Rambley boring foodie personal post ahoy! This last week hasn’t been great for me food wise. I went to Sheffield last weekend and indulged in some delicious grub of the greasy and cheesy variety; it has ruined me. After that I was pretty run down with the flu and food was my only comfort; suffice to say this week I will definitely not have lost anything on weigh in day. It hasn’t all been fun and games though: I’ve had a bad tummy ever since and have felt really sick and bloated, so this week I am cracking down on myself and my self-control. My main issue is that I love food, I love to taste new things and am a real fan of strong flavours so whatever I whip up, it has to be packed full of flavour. I’m treating this week as something of a detox week, keeping it very simple and clean but still tasty. I’m not an expert by any stretch of the imagination so don’t take what I say and run with it, this is just my experience of what works for me and you should only do the same at your own risk.

From what I’ve gathered on my weight loss journey, although it might not make sense to eat a lot during the day but still lose weight, I think I’ve cracked the Slimming World/Weight Watchers secret. The key to still getting to eat the foods that you love such as pasta, bread and cheese is to eat twice as much in fresh fruits and vegetables. I don’t mean literally stuff yourself silly but if you want to indulge in a breakfast butty or a chocolate bar, just make sure you’ve had more than your fair share of veggies first and that you’re not reaching for those foods out of desperation and hunger. If you WANT to treat yourself then do it, just be aware that is IS just a treat and shouldn’t be made a part of your everyday routine. I also think there’s a little bit of science at play here too, it’s a well-known fact that fruit and vegetables make your stools looser and more regular, I think all the fruit and veg keeps things moving in your digestive system and stops things just sitting and festering in your colon. In keeping with this, I try and demolish a bag full of carrot batons at my desk each day after my morning porridge and fruit, I find that this stops me from eating as much throughout the day but it does make me a little bloated.

For lunch this week I plan on eating soup every day. There’s this fabulous Asian chicken broth that Marks and Spencers do and it’s full of shredded carrots, bean sprouts and edamame while boasting a delicious umami garlicky flavour, this has been my saviour whilst getting over my fluey cough. I even add tabasco sauce for an extra kick and to get my metabolism going that little bit more, it also helps to blow the cobwebs away when you’re feeling groggy. Another huge advantage to this soup is that it is only 8 points on Weight Watchers for a big tub of it which definitely helps me out on my ever dwindling points allowance. If I’m not feeling a liquid lunch I often have quorn chicken pieces/VBites Mock Duck and some smokey spiced rice with olives and a dollop of vegan cream cheese (it’s much better for you and lower in points). That way 2 out of 3 meals (sometimes all) in the day are vegan, which makes me feel like I’m making a slight difference in animal welfare while nourishing my body with the right foods. I know all the full time vegans out there are probably sighing and rolling their eyes, but bear with me please – I am working on it.

I’ll also be drinking four Bobble bottles worth of water each day as I’ve not been hydrating myself as much as I should be. My skin looks so much better when I’m well hydrated and as someone who often gets UTIs drinking good amounts of the clear stuff keeps me peeing regularly. Tea is a godsend when trying to cut out the good stuff! Not the kind that you pile spoonfuls of sugar and glugs of milk into though, I mean herbal or fruit teas that boost your senses and invigorate you on those foggy cold mornings. Yogi Tea have this great mate lemon and green tea Snack Tea that claims to stave off hunger pangs and cravings and I’ve found it to be quite effective for me personally. I love a good spicy chai tea when the weather is cold and you want to keep sweet cravings at bay – a little squeeze of Agave nectar brings out the flavours really nicely while keeping refined ingredients to a minimum.

Dinnertime is the trickiest one for me to keep simple and detox-y as I’m still eating my main meals at home while in the process of moving out so I eat whatever my family eats. Although interested in maintaining healthy lifestyles, they aren’t as concerned with animal welfare in the farming industry as I am and don’t necessarily buy ethically – although with my brother living back with us again I’m getting some real top notch dinners (he’s a chef!). It will usually be something tasty and filling like a beef or vegetable stew with rice, spaghetti Bolognese or grilled chicken and Mediterranean vegetables. I can’t control which ingredients are used in my evening meal as it’s very kindly prepared for me by the time I get home from work so as a contingency plan I put most of my efforts into breakfast, lunch and snacking while taking a guess at what is in my dinners. Obviously if something extremely fatty was being served for dinner I would have to work twice as hard the next day or even just make myself some beans on toast or a baked potato.

So there’s my plan guys. This was kind of a boring one but I had to get it out in words so thanks for reading! Do let me know if there are any little hints and tips that you’d like to share to help me boost my weight loss and flush all the nasties out.