Time Management

I've been super busy this week so haven't had as much time to prep as I would like. Last night I had the Bolognese Ragu meal from Iceland and tonight I've just had the Chicken Pizzaiola Iceland meal. 

Would highly recommend having some in just in case you haven't got time to cook. It's an easy way to make sure to stay on plan as much as possible. 

I made pasta for my Ragu and Sweet Potato chips for my Pizzaiola.  Here's what they looked like:

Your always advised to add your own speed food to guarantee the 1/3 speed per meal but I didn't with these. Still, it was completely syn free and a lot better than a takeaway option!

These are great too because if you like them, they have the recipe on the back for you to make your own!

Will definitely be trying to do these soon!

Slow Cooker Chicken

I was a bit skeptical about this but it was amazing! It took about 3.5/4 hours on high (I thought I had it on low, luckily I went to check) so would take approx 7 on low. The meat literally fell off the bone. Would happily cook a chicken like this again. 

Monday Snacking

Half Syn jelly, 1 Syn yoghurt and a heap of strawberries to get me through this afternoon.

Lemon Drizzle Cake Pops

Ingredients

• 2 lemons
• 5 eggs
• 45g granulated sweetener 
• 50g self raising flour
  
  
  8 syns for the recipe and it made 32 so I could have 4 for 1 syn/8 for 2 syns etc
  
  

Directions 

1. Add 30g of the sweetener and flour in a bowl 
2. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into the mix 
3. Using a hand grater, zest both lemons and add the zest to the mix 
4. Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Keep the whites aside, beat the yolks and add to the mixture
5. Whisk the egg whites until they are fluffy and form soft peaks. Fold into the mixture
6. Add to the cake tray 
7. Bake for 20-30 minutes on 180C until golden brown, allow to cool a little. 

Weigh Day

I am ecstatic that I managed to lose 4.5lbs this week. Determination paid off! But also a little gutted it wasn't 1 extra lb so i'd get my 2 stone! Ah well, next week!!!

Chicken & Tomato Soup

This recipe is freezer friendly too!

Ingredients

1 onion peeled and finely chopped

2 carrots peeled and grated

2 lean back bacon, all fat removed, cut into small pieces

2 chicken breasts cut into thin strips

600g chopped tomatoes

400ml chicken stock

1tbsp chopped rosemary

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Salt & pepper to taste

Parsley to garnish

Method

Place the onion, carrots and bacon in a saucepan and stir fry for 2-3 mins. 

Add chicken, tomatoes, stock, rosemary and lemon zest/juice. 

Bring to boil and cover then simmer on medium heat for 15 mins stirring occasionally. Season to taste and sprinkle with chopped parsley then serve.

Perfect for those wintery days where you want something more substantial than just soup!

Weight Gain

So tonight I gained 2lbs. I half expected it after the terrible week. Back on plan now and this photo has given me the boost I needed, took it earlier and its a dress I didnt wear for ages because I didn't feel comfortable in it. And now its almost too big! Feeling positive about the week ahead and going to be completely on plan!

Also NEW HIFI BARS ARE YUM!
Anyone else tried them yet?

Lunch time!

I made a soup using one of those prepped vegs packs from asda, and it was vile! would definately rather make my own! so having to use ALL my fruit, blancmange and yoghurt for my lunch today! Feeling good and staying on plan!

Weekends & Not Being Well

Saturday was my hardest day this weekend, I really wanted to just eat rubbish because I felt rubbish. Even though I knew it wouldnt make me feel better. Instead I managed to throw together some pasta and meatballs and made enough for 3 portions which have already gone! Packed full of speed and thoroughly enjoyed it. Desperately want to be in the next stone range on Thursday! Got a zumba class tonight, first time for everything!
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Onion Bhaji Recipe

Ingredients

1 sweet potato
1 red onion
1 white onion
1 tablespoon of curry powder
1 egg

Method


Grate the sweet potato
Spray onions with frylight and cook until brown
Mix in a bowl with sweet potato
Add a pinch of salt and the curry powder
Add half the beaten egg and mix together
Spray a baking tray and spoon the mixture in balls
Cook in oven at 200 degrees for 25 mins turning halfway
Leave a little longer to get them crispy!

Doner and Chicken

My main thing since coming back off my holidays is my lack of appetite. I'm not saying I didn't eat but the heat definately affected my appetite. Wasn't feeling like eating much but at the same time was really craving a dirty kebab. Made the healthier version instead and scoffed the lot! Syn Free Doner and Syn Free Tandoori Chicken! Couple of syns for the mayo!

Spag Bol

It's so good when your other half produces SW friendly meals like this. Yummy!

Cauliflower Cheese Soup

What you need: 

Low calorie cooking spray 

One chopped onion 

Smoked paprika 

Cauliflower florets 

200ml vegetable stock 

2-3 extra light cheese triangles 

What to do: 

 1. Spray a large sauce pan with low calorie cooking spray and add chopped onion and smoked paprika and cook for 5 minutes. 

 2. Add cauliflower florets, around 200ml vegetable stock and simmer for 15 minutes until the cauliflower is just tender.    

 3. Stir in 2-3 extra light cheese triangles and blend until smooth. Season and serve.

Breakfast

I don't always feel like having much for breakfast but I can never get bored of these.
Loads of sliced strawberries, yoghurt & an alepn bar broken up on top.
Absolutely yummy!

SW coconut macaroons

I know they look more like meringues! But theyre still lovely!

Ingredients:
4 egg whites
198g sugar
71g coconut

Method:
Beat the egg whites until frothy (Make sure no yolk whatsoever has contaminated the egg whites, otherwise you could be whisking for ever!)
Add the sugar and beat until stiff.
Fold in the coconut, put mixture into a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe 30 macaroons onto a parchment covered baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes in a preheated oven (170ºC/150ºC Fan/Gas Mark 3).
Remove from oven, and allow to cool for a few minutes before removing them from the baking sheet.

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Curry Loaf

Ingredients:

1 tin of asda chickpea dhal (free)
1 packet asda curry flavour rice (1 1/2 syns)
3 eggs whisked
diced onions and peas (optional)

Method:

Cook the rice as per instructions
Mix all the ingredients together
Bake in a lined loaf tin or as muffins on 180 for about 30 mins until golden

1 1/2 syns for the lot
I got 8 small and 6 large muffins out of this mixture.

Visualising Weight Loss!

Not everyone has full length photos of when they started their journey. This to really helps you visualise your loss by giving you an everyday object to compare it to. 

Visit ilostwhat.com and enter yours today!

Biscuits!

I posted a recipe a few weeks ago about some biscuits I made. Here's my second attempt, I made them smaller which was a good idea!

Here's the recipe again for those who missed it!

Ingredients:

35g porridge oats
Sweetener (add depending on how sweet you like things, I used 2 tbsp)
Orange extract 1tsp
2 eggs
And grated chocolate on top (2 syns)

PLEASE NOTE: I made 3 x this amount as I was taking it to the taster session!

Method:
Add all ingredients to bowl and combine
Put in mold and cook until golden brown
Enjoy!

Will be taking them to our taster session later at 7pm! You can eat a 1/3 of these and if you use the porridge oats allowance it would only be TWO SYNS!!!
 

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Transformation Tuesday!

Was feeling a little down so thought i'd look for an old photo to give me a boost. Completely forgot about this but can't believe the difference!

I am about 2.5 stone lighter now than I was back then, a stone of that is since joining SW.
So good to see how far I've come. Approx 1st 10lbs still to go!

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Breakfast. SW style.

Doing SW I have found I actually eat a lot more food now than I did before, I have more energy because I'm eating a lot better, and I'm actually enjoying exercise.

MADNESS!

I love having time to make things like this at the weekends, as during the week is usually Overnight Oats or something similar as I don't have time!

I know this isn't quite 1/3 speed food, but I don't mind as I also ended up having a bowl of strawberries not long after, and everyone deserves a treat right?!
all of this for about 1.5 syns, and that's just for the sauce! I can live with that!

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