Weight Loss And Birthdays

So it's the 1st March tomorrow, which for me means lots of meals out for birthdays. The twins turn 7 on 10th, can't believe it!
They gone from this
To this
The twins want to go to TGI'S on Saturday night, so I guess as long as I cut back on the syns, I can, if anything, STS. We're then having a surprise party on Sunday at a pottery. I'm making up food boxes so I won't be eating fatty party food, but there will be birthday cake!
Must remember to only have one slice!

Two weeks later I will turn 30! Of course that involves more food, two meals out, one with friends, one with family. I'm going to limit the alcohol to only one night though, cos otherwise I'll eat far tooooo much.

So I guess I better really get my head down and start jogging a bit more and cutting back on syns during the week in preparation for the celebrations.

I've been feeling unwell again, I feel like I'm ill every few weeks. Ear infection and chest infection again, Ray and the kids are ill too so non of us are any good to anybody :O(

I really hope I can keep any weight gain to a minimum in March, but I'm sooooo excited about my birthday!

AWOL

I've been here but not here. Been very busy, Ray went to Barcelona and been working so I've had two weeks with no meetings for me.

Went back tonight and had lost 1lb. That's 8½lb gone now, could of had another 2lb off but hey, at least I lost.

We all took food to class tonight, I took a squidgy chocolate cake (recipe below), but one of the ladies had made these savory cakes, delish! Was cooked chicken, bacon and mushrooms with mashed potato and dried sage, make into cakes or crocets, dipped in egg then wholemeal breadcrumbs and baked in the oven.
We ate them cold so would be ideal and a lunch idea or very nice warm with veg.


SQUIDGY CHOCOLATE CAKE
Syns per cake: 9

INGREDIENTS
6 large eggs separated
1/2 cup of sweetener
2 oz of cocoa powder (be sure to use real cocoa powder and not drinking chocolate etc)

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180c or 350f, spray a oven proof cake tin with non stick spray

2. Whisk the egg whites to the soft peak stage and set aside.

3. Place the egg yolks in another mixing bowl and whisk until they start to thicken, then add the sweetener and continue to whisk, but be careful not to let the yolk mixture get too thick.

4. Add the cocoa powder into the egg yolk mixture and if it starts to get too stiff, add a little of the egg white mixture.

5. Carefully fold in the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and then pour the mixture into the cake tin.

6. Bake the cake for approx 25 minutes until springy.

7. Remove it from the oven but leave it in the cake tin to cool.

You can serve with fresh light squirty cream (1 syn for 4 tablespoons). Which will make a quarter serving of the cake about 3.5 syns.

Magic really works!

So I lost 2.5lb this week, all that walking/jogging has paid off for me this week, plus I'm slowly getting into the swing of things.

So that's my half stone award received and I'm so pleased. I can really tell with my clothes too, I feel much more comfortable. 6 ½lb to my first stone off and I'll be so happy if I can get it off plus a little more by my 30th birthday.

Look What We Found! ready meals, Fellside beef casserole 1 syn on extra easy and original, 7 ½ on green.

They have quite a few different meals and soups, ranging from 1 syn up. Fab and filling for lunches and grab and go suppers.

Chicken Chow Mein

Last night we had Chicken chow mein for supper, was very nice and extremely filling so I thought I'd share with you.

CHICKEN CHOW MEIN
Serves: 4
Syns per serving:
1½ Syns on Green*, 7½ Syns on Original, Free on Extra Easy
*Add 6 Syns if not using chicken as a Healthy Extra

INGREDIENTS
150g packet dried egg noodles
3 garlic cloves
4 spring onions
2 carrots
113g/4oz mangetout
113g/4oz mushrooms
1 red pepper
4 cooked chicken breasts (I steamed mine)
Fry Light
4 tbsp soy sauce
85ml/3fl oz chicken stock made with Bovril
142g/5oz beansprouts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp Chinese five spice

METHOD
1. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile prepare the ingredients: finely grate the garlic; slice the spring onions; cut the carrots into matchsticks; halve the mange tout length ways; halve the mushrooms; deseed and thinly slice the pepper; roughly shred the chicken.

3. Heat a frying pan sprayed with Fry Light, add the garlic and spring onions and fry for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add the soy sauce, chicken stock, carrots, mangetout, mushrooms, red pepper and beansprouts and stir fry for a further 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken, noodles and five spice, toss together and heat through. Serve immediately.

I wish I'd took a photo as it looked as delish as it tasted.


I also came across this little device yesterday and will be buying one come payday. It's a microwave crisp maker!
I don't eat many crisps, but if I can eat them Syn free I will and I bet you can have a lot of fun adding your own flavours.


So I'm doing pretty well at the moment, been eating well and have started going out for an hours walk or wobble every morning once I drop the twins at school. I'm feeling much better for it and hopefully I'll be back up to speed soon and loosing at a steady rate.

Hope you're all on a roll and doing well. Good luck for weigh ins!

Jog On!

Gained ½lb. Not surprised and actually quite pleased that it was such a small gain after what I ate on Saturday night.

I've now got 2lb to loose to get to that 7lb so gonna give it a big push this week. Will be going out for an hours wobble every morning, Monday to Friday, and will get back to Pilates again next week now things have calmed down again.

Am going to plan some meals now, wish me luck! Or share your favourite meal with me.

Steak Pie...

and chips. That's what I ate last night, followed by chocolate cake and a few glasses of baileys.

We went out to celebrate my mam and dads birthdays and I think I went a bit OTT. But I'll have to try and pull it back cos I really want a loss this week.

So I think I need to plan meals from now til Wednesday. Fingers crossed.

Phew...

Close shave this week.

I have really struggled this week, not eaten crap but over ate a bit too much so I thought I would of had a 1lb gain on my hands. That made me feel gutted, so when I got on the scales and I'd STS I was very happy.

I want 1.5lb off for next week so I can get my first half stone gone even though really I'm 4.5lb away from my stone if I work from my first starting weight.

Here's to a great week for all. Good luck.