My SW diary, by Bess.

[Bess]

After the encouragement from others on this site, I went to a local SW class this morning and found I weighed 3lbs more on their scales than on mine. Never mind, as long as they go down, that'll be alright.
They are a pleasant group, some members had done very well losing weight on the Extra Easy Plan which I think I'll follow too.
I went shopping after a quick read of the booklets so I am well stocked up with suitable food but I must read everything again so that I get it right.

Today I've eaten:

Trout (no skin), cous cous and salad.

Lean ham, crab sticks (quite a lot nibbled over 2 hours), 2 bananas, fat free yoghurt and 2 dried apricots.

A very small taste of bolognese sauce and spaghetti - I really wasn't hungry.

A low cal drink of hot chocolate 2 syns and 4 pieces of sugar free gum - less than 0.5 syns.

It's been a muddly day, I've been in and out at odd times, tomorrow will be more settled (I hope!)

 

[Bess]

Hmm....I know that I shouldn't get on my scales, but the temptation......? I realise of course that there wouldn't be a loss, I suppose I expected to see a STS but they were 3lbs up on yesterday.
Never mind, I'll keep off them, write down here exactly what I eat including amounts - and will be very grateful for any advice.


So far: Breakfast: 3 very thin rashers of bacon, no fat, one egg and 1/3 of a can of baked beans. I have very good pans which really don't need oil, I wiped a smear of olive oil around it though, then wiped again with another clean piece of kitchen roll, there could only be microns in the frying pan, literally.
Redbush tea. (I only drink this kind- in 3/4 pint mugs!)

I feel so full, still hard to believe that this works.

An apple.

Lunch - Bolognese sauce (small cereal bowl full), didn't bother with pasta, then 2 tablespoons quark with a chopped banana and a kiwifruit.

Stupidly nibbly 'hungry' at 4.45pm. Had 2 tablespoonsful cottage cheese and another small bowl of the bolognese sauce. Annoyed with myself because I know I'm not really hungry - I just fancy a chocolate biscuit. Made a pot of coffee instead.

Supper - Medium jacket potato with quark, steak, cabbage, teasp mustard.

Does anyone know if I can eat Muller light yoghurt? I thought it was allowed but can't find it in the book. Ah, found them on the website -10 syns - hmm, I'll have to find the orange ones which are free!
Later: melon, passion fruit and fat free strawberry yoghurt. 35ml whisky and low cal ginger, that's 4 syns. 2 dried apricots, one almond and one walnut.

I still want something sugary - well chocolatey really, think I'm best steering clear of the stuff now. I may have a low cal choc drink later - 2 syns, I checked.

I feel big today and a bit uncomfortable, not a very nice feeling. I've read the thinking behind the diet on the website and know it works but it's hard to understand how eating so much will make me lose weight. I'll be encouraged when (if) the scales move down - Doubting Bess!

 

[julesm]

Hi Bess!

Thought I'd pop by and say hi. Don't get on those scales til weigh in!!! I am one to talk though, I hop on my Wii Fit all the time! But I don't take any notice of what it says because sometimes it can go down and up by like 2lbs in a day or something! So just listen to your class scales!

Good luck with your first week. I'm sure you will have a fab time on SW! xxx

 

[gl12282]

Hmm....I know that I shouldn't get on my scales, but the temptation......? I realise of course that there wouldn't be a loss, I suppose I expected to see a STS but they were 3lbs up on yesterday.
Never mind, I'll keep off them, write down here exactly what I eat including amounts - and will be very grateful for any advice.


So far: Breakfast: 3 very thin rashers of bacon, no fat, one egg and 1/3 of a can of baked beans. I have very good pans which really don't need oil, I wiped a smear of olive oil around it though, then wiped again with another clean piece of kitchen roll, there could only be microns in the frying pan, literally.
Redbush tea. (I only drink this kind- in 3/4 pint mugs!)

I feel so full, still hard to believe that this works.

An apple.

Lunch - Bolognese sauce (small cereal bowl full), didn't bother with pasta, then 2 tablespoons quark with a chopped banana and a kiwifruit.

Stupidly nibbly 'hungry' at 4.45pm. Had 2 tablespoonsful cottage cheese and another small bowl of the bolognese sauce. Annoyed with myself because I know I'm not really hungry - I just fancy a chocolate biscuit. Made a pot of coffee instead.

Supper - Medium jacket potato with quark, steak, cabbage, teasp mustard.

Does anyone know if I can eat Muller light yoghurt? I thought it was allowed but can't find it in the book. Ah, found them on the website -10 syns - hmm, I'll have to find the orange ones which are free!

I really am full but haven't had any healthy extra's so I might have some melon, fruit and yoghurt with 2 weetabix later. Planning a small whisky and low cal ginger, that's 4 syns.

I still want something sugary - well chocolatey really, think I'm best steering clear of the stuff now. I may have a low cal choc drink later - 2 syns, I checked.

I feel big today and a bit uncomfortable, not a very nice feeling. I've read the thinking behind the diet on the website and know it works but it's hard to understand how eating so much will make me lose weight. I'll be encouraged when (if) the scales move down - Doubting Bess!

Hi Bess,

Well done on your start. Hope this week goes well.

My comments on your diary - are you eating enough superfree ? It doesn't look like you have any superfree in your breakfast.

Lunch - would be fine as long as your bolognaise sauce has loads and loads of superfree. I'd try and get your superfree on your plate for now rather than fruit afterwards because it will help to limit your portion size naturally.

Your snack is ok actually. In an ideal world snack on superfree but sometimes that just doesn't do it for me so well done for avoiding the chocolate biscuits. If you don't want to snack on superfree, try having a mini meal and still have 1/3 superfree. Cottage cheese is good to snack on though.

Muller lights are mostly free other than the cheesecake variety which I think are 1 syn.

Can you mark your syns on the diary so that we know you've counted them. Dried fruit should also be synned.

Sorry for sounding hypercritical but I want you to get it right ! For your HexB's I love Alpen lights. I also love Weetabix oaty bars white chocolate which are really sweet. Yum yum.

I wouldn't be too worried about the smear of olive oil but it may be worth getting some frylight which works really well although you have to try not to get the pan really hot (which I always do anyway !) because it burns more easily than oil.

Try to eat food that you like (that is on plan) rather than stuff that you think you should be eating so that it doesn't feel like a diet.

Good luck. Will see you around !!

Gail x

 

[Bess]

Thanks Gail, I'll check all you said. Im sure this will become simple later, but just now it still seems a a bit complicated to me - and I still can't find the Mullerlights anywhere in the booklets!

I'm going to adjust yesterday's food to add the things I ate in the evening but I'll do today's all in one go at the end of the day or tomorrow.

Oh, and I'm steering clear of the scales!

 

[julesm]

Hey Bess,

I remember being confused about Mullerlights when I first started too.

Basically all Mullerlights are free - except for the obvious ones - the ones with bits of cake in or the ones with a layer of jam in the bottom. I don't even know the syn values because there are so many millions of flavours of Mullerlights that I don't feel the need to eat these synned flavours.

Activia FAT FREE ones are also free except the peach. This includes the snack pot ones. But they have to say fat free. They have a blue little label on them so not difficult to miss.

Also the Shape Zeros are free.

I think the WeightWatchers ones might be free but not sure???

Hope that helps! What supermarket do you shop at? If it's Asda I know a few tips! xxxxx

 

[Bess]

Thanks Jules, we live in the sticks so don't have much choice. The biggest nearest supermarket is Sainsbury's with a small Tesco which is also a petrol station. When I'm out working though I am sometimes near others including Asda, so all tips welcome!

 

[julesm]

OK weeeeeeell...

When I go to Tesco I always get their Normandy Light Choices Fat Free Fromage Frais - it's really nice. They also sell a type of Quark that is a lot more like the consistency of Philadelphia cheese - so perfect if you're using it for a cheese sauce or as a cheese, but not so good for making dips.

Sainsbury's do a great selection of cheeses.

In Asda I get the Asda Smart Price Cottage cheese which is dead cheap and free, their "Chosen by You" Fat Free Natural yogurt, their Quark isn't as nice as some others but is good for making dips because it's runnier. Their meat free burgers are nice for half a syn each and quite cheap. They also always have great offers on - at the moment they are doing 2 litre bottles of No Added Sugar Ribena for £2 and all Skinny Cow ice lollies at £1.

xxxxxx

 

[Bess]

Thanks Jules - I've made a list!
I know I said I wouldn't get on the scales....but.....I was a bit worried as I feel quite full all the time and actually felt very fat yesterday, not a happy feeling.
So this morning I did have a little peek and they said 13.13. They were 14.2 on Wednesday morning. Now I do know that this could be a normal flucuation, but it cheered me up. Phew!

I'm posting yesterday's food now because I'd be really pleased for all comments and advice. I'm sure when I get the hang of it I shan't need to do this, but just for a while it really helps.

So: Free Foods:
Butternut squash soup, (SW recipe), Cottage cheese, 2x Muller lights, mackerel, brown rice.

Super Free Foods:
an orange, an apple, 2 apricots, peppers, onions, chilli, mushrooms.

Healthy extra's: soya milk, 28g porridge oats.

Syns:
1 slice wholemeal toast - 3 syns
Fruit fat free yoghurt - 0.5
1 almond - 1
a walnut - 2
Red wine - 6
Hot choc drink - 2
Total syns - 14.5 - hmm, not a very good idea, will have less today.

Comments/advice please?

 

[gl12282]

Hi Bess,

I'm sure it will get less confusing in time so don't worry.

I presume your mackerel was fresh mackerel ? Smoked mackerel has syns in it but fresh mackerel is free. Sounds delicious though (as does your soup).

When you look at your plate, do you think you're getting 1/3 superfree ? If so, well done.

Well done for counting EVERYTHING (including 1 almond !!). I wouldn't worry too much about having 14.5 syns. That is within your 15. When I started, I used to try to keep my syns low (although when I did a diary I was usually higher than I thought) but now I don't worry too much. I have what I want/need and if it's the full 15 then great. The syns are what keep me veeing off track (mostly !).

Hope you have a lovely weekend.

Gail x

 

[Bess]

Yes Gail, the mackerel was fresh, I love smoked fish, but have read that it's not a good idea - just in time as well!

Yesterday's food:

Superfree:
Mushrooms, pickled gerkins, melon, kiwi fruit, orange. Green salad. Onions. Apple. Banana.

Free foods:
Bacon, eggs, mackerel, brown rice, Muller light x 2, Quark. Butternut squash soup.

Healthy extra's:
Parmesan cheese

No syns.

For 4 of the last 5 days I have walked on 3 of them, up and down hills (because of where we live) and ridden for one. Much more appealing now the weather's improved!

 

[Ela ine]

Hi Bess!

Just popping by to say hi and wish you luck on your journey. You can do it! x

 

[Bess]

Hi Bess!

Just popping by to say hi and wish you luck on your journey. You can do it! x

Thanks Ela ine, love the pic of you snuggled in the duvet - it's just how I feel I want to be all winter!

 

[gl12282]

Hi Bess,

Hope you're getting on ok ? Thanks for the advice on the book on my thread. I am actually quite interested in that type of stuff so I plan to go and have a look for it.

Hope you've had a good weekend.

Gail x

 

[Bess]

Very busy weekend but managed to keep fairly easily to SW.

I am so pleased this morning. I feel a bit thinner, my tummy definitely is and the scales say 1lb down!! I know 1lb isn't much, but I am glad because for the first time in a long, long time I feel in control of my eating. After more than a year of yo-yo dieting and feeling panicky and hopeless, this feels great!

Too busy to post food now, lots to do and then work. I hope to catch up on other diaries later. Thank you all so much for your support, Gail and Jules especially. You have encouraged me to make a start and I feel good, thanks to you.

 

[julesm]

Hey Bess,

Great to hear you're feeling slimmer. I know what you mean about not caring how small the loss is- I was like you when I starred- so grateful to be following a sensible healthy eating plan!

Xxxxx

 

[Bess]

Hi Katy! :wavey: !! xx

 

[gl12282]

Hi Bess,

I am so pleased that you are feeling positive. As you say, what's important is that you feel in control. I remember a post somewhere that people were talking about when people start to feel the difference. And like you a few people commented that they started feeling better from the moment they started the plan because they were taking control. That is probably THE biggest buzz for me (even better than the actual losses themselves) which is probably why I was more upset at the weeks that I felt 'out of control' than my actual gains themselves (although they were much later on than that).

Good luck tomorrow.

Gail x

 

[Katycakes]

:hug99::hug99::hug99::hug99::hug99:

Hello Bess... calling in for a little explore and a hug. Great reading and great progress too... sounds wonderful!

xxx

 

[gl12282]

Hi Bess,

Hope things are still going ok?

Gail x