Icecream & Choc (protein) shake

Lovely summer breeze went wonderfully with this dessert. When trying to figure out how to finish the day with 50/50 carb and protein without much fat I suddenly remembered the protein powder!

I had 160 cals left - just right! 

Seriously enjoyed it and had no cravings latter while watching TV - usually have to keep myself mentally busy or push the urges away until bed. Not this time. 

Quorn steak perfect for fast oxidizer

This meal came up great for protein ratio. The mushrooms are a bit watery ("too yin") according to some oxidation nutritionists but they are low cal and yummy and great with garlic - good for the "yang".

Yang-a-lang-a-ding-dong! 

So with a bit of condiment to moisten and sweeten up the quorn steak (yeah too much sugar but with this much protein ratio it's fine for me!) in was tasty with lovely texture and sense of satisfaction. 

200cal Taco and turkey

This was a lovely crunchy tasty filling light lunch ... Only 200 calories and not bad for balanced oxidation (20g carbs, 19g protein and 6g fat). A tablespoon of hummus needed really.

Having discovered the beauty of getting pics of my phone screen and being able to crop the time spent writing out the ingredients and calories are done away with - and I can give a break down of the nutrient ratios with a 'click' of my fingers! 

Myfitnesspal and iPhone rock again! 

Learning about oxidation

Following the Christmas blow-out and in attempting to still (yes STILL) get back on track with my diet and fitness I've become interested in how the ratios of protein, carbs and fat can work for or against us.

This stemmed from me starting to do Jillian Michael's 30 day shred DVD - fantastic powerful 20minute workouts that I can fit in each morning, feel a muscle burn and walk away feeling like I had a good workout. She talks about her diet system so I did a bit of research and downloaded her app. It asks me to identify whether I'm a slow, balanced or fast oxidiser ... huh?

I found a questionnaire on CalorieCount.com (here) and believe I'm a balanced oxidiser (although throughout my years of unhealthy eating habits have been all three - and apparently that is possible according to Dr Wilson from www.drlwilson.com) where I found all sorts of interesting information about yang and yin balancing, meditation as well as oxidation. He recommends only ever assessing your oxidation level through scientific hair testing in proven laboratories. He also has a long list of quite controversial Don'ts for survival in the world. I figure following roughly the recommended balance may just help - it makes sense how a fast oxidizer that has too many fruits and sugar and carbs has these burn off too quickly to feel satisfied or steady, therefore experiencing crashes. Also that a slow oxidiser would feel sluggish and heavy with too much red meat and eggs that a fast oxidiser would benefit from. So my aim is to get balanced in my oxidation, hoping to curb my chocolate cravings.

Then there was the matter of figuring out the ideal protein, carb and fat ratios for my chosen calorie intake and that's when I came across www.SparkPeople.com and a forum discussion that lead me to one of my favourite websites (www.caloriesperhour.com) that assists with calculating ratios (in particular this link).

Carbs are 4 calories per gram
Protein is 4 calories per gram
Fats are 9 calories per gram

So for a daily intake of 1300 calories then the following ratios would apply:

Slow oxidizer (The ideal ratio for the slow oxidizer is 60% carbohydrates, 25% protein and 15% fat).
Think of those fruit smoothy and soup diets!
Carbs: 195g
Protein: 81g
Fat: 22g

Balanced oxidizer (The ideal ratio for the balanced oxidizers is 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein and 30% fat). Think 'The Zone' diet
Carbs: 130g
Protein: 98g
Fat: 43g

Fast oxidizer (the ideal ratio for fast oxidizers is 30% carbohydrates, 40% protein and 30% fat). Think 'The Atkins' diet
Carbs: 97.5g
Protein: 130g
Fat: 43g

Of course they need to be 'good' carbs and 'good' proteins.

The following download from www.TotalWeightLossCentre.com is helpful (click here)

Now for some mindful observation (meditation as done by Roy Masters recommended by Dr Wilson) to really tackle the emotional eating!

Still 'on track' - slowly

Low cal summer drinks sorted

Trying to find some alcohol free alternatives to my summer favourites - Pimms and Lemonade, Rose Wine or Champagne - and I think I've nailed it. 

Although all the above alcoholic faves are not too bad on the calorie front - if taken in small amounts - I find I get quickly tiddly these days with my lower tolerance and lower weight probably. This means my resolve to avoid high calorie foods reduces and the double/triple whammy (or binge attack) takes effect. 

So with some low cal squash options (summer fruits and apple with pear) and some sparking water I'm quite convinced! 

Put in a wine / champers glass and the placebo effect will probably have me giggling in no time! 

Experimenting with different oat pancake toppings

Finding that my simple oat pancake is the most satisfying 200 calorie breakfast to help me last until my morning tea.

I mix a sachet of oat-so-simple (100cals) with 50mls of skimmed milk (19cals) on a flat plate and microwave for 1min 30secs.

Over the last couple of weeks I have been trying out different toppings ...

Blueberries (15 cals) cooked with the oats and milk mixture to make them burst out and be more jam like with couple of tablespoons of low fat vanilla yoghurt (25cals). Greek yoghurt good too!

Apple slices (just 37cals for quarter can!) and cinnamon:

Or apple slices with cream (wink):

A little maple syrup (teaspoon for 13 cals) fits within 200cal limit too!

Small bit of Banana (4cm length with skin on = approx 40 cals), 1tsp golden syrup (15cal) and few dots squinty cream (25cal) also lovely! Oh and peach slices!! No pic but looks similar to above (I think I need more colour in my food!) 

So - Raspberries and cream (yes I love a bit of squinty cream on my pancakes most mornings):

Sultana and cinnamon (DON'T cook like blueberries - they burn! - and stink out the kitchen as I discovered). Best to soak the sultanas in a little maple syrup - just a teaspoon will do trick to soften about 15 sultanas (PS "they" say maple syrup is one of the best natural sweeteners out there with less sugar rush after effects) 

Then today, on a savoury hunt, I tried a ham slice (32 cal) and some grated low fat mature cheese (15g = 48cals). Bit dry but still tasty and still under 200 cals for a more satisfying fuller option with the added protein. 

Think I'll have my all time favourite of strawberries and cream tomorrow - grocery delivery booked for tonight :-)

Sticky BBQ chicken & sticky balsamic salad

Typical diet food is what it is because it's low in calories and high in nutrients. I'm talking the typical salads with chicken or tuna. They are packed with good stuff, can fill you up and provide a sustaining sense of fullness. The clincher for those of us trying to lose weight is the dressings and toppings! For example - this meal contains just 45 calories from the salad, 20 calories from the mushrooms and about 80 calories from the chicken breast. Had on their own comes to just 140 calories - a light meal indeed. Too light - and boring!!

Keeping within my personally prescribed limit of 400 for a main meal and having a delicious tasting meal is so much easier when the base of the meal is 'typical diet'. The sticky BBQ glaze is probably 75 calories (Birds Eye pre-made with glaze is 155 a piece). The dressing (1Tbs balsamic vinegar, 2tsps runny honey, 1/2 Tbs Extra Virgin olive oil and 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard) comes to 130 cals (but all good metabolism aiding ingredients). The mushrooms are done with 1tsp of garlic purée (20 cals). I didn't have the dob of butter like last night (10g = 75cals!!) and actually couldn't tell the difference.

Such a tasty, full of texture and satisfying meal for just 360 cals. 

Room for a pottle of strawberries for dessert :-)

Quiche and vege

Trying to get back on track with spring weather increasing the chances of legs and arms. Dare I even go for the fashion trend if high rise skirts with tops showing off the rib cage area! Not after my winter indulgences that I've still budged as each weekend I continue to eat at level appropriate for maintaining rather than weight loss. It's a real challenge to shift the last few pounds. At least my eating habits haven't gone so far as to cause the weight to gain any more than it did after Xmas. So I'm still fitting into my wardrobe of size 8-10!!

Anyway, tonight's meal is a Weight Watchers bacon & leek quiche (257 cals) with 150g mushrooms (about 20 calories) and a tray (200g) of long stem broccoli (50 calories) and a dob (10g) of butter (75) and tsp garlic purée (20 cals). 

Lovely meal full of protein and complex nutrient carbs for 422 calories.

Blinis & Salmon

Lovely post gym workout (packed with protein and good fats) ...

4 mini Blinis (92)
20g Low fat Philly soft cheese (20)
20g Smoked salmon (36)
4g Salad cream (7)

Total of 155 cals - enough for one more :-)

I might have one with jam and cream as nice after treat instead...


20min later - since it was a good gym workout (earning me about 300cals) I went for three blinis ...

Back to basics

It's taken a while to get back on the band wagon - was too comfortable in my routine of being relaxed in weekends (which fine when maintaining but not if needing to move a few pounds) that I was feeling stuck and blah with the weight gain from Xmas and a holiday Germany a month later. A relatively small (4kg) weight gain but enough to notice the larger love handle around the middle - the muffin tips over my previously flat fitting jeans etc. So I started back on 1300aday plan but really struggled in the weekends. Finally cracked it last weekend and have now managed two weeks of controlled / good eating. Going back to basics helped! Cutting out sweets and chocolates as snack a big help!! It's not just about quantity (of calories) but also quality (of what eat). Having something sweet as a taste topper on a meal with complex carbs - and ideally protein - is much wiser. So this favourite morning breakfast (Oat pancake with strawberries and cream) is a wonderful treat and within the range I set for breakfast (190 cals - including the golden syrup topping!)

Oat so simple sachet (98) mixed with 50ml skimmed milk (18) and squashed flat on small plate and microwaved for 1 1/2 minutes. Topped with 60g chopped strawberries (16) and few small squirts low fat cream (13g = 25) and a drizzle of golden syrup (10g / 2 tsp = 33). Sprinkled with digestive aiding cinnamon.