a good (re)start

Well, it has been a good start to the week, particularly on the health front. I have been eating clean, healthy food, without over indulging. Surprise, surprise... planning/being prepared seems to be a key element in this success.

Warm chicken quinoa salad with chilli zucchini and garlic broccoli (I just use whatever greens I have in the house at the time) has to be one of my all time favourite meals. (Thanks Heidi! Get the recipe here.)

Even something as simple a freshly chopped pineapple for breakfast, has helped me feel healthier and energised. (And feeling more energised is big thing for me.)

Dan has also been putting his inner chef to work and created a delicious, mostly healthy, Caesar salad.

After my recent hiatus at the gym, I can't believe that I am actually smashing out gym sessions. My overall endurance has definitely decreased, but my strength and my determination don't seem to have dwindled. I even managed a personal best on the rowing ergo yesterday.

But all is not perfect. I had a can of Coke Zero yesterday and after my gym session on Monday night I had the appetite of an animal preparing for hibernation. Though I still managed to eat decent food, it was a much larger meal than I should've eaten.

As previously mentioned, I am currently researching why people overeat and choose the 'wrong' food.

In particular, I am always baffled as to why I crave pizza when I know I enjoy eating a roast veg salad more. It doesn't seem to matter how much beautiful, healthy, fresh food I prepare, I still crave junk food. And I'm sure I am not alone in this.

Regardless, there is no magic pill that will change my attitude towards food - and even if there was, I wouldn't want to take it - I am determined to make these changes on my own. I just need a way to ensure I keep on making these changes. Hmm, if only it was that easy.

- Dani

bad start

Hello everyone. How was your weekend?

I had a lovely weekend visiting relatives and resting. That nasty bug is out of my system and I'm feeling tip-top again.

I also used the downtime to put together a pretty decent nutrition plan for this week. (Yay me!)

There was a mess of cookbooks, notes and tabs covering the coffee table as I did my 'research'. Finally, each meal was allocated and I had the shopping list to boot. I even did the shopping - although why I continue to go supermarket shopping on a Sunday, I don't know. I really must get back into my routine of hitting a fresh food market instead.

And what happened next? I just stopped. I had the plan. I had the food. But did I prepare anything last night? No.

How could I start the week so badly?!

Instead of munching on a delightful smoked salmon omelette this morning, I'm currently eating an emergency breakfast bar I keep at work. And lunch will be... something bought. Oh the horror.

So my 'post-12wbt trial week' isn't off to a great start. (I also didn't exercise this morning, although that isn't particularly unusual for me on a Monday.)

Guess the only thing to do from here is to buy a great lunch and up the ante on the preparation front tonight.

- Dani