#SlimFastChallenge - Week 2

I have now finished my second week of the #SlimFastChallenge. 

This has probably been the only "diet" that I've found is easy to stick to. As I mentioned in my previous post, it is a 321 plan so you are allowed 3 snacks (2 Slim Fast ones & 1 healthy option of your own), 2 meal replacements and 1 balanced dinner. 

The Slim Fast range consists of:

Snacks

• Sour Cream & Chive Flavour Snack Bag
• Cheddar Flavour Bites Snack Bag
• BBQ Flavour Tortilla Snack Bag
• Chocolate Caramel Treat Snack Bar
• Heavenly Chocolate Delight Snack Bar
• Chocolate Nutty Nougat Snack Bar

Meal Replacements

• Powders (similar to milkshakes) in strawberry, banana, caramel, vanilla and chocolate flavours
• Chocolate Crunch Meal Bar
• Chocolate Peanut Meal Bar
• Summer Berry Flavour Meal Bar
• Pre-made Shakes in mocha, chocolate, banana, strawberry, vanilla and café latte flavours

All of the Slim Fast range is so full of flavour so although you are trying to lose weight, you don't have to ditch foods that taste good. The snack bags and bars are smaller than your regular bags of crisps and chocolate bars but they really satisfy your cravings so you won't care. I liked that I had the freedom to add one extra snack. I stuck to fruit.

The meal replacements are very filling - something which I didn't expect. Again, you are giving up flavoursome foods. I did miss sandwiches though. I would usually have a sandwich or toastie for lunch so it was very odd giving those up. It made me realise that I eat far too much bread though.

I loved that I could eat the same dinner as the rest of my family. Slim Fast have a selection of recipes if you are unsure of what types of meals you can eat alongside the 321 plan. The combination of 3 snacks, 2 meal replacements and a dinner made me feel like I was eating quite a lot and I didn't feel myself get hungry at all.

Now for the moment of truth.
I started my Slim Fast journey weighing 11st. After one week, I was down to 10st 8.5lbs. Now, after a second week, I weigh 10st 5lbs. That's a total of 9lbs lost in two weeks. That's pretty amazing.

I was shopping in town last week and I noticed that the Slim Fast range is available to buy in Superdrug so I will definitely be picking more up!

(Disclaimer: I received two weeks worth of Slim Fast products in exchange for an open and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own).

#SlimFastChallenge - Week 1 Update

I've now completed a week of doing the #SlimFastChallenge and I have to say, it hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. 

My meal routine seemed to consist of a milkshake for breakfast, a small banana or handful of grapes for a mid-morning snack, a meal replacement bar for lunch, a pack of the 'crisp' type snacks for a snack, dinner then one of the chocolatey snacks in the evening. 

The flavours of the Slim Fast products are amazing (I will write about them in more depth next week). The chocolate ones do feel like you're indulging but have no reason to feel guilty. It's really easy to stick to. I don't feel hungry and it doesn't feel like a diet, as such.

The aim is to have a healthy, balanced dinner each evening. This week consisted of bangers & mash (yes, with gravy!), a chicken burrito but minus the wrap, burgers and salad, salmon with baked potato and veg, and soup with wheaten bread. All meat was cooked in the George Foreman so most of the fat was removed. I did feel like I indulged a little at dinner time!

I started a week ago weighing 11st exactly. I now weigh 10st 8.5lbs. This is an amazing loss, I feel. I'm really excited to crack on with the rest of the week and see what my final weigh-in shows!

(Disclaimer: I received 2 weeks worth of Slim Fast products to embark on the #SlimFastChallenge. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

Diet Chef - Week 4

This week is the one I've been really excited for. To see how much weight I've lost through being on Diet Chef. Firstly, my meals for the week:

Monday

Breakfast: Chocolate Granola 

Lunch: Tomato Soup
Similarly to the last tomato soup, I really enjoyed it but couldn't see much of a difference. It was very filling. 

Dinner: Taka Dahl with white rice

This was just ok. I liked the strong flavours but it lacked substance for me. 

Snack: Dark Chocolate Chip Oat Biscuit

This was sweeter than I thought so I really enjoyed it.  

Tuesday

Breakfast: Porridge with Apple & Cinnamon 

Lunch: Oxtail Soup
This is a flavour that, in the past, the sound of put me off. It's really beefy and the kick of Worcester sauce was amazing. I will definitely buy it in future.

Dinner: Mushroom Stroganoff with Linguine 367cal

This wasn't amazing. I love mushrooms but I think it was a little overpowering for me!

Snack: Sweet & Salty Popcorn
This was full of flavour and very enjoyable. 

Wednesday

Breakfast: Original Muesli Bar

Lunch: Chicken Mulligatawny Soup
I'd always seen this flavour around but never knew what exactly it was. The curry smell is very strong but I loved it. A new favourite flavour of soup for me.

Dinner: Beef Stew
The beef was a little tough but not inedible. The vegetables however were lovely and it was great flavour all round. 

Snack: Oat Bar with Strawberry & Apple

I'm not a fan of oats but the fruit flavour covered that so it wasn't too bad. 

Thursday

Breakfast: Fruit & Oat Soft Cookie 

Lunch: Minestrone Soup
I love minestrone soup and there was no difference with this one. The pasta made it filling and like the other soups it was packed with veg. 

Dinner: Beef Rogan Josh with naan

I really enjoyed the beef tonight and the flavour was similar to my usual Indian takeway. 

Snack: Oat Bar with Chocolate

Friday

Breakfast: Chocolate Soft Cookie

Lunch: Spicy Tomato & Beef Soup
This is the best combination ever. It did have a kick but I love hot food so this was welcomed. I loved the huge chucks of carrot. 

Dinner: Cottage Pie
I loved this so much that I could eat it over and over again. The mash was perfect. In fact, it was all perfect. 

Snack: Cheese & Onion Bakes

Saturday

Breakfast: Treacle & Pecan Granola 

Lunch: Chocolate Milkshake 

Dinner: Chicken Korma
I would have liked it a bit stronger but I know a korma is usually mild anyway. I wasn't a huge fan of the chicken. 

Snack: Mixed Berries Oat Biscuits

These were nice and very sweet. You wouldn't even think they would be suitable for a diet!

Sunday

Breakfast: Porridge with Strawberries 

Lunch: Lentil & Vegetable Soup 

I love a good hearty veg soup and this didn't let me down. I definitely saved the best until last. 

Dinner: Chilli con Carne
This was quite hot and the meat and flavours were perfect. 

Snack: Salted Pretzel Sticks

Now for the moment of truth. I lost a total of...

16lbs!

Before

After

I think this is quite amazing for only four weeks. I did enjoy the Diet Chef experience but I don't think I could do it as a long-term thing as I did feel that I craved a lot of "normal" foods.

If you want to sign up to Diet Chef you can find their website here and their plans and prices here.

(Disclaimer: I received a four week Diet Chef plan for free to try and write about my findings. All thoughts and opinions are my own).

Diet Chef - Week 3

This week, again, has been tough for me. I'm really missing cooking my own meals. I'm still not a fan of the breakfasts hence why I've not written much about them!

Here's how my week in food looked:

Monday

Breakfast: Crunchy Bran Muesli 164cal

Lunch: Ham & Sweetcorn Chowder 171cal
This was a lot nicer than I thought it would be. There were massive chunks of potato and carrot which I enjoyed and it really filled me.

Dinner: Chicken Curry (with naan) 620cal

I love chicken curry was excited to see how this would be. It smelled beautiful. Some of the chicken was stringy but the sauce was amazing. 

Snack: Oat Bar with Chocolate 95cal
I didn't really like the texture but it had a nice kick of choc.

Tuesday

Breakfast: Pink Apple & Cinnamon Granola 194cal

Lunch: Sweet Potato & Coconut Soup 147cal
I thought the combination was a bit weird to begin with. It smelled beautiful and the went really well together. Definitely a combo that I'll have again. 

Dinner: Vegetable Chilli (with lettuce) 223cal

I did miss the meat but the flavour was so nice that it wasn't the worst thing in the world. It wasn't as hot as I'd usually have it though. I'm not a kidney bean fan so I left those. 

Snack: Mixed Berries Oat Biscuits 85cal
These were quite sweet which was just what I was after.  

Wednesday

Breakfast: Porridge with Banana & Vanilla 150cal

Lunch: Carrot & Butterbean Soup 186cal
I discovered that I don't like butter beans but carrots are my favourite vegetable so I was happy enough to just eat those. The soup itself was beautiful.

Dinner: Pasta Carbonara 309cal

This is one of my favourite dishes and I loved the addition of the bacon and garlic flavours. The pasta was soft and cooked perfectly. It was very rich though so I couldn't finish it all. 

Snack: Oat Bar with Chocolate 95cal

Thursday

Breakfast: Original Granola 244cal

Lunch: Pea & Ham Soup 157cal
This is one of those flavours that I'd seen on tins in shops and never thought I'd like it. Visually, it isn't appetising at all but I really enjoyed it. 

Dinner: Sweet & Sour Chicken with White Rice 470cal

The sweet and sour sauce had a lovely flavour and reminded me of the one I'd order in my local Chinese takeaway. I really like the pineapple as it was really juicy. The chicken was a little on the dry side but it didn't put me off.

Snack: Sour Cream & Chive Pretzels 99cal

Friday

Breakfast: Porridge with Apple & Cinnamon 150cal

Lunch: Smoked Bacon & Bean Soup 159cal
My favourite of the week so far. The hint of paprika was a nice touch and the heaviness made it filling. I did eat around the kidney beans though as I'm not a fan! I loved that it was packed full of carrots.

Dinner: Macaroni Cheese with Mangetout and Mushrooms 294cal

I've never ever had macaroni cheese before but this was delicious! The sauce was so rich and creamy. The pasta was cooked perfectly.

Snack: Cranberry Protein Snack Bar 121cal

Saturday
Breakfast: Crunchy Bran Muesli 164cal

Lunch: Vanilla Milkshake 200cal
I'm not a big vanilla fan so it was a just ok taste-wise. The texture was perfect though.

Dinner: Thai Red Chicken Curry (with white rice) 468cal

I thought that this was a bit of an odd taste. It wasn't hot enough for me. I did enjoy the chicken in this meal but it is not a dish I'd try again.

Snack: Fruit & Spice Oat Biscuit 83cal
Again, an odd taste but not in an awful way.

Sunday
Breakfast: Fruit & Oat Soft Cookie 198cal

Lunch: Cream of Tomato Soup 204cal
You can't go wrong with tomato soup. This one was absolutely delicious. 

Dinner: Paella 339cal
I loved this. The rice was gorgeous for a microwavable meal and I really enjoyed the meat. My three favourites; tuna, chorizo and chicken!

Snack: Stem Ginger Oat Biscuits 88cal

Not a fan of ginger so these were a bit sickly for me.

Similarly to last week, I do feel a lot better and healthier and I can see my clothes getting looser but I am missing so many foods!

(Disclaimer: I received a 4 week plan from Diet Chef to try and write about my findings. All thoughts and opinions are my own.).

Diet Chef - Week 2

Compared to week 1, week 2 of Diet Chef has been hard. I'm starting to envy what Chris and C are having to eat and I feel like I really want to stray. Anything that I haven't written a bit about is a repeat of a meal I had last week.

Monday

Breakfast: Original Muesli Bar 199cal

I didn't enjoy this at all, taste or texture-wise. I did eat it all though! One of these days I'll begin to like healthy tasting foods!

Lunch: Creamy Pesto Pasta Pot 236cal

This didn't smell appetising but it tasted beautiful. It was very creamy and the pasta was so soft.

Dinner: Minced Beef Hotpot 275cal

I had no complaints with this at all. The mince was perfect and veg was soft. I'd definitely eat this again.

Snack: Cranberry Protein Bar 121cal

This was chewier than I thought it would be but it has a lovely berry flavour.

Tuesday

Breakfast: Vanilla & Banana Porridge 253cal

This is the second time I've had this and although the texture puts me off a little, the addition of sliced banana helps!

Lunch: I slacked today and made my own fruit salad as I was out and had no lunch-y Diet Chef items that I could take with me!

Dinner: Italian Bolognese (I added linguine & mushrooms) 449cal

This was so delicious. It was full of flavour and very like the bolognese I usually make at home.

Snack: Sweet Maple Popcorn 111cal

I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. There was a nice kick of flavour.

Wednesday

Breakfast:  Treacle & Pecan Granola 196cal

Again, another texture that I can't get to grips with. I can't fault it for flavour or how moreish it is.

Lunch: Curried Parsnip Soup 174cal

I loved this. It had delicious, strong flavour and I definitely think I'll make it from scratch in the future.

Dinner: Chicken Chasseur (I added mangetout & mushrooms) 256cal 

I expected the chicken to be dry but I wrong. The sauce was delicious too.

Snack: Cheese & Onion Flavour Bites 105cal

Thursday

Breakfast: Pink Apple & Cinnamon Granola 193cal

Although I'm rubbish with breakfast textures, I did like the kick when I bit into a piece of dried apple.

Lunch: Strawberry Milkshake 200cal

I didn't expect to like this but it was full of flavour. So easy to make too! 

Dinner: Lamb Hotpot 275cal

Similarly to the minced beef hotpot, this was delicious.

Snack: Stem Ginger Oat Biscuits

I'm usually not a fan of ginger (having to force myself to eat ginger biscuits with morning sickness put me off) but these were okay!

Saturday

Breakfast: Luxury Muesli 149cal

I'm beginning to sound like a broken record when it comes to breakfasts but hopefully I'll start feeling a bit better about them by the end of the 4 weeks!

Lunch: Lemon & Herb Bulgar Wheat & Couscous Pot 259cal

I wasn't a fan of this and I felt like I was forcing myself to eat it.

Dinner: Beef Meatballs (I added linguine and mushrooms) 426cal

The had a lovely flavour. The sauce was very tomato-y but a bit greasy.

Snack: Paprika Flavour Bites 109cal

Sunday

Breakfast: Original Granola 248cal

Lunch: Spiced Bulgar Wheat & Couscous Pot 252cal

Similarly to above, it wasn't to my tastes.

Dinner: Pasta Bolognese 261cal

I loved this. There wasn't much difference between this and one I'd make at home. I was surprised by it.

Snack: Sour Cream & Chive Flavour Pretzels 99cal

Yes, I must admit that I do still feel better and less bloated on the diet but I'm seriously craving a big home-cooked dinner! 

Until next week!

(Disclaimer: I received a 4 week plan from Diet Chef free of charge to try and write about my findings. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

Diet Chef - Week 1

My first week of Diet Chef is over and as promised, I'm here to update you all on how I got on.

Firstly, Diet Chef provide you with a breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack. This usually totals in at around 900 calories. Once you've added your 5 fruit & veg portions and 2 dairy portions, that total should come to 1200 which is your allowance for the day. If you do have any "spare" calories, you can use them to add extras to your meals. I've been using their calorie guide to make sure I don't go over!

Now, onto this weeks meals.

Monday

Breakfast: Porridge with Cacao (I added half a banana, sliced) 211.5cal

The texture wasn't the best. I'd never had porridge before but when I added the banana I felt it was a bit more tolerable.

Lunch: Peanut Flavour Protein Bar 233cal

This was delicious. It was just like eating a regular chocolate bar. I'm a huge fan of peanuts and peanut butter so it went down a treat.

Dinner: Lasagne (I added lettuce and cherry tomatoes) 373cal

The lasagne was lovely. I honestly didn't expect to like it so much. The meat was perfect with no grisly bits and the pasta wasn't hard which is what I expected as it was to be microwaved. It was very filling and I'd definitely eat it again.

Snack: Salt & Vinegar Popcorn 106cal

I'm usually not a popcown fan but these are full of flavour so I really enjoyed them.

Tuesday

Breakfast: Chocolate Granola (I added raspberries) 205cal

Again, I was a bit funny about the texture and I felt like I had to force myself to eat it. It's not very chocolatey but the raspberries were a welcome addition.

Lunch: Vanilla Flavour Protein Bar 228cal

Similarly to Monday's lunch, it was very like a regular chocolate bar but I didn't think that it was as tasty as the peanut one.

Dinner: Sausages & Onion Gravy (I added baby potatoes & mangetout) 530cal

When I heated the sausages and put them on the plate, they didn't look appetising at all. I tasted them and they were amazing. They are actually nicer than the regular sausages I eat. The onion gravy was beautiful too.

Snack: Paprika Flavour Bakes 109cal

These are a bit harder to bite into than regular crisps but are just as nice. They aren't smothered in flavour but they have a tang afterwards.

Wednesday

Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Muesli Bar 191cal

I'm usually not a fan of these healthy bars but it was really lovely. It was quite sweet so I enjoyed it.

Lunch: Tomato & Herb Couscous Pot (I added cherry tomatoes & mozzarella) 341cal

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this at all. I didn't like the taste or texture and I couldn't finish it.

Dinner: Chicken in Black Bean Sauce (I added egg noodles & lettuce) 434cal

The flavour of the sauce was lovely but I would have enjoyed fresh chicken more.

Snack: Chocolate Chip Oat Biscuits 92cal

I couldn't fault these at all. They were very sweet and very unlike a healthy snack!

Thursday

Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Soft Cookie 199cal

This was lovely and had a perfect amount of chocolate for breakfast time. 

Lunch: Chunky Vegetable Soup (I added 2 slices of wholemeal bread) 123cal

I loved this. The soup wasn't too runny and the veg was soft.

Dinner: Coq au Vin (I added broccoli, cauliflower & baby potatoes) 470cal

I liked the chicken a lot more than the chicken the previous night. The sauce was delicious and I even liked the mushrooms and onions. I didn't expect to!

Snack: Sour Cream & Chive Pretzels 99cal

I loved these too. Perfect amount of flavouring.

Friday

Breakfast: Banana & Vanilla Porridge (I added a sliced banana & spoonful of Nutella) 253cal

I'm not usually a fan of the texture of porridge but the banana helped.

Lunch: I have to be honest and say I had a blip. I was in town and I had a Subway sandwich. Calorie-wise, it was 530cal and I instantly regretted it. I felt so bloated and generally felt horrible. It really showed me that eating healthily made me feel good.

Dinner: Pork Meatballs (I added tagliatelle) 437cal 

These were delicious. The meat was perfect and the chilli kick of the sauce was lovely.

Snack: I didn't snack.

Saturday

Breakfast: Strawberry Porridge 159cal

I didn't add anything this time and I think I'm starting to get used to the texture. I liked the burst of flavour when I bit into a piece of dried strawberry.

Lunch: Tomato, Red Pepper & Cheese Pasta Pot 222cal
The pasta wasn't dry like I expected it to be. The sauce was a little runny but it had a nice flavour.

Dinner: I wasn't overly hungry today and I don't usually have a proper dinner on a Saturday so I made myself a fruit salad. 156cal

Snack: I didn't snack.

Sunday

Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Muesli Bar 191cal

Lunch: Carrot & Coriander Soup 156cal

Delicious, flavoursome and the perfect texture.

Dinner: Chicken Tikka Masala (I added white long grain rice) 515cal

This was full of flavour and very like the tikka masala that I usually make at home. The chicken was a bit dry but it was still perfectly nice and edible.

Snack: Cheese & Onion Bakes 105cal

These reminded me of regular Walkers crisps flavour-wise.

I've really enjoyed my first week of Diet Chef but I do need to make sure I don't have any more blips. I find that I'm hungry waking up in the morning but I think that's a good thing as I regularly skip breakfast. In my first week I have gone from 10st to 9st 8lbs. That's a loss of 8lbs! How is that even possible!? I can't say I'm complaining though. If the next three weeks continue the same way, I'll be at my target weight. 

(Disclaimer: I received a 4 week plan from Diet Chef free of charge to try and write about my findings. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)