SLIMMING WORLD 2007 - Thread 3. Fresh thread, fresh start, we will look good for summer!!

[BethAndHerBrood]

Right. Here we are again.

Good luck ladies, I certainly need it!!!

Rosequartz..I have at least 8 stone to loose and am having struggling times but keep repeating a little mantra to myself about how I need to loose the weight to be around for my children etc. I have swapped cakes for the highlights bars which are 5 syns each.

korma sauce
2 onions peeled and chopped
2.5cm piece of ginger peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
1/2pt chicken bovril
1tbsp ground coriander
1 cinnamon stick broken
1/2tsp turmeric
5 cardamon pods
1 tsp salt
juice 1/2 lemon
28g block creamed coconut grated
142g very low fat natural yoghurt
2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander

Put the onions, ginger and garlic in a food processor and blend into a smooth paste

Put paste into a frying pan along with the bovril. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 mins.

Stir in spices, salt and lemon juice. Add coconut and continue to cook, stirring occasionally for 10 mins.

gradually add yoghurt ( spoon at time) and simmer gently for 15 - 20 mins. ( dont boil yoghurt will curdle)

discard cardemon pieces, scatter over coriander and stir to combine before serving

2.5 syns per serving on both plans
serves 4

Hi everyone
Today was my first weigh-in day since joining online, have only lost 1lb but I'm happy enough with that as it took me a few days to get my head around the Slimming World system. Much more confident for week 2 as I'm going to menu plan each day and try to cook everything from scratch using as many free foods as possible. So far with the diet plan, I'm finding breakfast time the most difficult. Maybe because I like to have a couple of slices of toast and then have used up some syns early in the day, especially if I want a slice of bread at lunchtime too. I'm trying to have fruit and yoghurt instead now but would welcome some other breakfast suggestions if anyone has any, thanks

Christie, here's a couple of recipes for pasta sauce from the website

Fresh Tomato Sauce (FREE on both plans)

INGREDIENTS

2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, no need to peel or chop
681 g/1½ lb tomatoes, washed and quartered
salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put the onions, garlic and tomatoes into a heavy-based saucepan and set over a moderate heat. Don?t add any liquid. Cook for 15?20 minutes until the tomatoes are collapsed and tender.
2. Purée in a blender or food processor, then pour it back into the saucepan through a sieve, pressing with a wooden spoon to get as much of the purée through as possible.
3. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve some of the sauce poured around the frittata and the rest in a jug

---------

Herby Yellow Pepper Pasta Sauce
(FREE on green, 3 syns on ORIGINAL if using wholemeal pasta as a HE choice)

INGREDIENTS

6 yellow peppers
1 onion
1 garlic clove
198ml/7fl oz chicken/vegetable stock made with Bovril
255g/9oz green beans
3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives
150g pot quark
salt and freshly ground black pepper
681g/1½ lb boiled pasta

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Halve and deseed the peppers, place skin side up under a hot grill and cook for 10-12 minutes until charred and blistered, place in a plastic bag and set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Chop the onion and crush the garlic, place in a pan with the stock and simmer for 4-5 minutes until the onion is tender. Peel and chop the peppers, place in a food processor with the onion mixture and blend until smooth.
3. Cook the beans in boiling water for a few minutes, drain, place in a pan with the pepper mixture, herbs, quark and seasoning, mix well and heat through. Stir in the pasta and serve with grated Parmesan if desired (1½ Syns per 1 level tablespoon on Green and Original).

Had WI last night - lost 3lb, got my first half stone award after two weeks and was slimmer of the week!! It was a real boost considering I had had a meal out and far too much booze last week. Am going to go full throttle this week though.

Nemo - keep up the positive attitude. People lose a lot more than 8 stone - you can do it girl! Just think how amazing you will feel when you are the slinkier version of you.

Hi RoseQuartz
Welcome to the board! I echo what fairyfly2 has said about staying to the meetings. It really helps and you get to share ideas and get motivated for the following week. I have lost 3.5 stone on Slimming World - my top tips which worked for me are:

1. Stick a note on the fridge door - I have lost x lbs this week and x lbs in total. Then whenever I felt a snackattack coming on, I could read this and think before eating
2. Stick another note on the fridge door - I am losing weight because........(visualise the new you, the kids, I'll be fitter etc etc). Maybe set a goal - I wanted to run a 5km (eek it's tomorrow afternoon!) and get fit so I do Body Pump x3 times a week - (excellent way of toning up).
3. Stock up on free food - tons of fruit, veg (do veggie sticks if you feel the urge to snack). Ditch the cakes/biscuits if you can or get ones that you can have as a HE - Hifi bars or Alpen lights if you have a sweet tooth.
4. Plan, plan, plan your meals weekly. Then you won't get to lunch/dinner time and think what am I going to have? Also you can then extend the catering to cover the rest of the family and you're not catering for individuals.
5. Another note on the fridge - plan your rewards (v. important!). When I have lost xlbs I will.....(manicure, new shoes, smellies, but not chocolate etc). Good for every half stone or so. Will eventually get to buying lots of new clothes too, but hold off buying too much as you'll end up having to buy smaller sizes .

Don't be too hard on yourself. It takes time to get used to SW but it does work and remember that if you lose a bit at a time, then it's more likely to stay off. Also try and split your total loss into smaller chunks, I find it's easier to deal with. Lastly, try and get your family behind you for support. Hopefully this will help, sorry for rambling on!
mj

Laloop - forgot to mention - breakfast is the tricky part but if you can save those healthy extras it is much better for the rest of the day. At weekends I have omelette/ beans/ bacon etc depending on green or red day. I found it really hard having fruit for breakfast at first as before I could eat at least 4 pieces of toast for brekkie. I have just trained myself. OK here's a stupid confession. I was watching deperate housewives and saw Gabrielle Solis eating fruit and a giant glass of water for breakfast, every time I want to pig out I just think of tha glamorous, healthy image and I manage - if I am still peckish I will wait half an hour and have a very large coffee and a banana, before you know it it is lunhc time. I have also started making a batch of tomato sauce each week, with some tomatoe puree, olive oil and stock - it is only 2 sins the lot and lasts all week in currys, pasta, soups etc and is just that little bit tastier than a no sin version.

For breakfast I like the fruit angd yoghurt option but I also have scan bran

I put 2 scan bran in a bowl and pour over a little boiling water leave to soften and then break up with a fork. I add a little milk out of my allowence ( you don't need much) and some sweetner and a chopped banana. It tastes like bran flakes and keeps you going.

If I fancy more scan bran in the day then I have 3 more and use them as he. If not and I wont all my he I count the 2 scan bran as 1 syn.

scan bran is also a speed food which i like!!

Hi Laloop

I love breakfast.....here are a few ideas that you may like??

Scrambled / poached egg, beans, two slices nimble (green) (mccain hash browns are only 1.5 syns each on green too mmmmmm!)

Massive bowl of chopped fruit with a muller poured over (either day)

Weetabix with chopped fruit or a sachet of porrige (the one on HB list) I have the readybrek one, fills up lovely!

95% FF sausages, mattesons turkey rashers, two slices nimble and mushroon omelette (red)

"on the move" hifi bar and a banana!

HTH

Thanks so much for all the the breakfast suggestions, will definitely give them a try this week

Will do my best to break the toast habit, I was eating the Burgen soya and linseed bread which is yummy but 5.5 syns a slice I don't really like breakfast cereal unfortunately except porridge. I've noticed scan bran mentioned a few times on the SW plan, Caykon, but I've never heard of it before! Is it a cereal?

Good luck on the 5k, mumbojumbo - is it the Race for Life? I did mine last week, really enjoyed it

Love the Gabrielle thing, fantastic tip!

I make a big omelette for breakfast at the weekend & everyone in the house has some.

I use 2 eggs, milk from HEa, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions & some herbs. Sometimes I will put in some ham if the kids want it

Also, today I have had a 3 mile walk after taking dd to school, then when I came home I hd melon, strawberries & banana in a bowl with a pint of water.

Other breakfasts include Oat so simple with a chopped banana, some muller light with a chopped banana, banana on toast, boiled egg, poached egg..... mostly free foods The way you start the day is very important, for me it's either make or break ie: If I have crusty loaf & banana that's me buggered as I will have to eat the rest of the crusty

Can I ask you girls about exercise?? How often do you exercise & what kind of exercise do you do?

I have started walking every morning [have been doing this for a couple of months] and a few times I will walk in the evenings too.

One night a week I go to a spin cycle class, it had been off for 2 weeks but started up again last night. My only problem is that I have hurt my back & my arm doing something, I don't even know what.. my arm is aching, like a throbbing pain but I mostly ignore it. I am almost sure that my back is sore due to twisting when walking uphill, it's a very steep hill

Last night at the class we cycled for 45 minutes & then got on the floor for stomach exercises.... I could have cried. I can't do sit-ups... not at all & it has made my sore back much worse, my walk this morning was agony & I ming of deep heat

Laloop, you can buy scan bran at the meetings. I'm not sure, but maybe you can order it online too?

It's slightly like ryvita... except yukkier

Apparently it goes right through you

I don't like it but there are loads of people who do

If you can't get it online & want to try it, gimme a shout & I'll get you some at my meeting on Wed night

.

Hi. May I join in please - soon?

I am waiting for the arrival of my baby but will have to address the weight issue quite soon afterwards! I need the motivation but don't have the babysitter to attend a group. To start with I have two questions 1) can I still get into the website without being a member? 2) does anyone know the healthy extra guidleines for breastfeeding?

I probably won't be here for a couple of weeks now (hopefully!) but will be back soon.

Thanks, and good luck to you all.

Hi there, Technically you can set yourself an account up and 'borrow' the password off someone each week. I don't know what the general concesus is on doing this but if you send me your email address I will forward it to you. I wouldn't usually do it but I think your cirumstances are different. It is good to go along to group though when possible as it is a real motivator. I don't see why you couldn't take your baby along really, as long as he/she isn't screaming the house down, other people take children and people are generally very friendly there. As for breastfeeding/ pregnancy I would imagine that calcium intake would be higher and fat intake - a website like babycentre etc may be able to help you with that.

scan bran is a crispbread. you can have 5 as a he b or they are 1/2 syn each.

they can be brought in class, or in waitrose or holland and barrett

I have the pregnancy and breastfeeding leaflet around somewhere I will dig it out and will be able to say for sure. But I think up until weaning I got an extra 5 he's a day. I was advised by my consultant to use these as b choices as they make better milk!!!!

Thanks for that. I'll be back as soon as I'm one person that is just the size of two!

Hello all

How's everyone doing?

I'm having a greenish day today...! I'm having a biryani tonight for tea, can't wait!

Just wondering if anyone finds their consultant a bit, sort of "uninterested" in you??

I've been going to mine for about 4 months and she nice enough but when it comes to needing personal support i.e. phone calls, reassurance, needing the password, contact in case of missing a class etc etc, mine just doesn't seem bothered. She never rings, never answers her mobile / texts. If you ring her at home she sounds as though you're bothering her.

I needed to ask mine something to text her and she didn't answer, do I waited until the end of the day (in case of work or whatever) and rang her. She answered and I said it was me blah blah and she answered "who???......oh I see [huff huff]".

Don't feel she's very supportive and I want to go somewhere else but no others are suitable for me and DP's shifts etc.....really feel a bit gutted TBH!

thanks for lending me your ears...eerrr eyes!

x

No, my consultant is amazing!!

If there is a week where we expect a weightloss & we don't get it, or gain & we don't know where we have went wrong, she will take our food diaries from us & look over them at home & call us.

The last time I gained 0.5lb in a week where I had exercised daily & went to the gym etc, I was devastated & she took my diary home & checked over it. She called me on a Saturday evening & I was out, so I called her back later [where I have to admit I hd had a few glasses of wine] & she was lovely.. we had a lovely chat, about life, the universe & everything

She was on holidays this week & even the stand in was lovely, really friendly & gave us lots of advice. Don't be afraid, you pay for class every week & our consultant believes that they should be available to you when you need them... she is lovely

Hi fairyfly2
I do body pump 3 times a week (they call it body blast on the SW website) - brilliant for toning and shaping the bod.
I have just started spinning although I found the saddle of the bike really uncomfortable! Not been able to schedule another class as they seem to clash with dh being away/at work/out etc.
Also walk/jog to school and back 3 times a day taking ds1 and ds2 to nursery/school, then picking ds2 up from nursery at lunchtime then back at 3.15 to pick up ds1.
Used to do Body Balance - mix of Yoga, pilates and taichi but stopped for Body Pump. Hope to do one of these a week too, soon!
Phew!

Having a mild panic attack here... my BIL just called & asked us to their place for a BBQ. Would be fine on an original day, but so far I think I am on a green day.. wait & I'll tell you what have had... I think I can change to a red day if I can substitute syns for the spoonful of pasta I had..

Right, brekkie was melon, banana, strawberries.

Lunch was: Salad, Tuna, lettuce, sweetcorn, egg, tomato, cucumber, beetroot. 1 small spoonful of pkt of free pasta as Ds had the rest, I only had a spoonful to finish it off.

That's it. Could I use the tuna as free on a red day too... & then is the rest of the salad stuff free on an original day too????

Helpppppp me Pleeeasseeee

have a mix 2 max day

brekkie was free on both

lunch was green

dinner can be red

as long as all your snacks are free on both plans or fit into your sin allowence

go enjoy the bbq

Either do a red day and use the pasta as a HE (you can have 100g wholemeal pasta as a HE or 1.5 syns for 28g or all pasta). OR.....could you take something with you to eat/cook on the BBQ, quorn sausages maybe? The veg is all free on either red or green ... Don't panic, it sounds like you'll be fine. Keep eating the free veg!
HTH

Was lunch green?

Is the salady stuff syns on original??

I must go look up my book... see how many syns is in a spoonful of pasta, it was about 6 tubes.

sweetcorn is 1.5 syns, pasta 1.5 also. so 3 syns if a red day.....

but if it's a green day then I have used a he on tuna......

I am going out for a meal tomorrow night as well, so I really don't want to mess up today!

I don't have any quorn here at all & I live in a small village where it won't be in the shops...

I will have a piece of chicken & some salad, In fact I will mae up the salad now before I go

My sister knows I am slimming so won't make a big deal, it's just me that panics about things

rhysmiamum, our consultant left in March and we have had a series of stabdins ever since. It is very demotivating as they don't know you and don't seem to have much interest in you losing weight. The consultant who left wasn't much good either. It's a pity as I would love to go to a proper group session.