Hello Dear Reader,
After losing weight and putting it back on twice! I've promised myself to lose it forever! It's a big challenge and it really may be a challenge too far! However, I'm going to give it a good go along with more exercise, something that has been 'sorely' missing after having Plantar Fasciitis for months on end! I still get incredibly sore feet but maybe I've just got used to it!
So, here it it......I've set myself the target of losing two stone by Christmas. You heard it here.
I toddled off to the local Slimming World group and it was chatty, informal, informative and welcoming. I inspired my competitive edge and let's hope my name gets mentioned for weight loss and not gain. Yep, they sort of did this ......"Sid, two on this week' followed by jovial banter whilst Sid discloses quite happily that he went on a cake, crisp and ten pint bender and two pounds was eight pounds less than he expected followed by much laughter. I'm sure I'll have weeks where I don't lose any weight and when asked I'll just have to admit that I ate all the cheese!
Onto today's supper. I bought 500g of diced lamb from my local butchers for £1.99 and it made for portions. Lamb is fatty so I slow cooked it in the slow cooker whilst I was at water. I just added water and some seasoning.
Instead of just topping with mashed potatoes, I used half leeks to get more veggies into us.
I added lots of mixed frozen veggies from the depths of the freezer to pad out the meat. After cooking the meat, I strained off the liquid it had cooked in and used my jug designed for separating the fat from the stock. I then used gravy granules to thicken and add it back to the meat. I never use minced lamb and we prefer cubed lamb instead.
Instead of adding butter to my mashed potato, I added 100g of very low fat cream cheese. I'm not sure made it cheesey but it made it creamier.
The lamb was combined with some steamed mixed veg ( bag of cheap frozen) and topped with the potato and leek mash.
It was cooked on a high heat for twenty minutes and served with broccoli, carrots and beans ( beans were frozen, I always combine a bit of fresh with a bit of frozen).
I'm going to up my veggies, reduced my fat and carbs and hopefully up my movement and reduce my waistline!!!
We'll still eat thriftily, frugally and with the odd treat thrown in occasionally but eighty percent of the time, we'll focus on eating healthily.
Love Froogs xxxx
P.s starting weight..............holy moly......14/5.5
Diets don't work but lifestyle changes do.
ReplyDeleteI've lost 16lb and 6% body fat over 10 months and kept it off.
Don't give up anything, just moderate those foods that are clearly not doing you any good.
Start with finding your BMR. Once you have this you will know how many calories you should be eating to lose weight. I found myfitnesspal app to be invlauable-I tracked my calorie and nutritional intake. Each meal shouls have a balance of protein (this should become your friend), carb and healthy fat-in that order.
Find an exercise you enjoy-HIIT and Pilates are what I enjoy and fuel your activities-you can have more calories on activity heavy days.
Remember though that you cannot out train a bad diet. What you eat and how much is key to weight loss.
You can do this. I believe in you!
100% agree Siobhan, Froogs - you know you can do this, you have been successful before just by reducing carbs. The problem is that they sneak back in bit by bit. As I hover around goal weight my current philosophy is that if it is not a plant or animal I am not eating it, so potatoes or rice in moderation, yes. Bread or pizza (��), no. It makes eating out or at friends less stressful. You can do this, with all that you have achieved in life this will be a breeze!!!! Jx
DeleteThanks Julie xx
DeleteI love Slimming World and the fact a diabetic like me can eat carbs which keep my blood sugar level. Slimming World is a lifestyle change and not a diet. I've lost almost 4 stone (56lbs) following it and I've kept that weight off for over two years now. The guy laughing and joking about his gain shows the confidence we have that you can indulge now and then but have all the tools and support we need to shift the weight again. I love Slimming World and wish you every success on it. Personally its given me my life back and improved my relationship with food. I have to admit I'm not one for the fake Fry Light (it sounds like a chemical soup) instead I syn (syn stands for synergy and isn't about committing a sin :) ) a little oil and make use of my non stick pans :)
DeleteI am the worst dieter ever so wish you tonnes of luck. Are you walking? It's the only thing that ever worked for me, plus weight watchers where you can eat everything but have to have small portions. Good luck x
ReplyDeleteGood luck fellow SW member. Similar starting weights too. I bet you lose more than me by next week. Love your blog and now my menu planning has got a whole lot easier. Go girl x
ReplyDeleteGood luck, I am doing the plan x
ReplyDeleteGood luck, I am doing the same plan x
ReplyDeleteI have struggled with eating healthily my whole adult life. I'd love to shift a stone and feel comfortable in summer clothes. I'm tempted by slimming world having followed a few people on instagram who have done really well on it. Have a look at beckydotsandspots. She has a pretty feed as well as food etc. Good luck! I'm rooting for you
ReplyDeleteTry doing the mashed potato with only a little semi-skimmed milk, it's surprisingly creamy and smooth. A good sprinkle of black pepper also livens mash up nicely too. Good luck with losing weight. I agree with Siobhan's comment, diets don't work long-term, only lifestyle changes - for life - will keep the weight off permanently.
ReplyDeleteThanks. It's something that I've only recently taken on board having had success due to tweaking my diet and combining with exercise. I have done WW in the past and had short term success. My main frustration with WW and others is the lack of emphasis on nutrition. It seemed to me that as long as I kept under my points it didn't matter if all of those points had been gained from fairy cakes!! However, it's been a few years so perhaps they do discuss importance of balance and nutrition now x
DeleteGood luck to you! It has taken me a year to lose 18 lbs. I cut out lots of sugar. No sodas, no candy or candy bars, and cut way back on desserts. I have one treat a day, no more than 100 calories. I am going to have to cut something else out if I want to lose more weight. Of course pastas, bread and potatoes are my very favorite. That is why I started with sweets. It was easier for me. My triglycerides went way, way down. So that is a positive.
ReplyDeleteSounds great and more importantly sustainable for life
DeleteGood luck with it all, Froogs. SInce I started my Breadline challenge I have lost weight consistently and am delighted to be saving money and losing weight at the same time. For me, limiting cost means necessary portion control and that's been the biggie. It helps that I like cooking and have a freezer!
ReplyDeleteJ x
Steam potato and cauliflower together - mash and voila - 1/2 the carbs! My hubby doesn't even know I hide cauli in the mash!
ReplyDeleteGood luck Froogs I have taken off 4 stone and put back a few pounds so I don't look too much like a scarecrow. My exercise is limited to dog walking, housework and gardening. Portion control is key and I never eat potatoes which have not been cooked and allowed to cool thereby reducing the amount of calories available to the body. I eat my meat rare which makes it harder to digest and therefore uses more calories. Sugar is a complete no no but that suits me as I don't have a sweet tooth.
ReplyDeleteLong time lurker here, I've been following your blog for a while and I will be eagerly awaiting more healthy recipes, the shepherds pie looks great and something all the family will eat.
ReplyDeleteI too am on a health kick, I am 6 weeks in and lost 10lbs so far. I'm not using a diet club this time (I've tried them all: SW, WW, Aitkins, Slim fast to name a few!), I'm just cutting down on calories, giving myself a daily goal of calories I am "allowed" and logging everything I eat in "My Fitness Pal" app.
Despite doing many diets/health kicks in the past I am seeing it differently this time, more of a longterm change of lifestyle, rather than a short term goal - ie. I want to be able to wear that swimsuit on my holidays, but then pig out after the holiday has happened! (been there, got the t-shirt!)
Good luck with the weight loss!
And this time you will succeed! Loving this approach, the only way to succeed for life is to change for life.
DeleteI've been with SW for nearly 2 years, lost the weight and kept it off. When you look at it SW is basically healthy eating with the odd treat, try adding quark to your mash its makes it a bit cheesy and its zero fat. I have been using your recipes for a while and I usually adapt them for slimming world your faggots are especially good.
ReplyDeleteI have the same plantar fasciitis (wrong spelling probably). It is so painful and I now wear foamy insoles inside shoes. The podiatrist assures me it will get better in two years - I have my doubts. It is a shame as walking long distances is agony and I hate gyms but love walking.
ReplyDeleteLove the recipes - do they offer desert recipes at SW?
Hi Carole, I too have PF. I can't spell it either. My doctor and podiatrist told me not to wear foamy insoles but I need hard orthodics. They work. When the PF is at its worst I do exercises such as rolling my foot on a tennis ball. Good luck to you.
DeleteIt is so painful!
Deb
I lost over three stone then put it all back on again....
ReplyDeleteThank you for this.........i need to tet back in the diet saddle
I'm doing the Slimming world healthy living plan too. Lost 6lbs this week and got slimmer of the week! I upped the veggies too, eating raw carrot etc whilst the dinner is cooking, stemmed any hunger pangs and acted like a starter course and worked this week!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your plan too! xxx
Dear Frugal Queen
ReplyDeleteI have been where you are many times and I would share with a word of advice, now that I have succeded in loosing and keeping it off. The answer is to do it the easy way. With this I mean: use aids like the paul mckenna method: I can make you thin or the most recent on Hypnotic gastric band. Its full of sound directions such as eating what you want, eating when you are hungry, eating consicously.Then tehre is a meditaion you listen to on a nightly basis which puts you in the good frame of mind to loose without feelng you are missing out.
I found a blog which describes it quite well: http://hypnoticgastricband.blogspot.pt/2013_01_01_archive.html
And there is a closed facebook group that is extremely good read.
And its al about focusing on feeling good instead of “good food” and “being good”. I have been many times where you are: loosing and and “finding the weight again”. I don’t believe in this method.
Just my htought!
Thank you for being here
Barbara
PF is awful and it took me about two years to be rid of it. Exercises really helped along with good footwear. Fit Flop brand excellent but pricey but cheaper direct from manufacturer . Standing on stairs and dropping foot down , holding for at least 20 seconds and repeating 3 times good. Also using kitchen surface like a ballet barre hand on surface, rise on to tiptoe and hold, leaning forward with arm outstretched in front of you also good. Hold and repeat. Resting feet on hot water bottle also helped a bit.Jogging very bad for PF as repeated impact on heels causes this problem as well as pyschological stress.
ReplyDeleteI have spent my adult life "a bit "overweight.....1-2 stones. Just enough to make me feel unhappy with the way I look. Things didn't change until I changed my lifestyle and followed the 5/2. I saw the programme and started the next day; over 2 years, I lost about 30 lbs. I did it for health reasons initially and am happy with the consequences ...less weight to carry about is better for my arthritis. It's helped me put food into a better place in my life....I'm not so "needy" of eating so much. BUT...i was retired when I began and I'm not sure I could have managed no-eat days when teaching! It's about finding the right way for you.Good luck!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your weight loss. I've lost 5 st with Slimming World and have so far kept it off for over 6 months (a record for me). Of course I slip up and have cake and biscuits binges but I find the SW eating plan is the healthiest and easiest to follow plan I've ever been on and I always get back to it after a few days simply because its now become a way of life. I know a lot of people say you need to exercise as well to lose weight but apart from walking regularly I didn't do any particular exercise.
ReplyDeleteI have lost 3 stones following the Slimming World plan. I'm not a rabbit. I can't live on lettuce leaves and clear water alone! SW allows me to eat food I enjoy and I never feel deprived! I don't feel like I am on a diet and I allow myself to eat out with friends freely and then get back on the programme.
ReplyDeleteJust a small tip: I find low fat laughing cow cheese very useful for adding a creamy taste to a dish without piling on the calories. And they are often on offer in my local supermarket.
The key to keeping it off for good really is to find the way that works for you. I know a friend who finds the 5/2 works brilliantly and has transformed his eating habits and weight for life. I am not a 5/2 sort of person, for me it means the gym ideally three times a week, walk and keep busy, eat lots of veg, have treats in moderation.
ReplyDelete