Planning A New Diet

Did you miss me? :) Tom and I went on a short break to Leicester to visit his parents and then on to Manchester for a few days just the two of us. It was lovely - we went to Twycross Zoo, Chester Zoo and The Chestnut Centre (an otter and owl sanctuary in the Peak District) - which I loved, but also highlighted my need to get fit like nothing else could!

The otters spotted breakfast on its way!

Despite stopping frequently to rest and taking plenty of food and drink to keep my energy up, I was still left exhausted and in pain on most of the days (a lot of walking was involved even on non-zoo days). I took naps on any afternoon we were home/at the hotel and was going to bed early most nights but I was still left drained by the end of the holiday and desperate for my own bed!

Alongside all of this happening I've noticed more bloating/some weight gain and the tightening of my clothes, so it's time to do something. I also have a friend who recently broke her leg and is looking to lose weight before her wedding later this year, so we've teamed up to keep each other accountable.

I've made a plan that I'm going to try for the next week to see if I can stick to it and I wanted to share it with you in case anyone wants to try it with me. :)

So here goes...

Breakfast: a fruit/veg smoothie. My plan is to buy fruit and veg in bulk at the start of the week the freeze it in portion sizes ready to blend each morning. (side note: I've tried blending then freezing but they just don't taste as nice.) I'm thinking a basic recipe of gluten free porridge oats, almond milk and then a mix of whatever fruits and veg (spinach/kale will be my sneaky iron intake) I have on hand.

Mid-morning snack: Veg sticks, nuts, raisins etc.

Lunch: Soup. Again, planning to make this in batches and freeze in individual portions to make things super easy.

Afternoon snack: Veg sticks, nuts, raisins. On treat days this is when I'll eat the chocolate too (raw dark chocolate of course!)

Dinner: This is the only meal that will be more flexible as I'll have to accommodate Tom here, but I'll still try to keep it healthy and perhaps reduce my portion sizes.

Drinks: I'll be following the rule "don't drink your calories" and sticking to water, except perhaps some fruit juice or squash if I really need something with flavour! I know people advise lemon/lime in water for flavour, but that just doesn't cut it for me.

I'll try to get more exercise in too to keep up any fitness I gained while we were away, but since #EndoFitPlan bombed miserably I'm gonna concentrate on getting the diet right before worrying about that!

Is anyone else trying to get healthy and lose some weight as summer approaches? (I don't believe in yo-yo diets, but I definitely find myself more motivated when the weather is nicer!) Let me know if you want to create a group for support!