Beating The Bank Holiday Blues

Bank holidays seem to follow suit throughout the year. With them comes rain, reruns on the TV and a whole lot of boredom for those fortunate enough to be off work. Whether you are watching you weight or not they bank holidays can also be a one way ticket to over eating and zero activity.

Check out the following info-graphic for some inspiration on ways you can keep those cravings at bay and do something productive.

What do you have planned this bank holiday? Whatever it is I hope you have a fun filled , productive day..

Chunky Sausage Pasta Bake - Weight Watchers Friendly #Recipe

This is a beautiful rich pasta dish. Comfort food at its best and sure to be a crowd pleaser. Would go great with a nice mixed side salad.

Ingredients:

1 batch of speedy tomato sauce
200g dried pasta
Calorie controlled cooking spray
6 Weight watchers pork sausages Chopped into chunks)
2 Red onions chopped roughly
1 Teaspoon of dried rosemary
A pinch of chilli flakes
150ml Vegetable stock
125g Light mozzarella cheese (drained and sliced)
25g Fresh grated parmesan cheese

37 Propoints per recipe
Serves 4
10 Propoints per serving

Method:

1. Make the speedy tomato sauce (The recipe can be found here)
2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the pasta and return to the boil. Cook so the pasta is tender but ever so slight under cooked and has some bite,
3. Meanwhile, heat a non stick frying pan and spray with cooking spray. Fry the sausage chunks with the onions, rosemary and chilli flakes until the sausages start to brown.
4. Drain the pasta and mix into the sausage mixture, adding the tomato sauce and the stock. Transfer into an oven proof dish and scatter the mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top.
5. Cook in the oven for around 20 mins until bubbling, with a golden cheesy crust.

Speedy Tomato Sauce - Weight Watchers Friendly #Recipe

Weather you are a weight watcher or not it is always good to have a simple tomato sauce recipe handy. This is perfect to make in batches. You can then freeze it and have it to hand whenever you want to whip up a quick dish. It is such a versatile base sauce it can be used for a wide variety of recipes , especially pasta dishes. The flavorings in the recipe add depth while the touch of sugar helps to cut down the acidity of the tinned tomatoes.

This has a pro points value of 0

Ingredients:
400g Can of chopped tomatoes
1 Garlic clove crushed
1/2 Teaspoon of grated lemon zest
1/4 Teaspoon of mixed dry herbs
1 Teaspoon of caster sugar
Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Place all ingredients into a lidded saucepan and bring to the boil. Cover and then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. When finished simply use in your chosen recipe.

*This recipe is featured in "The Complete Kitchen" Weight watchers book.

My First Week Back On The Healthy Bandwagon #WeeklyWeighIn

As most of you know I have been a member of Weight Watchers for some time now and having previously done amazing with my weight loss, 2014 was just a complete waste. I never put in the effort and yet expected results. I really did waste last year . I could have easily been at my gold weight by but I was just lazy. Lazy with my food choices and in my fitness. So after having the whole of December off of Weight Watchers and eating anything and everything possible in those four weeks I expected to see over a stone of weight gain when I went back to my meeting in January. I was relieved to find out that I had only put on 7lb which considering what I ate and the sheer amount I ate was a blessing. 

I really did expect to struggle in my first week being back on the Weight Watchers bandwagon.I figured it would be really tough to pull in the reigns after such a long period of indulgence but I was pleasantly surprised at how well I managed to get back into the swing of things. I went into my first meeting with such a positive attitude. I told myself that I would not be in this meeting after the next New Year still wondering why I wasted the last year and having still not shifted the weight. I decided to take each day as it came and not even think about my weigh in until the day was here. I found it so much easier to plan each day in the morning and to just have one good day after the next. Gradually I will be able to plan the week ahead like I used to and have no fear of falling off track.

Over that first week I fell in love with food again. I don't mean all the wonderful indulgent things we all love like chocolate and cake, but real food. I used to love making meals from scratch, trying out new ingredients and having loads of fresh fruit and vegetables in the kitchen to cook with. The amount of fast food and sweet snacks I ate over December had made me lose my passion for food so I was glad that Weight Watchers was giving that back to me. It may sound like a cliche but it has never felt like a diet for me. I have always eaten what I wanted to eat and never deprived myself of anything. Just look at some of the beautiful meals I made last week.I really do look forward to meals times now and have even dusted off the old cook books in search of new recipes.

So Saturday came and It was time to Weigh In . 3lbs down! I was very pleased as it proved that I was very much back on track and heading in the right direction. Onwards and downwards! I have made good choices again this week and look forward to Saturday and seeing if it has paid off. I plan to keep you updated each week sharing my weekly weigh in results as well as some of the lovely meals I have been making. Who knows, maybe I will inspire some of you to make some? You don't have to be a weight watcher to enjoy delicious healthy food. Are you on a healthy kick yourself this year? Would love to know how you are getting on? You can also follow me on Instagram by clicking here. I post regular fitness and foodie updates, so be sure to follow to some inspiration and support.

Weight Watchers Fajita Stir And Season Pots *Review*

As most of you know I am a current "Weight Watcher" and I am always looking for simple but tasty meals ideas and was really keen to try the new Weight Watchers stir and season pots. I absolutely love fajitas. A meal where you can bung it a bit of what ever you fancy is right up my street and you can add or take away ingredients as you wish. I do tend to stick to the basics with my fajitas though and use the standard chicken, onions and peppers.

On first inspection I did think the pots seemed rather small and given that I was making enough for both myself and Aalliyah did fear that they would be no where near enough. I couldn't have been more wrong. The sauce seems to coat everything evenly and spread so far that it could have easily stretched out on another few servings. I also didn't feel the need to add any extra sauce to my fajitas as it was quite a wet seasoning.

At just 1 pro point per pot these are the perfect addition to give your fajitas an amazing flavour. Simply pop on in when frying your chicken and you're good to go. Minimal effort and maximum taste. I will definitely be buying these again. Not only do they taste amazing but they are also fantastic value for money at only £1.50 for four pots. 10/10 for us :)

Groundhog Day

Do you ever have them days where it seems as if you are just reliving a previous day? I'm not talking about a case of deja vu , I'm talking about those days you wake up and just know what the day will bring ? Like you are doing a previous day all over again? Well that's what Saturday was like for me. Not because of some spooky time warp or some cosmic, divine intervention, but just simply because it was a day that I had done so many times before.

You see Saturday is weigh in day for me. Although I should probably use the past tense for that sentence. It "was" weigh in day for me. But given the fact that I seem to have dropped off of the weight watchers wagon all together , Saturdays seemed to just become Saturdays again. So this weekend saw me returning to my meeting. It was my day one all over again.. My fresh start day. Most people only seem to have one "day 1" all over again. I seem to have had far too many that I care to remember. I must seem like the queen of excuses just lately as this year there has been something happening in my life to test me at each and every single turn. The minute I feel like I am overcoming one hurdle, another one is waiting for me around the corner, much more bigger and difficult to handle than the last. But everyone has difficult times right? Everyone experiences heart aches and hardships in their lives so why do I constantly use any stress in my life as an excuse to over indulge and forget about my weight watchers journey all together?

For far too long now I have been intent on beating myself up and dwelling on the fact that I am the same weight that I was last year. So what?! I'm not back where I started, I haven't put all that weight back on and I haven't given up and quit weight watchers all together. No one judged me when I went to my first meeting and tipped the scales at almost 20 stone so why on earth should I believe that people are going to judge me for losing weight more slowly than others or achieving a lesser result every week. I have done amazing (tooting my own horn here) to lose 5 stone so far. Recent holidays have swerved that more to the 4 stone mark now but who cares? I seem to have well and truly woken up and smelt the coffee. It doesn't matter how long it takes me to get to my destination. What matters most Is that I don't stop my journey.

So this is me.. Starting again and getting back into that place I love. Where I felt happy because it 't truly didn't feel like dieting. This is me getting back into that healthier lifestyle and making wonderfully filling and healthy meals again as opposed to grabbing a quick snack. This is me realizing again that nothing tastes as good as losing weight feels.

So Saturday may well have been my groundhog day but I am in the right mindset now that it is not going to repeat itself anytime soon. Here is to a wonderful week of smart food choices, tracking and enjoying weight watchers once more...

Spicy Quorn Chicken Jambalaya

This is a gorgeous Cajun style recipe. Perfect for when you fancy something a bit spicy and it's so quick and simple to make. I make this regularly and whats great about this recipe is you can choose to add or take out what ever you like, such as substituting the quorn for chicken, or adding in some different vegetables. Plus for all you fellow Weight Watchers out there, this recipe serves 4 and is 10pp a serving.

Ingredients:

250G Brown Rice (You can choose white if you prefer)
1 Large red onion
3 Sweet bite peppers (I like to use one of each colour)
Button Mushrooms - Chopped (As many as you would like)
Cherry Tomatoes Halved (As many as you would like)
Frylight Oil Spray (Or regular oil)
2 Teaspoons of Cajun Seasoning or Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon of Chilli Powder More if you like it hot!)
500g Quorn Chicken Style pieces
Fresh ground black pepper

Method:

Start by preparing your rice. Depending on the type of rice you are cooking , methods and times will vary.

Once your rice is on. Gently heat your frying pan adding some sprays of your oil. Add in the chopped mushrooms, onion and peppers. (Chopped small - No big bites)
about 4 minutes then add in your quorn chicken pieces. Next add in your spices (I also like to add a few chilli flakes at this point) and continue to stir fry together until the quorn cooks through, is coated and starts to brown. Be careful not to let the food stick. The coating will get slightly sticky, make sure you constantly toss/stir to prevent sticking. Now chuck in your halved tomatoes for the last few seconds or stir frying.

Next you want to add in your cooked rice and give the mixture a really good mix, making sure you are scraping all the spice residue from the pan and getting the rice nice and coated. Season with some ground pepper and add one more dash of Cajun seasoning to the mix. Give it a gentle stir fry for a few minutes and serve immediately.

Speedy Spaghetti Carbonara *Weight Watchers Friendly Recipe*

This is taken from the Weight Watchers 20 minute meals book but this super quick and easy  meal isn't just for the weight watchers, this tasty and satisfying meal can be enjoyed by the whole family.
Propoints per recipe 38 - Propoints per serving 10
Serves 4 - If cooking for less people divide the ingredients as required.

Ingredients:
250g Spaghetti or linguine
Bunch of spring onions
150g Button mushrooms
Cooking spray or oil
1 Large garlic clove
1 Large egg
200g Low fat soft cheese
150ml Skimmed milk
15g Grated parmesan cheese - Or another cheese if preferred 
100g Ham
Black pepper
Parsley to garnish.

Method:

1. Put the spaghetti or linguine into the saucepan and cover with plenty of boiling water from the kettle. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until just tender.
2. Meanwhile, thinly slice the spring onions and mushrooms. Heat the frying pan and spray or add oil. Add the spring onions and mushrooms to the pan with a peeled and halved garlic clove and cook gently for 5 minutes until softened. Then discard the garlic clove (it is only added into the cooking to give flavor to the finished dish)
3. Beat the soft cheese and egg together in a mixing bowl, then add the skimmed milk and half the cheese. Add the parsley (chopped/dried) and season with black pepper.
4. Keep 2 tablespoons of the boiling water before draining the pasta into a colander. Return the pasta to the saucepan with the 2 tablespoons of water and stir in the egg mixture. Once mixed add in the mushrooms and onions and gently mix. Finally add in the chopped ham, return to a gentle heat for 5 minutes mixing occasionally.
5. Serve with the remaining cheese sprinkled on top and some parsley if you wish.

Time For Fatty To Face The Music

 

It is Thursday tomorrow which means one thing... "Weigh In"! Normally I am not bothered by the thought of the scales, even if I think I'm due a small gain or maintain, I take it in my stride because I know I can work it off just as quick. So why is this week so different? Well I'll tell you why. Its because I haven't tracked anything for about 2 weeks. To be fair, I have been inhaling my food like a gannet so fast lately that I wouldn't even have the time to track it beforehand. I just dont know whats wrong with me lately.

I went to Blackpool last week and even though I was only going for 3 days, I knew I was going to miss weigh in so gave myself a week off of weight watchers. Doing this instantly gave me free reign to eat what I wanted whenever I wanted. Starting with the full english breakfasts at the hotel to the bags of donuts on the pier. I was an eating machine. The more I ate the more I felt crap about eating it in the first place, so what was the solution? Eat some more! Don't get me wrong I wouldn't change my time away as we had a lovely time and some lovely meals out and I always said I wasn't going to go away and be pointing but "Hello"! .. I am not on holiday anymore, so why can't I get rid of this greedy voice in my head thats always telling me I will start afresh tomorrow?

Anyway this is what has led to me sitting here on the night before weigh in venting and fretting about my 6+ lb weight gain I am convinced I am getting tomorrow. But lets face it, the fear doesn't seem to be doing the tick as I have just polished off pop corn and Cadbury cookies prior to starting this post! So maybe I need that gain to kick start my journey again?

But lets look at it from another perspective. So I gain x amount tomorrow. Will it stay forever? Can I never get rid of it? Hell no! I'll be working my ass off getting rid of it by the next week so why should I let myself get so angry with the thought of a gain? It's because I am angry with myself for letting those bad habits and old ways sneak back in and without realising it, eating like I was before I joined Weight Watchers. I am great at giving people advice and pep talks about how to not let it ruin your goals and move onwards and upwards when you have a set back but taking my own advice? Now thats a harder pill to swallow.

Well what can I do? I cant change the fact that I am getting weighed and I cant erase all the crap I have eaten these past few weeks so I need to face them scales head on and take whatever result I get. The fact is this isn't a quick fix its a lifestyle change and one of the longest and hardest journeys I will make in my life and I have already achieved so much since last year. I wont let it beat me, I will just come back more determined to lose this weight!

Until tomorrow.....

Butternut Squash ZERO Point Chips - Weight Watchers

I though zero point chips only existed in my dreams! But I have found a healthy alternative to chips and one that is just as tasty (even more so in my opinion)

I'm not a fan of soups so had never tried butternut squash before but I am now converted. For us weight watchers the butternut squash when baked is quite simply a zero point potato which Is a dream come true for us!

Method:

Start by preheating your oven to around 180-200 degrees.

First you need to cut/chip your butternut squash. You might struggle to cut the squash so zapping it in the microwave for 10 seconds before really helps. If like me you don't have a microwave then a decent set of knives will do the job.

I always use start by cutting the squash in half length ways. One half I keep in the fridge for another day (squash will be fine to store in a container for up to 5 days in the fridge when cut)

Next Take a spoon and scoop out the seeds.

At this stage you can peel the squash which is easy to do with a vegetable peeler. I personally like to keep the skins on when making chips or wedges for a more rustic texture/taste.

Cut your squash in half again width ways and then cut into desired sized chips or wedges.

Places them onto a baking tray and (if your a weight watcher) give them a few sprays of fry light oil, If you are not too worried about the oil then drizzle them with a little olive or vegetable oil.

Next choose some spices to add. I usually add salt, pepper, chili powder or paprika. I find this all taste amazing on squash chips.

Bake for around 20-25 minutes or until they start to crisp at the edges. Depending on how crispy and chip like you want them you can leave them in for longer or take them out sooner for a softer style chip.

...And thats it! Enjoy!

Let me know if you try them, and what you think :-)

One Woman's Trash..

As most of you are aware I am on on a weight loss journey. So far my grand total is 61lbs lost which is amazing but it's definitely beginning to become a strain on the old purse strings. Obviously I am over the moon at such fantastic results and although I still have a long way to go, losing such a substantial amount of weight means lots of new clothing being bought. I am finding it difficult to keep replacing certain wardrobe essentials each time I drop a few inches from my body so I am really trying to keep the spending to a minimum.

I said right from the start that my ultimate treat for reaching my goal weight would be a huge shopping spree to celebrate and I know I will be bursting with joy when I am able to slip my slender self into a nice pair of G Star jeans or a slinky little black dress. Until then though I am making do with the bare necessities when it comes to clothing.

As a result of the weight loss I found my wardrobe was overflowing with clothing which no longer fitted me and with them all being in good condition I decided they were too good to just throw away and I was going to make a few quid out of them if I could. My first thought was Ebay. Having used them previously I was aware of how things worked on the site and felt confident I could get a sale on there. Obviously when selling on Ebay you need to take all the relevant fees into account when deciding if its the best place to sell your items. If after the fees and charges it works out to still be financially beneficial to sell on Ebay then go for it! Millions of items sell every day on there so your almost sure to get a sale. If its not really worth your while selling on there then you will be pleased to know that its not the only place to sell your clothes. You have all heard of Music Magpie right? The place that buys your old dvds, cd, phones etc? But.. Did you know they also buy your old clothes too? They give great rates especially with designer labels. Another great thing with them is they offer a free posting/courier service so you are not troubled with posting and packaging problems/charges.

Failing being able to sell online, then car boots are always a winner. Whats more you are more likely to sell bulk/job lots at car boots especially if they are all of the same size. There are hundred of car boots held every weekend, just search in Google to find your nearest.

Whatever you do don't just chuck them away. Earn a few pound from your old clothing and put it towards something special. I made a tidy little sum from a bundle of clothing which was just too big for me. I am going to put it towards my big shopping spree as a reward for reaching my goal weight.

Tortilla Wrap Pizza - Weight Watcher Friendly

This is a must for all you pizza lovers! Pizza is not the best thing when you are counting points, but you can still enjoy the a delicious pizza with this recipe!

What you'll need:

1 Tortilla Wrap (3 pro points)
1-2 Tea spoons of tomato purée/pizza topping (0 pro points)
30g Grated Mozzarella Cheese (2 pro points)
3 Salami pieces (1 prop point)

**The above pro point values are dependant on size/brand used.

Method:

Take your wrap and lay flat.
Spread the purée thinly over the wrap with the back of the spoon. Make sure the entire wrap surface is covered.
Sprinkle the cheese over the wrap evenly and then finish by adding the salami pieces.
Place under a grill or in the oven for 5-10 minutes. 
Cut up in quarters and enjoy!

**Cooking times may vary so keep an eye on you wrap pizza as they cook quickly due to the thin base.

This is a fantastic little recipe and one that you can tweak to your own personal tastes. Add a bit of anything you like to the top of the pizza!

The Fabulous 50

As most of you that follow me know, I have been on a weight loss journey with Weight Watchers since October last year. A journey which I was hugely sceptical about and one that I didn't hold out any hope of getting anywhere with. In fact if it wasn't for a friend of mine posting a status about considering joining herself, I would have probably never even joined. So here's to her (She knows who she is)

I'm so glad that I did decide to join as I have had such good results and find it so easy to follow. Its not a diet for me and is more of a lifestyle change which is even better as it has a positive impact of Aalliyahs health and lifestyle as well as my own. I am always cooking from scratch now as opposed to bunging anything in the oven. I eat truck loads of fruit and vegetables now (as does Aalliyah) and because I am not buying any high calorie or sugary snacks, Aalliyah is eating much more balanced and healthy snacks every day. On top of all the healthy food choices, I am getting so much more exercise now than I ever did before. I try to walk anywhere and everywhere (within reason), do regular workouts at home and play all kinds of energetic dance games with Aalliyah (xbox). Aalliyah has always had masses of energy so she welcomes any excuse to come along for walks now which in turn is making her more fit and healthy, and has helped her asthma massively  to the point where she was easily able to take part in cross country trials earlier this year.

So why have I named this the fabulous 50? I hear you say. No, I haven't reached that golden age just yet, although the grey hairs indicate I'm not far off! I was actually presented with a certificate at one of my weekly meetings a few weeks back. It was to mark my achievement of losing 50lbs. A massive milestone and one I never imagined I would lose. I still think to myself , why didn't I do something sooner? I have been unhappy with my weight for the best part of my life so could have made a change a long time ago. But that doesn't matter. What matters is I made the decision to change what I wasn't happy about and with determination and a positive, can do attitude I am seeing the results!

I have managed to meet (online) lots of people who are also on a weight loss journey and weather it is through blog posts, Facebook, or even Instagram pictures, I have found each and everyone of them to be a great support.

So thank you to everyone who takes the time to stay updated on how I am getting on and for all of you who let me share in your weight loss journey too!

Here's to the next 50!!!!

Do you have Instagram? If so I welcome new followers. Click the following badge to be taken to my IG profile where you can follow me and I'll glady follow you too.

Follow mysidekickandme on Instagram

I regularly post my weight watchers related updates using IG. Through self portraits to meal photos. So if you would like some support on your journey then please get in touch by any means.

Red - The Gallery

Wow .. Feels good to be back...

Anyway, this weeks theme for "The Gallery" is RED.

So here's my picture. Yes it's a picture of me, and yes it's a bit self indulgent but who cares, I have a reason to be a show off this week after being presented with a certificate of achievement at last weeks weigh in for losing 50 lbs! So this weeks gallery is my chance to show off a bit and enjoy the fact that I actually liked seeing a photo of myself for the first time in a very long time!

Why not head over to Sticky Fingers and check out the other gallery entries :-)

Playing Catch Up..

I have been out of Twitter and Blog land for just a few short weeks, but its seems like a lifetime! It seems to have the same kind of ratio as human to dog years and I have so much reading to catch up on it is unreal. Things took priority for the past few weeks and with Christmas fast approaching, I had so much to do, so my poor blog had to take a back seat.

Things are still going great with Weight Watchers, I have officially lost 2 stone and reached my 10% milestone so I am very happy with that. So besides the weight watching, Christmas shopping and catching up on bits and bobs, that's pretty much what I have been up to these past few 
weeks.

I have so much reading and writing of posts to be getting on with so TTFN.. :-)

My Reasons To Be Cheerful #R2BC

OK, So here they are.. A little late but could not find enough minutes in the day yesterday!

1. A really good weigh in at weight watchers this week. I lost 4 pounds which means I am only 3 pound away from a 2 stone weight loss. I am so proud of myself, having always been big, I never thought I would be complaining that my clothes are too big lol.
2. I have made a nice big dent in the Christmas shopping. I have picked up some fantastic bits online and in town. I think I am more excited than Aalliyah. I have noticed a lot of people have started to xmas decorate already. I am looking forward to decorating the tree with Aalliyah..But not till December.
3. Aalliyah had her first gymnastics class this week. I knew she would take to it like a duck to water as she is forever springing about at home and at the end of the lesson the coach told me how impressed she was with Aalliyah. She told me she was a natural and would definitely be interested in Aalliyah joining their squad :)

So there are my reasons to be cheerful this week.. What are yours?

Reasons To Be Cheerful #R2BC

I love how the #R2BC is on a Thursday, as this is also my weekly weigh in day at Weight Watchers. So I can always wait until later on in the day as the scales might give me reasons to be "not so" cheerful! But today was another fab day with regards to weight loss. I have lost another 2.5lbs this week bringing me up to a total weight loss of 21 pounds! Which earned me my 3rd silver seven. I am over the moon at how well I am getting on with the pro points plan.

My second reason to be cheerful this week is that I finally repainted my lounge. I know its a pretty simple one, but I have had all my paint for months! I kept saying next week and it turned into months, so I finally got it done.. Only 4 more rooms to decorate now!!

My 3rd and final reason to be cheerful is the Christmas spirit which has started oozing out of all the shops with their window displays, the T.V with its festive adverts and all the people I speak to on Facebook and Twitter commenting on how they have started their Christmas shopping or how much they want to start decorating for Christmas  I love Christmas so much and get more excited than Aalliyah I think! I have started my Christmas shopping and bought some new decorations for my tree today :)

You see.. Simple things that make a big difference to my week. What has made you happy this week?

My Reasons To Be Cheerful :-) #RTBC

Well I've had a long horrid flu (Yuk) More bills than you can imagine these past two weeks and EVERYTHING running out in EVERY cupboard, total nightmare! But yet I still have reasons to be cheery (Believe it or not lol)

OK, You knew it was coming.. The gushing, overly proud paragraph about how well my daughter is doing at school? Well yes , I am in fact over the moon with Aalliyahs parents evening, she is working above her targets and if I give her a little shove this year she is possible of a level 6 in her SATS next year. I did think.. "Hang on a minute, SATS go to level 5" But my concerns were quickly cut short as the teacher informed me they have added a higher level this year. So I am very happy with my little brain box.

My second reason to be cheery this week is my weigh in at Weight Watchers. The scales tipped in my favor yet again and I lost another 3.5 lb this week. I have so far lost 18 lbs in 5 weeks, and 5% of my total body weight, so I'm a very happy lady! The weight loss has definitely given me a bit of a confidence boost especially when people comment on my slimming waist line ;)

My final reason to be cheerful this week is that I got my hair done!! Yes I know, bit of a lame one, but I haven't had a processional cut in good few years now! Always doing the old D.I.Y snip! To go along with the new style, I also coloured it too (Dark Violet) See..the weight loss is bringing a whole new side of me to light!

Feel free to comment below, and if you like what you read, then please subscribe/join. I look forward to reading all your Reasons To Be Cheerful

Quorn Tikka Masala With Bulgar Wheat (WW Friendly)

A delicious meal and very Weight Watcher friendly at only 9 pro points total meal value.

Using the Weight Watcher Tikka Masala Sauce.

This is what I call a "bung it in" recipe. So if you are not hot on a certain ingredient you can replace with something else and put in whatever you fancy.

  .

Start by gently frying off some mushrooms for 2-3 minutes.

When they start to turn golden brown add in your frozen Quorn Chicken 
pieces. (100g = 3 pro points)

Gently fry off until chicken pieces are cooked through.

Next pour in your Weight Watchers Tikka sauce (Half a jar = 3 pro points)

Gently stir ensuring all chicken pieces are covered, turn down heat and allow to heat through until you are ready to serve.

Preparing the bulgar wheat...

To cook bulgar wheat you use 5.5 parts water to 1 part bulgar wheat.

Start by measuring out your bulgar wheat. (60g Dry = 3 prop points)

Place your water in a pan (with stock if required) and bring to boil.


When boiling put the wheat into the water, cover and turn down, letting it simmer for approx 15 minutes, or until all the water has absorbed.

When ready leave pan to stand for 10 minutes, gently fluff up with a fork and serve.

Add some vegetables on the side to complete your meal and remember if you are a "Weight Watcher" fill your plate with your zero heroes.

My Second Super Seven!

Well it's official! I have now lost over a stone (Biggest grin ever) My total weight loss for the past 4 weeks is 14.5 lbs. I am over the moon as I never imagined I would have such a good loss. If I am honest I was rather sceptical about Weight Watchers, and really did not expect to lose any weight. I have loved getting proved wrong!

Onwards and upwards! Here's to another loss next week!

Fancy shedding a few pounds yourself? I cannot recommend Weight Watchers highly enough. If you follow the plan than you will get the results you want..

Head on over to there site now and take advantage of there £1 joining offer (That's both online and weekly meetings)

Weight Watchers