Did I mention I got a Magimix from Santa? Well – I think it is going to change my life. I am not even exaggerating. I’ve used it once and I am literally sitting thinking up dips and sauces etc to make tonight. What. A. Saddo. I don’t even care, until you try my spinach pesto you cannot mock me. Unless of course you don’t like pesto – in which case you can carry on mocking…

So following on from yesterdays promise of giving these posts a bit more structure I am going to base today’s post on my 2016 fitness and food thus far. Thus = fancy.

I promised I would be honest about my eating and training so let’s keep it simple with a little diary? I am not sure if people give a damn about it but it will give some scope to the balance I am trying to achieve?

Monday: I worked from home and trained with Andy at Fitness First in the morning. The session was basically a test of my current fitness, balance and flexibility etc. We balanced on our knees on exercise balls (the big ones everyone bounces around), we did as many push ups as we could in 1 minute, we planked for as long as we could and then we did the 2.5km run as fast as we could. I then spent the day answering emails/fighting gas pipe leaks (not GAS – stop sniggering)/cleaning and tidying the flat. I am a shocker for not eating if I am busy at home so my diet consisted of a protein bar at 11am, half a roast chicken at 2pm (kindly supplied by my other half) and then I ordered sushi for dinner. HOWEVER, I didn’t just go hell for leather on the sushi (I can really put away a lot of raw fish and rice). No no I got my phone out and looked up the calories and carbs and protein and fat in my favourites and then I substituted a few maki rolls for some chicken skewers instead. Ergo: I got my sushi and I ate it too – all within my macros and calories for the day. Result? I was happy and healthy!

Tuesday: Back to work! I walked to work (burns around 200kcals) and actually didn’t eat anything until my lunch. Don’t worry too much about skipping breakfast. If you love breakfast – EAT IT. If you don’t love it – LEAVE IT. Provided you don’t starve yourself it won’t do you any harm. Anyway, for lunch I decided on Itsu (can you spot a theme with my takeaway of choice?). Itsu is magic because their website tells you the macros and calories for all their dishes. I had chicken noodle soup and a low carb salmon and egg salad. Both amazing. Again – happy and healthy. Mid afternoon snack was a protein bar and a cup of tea. Walk home where I stopped to pick up veg and chicken from Lidl and then I got to work with my spiralizer and Magimix. CHECK THIS OUT…

Recipes? Thought you might say that.

Easiest pesto ever = big bunch of fresh basil, big handful of pine nuts, half palm sized chunk of parmesan, 3 tablespoons olive oil, juice of half a lemon, pinch of sea salt, three big handfuls of raw spinach, some water to make it move around the blender. That’s it! Blend it and get it tubbed up for adding to courgetti, chicken, salads, whatever you like.

BUT – be warned this is heavy on the fat and therefore heavy on the calories. I am therefore going to work on a lighter version. Stay tuned.

Oh and if you don’t have a spiralizer yet, go and get one. This is mine – http://bit.ly/1RhDbok

Wednesday: For the first time in a LONG time I actually got up early enough to head over to the gym. I am fairly useless for weight training or HIIT when I am sleepy and hungry so I kept it short and sweet with a ten minute bike warm up, 4 sets on the leg press, 3 sets on the hamstring curl and 3 sets of glute bridge/weighted hip thrusts. I even had time to head home for two poached eggs on half an ezekiel muffin (more to come on my new favourite products – these are in the top 3!), some smoked salmon and some spinach. I packed my prepped lunch into my bag and walked to work. Lunch was my courgetti with pesto and a grilled chicken breast and I kid you not. It was nicer than a Christmas sandwich. SERIOUSLY. It was so so good. Protein bar and cup of tea for sweet tooth cravings and I am powering through this bloggy stuff like a woman possessed.

Is that useful? I hope so. I had an awful lot of feedback from people yesterday saying they appreciated my honesty in yesterdays post. I am sure my mum thinks I share too much but sometimes it is good to get stuff out in the open. Besides – if it gives support to someone struggling with similar issues then let the confessions roll I say.

My yoga DVD and ankle weights arrived today! I’ve already been asked if it makes walking to and from work harder (the ankle weights… not the DVD #obvs). The answer shall be revealed tomorrow I guess.

If anyone has requests for recipes etc then let me know. I am going to be trying a lighter hummus in the magimix soon! Yes – I am actually excited about that.

Happy eating, C xxx