Em's mission to live up to the username!

It was a naughty weekend but I've reined it in for the past couple of days. My cousin has just announced his engagement so it turned into a bit of a double engagement party with my aunts and uncles. All you need to know is I had 20 syns on Fri (vegetable risotto included wine and oil, lots of Tyrrells popcorn), 25 on Saturday (champagne, wine and Miniature Heroes) and 29 on Sunday (croissant, cheesecake, yorkshire pudding and gravy). I synned it all and that's the important thing!

So, after the weekend my syn count for the week was 89.5/105.

Monday's food:
B: 2 x Alpen Light (HexB) with an apple, coffee with dash semi-skimmed (1 syn)
L: Still super full from the weekend so I skipped lunch
D: Chicken and butternut squash one-pot (chicken, onion, butternut squash, tomatoes, couscous, lots of spices) with my HexA of reduced fat cheddar and 12g mini marshmallows (2 syns)

Syns: 3/15 = 92.5/105

Today's food:
B: Mullerlight with mixed berries (blackberries, blackcurrants, raspberries and redcurrants), coffee with semi-skimmed milk (1 syn)
S: Apple
L: Butternut squash and red pepper soup with 40g reduced fat cheddar (HexA)
S: Christmas Hifi (HexB)
D: Tesco Lamb Shank in minted gravy (2 syns) with garlic steamed curly kale

Syns: 3/15 = 95.5/105

I'm closer to the wire than I'd like to be, and I know I've probably missed some syns over the weekend, but I'm hoping I see an okay loss tonight! 1lb would do but I'd love more. Fingers crossed...
 
Thanks, Tasha! I was sat here yesterday working out that if I could replicate your losses I'd be at target in 17 weeks (11th Feb - just in time for Valentines Day!) That's serious motivation!
 
So Tuesday after WI I got home thinking I had two lamb shanks in the freezer which microwave in 7-10 minutes or something - quick and easy given that I don't get in until after 9.30 - but NO! I'd cooked them already so no quick dinner in my freezer. Booooo. Instead I had a sticky ginger, chilli and lime Quorn fillet, and finely sliced half and onion and potato and simmered them in stock before finishing them off in the oven. It was a pretty tasty improvised meal but it was not the speedy thing I was hoping for. Still, on plan and that's what matters.

Wednesday's food:
B: 35g Bran Flakes (HexB) with Mullerlight, blackberries, blackcurrants, grapes and cherries. Coffee with semi-skimmed milk (1 syn)
L: Butternut squash and red pepper soup with 40g reduced fat cheddar (HexA)
S: Apple
D: Pub dinner! The menu said shredded lamb shoulder with peas, baby onions, spring greens, new potatoes and gravy so I was thinking a couple of syns worth, but it turned out it was a stew! I think it was probably more like (10 syns) for gravy because it was gorgeous thick stuff probably made with meat juices.

Syns: 11/15 = 11/105

After the pub dinner (for my friend's birthday) we legged it home, packed a bag and travelled up to Letchworth. I had training at another site near Huntingdon on Thursday so we decided to stop off half way at our friend's house and drive him into work in the morning. It was really exciting because it's the site I'm moving to in the New Year, and OH has been given a job there too to make it easier for me to move. It was great going up and spending the day with people we're going to work with. OH and I had agreed that we weren't allowed to make any more friends because we won't have space at the wedding, but his team are so lovely. I had to disappear off for training at 10 so the new girl there said he should join them on their daily trip to Costa. He really loved it. Yayyyy! New girl had just moved to the site because her OH works there too, and OH's new boss is a keen canoe/kayaker and Costa worshipper so OH is going to fit right in!

Thurday's food:
B: 2 x Alpen Light (HexB), apple, coffee with semi-skimmed (1 syn)
L: Jacket potato with spaghetti hoops, lettuce and tomato, coffee with semi-skimmed (1 syn)
D: Quorn chicken fajitas with onion, peppers, lettuce and tomato (1 syn for Old El Paso Smoky BBQ Fajita mix - I was good and avoided the wraps)
S: 2 Rhubarb and Custard (3 syns), Options Hot Chocolate (2 syns) with 250ml semi-skimmed (HexA), 6g mini marshmallows (1 syn)

Syns: 9/15 = 20/105

I struggled a bit to get my superfree in yesterday as we were eating in the work canteen and then having dinner at our friends' house. The work canteen was the hardest bit - OH had a Thai sweet chilli beef baguette with fries, our friend had a cumberland sausage and egg bap with wedges and there was cheesy pasta bake and all sorts on offer! I nabbed the last jacket potato though and avoided stuff I couldn't weigh or measure. I certainly didn't go hungry.

Tonight we're at my cousin's for dinner. His fianceé is a wine merchant so there'll be lots of nice wine. She's also a cheese fiend and I imagine the food will be quite rich and not exactly SW friendly... We'll see. I'm allowing myself 40 syns so that should be enough for a few glasses of wine and whatever else they throw at us. Fingers crossed!

Up until dinner:
B: 35g porridge oats with Mullerlight, blackcurrants, redcurrants, blackberries, raspberries and apple, coffee with semi-skimmed (1 syn)
L: Vegetable soup (carrots, parsnip, swede and onion) with 40g reduced fat cheddar (HexA)
D: TBD...
 
Proper update in a bit but here's dinner - peppery steak with swede, brussel sprouts fried with bacon and herby potatoes...

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Steak was awful so I just ate the veggies.

Work is manic so I've got 10min to inhale a bowl of soup!

I need to sit at my desk and type up my food! Argh!
 
I can't believe it's been 3 weeks since I've posted in here! Work has been manic - I was the only person in my office for a fortnight and it just completely maxed me out. I've still been absolutely on plan, not that it's done me a great deal of good, but it could be a whole lot worse.

I didn't make group for 3 weeks but weighed in last week and had lost 4.5lbs! I was absolutely thrilled with that. This week though I put on 0.5lbs despite having a really good week. I'd even been sticking to about 7 syns a day to save some for dinner out with a friend on Monday, but he cancelled so I didn't use them! My C was a member of my old group so she knows what I'm like and that I know the plan and am committed. I post photos of my meals to our FB group all week and am always sticking up little low-syn treats I've discovered. She was at a bit of a loss and saying there must be a reason. I think stress really hampers my weight loss but I wouldn't have expected a gain at all. I have been doing food diaries anyway so I handed that in for her. She rings us if there's anything wrong and I haven't heard from her so I guess that means I'm okay. I just want an double loss on Tuesday.

Food today:
B: Chocolate & Fudge Alpen Light + Rocky Road Hifi Light (HexB) with coffee (1 syn for milk).
L: Oops - had it in my head that I'd have ScanBran and LowLow but I've already had my HexB! Probably Pasta and LowLow (HexA) with broccoli and cauliflower.
D: Homemade bolognese (extra lean mince, chopped tomatoes, passata, red onion, red pepper and mushrooms) in a Discovery Taco Tray (2 syns).
S: Saving syns for a possible cheeky vodka or two tonight (either 2 x 35ml for 8 syns or 3 x 25ml for 7.5 syns)

I'm out tonight for a friend's birthday but it's a quiet night in the pub because she's not very well. I may just stick to Diet Coke but I've saved some syns just in case I get peer-pressured into vodka... Tomorrow I've got the place to myself so I'm going to do some batch cooking for the week ahead. On Sunday we're at my brother's for Sunday lunch. I'm saving 4 syns for Yorkshire pudding, 9 syns for roast potatoes and 5 syns for gravy. I know there's going to be strudel but I'm just going to say no! I'm also going to take my own non-alcoholic drinks with me so I don't get tempted to have any wine. I really want a good loss this week.

I'm covered in eczema at the moment and it's driving me crazy. All over my eyelids too! Any remedy suggestions are gratefully received!
 
Hey hun just popping in to subscribe. I feel your pain about the low loss weeks, some weeks I can be 100% on plan and only lose 0.5lbs, so for you to but on half after being so good much be a bit demoralising. Stress definitely doesn't help though but you've been doing great so far, just look at the big picture and where you are now compared to the summer xx
 
Thanks Bev. :) As has been said to me elsewhere, I'd be on plan this week, next week, the week after regardless of a loss or a gain so in the grand scheme of things it makes no difference. I'll get there eventually! It doesn't matter if I crawl at 1lb a month - it's onwards and downwards. This place certainly helps as everyone knows that feeling. My trouble is I'm attending a brand new group that is almost entirely made up of brand new members and they're flying by! You're right though - bigger picture. :)
 
So, time for an update on all sorts of things...

Boring stuff first - House: So some of you might remember that back in February after a mega-stressful time I finally got the job I wanted. This means moving from London to Cambridgeshire, but it also means that OH and I can buy a real house together instead of his 1-bed shared ownership flat. Unfortunately this made things really complicated as normally work will buy the house off you so you can move quickly, but with a shared ownership property they're not allowed to do that. It took them about 7 months to work all this out so it's been a really long hold up. The good news is we've finally got the flat on the market! We've got an open day on 14th Dec so the next few weeks will be spent making everything spick and span ready for viewings. A friend at work has recently sold her shared ownership place and she said there are loads of people looking for them, it's just a case of narrowing it down to which one they want, so fingers crossed we can start moving early in the new year!!

Work: They moved me into the new post back in April, but because I haven't moved to Cambridgeshire I've been left doing the job I was doing anyway. I've been back and forth to Cambridgeshire for training and meetings so I am in touch with the right people but the other 6 people who got the jobs at the same time as me are already up there working as a team. In the meantime, my team down here has broken down and been built back up again and I'm the only constant member of staff, and I'm not meant to be here! I'm training up my boss, and his new boss, and his new boss and two new team members, along with writing up the new policies and negotiating them with the other organisations we work with. It's mental. And it's made me realise that I should be a lot higher up the ladder. I'm fed up of doing most of the work and getting very little of the money! So I've applied for the Civil Service Fast Stream. Last year there were 46 applicants per place so I'm not holding out any huge amount of hope but at least it gives me some options. I've managed to get through the first three rounds and now it starts to get seeerioouusss (said in some sort of X-Factor-stylee voice). The next round closes on Sunday so we'll see where I'm at then!

Wedding: Venue booked, Save the Dates started, in talks with photographer and makeup artist! I desperately want to start dress shopping but I promised my sister I'd wait until she's back in August. Woooeee! At least it gives me more time to become a maintainer! We've already had my engagement ring taken down half a size and now it looks like it needs to go down again. I want another whole size off by the time I get my wedding ring! :D I'll try to get some photos up of the Save the Dates later. We found the wedding menu selections for this year last night and OH and I just sat there drooling and giggling deliriously - gypsy tart with praline mousse and an apple shot - yes please!

Getting the flat on the market, getting through to the next round of fast stream and nearly having a photographer are making me feel very happy at the moment. Let's hope I'll have a slamming loss to add to that list come Tuesday. :D
 
Rrraaaaaarrrggghhhh!! So annoyed! I was saving my syns and only drinking Diet Coke to start tonight, planning to space them with some vodka, but I'm pretty sure the drink my friend bought me was full fat Coke - 12 syns! I wasn't sure, but the Diet Coke I bought myself was definitely a different taste. I skipped the vodka to be on the safe side. What a waste of syns!
 
Yummy food today and feeling totally contented. I had been intending to go and get my eyebrows done up in London but it ended up just being the chill out day I needed.

I woke up when I woke up, no alarms, and just mooched. I made myself my first successful omelette (after planning to have LM sausages but discovering I'd eaten them all...) and had a lovely long pampering bath. I spent most of the afternoon completing the application form for the Fast Stream ready to submit tomorrow. They give you a week to do each stage from the date you completed the last bit, so I'm trying to always submit on a Sunday so I have the whole weekend to complete it. It was a good job I sat down to do it today because there was bloody loads of stuff to fill in on previous extra-curricular experience and work responsibilities. I got myself ready to head into London, then got a call from my brother about going for lunch tomorrow. He mentioned that my mum had just gone round to my Nanna's so I changed my mind and decided I'd go round and surprise them, but then just got completely overcome by tiredness. I went and did the much needed food shop instead (forgetting the key items of squash and onions) and treated myself to bung-in-the-oven lamb shanks and Douwe Egberts Caramel coffee ready for Dr Who!

It's a good job I chilled out today because I've just discovered there are no trains from our station tomorrow so it'll take 2 hours each way to get to my brother's. This happened the last time we visited! I'm going to have to schedule our visits around the South West Trains engineering timetable in future!

Food for today:

B: Garlic mushroom and onion omelette topped with 20g reduced fat cheddar (1/2 HexA), using 2 eggs and a dash of milk from 175ml skimmed milk (1/2 HexA - naughty to split it, I know)
L: Breakfast was at 11.45 so I just snacked on an apple and a plum.
D: Tesco Finest Lamb Shanks with Roasted Vegetables (carrots and parsnips) (2.5 syns) with leeks, cabbage and spring greens.
S: Laaarge Caramel flavoured coffee with rest of my 175ml skimmed milk, snacksize Twix (5.5 syns)

Food was so comforting and exactly what I needed. I've just enjoyed destressing and taking a bit of time for myself. About to get into bed with my Kindle and relax, ready for my trip across London tomorrow. Siiigghh.
 
So my gain might be explained by the fact star week has shown up again - for the second time in a fortnight. This is unusual for me and I'm not really sure why. I'll just keep an eye on it.
 
lyricallylittle said:
Rrraaaaaarrrggghhhh!! So annoyed! I was saving my syns and only drinking Diet Coke to start tonight, planning to space them with some vodka, but I'm pretty sure the drink my friend bought me was full fat Coke - 12 syns! I wasn't sure, but the Diet Coke I bought myself was definitely a different taste. I skipped the vodka to be on the safe side. What a waste of syns!
Click to expand...

This has happened to me before too! So bloody annoying as it was obviously just an accident but so frustrating and feels like a total waste of syns! xx
 
The really annoying thing was my other friend was encouraging me to switch to lime and soda as she doesn't trust all the additives in cola but I didn't want to have the syns of the lime cordial. I would have been so much better off! Never mind. Done and managed.

Yesterday was lovely, and lunch didn't involve as many syns as I'd expected. There were no trains from our local stations so I had to drive to Richmond to get there otherwise our journey would have been over 2 hours, but this was good because I definitely couldn't be tempted into a glass of wine or two.

B: 35g porridge oats (HexB), summer fruits mix (blackberries, blackcurrants, raspberries, redcurrants) and strawberry Mullerlight
L: Roast chicken, 2 roast potatoes (6 syns), carrots, purple carrots, french beans, sugarsnap peas, butternut squash, parsnips, gravy (1.5 syns), syns for roasting oil (3)
D: Bolognese sauce (extra lean mince, passata, chopped tomatoes, red onion, garlic, mushrooms, yellow pepper) with 40g reduced fat cheddar (HexA)
S: Hotel Chocolat chocolate (3 syns)

I turned down cherry strudel and ice cream after lunch so I'm feeling particularly virtuous. Not that the mid-week hop on the scales showed much movement but at least I have an idea why with stupid Aunt Flo turning up so soon.

Absolutely shattered today! As far as I've got with food today:
B: 2 x Alpen Light (HexB), apple, plum, coffee with milk from (HexA)
L: Leftover lamb shank with gravy (2.5 syns), parsnips, carrots, leek, cabbage and spring greens
D: Leek and potato soup (leeks, potato, onion, stock)
S: 2 x Hotel Chocolat (6 syns), flavoured coffees with rest of milk allowance.

I'm at a conference all day tomorrow so I'm trying to work out what food to take with me. Normally it's at another venue with lovely hot food that can usually be SW-friendly, but the new venue has usually provided a very SW-unfriendly pastry buffet. I might make up some LowLow pasta. We're leaving work at 6 so I'm going to cook up some SW pancakes tonight to eat cold on the minibus. Hopefully I'll make it back in time for WI!
 
It explains the feeling generally down and sluggish, and cramping I've been getting. I thought maybe it's because I've been so stressed lately and I finally properly relaxed on Saturday - maybe it just kicked things off again.
 
Dinner was pulled pork with an equal heap of leeks, cabbage and spring greens instead of soup. That can wait until tomorrow.

Off for a conference, leaving work at 6, so I've made magic pancakes to eat on the minibus and falafel to nibble at lunch (thanks, Tasha!) I'm going to stuff my handbag full of fruit and hope for the best!

Tomorrow's plan:
B: Magic pancakes (porridge oats [HexB], mullerlight and 2 eggs) with apple and plums.
L: Falafel (chickpeas, onion, egg, cumin, ground coriander, chives)
D: Leek and potato soup
 
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