Mission No Junk

I'm about to cry just writing this.  Let me explain.

I love junk food.  Love it.  As of a few years back I used to have it about 3 times a week easily.  Recently, I've cut down to about once a week which is a challenge.  Let me clarify what I mean by junk food, in case you think I'm just being dramatic.   I mean McDonald's, Hardeez (for those of you who live in the Middle East, you would be more familiar with this godsend), Wendy's, KFC and the list goes on and on. 

I used to be blessed with a high metabolism.  I was that tall skinny girl who could eat anything. Lucky me.  Well, I got used to it.  Now, I'm 31 years old and my metabolism is slowing down QUICKLY, but I'm still eating the same stuff... and I honestly have a guy's appetite in terms of portions.  Add a pregnancy to the equation.  Plus, one of the new things I'm experiencing as a mother is that I'm worrying about things like cholesterol and my future health.  

Ok I am not "fat" (sorry if I'm not being P.C. here), but I don't like how I look and feel.  I'm about 5'9" and I weigh about 67kg.  So I have about 5kg (possibly more) to lose.  This means... gasp... no more junk.  And lots of exercise, because I need to tone up too.  The good thing is I have a deadline, first week of June.  Ibiza.  Seriously, if that's not motivation, I don't know what is.  Maybe the fact that I am going with 9 or 10 super hot girl friends? hmmm...

So here's the deal:

1. I will be blogging about this mission as often as I can. 

2. I'm a pretty decent cook if I do say so myself, so I will also be sharing my recipes, which HOPEFULLY will be at least semi-healthy (but I'm sure some of them wont be so healthy but definitely tasty - and hey they aren't fast food!)  My recipes will be a mix of Arabic recipes from my family, to a few I find from other sources to a few of my own concoctions. 

3. I'm a foodie and I don't believe in eliminating an entire food group or starving myself, so there will be no "detox" plan or cabbage soup for a week thing happening here. There will be a lot of some what balanced, non junky, tasty recipes. 

4. THIS IS A DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A NUTRITIONIST OR A PROFESSIONAL DIETIAN OR A PROFESSIONAL TRAINER OR A PROFESSIONAL CHEF.

So, here goes! Day 1 - February 15th.

I think I was pretty good today.  I only had tea with a little milk for breakfast (never been much of a breakfast person - unless I'm on holiday).  I did have an early lunch which was 2 scrambled eggs with steamed spinach (the spinach was left over from a puree I made my son), with 2 pieces of wholewheat toast.  And for dinner I made really easy and yummy baked chicken breasts with salad.  Here's the recipe for that:

My Easy and Yummy Chicken Breast Recipe:

Ingredients:

• I made 4 chicken breasts for my husband and myself.
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and cut
• 1 rounded teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• About a teaspoon of Arabic Bizar - this is a spice mix I use often, you should be able to find it easily in the Middle East or in the Middle Eastern section of a supermarket.  It consists of ground coriander, cinnamon, cloves, turmeric, cumin, fennel, cardamom and fenugreek.  If you can't find the mix, you can make your own :)
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:

• Mix the lemon, garlic, mustard and spices in a small blender if possible or just in a little bowl and pour over the chicken breasts.  Let the chicken marinate for at least half an hour.  
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to about 220 degrees.
• Bake chicken, preferably cover the dish with foil, for about half an hour or until cooked through.
• Serve with Salad!

For the salad dressing, because I already had lemon and mustard in the chicken marinade, I decided to try something different. I mixed Olive oil with a little white balsamic vinegar and pomegranate molasses, and seasoned with some salt.  

It was pretty good!