Today was perfect.  I was perfect.  The diet was perfect.

I have decided to start counting calories.  I know I am eating lots of healthy foods but I do have a tendency to eat large portions.  Also, I eat foods which are high in calories, although healthy, such as nuts, seeds and avocado.  I am so determined to lose weight this year, lots of weight, that I need to be more disciplined.  So I found myself an App I liked the look of and got tracking.  Having input my height, weight and how much I want to lose each week (2 pounds), I need to eat 1,200 calories a day which seems very manageable.

I had a green smoothie for breakfast made with kale and raw buckwheat groats, which I soaked for a couple of hours first to soften.

I added hemp seeds,
a kiwi fruit plus coconut water. I blitzed it for ages so it was super smooth.  357 calories of green goodness.  The flavour was a tad too kale but I am quite used to these green smoothies now and so I enjoyed it. I worked hard all morning and just before lunch decided to take the dogs over the road for a walk.  It was sunny so walking was a very enticing prospect.  It was wonderful to feel the sun on my face.   Our usual route was slightly challenging.  Some trees were clambered over  and others were walked around. Lots of water everywhere. I could have walked for ages today but I needed to get back to work.  Today was a busy one.  I was pleased to see my walk burned off 210 calories. Lara had made lunch while I was walking so I walked back home to this bowl of deliciousness. Mixed salad leaves, red pepper, tomato and avocado, topped with chicken and mushrooms that had been stir fried in coconut oil, garlic and soy sauce.  I didn’t want to use any calories on a dressing so I ate it as it was and thoroughly enjoyed it all.  Thank you Lara. Lara made supper too which I was thankful for as I didn’t finish working until nearly 7pm.   Sea bass cooked in a coconut milk based curry sauce, served on brown Basmati rice with tenderstem broccoli.  It was fantastic and came in at 640 calories.  The coconut milk was very high.So today  I ate very healthy food, I exercised and I came in under my calorie target.

Apparently I have 35 calories left which is great.  I am under the carbs, sugar and sodium allowances but over the fat and protein.  I personally think we can eat more fat and protein and should eat less carbs than the standard recommended amounts so I am pleased with my day’s eating.

The only thing missing is a large glass of wine, something I usually enjoy in front of a fire on a Friday evening at this time of year.  But I am putting my health first and feeling really good about that.