Time to get creative with chicken

How many of us start a diet and opt for plain chicken breast and broccoli? Sound familiar? I have done that myself, infact I was encouraged by my old personal trainer to eat plain food and plain chicken was the way forward!
Sadly I love food way too much to agree that this is the way forward so I thought I would share some of the new chicken recipes I have tried out this week!  Still healthy, still fitting into my macros, still unprocessed and actually incredibly tasty!
Eating food like this means it will be easier for you to stick to the healthy lifestyle, who actually wants to spend the rest of their life feeling like they're on a diet? No thank you! So ditch the plain breast and give these a go!


Red Thai Chicken Curry (serves 4)


Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic
90ml Koko coconut milk
65g Red Thai Curry Paste
685g chicken breast
100g onions
185g Peppers
260g carrots


This is so easy to make!


1. Chop the garlic and vegetables and pop them in a pan add the cubed chicken and brown
2. Add a splash of water to prevent the vegetables from burning
3. In a measuring jug mix the red thai curry paste and coconut milk
4. Add the red thai mix to the pan and simmer for 20 mins until the chicken is cooked and vegetables are soft


Macros per serving:
Calories - 273
Fat 4g
Carbs 13.8g
Protein 41.2g


Vietnamese Chicken (serves 4)

Ingredients:
165g onions
630g Chicken breast
1 red chilli chopped
30g honey
1 lime juice
8 tsp sesame oil
12 tsp Fish sauce


Method:
1. Lightly fry the onion, red chilli and chicken in a pan until the chicken is cooked
2. Whilst the chicken is cooking mix the sesame oil, fish sauce, honey and juice of one lime in a mixing bowl, make sure this is all mixed together (season to taste)
3. Once the chicken is cooked remove from the heat and mix in the sauce
 
Macros (per serving):
Calories 393
Fat 11.7g
Carbs 18.8g
Protein 42.9g


Huevos Rancheros (serves 6)

Ingredients:
100g chorizo
800g tinned chopped tomatoes
10g tomato puree
80g light grated cheddar cheese
100g onion
165g peppers
700g Chicken breast
Paprika


Method:
1. Chop the chicken into chunks and fry in a casserole dish with 4 tsp of paprika (more / less to taste), once the chicken has been cooking for 10 mins pour onto a chopping board and shred.
2. Meanwhile, in the casserole dish add the chopped chorizo, onions and peppers and lightly fry.
3. Once the onion has softened add the chopped tomatoes and the tomato puree and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the shredded chicken and place the casserole dish (covered) in the oven for 15 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top (Can add eggs on top at this point too if desired) and bake in the oven for another 5 minutes

Macros (per serving):
Calories - 284
Fats 11g
Carbs 8.2g
Protein 36.1g


Gnocchi & Sausage Ragu (serves 3)

Ingredients:
300g gnocchi
150g onions
2 Garlic Cloves
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
15ml balsamic vinegar
7 Heck Chicken sausages


Method:
1. Drop the gnocchi in boiled water and cook as per instructions (approx. 5 mins simmer) and drain - leave to one side
2. Chop the chicken sausages into chunks and fry in the pan with the onions and garlic
3. Once softened, add the chopped tomatoes and balsamic vinegar
4. Once the sausages are cooked combine with the gnocchi and serve


Macros (per serving):
Calories - 289
Fats 2.5g
Carbs 43.8g
Protein 20.4g

When does it get easier?

I get told a lot that "it must be so much easier for you now" and get incredibly frustrated by this comment! People assume that because I am no longer a size 22, nearly 16st 5ft woman that I must find things easier because I exercise, i'm fitter, i'm slimmer... yet, I am still waiting for that easier time to come.


I wanted to share how it has not yet got easier for me... it is difficult still in different ways!


This is me say 4 years ago at the start of my journey, and this is me now, still on my journey!

So, what are the main difficulties you face when starting to lose weight?


1. Motivation


THEN: I started losing weight for a number of reasons..... I felt self conscious on nights out (I was the fat friend in a bunch of amazingly stunning women... yep my friends are hot!!), I was medically in a bad place I was suffering with my PCOS and was on numerous tablets a day constantly having hot flushes, feeling crap, being told I couldn't have children. I generally felt rubbish... tired, run down and hated how I looked BUT I was having so much fun, wasn't short of male attention (quite possibly because I lacked self respect!), I was out partying every weekend and had a laugh!


But my motivation was wanting to feel less self conscious and I actually wanted to look nice and be able to share clothes with my friends and feel normal!! I wanted to not be 25 and on 15  tablets a day!!


The beauty of being so big and embarking on a weight loss journey is the results start showing relatively fast, that keeps you motivated in itself! Nothing is more motivating than seeing the weight coming off when jumping on those scales... So.... once it had clicked in my mind that I was doing this the motivation was there!!


NOW: So now? I don't feel self conscious on nights out as I actually think I look pretty good (that isn't arrogance, but confidence), I am so much better on ZERO medication and don't suffer much with my PCOS, I do have hot flushes still though which is SO annoying and totally random! My self respect has sky rocketed, maybe too much to the extreme but hey i'm ok with that!! I have loads of energy and generally feel good! So, what's my motivation?


In some respects it was easier THEN as I had some quite obvious motivation, but now? I guess my motivation is fear. I fear going back to how I was...Fear isn't the nicest form of motivation, therefore, for me it is probably harder now than at the start as I know what I have to lose (or gain in this situation), I know if  I don't drag my ass out of bed and get to the gym that I may end up turning into the girl I was back then and I don't want that!! I do have so much fun still with my life but now I have no say no to things.... no I can't go out drinking 3 nights on the run, why? because it will impact my food, training and general health. So the now probably is tougher than the then in terms of motivation as I'm doing it for health now and fear.... not the results I wanted at the start. It's also much harder as my results are no longer coming every week as they were... I constantly have to remind myself that this is a marathon not a sprint, when I was used to the sprint, not the marathon.






2. Temptation & Willpower  




Then: Anyone who has lost weight or is trying to lose weight knows that temptations are always put infront of you! The temptation to go get a take out, to eat some chocolate, to order a pudding in a restaurant even though you know you're meant to be being good! This is possibly the hardest thing as you're so used to eating what you want you just wish you could continue to do so!!


So yes, it is tough!! You just have to remind yourself that the results are worth saying no for! It's also worth thinking about the fact that the time you actually eat the treat for isn't that long so is it really worth being disheartened with the results next week? Probably not. Admittedly though... temptation is a mind game and it's all about you and how much you want the results!


NOW: By far the hardest part of the journey still!! Every day I wake up with the same temptations... I want chocolate, pizza, a subway sandwich! Those thoughts are always still there but I still have that willpower to say no! What is probably a little easier these days is the fact that I have experienced that feeling of frustration and being disheartened when the results don't come... this in itself reminds me that sometimes having that donut just isn't worth it!


But...I have days where I crack! there are two types of treats for me 1. Controlled and 2. A binge. I try to limit my controlled treats to once a week or fortnight. I sometimes fit things into my macros to curb the cravings without feeling the guilt i.e. musclefood pizzas, a bag of M&Ms, but I occasionally will also have what I call a cheat meal and go grab a pick and mix without thinking about the calories, or go out for dinner and drinks with the girls and have a night off! The next day though I am straight back to it and feel no guilt...It happens and I controlled it and knew it was happening.


The second type of treat though....The binge! Sometimes this happens to me, infact it happened today!! I get this overwhelming feeling of needing something! it isn't planned, and I still cannot control it! Tonight I ate half a jar of nutella (around 100g, 500 calories!) I needed something sweet, I knew it was wrong, I feel some guilt now, actually I feel annoyed with myself, but it happens!! I have no idea what causes these binges and I HATE that they still happen....surely you'd think after so much time I would lose this part of me that can't control myself but no!


So... i'm sorry to say but the temptation side of thing doesn't get easier. The only difference between now and then is that I now know the impact of the temptation and can use this to control it a little, but the thoughts are still there!!




3. Finally....The Goal


I don't need to split this into then and now as this one is very simple. The end game never gets closer as your goals change! When I first started my goal was to be a size 10 pair of jeans.... I have never got into a size 10 and now that isn't my goal. When are we really happy?  What is the ultimate goal?


Our minds change all the time whether it be due to the media, due to health, due to personal experiences they do change! When I was losing weight all I cared about was the dress size but now I don't really consider dress size! I only consider the fact I do not want to be going up a dress size but whether i'm a 10 or 12 or 14 doesn't mean anything to me really! What matters now is 1. Am I fit / healthy? Yes...I am relatively fit but I want to be fitter! I want to be able to run my 10k in 1 hour, I want to be physically very active! 2. Am I strong? Yes...but I want more! I want to deadlift 100kg, I want to squat 100kg, I want to do pull ups....


These goals were not my goals before! My appearance? I wanted to be confident and no longer feel self conscious! Yes...I'm confident and definitely not self conscious (when clothed!), however, I still have massive issues with how I look naked, but I have learnt to accept that most women do whereas before I thought it was just me!


Do I want to be better than I am now? YES! who doesn't?


I guess what I'm trying to say is it is so hard to say whether the end game becomes  easier as right now I feel like my goal is a lifetime away, but back then I felt that too! As you change and become fitter, thinner, healthier.... the goals become more about strength, fitness etc... you constantly evolve and constantly want more.




I guess the main purpose of this article is to show those people who constantly say "it's so much easier for you now though" that...well, it isn't! I personally think it is harder now than it was then but for different reasons. Sometimes a lack of education and some ignorance is actually not a bad thing and that's what I had when I was bigger! I didn't know the impact of certain foods on my body, I didn't care what no exercising would do to me, I just enjoyed my party lifestyle!


Now though? I  educated myself on it all and I am now so much stricter and had to sacrifice some of that party lifestyle for it....


I wouldn't change my journey for anything, but I would like people to acknowledge that actually it never is as easy as you may think and we still all experience challenges regardless of where we are in the journey! xxx

Enjoy the food you eat..... Breakfast Ideas!

People message me all the time for recipes / food ideas as they are bored of eating plain porridge or eggs for breakfast!

So....I wanted to share some of my favourite breakfast ideas! Some of these are not your standard breakfast dishes so bear with me and give them a go! They might surprise you!!


1. Zoats!


My fave at the moment! So before I share the recipe let me tell you my reaction when I first saw this idea! I thought.... urgh!! Courgette & porridge in one dish?! WHY??? Why would you ever have courgette as a sweet dish??

But now I have tried it I am well and truly obsessed!!

Ingredients

These can vary in terms of the mix - I have been slowly increasing the courgette to bulk it out but it depends on personal taste!!

40g porridge oats
150g courgette grated
100ml Koko Coconut milk
Water - this is to get the consistency how you would like it!
25g PhD Diet Whey Protein - Belgian Chocolate

Method

Add the courgette / oats into a pan and pour in the coconut milk, simmer and slowly add the water.
The porridge should start going creamy and become quite a bulky dish
Stir in some more water and simmer for 5mins until the porridge is cooked and has the texture you want

Remove from the heat and add the protein powder, stir in and return to the heat for 1 min (you may need some more water at this point)

This is then ready to eat!!

I have tried a few variations for toppings but it is all to personal tastes!
 
The picture above is 100g strawberries and 15g nutella!!
The picture below is 80g raspberries, 15g peanut butter, 20g peanuts!

Give it a try and let me know what you think - don't hold off trying it like I did because it sounds too weird!!


2. Chorizo & Tomato Bake


So the sweet breakfast fave is above, this is my favourite savoury breakfast at the moment!

Ingredients (serves 4):

800g Tinned Chopped Tomatoes
105g Chorizo - chopped into chunks
90g Spring Onion



Method:

Slice the onion and add to a frying pan with the cubed chorizo, slowly fry for 5 minutes until the onion softens.

Pour in the chopped tomatoes, add salt and pepper and simmer for 10-15minutes so all the chorizo flavours can be mixed into the tomatoes.

This is such a quick and easy breakfast & one I definitely recommend if you fancy something a little different!

Serving suggestions:

I usually have this on 2 Dark Rye Ryvitas or on a toasted bagel, sometimes with a sprinkle of cheese!



3. The Bacon Butty!!

 
Yes!! That is a PROPER bacon butty!! and YES I do eat bread!! (how many people give up bread to get fit??... I am not one of them) If bread fits into my macros why wouldn't I have it?!

I have discovered from macro counting that brown sauce really is not that bad so I have this ALOT too! Sadly though bacon isn't so friendly to my macros so I can only have this every now and then and when I have some protein / fats spare!!

So this is as simple as it looks.... 2 slices of bread (this is the Dr Zak high protein bread but you don't need to have that! I just bought some to give it a try!)

I have 3 slices of bacon here and loads of brown sauce!

I know everyone knows how to make a decent bacon butty but the purpose of sharing this one? To show you that you really should not be depriving yourself of the things you enjoy just to get healthy or lose weight! Life is for living and I really am a fat kid in a smaller body... Food is my thing!! I refuse to not eat the things I love!!


I am going to keep sharing loads of recipes as this is what I get asked for a lot!

As I said... there is no need to eat plain boring food! mix it up and enjoy it! AND....experiment!

I have shared breakfast ideas first as I really do believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and we should all be getting some decent food down us at this time!

If anyone has any great breakfast ideas they want to share please let me know... I am always up for trying new things!! x

Macros made easy!

I keep receiving so many messages on facebook, Instagram etc to help people understand macros more and help them track them! I unfortunately don't have time to reply to everyone & calculate them so I thought instead I would post a blog to share how I calculate mine, what I have learnt from macros tracking and the ways to go about it!

Firstly let me start by saying... macro tracking is not for everyone and actually I wouldn't recommend it if you are just starting out on a weight loss journey! Why? Simply because it can be quite time consuming to start and a little overwhelming. Anyone who is starting on a weight loss journey simply needs to make small changes i.e. increasing the protein in your diet so eat more chicken / turkey, increasing the amount of vegetables you eat with each meal, cutting out the processed foods and eating clean... This will be the best way to start your journey and won't be so daunting that it puts you off!

For those who are training & looking to improve your results / strength etc - macro tracking may well be for you! It massively opened my eyes to what I was eating, what foods are super high in fats / carbs / proteins, what I should eat more of...!

So let me try to simplify things!

The starting point for any macro tracker has to be calories as these are ultimately what will impact your weight gain / maintenance or loss.

I personally use the Harris Benedict Equation to calculate my calorie requirement (there are so many formulae available however a number of people recommended this one to me and this is the one my nutrition course recommends too so I'm happy with this one!) So for anyone looking to get started - google this!! Calculate your calorie requirement!

One of the questions is regarding your activity levels - be honest now!! I put myself in low / moderate activity and I DO exercise.... really think about how much of your day you spend active. You may be like me and exercise but then sit at a desk all day!

So... you now have your ideal calories calculated! This is simply a starting point and must be manipulated in order to gain or lose weight.

I personally applied a 15% deficit to my recommend calories to aid weightloss - no one should really need to have a higher than 15% deficit unless extremely obese, however, we are all so different! The thing with macro tracking / calories is it depends on the individual and how they feel!

So maybe as a starting point make a 5-10% increase or decrease and continue to monitor your progress over a couple of weeks, then make changes if you want!

So now you have your calories.... let me explain macros as simply as I possibly can! Macros (macro nutrients) are simply 1. Alcohol 2. Carbs 3. Protein 4. Fats. Macros are the building blocks to  calories!

If you have 2,000 calories to use in a day... you build up to that by hitting your macros! I'm excluding alcohol from this as I don't think it is necessary to be included in this blog post!

Fats - 9calories per 1g
Carbs - 4 calories per 1g
Protein - 4 calories per 1g

As you can see.... by adding fats, proteins and carbs together you can hit that calorie target!! (it's all basic mathematics.... Can you see why I look it now? The accountant in me enjoys the geekiness that comes with macro tracking!)

What's the ideal split?

I have played around with my macros over the past 6 months - high carbs, high protein, low fats. Low carbs, high protein, moderate fats.  You get the point.

Carbs are NOT the enemy and therefore should form a substantial part of your calorie intake per day, especially if you are training. As I said above, macro tracking I personally think should only be used by people who are training too!

Again, as with calories, the macro split is dependent on the individual and there is a lot to consider! How you feel is key! I reduced my carbs and felt shattered all the time so I have now increased them! There is also only so much protein your body needs... so no need to go crazy and overload it with protein!  To get the ideal split it is a matter of playing around for a few weeks and see what works for you.... but as a starting point and to get going I would recommend 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat!

So let me show you my own macros from today:

Calories - 1,650 - 1700 per day

Fats - 59g - 531 calories (31%)
Protein - 140g - 560 calories (33%)
Carbs - 150g - 600 calories (35%)

Firstly, I do not say to myself my calories are 1,691 per day or whatever it calculates at! I am not going to be so anal about it! So long as I fall between 1,650 - 1,700 per day that's all that matters, even this is quite strict, you could say between 1,600 - 1,700!

Then my actual split - I aim for 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fats however as you can see I'm not always hitting this!! I make sure I have 30% protein per day then I make the rest up with my fats / carbs and try to get as close to 40% carbs as possible! I'm not going to be so strict that I hit 40/30/30 every single day! Life is for living right? Not being so strict and hard on yourself!! Yes I want results and to be healthy but I also want to enjoy myself, this is my balance!

So now I have my splits.... how do I track it? My fitness pal is the best app in my opinion! Download it if you haven't got it already and track your food which you are having each day (ignore the exercise section!) - I use the bar code facility on this app to make it easier to find what I am eating!

Finally....such a common question (and not a stupid question at all as I think a lot of people think this!)

"If you have 140g protein a day does that mean 140g chicken and that's it?" No. The macro is the amount of protein within that chicken i.e. 100g chicken breast contains 26.1g protein.

You hit your macros by eating a variety of food.... My biggest tip is to still eat healthy unprocessed food!! A lot of people work on the "IIFYM" - if it fits your macros principle i.e. eat crap but it fits. I personally think your food is your fuel and you want to get the most out of it!  The beauty of macro tracking however is that it does allow you the flexibility! I love a piece of chocolate every now and then, or some sweets & I can fit it into my day without over indulging or feeling guilty!!

I hope this very simple guide has helped those who have been asking me... I am by no means saying I am an expert, and as I advised above, everyone is different it is all a game of trial and error firstly with your calories calculation and then your split of macros but  remember one thing we all have in common? We all needs CARBS to function / feel normal, so do not cut these right down!

Enjoy!! Let me know how you all get on and if macro tracking is for you! xx

Why weight is irrelevant.....For me!

How many people get frustrated with that number on the scales? How many people allow it to dictate everything?

 

YUP. I'm actually one of them... or used to be. Not so much anymore! I very rarely weigh myself these days but I must admit when I do weigh myself it can totally change my mood!

 

Working hard day in day out and making sacrifices each day with my food means I expect to see results! It upsets me when I don't. Sadly...I do sometimes look to the scales for those results.

 

So, Are the scales actually relevant?

 

 When I first weighed myself I was 15st 5lbs (at 5ft that's massively overweight I know!) but my weight was relevant here because I needed to realise that I was so overweight and something needed to change! Every week I weighed myself to track my progress, back then I wasn't really doing any exercise or knew the power of pictures so weight was my key measure! The number on the scales gave me massive highs (when I lost a considerably amount of weight per week) and it gave me massive lows (if I didn't lose weight or lost 1/2lb! I cried so many times over the number on those scales!)

 

I don't know what happened to change my mind-set on how I perceive weight, I guess it was the realisation that it doesn't always mean you aren't making progress! The lighter I got the less weight I was losing, infact the fitter I got the more weight I gained! I started training, running to start, spinning and some weights! I had a PT for a while so played around with weights! I felt fitter, healthier and less wobbly, but I was starting to weigh quite a bit more than my lowest weight I had been!

 

The more I have weight trained the more I have realised that weight cannot be the be all and end all! Yes it is a good indicator for some people but take this picture for example! The first picture I weigh 15st 5lbs.

 

The second picture and third picture I weigh the same weight (give or take 1 or 2lbs)...how much do you think I weigh in these? Or how much less than the first picture should I say?

 

Firstly let me point out.... the second and third picture I weigh the same but I personally think I look totally different! I have lost inches, "Toned up" (I don't particularly like this phrase) but I am so much fitter, stronger and much happier with my body! SO....if my weight was anything to go by I would be so unhappy with my progress, 9 months passed and NO weight lost!! But doesn't this picture show how important measurements are? Dress sizes? pictures? YES!!

 

 

 

Again to my point of weight difference. If you look at the first picture to the third picture you would assume I had lost quite a lot of weight! When people find out the weight difference in these pictures they are always so surprised!! 3stone 5lbs. THAT'S IT!! So...I went from a size 22 - 12/14 and lost 5stone exactly. I then gained some weight to make my weight loss 3st 5lbs but I am now a comfortable size 12. Now do you see again why weight can be irrelevant especially when training?

 

Now to this picture....I love this progress picture as I think my back looks totally different. Again, NO weight loss.

 

 

So how do I track my progress? If you haven't realised already I think photos say more than anything! We never notice our own changes in the mirror, however, if we take photos consecutively at set times in your journey then you will see your own progress (I usually take pictures every 6 weeks as I think this is a reasonable amount of time!)

 

Measurements - 100% important! Sometimes losing the odd inch off your waist, or a couple of inches off your hips can be some of the best motivation you need!  I have been whining for weeks about no progress and that I am so fed up of making sacrifices and training so hard for no reason! Why did I feel so whiny? Because I weighed myself and the scales didn't change!! So today my PT took all my measurements and it is safe to say we were both surprised by my progress! I've been feeling incredible all day!

 

Finally... How you feel / look! I don't think I will EVER be 100% happy with my body (that's me being very honest) however, I do think I am slowly becoming happier with it.... I think this is key!!

 

So on that note, I really hope I can inspire some people to stop giving in to them scales and stop letting them dictate how you feel! When someone looks at you they don't know what you weigh... they see how you look and how you feel (confidence!) so it's time to focus on those factors instead!

xx