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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Tuesday, 31 July 2018
Frightened of slim?
I have always tended to gain weight in periods of emotional difficulty and distress. When I am happy – or, even, just not excessively miserable / stressed / anxious, I maintain without even having to think about it. I’ve been doing a little bit of navel gazing recently because I am genuinely intrigued as to why this is. The brain makes very powerful connections that sometimes we’re not aware of until we start picking at them.
Firstly, and most obviously, “comfort eating” is a thing because of chemical reactions in the brain caused by certain types of food. And, equally, the reason most of us have particular foods that we turn to in times of need is because there is some sort of happy association – possibly with childhood. But I’ve recently started to wonder if, for me, there’s another element to it – which is, on some level I think that being overweight is a safer, happier place than being slim.
When I was growing up I was a plump, clever teenager. I was surrounded by a nice group of likeminded friends and a loving, supportive family. I was bookish and musical. I didn’t really have boyfriends or, indeed, much interest in boys at all until I was quite a bit older. I was happy and fulfilled; I never thought of myself as one of the pretty, popular set but it didn’t particularly bother me. Except, of course, the media (even back then) bombarded young girls with the idea that being slim is the only acceptable aesthetic and so, probably even without really thinking what the outcome would be or why that outcome would be desirable, I dieted. I got thin.
Here’s the kicker though – I don’t think that being thin (and when I was seventeen / eighteen I was actually thin rather than slim) ever made me any happier and, in fact, the constant restrictive eating and the battles with my concerned parents and teachers combined with A-levels and university entrance interviews made life really rather stressful. I started to regain weight.
A few years later, I lost it again. Now I was in my early twenties and at my first job fresh out of university. I worked in a warehouse office, answering phones to delivery drivers (oh, the glamour!). It was a very aggressively male environment. I was young, I was female, I had a habit of dressing slightly provocatively (you can take the girl out of Essex…) and for the first time in my life I found myself the serious object of male attention. Looking back, I think that I was terrified and utterly out of my depth. I constantly felt that I was playing at being the cheerleader when really I wanted to run back to the library and hide. Again, it was not a happy time for me. When I met D and settled down with him, the weight began to creep back on – and I do wonder if, in part, it was my subconscious’s way of saying that I was now “off the market”.
It’s surely no surprise that, if the two main periods in my life when I was slim were both unhappy ones, I might eat not just to make myself feel better in the moment but to maintain a status quo that, on some level, I think will bring me more happiness? I’ve never really thought of that before, but it does make sense.
So how to overcome this? I think my current approach of focusing on the health aspects rather than the aesthetic ones is the right course for now. I also think that I need to ensure that any goal setting is health related rather than predicated on an aspirational dress size. There will be no skinny jeans or bikini hung on the back of the wardrobe door (although, in all honesty, I think I could get down to 8 stone and you wouldn’t see me in a bikini. I have never been comfortable with the idea of essentially wandering round the beach in your underwear. And I never go to the beach. So…)
The most important thing is to be alert and aware. Back when I was doing CBT a few years ago, my absolute favourite phrase was “Hold your stories loosely”. It means that we are all capable of change, of rewriting our own truths. So what steps can I take now to convince my brain to disassociate being slim with being scared and miserable? Answers, as ever, on a postcard!
Firstly, and most obviously, “comfort eating” is a thing because of chemical reactions in the brain caused by certain types of food. And, equally, the reason most of us have particular foods that we turn to in times of need is because there is some sort of happy association – possibly with childhood. But I’ve recently started to wonder if, for me, there’s another element to it – which is, on some level I think that being overweight is a safer, happier place than being slim.
When I was growing up I was a plump, clever teenager. I was surrounded by a nice group of likeminded friends and a loving, supportive family. I was bookish and musical. I didn’t really have boyfriends or, indeed, much interest in boys at all until I was quite a bit older. I was happy and fulfilled; I never thought of myself as one of the pretty, popular set but it didn’t particularly bother me. Except, of course, the media (even back then) bombarded young girls with the idea that being slim is the only acceptable aesthetic and so, probably even without really thinking what the outcome would be or why that outcome would be desirable, I dieted. I got thin.
Here’s the kicker though – I don’t think that being thin (and when I was seventeen / eighteen I was actually thin rather than slim) ever made me any happier and, in fact, the constant restrictive eating and the battles with my concerned parents and teachers combined with A-levels and university entrance interviews made life really rather stressful. I started to regain weight.
A few years later, I lost it again. Now I was in my early twenties and at my first job fresh out of university. I worked in a warehouse office, answering phones to delivery drivers (oh, the glamour!). It was a very aggressively male environment. I was young, I was female, I had a habit of dressing slightly provocatively (you can take the girl out of Essex…) and for the first time in my life I found myself the serious object of male attention. Looking back, I think that I was terrified and utterly out of my depth. I constantly felt that I was playing at being the cheerleader when really I wanted to run back to the library and hide. Again, it was not a happy time for me. When I met D and settled down with him, the weight began to creep back on – and I do wonder if, in part, it was my subconscious’s way of saying that I was now “off the market”.
It’s surely no surprise that, if the two main periods in my life when I was slim were both unhappy ones, I might eat not just to make myself feel better in the moment but to maintain a status quo that, on some level, I think will bring me more happiness? I’ve never really thought of that before, but it does make sense.
So how to overcome this? I think my current approach of focusing on the health aspects rather than the aesthetic ones is the right course for now. I also think that I need to ensure that any goal setting is health related rather than predicated on an aspirational dress size. There will be no skinny jeans or bikini hung on the back of the wardrobe door (although, in all honesty, I think I could get down to 8 stone and you wouldn’t see me in a bikini. I have never been comfortable with the idea of essentially wandering round the beach in your underwear. And I never go to the beach. So…)
The most important thing is to be alert and aware. Back when I was doing CBT a few years ago, my absolute favourite phrase was “Hold your stories loosely”. It means that we are all capable of change, of rewriting our own truths. So what steps can I take now to convince my brain to disassociate being slim with being scared and miserable? Answers, as ever, on a postcard!
Monday, 30 July 2018
MPM: 30th July 2018
Another weekend gone – honestly, the year is slipping away. We had a nice trip out with family on Saturday, although after my slip up on Friday night, I was absolutely determined to be on plan which proved incredibly difficult with all the gin flying around (not literally you understand). Our hosts had chosen a Turkish “bistro” for dinner, which would not have been my first choice, but I ordered a grilled chicken shish kebab and it turned out to be absolutely gorgeous. I do think that looking at the menu in advance and having a plan is a good practice if you want to remain focused (although rather dull and worthy if you don’t). I barely looked at the menu when we arrived so I couldn’t be distracted by all the other goodies and thus managed to end the evening on track.
And, having hopped on the scales this morning, I am cautiously optimistic that, unless things have yet to catch up with me, I should be posting another loss at WI. I now need to make sure that my inner rebel doesn’t take this as a sign that I can quaff wine with abandon every Friday night and then pull it back by being sensible. Because it doesn’t take much for one night “off” to turn into a whole weekend “off” and that is a far more difficult position to reverse.
Other than tonight, when I am out seeing a friend, we have a full week at home which will be nice from a WW point of view, as it means I don’t have to have one eye on saving points for the weekend. Thus, I think that the meals for this week are an interesting and decidedly non “diety” mix of dishes:
Tuesday: Korean spiced beef and vegetable stew (a freezer dive) with rice and kimchi (apparently, a zero point food! Hurrah!)
Wednesday: A D choice – he is planning to make a punjabi kadhi, which is a spiced yoghurt soup. It was one of his favourite lunchtime dishes at Bundobust, but they removed it from the menu during a recent rejig. This should be interesting, as I have to say that it was never a particular preference of mine, but I’m sure that he can make it work.
Thursday: Aubergine Parmigiana. I’ve been having a fancy for this for a while. I haven’t decided on side dishes yet – I think that I fancy just garlic bread (if I have the points available) and a rocket and Parmesan salad, but was considering the possibility of wild rice.
Friday: Cod with Parma ham and lentils. An old blog recipe, this should work beautifully with Smart Points.
Saturday: Hot dogs! I’m going to get proper franks and proper hot dog buns and then load them with ketchup and American mustard and caramelised onions and sauerkraut. And I might even make a potato salad. Or just serve them with chips.
Sunday: Lamb loin with Parmesan mash and mushrooms. Proper Sunday fare, and an homage to a dish we ate in Paris may moons ago.
Here’s to another great week all round.
And, having hopped on the scales this morning, I am cautiously optimistic that, unless things have yet to catch up with me, I should be posting another loss at WI. I now need to make sure that my inner rebel doesn’t take this as a sign that I can quaff wine with abandon every Friday night and then pull it back by being sensible. Because it doesn’t take much for one night “off” to turn into a whole weekend “off” and that is a far more difficult position to reverse.
Other than tonight, when I am out seeing a friend, we have a full week at home which will be nice from a WW point of view, as it means I don’t have to have one eye on saving points for the weekend. Thus, I think that the meals for this week are an interesting and decidedly non “diety” mix of dishes:
Tuesday: Korean spiced beef and vegetable stew (a freezer dive) with rice and kimchi (apparently, a zero point food! Hurrah!)
Wednesday: A D choice – he is planning to make a punjabi kadhi, which is a spiced yoghurt soup. It was one of his favourite lunchtime dishes at Bundobust, but they removed it from the menu during a recent rejig. This should be interesting, as I have to say that it was never a particular preference of mine, but I’m sure that he can make it work.
Thursday: Aubergine Parmigiana. I’ve been having a fancy for this for a while. I haven’t decided on side dishes yet – I think that I fancy just garlic bread (if I have the points available) and a rocket and Parmesan salad, but was considering the possibility of wild rice.
Friday: Cod with Parma ham and lentils. An old blog recipe, this should work beautifully with Smart Points.
Saturday: Hot dogs! I’m going to get proper franks and proper hot dog buns and then load them with ketchup and American mustard and caramelised onions and sauerkraut. And I might even make a potato salad. Or just serve them with chips.
Sunday: Lamb loin with Parmesan mash and mushrooms. Proper Sunday fare, and an homage to a dish we ate in Paris may moons ago.
Here’s to another great week all round.
Sunday, 29 July 2018
Full Disclosure
Friday night, for the first time, the wagon teetered. And the culprit was my old Nemesis, wine.
I’m a little disappointed in myself, of course - after two and a half weeks of exemplary behaviour and smug attendant blog posts, I shouldn’t have succumbed to the thrall of crisp, chilled Sauvignon Blanc. Aside from anything else, the Smart Points value of a glass would make your eyes water.
But I’m going to look at the positive side of things. I got up on Saturday, with a slight headache, and got on the treadmill before breakfast to do a Couch to 5k session and earn back some of those points. And, I did not use it as an excuse to write off the entire weekend; last night, while out with my in laws, I stuck to Diet Coke and slimline tonic and my preplanned menu choices, tracking everything. So that is good, that is progress. It remains to be seen how the Mean Girl Scales will react.
I’m a little disappointed in myself, of course - after two and a half weeks of exemplary behaviour and smug attendant blog posts, I shouldn’t have succumbed to the thrall of crisp, chilled Sauvignon Blanc. Aside from anything else, the Smart Points value of a glass would make your eyes water.
But I’m going to look at the positive side of things. I got up on Saturday, with a slight headache, and got on the treadmill before breakfast to do a Couch to 5k session and earn back some of those points. And, I did not use it as an excuse to write off the entire weekend; last night, while out with my in laws, I stuck to Diet Coke and slimline tonic and my preplanned menu choices, tracking everything. So that is good, that is progress. It remains to be seen how the Mean Girl Scales will react.
Thursday, 26 July 2018
This week’s weigh in...that’s more like it!
Tonight the Mean Girl scales were kind and informed me that I had lost 4lbs. Hurrah! With my gain last week (boo!) that gives a net result of 3lbs across 2 weeks which will do very nicely. It’s not the rapidest loss in the world, but I’d be more than happy to accept a slow, steady dwindle. A pound a week between now and the end of the year would be nearly a stone and a half which would be amazing.
Two weeks in and I have to say I am really enjoying the Flex plan and the food that I’m eating. I haven’t felt this positive and, well, healthy in ever such a long time. Long may it continue.
Normal, whingeing service will no doubt be resumed soon but in the meantime, vive Le Flex!
Two weeks in and I have to say I am really enjoying the Flex plan and the food that I’m eating. I haven’t felt this positive and, well, healthy in ever such a long time. Long may it continue.
Normal, whingeing service will no doubt be resumed soon but in the meantime, vive Le Flex!
Tuesday, 24 July 2018
Recipe corner: Red lentil, courgette and cheese loaf
I have never been the greatest advocate of yawningly “worthy” food so this recipe is something of a departure for me. Years ago, for reasons lost in the mists of time, D and I decided to detox the Carol Vorderman way and spent a very miserable week eating really bad food. I think that we managed about five days before falling face first into pizza. Ever since, anything like “lentil loaf” which sounds suspiciously like it has been plucked from the pages of a “clean eating” (bleurgh) book has made my toes curl a little bit. Nevertheless, I would commend this particular recipe to your attention because it is, quite simply, delicious. It makes me wonder if I should be a bit more open minded – after all, I’m quite a fan of spiralising vegetables as well – but then I remember back to Carol’s recipe for hummus, which resembled nothing so much as wallpaper paste, and I quickly change my mind.
Anyway, this loaf is utterly brilliant for anyone following the WW Flex programme because lentils and other pulses are now pointed at zero, which means that a slice of this makes a really low point, satisfying meal especially with a bit of salad and perhaps a cheeky hard-boiled egg (also zero point. Everything I eat at the moment, I serve with an egg on the side.) Last time I made it, D fried slices in butter and had them in a sandwich which, he reports, was most excellent. But frying things in butter and eating them with bread is (sadly) not the WW way unless one has run a half marathon and has oodles of points to spare. Behold the loaf in all its glory:
And here, in cross section, with the afore mentioned salad and egg (plus a drizzle of salad cream and another of sriracha). This entire lunch box was 3 Smart Points:
A note on reduced fat cheese. I love cheese. The notion of reduced fat cheese makes me slightly sad. Reduced fat products in general can be awful – and I utterly reject such aberrations as plasticky low fat spreads and “lite” mayonnaise. But I genuinely think for cooking, especially midweek, bog-standard cooking, a decent reduced fat Cheddar will do the job perfectly well in most cases. Pilgrims Choice is fine, as is Cathedral City – I need to try some supermarket own brands and if I come across anything particularly good, I will report back. If you are not counting points then feel free to use whatever cheese you like. A nutty Gruyere might work well with lentils. If you are counting, what I would suggest here (if you are so inclined) is to sub a proportion of the reduced fat Cheddar for a good smoked cheese as it will give the most wonderful flavour to the loaf. I used 50g of a very, very smoky (full fat) cheese and 75g of reduced fat Pilgrims Choice and it still worked out at 2 Smart Points per portion.
Ingredients
175g red lentils
Tsp vegetable Bouillon powder
350ml water
Courgette, grated
120g reduced fat Cheddar, grated
3-4 spring onions, chopped
Tbsp sriaracha (or other hot sauce)
Tsp dried chilli flakes
Squeeze of lemon juice
Egg, lightly beaten
Cuts into 8 decent slices, 2 Smart Points per slice (WW Flex)
Put the lentils in a large pan (big enough, eventually, for all the ingredients), stir through the stock powder and then pour over the water and set over a low heat. Bring the pan to a gentle simmer and then cover and cook for 10-15 mins until the lentils have absorbed the water and formed a thick paste. Mine cooked incredibly quickly and needed a splash more water after just 5 minutes, so it is worth checking regularly.
While the lentils cook, preheat the oven to 180, line a loaf tin (I always tend to use loaf tin liners such as these, but greaseproof paper would do as well) and prep the other ingredients.
Allow the lentils to cool very slightly and then stir all the other ingredients through and pour into the prepared tin. Bake for 45-50 mins until set firm and browning on top.
Anyway, this loaf is utterly brilliant for anyone following the WW Flex programme because lentils and other pulses are now pointed at zero, which means that a slice of this makes a really low point, satisfying meal especially with a bit of salad and perhaps a cheeky hard-boiled egg (also zero point. Everything I eat at the moment, I serve with an egg on the side.) Last time I made it, D fried slices in butter and had them in a sandwich which, he reports, was most excellent. But frying things in butter and eating them with bread is (sadly) not the WW way unless one has run a half marathon and has oodles of points to spare. Behold the loaf in all its glory:
And here, in cross section, with the afore mentioned salad and egg (plus a drizzle of salad cream and another of sriracha). This entire lunch box was 3 Smart Points:
A note on reduced fat cheese. I love cheese. The notion of reduced fat cheese makes me slightly sad. Reduced fat products in general can be awful – and I utterly reject such aberrations as plasticky low fat spreads and “lite” mayonnaise. But I genuinely think for cooking, especially midweek, bog-standard cooking, a decent reduced fat Cheddar will do the job perfectly well in most cases. Pilgrims Choice is fine, as is Cathedral City – I need to try some supermarket own brands and if I come across anything particularly good, I will report back. If you are not counting points then feel free to use whatever cheese you like. A nutty Gruyere might work well with lentils. If you are counting, what I would suggest here (if you are so inclined) is to sub a proportion of the reduced fat Cheddar for a good smoked cheese as it will give the most wonderful flavour to the loaf. I used 50g of a very, very smoky (full fat) cheese and 75g of reduced fat Pilgrims Choice and it still worked out at 2 Smart Points per portion.
Ingredients
175g red lentils
Tsp vegetable Bouillon powder
350ml water
Courgette, grated
120g reduced fat Cheddar, grated
3-4 spring onions, chopped
Tbsp sriaracha (or other hot sauce)
Tsp dried chilli flakes
Squeeze of lemon juice
Egg, lightly beaten
Cuts into 8 decent slices, 2 Smart Points per slice (WW Flex)
Put the lentils in a large pan (big enough, eventually, for all the ingredients), stir through the stock powder and then pour over the water and set over a low heat. Bring the pan to a gentle simmer and then cover and cook for 10-15 mins until the lentils have absorbed the water and formed a thick paste. Mine cooked incredibly quickly and needed a splash more water after just 5 minutes, so it is worth checking regularly.
While the lentils cook, preheat the oven to 180, line a loaf tin (I always tend to use loaf tin liners such as these, but greaseproof paper would do as well) and prep the other ingredients.
Allow the lentils to cool very slightly and then stir all the other ingredients through and pour into the prepared tin. Bake for 45-50 mins until set firm and browning on top.
Monday, 23 July 2018
MPM: 23rd July 2018
Happy Monday my loves! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. We had such a pleasant Saturday: a mooch around Harrogate in the afternoon, followed by a WW friendly dinner with my parents. My sweet Mum researched WW friendly dishes (she’s a Slimming World gal herself and looks wonderful on it) to help keep me on track and in doing so introduced me to spiced, roasted chickpeas which could well be my new favourite thing (and zero point to boot).
So hopefully I am on track for a good result at this week’s weigh in - and by good result I mean any sort of movement in the right direction. Unfortunately, I’m out for lunch today because a member of my team is off to pastures new. How selfish that he wants to take a proper leave of us. And even more selfishly, he has picked a Chinese restaurant which is not brilliant for Weight Watchers. I have pored over the menu and picked what I hope is the least bad option, which I reckon will be around 18 points.
For meal planning purposes then, I’m assuming that I’ll be on dust when I get home tonight, and Saturday sees us out with my brother and sister in law. Sigh - yet another week where I’m going to have to navigate a restaurant menu. Elsewhere, we have turned to the early days of this blog for inspiration:
Tuesday: oven baked chorizo and red pepper risotto - it’s been ages since we had this old favourite.
Wednesday: pissaladiere - ditto. Despite the pastry, this only works out at 11 points a portion, so there may be some scope for some little cubes of roasted potato on the side.
Thursday: I’m potentially out all day at a meeting, so quick and easy is in order, and what could be quicker and easier than filled pasta tossed in butter, black pepper and Parmesan.
Friday: pan fried tuna and wasabi egg sandwich. Sounds odd, is absolutely delicious.
Sunday: Merguez burgers with houmous and roasted peppers
Have a good week all!
So hopefully I am on track for a good result at this week’s weigh in - and by good result I mean any sort of movement in the right direction. Unfortunately, I’m out for lunch today because a member of my team is off to pastures new. How selfish that he wants to take a proper leave of us. And even more selfishly, he has picked a Chinese restaurant which is not brilliant for Weight Watchers. I have pored over the menu and picked what I hope is the least bad option, which I reckon will be around 18 points.
For meal planning purposes then, I’m assuming that I’ll be on dust when I get home tonight, and Saturday sees us out with my brother and sister in law. Sigh - yet another week where I’m going to have to navigate a restaurant menu. Elsewhere, we have turned to the early days of this blog for inspiration:
Tuesday: oven baked chorizo and red pepper risotto - it’s been ages since we had this old favourite.
Wednesday: pissaladiere - ditto. Despite the pastry, this only works out at 11 points a portion, so there may be some scope for some little cubes of roasted potato on the side.
Thursday: I’m potentially out all day at a meeting, so quick and easy is in order, and what could be quicker and easier than filled pasta tossed in butter, black pepper and Parmesan.
Friday: pan fried tuna and wasabi egg sandwich. Sounds odd, is absolutely delicious.
Sunday: Merguez burgers with houmous and roasted peppers
Have a good week all!
Friday, 20 July 2018
Oxymoronic
I did actually give the Smart Points programme a whirl when
it first came out a few years ago. Back
then it was slightly different in that daily and weekly point allowances were a
bit higher but fewer foods were zero points (just fruit and veg as opposed to
the fruit, veg, chicken, fish, eggs, pulses etc. of the current iteration).
I was against it from the start. I lost weight very well on the Pro Points
programme (this was the version of WW prior to Smart Points). In fact, when I
was going to meetings in 2014, I lost a stone in my first four weeks of Pro
Points, which is pretty impressive. So I
already had a natural resistance to the change.
And I do stand by what I thought then which is – Smart Points
is more restrictive than Pro Points and it does feel more like a “diet” if you try
to eat in exactly the same way. I
remember that when I was doing Pro Points, I found it pretty easy to eat
sensibly and still have a piece of chocolate after dinner or a mid-afternoon
biscuit. A daily treat.
But I think my mentality is slightly different now because
my focus, my absolute priority at the moment is my health rather than weight
loss (although no, I'm still not quite over my disappointing result - I'm only human!)
My poor old body has been rather through the wringer and I want to treat
it well, to nourish it. Coming at Smart
Points from that angle has made me realise that the very phrase “daily treat”
is a total oxymoron. The dictionary
definition of a treat is: an event or item that is out of the ordinary and
gives great pleasure. Out of the
ordinary! Which probably doesn’t – or shouldn’t
– mean daily.
Realising this has made me far more receptive to Smart
Points. When I look back over my first
week, I can see that the quality of my meals improved markedly, particularly
with regards to vegetable and protein content, and snacks mainly consisted of
fresh fruit. There was a bag of salted
popcorn on Friday evening (deliberately chosen and enjoyed) and that was
it. Other than the chocolate truffle I
had to end my meal on Saturday evening, I don’t think that I had any sweet
stuff (again, apart from fruit).
First week fervour obviously helps make this easier but I
think that bearing this in mind will really help me get along better with the
Smart Points programme. It will be
interesting to see whether or not the scales come round.
Thursday, 19 July 2018
A post weigh-in post
Well, I am surely glad that I did write my pre weigh-in post before I went to the meeting. Because the scales were not kind. In fact, they were positively bitchy, informing me that I had managed to gain a pound over the course of the last week.
I’m no stranger to gains – they’re a fact of life, and I try to be sanguine about them but, oh! This stung quite a lot. Such that I could actually feel my eyes get hot and prickly when I stepped off, even while I was cheerfully telling the leader that I wouldn’t let this put me off and would give it another good go this week. Then I went to the meeting shop and spent £7 on over-processed WW own products that are full of the type of sugar replacements that people with delicate tummies should probably avoid.
But while waiting for the meeting to start, I actually sat and read my own post and it did make me feel a lot better. So what if the scales are taking a while to catch up? I know, in my heart of hearts, that I did my very best this week, that I made good decisions, and that I took proper care of myself. Hopefully, good results will follow (said with gritted teeth).
In other news, someone emailed me a few weeks ago to say that this blog had been listed as one of the Top 5 UK Weight Watchers Blogs and Websites in 2018. I’m not sure how many UK Weight Watchers Blogs there are (probably 5), and I’m not quite sure that this has actually been a Weight Watchers blog for a while but hey! We take our victories where we can. And the thumbnail of Minx they have used is one of my favourites so it’s worth a click just to admire her.
I’m no stranger to gains – they’re a fact of life, and I try to be sanguine about them but, oh! This stung quite a lot. Such that I could actually feel my eyes get hot and prickly when I stepped off, even while I was cheerfully telling the leader that I wouldn’t let this put me off and would give it another good go this week. Then I went to the meeting shop and spent £7 on over-processed WW own products that are full of the type of sugar replacements that people with delicate tummies should probably avoid.
But while waiting for the meeting to start, I actually sat and read my own post and it did make me feel a lot better. So what if the scales are taking a while to catch up? I know, in my heart of hearts, that I did my very best this week, that I made good decisions, and that I took proper care of myself. Hopefully, good results will follow (said with gritted teeth).
In other news, someone emailed me a few weeks ago to say that this blog had been listed as one of the Top 5 UK Weight Watchers Blogs and Websites in 2018. I’m not sure how many UK Weight Watchers Blogs there are (probably 5), and I’m not quite sure that this has actually been a Weight Watchers blog for a while but hey! We take our victories where we can. And the thumbnail of Minx they have used is one of my favourites so it’s worth a click just to admire her.
Wednesday, 18 July 2018
A pre weigh-in post
So, first week nearly over and in a few hours it will be
time to hop up on the scales. Whether
they are the Scales of Doom or the Scales of Joy remains to be seen.
I wanted to make sure that this post was written and up before the weigh in, so that I can look
back on it regardless of the result.
Because, whatever the scores on the doors, this has been a successful week.
As I hoped, operating within a structure has been really
good for me. I have been eating properly
for the first time in a while and my fruit and veg consumption has rocketed as
I embrace zero point snacks. This has
had a knock on effect on my mental health – I feel much calmer and more in
control. And physically, my stomach has
been OK. Not perfect, but OK.
I have had a lovely weekend with friends and managed to
enjoy myself without going ridiculously overboard, without adopting a “Screw
it, I can’t point so I’m going to eat and drink everything in sight,” attitude
and, hugely, without having a drink. I
am a girl who loves her alcoholic beverages: to get through an entire
sociable weekend watching other people tuck into large glasses of Pimms while
sticking to water is a pretty big deal.
But I made the decision that it wasn’t worth the points and it wasn’t
worth the potentially catastrophic effects on my beleaguered digestive system
and I stuck to it.
So whatever the scales have to throw at me today (and I’m
genuinely in the dark) I’m going to try and remember that, by any other
measure, this has been a GOOD WEEK.
Tuesday, 17 July 2018
Summer in the city - a weekend round-up
I didn’t want to go down to London last weekend, I’ll be totally honest. I was nervous about being away from home – from D, from the cat, from familiar surroundings - and, bluntly, from my bathroom. I also did not want to have to spend a weekend guestimating points just a few days in to my newest and shiniest WW attempt.
I had more or less made up my mind not to go but D wasn’t having any of it. I don’t envy him much of the time; living with someone who is very anxious must be exhausting. You constantly have to be strong for them, to push them to overcome their entirely irrational fears. So I was effectively frogmarched on to the bus on Saturday morning – but, in the end, all was well and I had a lovely time and have come back with that new sense of confidence which comes from venturing outside the comfort zone. Thank you, D.
Of course, the fact remains that I have two days where my tracker may be way, way off. Well, actually, I think that I am fine for Sunday since we ate in and I was able to find all food items in the catalogue. I winced a bit that the innocent looking honey and seed rolls that we had for lunch turned out to be 9 Smart Points, but heigh-ho, that’s what weeklies are for.
Saturday night required a lot more guesswork, but whether I’m under or over, the meal itself was worth it. We went to a restaurant called Ember Yard in Fitzrovia and it was LOVELY - especially gratifying given that I suggested it. It’s a menu of small plates with a Spanish and Italian slant – some of the dishes are recognisable from the typical tapas repertoire, others not so much. Highlights included (surprisingly) chargrilled flatbread with thyme and smoked butter (so good we immediately ordered another) and a lovely special of sea bass with ajo blanco.
I tried a little bit of everything, but stuck to water rather than indulging in wine or cocktails and then, in lieu of a dessert (tough going – the churros looked amazing) I ordered a double espresso and a single dark chocolate and Pedro Ximenez truffle (which item I thought was a really clever addition to the dessert menu). A divine full stop to the meal.
Also – if you’ll forgive me ditching the food talk for a minute – we went to the open air theatre in Regent’s Park, to see a production of “As You Like It” which was brilliant! Such a funny, sweet, silly rendering of the play, which I hitherto hadn’t considered one my favourite of Shakespeare’s comedies. The musical settings were a little bit cheesy but the cast carried them off with aplomb and the whole thing was an absolute joy. I’ve never seen a bad production there – and it’s a lovely venue if the weather holds out. If you’re London based and find yourself at a loose end, get thee hence.
After returning in such a good mood, I am not exactly sure what misguided impulse compelled me to jump on the bathroom scales yesterday morning. I haven’t weighed myself on them for a while, so I have no idea how my weight today relates to my official WI last Wednesday. If I was expecting to see a large drop after a whole four days of counting, I was doomed to disappointment. Not for nothing does lovely Peridot call them the Scales of Doom, because I immediately felt sulky and annoyed and resentful. The answer is clear – official weigh ins ONLY from now on and a focus on progress rather than perfection.
I had more or less made up my mind not to go but D wasn’t having any of it. I don’t envy him much of the time; living with someone who is very anxious must be exhausting. You constantly have to be strong for them, to push them to overcome their entirely irrational fears. So I was effectively frogmarched on to the bus on Saturday morning – but, in the end, all was well and I had a lovely time and have come back with that new sense of confidence which comes from venturing outside the comfort zone. Thank you, D.
Of course, the fact remains that I have two days where my tracker may be way, way off. Well, actually, I think that I am fine for Sunday since we ate in and I was able to find all food items in the catalogue. I winced a bit that the innocent looking honey and seed rolls that we had for lunch turned out to be 9 Smart Points, but heigh-ho, that’s what weeklies are for.
Saturday night required a lot more guesswork, but whether I’m under or over, the meal itself was worth it. We went to a restaurant called Ember Yard in Fitzrovia and it was LOVELY - especially gratifying given that I suggested it. It’s a menu of small plates with a Spanish and Italian slant – some of the dishes are recognisable from the typical tapas repertoire, others not so much. Highlights included (surprisingly) chargrilled flatbread with thyme and smoked butter (so good we immediately ordered another) and a lovely special of sea bass with ajo blanco.
 |
| Seabass! |
 |
| Bread! |
 |
| Truffle! |
Also – if you’ll forgive me ditching the food talk for a minute – we went to the open air theatre in Regent’s Park, to see a production of “As You Like It” which was brilliant! Such a funny, sweet, silly rendering of the play, which I hitherto hadn’t considered one my favourite of Shakespeare’s comedies. The musical settings were a little bit cheesy but the cast carried them off with aplomb and the whole thing was an absolute joy. I’ve never seen a bad production there – and it’s a lovely venue if the weather holds out. If you’re London based and find yourself at a loose end, get thee hence.
After returning in such a good mood, I am not exactly sure what misguided impulse compelled me to jump on the bathroom scales yesterday morning. I haven’t weighed myself on them for a while, so I have no idea how my weight today relates to my official WI last Wednesday. If I was expecting to see a large drop after a whole four days of counting, I was doomed to disappointment. Not for nothing does lovely Peridot call them the Scales of Doom, because I immediately felt sulky and annoyed and resentful. The answer is clear – official weigh ins ONLY from now on and a focus on progress rather than perfection.
Monday, 16 July 2018
MPM: 16th July 2018
Back from the smoke, and ready to do my first Weight Watchers sponsored* MPM for a while.
*NB – Weight Watchers do not sponsor me. Which is a shame, because I could really do with the extra cash. I would also take payment in low point fizzy cola bottles, which is probably all that I am worth to them.
The current tactic is to plan a week’s worth of dinners first, point these up in advance and then build the rest of the week around the evening meals. That way, they get to stay as “normal” as possible – which, for me, is a priority. I’m hoping, therefore, that there shouldn’t be too much noticeable change to the weekly meal plans, but it will be interesting to see how that pans out over the following weeks and I may find that I need to start modifying things slightly if getting through the day proves tricky. Once the weather cools a little, I’d be quite keen to re-introduce a weekly soup night which would allow us both to have a day a week where we could build in a more decadent lunch or a few evening treats, but there is not a chance that I’m attempting to eat any soup other than gazpacho at the moment.
This week – D is out with friends on Friday which means prick and ping for me. I currently find myself with a raging sweet tooth, so I may get something really low point and then have a nice pudding afterwards. I saw Rachel Allen make a chocolate chip croissant bread and butter pudding on TV last night and almost swooned. Although I suspect that I would have to eat dust for a day in order to fit that particular pudding into a daily points allocation. Then, on Saturday we are seeing my Mum and Dad for dinner which should be lovely. Elsewhere:
Monday: fish tacos, inspired by Felicity Cloake’s recent column. I’ll be shallow frying / baking the fish to keep points down and replacing sour cream with fat free yoghurt. Sigh.
Tuesday: sweet potato cakes with coriander yoghurt dressing and salad. A lovely Ottolenghi recipe made much less virtuous than it sounds by frying said cakes in butter.
Wednesday: spaghetti carbonara. This is post WI. I am not promising that there won’t be some garlic bread on the side as well since, officially, points don’t reset until Thursday morning. Mwah hah hah.
Thursday: chicken Caesar salad. Am going to dust off my old WW version of the dressing and see how it fares. I plan do to little cubes of paprika dusted roast potato in lieu of croutons.
Sunday: we have a pot of delicious Bolognese sauce in the freezer. I can’t decide whether just to have it with a mound of spaghetti and courgette ribbons, or to make a gnocchi bake (we have some gnocchi in the fridge) with a gooey Mozzarella topping. I have yet to point up the sauce from the original recipe so that might tip the scales one way or the other.
*NB – Weight Watchers do not sponsor me. Which is a shame, because I could really do with the extra cash. I would also take payment in low point fizzy cola bottles, which is probably all that I am worth to them.
The current tactic is to plan a week’s worth of dinners first, point these up in advance and then build the rest of the week around the evening meals. That way, they get to stay as “normal” as possible – which, for me, is a priority. I’m hoping, therefore, that there shouldn’t be too much noticeable change to the weekly meal plans, but it will be interesting to see how that pans out over the following weeks and I may find that I need to start modifying things slightly if getting through the day proves tricky. Once the weather cools a little, I’d be quite keen to re-introduce a weekly soup night which would allow us both to have a day a week where we could build in a more decadent lunch or a few evening treats, but there is not a chance that I’m attempting to eat any soup other than gazpacho at the moment.
This week – D is out with friends on Friday which means prick and ping for me. I currently find myself with a raging sweet tooth, so I may get something really low point and then have a nice pudding afterwards. I saw Rachel Allen make a chocolate chip croissant bread and butter pudding on TV last night and almost swooned. Although I suspect that I would have to eat dust for a day in order to fit that particular pudding into a daily points allocation. Then, on Saturday we are seeing my Mum and Dad for dinner which should be lovely. Elsewhere:
Monday: fish tacos, inspired by Felicity Cloake’s recent column. I’ll be shallow frying / baking the fish to keep points down and replacing sour cream with fat free yoghurt. Sigh.
Tuesday: sweet potato cakes with coriander yoghurt dressing and salad. A lovely Ottolenghi recipe made much less virtuous than it sounds by frying said cakes in butter.
Wednesday: spaghetti carbonara. This is post WI. I am not promising that there won’t be some garlic bread on the side as well since, officially, points don’t reset until Thursday morning. Mwah hah hah.
Thursday: chicken Caesar salad. Am going to dust off my old WW version of the dressing and see how it fares. I plan do to little cubes of paprika dusted roast potato in lieu of croutons.
Sunday: we have a pot of delicious Bolognese sauce in the freezer. I can’t decide whether just to have it with a mound of spaghetti and courgette ribbons, or to make a gnocchi bake (we have some gnocchi in the fridge) with a gooey Mozzarella topping. I have yet to point up the sauce from the original recipe so that might tip the scales one way or the other.
Friday, 13 July 2018
Hard part over...
First meeting – check. D walked me to the doors to prevent me from chickening out. Fortunately, the meeting venue is about a two minute (slow) walk from our front door so there is literally no excuse to go, come rain or shine.
It was fine, as these things always are. My weight was, almost to the pound, identical to my pre-op weight last year (the best point of comparison since both are done fully clothed). So I’ve definitely proved that I can do maintenance. It is a small victory, but one to which I cling.
The revised plan sounds quite interesting. Chicken, fish, eggs, fat free plain yoghurt and pulses and now all zero point, alongside the old fruit and veg zero heroes. Hurrah! However, daily and weekly allowances are down. Boo. I still find the Smart Points formula far more restrictive than the old Pro Points one – foods high in fat and sugar are punitively high and the foods that they have selected as zero point definitely suggest that they are pushing people towards a more protein based diet (and I am a self-avowed carb monster). However, I think that this is going to be doable. Many of my favourite meals will likely take up a good two thirds of my daily points allowance, but I can stick to practically zero for breakfast (fruit and yoghurt) and lunch (salad and protein or soup).
Last hurrah supper – check. Pizza, from our divine local takeaway. Didn’t manage to eat it all, so it languishes in the fridge at the moment. Actually, that wasn’t hard at all (although resisting the leftovers might be).
First fully tracked day – check. I came in with two points to spare, which have been “rolled over” into my weeklies (you can now save up to four a day which is another innovation, and most welcome). Fruit, couscous and chicken salad, salmon with pasta pesto. Full of first day fervour, I found it relatively easy to avoid snacks and swiped away the offer of lunchtime fish and chips with nary a quiver.
So – hurdles yet to overcome. I’m away Saturday and Sunday, popping down to London for a night to see friends. It’s a shame that I can’t get one full week of “proper” tracking under my belt, since obviously I’m going to have to make some guestimates away from home. But I’ve already decided to eschew drinking and will just try and make sure that my food choices are as sensible as possible. Hopefully the Scales Of Doom (TM- Peridot) will look favourably on my efforts next Wednesday.
It was fine, as these things always are. My weight was, almost to the pound, identical to my pre-op weight last year (the best point of comparison since both are done fully clothed). So I’ve definitely proved that I can do maintenance. It is a small victory, but one to which I cling.
The revised plan sounds quite interesting. Chicken, fish, eggs, fat free plain yoghurt and pulses and now all zero point, alongside the old fruit and veg zero heroes. Hurrah! However, daily and weekly allowances are down. Boo. I still find the Smart Points formula far more restrictive than the old Pro Points one – foods high in fat and sugar are punitively high and the foods that they have selected as zero point definitely suggest that they are pushing people towards a more protein based diet (and I am a self-avowed carb monster). However, I think that this is going to be doable. Many of my favourite meals will likely take up a good two thirds of my daily points allowance, but I can stick to practically zero for breakfast (fruit and yoghurt) and lunch (salad and protein or soup).
Last hurrah supper – check. Pizza, from our divine local takeaway. Didn’t manage to eat it all, so it languishes in the fridge at the moment. Actually, that wasn’t hard at all (although resisting the leftovers might be).
First fully tracked day – check. I came in with two points to spare, which have been “rolled over” into my weeklies (you can now save up to four a day which is another innovation, and most welcome). Fruit, couscous and chicken salad, salmon with pasta pesto. Full of first day fervour, I found it relatively easy to avoid snacks and swiped away the offer of lunchtime fish and chips with nary a quiver.
So – hurdles yet to overcome. I’m away Saturday and Sunday, popping down to London for a night to see friends. It’s a shame that I can’t get one full week of “proper” tracking under my belt, since obviously I’m going to have to make some guestimates away from home. But I’ve already decided to eschew drinking and will just try and make sure that my food choices are as sensible as possible. Hopefully the Scales Of Doom (TM- Peridot) will look favourably on my efforts next Wednesday.
Wednesday, 11 July 2018
Sunshine, lollipops and a new blog post
Long-time no blog! It
is probably a little self-indulgent to say that I hope that I haven’t been
missed – but I feel it is slightly justified
given that lovely Hazel left a comment on my last post saying she missed my
Meal Planning Mondays! I promise to
reintroduce them forthwith. With regards
the radio silence:
Reason the first – my digestive discomfort issues have been
continuing. I have always prided myself
on the robustness of my digestive system and this has been unpleasant and
disconcerting. I finally plucked up the
courage to go the GP and it is probably something very simple related to
stomach bile (sorry if TMI) post gallbladder surgery. It is not uncommon and can be controlled with
medication. So once anything more
sinister is ruled out (and giving that all of this has only kicked off post
surgery it seems highly unlikely) I will be rendered as right as rain by the
wonder of our NHS. Happy days.
Reason the second – which is related to reason the
first. Long term readers will know that,
from time to time, I have a bit of an issue with anxiety. Or rather, Anxiety, because anxiety is when
you’re a little bit worried about a presentation that you have to do at work
the following day and Anxiety is when you are frightened to leave your bedroom
for reasons that are obscure even to you.
It’s frightfully common nowadays – the go-to mental health issue de nos
jours, so I feel like something of a cliché but there you have it. Fretting about my health and always trying to
ensure the nearest toilet was within easy access in case of emergencies combined
with my existing predisposition and made me…well, a bit shaky. I don’t want to dwell on this too much – if it’s
boring and tedious to me then it is undoubtedly boring and tedious to you. Needless to say, fasting went by the wayside
(low blood sugar is the last thing you need when you’re wobbling anyway) as did
much cooking or, indeed, taking much pleasure in food. (Sorry for the melodrama – can you understand
why I didn’t post now?)
I haven’t weighed myself in a while but from the feel of
clothes and suchlike I think it is all relatively stable but I’ve not been
eating particularly well and that is stupid, because one of the best things to
do for your mental health is to ensure that your diet and fitness are on
point. So that leads me to reason the
third why I’ve been a bit reluctant to blog.
I’ve decided to go back to WW for a bit.
I know that I swore off it and I truly believe that, in the
longer term, intermittent fasting will enable me to maintain my weight without
being a slave to the pointing and weighing and measuring. But I also believe that just for now, a bit
of structure, something to focus on, would be a Good Thing. And if I can ditch a few pounds in the
process it will be an Even Better Thing.
I don’t intend to be evangelical about it. I will eat out and have nights off – life is
too short to never eat another takeaway.
And I will continue to monitor the situation. If the return doesn’t justify the effort
well, then, I’ll stop.
I’ve already signed up for the app and will be going to my
first meeting tonight. I’m intrigued
about the new plan – it seems to be edging ever closer to Slimming World with
more zero point foods – including lean poultry, fish, eggs and pulses. I struggled initially when WW switched from
Pro Points to Smart Points so it remains to be seen if the further changes make
it more or less doable. Regardless, a
healthy project is just what I need at the moment to take my mind off my own
navel.
Wednesday, 6 June 2018
Recipe corner: Creamy salmon pasta
Everyone has a dish that they remember, perhaps from childhood or perhaps from a holiday, something that sticks out as being the absolute essence of Delicious. For D, it is a creamy salmon pasta dish that he once had while on a skiing holiday in Italy. He cannot explain what it was that made it so perfect, and, as with so many things, I suspect that it was partly a configuration of particular external circumstances that makes the memory so precious but, nevertheless, I wanted to have a creamy salmon pasta dish in the repertoire to please him.
The thing is, the majority of creamy salmon pasta dishes that I looked at are pretty much salmon, cream and pasta. Maybe a bit of white wine and/or lemon. There never seems to be much to them which I think makes them sound pretty bland.
Here, I’ve upped both the umami and the acidity. The shallots, Parmesan and, importantly, the anchovies, add a savoury note to the cream, while the wine and the lemony cooking dishes add much needed zing. I also really like the mustard here - not so much as to make its presence too obvious but just an underlying hum of warmth. Salmon, mustard and dill is a fantastic combination.
This is simple, quick to cook comfort food of the highest order. It may not quite live up to that one plate of pasta eaten by a young man in the Italian Alps, but the slightly older man who had it for his tea in a living room in Leeds seemed pretty content just the same.
Ingredients
1 large salmon fillet
Half a small lemon, thinly sliced
2 tbsp white wine
2 small or 1 large shallot, finely minced
Generous knob of butter
2 anchovies
50ml white wine
150ml double cream
30g Parmesan, finely grated
Scant tsp of English mustard
Generous tsp freeze dried dill
150g dried pasta
Serves 2, generously
Preheat the oven to a 180. Put out a large square of tin foil and lay the lemon slices out in the centre of it. Season the salmon fillet well and then sit it, skin side down, on the lemon. Gather up the sides of the square foil, sprinkle over the wine and then bring the edges together to make a parcel. Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins (the timing will depend on the thickness of the fish) until the salmon is almost cooked through but still moist.
Once the salmon is cooked, the sauce can be prepared in the time it takes to do the pasta. So bring a pan of salted water to the boil and set a second, large pan over a low heat.
Tip the pasta into the water and set a ten minute timer.
Melt the butter in the other pan and, just as it starts to foam, bung in the shallot. It should be minced fine enough that it turns soft and translucent pretty quickly - 2-3 minutes. Add the anchovies and cook for a further couple of minutes until they have melted into the shallots.
Pour over the wine and turn up the heat. Reduce until practically all the liquid has disappeared and then pour in the cream, add the mustard and simmer for a couple more minutes. Reduce from the heat and stir through the Parmesan until melted completely.
To finish the sauce, flake through the cooked fish (discarding the soggy skin), ensuring that any fishy, lemony, winey juices also get poured in. Season with salt, pepper and dill.
Drain the pasta, reserving a little bit of cooking water. Stir through the sauce adding a splash or so of the water, if needed, to ensure a clinging texture (particularly pertinent if you prepare the sauce in advance).
The thing is, the majority of creamy salmon pasta dishes that I looked at are pretty much salmon, cream and pasta. Maybe a bit of white wine and/or lemon. There never seems to be much to them which I think makes them sound pretty bland.
Here, I’ve upped both the umami and the acidity. The shallots, Parmesan and, importantly, the anchovies, add a savoury note to the cream, while the wine and the lemony cooking dishes add much needed zing. I also really like the mustard here - not so much as to make its presence too obvious but just an underlying hum of warmth. Salmon, mustard and dill is a fantastic combination.
This is simple, quick to cook comfort food of the highest order. It may not quite live up to that one plate of pasta eaten by a young man in the Italian Alps, but the slightly older man who had it for his tea in a living room in Leeds seemed pretty content just the same.
Ingredients
1 large salmon fillet
Half a small lemon, thinly sliced
2 tbsp white wine
2 small or 1 large shallot, finely minced
Generous knob of butter
2 anchovies
50ml white wine
150ml double cream
30g Parmesan, finely grated
Scant tsp of English mustard
Generous tsp freeze dried dill
150g dried pasta
Serves 2, generously
Preheat the oven to a 180. Put out a large square of tin foil and lay the lemon slices out in the centre of it. Season the salmon fillet well and then sit it, skin side down, on the lemon. Gather up the sides of the square foil, sprinkle over the wine and then bring the edges together to make a parcel. Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins (the timing will depend on the thickness of the fish) until the salmon is almost cooked through but still moist.
Once the salmon is cooked, the sauce can be prepared in the time it takes to do the pasta. So bring a pan of salted water to the boil and set a second, large pan over a low heat.
Tip the pasta into the water and set a ten minute timer.
Melt the butter in the other pan and, just as it starts to foam, bung in the shallot. It should be minced fine enough that it turns soft and translucent pretty quickly - 2-3 minutes. Add the anchovies and cook for a further couple of minutes until they have melted into the shallots.
Pour over the wine and turn up the heat. Reduce until practically all the liquid has disappeared and then pour in the cream, add the mustard and simmer for a couple more minutes. Reduce from the heat and stir through the Parmesan until melted completely.
To finish the sauce, flake through the cooked fish (discarding the soggy skin), ensuring that any fishy, lemony, winey juices also get poured in. Season with salt, pepper and dill.
Drain the pasta, reserving a little bit of cooking water. Stir through the sauce adding a splash or so of the water, if needed, to ensure a clinging texture (particularly pertinent if you prepare the sauce in advance).
Monday, 4 June 2018
MPM: 4th June 2018
Last week of work before a little break. Phew! There’s been the odd long weekend here and there, but otherwise, we’ve not had a proper stretch of time off since January.
If I’m honest (and I can’t lie to you Dearest Reader), fasting has completely dropped off a cliff recently. And I’ve noticed that the scales have crept up a couple of pounds. So a nice break and a proper recharge will hopefully give me a much needed mental boost and ability to recommit.
So, onto this week’s meal plan. I’m going to stubbornly put soup down for Monday and Thursday so as to start out with good intentions.
Monday: soup
Tuesday: kedgeree
Wednesday: pea and harm tortellini, tossed in butter, Parmesan and black pepper
Thursday: soup
Friday: we start the holiday with appropriately festive fare...fish and chips
Saturday: home made pizza. Haven’t done that for ages.
Sunday: freezer diving. How thrilling! Although we may just end up eating leftover pizza...
If I’m honest (and I can’t lie to you Dearest Reader), fasting has completely dropped off a cliff recently. And I’ve noticed that the scales have crept up a couple of pounds. So a nice break and a proper recharge will hopefully give me a much needed mental boost and ability to recommit.
So, onto this week’s meal plan. I’m going to stubbornly put soup down for Monday and Thursday so as to start out with good intentions.
Monday: soup
Tuesday: kedgeree
Wednesday: pea and harm tortellini, tossed in butter, Parmesan and black pepper
Thursday: soup
Friday: we start the holiday with appropriately festive fare...fish and chips
Saturday: home made pizza. Haven’t done that for ages.
Sunday: freezer diving. How thrilling! Although we may just end up eating leftover pizza...
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