Cjs diary - I'll do it this time!

[CarolineJ]

Hi,

I'm Caroline and I am 30 years old and I have two absolutely beautiful baby girls, one 21 months old and one 5 months.

I've always had a bit of an issue with my body and weight, no matter what weight I am I think I am fat, and actually when I look back at myself at 16-19 I wasn't fat at all, but still felt the same as I do now, even though I was a size 10 and now size 16/nearly 18!

I've been on loads of diets and have lost weight before, but have always put it back on so this time I want to lose the weight and keep it off, by not looking at it as a diet but a better way of eating.

I don't want my girls growing up seeing me constantly on a diet, I want them to see a mummy who is happy with how she looks and doesn't let worries about her weight or what she looks like stop her from what she wants to do. I don't want them to pick up any insecurities from me.

So this is my diary. I started Slimming World on Friday 7/10/11, but I am doing it at home by myself as I can't afford to pay for the classes, plus my husband works shifts which vary from week to week so I cannot guarantee that I can get to a class every week as I won't always have someone to look after my children.

I'm also trying to do this on a budget, we budget £140 a month for food/groceries and household stuff.

But I like a challenge and love finding new recipes and trying new ways of cooking things so I am looking forward to this.

In the last 4 days I've found that I can eat well and feel full, and snack when I feel hungry, which is fantastic. I hate feeling hungry and if I feel hungry a lot then I give in and get chocolate/cake/crisps etc, so none of that so far, which is fantastic for me.

I stocked up on fruit and veg for the week. We have a fruit and veg stall near me which is cheap. On 7/10 I bought a big bag of grapes, 3lb of bananas, 3lb of satsumas, 4 grapefruit, 6 pears, 2 boxes of plums, a cauliflower, broccoli, swede, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, butternut squash, and some other bits for under £10, so I'm going to go there once a week, and it's lasting really well too!

I can't wait until I weigh myself on Friday and see how I'm doing and am looking forward to the future!

 

[lynica]

Hi Cj
Welcome to SW ive only been doing it since july so still quiet new and learning all the time. I too am doing it on my own cant get to class, did sign up on line to get all the info but that 3months has ran out now to going it alone. So glad i found this forum though cause there are loads of good ideas, recipes and support.

I think that you have a great attitude towards your journey, as i too feel that we must show our children a healthy diet, ive got 2 girls too they are 10 and 8 and they are very conscious about their size already, so giving them a healthy balance diet is fantastic. They love everything i make and i think as yours are so young you can give them everything you eat and they will not know any different and will grow up loving all the best of foods.

Good luck hope to see you around and follow your journey take care x

 

[CarolineJ]

Hi Lynica,

Thank you for your lovely reply!

I've decided to go to the fruit and veg stall each Friday and spend £10, and buy something that I wouldn't normally buy each week. This week it was an aubergine, and I don't want to make moussaka, so I searched the recipes on here and found a recipe for spicy pork and aubergine, which I am going to make tomorrow. I like moussaka, but the cheese sauce is a killer for syns isn't it!

I made two cauliflower and broccoli cheeses yesterday, one for my tea tonight and one for the freezer, and I calculated that I can eat a whole one, use the cheese as a HE and then the total syns come to 11. It is a bit high, but I don't mind that as I love cauliflower cheese and I can eat free foods for the rest of the day.

I've decided to mostly have EE days as they are more flexible!

I've been for a walk to Tesco today, I only wanted to get a few bits and didn't want to drive, so I walked the 2 miles there and back - with my older daughter in the pushchair and my baby in the baby carrier - so good for the exercise! I got a couple of the Innocent Veg Pots whilst I was there, I know they have some syns in but they are really good for a quick dinner when my husband is working, and they were half price, and I also had a couple of £1 vouchers off too, so I only paid 89p each instead of nearly £4! A dinner for 89p can't be too bad!

I'm off now to look up some new recipes and find some interesting ways to cook lentils!

 

[ginlin]

Hi Cj and Lynica,

Lovely to 'meet' the both of you

I really look forward to seeing how you get on x

One of my favourite veg dishes is roasted veg, aubergine, red/white onion, peppers, courgette, tomatoes which can be served as a side veg, or mixed with pasta/couscous/rice etc.

CJ I have also perfected the low syn cheese sauce, but, it makes enough for three using a HExA each, if you would like it, I will post it, and it is delicious at 2.5 syns a portion/each and the healthy extra!

 

[CarolineJ]

Hi Ginlin,

Lovely to "meet" you too!

Your vegetable dish sounds delicious, making me hungry reading it! I've got all those ingredients apart from courgettes, so might give that a go at the weekend - yummy! maybe with a roasted chicken breast.

I would love to see your cheese sauce recipe - thank you very much! It would be wonderful to be able to make it for less syns, I don't mind using them, but less is better!

I got two of the ready roasted chickens at Tesco today which were reduced so once they are cold, I am going to strip off the meat and portion it up and freeze it for chicken and leek pies, stir frys and salads for later on in the month - should get at least 6 meals out of the chickens for £4! Plus I am going to make stock from the chicken bones for some tasty soup! Stock made this way is free isn't it?

 

[CarolineJ]

Another day!

Well yesterday I portioned up my chicken, and I did make stock with the carcasses - I'm going to make cabbage and butter bean soup this evening with some of the stock and freeze the rest into portions for pies and casseroles.

I've been for another 2 hour walk today, I wanted a few bits from the shops and I didn't want to drive to buy a loaf of bread and bits and bobs, so I walked. I'm now sat down about to enjoy an Innocent Veg Pot for 6.5 syns, I wouldn't normally buy one but they were half price and I had a voucher for £1 off so it worked out to 89p.

I got to thinking whilst I was walking, and I got a bit disappointed with myself in that I have put weight on since having my second baby in May, whereas I could have started watching what I was eating a few months ago and not have put any on, and be less than I am now, but I decided that it is pointless thinking like that, it's very negative and there's nothing I can do about it now in any case, I can only change what I am doing now, which I have done.

I'm trying to get out and about for a walk every day and have bought a light weight waterproof coat for the winter so that I can still get out and about. Writing this diary I think will help me, as it will be good to read back in future and see where I was and where I am now.

Tea tonight is shepherds pie with swede and potato mash (using quark, which I got on my walk) with gravy and cabbage.

 

[lynica]

Sounds like you've had a good day you are getting very organised and i think that is a very important part of any plan, cause if you dont know what to have or dont have anything in to cook then you reach for the bad things. Well done think you are doing great. You are a bargin hunter too have you watch supreme couponing on sky, its about people in america saving loads on their shopping think you'd love it ha ha check it out x

 

[CarolineJ]

Thank you! I do like being organised, I used to have a 4 week menu that I followed so that I knew exactly what to buy each fortnight. It really worked, especially as we are on a budget and it lets us eat well! I haven't done a new one yet for SW, as I have found that a lot of the recipes I used to use are either nearly free or very easy to adapt to SW. there are a few naughtier ones of course!

At the moment I sit in the evening, once my kids are in bed, and plan the next two days food, based on what we have in the house and what needs using up. It's working well, normally if I buy a lot of fruit and veg at least one thing gets forgotten and thrown away because it's gone off. But this week everything has been used or planned for, ready for another trip to the fruit and veg stall on Friday!

Thank you for your support, I really think that having a lot of support will keep me on the straight and narrow as it were!

 

[ginlin]

You are doing really well with the planning, keep up the good work!

And, don't go thinking back on the past months since the baby was born, what is done is done, and onwards and downwards xxx

Cheese Sauce

Serves Three at 2.5 syns and a HExA each portion

28g Cornflour (5 syns)
14g Flora Light (2.5 syns)
150ml Skimmed milk (tiny part of HExA)
150ml Vegetable stock
1/2 - 1 teaspoon of Colmans Mustard Powder
Salt & Black Pepper
84g of Mature Cheddar Cheese or 126g of half/reduced fat cheese (HExA)

Put the cornflour, milk, flora light and stock in a pyrex jug, and gradually warm up in the microwave, strirring every 40+ seconds, depending on the power of the microwave, until it comes to the boil, add the mustard powder and either all of the cheese, or reserve some to top whatever you are making, stir until the cheese has melted and season to taste.

This also makes a fab parsley sauce, changing the cheese and mustard for loads of fresh parsley.

 

[CarolineJ]

Lynne,

Thanks for the recipe, that looks fab, I can't wait to try it soon, so many less syns! Wonderful!

WI tomorrow, can't wait to see what I've lost (hopefully!) I'm feeling positive at the moment

 

[ginlin]

Lynne,

Thanks for the recipe, that looks fab, I can't wait to try it soon, so many less syns! Wonderful!

WI tomorrow, can't wait to see what I've lost (hopefully!) I'm feeling positive at the moment

No problem, I am making broccolli cheese tonight with it.

How did WI go?

 

[CarolineJ]

I've lost 4 pounds! I am so pleased, it's just the start I need! I've been out walking again most of this afternoon again, really enjoying it, except this time I had my baby (Erin) in the baby carrier, and my OH was pushing the pushchair, so it was a little easier for me, especially up the hills!

I'm having Shepherds Pie again for tea tonight, left over from the other night. So I am already two days ahead in my planning, as I was going to freeze the shepherds pie, but after being out all afternoon I really want something easy for tea, and I don't want to have something naughty, so am going to eat it instead.

I'm really tired after a long day walking so a nice long hot bath for me tonight as the girls are now in bed asleep and an early-ish night I think!

 

[lynica]

You are doing really well with the planning, keep up the good work!

And, don't go thinking back on the past months since the baby was born, what is done is done, and onwards and downwards xxx

Cheese Sauce

Serves Three at 2.5 syns and a HExA each portion

28g Cornflour (5 syns)
14g Flora Light (2.5 syns)
150ml Skimmed milk (tiny part of HExA)
150ml Vegetable stock
1/2 - 1 teaspoon of Colmans Mustard Powder
Salt & Black Pepper
84g of Mature Cheddar Cheese or 126g of half/reduced fat cheese (HExA)

Put the cornflour, milk, flora light and stock in a pyrex jug, and gradually warm up in the microwave, strirring every 40+ seconds, depending on the power of the microwave, until it comes to the boil, add the mustard powder and either all of the cheese, or reserve some to top whatever you are making, stir until the cheese has melted and season to taste.

This also makes a fab parsley sauce, changing the cheese and mustard for loads of fresh parsley.

I love cheese sauce can I pinch please too
Thanks for sharing x

 

[lynica]

I've lost 4 pounds! I am so pleased, it's just the start I need! I've been out walking again most of this afternoon again, really enjoying it, except this time I had my baby (Erin) in the baby carrier, and my OH was pushing the pushchair, so it was a little easier for me, especially up the hills!

I'm having Shepherds Pie again for tea tonight, left over from the other night. So I am already two days ahead in my planning, as I was going to freeze the shepherds pie, but after being out all afternoon I really want something easy for tea, and I don't want to have something naughty, so am going to eat it instead.

I'm really tired after a long day walking so a nice long hot bath for me tonight as the girls are now in bed asleep and an early-ish night I think!

Wow well done that's fantastic bet you feel really chuffed keep it going here's to a great week again.
You've got me at this planning thing too. I sit for 2 hours watching my girls do gymnastics tonight an I planned next weeks food, wrote the shopping list an plan to go tesco first thing tommorrow
Enjoy your relaxed evening x

 

[CarolineJ]

Thank you, my bath was lovely, so relaxing I nearly fell asleep so had to get out! Just off to bed now.

I'be ordered Just Dance 2 tonight for my Wii so that I can do it in the evenings. I need something that's fun to do to keep me interested otherwise I'll get bored and not do it for long. I also can't do classes really because of the girls and my husband's shift work so this should hopefully solve the problem. If I get on with it I'm going to ask for another one for Christmas for variety!

I feel so positive at the moment, really going to work at keeping this momentum going.

Well done with the planning, I really enjoy thinking ahead now! I used to be the complete opposite!

 

[ginlin]

I love cheese sauce can I pinch please too
Thanks for sharing x

Of course you can pinch it!

 

[ginlin]

Well done Caroline on your 4lb loss, absolutely fab result!

:talk017::talk017:

 

[CarolineJ]

Thank you!

So far today I've had half a grapefruit for breakfast, and an Innocent veg pot for lunch (9.5 syns) and some galia melon, followed by 1 rich tea biscuit - I was giving one to Ava (my toddler) and I couldn't resist!

I had to pop out for some milk this morning, and I had some glass jars to get rid of so I thought I would walk round in a big circle and do both. I then remembered that I needed some stamps, so I decided to go to a further away shop (about a mile) to get milk and to get stamps, going to the glass recycling bin on the way. I then decided to go for a walk after getting the milk and walked for about 45 minutes and turned round to go home.

I mustn't have been paying attention though as I ended up walking past the path to go home, and carried on walking, so had an even further walk home, but I enjoyed it, and I ended up walking for about an hour and a half, instead of the 5 minute nip to the shop that I originally was going to do!

Still, got to make the most of this weather!

 

[ginlin]

Well as you say have to make the most of the weather, and all the extra Body Magic will certainly do you good!

 

[CarolineJ]

Today we went out to see some friends and had a lovely day out. I was a bit naughty at lunch though, I had about a third of a pizza, a slice of garlic bread, one small sausage roll and 3 cocktail sausages, but I was pleased that I didn't eat lots more.

Normally when I have a naughty day on a diet, I think sod it and then eat lots of other naughty things and think well I've already ruined today, so why not have more?

But today when I got home, I had the rest of my risotto from yesterday, with at least half a plate full of salad, and for snacks this evening as I was a bit hungry I've had some fresh pineapple and some satsumas.

So, I'm pleased with myself as I didn't go crazy crazy at lunch and have been good the rest of the day, progress for me I think. I'm going for another long walk tomorrow, so am looking forward to that, and am going to a coffee morning that I go to with some other mums, that I haven't been to for a couple of weeks as Ava had chickenpox. And I am going to stick to the plan, and just enjoy today for what it was, a nice day out with friends.