Day 3: willpower vs cheese platter

Today was a pretty cruisey day until about 4.30pm when I had to get ready for work, which worried me initially because I find my eating habits are far better when I'm busy or distracted. So, I spent the morning immersed in whale books getting my knowledge up to scratch (now that whale season has really kicked in people are starting to ask me questions) and when I'd had enough I ventured into the great outdoors and went for a cycle. 

Breakfast - small bowl of Uncle Toby's oats (brown sugar and cinnamon), 2 peppermint teas

Snacks - handful of cashews, an orange, handful of soya crisps. I discovered sea salted cashews for the first time just yesterday and they are SO good and packed full of protein which is great for vegans! I made sure I drank a full glass of water after the salty cashews. 

I made this discovery on the plane from Brisbane to Hervey Bay; they were given to us for free during the journey. Initially I was suspicious, so much so that I didn't open them and they sat on my bedside table for the next 2 weeks. I only opened them when I was starving and totally out of snacks, and guess what - they're delicious! I accidentally stumbled on this big bag in the nuts and dried fruit section at Woolies. Yum!

Lunch - 2 veggie wraps. I roasted chopped sweet potatoes, pumpkin, zucchini and tomato sprinkled with olive oil and mixed herbs, then spooned them into wholegrain wraps with BBQ sauce to serve. This has fast become one of my fave meals since a good family friend made them for me in Brisbane - and they're so easy! Add pan-fried or grilled tofu for an instant protein boost, or chopped up chickpea/quinoa/veggie burger.

Dinner - I worked an evening shift at a private function today so had to have my main meal at about 4.30pm to get me through. I knew this wouldn't be the last thing I ate today so made sure I had a small breakfast and super healthy lunch to compensate for the evening munchies - and sure enough, when I got in I heated up a chickpea burger and stuffed it into a bread roll with avocado. And I practically inhaled a sugary cup of tea. Felt bad eating at 11.30pm but I was starting to feel ill from lack of food. It was so hard resisting all the food on the boat...I'm talking cheese platters, spinach and feta pastries/dip, yummy party food and leftover Subway from the day cruises. Sob. 

Activity - I went for a cycle along the esplanade for around 1hr45 and ran up & down the steps 15 times. There's a whale-related event on today which I unfortunately can't go to because of work, but I passed by as they were setting up. It's called Paddle Out For Whales and involves people paddling out on kayaks and stand-up paddle boards to protest against whaling that is STILL practiced in a few places around the world.

I think I'll do some yoga tomorrow morning, if I'm not working - really excited to get started! Although the last yoga lesson I took was in Chiang Mai and when the instructor found out I couldn't even touch my toes he asked what I was doing in his class! I still can't touch my toes but am determined to try tomorrow anyway and see how I go.

P.S. I had a sneaky read of my housemate's new book on quitting sugar this morning, which made me think about re-reevaluating some of my food choices...I didn't agree with some of the things the author said (why give up fruit, for example? - and with sugar in basic foodstuffs like bread and tomato-based pasta sauces there's really no getting around sugar completely) but one thing I got out of it was that bananas are loaded with fructose, so once I've munched my way through the 5 in the cupboard, I might ditch that habit and swap them for blueberries. Having said that, they're full of potassium and good for getting me through busy mornings at work - it's not like they're unhealthy! It's so hard knowing what to and what not to eat when different experts promote very different diets. I guess it's just experimenting and finding out what works for you; everyone's different, after all.