Day 21

Lunch - 298 calories

1 Itsu Salmon and Avocado Midi-box - 242 calories
Half a Banana - 56 calories

Dinner - 219 calories

Ham, Courgette and Aubergine Bake
   - 130 grams of Aubergine (26 calories)
   - 150 grams of Courgettes (30 calories) 
   - 3 slices of Wafer-thin Ham (33 calories) 
   - Homemade Tomato and Onion Sauce (90 calories)
   - 10 grams of Parmesan (40 calories)

Grand Total - 517 calories (Ooops! This is what being inventive for lunch gets you...)

Exercise - 60-minute Personal Trainer session

And how did it go?

This is one of the biggest meals I had on a fast day, probably only behind the Full English Breakfast on Day 8. Dead easy to make and allows for all sorts of combination. I first made a simple tomato sauce with Italian Passata (160 calories), 150 grams of Onion (63 calories), Vegetable Stock Pot (35 calories) and Italian Herbs and divided it in 3 portions, saving 2 of those for future fast days. 

Next, I took a pie dish and covered the bottom with a thin layer of the tomato sauce. I then added a layer of grilled aubergines, followed by some more of the sauce and shredded ham, and then a layer of courgettes, sauce, ham and so on. On top of the last layer of tomato sauce, I sprinkled 10 grams of Parmesan and put it in the oven (pre-heated to 160) for around half an hour. Let it cool a bit before eating, the last thing we need on a fast day is a burnt tongue.

Day 20

Lunch - 210 calories

1 Itsu Tuna & Salmon Junior box - 165 calories
1 small pot of Miso Soup - 45 calories

Dinner - 280 calories
1 Cod Melt in the Middle Fishcake - 265 calories
30 grams of Salad - 5 calories
10 mls of Balsamic Vinegar - 10 calories
1 Lemon Wedge - 2 calories

Grand Total - 490 calories 

And how did it go?

I was feeling adventurous today and instead of the usual sushi box, I got myself a Nigiri box instead! Boy, I was clearly thinking out of the box today, han? It's not my fault that Itsu has such 5:2-friendly boxes that allow me to eat a bit more in the evening.

I have mostly cooked dinner from scratch on fast days, but since I had packing to do and a million different little details to tend to before I went to bed, I succumbed to the power of the ready meal. Plus, I quite fancied fishcakes today and after becoming traumatised by  a very disastrous first attempt at making homemade ones a long time ago, I have bought them ready ever since. Not the healthiest of options, but not so bad either.

I have to admit that this miserable day of this bloody interminable winter made me crave for comfort food and it has taken a lot of will power - and the promise of a mini-break tomorrow - to stop me from eating all sorts of food. I am not hungry, but I am definitely fantasizing about pasta today. A lot. Carbonara and Funghi to be more specific. Sweet dreams for me!

Day 16

Brunch - 211 calories

1 Itsu Spicy Tuna Maki box - 151 calories
Half a pot of Itsu Miso Soup - 60 calories

Dinner - 287 calories

Mushroom Risotto - 
   - 100 grams of Mushrooms (16 calories) 
   - 50 grams of Onions - (21calories)
   - 40 grams of Basmati Rice, uncooked (163 calories)   
   - 13 grams of Parmesan (52 calories)
   - 350mls of Chicken Stock (35 calories)

Grand Total - 498 calories

Exercise - 40 minutes Personal Trainer session

And how did it go?

After declaring my undying love for Itsu and claiming to be able to do all sorts of exercise during a fast day, in comes the universe to prove me wrong! I had a lesson with my great Personal Trainer at lunchtime, which I had to run to after getting stuck at a meeting, which was quite lucky, given that he was hellbent on killing me that day and I only had to drag myself through it for 40 minutes, instead of the usual 60. I didn't feel good, I'll tell you. No nearly fainting or anything, but better not to have any more heavy exercising on an empty stomach! 

The Itsu Tuna Maki set is still a definite favourite, but I wasn't a fan of their Miso Soup. I guess they tried to elaborate on the normal Miso Soup and have added more things to it, but I was not a fan and couldn't finish it.  The bright side is that I had a bit more calories for the evening and was able to add a bit more rice to the recipe. As you can see, the risotto was a big hit and I couldn't wait to repeat it. Must be the Italian genes!

Day 15

Brunch - 260 calories

1 Itsu Spicy Tuna Maki box - 151 calories
1 Itsu Frozen Yogurt with Strawberries - 109 calories

Dinner - 237 calories

Stuffed Mushrooms 
   - 200 grams of Mushrooms (40 calories)   
   - 3 slices of Wafer Thin Ham (30 calories)   
   - 45 grams of Goats Cheese - (157 calories)
   - Salt, Pepper, Chives and Gralic Granules (10 calories)

Grand Total - 497 calories

Exercise - 40 minutes of Boxercise

And how did it go?

I had the inspiration to have stuffed mushrooms from this blog, but I used different ingredients. This is a very quick meal, yet tasty and filling. I preheated the oven and washed the mushrooms and placed them on a baking tray and then seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic granules. I then added the goats cheese and the ham (I used 3 slices, cut in half) and topped it up with Chives. Before putting the tray in the oven, I wrapped it with foil for  the first 5-7 minutes. I then removed the foil and left it to cook for a further 5-7 minutes. 

I am loving Itsu at the moment, it being very 5:2-friendly, and I even managed to squeeze in a tasty little treat, in form of a no-fat frozen yogurt with fruit. Guess what I will be having on my fast days throughout the summer?

Tuna, Horseradish and Cucumber Sushi with no rice

As I am having a very challenging week on the social front and I will only be able fast on Sunday, Camila has kindly sent another contribution for the blog, and this time she event took pictures! She had this on her fast day on Tuesday and it only cost her 204 calories (more if you add soy sauce).

Ingredients

130 grams of Tuna Steaks (canned with spring water, drained) - 155 calories
5 grams of Horseradish Sauce - 5 calories
60 grams of Fromage Frais - 30 calories
50 grams of Cucumber - 5 calories
1 tablespoon of Chives - 1 calories
2 sheets of Seaweed - 2 calories

Preparation

Put the Tuna Steaks, the Horseradish and the Fromage Frais through the food processor until it is reduced to a paste. You can add the chives to the paste or do as Camila has done and keep them whole. Once this is done, place the sheets of Seaweed on a sushi mat and spread the paste evenly throughout. Place the cucumber and the Chives in the middle.

Roll it up using the mat and seal the roll with a bit of water. Slice it up and voila!

I don't know about you guys, but I will be trying this very soon!

Day 6

Breakfast - 91 calories

3 Ryvita crackerbread  - 57 calories
9 grams of Lätt & Lagom margarine - 34 calories

Lunch - 191 calories

1 boiled Egg - 71 calories
4 wafer thin slices of Ham - 40 calories
42 grams of Roasted Peppers (canned) - 37 calories 
40 grams of Artichoke Heats  (canned) - 43 calories

Dinner - 198 calories

50 grams of Fresh Egg Noddles - 100 calories
50 grams of Chicken Breast - 58 calories
150 mls of Chicken Stock - 15 calories
20 grams of Sweet Corn - 14 calories
15 grams of Petit Pois Peas - 10 calories
1 tablespoon of Chives - 1 calorie 

Snacks - 20 calories

70 grams of Strawberries

This is what 70 grams of Strawberries look like. Thought it was more? Me too.

Grand total 500 (again!)

And how did it go?

Great! No headaches, no nausea and full of energy. Easy breakfast, using a low-fat Swedish margarine, Lätt & Lagom and easy but tasty lunch, a variation of a meal I had on Day 2 (here). The 5:2 Ramen I had for dinner was a great idea, 50 grams of Noodles and 50 grams of Chicken is no a lot at all, but the broth compensated for the lack os sustanence. The strawberries I had as snacks were delicious, but there could have definitely have been more of them. I guess they don't call it fasting for nothing, right?

Day 5

Breakfast - 88 calories

1 boiled Egg - 71 calories
1 boiled Egg Whites - 17 calories

Lunch - 240 calories

1 Itsu Tuna and Salmon Box - 240 calories

Dinner - 150 calories

130 grams of Chili and Coriander Prawns (bought cooked and peeled) - 117 calories
100 grams of Mixed Vegetables and Mushrooms - 33 calories

Snacks - 17 calories

1 Seafood Stick - 17 calories

Grand total 495

And how did it go?

I decided to see if I could find anything for lunch that I could buy on the spot, instead of preparing it at home or weighing everything at work and I found that Itsu had quite a few options for under 200 calories (and not all of them involved seafood). I had planned to get something else, but true to my chubby self, when I saw that the biggest sushi box would only cost me 240 calories, I went for that one. This way, the noodles I had planned for dinner ended up being just prawns and vegetables, still very delicious, but I am looking forward to trying the noodles another day. Another good thing was that the  Prawns I bought came with Chili and Coriander sauce, so no need to add any other sauce and I cooked the vegetables in it, so I saved a few calories there and was able to eat a bit more prawns.

Although there was nothing wrong with any of the meals, this was by far the most difficult day. Both lunch and dinner were delicious, and I will definitely repeat them in the future, but it was just a seafood overdose, even for a seafood lover like me! I ended the day with a headache and a bit nauseous. So I won't be overdosing on anything again in the future. You live, you learn, I guess.