Well for those of you who don’t know I’ve joined Slimming World! I joined on 12th Feburary 2015 and in those 19 weeks I’ve lost a total of 2 stone 4lb! I’m loving it! Paul has also been ‘on plan’ with me and has lost 2 stone and is already at his target weight! 👍 He’s lost 4″ from his waist and is happier when he looks in the mirror, which is the most important thing in my book. Beauty is only skin deep and it’s not about how wonderful the outer package is – it’s what on the inside that counts the most when all is said and done. I have a slightly longer weight loss journey than Paul but I know that I can make it. I won’t let PDA stop me – it might slow me down a bit but I will just have to push on through. I’m not happy being the size I am and it’s time to stop complaining about it and instead it’s time to do something about it. 😊

I did try Slimming World in my teens but I only managed to keep it up for about 8 months. I lost quite a bit of weight but I did struggle with it and it was in the days of Green and Red days and I found that like too much hard work. It’s much simpler now and much less of a demand, which is another great bonus for someone like me!

Gaynor, the lady who runs our group, has been so understanding and supportive. I’ve told her that I have an ASD and that coming to group every week will be an ongoing struggle for me. She’s been great. She’s never once judged me or made me feel like I must come to group every single week. The most surprising thing for me is that I have gone every single week! Yes, it’s felt like a demand and has therefore increased my anxiety but it’s not been something that I’ve hated doing or something that I’ve not been able to overcome, which I was worried it would be. I think it helps knowing that Gaynor knows if that makes sense. Also having Paul come with me every week has helped me massively too. His support has been invaluable, as always. If you’d told me at the start of the year that I would be happy going to a group meeting once a week and sitting in a big circle with a load of strangers all clapping and supporting each other I think I would have called you a liar! As you all know praise isn’t something I’ve ever been that comfortable receiving. I’m happy to give it but getting it in return makes me uneasy.

Slimming World, on paper, is actually my worst nightmare if you think about it. Even if you removed the group aspect then that would still leave me with the demand to follow a diet but it’s working and I’m coping. I would even go so far as to say I’m enjoying it! I’m really enjoying the food, which I’ll go into more detail on in a bit, but I’m also enjoying the social element and seeing how everyone has got on from week to week. I’m now even helping to weigh people in. I now find myself looking forward to Thursday evenings! 😊

So why does Slimming World seem to suit me so well when it’s a strict diet full of demands? Well that’s just the point: it’s not. It’s a healthy eating plan that you control. I chose how strict I’m going to be and no food is banned, like it is on other diets. It’s all about choice and making those choices healthier ones. If I want a big bag of chips I can have them but I prefer to have a healthier alternative now, such as homemad potato wedges. Yes there are ‘rules’ that I must follow in order to see results but they are flexible so in true PDA-style I’m able to handle complying by simply moving the goalposts a little bit. Another bonus is I’m never hungry! I’ve tried so many other diets in the past (including the dreaded cabbage soup diet! 😳) and I’ve always been left feeling hungry and then I would fall off the wagon. I’m actually eating more now than I’ve ever done before but the difference is I’m eating the right foods now. A typical day for me involves a cooked breakfast and yes I mean bacon (all visible fat removed), eggs, beans, toms and mushrooms with wholemeal toast! 👍 Any ‘diet’ that starts the day off like that gets my vote! Lol. Then for lunch I might have a jacket with beans and salad. Dinner is normally something like steak, jacket etc or homemade spaghetti bolognese – so as you can see it’s not like I’m having to force down plates of plain poached chicken breast on a bed of limp lettuce in order to see the results on the scales! I also snack quite a bit on cold meats, low fat yogurts and cereal bars. One of the foods that I missed the most were Scotch Eggs believe it or not but Slimming World even has a recipe for healthier alternative for that and it tastes amazing! And it’s ‘Syn-free’ which is fab compared to the unhealthy alternative which is 16 Syns! Syns are basically like money. You get a certain amount that you can spend each day on the little guilty pleasures in life. 😉 I normally spend my Syns on sugar for tea, light mayo etc, cereal bars and my weekly bag of crisps but what people chose to spend their Syns on is entirely up to them – another one of the flexible elements that are so PDA-friendly.

People are always asking me for the recipe for Slimming World friendly Scotch Eggs so here it is 😊

💜💜💜 SYN-FREE SCOTCH EGGS 💜💜💜

6 medium hard boiled eggs (cooled completely)

500g pack 5% fat/extra lean pork mince

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tbsp dried mixed herbs

80g couscous (dry weight)

1/2 tbsp “season for all”

1/2 tsp paprika

100ml hot water

1 beaten egg

Frylight

Preheat the oven to 170/gas mark 3 and Frylight a baking tray.

Add the mixed herbs and garlic salt to the pork mince and mix thoroughly.

Divide into 6 portions and flatten into rounds that are large enough that they will completely cover an egg. Wrap around each egg, making sure the mince is sealed properly and evenly and tightly covers the egg. Spend a bit of time on this stage to avoid the eggs splitting open when cooking. Leave to one side.

Put the couscous, season for all and paprika into a bowl and stir. Add the hot water and cover with cling film. Leave for 5 minutes, then stir well and cover again and leave for a further 5 minutes. After a total of 10 minutes break up any clumps with a fork and pour out onto a dinner plate.

Pour the beaten egg onto a dinner plate.

Roll the pork/egg balls into the beaten egg and then roll in the couscous. Cover evenly. Roll gently between your hands and fill in any gaps. Repeat with the rest of the pork/egg balls.

Bake in the oven for between 30 and 50 minutes, depending on your oven. Turn them halfway through. The couscous will go brown.

Once cooked leave to cool and then enjoy!!! 👍

*the pork mince can be substituted with 5% fat/lean turkey mince if you’d prefer or you could even use Quorn mince for a veggie alternative.

Ideally I want to lose a total of 11 stone and I’ve already lost more than 2 stone of that so I’m well on the way. 👍 I’ve given myself a timeframe of 24 months to do it in and if I carry on the way I am then I’m confident that I’ll achieve both targets. I’m so proud of how much I’ve lost already and although I have a massive target I am taking it one stone at a time. I’m celebrating every loss, even the little ones, and I’m not beating myself up when the loses aren’t so good or even non-existent. There aren’t many things out there that are PDA-friendly but Slimming World is certainly one of them! I have more energy, I’m healthier and I’m meeting new people. Everyone in the group is so friendly and helpful. We are all in this together and yes we can do it! 🏆