The famous pancake

Here it is....

Twas very nice indeed. Especially since I added a teaspoon of pure maple syrup on top just to moisten it a little *naughty*

I had also added a good amount of cinnamon to the mix so that gave it a gorgeous flavour.

I think I will muck around with the quantities a bit, maybe throw in an extra egg white or two to up the protein count. I also need to use low fat cottage cheese, the only stuff I had was normal fat, so the calorie count on it will drop once I change that - as it was this morning it came in about 300 cals.

Can't wait to have it again tomorrow morning :D

Help!

Ok so I am a little obsessed with getting on the pancake bandwagon but I just cannot get to grips with the whey protein recipes so have tried one instead using porridge oats, cottage cheese, 1 whole egg, 1 egg white and cinnamon - and it is gorgeous :D I am going to have it in the morning with banana. Not as protein heavy as some of the others but good enough for my stage, methinks.

The help required is, I made enough mix to do me tomorrow morning and the morning after - will it keep? I have it in a glass jug in the fridge with cling film over it. Nice as it is, I'd rather it didn't kill me!

Food for today....I really need to eat a bit more but i just wasn't hungry today!

B - Granola with semi-skimmed milk
S - 100g each red grapes & pineapple
S - Banana
L - Salad with 1 slice lean ham, peppers, red onion, vine tomato, iceberg lettuce, 30g cheese and 1 tbsp fat free french dressing
D - 137g sirloin steak with small boiled potato and carrots

Drinks - c 2.5l water, & 2 large mugs of black coffee

Calorie Summary
Daily Cal Quota: 1529
+ Exercise Cals: 0
Total Cal Quota: 1529
Calories Consumed: 1154
Calories Left: 375
Cals to Maintain Weight: 2029

Nutrition Summary
Calories (kcal) 1154
Protein (g) 78.5
Carbohydrate (g) 109.5
Fat (g) 44.4
Fibre (g) 16.0
Fruit & Veg 6.6
Water (litres) 2.5

Percent Calories From:
Carbohydrate (36.5%)
Protein (27.9%)
Fat (35.6%)

Are we drinking too much water?

Following stellas post, i looked at a few articles and they really do make very interesting reading.

This quote from the bbc article "If you are going to the toilet more than once every two hours or so that might be too much, especially if your urine is clear," she says, but adds that drinking too much water is unusual. is me all over! I am at the toilet at least every hour and my wee is almost clear.

I am not planning on freaking out here at all, but it is worth me bearing in mind that I am drinking up to 3 litres of water a day, on top of perhaps another litre between coffee and smoothie (orange juice) and then all the water I get from fruit & veg.

I'm not going to reduce my levels but I think I definitely won't increase my fluid intake any further!

I have been reducing my salt intake lately as I am trying to eat healthily but after reading these articles I may up it very slightly again, as I too, like stella, have found myself craving salt a bit - although I hadn't really realised it before!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6263029.stm

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1038118/Are-danger-drinking-water.html

Food diary

I have had a day pottering about the house today and its been lovely! Did lots of tidying, finished my coursework and managed to get through 35 mins of step aerobics and 15 mins of yoga so feeling quite pleased with myself :D

Might even treat myself to a couple of squares of G & B mint chocolate later....

And i'm off work tomorrow so don't even have Sunday night misery!

B - Granola & semi-skimmed milk
S - 50g greek yoghurt with 100g strawberries
L - 2 poached eggs and 2 slices of seeded wholegrain bread
S - Banana
S - 3 slices of wholegrain crackerbread with basil pesto & sundried tomato
D - 150g BBQ chicken with rocket, vine tomato and red onion salad
S - Protein smoothie

Calorie Summary
Daily Cal Quota: 1529
+ Exercise Cals: 252
Total Cal Quota: 1781
Calories Consumed: 1568
Calories Left: 213
Cals to Maintain Weight: 2029

Nutrition Summary
Calories (kcal) 1568
Protein (g) 97.5
Carbohydrate (g) 163.8
Fat (g) 56.7
Fibre (g) 22.4
Fruit & Veg 7.4
Water (litres) 2.3 so far

Percent Calories From:
Carbohydrate (40.5%)
Protein (25.7%)
Fat (33.7%)

Wii Fit vs My Fitness Coach

They definitely both have their good and bad points.

I prefer the cardio stuff on My Fitness Coach - proper aerobics class which is pretty good fun and I'm loving that it can incorporate your equipment such as step, weights, HRM. I just did a 30 mins step aerobics class and it was bloody hard work! I then thought I'd try the Wii Fit Step Plus using my step as the Wii Fit board you'd barely notice. Was ok, but My Fitness Coach was definitely a better and more interesting workout. With better music!

However the yoga is miles better on Wii Fit imo. I like how they talk you through the timing of the moves, as in a lot of cases you are in such an angle, you can't follow it on the telly screen. My Fitness Coach talks you through once only, so for the rest of the moves you have to do it from memory, or contort yourself to try to see the screen. Not good.

You also cannot pick and choose your moves within your workout on MFC. You select for example 'upper body' and then follow the workout for 15/30/45/6o mins. Ok for aerobics but for me with my bad neck, there are some yoga/muscle workouts I just can't do, but if they come up in the middle of MFC workout you don't have an option to avoid them and have to just sit it out. Wii Fit lets you choose the moves you want to do - albeit one of my complaints about Wii Fit is the stopping and starting due to going in and out of exercises!

It would be perfect if you could choose the moves you want in either programme and then they are put together in a custom programme for you so you don't have to chop and change.

Maybe someone will think of that some day :D

Yesterdays food....

Forgot to post this yesterday, oops! Bit low on the fruit and veg, always find it harder to fit in at the weekend, strangely enough! Will try harder today....

Oh, and I attempted a protein pancake yesterday...it was rank. The texture was awful, must try and perfect it again someday but can't face it again today!

No exercise yesterday as had a hard physio session and needed to rest. Going to attempt an hour later on today, will keep you posted.

B - Granola with semi-skimmed milk
L - 2 wholegrain chilli rice cakes with basil pesto and sundried tomatoes - totally gorgeous!
S - Granny Smith apple & red grapes
D - 225g king prawns in homemade satay sauce with fine noodles
S - Mandarin
Drinks - 4 pints water and 2 large mugs of black coffee

Daily Cal Quota: 1529
+ Exercise Cals: 0
Total Cal Quota: 1529
Calories Consumed: 1222
Calories Left: 307
Cals to Maintain Weight: 2029

Nutrition Summary
Calories (kcal) 1222
Protein (g) 69.6
Carbohydrate (g) 130.4
Fat (g) 47.0
Fibre (g) 14.8
Fruit & Veg 4.4
Water (litres) 2.3

Percent Calories From:
Carbohydrate (41.1%)
Protein (23.4%)
Fat (35.6%)

Weigh in

5.5 lbs!!! In a month!!! (Its actually 6.5lbs but I started over....) and total inch loss of 10 inches :D

I am really pleased with this as for more than two and a half of the four weeks i have been too sore to exercise so this has really been through eating alone including my odd naughty sausage sandwich.....

Gonna keep going.....

Whoopsie....

Just a midday update to admit a little naughtiness!

There is a continental food market on in the City Hall grounds next to my work. Went for an amble about and ended up purchasing a cone of churros complete with icing sugar *faint* 200 calories but worth every mouthful :D

If it helps, I did come out with some yummy chilli olives and sundried tomatoes to eat over the weekend....

Food Diary

Dead on day today although I was absolutely ravenous this afternoon and had to nab a Special K bar off my friend - but it kept me going til dinner and I didn't succumb to the chocolate machine. Willpower is improving big time!

Oooh and I managed 30 mins low impact aerobics tonight with very little pain :D

B - Special K with semi-skimmed milk
S - Banana
S - Activia yoghurt with raspberry fruit layer
L - Soup & 1 slice of brown bread, no butter (no granary bread left!)
S - Red grapes, Granny Smith apple
S - Special k bar
D - 150g chicken breast fillet, small baked potato, steamed carrots
S - Protein smoothie

Drinks - 3.4l water, 3 mugs of black coffee

Calorie Summary
Daily Cal Quota 1546
+ Exercise Cals: 92
Total Cal Quota: 1638
Calories Consumed: 1518
Calories Left: 120
Cals to Maintain Weight: 2046

Nutrition Summary
Calories (kcal) 1518
Protein (g) 79.4
Carbohydrate (g) 235.1
Fat (g) 29.6
Fibre (g) 23.6
Fruit & Veg 8.1
Water (litres) 3.4


Percent Calories From:
Carbohydrate (60.2%)
Protein (21.7%)
Fat (18.2%)

Exercise!

Not gonna post my food for today as I didn't have the healthiest of days and it'll just look crappy - especially since i didn't post yesterday and my food yesterday was great! Having said that, I am still over 200 cals below my allowance for today so going to make a protein smoothie now to use them up as I have had a few days this week where I have been quite significantly under my cals allowance....

Good news though, even though it is against physio and doctors orders, I did 15 mins of aerobics tonight on my new Fitness Coach for the Wii. I wanted to get it set up and try it out so gave it a go and it felt ok. I know it sounds like nothing but after the year I've had, it's really quite a big acheivement to be bouncing about waving my arms around!

So I think my plan of action (to be gradually introduced in the next couple of weeks, don't tell the doctor) is stick with the Wii Fit for my muscle workouts and yoga as I like how it tells you you're doing it right, and the use My Fitness Coach for the aerobic stuff.

Thats the plan, please keep your fingers crossed my neck doesn't object....

Where's my hunger gone....

Well I am back from my weekend, and whilst as food was not particularly of the healthy kind as I knew wasn't going to be, my portions were ickle, partly due to the fact I spent all Saturday sick as a dog - not quite sure why but it passed and by Sunday i felt lots better.

Today, I just cannot get food into me. I have not been hungry at all today. I'm starting to feel a little rumble of hunger in my belly now, my dinner will be ready in 5 mins or so, and I am actually cooking naughty mashed potato (when I say naughty, there's only gonna be a tiny knob of butter in, but that just feels naughty!) to have with my grilled chicken and carrots/parsnips to try and up my calories. I've only consumed 991 so far including my dinner!

I might make a protein smoothie for supper to up my protein and use up some of my extra calories.

Oooh, and my neck is feeling a huge amount better so i'm going to continue to rest it this week and hopefully be able to start exercising again next week!

B - Homemade muesli & semi-skimmed milk
S - None
L - Carrot & lentil soup and 1 slice of wheaten bread (no butter)
S - Granny Smith apple, 2 raw carrots & 2 clementines
D - Grilled chicken breast with carrots & parsnips & 1 mashed potato with small knob of butter

Daily Cal Quota: 1546
+ Exercise Cals: 0
Total Cal Quota: 1546
Calories Consumed: 991
Calories Left: 555
Cals to Maintain Weight: 2046

Nutrition Summary
Calories (kcal) 991
Protein (g) 64.2
Carbohydrate (g) 133.0
Fat (g) 23.7
Fibre (g) 19.0
Fruit & Veg 5.0
Water (litres) 1.7

Percent Calories From:
Carbohydrate (51.5%)
Protein (26.5%)
Fat (22%)

Good news & bad news....

Good news.....I lost that 1lb I'd put back on during my holibobs, so back down now to total 4lb loss in 4 weeks which I'm happy with to be honest, given my inability to do any exercise and numerous blips along the way. I feel like I can maintain this and continue to lose steadily, hopefully keeping the weight off! Not measuring this week though, shall do that next week.

I'm really loving the thought that this time next week I could be under the fateful 10 stone mark.....*crosses fingers*

However when posting my food diary today later on, I shall hang my head in shame slightly. Fridays are the day me and my friends get a sausage bap for a mid-morning snack. It's tradition, I love it and I said I wouldn't sacrifice it. However, after eating it this morning I feel so guilty!

And whilst I'm wallowing in that, I am presented with 5 bags of funsize chocolates on the desk beside me as one of the girls is leaving today. Testing the willpower to the max or what. I am going to allow myself a mini packet of Maltesers though, as a little reward for just being me :D

I must say though I will not be having a healthy weekend - mainly due to circumstances outside my control. I am involved in a youth organisation and we are away on a adventure training thing this weekend. The chef at the centre we go to is amazing, but unfortunately we are given 3 hearty meals on Saturday and 2 on Sunday, and healthy options are classed as things like creamy coleslaw, spuds with no sauce etc, not what you'd really class as healthy!!! So I'll just have to grin and bear it, keep the portion sizes small and hope that the amount of activity I'll be doing will counteract some of the food I'll be eating....

Shall post my food diary later on.....

Not enough hours in the day

I said willpower was my biggest enemy? I was wrong. Time is actually my biggest enemy. There isn't enough! 3 nights in a row now I haven't been going straight home for dinner. The last 2 nights I went to my sisters so I obviously ate what she made, wasn't awfully bad as she is pretty health concious but not what I would have made myself. Then tonight I had so many messages to do after work I am only in the door at 7pm and feel sick with hunger. It took every ounce of willpower in my body to not stop at KFC, but I had to compromise and since I forgot to take anything decent out of the freezer again (doh) I am having Tesco fishcakes. Again, not the worst but most definitely not the best. I am just so darn hungry I either make myself something quick or I spend ages making something healthier and eat biscuits while its cooking. Gah.

Still sore neck. Still no exercise :(

Anyway, must be positive. I'm not snacking on ANY naughty stuff (unless you include one boiled sweet, which would be harsh!!!) and my portion sizes are reducing, which is a big step for me.

B - Homemade muesli and semi-skimmed milk
S - Special K mini bites
L - Sandwich on wholegrain bread with 1 tsp light mayo, 1.5 slices of lean ham, red onion and a sprinkling of cheese
S - Half a fresh pineapple, banana
D - 2 fishcakes and baked beans :(
J - 1 boiled sweet!

Drinks - 2 mugs of black coffee and 2l of water so far

Calorie Summary
Daily Cal Quota: 1546
+ Exercise Cals: 0
Total Cal Quota: 1546
Calories Consumed: 1462
Calories Left: 84
Cals to Maintain Weight: 2046

Calories (kcal) 1462
Protein (g) 67.5
Carbohydrate (g) 197.4
Fat (g) 45.0
Fibre (g) 22.8
Fruit & Veg 4.9
Water (litres) 2.3

Percent Calories From:
Carbohydrate (52.3%)
Protein (19.1%)
Fat (28.6%)

Better!

Well, after a serious struggle yesterday, I just didn't feel hungry today which is a whole new experience for me. I had my breakfast at normal time and normally I have a banana by 930am, Special K bites or similar by 11 and a yoghurt at 1130, but all I had this morning was my yoghurt and I was even really that hungry, I just wanted to avoid getting hungry so I didn't eat something naughty iyswim.

I hope this is the beginning of a new 'not feeling hungry' thang going on, that would make the healthy eating a whole lot easier.....

B - Homemade muesli & semi-skimmed milk
S - Activia Raspberry fruit layer yoghurt
L - M & S medium fish selection sushi pack
S - Apple & clementine
S - Banana & red grapes
D - Low fat beef mince with onion, carrots & parsnip & potato waffles (not the best but very tasty :D)
S - Smoothie with strawberries, banana & raspberries with orange juice & scoop of protein powder

Drinks - 3 pints of water so far and 2 mugs of coffee

Daily Cal Quota: 1546
+ Exercise Cals: 0
Total Cal Quota: 1546
Calories Consumed: 1556
Calories Left: -10
Cals to Maintain Weight: 2046

Nutrition Summary

Calories (kcal) 1556
Protein (g) 73.0
Carbohydrate (g) 227.2
Fat (g) 38.3
Fibre (g) 26.7
Fruit & Veg 7.1
Water (litres) 1.7


Percent Calories From:
Carbohydrate (57.2%)
Protein (19.6%)
Fat (23.2%)

Food Diary - Hard Day

After having a lovely harmonious day yesterday, I had a more difficult day today. I am so exhausted, and by afternoon I just wanted to eat everything in sight. In the end I forced myself to decide between a second bag of Special K mini bites or a bar of chocolate - so to be fair, I chose the mini bites. However I did succumb to one measly square of Dairy Milk about an hour ago.

Almost whole days cals used up and I'm pretty darn sure I'll not make it to bedtime without something else! I must be hormonal. I need food.

Naughty dinner too, we have a family sausage night (don't ask) once a week, and I shall not and will not sacrifice :D

B - Homemade muesli and semi-skimmed milk
S - Banana and packet of Special K mini bites
S - Activia fat free yoghurt
L - Salad with 1 slice lean ham, peppers, tomato, cheese, red onion and healthy living french dressing
S - Clementine, strawberries and grapes
S - Another bag of Special K mini bites
D - 2 thin beef sausages, jacket potato and sweetcorn
J - 1 square of Dairy Milk

Drinks - 1.5 litres so far, will drink possibly another 2 pints before bed.
3 mugs of coffee

Calorie Summary
Daily Cal Quota: 1546
+ Exercise Cals:0
Total Cal Quota: 1546
Calories Consumed: 1509
Calories Left: 37
Cals to Maintain Weight: 2046

Calories (kcal)1529
Protein (g) 64.6
Carbohydrate (g) 203.6
Fat (g) 51.2
Fibre (g) 21.5
Fruit & Veg 5.0
Water (litres) 1.7

Percent Calories From:
Carbohydrate (51.5%)
Protein (17.4%)
Fat (31.1%)

Still no exercise possible as my neck is just too sore. I really hope another couple of days rest and I can get back into it....

Sorry, what?!

Something astonishing happened today. I was handed one of those yummy new Marks & Spencer cupcakes with the icing on top and jam in the middle - and I said NO *faint*

What is happening to me?!!!

Food Diary

Good start to the week, I have ate really well today and it hasn't been a chore at all. I hope that's a sign that my habits are changing and I'm getting into the healthy vibe on a day to day basis!

I didn't plan to post the details of my meals, just the nutritional breakdown, but I have changed my mind as you guys know your stuff and might see something which I am doing glaringly wrong that needs changing....

Meals

B Homemade muesli and semi skimmed milk
S Large banana
S Special K Mini bites
S Activia Fat Free yoghurt
L Salad with 1 slice lean ham, cheese, lettuce, pepper, tomato, red onion & low fat french dressing
S Red grapes, strawberries, Granny Smith apple
D Grilled chicken with rice noodles and homemade satay sauce

Drinks - 2 mugs of black coffee, 1 skinny cappucino and so far 1.7 litres of water. Will have at least another pint before bed.

Calorie Summary
Daily Cal Quota: 1546
+ Exercise Cals:0 (i'll be doing some squats and lunges later)
Total Cal Quota: 1546
Calories Consumed: 1349
Calories Left: 197
Cals to Maintain Weight: 2046

Nutrition Summary
Calories (kcal) 1349
Protein (g) 78.5
Carbohydrate (g) 160.8
Fat (g) 44.5
Fibre (g) 17.2
Fruit & Veg 5.2
Water (litres) 1.7

Percent Calories From:
Carbohydrate (45.8%)
Protein (23.8%)
Fat (30.4%)

Bit low on protein so I might have a smoothie before bed with a scoop of protein powder.

I'm so peed off at my sore neck today cos I've come home really fancying a good hours Wiifit doing a good yoga session and a bit of cross trainer but I'm still a bit tender after the weekends physio and don't want to aggravate it. Bummer.

Food Diary

Here's my breakdown for today...

Daily Diary Report for 10/05/2009

Calorie Summary
Daily Cal Quota: 1546
+ Exercise Cals: 0
Total Cal Quota: 1546
Calories Consumed: 1330
Calories Left: 216
Cals to Maintain Weight: 2046

Nutrition Summary
Calories (kcal) 1330
Protein (g) 96.3 (29.8%)
Carbohydrate (g) 167.9 (48.7%)
Fat (g) 30.9 (21.5%)
Fibre (g) 25.9
Fruit & Veg 9.2
Water (litres) 2.3

Quite pleased actually as that is even after my french toast with sugar and cinnamon for breakfast!

Homemade Muesli

I have wanted to find a good muesli to eat to try and fill myself up for longer and stop myself grazing for food all morning in work. However I have a bit of a thing against raisins bleurgh. And have you ever tried buying muesli that doesn't contain raisins? It just isn't possible! So I have taken a stand and made my own and I must say it is damn delicious. Here's the recipe - the quantities really are very vague and tbh you can add whatever the heck you like!

I add the breakfast cereal to give it a bit of crunch as I can't abide a bowl of mush in the morning....

Jildo's Homemade muesli

Ingredients
400g Breakfast Cereal, Almond Oats & More, Nestle
20g Hazelnuts, Chopped, Average
20g Wheat Bran, Average
125g Breakfast Cereal, Porridge Oats, Rolled, Tesco
50g Seed Mix, Original, The Food Doctor
1oz/28g Banana Chips, Average
10g Cinnamon, Ground, Average


Nutrition Profile

Percent Calories From:

Carbohydrate (55.9%)
Protein (12.2%)
Fat (31.9%)

Nutrition Data Per Serving:

Calories (kcal) 264.5
Carbohydrate (g) 38.1
Protein (g) 7.8
Fat (g) 9.1
Fibre (g) 5.1

Willpower

Willpower - therein lies by biggest enemy. I don't possess an ounce of willpower and that is what I need to change. Ok maybe I do have a little bit. For example, today I was at my sisters for breakfast and they were making my favourite breakfast ever of french toast with cinnamon and sugar *faint* 3 pieces of french toast later and I cancelled my plans to go out for Sunday dinner as I thought I had taken enough calories on and it wasn't even 930am yet! So I guess that is willpower at its most twisted....

My first blog post

So here I am, jumping onto the blogging bandwagon after the example set by my buddies JAG http://jagsfitnessblog.blogspot.com/ and stella http://stelladoesblogging.blogspot.com/ who are both doing so fantastically in their health & fitness regimes.

I've had a week off my still new healthy living plan as I was on holidays in Barcelona and didn't want to have to be conscious of everything passing my lips - but I am pretty chuffed with myself nonetheless as I actually felt like I might have made a bit of a lifestyle change already as I didn't snack between meals at all (as I normally do on holiday on all piles of crap) and I came home at the same weight as when I left, quite a good acheivement I reckon!

The calorie counting starts again tomorrow. I joined WLR tonight as I want a more accurate account of my protein/carbs/fat intake. My problem is my physio has told me today not to do any exercise (other than some walking) for the next 2 weeks or so as I have had a bit of a flareup of my neck pain again and we have just about got it under control and need to let it settle now. So I am going to try to walk at least 30 mins every day except Monday & Wednesday (no time) and other than that stick to the healthy eating and see how it goes.

I also ordered the 'My Fitness Coach' Wii game, which apparently is more interesting than Wii Fit as it has 500+ exercises available and it tailors workouts to you without all the toing and froing between menus that comes with Wii Fit. Sounds good. Will still use the Wii Fit but nice to shake it up a bit. Not for the next fortnight though!!!

Phew, first post down. Now to stick at it :)