My food diary is a little different today because honestly I spent the whole day snacking on fruit, muesli, chicken and vegetables – with tons of water. Honestly they’re was no specific time at all. 

I did go swimming and do 30 minutes breast stroke. I also did more painting and moved furniture around. I had so much energy I did not stop until 10pm!

Tomorrow will be more structured for my diary and I’ll include some new things that I tried today that some readers may be interested in trying for themselves. 

P.S. To follow Vanessa’s thoughts and feelings along her journey go to http://vanessareece.com/category/wellbeing/

Morning –
- Large bowl of Muesli with nuts and fruit.
- Glass of fresh cherry and cranberry juice
- Glass of water

Mid-Morning –
- 1 coffee two sweeteners
- 1 Apple
- 1 glass of water

Lunch –
- tuna (with mayo) and sweetcorn on a baked potato (no butter) The mayo was not lo-fat unfortunately. (but then I didn’t make the mix)
- 2 glasses of water

Mid-afternoon –
- 1 apple
- handful of nuts
- 1.5 ltr bottle of water (I drank this at the gym during cardio and swimming)

Evening –
- grilled chicken and heaps of salad including onion.
- 1 glass of fresh cherry juice
- 1 coffee 2 sweeteners
- 1 glass of water


Exercise
Today was cardio but I wanted to do just an increase of time on the bike, 1 circuit of weights and then 30 minutes swimming.

I did all those and felt really good afterwards.

The bike was a strain at first because my mind was everywhere but where it should have been during the first 15 minutes but I got it together for the last 15 minutes and didn’t stop once. I’ve started to do quick 1 minute bursts (giving it all I have) then slowing down for the next minute. This is supposed to be good for fat burning cardio.

I cycled on level five for 45 minutes and my cal burn was 575.
I want to get that up to 600 straight at the same endurance.

This month I’m meeting with my fabulous photographer friend, Rachel Spivey to do press pictures so that has given me even more to drive for. 

My diet sounds boring but honestly I am not missing burgers and take-outs. My mind is in the zone and I’m not giving in. 

I can’t coach people to achieve big life changing goals if I can’t even achieve my own. So that’s all there is to  it. I’m a fearless warrior right now. I really feel that.

P.S. To follow Vanessa’s thoughts and feelings along her journey go to http://vanessareece.com/category/wellbeing/

Morning –
- Large bowl of Muesli
- Glass of fresh orange

Mid-Morning –
- 1 Apple
- 1 cup of coffee two sweeteners

Lunch –
- Fresh cooked salmon, baked potato ( no butter) and salad
- 1  glass of fresh orange juice
- 2 glasses of water

Mid-afternoon –
- 1 cup of coffee
- 1 glass of water
- protein bar
- 1 apple

Evening –
- chicken salad tortilla
- 1 glass of fresh cherry juice
- 1 banana
- 1 apple
- skinny latte two sweeteners
- 1/2 glass of water


Exercise
No gym today. Cancelled yoga because my day was so full – of walking. HA I literally was walking around for most of the day. Not many calories burned I shouldn’t think but still out in the fresh air felt good.

Tomorrow back at the gym as I really missed being there today. No lbs lost this week. I didn’t think there would be with my huge loss last week. I maintained which I was happy about.
But beyond this week I expect to start losing and am focused for that. My size 20 skinny jeans are falling off me. They look baggy now around various areas of my legs. My bottom is not filling them out like it used to.

Have not drank enough water today. Need to keep an eye on that when I have no gym days.

P.S. To follow Vanessa’s thoughts and feelings along her journey go to http://vanessareece.com/category/wellbeing/

Morning –
- Scrambled eggs, slice of chicken (from the cold meat buffet)
- mixed fresh fruit
- Glass of orange juice
- Cup of coffee – two sweeteners

Mid-Morning –
- Banana
- 1 Apple
- 1 cup of coffee – two sweeteners

Lunch –
- chicken and salad tortilla
- 1  glass of water
- Cereal bar.

Mid-afternoon –
- Cereal bar (yes, another one)
- 1 cup of coffee
- 2 small bottles of water

Evening –
- lo- sugar beans and scrambled eggs.
- 1 glass of fresh orange juice
- 1 glass of  water


Exercise
I went to my first Pilates glass. It has potential for good core strengthening for me although the teacher did assume we all knew the moves. But they will be easy to get used it.

I walked a lot yesterday but I really wanted a day I wasn’t doing cardio. But I sure noticed the difference in my energy and food intake because my body was put out of sync. Need to figure that one out for the next early morning meeting.

P.S. To follow Vanessa’s thoughts and feelings along her journey go to http://vanessareece.com/category/wellbeing/

Morning –
- Muesli with lo-fat natural yogurt and banana
- Glass of fresh orange juice
- Glass of water

Mid-Morning –
- banana
- 1 bottle of water

Lunch –
- scrambled egg, fresh onion, cucumber and tomato (a bizarre concoction which tasted really good)
- Glass of fresh orange
- 1 Glass of water

Mid-afternoon –
- Cereal Bar – lo-fat high protein
- Small piece of fresh chicken breast with some broccoli
- 1 cup of coffee 2 sweeteners
- 1 small bottle of water

Evening –
- baked potato (no butter) tuna with  1 tablespoon lo-mayo, sweetcorn.
- Tomatoes and cucumber
- 1 cup of coffee with two sweeteners
- 1 glass water


Exercise
45 minutes solid, no stopping, breast stroke. Burned over 800 calories. Felt great!
Someone else noticed my weight loss today – such a nice feeling to know others can see the difference.

P.S. To follow Vanessa’s thoughts and feelings along her journey go to http://vanessareece.com/category/wellbeing/

Mid-Morning –
- Handful of nuts
- Coffee latte (skinny) two sweeteners
- 2 small bottles of water

Lunch –
- Chicken in a tortilla filled with rocket, tomatoes and jalapenos. Very lo-mayo
- 1 Glass of fresh orange juice

Mid-afternoon –
- Grapes and blueberries in low-fat organic natural yogurt
- 1 glass of water

Evening –
- Brown rice with onions, salmon, fresh garlic and tomato. Boiled rice then fried it + ingredients with 2 sprays of 1 cal extra virgin olive oil.
- 1 glass of orange juice
- 1 coffee with two sweeteners.


Exercise
They say go hard or go home and today I went hard again at the gym.

Broke my previous achieved time on the bike at 36 minutes 27 seconds. Level 5 (one up from my past level). Yes, during it I thought I could not do it – but my iPod tunes as well as sheer determination saw me complete the goal.

The big news was I also increased my distance and speed. Burned 500 Cal!!

I did all my weigh circuits and increased my ab crunches.

Once again – warm up and cool down exercises were done to ensure my joints don’t ache in the morning.

P.S. To follow Vanessa’s thoughts and feelings along her journey go to http://vanessareece.com/category/wellbeing/

Morning –
- Warm natural oats (porridge) blueberries and banana.
- One glass of fresh grapefruit juice

Mid-Morning –
– Protein Shake with fresh blueberries
- 2 small bottles of water

Lunch –
- Brown rice, four strips of chicken with seasoning. On a bed of tomatoes and onion (it was heaven)
- 1 glass of fresh grapefruit juice

Mid-afternoon –
- I was still full from Lunch but I drank
- 1 small bottle of water

Evening –
- Lean Ham tortilla – lettuce, tomato and jalapeños mixed nuts
- 1 cup of coffee two sweeteners


Exercise
Today’s work out was brilliant. I did all my cardio and weight circuits (in fact I went over my normal weight reps but it felt fine.) I think I may have got into what they call the ‘zone’. It was weird. I was doing my thing and half the time I didn’t even know I was doing it.

I have also lost an amazing amount of weight this week. At first, mid week it was a 1lb. I didn’t expect any more but I’ve lost (as of this morning) a total of 6lbs. Checked the scales twice! I could not believe it.

Now I’ve lost 9lbs!!!

I do not expect to lose 6lbs every week but I have stepped up a lot since the first week and I think a lot of this weeks weight loss is water weight.

I set myself calorie goals today on the bike and cross trainer. Seeing the calories melt away on the monitor was a real incentive.

Tomorrow the plan is to do gym in the morning and finish with swimming in the evening. Let’s see how it plays itself out.

P.S. To follow Vanessa’s thoughts and feelings along her journey go to http://vanessareece.com/category/wellbeing/

I seriously do not believe what I saw on the scales this morning – but I have to.. You know I said I’d lost only 1lb this week because I weighed myself mid week (and I think I did that in the evening anyway) well today I went on the scales and I had to check and check again that they were right. It read 220 !! That means I’ve lost 6lbs this week.

Now I’m pretty sure due to the amount liquids and fruit I’ve consumed (and caffeine) this may well be water weight and I would never expect to lose this every week. But it looks like the switching up of cardio and weights at the gym has helped. And not to be TMI I’ve peed for England. LOL

I feel like crying – but with joy!

But the better news is – just today people have stopped and said ‘wow are you losing weight – you’re looker slimmer’.

V

Morning –
- Handful of Almonds
- Coffee  2 sweeteners
- Glass of water

Mid-Morning –
- Protein Bar
- 1 Apple
- 2 small bottles of water

Lunch –
- Potatoes in  spices with onions, fresh garlic, red peppers and two free-range eggs (home-made recipe see my website link)
- 1  Cup of Green Tea
- 1 Glass of water

Mid-afternoon –
- 10 seedless grapes
- Small bowl of mixed nuts with sultanas
- 1 small bottle of water

Evening -
- Warm seasoned chicken tortilla – lettuce, onions, 1 tablespoon of lo-fat mayo tomato and jalapeños. I simply seasoned three chicken breast strips and put them under the grill. I cut them into pieces put all the ingredients into the tortilla and wrapped it up.
- 1 Cup of Green Tea

Exercise
I was taking no prisoners today at the gym. I had in my mind I wanted to swim but once I got in the gym I felt my goal should be to up my resistance cardio levels so I did.
You’ll notice on my Facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/ignitethescreen I’ve posted a picture of the end result of the first bike workout I did.

I did not stop there though – I went back on the bike for another 10 minutes on an aerobic workout. Plus, did the cross trainer for 10 minutes. I also did two weight training circuits as well as abs crunches on the ball.

I was in the gym for about two hours today. You notice I had the protein before hand. No lack of energy for me this time.

Very important thing I remembered was to actually warm up and to cool down. I did my post work out stretches – plus stretches before my weights.

I came back and scrubbed the bathroom. I seem to need to spend that last bit of energy.

I was tired but in a content way.

All I’m doing is slowly building up my resistance and time in cardio.
With weights and core training it’s just about the reps right now - until it becomes too easy – then I take it up a level.

During my gym session I downed 5 small bottles of water!

Tomorrow I’m just going to do some light swimming.

P.S. To follow Vanessa’s thoughts and feelings along her journey go to http://vanessareece.com/category/wellbeing/