My daughter came up to me the other day, and told me how proud she was of me: of my determination & commitment to health and fitness. Sometimes I forget how being an example, living it out, is the best way to teach our kids, and I felt so encouraged by my daughter’s words.
I recently shared how my health has improved slowly over the last five years. To kick the year off well, I’m doing a 10 week challenge with my PT, Lauren Phillips from Phyzique. I have a good fitness plan in place now, after doing group PT sessions with Lauren and running for over a year now, but I needed support (and accountability) when it comes with food choices. Mainly, I want to get more fresh vegetables into my diet and less sugar and refined carbs. I’m still working it out as I go along but I’m happy with the progress I’m making in this area. Keeping a food diary has been a huge help and I’ve set out some of my notes below.
Likes: wheat germ, sunflower seeds, berries, avocado, mountain bread, Ryvita, baby spinach, cottage cheese, almonds (and all nuts)
Not-so-likes: kale (I eat it when it comes in our fruit & vege box but I find it rough and tough), boiled egg, psyllium husks, red meat (not a big fan)
Week 2
It was a bit tough this week, and I found myself craving something highly sweet. I ended up enjoying a brownie, because I love a good brownie. I think I’ll need to enjoy something like that approximately once a week (but I’m looking for healthier alternates if I can).
Day 8
Breakfast: natural yoghurt, blueberries, wheat germ, sunflower seeds
Snack: almonds
Lunch: triple quinoa with kale, carrot, tomato and cottage cheese
Snack: oat and honey slice (no added sugar)
Dinner: grilled chicken, spinach salad with pasta
Other: brownie
Day 9
Breakfast: kale and berry smoothie
Snack: —
Lunch: pumpkin salad
Snack: almonds
Dinner: quinoa & white bean patty with raw beetroot, snow peas and tomato
Other: apricot & oat ball
Day 10
Breakfast: Natural yoghurt, raspberries, wheat germ, almonds
Snack: nectarine
Lunch: quinoa & bean patty, grilled chicken, raw beetroot, cucumber, cottage cheese, chilli sauce
Snack: 2 dates and almonds
Dinner: 1 piece of peanut butter toast on multigrain toast
Other: —
Day 11
Breakfast: plumb and almonds
Snack: nectarine
Lunch: omelette (cooked in coconut oil), bok choy, parmesan cheese, tomato
Snack: 1 apricot oat ball & 1 date oat ball
Dinner: nachos (lean mince with baked beans and spice – no cheese)
Other: almonds & carrot
Day 12
Breakfast: Porridge with sultanas, sunflower seeds & small juice
Snack: almonds & dates
Lunch: tuna, raw beetroot & carrot, lettuce, quinoa & bean patty
Snack: nectarine
Dinner: 3 grain quinoa, snow peas, carrot, grilled chicken
Other: 2 ginger nut biscuits
Day 13
Breakfast: Oats, wheat germ, blueberries, raspberries
Snack: almonds
Lunch: brown rice sushi with tuna and avocado
Snack: —
Dinner: chicken salad (lettuce, carrot, avocado, capsicum, cucumber)
Other: date
Day 14
Breakfast: 2 high-bran weet-bix with sunflower seeds
Snack: 1 date and coconut ball
Lunch: wholegrain wrap with ham, spinach, and beetroot & Cashew relish
Snack: natural yoghurt with strawberry and pineapple
Dinner: smoothie with spinach
Other: macadamia nuts
Exercise
3 group PT session & 1 run
Week 3
The challenge for me this week was to keep variety up. There are staples foods I will continue to use often because I enjoy them, like wheat germ, sun flower seeds and almonds. I also enjoy berries & avocado so they will frequent my meals often too.
Day 15
Breakfast: Porridge with kiwifruit, macadamia nuts and psyllium seed husks
Snack: —
Lunch: salmon & bean salad
Snack: date & oat ball
Dinner: rice broccoli, mushroom, tomato & soy sauce
Other: —
Day 16
Breakfast: Egg, spinach, tomato, beetroot & cashew relish
Snack: —
Lunch: green smoothie
Snack: almonds
Dinner: 3 grain quinoa, baby spinach, tomato, lemon tuna
Other: 1 x gingernut biscuit
Day 17
Breakfast: multigrain sour dough with avocado & lemon
Snack: carrot & celery sticks
Lunch: chicken breast slices, 3 grain quinoa, kale, tomato, beetroot & cashew relish
Snack: almonds & 2 dates
Dinner: pita bread chips (multigrain), baked beans, snow peas
Other: —
Day 18
Breakfast: Natural yoghurt, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, blueberries
Snack: wheat bites
Lunch: quinoa & white bean patty, tuna, kale, zucchini, corn
Snack: raw carrot & date ball
Dinner: lean mince, onion, lettuce and beans
Other: natural yoghurt with wheat germ
Day 19
Breakfast: ginger, pineapple, apple & carrot juice
Snack: cashew nuts
Lunch: 1 piece of 9 grain bread with spinach, tomato & ham
Snack: 1 apricot & oat ball
Dinner: corn chips, lean mince, onion, baked beans, avocado, tomato, spinach.
Other: brownie
Day 20
Breakfast: Porridge with blueberries, sunflower seeds & wheat germ
Snack: —
Lunch: ham with raw beetroot, carrot, broccol & cashew nut salad
Snack: raw carrot & date ball
Dinner: tuna, baked beans, tomato, spinach, a little cheese
Other: 2 x gingernut biscuit
Day 21
Breakfast: natural muesli with greek yoghurt & blueberries
Snack: —
Lunch: wholemeal pasta with veges & salad
Snack: energy nut & fruit mix
Dinner: Ryvita with avocado & cottage cheese
Other: —
Exercise
2 group PT session & 2 runs
Week 4
This week I’ve noticed a difference in how my clothes fit (in a good way). I wore a dress I haven’t worn in years! So that felt awesome.
Day 22
Breakfast: Sultana Bran
Snack: raw carrot & date ball
Lunch: warm chicken salad
Snack: Ryvita with vegemite & cottage cheese
Dinner: ham and spinach salad
Other: —
Day 23
Breakfast: Pear
Snack: raw carrot & date ball
Lunch: Ryvita with avocado & lemon juice
Snack: a carrot & pretzels
Dinner: tuna, quinoa & spinach salad
Other: natural yoghurt, blueberries, wheat germ, sunflower seeds
Day 24
Breakfast: blueberry & banana smoothie
Snack: raw carrot & date ball
Lunch: multigrain sandwich with ham, cottage, spinach
Snack: almonds and crackers
Dinner: chicken & spinach meatballs in soup with tomato & bok choy
Other: —
Day 25
Breakfast: avocado on Ryvita
Snack: raw carrot & date ball with celery sticks with cottage cheese
Lunch: quinoa & white bean patty with spinach and ham
Snack: energy fruit & nut mix
Dinner: lean mince, rye mountain bread, broccoli, tomato — natural yoghurt, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, dried pear
Other: 1 gingernut biscuit, yoghurt with blackberries
Day 26
Breakfast: banana & mango smoothie
Snack: gingernut biscuit & a teaspoon of hazelnut spread
Lunch: rye mountain bread, spinach salad, raw carrot ball
Snack: natural yoghurt with wheat germ, dried apricot, sunflower seeds, almonds
Dinner: porridge with honey
Other: 1 small piece of ham and pineapple pizza (in a weak moment – ha!)
Day 27
Breakfast: 2 x high bran weet-bix with sunflower seeds
Snack: —
Lunch: rye mountain bread with tuna and salad
Snack: dried pear
Dinner: chicken & salad (olives, lettuce, jalapeno chilli, carrot, capsicum, cucumber)
Other: gingernut biscuits with hazelnut spread
Day 28
Breakfast: pear
Snack: —
Lunch: 1 sausage with lettuce, tomato, onion and a little cheese
Snack: almonds & dried pear
Dinner: quinoa & white bean patty with raw beetroot, carrot, broccoli & cottage cheese
Other: natural yoghurt with wheat germ
Exercise
2 group PT session & 2 runs and a group fun bonding outdoor challenge
14 Comments
Kylie @ Octavia and Vicky
February 10, 2014 at 3:08 pmI just left a whole big comment on your Week 1 challenge post and then something happened and it got all gobbled up. Pooh bum! LOL
I love your advice for living healthy, and love that weight loss was a consequence, not a goal. I’m always on one diet or another, and just like the experts say, all that has gotten me is fatter and fatter.
Just the last couple of days I have been trying to make a change, very much like the one you write about in this challenge. I’ll be following along side you, choosing wholesome foods and living healthy.
You’re so right about being a teaching our kids. I don’t want to teach my kids to live the way I’ve been living for the last 15 years. Diets suck!
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
February 11, 2014 at 6:35 pmSorry the other comment got lost Kylie! Keep on keeping on lovely. It’s a journey. Just KEEP going. xxx
Meegan @ The Harvey Circus
February 13, 2014 at 10:33 amI am LOVING this series from you Kelly!
I have even gone back into your archives to re-read those change-making posts of yours.
I love all the photos of your meals and I love your holistic attitude! 🙂
While making smaller changes, better choices may not seem like it’s making too much of a splash, those ripples carry on for a long time…
xo
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
February 18, 2014 at 8:26 pmYes, they do. xx
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