Tuesday weigh-in #1

Hello!

In December, the diet seemed to disappear. Too many things were coming up to worry about counting calories, although I did kind of watch what I was eating. Kind of.

Anyway, I've been continuing to work hard at the gym (with only having 1 & bit weeks off over Christmas) and watch what I eat where I can but have been putting off weighing myself.

The last time I weighed myself was just before Christmas so I was a little worried to get on the scales.

This morning I knew I had to. If I didn't, how would I be able to measure my progress, especially with a wedding coming up!

So... the verdict?



**DRUM ROLL**

I've lost 3lbs since weighing myself before Christmas, which is pretty impressive considering I have eaten things I wouldn't usually eat.

I'm now 10st 8lbs and counting down. Ideally I'd like to be 9st 6lbs but now that I'm getting back into weight training, I'll just have to see!

I hope you have all been successful with your 2013 changes so far? x

Skinny recipe #7 Asian tuna (tossed) salad

Hello!

The other day I had to be up in London for work and so went to Tossed for lunch. Oh.My.God. <3

For those of you who have never been or have no idea what it is, it's like subway but for massive (and healthy) salads and wraps. I think they do soups and that as well, but the salads are amazing. I had something similar to the above (Asian Tuna with lettuce) and loved it so much I wanted to recreate it at home :]

So, here's how I did it!

Serves one

You will need:

Lettuce (could use noodles)

1/4 red pepper

1/4 yellow pepper
1 cup of raw broccoli

Handful of cashews, toasted

1/2 can tuna

1 tsp half-fat/low-fat mayo

Handful of corriander (hald chopped and mixed with tuna, half saved for scattering)
Sprinkle of puy lentils (optional)
Drizzle of sesame oil
Drizzle of light soy sauce

Method:

• On a medium heat, lightly toast the cashew nuts in a dry frying pan.
• Whilst toasting the nuts, chop all vegetables (lettuce, peppers, broccoli) and add into a large mixing bowl.
• Add the nuts to the bowl once toasted.
• Add 1/2 can of tuna to a seperate bowl with 1 tsp of low-fat/half-fat mayo (or yogurt) and a handful of finely chopped corriander.
• Add to the mixing bowl and 'toss'.
• Drizzle over some seasame oil and soy sauce.
• Sprinkle with the remaining corriander and serve!

 So simple but SO tasty and low calorie yet so filling!

I'm totally addicted to this salad now and will be eating it for a while :]

TRY IT! x

 

Skinny recipe #6 Root vegetable & lentil stew (370 calories)

Hello!

This may not look like the most appetising meal ever but it was so so good and SO filling!

Here we go :]

Serves 1 (easy to just double the recipe for 2)

You will need:

1 tsp nut oil

1 onion

1 clove garlic

1 tsp ginger paste/fresh ginger

1 parsnip

1 carrot

175g new potato (any potato will do)

50g suede

30g red lentils

425ml vegetable stock

1 tbsp curry power

Corriander (optional)

Pan

Wooden spoon

Method:

• Prepare all your vegetables by slicing and/or dicing the carrot, parsnip, suede, potato, onion and garlic.
• Heat a saucepan with a little nut oil (or olive) and sweat the onions and garlic until soft (3-5 minutes).
• Add the rest of the vegetables and soften for 5-8 minutes. If they start sticking to the pan, add a little boiled water. 
• Add 1 tbsp of curry powder, vegetable stock and lentils. 
• Pop a lid on and simmer for 20 minutes

•  Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't stick and when ready, serve!

This meal is so filling you won't need rice with it but you could serve with naan bread and a splodge of greek yogurt if desired.

Let me know if you make this, it's suuuuuuuper tasty :] x

 

How to make your food 'skinny' #1

Hello!

I mentioned in a previous post that you can continue to make your favourite meals but by changing a few simple ingredients, you can make them 'skinny'. This will be the first of a few posts to to include the helpful tips I've picked up along the way.

1. Curry - to make this healthier, start making your own paste or using a jar paste instead of a pre-made sauce. Jar sauces contain a lot of cream, sugar and unnecessary calories. You can get a few different curry pastes in supermarkets, including thai red/green pastes! Most jars have directions on how to use but most require water and cream or water and coconut milk. If the paste requires cream, try to use a low fat yogurt instead as it gives the same creamy texture without adding loads of calories. I tend to water my curry down quite a bit, only because it saves using lots of coconut milk or yogurt and then bulk it back up with a lot of mushrooms.
2. Spaghetti bolognese - this has always been one of my favourite meals. As much as I love the way my mum makes it, I've had to tweak it over the years to suit my new diet. Instead of using beef mince, use turkey mince. It's not much cheaper but it's half the calories of beef (even lean) and fat, meaning you don't have to drain after browning. When using turkey mince, make sure you use a beef stock cube or two, as the turkey can be rather bland, so you will need to add all the flavour you can! It's always handy to have packets of beef stock to hand, as well as dried mixed herbs! Use less mince and pasta and bulk out with mushrooms (if you like them) and/or tomatoes.
3. Shepherds pie - again, I love this meal. Using the same turkey/stock tip as above, you can make shepherd's pie diet friendly. Make sure you bulk this meal out with vegetables such as carrots and peas. Spices are important as well, as they add very little (if any) calories so always flavour your food with herbs and spices where possible. I use a little all spice in mine as well as good ol' Worcestershire sauce! The topping could still be potato but make sure you half the amount you usually make. Alternatives could be sweet potato, suede & carrot or new potatoes that have boiled and then been crushed slightly, scattered along the top and browned!
4. Fajitas - mexican is one of those foods I just don't eat enough of, but that's because it's so bad for you (well.. the mexican I eat anyway) so I try to have it occasionally. To make this meal a little healthier, I always use a low calorie wrap. The weight watchers wraps are a around 110 calories per wrap, which isn't bad but you need to keep an eye out. Instead of using sour cream, try using low fat natural yogurt. If this is too bland, then add some crushed garlic, spring onion or other spices you have in your cupboard. Make sure you pile up the lettuce, as this is VERY low calorie. When I make these for Struck and I, I use one chicken breast between us and bulk it out with peppers, mushrooms and onions :] they're still very filling, just less meat and more vegetables! You can also buy the pre-made sauces/sachets or make your own. As it's spice based, it doesn't make that much difference but the oil used to cook the chicken can make it a little unhealthier.
5. Fish pie - I always struggle when making fish pie as the mash is made with milk and butter as is the white sauce. I find this lovely but way too heavy so to make it a little lighter by making the white sauce with cornflour instead of making a traditional rue. To make a white sauce using cornflour, measure out the milk required and stir 1-2 tbsp with 1 tsp of cornflour. Gently heat the remaining milk in a pan on a low-medium heat, slowly adding the cornflour mixture. It will take 10-20 minutes but eventually the milk mixture will thicken and create a white sauce. Before making the white sauce, if you poach the fish in the milk, it'll help flavour the milk/sauce a little. The mash potato can be made 'skinny' by leaving out the milk and butter! When draining the potatoes, reserve a little of the water and use this to mash the potatoes. If you would like to add a little garlic/herbs or butter then do, just depends on the flavours you're going for.

I hope you found those 5 interesting!

Another 5 to follow soon :] x

Skinny recipe #5 Not-so fried rice

Hello!

This is another post where I'm trying to use up bits in my fridge and freezer! 

I had some cold chicken that needed using, plenty of rice and vegetables so thought fried rice would be perfect. 

Serves 2 

You will need:

50g frozen beans

100g frozen sweetcorn

100g frozen peas

50g frozen prawns (thawed)

2 cooked chicken thighs/1 cooked chicken breast, shredded

1 cup cooked rice

A pinch of chinese five spice

Light soy sauce

Lemongrass paste (optional)

Ginger paste (optional)

Egg (optional), beaten

Ground nut oil

Pan

Frying pan

Wooden spoon

Method:

• In a small pan of salted, boiling water add the beans, sweetcorn and peas. Once boiled, set aside.
• In a frying pan, heat up a little ground nut oil and add the beaten egg. 
• Whilst cooking, slowly scramble using a wooden spoon. 
• Once scrambled, add the shredded chicken to heat through.
• Once warm, add the prawns and vegetables and 'fry' for 5 minutes, add a little water.
•  Add the cooked rice in, with a little more water so it doesn't stick. 
• Add in a pinch of five spice, as well as the lemongrass paste, ginger paste and soy sauce and stir. 
• Taste that seasoning is correct and serve.

The egg and vegetables are optional and could be changed. I would just make this with whatever you have in your fridge/freezer! I would usually leave out the egg but again, we needed to use them up :]

 

Also, the trick is to keep adding little bits of water, so you're not using too much oil to 'fry' everything. 

Let me know if you give this recipe a go! x

Skinny recipe #4 Fish korma with vegetables instead of rice

Hello!

The other night I really fancied curry so using some bits in the freezer, I made this :]

Struck likes rice with his but as I'm trying to eat a little healthier, I decided to have mine loaded with vegetables.

Here it is!

Sauce serves 2
Vegetables serve 1 (add more depending on no. of people)

You will need:

Sauce 

1/2 jar (or as instructed) korma paste

1 tsp ginger, crushed

1 tsp garlic, crushed

1/2 tin low fat coconut milk

1 Onion, diced

4 mushrooms, quartered

2 frozen fish fillets (any meat/fish)

Vegetables

1 parsnip, roughly chopped

50g frozen cauliflower

50g frozen beans

30g red lentils

Pan

Frying pan

Baking tray

Spoon

Sieve

Method - to prepare the vegetables

• Preheat oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
• Boil the parsnip, cauliflower and beans in a pan of salted, boiling water for 5 minutes.
• Drain the vegetables and pop into the oven to roast a little - this dries the vegetables out so they're not soggy!
• In another pan, add a little boiling water and then add the lentils. Keep an eye on the lentils, as soon as the water disappears, add a splash more and continue this for another 20 minutes until the lentils are cooked. Don't forget them when you're making the sauce!!

Method - to prepare the sauce

•  Pop the frozen fish fillets in the oven (or bake fresh fillets) for approximately 15 minutes.
• In a frying pan, add the onion with a little water and soften.
• Once softened, add 1/2 jar (or otherwise instructed amount) of korma paste and fry for a minute or so.
• Add the ginger and garlic and fry for a further minute.
• Add the the coconut milk and a splash of water then simmer for 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes, add the cooked fish, quartered mushrooms and a splash more water.
• Simmer for another 10 minutes, adding water if the sauce is too thick.

To serve, pile the vegetables in a bowl, pouring the lentils on top and the sauce on top of that.
It sounds really heavy, but the vegetables makes it ten times healthier AND more filling than rice!

There's approximately 600 calories but if you changed the vegetables, you could make it even healthier. I just used up what I had in my fridge/freezer.

Let me know if you try out this recipe x

Skinny recipe #3 New potato & red pepper omelette

Hello!

 

 

 

I do apologise.. this isn't the prettiest picture I have ever taken. Also, my omelette looks HUGE and slightly burnt.

 

I do have to admit that I did serve it with a little toast but I couldn't eat it. The omelette was filling enough plus the toast was pretty awful!

 

Let's get started!

 

 Serves 1

 

You will need:



2-3 medium eggs

1/2 red pepper

2 small new potatoes

1 mushroom

1 small red onion (or a few spring onions)

Salt & pepper to season

1tbsp milk

Pinch of dried herbs/fresh basil

Low calorie olive oil spray

Frying pan

Baking sheet

Fish slice & wooden spoon

 

Method:

• Preheat your grill to a medium-high setting.
• Prepare all of the vegetables - slice the red pepper, new potatoes, mushroom (just the one) and a small red onion.
• Bring a small pan of water up to a boil and pop the sliced new potatoes in to soften a little for 4-5 minutes.
• Drain when ready.
• Spray a little low calorie olive oil spray into a pan and soften (with a little added water) the onions and peppers.
• Once soft, add the mushroom and cook until soft.
• Once all the liquid has been absorbed, add the potato until it's lightly golden.
• Whilst the potato is browning, crack 2-3 eggs (depending on whether you're having a side) into a seperate bowl, mix with a tiny splash (and I mean tiny) of milk, a pinch of dried herbs and then season.
• Add the egg into the pan, giving it a quick mix to move the other ingreidents evenly across the pan.
• Cook until the bottom has set and then transfer to a baking sheet (unless you have an oven proof frying pan), sprinkle LIGHTLY with a 'light cheese' and pop under the grill for 5 minutes until it's a bubbly golden brown!

I decided to make this as I had loads of vegetables and eggs that needed using up but as I used my last 3 eggs, I really didn't need the toast so I ended up not eating it and throwing it away :[

 

The 3 egg omelette was 430 calories, which was plenty for a nice, filling dinner and which uses up all the leftover vegetables from Christmas!

 

Let me know if you try this recipe x

Easy exercises for home

Hello!

 

 

Happy New Year everyone :]

 

A lot of people make a new years resolutions to lose weight but by mid-January, those promises are buried under chocolate wrappers for a variety of reasons.

It's too dark/cold to get out of bed early.
I haven't got time to exercise.

I haven't got any money etc.

 

 

You don't need money AND you don't have to get out of bed at the crack of dawn to improve your fitness or lose weight. All you need is an idea of what exercises and equipment you will need. The equipment could just be things you already have hidden away in your cupboards.

When I started at my local gym, they gave me a simple program to follow which was designed to burn fat and make me shrink in my problem areas... and it worked!

 

Here are a few simple exercises you can do at home to get you started!

 

With all of these exercises, you can build them into a routine. I would suggest starting off slowly, building the reps up but completing each 'circuit' 3 times to get maximum results.

 

TIP: For any weight exercises, instead of going out and buying a set of weights (which can end up being expensive), just use bags of rice or bottles of water! They're just as effective.

 

 

Lateral raise

Start with your hands together and bring them out to your side in a smooth and steady motion, then lower slowly and repeat.

Start with 10 reps and slowly work your way up to 20 reps.

 

Front raise
Start with your hand resting on your thighs, then slowly raise them up infront of you so your shoulders and arms are straight. Slowly lower and repeat.

Again, start with 10 reps and slowly work your way up to 20 reps.

 

 

 

Step up
Step up and either stretch your leg out behind you for balance or see the advance step below.

Start without weights and then gradually add them in to your routine. Again, start with 10 reps and slowly increase. You can do these on your stairs, sofa or a small box!

 

If you would like to make this a little more difficult, bring your knee up when you're on the step.

Upright row

Start with your hands resting on your thighs and then pull your hands up with your elbows pointing outwards. Slowly lower and repeat.

Start with 10 reps and slowly work your way up to 20 reps.

Lunge

Standing up straight, step out in front of you (with or without a weight) with your toes pointing forward. Lower yourself so your legs look similar to this. Come back up and repeat the same amount of reps on each leg.

Start with 10 reps and slowly work your way up to 20 reps.

Squats

This exercise can be broken up into 3 parts.

Standing straight with feet shoulder width apart...

1: Drop down into a squat, come back up and repeat for 10 seconds.

2. Drop down into a squat and hold for 10 seconds.

3. Drop down into a squat and pulse (small movements up and down.. very flattering) for 10 seconds.

 

 Bench dips
Using a chair, edge of the sofa/stairs or something similar, grip the edge with your elbows point backwards, legs stretched out but slightly bent, slowly lower yourself so your bum is nearly touching the floor and then come back up again.
Start with 10 reps and slowly increase up to 20 reps.

If you're not exhausted or you would like to add some more advance steps into your routine, try these!

Sit ups
You can use a swiss ball or just get someone to hold your feet still!
Lie down with your knees up and using your stomach muscles to pull yourself up. Make sure you look towards the ceiling otherwise there's a risk of straining your neck. Arms can be crossed, outward or behind the neck.
Number of reps depends on how fit/comfortable you are.

or

Medicine ball twist
Holding a ball/weight, sit on your bum and turn side to side, keeping the rest of your body still.
To make this move more advance, raise your feet off of the floor.
Again, reps depend on how fit/comfortable you are.

Plank
These are tough but are amazing for your leg muscles and core!
Hold yourself up as shown in the picture for 15-20 seconds. Do this 3 times.

Side planks
Hold yourself up as shown in the picture for 15-20 seconds. Do this 3 times.

There's a few to get you started! If you complete this routine once, complete twice more (which will take approximately 30 minutes) every other day and you'll see the results in no time!

Let me know if you have any more exercises and ask if you have any questions :] x