Extra Easy Online - attempting to maintain!

[Sheknitsnicely]

You forgot to eat the coleslaw? Before I read that, I wasn't even sure that was possible!

Will be trying out some of your recipes!

Skn x

Using the mighty power of the iPhone

 

[vintagepockets]

I'm feeling a bit low today. Partly because of PMT, partly because I'm finding it difficult to find work, and partly because falling asleep at 4am and waking up at midday everyday is starting to take its toll! It wasn't helped by my WI today as I've only lost 0.5lbs! :sigh:

I went to the gym as planned and gave it some thought. I'm trying to remain positive and realised that I managed to gain 10lbs in 6 months and have lost over half of that in 3 weeks so I must be doing something right! As I don't have a huge amount of weight to lose I need to stop checking others weight loss who have a lot further to go. Of course its going to come off slowly as I don't have a huge amount to lose. And hey, at least it's going in the right direction!

I am however, desperately craving junk food! I only get this once a month, and its either a sweet or savoury craving, and this month is most definitely savoury! I'm tempted to get a chinese tonight as I'm home alone and really really want one! I may even have a glass of wine! I've had no syns today and have been good all week. Plus I'm not going to order anything that will blow my daily syns... I would still feel guilty though and I can't really afford it... hmm we'll see, I haven't decided yet.

Food Diary...

Brunch - 1 banana, Raspberry & Cranberry mullerlight, 30g Jordans natural muesli (HEXb)

Snack/Lunch (after gym) - Chicken mug shot with added sweetcorn and mushrooms

1 tea w/ skimmed milk (part of HEXa)
1pt Soda water
Lots of sparkling/still water

Gym = treadmill, crosstrainer, bike, rowing machine = 1 hour

I'll update later when I finally decide what to do for dinner!

 

[vintagepockets]

I was good and had sticky chicken with egg fried rice again (2.5 syns) - so I could satisfy my chinese craving - but this time I measured the rice and had lots of veg (broccoli, baby corn, spring onions, mushrooms, mangetout). So full now though!

I also made a SW Rice Pudding (free if using my milk allowance) which I was going to have with mixed berries, but feeling too full to eat any so I'll save that for tomorrow.

The boyfriend is coming back from work late so is picking up fish and chips for himself on the way home... I've been good but I can't guarantee I won't pinch one!

So...

Total syns = 2.5

 

[teddysgoldengirl]

Hey How are you? I know it can be disheartening when you feel you've tried so hard and been so good and then only lose a small amount, but you have to remember that a loss is a loss! I missed my weigh in on Wednesday so going to go on Monday instead, fingers crossed that my Christmas weight has started to shift! Although going out for a very synful meal tonight so we'll see

 

[vintagepockets]

Thanks teddysgoldengirl. Good luck and enjoy your meal tonight! You need a day off sometimes!

I was feeling really bloated when I did my weigh in so I weighed myself the following day and I'd lost another 0.5lbs so have reached half a stone loss in 3 weeks! I'm not going to officially count it but if I can keep it off this week and lose a little more I'll be very chuffed!

Missed a couple of days and they've been a bit naughty as they've involved booze! Hate checking the syns after as they add up so quickly

Thursday...

Breakfast - mixed berries, mullerlight cherry, 35g Jordans Natural Muesli (HEXb)

Lunch - Jacket potato, beans, 20g cheddar (half HEXa)

Dinner (out) - Garlic pepper chicken, chinese vegetables, boiled rice (7 syns) - overestimated guess?
This was a sauce-less dish and described on the menu as "Tossed lightly in flour & wok fried with minced garlic, chillies, Sichuan pepper, served with seasonal vegetables". So I'm counting the syns for the flour and oil the chicken and vegetables would of been cooked in.

2 x Tea w/ skimmed milk (half HEXa)
Vodka and soda water (2.5 syns)
Singha lager 330ml bottle (7 syns)

Total Syns - 16.5 (BOOZE!)


Friday...

Breakfast - banana, mullerlight mandarin, 35g Jordans Natural Muesli (HEXb)

Lunch - Jacket potato, tuna with 2 tbsps light mayo (1 syn), 20g low fat cheddar (half HEXa), lettuce, cucumber, red onion, 1 carrot, sweetcorn

Dinner - Mug shot (didn't have time to make dinner)

Night out with the girls... eek!
large red wine
large white wine
5 vodka and soda
2 shots
And worse of all... Chip shop chips with gravy, half a burger :cry:
= TOO MANY SYNS!!! 50+

Gym - bike, treadmill, crosstrainer, rowing maching, weights, swim = 1.5 hrs


Saturday...

Brunch - 2 slices Nimble wholemeal (HEXb), baked beans, 2 light choices cumberland sausages (2 syns), poached egg, frylight mushrooms, 2 tsps light flora (2 syns)

Snack - grapes and cherries

Dinner - Jack's taking me out so its either dinner at The Langton where I'll have Sea Bass with sweetpotato & spinach curry or a duck salad. Or we could do Nandos and a movie where I'll have half chicken with no skin, spicy rice and corn on the cob.

It would be sensible to go to Nandos as I can count the syns, whereas at The Langton I can't. The Langton would also involve a glass of wine. Eek! Really wish I hadn't had those chips last night!!! Unfortunately I'd made the decision long before I went out as I've been craving junk horribly. I've definitely sated that though - it's not really that I felt guilty this morning just really dirty and gross. I think a diet of healthy food means your body can really tell when it's getting fed rubbish!

Oh well. Tomorrow's another day and I've been beyond angelic this past week so hopefully that will count for something!

 

[vintagepockets]

What a dirty weekend. We went back to the place I ate at on Thursday as Nando's had a huge wait so I had the same as Thursday night but minus the beer! But then I shared a huge sweet popcorn so that was about 20 syns in itself!!!

So... Saturday Syns = 33 :break_diet:

Feeling a bit gross and will definitely understand if I gain this week! Why oh why did I get those chips! And popcorn! Let's put it down to a moment of weakness and move on. I'm going to have 5 syns and under this week to make up for it.

And as its my Mum's birthday this week we're going out to a steak restaurant on Saturday. I was planning on having it as a night off and having chips and sauce with my steak, but after this weekend I'll have the couscous! Especially as booze will be unavoidable. I'll have to stick to vodka and soda as much as possible!

Sunday...

Breakfast - banana with banana & custard mullerlight (we've ran out of fruit mullers so thought this would be ok... wrong - far too sweet, yuck!)

Lunch planned - 2 Dark Rye Ryvita (HEXb), fat free cottage cheese, tuna w/ 1 tbsp light mayo (0.5 syns), lettuce, cucumber, sweetcorn, 1 carrot, lean ham, salmon, parma ham (0.5 syns), 2 babybel (half HEXa)

Dinner planned - SW Roast chicken with SW Roast potatoes, brocolli, carrots, peas, green beans, parsnip, red cabbage, gravy (1 syn)

3 tea w/ skimmed milk (half HEXa)
Valerian root tea
Sparkling water

Total syns = 2

I'll update if anything changes or is added!

 

[vintagepockets]

My first skin free, oil free roast dinner. Boyfriend's roast potatoes looked so much yummier than mine but I didn't have one! May or may not have nibbled a little bit of skin though Mullerlight coconut for pudding... nomnom! Hope they make them permanent and not just limited edition! (2 syns for the skin). Just checked gravy and the Chicken flavour has 1 syn per tsp so total is 5 for the day.

Total syns for Sunday = 5

 

[Sheknitsnicely]

Did you see the recipe for roasties with oxo/stock on another thread? Apparently they're awesome, so I'm definitely going yo try them for the roast next weekend!

This weekend was written off for me with booze and puddlies. Mmmmmmpudding.......

Skn x

Using the mighty power of the iPhone

 

[vintagepockets]

Did you see the recipe for roasties with oxo/stock on another thread? Apparently they're awesome, so I'm definitely going yo try them for the roast next weekend!

This weekend was written off for me with booze and puddlies. Mmmmmmpudding.......

Skn x

Sounds good! Where can I find the thread? I might have to try those next time.

I know what you mean. Can't believe how many syns booze contains! I miss guilt-free wine!:cry:

 

[vintagepockets]

Food Diary...

Breakfast - 2 Weetabix (HEXb), 120ml skimmed milk (HEXa), sweetener

Lunch (out) - Rump steak cooked without fat, new potatoes, salad (no dressing or butter)

Snack - Cold baked beans, Babybel light (haven't had enough HEXa today but I'll syn it just in case - 2 syns), Alpen light Chocolate & Fudge (3 syns)

Dinner - Chilli con carne (1 syn for tsp bisto), rice

Snack - banana, Mullerlight toffee

2 tea w/ skimmed milk (HEXa)
2 herbal tea
Sparkling/Soda water

Total Syns = 6

 

[vintagepockets]

P.S. If anyone wants the Chilli Con Carne recipe let me know!

It's a family favourite and I was delighted when I joined SW and found out that the ingredients were virtually free on EE (only 1 syn per portion, if not less). It's great when you find out you can carry on having one of your favourite meals!

 

[vintagepockets]

I've been reading other people's diaries and thought I'd give a bit more information about myself!

I moved from London to Cheltenham (my hometown) last January as my boyfriend's work brought us here. I was working in TV but really wasn't happy as I couldn't see a future in it. My boyfriend also travels a lot for work so was mainly inbetween Switzerland and Milan whilst we were in London and all my friends lived the opposite side of the city so I was really lonely a lot of the time.

We made the decision to move back as I didn't want to be away from Jack 5 days a week anymore and we saw it as a good opportunity to save money so we could go travelling together before things get serious! We've been together for 7 years now and are talking of marriage and babies (I can't wait) so it's our big adventure before life's biggest adventures start.

We were meant to go in October but Jack couldn't get his job to let him go (he's taking a career break so not as simple as telling them when he wants to leave) so we've finally got a date of Easter. I'm starting to feel really frustrated as I'm SO ready to leave Cheltenham and get on with life but I feel completely trapped here at the moment. I've pretty much put my career on hold whilst we're in Cheltenham as I can't get my teeth stuck into anything knowing that we're leaving soon. I did have a job in online marketing but the company I worked for was awful and I got so frustrated and down that I just had to quit. I've got no regrets about leaving (I've got some good experience and met some great friends whilst there) but now I'm unemployed and struggling to find short term work. It looks like I might have some bar work to keep me going but I haven't saved as much money as I'd hoped whilst we were in Chelt so that's getting me down a bit.

I'm also just impatient for life to happen if you know what I mean!? I feel so stuck and bored and there is so much to look forward to that I just want to get on with it! I'm also keen to be able to concentrate on my career again. I really want to work in Events and am keen to get a long term job. Every job I've ever had has been contracted so it will be nice to have long term goals. I'm also keen to lay down some roots as we've moved around almost every year since we met. We're so sick of moving house so it will be lovely to have somewhere that is completely ours and we can actually build a home together!

SW is giving me something to focus on and is helping to occupy my brain. It's been great planning my meals and thinking about what to cook and I'm treating it a bit like a "project". And as we're going travelling it would be nice to feel a bit more body confident! I've put on so much weight whilst in Cheltenham and fallen into so many bad habits (mainly eating out A LOT, drinking nightly and barely eating any fruit or veg). It's been great actually cooking again and enjoying my 5 a day. I also feel better for choosing sparkling water over wine and beer!

Overall, being in Cheltenham, near to family and friends has been great but it's time to move on! Only 3 more months to go, and SW should hopefully keep me sane whilst I wait.

 

[Sheknitsnicely]

Here you are hun: http://www.minimins.com/sw-winter-warmer-recipes/211022-sw-roasties.html Enjoy!! x

 

[vintagepockets]

Here you are hun: http://www.minimins.com/sw-winter-warmer-recipes/211022-sw-roasties.html Enjoy!! x

Nom! Will be trying those out! Thanks x

 

[vintagepockets]

I've decided to start listing my SF so I can keep an eye on how much I'm having and also get a better idea of what's SF and what's F.

Food Diary...

Breakfast - Magic Porridge (HEXb) (made with Mullerlight coconut), sliced banana

Lunch - Jacket potato, Chilli con carne (1 syn) (peppers, onions, mushrooms, garlic, chilli, passatta), salad (lettuce, cucumber, red pepper), 20g reduced fat cheddar (half HEXa)

Lunch...

Snack (after gym) - Roast chicken mug shot, sweetcorn, 1 babybel light (half HEXa)

Dinner - Chicken, stir-fry veg/chilli/garlic/water chestnuts, chilled egg noodles (2 syns), soy sauce, worcestershire sauce

Dessert - banana, Mullerlight toffee, Flapjack bite (3.5 syns)

2 tea w/ skimmed milk (1 syn)
1 herbal tea
Sparkling water

Gym - bike, treadmill, crosstrainer, weights = 1hr

Total syns = 7.5

WI tomorrow... fingers crossed I haven't gained! :cross:

 

[vintagepockets]

So it was my WI today and I've gained 1.5lbs! It was deserved and I'm looking at it like it could of been worse. I had a heart attack when I originally got on the scales as they read 1lb heavier, but I reweighed (and reweighed again to be sure) and they readjusted so... phew!

I know where I went wrong, as I had a very high syn weekend. And I'm thinking that those "lightly tossed in flour" dishes probably had more syns in than I was willing to admit. It just proves that I should stick to stuff I know the syn value for. And if I am going to have a meal off, make sure it's only one! That booze is a bugger too!

I'm going to stay below the 10 syn mark this week and see if that helps, and make sure I'm sticking to my 1/3 SF.

I won't be able to avoid booze on Saturday but I'll try to stick to vodka and soda as much as possible. I've promised myself one glass of red with my steak, but that will be it. I was going to have chips as a treat, but now I'll have the couscous and a tiny bit of sauce. I'm going to go for Port Jus or Chimichurri Rub and avoid the Peppercorn or Blue Cheese! I just need to not go back on that on Saturday as willpower seemed to be a problem last weekend! The gain will hopefully have an influence on that though.

I'm suprised at how positive its made me feel. I suppose its because I deserved it. If I'd been angelic all week I think I'd be feeling very down right now!

Update... It's also TOTM so it could be water retention? I'll still be careful and see what difference there is next week!

 

[vintagepockets]

Im always afraid to do extra easy, my brain cannot work out how I can possibly lose weight whilst eating so lavishly.....anyone find their weight loss slower on Extra Easy?

I've never done Original or Red so don't really know how weight-loss differs. With extra easy you need to fill up on Free and make sure a third of your plate is always Superfree and you choose these first for snacks. Syns are your final choice. It works for me as I'd struggle to cut out carbs so couldn't do Red days.

I'm eating much healthier and realised I'm not after a rapid weight-loss. I'm just enjoying feeling healthier and making better choices with my food! I definitely think its worth a try!

Although it says you can eat as much as you like, the idea is that by having so much superfree you will fill up on these so won't need to eat so much free or syns.

 

[vintagepockets]

I'm still waiting for my dinner as OH isn't home from work yet. Annoyed and no longer hungry! I was really looking forward to my steak too

Food Diary...

Breakfast - Magic Porridge (HEXb) (made with Mullerlight raspberry & cranberry), sliced banana

Lunch - SW Chips, poached egg, beans (no SF - whoops)

Snack (waiting for OH to get home) - Jaffa Cake (2.5 syns), sweetcorn, Babybel light (half HEXa), Chicken mug shot

Dinner (planned) - Steak, Tesco Maris Piper mashed potato (2 syns), broccoli, green beans, red onions, mushrooms

5 tea w/ skimmed milk (half HEXa - 180ml)
1 valerian root tea
Sparkling water
Strepsil - can't believe I have to syn this!? (0.5 syns)

Total syns (with steak dinner) = 5
Total syns (without steak dinner) = 3

Delete as appropriate!

Update: I had the steak and a glass of wine (8.5 syns) (it was so yummy so definitely worth the syns!)

Total syns = 13

 

[Minimumm]

Your like me with the carbs, I tend to like the green days the best so stick to them, Perhaps Extra Easy is something I should look into with more detail, thanks for your reply, I had forgotten about the super free bit!!! Doh
It makes more sense now, this is the problem with having never attended a class, the magazines are not always that detailed in their explanation instead offering a weeks meal plan etc

 

[vintagepockets]

Your like me with the carbs, I tend to like the green days the best so stick to them, Perhaps Extra Easy is something I should look into with more detail, thanks for your reply, I had forgotten about the super free bit!!! Doh
It makes more sense now, this is the problem with having never attended a class, the magazines are not always that detailed in their explanation instead offering a weeks meal plan etc

I don't go to group either and am doing the plan online. The SF does take a while to get your head around. Because SW is always so positive, and they say you can eat as much as you want, it doesn't put the importance on SF. The way it's worded is like it's a suggestion rather than a vital part of the plan. I've only realised that by reading other people's diaries on here! I'm still not an angel and definitely don't fill up 1/3 of my plate with SF at every meal or snack on it first. I do tend to rely on Free for snacks so need to change that really.

A colleague at work was doing EE before I'd even heard of it and I never saw a piece of fruit or veg pass her lips and she still lost weight! It is more restrictive than you think when you actually get stuck in - but only in terms of 'naughty' foods!