FIBRE ONE BARS | SLIMMING WORLD

If you love something sweet, cake like and something that's low in calories/syns then these are for you!

After seeing these being posted around on other Instagrams, everyone rated them on how lovely and like the real thing they were, I just had to try some. I was desperate to get my hands on some and boy did it take a while finding them!

In the UK these are limited in the amount of places that sell them in store and I found mine in one of my local Tescos in the biscuit aisle.

The bars themselves come in a pack of 5 and come in 2 flavours, a lemon drizzle and a chocolate brownie. Now, they are small (what do you expect for only 90cals?) but they are full of flavour and great if you have a sweet tooth that you need to kick.

They're not the cheapest but they can be bought on the Internet for a higher price if you were willing to pay extra. I got mine on a 2 for £4 offer during April which may have now finished but it would be worth having a look!

What are your thoughts on the Fibre One Bars?

Hayley xxx

MY BIRTHDAY

So yesterday was my birthday, the day off plan, also known as my treat day! (Doesn't everyone do this on their birthday as syns don't count, right?)

I started the day off brilliantly with a bowl of porridge made with 35g of oats, milk from my allowance and water. I then added 2 teaspoons of Peanut Hottie (3syns) and added some defrosted raspberries for speed. (This is my favourite breakfast so far!)

After breakfast I relaxed for a couple of hours before setting off to see James for the weekend. Arriving at James I'd bought some Rowntrees fruit pastilles for a treat to eat in the car as it was boiling! They don't taste as I remember them but I haven't had them in that long I may have grown out of the taste of sugary sweets?

Lunch was just my usual of a ham sandwich, fruit, seafood etc, except this time I had a homemade lemon buttercream birthday cake waiting for me! Cutting a piece was so satisfyingly good!

Lets just say I was food comatosed after lunch and was dreading thinking about my tea later which was a takeaway from our local Dixy Chicken (it's like a KFC but cheaper!). 

After lunch, a parcel arrived for me which was a lovely fruit basket from James. He knows I would appreciate this more than a basket full of chocolate. The fruit will keep me on plan for the next few days as well!

After the amount of food I had consumed yesterday today will be a good day of speed and free food (and another slice of cake). 

My meal plan for today is as follows;

B - Nothing as I was too full from yesterday!
L - Sardines in a rich tomato sauce (free), wholemeal toast (both my hexb as I only have a 800g loaf of bread), fruit bowl (banana, plum, pear, strawberries, grapes)
S - Slice of cake (syns!!!)
T - Homemade seafood pasta (this will have syns but not sure until later when I check the recipe)

I will be having more snacks throughout the night but I will be having fruit or syn free yogurts.

I hope you have a lovely weekend!

Hayley xxx

SLIMMING WORLD PEANUT LOVERS!

When I started Slimming World in 2014, I gave up my love for peanut butter as it was high in syns and I didn't want to use my syns unless it was totally worth it. So for the past few months I've been on the hunt looking into peanut butter alternatives that are low in syns and calories and came across these two which were highly recommended.

PB2 Chocolate (2syns for 2 tablespoons)

If your looking for something that you can spread, add to things or dip into, this is the best thing I've tried that is peanut flavoured. This find powder is mixed with a 2:1 ratio (2 tablespoons of PB2, 1 tablespoon of water) mixed together and eaten how you want it. This comes in 2 flavours, plain or chocolate flavoured.

It's not as thick as regular peanut butter but it's brilliant to add to sliced apples, toast, porridge or crackers (whatever you desire!). It has 85% less fat then standard peanut butter so the calories are significantly lower and lower in syns!

I bought mine on Amazon for around £8, this can be a little steep if your on a budget but I've made mine last for over 2 months as I don't eat it all the time. (I'm such a money saver!)


Peanut Hottie (4syns for 3 teaspoons)

Peanut Hottie comes in 2 flavours, plain or with chocolate. I bought mine flavoured with chocolate to see if it would help curb my cravings I get every now and again. I'd initially bought it to add to water, hot milk or almond milk (from my healthy a allowance) for a peanut flavoured milkshake or hot drink but didn't find it to taste as nice I would have liked. So it got pushed to the back of the cupboard!

Until recently, I discovered you can add it when baking or cooking and even seen people add it to their porridge on a morning with chopped banana. So last week I gave this a try and I was amazed with the results! It tasted delicious! (I love finding new favourites for breakfast as I find it so dull to be inspired!)

You can buy this from many big supermarkets or online from an array of websites but it usually costs around £3 and can be found in the hot drinks aisle next to the hot chocolate.

They are many recipes and recommendations for both of these products on other Slimming World blogs, weight loss blogs and even on Instagram!

What are your preferences on these products? Have you tried them? Do you have any recipes to share. I'd love to hear!

Hayley xxx

WEIGH DAY RESULTS

Today was the dreaded weigh in after my little midnight binge on Saturday night of biscuits and half an Easter egg. On Monday and Tuesday I stuck religiously to the plan and only had 2syns for the cheese my mum added to my cottage pie on Tuesday night. (I did ask for without but she was insistent and I was starving after my 8 hour shift!).

Waking up this morning, the weather was beautiful and going to group this morning I was greeted with my regular hellos and small chit chat whilst waiting nervously in the line to be weighed.

Getting on the scales and being told I'm under target again because I'd lost 1.5lb, I was genuinely gutted!

Now, many people would be jumping for joy and be happy with a loss, because a loss is a loss but being at target I want to be able to maintain. After the weekend I thought I would have a gain?

I know I didn't go OTT (over the top) with snacking like some people do when they have a cheat day but I think I'm mentally judging myself too much. (James has always told me I do and that I've lost enough and should be proud, which I am!)

So today's food diary consisted of the following; (I've stuck within my 15syns as well)

Breakfast - Porridge (made with water) HexB, Raspberries, Banana, Peanut Hottie (2syns)

 

Lunch - Marks & Spencer Count On Us Singapore Noodles (8syns), Vegetables and Radishes

Tea - Gammon Steak, Potatoes, Savoury Rice (0.5syn), Salad, Egg, Aldi Light Mayo (0.5syn)

Snack - Frozen Muller Light Peanut Yogurt, Frozen Banana, Strawberries and a HiFi Bar (HexB)

My goals for May was to push myself to exercise more and that started today by walking +14k steps in my local park with a friend from work. She's also looking to get fitter even though she has a gorgeous slim body and I have well, wobbly bits that need toning (obviously I ow I will never get rid of it without surgery but I can try)

It's my birthday tomorrow and I'm going to fully enjoy myself, I'll be on plan for breakfast but won't be guaranteeing myself for lunch and tea. I'm also out on Saturday for tea but I can work around my syn allowance for this.

I hope you've all had a brilliant Wednesday!

Hayley xxx

MIDNIGHT THOUGHTS

Bank Holiday Monday, the day that half of the U.K are curing their weekend hangovers, catching up on sleep or working to make those extra pennies. Unfortunately I was working but only for four hours (easiest shift that I love working).

Today, I set myself the challenge of pulling back from all the syns that I'd consumed over the bank holiday weekend, to have a zero syn day.

My meal plan for the day was as follows;

Breakfast - Soft boiled eggs, wholemeal toast (hexb), beans, coffee (hexa)
Lunch - Fruit, coffee (hexa) (my reasons for this decision was due to my shift at work starting at 2 and finishing at 6, plus I didn't get out of bed until 11:30!)
Tea - Quorn meatballs, pasta shells, tomato sauce, cucumber
Snacks - Fruit, syn free yogurts, HiFi bar

I am so immensely proud that I was able to have a syn free day and not eat anything synned! My parents even got a KFC for their tea and not one single bit touched my lips, I wasn't even phased as I was determined!

I am now planning for tomorrow to be another syn free day to make up for the weekend and I will be following this plan;

Breakfast - Porridge (hexb and hexa), raspberries, banana, coffee (hexa)
Lunch - Tuna, M&S Spirit of Summer Mixed Salad Pot (I think this is free without the dressing but I will check tomorrow morning), cucumber, tomatoes, BBQ Mugshot (free)
Tea - Cottage Pie (5% Fat Mince, Oxo cubes, topped with mashed potatoes), vegetables, bovril gravy
Snacks - Fruit, yogurt, crudités

I hope you've all had a fantastic bank holiday weekend and are planning to fulfill the week ahead!

Hayley xxx

2.5 SYN - CREAMY MUSTARD SAUSAGES

Hi guys, another fantastic low syn recipe that serves 4 people and tastes amazing! Per portion this works out around 2.5syns but can be made lowers syns by replacing some of the ingredients which I will add below.

Ingredients
Dried pasta ribbons (Tagliatelle or Pappardelle)
8 low fat sausages (I used Weight Watchers Cumberland Sausages - 0.5syn per sausage)
1 garlic clove (chopped finely)
250g mushrooms (sliced)
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard or Wholegrain Mustard (mine was 3syns - check the syns as they vary)
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons half-fat crème fraiche (3syns - you could use Quark to lower the syns)
Fresh parsley (chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste

Recipe

1. Cook your pasta according to its instructions.

2. Whilst your pasta is cooking, remove the meat from the sausages and add to a frying pan.

3. Brown the sausage meat and add the garlic, mushrooms and seasoning.

4. When the mushrooms are cooked add the mustard, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of water and stir.

5. Remove from the heat and stir in your crème fraiche (or quark). Check for seasoning.

Serve your cooked pasta and sprinkle with parsley.


You can add more speed food to this dish and make it EESP by swapping your pasta for vegetables.

Remember you can add or change a recipe to make it your own!

I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!

Hayley xxx

HELLO MAY, HELLO SPRING,

Today marks a new month, a new season and also my birthday! (Turning 24 is not a good look!)

During this bank holiday weekend I have had a few treats (half an Easter egg, chocolate and silly little syns that I shouldn't have eaten). Recently I just can't seem to stop picking at the stupidest things? So this month I've decided to focus on the right foods, use my syns properly and fill myself with plenty of speed food.

Since being at target I seem to care less of what goes into my mouth, which could have major consequences and sabotage my weight loss. My meals are always on plan but it's just my snacking that I need to control and that what May is going to be about!

At the beginning of each month I reflect on the goals set in the previous month and move forward with the new month in mind. Now I already know that this month is going to be hectic. It's my birthday, my partners birthday (which we are going to a holiday home for), and my parents going away at the end of the month.

I already know that on Thursday I'm going to be having a birthday treat (Dixy Chicken) so I will be using flexible syns for then. Starting tomorrow I'm back on plan 100% up until Thursday, on plan Friday, off plan on Saturday then back on plan until James birthday.

Now the holiday home we've booked for the weekend has a local Tesco and Heron which allows me to plan meals and snacks for throughout the holiday.

My goals for this month are as follows;

1. Increase my fitness levels
2. Maintain my weight or be at the bottom end of my target (without going under like before)
3. Use my syns wisely and fill up on speed food

What are your goals for this month? Are you looking forward to the month ahead?

Hayley xxx