Sashaying into a svelte 2025 with Slimming World

[Wilma55]

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

Yeah it’s got a few all-in-one-bowl ideas like poke bowls, they look lovely!

I'll have a look through the new book next time I'm at group. I've been getting to mine late last couple of weeks so only really had time to weigh. Need to make more of an effort just hard sometimes with work and traffic.

Another 2 lbs off for me so a great start to February. Also only half away to my two stone award.

I got the one pot book with a countdown (although this week has been a countdown to disaster 😂) and there's a couple of nice recipes in that, the chicken enchilada one is really nice.

Had another go at making yogurt yesterday and strained it for just over an hour which was thick enough. I have just read that you can use some of the whey to start the next batch......after I'd tipped it away!

Today's soup was chicken and veg using stock made from the chicken carcass.

Feeling like a domestic goddess! 😉

Well done @LeftyLou

@Wilma55 you can also use it to make bread, makes a sourdough tasting bread . I used to make it regularly but I rarely touch bread now.

I never bother saving it now tbh, unless my neighbour is making pancakes, and I make my new batch of yoghurt with the last few tablespoons of the last. That only works a few times, you do need to add more cultures eventually

My friend has always made her own yogurt (she is Asian) and uses the whey as a base for a creamy soup like cauliflower or butternut squash.

0.5lb off for me this week. Which I'm actually very happy with, as I had a weekend of enjoying myself 😉
If I can stick to plan 5 or 6 days out of 7 and lose half a pound every week then I'll be delighted. I have very busy weekends and I find it so hard to be on plan when I'm out! (I mean, yeh I could knock the drinking on the head I suppose 😏😂)
Off out for dinner tonight with some old school friends I've known 35 years so I imagine the booze will be flowing 🙈

@LikeThatNotThat , well done on the half pound - every little counts as they say : ). Im happy with a pound a week , I won't say no to the half pounds either. I drink, my syns go on booze so any loss without depriving myself is great

Im finally back to target - Yayyyyy. Took a long while, big birthday in Aug with family coming to stay 3 weeks ( who snack all day ) , then we went to Poland ( where the food is out of this world ) , then Christmas, I was up and downing like a yo yo.

Ive just over two weeks to go before we are back in Poland so Im aiming to lose 2 more pound so I don't have an uphill battle to get back to target when I come back, because I do intend to eat with abandon whilst there . It's the bread that is a pure killer for me. I love bread, seriously love it, but now I cant eat it without stomach pain and bloating so I avoid it here. Polish bread does not have the same effect, and its just beautiful and its everywhere

Im not a massive eater, we eat mid morning and late afternoon and we will walk 20k steps a day as well on average, but bread and dumplings - irresistible

Poland is such a beautiful country, seriously, and the food is just absolutely amazing, but very meat and bread heavy and the salads have the most amazing dressings, they taste so good you know they are off the chart :)

1.5 off for me.

I'm concentrating this week on being mindful, of everything.

2lb off for me this week, that's 10.5lb in 4 weeks which I'm VERY happy with!

Away in 3 weeks, would like my stone by then!

@suki1964 love Poland, especially when you can order the mushroom soup served in a hollowed out bread roll 😋🤤 it's to die for!

Well done @suki1964 great to be back at target and looks like you had a good week @Doddler after last week's disappointment. Great loss @PieonaBarm.

I've never been to Poland do those of you who have, have relatives there? We had some lovely Polish neighbours who introduced us to an apple liqueur.
I did buy the soup seasoning recommended by @suki1964, you get loads for 90p!

Have a great week everyone.

Nope no reletives

Because Im a carer for mum and we have pets, we cant get proper holidays, so we have got into the habit of 3/4 night breaks twice a year. So I go sky scanner and look at where the cheapest flight for that month is heading - Krakow came up - so off we went - and fell in love with the city . And so much to do and see, that when we got back I just found the cheapest flights again - and off we go again at the end of the month

Seriously Poland is a beautiful country, the people are so lovely and friendly, its spotless, its so historic, and the food is just out of this world

That soup seasoning is really good isn't it? Really flavoursome

Great losses there @Doddler and @PieonaBarm Not had the soups yet, but Im looking forward to trying them. As I say we aren't huge eaters and found that perhaps we would have a sandwich or toastie mid morning, then not be hungry again till late in the day and portion sizes being so huge, stayed with just a main course or just got a kebab . Hell we never even sniffed a doughnut or chimney cake because whilst we were drooling, we were also of the mind, eat one of those during the day and bang goes wanting to eat later. But Im going to definitely try better to eat more this trip, especially now we have our bearings and I know where the restaurants I want to try are

What is the soup seasoning - what have I missed 😁
No relatives in Poland but have been to Krakow a couple of times recently and fell in love with Pieriogi (filled dumplings) smoked cheese and Bison grass vodka then eating in the Old Town for dinner.
Put on 4lbs in a weekend eating out in Yorkshire but lost 3 of them this last week, thankfully. Back on it with a vengeance now.

Here it is, I got it in Sainsbury's World Food section.

@FishPie2 , Im going to be in trouble - we arrive in time for Fat Thursday , which for those who don't know is the Polish equivalent of Shove Tuesday - only its doughnuts lol. And Polish doughnuts are huge and taken very seriously :)

@suki1964 have you been to Pod Wavelum? The restaurant with a tram carriage on the outside near the castle walls? They do chicken kebabs on a skewer but you could easily share one as they are huge. And their lemon vodka is to die for!

@suki1964 www.podwawelem.eu/

Well done everyone on the losses 🙂

@suki1964 enjoy your time in Poland. I absolutely loved it when I went. Would love to go back.

OMG Im going to die in food heaven aren't I? lol

So many foods and places I want to go to

Two places for sure are Kuchnia U Doroty and Golenkina . Ive also got the black duck earmarked and lord alone knows how many others. Our apartment is right next door to a lovely wee bistro that does amazing croques, there's a 2 star Michelin right opposite ( Ill not be booking as we are only taking casual clothes, but OMG Im drooling )

I know this is all weird, talking about food on a SW thread, but that's the joy of SW, knowing that life, holidays and high days are coming, and planning so you aren't sat there with a lettuce leaf and a carrot. I knew the holiday was coming, I know the food is usually off plan so Im making the changes now before I go, and am prepared to get back on plan when I get back, which is why I still go weekly to group

So whilst away Im not going to say no. Different foods and experiences are a huge part of a break/holiday - else I may stay at home

Good attitude @suki1964 . I had curry out on Saturday and rather over indulged, also drank too much but only 0.5lb on so it was worth it. All about choices. Curry again this weekend so will have a look at eating out guide before I go.

Made a very nice squash soup with half a squash, one onion, two cloves of garlic, tsp lazy ginger, 15g creamed coconut, stock up to bottom line in soup maker. The coconut really made a difference and between 4 servings is minimal.

@Wilma55 , I could make the dhal Im addicted to without coconut milk, but the small amount I use makes a huge difference to the taste and as you say - split over the amount of portions its worth it

No point eating food you aren't enjoying, bad habits creep back

That soup sounds delicious @Wilma55

I stayed the same this week and don't have high hopes for next week as we're at my in-laws for a few days and I'll have no choice in what I eat.

Lost another 2 this week getting my 2 stone award. ✴️

Love the sound of the soup too. I am thinking of making a roasted pepper soup for my lunch tomorrow.

STS is always a bit of a bummer @tealightning but you are still on track. Can just be the time of month, the full moon or one of a hundred things that effect our bodies Weight loss is never a downward line on a graph , it bounces about, mine looks like a mountain range, but Im still a hell of a lot lighter then I was this time 2 years ago

Brilliant result there @leftyLou , bet you are so proud :)

I was feeling a bit meh there last week with how I was going and what got me back focussed was pulling out my certificates and remembering how I felt receiving them. I find maintaining hard, losing and all those milestone rewards - 10%, 1/2 stone, 1 stone - etc, maintaining and I sometimes feel like there is no recognition for what I find really hard. I know its all in my own head, so I have to get them out now and then to remind myself what I have actually acheived

This time 2 years ago I was injured, lost my job cos of said injury, layed up on the sofa, not even able to go to the toilet by myself. Come April, with my recovery I realised I wasn't exactly going to be first choice when applying for jobs - age and size - which is what got me walking in the door to SW

As it happens Im injured again - cracked rib, but because Im so much lighter, Im healing faster - its uncomfortable but unless I cough its ok, Im working, I have a social life ( didn't have one of those a few years back ) I have energy and this is so cliche - a zest for life

I look back at the past two years and Im not the person who walked in the door of SW in April 23 , Ive dropped 4 sizes, I did a marathon, I jump at invites out, I feel dreadful if I miss out on exercise, I cant be sat, I want to be doing

DH is making noises about a sunshine holiday, something I have avoided for 10 years because I didn't want to be sweating, suffering chub rub, not coping with the heat, embarrassed and uncomfortable in a swimsuit with "tummy control panels" or looking a complete frump trying to hide my size

Im actually now thinking about it :)

Best laid plans and all that ........

Weighed in at 3lb OVER

To say I was peed off is a huge understatement because not a mission have I eaten 10000 more calories then normal. I upped my walking last week - even with the cracked rib and the below freezing temps we have at the moment , Ive been on plan 90% of the time so where its come from I have no idea

However today is the start of a new week and Ive 6 days to weigh in and 10 days before I fly- its coming off !!!

So far this weekend Ive made chicken and vegetable broth, sweet potato and red pepper soup, huge pots so plenty for the freezer, huge pot of Dahl - had some last night with HM chicken tikka and rice , just putting on a leek and potato soup ( all three of us here like different soup ) , will be making afghan aubergines and putting on the dinner of brisket in the slow cooker.

Everything on plan and free, and packed with speed and protein

How's everyone else doing?