Day 23

Lunch - 247 calories

1 Itsu Spicy Tuna Maki box - 151 calories
1 Packet of Fiery Worcester Sauce & Sun-Dried Tomato ProperCorn - 96 calories

Dinner - 254 calories
1 Packet of Tesco's Mussels In White Wine And Garlic - 130 calories
1 and a half Slice of Wholemeal Bread - 124 calories

Grand Total - 501 calories 

And how did it go?

I again succumbed to the powers of the ready meal, I'm afraid. I just don't think it's worth it to make such a small amount of mussels from scratch, so I'm trying to relax a bit over ready meals. Overall a tasty, easy and light supper. You can't complain about that!

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 17

Brunch - 207 calories

1 Itsu Spicy Tuna Maki box - 151 calories
Half a Banana - 56 calories

Dinner - 306 calories

Prawn, Mushroom and Vegetable Summer Rolls 
   - 100 grams of Prawns - bought cooked and peeled (80 calories)
   - 100 grams of Mushrooms (16 calories) 
   - 50 grams of Red Onion - (21 calories)
   - 50 grams of Red Pepper (18 calories)   
   - 50 grams of Spinach (15 calories) 
   - 4 Rice Papers (136 calories) 
   - 1 tablespoon of Light Soya Sauce (8 calories)
   - 5grs of Bouillon Stock (12 calories)

Grand Total - 513 calories (overindulgent!)

Exercise - 60-minute Personal Trainer session

And how did it go?

My first fast day after 3 glorious weeks of being on holiday (Did anyone miss me?), drinking loads of Prosecco and Capirinha and eating tons of food went pretty smoothly. To tell you the truth, while it was good to have a break from the diet and fitness regime, I couldn't wait to get back on it. So I decided to kick thing off again with a simple yet delicious Vietnamese dish that I had never made before (as you can see from the picture, my rolling skills aren't so developed yet).

I had picked up a pack of Rice Paper during a visit to my local Oriental food shop before I went on holiday, figuring it would be a quick, light choice for dinner on a fast day. I cut the red onion into thin, long slices and cooked it on a bit of thick Bouillon stock. I then added the peppers and a bit more stock and after it had reduced a bit I added the mushrooms and poured in a tablespoon of Light Soya Sauce. Since the prawns I bought were already cooked, I chopped and added them at the end, just to warm them up. I also put in half of the spinach for a few seconds and took of the heat before it wilted. I prepared the Rice Papers as per the packet instruction, which is to simply immerse them into warm water for a few seconds. I then transferred them to a plate and did a bad job at rolling the prawn, mushroom and vegetable mix. I should've made them thinner and longer, making it easier to eat with my hands. To serve, I put all 4 rolls onto a plate, used the other half of spinach as a salad and the mixture of stock, cooking juices and soya sauce left on the pan as a dip. It turned out pretty amazing and it took me 20 minutes to make.

A few fast days back, I mention that Camila had suggested that I start cooking the onion on some water instead of using that Fry Light thing that I hate and I have been doing that ever since, but with a bit of stock added to it. This way, you save on calories and season your food at the same time. 

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 12

Brunch - 287 calories

100 grams of Smoked Salmon - 180 calories
1 boiled Egg - 71 calories
1 boiled Egg Whites - 17 calories
1 Ryvita crackerbread  - 19 calories

Dinner - 215 calories

230 grams of Broccoli - 78 calories
20 grams of Stilton - 82 calories
2 teaspoons of Boullion - 20 calories
100 grams of Leeks - 25 calories
10 sprays of Fry Light - 10

Grand Total -  502

And how did it go?

I had been thinking about making this soup for a while and I roughly followed this recipe here. Just a little advice: before adding the Stilton I added some salt, and after I put in the cheese, the soup was too salty, so I had to add more water to the mixture. So be careful with your seasoning. Apart from an annoying headache in the evening, probably caused by the vast amount of salt I had ingested with the soup, this fast day was pretty much smooth sailing. 

Smoked Salmon with Lettuce Wraps

This was my lunch on what was supposed to be a fast day, but then after work I bumped into an old friend that I hadn't seen in ages and we went for dinner. And here's another reason why this diet is so great, you can do this sort of thing without feeling guilty. All you have to do is fast another day.

Smoked Salmon with Lettuce Wraps - 269 calories

100 grams of Smoked Salmon - 180 calories
100 grams of Light Cottage Cheese with Chives and Onion - 75 calories
90 grams of Little Gem Lettuce - 14 calories

Easiest thing to make and take to work. I would change a couple of things, though. I wouldn't use the Cottage Cheese with Chives and Onion again, as I found that it was too strong when combined with the already strong taste of the Smoked Salmon. I would also make a smaller portion of this and team it up with a low-calorie soup instead.

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 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.

Day 4

Breakfast - 122 calories

3 Ryvita crackerbread  - 57 calories
9 grams of Philadelphia Extra Light - 10 calories
36 grams of Sundried Tomatoes (canned, drained) - 55 calories

Lunch - 126 calories

1 can of Chicken Noodle Soup (Heinz) - 126 calories

Dinner - 218 calories

Smoked Salmon Pate - 123 calories
    - 50 grams Smoked Salmon (90 calories)
    - 20 grams of Philadelphia Extra Light (22 calories)
    - 1 tablespoon of Chives (1 calorie)
    - 2 Lemon wedges (4 calories)
    - 5 grams of Horseradish sauce (6 calories)

5 Ryvita crackerbread - 95 calories 

Snacks - 34 calories

2 Seafood sticks - 34 calories

Grand total - 500 calories (exactly!)

And how did it go?

It looks a bit Ryvita + Philadelphia heavy, but it was actually the easiest day so far. Breakfast was a variation of the bruschetta I made the other day with grilled peppers. A good thing to play around with ingredients. Lunch was a bit uninventive, I'll admit, but it did its job on a very cold day here in London. I am usually a cook-from-scratch sort of person, but for the purposes of this diet, I figured it would be best if I knew exactly how many calories went in there. At the same time, the whole purpose of this diet is to be healthy and I'm not sure canned soup is the best thing for that, so I am feeling a bit guilty (yes, guilty over canned soup. This is what going to Catholic school does to you). Camila gave me the recipe for dinner, and it was so good I am actually going to make this on "feed days" as well. Another great idea to toy with ingredients, I'm thinking about doing a Sundried Tomatoes pate. 

I will let you know how it goes, as usual!

Day 3

Breakfast - 127 calories

3 Ryvita crackerbread  - 57 calories
40 grams of Roasted Peppers (canned) - 37 calories
30 grams of Philadelphia Extra Light - 33 calories

Lunch - 147 calories

150 grams of Prawns (bought cooked and peeled) - 120 calories
100 grams of Asparagus Tips (boiled in salty water) - 25 calories
1 Lemon Wedge - 2 calories

Dinner - 210 calories

Camila's Scrambled Eggs - 180 calories
70 grams of Mushrooms - 15 calories
30 grams of Rocket Salad - 5 calories
10 mls of Balsamic Vinegar - 10 calories

Snacks - 11 calories

20 grams of Blueberries - 11 calories

Grand total - 495 calories 

40 minutes of Boxercise

And how did it go?

As I said on Day 2, I wanted to change a bit my breakfast and this 5:2er bruschetta was delicious, even though it was a bit more calorific that I wanted at first, so I had to compromise on the snacks. My lunch not only looked good, it tasted good as well. Definately a keeper. Camila's Scrambled Eggs for dinner were very tasty too, the picture doesn't do it much justice, and the good thing about it is that you can add more things to it if you have saved calories during the day, or you can take thing out if you have had a heavier lunch.

I also went to the gym at lunch time and did some boxing. It was quite a heavy class, but I had energy throughout. In comparison, on Monday I went running at 6pm, after having had a heavy lunch and it was the contrary! I had no energy at all, it took a lot of effort to drag myself through 25 minutes in the treadmill, by which point I gave up and went home, panting.

All in all, a good "fast day", with no bad ideas and a few keepers.

Basics and Day 1

As I mentioned on the post before, I didn't have this idea until today and I didn't take pictures of my meals on Monday, my first "fast day". 

Some people that are on the 5:2 diet choose to have a big breakfast and have nothing but black tea and water for the rest of the day, some choose to have a snack during the day and concentrate their calorie allowance on their dinner. I have chosen to have all three meals and something to snack on during the day. 

I am planning on taking all of my "fast days" during the week, I figured if I am at work I will be less inclined to open the fridge, so most of the meals here will probably be things that can be assembled quickly and don't require a cooker. So no fancy scallops and pancetta recipes during the day (like this one), I will mostly be doing the "fast days" on Mondays and Wednesdays, but that will be adjusted according to my will. 

Another important thing: I have a partner-in-crime! My dear friend an co-worker Camila is doing this with me (in fact, if one of us is doing something crazy, chances are the other one gave the idea) and she actually started a bit earlier. And it was thanks to her that the menu from Day 1 was assembled. This is what I did:

Breakfast - 88 calories

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

Lunch - 103 calories

100 grams of Prawns (bought cooked and peeled) - 80 calories
135 grams of Cherry Tomatoes - 23 calories

Dinner - 246 calories

125 grams of Chicken breast - 145 calories
1 teaspoon of Olive Oil (to grill the chicken) - 40 calories
150 grams of Mixed Vegetables (bought frozen) - 61 calories

Snacks - 57 calories

100 grams of Blueberries - 57 calories

Grand total - 494 calories 

Exercise - 40 minutes of Boxercise