Journey to the Summer: WEEK 6 (23/04- 29/04)

Hey guys! Welcome back to the 6th post (I know, time flies!) on my diet and fitness series: Journey to the Summer!

In this week I was able to go back to the gym and work out, which I pray will put me back on the right track after weeks of just eating right and not doing too much exercise. I weighed myself on my first day back at the gym and I am confident that I can get to my goal before the end of this series at least. Eating healthier was better this week and I was not eating as much bad food. I got very creative with my dinners also, so lets get straight into it and see for yourselves! 

Sunday (915 calories): 

Breakfast: Oats with semi- skimmed milk and two sliced strawberries (188 calories)
Lunch: A croissant (185 calories)
Dinner: Chicken and spinach pesto pasta (542 calories) 

• Boil your wholewheat pasta according to its packet instructions. Drain and leave to the side
• Cook chicken breast in a tablespoon of oil, seasoning with salt, pepper, 1 clove of minced garlic, chilli flakes, chicken seasoning, oregano and basil. 
• To cooked pasta add two hand full's of washed spinach, sliced cherry tomatoes and the cooked chicken. 
• Stir in pesto and serve. 
• Pack the remainder of the pesto pasta into three meal preps for lunch during the week. 

Monday (1,216 calories):

Breakfast: Seeded white piece of toast with 1/2 avocado and a sliced boiled egg (343 calories)
Lunch: Leftover pesto pasta (480 calories)
Dinner: Pan fried sea bass with peppers, onions, and spinach (392 calories)

• Season your sea bass with salt, pepper, garlic, paprika and fish seasoning. Pan fry with a tbsp. oil for 4-5 mins on each side, allowing skin to crisp up nicely. 
• Saute sliced peppers with onions and spinach, seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with a wedge of lemon. 

Tuesday (1,182 calories):

Breakfast: Oats with semi- skimmed milk and sliced strawberries (234 calories) 
Lunch: Tuna mayo sandwich with a braeburn apple (344 calories) 

Dinner: Ayamase with brown rice and a grilled plantain (604 calories) 

• Ayamase was bought as is, and drained of oil. 
• Cook brown rice according to package instructions 
• Grill plantains using a little oil, salt and pepper at 200℃ for 25 mins. 

Wednesday (1,090 calories):

Breakfast: Spinach, tomato and onion omelette with 1/4 avocado (433 calories)

Lunch: Tuna mayo sandwich (255 calories)
Dinner: Chicken, shrimp and avocado salad (402 calories) 

• Season to your preference and cook chicken breast and shrimp. 
• Boil and slice an egg
• Slice up a tomato, a small white onion (soak in cold water to lessen the harsh taste), 1/4 avocado, and lettuce. 
• Add lettuce to bowl and add toppings. 
• Dress with 1 tbsp. peri-mayo and serve. 

Thursday (1, 234 calories):

Breakfast: 2 slices of danish toast with 1 scrambled egg (246 calories)

Lunch: Leftover pesto pasta (480 calories)
Dinner: Chicken teriyaki with brown rice (508 calories) 

• Slice chicken breast and cook in a pan. Add low sodium soy sauce, garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, chilli powder, salt, pepper and 1 heaped tsp. honey. Allow to cook through in sauce. 
• Cook brown rice according to package instructions. 
• Serve garnished with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. 

Friday (1,206 calories):

Breakfast: 2 slices of danish toast with 1/4 avocado and 2 boiled eggs (325 calories) 

Lunch: Tuna sweetcorn and tomato salad (306 calories)
Dinner: Spinach stuffed garlic and herb chicken breast with mashed sweet potato and green beans (504 calories) 

• Cut a pocket into a chicken breast and stuff with washed spinach, garlic, lemon juice and a small stalk of green onion. Hold together using toothpicks. Season outside of chicken with salt, pepper, 1 crushed garlic clove, lemon juice, mixed hers, oregano and basil. Place in oven at 180℃ for 20-25 mins or until fully cooked. 
• Peel, chop and boil sweet potatoes in seasoned boiling water. Once tender, mash with a fork. 
• Steam green beans 
• Serve with a little of your favourite condiment (I used BBQ sauce) 

Saturday (1,365 calories): 

Breakfast: 4 small oatmeal pancakes with an over easy egg and a squeeze of pure maple syrup (408 calories) (Not pictured) 

Lunch: Mashed sweet potato and ayamase (204 calories) I know, weird meal. 
Snack: Two braeburn apples (142 calories)
Dinner: Peri- peri salmon with sweet potato mash and sweetcorn (610 calories) 

• Coat salmon with 1 tbsp. peri peri sauce, crushed chillies, salt, pepper & mixed herbs. Oven bake at 200℃ for 15-20mins or until golden brown.
• Use leftover sweet potato mash and cook sweetcorn. Serve. 

On Saturday, I woke up late and also was not feeling well so I was really unbothered to cook in the afternoon. This is my explanation for my lunch people, I just threw together whatever I could find that was already cooked in the fridge! Overall this week has been a decent one for me. I haven't been to the gym as much as I should have, I was only able to go 3 times, but next week I hope to go 4/5 times to makeup for it. My sleeping schedule has changed also, this affecting my eating patterns. For example I will be revising for my exams all day and at night as well and thus may wake up at 11am having been revising until 3am the previous night. Waking up late means I eat breakfast late and by the time i'm hungry again it's dinnertime. I'm still doing really well not to eat after 9pm even though I'm always hungry when I've finished revising but fruits are keeping me going with apples taking rank as my favourite snack. I live to fight another day! 

Week's concluding thoughts: 42 days straight baby! 

I got an alert the other day from myfitnesspal congratulating me for logging in my meals for 40 days straight. It got me thinking: wow, 40 days of dieting, this is the best I've ever done! I normally give up or quit so the credit is really owed to this blog and all of your support, as without the pressure of having to report exactly what I eat everyday, I probably would have given up weeks ago. It hasn't been easy but by the grace of God i'm still here. My main drive behind staying away from my favourite unhealthy foods is this: "Food will always be there". I'm fortunate enough to have the luxury to pick and choose what I eat and for that I am grateful but the McDonald's I crave, or the pounded yam that calls my name will always be there. My weight/ health will not. So i'm going to power through knowing one day I will eat those foods as a treat and still have a fab body afterwards! 

Be sure to follow me on Snapchat: @Chrissola and Twitter/Instagram: @Chrissola_ for live cooking and more information on #CCC. Feel free to send me pictures of the meals if and when you choose to make them! Have a blessed day and a great week ahead!