Some starting stats

I guess most of the people who will stumble across this blog will be embarking on, or following Slimming World, and so quite a few will be interested in my weight loss.  

I'm very happy to share how things are going - so let's start off with some stats:

I'm 32, 5'6, and my starting weight, from about 5 weeks ago, was 165lbs. My BMI was 26, and I'm about a size 14. 

I've never really dieted before, and generally eat pretty healthily. But I do eat a bit too much (read: total foodie!)... and I like wine. A lot.

Over the past few years, I've gradually put on a few kilos, and I decided that it was time to see if I could shift it for good and get myself in shape. 

I'm aiming to lose just over 10%, to get down to 143lbs, and a BMI of mid-range healthy. 

So far, on EE, I have lost 7lbs.

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Eating on the go: Part 1

I spend a day or two each week on meetings in London, which means a bit of planning and preparation is required. Many an accidental pretzel has occurred at the station (who knew they were 400 calories?!) so I now know to be organised in advance.

On the train, my go-to brekkie is an americano (with a splash of milk), a Babybel Light, a Liberte yoghurt and an apple. All items are small enough to fit in my bag and, although it's a challenge not to squish the yoghurt, I really appreciate not then having to lug a lunchbox around with me all day. Apart from the spoon, everything gets dumped in the bin!

For lunch, I can't recommend Itsu enough. Rice and fish are free on EE, so you have lots of options. Do bear in mind that sushi rice is sweetened a little, so it's best to factor in a few syns to make sure you keep on plan. Yesterday I had the Teriyaki Salmon with Rice and Edamame, and it was delicious.

(Picture borrowed from the Itsu site)

I don't use the extra sauce provided - it's very tasty already.

The main thing is to keep well hydrated. When I'm at a desk I regularly have tea, coffee and lots of water; but when dashing between meetings its easy to forget.

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Left over venison?

If you have any leftovers, stir fry is the way forward. I tend to use real oil to flavour, and you need to syn this accordingly. This version included cabbage, pomegranate, onions, orange peel and rice noodles. Oh, and some cheeky cashew nuts - syn those too, or give them a miss!

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Venison, chips and sprouting broccoli

Venison seems to be making it onto the shelves of the supermarkets a bit more often these days, which is brilliant news. Lean, delicious and relatively cheap, venison is well worth trying out. I didn't cook this evening, but my partner rustled up some wedges (aka SW chips) and venison, balanced out with a generous serving of white sprouting broccoli donated by a friend. Absolutely delicious!

To make the wedges, par boil some wedge-cut potatoes for about 6 mins, drain, spray with Fry Light (I love the BBQ flavour!) then roast for about 25 mins at 200c. The venison was pan-fried, and seasoned with chilli and cocoa nibs (an excellent find: Santa Maria Cacao & Chilli) 

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What is Slimming World?

Before I start, I should say that my experience of SW is the at-home package and that I don't attend meetings. Personally that suits me best: I'm pretty disciplined, I have good support at home, and I'm a cheapskate! I was lucky enough that a friend shared the basic information with me for free and after a week or two of trying it out, I've signed up for online.

Obviously, when you join SW you receive a lot of information. What is below doesn't replace that and, because I don't particularly want SW chasing me down, I'm not going to reproduce anything from their material... I entirely recognise that SW have to make their money - and if you want to have accurate 'syn' information (more on that below), you will need to pay up - but the basic principles can be followed by anyone. It ain't rocket science, and if you're really struggling to find the cash, you will certainly lose simply by limiting yourself to the basic free foods. Membership brings with it additional support and guidance, but eating healthily is not something that you should have to pay to do.

I follow the Extra Easy plan, which allows for the maximum flexibility. Partly because I don't have masses to lose, but also because I'm a greedy guts and I like the easy option!

This means I can eat lots of fruit, veg, lean means, rice, pasta and quorn. These are the building blocks for my meals. I also can have a small amount of dairy and some fibre (bread or dried fruits etc). In addition to these healthy foods, I have up to 15 'syns' a day. Upon joining, you have access to a large database which calculates syns. It's a clever little algorithm which crunches all the calories, grams of fat etc., and gives you a handy total. Keeps it simple, and gives you some insight into just how bad some things are. If you really can't afford the weekly membership, you can get a long way by searching online for syns, but it will take a fair amount of effort and the goodwill of those who do have access to the subscription services.

Recipes posted here will be largely syn-free on my plan, and will indicate if I have chosen to bolster them with something synful.

Also, I apologise now for the irritating spelling of syn. You will get used to it... ;)

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Why have I started a blog?

I've been following Slimming World for a couple of weeks (at home, just following the principles) and while the diet has been working great (4lbs down) I'm amazed how little there is on the web for the SW foodie.  Sure, you can find tons on Muller Lights, Alpen bars and, god-forbid, Diet Coke chicken, but most of the food entries blogged about are things I just wouldn't eat. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a food snob, and I realise that a lot of people following SW have little time to prepare and cook food. But surely there are SO many more 'foodie' options out there!

Hence the blog. My plan is to scour the web for SW friendly meals and create a few of my own, but sticking the philosophy of clean eating. Minimum amount of processing, simplest ingredients possible. I confess, there may well be the odd Alpen bar sneaking in, but for the most part, this blog will be about great food, not cheats and aspartame! :)

Oh, and if anyone is interested, I'm 32, and looking to lose a stone or so.

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