Miss Slinky

Firstly can I apologise for being AWOL the last few weeks.  I have been very busy and not been too well.

So anyway... I went to class last week and to my utter surprise I won...

MISS SLINKY 2012!!!

There are many words I could use to describe myself, but slinky is not one of them!!! But my consultant Lynn told me it was because of my contribution to class and Facebook and determination to do well.  So I am extremely chuffed :D

I got a Certificate, sticker, sash, flowers and a gorgeous pen holder and pen engraved with Miss Slinky!!

Update

Long time no blog.

I have had an extremely busy week so have not blogged.

Last week I maintained.  Not sure why really but probably didn't do quite as well as I could of.

Came back this week and lost 4 1/2 lbs. Also noticed I was Slimmer of the Month for October :D

So I am a happy bunny.

7 weeks in and lost almost 3 stone!!! :D

Food Diary....

A few people had asked me what I usually eat on the plan.

I have kept a note of what I have ate Tuesday - Friday as an example, and my HE's and breakfast is always pretty much the same however this can change depending on how much time I have, what food I have in the house and what I am doing in life!


Tuesday

Breakfast - 2 rocky road Hi-Fi bars, orange and a cup of tea

Lunch - Mugshot, Muller light yogurt and 2 oranges

Snack after work - 2 slices of toast (small brown bread) and Philadelphia (HEa and HEb)

Dinner - 2 fried eggs and chips.  Pineapple and mixed berries to follow.


Syns used - Hi Fi bars (6), milk (1.5) = 7.5 syns


Wednesday

Breakfast - 2 slices of toast and philadelphia (HEa and HEb) apple and tea

Lunch - Homemade quiche and salad. Apple and orange

Dinner - Smash pizza and salad

Snack - Curly wurly


Syns used - Curly Wurly (6), milk (1.5) = 7.5 syns


Thursday

Breakfast - 2 hi-fi bars and cup of tea  (HEa and HEb) and orange

Break - Cadburys mini roll and tea

Lunch - Homemade quiche and salad. Apple and orange

Dinner - Chicken, pepper and onion pasta


Syns used - Mini roll (6) = 6 syns


Friday

Breakfast - 2 slices of toast and philadelphia (HEa and HEb) and cup of tea

Lunch - Baked Potato, cold meat and salad

Dinner - Home made curry and rice

Snack - 2 Hi-fi bars


Syns used - Hi fi bars (6), milk (1.5) = 7.5




So there we go! Nothing too spectacular or out of the ordinary.  I tend to not use my 10 syns per day as I don't really need them, and keep a few so I can have a few glasses of wine or nice bag of crisps at the weekend as a treat (or in this case I have a Halloween party so have saved up 11.5 from week plus 20 syns from weekend so have 30ish syns to have a good few wee drinks if I so wish!)

DOTN - Smash Pizza

So tonight's Dinner of the Night (DOTN) is Smash Pizza!

In an earlier post I had mentioned I made Smash Pizza.  It hadn't quite turned out correctly, so I thought I would give it another go and blog how I did it.

The version I made is free on EE.


Ingredients

Smash/Mr Mash

Passata/Tomato Puree

Any pizza topping you like

Cheese

Method

Firstly, make up the smash.  Do not follow the instructions on the packet, as you do not want a runny consistency, just add the water slowly.  The smash should be fairly tough and you should be able to roll the smash mix into a ball like dough.

Next, press the smash into whatever tin/tray you wish to use.  I was trying to do this with a flat fish slice, but it was just sticking.  I soon found using your hands was the best method!!  I put it in a nice round tin but can easily just mould it in to whatever shape you like on a normal oven tray.

Put the smash base in the oven. You want to get the smash base as crispy and cooked as you can.  Every oven will be different, but I ended up having mine in for about 30 mins.

While waiting on the base, get the rest of your ingredients ready! The rest of your ingredients are completely dependent on what you like on a pizza, or, in my case, what is in the cupboard!!  I opted for chicken, cold meat, pepppers, onions, pineapple and cheese.

When the base comes out, it is time to top your pizza :)  

I started with the tomato topping, using passata and added some mixed herbs.

Then arrange your toppings.  I ended up leaving about 1/4 on the chopping board as I had prepared a wee bit too much!!

Pop in the oven for about 15/20 minutes and it should be ready.  Lift out carefully and see the finished results!!

                      

Looks yummy :)

I then served half of it with side salad and a dip made up of quark, yogurt, onion, garlic and chilli.

The Verdict

Looks = Amazing!!

Taste = Lovely   BUT  It doesn't have the consistency of a pizza.  The smash does not make a  stable enough pizza base that you are able to pick up and eat (well you could but I think it would be messy!!). But with the mixture of the toppings and the 'stodge' of the smash base, I love it!!

2 stone award :)

So just back from class...


Lost  7.5 lbs - which gives me this...

(ok it will not go the correct way round!!)

I have lost  2 stone 6 lbs in 5 weeks!!

I FRICKING LOVE SLIMMING WORLD!!!!

DOTN - Smash Pizza

Dinner of the Night (DOTN) tonight is Smash Pizza. (free on EE)

This was my first time trying this, and it was yummy!!! I would make a few wee changes though, so will make this again later in the week and blog the process :)

Lisa xx

What happens at a Slimming World meeting

I know every Slimming World class will be different but I thought I would explain what happens at my meeting.  For me it is the class that makes the difference.  I can't do it myself, I need the support and almost pressure of knowing I will be getting weighed.


New Members

In your first week when you go in to the class, you will be guided to a table for new members.  The class leader will then come over and give the 'new member talk', where she/he will basically go over the plan and the different books that you are given.  This talk can be quite overwhelming as it is a lot of information at one time, but try and take everything in and ask any questions that pop in to your head, no matter how silly you think they are!! 

After the talk you will then go and sit with the rest of the members for Image Therapy (explained later). After that has finished and other members have left, new members will pay and get weighed.


Cost

The cost of a slimming club is often what put people off, as you are basically paying to get weighed (which you can do in Boots for 20p) , but for me it is worth it.  Slimming World often do different vouchers and deals in magazines so look out for them.  This could be free membership or a weeks free etc.

Usually the cost is;
£10 joining fee and £4.95 per week  -  This cost includes the basic starter pack.

You can also buy a 6 week and 12 week count down which is paid in one installment.  A 6 week countdown is - pay for 5 weeks get 1 free, and 12 week countdown is - pay for 10 weeks get 2 free.


Over and above the basic costs you can also buy a variety of (optional) slimming world goodies including SW magazine, HI-Fi bars - which can be used as your Healthy Extra B and different books.  These are optional of course but I would highly recommend the SW magazine, which you get cheaper in class than in stores and the Hi-Fi bars.

A normal class

For other members, you come into the class, pay and then go and get weighed. Once weighed you go and sit down (our class is set out in a half circle shape with a table in the middle with lots of books/food ideas on it) and wait for everyone to get weighed and the class leader to finish the new member talk.  You do not have to stay after being weighed, but it is recommended.

The class leader will then start Image Therapy.

Image Therapy has been specially developed to empower, encourage and enlighten you each week as you share ideas, recipes, inspirational stories and laughter. It’s the most effective support there is – and you’ll only find it at Slimming World

My class leader starts with any awards to be given out.  For every 1/2 stone and stone you get a sticker for your book and a certificate.  Being the teacher I am... I love some shiny stickers :)  And I have put my certificates on the cupboard above my fridge!!

She then starts Image Therapy. When you get weighed, your weight is inputted into a little device and the class manager uses that to go round the room and speak to each member. She never embarrasses anyone but just talks through why someone gained and what they can do for next time, or celebrates if someone lost.  It is also a great time to share tips and recipes.  I love listening to others!! 

Slimmer of the Week is then given out.  Slimmer of the week is given to the person who lost the most weight that week (aslong as it is not their 1 weigh in and they have lost weight the week before).  Slimmer of the week gets a sticker and a certificate and also gets a bag of food that others have contributed too (the class leader asks you to bring in a little something every week, an apple, a mugshot etc).

My class also do a raffle.  You can buy a ticket at the start of the class and a winner is drawn and they win the prize.  The prize varies from food ingredients, kitchen utensils or something fun.

Class Leader (and the  class)

Class Leaders are specially trained for the job and have been through it themselves, so use them as much as you can!! They are a wealth of knowledge and are there to help!!
My class leader, Lynn, is just absolutely fab.  She is so supportive and friendly and most definitely motivates me to continue!!  

Also, use your class as best as you can,  I know some people weigh and go, but I could not do without the support of a class.  Luckily my class is just brilliant, so many different people of all shapes and sizes but every one of them there for the same reason.  They are the people who know what you are going through and can help you through rough times, or celebrate with you on good weeks!!
So there you go, a quick (ok it wasn't quick) overview of what happens at a Slimming World meeting :)

ROTD - Slimming World Quiche

So for my first Recipe of the Day (ROTD) I decided to make a quiche.  If you search on forums there are hundreds of variations for this, but I decided to just go for the most basic recipe.  As I did not use 'fat free' cottage cheese - because the shop didn't have any - then this will be syned as 9, but usually this will be free on Extra Easy if you used Fat free.

Disclaimer - Where the lights are in my kitchen, it caused a shadow, so the photos aren't the best.


Ingredients

3 eggs

300g low fat cottage cheese

3 rashers of bacon

1 pepper

onions

mushrooms 

sliced tomato for top

35g of cheese (HEa)

Method

Chop up vegetables (use whatever you like) and cut up bacon.  Pop in frying pan for a few minutes to partially cook and soften.

 Mix eggs and cottage cheese in a bowl.  Mine was quite lumpy, so I took the blender to it!

                                    

Add veg and bacon to egg and cottage cheese mix.  Mix together and put into pan or individual muffin tins.  Top with cheese and tomato.

Pop in oven at around 150C for 30 minutes or until it looks ready. (I didn't pre-heat oven as I forgot!)

And.....

It looked pretty good!!!  Because of the size of my tin, it ended up quite thin as it obviously spread out. But when cut, the structure held well.

The Verdict

It tasted pretty good!!! And I managed to consume half of it for lunch!!

Has anyone else made SW quiche?

About Slimming World

So I thought I would write a simple post explaining what the Slimming World method is.  Every slimming club has a different diet and you can either be counting syns, points, checks, drinking milkshakes or barely eating at all.  The reason I was drawn to slimming world was because you seemed to be able to eat 'proper'  food and eat A LOT - which was very different from my previous diet where I was bordering on starving!!

There are 3 plans on Slimming World, Green, Red and Extra Easy.  A few years back I used to here about Red and Green days and many people still follow these plans (dependant on what you mostly eat) but Slimming World now promote the Extra Easy plan as the main plan and the starting point.


So, a quick overview of the the Extra Easy plan.

Free Food

The majority of your food will be made up from Superfree food and free food.

Superfree food - fruit and veg

Free food - potatoes, dried pasta/rice, all lean meat and fish, eggs, beans and pulses and fat free yogurt and quark.

Your food must be cooked using the low calorie 'Fry light' spray (or equivalent) and any visible fat cut off meat before cooking.

(sourced from glazydays.co.uk)

What they ask is that each meal should include 2/3 of free food and 1/3 of super free food.   

So for example you could have Meat, Potatoes and veg.  That is very obvious 1/3's when you put them on the plate.  But you can also have it mixed through, for example, Chicken pasta. 1/3 pasta, 1/3 chicken and 1/3 peppers and onions.  All mixed together, but still 1/3 superfree.


Healthy Extras

Over and above the Free foods, you are to have two Healthy Extras.  The point of Healthy Extras is to make sure that your body is getting the nutrients it needs.

You have;
1 Healthy Extra A - Calcium  (milk and cheese)
1 Healthy Extra B - Fibre  (cereals and breads)

Unlike the free foods where you can have as big/small a portion as you like, Healthy Extras MUST be weighed and measured according to the books measurements.

So for example I usually use my Healthy Extras as;

A - milk
B - 2 slices of brown bread


Syns

Anything other than your free foods or Healthy extras are called Syns and these are what is counted. This could include things like alcohol, sweets, crisps, butter, extra bread etc. You are allowed 5-15 syns a day but they recommend around 10 a day.  

Your syns can be used individually, ie, a packet of crisps, or it could be with a free food, ie, adding butter on top of your Baked Potato.  At the back of the Slimming World book it gives you hundreds of examples of foods and how many syns they are, but roughly, 20 calories = 1 syn.

You should not deny yourself of syns and should not feel that if you have no syns that your weight loss will be better, because in the long run it will not.  The Slimming World plan is worked out so you have a combination of everything.



And that is pretty much it.

There is not a lot to it, and I found one of the hardest things for me, was getting my head round the fact that I could eat SO much.  I am used to living on free soups and starving on diets, so a diet where I  can have burger and chips, was alien to me!!

Any questions, just ask :)

First Post

Just a little introduction.

My name is Lisa and I live near Glasgow in Scotland.

I have tried just about every diet going, Weight Watchers, Scottish Slimmers, Rosemary Conley etc, and although they all have their advantages, I was just never motivated to stick to them.  Slimming world however, I am excited to go!!!

I started Slimming World 4 weeks ago.  I have A LOT of weight to lose. 
So far I have lost 1 stone 11.5 lbs.

I am hoping to use this blog to share thoughts, recipe ideas and maybe motivate/help some other people (if it all goes well anyway!!)

Lisa x