Fast Diet - Week 1 - #LoseDayTuesday

What the?! I know but let me explain!

I am not sure how to write this post without it digressing very quickly into a tale of a lifetime of body-image insecurities and bullying about my weight. I've never been huge (apart from when I was pregnant!) but I've also always been just a little bit uncomfortable with my "jiggly bits". As a teenager I didn't want to be any thinner, because I was healthy and didn't want to become a girl obsessed with her looks, despite my family's immense pressure for me to lose weight. 

As an adult I have been fluctuating between a comfortable weight, but, as the months tick on in the "post baby" phase, I've realised that I have to try a lot harder to shift some unwanted bulge. It dawned on me the other day, that I how I feel about the way I look is starting to hold me back and I really want to change that. I want to teach my daughter to be confident and to have a strong sense of self image. I can't be doing that if she hears my little jabs about my looks all the time! 

I don't usually "diet" so much as eat healthier and exercise more, but, seeing my "no-nonsense" cousin the other day convinced me that it's definitely worth a go. She and her husband are uber fit and healthy, so when I saw how much weight they had even lost, I was astounded! With a toddler and no babysitters it is quite difficult to up my exercise regime, so I knew I had to look at my food intake instead. 

About the 5:2 Fast Diet

The 5:2 Diet is very simple. For 2 days of the week you "fast" and restrict your food intake to 500 calories, which is 1/4 of your standard dietary intake. These days of intermittant fasting are ideally spread out during the week amongst the five other regular days. On the 5 other days you don't need to be counting calories, you just go about your normal life (unless your normal life sees you eating cake 3 times a day, which may need to be altered). All of this of course, with being gluten free as well! 

I always found my most successful form of exercising was doing interval training, and I feel like this is interval training but for food! The two days of fasting are those high-paced sprints that you do amongst a brisk walk.

So yesterday was day 1 and I kicked off with a fast day. I am going to report in every Tuesday about how it's going, add some meal suggestions to survive the fast, and hopefully, hopefully, report on any weight I lose each Tuesday! Hence Lose-Day Tuesday. 

So, for my first fasting day, I was a little adventurous, and went over the calorie allowance by 20. Not a huge crime, but will definitely stick under it next time. Here is what I ate yesterday...

Breakfast - Porridge

Oats made on water, with a sprinkle of cinnamon, served with 20 blueberries and 4 raspberries. 

Lunch - Baked asparagus and tomato with a poached egg

I taught myself how to poach an egg yesterday so that I can make this yummy lunch! Simply bake asparagus tips and tomatoes in the oven for about half an hour, or until softened and starting to get some colour. Poach an egg and place it on top and enjoy as the gooey sunshine spills out over the veggies. 

Afternoon snack - Tzatziki with carrots

I made up a quick tzatziki using no fat greek yoghurt, fresh mint, grated (and water squeezed out of) cucumber, dried dill, garlic salt and a crack of pepper. It was delicious with the carrots and kept me going until dinner time! 

Dinner

I followed a recipe from Lavender & Lovage for a Cauliflower Crusted Pizza. It was pretty good, although as she says, don't expect a pizza crust, it is just a vehicle for carrying a topping!!! My husband actually really enjoyed it, but I was still hungry and stupidly watching a cooking show at the time, so craving all kinds of wonderful calorific meals!!!! But still, if you are paleo or gluten intolerant, this would be worth a try. I put less mozzarella in the actual "dough" and so had more veggies on top! 

Drinks

A bit part of the fast days is staying hydrated and getting through the hunger pangs with liquids! I don't usually drink much other than water and milk anyway, but to get through the day I had 3 chamomile teas and 10 glasses of water. To say I was peeing for all of England would be an understatement (and TMI?!).

It doesn't all look like a bad day of eating does it?! And a grand total of 520 calories isn't too shabby! 

I will repot in each Tuesday and let you know what other meal ideas I am coming up with as I go!!!

Have you heard about or tried the 5:2 Diet? Are you loving it and have lost a gazillion kilos in the first month alone?? These are the stories I would LOVE to hear about!!!!! 

Have a great Tuesday!