RTM Day 29 (Week 5)
Thanks so much everyone for the lovely posts!! really do appreciate them and it makes this a bit less like a dull diary!!!
Day 29 wow, and into week 5. Looking forward to class tomorrow, think I might have lost a bit, which would be great. Just want another pound or 2 off to cover my skinny arse for trigger weeks - lol so not going to be a lard arse again!!
So today is supposed to be 2 packs, 2 protein meals and snacks. Really finding it very hard to get my head around this one. It just seems like too much. I am only starting to get used to the amounts I have been eating. I was full of plans for breakfasts etc, and had planned on a shake early on, then a snack of yoghurt and fruit at 11, a protein and salad lunch, fruit later and dinner this eve with my jelly and a hot shake. (see what I mean, it seems like tooooooooo much food)
Today did not go as planned. First off, I was not really hungry at all. Slight twinge at 6:30am but that soon dissappeared and didn't think about food further. Busy morning with lots of meetings and people visiting I had to spend time with. Managed to get a hot banana shake in at about 11:30am. Delicious and very warming because today it was freezing in that building. Carried on with work as I had to elave slightly early to get to a doctors appointment. Realised it was 2pm and I still hadn't eaten anything further, so grabbed a vanilla yoghurt and had that before the drive. Finally got home at 5pmish and got stuck into the housework. Then realised I actually needed some food, so had some of the left over turkey burger with lettuce and fat free cottage cheese, drizzled with a bit of salsa, followed by a jelly. Not sure if the burger was better hot or cold - but damn it was good!!! Had great plans for dinner tonight, so got stuck into the cooking.
Dinner was a Beef and Root veg casserole with celeriac mash and mange tout.
Basic recipe is as follows:
chopped onion, garlic, fresh thyme and bay leaf, sauteed with a little water, add 2 tsp tomato puree and the strips of beef fillet (you can use any type of beef, but it will need much longer to cook) once the meat is browned off add some fresh beef stock and start to simmer. Add some wild and button mushrooms, some blanched baby carrots, cooked peeled baby beetroot, and some blanched parsnip. Season to taste with a little salt and pepper and allow to reduce until veg is tender and beef is soft. To finish add 2 tbs well reduced beef stock, 1 tbs wholegrain mustard and 1 tsp balsamic vinegar - the quantity I made is enough for 8 portions. To go with this celeriac and horseradish mash. Peel, dice and cook celeriac in boiling salted water until soft, pour off the water and mash, then blend with a stick blender, season with s&p, add 1 tbs extra light philly cream cheese with chives, and 1 tsp horseradish. Serve a spoonful of this with some of the casserole and some fresh mange tout!!
So wintery and yummy, the other thing I noticed is how much fuller it made me feel because of the carb element. And I still feel full now. Have some butternut soup made for tomorrow at some point and am going to try parsnip and sweet potato "chips" with dinner tomorrow night. I am also planning to slice some parsnip, butternut, beetroot and sweet potato very thin, sprinkle lightly with salt and spices and dry them out in my veg dehydrator - this will make brilliant crisps to have as a veggie snack with some fat free dip. Saving pud for a bit later, but we have made a plum and pear compote which we will have with some yeo valley fat free vanilland half a peanut bar sprinkled over it. Will have the other half a bar later with a coffee if I can squeeze it in.
I have noticed now that I really am into the black coffee, as poured a white one accidentally today and almost spat it out!! Was not what my mouth was expecting. Tea with milk is great as is a latte or another "treat" type coffee. But better to save those for high days and holidays.
Now the wine. I was still undecided but thought I would have a taste. With great ceremony and reverence I poured about 50ml into a lovely glass. Took about 20 minutes to get around to the idea of drinking it- was more than happy to sniff it. Had a sip and sadly, it did not taste as good as I wanted it too. So had another sip to make sure and then put the rest away. Sad but true :/ I really wanted to enjoy it. I wanted that explosion of sensation in my mouth like I get with food. But perhaps it is a good thing, not a bad one.
Will try to be better tomorrow with food and timings - I still seem to cram too much in to the later hours. But at least I am coming home, and cooking every night and really enjoying what I am having. So as with everything in RTM 2 steps forwards followed by 1 step backwards - we will get there, it just takes a bit longer than we expect.
Jez
xx
