LainaG's refeed

[LainaG]

Hi everyone

I have finally reached my goal so as of tomorrow I start refeed (feeling a little scared). I went shopping tonight so I feel like I'm well stocked up and ready for the week ahead. Tomorrow I am planning on having the following meals.

Breakfast - Orange Creme shake

Lunch - Summer Fruits shake

Tea - 4 oz breast of chicken (nicely seasoned with a touch of salt & black pepper) roasted in the oven. I will also roast some red pepper and some mushrooms which will be added to a side salad of little gem lettuce, onion, cucumber, beansprouts & vine ripened tomato all drizzled in balsamic vinegar. I shall be making sure all of these ingredients fit neatly into a small breakfast bowl as I don't want to go overboard on my portion sizes on day 1.

I also plan on having some skimmed milk in my coffee tomorrow as I have missed that so much, but I won't go too overboard with it. I haven't drank tea since I started this diet because I can't stand it black. I wonder if I'll still like it when I take it again for the first time in 17 weeks.

I'll check back in tomorrow to let you know what I thought of the maintenance shakes and if I enjoyed my first meal in four months

 

[MrC]

I'm with you on the coffee / tea thing. I can't do black tea either.

I hope you enjoy your first meal and expect a full report.

 

[Clairabelle]

Heathens! Tea tastes so much better black
Though I am missing my slice of lemon.
That dinner sounds wonderful!

Good luck x

 

[LainaG]

So that is day 1 over and it felt strange to be preparing and eating food for myself today.

Lets start at breakfast. I woke up this morning really looking forward to me coffee with milk but I was a little disappointed by it. It didn't taste as nice as I thought it would. When I got into work I made the Orange Creme shake for my breakfast option and it tasted so much thicker and sweeter than the TFR shakes. Towards the end I was actually feeling a bit sick. It did really fill me up and I felt filled up right until about 2.30 or so.

For lunch I had the Summer Fruits shake and it was sickly sweet too. I struggled to finish it at the end. I must say I thoroughly enjoyed my cup of tea with milk afterwards.

Tonight I got the kids tea cooked and out of the way before I started to prepare my own. I felt very nervous at the thought of eating and sort of delayed it for as long as I could. I baked my chicken in the oven and I roasted some peppers and mushrooms too to add to my salad. I really enjoyed my salad and the balsamic vinegar was to die for. I savoured every mouthful. It really satisfied me, so much so that I am seriously thinking of having chicken again tomorrow for lunch instead of my planned tuna.

Drinks wise I've had two coffees (both of which I didn't finish) and two teas today and I've drank around 2 litres of water. Not too bad.

Tomorrow I think I'll try the chocolate whip for breakfast. It's been a long time since I've had chocolate for breakfast

I know I'm being boring but I think I'll have the chicken and salad again for lunch. I just found it so delicious that I really want to have it again.

For tea I'm hoping to bake a cod fillet and have it with some brussel sprouts (my favourite), brocoli and peas.

 

[MrC]

I don't find the shakes too sweet but I'd say they are a little 'perfumey'! We both agree that they are filling though?

sprouts were one of the few vegetables I'd eat before and were a key ingredient in my 'special coleslaw'. I don't know why I didn't think to plan them into my menu but I can look forward to having them next week now - that's if I still like them. I hope I don't have the same reaction to Coke as you did to your coffee though Laina as that's the main thing I'm looking forward to. Keep trying the coffee as the first day I wasn;t that bothered with anything I had but I soon got into the swing of it.

Let me know how the chocolate whip goes and how you get on with your fish. Have fun.

 

[LainaG]

Day 2 of refeed done & dusted. The chocolate whip wasn't too bad. A bit sickly towards the end though.

For lunch I decided to have the baked cod with salad seeing as I enjoyed it so much yesterday. I put a slice of lemon on top of the fish which gave it a lovely flavour. It was most enjoyable.

For tea I had the chicken & yet more salad (it's just so yummy)

Drinks wise I've had 2 coffees & 1 tea, all with skimmed milk. I also had 2 litres of fizzy water (with a slice of lemon - quite refreshing)

Tomorrow I am planning on having the maintenance bar for breakfast. For lunch I think I'll have some more baked cod with salad & for tea I'll have the veg, chicken & potatoes. I think I'll attempt the potato wedges Mr C made the other day . Looking forward to that.

 

[LainaG]

Hey Mr C I quite liked the chocolate whip but again towards the end it got a bit sickly. In fact all the maintenance shakes are fine but they are just so filling. I suppose that's their main purpose .

I did bear with the coffee & I'm really enjoying it again . I'm sure you'll really enjoy your diet coke when you finally treat yourself to one

 

[LainaG]

Day 3 over. I had the maintenance bar for breakfast this morning. Boy did that take some chewing! I think my jaws burnt quite a few calories on that this morning. It wasn't too bad though.

For lunch I had baked cod & salad. I made some for hubby too & he really enjoyed it.

For tea I had chicken with Brussels sprouts & peas & potato wedges with a small amount of weight watchers very low fat fromage frais which I added some fresh chives to. I really enjoyed my tea tonight.

Drinks wise I had 3 cups of coffee & 1 cup of tea. I didn't quite manage 2 litres of water today. I must try harder tomorrow.

I haven't made up my mind yet on what I'm going to eat tomorrow but I have bought a whole meal loaf today in anticipation of having my first sandwich. I also plan on having some salmon - yum yum

 

[Mandy33]

Lol the bars are very filling arnt they? I have to say, I do enjoy them with a cup of tea. Your Refeed sounds delicious, I'm being very lazy and repetitive but enjoying every bite!

 

[MrC]

It sounds like it's going to plan Laina. I had exactly the same experience with the bars - jaw ache!!

It sounds like your having a decent mix of food too and that tip of Irish Mollys with the lemon on the fish is pretty tasty isnt it? I'm glad your coffee taste has come back to you too - it's good to have some old familiar things still tasting nice. I really fancy some sprouts now and I'm getting an urge for some bubble and squeak too. I'd love some with a sausage so I'll have to research 'healthy sausage' (if such a thing exists) for when I'm maintaining although a little bit of everything in moderation is the key I think.

As long as you are sticking to the right things Mandy and you're enjoying it then who cares how lazy the food is? Just enjoy it and keep it under control.

 

[LainaG]

Hi Mandy, yes the maintenance bars are a bit on the chewy side but that means I have to take my time to eat them. I had one with a coffee yesterday morning & it did fill me up. I think I'll get some more as I have a training course to attend in Belfast next week so that will cover my breakfast on the go

I'm glad to hear you're enjoying your refeed. I haven't had any tuna yet. I was never a massive fan of it & can't bring myself to include it in my menus yet

 

[LainaG]

Hey Mr C you should definitely incorporate the sprouts into your menu, I really enjoyed mine yesterday. The potato wedges were lovely too. There are loads of low fat sausages out in the market these says that I am sure you could get or you could get the vege sausages as an alternative. Personally the vege sausages were never something I could stomach. Strange tasting things in my opinion.

Your 2 week refeed is nearly over. Are you planning on following a diet plan after this? I think I might stick to the maintenance products for breakfast for a few weeks as they really fill me up & set me up for the day ahead. I'm afraid that if I resort to eating a breakfast that doesn't fill me first thing then it will start me snacking again mid-morning which in the past always led to a day of constant eating of all the wrong things. After about a month then I think I'll re-evaluate.

 

[LainaG]

Day 4 over - this refeed week feels like it's flying by.

For breakfast I had the orange creme shake.

For lunch I got a chicken breast & I crushed a clove of garlic & spread it over the top. Then I got some sundried tomato paste & spread some of that on top too. I baked that in the oven for 25 minutes along with half a yellow pepper & some mushrooms. When it was all cooked I sliced up the chicken used half of it to make a chicken salad sandwich on whole meal bread. The sald was lovely with the roasted peppers & mushrooms. I will have the other half of the chicken for my lunch tomorrow as a salad in work.

For tea I baked some salmon in the oven & I had the potato wedges, Brussels sprouts & peas again. To top it all off I had a dollop of the weight watchers fromage frais with some fresh chives sniped in. I'm still feeling quite full from that. I was planning on having a low fat yoghurt for dessert but I'm too full.

Drinks wise I've had 2 cups of coffee & 2 cups of tea. I've been sipping of sparkling water all day too.

 

[MrC]

Veggie sausage - no thanks! One of my pet hates is that 'stuff' that is supposed to look like bacon, taste like bacon but doesn't have any pig in it - GRRRR. Sorry, it just irritates me. As long as I grill them and don't have them often I guess I'll be ok to have 'normal' ones, in moderation.

How did you do the mushrooms Laina? I'm not really a mushroom person unless they are fired to nothing so I'm not sure I'd like then just sliced and put in the oven. Did they taste very strong?

 

[LainaG]

Mr C I'm of the exact same opinion with the vegie products, they just don't do it for me either. I have one of those lean mean grilling machines that I would cook sausages in for the family. You should see how much fat drains off them while your cooking - gross :yuk:If you have one of those they'd be ideal for your sausages. When are you going to get this kitchen of yours finished by the way? I don't know you you can cope without a kitchen for so long, it would drive me insane.

I just season the mushrooms and bake them in the oven along with the peppers. I absolutely love mushrooms and try to find any excuse to include them into my meals so if they're not your thing then I don't think you'd enjoy them.

 

[MrC]

I have a George Foreman and think it's great for burgers but it's up in the loft with everything else at the moment. I dunno when the kitchen will be finished but it started about four years ago!!

It is really irritating me now. It wasn't so bad when I was on TFR and my wife was happy to have processed 'oven' dinners but now I'm trying to cook again (and two different meals - wifey has no tastebuds and likes bland food ) it's more than a little awkward. Lat night I had to go upstairs to fetch stuff about a dozen times in five minutes. I'd forget the can opener, then I'd need a different knife, then I'd have to get up to drain something, grrrrrr. At least I can have an extra spoon of something on the plate with all the calories I'm burning off.

I'll try the mushrooms as I'm a little more receptive to things at the moment and all the stuff I don't like should get a second chance.

 

[LainaG]

All that running about would do my head in. Does the wife not cook herself? Cooking two different meals must be doing your head in. My hubby is happy to try out my meals but that's because he's too lazy to cook himself. I do have to cook something a bit different for the kids though sometimes.

Dig out that grilling machine, I'd say you'll get good use out of it.

Good luck with the mushrooms, you're being more adventurous than me. There's no way I'm giving celery a chance. I know my feelings haven't changed towards it - yuk!

 

[LainaG]

Day 5 now over.

Breakfast Orange Creme maintenance shake - taken very slowly.

Dinner - the remainder of yesterday's chicken salad with two slices of whole meal bread toasted. Delicious! I brought a yoghurt to work for afters but I was too full.

Tea - cod topped with garlic & sundried tomato paste baked in the oven. As a side I had Cous Cous with red onion, roasted yellow peppers & petit pois peas mixed through. I also seasoned it with a little salt & pepper, added some garlic & squeezed some lemon juice into it. It was very tasty indeed.

Today I have had 2 coffees , 2 teas & lots of water.

 

[MrC]

Cous cous is another thing I never got into but really should try again. I think sometimes you have to try a few variations on something because you never know if you've had a good one or a bad one. I cooked an octopus once (really badly) and it was so rigid and noxious that I ran outside and threw up but I love quid and I know I'd like octopus too if it was done just right. I'm not into rare meat - once it's dead I'm happy for it to stop bleeding and if that was the only way you could get it served then I'd struggle even though I'm a big meat fan.

That's why I will try things again, just to see. I never liked cheese or sprouts when I was young but I love them now. Sorry, I'm waffling.

My wife does cook but I'm trying to pull my weight at the minute (I'm not sure what I'm about to ask her to spend lots of money on but there ust be something on my mind ) and my wife doesn't bother with 'fresh' cooing. She's more of an oven chips and shop bought lasagne person and doesn't have the most daring tastebuds. She's actually said that as long as we eat together at the table she will be prepared to try anything I cook (as long as it's not full of garlic or didn't have more than four legs)! It's her way of getting ME to eat more freshly prepared food as she knows I really would like her to broaden her horizons.

Laina, next time you go shopping just buy one stick of celery and I'll do the same. We can compare notes and see if either one of us got it all down.

 

[LainaG]

It was my first time making cous cous and I really enjoyed it. It's very bland so you have to add the flavour to it so the added ingredients make it good really. The good thing is it's very filling and it slow releasing so it keeps you fuller for longer.

I went to the supermarket today for more bits and pieces and funny enough I stood looking at the celery for a long time contemplating buying some but I just couldn't do it in the end. I just know for a fact my feelings towards it haven't changed