Day 1 week 3
I woke up somewhat disheartened think of another week of eating food I’m not exactly choosing to eat. I gave it thought today and what it is I think that it’s not the food that I don’t like ( some dishes I don’t) it’s moreso eating it when o don’t want to. Having vegetables for breakfast I don’t like. Cumin I don’t like.
I’m not eating my favourite 28 meals so therefore I’m forcing myself on some meals. I had stop having variety and was just eating my favourite meals.
I felt empty in the stomach today but pushed through. Tonight I bought a grilled flake from the fish and chip shop and made the Indian rice.
Another day and I’m happy how I’ve gone.
Day 2 Week 3
Started the day off feeling a bit blah blah about the challenge today. I think I felt blah more because I was tired this morning, pushed through. Enjoyed the green smoothie for breaky, didn’t cave into the temptation of some yummy bikkies at work, had left over Indian rice for lunch and the poached chicken with broccoli noodles and pesto was tastier than I thought it would be.
Thinking it would be nice to have something sweet. I may have a liquorice tea later to distract me from something really yummy and sweet.
2.5 weeks in I have gone past feeling hungry, gone past feeling less bloated, I would describe its more like an empty feeling. It’s not even a bad thing but it’s hungry without craving sort of feeling. That sounds strange but although something sweet sounds nice it’s not that I’m craving sugar it’s craving a food that brings me pleasure.
I’m eating all this good food and it’s not terrible by any means but it’s eating to not be hungry rather than eating and loving it.
I feel like that saying eating to live rather than living to eat.
The fact I feel I’m getting the result I want is making it worth it!
During this 8 week challenge I have given myself a personal challenge other than stick to the menu and do the 28 workouts, that’s a given if I want results. The other is to try running.
Tonight’s walk/run felt better than last night. I’m trying and that’s all I can ask of myself.
My heart rate peaked at 174bpm. It probably shows my level of fitness more than anything lol.
Day 3 week 3
Part of the reason for signing up to the 28 challenge was to shake up NEW habits I had created with my NEW lifestyle since starting 2.5 years ago. To many smoothies and too many meat and carb 28 dishes and skipping days of exercise.
Today out of curiosity I checked what were the swap options for the granola. And it was my favourite smoothie the blueberry and cashew smoothie. 😋I was having 3 or so of those a week. I love the taste and they are quick and easy.
I was tempted to swap. But I made a commitment to follow the menu when I signed up to the challenge. I made a commitment to myself to broaden my tastes and not hone in on favourites as I realised they were starting to have an adverse affect – weight gain with less exercise also starting to happen and too many off the plan foods.
As much as I would of loved that smoothie, I stuck with the granola. For me this challenge is to challenge my palate. Retrain my brain & broaden my horizons regarding food tastes again. It’s to easy to revert back to the favourites over and over.
Keep reminding yourself of the ‘why’ you personally joined the challenge. Everyone will have their own reason. Remind yourself when temptation to detour enters your mind.
I do have a tip – let the blueberries defrost before you add them to the granola 🤪.
By making myself try all these different meals and avoid swapping temptations I’m finding that I prefer warm salads over cold salads. I swapped Monday and Wednesday over for convenience. Today I made the quinoa and roast vegetable salad with Haloumi and it’s really nice. I’ve added it to my favourites list.
I used yellow capsicum as I didn’t have any zucchini and it was a nice addition
I’ve been thinking about veggies as I ponder cooking the cauliflower rice for tea: why is it about these wholesome foods. It isn’t that I don’t like the taste, I like most veggies. I think it’s because they are light. They don’t give the same sense of satisfaction on a cool night as eating a nice hearty shank casserole with veggies and a gravy base. 😋. Can you tell that’s what I’m craving for tea instead of cauliflower rice 😂😂😂. It’s ok, it’s about trying different things and being open to it. Id better get my vegetarian grain free fried rice going cos I’m getting hungry.
I’m going to be perfectly honest, I’m at breaking point. There’s sooooo many freaking vegetables. Honestly feel like I’ve become a vegetarian who doesn’t eat carbs.
It’s just a little mini breakdown I’m having I know and I will get over it but right now, I just can’t eat one more vegetarian no carb meal. I know the crew try really hard and I’m trying really hard but I just can’t eat this meal. I’ve had 5 mouthfuls and I’m done. 😥 2.5 weeks I haven’t swapped a meal. I just can’t eat this tonight.
I’m looking forward to tomorrow nights one pan dinner that’s nice I’ve made it before.
The night ended with me making a liquorice tea with a handful of nuts
It got me through still with no sugary snacks. I was tempted but didn’t do it. I’m pleased I didn’t turn to a comfort food to reward myself for trying to eat that dinner. Instead I just put it down as a meal I didn’t like and got through with a bit of protein to fill my tummy to get me to bedtime.
This week feels a tougher week on the program.
Day 4 Week 3
Well I was feeling really skinny after 18 days of sticking to the plan. My scales are broken and I was getting curious because I never quite got to my 10 kg goal of weight loss since starting Sept 2016. Because I’ve been feeling so good I had re focused on the goal of that 10kg. That last couple kg’s were stubborn.
I came home, got the scales out and jumped on. There was no miracle let me say. And if I was feeling skinny that just went out the window. I’m justifying and saying I’m gaining muscle from the workouts.
So sure I really want the scales to reflect the way I’m feeling but what’s more important than that figure is that I feel pretty dam good in myself. I do feel skinny/skinnier
I’m proud of myself for cooking every one of those meals, even if that cauliflower rice broke my will last night haha. Still I just calmed myself and made a liquorice tea and a small nut snack and moved forwards. Didn’t hit the cupboard for biscuits or treats. Looked forward the the green clean smoothie for breakfast and yep I enjoyed it like I knew I would.
I went for my massage this morning as this is my treat for my efforts. Then walked 3.3 km around Chadstone ( god that’s become huge that place) ! Came home had a late lunch. Enjoyed Tuscan Halloumi Panzanella, the sourdough bread was like heaven. Who would of thought I’d be so excited about having a slice of toast haha.
After my meltdown over the cauliflower fried rice last night ( perhaps the Asian in me just can’t accept fried rice without grain rice haha) and not being able to bear one more low carb vegetarian meal 😂 at that point, I wanted to say I really enjoyed today’s menu.
It would be incorrect of me to say I find following the meal plan a breeze. It challenges me and my taste buds lots. Some days I just get to a point I’ve been challenged to what feels like head down on table 😂. I say this in a joking manner.
I really like this program and that’s why I have remained a paying member for the past 2.5 years. The team and program are great and forever evolving. But I do at times feel it’s very vegetable based and that challenges me. My dad was a meat inspector all his working life so I was raised having chops for breakfast. We were never allowed take away because dad would say there’s a freezer full of meat lets go home and cook! ( apologies to vegetarians)
Today I had a good food day. The green smoothie yum ( has a banana in it and I love smoothies with fruits 😊) and it has the added advantage of green veggies.
Lunch – OMG to eat a piece of sourdough toast ( I put some butter on it which tasted AMAZING and felt like heaven and I liked the veggies 😊
Tea tonight the one pan meal with plenty of meat – yes!
Good day for me today.
No snacks.
Day 5 Week 3
After purchasing new scales last night and being a little disappointed I hopped on them this morning with new vigor as I usually weigh myself in the morning as was hoping for a decrease in the figure shown, but still no miracle. Only further confirmation that I need to be doing this 8 week challenge.
I’ve been struggling with sticking the the meal plan and not swapping. I know I need to make this sustainable, I want the results ASAP but I also need to make it sustainable. I can’t keep eating food I really aren’t keen to.
So I’ve gone back to what works for me and tweaked that to see how I go. Today’s breakfast I would of normally swapped to a smoothie but I resisted and swapped but for one of the suggested swaps. I had the breakfast board with halloumi.
I never eat this sort of food for breakfast. To me it’s like a lunch or tea meal. But I am trying to eat like for like. So I had this instead of the vegetable omelette, eating broccolini for breakfast hmmm, pass.
I have often smaller serves but wondering if I should decrease them a little more because it still sometimes feels like a lot of food. This felt a big breakfast to me and before work a cook up like this isn’t normally something I would do. ( I did add a mushroom)
Left overs for lunch and I made the green curry minus the cauliflower rice 🤦🏻♀️🙅🏻♀️😝.
No snacks, but believe me I have been so tempted the past couple days.
Workouts are upto date✅.
Day 6 Week 3
All has been going great. I have changed tac a bit as any person needs to on their journey to success. it’s about evaluating and adjusting where needed to keep moving forwards to the end goal. Following the meal plan with no swaps wasn’t going to be sustainable. I will swap when I really to and like for like, that’s my updated tac.
This morning I didn’t have buckwheat flour which I though I did. So swapped to a favourite which was in the swap options, coconut pancakes. These are so nice. Absolutely enjoyed them. It’s made me feel so much better having an old favourite 😊.
Day 7 Week 3
End of week 3
It’s been a social weekend.
A night out last night and Mother’s Day today.
I had a 5 am start to the day with an airport drop off so I had a spare leftover coconut pancake heated it up in the microwave. A lovely roast dinner with at my daughters with my kids and their partners and was waited on which was really lovely.
Couldn’t do tempeh and quinoa for tea on Mother’s Day, that felt almost cruel 😂😂😂. So a bit more roast lamb for me.
My daughter made me a beautiful rhubarb cake and I didn’t bring any home. I would of loved to.
I came home and caught up on Friday’s workout. All workouts done for the week. I’m pretty pleased with my efforts regarding exercise. I can feel my core getting stronger and arms and shoulders also building strength slowly but surely.
Overall I found Week three a tough but interesting week. It was a week of reassessment and readjustment so I could sustain the progress for the rest of the challenge at least.
Week 4 is quite a social week so this one will be challenge as I will have to detour from the food plan.
Here’s to all the great women who are or have been mothers.
Love Lucy x
Ted Loves Lucy 
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