Fresh Focus: Charlie’s 5:2 Diet Plan Blog – week 2
Welcome back to week 2 of my Fresh Focus blog, I am delighted this week as when I weighed in on Monday I have lost 2lbs. I am now at the thinnest I have been in my adult life, which is a MASSIVE thing for me. Last year I was at my heaviest, and so down about my weight. It effected everything in my life and held me back not only physically but emotionally too. In April of last year I went through a bad break up, it was devastating but the biggest realisation for me was that I didn’t love myself. I had spent the best part of 5 years feeling so loved by someone else, that I was completely incapable of loving myself.
After this happen I had to tackle the way I was feeling, when for so long I had been ignoring it. For me, learning to love myself and accept my flaws has been one of the hardest things I have ever done. But now I feel like I have turned a corner and am beginning to understand how important it is to love yourself, not in self-obsessed way, but the way your perceive yourself effects everything. So this year I am really committed to pushing myself, not only with finding my ideal healthy weight but also by tacking the demons that hold me back.
This week I did my two fasting days back to back, on Wednesday & Thursday. I actually found this a lot harder than spreading them out, however I think for me mixing them up each week will be the best way forward. Also this week I have really tried to increase my water intake, as not only is it amazing for weight loss it’s great for your skin and your general well being. In order to do this I have got myself two great water bottles from a company called Bobble. I HATE buying bottled water, but these bottles have a carbon filter so the water always tastes great! I have two, one is 1ltr and the other is 500mls, so it’s really easy for me to visualise how much more I need to drink.
This week I am going to share with you how I get the most out of my calories and how I time my meals to beat sugar cravings.
How I managed TFR this week!
This week I did my fasting days on Wednesday and Thursday. Both days I started with a bar in the morning, had a hot meal for my lunch and then a double dinner. For me this is the perfect way to feel fuller all day, I start my morning with a cup of tea with soya milk/ almond milk – as it’s lower in carbohydrate than regular milk and then try to have my bar as late as possible. This week I had the Hazelnut Bar & the Coconut Bar, they are so delicious and I love the texture.
I tried a good recipe this week using Vegetable Chili and Nourishing Egg omelette. I made two thin omelettes and filled them with the Chili like two little wraps – lush! If you want to find out more recipes like this then you can check out Dawn’s Recipe blogs for inspiration.
How to get the most out of your calories!
When I am not fasting I try and limit my calories to around 1500 and always make sure I eat three meals. I always allow myself a healthy snack, just to keep my metabolism kicking over and so I don’t get cravings. Forward planning is crucial when dieting, knowing what you are going to eat and when takes any of the stress out of dieting and means you can look forward to enjoying delicious, fresh meals. I love steak, and this week I treated myself to a steak, with green vegetables and spinach and mushrooms cooked in low fat natural yoghurt! Lean beef is really high in protein and great fuel for your body!
So here are three top tips for making your calories go further:
1. Stick to water –
I never drink anything else, not soft drinks (even sugar free) as they can often bloat you or actually make you crave sugar. Also when I am hungry I always drink a glass and wait for around 15 to 20 minutes as sometimes when we think we are hungry, it’s actually that we are thirsty. Give it a go – I am sure you’ll be surprised!
2. Reduce the amount of carbs you’re eating –
Starchy, white carbohydrates like bread, pasta, rice are delicious but they are also problematic when it comes to dieting. When we eat carbohydrates our bodies break the food down into different components. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, a sugar , which our bodies use for fuel. When we eat large amounts of carbohydrates and do not use the glucose for energy our bodies then store this as fat. There are two ways I reduce the chances of this happening: eating whole grains and getting creative in the kitchen!
Whole grains like brown pasta and rice are great as they take longer for our bodies to break down and keep us fuller for longer. Getting creative in reducing your carbs may sounds challenging, but it’s actually really fun! This week I made a delicious bolognese which I ate for a few days, I cooked penne pasta but reduced the amount of pasta I would normally have and sliced green beans to be the same size as the pasta. I was really delicious, filling and much lower in calories than a usual bolognese.
3. Give it a PUNCH of flavour –
This is my final tip, if you are reducing the amount of calories your eating then you need to make sure that every single thing that passes your lips it nutritious, but more importantly DELICIOUS! Adding herbs and spices to meals is a top tip, I love going to the spice section in my local super market and raiding the shelves for new spices and herbs. Always check that there is no added salt, and then you can use these when you’re fasting too!
Next week I’ll update my weight loss and share more about my exercise routine with you. If there is anything else you’d like to know about Fast Focus or if you’ve got a recipe suggestion that I should try then leave me a comment – I’d love to try them! Also you can add me on Facebook and I’ll see you in Secret Slimmers & Momentum Maintainers!
Charlie x
