Week 4... still on the way down.... :D

So this week I had worked really really hard, both with food and exercise. Was naughty at the weekend and had a KFC so that dipped into my weeklies in a big way!

Weigh in on Wednesday evening is always something I dread. The whole week... "I can't wait to see what I am this week" then when I'm standing in the queue i get petrified.

But this week I needn't have worried.... down 1.5lb! That is 8.5lb in 4 weeks. Very happy with that!

This weeks meetings were all about getting out and getting active. I can honestly say, I haven't been very active this week. I hate this "time of the month" :(

For the last few weeks I had a great routine going... We would arrive in from work and change straight away into our trackies and runners and head right out the door. I have been knocking a few minutes off my usual route consistently over the last few times I have done it. 50 minutes for a brisk 5k walk. not too shabby, for me anyway.

I haven't moved at all since Wednesday...not even the Wii fit, so i am determined to get out tomorrow and get moving. Hopefully any retaining weight I have will be going this Wednesday.

I am in no position to be preaching about getting fit and I am hardly going to run a marathon but trust me, the old adage... Eat less, move more is really working for me. Between being overweight, a smoker and having a dodgy leg (thanks to blood clots last year... which I blamed for putting on the 2 and a half stone I now need to lose.... any excuse except for the real reason which was that i just got plain lazy and ate my way out of depression and in a vicious circle ended up right in the middle of it again.... ), I can honestly say I am enjoying getting active again.

It is onwards and downwards from now on.... i just need a shot of motivation to get up of my hopefully soon decreasing ass!

Goal for this week is 1lb.... if i get there, I will have 5% in 5 weeks!



Weight chart week 4

Shared from Libra for Android: https://market.android.com/details?id=net.cachapa.libra

Chinese Cod & Mushroom Parcel - 5 Pro Points per serving

This recipe is just for one!

Ingredients:

• Low fat cooking spray
• 175g skinless cod fillet
• 1 rounded teaspoon of clear honey
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 small garlic clove (sliced)
• 1/4 of a red chilli (deseeded and sliced)
• 3 slices of root ginger (peeled and cut into matchsticks)
• 1 head of pak choi (halved)
• 60g of chestnut mushrooms (sliced thickly)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 200c or if using a fan oven 180c
• Tear off a large rectangle of tin foil and lightly spray the dull side with the cooking spray
• Place the cod in the centre
• Mix the honey, soy sauce, garlic, chilli and ginger together and spoon half over the cod
• Sit the pak choi and mushrooms on top of the fish and drizzle with the remaining soy mixture
• Fold the foil up around the fish and vegetables, crimping and folding the edges together tightly to seal.
• Place on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 15 minutes

Tip: This works well with chicken too... just cook for an extra 5 minutes!

This recipe comes from the Weight Watchers Fabulous and Filling Cookbook 2010 - Converted to Pro Points System



Pan Fried Turkey & Ham Escalopes - 6pps per serving

This recipe serves 2 people and trust me! it's DELISH!!!!

Ingredients:

• 2 x 125g turkey breast steaks
• 40g low fat soft cheese with garlic and herbs
• 4 slices of waver thin smoked ham
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of plain flour (seasoned with salt and pepper)
• 150ml hot chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons of lemon juice

Method:

• Place the turkey breast steaks between two layers of clingfilm and flatten using a rolling pin to approx 5cm thick.
• Cut each steak in half and spread each part with the soft cheese and use a cocktail stick to secure a slice of ham to each piece of turkey
• Add the oil to a non stick frying pan and heat the oil til hot
• Dip the escalopes in the seasoned flour and fry for 3 minutes on each side, cooking the ham side first
• Tip any remaining flour mixture into the pan and stir into the pan juices
• Blend in the stock and the lemon juice and bubble rapidly for 2 minutes
• Serve immediately
• DONT FORGET TO TAKE THE COCKTAIL STICKS OUT!!!

This recipe is from the Weight Watchers Fabulous and Filling cookbook - 2010 (converted to Pro Points System)





Quick Herby Chicken Curry - 5 Pro Points per serving

This recipe serves 2 people

Ingredients:

• Low fat cooking spray
• 1 small onion (sliced)
• 2 x 125g skinless chicken fillets (diced)
• 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
• 1 teaspoon of grated root ginger
• 1 teaspoon of garam masala or medium curry powder
• 2 teaspoons of cornflour
• 150g low fat natural yogurt
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh mint
• 3 heaped tablespoons of fresh coriander

Method:

• Heat a non stick frying pan until hot and spray with the cooking spray.
• Fry the onion for about 4 minutes
• Push onions to one side and add the chicken to the pan
• Cook for 3 or 4 minutes
• Stir onions and chicken together
• Add the garlic, ginger and garam masala or curry powder and cook for one minute
• Reduce the heat to medium, then remove from the hob
• Blend the cornflour with 1 teaspoon of cold water and stir this into the yogurt
• Gradually stir the yogurt mixture into the pan, one spoonful at a time
• Return to the bob and gently bring to a simmer
• Stir the herbs in right at the end and serve!!!

ENJOY!!!  15 minutes well spent!!!!!

Lucky Number 7

So this week was a good week. I got my first silver seven. First of many I hope.

It hasn't been easy. I have had more than my fair share of wobbles. The lure of freshly cooked chips with salt and vinegar, or beautifully fattening chicken balls looked set to break me.

I hung on. Thanks again to my buddies on the boards.ie forum for keeping me on track.

I'm quite lucky, bar one person at home who seems intent on bringing chippers home every second evening, the rest of my brood are so good with motivation for me. Whether its eating my low cal equivalents to their favourite dinners or even just coming walking or swimming with me, not to mention the compliments about how proud they are of me.

Living in a bit of a mad house, with mammy, my hubby, my sister and a boisterous ten year old along with mammy's partner and sisters boyfriend who come for dinner or breakfasts most days, we could all do with some form of healthy eating regimes, bar the ten year old who seems to have a metabolism of supersonic proportions!! Her likes and dislikes when it comes to food are quite easy to deal with on the WW wagon. She loves fruit, loves making smoothies, but like her father has a major addiction to pizza!! And playing basketball and swimming with her is great for the aul activity points!!!

As for the rest of us, well we are hardly an advertisement for fat families but my being on WW has had a really good effect on every one else. My mam, who bless her, hasn't been too well over the last few years and at 50 feels that your health is your wealth has really taken to a new outlook on her health. She still has the odd few chips every now and again, but she is more and more inclined to have the healthy option with me and as I said earlier, she has started walking with me and this evening... jogged!!!!! :D

The hubby is brilliant! He eats what I eat, although, he does have an amazingly sweet tooth so he tends to eat lots of chocolate etc...but his help with the walking... "Come on Ali, we are going for a walk" "Are ya ready to go swimming" etc... He stops me letting the day at work get to me and sit and veg on the couch... And the fecker is losing tonnes of weight himself... I would say at least half a stone if not more... He looks so much more toned already...

I have to say, the idea of Weight Watchers being a diet has totally left me. I see it as a lifestyle now. It makes complete and utter sense to me. If you eat crap day in day out the only way your weight is going to go is up. But if you have your treat and say to yourself, well I was naughty last night, maybe I should take it easy today. COMPLETE LOGIC!!!

 I really think my WW leader has got a lot to do with that. She helps sooooo much. She doesn't ram the programme down your throat. She gives tips that can actually be put into practise. Like me, she is more of a carbs girl and she lets the people in her class choose their own goals within the healthy weight range, and doesn't demand you set your goal on day one. Take one mini goal at a time.

Next goal for me is 2.5lbs down to my 5% goal!!

I will be posting some more recipes over the next few days.

(sorry for the rambling...this is my little vent for the day!! )



Tomato, Celery & Apple Soup - 1PPS

Ingredients:

• Low fat cooking spray
• 1 Onion chopped roughly
• 850ml of hot vegetable stock
• 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 4 Celery Sticks
• 1 Cooking apple
• 1 tablespoon of finely grated root ginger or 1 tablespoon of dried ground ginger
• 25g of soft light brown sugar
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

• Heat a large saucepan and spray with the cooking spray
• Fry the onion for 3 mins
• While stirring add 4 tablespoons of the stock
• Cover the pot and cook for another 3 mins until onions starting to soften
• Add the tomatoes, celery, apple, ginger and sugar plus the remaining stock
• Season with black pepper and bring to the boil
• Simmer with a lid on for 25 mins
• Transfer this to a liquidiser or food processor until smoth
• Return to the pan and reheat
• Serve in warm bowl

*This recipe comes from the Weight Watchers Fabulous & Filling Cookbook 2010 and has been converted to Pro Points