A diet ('healthy eating plan') that works

Please note::: If you are allergic to exercising you will only get so far on a diet. Don't expect to do nothing and still loose weight!

Tip: It is more motivating to do a diet with someone. The person you live with is probably the best idea that way you can ban 'bad' food from the house (and the shopping list)

I had a baby 8 months ago and although I was down to the same size I was pre-baby I still had that post baby blob on my tummy, not that anyone else would have noticed but it's one of those things that I'd rather base my 'diet' goal on looking a certain way then what weight I want to be.

It started with my husband wanting to lean up a bit, he got onto whey protein shakes and was going to the gym and running five days a week. Although his diet consisted of 6 'meals', some of which were a protein shake, protein bar or fruit and others grilled chicken and vegetables. I'm not really organized enough to sort out 6 meals a day as well as my son's food so I decided to modify it a little.

The first thing we did was to try and find a recipe for home-made protein bars......do you know how expensive it gets when you need to have 2 a day!!!

Here's the recipe we found:

• 1 lb of no fat cottage cheese
• 4 tablespoons of natural peanut butter
• 2 cups of whole oats
• 3 scoops of pure whey protein power

[http://worldfitnessnetwork.com/worlds-best-tasting-fastest-healthiest-homemade-protein-bars/]

Note::: Cottage cheese is never usually in our house but you really don't notice it in the bars so don't be put off by it!

While my husband chose to eat these I preferred to make some with less protein powder in it. Here's how I made mine (they do have more carbs but as a meal substitute they work well)

• 1 tub of no fat cottage cheese
• 1 1/2 tbsp peanut butter
• handful of raisins
• 2 cups of oats
• 1 scoop of protein powder

I mixed all the wet ingredients together (including the powder) then mixed in the oats and squashed it into a tray. It is a no bake recipe and it does have to be kept in the fridge but they're so handy if I have to go out anywhere and haven't had breakfast or if I'm going to the gym and don't want a meal.

Here's how I chose to do my diet.

Breakfast: cup of tea, protein bar

Coffee with sweeteners

Lunch: steamed fish (white fish or salmon), 1/3 of a bag of mixed salad leaves, small potato. (you do not need any sauce, butter or condiments as the fish is moist enough!-tuna is the exception then I would add a teaspoon of mayo and a bit of vinegar) The potato should be the size that you look at and think that's not big enough to fill me up! 

Coffee with sweeteners

Dinner: protein bar, piece of fruit, a low fat yoghurt if needed.

Decaf (just my preference for evening drinking) coffee with sweeteners 

I also went to 3 gym classes a week- 2 Pilates class and 1 BOKWA class
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_soxJDXAFE&feature=relmfu

I chose to walk rather than drive if we were going out anywhere as well.

In 2 weeks I toned down and probably lost about 4-5 lbs. 

Note::: If you are feeling tired in the afternoon skip the potato at lunch. 

It is difficult to diet on your own but try and keep motivated or find friends of a like mind and be accountable to someone. If you have a smart phone there is a free app that is useful if you just want to watch what you're eating or you're cutting down your calorie intake. It's called My Fitness Pal and it does link to Facebook if you want to make sure you stick to healthy eating.

Remember cheating on a diet is only cheating yourself. If you need a cheat day take a whole day rather than having a sneaky snack on a diet day :)

Stay Motivated,

Lydia