First Weigh In of 2012

As I was away for Christmas, my weigh in days got a little bit messed up, which meant today was my first weigh in of 2012.

At my weigh in after Christmas, I'd lost 0.5lbs, which I was amazed with, but did attribute to time of day as I do usually get weighed on a Tuesday after a full day of food, including tea before I go.

Before today I'd said to the OH that I felt lighter and that I had lost this week. However, the monthly visitor appeared, and I'm starting to notice a pattern with it.

I gained 2lbs at weigh in. Grr. BUT, I feel lighter (when I'm not quite so bloated) and in the weeks that follow I do lose. I'm also not craving sweets or snacks as I still feel like I'm getting over being away and feeling generally rubbish from all the crap I'm eating, so going for a nice 3lbs this week and the week after, which WILL get me to target. 

It does just leave me with a couple of questions though....are other people affected in the same way I am? 

And.. do other people get weighed after eating tea? My theory was that if I do it every week, it won't make any difference. However, tonight I had tata hash, and rounded it off with brocolli, cauliflower, sprouts, peas and slimming world chips (just a bit of everything I fancied that was free or superfree really). It occurred to me that the weight of my food on my stomach (eaten about half an hour before I get weighed) could vary somewhat; as there have been some weeks where I've had something like gammon, mushroms and beans. I'm now thinking about not eating my tea beforehand so that it can't vary quite so much. Hmm.

Recipe for tata hash (serves around 4 depending on portion size)

• 250g lean beef mince or diced beef (I prefer diced in it but only had mince in!)
• 1 onion or 5 shallots
• 3 large carrots
• Mushrooms as desired
• Potatoes as desired (depending on how free vs superfree you want it to be!)
• Swede (which can replace the potatoes - I find it's just as good and keeps it superfree-er!)
• Another other veg - e.g. parsnip, turnip
• Stock cube

 This dish works best if you are able to prepare it the night before/early morning. 

Place beef and onions into a pan, cover in water and bring to the boil. 

 Whilst meat and onions are coming to boil, prepare carrots, mushrooms, swede/potato and any other veg that will go into your dish.

Then throw (not literally, obviously) all your prepared veg into the pan along with the meat and onion. Ensure there is water covering it all, bring it to the boil again. Add in stock cubes and seasoning. 

It is then really up to you how you continue to cook it ; it needs to be kept on a low heat all day. My mum keeps it on the hob, I put it in the slow cooker and it can be put in the oven. Entirely up to you which you prefer.


I have found that as my tastebuds are waking up now, when I sneak a taste before its finished cooking, it does need a bit of something extra. My suggested would be brown sauce (OH prefers to throw it in whilst still cooking; I quite like it on my plate), bovril, gravy granules, etc. Just make sure you syn in whatever you use in it (no matter how 'small' it may be when divided into portions!).


I had a mad craving for some greens tonight (I am weird, yes) so thats why I added in the broccoli, peas, sprouts and cauliflower (I know its not green but you get my drift), but you don't have to; the dish will fill you up.


I also always always always have to have beetroot with it, which is superfree so that's great for me! You can add red cabbage if you prefer that. 


Et voila!

 

Tomorrow is leftover curry, partly due to me needing to free up some of my plastic tubs for some new recipes I want to try, and because theres nothing else in until payday!