Thursday, July 30, 2009

Sick

Pretty crappy week this week. Caught Rob's cold and it's TTOM. So no training done today. And I was really keen to get into my new program too...

Eating all going well though. Am really enjoying my food at the moment. Just two changes I want to make for next week:
1. Precook my soup in the crockpot for the whole week, rather than making a little serve each day.
2. Give the Teresa Cutter dinner recipes a rest for a bit and throw in a few other things I've been wanting to try. I saw some rabbit legs at the market the other day and have been thinking about braising them with mushrooms and red wine. Will see if I can pick some up on the weekend. And when I asked our house guest if he had any requests for next week he asked for pie, so am going to do a shepherd's pie with a mashed pumpking topping. Plus there's the lamb kebabs I've been thinking about from the Precision Nutrition cookbook. And the salmon nicoise recipe I picked up from the fish shop the other day...

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Meal Planner

Now that I'm using Office 2007, I've found a new Excel template to use - a weekly meal planner. I've entered this week's meals into it (altering the column headers to suit me) and copied it below. Click the pic to see the full-size version.

New Template

I've updated my template, so if you are viewing this post in a reader, visit my blog to check out my new look. I'll be adding more content over the next few weeks.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Monday 27 July

This Week's Affirmation: Yes I Can!

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Sunday 26 July

Measurements
Weight: 67kgs

I'm roughly a kilo lighter than I was before I went away at the start of the month. Not too bad considering I was only exercising a couple of times a week. So I'm going to continue eating as I have been, but just make sure I'm getting all my exercise in. Hopefully that will keep the scales moving downwards.

Menu Planning
Plan for the next seven days:

7am: shake made with 1 sc Sun Warrior, 1/2 c almond milk, 1 c water, 1/2 banana, 1 c kale; 6 fish oil, vit B

Workout

10 am: 1 sc Sun Warrior, 1 serve Vital Greens; 'muesli' made with 1 grated apple, cinnamon, 1 Tbsp sunflower seeds, quinoa

1pm: black bean soup (3/4 c black beans, Mexican seasoning, 1 Tbsp chopped red onion, 1 chopped tomato, coriander, 1 c broccoli, 25g avocado)

4pm: 1 whole boiled egg, 1 boiled egg white, 3 Tbsp hummus, 1/2 c cauliflower, 1/2 c celery

7pm: a recipe from the 80/20 Diet book, plus piece of fruit; 6 fish oil caps

Food Prep
- make almond milk, wash and chop kale
- soak, cook and portion out black beans, make up Mexican spice mix, chop onions, tomatoes, coriander and broccoli
- hard boil eggs, make hummus, chop celery and cauli

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Saturday 25 July

Today's food
M1: 1 serve Vital Greens, 1 sc Sun Warrior, 'muesli' made with 1 grated apple, cinnamon, 1 Tbsp sunflower seeds; 6 fish oil, 1 vit B

M2: 2 eggs, baked beans, 1 cup zucchini

M3: black bean soup (with the last of the canned refried beans)

fast hill walk

M4: shake made w 1 sc Sun Warrior, 1/2 c almond milk, 1 c water, 1/2 pear, 1 c kale; 1 slice sprouted quinoa flax bread (about a third of the way down Krista Scott Dixon's Expert Profile page)

M5: gluten-free pizza (treat meal): 2 slices garlic, 2 slices veggie delight, 2 slices Mediteranean lamb

Friday, July 24, 2009

Friday 24 July

Finally got myself a new computer. It's a Hewlett Packard Probook 4710S



It's a desktop replacement. I work from home but don't always like to be in my office, so I decided to go for the portability of a laptop.

It comes with Windows Vista Business, but it's got the downgrade to Windows XP Professional pre-installed, which suits me as that's the operating system I'm used to using and I don't have time to learn something new before I start my next job next week.

It's not particularly travel-friendly (around 3kg, and described as 'huge and heavy' in this review), but I'm mostly going to be using it around the house or outside, or maybe at a local cafe. It does have good battery life for such as large laptop though. Why so large? Because I work with text all day it was important for me to have a big screen, and this one has a 17 inch widescreen, which means I can have two documents open side by side. It also has an anti-glare (matt) screen, which makes for easier reading, especially if I'm sitting in a sunny spot.

Other bonuses: wi-fi; bluetooth (so I can easily use a wireless mouse and keyboard with it if I want to); integrated microphone and webcam (Skype!?); separate numeric keypad (I hate using the numbers above the QWERTY keys - I'm much faster with a numeric keypad!); spill-resistant keyboard, and 'driveguard' to protect the hard drive against impact, bumps or drops (Charlotte-proof!). And HP say that its Business Notebook PCs are designed to reduce their impact on the environment by eliminating or reducing substances of concern, using fewer resources, reducing energy consumption, and designing for recyclability.

Now I just have to get it out of the box and set it up...

---
PWO meal worked much better today.

7.00: 1 serve Vital Greens, 1 sc Sun Warrior, 'muesli' made with 1 grated apple, cinnamon, 1 Tbsp sunflower seeds; 6 fish oil, 1 vit B

train upper body

10:00: shake made w 1 sc Sun Warrior, 1/2 c almond milk, 1/2 c water, 1/2 banana, 1 c kale; 1 fist-sized piece of sweet potato

1.00: black bean soup (made with refried beans)

4.00: 1/4 c dried edamame, 1/4 c pumpkin seeds, 2 carrots

6.00 soy latte with Rob after work (first coffee since being back in Australia and it didn't sit well in my stomach)

8.00: Vegetable Curry, pear; 6 fish oil caps

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Thurs 23 July

Have been enjoying having refried beans a bit lately but worked out after lunch today that half a can has about 1000mg of sodium, so might start making my own...


7.30: 1 Tbsp Vital Greens, 'cereal' made w 3/4 sc Dymatize Natural, 1 grated apple, 1 Tbsp sunflower seeds, cinnamon; 4 fish oil, vit B


walk TJ in the pouring rain


9.30: shake made with 1/2 sc Dymatize Natural, 1/2 c almond milk, 1/2 c water, 1 c spinach, 1/2 small banana; 1/2 gluten-free wrap, toasted and spread w 1 tsp coconut oil


12.15: black bean soup (made w refried beans instead of black beans); 4 fish oil


3.00: 1/4 c dried edamame, 1/4 c pumpkin seeds, 2 carrots


7.00: stir-fried chicken and snowpeas, apple; 4 fish oil

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Wed 22 July

Three - that's how many people in my family now have type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is, according to Health Insite, an auto-immune disease in which the body's immune system destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This type of diabetes, also known as juvenile-onset or insulin-dependent diabetes, accounts for 10-15% of all people with the disease. It can appear at any age, although commonly under 40, and is triggered by environmental factors such as viruses, diet or chemicals in people genetically predisposed. People with type 1 diabetes must inject themselves with insulin several times a day and follow a careful diet and exercise plan.

The other 85-80% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. According to Diabetes NSW, type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas is not producing enough insulin and the insulin is not working effectively. Risk factors include family history, being overweight and ethnic background. Lifestyle factors such as unhealthy eating and lack of physical activity can contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes. Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes. While it usually affects mature adults, more young people, and even children, are being diagnosed.

---
Recording my meal times is proving useful. About 60 minutes after eating my PWO meal I was finding it hard to think straight so started making my next meal. Tells me I need to make my PWO meal a bit bigger next time.

Have run out of rice protein so am using up some leftover whey until my order arrives. My tummy can tell the difference!

9.45: 1 Tbsp Vital Greens, 'muesli' made from 1 sc Dymatize Natural, 3/4 c blueberries, 1 Tbsp sunflower seeds

train lower body

12.30: shake made w 1 sc Dymatize Natural, 1/2 c almond milk, 1 c kale, 1/2 small banana; 1/3 c quinoa w 12 raisins, cinnamon

2.00: Mexican salad (w refried beans); 4 fish oil, vit B

4.00: 3 Tbsp hummus, 1/2 c cucumber, 1/2 c cauli, 1 hard-boiled egg, 1 hard boiled white; 4 fish oil

7.45: Thai prawn salad (without papaya), apple, carrot; 4 fish oil

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Tues 21 July

Time to get back into it.

My main areas for improvement are:
Training - I need to get up and do it even if I don't feel like it
Mental - I need to apply more positive thinking in all areas of my life, and to repeat daily mantras to set myself up mentally for success
Recovery - I need to spend more quality time with family and friends, and make sure I get enough sleep, both of which can be fixed by spending less time on the internet

I've chosen to use some of the affirmations and dinners out of the 80/20 Diet book for the next little while.

This week's affirmation: whatever I believe I can achieve

8.30: 1 Tbsp Vital Greens, 1 tsp BCAAs, 1/2 small banana
hill sprints
10.30: 1 serve rice protein, 1/2c almond milk, 1c kale, 1/2 small banana
12.45: 1/4c dried edamame, 1/4c pumpkin seeds, 1 apple
3.00: 1 can Amy's organic lentil soup
5.00: 1/3c hummus, 1/2c cauli, 1/2c cucumber, 1 boiled egg, 1 boiled white
7.30: Spicy Laksa (minus baby corn)

Monday, July 20, 2009

Mon 20 July, listening to my body

Am going to start recording my meal times to see how long each meal keeps me full for, so I can work out if it's too big (more than 4 hours), too small (less than 2 hours) or juuust right.

Had a great flight back (flew business class again) but think I need to lay off the alcohol for a while...

10.30 (NZ): shake made w rice protein, Vital Greens, 1/2 banana, almond butter; 4 fish oil, vit B

12.30 (NZ): dried edamame, mandarin

2.30 (NZ): pumpkin and lentil soup; 4 fish oil

4.45 (NZ): hummus, carrots, celery, sundried tomatoes, eggplant, green beans

in the air: mixed nuts, 2 glasses champagne, lobster and sweet potato salad, 1 glass sauvignon blanc, pan seared snapper fillet with sauteed veggies, fresh fruit, 1 glass port

10:30 (Aus): fish cakes, banana, 2 apples, almonds

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Sun 19 July

Since being here I have been into the Untouched World outlet store twice. It sells natural and organic fashion and sportwear. On my first visit I got a long-sleeve black tee made from organic cotton, and a short-sleeve tee with a cowl neck made from super fine organic merino. Today I went back and got a white long-sleeve T and a pair of charcoal pants. Hopefully that will get me through the rest of winter!

M1: shake made with rice protein, Vital Greens, almond butter, 1/2 banana; 4 fish oil, vit B

M2: soy latte, walnuts, pear

M3: pumpkin and lentil soup; 4 fish oil

M4: 1 glass pinot gris, chicken stir-fry; 4 fish oil

M5: boiled eggs, mandarin

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Sat 18 July

Today was STRESSFUL!

We were due to fly back to Melbourne today for Rob's tournament tomorrow and work on Monday. Except our passports were missing. I took them to a copy shop yesterday and didn't realise until today that I'd left them there. Normally the shop is open on Saturdays, but it was closed today. And the owner couldn't be contacted by phone. Thoughts of stolen passports and forgeries crossed our minds. We had until two hours before our flight to find the passports - after that we could no longer transfer the flights to a different day. The two-hour mark came but no joy, so we canceled our tickets and arranged to fly back once we had found our passports or got new ones. Not long after that the shop owner got in touch - he had been on a course all day and had been rejecting incoming calls on his mobile. He had the passports. It was too late for us to get back on tonight's flight. And tomorrow night's flight is fully booked. So looks like we will be here until Monday night. At least the passports were found. If we'd had to get urgent passports for the two of us it could have been a very expensive trip!


M1: shake made w rice protein, Vital Greens, 1/2 orange; flax toast w almond butter; 4 fish oil, vit B
M2: hummus, baby carrots
M3: salad greens, chickpeas, boiled eggs, lean bacon, cherry tomatoes; 4 fish oil
M4: canned red salmon, apple
M5: 1 glass pinot gris, gurnard, salad greens, cherry tomatoes, avocado; ginger kisses; 4 fish oil
M6: 'cereal' with grated apple, cinnamon, walnuts, sesame seeds, soy milk; banana and almond butter

Friday, July 17, 2009

Friday 17 July

Second-last day here. Hormones have been a bit up and down the last couple of days. Have been having more soy than usual while away so will try cutting back on that once home and see if it makes any difference. Had my hair trimmed this afternoon, which was nice and relaxing - quiet salon, nice hairdresser who did a great pressure-point treatment on my scalp while I was at the basin, and nice blowdry that didn't pull on my head too much!

M1: shake w rice protein, Vital Greens, 1/2 banana; flax bread w almond butter; 4 fish oil, vit B

M2: dried edamame, pumpkin seeds, mandarin

M3: soy latte, Indian vegetable and pea soup

M4: hummus, baby carrots

M5: 1 glass sauvignon blanc, Thai stir-fry (no rice)

M6: rice protein, almond butter, flaxmeal, stevia, cocoa, organic 85% chocolate; Vital Greens, 4 fish oil

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Thurs 16 July

Spent today cleaning Rob's dad's house, then travelling 3 hours back to Auckland. Sigh. I am going to need a holiday after my holiday!

M1: shake made with rice protein, Vital Greens, 1/2 banana, dash coconut cream; flax toast with almond butter; 4 fish oil caps, vit B

M2: soy latte, pumpkin seeds, raspberries

M3: chickpeas, silverbeet, red onion, garlic; 4 fish oil caps

M4: boiled eggs, hummus, baby beetroot, 1/2 body boost bar

M5: prawn stir-fry

M6: 1.5 glasses voigner to celebrate finishing the house, 2 slices cheese, dried edamame; 'muesli' with sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, walnuts, grated apple, soy milk

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Wed 15 July

Spent the whole day packing up Rob's dad's house today. Tiring.

M1: shake made with rice protein, Vital Greens, 1/2 banana, spinach; flax toast with almond butter; 4 fish oil, vit B

M2: soy latte, pumpkin seeds, apple

M3: felafel, hummus, garlic, silverbeet; 4 fish oil

M4: 'cereal' made with sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, mixed berries and soy milk

M5: hummus, celery, mixed nuts

M6: chicken curry w pumpkin, broccoli, bok choy; 4 fish oil

Tuesday 14 July

Have spent the last four nights with my family. Today I headed back to Rob's dad's house, which involved 3 hours on a bus, followed by 1 hour in a car. One of the first things Rob said to me when he saw me was that I'd lost weight since leaving Australia - apparently my backside is getting smaller!

M1: poached eggs, baked beans, Vital Greens, 4 fish oil, vit B

M2: hummus, carrots

M3: soy latte, pumpkin seeds, apple

M4: mixed beans, salad made with red cabbage, spinach, toasted nori, yellow pepper, sesame seeds, mustard, sesame oil; 4 fish oil

M5: grilled fish, Vital Greens, 4 fish oil

M6: marinated mussels, mixed nuts, sugar-free Jols

Also made some flax bread, so tried some with almond butter after I got it out of the oven. I like the texture but will reduce the amount of salt next time.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Mon 13 July

Was doing band pull-ups on the playground equipment at the park today when my 3.5-year-old nephew decided to have a conversation with me:
'Why are you doing that?'
'Because I want to be strong'
'Why?'
'Umm...'
'Do you want bigger boobies?'
At which point I burst out laughing and couldn't continue.

Breakfast: poached eggs, baked beans, Vital Greens, 4 fish oil, vit B

Snack: soy latte, pumpkin seeds, apple

Lunch: mixed beans; salad with red cabbage, spinach, toasted nori, yellow pepper, sesame seeds, sesame oil, dijon mustard; 4 fish oil

Playground Workout

Postworkout: 1 sc Sun Warrior in almond milk plus feijoa chocolate then quinoa with grated apple, cinnamon, walnuts, flax meal, 1/2 chopped Body Boost bar

Dinner: chicken, cabbage and broccoli stir-fry; 4 fish oil

Snack: Sun Warrior, peanut butter, flaxmeal; carrot

Snack: hummus, red cabbage, red and yellow peppers

Really enjoyed my postworkout food today after not having a lot of carbs the last few days.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Sun July 12

Caught up with Rob today after not seeing him for a couple of days. Funny how earlier in our relationship we spent two one-year stints apart but now we don't know how we did it.

Rob thinks my tight lower back is caused by tight QL muscles - not enough stretching after my sprints the other day.

Am staying at my sisters tonight. Her three little boys are a laugh. Was good to have some quiet time to chat after they'd all gone to bed though.

I've been pretty hungry the last couple of days - lots more snacks than usual. It may be because I've been having a different lunch and it hasn't been keeping me as full as usual. But cutting the fish oils back probably hasn't helped.

Breakfast: 1 sc Sun Warrior, 1 c almond milk, 1/2 small banana, spinach; 4 fish oil, Supreme greens, multi

Snack: boiled eggs, hummus, carrot

Lunch: mixed beans; salad with red cabbage, spinach, toasted nori, yellow pepper, sesame seeds, balsamic vinegar, horseradish cream; 4 fish oil

Snack: dried edamame, pumpkin seeds, mandarin

Snack: canned salmon, canned peaches

Dinner: roasted chicken breast, brussel sprouts, broccoli, zucchini, carrot; 4 fish oils

Snack: 1 sc Sun Warrior, peanut butter, flax meal; canned peaches

Snack: dried edamame

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Sat July 11

Tired today. Not sure if it's because I haven't been having my Vital Greens the last week or so (left it somewhere and have been substituting with another product that's not as comprehensive) or because I haven't had many starchy carbs the last few days. It's TTOM as well, which doesn't help. In any case, added a multivitamin this morning and had some sweet potato (with steak and salad) for dinner with my parents.

Breakfast: 1 sc Sun Warrior, 1 c almond milk, 1/2 small banana, spinach; 4 fish oil, Supreme greens, multi

Snack: dried edamame, pumpkin seeds, orange

Lunch: mixed beans; salad made with red cabbage, spinach, nori, yellow pepper, sesame seeds, balsamic vinegar and horseradish cream; 4 fish oil. Will swap balamic for tamari and horseradish for wasabi next time I think.

Snack: hummus, carrot, red pepper

Dinner: steak, sweet potato, salad, 1 glass cab sav; 4 fish oil

Snack: 'muesli' made with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, grated apple and almond milk

Snack: boiled eggs, almonds, pear, banana