try the SW Donner Kebab it's amaze balls! I'm making it again tomorrow when I get in from work in the morning for tea tomorrow night. I'll post my recipe version tomorrow

 

[Gemsta]

Tuesday 20th January

Wasn't feeling overly great yesterday..felt really tired and run down. Getting into a new routine at work is taking some doing.

Breakfast

Bowl of Special K type cereal (unmeasured....my bad!) with a banana
HEA 250ml semi skimmed milk
Highlights Bourneville Sachet - 2 syns

Lunch
Packet of Batchelors Golden Veg Savoury Rice
Plum & Apple
Blackcurrent & Apple NAS Squash

No tea before work as I was asleep

Orange NAS Squash
Kelloggs Biscuit Moments Chocolate - 5 syns
Slim a Soup Chicken and Leek - 2 1/2 syns

Syns - 9 1/2 syns (not counting unmeasured cereal)

Should be better once I finish work Thursday morning for the week! I hope!

 

[Gemsta]

Wednesday 21st January

Breakfast
HEB A 250 ml semi-skimmed milk
HEB B 35g Porridge Oats
Extra 50g Porridge Oats = 9 syns ( I was hungry after work..lol...)
Banana

Lunch
Sleeping... had a cup of tea when I got up and a Plum

Tea
Roast Chicken cooked in slow cooker with my 'Secret' Roasters and roasted veg (Courgettes, Red & Green Peppers, Sweet Potatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Red Onion and Button Mushrooms)
Gravy - 1 tbsp made up = 3 syns
Blackcurrent & Apple NAS Squash & Diet Lemonade

For work tonight...
Orange NAS Squash
2 Plums
= 12 syns

 

[Lemontella]

Welcome Gemsta, well done on your journey so far!

The Secret Roasters sound good to me,I'm going to try that next time!

Keep up the good work!

 

[ForbiddenFruit]

Hi ForbiddenFruit... They are lovely a real hit in this house! Good Luck on your journey! You won't regret it.. I feel great and I'm only half way there.
You must try the SW Donner Kebab it's amaze balls! I'm making it again tomorrow when I get in from work in the morning for tea tomorrow night. I'll post my recipe version tomorrow

That would be lovely. I'm having everything pretty plain at the moment but I need to get my head round some recipes or I'll get bored.

 

[Gemsta]

My SW Donner Kebab Recipe

I love this! We're having it again tonight! YUM!



Donner Kebab

Ingredients

500g 5% Beef Mince (or you could use lamb lean mince)
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 small finely chopped onion (or you can use 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt (or 2 teaspoon minced/crushed Garlic)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

Directions
1)Put all the herbs and spice required amounts into a small bowl.
2)Separate the mince into a large bowl sprinkle over the contents of herbs etc from the small bowl.
3)Chop the small onion finely and add to a food processor blitz well(if you don't have one just cut it as fine as you can)
then add the meat mixture and blitz well again.
4)Get all the meat mixture out and form a loaf shape on to a plate and cover with foil and put in fridge until ready to cook.
Best to leave it at least an hour or 2 so the spices and herbs can do their stuff!

If you don't have a food processor... knead, mix, squish, mash and generally use the mixture as stress ball until everything
smooth and has no air pockets.

Preheat your oven to around 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4

When your ready to cook place the loaf on a wire rack on a baking tray to catch any fat. Cook for around 45-60 minutes
turning over half way through.

Once cooked remove from the oven place on a plate, cover with foil and leave for 10 minutes to stand. Then cut as finely as you can.
I did mine with my electric knife and it did the trick great!

Serve in a pitta..with chips...salad..coleslaw and homemade sauces.

Recipes for my sauces

Homemade Chilli Sauce (with a kick!)

1 Tin of Tomatoes
1 Onion
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 tsp Chilli Powder
Good generous splash of Balsamic Vinegar
Good shake of Tabasco
Salt & Pepper

Dry fry the Onion along with the crushed Garlic. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper, chilli powder, balsamic and tabasco.

Cook until it begins to reduce add to food processor and blitz! Allow to cool and serve when needed!

Mint Yoghurt Dressing

Easy peasy! Fat Free Natural Yoghurt and add a few teaspoons of mint sauce and mix thoroughly! Helps tone down the kick from the chilli sauce! Home Made Coleslaw

Finely chopped Red & White Cabbage
Onion and Carrot
Mix with 1 part Lighter than Light Mayo to 2 Parts Fat Free Fromage Frais! Lovely!

Salad
Iceberg Lettuce, Red Cabbage, White Cabbage, Onion, Tomato and Cucumber

ENJOY!!! x

 

[ForbiddenFruit]

Wow. That sounds fabulous (I'm guessing I shouldn't eat it all to myself lol)

 

[Gemsta]

I make that for 2 of us..lol.. Though we don;t have all the kebab meat though you could if you wanted! But you'd not move after!..lol.. The chilli sauce will last a 7 - 10 days in a airtight container as it's only chopped toms and spices really and is great for dipping generally

 

[Gemsta]

Thursday 22nd January

Breakfast
3 egg Omelet with bacon, mushrooms & tomatoes fried in Frylight then added the eggs with a small tin of beans! YUM!
Pint of NAS Orange squash


Lunch
Was sleeping as got off my nightshift but had 2 Activia Raspberry Yoghurts 0% FF and 2 Apples

Dinner
My take on SW Donner Kebab with salad, SW Chips, Homemade Coleslaw and Sauces (Recipe above)
Pint of Apple & Blackcurrant NAS Squash

Options Choc Orange = 1 1/2 syns

Syns = 6 1/2 syns (+5 for Lighter than Light Mayo in Coleslaw)

Oooppss forgot my HE yesterday :/

 

[Gemsta]

Friday 23rd January

So weigh in day for me...lost 1 1/2lbs better the STS or a gain I guess!

Looking forward to shopping today! Off to the market when Ray gets in (Hubby) he's yet to weigh in today...doesn't do SW properly but the last 2 weeks has cut all the crap out at work he was having as I said to him if he did as he was eating SW meals with me he'd loose some weight and he's lost 6lb in 2 weeks..lol.. So yes..looking forward to filling the fridge and fruit bowl again and trying some more new recipes next week!

So today's food...

HEA - 250ml semi-skimmed milk
HEB - 35ml Porridge Oats

Breakfast
Porridge Oats made with milk warmed up served with chopped banana and strawberries
Options Choc Orange - 1 1/2 syns

Lunch
Leftover Kebab Meat, Salad, Coleslaw & Cous Cous
1 Snack a Jack Chocolate - 3 syns
Apple & Blackcurrant NAS with diet lemonade

Dinner
Slow Cooked Pulled Pork with Jacket Potato, Green Beans, Broccoli and carrots

Snack a Jacks Salt & Vinegar - 4 1/2 syns

Syns = 9 syns

 

[Gemsta]

Saturday 24th January

Well today I've sorted out my wardrobe! Now there's next to nothing in it!...lol.. But I can treat myself to some new bits now and again until I get to target! Hopefully before holiday time in May I also have a pile of stiff I'm going to try and flog on ebay to raise a few pennies towards some new stuff too

Breakfast
3 egg Omelet with bacon, mushrooms & tomatoes fried in Frylight then added the eggs with a small tin of beans
Options Choc Orange - 1 1/2 syns

HEB - 2 Benefit Bars Chocolate ones from Aldi
Options Choc Orange - 1 1/2 syns

Lunch
Jacket Potato with leftover pulled pork and salad
HEA 28g cheddar
Pint of Apple & Blackcurrant NAS with diet lemonade
2 small apples

Dinner
Sweet chilli chicken with salad and roasted sweet potatoes
2 Cans of Fanta Zero
Tiramisu dessert - 11 syns

Options Choc Orange - 1 1/2 syns
2 Chocolate Snack a Jacks - 6 syns

Syns = 21.5 syns :/

 

[Gemsta]

Sunday 25th January

Feeling excited! Yesterday we booked our May holiday! So I have around 15 weeks to get to target (or as close as I possibly can!) So I need to loose around 2lb a week! Doable...but I'm a 1 -1.5lb a week kinda girl so will see how it goes.... fingers crossed I can do it!

HEA - 28g Cheddar
HEB - 2 slices of 400g wholemeal loaf

Breakfast
Toast with Tin of Spaghetti with grated cheese
Glass of Tropical NAS Squash
Options Choc Orange - 1 1/2 syns

Lunch
Not good...went to friends for a small tea party for 6 year old's birthday
2 of 1/4 sandwiches...roast beef and rocket (best I could go for..lol..)
3 little sausage rolls, 5 onion rings (crisp ones) 3 little cocktail sausages and a slice of cheesecake!

Dinner
Meeting at work so by the time I got out I just made a large bowl of fruit 2 apples, 5 strawberries chopped served with a Activia Raspberry 0% FF Yoghurt and can of Fanta zero

Syns = Not sure reckon no more than 20 altogether.

 

[Lisa84]

Here to subscribe and support. Well done on your weight loss so far.

Yey for booking the holiday where are you going?

I agree about the SW donner. It is my favourite SW mwal along with the fakeaway tikka masala.... Yum yum!! My OH absolutely loves it and asks for it all the time. I think we would have it every night if it was up to him lol x

 

[Gemsta]

Here to subscribe and support. Well done on your weight loss so far.

Yey for booking the holiday where are you going?

I agree about the SW donner. It is my favourite SW mwal along with the fakeaway tikka masala.... Yum yum!! My OH absolutely loves it and asks for it all the time. I think we would have it every night if it was up to him lol x

Hi Lisa, Thanks for coming by Yes, I'm doing ok...need to get back on track properly without the odd lapse or interruption of going out..lol...

We're off to Sharm in Egypt. Went to the same place and hotel last year and it was the best holiday we've ever had. We usually go somewhere different every year so for us to go back somewhere again a 2nd time is testament to how much we enjoyed it

I'd be interested in the recipe for that Tikka Masala if you wouldn't mind? Always looking for some new ideas to try out