Petchy's Flabfight

I'LL HAVE MY CAKE AND EAT IT PLEASE!

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:40:00 +0000

Oh yes I will! Who said a low carb diet means you can't eat cake? Well whoever did, they didn't know what they were talking about... Just look here, at this mouthwatering little treat of mine from last night:

Believe it or not, the recipe is the same as for that sunflower flat bread - just omit salt and/or spices, and replace with sweetener (I use Sukrin because it is 100% natural, but not sure if it's available outside Norway?) and cocoa powder. The frosting is made with butter, cocoa powder, sweetener and a little coffee for that yummy mocha taste.

And now for another recipe - yummy tuna cakes:

1 can of tuna, drained
1 egg
2 tbsp finely ground sunflower seeds
1/2 tbsp psyllium husk fibre (PHF)
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp chopped chillies
1 tbsp oil
A dash of lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything really well, and leave to stand for 10 minutes (to allow the PHF to do its job, preventing everything from falling to bits when frying) before shallow frying until golden brown on both sides. Yummyyyyy!

A DIFFERENT AND VERY YUMMY VERSION OF THE SUNFLOWER FLAT BREAD

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 18:46:00 +0000

My supper tonight - looks yummy eh?

It's a different take on the flat bread baked with ground sunflower seeds that I posted about the other day. If you want to have a go at making this, you will need to look at the original recipe in this post - and then make the following modifications:

Replace the cream cheese with cottage cheese
Add a good handful of grated Jarlsberg cheese (or another yummy cheese) and a teaspoon of dried rosemary to the batter
Sprinkle sea salt and rosemary on top before baking

Enjoy!

BACK ON THE LOW CARB WAGON

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:31:00 +0000

I let things slip. Badly. But I am back on a very carb restricted diet, and I feel GREAT. It's pretty apparent that carbs do nothing for me, apart from making me bloated, sluggish and low on energy. After only 3-4 days without carbs, following a sugar/carb withdrawal from HELL, I emerged on the other side to find the bloatedness had gone and my energy levels were WAY better. Now, after a full carb-restricted week, I have gone into ketosis and so hopefully the weight should start dropping again too.

Been baking low carb bread again, and felt like sharing some pics for inspiration... first out is the bread you can find the recipe for here:

Here served with an omelette and parma ham...

I also tested a new recipe, for a flat bread baked with ground sunflower seeds instead of flour:

3 eggs
75 g full-fat cream cheese
50 ml double cream
110 g finely ground sunflower seeds
1 tbsp psyllium husk fibre
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 scoop (approx 2 heaped tbsp) unflavoured whey protein powder
1 tsp salt

I used a food processor to grind the sunflower seeds finely and it worked a treat. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and whizz with a hand-held blender. Spread ontp a lined baking tray (spread it so it's about 1 cm thick) and bake at 200 °C for about 15 minutes. I also sprinkled some sesame seeds on top before baking. Allow to cool slightly on a wire rack, then cut into 12 squares and store in an air tight container.

Here served with a generous helping of cream cheese and smoked salmon.. YUM!

If you spread the batter much thinner, and pre-bake it, it makes a lovely low-carb pizza base too:

Enjoy!

GETTING READY TO BE SHREDDED!

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:22:00 +0000

So, after a loooong period of being way too lazy and eating way too many carbs... I'm back on track, and back blogging! In addition to running I've just started Jillian Michael's 30 day shred, and have just completed day 3 of level 1. I have heard so many people getting good results from the program, so thought I'd give it a go. Of course, here are "before" pics from 3 days ago - I have to have something to compare with once the 30 days are over!

If you are feeling brave, the images can be clicked for larger versions ;) I'll be updating with pics again on day 10, 20 and 30...

FIRST RUN OVER 10K

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Sun, 02 May 2010 12:40:00 +0000

11.45k in fact. I did 10k in JUST under an hour, and since I felt I could, I kept on going :) On a proper endorphin high now! Whooooooo!

PROGRESS PHOTO - MAY 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Sun, 02 May 2010 08:04:00 +0000

It's been a while since I last posted a progress pic, so here goes. Weightwise there hasn't been much change lately, but since I started running I see a major difference in my legs and thighs. Running takes care of toning up the legs - so now I need to focus on toning those abs and arms! And I need to get my eating back on track, have had far too many carbs lately and not only has weight loss stagnated, but it makes me feel bloated and sluggish too.

Hope you're all having a nice weekend!

NEW SHOES AND NEW TOY

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:17:00 +0000

Ahem, I mean gadget. Not toy, GADGET. There's a difference ;)

So I got my new running shoes today (thanks mum!) and also picked up my Nike+ sensor from the post office. Was looking forward to taking them for a test run after work, but for some reason the sensor refused to activate. It paired ok with my iPhone, but just wouldn't activate when I wanted to log a workout. So I faffed around for 10 minutes, but realised if I didn't run NOW, there'd be no time left even for a quick 3k - so thought "sod it" and just went. The new shoes are amazing, I love'em! And they're silver and pink - did I mention I love them? Can't wait to try a longer run in those babies.

FWIW, the Nike+ sensor activated with no further problems when I got home and rebooted my iPhone - so I will get to test it properly tomorrow.

KEEPING THE HAIR OFF MY FACE

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 10:17:00 +0000

Here's a quick tip for you if you need to keep the hair off your face when you're exercising - make headbands from old t-shirts :) They're my preferred "hair control device" when I am out running, and I wanted some new ones but the ones in the shops were boooring and expensive, so I made my own:

Instructions over on Made by Petchy for those who want to raid the back of their wardrobe and recycle some old tees. Have fun!

PROUD OF MYSELF: I RAN 8k NON-STOP!

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:19:00 +0000

I totally surprised myself today. My friend had offered to babysit for me tonight, so I had planned a longer run. I sat at home earlier, mapping what I felt was an ambitious 8k route:

Petchy's 8k
Find more Runs in Kristiansund, Norway
I thought to myself that I'd never manage to run the whole way, but that I was definitely gonna give it a good old try. And I am pretty stubborn (just ask my mum) so that kinda helps. So I set off, at a nice and steady pace. The route is quite hilly in places and is partly on tarmac/pavements, partly on gravel paths, and partly trail. Nice and varied, and a good preparation for the 12.5k race which is over 8 bridges (= hilly, obviously). Whoa, some of those hills KILLED... but the downhills and flat parts allowed me to recover a bit inbetween so it was ok. The last hill was a proper biatch though, but I wasn't gonna let myself down at the last 500 metres.

And whaddayaknow... I flippin' did it. I ran 8k non stop in pretty much bang on 50 minutes. (That's a pace of 6.25 min/km) And the best bit? I felt as if I could have done 10k if I had pushed on! That is pretty amazing for a person who, just one year ago, used to get really out of breath after the three flights of stairs at work... I am amazed at, and proud of my body that has been able to bounce back from the depths of obesity and bad health - to accomplish this! I am proud of myself for turning my lifestyle round and becoming a healthier, happier person - not just for ME, but for my son too. He deserves to have a healthy and active Mum.

Anyways, though I felt I could have carried on, I decided to stop at 8k today, as I had managed the goal I set for this evening's run and didn't want to overdo it. But... gonna have a few easy 5k runs over the next few days and THEN: next week I aim for a 10k run! Will be good if I have my new shoes and Nike+ sensor before then too!

You know what? That 12.5k race doesn't seem that scary anymore! I've also decided to do a 5k race in June and am trying to gather a few friends to go with me. Coming down from my crazy endorphin high now - time for bed soon :)

OMG! I SIGNED UP TO RUN A 12.5k RACE!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 13:13:00 +0000

12.5k... that's about 7 ¾ miles. Sounds a lot less scary in miles, lol. Anyways, long story short: I've signed up for a race on the 3rd of July. Since the longest distance I have done so far is 6k (admittedly I've felt I could carry on further if I had time) that means doubling my effort in under 3 months. What on EARTH have I let myself in for?! To be honest, this was spurred on by a not very happy moment in my life. My love life that was looking so fabby for a while suddenly took a nosedive deluxe - and rather than sitting here feeling sorry for myself I have decided to channel any negative thoughts into positive energy by running. Running has helped no end, it's like meditation - and having a race to train for gives even more focus.

I realised my cheap old running shoes REALLY were long overdue to be replaced, so today I've been trying on quite a few pairs in the shops. Finally settled on these, as they felt really nice on my foot. They're SO light, yet supportive - and the cushioning felt good. The guy in the shop recommended them too. A quick check with my mum (who just so happens to be on holiday in the UK at the moment) revealed that they're less than half price over there compared to here in Norway. YAY for lower prices and for currency rates in my favour!!! So I now have a pair on the way - that volcanic ash cloud from Iceland better clear up soon so mum and dad's flight on Monday isn't cancelled, lol.

Anyways... please wish me luck for the race and the training beforehand!!! The route is set along some EPIC scenery along the Atlantic Road which is pretty local to me and famous for being the location for many a car advert. There are a lot of bridges, so thankfully after an uphill... i KNOW there will be a downhill, lol. My goal is to run the whole distance - no walking inbetween - and I want to finish in under 1hr 30mins. At least if it goes pear shaped I won't be able to blame it on bad shoes now, lol.

I DID IT! I DID IT! I DID IT!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:34:00 +0000

I am beyond thrilled - I reached my goal of doing 5k in under 30 minutes today! 5.4k in 28 minutes and 34 seconds to be exact! I am shattered but I felt SO good, I was smiling the whole last kilometre or so as I realised I was definitely gonna make it unless I got hit by a car, struck by lightning or crapped on by a sea gull or something, lol.

I am gonna check to see if there are any 5k races locally, maybe even a 10k if I can get the training time in... might have to sacrifice lunch break and eat at my desk a few times a week so i can leave earlier to run before picking my little boy up from nursery...

On a proper high now, just got out from the shower and am still buzzing :)

I'VE LOST A SMALL PERSON

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 21:00:00 +0000

Well not literally speaking, not to worry! It just occurred to me today that I have lost about as much weight as my 4-year old's TOTAL body weight. And let me tell you - lifting him is NOT easy, so imagine the extra strain i put on my body 24/7 when I was at my heaviest!

Spring has finally arrived here now, and it's doing wonders for my running motivation. I downloaded the iMapMyRun app for my iPhone earlier and intend to test it tomorrow when I go running - has anyone tried it?

After asking on Twitter and Facebook yesterday whether I could get away with wearing running tights now and receiving a 100% "yes go for it" from loads of people, I have today faced the world in performance lycra for the very first time. I actually didn't die of embarrassment over my wobbly thighs. And nobody died from the sight - ~~I think~~. I hope. Anyways, did a short run today, just under 2 miles as I was running out of time before needing to pick my boy up from nursery.

I've kinda lost my appetite too this week, ever since my boyfriend left on Monday to work at sea for 6 weeks. Waaah, it's no fun at all, I miss him like crazy already! SIX weeks, it's a loooong time... sob. Anyways what's that gotta do with weight loss? Absolutely nothing - I am just after some sympathy as I sit here wallowing in self-pity.

RUNNING IN THE RAIN

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:07:00 +0000

So last week I went running in the snow, with spikes on my shoes and everything. This week, the snow is fast disappearing and it is pouring it down with rain. Bring it on I say, I am ready for all the snow to be gone now! Today's run ended up being broken up into loads of little intervals: No ice = run! Icy road = go slooooooow. I got soaked and muddy, but it was still nice though. It wasn't a very long run, about 3.5k in 20 mins, but enough to make me all red faced:

And this made me smile today:

Now this is by no means representative of my actual size, I am more like a size M these days, but it's kinda cool to own - and fit into - a garment that says XS! What makes it even better is the fact this was a real bargain - a nice decent quality waterproof jacket for NOK 200,- is not something I pass up on! The weather here means waterproof clothing is a must some days, and I was chuffed to be able to replace my old jacket that had become far too big, to the point it looked like I was wearing a tent.

I've not lost any weight the last couple of weeks, but that's ok. I've not gained any either. And I haven't been fanatical about my eating, so as long as those lbs aren't creeping back on I am just gonna let the last few come off at their own pace I think :)

OOOPS... STILL ALIVE

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:35:00 +0000

Sorry guys, I know I've been very very quiet lately! Life has been pretty busy, work has been hectic, and more importantly - my love life has really picked up recently so needless to say - blogging has kinda been forgotten in the midst of all this!

Anywhoo... Just checking in to report that despite my eating being not 100% on track over the last 2 weeks, I have lost 0.7 kg / 1.5 lbs. Yay! Am writing this from my iPhone so will update the sidebar and do the whole metric/imperial conversion thingy tomorrow :)

Oh and for some reason Skinnyr now tells me I am "normal". Umm, it's supposed to be under 25 to be "normal" - but it still kinda made my day!

WEIGH-IN 29th JANUARY - STANDSTILL

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 09:25:00 +0000

No surprises there then, after the terrible eating this week ;)

CARB CATASTROPHY WEEK

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:04:00 +0000

Well, what a week. Just as I get into the low-carb eating properly again... I get ill. A bad cold had me sleeping all day Monday and Tuesday, and I've been eating carbs like there's no tomorrow. Then today... a conference at work, complete with carb laden lunch. I am SO not expecting those scales to be kind tomorrow morning!

Nonetheless... I brush off the dirt and get back on the horse. Today I received my Zumba DVDs in the post - so I had to give it a go after the little rascal went to bed. Image below: Before Zumba... and... all Zumba'ed out:

Oh my. Don't ask why I though this was a good idea. I have two left feet and the coordination of a deaf bat. I must have looked like a scarecrow on speed!! Good job I was in my own home and not in public, because I couldn't even get half the moves right even in slow-mo! Mind you, it was fun. And the HR monitor told me my heartrate was in the optimum cardio zone for 95% of the entire hour the intro DVD took. So I conclude: not the best marks for STYLE, but full marks for effort, lol. I guess it can only get better! Plus - I felt gooooood afterwards!

Time for another progress photo too, I thought:

And, since I still get a lot of questions about WHAT I eat on a low carb diet, here are a couple of recent dinners. First up is pan fried cod fillet in a cream and curry sauce, served on cauliflower and broccoli gratin:

And next up is today's dinner - steak chili on mixed leaves, served with loads of grated cheese, soured cream and half an avocado:

Not half bad eh?

NEW SHOES + A LOSS TO REPORT = HAPPY FRIDAY

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:49:00 +0000

Well how can new funky RED shoes not make you happy? While I was in the shopping groove I also invested in some new underwear, since all of what I had was bought when I was a stone or two heavier. Bras that are too big are SO not flattering OR comfy, so this was a long overdue investment! Though I must say I am rather pleased my boobs have held up well during the weight loss - I expected them to kinda deflate... But no, from a DD to a D isn't bad - it's mainly been the back size that's decreased. Yay!

I'm back on the low carb wagon properly now (since tuesday of this week) and on wow I went into ketosis FAST this time! Wednesday afternoon I got a shocking headache and thought "Aha, ketosis" - and later that day I got my period. I don't usually get periods, because of the contraceptive pill I'm on (sorry if TMI) - but that always happens when I go into ketosis so I knew for sure then.

~~Not a massive loss to report this week, but a loss is a loss. Down 0.4 kg / 0.9 lbs from last Friday.~~ Edit: Did another weigh-in today (Saturday), just couldn't resist - and since it showed a loss of 1.1 kg / 2.4 lbs instead of "just" 0.4 kg / 0.9 lbs, I decided to use that as my official number this week - as a motivating factor. Hopefully I'm back on track now after my "break". What I have discovered though, during my break from the "extreme" low carb eating, is what level of carbs I can eat without gaining. Useful knowledge for later! The last month I have basically been mostly avoiding refined carbs, but eating some wholegrain bread and pasta, potatoes, legumes etc - and having the odd treat like some crisps and a meal out at a pizza place. Happy to say that even with those treats I have seen a small loss, so I am confident I will be able to keep the weight off in the future by staying mostly away from refined carbs - but with the odd treat.

Have a great weekend everyone!

BRAVING THE SCALES AFTER X-MAS & NEW YEAR

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 07:22:00 +0000

Time to get going again after the holidays with a little update:

I managed to be pretty "good" for the first part of x-mas, but let things slip a little (no, who am I kidding... a lot) after boxing day. Went out for pizza, had tonnes of other hi-carb foods, and on new years eve literally stuffed my face with sweets and crisps. Ooops.

Have spent the week so far dreading the scales - was gonna wait until tomorrow since Fridays are my regular days, but I did it today instead. I expected a gain. I expected a pretty hefty gain. But I wasn't prepared for this: A 0.3 kg / 0.7 lbs loss!

Yayyyyyy!!!

UPPING CARBS = STANDSTILL

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:24:00 +0000

I've increased the carbs a tad this week - and as expected the weight loss has stagnated. BUT, thankfully this is a planned break for x-mas. Thing is I have no intention of gorging myself on cakes and sweets - but now even eating a small potato makes me feel a bit sick and bloated after an hour or so. Since I WILL be eating christmas dinner, potatoes and all, I am hoping to get my body used to a slightly higher amount of carbs beforehand, because I don't want to feel ill all x-mas eve and x-mas day.

I'll report back with how I am doing dealing with the carb temptations I will inevitably come across over the next week, and will check in with a weigh-in in the new year, hopefully the damage won't be too bad!

WEIGH-IN 11th DECEMBER: - 1.3 kg / 2.9 lbs

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 06:15:00 +0000

Yes, yes, yesssss!!! I upped the fat intake this week (I've added more real butter in my cooking and have been snacking on pork scratchings!) to encourage a bigger loss - and it certainly did the trick. I ♥ low carb eating!

I am now less than 4 kg /9 lbs away from having a "normal" BMI!

WEIGH-IN 4th DECEMBER: - 0.5 kg / 1.1 lbs

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:50:00 +0000

Too busy to write a lengthy post today, just checking in quickly to report a loss this week too :)

WEIGH-IN 27th NOVEMBER: - 1.6 kg / 3.5 lbs

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:19:00 +0000

Wohoooooooo!!!

Bye-bye ugly 70s, helloooooo 60s! So happy to say that I now have less than 10 kg / 22 lbs left to lose. I hit another milestone by going under 70 kg for the first time in... oh I can't even remember! Also, my BMI just went from "overweight" to "marginally overweight"!

I've now lost 15.4 kg / 34 lbs - that's over 18% of my start weight!

The graph now looks like this:

What a way to start a Friday!

WILL I SEE THE 60s TOMORROW??

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:56:00 +0000

So, last Friday my scales were dead. And last Saturday I celebrated my birthday... There was alcohol, and carbs, and one HELLUVA hangover. But heck, it was my last birthday celebrations in my 20s so I wasn't gonna be too strict on myself. I put a new battery in the scales today, and despite it being in the evening, and NOT on my usual weigh-day, I HAD to check the damage. But see, the thing is... there wasn't any! Infact, the scales showed 70.2 kg / 154.7 lbs - which means I have lost 1 kg / 2.2 lbs since the last official weigh-in.

Now, I am trying not to get my hopes up for tomorrow, but bearing in mind that this weight was recorded in the evening I am very hopeful I will leave the 70s behind when I weigh in tomorrow morning! Wow, to see 69-something would be so so cool. It would mean I have less than 10 kg / 22 lbs to goal!!!

LOW-CARB BREAD RECIPE

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:15:00 +0000

No weigh-in today as my scales have a flat battery. Either that or I have gained 80 kilos in the last week and have gone above the weight limit for the scales - highly unlikely ;)

I baked bread yesterday. Yep. Low carb bread:

It is pretty yummy, so I want to share the recipe. The original recipe isn't mine though, I found it on a norwegian low-carb forum and modified it a tad - and here it is:

300 g cottage cheese
8 eggs
100 g wheat bran
100 g sesame seeds
200 g linseeds
100 g sunflower seeds
1 tbsp psyllium husk fibre
50 ml rapeseed oil
1/2 tsp salt

Place the cottage cheese and the eggs in a bowl and whizz with a hand held blender until smooth
Add the remaining ingredients and stir well
Pour into a bread tin
Bake for approx 2 hours at 190 °C
Leave to cool on a wire rack, then enjoy!

This makes a pretty dense loaf which is very very filling. It has a yummy nutty flavour, and surprisingly you can't taste the eggs at all! I'd recommend this to people who aren't doing low-carb too. Two small, thin slices with loads of salad, ham and cheese kept me full for hours!

OBSERVATIONS IN A CHANGING ROOM

noreply@blogger.com (Petchy) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:52:00 +0000

So, having been to the pool today and bared all...

It feels kinda weird to say it but for the first time ever I actually looked at the other ladies in the changing room and thought "you know what - more than half of these women are bigger than me". Yes, I admit - as freaky as it makes me sound - I do actually *gasp* look at other people's naked bodies, study them even. Only for the purpose of comparing their wobbly bits to mine of course - unless we are talking members of the opposite sex, whom I occasionally look at for... erm... other reasons. Hey, I'm only human ;)

It's kinda weird too, the difference between UK and Norwegian changing room etiquette. Let me just start off by saying that for the most part here in Norway, when you're getting changed at a gym or public pool, you just get naked. No blushing here, oh no! Get nekkid and get over it, lol. This culture got me a few weird looks when I first moved to the UK, let me tell you! They must have thought I was the crazy naked lady or something. After the initial first few times, I quickly learned that it would probably be wise to keep my swimsuit on in the shower, and leg it into a cubicle asap.

After 8 years in the UK, I kinda got used to it - and hence when I moved back to Norway, I felt really embarrassed getting naked in the changing room. But you know, there was kinda no choice. There are no cubicles at my local pool, and even a sign near the showers telling you to please get yer kit off - no swimming cozzies in the showers thank you very much.

OK, you're probably wondering what the point of this post is?? The point is, and this is huge for me, that today was the first day that I actually felt comfortable enough with my own body to not feel totally humiliated by this public nakedness. Wohooo!

Oh, and I need to invest in a new swimming costume, my old one is getting so big I felt like my boobs ended up dangling somewhere in the region of my knees. (I feel the need to point out that they didn't REALLY, it just felt like it!)