Sashaying into a svelte 2025 with Slimming World

[Wilma55]

New thread for 2025, wishing you all a happy, healthy new year.

@suki1964 I'm the same this week, whilst I haven't been great in terms of the plan I've not eaten enough for 3lb gain. However, I'm due on which is always a decent gain for me even if I'm 100% on it, so I've been to Iceland and bought the lunch pots for my lunches at work this week, and got some Chocolate Weetabix to encourage me to have breakfast despite it being £££, so like you it's onwards and hopefully downwards!!

Entertaining visitors this weekend and despite the best of intentions not been on plan. WI on Tuesday so will do my best till then!

So after a few days of eating badly at my in-laws I'm up 2lbs! Need to get back on track this week as it's been a while since I've seen a loss.

A maintain for me this week. I'm staying positive because although I feel I have had a good week I have had 7 consecutive losses before now. I just need to keep my head focused on where I want to go.

Does anyone have any tips on soups? I have made a couple in the soup maker and the taste is nice enough I've definitely made worse but they are always watery. I just don't know if I am not using enough stock or need to addd something to thicken it up?

Hope everyone is having a good week/has a good week ahead.

Didnt go to WI on Tuesday which was a mistake as I've now gone off the rails. Yesterday I had a Bounty and half a packet of Cheddars (not mini pack but tube). Will try to get back in the zone today.

@leftylou re soup, are you adding enough veg? I don't know what size you have but think you need 400 to 500 gr for 1.3 litre? You could try adding some lentils or a potato to thicken? I add a teaspoon of the Polish seasoning recommended by @suki1964 .Also I use the smooth rather than chunky setting. I've found the SW soup book good and it says to use half quantities for soup maker. Which particular soups have you found thin? I'll see if I have a recipe. Where appropriate a small amount (15g) of block coconut adds a touch of luxury for not many calories.

Cant help you with making the soup in a soup maker as Im a pressure cooker and stick blender maker.

Ones Ive made this week - sweet potato and red pepper, same quantity of each, chopped into decent sized chunks, added a couple of cloves of garlic, spray of oil, sprinkle of cumin and chilli flakes, roasted till softened and charring, enough stock to cover and cook till soft , blend. Sometimes when Im blending I need to add more liquid, other times is a bit watery so I just simmer a wee while. A wee bit of coconut milk added to that one makes it magnificent rather then just lush :)

Im doing curried parsnip this afternoon, with that I chop the parsnips into chunks, a bag full , add a chopped onion and a chopped apple, spray, sprinkle with curry powder - roast - stock - cook till soft, blend adding a drop of milk to make creamy. The apple should add a slight sweetness, if not I stir in a teaspoon of honey

Leek and potato - I tend to use one bag of leaks to two decent size spuds, I just chop up rough - just wash the spuds and leeks - throw in the saucepan , sprinkle of thyme, stock to cover , cook till tender - blend using some milk to make it creamy

I use a multi cooker so I do the roasting and pressure cooking and simmering if needed all in the one pot - takes no time at all

DH loves a broth, its very popular here, we buy bags of pre chopped carrots, parsley, leeks, and soup celery - which isn't the celery you are used to, and we use dried soup mix or barley to thicken. How I do that is, cover the bottom of the pan with washed barley, add stock and pressure cook for 15 mins on high, once that's done I throw in the well washed veg, throw in a couple of chicken thighs or drumsticks, cover with stock, pressure cook on high for another 10 mins, Once released, take out the chicken, discard the skin and then shred the chicken , stir back into the broth. Sometimes I blend some of the broth to make a really thick soup ( before I put the chicken in )

The stock is always the one posted further back and I find I rarely need to adjust seasoning , maybe some pepper

Faced the music this morning and weighed in at a different group, +1.5 oops.

Made cauliflower cheese soup for lunch and the leftover soup is going to be the sauce for tonight's fish pie. Not tried it before but I remember there was someone on a long ago SW thread who used cauliflower for sauce.

Weighed in today, 2 lb off which Im over the moon over - cos I have been at the cake all week

Last week me and another lass had huge for us gains which neither of us could explain nor were expecting, this week we both had big losses, and neither of us were on plan fully - go figure. That's twice now that's happened to me, big unexpected gains when I know there was no way on earth it could be

Still its back off, and I go off plan Wednesday at 11am, when I finish work and head into town to the cafe and get a huge lunch to keep me going till we land in Krakow where Im heading straight to the Zapiekanka stall then on to Duffy's to sink a few beers

Thursday will be Fat Thursday and I will dutifully consume at least two doughnuts

And so it will go till next Tuesday when I go back on plan :)

@Wilma55 1.5 isnt much and you know yourself where it came from and what you need to do, it will soon be gone. How was the fish pie? I just make fish pie with milk from the allowance and one tablespoon of butter and one of flour - 5 syns and divide by the portions - usually 4 - so just over a syn . I use egg instead of butter in the mash which really works well for browning and I use the cheese also as my HEA. Rarely ever use syns cooking,

How's everyone else doing? Our group was bunged this morning, lots of new faces and some returnees

@Wilma55 that is a great shout over the vegetable amount. I will definitely add more next time. Thankyou 😊

@suki1964 love the sound of the curried parsnip soup. Going to give that a go.

Off topic I found a website where you can read books for free and it's a great one. However, the host is down so now I've actually had to do some housework instead. First world problems I know!

Hello! Hope everyone is still doing well. I had a couple of maintains and then this week lost 2. Also got slimmer of the week for the first time ever which was very exciting! I have 5.5lbs to target and really want to get there soon!

Am enjoying the soup tips. I might try the cauliflower cheese one. I use the roasted pepper and tomato one from the app quite a lot. Good luck all!

Argh with half term I've had a +3.5lb gain over the last two weigh ins... I need an overhaul I think!

I went to Iceland and got some ready meals as this week will be really busy at work.

I am really craving sugar too - any tips gratefully received!

Being out of routine eg half term or visitors plays havoc with staying on plan I find @TomWambsgansSwans .
My cauliflower soup sauce was good, could have done with being a bit thicker but on the whole a success!

Have you got the cauliflower cheese soup recipe @Blueoak ?

Here's my sauce and pie!

@Wilma55 theres one on the app that uses laughing cow - is that the right one? X

Mine is from the Souper Heroes book.
1 large onion
1 litre boiling veg stock
2 level tbs cornflour
1 level tsp dijon mustard
1 large cauliflower (about 700g florets)
200ml skimmed milk ( I don't use except to mix cornflour)
50g reduced fat cheddar, grated
Chopped chives to serve

(Use half quantities for soup maker and add cornflour, cheese at end)

3.5 syns per serving 14 for recipe

Put onion and tbs of the stock in large pan, simmer 10 mins. Mix flour with splash water and mustard add to pan with rest of stock, add cauliflower, s+p, cover, simmer 15 mins.
Blitz all or some depe ding how smooth you like. Bring to boil, reduce heat and add the milk and 40g of cheese.

Thank you @Wilma55 that sounds WAY nicer!!!

wading back in… Ive been a bit of a quiet lurker but Im still here, plodding away with the slowest loss journey ever due to Christmas in the middle 🙈 half a pound to go!

Oct 2024 11st 4.5
current 10st 7.5
target 10st 7

total lost is therefore 11lb I think?

I really hope I can get below target next week and then id really love to get to 10st 4 if I can and have that nice buffer zone

Well done @Yorkshiredolls that's a good loss with Christmas in it.

Had a good couple of days ruined by a large slice of cake today. It wasn't even v nice!

Where is everyone? Hope you haven't given up!

Went to WI this morning, a pound off so was quite pleased. It was Free Food February (?) but most people seem to have forgotten. Enjoyed a sample of two different curries people brought in.

The raffle prize was the ingredients for pancakes made with oats, yogurt, eggs. If I make any it will be with lemon and sugar/sweetener.

reached target today wahoo
treat myself to a gin and tonic after tea (still within 15 syns)
Ive been here before at target for a 9 months period but then lost my way last year and gained (very stressful year with events that were out of my control- wont go into it)
its nice to be back in my happy comfort zone. I know exactly what to do with my healthy extra allowance and my higher syn days and Im Pretty confident I can keep this going this time

Well done @yorkshiredolls what a great feeling and a well deserved g&t!

I'm now 5 above target so only 2 more to get to upper target range and stop paying.

I find maintaining really hard but no need to worry about that just yet.

Thanks its just maintaining now which I
find fairly easy- Im on “route B”
which is 5 healthy extras a day plus 15 syns 4-5 days per week/30 syns 2-3 days per week. Still sticking to mainly speed and free foods though, good habits need to stick!

the thing that I’m most happy about is that I can have cereal for brekkie, ham and cheese sarnie for lunch and a Hifi bar or two without having to do a swap or compromise 😁 not every day like but its nice to have the option!

How is everyone doing?

@Yorkshiredolls congratulations 🥳 that must feel amazing!

I don't think I've updated my last 2 weeks. I didn't weigh in at my normal Wednesday group last week as was my birthday so got weighed the Friday instead. Last week and this week lost half each. Which I am happy with. Hoping to get to the next stone bracket next week.

I am thinking of getting a weighted hula hoop but think need to do a bit more research.

Brilliant @Yorkshiredolls , so very pleased for you xxx

Well done @Wilma55

Well I didn't weigh in on Saturday as I was in Krakow and all bets were off

TBH I weren't so bad with food choices, was the booze - red wine - gallons

Jeans are feeling decidedly tight , not looking forward to Saturday but if I don't go the damage will get worse

Checking back in! I'm struggling. As I get older weight loss is so much harder - I need pretty much 100% on plan to lose and that seems impossible! I know it's about willpower etc but I have the constant internal struggle of enjoyment now Vs weight loss later...
For example, I organised to meet with a friend at the weekend for a nice long walk. She brought coffee and muffins. We had a lovely walk then sat in a beautiful spot for our coffee. Of course I could have said no thank you to the muffin. But she had baked them specially and it was such a nice thing to do. So I had a massive gorgeous chocolate muffin 😂
Then on the way back we bumped into an old friend we'd not seen for ages who was on her way to the pub and invited us to join her.
Yes, I know diet coke exists. But it was sunny, we were outside... 2 pints of cider later and the guilt kicks in for a ruined weekend (eating wise) - but a lovely weekend with joy and friends and sunshine!
I don't think I'll ever be a healthy weight. But I am thankful for SW which means I can have weekend treats and not gain anything if I'm on plan the rest of the time so I guess that's something!

@LikeThatNotThat Im kind of the same, I tend to be very lax on a Saturday , then back on plan the rest of the week. What I do tend to stick to is syn free meals all week, maybe the odd one syn count - ie - cook from scratch from the free foods, so that the odd cake or pint doesn't do any damage

So weigh in saw me back to top of target - a 1.5 gain - which over two weeks I'll take. Had the grandkids this weekend so sweets etc were floating about and I found myself dipping in. Went back to Park Run on Saturday and got out and about on my bike yesterday - just 15 miles but it was great cycling again

Now the weekend is by - back on plan.