BBQ salmon, with grilled asparagus, lentil salsa and baby new potato salad

Tonight's super healthy, low point dinner is only 13 points (plus 9 for the halloumi if I can't resist) -

Ingredients:
One salmon fillet per person
One lemon
One tbsp wild oregano
One can lentils
6 tomatoes
One red onion
Handful chopped coriander
One lime
100g chopped jalapenos
Pinch of sea salt flakes
250g baby new potatoes
Two tbsp half fat mayonnaise
Chopped chives (or dill, or jalapenos if you're brave, for the potato salad)
Oil for brushing the grill and fish catcher


What to do with it all: 
Potato salad - Boil a pan of water and cook the potatoes for 20 minutes. Drain well and set aside to cool slightly. Mix in the mayonnaise and the 'extra' of your choice.
Lentil salsa - Finely chop the onion and tomatoes. Mix in the jalapenos, coriander, sea salt and lime juice. Stir in the lentils.
Salmon - Marinade the salmon fillets in the lemon juice and oregano, about 2-3 minutes before cooking. Grill with the asparagus (and halloumi!!) on the BBQ for about 3-4 minutes each side.

Serve al fresco with a chilled glass of Sauv'!

Happy summer BBQ xx

Go away Easter Bunny, I don't want your stinking chocolate!

OK, so maybe I do.........argh, Easter and chocolate, a dieting girl's nightmare.

Actually I've found the hot weather the hardest thing to adapt to (cope with) this week. I've stayed the same, which is better than a gain but still makes the end goal seem forever away. It's been too tempting to come home every night in this hot weather and share a bottle of wine in the garden with my hubby. Every glass is 3 points out of my daily allowance, which is fine on occasion but not to be done in excess Emily!!

BBQs and picnics haven't helped either. I'm such a little of everything person, it's just the everything that's the problem ;o) I'm going to set myself a challenge this week of finding lots of yummy, BBQ/Picnic friendly recipes and making sure I still satisfied with them.

So confession time - I've point counted every day but there were at least two days this week where I went over, slightly, so smacked bum (big, massive, giant whale bum) and carry on with a fresh week.

Yesterday was a good day. We took the dog for a walk and then stopped off by the brook for a picnic. We ate half a cob of corn (1 point), a piece of halloumi (3 points), a veggie sausage (2 points) and a veggie burger (3 points) that were left over from Saturday night's BBQ. Then I made a green salad (free), some coleslaw (1 point per serving) and some curried yogurt dip (1 point per serving) with some Quorn mini scotch eggs (1 point each). Total = 14 points which is great considering this was lunch and dinner in one.

So I'm on the right track again, I just need to stay on the butt bus and keep riding the journey to skinny town....;o)

Fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat ,fat!

Argh. Love the summer. Hate my arse. It's such a lovely, warm sunny day and I feel soooooo fat!

I think it's because I've been out in public wearing just a t-shirt and a pair of jeans (oh and shoes too but they don't count). I'm so self conscious. I felt like everyone was staring at my belly today, wondering if I was expecting and telling themselves that if I am I must be very overdue.

Cannot lose this weight fast enough!

I wonder if it's OK to go through summer in a duffle coat, abit like a cocoon and then emerge next year a skinny, pretty butterfly?

Recipe - Jonny's Spring Veg Risotto - 15 WWs points per serve

The sun is shining and the birds are chirping and all I want to do is sit outside, drink cider and have a BBQ. I don't have enough points for that though, so instead I'm going to make a low point, healthy, tasty meal that my friend Jon gave me.
The lemon and mint make this dish so refreshing on a warm spring day, and popping broad beans is always a cool thing to do!
It also gives you an excuse for a cheeky few glasses of wine, because there's some in the recipe! One for me, one for the pan, two for me, one for the pan, three for me..................

Ingredients - 
1tbsp olive oil
3tsp butter
2 cloves garlic
1 red onion
150g Arborio rice
125ml dry white wine
900ml stock (I use 4tsp reduced salt Bouillon for every litre)
Spring veg of choice (tonight we're having broad beans, peas and baby courgettes)
Zest of one lemon
Juice of half a lemon
Handful finely chopped mint
25g parmesan, grated
Cracked, black pepper


Here's what to do with it all - 
Finely chop the onion and fry gently with the butter and the olive oil. When looking soft, crush in the garlic.
Add the rice and stir in until it starts to look translucent. Sling in the wine (one for the pan, two for me) and stir it in until it's almost absorbed, then add a ladle of stock.
Stir it in until it's almost absorbed and add another ladle of stock. Repeat until the rice looks creamy and has a nice 'drop' (about 20 minutes).
Meanwhile, pod your broad beans (so much fun!), blanch them in boiling water for 3 minutes, plunge them into cold water and pop them out of their shells.
Slice the courgettes lengthways and sauté them in a tsp of butter. I like doing this as it gives them a caramelised taste.
Add them right at the end with the broad beans, peas (unless using frozen in which case add them a few minutes sooner), lemon zest, mint, lemon juice and parmesan and serve.
Yum! Cheers Jon x

Week eleven - Bum, minus 3lbs!

Yes! 3lbs down this week. I'm now 18 stone exactly. Total loss so far = 1 stone 3lbs. Very pleased! Although 18 stone is frightening to think of, especially when your goal is 13!

It's been an interesting week. I've been meticulous with my point counting, but I've dipped into my weekly allowance a little each day. I clearly got away with it, but last night was tricky and we ended up going about ten points over. The lesson learnt is to not use up all my weekly before the end of the week, especially as the end of the week is a Saturday. I'm having a gentle day today and will be well under to make up for it, but that's not really the point.

I've been increasing my exercise alot more lately too. I never use (eat) the points I make doing activities but I earned 22 points extra last week by walking fast for an hour a day, 5 days a week. That plus a two hour walk and 1 hour bike ride at the weekend is making heaps of difference I'm sure. It's fun and the weather certainly helps!

I went to see my best friend, Kelly and my Daddy Pops on Friday and both of them commented on how good I look. Neither of them have seen me for a few months and I'm chuffed that it's noticeable already. I feel good too. I mean again, I'm still huge but I'm 1 stone 3lbs smaller than I was three months ago so that can only be a good thing! In fact according to an old spreadsheet we found the other day I'm only 4lbs off the weight I was when I got married, 2.5 years ago.

I've told Neil we mustn't look back on our wedding pictures and be disgusted at how fat we were. Despite my girth I felt like the most beautiful girl on the planet that day and will never look back on it with any bad thoughts. Neil feels the same (although I think he meant handsome boy, not beautiful girl ;o)

Speaking of Neil he's doing really well too. His starting weight was 15 stone 10lbs and he's now 13 10lbs, so he's lost two stone! He looks gorgeous, but then I would say that!

Anyway, I'm off out on my bike with my boys now. I wonder if anymore small children will exclaim at the sheer size of me on my bike? Bothered?

;o) 

Week ten - stayed the same

It's been a bad week. I've counted but only half-heartedly so I'm not surprised I haven't lost, in fact I'm surprised I haven't gained!

I don't know why particularly, I guess I just wasn't in the mood. Is that OK? Is it OK to just have a bad week, as long as you're still trying a little and not gaining? I think so and it's made me determined to do well this week to make up for it.

We had the first BBQ of the season yesterday. It was lovely but I won't deny I found it hard to point count. In fact I just gave up in the end because I'd had such a bad week I knew I didn't have much left anyway and I really wanted a yummy BBQ. I'm still pleased with myself though, because despite the booze it was low fat and healthy and nowhere near as much as I used to serve up. I just need to get better at rationing a recipe and saving up my points ahead.

I made some cheesy mexican bean burgers (that turned to mush). Only 4 points each. We also had corn on the cob (free), BBQd asparagus (free), and a green salad (free) with balsamic vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil for the dressing. It was the halloumi that did us in though, despite it being the low fat one. I just can't resist BBQd halloumi, so next time I must be sensible and leave enough points for it!

One thing that is really bothering me at the moment is the constant battle I have with staying positive and being happy with myself (and my loss). One stone in 9 weeks is really good, but I can't stop thinking that it's not enough, it should be more, I've still got a long way to go, etc etc. In fact it's quite depressing to see a picture of me now and still see a big, fat person.

Taken yesterday on a very long walk

I mean, I look better than I did 10 weeks ago and I'm in the next size down in clothes, but I'm still in size 22 jeans and I still weigh 18st3lbs! I'm huge and I've a very long way to go before children stop asking Mummy and Daddy if they ought to push the lady back in the water before she dies! In fact I went for a lovely bike ride today and a child of about 5 said to his Mum as we rode past ''Mummy, look at that fat lady on a bike''. I don't blame the kid, he was only little and speaking the truth but I was funking furious with his Mum for not telling him off!

So, watch out kids, there's a fat lady about but at least she's doing something about it ;o)

Now, where's my wine! xx

Another plug for sponsorship please

Now I've lost my first stone, help me get rid of the second one by digging deep and helping the animals at the Blue Cross.

Thank you x

Recipe - Brazilian black bean stew - 16 points per person

Ingredients - 
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp green chillies, chopped
1 tbsp ginger, chopped
2 tsp rose harissa
1 tin black beans
1 tin chopped tomatoes


Method -
Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the sweet potato. Boil for ten minutes.
Meanwhile fry the onion until soft and crush in the garlic. Add the chillies and ginger and fry for a few minutes. Then stir in the rose harissa.
Add the sweet potato and coat with the paste.
Stir in the black beans and tomatoes and simmer for 3/4 minutes while you cook the naan.
Serve in big bowls with a tbsp of half fat sour cream (or 0% greek yogurt) and a small naan.

Quick, easy, filling and so spicy it'll knock you socks off ;o)

One stone off my bum - kissed goodbye!!!

Just absolutely delighted to share that on Sunday's weigh in I lost a vital pound, meaning I reached my first goal - one stone!! One stone in 9 weeks.

This diet is great. I'm able to eat and drink everything I want, just with more control. It's teaching me so much, in terms of what I'm eating and how much of it I should be eating. In fact one of the main things I've learnt from it is to assess how much I really ''need' that thing I'm craving. If I have 100g of chocolate,  for example, that's fine but it means that that's either taking away a bottle of wine and a nice meal on Saturday, or leaving me with just 25 points for the day (a bowl of cereal and a stir fry for dinner - no lunch!) I've gone down from 42 to 39 points a day now and hardly notice it.

I'm careful with my points, almost precious with them in fact and I must admit Saturday is my new favourite day. If I've been good all week I can have a real treat. This Saturday we're celebrating by having a seafood platter and a couple of bottles of bubbles, about 30 points but I'm just taking the extra out of my weekly 49. That's how this is working for me.

I'm also feeling more active. Last Saturday Neil and I went out on our bikes for the first time in about 3 years. We clipped Woody on by his lead and cycled to the country park where we could let him off and he ran alongside us, grinning from ear to ear with these ''exciting things Mum & Dad were on that meant he could run fast alongside us''. We all got back exhausted but feeling exhilarated!

One stone is just a dip in the ocean when you think about how overweight I allowed myself to get and that I still have another 5 to go, but it's fun swimming around! Especially now I'm a whole dress size smaller and even my new jeans are getting baggy, I just wish I wasn't losing cup size before back size!

Thanks for all your support so far everyone, especially those that have subscribed to this.

Big love and stay skinny xx                             (nice jugs)