Clareel's Red, Green and EE Diary

[Clareel]

Hi all,

I've decided to keep a food diary here alongside my regular diary, as I've been struggling a bit recently and would really love some feedback on where I may be going wrong / could improve

For a bit of background I've been doing SW for over 5 years - I started at 16s3lb and lost the first 4 stone really easily on green days. Then I went to uni and pretty much maintained that loss for the first year, before losing a further stone and a half in my second. Then in my third year of uni I gained around 3 stone of that back (are you keeping up!?).

On the 3rd of Jan this year I decided enough was enough and returned to SW, paid to keep my history rather than rejoining and since then have lost 1s11.5lb doing red and green days.

This brings my total weight loss to 4s9.5lb, which I am happy with but for that past few weeks I have been struggling (e.g. losing/gaining the same few pounds). Sometimes these gains are justified as I have been off plan and sometimes they are unexpected, so I'm starting this diary for 2 reasons;

1. To keep and accurate and honest record of every morsel of food that passes my lips, whether it's on plan or not.

and

2. To try and identify (with the help of my fellow minimins.com members!) where I might be going wrong.

All feedback is welcomed!

 

[Clareel]

Tuesday July 19th - Green Day

Breakfast
Half a honeydew melon, cup of coffee with 100ml chocolate oatly milk (.5HEA)

Lunch
80g white pasta with sweetcorn, tomatoes, red pepper, 1/2 can of Waitrose ratatouille (.5), 63g mozzarella cheese (1.5HEA) and 71g Philadelphia light (HEB)

Tea
SW spag bol - Quorn mince, chopped tomatoes, garlic, mushrooms, celery & onion. Side salad, 2tbsp Xlight mayo (1), 7 olives (1).

Snacks
1 flat peach, 1 nectarine, 1 skinny cow caramel shortcake ice cream (5), pre packed fruit salad, choc hifi bar (HEB), tea with a dash of milk (.5)

I also ran 3k and did level 1 of the 30 day shred

Total Syns: 8

 

[Clareel]

Wednesday July 20th - Green Day

Breakfast
142g canned prunes (HEB), 1 nectarine

Lunch
Jacket potato, baked beans, mixed salad, 1tbsp garlic and herb salad dressing (3.5), 2x 250ml glasses white wine (17)

Tea
Mushy peas with 42g low fat cheddar (HEA), cherry tomatoes

Snacks
2x mini corn on the cob, chocolate hifi bar

Also ran 6K and did level 1 of the 30 day shred

Total syns: 20.5

 

[Clareel]

Thursday July 21st - Red Day

Breakfast
1 cup of coffee with milk (2)

Lunch
Prawn salad with tomatoes, alpen light bar (.5HEB)

Tea
BBQ sticky chicken (7.5) with beetroot, tomatoes, cucumber and grated carrot. Alpen light bar (.5HEB), tangerine.

Snacks
2 baby bell (HEA), 1 chocolate hifi bar (HEB), 2 maltesers (1), options turkish delight flavour (2) made with 200ml chocolate oatly milk (HEA).

Total Syns: 12.5

No formal exercise done today but I was on my feet for the best part of a 14 hour shift and ran up and down the stairs to the second floor where I work at least 5 times!

 

[Clareel]

Friday July 22nd - Red Day

Breakfast
Coffee with 100ml chocolate oatly milk (3), weetabix (HEB) with chopped banana and 200ml choc oatly milk (HEA). 1 tangerine.

Lunch
Crab stick salad with tomatoes, alpen light bar (.5HEB), muller light yogurt.

Tea
Broccoli, carrot and cauliflower with roast chicken and oxo cube gravy. Alpen light bar (.5HEB), pear.

Snacks
1 Dads cookie (4), 250ml glass rose wine (9).

Total syns: 16

Same as yesterday no formal exercise, but I took the early train and walked the 30 minutes to work instead of getting the bus

 

[Clareel]

Saturday July 23rd - Red Day

Breakfast
Didn't get up till 1pm (oops) so just had a coffee with 100ml chocolate oatly milk (.5HEB)

Lunch
Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs made with 62ml SS milk(.25HEB), on top of a Food Dr pitta (HEB+1.5syns)*

Tea
Sliced ham, chicken and pork, crab sticks, cucumber and pickled onions (I was at a party it was the best I could do!!)

Snacks
Hifi bar (HEB), coconut options hot chocolate (2) with 50ml chocolate oatly milk (.25HEA). 1 double vodka (5) and diet coke.

I also ran 5.2k

Total Syns: 8.5

*I know the Food Dr pittas aren't a SW HEX, but they have more fiber per 100g than the co-op and asda ones, so i'm counting it as one. The +1.5 covers the difference in syns (FD ones are bigger).

 

[Clareel]

Sunday July 24th - Red Day

Breakfast
Coffee with 50ml chocolate oatly milk (.25HEA)

Lunch
Pizza made on a Food Dr Pitta (HEB+1.5)* topped with 1tbsp tomato puree (.5), 30g reduced fat cheddar (.75HEA) and sliced cherry tomatoes

Tea
200g serving of Iceland gammon with honey glaze, added an extra tbsp of honey (2.5), steamed cabbage, broccoli, carrot & swede, oxo cube gravy

Snacks
Sliced apple dipped in 20g NAS peanut butter (6) mixed with 71g philadelphia light (HEA). 1 bottle Echo Falls rose 'spritz' (5.5), hifi bar (HEB)

I also did level 1 of the 30 day shred

Total syns: 16

*I know the Food Dr pittas aren't a SW HEX, but they have more fiber per 100g than the co-op and asda ones, so i'm counting it as one. The +1.5 covers the difference in syns (FD ones are bigger).

 

[Clareel]

Monday July 25th - Green Day

Breakfast
2 Weetabix (HEB) with 150ml SS milk (3/5HEA) and chopped banana. Green tea with honey

Lunch
Tesco beetroot salad (2), blackberries

Tea
75g pasta with 1/2 tin chopped tomatoes, 1/2 tin Waitrose ratatouille (.5) and 42g mozzarella (HEA), tbsp tomato puree (.5) Tangerine, alpen light bar (.5HEB)

Snacks
1 laughing cow light blue cheese triangle (1/5HEA), alpen light bar (.5HEB), banoffee options (3) with 50ml SS milk (1/5HEA), Balconi cake bar (6), 4 mini biscuits (2), melon

I also ran 6K

Total syns: 14

 

[Clareel]

Tuesday July 26th - Red Day

Breakfast
2x Weetabix (HEB) with 200ml SS milk and chopped banana. Tea with 50ml SS milk (HEA)

Lunch
King prawn salad with pepper and tomatoes, activia snackpot

Tea
'Sticky' turkey (adapted from sticky chicken recipe on SW website) (6), served with roasted butternut squash, red pepper, shallot, courgette and mushroom.

Snacks
Coffee with 60ml SS milk (1), Fiber + bar (HEB), Balconi cake bar (6)

No exercise today as was basically knackered! Will do some tomorrow

Total Syns: 13

 

[Clareel]

Well looks like doing the food diary this week was a good idea as I lost 3.5lb

Will continue with today's entry below...

 

[Clareel]

Wednesday July 27th - Red Day

Breakfast
Coffee with 30ml milk (.5), hifi bar (HEB)

Lunch
SW salmon and broccoli quiche (HEA - for cheese)

Tea
Stir fried beansprouts with 562g of chicken in oyster sauce from Chinese (7), hot and sour soup (5)

Snacks
Cherries, 1 bottle echo falls 'spritz' rose wine (5), bowl of strawberries topped with 1 bag of bear granola (HEB) and 25g or anchor extra thick squirty cream (5)

Also did 45 minutes swimming

Total Syns: 22.5

 

[Clareel]

Thursday July 28th - Extra Easy Day

Now I know the title of this thread is red and green day diary but I'm having an EE day today, because I really wanted sausage and bean bake for tea! Usually I would have done a green day and made it with Quorn sausages, but now they're 1 syn each I really can't justify them over the Sainsbury's low fat which are half a syn each

Breakfast
Cherries, strawberries, banana and 1 alpen light (.5HEB)

Lunch
1 sweet & sour mugshot, beetroot, crabsticks and melon

Tea
Sausage and bean bake - Sainsbury's BGTY sausages (2), baked beans, chopped tomatoes, onion, red pepper, mushrooms topped with cheesey (HEA+3) mash

Snacks
Alpen light bar (.5HEB)

I also ran 5K and walked 30 minutes there and back to work

Total Syns: 5

 

[Clareel]

Friday July 29th - Red Day

Breakfast
Weetabix (HEB) with 250ml SS milk (HEA), coffee made with 100ml SS milk (2/5HEA), strawberries, cherries

Lunch
Crab sticks, cherry tomatoes, 2x ryvita pumpkin seed and oat (HEB) spread with 2x laughing cow blue cheese portions (2/5HEA). Cherries

Tea
Chicken salad with lettuce, tomatoes, red pepper and onions. Blackberries, 2 amaretti biscuits - (36cal each so 3.5 syns for the two?)

Snacks
Strawberries, 1 peanut butter cup (5), options (2) with 50ml SS milk (1/5HEA), 12.5g anchor extra thick squirty cream (2.5)

No proper exercise but I walked there and back to work - 30 minutes each way, and was on my feet for the best part of a 14 hour shift.

Total Syns: 13

 

[Clareel]

Breakfast
2 plum tomatoes, 2 bacon medalions (all fat removed), half a syn free sausage, tea with a splash of skimmed milk (.5)

Lunch
57a wholemeal bread (HEB), with home made smoked salmon pate (HEAx2)

Tea
Chicken salad with beetroot, tomato, 2 boiled eggs and 2tbsp of sweet chilli jam (3)

Snacks
Coffee with 60ml of milk (1), balconi cake bar (6)

Also did level 1 of the 30 day shred

Total Syns: 10.5

 

[Clareel]

Sunday July 31st - Red Day

Breakfast
2x Weetabix (HEB) with 250ml SS milk (HEA) and a sachet of options (2), topped with strawberries

Lunch
had a late breakfast so just had a packet of beetroot

Tea
Roast chicken with cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. Gravy (4) & 1 pack of melon

Snacks
Worcester sauce french fries (5), 2 squares of chocolate (2.5), Cheese (HEA) on toast (HEB) with sweet chili jam (2)

Also jogged 4K and walked 1K

Total Syns: 15.5

 

[Clareel]

Monday August 1st - ???

Okay yesterday was a strange one, I had a bust day in work so didn't eat much before weigh in (just fruit and a coffee). When I got in I had an EE sort of meal, a bit out together but quite nice.

Then I used 23 syns on a piece of millionaires shortbread (amazing!) and a few more on some extra bits bringing me up to about 30 for the whole day.

I feel a bit silly celebrating with food but I got my 5stone award last night after losing 3lb and had planned on eating the shortbread after WI anyway to be honest!

Anyway, line drawn - my week starts properly today

Total Syns: 30

 

[lyndawood1958]

Hi Clareel,

Just read through your food diary. It's not surprising that you have lost 5st you are so disciplined and you often go over 15 syns a day and still have great weight loses.

I keep my own food diary but maybe not so detailed as you. I have been very disappointed with 2 weeks of just 1lb loses. I have been trying this week, not on here in an excel spreadsheet. I will print it out for my class on Wednesday with a hope for a better lose this week. I have so much to lose it can't slow down now.

Thanks for the inspiration
Lynda xx

 

[Clareel]

Hi Lynda! I do sometimes go over 15syns but then some days I'm under so it all evens out! It looks like you're doing quite well, 21lb off is fantastic!

Great idea taking our food dairy along to class, I do try and do one every week as I find it really keeps me on track. Best of luck with your weight loss!

 

[Clareel]

Tuesday August 2nd - Red Day

Breakfast
Weetabix (HEB) with milk (HEA) and a pear. Coffee

Lunch
Salad with 4 chicken skewers (2), half a tub of Sainsbury's beetroot salad. Melon

Tea
Melt in the middle beef burgers with 28g cheddar (HEA), served on a wholemeal bun (HEB), sweet chilli jam (3), 2tbsp XL mayo (1) and butternut squash wedges.

Snacks
Crabsticks, 3 Cadbury milk tray chocolates (7.5), ribena ice lolly (2)

No proper exercise but I walked for 1 hour and 45 minutes

Total Syns: 15.5

 

[Clareel]

Wednesday August 3rd - Green Day

Breakfast
Coffee with 100ml SS milk(2/5HEA), banana, 2 yellow plums

Lunch
Half a tub of Sainsbury's beetroot salad, M&S 3bean salad (3.5) and 28g of brie (HEB)

Tea
3 quorn burgers (1.5) with 1tbsp brown sauce(1), mushy peas, jacket potato, salad 3tbsp XL mayo (1.5), home made apple pie with custard (25.5) - this is an estimate using the values for 'Harvester' apple pie and custard.

Snacks
2 teas with milk (3/5HEA), 1 milk tray chocolate (2.5), curly wurly(6), 1 foxes shortcake biscuit (5)

Also ran 5K

Total Syns: 46.5

Will call this a flexi day - I just can not resist my nana's homemade apple pie!