Morning Everyone! Isn't in nice to finally have some glorious sunny weather. We've finally got our week of Summer. This is the time we can fire up the barbecue and have those long awaited summer salads. No more soup and winter warmers for a while. Well at least a week anyway. How have you all done this week? I haven't had a great week and gained 2.5lb. I knew when I went to get weighed on Wednesday that I would have gained. I've had a poorly tummy all week and haven't felt like eating at all. I would sit down to a meal, have 2 bites and start to feel so queasy that I just couldn't face eating it. I'm pleased to say, I'm feeling much better now and although I'm still not back to eating a full meal, I'm eating much more than I did last week. Hopefully I will get better results on the scales next week.

Most people would think that they would lose weight by not eating but in most cases, the body stores the fat as it feels that it's being starved. It's not sure when the next meal will be so it keeps hold of the fat in reserve. It slows the metabolism down too so that your energy levels are lower and therefore it's more difficult to burn the fat. People laugh when they hear the phrase, "You have to eat to lose weight!". They think of a diet as having to starve yourself and restrict the amount of food you take in. It really isn't the case. It's all about limiting the intake of processed foods and having things like chocolate and crisps or alcohol in moderation. That's why I tell people, the Slimming World Plan is not a diet, it's a healthy eating plan for life. It re-educates you so that you can make those healthy changes for life, but you can still enjoy things like chocolate and wine just in moderation. It's certainly worked for me and I can't even imagine ever wanting to go back to my old lifestyle.

If you're thinking of shedding a few lbs, why not start today? It's never too late to make those changes and you'll be amazed at how delicious healthy eating can be. At over 7st lighter, I know it's the best decision I ever made. I put off doing it for so long and I shouldn't have. I'm challenging you to make that change today and see how much better you feel in one month. Do you accept the challenge?

Breakfast Muffins

ow many times a week do you skip breakfast? I never used to have breakfast as I always said I never had time on a morning as I was always rushing off to work. It was the worst thing I could have done. My Grandma always said, "A good breakfast sets you up for the day!" As always, her words were wise and extremely true. I have a recipe that I use regularly for the mornings I know are going to be busy and I'm in a rush.

Ingredients

6 eggs
1 tub of Quark Mushrooms
Peppers
Onion
Tomato
Ham or Bacon (all visible fat removed)
Ground Black Pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees

2. Chop the onions and peppers then dry fry them to release some of the moisture.

3. Slice the mushrooms and dry fry them separately.

4. Whisk the eggs and quark together and season with a little black pepper (no salt required if using bacon)

5. Add the peppers, ham or bacon (chopped up) and onion to the egg and quark mixture.

6. Put a layer of mushrooms in the bottom of your muffin cases (the silicone cases are best)

7. Pour the mixture over the mushrooms and top with a slice of tomato.

8. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden.

They can be eaten hot or cold so are great to take with you if your having breakfast on the go. They're also great as a mid morning snack. I guarantee you'll love them. If you don't want to use quark, you could use low fat cottage cheese also you could add some of your favourite ingredients too. The options are endless. I also like to have them with new potatoes and salad for lunch. They really are versatile.

All that's left for me is to wish you all a great week and hopefully, I'll see you all lighter next week, Love Wendy xxx