WIAW- Getting the new year off to a good start.

Well its been a long time till I have participated in this, mainly because no-one wants to read about plates of vegetables and fruit being consumed which is what my diet had consisted off, and it feels good to be able to eat proper food and fuel myself properly. 

This morning I started the day of properly with some oats, with natural yogurt and dried apricots. It has been months since I have ate porridge and it felt so warming and comforting. I need to work on the amounts I put in adding some healthy fats but is a step in the right direction.

After they had digested I went on an easy cycle ride did about 20 miles at a slow pace. I needed my legs to recover as I went on a long run the afternoon before did 9 miles, and this is my other bit of good news I have entered in an half marathon!!! When I was in a running shop I saw it on their counter and was attracted as it is traffic free and pancake flat!!!! Marathon details: http://www.ironbridgerunnerevents.co.uk/exeterhalf/ I actually have no idea how to train for a half marathon, will do some googling. I really love exercise so much and it has really helped me to get to a higher weight and eat more as I want to fuel my sport. I find I don't care so much about what I eat, my mood is a lot better and I learn to accept my body for what it is.


Lunch was spent with my lovely boyfriend. He cooked us something in his slowcooker, called gingered chickpeas with parsnips, carrots, and onions in a tomato sauce it was so nice. I had it with some roasted butternut squash:

Afterwards I had one of my cookies, these I have made before. But this time added honey and some  nakd pineapple raisins. It was adapted from this lovely girlies blog I actually made this in about 20 minutes when I came in from the bike ride as was waiting for Andy to pick me up.

After lunch and chilling out with Andy he took me food shopping, stocked up on essentials and then I went to my old house to pick up some things that have been their for months. We also stopped for a costa quite handy having a boyfriend who works in my favourite coffee place. So had a extra hot soya latte. 

This evening I cooked my favourite veg, roasted butternut squash with sage, cottage cheese and a chickpea salad!!

Favourite veg to eat in the winter? 
Any tips for a half marathon? 

Sleep and bargains

I called my GP this morning as I have been having big problems trying to sleep,and it has led to night time eating which is also quite distressing. I tend to over think and this uni situation is on my mind and at night it is ten times worse and I just can't switch off. So I have been given some sleeping pills. I really love my GP she is the one doctor I have seen that really gets anorexia in an almost scary way like she has been their too. I told her the situation with uni and she said to me " I didn't say this, but you should get a lawyer" I am hoping it won't come to that, but on Wednesday I will be sending an email and my community team that I still see will be sending another letter in with the email. I need to hear this week not in a few weeks time I am meant to start uni in less than a month!!! I hate not being able to sleep it is so important for good mental and physical well being. 

Bargains

I like myself a good old bargain. Especially being a student where I know I need to watch the pennies. Well yesterday I was out with Mum and Dad and we happened to be near a sainsburys and it was close to closing time so... the perfect opportunity to get lots of reduced food. I used to this a lot when I lived more close to supermarkets but if you go a few hours before they finish trading they reduce all the fresh produce. Well this is what I managed to pick up:

Most of the veg was 30p-this was 200g organic carrots, 250g fresh beetroot, 4 taste the difference flat mushrooms, fruit salad of mango, pineapple and grapes, bunched parsley, fresh watermelon. 

Non-reduced stuff was natural cottage cheese, 3 nut butters! they have a 1/3 of their nut butters at the mo and I stocked up on almond, cashew, and chocolate chip peanut butter ( I am addicted to the chocolate chip one!!), some museli, and pink lady apples, also not pictured was a cherry pie for my Dad which was also reduced to 59p. All in all this came too £9.80. I used some of the carrots in a stew I made this evening, and had some of the mushrooms stuffed with cheese and seeds. 

Exercise today was one of my long bike rides. But it wasn't as good as I have done before and was a bit dissapointed. Did 40 miles and an average speed of 16mph their were some hills.  but I think I need a rest day as my legs felt so heavy. So tomorrow will be a leg rest day! I am at work all day so won't get the anxious feeling that I sometimes get when I am not exercising as my job is fairly active on my feet all the time. For lunch today after my ride I had a meal I haven't had in a while, quick, easy and fairly cheap!! Beans on toast with some low fat cheddar:

I met a friend for coffee this afternoon which was nice. Told her about my Uni situation and she thinks its ridiculous. She said how much better I look from when I did the access course and that I look healthy!! Even a few months back those words would have shuddered down my spine, but I want recovery so bad. 

I am nearly at a healthy weight and I really never thought that would be possible. I thought my life was the ed  that it was me. I thought it would have killed me, I didn't want  a womanly body, I wanted to stay childlike. But now I want a life so badly, I want to have kids one day, I want to lead a normal life hopefully be an inspiration to others and help others overcome their problems.  

I spent some time this evening cooking my favourite dish a Morocan chickpea stew: 

This time I added some peppers, I usually use loads of mushrooms but peppers were on offer for £1 in asda. originally recipe is here. 

Well I am back at work tomorrow, at least it will keep me distracted. Hoping I sleep okay tonight. 

anyone else make meals to freeze? favourite thing to cook? do you find rest days difficult? 

chickpea and vegetable stew

So the other day I cooked something. I found it quite theraputic. I used to struggle majorly with cooking for myself and would live of tinned soups I felt that I didn't deserve to eat or cook for myself as I was allowing myself nice things.

HOWEVER now things are changing and I am enjoying feeding myself with healthy foods I no longer live of crap food and give my body the nourshiment it deserves because I do deserve it:)

Chickpea and Vegetable Stew

1 red onion , sliced

1 tsp olive oil

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cumin

1tsp mixed spice

300g mushrooms , quartered

400g can chopped tomatoes

410g can chickpeas

1 tsp clear honey

175g couscous

50g soft dried apricots , diced

handful flat-leaf parsley , roughly chopped

vegetable stock (I used kallo organic cube)

1. It was really easy to do I firstly fried the onion with some of the oil, then added the spices and after 1 minute added the mushrooms and then cooked for another 2 minutes and put in the chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, honey, and chopped apricots. Leave to simmer for about 7-10 minutes.
2. While this was cooking I prepared the cous cous by adding some vegetable stock and the spices with some parsley stirred in left to stand for 5 minutes then added it to the dish.

This recipe was adapted from the good food one http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/234607/moroccan-mushrooms-with-couscous

It did speculate its serves 4 but the portions were quite small for the actual mixture so I would have added some extra beans or chickpeas or some tofu to up the protein levels.

I am of on a bike ride later I hope the rain holds out.

productive day!

well today has been fairly productive. I went to my Mum's and saw my dad and cooked us some poached eggs on toast and then made a meal for my mum to freeze portions of a chilli with some minced beef and kidneys beans and spices etc. She has been eating loads of ready meals and they are really not good for her and it only took like 10 minutes to make as I bought ready chopped onion lol. I hate chopping onion it always really effects me and eyes get so stingy and sore.

After that I came back and cleaned the kitchen, and made something for myself. I haven't cooked for a long time I used to do loads of cooking. But just hadn't had the time with college etc and now my course is coming to an end I have had a lot more spare time and I do enjoy it and is a good way to save money since I am a student:p so here is what I cooked. I adapted it from anita beans "sports nutrition for women" A really great book with loads of helpful advice for those that exercise on what to eat before and after etc.

Lentil and Chickpea Stew:

Okay so its not the most appetsising picture lol uploaded from my blackberry BUT it did taste nice:) and so easy to cook. first of cooked some mushrooms, peppers, courgette, and garlic, then added some veg stock, 100g lentils, 1 can of chickpeas, and some carrots. spices I added were curry powder, tumeric, and garam masala. then just leave to simmer for 20 minutes. Easy:) I am going to take it to college with me next week. hoping it will be okay cold. Is a really cheap meal too. Think I will be cooking more as did quite enjoy it.