A simple & smart fresh start!

3rd May 2017

"and I said to my body, 'I want to be your friend'. It took a long breathe and replied 'I have been waiting my whole life for this.'"

Struggling for motivation?  The fact you aren't where you want to be should be motivation enough - remember that today!

Yesterday I stayed the same at the scales, I'm more than happy with that when I think about the cinema popcorn followed by the pizza I hate, plus the rest of the weekend.

Today I start No Count, and after a conversation with a member at the scales last night, and her fantastic 6.5lb weight loss, I'm going to try her idea too.  She'd done No Count, but Simple Start style from back in the day, in a nutshell, you'd eat from the No Count list in the Weight Watchers Eat book (it's at the back just in case you've never opened the book, also as your coach for the No Count booklet if you don't already have a copy), then you'd be allowed unlimited Flavour Boosters and drinks (see bottom of blog), plus you get to enjoy up to 2 Extra Treats a day to add a little indulgence to your meals (again at the bottom of the blog). 

Also you can Include two teaspoons of healthy oil in your eating each day.  You can use it for cooking or in dressings. Healthy oils include olive, safflower, sunflower, flaxseed and rapeseed. If you need more than two teaspoons, you'd need to take any additional teaspoons from your Extra Treats.

Dairy: Include at least 2 portions a day. A single portion is made up of ½ pint of skimmed milk or a small pot (150g) of low-fat natural yogurt.

Why did this work?  Because it made the start of your journey SIMPLE, then when you got passed the first two week, the full plan looked almost indulgent after a couple of weeks of this 'strictness'.

I like the idea a lot because it's almost like de-cluttering my diet, just like I have been doing to my house, and doing that has made me feel so good, I can't even begin to say how good, I'm even sleeping sounder for having done it.  I feel more organised and I'm keeping on top of it all for now and it's nice to walk into a house that smells and looks good. 

I've cleared my house, now to clear my 'diet' starting with my fridge, cupboards and shopping basket.  If I don't buy it - we can't eat it. 

I will be doing a bit of a shop but only stuff from that No Count list, I'll use Asda, just booked my slot for tomorrow, will only buy essentials to keep the cost down whilst using up the No Count stuff in my cupboards and freezer.  I've taken Gammon, Smoked Haddock and Cod out of the freezer to keep me going through today, so all good there. 

Yeah this time next week I want to be typing 'YAY, I lost...." and I'll be happy with any loss because it'll be more about having a good week that's in control and feeling better for it.  

The One pan fry-up on this week's meeting recipe card is ideal for this Simple Start idea

Here's a couple of ideas to make Simple Start easier;

Tomato sauce

• Pinch of celery salt

• ¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce

• Drop of vinegar

• 200g passata

• Pinch paprika

• Freshly ground black pepper

Place all of the ingredients into a small pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Pour into a sterilised jar and store in the fridge.

Tzatziki

• Cucumber (about a 1" chunk)

• 90g 0% fat natural Greek yogurt

• 8 fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

• Freshly ground black pepper

Coarsely grate the cucumber and stir into the yogurt with the mint leaves. Season to taste with pepper. Store in the fridge.

Gravy

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 6 thyme leaves, chopped

• ⅛ tsp Marmite

• ¼ stock cube made up with 100ml water

• Freshly ground black pepper

Put the onion into a small heavy based pan and cook over a low heat, stirring regularly, for 3 minutes. Stir through the thyme and Marmite. Add the stock and bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until the onion is cooked through. Purée with a hand blender and serve.

Roasted red pepper spread

• 1 medium red pepper (about 200g), deseeded

• 1 tsp olive oil

• 1 clove roasted garlic

• 50g Quark

• 2 sprigs fresh coriander

• Freshly ground black pepper

Roughly slice the red pepper and place in an oven proof dish, drizzle with the olive oil. Roast in a hot oven; 190°C/Fan 170°C/Gas Mark 5 for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool, then transfer to a food processor.  Add the remaining ingredients and pulse to a course spread. Store in a lidded container in the fridge.

Right that's me all geared up for success!  Let's do this, I'm off to do me a No Count breakfast involving gammon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms and toast I think, mmm nice!  Whatever you're planning on eating today - enjoy it BeYOUtiful, take care of you - your important too.

Spice up Simple Start meals and snacks with the Flavour Boosters listed below:

Artificial sweetener

Balsamic vinegar

Capers

Chilli, fresh, dried or flakes

Curry powder

Fat-free salad dressing

Fish sauce (Nam Pla)

Garlic

Ginger

Harissa paste

Herbs and spices, fresh and dried

Hot pepper sauce (Tabasco)

Lemongrass

Lemon juice

Lime juice

Mustard, any type

Salt and pepper

Soy sauce

Stock cubes

Tomato purée

Vanilla extract

Vinegar

Worcestershire sauce

Weight Watchers Bag ‘n’ Bakes

Yeast extract (Marmite)

Zest of citrus fruits

Help yourself to drinks

Aim to drink at least 6 glasses of fluid a day for good health.

On Simple Start you can include any of the drinks listed below without needing to count them.

Coffee, black or with skimmed milk (without sugar)

Tea, black or with skimmed milk (without sugar)

Diet drinks

Sugar-free squash

Water, still or fizzy

Herbal and fruit teas

Weight Watchers No Added

Sugar Juice Drinks

You can add up to 2 Extra Treats a day from this list to bring a taste of indulgence to your eating.

Almonds, 8

Avocado, 60g

Butter, 2 tsp

Cashews, 10

Cheese slice, 1

Chocolate nut spread, 2 tsp

Chocolate, 2 squares

Cream, single, 3 tbsp

Custard, low-fat, ready-to-serve, 150g pot

Drinking chocolate, 1 tbsp

Feta, 40g

Flour, any type, 1 level tbsp

Fruit yogurt, fat-free, 1 small pot, 150g

Gravy granules, 2 tsp

Honey, 1 heaped tsp

Houmous, reduced-fat, 1 tbsp

Ice cream, low-fat, 1 scoop

Jaffa cake, 2

Jam or marmalade, 2 tsp

Lager, ½ pint or 330ml bottle

Lemonade, 1 can

Low-fat soft cheese, 50g

Low-fat spread, 2 tsp

Malt loaf, 1 small slice

Mayonnaise, reduced-fat, 1 tbsp

Meringue nest, 1

Oil, any type, 1 tsp*

Olives in brine, 10

Orange or apple juice, unsweetened,

1 small glass, 150ml

Parmesan, 15g

Pesto, 1 level tbsp

Pistachios, 15

Quorn sausage, 1

Salad cream, 2 tbsp

Smoked salmon, 60g

Spirits, single pub measure, 25ml

Sugar, 1 tsp

Tomato ketchup, 2 tbsp

Weetabix, 2 biscuits

Weight Watchers Premium Pork Sausages, 2

Weight Watchers Reduced Fat Mature Cheese, 50g

Weight Watchers Yogurt or Fromage Frais, any flavour, 1 pot

Wine, red, rosé, dry white, sparkling, 1 small glass

Yorkshire pudding, 1 small

Snacks available to buy in your meeting

• Weight Watchers Fruit Bears, 1 bag

• Weight Watchers Savoury Snacks, 1 bag

• Weight Watchers Snack Bars, 1 bar