Back, after licking my wounds for 8 months

So the bun in the oven didn't quite go according to plan, twice! After taking some time out to lick my wounds I think it's time I come back. I need a project to take my mind off trying to conceive again and what better project to take up than weight loss and exercise.

I'm back on Weight Watchers. I started back on it properly on 3 Jan 12 and since then I've lost a total of 5lbs. It's been a bad week though and I gained 1lb this week, so I need to seriously stick to it if I want to achieve my goal of another stone by summer.

Since I started WWs in January 2011 I've lost and gained and lost and gained and am now exactly one stone lighter than I was  just over a year a go. It's not much, but it's going in the right direction.

On the menu today -
Brunch - Homemade Banana Pancakes
Dinner - River Cottage Stuffed Cabbage Leaves

Exercise -
Bike ride with dog - one hour
Dog walk - 30 mins

It's my birthday in 13 days and I want to lose 4lbs by then!

Bun in the oven. Mmmm, buns!!!

Well, it would appear I need to put my weight loss blog on hold. I have a bun in the oven and not the kind you're thinking of, my fellow foodie.

I'm 5 weeks pregnant!!

So, I spoke to the Dr and he told me I can still do my WWs dieting, but that I should only expect to lose another stone if that. That's fine by me! Let operation pregnancy Vs weight loss commence.

Besides, think of all the food I can eat instead of wine now ;o)

Shhhh, I gained a pound

But don't tell anyone!

Recipe - Orzo Pasta Salad - 8 WWs points

This salad is a cracking, low point, healthy meal in itself or accompaniment to veggie burgers on the BBQ or in a picnic! Serves 4.

The stuff that makes it -
250g orzo pasta
140g sundried tomatoes
Handful of baby plum tomatoes, left out of the fridge for a day and quartered
50g or so of sliced black olives
3 spring onions
Handful of chopped chives, and/or fresh basil from the garden
Good quality olive oil for drizzling

What to do with it all -
Cook the pasta according to the instructions. It cooks really quick so this is a perfect quick lunch.
While the pasta is cooking drain and roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes. Put them into a mixing bowl with all the other ingredients.
Stir in the cooked pasta, after draining it and rinsing it in cold water.
Mix all the ingredients together and drizzle in some olive oil while doing so. Not too much, but enough to add a little flavour to the dish.

Delicious!

Week 17 - another 1lb down

Not bad! I was originally aiming for a bigger loss this week but caught a virus early on which meant not much exercise and the desire for comfort food was high, so a 1 lb loss is good stuff! That's 17 lbs loss, in 17 weeks. 1lb a week.

I've realised that clothes are my biggest drive/motivating factor at the moment. I went shopping for my birthday in March (so around week 4/5) and went to chose a few tops in Fat Face (oh the irony), one of my favourite shops. Everything I tried on (in their biggest size - 18) was too small and I came out in tears. Made even worse because I'd asked for some things from there from family and knew I'd have to go through it all again when I got my pressies.

I went back there yesterday to look round their new store in Witney and decided to brave a trying on session. Not only did the size 18 stuff fit, it was only too bloody big on me!!! I was so pleased, so I treated myself to a nice little navy top, in size 16.

When I was paying at the till they had a summer selection on display. Gorgeous little vests, with some cute little utility shorts that I thought would be fab for all our camping trips.

I'm too big for that kind of outfit but instead of leaving it at that I decided that that would be another aim. By next summer I want to be able to go into shops like Fat Face and see a nice pair of shorts, pick them up and buy them! So often I've been shopping and seen things I like, that I knew would never fit so I've had to go home and browse the internet for online plus size clothing stores to find a similar, never quite as nice and usually more expensive alternative.

Not anymore. I'm on the right track to changing this forever and soon you'll see me sporting outfits like this -

Now wouldn't that be fab!

Week 15 (2lbs) and 16 (1lb)

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Yep, 3lbs loss over the past two weeks, so I'm back to where I was when it all turned bad.

I'm feeling determined and positive and am also being quite clever about the foods I prepare. For example, tomorrow night we're having tacos. Each shell is 2 points (3 is more than enough), the mince is about 3 points and cheese about 4 points, so total of 17 points. Then what I used to do is whack that up by adding sour cream and guacamole to the recipe (another 10 points!!), so now, I just don't. My home made salsa is delicious enough to bring out the flavours and that's nil points. Job done.

So this is just a small example of how I'm back on track. It's all about being inventive with food by using 0 point stuff to enhance the meal.

 Last night's BBQ - madagascan tiger prawns marinated in garlic oil (4 points), corn on the cob (2 points), Halloumi (5 points), green salad (0 points), potato salad (4 points) - total 15 points for a deliciously satisfying summer supper in the garden, with enough of the day points allowance left for some wine.

Cheers! xx

Veggie Sausage Jambalya - 7 WWs points per serving

Recipe time!

To help get me back on track I'm going to have this for dinner, instead of two measly fish fingers! It's only 7 points per serving and makes a really tasty, healthy meal in minutes, with enough left for lunch the next day!

Vegetarian Sausage Jambalya

Serves 4

Ingredients - 
1tbsp olive oil
1tsp smoked paprika
8 Quorn sausages, defrosted if frozen
300g brown basmati rice (easy cook)
400g tinned, chopped tomatoes
1tsp wild oregano (dry or fresh. If fresh throw in at the end)
450ml stock (I make it up with 4 tsp bouillon)
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 bunch (about 4 or 5) of spring onions, chopped

What to do with it all -
Heat up the oil in the pan. When hot, add the paprika and allow to infuse.

Meanwhile chop up the sausages into bite-sized pieces. Add them to the pan and allow them to cook on a high heat. Stir regularly to avoid them burning, but so that they get a nice bit of colour to the outside.

Stir in the rice and peppers and coat with the oil. After a few minutes pour in the tomatoes and stock and throw in the dried oregano. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes.

Cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes, until most of the liquid has absorbed and the rice is tender.

Serve with the spring onion chopped on top.