Ony arf!

12th March 2016

Being happy is a very personal thing and it really has nothing to do with anyone else.

Lost another 1/2lb yesterday, that's a total of 7.5lb in 10 weeks, some might think that's slow but it's working for me, I'm being a realist this time, I've had my birthday in that time and my besties, I've also enjoyed my food and my wine!  Now some might also think driving for 40 minutes to get to a Weight Watcher meeting on my one WW free day is a little crazy, especially to lose only 1/2lb or "ony arf" as we say here in my meetings, but you know what, when I stop and think about what might have happened had I not known I was being weighed by my leader and not been trying well it wouldn't have been a loss, it would have more likely than been a gain.  

If I hadn't been making the effort. I'd have had the butter and jam on my toast when I went out for cake with mom last Sunday. I'd have taken the big bag of pork crunch home that my helper had given me and demolished them (there had to be 70SP in that bag and I have no control switch). I'd have drunk the hot chocolate and cappuccino and ate the cake this week because there was no one going to ask me what kind of week I'd had and whether I'd stayed within my allowance. I'd have drunk the extra glass of wine, it wouldn't have mattered. And instead of not getting a loss at the scales, I'd have more likely gained a couple more pounds without anyone knowing and I'd be closer to the next stone but in the wrong direction.  That's why I'm making the effort to go and get weighed on my day off when I could be doing a dozen other things!  

We did go for lunch, there were 3 courses involved, the soup I had for starter I reckon in total had to knock me back about 13sp, 6sp for the actual soup which was a Caribbean jerk cauliflower soup - nice, I might try to create.  It was the bread and butter that caused the problem, easily another 7sp.  My main was a posh fish finger roll with fries, I only ate half the fries, about 5sp as there weren't even as many as would be in a small McDonalds portion.  I removed all the batter from the tiny bit of fish, I need to remember I don't like batter, I'm a breadcrumbs girl!  And I only ate half the roll, so say 8sp max for both.  So that's 26sp so far, but then we ordered dessert, we were both poorly and feeling sorry for ourselves, I had crumble and custard, again was less than one of those small pots in the shop which are 7sp so I'll say 5sp, the crumble well I did only eat the crumble off the top, I left the rest, I really wasn't hungry and full of cold still so wasn't fussed, so McDougalls Crumble Mix works out at 5sp per serving, that'll cover that part.  Therefore my lunch cost me 36sp and if we're both honest, the soup would've been more than ample for both of her as she was even more poorly that me and we were just ordering for the sake of it.  So next week, we're just going to a cafe type place rather than a pub meal. 

36sp spent on a meal, I'm okay with that though because I left food, didn't eat it just for the heck of it, because it was there, because I'd paid for it.  I acknowledged I either didn't like it that much (fish finger roll) or I was full (crumble), listening to my body and mind for a change. 

See I may only have lost 1/2lb but I'm making lots of real changes, small ones but ones that matter, I'm not in a rush to get to any particular weight, I just want to be healthy and in control of my food intake.  I will always overeat because food is what I enjoy, and wine of course, they make me smile, they taste delicious.  But when I overeat these days it's coming from a good place, not a bad one, not from a place of unhappiness or because I'm using it as a coping mechanism.  That's my goal, not merely a number on the scales!  What's your goal?  

Good news, my head cold seems to be on the move, I feel much better this morning, ready for my lovely Saturday morning meeting, followed by a relaxing weekend I think, no plans, just do what I fancy = perfect.  Hope you've got a perfect weekend planned too.

This recipe shows how the different parts of the chicken make a massive difference to the final Smart Points of the dish, I do love chicken thighs, but I might be tempted to use breast and lose just a little of the flavour to save that many Smart Points.

Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic Serves 4,

13sp per serving using thighs, 

5sp per serving using breasts,

9sp per serving using legs

2 tbsp regular olive oil (9sp)                                        

Either

use 8 chicken thighs (skin on, bone in) (42sp) or

use 8 skinless breasts for 8sp or

use 4 skinless legs for 27sp or

1 bunch (about 6) spring onions                               

small bunch fresh thyme

40 garlic cloves (approx 3-4 bulbs), unpeeled        

2 tbsp dry white wine (1sp)

1½ tsp sea salt flakes or ¾ tsp pouring salt             

Ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.  Heat the oil on the hob over a high heat in a wide, shallow, ovenproof and flameproof casserole (that will ultimately fit all the chicken in one layer, and that has a lid). Sear the chicken, skin-side down. This may take two batches, so transfer the browned pieces to a bowl as you go. Once the chicken pieces are seared, transfer them all to the bowl.

Finely slice the spring onions, put them into the casserole and quickly stir-fry them with the leaves torn from a few sprigs of thyme.  Put 20 of the unpeeled cloves of garlic (papery excess removed) into the casserole, top with the chicken pieces, skin-side up, then cover with the remaining 20 cloves of garlic.

Add the vermouth (or white wine) to any oily chicken juices left in the bowl. Swill it around and pour this into the casserole.  Sprinkle with the salt, grind over the pepper, and add a few more sprigs of thyme. Put on the lid and cook in the oven for 1½ hours.

I might get the ingredients to make this today, nip in Lidls, on the way home, mmm.  Have a great day BeYOUtiful, remember it's the little changes that make the big differences.