A couple of weeks ago 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 fourth week has been…

I know I’m repeating myself here, but this week has, again, been quite good!

Only the weekends are a bit harder as there’s always something going on somewhere… but even then I try to do my best and watch what I eat and drink. Especially alcohol as that really contains a lot of calories. So in those 4 weeks I’ve been watching my weight and trying to eat healthier I really cut down on the alcohol. Normally on weekends, at home or at a party, I enjoy some wine, but this past month I only drank wine at my son’s birthday and last week a nice glass of cava on a trip to Antwerp with my husband.

This past week I’ve lost another 500 grams… so in all I have lost 3 kilos now in just 4 weeks. And I must say I’m already noticing it on my stomach which is flatter and also my face which is a bit less round.  That goes to show that you don’t always have to lose a lot of weight to notice it!

Two more weeks to go… I don’t think I will lose another 2 kilos to reach my goal… but actually that doesn’t really matter. To me it’s all about that healthier lifestyle… that is eventually what is most important… creating a healhty lifestyle which is maintainable for the rest of your life!

Here are some tips to eat and live healthy :

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

Tip 3 : drink lots of water

Tip 4 : eat 5 times a day

Tip 5 : exercise

Today’s tip : make the right choices

Life is full of making choices… preferably the right ones! So is eating healthy…  Make sure you think twice before putting something in your mouth!

And to make it even harder, sometimes things may look healthy or may be advertised as healthy, but we are ever so often deceived…

When buying your ingredients, take a close look at the label. Don’t just look at the calories of something, but also at the fat content. Compare several ingredients and look for the best option.

We often now which one is the right choice and still, every so often we go for the ‘bad’ choice… I know it is hard to make the right and wise choice every single time… we are after all only human… So if you go for something ‘bad’, make sure it’s worth it! Think twice before putting it into your mouth… go outside for a minute, or to the toilet, or drink a glass of water… Perhaps that’s all you need not to put that piece of chocolate into your mouth after all!

Here’s a short list that will help you make the better choice…

icecream –> sorbet

mayonnaise –> light dressing

white bread –> wholemeal bread

sausages –> chicken/turkey

minced meat –> steak tartare

whole milk –> semi-skimmed milk

full fat yoghurt/cottage cheese –> fat-free yoghurt/cottage cheese

cornflakes –> muesli

french fries –> oven fries (you can read my recipe here)

mojito/margarita/… –> cava

cream soup –> vegetable soup with low-fat broth

fruit juice –> a piece of fruit

coca-cola –> coca cola light or zero

skipping meals –> eating regularly

Making the right choices is also important during the festive season… but more on that next week!

Today’s recipe : paprika filled with spicy marinated chicken

This week, my husband surprised me with a delicious and healthy dish of which I want to share the recipe.

• cut the chicken breast in small strips
• marinate the chicken with some olive oil, curry powder, paprika powder and some freshly grounded pepper (we don’t use additional salt, but you can if you want to of course)
• if possible let the chicken marinate in a the fridge for a couple of hours
• wash the paprika’s and make them ready to be stuffed
• let a chopped onion and a chopped clove of garlic simmer for a while on a medium heat
• add a bit of hot sauce and a tin of chopped tomatoes
• fry the chicken strips shortly on a high heat and add to the onion/garlic/tomatoes
• fill the paprika’s and put them in the oven at 180° for about 30 minutes
• serve the paprika’s with some couscous, rice, potatoes, pasta
• 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 on how to survive the festive season… check it out in 7 days!

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!