No pictures, just my good reasons for sticking to the plan

There are many good reasons for me to lose weight and eat in a more healthy way, I've known them in my head for a long time, but to get to the point where I am ready to make this change happen, and to be prepared to continue this for the rest of my life, takes a lot of determination and self control. (Where food is concerned, this has not been one of my strong points!)

I need some very good reasons to be able to sustain this resolution!

I'd like to reduce my blood pressure and eventually not have to take medication for high blood pressure

I'd like to reduce my bad cholesterol levels, and improve my good cholesterol so that eventually I can stop taking medication for that problem

I'd like to have less weight to carry around so that my feet, knees and hips aren't worn out by the time I'm 60

I'd like my fingers to shrink so my rings fit me again

I've heard that obesity is linked to dementure, and I want to do everything I can to avoid this in my old age ( I think that could be my most influential reason for sticking to the plan)



Already, I have discovered that there are many benefits to the changes that I have made so far!

Our garbage bin is now less full on garbage collection day, because we are eating less food, and I'm buying what I call "real food" or fresh food, and I'm using up left overs, not wasting as much food as I used to. That's great for our pocket and better for the planet!

My self esteem has improved greatly! I think that from the day I made the decision to change, something changed in me, and I saw myself in a different way. I know I can do it, and I know I can stick to it, if I do it my way, and I'm quite proud of myself now for what I've achieved so far. I'm very glad to be doing what I knew I should have been doing for a long time.

I'm still wearing the same size clothes (actually, the same clothes) as I was 7 weeks ago, but I feel better in them.

We use less toilet paper! This seems like a funny thing to mention, but I want to make this blog honest, and talk about real stuff, and that is one more benefit, I don't feel the need to use the loo as often as I used to. Less in...less out!

I'm sure I could think of lots more things I could put on this list, and if I could say that I had encouraged, and enabled one person to do what I'm doing, then that would be the best reason for me!

This blog is partly to keep me honest, and mostly to inspire other people like me who have had trouble in the past with losing weight, to see that it is possible to improve your health and lose weight, and in the mean time, gain so much more out of life!

Stay strong and know that you can do it!
Liz

Cheesy Leek and Cauliflower soup - a great option for a 500 calorie fasting day!

This recipe serves 2 and each serving is only 127 calories

( including 1/2 tablespoon fresh grated Parmesan cheese )

70g (3/4 cup chopped) green leek ends

170g (1 1/3 cup) cauliflower pieces

1 clove garlic (I used one I had roasted earlier)

Pinch (smoked) salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

3/4 cup water

100ml light n creamy Evaporated Milk

10g (1 heaped tablespoon) fresh grated Parmesan Cheese

Method

Place the Leek in a small pot on a low heat, and sweat for about 5 minutes, stirring 

Add Cauliflower, salt pepper garlic and water

Remove 4 pieces of leek and 2 small pieces of cauliflower for presentation later

Place the lid on the pot and simmer slowly for 10 minutes

Or till the cauliflower is soft

Add the Light n Creamy Evaporated Milk, heat through

Pour soup into a blender

Blend till smooth

Add 10g Parmesan cheese, blend again

You should have 2 cups of soup

If not, make it up to 500ml with water and blend again

Serve 1 cup into a bowl 

Garnish with 5g Parmesan cheese and some of the leek and cauliflower you reserved earlier

This soup is such a pretty colour, and tastes great!

Very economical and has such powerful flavour, you don't feel like you're missing out!

It only takes a few minutes to make too and you'll have a portion left to freeze for another day.

The Smoked salt I just discovered at a market recently, you don't absolutely need it for this recipe, but it is so nice if you can find some near you, they do smoked garlic as well!

One serve of soup on its own - 107 calories

Served with 5g Parmesan cheese - 127 calories

Ok, so here are some update photos...

This is me 8kg lighter!

(than when I started just over 6 weeks ago)

And as you can see, it's the real me!

I love to laugh

And I've heard that laughter burns calories

So that's not a bad thing

My daughters love to put terrible photos of me on line

So I thought I'd give it a go myself!

It's hard to put a finger on where I've lost the weight

a little bit all over I suspect

I still have lumps and wrinkles, but I'm happy

nothing that a nice necklace won't distract you from

I'm making Butter Chicken and Rice for dinner tonight

I'll let you know how it was, its definitely an occasional treat!

My Stuffed Capsicum Cups - filling and delicious

This was last night's Dinner 

My Husband enjoyed it so much, he wanted to take some for lunch today!

I was given these capsicums by the lovely lady at our local green grocer and I knew that they needed to be used, so I decided to use up some of the things in the fridge that would make a great stuffing.

I remember as a child, we had a beautiful neighbour that would sometimes make us Sunday lunch in return for Dad mowing her lawn. She came from Europe somewhere and the food she made was so different and somehow extra delicious! I still crave the flavours she introduced to us...

This is my inspiration for our dinner last night. 

While I was baking the stuffed capsicum, I roasted some pumpkin

And other vegetables that needed using.

I served one stuffed capsicum with 100g of roast pumpkin

And 1 cup of rainbow salad, dressed with a calorie free dressing

( pictured and mentioned in other posts )

This recipe serves 4 - 145 calories per serve

 (not including salad or pumpkin)

We discovered last night, that one capsicum is enough

( so you'll have some left for tomorrow's lunch or for freezing )

4 green capsicum cups (I cut the tops off and removed the seeds) 450g raw

135g leek (sliced finely)

100g short cut bacon all fat removed ( diced )

67g (2xmedium) mushrooms (diced)

1 medium tomato (diced)

1/2 heaped cup cooked brown medium grain rice

Spray a non stick pan with a tiny spray of olive oil spray

Slowly cook the leek, bacon, mushroom 

Then add the tomato and the cooked brown rice

Turn the heat off and place a lid over the mixture for 5 min

Evenly distribute the cooked mixture into each of the 4 capsicum cups 

Press the mixture in firmly 

Mix 1/2 cup tomato pasta sauce with

1/2 cup water

Pour the tomato sauce mix into the base of a small oven proof dish

(Making sure that all 4 cups will fit into the dish)

Place the stuffed capsicum cups into the dish in the tomato sauce mixture

Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon of Grated Parmesan Cheese over each cup

(That's 2 tablespoons altogether)

Bake in a hot oven for approx. 30 minutes

Use your oven wisely, bake other vegetables so you can use them in salads later.

altogether, this delicious meal was approx. 190 calories

I can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch!

Note: when I cook Medium grain brown rice, I always cook more than I need,

that way I can pack away heaped 1/2 cup portions to freeze and use later.

(cooked medium grain brown rice - 75g = 84 calories)

Weight update - It's all good news

I've just come back from visiting the local doctor. I'm not a big fan of blood tests, especially if they are to tell me that my bad cholesterol levels are way too high and my good cholesterol levels are not great either, so when I tell you that I've been to have a blood test to see basically what my levels are, and what can be improved on, I think that you should probably think I'm brave! Well, anyway, I decided I should get it over and done with, so that I can say with some solid information behind me, that this healthy eating lifestyle that I've started is doing something good for my health, not just my double chin!

As of today, I weigh 8kg less than I did 6 weeks ago when I started!

The Doctor was happy with all my results, but I am presently taking tablets for blood pressure and cholesterol management. He will be checking my progress, and I'm secretly hoping that in the future some time, I might be able to go off both those tablets! That will be another challenge, and a great reason to keep going!

My goal of losing 14kg first was mentioned too, and I haven't told the doctor that that is what I had set myself already! I took this as a good sign, it means that my idea of smaller, manageable goal setting is the best way to go. I also just realised, that I am half way to achieving that first goal! That's exciting!

I would love to have a picture of me here, with a thinner face, which can be noticed by other people, not just me. I'll have to make a concerted effort to get someone to help me with that.

Another thing I should mention, I've heard people say that around 7 kg is about one size, so if that is the case, I should be wearing a size smaller! This is a notion that has tripped me up in the past, and made me think that it's not worth continuing! When my daughter got married a few years ago, I searched high and low for the perfect " Mother of the Bride" outfit, it had to be "me". I had lost a fair bit of weight, and if I was thinking along the lines of 7kg representing one size jump, I thought that I should fit a size 14! Well, how disappointed I was when the dream outfit that was me all over and had all the qualities that I wanted my special dress to have, except the size tag!!! It said "size 20"!!!
How do you come to terms with that?
I did buy the outfit, and cut the tag out, but the damage to my mind had been done! I was now a size 20, even though I should have only been a size 14! I think some of you have probably experienced this, and have a good idea of what it does to your resolve. After the wedding, I put the dress away and I still am too nervous to try it on again. Not yet! Maybe when I get down to my first goal weight, I might have a photo taken of me wearing that dress, and I'll share it with you. Then you'll all know what a milestone I have actually achieved!

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, I'm doing a 500 calorie day, and I'd better get on with things.
Keeping busy helps you get through, and before you realise it, you've made it through another day and its been great!

Liz

Fresh Strawberry sauce - A great way to make fresh strawberries last longer

This zingy strawberry sauce recipe is so simple to make and is relatively low in calories

It makes enough for 17 x (15ml) tablespoon servings, or one nice jar to keep in the fridge

Turn your fresh strawberries into sauce and make them go further, and last longer

First wash your strawberries (I used about 20 small strawberries) 

200g hulled strawberries

Place them in a bowl and mash with a fork

Then add 

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup sifted icing sugar

Depending on how ripe the strawberries are, you can leave them a bit lumpy

Or use a stick blender to make the sauce smooth

Either way, this fresh sauce packs a punch with great flavour!

I used it to make this fab dessert (65 calories)

Only 14 calories per 1 (15ml) tablespoon serve for the sauce

3 fresh strawberries cut in half - 9 cal

30g Gippsland Plain/Vanilla yoghurt - 41.7 cal

1 tablespoon fresh strawberry sauce - 14 cal

Sprig of mint to decorate

This sauce would also be great mixed through Greek yoghurt.

Less is more - one cup is enough!

This was my lunch yesterday

It was made up of 1 cup of beef and vegetable stew

And 1 cheese roll from Woolworths

Approx. 315 calories

What I really want to say about this meal is that in the past, I would have given myself at least double that serving! One cup just wouldn't have been enough in my mind.

I would get caught up in the childish mind games of thinking that someone else has more than me!

I think you probably know what I'm talking about.

The great thing about this way of eating, that I am doing now is that I'm thinking about how I feel after a meal, there is room for me to actually feel hungry! In the past, I rarely felt the feeling of hunger, because I was too busy eating something, or rather, I just didn't let myself get hungry.

After enjoying every bit of this lunch, the chunks of beef and the tasty gravy, the different vegetables and the extra boost of flavour that the torn basil leaf imparted and last of all, the warm cheesy bun, torn in half and dipped into the gravy! I felt satisfied, I felt full! 

As the afternoon progressed, I didn't need a top up, this lovely lunch was just enough for me!

Note to self - try eating half what you would normally eat, and see if that is enough

- don't get caught up in mind games about who has more

- don't eat for the sake of eating - listen to your body

- enjoy the things you choose to eat!

Coping with grief

As you may remember from a previous post, I lost my Uncle last week and I thought I might tell you about how I have been coping with this sadness and loss in my life, and how that may have influenced what and how I eat.

When I got the phone call from my Dad, telling me that my Uncle had passed away, I was struck with this feeling of finality! It was too late to say goodbye, too late to tell him that he was special to me, too late to thank him for making me feel like I was special! There would always be a gap at family gatherings, and the place would be a lot quieter! There was one less person in the world that got me, and one less person in the world that was sort of like me!

My emotion came in waves, sometimes, I was surprised at how calm I was, and at other times, especially when I was by myself, I would burst into tears and really feel the loss! I felt sad for me, for his children, my Aunty, my Dad who has now lost his older brother. The emotion has made me so tired and I've spent the last week trying to catch my breath. It's like I haven't been able to get enough oxygen, so I sigh and at the same time take another big breath. I remember doing that many years ago when I was doing exams at school.

The funeral was in the country, about 6 hours drive away. This meant we had to travel there the day before the funeral, then stay for 2 nights, and then make our way home the day after the funeral. I needed a plan. How could I stick to this "diet" while I was away, and while I was feeling upset and around lots of food?

The plan - on the day we travelled, make it a fasting day. I had a cooked egg and mushroom with a little wilted baby spinach for breakfast. I knew it would be hard, but I took a container of carrot sticks, and an apple cut up, and that was to get me through the day, while we were driving. It was very hard to watch the others eating potato wedges with sour cream and ham burgers, but I knew that I just had to stay strong for just one day. I took a frozen container of my Italian Style pea and ham soup, so by the time we arrived at our destination, I was able to heat up my dinner quickly in the microwave, and the idea of missing out on pizza ( which is what everyone else was having ) wasn't so bad. Having a good, simple plan helped me to keep on track! It was easy to follow and I didn't have to think much, just follow the plan. I also decided that before I went away, that my other fasting day would have to be when we got home, so that was the other part of the plan, just get through the first day, and then don't just eat, for the sake of eating, just because its there.

Now that we are home, the funeral is over, the sadness is subsiding, I have this leftover feeling of being very tired! I think it's from all the emotion, all the crying, or not crying when you should cry. The sick feeling in the pit of your stomach is a different feeling that I'm not used to. I thought I wanted a sweet biscuit, and I let myself have one, then discovered that just that biscuit was around 200 calories, and the bad part was, that it didn't make me feel any better! It made me feel hungrier, and more tired! I think I'll be staying away from choc chip cookies if I can.

My tip for coping with an emotional event,

Make a simple plan - it could be a rule you want to stick to, but make it do-able
Stick to the plan or the rule
Think about how the food you eat makes you feel physically
Pick yourself up and start again if you deviate from your plan
Tomorrow is another day

End of story
When I got home, after eating lots of things I couldn't remember exactly to journal, I had actually lost more weight!

If you have friends that you think would like to read my blog, just press the Facebook share button, and if you'd like to leave feedback or a comment, I'd love to hear from you!

Mushroom and Cheese for breakfast on another 500 calorie day - changing things up a bit

Another 500 calorie day - changing it up a bit

Breakfast - Mushroom, baby spinach and parmesan cheese omelette - 164 calories

slice up 1 field mushroom and dry fry, then

wilt the baby spinach (3g)

remove mushroom from the pan

whisk 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water, then 

pour into hot pan

swirl the pan so the omelette cooks evenly

just before the top is cooked through, 

sprinkle 1 heaped tablespoon of parmesan cheese (10g) over the omelette 

and then the mushroom, wilted baby spinach, and a cherry tomato cut into 4

serve on a happy plate and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee made with 30ml skim milk

The magic ingredient was definitely the parmesan cheese, this is a great tasting breakfast!

Lunch - My Italian Style Pea and Ham Soup - 1 cup serve - 113 calories

(the recipe is included in a previous post)

Always with a glass of water

this Lunch I had already prepared before and have frozen 1 cup batches ready to go!

so easy and great for a busy working day, just microwave. 

Snacks - its so important to have something up your sleeve - 45 calories

The all important pot of tea, black with no sugar

1 mandarin

4 strawberries

You can have these snacks at any time through the day

and make sure you drink lots of water

Save something for Dessert, if you're a sweet tooth like me

Make yourself a tea party, and use your best tea cup so it feels special to you!

Dinner - Roast Pumpkin and Pink salmon Salad - 179 calories

1 cup rainbow salad

10g feta cheese (pat oil off with kitchen paper)

100g roast pumpkin (no oil)

84g tinned Pink Salmon

Cut up the Rainbow Salad ingredients and arrange in bowl

drain and remove bones from the pink salmon, scatter over salad

heat pumpkin then add to salad

crumble feta over salad

this salad is so full of interesting flavours, it doesn't need dressing

This turned out to be a rather delicious day of food and only 501 calories!

My Granola Recipe

These are the ingredients for my Granola recipe

one serving is 2 flat 15ml tablespoons = 81 calories

so it should be used more like a sprinkle, rather than a cereal

in a large bowl mix together

3 cups rolled oats

2 cups fruit and nut mix

1/2 cup LSA

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

combine thoroughly, and then add

1/2 cup Maple Syrup

1/2 cup light olive oil (not extra virgin)

line a large oven tray with baking paper

spread the mixture out evenly over tray

bake in a slow to moderate oven until golden

turn the mixture over 2 times during the baking process

when the granola is golden and first out of the oven, it will still be soft

as it cools, it will start to get crunchy and form clumps

this is my favourite breakfast on a non fasting day

the hard part is only having 2 flat tablespoons of this yummy granola!

Almond toffee shards

These lovely crunchy Almond shards are a wonderful way of making something simple look amazing!

I used them in this picture, to make a little shot glass of Vanilla Panna Cotta look so special,

And it adds the all important crunch.

You will need a baking tray lined with baking paper.

I used a 27 x 17cm tray

Sprinkle 1/3 cup of Almond flakes over the lined tray

I've worked out this recipe for 12 serves, 

so each serve is the size of 1/12th of the size of the tray you use.

Each serving is approx. 64 calories.

Place 3/4 cup caster sugar

And 3 tablespoons of water in a saucepan

Stir over medium heat using a whisk

When sugar is dissolved, boil syrup till golden

Take off heat immediately and pour over the Almond flakes

Leave in a cool dry area to harden

Break into 12 reasonably even portions, 

and then each portion can be broken into shards

The left overs can be kept in an airtight container for quite a while for later use.

I have only made this recipe once, and was so excited with the results!

It was easy, and it made my dessert look so much better.

If you don't want to eat so many calories, just use half of one portion.

The Vanilla Panna Cotta shots were made from a new WHITE WINGS Black Label packet

I used shot glasses and 1 teaspoon of the passion fruit syrup that came in the box. 

One packet made about 17 x 30ml shot serves

Shot serve = 140 calories

3 strawberries = 9 calories

1 serve Almond toffee = 64

213 calories altogether

I think this is a treat worth having occasionally!

Start collecting shot glasses, they can be used for so many little treats!

Iced Tea and water are great refreshers!

Drinking lots of water is so important

But if it's cold, or you need a change, minted tea without sugar is great too!

I found this minted green tea with Moroccan spices and its lovely hot or cold

Try putting a thin slice of orange in your glass, with a mint leaf or two, and a few ice blocks

Pour cold minted green tea into your glass,

It's lovely and it's a nice change

I tried using 1/2 teaspoon of Agave Nectar in one pot of tea to sweeten it slightly.

It is a natural sweetener that has much less calories 

This slightly sweetened pot of iced tea is now 3 calories.

Don't overdo the Agave Nectar as it gets way too sweet if you have too much

I love the tea without sugar, and it's free of calories without sugar

An example of a 1200 calorie day - So good!

This is an example of a 1200 calorie day for me...

My favourite breakfast on a non fasting day

Approx. 272 calories

1/2 banana (50g sliced)

100g Greek Style Natural Yoghurt - Farmers Union

2 tablespoons (flat 15ml) my homemade Granola

30ml skim milk for instant coffee

the recipe for my homemade Granola is coming soon

For Lunch...

A 5 star salad featuring leftover roast lamb and pumpkin 

with a glass or two of water and a cup of black tea

1 cup Rainbow Vegetable Salad (Raw)

1/2 cup Baby Spinach (Raw)

50g roast Lamb leg meat

50g Pumpkin (no oil, dry roasted)

10g Greek Style Feta Cheese (pat oil off with kitchen paper)

30g Walden Farm's Honey Dijon Dressing

This delicious Lamb and Pumpkin salad was crunchy and filling

and was only 237 calories!

Dinner...

Seared Rainbow Trout on a bed of Green Salad

Always with a glass of water or two.

1 cup of green salad (including leaves, cucumber and snow peas)

30g Avocado

1 cherry tomato

200g fresh Rainbow Trout (seared)

30ml Walden Farm's Honey Dijon Dressing

This dinner has approximately 324 calories

And now for Dessert...

A little pot of chocolatey goodness

With a single Malteser on top

And 3 beautiful shiny red Strawberries 

This whole day's worth of food has only added up to approx. 998 calories!

You still have about 200 to spend

Think about when you feel like eating,

Maybe you could afford some crackers with cheese

(find out for yourself what your favourite snack is, and see if 200 calories fits)

You may feel like a little Whole Orange and Almond cake with 30g of Vanilla Yoghurt.

It takes you just over the 1200 calorie level

The recipe and serving instructions are in a previous post.

Can you imagine eating all these meals, and loosing weight?

It's amazing, and it works...

Why not try for just one week, and see how you feel!

You can do it... Just like me!

weight update - What I'm doing is working!

I'm sure you'll all be interested, and excited for me to know that this morning when I weighed myself,

I have now lost 7.2kg!!!      (This is my all time happy photo, I don't know how much I weighed at the time, but I remember this day as one of the funniest, and laughter filled days I can remember!)

Its been nearly 5 weeks since I started this plan, and the only day that was hard was the first day. I got a headache from drastically reducing my coffee intake, and because I chose the wrong food for breakfast (a tiny bowl of stewed apple and rhubarb, with a couple of teaspoons of greek yoghurt and a teaspoon of my granola), it just wasn't enough and I was shaking and felt dreadful! The thing that got me through was that I didn't have to do it the next day!

After that first day, I decided to do some research, and found that a good breakfast with protein and flavour will get you through most of the day, so on my second fasting day, I was armed with the right information, and I had an egg, a flat mushroom and a cup of coffee and lots of water, and that made all the difference. I didn't get a headache and I had no shaking or weakness problems.

I'm finding that what I'm doing hasn't been boring, and I still get to have a little bit of all the things I love!

I haven't told you what I try to do on the other 5 days of the week.
Firstly, my rule is that there are no real rules on the other 5 days, but because I'm doing this mainly for my health and my mind space (self esteem), I have set myself a goal to try and stick to 1200 calories for 3 of the 5 non fasting days, and the other 2 days are absolutely free to eat double that if I feel like it!
This gives me enough freedom to say to myself that I can go out to the local Indian restaurant and have 1/2 a cheese Naan bread, with 1 cup of rice and 1 cup of Butter Chicken! I'm also a fan of the Almond croissant from the Gumnut Patissery in Bowral! I let myself have 1/4 of one last time I was there. It was so nice, but I never thought I would hear myself say that 1/4 was enough, but it was!

I plan to post some 1200 calorie days, so you can see the amazing things that you can fit into that many calories.

My daughter has been buying Light n Easy, which is based on limiting your intake to 1200 calories, so it's been my little challenge to do the same, for 3 to 5 days of the week, without paying out all that money. I'm finding it quite easy, and definitely doable!

I've set myself goals that are short term, and achievable. Firstly, I want to get down to the weight I was when my daughter got married a couple of years ago. That's about 14kg! After I've achieved that goal, I'll set another small goal. If I was to be the weight that is healthy for me, I would need to loose around 40kg, and that's too much for my brain to get around, so I'm taking it step by step, and that way, it doesn't seem so hard to me, and I can celebrate along the way, as I achieve my next goal!

Take time to smell the flowers, pat your pets and remember the good times,

and try to laugh whenever you get the chance!

 

Italian style Pea and Ham Soup - A filling and tasty meal

This is the promised recipe for my dinner soup that was featured in my last 500 calorie day post.
The great thing about this soup is that when everyone else in your household may be eating a big dinner, this soup is so delicious and hearty that you won't feel like you are missing out! There's no reason why everyone couldn't have this for their dinner too! It's great for a non fasting lunch as well.

Italian style Pea and Ham Soup - approx. 226 calories for a 2 cup serving

You will need a 6ltr slow cooker

Start this soup on the morning that you are planning to have it for dinner

1 smoked ham hoc (the one I used weighed 1.3kg before cooking)

300g celery (sliced)

200g carrot (diced or sliced into rounds)

1 large onion (diced)

375g Mc Kenzie's Italian style soup mix (dried beans and split peas)

Fresh cracked pepper (no salt as there's enough in the ham)

3 ltr water

Place all the ingredients in a 6 ltr slow cooker and cook on the low setting for approx. 8 hours

This soup can also be started the night before and cooked overnight.

Carefully take the whole ham hoc out of the liquid

Remove all the visible fat and bones

You should have about 450g ham meat (cut into small chunks)

return the 450g ham back into the soup, and stir

Serve soup with a sprig of parsley

Enjoy!

This is a 2 cup serving - 226 calories

A 1 cup serving is approx. 113 calories

Freeze the rest of the soup in either 2 or 1 cup lots, label each box so you can see how many calories you are having at a glance, its a great time saver.

When you put the effort in to make these soups, you save time on other days when you're too busy to try to think about what to eat or cook!

The calorie count is an approximation and can't be exact, but my theory is that if you are trying to be honest about everything you put in your mouth, and you take any fat that you can see off the ham, it's the best you can do. I have used the calorie counter function on myfitnesspal to work out how many calories this recipe has per cup.

My Chicken and Corn Soup - tastes great and is only 73 calories per cup serve

This soup is a great one to take the time to make! it's cheap, and tastes great. the best part is that once you've made it, you can freeze 1 or 2 cup portions, and then they're ready for you in a hurry on another day!

You'll need a 6 ltr slow cooker for this one, and room in your freezer to store the rest of the soup.

First, you need 2 kg chicken wings

cut off the tips (I give these to our dogs and cat raw, they're good for their teeth)

place the rest of the chicken wings into a 6 ltr slow cooker

cover with water, bring the water level just under the rim and cover

add seasoning to your taste, I use Season All and some fresh cracked pepper

(I do this just before I go to bed, and cook overnight on low)

In the morning, the house smells like yummy chicken soup!

the liquid has evaporated by about 1 1/2 cm,

and the chicken is tender, and will easily fall off the bone

Try not to disturb the mucky stuff around the edges and the bottom of the slow cooker.

With a large slotted spoon, carefully remove the chicken wings.

Strain the liquid stock into a large pot and refrigerate 

Remove all the bones, visible fat and skin

(I throw away the bones, and the skin is another treat for our pets)

As you can see, I got a huge pot of stock, nearly 600g of chicken meat

and a container of skin and bits to make the dogs happy!

I think that's great value (I paid $4 for 2kg of chicken wings)

refrigerate the stock and a layer of fat will firm up on the surface.

carefully remove the fat and discard.

Now you're ready to finish the soup!

3 cups celery, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 fresh cobs of corn, removed from cob

1 cup cabbage, shredded

seasoning to taste (not too much salt, that's bad for your heart)

(if you like a little chilli, thats good for raising metabolism)

Heat up the stock and add the onion, celery and simmer gently for 10 minutes

Add the corn and cabbage,

then add 250g of the chicken (the rest of the chicken meat can be frozen for another meal)

simmer another 5 minutes

serve with 1/2 sliced snow pea on top

this is a 2 cup serving - 146 calories (soup only)

the dry wholemeal toast is 81 calories for 1 slice

I used the myfitnesspal website and app to work out how many calories were in this dish

its a fantastic site to use with this diet, it helps you choose how to spend your calories and you can easily track your progress, and keep track of what you have eaten! I highly recommend it, and best of all... It's free!