So, it's half way through week 4 already, and I'll admit, I haven't been eating as clean as I could have been, or should  I rephrase that, I haven't been eating as clean as I SHOULD have been, the 7 roses chocolates from last night are testament to that! I also haven't been keeping a food diary, I try, but I always seem to forget, so for the next 4 weeks I am making it a top priority to keep a food diary.

Now! for a little photo opportunity here, who say's it can't be a little bit funny? So here's me, with the smallest bit of muscle definition starting to creep in!! Not quite guns yet, but getting there! I've noticed my right arm is increasing in mass faster than my left, so I've taken note to work my left arm more! May have to swap hands whilst walking the dog as well for an extra bit of a work out!

Me being a bit silly! 

Meal Preperation

Today I'd like to write a little bit about my food preparation! It took me awhile to get my head around batch cooking, but once I started, I certainly didn't regret it!

Here's a photo of what I'm talking about.

Pre made lunches of Cous- Cous and Quinoa

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As a vegetarian I have  found it harder to organise meals in advance, unlike meat dishes these are more difficult to freeze, however as a vegetarian it is more important for me to prepare my meals in advance, If I am out and about, it's very difficult for me to pick up lunch from a store, a ready made sandwich almost always contains meat,  even the egg sandwiches are egg and HAM, and if they are not meat, then they are cheese, and this is something I also try to restrict in my diet, with the long term goal of elimination. 

The above photo includes some of my dinners and lunches for a week. 

These are:

lemon and coriander cous- cous with chickpeas and roasted vegetables. 

Spicy cous - cous with chickpeas and raw carrots and bell peppers

Quinoa with blueberries, feta cheese and Greek yoghurt

These are very carbohydrate based, however I have tried to include protein in them, they however are for more convenient for me than anything else at the moment,  I can just pick one up, pop it in my bag and go to work. (I work at KFC, not a  lot of food there for me to eat!!)

and yes, they do help me maintain my vegetarian diet. My next step is to pre prepare my own snacks!

Breakfast Egg Muffins with Kale and Mushrooms!

So, hows my diet going ?? Not too bad, I will be posting another photo of myself next week, the first 4 weeks have really been about trying to get the balance right, I've had a few falls with snacking, which is what I will be addressing this week, but mostly this is down to not consuming enough food  in my main meals.

Everyone needs a workout buddy

This is my workout buddy and new personal trainer Luna! We have had her since December (2 Months) and had been  fortunate enough to find her at the Dogs Trust. She's a fantastic personal trainer, because she needs walking, daily, whether its raining, sunny or snowing, and not just a quick walk round the block. She needs a real walk, of a good few miles! and unlike the gym, if I were to miss a session, Luna really lets me know when I'm slacking, she will howl at me until  I get my arse in to gear and take her out!

Yesterday we went for a nice 5 km run, a mixture of pavement and trail running, it's hard work running with a dog, mostly because she's had no real training on lead and is a puller, which isn't safe near roads, but we are slowly but surely getting to a comfortable place where she can run beside me, instead of in front. Yesterday we were out for 40 minutes,  I am aiming over the next 12 weeks to lose about 10 minutes from this time.

Week One

My quest for fitness started before I set myself a 12 week challenge, it started years ago through educating myself on food and diet requirements, and taking an interest in hiking, running and weight lifting. Through educating myself about food I made the decision to become a vegetarian, with a longer goal of living a vegan lifestyle. I'm not starting this challenge from a sitting down position, I am not entirely new to exercise  but I know I could be doing a lot more, and over the next 12 weeks, instead of monitor my scales, I'm going to monitor the way my  body looks and feels. So, here is my starting photo! Week 1: Not my most glamorous of photos!

My next photos will be taken on weeks 4, 8 and 12 !