Oldie need advice

[squiddie]

Hey everyone,

I'm not that old, just not a newbie

I need some advice, kind of a practice what you preach sort of thing, and being nearly 200lbs overweight you may find this hard to believe but I'm having a real hard time eating enough.

I'll explain my situation a little - I'm disabled and can't really stand to prepare food or bend well to get to the oven so cooking is hard work and since moving back in with my parents, I don't want to rely on my Mum.

This being said I am really not having enough syns or having enough healthy extra's - I'm lucky if I reach 5 syns a day and I might manage 1 hex. I really like eggs and pasta and potatoes all free foods.

So I'm asking how you think I can get more syns and healthy extras into my diet - I don't really drink milk - but love cheese, just hassle grating & weighing it.
I try not to keep chocolate/crisps/bisciuts in the house as I'm no good with moderation - I'm trying to learn as that'll be key to maintainance when I get there.

Any ideas?

Thanks everyone

Natt xxx

 

[judimac]

Hi Natt! First off, well done for wanting to be independant. What we could do with knowing is your eating plan. Do you mix red and green?, stick to either, or follow EE? Is it both HEXs you find difficult to eat?
As you like cheese, (speaking as a mother) I'm sure if you find it difficult your mum would weigh and cut up a block at the begining of your week. I tend to cut mine into 1oz cubes and wrap in foil so I can't be tempted to straighten the block up!
How are you with cereal bars? They count as a HEXb on all programmes and if you had an extra one you could syn that.
Tomato sauce, mayonnaise, (extra light of course! But the full fat one is 5 syns per level tblspn! There's no reason you can't have it. Can't trust myself with that)
All these relishes sauces etc have syns but make food more interesting.
It's the hebs I find I'm short on. If I don't have cereal then it can be a struggle, but then I will use the EV olive oil to either cook in or use in a salad dressing.
Syns are no problem as I have wine on a weekend!
I'm sure lots of people will pile in and give you more help. PS don't beat yourself up about the amount of weight you've got to lose. You're doing something about it and you're so positive! Having restricted mobility has made it hard for you but with your attitude you'll get there!
Oh and just another thought! (I must stop I'll run out of them before breakfast!) Do your parents eat the same sort of things as you? Are you having separate meals? (nosey!)

 

[dehli]

You could have 3 mini babybel light or 2 normal babybels for you hex cheese, no weighing required. Alpen lights are great for a hex b, you can have two of those. If you want extra babybels they're 3 syns each for full fat or 2 for the light ones, that may be a good way to have your syns. A teaspoon of butter or oil is 2 syns so you could have butter on your spuds to use some syns up.

 

[cocktailprincess]

Hi Mate!
Excellent ideas so far!
If you are not using your HEXs in your 'normal' meals they are perfect for little treats! Have you got lists of the 'grab and go' HEXs?? These would be perfect (like mentioned above- alpen light bars, babybel, tins of soup).
You could also get some bags of dried fruit to munch on during the day, these can be either HEXB or synned and are perfect if you don't trust yourself to keep high syn treats in the house- I ADORE semi-dried prunes- they are sticky and delicious (and keep it all movin' lol)

I am like judimac- most of my syns (that aren't alcohol related) go on sauces (mayo, ketchup, olive oil, etc) which make the free foods taste more interesting.

Failing that, would it be possible for me to trade your spare HEXs and syns??? I never seem to have enough, so could I swap you a noisy cat for a few? Does it work like that (you ARE the science bod, so should be able to check if this is possible)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Donnie46]

I think the others have it covered for you Natt.....I have mini light babybel cheeses and Ex Light Laughing Cow triangles as standby's in my fridge as HEXB's.

I like an omlette with 3 VLFL Laughing Cow triangles mixed in it for breakfast and then I save the other 3 triangle's to have with an apple later in the day......usually in the afternoon.

Also there are a couple of WW vegetable soups that are HEXB's, you could have one of those before your lunch or dinner. WW soups are on offer at Asda at the moment.

I am not a milk drinker, I have never liked the stuff, but I can get it down in a milky drink, so I have skimmed milk with a teaspoon of cocoa powder in it for a bedtime drink, I also start to get that 'low' feeling about 10pm, so a milky drink hit's the spot without it being heavy to go to bed on, plus it helps me get off to sleep, or you could mix an Option's choc drink in your milk, I am liking Options Coconut flavour choc drink at the moment and that is only 1½ Syns.

I hope these idea's will help you, X

 

[squiddie]

Thanks for the replies girls. I only do green days. I used to grate up a block of cheese and then put it in a freezer bag and keep it in the fridge, but my Dad has a nasty habbit of using it all! (Rather than the other block for him and Mum)

They don't follow the plan and its not fair on my mum to make two different meals every night. That being said, she promises she is going to try SW again (she's been dieting for 30years and done SW 7times) as they've got the new EE plan and she is a diabetic and a meat lover! And she said, and I quote "your father will just have to eat what he's given!!"

I think keeping babybells in the house is a good idea. So is using a few more sauces and things like that is another excellent idea.

oh and cocktailprincess - i just checked with the lab and they said it wont work

Natt xxxx

 

[Taz]

Hey Natt (I'm not following you, honest!) for HE's I have alpen light bars, bread, mini Babybel lights and laughing cow lights. It's great that you want to be so independent but as you are living in a home that is not adapted to your needs you will have to rely on your parents for some things. I'm sure they are more than happy to help you, that's what parents do! Why not set aside a day, maybe a Sunday, for you and your mum to work together in the kitchen to make up some meals like cottage pie (quorn for a green day), bolognese, chilli, curry etc to freeze so you can just microwave them or heat them on the hob or in the oven if you are able. If you are not able to use the oven/hob yourself it wouldn't be much hassle for your mum to do it for you. I hope that is of some use, I don't really know what else to suggest!

 

[squiddie]

I believe you that you're not following me
Thats a grand idea making stuff up to freeze actually I'm just writing a shopping list for her as she's going shopping later and i've got things like Alpen Bars and Ryvita Mini's for my B's and Mini Babybels and philidelphia for my A's so hopefully I might have a better week. Just trying to think for some snacky type syn choices to keep upstairs (incase I am bedbound and I need to take my meds with food) but I can't be trusted with multipacks! I'm still learning moderation :cry:

 

[Donnie46]

Thank you for your good advice girls, X

 

[squiddie]

Thank you for your good advice girls, X

I quite agree!

 

[Taz]

I too can't be trusted with multi packs! I make up snack packs containing Alpen lights, low syn crisps and treatsize chocolate. I keep the snack packs in my cupboard and only allow one per day

 

[squiddie]

that's quite a good idea taz; i could get my Mum to keep hold of the packs of anything and not let me have them - a touch juvinile I know, but while I'm learning and all that

 

[Taz]

Sometimes it's like that though, none of us would be here if we were masters of restraint!