A day late for an MPM post but yesterday was a Bank Holiday so I don’t think that it counts as a proper Monday. We had a lovely day here, a nice walk in the morning followed by a lazy afternoon and finally finishing off season 2 of The Good Place which I think is tremendously good.
Anyway, I’ve noticed that I am not quite as focused now as I was back when I first started which is, of course, to be expected but I’d like to ensure a bit of momentum is maintained so I’ve set myself a little mini goal. It’s our wedding anniversary on 17th September and we’re going away for the weekend to Whitby via Darlington – not quite so random as it sounds given that our sole stop off point in Darlington is The Raby Hunt, which bastion of culinary pulchritude we first visited last year. If I can be half a stone further closer to goal by the time we go, then I get a new outfit to wear (and, no doubt, to spill food on).
In general, I am very very anti setting “I must be x weight by y date” goals because we none of us can control the rate at which our bodies choose to shed the lard. We can do everything right but sometimes the scales just don’t budge and I don’t want my sense of achievement tied up with the arbitrations of such a randomly cruel being. However, I am keeping this casual and treating it as a little bit of fun and additional incentive to stay on track, stop allowing the odd day “off” to creep in and keep up with the exercise. If I don’t make it, then I still plan to stick on some glad rags, make my nails all sparkly and have a wonderful, indulgent few days away.
Onto the meal plan and the theme for the first half of the week is on a theme of “It’s pay day on Thursday.” Last night, this led to a slightly random salad and pasta bowl – roasted courgette with watercress, baby spinach and basil in balsamic dressing, pasta and peas tossed in watercress pesto with half a pack of goats’ cheese and red onion fiorelli bunged on top for good measure.
Today – eggs baked in spiced tomato and spinach sauce with toasted pitta for dunking.
Tomorrow – pan fried chicken breast in creamy mushroom and tarragon sauce, mashed potato, honey roast carrots.
Then on Thursday we celebrate the start of the month with a trip out to The Moorcock Inn – the online menu looks intriguingly lovely so I shall look forward to reporting back. And the weekend can be slightly more decadent because, wahey, we have money again.
Friday – trout with beetroot and horseradish (a bump from last week)
Saturday – mussels cooked with white wine, shallots and Bayonne ham, with a crispy pile of oven baked fries on the side
Sunday – still to be decided.
Have a good week all!
Tuesday, 28 August 2018
Wednesday, 22 August 2018
Recipe corner: Nando’s chicken pitta
I used to really like a cheeky Nando’s, even though admitting it may lead to the rescinding of my foodie credentials. And when I discovered what good points value it was under the new WW Flex system, I started jonesing for a chicken pitta. Unfortunately, said chicken pitta was 8 Smart Points worth of disappointment. So, I determined to make my own.
Now, Nando’s do sell a supermarket range of marinades and rubs so I could have just gone down that route which would have been an awful lot less faffing around. But I had an idea for a marinade in my head and really wanted to try it out. The results were extremely pleasing and, I think, worth a bit of effort.
I served the chicken pitta with spicy rice from this this recipe which was absolutely gorgeous and worked out at 5 Smart Points per serving (basically you only need to count the rice). I also made Macho Peas from this recipe which were also fabulous and 2 Smart Points per portion based on 10g of butter between two. You could reduce this if you so wished. It was one of the nicest meals that I’ve cooked for ages and I’ve been on form recently, so that is really saying something.
It’s a loooong list of ingredients, but most of this is standard store cupboard stuff.
Ingredients
2 large chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Red pepper, deseeded and cut into quarters
2 red chillies, deseeded and cut in half lengthwise
Tsp of rapeseed oil
Shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Tsp smoked paprika
Tsp dried oregano
Tsp ground coriander
Tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp rapeseed oil
Tsp red wine vinegar
To serve:
2 medium pitta breads
10g mayonnaise
20g fat free natural yoghurt
50g half fat cheddar cheese, grated
Handful of lettuce leaves, shredded
Serves 2, 10 Smart Points per portion (WW Flex)
I would suggest putting the chicken on to marinade the night before.
To make the marinade, first, you need to set your grill to it’s highest heat and pop the pepper and chilli slices under there to blacken. When they’re good and singed, transfer to a bowl and cover with clingfilm. This will make it easy to slip the skins off a little later on.
Heat a teaspoon of oil over a low heat and sweat off the shallot for around 5 mins, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and dried spices and cook off for a further couple of minutes until everything has lost its raw smell.
Remove the skin from the peppers and chillies and put the flesh into a small blender, along with the spiced shallots. Whizz to a coarse mix then add the additional oil, the vinegar and the purée and a good splash of water to help it all come together into a loose paste.
Take two tablespoons of the mix and combine it with the mayonnaise and yoghurt - set aside. Then add the chicken pieces to the remaining marinade, cover and leave for a few hours or overnight if possible.
When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 180. In a dry pan (the oil in the marinade should prevent any sticking) fry the chicken off for 2 minutes on each side. Then sprinkle over the cheese and transfer, covered, to the oven for a further 8-10 minutes to cook through.
Lightly toast and split the pitta then fill with the lettuce, the spiced mayonnaise and the cooked, cheesy chicken.
YUM.
Now, Nando’s do sell a supermarket range of marinades and rubs so I could have just gone down that route which would have been an awful lot less faffing around. But I had an idea for a marinade in my head and really wanted to try it out. The results were extremely pleasing and, I think, worth a bit of effort.
I served the chicken pitta with spicy rice from this this recipe which was absolutely gorgeous and worked out at 5 Smart Points per serving (basically you only need to count the rice). I also made Macho Peas from this recipe which were also fabulous and 2 Smart Points per portion based on 10g of butter between two. You could reduce this if you so wished. It was one of the nicest meals that I’ve cooked for ages and I’ve been on form recently, so that is really saying something.
It’s a loooong list of ingredients, but most of this is standard store cupboard stuff.
Ingredients
2 large chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Red pepper, deseeded and cut into quarters
2 red chillies, deseeded and cut in half lengthwise
Tsp of rapeseed oil
Shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Tsp smoked paprika
Tsp dried oregano
Tsp ground coriander
Tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp rapeseed oil
Tsp red wine vinegar
To serve:
2 medium pitta breads
10g mayonnaise
20g fat free natural yoghurt
50g half fat cheddar cheese, grated
Handful of lettuce leaves, shredded
Serves 2, 10 Smart Points per portion (WW Flex)
I would suggest putting the chicken on to marinade the night before.
To make the marinade, first, you need to set your grill to it’s highest heat and pop the pepper and chilli slices under there to blacken. When they’re good and singed, transfer to a bowl and cover with clingfilm. This will make it easy to slip the skins off a little later on.
Heat a teaspoon of oil over a low heat and sweat off the shallot for around 5 mins, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and dried spices and cook off for a further couple of minutes until everything has lost its raw smell.
Remove the skin from the peppers and chillies and put the flesh into a small blender, along with the spiced shallots. Whizz to a coarse mix then add the additional oil, the vinegar and the purée and a good splash of water to help it all come together into a loose paste.
Take two tablespoons of the mix and combine it with the mayonnaise and yoghurt - set aside. Then add the chicken pieces to the remaining marinade, cover and leave for a few hours or overnight if possible.
When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 180. In a dry pan (the oil in the marinade should prevent any sticking) fry the chicken off for 2 minutes on each side. Then sprinkle over the cheese and transfer, covered, to the oven for a further 8-10 minutes to cook through.
Lightly toast and split the pitta then fill with the lettuce, the spiced mayonnaise and the cooked, cheesy chicken.
YUM.
Tuesday, 21 August 2018
I am not a butterfly
Did you know that butterflies don't eat? Basically, a caterpillar spends its entire time scoffing itself silly, then it goes into a chrysalis and then, when it emerges as a butterfly, it has so much fuel in reserve from its earlier indulgences that it doesn't need to eat at all and can just focus on the business of procreation.
One wonders why it doesn't work the same way with fat humans. I mean, if you've eaten an excess of fuel such that it is stored on your arse or your thighs or wherever, surely you should be able to just stop eating and make use of your stores without any detriment to your health.
There is a point to this, honest. And the point is - I really hit a wall this weekend, and, for the first time since the last of my latest WW campaign, found things tough going. It wasn't an issue with hunger or food, more that I just felt absolutely drained of any energy whatsoever. We set off for a walk first thing on Saturday morning and every step felt like an effort, where the previous weekend it had been easy. I had a nap on Saturday afternoon. Then I had an early night. Then I had a nap on Sunday afternoon followed by another early night. I was the Incredible Sleeping Woman.
Because worrying is one of my favourite hobbies, I immediately started worrying that I was coming down with some sort of terrible sleeping sickness. But then I actually decided to use my brain a little bit and considered that:
a) I am eating a calorie restricted diet at the moment, thereby reducing the amount of fuel that I am taking in and
b) I am upping my activity and thus increasing the amount of fuel that I burn and
c) I am not a butterfly.
Clearly, I do not wish to spend every weekend in bed. Well, I sort of do - not for nothing is the sloth my spirit animal. But it is sort of nice to go out and do stuff. So I'm going to monitor the situation. If things don't improve then obviously something needs tweaking - either I need to eat more or I need to eat differently or maybe scale back on the general steps and concentrate my energy on finishing the Couch to 5k programme. That may, of course, mean that my weight loss slows down, which is absolutely fine - I'd rather half a pound a week* but sustainable in the long term than get to goal by Christmas** and pile it all back on again by Easter.
*Feel free to remind of this when I lose half a pound at my next weigh in and moan about it.
**Not going to happen unless I literally lop off several limbs, but you get my point.
One wonders why it doesn't work the same way with fat humans. I mean, if you've eaten an excess of fuel such that it is stored on your arse or your thighs or wherever, surely you should be able to just stop eating and make use of your stores without any detriment to your health.
There is a point to this, honest. And the point is - I really hit a wall this weekend, and, for the first time since the last of my latest WW campaign, found things tough going. It wasn't an issue with hunger or food, more that I just felt absolutely drained of any energy whatsoever. We set off for a walk first thing on Saturday morning and every step felt like an effort, where the previous weekend it had been easy. I had a nap on Saturday afternoon. Then I had an early night. Then I had a nap on Sunday afternoon followed by another early night. I was the Incredible Sleeping Woman.
Because worrying is one of my favourite hobbies, I immediately started worrying that I was coming down with some sort of terrible sleeping sickness. But then I actually decided to use my brain a little bit and considered that:
a) I am eating a calorie restricted diet at the moment, thereby reducing the amount of fuel that I am taking in and
b) I am upping my activity and thus increasing the amount of fuel that I burn and
c) I am not a butterfly.
Clearly, I do not wish to spend every weekend in bed. Well, I sort of do - not for nothing is the sloth my spirit animal. But it is sort of nice to go out and do stuff. So I'm going to monitor the situation. If things don't improve then obviously something needs tweaking - either I need to eat more or I need to eat differently or maybe scale back on the general steps and concentrate my energy on finishing the Couch to 5k programme. That may, of course, mean that my weight loss slows down, which is absolutely fine - I'd rather half a pound a week* but sustainable in the long term than get to goal by Christmas** and pile it all back on again by Easter.
*Feel free to remind of this when I lose half a pound at my next weigh in and moan about it.
**Not going to happen unless I literally lop off several limbs, but you get my point.
Monday, 20 August 2018
MPM: 20th August 2018
I meant to do this first thing this morning and then got distracted by, ugh, work. And I meant to introduce the post by spending a good five minutes moaning about how TIRED I am but, actually, I might save that for tomorrow and just concentrate on meal planning today.
This week, we have my parents coming for dinner on Saturday, which if D has his way will mean a multi-course, thousand point extravaganza. I am wondering if everyone would settle for a couple of takeaway pizzas and a few hands of cards. Other than that, the week is a quiet one which is fine by me.
Monday: Spiced tomato and lentil soup
Tuesday: Thai spiced turkey patties with rice noodle salad
Wednesday: Crispy lemon sole with brown shrimp butter and cucumber salad
Thursday: Pork with mushrooms in creamy tarragon sauce, mash
Friday: Chilli con carne
Sunday: Trout with horseradish
This week, we have my parents coming for dinner on Saturday, which if D has his way will mean a multi-course, thousand point extravaganza. I am wondering if everyone would settle for a couple of takeaway pizzas and a few hands of cards. Other than that, the week is a quiet one which is fine by me.
Monday: Spiced tomato and lentil soup
Tuesday: Thai spiced turkey patties with rice noodle salad
Wednesday: Crispy lemon sole with brown shrimp butter and cucumber salad
Thursday: Pork with mushrooms in creamy tarragon sauce, mash
Friday: Chilli con carne
Sunday: Trout with horseradish
Friday, 17 August 2018
Friday miscellany
I have been dieting for...well, pretty much my entire adult like and I STILL cannot decide whether or not daily weighing is a good thing or a bad thing.
I like that it is a mini resolve boost every morning. But it doesn't matter how much I tell myself that day to day fluctuations are unimportant, that it is the overall trajectory that is the key, if the number goes up and there is no good reason for it, it sticks in my bloody throat. I was up 0.6 lbs this morning despite that fact I was a point under my dailies yesterday AND did over 12,000 steps. I KNOW that I did not suddenly acquire half a pound of fat somewhere, that it was one of those little fluctuations that happen perfectly naturally, but you try telling my puny little monkey brain that. It's throwing a tantrum and demanding a bacon roll to cheer itself up. Sigh.
**
Speaking of daily points - I haven't even lost a stone yet and I've already dropped two points from my daily allowance, such that I am now on the very lowest one. The weeklies will be next to go - and they disappear in chunks of seven. My leader...sorry, coach we are supposed to call them now...tells me it is a GOOD THING when you lose points because it means that you're doing something right. I beg to differ.
**
Did I tell you that I've signed up to do a 5k race in December? Let's pause and let that sink in a second. Me. Running 5k. In public. With a number pinned to my chest. Well, not my actual chest but...
I decided that it had to be done and so I picked a Christmas themed race, along a flat route, where entrants are promised mulled wine and chocolate baubles at the end. I plan to wear reindeer ears (cooler than a Santa hat. Not cooler as in down-with-the-kids cool but cooler in the actual sense). But I'm still at the stage where the thought of doing it makes me laugh nervously. I'm well on with the Couch to 5k, so I should be completely ready in three months times but..hahahahahahaha.
**
Current fad: flavour infused coffees. This one, which I bought from Holland and Barrett, is delicious:
They don't contain any calories or sugar so, unsurprisingly, are not very sweet. If you're expecting a full on mocha effect you may be disappointed. But a really pleasant way of zuzzing (is that how you spell it) up one's morning coffee when one is trying to avoid the siren call of the Starbucks just next door to the office. I've currently got one by Beanies, a chocolate cherry flavour, which I don't think is quite as good and is slightly more expensive, but they have a much larger range and I can't help thinking that gingerbread infused coffee would be perfect come December time. You know, a few months down the line when we're talking about Christmas and I'm PREPARING TO RUN 5K IN PUBLIC. Yeah, then.
**
Happy weekend tout le monde!!!
I like that it is a mini resolve boost every morning. But it doesn't matter how much I tell myself that day to day fluctuations are unimportant, that it is the overall trajectory that is the key, if the number goes up and there is no good reason for it, it sticks in my bloody throat. I was up 0.6 lbs this morning despite that fact I was a point under my dailies yesterday AND did over 12,000 steps. I KNOW that I did not suddenly acquire half a pound of fat somewhere, that it was one of those little fluctuations that happen perfectly naturally, but you try telling my puny little monkey brain that. It's throwing a tantrum and demanding a bacon roll to cheer itself up. Sigh.
**
Speaking of daily points - I haven't even lost a stone yet and I've already dropped two points from my daily allowance, such that I am now on the very lowest one. The weeklies will be next to go - and they disappear in chunks of seven. My leader...sorry, coach we are supposed to call them now...tells me it is a GOOD THING when you lose points because it means that you're doing something right. I beg to differ.
**
Did I tell you that I've signed up to do a 5k race in December? Let's pause and let that sink in a second. Me. Running 5k. In public. With a number pinned to my chest. Well, not my actual chest but...
I decided that it had to be done and so I picked a Christmas themed race, along a flat route, where entrants are promised mulled wine and chocolate baubles at the end. I plan to wear reindeer ears (cooler than a Santa hat. Not cooler as in down-with-the-kids cool but cooler in the actual sense). But I'm still at the stage where the thought of doing it makes me laugh nervously. I'm well on with the Couch to 5k, so I should be completely ready in three months times but..hahahahahahaha.
**
Current fad: flavour infused coffees. This one, which I bought from Holland and Barrett, is delicious:
They don't contain any calories or sugar so, unsurprisingly, are not very sweet. If you're expecting a full on mocha effect you may be disappointed. But a really pleasant way of zuzzing (is that how you spell it) up one's morning coffee when one is trying to avoid the siren call of the Starbucks just next door to the office. I've currently got one by Beanies, a chocolate cherry flavour, which I don't think is quite as good and is slightly more expensive, but they have a much larger range and I can't help thinking that gingerbread infused coffee would be perfect come December time. You know, a few months down the line when we're talking about Christmas and I'm PREPARING TO RUN 5K IN PUBLIC. Yeah, then.
**
Happy weekend tout le monde!!!
Wednesday, 15 August 2018
The on / off switch - am I fooling myself?
Somebody posted a message on WW Connect the other day and I wrote a response which I suspect sounded horribly preachy. The scenario was this: someone said that she kept joining WW, losing a couple of stone and then going “off-plan”, gaining the weight back and then having to start again. What could she do to break the cycle? To which my response was: you have to stop thinking of it as being on and off plan. The way you eat when you’re following Weight Watchers is the way you eat, full stop. The longer you think of WW as something that you will do for a while, to get to goal, and then stop, the longer you will be stuck in a cycle of losing and regaining the same weight over and over again.
Wouldn’t you want to punch me? I did try and add lots of smiley faces and said several times that this was only taken from my experience. But still.
The thing about Weight Watchers that breaks you in the end is the fact that you have to be so switched on all the time. Everything needs to be weighed and measured (well, nearly everything). If you want it to work you have to assiduously monitor every drop of oil or sprinkle of cheese. It’s a lot more difficult to eat on the hoof, especially from non-chains. It is, sometimes, pretty exhausting. I can see why people burn out. I can see why I burned out. But I don’t object to the food and I think that is probably why I am much better nowadays at maintaining my weight then I was when I was younger. Something, somewhere is sticking.
I was thinking about this particularly because I had a day “off” on Saturday – planned and deliberate. We went for a nice walk, stopping off at a few pubs along the way. In the last one, we ate chips with lots of salt and a good slather of mayonnaise. We made chicken wings for tea that had been slowly confited in fat and then dunked them in a rich blue cheese dip. Happy days. It made my comments to the woman on the message board seem rather hypocritical. But then, on Sunday morning I knew that I was back to it and despite the fact that I was hungry yesterday, and my treacherous body wanted to eat toast all day, I stuck to pointing and weighing and measuring and tracking. Monday morning, I was showing a small (0.6 lbs) gain for the week. But there’s a big difference between half a pound gain’s worth of planned indulgence and a two stone slide back down the scale. I think.
Wouldn’t you want to punch me? I did try and add lots of smiley faces and said several times that this was only taken from my experience. But still.
The thing about Weight Watchers that breaks you in the end is the fact that you have to be so switched on all the time. Everything needs to be weighed and measured (well, nearly everything). If you want it to work you have to assiduously monitor every drop of oil or sprinkle of cheese. It’s a lot more difficult to eat on the hoof, especially from non-chains. It is, sometimes, pretty exhausting. I can see why people burn out. I can see why I burned out. But I don’t object to the food and I think that is probably why I am much better nowadays at maintaining my weight then I was when I was younger. Something, somewhere is sticking.
I was thinking about this particularly because I had a day “off” on Saturday – planned and deliberate. We went for a nice walk, stopping off at a few pubs along the way. In the last one, we ate chips with lots of salt and a good slather of mayonnaise. We made chicken wings for tea that had been slowly confited in fat and then dunked them in a rich blue cheese dip. Happy days. It made my comments to the woman on the message board seem rather hypocritical. But then, on Sunday morning I knew that I was back to it and despite the fact that I was hungry yesterday, and my treacherous body wanted to eat toast all day, I stuck to pointing and weighing and measuring and tracking. Monday morning, I was showing a small (0.6 lbs) gain for the week. But there’s a big difference between half a pound gain’s worth of planned indulgence and a two stone slide back down the scale. I think.
Monday, 13 August 2018
MPM: 13th August 2018
I’m so tired this morning. This, despite the fact I had a nap yesterday afternoon and then went to bed at nine o clock, I feel like I could sleep for a week. Thankfully, God invented caffeine and I’m sure that the second cup of strong coffee will be the charm.
Anyway, meal planning. A quiet week ahead with some nice food to look forward to.
Monday: Pan fried salmon with Bois Bourdan sauce and crushed potatoes. A Heston Blumenthal recipe from his “At Home” book.
Tuesday: Creamy butternut squash and red pepper soup, homemade flatbreads brushed with smoked butter
Wednesday: Kale and blue cheese gnocchi
Thursday: D is out, so filled pasta for me.
Friday: Skate wings with black butter and capers. This is one of my all-time favourite things to eat but, dear Teapot, butter is high in points. The recipe I’ve used before suggests 75g butter between two people. That’s 14 points worth of butter a portion! I mean…I’m going to eat it, but I will be licking any excess butter off the plate when I’m done and will probably be whingeing about it a LOT.
Saturday: A homemade fakeaway - Nando’s chicken pitta. Now, we went to Nando’s the other week on a pre cinema jolly and I was SO disappointed. I think they might have changed their recipe, or else we just got a really duff cook because it was not nice at all. Too much chill heat without any rounded flavour, woolly, over cooked chicken and the chargrilled vegetables were not so much chargrilled vegetables as crappy, overcooked mulch. So I’m going to make my own Piri-Piri style chicken at home and it will likely cost a hell of a lot less than the £30 we paid for two of us to eat remarkably mediocre food.
Sunday: roast dinner. Probably chicken. Depending on the weather, I’ll either do roast potatoes and standard trimmings, or we’ll have it with a couple of salads, maybe some bread. It’s distinctly cooler and greyer this morning here in Leeds, perfect roast potato weather, but we’ll see how the week pans out.
Anyway, meal planning. A quiet week ahead with some nice food to look forward to.
Monday: Pan fried salmon with Bois Bourdan sauce and crushed potatoes. A Heston Blumenthal recipe from his “At Home” book.
Tuesday: Creamy butternut squash and red pepper soup, homemade flatbreads brushed with smoked butter
Wednesday: Kale and blue cheese gnocchi
Thursday: D is out, so filled pasta for me.
Friday: Skate wings with black butter and capers. This is one of my all-time favourite things to eat but, dear Teapot, butter is high in points. The recipe I’ve used before suggests 75g butter between two people. That’s 14 points worth of butter a portion! I mean…I’m going to eat it, but I will be licking any excess butter off the plate when I’m done and will probably be whingeing about it a LOT.
Saturday: A homemade fakeaway - Nando’s chicken pitta. Now, we went to Nando’s the other week on a pre cinema jolly and I was SO disappointed. I think they might have changed their recipe, or else we just got a really duff cook because it was not nice at all. Too much chill heat without any rounded flavour, woolly, over cooked chicken and the chargrilled vegetables were not so much chargrilled vegetables as crappy, overcooked mulch. So I’m going to make my own Piri-Piri style chicken at home and it will likely cost a hell of a lot less than the £30 we paid for two of us to eat remarkably mediocre food.
Sunday: roast dinner. Probably chicken. Depending on the weather, I’ll either do roast potatoes and standard trimmings, or we’ll have it with a couple of salads, maybe some bread. It’s distinctly cooler and greyer this morning here in Leeds, perfect roast potato weather, but we’ll see how the week pans out.
Thursday, 9 August 2018
Weight loss diary: July / August 2018
I haven’t been doing weekly weigh in updates as I was worried they would be rather tedious for…well, everyone but me. Instead, have a monthly update!
The scores on the doors for my first month on WW Flex:
Week 1: +1lb
Week 2: -4lbs
Week 3: - 2lbs
Week 4: -3.5lbs
Total: -8.5lbs
Additional notes:
During this month, I tracked all but one single day, which dedication is borne out by these results (first week aberration aside). I ate out at non-chain (and therefore difficult-to-track-with-any-degree-of-accuracy) restaurants on three occasions and guesstimated each time, obviously with some degree of success. I’ve eschewed alcohol for the most part, which I think has made a big difference in making the points go further.
I believe that is a slightly slower rate of loss than when I started back on Pro Points in 2013. But I am five years older and my start weight was a good few stone lighter, so it is not very surprising. I also think that I am probably eating better, although it is obviously very hard to know for sure given that I have killed so many brain cells off with gin between then and now that my recall is probably shot to pieces.
One thing is for sure. I went back to WW because I felt, very acutely, that I needed to do something positive for my physical and mental health and, for me, it was most definitely the right decision at the right time. Over the course of just four weeks I have seen a demonstrable improvement in…well, pretty much everything, and the fact that I have lost over half a stone on top of that is just wonderful. I don’t expect that either the current rate of loss or the current level of enthusiasm will continue unchecked but for now, things are looking good.
The scores on the doors for my first month on WW Flex:
Week 1: +1lb
Week 2: -4lbs
Week 3: - 2lbs
Week 4: -3.5lbs
Total: -8.5lbs
Additional notes:
During this month, I tracked all but one single day, which dedication is borne out by these results (first week aberration aside). I ate out at non-chain (and therefore difficult-to-track-with-any-degree-of-accuracy) restaurants on three occasions and guesstimated each time, obviously with some degree of success. I’ve eschewed alcohol for the most part, which I think has made a big difference in making the points go further.
I believe that is a slightly slower rate of loss than when I started back on Pro Points in 2013. But I am five years older and my start weight was a good few stone lighter, so it is not very surprising. I also think that I am probably eating better, although it is obviously very hard to know for sure given that I have killed so many brain cells off with gin between then and now that my recall is probably shot to pieces.
One thing is for sure. I went back to WW because I felt, very acutely, that I needed to do something positive for my physical and mental health and, for me, it was most definitely the right decision at the right time. Over the course of just four weeks I have seen a demonstrable improvement in…well, pretty much everything, and the fact that I have lost over half a stone on top of that is just wonderful. I don’t expect that either the current rate of loss or the current level of enthusiasm will continue unchecked but for now, things are looking good.
Monday, 6 August 2018
MPM: 6th August 2018
There are only so many times that one can write “Monday again” or, “Where did the weekend go?” or, “Can’t believe we’re eight months into the year!” without it becoming ineffably tedious. Suffice to say, please take all the above as read.
If nothing else, my returning to Weight Watchers has refocused our attention on meal planning which is excellent news. We’ve more or less completely stuck to the plan these last few weeks and have been eating extremely well. We’re also getting more of a sense of what works well with the current WW ideal – NB: if you like fish, chicken and pulses and can make them the main constituents of your dish, you’re going to be laughing all the way to the (Smart Points) bank. I also continue in my efforts to stick an egg on top of pretty much everything I eat.
This week, we again have no particular plans, other than Tuesday night, when we’re off to the cinema and I am angling to fit in a cheeky Nando’s, having discovered that a double chicken pitta is a mere 8 Smart Points. I have to admit I secretly quite adore Nando’s and yes, I know that I could cook something just as nice at home and not pay ridiculously over the odds for it, but I maintain that it is worth the occasional splurge, especially since there is a branch located very handily for our local multiplex. D is out for lunch on Thursday (probably Nando’s again, the lucky sausage. Fortunately, he is very partial to chicken) so keeping things light on Thursday evening.
Monday: Crab scrambled eggs with pan roasted asparagus.
Wednesday: Prawns with sweet potato mash and chilli vinaigrette
Thursday: Tuna sandwiches
Friday: Twice baked cheese soufflés, roast courgette and spinach salad with balsamic dressing, garlic bread
Saturday: Momofuku chicken wings
Sunday: Butternut squash, sage and amaretti ravioli
If nothing else, my returning to Weight Watchers has refocused our attention on meal planning which is excellent news. We’ve more or less completely stuck to the plan these last few weeks and have been eating extremely well. We’re also getting more of a sense of what works well with the current WW ideal – NB: if you like fish, chicken and pulses and can make them the main constituents of your dish, you’re going to be laughing all the way to the (Smart Points) bank. I also continue in my efforts to stick an egg on top of pretty much everything I eat.
This week, we again have no particular plans, other than Tuesday night, when we’re off to the cinema and I am angling to fit in a cheeky Nando’s, having discovered that a double chicken pitta is a mere 8 Smart Points. I have to admit I secretly quite adore Nando’s and yes, I know that I could cook something just as nice at home and not pay ridiculously over the odds for it, but I maintain that it is worth the occasional splurge, especially since there is a branch located very handily for our local multiplex. D is out for lunch on Thursday (probably Nando’s again, the lucky sausage. Fortunately, he is very partial to chicken) so keeping things light on Thursday evening.
Monday: Crab scrambled eggs with pan roasted asparagus.
Wednesday: Prawns with sweet potato mash and chilli vinaigrette
Thursday: Tuna sandwiches
Friday: Twice baked cheese soufflés, roast courgette and spinach salad with balsamic dressing, garlic bread
Saturday: Momofuku chicken wings
Sunday: Butternut squash, sage and amaretti ravioli
Sunday, 5 August 2018
Fit(bit)ness goals
I remember, it must have been a couple of years ago now, going on a walk with D and my parents out in the Dales. I was just coming to the end of some kind of chesty cold / cough type bug and feeling a little under the weather but nothing that some fresh air and sunshine wouldn’t fix. Well. I soon began to struggle. Any sort of gradient and my chest felt as if it was filling up with phlegm; I was coughing incessantly to try and shift it which not only wasn’t helping but was making breathing difficult. I started to get light headed and, at certain points, was struggling to summon the energy to both cough and put one foot in front of the other. It was horrible. Fortunately, there was a convenient point where the route of the walk intercepted a main road and my Mum and I settled down on picnic table for a hot drink while Dad and D finished and then came up in the car to collect us. So all’s well that ended well and a week or so later, the bug cleared itself up and I was absolutely fine.
But I mention this because I remember at the time thinking about how I have always taken the fact that I am not, particularly, physically restricted and that my distaste for exercise and attendant lack of fitness has never had a massive impact on my life. I have always been fit enough to do what I wanted or needed to do. I can go on walks, even ones with hills, tramp round cities and museums, go up and down stairs. I mean, yes, I’ll probably be redder and sweatier and slower than you, but I can do it. I have never, before or after that walk, actually had to say – you know what, I physically can’t manage this. And I am becoming acutely aware that this is an extraordinarily lucky state of affairs, and one that will not continue indefinitely unless I make some changes to my lifestyle.
I’ve always thought to myself – when I’m slimmer, that’s when I’ll start. I’ll start running. I’ll join a gym. I’ll do a Zumba class. But the weight loss needs to come first. What rubbish. Look at the amazing Lesley –she definitively proves that you don’t need to be pin thin to be incredibly fit and bursting with vitality. Just reading her blog makes me feel tired. But the results speak for themselves – she absolutely glows with health. I want that glow!
And, full disclaimer, I also want lots of Fit Points to shore up my daily and weekly Smart Points allowance. Yeah, come on people, this is always going to come back to the food, isn’t it? But I do think that Fit Points are one of the best things about the WW programme because seeing them build up is a great incentive for greedy cows like me. You have to earn a baseline of 4 points before you can start adding them to your bank (so, for example, if you earn 8 Fit Points in a day, 4 of them will be available for you to eat if you so wish). You don’t have to use them – and, indeed, since starting back on WW I haven’t needed them but the important thing is that they are there.
So I’ve clipped my Fitbit Zip to my bra and I have been making concerted efforts to up my steps. I have tried to incorporate little changes – getting off the bus to and from work a couple of stops earlier, for example, and popping out for a fifteen minute wander at lunchtime. The photos on this post were taken as D and I walked the seven mile Meanwood Valley Trail yesterday afternoon; the first time in a while that we’ve been out walking for walking’s sake. I’ve even dusted off my trainers and fired up the treadmill for a couple of Couch to 5k sessions which I’ve found HARD. But plodding along to an episode of “Queer Eye” or my rather eclectic Spotify “Running” playlist makes it bearable and a friend at work has started doing it as well, the end goal being we go for a run after work and then undo all our hard work with several stiff gins. Hey, whatever works to get me moving, I’ll take it.
But I mention this because I remember at the time thinking about how I have always taken the fact that I am not, particularly, physically restricted and that my distaste for exercise and attendant lack of fitness has never had a massive impact on my life. I have always been fit enough to do what I wanted or needed to do. I can go on walks, even ones with hills, tramp round cities and museums, go up and down stairs. I mean, yes, I’ll probably be redder and sweatier and slower than you, but I can do it. I have never, before or after that walk, actually had to say – you know what, I physically can’t manage this. And I am becoming acutely aware that this is an extraordinarily lucky state of affairs, and one that will not continue indefinitely unless I make some changes to my lifestyle.
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And, full disclaimer, I also want lots of Fit Points to shore up my daily and weekly Smart Points allowance. Yeah, come on people, this is always going to come back to the food, isn’t it? But I do think that Fit Points are one of the best things about the WW programme because seeing them build up is a great incentive for greedy cows like me. You have to earn a baseline of 4 points before you can start adding them to your bank (so, for example, if you earn 8 Fit Points in a day, 4 of them will be available for you to eat if you so wish). You don’t have to use them – and, indeed, since starting back on WW I haven’t needed them but the important thing is that they are there.
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