Waking up & off to a meeting!

24^th January 2018

Show up even when no one applauds you for it.

Oh I do love a good night’s sleep, it’s my favourite thing this month, I think I believe if I sleep most of the month, I’ll wake up and it’ll be spring.  I know that’s not going to happen but it is almost February already – YAY!  Plus it’s pay day tomorrow – HURRAH!  Last night I had salmon and a frozen tub of dhal, I was asked for the recipe but hadn’t cooked it, however below is a recipe from a member that was way tastier than what I ate yesterday, actually all three of these dishes were brilliant when the were cooked for me, time to try myself I guess. 

I still need some motivation to get where my members are with focusing on Flex, I’m two steps forward one step back or should I say two meals forward one meal back!  I’m thinking of nipping along to a meeting as a member this morning before I go food shopping, I need inspiration from others, I need to sit and focus on myself a little not just on my members and as my mate Mel said last night when she lost 3lb, “I decided to give this Flex a go because you can’t ignore the results that we’re seeing!” And she’s so right, another 140lb lost yesterday on my scales, that’s 10 stone!   It really is fantastic and I do want some of that.  I actually just want to feel like I want to cook and eat healthy, this time of year takes my YAY away somewhat, I ate bread for breakfast and lunch yesterday, that’s not me. 

I sat yesterday to write a meal planner and I couldn’t even think of 21 meals I wanted to eat, I’d forgot how to do this eating healthy lark, I did half of it and I know when I walk round the shop today, I’ll find more ideas, then as the week goes on and I eat the meals, I’ll not just journal them, I’ll put them onto this meal planner for future times when I’m feeling like this, I need to get me a new and up to date ‘Flex meals I like to eat’, yeah there’s a little project to distract me from this grim nasty month, I’ll focus on the inside and ignore what’s going on outside.

Yeah I think getting along to a meeting and having half hour to get my mind in the right place is just what I need and let’s be honest if we can’t spare half hour for our own health and happiness, there really is something wrong with our lives and our time management!

Well I know what I’m having for breakfast, egg and beans on toast, with tinned tomatoes and mushrooms plus I might through in a couple of bacon medallions.   Start my day off full and positive,that sounds like a plan. 

I’ve got to sort last night’s meeting and paperwork too so I’ll do that now before mom wakes. 

Yeah I’m feeling positive already just knowing I’ve made that decision to go to a meeting, hopefully no one will know me and I’ll be able to be a member not a coach in someone else’s meeting.

Here’s to a great day BeYOUtiful, we got this!

 

Yasmin's Yummy Lentils 5sp total recipe

1 table spoon of olive oil (5sp)
Half a onion
Two garlic cloves
Salt

green chilli
Turmeric powder
2 cups washed split red lentils
coriander to garnish

Add oil, chopped onion and garlic to a pan and on a low heat, soften onions and garlic.

Then add washed lentils and mix quickly so they don't burn or stick to pan.

Add 2-3 cups of water and mix well.

Add a half teaspoon of Turmeric to the pan, mix well.

Add a chopped chill or two, preference is yours.

Mix well, and on a medium heat, cover the pan and let cook for 20 mins.

Check every 5 mins to make sure you have enough water as it evaporates very, very quickly. If so, add another cup and check again. When lentils are no longer looking like lentils, more like mushy lentils. After it’s all cooked, add coriander to garnish, and a huge dollop of low fat, or fat free Greek yogurt to serve.

You can have with toast, chapattis, rice, or a huge spoon.

Here’s another good one.

Chickpea mmm

Total recipe - 9sp with potato, 5sp without.

I'm not a fan of chick peas but this recipe was cooked for me and it was delicious!

One can drained chickpea,
Tablespoon of olive oil (5sp)
medium chopped onion,
medium chopped fresh tomato,
half teaspoon. garam masala, cumin, & turmeric
one teaspoon each of ginger and garlic
Salt and chilli as needed,
Red pepper - optional
Medium diced potato - optional (4sp)

Add onions to pan, with a tablespoon of olive oil, soften onion and then add all spices, stir quickly and add chick peas. (If you want to add potato, use one med diced potato and add with chick peas) Then stir, add tomatoes and stir

Add some water and let cook on slow heat till peas get soft. You can then add red pepper and cook another 5 mins.

Chicken Saag

Serves 4, 0sp per serving, 2sp in total recipe

Low calories cooking spray

2 finely chopped onions,

200g mushrooms, sliced

6cm piece of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped

3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tbsp medium curry powder (1sp)

3 tbsp tomato puree (1sp)

1 chicken stock cube

700g skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks

1 ripe tomato, roughly chopped

100g baby leaf spinach, roughly chopped

Large handful of roughly chopped fresh coriander

4 tbsp fat free natural Greek yogurt

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Spray a large, deep non-stick frying pan with low calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat.  Add the onions and fry for 5 minutes, adding a little water if they start to stick.  Add the mushrooms, ginger and garlic and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Stir in the curry powder, tomato puree, stock cube and 300ml of water and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the chicken and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the tomato, spinach and the coriander and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. 

Take the pan off the heat, stir in the yogurt into the curry and season to taste.