Attempting SW once again, but this time from Australia! Mostly Green Days

[SaraC]

Hi,

Well I haven't posted here in such a long time, I don't think anyone will remember me but I got down to target a few years ago, had another baby (he's now 20 months old) and we recently moved to Australia. I've got to the point where I feel so bloated and horrible it's about time I did something about it. I am pescetarian which means that I will mostly be doing Green Days and I am also using My Fitness Pal to keep an eye out on my calorie consumption. I also have the complication of doing mostly dairy-free tea's as my baby is Lactose intolerant/MPA, it tends to keep things interesting and keeps me on my toes for meal planning anyway!!

Ok so here goes:

Monday 2nd September

Breakfast: Wholemeal muffin (HEB) with Boiled egg and Bega light cheese slice (2 syns)

Lunch: Half pack of Uncle Ben's Express Brown Mexican rice (2.5 syns) and a can of chilli tuna (HEB) and some Nando's Hot Sauce (1 syn)

Tea: Vegetable soup (sweet potato, new potato, onion, garlic, red pepper, carrot, stock) with a slice of tiger bread (6 syns)

Dessert: Fruit salad (Strawberries, watermelon, blueberries, kiwi fruit)

Snacks: Mandarin, Apple

Drinks: Tea with sweetener and skimmed milk (HEA), Diet Coke

HEA: Skimmed milk

HEB: Wholemeal muffin, can of tuna

Syns: Bega Light cheese slice (2 syns)
Half pack of Uncle Ben's Brown Mexican Rice (2.5 syns)
Nando's sauce (1 syn)
Tiger bread (6 syns)

Total Syns: 11.5 Total Calories: 1302

Syns remaining: 93.5/105

 

[SaraC]

Pretty chuffed with my first day I've got a flask full of veg soup and a fruit salad for lunch at work tomorrow so I'm pretty prepared.

There is a company here which does fruit and veg boxes, this week we'll have potatoes, sweet pots, mushrooms, red pepper, onions, apples, oranges, bananas, strawberries, pears, avocado, broccoli and carrots for $19 which is about £11ish. The veg is pretty good quality and it saves on our grocery bill we do our weekly shop on a Weds or Thursday and I tend to plan all of our meals around what fruit and veg we have in! I have my own breakfast and lunch but we eat tea as a family, I miss the spicy dishes because the kids don't like spicy food nor stir fries whereas Hubby and I really do!

Anyway, enough waffling for me, it's almost bedtime (it's a well known joke that people in Brisbane go to bed at 9pm, sadly I confirm this fact every night haha!)

Thanks for reading and Goodnight!

 

[Tesam2931]

Hi and :welcome:back to Slimming World and to Minimins, nice to meet you. I returned after a long break (4 years), and it's going ok for me, although I did need to get an up to date book. Your diary is looking good.
Good luck with your goals

 

[SaraC]

Hi and :welcome:back to Slimming World and to Minimins, nice to meet you. I returned after a long break (4 years), and it's going ok for me, although I did need to get an up to date book. Your diary is looking good.
Good luck with your goals

Hi Tesam, thanks for popping by!

How are you finding being back on plan? The hardest thing is knowing what is free etc, I used to live on Alpen Light Bars back home but there aren't any cereal bars which are a HEB here There is more fruit and veggie options here, the Aussie's are mad about pumpkin (they call BNS pumpkin too) and they have it on pizza etc, that and Avocado are big things here! They have Avo on toast (not SW friendly I know!) My biggest challenge is work, I have never worked somewhere which has so much cake!! They have morning teas with cake, afternoon teas with cake, trade displays with cake, arghhh!!! I had a tiny bit of chocolate brownie this morning at morning tea, oh my it was amazing! These are the challenges I face hehe!!

Please feel free to pop in again, it's nice having visitors!

 

[SaraC]

Tuesday 3rd September

Breakfast: Wholemeal muffin (HEB) with Boiled egg

Lunch: Vegetable soup (sweet potato, new potato, onion, garlic, red pepper, carrot, stock), Fruit salad (Strawberries, watermelon, blueberries, kiwi fruit)

Tea: Quorn chilli & rice (Quorn mince, onions, tomatoes, garlic, mixed herbs, chilli powder) and 28g colby cheese (HEA)

Dessert: Fruit salad (Strawberries, watermelon, blueberries, banana)

Snacks: Mandarin, Orange, tiny bit of chocolate brownie (5 syns), Special K Caramel chocolate bar (4.5 syns)

Drinks: Tea with sweetener and skimmed milk (HEA), Diet Coke

HEA: Skimmed milk, 28g Colby cheese

HEB: Wholemeal muffin

Syns: Piece of chocolate brownie (5 syns)
Special K Chocolate caramel bar (4.5 syns)

Total Syns: 9.5 Total Calories: 1246

Syns remaining: 84/105

 

[SaraC]

Meal ideas for next week (subject to change as Hubby does most of the cooking!) We have loads of carrots and potatoes left over from our veg box so that is incorporated in the plan!

Enchiladas (using the 2 egg omelette recipe as the wrap)
Quorn shepherds pie with sliced potato on top!
Pitta pizza (using wholemeal pitta) and SW chips
Spanish Omelette with salad
Sausage casserole and veggies
Pasta bake and Quorn fillets
Fish and roasted veggies
Quorn Burger, SW wedges and beans

Lunch ideas:

Ainsley Harriott cous cous with Spicy tofu
Uncle Ben's rice with tuna
Leftovers

 

[SaraC]

Grocery shopping tonight and our fruit and veg box arrives tomorrow, queue lots of new meal ideas!!

Wednesday 4th September

Breakfast: Wholemeal muffin (HEB) with Vegemite, Bega cheese slice (2 syns) with Boiled egg

Lunch: Quorn chilli & rice (Quorn mince, onions, tomatoes, garlic, mixed herbs, chilli powder) and 28g colby cheese (HEA), Fruit salad (Strawberries, watermelon, blueberries)

Tea: Fry's veggie sausages, SW roasties, steamfresh veg and gravy (2 syns)

Dessert: Frosty fruits lollyice (4 syns)

Snacks: Mandarin, Orange

Drinks: Tea with sweetener and skimmed milk (HEA), Water (Yack!! I need to buy some more NAS squash to up my water intake, I hate drinking plain water!!)

HEA: Skimmed milk, 28g Colby cheese

HEB: Wholemeal muffin

Syns: Cheese slice (2 syns)
Bisto gravy (2 syns)
Frosty fruits lollyice (4 syns)

Total Syns: 8 Total Calories: 1400

Syns remaining: 76/105

 

[SaraC]

I'm struggling with my second HEB each day, I just don't know what I can have? Anyone any ideas?

 

[SaraC]

Hi, I noticed that I've had quite a few views on my diary, please feel free to come and say hi, that way we can get support from each other

Updated: It ended up being a flexi syn day, I went to get my hair cut and ended up having 2 glasses of wine (I don't drink wine anymore) and a chocolate Tim Tam biscuit (which are like Penguin biscuits but so much nicer!), all in all not a bad day as I am still within my syn allowance but still not amazing :/

Thursday 5th September

Breakfast: Wholemeal muffin (HEB) 1 LCL triangle (1/2 HEA) and a Boiled egg

Lunch: Uncle Ben's Spicy Mexican Brown Rice (4.5 syns), a small tin of tuna (HEA) and 1tbsp Nando's hot sauce (1syn). Fruit salad (Rockmelon (SS), watermelon (S), Blueberries (s)

Tea: Veggie casserole (Fry's chicken style pieces (5 syns), potato, carrot, celery, green beans)

Dessert: Caramel Tim Tam biscuit (5 syns)

Snacks: Mandarin, Banana

Drinks: Tea with sweetener and skimmed milk (HEA), Water, Diet Coke, 2 glasses of wine (12 syns)

HEA: Dash of Skimmed milk/1 LCL Triangle,

HEB: Wholemeal muffin, tinned Tuna

Syns: Uncle Ben's Spicy Mexican Rice (4.5 syns)
Nando's sauce (1 syn)
Fry's chicken style strips (5 syns)
Tim Tam biscuit (5 syns)
2 glasses wine (12 syns)

Total Syns: 27.5 Total Calories: 1717

Syns remaining: 48.5/105

 

[SaraC]

Well tonight we are off out to the theatre I won tickets through work for a dance performance as part of the Brisbane Festival so Hubby and I are going to get suited and booted and take a trip to the theatre. I am not that into dance but it will be nice to have some time to ourselves, away from the kiddies We will have tea before we go and then possibly go for a few drinks afterwards


Friday 6th September

Breakfast: Wholemeal muffin (HEB) 1 LCL triangle (1/2 HEA) and a Boiled egg

Lunch: Salt & Pepper Tofu (9 syns) and boiled rice. We go to lunch each Friday and there's an amazing vietnamese restaurant which does gorgeous salt & pepper tofu, that's my weekly treat

Tea: Pasta, tomato, Quorn Mince, broccoli bake with 28g Colby cheese (HEA)

Snacks: Mandarin, Banana, Apple

Drinks: Tea with sweetener and skimmed milk (HEA), Water, Diet Coke, Vodka, lime fruit and soda (2.5 syns)

HEA: Dash of Skimmed milk/1 LCL Triangle,

HEB: Wholemeal muffin,

Syns: Salt & Pepper Tofu (9 syns)
25ml vodka (2.5 syns)

Total Syns: 11.5 syns Total Calories: 1205

Syns remaining: 37/105

 

[SaraC]

Well I've not eaten that much today, I didn't have breakfast as I had to take my daughter to a birthday party at 9 am. We're off to a movie in the park this evening, the kids have popcorn and sweeties and risks for the baby, m going to make a fruit salad for me and I have some strawberry liquorice as a treat!


Saturday 7th September

Lunchasta, tomato, Quorn Mince, broccoli bake with 28g Colby cheese (HEA)

Tea: Wholemeal pitta (HEB) pizza with onion, mushroom and tomato and 56g light cheese (HEA) with chips (5 syns)

Snacks: Wholemeal muffin (HEB), 2 Tim tam biscuits (9 syns), fruit salad (rockmelon (SS), watermelon (S), blueberries, strawberries (SS))

Drinks: Tea with sweetener and skimmed milk (HEA), Water, Diet Coke

HEA: Dash of Skimmed milk/1 LCL Triangle,

HEB: Wholemeal muffin,

Syns: 2 Tim tams (9 syns)
chips (5 syns)

Total Syns: 14 syns Total Calories: 1068 so far!

Syns remaining: 37/105

 

[midwife1311]

Hi Sara
I remember you from when you were last around and you were pregnant with your son.
Wow, youv'e moved to Oz, how are finding it? Is it a permanent thing? I think that you used the live "on the Wirral"? I am from Liverpool , many moons ago but left there when I was 18.
I love the Wirral and took my kids back there when they were small to the red squirrel place @ Formby.
My sister moved to Perth a few years back but returned to the UK after three years cos she couldn't settle.
I am online member of SW so if ya need any help with things , just let me know andI will try to help if I can although as you said in your post you cant get a lot of the stuff over there that you used to have here.
There's an overseas thread on here which has some Oz stuff too (not had a proper look though)
Good luck with ya journey too
Deb

 

[SaraC]

Hi Sara
I remember you from when you were last around and you were pregnant with your son.
Wow, youv'e moved to Oz, how are finding it? Is it a permanent thing? I think that you used the live "on the Wirral"? I am from Liverpool , many moons ago but left there when I was 18.
I love the Wirral and took my kids back there when they were small to the red squirrel place @ Formby.
My sister moved to Perth a few years back but returned to the UK after three years cos she couldn't settle.
I am online member of SW so if ya need any help with things , just let me know andI will try to help if I can although as you said in your post you cant get a lot of the stuff over there that you used to have here.
There's an overseas thread on here which has some Oz stuff too (not had a proper look though)
Good luck with ya journey too
Deb

Hi Deb,

Nice to hear from you, yes it was me that was from the Wirral, we moved to Oz in April and it's a permanent move, my husband's family are here (although he is British) and we thought it would be a better place to bring up children, they are absolutely loving it and every weekend we're out to the park or beach, it's great! It's been hard on us, my Husband is the skilled one yet he hasn't found work, luckily the day we flew in I was offered a job so I've been keeping us going on my wage, his areas is so specialised that there just isn't the work for him, we have a few ideas up our sleeve though.

Thanks for popping by

 

[SaraC]

Another day of not eating a lot, we went out for lunch as it was a family member's birthday, the only remotely pescetarian/healthy option they had was crumbed fish and chips. There were 2 fillets of fish, I had one and the baby had the other, I am still going to fully syn it though.

So at the end of my first week I am quite pleased with myself, I have not used as many syns on alcohol as I used to and I know I probably could have been better (no wine and no fish and chips) but it was an unusual week. I am proud of the way I have tried to ensure that I have fruit in work and not snacking on crisps etc. The "wonderful" * week has paid me a visit so I don't think my loss is going to be too great tomorrow but I have tried and have stayed within my syns and that's what matters eh?

Sunday 8th September

Lunch: Fish and chips (HEB for fish and 17.5 syns)

Tea: Enchiladas (made with 2 egg omelette, Quorn mince, tinned tomatoes, broccoli, green beans, sweetcorn, mushrooms, onion) and 56g Colby cheese (HEA*2)

Snacks: Strawberry liquorice (5 syns)

Drinks: Water, Diet Coke, Diet lemonade

HEA: 56g Colby cheese (HEA*2)

HEB: Cod fillet,

Syns: Fish and chips (17.5 syns)
Strawberry liquorice (5 syns)

Total Syns: 22.5 syns Total Calories:

Syns remaining: 14.5/105

 

[SaraC]

1lb off, not great for a first week but I think I have * week to thank for that, at least it's a step in the right direction?!

 

[SaraC]

Monday 9th September

Breakfast: 28g porridge (HEB) with sliced Banana and 180ml Skim milk (HEA)

Lunch: Quorn Mince, veg (tinned tomatoes, green beans, broccoli, sweetcorn, onions, mushrooms) and rice

Tea: Basa fillet (HEB) with Boiled potatoes, salad leaves and 1 tbsp Piri-piri sauce (1 syn)

Snacks: Strawberry liquorice (5 syns), Special K Caramel chewy bar (1.5 syns), Chobani peach 0% fat yoghurt (1.5 syns), orange, mandarin

Drinks: Water, Diet Coke,

HEA: 180ml Skim milk

HEB: Basa fillet, 28g porridge oats

Syns: Special K Caramel chewy bar (4.5 syns)
Strawberry liquorice (5 syns)
Piri-piri sauce (1 syn)
Chobani yoghurt (1.5 syns)

Total Syns: 12 syns Total Calories: 1356

Syns remaining: 93/105

 

[SaraC]

So I'm focused and ready to go, there was a post on the Unofficial SW Australia FB group about some lollyices which are only 1.5 syns each, they come in sweet and sour and sherbet flavours so Hubby has gone and got me a box of each today so they should help with the after tea sweet cravings. I am not enjoying breakfast at the moment, I am getting fed up of egg muffins (I think I miss the cheese slices that I used to put with them) but they're quick and easy to do as I pop the egg in to boil before I get a shower and by the time I am showered and dressed I just have to pop the muffin in the toaster and voila! I don't find that porridge keeps me as full for as long as the egg muffin does, hmmm I am going to have to have a think of what else I can have (we don't have Crunchy Bran here as far as I know

We are going to a parents evening type thing tonight at my daughter's Kindy to see what transition she needs to go to Prep (equivalent to the UK's reception year) at the end of January, we had a letter from the school of our choice (although it's not in our catchment area it's a fantastic school ) and it looks as if we have got her in which means that the baby will automatically get a place when he's old enough, she has to have an enrolment interview which I hope she goes through ok as she is painfully shy but hopefully it's just a formality. I will be a very pleased Mama if she gets into the school, their NAPLAN results (sort of equivalent to SATs) are between 94-100% over the 3 assessed years for all of the subjects. Fingers crossed

Anyway onto food......


Tuesday 10th September

Breakfast: Wholemeal Muffin (HEB) 1 LCL Triangle (1/4 HEA), Vegemite and boiled egg (Not enjoying this breakfast at the moment, think I need to have a swap and change)

Lunch: Uncle Ben's Mexican Rice (4.5 syns). Fruit Salad (Honeydew melon (SS), Rockmelon (SS), Watermelon, strawberries, grapes)

Tea: Fry's Crumbed Schnitzel (10 syns), with chips (5 syns) and baked beans (1 syn) - beans aren't free here

Snacks: Mandarins, Bulla sherbet Lollyice (1.5 syns)

Drinks: NAS squash and water, Diet Coke, 2 cups of tea with sweetener (1/2 HEA for Skimmed milk)

HEA: 180ml Skim milk

HEB: Wholemeal muffin

Syns: Uncle Ben's Mexican Rice (4.5 syns)
Fry's Crumbed Schnitzel (10 syns)
Chips (5 syns)
Beans (1 syn)
Bulla Lollyice (1.5 syns)
Total Syns: 22 syns :cry: Total Calories: 1483

Syns remaining: 71/105

 

[SaraC]

Ahhh I am so pee'd off, we had my daughter's parent's evening tonight (she is doing amazing and is very intelligent according to her teacher, proud Mama ) but then we came home and Hubby had decided to change our menu slightly so we ended up having some Vegan Schnitzel which worked out at 10 syns!!! That was on top of the Uncle Ben's Rice I'd had for lunch and the chips which were already on the menu so in total I have had 22 syns today, so annoyed, I could have used those syns on a bar of chocolate or something worthwhile Ahh well tomorrow is another day eh?! At least I have another HEB to play with so I may have another muffin later with a LCL triangle and Vegemite.....

 

[SaraC]

Well I haven't eaten a lot at all today, I have just calculated my syns and I am on 12 yet my calories are only 1000 which MFP is telling me is too low, I think I am going to have a banana and see what other free foods I've got, we're waiting on our fruit and veg box tomorrow so we haven't got loads in.

It was 32 degrees here today, the house is roasting!! I work in a cool box (not really, it's just air conditioned to death) so I didn't realise how hot it was until I left work and the heat hit me, wow it's warm!!! I have got some SW mini muffins cooking in the oven at the moment, I quickly realised that once it gets into summer we're not going to be wanting to cook with the oven as it's just too hot, I can see a lot of salads coming our way soon.

I have been using MFP for a while and have noticed that we're not getting enough iron in our diets, as I am pescetarian and we all pretty much eat veggie in the evenings as we do one meal for all of us so we've bought some frozen spinach which we're going to add into meals etc. If anyone has any other veggie iron tips, throw them this way please!

Wednesday 11th September

Breakfast: Wholemeal Muffin (HEB) 1 LCL Triangle (1/4 HEA), Vegemite and boiled egg

Lunch: Ainsley Harriott Chilli and Lime Quinoa and Rice (the jury is still out on this, I only ate 1/4 of the whole amount) (1 syn). Fruit Salad (Honeydew melon (SS), Rockmelon (SS), Watermelon, strawberries, grapes)

Tea: 2 Quorn Burgers (3 syns), Woolworths Oven chips -again Hubby, really?! (5 syns) and Steamfresh Veg (Broccoli, Green Beans, Peas and Sweetcorn)

Snacks: Orange, Bulla sherbet Lollyice (1.5 syns), Strawberry liquorice (5 syns)

Drinks: NAS squash and water, Diet Coke, 2 cups of tea with sweetener (1/2 HEA for Skimmed milk)

HEA: 180ml Skim milk, 1 LCL triangle

HEB: Wholemeal muffin

Syns: Woolworths Oven chips (5 syns)
2 Quorn Burgers (3 syns)
Ainsley Harriott Chilli and Lime Quinoa and Rice(1 syn)
Bulla Lollyice (1.5 syns)
Total Syns: 11.5 syns Total Calories: 1237

Syns remaining: 59.5/105

 

[SaraC]

Thursday 12th September

Breakfast: Wholemeal Muffin (HEB), scraping of butter (5 syns), Kraft Light Cheese slice (1.5 syns), Vegemite and boiled egg

Lunch: Homemade mini quiches - and they were delicious!! (Coles Fat free cottage cheese, egg, spring onion, mushroom and 1 slice of Sanitarium Smoked Slice (between 3 quiches) (0.5 syn)

Tea: Quorn Spag bol (Quorn mince, tinned tomatoes, peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic) with 50g spaghetti

Snacks: Orange, Bulla sherbet Lollyice (1.5 syns), Fruit Salad (Rockmelon, strawberries, banana) with 0% Fat Chobani Blueberry Yoghurt (1.5 syns)

Drinks: NAS squash and water, Diet Coke, 2 cups of tea with sweetener (1/2 HEA for Skimmed milk)

HEA: 180ml Skim milk

HEB: Wholemeal muffin

Syns: Kraft Light cheese slice (1.5 syns)
Sanitarium Smoked Style Slices (0.5 syn)
Scraping of Western Star butter (5 syns?)
Bulla Lollyice (1.5 syns)
Total Syns: 8.5 syns Total Calories: 1450

Syns remaining: 51/105