Cooking by Matt

Sharing the Meal – Cooking Wars

Cast your mind back four years, we were in lockdown and for the most part you couldn’t have a meal with family and friends, so we dreamt up new ways to share. Sitting outside 2 meters apart was popular, so was the good old zoom call. This must have been training for us, as we now face our daughter being away an University. Granted only 110 miles away, but not being here with us, is a real shock to the system and makes meal time just a little different.

To combat this when planner her first week of meals, we thought it would be a good idea for us both to cook the same in that first week, it’s now carried on into the second week, and I have not idea how long it will continue.

The idea was if we cooked the same, it would be like we were eating together, and we both take pictures of what we have cooked and share them. I then thought it would be good to shared them on the Pinch of Nom Facebook group, harmless right? Well, wrong!

The Pinch of Nom group are amazing, they say how good the food looks, brilliant she is not eating a Pot Noodle, how amazing Emily is for being able to cook when so many 18 year olds don’t have a clue. However, then it started, oh Emily’s looks nicer, Emily’s looks like the one I make, oh I like Emily’s as she has a side salad, and I VOTE for Emily. Now it seems that Home vs University has turned into a battle, and everyone wants to vote for which one looks the best and to my horror they are voting for Emily maybe more than me.

To be honest the comments are amazing, as I say I love the group and for me this community is what helps you stay on track with your weight loss journey. I thought I would share some of the great comments we get:

One comment today “This has been my daily entertainment for the past week. Keep it going”

Both look great, just admire that she can cook so well, so important but many teenager’s can’t 👏👏

This has been my daily entertainment for the past couple of weeks. Keep doing it 🥰

Looks great, it would be so easy for her to get i to the habit of takeaway or ready made meals. So keep it up 🙂

They both look delicious but Matt your veggies apart from the devil’s food ( sweetcorn) have edged it tonight. You must be so proud of Emily eating so healthily while a lot of her uni friends will be surviving on pot noodles x

Well done guys , Matt you get my vote on this one as I’m not a fan of waffles .plus I like all the veg on your plate 😋. Can’t wait for the next cook off! .x

Did you notice I finished on a vote for me!!

To be honest it is a bit of fun, and it’s nice to think she is still eating healthy. Her course is going to be super hard, lots of dance and where she is has many, many hills, so restoring to fast food would be the simple choice.

I have learnt over the last few years, planning is not just a weight loss, it’s key to weight control. I know people that are super fit and would be the first to admit they eat bad as they are super busy, but get away with it as they exercise a lot. I have to balance daily exercise with a good diet, so that my weight loss journey gets me where I want it to.

I don’t know how long Cooking Wars are going to carry on for, but it’s fun and it is keeping us connected over a meal as you should be with family.

One Pan Winter Hash

I’m not sure where this came from, but it’s basically a frittata, and is great all purpose meal.

Ingredients

8 Rashers Bacon cut in small bits
1 Small Onion (Chopped)
200 g Mushrooms halved
400 g Canned new potatoes
6 Eggs
200 g Chopped Tomatos
120 g Cheddar Cheese grated

Method

Place a large, ovenproof frying pan sprayed with Fry Light over a medium-high heat. When hot add the bacon, onion and mushrooms and stir-fry for 6-8 minutes until browned and cooked.
Add potatoes to the frying pan and stir well. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and herbs, season to taste. Pour this over the potato mixture, scatter over the tomatoes (I often use a can of chopped tomatoes drained) and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the frittata base is set.
Preheat your grill to medium. Scatter the cheese over the frittata and grill for 4-5 minutes or until lightly golden and set.
Cut into wedges and serve.

I really hope you have enjoyed this blog, I’m having a lot of fun posting the pictures and reading the comments, please like and share this blog so that others may be able to use this for their mini adults going off to University.

NOMfluencing

You should know by now that Pinch Of Nom (PON) is super important for the way I like to cook, diet, and spend a lot of my spare time on their Facebook page and taking pictures of my food, and trying to get in the top 5 contributes for the month, to get PON SWAG.

What is SWAG? Well it is Pinch of Nom branded freebies for which I have a few bits, lunchbox, mug, spatula, apron, sticky notes, it’s a great incentive to play along.

The Facebook page a community, a lot of us all know each other now and we even take pull each others legs over their choices or my Peas and Sweetcorn that are always on my plate!

Community if a really important part of Weight Loss, you need the support of others to be successful and taking part is a really important to me. The more you take part, the more your name gets known, and that built and recently I was asked to take part in a secret project as a NOMfluencer.

It started by answering a few questions, then I was asked for some pictures of what I like to cook, and whether I had any before and after pictures, and then it turned into a magazine article for the first Pinch Of Nom Magazine as a PON Superfan.

Seeing my face on the front of a magazine I would have bought is amazing, the Weight Watchers magazine was killed off a few years back, it is exciting that this magazine could take its place.

It’s also nice when people send you a message out of the blue to say “I just saw this!!!” and I’m like all “Yeah that’s me, I lost some weight!”.

Loads of people are now posting on the facebook page that they have their magazine and going to sit and read it, and I’m there thinking they are going to be reading my article, and feel a little bit of a Star ⭐️.

So I have told you about two examples, PONtributor, PON Superfan and now for number three, PONfluencer.

Small backwards step, you know when people say, if you could go back and do something different what would you do? Well over the last few years, I have often that I would have loved to be a Tech Influencer on YouTube, doing videos and changing my office around with new tech every few months, but it’s too later for me to try to build that now. Come forward to now, when you see an article about being a PONfluencer, I was like “YEAH BABY”. I did a little video and was then asked if I would take part, apparently my name is known in PON towers 😱.

After completing some paperwork to say I would keep stuff secret, I was then asked to take part in another new launch that PON have just launched, Flava-it sachets. You know when you’re being lazy and get a Cottage Pie or Chilli packet mix, well these are PON ones for some of their fan favourite recipes. When they turned up I had to cook with them recording some videos sharing my thoughts, and passing the videos back to them to create PONfluencer videos.

It was so much great fun getting a first look at the new product, I have to say I think its a fit for the market. Having just been on holiday and knowing how hard it can be to cook PON recipes when your not in your own kitchen, having one sachet rather than taking 10 different herbs and spices, balsamic vinegar, red wine stock pots and cornflour, has to be the answer right?

I have loved pulling on my SWAG apron and recording my cooking and views, I have now created my CookingByMatt YouTube channel in over the coming weeks, I will be posting my videos on there.

Here is my First Impression video.

Don’t be too judgemental this is my first attempt at this, I hope I can get better,

Please do leave a comment and share this with others if you think it will help them on their journey.

Gadgets Save Fingers

I don’t really need an excuse to buy a gadget, normally something from Apple, or IT related, but I’m no stranger to a kitchen gadget.

When I started cooking Pinch of Nom (PON) meals I soon realised I really needed a Food Processor, I was worried if I would use it, but I do use it a few times a week. Things like making butter chicken, you need to purée the ingredients to make it smooth, chopping oats up to make a breadcrumb for fishcakes, and I now grate all my cheese that was as it is super fast.

I have had to buy a new gadget this week, which I will come on to, but I thought it would be worth talking about my favourite kitchen gadgets and why I love them.

Vegetable Chopped

I suppose we have to start with the new one, I have seen these used by people, on TV adverts on some home shopping advert on an obscure channel in the early hours, but never thought it was worth it. I have good knife skills, okay I cut myself from time to time, but tell what chef doesn’t doing all the cooking. On Wednesday I was prepping the Peppers to make Kung Pao Pork, and cut my finger (so I thought) putting pressure on the finger and washing it under water as I always do.

Then the daughter say “Is that a bit of your finger?”
“Of course not” I reply “it’s just a cut!”
With a disgusted face she replies “Are you sure?”

Okay she was right, I had sliced a bit of thumb clean off. Yes I went to A&E, yes I went back to Plastics clinic the next day, but I also jumped on Amazon and bought a Four in One vegetable chopper.

Anyone that follows PoN recipes will tell you, lots of onions, lots of peppers, lots of diced carrots, which means lots of chopping. This little beast has been amazing the last two days, peal the onion, cut in half and [WHACK] onions are diced. Dishwasher safe, simple to clean and thumb intact.

There are lots of styles this is a 4 in 1, so two chop sizes and a two spiralisor things, I want chopping so all good.

Air Fryer Kebab Skewers

Like many, I love making kebabs in the summer, I love cooking on the BBQ, but 1. Weather and 2. Effort, means I have been making them in my Air Fryer. The normal kebab sticks are long, so I have to chop little bits off. I was thinking this is a waste, I wonder if I can get short ones for an Air Fryer? Well Amazon didn’t disappoint, I found this little set that is designed for the Ninja Air Fryer.

14 mini kebabs and the kit, came with lots of cool little bits, tongs, marinade brush, mini silicon mits to pick it out. Anyway used it yesterday and total winner for me.

15 minutes in total to cook in the air fryer. Plenty of time to knock up a potato salad and some corn on the cob.

Mixing Bowls

I have been married now 22 years, and we have never bought mixing bowls, we have got by on the ones my wife had when she left home for nurse training, last earlier this year I decided I need to get rid and get some new ones.

I got this set of 5 stainless steels ones, with lids, all different sizes, and they are great, they washout super quick no matter what has been in them. I love them that much, my daughter is off to Uni soon and I’m thinking I’m going to need to get her a set as they will last her ages.

you can also see from the Amazon image they came with some measuring spoons and a little whisk, good for the draw, they are not my everyday choice, which brings me on too…

Measuring Spoons

Another thing I have had in the draw for years a little set of meal ones, kept together with a cable tie! They are short, too big to get in spice jars, so I did some research and found some funky magnetic ones.

From Tablespoon down to 1/8 teaspoon it covers most needs. They are clever, they have a dry end and liquid end. Can I just say, I actually do it the other way around from what the images shows. I like the long spoon end for going in herb and spice jars, and the bucket end for liquid.

Kilner Jars

As I write this, I’m starting to realise that most of these have been bought to service the needs PoN has caused me!

I have so much more store cupboard type ingredients now, that I have had to store them all for when I need them. Things like, but not limited to, Orzo, cornflour, Panko breadcrumbs, Long grain rice, basmati rice, ground almonds and don’t start me on the spices, I have so many now, that I have little Kilner jars for the spices I use the most, Cumin, Chilli powder, Garam masala and more.

I have all different ones, from Kilner ones, but lots of Ikea versions, like the ones below which are great,

These are just a selection, there are many more!

Bread Bin

A WHAT? I hear you say, but yes, a bread bin is one of the best things in my kitchen. Until about a year ago, my bread was in the plastic tub, that was being held together with gaffer tape, but with all the different bread options we have, I needed a better solution. This was the biggest I could find that would house, bread, wraps, crumpets, English muffins, rolls, pittas, it’s a big list which needs a big bread bin.

Metal tub with a nice bamboo lid.

Garlic Press

I have always used a normal press, but it was too small for the larger cloves, I ungraded. This is simple, peal and rock the press onto of it.

The skin peeler I find a bit of a faff, but the little brush is great to clean out the wholes. Simple and quick and you can carry the garlic on it to the pan.

Cookbooks

Okay, it’s not a gadget but I could not live without my PoN cookbooks. I use some more than others, but each one is vital to the progress I have made in the last 18 months.

The recipes are meals I want to eat, some feel trashy like Fish Finger Pie, some are everyday classics like Chicken Tikka Masala and some are dinner guest worthy like Beef Bourguignon.

They are just some of my gadgets, I could go on about my boiled egg maker, air fryer, blender, silicon quiche dish, my microwave rice cooker, but you would get bored.

Why not tell me your favourite kitchen gadget, I would love an excuse to buy more.

Chicken Pasta Bake

This is one of my own and it’s not healthy healthy, but I is super yummy.

Ingredients

500g Chicken Breast
1 Onion diced
2 Garlic crushed
Some veg, carrots or sweetcorn
300g of dried pasta shapes
1 Can condensed chicken soup
150ml Semi Skimming milk
2 Tsp Wholegrain mustard
Salt & Pepper
40g grated cheese

Method

Cook your pasta as per the instructions, drain and leave to the side.
Cook you veg. If using frozen sweetcorn microwave so you can eat it, and carrots, boil till just before cooked and put them to the side.
In a pan, fry off the onion and garlic in oil or spray (whatever is your way) until soft.
Add the diced chicken to the pan and brown on all sides.
Add the condensed soup, mix in and then add the milk. The milk should be about half the condensed soup can so save using a jug you have to wash.
Mix the soup and milk to thin, the mixture down to a nice sauce. If it looks thick add a little more milk.
Add the wholegrain mustard and mix in.
If you then have space in the pan, add the pasta and mix it all together and then pour into an over dish. If your pan is not big enough, empty the pasta into the dish and top with the chicken mixture.
Add salt and pepper and top with the grated cheese.
Cook on 200c for 20 minutes and the cheese is browned.
If you wish to make this in advance, to eat later, add 10 minutes to the cooking time to ensure it is hot throughout.

That’s all there is to it, it’s super easy and very tasty.

Please leave me comments and messages, I love reading your thoughts.

How do you eat an Elephant?

This is a classic quote about breaking something down into manageable chunks, I mean eating an elephant is a tall order, but if you break it down to “one bite at a time” it would be easy right?

Obviously, I’m not going to advocate eating an Elephant, can you imagine the number of Weight Watcher points in that?

What I want to talk about is mindset again, the more and more I think about the fitness, weight loss, wellbeing journey, the more I think it is all about the mindset and the way you look at it.

I want to change up the quote a little to fit, “How do you run a marathon? Answer, one 5k at a time!”

In my blog “It’s a running joke” I spoke about my Couch to 5K (C25K) journey and running my first Park Run. This weekend was the Race for Life, and running that was my target for starting to run. Being able to run the whole 5k, something I would never have been able to do last year was a challenge, if I wanted people to donate hard earned cash, I had to do something over and above, and nothing more out of character for me than running.

Well I did it, I ran all the whole way in 36 minutes and 59 seconds, which was 4 minutes 29 seconds quicker than that first Park Run in Southampton back in March.

“BUT THATS NOT A MARATHON” I hear you cry, well this is true, but this is where you have to look at your mindset.

The Race for Life was my 8th 5K since starting to run. simple multiplication means that is 40K of running, which give or take a bit is the 42.2km distance of a marathon. So having a positive mindset, I can say I have ran a marathon, okay not all in one go, I did it one bite (5K) at a time.

Being positive keeps me motivated, my first C25K run had me running for 8 minutes as a part of 30 minute workout on a flat treadmill. I was almost dead at the end of it. whereas this weekend I ran for the whole 37 minutes, on flat bits, up hills, down hills, on paths, trails and grass and even sprinted (well ran a bit quicker) to the finish line.

I felt like Mo Farah crossing that finishing line, but I suspect I looked more like, Mo Mowlam doing the Paso!

But I don’t care, I’m super positive about where my running journey is going, and while my next target will not be to run the London Marathon, I’m planning on something bigger next year, not sure what, but maybe a 10K.

How do I stay positive? Well you need to surround yourself with the right people, not the wrong people. The ones that can lift you up and not put you down. Let me give you an example.

Race for Life was to raise $$$ for Cancer Research in memory of my late brother in law, the whole family are doing events this year, our cousin Simon Taylor is in the middle of his training to run an Ultra Marathon of 100 miles 😱. Well on Sunday evening, when my feet were sore and I was sat wearing my medal (yes I wore it all day) I got a message from him, this is just a small extract:

You have been on some journey with your fitness and weight loss. Truly inspiring stuff. It would be a shame to take your foot off the gas now that you have achieved your goal. Today was not the end result. Today was the beginning. Tomorrow your running/fitness journey continues.

That right there is what keeps me positive, a man that is taking on a 72 hour challenge to run 100 miles, telling me that losing a few lbs and running a 5k is inspiring. I have had other people tell me the same thing from reading my blogs, so I guess it makes a difference.

The more I lose, the more I feel I can do it. The more I do it, the more I lose, the more motivation I have. It is the opposite of a vicious cycle which is called a Virtuous Circle, where a vicious circle has a detrimental effect on you, the virtuous circle has a positive effect on you.

So, surround yourself with positive vibes, get into a virtuous circle with yourself and get that mindset in top gear.

Recipe

This is a simple quick one for you, but one I love and is great on Weight Watchers, I call it Spanish Chicken.

Ingredients

600g Diced Chicken
1 Onion
1 tsp Garlic
2 Peppers
250g Carrots battons
1 can Chopped Tomatoes
250 ml Passata
2 Oxo Cubes
Mixed Herbs
Worcestershire sauce

Method

Fry the onion, garlic and peppers until soft, then add the diced chicken and brown.

While this is cooking, boil your carrots, stopping just before they are fully cooked and drain.

Once the chicken is browned, add the tomatoes, passata herbs and Worcestershire sauce and mix.

Crumble in the oxo cubes and mix them on.

Add the carrots, and any other veg you might want (peas and sweetcorn) and then let the dinner simmer uncovered until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce has reduced and thickened.

You can serve with Rice, pasta, jacket, whatever floats your boat.

Thank you for reading, please leave me a comment and I have a new facebook page for cookingbymatt.food.blog, please have a look and follow this page, and share with your friends so they can listen to my rambles as well.

How do you measure up?

I have already talked about being able to fit into smaller clothes and how good this feels, and only today I was in front of a mirror when I was out and thought to myself “Wow, I’m looking good!” well, for an old bloke, but this got me to thinking more and more about where the weight is going from.

22 years ago Weight Watchers (WW) would recommend going home and measuring yourself, so even when you don’t think you’re losing weight, you might see a change in the measurement inches. I have never done this, and I have to admit I kind of regret it as it would make a good graph (yes, I am that sad!). Recently I have noticed more and more areas where I have obviously lost weight like my wrists, arms, legs, fingers, I can even feel bones, collar bone, ribs, sternum and even hips!

I have a story from 20 years ago in the early WW days, I was in London and called Jane to confirm I had left my wedding ring on the bedside table as I was not wearing it, to be told it was not there!!! I had, in face actually lost it! It had fallen off my finger since I had lost so much weight from when we got married. I subsequently found it that evening when I fished inside my suit jacket packet for my train ticket where it had obviously being been hiding after dropping off. Fast forward 20 years and this is at risk of happening again, I can shake it off my finger, also my watch strap has had to move up three notches, my shoes need to be tighter as my feet seem to be thinner!

So what’s this all about? It’s about why my body is taking it’s sweet time in shrinking my belly! The place I would really like to see getting smaller, does not seem to be! However, measuring up it the key, remember when you get new clothes, think about how much smaller they are. But don’t just think of it as one or two sizes smaller, put them on top of each other and really look at the difference. A friend of mine did this, and it was a really powerful image to me of how well she had done, so I plagiarised it, and have done it also.

Just seeing your old clothes with your new ones can really demonstrate to you what a difference you’re making to yourself.

Also, being in the digital age is magical. We have selfies and app to side by side images to compare yourself. If you’re like me, it is likely you don’t really like seeing yourself (especially the fat me!) but doing it will help you see what others are starting to see. Only today my daughter told me that someone she shared an older picture of us as a family with said, wow you can really see how much Matt has lost!

July 2022 on the right and May 2024 on the left.

If you’re on a journey, use all the tools you can to track how well you’re doing. Seeing results for me acts as a motivator, and snowballs, the more you lose the more you keep going, well the opposite of a snowball as they get bigger, but you get the idea, right!!

Seeing is believing and you really need to believe in yourself to keep up the flight long term.

Jambalaya

I’m sharing this recipe for no other reason than I had this tonight for the first time in a little while and I had forgotten how good it was.

It is an old Slimming World one, I have never done Slimming World, (red and green was too much for me) but I have a few in my locker which come out from time to time.

Ingredients

1 Onion (chopped)
1 lb Chicken or Turkey Diced
2 tsp Dried thyme
1 tsp Basil
2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Mild Chilli Power
6 Quorn sausages
1 Red pepper
1 Green pepper
2 Yellow pepper
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1 can Chopped Tomatoes
255g Long grain
454 ml Chicken Stock

Method

Heat a large pan sprayed with Fry Light. Add the onion and fry for 10 minutes to soften.
Stir in the chicken and Quorn sausages and carry on cooking over a medium heat for 10 minutes.
Add the peppers, courgettes, thyme, lemon zest, chopped tomatoes, rice and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and season to taste.
Leave the jambalaya in the pan for a few minutes to soak up any remaining liquid.
Serve sprinkled with some freshly chopped parsley.

Thanks for reading, as always I love it when people comment as it normally means they made it to the end. Hit like and share with any friends that might enjoy listening to a middle aged chubby bloke trying to get into the best shape he has been in for years!

Swimming for Mac & Cheese

Thursday is Fat Club/Group therapy/Weight Watchers, trust me these are not derogatory terms just what us in group say. My Thursday looks a little this, get boy to school, swim, shop, scales and then home. I love Thursday, well then I’m on it and losing weight.

A year ago 29 April 2023, I had an operation on a torn rotator cuff, which I did after a big wave won the argument we had at Fistral beach in Cornwall the year before. The pain had got so bad, I ended up have the surgery meaning I was going to be off swimming for a few weeks. However, when I asked the Physio about getting back in the pool, he was good with me just getting in, so I was back in the pool 19 days later, a swim of 1000 meters (40 laps) in 28:15, which was an okay time all things considered and it about 42 seconds a lap.

Where am I going with this, well as weight has dropped off, in fact 100 lbs since that swim, the time has got quicker and I have in fact move up the distance. I aim to do minimum of 30 minutes of exercise everyday (since the start of the year) so as the time dropped the distance increased. In the last few months, the distance has increased to 50 laps 1250 meters, and the times were around 31 minutes. My target was to try to do the swim in 30 minutes. I started to hit this target a couple of months ago and then moved up to 60 laps 1500 meters, which for the most part is 36 minutes, 36 second laps. This is all very boring for you lot, but this is what drives me to do more, and since the recent introduction of an amazing swimming MP3 player, the upbeat music is kicking the ass of the times.

Tuesday my swim was 60 laps, and 35:18, today I could only manage 50 laps, but hit an all time personal best (PB) finishing in 28:10, 34 second laps, 8 seconds a lap quicker than last year!

Lots of people don’t like swimming as it is boring, this is what I focus on to keep me motivated, new PBs, if I can get down to the 30 seconds, I will be amazed, but that is what I’m looking for.

It is creeping over to the running now, I still don’t know if running will be continue to be big in my exercise routine, but I have to admit, the times and PBs are helping drive me here to. I have completed three park runs now, and each one is a little quicker than the last. The times are shocking, after all the first finisher in the race last weekend, could have run it twice, before I got to the finish line.

Now on to the recipe.

Mac n Cheese

This time it is my own recipe, it’s based on the Mac n Cheese Emily made at school years back., I have adapted it and made it what we like.

NOW… this is not a diet meal, there are diet version, THIS IS NOT, this is one of my kids favourite meals and my wife hates it, so we only make it when she is out, it happens to be a weigh day, so I’m having the real thing and will work it off over the week.

Ingredients

300g Macaroni
150g Grated Cheddar
150g Grated Red Leicester
75g Plain Flour
75g Butter
750 ml Semi Skimmed Milk
225g Bacon lardons

Method

Preheat the over to 190c or Gas Mark 5.
Bring saucepan to the boil and add macaroni, cook for 10-12 mins, until al dente.
While pasta is cooking make the sauce, fry off the lardons and put to the side.
Place the butter, flour and milk into a small saucepan. Bring sauce to a simmer whisking it at all times until it has thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the 100g of each of the cheeses.
Stir in the lardons to the cheese sauce.
Stir the drained macaroni into the cheese sauce and add a few twists of black pepper and pour the macaroni into an oven proof dish.
Sprinkle over the remaining cheese.
Bake in the over for 15-20 mins until golden.

I really hope you enjoy this as much as we do, but please don’t have it every week, it’s super rich and not good for a diet!

Please like, comment and share.

Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels!

I have been watching “Fat Friends” a TV series from the early “naughties” again as it is on Netflix, while I remember it very well, I forgot how good and hard hitting it was.

Many of the issues covered in the series are ones anyone overweight has experienced, the James Corden character (Jamie) getting bullied for his weight at 15 is something I know very well. Getting changed for PE in the toilet so you didn’t change in front of the others as they would be horrible about your size! Other characters were hiding behind not being bothered about their weight in public, but in private struggling with how they feel about themselves.

After watching it again, it has reminded me about the mantra of the “Super Slimmers” leader, “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”. First time hearing it you think “what a load of crap!” But then after a bit I kept thinking about it. So hitting google, it seems that the quote is credited to Kate Moss as she said it in 2009, but Fat Friends was on TV before that, so it must have come from there first.

I have been reflecting on the statement this week as part of my personal weight loss journey. I have been clearing out old clothes and have had to buy in new ones. Last week I ordered two new pairs of jeans, one in the size I thought I needed and the one in the size I wanted it to be, but would be happy to send them back. Anyway, long story short the smaller ones fit and I felt amazing, and then I thought to myself “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels!”.

I have said in different blogs, that understanding WHY you want to diet/lose weight/eat healthy is the most important part of your journey. After all if you don’t know why you’re doing it, you don’t have anything to strive for or measure your progress against.

While I’m starting to agree with “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”, I think it might be a very dangerous mantra to live by. In the same google search, I learnt that the quote from Kate Moss was picked up by pro anorexia groups using it to justify the eating disorder, which is where I come back to it could be dangerous. Losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle is very important, but the point is HEALTHY and anorexia sure is not healthy, after all being extremely underweight carries a greater health risk than those that are extremely overweight.

So, while I love the quote I have been thinking it over and over, and think it needs a slight adjustment.

“Nothing tastes better, than making progress towards your targets”

Reflecting back on “Fat Friends” people might give the impression of happy, but often they are not, they want to lose weight/get in shape/make a healthy choice, but when the going gets tough, they turn to food! We have all done it, we eat when bored/happy/depressed/anxious/emotional… I could go on, but food doesn’t really make you happy. What makes me happy is moving towards my goal, and hitting my targets seeing where I have come from and where I’m going.

Below you can see my weight loss chart and the key milestones that I worked/working towards. The next target is my Australia weight in 2003, about 22lbs away and I want to get there by the start of the summer. This is what is driving me, that downwards blue line, it has levelled a bit but it is still going in the right direction.

After Australia, I have a couple more targets, with the bottom one being what I “currently” think is realistic for me, but as I get closer, if I think I could go further, than I will add in another one target line.

I have considered many versions of the “mantra” originally I was going to go with “Nothing tastes as good, as feeling happy in your skin”, the problem with that was in 2003 (when I lost my weight the first time) I was happy in my skin! I was able to buy clothes on the high street, I felt and looked good (in my eyes) and then lost the focus. So while I’m happy in my skin right now, I’m not ready to give up. So I keep making new targets to work towards, which drives me to keep the focus and keep going.

As always this is how I feel about it, I have been on this weight loss journey for many years (22 to be exact) but very few of those years have been successful or anywhere near as focused as I am right now.

Please leave a comment about what you think, do you think Skinny feels good? I mean real person skinny, not size zero ill looking skinny.

Now it’s food time.

Beef Madras

I normally include a recipe for you to try in each blog, often family recipes or some I have tried/made up, but as I write this I can smell my Pinch Of Nom Beef Madras cooking away in the slow cooker.

I can’t blag their recipe but I can link to it as it is one that is free on their website Slow Cooked Beef Madras.

Here is one I made earlier with homemade Simple Naan bread and some cheeky Aldi Popadoms

Please leave a comment, please share with anyone that you feel might like to read my rambling.

Milestones Tracking

Tracking milestones in a project is the way you track progress, when you’re losing weight, setting milestones give you something to aim at.

Also looking back at a milestone and tracking how well you’re doing is key. Think about sobriety, it can be a key part of AA. In the early months it is a powerful motivator, keeping a running count gives you the confidence to get through the hard days, and it measures your progress, and helps you visualise the distance you have travelled.

So what am I going on about? Well I’m on about my kryptonite “Crisps”.

In 1981 a new maize snack was released, it came in cheese flavour, and made by a company called Sooner Foods based in Scunthorpe. They were bought by Golden Wonder in 1987 and then in 2012 by KP. As I remember it, soon after release they then came in spicy flavour and then Sampi and Lemon (which were strong and stank!).

I am of course talking about Nik-Naks.

Over the years they have come in many different flavours and the cheese ones have disappeared now, however, about 6 months before I gave up, Wotsits came out with Wotsits Crunch, which were a rip of of Crunchy Cheetos, but were stunning.

Today marks 400 days since I gave them crisps, not just Nik-Naks. 400 days, so we could say 400 pack’s of Nik-Naks and if I was conservative and only had a small pack (yeah right!) I have saved myself 102,00 calories, or if you eat the recommended 2500 calories a day as a man, that would be 41 days! If however, we are talking about a pack of these below, then you are talking about 124 days!!!

After giving up for lent last year (21 February 2023) and then not eating a huge bag on Easter Sunday to make up for it, I made the choice to just not go back to them, as I say they were my kryptonite, Sensations, Pringles, Kettle chips, Doritos, nothing was safe from me.

However, I think I have now got to the point where I don’t think about them, back at the start it was hard/impossible to even walk down the crisp aisle in the supermarket without wanting them and asking myself “why am I doing this?”.

I did get easier and now I can even cope with the kids sharing a tube of BBQ Pringles in the car (which smell amazing) but it’s now a choice, which extends into cooking. I have recipes that use crushed up Doritos as a breadcrumb on a zinger burger, I would love to try, but it could be a slippery slope that I don’t want to risk stepping on.

When I talk about giving this up, I have been asked what I replaced it with? In the beginning it was very much Rice Cakes and popcorn, but now I don’t feel to the need to have them all the time either.

Dorito Popcorn Seasoning

When I started making popcorn again last year, I wanted to flavour it and after some research came across this recipe for what they called Dorito popcorn seasoning, it is amazing what you can find on the web.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast.
¼ tsp garlic powder.
¼ tsp onion powder.
¼ tsp cumin.
¼ tsp paprika.
¼ tsp chili powder.
¼ tsp salt.

Directions

Firstly, I would make double and keep it in a pot as ¼ tsp is fiddly. Basically mix them in a little pop, but the lid on and shake it around to mix it up.

Cook your popcorn, when done, spray with 1 cal spray and shake on the seasoning.

That is it, sit back and enjoy. Oh, and for Weight Watchers the seasoning is zero points.

Do you have something that is your Kryptonite? Could you give it up cold turkey and not go back to it?

It is definitely a radical choice to make, but one I have felt I needs to take for the new lifestyle I am building for myself.

Thanks for reading, drop me a comment, a like, or share it with your friends.

It’s a Running Joke

Thanks for clicking on the link, and sorry about the joke!

I have always loved swimming, I have enjoyed cycling, I hated walking and as for running, it’s what you do when the zombie apocalypse comes ain’t it?

If you ask my family they will tell you, when I saw people running I thought they were mad, I didn’t see the point, after all there are cars and bikes right? Or even just ask someone for a lift.

In December I dreamt up this idea I could try Couch to 5K, after all I have seen lots of people talk about it, and after losing just short of 10 stone at the time, why not? I mentioned this to a mate a the works Christmas party, and rather than say “don’t be stupid” he said “really, that is a great idea”. DAMN, why did I tell anyone! Once you put something out there, you’re kind of committed to it.

So I downloaded the app to my phone and took a look, and as the new year came in, on the 3rd of January I went to the gym to give Week 1 Run 1 a try on the treadmill, after all no one needed to see my running around the streets. Armed with a drink, my phone and headphones, 30 minutes later I completed the run. It almost killed me, but combining walking and a bit of running (eight, 1 minute runs) I was able to do it, which felt good. Each week I started off thinking “well this week will be too hard” but I keep it going, I did need to repeat a few runs as they got harder, but now I’m up to Week 8 Run 3. The progress is astonishing, I never thought I would be able to run, let alone to run for 28 minutes straight non-stop as it is in week 8. This simple guided program really does make a difference and helps you to get to the target of running for 30 minutes and being able to take on a 5K run.

The idea of doing this running thing, was so that I could run the Race for Life in memory of my Brother in Law who we lost to cancer last year (#TeamTike), I knew I could walk it, but I really wanted to have the challenge to run it, and put in the effort to peoples money out of them.

Two weeks back a friend in Southampton had posted on Facebook that they had just complete a local Park Run, which gave me an idea. I was in Southampton on 23rd and if he was going, I wondered whether he would show me the ropes? I really needed to give an outside run a go as all the running I had done was on a treadmill, controlled, indoor, dry, flat, hidden! This would not be the case for the Race for Life, so needed the experience. He was more than happy to “pay it forward” as he said, as others had done the same to support him.

So after keeping it a bit of a secret from the wife, in case I bottled it! I rocked up to Southampton Common at 8:50 yesterday ready for 9:00 Park Run.

It was busy, almost a thousand runners and me, an imposter, or that is how it felt. John (the one that looks like a Gonk) was amazing, really supporting, knew the route so knew when it was going to go uphill and helped my control my speed (no display in real life like a treadmill) and 41 minutes later, I did it, as easy as that. Well I say easy, it was colder than a treadmill, more wind, more people, uphills, downhills, but unlike a treadmill there were people at the side of the path cheering you on (note to self get a cheerleader for the gym) which was amazing, John replied for me, breathing was more important than talking at the time.

If you’re not familiar with Park Run, it is 100% free and 100% run by volunteers, which is amazing when you see the size of the operation. We spoke to a guy that has been involved since 2010 I think he said something like 650 events, their commitment to the event is amazing, but he did cut parts of our heads off in one of the pictures, so he needs to work on that!

People have asking “Did I enjoy it?” I’m not sure if enjoy is the right word, I loved the feeling I got from the fact I completed it, and I have to admit I’m thinking I might have to do it again, but did I “enjoy” it. I ache today, it hurt more than the treadmill, but the idea of running a 5K, yes me, I ran a 5K, thats like 1/2 a 10K, 1/4 of a half marathon, an 1/8th of a marathon, I will stop now, but yes that feels really good,

It does worry me a little that does this make me a runner? I have always said “why would you do that!” And now I see myself doing it.

If you wanted to try it, I can’t recommend the Couch to 5K process highly enough, the bloke that didn’t like walking, to the shop, now ran a 5K.

Pasta Bolognese Pie

This is a food blog after all and I’m aware that I sometimes forget to give you a recipe. This idea is not really connected to running, but it is something I did as a mash up a couple of weeks ago and it was amazing and a little different.

I have called it Pasta Bolognese Pie, and I guess you will see why when you look at it. You basically take your own bolognese recipe that you all love, I would say make it a little “wetter” bit more stock or bit more passata depending on how you make it. Then cook up 400g of Rigatoni, drain well, rinse in water and let it cool enough so you can touch it.

Next, get a lose rim cake tin, and stand up the Rigatoni on their ends, so they are vertical and fill the dish. Once they are all stood up and fill the bottom of the dish, add the bolognese slowly making sure the move it around with a spatula so it fills up the rigatoni. Repeat until you have put all the bolognese on top, then add a little cheese of your choice, cheddar or Parmesan and then bake in the over 180 for about 25-30 minutes depending on your preference and this is the result.

Standing the pasta up, takes a while but it is not difficult and it is fun to search it like a big slice of cake.

#TeamTyke

If you’re interested in donating to #TeamTyke please visit the just giving page where we are collecting for the Bushby’s Swimaton and Race for Life, as well as our cousin Simon Taylor doing his 100 mile Ultra (😱) all for Cancer Research.

As always please like and comment on my blog, then I know you have read it, and I didn’t just waste the last hour writing it!

Confessions of a Foodaholic!

From time to time I get asked some questions, and last week it was favour from my Weight Watchers (WW) Coach. “WW have asked us to find a member to talk to other members in the group about their journey/success and I thought of you!” Well after being given an opportunity to talk about my specialist subject (me), how could I refuse that.

The coach shared the questions they were given and I had great fun thinking about what I would say. After coming up with a my answers I thought actually, it might make for a good blog to share with others, so here it is, a Q&A with me!

Tell us a little bit about your weight health journey with Weight Watchers.

What was your motivation behind joining Weight Watchers?

I joined WW in September 2002, after my wedding, which is the wrong way to do it right? At my wedding, one of my brothers and my Aunt had been going to a local WW to them and both looked amazing. I would be lying if I said my motivation back then was not to do better than he had done! After we got home from Honeymoon, Jane convinced me to give it a go and the rest is history.

What would you say has been the biggest health gain from the weight you’ve lost?

I guess the biggest one was dropping out of the Pre diabetic category which I had just crept into, but now I’m back in the safe zone. Apart from that the obvious really, feeling better, doing more, less issues walking, swimming is faster.

How much weight have you lost all together?

I really wish I could work out how much I have lost and put back on over the 21 years, but in this run which goes back to January 2022, I have lost 11 stone 1.

Which behaviours/habits would you say you’ve changed the most to see this success?

There are a few. It starts with cooking. I do all the cooking in the house anyway, but in the last year I have changed it up and cook fresh every day. By this I don’t mean warming frozen foods or having much/any processed foods if possible. Added to that giving up crisps 1 year ago, and taking exercise seriously, swimming, gym and now running.

How did you go about doing this?

Cooking was mainly to do with Pinch of Nom cookbooks, which I love. They are low fat and tasty, which makes me want to cook. Giving up crisps was originally connected to Lent last year, but after 47 days, I decided “why stop giving up?” if I can go without and that is what I have done. Has it been easy? Hell no! but do I feel good about it? Yes. Exercise, well I loved swimming, and as I lost more and more last year, it was getting quicker and I was able to swim further. After losing this amount you have to work on Toning which is where the gym came in, but then the running idea was just stupid!

It’s a challenge, I’m doing the Race for Life after losing my brother in law to cancer last year, and while I could walk the 5k, that is not really a challenge, however, running it will be. I started couch to 5k just after Christmas and it is going …. OK.

How important was goal setting on your journey and why was that?

Oh my god, very. I love setting goals, I have short, medium and long term goals on the go all the time. Firstly, I wanted to get back to my best lockdown weight, then it was my original WW start weight, then 10 stone, then my best WW weight when I went to Australia in 2003.

The longer term goal now is about a change of medication for my blood condition and get off Warfarin. However, as that one is becoming more achievable, I’m thinking about what I would really like to get to, and that might be around 250lb loss.

Tell me about the role your Workshop and the Weight Watchers community has played in your success so far?

Group therapy as it is called by a few of us, is super important. Honestly, if I miss meetings it does kind of mess with my mental health, I have to know my progress. Not knowing in the old days meant being bad, so what!! But that is not the new me. I’m lucky to have made some very good friends in the meeting and we are there for each other.

What have been the most important tools that you’ve used on your journey and why?

Understanding points and where I want to spend them. In 2002, I basically stopped regular drinking, using points on beer never seemed worth it. Knowing how to fit zero pointed food in and what are the best choices to make for me, is the skill you need the most.

What do you wish you could go back and say to yourself on the first day you joined Weight Watchers?

My 2002 self, I would say don’t go on holiday with Westie in 2003! I was at my lowest weight when we went and I put on about 13lbs in a week! Honestly, it would be, while it is easy now at 30, it will be a lot harder at 50, keep the focus and get back in the pool as much as you can.

How has your success rippled out to the other people in your life?

I am very lucky to get so much love and support from family and friends, I need someone to tell me I’m doing great. I’m not sure if it is ego or what, but it gives me the motivation to keep going.

The last 12 months has been super hard on the family with the loss of Rich, but Jane is getting there and getting the focus and has joined the gym as well in the last week. I think Emily is the one for me, she loves Pinch of Nom and is a great cook, she is starting the gym and really learning and looking at monitoring her weight to ensure she never needs a journey like mine.

Can you describe some of the biggest obstacles/challenges you faced on your journey and how did you overcome them?

There have been many over the 21 years however, I would say the biggest challenge we all struggle with, is losing sight of why you are doing it. I have thought about my WHY so much and it now drives all my choices. My son and I have football season tickets and it would be so easy to have a burger or pie at the match, but I know it will not help my journey, so I plan to have something healthy instead. You have to plan for anything that is coming so you are in charge. Even taking your own food to buffet which I have done.

What advice would you give to a member joining Weight Watchers today?

It would have to be think about your WHY? You need to be very very clear why you’re joining and what you want to achieve. Then, whenever you need to make a choice, you think, “is this more or less important than my WHY?”

Say you have to lose weight for operation in three months. You’re driving home and hungry and stop at the petrol station. There is a reduced pastie on the shelf. Is eating that, more or less important than the operation? If less, what else could you get? A chicken salad sandwich might be a better choice. This is an example, and I would say before you go on the trip, make something at home and have it in the car, then there is no need to stop and put temptation in your way.

What have your family and friends thought about the improvements to your weight health?

I think my wife is pleased that my snoring isn’t as bad. Friends have been amazing, and see the level or exercise I am doing and are so complimentary it’s really lovely to get the love.

What is the biggest difference in your life between pre-Weight Watchers and today?

If you ask my wife she would say I’m far more active. She use to say I wouldn’t go back upstairs at night, if I had a bed downstairs. Now, I don’t think about that and just do it.

Also it is about planning, in the old days I might plan a day ahead, now it’s a week or two. I would never normally think about planning food for football matches or stuff to take on a roadtrip. I can be healthy for lunch and breakfast, meaning I could have a meal out with friends.

How did you set up your spaces so that you were able to make the healthiest choices possible and what advice would you give to others looking to change their environment so it’s set up for success?

This is a hard one, with a family you can’t remove all temptation as they might want them, like a pack of crisps with a packed lunch.

However, for me I have set up my kitchen with gadgets and everything I need to support the cooking, which is really at the centre of everything for me. Lots of kilner jars for cooking bits, from Panko Breadcrumbs to Orzo and Cornflower. My Airfryer, food blender, measuring spoons, mixing bowls, all the things to make cooking quick and easy. I have my menu plan on the wall, so I know what tomorrows meal is and I get the cookbook I need out ready each night.