Going For Gold!

Hi, thanks everyone who left such great comments!

I am afraid I will have to take a bit of leave from blogging for a while, probably about 2 weeks or so: my 3 year old is about to go into hospital tomorrow for an adenotonsillectomy.. I’ve heard the recovery is really painful for little kids, and since my daughter already has an eating disorder (can’t swallow solid foods or purees and is very defensive about her oral area) and GERD, I’m going to have my work cut out for me keeping her hydrated and medicated, nevermind actually fed.  On top of that the sale of the house we’re buying should finally be completed at the end of next week, so we’ll be busy with moving and redecorating. We’ve got major plans for that house so it’ll be a lot of work! Unfortunately all this stress is NOT good for dieting.. I’ve regained 1.5 lb, but I am hoping things will settle down after next week, when my munchkin’s worst pain is over and the house is officially ours. On a positive note though I am still making progress with the exercise - I hadn’t jogged at all since the last time I posted but I did it again yesterday morning and made it to 15 mins without stopping. I will admit it was HARD.. but I kept going - an iron will really helps! Actually the last 3-4 mins were the easiest!  I plan to start jogging 3 times a week once this operation is out of the way, 2 times during the week and once at weekends, and doing it first thing in the morning before my DH goes to work. It worked out fine yesterday, it certainly feels great having got your exercise “over with” first thing in the morning and gave me tonnes more energy during the rest of the day.

Anyway, I shall post again as soon as I am able.. wish me luck! I just hope I don’t undo the good work I’ve already done.. I’m determined not to anyway!

Filed under: General on June 18th, 2008 | 1 Comment »

Pretty darn well is the answer! I’ve been using this blog (and have been dieting again) for just over a month, and I have:

- lost 6.5 kg

- increased my self-control especially with regards to portions and sugary foods

- increased the amount of healthy food vs. junk, now my diet is almost entirely whole foods and very varied.. I’ve introduced a lot more fish too!

- increased the amount I can do with exercise - this morning I managed to run 13 minutes without stopping.. YAY! Last week I was at 5 min!

I tell you, if you get those first 5 kg off, and stick at the C25K program (the conservative one) and work your way towards getting over that first “5 mins without stopping” hurdle, it’ll all suddenly become much easier. When I started the running program, I was running for 60 second intervals MAX, 6 individual minutes in a 30 minute walking program (i.e. gasping my way through my minute and then panting and walking it off..hehe), and I was wrecked.. yep - really unfit!! Getting up to 5 mins was really hard work, but as soon as I got over it, I find myself on the treadmill going “.. huh… maybe I can do another couple of minutes… maybe a couple more..”. My goal this morning had been to make it to 7 mins 30 secs, but I felt so good I ended up doing 13 mins. YAY! So stick at it! I’ll confess I am not even doing the program as often as I should - I ran twice last week and today was the first time I found time to do it again, but it doesn’t seem to affect the results yet. Ultimately I’d like to get back to running every day though, it’s such a great way to start the day!

More recipes to follow, mostly pasta-related..hehe!

Filed under: Exercise, General on May 29th, 2008 | 3 Comments »

So, I’ve been promising this post for a while - I mentioned I’d made a breakthrough with my exercise recently, well I honestly think that this is because I managed to get rid of those first 5 kg. I’ve been gradually working my way through the “Couch to 5K” program for the past few months, and was really struggling - first of all, my motivation for doing this: I used to run every morning as a teenager - got up at 6 am, went for a 45 min run, came home, stretched, did 300 stomach crunches, had a shower and then started my day. I can’t tell you, how FABULOUS I felt at that time - and I don’t mean lookswise, I mean just purely physically - being able to run is the BEST anti-depressant, pick-me-up and happy-hormone release out there, don’t believe me? Check it out!: This article explains the link between exercise and serotonin (and other happy-hormones..hehe), and here’s a decent-looking exercise plan from the Daily Telegraph.

Anyway, I stopped running after I had a series of unfortunate accidents - a nasty fall which put me out of running action for a while, and then I had a bee-sting in my foot shortly afterwards (and it turns out I’m allergic..oog), after which I developed lymphedema which I’ve had ever since. I’ve been struggling with my weight and fitness ever since, and have been trying to get back to that level of physical happiness ever since then. I didn’t start being able to jog 45 mins though - back then I started at just 5 mins, and just made it my rule to either equal the previous day’s time, or further it by 30 seconds. So I gradually worked my way up to 45 minutes. It didn’t take that long actually! Just 2 months.

The Couch to 5K program is very similar, the slower program I have linked is for a 7 month program, going from not being able to run at all, to running for 30 minutes after 7 months of training. There is a 9 week program, but I’m no way near fit enough for that! I have been gradually working my way up, and finally this past week reached a milestone moment, where (don’t laugh!) I was able to run for 5 mins without stopping, i.e. the same amount of time I was able to do when I started as a teenager, two days later I did 7 mins without stopping (and 13 mins total out of 30 min workout), so I really started making some progress, and I do think it was because I shifted those first 5 kg. When I first started the C25K program, I was also still gradually gaining weight, and I think that every extra kg that you carry really make exercise difficult, I am certainly noticing the difference now anyway!

So, I hope to be able to do the 30 mins by the end of the year (I am taking it slowly): being able to run for a proper “chunk” now really does help though - it means I can work through the first “burn” and really focus on gradually increasing my increments, by 30 secs or a minute or two each time. A fantastic liberating feeling!

After my run (on my treadmill, I’m too shy to run in public yet), I do weights, stomach crunches and then then stretch. On “non-running” days, I try to do yoga (check out Sadie Nardini’s youtube thread, she is an amazing yoga teacher!!) for increased flexibility and core strength, and I sometimes do a fitness DVD as I think I’ve mentioned before. I am determined I am going to get there you know, I really feel that this time is different! In a way it really helps that I was fit once, as I have that strong memory of how fantastic it feels - to be honest, it’s actually the fitness, and not the weightloss that is my very long-term goal and motivating factor numero uno

Have a great day, do 15 mins exercise! You’ll feel fabulous for it I promise.

Filed under: Exercise on May 28th, 2008 | 4 Comments »

This delicious soup is dinner-party standard, and very low-cal!

Use any strongly flavourful pumpkin - traditionally this recipe is made with Hokkaido pumpkins (by the way, this recipe looks delicious!) but I used a butternut squash and it tasted fine, just slightly sweeter than normal.

Basically you take a large pot, fry an onion in cooking spray with a pinch of thyme, add the chopped pumpkin or squash, add 2-3 chopped carrots, 1-2 peeled and cubed potatoes, 1 tin tomatoes, and a large pinch (0.5 - 1 tbsp) dried basil. Add 0.75 litre vegetable stock, and cook until the vegetables are soft. Puree with a handmixer in the pot (or whatever food processor you use), and serve with a tsp of sour cream. Delicious! The soup is ca. 0.5 P per portion, the sour cream is 1 P per (small!) tsp.

Filed under: Recipes on May 28th, 2008 | No Comments »

This was so delicious!! The recipe for 4 portions is: 100 g green/brown lentils, cooked according to packet instructions, half a diced red pepper, 1/4 cucumber, peeled and diced, 4-5 cherry tomatoes, quartered, 2-3 tbsp lemon juice,  2 tbsp fat-free plain yoghurt, salt, pepper, and 3-4 large mint leaves, chopped. 1 serving is about 1.5 P, I had double helpings..hehe! The smoked trout is a ready-to-eat product I pick up at Lidl.. very healthy (lots of great essential fatty acids!), and compliments the lentils perfectly. It’s about 3.5 P per packet (two large fillets).

Filed under: Recipes on May 28th, 2008 | No Comments »

I really love poached eggs.. LOVE ‘EM! I just love the way that the white is completely firm, and the yolk completely runny - unlike soft-boiled eggs where even if you cook them perfectly there may still be spots of runny egg white, or solid yolk.. anyway - I have seen that a fair amount of people don’t know how to make poached eggs - it’s really very easy. The main thing is that you have to use very fresh eggs, no more than a week or so old, or you will end up with egg-strand soup with an egg yolk floating around in it on its lonesome. Many people like to put vinegar in the water to make the egg white congeal faster and stay together, others use those non-stick egg-poaching pan-inlays, but I don’t like to use either - I don’t want my egg to taste like vinegar, and the pan inlays often result in an egg that looks more fried than poached.

So basically - bring a small saucepan filled with water to the boil, then turn the heat way down until it is barely simmering. Very gently crack your egg and allow the egg to slide into the water in one go (don’t splash it in, but don’t let it drizzle in either). With a metal tablespoon, very gently nudge the egg (which should be now sitting in the bottom of the saucepan) so that it slowly moves from its original position (this is to make sure the egg yolk doesn’t stick to the bottom). Don’t mix the water or create a “vortex” or anything, or again egg-soup will happen. Allow to sit in the hot-barely-simmering water for 3-4 mins (enough time to make a piece of toast..hehe), then scoop out with a slotted spoon, place on your buttered toast, season to taste and enjoy. If you use low-calorie bread it’s 2.5 P per egg and toast slice. Don’t worry about any egg-foam on the water, or the thinner parts of the egg white running off and hiding in the saucepan..hehe.. it’s the firm central egg white “bulge” and the egg yolk you want.

Filed under: Recipes on May 28th, 2008 | No Comments »

Hi everyone, sorry for the long delay in posting! I’ve been really busy this week with house-buying related stuff.

Anyway, here  finally are the pictures of the cake:

It was a chocolate buttercream cake, 16″ across and fed 35 people. I finished it off by covering the cake board with sparkly pink sugar crystals (unfortunately no picture of it at my friend’s house, as her 2-year old grabbed a handful out of the cake within an hour of it arriving..hehahahe!)

I tell you, it’ll be a LONG time until I make another cake like this - it’s way too much work!

I have lots of recipes and piccies of food, I’ll upload in a minute.

Weightloss is going well now since I finished the cake - down another kg - woo! I was in town yesterday drooling over rings too..hehe.. got to keep my eyes on the prize you know! And another bit of motivation has just jumped me - my brother (who also is trying to lose weight at the moment) and I have made a pact to do a kayaking course at the end of August - that’s not very far away EEK! And I need to be close to my goal weight by then - got to fit into a neoprene suit and into the kayak too, and be fit enough not to drown.. double eek!

OK, better get those other pics uploaded before my little girl wakes up..

Filed under: General on May 28th, 2008 | No Comments »

A yummy and low-points evening meal, and very quickly made!

For 3 portions, 4.5 Points each

175 g pasta (bows or whatever), 175 g broccoli (I used frozen) cooked together in boiling salted water

185 g tuna, drained (one can basically)

1 tbsp sour cream.

Cook the pasta and the broccoli together for 10 mins, drain, break up the broccoli into smaller pieces, add the tuna and sour cream and mix well, garnish with tomatoes.

YUM!

Filed under: Recipes on May 23rd, 2008 | No Comments »

ca. 5 P per portion.

I can’t give you exact measures with this recipe, as I forgot to write down how many potatoes I used..hehe.. basically it is layers of potatoes with zucchini, 75 g of fat-free smoked ham cubes thrown in, crushed garlic, covered in low fat grated cheese and the sauce was eggs, skimmed milk, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Was delicious! And was really good as a “leftover” meal - i.e. hubby took some to work, I had some the next day as well.

Filed under: Recipes on May 23rd, 2008 | No Comments »

Hi all,  sorry for the big yawning emptiness that decended on this blog this week - I’ve just been way too busy with offline stuff - mainly making the big cake for my friend’s daughter’s 1st communion.

I made a nerdy practise cake earlier this week - check it out!

hehe my hubby’s work colleagues loved it. The real deal is sitting on my dining table at the moment waiting for the final layer of fondant icing. It’s 4 times the size of the practise cake and the decor will be much more fancy - I’ll take a photo of course..hehe

Weight loss this week has been fairly slow, lost the 1 lb I gained last weekend and then another 300 g this morning (sorry for mixing my units..eek bad habit), mainly because of the cake - I’ve been good with the points but all the taste-testing of the cake mixtures and buttercream do add up too - not that I’ve been scoffing but it’s hard to quantify.

However, I’ve made some MAJOR progress with my exercise, I’ll post another entry about it later.

I’ll quickly post my recipes from this week and then I’ve got to go - have to shower, pick up my daughter from playschool, make lunch and go to see our (hopefully) new house all within the next hour. Eek!

Filed under: General on May 23rd, 2008 | No Comments »