Fresh Focus: Charlie’s 5:2 Diet Plan Blog – week 3

Welcome back to week 3 of my Fresh Focus blog, and I have lost another 2lbs on our 5:2 diet! I am absolutely ecstatic, I am feeling so good about my weight loss. I’ve really started to look at myself in a different light. I have struggled with my weight throughout my teenage years until now, I have never felt truly comfortable in my own skin, and I really feel like I am beginning to see the light, as dramatic as that sounds. I suffer from Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) which is an anxiety disorder in which you become negatively fixated on your appearance, this is something which I tackle on a daily basis. For me being able to be in control of my weight and changing my mindset to food and exercise has been working wonders for me. I am feeling far less phased, especially since finishing my mindfulness course, which I would recommend to EVERYONE!

Last weekend I went to Donegal, which is on the west coast of Ireland, as I felt that I needed a little bit of a break. I had some delicious and healthy food when I was away which I thought I would share with you. On my Fresh Focus days I often use New You Plan products as they are so delicious and also really good ketogenic foods. This week I had our Exquisite Maple Syrup pancakes with fresh raspberries and 0% natural yoghurt, it was so delicious and it felt like such a treat but the whole portion was less than 250kcals.

I know that a lot of you who may read my blogs follow our Fast Focus plan so I want to keep you up to date with what I eat on my fasting days. This week I tried a delicious new recipe which I saw on Secret Slimmers. I don’t know how to describe it but I took our Spicy Noodle Nosh and Country Cottage Pie and combined the two in a pyrex dish and baked this in the oven. It was so delicious and is definitely one of my new favourites! 

My Exercise routine – Time to feel the burn!

This week I have really stepped up on the exercise front, I have so much more energy and more get up and go. I have found that even in the last two weeks I have been sleeping much better and have been feeling more focused.

I wanted to share with you a few apps that I use on a regular basis to help with my exercise routine. I started running last year and managed my first 5k in August, I had never been able to run until I started using the Couch to 5k app. This app breaks you into running using interval training and after 8 week I was able to run a 5k without stopping – I was so amazed!

Secondly I use also use the 30 Day Squat challenge app, there are several variations so you can find an exercise that will be of benefit to you. I have really enjoyed the squat challenge and this has been really good for toning my legs. Each day it sets you a new challenge and you can tick off that you’ve completed it. Visually it’s great to see your progress.

The final app I use is called Seven, this app gives you a workout that you can complete in 7 minutes in the comfort of your own home without any equipment. It walks you through each exercise and tells you how long you should be doing it for. These are high intensity interval training (HIIT) which means you give it everything you’ve got for 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds. This is a really great way to work out as it has a positive effect on your metabolism for hours after you’ve worked out.

My Progress on our 5:2 Diet plan

I also wanted to show you a before and after photo of my progress on The New You Plan since starting the plan on September 21st I have lost 29lbs, which to me is incredible. I have never been able to stick to diets in the past and have never maintained my weight loss. I had to stop the Fast Focus plan after 2 weeks as I was poorly however I did continue to loss weight as my mindset to food and portion control had completely changed.

When I started the plan my BMI was 30.2, and my waist measurement was 31 inches. Today my BMI is 25.3 and my waist measures 26 inches.

This is the first time that I can say I feel proud of what I have achieved and how far I have come, I know I am not 100% at goal but I know have the power and the diet to get me to where I want to be. My goal of losing another stone feels achievable and I am so grateful that I know I have the support to get there.

Next week I’ll update my weight loss and share my 4 week review of the Fresh Focus Plan.  If there is anything else you’d like to know about Fresh 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