Quick Barley & Oats review

Goodness Superfoods have recently put out a new range of cereals, including this barley and oats porridge

The packaging says it has 75% more fibre and 85% more beta-glucans than just oats (beta-glucans help lower cholesterol reabsorption) so I was keen to see what it was like.

The ingredients are Wholegrain Rolled Barley Flakes (51%) and Wholegrain Rolled Oat Flakes (49%). You can see the darker barley flakes mixed in with the oats

The cereal is quick-cooking, and only took about 4 minutes in our microwave.

I topped it with yoghurt

and peaches with banana & mango puree

Breakfast is ready!

The barley adds a slightly different flavour to the oats but it's hardly noticeable, especially when it's topped with cold, creamy yoghurt and sweet fruit

And it's definitely more filling than oats - bonus!

Win a Trip to Mexico to Take Photos for Lonely Planet

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pic from Corona

Gluten-Free Gnocchi

I was checking out the health-food section of Woolworths on Sunday and spotted a new product: gluten-free gnocchi. I really like gnocchi but don't bother making it at home as Rob (who is gluten intolerant) can't eat it. So when I saw the gluten-free gnocchi I couldn't resist putting it in my shopping trolley

I was going to pick up some meat for dinner on the way home tonight, but as I was walking into the supermarket I remembered that we had a packet of gnocchi in the pantry, and a little bit of bacon in the freezer, so I gave the meat section a miss and went to the cheese section instead to pick up some gorgonzola cheese. One of my favourite ways to have gnocchi is with gorgonzola sauce.

Gluten-Free Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Sauce
Makes 2 (large) serves

When I got home I defrosted the four slices of lean bacon and put a large pot of water on to boil.

I put a non-stick pan on the stove on medium heat and gave it a little spray of oil. While the pan was heating, I sliced the bacon thinly, then added it to the pan.

Once the bacon was lightly cooked, I added a cup of skim milk to the pan, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. In the meantime, I put a tablespoon of arrowroot (a gluten-free thickener) in the cup I measured out the milk with, adding a little more milk to make a thin paste. I also used a potato peeler to make zucchini ribbons.

By this stage the pot of water had come to the boil, so I added a bit of salt then poured the packet of gnocchi in.

The milk in the non-stick pan was simmering, so I poured in the arrowroot paste, stirring constantly as the mixture thickened. I added a few knobs of gorgonola to the sauce (probably about 40g), stirred it in, then turned the temperature down to low.

Once the gnocchi rose to the top of the pot (a couple of minutes), I drained them well and then added them to the gorgonzola sauce in the pan, giving the mixture a good stir.

I made a 'nest' of zucchini ribbons in each bowl, then poured half the gnocchi mixture into each, finishing off with some cracked black pepper and a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese.

The gluten-free gnocchi was slightly heavier than regular potato gnocchi (as many gluten-free products are compared to their 'regular' counterparts) but they still had that al-dente texture that I love. Rob and I really enjoyed this meal. I would definitely buy this gnocchi again.

Do you like gnocchi? What's your favourite way to eat it?

Organic Skin-Care Products

My favourite skin-care products at the moment are by Mukti, an Australian company whose range contains 'only pure, high grade certified organic and 100% natural ingredients'.

The products I have tried so far are:

deodorant & body spray This is great. My husband started using mine so I knew it was effective - he often complains that deodorants don't stand up to the amount of exercise he does. It has a nice smell too.

tinted moisturiser with sunscreen - nano particle & chemical free I use this every day. It comes in a pump dispenser so it's easy to get the exact amount you want. It's light and non-greasy to apply, and it has a nice natural-looking tint.

buzz off balm I don't really like the thought of spraying chemicals all over myself to keep the mosquitoes away. This is an organic, chemical-free balm designed to repel insects. It has quite a strong citrus smell (its ingredients include Geranium, Eucalyptus, Orange, Lemon Scented Tea Tree, Citronella, Lemongrass, Lemon Myrtle & Peppermint) but it does a good job of keeping the bugs away.

tooth powder You dip a wet toothbrush into the powder to form a paste, then brush teeth as normal. Although the website states that the tooth powder is mild tasting, I found it quite salty to begin with. I'm used to it now, but I'm not sure I would buy this product again.

bath & shower gel This has a pleasant 'pink grapefruit' fragrance.

lemon myrtle hand wash This is very lemony! Once it runs out I'll probably use the bath & shower gel as hand wash.

botanique shampoo Unlike some other organic shampoos I've tried, this one actually lathers well, so I feel like I'm getting a good 'clean'.

botanique conditioner Leaves my hair soft and shiny.

For the rest of this week, Mukti has 15% off in honour of International Women's Day - see the voucher below for details.

What are your favourite skin-care products?

Second-Hand Kitchen Cabinets

A few weeks ago I blogged about our plans for a new kitchen (see related posts below). The main priorities for us are to take a couple of walls down to open up the space and let more light in. Because that is going eat up a large part of our renovation budget, we have decided to make compromises in other areas. Instead of having cabinets made for our kitchen, we are going to buy second-hand ones. I’ve been looking on a few different websites – ebay, Trading Post and Second Hand Kitchens Australia – with a particular set of criteria (needs to be oriented a certain way, fit within our measurements but not be cramped, have timber cabinets, not require us to dismantle it). Hopefully something suitable will come up!

What's your spending style? 'Must have it at any cost' or 'Must stick to the budget' or a mixture of both?

Related posts
Exciting Plans
Kitchen Benches and Cabinets
Visiting the Kitchen Designer

Autumn Fruit

We are lucky enough to have four apple trees in our back yard. Way back in October last year they started blossoming:

And now they are ready to pick:

We have granny smiths (above), golden delicious and two red varieties. Here's one of the red ones:

The rosellas have been enjoying them too - at least there are plenty of apples to go around!

We also have a nashi pear tree that's the same age as the apple trees. It produced little baby nashis but they didn't grow any further. The nashi has a much younger normal pear grafted onto it and that has produced a few pears so far.

There are some tree tomatoes (tamarillos) on the way too:

What do you have growing in your garden?

Friday Funnies

A Must Read for Pet Owners

The following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door.

Dear Dogs and Cats: The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.
______
The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.
______
I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.
______
For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine/feline attendance is not required.
_______
The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog's or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough.

Thanks to Dad for directing me to the website where these jokes were found.

Lactose-free Yoghurt

Today Lia asked, 'What have you tried lately that’s been different and healthy?'.

I've been buying two Black Swan yoghurts:

Black Swan Vanilla Bean Greek Style Yoghurt

pic from The Pantry Review

and Black Swan Sweet and Natural Greek Style Breakfast Yoghurt (sorry, no pic)

Both products are sugar-free and free from artificial sweeteners but don't have that tart yoghurt taste that plain yoghurts can sometimes have. I enjoy eating them on their own or as a creamy topping on oats or mixed in with muesli. They also contain the enzyme lactase, making them lactose-free.

pic from The Pantry Review

March = Maintenance

I've had enough of being hungry. I feel like it's pointless avoiding starchy carbs at dinner only to eat cereal/toast before going to bed. So I'm going to eat more food (including starchy carbs at dinner) for a while. I'll be eating for health rather than weight loss. That will allow me to switch my focus to getting plenty of sleep (as mentioned in yesterday's post) and slowly increasing the volume of my training.

March Goal

My goals for February were to get to bed by 9pm (for 5am get-up) and to drink a glass of water with every meal. I give myself 5/10 for my efforts. I was fine for the first and last weeks of the month, but terrible in the middle (which coincided with TOM, not training and eating crap). When it falls apart, it ALL seems to fall apart! I'm going to focus on just one goal this month (outside of my training and nutrition) and that is to be in bed by 9.30pm on Sun-Thurs (for 5.45 get-up the next day).

End of Week 8

Start: 63.5kg
End of week 1: 62.6
End of week 2: 62.1 (TOM)
End of week 3: 61.9
End of week 4: 61.9
End of week 5: 61.3
End of week 6: 61.9 (TOM)
End of week 7: 60.8
End of week 8: 61.2

Weight still hovering around the 61 mark. I did less cardio than usual this week (see below) so not really surprised.

---

I trialled the gym across the road last week. It doesn't open until 6am so I've been playing with my workout schedule a bit to try and fit everything in. I did enjoy training there so I joined up this morning. I'll alternate weight-training days and cardio days for the next five weeks while I'm still working a long way from home. Once I start working from home again I'll have a couple of extra hours up my sleeve each day so will amp things up more then.

This morning I did upper body then took TJ out for a walk.

Food so far
- breakfast: crushed Weetbix and Allbran mixed with sultanas and yoghurt
- lunch: Burgen bread with roast beef, pickle, alfalfa sprouts, avocado and cos lettuce; yoghurt and fresh figs

To come
- peach, brazil nuts
- barramundi, warm roast vege salad
- cocoa (milk)

Lose Weight While Eating Yummy Food

I don't believe that you have to eat boring food when you are trying to lose weight. Life is too short to eat things you don't enjoy. For example, if you have to ask, 'how can I make this tuna in springwater taste better?', perhaps what you should really be asking yourself is, 'why am I eating tuna in springwater if I don't like it? What can I eat instead?'

How long can you maintain a 'diet' where you eat food you don't like?

I hope that by posting my menus, recipes and food pics I can show that it's possible to lose weight while eating yummy food.

---
I felt a bit 'flat' this morning at the gym, so I trained back (it needs the least amount of work of all my body parts) and did an easy cycle.

Food so far:

Breakfast: oats cooked with milk and topped with peaches in mango & banana puree and yoghurt

Lunch: egg and lettuce sandwich on Burgen bread; yoghurt, pear

To come:

Snack: almonds, apple gluten-free chocolate, raspberry and hazelnut cake

Dinner: salmon, veggies

Currently Reading

The CSIRO Healthy Heart Program

Snippets I've found interesting so far:

'Allowing yourself a large range of foods at each meal encourages overeating. Our volunteers say that eating similar foods at the same meal most days reduces the temptation to go for second helpings or extra-large servings. Eating similar breakfasts, morning teas and lunches on weekdays will take your focus away from food and eating. Variety is important when it comes to fruit and vegetables, but research shows that increasing the variety of meal options can encourage overeating.' (p20)

'Your [weight loss] strategies should not be so extreme, however, that it is impossible to adhere to them. There is no value in committing to restraint that verges on starvation and is not only impossible to maintain long term but also dangerous. Research shows that people who are successful at maintaining weight loss are those who reduce, rather than eliminate, their intake of high-fat and high-sugar foods, including fast food. These people are described as having 'flexible control' of their eating behaviour and studies indicate that flexible control is critical to maintaining a sensible weight successfully.' (p52)

---
No problems with my shoulders after yesterday's workout, but my legs (from Tuesday's workout) are killing me! Just did a light session in the gym this morning - arms and a hill walk - plus a walk with TJ.

Food so far today:
postworkout: Weetbix and All Bran with yoghurt, sultanas and banana
mid morning: skinny flat white
lunch: Burgen bread with turkey, cranberry sauce, avocado, tomato and cos lettuce; pear, yoghurt

To come:
snack: cashews, peach
dinner: steak, mashed cauliflower, mushrooms

ABCs

I have a nice case of DOMs today: chest from Monday's workout, and glutes and hamstrings from yesterday's workout. After doing shoulders (and bike intervals) this morning, I'll be surprised if I can lift my arms tomorrow.

Food so far today:
postworkout: Healtheries apple and raisin bircher muesli with yoghurt and grated apple
mid morning: skinny flat white
lunch: Burgen bread with smoked trout, avocado, red onion and cos lettuce; peach, yoghurt

To come:
snack: macadamias, peach
dinner: pork and cashew stir-fry

ABCs
I saw Julie (aka Peanut Butter Fingers) post the ABCs of PBF and thought it might be fun to give it a go myself.

A. Age: 37
B. Bed size: King (to fit me, Rob and TJ)
C. Chore you hate: Dusting. It makes me sneeze
D. Dogs: great company and an (almost) compulsory source of exercise
E. Essential start to your day: saying hello to the two boys in bed with me
F. Favorite color: dark red (burgundy), blue
G. Gold or silver: gold
H. Height: 5'6" (167cm)
I. Instruments you play: violin (but not for a long time)
J. Job title: Freelance Proofreader
K. Kids: None
L. Live: Melbourne, Australia
M. Mom's name: Louise
N. Nicknames: C, Char, Charlie
O. Overnight hospital stays: To have my appendix out
P. Pet peeve: When people use tea towels to wipe dirty kitchen benches or dry their hands on - tea towels are for drying clean dishes!!!
Q. Quote from a movie: usually something Star Wars related
R. Righty or Lefty: Righty.
S. Siblings: One younger sister, Natasha.
T. Time you wake up: 5:45 a.m. on weekdays, later on weekends.
U. Underwear: depends on what's clean!
V. Vegetables you dislike: zucchini (I'll eat them if they're disguised in something but don't really like them on their own)
W. What makes you run late: thinking I have plenty of time to do things then suddenly realizing that time is nearly up!
X. X-rays you've had: mostly teeth (several extractions)
Y. Yummy food you make: tandoori chicken, rack of lamb, gluten-free hot cross buns (can't believe they're selling hot-cross buns in the supermarkets already!)
Z. Zoo animal favorite: too many to choose from!

Feel like playing along? I'd love to learn more about you!

Bigger is Better

Having bigger meals during the day yesterday definitely helped with my evening munchies last night. I arrived home at 6.30pm and didn't need dinner until 7.30pm - and it was fish and veges instead of cereal. I'm basically having four biggish meals a day at the moment:
Breakfast (postworkout)
Lunch
Snack
Dinner
plus a milk coffee thrown in there somewhere as well (am back to drinking it but only have one a day)

I slept really well last night, woke up before my alarm and hit the gym again this morning to do legs and a hill walk, then headed home to walk TJ. I'm still trying to get my timing right with my new routine. Picking the little apples off our tree and grating them for breakfast is taking too much time in the morning so will try and do it the evening before instead. A squeeze of lemon juice should stop the grated apple going brown.

Food so far today:
postworkout: Healtheries apple and raisin bircher muesli with yoghurt and grated apple
mid morning: skinny flat white

To come:
lunch: Burgen bread with smoked trout, avocado, red onion and cos lettuce; peach
snack: vanilla yoghurt, macadamias, apricots
dinner: tandoori chicken, veggies

Food Waste

This morning as I was walking TJ we went past the loading bay of our local supermarket. A member of staff was throwing dozens of loaves of bread into a large rubbish bin. I thought of hungry people who might like the bread, so this morning I contacted Second Bite to let them know there was edible food going to waste.

Here is the response I had:

'Thanks so much Charlotte.  We do get calls from Bakeries every day, they all "overbake".  In fact, all the agencies have plenty of bread and do not require any more.  I appreciate you contacting us to check.'

Why do bakeries waste so much food? When I worked in the kitchen of a restaurant we recorded the number of each item we sold each day - usually less at the start of the week and more at the end of the week. We used these figures to work out how much of each item to prepare each day, so there was minimal waste.  Do bakeries do this? It seems not. My husband recently went to a Queensland Bakers Delight with his mother at the end of the day and collected eight sacks of leftover bread for charity. At least theirs went to charity. It seem such a waste to see it go in the bin. Surely someone would appreciate it, no matter what the 'agencies' say.

If anyone is game to go bin diving in Craigieburn, they'll find plenty of bread!

---

In other news, I went to the gym this morning for the first time in about six months. Since moving I've mostly done bodyweight and band exercises (and cardio) at home. I figured that after my little meltdown last week I needed to change things up a bit. Luckily there is a gym almost across the road from our house so I gave it a trial run this morning, doing chest and some bike intervals. I enjoyed it! The casual rates are cheap ($3.95) so I'll give it a go for the rest of the week and if it works out OK I'll investigate a membership.

Food so far today:
preworkout: apricot
postworkout: Healtheries apple and raisin bircher muesli with yoghurt and grated apple
mid morning: skinny flat white

To come:
lunch: cape seed roll with roast beef, pickle and rocket; peach
snack: vanilla yoghurt, macadamias, apricot
dinner: barramundi, veges (not sure what yet)

End of Week 7

Start: 63.5kg
End of week 1: 62.6
End of week 2: 62.1 (TOM)
End of week 3: 61.9
End of week 4: 61.9
End of week 5: 61.3
End of week 6: 61.9 (TOM)
End of week 7: 60.8

Finally into the 60s, yay! And I'm completely bamboozled about how I did it. I've had a break from training and 'healthy eating' since Wednesday. I've slept more, and eaten cereal for dinner, except on Friday, when I had fish and chips and a Magnum. There's also been a jam doughnut and a packet of Twisties in there somewhere.

I don't think I've been eating enough during the day, so by the time I get home from work I'm starving (hence the cereal for dinner). The last couple of days I've had bigger meals during the day and felt much less like eating the contents of the pantry in the evening. Will see if it continues to work during the week next week.

Visiting the Kitchen Designer

Hello!

Big thanks to Kek, Magda and Liz for commenting on my last post. I'll try and make my posts a bit more personal, starting with this one!

This morning I had an appointment with Karen at Better Bathrooms & Kitchens. I chose them because the layout of one of the kitchens on their website really appealed to me (see below), and because they are on the same train line as us, so it made it easy for me to visit them.

pic from Better Bathrooms & Kitchens


After listening to what I had in mind, Karen estimated that it would probably cost about $5K more than what I had budgeted for. Most of my budget would be taken up by taking out two walls (one of which is probably load bearing) and tidying up the floors and ceilings once the walls had been removed, then adding benchtops, cabinetry and appliances. Then there would be plumbing and electrical work, as well as the cost of the cabinets for the laundry.

I decided to go ahead with getting a more detailed quote anyway. I thought I'd rather save for a bit longer and get exactly what I want instead of spending less and not being happy with the end result.

At that stage I got out my measurements and we tried to work out the best layout for the new kitchen, given the fact that two walls would be missing, another wall has a huge window in it and the fourth wall is quite short.

Karen's kitchen design experience became apparent when she was sketching and making suggestions about what to put where. Her sketches were in perspective so it made it feel as if you were in the kitchen and could 'feel' the space. I wish I could show you the sketch we ended up with but it's with her so she can make up the quote.

To give you a rough idea, the layout will be a bit like the pic below, with a bar fridge, dishwasher, sink, pot drawers and a corner cupboard all under the long window. The oven will be in the same position, but to the right of the oven there will only be room for pull-out cupboard for oil and spices, and a single fridge. The pantry will have to stay over near the laundry.

pic from Better Bathrooms & Kitchens

Under the island bench there will be drawers for plates and cutlery, and the microwave will probably go there too, like this

pic from Better Bathrooms & Kitchens

I'm still keen on the ivory benchtops and wooden cabinets, like this

pic from Great Interior Design

but the type of 'wood' will make a big difference in the price. Laminex is cheapest but I think it will look 'fake' against the wooden floorboards. Timber veneer would look nicer but won't be as durable as the Laminex. Solid timber would be lovely but I think it's completely out of our price range. I've brought home some Laminex samples to see what they look like against the flooboards. Karen is going to quote me on the Laminex and also on timber veneer in 'Tasmanian Blackwood'

pic from Tesrol

Hopefully we can have the grain running horizontally along the cabinets, parallel to the floorboards, like this:

For benchtops I've brought home a couple of Caesarstone samples:

Ivory (a classic neutral shade consisting of a finely textured pattern on a warm creamy base)

Raw Silk (with a warm and natural appearance, is characterized by a fine, delicate texture)

I'm leaving them on the kitchen bench for now to see how much glare they give off in the early-morning sun.

Hopefully I'll have a quote in the next week or so.

Thought I'd leave you with this pic of TJ. It's a bit humid here today and usually he takes refuge in the bathroom when he's hot. It's the first time I've seen him in the shower though!

What would you like to read about on my blog?

I haven't had a lot of time to blog lately, but thought that when I do blog I'd like it to be stuff you'd enjoy reading. So if you could please leave a comment about what you'd like to see, that would be great!

Some ideas to get you started:
- more about my daily life
- daily menus
- what exercise I'm doing
- photos of what I eat
- photos of what I'm up to
- health/food/fitness information
- cookbook reviews
- recipes

Anything else?

Alarm Clock or Alarm Conscience?

I use the alarm clock on my mobile phone to wake me up in the mornings. I put it in the wardrobe, so I have to get out of bed to turn it off - that way I'm more likely to stay up. I try to do it fairly quickly, so the noise doesn't wake Rob up.

Rob's away at the moment, so this morning I let the alarm go and go and go. And I didn't get out of bed. Oops.

Kitchen Benches and Cabinets

Am now thinking of going for something like this:

Pic from Great Interior Design

The wooden cabinets are less likely to show marks if a wet/dirty dog walks past them.

Satisfying Food Day

Pre-workout: banana

Post-workout: Vega protein shake

Breakfast: Uncle Toby's Plus Fibre with skim milk and banana

Snack: skinny flat white

Lunch: pastrami, cucumber and tomato sandwich

Snack: Nestle apricot yoghurt, peach, almonds

to come:

Dinner: marinated chicken, tomato and cucumber salad, pumpkin

Snack: Jarrah Chocolatte

End of Week 6

Start: 63.5kg
End of week 1: 62.6
End of week 2: 62.1 (TOM)
End of week 3: 61.9
End of week 4: 61.9
End of week 5: 61.3
End of week 6: 61.9 (TOM)

I ate lot more than usual this week due to TOM, so no surprises about the weight gain. I'm back on track again now though.

Exciting Plans

Next weekend I'm going to talk to a kitchen designer about renovating our laundry and kitchen. To get between the outdoor area and the kitchen you currently have to walk through the laundry. The laundry is quite narrow so it doesn't make for a good passage way.

Our kitchen

Our laundry and kitchen

I'd like something a little more like this - with no wall between the kitchen and laundry (which is hidden behind the tall cupboards near the back door):

photo from Better Bathrooms & Kitchens

But in a softer colour, like this:

photo from Home Hound's Home Style section

I'm open to suggestions if anybody has any!

Yummy Food Day

Pre-workout: nectarine

Post-workout: Vega protein shake

Breakfast: oats and oat bran cooked with skim milk and topped with peaches

Snack: skinny flat white

Lunch: ham, avocado and salad sandwich

Snack: Nestle Apple Crumble Custard yoghurt, canned pears, pecans

to come:

Dinner: Italian lamb casserole, broccoli, cauliflower

Snack: Jarrah Chocolatte

Rosemary & Garlic Rack of Lamb with Roasted Vegetables

This is my favourite (Sunday) dinner at the moment

serves 4

500g pumpkin, roughly chopped
2 carrots, cut into thick strips
2 zucchini, cut into large pieces
4 small brown onions, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
4 sprigs rosemary, leaves only, chopped
1/4 cup red wine
2 racks of lamb, approx 700g each

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Place pumpkin, carrot, zucchini and onions in a large, shallow baking dish, then add half the oil and toss to coat.

Mix the garlic, rosemary, red wine and remaining oil in a bowl. Place lamb fat-side down on top of vegetables (or on a wire rack set over the vegetables). Rub half of the garlic mixture over the meat, then turn fat-side up and rub the remaining mixture in. You can 'join' the racks together at this stage if you wish.

Roast, uncovered, for 50 minutes, or until lamb is cooked to your liking. Remove meat from oven, cover loosely with foil and set aside to rest for 10 minutes before carving (you may need the resting time for the vegetables to finish cooking).

Serve lamb with roasted vegetables.

Creating a Good Journey

From the email newsletter of Nancy Georges

Have you ever spent your entire 12 week contest prep stressing and wondering if you were going to be in shape on time? When it comes to contest conditioning, sometimes we forget. We let our social norms tell us that it takes exactly 12 weeks, no matter what kind of shape we are in. We tell ourselves all we need to do is start 12 weeks out and we will be fine.

Realistically we know that is not the case. Here is a simple way of knowing whether or not you are going to be ready for your show on time. If you are stressing and counting the weeks wondering, hoping and praying that you are going to be ready, looking for that little secret quick fix, most likely you will not enjoy the outcome. My coach once told me: "How can you have a good ending to a bad journey?" This is so very true and when you realize you are on a bad journey something needs to change.

Creating A Good Journey!

Now you might very well be on a bad journey right now. If so, now is a great time to regroup, change your show date and get some of those affairs in order that are distracting you and making things difficult. I know we all wish we could go year round from one 12 week plan to the next without a break, but the reality is we need time to do other things, to focus on friends, family, careers, education, or whatever your other goals are. So think about your 2011 contest plan and ask yourself some questions.

Am I on a good journey? Are things going well? Is this diet easy? Are circumstances in my life making my diet and training easy? Am I in a good place with my job, my finances, my family, If not, you need to rethink you plan.

Second of all, let's get in shape ahead of time this year. So if you are doing a show in June, start now. Add 4 weeks to your contest prep time, instead of doing the standard 12 week prep, do a 16 week prep. Why should we do the bare minimum, we should be able to walk around in our shredded bodies for longer than a few days. This year, start 4 weeks early, and every show from now on, rather than a 12 week prep, do a 16 week prep. I don't mean take 4 weeks to wean yourself off of soda, pizza, beer and donuts, I mean a 16 week solid diet and training plan. You will certainly have a good journey then.

Another key in creating a good journey is to set some money aside every week that you will use for your competition. You won't have many expenses right now, only coaching, extra food and extra supplements, but when it gets about 4 weeks out you will be bombarded with expenses, such as tanning products, manicure, pedicure, hair, facials, waxing, swimsuit, jewelry, entry fees, NPC cards, show pictures, makeup, and more. Don't allow yourself to get overwhelmed, have a set amount that you set aside every week, that way when you expenses come around at about 4 weeks out, you have a reserve to be able to handle these expected expenses.

Having all your other affairs in order, an extended amout of show prep time, and money in the bank for your expenses, you will be sure to create a good journey for your next show. And a good journey, leads to a good outcome.

End of week 5

Start: 63.5kg
End of week 1: 62.6
End of week 2: 62.1 (TOM)
End of week 3: 61.9
End of week 4: 61.9
End of week 5: 61.3

I'm pretty happy with this week's result, especially since I went to a pot-luck birthday dinner on Friday night and had wine before dinner and cake afterwards. So I will keep everything the same for next week and see where that gets me.

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Slight change of plan

I've been getting up at 5am and walking TJ, but neither of us likes walking in the dark, so in the last couple of days I've switched back to walking him after my training, at about 7am. We are both much happier about walking in the early-morning sunshine.

My new timetable:

5am: up, get dressed, lemon water, foam roll, banana smoothie, prepare breakfast and lunch

6am: dynamic warm-up, WOD, cardio, stretch

7am: walk TJ, protein shake, shower, dress, breakfast

8am: brush teeth, walk to train station, train ride

9am: change trains, train ride, walk to work, turn on computer, put lunch in fridge, get water

9.30am: start work

How many steps should you take?

From GI News

According to a 2008 study on walking and maintaining a healthy weight, men ages 18–50 should take 12,000 steps a day. For men 50 and up, you'll need 11,000 steps a day. Women ages 18–40 need to take 12,000 steps a day, whereas women ages 40–50 should take 11,000 steps a day. Women in their 50s should take 10,000 steps a day, and women 60 and older should take 8000 steps a day. A rough estimate of how far you need to walk: depending on your stride, the average person takes about 1000 steps for every 0.8 kilometer (or about a half mile). To walk 11,000 steps is roughly equivalent to 8.8 km (5.5 miles).

February Goals

First, a recap of my January Goals, which were to exercise consistently Monday to Saturday, and to drink a glass of water with each meal.

Exercise consistency was 24/24 sessions for the month, which I'm really pleased about.

Water consumption was pretty good - probably 5/6 for most days. I want to continue working on this as I often slip out of the habit of drinking water.

I'm not working at home at the moment, which means getting up earlier to get my exercise done before going into work. So I need to get to bed earlier so I get enough sleep.

Therefore my February Goals are to
- keep working on drinking a glass of water with each meal
- be in bed by 9pm each night (for 5am get-up the next morning)

On another note, this morning I re-did the fitness test I did at the start of January and I have improved everything! Yay!

End of Week 4

A very social week! Dinner and a movie with a friend on Monday, friends over for a BBQ on Australia Day, and the Sting concert on Friday. Feeling a bit tired though...

Results

Start: 63.5kg
End of week 1: goal 63, actual 62.6
End of week 2: goal 62.5, actual 62.1 (TOM)
End of week 3: goal 62, actual 61.9
End of week 4: goal 61.5, actual 61.9

No movement since last week, so will increase my PWO cardio from 20 minutes to 25 minutes.

Week 5 will look something like this:

On rising: lemon water

foam roll for 10mins then easy walk around the park with TJ for approx 20mins

banana smoothie

dynamic warm-up, then WOD + 25mins cardio

protein shake plus cereal, milk and fruit

sandwich with some sort of protein and salad

yoghurt, fruit and nuts

protein and veges (varies)

Improvised Cardio Session

I did my 20-minute jog this morning (it's slowly getting easier!) and was planning to do some stair-stepping on the back steps for another 20 minutes afterwards. But when I came in the back gate TJ was waiting for me with his latest toy, a deflated soccer ball, daring me to get it off him. So I pushed start on my timer and chased him around the back yard for just under 15 minutes. By that stage he was starting to slow down, so I did the stairs for five more minutes before calling it quits. TJ and I both enjoyed ourselves!

Thought-provoking quote...

"The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it’s all that matters."
— Audrey Hepburn

Goals and Plans

'Don't worry if you don't get to your goals, exactly as you had planned, the goal is not to follow a plan, the goal is run a marathon, or compete in a competition, or to drop 20 pounds. The goal remains whatever it was you have your heart set on. What I am suggesting is that you relax about how you get there and be willing to change your navigation along the way to make sure you are on course... Having to change directions a bit is not failure, it is only part of the experience of creating in the world of reality what you planned in your mind.' (From the email newsletter of Nancy Georges)

End of Week 3

Start: 63.5kg
End of week 1: goal 63, actual 62.6kg
End of week 2: goal 62.5, actual 62.1kg (TOM)
End of week 3: goal 62, actual 61.9

Weight loss slowed a bit this week, but is still on target. I'm going to be working in-house for the next 10 weeks, which will mean more walking (to get to and from work). So I will see if the extra walking makes any difference next week. If not, I'll bump my PWO cardio up a bit more.

Key to Losing Weight

by Daniel Hoy in the Herald Sun, Monday, January 17, 2011

It's easier and more effective to lose weight in stages. So aim for a 10 per cent weight loss and then try to stabilise that weight for a few months so your body and your brain accept that as your new body weight.

"In that time you can establish new habits, get used to the benefits, buy new clothes, see how your body feels, and enjoy these rewards," says Australian Psychological Society health psychologist Dr Helen Linder.

"Then aim to step downward another 10 per cent until you reach your goal weight.

"To be successful in the long term, any weight-loss program can't be really hard work.

"If it's too hard, it won't be maintained. It has to be something that you can integrate into your daily life, but that will take planning and thought."

Cranberry & Pecan Bircher Muesli

from the January/February edition of Diabetic Living magazine



preparation time: 10 mins (+ 6 hours or overnight chilling)
serves 2 (as a breakfast)

75g (3/4 cup) rolled oats
185ml (3/4 cup) skim milk
125g tub Vanilla Bean Fruche
130g tub cranberries in natural juice, drained
1 tablespoon chopped pecans

1 Put the oats, milk and Fruche in a medium bowl. Stir well. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 6 hours, or overnight, until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
2 Stir the cranberries into the oat mixture.
3 Divide the muesli between bowls and top with the pecans to serve.

For a variation, replace with cranberries with a 140g tub of diced peaches in natural juice, drained, and the pecans with slivered almonds.

Nutrition info
Per serve: 1352kJ (323 cal), protein 13.7g, fat 8.4g, carbs 45.4g

End of Week 2

Measured on Saturday instead of Sunday, since we stayed overnight with friends on Saturday night.

Start: 63.5kg
End of week 1: 62.6kg
End of week 2: 62.1kg (TOM)

My plan was to lose 0.5kg per week. Since I'm still ahead at the moment, I'll continue what I'm doing, which is as follows:

On rising: lemon water

foam roll for 10mins then easy walk around the park with TJ for approx 20mins

Meal 1

dynamic warm-up, then WOD + 20mins cardio

Meals 2-6

Easy Fruit 'Crumble'

Nice for breakfast too!

Makes one serve

Take a small microwave-safe dish and layer in 50g unsweetened canned apples, 50g frozen mixed berries and 1/4 cup Crunchola cereal. (Optional: for a nice flavour hit, sprinkle a pinch of ground ginger and a pinch of ground cardamom seeds on top; chopped cashews would be a nice addition here too.)



Heat on high in the microwave for 1½ to two minutes (take care when removing hot bowl)



Top with a dollop of low-fat Greek yoghurt



Enjoy!

No-cook protein

At the moment one of my favourite convenience foods is Sirena La Vita Lite Chilli Tuna.



It's got a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, which keeps the tuna moist, and a decent hit of chilli. I like to add it to salad with an extra drizzle of sweet chilli sauce.

What's your favourite no-cook protein (not including protein powder)?

Raw Choc Cherry Oats

Chocolate and cherries, one of my favourite combinations...



Defrost 100g frozen cherries. Mix together with 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats, 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I used Sunwarrior rice protein) and enough water to moisten.

The texture reminded me a tiny bit of chocolate crackle...

Tandoori Chicken Salad

A tasty light meal (serves 4-5).



Mix 50g tandoori paste and 50g yoghurt together in a large bowl. Take 500g chicken breasts and make slashes in the flesh then place in the bowl. Cover and marinate, overnight if possible, in the fridge.

Grill/bake chicken then divide into portions. Serve warm on salad (I used salad mix, tomato, cucumber and carrot; red onion would be nice too), topped with mango chutney.

Strawberry Bagel

A quick and easy breakfast/post workout meal



Spread half a Bagel House cinnamon and raisin bagel with 15g St Dalfour strawberry spread, then slather on 100g Weight Watchers cottage cheese. Top with 50g sliced strawberries and enjoy!



Macros: 305 calories, 3.9g fat, 18.6g protein, 46.7g carbs

End of Week 1

Thought I'd do my weekly weigh-ins on Sunday, since I exercise Monday to Saturday, and that will help me decide how effective my exercise and diet has been, and what I need to tweak for the following week. So here goes...

Start: 63.5kg
End of week 1: 62.6kg (down 0.9kg)

My plan was to lose 0.5kg per week. Since I'm ahead at the moment, I'll continue what I'm doing, which is as follows:

On rising: lemon water

foam roll for 10mins then easy walk around the park with TJ for approx 20mins

Meal 1

dynamic warm-up, then WOD + 20mins cardio

Meals 2-6

Another reason to stay hydrated

According to issue 25 of Diabetic Living magazine, 'dehydration can also stimulate the body to produce more cholesterol'.

Sprints!

I've avoided doing much high-impact cardio since injuring my calf. It's been feeling a lot better lately though so I decided to give sprints a go this morning. I planned to do 5 rounds of 30 second sprint, 90 second walk. I foam rolled and did a dynamic warm-up beforehand, and did the sprints at about 70-80% percent capacity. It was fine for the first three rounds but started to get tired during the last two. I was pretty happy with that. Almost full steam ahead!

January Goals

Since I've been away overseas, today was the first opportunity of the new year to assess where I'm at (by way of a fitness test - chin ups, push ups and a run). My goal for January is to continue training consistently (Monday to Saturday) and to challenge myself with each workout (thanks to Sam for the reminder!), so that I improve upon my results when I do another fitness test at the start of February.

I'm also working on my water intake (again!). I'm aiming to drink a glass of water with each meal in January - hopefully it will have become a habit by the end of the month!

I also have a mid-term goal to work on. It's 15 weeks today until my birthday. I'd like to try and lose half a kilo a week between now and then, to get me from 63.5kg to 56kg. I'm still just gradually increasing the amount of exercise I do (I should hit 5 hours a week by the end of the month), so I'll see where that takes me for starters.

Thought I'd leave you with a pic of the plums that Rob picked off three of the trees in our front yard this afternoon.

I'm Back!

It was great to catch up with family but it's nice to be home too.

On the 1st of December I said:
'My main aim for December is to continue exercising consistently, even while we are away for two weeks (as it will be during the Christmas/New Year period, when I tend to eat and drink more than usual).'

I did eat and drink more than usual but I'm happy to report that I also exercised consistently (Monday to Saturday). I've come back a bit heavier than I left but I think the weight should come off again fairly quickly now that I'm back in an environment without so many temptations!

Back tomorrow with January's goals!