Weigh In & Goals, week a head.....

Very happy to report another 1.5 pounds down this week 

Whoo hoo, still on track for May! its 4 weeks since I aimed to lose 1 pound a week till the 19 of May. In total Ive lost 4.5 pounds, so hoping I can continue to lose 1/2 to 1 pound per week till then.

Exercise: I've slacked off a little, after being so sick last week I have found it so hard to get back in to it, still walking and did so some toning and cardio, Think I will take it slow again and get back on track! 

This is going to be a hard week food wise, I have loads on, 3 birthday party's and one housewarming! but helping out with food for that, so hope that will help me stay some what on track. I guess the plan is to prepare,plan my meals and  track! ooh and weeklies yippee for them they will probably be used a lot this week.


So this week I tried two more recipes from my cook book and 10/10 marks from every one

I  made:
Smoked Haddock and potato parcels : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80M3RkWq95A&feature=endscreen&NR=1

Also for my Lovely Mother in law birthday we made:

Strawberry Sponge Layer Cake : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENJ-35U16qw&feature=g-all-f&context=G273e2b4FAAAAAAAAAAA

Well worth a try and I will be making them again.

Cup Cakes

I made some of these last week for two little girls and the Mammy's as well, enjoy!

 Chocolate  Blueberry  Cupcakes

 

4 PP 

Ingredients

100g of self raising flour

175g fresh blueberries

25g cocoa, sifted

1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

100g dark brown sugar

75g low fat spread

2 egg beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

100g low fat soft cheese

15g icing sugar, sifted

1. preheat oven to gas mark5/190''0C' fan oven 170 and line a 12 hole bun tray with paper cases
2. Place the low fat spread and caster sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until pale and creamy.Add eggs a little at a time , whisking continuously , then whisk in vanilla.
3. sift cocoa(keeping some back for frosting)  and flour and baking powder and add a little at a time to mixture, stir in blueberries(keeping aside some for topping_, spoon mixture in to paper cases and  oven bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and springy to touch.

For the frosting: beat the cheese together with the icing sugar and the reserved cocoa. spread on each cooled cupcake topping with a blueberry. 

Lemon with strawberry topping cupcakes 

 3pp makes 12, 15 mins preparing 20 minutes cooking

75g low fat spread

100g castor sugar

2 eggs beaten

100g self raising flour

finely grated zest and juice of one lemon

a few strawberry's sliced

40g icing sugar

red food dye (optional)

1. preheat oven to gas mark 5, 190/170 oC for fan oven , line a bun tray with bun cases
2. place low fat spread and castor sugar in a bowl and beat until pale and creamy, add eggs a little at a time, whisking continuously, whisk in the vanilla and sift in the flour. fold in lemon zest and juice. spoon the mixture in to paper cases and  bake for 15 to 290 minutes until golden and springy to touch remove from oven and leave to cool on wire rack.
3. For frosting, mix the icing sugar with 2 -3 teaspoons of the lemon juice and red food colouring if using, spoon on to cool cakes topping with sliced strawberry's

TIP you could add some chopped strawberry to the mixture or raspberry's, cherries etc  

If you Sin you can't be Thin?????

If you Sin you can't be Thin?????

Would any one out there agree!!

I was watching Operation Transformation to night and one of the leaders had a child's birthday party to go to and we all know how bad they can be! Sweets every were and the Cake!!! now what do you do.....

1. sit there and have nothing at all  
2. Plan to have a small taste that wont take you over your PP

Personally I would chose 2, plan to have a small taste! I do not agree with the saying ''if you sin you cant be thin!!''

Its all about balance, know when to stop or say no or make better choices, if we cut every thing out and try to live with out ever having a ''sin'' again, I think its a set up to failure, no one can live like that long term, so isn't it better to learn how to cope and manage a suituition like a child birthday party, that occurs in all our daily life's.
To me my weight loss is a lifestyle change for the better. being able to have a Little something nice in my mind enables me to continue and maintain my weight loss. also stops me feeling deprived if you feel deprived you will fail. its only so long you can do that for before it all comes crashing down. its all about portion control!

Love to hear what every one else thinks!

Week 5 & 6 Weigh In exercise update......

Week 5:
This week was a good week, still on track and enjoying weight watchers, listening to the radio and in the new bulletin they said this is the week when people on a weight loss plan give up so happy to report I am not part of that group(go me)

So loss this week was:

0.5 pounds 

Exercise Update

lost 3 inches off my waist

was hoping to have another 1 pound loss this week, but I lost 0.5 I was hopping with my exercise I would see better weight loss each week, is that's not what meant to happen!! well in hindsight when I took my measurement again, I was delighted I have been going over my tracker and doing a lot of research in to exercise, weight loss, calories etc and I have been very strict not eating my weeklies and have not been using my activity points either, I think I used less than 10 of my weeklies and I think I may have not eaten enough! plus with feeding a baby the rules change a little normally eat less move more =  weight loss. but not if your feeding you need to make sure you eat enough for the baby and then your body lets go of its fat reserves! so putting that theory to the test and making sure I eat enough!


Treated my self to the new weight watchers Complete kitchen cook book I love it! very impressed have used it lots all ready this week, well worth it but watch this space I will share some recipes in the coming weeks :)

Week 6:

So I did not get to post as much as I wanted to this week, house full of sick children, who passed on their lovely dose to me! but I did do a great 10k walk in the wicklow/ Dublin mountains carrying my 11 month old in a carrier. he weighs about 19 pounds. some work out! we were walking 4 hours, over rough, wet boggy up hill ground. we stopped a bit as well to take in the view and water and fruit break.
but on Monday I was feeling under the weather, so decided to skip my harder work outs doing cardio and resistance. got in a good walk Tuesday and Wednesday I got in a short walk!

So weigh in this week

1& 1/2 pounds

Happy with that and I'm still on target for a pound a week for 19 of May, roll on next week!

Food wise I made some lovely cupcakes pic and recipe to follow! 

Onwards and downwards

Weight Watchers Vegetarian Nachos with Guacamole

I worked my portion out as 12 PP see note at bottom of recipe

Ingredients

1 large red capsicum (pepper), finely chopped
35g packet salt-reduced taco seasoning mix
400g can unsalted red kidney beans, rinsed, drained
400g can crushed tomatoes
1 small avocado, stone removed
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
½ small red onion, finely chopped
1 fresh long red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
1 tbs lime juice
150g low-fat oven-baked corn chips
2/3cup (80g) Weight Watchers Grated Tasty Cheese

Method

Heat a large oil-sprayed non-stick frying pan over high heat. Cook capsicum, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add seasoning and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add beans, tomatoes and ½ cup (125ml) water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes or until sauce has thickened.

Meanwhile, roughly mash avocado in a bowl. Add tomato, onion, chilli and juice. Stir to combine and then set aside.

Preheat grill. Divide corn chips into flameproof serving bowls. Cover with bean mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Grill until the cheese melts. Top with guacamole and serve immediately.

Serving suggestion: Add a 0 POINTS value green salad. Dress with 2 teaspoons each of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and allow 1 ProPoints value per serve.

TIP: Finely chop a few sprigs of fresh coriander leaves and stir through your guacamole for more zesty flavour.

Important note! 

I used the Taco shells for my portion they worked out as 2 for 5 pp much better than the nacho's I got for 7 per 50g, I didn't use the ww cheese, just normal low fat cheese I also added mince to the recipe after I took out my portion so if you do that adjust the PP 

Link to you tube instructions http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmq4dCAktXw

BlueBerry drop Scones

2 1/2 points or 4pp (189 calories per serving) serves 4

Ingredients

100g self raising flour,sifted

2tsp caster sugar

1 egg beaten lightly

100ml skimmed milk

125g blueberries

low fat cooking spray

To Serve 

100g 0% fat greek yogurt

2tsp caster sugar

1, combine the flour,sugar and egg without overbeating,then add the milk until the mixture is the consistency of thick cream.srtir in the blueberries.Heat a heavy-based,nonstick frying pan over barbecue coals or over a camping stove (or on a hob if indoors) 

2, mist the pan with low fat sprayand drop spoonfuls of batter on to a pan. cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden and firm and risen. you should get about 16 scones in total, serve immediately with a dollop of Greek yogurt and an extra sprinkle of sugar.

we had our with some banana on the side passed my daughters approval she loved them! I think they be lovely with some maple syrup over them ! 

Recipe adapted from an old weight watchers magazine from the old points system!

Week 4 2012 Weigh In

Well its the 4th week back in weight watchers and happy to report 

A loss of 1 pound 

on target for my goal of 1 pound loss on till the 20 of May. 

 WHOO HOO 

I'm very happy with that,

We got two little books one the Prou with some stories and recipes and  the Filling and Healthy day which I'm reading through and think I will try one or two days this week and see how it goes! 

I was going to try it today but had to try blueberry drop scones for breakfast'' tasty''! recipe to follow

also had two wholegrain biscuits as well for a snack.  

Exercise: today I want to try out my Zumba DVD plan is to go to a class on Wednesday also today I'm taking the Fatfighters challenge every time I go on facebook I'm doing a set of press ups work those bingo wings :) 

its a new program following people weight loss on channel4

so far Ive done 3 sets of 20 press ups I'm trying to do at least 10 of them the right way and not on my knees hard going! to think there was a time I had no problems doing 20 of them the right way those were the days when I was horse ridding and mucking out . 

Ok so now its time for Lunch, will be posting some recipes later for any one interested or may be not :)