Belts and B*tches

Hooray!! The last week has done a little I suppose - not really sure how much is appropriate to lose in one week. This morning I was 12 stone 12!! Hooray!!! It made me quite cheery so today I got a little more 'daring' with my outfit. I put on the black dress that had previously prompted 'those' looks, with quite a 50s looking teal cardy over the top. I then used the belt of the dress to sinch in my waist a little over the top of the cardigan. Matched with my high heels I felt confident and happy when I left the house.

Once I took off the never fail green coat, I started to feel a little anxious. I knew one of the first people I would see would be the woman who had me feel so monstrous on the dress' last outing. With courage, my chin held high, my waist belted and my stomach sucked in as far as it was humanly possible, I entered the room where she, and other evil eyed people were. "Morning Nat," echoed the voices. And that was it. No looks either evil or complimentary. As I'm not their biggest fan at the best of times, this pleased me. At least I didn't look so bad that I had to be judged on the spot. The fact that they said nothing positive doesnt really matter - thats just par for the course I think. However, another colleague came in to my room at the end of the day just to tell methey thought I looked lovely today. This made everything worth it!!

This however, did not help my bank balance so much. Filled with my rebuilding confidence, I floated into Sainsbury's on the way home where I bought a new top and three new belts!!!! I figure if I'm getting my waist back I may as well try and draw some attention to it. However, one of the belts does need taking back as it is too big!!!! I couldn't be bothered taking my coat off to try it on - that'll teach me to be lazy!

Anyhoo, calorie content a little higher tonight as I made pork penang, so I'm currently on 1300 calories. Nice mug of turkish delight options later (only 34 calories a cup!!) should fnish the day off perfectly.

Back to trackies though tomorrow - can you wear a polka dot top and teal belt with those?

Nx

Idiocy and an Eggplant (or 2)

(Recipe below)

Well, as said, today is another day, and a much better one at that!

Had a much healthier outlook on life today. I basically stopped being an idiot. I lay in bed last night thinking about all my friends that are having a thoroughly shit time of it at the minute. Some of my friends are having to pretty much start their lives over, everything they knew has had to change. Some people have also recently changed their lives deliberately and are having a really crap time dealing with it. Their problems are so much more than this and they are coping with it with such courage, confidence and with a (sometimes forced) smile on their face. And I was stood mesmerised by bloody chocolate Santa's because I want one more than I should! I was reduced to a jibbering wreck over food!!!! How ridiculous.

I have to maintain my positive mental attitude! The new year started well and yeserday was my first glitch, but I didn't do anything!! I stood my ground, and despite feeling low I did it! But to be honest, it's not really a major challenge, all things considered.


I am off to Newcastle this weekend to see my lovely Cie (http://secondhandshopper.wordpress.com/) tomorrow after school. Only the four bloody hours on the motorway! She's one of my friends thats having a crap time. Without going into too much detail, just before christmas she was faced with the prospect of having to leave her flat, having to quit her job, having to find somewhere new to live, all on her own. The way she has coped with all these issues, and more, over the last few weeks, has been incredible. Yes shes found it hard, but it is all so admirable. I wish I had even half of her motivation and confidence. I am so proud of her and so happy she is such a good friend of mine.

When I spoke to her this evening, she was so upbeat that it shamed me slightly. Pretty much everything in my life is pretty good. I have a wonderful boyfriend, a good set of close friends, a loving family, a house, a good job, great potential job prospects in the future, money (although not much), I do pretty much whatever I like and I'm on the internet winging about the fact that I can't control what I eat. Im quite cross with myself. But I'm sure I will get over it far quicker than I should.

Calorie count today is around 1200 again - with a small bag of malteasers thrown in!!! One of the kids at school bought them for me! How lovely!

Much shorter walk tonight, just a couple of laps around the block, but enough to know I'd actually got off my lazy fat arse!

Tonight, I am going to give you my very simple Thai Green Curry Recipe:-

Thai Green Curry

(serves 2)

1 white onion - or shallots

2 chicken breasts, or a carton of king prawns

2 large spoons of Thai Green paste - see jar (My favourite, strangely enough, is Tesco's own. I have used many and this one has the best balance of flavour)

1 Tbspn light soy sauce

1 tbspn fish sauce

1 dessert spoon lime juice

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tin of low fat coconut milk (about 200ml)

3 -4 small egg plant (I get mine from the chinese market in town, they roughly plum sized)

several baby egg plant (again, from the chinese market, they look like peas on a twig!)

small, dried red chillis (usually about 3).

1. Heat the chopped onions in a wok or frying pan with a teaspoon of oil.

2. Add the chicken and brown slightly.

3. put in the paste and stir to coat all ingredients. Leave to cook for a minute or two.

4. Add the soy and fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and coconut milk. Stir well.

5. Slice the baby egg plant and add with the baby egg plant to the curry.

6. allow to simmer for a while. Towards the end of cooking, throw in the dried chillis just to add a little extra spice and colour! If using prawns, add now and allow to warm through.

Nice and easy, but gorgeous! I also adapt this slightly for soup. I would use the whole tin of coconut milk and add about the same of water. I would also add in some kaffir lime leaves. I don't usually include meat when I make soup, but I still eat it with rice! Yummm!!

Might not be able to blog again until next week so will miss putting up my weekly weight on Saturday! Fingers crossed its gone well and I will post it asap!

Have a lovely Friday!

Nx

Scary food, thai soup and a frozen chicken.

(Recipes Included! Just bypass the waffle if you like - they're at the end.)

Ok, so this is day two of my 'awakening' and how scared am I about what is actually in food?!!! How thick am I never to have realised what is in stuff?? We went to good old Tesco yesterday (my spiritual home - and Elena's) and got the shopping in (Obviously, although I have been known to go to tesco and just stare at the shiny lights . . . . .ahem.) Anyway, thought I would just get our normal shop and actually record the calorie and fat content.

I just want to point out that although this sounds a little obsessive, it is not strictly a diet. Its all the stuff I would normally use I just wish to make myself aware. So, having banned Steve from putting anything away, I wrote everything down in Nat's Fat Book. Basically this has meant that I can physically see what I am putting into my body. Yes it took ages, yes I was bored, yes I got funny looks from my boyfriend, and yes the chicken nearly defrosted, but from now on I have a list of ingredients I use with their 'healthy' content. I need to register what a portion actually looks like instead of cooking the mountains of food I do as if I have a small country to cater for.

So, the last two days I have cooked meals I like to cook but actually thought about the claories and fat in them. I have actually adapted my recipes to make them 'healthier' but not lose the taste! I feel quite excited that lower fat and lower calorie food, doesn't actually taste like baby sick!!

So here's the last two days calorie count and the food I ate:-

4/1/08

Very bad day - I only ate at tea time (dinner for those people south of brum or just less northern than me).
We had two courses!!

Thai Soup (homemade - recipe at the bottom) aprox 50cals

Red Beef Curry and rice (75g is apparently a portion but it was too much for me) aprox 525 cals

Obviously, the curry is quite high, but I know how to adapt it now. I don't need as much rice, I can quite happily use the low fat coconut milk (it actually makes a better curry) and only rarely use beef - I usually use chicken which is obviously better. But this is a normal tea for me, this is not a diet tea. But it just shows, you can have what you want (within reason) as long as you are willing to adapt slightly.

So with the clementine before bed I consumed around 610 cals (little bit of milk in my tea included!). I also went for 25 minute march up and down the streets on our road - my neighbours might be thinking I'm a little strange now!

5/1/08

A much better day! I have eaten quite well, been quite hungry as I have refused to snack! But it'll get better.

Breakfast

Special K Red Berries with skimmed milk and glass of apple juice - 248 cals

Dinner

Bowl of Thai Soup and a clementine - 76 Cals (and I was stuffed - seriously read the recipe its sooooooooooooooooo lovely)

Tea

Piri-Piri prawns with vegetable cous-cous and a half a clementine (steve is an evil thief!) 290 cals - AMAZING!

So with my ovaltine light (yes I am actually and 80 year old woman) and a couple of other drinks (other than water) I have consumed around 725 cals today, and been for a 20 minute march around the lake (now the ducks think I'm strange too - the swans understood!)

I'm actually really pleased with this, as these meals are fairly typical, its just about portion control which is a 'developing skill' of mine!

OK, the good stuff . . . . .

Thai Soup (Tom Yum I think)

serves 6-8

My uncle lives in Thailand and his lovely fiance taught me a few dishes, this is my favourite. You can pick up all these ingredients from your local Tesco or other generic multi-functionary superstore!

This is quite spicy but really refreshing. I will often eat it with a little rice as a main meal, or on its own for lunch! The first three ingredients are inedible though, I leave them in to keep the taste but you could remove them once the intial stock is made.

Ingredients

Dried lemongrass (two full size sticks)

Galangal (3 or 4 pieces - check the spice aisle)

2-3 kaffir lime leaves (as above)

some stems of corriander - or corriander root if anyone can find any. If you can please let me know where!!

strips of chicken or pork, or prawns (optional - this would obviously increase callories and fat)

2-3 large chillis

3-4 garlic cloves

6 - 8 shallots (depending on size)

2-3 tomatoes (depending on size)

6 tablespoons LIGHT soy sauce

5 table spoons fish sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon lime juice.

1. Boil the lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves and corriander stems in two pints of water. Keep covered and prepare other ingredients.

2. Add chicken or pork (not prawns at this point) to the stock when it has a good flavour. I very often don't use any meat and keep it veggy.

3. Blitz together or finly chop the garlic andchilli mix. Add to the soup along with the shallots. Keep pan covered and boiling.

4. Add tomatoes and all other ingredients (including prawns if using) and leave to boil for another few minutes.

5. The soup is ready!!! I also like to chop some spring onions and fresh corriander and add it as almost a 'topping' to the soup - corriander really adds to the fresh taste!

Piri - Piri Prawns and Vegetable Cous-Cous

serves 2

Easy peasy - I usually use chicken but we had the prawns in and they work really well!

Ingredients

25g Tomatoe Puree

20ml Lime Juice

sharwoods piri-piri seasoning

180g King prawns (one box basically)

100g pak choi

100g spinach

1 pepper

50g spring onion

splash white wine vinegar

splash water

salt and pepper

1 packet of Tesco's lemon and corriander cous-cous

1 tomato

fresh corriander

1. Mix together the puree, lime juice, piri-piri seasoning with a little salt and pepper. Mix the prawns or chicken until coated and set aside.

2. chop vegetables and add to pan with the white wine vinegar, water, salt and pepper. Cover and allow to boil, reduce heat and allow veg to cook until soft.

3. Add in cous-cous and another splash of water (don't put in as much as the packet instructions as there is a lot of liquid from the veg, I just added a coupld of sloshes from the kettle!). Stir, cover and leave for five - ten minutes.

4. Heat a wok or other non-stick pan. Put in the prawn/chicken mixture and heat until cooked through.

5. Stir chopped tomatoes and chopped corrianded into cous-cous and serve with prawns!

beautiful!

Let me know if you try these recipes and what you think! If you ever want any more cooking ideas or have some hints for me - shout away!!

Night Night,

Nx