Last Sunday I started my new challenge… I had gained some kilos over the last couple of months and somehow I didn’t manage to lose them! That’s why I made it into a challenge to lose 5 kilos… preferably before the festive season 🙂

I hope that this challenge will help me reach my goal. In return for all you guys being my sounding board, I will give you a recipe each week and also some tips on how to lose weight and how to eat and live healthier. 

Let me tell you how my first week has been…

On my first day, last Sunday, I must admit that I ate some crisps and drank one glass of wine… ok, not a great start, but the rest of the day and also the rest of the week I have been really, really good. Eating healthy, exercising regularly, drinking heaps of water (and no more alcohol), no excessive snacking…

I did eat some lovely french fries though… but they were ‘good’ fries… homemade oven fries! And being able to eat something so delicious whilst watching your weight, doesn’t give you the feeling of being on a diet. You can see the recipe further in this post.

When I looked at the scales this morning, I couldn’t believe it… in this first week I have lost (drum roll…) 1,7 kilo!!! I couldn’t believe my eyes… What a great way to start this challenge! Well I must say that at the start of a diet, you tend to lose weight quite fast, but I didn’t dare to dream that I would lose 1,7 kilo in one week time…

Now that goes to show what one week of careful eating and drinking can do with your body and weight which is so motivating at the start of this second week.

I am of course aware that I won’t be able to lose 1,7 kilo every single week… that wouldn’t be realistic. At the Weight Watchers meetings I used to attend, they said that a weight loss between 0,5 and 1 kilo a week is possible when you stick to their programme. So for next week I am aiming for at least 0,5 kilo… Let’s hope I am not too disappointed this time next week!

And how well did you do this week? If you also want to lose a couple of kilos before the festive season, you can always join me and leave a comment. We can share tips and motivate eachother!

Last week I gave you two tips :

Tip 1 : don’t look on a diet as something evil, look upon it as a new, healthy way of eating

Tip 2 : any time is a good time to start living and eating in a healthy, responsible way

Today’s tip : drink lots of water

One thing that is very important when eating and living healthy is drinking lots of water. If you don’t drink enough water, this might lead to lots of complaints :

• fatigue
• bad blood circulation
• infected kidneys
• high blood pressure
• headaches
• painful joints
• stress
• …

These complaints are actually caused by dehydration… our body ideally needs about 2 liters of water a day to function.

Now a lot of people have difficulties drinking this much water a day. The best method is to drink one glass before and after every meal and then one more during the morning, during the afternoon and during the evening.

You can drink mineral water or sparkling water. You can add a slice of lemon and a couple of mint leaves in your sparkling water to make it extra fresh and tasteful! But 2 liters of water a day is a lot… I know! So in the afternoon and in the evening I usually drink a green tea or a herbal tea instead of water.

Drinking this much water a day, will certainly help you to lose weight and it is healthy for you so why not do it ? It has got so many benefits!

Today’s recipe : oven fries

I like fries… a lot! We eat them every single week… and I know that fries aren’t particularly healthy and don’t fit in a healthy lifestyle.

Well I want to eat healthier, but I don’t want to skip my fries… so I should make my fries healthier… it’s as simple as that! So no more fries out of the deep fryer for me thank you… I’ll make oven fries instead! Here’s the recipe for really tasteful, crispy, homemade, healthy oven fries :

• boil some water in a pan and pre-heat the oven (200°C)
• slice a couple of potatoes in fries
• put the fries into the boiling water and let them boil for about 3 minutes
• drain the fries and coat them with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and some paprika powder (photo on the left)
• put the fries on an oven plate (on tin foil) and put them in the pre-heated oven (top photo)
• after about 12 minutes, stir the fries a bit and put them in the oven for another 12 minutes
• serve with whatever you fancy… as long as it’s healthy 🙂 (I opted for som chicken and some cherry tomatoes with red onion – lower photo)
• bon appétit!

Do you want to join me?

Perhaps you also want to loose just a couple of kilos before Christmas or you just want to start living a bit healthier? Why don’t we learn from eachother, motivate eachother, share tips and keep eachother informed. Feel free to comment below this post and perhaps we can help eachother!

Next week’s tip is all about not having to be hungry while watching your weight… Don’t miss out on it!

Love, Kathleen

Beware : I am not a health coach, dietician, nutritionist… I am just sharing tips that I have read and heard, tips that are helpful to me to watch my weight and to live a healthier life. If you want expert advice on how to lose weight, I advise you to seek professional help!