*angie*'s target maintainance diary

[*angie*]

Pudding rice is easily the best thing to use (*not* flaked pudding rice as that has syns in it).

It would make two portions the size of a standard muller pot if you know what I mean - obviously there is nothing to stop you eating it all (as it is free) but I find it is plenty for 2 portions as it is quite filling.

Once you have made it, you will tweak it to be your very own - amount of rice, flavour of yog, type of fruit added etc - it is endlessly variable

 

[jaylou]

I'm making the rice pudding now... can't wait - I'm going to stir in some Weight watchers dessert style toffee apple yoghurt!!
You're a star Angie!

 

[jaylou]

Oh no, this was soooooooo yummy that I ate both portions one after the other and have had to stop myself making some more!!!

I may make some after I've eaten my tea as I know I won't succumb to it then.....

Thanks though for a wonderful recipe, the banana makes all the difference! xxx

 

[lydia150970]

Pudding rice is easily the best thing to use (*not* flaked pudding rice as that has syns in it).

It would make two portions the size of a standard muller pot if you know what I mean - obviously there is nothing to stop you eating it all (as it is free) but I find it is plenty for 2 portions as it is quite filling.

Once you have made it, you will tweak it to be your very own - amount of rice, flavour of yog, type of fruit added etc - it is endlessly variable

I'll stick some on my shopping list for tomorrow, thanks

 

[jaylou]

Morning Angie,
Well I made some more rice pudding last night when my belly was full from tea and really enjoyed it cold for my breakfast this morning. Freeeeeeeeeeee!!!! And more filling than porridge too!
Have a lovely day. x

 

[*angie*]

Thanks Jaylou Very glad you enjoy it - it is scrummy isn't it?

Tonight, hubby has surprised me by booking a baby sitter we are out for a drink and an Indian - yay! no occasion, just haven't been out on our own for a while (awwww - he is lovely )

So today is green, and I shall be as good as gold so that I canenjoy myself tonight - I will be driving though, so at least I shall save my syns for the food rather than the wine!

B 0% greek with strawberries and banana. milk (HA)

snack - I am determined not to be hungry - we talked at class how people who ate **lots** seemed to lose more than those who didn't - so I had a mugshot when my tummy rumbled ..

L inspired by a sw magazine recipe, lunch will be potatoes, asparagus and peppers sort of stir fried together with a poached egg on top.

D will be at he Indian restaurant - ours is great, lots of fresh veg and herbs, and thy hold back on the oil if you ask. I know I will have a pepper stuffed with potato and veg for starter (wih salad of course!), lots of boiled rice and probably my fave lamb and potato millijilli (a tomato and chilli curry) so 2 B choices (meat and or oil!) for that. Probably a lentil dal and a sag aloo (potato and spinach). If I keep away from the naan and the wine I shall have done well

 

[jaylou]

Have a lovely night, I love Indian!!

 

[*angie*]

There seems little point detailing the minutiae of what I have eaten this weekend, other than to say that whilst I haven't counted every syn, I have mainly stayed within the gist of the plan, and have had some lovely meals.

I have started baking my bread again - this is something I stopped when I started SW, and it is high time that I stopped eating 'two slices from a 400g loaf' instead, my wholemeal sourdough is baked with love over 2 days and then sliced thinly ... one thicker or two thin slices weigh 2 oz (a B choice) so that seems OK to me.

The diet has of course, over the year dealt with my being overweight, but ultimately, I am a real foodie - I can (and do) spend two (or more) hours cooking tea of an evening (every evening), so it is about time I found a way of staying within target, but eating how I want to eat. This is not going to be an easy process however - but one I will try hard to crack. Even tonight, I prepared slow cooked hand of pork with spiced lentils. I am obviously aware that the crackling is not SW friendly, but with careful portion control (lots of the good, tiny of the naughty) I am sure I will see a way through ...

A thought for my week ahead ... I will try, when I remember, to have a starter before my lunch and dinner. I notice that I eat less 'main course' when I eat a starter, the meal has more balance and consequently I enjoy a wider variety of foods. Often a starter will be a small bowl of soup, a salad or a simply prepared vegetable ... tonight it was a thin slice of toasted sourdough topped with chopped tomatoes and homegrown griddled asparagus - eaten slowly, a starter takes the edge off my appetite, and I am sure I eat healthier as a result..

So there you go, starters are my plan for the week ahead - I would say 'wish me luck', but somehow it doesn't feel like much of a hardship

 

[jaylou]

Angie, you have such a way with words - you should write a book!
Have a great week.
Jay xx

 

[*angie*]

Lol! Thanks Jay - I did think of writing once - and it would have been about food of course! lol! ..but then life got in the way...you know how it is

Today is a green day, I have really tried to balance what I *want* to eat, with what I *should* eat - I have weigh in tomorrow, so I shall weigh and measure everything to start to get a handle on how this could be...

B 0% greek with banana and strawberries. tea (milk HA)

L nettle soup with goats cheese (A) (inspired by Lydia's watercress and goats cheese soup) - small bowl to start with a small slice of homemade wholemeal sourdough (B) then a small plate of leftover spiced lentils (cold, as a salad) with a soft poached egg. Two smaller portions should keep me as satisfied (if not more satisfied) than one larger portion ... I am thinking tapas here ...

D Griddled paprika aubergine with coriander to start, then sweet potato mash with garlic butter (syn the butter), spring onions and maybe some fresh chilli, topped with a little leftover slow roast pork (B). I have some broccoli that I could cook sauteed with garlic and chilli if it needs a side veg.

Usual alcoholic syns - gin (2.5) and wine (6) keep me under my 15 including the butter in the mash

 

[*angie*]

Oops! It has just occurred to me that I cannot have goats cheese as an A choice - it is only an option as a B choice. hmmmmm.

Have decided to exchange the goats cheese for feta instead (nettle and feta soup should still be lush) and keep the goats cheese for another day.

However, for future reference, does anyone else use a B choice cheese as an A choice regularly, and any thoughts on whether this would affect weight loss/gain? Maybe I could be a little more flexible being at target?

 

[jaylou]

Angie, I always use whatever cheese I desire as an A choice, I don't know why there are only certain cheeses as an A, perhaps I should ask my consultant (if I remember!)

I've done SW for almost 2 years and never worried about which cheese I have and it hasn't done me any harm!!

 

[Princess Sausage]

Angie, I have found this too. I had saved a healthy a to have some cheese with my grapes for dessert and I really fancied some stilton in the frigde and every time I had opened the fridge it called to me!! I didnt touch it though as i knew I was having it later. When I looked in the book to see how much I could have, I couldnt have it for a healthy a and had to have the kids cheddar, I was really hacked off about it as I had looked forward to my treat all day.

 

[*angie*]

Perhaps so long as we weigh it, it shouldn't matter - Sossie, its a real shame when you have looked forward to something you find out you shouldn't ... I wonder why some only exist as a B choice ... ponders ...

I suspect that next time I will weigh it, but perhaps go with what I fancy

 

[*angie*]

Oops! Not posting again - what has come over me?!

I had a lovely green day yesterday, with weigh in in the evening. It took me a long time to trust that I could eat as normal on weigh in day, but yesterday proves it!

Breakfast was 0% greek with strawberries. tea (milk HA)

then after breakfast I went to drop something off at morning class, met Princess Sausage (hi!) and jumped on the scales - which showed a maintain. Not a 'real' weigh in, but I have always fancied knowing what happens through the day, and they all say 'you weigh lighter in the morning' so I thought, lets see...

Lunch was *huge!* big plate of SW chips, a 2 egg pepper and onion frittata and salad. yum

then weigh in in the evening to show a loss of 1lb :bliss: who would believe it!! - same clothes as the morning and after that huge lunch

Dinner therefor was a bit of a treat : starter of rocket and italian hams (HB), main course of linguini with capers / anchovies (1syn) / olives (1/2 syn) and fried garlic breadcrumbs (HB and 6 syns), salad.

*then* Lovely husband presented a cake he had bought from Konditior and Cook as he had been in London - my oh my it was lovely. I shan't try and justify it other than it was a lovely treat, a blackcurrant and almond frangipan - lush!

 

[*angie*]

I was supposed to be photographed for the local paper today, but it has fallen through (no photographer! ) as I am the first in the area to gain my certificate of hooping proficiency - you can't make this stuff up can you!!?? so i shall have to wait another week for my moment of stardom rotfl ...

Today is an easy day

B 0% greek and stewed rhubarb. I know this should count as a B choice, but I had a sensible amount, and anyway, rhubarb is free, but if cooked is a B choice, yet you cannot eat it raw! So, ner, I am counting it as a free food.

L smoked salmon (hark me!) with scrambled eggs, homegrown asparagus and sourdough bread (HB)

D will be pork in a mix of cajun spices with lots of peppers, courgettes and onions (I have a fridge to empty!) with a rice /pineapple / corn salad - or something like that as the fancy takes me

I am trying very hard to menu plan a weekend away in a caravan - I will have minimal cooking facilities, but I want to eat syn free so I can sit in the bar every night - better get back to the planning then hadn't I!

 

[lydia150970]

Oooo your menus always sound so lovely

 

[*angie*]

Thank you lydia

I think it is the freedom I have with food on SW that makes me stick to the plan, and consequentially I have lost the weight, and can see a way to maintaining my target. I can (almost!) eat what I want on this plan - it seems so easy to fit it in and stay on track

I have done WW in my time - but although I lost lots of weight, I didn't enjoy eating the points way - I resented pointing fruit, so in turn ate less healthily. SW however really encourages me to use a wide range of foods, and focus on eating healthy 'free' foods - I love it!

 

[weemo]

Well done on your loss Angie, that's brill! Your meals always sound so delish, wish you could come over here and cook for me! Have a good weekend away xx

 

[*angie*]

Thanks Mary xx

I am having a bit of a fridge clearout today before going away. I have sorted my menus - I think I will follow EE each day in the caravan, but will eat only syn free - those syns will be saved for a couple of drinks each night! One night eating out in the clubhouse and we will all be happy

So today I think is red:

B 0% and lots of strawberries, tea (milk HA)

L Bacon, lettuce tomato and mayo (1/2 syn) sandwich (bread HB)

I have just realised that was it for lunch! No wonder I am really hungry now - I should have had some fruit or a muller but forgot

Just had an apple ... starving

D SW 'quiche' with smoked salmon and asparagus leftovers. New potatoes (HB) and a fridge clearing salad. I have the last of the stewed rhubarb to finish, so that will do for afters.

Glass of white wine to get me in the holiday mood (6) and a gin (2.5)

see you next week - I hope you all have a lovely long weekend