So, it's day 3 of giving up all the sugary goodness I have come to depend on and I am being completely and utterly honest with you when I say: I haven't cracked yet!
I suppose you might want to know how I've done it?
Well ladies and gentlemen, this is how I've done it:
Yup, just when you thought this was going to be a health post, with a nice picture of me looking completely cool and unphased by the fact that I've just climbed up a mountain (kinda, it had grass on..), I had to go and ruin it with a photo of an artery killing party.
Now it isn't that I'm substituting sugar for copious amounts of cheese and polenta and beer (the salami belonged to my dining companions) but this was my last "go mad" meal before I suddenly realised my life needed sorting out.
There I was, sitting in a mountain refuge with two men who were eating more healthily than me.
But as you can see, one of those men is utterly joyless anyway and takes no pleasure in anything:
Only kidding, he only looks like that when he's with me.
So back to the sugar as that is possibly why you are here.
In my last post, I explained that I would be giving up all the sugary treats I so love in favour of a healthier way of life and a reduced waistline.
This is because my boyfriend, Magro, is skinnier than me which in my opinion is just sick and wrong. This definitely contradicts with my rampant feminist side but I honestly think this is my competitive "anything you can do, I can do better" streak coming into play.
So whenever I ask Magro how he stays so wonderfully magro (thin), he tells me that the secret to his figure maintenance is...
Moderation.
Now isn't that just the exciting, cutting edge dieting tip you were looking for?
If you're a fan of The Londoner (like me, a huge, huge fan and I'm not afraid to admit it) you'll know that Rosie claims her figure is all down to following an "anti-diet" in which you eat well 80% of the time and allow yourself treats for the other 20%.
Some people think it's bollocks but after living with my lovely one, I have come to realise that skinny people really do eat ice cream and pizza and pasta and steak.
The reason they are so healthily slim is because they have such a healthy attitude towards food.
So if you are on a diet, STOP IT NOW. It is not worth it and you will fail. Sorry.
Just make some small changes and get yourself on the straight and narrow. No more weekly junk food, no more daily Cokes and no more skipping veg! You heard me!
Now, it's all very well me talking the talk, but can I walk the walk?
After deciding to go cold turkey on delicious things, I had to change my mindset a little. As a pescatarian, I've got an advantage here as I am already used to lots of foods being off limits for me. It's been a simple case of viewing all of those foods I previously loved as in the out of bounds category.
"Bollocks" you scoff (again), knowing full well that when someone tells you you can't have something, you instantly want it more and are therefore more likely to break.
Well that's when you have to change your thinking again. It's not that someone else has told you that you can't because you're too thin/fat/unhealthy. It's because YOU want to do it for YOURSELF.
And that's what I've been doing, kinda.
So after Sunday's cheese-fest (and the polenta in the picture was swimming in butter and cheese - scroll down for a close up!) I changed my habits...
Monday
Breakfast: breakfast biscuit sandwich with yoghurt in the middle (Magro and I have agreed these don't count as I had already bought them, they need eating and I don't enjoy them that much)
Lunch: Homemade pizza (see below), homemade guacamole and lots of veg to dip in!
Dinner: Homemade spring veg soup, Fish with tomatoes and oven roasted onions
Exercise: Sections 1 and 2 of the 30 Day Shred DVD
Tuesday
Breakfast: boring breakfast biscuits again
Lunch: Piece of foccaccia, salad with tuna and truffle infused olive oil (I am addicted and it's so expensive sob), pear, pomegranate seeds
Dinner: Pizza with gorgonzola and pears
Exercise: 25 minutes hardcore swimming (50 x 25m fast plus a 100m IM) plus 20 minutes hard cycling (5km)
Wednesday
Breakfast: go figure
Lunch: Salad and last nights leftover pizza
Dinner: TBC...
Exercise: I'm going to the swimming pool again but I really don't want to! Planning on spending about 45 mins - hour concentrating on stroke technique and a few sprints.
So no, I'm not being an angel. I'm eating pizza and I'm not following a plan. But this way, I think I'm less likely to break. Fingers crossed and I'll let you know how I get on!
Now some pictures of the weekend and some yummy food to show you that I'm not going to the darkside of health freakery (note: my computer jumbled them up so they're not in chronological order but that makes it more exciting right?)
There is nothing like a beer after a hike. You get drunk SO QUICKLY. Amazing.
So after we'd hiked to the top of this mountain/insanely steep hill thing (I was on all fours at times) we came across the refuge which was, unfortunately, massively busy. We put our name down for a table and didn't have to wait too long but once we were seated, nobody came to serve us for ages! We had to ask in the end and the waiter/barman/owner looked so annoyed that we had had to wait for so long (there were two girls milling about but not doing the most efficient of jobs).
The food was bloody worth it and we weren't really in a huge rush but I did get to the stage where I had hurt my neck from craning around looking for someone to flag down!
I think they were just having a bad day.
But oh it was yummy!
And with a view like that you can't really complain... can you?
The view from the communal terrace was very exciting on Sunday night as a storm rolled in!
After 2 hours of basically squatting my way up the steepest hill, this was the sweetest sight.
The heart attack inducing, polenta uncia.
The view from the refuge over Lake Como where we stayed just last weekend!
Is anyone else giving up sugar? Do you have any tips?
that's great you are trying to eat healthier! I am still trying to do better myself, but I have the biggest sweet tooth so sometimes it's pretty hard.. but I substitute junk food with fruit, yogurt, nuts, etc :) great pics as usual. thank you for the sweet comment!
ReplyDeletewww.lettersimpromptu.blogspot.com
Yes, I've been eating more fruit as a result and I have a bag of roasted hazelnuts next to my desk at work for when hunger strikes! Although I have to say, I've never been one of those girls who can just make do with a salad and nuts :p xxx
DeleteSo impressed that you're giving up sugar I don't think I could handle that in the long run :) Your pictures make me miss Austria!
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Sophie
Oh wow I've never been to Austria, I'm assuming you lived there? I'll be going home in a few months and missing this wonderful country too! xxx
DeleteWhat a lovely photo diary! I am addicted to sugar much like a crackhead loves his crack, i can go a few days but always break down..this is inspiring.
ReplyDeleteAli
Pretty in Python
xx
Haha well let's give it a few weeks before we decide if it's inspiring or not :p it's all a case of changing mindset. I think. I'll let you know! xxx
Deletei've been gone off the blogosphere for more than a minute and loads has changed. Really love the new layout! And the sugar sugar sugar is soo hard to give up, but can't wait to hear more. Funnily enough i did a recent Live below Line challenge which had me eating food on £5 for 5 days.. extremely hard but so good
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, I really like the new layout too! I just need to spend some more time making the site more... exciting! That sounds really hard but a completely worthwhile challenge and probably something I'll be doing at uni next year!! xxx
DeleteLooks like you had a great weekend! :)
ReplyDeletewww.ensembledeux.blogspot.com
Thanks, I did (except for the lack of chocolate) xxx
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