Elmari’s Weekly Banting Diet Diary: Week 12
The good and the bad
Weight-wise, this was not such a good week. I only lost 0,5kg. But at least I am losing centimetres. I have dropped another pant size! For a long time, I was wearing a size 22. I feel a bit embarrassed to say what size I was wearing, but it feels good to say that I now fit into a size 16!
This week I decided I couldn’t go on wearing clothes that are too big for me. Almost everything I own, looks baggy on me, and because it hides my body, I still look large. So, I went shopping. In the first few shops, I couldn’t find anything I liked. Not in my size, anyway. There were lots of sizes 8, 10, 12 and 14, nothing in sizes 16 and 18, and then again lots of sizes 20, 22 and larger. But then I went to Donna and found three pairs of jeans – one dark blue, one black and one light-blue with flowers embroidered on it – all in a size 16!
Also read: 12 ways to celebrate without gaining weight
Too big!
I can’t describe the feeling of taking something off the rail in a shop, trying it on and then it is actually too big! It was a victorious moment when I asked the shop assistant in the fitting room if she could please bring me a smaller size.
Of course, I realise that these pants will probably – hopefully! – not fit me in another three months, but then I will just have to find a good tailor. Gaining weight again is most definitely not an option, because I have given all my big clothes away.
My end goal is not in sight yet, because I have to lose another 25kg, but I already have a lot more self-confidence. It feels fantastic!
Comfort food
After a few cooler nights, I really craved some comfort food, so this weekend I tried a favourite recipe the Banting way: groenboontjiebredie. All I really changed, is to replace the stock I previously would have used with water, and to replace the potatoes with sweet potatoes.
Groenboontjiebredie
Makes 4-6 portions
Ingredients
1kg lamb knuckles
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped
1 tsp thyme
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups of boiling water water
Himalayan pink salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
500g sweet potato, cubed
700g green beans, sliced into 2cm pieces
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a large oven-proof casserole, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and brown half the lamb knuckles. Transfer the browned meat to a plate. Add 1 tbsp more olive oil and brown the rest of the meat. Transfer the meat to the plate.
- Heat the rest of the olive oil in the empty casserole and fry the onion until soft and golden. Add the garlic, chilli and thyme and fry for a minute.
- Place the meat back into the pan.
- In a jug, add the hot water to the tomato paste, stir and add to the casserole. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the casserole and place in the oven for 1 hour.
- Add the sweet potato and return to the oven for 20 minutes.
- Add the green beans and return to the oven for 30 minutes.
- Mash the sweet potato slightly with a fork to thicken the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve with cauli-rice if you want.
Diet start date:
1 January 2017
Weight loss this week:
0,5kg
Weight loss so far:
15,5kg
Also read:
Elmari’s weekly Banting Diet Diary: Week 11
Elmari’s weekly Banting Diet Diary: Week 10
Elmari’s weekly Banting Diet Diary: Week 9
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