Oh so Lean and Ramen...

So sorry for the lack of posting last week... things have been so hectic in the Johnston/Wilkie household that any spare moment we get we just flake out on the sofa for half an hour and try to catch up on reading and/or TV. I am currently reading the last book in Jennifer Worth's Call the Midwife trilogy - and caught up with the last of Season 2 of the TV series late on Sunday evening... thank goodness for the BBC iplayer! I am also addicted to the Lightfields TV series! I love anything to do with the early 1900's! I've also recently decided that I will have to invest in the Downton Abbey box set sometime over the summer because I hate missing episodes of things, it totally puts me off. I also still have to buy the last two series of Doctor Who... I am determined to watch the whole of the new series without missing episodes!

I haven't photographed any food/recipes at all, I've been cooking up Oh so Lean sausage casseroles, shepherd's pies and the Oh so Lean pies before bed, which we ate for two nights in a row - it saved a lot of time when we were both always on the go! This week we had the Chicken and Leek pie... it was delicious! I'm putting in an order today for delivery tomorrow. I'll be getting a couple of the pies, some sausages, lunch pots and sauce pots.

I've also been having Ramen for lunch most days - it's really cheap and filling. I'm not too sure of syn values as I can't use the calculator, but I'll see if someone who does the class can lend me the password to check it. I am definitely going to go back to the Slimming World Class too, although not tonight as I can't pay the joining fee right now... we just paid our gas bill... damn Calor!

Also I've started eating at different times, which has made a big difference to how I fell overall - now bear with me - I have a dirnk first thing in the morning, then breakfast at the normal time, then a coffee mid-morning. Then I'll have lunch, before having another coffee mid-afternoon. Then when I get home I'll rustle up a quick tea, then later we will have supper, then a cup of tea before bed. I feel a lot more full eating this way, I have lots of energy to keep me going even on my busiest days. Night-time eating is always my downfall, but by splitting it into two meals - tea and supper, I don't snack. Both meals are always quite small - I usually use a bowl for reference. Tea is always something savoury, but supper can be sweet or savoury - sometimes its scrambled egg and some leftover sausage or sometimes its a bit of fruit sponge pudding and custard (if I have the syns left).

Here's an example of a day's eating plan -

Just woken up @ 7.15am - Glass of water
Breakfast @ 10am - 2 slice of nimble wholemeal with banana or two weetabix with skimmed milk + coffee with dash skimmed milk
Mid-morning @ 11.30 - coffee with dash skimmed milk
Lunch @ 1pm - Big bowl of Ramen with veg + glass of water
Afternoon @ 3pm - coffee with dash skimmed milk
Dinner @ 6.30pm - 1/4 Oh So Lean Chicken and Leek pie with rocket salad
Supper @ 8.30pm - 1/4 Oh So Lean Chicken and Leek pie with rocket salad
Then a cup of tea at bout 10pm

HEa - 350ml Skimmed Milk
HEb - 2 slice nimble wholemeal
Syns - 6

Before I started doing this I would have just ate 1/2 of the pie with the rocket salad then been 'bored hungry' at about 8.30pm and snacked on something very naughty... so now I just split my dinner.

My wedding dress is major inspiration to eat right. It fits me beautifully, so I don't want to gain any weight, otherwise I'll be spilling out - never attractive! But on the other hand, I don't want to loose too much either as the seamstress said she could only take it down about a dress size and a half (which would be just a bit bigger than the standard UK size 10 - or just a bit smaller than the standard UK 12, whichever way you want to look at it, lol), so I have to get the balance right. I was really happy with myself last year when I was a size 12, and although I'm fine with myself now, I know I had more energy when I was just that little bit lighter.

I'm making a peppered mince and veg dish tonight and serving it with boiled rice and a poached egg! Sounds a bit gross, but its delicious.. it's a bit like eggs in purgatory! I'll take photos and make it a post :)

Last week we were very naughty and ordered in lunch from Rocket and Relish on the Lisburn Road... I love Rocket and Relish and would eat in it every day if I could! I really wanted to do a post about it as it is one of my favourite places to eat, but of course, I just scoffed it and went back to work! But please, please, please check it out - Rocket and Relish - you will not be dissapointed! They also do kids portions of all the burgers on their menu, so the kids aren't relegated to the traditional 'with or without cheese'. My personal favourite is the Brie and Cranberry Burger with Sweet Potato Chips... ooooooh it's making my mouth water thinking about it!