Week 8

Week 8

Lost = 2 1/2 lb

Total lost = 32lb

Yay,my leg is healing well so I was back out gardening and grass cutting.  Think jogging round on my tractor cutting the paddock shook off a bit too...lol

Had a nice roast lunch yesterday, chicken, roast potatoes, yorkshire pudding and mixed green veg,  it doesn't hurt to have a treat now and again.  I did in actual fact miss breakfast so had some calories to play with anyway.

This week's eating fad was 1 small can Tuna mixed with sweetcorn, 0%mayo and seafood sauce on rice cakes, yummy

4 rice cakes plus tuna mix = 250 cals

This week's priority job is getting my veggies weeded. All this rain has caused havoc up there, but they are coming along well.  Looking forward to my New Potatoes, which are nearly ready to dig up and the Runner Beans and Peas that are growing fast.

Have a good week

xx

Diet Flipper

Happy Thursday all

I think we all get a buzz when going to a diet group from getting stars, recognition points etc, it brings out the kid in us and it does work.

I made this today, I call it a diet flipper.  There are 28 flips which you turn for each 1/2 lb off that week and each has a motivational saying on it.  There are also a load of flips to mark each 1/2 stone off.

It's easy to make and here is what you need

• card (old cereal packaging is fine)
• pretty paper
• glue
• hole punch or Bind-it-all/Cinch if you're a crafter
• Binding wires, or you could use crocodile clips if you don't have the craft tools
• card to print onto, I used white but any colour will do that will go in your printer
  
   Cut 2 pieces of card approx 9" x 7" and cover in pretty paper
  fold a 4" x 7" piece of card in half lengthways to make the stand.
  
  If you have the craft machines use a piece of bind it all wire to secure the front and back, at the bottom as shown in the picture. If not you could glue this along the bottom edges only so it will be able to open as a hinge.
  You could also punch holes and secure with pretty ribbon or string etc
  
  Print the inspirational sayings or you can print these sheets which are already spaced out for you ready to print and cut.  These are on Mediafire, FREE and you can manipulate in word if you want to make any changes.
  Inspirational 1
  Inspirational 2
  Inspirational 3
  Inspirational 4
  Inspirational 5
  Diet stones off sheets 1
  Diet stones off sheets 2
  Diet stones off sheets 3
  
  I cut the inspiration quotes at 4" x 3 1/2" and the stones off at 3" x 4"
  secure with a clip or bind it all through the front and back at the top either side, this joins all the edges together.  Make sure you have them in order of 1/2, 1lb etc starting with a 1/2lb quote on top and the stones with the lowest amount at the top, i.e 1/2 stone.
  
  I added some star stickers to the one when you reach the half stone (7lb) off  quote and the last one, where you flip them all back and start on your next stone.
  
  Now you just need to lose weight and flip away, one quote per 1/2 lb lost :-)
  
  If you have any questions please contact me and I will try to help you xx

Weigh in

Week 7

 lost = 1lb

total lost so far 29.5lb

Weight loss is slowing down now, need some nicer weather so I can get outside more and do stuff :-(  

I had to have a minor procedure on my leg this week which involved stitches so have to be careful for a few days. The weather forecast is better for the end of the week so hopefully I can start doing some grass cutting and other jobs to work off more calories

Maggi Chilli Chicken Crumbs

I tried these last night on my chicken breast for dinner and they are really nice.  You only need 1/3 of the packet for one large chicken breast, cut into pieces and baked in the oven for about 20 mins, no oil needed either.

HAGW

xx

chicken taco's

Today's offering is Chicken Taco's.  I do not eat minced beef, it turns my stomach thinking about it and the smell is a total turn off.  So I developed this chicken version.  The best part about taco's is the sour cream and cheese but obviously these are very high in calories.  I used low fat Philadelphia cream cheese in mine and it was nice.

Ingredients
6oz Chicken Breast finely sliced
taco seasoning 1/4 packet
2 taco shells
2 tablespoons Salsa
1 tablespoon of Philadelphia Sweet Chilli flavour (but any would be o'k)

Mix the sliced Chicken with the spices and cook in 1 tablespoon of water in a shallow frying pan
Heat the taco shells
Stir 1 tablespoon of Phili into the chicken
Put chicken and salsa into the taco's and eat

Total cals 416

Very simple and fast
xx

Weigh in day

Week Six

Total Lost = 1lb

Total lost so far 2 stone 1/2 lb

Inches lost

Bust 3 inches

Hips 3 inches

Hips 2 inches

Top of arm 1/2 inch

Top of leg 1/2 of inch

I like to keep a measurement chart, on the not so good weeks sometimes the inches off measurement boosts you up as you can see progress there.

A couple of recipes

Weigh in day tomorrow and I hope I lose again.

Been in the kitchen trying out some new ideas today. I was craving some Humus, so thought I would try to make a lower cal version of it.  The regular one has so much oil in it's very high in calories.

This is what I came up with and I must say it;s pretty delish :-)  so modest!!

 This recipe makes 2 good size portions and has 279 calories.  Have it with Veggie crudites or bread sticks (24 cals per stick) 4 is plenty to make a 379 cal lunch.  I hope you have a food processor or blender as most of my concoctions need one :-)

 Humus

• 1 can Chickpeas
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped Garlic
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice
• 2 level tbsp Peanut Butter
• 1 tbsp Sweet Chilli Sauce (optional)
• salt

Blend all the ingredients and enjoy.  Will keep in the fridge for several days, not sure if you can freeze it though.

**********************

My take on a Chicken Cassoulet, after seeing a recipe on the M&S site, I revamped it to work with the ingredients I had to hand and came up with this.  I served it with half a packet of rice and it made a substantial dinner.  High fibre content and 255 cals per portion plus another 185 cals for the rice, a dinner for 440 cals.  This makes 4 portions and freezes (defrost before reheating)

Chicken Cassoulet

•  12 oz chopped Chicken Breast
• 1 tin Mixed Beans (any kind but check cals)
• 1 tin Green Lentils
• 1 tin chopped Tomatoes
• 2 chopped Onions
• Garlic
• Mixed Herbs (dried)
• Salt
• 1/2 pint of water

I made this into a one step process by putting all the ingredients into a Casserole dish and cooking in the oven for 2 hours at 150C, Gas 3.

If you wanted a thicker sauce you could add tomato puree but not sure how many calories this will add.

You could add some Curry paste to it to make a change, I had a dessert spoon of Mango Chutney with mine and it was lovely. 

Broken link

It seems the Follower button is not working for some people, it works for me, how useless is that!!

Please try this link to see if it works

http://www.google.com/friendconnect/signin/home?st=e%3DAOG8GaAEmHoctyuQ%252BXUbTfgDUge4UKt9lbNGpX8uBIXip81XxepeFrSjoPXQ9O9NJvBdRl3jppA3hvNMcYe5DqrPjzZ8eMym%252Bvie3JnWCNenN4vSOQ8iygHxwySGewSE%252BjiH7zxQjgIpy3%252BtLWzHIb%252FpRNCWklnkvew5Gu4f78iFVduScr2zs9WfPYhI%252FMkMEcoXMpB84ThRnZe3xMgZ1iw86l5mxEfLTGW0ROVEu%252BVgnqoFRtOtcqY%253D%26c%3Dpeoplesense&psinvite=&subscribeOnSignin=1

thanks

xxx

No Followers :-(

"This blog has NO members be the first"

Poor me , I am Billy Nomates :-(

I invite you to follow me here, just so I don't totally feel I am talking to myself!!!...lol

It's easy. fast and FREE

 so come on 

I need the support to keep going

Thank You

xx

Cottage cheese with a twist

I love Cottage Cheese.  o'k so it may be the boring diet food but you can "Bling" it up.  I add as many different things as I can think of, not all together of course! I think spices and flavour take away the boring taste of diet food and spice things up as much as possible.

Today's offering is

Curry cottage cheese dip 

(well a bit thick for dip but it scoops)

  

 use a stick blender to puree

• 200g tub Cottage Cheese (plain)
• 1 tbls mayo
• 1 teaspoon Curry Paste

• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp mango chutney

Cut a load of "dipping sticks" i.e - carrot, pepper, celery, apple, etc and one portion of these new Special K crackers, you get 21 for 94 cals!!

total calories for this lunch including the Go Ahead Yoghurt Slices is

514 calories

New favourite treat is

Twister Mini Lollies

45 cals each

YUM

have a good low cal day

x

Losing steady so far

I have just started week 5 of my diet.  O'k so some say eating plan or call it other things but a diet is a diet in my mind so I am sticking with that.  As long as I am losing does it really matter?

Progress so far

Week 1 - 12.5lb - first weeks are always pretty impressive but this was my best ever
Week 2 - 6lb - pretty good for a second week 
Week 3 - 4.5lb - felt hungrier this week but got over that with my diet soup 
Week 4 - 1lb - the weather has been rubbish so not able to get in the garden and do as much exercise
Week 5 - 3.5lb - despite having flu and not really eating as I should I did o'k, this was a good surprise for me to have lost this much :-)

Total off so far = 27.5lb, just 1/2 lb off my second stone

 540 cal lunch

2 chicken chargrills

peas and sweetcorn ( high fibre 144 cals for 200g), handful of frozen green beans 

2 tablespoons of light mayo

frozen Raspberry yoghurt - 1/3 tub of 0%fat natural yoghurt, 200g of frozen raspberries or other frozen summer fruits, blitzed in a processor.  Makes a nice big serving of yumminess :-)

Enjoy your day and eat well

xx

Look away :-(

 I hate having my photo taken but got Gerry (my OH) to take these for me to see how I change as I lose weight.  I also keep a chart of measurements as sometimes weight loss is slow but inches lost keep up motivation.

These show me after my first week and a loss of 12.5lb, a drop in the ocean of lb's to lose but a great week all the same, I was very pleased

I am counting calories and keep a weekly calorie chart, 1500 per day at this stage.
I try to have breakfast each morning and a high fibre element speeds up loss and makes you feel better, fuller and already I have more energy.

Breakfast is - 

4oz of Bran Flakes the kind with with fruit, mixed with hot water and a little milk - 250cals.

• I am relying on a lot of low cal ready meals for ease

all supermarkets have their own brands of these so it is up to you, I try to go for under 400 calories if possible and bulk up with lots of fresh green veggies (not peas) as they are free on my diet.

• my favorite frozen yoghurt pudding

150 grms Natural 0 fat yoghurt blitzed in a processor with 4 oz of frozen berries, this is delish and only 200 cals

• sachets of soup or my homemade veg soup for hungry moments, it has zero cals

onions, root veg (any) i.e, carrots, parsnip, swede, courgette, etc. (No peas or sweetcorn these are not free cals) about 1lb in total

pile in a pan with 2 pints of water and a bovril or beef stock cube

cook till veg is soft and blitz or blend with a stick blender/processor

This is FREE of cals and you can have a mug anytime you need a snack but don't want to waste calories

I will add more of my strange food ideas in future posts.  They are sometimes a little odd but have flavour and satisfy your appetite.

tfl

x 

Why

My name is Sandra and I am fat.

Sounds like the opening of a meeting where you all sit round and declare your awful deep secrets...lol.

I think there is a million reasons for being overweight and a million diets to sort it out.  It's about finding what will work for you.  Over the years I have yoyo'd up and down from reasonably slim to huge.  Babies, stress, house moves etc have helped to take my eye of the ball and stop dieting and subsequently gain weight back again.

We all say, I am never putting it back on but most of us do.  I lost seven stone and said I would never be fat again, but 18 years later I am almost back up there.

" I eat to live, not live to eat"

In other words when it comes to food I can't be bothered so eat rubbish.  Circumstances mean I have just myself to cook for during the week and if I am gardening, decorating, working, crafting etc, I hate stopping to eat so grab a pie/sandwich/biscuits, anything easy to take the hunger away and I can keep on with what I am doing.  Bad - full stop.  This is guaranteed to pile pounds on me, as you can see.

I do enjoy cooking, Family parties, Christmas etc I love the doing of all that but can't be bothered cooking for me.  So now I am going to make the effort and take time to think about what I eat and lose weight.

I hope that I can share some of the stuff that works for me and if it helps anyone else, that can only be good .

xx