Yesterday was a delicious day!

4th January 2016

I'm thankful for my struggle because without it I wouldn't have stumbled across my strength.

If I haven't said it before, I love my mom, she's just incredible, this was how our conversation went yesterday;

Me "I feel like I can do this at last"
Mom "You know you can do it because you've done it before!"

She's just the most BeYOUtiful soul I've ever known, she bought us up to believe in ourselves and that we can do anything we put our mind too and she's still doing it.

She's right too, I have done it before (quite a few times ;), I have at least 6 gold cards, I used to pretend I'd not done Weight Watchers before and start afresh!)  So here's to getting back to my happy weight, I'm feeling confident. 

It's the first Monday in 2016, most people are off back to work and so many will be 'starting' their 'diets', I'm happy to say I'm starting Day 4, I've made it through the weekend, I've given my liver a break (no booze at all!) and I'm feeling really positive which for January is awesome for me, it's not usually my best month, I don't like this grey, miserable weather!  I'm also just about to start on what will be a crazy month so I must ensure I find the time for me, it's too easy to say "I just haven't got time to..." and that might be plan meals, cook meals, get to a meeting, whatever it is, if it's important to you, you'll make time!  It's true, I hate that it's true but it is, so I shall be making time for myself and my health.

Especially when I'm hearing stuff like I just did on the news on Radio 2 "Children between 4-10yrs old are eating their body weight in sugar each year"  That's terrifying!  I think it's really important to remember not only does this sugar come from chocolate bars and pop but it's hidden well in our processed foods, thinks like ready meals and jar sauces, that's why I love this new Smart Plan because it's getting us to check first before buying, cooking and eating - after all healthy eating starts in the supermarket.

We ate really well yesterday, our day started with soft boiled eggs on toast for mom (bread for me), for dinner I cooked the bacon and onion mash from yesterdays blog, then served it with cod fillet, seasoned with fresh rosemary and lemon zest, then I wrapped them in 2 pieces of Asda's extra special unsmoked streaky bacon (it's very lean) roasted in oven until cooked and served with brocolli.  I also added the left over  lemon juice to some extra low mayonnaise to make a real tangy sauce - mmm it really was delicious and only 9sp in total.

Then at tea time I used a bit of spray light and fried a pack of mushrooms with a couple of chopped garlic cloves and served it in a Weight Watcher tortilla wrap (which I know can be rarer than rocking horse poo to get hold off, but I found in Waitrose last year) served it with mixed salad leaves and 1/2 an avocado for a delicious 8sp.

Here's to making today a Monday that matters, focus on the healthy and happy BeYOUtiful, and I'll finish with today's Smart Pointed recipe;

Beef & Beer Casserole

Serves 4, 4sp portion

Low fat cooking spray
400g lean stewing steak, cubed (12pp)
2 finely chopped onions
2 tbsp plain flour (4pp)
2 finely chopped carrots
200g chopped mushrooms
300ml beef stock (made using 1½ oxo cube)
150ml beer (2pp)
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to Gas mark2/150^oC. Heat a non-stick flameproof casserole & spray with low fat cooking spray.

Season and fry the beef on a high heat then add onions & stir-fry for another 5 minutes.
Add the flour and stir to coat the meat.

Add carrots, mushrooms and seasoning and stir-fry together for a minute or two, don’t let the flour burn.   Pour over the stock and beer and stir, mix together.

Cover and place in oven for 1 hour, stir occasionally. If stew dries out, add a little more stock or water.

Serve with Roasted butternut squash to make it a really filling meal.

Looking forward to my week.

3rd January 2016

The struggle is part of the story.

Well yesterday morning was an awesome start to my Weight Watcher working year, such a great turnout, we all smiled at our gains, there were a few losses too, well done to the rare ones!  The we laughed as we planned what we could do this coming week to help us get back on track.  Yes me too because I gained 5lb over Christmas, and 8lb in December, thankfully I'd lost a little in November but I still have enough to lose. 

Starting day 3 here though, and with my weeklies intact, which I'm grateful for as Sunday is the day I don't have to go anywhere so can enjoy a bit extra if I want.  Enjoyed a bit of smoked salmon for my breakfast yesterday and then had a lovely creamy pasta dish for my tea using lots of veggie and a bit of Philadelphia light.

I think I might do mango and chicken kebabs today out of the latest Weight Watchers magazine, yeah that sounds like a plan.  Actually that could be tea and I might have Cod and mash for lunch, we shall see.  Feels good to be back on track and focused.

So today's recipe that's been Smart Pointed is this;

Bacon and onion mash

Serves 4, 5sp each

600g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into even chunks
1 large garlic clove
Low fat cooking spray  

1 onion, sliced finely
2 rashers smoked lean back bacon
3 tablespoons low fat fromage frais
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the grill to medium.

Put the potatoes and garlic into a saucepan and cover with cold water.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes until tender.

At the same time, heat a lidded, non-stick pan and spray with the cooking spray.
On a very low heat, cook the onion, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened and caramelised.

Meanwhile, put the bacon on a grill pan and cook for 5 minutes, turning halfway through until cooked and crispy.

Drain on kitchen paper, then chop finely.

Drain the potatoes and garlic thoroughly and return to the saucepan.  Mash with a potato masher until smooth.  Stir in the fromage frais, chives, cooked bacon and onion  Season with plenty of freshly ground black pepper & serve immediately

That would go nice with a bit of cod I think, mmm yeah sorted, I'll just have to nip out and get fromage frais. 

Loving tracking and seeing my end of the day success in front of me, not just the food, but the moves too, the step count, fitpoints earned and of course something that made me smile!  Both the new trackers and journal cover all these things and as it says, happy people make healthier choices - so it really is important to make yourself happy).

Right let's make today a good one, I'm undecided what I'll mostly be doing although I do need to get ready for next week's meetings, that's my first task, then my day is my own. 

Whatever your plans, focus on the good stuff, my highlight of yesterday was coming home to find mom had sorted the cupboard under the sink and marked the boxes up - it's the little things ;)

Here's to BeYOUtiful success in 2016 for those of us not at goal yet and continued success for those that are. 

One down, many more to go :)

2nd January 2016

Let people do what they need to do to make them happy, mind your own business, and do what you need to do to make you happy.

And there it was - gone!  I'm only back to work today, that went really quickly, I've rested and apart from a bit of housework and some cooking, I've not done much with my time off.  Although it hasn't really been a week off as there's always WW'er stuff to do but luckily it's a passion not just a job, so I see the good parts as a hobby and the other stuff as the work.

I started my day by getting the journal out and doing all the things it says to do in there, I took my measurements 'eek' I've used centimetres instead of inches as I don't understand what those numbers mean in relation to my size.  I then did me a little inspiration board, so went through some photos, found a couple of full length ones from December that I weren't so happy with and then looked back and found two where I know I felt fabulous and I was pleased to realise I wasn't as light as the charts suggest I should be then either, so I'm aiming for those weights for now.  And I'm going to journal every day, especially because it asks me these two questions;

SOMETHING THAT MADE ME LAUGH TODAY: hearing moms giggles as we were watching the films "Mrs Brown boys"and "Kingsman", she seemed to find heads being blown off amusing!

THE BEST THING THAT HAPPENED TODAY: I finally got a meal plan of sorts in place which in itself doesn't sound so great but it was the culmination of all the effort I'd put in sorting my kitchen and starting my journal. 

I made it through day one by the way, finished on 30 smart points, even measured my milk for my 3 cups of tea, yeah drinking more water, less tea and of course no wine as that was one of my resolutions for this week.

Had scrambled tofu for breakfast, I'm trying to use everything that's already in the kitchen as pay day is far away and it's gonna be a very tight month!  For dinner we had cheese and potato pie and baked beans, that cost me high with the points but it was already made from the day before and I wasn't wasting it, plus it was delicious. I actually threw my tea away and started again, I know I said funds were tight but I can't eat bad food, I'd bought those bare naked noodles to try that are only 1sp a packet, there's a reason for that I realised, they're not great!  They might be okay if you covered them with a strong tomato sauce but with a delicate sauce, nope sorry not for me.  Instead with had a tuna mayo toastie to use up the white bread my brother bought when we had fish and chips Christmas eve.  I used to love white bread but give me a slice of seeded brown these days, much tastier.

After I'd given the kitchen a good clean, I spent some time yesterday looking at what I had in my cupboards and freezer and working some meals out from them.  I also found some delicious meals in February's Weight Watcher mag and the new Smart cookbook that I want to try, my first being pork and apricot burgers in the book and chicken and mango kebabs or on page 75 there's a pancake with a creamy mushroom and leek filling but instead of the pancake, I'm going to use a WW wrap as they're in my cupboard.  I think I might be feeling have my cooking mojo returning!

So today's recipe that I've repointed is;

Bangers and mash with onion gravy
Serves 4, 9sp each

Takes 15 minutes to prepare, 30 minutes to cook

low fat cooking spray
4 medium onions, sliced thinly
1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) potatoes, peeled and chopped roughly (21pp)
8 Weight Watchers thin low fat sausages (12pp)
100 ml (31/2 fl oz) skimmed milk (1pp)
600 ml (1 pint) vegetable stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Spray a large saucepan with the low fat cooking spray and then add the onions and stir. Season and cover with a piece of baking parchment and then cover the pan so the onions are sealed. Cook over a very low heat for 30 minutes, or until the onions are soft and starting to brown.  Meanwhile put the potatoes into a large pan of boiling, lightly salted water and boil for 20-30 minutes, until tender when you insert the point of a knife.   Meanwhile preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6/200°C/fan oven 180°C and cook the sausages for 25 minutes.  Drain the potatoes and mash them with the milk and seasoning.  Keep warm.  Finish the gravy by removing the lid and the paper from the onions and adding the stock and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to the boil and simmer on a high heat for a few minutes or until thickened, then serve with the bangers and mash, allowing two sausages per person.

It wasn't supposed to be that one, I plan on working through the website in order and I thought I had bacon and onion mash ;-) that's what happens when you do it at 5am.  So that can be tomorrows now as I need to go get ready for work.  Bangers and mash does sound good though, maybe it was the universe sending me inspiration. 

Here's to a fantastic day, staying on track, finding the smile moments and acknowledging all the good things you do BeYOUtiful. Xx

Don't put off getting back on track for another week to 'get your head in the right place' it doesn't happen, it just delays you getting back on the road to success. 

Why 2016 won't be your best year ever! & wateva to willpower!

1st January 2016

Dripping water wears away a stone!

2016 won’t be your best year ever.  Unless… you make it so!

Now I know my Will Power is pretty lame on those days when I'm tired or just not in the mood, so those things on my "TO ACHIEVE" list get ignored, so this year I'm not relying on Will Power, instead I'm gonna throw in a dash of Won't Power, because I'm pretty good at writing a list of things I won't do!  This year though I'm going to make sure that list contains positive things, such as;

I won't hang out with or give my precious time to mood hoovers (you know those folk who enjoy being miserable!)

I won't carry on eating when I'm full!

I won't pile food on my plate, actually I'm going to buy 9in dinner plates to help with that one.

I won't put off the housework.

I won't drink red wine for the next 7 days.  (baby steps, I'm not saying a month!)

What will go on your Won't list?

What I've realised is for me to lose weight successfully I need to break it down, I can't focus on the bigger picture, I need to focus on the 24 hours in front of me to start off.  I wasn't going to start till tomorrow when I'm back at work, but I've decided to start today instead.  And I shall be making daily resolutions rather than focusing on the year!

What made me realise this?  Well switching from ProPoints to SmartPoints means all the recipes on my website need re-pointing and that's a time-consuming task!  So what I've decided is I will do one a day rather than tackle them all at once, it occurred to me when I found a magazine recipe I'd wrote 10/10 on, I thought if I wrote that mark, it must be good and needs re-pointing and cooking again!  So I did and it only took a few minutes and that was with typing it up too, here it is;

Butternut squash and sage pasta

Serves 2, 9sp per serving

100g Wholewheat Farfalle pasta

1teaspoon Olive Oil

150g Butternut Squash, chopped in 1cm cubes

a few sage leaves, roughly chopped

15g Pine nuts

12 individual Cherry Tomatoes, halved

1tablespoons Reduced Fat Houmous

Cook the pasta according to pack instructions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok and fry the squash and sage for 10-12 minutes or until golden and starting to soften, stirring regularly.  Add a splash of water if they start to stick.  Add the pine nuts and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes more. 

Drain the pasta and tip it back into the pan with the squash mixture and houmous.  Mix together and season with plenty of black pepper, then serve immediately with a green salad.

Delicious! 

So that small act made me realise when you look at the bigger picture sometimes it can be overwhelming and off putting, whereas if you break it down into bite sized chunks, it's so much more doable, that goes for everything, not just weight loss, my house work for example, I could cry when I finally decide to have a go, but just doing 10-15 minutes at a time makes it easier to face.

So I've decided to start today even though I still have cheese and potato pie in the fridge, why?  Because I don't want to start this plan thinking food like that is a no-no, it isn't.  And no I don't know exactly the Smart Points in the dish but I can guestimate it pretty closely as I made it, I might not have the exact weights but it'll be thereabouts.  Oh and it'll be delicious with baked beans mmm, is it wrong to have that for breakfast ;)

So on my daily resolution list today is

- to track 100%,

- to find the smile moments

- to take my measurements for comparison later on

- to enjoy my cheese and potato pie

- To drink 3 pints of water (already don't one)

That's enough for one day!

So what's your plan, do you have one?  Whatever you decide, Happy New Year!  Focus on the healthy and the happy whenever you're able, smile a lot and be BeYOUtiful!