Bad blogger and bad eater

So I haven't blogged in a while.
It did not seem worth wasting time when I have had such disgusting eating habits.
You see my grandparents visited me at the weekend and I love them to death. The only problem is they come with a few added pounds.
They had about five bags of food for me. A lot of the food was biscuit orientated.
Now, I don't buy biscuits because I eat the entire pack so it has been a nightmare for me.
Needless to say this week I have eaten many a wheaty treat.
This whole week doesn't look too good to be honest and work has gotten in the way of work outs.
That always makes it extra naughty.
Today I went to my spin class again for the first time in a month (due to holidays and work commitments) and it was one of the hardest yet.
So I feel great for that but unfortunately I didn't feel like cooking at 8pm so I had two bowls of cereal instead.
Yeah I know not too bad but I had toast prior to the class and a big lunch.
The good news is, I didn't snack today. I think the key to it is have a big lunch. Dinner is usually my biggest meal which doesn't really make sense.

Today's lunch, not the healthiest but the most delicious

I don't burn anything after eating it because I just slob on the sofa. I think I may have to look into making lunch my biggest meal from now on.
I have no inspiration for yummy hot lunches that I can take to work though. It isn't the same as being in your own kitchen.
Next week is detox week. Very hard with little solid food. I will update every day with my progress but as for the weekend, I am having visitors so I am not watching what I eat.
We're all allowed to do that sometimes.
Remember guys, nobody is perfect!

Two days on the right track

So I have had another good day. 
It almost feels like I have nothing to write about because I have nothing to moan about.
The one thing I do have to say though is this evening, I wanted to snack. I wanted sugar and I almost caved. 
My new secret weapon that does prove successful when I remember is: hot chocolate sashes. 
I need a sugar boost, the sashes help control the portion with hot water. 
I had my hot chocolate at 60 calories and the seduction of sugar was gone. 
So day two and that was the worst thing I ate.
I really enjoyed my soup, homemade, home grown tomato soup. My favourite. MmmmMmmm.
I will be so pleased if I can go all five days without a naughty snack. 
I don't think it is as bad if I do a big work out but unfortunately today I couldn't go to the gym because I had a long meeting after work. 
By the time it was finished I was starving. I don't like being hungry.
I am craving a Morrison's cookie though and may allow myself the luxury this week if I exercise enough and eat really well I can. 
The majority of my food intake is fruit and vegetables so that makes me feel positive. 
Stay fresh!

Finally! A great day to report.

Well as the title suggests today I have done well today. I feel like I should celebrate but at the same time it is how I have been previously so it should not be anything new. But I got greedy.

It is hard in a greedy office!

My mums words are ringing around in my head "you seem to constantly be eating, a lot more then you used to."
Today I had three healthy meals, with my tea I added a small tin of baked beans because I also don't believe in under eating and my calorie count was too low.
My first win of the day came when a colleague bought a tray of 12 doughnuts for the office of six. 
Now, I have never been a fan of doughnuts until I discovered Krispy Kreme, luckily they are so expensive they are easy to decline.
I can happily maintain that I'm not a fan of the normal doughnuts and I can avoid the temptation.
Homemade soups in my mind are the key. Packing essential vitamins and minerals with virtually no fat or calories. Also very filling. 

Beetroot soup, half eaten 

I had my beetroot soup today and the subtle sweetness has helped keep my sweet tooth under control.
To end on an even better note, I did a 20 minute run on the treadmill followed by a 50 minute Zumba workout. 
Monday is the best day to set a precedent and I think I have, the rest of the week looks good. Fingers crossed when I am feeling weak I will be able to remember this feeling and over come it. 
Keep positive guys!

Get a Grip

I started this Blog because I thought publicly humiliating myself and my eating habits would help me.
The past two weeks I think it is safe to say I am disgusted in myself. I will not even go into what I have eaten today.
I have been slacking from the gym too. I have been going but I don't feel like I have been working very hard.
Well that is it. I am sick of telling myself at the beginning of the week that I will be good this week and then by the weekend I over indulge beyond belief.

My enemies of the day

Now, I have no desire to be stick thin, hungry and missing out on food but I need some self control.
Believe it or not some of the healthiest meals I cook are my favourite. It is the snacking I need to control. Chocolate and cereal are my worst enemy.
I am horrendous with biscuits but since I stopped buying them I seem cured. A chocolate bar or chocolate mousse is all too easy to pick up and I will not give up my cereal.
Cereal is my favourite thing in the world. I could live on it.
Yes you may say you could be eating worse things but it is the quantity that is the problem.
Most of my cereals are healthy, oats, Special K and Alpen which I adore on a morning and intend to stick to eating.
I believe breakfast is the most important meal of the day and is the best time to indulge. So I need to remember that when I go for a bowl of Frosties at 9pm.
As I said in a previous post, I have made two big batches of soup. That is lunch sorted. I have also planned dinner time meals.

Monday: Tomato and basil chicken with salad. 20 minute run on the treadmill, ab weights and Zumba.
Tuesday: Fish and steamed vegetables, 1 hour 30 minutes gym routine.
Wednesday: Spiced chicken and quinoa salad, 1 hour 30 minutes gym routine
Thursday: Soy glazed Tuna with spiced steamed vegetables and 45 minute spin class
Friday: Homemade pasta, pesto and scallops, 1 hour 30 minute gym routine
Saturday: 3 mile run and cottage pie.
Sunday: Rest day and carvery.
I will stick to this, snacks will be fruit and nuts which I will constantly have to hand and I will make a mango mousse for dessert on Saturday for being good. (If I am good). I feel more determined then ever to stick to this. I feel I am letting the Blog down as I started it and have barley reported anything good. Wish me luck and I will update daily.

Eat smart this week folks.

Soups to set me straight

A few weeks ago I had a detox.
I only had soups and juices and I lost four pounds. I have managed to maintain the weight loss more or less until last week.
I have had a rough two weeks food wise and gone off track a bit. But it is okay because I can pull it back.
I have just made two large batches of soups for my lunch next week.
I have downloaded some more juice recipes (I recommend buying a juicer if you need to implement more fruit and vegetables into your diet. They are great) and I am quite happy with George Foreman grilled chicken and lots of fish and vegetables for tea.
I am pretty confident next week will be a better week, I already know it will be less stressful at work then this week has been - let's not get into that one.
Anyway I will tell you about my two soups here and the recipes will be saved on my recipe page.
I have made a four portion batch of tomato and basil soup.
I have got to say, homemade soup beats any other every time and it is the easiest thing to make.
Quarter loads of tomatoes, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and dried basil. I also like to add a couple of cloves of garlic still in the skin for that sweet roast garlic flavour.
Cook on low for 1.5 hours gas mark 160. When they look nice and dry and a bit blackened (only a little bit) remove.
Then cook very slowly and gently two medium sized onions, add a clove of fresh garlic and the roast garlic. Use some tomato puree to intensify the tomato flavour. Add the tomatoes and some stock, simmer for 15 minutes. Add some fresh basil in and blend.
Yum yum. Deep, rich taste and very filling. Each serving is a mere 144 calories but fills you right up.
The other one I made, beetroot and orange soup. Beetroot is not for everyone but if you do like it and you have a sweet tooth you are struggling to control (like me) this is ideal.
It is sweet but again, nutritious and filling. This one takes ever so slightly more work - but it is still easy peasy.
Sweat onion, garlic and celery until soft. Stir in some cinnamon and then cubed beetroot. Cook for five and then add some stock. Simmer for an hour (ish) and add in the juice and zest of an orange.
Delish. I am hoping this treats will help keep me off the beaten track next week as I really need a solid week of feel good food and not feel good for five minutes food.
I hope you enjoy my recipes.

Feeling unsure

Grilled chicken, sweet potato mash, spinach and broccoli 

I was pleased to find out that even after a chubby week of indulgence last week my weight was virtually the same.
I had just gained an extra couple of pounds that I thought would be easy to shift.
Now I haven't exactly been the health queen this week, but I don't think I have eaten too badly and I thought I might have lost a pound. Sadly not.
It was a colleagues birthday this week so the first failure was cake. Caterpillar cake, which I kept control of my portion size.
But on the other hand my meals were incredibly healthy and my snacks were all fruits and nuts.
I also discovered on Wednesday sweet potato. How I have never had this before I do not know.
I love chicken done on the George Foreman Grill but sometimes just chicken and veg needs something sloppy with it. Well instead of my usual baked beans I had mashed sweet potato. I tell you now my taste buds came alive and it was my favourite thing on the plate. New found love, that's for sure.
It was a delicious, healthy nutritious dinner.
My second win this week came when I woke up yesterday morning at 6:50am to go for a run. I managed to tell myself no I'm not but then in the same 10 seconds I went on Twitter and gained Tweetspiration from a number of health pages I follow.
I got my ass out of bed and went for a run and I felt great for it. I managed a steady 2.5 miles and I was glad I did it. Especially as I was going out for a curry and drinks after work.
Calorific! I had a lamb Tikka so not healthy at all and a couple of glasses of wine and to top it off, when I came in I had a bowl of Frosties.
I know there are worse snacks out there but cereal is my nemesis in the evening. I am addicted.
So I was very disappointed with myself when I woke up this morning. I consumed well over 2,000 calories yesterday which is a lot for me.
Not please but today I will make a batch of homemade soup.
Very healthy, nutritious and filling.
I will put the recipes up later.
Have a healthy day!

A weekend write off

So I have gone a few days without posting, I resigned myself to the fact that the weekend was going to be a write off. 
I have mixed emotions with myself right now. I do know though, I AM HUNGRY.
It all began when my dad, who seems to use my visits as an excuse for a take away ordered us a Chinese.
Now, what I am pleased about is, for the first time in my life I wasn't greedy with my take away. I had one serving and I didn't give myself enormous portions and I was pleasantly full rather than totally stuffed.
It didn't get much better from there though. I was persuaded to go drinking way too easily. Drinking = sugar = sugar cravings the next day.
Saturday I spent the day hungover and didn't run. That is fine, I used it as my rest day but I ate quite a lot of shit food. Although, I have to say, not as much as I have previously when hungover. (Small victory).
Sunday I was incredibly pleased with myself all day. I got up and had the best run yet, I did three miles effortlessly. We then went out for a carvery, not the best but not the worst. The thing is it was an awkward time. 4:30pm to eat? I was starving again by 9. 
All week I was at home in Yorkshire visiting family so at 8pm I set off back to Cheshire (Where I now reside) and took with me some car treats. 

Percy and his friends are not my friend

Percy bloody pigs! They look small, cute and innocent but these sweet treats are bad! You can't just have a few. The curse of Percy. Of course this quick fix sugar, as we all know ruins you.
After carting 10 bags up and down three flights of stairs to my top floor flat my blood sugar levels were so low I thought I would fall back down again. So Cheerios and noodles (not together) were my saviors. At 10pm!
Today however, was a new day and a new week. I have written out a food plan and intend to stick to it.
Whereas I am angry at myself for missing out on the gym and Zumba class (I never skip exercise on a Monday) I am comfortable in knowing that you should not force yourself to exercise if you really don't want to that day.
I have also had a very healthy eating day. I have eaten 1,200 calories (my daily goal) and they have all come from fruit and vegetables. Predominantly. 
I am dreading getting on the scales tomorrow. I can cope with 2 or 3 additional pounds, I can't expect less after the greedy week I had but anymore will break me. 
Overall I feel this week is going to be a good week, I feel positive. I CAN DO IT.

Monster mum

I have spent the past two days with my mum and dogs at her caravan in Filey.

Unlike my last post, I have been doing well running and keeping up with it. 

Both mornings I have had a steady 1.5 mile run. Shorter than my usual two miles but the terrain is a lot more difficult. Very up and down hill on top of a lot of rubble, so I am pleased with myself on that front.

On the other hand, my sugar intake has been something to be ashamed of.

My mother, as fantastic as she is, is a baker!
Not by trade but she loves to bake and she is good at it. It is rare I visit home and there isn't some cakey goodness waiting for me. On the one hand, I moan about it affecting my waistline, but god forbid I come home and she hasn't baked anything... I make her life hell. 

This week she had made my favourite, banoffee pie. Mmmm. 

I perhaps wouldn't feel as bad if my lunches and dinners were light and healthy. But no. On Tuesday I indulged in a lot of BBQ food. I know, it is healthy. Not if you eat as much as we do when we BBQ. 

Then last night we ate at our favourite pub. A pub that does nothing but delicious food. But they have no concept of a small portion. 

This was a SMALL roast lamb dinner

I had an 8oz gammon and pineapple with chips and this particular pub has a habit of battering everything. I had three battered mushrooms, an onion ring and a battered parsnip (which is delicious).

My yummy naughty dinner pre banoffee pie

Today however was a new day. 

I haven't gone a day since Friday, without some chocolate. Until today. I have eaten reasonably well today. The only guilt I have comes with the two small slices of garlic bread that came with my lasagne. 

So today, I am patting myself on the back. Onwards and upwards. 

Not the best start...

I have recently got into running. 

I am quite proud of myself because I actually have arthritis so I never saw running as an option. 

One day I thought, ill try it and I haven't looked back since. I can manage two miles outdoors and three on the treadmill. It has only taken me 5 weeks to get here from never running in my life.

I now aim to do a 10k soon then a half marathon. 

After eating too much sugary goodness yesterday I was raring to go when I woke at 8am. But the fog is horrific, I don't trust myself out there! It looks like its an evening run for me. 

That might be the best, it might combat my need to snack in the evening. 

Why the Blog?

This might seem odd to some people but, I am a sugarholic. While I love health and nutrition, I am an exercise enthusiast there is one thing I cannot control... My sugar intake. 
Like many other women around the world the tooth rotting goodness of a chocolate bar is just too tempting to pass on.
Don't get me wrong, chocolate, cakes, sweets, they will always be a part of my life but I desperately need to get control over my cravings before I become one massive, molasses blob.
I know all about nutrition and what is good or bad for me, however the need to feed is always upon me and for some reason, fruit just doesn't cut it.
I don't know if this is just me but I wake up and I feel like today will be a good day but by 3pm some subconscious urge inside me has convinced my hands to pick up a doughnut. And before I know it, i've eaten an extra 500 calories and doubled my daily sugar intake.
Thus meaning the tyre around my waist, that I am desperate to get rid of doesn't budge. Not only is it always there but it is always mocking me.
I go to bed disappointed in myself and then do it all again the next day.
For now I am a healthy weight but how long can it last?
So the only thing left to do was to create a public page where I name and shame myself but where I can also give myself a pat on the back when it has been a good day.
It is the only incentive I have left. Let us pray it works...