How To…Syn Free Slimming World Chips

• Serves: 4
• Prep. time: 10 mins
• Cook time: 20 – 50 mins
• Total time: 30-60 Minutes
• Syns per serving:
  • Green: FREE
  • Original: 8½
  • Extra Easy: FREE

Ingredients

• 908g/2lb medium sized Maris Piper potatoes
• Fry Light spray
• crushed sea salt and malt vinegar
• Optional: Paprika, mixed herbs etc.

Method 1

• 1. Preheat the oven to 240°C/Gas 9. Peel the potatoes using a potato peeler and remove any blemishes or ‘eyes’. Slice lengthwise into approx ½in/1cm thick rectangular chips.
  2. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the chips and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and leave aside for 10 minutes to dry.
  3. Return the chips to the dry saucepan, cover with a lid and shake to ”rough up” the edges of the chips – this roughness is important to the texture of the chips.
  4. Spray a metal baking tray with Fry Light. Transfer the chips to the tray, spray lightly with Fry Light and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides. Drain them on absorbent kitchen paper and serve with salt and vinegar.

If you are short of time or are hungry you can use my personal favourite method below:

Method 2

1. Preheat the oven to 240°C/Gas 9. Peel the potatoes using a potato peeler and remove any blemishes or ‘eyes’. Slice lengthwise into approx ½in/1cm thick rectangular chips.
2. Spray a metal baking tray with Fry Light. Transfer the chips to the tray, spray lightly with Fry Light, and add any seasoning of your choice. (Check that the seasoning is Syn Free first, otherwise you will need to track it)
3. Bake in the oven for 20-35 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides.
4. Serve with salt and vinegar, and a side salad.

– See more at: http://www.slimmingworld.com/recipes/syn-free-chips.

A Little Update on Life & A Promise To Blog More Regularly

Hi Everyone,

I hope you’re all well; loving life and the beautiful British summer that we seem to be having at the moment. I know I am. Although as I type this the sun has gone behind a very omnious looking black cloud. I think a few spots of rain may be on its way…

I wanted to provide you gorgeous lot with an update on what’s been happening in my life since I last posted way back in June, and I’m pleased to say that on the whole it has been really positive, and I am hoping to post more regularly:

I achieved my 1 stone lost award at Slimming World.

It took me 13 weeks on the Slimming World diet to lose my stone but I got there a couple of weeks ago now. Unfortunately I have been ill with a virus this last week so I haven’t been able to make it to group. I’m gutted but trying to keep my motivation up so that I can have a loss when I go back next week. The week I won my stone award I also won Slimmer of the Week and to say I am over the moon at this double achievement would be an understatement. Two weeks on and I am still chuffed to bits.

{Me proud as punch with my stone award and Slimmer of the Week awards}

I am on better medication for my depression.

I switched from Duloxetine to Venlalic (which is a branded type of Venlafaxine). Both Duloxetine and Venlafaxine are SNRI’s.  Basically they’re both antidepressants of the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) class. They are prescribed to people like me who suffer from major depressive disorders. Unfortunately Duloxetine made me very nauseous and I felt quite heavily drugged whilst taking this medication. I decided to go back and see my GP in late June to see if I could move to something else, and she asked me if I would be willing to try another SNRI. I said yes, although I was sceptical. I mean how different could it be from Duloxetine? She prescribed me a 37.5mg dose of Venlalic – this is a super baby dose –  it is half of minimum dose that is usually prescribed, but I am pleased to say that it works for me. My mood has lifted and I am less tempted to binge eat. After the first couple of weeks the side effects lifted completely – the standard light headedness and nausea. I think this medication will always be part of my life as I would class myself as someone with chronic unhappiness and low mood even when life is good. I cry a lot when I am suffering. Depression is a flaw in chemistry, not character and I just need a little extra help. I will hopefully be ready to work at some point in the near future, but the focus is on getting well, and not running before I can walk.

I am exercising 5 times a week.

As I am not well enough to work at the moment (I am recovering from a lengthy breakdown) I have been making a concerted effort to incorporate exercise into my daily routine. At the moment I am doing Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD 5 days a week and I am pleased to say that I have completed all levels (1,2 and 3). It’s an excellent all over body workout, and I feel so pleased when I complete it everyday. Although it does have me crawling to the shower afterward, drenched in sweat

I’m loving life and rebuilding my confidence.

Due to the above points, as well as my supportive husband, family and friends I am getting my joie de vivre back. This has been helped also by a couple of furry friends, as Chris and I also added to our family…no we didn’t get pregnant – not yet anyway, but we did adopt a beautiful tortoise-shell cat called Honey, who had been given up by her last owners. She’s 16 years old, friendly, vocal and very loving. She’s a pleasure to have in our family, and Penny seems to have taken to the new addition admirably well.

{Me and the hubs outside a friends wedding ceremony last Saturday}

So now lovelies, I hope you are all having an equally lovely summer, and always I would love to hear your feedback on Slimming World, depression, life or anything that you feel is appropriate.

Much “joie de vivre” love

Lizzie 

This Weeks Diet & Fitness Progress

Last Thursday at my Slimming World meeting I stepped on the scales to find out I had lost another 1lb of weight. I was really happy with this result as I had not been good with my food or exercise last week. I have 1lb extra to lose until I hit the 7lb mark. I am really hoping to get to this milestone this week. (My weigh in is Wednesday night, so my week runs from Thursday – Wednesday). As you know this week I have been suffering a little from my depression. I think this will set me back on the scales on Wednesday, however I am hoping to pull it back and come away with another loss.

Despite the depression this week I have managed three exercise sessions and three days of eating well. I have also had two days of eating badly. I am back on track today and will be heading out for a run this evening and tomorrow day. I am starting to see a change in my body, and I am feeling a little more confident for it. My waist is starting to look more defined, in addition to my collar-bone. I still have a way to go in terms of my stomach and thighs.

Warm Spicy Daal, Rice and Pitta Bread

This is such an easy recipe to prepare, and a great go to when you’ve had a busy day. It’s super Slimming World friendly, as it contains very little syn’s. You can find the orginal recipe here from a wonderful food blogger called Jack Monroe.

Ingredients:

Red lentils 100g
Chopped tomatoes, 1 carton
1 onion
Cumin, 1 tsp
Fresh coriander, 1 tbsp
Chicken stock added to the one 1 litre of water (I used vegetarian friendly stock cubes)

Extras: Naan or pitta bread

Instructions:

1. Rinse the lentils in cold water and drain. Place in a saucepan of  1 litre fresh water and bring to the boil, skimming off any scum that rises by using a spoon.

2. Peel and chop the onion into small pieces, and add to the saucepan with the chicken stock cube, cumin, chopped tomatoes and coriander. Reduce to a low heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are swollen. Add more stock or water if required.

3. Stir well. Serve with warmed naan bread and extra fresh coriander to garnish.

Variations: Add coconut milk in place of the chopped tomatoes, with turmeric, for a sweeter, creamy taste.

Image 2

Slimming World & Me

I joined Slimming World  two weeks ago, and I have found the diet flexible and on the whole easy to stick to. My leader Cat  is lovely and during my first week she explained the diet confirming all the unlimited free food, the super free food and foods which carry a syn value. This diet is great for me as I do not feel I am depriving myself. Case in point I dropped 5lbs in the first week. I kept a food diary, exercised for five days that week and stuck to the plan. It was a great week.

When I first stepped on the scales I was 12 stone 1.5lbs, and as of last week I am 11 stone 10.5 lbs.

The second week is up, and I haven’t been following the diet at all. I’m rather disappointed in myself but I’ve had a bad week in terms of rubbish things happening; I failed a credit check on a new phone contract and my mortgage is up for renewal in June. To say I panicked and got upset would be an understatement. Money worries are the worst. I could feel the talons of my depression reaching for me again, telling me I was a worthless no good fool. I was completely down in the dumps.

So how did I help myself?

Basically I gave myself a mental shake….

This morning I didn’t stay in bed longer than necessary. I got up, had breakfast and started keeping a food diary again. Better late than never. I also decided to be kinder on myself. The problems with my credit stem from little bank charge defaults, which I’m going to see if the bank will remove by writing to them. Even if they don’t I am being proactive about it.

After the credit check fiasco yesterday Chris and I called our bank about a mortgage in principal and got approved for a 2.64% mortgage, bringing our monthly repayments down by £400. This helped ease my stress levels somewhat. You see food and stress go hand in hand for me. If I’m miserable or stressed I eat a lot and I don’t exercise, and that’s a shame because I love to run.

I’m expecting a gain on the scales his evening, but it’s OK because I’m back on track, and besides we all have bad weeks.