Fast Diet - Week 12 - #LoseDayTuesday

Kicking off week 12 of the 5:2 Fast Diet!! To find out more about it, read my original post here. 

This week was a much easier week, for one, I could breath in and out of my nose, so that was a nice change! And also, I just really wanted to get some good weight-loss results this week. I have a big birthday looming, and so I would like to still be a little closer to my goal than I currently am. I Fasted on Monday and Thursday this week and I think it made a big difference to my intake over the week. Spreading the Fast Days out a little more than Monday and Wednesday seemed to have kept me better behaved in general!

I'm going to keep today's post nice and short because I think i've been babbling on a bit too much in recent posts! So, onto the food!

Lunch - Chorizo & Butterbean soup

I just can't help it. This soup is so good. Have you tried it yet? Fast Diet aside, it really is so good! From Lavender & Lovage.

Dinner - Scrawny Shepherds Pie

I know that "low calorie" and "pie" don't often go hand in hand, but I decided to make it so. I used lean lamb, low calorie vegetables and not a potato in sight (which is a bit of shame I must admit!). It was very filling, the flavour was fantastic, fantastic enough that I could even overlook the fact that the topping was crunchy instead of soft and fluffy!

Ingredients (4 portions)
500g lean lamb mince
1 large courgette, grated
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup puree tomatoes
Dash of worchestershire sauce
For the topping: 1/2 courgette grated and squeezed

Method:

1. Brown the mince with onion in a large pot for 10 minutes.

2. Add the courgette, peas and tomatoes (both chopped and puree) and cook slowly for half an hour until the sauce has reduced and is nice and thick.

3. Divide the meat among 4 ramekin dishes and allow to cool. (I made three ramekins and 8 baby meals out of the meat instead, gotta make batch-cooking work for me!).

4. Lightly cook the courgette until it starts to brown and crisp up. Then place on top of each ramekin.

5. Bake for 20 minutes until the courgette is crunchy and the meat fully heated.

Snacks - Green olives

I have been craving salt this past week, which was a nice change from my more recent sugar cravings! I can't get enough salty green olives, but cut myself off at 10 for this fast day! Calories = 40 calories.

Drinks - Mint & Cucumber water

This week I tried a few different ways to get some more fluids into me other than just plain water.

The freshness of the mint and the G&Tness of the cucumber makes this water the most filling glass of H20 you can imagine. Too much of a stretch? Yeah, I know. But, when you can only drink glass after glass after glass of plain water, to have a variation in flavour is such a welcomed change that I thought it was worth sharing!!

Total calories for the day = 475

Exercise

Finally I beat my nasty cold so I could actually get back into a bit of exercise this week. I did my Reformer Pilates class and one hilly fast-paced walk. I was the only one in my Reformer Pilates class which was both good and bad. Good because I got a personal training session and technique fine-tuning, but bad because there was nowhere to hide and I am still aching in all kinds of places from the brutal workout!!! 

Each week when it comes time to do planks, I always always go from my knees. I have a weak lower back and have always had that as my reason for not trying to go on my feet. But, I decided that by my 30th birthday, I need to be able to hold a full plank for 90 seconds. Quite neatly, that worked out to being 30 days, so it is my "30 to 30 Plank Challenge". With 27 days to go, I am up to 20 seconds, only 70 to go!! I'll be Instagramming my progress over the month (and if you know some good tips or techniques tweaks I'd love the advice!!) and hopefully I'll be able to achieve my little "Everest" by the time I clock 30! 

Weight loss?

Total loss to date = 3.0kg (6.6lbs)

Okay so not a huge move this week, but lost the Christmas bulge, so that's a good start! Now, to push through this 3kg mark, hoping to reach 4kg by the end of the month!!

Goals for the coming week

My goals for this coming week are:

• Exercise 3 times this week
• Reduce dairy this week
• Continue my 30 to 30 Plank Challenge
• Brush my teeth during the day to prevent unnecessary snacking!

Wishing you a great week and I hope you're having some good results on the Fast Diet!!

Psst!! If you are looking for a little more meg-made, I'd LOVE for you to follow along!