#I just spent $20 getting peanut butter tomatoes and milk

[lad-boyo]

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[doublesidedgemini]

11/6 - 11/7

It was a good weekend! I was very productive on Saturday, I slept/lounged in bed until 3 pm on Sunday, played with my dog in the park and then rode my horse! I finally took care of my plants and spent time with my leopard gecko before bed. So naturally, I woke up in a very cranky mood and had a tough day at work 😑

Being an adult is such a drag. Sometimes, this shit feels impossible. I actually broke down crying on my horse at the end of the ride for a few minutes because I just felt so. Tired. And I felt like I didn’t know how I could keep doing this. Idk, more after the cut !

tw: ed vent, wiaiad, cal log, restriction, LONGG post lol

11/6

Breakfast: -vegan protein shake, hot cocoa flavor!! — 110 cals

Lunch: -large hot holiday coffee from Dunkin with oat milk, 2 tbsps sugar, and 4 pumps of toasted almond syrup — after reading the whole entire nutrition menu for dunkin + a lot of math, I think this is like 160 cals total; -Hummus toast - 250 cals

Dinner: -5 spears of sautéed asparagus — 50 cals?? (I have no idea if this is accurate lol); -Impossible burger patty — 240 cals; -Mug of vegetable broth — 15 cals

Snacks: -4 pieces of frosted mini wheats — 40 cals; -1 1/2 peppermint sticks — 75 cals; -5 takis — 58 cals

Exercise: Grooming + riding my horse (she was FILTHY so I had to brush her for a long time lol) -537 cals

Total: 461 cals!!!

11/7

Breakfast: -Celsius, dragonfruit lime packet — 10 cals

Lunch: -2 impossible burger patties — 480 cals; -4 sautéed asparagus spears — 31 cals??

Dinner: -1/4 cup white rice — 50 cals; -Two bites of beans w/ sautéed kale and tomatoes — 12 cals??; -Lightly salted rice cake — 35 cals; -1 tbsp plant based ranch dip — 35 cals; -5 grape tomatoes — 15 cals?

Snacks: -2 frosted mini wheats — 20 cals; -Roasted seaweed snacks, sesame — 50 cals; -1 tbsp peanut butter — 90 cals; -1 serving of takis — 150 cals; -1 1/3 double stuf Oreos — 93 cals; -1 serving honey roasted peanuts — 170 cals

Exercise: Walked my dog a bunch, did 100 squats spread out during work, might do some sit-ups + leg raises in bed before sleep :) -62 cals

Total: 1,180 cals

So, not great lol. But still under 1,200 which is what MFP’s recommendation is for me to lose weight, so I’m still losing even with this total! And honestly. Fuck it. I needed those two impossible burger patties. I needed the protein. Idk, between breaking down at the barn yesterday and having a bad day at work, I just needed the extra.

That’s what upset me so bad at the barn… I can’t restrict as much as I see other people on here because I literally have to stay awake & alert to take care of my horse. I HAVE to be “with it” to keep both her and myself safe. It’s a 34 minute drive out to the barn, I HAVE to have the energy to drive back and forth. Even though I did eat before I went out yesterday, it wasn’t enough and I was exhausted and we had an okay ride but she was frustrating me and I was yelling and getting frustrated and then I was upset with myself because it’s not her fault I’m not at 100% :(

Idk, I cried a lot when I got off and she let me cry on her, I groomed her up, gave her some treats, and went home. She was fine. I was fine. I felt better today except for being so damn tired all day! I didn’t go out to the barn tonight; I stayed in and washed my hair and shaved and moisturized, so at least I feel good :)

I need the rest and I need the extra energy. I don’t feel great about eating + snacking so much today but I’m okay with it, plus I did really well over the weekend, so. I think for the rest of the week I’m going to taper down my cals and try another fast over the weekend. <3

Now I’m going to read and go to bed :) If you read this whole entire post you are my bestie now. Sorry. Shouldn’t have read this all 🤣

[lowcarbnutrients]

Meatless Meals: Simple Ways to Get Vegetarian Protein You Need

Eating a vegan diet plan or making a decision to have a meatless dish once or even more a week implies finding good sources of vegan healthy protein in order to meet your daily protein requirements.

Being a vegetarian implies not eating animal proteins such as red meat, hen, pork and also can include fish, eggs and also even dairy. If you are a vegan, how can you obtain the everyday need of protein you require for ideal wellness? Contributor, Catherine Cameron explains how she does it.

Simple Ways to Get Protein You Need

Vegetarian for practically three decades now, I have actually spent a considerable amount of time in discovering about nourishment. You come to be a better chef as you discover to integrate various ingredients for protein-rich treats and also dishes without the use of meat.

As a physical fitness fanatic, my need for protein is greater than what is needed by those less energetic - as well as in an effort to give my body what it needs to carry out optimally, and also with a sight to staying healthy, I try to make every treat and also dish matter. A good very first step is understanding your Daily Protein Demands and also just how much healthy protein you really need in a day.

Make Breakfast Count:

Breakfast is my favorite dish of the day, and also can be an exceptional source of protein if you consist of a few of these easy suggestions:

A power shake incorporating an inside story of healthy protein powder (20 grams of protein), water, coconut or almond milk, fresh or frozen fruit, walnuts, chia seeds and also ice - occasionally a 1/2 mug of Greek yogurt too.

Oatmeal (6 grams of protein) with sliced walnuts for included protein as well as fresh berries or banana.

Peanut butter (4 grams of healthy protein per tbsp.) on high-protein salute with a banana.

Greek yogurt (10 grams of healthy protein per 1/2 cup) covered with fresh fruit.

Black bean and cheese quesadillas

Salads/Soups and Pasta Bowls: Say farewell to airy-fairy salads of iceberg lettuce with one lonesome cherry tomato on top. Instead try some of my favorites or throw a combination of a few of these high quality vegan protein sources right into a salad, soup, or onto a bed of brown rice, quinoa, or pasta for a protein-rich dish. Better yet, established your ingredients buffet style and also let every person aid themselves. My youngsters, though they're both teenagers, still enjoy when I do this.

1 chopped hard-boiled natural egg (6 grams of healthy protein)

Cashews (6 grams per 1/4 cup)

Sunflower seeds (7 grams per 1/4 cup)

Pumpkin seeds - also a good resource of iron (6 grams per 1/2 cup)

Organic home cheese (15 grams of protein per half mug)

Marinated, stir-fried company tofu (10 grams of healthy protein per 1/2 cup)

Black beans (7 grams of healthy protein per fifty percent cup)

Chick peas (7 grams of healthy protein per 1/2 cup)

Quinoa (8 grams per cup)

Tempeh (acquire it seasoned and stir-fry it delicately (15 grams per 1/2 mug)

An ounce of cheese cubed or grated (5-10 grams depending upon the selection)

Protein Powders:

I was reluctant in the beginning, however finding a healthy protein powder that's high in healthy protein as well as low in sugar is a game-changer. After an exercise for instance, I can toss one inside story of healthy protein powder into the mixer with some fresh fruit, water as well as ice, and get an easy 20 grams. My present favourite is the new Boomer Nutrition vanilla flavour. Don't believe for a min that you're limited to drinking protein powder in drinks or smoothies - attempt including it to dishes you prepare and also favored baked products too.

[screenbrick4-blog]

Mother-In-Laws Swiss Steak

My ex Mother in Law was a wonderful cook.  Early on in my marriage (1978) she hand wrote me a little notebook filled with family recipes.  I know I have spoken of this book in the past.  It is old and falling apart now, love splattered and the writing fading.  It is one of my great treasures and this recipe I am sharing with you today comes from those care worn pages.

Every month I am the lucky recipient of a Degustabox.  Once a month, around the middle of the month, I am sent one of these lovely boxes which contain a delicious assortment of all things foodie.  I just love these boxes. Opening each one is tiny a bit like opening a Christmas gift. Always a surprise, and always filled with things that pique my interest and desire to try. Degustabox is a monthly foodie subscription service that sends out a range of 10 to 15 specially selected foodie products.

  There's always a great mix of new products that I haven't tried before, as well as plenty of treats from more established brands. Quite often you will have the opportunity to try  new products before they arrive in the shops, so it can be a bit of a sneak peak! Each Degustabox costs only £12.99, delivery costs are included in the price, and there is no fixed contract involved - you can cancel at any time. I love getting these boxes! They are great value for money spent.  

 Each month I challenge myself to come up with a recipe using at least one article from the box. As soon as I saw the Amy's Kitchen soups, which happened to also be the product of the month, I knew what I wanted to make. Mother-In-Laws Swiss Steak was calling to me.  More about that a bit later, first here is what was in the November Box,  also known as the Festive Box!

These Mallow & Marsh Cranberry Marshmallows were included in the box, but not on the information sheet.  I think they were meant to be a gift.  In any case they have been well received.  Delicious as always!  Cranberries!  I'm in!

Make mornings smooth with Weetabix on the go for kids. With four single serve boxes in a multi pack, you can be prepared for those busy mornings.  There are three delicious flavours, and they contain Vitamin D, calcium, fibre and protein with no artificial flavours, sweeteners or colours.

Reese's Peanut Butter Snowman 1 X £3.00

A great Seasonal treat, a peanut butter filled snowman with a chocolate coating.  The perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter.

Tabasco Original Red Pepper Sauce 1 X £2.00

Marking its 150th anniversary this year, Tabasco red pepper sauce is made with just three ingredients: red peppers, vinegar and salt. It has 0 calories and is vegan. 

We love it on all sorts.  Its great splashed on scrambled eggs!

Nick's Coconut  Bar 1 X £1.45

Rich and delicious, this naturally sweetened coconut bar is coated with milk chocolate and no added sugar.  The perfect choice for a delicious guilt-free indulgence.  Find their products on amazon.co.uk/nicksjoinourfightonsugar and use the voucher DEGUSTA2 for a 20% discount.

The Bees s a sophisticated, vegan friendly alternative to sparkling wine Made from grapes and inflused with green tea, it offers floral aromas with refreshing acidity. It looks and tastes like a sparkling wine, but without alcohol, lower sugar, gluten free and around half the calories of the average fizz.

The classic Jules Destrooper, crisp and nutty almond thins biscuit with a thin coating of just enough Belgian milk chocolate to make the perfect indulgent combination. 

Can you say moreish?

Kallo Organic Vegetable Stock Pots 1 X £1.80

Kallo Organic Vegetable Stock Pots are the perfect partner to enhance all your family favourite, home cooked delicious dishes.  Natural, organic and no added MSG or artificial ingredients.  They simply add delicious flavour and nothing else.

I am a big fan of these.   I use all of their organic stock pots.

A perfect mix of Jack Daniels Old No. 7 Tennessee Wiskey & light cola. Convenient, perfectly mixed drinks whether you're on the go or staying in with friends.  Best served chilled

Get your crunch on with new Emily Veg Crips Swet Potato sticks.  Try classic sea salt with a sprinkling of salt over traditional yellow and bold purple sweet potato, or zesty Chilli and Lime with a beautiful mix of spice with sharp, tangy lime.

Another moreish snack!

Amy's Kitchen Organic Chunky Tomato & Organic Lentil Vegetable Soup 2 X £1.80

Amy's Organic soups start as vegetables, not as broth.  Their soup base is created by slowly sauteing tender organix vegetables with herbs.  This modern method of making soup allows for the unique flavours of each soup to com forward. 

No stranger to Amy's Kitchen, I am a huge fan of their products and especially the Chunky Tomato Soup, so it was no surprise that I decided to highlight it with a recipe!  Although I have to say it is plenty delicious all on its own with some crackers on the side or crusty bread!

It was perfect for this recipe I am sharing today.  My mother in laws version of swiss steak.

Its a pretty simple recipe with very few ingredients . . .  just steak, onions, soup and seasonings.  You want a really nice flavoured soup for this, one that shines with lovely tomato flavours, and Amy's Kitchen Chunky Tomato soup does just that!

I like that there are plenty of chunks of tomato in the soup, which makes it perfect for this recipe.

We like lots of onions.  Oh boy but it smells so tasty when it is cooking . . . 

The steak is browned along with the onions and then slowly simmered in the oven with the soup and some water.  My mil added nothing else except for a beef boullion cube. 

And of course you can certainly leave it as its most basic and it will still taste pretty good.  I have added a few things through the years . . .

Specifically some Worcestershire sauce and a bit of balsamic vinegar . . .

I tend to season the meat very well prior to cooking also, with seasalt, black pepper  . . .

And a bit of onion and garlic powders, but that is a personal preference.   You could also add herbs if you wished.  I think Thyme would work very well. 

Left simple, or amped up, this is delicious and very simple to make.  We love it served with piles of fluffy mash and a few vegetables on the side.  It always goes down a real treat! 

Yield: 4Author: Marie RaynerPrint Recipe

With ImageWithout Image

Mother In Laws Swiss Steak

prep time: 15 minscook time: 2 hourtotal time: 2 hours and 15 mins

An old family favourite which is very simple, uses simple ingredients.  Long slow cooking insures fork tender steak. We like lots of onions in this.

ingredients:

1 pound stewing steak, well trimmed and cut into serving pieces

salt and black pepper to taste

garlic and onion powder

a small knob of butter

1 tin of tomato soup, along with 1 tin of water (In North America, using the condensed soups

use 2 tins of water)

1 beef boullion cube

1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 TBS good balsamic vinegar

4 large onions, peeled cut in half and then cut into half moons

instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4.  Melt a knob of butter in a large skillet.  Add the onions and saute until beginning to soften.  Transfer to a large casserole dish with a lid.

Season the steak pieces all over with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powders.  Brown on all sides in the skillet, adding more butter if you need to.  Remove to the casserole and  nestle amongst the onions.

Add the soup and water to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from cooking the meat  and onions.  Crumble in the boullion cube and add the Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar. Bring to the boil, then pour over the meat and onions in the casserole dish.  Cover tightly and cook in the oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the meat is fork tender and the juices have thickened.

Serve  with some of the onions and gravy spooned over top and plenty of mash and a vegetable or two on the side.  Delicious!

DEAL: Get your £5 off your first box, plus get free bonus item and delivery! Use coupon code HELLOSUBSCRIPTION18. 

 In the US but just looking for fun? Use code HELLOSUBSCRIPTION7 to get your first US box for $12.99! You’ll also get free shipping and a free bonus gift!

So, that was the November Degustabox - a nice selection of products as always. We loved it. The price of each Degustabox is £12.99 (including delivery). To order your box, visit www.degustabox.com 

 Many thanks to Degustabox UK for sending me this box. I have to say I really look forward to getting my box each month. There are always lots of things in it to enjoy and new products to try out. I highly recommend. You can also tailor the boxes to your own likes and dislikes by filling in your own Taste Profile.  Do you like the sound of this box? Why not sign up now! I find them to be really good value for money spent and I really enjoy trying out new products that I have not tried before.  

Follow them on Facebook 

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Note - Although I was sent a box free of charge any and all opinions are my own.

Bon appetit!    

Source: https://theenglishkitchen.blogspot.com/2018/12/mother-in-laws-swiss-steak.html

[spreadsmilesacross-blog]

I had my little munchkin, my bundle of joy in my arms along with my older naughty brat and life could not have been happier. Months rolled on taking care of my wonderful little treasure while pursuing a full time career that knew no hours of travel and work.

A year went by and it was little one’s first birthday. Saree was my choice for outfit for the party. To my worst nightmare despite all my endeavors to shrink myself and squeeze in, I had to put away one blouse after the other! Angered, I took out the weighing scale and checked the reading. Alarmed! As if it were a ghost. It read 74.6! I reset the scale to recheck as if the machine would show a different reading to please me! Again it said, 74.6.

I had always been in a great shape and looked younger than my age. Even after my first delivery, I shelled the extra pounds over couple of months. An unknown and undoubtedly annoying sound reverberated calling me FAT. I remembered my sister jokingly telling me that I looked like an amma. Though that time I had retaliated telling her that well yes I am amma of two!

I am 161 cm and medium built. By no means could I call myself fit at 74.6 kgs! That day I pulled up a pair of jeans with a pullover for the party. It was almost the end of December 2014. My New Year Resolution was Weight Loss. Weight loss! OMG that too almost 15 kgs! I was 26 years and 52 kg before my first pregnancy. Post-partum my weight stabilized at 57 kgs and since I looked almost toned, I really did not care about it. I had tried  gym once earlier out of hobby and I so well remembered how I wasted the subscription! The entire hour I spent there was at looking at the clock to shout out loud that it was sixty minutes and time to leave! Crazy dieting; well no way was this my choice. Outdoors anyways gave me nightmares with so many dogs around and my scared soul finding corners to evade them. In short, I was totally confounded with the how part. Eventually I resorted to Google baba to look for ‘my kind’ of means to smoothen my tyres.

Having done all this research, I realised working out was the only choice available apart from the 7 day GM diet (in which you can eat the permitted item/s for the day in as much quantity as your body demands) (you may like to read thru the link that acted like a blessing in that time of crisis https://www.thefitindian.com/the-fastest-indian-vegetarian-diet-to-lose-weight/).

My exercise regime comprised of-

10 minutes of warm up

45 minutes of cardio including treadmill, cross-trainer and stationary bike

30 minutes of strength training one body part each day

20 minutes of floor exercises and yoga on alternate days

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Photo by Isabella Mendes on Pexels.com

Photo by Nathan Cowley on Pexels.com

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I had the temptation of climbing up the weighing scale every single day to check for any improvement but in vain 😦 But let me admit, though my body did feel soar with its new routine, even if there was no change in weight, I did feel more vibrant and energized even in the first week! I kept wondering how I had not enjoyed working out earlier! On the lighter side, maybe I enjoy bigger challenges more 🙂 After I got my body accustomed at the gym for a week, I started with first day of GM diet. Being a vegetarian, I searched for the veg version of the program. Exercise was supposed to be light to moderate on these days. Since eating was confined to select items on each day, I decided just to go for cardio, floor or yoga sessions on these days and skip strength that requires lots of protein intake after the regime.

Day 1       Morning weight 74.5 kg

The first day is supposed to be the Fruit Day (minus mangoes and grapes). It was the month of February and I spent the day munching on apples, pomegranates, guavas and oranges. The motivation to get lean was so strong that I truly did not feel hungry.

Day 2       Morning weight 73.5 kg (OMG! OMG! OMG! 1 kg gone in a single day)

On the second day of the GM diet one is supposed to eat only Vegetables that could be raw, boiled or very lightly sauteed. However, one can start with a boiled potato with butter in the morning. I had bought the exotic vegetable stock the day before only and likewise commenced the day with paraboiled assortment of peas, beans, carrots, broccoli, red and yellow peppers and cauliflower. I added a little of lemon, white pepper and oregano to make it more sumptuous and had the same combo the entire day. The day went rather effortlessly with gym time in the evening.

Day 3       Morning weight 72.5 kg (Gracious God! another 1 Kg gone!)

Day three is a mix of fruits and vegetables. Apart from fruits and the remaining stock from day 2, I ate raw carrots, beetroot, cucumbers and lettuse leaves too. Again the day was not harsh on the tummy that otherwise solicited chocolates and pizzas! Ofcourse, two kgs lost in a matter of two days were an unmatched piece of motivation.

Day4       Morning weight 72 kg (Dissapointment followed by consolation… atleast .5 kg gone lady!)

The fourth day is the banana (upto 6) and skimmed milk (upto 1 litre) day. I prepared banana shake right in the morning with 5 bananas and 1 litre milk and kept sipping through the same the entire day.

Day 5       Morning weight 71 kg (yayyyy another 1 kg gone!)

On GM diet, Day five is a blessed kind of a day on which one can munch on soya nuggets, paneer, tomatoes, boiled rajma, soup made of capsicums, tomatoes, onion, ginger and garlic. While I preferred having boiled kidney beans with chopped onion, tomato and cucumber with lemon juice in the morning, I chose to eat brown rice with paneer and soya chunks for lunch and soup for dinner. In between meals I kept munching on raw salad.

Day 6       Morning weight 71 kg (Oops no change)

I surely was disappointed having lost no weight on day five and kept cursing myself for probably having eaten too much (while now I realise that was not true). Nevertheless, this was to be a tomato free day while all ingredients of day five could be consumed. Despite initial shock, I did not let my morale go down and ate safe meals comprising of raw fruits and veggies alsong with soup. I also had moong dal dprout salad for dinnere along with soup ofcourse hoping to see some better result the follwing day.

Day 7       Morning weight 70.5 kg (thank God for this .5 kg)

Well yes, I was feeling much lighter and brighter by day seven. I was happy to have managed to shell 4 kgs of weight which otherwise I could not do 14 months after my second delivery! The entire day was spent munching on fruits and vegetables. I had a bowl of brown rice with soup for lunch and sprouts with skimmed yoghurt for dinner.

Day 8       Morning weight 71 kg (.5 kg is back to my alarm)

I was happy that effectively I had lost 3.5 kg of weight and did feel better. And yes, immensely motivated too. With the resolution to tone my body further, I resumed my earlier exercise regime that included strength training. A lot of reading had me realize my body type that is endomorph. I inculcated a lot of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) in my cardio sessions in a routine to boost my metabolism. I prepared home-made almond butter and experimented with many more healthy recipes. I ensured I did not have more than one cheat day in a week and that my resistance training was adequately supplemented by enough protein intake which for me was in form of soya chunks, paneer and other low fat dairy products apart from peanut and almond butter. Over all, I made a change in my lifestyle. Cravings for chocolates and sweets (mithai) did not deviate me from my goals. Thankfully, fried food has never been a teaser for me. Ultimately, after 10 months of patience driven due diligence, I finally hit 62 kgs and it has been almost three years now that I have maintained so.

The road I travelled from 74.6 kgs to 62 kgs was indeed tough. There were occasions when I was (pretty much humanly) tempted to give up. I remember when I hit a plateau at 69 kgs and despite all the endurance, it would not buzz an inch further. This was the most trying time when I kept going. I did more research on what to do when we hit plateaus. To my utter surprise one of the things I realized that though I was not losing weight any further, yet I was getting into a shape that was better than ever. You know what, the weight was owing to the lean muscle that I was gaining by doing the right kind of resistance training. Then I was not-so-regular with the workout for a fortnight while travelling to another city. And whoa, guess what? Despite not exercising, during this little break my weight dropped another 3 kgs all by itself! Another round of reading and I realised that taking small breaks is actually good. And yes, I had set small targets for myself. The day I got below 70kg, I gifted myself a new pair of Asics training shoes that I had been eying for long, and when I hit under 65, it was a (well deserved) wardrobe change (pretty much required as I had gone down two sizes by then:)!

My Weight Loss Success Mantra

GM diet was absolutely not essential and I could have achieved my target otherwise too. However, I admit, for me it did work like a booster. Having lost 3.5 kgs right at the start kept me convinced that I could actually lose weight! For you, you yourself have to determine what could keep you best motivated.

Drink lots of water (preferably warm if not hot). For every 20 kgs of body weight, you need to intake 1 litre of water with a capping a 5 litres beyond which the kidneys get taxed.

Treat yourself like a human and not like a machine. While adhering to routines is a must, yet don’t be too taxing on yourself. If your body (not mood) solicits an additional break on some day, do allow it.

HIIT works wonders. In my personal experience too, a 20 minute HIIT can compensate for your otherwise 60 minutes of cardio. Aside, you keep burning calories for hours after finishing workout as it challenges the anarobic system. For me, now, cardio just means 20 minutes of HIIT apart from floor and strength training. It implies going to the maximum of your heart rate and then letting it get back to average or moderate state. Beginners can do it in ratio of 1:2 or 1:3 also depending upon their fitness level which later could be in the varying ratio of 1:1. For example 30 seconds of maximum heart rate followed by 60/90 seconds of cool down at slow/moderate pace, which later can be 30 seconds of maximum heart rate followed by 30/45 seconds of cool down.

Strength training is a must. While cardio helps us dissolve fat, resistance or strength training helps us build lean muscle and also catalyse the entire weight loss process.

Food Log. Sounds like heights of obsession but trust me it really works. There are several apps available like livestrong (www.livestrong.com) that can help you track your food, water, exercise and calories and keep you well motivated and on track.

BMI is not the only and actual indicator of fitness. There is a lot like age, child birth, muscle mass etc., that contributes to the weight you carry. As in my case too, considering just the BMI bit, I might sound kind of overweight at 62 kgs for my medium 5.3 frame but if I get on a scale that also measures other parameters, it is my muscle mass that contributes to this BMI and not body fat! So don’t let the formula of BMI depress you.

Never give up. While it sounds clichéd, there is a lot of fact in the statement. There are bound to be times when you would feel that it is too much, or too long, or too intense. But, keep yourself motivated. I would rather suggest you hang a picture of someone who you would like to seek motivation from for your fitness goal (think of the abs and toned body of a mom like Mandira Bedi at 45!)

Eat right. Make better food choices and believe me you, it works wonders. One of the mantras is not to stock the undesired items like crisps, biscuits, sweets etc. as when we are hungry we get tempted to munch on them. Instead, keep dryfruits, fruits, chopped raw veggies, seeds handy so satiate the hunger pangs. I have a sweet tooth and for me letting go of sweets (though not altogether) was a challenge. For this, I started moving to darker chocolates, sugarless tea and coffee, fruit cream with honey instead of sugar and the like. I did allow myself one cheat day in a week. And trust me, once the clothes start getting even a bit lose, your mind would not command you to eat unhealthy!

Supplementing the Workout pre and post. Irrespective of the time of the day, working out hungry, in my opinion, is never a good idea. Before a workout, eat a small snack atleast 30 minutes prior to keep yourself energized and give your best shot at the workout. Keep hydrated. And never neglect enough protein post workout in dearth of which one might lose muscle instead! Protein is an integral macro-nutrient that plays intrinsic role in repairing of damaged muscle tissue. The quantity depends upon your workout. In general, a person body needs .80 gm to 1 gm of protein per kg of body weight. I ensured to take 20-25 gm of protein in form of peanut/almond butter, quiona, soya nuggets, paneer, boiled eggs etc post my workout sessions.

Fitness Tracker. People have different views about it, but I love the idea of a fitness tracker. I use a Fitbit Blaze and I’m crazy about it. It helps keep a track of steps, heart-beat, actual calories burnt, exercise of different levels apart from other features like a watch, alarm clock and even relaxation device! There are multiple options available if one would like to consider any.

Right Bra and Shoes. While women do pay heed to workout attitre, I have felt that the right sports bra and shoes sometimes go lacking. Do invest in a couple of high-support sports bra with the right fit to ensure the boobies stay well in shape (sports bras are available in light, medium and high support. Depending upon our intensity of workout, we need to choose one). Shoes are another investment that is a must. Depending upon what sport you choose, select the pair of shoes technologically made to serve that purpose to ensure comfort and avoid any injuries (there are different types of shoes meant for trails, running, walking, training, hiking, dancing etc.).

Have an active Day. Don’t freak if you are not able to make it for a work out some day. Stay active and do whatever is possible. Activities like squats, lunges, floor, yoga etc. can be done just anywhere.

Set small milestones and appreciate yourself once you achieve these goals.

Losing weight is definitely not all about looks. Being over-weight/having excessive fat hinders health and is also responsible for many health issues. It is about a lifestyle change and not weight loss alone. My target was to take baby steps towards the goal without being less Hitler-like on my own self. Well yes, I do feel much younger, more energised and healthier today than I felt in February of 2015 when I started this journey of getting fit. The compliments I receive, do add an extra glow to my face 🙂

Happy Fitness to You!

Loads of love,

  Do read thru my recipe for

Healthy, Yummy and Quick Pancakes https://ananyakatariya.wordpress.com/2018/09/01/healthy-pancakes/

From Fat to Fit- My Journey I had my little munchkin, my bundle of joy in my arms along with my older naughty brat and life could not have been happier.

[myfuckofffundjourney]

Money Diary, Week #3

Thursday Jan 18

Wake up, bus to the shuk - 5.9 nis. Grab a coffee and I don’t even want it. 11 nis. So weird. Maybe it’s because I’m already running late and feeling anxious about time. I drink half and then grab groceries for the client I’m cooking for, all of which I’ll get reimbursed for so I won’t list them. I also cab to their place - billing them as well. Nobody got time to haul groceries on a bus #lazy.

After cooking for 6 hrs (hey guess who just made +1200nis!!) I pack a meal from what I made (chicken, potatoes, and an Asian pear, and it’s all fucking delicious, and free, and I even had a container because of yesterdays lunch that I took to school, score!) and bus to the central bus station. 5.9 I’m feeling a bit woozy so grab soda water to calm my stomach. 7 nis. I decide to finally buy a pair of Blundstones, a decision I’ve thought about for literally like five years. I see a pair that I like that are on sale for 350 and I grab them. Also add 50 nis to Rav Kav. The boots feel great in the store and for the dash to the bus, but as soon as I’m off the bus and walking to class, they start to kill! I’m worried I got the wrong size, even though the next half size up is way too big on me. I take them off in middle of class to make sure I don’t fuck them up too badly. Finish class, head home, make toast with peanut butter and hang out with Josh.

Friday Jan 19

Wake up and peel myself out of bed to grab some random groceries - I have no coffee in the house, and really feel like having eggs for breakfast. At the grocery store, I also find an avocado thats not hard as a rock (fun fact: apparently there were no deliveries of avocados to Israel for a week and so the price doubled, and none of them are ready yet. I don’t care that the price is doubled - it’s only like 6 shekel anyway and i’ve been wanting an avocado all week.) I get eggs, an avocado, and laundry detergent - 28 nis. There is a massive bag of Tide for 60 shekel (8 kg) and I think I might get it because it smells so nice and is cheaper per kilo than anything in the store and will last for like, half a year or something. And in two weeks I’ll even have a HOUSE to store it in!!!

I stop at my favorite coffee grinder guy and pick up 100g of coffee for 6 nis and think back to when I was living in Florentine and I could find the same amount for at a minimum 10 nis, usually more. Thank you, Jaffa gods, for making prices reasonable.  This usually can last for almost a week, but it’s exam season and I’m going to be mainlining coffee.

When i get home, I make a good breakfast (toast, eggs, salad, coffee) and THEN I CAN DO MY LAUNDRY! FOR FREE!!!! I’m so effing excited, it’s been literally four months without a washing machine at my disposal. I’ll probably need to throw some things in the dryer at the laundromat because its going to be a fucking COLD weekend and I have no clean socks and stuff, but still!

Anyway, I’m at my next conundrum, which is the fact that it’s now sale season and there are so many things I want/need. In the wants column, we’ll just put new clothes. I’m v bored of that I have and would love some new additions. In the needs column, we’ll put shoes - this is a biggie, I hate buying shoes and spending money on them - house items (coffee table, bed, closet, curtains, oven), a new phone (this one is pissing me off with its jerkiness and general crappy demanour. I could probably get it to work well if I do a factory reset but the screen is also cracked and replacing it will cost at least 400 nis. I’d rather get a new/secondhand phone.) Anyway, IKEA is having a sale, all the clothing stores are having massive sales, and I’m not sure what to do. These are more investment type items, but it’s still hard to justify spending the money. And then the fact that Uri and Jordana are getting married soon - I’ll actually make a bit of money from catering his aufruf kiddush/her shabbat kallah dinner, but not a ton.

I FINALLY get a message that I’m getting paid for an event I did like, three weeks ago - that’s another +1,630. YESSSS. That plus an extra +500 for shabbat will be so helpful for the move.

Run out to throw some things in the dryer - I just collect random shekels and don’t actually keep track, but i think it’s around 8 nis. While waiting for my stuff to dry, I get some binders, highlighters, little page markers, and also use the stores hole-puncher to hole-punch LITERALLY like 500 pages of notes. Don’t have to buy a hole-puncher though! It’s still 33 nis. Ugh.

I end up heading to Jerusalem kinda stupidly late, and end up taking a taxi to the bus station with Josh, but he covers it because he owes me money for groceries. The sherut is 35 nis - ugh. I’ve left my purse at home so Josh lends me a 50 that he also says to use toward groceries.

Saturday Jan 20

I work for WAY longer than I would have wanted to, and it really isn’t very much money, and I really needed the time to study, but on the other hand, it was pretty easy and it was 500 nis. So, balances out. After Shabbat is out I head to Jerusalem - 5.9 for the train, and 16 nis for the bus. When I get to Tel Aviv, the bus to my house is a friggin half hour away so I have to walk home, which is a massive waste of time. Really need to sit and calculate how much that half hour was worth to me, because I’m SOOOO behind on my studying, but can I just stay up a half hour later? Does life even work that way?

I make a peanut butter and banana wrap. Wraps are THE BEST thing to have around but I never buy them because I feel like they’re expensive? But a friend left these at my house and they’ve been the base of many a quick happy dinner, so maybe I’ll keep them around. Also come up with a plan to market myself as a meal-prep delivery service for people who can’t cook at home... i wonder if I’d ever actually execute that.

Sunday January 21

Basically spend all day inside studying/making food/cleaning/doing laundry. All of these are relatively money-less endeavours! On my way to school I do grab some fruit because I have none in the house. 9 nis

A friend coming from New York places an order on amazon for me for bamboo toothbrushes and charcoal exfoliating gloves - those guys are the shit and I hate throwing out plastic toothbrushes. They last quite a while and it only comes out to 70 shek - I’ll pay him when I see him.

Monday January 22

I meet Kim at the shuk for a grocery shop. It doesn’t really feel so smart to do the shop before my CSA gets in. I need to recalibrate my weeks so that I can do it on Tuesday morning and not be starving. Anyway, I get:

Parmesan and goat cheese - 24.6

Oatmeal, wild rice, and raisins - 20

Salmon - the guy cuts me way more than I asked for and I tell him off. I asked for 300 grams for a reason, mister, not for 350 grams. I’m turning into an asshole lol. 33 nis

Avocado, sweet potato, zucchini, chilis - 18 nis

Clementines, potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and an impulse buy dragon fruit - 34 nis

Green onion - 5 nis

On the way home, I still can use my transfer on my Rav Kav. Hell yes. Now I just need to stock up on things like more coffee, wraps, and one or two other things, but between this and the CSA I should be good for the week.

At home i make a big pot of rice, roasted veggies, two sauces (one using up cilantro that was going bad and yogurt I didn’t feel like eating), salmon, and sauteed greens from last weeks CSA. Now I have food options! And I only need to finish my celery and romaine lettuce from the CSA. Don’t know what to do with it though. Hmm.

Buttttt ugh I get an email from the school. I owe tuition, I think it’s loan time. I’m thinking of asking them if I can consolidate the debt, and when I do a huge work event I can throw a few thousand shekel at tuition. PAYING FOR SCHOOL IS SUCH A BITCH. But at least the loan system here doesn’t blow. I also get an email about a grant. GRANT I NEED YOU GET IN MY WALLET.

CSA box comes with some dope looking ingredients. I’ll have to cook wisely this week so nothing gets wasted though - my fridge is already FULL of food. What a nice feeling :).

Tuesday January 23

I wake up late, ugh. Go grab coffee - this time i get double what I got last week - rice milk, and cashews, to maybe turn into butter. It comes out to way more than i anticipated - 44 nis. Eek.Still though, haven’t eaten out once this week except for one coffee and one bottle of water, so I’m feeling good! Then I feel terrible when i think about tuition and moving. Gah! Cashew butter tastes amazing though, so there’s that!

Finally get an answer to an insurance claim I filed (and won) months ago! They had sent me a cheque (srsly who does that) which I never received, so they are going to cancel it, and wire me the funds. It’s around $350 - just wish I’d done this before the dollar crashed so hard. Oh well. Still free-ish money!

Buy an eclair. I need some comfort sweets. Interestingly, I don’t think I’ve had anything with overt amounts of processed sugar in a few days - since Saturday, I guess. I’ve had honey in my tea and stuff, but that’s it. I wonder if I’ll feel anything? It’s only mediocre but I needed to get out and interact with a human who is not Josh/the dog. 10 nis.

Wednesday January 24

I have to print some notes for this exam that i am definitely in no way passing (hi moed bet!) It’s way more expensive than it would be at school. Damn. 12.5

Total: 770.7 - minus shoes - 420.7

School/misc- 403 (includes a 350 nis pair of shoes that are too small and that I will try to return)

Groceries- 221

Eating out- 28

Transportation - 118.7

Money earned: 500, 1620

The takeaway from this week is: School is effing expensive, and I spent freely on groceries to not be tempted to eat out which worked (slash my extreme isolation/studying helps too) but I also bought a lot of “nice things” that I don’t need. On the other hand, I’ll have lots of food stored for the next week or two. Wins all around, I think. Would be nice to get most of my weeks spending to look like this (minus the shoes) - I could be down with spending only 400 nis a week.

[amxndz-blog]

South China Normal University Team

Jinan University Team

  I procrastinated for so long before finally getting to this. I have been back from China for 3 days now and editing the pictures brings back great memories but I’m glad to be home! 🙂

Day 1    Our flight was scheduled at 8am which means we had to reach the airport at 6am for our group check-in. I took a GrabHitch at 5.30am, struggling to hold a conversation with the driver as I battle the Z-monster. All I could think about was “STARBUCKS SOY LATTE”. That morning I had also packed oats, bananas and cacao powder in an Adam’s Peanut Butter Jar. Little did I know, it was the last “healthy”/ “(purely) Vegan” meal I was going to have for the next 5 days. The warm oats with a tinge of chocolatey goodness mixed with the gooey leftover peanut butter that sticks to the roof of your mouth when you take a big bite made my morning so much better.

As a team, we checked-in our luggages and had time to kill. We settled at BurgerKing where some had their breakfast while Tin and I tried our luck on the Starbucks Goodie Grab. Tin, Bu and I shared a 2 for 1 promotion! We absentmindedly went for the Venti sized drinks which was a bad idea knowing that we had to board the plane in less than 15 minutes.. Our morning brain has not registered the fact till we arrived at the boarding gate with a Venti drink in hand, gulping down as much caffeine as we can. (Not a good idea, my stomach felt funny for the whole plane ride)

My very first (vegetarian) airplane meal was BeeHoon with Tofu and some vegetables. It was really delicious but the venti coffee was still sitting uncomfortably in my stomach. I also soon realised that I forgot to pack a book to entertain myself during the flight (3 hour 50 minutes) and I did not pre-download my Spotify playlist which meant I had ZERO songs to listen to. I alternated between sneakily playing iPhone games (they did not allow mobile phones to be switched on) and sleeping. I also played a few rounds of Big Two with Tin, Shan and Jing. My plane buddies, Bu and Yingjie (which will soon become my roomies for the next 4 nights) entertained me from time to time but we mostly slept.

Arriving at GuangZhou airport, we had to take a bus for an hour to reach Jinan University where we were greeted at the on-campus hotel by our exchange friends and teacher-in-charge(s).

Our hotel – the room with the blue shirt was ours

They blessed us with packet lunches which caught us by surprise because we each had 2 boxes (1 box of rice and 1 box of dishes). I on the other hand had 1 box of white rice topped with tomato and cabbage). The mountain of rice they provided was definitely a shocker to fellow Singaporeans.

Within an hour of resting and having lunch in our room, Yingjie wanted to leave the room to dispose of our lunch boxes but instead broke the door which left us in fits of laughter which echoed down the corridors. We tried to fix the door but to no avail. (We even thought of buying superglue/duct tape)

We then had a tour around their campus where we first visited the library which was huge and very spacious! The library was very technologically advance and the lady (I suppose she was a teacher) introduced us to the different rooms in the library but my command of mandarin left my interest in the hotel room. Next, we visited an on-campus history exhibit of Jinan University and surprisingly they were once located in Shanghai! (Semi Shanghainese pride because of Feng) It was only after 3 relocation that Jinan University is where it is today which I find so amazing!

They allowed us time to go back to our rooms to put our bags down but we decided that since our door broke, we would just wait on the rest. We then left for the Welcome Dinner. I cannot describe in words how generous the Chinese are! We had an almost 20 course dinner which consisted of prawns, chicken, mutton, coconut-chicken soup, and an abalone EACH. Obviously I had little to eat there but I was so filled with the delicious long grain brown rice with pumpkin, sweet potato and yam dish.

After dinner, we were able to visit the on-campus supermarket which sold SO MANY THINGS. Fruits were so cheap and there were so many interesting food items but I settled for a bunch of bananas and a 4.5 litre bottle of water.

Day 2   This day started early because we had training from 9am-11am. It was definitely too early to function.. They provided us with an indoor court which they painstakingly measured and stuck red tape on the floor to demarcate the court lines which they would then remove after our trainings. I am immensely grateful for their hospitality!!!

After training, with the lack of time, we had lunch in their campus canteen. I honestly, should be more grateful in the aspect of food, in no way am I complaining because some people do not even have the choice/opportunity to eat. BUT, well.. to the best of my ability I have tried so hard to stay Vegan. In China, it’s pretty much crazy to socialise and eat. They tell me the dish is fully-vegetarian BUT heck I ate minced meat and dried prawns which I then tried so hard to separate from the dish but probably failed… :’-( O WELL.

We then took went back to the sports hall for a friendly match between us and Jinan University Girls Team. I was still pretty disappointed with my performance.. it’s something about volleyball that I can no longer get. I just don’t know.

BUT HECK, DINNER WAS AWESOME. Since I was on a roll and had to “close-one-eye” for every meal.. we had Mala Xiang Guo. One picks ingredients and it gets weighed then stir-fried with Chinese spices according to the spice level. Tin and I shared a bowl and it was THE BEST THING EVER.

Our Mala Pot

That’s us being smelly in our jerseys!

Day 3  Training on this day was cancelled and we went for Dimsum instead. Another round of crazy eating and battling with sneaky meat. After which, Tin, Van and I spent quite a while in the arcade shop next to the Dimsum place. We raced cars, shot hoops and spent a fair bit of our time in the Mini K cubicle where 2 people put on earphones and can sing along karaoke style to the song of their choice.

We then had to walk 1.1km to a nearby mall which we found only when we “gave up” and wanted to cab back and settle for Starbucks but the Starbucks was connected to the mall we were looking for. It was not a mistake. We found our teammates in Miniso and…..

HAUL

HAUL

the rest was history.

Miniso was our go-to. We bought probably 90% of all their We Bare Bears merchandises and they were so worth it! We shopped till we forgot about the time and had to cab back to the sports hall where we collected our shoebags and boarded the chartered bus to another University for a friendly match.

For dinner this day, we had it at a restaurant called “Grandma’s Place”. Another meat battle which was lost. Initially, some of us intended to have Mala for supper but soon scraped the idea because every meal in China left us feeling SO FULL. We slowly made our way back to Jinan University and called it a night.

Day 4   REST AND RECREATION DAY. Van, Tin, Bu, Yingjie and I had breakfast at the same Dimsum place which was amazeballlls. (I grew numb to the sneaky meat..) We had so much to eat!

We then left to look for the rest. At the mall that they were in, there was Abercombie & Fitch but I stupidly forgot my associate card :’-( SOBBBS.

Taking the public train down to BeiJing Lu was a feat. If you ever think boarding the train in Singapore is difficult, think again. If you ever think that Bishan Platform is crowded during peak hours, THINK AGAIN. It was crazyyyyy and people were literally RUNNING to grab the next train so that they could board. Nonetheless, we managed and with no regrets because I had the best drink ever. I ordered a coconut milk with red bean after checking with the lady that no dairy was used.

We travelled by train to a massage parlour where Jia Le and I shared a room. it was her first time getting a massage. She was asking me how it was going to be like and I told her that usually the same gendered masseuse would be available but at that moment… 2 males came in. Shrugging it off thinking that every other pair had male masseuses as well, we laid down and had our massages amidst awkward conversations held in bad mandarin. it was only after did we realised that we were the only pair with males…. LUL

Dinner was across the road, the Mala restaurant we had on the second night. AMAZEBALLS.

fwens

walking the 1km

we tried on crazy dark lipsticks

Day 5   This day was mainly travelling and bidding our China friends goodbye :’-(.

Ah Jing

Ah Song

Their hospitality and generosity has definitely overcame all language barriers. They were amazing throughout that 5 days, trying their hardest to accommodate my diet (I was a burden, yes, whoops). I’m super grateful and I hope I’ll get to see y’all soon!!

MA ROOMIES

A picture with the roomies to commemorate our success in not having to pay for damages that we have caused on our short stay. We blessed the entire hotel (yes, block 1 & block 2) with our laughter and screams when we encounter gross friendly buggies.

8 of us wew

HongBin Coach!

And the eight of us that ate so much our stomachs ached, thank you for the trip because the 5 days were amazingly filled with so much goodness and love from everyone of you. We bonded and possibly will continue fighting in upcoming competitions together? 😉

This trip has been nothing short of amazing! Miniso was amazing :-p

Jinan Volleyball Exchange Trip I procrastinated for so long before finally getting to this. I have been back from China for 3 days now and editing the pictures brings back great memories but I'm glad to be home!

[meegz2008-blog]

Meal Prep Weekend

It is Sunday which means meal prep day. Today I made mine and my husband's smoothies for the week, 13 crockpot meals, lunch for the week, and the week's fruit infused water. I had my groceries delivered yesterday morning. I got three whole chickens and spent yesterday baking them and making home-made chicken stock out of the bones and skin. Yesterday I also prepared the cream of chicken soups that I needed today from a homemade mix. In my meal prep recipes I also used homemade ranch mix, italian seasoning mix, and taco seasoning mix. I also used homemade salsa and homemade whole wheat tortillas. I substitute stevia for sugar in all recipes. All of the recipes that I used for the cream of chicken soup and spices can be found in my previous post "Live Life With Spice" http://www.tbilabyrinth.com/2017/01/19/live-life-with-spice/ Homemade Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas 3 cups whole wheat flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 cup warm water Mix flour, salt, and baking powder (I used my stand mixer). Add vegetable oil and warm water. Mix together until it forms a dough ball. Transfer to well-floured surface and divide into equal portions. I got 16 decent sized portions with this recipe. Cover with a kitchen towel for 15 minutes to let it rest. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Using a rolling-pin, roll each dough piece into a flat circle approximately 6" in diameter. Do not stack uncooked dough circles on top of each other. Place a dough circle in the center of the pan for about a minute or until the surface of the dough starts to bubble. Flip the dough circle over and cook as mentioned above only this time it will be for 20-30 seconds. Place tortilla on plate to cool. Chicken Stock Chicken carcass and bones 3 celery 3 carrots 1 onion 2 cloves of garlic pepper pinch of thyme Add all ingredients to dutch over and fill with water so everything is submerged. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer partially uncovered for 1-4 hours. Our fruit infused water this week is 1/2 of a lemon, 1/2 of a lime, and a peeled orange. Cinnamon Roll Smoothie 1 banana 1 cup almond milk 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats 1/2 tbsp brown sugar 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cup greek yogurt 1 serving of vanilla protein powder 6 ice cubes I do not freeze the milk, yogurt, and ice with the rest of the ingredients. I add those items the day I am preparing the smoothie. We have an entire section of our freezer devoted to our smoothie prep.

Fajita Chicken Salad (this is our lunch for the week) 3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded 1/2 cup mayo (I used avocado as a substitute) 1 tbsp fajita seasoning (I make my own fajita seasoning. The recipe can be found at http://www.tbilabyrinth.com/2017/01/19/live-life-with-spice/) 1/2 red bell pepper, diced 1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced 1/2 onion, diced Mix chicken, mayo, and seasonings. Add peppers and onion. Serve on a tortilla or over lettuce. My husband likes his in a tortilla so he can eat it on the go. I make mine into a salad with lettuce. It took me approximately four hours this morning to prep all of my freezer meals, smoothies, and lunches.

Stuffed Pepper Soup 1 lb ground beef (I used ground turkey) 1 cup onion, chopped 14.5 oz diced tomatoes with garlic and onions 15 oz tomato sauce 4 peppers red and green 3 cups beef broth 1/4 tsp basil 1 packet of chili seasoning (I used 2 tbsp of my homemade mix) Mix all in a freezer bag Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over rice. Cheesy Chicken Salsa Bake 6 chicken breast 12 oz salsa shredded Mexican cheese Cook chicken covered in salsa on high for 2-3 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove chicken from crockpot, put in dish, and cover with cheese. Bake chicken until cheese is melty. Chicken Fajitas 1 lb chicken breasts 3 peppers, sliced 1 onion, sliced package of taco seasoning tortillas toppings Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred chicken. Serve on tortillas Thai Chicken Soup 2 tbsp red curry paste 24 oz coconut milk 2 cups of chicken stock 2 tbsp fish sauce 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp lime juice 2 tbsp peanut butter 1 lb. chicken breast, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 onion, sliced 1 tbsp minced ginger 1 cup of peas Combine all in freezer bag. Cook on high for 4 hours. Serve over rice. Chicken Broccoli Alfredo 1 lb. chicken breast 2 (16 oz) jars Alfredo sauce 16 oz frozen broccoli (I bought mine fresh and cut it up) 1 green bell pepper, diced Combine in freezer bag. Cook low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Serve over noodles Buffalo Pulled Chicken 3 chicken breasts 12 oz hot sauce 1/2 package of ranch dressing mix 2 tbsp butter Combine all except butter in freezer bag. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 1/2 hour before serving, add butter and shred chicken. Orange Chicken 1 lb. chicken thighs, chopped 3 tbsp coconut oil juice 2 oranges zest 1 orange 1/4 cup orange juice 3 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp siracha chopped peanuts Combine all in freezer bag. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Serve over rice. Beef and Broccoli Teriyaki 1 cup soy sauce 1 cup Stevia 1 tsp garlic salt 1/2 cup onion, chopped 1 1/2 lbs beef stew pieces 1 bag frozen broccoli Combine all in freezer bag. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Serve over noodles or rice. Chicken Tortilla Soup 2 chicken breast, diced 19 oz diced tomatoes 1 bag frozen corn 1 can black beans, drained 1 onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 3 cups chicken broth 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp chili powder 1/4 tsp pepper Combine all in freezer bag. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Beef and Cheese Pasta 2 lbs ground beef 1 onion, diced 1 tsp minced garlic 26 oz spaghetti sauce 15 oz. stewed tomatoes 1 tsp basil 1 tsp oregano 1 tsp Italian seasoning 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 2 bouillon cubes 3 cups spinach 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese Combine all except spinach and cheeses in a freezer bag. Cook on low for 6 hours. 30 minutes before serving add spinach and cheeses. Chicken Ranch Pasta 3 lb chicken breast 2 tbsp butter paprika 1 package ranch dressing 2 cans cream of chicken soup 16 oz. cream cheese 1/4 tsp oregano 1/2 tsp parsley 1 tsp minced garlic 2 cups frozen broccoli Combine all in freezer bag. Cook on low for 6 hours. Serve over noodles. Chicken Veggie Curry 2 chicken breasts, diced 2 tbsp curry powder 1/2 tbsp ginger powder 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 onion, diced 1 potato 1 zucchini, chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 1 cup carrots, chopped 2 1/2 cups chicken stock 1 can coconut milk 4 tbsp cornstarch 1 tbsp stevia Combine all in freezer bag. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Serve over rice. Honey Garlic Chicken 2 chicken breasts 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup honey 2 tbsp hoisin sauce 1 tbsp rice vinegar 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tsp ginger powder 1/2 onion, diced 2 tbsp cornstarch Combine all except cornstarch in freezer bag. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. Shred chicken and set it aside. Place sauce in saucepan and boil. Mix cornstarch and water and add to sauce. Serve with mixed veggies. The three whole chickens that I purchased at $10/chicken provided just enough chicken for all of these meals. The chicken stock that I made provided barely enough chicken stock for all of these meals.

This meal prep session took me about four hours. This is enough meals to get us through mid-February but I suspect they will last us longer than that. Click to Post

[spreadsmilesacross-blog]

I had my little munchkin, my bundle of joy in my arms along with my older naughty brat and life could not have been happier. Months rolled on taking care of my wonderful little treasure while pursuing a full time career that knew no hours of travel and work.

A year went by and it was little one’s first birthday. Saree was my choice for outfit for the party. To my worst nightmare despite all my endeavors to shrink myself and squeeze in, I had to put away one blouse after the other! Angered, I took out the weighing scale and checked the reading. Alarmed! As if it were a ghost. It read 74.6! I reset the scale to recheck as if the machine would show a different reading to please me! Again it said, 74.6.

I had always been in a great shape and looked younger than my age. Even after my first delivery, I shelled the extra pounds over couple of months. An unknown and undoubtedly annoying sound reverberated calling me FAT. I remembered my sister jokingly telling me that I looked like an amma. Though that time I had retaliated telling her that well yes I am amma of two!

I am 161 cm and medium built. By no means could I call myself fit at 74.6 kgs! That day I pulled up a pair of jeans with a pullover for the party. It was almost the end of December 2014. My New Year Resolution was Weight Loss. Weight loss! OMG that too almost 15 kgs! I was 26 years and 52 kg before my first pregnancy. Post-partum my weight stabilized at 57 kgs and since I looked almost toned, I really did not care about it. I had tried  gym once earlier out of hobby and I so well remembered how I wasted the subscription! The entire hour I spent there was at looking at the clock to shout out loud that it was sixty minutes and time to leave! Crazy dieting; well no way was this my choice. Outdoors anyways gave me nightmares with so many dogs around and my scared soul finding corners to evade them. In short, I was totally confounded with the how part. Eventually I resorted to Google baba to look for ‘my kind’ of means to smoothen my tyres.

Having done all this research, I realised working out was the only choice available apart from the 7 day GM diet (in which you can eat the permitted item/s for the day in as much quantity as your body demands) (you may like to read thru the link that acted like a blessing in that time of crisis https://www.thefitindian.com/the-fastest-indian-vegetarian-diet-to-lose-weight/).

My exercise regime comprised of-

10 minutes of warm up

45 minutes of cardio including treadmill, cross-trainer and stationary bike

30 minutes of strength training one body part each day

20 minutes of floor exercises and yoga on alternate days

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Photo by Isabella Mendes on Pexels.com

Photo by Nathan Cowley on Pexels.com

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I had the temptation of climbing up the weighing scale every single day to check for any improvement but in vain 😦 But let me admit, though my body did feel soar with its new routine, even if there was no change in weight, I did feel more vibrant and energized even in the first week! I kept wondering how I had not enjoyed working out earlier! On the lighter side, maybe I enjoy bigger challenges more 🙂 After I got my body accustomed at the gym for a week, I started with first day of GM diet. Being a vegetarian, I searched for the veg version of the program. Exercise was supposed to be light to moderate on these days. Since eating was confined to select items on each day, I decided just to go for cardio, floor or yoga sessions on these days and skip strength that requires lots of protein intake after the regime.

Day 1       Morning weight 74.5 kg

The first day is supposed to be the Fruit Day (minus mangoes and grapes). It was the month of February and I spent the day munching on apples, pomegranates, guavas and oranges. The motivation to get lean was so strong that I truly did not feel hungry.

Day 2       Morning weight 73.5 kg (OMG! OMG! OMG! 1 kg gone in a single day)

On the second day of the GM diet one is supposed to eat only Vegetables that could be raw, boiled or very lightly sauteed. However, one can start with a boiled potato with butter in the morning. I had bought the exotic vegetable stock the day before only and likewise commenced the day with paraboiled assortment of peas, beans, carrots, broccoli, red and yellow peppers and cauliflower. I added a little of lemon, white pepper and oregano to make it more sumptuous and had the same combo the entire day. The day went rather effortlessly with gym time in the evening.

Day 3       Morning weight 72.5 kg (Gracious God! another 1 Kg gone!)

Day three is a mix of fruits and vegetables. Apart from fruits and the remaining stock from day 2, I ate raw carrots, beetroot, cucumbers and lettuse leaves too. Again the day was not harsh on the tummy that otherwise solicited chocolates and pizzas! Ofcourse, two kgs lost in a matter of two days were an unmatched piece of motivation.

Day4       Morning weight 72 kg (Dissapointment followed by consolation… atleast .5 kg gone lady!)

The thirst day is the banana (upto 6) and skimmed milk (upto 1 litre) day. I prepared banana shake right in the morning with 5 bananas and 1 litre milk and kept sipping through the same the entire day.

Day 5       Morning weight 71 kg (yayyyy another 1 kg gone!)

On GM diet, Day five is a blessed kind of a day on which one can munch on soya nuggets, paneer, tomatoes, boiled rajma, soup made of capsicums, tomatoes, onion, ginger and garlic. While I preferred having boiled kidney beans with chopped onion, tomato and cucumber with lemon juice in the morning, I chose to eat brown rice with paneer and soya chunks for lunch and soup for dinner. In between meals I kept munching on raw salad.

Day 6       Morning weight 71 kg (Oops no change)

I surely was disappointed having lost no weight on day five and kept cursing myself for probably having eaten too much (while now I realise that was not true). Nevertheless, this was to be a tomato free day while all ingredients of day five could be consumed. Despite initial shock, I did not let my morale go down and ate safe meals comprising of raw fruits and veggies alsong with soup. I also had moong dal dprout salad for dinnere along with soup ofcourse hoping to see some better result the follwing day.

Day 7       Morning weight 70.5 kg (thank God for this .5 kg)

Well yes, I was feeling much lighter and brighter by day seven. I was happy to have managed to shell 4 kgs of weight which otherwise I could not do 14 months after my second delivery! The entire day was spent munching on fruits and vegetables. I had a bowl of brown rice with soup for lunch and sprouts with skimmed yoghurt for dinner.

Day 8       Morning weight 71 kg (.5 kg is back to my alarm)

I was happy that effectively I had lost 3.5 kg of weight and did feel better. And yes, immensely motivated too. With the resolution to tone my body further, I resumed my earlier exercise regime that included strength training. A lot of reading had me realize my body type that is endomorph. I inculcated a lot of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) in my cardio sessions in a routine to boost my metabolism. I prepared home-made almond butter and experimented with many more healthy recipes. I ensured I did not have more than one cheat day in a week and that my resistance training was adequately supplemented by enough protein intake which for me was in form of soya chunks, paneer and other low fat dairy products apart from peanut and almond butter. Over all, I made a change in my lifestyle. Cravings for chocolates and sweets (mithai) did not deviate me from my goals. Thankfully, fried food has never been a teaser for me. Ultimately, after 10 months of patience driven due diligence, I finally hit 62 kgs and it has been almost three years now that I have maintained so.

The road I travelled from 74.6 kgs to 62 kgs was indeed tough. There were occasions when I was (pretty much humanly) tempted to give up. I remember when I hit a plateau at 69 kgs and despite all the endurance, it would not buzz an inch further. This was the most trying time when I kept going. I did more research on what to do when we hit plateaus. To my utter surprise one of the things I realized that though I was not losing weight any further, yet I was getting into a shape that was better than ever. You know what, the weight was owing to the lean muscle that I was gaining by doing the right kind of resistance training. Then I was not-so-regular with the workout for a fortnight while travelling to another city. And whoa, guess what? Despite not exercising, during this little break my weight dropped another 3 kgs all by itself! Another round of reading and I realised that taking small breaks is actually good. And yes, I had set small targets for myself. The day I got below 70kg, I gifted myself a new pair of Asics training shoes that I had been eying for long, and when I hit under 65, it was a (well deserved) wardrobe change (pretty much required as I had gone down two sizes by then:)!

My Weight Loss Success Mantra

GM diet was absolutely not essential and I could have achieved my target otherwise too. However, I admit, for me it did work like a booster. Having lost 3.5 kgs right at the start kept me convinced that I could actually lose weight! For you, you yourself have to determine what could keep you best motivated.

Drink lots of water (preferably warm if not hot). For every 20 kgs of body weight, you need to intake 1 litre of water with a capping a 5 litres beyond which the kidneys get taxed.

Treat yourself like a human and not like a machine. While adhering to routines is a must, yet don’t be too taxing on yourself. If your body (not mood) solicits an additional break on some day, do allow it.

HIIT works wonders. In my personal experience too, a 20 minute HIIT can compensate for your otherwise 60 minutes of cardio. Aside, you keep burning calories for hours after finishing workout as it challenges the anarobic system. For me, now, cardio just means 20 minutes of HIIT apart from floor and strength training. It implies going to the maximum of your heart rate and then letting it get back to average or moderate state. Beginners can do it in ratio of 1:2 or 1:3 also depending upon their fitness level which later could be in the varying ratio of 1:1. For example 30 seconds of maximum heart rate followed by 60/90 seconds of cool down at slow/moderate pace, which later can be 30 seconds of maximum heart rate followed by 30/45 seconds of cool down.

Strength training is a must. While cardio helps us dissolve fat, resistance or strength training helps us build lean muscle and also catalyse the entire weight loss process.

Food Log. Sounds like heights of obsession but trust me it really works. There are several apps available like livestrong (www.livestrong.com) that can help you track your food, water, exercise and calories and keep you well motivated and on track.

BMI is not the only and actual indicator of fitness. There is a lot like age, child birth, muscle mass etc., that contributes to the weight you carry. As in my case too, considering just the BMI bit, I might sound kind of overweight at 62 kgs for my medium 5.3 frame but if I get on a scale that also measures other parameters, it is my muscle mass that contributes to this BMI and not body fat! So don’t let the formula of BMI depress you.

Never give up. While it sounds clichéd, there is a lot of fact in the statement. There are bound to be times when you would feel that it is too much, or too long, or too intense. But, keep yourself motivated. I would rather suggest you hang a picture of someone who you would like to seek motivation from for your fitness goal (think of the abs and toned body of a mom like Mandira Bedi at 45!)

Eat right. Make better food choices and believe me you, it works wonders. One of the mantras is not to stock the undesired items like crisps, biscuits, sweets etc. as when we are hungry we get tempted to munch on them. Instead, keep dryfruits, fruits, chopped raw veggies, seeds handy so satiate the hunger pangs. I have a sweet tooth and for me letting go of sweets (though not altogether) was a challenge. For this, I started moving to darker chocolates, sugarless tea and coffee, fruit cream with honey instead of sugar and the like. I did allow myself one cheat day in a week. And trust me, once the clothes start getting even a bit lose, your mind would not command you to eat unhealthy!

Supplementing the Workout pre and post. Irrespective of the time of the day, working out hungry, in my opinion, is never a good idea. Before a workout, eat a small snack atleast 30 minutes prior to keep yourself energized and give your best shot at the workout. Keep hydrated. And never neglect enough protein post workout in dearth of which one might lose muscle instead! Protein is an integral macro-nutrient that plays intrinsic role in repairing of damaged muscle tissue. The quantity depends upon your workout. In general, a person body needs .80 gm to 1 gm of protein per kg of body weight. I ensured to take 20-25 gm of protein in form of peanut/almond butter, quiona, soya nuggets, paneer, boiled eggs etc post my workout sessions.

Fitness Tracker. People have different views about it, but I love the idea of a fitness tracker. I use a Fitbit Blaze and I’m crazy about it. It helps keep a track of steps, heart-beat, actual calories burnt, exercise of different levels apart from other features like a watch, alarm clock and even relaxation device! There are multiple options available if one would like to consider any.

Right Bra and Shoes. While women do pay heed to workout attitre, I have felt that the right sports bra and shoes sometimes go lacking. Do invest in a couple of high-support sports bra with the right fit to ensure the boobies stay well in shape (sports bras are available in light, medium and high support. Depending upon our intensity of workout, we need to choose one). Shoes are another investment that is a must. Depending upon what sport you choose, select the pair of shoes technologically made to serve that purpose to ensure comfort and avoid any injuries (there are different types of shoes meant for trails, running, walking, training, hiking, dancing etc.).

Have an active Day. Don’t freak if you are not able to make it for a work out some day. Stay active and do whatever is possible. Activities like squats, lunges, floor, yoga etc. can be done just anywhere.

Set small milestones and appreciate yourself once you achieve these goals.

Losing weight is definitely not all about looks. Being over-weight/having excessive fat hinders health and is also responsible for many health issues. It is about a lifestyle change and not weight loss alone. My target was to take baby steps towards the goal without being less Hitler-like on my own self. Well yes, I do feel much younger, more energised and healthier today than I felt in February of 2015 when I started this journey of getting fit. The compliments I receive, do add an extra glow to my face 🙂

Happy Fitness to You!

Loads of love,

The beautiful experience of Pregnancy often reflects as added fat on the new mum. Read thru the link to know my journey of 13 kg of weight loss, achieving my fitness goals and much healthier lifestyle. Like, comment, share Much Love, I had my little munchkin, my bundle of joy in my arms along with my older naughty brat and life could not have been happier.