Lose Weight and Gain Health

801010rv Day 2

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I have stuck to the eating plan of 80101rv today but I found it harder today. I didn’t want to eat bad food but I really wanted something cooked. Sticking to raw all day was the challenge of my day but I worked through it and now feel pleased with myself.

A simple fruit salad for breakfast made with a banana, 2 kiwis, 1 large orange and some black grapes. I enjoyed this but not as much as the citrus salad I had yesterday. It was not quite enough to get me through to lunch so I had an apple late morning. For lunch I enjoyed chopping lots of vegetables in to cubes. I was inspired by an Instagram account I follow, called ALKALINESISTER, to actually look up how to handle a knife like a chef. Such fun! I made my salad with half a tub of rocket topped with diced fennel, celery, carrots and red pepper, plus some purple sprouting broccoli and half an avocado. I managed to not add any salt or pepper or seasonings. Just pure, whole, unprocessed vegetables. I mashed it all together so the avocado acted as a dressing This was most enjoyable and kept me going until supper time. Dinner was meant to be a strawberry banana ice-cream. I made it with 4 frozen bananas, strawberries and a kiwi plus 1 scoop (21g) of vegan warrior protein powder. The protein powder is not part of the 801010 diet plan but I just felt I wanted to add it so I did. But the proportion of fresh strawberries and a kiwi to frozen banana was wrong so it came out more like a smoothie. It tasted good though and was a very easy supper.

I have drunk various herbal teas today including rooibos, green and peppermint and liquorice plus a black coffee and one black tea with soya milk. I also had a glass of water infused with orange and strawberries which is so refreshing.

Scores on the doors today are:

Total calories consumed: 1,240
Calories burned with exercise: 0

% of calories consumed:
Carbohydrates: 78%
Fat: 10 %
Protein 12%

Almost perfect ratios but the big fail today was the absence of exercise so I will make that a priority tomorrow.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 801010rv, Fruit, Salad, Vegan | Leave a comment

801010rv Day 1

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

Having read the book from cover to cover (literally), I am now going to try to stick to the 80/10/10 diet very strictly for the next 4 weeks. I am starting off with the toughest version which is raw vegan.

‘The 80/10/10 Diet’ was written by Dr Douglas Graham. 80/10/10 refers to the “caloronutrient” ratios we should eat. At least 80% of our daily calories should come from carbohydrate and a maximum of 10 % should come from protein and 10% from fat. But there is more. To attain your optimum state of health, Douglas Graham has a few rules you should follow.

1. A minimum of 80 % of your calories should come from carbohydrates, primarily from whole, sweet fruit rather than grains, beans, pulses or other starchy carbs.
2. Between 2 and 6 % of your daily calories should come from green vegetables. This equates to about a pound of greens a day.
3. Carbohydrates would ideally be whole (ie not processed at all), raw and organic.
4. A maximum of 10 % of your calories should come from protein. Eating fruits and vegetables typically provides 5 % protein so you can add a small quantity of nuts or seeds.
5. A maximum of 10 % of daily calories to come from fat. Fruits and vegetables (not avocados) average 3 – 5 % calories from fat so do not add much additional fat. 10 % is easily achieved by eating some nuts, seeds or avocado.
6. Do not graze all day but instead eat between 1 and 4 meals a day
7. Eat simply and often eat ‘monomeals’ i.e. one type of food at a time for optimum digestion
8. Eat seasonally
9. Exercise, exercise, exercise. Aim to burn 40 % of your daily calories through physical activity.
10. Sleep enough for your body’s needs and rest when you need to.
11. Do not eat for emotional reasons
12. Think positively
13. Expose your skin (ideally all of it!) to sunshine for a minimum half an hour a day

So this will be a challenge but I intend to stick with it for 4 weeks and then see if I feel as good as I am hoping to. I will report my progress each day and share some of the information contained within the book. This will include answering questions such as “what about all that sugar?” and “where do you get protein from?”.

I did well and nearly followed all the rules perfectly today. It was a good day anyway as I was on holiday and I did not have anything planned for the day. Plus when I woke up it was sunny which always makes me happy.

I had a citrus salad for breakfast and because all the fruit was perfectly ripe, every bite was delicious and a complete pleasure.

This lovely bowl of sunshine was made with a pink grapefruit, 4 oranges and 2 satsumas.

As it was such a nice day, Lucy had the inspired idea of meeting for a walk today instead of tomorrow as originally planned so we did. We met in Bodiam and walked for about an hour in the Spring sunshine.

This particular walk takes you along the river bank. The river meanders along through the Kent countryside. It is a pretty and tranquil walk. Harvey and Edward found plenty to amuse themselves with as there were trees to climb, sticks to throw for the dogs or in to the river. A quick drink for the dogs and we were back at the castle.

We intended to have a bite to eat in the cafe at the castle but being the Easter holidays it was too busy so we went over the road to the pub, The Castle Inn. There was nothing for a woman on an 80/10/10 rv diet on the menu so I just had a black coffee which I had forgotten I was trying to give up but at least it was zero calorie. It is not the prettiest or most charming of pubs but it was fine. Lucy and the boys had lunch; the portions were a good size and everyone enjoyed their meals.

I didn’t get round to making my lunch until nearly 3 pm so that bowl of citrus salad had kept me going and feeling energised for about 6 – 7 hours which is great. Lunch was quick and easy when I did get round to it.

4 bananas and about 10 strawberries. Not actually these bananas as I used 4 frozen bananas – artistic license! They were blended together to make ……..strawberry and banana ice-cream. What is not to like about this bowl of yumminess? I had a snooze this afternoon. I was tired after a busy weekend, a long drive home and a busy day at work yesterday and obviously needed it as I slept deeply for 2 hours which was wonderful.

I enjoyed the time this afternoon to remain peaceful and relaxed.

Supper was easy and followed the 80/10/10 rv principles.

A simple salad made with spinach leaves, shredded carrot and cherry tomatoes, with a ‘dressing’ made with a blended pear and celery. You are not meant to have salt or pepper or any other flavourings so celery is quite good as a dressing because it seems salty. This was unexciting but adequate as a first course. A pear and a half a bunch of grapes for pudding.So that was me done for the day.

I am using My Fitness Pal to track my eating and using their caloronutrient percentages. Today was a great day. I didn’t achieve the target of burning 40 % of calories consumed by exercise (it was nearly 19%) but everything else was excellent.

Carbs: 92 %
Fat: 3 %
Protein: 5 %

Total calories consumed: 1,419
Calories burned in exercise: 267

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 801010rv, Bodiam, Citrus | 2 Comments

Friends

Posted on March 31, 2015 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

Apologies for being absent for so long but I have been very busy which has left me too tired to blog or just plain too busy. Lots of usual busyness i.e. working and commuting and domestic stuff. But also a lot of delightfully wonderful busyness with very dear friends.

I met up with Billy who I havent seen for years and he suggested meeting at La Polentaria in Soho, London. I had polenta bruscheta with tomatoes and purpley bits. Followed by creamed polenta with braised aubergine which was delicious. Best of all though was seeing Billy again 🙂 I have not eaten as healthily as I should have done. That was a MASSIVE understatement, unfortunately. This bowl of goodies was a good start one day though so it has not all been a disaster. Another day I had a bowl of soup and some bread with Laura at Timberyard. It is always a pleasure to see Laura, even though these were not very happy circumstances. There are changes afoot, neither of these I am very happy about. This is the entrance to the station car park I use. Known as ‘The Somme’ to the locals for obvious reasons. It is not for the faint hearted and is quite the challenge to exit gracefully and without covering oneself in mud, something I have failed to manage on occasion. But it’s free to park here. Or at least, it has been. We had letters last week telling us to keep out for 4 weeks from tomorrow which I suspect will mean it will be tarmac’d over and then we will have to pay to park there. Humph! The car park news pales in to insignificance compared to news that Food For Thought, the vegetarian restaurant that has been going for 40 years, and which remains very popular and successful, is to close. The reason, is because of a rent hike which is inflicting all small business owners. One day, every high street in Britain and all of London will be identical, selling a narrow range of products supplied by large chain stores. It makes me so sad and angry to see the demise of lovely local shops, cafes, bars and restaurants so while it is still there, I intend to enjoy their wonderful food. I shouldn’t enjoy their ‘Scrunch’ too often ! As you can see, I have eaten some vegetarian meals in the past week but no meat or fish. I am back to vegan now but at least vegetarian was better than back to my standard diet from the past. On Friday I went down to Lyme Regis to stay at my sister Lucy’s place with some of my very best friends. I arrived for lunch, as did Gini, and we set off in to Lyme to the Town Mill bakery. We shared a roasted vegetable and Feta tart with salad. It was delicious and it was lovely to catch up as I haven’t seen Gini this year. We were away to celebrate her birthday and celebrate we did! So much celebrating in fact that Saturday passed me by in a photo free blur. So here we are on Sunday, outside the River Cottage Canteen in Axminster. An excellent choice by Sally. This is such a lovely place to eat. I indulged myself and had a saffron and orange vodka martini which slipped down a treat. For my main I enjoyed the roast butternut squash and chickpea stew, with kale and smoked tofu. I didn’t detect the tahini dressing. We then headed down to Lyme to the beach. Well wrapped up we braved the high winds and rain and enjoyed the exhilaration of an afternoon on a stormy beach. We have been friends since we were at school together which is fabulous. I am really sorry that I didn’t have a picture of Michelle to include here – sorry M. It was exciting watching the waves crash over the Cobb. We also braved a walk along the Cobb and did get wet as the waves came right over. It was hard to tell where the Cobb wall ended and the sea began. Having enjoyed Lyme we hopped in to the car and went to West Bay, aka as the “Broadchurch beach”. Anyone who watched Broadchurch will recognise this famous backdrop to so many scenes. We retreated after a while to Slader’s Yard. A cream tea beckoned – oops! It was lovely. After saying goodbye to my friends I headed West for lunch with Ian and Helen and also caught up with Mera and Jack. Then home.

I am now on holiday for a few days and will be back to a very high plant food vegan way of eating. The pounds will have piled on over the weekend and they need to go!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Broadchurch, Lyme Regis, Polenta, River Cottage, The Cobb, West Bay | 5 Comments

Recovering

Posted on March 22, 2015 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I am finally beginning to feel more energetic and as if I am getting better. This has been a terrible illness as I thought I was getting better last weekend but then bham ! It knocks you out much worse than you were before and with such a sort throat you wonder if you will ever feel normal again. Well, I am getting better, thank goodness.

I had my first desensitisation session at The Allergy Centre. It will be my last too. I don’t believe their methods will actually achieve anything, I was shocked I was told all my allergies had been cleared with no cautions or warnings and I was particularly disappointed by the nutrition advice I was given. Maybe their technique does clear allergies but for now, I am not prepared to risk another rash so I will be avoiding the things I think I am allergic to.

I have eaten some ‘comfort foods’ I should have left on the shelf this week such as flapjacks and porridge with syrup but nothing too disasterous or in large quantities. I have also eaten loads of nutrient filled foods to help me recover.

I made a smoothie with a star fruit, blueberries, 2 kiwis, 3 frozen bananas and a tsp of spirulina. I have decided I don’t like star fruit. This one was crisp like an apple but slightly sour with nothing pleasant about the flavour, so I put the whole thing in to a smoothie. Grey is not the best colour for a smoothie (I blame the blueberries and spirulina) but it tasted great and the cold smooth consistency was perfect for a sore throat. I have been reading about some oil and vinegar free salad dressings where the main ingredients are celery, which is salty, and juicey fruits. I made a delicious dressing with 1 celery stalk, 3 clementines and 2 dates. You put everything in a blender and blitz until smooth. For the salad I had a pile of mixed green leaves, some mandolined courgette and beetroot, Finely chopped white cabbage and fennel, Tossed in the fruity dressing. Garnished with cherry tomatoes and black pepper. It made a huge bowlful and it was very tasty. For breakfast today I was craving a citrus smoothie so I put all these clementines in the Vita Mix with one frozen banana and blitzed until it was all smooth. A glass of sunshine on this overcast day. It tasted amazing and I will definitely be making this again. Since I am feeling better, I managed to walk again this weekend. Yesterday Annette showed us a route from our house up to Bumbles plant nursery. I bought some seeds there and felt my ‘green’ credentials were given a boost as I walked to buy my seeds rather than drive and will use them to grow some food in my garden.

Today we repeated the walk with Lara who unexpectedly came home yesterday which was a wonderful and happy surprise. This is an unusual area of woodland with very twisty branches and unfortunately lots of trees which appear to have been blown down. There are lots of bluebells showing us their greenery and this should be spectaular in May.

The walk takes us around the perimeter of a huge chicken farm. There must be thousands of chickens here. On the plus side, they do have acres of space to strut about in. I spent some very happy time in the garden this afternoon,planting out the Mangetout and Broad beans. The dwarf beans can wait another month. I also planted out 5 packets of sweet peas. Lunch was a simple salad made with spinach, little gem lettuce, fennel and tomato with a baked sweet potato. Topped with a celery, kiwi and date dressing which tasted much better then it looks. For supper I stir fried an onion with some turmeric, cumin and coriander and then added some lightly steamed broccoli and cauliflower. Unfortunately that was not enough to eat so I had some coconut yogurt with cashew nuts and coconut sugar. I would have been better off adding some rice or potato to the cauliflower and broccoli.

Friday was weigh day and as I feared, I had put on some weight this week. I was up 2 pounds which was disappointing but not unexpected because I hardly moved around last week and I over ate. I must do better this week.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 80/10/10, Clementine, Salad, Smoothie, Vege | 4 Comments

Allergy Testing

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I went to ‘In The Clear – Allergy Centre’ in Tunbridge Wells yesterday to see if I have any allergies that could be creating the rash that has flared up twice recently. I was initially very sceptical because much as I embrace a holistic and alternative range of health therapies, I do like some science behind them. I was expecting to give blood or have patches put on my skin to look for sensitivities. However, this clinic uses a technique of holding substances to your cheek and seeing if there is a muscle response. Despite my initial scepticism, I walked out of there impressed. I know I have some allergies and they were picked up (cats and grass pollen) even though I didn’t mention them. Plus I was reminded of one I had forgotten about (feathers) and several new ones were identified: hazelnuts, macadamias, lemon and yeast. I had guessed lemon and macadamia but was surprised by the others. I was also advised to cut out dairy (done) and coffee (no way!).

I had been having a lot of lemon this year because I was squeezing it in to water first thing every morning and adding lemon to a jug of water I kept in the fridge. Both new things in my effort to be healthier this year whereas I wouldn’t usually have eaten much lemon. I had given up dairy so was looking for alternatives and one of them was macadamia nut mylk which I was really enjoying. No longer though. I was also adding nutritional yeast to dishes to add a cheesey flavour as recommended by vegan Instagram sites I follow. So I was consuming more of all 3 then I would usually. In small quantities I had tolerated them but not in the increased quantities I was consuming them in this year.

I rarely eat hazelnuts so unless I have a ganache or Nutella, I wouldn’t eat them so hazelnuts should be easy to resist.

I also realised my duvet is a feather one and about a month ago I bought new pillows – feather ones! So they are now all stored away and all my bed linen is washed and feather free.

I feel relieved that I know that I have allergies which explain the rash. It is a relief to know what they are so I can avoid them. I am grateful to all my friends who suggested various illnesses I may have and provided information but I really do think the food allergies and the feathers created the rash and I have suffered the double whammy of catching the appalling sore throat and cough that is doing the rounds at work.

I still feel far below par but slightly better today than recently and the rash is going but only slowly. My sore throat is feeling a bit better so I think it is on its way out. I at least feel confident that I can recover and if I avoid certain foods, avoid the rash coming back.

When I got back from the Allergy Centre I made a large glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. I really wanted some orange juice but because I was worried about citrus fruits triggering the rash, I had not made any but apparently I am ok with limes and oranges, just not lemons.

I really wanted to juice these ! I loved this and so did Harvey as I didn’t juice all those oranges just for me.

For 2 days this week I have felt extremely ill with my cold so I have not eaten as well as I should have done. It has not all been bad.

On Tuesday I bought this delicious trio of salads from Food For Thought. I enjoyed the salad with a delicious vegetable goulash. Today I went out for lunch to an Indian restaurant called Imli Street on Wardour Street, Soho, London. I liked the minimal industrial style decor. I went with my team from work – it was fun to go out together. The menu was very interesting. They also did a set menu and a Thali menu. I chose the tandoori roti (unleavened bread so no yeast), dal makhini (a slow cooked black lentil dish, delicious but it had dairy in it) and smoked aubergine (tandoor-smoked aubergine with ginger and burnt chilli). It was all very tasty. Supper tonight was easy – I reheated a portion of the vegetable coconut curry we made on Sunday.

I am worried about the scales this week. I have not gone crazy but I have eaten too many calories each day and definitely too much fat. I have also been very inactive as I have felt too ill to do much and I have spent far more time than usual on the sofa or in bed. The scales will tell in the morning!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Allergy | 1 Comment

Itchy and Scratchy

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

The rash is back and I am itchy and scratchy all over and feeling just a little bit sorry for myself. So please excuse me for being brief today.

Breakfast was half of a Galia melon and a whole canteloupe melon. 377 calories.

I had a 2 course lunch. First I had a huge salad made from leftovers from yesterday’s lunch. There was quite a lot of avocado in here, probably half an avocado plus courgettes, carrots, cucumbers and mixed leaves. 316 calories. Followed by 2 nectarines and black grapes. The nectarines are the perfectly ripe ones from M&S and they were very edible. The grapes, also from M&S, were gorgeous. Very sweet, juicey and a strong flavour. I ended up eating the entire punnet as they tasted so good. 320 calories. This looks incredibly boring but I wasn’t in the mood for adding anything or making it look prettier. It tasted wonderful and was perfect comfort food. 4 bananas, cocoa powder, 2 tbsp peanut butter and a splash of soya milk. 687 calories of comfort food bliss.

I ate all that plus had a soya milk latte and a Medjool date. 226 calories.

Daily calories = 1,925

% daily calories
Carbohydrates = 69 %
Proteins = 11 %
Fats = 20%

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Mother’s Day 2015

Posted on March 15, 2015 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I have had a really lovely day thanks to my gorgeous children. I was served a cup of tea in bed and serenaded by the Little Fella on his guitar. Lara had been up early and made granola and a huge fruit salad for breakfast and decorated the table with pretty Spring flowers. I had both my children with me all day and felt very loved. Thank you to you both. As always I thought about my own lovely Mummy who passed away a long time ago now but I was lucky to have had her around for as long as I did.

I did think a lot about all those people who would have struggled and felt really sad all day. People without a Mother to demonstrate their love to, people who couldn’t be with their own Mother or their children, people who haven’t been able to have children and be a Mother but want to be, people estranged from their Mother or children. There are so many reasons to be sad and for all those who struggled today, I hope their day tomorrow is easier. I am so thankful mine was lovely.

We started with freshly ground coffee.

Enjoyed with my lovely breakfast. Lara made the granola recipe that is on my blog. It is really good! A delicious bowl of fruit salad made with pineapple, banana, mango, melon and pomegranate, topped with a little of the homemade granola and some coconut yogurt. 391 calories. Lara bought me this cute little tea strainer which I used to make some green tea with the tea she brought me from a recent trip to India.We popped out in the morning to the Walled Nursery in Hawkhurst.

This is such a charming place to potter about in. Lara and Harvey each chose a plant to put in the garden so I can enjoy watching the plants grow and think about them as they do.

Lunch was simple and healthy. A huge salad made with mixed leaves, noodled courgettes and carrots, cucumber, tomatoes and avocado. With sweet potato and a tbsp of tahini. We all ate the same and everyone enjoyed it. It is so great to see my children enjoying a huge plate of veggies. They did add some ham and cheese but at least they had the nourishment from all the veggies. 486 calories. This was my Mother’s Day present to myself. This cute little tray in my favourite colour with pots labelled for gardening bit and bobs. I shall enjoy filling this up.

Supper was ….. more vegetables! Lara helped me cook a vegetable laksa with tofu. We ate it as it was, with no noodles or rice. 440 calories.

As well as my meals, I had a glass of red wine and picked at the granola in the afternoon which added another 413 calories.

Total daily calories = 1,731

% of total calories from
Carbohydrate = 59 %
Protein = 11 %
Fat = 30 %

So not the best day for calories or fat % but I did manage to refrain from going crazy and falling off the ‘no added sugar’ wagon. Having told myself I could have what I wanted as it was a special day, I did ! On the whole, it was very healthy so I am pleased that my new way of eating really does seem to have curbed the sugar cravings I have suffered for most of my adult life.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Fruit, Gardening, Salad, Vegetables | 2 Comments

Planning Helps

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

To be able to succeed with a diet high in fruits and veggies, you do need to plan carefully so you don’t get too hungry and become tempted with foods you don’t really want to eat. I am learning that and it is really helping.

Being a weekend I didn’t have to plan breakfast. I could choose spontaneously when I walked in to the kitchen first thing. Mind you, I had plenty to choose from because there were so many fruits sitting in the early morning sunshine.

Unless I fancied something from the fridge. Nope, think I will go for something warmed by the sun. Such as this papaya. Harvey declined the papaya today so I had the whole thing myself. Nearly 1 kg of papaya and every mouthful was sweet, perfectly ripe and delicious. 390 calories. That kept me feeling full and comfortably sated for 4 – 5 hours when I made this very simple lunch of 3 apples, 1/4 of a pineapple and 5 Medjool dates.I put it all in the blender and I ran it for a few minutes so it was quite smooth. Very simple and easy to digest. 717 calories which is quite high. The 3 apples were 285 and the dates 332 calories. I had a cinema trip in the evening with Lucy and Emily. We were meeting just after 6 and I estimated I would be home at about 9 pm. So even though 5 pm seemed too early to eat supper, I knew 9 pm would be too late so I prepared and enjoyed supper before I went. I follow quite a few Instagram accounts and one I follow is THISRAWSOMEVEGANLIFE who has posted a few pictures of sweet potatoes drizzled with Tahini. Well thanks for the idea because it was delicious. I had 2 modest sized sweet potatoes which I baked for an hour, mashed with 1 tbsp olive oil based spread, salt and pepper, served with rocket, a large juicey sweet tomato and 1 tbsp white tahini drizzled over. It really was FAB-U-LOUS. Loved it all and will have it again. 434 calories. I cant believe this was nearly half the calories of lunch as it was so much more substantial!

When I got home I enjoyed a glass of red wine. 172 calories. But I felt no need to eat anything else so I made the right decision to eat early.

Daily stats.

Total calories = 1,744

% of daily calories from:
Carbohydrates = 83 %
Protein = 5 %
Fat = 11%

I am so amazed I ate all that today and feel so full and yet am within carb/protein/fat ratios so perfectly. The calorie count is high today but not too high to have put weight on (hopefully!)

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Papaya, Sweet Potato | Leave a comment

A Happy Weight Loss Day

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

First thing every Friday morning I go to weigh myself at the local gymn. I was really hoping for a good loss this week as I have been really good. I have eaten so many fruits and veggies and I don’t think I have had any cheats at all so I really wanted a big loss. There it was – 5 pounds off. That makes a year to date loss of 23 pounds. So I am delighted about that and it proves to me that if I eat well and follow the healthy eating principles I want to adopt, it does work.

I have recently been receiving organic fruit and veggie boxes from Abel & Cole who deliver to the door. This is the deluxe fruit box and one of their little pamphlets which have really good recipes in them. Large fruit box. Medium gourmet box. They take their old boxes away too which is handy – unless they happen to deliver very early when you are in the shower and you dont hear them so I now have 2 weeks worth outside the back door! My fruit corner has lots of goodies in it today, all sitting there ripening up.I had half a watermelon for breakfast. 180 calories.
Probably one of my favourites fruits because it is so refreshing and has a sweet but gentle flavour. I have a terrible lurgey which has symptoms of a very sore throat, blocked cinuses and headache. The sore throat is the worst part and I can not speak which is very frustrating. I wanted something soothing and comforting at lunch time so I made a smoothie with 2 bananas, frozen raspberries, cashew nuts and a little almond milk. I added 2 large juicey strawberries – just what the Doctor ordered. 492 calories. I snacked on some dates. 6 Medjool dates had 240 calories. I used to dislike dates a lot but now I enjoy them and they do help keep me feeling full for ages. At supper time I made a kiwi fruit dressing from one of the Abel & Cole recipe books and served it over a noodled vegetable salad I made with lettuce, courgette, carrot and beetroot. It was OK but I want to tweak the recipe before I share it. 380 calories.

I do hope I feel better tomorrow – it is so frustrating not being able to shout at anyone!

Total daily calories = 1,323

% of daily calories:
Carbohydrates = 70 %
Protein = 8 %
Fat = 2 %

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Abel & Cole, veggies, Weight Loss | 11 Comments

WFM and WFC

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Lose Weight and Gain Health

I took a fruity breakfast to work again today. Mango, strawberries and kiwi.

Plus a canteloupe melon. This lot came in at a hefty 504 calories
I woke up feeling very unwell; sore throat, blocked cinuses and a headache. This was very bad timing as I had some important meetings I needed to be on form for. I saw on one of the Instagram sites I follow that star fruit is particularly effective in healing a sore throat so I set off to get some.

Good morning Trafalgar Square. I hadn’t seen the latest sculpture to adorn the 4th plinth before – I prefer this to the blue cockerel. Hello Picadilly. Destination = WFM They had some so let’s hope they work.All that fruit and a couple of decent coffees made me feel a bit better during the morning so I was able to stick with my lunch plans. I went out with a colleague from the office and it was my turn to choose where we went. Only one place for me today.

WFC. I love this place. I chose ‘The Wild Burger’ and what a good choice it was. We went early so it was quite empty to start with but it soon filled up. All the action takes place behind the orange counter. Everything is cooked/chopped/prepared there so you can see your food being made if you sit at the counter. It was sunny and warm enough to have the windows open. What bliss after winter to be sitting in a sunny, light filled room. This is The Wild Burger. It is an olive and shitake mushroom burger in sprouted wheat bread. Every mouthful was a real pleasure. I am definitely having this again. I estimate 571 calories for this. By the end of the day I was going downhill rapidly and I could barely speak. So I made a large bowl of comfort food; frozen bananas (4) with some watermelon, almond milk, peanut butter and cocoa powder. I topped it with some of my favourite toppings; desiccated coconut, cacao nibs and Goji berries. It had the consistency of a soft serve ice cream and was wonderful. Banana ice-cream is perfect for a sore throat. 807 calories.