Sam's "Five Week Festive Season Challenge"!

[Samsy]

Hi everybody, I'm new!
I'm so glad I found this forum!
I'm going to be eating my healthiest ever this holiday season - and hopefully be entering the New Year in a slimmer and stronger body.
Feel free to join me.

Week 1: Monday 28th Nov. - 4 Dec.
Week 2: Monday 5 Dec. - 11 Dec.
Week 3: Monday 12 Dec. - 18. Dec.
Week 4: Monday 19 Dec. - 25. Dec.
Week 5: Monday 26 Dec. - 1 Jan.

Goals:
Exercise every day
Stick to the McD plan as much as possible (a big change in diet for me!)
Journal meals eaten at the end of eat day

Starting pants size:
SA size 14 (tight)

[Samsy]

Week 1:

Monday 28 Nov.
B: Oats, half a banana and cinnamon, 2 coffees
Ex: 1 hr walk - 500 Cals
Snack: 3 apricots
L: Veg soup, mixed raw greens and 2 potatoes
Snack: 2 apricots
S:Shepherdess Pie (made with sweet potato), 2 red wine

[Samsy]

Tuesday 29 Nov:

Ex.: Swept yard 40 mins
Breakfast:Oats and apricots, 2 coffees
Snack:-
Lunch: Pak choi, cucumber and apple, and 2 small potatoes
Snack: Chickpeas and 2 apricots
Supper: Butternut and lentil soup and 2 small potatoes, glass of red wine

[Samsy]

Wed 30th November!!!!!

B: Oats and apricots cooked together - yum!!!
L: 1 big potato only (not much time)
S: 4-5 apricots
D: Brown rice, butternut, broccoli and red kidney beans- very good combo

Alas toooo much coffee today!!!! Worked from 3am - busy day!Very tired, but was very productive so all's good!
Also no time to exercise.

Tomorrow leaving for 8 days at the sea! YAY!!!!Not sure if I will be able to log in too often.
Am packing bananas and apricots, and also my left-overs from dinner for "padkos"

[Anna Green]

Hi, food looks good. I too have issues with caffeine and have weened myself to only green tea. Today is my first only green tea day. I do feel better I have to say. Less anxious. I love coffee though so occasionally I'll have half a cup but I need to leave it at that amount because I hate feeling anxious and even a bit depressed when I withdraw from it.

You have a good one at sea.

[Samsy]

Hi Anna Green

I have improved my coffee intake quite a bit since starting my McD about 3 weeks ago - I'm now down to 2 mugs a day from 6-8 (except for yesterday which was just one of those mad days!).

I have tried green tea but I really struggle...green tea with mint is ok, but plain I don't like one bit.
I now drink try to Rooibos tea instead of the coffee if I feel the need for something hot, otherwise I just drink water.

Well done for your green tea day!!!

[Samsy]

Away for holidays 1 December- 8 December 2011:

Tried hard to stay compliant. Started off very well and slowly deteriorated over the days.
So difficult being on holiday surrounded by temptation!!!

But did stay plant-based for most part....
Except for 1 halloumi cheese slip up (oh dear! ...was on a huge veg sandwich and I just couldn't resist it!!!) and a few milks in coffee when out at restaurants (soy milk unheard of in those parts, and vegetarians are freaks let alone vegans, that is unthinkable!!! )

Also:
Did have a glass or two of wine daily.
Did have a coffee or two daily.
Did have cheese-less pizza twice, and did have 2 slices of cheese pizza (which was actually very disappointing!)
Oh and I had a small piece of apple and macadamia pie served with small ball of ice cream

On the positive side I did not succumb to "fish and chips (fries)" which we usually gorge ourselves on when down at the sea!!!! So... well done to me!
Generally ate lots of veg and salads with potatoes, and also cooked veg soup (buttenut, mixed veg and lentil mostly) 3 times. Breakfasts consisted of oats with fruit.

Was by far my healthiest eating holiday ever!!!!

[Samsy]

Ok, back home and back to the grindstone...ha!
Must go do fruit and veg shopping to replenish stocks!!!

9 Nov: friday

Breakfast: 2 x coffee (must try harder to quit!)
Oats with half a small papino

Lunch: Veg dry stirfry on potato

Supper: Takeaway Durban bean curry from the Indian on potato - unfortunately was quite oily this time.
2 glasses of red wine and 1 glass sparking wine

Exercise: 0 too much too do and it was pouring with rain (just making excuses!)


10 Dec Saturday:

Breakfast: Oats cooked with a nectarine - yum!
1 and a half coffee

Lunch: Leftover curry made into a soup with extra veg

S: 2 medium potatoes (was hungry)

Supper: veg dry stirfry (onion, carrot, red pepper, courgette, red cabbage, chard, brown mushroom) on brown rice

Ex: again none - worked whole day on computer - not good!

[veggiemamma56]

To me it looks like you are doing quite well. Life is not boot camp and we have to learn to go with the flow..get back on board.

Stock up on those fruits and veggies! )

I too love my coffee..I used to love wine but now see it as a total enemy so it is gone. but I still have my one or two cups of coffee.

[Samsy]

Thanks veggiemama - yes coffee seems impossible to give up!!!
I replenished my veg and am rearing to go. Determined to have a great eating AND exercise week!

Sunday 11 Dec:

Breakfast: bowl of oats and nectarine
Big bowl of freshly made veg and kidney bean soup - ended up having 3 big bowls!!!

Ex: 2 hour hike in nature reserve which ended up being quite strenuous - up and down a mountain! Legs sore and stiff!
Ha ...but exercise done and dusted for today! Yay!

Lunch : ate out at rastafarian themed restaurant - lots of lacto-veg meals on menu. I had only vegan meal stir-fried veg which I asked to be dry fried. Was served with cashew nuts which I did eat - naughty but nice, and had 2 milk froth cappuccinos. WILLPOWER LACKING!!!

Snack: a rather bland tasting banana

Supper: Veg and lentil soup on potatoes
1 mug black coffee

[Samsy]

Monday 12 Dec: Had a fab eating day!!!
And NO coffee and wine!!!

Breakfast:Oats and nectarine
Lunch:Brown rice and steamed and raw veg comb(brown mushrooms, asparagus, red pepper, baby spinach)
Snack: steamed brocolli - half a head
Dinner:Potatoes and chard, in tomato sauce

Logged food in Cron-o-meter and surpassed all my targets for nutrients, except for Vit B 12 and Vit D of course.

[Samsy]

Tuesday:
Another good eating day - not so good on the beverages though.

Breakfast: oats and banana
2 X black coffee
Snack: 2 cups of popcorn at movie
Lunch: scrambled tofu with zucchini, baby spinach, onion and 2 potatoes - YUM!!!
1 x cappuccino with milk foam The evil lure of the coffee shop!!!!
Supper: Brown rice and mixed and raw veg medley - similar to day before
1 glass red wine

NO time for exercise last 2 days - too busy and rushing around like a maniac so hopefully that will count as something!!!

[Samsy]

Wednesday:

B: oats and nectarine
1 coffee

Ex: 45 min walk at the botanical gardens
1 hour vacuuming house

1 cappuccino with milk froth - not trying hard enough with this one!!!!

L: Lentil and veg soup with brown rice added

S: leftover soup on top of 3 small-med potatoes
3 pieces homemade veg sushi (cucumber, carrot, rice, nori)
2 glasses red wine

Had dinner much earlier in the evening - helped with fact that I didn't have to go to the loo so many times during the night.

[Samsy]

Thursday 15 Dec:

B: Oats and nectarine
2 coffees
S: nectarine and potato
Lunch: Veg and kidney bean soup and potato
S: takeout cheesless pizza with lots of veg on- 1 whole small pizza
Worked about 12 hrs today - no time for any exercise
Tot of brandy

Friday 16 Dec:

B: forgot to have!!!! - probably still full from supper
1 black coffee and 1 milk froth cappuccino
L: big mixed veg salad (spinach, baby toms, cuc, mush, asparagus, pepper) and 3 small potatoes

S:

[carollynne]

hey welcome aboard !! it is a great way of life, and plenty of support here too.