The Recovering Diet Addict

5 months ago I gave birth to a pretty awesome human being, but if you read my last blog post you will know that I managed to gain an impressive amount of weight during my pregnancy. I am sure that many women are able to (and should) embrace their postpartum bodies; unfortunately I am not one of them. I have accepted that my body will never be the same again and I am totally ok with that. Well, I will be. But, there are a few signs that it's time to get moving and they are pretty hard to ignore: 1. Your hairdresser looks a little uncomfortable asking if you've already had the baby. I had already had the baby.... Fair enough it was only a month postpartum but seeing as I am still the same weight as I was then, I can no longer use this as an excuse.... 2. You invest in an over-priced teething necklace for your gorgeous baby as, as well as tugging at your hair, she has also begun to grasp at your newly acquired second chin. The pain is real. 3. You head out to w...

Howdy readers. So, it's been a while hasn't it? Well, I can report that a LOT has gone on since my last blog post; it's been pretty intense and, though it pains me to say it, I have completely lost my mojo. It's amazing, how easily you can slip back into old habits. If I'm feeling down then I am used to turning to exercise to pick me back up. If I'm feeling super-blue then I comfort eat and get a bit lazy; a habit that I thought I had left behind - how wrong I was. WARNING: I am about to discuss FEELINGS and incredibly honest truths. It started off around the time of my last post. Without going into too much detail, our lives were completely turned upside-down when my husband and I suddenly (and unexpectedly) became foster carers to twins. For the next 8 months of my life I had to juggle a new and demanding job, caring for the children, the dog and managing an entire timetable of access with different family members and meetings with social services. If I ...

I am a firm believer that if you can't chew it, it isn't a meal. That being said, I fail spectacularly at the mid-week lunch: I don't like sandwiches and no mater how much time and effort I put into preparation, lunch always looks a little unappetising when it has been sat in tupperwear all morning. I am also lazy and, with a pretty good school canteen, recently my mid-week lunches have been focusing a little more on convenience rather than nutrition. In a bid to overcome my big lunch problem, last week I embarked on a week of liquid lunches (non-alcoholic...unfortunately) to see if I could finally get organised and stop overspending on pre-prepared stodge. The rules were simple: each smoothie must include a portion of veg, I could bring fruit for break-time and one savoury snack such as oatcakes (I meant it when I said that I had to chew)! I researched some recipes and stocked up on smoothie ingredients. Mission Do Not Eat out of Polystyrene Trays was a go: My favour...

Two weeks ago, disaster struck: there was an avocado SHORTAGE in my local area! I desperately searched the shelves of our local shops every day for a week but nada! I was furious. My husband was furious. It was then that I knew we had a problem (a first world problem at that). You see, the humble avocado (along with almond milk) is the staple of our daily smoothies. They have become so ingrained in our day to day lives that it has taken "The Great Avocado Shortage of '16" (I'm sure that it will catch on) to make me realise that, perhaps, it is time to shake things up a bit. But, hey, let's share a few of my favourites first: Nourishing Chocolate Milk Adapted from Deliciously Ella Every Day This recipe goes down well with everyone in my house! Throw all of the ingredients in and blitz until smooth (Frozen princess cups are optional): 1 banana 1/2 avocado 1 heaped tsp of cocoa powder A good squeeze/heaped tsp honey Top up with almond milk ...

When watching those documentaries where people have put on so much weight that they have had to be cut out of their houses by the emergency services, I have had so many conversations where I have debated: how do people let themselves get to that stage? Surely there has to be a point BEFORE then? Perhaps when they have had to go up a clothes size? When they can't ride a roller-coaster? Or when they have to buy two plane seats? How do they let it get to that stage and at what point does someone realise that enough is enough? I had my "getting cut out of my house by the firemen" moment last week: I ripped my jeans (well, they were really my favourite White Stuff jeggings but let's not get bogged down in semantics). I had been in denial for weeks. I could feel the painful 'tug' that was hinting at was about to come. But just like the guy who was finding it harder and harder to get out of the house each day until one day he couldn't anymore, I pretended it ...

We've all been there: full of optimism and good intentions, we climb into our "activewear"...then sit down for five minutes (you know, just for a cup of tea). Before you know it, Netflix is asking you if you are still watching Orange is the New Black (or any other binge-able series) and you have eaten a family sized bag of Doritos. Gym clothes are incredibly comfortable so it is easily done. It's just a shame that good intentions aren't enough to get us in shape. With this in mind, I have decided to share my top 5 tips on how to get off of the sofa and into the gym: Image courtesy of Buzzfeed. 1. Employ a motivator / torturer Mine is my husband. If I know that I am going to struggle to do my workout, I let him know my plans in advance and ask him to MAKE me keep to them under any circumstances. It has been known for him to set up my workout and   literally drag me into our studio, kicking and screaming. Yes it is painful (and you may get the odd carpe...

Very often we see health and fitness Instagram and Facebook pages full of humour and inspirational quotes and pictures/videos of "fitness goals", but is this glossy presentation of life realistic? I refuse to acknowledge that these people have never had a bad day at work, come home and consumed an entire bottle of wine, a microwave meal and/or a disgustingly gluttonous desert. They never show that, do they? Life has been pretty tough this year and what used to be a rare occurrence (grabbing quick and easy food on the way home from work) has started to become more and more regular. How is it possible to eat healthily when you can't even face a visit to the supermarket? I firmly believe that a healthy diet  =  a healthy mind, and that exercise is one of the best ways to improve mood and wellbeing. Nonetheless, when even the thought of opening a tin of soup is overwhelming, preparing three healthy meals a day (plus snacks) seems lik...

This morning I woke up, scraped my hair into a ponytail and wiped the remains of last night's mascara from under my eyes. I threw on my running gear and decided to head out with Bear for a morning run along the river before it got too busy and there was a possibility that I would run into someone. Clearly I was a little optimistic as it was the busiest that I have ever seen the area on such a cold day. One thing I love about having dog is the amount of people that you meet on a walk; people are so friendly and you never know who you are going to get chatting to. Today I met a woman called Suzie*. As I was running (jogging...slowly), Bear leapt on her dog and they began to have an incredibly energetic game of chase. So, I took a welcome break for a chat; little did I know that this woman would completely change my day. Suzie* was fascinating. We talked for ages and for some reason the conversation moved on to body image. She told me a story about her two...

Hurrah! It is almost time for one of the highlights of the television year; The Great British Bake Off is back!! It is also time to admit one secret:I LOVE to cook but I am NOT a baker. Before this blog post, I had to go to the shop and buy flour, baking tins... the whole shebang. I didn't even own a mixing bowl. When watching the contestants produce their impressive creations, I become increasingly aware of my lack of baking prowess. But I am finally on the summer holidays and therefore able to do something that I have always wanted to learn how to do: I am going to bake. Now, I  have often been heard to say: "If you are going to do something wrong, then do it right." If I am going to "be naughty", I am not wasting my time with "lighter" or "diet" versions. But who said that baked goods had to be wholly bad? I have recently been thinking of ways of getting extra vegetables into our diets (and those of my vegetable-avoiding nieces), so I ...

Chicken is fantastic source of protein and has lots of health benefits. It is also incredibly versatile, making it a staple for dinnertime. However, chicken can get a bit boring after a while as we tend to cook the same dishes time and time again. So this week I have been experimenting with some new, filling (always important for me), healthy and, importantly, tasty chicken dishes to liven up dinner time! Moroccan Chicken with Sweet Potato Mash (serves 4) This tasty dish is surprisingly quick and easy to cook, injecting a taste of Morocco into you mid-week meals! Tonight we fancied a lighter dinner so had it alone; bulk it up by serving with a big helping of green beans (or alternative). Adapted from BBC Good Food! 1. Peel and boil 1kg of sweet potatoes in a pan of salted water for 15 minutes (or until soft). 2. While the potatoes boil, take four chicken breasts and coat in a spice mix (1tsp cinnamon, 1tsp cumin, salt and pepper). Heat up a pan with 1tbsp of olive oil (or p...

Yesterday I ate 12 biscuits. There would have been a time when I felt completely sorry for myself and thought "Well seeing as today has already been ruined, I may as well have another and then follow it up with a tub of Ben and Jerry's!" But I refuse to punish myself. You see, as someone who never has anything "naughty" in the house, when a generous colleague brings two packets of M&S chocolate biscuits in, it would be rude not try all of them....twice! Yes, I admit, it was a tad excessive and I did NOT feel well afterwards. But rather than make myself feel guilty, I asked myself why I felt the need to constantly reach for the packet. The answer? This week I feel like snacking. Sue me. Should I be snacking on Mark and Spencer's delicious chocolate biscuits? I'm sure that one or two wouldn't have hurt, but the obvious is answer is no! Recently I have been pretty rubbish at getting myself organised for work and preparing proper lunches. So tod...