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Can you have your cake and eat it? Week 6

May 21st, 2013

Hi and welcome to week 5 of my 5:2 diet. For those who are unfamiliar with my blog column ‘Can you have your cake and eat it?’ I’ve been undertaking an experiment to see if I can lose weight on the popular 2 day a week fasting diet ( known also as the 5:2 diet).

For those new to the fasting diet, the 2 days a week of fasting consists of consuming 500 calories a day for women and 600 calories a day for men. For the remaining 5 days of non-fasting, you are encouraged to resume your usual eating routine, so there’s no need to calorie count. You can choose which 2 days a week to fast on and it’s recommended that you have a break between fast days i.e. your fast days shouldn’t be held on consecutive days.

Week 6

I gave myself a real push this week. In addition to fasting on the two days I also went for a 30 minute jog three times during the week and managed to complete a 45 minute run at the weekend too. For those interested in exercising on fast days, I can report that one of my 30 minute runs took place on a fast day and it didn’t seem to have an adverse effect. I’ll admit that I took it easy, however I found that the running has become easier because I feel lighter and more energetic. Interestingly, I didn’t crave food any more than I usually would. Exercise is known to increase my hunger, so I can’t tell whether it’s a one off situation or not?

I also kept a closer eye on my diet on the non-fast days this week. There were a couple of exceptions including a couple of raspberry macarons and a small slice of James Martin’s Chocolate Cola cake at the weekend (this cake is to die for, will blog the recipe very soon).

Fast days

This week’s fast days were on a Tuesday and Thursday and here are the menu breakdowns:

Tuesday

Breakfast

1 crumpet spread with yeast extract 100 calories

Lunch

1 tin of lentil soup 95 calories

1 small apple 45 calories

Dinner

Salmon steak with soy sauce

and steamed veg 225 calories

Snacks

Tea, water, herbal teas

Total 465 calories

Thursday

Breakfast

1 medium banana 95 calories

Lunch

70g of cooked chicken tikka pieces

and a small salad 110 calories

Dinner

1 small baked potato with 2tbsp of hummus 250 calories

and a green salad (rocket, cucumber, tomato, pepper)

Snacks

2 small clementines 44 calories

Drinks: herbal teas, black tea, water,

Total 499 calories

Diary of week 6

If you’ve been following my progress you’ll notice I’ve experimented with my meals this week. I was eating ’Innocent Veg pots’ as a regular dinner on my fast days due to the convenience of them. It’s been good to shake up my fast meals this week and to eat more meat such as fish and chicken. I’ve found that adding a salad to a meal helps to fill you up for very little calories. I also like to have a dressing with a salad so I’ll add a little balsamic or rice vinegar to it too. I’m not going to worry if this adds another few calories onto the total meal either.

This week’s weight loss 4lbs ( 1.8 kg)

Total weight loss 17lbs ( 7.7 kg)

Total weight loss including gain 14lbs ( 6.3 kg)

(from holiday)

Yay!!! I hit my 1 stone goal! I did push myself this week and thankfully it’s paid off. I believe the extra exercise combined with healthier eating on the non-fast days spurred on the extra weight loss. I had set myself the challenge on the blog last week to hit the stone mark, and because I felt accountable I really focused on hitting that final milestone.

I wanted to say a big thank you for reading this column. As I’ve hit my 1 stone weight loss, this blog post will be my final post on the ‘ Can you have your cake and it eat it? column.

I hope it has in someway inspired or encouraged you to have a go at the diet too. Although the diet has worked for me, you’ll see from my previous posts that it wasn’t a straight line. Life can get in the way sometimes, but this shouldn’t deter you from your weight loss goals.

If you miss a week here and there, just pick up on the next week and keep going.

Overall I’ve found a diet that finally works for me and I wish you every success with your weight loss too.

Wishing you every success!

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Fun Fridays ~ Cake Smash

May 17th, 2013

It’s been a long time since I posted a Fun Friday post so I thought I’d surprise you all with this gorgeous, but fun ’1st birthday cake smash’ photograph. Taken by Amelia at Cherry on Top photography, based in Australia. Her newborn and family photographs are simply stunning, you must check out her website.

Have a fun Friday and a great weekend!!

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Can you have your cake & eat it? Week 5

May 14th, 2013

Hi and welcome to week 5 of my 5:2 diet. For those who are unfamiliar with my blog column ‘Can you have your cake and eat it?’ I’m undertaking an experiment to see if I can lose weight on the popular 2 day a week fasting diet ( known also as the 5:2 diet).

For those that have been taking an interest in this column you’ll know that I haven’t posted for a couple of weeks. This was due to taking an early Summer holiday with the family. As I mentioned in Week 4 I was thrilled to have lost 10 pounds in preparation for going on holiday, it really does make you feel better when your clothes fit well and you generally feel lighter.

I love food, and being on an all inclusive holiday I knew I was going to be eating more food than compared to being back home. The weather was unusually hot in Cyprus so I was happily eating lots of fresh salad, fruit and Cypriot food. There were various restaurants in the resort and they all served t0-die-for puddings, which often included chocolate ganache (see here for my recipe ).

As you can imagine I didn’t hold back on the desserts and I consumed (too many to mention) cocktails during the evenings. Hey, I was on holiday so I was prepared to have a weight gain. What’s the damage you’re asking… I gained a total of 3 lbs….

Once home I started back on the fast diet as soon as the Bank Holiday weekend was over. The fast days were Tuesday and the following Monday. I spaced the days out as I had various social commitments and guests staying over. I want to make the fast days easy and if I’m entertaining or eating out the last thing I want is to be restricted. That’s the beauty of this diet, it provides the flexibility to choose your days based on your schedule.

Fast days

Here are the menu breakdowns for the Monday and Tuesday fast days

Tuesday

Breakfast

Bowl of blueberries and strawberries 30 calories

Lunch

1 tin of Heinz Carrot & Coriander soup 160 calories

Dinner

Innocent Veg pot Thai Curry 318 calories

Snacks

Tea, coffee, herbal teas

Total 508 calories

Monday

Breakfast

1 slice of medium toast with butter 115 calories

Lunch

Sweetcorn & Coriander salad 85 calories

Dinner

Innocent veg pot Thai Veg Curry 318 calories

Snacks

Drinks: herbal teas, black tea, water, handful of blueberries

Total 518 calories

Diary of week 5

You’ll notice I’m slightly over the 500 calories on both days, but I’m not going to sweat over it.

I previously had a 3lb weight gain due to my holiday, it’s encouraging that I’ve been able to pick up the fast diet routine again and at a time that’s been workable with my schedule. I think it would have been harder to kick-start a continuous 24/7 diet.

I apologise for my repeated use of Innocent Veg pots, I find them convenient, tasty and full of flavour. They are an easy meal option, especially when you’re cooking other (non-fast) meals for the family. Sainsburys regularly have a ‘buy one get one free’ so I can’t help popping a couple in the shopping trolley. So here are the results:

This week’s weight loss 3lbs ( 1.3kg)

Total weight loss 13lbs ( 4.5kg)

Total weight loss including gain 10lbs ( 5.9kg)

(from holiday)

So in summary I’ve lost the 3lbs I gained on holiday and am back to a 10lb loss on the scales. The entire weight loss would have been 13lbs if I hadn’t had a gain. I’m confident that I’ll lose a stone if I continue on the fast diet for the next week or two, which I plan to.

The recipe I’m sharing this week is sweetcorn and corainder which is inspired by the salads I ate on holiday. Salads don’t have to be boring, I recommend adding a fragrant lettuce, or spice to boost the flavour, also the riper the tomatoes the better.

Recipe ~ Sweetcorn & Coriander Salad ( Serves 1 approx 85 calories)

Bowl full of mixed lettuce (watercress, spinach, rocket, iceberg)

A handful of ripe cherry tomatoes

Several slices of cucumber

Half a tin (about 60g) of sweetcorn

2 tbsp of fresh coriander

a chopped celery stick

3 slices of red onion

Dressing: Try 2 tbsp of rice vinegar

Optional : a handful of grated carrot, 3 slices of pickled beetroot

Method

- Place the lettuce(s) in a bowl

- Sprinkle the coriander on top

- Add the sweetcorn in the centre of the lettuce

- Add the chopped tomato, cucumber, celery, onion

- Splash the rice vinegar dressing over the top

- Serve immediately

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Cupcake ATM in London?

May 9th, 2013

Have you heard the news? According to Thomas Cook In Flight magazine, a new London location is being sought for a new 24 hour cupcake “ATM”.

The American cupcake chain ‘Sprinkles’ whose clients include ‘A listers’ such as Paris Hilton and Oprah, opened it’s first cupcake ATM in Beverly Hills last year and London is in the frame to have cupcakes on tap 27/7.

Would you buy cupcakes from an ATM?

Do you think something like this could work in London?

I’d love to hear your comments below.

Image via Thomas Cook In Flight Magazine

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Recipe ~ Easy Dark Chocolate Ganache

May 7th, 2013

Don’t you just love dark chocolate ganache? It’s one of my favourite toppings for chocolate cupcakes and chocolate cakes. Whilst on a family holiday in Cyprus recently, I noticed that the hotel we stayed in regularly served chocolate ganache in one form or another in it’s desserts. I am pretty certain that it was made using the same % of cocoa solids in the chocolate as I use (53.8%), as it tasted the same as the recipe I use at home and in my chocolate classes.

Chocolate ganache is so simple to make, it uses a combination of cream and chocolate. It tastes so decadent, grown up and almost naughty.

In it’s fluid form, you must use it quickly as it will begin to thicken and set. I usually take a tablespoon or two and literally spoon it over a chocolate cupcake. Within ten minutes it will set enough to add any further decorations on top, or you could just take a big bite? I know what I’d rather do…

Recipe for Dark Chocolate Ganache (for topping 12 cupcakes)

200ml single cream

200g chocolate buttons ( I use Callebaut, 53.8% cocoa solids)

Method

- Place the single cream in a microwaveable bowl and add the chocolate buttons

- Microwave together for 1 minute, then stir

- Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir

- Repeat until the chocolate has melted into the cream, stir until smooth

Please note that the microwave I use is 900W, therefore you may need to adjust your microwave timings.

Enjoy!

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Cupcakes,Creativity & Confidence

April 30th, 2013

I had the absolute pleasure of giving a talk and cupcake demo to the Anstee Bridge program. Anstee Bridge supports year 11 students who require an alternative to school, with the aim of helping them to engage in education. Many of their students come from disadvantaged backgrounds and Anstee assists in guiding them whether this be in further education, employment or training beyond school.

One of their aims is to increase their student’s confidence which can be gained through creativity. This is a charity that is close to my heart, as I believe that creativity is the key to happiness, confidence and innovation. I believe that our purpose is to create, and unfortunately a large part of society fails to recognise the importance of creativity in our lives.

To add creativity and fun into my visit, I took along some cupcakes for the group to decorate. The girls made their own hand made decorations, and they then learned how to pipe beautiful buttercream swirls. All of them were delighted with their creations and they couldn’t believe what they had achieved in such a short period of time.

As part of my talk I shared with them some words of encouragement. I’d like to share some of these with you too in case you find them useful:

* First of all ‘You Matter’ and you are significant to this world. I believe we all have our own unique gifts to offer and you don’t have to be good at every subject to matter. Discover what you’re good at and then become really good at it. Usually it’s something that you’re also passionate about.

* Although we’re in a recession and opportunities in the UK for youngsters are more challenging, there are still opportunities. Don’t despair if university is not an option,work placements and apprenticeships builds key skills and gives invaluable work experience. Alternatively why not work for yourself and be your own boss?

* Because of the internet, the easiest and cheapest time to start a business is now.

* Keep learning, ignore the naysayers and don’t give up on your dream – whatever that maybe!

One of my favourite quotes is “She turned her can’ts into cans, and her dreams in plans.”

For more information about the Anstee Bridge Program, click here

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Can you have your cake and eat it? Week 4

April 25th, 2013

via onesheepishgirl

Hi and welcome to week 4 of my 5:2 diet. For those who are unfamiliar with my blog column ‘Can you have your cake and eat it?’ I’m undertaking an experiment to see if I can lose weight on the popular 2 day a week fasting diet ( known also as the 5:2 diet).

Due to travelling longhaul the week before I did opt to miss a week of the diet as it didn’t make sense to fast whilst dealing with a busy schedule and jetlag.

I soon as I came back from my travels I immediately jumped back on to the diet so let’s see how I got on in week 4:

Fast days

For my fourth week I fasted on the Tuesday and Thursday. I’ll be honest and admit that after a week’s break from the routine of fast days I was hungrier than I had been in previous weeks. I guess this shows that once you fall out of routine, your body adapts to it’s new regime ( in my case eating American pancakes) relatively quickly. I drank more tea and coffee, and found that Twinnings Peppermint tea helps to keep you hydrated and less hungry. I also went to bed earlier and read on the fast days. I found that keeping busy distracted me from feeling hungry.

Here are the menu breakdowns for the Monday and Thursday fasting days

Tuesday

Breakfast

1/2 pink grapefruit 45 calories

Lunch

Carrot and Buttercream soup (1 tin) 228 calories

Dinner

Vegetable stir fry (300g) 111 calories

Mushrooms sliced 8 calories

ginger & garlic

Soy sauce

Snacks

Small clementine 35 calories

Tea, coffee, herbal teas

Total 427 calories

Thursday

Breakfast

1/2 pink grapefruit 45 calories

Lunch

1 banana 72 calories

Dinner

1 large breaded cod fillet 268 calories

1 large salad 50 calories

(tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, pepper)

Total 435 calories

Diary of week 4

Compared to week 3 I found this week to be harder. The reasons for this I believe were related to travelling the week before and then attempting to revert back to a normal eating pattern. I guess the key lesson from this week is that if you have a very hectic schedule then perhaps this program may not fit easily into a busy lifestyle.

I’m surprised that I did have another loss, I thought I may have gained due to a week off the diet. Here are the results:

This week’s weight loss 2lbs ( 0.9kg)

Total weight loss 10lbs ( 4.5kg)

I have to say that I’m thrilled with the weight loss, and in little over a month I’ve hit my initial target of 10 lbs. I’ve had a consistent weight loss each week and I’ve still been able to eat normally on the non-fast days. I’d like to lose a stone in total, but I’m equally thrilled that I’ve lost the extra pounds for my upcoming family holiday. With this in mind, I’ll be back with a fast diet update on the ~~7th May.~~ (next update will be on the 14th May)

No recipe this week, but my key tip for staying full is to eat half a grapefruit. You’ll notice that I have eaten grapefruit for breakfast on both fast days on week 4 and it’s definitely helps me to stay full until lunch time.

via dietingdirection

If you have any feedback, or if you’ve lost weight or are following the 5:2 fast diet then I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks Tracy x

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in Can you have your cake and eat it?

Cupcakes in California

April 23rd, 2013

This year I seem to be on the road more than usual. I knew I had some trips in the diary but I had no idea I would be flying over to a business conference in San Diego, California. It was a marketing conference that a friend of mine was already going to, and it was to be attended by the world’s top bloggers and online marketers. As my blog audience continues to increase, I was keen to learn from those with really successful blogs. It wasn’t primarily aimed at just food bloggers, there were bloggers from all industries and niches.

The conference was a real insight, the states are at the forefront of most things especially anything internet related. The audiences the professionals have on their blogs in the US is huge in comparison to many UK and European bloggers.

The trip was an amazing whirlwind of meeting some fantastic people doing some amazing things, whilst being surrounded in the beautiful city of San Diego. With an eight hour time difference and staying for only four days we didn’t really slip into the time zone. We were so busy and in awe of the place that we didn’t let jetlag stand in our way. In fact we even managed to track down the only cupcake bakery in San Diego, helped by the man in this picture…

A few streets away and we found ‘Heavenly Cupcake’ lounge and bakery.

We took a peek inside and I took a couple of pictures on my iphone of the cupcakes behind the counter.

Mothers Day was a popular cupcake theme, in the UK we celebrate Mother’s Day in March whereas the USA celebrates it on the second Sunday in May.

I didn’t purchase any cupcakes because I had just eaten this delicious (and large) Mexican meal

And look what I eat for breakfast earlier that day. Being a typical Brit I thought the pancakes would be the size of a small saucer, I nearly had a heart attack when I was served with 3 enormous buttermilk pancakes. I only managed to eat one which I drenched in maple syrup, and I think my face said it all when the server put the plate in front of me.

Until next time…

Happy Baking!

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Can you have your cake & eat it? Week 3

April 17th, 2013

Eat cake and lose weight

via allwomenstalk.com

Hi and welcome to week 3 of my 5:2 diet. For those who are unfamiliar with my blog column ‘Can you have your cake and eat it?’ I’m undertaking an experiment to see if I can lose weight on the popular 2 day a week fasting diet ( known also as the 5:2 diet).

Before we get to week 3′s results I’ll give you some background on the days I fasted and a breakdown of my menu plans. This week I’m also going to share a Vegetable Chilli recipe I created too.

Fast days

For my third week I fasted on the Monday and Thursday, I find it helps to have a couple of days apart between each fast day. Monday is ideal as you’re more motivated at the start of the week and it’s over quickly. I also like the flexiblility of moving days around to fit around my schedule so I know that Mondays are never set in stone.

Here are the menu breakdowns for the Monday and Thursday fasting days.

Monday

Breakfast

1 small apple 23 calories

Lunch

None

Dinner

Vegetable chilli (see recipe below) 261 calories

White rice (35g uncooked) 124 calories

Snacks

Tea with skimmed milk x 2 20 calories

Total 428 calories

Thursday

Breakfast

1 medium bread slice toasted 88 calories

1 tsp olive oil spread 27 calories

Lunch

1 tin of Baxters Healthy Minestrone soup 89 calories

Dinner

2 egg omlette with salad 251 calories

Total 508 calories

Diary of week 3

I have to say that with each week that passes, this regime does get easier. The hunger panes are not as strong and pass quickly, and I even felt as though I could have exercised on a fast day as I’ve felt lighter and more energetic. So far I’ve refrained from any exercise on a fast day, as I thought this may encourage hunger. On a non-fast day I have a taken long walk or a light jog as I continue to feel more energised. Maybe it’s a mental barrier I need to cross in regards to lightly exercising on a fast day. I’m comforted in the knowledge that I can eat what I fancy afterwards on a non-fast day, but I’m open to experimenting so watch this space!

This week’s weight loss 2lbs ( 0.9kg)

Total weight loss 8lbs ( 3.6kg)

Here’s a recipe for the Vegetable Chilli, I found that the addition of kidney beans combined with a hit of spicy chilli, really helps to fill you up.

Vegetable Chilli (for 2 people) 261 calories per person

Recipe

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, sliced

1 red pepper, sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

½tsp hot chilli powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tin of plum tomatoes

200g fine green beans

215g tinned kidney beans

300ml (1/2 pint) of vegetable stock

Method

Drizzle the oil into a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the onion, garlic, red and green peppers, and saute’ over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes

Add the paprika and cumin to the saucepan and cook for a further minute

Add the remining ingredients and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes

Season with salt and pepper

Serve with boiled rice or fresh salad.

If you have any feedback, or if you’ve lost weight or are following the 5:2 fast diet and would like to share your story, then please tell us in the comments box below.

Thanks Tracy x

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in Can you have your cake and eat it?

Paris & Le Bon Marche – Part 2

April 15th, 2013

Following on from Part 1 of my recent visit to Paris, I wanted to share with you my trip to ‘Le Bon Marche’ which is one of the best known department stores in Paris. According to ‘Wikipedia’ the store was founded as a small shop in Paris during 1838, and began as a fixed price department store from 1850.

Initially it reminded me of Selfridges in London. On closer inspection, the decor was simply elegant combined with an air of French sophistication.

We casually browsed though the designer fashion departments, before heading towards the food hall.

The food hall caters for Parisians undertaking their weekly food shop, but it also has specialised sections selling food from around the world.

Their baking section was adorned with the most delightful sugar decorations that were shaped in handbags, teddy bears, the Eiffel Tower to name a few.

More unusual sugar decorations….

Not surprisingly, they had an extensive range of chocolates available that took up an entire section in the hall. The French love their chocolate and I wish we had the same variety back in the UK.

The patisserie counter was pristine, each product had been beautifully crafted and meticulously positioned to impress.

If you’re taking a shopping trip to Paris then I definitely recommend that you pay a visit to ‘Le Bon Marche’, you won’t be disappointed I promise.

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