OMG Dessert! - Weight Loss Journey Week 43 - Day 3

Week 43
Day 3 - Friday
15/11/2014

OMG Dessert!

Lemon water to start the day

I've been trying really hard to drink more water lately, so I try to come up with ways to bring it into my daily routine.  In the evening I slice up a lemon, fill the bottle with water (this one has a built in infuser) and leave it in the fridge overnight.  This gives the lemon plenty of time to flavour the water. 

I try to drink a glass every morning before any food or other drinks.  Drinking water first thing in the morning can speed up your metabolism and lemon water has loads of healthy benefits.

Will it blend? Yes, will it taste good though?

Breakfast: Smoothie...will it blend?

Needing to use up some fruit I thought I would just throw this into the blender and see what I'd get.  I don't usually gamble with my smoothies but I couldn't be bothered researching a recipe (super lazy).

Apple, pear, spinach, avocado and chia

I added two apples, a pear, half an avocado, some spinach from the garden and some chia seeds.  It was okay but not the best smoothie I've had.  I definitely like the Green Monster Smoothie better.

Who needs Patties anyway? Pffft

Lunch: Failed Turkey Patties Salad :)

Thinking I'd be prepared today I thought I'd make turkey patties with steamed vegetables on the side...let's just say I forgot about the most essential part of the patty, binding.  That's right, being Paleo I forgot that I can't use flour, I did add an egg but that didn't turn out.  So, I ended up with turkey mince and steamed veggies with salad.  Shhh... don't tell anyone!

Stuff them, so they can stuff you! :)

Dinner: Turkey Stuffed Capsicums
Recipe HERE

At least these turned out lovely! ;)  I kept half the turkey mince from lunch and made these delicious stuffed capsicums.  They were pretty yummy and quick to make.
   
PS - Thanks sis for the idea! <3

Will you DATE me? NANA :P

Dessert: Date Me Banana Pudding
Recipe HERE

I really didn't feel like I'd eaten enough today, especially after my walk in the afternoon.  I was still quite hungry after dinner and I really wasn't sure what to have.  I thought that yummy desserts were a thing of the past due to Paleo, but I was wrong. 

I searched for quick Paleo recipes and found this recipe.  I didn't have all the ingredients and wanted to add some of my own, so I thought I'd give it a try.  I'm so glad I did!  It was so delicious!  It was sweet, spicy and to me it tasted like a full-fat banana and date muffin!  The texture was a little soft but that didn't stop me from demolishing it!  Definitely making that again! It's so quick too!

The puns shall never end.  Pffft FIGures :P
(Image from www.kappit.com)

Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor

Exercise: Walking
49 Minutes, 502 Calories Burned
Glasses of water: 8

I walked further today than yesterday but I burned more calories today, yay!  I know that I won't be able to push myself everyday so I appreciate the days that I can.

Sunset porn for you ;)

Date Me Banana Pudding

Oh, yeah!

Date Me Banana Pudding

It takes 2-3 minutes and it's super delicious, trust me!

Ingredients

1 Banana

4 Dates, pitted, chopped

3 Rounded Tablespoons of Almond Meal

1 Tablespoon of Honey

1 Teaspoon Mixed Spice

1 Tablespoon of Coconut Oil

Method

Mash the Banana in a microwave safe bowl/mug.   Add the remaining ingredients and combine.  Microwave for approximately 2-3 minutes.  Mine took 3 minutes (1200 watt). 

*This recipe was adapted from a recipe by Delighted Momma

Turkey Stuffed Capsicums

Yummy!

Turkey Stuffed Capsicums

(Or use it with Savoury Beef Mince, recipe here)

The great thing about this is that you can fill it with whatever ingredients you like! Go on, get creative ;)

Ingredients

2 Capsicums, sliced & seeds removed

250g Turkey mince

1/2 Onion, diced

1/2 Carrot, grated

1 Garlic clove, minced

1 Tablespoon Ginger, grated

1 Tablespoons Basil, minced

1/2 Lemon, juice and zest

Salt, Pepper and Cayenne Pepper to taste

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.  Heat some Olive Oil (or your oil of choice) in a fry pan, add the Garlic, Ginger and Onions until soft.  Add the remaining ingredients and heat until cooked through, stiring occasionally. 

Slice your Capsicums and remove the seeds. I sliced mine through the middle, you can just slice the top and remove the seeds.  Stuff the Turkey mince in the Capsicums and place in a casserole dish sprayed with Olive Oil.  I left the lid on so that the mince wouldn't dry out.  However, I'm sure that it would be fine on a baking tray.  Bake for approximately 30 minutes.  Enjoy :)

For The Sunset - Weight Loss Journey Week 43 - Day 2

Week 43
Day 2 - Thursday
13/11/2014

For The Sunset

Okay, so maybe I like a little Parsley...

Breakfast: Green Monster Smoothie
(Kale, Almond/Coconut Milk, Frozen Banana, Apple and Parsley)
Recipe on The Kitchy Kitchen.com HERE (The recipe is enough for two smoothies)

Going Green for breakfast today I decided to try the Green Monster Smoothie.  I was a little unsure about this recipe due to the Parsley in it but I thought I'd give it a go...Outcome? I enjoyed it :)  I didn't find it too fruity sweet or too "Green" tasting, it was a good balance of the two.  I didn't have Coconut Almond Milk that the recipe calls for, so I used Coconut Water instead.

Salad can be yummy, who knew?

Lunch: Sweet Potato and Bacon Salad with Guacamole
(Guacamole Recipe HERE)

I've said it before, I like to be prepared for dinner ahead of time because that is when I'm at my laziest.  Today I heated up some Garlic, Onion, Bacon, Sweet Potato (thin slices), Tomato and Capsicum in a pan.  I used half of it for the Salad and the other half for dinner.  

I know it's hot outside, but the thought of eating raw Salad every day just doesn't excite me.  So I find having a warm Salad or cooking up some of the ingredients makes it a little more enticing for me. With the forces Bacon, Egg, Onion and Guacamole combined, this Salad was delish!

Eating my greens

Afternoon Snack: Guacamole and Carrot Sticks

Not the most original snack in the world, I know, but I'm only just getting used to cutting out carbs.  It's really hard to think of snacks without having processed carbs like Breads or Crackers etc.  I don't want to have fruit for snacks either as I don't want to have too much fruit each day.  

You've got time for this!

Dinner: Lazy Frittata
Recipe HERE

I thought I'd have a Frittata tonight using the left over ingredients from lunch, but I didn't expect it to turn out this well or be so delicious (if I do say so myself).  It actually looked like a Pizza and smelled amazing too.  

I felt like I'd cheated the system a little because I didn't need to flip the Egg over in the pan or brown it in the oven (ain't nobody got time for that), that is where the "lazy" Frittata came from.  

Glasses of water: 7

Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor

Exercise: Walking (Brisk)

49 Minutes, 523 Calories Burned

Those of you that have followed me for some time (thank you) know that I love Dancing.  I used to Dance at home as it's fun and no one had to see me do it!  I never understood the point of walking as exercise and if I was really honest with myself, it was because I didn't want people to see me exercising.  

Because of my weight I was very conscious of my appearance, how other people viewed me and the thought of people seeing me all red faced and sweaty was enough to scare me off public exercising completely.  

BUT then something changed it all.  I got really ill and couldn't do much else other than lie in bed.  I had chest pain, muscle weakness, vertigo and the smallest steps would leave me out of breath and feeling like I was going to black out.  

I was in and out of hospital and I longed to be out of those four walls and the four walls of my bedroom.  I missed the outside world so much and I swore to myself that when I was well again I wouldn't take it for granted.  So it was a blessing in disguise you could say.

Everyday I'm rewarded with this beautiful view!

 Everyday I try to keep that promise to myself.  I no longer care who sees me exercising and I actually really like it when I end up a red faced sweaty mess because, to me, it means that I've had a great workout.  I like to go in the late afternoon because it's not as hot, I wont get burnt and I get the chance to see the sunset.  

Everyday I take a moment to myself and appreciate the sunset, the view and the world around me, how beautiful it is and how lucky I am that I get to enjoy it.

Lazy Frittata - Paleo Recipe

So lazy, yet so delicious

Lazy Frittata

The great thing about this is that you can fill it with whatever ingredients you like! Go on, get creative ;)

Ingredients

4 Eggs

1 Garlic clove, dice/minced

1/2 Onion, diced

1 Rasher of Bacon, diced

1 Tomato, diced

1/2 Cup Spinach or Kale 

1/4 Capsicum, diced 

A few thin slices of Sweet Potato

Salt, Pepper and Cayenne Pepper to taste

Method

Heat some Olive Oil in a fry pan, add the Garlic, Onions and Bacon until cooked.  Add the remaining ingredients and heat until cooked through, stiring occasionally. 

In a bowl whisk the Eggs for a few minutes (makes them fluffier) then add the Salt, Pepper and Cayenne Pepper.  Pour the Egg mixture over the other ingredients in the pan. 

Now, usually with Frittata you cook the base and then brown it in the oven but I'm too lazy for that shiz!  I decided to keep it on a low heat and cover it with a lid.  I checked on it about 10 minutes later and the egg was fully cooked through on the top and the Egg started bubbling up, it was ready.  I grabbed a plate and flipped it over, done! It was delicious! 

Bugger this double cooking or flipping it over when it has a 40% chance of working, am I right? ;)

A New Way Of Eating - Weight Loss Journey Week 43 - Day 1

Week 43
Day 1 - Wednesday
12/11/2014

A New Way Of Eating

Under the recommendation from my Neurosurgeon,  I have started the Paleo diet. The Paleo (Paleolithic) diet, also known as the Caveman diet as it eliminates modern/processed foods.  I was never interested in it as I thought it was just another fad diet.  However, the more I think about it, the more it makes sense to me.  I think of it rather as "clean" eating or getting back to basics. 

It hasn't been much of a stretch for me as for the last few months I've removed Gluten and Dairy from my diet.  It does take time to get use to not having Cereal or Bread for breakfast (especially after being on Lite n' Easy) but I enjoy the challenge of finding new ways of eating so that it's exciting.  Who wants to be on a boring diet?  So, as always, I'm going to share it with you all, my experiences, thoughts, feelings and recipes during it all.  Hopefully you will get something out of it too! 

Paleo-NOOOOOO!

No more Peanut Butter! :(  Yes, that's right!  Peanuts are a legume and therefore not allowed on the Paleo diet.  If you know me or have read my blog, you will know that Peanut Butter is my favourite food EVER!  But for my health I am willing to sacrifice it.  Goodbye Peanut Butter, I love you <3

Mmmm Pancakes!

Breakfast: 2 Ingredient Banana Pancakes

Recipe HERE

Starting on Paleo I thought that having Pancakes would be a thing of the past, turns out I was wrong!  I try not to think about what I can't have and try to think about what I can do with the things I can have.

This recipe is just a Banana and Eggs, that's it!  They are surprisingly tasty and the Banana gives them a great sweetness.  I topped mine off with Honey, Walnuts and a little Strawberry from the garden :) YUM!

Leftovers never looked so good!

Lunch: Mustard Chicken and Guacamole Salad

 Guacamole Recipe HERE

I like to think ahead and be prepared as preparation is the key to success and it's also because I'm pretty lazy.  So I like to cook up extra Meat/ingredients at dinner and use it to create something for lunch.  Last nights dinner was a Chicken Stir-Fry, the sauce was a throw together that consisted of Garlic, Ginger, Lime, Lemon, Mustard, Honey and Cayenne Pepper, it turned out pretty tasty.  

For today's lunch I made up some Guacamole, threw together a Salad of Baby Spinach, Tomato, Carrot and Capsicum, topped it with heated leftover Chicken.  It was delicious! Who knew Salad could be tasty?

I have always hated the taste and consistency of Avocado but I've always enjoyed Guacamole.  Recently I went to a seminar about nutrition and Avocados kept coming up for their good fats and nutritious properties.  They are also frequently featured in the Paleo diet, so I knew that my long fight with Avocado would have to come to an end.  I don't think I will ever be able to eat chunks of it in Salad or use it like Butter but I'm trying to think of new ways to include this bland boy in my food. Suggestions?

Meat and many veg

Dinner: Beef Stir-Fry

Dinner was another throw together...did I say I was prepared? Ha ha! I just cooked through some Beef  and Vegetables with Ginger, Lime and Cayenne Pepper, it wasn't as tasty as last nights dinner though.

Glasses of water: 8

Getting back out there!

Exercise: Walking! (Brisk)

46 Minutes, 430 Calories Burned 

I know some of you may think that walking is not exciting and until a few weeks ago, neither did I.  I have been too sick and weak to get out of bed even to be able to walk and even when I could walk short amounts, I couldn't breathe. Unfortunately you don't appreciate the things you do have until they are gone.  I felt so blessed that I was able to get out and walk again!  To be able to be outside! To be able to exercise!  

I'm still not healthy, I still get Migraines, Vertigo, Numbness and Nausea every single day.  But I still go for walks.  Sometimes I have to stop and get my balance or take some medication for the pain but I'm still going to do it.  My other option is to stay at home in bed.  Exercise sometimes makes my symptoms worse and I can end up ill after a walk but I'm not letting it stop me.  Every time I think how tired I am and that I'm too lazy to get off my butt and go for a walk, I'll remember the months I spent in bed not being able to do anything.

Homemade Guacamole - Paleo Dip Recipe

YUMMY!

Homemade Guacamole

Ingredients

1 Ripe Avacado

1 Garlic clove, minced

1 Tomato, diced

1/2 Capsicum, diced

Juice of one Lemon

Juice of one Lime

Salt, Pepper and Cayenne Pepper to taste

Method

Mash that Avacado in a bowl (you could probably use a blender but I'm old school) and stir through the Garlic.  Squeeze in the Lemon and Lime juice. This recipe is really made to taste, I like mine zingy and spicy! It will depend on the size of your Avacado, Lemons, Limes etc, so just add a little Lemon/Lime juice at a time and taste as you go.  Stir through the Tomato, Capsicum and Salt, Pepper and Cayenne Pepper to your liking.

Enjoy as a dip or over Salad, YUM! :)

Deliciousness waiting to happen!

2 Ingredient Banana Pancakes - Paleo Breakfast Recipe

So good!

2 Ingredient Banana Pancakes

(original recipe from blogilates.com)

Ingredients

2 Eggs

1 Banana

Method

Mash the Banana in a small bowl, add the eggs and stir until combined. Or, put the ingredients in the blender for a smooth batter.  Heat up some Olive Oil or Coconut Oil, whatever you like and cook that batter.  I prefer making smaller Pancakes as this mixture isn't very thick.  I usually make 3 or 4 per pan and this batter will make about 9 or so small Pancakes.  Once all your Pancakes are cooked, top with Honey, Nuts, Fruit etc and enjoy! :) 

These ingredients were happy to sacrifice themselves for Pancakes :)

Weigh In Wednesday! - Week 42 Weightloss Journey

Goodbye 32.2 kgs of toxic sadness! ;)

Week Forty Two

Weightloss Week 42

Weight lost in 4 weeks: 1.4 kg (3.08 pounds)

Starting Weight: 148.8 kg (328 pounds)

Current weight: 116.6 kg (257 pounds)

Total weightloss: 32.2 kg (70.98 pounds)

Well, hello! We meet again!

I know, I know, I've been a bad blogger!  I've disappeared time and time again!  After my last post I was really ill and ended up with Shingles (adult Chicken Pox) on my face!  It was very painful and exhausting time, so I hope you can excuse me! 

I previously completed a month of a Gluten free diet and then a month of a Dairy free diet (under the recommendation of my Neurologist).  I'm sorry that I didn't blog during this time.  I was, until recently, still ordering the Lite n' Easy dinners (that were either Gluten or Dairy free) and doing my own breakfasts, lunches and snacks. 

I have since seen a Neurosurgeon who suggested that I now try a Paleo "diet".  In the last few weeks I have been slowly cutting out processed food and carbohydrates and obviously, Lite n' Easy.  I have to try this new way of eating due to my health.  If it fixes even a few of my symptoms, it's totally worth it.

I'll be blogging my experience, food, meals and recipes with you.  Hopefully, it will help those of you who would like to phase out Lite n' Easy too.  Don't get me wrong, I think Lite n' Easy is fantastic for the quality of the food and what it teaches you about eating and portion sizes.  But for me, the plan was to gradually go off Lite n' Easy, but I didn't realise I would be starting it so soon! 

Goals for next week

I really want to get back into this blog and share this exciting new chapter with you all!  I miss you all so much!

I'm really determined to stick to Paleo and find new and interesting ways of preparing food as I don't want to be eating boiled Chicken and steamed Broccoli every night for dinner!

I've also started getting back out there and exercising again!  I'm so happy I finally can!  I'm going to be sharing this with you all too!

Lets do this! :)