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Mediterranean Breakfast

25/2/2015

 
In all honesty, I'd prepared for my 3 week diet by eating far to much rich curry the night before and had spent quite an uncomfortable night.  Completely self inflicted, and as I was told, I deserved no sympathy!

After following Karen's progress and hopefully learning a few lessons, I decided  to make the breakfast as tasty as possible.  Even though it seemed a bit early in the day for vegetables, I though not stinting on the quantity would probably help me make it through the morning without too many hunger pangs. There appears to be no limit on the amount of vegetables allowed, providing they are on the approved list. So my first  invention of the week was Mediterranean Melange...

Mediterranean Melange.
Serves 2.

2 large mushrooms
1 large red pepper sliced
Half a zucchini
1 spring onion, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes. quartered.
a little chopped herb. I used basil because that's what I had most of, but oregano would also be in keeping with the theme.

Place all the ingredients into a microwave proof bowl add a tiny splash of water, cover the bowl with clingfilm and pierced a few small holes in the top to let the steam out.

Microwave on full power for four minutes stiring halfway through.

Season with salt and pepper (and a little balsamic) and then eat.
 
It was suprisingly nice. in quite a bland way.  It would have been improved no end by the addition of some cheese, perhaps a little Italian parmesan.

It did keep the hunger pangs at bay to an extent,  but I was still pretty hungry by lunchtime.  And I have to say the effect of a salad without any protein or fat component isn't anything like as sustaining as when the salad comes with meat or fish.

I was pretty suprised to read in the 3 week diet manual that the list of allowed vegetables included no salad.  No Lettuce, no salad leaves and no cucumber. I can only assume that this was an accidental ommision.  Perhaps the author doesn't like salad! 

Anyway. I included them as I've read in numerous places that salad vegetables on the whole have negative calories, that is to say, they use more calories in the digestive process than they provide.  (Having checked Wikipedia disagrees) And I decided that I'd have a pretty dull week with only the very restricted list of permitted vegetables.

Dinner was similar to breakfast.  but this time I used tinned tomatoes (probably another cheat) instead of fresh and stuffed the microwaved mixture into a couple of nice red bell peppers before baking them in the oven until they were soft.  It was much stronger tasting than breakfast, which for dinner was a very good thing.  

Roll on tomorrow and some protein.


Is This The Most Exciting Reason To Diet Ever?

24/2/2015

 
Well it may not be the most exciting reason ever, but it's most definitely one of the most exciting things to happen to me!

It was a very ordinary Tuesday afternoon when I received an email from my Uncle Joe.  Would I like to accompany him to Buckingham Palace when he receives his MBE from a member of the Royal Family.  I read the email three times to make sure I wasn't imagining it. And then I picked up the phone.  It's incredibly exciting and I am beside myself with anticipation!


So now I'm will be slimming into an, as yet unpurchased, summer dress and a hat.  The dress code for Buck House is pretty formal and I'm certainly going to make the most of it.

For my own part I really need a Kick Start.  Otherwise it's not that I won't get going, but I'm going to need to buy the dress in late April that's not that far away.  I can't be just losing 2 pounds a week, I've done that before and it's really hit and miss. I need something a little more drastic if I'm to look my best.

I had a search around and read about someone (Karen) who is testing the 3 Week Diet plan.  It does sound pretty severe, but the figures from Karen's progress reports indicate that she's has lost about a pound a day for the first week. And like it says in the 3 Week Diet reviews
it is only for 21 days and then I could either continue or resume some sort of normality. 

So I've taken the plunge, taken Karen's advice, and prepared my meal plan for the first week. And so I don't deviate from the plan before I've even started, my internet shopping will arrive in the morning. That way I can't be swayed by anything on special offer in the supermarket.

The first week looks pretty austere.  Vegetables steamed, boiled or raw.  That means salads for lunch,  steamed for dinner and for breakfast, well, I'm taking a punt on microwaved mushrooms being a staple until I'm also allowed protein - eggs give a much more breakfast like feel to a meal.

I did the low-carb diet once before and microwaved mushrooms with cheese are actually perfectly acceptable - especially if you can face the garlic and herb soft cheese.  That's actually quite yummy! 


It appears that one of the key points in making the diet achievable is to try and make the food as flavourful as possible. I  feel that steamed or microwaved vegetables will probably need some sort of flavour booster.  I shall take a leaf out of Karen's book, cheat a little and add perhaps a little chilli or worcestershire sauce, to perk up the flavour.

And so until tomorrow, I'm dining on one of my favourite meals.  Homemade (pale imitation) Thai green curry made without lemon grass and rice. And then it's dieting with a vengeance.  3 week diet system here we come!
 


Buckingham Palace

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    Hi, I'm Mary. I love to cook and to eat. 

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