Here's hoping for another loss this morning!

10th November 2016

You did not wake up today to be mediocre!

YAY, I'm halfway through, I'm a so chuffed with myself I really am, if you'd have said 7 weeks ago, I'd be 6 weeks into a 12 week challenge, I'd have doubted you so much because I'd spent the who year trying to be in the zone, trying to follow the plan, doing so/so but never with the 100% conviction it needs to be successful and here I am on it. 

I'm not sure what if anything I've lost this week till later but I've lost 8.5lb in the first 5 weeks so whatever it is, it's proof with 6 more weeks to Christmas weight loss is possible if you put your mind to it - start this side of the year it'll make 2017 easier!

I'm proud of myself too because the stinky cold I've had and the cough I've been left with is one of them that is best medicated with chocolate and whisky and all that niceness that makes you feel temporarily good when you feel rotten, I haven't succumbed though, I'm keeping my eye on my long term goal, I want a stone off for Christmas and a short term feel good fix isn't worth undoing all the effort I've put in so far.

I'm actually looking forward to stepping on the scales this morning because I know I'm on track, even if they don't show a loss I know they will because I'm doing it. 

I had the best damn Weight Watcher ready meal I've ever had yesterday, Vietnamese curry with sticky rice, 8 Smart Points of delicious, I had it with a Weight Watcher wrap, was so good, I'm hoping by 'limited edition' they mean a good few months, or maybe they'll change their mind and making it a permanent addition.

My lamb tagine cooked eventually!  Far too much liquid in the one I was given the recipe for, I blogged it on the 8th and the recipe said add 2 pint glasses of pomegranate juice per pack of lamb, nah, you only need 1 litre carton for the entire recipe , it also took a lot longer to cook!, Here's my amended version. 

lamb tagine

Chop 1 red onion and soak it in some Pomegranate juice from a litre carton of No added sugar pomegranate juice (Sainsbury's = 10sp)

Take a strong, thick based pot and heat it until it piping hot.

Add a tablespoon of veg oil. (4sp)

Then add

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

1 teaspoon of ground ginger powder

1 teaspoon of ground cardamom

1 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground all spice

Half teaspoon of cinnamon

Let them just toast for a minute or so.

Add the lamb and coat that in the spices.

 Add the onion that has been marinating in the pomegranate juice.

Add 12 dates (29sp) with seeds removed then add the remainder of the litre carton of pomegranate juice to lean diced lamb (450g = 15sp, I used 900g = 30sp)and 3 lamb stock cubes, salt and pepper and then let it bubble on the stove for 6-8 minutes then place in an oven for a few hours on 150^o/gas 3, keep your eye on it till it looks cooked.

It's not low in Smart Points, with just the one carton mine would've been 73sp total.  I reckon there's a good few portions in the pan though, will portion it up later.  It is sweet though, so you could add more stock, less juice, your choice.

Bonnie reminded me of a saying the other day, "It's not the cough that carries you off, it's the coffin they carry you off in!"  I'm sat here trying not to cough smiling at that daft saying!  Made me smile because it reminded me of my childhood, these daft sayings aren't used so much anymore. 

Mom and I had a quick look at a few photo albums yesterday too when the man came to do the interview for his uni project, I'm going to leave them out and have a good look at the weekend, how many of you take photos and rarely look back at them, especially now they're all online!  I'm going to get some of the photos I've taken this year printed out, I've been meaning to do it for weeks and not got round to it, so that's on my get done list now.

Today though, I'm going to enjoy my meetings, try not to cough too much, if it's dry I will walk, I'm not walking in the rain on a busy Thursday - I draw the line there.

Right I'm going to make a hot drink in the hope that soothes my tickle because water isn't cutting it at the moment!

Here's to a tremendous Thursday, let's do this BeYOUtiful!