Thursday, January 31, 2013

Revelation!!

When I first started this journey I had a goal date in mind, June of this year. The reason for this was when wedding season was supposed to be starting and I have a dress that I stupidly paid 220 euro for to wear to one christmas party back in 2007 and then never had anything to wear it to again, along with the fact that a it only fit me for about a year after that. I love this dress and I decided I wanted to wear it again and what better time than a wedding. So while I had a number in mind in reality my goal was fitting into the dress.

I was having one of those evenings where I felt HUGE!! Everytime I looked in the mirror all i saw was belly and

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Weigh In 5 of 2013

Well my week was less than perfect - actually it started off pretty perfectly and I only really fell off track at about 9 o'clock friday night when the finger food was bought out at a wedding I was at. Of course at this stage I had consumed enough vodkas that my self control was non existant so I indulged in a few mini spring rolls and samosas with the accompanying dips. Luckily my boyfriend snuck away to get pizza on his own at the end of the night which is most likely the only thing that stopped me getting a slice.

The next day the vodkas took their toll and again I had very little self control. So there was brown bread, brie, full fat coleslaw and chickpea salad for lunch, steak and chips

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Hairy Dieters Chicken Jalfrezi


So I am just going to say again this is my favourite recipe book. I have used it so much more than any of my others, making the likes of Chicken Tangle PieMediterranean Beef Burgers and loads more. I have worked out the propoints for the whole book here too for anyone that has the book or found any of the recipes online. This Jalfrezi was yummy but the chilies I used were a little too hot and so the taste got a bit cancelled out by the heat. So do be careful with the type of chilies and the amount you use if heat is not your thing. I served this with 5pp worth of rice and it was loads of food. Was stuffed. 

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Weigh In 4 of 2013




After 4 weeks of seeing nothing but 0's on the scales I was absolutely elated to see that this week I had lost a pound. I know it doesn't seem like much but I worked my ass off for that pound to be down. I knew that the last few pounds were going to be the hardest to come off but I really didn't realise just how hard. I had to go really back to basics again, everything into my mouth was weighed out and preplanned.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

St Clement's Drizzle Cake



I found this in one of my old weight watcher magazines and I was in a real baking mood this weekend. We were invited to my cousins house for tea this evening so it was the perfect opportunity to get in the kitchen. Yesterday I made the delicious white chocolate florentines. So today was time to try a cake. In reality none of the ingredients in this are actually low fat, but its a sponge without any fat used - so you can get away without telling people its weight watchers. The recipe is for 9 pieces at 5pp per piece (45pp for the whole recipe) - but they are big pieces and you could get away with cutting it into 12 or even 16 and adjusting the pp.

Serves 9
Propoints per serve: 5pp

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Weigh in 3 - Beyond Frustrated!



I really do not going on any more, for the forth WI in a row I have seen nothing, not a gain nor a loss and to be honest I am at a bit of a loss as to why. The last WI before christmas made sense, the first one after christmas was ridiculously lucky. Last weeks weigh in was a shock but I suppose I didn't deserve the one the week before. But this weeks big fat 0 on the scales was absolutely gut wrenching. I tracked, I drank more water, I did more exercise so the results should have been there.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Chicken & Spinach Pasta


Was feeling quite lazy tonight after a day of housework, grocery shopping and working out and I didn't really want to cook much. Knew I had spinach that needed using and I had just bought some chicken breasts so this was the easiest thing to keep me away from the junk. It is a really quick, easy and satisfying dinner.

Serves: 2
Propoints per serving: 12
Ingredients:

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Hairy Dieters Propointed! ***Smart Point & Flex Updated***


As you all know I love the Hairy Dieters cookbooks and when I first got each of the books I sat down and calculated the ProPoints in all the recipes so I didn't have any excuse not to use them. Now that SmartPoints is out I have gone back and calculated the smart points values after numerous requests to do so. I know a lot of people will be sticking with ProPoints for the forseeable future so I have left the ProPoints values in too. I have also added the SmartPoints that need to be taken from weeklies for anyone following the No Count plan.


***Update 2018***
I have gone back and amended the SmartPoint Values for the new Flex update. A lot of the recipes will stay the same, some have minimal change and some more drastic. No Count values have remained the same so are unedited. 

Just a few things to note on this post and the posts of the other books!


  • I am in Ireland and do not have access to the same e-tools those in the UK and else where have, so these values have been calculated using the food guides given in classes and the shopping guide. So cannot guarantee 100% accuracy. 
  • For some of the recipes, when working out ProPoints values I did use the calories given in the book as a guide to estimate but have NOT done this for any of the SmartPoint Values.
  • For the ProPoint values for this first book, I also replaced all oil with low cal Spray oil. I did not do that for Smart Point values or any of the other books unless the recipe specifies 'oil for spraying' . If you wish to use low cal Spray oil instead you will need to adjust the calculations.
  • For the recipes that involve blending fruit and veg, I used the MyFitnessPal recipe builder to get the full nutritional info and then used the calculator to work out the SmartPoints. I did this as the guides tell you that blended fruit needs to be counted but I couldn't find anywhere to show how it should be calculated. 
  • Apart from the note about oil above, all recipes have ProPoints & SmartPoints calculated as they are in the book. No substitutions made, if it says full fat cheese thats what I pointed, semi skimmed was pointed as such etc. 

  • However, when working out values for No Count I made a few substitutions
    • Milk changed to skimmed instead of semi skimmed. 
    • Rice changed to brown rice (with the exception of Aboria and Paella)
    • Pasta/Spaghetti changed to brown pasta
    • Cous Cous changed to wholemeal cous cous
    • Rindless Back Bacon changed with bacon medallions
    • Pitta's & Wraps changed to the WW branded versions which are free.
  • Finally, please let me know if any of these are incorrect and I will check and update them ASAP. 
Breakfast & BrunchFlexNo CountSmartPointsProPoints
Crumpets and warm spiced berries with yourt and honey7177
Cranberry & Almond Muesli (Without Milk)7275
Bacon with Poached egg and balsamic tomato3055
Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon77119
Fresh Fruit compote with Home-made Granola8586
Baked haddock, spinach & egg pots (Without Crispbreads)3254
One-Pan DishesFlexNo CountSmartPointsProPoints
Prawn & Chive Omelette1088
Minted Pea and Feta Omelette441210
Minestrone Soup2023
Golden Veg Soup1011
Mushroom, Feta & Tomato Baked Peppers16151610
Mussels with Leeks & White Wine: 2 servings8399
Mussels with Leeks & White Wine: 3 servings5266
Roasted Cod with Parma Ham & Peppers2235
Spanish Style Chicken Bake14111411
Whole Baked Fish with Sun-dried tomatoes74119
Grills & RoastsFlexNo CountSmartPointsProPoints
Salmon with Chilli Ginger2278
Masala-Marinated Chicken with Minted Yoghurt Sauce: 4 servings4088
Masala-Marinated Chicken with Minted Yoghurt Sauce: 5 servings3066
Mediterranean Beef Burgers1071011
Lemony Lamb Kebabs (per kebab - no pitta)5454
Roast Port with Apple Gravy (no crackling)8187
Peppered Steak with Mushrooms9397
Lemon & Thyme Roasted Chicken: 5 servings5179
Lemon & Thyme Roasted Chicken: 6 servings4168
Easy Crispy Chicken5478
Cajun Spiced Chicken with Potato Wedges & Chive Dip4068
Harissa Chicken with Bulgar Wheat Salad3057
PiesFlexNo CountSmartPointsProPoints
Quick Cod & Prawn Gratin54710
Chicken & Ham Tangle Pie1081412
Skinny Beef Lasagne8489
Low-fat minced beef and potato pies7578
Cottage Pie: 6 Servings8287
Cottage Pie: 8 Servings6265
Lean Lamb Hotpot15101511
StewsFlexNo CountSmartPointsProPoints
Spicy Bean & Vegetable Stew: 4 servings6276
Spicy Bean & Vegetable Stew: 5 servings5265
Gorgeous Fish Stew with Garlic Croutons7389
Paprika Chicken11101110
Old-fashionedChicken & Vegetable Stew1431411
Our Special Casoulet1291214
Rich Beef & Ale Casserole9399
Lamb Tagine11101211
Vegetables & SaladsFlexNo CountSmartPointsProPoints
Posh Prawn Cocktail2123
Chicken Caesar Salad5478
Chilli Salad Bowls1051011
Cumin Crusted Veg: 4 servings4044
Cumin Crusted Veg: 5 servings3033
Vinagrette1011
Zingy Yoghurt Dressing0000
Light Herby Dressing1110
Beetroot Salad with Yoghurt & Cumin Seeds2122
Warm Griddled Vegetables3132
Fruity Rice Salad: 4 servings3033
Fruity Rice Salad: 6 servings2022
Fennel & Orange Salad with Harissa Dressing: 2 servings7574
Fennel & Orange Salad with Harissa Dressing: 4 servings4242
FakeawaysFlexNo CountSmartPointsProPoints
Sweet & Sour Chicken6575
Chicken Korma6478
Fragrant Pork & Prawn Noodle Broth4245
Lamb Spinach & Potato Curry9697
Chicken Jalfrezi4166
Coconut Prawn Curry99107
Very Easy Thai Chicken & Coconut Curry7798
Pasta & RiceFlexNo CountSmartPointsProPoints
Home-made Butternut Squash Tortellini12111211
Beachside Paella1091110
Chilli Lemon Tuna & Broccoli Spaghetti801112
Chicken & Mushroom Risotto7687
Southern-Style Jambalaya106109
Italian Meathballs with Chunky Tomato Sauce5157
Chilli Con Carne4259
Rich & Meaty Bolognese3235
Puddings & CakesFlexNo CountSmartPointsProPoints
Moist Carrot & Sultana Cake8787
Summer Fruit Meringues1111117 (low fat cream)
Skinny Lemon Cupcakes with Drizzly Icing7675
Swiss Roll5566
Sparkling Lemonade & Lime Jelly0000
Chewy Cranberry & Apricot Bites3232
Plum Rice Pudding5354
Lunch Boxes & SnacksFlexNo CountSmartPointsProPoints
Tuna Nicoise Wrap72710
Simple Tuna & Sweetcorn Pasta Salad4156
Chicken & Parma Ham Topless Sandwich6676
Mackerel Pate & Watercress Topless Sandwich9899
A Very English Sandwich7598
Cheese & Pickle1211129
Egg, Bacon & Asparagus Flan6485
Cheese, Leek & Onion Pasties7676
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus: 8 servings1022