Jouney to The Summer- WEEK 2 (26/03- 01/04)

Welcome back to the second entry on my 8 week diet blog- Journey to the Summer: a diet and fitness series.

Last week I suggested I would be doing more repetitive meals because I was going back to work this week, and I promise you I thought I would. I didn't end up meal planning and instead just either repeated certain side dishes again, or used a smaller portion of my dinner as my lunch. I thought working would mean I would have less time to cook meals but I should've known myself- my hate for eating the same meal for more than two days manifested into the following meals I ate this week. As usual, you don't have to follow my meals specifically- if you are joining this journey pick a couple of your favourite recipes and meal plan them! This blog is for inspirational purposes so even if you're not trying to lose weight, feel free to take these meal ideas and incorporate them into your lifestyle. Anyway, enough talking, lets get into it!

Sunday (1,368 calories): 

Breakfast: Oat pancakes with strawberries and a boiled egg (463 calories)

Lunch: Leftover Lemon and herb chicken and sweet potato (see week 1 blog post/ not pictured) (322 calories)
Dinner: Wholewheat pasta with chilli prawns in a spicy tomato sauce (584 calories)

• For the prawns in tomato sauce: In a tbsp. of oil toast 1 small onion, 1 clove of garlic and some chilli flakes. Add a can of chopped tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, ground chillies and 1 Maggi cube. Add mixed herbs and allow to simmer for 5-6 mins. Add prawns (cooked) and allow to cook on a low heat.
• Cook the wholewheat pasta according to the instructions on its packet.
• Add the sauce to the pasta, stir together and serve garnishing with fresh chillies and green onions.

Monday (1,146 calories)

Breakfast: 2 egg spinach and onion omelette with a sliced tomato (274 calories)
Lunch: Leftover chilli prawn pasta (240 calories)
Dinner: Baked peri- peri salmon with sweet potato wedges and mixed vegetables. (632 calories)

• For Salmon: Coat with 1 tbsp. peri peri sauce, crushed chillies, salt, pepper & mixed herbs. Oven bake at 200℃ for 15-20mins or until golden brown.
• For wedges: Peel and wash two small sweet potatoes and cut them into quarters. Place on a baking tray and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Bake at 200℃ for 20mins.
• Steam mixed vegetables.

Tuesday (1,345 calories):

Breakfast: Tuna mayo sandwich (not pictured as I was in a rush on the train to LDN) (451 calories)
Lunch: 1 small bowl of jollof rice with beef and 1/2 grilled plantain (380 calories)
Dinner: Coronation chicken salad (Bought from Sainsbury's so recipe not included) (514 calories)

Wednesday (1,120 calories):

Breakfast: 2 slices of Danish lighter white bread with 1/3 avocado and an egg (363 calories

Lunch: Lettuce, sweetcorn and tomato salad with grilled chicken breast (216 calories)

Dinner: Haddock fillet of fish with sweetcorn, corn on the cob and broccoli (541 calories)

• For Fish: Oven bake fish according to packaging instructions
• Steam corn on the cob, sweetcorn and broccoli and serve.

Thursday (1,009 calories):

Breakfast: Oats in semi- skimmed milk with strawberries and blueberries (245 calories)
Lunch: 1/2 Costco chicken fajita wrap (214 calories)
Dinner: Vegetable fried brown rice with teriyaki drumstick chicken (550 calories)

• For chicken: Marinade chicken in teriyaki sauce adding 1 clove of minced garlic, a small knob of ginger, crushed chillies, salt and pepper. Grill at 180℃ for 25-30 mins or until golden brown and cooked through.
• Boil brown rice according to instructions with salt and pepper. Add mixed vegetables and mushrooms to the pot 5mins before the rice is fully cooked and serve.

Friday (1,221 calories):

Breakfast: 2 slices of Danish lighter bread with 1 scrambled egg and 1/3 avocado (333 calories)  
Lunch: Leftover vegetable fried brown rice with 1 shredded chicken drumstick and a cranberry and almond shot (330 calories)
Snack: 2 Go Ahead crispy slices (114 calories)
Dinner: Courgette spaghetti with chicken pesto and sweetcorn (444 calories)

• For chicken breast: In a teaspoon of rapeseed oil cook the diced chicken breast with 1 clove of garlic, salt, pepper and 1/4 cube of Maggi. Add the reduced fat green pesto and combine well.
• Cook courgette spaghetti as per instructions on the packet reducing the cook time by 1 min.
• Add the courgette to the pesto chicken and mix thoroughly.
• Cook sweetcorn and serve.  

Saturday (1,237 calories):

Breakfast: Vanilla yoghurt bowl topped with granola, strawberries and blueberries (295 calories)

Lunch: Leftover vegetable fried brown rice and teriyaki chicken (233 calories)
Snack: 3 Go Ahead crispy slices (171 calories)
Dinner: Soy ginger chicken breast in a broccoli and carrot stir fry with sweet potatoes and 1/4 grilled plantain (538 calories)

• For chicken stir fry: In a little rapeseed oil, stir fry your carrots broccoli and a sliced onion with salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Remove the vegetables from the pan, and in the remaining oil, toast chilli flakes, 2 cloves of garlic and a small knob of ginger until fragrant. Add your chicken and allow to cook fully. Stir in your vegetables and add 1 tbsp. dark soy sauce. Cook for 3 mins until fully combined.
• Boil 1 large sweet potato until tender.
• Grill a halved plantain for 25-30mins at 200℃. Serve.

This week as you can see I often had a smaller portion of my lunch for dinner. It worked pretty well for me as I found myself eating my dinner later than usual as my shifts finished around 8/9pm, so I needed something a bit more filling to get me through the day.
Side note: The coronation chicken salad I ate on Tuesday was the worst salad I have ever eaten. Avoid at all costs.
Going to the gym was a struggle for me this week as I moved back home on Tuesday for the Easter holidays. Not only was I working 8 hour shifts but I don't have a gym membership in London so just tried to do most of my exercises at home. I didn't feel like I was pushing myself as much as last week but hopefully this week I can temporarily find a gym in London. Failing this, I will have my workout plan tweaked to suit home workouts for the next two weeks. Shall weigh myself at the halfway point of my journey (4 weeks) but spoiler alert- I have lost weight! *Dances into KFC*. I wish I wasn't joking... Anyway onwards and upwards!

Weeks concluding thoughts: One word. TEMPTATIONS!

This week I found myself spiralling into bigger cravings as the week went on. Moving back home proved more difficult to stay on track. At Uni, I am only surrounded by foods which I choose to buy which are only healthy but at home, there is everything I love, from starchy yam and egg every Saturday morning, to efo riro and pounded yam. On Thursday I went to Costco with my Dad and he bought a bake at home BBQ chicken pizza. Guys. I was looking at him like the GIF of Idris Elba in the back seat of a car on our way home... (If you know, you know). My cravings have gone from jam donuts, to curried goat with rice and peas, but I'm staying strong and avoiding unhealthy food at ALL COSTS! Two weeks down, six to go!