BREAKFAST
I am a zombie this morning. Last night the stress of planning a wedding concurrently with moving countries (from the US to Australia), grew to overwhelming proportions. There is so much to do. Dave and I have 2 separate checklists: one for the wedding and one for tying up our life in America. Both are multiple pages long and so detailed. I couldn't get to sleep last night as a million things were buzzing around my head.
I'm usually a stress eater. Cortisol courses through my veins at times of high stress, then when the stress abates I am ravenous. i was mindful of this last night and tired alternatives to food to calm my mind. I burned some Lavender Spike essential oil and covered my neck and shoulders with Icy-Hot to relax the tension. It worked eventually, but I ended up with much less than my 8 hours sleep last night. Let's hope the lack of sleep doesn't increase my appetite too much today.
Breakfast this morning was ugly but delicious. Smoked Salmon French Scramble with Green Tea.
Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: dry fry 1/2 a spanish onion, 1 tsp chopped fresh ginger and 2 cups mixed vegetables. (I used kale, tomato, broccoli, green beans and zucchini). Add 2 oz smoked salmon, 1 whole organic egg and 1 egg white. Mix in 1 tsp chia seeds, cayenne pepper and 1/2 Tbs olive tapenade. Stir continuously until egg is cooked through. Serve with a wedge of lime.
This meal was so incredibly filling thanks to its' high protein content and a sprinkling of superfood chia magic.
I'm usually a stress eater. Cortisol courses through my veins at times of high stress, then when the stress abates I am ravenous. i was mindful of this last night and tired alternatives to food to calm my mind. I burned some Lavender Spike essential oil and covered my neck and shoulders with Icy-Hot to relax the tension. It worked eventually, but I ended up with much less than my 8 hours sleep last night. Let's hope the lack of sleep doesn't increase my appetite too much today.
Breakfast this morning was ugly but delicious. Smoked Salmon French Scramble with Green Tea.
Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: dry fry 1/2 a spanish onion, 1 tsp chopped fresh ginger and 2 cups mixed vegetables. (I used kale, tomato, broccoli, green beans and zucchini). Add 2 oz smoked salmon, 1 whole organic egg and 1 egg white. Mix in 1 tsp chia seeds, cayenne pepper and 1/2 Tbs olive tapenade. Stir continuously until egg is cooked through. Serve with a wedge of lime.
This meal was so incredibly filling thanks to its' high protein content and a sprinkling of superfood chia magic.
I chased it with a small bowl of Fruit Salad.
Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: 1/8 of a Cantaloupe, 2 Strawberries and a wedge of Lime.
Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: 1/8 of a Cantaloupe, 2 Strawberries and a wedge of Lime.
LUNCH
Grass-Fed Beef with Broccoli, Baby Carrots and Almonds.
Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Dry fry 1 grass-fed organic beef burger. Boil 2 cups of broccoli, 7 baby carrots and a handful of green beans with 1/2 Tbs sliced fresh ginger. Place veggies in a bowl and top with sliced beef burger, 1 Tbs hummus and 1/2 Tbs sliced almonds. Dress with 1 TBs balsamic vinegar and serve with a few wedges of fresh lime.
Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Dry fry 1 grass-fed organic beef burger. Boil 2 cups of broccoli, 7 baby carrots and a handful of green beans with 1/2 Tbs sliced fresh ginger. Place veggies in a bowl and top with sliced beef burger, 1 Tbs hummus and 1/2 Tbs sliced almonds. Dress with 1 TBs balsamic vinegar and serve with a few wedges of fresh lime.
I topped off my meal with half a Ruby Red Grapefruit.
I felt so incredibly healthy and glowing from the inside after today's lunch. It was perfect.
I cheated with half a cup of Green Tea at 1pm in anticipation of my lunchtime gym visit. Need extra energy to work out today.
I cheated with half a cup of Green Tea at 1pm in anticipation of my lunchtime gym visit. Need extra energy to work out today.
AFTERNOON SNACK
I feel incredible today! I feel so bouyant I practically floated down the street at lunchtime. The sun is shining and the temperature is creeping up.
I challenged myself at the gym with a new stairmaster machine I've never been game to try. It nearly killed me, (but I noticed it burned even more calories than the elliptical, so it's my new thing). My heart was pounding and I was sweating like I'd just run a marathon after only 30 minutes on the thing. Insane. I think I've been wasting my time on the elliptical for far too long. It does nothing for me.
My arms feel like they're attached to helium balloons today. Is this because they're getting skinnier? They don't rub against my sides as much anymore. But maybe it's my new muscles. I have more strength in my arms so perhaps they kind of hold themselves up easier? Whatever teh reason, I can really feel my body changing, even though the scales are barely budging. This is amazing. It's only been 1.5 weeks. Imagine what I'll be like after 12 weeks!?
I came back to work and had half a Plain 2% Fage Strained Greek Yoghurt ....
I challenged myself at the gym with a new stairmaster machine I've never been game to try. It nearly killed me, (but I noticed it burned even more calories than the elliptical, so it's my new thing). My heart was pounding and I was sweating like I'd just run a marathon after only 30 minutes on the thing. Insane. I think I've been wasting my time on the elliptical for far too long. It does nothing for me.
My arms feel like they're attached to helium balloons today. Is this because they're getting skinnier? They don't rub against my sides as much anymore. But maybe it's my new muscles. I have more strength in my arms so perhaps they kind of hold themselves up easier? Whatever teh reason, I can really feel my body changing, even though the scales are barely budging. This is amazing. It's only been 1.5 weeks. Imagine what I'll be like after 12 weeks!?
I came back to work and had half a Plain 2% Fage Strained Greek Yoghurt ....
.... half a Pink Lady ....
.... and 1/4 Tbs of All Natural Almond Butter.
Man, I love food so much. It rules my life. I absolutely love tasting new flavors and dreaming up healthy twists on regular meal and snacks. But I just can't get over how unbeleivably fantastic I feel on this all-healthy-all-natural diet.
My boss offered me some Ghirardelli Chocolate this afternoon. Although the brand meets my chocolate-snob standards, I wasn't even the slightest bit tempted. I honestly feel so friggin amazing right now that my cells are crying out for only fresh, crisp, natural foods.
I'm reading Tony Robbins' book, "Unleash The Power Within" at the moment. He talks about permanently transforming unwanted patterns of behaviour (like eating too many unhealthy foods, being lazy and staying fat) into desirable traits at a neurological level. He makes this happen by linking massive pain to the old habit and immense amounts of pleasure to the new. I'm hoping that after training my body for 12 weeks to assocaite all these pleasurable feelings with natural eating, I'll sway towards this new lifestyle on a daily basis without a second thought in the future.
As it stands, I am totally addicted to the endorphins of exercise. It only took a week, but now it's natural for me to be moving for hours a day. I love it! Combined with clean eating, I have boundless energy. Now that summer is on it's way, along with travel, seeing my family and friends back in Australia, and the greatest Fiji wedding ever, everything is looking up!
Man, I love food so much. It rules my life. I absolutely love tasting new flavors and dreaming up healthy twists on regular meal and snacks. But I just can't get over how unbeleivably fantastic I feel on this all-healthy-all-natural diet.
My boss offered me some Ghirardelli Chocolate this afternoon. Although the brand meets my chocolate-snob standards, I wasn't even the slightest bit tempted. I honestly feel so friggin amazing right now that my cells are crying out for only fresh, crisp, natural foods.
I'm reading Tony Robbins' book, "Unleash The Power Within" at the moment. He talks about permanently transforming unwanted patterns of behaviour (like eating too many unhealthy foods, being lazy and staying fat) into desirable traits at a neurological level. He makes this happen by linking massive pain to the old habit and immense amounts of pleasure to the new. I'm hoping that after training my body for 12 weeks to assocaite all these pleasurable feelings with natural eating, I'll sway towards this new lifestyle on a daily basis without a second thought in the future.
As it stands, I am totally addicted to the endorphins of exercise. It only took a week, but now it's natural for me to be moving for hours a day. I love it! Combined with clean eating, I have boundless energy. Now that summer is on it's way, along with travel, seeing my family and friends back in Australia, and the greatest Fiji wedding ever, everything is looking up!
I had a handful of Raw Organic Almonds around 5pm.
DINNER
Smoked Salmon Rolls with Chunky Homestyle Greens 'n Beans Soup.
This is a low-carb, gluten-free twist on sushi rolls or a salmon bagel.
This is a low-carb, gluten-free twist on sushi rolls or a salmon bagel.
Coconut Water Icypop x 2
PRE-BEDTIME SNACK
Coconut Lime Chia Slice with Creamy Greek Yoghurt.
I was in the mood to bake tonight, so I grabbed a recipe from OhSheGlows.com and tweaked it to make my own version of Angela Liddon's Tropical Lemon Cranberry Coconut Chia Bars.
Angela is vegan and she seems to have a bit of a sweet tooth. My version ditches the White Death and sweetens the slice peach butter instead of agave. I used organic butter instead of coconut oil, (for the pure reason that I didn't have any coconut oil in the house), and I substituted cashews for pistachios, banana for applesauce, sultanas for cranberries, lime for lemon and I even added 2 egg whites. Mine also ended up with half the calories of hers. (Bonus). They turned out freakin delicious. I had half a slice with 1/2 a tub of 2% Fage and a strawberry for a balanced snack.
Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Mix 3 Tbs chia seeds with 7 Tbs fresh lime juice. Allow to sit and gel. In a separate bowl mix 1.5 cups oats (blended into flour), 1/2 tsp baking soda (or 1 tsp baking powder), 1/2 cup regular oats, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 Tbs lime zest, 1/2 cup organic raisins, 1/4 cup chopped raw cashews, 1.5 cups unsweetened shredded coconut. (I used Whole Foods' reduced fat coconut. It's dehydrated so I used half as much). In another small bowl, whisk together 1.5 Tbs melted organic butter, 1 small mashed banana, and 1/4 cup peach butter. Mix in the gelled chia seeds and add 2 egg whites. Add wet mix to dry and mix thoroughly. Spread into an 8" lined pan and sprinkle with additional coconut. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes. Cut into 16 squares when cool. (Each square is just over 100 calories)
I was in the mood to bake tonight, so I grabbed a recipe from OhSheGlows.com and tweaked it to make my own version of Angela Liddon's Tropical Lemon Cranberry Coconut Chia Bars.
Angela is vegan and she seems to have a bit of a sweet tooth. My version ditches the White Death and sweetens the slice peach butter instead of agave. I used organic butter instead of coconut oil, (for the pure reason that I didn't have any coconut oil in the house), and I substituted cashews for pistachios, banana for applesauce, sultanas for cranberries, lime for lemon and I even added 2 egg whites. Mine also ended up with half the calories of hers. (Bonus). They turned out freakin delicious. I had half a slice with 1/2 a tub of 2% Fage and a strawberry for a balanced snack.
Skinny Bride Mission Recipe: Mix 3 Tbs chia seeds with 7 Tbs fresh lime juice. Allow to sit and gel. In a separate bowl mix 1.5 cups oats (blended into flour), 1/2 tsp baking soda (or 1 tsp baking powder), 1/2 cup regular oats, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 Tbs lime zest, 1/2 cup organic raisins, 1/4 cup chopped raw cashews, 1.5 cups unsweetened shredded coconut. (I used Whole Foods' reduced fat coconut. It's dehydrated so I used half as much). In another small bowl, whisk together 1.5 Tbs melted organic butter, 1 small mashed banana, and 1/4 cup peach butter. Mix in the gelled chia seeds and add 2 egg whites. Add wet mix to dry and mix thoroughly. Spread into an 8" lined pan and sprinkle with additional coconut. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes. Cut into 16 squares when cool. (Each square is just over 100 calories)
STATS
TOTAL CALORIES: 1287
CALORIE DEFICIT: 1081
EXERCISE: Brisk Walk 120 mins + Stair Climbing 30 mins + Arm Weights 15 mins
CALORIE DEFICIT: 1081
EXERCISE: Brisk Walk 120 mins + Stair Climbing 30 mins + Arm Weights 15 mins