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Food: Yummy Tatas

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In today's post I'm bring you my 'yummy tatas' recipe.

I love carbs so much, but more than carbs I love chips. Proper chip shop chips to be exact. But that's not really WW friendly, or what I want to be putting in my body anymore. So I've devised a little recipe that fully satisfies both my carb cravings, and my weight loss.

0PP on Filling and Healthy too!

Hope you enjoy!

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"Yummy 'Tatas " servings="1" time="40mins" difficulty="easy"

Ingredients:

1 potato

1 tsp of healthy oil (from daily allowance to keep it 0pp)

Chipoltle Chilli Grinder

Method:

1) Cut your potato into chunks. I like to keep the skin on.

2) Place the chunks on a baking tray and drizzle your oil over the top.

3) Grind the Chipoltle Chilli over the top and mix them all together so they're spread evenly on the tray.

4) Bake in the oven for around 30 mins on 220oc or until crispy.

Notes:

You could use Fry Light if you don't want to use the oil and you can use whatever flavouring you like. I find this gives it a smokey BBQ taste with a tiny kick.

Musings: Not being in control


I've mentioned before, and will probably mention it a thousand times again, this is not my first stint on Weight Watchers. I've done it twice previously.

The last time I did it I was at uni. I was in full control of everything I ate, what meals would be & when along with what was being stocked in the kitchen cupboards. Then I moved back home and things began to creep up on me again.

I still live out home with my parents (very happily so, actually) and I like to eat my evening meals with them. Whilst on a previous weight watchers excursion I would eat on my own, cooking my own separate meals, I really didn't want that this time.

My boyfriend also lives with his parents, so eating with him means eating what his parents cook.

Both of these were reasons I was hesitant for starting Weight Watchers again. The thought of not having the control, not knowing exactly how many points is in each meal because I can't weigh it out and being excluded from certain meals made me worry.

And it still does.

I've recently found out I'm a type A person. Whilst I haven't done in-dept research into the different types of people, I know enough to know I'm type A. I like things to be done in my own way, I'd rather do things myself than let others help and I like to be in control.

Now at home, I've slowly but surely taken on the role of chef. I cook 90% of the meals I eat at home, but I cook them for the whole family. Yes I may make three different variations of a meal to satisfy everyone at the table, but it means I know what's on my plate and how many points it is. I sit down each week with my mom to discuss which day's we're eating what, what we need to substitute in recipes to make them more WW friendly and things are going well.

However I'm still getting used to situations outside of home. I get a slight sense of fear when going to my boyfriends when we're told what we're having for dinner. I mentally start calculating points in my head, how it's going to work out etc. You see at home I feel like I can be bossy and say how to do things the WW way, but I'm far too polite to do it anywhere else. But do you know what? It always ends up working out fine.

So maybe I swap my day from Filling and Healthy to pointing, or perhaps thinks are slightly miscalculated. Life isn't going to end, my weight is still dropping and in my head I know that I can adapt. I've proved this to myself week in week out.

So why is it when new plans get mentioned I instantly panic? Who knows.

However I'm hoping that not only is my weight going to bugger off once and for all in this journey, I also hope my attitude to food changes, which I'm slowly starting to see it doing.

If this process is going to last this time, I can't put myself in a WW bubble and not doing anything that isn't a 100% on plan. I need to have confidence in myself to know that I can restrict myself alongside indulging myself to make this plan work.

Does anyone else feel the same way?

Food: Filling and Healthy Cheesecake

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I love cheesecake.

Not the stupid moosey type one people try and serve, proper New York Cheesecake.

Now I'm not saying this is going to rival an Extra Special New York Cheesecake, but for 2 pro points for the whole thing on Filling and Healthy, I can live with it.

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The recipe couldn't be easier, mix, bake and cool!

Serving it with some fruit is delightful, or if you're feeling naughty some chocolate would go lovely too.

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Again this is another recipe I've adapted from the Filling and Healthy Fanatics page.

Recipe below!

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"Filling and Healthy Cheesecake" servings="6-8" time="4hr 30mins" difficulty="easy"

Ingredients:

2 Tubs of fat free quark (500g total)

2 tbsp vanilla extract

5 tbsp sweetner

1 egg

2 Options white chocolate hot chocolate sachets

Porridge oats (enough to cover the base)

Skimmed Milk

Method:

1) Scatter your oats across the base of you tin and press into place with the milk. Cook it in the oven on 160 oc until it's set, then leave to cool.

2) Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until fully mixed and creamy.

3) Pour over the oats and bake in the over for around 25 mins until firm and slightly golden.

4) Place it in the fridge to set for around 4 or more hours.

5) Dish up and serve.

Notes:

You may wish to add more sweetner, or experiment with other flavours of hot chocolate too.

Food: Re-Creating Old Classics KFC Style Chicken

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My latest experiment has ended up with KFC style chicken. Crispy, chickeny, well... Chicken. I need to learn some new adjectives.

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Perfect for wraps, burgers, as a side with chips, a good starter... you name it, you can eat it that way.

On Filling and Healthy they're zero pro points!
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"KFC Style Chicken" servings="4" time="30mins" difficulty="easy"

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts

4 slices of calorie controlled bread (I used Weight Watchers)

Oxo Chicken Flavouring

Asda Garlic Grinder

Asda Chilli Chipoltle Grinder

1 Egg

Method

1) Cut the chicken breasts into strips

2) Make the bread into breadcrumbs and mix with the flavourings

3) Beat egg and place in a bowl

4) Dip chicken in egg, then in flavouring & put on a baking tray

5) Grill in the oven for 10 minutes

6) Enjoy

Notes

I cooked mine in the oven, but I think the grill will be better and give a crispier outcome. Eat straight away or else they lose their crunch.

Fitness: What everybody says is true

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Tonight I had a 'eureka' moment.

After the storm that's been going on outside I decided that I wouldn't be going for a run tonight, that I'd do some YouTube workout at home. And then I thought, nah, I'll leave it for tonight, settle down with Scandal and write some blog posts.

Then, I thought NO! I'm going to go out for my run, and do you know what I found out? What everybody says is true.

The only workout you regret is the one you didn't do. Do I regret going? NOT AT ALL. Would I have regretted tomorrow at weigh in, quite possibly.

Exercise is good for the mind. Before I left I was picking at bits and bobs of food even though I wasn't hungry, and feeling a bit bleh. When I came back my picking feelings had gone and I felt so bright and exhilarated.

I got back and I just felt so good. My run's are getting easier, I know I've done all I can for weigh in and I saw this gorgeous sunset too.

So what people say about exercise is true. It's good for the mind, not just the body.

Food: BBQ Pulled Pork

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A couple of weeks ago I made a massive batch of BBQ pulled pork and had it for lunch everyday. Each day I'd get a comment asking me how I made it, and to be honest it was all plucked from inside of my head.

Then I made it for dinner the other night, and as I was cooking it thought I should probably document it so I can share it with others (hence the not so great quality of pictures.)

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This is all totally made up from my head and based loosely on how I see others do it, so feel free to adapt it yourself, and be warned that the ingredients serving may differ slightly.

I can also say that everyone in my fussy family enjoyed and loved this meal (I served it as shown in the first picture.)

This is 0 pro points per portion on Filling and Healthy (2 pro points for the whole thing)DSCF3985

"BBQ Pulled Pork" servings="4-5" time="4hr 30mins" difficulty="easy"

Ingredients:

4/5 pork shoulder steaks

An onion

2 garlic cloves (crushed)

400g passatta

2 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tsp chilli powder

2 tbsp BBQ Sauce

2 tbsp Lea & Perins

1 tbsp Sweet Freedom

Chipoltle Chill Grinder

Splash of coke



Method:

1) Chop onions finely and fry with the garlic until the start to brown and become soft

2) Add the pork steaks and cook for about 1 minute on each side until the have a bit of colour

3) Pour over passata and the spices/ sauces and mix together (add more/less until it's to your taste)

4) Cover the pan with a lid (ensuring all steaks are under the sauce) and cook for around 3 hours with the lid on over the lowest heat setting.

5) Once the pork looks like it's about to fall apart, take it out and with two forks pull it apart. If it doesn't pull easily, cook it for a bit longer.

6) Whilst the pork is out of the pan focus on your sauce. Bring it to the boil and stir constantly until the sauce thickens up, taste and see what flavours need adding.

7) Put pork back in the pack and cook on low heat again for around 10-15 mins then serve

Notes:

There are so many ways to do this, but this is just how I found easiest. You could use a whole pork joint, but this is a much faster way. This would also work well in a slow cooker.

I added pepper to mine which gave it a sweeter taste too, I just chopped one red pepper and put it in after the sauce had been added.

Beans also go really well in this sauce.

Musings:Instagram

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I've always been a social media geek.

Back in the Myspace days I was there customizing HTML to make by page look cool, and now I even work in social media.

I'd heard a lot about people using social media to document their weight loss and find support, so I decided to do it too.

What I didn't realise was how bloomin' fantastic an idea it would've turned out to be.

One of the main reasons I feel like I've stuck to this plan so long and so well is because I know I've got a group of people following my progress. It's like a leader constantly over your shoulder.

Instagram has always been a favourite app, but now I'm border line obsessed. I've turned into one of these crazy people who has to photograph my food before I can eat it. I arrange it so it looks pretty (which also makes me think it tastes better too.)

It encourages me to experiment with my food, I don't end up falling in a boring rut as I don't want to bore people with the same photos. I know my downfall previously was because I was eating the same foods day in day out. Now I vary my foods and I don't get bored.

I also get inspiration for new meals from it. I'd never heard of a Hassleback potato before, but gosh am I glad I did.

The support and love I receive through Instagram and the friendships I'm developing, I find, are even better than meetings. I still stay to every meeting, but I do find that the supportive environment of Instagram is much better at carrying me through. Possibly because there are more people my own age on their, whereas my meeting I seem to be the youngest by a fair few years. (I guess that's what you get when you go in the day!)

So, what's the point of this post I hear you ask? Well basically it's to say that if you're not on Instagram, get on there.

It's bloomin' wonderful.

Measuring Progress #1

Three months 25lbs Front Three months 25lbs Side

I've decided to scrap my weekly weigh day results as I feel like it's clogging up my blog.

Instead I want to most monthly progress posts. In these posts I'll tell you my weight loss from the month, along with putting up progress pictures.

The first time I did Weight Watchers (this is my third FYI) I took progress pictures to monitor how I was doing and found it really motivating, so I'm doing it again!

Above you'll see pictures from the start of my journey to now. That's 25lbs difference!

I'm really excited to see next months progress pictures now too.

I also want to share 3 non scale victories each month too, as I believe that they're great motivators to keep going.

1) Completing the Couch to 5K

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As I've said before the last time I attempted just day one I couldn't complete it. I had two goes and both were unsuccessful. To be able to say I've completed just day one is an accomplishment in my eyes, to do it more than once makes me want to dance with joy! I honestly wish I could bottle up the feeling I had when I completed week one, it was amazing!

2) Feeling confident on a night out

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Again, I've mentioned before I began shutting myself away from the world as I was ashamed of how I looked. Last weekend saw me going out for one of my bestest friends birthdays (which turned into her engagement night too!) and I honestly felt really good. Especially compared to the other picture when I went out in April

3) Clothes are fitting better

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On my other weight loss attempts my main goal was to drop dress sizes and look good, and whilst that's still nice my main reason for joining WW this time is to become healthy. However, I must admit I'm loving the fact that clothes that looked crap now look good! Yay me.

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So, see you again same time next month?

P.S If you can't wait to see how much weight I lose, I'll still be posting it on Instagram/Twitter :)

Food: Filling and Healthy Apple Cake

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Today's recipe is another adaptation from something I saw on the Filling and Healthy Fanatics Facebook page from Michelle Brooker.

I based mine more an apple flan/tart/upside down cake. I'm great at deciding stuff, right?
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The recipe itself is pretty easy to follow and your left with a nice dense apple cake that you won't want to put down. If I do say so myself.

I personally love that it's quite dense and moist, it feels like proper cake & really indulgent!

It would be perfect with custard or ice cream too, or just a snack on its own.

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Now it's your turn to make and enjoy!

"Filling and Healthy Apple Cake" servings="6-8" time="30 mins" difficulty="easy" Zero pro points on Filling and Healthy

Ingredients:

1 apple

2 tsp sweet freedom

1 tsp of mixed spice

80g Oats

1 banana

2 eggs

vanilla extract

1 tsp baking powder

120ml skimmed milk or unsweetened almond milk

1 tbsp sweetener

Instructions:

1) Preheat your oven to 160 oc

2) Cut up your apple and spread them out across the tin, then sprinkle with sweet freedom and some mixed spice

3) Blitz the oats in a food processor or blender till it resembles flour

4) Add the rest of the ingredients, except the milk, and blend

5) Slowly add the milk until it becomes a cake batter like consistency

6) Pour the mixture over the apples

7) Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and springy to touch

8) Place on a wire rack to cool

9) Flip it over and serve

Notes:

I found that it could actually have some mixed spice or ginger in the actual mixture to add something extra to it too!

It's zero pro points on F&H for a slice and one for the whole thing!

Fitness: Couch to 5K

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The 'fitness' category of this blog is severely lacking; it's because I'm not a very big fitness buff.

Gyms really intimidate me  and I don't really want to sign up for any classes etc.

In my head I try to earn 20 activity points a week, which I've done so far just by walking! However last week, well Saturday to be exact I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and went for a run!

Well, I say run, it was more like a zombie shuffle, but I did it.

I've attempted the Couch to 5K once before and it resulted in my dad having to get the car and pick me up half way round due to me feeling like I was going to pass out.

This time I actually managed to complete it. The sense of pride and accomplishment spurred me on to do the next day (which I did and managed to do faster than the first day) and I will be attempting the third day tomorrow (hopefully)!

I've always admired runners and envied them at the same time. I'm really hoping that this programme will help me build up my running so that I have some stamina as well as help with the whole weight loss programme.

I know that if I hadn't lost the weight I had then this would've been completely impossible and I'm really proud of myself for doing it.

So watch this space and hopefully you'll see some more Couch to 5K posts coming up! Or even more fitness posts!

Food: Making Lunch Last

Losing weight is tough! It takes a lot of time and dedication and it can be very easy to find yourself slipping up.

Being quite an organised person I've found that planning and prepping food has been detrimental to my success so far. Therefor I thought I'd show you how I end up making my lunch last; saving pounds and lbs.
IMG_0859[1]On a Monday or Sunday (usually a Monday as that's when I have the most time) evening I like to make a big pot of something that I can use in different ways throughout the week. For this example I've got a big smokey BBQ chicken chill esque product that I plucked from my imagination. All free on filling and healthy.

On Tuesday I made healthy wraps with it:

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On Wednesday I had enchiladas:

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Thursday was Nachos:

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And I finished it on Friday with a tortilla bowl:

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I find that doing this not only helps me save money, it also helps me save time as I'm not wondering what to have for lunch each day. Plus its super tasty and super filling to, it keeps me going till dinner which is always good.

What do the scales say?

What do the scales say?

I managed to lose another 1lb today which I'm happy with as it's another pound gone forever, and I knew I couldn't keep losing 3lbs every week.

Onwards and downwards.