Is It Summer Yet...?? 10 lbs in 10 Days Meal Plan! Wedding Weekend!!

The weather in Cornwall has been all over the place lately! One day it's sunny, and the next day it's raining, what's that about?

Anyway, enough about the weather!

So since I finished that hideous cleanse, my weight has stayed around the same for ages now. Though I did go on holiday at the end of March and ate bread, oh my goodness, it was so bloody good!!

I went to Cyprus to visit my sister as she'd just had a little baby, so now my official title is Auntie Tash! Woop!!

We had a great week, and ate some good food, and mainly carbs, oops haha! It's ok, I only put on a few lbs.

After I was done with the cleanse, I went on to LCHF as I talked about in a previous post. I followed it for a month or so, but my weight stayed the same after the initial loss.
Don't get me wrong, it was wonderful eating all that fat, but I didn't half miss my carbs.

I decided after that to simply eat a balance of everything. Depriving yourself is never going to work for too long, so eating bread again is a joy!

I also mentioned my friends wedding which was at the start of May! It was a wonderful wedding, with an amazing reception, I met so many awesome people, and had a blast!
It was in Derbyshire, so a bit of a trek with a lot of driving, but so worth it! My satnav only got me lost once, right when it was looking for the postcode I'd entered, literally took me to the first house it came to! D'oh!
I ended up asking a chap where Garden Farm was, he was very helpful, and posh...

Before that weekend, I did an eating plan from Jackie Warner.
If you're not familiar with that name, Jackie is a very successful trainer, and nutrition expert based in California.
You can find her books on Amazon, and videos on YouTube. She also has a Facebook page, and Instagram account.

So the plan I did, which I have done on a couple of occasions now, is - 10 lbs in 10 days.
I've had the book for a couple of years, and revert back to it because it works!

The book is based on 3 separate blocks of 10 days, after the 10 days is done, you can move onto the next two phases, for a potential total loss of 30 lbs in 30 days!

The book contains exercises for each day, but I just went to the gym a few days, and went swimming, walking etc.
The meal plan has some typos though, so I entered everything into MyFitnessPal for a more accurate outcome.

On day one I weighed, then got to it! It's actually a lot of food for a little under 1000 calories!

I know, I know, we all know not to slip under 1200 calories ideally, but this is 10 days of your life, and if it didn't get you results, Jackie wouldn't encourage it!

Unlike the makers of C9, I trust this program 100%... It's so easy to follow, the only drawback is that it can get boring, the same food everyday for 10 days.

Once I'd input all the foods into MFP, the calories were a little over, so I cut out the almonds from the plan so the calories would be as close to the proper amount as possible.

The meal plan after I'd adjusted it looks like this -

Breakfast

40g Dry weight oats - made into porridge with water (I add ground cinnamon and Butterscotch Zero Syrup from TheProteinWorks.com)
Half a medium grapefruit
1 Cup of green tea
500ml Cold water

Mid Morning Snack

1 Medium braeburn apple
500ml Cold water

Lunch

2 Slices wholemeal bread
1/4 Avocado
A few Slices of tomato
30g Baby spinach
30g Romaine - I had this instead of alfalfa sprouts, which are expensive.
1 tbsp Mustard - I used French's yellow mustard as Dijon is far too strong and burns my nose!
500ml Cold water

Mid Afternoon Snack

2 Sticks celery - about 150g
1 tbsp Peanut butter - 100% peanuts!
500ml Cold water

Dinner

170g Skinless chicken breast
170g Broccoli
50g Cooked bulgar wheat - In the book it says 3 small new potatoes, but I already had cooked bulgar in the fridge.
1/2 tbsp Olive oil
500ml Cold water

For most days, I diced my chicken and fried it in the olive oil with some salt and pepper, and garlic, or seasonings such as Cajun and Sriracha chilli sauce. Adding in chopped broccoli and the bulgar wheat.

Post Dinner

1 Cup green tea mixed with a fruit/herbal tea bag

Total Calories - 970...ish!

The amount of water at mealtimes equals 2.5 litres, with an additional 500ml whilst you exercise, for a daily total of 3 litres! Some people struggle with this amount, but staying hydrated really helps with weight loss, and staying full!

I followed this plan for 8 days, I started it a little late, but I ended up losing just over 5 lbs, which I was really happy about. I didn't exercise as heavily as I could as I had a bit of a head cold to try and clear before my weekend away!
But still, great results.

My mum followed the 10 days as well, didn't exercise all that much, and lost a little under 6 lbs!
So even if you can't do the exercises in the book, but go walking, and are lightly active, you could still lose a good few lbs!

Granted, after the Saturday of my friends wedding, and the food and beers, I put on a couple of lbs, but at least I had fun haha!

So now I am eating a healthy balance of carbs, proteins, and fats, and the losses, although slow, are still there!

Not every diet in the world is going to work for everybody, just find something that works for you, and enjoy the journey! Don't restrict yourself too badly, you're not training for the Olympics, or maybe you are!

Don't be too hard on yourself if you don't lose weight from one week to the next, or you only lose a little!
Chill out if you put on, it's not the end of the world, so relax and be happy!

Eat well, move, have fun, and love yourself! You are a unique snowflake!

Peace :)

Life after the cleanse..

So it's been two weeks since I finished the C9!

Sadly I saw no positives from doing such an awful thing to my body! Yes I dropped 6 lbs, but 3 lbs crept back on even though I ate healthy foods, and exercised.

Ever since I finished, I have moved onto LCHF - Low Carb High Fat - and let me tell you, it's tough cutting out grains and carbilicious foods - rice, oats, wheat, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes - but totally worth it!

High fat means that I can eat butter, cheese, cream, avocados, and the skin on chicken, without feeling guilty!
As long as I stay within my macro allowance each day, it's all good!

So, after my initial 3 lb weight gain last Friday (Feb 27) from upping my calories to fairly normal, I was a bit nervous about weighing yesterday.
I stepped on, and waited for the numbers to appear, and low and behold, I was down a little over FOUR POUNDS!!!!!!!!!!

I am over joyed, and really hope that this means that the numbers are going to continue to go down over the coming months! I don't mind the occasional stall, but gains aren't so great.

It's really important to keep an open mind, and positive thoughts on my journey to being buff..
Can't believe I ate cheese, and butter, eggs, and streaky bacon, and lost weight! Brilliant!

I've cut my carb intake down to 50g, and getting them from vegetables and the odd bit of fruit here and there.
I love cheese, and cooking with butter, so this is something I really missed by going low fat. Never again! Everything tastes better with butter!

I do miss certain carbs, like crispbreads, beans, sweet potato, bulgar wheat. But if these things are stalling my fat loss, I'll just give them a wide berth for a while!

Most shockingly though, I had some San Miguel beers last weekend, and I usually like it, but just tasted watery.
I hope I'm not losing my taste for beer haha, though give me a really good IPA/Craft ale any day!

I am excited for what the next few months will bring...Cheeeeese!

Byeeee :)

Forever Living C9 - Final Thoughts..

It was day nine of the cleanse yesterday, I'd been gagging for it to end for a good few days, I've not been this hungry in months!

So, the results from this nine days are - A loss of 6 lbs (probably mainly water and muscle) and 4 or 5 inches from here and there! If that had been a loss of 4 inches from my waist, I'd have been way more impressed, but an inch is so, meh!

Was it worth it? As I'm a healthy, calorie counting, eater, and a gym goer anyway, it helped bust through my plateau, but essentially, no it wasn't worth it!

I think that maybe this is aimed more at people with awful diets, who eat way too much rubbish, so when they drastically drop calorie intake, of course the weight falls off!!

I think the rules were too vague, as in, they don't give you any idea of how to balance your meals in the book.

If they had properly written recipes, rather than throwing them together and under/over estimating calories, it may help more in understanding what you're eating.

It's important to get a healthy balance of fats, carbs, and proteins. Which is why, after I've steadily upped my calories over the next few weeks, I'll be going on to LCHF - Low Carb High Fat. Fat is not the enemy, we need fat to burn fat, which is not what anyone was told back in the 80s when crazy low fat diets went off the rails!

As I'm halfway through my weight loss journey, I think that my body is getting more comfortable with my current weight, so doesn't want to carry on quite as quickly as when I started.

So, having done some research online, and seeing some great results, I'm giving Low Carb a bash!

My macros are now, roughly, 10% Carbs 35% Protein 55% Fat - The challenge is set! I'm a big carb fan, brown rice, bulgar wheat, oats, sweet potato etc, so this will be hard at the start, but hopefully worth it, in order to lose the rest of the flab!

Another thing that can really help to lose fat, is Intermittent Fasting - Pick two days a week where you eat around 600 - 800 healthy balanced calories. Also known as the 5:2 Diet.

So in conclusion, if you're like me, and have hit a plateau and looking for a boost, save your money, and go on to something like 5:2, or LCHF, drink plenty of water and do some exercise a few days a week.

It's not always fats that make us fat, sometimes it's those pesky starchy delicious carbs. It just takes time to work these things out!

Oh, another thing, the Garcinia didn't work on me, I still felt hungry all day, and the shakes never filled me up! I believe that a lot of it is a placebo effect. You take supplements that stop hunger and you convince yourself that they work - It's a load of rubbish! I also sneezed everyday, A LOT, how unusual!

I've read reviews on Amazon, but Forever Living don't sell their products on there. So anything sold on there isn't legit, but my review is the only negative one so far.
I'm just the kind of person that expects a lot for my money, and when I don't, I'm not impressed!

If this genuinely worked on people, and they kept the weight off, and continued to live a healthy life, then good on them, but for me, nah, a total waste of cash - how effing annoying!

Cheers guys - Here's to the next few weeks!

Byeeee :)

Day Five of C9.....

So day five has arrived! *Update - I was actually supposed to weigh on day six, not five, oh well!*

I'm all weighed, and measured, and have lost a further 1.2 lbs, and another inch off my chest. Since starting my fat loss journey last January, I've basically shrunk from the neck down.

It must be a girl thing, some of us always lose our boobs first! I'm not complaining though, big boobs are a hazard when trying to run haha!

Since Sunday, I have been so glad to be eating meals again, man was I hungry on days one and two..

Yesterday, I split my calorie allowance for meals between lunch and dinner. 600 calories worth of vegetables is a massive plateful, even with 100g of brown rice and chicken! I struggled!

I went to the gym yesterday, had more energy so was able to put in some time on the cross trainer, and weights.
Though got tired quicker, as I didn't have my usual fuel of porridge, and protein shake..

To be honest, this is a quick fix, and I will be glad when it's over, and I can incorporate more calories. I wouldn't want to undo the losses, so will take things nice and steady, plus regular gym sessions should keep things moving - fingers crossed!!

I've set a couple of goals for the end of April, I have a wedding to attend on May 2, so they're my main focus, mini goals are easier to stick to than massive goals. 20 lb losses at a time are perfect for me, I only count in lbs - 40 to go!!

For anyone who may be thinking of doing something like this cleanse, my advice would be - lift weights, keep your muscles working, don't just rely on cardio type exercise - walking, swimming, running etc.
Muscle loss is one of my fears, I've only just been able to get back to lifting heavy weights, I wouldn't want to go back again!

Even if you can't lift the same weights for the same amount of reps/sets, try your best, so long as your muscles get a work out, and you feel fatigued, it's better than nothing!

That's about it really. I will be back on the weekend with another update, and my final results/thoughts.....

Byeeeeeeee :)

Day Three of Forever Living C9....... An Update!

So here it is, day three, finally I can have some real food tonight! WOOHOO, I am soooo excited about eating chicken, brown rice, and broccoli!

I have to admit, the first two days are tough, my stomach was growling a fair bit, I felt cold on Friday evening too (A side effect).
You are allowed to eat fruits and vegetables from a list of low GI food, but I wanted to go hard on this!

The therm tablets are full of caffeine, as I don't drink tea or coffee, they did make me feel a little sick after I took the morning dose. But that faded within an hour, it might have been because I started my exercise too soon.
I should wait an hour maybe.

The vanilla shake, although nice, well REALLY nice with unsweetened almond milk, takes a lot of vigorous shaking and still I had a few gritty bits left in the shaker.
Not like my usual brand of protein powders from gonutrition.com, they have amazing flavours!

Anyway, I digress, so I weighed and measured this morning, like I'm supposed to.....aaaaaand, I lost 4.4lbs and an inch of my chest, waist, stomach, and hips.

So 4 inches total, not bad, but yeah, it is because I've eaten nothing and had very few calories!

Thank God it was only two days!
To go from eating lots of healthy food, to nothing, is hard going, and why my stomach tried eating itself!!

I have to weigh and measure again on day five, so I'll do another update then.
Thankfully on days three - nine, I get a 600 calorie meal each night, plus on the last day, I also get a 300 calorie lunch!

I'm thinking after I'm done with this cleanse, I will start to incorporate a 5:2 kind of lifestyle, but eating the kinds of food I eat anyway, instead of from a book. I find it much easier to log everything on MyFitnessPal, so I know where I am.
Plus so many of those kinds of books always state, a portion of this, a medium sized that, and I end up saying, "For goodness sake, just put the amount in grams!!" Haha.... The meal ideas in the C9 booklet are like that, a portion of green veg, or, a medium sweet potato.

I'm just going to log everything on MFP as usual, and see what happens, as long as I get the calorie allowance, I'm sure it will be fine..

Tip : I've read quite a few reviews/blogs about this cleanse, and a few ladies stated that they had no problems with toilet activities. Well, I don't want to be gross, but I only had no problem peeing, like a race horse!
Had to have a salt water flush this morning though - 1 tsp sea salt flakes in a glass of warm water - it worked haha ewwww, I'm sorry!

I'll be back on day five, with another update..

Byeeee :)

Time For A Cheeky Cleanse...

Friday February 13 - Well that can't be good! I usually stay in bed, hiding under the covers on a day like today!

Actually, I'm not that superstitious, if someone has a crappy day, they can't very well blame it on the innocent magpie they spotted that morning!

So anyway, I am on day one of a cleanse. I am well aware I have already stated in a previous post that the only real thing that's gonna help fat loss is - healthy eating, exercise, drinking plenty of water, etc etc......and that no lotion, potion, or magic pill can do what those things will. So please don't judge me ;)

This is more of an experiment, a way to see if these can truly help rid your body of toxins, and shift some weight/fat/inches! I am only halfway through my fat loss journey, and halfway to my ideal weight. I really should change the name of my Blog haha!

So this is what I'm doing - (Apologies for the mediocre quality photographs, I used my phone!)

Forever Living F.I.T C9! Crazy I know! I'm not one for 'quick fixes', or similar, but I know people who have done this, and have had good results. Just so you know, I don't work, or have anything to do, with this company.

It is all about restricting calorie intake, but is unsuitable for anyone with Diabetes, Epilepsy, Kidney Disease, and Pregnant Ladies! I am sceptical about this, purely because of the lack of calories and risk of muscle loss, so we'll see what happens! Hopefully muscle loss will be minimal due to my strength training at the gym.

What comes in the box?

These booklets. One is a booklet that I fill out with my weight, and measurements, and it gives me all the information I need about the cleanse. The other booklet lists all the products that Forever Living do, aimed at weight management. I also get a cute little tape measure. So before I started, I weighed, and measured myself, and wrote the numbers in the book. This is repeated on days 3, 6, and 9, with Total Losses being recorded on the final day.

This small box contains supplements, and fibre sachets.

What Can I Eat for 1500 Calories?

This is an average days food for me, though this is without going to the gym. I add extra calories depending on how much I exercise.

BREAKFAST -

40g Quick cook oats, made into porridge w/ 125ml semi skimmed milk and 75ml cold water, and ground cinnamon. Sweetened with maple syrup Flavdrops from www.myprotein.com

1 Red grapefruit

Green tea

58g Myprotein Diet Whey Protein Powder Double Chocolate, made up with cold water

Calorie total - 462

LUNCH

185g Canned tuna in brine or water, drained. Mixed w/ 30g Vita D'or Light mayo from Lidl - Cheaper and nicer than Helmans!

6 Ryvita Wholegrain crispbreads

Half a ripe avocado, sliced

Season the tuna mix with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Divide the tuna and avocado between the 6 crispbreads. *Sprinkle with roasted black sesame seeds, and a drizzle of chilli sauce!

*Optional - will add a few extra calories, but spice can be good for metabolism.

Calorie total - 501

DINNER

100g Chicken breast

150g Broccoli

80g Frozen sweetcorn

100g Cos/Romaine lettuce

15g/1 tablespoon Unsalted butter - Lurpack is a favourite!

Calorie total 390

Last night I put my chicken and sweetcorn in a small baking dish. Sprinkled over some sliced red chilli, ginger, garlic, and coriander stalks. Seasoned with black pepper, and poured over about 100ml chicken stock w/ a dash of low salt soy sauce. Dotted it with the butter, and baked in the oven for around 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken was 74 degrees celsius. Garnished with coriander leaves, and served with broccoli and lettuce, delish!

SNACKS

100g Granny Smith apple

15g 100% Peanut butter - No added salt, sugar, oil etc. Just peanuts, and forget low fat versions, blurgh!

Calorie total - 140

Days total calories - 1493

So that's what I eat BEFORE adding exercise calories. When I do 90 minutes at the gym, I burn around 400 calories, which would give me a NET calorie intake of 1093, so I would eat an extra few hundred calories in order to be healthy!

The more you move, the more you get to eat! Pretty sweet eh!

Please check out my previous blog entries for more swirly stuff from my brain :)

How Many Calories Should I Eat To Lose Weight?

To work out the amount of calories you need in a day, calculate your BMR.

But what IS a calorie?

A calorie is a unit of energy. We eat calories in order to produce enough energy to go about our daily lives.

Soooo, what's BMR?

BMR stands for - Basal Metabolic Rate. It's basically, the amount of calories your body burns by simply surviving. If you were in a coma, your body would burn this amount of calories through organ function, digestion etc.

I tend to eat close to my BMR, but you can play around with your calories to see what works for you. Just don't dip below 1200, your metabolism can slow down, and fat loss slows down! PLUS, you could lose important Fat Burning muscle!!

1 lb of fat is equal to approximately 3500 calories. So to lose 1 lb a week, eat 500 calories less a day!

How do I calculate my BMR?

There are a few different formulas that you can use. They involve your height, age, sex, weight, and activity level. But the easiest way, is to visit websites such as -

www.myfitnesspal.com

www.caloriecount.com

www.bodybuilding.com

Or good old Google. You'll probably get slightly different numbers from each one, but go with the average amount to start with.

So now we have our BMR worked out, (Mine being roughly 1452) we can begin to look at our food. We need to spread our calories over breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.

But wait! There's more!

To be sure that we're creating a 500 calorie deficit each day, in order to lose 1 lb a week, we need to calculate our TDEE!

Oh c'mon! You're messing with me right? What the heck is TDEE?

TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure!

To work this out, do the exact same thing you did to determine your BMR, just with a TDEE calculator!

My TDEE is around 2248. So subtract 1452 from 2248 = 796 calorie deficit! So potentially, I could lose just over 1 lb a week, as my total calorie deficit for 7 days is 5572!

Bottom line, eat clean, and stay active. Lift heavy weights, ladies, trust me, we won't get bulky as we lack testosterone! Those female body builders? Yeah, they probably do steroids! Supplement strength training with cardio - 10 minutes of interval training to warm up, and cool down is a good start. 30 minutes at the same pace on a bike/cross trainer/treadmill isn't just boring, it's a waste of time! It's a bit like walking in circles, we never get anywhere!

But anyway, the amount of calories I eat is around 1400-1600 a day, eating closer to 1400 for the majority of the week, and including a cheat day with a few extra calories! It might not sound much, but by making healthy choices, it can be a lot of food!

I hope this helps :)

Why quitting my job was right for me!

It seems that a few things were assumed when I gave my notice at my old job! These things have come into light in the last week, and have annoyed me a little!

My reasons for quitting were -

I was miserable working for a chain restaurant.

The hours were unsociable, EVEN for a chef job!

The food was all bought in.

My days off consisted of doing laundry, and not much else.

I was exhausted. All. the. time!

Late nights, and early starts do not mix.

My health was suffering - I only got to eat one proper meal a day, during my split.

My metabolism was ruined, from under eating, and burning more calories than I consume by hundreds! Now making my journey 10 times tougher!

My strength was weakening. I had trained so hard for 6 months, then all a sudden, my gym life was over, and it was ALL about work!

I DID NOT quit because I couldn't handle the covers! B*tch, please! I've done more covers, with less chefs, and making everything from fresh ingredients, FROM SCRATCH! Nothing frozen, apart from peas, prawns, and fries!

Shouldn't your health come first? When I started my journey to become the healthy person I'm going to be, I didn't count on being set back by a job! I'm 6 months behind schedule. From mid June to the end of August, I lost around 18 lbs! This was purely through under eating, and working lots of hours! Not good!

At the end of August, I went to a food festival, and I ate so much food, it was awesome! I put on about 5 lbs that weekend haha!

Then from the start of September, I started eating the food at work, as the other guys quite rightly said, I'm entitled to it! Unfortunately it's mainly carbs - Pizza, pasta, potatoes.

So the weight I lost, slowly crept back on again, until the New Year, when I went back to the gym, and started to eat clean again - YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not going to dwell on the fact that I'm behind schedule, it was a big ole bump in the road. I'm back on track with my eating, and exercise, and life is good, now I have the time to invest in the most important thing, MY HEALTH WOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

So, if you have made a resolution to lose weight, get fit, or be healthy, do it! Don't quit, and if obstacles get in your way, remove them, or take another route!

Here's to 2015 - This is the year I reach my goals, and smash them out of the park!! I hope you reach your goals too :)

Happy New Year - 2015 woop woop!

Well it's been a while since I've had a chance to write any new blogs! I started a new entry back in July, but never had the time, or energy, to continue! So this is what I had started writing before I quit in the winter -

Summer's here... New job = no life!

As predicted, I ended up getting a new job in June that has taken over my life! Damn!

I've been working crazy shifts at a restaurant, well, I say restaurant, this place is unlike anywhere else I've worked in all my years as a chef!

It's a chain, which means lots of really ridiculous rules and regulations set out for everyone, these people are worse than the Environmental Health Dept!! The food is middle of the road (Far from fine dining), by my standards, and experience, so I'm just seeing it as I get to work with some funny people, and save some cash!

When I was interviewed, I was asked the question, "What made you apply for this job?" I said that I love Italian food, and wished to gain more experience in the cooking side.

The truth of it is though, I really needed a job as my savings were dwindling! I do love Italian food though, and hope to visit Italy one day :)

A typical shift is a split, with a two hour break in the afternoon, and finishing at some time around Midnight, or later. An example would be 10am - 3pm 5pm - 11.30pm (According to the rota)!

It's bloody hard work, I've never had blisters between my toes before, urgh, I'm grateful for those special Compeed blister plasters! My poor feet are taking a battering!

In six weeks I've lost a total of 8.6 lbs, even though I've not had the time, or energy to hit the gym! I'm literally working my ass off! I'm also not eating the food, I take my own lunches of tuna, crispbreads, and salads, though I only get to eat a proper dinner on days off..

I miss my gym buddies though, and I'm starting to get weak again :( NOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Let's hope 'Muscle Memory' is a real thing!

We've had some gorgeous weather here in Cornwall lately, so if lunchtimes are quiet, the numbers are made up by letting everyone through the door in the evenings. The past two nights have been crazy! The ticket machines never stop, and the tab grabbers fill up within minutes! An upside to this is, if all the tables are full, they can't take any more orders. So it's safe to say that service is an absolute beast! Yet not always organised properly, pumping tickets through like there's no tomorrow, and crashing the kitchen! There is only so much each chef can do at any one time, so it's safe to say, this place is a bit of a shambles at times!

Breakfast Recipes...

After weeks, and weeks, of eating porridge every day for breakfast, I've really needed a change lately!

Although oats are the ideal pre-workout fuel - good carbs, slow release energy, low GI (Glycemic Index), low fat, fill you up - they don't half get boring after a while!

One day I added chocolate whey protein powder as they were cooking, and it turned into a gelatinous mess that I couldn't eat :( So that was binned, and I stuck to my usual cinnamon and Truvia.

I had a quick scour online for some 'healthy' breakfasts. A lot involved drinking green smoothies made with kale, spinach, avocados, etc.

Then I found 'Two Ingredient Banana Pancakes', made with eggs, and banana, and that's it!

I had eggs, and bananas, so gave them a whirl!

I have to admit, they're unlike any pancake I've had, more like an omelette, but if you can get past that, rock on!

This recipe is all over Pinterest, so it's not mine, and I'm not taking any credit, but it is a nice brekkie!

PLUS, they're gluten free - I'm trying to limit the amount of gluten I eat - are less than 300 calories, and only contain the natural sugars in the banana!

Two Ingredient Banana Pancakes

Serves 1 person, for around 280 calories!

2 medium free range/organic eggs

A nice ripe medium sized banana - mine were about 6" long

1 teaspoon of oil - I personally use British Rapeseed oil (Omega 3 and 6). Olive, or coconut oil can also be used.

In a bowl, whip the eggs with a fork. In another bowl, mash the peeled banana roughly, keeping some lumps for texture.

Heat a large, non-stick, frying pan on medium. Add banana to the egg mix, and combine.

Add your oil of choice to the pan, and add tablespoons of batter - This mix makes 3 3" (ish) pancakes. Cook for a couple of minutes on each side until golden, flip with a spatula.

These are great served with some blueberries, Greek yogurt, and a drizzle of honey! Add some raw, bashed up nuts for crunch.

As these aren't terribly sweet, some fruit and honey helps.

A pinch of baking powder can be added to this mix if you want the pancakes to be a bit fluffier. I've tried both ways, and had little white lumps in my mix, this didn't effect the pancakes. Though to be honest, I'd rather just stick with a banana and eggs! :)

Something that I've started eating this week is Tofu Scramble! I first tried tofu years ago, and thought it was rank! It was soft, and so bland, and all a bit weird.

But lately, I've given it another chance, as it's a fantastic source of protein, and has very little fat and carbs per 340g block!

So this is my recipe for a dairy free version of scrambled eggs for just over 100 calories per portion!

Tofu Scramble

Serves 4

340g block of firm tofu

Large red onion, about 200g

1-2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon rapeseed oil

1 teaspoon of ground turmeric - gives the tofu a golden yellow colour that's a bit more egg like

2 tablespoons low salt soy sauce

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a non-stick frying pan on medium. Roughly dice the onion, and add to the pan with the oil. Fry on medium for 5-6 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds so they don't catch. Turn the heat down if necessary.

The onions want to be soft, and golden. Peel, and finely chop the garlic, and add to the onions. Season with plenty of black pepper, and the soy sauce.

Open the tofu, and mop up any excess liquid with some kitchen paper, then crumble into the pan. Toss everything together, add the turmeric, and cook for a few more minutes. If there is a lot of liquid, cook until the mix is a little drier.

Once you're happy with the consistency, check the seasoning. Some fresh or dried chilli can be added for heat, or cayenne, a little garam masala, or some soft herbs like parsley or coriander.

I let the mix cool in a glass bowl, on account of the turmeric which stains EVERYTHING it touches, before putting in the fridge for the next 4 days!

I add mushrooms, spinach, peppers, and tomatoes to my tofu scramble with some extra sea salt and black pepper, and it's a really good breakfast for less than 300 calories! :)

For meat lovers, some crispy, dry cured bacon crumbled over the top would be amazing!! :) I do love bacon!

The choices for breakfast are endless! Though finding the ultimate healthy ones are always going to stray far from proper big fluffy American pancakes, with maple syrup and butter! Or the Full English Breakfast! My Dad asked me one day why I don't eat cereals. It's simple, there's sugar in most of them, and the ones that don't, taste like cardboard!

Plus I don't drink milk any more. I do actually opt for oat milk, it mixes really well with my protein powder, making it incredibly creamy. Other options are - soy, hazelnut, almond milks, coconut water.

Eating clean is always going to be a little tougher than reaching for something processed, but it's a lifetime commitment to be healthy, and the best person we can be!

Stay strong people, our body fat can't control us forever! :) Tash

Reasons To Lose The Fat...

Hi guys! I hope you are all well...

It's a beautiful day here in Cornwall, after a some what damp weekend! My one day off from everything is Sunday, but rubbish weather isn't exactly motivational!

Anyway, it's been a couple of weeks since my last blog update, so let's get on with it...

So what makes people want to lose body fat? For me personally, it's for the good of my health, to raise my stamina and metabolism, and generally look, and feel better.

If we're willing to make some sacrifices, and sort ourselves out, we definitely deserve the body we so desire!

My turning point was Christmas. My boobs were getting out of control, and made me feel very uncomfortable, physically as well as mentally. I'd also gone up a couple of notches on my belt over the winter, all that comfort food was too much!

Since I started at the gym on January 9 2014, and on myfitnesspal, I've lost 30lbs (Just over 2 stone!), as well as some inches, which is fantastic, and I couldn't be more pleased! Thankfully my boobs are at a more acceptable size, having lost a good 4/5 inches - Woohoo!! I know tonnes of women love big boobs, and have boob jobs, but c'mon, they hurt your back, and get in the way!!

I've only started measuring myself for the past month, but it's handy to know where you're at, even when the numbers on the scale aren't budging.

Other reasons for fat loss can be - Holidays, Weddings, Parties, Family Gatherings, Careers, as well as the more serious Health Concerns! From Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Heart Problems, Joint Problems, Gall Stones... The list can be endless!

So the bottom line is, healthy is good, obese is bad! There is no sugar coating the subject, and it really is that black and white!

But of course, it's up to every individual to have that want, to live a better, healthier life. I know I do for sure, the thought of some day looking in the mirror and not being happy with what I see scares me!

So if there's anyone out there who is wanting to bust some fat, but unsure where to start, come join me on my journey, and we'll do it together! It's always best to have some support, especially if you're struggling!

Hopefully I will help some people through my blog, seeing as the internet is full of people constantly contradicting each other, I'm trying to keep it simple, and without a bunch of sciencey blurb! But if I do have to include any blurb, I will explain it best I can haha!

Cheers.....Tash :)

Recipe One - Turkey Con Carne.....!!

Good Morning guys, and Happy Monday!

Now I know a lot of people hate Mondays, it's back to work/school day after having a nice weekend off! Unless of course you work weekends, in that case, brothers and sisters, I feel your pain! I've done it for years until recently, and it sucks!

So, what are we kicking the week off with then?

How about a recipe for a lovely Turkey Chilli?

So why turkey, and not beef? Well, as much as I love beef, and red meat in general, it's a good idea to cut back on the amount we eat whilst we're on a fat loss journey! So here we go!

"Turkey Con Carne"

Serves Four Hungry People, or Six Not So Hungry People!

Equiptment -

Large High Sided Non-Stick Casserole Type Pan w/ Lid

Chopping Board

A Couple of Sharp Knives - A small prep knife, and a 6"/8" Chefs knife

Vegetable Peeler

Box Grater/Food Processor w/ Grater Attachment

Silicone Spatula/Non Metal Spoon

Ingredients -

500g Lean Turkey Mince (A mix of dark, and white meat for great flavour)

200g Carrots

300g Red Onion

100g Celery

3 Garlic Cloves

1 Fresh Red Chilli - Deseeded and finely chopped

4 Roasted Red Peppers - Roughly chopped. You can buy some fantastic ones at your local supermarket, for a fraction of the price of fresh peppers!

400g Can of Kidney Beans

400g Passata - Buy a nice flavoured one with chilli, herbs, garlic etc!

1 Tablespoon of Tomato Ketchup - I LOVE Sainsburys own brand, it came top in a taste test by Which? Magazine!

2 Tablespoons Rapeseed Oil - Border Fields is excellent!

Half a teaspoon Ground Cumin

Half a teaspoon Sweet Smoked Paprika

1 and a half teaspoons Regular Paprika

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Dried Oregano

30g Fresh Coriander - Leaves picked and roughly chopped, and stalks finely chopped

1 teaspoon Chipotle Paste - ASDA do a very nice paste, if you've not tried it before, it's Jalapeño Peppers that have been smoked, then ground to a paste. Delicious!

A Lemon

1 Free Range Chicken Stock Cube - Kallo Stock Cubes are great!

*Hints, and Tips!*

Recipes are there as a guide, unless it's baking, ingredients and amounts aren't set in stone. If you don't like something, or you have allergies, such as celery, leave it out and add more onion, or maybe some pumpkin/squash! If you don't like a herb, or spice, again swap it for something you do like!

If you have a food processor, this can make life a million times easier if your knife skills are lacking, by using the grater and slicer attachments you can whiz through your veg prep in no time!!

Method -

1. Peel the carrots, onions, garlic cloves, and wash the celery stalks. Finely chop the onions, and celery, and grate the carrots. If you have a food processor, use the grater for all the veg!

2. Heat a pan on medium, and add the rapeseed oil, followed by the veggies and a good pinch of sea salt. Stir well, put the lid on, and let the veg cook until softened, stirring every few minutes for 10-15 minutes. Some golden colour is a bonus here to bring out the natural sweetness in the veg!

3. Once the veggies are nicely cooked, add the garlic and red chilli, and cook for a few minutes. Push the veg to one side of the pan, and break in the turkey mince. Brown off the meat by stirring it, and breaking up clumps with your spatula/spoon. Increasing the heat if necessary.

4. Season the meat and veg mix with freshly ground black pepper, and add the dried spices. Allow the spices to cook for a minute or so, then add the chipotle paste, coriander stalks, stock cube, and dried oregano. The stock cube will melt in seconds with a little stirring action!

5. Next, add the passata, ketchup, the peppers, and the drained, rinsed kidney beans. Add a little water at this point if it seems a little dry, or thick, 200ml should suffice (If using a 400g jar of passata, just rinse the jar out!). Add in half of the chopped coriander leaves.

6. Once everything is in the pan, allow to cook on a low heat for an hour or so, or until the sauce has thickened to your liking, and the turkey is delicious and tender! Finish with the rest of the coriander, and the juice of half a lemon, or to taste, and check the seasoning!

I love this chilli served with some bulgar wheat, steamed broccoli, and a spoonful of fat free Greek yogurt!

I really hope you'll give this a try guys, and let me know what you think! Cooked, shredded turkey can be used in place of mince. Remember, if you don't like an ingredient, leave it out, or swap it for something else!

Cheers......Tash :)

Happy Days..

Hi guys! Well it's a beautiful Sunday afternoon here in Cornwall, and I've been to the gym! Usually Sunday is my rest day, but I had a midweek break..

I'm glad to say that the weather has improved greatly this week, after a horrendous winter, I think we're all ready for some flip flop weather, am I right?!

As promised, I'm going to start adding some recipes that I've come up with. They're basically lighter versions of things I love, though I'm still working on a Mac n Cheese recipe, so bare with me!

The foods I eat are all about making clever little food swaps that can help cut fat content, carbs, and high calories.

Ideally we would all be eating lean proteins, whole grains, healthy carbs, and fats, fresh fruits and veggies..

Something that a lot of people do when trying to lose fat, is restrict their diet! They cut out all the naughty stuff they love. This is fair enough, but you need to have a treat now and then, otherwise you might end up binging!

So, what have I cut out of my diet?

1. White Rice, White Bread, Pasta.

2. Carbonated Drinks - Pepsi/Coca Cola/Sprite etc.

3. Coffee, and Tea.

4. Fast Food/Junk Food.

5. Alcohol - I've cut DOWN on alcohol, I still have the occasional beer now, and then. Plus I really love good Bourbon :)

6. White Potatoes - I rarely eat these even though I love a good crispy roasted spud!

So, what do I have instead of these things?

1. Brown Rice, Bulgar Wheat, Quinoa, Wholegrain Crispbreads, Gluten Free Pasta.

2. Water all the way! 3 litres per day.

3. See above!

4. Healthy stuff - More on that later!

5. Like I said, I have a drink now and then, when the mood strikes.

6. Sweet Potatoes - High in fibre, virtually fat free, and delicious!

It's not that I don't like white bread, or normal potatoes, but for now I'm all about making healthy choices. But I do find now that plain boiled white rice smells like socks haha!

I also, most definitely, eat dairy products! Eggs, Greek yogurt, and cheese are brilliant things, and I couldn't imagine never eating them again! When I buy cheese, I choose strong extra mature cheddar so I have to use less - cheeky hey! Low fat cottage cheese, feta, parmesan are all great choices too. My choice of yogurt at the moment is ASDA Extra Special Fat Free Greek Yogurt, it's delicious, and brilliant for sweet, and savoury dishes! Just avoid the 'Greek Style' ones! I want authentic foods, not a style of something!

So there you have it, if you want to lose fat, and get lean, make some sensible swaps, and you'll be who you want to be in no time!

Tash :)

Weight Loss Journey So Far - 2014...

So this blog entry is all about my first 3 months.

Once I got started at the gym, I set up a profile on www.myfitnesspal.com to record my food, and exercise. To be honest, it seems like a royal pain in the you-know-what to have to weigh, and measure all your food. But in all honesty, it's not that bad, and once you get in to the habit, it's second nature. It makes you think twice about reaching for something, and just eating.

Along with the gym, which I visit 6 days a week, healthy eating, and plenty of water, things are really paying off!

Now, I've read an awful lot of stuff on the internet about fat burning foods, different exercises to target certain areas of fat, and to be honest, a lot of it is absolute rubbish!

Yesterday I wrote a really long status on good ole Facebook! The response I got from friends, was incredible. I've learnt a lot over the last few months, but particularly the last 4/5 weeks. So, here is that status, it's full of useful information, no confusing jargon, and definitely NO BS!!

"Almost 3 months in to my total lifestyle, and fitness overhaul..

I'm now down by 28lbs, which is incredible, and I've swapped some fat for muscle!

For those who are interested, I'm here to tell you some truths about getting healthy.. I am in no way a Fitness Instructor, or Nutrition expert, I am just sharing my experiences. Apologies for it being a lengthy one, but this is what works for me! I've come a long way since January..

Want to lose fat? Eat clean. Strength train. Lift HEAVY weights.

Build lean muscle, which helps burn fat, even after your work-out is complete!

A pound of muscle takes up much less space than a pound of fat!

Cardio will only get you so far. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is the bomb for when you do it though!

Losing weight, and losing fat, are two different achievements. The scales don't always tell the whole truth if the numbers aren't budging, but a tape measure, and your clothes never lie, trust me!

Don't focus entirely on the lbs/kg's.

Don't believe the media, they lie to make money.

No fat burning pill, lotion, or potion will make you skinny. They are a scam.

Spot reducing is a lie.

A belly fat burning product supposedly endorsed by a celebrity is BS!

No amount of crunches will give you a six-pack if you have a layer of fat over the top, your stomach will just look bigger.

Abs are made in the kitchen. The majority of your goal to lose fat is based on what you're sticking in your gob! Eat lean proteins, good carbs, healthy fats, fruits and veggies.

Burn more calories than you consume. One pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories.

Learn your BMR - Basal Metabolic Rate or in English, the calories your body would burn if you were in a coma.

Take that number, plus how many calories you burn at the gym.

So if my BMR is 1505, and I burn 600 calories at the gym, I would eat another 500 calories to be healthy - Not taking in to consideration other calories burned through day to day activities like driving, moving around, working etc.

If you want to get really technical, calculate your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure).

Never eat less than 1200 calories, it's not healthy. I do not recommend it for anyone, your body will hate you for it!

I made mistakes when I first started out, I wasn't eating half as much as I should have. I didn't know I had to eat back my exercise calories, oops! Doing that for too long will mess up your metabolism, so my losses stalled for a month or so, until last week.

Re-jiggle your work-outs, and your food/calorie intake. Don't let that body of yours get too comfy, switch things up for maximum results!

I am incredibly proud of everything I wrote, and I know that it's not crap! Although what works for me might not work for everybody, but it will work for the majority! You just have to find your own common ground!

In conclusion, I eat around 1500 calories each day, even on my rest day. As I get closer to my fitness goal, I can up my intake if I wish, but only so long as my workouts are still giving me the results I consistently aim for!

When I say "Lift HEAVY weights", that is for both boys, and us girls! When we build lean muscle, it burns the fat left over as energy, and unless we take bulking supplements, and eat 5000 calories a day, we won't get big, just lean and toned! Who's not gonna want that?

So, as a result of all my hard work, I've lost 2 stone! I've a couple more milestones to reach yet before I can go into maintenance mode, but it's all happening.

At first, my weight fell off, and the first stone melted away. Now my losses have slowed down to a steadier pace, which is much better for the long term!

Here's to the next few months!

I would love to hear from others on their own fitness journey, as well as to share tips, and encouragement!

Cheers.... Tash :)

A Bit About Me...

Hi there, and welcome!

My name is Tash, I live in Cornwall, England, and I've always struggled with my weight.

I've had a career in cheffing since leaving school at 16, but all that food is too much for some people, especially if they're trying to fight the flab!

At the end of last summer, I got a chef job in a new restaurant that was opening. How was I to know it was a huge mistake? What sounded like a brilliant, and fun job, rapidly turned out to be a total nightmare.

Working long hours every week, for a lousy salary, is bad enough! But add on to that, no meal breaks, or breaks at all! Except a measly one hour late into the afternoon! After a summer spent eating healthily, I was gutted that I was having to buy a crappy pre-made sarnie for my lunch (My only meal for the day!).

The biggest problem came from the working hours, starting at 09:00 hrs and finishing near enough Midnight 5 days a week. With no time to make myself a lovely packed lunch, and frankly zero energy to even want to, my mood plummeted. Days off became a blur of doing nothing, the lack of essential vitamins, and minerals were really starting to play havoc with my body! The night before a day off would have me stopping at the 24hr service station, picking up some junk food, and beers, going home and wolfing the lot!

Needless to say, I was miserable, I hated getting up in the morning to have to go to work in a place I grew to resent. I didn't stay there for very long, some of the attitudes I had to put up with really tipped me over the edge.

My weight crept up on me, once I'd walked away from that disaster, I made up for lost time, and ate like a pig!!

Winter soon hit, then Christmas, and New Year! I had a brilliant Christmas with all my family, I ate and drank myself sideways!

Then, in early January, when I realised I'd gone up a notch on my belt, I decided that now was the time for change!

I knew I couldn't do it on my own, I just don't have the will to exercise at home, or copy work-outs from online.

So I made the decision to join a local gym, because if I didn't, things would only get worse!

It was at a hotel I'd worked at in 2005, so I knew the equipment was good, and the pool area was lovely!

On January 9, I had my first induction. The fitness instructor, who I now regard as my Yoda, was lovely! Even though I was horrendously out of shape, his words of encouragement helped me through, and he was incredibly patient. I only had 30 minutes with Jack, but he gave me some exercises to follow, and I went away with a spring in my step. Although I was still very timid of walking in to a gym, and afraid of people looking at me, this was the first step to a brand new me!

Let's be honest, everyone who goes to a gym goes for the same reason as me - exercise!

Thanks for reading, for more news about healthy fat loss, stick around for upcoming blogs. some will feature my very own recipes for foods that have helped me out!

Tash :)