Tracey's healthy yummy lovely journey

[sammyb1985]

Yeah we can be skinny twins! and 13st 7lbs will definitely be achievable by Xmas for you Hun! I've always been big but in my gap year between college and uni 8 years ago I managed to reach my lowest weight ever 11st 7lbs and a size 12 for all of about 3 months lol but I had started a contraceptive pill which, along with uni life, made me put on 6 stone in the 5 years I was on it and I've struggled to get past 15st 5lbs ever since. I was amazed when I got past it in my first week on SW! I'm really hoping to lose another 2 stone by Xmas, I know that's being optimistic, but with the losses I've had so far I'm hoping I can jeep up an average of 2lbs a week which should just about get me there. If you look in my signature there's a link to my diary so if you just click it then it will take you straight there, easy peasy

As for your photo, maybe it's just too big and that's why it exceeds your limit? Could you resize it so that it's smaller and then upload it?

Hope you have a great day Hun, I've made chicken and veg soup so will be stuffing myself with that all day xx

 

[Mumma K]

Thanks so much Mumma K, i intented to buy a few bits and bobs but ended up spending EUR25 which is a lot, then again out out of that i got three dinners, a lunch, and a couple of snacks. Also one or two things that will last a while auch as the Paprika and curry powder. I find it crazy how expensive fruit and vegetables are! In your experience are they cheaper or more expensive at markets?

I think it depends on the type of market
our local farmers market I'd say is slightly more costly
with both fruit and veg, but I stand by you get what you
pay for because it all comes with its bits attached carrots ( with carrot tops )
Beetroot ( with beet leaves ) all things that can be used in soups
and salads etc that supermarkets cut off
So yes you might pay a wee tad more, but I think you get more
for your money in the long run

 

[Mumma K]

Morning Everyone,

I woke up today feeling another wonderful sense of avhievememt after yesterdays 100% on-plan day. I'm so happy! I had another day of tasty healthy food and I stuck to the plan.

Does any one else really look forward to their meals? I find by 9am after the 1.5 hour commute to work I can't wait for my breakfast, then at about 12 i find myself excited for lunch (which is at 1) and then after work all i can think about is dinner, which can be any time from 8-10 (i know i know, not good to eat late).

Yesterday looked like this :

Breakfast : the usual 2 rye ryvita with one laughing cow light (half HEA), a banana, tea with skimmed milk from HEA.

Lunch :

One food doctor multiseed pita filled with ham, boiled egg, onion, tomato, lettuce, and about half a tablespoon of coleslaw and one laughing cow light (1/4 HEA) and also a 0% fat Vitalinia Strawberry yoghurt, and an apple. Cup of tea with some more of my HEA

I really really enjoy this lunch. Its filling, has lots of colour, has 1/3 free food, and the texture of the toasted pita and the meat and salad etc is gorgeous! I know that technically the pitas can't be considered HEB but hopefully it won't makea difference for me. They are delicious, the 'feel' and 'taste' healthy, and they are not big. What are peoples views on this? A little tweaking never hurt anybody

Dinner :

This was gorgeous! Left over spicy prawn cassarole from yesterday, basmati rice (i used one of those microwavable rice from Tesco which appears to be free but i'll add one 1 syn for oil just in case). I served this with Asparagus and a little soy sauce on the rice which added a lovely sweetness/saltyness to accompany the oh so sicy cassarole. Next time i probably wouldn't use so much chilli or my head might blow off, lol.

Ok guys its happened AGAIN!! I just went to post a photo (one of my dinner) and it won't let me because it 'exceeds' my quota by so many something or other bites. Is this normal? Is it because i haven't reached 50 posts? SP frustrating :-(

Sounds like Minimins is playing up
Leave a quick note in the tech section Hun
and see if Pierce can help you out
am presuming your using the same device all
the time some times it loads some times not ?
Food sounding fab btw and 13.7 is totally doable by Xmas

 

[newbee89]

Yeah we can be skinny twins! and 13st 7lbs will definitely be achievable by Xmas for you Hun! I've always been big but in my gap year between college and uni 8 years ago I managed to reach my lowest weight ever 11st 7lbs and a size 12 for all of about 3 months lol but I had started a contraceptive pill which, along with uni life, made me put on 6 stone in the 5 years I was on it and I've struggled to get past 15st 5lbs ever since. I was amazed when I got past it in my first week on SW! I'm really hoping to lose another 2 stone by Xmas, I know that's being optimistic, but with the losses I've had so far I'm hoping I can jeep up an average of 2lbs a week which should just about get me there. If you look in my signature there's a link to my diary so if you just click it then it will take you straight there, easy peasy

As for your photo, maybe it's just too big and that's why it exceeds your limit? Could you resize it so that it's smaller and then upload it?

Hope you have a great day Hun, I've made chicken and veg soup so will be stuffing myself with that all day xx

Thanks so much for the support hun! I've had a great day thank god. Had about 12 syns though, would havw preferred to keep it under 10 but what can you do. I was on the go today after work and a packet of rancheros for 4 syns sounded devine, and they were

Yay i'm so excited to get stuck in to your diary now, i love reading through them. I remember thinking i was huge when i was younger and now id kill to be that size, its has! I'd LOVE to be a perfect size 12, thats the aim. A ten would be a crazy happy dream though. I just keep thinking of all the slinky dresses i could wear, it would makw nights out sooo much easier than now when i get so down over not feeling good and end up tearing my room apart trying on clothes. Also being able to wear nice lingerie and stuff

Hope you had a great day! Was the soup nice? I must make a soup soon!

Xxx

 

[newbee89]

Sounds like Minimins is playing up
Leave a quick note in the tech section Hun
and see if Pierce can help you out
am presuming your using the same device all
the time some times it loads some times not ?
Food sounding fab btw and 13.7 is totally doable by Xmas

Thanks for the advice on markets mumma. I agree about getting better quality things. I just adore vegetables and all their different varieties. My pet hate is preparing butternut squash though, SO hard to get the skin off and hard to cut through etc but tastes soooo good!

I am really focuses on the 13 stone 7lb goal ror christmas. That would be an all time low for me!

 

[newbee89]

Feeling deadly again today. Ive gone and done it again, another day on plan. Thats three in a row, i am SO happy.

I had 12 syns today though, i usually like to keep
It under 10, but i won't lose sleep over it.

I have to post a pic of last nights dinner because minimins wouldn't let me yesterday. Thats IF it lets me now.

Ok it wouldn't let me, this is so annoying im posting from my i phone and one time it let me post but now it won't, saying it's exceeded my limit or something, but the other photos were taken in the exact same way?? Mumma how do i contact this guy in the technical section? Please and thank you.

Anyway, back to today. You'll all have to wait for last night's dinner pic. It's not really that sensational probably, lol.

Breakfast : two ryvita dark rye (3 syns) laughing cow light (HEA), small bowl of mixed strawberries and blueberries, yummy!

Lunch : food doctor multiseed pita (HEB) filled with ham, egg, onion, tomato, lettuce and half a table spoon of coleslaw (1 syn) laughing cow light (HEA). 0% fat strawberry vitalinia yoghurt, an apple.

Snacks : smoothie from tesco (not technically free i know but its 100% fruit so that works for me)
Packet of rancheros (4 syns and very much enjoyed)
2 x nairns wheat free fruit and mixed spice oat biscuits (4 syns) Okay okay, not planned! My boss bought them and they were too good to pass up with a cup of tea. Checked them on syns online and theyre 2 syns each so one probably would have been plenty. Live and learn!
Mixed fruit bag (free)

Had my HEA in form of laughing cow lights and skimmed milk.
Had my HEB in the form of food doctor multiseed pita (tweak, i know)
Syns used : 12/15

Its 9.30pm and im still travelling home from visiting my nanny in hospital and I am debating about weather or not to eat when i get in. Realistically i know i probably will! I bought a savoury rice (erin low fat chicken flavour so its free) and was gonna have it with some mshrooms and a 'fried' egg on top. What are your views on eating late? I know i could go without it but i am so hungry and all ive had since lunch at 1.30pm is fruit and a packet of rancheros. I'll be eating it at 10pm and probably be in bed by 11.30pm. Thoughts please?

X

 

[Mumma K]

Thanks for the advice on markets mumma. I agree about getting better quality things. I just adore vegetables and all their different varieties. My pet hate is preparing butternut squash though, SO hard to get the skin off and hard to cut through etc but tastes soooo good!

I am really focuses on the 13 stone 7lb goal ror christmas. That would be an all time low for me!

I never bother peeling it unless I'm using it for Chips
otherwise I just cut it in half deseed it and whack it in the oven
wait for it to cool remove the skin then ( it falls away then ) add
funky bits to it depending on how I feel herb/spice wise then just
warm it before serving

 

[Mumma K]

Hun just scroll down to the tech / help section

Start a post about having trouble uploading pictures
and the tech guy Pierce will do his best to help you

 

[sammyb1985]

I eat late all the time hunny and it doesn't give me any negative affects. We have tea around 7:30/8 most evenings once jack is asleep and then I munch my waythrough all 15 of my syns whilst watching tv with ben. Just found out today that amaretti biscuits are only 1 syn each, so you get lots for your syn allowance and feel like you've had something naughty, so I had some of those with a hot chocolate tonight

My soup was lovely thanks hun, I had the rest of my chicken and veg soup that I made yesterday for lunch and then made roast red pepper and tomato soup for tea (it took bloody ages, had to peel all the tomatoes!!) but it was bloody lively, just didn't make nearly enough as I wanted seconds lol! I've had a go at making my own version if banister pie today for only 4 syns! Four amaretti biscuits crushed up mixed with a little vanilla muller for the base, topped with banana and a toffee muller and I've shoved it in the freezer so hopefully it will be a nice treat tomorrow. I have some of those individual meringue nests which are 3 syns each so may shove one of those on top too which will only bring it to 7 syns, so not bad for a pudding! Hope it tastes nice! Xx

 

[Honeyoc]

Food looking great Tracey! I wouldn't worry about eating dinner late. There used to be "expert opinions" floating around about how bad it is for your digestion and metabolism but that's all been thwarted now (by other experts, I imagine...) and what they're now saying is whats important is your total daily consumption not what time you eat. I give my daughter her bath at 6:30 and put her to bed at 7 so I don't start cooking until 7:10ish. Though I prep as much as I can before hand, sometimes we eat as late as 9 depending on what I'm making. I usually manage to get dinner on the table just after 8 though.

Even though smoothies are just blended fruit, I'm a bit wary if tweaking that way, especially with shop bought as apparently all these smoothie companies can add small amounts of sugar and flavour enhancers and are not legally bound to put it on the ingredients list. Smoothies generally contain a heck of a lot of fruit and as its blended, you consume a lot more fruit (sugars) in one go and your body doesn't work as hard to break it down. I bought a smoothie once that contained 3 bananas, a cup of strawberries and a cup of almond milk! If I'd just eaten a banana, I would have been equally satisfied but consumed much less. When you chomp through a couple of apples not only are you physically working to eat it by chewing, your digestive system is going to be working harder to break down the pieces of apple in your stomach than if you were to sip a couple of puréed apples. I.e. more calories burned, every little helps! It's also more satisfying so you're more likely to stop at two apples than what you would get out of puréeing them. If you want an ocassional tweaked smoothie, you're better off making it yourself using the same amount of fruit you would have had if you were just going to have a fruit salad and a yogurt. That way you're at least in control of the ingredients and quantities. And you can add your HEX of oats, nuts etc to make it super filling!

I guess I feel more comfortable tweaking HEXs because there's a quantity restriction and I can compare calories and fibre between what I want and what SW says I should have lol.

What yumminess are you planning for today? I'm making Britmum's Chinese pork loin and I can't wait!!!

 

[Rosielea]

Hi Tracey, found your diary and subscribing. Still have not found Blue cheese Laughing Cow. Suppose, I will survive without it.

 

[newbee89]

Thanks Mumma, i'll definitely be trying that with the butternut squash, sounds much easier i love all these tips. Thanks again

rosielea, i know i haven't seen the blue cheese one either :/ i haven't looked in a big supermarket yet though, so maybe i'll get lucky. I'm thinking it would be great in salads, mashed potato and on burgers. YUM! Thanks for the comment ;-)

Honey, yeah i 100% know what you're saying. I think i justified it because in between 1pm and 10pm that's the most substancial thing i ate and i didn't have time to eat a couple of pieces of fruut because i couldn't munch away beside my nanny in the hospital. It's definitely something I will be keeping in mind though. Have you been to Wagamama? When i'm there I usually get a juice of carrott, celery, apple and cucumber. It's so lovely! Part of me would love to invest in a juicer. I love veg in general but sometimes i don't jave the time for all the prep when i don't get home from work/visiting nanny in the hospital till 9.30/10pm so it would be a handy way to get the vitamins and variety. Hmm.

Well today is Saturday and its my birthday happy birthday to me.

Yesterday was an absolute joke of a day!! I litey ate what i wanted when i wanted it and i do not feel good about it. Had fruit salad and yoghurt for breakfast... Good. Then had two chocolate bars that were 5 syns each. Syns gone for the day. Then had my normal lunch followed by velvet crunch, 5 biscuits and a CROISSANT!! What is WRONG with me??? I couldn't control myself.

Came home and had a sandwhich which would have been a million syns, some crisps, another biscuit, oh and i rounded off the day with a horrifically fattening chinese of chips, fried rice and chicken with satay sayce. AND some salt and chilli chicken wings, AND some prawn crackers.

I feel so awful about it!

I genuinely feel crap! A normal day + the chinese wouldnt have even been so bad. My day literally involved about 80 syns! I justified it because it was my bday the next day. So stupid!!

Anyway, i am now in that place again of dreading weigh in on monday now. This week is supposed to be me making up for the calorific weekend t the wedding last week. Now i am ten steps back.

Plan going forward? Try to make a few good decisions today. Its my bday and were going for dinner but i will try order something like steak. Going out tonight and these nights tend to end in some sort of food at 4am. Oh my nerves! Tomorrow is the baby shower and i am
Making some sweet chilli noodles with peppers, mange tout and red onion. I'll stick to that, diet drinks, and maybe only have a teeny bit of dessert.

At this point i don't know what to expect at weight in. I don't want to go! Maybe i won't!

 

[Rosielea]

Happy birthday Tracey. I would say just enjoy your weekend and then start fresh on Monday. Perhaps it might help to sit down for a few minutes alone and write a plan for losing weight and your intentions on your big day. It always helps with me. Have a wonderful birthday.

 

[Mumma K]

Happy Birthday Tracey... I hope you have a lovely day

Re: not wanting to go... Is it just because of the eating / weigh in aspect ?
because if it is you have to remember you can't put your life on hold this is
a journey... Naturally thin people think nothing of going out for a meal
because there's nothing wrong in it ... It's when we allow that one meal out
to cause the " well I've blown it now, I might as well have syndrome to kick in "

 

[Honeyoc]

I'm a terrible SW friend! Happy happy happy belated birthday! Hope you had a fab day!

 

[newbee89]

Thanks Everyone for the birthday wishes. It was a fab weekend, too fab. I feel like my eating is a bit out of control at the moment. Like today I had a great day and at two separate points I made impulsive bad choices (made a sandwich while waiting for my dinner to cook, ludacris! Second was walking downstairs at midnight to grab a handful of large sugary jellies) I feel bad about it and so i should. I would be afraid to weigh myself right now, i've probably gained half a stone over the past two weeks. Tomorrow is a new day though. Had I not had the sandwich and jellies today would have been a very good day. I need to remember this feeling and think before I eat. Going to a gig tomorrow and will probably end up eating out but it will most certainly be something healthy. Nearly a full week to make a difference. But my good days HAVE to be super good.

More tomorrow, sleepy time now xxx

 

[Mumma K]

Glad you had a good weekend Tracey

 

[sammyb1985]

Glad you had a good weekend and birthday hun. Just draw a line under the bad eating now and jump straight back on plan, you can do it! Xx

 

[newbee89]

*does the walk of shame*

Hello Everyone,

Sorry that I have been so quiet for the past few days, it is so very unlike me. Everything has been all-go on my end and life is just moving incredibly quickly at the moment. The weekend gone was my birthday, yesterday was me and my boyfiend's 3 year anniversary, tomorrow is a significant day for a family member, my brothers 21st birthday party is on Saturday, our college open nights are next week so that will involve four days of working 12 hour shifts, then the next day I go to my boyfriend's sister's wedding in Belfast for the weekend, get back on a Sunday and then fly out on holidays on the Monday. that is all happening literally in the next 13 days. It's all a bit overhwhelming. In one way it's SO exciting because these are all fun things, but in another I just want things to sloooow down. I don't feel I can fully enjoy any of it as the other things are looming. If that makes any sense! I need to just embrace it all and have a blast because before I know it I'll be sitting at home counting down the days till payday with rent and bills filling up my diary as opposed to fun events.


I know this is a food diary, not A diary, but I feel the need to mention this. I am a very anxious person. I get worried constantly and I work myself up about things. There are a few of these events coming up over the next week and I will be glad when they have come and gone. It's family stuff, and chances are everything will be fine for most of it, but some of the worries are very real as certain things are causes for concern. Times like this I realise that while I wouldn't consider myself religious, I certainly do pray. I find myself 'handing it over' and trusting that some higher power or some mighty being is looking after things and that makes me feel safe.

Insofar as food, Is there any point even going there? Because what's done is done at this stage. It has not been a good Slimming World week, or two weeks, or even three weeks. All these events, being back and forth to the hospital to visit my nanny (she has a septic kidney infection and a broken pelvis, and many other things, she is 85) work deadlines and targets, and generl crazy jam-packed weeks have made it next to impossible to be on-plan. I went out for my birthday on Saturday night which lead to being hungover on Sunday morning, so when I went to the baby shower on Sunday and saw all the mini pizzas, breaded prawns, chicken goujons, mini springrolls etc I couldn't resist, and I did enjoy it all.

The last few days I've been getting this meal-deal from Tesco. It's €3 for a lunch-thing such as sandwhich, salad or wrap etc along with a little bag of fruit and a juice-drink. I have been getting a chicken chargrilled pasta salad which contains chicken, pasta, a tomatoey sauce, coriander, peppers and sweetcorn. I assumed it would be super low as it's full of free food and tomato based, but no... appartently it's about 9 syns. To me that is crazy! BIG lesson learnt here. I will make a batch of pasta salad that is completely free and save a hell of a lot of syns. Only thing is, when I make a pasta dish with passata or tins of chopped tomatoes I always find it's missing something. It tastes plain and it is missing that one thing that makes restaurant pasta dishes (and indeed Tesco pre-packed pasta dishes) taste so good. Can anyone shed some light here? Is it oil? I need to find a way to make a nice tomato pasta dish that has great flavour, doesn't taste plain and sort of harshly bitterly tomato in flavour, but is also as close to free as possible. Generally I use my Healthy Extra A for laughing cow lights and milk in my tea. Hmm, any advice would be welcome. This would be a great transportable lunch that I could eat cold in work with some toasted pita bread. I find lunch is really my main meal of the day now anyway!

I find that lately I have no will power when it comes to eating. It's like I get an idea in my head that I want something 'bold' and before I know it it's eaten. I ALWAYS feel bad after it and regret it though. I just don't know what i do be thinking.

I genuinely feel a lot of it is comfort eating. It's not a coincidence that certain stressful things are around the corner and all hell is breaking loose with my eating habits.

Turns out I can't make Slimming World this week either because I have to work late that night, and every other night that week. As soon as I realised that i distinctly remember having a feeling of 'yes I can eat what I want now because I don't have to face the scale for X amount of weeks'. That is NOT good. I find I am navigating myself based on weigh-ins. That shouldn't matter. I should be continueing to be as good as possible on the plan no matter what.

So where am I now? Today is Wednesday and I won't be at a weigh in until Monday 29th October when I get back from my holidays. By the looks of things that will be a BIG gain if I don't endevour to do something now about planning out some days to be golden ones. Today I have that chargrilled pasta salad again from Tesco. I have no choice but to have it, but I'll just have a free dinner of Salmon, Rice and vegetables tonight.

I actually feel bad in myself after all the crappy food I've eaten. It's so true in that healthy food makes you feel good and have more energy.

So there we have it, i will endevour to make today and tomorrow great days. Friday should be much the same. The weekend won't be too good but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Right now I am actually craving wholesome healthy food. Instead of something processed when eating on the go i find myself wanting to go in to a noodle bar and ask for wholewheat noodles with lots of veg and no oil with the lowest calory dressing. I need to listen to my body!

My biggest problem, 100%, is impulsive eating. I get something in my head and moments later the crisps, chocolate, pre-packed sandwhich, biscuit, sausage roll etc is eaten. I need to really think before I eat. That is something I plan to work on. I miss that feeling of acomplishment when you just have the strength and determination to just say NO to food that I do not have the syns for.

Moving forward!

Hopefully my minimins app stops acting up and I can post pictures like everyone else It seems to only let me post one picture every few days which is very frustrating.

Can't wait to read through your diaries now xx

 

[FatGurlSlim]

Hi There!

Just been reading your diary, and I may be able to help with regards to the tomato-ey, gross taste of putting passata in pasta. Basically, you have to cook it into a pasta sauce first, otherwise it's just plain tomato, which is not that tasty.

The good news is, you don't need much oil! It's really just a case of cooking it down with some nice flavours. You can chuck some fry light, and very thinly sliced garlic in a frying pan for a few minutes (quite low heat, or the garlic will burn). Then just put in the tinned tomatoes/passata, and turn it up to bring it to the boil. When it's boiling, you can put in a dash of red wine vinegar (optional) then turn it down to simmer for an hour or so. It's not an exact science. You can salt it to taste. You can basically put anything in there - onions, veg, I prefer to fry all that BEFORE putting in the passata. Then it's a case of just cooking it to improve the flavour. You can even bung some stock in there if you're so inclined. I recommend looking up some sauce recipes - Jamie Oliver does a good one.

With regards to emotional eating - I really sympathise, as I do the same thing. I have lost about three stone over the last 14 years, losing it, putting it back on. SW has been the most effective 'diet' for me, as this is the longest I've gone without putting loads back on, but I have put on a few pounds over the last couple of weeks. I have various stresses at the moment, and have literally been eating to the point of feeling sick, and thinking about food constantly. I went back on SW yesterday, and really hope to stay on the wagon now. I don't have any tips or anything - I just try and keep busy, and try to focus my mindset, but sometimes, I can't force myself to stick to healthy eating, I just have to wait until something inside my head clicks, if that makes any sense?

Hope you have a good day.