Confessions of A Perfect Person

I started this blog as a means of tracking my weight loss journey & keeping myself motivated, It turned into so much more along the way and I have loved every second of it. I always wrote about the good times but most importantly I wrote about the bad times,

Me before I started at 13st 10.5lbs  & when I reached goal at 11st 7lbs

The last few months have been difficult for me, my bad habbits crept in, I lost control and my weight crept up and I have found myself 13lbs over goal. During the last few months I have avoided blogging, I felt that if I couldn't blog from a positive place then I shouldn't do it, I became a leader a year ago and since then I have felt that I needed to be seen as 100% focused and on track all of the time, I needed to be perfect. I was afraid to come on here and tell you all how horribly wrong things were going because I was trying to maintain the image of a perfect leader. So I didn't tell you about the time I ate a whole pizza, or the time I ate an extra large chocolate bar in one sitting or the time I went to the cinema and had a medium popcorn, 2 scoops of Ben & Jerrys and a share bag of minstrels all to myself...yes I have done all of these things! The truth is I am not 100% perfect.The truth is there is no such thing.

Me now at 12st 6lbs

I am a perfectly normal human being.

I have my struggles
I have food issues
I have weight problems
I can fall of the wagon
But I can get back on!

So that is what I am doing right now, I am owning up, I am being honest, I am writing about the bad times and I am getting back on track.

where I will be for the next 13 weeks and beyond!

I am setting myself a goal. I want to loose 13lbs and get back to my goal weight by July 1st, That gives me 13 weeks. I know this goal is realistic and achievable and that's very important, I lost 31.5lbs in 32 weeks to get to goal ,so I averaged out at a 1lb a week weight loss.

Do you need a goal to help keep you focused? Why not join in my challenge and aim to loose 13lbs by July 1st. In 13 weeks I will be confident in my summer clothes and fingers crossed wearing a bikini to the beach! who's with me?

Diet ''Cheat'' Cake!

I want cake...I want cake now!

Sometimes in life you just need a piece of cake. The great Thing about weight watchers is that you can indeed have your cake and eat it. Thats the topic I was discussing with my members in my classes this week. A slice of cake in a coffee shop (or even home made) can cost you up to 19 Pro Points! But there are lower alternatives available. 

Last weekend while away for a weekend with my friend Mandi we simultaneously got cake craving, Funny how that happens! Both of us ae following weight watchers so we started thinking about what we could make that wouldn't cost us too much from our Weekly Pro Point allowance. Mandi got to google searching and came across a very strange concept for a Weight Watchers friendly cake.

The concept is taking a box cake mix and mixing it with a can of diet soda in replace of the oil and eggs.

I am not normally a fan of using box cake as I love to bake from scratch but the idea of a low Pro Point cake was too good so we decided to try it out using Betty Crocker Devils Food Cake Mix and a can of Coke Zero. We ended up with a lovely moist chocolate cake! We made some extra light cream cheese frosting  and the cake worked out at 6 Pro Points Per slice! Apologies there is no photo of that cake, it got gobbled up before I thought to take one.

This weekend I decided to try out another cake using the same concept as the chocolate cake. 

I found the Betty Crocker Orange & Chocolate Swirl mix on sale in Tesco for 1.59 and decided to try it out using a can of Tesco Orange Zero, a 4 pack cost 1.69 so not only is this a really tasty Weight Watchers friendly cake, its very affordable too and works out at 4 Pro Points a slice.

Diet Orange & Chocolate Swirl Cake

4 Pro Points per serving

Serves 12

1 Box Bettry Crocker Orange & Chocolate Swirl Cake Mix

1 330ml Can of Orange Zero 

Preheat fan oven to 160

Spray a cake tin with fry light

Follow the instructions from the box adding the can of soda in replace of the oil & eggs.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack and serve.

Really, it's as easy as that and nobody would know it was from a box or Weight Watchers friendly!

You can try out any variety of box cake & diet soda combination and let me know how it turns out if you try your own.

Sarah x

If you're gonna do it, do it right!

If you're gonna do it, do it right! These words have been in my head all day today...and no its not because I heard the song on the radio. I went back to class this morning. I haven't been in almost 6 months, not since I became a leader. Over the last few weeks I really have lost the plot altogether. My motivation was decimated and I have been stuffing my face. Really stuffing my face! On Monday night driving home i ate a large bar of chocolate, 2 small bars of chocolate and a share bag of jellies...

Yes I am ashamed to admit that but thats just a snippet of the kind of behavior I have been indulging my mouth in of late. I knew what I was doing was going to cause me to gain weight, I knew it was unhealthy and I knew what I should be doing about it, but yet I couldn't bring myself to do it. I was completely in denial and telling myself it was ok and that I deserved to eat the food and I needed to eat the food!

last night I got to a desperate point. I was very upset and disappointed in myself. something had to be done and it had to be done ASAP. What would I tell anyone else in the same position to do, what would I tell a member to do? Go to class! So, I text my leader Sue to let her know I was thinking about attending her class the following morning, she replied ''see you in the morning'' I had no excuse, I had no choice but to go then.

Off to bed I went, feeling a tiny bit better, having made the decision. It was the best decision I have made in weeks! I attended class, got weighed, 7lbs over goal, not pleasant for a girl who swore she would never, ever go back to her old habits, ever! 7lbs is almost a quarter of the total weight I lost to get to goal, that is a scary thought! The meeting this morning was great, exactly what I needed. I had a refresher course with Sue at the end just like a new member would have their get started session and sue gave me some great advice that I am going to stick by for the week.

I am not going to focus on the gain or my past behavior. I am going to act like I have never done Weight watchers before, I am going to do Simple Start for the week and I am going to do it 100% by the book, no adaptions, no cheating! I am going to do it right! 

My Weekly Treat Box

This week I have made myself a treat box for my 49 weekly Pro Points. I discussed this idea in my classes this week and got a great response. So I am putting my words where my mouth is and doing it myself. I have let me snacking and picking get a bit out of control this summer so the idea behind this box is that it will keep my snacking under control. I can go to the box whenever I want and take something out and its counted for from my 49, once the box is empty my 49 Weekly Pro Points are gone and its tough luck after that.

I want the box to last the entire week, I have filled it with my favourite treats, choosing as many low Pro Point things as possible to make it stretch further. I got 17 treats in mine, 2 for each day with 3 extras for emergencies.

My box includes

1 x Original wham Bar - 3PP
1 x Cola Wham Bar - 3PP
2 x Double Dips - 2PP each
2 x Curly Wurly - 3PP each
2 x Skinny Dairy Milk Bar - 3PP each
1 x Maltesers Bag - 5PP each
1 x Daim Bar - 4PP each
3 x Mini Haribo Bags - 2PP each
2 x Skinny Cox Ice Cream - 2PP each (I put a paper voucher in the box for each of these)
2 x Oreo Snack Packs - 4pp Each

If picking & snacking are one of your issues then why not join me and make your own 49 treat box. You can put whatever you fancy in, wine, beer, crisps even make a coupon for your favourite take away!

A Simple Dinner For Your Simple Start

Whole-wheat Couscous is free on simple start/Filling & Healthy, eager to have another Filling & Healthy food in my cupboard for dinner & lunch inspiration I had been keeping a vague eye out for whole-wheat couscous for the past couple of weeks. I hadn't managed to find it in the supermarkets I tend to visit on a regular basis.
While In Bantry on wednesday, putting up posters to promote my new class opening there, I came across a small organic supermarket and found a bag of whole-wheat Couscous there.

I was very keen to use it and decided that I would Make it for dinner today. I had a busy day, I went for a fabulous walk with my friend Amy & her dog in Ballincollig park, I hadn't been there before and it was stunning. I headed off after that to do my weekly grocery shop and then did a spot of cleaning at home for the rest of the afternoon. I wasn't feeling in the mood to do anything too timely in the kitchen after that and I decided on simple roast veg for the Couscous.

I wasn't really expecting anything amazing and I did worry that the vegetarian meal would not be enough for my boyfriend William. I knew I was onto a hit when after two mouthfuls william said ''we have to have this again, its delicious!'' and for once he didn't go back for seconds, he was full!

Roast Veg & Whole-wheat Couscous.

Serves 3 ( I made enough for 2 dinners & one lunch)

1/2 Butternut Squash, diced
1 Red Pepper, diced
1 Green Pepper, diced
3 Carrots, diced
1 Large Onion, cut into wedges
5 Baby Potatoes, quartered
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Cumin
Turmeric
2 Cups Whole-wheat Couscous
Fry Lite
0% Total Greek Yogurt (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200

Place the chopped veg into an oven proof dish and sprinkle on your desired amount of seasoning, toss and spay with Fry Lite.
Place in the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes
When the veg is done, turn off the oven & leave the beg inside to keep warm.
bring 2 cups of water to the boil & add the 2 cups of Couscous, remove the pan from the heat, cover and leave for 5 minutes.
Fluff with a fork & serve with the roast vegetables.
Top with a tbsp of 0% Total Greek Yogurt & enjoy!

Sometimes a simple meal can be very tasty & satisfying, this meal is certainly that. It is easy to prepare and cook so is suitable for people who are not that confident in the kitchen. The leftovers would be ideal cold for lunch the next day with some rocket & spinach leaves thrown in, which is what William is getting to take to work tomorrow.

As you all probably know by now I have become a Weight Watchers leader so spread the word!
I am Opening two new classes on Monday 28th April.

10:30 am in The Westlodge Leisure Centre, Bantry
6pm The West Cork Hotel, Skibbereen.

I also have a class on Tuesdays in Youghal at 5:45pm.

Porridge Bread Scones & Home Made ''Nutella''

Firstly I would like to apologies for my disappearance lately, I have been very busy. I have been doing my Weight Watchers leader Training. I passed my assessment last week and I am now officially a Weight watchers Leader! I am very excited and also eager to get going with classes. I will have more news soon about where my classes will be, for those of you interested in that.

Now I would like to make a splash back into blogging with my new recipe.

Porridge bread is by no means a new creation to us Weight watchers people, since the beginning of Simple Start in January we have all been raving about its wonderfulness. It truly is genius! However I did begin to get a little bored with the bread and mine was ever turning out quiet right, it was always a bit soggy in the middle. I would leave it in the oven for double the stated time but no such luck would come about.

So I decided to try turning the bread dough into scones instead and it worked a treat, they cooked perfectly and I am now in love with them. The scones, like the bread is free on Simple Start or Filling & healthy. I have worked out the Pro Points for those of you who prefer to count. I am now a complete convert to Filling & Healthy myself, so I do recommend you give it a try if you haven't already.

porridge Bread Scones

Serves 12

Free on Filling & Healthy
or 4 Pro Points each.

500g  tub Low Fat Natural Yogurt
Twice the empty Yogurt tub filled with Porridge Oats
1 Tsp Salt
2 Tsp bread Soda

Preheat oven to 180c

Empty the Low Fat Natural Yogurt into a mixing bowl,
Fill up the Yogurt tub twice with Porridge Oats and mix into the Yogurt along with the Salt and Bread Soda. Mix well to form a wet dough.
Grease a 12 spaced Bun Tin with Fry Lite. Using an Ice-Cream/Potato Scoop, Scoop the dough between the 12 spaced Bun Tin. Sprinkle over Wheat Germ if desired and bake in the oven for 40 Minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Place on a wire rack to cool.

*update - I got a new oven and now my Porridge Bread Scones cook in 20 - 25 minutes, so make sure you keep an eye on them.

Now the scones are just to get you started, the real delight is the home made ''Nutella'' I have come up with. It is what I would describe as a healthy grown-ups Nutella, a dark Chocolate and Hazelnut spread. It works out much the same in Pro Points as Nutalla does but it has less Sugar and no Palm Oil, so is much better for us. I am really in love with this one! It is the perfect accompaniment for the scones and will curb any Chocolate craving!

Dark Chocolate & Hazelnut Spread

2pp for 1Tbsp or 3pp for 2 Tbsp

150g Whole Hazelnuts
60g Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
50g Sweet Freedom Syrup (Light or Dark)
120ml Skimmed Milk
1tsp Vanilla Extract

Preheat the oven to 180c

Place the Hazelnuts on a lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 minutes.
when the hazelnuts are done place them between 2 pieces of Kitchen paper and rub to remove the skins (this is tiresome work but do prevail!)
Place the skinless Hazelnuts in a food processor and blend on a medium/high setting for 10 minutes or until a peanut butter consistency is achieved, scraping down the sides as necessary.
Add in the rest of the ingredients and blend until well combined.

Spoon into a sterilised jar, I used 2 small ones and refrigerate and use within one week.

Enjoy! :)

Filling & Healthy Porridge Oat Pancakes

I have had a longing for pancakes for days now. It's seeing all the pancake mixes and toppings filling the shelves of the supermarkets. Pancake Tuesday is on it's way and gosh do I love pancakes!

I am filled with lovely thoughts of stuffing myself with pancakes all day on Pancake Tuesday. The reality is I will probably have 3 or 4 and be stuffed! While I am saving myself for ''Real'' Pancakes on Pancake Tuesday I don't want to waste any of my weekly pro points on them right now. I have been making alternative filling & healthy pancakes to keep me satisfied for now.

Most of us know of and love the banana & egg pancakes that have been circling around for a while now. I had them yesterday. While they are quick, easy and a good substitute for pancake cravings, sometimes I am a little bothered about the banana taste that comes with them.

Today I decided to try out a different method and the results were very, very surprising! These pancakes tasted very much like the real deal and were very satisfying and filling. I will be opting for these pancakes instead of the banana ones so long as I am following the filling & healthy program.

Porridge Oat Pancakes.

Free on Filling & healthy
Makes 4 Pancakes.

4 scoops of Porridge Oats (I used the red scoop that comes with microwave porridge oats, this works out at 60g)
2 eggs.
A large dash of Skimmed Milk (I did not measure the milk, I added in a little at a time until i got the desired batter consistency for pancakes)
1tsp Vanilla Extract
1tsp Baking Powder
Fry Light

Pour all ingredients into a baking bowl and blend using a hand blender. Alternatively mix together with a spoon or whizz in the food processor.
Spray your frying pan with some Fry Light and heat the pan to a medium/high heat.
Using a serving spoon or ladle pour some of the batter onto the frying pan.
These pancakes cook very fast so keep an eye on them.
After a minute flip over to the other side and cook for a further minute.
Repeat with the remaining batter and serve with your favourite topping.


You can make these pancakes gluten free by using gluten free oats and baking powder.

Happy Valentines with Mini Maltesers cheesecakes!

Happy Valentines

Whether you have splurged and forgotten completely about weight watchers for today or you have planned valentines into your week. I hope you have enjoyed a wonderful valentines.

I myself planned it into my weeklies, I knew I wanted to splurge a bit so I made sure I had the weeklies left to do it. I lost 3lbs on Tuesdays weigh in, so I am most definitely back on track and 0.5lbs under my goal. I am doing a filling and healthy week. Being at goal and on maintenance I get 90 weekly pro points if doing filling & healthy.

My plan was to stick to filling & healthy foods for the whole day and then tonight I enjoyed my favourite chinese takeaway dish - Shredded Crispy chicken in Sweet Chili Sauce, which I have guessed to be 12 points for the half portion that I had. I made my own egg fried rice, which was free on filling and healthy, using boiled brown rice and one egg.

I had one small vegetable spring roll - 4pp, and a very small hand full of prawn crackers - 4pp

In total my valentines dinner cost me 20 pro points, not bad!

Then came dessert!..The most important part in my eyes.

I have been day dreaming and searching google for days for the perfect cheesecake inspiration. I wanted a cheesecake that could be at least a little part Filling & healthy.

This was the result of my endless research & daydreaming.

Mini Malteser Cheesecakes

5 Pro Points each on Filling & healthy

serves 4.

250g Quark
8 Weight Watchers Chocolate Digestives.
3 Tsp of Low Fat Spread, melted.
30g Icing Sugar.
2 Tsp Vanilla Extract.
8 Tbsp Hot Water
1, 12g Sachet of Powdered Gelatin.
1, 37g Bag of Maltesers.

In a food processor mix the biscuits until they resemble breadcrumbs, mix in the melted butter.
Spoon the crumb mixture between 4 mini pie dishes, use the back of a spoon the press the mixture down.
Pour the hot water into a jug and mix in the powdered gelatin until dissolved, set aside to cool.
In a food processor mix the quark, sugar and vanilla extract together until smooth & creamy, scarping down the sides as you go.
Mix in the gelatin a bit at a time.
Gently crush the Maltesers, setting aside 4 whole ones.
Fold in the crushed Maltesers to the quark mixture.
Spoon the Quark mixture between the 4 mini pie dishes.
Gently crush each remaining Malteser, one at a time, and sprinkle on each Mini Cheesecake.
Chill the Cheesecakes for 2 hrs, until set.

Serve & enjoy!

If you do not have mini pie dishes you could make this in glasses, cupcake cases, or make one large cheesecake in a cake tin.

Simple Start Potato Gratin

Tonight is Steak Night!

Sirloin or Fillet steak is free on Simple Start which is great news because I love steak, but steak makes me think of chips, delicious home made chips from the deep fat fryer oh and dont forget the creamy pepper sauce to pour all over it.

What came into my mind today while trying to decide what to accompany my steak with, was mothers garlic & cream potato gratin. Layers of thinly sliced potatoes smothered in cream and garlic and topped off with a layer of cheese that melts in the oven, It's heavenly. On weekends home from college my mother would often make it and I would sit down with my parents and savor every mouthful as we caught up on the past week, good memories.

Potato Gratin before baking in the oven.

But I cant have that tonight, it's not Simple Start Friendly! As much as I might have wanted to give in and make it, because after all the thinking about it I now had a longing for it, I didn't give in. Instead I thought about how I could make a Simple Start version that would curb the craving.

This is the result...

Simple Start Potato Gratin

Free on Simple Start/Filling & Healthy, without the cheese, or use the cheese as a treat like I did or take from your weekly 49 pro points.

5pp per serving.

Serves 4

750g Potatoes, finely sliced, I left the skin on but you can peel if preferred.
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed. (I used garlic puree)
Salt & Pepper
200ml Skimmed Milk
40g Low Fat Grated Cheddar Cheese.
Fry Lite

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees
Spray an oven proof dish with Fry Lite
Layer the finely sliced Potatoes in the oven proof dish, Lightly seasoning with Salt & Pepper and Garlic on every second layer, repeat until all potatoes are used.
Pour the Skimmed Milk over until it reaches just below the top layer of potatoes.
Microwave the dish on high for 10 minutes,
Then cover with foil and bake in the oven for one hour,
Ten minutes before the end take off the foil and sprinkle the cheese on top.

My delicious steak dinner.

I am a lifer!

I have had a very eventful couple of weeks.

On the 18th of January we celebrated my sisters 30th birthday at my parents house with a chinese take away, birthday cake, chocolate biscuit cake and lots of alcohol. My sisters boyfriend asked me how I was going to deal with the weekend on Weight Watchers and my response was exactly this,

''This weekend never happened!''

So I ate like it never happened, I ate what I wanted, when I wanted. I'm talking 8 slices of birthday cake in one weekend!

What do you think happened when I faced the scale at weigh in on Tuesday?...nope you didn't guess right, I actually had a stay the same. 

What this news did for me was make me over confident. My own birthday was the next weekend and I had a tea party planned. My friend Mandi made me a beautiful cake and I probably had about 8 slices of that over my birthday weekend too. I continues to eat like it never happened. what I wanted, when I wanted. 

My Birthday Cake

What do you think happened when I faced the scales on the following Tuesday?...yep, this time I was up! 3lbs!

It all caught up with me big time. You would think that was enough to kick me back into tip top weight watching shape, but it wasn't. I had spiraled out of control. My motivation was non existant. I was supposed to be trying out Simple Start this week, what I did was my own special version, Simple Start meals followed by whatever I wanted.  I ate and I ate and I ate my way to this weeks weigh in where I faced the scales and another 2.5lb gain! 

I was so mad with myself, so disappointed. how could I do this. How could I, the Weight Watchers gold member and future leader who had adorned the cover of the Weight Watchers supplement in the RTE Guide (oh, I will tell you all about that soon!) fall of the wagon so badly?

Myself and Will enjoying my birthday.

I thought about it all night after weigh in and I realised that I am human, yes I am a gold member and future leader but I am firstly and foremost a Weight Watchers member, I have a problem with food and I will have that problem for ever. I am in this for life! In life there will be slip ups, there will be moments and occasions where we give in or choose to forget about counting pro points for a while. The important thing is to go back, to climb back on the Weight Watchers wagon and move on.

Which is exactly what I am doing this week. Since Tuesday I have been following Simple Start properly and I have been enjoying every second of it. I am full, I am satisfied and I feel great!

I came across a competition that my favourite retro brand Stop Staring are doing. You simple enter a picture of you wearing one of their dresses and one lucky person will win a dress from them. It got me looking back at pictures from after I got to goal. I purchased a very special Stop Staring dress to be my goal dress and I wore it to the unofficial Weight Watchers christmas party in Tullamore. I started to remember what buying that dress felt like and how much I loved Weight Watchers for changing my life. I know I will never slip back to the old me if I keep that in my mind.

I decided to enter the picture in the competition. 

My goal dress.

I would love all the help I could get to win this competition so if your feeling generous please follow this link and vote for me

http://bit.ly/1fFgdk2

Thank you all very much,

Sarah

Things are looking good for 2014

Happy New Year to all my readers.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are back on your weight watchers journey now. 

Or perhaps your starting now, well done on taking that step if you are.

If your not don't panic and certainly don't give up. You can get there. I myself only got back into the swing if it yesterday. My plan was to take three days off tracking at Christmas but it turned into seven. Things don't always work out the way we planned but there is no point in feeling guilty and punishing ourselves. It's important to accept the fall, no matter how bad it was, pick yourself back up and move on.

That pretty much sums up my new years plan. I don't make resolutions because I always fail at them. This year though I have a plan of things I want to work on in my life. I have been unhappy with some things in my life lately, nothing related to weight watchers directly but we all know how personal issues can interfere with our eating habits.
This year starts off with me becoming a weight watchers leader. This has been an ambition of mine since before I got to goal and I am delighted to be given the opportunity. I begin training later this month and I plan on being the best leader I possibly can be! I am extremely excited about the job and I know its going to have a positive effect on my life.
The other part of my plan us to dedicate time and effort into the Youtube channel I set up and neglected a couple of months ago. Life gets in the way and we always have an excuse to sit in front of the really rather than do something, well I do anyway. But not any more!

If you are making a new years resolution then my advice is to keep it small and realistic. If its the beginning of your weight loss journey then having made the decision to go to a weight watchers class is enough. There is no need to add pressure by saying you will loose one stone in a months time, that's only setting yourself up for failure. Take it 1lb at a time.
If your not new to weight watchers then a small change like swapping your daily chocolate treat for a healthier option like a sliced apple with a spoon of peanut butter is achievable rather than completely cutting out treats, which I know I certainly could never stick to! 

So best of luck with your plans for 2014 and keep an eye on my Youtube Channel for updates.