Vietnamese Prawn Salad
I made it for dinner last night, with a few changes to reduce the calorie content.
Firstly, I used snow peas instead of snake beans, because the snow peas looked great at the local greengrocer whereas the beans looked a bit tired.
To cut down the fat I didn't fry the prawns - I bought extra-large boiled prawns to go with the cold salad. I just peeled and de-veined them (leaving the tails on). I used more prawns than the recipe specified - prawns are low-cal and low-fat and 4 per person just didn't seem enough.
Coles now stocks palm sugar in my local supermarket (in the asian foods aisle, right on the top shelf) but you can use brown sugar instead.
If you like the look of this, you can click through to get the recipe for Vietnamese Prawn Salad.
Leftovers magic:
While I was fiddling about with the vermicelli and prawns I also peeled some prawns completely and wrapped them into some rice paper rolls with finely sliced cucumber, cooked and rinced vermicelli, coriander, vietnamese mint and thai basil. They were delicious eaten immediately, dipped into hoisin sauce.
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photo credit: bayat
I now weigh 68.3kg. Yes, I weigh more than I did last week.
The most important thing to remember is that good change is gradual. Or as Mae West said, “Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly.”
I'm not aiming for tabloid style fast weight loss. I'm aiming for a sustainable, healthier, better way of living and enjoying food. So I'm ok with the weight gain as long as I can learn from it.
So why didn't I lose weight?
- During the week I went out for high tea for a good friend's 30th and dinner for my mother's **th (deleted to protect the old) birthday. On the same day. I didn't moderate my eating or drinking at all and had fun with friends and family. This is ok in and of itself - but I didn't make healthier choices later in the week to balance it out.
- I ate because I was stressed, not because I was hungry. I was nervous about a review meeting at work and I ate to quieten the butterflies in my stomach. I should have had a few glasses of water or gone for a brisk walk instead.
- I skipped a meal. I went to bed early one night and then woke up hungry at midnight. Hot cross buns are not a nutritious, balanced dinner.
- I used the car when I should have walked. I was lazy. I live walking distance from several fabulous butchers, a good greengrocer, an excellent deli, cafes and more. Yet I relied on the car instead of my feet. I'm not a big fan of organised exercise for exercise's sake. I am however a big fan of reducing reliance on cars and integrating activity into normal routine.
UPDATE: I just came across a fabulous post at Feasibly Fit Mom that gives examples for 5 minute workouts - yes, five minutes. Even I can do that!
There is plenty of room for improvement this week. I'll keep you up to date with my progress.
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photo credit: Bucket of Lemons
This cake is made from very basic fridge/pantry items so you won't be trekking all over for exotic ingredients.
It also has the advantage of being light and indulgent without being high in fat. If you make it to serve 8 people, one slice is less than 4.5g fat, which means you could safely enjoy seconds.
The taste is reminiscent of a baked cheesecake and it is very popular in our house!
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 100g caster sugar
- 3 TB plain flour
- 400g strained Greek yoghurt
- Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Method
Preheat oven to 180C.
Beat egg yolks with sugar to a thick, pale cream.
Beat in flour, then yoghurt, lemon zest and juice, until thoroughly combined.
Whisk egg whites until stiff and fold into yoghurt mixture.
Pour into a round, non-stick 23cm baking tin greased with butter.
Bake 50-55 minutes until the top is brown. The cake will puff up like a souffle and then subside.
We tend to serve this with fresh berries but you could certainly eat it plain or drizzle with a little citrus/sugar syrup.
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]]>Those feelings are normal for many but they're not constructive. Bashing yourself over the head with a sugary stick, no matter how delicious, is not going to motivate you.
photo credit: Christi Nielsen
I weighed myself today for the first time in a long time. I have to admit to an "oh shit" moment and bashing the scales about a bit (just to make sure they were operating properly, you understand).
However, I've decided that I'm not going to cut out the food I love, I'm going to cut out the guilt. Today is the first day of an awesome attitude to food. Eating for pleasure, not sorrow, eating for sustenance, not boredom and enjoying every minute of it.
I have a lifetime of fabulous food ahead of me - I'm not going to waste it on rubbish. Scott from Life Spotlight wrote The Zen of Real Food: Keeping Eating Simple over at Zen Habits and I think this concept is key. You can't go wrong eating fresh, whole foods. Is this perhaps the easiest diet in the world?
I am going to stuff up sometimes. I'm going to pick up a pack of kfc chips in a moment of weakness every now and again. I'll realise I didn't enjoy it all that much and that the calories weren't worth it. I'm going to allow myself not to be perfect - I'm going to accept it and move on. But I'm not going to eat a block of chocolate to make myself feel better for eating chips.
So here we go. I'm not going to make any excuses about water retention or the fact my ringletty hair is almost down to my waist and weighs an awful lot. Today I weigh 67.9 kilograms. That gives me a BMI of 24.9 which means I'm in the healthy bracket by the skin of my teeth. That also gives me plenty of room for improvement on my small frame.
I'm using free website Calorie King to track my weight and progress. It also has useful features to check the calorie and nutrient values of a range of foods (including commercial products). I'll also check in here every week to keep myself accountable. You're welcome to join me.
Check in soon for some low calorie, minimally processed, healthy meal ideas, or offer your own suggestions in the comments.
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]]>The dangerous combination of gluttony, complacency and marriage has resulted in a recent expansion of my hips and thighs. While I'm not quite contending with the likes of back fat and a muffin top, I'm on a buttery slippery slope.
If you're a fellow food lover with a bit more jiggle than you'd like, here are some tips to help you get back into shape without resorting to diet foods or meal replacement shakes.
1. Lose the guilt: If you come home from work exhausted and you have no energy to cook, don't feel sorry for yourself and pick up tasteless takeaway. Take the opportunity to go out for dinner or pick up something that you will enjoy instead.
A fabulous seafood risotto may be calorie laden, but you're more likely to be satisfied and thus less likely to snack in the evening after a proper meal as opposed to a burger and chips.
2. Learn a new cuisine: Start attending cooking classes or hit the library for some books and teach yourself how to cook different foods.
If you get out of the food rut and learn something new, you can shake up your metabolism and enjoy lower fat alternatives. You might want to try the delicate balance of Vietnamese or get yourself a tagine for moist but no-fat-added Moroccan style cooking.
3. Eat better but less: Trade in the supermarket milk chocolate for a few squares of Belgium's finest. There is something ultra-luxurious about fine dark chocolate and a tightly pulled ristretto.
4. Make it worth it: Cut out the easy calories first. If you're going to go high-calorie, make it worth your while. Substitute the stuff that doesn't matter to you (mineral water instead of soft drink, for example) and enjoy the things you love. Low fat cheese makes me cry.
5. Track your progress and celebrate success: It is hard to be motivated unless you monitor your weight loss. Keep a diary and weigh yourself weekly, at the same time of day.
6. Bonus! Check out 17 Arse-kicking strategies to stick to your diet and get fit over at Zen Habits for more sustainable weight loss tips.
You're welcome to follow my progress as I attempt to follow my own rules. Tomorrow's post will be my first weigh in. Please keep me accountable and subscribe to my feed!
Your comments, tips and suggestions are appreciated.
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]]>I want to get rid of my pot belly but don't want to give up the pork belly. I also have no intention of quitting being a grumpy old cow, so here comes the compromise.
credit: Bev (SugarBloom Cupcakes)
Smaller portions. Eating slowly. Enjoying every mouthful. No diets, shakes, pills or powders. No sacrificing pleasure for righteousness. But pleasure has to be the key. No idle snacking. No bland, boring food for the sake of eating. If it isn't going to give me pleasure, I'm not eating it.
So here's my challenge. I have six months to settle into a rhythm of only eating for pleasure and sustenance. With any luck my body will also settle into its own healthier rhythm.
I had already pre-planned meals up until Thursday this week. Tonight we are due for..erm. Honey roast duck salad with rocket, semi roast tomatoes, and red onion with chilli jam. I can serve the duck without the skin, leave the sweet cherry tomatoes alone and fresh instead of roasting them in olive oil and accompany it all with a crisp sparkling water instead of the wine. Small steps.
Will it work? Feel free to let me know in the comments. I'm starting now and I need your help to keep me accountable.
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