Making Healthier Choices
This week I’ve had fizzy drinks, pizza, pasta, chips and have lost 4 pounds. How? By simply making a few healthier choices!
The last couple of months I’ve been working out 5 days a week and not seeing a lot of difference. After speaking to my personal trainer she told me that I needed to stop having several bags of Milky Bar Buttons a week and stop drinking gallons of Fanta…I was both shocked and saddened by the news. She gave me a couple of meal ideas and I’ve been so surprised at how much I’ve enjoyed them and how the weight just started falling off! Honestly who knew that eating healthy and exercising regularly was the way to lose weight?!
I thought I’d share with you what I’ve been eating and some of my favourite recipes that are really easy to do. Not only have I lost weight, which I am thrilled about, but I’ve found that I have more energy and am more productive during the day and I just feel generally better. So if you want to start eating a bit healthier, cut down on sugar and maybe lose a few pounds then just follow these recipes!
Breakfast:
My favourite thing to have for breakfast now is fruit smoothies. They are delicious, quick and easy to blend up in the morning before work and perfect for summer! I find these give me such an energy boost for the whole morning.
Smoothie 1:
- 1/2 glass of milk
- 4 spoons of natural yoghurt
- 1/2 a banana
- A handful of strawberries
- A handful of blueberries
Blend together and enjoy!
Smoothie 2:
- 1/2 glass of milk
- 4 spoons of natural yoghurt
- 1/2 banana
- 1 peach
- A handful of mango pieces
These have both been so good on the baking hot days! Depending how early I get up on the weekdays I’ve also been having scrambled eggs on toast, 2 eggs and 1 slice of wholemeal bread, porridge and omelettes. Before I started this diet I used to either skip breakfast altogether or munch on some chocolate Belvita Breakfast biscuits at my desk and I would feel so tired and hungry all the time, whereas now I really look forward to breakfast every morning and couldn’t imagine skipping it!
Lunch:
For lunch I’ve been having a lot of a sandwiches which I was very surprised I was allowed to have because of all the carbs. My personal trainer suggested having 3 slices of wholemeal bread…yes three. I thought this was a bit excessive but I wasn’t going to complain haha, and gave me some filling ideas that I wouldn’t normally have. Obviously sandwiches are very quick and easy to make, making them perfect for work lunches, on weekends I’ll usually have a ham omelette.
Sandwich 1:
- 3 slices of wholemeal bread
- Teeny tiny bit of butter
- 3 slices of ham on each piece of bread
- 3 slices of cheese
This has been my favourite work lunch, I mean who doesn’t love ham and cheese sandwiches?!
Sandwich 2:
- 3 slices of wholemeal bread
- Teeny tiny bit of butter
- 2 hard boiled eggs sliced
- 1/4 spring onion chopped
- A couple slices of ham
This one is a little more work so I usually save it for a weekend day. I also sometimes have fruit smoothies for lunch at work too.
Afternoon Snack:
This is also something that was very new to me because I would usually have lunch, then nothing else until dinner time and then snack on loads of junk during the evening. Having a little afternoon snack around 4pm, a couple hours before I go to the gym, really gives me that extra bit of energy I need.
I’ve been really enjoying having 3 plain/lightly salted rice cakes with low sugar and salt peanut butter on. They taste so good and are really filling! I have this everyday at work now.
My mother has also been following this diet and for her afternoon snack she’s been having carrot sticks with a small pot of hummus which she has LOVED.
On weekends my snack will be a bowl of fruit, strawberries, blueberries, peach and banana, a handful of ground almonds sprinkled over and then a teaspoon of honey. Since I’m having very little sugar this little sweet treat is amazing.
Dinner:
Dinner has been my favourite meal of the day! When my personal trainer gave me her suggestions I almost hugged her when she said I could still have pizza and pasta. I was really worried it was going to just be a lot of vegetables, salads and fish which I do not like at all, but oh no, she suggested healthier carbs!
Mini Pizzas:
This is without a doubt my favourite recipe. It tastes so damn good and is really easy to make!
- 3 whole grain pita breads
- Mix together 1 teaspoon of olive oil, tomato puree and some basil and spread it over the pita breads
- Tear up 3 slices of ham and add to the pizza
- Add chopped pepper
- Add sliced mozzarella cheese
- Cook until the cheese has melted
Spaghetti Bolognese:
This is a such a filling meal and yay pasta!
- Cooked brown pasta
- 1/2 an onion, chop and fry until golden
- 1/2 a red pepper, chop and add to pan
- Add minced turkey meat
- Add 1 tablespoon of tomato puree
- 1/2 grated carrot, add to pan
- Season with salt, pepper and basil
- Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top when cooked
Chicken with Potatoes:
This meal is quite a lot of work so we’ve been having this on a Sunday but it is absolutely delicious!
- Cut 1 chicken breast into small chunks
- Cut 1/2 and onion, 1/2 courgette and 1/2 a red pepper into small chips
- Cut 1-3 potatoes (however many you feel is right for you) into small chips
- Season with olive oil, basil, salt and chilli powder
- Roast the vegetables and potatoes for 20 minutes
- Add chicken and roast for a further 30 minutes
Drinks:
I’ve been addicted to Fanta for as long as I can remember and was always under the impression that because I had sugar free Fanta that it was okay…apparently I was wrong. I knew I was going to struggle the most without any fizzy drinks so my personal trainer suggested a lifesaving alternative. Instead of Fanta I’ve been having sugar free double strength orange squash with sparkling water. I know what you’re thinking, sparkling water is vile, but mix it with squash and it is heaven!
We are also allowed to have half a glass of wine each night, which we have definitely been making the most of. I usually do have 1 alcoholic drink after work with dinner, either wine or Prosecco or vodka lemonade so I’m glad I can still have this.
Those are all of my favourite recipes we’ve tried, we’ve also had chicken and pasta, homemade turkey burgers, chicken and rice and homemade quiche which maybe I’ll post recipes for in the future if you guys are interested!
I’ve really been enjoying this diet, it’s been so much easier than all the fad diets I’ve tried before because I’m not really restricting myself of anything, except chocolate, and it’s all foods that I like. I’m very excited to see how this goes and if I lose more weight, my ultimate goal would be to lose 3 stone before my wedding!
If you decide to try any of these recipes then please let me know! I’d love to know how they worked for you.
9 Comments
thecozydenblog
August 1, 2018 at 7:20 pm
Your dinner recipes look amazing! ? I feel your original struggle though, the food that’s not good for you often tastes best and you have to get used to making better choices, I’ve been trying to do the same thing. I hope you’ll see changes soon! S. xx
Hollie
August 1, 2018 at 7:38 pm
They taste even better! ? Yeah it was definitely hard to start with, the thing I’ve been missing most is Nutella haha, but seeing the weight finally coming off is the motivation I need. I hope it’s working well for you too, keep going with it! ?
thecozydenblog
August 2, 2018 at 12:50 pm
It was/is chocolate for me, I love it so much ? but it’s going to be worth it in the long run 🙂 Go us!?
Sarah
August 2, 2018 at 2:13 am
It all looks delicious 🙂
Hollie
August 2, 2018 at 12:51 pm
Oh it is, the pizza tastes amazing! ?
NunziaDreams
August 3, 2018 at 10:22 pm
Holly all of these meals sound really yummy!! Love the different ideas for lunch/sandwiches!
NunziaDreams
August 3, 2018 at 10:25 pm
Hollie* Jeez, I typed that way too fast! lol My bad, dear!!
Hollie
August 4, 2018 at 9:16 am
Hahaha no worries! It happens so often I don’t even notice!
Hollie
August 4, 2018 at 9:16 am
Thanks! Yeah it definitely makes things more interesting, especially for work. ?