LIfe | Five Weeks to Bridesmaid - Week Two, Wednesday

On Wednesday's we eat Dessert for Breakfast......

07.00 am - Hot Water and Lemon

07.15 am - Breakfast Parfait. I just layered Homemade Granola, 0% Fat Greek Yogurt and Strawberries in a glass. I love playing around with meal presentation - even first thing in the morning!

11.30 am - I had a Green Tea and 2 x Kallo Organic Rice Crackers with Dark Chocolate.

1.30 pm - For lunch I had a Thai Coconut Curry Innocent Veg Pot, and added extra Baby Spinach.

5.00pm - I decided to try and help with some muscle recovery from yesterday with a Protein Shake. This one had Almond Milk, Strawberries, Ice and Vanilla Plant-Based Protein Powder.

8.00 pm - Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chilli served with Baby Spinach, Grated Cheddar and Avocado. Yummmm! I always forget how good my slow cooker is in-between uses, this was so easy to do and it tasted amazing!

Healthy Food + Minimal Effort = Win.

And even though the boys were trying to tempt me with a glass of White Wine, I managed to stay strong!

Life | Five Weeks to Bridesmaid - Week Two, Tuesday

Oh god. Maybe telling our PT Rich about this blog was not the best idea. Having read all about the excesses of the weekend he literally killed JP and I in Training.

"Killed" might be slightly strong, but at one point I definitely though one of us was going to throw-up. And so I've (temporarily) learnt my lesson. Last week during PT I felt strong and on the road to fitness, today I felt like a big lump of lard on the road to death. Eeuggghh, stupid alcohol!

Here's Tuesday for ya.

07.00 am - Cup of Hot Water and Lemon.

07.30 am - Today turned out to be a Two-Breakfast-Tuesday affair. My first breakfast was this Smoothie which had Frozen Banana, Strawberries, Blueberries, Almond Milk, Dates, Almond Butter and Chia Seeds.

09.00 am - Just before I was leaving for work I felt like I wanted something more to see me through the morning. I quickly scrambled a couple of eggs - voila!

1.30pm - Lunch was a Salad from Waitrose. Hands up, who knows what a Wheat Berry is? Me neither. Here's the story.

3.30 pm - I made a pit stop for a Decaf Iced Latte (with Semi-Skimmed Milk). It was hot and what I really wanted was an Ice-Cream, so I went for this instead.

5.15 pm - PT with JP.  Just thinking about all those Squats and Mountain Climbers still makes me want to cry (or be sick).......

7.30 pm - Dinner was the highlight of my day! I made Homemade Guacamole and Thai Pork "Tacos". You use a big leaf of Romaine Lettuce as your 'shell' for the Thai Pork, Guac, Creme Fraiche and Grated Cheese, and it's literally THE BEST THING EVER.

You must try it. Here's the link to the recipe. It's worth noting that for speed I use Spring Onions (Scallions) instead of Shallots. And I leave out the Mint and Peanuts.

Life | Five Weeks to Bridesmaid, Week Two - Monday

What is it about Monday's that makes them so busy?! Especially when you're still feeling a little jaded from the excesses of the weekend (yes it's true, once you hit 30 it definitely takes more than a day to fully recover from a big night out, sob!).

Anyhoo, here's what went down (sorry!) today.

07.00 am - Hot Water and Lemon. I've had a couple of people ask me about why I do this? Because it cleanses your bowel first thing and also it makes you poop (which is something I never thought I would be talking about on the blog) #truestory. I just find it's like a reset button for your bowels and tummy at the start of each day.

07.30 am - Whilst planning my week (I love a to-do list) I had some 0% Fat Greek Yogurt with Homemade Granola, Strawberries and Blueberries.

1.30 pm - Lunchtime. I made a quick stop at Waitrose on the motorway and grabbed this chicken wrap.

3.30 pm - Still feeling peck'ish I snacked on a Bounce Ball.

6.00 pm - Home from work and I needed a little snack. I had a cup of Green Tea with an Apple and some Cheddar Cheese.

8.30 pm - For dinner, we had Homemade Bolognese Sauce with Courgetti (or Zoodles if you're in the US). And by "Homemade" I mean not a sauce from a jar or packet - often these can have some hidden sugars.

I lightly steamed my Courgetti but you don't need to really - I just don't like them being cold and the sauce being hot.

Life | Five Weeks to Bridesmaid, Week Two - Sunday

My head hurts!! Yesterday was so much fun but I am absolutely paying the price today.

Considering how much a hangover makes me want to eat everything in sight, today didn't go too badly. Not great, but not terrible.

10.00 am - LOTS of Water, and a Green Tea.

10.30 am - Gluten Free Porridge made with Almond Milk, Cinnamon and Almond Butter. I then topped it with Strawberries and Blueberries.

12.30 pm - For lunch I had an Indian Lentil Sambar Innocent Veg Pot. I served it with Baby Spinach and a spoonful of Greek Yogurt.

3.00 pm - Still feeling fragile, I had a Chai Latte and a Nakd Cashew Cookie Bar.

6.30 pm - I had been craving Pizza all day long and finally gave in to temptation. I had a Pizza Express Pollo Pesto Pizza, and loved every bite!

I also treated myself to a packet of Maltesers, yummmmm!

The focus on healthy food choices and the challenge starts again tomorrow!

Life | Five Weeks to Bridesmaid, Week Two - Saturday

Today was our lovely friends Seb and Chelsea's Wedding! Congratulations again Mr and Mrs Harding - it was an amazing day!

08.30 am - Dan made Soral and I Breakfast - it was a two stage affair! First we had a small bowl of 0% Fat Greek Yogurt with Blueberries, Strawberries and Homemade Granola. And then we had Scrambled Eggs, Smoked Salmon and Mushrooms. Oh and a Green Tea. It was more of a "Breakfast Feast", if you will.

11.00 am - On the way to the wedding we tucked into the Prosecco. Today's a celebration! I had around two or three glasses.

12.15 am - Dan had made us all some small baguettes. They were made with Granary Bread, Hoummos, Brie, Salami, Sun Blushed Tomatoes and Rocket. We quickly inhaled one before the big "I do's" in the Church.

2.00 pm - Prosecco and Canapes. After the Ceremony we all had drinks out on the lawn in the beautiful sunshine. I had around three glasses of Prosecco and a few Canapes. I have a rule with Canapes - say no to every-other one. It means you still get to enjoy a few without going crazy.

3.30 pm - Time for the Wedding Breakfast - the food was simply amazing!! So tasty and the perfect amount for everyone.

I started by enjoying all the little extra's that are on the table. I love how much thought goes into all of these.

For Starters, we had a Chicken Liver Pate (I think?) with Melba Toast - yum!

And for Mains there was Roast Lamb with Veggies, Potatoes and Yorkshire Puddings. Each table had a designated "Carver" who was in charge of the meat, which was cooked beautifully!

Feeling a little guilty about the excesses of the day, I skipped the Potatoes and Yorkshire Pudding but the rest was amazing.

Dessert was an Apple and Blackberry Crumble with Custard - I couldn't resist, Crumble is one of my all time favourites!

Throughout dinner I had around four glasses of White Wine (and hopefully more of water!). And then a Jager Bomb Shot at the end - we were all very tipsy and getting a bit carried away!

Post Dinner is a bit of a blur - which I think is the sign of a great do! I know there was some Hendricks and Tonic, and there was definitely lots of dancing.

At around 10.30 pm (I think?!), I had a Hog Roast Bap - which was well needed to help soak up some of that alcohol!

And at 11.30 pm we hopped back into our waiting car, clutching a bottle of Prosecco for the journey home.

The perfect end to a beautiful day.

Life | Five Weeks to Bridesmaid, Week Two - Friday

This morning I woke up with a sore head, (I'm sure it has absolutely nothing to do with last night's wine indulgence.....), and a busy day ahead of me!

06.30 am - I woke up feeling super-shaky with low blood sugar so I had a glass of Apple Juice (Copella) with Water (50:50 of each).

07.30 am - On the way to work I had an Eat Natural Dark Chocolate and Macademia Bar and a Green Tea.

12.30 pm - I spent the morning feeling really gross and had a meeting with my new boss at lunchtime, aaah! We were at Starbucks and I had a Tall size Mocha Coconut Frappuccino.

4.00 pm - I knew I had Personal Training with Rich and needed a snack. I picked up a Yogurt Flapjack from Boston Tea Party on my way home and had a cup of Green Tea and some "Detox Water" with it.

5.00 pm - PT with Rich. I was on my own today and confessed all of my wine sins before we went ahead with the dreaded measurements!

So here's the update - since starting the challenge I have lost - 1 inch from my waist, 1 inch from my arm, 1 inch from my thigh and 1/2 inch from my bum. Which is actually really good news, phew! Considering I haven't exactly been an angel over the last week I was expecting not to have lost much at all. JP also got similar results, so we're both happy! 

I'm thinking of doing some kind of chart/table for these weekly updates, so look out for that next Friday.

Today in PT, Rich was teaching me how to box and kick box. It was super hot and so tiring but I felt so good afterwards!

7.30 pm - Dan cooked a healthy dinner for us. We had a little Mozzarella and Sunblush Tomato Starter, and then we had Grilled Chicken Skewers with Spinach and Greek Yogurt (which I added Fresh Mint and Garlic to). This is one of my favourite meals in the Summer. The Veggies and Chicken are just tossed in some Olive Oil and Italian Herb Seasoning and grilled.

Update: I just remembered I had a Corona with dinner too.

Life | Five Weeks to Bridesmaid, Week Two - Thursday

I can't believe we're into the second week of the challenge already! Time is flying by this Summer in a whirl of hot days, late nights and Prosecco, which is not necessarily a bad thing but doesn't make being on this challenge easy!

07.00 am - Hot Water with Lemon.

07.30 am - For Breakfast I had 0% Fat Greek Yogurt with Homemade Granola, Strawberries and Blueberries. I always find this breakfast super-filling and tasty.

2.00 pm - After a busy morning rushing around, I finally made a pit stop into Sainsbury's for some lunch. The selection was small and I was starving! I went for the Prawn and Tuna Sushi and an Innocent Super Smoothie.

6.00 pm - I had an Apple (Pink Lady of course!) as a snack when I got home from work.

8.30 pm - JP and I went to Cote for dinner, and it all got a little bit naughty! We'd had a sneaky glass of Prosecco before we got there and with growling tummies, it didn't help our decision making.

We managed to avoid bread but had some olives to share as a Starter.

For our Mains we both went for Steak. I had some Garlic Butter with mine, oh and some very naughty Fries too. Aaand, then we washed it all down with a bottle of White Wine (along with plenty of water).

Big fat, ooops. Now I am super scared for my "measure-in" tomorrow!

Life | Five Weeks to Bridesmaid, Week One - Wednesday

This is the last day of Week One but I'm not measuring in until Friday so I will blog about that then - eeeek! 

07.00 am - Hot Water and Lemon.

07.30 am - Today I started the day with a Smoothie. Dan gave me a NutriBullet for my Birthday and I'm pretty much obsessed! This one had Spinach, Blueberries, Banana, Strawberries, Maca Powder and Almond Milk. So yummy!

10.30 am - I needed a little mid morning snack so I had a handful of Cashew Nuts and a cup of Green Tea.

1.00 pm - I was working from home today so managed to have a super healthy lunch! I had a Salmon Fillet with Pesto, Spinach, Avocado, Sweet Potato Wedges and steamed Tenderstem Broccoli - it was amazing!

3.30pm - Throughout the afternoon I drank lots and lots of water from my BPA Free Thermos Flask. I also had a cup of Vanilla and Roiboos Tea when I fancied a sweet treat.

6.30 pm - I was hungry but knew that Dan wouldn't be home for dinner for a while as he was playing football. I made myself a Protein Shake as a snack. This one had Vanilla Plant Protein (I picked this up from Earthbar when I was in LA), Ice, Strawberries and Almond Milk.

8.45 pm - Dan and I got a takeaway from Thali Cafe. They do these really cool "Tiffins" which are basically metal bowls that stack and they fill each section with something different. We had the Lamb Meatballs with Rice, Dahl and Vegetables. This is always so tasty, and although it was a takeaway it's not completely terrible for you.

Life| Five Weeks to Bridesmaid, Week One - Tuesday

Another hot day where everything seemed like an effort, hence why there aren't many photo's - sorry!

07.00 am - I got up late so had to rush! In the car on the way to work I had a Green Tea, an Apple and a (33g) Dark Chocolate, Macademia & Cranberry Eat Natural Bar.

10.30 am - I was completely starving and had eaten my snacks for the day as Breakfast! I bought the healthiest thing I could find in the hospital cafeteria vending machine - a packet of Belvita Breakfast Biscuits. I know, I know - literally terrible, but it was either that or a packet of crisps....

2.00 pm - Finally, I had time to get to a shop to pick up some lunch! I got this Avocado & Feta Salad from Marks & Spencer. When I googled this to try and find a link all I found was outraged articles about the calorie and fat content of this salad. Whilst I'm not a nutritionist it's worth noting that not all calories are equal, which is why I don't really reference them. For example, half an Avocado and a snack size (33g) Mars Bar both come in at around 150 calories a piece - but the Avocado packs weigh more punch nutritionally than it's chocolatey friend Mr Mars Bar.

3.30 pm - My afternoon snack was a Granola Bar from Starbucks.  I stopped to meet a colleague and was craving something sweet!

6.15 pm - Personal Training Session with JP. It was hard work in the heat! I'm beginning to feel a bit lighter and like I can push myself a bit harder in our sessions though which is a good sign.

7.30 pm - I wasn't going straight home after training but was starving. I had 2 x itsu Dark Chocolate Rice Cakes.

9.00 pm - We kept dinner light and easy. A Cajun Chicken Breast with steamed Tenderstem Broccoli and Spinach.

I also drank lots and lots of water again today, probably around five litres.

Life | Five Weeks to Bridesmaid, Week One - Monday

It's still hot, hot, hot in the UK which is throwing off everything. I don't feel like eating because I'm so warm and then I get tired and grouchy because I have no energy = not fun for anyone around me! The only way to cope is lots of little meals throughout the day.

07.00 am - Hot Water and Lemon.

07.30 am - Homemade Gluten Free Granola with Unsweetened Almond Milk and Blueberries.

10.30 am - Green Tea and a Packet of Munchy Seeds on-the-go.

2.30 pm - Snack time again! I had four thin slices of Cheddar Cheese and a chopped Apple.

5.30 pm -  This was a sort of late lunch/early dinner meal. I oven baked a Cajun Salmon Fillet and then served it with Watercress and Rocket Salad, half an Avocado and a blob of Greek Yogurt.

8.30 pm - Dan was home from work late and cooked a big veggie omelette for dinner. Inside was Red Onion, Mushroom, Tomato, Spinach and some grated Cheddar Cheese.

Still feeling the heat I whipped up a big bowl of Faux Strawberry Ice Cream for dessert - this is just blended frozen Bananas and Strawberries with a splash of Almond Milk. It tastes amazing!

And that was that, a really picky eating kind of day. I also drank around five litres of water.

I meant to go to Bootcamp tonight but just felt too hot and bothered when the time came. I'll do some extra Tabata work this week to make up for it.

Life | Five Weeks to Bridesmaid, Week One - Sunday

In my opinion, Sunday morning's are made for reading. I just love taking some time to read the papers, a magazine or a few chapters of a really good book - the perfect little snippet of "me" time.

8.30 am - Hot Water and Lemon.

09.00 am - Greek Yogurt with homemade granola, strawberries and blueberries.

11.30 am - Detox water and a packet of itsu dark chocolate rice cakes.

3.00 pm - Lunch was leftovers from last night back down at the waterfront. I had a small piece of granary baguette with salami, brie, sun drenched tomatoes and hummus - unbelievably good! I also had some strawberries with a teaspoon of clotted cream.

7.00 pm - For dinner we went to Dan's Mum's house. I had freshly-caught grilled trout with salad and a piece of BBQ chicken breast. Aaaaand a cheeky little glass of champagne - just the one! I was busy chatting and completely forgot to photograph it, sorry!

The perfect end to a lovely long weekend.

NB. As always I drank lots of water throughout the day.

Life | Five Weeks To Bridesmaid - Week One, Saturday

Oh Saturday, I do love you so.

My goal is to go Bootcamp on a Saturday morning but this week my back and shoulders were still really sore from the workout with Rich the day before. I don't want to injure myself early on in the challenge so I decided to give it a miss this week and go on Monday night instead. No intense exercise today, just lots of walking!

8.30 am - Hot water with lemon (in my new favourite Sophie Allport mug!)

10.00 am - Dan made us breakfast - we had smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and mushrooms, yum!

11.30 am - I met up with my friend Annie for a catch-up at Browns. I had a green tea.

2.00 pm - In MaximumFX for a little hair cut I had another green tea and a nakd ginger bread bar.

3.00 pm - On my way home (in the pouring rain), I stopped by Waitrose to grab some sushi for lunch. I got the brown rice nigiri with salmon and prawns.

3.30 pm - I fancied something sweet so I had a cup of vanilla and rooibos tea with a packet of itsu dark chocolate rice cakes (also made with brown rice). They totally hit the spot.

8.00 pm - This weekend was the Harbour Festival in Bristol. My Dad has a flat on the waterfront so a few of us went and had some some food and drinks there and watched the fireworks, aaaand my phone died so I have no evidence for you guys!

For dinner I had cold meats, hummus with carrot sticks, rocket salad with baby tomatoes, king prawns, a slice of spinach quiche, some moroccan couscous and a slice of fresh granary bread with crab paté. For dessert I had, fresh strawberries and a dollop of clotted cream - soooo naughty!!!

And the naughtiness didn't stop there. I also had three glasses of champagne. Big, fat Ooops.

As always, I also drank lots and lots of water throughout the day. As a gauge I aim for a minimum of 2 litres (approx. 4 pints) but most days I probably get through 3 litres. If you feel thirsty, you're already de-hydrated, get some water inside you!