Susie's 2022 campaign

[ladyfelsham]

Morning all - goodness it's quiet in here, you're all out enjoying the sunshine, no doubt .

Did a sneaky WI and am 4lbs down, which makes me feel very upbeat and positive. I think the super speed soup is the thing to have every day! Still having an issue with overeating - I was full as anything after dinner, but had my 5 scan bran with cheese on them anyway - because I could! Nuts. This is the one thing I really need to tackle.

I'm trying to get into a routine - so, wake up, have a cup of tea and two green tea extract tablets, get frozen stuff out for the soup to defrost a bit. Eat about midday, sip on the soup and a pot of green tea during the afternoon (hopefully stop me having a nana nap later!), then the evening meal, and snacks. Where I did badly with SW before was not eating enough veg - so I'm having at least 50% veg with each meal, and I'm sure it will help.

It also helps that I'm spending a lot of time at home at the moment (trying not to spend any money), so I'm not doing the usual and going out shopping every few days and instead am using up all the stuff in the fridge - which makes me happy .

So, today -

B - tea (1 syn)
L - 3 spicy sausages and salad (12 syns)
D - chilli con carne using turkey mince, with cauli rice
S - super speed soup; HEB scan bran with HEA cheese; Options drink (2).

Have a good one all xx

Later - made a cracking soup today - frozen broccoli, carrot, onion, leeks, garlic and veg stock - delish!

Later still - there is NO chance of me using all my syns today. I put Slim Rice in the chilli, and it was so lovely - but OMG so filling as well. I'm not in the least tempted to eat any more! I think I see a way forward .

 

[Tessa2000]

Hi, you had a hard time lately. It's quite normal to lose track in stressful times. But sounds like your back to healthy eating.
well done on 4lb loss. Xx

 

[ladyfelsham]

Thanks Tessa, yes trying to get back on an even keel . Another SWI and I'm down another 3lbs - all the green tea and veg are really helping!

B - tea
L - sausage salad (12)
D - turkey chilli and spinach
S - super speed broccoli and mushroom soup

Beautiful sunny day here! xx

 

[Elanor]

Hi Susie
Lovely to see you getting back on track after the last few weeks. Good luck with SW. 3st by september is definitely doable x

 

[ladyfelsham]

Thanks sweetie! I feel very positive so far - albeit it's only Day 3!

I was really inspired by this story though, even though it's 2 years old - got exactly the same amount to lose - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-warned-she-must-shed-weight-or-a6729596.html

 

[Elanor]

Wow! Amazing lady! I love those kinds of stories, as it shows it really can be done

 

[Tessa2000]

Wow that's an inspiring story. X

 

[tipperary]

Well done, what a great restart. I bought lots of beg too to make a big veg soup but just never got around to making it...and I love soup.
Keep going and let us all know how it is going.

 

[ladyfelsham]

Afternoon all! Another cracking day here - and hear it's the same for you in the UK - yaye!

All good here...now. DO NOT - whatever you do - click on a link asking you to update Adobe Flash (not on this website, Pierce, don't worry!). I was on the game site King.com, used it a million times, logged in yesterday and a page (looking exactly like theirs) came up saying I needed to update Adobe Flash. I clicked it and then the lappy went into meltdown. I ran three different types of malware software, rebooted and it went into a login/welcome page/restart loop - which meant that Windows 10 had been compromised. The only answer was to reset the lappy - which is no joke, ladies, I lost everything. I had to buy a driver programme because they had all gone too, plus my Kindle for PC, Kodi and a load of other bits and pieces...and Italian wifi download speeds are woeful - think a herd of snails pushing a fridge over broken glass! So, am still at it now, but we're nearly there!

But all good on the food front

B - tea (1)
L - 2 slices wholemeal bread (HEB), 1 slice cheese (1/2 HEA), 2 eggs fried in oil spray (1) - yummy!
D - finishing off the lovely turkey chilli with spinach S/SS)
S - broccoli and mushroom soup (SS) - not quite as successful as the others, not a natural pairing IMHO, and I put in too much garlic . But it's great to be using up stuff in the fridge and freezer - and my wonderful soup maker makes it so easy too.

I've warned all my friends not to invite me to meals unless it's low fat - but unfortunately a dear friend in NZ didn't get the "Susie is dieting again" memo and yesterday SIX bars of luscious Whittaker's chocolate arrived in the post! . I've put them in the back of the cupboard, and will break them up into syn sized pieces. Probably.

 

[buffy3256]

Go Suzie. You are doing so well. x x

 

[ladyfelsham]

Thanks Buffy! I do feel that I've got my head more in the game this time, and I also feel happier with a structured approach. There are some testing times on the horizon - my friend in hospital, my brother has some strife going on, and other stuff - so I've just got to make sure that if I do fall off the wagon, I climb straight back on the next day. Might even consider having a treat meal once a week (or is that me looking for ways to eat pizza again??! ).

A friend popped round for coffee yesterday and swears my face looks slimmer already - and she's not one to say things she doesn't mean . Bring it on!

 

[Scrumbles]

So glad you're back on track - with those fab losses you'll whooshie away the regain and beyond in no time!

I really hope SW does the trick for you. I know when I started losing my big chunk of weight back in 2011 that at that time I required some kind of structure to set me on the right path. I don't think it would have been enough to make small changes here and there: I was facing a big task and I felt I needed a full-on campaign to tackle it properly. I also felt I needed a clean break from the old me that ate whatever, whenever, so a plan that told me clearly what to eat made a lot of sense. As you know, I chose Atkins, but it could have been any one of many plans, really. As you also know, I eventually found the restriction unsustainable and transitioned to calorie counting, but you may find that SW - or a somewhat customised version of it - suits you well enough to become a permanent lifestyle, and that would be an excellent outcome.

Which soup maker do you have by the way? I'm trying to justify owning one but not sure how much I'd use it - do you find it that much easier/better than a saucepan plus stick blender, for example? When it comes to gadgets I am always open to persuasion

 

[ladyfelsham]

Thanks Scrummie - always appreciate hearing what worked for you .

I've got a Morphy Richards soup maker - use it every day - and it's so simple to use and clean. But it doesn't saute or brown food so if you want to do that, you do need to use a separate pan. There's an excellent kindle book for soup maker recipes - for some reason I can't post Amazon links anymore - but its called The Skinny Soup Maker Recipe Book.

But step aside Gadget Queen, my turn on the throne - I really want an Instant Pot, which does loads - slow cooker, yogurt maker, soup maker - and it sautes! . If i were you, I'd get me one of them .

Got the hungries at the moment, so I've got potato chunks roasting in the air fryer (another fab gadget), and will add pancetta, green beans and toss in yogurt mmm.

 

[Tessa2000]

your food sounds lovely xx

 

[ladyfelsham]

Morning all - another day, another little niggly worry...got the hugest water bill and have to get the guys round to see if there's a leak. If not, an Italian friend will challenge the bill - apparently the water company is going bankrupt (welcome to Italy) and whacking everyone's bills up! But it's a small problem, really, in the scheme of things, and will get sorted out one way or another.

Gave in last night and had a load of chocolate, and have paid for it on the SWI this morning, with a 2lb gain, so am sipping on soup and green tea to push back! . I had heaps of potato salad too, and I think that may have contributed - will just have to limit the starchy stuff.

B - SS soup, tea (soya milk 1 syn)
L - turkey and bean salad, with roasted peppers and cucumber (a bit odd, but just trying not to shop yet )
D - turkey stroganoff using Campbells condensed soup and skinny noodles - one can is about 14 syns (eek) but it should make four servings, so will call it 4 syns
S - not sure yet, maybe HEB scan bran and HEA cheese

Hear you're all in for a load of rain - keep dry all! xx

 

[Elanor]

That's a pain in the arse about the water bill. Hopefully it gets sorted without too much bother. Sometimes it sounds like Italy just makes things up as it goes along.

Sounds like a good menu today One blip isn't the end of the world, and instead of letting it spiral you are getting back on it

So far only a bit of drizzle here in the south. We had a downpour in the night though. So far the weather hasn't lived up to the hype!

 

[ladyfelsham]

Sometimes it sounds like Italy just makes things up as it goes along.

Oh god El you wouldn't believe it - there are so many pluses to living here, but the "bureaucracy/paperwork/officialdom stuffing things up" isn't one of them! My friend in the coma - her driving license, health card, local council tax card and hospital admittance paperwork have all gone missing, so my other mate had to go to the hospital today with her passport! Unbelievable.

Just had lunch - left out the beans - and it was very simple but yummy! Dinner is in the slow cooker, I added lots of frozen spinach, green beans and leeks and added some paprika - so cross fingers my latest experiment works .

Feeling happy because I found a box of 12 bags of skinny noodles in the cupboard that I'd forgotten about, so will chop them up and use like rice. I am SO jealous of the stuff you can get in the UK now - I just happened to be browsing through Tesco online and it's all there - pre-prepared cauli couscous, butternut squash spaghetti, broccoli rice, sweet potato chips, even butternut fusili! And the range of frozen fruit you get - well jell!! .

I know it's incredibly stupid but it's things like this that make me homesick (and missing friends too) - or maybe I'm just never happy! . I just had an hilarious online chat with Robert from Tesco, trying to persuade him there's a market for Tesco to send fruit and veg to expats LOL. He said no, sadly, but how we laughed .

Later - dinner was a success! Lush, and it gave me four servings - plus the skinny noodles (cut up into shorter lengths) really fill me up. Woohoo! Also just had a delicious fruit smoothie - yes, I know SW purists will tut, shake their heads and say I should syn it - but I don't eat any fruit, so the way I see it, half a frozen banana and a small handful of berries isn't going to cause a problem .

 

[ladyfelsham]

I am seriously in love with quark!

Stocked up during my last visit to Lidl, and chucked them in the freezer, thinking I'd use them in pasta. But instead I tried some tonight with scan bran (made them completely edible) and then with an Options stirred in (LUSH!).

Because I hadn't used my HEA I had another Options in hot soya milk - not as nice as regular milk when heated up, it has to be said, but the Options hit the sweet spot!

 

[Elanor]

I think us Brits are just lazy when it comes to veg preparation I love that you had a chat with a guy from Tesco! Nothing wrong with the fruit smoothie. It's not as if you'll be having them 10 times a day, so I never understood synning them.

Quark is so versatile! I can take it or leave it. The only way I have liked it so far is in a SW mac n cheese. But I'm glad you have found uses for it that you love.

You are sounding so positive! There is something in the way you are writing that has changed, and it is lovely to read xx

 

[tipperary]

I have never has quark, how different is it to yougurt or cottage cheese?