Day 8. First weigh in accomplished!

Finally approaching the end of day 8. It's been pretty darn successful I think.

I went to my first Slimming World class this morning. After debating the pros and cons as to whether or not to go and wondering if I even had the guts to go it alone, I man'd up and went... and man, I'm glad I did. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, it really made me feel better and confirm that I made the right decision going. Not only this, but I got weighed today on a proper set of scales. Despite my next official weigh in at group being next week, to me, this was the big weigh in. I was so, so scared of what it was going to read. 

Having weighed myself at my Mums and the scales reading 16st7lbs (estimated - I saw it goes way past the 16 mark and refused to look) I now weighed in at 15st8lbs. I'm so glad my hard work paid off! I'm also aware I'm going to have to up my gain to get a decent loss this week. I've eaten well today, and plan on doing so for the rest of the week. Got my meals planned out and my exercise sorted - roll on next Tuesday.

I'm going to stop typing now as I need a wee (lovely) but I'll try get back on this tomorrow. My Nan has come to stay for a few days so I'm running on limited time!

Until tomorrow.

E

Day 7. End of week one!

Alas, I have finished my seventh day! I'm quite proud of myself for getting this far. I'm also crapping myself (putting it nicely) about my first weigh in tomorrow. I don't tend to do things on my own, let alone things that involve me standing up and staring my weight problems (metahporically) in the face. Nerves, nerves, nerves!

Today has been a bit of a let down, to a degree. I just think I ate too much. I felt a bit gross because of it. I think I'm starting to struggle a tad, not so much with the diet just the portion control and fitting in my superfrees. I'm going food shopping on Thursday and can't wait to get in the veg department! I'm going to try experiment with some snazzy vegetable dishes next week so watch this space for some recipes.

Tonight I had a Pork fillet Madras with Rice, and it was awfully good. Not sure how many syns it was due to the fact I used a table spoon or so of oil (virgin oil) but I think it was worth it! Shall post the recipe in the near future for that!

On a side note - I've stumbled across www.boohoo.com and previously wouldn't have bothered shopping there. Upon inspection, I'm loving some of their dresses, and more importantly their prices!

Will post results of the weigh in tomorrow after my first class. Wish me luck!

E

Day 5 & 6. Thinspiration.

First offs, apologies for my lack of blog yesterday! As I'm sure you're aware it is the weekend (or should I say was) and I felt a bit of attention elsewhere than the net was necessary. I'll post some recipes too. Yum.

I'm getting a strange addiction to toast. I just want it, all the time. I don't have it, but I want it! This is where my personal food diary is really coming in handy. When I write down what I've had I look at it and think 'is this too much or not enough?' and so far, more often than not I've had room left to sneak in a piece of toast. Now, however, I look back and think 'did I really need that?' and the realistic answer is no. I don't. It's all cool, lesson learnt, thou shall not be greedy.

Another reason this food diary is lifting my spirits is that at the bottom of each page, I write how I feel and find something on the internet (that I'd love to wear if I was tiny) and I copy a image of it. Be it a dress, nice pair of boots or cute jumper - it's motivating to browse through websites and know that this time next year I could be struting my stuff in a size 10 french connection dress. Here's to hoping!

Time to watch Southpark and not indulge in carby badness.

Night!

E

Day 4. Thank god it's Friday...

Only time for a short post tonight, feeling a little tiredddd with extra consonants for emphasis. Had a relatively good day, slept through breakfast! Made a nice-ish lunch and a super nice dinner. Only had 1 mullerlight today and no fruit. Starting to feel a bit hungry though, probably the first time in ages I have.

I think this is a good thing. Feeling hungry every now and again makes me feel like my body is responding to the diet. 3 days left til my first weigh in... need to get my body busting some pounds off!

Anyway, sleep time. Night!

E

Mango glazed chicken - Syn count - 4 - Om nom.

My first Friday night on the SW diet, fancied something a little indulgent! I attempted to follow a recipe that was in this weeks SW magazine - Mango glazed chicken. Unfortunately, had I followed this to the exact recipe I don't think it would have turned out great. The amount of sauce required wasn't enough for 2 breasts of chicken I used and the recipe required 4 chicken breasts, it wouldn't have been. Fortunately, I improvised enough to keep this meal low syn and incredibly tasty. It really was lovely. Liam also really liked it! Definite crowd please and would be perfect for a dinner party. It has wonderful aromas. Rant over. Here's the recipe!

Mango Glazed Chicken - Syns - 4
Serves 2 - 4

2 Chicken Breasts (all visible fat removed)
Baby Mushrooms
1 Large Red Onion
Baby Potatoes
Green Beans (optional)
1 Red Chilli Pepper
1 Thin Green Chilli Pepper
5 Level tbs of Sharwoods Mango Sauce
5 tbs Water

1.Pre-heat the over to 180 degrees. Par-boil some bite size baby potatoes and add to a casserole dish.

2.Slice onion, green beans, mushrooms (I put them in whole!), chillies and dice your chicken. Add to the casserole dish.
3. Mix your mango sauce with the water in a cup. Pour this over the food and mix.
4. Place in the over and leave for 30-45 minutes. I also spray some fry light on top to crisp the potatoes and chicken!

I served this with basmati rice and stir-fried broccoli, sweetcorn and red peppers! Delicious!

E

Day 3. The hard times are over...?

My mother always said to me that the first 3 days are the hardest. I used to believe her but now I'm not so sure! Having stuck to my SW diet perfectly and yet to have a true moment of weakness, I have a feeling there are much, much harder times ahead. I keep telling myself I can go this alone but I think the reality of the matter is that SW clubs are there for a reason. Support helps.

I have thusfore come to the conclusion that as of October I shall be joining my local slimming world group, and to be completely honest, I'm crapping myself. I think it will be good for me on a few accounts; since I've moved here I've not really made any attempts at a social life outside of activities with Liam, and the exercise to and from the club will be useful. Win win, baby. I'm just so nervousss.

Oh oh oh, I also baked a cake today without touching any of it! Albeit it was a bright orange, lemon cake (gross) but I figure I should get used to avoiding temptation while I can before I'm out in the big wide world with Gregs sausage rolls and Reeces Cups jumping up at me. Proudness + 10.

Right, sleep time. Off to dream about Topshop dresses and River Island boots.

E

Syn Free! Steak with Mushroom Sauce - Tasty times.

Today I thought I'd try and make a nice meal that was tasty, filling and something a little bit special. I had some sirloin steaks in the fridge so here is what I made! It doesn't look quite as appetising as it did in front of me but I assure you - it tasted uhmazing. Best of all, completely guilt free! This is how I did it:

Syn Free! Steak with Mushroom Sauce - Syn Count - 0
Serves 2

What I used:

3/4 pint of vegetable stock made with 2 stock cubes (other flavours can be used)

3 cloves of Garlic

A whole load of Mushrooms

1 slice of Lean Bacon

1 Red Onion

1 Tbs Quark (this can be replaced with Low Fat Yogurt or Fromage Frais)

Salt & Pepper

2 Sirloin Steaks

Frylight

1.Dice mushrooms, garlic, onions and bacon. Spray some frylight in a non-stick frying pan and begin to fry.

2. Once cooked, add stock and a lid and turn the heat down. Leave to simmer until reduced down.

3. When reduced down, add a tablespoon of Quark to give it a creamy texture. You might need to turn the heat back up so it melts in properly. You can also use low fat natural yogurt or fromage frais if you dislike quark!

4. Add some seasoning to taste and you have completed your syn free mushroom sauce!

5. Season your steaks and add to a preheated grill pan sprayed with frylight. I do about 4 minutes on each side.

There you have it. Guilt free, quality food! I served this on a bed of stir fried cabbage and peppers with some slimming world friendly potatoes. Very successful!

Hope you enjoy!

E

Day 2. Damn you, lack of nicotine.

There are many things I want to achieve in my time upon this planet. Obviously, one being the mass weight loss. Another, however, is giving up smoking. I always thought it would be a better idea to conquer one at a time!

This morning I woke up feeling super positive. I made a nice healthy breakfast (1 slice of toast with a frylight egg), had an apple, did a little exercise. Made a nice lunch. I had originally planned to walk down the shop to get some cigarettes mid morning, it's a long walk and would do me good. I decided to wait until Liam got home so we could go together. So I ran a bath, procrastinated. Made some pasta. Still no cigarettes.

It then dawned on me I had gone 24 hours without smoking. First though, great! Proud times. An hour later and oh my days. I'm the least violent person in the world but at that precise moment I could have easily kicked a child in the face (I am not proud of this). Luckily, no one was harmed and 6 hours later and Liam came home from work with a little present in the form of a cancer stick.

Anywho, I have realised that I need to stop putting things off and making excuses. I should have gone this morning and if I had then I think I would have had a much more productive day and probably eaten less pasta! It's also made me realise how much I want to give up smoking. So, once I've reached half of my target weight loss (50 lbs off) I'm going to half my cigarette intake and make 10 cigarettes last me the week.

Hooray for targets!

E

Syn Free! Beef and Veg Bolognaise with Linguine. Mmm.

This smells so damn good. It's also the type of recipe where you can chop and change the ingredients to suit you're own requirements. I find it's best to use whatever is left over. Anywho, here's what I used today:

Syn Free - Beef & Veg Bolognaise with Linguine - Syn Count - 0

Serves 2-4

Extra lean mince
3 Flat Mushrooms
1/2 Red Pepper
1/2 Green Pepper
Handful of Green Beans
2 Garlic Cloves
Fry Light
Tinned Tomatoes
Passata
Vegetable Stock Cube (Oxo work best! Beef can also be used to give the meal a meatier feel)

1. Cut the mushrooms, peppers, green beans and garlic and fry using fry light until almost cooked.
2. Add the mince and brown, stir in a crumbled stock cube. This coats the meat and releases some nice flavours.
3. Add a tin of tomatos (plum tomatoes work really well) and simmer until reduced. Add some passata depending on how much sauce you like and a pinch of salt and pepper.
4. Serve on a bed of Linguine cooked as per instructions on the packet.

Yum!

This meal is really filling and satisfying. I probably ate more than I should have but I'd definitely do it again. Om nom nom!

Syn Free! Easy Chips & Curry Sauce.

Thought I'd rustle up something a bit fiery for my lunch today. I figured I'm going to attempt a curry this week, might as well try making a dipping sauce!

Chips & Curry Sauce - Syn count - 0
Serves: 2-4

For the sauce:

1 Red Onion

1 tbs Curry Powder

1 Thin Chilli (optional)

Pinch of Turmeric

Tinned Tomatoes

1 Clove of Garlic

Boiling water or chicken stock

Fry Light

Super Low Fat Natural Yogurt

1. Dice the red onion and garlic (and chilli if using) and fry using fry light.

2. Add the curry powder and turmeric.

3. Add a few spoons of tinned tomatoes and fry down.

4. Once it begins to reduce, heat up some water or chicken stock (to taste - any stock can be used!) andstir in. Keep repeating this until you are happy with the consistency.
5. Before serving, stir in some natural yogurt to give a slighty creamy texture.

For the chips:

2 Large Baking Potatoes

Fry Light

1. Peel and slice the baking potatoes and par-boil. Add a pinch of salt to taste.

2. Drain until dry and shake in the colander. Place in a pre-heated oven on a high temperature until browned and looking tasty!

Yum! I really enjoyed this, it was really filling and the heat in the curry left me with a nice taste in my mouth which stopped me craving anything sweet. Good times.

E

Syn Free! Spicy Vegetable & Bacon Risotto - Mmm.

Just thought I'd post the recipe of my dinner for tonight! 

Spicy Vegetable & Bacon Risotto  - Extra Easy Syns - 0

The ingredients i've used are really just a basic guide. Depending on your preference you can add or subtract any vegetable or quantities! It's a real good recipe for experimenting and using what's left over in the cupboards. You can also add tinned tomatoes if you're looking for something a bit heartier.

2 Large Flat Mushrooms

1 Large Onion

Handful of Green Beans

1/2 Red Pepper

1/2 Green Pepper

1 Carrot

2 tbs Sweetcorn

1 tbs Turmeric

1 tbs Paprika

3 Cloves of Garlic

2 Thin Chillies

Chicken or Vegetable Stock

2 Lean Slices of Bacon

Risotto Rice 

Frylight Spray

1. Dice or slice all the mushrooms, vegetables (except sweetcorn) and garlic and place in a large non-stick frying pan or wok and spray with fry light. Turn up the heat and begin to fry.

2. Chop up the chillies and bacon and add to the pan along with the turmeric and paprika. Stir in. If necessary, add some more fry light. This should soon start smelling awesome!

3. Once the bacon is browned off, add the rice. This can be as much or as little as you like. Stir it until all the rice is coated in the veg.

4. Add about 350 ml of chicken or vegetable stock and lower the heat, keep stiring.

5. When the dish starts looking a little dry, add some more stock. Repeat this process until the rice is soft enough to eat!

6. Just before serving, stir in the sweetcorn. 

Voila. I will be having this with a grilled chicken breast.

E

Day 1. The challenge begins.

And so we begin.

My name is Emily, I've been alive for 22 years and I currently live inbetween Bristol and Bath with my amazingly supportive boyfriend Liam. I'm a graphic designer, musician, film fanatic, fashion enthusiast and self proclaimed chubster. I'm 4'11 and currently weigh 16st7lbs. Shocking.

Last week I had as what could only be described as somewhat of a monumental life changing moment. Returning to my hometown to visit my family, I went with the intentions of visiting some of my old college friends I've not see for a few years. This didn't happen, reason being that I was too embarrassed about all the weight I'd put on to even go out. Now I've always been a bit of on the larger side of life, but my weight has never held me back before. I feel like I'm missing out on what should be some of the best times of my adult life. So, after a bit of a moan and a tearful conversation with my mother I've decided to take some action. I'm the only person that can change my life, and I'm in a lucky enough position to have all the support around me I need. Thusfore, from this day onwards I shall no longer be 'Emily of Little Confidence' but instead 'Emily of Little Waist'. Each day from this moment I shall be a tiny bit smaller, oh yes, I shall conquer the overall battle with giantness and become a healthy, confident individual who looks fabulous and more importantly, feels amazing. And how do I plan on doing this?

Slimming world.

Current weight: 16st7lbs

Target weight: 9st7lbs

Weight to lose: 7st

One thing I've always been passionate about is cooking, experimenting, and as I get older I find recipes more and more fun to test out. My mum has been doing SW for however long or so and lost an amazing 4 and a half stone so far. I'm so proud of her, if not a little a jealous. Now it's my turn. She's given me the books, magazines, tips and advice and hopefully, using this blog, I can keep up with weight loss as well as sharing my own recipes and experience. I've joined facebook groups, I've done my research, I've invested in magazine subscriptions, I've got my own Muller Light shelf in the fridge. It's looking positive!

I've also taken a load of pictures of how I look now, which I haven't seen. I'll take photos every week until I reach my target weight.

Wish me luck!

E