My Basket
Hi, I’m Steph Zak, I’m 31 and I work for the M&S Publications team as the Publications Coordinator, predominantly on Your M&S Magazine, which keeps me busy and on my toes! I was offered the Simply Fuller Longer four-week challenge and felt it wasn’t something I could turn down! A four week weight loss meal plan made up of healthy breakfasts and a SFL lunch and dinner, equating to roughly 1000 calories per day.
With every year that I’ve been at M&S – three in total – my waist band has increased; in the same way that you can count the rings around the bark of a tree to work out how old it is, you can measure the inches around my waist to work out how long I’ve been here! Something has to stop! And SFL seems like the perfect solution and the best way to start.
 And what better time than the beginning of a new year! I have to admit I feel slightly smug starting this new ‘diet’… let me let you into a little secret:  the SFL meals are high in protein, which does the job of keeping you fuller for longer, yet they contain carbs – so you’re not avoiding certain food groups (as is the case with many other weight loss plans). This means that it doesn’t feel like a diet at all! There are a huge variety of meals to choose from so I really will be spoilt for choice! So whilst others are bound to be starting their loathsome post-Christmas lettuce and celery stick diets, I’ll be happily and healthily eating my way through a whole host of delicious SFL meals whilst hopefully watching the digits on my scales go down a notch or two in the process.
Luckily I don’t have a very sweet tooth however I do have a slight obsession with CHEESE! (being half Swiss, this is only natural, of course!) So I’m just a little nervous that I may at some point within the month, be reaching for a chunk of Cornish Cruncher or delicious slither or two of creamy brie! But if the SFL meals really do what they say on the tin, my stomach should be well behaved and satisfied – I will keep you posted!
I’ll be writing each week to let you know how I get on. What I’m most looking forwards to is potentially fitting into items of clothing currently sitting in a heap I’ve dubbed ‘the too-tight-for-me-pile’. Top of the pile is a favourite pair of size 10 slim fit jeans – I want to be able to wear these with ease come February! Perhaps I can post a picture of myself wearing these at the end of the challenge? Fingers crossed …
And here is an idea: Why not join me, so I’m not alone, basking in the glory at the end of the month? You can add your comments and let me know how you’re getting on and what you think of this range too – I would love to hear from you!
OK, so this is where we come to the rather embarrassing vital statistics:
Current weight: 148 lbs
Desired weight in one month’s time: 138 lbs
Current dress size: 12 and sometimes 14.
Desired dress size: 10/12
Wish me luck and good luck to you too – let the SFL challenge begin! On you marks-get set-GO!! Here’s the plan for the first week:
 
Watch our Simply Fuller Longer TV advert and be inspired!
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Comments8
On: 4 January 2012 Permalink
Where’s the options for us over weight vegetarians who love cheese????
On: 5 January 2012 Permalink
Hi Verity,
Thanks for taking the time to comment! You’re right, there is a lack of vegetarian options in the Simply Fuller Longer range, the reason for this is the high protein content of Simply Fuller Longer meal, and our team have found it difficult to develop a vegetarian product that has the right balance for this range. We do however have a great Lovely Vegetables range and a Super Soya range for vegetarians. We’re also in the process of adding more vegetarian recipes to Stories.
Hope that helps!
Daniel from The Stories Team
On: 13 January 2012 Permalink
I too am a vegetarian and regular M&S food shopper. I do think the Lovely Vegetable range is starting to fill a gap in the choice of ready meals on offer to us. Every one of this range I have tried is excellent.
On: 5 January 2012 Permalink
Having been a huge fan of M & S ready meals for many years and recently seen the advertisement for the ‘Creamy chicken, ham & chunky vegable angel hair pastry pie’, which looked and sounded delicious, I have just tried it and I am very disappointed.
The angel hair pastry looks/sounds lovely but the texture is not very palatable …and, sadly, the rest of the ingredients were quite bland.
On: 9 February 2012 Permalink
I’ve just been looking for a place to review M&S food. Doesn’t seem possible on the main website. I wouldn’t normally be looking to do this, but have just purchased and eaten the same chicken and angel hair pastry pie, and thought it was bordering on unpleasant. The sauce had a strange slightly acidic taste, the pastry which in it’s angel hair filo form tasted bland but was stratchy on the back of the throat and the veg were not cooked enough (even though I cooked the pie for 5 mins longer than recommended just to be safe). Very surprised that this went to market – perhaps I was just unlucky and I had an ‘off pie’.
On: 18 January 2012 Permalink
Hi Steph! Good on you! I am excited to see how you progress, and will be doing the SFL challenge right beside you!
On: 8 February 2012 Permalink
So, Steph, it’s been 5 weeks since your first post but no weekly updates. How are you getting on?
On: 8 February 2012 Permalink
Hi Emma,
Thanks for your message. I’ve had 4 more weekly blog posts since my initial post. Click on ‘More about Steph Zak’ on the right hand side to see how I got on…