The Weight Watchers ProPoints Challenge

A few of my favourite products

2012-06-06T00:24:00.001-07:00

This week I've been trying a few new products, which are pro-points friendly and full of yum.

First up is the Alpro Almond milk. I keep hearing good things about almond milk on Twitter, so I grabbed a carton of it from Morrisons. For those not familiar with it, it's a blend of spring water and roasted almonds that has a distinctly milky texture and look with a slightly sweet and nutty aftertaste. I've been having it in my tea and on its own. There seems to be a bit of confusion with Propoint values on the forum, but the general consensus is that it's 1 for up to 250ml. If you're a big tea or milk drinker, this is certainly worth a try, as that works out better than skimmed milk. Oh and it lasts much longer in the fridge!

Next up is the Weight Watchers Rose wine. This came along in my pack from a couple of weeks ago - and I'm never one to turn down a glass of wine on a hot summer day (remember those days?) It's pleasingly light and fresh, and works well as a spritzer too. It's 2 ProPoints per 125ml glass.

Finally, it's the Express porridge apple & cinnamon pot from Sainsbury's. They're usually on offer, and they're great for a quick breakfast on the go/at work. Just add hot water, stir and eat! This particular flavour is delicious as it has real chunks of apple in it. I know it's not the cheapest or healthiest way to make porridge (around 6 propoints for the whole pot), but it's filling and tasty. Plus, no washing up!

What food finds would you recommend this week?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Weight watchers Mocktail

2012-05-26T00:40:00.001-07:00

Weight Watchers mocktail (red grape & pomegranate cordial & Sicilian lemonade) 0pp.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Staying for meetings and new food

2012-05-16T01:34:00.002-07:00

New Food!

This morning, bleary eyed and embarrassingly dressed in my worst PJs, I answered the door and signed for a package from Weight Watchers.

In the package, was LOADSAFOOD!

You might have noticed recently that Weight Watchers have undergone a bit of a branding revamp on the packaging front, and it all looks quite uniform and blue now - much easier to spot in the aisles.

The package contains lots of new items, along with a few classics.

Weight Watchers Rose Wine (2PP per 125ml glass)
Weight Watchers Sicilian Lemonade (0PP per 250ml serving)
Weight Watchers Salt & Vinegar Crinkle Crisps (2PP per bag)
Weight Watchers Italian Red Grape & Pomegranate Cordial (0PP per 250ml serving- diluted)
Weight Watchers Hot Chocolate Drink (1PP per serving)
Weight Watchers Milk Chocolate Digestive Biscuits (1PP per biscuit)
Weight Watchers Ginger & Lemon Cookies (2PP per 2 cookies
Weight Watchers Individual Carrot Cakes (3PP per cake)
Weight Watchers Nacho Cheese Tortillas (2PP per bag)
Weight Watchers Mini Lemon Cupcake Mix (1PP per mini cupcake)
Weight Watchers Petits Pains (3PP per Petit pain)
Weight Watchers Bagels (4PP per bagel)
Garlic & Coriander Naan Bread (4PP per half naan)

I've tried the rose wine, carrot cakes and bagels before, and none of them tasted like 'diet food', so hopefully the same will be true for the rest. The cupcake mix will come in handy when I want to do some baking but don't want to lose all my weekly points. I'll be interested to see how easy it is to stick to their suggested portion size for each cake though.

I'll keep you updated with how I get on with the rest. I have a feeling the bagels and petits pains will be particular good for lunches

Staying for meetings
Onto meetings now. I've been going back to meetings for the last couple of weeks, and I'm really enjoying them. So much so that yesterday I ended up turning up an hour early (serves me right for not checking my diary), and ended up helping out with weighing.

Y'know all that stuff they tell us about how people who stay on for the talk after weigh in do better? It's true. So far, the biggest lightbulb moment I've had at a meeting is that I often put other people's eating requirements before my own. For example, if I'm cooking dinner for me and the fiancé, I'll think about what he'll like before thinking about my points. Or if I go out with friends, I'll go in for whatever they want to do because I don't want to be the diet bore that's no fun to socialise with.

So last week I switched that. I'm cooking with points in mind, and Pete then either eats what I'm having, or makes something himself - which he's happy with! It seems to have worked, as I dropped another 1.5lbs and fitted back into a dress I haven't worn for 6 months. It feels like there are less challenges since adopting that approach too.

While those big bombshells are great, sometimes it's the little tips too you pick up from your leader or other members. For example: those pots of Weight Watchers fruit are 0PP...as long as you drain them. Otherwise they're 2PP. Oops!

Do you go to, and stay for, meetings? Has it helped you?

Disclaimer: While Weight Watchers do send me products to test, I do not get paid for this and all opinions are my own.

Going back to meetings

2012-05-02T12:46:00.002-07:00

Last week, my mum and I dragged our (cake-filled) bottoms down to our local WeightWatchers meeting and joined up (again). As much as the online tools are helpful, I really do need the kick up the arse that a weekly weigh in gives me. It's not the first time we've joined meetings, but we usually skip the chats afterwards, so we're trying to stay for them all this time.

It seems to have worked so far this week, and this morning's weigh in showed a loss of 2lbs. Despite a badly judged meal on Friday.

The type of leader seems to make a big difference. Our leader in Bracknell, Vicky, is young and friendly - and sends out mid-week newsletters to give us all a little motivation. That said, in the past I've been to meetings with less-than-friendly leaders, who make you feel like you're going to get yelled at if you put on rather than giving you a bit of a motivating chat.

As May is Move More month, I'm trying to fit more exercise into my routine. I'm going back to freelancing full time from June, and only working in the office on Mondays this month, so it should be a little bit easier. In theory. Here's what I've tried in the last couple of weeks:

Body Combat: Fun and shouty, lots of kicking and punching. Lots of walking like John Wayne the next day.
Body Balance: Yoga/Pilates/Lycra-wearing-flawless-people class. Not for me. I prefer classes where it doesn't matter if I look a bit of a prat at the back with my mate. I certainly felt a bit of a prat when I fell over mid-praying mantis (praying mantis? swooning swan? Maybe I should have paid more attention).
Lots of walking: Our WW leader gave us a list of little exercises you can fit in throughout your day, so I've been trying to park further and do little walks at lunch. She also pointed out that she lost weight twice, and lost it twice as fast exercising. Sounds obvious, but quite a motivator when there's a wedding dress deadline looming.
Doing the odd bit of dancing on the XBox 360 Kinnect. I actually do a pretty good job of convincing myself I'm badass...until the photos pop up at the end. Ah the shame.

I want to do BodyJam next. Move over Beyonce.

Still a way to go, but after BodyPump I did get that feel good feeling which lasted a few days. Maybe there's something in this exercise malarky. I'm looking forward to the sunshine though, for some longer walks.

Weight Watchers have done a little survey all about laziness in the UK that makes interesting reading, and they've made it into an infographic.

Can't. Get. Enough. Of. Infographics.

I've done everything on that list of symptoms of laziness at some point or other.

They're running a little campaign this month too, where you can sign up for Move More, add a Twibbon to your Twitter pic and be in with a chance of a £100 spa trip.

Have you got any good suggestions for exercise? I think I can safety say that, despite all the evangelists trying to persuade me, running is not for me. I'll leave that to my super-fit sister (who's doing Mount Kilimanjaro next year. I know, right?)

Also, does anyone have any good suggestions for lunches? Now that I'll be at home more I want to experiment with some new dishes that are filling AND low in points.

Is taking a diet holiday worth it?

2012-04-09T06:04:00.001-07:00

Last week, I took a week off the diet. I know, I know! It's a lifestyle, not a diet. But thanks to birthday celebrations, a strange week at work and Easter, it seemed to make more sense to give myself a break from stressing about food then adding pressure to the week.

I put on a couple of lbs last week thanks to that break, so I've probably postponed the stress rather than giving myself a rest. I'm not surprised, as there were several meals out, several glasses of wine (I rarely drink usually) and next to no exercise. But I actually think that taking a break sometimes is a good idea. It gives you time to rethink your goals, re-evaluate how bad some foods make you feel (a week-long headache would suggest that it really is best for me to keep the chocolate and fizzy drink consumption to a minimum) and look at how you can improve.

Diet and Fitness buddy

One of the other things to happen in the last couple of weeks, is that Pete's best friend (and Best Man) and his girlfriend have moved just round the corner. It means I've got a workout buddy three minutes walk away - so we're going to hit a dance class this week and squeeze in some walking. I've shamefully avoided exercise this year, aside from some Xbox dancing, so I'm looking forward to getting moving.

All four of us are trying to shift some weight, so it's a good opportunity to have some healthy dinner parties too. There's a new app on the Weight Watchers Facebook app that lets you plan a healthy supper and invite guests in one go. They've got 60 recipes so there's plenty to choose from.

There are some screen grabs below if you want to see how it works.

Lisa Faulkner is the face of the supper clubs, and she'll be involved in a Thai Green Curry ‘cook-a-long’ on Thursday 12th April at 7pm on the Weight Watchers’ Facebook page.

Do you like the idea of a supper club? Or would you rather organise one yourself? Let me know in the comments.

p.s I've also been busy saving my favourite recipes into an album on my iPad, to create a directory of my favourite meals and help me plan future weekly eating plans easier. Do you have any geeky ways to help with your weight loss?

Weight Watchers Pinterest board

2012-03-24T00:56:00.000-07:00

I've had the snuffles. Like half of you have I'd imagine. I wouldn't mind, but this is the third cold I've had so far in 2012, and I'm eating ALL THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. And a daily multi-vitamin. Last year however, when my diet was less than nutritious, I seemed to dodge every cold doing the rounds. Go figure.

Anyway, this is just a quick post to let you know about a Pinterest board I've created for Weight Watcher recipes, which you can find here.

It's a collaborative board, so if you want to add your finds to the board leave a comment on this post and I'll add you.

Are you a Pinterest addict?

Weight Watchers Porridge/Breakfast Oats, and Weigh In

2012-03-13T01:44:00.000-07:00

So, the dreaded weigh in.

Actually I wasn't particularly dreading weigh in this week. I'd stuck to my daily ProPoints this week, squeezed in some exercise and upped my fruit and veg intake. Saturday wasn't the healthiest as we had dinner with friends, but then I guess that's what those weekly ProPoints are for.

I've lost 1lb, which I'm pleased with. That basically means that in theory I'll hit my target weight by the end of the year. Slow and steady wins the race (and fits into the cute dress)

One of the things that I've been enjoying this week, and has helped with reducing my daily ProPoints, is the Weight Watchers Porridge. I tend to have porridge a lot, either the sachet ones at home or those microwave pots at work. They're filling, but usually around 5-6 ProPoints.

The Weight Watchers Porridge is just 3 ProPoints, and because it's sweet you don't need to add much on top. I used a banana, but blueberries work really well too. To prepare it, just fill a large bowl with 150ml of cold water (I fill the empty packet up to where 'Breakfast Oats' starts if I don't have a measuring jug) and the Breakfast Oats. Pop it in the microwave for around a minute and a half (depending on the power), stir, then microwave for another minute.

A word of warning though: Keep an eye on it when it's in the microwave. I didn't, and was left scraping it off the microwave when I misjudged the timing. Porridge in general is like the concrete of the food world, once it dries it won't budge.

What are your favourite low ProPoint finds this week?

The lazy 15 minute Weight Watcher curry

2012-03-08T00:57:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love a lazy, quick recipe? One that means you can justify not having a takeaway when you're tired and tight for time?

I tend to have a few recipes up my sleeve that are quick and easy to cook when it's been a long day. Stir frys, fajitas and paellas all feature often, along with slow cooker meals and those handy roasting joints you can get in Sainsbury's that have just enough for two. But I haven't made a curry from scratch yet.

One of the products Weight Watchers sent me was a trio of curry pastes in handy little pots. Each packet contains two meat pots and one vegetable pot.

So, I gave the vegetable curry paste a try. Here's what I started with:

Ah, aren't camera phones the best? I really need to invest in a proper camera.

Anyway, this is what I started with: frozen veg (best invention ever for fat fighters), and the little pot of veg paste. You can do it with fresh veg but..well, it'll take longer than 15 minutes.

Throw it all in a hot pan sprayed with oil. Keep stirring it until the veg has defrosted. You might want to add a little water to stop it burning. Then throw in the pot of paste and continue to stir. The instructions suggest you might want to add more water if you want more of a sauce, but I found it was the perfect consistency for me.

(I ended up throwing in some wafer thin chicken for a bit of added protein, but it would be lovely if you threw in most leftover meats, or just on its own.)

Throw it in a bowl, and get munching. It's got a kick to it, so you might want to keep a drink at your side.

Overall, this couldn't have been easier - and it really was tasty. It's not the prettiest dish, but the flavours made up for it. The whole thing was about 8 ProPoints (the same as a Weight Watcher frozen chicken curry), and really filling. I think there's probably a lot of potential for versatility with this dish too.

What's your go-to dish for a quick dinner?

p.s I've added a Disqus comment system, so it should be easier to comment if you want to.

Here we go again - Weight Watchers 2012

2012-03-07T04:42:00.000-08:00

Gosh, that last post was very whingy, wasn't it? Let's draw a line under that eh? It's a new year and I'm back on WW.

A lot of things have changed in the last year. I got a part-time job next to my freelance work (at a Student Union, so I'm surrounded by student food...) bought a house with my boyfriend Peter....and then on Christmas Day he proposed.

What better weight loss motivation does a girl need than a wedding dress?

So, since January I've been back on the Weight Watchers plan, and for the first time so is Peter. Which is great, as we're not going out as much (perks of buying a home), being more sensible about cooking choices and encouraging each other.

January was good, and we both lost about half a stone (er, half a stone I'd put on over Christmas. Mince pies are little pastry shells of evil.)

February was a bit of a blip (we both were seriously overworked and had family birthday meals out), so we didn't lose anything.

March so far is going really well, especially as Weight Watchers got in touch to see if I fancy trying out some of their new products, along with their new cookbook. We've got into a habit of cooking certain meals each week, so it's nice to have something to shake things up again.

Here's what they've sent me:

It includes:

A pack of Weight Watchers Peach and Pear fruit pots (which I'm eating right now).
A pack of Weight Watchers Authentic Curry Pastes (Get. In. My. Belly)
A pack of Weight Watchers Garlic and Herb Bag 'n' Bake (looking forward to trying that one)
Weight Watchers Cappuccino Sachets (I don't drink coffee and try to avoid caffeine products, but my mum will love these)
A box of Weight Watchers Original Breakfast Oats (Lower in points than the porridge pots I've been taking to work - only 3)
A pack of Weight Watchers Mediterranean Sauce (Lovely for summer!)
The latest Weight Watchers magazine
A Weight Watchers cookbook - Members' Favorites. I really want to try the Mashmallow and Squash brownies, and Peanut Buttery and Banana Bread Pudding in this!

I'll be blogging about how I'm doing, and what I think of these products (and what the fiance thinks) up until our wedding next April.

I'd love to hear how you're all doing though! Is everyone used to the ProPoints plan now? Any tips? Let me know in the comments.

p.s I discovered Sainsbury's do individual bags of frozen fruit, designed especially for smoothies straight from the freezer. Fruit always goes bad in my fridge/kitchen (especially as Peter doesn't eat much fruit or veg), so I'm chuffed with this find. Lazy? Yes. Improve my fruit intake? Yes!

p.p.s Weight Watchers seems to have a YouTube channel with some great videos. Worth having a look for some recipes.

It's not fair!

2011-01-26T01:02:00.000-08:00

Image by Freydís via FlickrI'm pretty sure anyone embarking on a weight loss has uttered the somewhat irrational words: "It's not fair!"

Maybe we've watched the friend or family member who can eat their body weight in food without putting on a single lb. Or we've worked our asses off all week, only to see no change or a gain on the scales.

This week, I've been fighting back the words on a daily basis. I'm fed up of always having to watch what I eat. Fed up of seeing friends lose weight easily, simply by cutting out alcohol (I rarely drink these days and it's made bugger all difference.) Fed up of being fed up about my weight. Fed up of being a moany old diet bore :)

But I know those three little words are cowardly and only kick the blame away from my own doorstep. I'm a size 16 because I eat too much. Because I don't exercise enough. Because I've developed a series of unhealthy eating habits that seems hugely difficult to kick.

I weighed in this morning as I wasn't able to make it to class last weekend. Not a single lb off since 14th January.

I haven't been perfect for the last two weeks by any means. But I haven't been awful either. Which has led to me pondering "God, I may as well have had seconds of last night's dinner!"

Obviously, I'm doing something wrong, and I think I need to change my whole viewpoint on this losing weight loss thing. I'm hardly going to succeed if I'm always negative about it. And I know the plan works. It's worked in the past, and it'll work again.

If you've got any tips of how to get in the right mindset, or how to get through this weight wall I seem to have hit, please do leave them in the comments. There's a bridesmaid dress at stake here :)

Fashion: Walking the walk

2011-01-20T05:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I popped into London for a meeting and catch up with the editors of a couple of fashion blogs I write for. The ladies I met up with are lovely, super-friendly and very, very trendy. The kind of ladies that can actually pull off tough ankle boots with floaty dresses.

Now, London often makes me feel a little 'country bumpkin' (which, I should mention, is nothing to do with the people I meet who are usually lovely.) It's more of a self-concious thing I've always had, particularly when I'm heavier. If I'm honest, I always felt more fashionable and confident when I was a size 12. I was more likely to take risks with fashion and everything sat better when I was slimmer. Even heels were easier to walk in.

In London, where everyone seems to have jumped off the catwalk, that feeling is pushed under a microscope.

I know I'm supposed to 'embrace my curves.' But there's a difference between curves and...well, too much belly. As a size 16, 5ft 4in apple shape, I fall into the latter category. I know there are plenty of ladies that look gorgeous as a size 16, but I'm sadly not one of them (otherwise I'd continue my ongoing relationship with weekly curries)

And being fashionable is important to me (there, I said it!) After all, if I'm writing about fashion, shouldn't I actually be wearing some of the stuff I write about?

Potentially, I'm going to be visiting and working in their office a couple of times a month soon. Which has given me even more of an incentive to get back into my size 12 jeans. Building my confidence on fashion might seem shallow, but it's a great motivator for me!

Ah Chinese food, my old foe

2011-01-18T23:41:00.000-08:00

Image by Yelp.com via FlickrI love Chinese food. Even the slightly-rubbish-but-on-a-cheap-deal type you get in ASDA/Sainsburys/Your nearest supermarket.

But you can't beat a Chinese buffet. In particularly the rather spectacular The Real China in Camberley.

This place has three trolleys packed full of food, plus a teppanyaki bar (which I never quite get round to using despite loving teppanyaki food.) The food range is so wide that you can find sushi, dim sum, chips, chicken nuggets and fish fingers.

So it'll probably come as no surprise to hear that this place has contributed to my growing weight over the last two years. But seeing as I'm on track again this week and I've still got plenty of weekly points left, the boyfriend and I took a little trip to our favourite deep-fried heaven.

It wasn't that bad. I stuck to protein-rich foods and avoided the dessert cart (10 different mini puddings! Ice cream! Fritters!) I'd been fairly good that day too. More importantly though, I ate slowly and mindfully. I have a habit of wolfing down my food so fast that people often comment on it, so it's something I'm trying to work on.

Not entirely sure how many points it added up to, so I'm going to just write off the rest of my weekly points and be good for the rest of the week.

Totally worth it for the duck and pancake roll though.

Do you continue to go to your favourite restaurants when you're on Weight Watchers, or avoid at all costs?

Lazy Chef: One pan ham 'n' egg on toast

2011-01-17T05:54:00.000-08:00

Hi, I'm Lazy Chef.

If there's a corner I can cut, a simpler way of cooking something or a microwave I can zap food in, I'll do it.

There's no excuse really. I spent years at school doing home economics and food technology (incidentally, the exact same thing at my school. Two years of which was spent making pastry) I even took an AS Level in it.

But being back on WW means I should probably re-learn how to cook things from *gulp* scratch. My challenge is to try out a new recipe each week from one of the WW cookbooks.

Kicking off with an easy one: one pan ham 'n'eggs on toast (pg 8 of the Seriously Satisfying book)

You will need:
A frying pan. Big enough to fit bread, bacon and egg in.
An egg
Bacon medallions
WW bread
Oil, preferably a spray one.

What to do:
Spray the hot frying pan with oil, and add the slice of bread, turning occasionally.
Add the bacon medallions, and fry for several minutes on each side.
Add the egg into the spare place, and fry until cooked.
Pour it all on a plate and add your favourite sauce.
Eat, smile, rub tummy in happy contentment.

It works out as around 5PP for me, plus you only have to clean up one pan. Win!

Back in control

2011-01-17T04:50:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Breakfast

Smoothie, made up of strawberries, blueberries, bananas and pourable yoghurt: 4PP

Snack

Mixed berries: 0PP

Lunch

Bacon sandwich, made up of three bacon medallions, 2 slices of ww bread and flora light: 6PP

Snack

Banana: 0PP

Dinner

Mr Brains Pork Faggots x 2: 7PP

Oven baked chips: 7 PP

Sweetcorn: 3PP

4 remaining (in case that banana snack isn't enough!)

Exercise: Play on the Kinnect for several hours, no idea on PP.

This weekend, my family kept commenting on how happy I seemed. And I was. Really happy. But I couldn't put my finger on why. It wasn't until the evening that I realised what it was.

I wasn't going to bed feeling guilty and bloated after what I'd eaten. And I wasn't waking up making empty promises to stick to the plan. Because I'm sticking to the plan. I've been back on it for a few days now and I'm feeling comfortable again with counting points and being in control and not having that horrible feeling like I've gone a bit crazy and consumed far too many pork pies.

I don't understand why sometimes I've got the will power to start the plan and stay on track, and why sometimes when I try and start eating on the plan again, I struggle and end up eating mindlessly. I guess it shows that I just can't jump on and off the plan as I like, because it's so hard to start again. Which, considering how flexible the new plan is, isn't such a bad thing.

I know that all might sound a bit control-freaky to some. But knowing I'm putting good stuff into my body (ok, and the odd naughty chocolate treat) and feeling the effects makes me happy.

Am I alone in thinking like that?

My weight loss inspiration board

2011-01-16T05:27:00.000-08:00

What motivates you when you're trying to lose weight? The perfect dress? An occasion you want to slim down for? Being able to run for the bus without having collapsing? Maybe, like me, you stick a pic up of when you were slimmer to remind you that you can do it?

Everyone has different motivators to get them to their goal. Here are a few of mine:

Middle image: Me, in a size 10 dress, in Feb 2009. I'd love to wear it again. This was after losing 2.5 stone the first time I went on Weight Watchers.

Top right image: A size 14 Matalan dress I've had for a few months, but have yet to wear.

Bottom right image: Possibly a bit of TMI, but being on WW helps with a lot of my IBS symptoms.

Bottom left image: My little sister gets married this December. I'll be in a strapless bridesmaid dress.

Top left image: I genuinely feel better when I eat more fruit and vegetables, and need to get back into the habit.

I'd love to hear what motivates you to your weight loss goal. Feel free to share your inspiration in the comments!

While I'm here, here's my food diary for today.

Breakfast

WW Bagel: 4PP

Margarine: 1PP

Danone Actimel Strawberry: 2PP

Lunch

Wafer thin roast chicken: 1PP

WW sliced malted danish bread x2: 3PP

Flora light: 1PP

Mixed red berries: 0PP

Activia Pouring Yoghurt: 2PP

Dinner

Turkey (a result of certain members of the house going mad and buying FIVE turkeys in the clearance sales): 4PP for 4 slices
Mixed vegetables: 0 PP
Yorkshire pudding: 1PP
Gravy: 1PP

I've allowed 9 extra points for dinner as I've heard rumours of pork stuffing, which I can't resist.

Hi, remember me?

2011-01-15T06:49:00.000-08:00

*Shuffles in*

Um, I'm the girl who waxed lyrical about the new Weight Watchers ProPoints plan...then promptly fell off the healthy eating wagon after a little holiday in late November. Fall might not be the best word, as it was somewhat voluntary.

As much as I tried, there was zero chance I could stay on the Weight Watchers plan in Disneyland Paris. The majority of meals* were based on re-fried cheese, re-fried chips and, well...it was all pretty much re-fried. McDonalds actually started to look like a healthy option after a couple of days.

While that might have been the excuse while I was away, there was really no excuse for hoovering up an obscene amount of mince pies and turkey sandwiches. I don't even like turkey sandwiches that much.

So here I am, several weeks later and 4.5lbs heavier according to my weigh in at my meeting this morning.

Bugger.

I know the plan works though so I've armed myself with a WW survival pack (above) including the oil spray, measuring spoons, measuring scales and choccie snack bits, and promised my leader Sue I'll get back to blogging. I've got a few other WW resolutions too.

Try something from the Seriously Satisfying cookbook every week (a book I'd highly recommend by the way, particularly for the entire mouthwatering section based on chocolate)
Use the measuring spoons, rather than assuring myself that the teaspoon piled dangerously high counts as one serving. It doesn't.
Renew my friendship with H2O.
Find time to exercise, rather than excuses not to.

And here's my eating plan for today.

Breakfast

WW Dark chocolate and orange bar (Eaten at the meeting as I hadn't had time to have breakfast first): 3PP

Lunch

WW Bagel: 4PP

Flora Light: 1PP

WW Carrot Cake (bloody amazing btw) 3PP

Dinner

Small beef fillet steak: 5PP

Cauliflower, mashed with 2 teaspoons of low fat butter and some S&P: 1PP

Other mixed veg, 0PP

Snack

Mixed berry fruit salad: 0PP

Which leaves me with 12PP for a glass of wine tonight (3) and maybe a little cheese sprinkled on the mashed cauliflower. I did a 45 minute workout this morning too, and will be taking the dog for a walk this afternoon.

Not a bad day really, but then it's always a little easier during the weekends. The main struggle is to keep with the plan and ignore those emotional wibbly moments when all I want to do is consume mountains of carbs, chocolate and cheese. Preferably together.

Are you an emotional eater? What do you do to stop yourself doing it?

*The word 'meals' is used in the loosest terms here. I've never had so many rubbish dishes at such obscene prices. The cocktails however, rocked my socks off.

Day 13: Second Weigh In on WW ProPoints

2010-11-13T08:49:00.000-08:00

Image by Timo Kirkkala via Flickr

Low ProPoints treat

Today was my second weigh in on WW ProPoints, and I'm pleased to say I lost...

4.5 lbs!

After my first shaky week, I'm pleased to see the weight is finally coming off.

It was lovely to go to a Weight Watchers meeting today to chat to the other members about how they're getting on. Overall everyone seems to be full of energy from all the extra fruit we can have, and really excited about the changes. It seems to be the same situation on the eSource messageboards too, with some of the nervous people seeing excellent losses this week.

The 4.5 lb weigh loss meant I got my first 7lb loss sticker today, and I'm just 1.5lbs off my first 5% goal.
Stuck for food ideas on the new ProPoints plan? Here are a few of my favourite finds this weeks.

Fish fingers: Around 5 ProPoints for 3.

Quorn chicken slices: 2 ProPoints for half a pack

Birds Eye Fish steaks in butter sauce: 4 ProPoints

Roasted veg (butternut squash, carrots, swede): 0 ProPoints (most of the supermarkets are doing mixed bag of winter root veg for £1-2)

Found any low ProPoint food this week? Share them in the comments!

Day Nine: Fast (Healthy and Filling) Food

2010-11-10T00:26:00.000-08:00

Day Nine
Breakfast
Special K Bliss, Strawberry and Chocolate: 3 PP
Semi-skimmed milk: 2 PP
*****
Lunch (right)

Beef frying steak: 4 PP
Ainsley Harriott Cous Cous: 5 PP
Muller Light Raspberry and Cranberry: 2 PP
*****
Dinner
2 slices of garlic bread: 6 PP
4 dough balls: 4 PP
*****
Snacks
WW Cookie bar: 3 PP
Fruit Snacks: 0 PP

I'm a big fan of fast food. Not only because I'm busy and lacking in culinary skills, but also because...well, I'm lazy. For years, I've been so used to throwing some cheese on carbs and popping it in the grill, that fast food has become synonymous with fatty food.

But I'm starting to find ways to create quick, healthy and filling meals that don't require half a block of cheese. Or salad leaves. Because, to be frank, lettuce feels like a big, tasteless waste of space on my plate (I know, I know, it's healthy!)

Today's lunch only took me 5 minutes, and still tasted damn good. All it took was a quick rehydration of the cous cous (add boiling water and cover for 5 minutes) and a quick dry-frying of the beef frying steak (a much slimmer slice of beef with very little fat on the outside. Also, dirt cheap.) in a frying pan for a minute on each side. In total it works out at 9 ProPoints. You can always throw a bag of frozen veg in the microwave if you want a little bit more.

So, what's your quick Healthy and Filling meal? Do you have a go-to ingredient that makes a meal in minutes?

Day Eight: ProPoints has officially arrived!

2010-11-09T02:15:00.000-08:00

Ah, the day I've been waiting for all week. The official launch of the Weight Watchers ProPoints Plan, and an update on eSource (so I can't cheat using the paper calculator ;D )

Day Eight
Breakfast
2 Crumpets: 5 PP
Low fat spread: 1 PP
Tea: 0 PP

Banana: 0 PP

*****
Lunch
Pork Loin steak: 5 PP
Broccoli: 0 PP
Cauliflower: 0 PP
WW Rich Chocolate Pot: 2 PP
*****
DinnerWW Curry: 8 PP
Slice of bread: 2 PP
*****
Snacks
Milk, semi skimmed: 2 PP
WW Cookie bar: 3 PP
Fruit Salad: 0 PP

Total: 28 ProPoints

I had an email from a lady called Louise, who is using the Oats So Simple sachets for her breakfast. They're only 3 PP (not including milk) so I'll be trying them soon for a lower PP breakfast. I bet it's lovely loaded up with summer berries or sliced banana.

If you've got any other low PP products, feel free to share them over email, twitter or in the comments section below.

I'd love to know how you're all getting on with the plan. Excited? Confused?

Let me know in the comments!

Day Seven: Weighing in

2010-11-08T00:10:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Heaven

Day Seven
Breakfast
Special K (Red berries and chocolate) with milk: 6 ProPoints
Bowl of red berries
****
Lunch
2 WW Petite Pains: 6 ProPoints
3 slices of lean bacon: 3 ProPoints
*****
Dinner
Chinese buffet
*****
Snacks
WW Cookie Bar: 3 ProPoints

The last day of the week! As you can see, I went for a cheeky Chinese buffet last night before the cinema, which could have been a disaster. Unlimited food? Bye bye self-restraint! However, they do give you little plates so you can't completely gorge yourself. I'd also read the pocket guide for a few restaurant suggestions. Chicken and sweetcorn soup, chow mein, crispy duck with pancakes and chicken and cashew nuts are all considered ok in points, so I don't think I did *too* badly. The odd sesame prawn toast might have snuck onto my plate though...

So, this morning I weighed in...*drumroll* and I've lost 0.5 lb. Considering I've had several large slipups, a big learning curve and a bucketload of PMT, I'm quite pleased with that. I also had a weigh in on Saturday, where I'd put on 2 lbs, so I think the effect of a few good days has kicked in today. I'm hoping to have a good result next week, as the boyfriend is away for a week so I won't be eating out as much.

I've learnt a lot this week about the ProPoints plan, and I'm looking forward to putting that knowledge into action this week. I've got my list of easy meals too, which should help me be a bit more prepared. At the moment I can't login to eSource (anyone else having problems?), but I'm looking forward to getting back into using it, as it's a fantastic tool for keeping you on track.

On a side note, I've had a few compliments on my skin looking 'glowy', which is probably thanks to all the fruit and water I'm consuming!

So, what do you think about the new plan??

Day six: Wedding bells and weight wobbles

2010-11-07T04:04:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia
Little sis, gettin' hitched

Day Six
Breakfast
2 slices of toast, dry: 5 ProPoints
*****
Lunch
Carrots to nibble on: 0 ProPoints
4 Weight Watchers Dough Balls: 4 ProPoints
Piece of Southern Fried Chicken: 6 ProPoints
*****

Image by WordRidden via Flickr
Nom nom nom

Dinner
Gammon Steak: 7 ProPoints
Egg, poached: 3 ProPoints
Low Fat Chips: 4 ProPoints
Snack
Mini digestive biscuit: 1 ProPoint
Fruit Salad: 0 ProPoints
Total: 30 ProPoints

Had a lovely day yesterday, pottering around wedding venues for my sister next December. Most of the venues are generous with tea and biscuits, but I managed to restrain myself and limit myself to one bitesize digestive biscuit. I'm hoping all the walking I did burnt it off!

I'm starting to get more used to the new ProPoint plan now. I'm still struggling a little with changing the points in my head, particularly when it comes to allocating ProPoints for each meal. So I'll be spending some time today putting together a list of quick and easy meals that fits breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hopefully this will stop me panicking every time I open the fridge.

I'm a little worried about weighing in tomorrow, but I think by next weekend, I'll be seeing some good results.

So, with eSource revamping tomorrow, how are you preparing for the ProPoints plan?

Day Five: Back on track

2010-11-06T01:53:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

Winter Winner!

Day Five
Breakfast
Two slices of toast: 5 ProPoints
Low Fat Spread: 2
*****
Lunch
Roasted Vegetables
1 small parsnip: 1 ProPoint
1 swede: 0 ProPoints
2 carrots: 0 ProPoints
Butternut squash wedges : 0 ProPoints
2 tbsp of Olive Oil: 3 ProPoints
*****
Dinner
Small Pork medallion: 3 ProPoints
Cous Cous: 4 ProPoints
WW Triple Chocolate bar: 2 ProPoints
Snack
Fruit salad, of raspberries, strawberries, bananas & pears: 0 ProPoints.
Total: 20 ProPoints

Thanks to a filling lunch, low in ProPoints, I've managed to stay under my daily allowance. I can't carry the points over in the new plan, but it's good to know I can have the odd low point day without feeling deprived.
I'm also pleased to note I'm exceeding my 5-a-day on most days now. If you've got an iPhone, it's worth downloading Munch 5-a-day. It's a bit gimmicky, but it basically lets you tick off each piece of fruit or veg you eat until you reach your goal, and you can earn achievements too. You can then share the results on Twitter/Facebook.

If you want to know more about the switchover and the plan, there's a great selection of Weight Watchers ProPoints Plan resources on the weight watcher blog by Reflextions.

Concerned about the new plan?

I've been chatting in the Weight Watchers forums this week, and a lot of people seem concerned or resentful of the new plan. Don't be. You won't have to make any huge changes, it's just a slightly different way of working out your points. The main changes, 49 treat points and zero ProPoint fruit, are for your benefit and will help you stay on the plan long-term.

Obviously it's a little frustrating if you've bought the scales and the calculator, but the new pack will come with a card calculator, and a conversion sheet for all the recipe books they've released in the last year. Otherwise you can use the Recipe Builder in eSource to convert them. One lady on the forums suggested getting busy with a pen and labels, on all the food in your freezer and your cookbooks.

If I'm honest, this week's TGI Friday Fail might have made me fall off the WeightWatcher wagon altogether, but instead I've put it down to the 49 weekly ProPoints and started afresh the next day. I'm not expecting a huge loss this week, but I know I'm making healthier choices that will benefit my weight loss and health long-term. Isn't that what Weight Watchers is all about?

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Day four: Lessons learned

2010-11-05T01:02:00.000-07:00

Breakfast

A few lessons learned on the new plan today.

Day Four
Breakfast
Bowl of mixed fruit (Sainsbury's do a nicetub of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries perfect for this): 0 ProPoints
Muffin with low fat spread: 6 ProPoints*****
Lunch
Weight Watchers Curry: 8 ProPoints
*****
Dinner
Steak and kidney stew with dumplings: Unsure on PP!
*****
Snacks
Slice of bread: 2 ProPoints
Handful of crisps: 1 ProPoints
Carrot sticks : 0 ProPoints

A bit of a mixed day really. I find it quite easy to stick to the plan until dinner time, then I tend to have a splurge. I was also a little surprised to see the ProPoints of the Weight Watchers curry is now 8, a significant rise from 4.5 points. Presumably this is down to the higher carb content of the white rice.
I learnt a few things today about the plan, which should help in the next week.

The 49 weekly points can quite easily become an excuse for snacking throughout the week, with very little tracking. It's essential to track those 49 points, or you can quite easily go over them. As I probably have. Twice.
In fact, next week I'm going to keep the 49 points for after weigh in, as I think it'll be easier to be good throughout the week then have a treat, then treats throughout the week that lead me to fall off the wagon!
Dumplings are not a good addition to stews. They're pastry-filled bundles of yumminess with a ProPoints value to give you a heart attack. If anyone has got any homemade, low PP alternatives, please let me know!
I really miss eSource! I find it all to easy to cheat a little when I'm writing it down on paper, whereas I'm far stricter when using the online plan. I'm looking forward to switching over on Sunday.

Image by Smaku via Flickr

Nigella: Probably not bothered about ProPoints

I'm much more likely to stick to the plan if I plan each day ahead. Yesterday was a bit of a case of grabbing whatever was available, hence the bad choice of dumplings. I've also clearly been watching too much Nigella, as I indulged in some bread dunking in the leftover stew.

Have you got any great tips for staying on track, on either plan? Share them in the comments!

Days Two and Three: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

2010-11-04T02:14:00.000-07:00

Day two and three on the Weight Watchers ProPoints Challenge couldn't have been more different....

Day 2 (or 'The Good')
Breakfast
2 slices of toast with low fat spread: 6 ProPoints
Home made fruit salad with pears, banana and grapes: 0 ProPoints
*****

Image via Wikipedia

0 ProPoints!

Lunch
Leftover roast pork (that pork joint on Sunday was ridiculously big): 4 ProPoints
Roasted sweet potato and butternut squash wedges: 5 ProPoints + 1 ProPoint of olive oil
*****
Dinner
Frying steak, cooked using low fat spray: 4 ProPoints
Vegetable and rice microwave bag: Guestimate of 5 ProPoints
Small portion of home made crumble: 4 points
Total: 29 points. Hurrah!
*deep breath*

Day Three: (or 'The Bad And Ugly')
Breakfast
Bran Flakes with a chopped banana: 5 ProPoints
*****

Image via Wikipedia

Potato skin heaven

Lunch
Ham and pineapple pizza oval: 6 ProPoints
Sliced pear
*****
Dinner (the bad)
Took a trip to TGI Fridays....so I'm not entirely sure what the points are.
Cheese and bacon potato skins
Jack Daniels Chicken with cheesy mash and vegetables
*****
Snacks (the really ugly)
A puff pastry mince pie
A bitesize flapjack. Um..ok two bitesized flapjacks
An oversized cocktail from TGI Fridays
A whole tub of grapes (not so bad)
Total: Who knows??
So, I messed up a bit yesterday. A mixture of toothache, PMT, a busy work schedule and being sent out to get the cakes for a celebration at Chocoholics means I've probably exceeded my daily ProPoints by quite a bit. There are a few saving graces though.

The 49 weekly treat points will hopefully have covered that splurge, meaning I can go back to being good without the massive guilt trip.
My toothache meant I only ended up eating half of my main meal. A waste of money, but hopefully a saving of points.
I'm still eating far more fruit then usual.

Have you got any tips for staying on the plan on a stressful day?

Day One: Weight Watchers gets fruity

2010-11-02T02:00:00.000-07:00

Image by elana's pantry via FlickrThe first day of the Weight Watchers ProPoints Plan Challenge has arrived, and I'm attempting to get my head around the new system. No easy task when you're also trying to delete everything you know about the old system from your mental hard drive.
As anyone who's been to Weight Watchers meetings before will know, weight loss involves breaking those old bad habits, and starting new, healthier habits. But at the moment, it's a bit of a habit to zoom into the calorie content of product labels, and to veer away from the fruit aisle at the supermarket. Two things the new plan helps you to avoid.
It's taking a bit of adjusting getting used to new ProPoints values and trying to calculate things without the use of eSource (until it relaunches this weekend.) But I've found I'm already making much smarter and healthier food choices.
Take this morning for instance. Instead of my usual toast or bagel, I enjoyed a bowl of bran flakes, topped with a sliced banana. That banana made all the difference between an 11am and a 12.30pm tummy rumble.
Having stocked up the day before, I was able to tuck into fruit throughout the day, rather than a weight watchers bar or a piece of toast. Consequently, I had more energy and avoided my 4pm slump.
So, here's how I got on for my first day.
Day One
Breakfast
Bran Flakes and milk: 5 ProPoints
Sliced Banana: 0 ProPoints
****
Lunch Two slices of pork from last night's dinner: 4 ProPoints
Mixed vegetables: 1 ProPoints
Mixed berry fruit salad: 0 ProPoints
****
Afternoon Snack
One pear, sliced: 0 ProPoints
Handful of grapes: 0 ProPoints
40g portion of cheese, cubed: 5 ProPoints
****
Image by Robboguy via FlickrDinner
Nando's Chicken pitta (no mayo, one slice of cheese): Guess around 14 ProPoints?
Not hideous, and I definitely felt full. It still feels a bit strange, being able to eat fruit for free, but hopefully I'll adjust by the end of the week. It's worth noting however, that a bowl of fruit isn't going to keep you going all morning. You'll need to add a bit of protein or carbs to keep you ticking over.

The Weight Watchers ProPoints Challenge

A few of my favourite products

Weight watchers Mocktail

Staying for meetings and new food

Going back to meetings

Is taking a diet holiday worth it?

Weight Watchers Pinterest board

Weight Watchers Porridge/Breakfast Oats, and Weigh In

The lazy 15 minute Weight Watcher curry

Here we go again - Weight Watchers 2012

It's not fair!

Fashion: Walking the walk

Ah Chinese food, my old foe

Lazy Chef: One pan ham 'n' egg on toast

Back in control

My weight loss inspiration board

Hi, remember me?

Day 13: Second Weigh In on WW ProPoints

Found any low ProPoint food this week? Share them in the comments!

Day Nine: Fast (Healthy and Filling) Food

So, what's your quick Healthy and Filling meal? Do you have a go-to ingredient that makes a meal in minutes?

Day Eight: ProPoints has officially arrived!

Day Seven: Weighing in

So, what do you think about the new plan??

Day six: Wedding bells and weight wobbles

So, with eSource revamping tomorrow, how are you preparing for the ProPoints plan?

Day Five: Back on track

Concerned about the new plan?

Subscribe for regular updates

Day four: Lessons learned

Have you got any great tips for staying on track, on either plan? Share them in the comments!

Days Two and Three: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Have you got any tips for staying on the plan on a stressful day?

Day One: Weight Watchers gets fruity

Are you trying the new ProPoints plan? Let me know how you're getting on!