I'm back!

Morning dear SW readers..........remember me????

You'd be forgiven if you don't, as it's been a while since my last blog, and for that I apologise.

That old demon ambivalence sneaked in last week and surreptitiously devoured most of my commitment to SW (and blogging) and replaced them with an unhealthy dose of "devil may care".

And also handed me 1.5 pounds of fat at weigh in on Friday.  Ohhhh the horror!!!!!!!!!!!!

But a gain is a gain is a gain and it's not the end of the world. I went off plan quite a few days with this and that (I know exactly where and exactly why and it was all avoidable), but I thought everything would be OK and that this early on in my weight loss, I'd either stay the same or lose.  I didn't.  I put on weight and it is definitely a lesson learned.

Be aware of the demons, they are lurking everywhere!

My demon mostly comes out in the evenings after work. I find it quite easy to stick completely to plan during my work day, I always bring my lunch and healthy snacks and I am absorbed and thoroughly enjoy my job, so my working day usually flies by, with SW food being a nice part of that.

Then I get home, where my demon is patiently waiting for me, opening the fridge and kitchen cupboards and pouring a relaxing glass of my favourite boozy tipple with a loving smile (and a SW dagger behind his back!). My demon looks like this....

He always has VERY persuasive arguments for veering off plan when I'm alone, bored, happy, peckish, tense, moody, sad.......the list goes on. OK, OK, he could proffer a persuasive argument pretty much 24 hours a day, if I let him!!

And that my dear readers, is why for me, making SW a lifestyle plan, is so important.  If I treat SW as "just a diet" or a "quick fix for Christmas" or some other occasion (which it isn't for me, as my weight just doesn't come off that quickly), I am setting myself up for failure, because everything I love to eat and drink suddenly becomes a forbidden pleasure and such an irresistible temptation that I cave in as soon as my demon appears and I end up stuffing my face or boozing, whilst my demon chuckles delightedly and eggs me on.

And (if I let him), he would bash me on the head with his SW guilt stick to remind me what a terrible person I am and what a failure I've become.

 But I'm not gonna let that happen!!!!

I'm aware of my demon and I've had a long hard think about how to banish him from my SW kingdom. Cue avoiding triggers like boredom and habit and replacing them with something which will divert my attention during the "evil hours", i.e. my weakest hours which are usually between 5pm - 7pm weekdays.  I might even blog, so you'll all be sick of the sight of me after a couple of weeks, LOL!

I was firmly on plan yesterday (Saturday).  Sorry no photos, I must get better at capturing my food on camera before it is captured by my mouth. I had eggs and baked beans for breaky/brunch, a bit of a snacky mid afternoon with a Mugshot and HEX ryvitas with ham/tomatoes and my tea was chicken tarragon pasta with leeks and spinach, which you all know is my quick and delicious "go to" recipe. I also made a huge vat of free minestrone soup for lunches and snacks all week, packed full of veggies and pasta, delicious!

I've gotta do some flexi-syns today, as my OH and I are going for dinner at our friends' house and I've no idea what they will be cooking, but it's bound to be gorgeous and Italian, with fantastic rustic bread and olive oil. I cannot wait! In lieu of the humungous calories lying in wait for me, I am only eating super-free foods til I get there and I will be firmly back on plan tomorrow.

So I will be savouring and loving every mouthful of our friends' home cooked delicious dinner whilst I eat it AND ensuring that I deftly dodge my demon's guilt stick afterwards **blows big raspberry in demon's general direction**

So it's TTFN my lovely readers. Love yourselves and love SW!

c
xx

The ever so slightly more serious follow-up blog

Good morning dear SW readers!

I pinged awake at stupid o clock this morning, considering it's a Sunday, but I just couldn't get back off to sleep, hence I was up and about putting in a load of washing at 6.15am.  I feel a bit like this today:

Why I can't ping awake at a similar time during the working week is beyond me.  I usually have to peel myself off the sheets............

Anyway, after my totally non-food-based and rather frivolous blog yesterday, I thought I'd run through a few bits and bobs that passed my lips yesterday.  Rest assured it is all related to food, despite a smut-filled conversation on the Big Purple Bus last night about meaty sausages and all things related (you get the picture) which was very amusing!

Soooooooo, breakfast/brunch was one of my favourites, a SW cooked breakfast, which I adore. Depending what my HEX plans for the day are, I sometimes have bread, sometimes not, but yesterday 2 rounds of toast (no butter) were definitely on the menu, as well as half a tin of Sainsbugs veggie ravioli (1 syn), eggs, beans and 3 quorn sausages (1 syn each).  Totally delicious!

My lovely other half Steve and I went out for a stroll around the shops in the afternoon and I got peckish, so I bought a small pack of cooked chicken and a bottle of water (good ain't I?) whilst Steve wolfed down 2 large size Snickers bars and a bottle of fully leaded Coke. And I even managed to peruse a farmers market and not partake of any cheese or pie samples, despite them calling to me.

My belly thought my throat had been cut when we got home, so I had a Piri Piri Mugshot to tide me over (free) whilst we tackled a mountain of washing up and then started cooking tea: creamy tarragon chicken pasta, with garlic and spinach. It's SOOOOO delicious! Definitely one of my favourite meals ever. I always make lots of  inappropriate Loyd Grossman-eque noises while I'm eating it, mmmmmmmmmm, aaaaaaaahhhhhh, oooooooooohhhhhhhhhh.  There was very little ruminating and cogitating, but certainly plenty of digesting going on.

Talking of Loyd Grossman, I found a saucy little picture which I thought you ladies might appreciate. I'm sure you'll agree, he's really working the "wedged in a bookshelf" look. 

After that pic sensation, I'll just give you a minute to calm yourselves before I present the pic of my pasta.......

It's as pretty as pasta with sauce slopped over can be, but believe me it tastes amazing and I highly recommend it. The sauce is made with chicken stock and a HEX of Philadelphia light. 

I also made some paprika wedges to snack on during the evening, because it was Saturday night and yummy SW snacks are essential! I prefer to half-cook whole potatoes in the microwave (no peeling), then slice into chunks, season with salt/pepper/paprika/smoked paprika, spray lots with Frylight, then oven bake for about 35 mins til crispy. I find it's much less faff and mess than par-boiling.

I'm going to try making Homity Pie for tonight's tea (with obligatory chicken and veg to accompany) I've got the recipe from the Autumn recipes booklet that came with the latest SW magazine. I'm confident it's going to be gorgeous as it's basically cheesey mash..........what's not to like?? 

I'm off for my morning ablutions now, dear readers. So TTFN and enjoy another lovely day on SW!

c
xx

Pow! Bop! Thwap!

Take that, you odious stone of flab!

Holy smokes Batman, I've officially lost 2 ¾ pounds this week, making a grand total of 15 ¾ pounds over the last 7 weeks following the Slimming World plan.     KER-POWWW!!!!! 

AND........holy priceless collection of Etruscan snoods Batman, I've also dropped down into the next stone bracket!!!

Great work Robin. I've always believed, as the campest Batman ever, we must all be vigilant fighters of fat. Especially as I have to wear a leotard in public.

If I put on a few pounds, I have to stand like this to look good........SHHLLOOOOOPPPPP (sucks in gut).  No-one should ever have to stand like this Robin.   It looks ridiculous.

I'm pretty sure that the secret to my weight loss this week has been preparation and planning, knowing what I'm cooking for lunch and tea and having essential snackage in between of firstly superfree foods and then free foods.   

 As the dynamic duo so eloquently put it:

Robin: "Where'd you get a live fish, Batman?"
Batman: "The true crime (fat) -fighter always carries everything he needs in his utility belt, Robin."

(Disclaimer: This blog does not support weight loss by stuffing a fish into your pants)


TTFN lovely readers, I'm off for a Bat Cave breakfast!

c
xx

Average to middling!

If you are not from the North of England, then you will possibly not get my title......"How you doing?", "Eh up, well, average to middling......."

My dad still says this to me every time I see him :-) I am from the North West of England, Pennines to be precise, and my life has bordered Cheshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire. I am a Northerner through and through and I love the North of England, it's my home and always will be my heart too.

Soooooooo, this week how've I done? Average to middling.What a surprise! My personal bathroom weigh in ( I am not an official SW member despite following the SW principles) showed that I had fallen into the next stone  below in terms of weight loss and stoneage on the scales.

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEGGGGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOO!

What a fantastic result! I am yet to officially weigh myself on Friday morning (I do it after my morning wee, nudee (TMI sorry!) but I am confidently quietly confident!  Lets see anyway, there's lots more hours.

Love you all, love yourselves..

c
xxxxxxxxxx