A Thinner, Happier, Prettier Pink Julep for Summer! It's ON!

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My fitness and diet have been lacking considerably for a while now. I can totally tell the difference in my skin, the way my clothes fit and my over all confidence, which isn't too bad, but I definitely have more "fat days" than usual these days. I'm not gonna get too upset about it because I have just moved 4,000 miles in the past 6 months to a totally foreign country (yes, even though they speak English here, many things are super different than at home). It has been hard in the past to find the food we're used to so I've been trying lots of new things, though most of them have not been healthy. In the past couple of weeks I've been making a concious effort to find healthier options, but it's definitely time to step it up! Our fridge now looks like this:

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I'm not one for veggies at all, but I do love many fruits and a couple of veggies, so I could be doing better! Staples in my diet have previously been fruit and fish and I've been slacking a bit since we moved here. I look at my wedding photos and feel sad because I looked so much better then when I was exercising moderately and eating very well. I bought a blender last week for making smoothies & soups and I started my diet today! I thought I would share a few typical options for what I might eat now that I'm back to making an effort.

Breakfast Options

1. Smoothie with mixed berries, plain yogurt, honey, flax seeds, almond milk and 1/2 banana and 2 cups of coffee with skim milk

2. 2 slices of smoked salmon with lemon juice, 1/2 grapefruit, 1 slice buttered Irish brown soda bread, small piece of any kind of cheese and 2 cups of coffee with skim milk.

3. 1 small glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, 2 cups of coffee with skim milk, 2 European style bacon medallions with fat trimmed off fried in olive oil (when in US it was 2 slices turkey bacon microwaved), 1 boiled egg white and 5 -10 white seedless grapes.

*** Most days I'd just have the smoothie, but liquid breakfast just doesn't cut it every single day for me. Sometimes I need something to chew!

Lunch Options

1. Whole wheat wrap with Spicy Lemon Tuna (tuna, lemon juice, parsley, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, parmesan cheese and a drop of olive oil mixed together) and a slice of cheese (cheddar or mozzarella), cup of tomato soup, 1 boiled egg white (put in soup sometimes), orange and water or tea.

2. 1 cup of fresh pasta or whole wheat pasta with spicy lemon sauce, pepper salami & mozzarella paninni (made with whole wheat wrap instead of bread) and water or tea.

3. Smoked Salmon with lemon & pepper in a whole wheat wrap, green beans drizzled with olive oil and seasons with garlic & chilli salt, 3 tiny new potatoes boiled with a small dab of butter and salt and water or tea.

Dinner Options

1. Pepper crusted baked macarel, cheddar and garlic mashed potatoes, sweet corn, green beans almandine and white wine or water.

2. Salmon cooked stove top in garlic & olive oil with crushed chillis served over pasta with a spicy lemon sauce (made with vegetable oxo cubes, lemon juice, garlic, a dash of cayenne pepper, salt, pepper and parsley).

3. Chicken curry (either Madras, Butter or Jalfrezi Chicken) with basmati rice, poppadums and garlic naan bread.

Snack Options

1. Sliced strawberries (over a spoonful of vanilla ice cream for desert)

2. Apple cut into quarters with peanut butter

3. Rice cakes (either plain or with peanut or almond butter spread on them)

4. 1 to 3 small pieces of dark chocolate

5. 1 scoop ice cream, sorbet or frozen yogurt

As you can see, I'm not the kind of person who would completely give up carbs, but I've had success in the past with portion control and just incorporating more fresh fruits and veg into my diet. I will NEVER give up curry night and I'm not gonna put myself on any kind of diet that feels like torture or prison! I'm also a married woman, so I need to make dinners at least that my husband will also enjoy. I think I'm off to a good start so far since he loved last night's lemon butter salmon with new potatoes and chilli garlic green beans!

But it's not just food! I need to get my booty moving! I've become incredibly sedentary since moving to England, partially because I'm not working I suppose. There's nowhere that I have to be most days, so I tend to stay home a lot. I noticed when my mother-in-law was here last week that I'm completely unfit! She was raring to go to all the tourist attractions and I was exhausted after only one! The difference is I am 30 and she is 75... I need to get fit!

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So I've ordered the Tracy Anderson Method dvd's! She is famous for being Gweneth Paltrow's personal trainer and her videos have been described to me as "dance based" so I'll love that! I can't wait to get these in! I'm also going to try to go for more walks and be more assertive towards my house work... i.e. I'm going to start actually doing my housework regularly!

SO... that's my plan! I am hoping to look bikini ready in no time and to trim up a bit before a few events I'm attending in the near future! But even if I never lose a dress size, it would be great to just have the get up and go feeling you get from eating well and exercise! So who's with me? Any tricks and tips to share? Any great healthy recipes? I would love to hear how all my readers are getting ready to bare skin in the skimpy fashions of summer! xo

*** I am no doctor and I'm certainly not a nutritionist. These are simply the foods and exercise methods that I am currently using. I am in no way suggesting that anyone change their exercise routine or diet without first consulting a doctor or qualified professional.