Low calorie/fat Quiche.

When I was doing the Slimming World healthy eating plan I got heaps of fabulous recipes from the Minimins website and this quiche was one of my favourites because there was no crust base to increase the calorie or Syn value - basically I could eat it over a couple of days and know it was safe.

Ingredients:-
4 Eggs.
Tub of Cottage Cheese (Low fat) - I used the one with chives added.
Any other filling you want i.e Mushrooms, Onion, Ham, Bacon, Peppers, Tomatoes.
Herbs

• Whisk the eggs, add the cottage cheese and then fold in all the chopped ingredients of your choice.
• Top with sliced Tomato
• Cook in the oven set to 200 for around 30 minutes.
• Once cooked chill in the fridge. 

It really is delicious and this is what I had for tea along with Barbecue chicken (Chicken breast cooked on the George Foreman grill with a thin coating of BBQ sauce) and banana. I don't know why but I suddenly like eating fruit (especially Banana, Strawberry & Grape) with my dinner - Banana and chicken is a particular favourite. Hey, don't knock it till you've tried it!

I was determined to get up and run this morning. I had it all planned last night - the route I would run and how I would run it, I was even going to give my cheap heart rate monitor one last chance before I stomped on it.
When I got up this morning though I felt like I'd been hit by a truck and just couldn't get motivated for it - tomorrow is another day though!

Weigh day!

I was dreading weighing in today! I'd been pretty good with food during the week, just the odd 'treat' and I had one day of a sicky bug but I thought the weekends food consumption would add a pound or so on. I didn't eat lots but what I did eat wasn't healthy - egg and chips, homemade curry, a couple of slices of Pizza, a couple of pieces of cake - you get the picture.
2.2lb LOSS though when I stepped on the scales today. i guess the running and all the gardening I'm doing is paying off. That brings my total to 12.2lbs - just 1.8lb to my first 1stone.

I've decided I need a challenge to keep me motivated. I'm training for a couple of 10k's but I need something that will challenge me to exercise every day, even it's just walking. I do gardening most days and I'm active round the house but I need something to get me moving with purpose - I'll let you know what I come up with.
Perhaps something like this to start with

Or maybe Les Mills 'Bodycombat' - I have the LM BB workout, I just need to create some space that will allow me to do the moves. My last BB workout 'Insanity' didn't require much space but 'Body combat' looks like it does - have YOU done LM 'Body Combat'?

Those weightloss bonuses

I'm currently at a loss of 10lb in this weight loss journey and I've noticed a couple of weird things

1. I now know what it feels like to have an empty belly. That may sound strange but as an ex comfort eater I never really allowed myself to be truly hungry. Don't get me wrong there were so many times when I thought I was Hank Marvin (starving) but I can see now that on a scale of one to 10 I probably wasn't even at a 5. It's kinda pretty cool to have an empty stomach and not feel the need to fill it.
2. The coolest thing - Us 'not so slim' girls have probably all been there, you're in the bath and reach forward for the soap or whatever and you reach and reach and reach and nope, you can't quite make it cos the jelly roll gets in the way so you have to scooch forward until your face is literally touching the end so you can get what you need. Well I can now reach without scooching and it's a fabulous feeling.
3. The healthiest thing - I have suffered with acid reflux for as long as I can remember. I get it every single day and it can be so dibilitating. I've always assumed it was caused by my medication as it's listed as a side effect so I just accept it. Not any more - in the 28 days of Dietbet I did not suffer with acid reflux once and I cannot even begin to explain how nice that is.
4.  The ickiest thing - IBS - how many of us suffer from it? After being diagnosed with this about 20 years ago I was told to basically figure out what causes it and stop eating it - simple as that. I would love it if it had been that easy because whereas some sufferers go to the loo alot with it I hardly went at all - once a week on a good week - so not a comfortable feeling. Anyway I haven't been bloated for the entire 28 days and thanks to the Shreddies for breakfast and cutting out wheat in bread I am now regular as clock work.

I'm just looking forward to all the other benefits of weightloss as they show themselves.

Here's my Dietbet weigh in and weigh out photos - just 10lb down and I already see an improvement on the bulldog arms

According to this useless information poster I have lost the amount of chemical additives that an American consumes in a year.

Managed a 4 mile trail run with Leanne today. The weather was quite warm though and caught me unawares so I didn't have water to hand - have to make sure that doesn't happen again it wasn't a pleasant experience.
I'm still getting either numb feet or cramped feet halfway into the run and I really can't figure out what is causing it. I thought maybe my trainers but I tried 2 other pairs and I get the same thing, I really need to figure this out because running with no feeling or running in excruciating pain is beginning to wear a little.
I'm really working on my breathing as I run too. If I breathe through the chest it's a sure fire way to suffer with side stitch so I'm attempting to perfect the art (and it is a flippin art) of breathing through my diaphragm. The difference is amazing, since breathing this way I have not suffered from stitch and even if I forget to breathe properly and a stitch begins to show itself diaphragm breathing settles it right back down.
I once read in a running magazine that diaphragm breathing is our natural way to breathe and that we learn the habit of chest breathing as we get older. As an example the article suggested watching a baby breathe when it's lying on its back - it's the stomach you will see move not the chest. My husband is the only person I know that still naturally breathes through the diaphragm and not the chest.

Dietbet weigh out

Well that'll teach me! I won my Dietbet challenge and decided I deserved a treat for all my hard work. Well we all know where that leads don't we!
Once I'd recieved my official verification of my photos and weight on Monday I kinda let loose and this is my full days ration for Monday

• A whole packet of Shortbread biscuits.
• A whole bag of Doritos
• A whole tub of Onion & Garlic dip.
• A monstrous bar of Dairy Milk chocolate.

That's it! Not a single ounce of decent food in sight and Monday night/Tuesday morning I paid for it by throwing up everywhere!
I am so not doing that again. Yesterday I spent the day feeling sorry for myself and only managed to eat some toast but today I'm back on track with healthy eating and come June 1st i will be joining in with another Dietbet challenge - why not take a look and see if it's something you would be interested in -  Sunshine's Dietbet. Honestly, if you need the motivation to lose that weight that I totally recommend Dietbet, it's been the one thing over 22 years that has kept me focused.

Anyhow here's my before and after pictures - 10lb slimmer. You may not see a huge difference but that bulldog stance with the arms that I have going on is definitely not as bad - the main weight is off my stomach

 

Dietbet weigh out

Today was the final weigh in day for Dietbet and I'm so pleased that I did it - I made 1.2lb over the 8.8lb that was my challenge.
In total over 28days I've lost 10lb, it was 11.2lb yesterday but I had my dinner at 9pm last night and I'd put 1.2lb back on by this morning. Even so I don't think I've ever lost 10lb in 4 weeks and found it quite easy to do and so enjoyable also. I'll definitely be joining in with another Dietbet challenge in the next couple of weeks.

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Barefoot running

So I was out of bed by 5.45am today so that I could get some housework done before heading out for a run at 7am. Leanne surfaced from her pit at about 6.45am, came down (not in running gear I noticed) and enquired
"we're not running this morning are we?"
"Erm yes Leanne" says I.
"Damn" is basically her response "but there's a dark cloud, we're not running in that are we?"
"Yes Leanne it'll be fine"
So she goes back upstairs to get changed while moaning "but I'm tiiirrrred".

I guess there are days when each one of us just doesn't fancy the run so I let her off this time. She did feel guilty about 10 minutes later and make an offer to come with me "If I need her" but I'd already decided that I'd run on the treadmill instead.
I set the treadmill distance to 4 and basically just kept increasing the speed little by little then decreasing for a bit before increasing again - I had to do something to counteract the completely mind blowing boredom of treadmill running.
On the last leg though I decided to cast off the shoes and socks and have a go at this barefoot running - ouch! I don't know what all the fuss is about this barefoot fad but all it did for me was make the usual aches I have 10 times worse. My calf muscles were burning (probably due to the forefoot strike), I had severe cramp in all my toes and friction burns on the soft padding underfoot.
I know it takes a while to get used to this running style and probably the treadmill isn't the best place to start but dang, I wanted those trainers back on so bad.

Once the 4 miles were up I checked my timing and that's when 5 seconds of confusion set in - there is no way I did 4 miles in 37 minutes. I mean I'd love to be doing 9 minute miles but there's no chance of that right now. That's when I remembered that this treadmill works with km's and I'd infact taken 9 minutes to do 1 measly km. By my reckoning that means I'm looking at 90 minutes to complete a 10k and that aint happening, no way no how!
I guess it's time to get serious so I'm going to dig out some of my old Womens Running magazines and use some of their treadmill plans to get some improvement.

Our first 10k was supposed to be in September but we've just found 2 others in July that we'd like to take part in on July 21st and the 23rd (we live in the Highlands where these things are extremely few and far between).

Anyway this is what I looked like after todays run - shame you can't see the limping from the barefoot running

And according to this I have currently lost the weight of a human skin - interesting but Ewwwww!

What's a couple of pounds........

Todays weigh in saw a gain of 2lbs. I kind of expected it because I've had a few days where I've had "the odd treat" and we all know where those odd treats lead.
I'm not worried though, I'm straight back on track and I now have 8 days to lose 2.2lbs to win my 'Dietbet' challenge - I can so do that!

I was back out running at 7am this morning with my daughter Leanne and her boyfriend Owen. Both Leanne and Owen have a naturally faster pace than me, probably due to their Penelope Pitstop type strides compared to my short choppy strides and usually we run in 2 groups (them and me basically lol), today though we all ran together because Owen has had a few issues with his calf muscles and I think it's because they go off too quick (we're only a few weeks into this 10k training) and don't stretch properly.
Despite running my granny pants off today we don't appear to making progress on times, though maybe Owens gimpy calf and my asthma making my breathing "sound like a Walrus" (according to Leanne) could have something to do with it.

Anyway I've just been scouring the net for inspiration and I found this old page from 3 years ago. It's the local running group page where I was a featured runner for the Castle of Mey 10k and I, along with a few others, had to give weekly progress reports. That was the first time I'd ever run as an adult and by week 5 this is what I had to say;

Report 5 - Week beginning 08/02/10

Have you stuck to the training programme? If not any reasons why?

So chuffed! I did the whole 6 miles in one day!!! Then hubby made me get out the car and run!
Excuse the wit but this weeks training has been pathetic from start to finish and humour is all I have left!

Have you done more or less than expected? Explain.

As much as what the training programme expected of me (just) but less than what I expected of me.

How did you feel during training this week? What were the highs and lows?

Lethargic & breathing difficulties.
Highs : - What are those!!!
Lows :- Every single training session this week.

Are you seeing improvements; in speed, distance, breathing?

I wish!

Where are you walking/running; gym, beach, roads, forests?

Twice on the treadmill, once on the road and once in the forest. Pathetic attempts all of them but the treadmill fared a tad better.

Are you training alone/with someone else/mixture? How does this affect your training?

A mix. Alone on the treadmill but have also been out with hubby and with my daughter Leanne. As much as I enjoy hubby coming with me it doesn't do my ego any good that he is so much more fitter than me, despite his dodgy foot and being a heavy smoker. Yep, I'm slower than a limping chimney!

Any injuries?

Mentally, heaps of them!

Are you feeling any benefits away from training as a result of the training; health, toning up, more energetic?

I still sleep better.....
I'm trying to think of more but I've got nothing.

Are you doing any other forms of exercise; swimming, cycling, yoga, pilates?

Cycling and strength training.

Any other observations?

My mental attitude this week has been appalling. I've concentrated more on what I haven't managed than what I have. My first attack of EIA has left me unable to push myself for fear of another attack!
Next week I will be getting a grip completely. No more negative thoughts and telling myself 'I can't' when I know I can.


Gave me a giggle, I remember it so well!

another loss

So Monday was another weigh in day for Dietbet and I was happy to see that I was down another 2.2lbs, that's an 8.4lb weightloss in 2 weeks - I'll take that.
Dietbet says I'm at 95% of my target weightloss for the entire bet, less than 1/2lb left to lose in 2 weeks, think I can do that!