Friday 28 February 2014

Weight Loss Week Seven Day One Lite and Easy (Lite n' Easy)

Week 7
Day 1 - Wednesday
26/02/2014
lite and easy
Lite n' Easy Morning to Afternoon

Breakfast: Fruit & Bran Cereal Multigrain Toast
with Strawberry Jam

Morning Snack: Seasonal Fruit (Grapes)
  
The grapes were actually pretty nice today, better than previously.

Lunch: Mexican Chicken Tender
with Fresh Salsa in a Wrap
Kiwifruit

This is  a pretty yummy lunch, I just have it without the avocado.

Afternoon Snack: Potato Crisps

I find these so salty I almost can't eat them, almost.

lite and easy
Lite n' Easy Dinner: Sweet & Sour Chicken


This is okay, it should really just be called "Sweet Chicken" the mix of sweet and sour is just off.  It tastes like a pineapple sweet sauce to me.  I wouldn't go out of my way to order this again but if I get really bored with the menu I would have it again.  Not great but not totally inedible.

Glasses of water: 7

Additional Items:  Homemade Coffee (low fat milk & 2 tsps sugar)

Exercise: None


I felt really run down today, just exhausted.  I’m not sure if I’m getting sick or what is happening.

Lite n' Easy Week 6 Weightloss Journey - Week Six Weigh In

Weigh In
Week: 6 - 8.7kg Gone!

Week Six
I did go out socialising this week and had a few things I shouldn’t have but still lost weight.  Strangely enough I lost more than last week which confuses me.  Maybe I shouldn’t focus on the figures so much.

Weightloss Week 6
Weight lost this week: 0.8kg (1.76 pounds)
Starting Weight: 148.8kg (328 pounds)
End of Week 5 weight: 140.1kg (308.86 pounds)
Total weightloss: 8.7kg (19.18 pounds)

I’m really happy and proud of myself to losing 8.7kg.  But I am quite large and I always hear everyone say that larger people lose weight really quickly in the beginning, that’s not really the case with me.  Maybe it’s all up to the individual.  

More Figures
I’m officially confused.  My body fat percentage increased since last week along with my visceral fat and my bone and muscle mass decreased.  Does this mean I’m losing muscle and not fat?  I think I will just try to take these figures with a grain of salt at this stage and look at them after a month or so as week to week they might be slightly off.  

Body Fat = 57.7%
A healthy Body Fat percentage is 22 - 32%.

Visceral Fat = 20  
Excess Level Visceral Fat is 13 – 59
Visceral Fat Is the fat that is in the internal abdomanal cavity surrounding the vital organs.  Too much viceral fat can increase the risk of certain diseases such as heart disease high blood pressure and the onset of type two diabetes. 

Water Range = 31.5% 
Healthy Water Range is 45 - 60% but I do weigh myself in the morning when I have just woken up.

Physique Rating = 3
Physique Ratings: 1 = Hidden Obese, 2 = Obese, 3 = Solidly Built, 4 = Under Exercised, 5 = Standard, 6 = Standard Muscular, 7 = Thin, 8 = Thin and Muscular, 9 = Very Muscular.

Muscle Mass = 56.4kg
Bone Mass = 3.0kg
They did not have much to say on Muscle Mass or Bone Mass, I know that I'm normal for the bone mass for my weight range.

Thoughts on Lite n' Easy
The apple skin has been strange lately, like powdery and bumpy and they taste pretty average.  I’m not getting sick of the food yet. 

Goals for next week
I’m getting so frustrated as I’m sick all the time and it’s preventing me from exercising, I have to try and break through it.  I know I’m still losing but I want to be losing more this early in the weight loss journey.

How is your weight loss journey going? I'd love to hear from you!

Tuesday 25 February 2014

Weight Loss Week Six Day Seven Lite and Easy (Lite n' Easy)

Day 7 - Tuesday
25/02/2014

australian weight loss blog
Lite n' Easy Morning to Afternoon

Breakfast: Berry Wheat Bites Multigrain Toast with Plum Jam

Love this brekkie, glad to have more than just toast and yoghurt this morning.  When I started I would never eat breakfast and eating this much would make me ill.  I have no problems eating it now and really look forward to having breakfast in the morning.

Morning Snack: Orange

Lunch: Chicken & Pasta Bake
Seasonal Fruit (Red Apple)

I swapped around the lunch as I had a spare from all the socialising I have been doing lately.  I just felt like this rather than a curry for lunch.

I couldn't finish the apple it was just that the skin had a strange texture, it was powdery and grainy.  I have never experienced this before and thought that it might have been going off or something? 

Afternoon Snack: Choc Hazelnut Fruit Mix

Gobbled this down quick, totally chocolate starved LOL.

aussie weightloss blog
Lite n' Easy Dinner: Roast Beef
Dinner: 14 Roast Beef

This dinner reminded me that I don't like Roast Beef :S  I really wanted to try all the meals I could and give them a fair shot as there may be a hidden gem, this is not one of them for me.  The meat is fine, I just don't like the flavour of roast beef.  

It's a shame as the gravy is really yummy in this one.  I couldn't eat the pumpkin as it was flavourless and mushy and the sweet potato was hard.  So I won't be ordering this again.

Glasses of water: 8

Additional Items:  2 x Homemade Coffee (low fat milk, 2 sugars)

I have been having two coffees lately or a coffee and a coke zero, I have to stop this!


Exercise: Dancing for 60 minutes, moderate to high intensity with soup can weights for about 15 minutes.

I was getting tired of exercise dvds and really not motivated.  It always felt like a chore, something that I had to force myself to do.  Even though I had been improving and finding the exercises easy, it was still not what I would call fun or even enjoyable.

I love dancing and always have so I decided to put together a compilation of my favourite "get that booty shaking" tracks.  I started with a low intensity paced track at the start just to get warmed up, to moderate/high intensity paced tracks and then gradually getting lower in pace towards the end.  I called it "Melercise" LOL

I used soup cans as weights in the highest intensity stage and did some shoulder rolls, arm stretches and calf stretches on the last track.  I even roped someone else in to do it with me and they really enjoyed it too.  I think I found my new exercise routine, it's fun and you can bust your own moves.

My plan is to move up to heavier weights and include some strength training twice a week.

What is your favourite workout?

Monday 24 February 2014

Weight Loss Week Six Day Six Lite and Easy (Lite n' Easy)

Day 6 - Monday
24/02/2014


lite and easy
Lite n' Easy: Morning to Afternoon
Breakfast: Fruit n Muesli Toast with Butter Vanilla Yoghurt

I find that I need something more for breakfast, a piece of toast and a small yoghurt just don't cut it for me anymore.  I find that when I have breakfasts like this I end up hungry quicker in the afternoon and after dinner.  I think that is why I ended up having dessert.  I'll try to be mindful of this going forward and try to order the cereal/toast combo or something just as filling.

Morning Snack: Two Fruits Fruit Cup

So sick of these! (It didn't help that I didn't like them in the first place) L


Lunch: Napoli Meatballs on a Long Multigrain Roll
Orange

I really enjoyed this lunch.  The roll and the sauce were really yummy, the meat is bland but I didn’t really notice it because of the sauce.

Afternoon Snack: Dried Apricots

Having such a light breakfast these did nothing for me at all.

lite and easy
Lite n' Easy Dinner: Corned Beef
Dinner: 04 Corned Beef

I avoided this dish on the menu as I thought that I wouldn't like it but I was wrong.  It was really yummy.  The meat was quite nice, I liked the sauce and there was lots of mashed potato.  I would definitely order this again. 

Glasses of water: 7

diet dessert
Skinny Cow: Double Chocolate Sundae
Additional Items:  Homemade Coffee (low fat milk, 2 sugars)
Skinny Cow Double Chocolate Sundae

Exercise: 20 mins 1 mile walk Leslie Sansone (Can't find exact copy but there is a similar Youtube version here). (I use soup cans as light weights for upper body sections).

I was not feeling well today, migraines and all but I haven't been exercising much this week so I made myself do it.  I only did the one mile, I have previously been doing the two mile, but even though I was tired I noticed how far I'd come.  I'm not an athlete by any means, but I didn't get as tired, puffed and my resting rate came around a lot quicker.

I still worked up a sweat as I gave it my all but I want to get back to the two mile and push myself.

Weight Loss Week Six Day Five Lite and Easy (Lite n' Easy)

Day 5 - Sunday
23/02/2014

lite and easy
Lite n' Easy Breakfast 
Breakfast: Nut Cluster Crunch and Wholegrain & Oat Toast with Plum Jam

I really like the Nut Cluster Crunch as it has a vanilla flavour to it.

lite and easy
Lite n' Easy Morning Snack
Morning Snack: Fruits of the Forest Yoghurt
Because I’ve been eating out lately I haven’t had my snacks so I was able to choose from a few, I probably shouldn’t do this but my Lite n' Easy meal plan is way off this week anyway.

healthy food court
Lunch at a Food Court
Lunch: Food Court (Yumm): Chicken & Salad Sandwich (wholemeal bread, chicken, tomato, lettuce, carrot, cucumber, beetroot and red onion.  No butter, salt, pepper, mayonnaise or sauce)

Yes I know I'm out yet again! I was happy with my food court choice.   Some may think it’s boring but I really enjoyed it and I don’t feel like I’m missing out, even when people around me have chips or fatty foods.

Afternoon Snack: A Carrot

I really didn’t feel like any more fruit cups or any of the other snacks available.

lite and easy
Lite n' Easy Dinner: Malay Beef Curry

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.  It’s a bit spicy and the pumpkin in this is really sweet and yummy.  This is proof that Lite n’ Easy can do tasty pumpkin, so why can’t they have this pumpkin in the roast dinners?

Glasses of water: 8

Additional Items:  Homemade Coffee (low fat milk, 2 sugars)
Muffin Break Coffee: Skinny latte with 2 sugars.


Coffee
My Happy Coffee
I know that I probably shouldn't have had this as I had already had a coffee this morning, but I wanted it as a little treat.  How cute is the smiley at the bottom? Made me smile. :)

Exercise: None

Weight Loss Week Six Day Four Lite and Easy (Lite n' Easy)

Day 4 – Saturday
22/02/2014

lite and easy
Lite n' Easy: Breakfast

Breakfast: Multigrain Toast with Apricot Jam Mango Yoghurt

You’ll probably think that I’m a nutball but I put the yoghurt on my apricot jam toast and it was pretty yummy.

Lite and Easy
Lite n' Easy Morning Snack: Orange
Morning Snack: Orange

Can’t get enough of them lately, I have no idea why.

lite and easy
Lite n' Easy Lunch: Mexican Chicken Stack

Lunch: Mexican Chicken Stack Pear Fruit Cup

This is a pretty delicious and satisfying lunch.

Afternoon Snack: Carrot & Celery Sticks, low fat dips, water crackers, feta cheese and a few grain waves.

I went to yet another BBQ and I brought a platter containing the stuff listed above.  While I ate more than I should have I still think it’s better than eating other high fat options available.
Dinner: Lamb & fetta rissoles on a bread roll with cheese, tomato sauce, lettuce and tomato.

The meat was a little fatty, the roll was about three times the size of the Ln’E ones and I did have cheese and tomato sauce, but I don’t think it was too bad for me.  Everyone else had brownie, double cream, ice cream with ice magic and I resisted so I’m pretty proud of myself for that. 

I didn’t take photos of the food as I still feel it’s a bit socially awkward and a tad impolite so I hope you forgive me for that.

Glasses of water: 7

Additional Items:  Homemade Coffee (low fat milk, 2 sugars)
Sprite Zero 600ml


Exercise: None

Saturday 22 February 2014

Weight Loss Week Six Day Three Lite and Easy (Lite n' Easy)

Day 3 - Friday
21/02/2014


Breakfast: Multigrain Toast with Apricot Jam Mango Yoghurt

Morning Snack: Red Apple

Lunch: Chicken Noodle Soup with Ciabatta Toast
Two Fruits Fruit Cup
weight loss tips
Restaurant Lunch: Pad Thai
Lunch at a Restaurant: Pad Thai Noodles with Grilled Chicken

 I know I'm really naughty for not eating the breakfast and snack, but it was not intentional nor do I want to make it a habit.  I got woken up by a text message from my sister asking me to go shopping and if I could be ready in about thirty minutes.  With me, thirty minutes is like asking me to get ready in five, so breakfast was not happening.

We ended up going to lunch at the Carindale Hotel (menu here).  It wasn't planned and completely spontaneous, there was not really many healthy low fat options to be found on the menu.  I decided on the Pad Thai with with stir fried egg, bean sprouts, tofu and grilled chicken.

It was delicious and I'm pretty sure I made a good choice here.  As you can see by the image above, the meal was HUGE!  I couldn't even eat half of it.  I felt awful leaving that much food but why should I stuff myself trying not to waste food.  I think restaurants should serve smaller portions or at least have the option too, somewhere between entree and main.

lite and easy
Lite n' Easy Afternoon Snack: Light Fruit Cake

Afternoon Snack: Light Fruit Cake

I managed to squeeze in my afternoon snack.  Lite n' Easy always have delicious cookies and cakes.

lite and easy
Lite n' Easy Dinner: Curried Beef Sausage
Dinner: 119 Curried Beef Sausage

Is it just me or does this one look completely disgusting?  It's a strange one, the curry is sweet and almost like a coconut Thai curry which I find odd.  It wasn't disgusting, just unusual.  There was a large piece of gristle in one of the sausages, otherwise they were nice.  Not sure if I'd order this again. 

Glasses of water: 8

Additional Items:  Homemade Coffee (low fat milk, 2 sugars)
250ml Coke Zero

Exercise: None

Does shopping count as cardio? ;)

Weight Loss Week Six Day Two Lite and Easy (Lite n' Easy)

Day 2 - Thursday
20/02/2014

lite and easy
Lite n' Easy - 1200 Calorie - Morning to Afternoon

Breakfast: Fresh Omelette (Two Free Range Eggs Ham & Tomato Mix and Cheese)

This is yummy but I find it a bit fiddly to make an omelette (I'm just lazy really), so I think next time I will make it into scrambled eggs maybe.

Morning Snack: Peach Fruit Cup

Lunch: Smoked Beef, Baby Leaf Salad and Fruit Chutney Wholegrain & Oat Sandwich and an Orange

This is actually quite tasty, I didn't think I'd like the smoked beef and fruit chutney combo but it's actually quite enjoyable.

Afternoon Snack: Apple & Cranberry Fruit Mix

I don't really like these trail mixes and this one has a heap of cinnamon thrown in, well it seems like that to me.

lite and easy
Lite n' Easy Dinner: Braised Chicken & Almonds


I really liked the fried rice, the sauce, the veggies, but the meat just let the whole dish down.  I'm pretty picky when it comes to meat and I hate grey thigh meat and that is exactly what is used here.  So because of that I would not recommend it and will not be ordering it again.  I wish the would use breast.

Glasses of water: 8

Additional Items:  Homemade Coffee (low fat milk, 2 sugars)


Exercise: 30 mins 2 mile (3.2km) walk Leslie Sansone (Can't find exact copy but there is a similar Youtube version here). (I use soup cans as light weights for upper body sections).

Weight Loss Week Six Day One Lite and Easy (Lite n' Easy)


Day 1 - Wednesday
19/02/2014

Breakfast: Toasted Cheese and Tomato Multigrain Sandwich

Morning Snack: Green Apple  Orange

It was meant to be a green apple for the morning snack but I was craving an orange.  What the? I have never in my life craved an orange, what is happening to me? LOL

Lunch: Sliced Turkey and Cranberry Sauce on a Ciabatta Roll
Two Fruits Fruit Cup

I really didn't enjoy this at all.  The turkey was bland and so it was really just sauce on a sandwich, wouldn't order again.

Afternoon Snack: Apple & Sultana Pancake

This is delicious!


Dinner: NEW Chicken and Cashews (#187)

I was excited to see a new dinner on the menu because with Lite n' Easy the dinners can become a bit samey.  But I felt let down with this one, it wasn't bad but just nothing really different.  

It reminded me of one of those all in one frozen veggie create-a-meals with the sauce sachet included and you just add the meat.  I thought it was a little on the bland side and nothing too exciting.  

I wish they didn't get rid of the Tandoori Chicken (#112) for this :(  It was so much tastier than this.

Glasses of water: 8

Additional Items:  Homemade Coffee (low fat milk, 2 sugars)

Exercise: None

Wednesday 19 February 2014

Lite n' Easy Week 5 Weightloss Journey - Week Five Weigh In


Weekly Weigh In
Weekly Weigh In
Week Five
I did expect to lose a bit more this week but I couldn't exercise as much as I want to or should have due to my migraines.  It's still a loss and I can feel it and see it in my clothes, they are definitely looser.

Weightloss Week 5
Weight lost this week: 0.7kg (1.54 pounds)
Starting Weight: 148.8kg (328 pounds)
End of Week 5 weight: 140.9kg (310.63 pounds)
Total weightloss: 7.9kg (17.42 pounds)

So eight kilos (7.9kg) in five weeks is pretty good for me.  Almost ten kilos lighter in just over a month, awesome!

More Figures
The other week I bought some new extra schmancy scales, the Tanita BC571 Body Composition Monitor, as my other scales couldn't be trusted.  My old scales would be a different weight after five seconds and I'm not talking grams, I'm talking kilos.  These new scales also provide a lot of other readings and I thought it would be interesting to see the figures change as well as the kilos.

Body Fat = 56.8 %  
A healthy Body Fat percentage is 22 - 32%.

Visceral Fat = 19   
Excess Level Visceral Fat is 13 - 59
Visceral Fat Is the fat that is in the internal abdomanal cavity surrounding the vital organs.  Too much viceral fat can increase the risk of certain diseases such as heart disease high blood pressure and the onset of type two diabetes. 

Water Range = 32.1% 
Healthy Water Range is 45 - 60% but I do weigh myself in the morning when I have just woken up.

Physique Rating = 
Physique Ratings: 1 = Hidden Obese, 2 = Obese, 3 = Solidly Built, 4 = Under Exercised, 5 = Standard, 6 = Standard Muscular, 7 = Thin, 8 = Thin and Muscular, 9 = Very Muscular.

Muscle Mass = 57.8 kg 
Bone Mass = 3.1 kg 
They did not have much to say on Muscle Mass or Bone Mass, I know that I'm normal for the bone mass for my weight range.

Thoughts on Lite n' Easy
I thought I was near the end of trying all the dinners (excluding seafood as I don't eat it) turns out I was wrong.  I managed to find yet another seven dinners that I haven't tried yet.  I am getting sick of the repetitive fruit, but I never ate fruit before Lite n' Easy so I'm sure that is why I''m also finding it challenging.

Goals for next week
So I didn't hit my goal of working out more this week and I'm not going to get down on myself as this illness is something that I just can't control.  I'm going to try and battle through it next week as I'm determined.

How is your weight loss journey going? I'd love to hear from you!

Weight Loss Week Five Day Seven Lite and Easy (Lite n' Easy)


Day 7 - Tuesday
18/02/2014
lite and easy
Lite n' Easy Morning to Afternoon
Breakfast: Free Range Egg and Smokehouse Ham on a toasted Multigrain Mun
Usually I make scrambled eggs and chop up the ham and have it that way.  I decided to have it a bit different today, sort of like an Egg McMuffin, closest I'll get to Maccas in a while ;)  I think I prefer it this way and it's quicker to make and eat.  By the way that is Oregano on the egg, not moldy egg lol.
Morning Snack: Kiwifruit

Lunch: Thai Fried Rice with Chicken

I really enjoyed this.  I like this one better than the Thai Chicken Curry lunch, that one is a bit too heavy on the lemongrass flavour.  I think I liked this one better than the Fragrant Thai Chicken dinner too.

Afternoon Snack: Toasted Fruit Loaf with Butter

Great snack, surprised to have real butter on it, not complaining.

lite and easy dinner
Lite n' Easy Dinner: Fragrant Thai Chicken

Dinner: Fragrant Thai Chicken (#175)

Lite n' Easy Thai Chicken lunches and dinners all have the same lemongrass flavour.  Don't get me wrong it's all nice but I would have liked a few different flavours throughout the Thai range.  I'm nit picking here as all the meals are pretty good.  This one was just nothing special, decent and I'd have it again.

Glasses of water: 7

Additional Items: None


Exercise: None

Weight Loss Week Five Day Six Lite and Easy (Lite n' Easy)

Day 6 - Monday
17/02/2014
lite and easy
Lite n' Easy: Morning to Afternoon
Breakfast: Fruit n Muesli Toast with Butter and a Vanilla Yoghurt

I don't really like this breakfast as I don't think it is as substantial as the others, so I'm more likely to get hungrier throughout the day.  This is the "new" vanilla yoghurt, I think the difference is that it's a little sweeter which I like.

Morning Snack: Seasonal Fruit (Red Apple)

Getting over apples, so, so many apples.

Lunch: Satay Beef and an Orange

I had this instead of the chicken filet roll.  This was pretty good, I'd have this lunch again.

Afternoon Snack: Rosemary & Rock Salt Crackers 

I really enjoy the flavour of these, after being on Lite n' Easy for a while I really taste the salt in things like this though.

lite n easy
Lite n' Easy Dinner: Chicken Parmigiana

Dinner: Chicken Parmigiana (#183)

This is yummy but because of all the sauce and because it's frozen, the crumb on the chicken is just soggy.  I would probably have this again but I would chose other meals over it.

Glasses of water: 5

Additional Items:  Homemade Coffee (low fat milk, 2 sugars)


Exercise: None

I have had migraines and nausea all this week.  On top of this I can't sleep at night so I'm pretty much just feeling miserable all day and exercise just isn't happening.