Wheat free day 4...

Ok, so last night - Tuesday - was a bit of a mish-mash of a dinner. It's the day when both Mark and I are busiest with Soccer, bootcamp and the timings are all over the place. 

Bootcamp's not till 730, which means that when I get home from work I HAVE to eat some thing! Otherwise I am famished, and not really able for the class. So, I decided to give the porridge another go. This time i thought there might be a way to make it, and then fry it to give it a bit of a crispy edge. Nope, there's not - but it does create a lot of mess... :-( I did remember that I had a heap of frozen blueberries in the freezer - so I added a handful of them to the gloop, and then i diced 1/2 a cox apple and added that too. The apple saved the day - it definitely made the difference between it being gloopy and palatable. Added one teaspoon of golden syrup and ate it - three points. Same as a slice of toast sans rien - and considering I had progressed to toast with peanut butter I am better off with the porridge. sigh - I do love my PB. After bootcamp we both had really enjoyable bowls of roasted butternut squash soup, and today I am going to make a roasted tomato, garlic and basil soup which will be minus the butter, and will make a smaller quantity as I've only about 2 lbs of tomatoes in the fridge and its really just for tomorrow's dinner for me, and lunch for Mark - all we need is a couple of bowls. If it works out then I'll stock up on tomatoes over the weekend and make it again.  

Only good thing about winter is the soups... :-) 

Today's lunch is a scraping the bottom of the fridge lunch - there's spinach leaves - end of bag, sun-dried tomatoes - end of jar, beetroot - end of jar, chicken - end of the cooked chicken, and 40g of cheese - so end of the cheese too. I think it will be nice - i also added 1/2 a tsp of oil to the salad to give it some gloss. 

The scales today showed 10.1 (141) - but briefly briefly flicked to 9.13.8 :-) All I want is tomorrow to be 10 stone heading to my weigh in. I'd feel a lot better - I absolutely hate the fear of going to WW and knowing that you've cocked up! 

Also - i changed my tracking system. Instead of using their books, which are bright green and a bit ridiculous, I have decided to use my own notebook, and just stick within the 29 a day, and then track for 5 week days, and as much of the weekend as I can. I am not going to be that girl writing down her points while she's hammered in the chipper at 3am - but I'll do the best I can to stay out of the chipper :-) Good thing I'm not hitting the pub this weekend! 

The scales...and wheat free day 3

So last night's dinner was hake, spuds and veggies, and then i followed it with a three point curly wurly - the best value (points wise) chocolate you can get - they take so damn long to eat! 

I needed a snack before I went running and had 25g of apricot, raisin and nut porridge (my first attempt at eating porridge as an adult), with some golden syrup to sweeten (we had no honey!). 

Yesterday the scales said 10st 3.2 (143 lbs), today they said 10st 1.2 - (141lbs). Note - the scales and home, and the WW scales never tell the same story for me. The WW scales are about 2 pounds over what I need to be. However, this is all good news on the wheat front - As I was not hungry yesterday, and at the same time I was not bloated, and I still showed a down tick on the scales. I even stood on them twice to make sure! 

Weigh-in day is normally Thursday, but it might be Wednesday this week as I might go see my mum on Thursday instead. We'll see! The last time I went I was 10st 7.5 on the scales in WW - and the week before I'd made it to 10st 5 (145 lbs) - which is only 2 short of my goal. 

I have to remember that when I started I was a WHOLE LOT HEAVIER... 

Taken in 2008 - long before WW was even on my radar...

June 2010 - 6 months before WW - so I was still gaining! 

November 2010 - still pre WW (I had to donate this leather jacket last year as even with a hoody inside it it was swimming on me - it felt good!)

July 2012... over 55 pounds gone! :-) (I'm actually wearing shorts!)

Back to basics... I've been slacking!

Ok, so the posting has been a lot less inspired than I had hoped - and a lot more kudos go out to my friends who blog all the time - Jenn and Lynn, and Tiffany - you guys are amazing, how do you find the time! 

I have decided, based on my allergies, to go wheat free for a week - and see how that goes for me. So, no more sneaky slices of toast, no more digestives that were bought for the chocolate biscuit cake, and no more pasta - just for a week, which started on Saturday. So far it's been ok, as I mentally know that I can have some carbs, and there's a lot of wheat free options out there.

This is in attempt to reduce the itching that I experience all over my body, especially my eyes, throat, nose and legs, and to reduce my sniffles. I'll update how it goes. I may continue for one more week to ensure that i get into that LBD for my friends birthday on the 17th! :-) Who knows!!

Well - today's lunch was leftover fajita peppers (I didn't have the tortillas on Saturday), spinach leaves, roasted chicken and a tiny piece of cheese that was just too small to put back in the wrapper (think 1/4 of a matchbox). It was tasty, followed by an apple and a yoghurt and it was nice and filling - and i'd estimate maybe 6 points for the whole thing - the yogurt was only 1!!:-) 

This evening we are having grilled hake, baby potatoes, brocolli and carrots (boiled) - and I may add a teeeeny bit of parmesan to the veggies and perhaps the fish. I've a long run scheduled with my running buddy too -  12.5km - and have to work out what to eat before I do that. It's going to be hard if I can't have the toast I normally do. My boyfriend's going to get me some oranges, so that might do - or I can have a 2pt protein shake - that might work also, but I think the oranges, with the natural sugar and fibre will probably give me more energy... 

Quick lunch to prepare on a rushed evening...

There are many different types of lunches that we all enjoy - everything from a grab and go sandwich to a nicely prepared stew can hit the spot just right on the right day... however - time is the crunch factor!

This last weekend we were crazy busy and only got back to Dublin on Sunday evening, with limited food, and more limited energy!! Here's what we had yesterday then for lunch!

40g of pasta per person (4PP) - boiled and cooled. 
1/4 punnet of cherry tomatoes
1/4 ball of mozzarella light
1/2 can of tuna 
Squeeze of lemon
Slug of balsamic 

This does not sound inspiring, and when I put it all together it didn't look great - however it came in at only 7 WW PP and after cycling home, pottering around for a while and then doing a run I realised I hadn't, for the first time in ages, had any snacks - and I was still alive. I did have it with a banana, and a yogurt (3pp)

So, snacking, as we all know is as much of a habit, as it is a necessity. 

Yesterday I pledged to improve the amount of water that I consume - this is normally about 2 litres a day, but because I think I am exercising a lot I probably need more. So, yesterday I had 4 litres of water, and a ginseng drink and another glass of water. I was fine all day, didn't need to pee too excessively, and didn't need to pee during the night either! So, obviously that was what i needed after my hard weekend. 

Guest Post!! :-) Thanks Linz!

So, today's guest post comes from one of my weight-loss friends, and one who has completed the journey - YAY!! Well done! 

This is a great idea for lunch, especially the techniques used, as it fools us into thinking that we're actually getting more than we are! 

Chicken Pasta Salad
Use either 1/2 a chicken breast (diced), or 1/3 of a packet of cooked chicken pieces - 2 propoints worth
30g of penne or fusilli pasta, boiled and then cut in half and cooled 

Put the two ingredients in the lunch box, and start prepping the rest of the ingredients:
1 apple cut into small chunks  
1 stick of celery diced
1/2 red onion (or less, or spring onion if you want something milder)
2 tbsp of fat-free / low-fat natural yoghurt  (1pp / 2pp)

Maybe add a squeeze of lemon too, if it suits, or a good crack of black pepper for your own personal taste. 

This works out as 7 pro-points, and I've been reliably informed that it's very filling!! :-) 

Here's the pic Linda supplied!! 

Asian Chicken Noodle Salad

Asian Chicken Noodle Salad

1/2 breast from roast chicken (skin off - diced) (2pp)
1/2 carrot (diced diagonally)
1 spring onion (diced diagonally)
1/4 red onion (sliced thinly)
some small broccoli florets
parsley 
some mange tout (about 4 diced diagonally)
30g (dry weight) noodles (4pp)

Dressing: (this made enough for 2 salads)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil (1pp/p)
2 tbsp sweet chili sauce (1pp/p)

What was missing!! I tossed the noodles in the dressing and then added them to the lunch box, i think this might have been a mistake, its the first time I dressed it that way any way. They absorbed all the lovely dressing and the rest of the salad was then a bit dry

Next time I am going to add in some orange segments - really small slivers for juice, and a couple of jalapenos to make it have a bit more of a kick.

This was pretty packed full of vitamins, good fats and protein, so it will be enough to do the afternoon - and bootcamp later! 

I made up tomorrow's lunch last night - its looking delish, and should be good for you too!! :-) 

Monday.... trying to not roll downhill after a rocky start to the week!!

Monday's just suck don't they....

Thankfully I had my lunch planned out from last night, if I'd had to do my own thing this morning I'd be enjoying lunch from McDonalds or some other such fast food delight... 

Last night we roasted a chicken, we do this  a lot on a Sunday, and have it handy then for lunch during the start of the week. I marinaded the chicken in about 1/3 of a bottle of sweet and chili marinade. Roasted it for 90 mins and then had the most golden looking chicken come out of the oven. What was great was a lot of the marinade, and the fat was not absorbed by the chicken, but there was enough to just give it a bit of flavour, and look the part. 

Today I enjoyed some chicken salad, using the leg (drumstick and thigh) of the chicken, some spinach for iron and vitamin c, olives, pickles, roasted red peppers and some sun-dried tomatoes. Fantastic by all accounts. There was no processed carbs today for me (well, I had a couple of biscuits at tea time) for lunch. 

I added to my lunch with a bowl of homemade roasted veggie soup, and two pieces of fruit - a banana and an orange. 

Any one who has done WW knows that soups are fantastic for being filling and low in points - this one has zero - recipe is below. I find that soup is something I pretty much only eat when I am cold, or trying to not use any points. I never order it in a restaurant, and I feel the ones I make at home are good for filling me between dinner at 730 and getting home at 5, without adding to my points allowance. 

Total lunch points: 5

Roasted Vegetable Soup

Butternut squash / small pumpkin diced 

4 - 6 cloves of garlic (depends on how much you want someone to talk to you that day)

Red onion diced

Red pepper diced

4 tomatoes quartered 

Oven at 200C

Add everything to a roasting tray and season well with salt and pepper 

Add a few shakes of smoked paprika, chili flakes

Crumble over a stock cube

Add two cups of water to the dish (this stops everything from sticking)

Cover with foil 

Bang in oven

After 30 mins take off foil and return to oven for 15 - 30 mins - the veggies should be going crispy and brown around the edges

Remove all to large saucepan

Add 1 cup water and blitz using a stick blender 

Add more water to thin to personal taste - and leave some chunks if you like chunky soup...

Tips - Add one handful of rinsed lentils to the soup to thicken and give it more bulk - that = about 2 points per serving 

Use any veggies that are red / orange / white in colour to this - we often use celery if it's lying around, and I would use sweet potato/ regular potato /parsnip if I had them in the crisper - just adjust the points accordingly. 

Now... why was Monday so shockingly terrible... WELL - this morning, I GOT A PUNCTURE while cycling to work. Bad enough if it happens on the way home, but on the way TO work!! No fair!! So, I had to walk the bike 8km to the office, and then shower / get ready and land at my desk 60 minutes later than planned!! Disaster! Off to get the puncture fixed later...

Hope everyone had a good weekend! 

Lunch Day 1...

Cajun Salmon Salad with Asian Dressing

Ingredients

1 Salmon fillet (110g) (5pp)

1 tsp rapeseed oil (1pp)

1 tbsp soy sauce 

1/2tsp sesame seed oil (1pp)

1 tsp peanut butter (2pp)

1.5 tomatoes in wedges

handful of spinach

spring onions chopped

Half a lime

1. Fry off salmon, and let cool. When cold remove skin and flake into bowl
2. Mix all dressing ingredients (sesame seed oil, peanut butter, soy sauce) together in small jug or jar (jar is good - add lid and you can vigorously shake to mix well)
3. Cover fish flakes in dressing 
4. Add spinach, tomatoes, spring onions to lunch box 
5. Add fish on top
6. Add 1/2 a lime (for squeezing over at lunch)

Hey presto - pop in fridge, and don't forget to take to work! 

Propoints: 9 in total 

NB: I realise that some people consider that 9 for lunch is a little high, and you may be right. However, I feel it depends on what those 9 points are spent on - lots of sugar or sleep inducing pasta, or energy from high protein and good fats. My daily allowance is 26, and every day I earn between 5 and 15 extra in activity points, so for me, i feel this is ok. I normally have 4 for breakfast and the rest for dinner. 

Why this blog....

So, for the last couple of weeks I ditched the work canteen in an effort to 

• save money
• eat better
• loose weight

and then I found myself up against a brick wall - what the hell am I going to make for lunch every day. 

I had already decided against the plain ol' sandwich... it's boring, I can get one any where, and it is not particularly filling. So, I had to come up with my own ideas. 

In this blog I will be photographing my lunch each day, and adding up the Weight Watchers pro-points, as well as the calories (assuming I can work them out) and nutritional information on each element of lunch. 

I hope you guys enjoy, welcome to my lunchbox!