I lied, I sinned… but I blame my Mother.

Little Ox at 452 New Street, Brighton

Little Ox at 452 New Street, Brighton

Yes, sorry Mum, but it really is ALL your fault. If it hadn’t been your birthday, I wouldn’t have taken you and Ken (my step-father) out to lunch to one of my fave cafes, Little Ox. And if I hadn’t taken you out to lunch, I wouldn’t have smashed my FIT FIX Diet Plan to pieces. I hope you accept all the blame. Even though it’s your birthday.

To be honest, I suppose I should thank you, rather than blame you. Having stuck to the diet plan for nearly 12 days, I was bound to break it sometime and what better excuse to break a diet than needing to celebrate your birthday.

 

So yes, dear readers, I lied yesterday when I listed a simple serve of supermarket chicken tikka on the food plan. I knew damn well I was going out to lunch. Still, those of you who are putting this diet to the test need to know what I WOULD have been eating, IF I’d stuck to my word… Which I completely and whole-heartedly DID NOT.

It’s a bit hard when everything on the menu at Little Ox is so mouth-wateringly tempting. My number one choice is usually from the All Day Breakfast section – grilled corn fritters with ham, mashed avocado, salsa and a poached egg on top – just scrumptious. But with my diet in mind, I thought I’d go for the grilled chicken and quinoa salad instead. With part owner and chef Simon Winfield at the helm in the kitchen, I knew it would be delicious.

Little Ox part-owner and chef Chris Winfield

Little Ox part owner and chef Chris Winfield

Grilled chicken and quinoa salad

Grilled chicken and quinoa salad

 

And it was. I truly meant to photograph the plate up close with all its artistic swirls of aioli for you to see, but once it arrived on the table, I was so keen to see how it tasted, I’d eaten almost half of it before I remembered I was supposed to be taking pictures.

Sorry.

Again.

 

Then it was time for coffee and dessert. Mum and Ken sensibly declined the offer of a sweet treat but how can you have a birthday celebration without cake? So I went ahead and ordered a selection of wicked indulgences anyway… It’s much better to have a small taste to LOTS of things than just ONE dessert – right?

Sinfully tempting dessert selection

Sinfully tempting dessert selection

And don’t forget the cream on the side! Double clotted preferably… Starting from the back, that included a mini peach Melba, a caramel brownie and a melt-in-your mouth slice of passionfruit cheesecake. I was in heaven…

So yes, as you can see, I really DID smash up the diet plan. I can feel my jeans getting tighter as I type. Damn, and I WAS doing so well. But heck, it was worth it. It was my Mum’s birthday after all.

Ken and Mum

Ken and Mum

And though Mum really didn’t want her photo taken, I insisted. Judging by the lovely smiles, I think they enjoyed lunch too.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM!! LOVE YOU. XXXXX

 

 

 

A really, really quick Fit Fix Diet Update

This is a quickie update because life, work, and social commitments are gathering pace… making it harder to stick to the straight and narrow when it comes to the FIT FIX Diet Plan, let alone blog about it.

Fruit Drops and Butter Candy Drops

Fruit Drops and Butter Candy Drops

I talked about ‘cheating without cheating’ on the food plan yesterday, eating those yummy Double D lollies, but last night I did genuinely cheat. Being under the calorie count for the day and after having a whopping THREE alcohol free days straight, I thought I could relax with a glass or two of chardy at the end of the night while watching TV. But of course, once the alcohol takes effect, the will-power plummets… 

Cashews and pistachios

Cashews and pistachios

I was STILL hungry. Now, I didn’t break any of the so-called ‘rules’ here, but I did go overboard with a massive NUT BINGE. Pistachios and cashews. I didn’t weigh them, just hoed right on in – handful upon handful… God knows how many calories that would have added up to – hate to think.

That, combined with a lack of exercise, meant the scales plateaued today – hardly a surprise…

The next three days will be challenging too, with lots of social events booked in, so I’m hoping all my good work won’t fall in a heap. The most important thing is to make a PLAN – try to stick to it, and if you fail, start all over again!

Having said that, here’s the plan for tomorrow. And I don’t need to detail Saturday’s as that’s my day off – yay!

FRIDAY 

Chicken Tikka pieces

Chicken Tikka pieces

Breakfast – Uncle Toby’s instant oats with berries

Snack – Hard-boiled egg

Lunch – Chicken tikka pieces (about 125g + 166 calories) I buy it pre-made from the supermarket and heat it up in the microwave. Simple.

Snack – small tub Tamara mixed berries yoghurt

Dinner – left over chicken patties and papaya salad (recipe listed in Wednesday’s blog)

RECIPE – Papaya Salad

I green papaya
I bag coleslaw from the supermarket
1/2 cup roasted cashews, crushed
3 spring onions
1 red chilli
handful fresh coriander
1/2 cup fresh basil

DRESSING

1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon Sambel Oelek
1/2 tablespoon honey

Grate the papaya and mix into the coleslaw. Mix the dressing ingredients together and pour over. Enjoy!