Is Breakfast A Struggle? Still Hungry?

Many online articles and posts about healthy living share one thing in common; "Never Skip Breakfast".

It seems to be the first step towards a healthier life, so it's the first thing you try. You decide to get up earlier and prepare a "healthier" breakfast before work or school but still feel ravenous an hour later, much to your disappointment! Why?! Whey?!

Here's why...

You Could Be Eating The Wrong Thing
Your breakfast should generally always be healthy balance of protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates. Especially if this is all new to you and you have yet to learn which foods make you feel more energised than others.

Some have insane energy after a few whole scrambled eggs and veggies whereas some need a warm bowl of oats along with those eggs.

If healthy eating is new to you, you want to have a balance of all the macronutrients (carbs, protein and fats)

The most common mistake I see with breakfast choices is choosing ‘breakfast’ packaged foods. Most quick breakfast options like  breakfast muffins, cereals, smoothies and granola bars are highly processed and full of sugar and tend to just be a carb source, missing out on the needed protein and healthy fats.

If you start your day with sugar, it won't be long until the body cries out for MORE sugar.

Are You Eating Enough?

A small bowl of fruit will not be enough to get you through to your mid-morning snack or lunch meal. You'll find a quick burst of energy before an equally as quick energy crash. Your body has been fasting, resting and recovering all night, breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day to fill up on nutrients for the day ahead, to keep the fire burning,  it is so important that you are filling up on the right foods. 
Processed breakfast cereals can cause a huge dip in blood sugar levels just a couple of hours after eating.You are more likely to crave more unhealthy high sugary foods throughout the day, which is your body calling for more cheap and quick energy. 

If you're not yet able for a bigger breakfast, it's ok to begin with a light but smart breakfast and then it's completely cool to have a snack before lunch! A snack with the right balance of protein and fats or carbs  will  keep you satisfied until your next meal and avoid the dreaded blood sugar drop which in turn leads to yucky cravings. 

If you're not yet able to stomach a bigger breakfast early in the morning, have a quick smoothie or if you really cannot get out of bed, prepare the fresh shake the night before and take it on the go! 

TIP: Re-blend with a few ice cubes the next morning to freshen it up as the oats will absorb the fluid overnight.

Here's a quick tasty favourite:

Ingredients

30g old fashioned oats, soaked overnight in ½ cup water, refrigerated

10 raw nuts, hazelnuts or walnuts are good here

20g chocolate or vanilla protein powder

1 small ripe banana

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk 

2 tbsp 0% fat plain Greek yoghurt

1 tbsp cacao powder (optional)

4 ice cubes (if preparing fresh in morning)

Directions

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy. 

Love, Lisa xx

Eating on a budget? 🍅

😱 LESS THAN €20 🎉

Eating on a budget? Healthy eating doesn't need to be expensive. You simply need to know HOW to shop.

It may not look like it but here I have the makings of 8 meals and 7 snacks!

(There's 2 portions of rice per pack and 3 portions of mince in that 400g pack)

Always check out the veggies and fresh produce area first. 

My basket changes week by week depending on what's on offer in the veggie section. I already have some food in my kitchen, this is a top up!

As soon as you enter the supermarket, go straight to the fresh section.

Tesco and dunnes are easy for this BUT If in Aldi or Lidl, don't walk straight up the first Isle, avoid it by walking up the next isle instead!

Fill up with fresh produce first and then move onto your proteins/meats.

Always check out the rice and spice area. Pick up a new spice each week!

Buy rice in bulk if you prefer, I like the easy microwaveable packs. No fuss.

24c for these kidney beans and I checked the back of the can, the nutritional information is actually better than the more expensive brand! Always compare! I use beans as a carb source and usually mix some with my eggs for breakfast, a great belly filler ;)

9g protein per 100g also. Winning! 

Here's a break down of what I bought.

VEGGIES 

Celery

Shredded Cabbage

Cucumber

Peppers

Mini sweet peppers 

Carrots (also a carb source)

CARBS 

Sweet potato 

Rice

Bag Quinoa (12 servings)

Kidney Beans 

SUGARS 

Strawberries 

Bananas 

Apples

PROTEIN/MEATS

5% lean steak mince (3 portions in this pack) 

Kidney Beans 

ADD ONS

Fresh Dill 

Chinese Five Spice

light Soy Sauce

Lemon (for water, salads and recipes)

You need to get creative with how you cook your foods, that way the foods will go a lot further and you'll have little waste. 

❤️ Has this helped you out a little?

Let me know below. 

Test yourself! Next time you do your grocery shop, only take €20 or €50 on your pocket. Have fun with it, you'll be shocked how much you can actually fit in when you're adding it up 🙌🏼😉

The Slim Gal Icecream 😍

Ice cream in winter eh... But don't lie to yourself, you love a big bowl of Icecream on a cold rainy night in front of the fire as much as I do 😉

This one is Vegan Friendly! Egg Free, Dairy Free, Wheat Free, nearly everything-damn-Free without the loss of sweetness 😍

You can make this recipe right now and I bet you have the only ingredient needed in your kitchen. I'll put money on it.

It's genius work!

Whoever first decided to try this recipe out and share it worldwide, I have to say  kudos to you because it's saving waistlines around the globe hehe :)

Let's get to it shall we.

BANANAS. Beautifully extremely ripe, bananas! That is all you need!

Before you whimper that you don't liiiiiiiiike bananas, let me tell you, once made you won't taste banana in this Icecream at all.

It's weird, I don't know how it works but hey I'm not complaining! 

Simply, chop your bananas up and put into the freezer overnight! A few hours may do the trick - depending on your freezer and the ripe-ness of the nana's

Once frozen (and they gotta be pretty frozen) throw them into a high powered blender.

I use my vitamix for this so it powered through it quite easily. 

Blend it until the banana goes all "bitty" and then use a spoon to move all the banana from the sides of the blender jug back down towards the blade.

Blend again.

Repeat 4-5 times until you have a whipped Icecream effect with no bits!

Scoop out onto a bowl and enjoy!

I used 2 bananas here it it was way more than enough for one person, very filling!

Tag me in your Instagram posts with #lisadeefitness if you try it out, I'd love to see yours!

Did you like this recipe? Share it online with your friends. Many of us are worried about squeezing into that little dress at the weekend as much as you are, every little bit of love helps :)

Thanks for reading 💪🏽😘

Lisa Dee xxx

www.lisadee.ie

HOW TO - PROTEIN PANCAKES VIDEO

The "Perfect Body" Trend.

I feel like I need to say something...

I am so damn sick of articles like the above showing up everywhere and it's just getting crazier! 

Thigh gap no more, it seems we've now moved on to the Thigh brow... Or do we want both? 

Where does this whole "perfect body" idea end?

Seriously, someone (famous) decided to name a crease on their leg as a "thigh brow" and it's the hottest new trend to hit the Internet.

Whaaaaaaaaat? 

How is it a trend?! 

You can't buy it?

How do you work it?

 What do we wear on it? 

That crease, everyone pretty much has it, especially when you have an ass and thick thighs.

All you do is lean forward as you sit down... It shows on everyone!

But it's now a body trend.

"What if you don't have a big ass, will your thigh brow not be as thick?"

These are serious questions people are asking!!!

One massive magazine has celebrated it as a "body positive movement now taking the internet by storm".

Honestly, I don't think there's anything positive about it at all.

I practice what I preach, I'm a firm believer in taking care of our bodies, exercising and eating well to make our bodies the best they can feel and look without actually changing our genetic makeup!

Things like this just freak me out a little.

Sit down, look at that line where your hip meets your leg and think for a minute... 

What on earth has society come to that THIS has made headlines?

THIS is what the next generation of girls are growing up with?!

We now have young girls obsessing over buying higher cut bottoms just to take a photo to post on Instagram and use the #THIGHBROW hashtag.

In reality, where else can they show their new thighbrow?

Sometimes, stupid shit like this makes me want to cry. Cry over this sort of crap that people get so bogged down on and then believing they are not amazing enough as they are.

Social media has a lot to answer for but so many are too bogged down in it and obsessed with it to see it!

As a health enthusiast and fitness professional, I see girls with the lowest of low self esteem issues and I do genuinely think silly articles like the above only heighten those issues.

I'm not naive, I do realise that celebrities and media have been around for years but you can't argue that right now, many (not all) celebrities are known for who they're in bed with, who lost the most weight and who has the hottest new lip colour.

30 years ago, young girls looked up to talent and heart.

No one can tell the difference anymore!

A herd of sheep following each other round in circles and nobody knows what the hell is going on.


What can you do to help? Notice the young girl next to you. Ask her who her idol is, then ask her WHY. If her answers makes you sad, that's when you know it's time for you to help show her the amazing world she's missing out on.

Gossip and social media sites should not be our "world".

I talk about this all the time,  but I sometimes I felt like a hypocrite.
In a social media world, me a personal trainer and health promoter who also does bikini competitions and fitness modelling, speaking out against the media and the idolised "PERFECT BODY" and how it really doesn't exist. Telling girls not to obsess and idolise those celeb bodies when there I go myself posting a photo of myself in a bikini. That's a strange inner struggle to have but I have it, I struggle in the hope i'm not making the issue worse. I want girls to feel GOOD not worse.
The difference is I've accepted my body as my body, I train and eat to nourish and fuel my body.
I enjoy sweating in the gym. The body confidence is a side effect. 

My career and my life is based around girls wanting to feel good in their own skin, it's only natural
that many dream of that so called perfect body too.
 I don't sell the perfect body, I bring out that wee confident sweaty fox inside each girls that trains and eats to fuel her body and her body confidence.

When I started working for myself in this industry, it was solely based around empowering other girls locally through health and fitness; "Come to my class, exercise with me, I'll talk to you about your eating habits and what will help you get healthier and lose excess weight (IF you need it) and I promise you'll start feeling better in your body".
That's it.
I never promised the perfect body or the perfect size. Why?  It. Does. Not. Exist.
YOUR perfect body exists though and that's when you start feeling good about yourself, your accomplishments and your daily effort towards better health.

You are more than a body trend.

I feel a little sad and happy at the same time as I finish this,
I've so much more to say!
For now,

Lisa Dee xxx

EMAIL ME lisadeefitness@gmail.com

MY FACEBOOK PAGE:        https://www.facebook.com/lisadeefitness

ARE YOU WRECKING YOUR BODY?!

DIRTY LITTLE DEVIL, OR IS IT?

Put it like this, if you are overweight and you have excess body fat to lose, you will lose a good bulk of that on ANY calorie restricted plan.

That is why many get on so well to begin with - they cut their food intake way too much, they lose weight for a few weeks but then it stalls. When it stalls, they cut calories more and can't understand why they're suddenly cranky, hormonal, fatigued, drained and pimple skinned!

Regular "low carb, low fat" diet plans play havoc on your body.

Yes, metabolic damage DOES exist, everything on this planet can be destroyed/damaged, so yeah, that includes your metabolism.

If you slow your body down enough for it to barely be able to perform basic organ and hormonal functions, do you really think fat loss and "toning up" is gonna be a priority for your body?

No, your body wants to survive first at optimal level.

Once your body knows "all is safe" out there and it's in no danger, once it's getting everything it needs (this is where you feed it properly) then and only then, will fat loss and the oul "toning up" become a whole lot easier for you.

HOW?

I'll tell you how. Keep it simple. Food. Damnnnn we like real food and plenty of it girl ;)

You should not feel starving on the journey to better health, granted, you will crave a lot of sugar for the first while, that goes away though... as long as you replace the cravings with other nutritious belly fillers.

I won't make this a long post - you know you need your protein, carbs and fats but what does that all even mean without good health?

You already have a good idea what you should be eating, if you're currently doing my bootcamp or online guide, you'll know exactly what to eat every day, but I do need to stress one thing many girls and guys slack with;

VEGETABLES!

Listen, if you've ever done any of my plans, you'll just know I love my vegetables. 

I encourage a lot of certain veggies with many meals.

Google the benefits of raw beet and raw cabbage and then come back to be with a broader mind ;)

Simply adding in raw vegetables midday will unleash energy you didn't realise you had, the best thing is, you can eat A LOT of veggies. There's seriously no limit, fill your plate!

 All those vitamins, minerals and enzymes get to work straight away in your cells, if only you could see the instant impact a fresh vegetable juice has on your body - hence,  The LD Green Shake that I've been including in my clients (and my own) diet for YEARS! 

Ask me about it and watch my face light up as i try to convince you to try it! :)

And another thing we forget about...

HEALTHY FAT SOURCES

Slimming world tells you avocados are a SIN.

Are avocados the dirty work of the inner devil fatty world?

HELL NO. Avocados are one of the most amazing foods in the world... BUT... in the right moderation of course. 

Our brains need 30g of fat a day to even function, so imagine the brain fog you get when you cut out healthy fats altogether on such plans!

Now, if you cut out so called "sinful" foods for long enough, what do you think will happen?

You already know, don't you...

Your hair starts falling out, your skin looks drawn and dry.

Sex drive... what sex drive?!

Eating the right foods, will make your life a lot richer, in all ways, eat good and you'll feel good.

If you believe you already feel good, maybe you just haven't unleashed the true feel good potential that's in you yet!

Yup, i have to mention the most confused

CARBOHYDRATES

I will keep this extremely simple. If you cut out carbs or cut them down to a dangerous amount, you WILL end up with a weight gain rebound and a sadder face.

Stop looking for shortcuts. I'm talking real life carbs here - potato, rice, quinoa, beans, fruits, veggies. I'm not talking about the fake carbs - wraps, breads etc.

Do not try to master everything at once.

This is important, you have to realise that you won't completely overhaul your whole life in 4 weeks, or 6 weeks, or 8. It takes time to learn what really works for your body. It takes at least 4 - 6 weeks for you to see a significant change in your health, face and body!

It should never be a "let's try it for a few weeks" effort. It should be a continuous effort, when you look back n a year and realise how different you feel.

Not everyday will be a good day. Read that AGAIN. Not everyday will be a good day.

You need to accept that, otherwise, you will give up at the first sniff of self pity.

For example, there will be days where your daily diet consists of a typical Irish dinner, a slice of cake, extra fudge sauce please and 3 black coffees... (me, yesterday) 

A day like that won't put you off though! Hell, 95% of the time, you can stand by your efforts and give yourself a massive jump over the fence kinda over excited high 5!

95% of the time you'll feel on top of the world! This is a lifestyle, I am a kale queen.

Remember though, balance... 5% of the time you'll feel like a single legged walking sheep eating dry nuts for the tenth time that day but hey that's life!

Unless you have experienced a lifestyle shift or change in body in the last 2 months that you are HAPPY with, then the next 2 months will be the same, unless you make a change and actually ACT on it.

Delaying action doesn't make us feel any better, it actually makes us feel a little smaller and incapable in our heads. Take action and if you already have, well done! 

You're braver than you think and you'll soon feel healthier and more confident than you ever thought possible.

Health First, with love and smiles,

Lisa Dee

x

My website is nearly ready but in the meantime, info about all my plans can be found HERE GIRRRL I'm also on youtube and I have a few posts with a difference coming soon, some of which I am nervous about. Click here to watch

Icecream Protein Pops!

Well... not for breakfast EVERYDAY but hey, it's a nice wee change sometimes :) 

Ughhh can someone tell me when on earth August decided to get all gloomy with its negative cloudy energy all over us?

If you're missing the bright mornings just like I am, then here's a little something to perk up your mornings, or evenings, or nights.... Hell this will perk you up anytime! 🙊

                   PROTEIN POPS

Like all my recipes, so damn easy peasy!

Want the recipe? This is ever so simple to make and perfect for those sweet cravings or a quick breakfast on the side when you don't have time to make those oats or eggs! 🕙

What you'll need to make 2 pops 🍦

200g REAL Greek yoghurt (I use fage)

"Greek style" yoghurt a tend to be a little watery and many have higher sugar contents.

Raspberries I used a few, no limit here!

2 squares of 80-95% dark chocolate 

Protein powder - I used strawberry but vanilla or any other neutral flavour will taste equally as good!

Vanilla extract - 2 drops

1. Throw it all in a bowl and mix it up!

2. Simply drop into your ice pop moulds and throw in the freezer overnight!

    Emmmmmm helloooo HOW simple!

                 As I always say, 

           "what's simple to YOU, 

              is genius to another!" 

If you don't have or want protein powder, you can leave it out BUT you're missing out on the delicious flavour and the extra 10g protein per pop!

              Each POP contains 

21g protein

5g carbs

0% fat (if you use 0% fage)

Using full fat FAGE is also good (good fats) but I can't say the same for many other yoghurts.

                        ENJOY!

Tag me in your Instagram photos with #lisadeefitness if you give these a shot with your own fruity creations... I wanna see! 😍