No Junk July!

Oh how I need this! I am joining with the incredible LIZ from Lastchancetraining.com.au in a challenge for this month ... NO JUNK JULY!

As always - I am claiming participation NOT perfection! I am starting day TWO due to hearing about it far too late to undo the damage of a weekend away at the Gold Coast for the Gold Coast marathon series.

As soon as I read Liz's blog post I was IN! Aiming for a month of clean eating - but also environmentally sustainable food where possible! What's to lose!

The last few weeks of pregnancy I haven't been eating as well as I have wanted. And I'm feeling it.

But there is nothing like a few days away eating out to get me back on track. It makes me CRAVE fruit and veges like a woman possessed!!!


So I'm in! Are you? Check in with Liz at www.lastchancetraining.com
Leave me a comment here or on facebook to let me know you are in too!

And use the hashtag on twitter #Nojunkjuly so we can find your posts!

THIS was my lunch today. Salad, salad, salad, sustainably fished tuna, and a peppermint and red raspberry leaf tea. (yep it's 3rd trimester)

After devouring winter strawberries for morning tea, and home baked whole meal toast for breakfast I'm feeling good.

#Nojunkjuly ! Don't let bad winter habits take hold!

Coming clean ...

If there is one thing 12wbt has taught me ... it is all about the nutrition.
Eat clean - you will get results.
Eat crap - you will feel crap, look crap and get stuff all results to talk about.

Plain and simple - food is THE most important part of the program.

Well - I am coming to realise ... that my nutrition has slipped way below the standard I would expect of myself, and I am feeling the results of the bad choices I am making.

Yes I am pregnant. Yes I am meant to be gaining weight. And I am fine with that. But it is more than that. I feel sluggish. Bloated. My body is not happy with the balance that is going in.

Right now, as Mish would say ... is when I need to be focussing on OPTIMAL nutrition! After all - my body is growing another human being ! And on top of that it is still working and training! It is amazing!

So once again - the line in the sand is drawn. I will be accountable.

I am going to eat clean, focus on my nutrition, and to stay accountable I will blog this week how I am going.

Mish's eating plans rock. But right now - I am simplifying them.
Why? Because there are foods right now that turn my stomach. There are foods I couldn't force my body to eat if I tried. And from time to time the nausea is still making some foods impossible.

I have spent the night printing my favourite of Mish's recipes. The ones that fit our lifestyle, our tastes and are time and pregnancy friendly. I have planned for success and I expect to succeed.

How is your nutrition this week? If you are firing - AWESOME! Tell us how you feel!

If you are struggling . Stop. You know what to do. Draw the line. And get results.

Kath xxx

(BTW - although I will share what I eat, and probably photos too - I will not share recipes! This is Mish's program and I love it and believe in it! It works as a package - nutrition, fitness and mindset. I respect Mish and her work.)

Finding the gaps

Source - pinterest.com

My nutrition is pretty good. At least I think so. I eat well. I eat whole foods. I focus on foods that will nourish my body.

But right now - my weight loss is sllloooooooow , (if at all!)

I'm training hard. Really hard. I currently have bruises from yesterday's PT.

Which means- somewhere - somehow things have been slipping into my diet that should't have .

I love the above quote. Your body keeps an accurate food journal regardless of what you write down.

It is so so true.

Weight loss cannot happen if your diet is wrong. You cannot outtrain bad food choices.

So I'm going back to basics.
I know where the extras are slipping in - late afternoon and evening snacks.

I've been "guessing" the damage - but now it's time to change my guesses into accurate figures.

I've started tracking again - with myfitnesspal.

Anyone else joining me?

I'll be interested to see how the scales reflect my honesty this week

Father's day breakfast ... By miss 6

For those starting 12wbt next week , and worried about the food being boring or missing out ... Do not fear!

Miss 6 made pancakes for daddy's fathers day breakfast this morning!

The only adaptation we made was to use gluten free flour as daddy is coeliac.
Oh and Miss 6 put toppings on of here choosing.

12wbt buttermilk pancakes! So yum!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My go to lunch out

No matter how well I prepare sometimes I have to (or want to) have lunch out. I have two favourites ... both which keep my calories in line One is what I had today ... doesn't it look amazing! Nandos mediteranean salad with chicken ... fabulous for after personal training today as it had a lot of vegies and a good amount of protein. My other standby ... subway 6 inch turkey sub. whole wheat bread. all the salads. No cheese, dressing or salt. YUM! What are your favourite lunches on the go?

A simple tip that makes pre cooking meals easier

Buy a labeller. Then when you cook meals to freeze, you can label it with the meal, the calorie count and anything else you need to add to the meal after reheating. Makes it all so simple.
By the way - the minestrone is great!

Some favourite snack ideas!

I keep hearing this over and over... what do you snack on ??

Well - I snack on fruit. A lot. And vege sticks. And the odd skinny cappucino. (OK more than odd!)

However when people ask me this question I think they mean more pre packed convenience type food ... so here are some of my faves! Hope there is something here you will enjoy! I think most of them are under the 100cal mark (or pretty close) cause I like to have 3x100cal snacks a day instead of 2x150. Just works better for me.

#1 Craving something cold? Something sweet? Frozen berries are incredible! They are sweet enough to take the craving away - and full of antioxidants! Also try freezing bananas and eating them frozen (I have half at a time) ... they taste like icecream!



#2 Protein. Especially after a hard workout day. This is quick, easy and full of protein and fibre. (and we need fibre!) Baked beans in the small snack can. I just eat them cold. They are so filling. Get the lowest salt ones you can.





#3 - OK not low in salt. These are my stand by for PMS time when I crave something salty. Roasted chickpeas aka chicknuts. Find them in your health food aisle! Fibre, protein and yum!







#4 My nightly treat. Every night I have a Jarrah Hot chocolate. Under 50 calories and YUM! My little bit of luxury for the day :)











#6 - We have chooks so we have an abundance of eggs. Boil some eggs and have them with salad, or for a snack. So good for you. And protein to help your muscles repair.







#7 - I wanted a muesli bar to keep in my handbag. These are the best I could find at around 100cal per serve, LOTS of fibre, and yummy!





#8 These are my favourite yogurts. Maybe it is a marketing ploy but with the extra fibre I do find them more filling. Since I struggle with my dairy I try to have these from time to time.






There you go ... the snack ideas I actually have in my house right now. I'll post more as I think of them! Hope they help!

Countdown to Round 1 ... some tips about food!

Food seems to stress people. It isn't hard. You just need to be organised. These are a few tips that have worked for me!

• You ARE going to want to catch up with friends! Go now and work out the calories of a skinny chinno so you are ready! Having just coffee is always acceptable! Be prepared! And if you don't want to spend the calories on the catch up ... peppermint tea is delicious and just as social!


• That said ... why not meet up for a "talk and walk" rather than a coffee ... lots of fun and bonus calories burned


• You are going to have nights when you do NOT have time to cook. What are you going to do? What is the solution? Does everyone in the family agree? We have some meals frozen ... but an omlette is our go to no time to cook meal. Work it out NOW. Don't be caught short!


• Water. You need water. Take it everywhere. If you are hungry drink first. You are going to be training so you NEED to drink more! Buy a fun water bottle and never be without it!


• You ARE going to have days when you don't think you have time for breakfast. That is ROT. You need breakfast more than ever. Pack a tupperware container with a serve of cereal in your work desk and flog some milk from the tea room at work. Eat breakfast every day. It doesn't have to be elaborate but you NEED the energy to train!


• Oh and work out an easy breakfast that fits in your calorie count and have the ingredients at home ALL the time. Special k , banana and skim milk has gotten me through many a morning!


• You ARE going to have to eat lunch out occasionally. Go now and work out your go to meal. Some days you don't have time to think or calculate. (I have a 6 inch subway sub on wheat - turkey - all the salads no cheese, sauce or salt - that's under 300cal and fills me! With WATER not coke remember!)


• Some days you will be caught out and hungry ... pack a calorie counted snack in your handbag now. Or get in the habit of never leaving home without a piece of fruit!


• Decide now what you will do about alcohol. Alcohol will destroy your weight loss efforts in a heart beat. For me ... I won't drink the whole 12 weeks. I get much better results, train much better the next day ... and I like to show myself that I don't need it from time to time


• When you are strong and know you won't be tempted go have a look at the food labels of some of your fave foods. Check out the calorie count. Check out what you get for those calories. See how much they are ripping you off! It can be a real eye opener to see what you used to put in your body!


• Whenever you can add a huge handful of salad greens to a meal. I even snack on them. They are practically no calories, fill you up, and also help keep you regular ;) *disclaimer - nurses are obsessed with regularity** Plus they are so full of folate and goodness ... remember the darker green the better!


• Above all have fun and be creative! This is how you are going to eat FOREVER! No way should it be boring!

How to find real food at the supermarket

With thanks to summertomato.com and their permission to share on blogs!
This rocks!

Could be renamed a 12wbt er's guide to the supermarket!

(click to enlarge!)

Getting organized!

The #1 excuse people use when it comes to avoiding eating well and keeping fit is not being organized. Today I managed to tackle a job I have avoided for a long time.

We have a large upright freezer that we use for most frozen goods, but over time the smaller freezer had become a cluttered mish mash of bits and pieces. Today I got into it, and made it a space that will make my journey easier.







Not having time is now an excuse of the past. I have meals frozen, easy to see and quick to grab, frozen fish for a quick meal, berries to add to yogurt, or smoothies and frozen veggies as a quick addition to any meal. I also have pita breads frozen for quick mini pizzas for an easy lunch.

Feels much better!!

( next step ... The big freezer!)