Beccy's 100% for Lent Diary

Lucky7

Lucky7
Monday 10th March - 10.5 syns Total

Okay - so strictly NOT for the whole of Lent as I only decided on adding this to my Lent alcohol-free commitment this morning. But, better late than never eh!

Monday
a) Soya Milk
b) All Bran

Free
2 eggs; apple; banana; green beans; home made chilli (mince / tomatoes / peppers / Mushrooms / Kidney beans / spices); small amount wholemeal pasta; strawberries; Activia 0% Vanilla

Syns
Evaporated milk = 4
Plain digestive = 3.5
Half fat cheddar = 3
Total = 10.5


Meals planned for the week:

Breakfasts = boiled eggs or prawn ommlette followed by a piece of fruit

Lunches = All Bran with soya milk and chopped up fruit

Dinner = Sir Fry Veg, lean meat and noodles (Tue and Thur) / Lamb leg steak with roast parsnips & potatoes, string beans, broccolli & gravy (Wed) / Chicken and veg curry with rice

Saturday evening and Sunday lunchtime I'm going to be eating out so I'm going to spend some time studying the menus for the places I'm going so I can make good choices....

Mushroom & Tomato Linguine or Nicoise Salad http://media.freeola.com/other/21646/hopbinemenujuly13.pdf

I think the roast dinner is the only viable option here for Sunday lunchtime.... Sunday Menu - Menu - The Fox, Aspenden
 
Last edited:
Tuesday 11 March Food Diary 12.5 syns Total

Today 'pretty much' went to plan. I would have preferred NOT to get carried away / caught at a weak moment with the digestive biscuits, but at least I stopped at two (phew). It just means that I can't have my Fab lolly that's waiting for me in the freezer for supper / dessert. No biggie though as I have strawberries and vanilla yogurt which is syn free and delicious anyway.

I'm feeling fine about the weekend and no alcohol this time (last week I approached it with trepidation). The main problem THIS weekend will be the fact that I'm eating out on Saturday (with my dad and his family), and again on Sunday (with Pauls mum and dad) so will need to be making some wise food choices.

Breakfast = Prawn omelette and a cup of tea followed by an apple and a coffee with whitener
2 syns

Break time Snack = Clementine & a cup of tea.

Lunch = All Bran with soya milk and chopped up banana with a cup of tea and half a bakewell slice 3.5 syns

After school stress nibbles = 2 digestive biscuits 7 syns

Exercise = Body Combat Class (45 minutes high intensity)

Dinner = Sir Fry Veg, lean meat and buckwheat noodles

Supper = Strawberries & vanilla Activia 0%
 
Last edited:
Wednesday 12th March - 8.5 syns total

Now, Wednesdays are not my favourite day at work, and being in 6th Form there are always temptations (such as those sodding digestive biscuits) calling to me. I am hoping that by filling in my intended food diary for the day before going to work will help my little stubborn streak kick in and I'll stick to it, so...this is the plan.

Breakfast = Prawn omelette and a cup of tea followed by a large clementine and a coffee with whitener 2 syns

Break time Snack = apple & a cup of tea (NO BISCUITS
:))

Lunch = All Bran with soya milk and chopped up banana with a cup of tea and Activia Cherry 0% (NO BISCUITS)
and ate a little bit of pasta, spinach, chicken and broccoli from the dinner trolley

After school stress nibbles = Other half of banana from yesterday (or nothing!!)
Had a plum and a few grapes when arrived home

Exercise = Body Conditioning Class (45 minutes high intensity)

Dinner = Lamb leg steak (fat removed); roast potato & parsnip; runner beans; broccoli; gravy 2 synsand 2 yorkshire puddings = 3 syns

Supper = Strawberries & vanilla Activia 0%
Mini Milk Lolly
1.5 syns

I know that gravy & coffee whitener isn't enough syns, and (presuming I stick to my plan) I'll enjoy choosing something to have in the evening with the syns that I haven't wasted on nibbling a few digestive biscuits at work on the go without even taking the time to enjoy them!!


5 PM
Okay... back from school and just about to get changed for gym. So far so good. One of the TAs brought in mini donuts and I RESISTED!! Yay!! I did eat a little bit of pasta with spinach and chicken and some broccoli as it was going to be thrown away but only a little bit and that's free food anyway, so no harm done. Stopped at Tesco to replenish fruit supplies and got some frozen yorkshires seeing as I have syns to play with and am doing roast tonight. Looking forward to a couple of those on my dinner (31 syns each so 3 syns for 2 of them). :)

7 PM
Waiting for dinner to cook and just snacked on some seafood sticks. They were bloody horrible (Tesco ones - usually buy Asda ones) so had to have a clementine to make my mouth feel better. Dinner not ready for A G E S and am starving after my class.
I've decided to have a Mini Milk lolly for pudding. This adds my total syns for the day to
8.5 syns Total
 
Last edited:
Thursday 13th March Diary - Total 12 Syns

Double English with top 6th form group (remember though, this is a special school so operating at top end of primary's average kids), playground duty with KS4, then paperwork. Ughh. No, Thursdays are okay I suppose. Just that paperwork is so frustrating. I must make a to do list and work though it rather than randomly flitting from one crap job to another though. Might take my headphones in so I can't hear when people try to distract me!!

Note to self: Buy frylight and deoderent

Breakfast = Prawn omelette and a cup of tea followed by a large clementine, a plum and a coffee with whitener 2 syns

Break time Snack = Apple & a cup of black tea

Lunch = All Bran with soya milk and chopped up banana with a cup of tea and Activia Cherry 0%
Dessert = Half of a piece of choc sponge =
5 syns

After school stress nibbles = None

Exercise = 30 mins jog (Elizabeth Way / Chesterton / Newmarket Rd) - GORGEOUS sunset

Dinner = Lamb and veg stir fry with some buckwheat noodles.

Supper = Cadburys Caramel Bunny
5 syns


WHAT a day!! One pupil kicked off about 9.05 and still throwing himself at the floor and bawling by 10.15, scaring all the others in his class (well, most). I managed to keep a cool head and managed the situation as best I could, but I was worn out by morning break! Phew.

I did eat a small piece of chocolate sponge (the dry sort with a nice crispy top that's supposed to be served with chocolate sauce. Compared it as closely as possible to branded similar products and synned it as 5. It was worth it!
 
Last edited:
Friday 14th March - Total 13.5 syns

Not sure if I'm being a little controlling filling my intended food diary for Friday in on Thursday evening, but I don't want to give myself any excuses for faffing in the morning as I need to get into work and sorted so that I don't need to hand about too long after school on Friday. I've cooked myself a pasta packed lunch (more than half of which consists of tenderstem broccoli) which looks and smells pretty good. Speaking of controlling, while I was in Asda I bought two syn free bottles of squash as a present for the landlord of my local pub, so that I can buy syn free strawberry, kiwi and soda, or syn free pink grapefruit and soda instead of having to waste syns on lime cordial. (Why don't pubs ever have low sugar squash??!!) Hopefully he won't mind too much :) I'll pop in and ask him on Saturday afternoon before I go to meet my dad for dinner. I'm eating out on Saturday AND Sunday and am feeling a little dismayed about it after looking at the menus. If anyone fancies having a look and offering suggestions I'd appreciate it...

Saturday here.... http://media.freeola.com/other/21646/hopbinemenujuly13.pdf
Sunday here... Sunday Menu - Menu - The Fox, Aspenden

Anyway... back to Friday's control-freak-food diary in advance...

Breakfast = Prawn omelette and a cup of tea followed by an apple and some grapes and a mocha 1 syn

Break time Snack (at the golf club cafe)= Small latte (HExA) with a banana and a snack sized choc Geo bar 3 syns

Lunch = Pasta with broccoli and salmon with lemon and dill sauce,
1 syn, a plum, Activia Cherry 0%. Sugar free Ginger Beer

After school stress nibbles = Strawberries

Exercise = Rest day

Dinner = Chicken and veg curry with some wholegrain rice 1.5 syns for curry paste (using half a jar for 3 servings so 30g of Asda Balti paste each)

Supper = Cheese (HexB) & Pickled onion with cucumber & cherry tomatoes.

Nestle Mini Smarties Chick
7 syns

 
Last edited:
Saturday 15th March - Total 12.5 syns

7am: Will fill out my diary as far as have planned today. On a work day when am having my evening meal indoors I can do this easily down to quite small details, but today I'm feeling less certain of things...

Breakfast = Prawn omelette and a cup of tea followed by a banana and a mocha coffee 1 syn

Exercise: 45 minutes aerobic toning class

Snack: Plum & a sugar free jelly
half a syn


Lunch: Homemade syn free Lentil & Veg Soup

Pub drinks:Going to take my sugar-free squash along that I (very generously lol) bought to give the landlord of my pub. Hopefully I will be able to buy more interesting flavours of something-and-soda that are syn free this weekend! Elsewhere it'll be diet coke or water. Also had a latte in the pub (HExA)

Pub food: (Starter) Parma ham (
3 syns) salad, and balsamic glaze (checked and it was a home made balsamic reduction) with some cheese shavings (HExB)

Tea: Some more veg and lentil soup and some little Salty Kipper Patties (made with potato, tinned kipper & seasoning) & salad

Synful treat: Milkybar Bunny
8 syns
I shall update on how things are going later. Wish me luck!!


Ok - I've updated my food diary and am amazed how easy it was in the end. I did take some low syn dressing with me in my handbag, but the landlord assured me that they make their own balsamic glaze by just doing a balsamic reduction with nothing added. As it was only a starter it wasn't massively filling, but I'd had veg and lentil soup and fruit for lunch so I wasn't starving.

The main problem with not drinking is that when other people ARE drinking, and get to about pint number ten or more, they start getting a bit irritating. Oh well, still no reason to join the ranks as one of the drunk unreasonable people, which no doubt I would have done myself if I'd been on the juice.

Time for bed soon. Night night x
 
Last edited:
Ooo - maybe this would be okay for my pub dinner. (Its on the menu as a starter, but will probably be fine anyway)...

Parma ham salad £4.95 : Parma ham with baby gem lettuce, broad beans, pea shoots & a balsamic reduction

So, I know that Parma Ham is 0.5 syns per slice.
Lettuce, beans and pea shoots syn free.
I've looked at lots of recipes for making a Balsamic reduction and it seems to be just balsamic vinegar and herbs and garlic. Certainly no oil seen in any of them. HOWEVER, if they use a standard Balsamic Dressing (which as they're a chips-with-everything pub, they probably will) then that's 3 syns per tablespoon, so think I'll syn it as that to be on the safe side, especially as I'm eating out again tomorrow! Maybe I'll ask them to put the dressing on the side so I can put it on myself (and maybe sneak in my own low syn version lol)

I think I'm becoming a control freak!!
 
Last edited:
Sunday 16th March - Total 14 syns

10am: Will fill out my diary as far as have planned today. Another day of eating out at lunchtime, so feeling a little less certain of things than a weekday...

Breakfast = 2 Boiled eggs, some grapes and a mocha coffee 1 syn Exercise: 55 minute jog / run

Snack: Strawberries and half a pot of vanilla Activia 0%

Pub Lunch: Chicken, cabbage, carrots, mange tout, roast potatoes (
HEx B tweak for oil), Yorkshire Pud 4 syns, stuffing ball 3 syns, gravy 2 syns

Drinks: Diet coke; black coffee with sweetener; sugar free squash

Dinner: Salmon and Cod in parsley sauce
1 syn with cauliflower and broccoli and cheese sauce 3 syns baked with HExA of cheese on top

Evening Snacking: Melon or Pineapple

I shall update this diary later today when I know how lunch went!....

7.45pm
Lunch was good - I did do a 'tweak', but as I'd have done today as a flexi-day if it wasn't Lent I didn't that was toooo bad. The roast wasn't big, but there was LOADS of veg (and I stole some from other half as a swap for some of my roast potatoes and stuffing).

Have just made a recipe up as I went along involving broccoli, cauliflower, a small tin of salmon and 2 portions of cod in sauce and some whole meal pasta, along with some instant cheese sauce that I'd forgotten all about. The sauce is 54 kcal per portion (125 ml) which I think is pretty good as it's so tasty. I added some garlic and black pepper as well. Mixed it all up and put HExA of cheese on top and it's browning in the oven as I type. I reckon it's going to be pretty tasty. Strawberries and yogurt for pudding if I need it afterwards.

SOOOO. It's the end of my second weekend without alcohol. I've been free from arguments; humiliation; being an stroppy mare; spending a fortune; missing planned exercise; the house being a tip by the end of the weekend; drunken unintended take-away meals; and spending all my time in the pub. I've read more; walked more; listened more; smiled more; stuck to plan more; and felt better in the mornings. I still didn't get my school planning all finished as I've still been surprisingly sociable. WIN WIN!! :D

 
Last edited:
OMG - this was delicious. Real comfort food (not that I needed comforting today). Must do this again (but have as 3 portions with side salad or more veg next time as it was quite rich...

Broccoli and cauliflower, lightly steamed
Small tin of salmon
2 portions of cod (could be in sauce, but not sure that's actually necessary)
Whole meal pasta boiled to al dente (I used two handfuls of dry pasta twirls)
250ml instant cheese sauce
6 syns altogether
Garlic
Salt & Black pepper as well.

Mixed it all up and put 2 or 3 HExA of cheese on top (depending on number it's serving)
Brown in the oven

 
Last edited:
Monday 17th March Total 12 syns Green Day

Just been sitting here trying to think if there's anything that's going to make this week tricky, and NO there isn't. No meals out, no weird days at school, nothing. Excellent

7.45pm - Changed my mind about dinner, Changed to it being a green day for ease as had to do shopping...

Breakfast: 2 egg omelette and an apple. Redbush tea black and a mocha coffee 1 syn

Snack: Apple and a Yeo Bar 3 syns

Lunch: Bran Flakes HEx B, Banana, soya milk HEx A, Activia 0%, black tea

Exercise: 40 mins walk / run

Dinner: Jacket potato, baked beans, cheese HExA & B, 4 Asda Meat free Balls (yuk) 1 syn

Snack: Quark mixed with options white choc 2 syns with strawberries

Supper / Treat: Caramel Bunny 5 syns

This is the plan anyway - obviously, it could change slightly. Will update later
 
Last edited:
Tuesday 18th March Total 10 syns Back to Extra Easy

So, on Friday Tina is coming over to watch the film of the book that we were supposed to be reading for book group. I've said I'll cook some spag bol. She says she can't watch a film without popcorn. Not sure I'm fussed about popcorn. Deffo want some Asda Sugar Free Cream Soda, which she'll bring. I might just stick to grapes for my snacking, as probably will already have used 3 syns on a Geo cereal bar while out for 6th Form Leisure. Not going to risk Tesco again with a certain young lady in tow so taking own snack and some food for the ducks and swans and have snack down at the Maltings will be a better idea I think. :)


Breakfast: 2 egg omelette and grapes. Redbush tea black and a mocha coffee 1 syn

Snack: Apple and black tea

Lunch: Bran Flakes HEx B, Banana, soya milk HEx A, Activia 0%, black tea, fresh pineapple chunks

Exercise: 45 mins Body Combat

Dinner: Stir fry veg, lean lamb pieces and wholemeal noodles with garlic, soy sauce, chilli, and ginger

Supper / Treat: Crunchie Bar 9 syns


All seemed quite easy today. I think I'm getting better at resisting temptation at work and at home. :D
 
Last edited:
Wednesday 19th March Total 10 syns Green Day

Hmmm - not 100% sure what to do for tea tonight. Had planned chilli, but I didn't cook it on Monday as planned when I defrosted the mince, and suspect that it may now be past it's use-by. I have lots of peppers, onions and mushrooms so could do a vegetarian one I suppose and a green day. Hmmm,

OH!! Yes, the other thing I was going to note, was that the microwave in 6th Form has been mended, so I could start taking soup in again! Or some veggie dishes high in free food would be good. Might make some (could make extra chilli tonight and have it for Thur and Fri lunch for a start off!! :D )


Breakfast: 2 egg omelette with shrimps (HEx B) and an apple. Redbush tea black and a mocha coffee 1 syn

Snack: Pineapple and black tea

Lunch: Bran Flakes HEx B, soya milk HEx A, Activia 0%, Sugar Free Iron Bru, and an apple (resisted left-over crumble!!)

Exercise: 45 mins high intensity aerobics

Snack:
Walkers Pops 4 syns

Dinner: Melon for starter (i.e. while dinner cooking!!) Vegetable and bean chilli with wholegrain rice

Supper / Treat: 2 Finger Kit Kat (Cookies & Cream) 5 syns

A good day - might have been tempted to have some of the left-over Crumble and custard in 6th form, but was saved from even having to think about it by the timely arrival of an extra-keen student who wanted to do some extra work on her Creative Art project with me for the second half of the lunch hour (eager beaver!!) so I stuck to my planned no-syn daytime.

Stuck to ten syns today and am wondering if this is what I should aim for, at least Monday to Thursday.
 
Last edited:
Thursday 20th March Total 10.5 syns EE Day :checkmark:

Not a bad day. Even if it was the start of my star week (hence the tick next to the date, etc.) Thought that would be the best emoticon to use as it was the most simple. Shame there wasn't a star, but hey ho. :)


Breakfast: 2 egg omelette with prawns and an apple. Redbush tea black and a mocha coffee 1 syn

Snack: Apple, Banana and Sugar Free Iron Bru (on play duty - booooooo!!)

Lunch: Vegetable and bean chilli with wholegrain rice, Activia 0%, Black Tea, and some fresh pineapple

Snack: Walkers Pops 4 syns

Exercise: 30 mins metafit class (REALLY intense - it was horribly painful, but so lovely when it stopped :D )

Dinner: Stir fry veg, lean beef pieces and wholemeal noodles with garlic, soy sauce, chilli, and ginger
Dessert: Fat Free Greek Style Yogurt 0.5 syns

Supper / Treat: 2 Finger Kit Kat (Cookies & Cream) 5 syns

....
Oh no - haven't had my HEx A and HExB. Bugger!. Had one HEx of cheese (presumably it had both calcium AND fibre in the one piece.) Slapped own wrist and promise not to do it again.
 
Last edited:
Friday 21st March Total 13 syns EE Day :checkmark:

This is the plan for Friday. I'll update later :)
Tina is coming over to watch the film of the book we were supposed to have read for book club, but I don't think I'm even going to make it to book club as I'll be helping Laura with her stall for the Last Gang Emporium at the Cambridge V. Oxford Roller Derby Bout. Anyway, Tina thinks we need popcorn to watch a film. I think SHE needs popcorn. I will need a Crunchie bar, or possibly a Fab lolly and then a 2 finger Kit Kat. Oh, and lashings of Sugar Free Cream Soda from Asda.

Breakfast: 2 egg omelette with mushrooms and HEx B Cheese. Grapes. Redbush tea black and a mocha coffee 1 syn

Snack: Banana and Sugar Free Iron Bru (out at bowling and then off to feed the ducks and show Jo where my new flat is :) ) Skinny latte at the station cafe HEx A

Lunch: Vegetable and bean chilli with wholegrain rice, black coffee, and an apple

Exercise: None - done in. Rest day.

Dinner: Spag Bol (with added hidden veggies ;) ) with spaghetti and salad ( 3 syns as each portion of bolognaise sauce had 10ml of cooking wine 1 syn and 100g Lean mince 1.5 syns as I couldn't get Extra Lean but had already promised my friend spag bol for dinner. Infuriating!! Oh, and 0.5 syns for fat free balsamic dressing)

Supper / Treat: Sugar free Cream Soda; melon; ??? Crunchie 9 syns
 
Last edited:
Gahhh - on here for a winge to myself. Horrid tummy cramps and backache today. Have taken some Ibuprofen and hoping it'll subside before the kids turn up at school. At least we'll be having a nice day. Bowling; ducks; making the knights & maidens for our castle, and then assembly and home. Hopefully there won't be too many unexpected challenges and adventures!! In the meantime ow ow ow ow owwwww :(

PS Although I don't really want to use any syns during the day as am saving them for this evening, I thought I'd better put a Geo bar in my bag (3 syns) in case I can't resist the lure of sweeties when I'm out and everyone else is tucking in. Hopefully I'll just stick to the fruit, but as far as treats go, at least a Geo is only 3 syns so is my damage limitation open-in-emergency-only plan
 
Well, I resisted the Geo bar and tummy sorted itself out after an imodium, but came home thinking that teenagers really are just very hard work. On the plus side S.A. managed to come back after a bit of a grumbly growly start to the afternoon ("calm now. work" - oooooooo!!!) and managed to lure M.H. off of the trolley in the personal care room with a set of headphones (although that meant singing and tears to 'One Finger, One Thumb keep moving - The Opera' for the rest of the afternoon), and I really don't even want to thing about C.M. and his troublesome transitions. God help his poor mother tonight and over the weekend. :(
Absolutely exhausted and have been feeling quite light-headed. Came home and had some iron supliments. Come on body!!!
 
Saturday 22nd March Total 13 syns EE Day :checkmark:

This is the plan for Saturday so far. I'll update later :)
Tina is knocking at 9am to go to do Amanda's class at the gym. Then home for lunch and do some washing before going to meet Laura for the Oxford V Cambridge Roller Derby bout.

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs. Grapes. Redbush tea black and a mocha coffee 1 syn

Exercise: 45 mins Aerobics

Snack: Banana and black coffee

Lunch: Fruit and Alpen Light (1 of 2)HexB

Dinner: Mixed fish, broccoli, cauliflower and mussels baked in cheese sauce 3 syns, topped with HEx A of cheese served with mixed veg

Supper / Treat: Lots of redbush tea (black) & Crunchie Bar 9 syns

All went to plan. Did exercise, and came home and cooked dinner (fish and veg bake) then went to Roller Derby bout with Laura. Had 2 cans of sugar free cream soda and an Alpen light, and an apple. Oh yes, and a coffee with sweeteners to get warmed up. Went to buy one of Laura's dressed (reduced from £42 to £21) and she gave it to me for helping her on the stall. How lovely!! :D We didn't get away from there til half past 7, so Laura came round and had dinner with me, then went home. I'm drinking lots of tea and watching Bus Stop. Rock n roll!! lol. It was a lovely day though. No alcohol is no problem!! :D
 
Last edited:
Sunday 23rd March Total 15 syns EE Day :checkmark:

This is the plan for Sunday so far. I'll update later :)

Breakfast: 2 egg omelette with HEx A of Low fat cheese. Grapes. Redbush tea black and a mocha coffee 1 syn

Exercise: Run with Tina (which means jog / walk / jog / walk and listening to Tina trying out new swear words haha) - Oop - started to rain. Back to the Body Combat plan!!

Snack: Banana and black coffee

Lunch: Pork steak and salad 0.5 syns for dressing, then HEx B + 2 syns two Choc Weetabix and soya milk HExA

Pub: Diet coke and a black coffee (bloody weather! - Hate that rainy-damp-old-men smell in pubs in the inclement weather. Same old faces, and same old jokes - it's amazing what I used to think was entertaining after a few whiskies!!)

Pre-dinner treat: Shape pineapple yogurt; Caramel Bunny 5 syns and a cup of tea

Dinner: Roast chicken, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans , 2 yorkshire pud 70 kcals 3.5 syns, 100 ml gravy 30 kcal 1.5 syns

Supper / Treat: Redbush tea (black) & Minimilk lolly 1.5 syns
 
Last edited:
Well done!

Your doing great!

Subscribing xx

Thanks - I am trying (very!) I don't think I've managed this many days on plan 100% in a row before ever (and I've done SW on and off for years - since 'Syns' were actually spelt 'Sins' which was a long time ago!!)

I always suspected that it would be so much easier if I could cut out alcohol, but it had become such a part of my life-style since being a teenager, and moderation isn't something I'm good at as far as drinking is concerned. I know lots of people would disagree that it was necessary for me to stop altogether, but it really has helped. Life is much easier (and cheaper) without it, and weekends have been just as much fun. :D
 
Back
Top