Cauliflower rice

It's hot. Thankfully there's a lovely coastal breeze here. Sadly this means I get sunburned and don't notice.

Breakfast was scrambled egg on toast and some fruit. After work I stayed to use the computer for some audio typing, which means lunch was an orange :(

After picking up Nate from school I had that leftover salmon, a yogurt and a banana. Haha. A mixed bag! Then I was potting out my plants. I have 2 aubergine plants, two pepper plants, some sort of pea my son came home with, mint and a cape gooseberry. I also potted my succulents and cacti together to make a nice display. I was able to start pinching out my fushia and saw my strawberries are going nuts and my fruit trees are crazy too! It was lovely pottering about.

Dinner was more exciting. Chicken tikka marsala bites, chopped salad and pilau cauliflower rice. It was my first time with cauliflower rice, but any excuse to play with my cute mini chopper thing! Despite it smelling like fart when it was cooking it was really nice, especially with the lemon juice from the salad soaking in.

I've used my healthy extra B and half a syn so far. I have a feeling I'll be eating everything tonight!

What the Crow!

I sometimes think I live in a sitcom. A crow stole the chicken breast I was defrosting for lunch. Stupid crow. I was going to have Thai chicken salad for lunch. Instead I had a yogurt, a banana, an apple, a packet of skips (3.5 syns) and a jelly (0.5 syns). I was a bit annoyed, I didn't have anything as a backup. Dinner was awesome though as the crow didn't take my salmon!

Potatoes, onions, cherry tomatoes, mange tous, salmon, dill and lemon. Really simple and we have salmon leftover, although I'm still hungry so it might not be left over for long! My fillets are a bit irregular because I snapped up a half price salmon and filleted it myself, they weigh roughly the same though.

I might be so hungry, because (other than my disappointing lunch) I've been so busy today. I put away 4 baskets of washing and put another set on and hung it out. I mowed the lawn and strimmed all the edges, I tidied and vacuumed the lounge and finished my audio typing, then I upped my swimming to 1500m. I could see a big difference in my fitness in the water and my push off is stronger. Given I started the month doing 1000m I think I've come really far in a short period of time. I do love swimming though. 

I've just ordered a set of light dumbbells to increase my upper body strength, which is pretty weak. I'm planning on using the guide in the July slimming world magazine. My activity should read:

Monday - weights

Tuesday -rest

Wednesday - swimming

Thursday - rest

Friday - cricket

Saturday - swimming with my son

Sunday - rest

It's been a build up, and the cricket is only on for 8 weeks. When it ends I might replace it with weights, I don't know yet. 

Anyway, that's about it. My son likes to drive me mad, I'm staying on plan, even when a bird steals my lunch, and my activity is increasing. 

I'll be going to London in a few weeks. I know a lot of people will be cancelling plans after what happened in Manchester, but I can only say terrorism is exactly that. Terror. The desire is to stop people living their lives. And as one person what I can do is keep living my life and keep being kind to others.

Catching up

Well! That was a bit of a break from me. I have to be careful of doing too much and when I started feeling really tired and cold and weak I scaled back things that I didn't need to do until I felt better, which thankfully was just a few days.

Anyway, I have still been on plan during this time. I ended up having to play cricket on Friday with my son's club: first session and he was nervous. And I took him swimming on Saturday still. I bumped into the swimming teacher and got to thank her, which was nice. Today I was walking back and forth from work and my bosses house for a meeting, then she was having trouble with her computer. Funnily on my way a slow worm wrapped himself round my foot. Barmy thing, they're usually scared of people.

In to food I've had some lovely meals!

Harissa chicken!

(Tinned) salmon salad

Mac n cheese using my healthy extra A

Pulled pork and smokey sauce, sumac sweet potato fries and salad using my healthy extra B

Chicken, mango and chilli salad. This was lunch today and was lush. Thankfully I remembered to hold the chilli in place with a fork so no chilli fingers! 

Lastly, it was my weigh in today. 2.5lbs down from last week, 7.5lbs in total. Not bad for 3 weeks! 

Thank You

Wednesday is my day off. Today I enjoyed a glamorous stay at the tip.... Sorry, the recycling centre. And the high class girl that I am I treated myself to some tip plates and bowls. They're really pretty, £1 for the lot, I got a free copper mug tree and the man carried them to my car. I love the tip.

Then much food shopping.

Then lunch (I'll talk food in a moment)

Then swimming. Swimming had two extremely splashy men. One was doing some sort of backwards butterfly/backstroke/fuck knows thing. Personally I think he was just seeing how much room take up and how big splashes he could make. Anyway, towards the end of my session kiddies arrive for swimming lessons. One of the teachers was their and we were having a giggle about how like my boy one of the boys was - anything to dodge doing what he was supposed to. I then say "hmm, I'm supposed to do 10 more lengths, but I don't think I have the time to do all 10." She said, "sure you do. Who's dodging now?!" I did my last 10. Unfortunately she was teaching at this point, but I know I'll see her next week to say thanks. Thanks for giving me that little prod to not short-change myself. I'd gotten in saying I was going to do 50 lengths and that was what I did, not 45. It felt good doing the 50 I had set myself. It was only 50 because I was 10 minutes late. I'm aiming to do 56 next week. You never know, I'll be back doing a mile soon enough.

And I was on time to pick up the boy from his after school club, which then ran on late 😂. Home for a snack for the boy and off to the Drs. Fun times, after having gone to an out of the way community hospital to wait an hour or so to see a Dr, who said my son had a blocked eustachian tube, but he wasn't going to prescribe antibiotics, we are now (about 6) weeks later and going to the Dr because he's still deaf in one ear and coughing and our Dr, who I know doesn't like to prescribe antibiotics unless absolutely necessary, listens to his chest and says, "yes, he needs antibiotics." Fucksake. My boy is overjoyed. Medicine is never a trouble to get down him!

So that's my day off! Add in cleaning and laundry too of course. Roll on work tomorrow!

Anyway, on to the food. I made a full English slimming world style for my boy and I. Beans, onions, tomato, mushrooms, bacon, egg, sausages (11 syns for 2) and two cups of tea (1 syn for milk) for breakfast. It was lovely, and certainly set me up for the day.

 Lunch was jacket potato and yet more beans and a banana. It was still raining and I couldn't be bothered with salad so went fruity instead.

Dinner was creamy veg pasta. This bad boy was stuffed with superfree: cherry tomatoes, onion, spinach, red pepper, courgette, mushroom, mange tous; and pasta and a healthy extra A of garlic and herb Philly.

I may struggle to take photos before stuffing my face....... 

I have my healthy extra B to use still, which might be going on hifi light bars. I've used 12 syns so far, I might use more on something sweet. We shall see. I have half a tonne of food in either way!

Washi hole

Well! Last night I made a hot water bottle, used my syns on chocolate and had an early night. I used chocolatey syns today too and I'll be having another early night. I'll be dog sitting (walking) and swimming tomorrow as well as a tip run so I want to be well rested and to get up early to have a slimming world "fry up". On to today!

Bacon and egg roll (healthy extra B plus one syn) followed by a banana!

This is a Hodge podge! Haha, loads of superfree, orzo, chicken and mini meatballs made from yesterday's burger mince.

Chicken pilaf and broccoli on the side. Quick, tasty and syn free. First time my son's actually eaten the spinach without moaning about it. He was shouting "I hate slimming world" Down the stairs beforehand though. Ahaha. Daft kid, as dinners are mostly the same as previous slimming world anyway.

Look what came in the post today! Washi tape! I do bullet journalling, but for my home one I do like a bit of decoration! Fell down the washi hole! 

Right. That's it from me tonight. I want to get a bit of sewing done before bed. Hoping to finish my last block this week, sew the 3 blocks together next week and then start quilting and hopefully have it done in time to enter in the summer show.

Horrible Hormones

Boo period! I have cramps still. I'm freezing. It's grey and raining. I want to eat all the chocolate and sleep.

It will be short lived.

I'll hunt out more paracetamol and a hot water bottle. I'll do some more sewing and might have something to show you. And I will use my syns.

Week Two Weigh In

Well, I hopped on the scales to see I was down another lb. So I am 5lbs down so far. My period arrived today too, what joy. I know the menstrual cycle can mess with your weight, add in I'm increasing my exercise and I am not fretting that I should have lost more. I feel fitter already and I'm thinking about introducing a home exercise routine too, but I don't want to do too much too soon.

On to food! I've split my healthy extra A between milk and cheese, mostly because I never use enough of either.

Fruit and yogurt and a cuppa for breakfast. I took grapes to work. 

Beasty salad for lunch! Kippers, egg, rocket, mixed lettuce, roasted red pepper, beetroot, cucumber, spring onion, tomatoes, melon, radishes.

And dinner! More salad! Slimming world chips and a cheeseburger, using that other bit of my healthy extra A, my healthy extra B plus 1 syn on the bread roll and 2 syns on the mayonnaise.

I'm hungry again already! I have another burger patty left to cook and I have lots of fruit and yogurt and a couple of hardboiled eggs in the fridge so there's plenty around. Unfortunately, aforementioned period makes me a food bin.

Woo! Weekend!

Ah, the glorious weekend is nearly over and this fool got herself sunburned in my parents' back garden. Thankfully my mum is doing slimming world and she wears the trousers at their's so I needn't worry about slipped in syns. They even watched my son on Saturday while I went swimming, after watching him while I was at work on Friday. They've been great this weekend!

So! On to the food!
Saturday

Portabello mushrooms topped with leek and spinach, bacon medallions and a "fried" egg with a grilled mushroom. I love this breakfast as you'll probably notice!

Sausage and tomato butty and a banana. The sausages are "reduced fat" and are 5.5 syns each. This butty cost me 12 syns and a healthy extra B. Not really worth it, but fine for using syns in my meals.

I saved you from looking at my vomity dinner. It was delicious, but looked hideous. I used my healthy extra A of Philly and 2 syns for these chicken sausages. They are one syn each and absolutely lush. I'd happily have them as part of a full English. I also added pasta and spinach to that lovely lot.

Add in half a syn on milk for a cuppa and 5 for a freddo I finished on 19.5 syns. 

Sunday

Another loungey breakfast. Kippers, portabello mushroom, grilled tomato and scrambled egg. I love kippers, I know people find it funny and that it's an old man thing. Give me a pipe and call me pappy! 

We had roast pork at my parents. And as I don't like gravy anyway it's a syn free meal for me.... Except the crackling looked too good. I weighed myself 10g with the plan to check the syns before I had any other syns. 

Pudding, however, looked amazing! Behold!

And that is syn free vanilla yogurt (I don't like cream either).

My son wanted porridge for supper after his bath, bless him, he loves porridge. I had this bad boy instead....

Couscous, prawns, beetroot, tomato, rocket, spring onion, roasted red pepper in brine and pineapple! Adding fruit to a savoury salad is new to me and I figured nothing ventured, nothing gained. It was amazing. So pleased with this combination. Try it! 

I will probably use my healthy extra B on two hifi light bars because I picked up white bread, not wholemeal, like a moron. And depending on how many syns 10g of crackling is I might get me a Twirl! 

So that's the food. Swimming on my own was lovely, and I upped my distance to 1250m. Hoping to add another 100 on Wednesday. Slowly increasing it. I already feel fitter!

Poorly Friday

Not me; my son. Just a bug that wiped him out. Hence no posting. But here we are - better late than never.

Good old fruit and yogurt for breakfast, which meant that I could have two hifi light bars and a banana at work.

The boy perked up at lunch time. And behold the nom. Unfortunately, when I say lunchtime it was 3pm before we ate!

Slimming world chips, "fried" eggs, beans and melon for my superfree. It was so good!

Boy felt poorly again at about half five, bless him. So I was glad he had something filling earlier. I had tea about half eight, which is very late for me. But boy was it delicious. A prima Vera orzo using spinach, peas, courgette, spring onion, garlic, asparagus and my healthy extra A of parmesan. It was so good!

Afterwards I had a rhubarb and custard ice cream cone for 9.5 syns. It was so worth it, it was lovely.

And that was Friday

Low Mood Leftovers

No one in this house has been in a good mood today. The boy has had bath, teeth, book and early bed and I'm inclined to follow suit.

Anyway, a low effort day in terms of food was called for.

Healthy extra B of cereal, fruit, yogurt and a fruit tea.

As my bladder will tell you I've been drinking lots more water (with lemon slices).

Lunch was leftover curry (see Tuesday's food) then a banana for a snack and dinner was leftovers from yesterday's dinner. Then I had 11.5 syns of chocolate and some fruit.

Nothing inspiring and I haven't used my healthy extra A yet. Tomorrow should prove more interesting. Hoping my son and I aren't coming down with something. Mind, there's a case of threadworms in his class, so it could always be worse!

Double up!

Nope, I haven't given up already. I was just a bit knackered yesterday is all. So today you get a bumper post. I'll keep it short.

Tuesday

Breakfast was spaghetti hoops and some stray beans on toast. 1 syn and a healthy extra B for the bread. 1.5 syns for the juice.

There's no pictures of lunch as it was rather shameful - ham, melon and a yogurt. I had to go to the shops right after work and when I got back there was no point to prep something as it'd be 3 by the time I would have eaten and then it'd have thrown dinner off. So although not what I had factored in as lunch for that day it was the right decision. Although probably not something I will do often.

And ta da! Dinner! Slimming world korma with added mushrooms and veggie rice. I'll be having this leftover for Thursday lunch.

I had some grapes, snack a jacks 4.5 syns and 5 syn freddo that evening . 12 syns for the day!

Wednesday

I love Wednesdays. It's my midweek day off, son's at school and has an after school club. I love my son dearly, but as a single working parent I'm either at work or with my son. These days are golden. 

Before school I put on a load of washing and baked a cake. After dropping my boy off I cleared the crap from the stairs. I swear this stuff breeds. Then this yummy breakfast! Just as I finished dad came round to fix the last blind, because even with a ladder I couldn't reach it. Whoever designed the windows in this house is a bit of a twat. After dad left I hung out the washing and popped to lidl (50 minute round trip so I don't go on work days). Did the weekly shop plus picked up a new BBQ reduced to clear for £14, cheaper than the £40 I was planning to spend. Which obviously meant I got the picnic rug I put back last week, I got my son a fun toy*, I got the water bottle I had planned on getting and this plastic pineapple cutter/corer. I kinda thought this was going to be a bit crap and not really work... I was wrong. So wrong. It's brilliant and really easy to use - it did not need the strength of 10 men to use. I was slightly happy about this.

Then I made lunch while putting the mountain of shopping away.

Pasta with a mushroom and tomato sauce with salad! 

Next I decorated the cakes for my son's bake sale tomorrow. Then off for my swim! Added an extra 4 lengths and would have done more, but I was unsure about getting back in time for my son. It worked out fine. I'll add another 4 lengths next week I think, until I build up to a full mile. Picked up my son and made dinner! Chicken thighs, potatoes and veg all baked together 

Afterwards I played with my new pineapple slicer - honestly, get one, and had a bit of yogurt with the pineapple and kiwi and then a Twirl. Nom. So I finished today on 12.5 syns.

Really pleased with a productive day. Probably doesn't sound like a great day off to most people, but it was great. I love getting stuff done. And that's today!

* The fun toy had my son wailing and throwing tantrums because he couldn't work it. It's such a simple toy. I am blaming being overtired. He has p.e. on the same day as his after school club, which is essentially another hour of p.e. then he wonders why I won't sign him up for beavers on the same day! He has, however, asked to do another club, which I'll ramble about tomorrow.

More of Monday

Well, that's Monday nearly over with. I showed my breakfast in this morning's post, so on with lunch. A great massive salad! Full of free and superfree

My salads like to have meet and potatoes etc in them. Not the saladiest of salads!

Dinner was fish and chips! My son's fish was much better breadcrumbed than mine. Mine fell off. Then he says he loves the fish but isn't keen on the breadcrumbs and picks them off. We'll probably just have plain old fish in the future. I had 1 syn of breadcrumbs, and I used half a tbsp of mayo (1 syn), fat free fromage frais, diced gherkin and chopped capers for a tartar sauce.

That's my son's plate, only because mine looked so rubbish!

I snacked on grapes at work and just snarfed 20.5 syns of chocolate to be within my fatty allowance of 5-25.

My fridge was full to bursting on Wednesday and now it is looking somewhat pitiful! The fruit bowls are more full, but only because I'm waiting for the stuff to ripen! Although, I'm sure I could fit it all in one bowl now...

Anyhoo, that's all for today. I'm hoping to start getting up a little earlier so I might try from tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Weigh in Week One

Drum role please! Week one and I've lost 4lbs! I'm really pleased. It's the tip of the iceberg, but I set mini goals: obviously there is each half and full stone lost, but I also like getting under each half and full stone in weight. I started at X stone and 10.5lbs, now I am at 6.5lbs, so I am under the half stone. It just breaks it down more and helps keep me positive and seeing the progress.

Ironically Facebook "on this day" informed me that four years ago I'd lost 5 stone 10lbs with slimming world (didn't include the 12lbs I lost before going to group).

Anyhoo, here's breakfast. 35g cereal, fruit and yogurt! And a cup of tea. It's needed!

End of the First Week

So it's the last day of week one and I'm back in the swing of things. And I'm still rubbish at using my healthy extra A, I do make sure I have natural yogurt etc to make sure I get enough calcium though.

Breakfast was lush! Big mushroom base, leeks with natural fromage frais stirred through, bacon medallions and a (inexpertly) poach egg on top and a grilled mushroom on the side, because I wanted one.

I did a slimming roast dinner. Chicken , fry light sprayed roasties, sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. I don't like gravy so that's not a problem for me! Pudding was strawberries and more natural fromage frais. My parents were round and I totally forgot to take any pictures.

I've just wolfed down a salad using left over salad (and some fresh), left over noodles, left over roast chicken and a left over hard boiled egg! Also 2 syns of sweet chilli sauce.

And over in that corner you can see my sewing project. It's an English paper piecing lap quilt. It takes a long time and you have to be crazy to want to do it! 

Look at my lovely cups I got myself for mother's day! Perk of being a single parent is that I pick out my own gifts. 

My healthy extra A is milk in tea and my healthy extra B will be used on 2 hifi light bars. I've only used 2 syns so I might go scoff some chocolate. Not sure about this 25 syns lark! 

And Order Was Restored

Here's breakfast! Healthy extra B plus 1 syn of bread with spaghetti hoops on top and I had a bowl of chopped fruit, which I forgot to photograph, but pretty sure I've put up enough pictures of bowls of fruit for you to not feel too hard done by.

After breakfast I started sorting out the dumping ground know in most homes as the hallway. My son is 6 and is so tall he's in 7-8 clothes. In the mound of coats on the coat hooks I found one of his aged 3-4 years! And his preschool bag! For shame! All sorted and I finally put a picture up instead of keeping​ it propped against the wall. After all that I had tea with a dash of mill and sugar instead of sweetener, making it a 1.5 syn cuppa.

Lunch was more of that yummy 1 syn salmon with salad and a potato salad (4 syns for the mayo).

Then it was off swimming with the boy, who after years of refusing to go now loves the damn pool. Although he's only been twice with school and this is the first time with me since before I got sick. Bless him, he was so tired after dinner that he fell asleep on me while watching a film. He is a snuggler. He had a mini pack of biscuits after swimming and I had a banana. He's rather excited about colouring in his fruit and veg sheet and is getting better at having fruit or veg as a snack/pudding.

Tea was a ham, spring onion and healthy extra A of cheese omelette with more salad and slimming world chips. I think I perfected them and I forgot how nice they are. I have an air fryer though, which quite simply, kicks butt. 

There's 1 syn of ketchup on there too, bringing me to 8.5 so far for the day. I think I'll have some chocolate shortly, because syns are there to be used. Talking of which, I only mention drinks that contain syns or healthy extras, I didn't just drink one cup of tea for the day! Oh, and I didn't have anything after posting yesterday.

Mum and dad are coming for Sunday roast tomorrow. Roast chicken (no skin), fry light roast potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and sprouts. I don't like gravy, but I make it for everyone else and I'll be sure to measure the flour etc. Strawberries and melon for pudding I think. I picked up a melon today to get some change for parking only to find out parking is free on weekends. Haha. Typical!

Might include my current sewing project in tomorrow's​ post.

So long for now

Big Fuck Off Glass of Wine Kinda Day

Ooh yes it is! The joys of being a single parent is that there's no one there to tag in when you kid is simply being a bit of a twat. He isn't a twat, but some days he likes to act like one! Back chat, screaming and tantruming and refusing dinner. Well, that can fuck right off. I led him upstairs to get changed for bed. I got changed, got his toothbrush ready, came downstairs and poured myself a big ass glass of wine for 8 syns. I have no idea what he's doing now, and quite frankly I am not particularly interested!

The day started off well with fruit and yogurt for breakfast, and my healthy extra B of 2 hifi light bars and a banana for foodage at work. I then had a teeny bowl of the last of the veggie chilli and rice, then a mug shot - what a sad thing that was(!) And a few slices of melon. I took no photos because I forgot!

Dinner was delicious. Salmon, noodles and veg. The winging resurfaced at this point, and the rest of the crappy behaviour. I'd brought him sweets after school and he had a biscuit at a friend's house, so he's having those as well as healthy meals.

The salmon isn't burnt. It was 1 syn of sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, fresh ginger and tomato puree.

And here are my next 8 syns!

I am allowed up to 25 per day, so I have up to 16 left. I didn't have any yesterday. I wasn't being "good" I just couldn't be bothered to move!

I gave the lounge and my bedroom a good clean, dust and vacuum and put away two sets of washing and I swept and mopped the kitchen, which got me moving.

Right. I'd best tuck in the monster upstairs and then finish my wine and get my making on.

Wobbly teeth

That's right. We have our first wobbly tooth. I find teeth gross, especially ones that come out. Totally blaming my grandad who terrified me with his false teeth when I was little. My son is delighting in his new power, thankfully it will be short lived. He seems to think you get £1 and a toy and blah blah blah - I stopped listening. How much do kids get for losing a tooth?!

Anyway, on to the food!

A healthy extra B of oats (35g), yogurt, defrosted mixed berries and a banana. I took some grapes to work with me too.

Lunch was leftover chilli and rice and I have enough for tomorrow too. I followed it with sliced apple. I like apples but for some reason sliced taste even better.

I was naughty and had a 30 minute nap before picking my son up from school. It was worth it and I am trying to keep balance and make sure if my body needs rest then I rest. It's easy to get into the idea of punishing your body to lose weight, but I'm trying a more positive way.

Dinner was pasta and meatballs with a healthy extra A of 30g of cheese and a side salad. No pudding, because I'm happily full. But I'll probably have something later.

 Last night I had grapes, my healthy extra A of cheese and 15 syns of chocolate to give me 19 in total for the day. I haven't had any syns yet today and I'll probably get hungry later so I will wait and see.

I was told today that some things that were superfree on slimming world are now just free, but to be honest, I lost the weight doing it the old way, and I'll carry on until I stop getting results. To be honest though, I'm more concerned with my health and fitness rather than my weight.

Last day of work for the week tomorrow and the house looks like a bomb has hit it. No nap tomorrow!

Just keep swimming

I got back in the pool for the first time in years and about 10 years since I've done lengths. I did 1km today and it was wonderful. Downside is that I had a choice of wearing an ancient costume that had turned see through languishing in a drawer or a maternity tankini that slid down my arse. I plumped for potential arse showage over definite everything showage. I knew full well if I made an excuse today I'd never go. My muscles are tired this evening, but it's worth it- I remembered how much I love swimming.

I went shopping again this afternoon and two swimming costumes have come home with me that won't get me arrested for indecent exposure!

It was eggs, healthy extra B (plus one syn) and 3 syns of butter for breakfast. I forgot the fruit but had a banana after my swim.

We were in a rush and I ate my eggs before I remembered to take a snap!
Lunch was a couscous salad, with bacon medallions. Life without bacon is no life!

When coming back from shopping, which somehow took nearly 4 hours(!) I snarfed another banana and 2 snack cucumbers because I couldn't reach anything else edible. Tea was mixed bean chilli and rice with loads of veg slung in. And papaya for pud. I've not had my healthy extra a and I've only had 4 syns so I might have to see what I fancy in a bit.

And that's today! Back to work tomorrow if I can move and because I made extra chilli and rice I can have that for lunch. Got to love minimal prep!