Hippo Woman 2011

Hippo Woman
That is me today: Jan 14 2011 - It is NOT who I want to be in 2012

This is an honest daily account of my efforts to shed the fat.

I intend to be brutally honest in this day-by-day account. I will probably turn into a complete bitch. If my husband lives through this it will be a miracle. I have my doubts.

The binge eating stops here and exercise will be more that a thought. Wish me luck, Rose NZ







Hippowoman - yep this is me now

Hippowoman - yep this is me now
Hippo Woman : Day 1 picture

Mediterranean Rice Recipe By Rose Hala

Mediterranean Rice Recipe -cooking time approx 7 minutes.

Ingredients:
1 cup of raw rice
2 cups of cold water
1 cup of frozen mixed chopped veges ( bagged variety from shop)
Combine rice and water together and cook till water is half absorbed by the rice. Then add frozen veges and cook till water is absorbed. Mix the veges through the rice as they cook.

Optional Ingredients: I add these in my Mediterranean rice.
4x chopped stuffed olives.
4x sun-dried tomatoes - I use the ones marinated in olive oil for added flavour. I also add a tablespoon of the flavoured oil.

Toss chopped olives, tomatoes and oil through the veges and rice then serve while warm. Tastes amazing and will keep in the fridge for the next day if there is some over.



Soup: The tasty, easy, cheap to make variety.

This is the soup I make and it's not cheffy. I don't pretend to be a chef - I cook because I have to - end of story!

Ingredients:
1x medium potatoe
1x medium onion
2x medium carrots ( I put in extra cause I like carrots) :)
1x tablespoon of dried stock: either: beef, chicken, vegetable
For flavour: I use a pinch of Italian herbs, paprika, hot curry powder for some 'heat' and about a half teaspoon of dried fennel seeds. Then season with Black pepper.
1x diced slice of bacon - optional.
Salt - the dried stock can be salty as well as the bacon - so taste the water before adding any salt. You can salt it at the table once it's cooked but if you put too much salt in, it is a bugger to fix - trust me, been there lesson learned.

Cooking:
I speed up the cooking by boiling water in the jug whilst I'm chopping the vegetables then once all the ingredients are in the pot cover them with the boiled water. I cook my soup on the stove top put it on a medium heat to start with then when it gets to a rolling boil turn it down to a very gentle simmer and slow cook it till all the vegetables are tender.
Optional Extra: Take off the heat and add a handful of frozen peas and corn - Firstly it will add flavour and texture and secondly it will cool the soup down quicker so hungry people can eat it sooner.
Enjoy - and leftovers taste even better the next day - just make sure to reheat thoroughly in the microwave. Rose NZ

Dessert Options: let's face it - we all love em'

Paddle Pop Ice Cream Blocks - any flavour. These are a fantastic dessert option. They satisfy that ice cream craving and they are worth minimal points with Weight Watchers.
Want a rich chocolate fix - look no further than a chocolate flavoured Paddle Pop ice cream block. YUM!!!

Devon-Kiwi Toast: - This based on the delicious Devonshire Teas I remember getting on our trips around NZ.
Toast - 1x slice per person then cover with Apricot conserve - my choice, but any fruit topping will do nicely. Then spray canned whipped cream over the topping. Don't be concerned about the use of cream here - canned whipped cream has far less fat = looks lots but mostly air.
Please try this delicious, decadent, dessert that is prepared in minutes. It is really YUM! :)

Monday, January 31, 2011

Hippo Food Account Day 19 Tuesday Feb 1 2011

Wow - OMG February already! And day 19 for me....that is a bit of an achievement for me in itself. Usually my quest to be a slimmer, healthier individual has waned by now. It has had some shaky moments and I am not going to pretend I wouldn't love to scoff down a packet of potatoe chips - I promised I would be honest here. I haven't been down the chip isle since I started this - I know I haven't got to the point that I can buy chips and stop after a handful. Truthfully I have serious doubts I will ever get to that point so my best defense if to play chicken and not go anywhere near there. Cowardly I know, but there it is...
These crunch cravings that are the weirdest things, and I make sure I only have good crunchy options on hand.
  • Breakfast
1x 6" meatball subway on a honey oat roll. Yeah! still doing the great breakfast choice thing :)
  • Lunch
2x cold poached eggs diced tossed through diced lettuce
6x baby pickled gherkins diced
4x diced sun-dried tomatoes diced
mix all together for a wonderful crunchy salad that tastes amazing. 4x :) :) :) :)   Wahoo!!
  • Snack 
I got the munchies for the crunchies again so I went and brought some ice cream cones - they are definitely crunchy and they are next to nothing calorie wise so happy with these. I ate 10x cones with my coffee.
  • Dinner 
I cooked prawns in a hot pan with canola spray and a small knob of butter and flavoured them with herbs, spices and a small knob of garlic butter. I know this sounds like a horrendous amount of butter for one dish - and normally I would agree with this, but this is a complete meal for 2 people and I am having a very small portion of these prawns. Here is my dinner breakdown:
6x prawns
2 x tablespoon of sauce 
salad:  lettuce, tomatoe, sun-dried tomatoes and a tablespoon of olive oil for dressing.
Overall I am very happy with this meal option and it was so delicious I will do it again. :)
  • dessert 
1x cola popsicle   great no calorie choice and cooling on a hot night. 2x :) :)
very satisfied with today's effort and looking forward to tomorrow. Hugs to all Rose NZ

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Hippo Food Account Day 18 Monday Jan 31 2011

Today I am feeling positive about my choices last week. I have eaten a few bread slices and haven't monitored the amount as carefully as I should have but I think the count is well under the 6 x slice or less daily quota so it's all good. Truthfully I need to restrict this to 4 x slices per day and I will get to that point but just not yet. I'm careful with what I eat with the bread and it is making a big difference. Here is the Food Account so far today:
  • Breakfast
3x slices of bread topped with margarine and Marmite. I folded each slice to create a three single sandwiches which I stuffed with lettuce. Good nutritional and tasty choice. :)
  • Lunch 
Lunch is a bit late today and it is homemade vege and bacon soup so I am doing a bit extra and adding a single portion of spaghetti to bulk it up a bit - this will make it enough for the rest of the day.
1x bowl of Vege/Bacon soup with pasta
  • Dinner  
Same as lunch - no brainer :) At least it's an easy meal ...got to love that, right!  :)
1x bowl of Vege/Bacon soup with pasta. It really is delicious when reheated :) so it's all good today, Rose

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Hippo Food Account Day 17 Sunday Jan 30 2011

Well time management skills have let me down again - what's new, right?  Anyway It was a late breakfast again today but now quite late enough for brunch. Still it is the weekend so who cares, right... ok here it is so far:
  • Breakfast/brunch
3x slices of toast
3x poached eggs
Happy with the choice so it's good so far food wise I just have to get my A into G with sorting my morning out.
  • Lunch 
More of a snack really but here are the numbers:
6x crackers spread with margarine and Marmite   Happy and healthy option :)
  • Dinner 
2x beef sausages browned slowly using canola spray
Lettuce, 1x tomatoe fresh, 4x sun-dried tomatoes  all tossed together to form a tasty salad. 4x :) :) :) :)  Yum!
  • Dessert
1x chocolate paddle pop for a sweet chocky treat. Double Yum!  A very good day in all today... Rose NZ  

Friday, January 28, 2011

Hippo Food Account Day 16 Saturday Jan 29 2011

Another great start to the day with a delicious breakfast/brunch. I had a sort of deconstructed BLT without the dread factor. Bread is the thing that is a killer for me, it's not that I love it a lot because I can take it or leave it, but it the thing that puts the weight on me quicker than anything else...so while I'm not avoiding it totally. I am restricting the amount of bread I eat to 6x slices or less per day. Here is my breakfast breakdown:
  • Breakfast/brunch
1x large lettuce leaf - whole
1.5 bacon slices cooked in microwave then diced and placed on lettuce
3x eggs poached firmly and placed on lettuce and bacon
2x flat mushrooms poached with the eggs sliced and added to plate.
4x diced sun dried tomatoes
this delicious meal will take me through to dinner with only fruit snacks needed in between it was really yum :)

  • Snack
half a fresh watermelon
4x crackers with margarine and Marmite spread
  • Dinner 
1.5 bowls of Mediterranean Rice with 1x diced lettuce leaf mixed in.
So far a very good day today food wise and I feel really good about the choices I made today. :) Rose NZ

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Hippo Food Account Day 15 Friday Jan 28 2011

Shitty day weather wise but it made for a easy choice food wise. It was a definite soup day today! :)
  • Brunch
I put my vegetable and bacon slice soup on so it would cook in time for me to enjoy it for brunch - Delicious :)
I had 2 x bowls of this as I was really hungry and it was delicious.
  • Afternoon light meal ( I needed a bit more than a snack) 
2x slices of toast topped with a freshly sliced tomatoe
1x bread folded and stuffed with half a lettuce leaf
half a lettuce leaf sliced thinly and tossed with 4x sundried tomatoes diced and a drizzle of flavoured oil .
  • Crunch fix 
Yep I had a crunch craving again. 4x plain crackers. good option and certainly crunchy :) :)
  •   Dinner
A real winner tonight :)  and tastes so good I will be doing it again very soon. 4 x :) :) :) :)
1x large browned then braised chicken drum stick - once cooked I removed the meat from the bone.
 2x large lettuce leaves torn into bite sized pieces.
1x firmly cooked poached egg chopped up and mixed in salad.
4x diced sun-dried tomatoes
4x diced stuffed olives
1x  tablespoon of flavoured olive oil for dressing.
Toss everything together add seasoning then enjoy - absolutely delicious. :)  Happy with myself today.
  • Dessert 
1x Paddle pop chocolate ice-cream block. A treat for having a great food day... a sensible treat - that is the key to making this work. I'm getting it at last, Rose NZ

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Hippo Food Account Day 14 Thursday Jan 27 2011

What a day!!  Internet problems suck big time. It's nearly 3pm and I have only just got connected on line :( :( :(
Still a good day food wise so not a bad day, but I just hate it when my day starts off frustrating and the cause of it is something I have absolutely no control over. Anyway enough about that, here are the numbers.
  • Breakfast 
Too frustrated to cook so it was a mercy dash to Subway for a 6" ham sub. In the 6gm of fat or less group so a fantastic choice considering the mood I was it at the time. 2 x :) :) for this.
  • Lunch
Still no connection after turning; off modem, rebooting system usual stuff 3 times! So I wanted to chop up something - the technician at Telecom preferably. But made do with attacking vegetables to make soup.
1x bowl of soup
1x single serve of spaghetti
1x slice of bacon diced in the soup.
It was delicious and I have some left over for later on. Really good choice again, :)
  • Dinner 
I was hungry so I decided to have dinner earlier rather than waiting for my husband to be ready. He was having a few beers on the deck and as I had soup left over from lunch I improvised.
1x pork chop cooked slowly in the simmering soup - I ate half of it but it was absolutely delicious.
1x bowl of vegetable soup which was really nice and the pork chop gave it added flavour. Great food option and far better cooking method than frying the pork chop. 3 :) :) :)
Hubby thinks I'm mad making soup in our summer - but I love soup so it's all good. He is frying his chop when he is ready. A man that knows his way around a kitchen is a definite keeper. Hugs to all, Rose NZ
  • Dessert 
I wasn't going to have dessert but it was soo muggy tonight and I have been really good - and because I want to as well.  I'm going to have 1x paddle pop ice block. A good choice to cool down and yummy too. Rose :)

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Hippo Food Account Day 13 Wednesday Jan 26 2011

A reasonable day so far today. I started off well and pulled back a bit at lunch. Anyway here is the breakdown thus far:
  • Breakfast 
I bought a 6 pack of chicken sushi and ate three pieces as they were large pieces. Great choice and yum! :) 
  • Snack
I finished off the other three sushi pieces so not too bad yet on the healthy food options. :) 
  • Lunch
Here is where I come off the rails :(  I cooked a large piece of Steak and intended to save half for a sandwich later - but, as you may have guessed, I scoffed the whole thing. And...Yes I do feel upset - I'm more upset about my lack of will power than anything else. I haven't blown the whole day and I'm not going to beat myself up. But the memory of this 'uncontrolled episode ' will remain for quite some time. Next time I will only cook the amount I need to eat at one meal time. Lesson learned - pissed off but moving on... :( Rose NZ
  • Supper 
this is far too late to be labeled dinner as we played outdoor bowls tonight - regular occurance for a few weeks to come until this years competition has ended. Here is what I had.
3x poached eggs on
3x pieces of toast  plus 1x mushroom poached with the eggs in the egg poacher. So happy with this :) Rose

Monday, January 24, 2011

Hippo Food Account Day 12 Tuesday Jan 25 2011

It is such a good day today so far and what it more this is starting to feel somewhat normal and not such a effort now. Subway has become my takeaway place of choice and I when I am out and about I make straight for there if I get hungry.
  • Breakfast 
Surprise, surprise - I had a subway club 6" - within the 6gm of fat selection so extra :) for this. Wonderful start!
 I stocked up on easy fruit snack options this morning so healthy snacks are a breeze today. 2x :) :) for this.
  • Snack time 
3 fresh apricots and a punnet of blueberries. All good foody choices and great for body too. Big plus! :)
  • Lunch 
A bit later then I would have like but these things happen, right. Here is my lunch choice today.
1 cup of Mediterranean Rice with the olives and sun-dried toms added. Actually it was left over from dinner last night but it was a healthy choice and delicious too. :)
  • Snack 
4x plain crackers just because I had a crunch craving again. When I get that only something crunchy will suffice and so I make sure I keep some crunchy options at hand. that crunch craving comes out of nowhere but it sure takes hold when it does. I hope I'm not the only one who has this crunch fixation...bit of a worry if I am. :( Rose NZ

I have been looking at the first message I wrote in this blog and it that I promised myself that exercise would be more that a thought. Well although the food side of things is progressing very nicely I have to say the exercise part has to date been a dismal zero. :( solely my fault - I refuse to blame the weather, time, or any of those old excuses that I kept in my lazy back pocket whenever the opportunity came about to do some 'dreaded' exercise. I know I have to get my lazy arse into gear and participating in business house outdoor bowls once a week is a start. Not enough but a start nonetheless !

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Hippo Food Account Day 11 Monday Jan 24 2011

I have to say that today I was desperate for the taste of a Mac Donald's Big Mac. When I say desperate I know that sounds dramatic, but trust me it is a feeling of desperation at the time. When you see those yellow arches of that big ' M ' in the sky and your nose does a dance because you can smell the food even though you aren't near it. It is desperation - the kind of that only those with weight problems understand. Yes, I know you know what I mean. But I resisted temptation :) How amazing is that!!
  • Brunch 
Subway wrap - Ham choice from the 6gram selection  so I feel doubly happy with myself. 4x :) :) :) :)
  • Snack 
6x fresh cherries, 2x fresh apricots   great choices today. :)
  • Dinner  
1.5 cups of Mediterranean rice
Half a pork chop
  •  Dessert 
6x cherries plus 1x paddle pop ice block.
  • Supper  Don't usually have supper but I decided to treat myself tonight because I was really good today. 
1x paddle pop
1x apple juice frozen ice block - this is just apple juice that has been frozen. It's delicious a good food choice.
Today has been a wonderful food choice day. 4x :) :) :) :)  and a pat on the back for myself. Rose NZ

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Hippo Food Account Day 10 Sunday Jan 23 2011

Well a really great day food wise but I am a little concerned why it has taken me so long to feel hungry again and now I'm starving - not good meal management at all. I should have taken a break from the computer but I didn't and this is the result.
  • Breakfast 
1x mashed egg sandwich  - used egg mixture left over from last night and only 1x slice of bread for sandwich.
2x pieces of toast with margarine and 2 tablespoons of apricot conserve - not as sweet as jam and has more pulp in from the fruit. Delicious. So far so good
.... then nothing at all for lunch and now it is 4 pm almost dinner time and I feel really hungry. Silly not to have had a snack at lunchtime. :) I am going to sort out an option that will not damage my food account too badly and still leave me full enough to enjoy a proper dinner. Wish me luck, Rose
  • Afternoon meal 
I am referring as this to a meal because it is more than a snack. I wanted something a bit more substantial to take me through to dinner. So here is what I chose.
1/4 cup of Spaghetti - the kind from a can with tomatoe sauce.
2x slices of bread and margarine
1 handful of coarsely grated cheese - I mixed it in with the spaghetti.
Not exactly a fat free meal but I am happy with the choice. Got myself out of a food hole nicely with this one.

  • Dinner  *Note: All chicken I cook at home has the skin removed.
1x large chicken drumstick fried in pan using canola spray so a healthy option.
2x medium potatoes mashed with a smear of Garlic butter, a table spoon of regular butter and seasonings.
Good healthy meal option :) :) 
  • Dessert 
1x paddle pop ice block. Happy with this choice too so a reasonable day food wise. 2x :) :)  Rose NZ

Hippo Food Account: Day 9 Saturday Jan 22

A bit of a mixed day today with regards to food choices. I deliberately didn't have breakfast this morning because we were going out for lunch at the local Mexican Restaurant. Here is the food breakdown for today.
  • Brunch 
1x lunch meal consisting of 2x hard shell tacos with chicken, salad, salsa and dollops of guacamole and sour cream. I did eat the whole meal including the dollops on the side but I'm still pleased with the choice I made.
  • Dinner
I mashed up a mixture of 6x small hard boiled eggs, 1x slice of bread torn and mixed in with the eggs.
Added to that mixture were a half a teaspoon of garlic butter, curry powder and approx 3 tablespoons of milk to loosen the mixture. I ate half the mixture for my dinner so pleased with this option.
  • Dessert 
A bit of a problem tonight. I over did it with the calories by making unwise food options but I am still abiding by my own up and be honest policy here so here it is ....
4x pieces of toast with apricot jam and a squirt of canned cream on the toast. A kind of alternative Devonshire Tea option that is a healthier option than scones but 4x slices of toast is a bit excessive so 2x :) :)
  • After late snack 
Just made a nutcase choice - that is all there is to it. A disaster really. I have no excuses cause there is none. I just screwed up tonight.
3x Roses chocolates  I have no idea which ones they were because I couldn't read the small writing on the box but I chose 3 and ate them. Shame on me big time: at least 4x :) :) :) :) today, a bit sad really. Rose NZ

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Hippo Food Account: Day 8 Friday Jan 21

This morning I had Brunch by choice as I was doing stuff on the computer in the morning. I feel that I made solid choices though so here is the breakdown of the day so far.
  • Brunch 
1x large potatoe  - steamed and finished off in the pan dry fried with a smear of garlic butter. :) :)
1/2 teaspoon of garlic butter - adds a ton of flavor and don't need a lot at all :) 
3x sizzlers ( these are processed, skinless, sausages. )  Not such a good choice as I thought it was. :(
These are worth 2 + 1/2 points each in the WW books so I will have to watch these. but I will count this as a main meal so not a disaster. Just a heads up for the future.

  • Snack  
I decided to have a wee treat today so I had a paddle pop ice cream on a stick...only worth 1 point as it happens so fantastic choice for a snack or even a dessert option.
10x ice cream cones - I just munch on these when I get a bit of a foody craving for other5 things I used to scoff at will randomly throughout the day. They full the spot nicely.  So far a reasonable day  so 1x :)  Rose

  • Dinner 
I made good choices in the food I ate but I think I ate a bit too much of it so not too happy with myself at the moment. :) Still here is the dinner I had so I can only write it down and move on from it.
3x cups of boiled rice - I didn't measure the quantity but i used 1 small cup of raw rice and I ate it all when it was cooked. I think it was about 3 cups boiled - which is far too much to eat at one time so... :( :( :(
Added to the rice was about 1.5 cups of frozed chopped veges from a packet and 4 pieces of sun dried tomatoesand 1 tablespoon of the flavoured olive oil from the sun dried tomatoe jar.
Really a low fat healthy meal - but far too much quantity wise so not a good choice. At least 3x :) for this
  • Dessert
1x Paddlepop ice block - Easy option and not too bad point wise.

But still this day was a pretty dismal one considering the great start. It just shows how easy it is to slip back into old ways. I made the mistake of using a dinner plate thinking I would stop when I was full - not this time.
So from tomorrow it is back to the small side plate size for my main meals- lesson learned, Rose NZ

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Hippo Food Account: Day 7 Thursday Jan 20

I have found the perfect crunch munch snack food  :)
ice cream cones  are perfect !  and yes I mean just the cone on its own...   low in everything and still satisfies the need for a crunchy munch.
  • Snack  
10 x  ice cream cones - wonderful alternative to chips, biscuits ( cookies) and other things I used to scoff at will.

So still a terrific day today 3x :) :) :)  hugs all round Rose NZ
  • Dinner
1x pork chop - I ate half - surprised myself!  I'm stopping when I reach that I'm full stage now which is great.
1x med potatoe, 1x kumera ( sweet potatoe ), 1x courgette ( zucchini )  :) :)  I steamed them then finished them off in the pan to brown with the pork chop - they were delicious.
The reason I got full so quickly is because I ate my veges first and tackled the chop last and - once I felt full I stopped eating. I am so proud of myself for stopping before the plate was empty. I've never done that before!
I am giving myself a huge hug and 3 :) :) :)   Yessss...!!! today I got it.  Rose NZ  

Hippo Food Account: Day 7 Thursday Jan 20

Good day so far and time management right on the money too. :) :) Here is the Breakfast and Lunch breakdown:
  • Breakfast 
1x chicken salad sandwich from bakery. Happy with this choice - healthy option on the go. :) :)
  • Lunch 
Yes! finally managed to separate the two meals after days of having "brunch " . 
Subway foot long roast chicken. Great choice :) :) 

Today is positive and a good choices day for two of my main meals. WTG me!  Happy, happy  :) :)

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Hippo Food Account: Day 6 Wednesday Jan 19

So far so really good is the report today. It's a bit late in coming as I have just finished a late lunch, but here is the food breakdown for today thus far:
  • Breakfast 
A late one again but not so late that I need to call it brunch. I did the Subway foot long thing again :)
I really - I mean really, really,  - wanted a cookie, But I didn't buy one :)  Happy days :) :) so pleased with myself !
  • Lunch:
cut three courgettes ( zucchinis) in half lengthways and fried them in pan with a spray of canola oil. Flavored them with black pepper, salt and herbs then served while hot.  Absolutely delicious :) :)  Big plus today + :)

  • Dinner 
Sorry this report is late too - actually I'm writing it the next day because I had issues with time management again :) I just have to try harder to get my shit together! Anyway bugger all to report food wise just a fast option late in the evening.

1x medium piece of rump steak pan fried using canola spray.  Not overly healthy as no veges included but it was almost 9pm so I took the easy route. All in All day 6 was OK :)

Monday, January 17, 2011

Hippo Food Account Day 4 Tuesday Jan 18 2011

Despite the muck up with times today hasn't gone to custard. Here is the total breakdown so far:
  • Breakfast 
I took the easy option and reheated up a bowl of Mediterranean rice that was left over from dinner the night before. It is about 1x cup boiled rice, mixed frozen veges, sun-dried tomatoes and a tablespoon of flavoured olive oil. Delicious, easy and nutritious :)  Thank God for Microwaves :) :)

  • Lunch: 
We went to my mother in laws for lunch and this is what we had: 
1x piece of her home made cake with about 1/4 cup of Greek-style honey infused yoghurt :)  yum!

  • Dinner: 
After driving back from Mum's we were exhausted, weather was crappy and we wanted to get home and chill. I am saying all this to make my decision to buy takeaways on the way home sound understandable - but really I don't need to. The truth is we were buggered from driving in the horrible weather and cooking was just too much of an effort. So this was my dinner option,

1and a half pieces of fried chicken. I know fried is a dirty word within certain circles but in moderation I am sure it is fine. Anyway, I ate it and that is that - suck it up.
4x pieces of roast potatoes - OK, I accept I could have made some wiser choices with regarding this dinner but it has been a shitty day all round and my brain has pretty much gone to mush. Thinking is beyond me at the moment...
I do know that despite everything, today is not the complete food wise disaster I am making it sound like. :) 

Hippo Food Account Day 4 Monday Jan 17 2011

Ok here it is - technically this is Day 5 Tuesday Jan 18 :(   I intended to come here last night and write down what I had for dinner but I watched a movie and kept nodding off so I called it a night and went to bed. Not good but it happened so nothing I can do to change it. Luckily dinner on Day 3 was a very simple copy of Lunch with added bits to bulk it out. Here is the Breakdown:
I just want to explain the rice quantity: I count the amount of cooked rice only. I cup = 1 cup of boiled rice.

  • Dinner
11/2 cups of boiled rice with 1/2 cup of frozen veges added during cooking. :) :)  try this it is yum!
5x sun-dried tomatoes ( the ones in olive oil) diced  and include a tablespoon of the flavored oil.
4x stuffed olives chopped up  = Mix everything together for an absolutely stunning Mediterranean rice dish.:)

All in all I had a good day apart from messing up and not recording this last night. So give today 1x :)  Rose

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Hippo Woman Food Account Day 4 Monday Jan 17 2011

Just a quick snack as hubby rang to say he will be home later for dinner and I like to eat our main together so I am having:
  • Snack
4x squares of dark chocolate. I don't even feel bad about this - in fact I feel really good :)
I now know that I can stop at 4x squares of chocolate. :) :) :)  I know some of you will be thinking so what!?  But there are those out there that, like me, know why that is such a major achievement...and are thinking if she can stop at 4x then so can I.
To that person like me I say - keep chocolate in the freezer :)  It will take you as long to nibble/suck on 4x frozen squares than it takes to eat a regular sized non frozen chocolate bar. :) satisfaction and feel good factor in one. Big tick for this.

2x cup of coffee. I know coffee counts for nothing in the scheme of things but I didn't want chocolate to be listed as the only think I ate for a snack. lol  Hugs Rose

Hippo Woman Food Account Day 4 Monday Jan 17 2011

Ok here is the eclectic items on the menu of Rose Hala today - some weird shit and NO I am not preggers. lol

  • Breakfast:
1x egg poached with 1 tablespoon of cheese :)
1x toast with marg eaten with egg :) 
So far normal and really good :) :)

Need for crunchy food mood again - what the hell is up with that? Why do I grave something to crunch? 
  • Crunch munch 
Ok here is where I went a bit daft.... bloody crunch craving :( 
Water crackers - healthy option right? Wrong! Not when you eat the whole packet like I did today.  :( :(
I didn't just munch it all in one go but 5x at a time in several sittings during the day until the packet was gone. :(

  •  Lunch 
Found a great meal option for lunch.
1 cup boiled rice with 1/2 cup mixed veges ( frozen packet variety) :) :)
4 chopped up sun dried tomatoes ( ( use the ones in olive oil )  :) delicious but oil adds to fat content. :(
and I used a tablespoon of the tomato jar to add flavour.

I know this isn't an ideal lunch because of the oil content but it was so delicious that I am going to have it for dinner. Sometimes you just have to accept the fact that all ingredients are not low fat and just work with it. I am at that stage now where I would rather eat something tasty with a little oil than totally bland without the oil.

The only way to sustain this food diary is to eat stuff I like - try and make healthier choices with what I eat - but at the end of the day : I Have To Like The Food  I Eat =  bottom line  otherwise I won't continue :)
It has happened in the past like that but I am really determined to give this a decent go this time.
No food rules apply I eat what I want - but be up front abut what I eat. Rose

Hippo Woman account Day 4 Monday Jan 17 2011

I am not sure how I feel about today. It started off good - they all do, right? - then got a bit messy for want of a better term. I haven't gone mad food wise but I am a bit disappointed with myself for one of the choices I made.
My food Account will make for interesting reading today - and it's not even dinner time yet! Buckle up...

Hippo Woman Food Account Day 3 Sun Jan 16 2011

Yay, I can still count this day as a good one :)  Here is the evening account:
  • Dinner: 
Cucumber - stir fried in minimal oil and a teaspoon of garlic butter for added flavor.
Rice - about a cup of boiled rice with mixed veges in.
Sausages - I chopped up 2 sausages and added into the cucumber stir fry then shared it between us, hubby and I. I will count the sausage portion for myself as 1 to round it out.
  • Dessert:
4x single squares of dark quality chocolate - I keep it in the freezer and make it last when I'm eating it. How wonderful it is to be able to eat something I love and feel happy about it. Eating 4 squares of chocolate doesn't make me the evil diet breaking witch of the west - it makes me sweet, Regards Rose NZ :) :)

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Hippo Woman Food Account Day 3 Sun Jan 16 2011

I don't know what to call this meal. It is hardly a 'Snack' but I ate it at the time I would have eaten a snack - between lunch and dinner. So hence the dilemma. This is what happens when brunch occurs too close to midday. Still, my own fault so it is up to me to sort it out. But I must record the meal no matter what it was so here it is:

  • Afternoon Meal
2x eggs - poached with a tablespoon of grated cheese on top. I use tasty cheese - lot of flavor = use less. :) :)
2x flat mushrooms - steamed  Delicious, nutritious and filled the gap nicely. :) Great lunch meal for future ref. :)

  • Crunch required 
I know that sounds like a weird food description but that is exactly what it was - I needed to eat something crunchy! In the past it would have been a packet of chippies ( crisps ) But NOT TODAY!!  :) :)
I am pleased to say I chose a healthy crunch option and ate a whole cucumber and I have to say it was really delicious and refreshing on a hot day. Happy, happy, happy with myself today :) Hugs, Rose

Hippo Food Account Day 3 Sun Jan 16 2011

It is another Brunch day today cause I slept in so here is the breakdown. I did the takeaway thing but I made a smart takeaway choice. On the whole I feel good about this choice even in choosing the foot long size roll. :)
  • Brunch:
Subway -  hooray for a healthy takeaway option ! :)  :)  I got a foot long roast beef with 6gram fat and really enjoyed it. I know I could have gotten a 6 inch but it was 11am and I was starving and the foot long filled the gap. 

I know though that I need to sort my mornings out better and I pledge to do that over the coming weeks - in the meantime: This morning is still a big :)  V-peace out, Rose

Hippo Woman account Day 3 Sun Jan 16 2011

Today is day three and I'm feeling really positive about how this is going. Of course three days is barely the start, but I'll take it. I woke up with the best of intentions and was going to have breakfast - a proper breakfast - but...shit happened. What can I say, I slept in. Yes, I woke up and instead of getting out of bed straight away duh! I lay there thinking about the day and before I knew it I had drifted back to sleep. :(
There was just enough time to get hubby's breakfast, wash, dress, then take him to work. He likes a fry up for breakfast and even if I wanted to eat that crap - there is no way I would attempt to eat anything before downing at least 2 coffees. So major bummer in time management this morning but on the whole still OK. :)

Hippo - Food Account: Day 2 Jan 15 2011

OK this is me being honest as I promised myself I would. I had Dessert before dinner - shock horror!!
haha just kidding about being shocked. Bet someone is though, somewhere in the Politically Correct world we live in. To them I say: I'm an adult and, as such, if I want to eat dessert first I will - no harm no foul so sod off.
 Hubby wanted to have a later dinner and is drinking beers on the deck so instead of cooking twice - screw that idea - I decided I would have my dessert then when he is ready to eat do dinner for us both. Just call me a good wifey today - but trust me, I am no push over and this does NOT happen on a regular basis. Just so you know.

  • Dessert:
1x piece of fruit cake heated in the microwave
Topped with a tablespoon of Golden syrup and a spray of canned cream ( much less fat than regular cream) and it tastes just as good. :)

  • Dinner:
1x chicken drumstick - no skin - coated with seasoned flour. Pan fried using canola spray to brown then water added to hot pan, 1 teaspoon of seasoned flour and 1 teaspoon of garlic butter for sauce = yum! :)
Green flat beans steamed
1 cup of boiled rice with 1/4 cup frozen mixed veges mixed in the rice.  Really healthy and tastes good.

Today was just a great day on the Food Account Books  and I feel really good about my choices. :)
It is a really nice feeling going to bed tonight with a guilt free mind. More of these days ahead, Amen.  Rose :) 

Friday, January 14, 2011

Hippo - Food Account: Day 2 Jan 15 2011

I am not sure whether to count this as a plus or a minus but I guess it is a big no-no either way. 
  • Lunch:  
Nothing. Not because I was trying to starve or something daft like that but because Breakfast occurred too late in the day. It was after 10:30am and I probably should have called it Brunch instead of Breakfast. I want to keep the meals in perspective and not lump them together like that so - Lunch is a big fat zero 0
which is soooo bad - I know it, you know it, but it happened and that is that. Major :)

Hippo - Food Account: Day 2 Jan 15 2011

I was going to try and remember everything and record what I ate at the end of the day, mainly because it looks tidier on the blog. But I'm not going to because I'll never remember it. It is much better if I record it as I go.
  • Breakfast
2x large flat mushrooms (dry fried - no oil) and they were heavenly :) :)
2x eggs poached - I placed on top of the mushrooms for a no bread mop-up = yum! :):)
11/2 sausages steamed first then dry fried with mushrooms, delicious.

So breakfast was a delicious winner :) 
It is all about choices and I made good ones today - so far so good!  :)

Hippo - Food Account: Day 1 Jan 14 2011

Well today is not a good start, honesty right, so here is the breakdown:
  • Breakfast: 
1x Croissant ( not that nice and cost me a lot of ww points so a big fat :(
2 eggs, margarine and cheese. 
So Yes - I could have done a lot better!
  • Lunch: 
handful of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and 1/4 watermelon.
I would give myself a big :) for this - but the truth is, I was trying to undo breakfast. Today is still  :(
  • Dinner:
Pork chop, braised instead of fried. But I had a really large portion so :( :(  
Beans: Round beans steamed - really nice. :) 

  • SUMMARY  :( 
Today hasn't been a very good one food wise. But I am feeling really good about this. :(
Usually I would beat myself up and give up - but writing allows me to express my disappointment in myself.
I can put this day behind me and move on. Tomorrow is another day :)
I'm finally being honest about my eating habits - with that comes a strange sense of release and satisfaction. Rose NZ 

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Hippo - woman account: Day 1 Jan 14 2011

Why today? It's not like I had a sudden revelation. I didn't wake up thinking, "oh I think I'll diet today".  Well, that's not strictly true. I did wake up thinking that - but usually it only lasts until lunch time at best. I did manage to get down to 80kg (176 pounds) but like all good things, sadly, it didn't last.
Now I am one of those very obese FAT people at a staggering  105kg (231 pounds) !!  As I am writing this I am asking myself a few Q's
  • How did I allow this to happen...again?
  • How could I not do something...sooner?
Really it comes down to two reasons:
  1. I was too bloody lazy to start dealing with it
  2. I was too bloody lazy - full stop!  
So what have I done on Day 1: I pulled out my weightwatchers books ( yep - been there done that  ) . But this time I wasn't going to restrict myself in what I ate ( this is NOT about DIETING because that simply doesn't work for me - tried all sorts and forget it!)
This is about holding myself accountable for what I eat and being totally honest about it here.
If I eat chocolate or chips I will write it down here. I guarantee that will happen - it always does - but by writing it down and sharing my thoughts, feelings, and experience in this blog I hope to inspire myself and others.
I will not beat myself up for having bad days anymore -  that always leads to me quitting. No bad days here, just honest days.  I really hope others join me - Rose NZ