Are you a snacker? Picker? Does snacking or picking sabotage you and your plan? Find out how we helped our members combat their sweet or savoury snack habits and stay on plan! If there’s a will there’s a way at Slimmers4all.com
When this week a lot of our members have said losing track of how many snacks they’ve had or loving to snack and watch tv on an evening is one of the things that could possibly sabotage their diets I had just the answer they were looking for.
Most of them this week took this advice on board and had a little bit of fun at the same time.I challenged our members to take 300 calories from their daily allowance and make up a snack bag fitting as many tasty low calorie snacks as they could into their bag up to or as close to that 300 calories as they could.
We got some great ideas back and sharing them have all helped each other this week. Our members always come away with a plan from Slimmers4all.
What are you waiting for? If you’re not already a member you’re missing out! Join us this week you won’t be disappointed.
Here’s just a few of our favourite snack bags this week.
At Slimmers4all our motto is… Fit your diet into your lifestyle not live your life around your diet!! This is the reason Slimmers4all works snd is more sustainable long term! Simply because you don’t have to miss out.
I’m not just there for you to be accountable to once a week I’m there 7 days a week with help, tips and advice for you to get the best results possible. I’m also working with a local business strategist and some local bars, cafes and restaurant on producing healthy, lower calorie options on menus to help you get the most from your plan.
We all love to go eat out and what better eat is there than to know exactly how many calories you are having. The word Calories isn’t a trade mark so I’m constantly working with other local businesses to get them to promote the best and easiest version of losing weight and even introducing a rewards scheme for being a Slimmers4all member.
When I ask the my members what they love most about Slimmers4all the say the fabulous support 7 days per week and the fact that they feel like they’re just eating normally without restrictions. What are you waiting for? Join us at Slimmers4all now
On the hunt for some low calorie must haves this week I went to the M&S Food hall aka marksies! Here’s my top 7 super finds and all tried and tested by yours truly.
1. Count on us wood fire ham and mushroom pizza only 353 calories for the full pizza and only £3.50.
2. Is the gorgeous Belgian chocolate rice cakes perfect to satisfy that sweet craving and only 123 calories per packet. You get a pack of 5 for only £1.50.
3. Fancy a little nibble these delightful dinky sausage rolls are only 61 calories each and only £2.50 per box or part of the 3 picnic items range for £7 along with the next two items.
4. The perfect prosciutto and cheese rollitos only 34 calories each.
5. Is the creamy crustless ham and cheddar quiche only 207 calories for quarter of a quiche or cut into 8 on a buffet just over 100 per slice.
6. Fancy a little something different to go with your oven chips and salad one day? Try these mouthwatering minced beef crisp bakes for only 218 calories each and £1.50 per pack.
7. These tasty onion rings are only £1 per big grab bag size and only 140 calories in the full bag.
All delicious, within budget and can be easily worked in to anyone’s calorie allowance whatever your tastes are! Enjoy exploring new foods ❤️
We can help whatever you choose at Slimmers4all! Some people love the convenience of having a takeaway once a week, a night off cooking or simply just a treat. We can help our members enjoy a takeaway and stay within their calorie allowance as no food is off limits for us. With us only counting one thing and that’s the calorific value it’s so easy done.
We also have some delicious recipes for fakeaways too so you can enjoy your favourite foods at a fraction of the calories. We asked some of our members to share their top 3 fakeaways and this is what they chose.
1st place was our own twist on the famous kfc zinger burger. Coming in at just over 500 calories including the bun and the chips too.
2nd place was the Indian classic chicken saag proving to be a favourite and again around 500 calories with basmati rice and a mini garlic naan.
3rd place was the Chinese style crispy chilli beef with salt and chilli chips also coming in around the 500 calorie mark.
We have so many fakeaway recipes what’s not to love about the freedom of Slimmers4all? What you waiting for come join us and find out ❤️
Whoever said slimming food is expensive hasn’t tried Slimmers4all! Our members eat every day healthy low calorie foods and just count them in their allowance!
No gimmicks, no hard sell of our own branded products claiming they’re better than the supermarket equivalent.
We are simply here to help and share our low price, low calorie foods finds. This week I’ve put together a list of our top 12 buys from ALDI to help you stay motivated and focused and not deprived.
No 1 is the inspired cuisine chicken and prawn Paella with chorizo ready meal… handy after a long day at work or just to shove in the microwave for a quick lunch £1.99 and only 385 calories.No 2 who says you can’t eat garlic bread with your favourite Italian dish and and still lose weight? These garlic bread slices are only 65p per pack and are only 86 calories per slice. No 3 perfect for picnics or to throw into your lunch bag these chicken tikka flatbreads are only around 300 calories and only £2.29.No 4 are the delicious red pepper burgers only 152 calories each and again only £2.29 for a pack of 4 perfect for bbqs or simply if you just fancy a quick burger.No 5 are the gorgeous chimichurri sizzle steaks only 132 calories per steak and only £2.49 per pack. No 6 for all you snackers out there is the delicious coconut and vanilla popcorn only 130 calories in the full bag and only 99p. No 7 the delicious brooklea protein pots at only 75p each and are a great protein boost with 25g protein in each pot. No 8 a fantastic selection of low calorie ice lollies are perfect for this sunny weather start at 99p per box and range from only 40 up to 87 calories each. No 9 is the porridge pots which are quick and handy if you’re always in a rush in the mornings at only 29p each. No 10 is the popcorn fibre bars only 80 and 88 calories each and 99p perfect for a quick snack or to add to your lunch bag or even eat in the car on your way to work. No 11 for all you savoury snack lovers the lentil curls are a healthier version of crisps and only 91 calories per pack. Multipack of 6 only 89p. No 12 last but not least are the lovely tasty beef kebabs to either put on the bbq or simply cook in the oven to serve with salad on a warm day when you can’t be bothered to cook a full meal only 211 calories each and £1.99.
This is just a small selection of the kind of support you get from Slimmers4all. Keep an eye out for our feed the family for a fiver articles too. To find out more about our second to none support and advice why not join one of our groups. Message for more details
Has the lockdown turned you to drink? It has me! Quite a few nights per week since this started I’ve had a drink, sometimes two 😳! As long as this is in moderation, no harm you can count it.
But what goes with alcohol? Nibbles? Yes it does for me too. A lot of you who have checked in these past few weeks and not had a great week have mentioned alcohol!
The dreaded little liquid calories! They don’t count right? Of course they count. So what can we do? We can count them, just like everything else!
When we’re having a bad week we all tend to do the same thing and not count our calories! Big tip here is keep counting! There’s only you going to see it so nothing to be ashamed of, but you’ll be surprised at how many calories you can actually eat and drink in one day!
Snacking is also one of the worst things as all those snacks have calories and you’ll be surprised at how quickly they mount up! You’re all doing this check in because you want to lose weight or to maintain during this crisis and you’ll only do that by tracking your calories every day wether it’s a good day or a bad day.
If you’re a snacker like me, try and limit your snacks which I know is easier said than done right now but you can do it, or plan your snacks write some low calorie snacks down and add them to your shopping list! Wether you’ve a sweet tooth or a savoury tooth there’s plenty low calorie snacks or ideas available.
It’s also worth remembering if alcohol has become a problem there is support out there. You can get more information from https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/
We all know the euros are on – lets face it we can’t escape it (even if we want to). Whether is two pints of lager and a packet or crisps or a Cheeky Vindaloo – It’s easy for those Calories to creep up on you.
We are going to share some top tips on how to enjoy your pre-match pint and snacks or post match Curry – but still stay on the wagon.
Drinks
We all like a drink, in fact when watching the football for a lot of people its almost expected. To find out your lowest calorie brew Click Here.
According to an NHS Digital study, the average English person drinks 11.7 units of alcohol each week. A unit’s worth of alcoholic drink contains roughly 85 calories on average. This means they also consume about 1,000 calories from alcoholic drinks each week – the same amount of calories as two Big Macs. Since a pound of fat contains about 3,500 calories, this also means that the average person could lose 15 pounds (6.8kg) in one year by going tea-total.
A curry is just what’s needed after (or during) a stressful footie match – played or watched. Most takeaways probably wont be able to tell you how many Kcals in a serving – and if they are made with Ghee butter – do you really want to know. Be prepared – make your own in advance – Curry’s are great to batch cook and freeze and the beauty is you can count the Kcals as you making it so you know exactly what to budget for in your daily calorie count – you can put it in your app at the beginning of the day and then you know you are covered.
Here is one of my Favourites:
Chicken madras!
310 calories per portion!
Serves 4 4 large onions chopped. Half green pepper chopped Half jar pataks madras paste 500g chicken breasts cut chunky 1 knorr chicken stock cube 2 teaspoons easy garlic (not in oil) 1 teaspoon madras curry powder 4 tablespoons of tomato purée
Cover onions in boiling water just to top of onions add garlic and boil til soft.
Blend them until puréed, add curry paste and tomato purée and green pepper and mix in simmer for a few minutes stirring all the time.
Mix chicken stock cube with half a pint of water and mix in, add curry powder and bring to boil, boil for 15 mins stirring frequently. Add chopped chicken and bring to boil again. Turn down heat to simmer for 45 mins until chicken is cooked right through. Stirring frequently.
I find it nicer to cook night before and serve next day as spices have marinated and matured ♥️
So many people have said to me but I weighed less on Monday or I had gained on Friday, my scale said this on Wednesday!
It’s a well-known fact that our body weight fluctuates every day.
Water retention, what you’ve eaten that day, how much you’ve drunk that day. So many reasons and that’s why I always advise people not to weigh themselves every day! So many people have become so fixated by numbers on a scale it has thrown them off the wagon.
A lot of people also say they thought they had a really good week and it doesn’t show on the scale and leave disappointed.
How can we help you?
Well at Slimmers4all we are the only slimming club that offers a blind weigh service. What is a blind weigh service and how does that work you ask?
You come to check-in as normal and step on the scale and face away from the display. I record your weight but don’t tell you your results.I will tell you as much or as little as you want to know and carry on doing this until you’re ready to know the numbers.
I currently have a number of members who blind weigh, none of them knows their weight, one of them doesn’t find out any results at all and the other two like to be told whether it’s a loss or a gain or a maintain but none of them knows exact numbers.
These members have all told me they don’t want to get fixated or disappointed by a number so they prefer not to know.They come to class feeling happy that they’ve had a good week and they leave feeling the same way so they will never be disappointed by what the scale says.
Their journey is all about how they feel and not influenced by numbers. So when they feel they’re happy with how they look and feel that’s when they’ll decide to maintain. Maintain the feeling and not maintaining a number.
They are all doing well! I obviously can’t disclose how well they are doing and some weeks I have to try not to say wow that’s great and give too much away. But it works.
If you’d be the type to become obsessed with numbers why not come along and give our blind weigh service a try? Contact me to book a place at one of our groups.
I am often asked how Slimmers4All is different to some of the “Leading” weight loss groups (I wont name them but you know who I am talking about).
Let’s face it – at this point you are motivated – you have a goal and you are looking for a way to achieve it. Your probably moving more and keeping track of your steps taking the stairs instead of the lift. All of the things we know we should do but sometimes we don’t. You have made all these changes – started following the plan too and because we are human we fall victim to our own “confirmation bias”. That means we have been told the plan works – we have lost weight – therefore it must be right its their Plan/Products that have helped!
Ultimately after a few weeks or months or weight loss plateaus and we get to a state where we are disappointed with ourselves and feel stressed or frustrated as to why we just can’t lose weight.
All you are eating is your free foods – taking the expensive herbal superfood supplements that the consultant says will guarantee weight loss (and if you sell them to your friend you can make some money for yourself while losing weight – win win!)- your even buying the branded, 0 point/free-food snack bars so you aren’t temped to have that cheeky Mars Bar after tea.
“100% Natural and Herbal/Backed by Scientists”
Maybe some of the good habits you started with have fallen by the wayside – Who has time to walk to work or take the stairs, right? I can have that chocolate bar every day because I only had 3 free yogurts for breakfast. Sounds ok right? Back to basics – Are you still taking in less calories that you are using?
Slimmers4All is about debunking the myth – its not about THEIR plan. It’s about YOURS. It’s about helping YOU make better choices and better plans to enjoy YOUR food and maintain that all important Calorie Deficit (a what? – that’s a whole article for another day).
Calorie’s are universally recognised and so easy to access – so much so Calories are printed on most food packaging. Why. Work with a point system that only works in class and not in the real world – Can you ask in McBurgerQueen how many points in their meals? No. You can get their Calorie count.
What’s more important is making the changes sustainable – so that you can keep it up until you hit your target and then maintain it once you are there. Oh and I forgot to say you can work treats in to your plan, but in a way that means you know what to do to make sure that your treats don’t derail your journey.
So you’ve probably heard me talk a lot about calorie deficit, and read about it online. You might have even seen some posts recently on Facebook, from some of the larger Weight-loss groups about why calorie counting doesn’t work.
I am going to explain why it does and why these other groups don’t want you to believe that it does. First though you need to know – what is a Calorie (Kcal), where are they found and why they matter.
What is a Calorie?
A Calorie is unit of measurement. Specifically, it is defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius.
Fair enough? Doesn’t really explain why we go on about calories so much does it?
Calories happen to also be the unit of measurement used to measure how much energy we burn when we do anything. Even our normal bodily functions like our heart beating, our muscles working to keep us breathing and our organs – well doing what ever they do, uses calories. So we all have a basic number of calories we have to eat just to stay alive and function at our best.
That number is different depending on our size, weight, biological sex and level of physical activity.
Why do I need to worry about calories to lose weight?
Here is a quote from the NHS website that puts it very simply why Calories are important.
Our bodies need energy to keep us alive and our organs functioning normally.
When we eat and drink, we put energy into our bodies. Our bodies use up that energy through everyday movement, which includes everything from breathing to running.
To maintain a stable weight, the energy we put into our bodies must be the same as the energy we use through normal bodily functions and physical activity.
An important part of a healthy diet is balancing the energy you put into your bodies with the energy you use.
If we get this balance wrong, for example we eat more calories than we need, our bodies store this excess energy as fat. If we eat too little the body will start too burn fat and muscle reserves. Both camps can be damaging to your health so it important to strike the right balance.
Makes sense, right?
Other Groups
Other groups will tell you that calorie controlled diets can lead to deficient and unbalanced diets that ultimately are not sustainable and lead to poor weight loss and malnutrition. This gives them their justification to sell supplements or meal replacements etc. FALSE – This doesn’t have to be the case because this depends on WHAT you eat rather than just how much.
The Magic Weight Loss Button
What they don’t tell you is that initially even their diets will essentially put you into a calorie deficit – at least at first until the diet becomes unsustainable and bad habits start to creep in (Overeating free foods for example – because – why not?) Following plans that assign other – non scientific point values to foods or eliminate certain food groups from the diet do exactly what they claim calorie control does. If you eat an unbalanced diet where you miss a certain food group or nutrient, but are in calorie deficit, you will lose weight. You will feel pretty lousy health wise. You may find you are tired, lethargic maybe even struggle to maintain regular bowel function. This doesn’t always happen immediately. At first you will feel good and your body will use excess stores of said nutrients you have already stored as fat. But as the fat is lost, the stores become depleted and that’s where the problems start.
This is because your body needs nutrients from variety of foods to maintain healthy function, whilst maintaining the correct balance of calories.
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