Recipes, recipes, recipes

Cannellini Bean Stew with Crispy Polenta

 Creamy Pasta Bake

Chilli Lemon Prawns with Rocket

Potato, Spinach & Feta Tortilla

Spicy Chicken & Green Olive Cous Cous

Garlic Prawns with Rice, Lentil & Green Bean Salad

Spanish Chickpeas with Spinach, Tomatoes & Grilled Fish

Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Boscaiola

Salmon Stuffed Potatoes with Yoghurt & Chives

Grilled Salmon with Broccolini & Pine Nut Salad

Grilled Field Mushrooms with Thyme & Fetta

Pan-fried Fish with Warm Roast Tomato Salad

My Day Yesterday

Arg so I turned up to my class yesterday & it turned out they'd cancelled it for lack of people. So now I have to figure out another time when I can try pole dancing out. I really wish I'd gone earlier in the break as uni starts next week. I'm sure that I'll get around to it though, at least I know where the pole studio is now. My last workout went well & I resigned yesterday--- my last shift is today. I think I'll be able to get a much better grasp on my timetable now and I'm feeling pretty positive about this semester. I'm taking a sport science unit--- it looks great but it has a really confusing class schedule. Here's hoping I turn up when & where I'm supposed to!

Update

Hey everyone, I know I haven't posted for a week but I've had quite a bit going on. I completed the Colour Run on Sunday with my team 'the Avengers'. We didn't end up running the whole way as I'd hoped but all in all we had a fantastic time (apart from an unfortunate incident in which orange colour was thrown straight in my ear, it's still orange on the inside!). Interestingly enough, despite doing zero cardio I seem to have become an extremely fast short distance runner--- it's probably all those lunges & squats I've been doing! I think I may participate again next year & I was thrilled to find that a couple of my friends were actually interested in doing the Stampede with me in May-- so that may be a possible future event.

My weights training has been going well & today will be my last day of Lean & Strong. I'm a bit apprehensive about the switch to cardio next week but I've committed myself so I can't back out now! I'm also planning to do a 'Fever Teaser' workout at my local pole dance studio today. It's a mixture beginner class designed to give people a taste of pole, lap dancing & their fever workout sessions so I'm going to use it to determine if I would like to sign up to a beginner 1 pole course.

I'm considering dropping my casual job this semester as my university hours are quite long & I have a huge amount of projects to work on. It would mean more study hours plus greater flexibility with my workout sessions (also more time with my partner!). I do love my job & working in retail has really boosted my confidence but I know that other areas of my life require more of my attention at present. In the end it's a decision I have to make.

Ready to Rumble

This Sunday I'll be participating in my very first fun run--- the 5km Perth Colour Run! I'm in a team with four of my friends so its going to be a lot of fun. Here's hoping it won't be too hot!

In other news I've just started trying recipes from Mish's new book. I really enjoyed the grilled salmon with broccolini & pine nut salad so I'm going to try another new dish next week.

To All the Newbies

Hi all! Well it's the start of 12wbt round 1 2013. I hope all the newbies are getting into the swing of things & are having fun with the program. I've just weighed in for the week at 62.3kg so I've maintained my goal weight for 4 months in a row. Technically I'm still in my week 11 of last round since I missed two weeks on holiday so I'm yet to switch to the Lean & Fit program. However I have started trying the new recipes that have been added this round & they've been absolutely delicious so far!

I have some advice for all starting the 12 week body transformation:
1) Try everything once, even if you're convinced that you won't like it--- you might just be pleasantly surprised. I was absolutely convinced that I disliked avocado, sweet potato & various other foods before I started the program but after cooking them in the program recipes I realised they actually tasted great. Clearly I'd just either been too young to appreciate the foods previously or I'd eaten them in the wrong form. So just give everything a go at least once because you may find a new favourite food.

2) Never compare your results to those of others. It's such an easy thing to do (and I must admit I've found myself staring wistfully at the progress pictures of the other lean & strong ladies) but the logic behind it is flawed. Different people have different genetics, different fitness histories, different starting weights & are altogether at different stages of their journeys. Turn all your focus to your results & your small victories. It doesn't matter if so-&-so lost 1.5kg this week and you only lost 600g. Any loss is fantastic & you should be giving yourself a pat on the back. Even if you don't have a loss there's no reason to feel discouraged. If you've started eating healthier food & exercising you've made great progress---- though it might not show up on the scales just yet you're definitely having a positive effect on your health. Keep it up!

3) The scales are not an accurate measure of fat-loss at all. They not only weigh your fat but also your muscle tissue, bones, retained fluid etc. Please do not pin all your hopes on that one little number because it can fluctuate for so many reasons- TTOTM, post-workout fluid retention, lack of bowel movements (dare I say constipation), muscle gain etc. I can certainly attest to this as my weight has fluctuated between 60 & 64kg since I reached my goal weight yet my body fat percentage has been decreasing. A much better way to measure your progress is by way of your monthly measurements (after all this is what you actually see rather than that little number on the scales). It's also very helpful to see the differences between your before & after pictures so I suggest that you all take a before shot (even if its embarrassing right now, you'll be glad you did when you can see the improvements you've made!).

4) Try to have fun with the program. Don't make it a negative thing you 'have' to do. In the end its your attitude that will determine what you get out of it & if you'll be able to stick to it. Remember as well that's its not a quick fix--- you won't just lose the kilos by signing up, convincing yourself that its not working (without trying it) & then giving up. It's a program that requires commitment, dedication & hard-work for the entire 12 weeks---- because putting in effort is the only healthy & sustainable way to lose weight and create a healthy lifestyle for yourself.

New Rules of Lifting

I've just bought a book called "The New Rules of Lifting for Women" by Lou Schuler. It's been recommended to me by several members of the Lean & Strong facebook group and I can already tell it's going to be a great read just from the introduction. I'd love to share this great quote with all of you:

"In the quarter-century since the idea that women could benefit from strength training kicked in, a powerfully counterproductive notion rose in tandem. That's the idea that women should use exercises and techniques different from those used by men.
It's a ridiculous premise, bordering on fraudulence.
And yet every time I walk into a weight room, I see women doing things that nobody would ever recommend to her if she happened to be male."

Current Happenings

I had the most wonderful legs day yesterday---- managed to burn 730 calories in a single session! It's the most I've burnt since I've started recording, normally my numbers are between 400 & 600 calories. I was planning to go the gym today as well but unfortunately I was involved in what can only be called an 'external excuse outside of my control' last night (my first one since I started the program 6 months ago). As a result I'm at home with my mum instead, who has taken the day off work. Tomorrow though there's no doubt that I'll be getting back on track---- I think I'll do chest/back tomorrow, biceps/triceps on thursday and legs on friday.

I completed my last fitness test and measurements for round 4 2012 yesterday as well. I've lost 3cm off my hips & 1cm off my right thigh over the course of the round. Clearly the losses aren't as large as last round but that's because I don't really have any more fat to strip. All my fitness test results have increased slightly except for the abs test for which I'd already achieved the highest level.

How to Keep the Weight Off

I wrote this for my tumblr but I thought I would post it here too:

I see so many misconceptions around when it comes to diets & how to successfully lose & maintain weight. For this reason I've decided to write this short essay regarding how a diet should work & how to keep weight off when you reach your goal.

First & foremost the only way you will lose weight is to create a calorie deficit. Yes that's right--- not by eating no carbs or downing ridiculous green drinks--- just by creating a calorie deficit (most modern diets will claim this isn't the case but will trick you into doing it anyway). A calorie is a unit of energy that will either be stored as fat or used in physical activity throughout the day. If your calorie usage is greater than your calorie intake then you will begin to lose fat as your body will convert your stored fat into kinetic energy. You can create a calorie deficit by both reducing calories in (eat less/eat healthier options) and increasing calories out (exercising more). 

So how many calories should you be taking in? Well that's actually remarkably simple to work out. The first thing you have to do is to work out your BMR. This is your Basal Metabolic Rate---- aka the amount of calories you will burn in one day while remaining idle. There are plenty of BMR calculators online that will allow you to calculate this number. It's this number plus the calories you burn during exercise that equals your calorie intake for the day. Therefore, in order to lose weight you must consume less calories than this number. However keep in mind that you will still need a certain amount of calories to maintain your body functions. Women should not consume less than 1200 calories & men should not consume less than 1800 calories. It is important to try & eat as nutritiously as possible while dieting as well as to consume 2-3L of water per day. There's absolutely no doubt that you will lose weight using this method, unless there is something medically preventing you from doing so

Secondly lets look at maintaining your new weight. This is an area in which most people have trouble---- I'll now explain why. Your BMR (basal metabolic rate) falls as you lose weight as your body requires less energy to maintain itself. When you eventually stop losing weight or reach a plateau you have in fact reached a point at which your calories in equal your calories out. This means that you are perfectly balanced at this weight. However, most people now think that since they've lost all that weight they can return to their previous eating habits or let unhealthy foods sneak back into their life---- If you'd like to keep the weight off this is wrong. If you return to your original eating habits you will create a calorie surplus (BMI + exercise < calories in) & the body will start to once again store the extra calories as fat. Your body will eventually return to your original weight & all your hard work will be undone. In order to maintain your new body you must in fact eat your new 'diet' of calories for life. You may be able to add in extra calories if you find yourself to be dropping below goal weight but you will need to remain vigilant for the rest of your life. In order to succeed in your diet it must become a permanent lifestyle change.

Up-to-date Progress Pictures

My results after two consecutive rounds of the Lean & Strong program. I'm incredibly happy with how well I've done. There's a much bigger change between week 12 & week 24 than I had imagined so that's really made my day!