September's Schlankheitskur aka the 7 pound club

AdrianHi

There are a lot of tinned soups around I won't touch.
I wish I could make watercress soup and parsnip and Apple soup more often.
Time doesn't really allow making lunch but the evening meal (I cook most of the time which I like doing) is almost always freshly cooked. Occasional pizza and Cordon Blue Chicken sneaks in but thats about it.
Good old tuna bake, campbells (sorry batchelors now) low fat condensed mushroom soup, tin of tuna, some mushrooms, may be a green pepper and some peas and/or sweet corn in the rice. Quick and easy, not sure how many calories but I guess under 400.

Alexnikov

lightisfading wrote: »

They have these for something like 39p a pack at Home Bargains at the moment

Ooh thanks for the tip off! Now, can I go there and avoid all the crisps and sweets? :rolleyes:

The_Dragon

Jodun wrote: »

But good for the soul Tara!!

Well today I am weighing in at 10st 13lbs. So a couple of pounds off since last week, I was hoping for more as I think I've been really good this week, but at least it's two pounds in the right direction! Fingers crossed for next week.

Everyone's been talking about animals this week, but our pet has gone missing. Our lovely cat went out last Sunday night and hasn't been seen since . We've checked with all the neighbours and nobody's seen her. But I suppose she could still come wandering home...Hopefully!

Well done with the weight loss Jodun and I hope your puss cat arrives home safe and sound soon!

The_Dragon

Good to see you Mazzeratti - the Calorie Count site on the first post is quite good (and free!) you might want to sign on there as well and see where you are spending your calories!

Either which way jump in and enjoy the weight loss journey

lostinrates

AdrianHi wrote: »

There are a lot of tinned soups around I won't touch.
I wish I could make watercress soup and parsnip and Apple soup more often.
Time doesn't really allow making lunch but the evening meal (I cook most of the time which I like doing) is almost always freshly cooked. Occasional pizza and Cordon Blue Chicken sneaks in but thats about it.
Good old tuna bake, campbells (sorry batchelors now) low fat condensed mushroom soup, tin of tuna, some mushrooms, may be a green pepper and some peas and/or sweet corn in the rice. Quick and easy, not sure how many calories but I guess under 400.

With a bought stock, like marigold or similar, and a weighed amount of watercress, a quick and positively saintly as far as colories and fat is concerned, watercress soup would ake minutes, including blending time. I can't think why I haven't thought to do that! I made watercress soup very recently because its so very easy (but with home made stock and a mirepoix) but haven' even thought of it as ''diet'' friendly, stupid really, its so very healthful!

OK, well that can go on the menu for the weekend, thank you!

ETA: I wore my jeans today and they were too big! My next pair to slim into is two sizes down. I think while these are roomy and slipping down the next size down would be too tight, so the two sizes down might not be worth trying yet, but I'm going to try them in the February challenge.

AdrianHi

lostinrates wrote: »

With a bought stock, like marigold or similar, and a weighed amount of watercress, a quick and positively saintly as far as colories and fat is concerned, watercress soup would ake minutes, including blending time. I can't think why I haven't thought to do that! I made watercress soup very recently because its so very easy (but with home made stock and a mirepoix) but haven' even thought of it as ''diet'' friendly, stupid really, its so very healthful!

OK, well that can go on the menu for the weekend, thank you!

ETA: I wore my jeans today and they were too big! My next pair to slim into is two sizes down. I think while these are roomy and slipping down the next size down would be too tight, so the two sizes down might not be worth trying yet, but I'm going to try them in the February challenge.

Mmm, thinking wife is out with the girls Wednesday so I might have a little soup cooking session.
Watercress, lettuce and potatoe soup with cream (oh dear) is the one I remember. Might try it with a little semi-skimmed milk to get the colour.
Apple and parsnip is a bit of a winter soup but veeeerry nice. See if I get time.

Good to here cloths aren't fitting for the right reasons. I need to go cloths shopping too...

Katie-Kat-Kins

AdrianHi wrote: »

OK you might not want this on the same day as Chilli Con Carne.

My spagetti bolognaise recipe which has been evolving over the last 18 years. Latest addition is the lemon juice (thanks to lloyd Grossman).
Carrot replacing some of the meat for lower calories is a recent change and it doesn't seem to suffer for it.
Serves 2:
250g lean beef mince (438 cals); extra lean beef mince (328 cals)
OR
125g extra lean beef mince (164 cals) and two medium carrots grated (50 cals) total (214 cals)

Medium sized onion chopped as you like it (44 cals)
Large clove of garlic or 2 smaller cloves (5 cals)
2 beef stock cubes (30 cals)
Tin of chopped plum tomatoes (78 cals) (Sainbury's basics seem to work just as well as more expensive brands)
6 medium sized mushroom (24 cals) (don't like mushrooms? alternatives - medium carrot grated or chopped green peppers about same calories )
1 medium/large or 2 small bay leaves (0 cals)
1 level teaspoon of dried oregano (6 cals)
1 level teaspoon of dried basil (4 cals)
2 dessert spoons of Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce (30 cals)
1 heaped teaspoon of tomatoe puree concentrate (21 cals)
2 dessert spoons of lemon juice (fresh or bottled) (8 cals for 1 fl oz)
Olive oil (1 table spoon) (124 cals)
6oz (3oz per person) dry weight of spagetti (269 cals) (Sainbury's basics as good as any other so long as it gets a stir during cooking)
If calories allowance permits a glass of red wine - Cabernet Sauvignon (150 calories)

Preparation:
Get a half pint tea mug and crumble in 1 beef stock cube and add to it the following, bay leaves, oregano, basil, Lea and Perrins Worcs sauce, tomatoe puree and then top up the mug with boiling water; give it a stir to disolve stock cube and mix it all in. Set aside for later.

Chop onion and garlic (or crush it) and get it gently frying in olive oil - I use a saute pan that has a lid.

Crumble other stock cube onto the beef mince in a bowl, if you've got the red wine put a splash of it onto the meat. Give it a good mix.
When onion is translucent put the meat in the pan on a fairly low heat so the meat is simmered and browned slowly (about 5 minutes) with the pan covered.

While meat is browning (give it a stir to break up the mince) chop mushrooms (or grate carrots / chop peppers).
Open tin of chopped tomatoes, put the two desert spoons of lemon juice into the tin with the tomatoes.

Once meat is browned put in the mushrooms and give it a minute to cook. Add the tea mug of stock and herbs etc. Bring to simmer. Slowly add the tinned tomatoes and lemon juice. Bring it to boil, turn heat down and simmer covered for 10 minutes.
Get the spagetti water on to boil.
Take the lid off the pan of bolognaise sauce, it needs to reduce and simmer off some of the liquid while the spagetti is cooked for 10 minutes (as all pasta fans know, 11+ minutes is too long, it won't be "al dente" anymore ).
Watch and stir the sauce so it does not get too dry and boils off enough of the liquid so it still has plenty of moisture.

Serve it up removing bay leaves. You might like a little grated parmessan but I'd suggest not using a substitue like mature cheddar as I think it takes over the flavour of the bolognaise sauce if you do.

Serves 2, total calories per person: 540 (all lean meat), 485 (all extra lean meat), 428 (half extra lean meat plus carrots)
Excluding any wine

Not the lowest calorie meal in the world but it's no more than most supermarket sandwich packs and it's good for satisfying appetite without massive calories and I don't feel the need for a desert. We have it about twice a month.
That glass of red wine really sets it off if you can afford the extra 150 cals.
If your cooking for one make the full quatity above and freeze half of it for another time.
The no mushrooms and carrot instead version goes down very well with fussy four year olds (clean plates!).
Let me know what you think if you try it.
If anyone has any ideas for making it better do share.

Actually that sounds suspiciously like the recepie for chilli that I just had for lunch, except it has beans rather than mushrooms and some chilli flakes.........

Jodun

The_Dragon wrote: »

Well done with the weight loss Jodun and I hope your puss cat arrives home safe and sound soon!

Good news, Gary (our cat) came home today :j! But she's got a broken leg and has to have it amputated :eek:! The vet says it looks like she was hit by a car about a week ago. What a tough cat, she survived and managed to make it home!

lostinrates

Jodun wrote: »

Good news, Gary (our cat) came home today :j! But she's got a broken leg and has to have it amputated :eek:! The vet says it looks like she was hit by a car about a week ago. What a tough cat, she survived and managed to make it home!

Oh the poor wee soul. Thank goodnss she managed to get back to you. A tough cookie indeed!

Bronnie

Hi all!

Aww! your poor cat jodun, thank goodness he's found his way home, imagine wandering round in that condition?

Well things going ok for days 1 and 2.

Eggs for breakfast is the way to go for me, they keep me completely satisfied for ages.

I eat late most nights , and tonight have a piece of salmon to steam for later with some broc and lightly cooked cherry toms. Also got some frozen mixed berries defrosting and half a small pot of the gorgeous YeoValley mixed berry yog (120 cals a pot but wholemilk , organic and probiotic and not too sweet). Yummy!

BTW are you all counting calories?

My strategy is to omit the bread/rice /pasta/spuds carbs pretty much. Find this a manageable strategy for me as it definitely cuts the cravings. Lots of veg though and this time, for the first time, am eating less fruit in terms of number of pieces and individual portion size and following LIR's theory on tropical fruits, where poss(interesting!). I eat far more fruit than I need, which is not MSE either! Small amounts of dairy, meat fish and eggs and my daily teaspoon of ev olive oil is a must! We'll see, eh?

Good luck all!
Bron