Bye!

I've decided to stop writing this blog. When I began my blogs I had the need to write somewhere, anywhere as a creative outlet and as a way of replacing my MA classes.

Now I've found my stride as a 'graduate' writer (i.e. one that doesn't need the support of my classmates) I no longer need them. I've also got so much going on that I can't fully maintain them as they deserve to be.

So, dear reader, this will be my last blog on here. If you'd still like a peek into my brain then follow me on tumblr instead.

Stay happy,

WG x

P.S I'll continue to feature a cat of the week on my tumblr page x

*Cat of the Week - Greta*

This week's featured kitty is Greta a lovely grey and white domestic short hair who arrived at the home on the 15th of July through no fault of her own.

Greta is sadly blind in both eyes and so needs a home that is completely secure and doesn't have any stairs.

Due to her sight problems, she isn't suitable to be re-homed in a place with children but she's affectionate and will make someone special a lovely pet.

Click here to see more!

Stay happy,

WG x

No more sugar for my sweet!

So, Rule Three of the BBD is No Sugar.

Nooooooooooooooooooooo!! Not sugar!

Oh yes, it has to go! Foods that are high in sugar are also high in calories and we all know if you eat loads of refined sugar you'll also gain weight.

But it's all so yummy!

But it also won't make you slim!

Hmph, okay then....

So, foods to avoid are:

• Biscuits
• Cakes
• Cereal bars
• Chocolate (don't cry, it's only two weeks!)
• Golden syrup
• Granulated, caster or brown sugar - and this includes in your tea or coffee! Sorry!
• Honey
• Ice cream
• Ice lollies
• Jam
• Lollipops
• Maple syrup
• Sugary breakfast cereals
• Fizzy drinks
• Sweets (boo!)

Chin up!

Stay happy,

WG x

Recipe Two: Easy Mushroom and Prawn Risotto

I LOVE this recipe, it's really yummy and I was surprised by how simple it was to make. The original recipe uses chicken instead of prawns but that was all I had in the fridge so I just slung them in! I've also added far more garlic than Anna's recipe to give it a bit more oomph!

So, here we go...

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp of olive oil.
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped.
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed (don't be scared!)
• 1 stick of celery, trimmed and sliced.
• 10-12 chesnut mushrooms, washed and sliced.
• 75g of Arborio risotto rice.
• 450ml hot chicken stock.
• 1 pack of peeled and cooked prawns.

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a medium pan.
2. Gently fry the onion, garlic and celery for 6-8 minutes until softened.
3. Add the mushrooms and fry for a further 3 minutes.
4. Tip the rice into the pan and stir for a few seconds.
5. Carefully pour in the stock, stir well and bring to a simmer.
6. Cook for 15-18 minutes, stirring regularly until the rice softens.
7. Add the prawns and heat through for 3 minutes.
8. Spoon into a warm bowl and serve.

Enjoy!

Stay happy,

WG x

Send the milk back to the cow!

Rule Two of the BBD is No Dairy.

Aside from the inevitable sugar cravings, it's the dairy rule that I struggle most with. Because, well, I have a confession to make...

My name is Writer Girl and I'm addicted to cheese. Seriously.

So, why can't I eat cheese or anything cow-related for the next two weeks?

Because dairy products are full of fat and sugar. So, if you want to lose weight, they're off the menu. Boo.

Foods to avoid are:

• Cheese (noooooooo!).
• Full fat milk.
• Cream.
• Yoghurt.
• Cottage cheese.
• Cream cheese.
• Crème fraiche.
• Yogurt drinks.

However, the only exception to the no dairy rule is that you are allowed 300ml (or half a pint) of skimmed milk a day to put into tea, coffee or to use on porridge.

And that's that!

Stay happy,

WG x

Recipe One - Chunky Vegetable Soup

The first recipe I've used from the BBD is the chunky vegetable soup and it's so easy to make and yummy to eat that I thought I'd share it with you all!

So, here goes!

Ingredients:

• 1 litre of cold water.
• 1 vegetable stock cube.
• 400g can of chopped tomatoes.
• 2 teaspoons of mixed herbs.
• 1 teaspoon of chilli in a tube or half a fresh chopped chilli.
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped.
• 1 tablespoon of tomato puree.
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped.
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped.
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped.
• 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and chopped.
• 2 medium courgettes, diced.
• 3 sticks of celery, chopped.

Method:

1. Pour the water into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer.
2. Crumble over the stock cube and stir until dissolved.
3. Add all the remaining ingredients, except the courgettes, and simmer
4. Gently simmer the vegetables for five minutes then add the courgettes and cook for a further 8-10 minutes until all the vegetables are soft.
5. Season with lots of black pepper and serve with a slice of rye bread.

Yum!

Stay happy,

WG x

Thou Shall Not Eat...Wheat!

Rule one of the BBD (Body Blitz Diet) is No Wheat.

Wheat is often what causes people to bloat - I know it does that to me! - and it is present in many foods that people binge on.

Foods to avoid when following this rule are:

• Batter
• Biscuits (boo!)
• Bread (apart from rye bread)
• Breaded fish or scampi
• Buns
• Cakes
• Chicken nuggets
• Couscous
• Cookies
• Crackers
• Croissants
• Crumpets (my personal favourite, it's going to be hard to stay away!)
• Egg noodles
• Garlic bread
• Melba toast
• Muffins
• Packet sauce mixes
• Pasta
• Pastry
• Pies
• Pizza (noooooooooo!)
• Rolls
• Sausages
• Stuffing mixture
• Some breakfast cereals
• Wheat flour
• Yorkshire puddings

Gluten-free products are also out as they are easy to binge on and they can still be high in fat and sugar. The best way to lose weight effectively is just to avoid these foods altogether. After all, it's only for two weeks so it should be do-able, right?

So, what can you eat?

To fill the gap left by bread, pasta etc, eat foods made with oats, maize (sweetcorn), pulses, rye and rice.

Foods you can eat whilst following this rule are:

• Barley couscous
• Borlotti beans
• Butter beans
• Chickpeas
• Corn cakes
• Kidney beans
• Lentils
• Oatmeal
• Porridge oats
• Rice cakes (surprisingly, these aren't that bad!)
• Rice noodles
• Rice - any kind
• Rye bread
• Rye crispbread

So, this is the first rule of the BBD, I'll post about the other four over the coming days.

Stay happy,

WG x

*Cat of the Week - Georgia*

This is Georgia, she's 10, a semi long hair and isn't she lovely?!

Female ginger cats are really rare, generally the ginger gene only comes out in males - just as the tortie gene generally only comes out in females - so Georgia is extra special!

She arrived at the Bath Cats and Dog's Home on the 1st of June this year and, because she is still a new arrival, if you want to see her then you'll need to ask at reception.

Click here to find out more!

Stay happy,

WG x

P.S. Click here to see all the amazing animals that the home have managed to find owners for in the last two weeks! X

It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new diet for me...

...and I'm feeling goooooooooood!

Soooo, I have a *bit* of a confession to make. After I got down to my goal weight I fell ENTIRELY off the wagon and have consequently put back on half a stone.

Fail.

I had been feeling a bit down and irritated with myself and then last week I shook it all off and decided to do something about it. I mean, I've lost weight before so I can do it again, right?

This time around I've decided to go for a more structured way of doing it, that way I know it works and I like having rules and boundaries to work within. That's just the way I roll!

So, which plan to pick?

I considered options like Weight Watchers or Slimming World but the thought of having to sit around with loads of other people and discuss my shortcomings just made me cringe. Then I turned to the internet, looking up diet books and plans and trying to find one that wouldn't drive me insane.

On Amazon I came across the Anna Richardson Body Blitz Diet which promises to help you lose up to 7lbs in just two weeks. Perfect! I'm going on holiday this summer and would really like to not be the whale on the beach!

All the reviews were positive and I like Richardson already, she came across as frank and likeable on both the Sex Education Show and her stints on Supersize vs. Superskinny.

So I ordered the book and was surprised when it arrived the next day. Settling down to read it (with a packet of biscuits for company) I loved how direct and true it was in style and the diet itself seems do-able with just five simple rules to follow for 14 days:

1. No Wheat.
2. No Dairy.
3. No Sugar.
4. No Carbs (after 6pm).
5. No Alcohol.

I think I can handle this for two weeks and have already taken my mugshot, as recommended by Richardson so that I can compare it when my fourteen days are up.

I'm starting tomorrow and already have my meal plan for the week and a simple exercise plan to work alongside it.

I'll update this blog every couple of days (promise!) to let you all know if it's any good and fingers crossed I'll shift some flab!

Stay happy,

WG x

P.S. How good does Richardson look on the cover?!