Mummy & Moose
clapping, napping and yapping our way through the day

My first week at Slimming World

Last week I decided on a whim to start attending a weekly Slimming World group. Yesterday was my very first weigh in so I thought I would update you on how the first week went!

The group was really welcoming. I won’t deny I was nervous, mind you.

I came home after group with my new pack and I must admit that I did feel a little overwhelmed by all of the information I had been given.

Getting my head around it

It took some effort to read through the books I had been given but it was so worth it. I made a note of meal ideas for the first few days to make it a little easier to stay on plan.

I found it quite difficult to stop snacking. To be honest I hadn’t realised just how regularly I had been stuffing whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. Often would be an understatement. It’s a habit that I am trying to focus on breaking.

One of the things I was worried about was feeling hungry. I get awful heartburn and it seems to be worse when I feel hungry. To the point where the urge to vomit because of the acid taste has woken me in the night. I suspect it has a lot to do with my weight.

Meals

I thought I would share some of the meals I have been eating during my first week on plan.

One pan brunch.

This was so easy to make and very filling. Cheap too! I pan fried Slimming World sausages in spray oil and then added onion, edamame beans and a tin of tomatoes with a big pinch of mixed herbs. After a few minutes of simmering I cracked an egg into the pan and finished it under the grill.

Sea Bass

This was a really quick dinner to throw together. Pan fried Sea Bass with boiled broccoli and a bag of microwave rice from Aldi for 1 syn. Less than 10 minutes from fridge to plate.

Smoked Salmon Broghies

A quick lunch, but very satisfying. Broghies with low fat soft cheese, smoked salmon and cucumber and a small bunch of grapes. 4 syns but I think it was worth it.

Sunday Roast

One of my favourite meals of the week. Roast chicken (skin removed) with roasted squash. Roast onions and roast potatoes and all of the sprouts. 1.5 syns for Aldi gravy.

Fishcakes and Chips

Hands down my most filling meal of the week. In fact I couldn’t finish it. The fishcakes are 2 syns each from Morrisons and are very, very nice. I had mine with slimming world chips, mushy peas and pickles. MrG did not believe that this was a “diet meal”.

Spaghetti Bolognese

This is a weekly favourite. I just adapted it to make it plan friendly by swapping a jar of sauce for a homemade one. I used passata with basil from Aldi. That’s something I am really enjoying, about Slimming World. I can make the same for all of the family and know that we are all eating healthier. Except Moose obviously who is going through a phase of eating 2 bites of anything and proclaiming that he is full. Aren’t 4 year olds fun?

Did I lose anything?

YES! Even though I had a couple of blips. Namely falling foul of the chocolate calling my name and then asking Bess to fetch me a glass of Pepsi Max and her getting me the full sugar Pepsi by mistake. I wasn’t best pleased.

I LOST 3LBS! More importantly though I feel a lot more confident about my choices and better in myself. Just knowing that I am drinking lots of water and eating healthier meals is making such a difference already.

What are your favourite Slimming World dishes? I would love to hear about them in the comments below.

 

 

Living Arrows – Week 2 2019

Week 2 of Living Arrows and for us this week has been all about getting back into a routine. If you are wondering what a Living Arrow is then this post should bring you up to speed.

The Christmas holidays always feels quite long to me (maybe because post Christmas my purse is usually pretty empty) and this one was no exception. That said, I loved having everyone at home, it was really more the children wanting to go back to see friends.

Moose

This photo was of Moose with his very first reading book from school! He was really keen to get stuck into reading and to show me what he could do. As soon as we got home he sat up to the table and asked me to listen to him read. Moose took his time and there were a lot of words he couldn’t quite get but quite a few that he recognised! He has obviously been trying hard and it is already starting to show.

Bess

Bess and I went to the cinema to see Fantastic Beasts 2 this week. I know that it has been out for ages but I managed to side step any spoilers thankfully. Bess loved it, she loves all things Potter anyway so it was a pretty safe bet. I really enjoyed the film too and it made me want to go back and do the Harry Potter Studios tour again.

Even though she is now a super cool teenager, Bess couldn’t resist having her photo taken in the cinema foyer when she saw this promo for the new Lego movie due out next month.

I feel another trip to the cinema coming on.

 

Living Arrows

 

 

Jack-Jack Attacks Doll | Gifted

Jack-Jack the baby might be the smallest member of The Incredibles family but he definitely has the best powers! All of the powers by the looks of things!

Moose has recently launched himself into all things superhero and as a result, The Incredibles has become a regular watch along with the sequel, The Incredibles 2.

When we were sent a Jack-Jack Attacks Doll & Racoon to play with, Moose was overjoyed to say the least!

The Jack-Jack Attacks Doll comes with batteries and is set to ‘try me’ mode. You can change the mode to on by opening  the Jack-Jack Attacks Doll’s sleepsuit at the back. If you do not change the mode, the Jack-Jack Attacks Doll will not show all of its features. Don’t ask me how long it took to figure this out.

Luckily this is not a difficult toy to operate. All you have to do is push his tummy

Just press!

  • Press once to hear that Jack-Jack is happy.
  • Press twice and he giggles like you tickled him.
  • Press once over and over and he will cycle through his different powers.
  • Press and Hold for… Super Powers!

 

The powers that the Jack-Jack Attacks Doll demonstrates are just like the ones in the movie. He glows red like he does when shooting lasers from his eyes and I love that he glows a little when he sneezes!

I thought that this Doll was really cute – as cute as the Jack-Jack in the movie, in fact it looks exactly like him. Although I wouldn’t say that this doll does an awful lot for an interactive toy but Moose loves baby dolls and he loves superheroes so for him it is pretty much perfect!

The Doll also comes with the racoon from the movie. The racoon rattles and has a soft fluffy tail. You can have the characters re-enact their movie battle or you could do what Moose did and have them take a nap!

 

Jack-Jack Attacks Doll is available from Smyths as well as other good toy shops

Slimming World – Joining, but not why you think!

Starting Slimming World in January does feel like a bit of a cliche, but sadly needs must. Please don’t misunderstand me though. I am not ashamed of my body. Far from it.

My body has carried me through to the age of 37. It has walked for miles when I couldn’t afford any other kind of transport or just when I fancied a bit of a walk. My body can really move (when it wants to) especially through water. I think maybe on account of my oversized feet which make for effective flippers.

It has carried and fed 3 children. My tummy is covered in stretch marks and my breasts are not as perky as they once were. They aren’t ugly to me. I see them as a map of the pregnancies I have been fortunate enough to have experienced.

I don’t care what anybody else thinks of my body. I have strong legs and capable hands and shoulders which I know can handle some weight. Metaphorically and otherwise.

I want to be clear. I’m not starting this because I dislike my body. I am doing this because I love it. It deserves better than how I have been treating it for the last <cough> few years.

If I am honest I would quite like to be able to buy clothes a bit more easily. It might be nice to queue for a theme park ride without thinking “oh shit, what if I don’t fit”. The thing I really want though is to be healthier, to be stronger and to give my amazing body its best shot at a healthier future.

So, this morning I joined a Slimming World group.

If Mondays on the blog are about the children with my Living Arrows post, Wednesdays will be about me. I will be making an update every Wednesday as that’s the day after weigh in day and I will talk about how I got on and share any meals I liked from the week. I feel really positive about this change in lifestyle. Hopefully it will help me to feel better and look better.

The plan seems relatively simple to follow. My biggest change I think will be just being aware of what I am eating and also trying to drink enough water. I am pretty awful at this really.

I just hope I can stick to it! Either way, I’ll keep you informed.

Living Arrows – Week 1 2019

Each week Donna from What The Redhead Said hosts a post which other bloggers can link up to. The series is called Living Arrows. It’s inspired by a line from a poem.

“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth”

More about the poem in a moment. The premise of the series though is that it is a weekly post where we can share a photo or 2 from that week and talk about them. I really like the idea and for the first year ever I am starting from week 1!

Week 1

Bess

This week saw Bess turn 13. I have always done my best to raise all of my children to use their voice. I want them to know that they have a say. That they are important. Great things to instil in a person, right?

It’s all fun and games until said child starts forming an opinion which differs from your own. This week Bess asked me whether, for her birthday, she could cut her hair into a much shorter style. I hated the idea initially. It is bad enough that she had to grow from my beautiful baby into a toddler. From my cute little toddler into curious child and then from my curious child into a teenager. But to add insult to injury by getting a much more grown up look straight away?

I may have sworn. I at least kept it internal. Then I actually thought of the poem which this series is inspired by. Here it is for anyone who hasn’t read it:

On Children
 Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Kahlil had a point

The fact is that whether I like it or not, this girl is growing into a woman. She has her own ideas about who she is going to become and how she will carve out a path for herself. Who am I to stand in her way even if I wanted to? I think the best thing I can do is just hope to guide her. Of course it would be lovely if she could just pause every now and again for me to catch up but I am so proud of how strong and independent my funny little girl has become.

Besides, it seriously suits her.

Moose

This week was Moose’s first back at school. Second day in was a dress up day. Luckily I had lost the letter so I was able to experience the pure panic of finding out about the dress up day 24 hours before the costume would be needed.

I am more than a little pleased that I can cobble together a costume in no time at all. Yes, a bit smug. I’m not able to be smug very often so I think  I can be forgiven?

When my siblings and I were young we had a relative who made us a few outfits for playing dress up. I kept them and they have been passed from child to child. This Green top with white sleeves has made Princes, Lords, Knights, Pirates and this week, The Highway Rat!

Moose loved his costume and he had a really fun storybook day.

 

Living Arrows