Motivation

It's interesting how motivation works. Or doesn't. I achieved my goals and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl in December 2011. The weight loss that facilitated all of this was a result of a strict diet and exercise program that i followed religiously. I was extremely motivated and focused on the goal of falling pregnant and bringing the baby to term. My weight after delivery was 71kg. Most excellent.

But to my shame, I have to report that these last five months I have been on maternity leave have been hard on my ability to will myself into going back on the program. Being tired from the sleepless nights meant that I didn't have the energy or the inclination to watch what I ate let alone exercise. I have grown addicted to the carbs again. I can see it. And even knowing this and deciding to go back on the program numerous times, I have still failed. Being at home with the baby is just not conducive to my discipline.

But no more. The scale was a wake up call this morning. I am now 75kg. I will not allow this to continue. Next week I will be back at work as well. It's time to begin again as I mean to go on. I will count these last few months as a holiday and now its time to get my life back on track. I will not have my child learn bad habits from me. So, here on this blog, for the world to see, I am setting my goal. I will weigh 65kg or less by the end of the year.That is 10kg in 8 months. Very achievable.


The trouble will be staying motivated. When I ask myself why am I doing this (and I know I will) I will need to have a concrete answer for myself. Something bigger and more important that the old "to be healthy". It will be a hard road to walk, but I have done this before. I know I can do it again.

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Tasty Thursday - Easy to prepare

Yummy yummy.. its time for another Tasty Thursday. This weeks edition is focussed on low-prep, easy to prepare food that go easy on your tummy. As someone who works eight hours a day, the last thing I want to do on some days is go home and cook. This doesn't mean I don't want to EAT! and if I am eating I would generally prefer tasty food to plain old fill-your-stomach food.

Necessity often breeds invention and this has certainly been the case for me recently. Trying to get in balanced nutritious food while still keeping prep time to a minimum has become a daily battle. Being vegetarian means that I can't just pop a piece of meat/fish/chicken on the grill as a solution. So, here is another quick meal for the list. The potatoes provide the carbs, margerine and olive oil provide the fats and the cottage cheese is a protein and dairy. Serve with a green salad for the veg component and the stewed clementines as fruit. This was a hearty winters evening meal that satisfies and warms you to your bones. The warm cinnamon flavour of the dessert mellowed by the burst of fresh citrus was the perfect ending to a rough day.

Garlic Baked Potatoes

-Serves 2

4 medium thin skinned potatoes

1 bulb garlic / a scallion bulb

Olive oil

Low fat chunky cottage cheese (flavoured if desired)

Wash potatoes thoroughly

Pour approx a teaspoon of olive oil into your palm and coat each potato completely

Using a sharp knife, pierce the potatoes randomly ensuring that each side has a few cuts

Coat garlic with olive oil

Pour a little oil into a baking try for good measure

Arrange potatoes and garlic so that each potato rests near the garlic

Bake at 180 degrees celsius for 45 mins or until cooked through and skins are golden

Remove from oven, and cut open

add margerine and salt to taste (optional)

Squeeze roasted garlic onto potatoes (optional)

Top GENEROUSLY with chunky low fat cottage cheese

If you used the scallion bulb, chop finely as a topping for the cottage cheese (optional)

Enjoy

Caramel Stewed Clementines

half a cup brown sugar

1 cup water

2 seedless clementines (mandarins)

1 to 2 sticks of cassia bark (cinnamon)

place sugar in a non-stick pan with 1 tablespoon of the water and cassia bark

cook on low to medium heat stirring all the while

when the sugar darkens to a rich colour, add peeled and segmented clementines

coat the clementines with the syrup as they cook

while cooking, add water a tablespoon at a time as the mixture thickens to keep it at the right consistency

gently turn the clementine segments regularly to ensure cooking on both sides but try to keep the juices from squeezing out completely

Add a little more water at the end to thin the syrup

Serve warm

The leftover syrup is a great topping for ice-cream

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Almost Time

It is almost time to share. Will it make this more real? Or less special?

I've already shared with some. But not all.

The tingles dance along my nerves at the thought of sharing here.

And if, after all this, something happens?

Maybe I should wait a little longer?

Yes, maybe just a little.

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