Fallen Off The Wagon!!!

Uh oh!! I've given into the cravings tonight. On top of having my dinner I binged on chips, nuts and candy bars. Noooooo!!!

At least I got my sit ups and lunges in but I'm going to have to be extra good tomorrow.

Only 84 days to go......!!! Eek!!

Week Three

Weight 138.0lb

So I've lost a whopping .4 of a pound since last week.  Hmm.  I have to say - the exercise portion of this program has really not taken off as of yet.  I've been good at fairly consistently doing sit-ups, leg lifts and squats but that's really been the extent of it.  I know I need to seriously address this if I actually want to see any changes to my body.

I also did rediscover my old pal alcohol this past weekend.  I've steered clear from this sweet nectar of the Gods for the last few weeks but faced with a blind date on Friday night - I caved!  And of course, no sooner did I cave on Friday night than I ended up on the sauce Sunday and Monday respectively. 

Nonetheless - I have managed to remain pretty good with regards to my food and haven't really been over indulging.  I made another batch of the delicious pea soup on Saturday and have been juicing non stop.  Over the weekend, I made a delicious juice with strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and a lime - soooo good.  This morning, I enjoyed some orange, mango and a hint of strawberry juice.  I'll definitely need to stay motivated with regards to my juicing as it's definitely more work than I had anticipated.  On a not-entirely-unrelated note, please note that just because Breville does not instantly charge your credit card for purchasing one of their juicers online nor sends you a confirmation email does not mean that your transaction has not been processed.  There's no need to order the same juicer from Zappos (at a cheaper price mind you!) as you may end up like me - with two of the exact same juicers.  If only somebody had imparted this wisdom to me two weeks ago.......

Regarding my diet, I'm hoping to go for heavier carb foods during the day and then enjoy lighter snacks in the evening.  I made a big batch of pasta over the weekend which I've had for lunch the past few days and thus far, have been sticking to smaller meals in the evening.  I don't know how this is going to pan out this evening as I have a case of the craves.  I have no idea what I'm craving but I feel like I could go on a major food binge right now.  Please God I'll keep my self control!!

Fresh Pea Soup

Loving this recipe!!

Get two medium sized shallots, dice them up and sautee them with 1 clove of garlic.

Once this is cooked thoroughly add 3 cups of fresh (or frozen peas) with two cups of water (or stock).  Bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 mins.

Blend and serve away!!

I used chicken stock when I made this soup and I also added some spinach leaves to it.  The soup ended up being a little too thick for me once I blended it so I did end up adding water to it.  It was absolutely DELICIOUS!  I can't WAIT to make it again.  And there's only 135 calories a cup which is fantastic.

I've already sent this recipe through to my sister and aunt so I'm waiting to hear their reviews of it.  I think I actually preferred this to the Carrot & Ginger soup which surprised me.

In other news, my juicer arrived two days ago - hurray!!  I've had fresh pineapple, mango and orange juice the last couple of mornings.  Soooo good!!

Week Two

Weight: 138.4lb

I've lost a pound - this is good news!  I'm definitely noticing a difference in how I feel since I've been making healthier choices this last week.  I made this insane pea soup yesterday which was absolutely delicious.  I'll post the recipe later.

My legs were killing me when I woke up on Sunday morning after doing all of those squats and leg lifts so that was encouraging.  No pain no gain - right?!  I think I might try Bikram Yoga this evening but it is raining so we'll see if I manage to venture out.......;)

I haven't had any coffee or alcohol so far in February and I'm definitely feeling a difference.  I'm having hot water with fresh ginger in it each morning and I feel great for it.  An added bonus to drinking this is that it's so much better for my skin so I'm hoping that I'm going to notice a difference in that department.

I'm not looking for any kind of quick fix plan but I do feel spurred on to work harder at this given the fact that I'm seeing and feeling results so quickly.

Onwards and upwards my friends!

Does the thought really count??

The one downside to staying in on a Friday night is that you have absolutely no excuse whatsoever for not getting up on a Saturday morning and exercising.

Feeling fresh after my ten hour kip I arose this morning energetic and ready to kick-start the exercise portion of this programme.  It was a glorious morning so I decided I'd go for an easy three mile run (two loops around the Panhandle).  There was a pep in my step as I took off down the street and I was loving the feeling of the sun on my skin and my feet pounding the pavement.  Unfortunately however, my body was not as able as I thought it would be.  I barely ran half of one lap around the Panhandle before feeling completely overcome with lethargy and developing a sharp pain between my shoulder blades.  I ran/walked the rest of the first lap before admitting defeat.  I tried to tell myself that pain is temporary and that pride lasts a lifetime before realizing that I just couldn't do it.

So not as successful a morning as I had originally hoped but at least I'm getting out there.  I did follow up when I got back home with some sit ups, squats and leg lifts so hopefully that will count towards something.  Unfortunately when it comes to working out though the thought really doesn't count - I'm only going to get results if I put in the effort.  I'm not going to be deterred by this morning but I definitely need to concentrate on building my fitness levels back up.  Who would have thought I actually was able to run a marathon two years ago - ha!

Also - tip for the day!  According to Jennifer Aniston in this month's People magazine (and my friend Toni's trainer) if you want to have a leaner body you shouldn't eat for an hour after you've worked out.  If you eat straight away this builds muscles - I for one don't need to look any beefier than I already do!  I tried this out this morning and didn't notice an imminent result but I'm positive about the future.....;)

Delicious Carrot & Ginger Soup

You'd be more likely to find me in a Betty Ford clinic than at a Betty Crocker cookery class nonetheless even I was able to master this delicious and super healthy soup!

Take half a butternut squash, chop it up and throw it into the oven on 350 degrees for 35-40mins.

In the meantime, sautee 3 crushed cloves of garlic with one chopped onion.

After the butternut squash is cooked add it to the pan with 1lb of chopped and peeled carrots, a 2inch piece of chopped and peeled butternut squash and three cups of water (I did half water-half chicken stock).

Bring to the boil and then cook for 20 mins.

Blend and voila - a delicious and healthy soup!

I'm all about ginger right now as it is soo good for your digestive system.  As I had to buy fresh ginger for this recipe I'm now using it for tea in the morning.  I just chop up a few pieces and add it to some boiling water.  Yummy!  And I think much better for my skin and general well-being than my usual large latte.

Try it and see what you think!

Day 1

Weight: 139.4lb

I'm calling this my official Day 1 as I only really got the idea to do this at about 4pm yesterday afternoon - that doesn't count as a full 24 hours my friend.  So I wanted to clarify what it is I'm hoping to achieve with all of this.  I recently had a health scare - emphasis on the word 'scare', I am indeed fine - but it put alot of things into perspective for me and I feel it's time I started to treat my body with a little more respect.

I eat whatever the hell I want to - thai food for lunch followed by pasta for dinner.  If it's unhealthy I'm bound to love it.  I work for a couple of venues in San Francisco and the wonderful chef at my main office is always obliging when I request a little snack of fries or fried chicken.  I don't eat any fruit at all - I just don't like it - and the only vegetables I will eat when absolutely forced to do so are carrots, peas, corn, broccolli and brussel sprouts.  I've realized that I can go for days without eating any fresh fruit or vegetables and I really need to change this.  I've ordered a juicer which I'm very excited about!  My hope is that I will make a weekly batches of fresh juice and then can have a glass each mornings so I'm at least getting some nutrition in me!

All tips welcome!