So, I was suffering still a bit with *ahem* gut problems despite making significant changes to the way I eat and by switching food choices for healthier or higher fibre/wholemeal versions. This still wasn't cutting the mustard so I decided to add some bran to my diet. For fear of having to give up my beloved prune porridge for breakfast, I modified it. It's still quite low in calories but it's low GI, very filling, sweet and tasty. It's enriched with natural antibacterial honey - so helps ward off sore throats etc. Porridge oats are renowned for the cholestrol lowing properties. Skimmed milk adds a little fat, protein and calcium without going overboard. It helps make the porridge a bit creamier too. The prunes provide a good natural source of fibre and sugar and vitamins and the bran adds iron and fibre to the pot too.
Here is how I make it:
Ingredients:
40g 100% pure rolled oats - no thickeners or crumbly bits in this - I bought "Tesco Finest" which were on special at the time by chance!
100ml skimmed milk
100ml water
30g chopped prunes
10g bran flakes or All Bran
2 teaspoons - granulated sucralose based sweetener
1 teaspoon pure clear honey - or Manuka if you can afford it!
Method:
Basically, mix all these ingredients EXCEPT the honey together and soak overnight in the fridge - it's not essential but helps soften the bran more. Microwave or cook in a pan checking on it regularly for either method so it doesn't bubble over. Give a good stir if cooking in microwave half way through cooking and stir continuously. Once cooked serve with the teaspoon of honey to sweeten and add a lovely rich sweet taste.
Energy: 278 kCal
Carbohydrates: 50g
Fat: 3g
Protein: 9g
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Monday, 10 October 2011
My fantastic dinner out that not only had I earned during the week, but during the day too.
My boyfriend and I didn't get to spend our four year "anniversary" together so we booked a hotel in Manchester, Lancashire for the weekend and decided to treat ourselves. So we stayed at a 4* hotel.
The evening we arrived I ate very light ( a 165kCal salad and a 78kCal oat bar with some diet coke and peppermint tea) meal and had been to the gym in the afternoon. Before my other half arrived at the hotel, I squeezed in a 30 minute ish (just over) swim in the hotel pool and had a chill (or heat!?) in the steam room and Sauna!
On the Saturday morning I got up for 0800 and did a 40 minute x-train workout followed by a 30 minute swim which was about 1km / 1000m of swimming and tricep dips.
We had a healthy breakfast in general, a couple of mini pastries, fruit and fibre with skimmed milk and some fresh fruit! It was spot on. We then spent about 5 hours walking around town shopping, and not doing an awful lot of eating. I had a mini sushi for lunch at 170kCal and another oat bar at 78kCal. Needless to say I was hungry by dinner time!
I snacked on a couple of apples between lunch and dinner... and then had this AMAZING feast of:
Nocellara olives,
Beef Carpaccio
Starter sized portion (boy am I glad as even that was big!) of rigatoni with a slow cooked beef, tomato and porcini mushroom ragu with a side salad
Some Italian bread- Ciabatta, Foccacia and rosemary thin crisp bread
Crostata di Lampone with real madagascan Vanilla ice-cream
One Caffe Italiano (Long black coffee with Galliano liquor) with a mini biscotti
2 Bellini Lampone (Black raspberry bellini - Chambord with prosecco)
1 Bellini Fragola (Strawberry Bellini - Crushed strawberries with prosecco)
1 Martini Frutta of the forest (not so nice!)
Boyfriend had the bread and olives (we shared)
Calamari Fritti
Pizza Fina - Pollo Parmigiano
Sorbetto Limone
Plus a couple of Peroni beers!
Yes it was 2000 calories of food but a) I had worked out rigorously during the day b)planned to eat that many so went easier on lunch and breakfast and snacks and c) opted for smaller/healthier portions/dressings where possible. I still didn't go over my DIET calorie intake... Good for me eh!?
Look at the food, exercise and my weight loss so far! Impressed? I am! :)
The evening we arrived I ate very light ( a 165kCal salad and a 78kCal oat bar with some diet coke and peppermint tea) meal and had been to the gym in the afternoon. Before my other half arrived at the hotel, I squeezed in a 30 minute ish (just over) swim in the hotel pool and had a chill (or heat!?) in the steam room and Sauna!
On the Saturday morning I got up for 0800 and did a 40 minute x-train workout followed by a 30 minute swim which was about 1km / 1000m of swimming and tricep dips.
We had a healthy breakfast in general, a couple of mini pastries, fruit and fibre with skimmed milk and some fresh fruit! It was spot on. We then spent about 5 hours walking around town shopping, and not doing an awful lot of eating. I had a mini sushi for lunch at 170kCal and another oat bar at 78kCal. Needless to say I was hungry by dinner time!
I snacked on a couple of apples between lunch and dinner... and then had this AMAZING feast of:
Nocellara olives,
Beef Carpaccio
Starter sized portion (boy am I glad as even that was big!) of rigatoni with a slow cooked beef, tomato and porcini mushroom ragu with a side salad
Some Italian bread- Ciabatta, Foccacia and rosemary thin crisp bread
Crostata di Lampone with real madagascan Vanilla ice-cream
One Caffe Italiano (Long black coffee with Galliano liquor) with a mini biscotti
2 Bellini Lampone (Black raspberry bellini - Chambord with prosecco)
1 Bellini Fragola (Strawberry Bellini - Crushed strawberries with prosecco)
1 Martini Frutta of the forest (not so nice!)
Boyfriend had the bread and olives (we shared)
Calamari Fritti
Pizza Fina - Pollo Parmigiano
Sorbetto Limone
Plus a couple of Peroni beers!
Yes it was 2000 calories of food but a) I had worked out rigorously during the day b)planned to eat that many so went easier on lunch and breakfast and snacks and c) opted for smaller/healthier portions/dressings where possible. I still didn't go over my DIET calorie intake... Good for me eh!?
Reply to Beverly on Controlling and managing hunger
Sorry beverly, it wouldn't let me reply there but here are my thoughts on the questions and scenario you asked and painted a picture of for me. Maybe others can apply this to their plans too.
Hey there, as I've said, I'm no expert. But I tend to find I'm hungry ish about every 3 hours or so. I have a snack then which isn't going to give me a sugar rush and then crash. I eat at 0720, 1030 and 1230 and then have a 1430 snack and then gym it up in the evening. I don't eat dinner 'til about 1930 most days. One of the key things is to savour your food. So many benefits including stopping overeating and allowing your body to say "enough" I eat 3 small crisp bakes (like Garibaldi biscuits) as my morning snack with a cup of green tea. I break off little pieces savour and chew it properly and sip my tea in between mouthfuls. I think you're eating far too few calories. I tried it at 1200kCal a day and it didn't work. Initially lost a bit but it's not sustainable. I now eat about 1500 a day and then exercise about 1000kCal between 5 and 7 days a week. There is ALWAYS a cardio element in my workouts, some strength training just to help tone my muscles but in general, I focus on either speed work or long distance efforts. I've lost more weight doing this than from any other fads.
Forget slim fast,
Forget diet pills,
Forget protein shakes
Just eat smaller portions of what you normally would eat so you never feel deprived, try to cut out the fats where possible (not all-you need some!) and drink plenty of fluid. To be honest, the first 2 weeks were the hardest, I must have had an over stretched stomach as I felt really hungry at first but as I got a grasp of portion control and was rigidly strict about it, I found the portions recommended were more than enough. For example, I'd easily be happy serving myself up with 200g of dried pasta weight - now I serve between 75-80g dry weight of wholewheat and it's always enough! Of course I could keep eatring for the taste, but serving your food up on a hot plate and eating slower really tricked my brain. I also found I was suffering with a few intolerances. So when I ate lots of high fructose fruits like plums, or casein rich dairy foods such as hard cheeses I'd get bloated, feel fat and be in cripplng pain. Taking these from my diet and finding alternatives - plums I replaced with apples, bananas and carrots and a couple of prunes but varied them around so as to create variety in my diet. I replaced parmesan and cheddar and proper feta with reduced fat halloumi and a cheapo salad cheese. I haven't suffered as a result of any of those!
I also added more black pepper, green tea and spices to my diet. They all have benefits such as providing anti-oxidants to the body which help with organ function, blood, skin, hair and nails and have thermabolic properties which MAY help boost your metabolism a bit. Especially cayenne and black pepper. I like to use cinnamon too as it's also got lots of great properties.
The reason I like to use green tea is that its delicate enough that it doesn't need milk or sugar and so you're not adding calories through that yet it's still a nice hot drink and more water. So many flavours too, especially by Twinings.
May I suggest you opt for a slightly higher calorie intake and a slower weight loss rate. I'm trying to lose 1lb a week but I'm losing about 2. However, I am very active and rigid.
Half the battle is planning, I try to plan my meals a week in advance or so. That way I can factor in what exercise I need to do - especially if I'm going out. It stops me wasting food, wasting time, and means I'm much more organised. For example, just before bed I prepare my morning's breakfast for the next day. If you look at my MFP diary, it's pretty much always the same during the week, occasionally different and the weekend I mix it up a bit. I also iron my clothes for the next day meaning I can optimise sleep!
In the morning I wake up at about 0650 (I use sleep cycle which is an ace app as it wakes you at a good time in your sleep cycle so you don't feel groggy, I honestly can tell you it has worked EVERY time for me) I get in to the shower at about 0700 and then get dressed. As I'm putting my shoes on etc I cook my Porridge in the microwave and by the time I've finished accessorising it's done. I'll have prepared a cup of green tea when I woke up too so it's had chance to brew AND cool.
I go to work and am in for about 0800. I work for about 2 and a half hours then have a break. I make a cup of green tea and have my biscuits and relax! I finish for lunch at about 1200 where I go prepare a sandwich, have some water and green tea! I eat it slowly, relaxed with some crap on the telly.
I go back in to work at about 1300 and work til about 1430 where we get an afternoon break. I'll have a slice of banana cake or fruit bread ~ 100kCal then with a glass of water or cup of green tea and work for about another hour or two. After that I come back and go to the gym until about 1800. I really work up an appetite. When I get back, I sit back and log any changes I haven't marked up on MFP and take a moment to chill out before going for a long relaxing shower - try a cellulite roller brush or similar - they are effective - if you have a problem that is! And then go prepare dinner. I always try to have about 200g of plain boiled veggies occasionally with salt. Never with butter or oils or anything.
If I go out for dinner, I don't deprive myself... (See in a later post what I ate and still haven't suffered from the effects despite it being a 2000kCal dinner!) I will have an indulge, I just make sure its all factored in and if needs be, lots of phys!
Most of all-I'd suggest you opt for a slower weight loss rate as it'll last longer and be easier and when you go to maintain calories, you won't be far off meaning it won't "shock" your body too much.
Some people have said that they divide their weekly calories throughout the week unevenly - never less than 1200kCal a day - in order to trick the body and it's metabolism. This APPARENTLY (although I'm not fully read up on all the info yet) stops the body going in to starvation mode and makes it keep it's metabolism high from days where it gets a lot of calories meaning on the days you eat less its still quite high! Eating sugars/carbs is important which is why it should be the largest portion on your plate.
I'm sure you've heard it all before, but a portion for an individual is basically a serving the size of their clenched fist. For meat, it's about the size of a deck of cards. I tend to eat about 125-140g of Turkey breast though which is slightly more. However I steam it, it's very lean and most of the remaining fat comes off when steamed so it's actually quite good for you!
Just remember, every one is unique and there are soooooo many factors that will change your weight loss acheivements and requirements. Height, Frame Size, current weight, Goal weight, rate of loss, activity level and training - some hard exercise will make you retain glycogen and water in your tissues which can add a few lbs for a few days after exercise, medical problems, what sort of nutritional values your calories contain (from carbs/protein/fats etc), medical issues, fitness levels etc.
Hope this helps, sorry couldn't be clearer!
Good work on the phys though! Keep smashing it up! :)
Hey there, as I've said, I'm no expert. But I tend to find I'm hungry ish about every 3 hours or so. I have a snack then which isn't going to give me a sugar rush and then crash. I eat at 0720, 1030 and 1230 and then have a 1430 snack and then gym it up in the evening. I don't eat dinner 'til about 1930 most days. One of the key things is to savour your food. So many benefits including stopping overeating and allowing your body to say "enough" I eat 3 small crisp bakes (like Garibaldi biscuits) as my morning snack with a cup of green tea. I break off little pieces savour and chew it properly and sip my tea in between mouthfuls. I think you're eating far too few calories. I tried it at 1200kCal a day and it didn't work. Initially lost a bit but it's not sustainable. I now eat about 1500 a day and then exercise about 1000kCal between 5 and 7 days a week. There is ALWAYS a cardio element in my workouts, some strength training just to help tone my muscles but in general, I focus on either speed work or long distance efforts. I've lost more weight doing this than from any other fads.
Forget slim fast,
Forget diet pills,
Forget protein shakes
Just eat smaller portions of what you normally would eat so you never feel deprived, try to cut out the fats where possible (not all-you need some!) and drink plenty of fluid. To be honest, the first 2 weeks were the hardest, I must have had an over stretched stomach as I felt really hungry at first but as I got a grasp of portion control and was rigidly strict about it, I found the portions recommended were more than enough. For example, I'd easily be happy serving myself up with 200g of dried pasta weight - now I serve between 75-80g dry weight of wholewheat and it's always enough! Of course I could keep eatring for the taste, but serving your food up on a hot plate and eating slower really tricked my brain. I also found I was suffering with a few intolerances. So when I ate lots of high fructose fruits like plums, or casein rich dairy foods such as hard cheeses I'd get bloated, feel fat and be in cripplng pain. Taking these from my diet and finding alternatives - plums I replaced with apples, bananas and carrots and a couple of prunes but varied them around so as to create variety in my diet. I replaced parmesan and cheddar and proper feta with reduced fat halloumi and a cheapo salad cheese. I haven't suffered as a result of any of those!
I also added more black pepper, green tea and spices to my diet. They all have benefits such as providing anti-oxidants to the body which help with organ function, blood, skin, hair and nails and have thermabolic properties which MAY help boost your metabolism a bit. Especially cayenne and black pepper. I like to use cinnamon too as it's also got lots of great properties.
The reason I like to use green tea is that its delicate enough that it doesn't need milk or sugar and so you're not adding calories through that yet it's still a nice hot drink and more water. So many flavours too, especially by Twinings.
May I suggest you opt for a slightly higher calorie intake and a slower weight loss rate. I'm trying to lose 1lb a week but I'm losing about 2. However, I am very active and rigid.
Half the battle is planning, I try to plan my meals a week in advance or so. That way I can factor in what exercise I need to do - especially if I'm going out. It stops me wasting food, wasting time, and means I'm much more organised. For example, just before bed I prepare my morning's breakfast for the next day. If you look at my MFP diary, it's pretty much always the same during the week, occasionally different and the weekend I mix it up a bit. I also iron my clothes for the next day meaning I can optimise sleep!
In the morning I wake up at about 0650 (I use sleep cycle which is an ace app as it wakes you at a good time in your sleep cycle so you don't feel groggy, I honestly can tell you it has worked EVERY time for me) I get in to the shower at about 0700 and then get dressed. As I'm putting my shoes on etc I cook my Porridge in the microwave and by the time I've finished accessorising it's done. I'll have prepared a cup of green tea when I woke up too so it's had chance to brew AND cool.
I go to work and am in for about 0800. I work for about 2 and a half hours then have a break. I make a cup of green tea and have my biscuits and relax! I finish for lunch at about 1200 where I go prepare a sandwich, have some water and green tea! I eat it slowly, relaxed with some crap on the telly.
I go back in to work at about 1300 and work til about 1430 where we get an afternoon break. I'll have a slice of banana cake or fruit bread ~ 100kCal then with a glass of water or cup of green tea and work for about another hour or two. After that I come back and go to the gym until about 1800. I really work up an appetite. When I get back, I sit back and log any changes I haven't marked up on MFP and take a moment to chill out before going for a long relaxing shower - try a cellulite roller brush or similar - they are effective - if you have a problem that is! And then go prepare dinner. I always try to have about 200g of plain boiled veggies occasionally with salt. Never with butter or oils or anything.
If I go out for dinner, I don't deprive myself... (See in a later post what I ate and still haven't suffered from the effects despite it being a 2000kCal dinner!) I will have an indulge, I just make sure its all factored in and if needs be, lots of phys!
Most of all-I'd suggest you opt for a slower weight loss rate as it'll last longer and be easier and when you go to maintain calories, you won't be far off meaning it won't "shock" your body too much.
Some people have said that they divide their weekly calories throughout the week unevenly - never less than 1200kCal a day - in order to trick the body and it's metabolism. This APPARENTLY (although I'm not fully read up on all the info yet) stops the body going in to starvation mode and makes it keep it's metabolism high from days where it gets a lot of calories meaning on the days you eat less its still quite high! Eating sugars/carbs is important which is why it should be the largest portion on your plate.
I'm sure you've heard it all before, but a portion for an individual is basically a serving the size of their clenched fist. For meat, it's about the size of a deck of cards. I tend to eat about 125-140g of Turkey breast though which is slightly more. However I steam it, it's very lean and most of the remaining fat comes off when steamed so it's actually quite good for you!
Just remember, every one is unique and there are soooooo many factors that will change your weight loss acheivements and requirements. Height, Frame Size, current weight, Goal weight, rate of loss, activity level and training - some hard exercise will make you retain glycogen and water in your tissues which can add a few lbs for a few days after exercise, medical problems, what sort of nutritional values your calories contain (from carbs/protein/fats etc), medical issues, fitness levels etc.
Hope this helps, sorry couldn't be clearer!
Good work on the phys though! Keep smashing it up! :)
Wednesday, 5 October 2011
Calculating an ideal weight for your height, age, frame size and lifestyle!
Follow these steps and calculations to find a good healthy weight for you!
•Step 1 - Multiply your height in inches by itself and and then that number by .031.
66 inches x 66 inches = 4356 x .031 = 135 (This is your weight at a body mass index of 22)
•Step 2 - Multiply the number by .95 if you have a small frame, leave it unchanged if you have a medium frame, and by 1.05 if you have a large frame.
(To determine your frame size, measure around your wrist.
Under 5'2", small frame is less than 5.5
Medium frame is 5.5 to 5.75
Large frame is more than 5.75.
5'2" to 5'5", small is less than 6
Medium 6 to 6.25
Large is over 6.25.
If you are over 5'5", small frame is less than 6.25
Medium is 6.25 to 6.5
Large frame is more than 6.5.
•Step 3 - Add one pound if a sibling or parent is obese.
•Step 4 - Add 2 pounds for each decade you are over age 20.
•Step 5 - Add 5 pounds if you've had any children.
•Step 6 - Subtract 1 pound if you exercise and weight train once a week
2 pounds if you do it three times a week
3 pounds for five or more days a week. - 3
•Step 7 - Add 4 pounds if you smoked at least a pack a day for a year or more and have quit.
•Step 8 - Add 1 pound if you allow yourself a treat now and then.
•Step 1 - Multiply your height in inches by itself and and then that number by .031.
66 inches x 66 inches = 4356 x .031 = 135 (This is your weight at a body mass index of 22)
•Step 2 - Multiply the number by .95 if you have a small frame, leave it unchanged if you have a medium frame, and by 1.05 if you have a large frame.
(To determine your frame size, measure around your wrist.
Under 5'2", small frame is less than 5.5
Medium frame is 5.5 to 5.75
Large frame is more than 5.75.
5'2" to 5'5", small is less than 6
Medium 6 to 6.25
Large is over 6.25.
If you are over 5'5", small frame is less than 6.25
Medium is 6.25 to 6.5
Large frame is more than 6.5.
•Step 3 - Add one pound if a sibling or parent is obese.
•Step 4 - Add 2 pounds for each decade you are over age 20.
•Step 5 - Add 5 pounds if you've had any children.
•Step 6 - Subtract 1 pound if you exercise and weight train once a week
2 pounds if you do it three times a week
3 pounds for five or more days a week. - 3
•Step 7 - Add 4 pounds if you smoked at least a pack a day for a year or more and have quit.
•Step 8 - Add 1 pound if you allow yourself a treat now and then.
Controlling and managing hunger
I felt this is was an important post. It's something I've struggled with in the past, but now I can manage it well.
The key to success with hunger is thought and planning!
There are many times during the day when I see something that takes my fancy and even though I'm not actually hungry, I'd be tempted to eat it. This is most people's downfall when it comes to managing and controlling what we eat. These sort of items TEND to be the high calorie/high fat products that always taste OH SO GOOD!
However, I've realised that by managing when I take my meals and allowing pre-meditated snacks to be incorporated in to my food diary, I can manage to resist these sweet treats more often than not!
My top tips are this.
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS Have breakfast. A sweet and nutritious breakfast that contains low GI elements as well as some Medium and High GI elements WILL get your metabolism going. Coupled with lots of fluids; water, tea and coffee; You should be able to satisfy your appetite until mid-late morning. Mid-late morning I tend to take a healthy sweet snack such as raisin and apple crisp slices. They satisfy my need for something sugary and biscuity and no-one at work questions my eating habits as they look like regular biscuits. However, the ones I opt for are lower in fat and calories than regular biscuits. On top of that, I can break them up easily in to smaller pieces and eat them slower. Eating slowly allows your brain to register that food is going in to the body and by the time you have finished eating, you should feel satisfied. I also have some fluids at this point. My favourite is green tea as it has been said to have many health benefits as well as help with metabolism and controlling appetite. I'm not sure if its proven, but it works for me. Drinking whilst eating or sometimes instead of snacking is a good thing. It means you stay hydrated, don't confuse thirst for hunger and the added benefit of being hydrated is that your metabolism works more efficiently. Other benefits are that it helps cleanse the body of toxins etc which can lead to poor skin, infections and cellulite!
When I come back at lunchtime, I select a careful lunch, often it seems small but has many elements. Sometimes, seeing multiple items tricks your brain in to thinking theres more foods there. It also helps satisfy your cravings. For example a little bit of savoury, a little bit of sweet. This helps you maintain balance in your diet too enabling you to get the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that your body needs. It also means that you get a little bit of everything you fancy!
Again, eat a little more slowly than normal, if it's a sandwich, put it down in between bites and don't take huge mouthfuls... It'll spare you embarassing yourself with table manners habits when you're with company too!
Mid afternoon, have a snack, something like the banana bread I suggested or even the biscuits like earlier! Another good alternative is a banana- eat it slowly!
Savour your food! Enjoy it and actually stimulate your taste buds and your brain!
Cooking dinner from scratch helps too - all the aromas satisfy your hunger that little bit! Drink lots of water whilst you cook to help you feel fuller by eating time and stop you over eating!
Try fill your early evening with an activity. I go to the gym after work. so 'til about 1800 I'm at the gym, buring calories. When I get back it's time to slowly just mong out, get undressed, get showered and put my gym kit in the wash. By the time I'm done - it's time to cook dinner! I finish eating around 2000 and then feel quite full for a few hours. At about 2200 I feel a little peckish so this is when I opt for the carbohydrate snack. Why? Because fuelling your body with sugar/carbs before bed means you go to bed with your blood sugar high which will help you get to sleep! Sleep is great for maintaing a healthy body, cell repair etc aside from all the obvious stuff. Things like Horlicks with milk, a couple of oatey biscuits or a mashed banana on toast are ideal. Avoid chocolate as it contains caffeine which could mean you wake up in the middle of the night when it kicks in.
Eating a little later at night helps prevent you snacking ALL evening which is where the calories, and the pounds really add up!
Hope these tips help!
The key to success with hunger is thought and planning!
There are many times during the day when I see something that takes my fancy and even though I'm not actually hungry, I'd be tempted to eat it. This is most people's downfall when it comes to managing and controlling what we eat. These sort of items TEND to be the high calorie/high fat products that always taste OH SO GOOD!
However, I've realised that by managing when I take my meals and allowing pre-meditated snacks to be incorporated in to my food diary, I can manage to resist these sweet treats more often than not!
My top tips are this.
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS Have breakfast. A sweet and nutritious breakfast that contains low GI elements as well as some Medium and High GI elements WILL get your metabolism going. Coupled with lots of fluids; water, tea and coffee; You should be able to satisfy your appetite until mid-late morning. Mid-late morning I tend to take a healthy sweet snack such as raisin and apple crisp slices. They satisfy my need for something sugary and biscuity and no-one at work questions my eating habits as they look like regular biscuits. However, the ones I opt for are lower in fat and calories than regular biscuits. On top of that, I can break them up easily in to smaller pieces and eat them slower. Eating slowly allows your brain to register that food is going in to the body and by the time you have finished eating, you should feel satisfied. I also have some fluids at this point. My favourite is green tea as it has been said to have many health benefits as well as help with metabolism and controlling appetite. I'm not sure if its proven, but it works for me. Drinking whilst eating or sometimes instead of snacking is a good thing. It means you stay hydrated, don't confuse thirst for hunger and the added benefit of being hydrated is that your metabolism works more efficiently. Other benefits are that it helps cleanse the body of toxins etc which can lead to poor skin, infections and cellulite!
When I come back at lunchtime, I select a careful lunch, often it seems small but has many elements. Sometimes, seeing multiple items tricks your brain in to thinking theres more foods there. It also helps satisfy your cravings. For example a little bit of savoury, a little bit of sweet. This helps you maintain balance in your diet too enabling you to get the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that your body needs. It also means that you get a little bit of everything you fancy!
Again, eat a little more slowly than normal, if it's a sandwich, put it down in between bites and don't take huge mouthfuls... It'll spare you embarassing yourself with table manners habits when you're with company too!
Mid afternoon, have a snack, something like the banana bread I suggested or even the biscuits like earlier! Another good alternative is a banana- eat it slowly!
Savour your food! Enjoy it and actually stimulate your taste buds and your brain!
Cooking dinner from scratch helps too - all the aromas satisfy your hunger that little bit! Drink lots of water whilst you cook to help you feel fuller by eating time and stop you over eating!
Try fill your early evening with an activity. I go to the gym after work. so 'til about 1800 I'm at the gym, buring calories. When I get back it's time to slowly just mong out, get undressed, get showered and put my gym kit in the wash. By the time I'm done - it's time to cook dinner! I finish eating around 2000 and then feel quite full for a few hours. At about 2200 I feel a little peckish so this is when I opt for the carbohydrate snack. Why? Because fuelling your body with sugar/carbs before bed means you go to bed with your blood sugar high which will help you get to sleep! Sleep is great for maintaing a healthy body, cell repair etc aside from all the obvious stuff. Things like Horlicks with milk, a couple of oatey biscuits or a mashed banana on toast are ideal. Avoid chocolate as it contains caffeine which could mean you wake up in the middle of the night when it kicks in.
Eating a little later at night helps prevent you snacking ALL evening which is where the calories, and the pounds really add up!
Hope these tips help!
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
Lovely Super Tasty, Banana and Strawberry Loaf oF Bread
This Lovely Banana and Strawberry Loaf of Bread can be prepared using overripe fruit. It's low GI, full of protein, VERY low in fat, metabolism boosting, nutritious, easy and quick to make and bake and easy to store and pack as a boosting snack! It has quite a chewy Soreen type texture with a lovely crust but soft and sticky inside. I find that if I have this as a mid afternoon snack or about 2 hours after lunch, it keeps me satisfied until about 1900 - meaning I can have a late dinner, fit in a good gym session and not run out of energy. The key features of this healthy snack being it's low GI so releases energy slowly and steadily, contains significant protein which helps keep you fuller for longer, and the slice itself can be eaten slowly and in a satisfying filling way! Use Muscovado sugar instead of caster sugar because its healthier and helps give the bread it's lovely rich brown colour and slightly treacle/mollases taste. It's also lower in terms of its GI and contains less calories/g than refined sugar. Bananas are renowned for their low GI, rich in potassium (great as a post workout snack) and are best used in this recipe when black - a great way to stop food wastage!
Makes 14 slices.
Ingredients:
2 Egg Whites
140g Dark Brown Muscovado Sugar
300g Ripe Bananas
200g Fresh Strawberries
40ml Semi-skimmed Milk
200g Self Raising Flour
2 Teaspoons (or more if you like!) Ground Cinnamon Powder
Some Freshly Grated Nutmeg
2 Tablespoons of Vanilla Extract
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder.
50 - 100 ml Cold Water
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 deg C. Prepare a loaf tin ... Preferably choose non stick but even so, line with greaseproof paper with the tiniest bit of butter, just to make it stick! This will be negligible in terms of fat/calories.
In a bowl mash up the bananas, strawberries, milk and vanilla extract until lovely and frothy. Add the water to the mix (You can add more later if the consistency seems too thick). Next, add in the muscovado sugar and mix thoroughly with the banana/strawberry mixture to help it separate and dissolve. In another bowl, whisk the egg white to try and make them a little thicker, whiter and frothy, this will help the cake rise a bit better. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg to taste, these have great thermogenic and health benefits, but they can be overpowering, I recommend 1-4 teaspoons, I use about 2 and a half. Sift in the flour and baking powder and try your best to fold it in to the mixture but you can whisk it all up again just to get some air in otherwise.
Pour the mixture in to the prepared loaf tin using a soft spatula to get the last bits out of the bowl and then bake in the oven for about 50 mins to an hour. It should split on top a little when it rises as it bakes. To test if its cooked, place a skewer in. The outside should seem a little "tough" and there should be quite a bit of resistance pulling the skewer out, with some very thick mixture on it. This is normal, just make sure that it's not really liquidy, it should be quite hard to wipe the mixture of the skewer if cooked.
Take the loaf out of the oven when cooked and take it out of the tin ASAP and leave to cool on a wire rack. When cool, cut in to 14 individual pieces, they should weigh about 45g each. If you choose to, wrap each piece up individually and keep in the freezer or fridge 'til needed. It should keep well in the fridge for about 10 days and for many months in the freezer.
Nutritional info per slice:
Energy: 114kCal
Carbohydrates: 26g
Fat: 0g (negligible)
Protein: 2g
Makes 14 slices.
Ingredients:
2 Egg Whites
140g Dark Brown Muscovado Sugar
300g Ripe Bananas
200g Fresh Strawberries
40ml Semi-skimmed Milk
200g Self Raising Flour
2 Teaspoons (or more if you like!) Ground Cinnamon Powder
Some Freshly Grated Nutmeg
2 Tablespoons of Vanilla Extract
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder.
50 - 100 ml Cold Water
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 deg C. Prepare a loaf tin ... Preferably choose non stick but even so, line with greaseproof paper with the tiniest bit of butter, just to make it stick! This will be negligible in terms of fat/calories.
In a bowl mash up the bananas, strawberries, milk and vanilla extract until lovely and frothy. Add the water to the mix (You can add more later if the consistency seems too thick). Next, add in the muscovado sugar and mix thoroughly with the banana/strawberry mixture to help it separate and dissolve. In another bowl, whisk the egg white to try and make them a little thicker, whiter and frothy, this will help the cake rise a bit better. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg to taste, these have great thermogenic and health benefits, but they can be overpowering, I recommend 1-4 teaspoons, I use about 2 and a half. Sift in the flour and baking powder and try your best to fold it in to the mixture but you can whisk it all up again just to get some air in otherwise.
Pour the mixture in to the prepared loaf tin using a soft spatula to get the last bits out of the bowl and then bake in the oven for about 50 mins to an hour. It should split on top a little when it rises as it bakes. To test if its cooked, place a skewer in. The outside should seem a little "tough" and there should be quite a bit of resistance pulling the skewer out, with some very thick mixture on it. This is normal, just make sure that it's not really liquidy, it should be quite hard to wipe the mixture of the skewer if cooked.
Take the loaf out of the oven when cooked and take it out of the tin ASAP and leave to cool on a wire rack. When cool, cut in to 14 individual pieces, they should weigh about 45g each. If you choose to, wrap each piece up individually and keep in the freezer or fridge 'til needed. It should keep well in the fridge for about 10 days and for many months in the freezer.
Nutritional info per slice:
Energy: 114kCal
Carbohydrates: 26g
Fat: 0g (negligible)
Protein: 2g
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