RECIPE: Chick peas and 2 Beans soup

Ingredients 

• Chicken (skin removed: any part)
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 1 cup cooked soya beans
• 1 cup cooked kidney beans
• 2 small potatoes (cut in cubes)
• Coconut milk
• Black pepper
• Salt
• Spring onions
• Garlic
• Curry (1 tbsp)
• Thyme (1 tbsp)
• 2 red bell pepper
• Carrot (optional)

Direction 
In a pot put the chicken and add  soya beans, kidney beans, chick peas, black or hot pepper, salt, thyme, garlic and potatoes and pour in 1 cup of water. Allow to cook for 15 mins then pour in the coconut milk and cook until chicken is tender. Add water if there are less in the pot then add the curry and cook for more 5 mins, lastly, add the spring onions, bell pepper or any other vegetable you want.
Ready to serve

UPDATE:Struggling!!!Muscle strain / Week #4 Weigh in

Last week was terrible, I struggled with my exercise because I had muscle strain in both thighs. Am getting better and will improve on my workouts.
I weighed in today and the scale says: 153.2 lbs / 69.5 kg
previous weigh in: 154.2 lbs / 69.9 kg
weigh loss: 1 lbs
Its better that seeing that scale go up.

This week's goal is :

• Workout 1 hr daily (Insanity + strength training)
• Crunch out the tummy 
• Squat out that butt (300 squat and shoulder press daily)
• Move up from 3 kg dumbbell to 4.5 kg dumbbell
• Increase my protein intake to 70 g per day
• Eat more fruits and veg
• Control my cravings (time of the month thing)

TIP:It Could Be SALT

Many popular diets these days advise that in addition to reducing calories and increasing exercise you should reduce or even eliminate sodium from your diet. Excess sodium causes fluid retention, which manifests itself in the form is excess weight.  While reducing calories and exercising will ultimately result in fat loss, eliminating or significantly reducing your sodium or salt intake will result in a temporary loss of water weight.

So how much of salt/sodium do you need
For adults and children over four years of age the FDA recommends no less than 500 mg per day,
far less than what the average adult consumes. 2400 mg of sodium per day is optimal.


3 Main Sources of Sodium

• The table salt we add to our food (there are 2300 mg sodium in 1 tsp of salt)
• Natural ones in foods like meat, dairy products and vegetables
• From commercial food processing. Most of the sodium we consume comes from commercially processed food, which can include canned foods, lunch meats, sodas and condiments such as soy sauce. A fast food meal can contain over 1,000 mg of sodium. 

Ways to Reduce Your Sodium Intake 

• Relaxing: Stress causes you to crave salty, fat-laden foods.
• Read food labels for sodium content.  Sodium can hide in processed foods in the form of monosodium glutamate, baking powder, baking soda, disodium phosphate, sodium alginate, sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite.
• Eat fresh, unprocessed foods.
• Put away the salt shaker or fill it with a salt-free seasoning.
• Use sodium-rich condiments sparingly.
• Keep a steady flow of fluids in and out of the body to keep your metabolism moving.
• Stay away from fast foods!
• So-called diet foods touted as “healthy” may actually be very high in sodium.

Another factor to consider when discussing the effects of sodium as it relates to dieting, is that the kidneys have to work harder to filter high amounts of salt, and the liver, which normally functions to convert fat into energy, has to work to back up the kidneys. If your liver is busy helping your kidneys, your metabolism may slow down; therefore, you will not burn as much fat as you would otherwise.

Does Sodium Affect Weight Loss?
By cutting out the sodium you can initially expect to lose 1 to 2 pounds, depending on your body size. But once you reintroduce the sodium, some or all of the water weight will return. While reducing your sodium intake is a major factor in maintaining metabolism and eliminating water weight, reducing calories, exercising, and drinking plenty of water will still be your best strategy for long-term weight loss.

Source: 3 fat chicks

PHOTO: Finally Me @ 140 kg/308 lbs :(

I have hidden this picture for long, but I think its time you see it. The picture on the left is me at 140 kg and the one on the right is me at 72 kg, well now am 69.9 kg still moving forward. The truth is that this pictures still amazes me, in fact the whole thing seems like a movie to me but I definitely feel lighter, healthier, better and happier.

Fitness Blender: Hurts So Good

I’m always looking for new, more effective workout to do at home and also get successful result. I don't gym so am constantly looking to add to my daily workout routine. A typical routine for me includes skipping, lots of push-up, crunch variations, insanity, strength training and this new “fitness blender 1000 calorie workout at home” will be a nice addition.  This workout gets every part of your body, you will feel the burns and pain if you do it properly. According to Fitness blender, you can also lose 16-24 lbs in two short months with their first 8 Week Fat Loss Program to Lose Weight & Tone Up Fast that uses our free workout VIDEO. Continue below for the 1000 calorie burn home workout video....

I did this in the morning and the hurt feels sooooo good. This is one of those workouts that you feel so happy even though it hurts. Try it out

Healthy Tip: Chicken Stock

Ingredients

2 kg raw chicken (chopped to any size)
6 cloves of garlic, unpeeled and chopped
5 sticks celery, roughly chopped
2 medium leeks, roughly chopped
2 medium onions, roughly chopped

2 large carrots, roughly chopped
3 bay leaves
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
5 sprigs of fresh parsley
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
Black pepper
Salt
6 liters cold water


Method
Place the chicken, garlic, vegetables, herbs, salt and pepper in a large, deep-bottomed pan. Add the cold water and bring to the boil, skim, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Continue to simmer gently for 2-3 hours, skimming as necessary, then pass the stock through a fine sieve. Allow to cool for about half an hour in the refrigerate not freezer.
TIP
Once the stock is cold it should look clear and slightly yellowish or amber in color. That yellowish or amber color is the chicken fat/oil, use a spoon and gently remove the top yellowish/amber color leaving behind the real stock. This will help reduce the fat in the stock.

It can be kept in the fridge for about 5 days and in the freezer for 2-3 months.

Weigh in Week #3

Since January 1st the scale has refused to move although inches are coming off. Well I worked my butt out with insanity and strength training for 5 to 6 times a week. I also added skipping to the workout, my first love (lol). As for my meals, am still eating healthy and the best news is that my cousin and aunt are now on the weight loss journey. Preparing my meal ahead has helped me stick to my healthy eating, when I want to snack, I eat carrot with chickpeas hummus.....one word DELISH....
Back to the topic of the post, I weighed in this morning and here's what the scale said.............
Previous weight: 157.8 lbs/71.5 kg
Today's weight: 154.2 lbs/69.9 kg
Loss: 3.6 lbs/1.6 kg

UPDATE and RECIPE: Healthy Oat Bar

Saturday was a lazy day for me, it was kind of up and down.I wasn't in the mood to workout and it was seriously cold. I just can't be bothered. All I wanted was breakfast in bed with a nice cup of hot green tea but that ain't happening. Well I managed to do my chores and landed back on my bed.
I was sooo tired that I didn't mind not eating at all. Strange but that was how i felt all through Saturday. I didn't workout because it was my rest day, the body need to get some rest from all the workouts i did during the week.

Today which is Sunday has been good although the weather is very bad. I managed to go shopping and here is a list of what I got :

• Porridge oat: just natural oat that we know
• Oat bran: 
• Natural Soya Mince: is protein (to increase my protein intake too) 
• Omega Sprinkles: is a tasty combination of 5 seeds providing a rich, nutty flavour. This sprinkle can be added to muesli, yogurts  salads or used as a topping for breads and savoury biscuits to add nutritional value to everyday foods.

I bought these for my mainly for my breakfast and to increase my fiber intake. There are two ways I use these, I use them in baking or eating i.e putting them in my meals. So I decided to make some healthy oat bars. I incorportated 1 cup of all these from my list, added little honey and 1 tbsp butter  and vanilla then baked them.

Final product

This handy as snack or breakfast if am on the go or tired of making a bowl of oat. it is packed with nuts, seeds, fiber and protein. What more can I ask for in a breakfast. Tomorrow is my weigh in day, hopefully the scale will move .....lol

Recipe: Natural Banana Pancake

The truth is that I hate not dislike, I hate banana, the texture, the feeling while eating it, is disgusting but this morning I woke up yesterday with banana ringing in my head. Maybe cause there are some in the house, I really can't explain why am thinking about it. Why can't I just think about orange or something else, why banana. One thing is clear, I wasn't going to eat the banana like that. PING....my brain starting thinking of what to incorporate with the banana just to avoid eating it like that. I thought about making pancake with it considering its being a while i had those but am not feeling like having Oat or flour for the pancake. I thought to myself, why not make pancake with just egg and banana........hmmmmm that might be interesting. So I decided to try it out and see
how it goes.
Ingredients

• 1 egg white (17 cal)
• 1 whole egg (74 cal)       (you can use 2 whole egg)
• 1/2 banana (60 cal)    ( you can use 1 banana)
• vanilla (a drop: optional)
• 1 tbsp olive oil (120 cal) or coconut oil

Preparation

• In a bowl  mash the banana and add eggs and vanilla and mix properly. 
• Then spray your pan with some olive oil on low to medium heat
• Scoop some of the mixture on there, give it about 20-30 sec, flip, and done 
• Serve and enjoy

Lovely, lovely and lovely for a no flour, low calorie and easy pancake

Total calories: 271 divide it by 10 pancakes 

1 pancake is 27.1calories

sorry they finished it b4 i could take a picture

Recipe: Healthy and Easy Cookie

Just like the banana pancake, this is very easy to make and its delish.......


Ingredients

• 1/2 banana (60 cal)
• 1/2 cup dry oat (145 cal)
• Raisins or any nut of your choice 

Preparation

• Preheat your oven to 180 C or 350 F
• Mash banana in a bowl and add the dry oat
• Mix together then scoop the mixture in a cookie sheet or lined baking pan
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until its golden in color, be careful so it doesn't burn.
• Allow to cool down and enjoy a delicious healthy cookie

Total calorie: 205 divided by 8 

1 cookie contains 25.6 calories 

Compared to supermarket cookies 

Believe What U Want

It's a pity and sad that some people are in denial that weight loss can be done naturally. Well that is totally their business cause "I don't care". Apparently, someone saw my before and after picture and goes like: no way, she used pills. Oh like really.....you sold me the pills. Please buy the pill and lose weight if its that easy.
The point is your opinion is entirely yours, It doesn't change the fact that I have naturally and
proudly lost 68 kg in 2 years. Let me tell you what it takes:

• Motivation
• Determination
• Patience
• Good attitude
• Workouts 
• Healthy eating
• Change in lifestyle
• Support system
• Willingness to get up when you fail

You sit there and talk about pills while others are taking charge of their life by changing to a healthier lifestyle. 

According to Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these diet pills may contain dangerous toxins that could result in detrimental harm to your liver and heart. Diet pills are not approved for a reason people!!! If there were a drug that did as these products promise, everyone would know about it! These products may help you lose weight initially, but the weight quickly comes back on and in many cases brings with it a few extra pounds.

So the moral of the story is, there is no diet pill out there that is worth trying. They do more damage to your body (and you pocketbook) than good. Turn to natural solutions to weight loss and management, which is the only sure-fire way to take it off and keep it off!

Open your eyes and read well and do your research......

Recipe: Honey and Lemon Baked Chicken

I made this last week for the family but I will be giving out the recipe for 2 people.
Ingredients

• 2 chicken breast (skin off)
• 1 tbsp honey
• Salt 
• Pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• Sliced onion
• 1/2 lemon

Preparation

• Preheat the oven at 190 C
• In a bowl squeeze the lemon, stir in honey, salt (pinch), pepper, crushed garlic and onions. 
• Put the chicken in the mixture, make sure the mixture covers the chicken then set aside for 20 mins.
• Roast the chicken breasts in a baking dish, uncovered for 40-45 minutes in a preheated oven. Cook until done and richly glazed. To check if its done, poke the chicken with your finger, if it's still a bit soft, then its undone and give more time.

Serve with roasted sweet potatoes and salad.

Recipe: Veggy Bites

Veggy Bite

I was very hungry on monday afternoon and there wasn't any snack to eat so my mind decided to make up something healthy but tasty at the same time. I opened the fridge and I saw courgette, carrot, onions and egg...then it hit me......they were going like PICK ME...pick me...pick me. At
first I wanted to pick the carrot but no, I got courgette and other stuffs.
Note: 

Courgette is the British, and particularly the New Zealand, name for zucchinis. People in the UK may refer to it as marrows. Zucchinis come in many shapes and a few different colors. People are likely most familiar with those that are long green oblongs, resembling a cucumber.

So out of what i picked out, I decided to make veggy bites (well I called it that).

Ingredients
2 courgette grated (you can substitute this with carrot or cucumber)

• Note: Grate the courgette or carrot or cucumber then place in a dry clean towel to squeeze out the excess water. If you skip this part, the center of the veggy bite will be very soggy while the outside gets crispy, believe me that's really not appealing.

2 whole egg
1/2  onion diced
2 tbsps fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Salt
Pepper
1 tbsp olive oil


Preparation

• Preheat oven to 204C. 
• Oil the baking pan and set aside.
• Grate the courgette or carrot or cucumber and then place in a clean  towel to squeeze out the excess water, if you skip this part, the center of the veggy bite will be very soggy.
• In a bowl combine, the egg, onion,courgette or carrot or cucumber, salt, pepper and parsley (optional).
• Using a spoon fill the baking pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the top is set and brown. 

Then cut and enjoy
Another idea: you can mix carrot and cucumber or courgette

Get Off Your ...........BUM

Its surprising now some people thinks that weight loss is a quick fix, of cause there are fad diets but the reality is that they don't last. From the start of my weight loss journey, I have had struggles, set backs, days when I don't feel like working out or days when I eat what am not suppose to eat but I have always known the truth, that losing weight is not easy. For someone that has loss 68 kg believe me, I know.
I don't see what am doing as a diet, its more like eating healthy, changing my eating habit one day
at a time. I noticed that each time I try out any diet plan, I fail at it. Don't tell me what to eat, I just want to eat what I love. If its pie, it will be a healthy version of pie but tasty as well. I can't live on salad for the rest of my life, so please don't introduce me to your kind of DIET. I remember trying out warrior diet, it was okay at first but my moods were way out of this world.

This part that i have chosen (i.e to eat right), I will do it for the rest of my life. It is important for others trying to lose weight to understand that the only way to a successful weight loss and maintenance is balance. If all you eat to lose weight is salad and green tea, how long will you live on that.
I have said this in my previous post and will continue, how did I do it? how are my doing it? what tools have used or using? I get emails with questions on how to lose weight and keep it off. Let me tell you what i have done, what am doing and tools I am using or have used. Active, active and active.......... An active lifestyle makes it easier. Writing down what I eat has enable me balance my relationship with food. Being active has really helped me, am stronger now (yap yap yap), thing i wouldn't think about doing in the past, now i can and even more. I am in the better shape than I have ever being. Any day I exercise, I feel so fresh and  energized.
I workout 4 to 5 times weekly, some days are 1 hour intense workout and others are 20 to 30 minutes. Initially I could only skip and take walks, but now I do lots of workout like jogging, strength training, intense cardio, insanity and longer walks. Its important to find out what works for you and push yourself. Sometimes when you feel you can't, that's when you are stronger to push even harder.
I did not use any form of medication, pill or slim tea to enable me lose weight. I come across those that swear by weight loss pills but I will never subscribe to it. If you are using, fine but personally am not interested. Nothing much to preach about it, its all about choice.
I stood all through yesterday, cooking and baking because we had visitors over, and in an African house, its all about food, food, and food when people are coming over. We just love to eat together. Temptation was everywhere, I needed rescue and thanks to my wonderful buddies Rala and Harriet (power puff girls ...lolz) I conquered.

Midnight Craving

For the past one week I have been craving high sugar snacks at night. The other night it was so bad that I had 3 pieces of biscuit (not so healthy biscuit) the next morning i had to dispose of the biscuit. Temptations lying around everywhere. On a normal day am not moved by any snack but since last week its been weird and strange. I have not experience this kind of craving since i started my journey but I will conquer it.
The truth is that these cravings are very irritating. I tried to find out why i recently started craving
and one reason is skipping meal.....no lies, since 1st Jan i do sometimes forget meals and try to make up my calories later in the day.
Here are some steps am taking to stop these cravings:

• Avoid skipping meals
• Eat more vegetable and fruits 
• Avoid buying snacks that I don't need
• Buy more healthy snacks
• Chew sugar free gum 
• I drink more water
• Keep food journal   

Practically am done

Yes, am done eating canned foods. I love my can tuna, kidney beans and chick peas but as of today am giving them all up for fresh ones. At least i will be sure of what am eating and the amount of salt involved.

Other update:
Am doing insanity workout for 30 days then maybe extend it to 60 days.......its as hard as it can get and crazy as the name insanity, it makes you sweat till you drop. My fitness level has improved although the weight isn't coming off  but am dropping inches.

Weekly goal:
My weekly goal is to stick to insanity workout and 20 minutes strength training. Eat more protein, less carb, good fat, more fiber and better sleep. I will like to lose at least 2 lbs weekly.