The diary of a (not so-Little)Sausage

[LittleSausage]

Thanks fir stopping by, Alli!

Hmmm, ok, so managed a loss of 1.5lb tonight. I've been really good and within my syns, so I am a little disappointed, but it's better than a stick in the eye, and a loss is a loss. It just makes the mammoth task ahead look, well, mammoth-like. Hopefully next week I'll have a better result!

Breakfast:
Chopped pineapple, banana, satsuma
4 coffees with skimmed milk (2 syns)

Lunch:
Banana, 1/2 a Nature Valley oats & honey bar (4.75 syns)
Didn't feel like much at lunch. Typical pre-WI nerves I think

Supper:
Loads of veg (courgette, carrot, broccoli and green beans) with some leftover pasta bake (cheese HEa)
Hifi bar (HEb)

2 chocolates (5 syns)

Total syns: 12.75

 

[Pinkie1973]

But Sausage - doesn't this mean you are now at the 2 stone mark? If I remember right (apologies if I'm wrong), but that's 1/5, 20% of the way to target. That is superb honey!

I was a little disappointed too, as I have been bang on, and doing the running and such like. But so long as its coming off, I'm still on track and edging closer.

Also, when it comes off a little slower like this, it is more likely to stay off. And because you're not deprived you stick at it.

I think you should give yourself a big hug and well done. 2 stone - yay! Xxx

 

[Pommette]

Seriously impressed

Hi Little Sausage

Found you diary via various other peoples and after 3 sittings to read all of it I've come to the end - and I'm seriously impressed. You seem to have got your head totally round SW and are moving in the right direction - and not as slowly as you think.
Me? I lose at 1/2 or 1 pound a week (but with the very occasional 2lb thrown in) but then again I have big problems in getting SW friendly stuff here in Spain so I have to improvise a lot.
I'm doing it from an old book so stick to red/green days - tried EE for 2 weeks and thats when I lost very little!

I've got loads of inspiration over the last 2 days from your diary on some different meals I can cook so a big thanks.

I have no trouble in using my syns. As someone said on the Spanish forum "why waste syns on food when you can use them on vino?"

If you need to use more syns have you tried salmon florentine? If you want the recipe then shout. It's yum provided you like spinach! But you could substitute it with something like bok choy or rocket.

Anyway - well done on your loss so far and don't be too disappointed with WI tonight - definitely better to go slow and keep it it off. Thanks for the inspiration for me to be a bit more adventurous on the food front

 

[Maverick]

Well done Sausage, the only way is down!! x

 

[Red Riding Hood]

Also, when it comes off a little slower like this, it is more likely to stay off. And because you're not deprived you stick at it.

There is probably a lot of truth in that Sausage. It worries me a bit.

Anyway well done you are doing brilliantly. How about your clothes etc.? Are you seeing a difference there? I really do admire the way you have stuck to it all so well. xxxx arty0011:So yay you.

 

[Pinkie1973]

If you need to use more syns have you tried salmon florentine? If you want the recipe then shout. It's yum provided you like spinach! But you could substitute it with something like bok choy or rocket.

I'd love to try that - I love Salmon AND spinach.

 

[Pommette]

Salmon Florentine recipe coming up

Place loads of spinach in the bottom of an oven proof dish, place a skinless piece of salmon fillet on top. No need to cook the spinach before you put it in the dish. It wilts beautifully in the oven whilst cooking.

Make a light cheese sauce - milk from ration (or syn it), 1 oz cheddar [HExB], and some flour/cornflour to thicken (my book reckons an oz is about 4 syns). Pour the sauce over the salmon and spinach.

Cook in an oven at 180c (fan oven) or 200c (normal) for 15-25 minutes.
15 minutes if you like your salmon pretty raw like I do or 25 minutes if you like it falling apart.

Serve with SW chips, a jacket spud, pasta or rice - whatever you fancy - and some additional veg (I love it with lightly steamed asparagus). Hey presto, a meal without too much hassle and very tasty.

You can also do it with a filleted chicken breast too and it is just as good. I'm sure there is also other fish/meat you could it with but I love these two.

You can also do it with eggs - egg florentine is a classic recipe! Just break the raw eggs onto the spinach (don't add the sauce yet) and cook in the oven for about 10-15 minutes. Just serve with the cheesy sauce poured over (classic recipe is supposed to be hollandais sauce but this has far too many syns).
PS - If you don't want to put the oven on just steam some spinach, top with a poached egg and pour the sauce over.

I also have a fantastic Spanish recipe for Huevos al la Flamenca that is med veg and eggs that's great for a lunch - I'll look the recipe up and post it either here or on my page if you like?

 

[LittleSausage]

Aww, shucks, guys. Thanks for all the kind messages! I am pleased with a loss, and it's probably quite ungrateful of me to feel despondent. But when some people have such incredible losses week on week, the green-eyed monster screams, "what about me!?"

But Sausage - doesn't this mean you are now at the 2 stone mark? If I remember right (apologies if I'm wrong), but that's 1/5, 20% of the way to target. That is superb honey!

Not quite at the 2 stone mark... Still a few to go! It does, however, bring me that much closer to it. Hopefully by the end of the month I will have it. It really is amazing, when you've been overweight and out of control for your whole life to suddenly grab it back. Club 10, here I come!

Hi Little Sausage

Found you diary via various other peoples and after 3 sittings to read all of it I've come to the end - and I'm seriously impressed. You seem to have got your head totally round SW and are moving in the right direction - and not as slowly as you think.
Me? I lose at 1/2 or 1 pound a week (but with the very occasional 2lb thrown in) but then again I have big problems in getting SW friendly stuff here in Spain so I have to improvise a lot.
I'm doing it from an old book so stick to red/green days - tried EE for 2 weeks and thats when I lost very little!

I've got loads of inspiration over the last 2 days from your diary on some different meals I can cook so a big thanks.

I have no trouble in using my syns. As someone said on the Spanish forum "why waste syns on food when you can use them on vino?"

If you need to use more syns have you tried salmon florentine? If you want the recipe then shout. It's yum provided you like spinach! But you could substitute it with something like bok choy or rocket.

Anyway - well done on your loss so far and don't be too disappointed with WI tonight - definitely better to go slow and keep it it off. Thanks for the inspiration for me to be a bit more adventurous on the food front

Thanks for stopping by, Pommette! Glad you've enjoyed reading. I enjoy writing here - it's a fantastic outlet, and so treat to have the support of awesome people in the same boat. Glad you like the recipes! There will be more to come. I'm surprised you're struggling over there with all the amazing fruit and veg available! What is it you can't get that you wish you could?

And I'd love your salmon florentine recipe!

Well done Sausage, the only way is down!! x

You said it, Laura! Yay! Slowly, but ever so surely!

There is probably a lot of truth in that Sausage. It worries me a bit.

Anyway well done you are doing brilliantly. How about your clothes etc.? Are you seeing a difference there? I really do admire the way you have stuck to it all so well. xxxx arty0011:So yay you.

Melissa, you are so in control of your food... I doubt you'll have any problem sticking to it! You may have a problem when it comes to maintaining, as you'll probably have to focus really hard on not losing!

No major difference in my clothes, although the trousers I wore today nearly fell down when I ran(!) for the train. I can definitely pull the waistband out at least an inch and a half, and they're non-elasticated, so that has to count as a NSV. Also, it seems that a lot of my other clothes look a bit bigger on me. I'm not going to rush off to buy new clothes yet though!

Thank you all for such kind words xx

 

[LittleSausage]

Salmon Florentine recipe coming up

Place loads of spinach in the bottom of an oven proof dish, place a skinless piece of salmon fillet on top. No need to cook the spinach before you put it in the dish. It wilts beautifully in the oven whilst cooking.

Make a light cheese sauce - milk from ration (or syn it), 1 oz cheddar [HExB], and some flour/cornflour to thicken (my book reckons an oz is about 4 syns). Pour the sauce over the salmon and spinach.

Cook in an oven at 180c (fan oven) or 200c (normal) for 15-25 minutes.
15 minutes if you like your salmon pretty raw like I do or 25 minutes if you like it falling apart.

Serve with SW chips, a jacket spud, pasta or rice - whatever you fancy - and some additional veg (I love it with lightly steamed asparagus). Hey presto, a meal without too much hassle and very tasty.

You can also do it with a filleted chicken breast too and it is just as good. I'm sure there is also other fish/meat you could it with but I love these two.

You can also do it with eggs - egg florentine is a classic recipe! Just break the raw eggs onto the spinach (don't add the sauce yet) and cook in the oven for about 10-15 minutes. Just serve with the cheesy sauce poured over (classic recipe is supposed to be hollandais sauce but this has far too many syns).

I also have a fantastic Spanish recipe for Huevos al la Flamenca that is med veg and eggs that's great for a lunch - I'll look the recipe up and post it either here or on my page if you like?

That sounds incredible! Cornflour is one thing I don't have in at the moment, so will pick some up. Think this will be a meal this week! Would love your huevos al la Flamenca recipe, too, if you don't mind! X

 

[Pinkie1973]

My maths is shot Sausage. But youre not far off though, so well done anyway.

Pomette, thank-you so much - that looks lovely! Nom nom nom.... I'm gonna go find your diary now.

 

[Pommette]

PS updated the florentine recipe as I realised I'd missed a few essential steps out. Sorreeee

What is it you can't get that you wish you could?

Daft things like chicken bovril, any low fat stuff etc. Until recently I couldn't get low fat mayo, low fat yoghurts, quark, quorn, low fat queso fresco (fromage frais to the non-latino's) as the Spanish just don't do diets! They swim eveything in EV Olive oil or full fat mayo! The things I enjoy and no doubt contributed to my expanding waistline! LOL

 

[LittleSausage]

Daft things like chicken bovril, any low fat stuff etc. Until recently I couldn't get low fat mayo, low fat yoghurts, quark, quorn, low fat queso fresco (fromage frais to the non-latino's) as the Spanish just don't do diets! They swim eveything in EV Olive oil of full fat mayo! The things I enjoy and no doubt contributed to my expanding waistline! LOL

Tell me about it! My family is all Argentine, and EVERYTHING has olive oil, used with liberal abandon. And mayo! Ensalda rusa with fromage frais (whilst nice) is not a patch on using full fat mayonesa!

Do you have friends/family here who can source some of the non-perishable things for you?

 

[Bess]

Well done LS on the 1.5 lbs! I think you are doing so well, I can understand you wanting more, but look how far you've come. You are so well organised, you'll get exactly where you want to be! Besides, you are an inspiration to me!

 

[LittleSausage]

Well done LS on the 1.5 lbs! I think you are doing so well, I can understand you wanting more, but look how far you've come. You are so well organised, you'll get exactly where you want to be! Besides, you are an inspiration to me!

Thanks so much for your kind words, Bess! Yeah, I think I just need to be grateful! X

 

[Bess]

Odd though isn't it? How it's so hard to get off and sooo easy to put on...? :sigh:

 

[LittleSausage]

Tell me about it! I'm just so grateful for SW and the control I now have. I choose not to have the things I once thought nothing of. Of course there will be moments of hedonism where I drown myself in chocolate, but I do think very carefully about everything that I eat now. And I love it!

 

[Pommette]

Ensalda rusa with fromage frais (whilst nice) is not a patch on using full fat mayonesa!

You are so spot on! same with ensaladilla de marisco - lettuce, tuna, prawns, crab sticks, chopped egg & mayo. To die for with mayo - pants with anything else

Do you have friends/family here who can source some of the non-perishable things for you?

Only a very aged mum left who can't remember to bring anything but my teabags with her. Hopefully she will remeber my 2 jars of chicken bovril though tomorrow! She says she's put them in her case - but you never can tell . . .

Not too bad though now, as Iceland have recently opened near us, so I can get my quark and quorn there. And the local Spanish supermarket now stock their own make 0% fat bifidus yoghurt (fantastic) and 0% fat queso fresco.

Huevos a la Flamenca coming up!

 

[Bess]

I'm beginning to feel the same way LS, I really like this way of eating, it isn't very different to my normal diet, with the fattening things taken out. I just must stop 'testing' the boundaries and get on with it. (Which I will!) x

 

[funcurls]

Thanks fir stopping by, Alli!

Hmmm, ok, so managed a loss of 1.5lb tonight. I've been really good and within my syns, so I am a little disappointed, but it's better than a stick in the eye, and a loss is a loss. It just makes the mammoth task ahead look, well, mammoth-like. Hopefully next week I'll have a better result!

Breakfast:
Chopped pineapple, banana, satsuma
4 coffees with skimmed milk (2 syns)

Lunch:
Banana, 1/2 a Nature Valley oats & honey bar (4.75 syns)
Didn't feel like much at lunch. Typical pre-WI nerves I think

Supper:
Loads of veg (courgette, carrot, broccoli and green beans) with some leftover pasta bake (cheese HEa)
Hifi bar (HEb)

2 chocolates (5 syns)

Total syns: 12.75

Hi hun, I'm sorry to hear you're a little disappointed with tonight's loss, as you feel you deserved more! I know it's a cliche, however try and look at the bigger picture! It's not all about one week, and in these situations, I find that the hard work sometimes gets a delayed response! I often see a good loss the following week instead!! Just keep going as you are- the weight is dropping off you!! I know it's a very personal thing, but 1.5 is still a great loss!! XXXXXXXX

 

[Pommette]

Huevos a la Flamenca (serves 4)

With the long list of ingredients and steps this might look a bit daunting but it really is dead easy to make.

Ingredients

1. 1 small onion, chopped
2. 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
3. 100 g diced cooked ham
4. 100 g cooked chorizo sausage (I leave this out when I’m on SW – too much fat!)
5. 400g tin chopped tomatoes
6. 8 eggs
7. 75 g cooked peas
8. 1 small red pepper - cooked for a few minutes in the microwave until soft. Skin it and cut into strips (don’t absolutely have to skin it though)
9. 8 asparagus tips
10. 2 artichoke hearts – sliced into 4 each
11. ½ tsp paprika
12. Salt & pepper
13. Chopped fresh parsley

Method

1. Carefully fry the onions and garlic in FryLight until soft.
2. Add the tin of chopped tomatoes, season with salt, pepper & paprika and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes until reduced.
3. Add ham (& chorizo) and cook for a 2 mins max.
4. Spray 4 large earthenware ramekins with FryLight.
5. Split tomato sauce between the ramekins.
6. Make two wells in each ramekin and break an egg into each well (i.e. 2 per ramekin).
7. Sprinkle the cooked peas around the outside of each ramekin.
8. Arrange the strips of red pepper decoratively (& carefully) over the eggs.
9. Add 2 slices of artichoke heart and asparagus tips to each ramekin.
10. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and parsley.
11. Put in a medium hot oven (160-180c) and cook until the whites are set and the yolks runny – about 10-15 minutes.

Apart from the chorizo as far as I can see this should be free on EE – it certainly is on my green days with the 25g ham as about a ⅓ HExB. Or leave the ham out as a totally veggie option.

If you can’t get, or don’t like artichokes, just use more asparagus – which is what I usually do. My OH isn’t keen on artichoke.

This amount is perfect as a good, hearty lunch. We often only put one egg on though as I find it too filling otherwise.
You can also serve as an evening meal with some rice.

ENJOY !!!!!