OhNo September 30 Day Challenge

What am I going to do next? For once I don't have something planned.

In thinking of my next challenge I'm going to look both inwardly and outwardly. Inwardly - what do I think I could do better? What would I like to focus on or improve? Outwardly - what's the time of year? Do I have any events of holidays planned that I need to take account of?

So these are my thoughts:

• Inwardly
• I want to keep restricting my wine intake. Turns out I  haven't killed completely the habit of boredom/stress drinking (sister of comfort eating); oh no. I want to stop and replace with healthier habits.
• I want to introduce some more variety into my exercising - I've noticed I'm getting into the comfort zone a little. The habits word again!
• Outwardly. 
• I've got a 2 week holiday coming up. I need a challenge that I can fit in to a holiday location where there is no gym and the opportunity to relax and stuff my face is pretty much constant.

So I guess the theme here is habits. We all have them, but habits can change. OhNo (old habits & new ones) September is born!

Here's the guidelines:

Exercise

• Old habit:
• Falling into an exercise rut
• New ones:
• Add in one different exercise in each week.
• Don't skate through, make sure to give 100% to time spent exercising
• When I can't go to the gym (e.g. when I'm on hol) then instead do a quick exercise DVD, or go for a walk.

Diet

• Old habit:
• Boredom/stress drinking or eating
• New ones:
• Identify and recognise what I'm feeling/doing when I reach for a drink or unhealthy snack
• Substitute for a more healthy habit

Other

• New habit
• Writing in this blog is a really good way for me to hold myself accountable. Unfortunately i'm going to be abroad for half the month with no access to the computer so I need to test drive a new habit. Journaling!
• I'll keep a daily note of my exercise, diet and overall thoughts for the day. Every day.

In terms of how I can handle the holiday, it's definitely going to all be about preparation.

• Advice for breaking bad habits @ Charles Duhigg

Clean & Lean 30 day Challenge - Review and thoughts

So a month of Clean & Lean has been experienced... I really liked it! While it's not something I will follow 100% for the rest of my life, I'm going to incorporate lots of the concepts, recipes and ideas of the book into my everyday life and diet.

The Results: 7/10 - I lost just under 1kg and slimmed down a lot - my waist is now a trim 26 inches and my skin is very clear and glowy. Note I don't have a lot of weight to lose. Results would probably be more impressive on someone overweight or eating poorly already. Also more impressive on me if I was completely militant about the clean eating.

The Rules: Overall I found this was too many rules to all introduce at once and I lost track a little (e.g. slow eating... oops!) In future I think I'll try to focus on less things at a time.

• Cut out the following:
• Coffee (1 per day is ok) - 8/10. I only went over my 1 cup max on a few days
• Refined sugar - 6/10. I cheated a little with the odd treat dessert (2 x a week). Other than that I pretty much eliminated low fat and processed foods with high amounts of refined sugar, and switched to using fruit and honey as sweeteners.
• Alcohol - 10/10. No alcohol for a whole month. I started this early, when I finished I kept a few days gap between having a night with a drink or 2.
• Processed food - 9/10. Apart from the odd dessert I pretty much eliminated all heavily processed food from my diet. Making most things from scratch using basic ingredients.
• Do more:
• Drinking water - 10/10 I nailed this
• Eating slowly - 2/10 oops.. I totally forgot about this. Pretty much didn't do this on the whole. 
• Eating organic & fresh veggies - 9/10 pretty good!

I did really well at cutting down on processed foods, alcohol, caffeine. Average score for following this is 8/10, which is kinda reflected in my results :)

Pros

• I'm eating much more whole and homemade foods. This is a plus because it is yummier than a more processed diet.
• This has really helped me break the back of my over-reliance on wine. I can go without, and it's not as difficult as I'd imagined. I'll definitely be looking to increase the number of booze free days in future. 
• I've replaced wine intake with water intake. My stainless steel water flask is literally within reach of my hand at all times and I am drinking a lot of plain, boring water. This has had a massive impact on my skin (see next point)
• I've reduced the amount of makeup I wear. I've received lots of compliments on my skin so no need to smear all that foundation and makeup on
• I'm reading labels more, and seeking foods that have minimal and simple ingredients
• I've been introduced to oat pancakes. AMAZING.
• I've finally ditched the rusty old pots and pans, whew.
• The cheat meal. I have embraced fully (one may argue too fully - should this be a con?)
• I've actually liked cutting out most gluten from my diet (although I haven't managed to do so completely, this is a definite challenge)... I swear it makes me feel better. I'm going to keep on with this and perhaps try a more strict gluten free diet in future to figure out if it is something I have a sensitivity to.

Cons

• Lots of rules to follow. Found it difficult to follow/incorporate these all at once... I ended up doing them really well 80% of the time mostly :)
• The diet had too many meals for me. I have a quick hunger, but small appetite, so do like a little snacking naturally. But I couldn't adjust to the amount and frequency of eating (i.e. sizeable morning and evening snacks) that this diet encouraged.
• Eating a lot of fresh meat and fish, and organic veg can be pricey. I don't mind paying for this because I believe the improved taste and reduction of chemicals is a good thing, but it may not be for everyone.
• It is a bit time consuming to make everything from scratch... a commitment for sure, and you have to make time to make it work
• It's not the magic pill. It is still possible to overeat on this diet and not achieve a weight-loss calorie deficit. I'd say if you aren't seeing results then do a week of counting to see whether you are under or over eating.

Calorie Counting - 21 days in review

So I've completed 3 weeks of calorie counting and just wanted to check in and review my progress.

Did it work? 
For me? Honestly? I don't think so! Did I lose weight? Yes a little, but less than expected given previous months weight loss, and how much I stepped up the exercise and diet.

How does that work?
I seem to eat less, and stress about it less, when I focus on healthy eating, rather than calorie counting.
I have had my moments of being a bit obsessive about dieting in the past (overachiever alert!) and I can feel all those tendencies come sneaking back. I've started thinking obsessively about food and when I do that, what happens? I eat more! I noticed that, when compared to just jotting down what I eat (and not adding up the calories) I seemed to eat more when I obsessively count everything. I found myself weighing everything (massive pain in the bum) and worrying about too many carbs, not enough protein, too much fat etc. I cheated more when I started counting, not less, and I felt much guiltier about it!

But am I fooling myself?
Maybe! Maybe forcing myself to track that bite of ice-cream, that glass of wine or apple juice, and all the other little things you forget are calories also mean that you feel as though you eat more. Not sure. As far as I can tell from my inspirational heroines of fitness, they are more about eating wholesomely and healthily rather than obsessively counting calories. I used to stop eating when I'm full. I don't do that now because I've already logged the calories I'm going to darn well eat them. Oh dear. All I can say is I felt better, lost more weight and obsessed less when I didn't count calories.

Other unexpected side-affects
So it turns out tracking my daily calorie intake made me want to weigh myself more, and that let to me getting angry and confused and stressed more. With constant monitoring and analysis it didn't feel as though the healthy eating and exercise increase were natural and organic, it felt more forced and frantic. I started to prefer cardio sessions (yay more calories in the bank) to weights (hmm no calories in the bank, and then weight gain due to DOMS), when I know that is nonsensical.

So am I eating enough?
Haha! I was a little worried I was undereating. Turns out that is not the case. I was actually on about the right level of calories in my 'healthy eating' habit.

Are there any good sides to the calorie counting experiment?
I suppose so. Counting calories has given me a good feel for the right amount to eat in a day. I now know the difference between a 1400 calorie day and a 2400 calorie day (not as much of a difference as you might think). I'm also aware of the foods that pack a bigger calorie punch than expected (typically process naughty food), and those that do less (greens, eggs, lean protein etc). I know I need to be careful about overeating more than undereating too.

Wrap up
Calorie deficit is the basis for weight loss. I'm not denying it. Most diets work (when they work) because they induce calorie deficits to a larger or greater extent. I would say counting calories is a good place to start for anyone who wants to lose weight. But one size does not fit all.

For me I think focusing on strategies that help me to get a good calorie deficit will be far more important than obsessively tracking. You could argue that I'm kidding myself and the results won't be as good, but I'll feel a lot happier.

Also, if I've discovered anything from the long and painful process of saving up to buy a house it's this; tracking alone does not a nest egg make. You need to use tracking as a tool to understand where you are going wrong, then introduce practical tricks and tools to help you address these trouble areas. If you find that tracking alone is the best way to keep to your budget (money or calories) and you don't mind the effort it takes then keep doing it!

These are my new tips and tricks:

• Fill my plate with fresh, organic veg
• Eat mindfully, keep checking in to see when I am no longer hungry
• Drink lots of water
• Try to eat protein with my main meals
• Cut down on alcohol and excess sweet drinks (e.g. fruit juice)
• It's ok to have a treat every now and then, enjoy it and don't feel guilty!

Clean & Lean - Day 23-25

This weekend the benefits of all this exercising and healthy eating I've been doing the last few months really hit home.

We went away for an active weekend in Snowdonia where we did mountain biking on the hair-raising tracks of Coed y Brenin, and climbed up and down Snowdon; the second highest peak in the UK.

Just to set the scene; around a year ago I did a big climb. It was a disaster. I stopped half way up the mountain/hill and had a strop; I sat down in a field in the rain and refused to move any further for a full 15 minutes. My boyfriend was not impressed. This time was completely different. It still hurt; the mountain was bigger, longer and steeper, but I didn't stop. We didn't stop at the cafe, we didn't stop at the top (it was peeing with rain), we didn't stop to eat (we ate on the go) and we didn't stop on the way down . I even jogged down parts of the mountain where it was not so steep. It was mega.

I'm hurting a little now though, and weighed 61.5kg on the scales. DOMS attack! Or it could be that slab of banoffee pie I ate at that quirky little cafe... hmm.

Also this weekend I also had a drink for the first time in 30 days! It tasted strong. I was drunk after 1 glass of wine, and hungover about an hour later. For the first time I fully realised what alcohol does to you, after experiencing it's effects on a body that has been super-clean for 1 month. It is poison. I slept dreadfully; I was headachey, overheated; sweating, tossing and turning in the night, with bad dreams and a dry mouth. Now breaking my alcohol fast on the same day as trekking up, and running down, a mountain, was possibly not the most sensible thing to do, but it seemed like a good idea at the time (I find having a drink usually does).

I'm lucky having a boyfriend who is pretty active, and I quizzed him about the alcohol thing.

• When he's racing (he does road biking races) he cuts right down on his alcohol. He finds out it affects his performance for weeks after having a drink in a really noticeable way.
• One drink is usually ok, but 2 or more is when the effects kick in.

So I'm going to take a page from his book, and limit my alcohol intake to 1 glass again, with a 2 day break in between drinking days, especially during the week. Hopefully that will be the right balance of having the odd treat, without affecting my exercise performance too much.

Clean & Lean 30 day Challenge - Day 20

Progress summary:

• Weight: 60.7kg (vs 60.7kg last week, vs 60.5kg the week before, and 61.5kg the week before that)

Er... I think I may have a plateau on my hands.

I tried to apply logic to this process to analyse what was happening here... I ended up totally confusing myself. It's not simple.

So first I looked to my diet to see if that could hold the answer. My average intake is 1700 cals (MFP), and I burn on average 1900 cals per day (polar loop). This is an average of 200 cal/day deficit (~0.2kg a week loss). This is not a big deficit, and maybe I'm underestimating my calories in somehow and actually coming out even. So perhaps an option is to decrease average calories in and see if that has an impact on weight loss.

Then I looked to see if any combo of low calorie/low carb/high exercise would lead to optimal results. No clear answer there either. See below for my attempt to analyse this... confusing, no?

The thing is I'm looking pretty slim, and I'm right around the weight my body has kept at comfortably for the last 3 years. My body is very smart. Maybe it wants to stay here! This is vanity pounds territory :(

I've been doing some reading on this:

• Jillian Michaels: Vanity Pound loss
• You are so vain @ Foodbabe
• Glitter Diaries - plateaus

I really like the idea of dialling up the intensity of workouts, rather than their length. I've been doing 30 day shred and perhaps this is the perfect antidote to blast through that plateau.

So... I have a plan.

1. I'm first going to aim to increase my average daily deficit to 300 calories (this is really the highest I want to go) and see if this helps. This I'll do for the last 10 days of my challenge.
2. If I don't see a difference at the end of the month I'll try some more advanced techniques:
• Structured calorie cycling to mix it up
• Carbohydrate cycling
• Temporarily increase number of sessions or intensity. A 30 day shred challenge maybe?

Smoothie Heaven

I need me some smoothies in my life. I've been checking out the beauutiiiful photos and receipes over at Running with Spoons. Official food porn.

It's making my mouth water...

Peaches & Cream

Thick & Creamy Choc Smoothie

Vanilla Cake Batter

Healthy Chocolate Mousse Smoothie

Really looking forward to introducing some of these bad boys into my life. Yummy.

On taking it easy

So, this weekend we're off to Snowdonia to walk up the mountain on Saturday, and then mountain bike on the Sunday.

My boyfriend suggested that it might be a good idea to ease off the exercising for a week and I was like this...

I'm compromising by reducing weights training and long cardio sessions for a few short, intense sessions (Jillian Michaels perfect example). I'm also going to ensure I don't eat too little carbohydrates, I'll need some decent stores for the long endurance requirements of the 2 days.

> 8 last minute tips for Endurance Events

Clean & Lean 30 day Challenge - Day 16-17

What a weekend! My partner had all his friends from oop North round so I fled to my parents house to manfully cope with temptation in the form of my dad trying to ply me with alcohol from the minute the clock hit 6pm.

On the way I decided it would be a good idea to buy a dumbell set, and when parking didn't put 2 and 2 together. As a result I had to lug a 16kg box of the most awkward dimensions across the town centre, stopping every few steps to rest and catch my breath. It felt like an superhero feat; definitely an unplanned workout.

I had a great catch up with my best friend though, and a good gossip and giggle session really cheered me up. I was back home by lunchtime today though and I felt absolutely knackered. My body was an absolute mess.

Throughout the week I've only had 1 days rest, and pulled some punishing 1-2 hour gym sessions that could perhaps be defined as masochistic or counter-productive. It all caught up with me today when I spent the rest of the afternoon in bed wrapped up in duvets having snoozes and reading some trashy books.

I've been mainlining health and fitness podcasts (favourite form of motivation) and I've learned it is possible to overexercise, undereat and generally overdo it. This is great, because it allows me to give myself permission to have a day off, or the odd treat every now and then without feeling guilty (as long as I'm not blowing up my calorie allowance). Not only does it help me relax and recharge my willpower, but my body usually thanks me for it by rewards on the scale. I hopped on this morning and hit an all time low. That's the whoosh for you. I'm definitely in favour of taking proper rest and treat days.

A new podcast: Fit 2 Fat

I've discovered a new podcast. Fit 2 Fat radio is a podcast that champions slow and maintainable weight loss by 'eating like a thin person' I've been listening to a few episodes and am really liking the message that the guys are putting across.

It's the antithesis of crash dieting; the yo-yoing of rapid weight loss, followed by gain, followed by loss again. It basically shortcuts the whole dieting process and gets you to calculate the maintenance calories of 'the thinner you' and start eating them now - basically introducing a moderate calorie deficit and exercise routine with view to slot and long term weightloss. This has a few benefits:

• It's not a Diet. You are eating like the thinner you, and will be for the rest of your life regardless whether you've reached your goal and become that person or not. Once you wrap your head around this, and if you can accept and get used to this, there will be no rebound once you reach goal weight. 
• You lose weight slowly and at a safe rate (<1% of weight per week)
• It avoids the metabolic suppression affect of unhealthy/rapid weight loss
• Suggests switching focus to body composition when near goal, a much healthier approach then a scale obsession (which I maaay just have right now)

I find most interesting people's resistance to increasing calories once they plateau or get near goal, and their need for 'quick fix' all-or-nothing approach to weight loss that is the cause of yo-yo dieting woes. It's definitely a behaviour I recognise from my, albeit brief, yo-yo dieting past.

Definitely recommend checking it out. Also try out the Fit 2 Fat tools. They've got some great calculators on there.

> Visit Fit 2 Fat radio

> Try out the Fit 2 Fat tools  

Jillian Michaels: 30 Day Shred

Finally got round to my Jillian Michaels DVD yesterday.

I usually do yoga on Thursday but unfortunately I instead had to help my boyfriend clean the house and do a grocery shop in prep for a lads get together at the weekend (well... could have left him to do it all but I'm too nice).

I finished all the chores at 8.30, and instead of sitting down in front of the TV and going full mushroom, I decided to whip out my 30 day shred DVD which has been gathering dust in my bookshelf (exercise classes at the gym always seemed much more fun).

Once I started my boyfriend whipped off his jeans and joined in with a goofy grin on his face. I think he was expecting it to be very sedate and girly.

Boy, was he wrong.

He cycles for hours every week, and looks pretty ripped naturally, but he is not used to doing upper body resistance and core work. He went very sweaty and red in the face (as did I to be fair).

My favorite bit was when he started getting whiney and yelled out "Jillian Michaels you b*tch". Hehe.

The workout was hard, but felt a little short. I think I could have back2backed it with another one (maybe I should work on pushing the intensity a little more).

Overall I thought it was really great, and I'm looking online at some of her other ones already. I'd love to do a full 30 day challenge.

Clean & Lean 30 day Challenge - Day 13

I had my weekly weigh in this morning and was surprised to see that I've put on a pound or so since last week. Not what I was expecting! I weighed in at 60.7kg, higher than this time last week, and even higher than a sneaky weigh in I did at the weekend. Hmmm... maybe I should go back to monthly weigh ins!

I've gone over my exercise and eating and even though I was a bit of a lazy greedyguts over the weekend (mmm... Patisserie Valerie chocolate mousse... you are not really clean or lean but worth cheating for), this doesn't come close to explaining the outcome on the scales.

So, I've had to take a bit of a deep breath, reassure myself that I'm not going backwards. There's some possible reasons for the difference:

• I really stepped it up in my Monday body conditioning class, and followed up by a new LB&T class yesterday (which is usually my rest day); in the past increasing the amount or intensity of the exercise I do has always resulted in a temporary weight gain
• My weight the previous week had dropped more than I expected, perhaps I was a little dehydrated and got an artificially low reading.

Great post on how new exercise regime can lead to temporary weight gain on SparkPeople.

Progress summary:

• Weight: 60.7kg (vs 60.5kg last week, and 61.5kg the week before)
• Body fat: 21% (ish - accumeasure calipers)

Others reactions to my month of not drinking

So I'm past half way and have managed to avoid drinking alcohol, sipping alcohol and even sidestepping by adding it to meals/eating alcoholic chocolates.

But it's not been plain sailing. The most suprising side is the range of other people's reactions to my month of dryness.

"I'll do it too"

My boyfriend. My heart overflowed with his support. He lasted a stunning 48 hours before beer lured him back over to the dark side. Lamo. 

"OK you can drive, and pick my friends up on the way"

Also my boyfriend. Grr... OK. But I'm going to remind you of this every time I want to have a drink on a night out for the next few months. Evil laugh.

"Why?"

I launch into a complicated explanation of my health kick, gym going and past over-indulgences. Massive information overdose. Oh, your eyes are glazing over. 

"You are so disciplined" accompanied with wide-eyed blinks of awe.

Er... I'm definitely not disciplined, or I wouldn't be giving up booze in the first place, and I wouldn't be telling everyone to make sure that they don't tempt me. Luckily loss of pride hurts more than temptation. And honestly, it's not that hard when all's said and done - you'd be surprised - maybe you should try it. No?

"What do you want to drink?"

Honestly? I want beer. But I guess I'll have a soda water. Yay water.

"You want a glass of wine? Oh no... sorry... forgot you aren't drinking" Thick tones of pity

 Yeah. Woo. No... coke is also not on the cards. I guess I'll have tap water. Yay water.

"Go on... try my drink. Mmmm." accompanied by an alcoholic drink wafted under my nose and sipping noises.

Seriously?! This one is the worst. I have no words.

It's hard work not drinking. I've got newfound sympathy for my best friend, who is teetotal. The worst is people who think you won't/can't have fun because you aren't mildly stewed. For me? Probably an element of truth... sometimes I'm hilarious when I've had a few. But other times I'm also grumpy, sleepy or just pretty much the same as without. I figure being a cheap date and my taxi skills make up for any potential loss of comedic slapstick that may occur when I trip over the table and flash my knickers.

Clean & Lean 30 day Challenge - Days 8-10

What a weekend!

On Friday I had a solid hour at the gym doing my personal program in the weights area (focusing on lower body after my challenging yoga session on Thursday), and then dashing off to cardio. I had a meal out with friends so had to dash out a little early from class (boy that was a little embarrassing). But I decided it was better to do 2/3rds of the class and leave early than not go at all (although the lady leading the class may not agree with me). It's summer holidays at the moment so all classes are under capacity.

At the restaurant later I was glad I'd got the cardio in.... MY GOODNESS I was stuffed. Oysters for starter, Venison and Haggis for main and chocolate fondant for dessert (not strictly Clean and Lean but it was heaven). Thanks to my evening meal I chalked up an impressive 2k calories throughout the day, but because of all the walking and exercise I was still in deficit for the day (that definitely wouldn't have been the case if I was drinking - my boyfriend and friends were all on the beers).

We ate at the London Street Brasserie in reading. Highly recommended!

The weekend was very relaxed. My body told me it was time for a holiday so I had a few days rest (well other than walking & crazy golf in Windsor on Sunday). I'm feeling much more in tune with myself and listening for when I'm hungry, tired or thirsty seems to be leading to big gains in my fitness, health and general well being.

I've been persuaded to sign up to the Grim Duathlon on the 1st November. I've never done a race, traithlon, or anything like that so I'm feeling a little apprehensive. I'm pretty fit now, but I still run like Pheobe from friends, so methinks an October challenge to get me up to a less embarrassing standard of running may be in order. I might start adding in a bit of running to my exercise routine to get me used to it as soon as possible. Eek!

So... turns out I'm a Faddict (fat addict)

Clean & Lean 30 day Challenge - Day 7

So, I've been writing down my meals, guestimating the calories, and then entering into MFP to find out actual calories and micronutrients.

I have already discovered a few things that suprised me!

• I'm a total Faddict (my new name for a fat addict). See right my pie chart for today. Oopsy. Being a Faddict is not necessarily a bad thing if you choose mostly good fats  (I've been ODing on them for years without putting on weight or having a heart attack), but it is easier to go over on your calories with fat because it is more calorie dense than carbs and protien.
• The fats I love: Avocado, Macadamias, Virgin Olive Oil (in salads), Coconut Oil (cooking), Cheese, Eggs
• I am consistently underestimating the number of calories in my food. It was a shock to me how much calories are in a teaspoon of fat (coconut oil/olive oil), cheese and some other items. 
• Oaty Pancakes - Estimated @ 350; Actual @ 420
• Cheesy omelette and salad - Estimated @ 500; Actual @ 590.

I have also verified something that does not surprise me. Logging all your foods is massively tedious. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel... MFP remembers what I've entered in previous days so the process is getting faster and faster. Before long I'll have a good idea of the calories in my favorite foods, and how to mix and match for optimum macronutrient levels.

One thing that does interest me is how to get enough protein in. I'm not the biggest fan of meat; I like the odd bit of chicken or organic red meat in the evening, but the idea of eating chicken 2 or 3 times throughout the day does not resonate with me. I usually get protein in through eggs and fish, but these are heavy in oils too. I might have to resign myself to being a faddict for life if I want to get enough protein and maintain a way of eating that is right for me.

Some great sources of vegetarian protein are listed here: How to Get Protein on a Vegetarian Diet. Might have to give some of these a whirl. 

Recipe: Homemade Pizzas

I have a confession. Yesterday I ate a non-clean & lean meal. I did, however, cleanify it up. Recipe below. I was pretty happy with the outcome when I plugged it into micronutrient calculator (about 480 cals for a me-sized serving, consisting of 41% carb, 32% fat, 33% protein)

Homemade Pizzas

Makes ~5 servings (a few slices or 1/2 a medium pizza per serving - see pic on the right for quantity)
Approx micronutrients per serving: 480 cals, 49g carbs, 17g fat, 33g protein, 5g sugar (lovely balance!)

Base: (makes 2 large or 3 medium, thin pizza bases)

• 300g flour - I used a mix of Wholewheat organic flour (90%), ground flaxseed, coconut flour and quinoa because that is what I had in the cupboard
• Yeast
• 15g olive oil or butter
• Pinch of Salt
• Squeeze of honey
• 200ml water

Throw in your breadmaker on pizza setting, or knead together and leave to raise.
Roll out to thin rounds and precook in the oven a little so that the bases don't go soggy when you add the sauce

Toppings: (Really you can add whatever you like, but this is what I added to my pizzas. I just ferret around in the fridge and add on top leftover veg and meat. Pile it high!)

• Tinned chopped tomatoes or passata
• Mozzerella ball
• Dried meats  - I used thinly sliced topside beef as it's healthier than chorizo or salami, my usual go to
• Wilted spinach
• Cooked Courgette
• Bit of grated cheddar

Add all this on top, then throw in the oven again until cooked. Easy... and it tasted so good even the ducks wanted some!

I made myself a smaller pizza than usual, and only ate a couple of slices with a big salad I made to fill up the rest of the plate. So not strictly Clean & Lean because of the gluten, but pretty good otherwise. The rest of the pizza I ate for lunch... yummy!

Clean & Lean 30 day Challenge - Day 6

1 week check-in:

It's been 12 days since I quit the booze, and a week since I last weighed myself. I mentioned that I felt as though I'd slimmed down a fair bit, I can fit into even my snuggest trousers now.

• Weight: 60.5kg (a 1kg loss in a week?! hmm... not quite right... must be a whoosh... or I'm dehydrated)
• Body fat: 21% (I thinkk... I must have clumsy hands because every time I measure it's completely different. Oopsy. I'm going to get the gym guy to remeasure me to figure this one out)

Clean and Lean Challenge - Day 5

I've noticed an interesting tendency on my Clean & Lean diet. Before, I was eating 'healthily' and low-carb (ish). Now, on the Clean & Lean diet I've started to be a little bit naughty, whilst still following the rules.

For example, the Clean and Lean Pancakes (another recipe here). I've been nailing those bad boys... because they are 'allowed'. Oopsy.

I also feel as though I'm eating a lot - I could eat less no problem. The diet allows for quite a lot of food; 5 meals a day, all pretty significant. Now I'm not really following an exact diet plan, but mixing and matching the recipes and working with what fresh meat and veg I have in the house. 

Today's example:

• Brekkie: Oat, banana & blueberry pancakes with lemon and honey (a bit too much honey, oopsy)
• Mid morning snack: Carrot & celery sticks with homemade organic hummus
• Lunch - Salad with homemade french dressing and Fish 4 Ever Herrings in Baltic sauce
• Mid afternoon snack: 2 organic oatcakes with olive tapenade
• Dinner - TBC - considering a clean & lean pizza (if I can find a recipe) - Tuesday is pizza day

Now I have no idea how much energy that may represent. 1400 cals? 1600 cals? 2500 cals? No idea. I'm beginning to see the benefits of tracking calories... I burn between 1900 - 2200 cals in any day (BMR + exercise) and it can be surprisingly easy to make those up when you're eating so often. I think it's time for a mini challenge!

Mini challenge
Starting from tomorrow I'm going to weigh and write down all my food. I'll do it for a 1 week, estimating calories and macro nutrients as I go. Then I'll input into myfitnesspal to see my calories in and compare this against my estimates. If I see a big difference I'll keep tracking and recording for a month until I've got a better feel for what I should be eating on a daily basis.

Methinks it will be enlightening!

Clean & Lean 30 day Challenge - Day 1 - 4

So clean and lean August has been kicked off.

I've started with a bang (to my bank account) by buying replacement pans for my Teflon frying ones. I've also had a mini-splurge at Handmade Naturals on some organic and more natural face creams to sub in for my old favorite (but unfortunately paraben heavy) Oil of Olay.

In terms of food I've upped my organic Riverford delivery and am ladening every meal I cook with plenty of in season, local and organic veg. Yum.

Getting a personal programme

I've never really been one for doing weights. And there's been a few reasons for this that have run through my mind:

• Weights areas are scary - full of pumped up men ogling their throbbing biceps in the mirror and being all sweaty and boy-ee (is that a word? I'm making it a word). I don't want to invade their domain and have them stare at me. No sir - I'll stick with the cardio area and the lines of treadmills with skinny b*tches running on them (so it must work right?)
• I don't want to get muscly. Pictures of muscly women scare me off - I've always wanted to be lean and buff, but not bulging.
• I don't know what to do. Yes, I'll play with the leg opening machine thingy for a few minutes with visions of Onatopp from James Bond and her man cracking thighs. But that's it.
• It doesn't look like it does anything. Most of the time the guys are fiddling with the weights, or just chilling. How is it burning anything? I like cardio. It's hard and I sweat and I feel AWESOME afterwards.

So after doing a lot of research, listening to various podcasts and reading some books, I've discovered I've been more than a little bit wrong... and this is why: