Photo Overload!

Yay! My photos have uploaded! That's lots of photos too, hope your ready for my uber photo post! It seems you can understand my sadness when the mac doesn't want to play ball.

So lets start with today shall we, and what a fab day I have had. I woke up early and discovered
an email from this lovely lady telling me I had won this fabulous giveaway! I can't believe it,
this is my first giveaway winning and what a great first it is! I made an egg to give me gym
energy then walked to the gym to get a workout in before work

20 minutes cross trainer
sets of squats, lunges and free weights
10 minutes stepper
crunches
stretch

I arrived at work to find my maca parcel had arrived! Yay I love the malty taste of maca

I bought some more powder and also decided to try these maca chips I'll let ya know how they go

I was pretty hungry after my workout so I popped to marks and sparks to get a fruit tray including grapes, mango and pineapple slices to accompany my first.........

Breakfast Cookie! I based my recipe on this one but changed it round a little. Yummy thus was so good I will definitely making this again, its perfect for breakfast on the go. Work ticked over during the morning and got busy over lunch, I hate it when that happens!

When I finally got lunch it was worth the wait. GF toasted hummus sarni with raw veggies

Followed by a protein bar. This is such a good lunch, fills me up till dinner.
I got a lift home after work as I had so much stuff to carry, I bought loads today, veggies, milk
my maca......

I made some soup when I got in and before whizzing it up I decided to have some with my beef mince in tomato and chili sauce it was a great dinner indeed

swede cabbage and celery curried yum

Pud - choco protein ground rice topped with milk and a spoon of almond butter, goooooooood!

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Yesterday

I'm just going to run through the eats

Started the day with a boil egg, loving my egg cup, its mine from when I was tiny

Chocolate protein smoothie

Topped with coconut and pumpkin seeds

Strawberry + apple smoothie

Stir fried veggies with organic chicken breast, hummus, toast and almond butter

and of course a protein bar!

Soya yogurt with chocolate hazelnut crumble

mashed swede with veggies in tom and garlic sauce and more hummus!

Milky pud topped with pear puree and chia seeds

Good eats don't ya think?!

10 minutes and the vampire diaries is on so gotta get snuggled in bed for it me thinks.
I have the day off tomorrow and have a driving test plus need to right up the last of my 6th assignment. My dad has also offered to give me his free weights so we're digging them out of storage : )

Questions:

Do you use maca?

I do and I love it! I'm also hoping it will help with my crazy hormones!

Favorite sandwich filling?

I hardly ever eat them but lately I've been getting down with hummus and its a winner!

Short and Sweet.......

Hey peeps, for some reason my annoying computer wont let me up load my photos,
so I will have to do an extra long post tomorrow! I've had today off and to be honest haven't
done much. Maggie my house mate isn't feeling well, I haven't felt to good either. We just watched movies and chatted all day which was nice. I'm just hoping
I'm not getting it! Plus I've had tooth ache all day luckily I have a dental appointment
Wednesday. Back has also been a little sore but is now feeling good after seeing my osteopath.

Right I'm going to watch the rest of Glee, love it!

See ya tomorrow x x

Question:

How do you cope when your computer isn't playing ball?

I hate it especially if I can't connect to the net! Then I realize its not really the important!

Sunday Check In

Well I made it through my day, whoever thought working on a Sunday was good idea was wrong!
The only good thing about working is the hours are shorter, we only open 10-4
which isn't to long but I still think no one should have to work Sundays!

I started my day with an uber bowl of quinoa porridge there was so many thing in this I can't remember them all, I do know it was super tasty and filling. I walked to work in the glorious sunshine which was very deceiving, it was absolutely freezing today. Even at work there was a freezing cold wind whipping round the shop all day : (

I had a coffee when I got to work and also the last of my banana bread with a smear of almond butter, no pic sorry!

I was very happy when my break came round because it meant I could sit out the back away from the cold! Plus my lunch was delish so that was another bonus! Salmon and hummus lettuce rolls with a side of raw veggies, yum!

I steamed a salmon fillet when I got up and these really tasted good

Protein bar of course! Lunch was real filling and definitely gave me workout power! After work I popped to the gym for a light workout.

15 minutes stepper: 5 min - L7, 5 min L8, 5min L9
20 minutes cross trainer set on random every 2 minutes going up a level to L10
lots of lunges, free weights and squats
10 minutes cross trainer to cool down
crunches
stretch

My workout turned out pretty good! I walked home and thought about dinner the whole way!

Soup, rice cakes with almond butter and marmite, beets

Pud was good, protein ground rice with flame raisins, topped with yogurt, coconut and cinnamon, come you know you wanna get ya teeth round this!?

So today as we all know is Sunday which means its my check in for Makeover March

1. No sweets, chocolate, candy - done! I have not eaten any!

2. Only natural sugars and less of them - done! kinda! I have only eaten natural sugars but I don't think I have eaten less so I need to work on this one a bit

3. At least 3/4 exercise sessions (back depending) - done! I have done 5 workouts this week so I have done one more than I set myself, pretty good huh?!

4. No after dinner snacking - hmmmm fail! Well I haven't eaten every night but I have had a few snackys so this needs work

5. Less fats - done - kinda! I have eaten less I think over all not counting today! I'm going to try and work on this a little more too

I think I'm doing ok its a week in so I have 3 more to get it perfect right?!

Questions:

If you have monthly goals how are they going?

I'm happy with my progress and see where I need to get a bit more strict!

Do you always have pudding, or can you take it or leave it?

I always have pudding, I think I'm addicted!

I feel the need to kick back with a hot water and chillax so farewell my friends x x

Night off.......

Hello all, hows you? Sorry for my absents yesterday but I just needed the night to myself ya know? I had a lovely night with Maggie we watched Knocked Up and giggled all night, have you seen it? Its a funny one!

Lets rewind to yesterday morning shall we.......... I started the day with my usual smoothie soup same as yesterday as it was sooooooooo good but topped it with pumpkin seeds instead of walnuts. This was a tummy filler for sure, I also had a boiled egg. I walked to work and got to town early so I could invest in a new swimming costume. Me and my friend Leanne plan to start swimming together so I thought it would be a good time to get a new costume mine is not kind to my thighs!

The one I bought has a little skirt at the bottom so kinda hides the last 2 months food intake!

The morning at work was busy as always on a Saturday, everyone I work with had fried bacon baps and they all felt bad when I couldn't have one (gluten!) I reassured them I REALLY didn't mind as I had...........

Banana bread and almond butter yay! Much tastier to me, they think I'm wrong, I know I'm right, right?

At lunch I popped out and decided a read of oxygen would go nicely with my lunch and it did!
Raw veggies and a sarni which consisted of GF bread, hummus, basil tofu and spinach

Every bite was a delight I can tell ya!

I also had a protein bar.

Other than my walk to work it was a day off the exercise, my back is not fixed quite yet but 4 workouts during the week and its not real painful so all's good I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel which is making my smile, lots! For the past couple of months I have been a real hermit not seeing anyone much, not going out just feeling depressed about my stupid back. Unless you love to exercise people just don't understand how depressing it can be when its taken away from you. Being able to get my sweat back on has made me feel so much better and I actually feel like going out, maybe next weekend. I have Sunday off so I may well get some sequins on and get that glass of vino I surely deserve!?

Anyhow I gotta get ready for my Sunday shift, god I hate retail! Looking forward to finishing though as I'm off to the gym after : )

Have a fun day x x

Questions:

How do you feel if you can exercise from injury/illness?

This past 2 months have been very hard on me thank god its turning round : )

Are you a tofu lover?

I am indeed!

Smoothielicious!

So its the end of the first week of March!? Kinda crazy huh? Are you looking forward to your weekend, do you have any plans or are you working like me? Yep I'm working Saturday and Sunday, boo hoo roll on Monday, my day off!

I started my day with a boiled egg and a fab smoothie, it was truly smoothielicious! I have been asked by a coulpe of you what goes into my smoothies so for those of you that asked here goes:

1/2 c. low lacto milk, 4 ice cubes, 1 scoop of chocolate soya protein powder, 2 dsp soya bran,
tsp maca, guar + xanthan gums, tsp cocoa powder, and today a few drops of natural orange flavor, topped with walnuts and raisins

I don't measure the gums, I guess I use about a 1/2 tsp of guar and 1/4 of xanthan but its all down to experimenting I'm afraid

This smoothie was super tasty today I think a repeat for tomorrow is on the cards!

After breakfast I left early for my driving lesson before work, then had a busy morning with some pretty unsavory customers.......

Around 12.30 I grabbed the banana bread with a smear of almond butter I packed for a quick snack, see it looks wrong but it tastes real good : ) plus its a fab snack, totally got me through till my lunch

Wow how healthy does my lunch look!? Well it was uber healthy and uber tasty!
I made some lettuce rolls filled with hummus and tofu and a side of raw veggies

So yummy, my work colleagues thought I was crazy but who cares my lunch tasted amazing and that's what counts right?

I also had a protein bar, it looks frosty because I keep in in the freezer. I them cold its keeps them chewy, yum

After work I went to the gym again! That's all ready 4 workouts this week, feels so good. My back is a little sore buts its getting better. I did a light workout:

20 minutes on cross trainer doing intervals, 1 minute rest, 2 minutes fast
lunges with bicep curls 8 reps each side
squats to shoulder raises 8 reps
8 bicep curls, 8 hammer curls, 8 arm raises, 8 tricep raises
I did these twice through then finished with a set of 48 lunges
15 minutes power walking on treadmill
stomach crunches 24 sit ups 24 side crunches each side
stretch!

I then walked home and was ready for dinner!

I treated myself to a GF cashew and chickpea nut roast from my local health food shop and had
beets, broccoli and spinach on the side

This nut roast never disappoints, its so good. I'll admit to you that I had some tomato ketchup it was needed!

Oh ground rice how I love you so! It really does make the best pudding.
Ground rice with carob, raisins topped with yogurt and homemade hazelnut stuff!

I gotta say goodnight I'm knacked!

Questions:

Any new foods you have eaten lately you'd like to recommend?

I'm loving the tofu with basil combo

Do you get weekends off or are ya working?

I get every other Sunday but never Saturday unless its booked holiday!

Banana Bread Gone Wrong

Ahhhhhhh nothing like a productive day off, I'm glad I'm not the only one that likes to plan things. I need to learn to go with the flow a bit though I think sometimes I'm way to strict!

I started my day with my usual boiled egg, while my banana bread cooked, I had to use my dads oven (lucky he lives next door!) because ours has broken, not good! While my bread baked I got to work on my nut butters............

I roasted some almonds and whizzed them up to make a perfect almond butter, then I roasted some hazelnuts and whizzed them up with some cocoa and a little agave. This didn't seem to smooth so I added a drop of walnut oil but it still just didn't go right. Its more of a dry sweet nut topping, it works for me so I'm happy!

Well as you can see my banana bread went wrong! I think I used to much banana, it just wouldn't cook though, so I finished it off with a quick blast in the microwave. I know that's probably wrong but it worked so who cares! I ate 3 slices with almond butter for breakfast and it was delish!

I got burned on the pan my roasted nuts were in, ouch! At least my blister looks cute ay!?
I popped down to the local shops later in the morning to stock up on some greens. Spinach,
cabbage and lettuce

For lunch I made a giant green monster, this included - 4 frozen strawberries, LL milk,
spinach, strawberry natural flavor, amazing meal and tsp of perfect sweet

I also had 3 lettuce wraps with hummus and ham inside

This was a yummy lunch, and a newbie for me, its definitely going to be eaten again

After lunch I typed up 1/2 of my assignment then went out for a walk/run. My kickboxing lesson was canceled which was a bummer but we have rearranged for Monday and I'm meeting him tomorrow for a personal training session at the gym. He's gonna help me get back into shape, for free! I'm a lucky girl!

My walk/run lasted for 40 minutes it was really sunny so I was glad I got out even if it was freezing!

I drank some water and had a protein bar when I got home to refuel.

I made my soup and couldn't resist a cup before dinner, spicy cabbage and swede = good!

I bought a george forman a couple of weeks ago so thought I give it a go. I cooked a lamb cutlet with mushrooms and veggies in a tomato sauce

Pud = ground rice, blueberry + apple puree + chocolate hazelnut topping

I cooked my ground rice with 1/2 LL milk and 1/2 water with a dash of vanilla extract, this is a new combo for me which really worked and tasted fab, another keeper.

I'm glad to have ticked all my to do things off my list I wrote yesterday, other than the kickboxing but I got some exercise in so all's good. I also booked a dental appointment, sent Lily's package and made a rather important phone call so all in all a productive day.

I have an early morning driving lesson so I gotta get up early to get lunch and gym stuff sorted and right now I'm getting my idol fix so time to chillax see ya x x

Questions:

Do you make nut butters? How do you get them to go runny?

Almond butter I always make perfectly but others not so much, not sure what I'm doing wrong?

Any good gluten free banana bread recipes?

Mine just didn't go right its edible but not right!