Welcome to our weekly news roundup, where we’ll celebrate your progress, bring you news from the MAN v FAT football leagues plus keep you up to date with all the latest goings-on in the world of weight loss, fitness and food.
FROM THE MAN v FAT FOOTBALL LEAGUES
Have you ever seen such a prestigious trophy?
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Now for a slightly amusing story from the MAN v FAT Football Colchester league, where one of their teams presents two awards to the end of the game: one man of the match award and one ‘dick of the day’ award– sounds fairly normal, right?
Wrong. Whoever is lucky (or unlucky) enough to be presented with the prize must take it home and add a new miscellaneous item each week. The lads are into their seventh week and so far the ‘trophy’ (if you can call it that), is mounted onto a pair of roller-skates, being held up by a radiator cover with two fireworks attached, which I am told are to be used when their keeper keeps a clean sheet!
Whilst the rest of us sit and wait for Rick the goalie to pull his finger out and start making some saves, are there any quirky traditions or superstitions your team has? We’d love to hear them.
OTHER NEWS
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If you were to choose cooking your own pesto pasta dish, over a McDonald’s burger, you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’d unequivocally picked the healthier option, right? Not exactly. Research conducted by Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) found that certain brands of organic green pesto contained 1.5g of salt per serving, a higher amount than in McDonald’s burgers and 30% saltier than seawater! It’s a stark reminder for all of us to make sure what we’re eating is actually as healthy as we think it is.
Obviously on a whole choosing to have pasta for tea is a much better option than a fatty, greasy fast food burger, but always remember to log your meals and make sure you are watching exactly what you eat.
WHAT WE’RE EATING
Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few weeks, you’d have noticed it’s been Halloween season, which means there’s been the annual influx of pumpkins on the shelves. It’s a shame they’re only popular for two months of the year as the low-calorie squash is bursting with lots of good stuff, including lots of vitamin C and potassium. Here are some of the best things you can make from any pumpkin leftovers you’ve got.
Curried Pumpkin Soup
One of the most popular, but probably simplest things to turn this festive decoration into is pumpkin soup, and with the addition of a few more ingredients, you can add a bit of spice to your dish. It’s a quick 25 minute cooking time for a meal that can be served with a slice of crusty bread for the whole family, or left in the fridge overnight to take to work for the next day.
Pumpkin Ravioli
All seasoned pasta lovers know how delicious ravioli can be when cooked properly – oozing with creamy cheese or tasty meat, it’s a party in the mouth. But the calories can add up to an astronomical amount (that’s not even including the parmesan topping); this pumpkin alternative for the filling is very low on calories and with the addition of sage butter, it might be even tastier
Pumpkin Spice Muffins
If it’s something sweeter you’re looking for, then these pumpkin spice muffins are the perfect alternative – a delicious light blend of almond butter and pumpkin puree, these muffins really do epitomise the taste of autumn (and they go down a treat with the little ones)!
WHAT WE’RE READING
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A remarkable claim that an Airbnb style system for the NHS, which would see patients be treated In the spare rooms of regular houses, must be properly considered. Thoughts?
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Here’s how tobacco companies have been targeting ‘poorer’ smokers, ensuring that just because of their financial situation they’re not losing customers. Questionable exploitation, or just clever marketing?
WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
- No longer must men feel like they should suffer in silence when it comes to mental health issues; if you feel like you need to get something off your chest, share it with your fellow MAN v FAT lads.
- Often one of the hardest things when starting off on a diet is figuring out what to eat instead of high fat and high sugar snacks throughout the day; this MAN v FAT forum user (and qualified dietician) hits the nail on the head with this answer to ‘what is a good midday snack’?
- If you’re signed up for the MAN v FAT Football Epsom league, but just can’t wait to get started, maybe you’d be interested in playing some unofficial games before the season starts. You can sign up to the Epsom league and get it going quicker by heading over to the MAN v FAT Football website.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“I fell into a bowl of leftover Halloween candy last night (I will admit that this was a planned crime, but the execution exceeded the intent). Paying the expected price this morning. But in keeping with @admin’s recent posting about not beating myself up over it, I am just starting the day afresh – not trying to do extra cutbacks or compensations – just back on the regular routine.” – Forum user @JLHS speaking about his over-indulgent trip to the trick or trick bowl and the importance of picking yourself back up and re-finding that routine.
