soy burger with mushrooms and cheese with a mixed squash salad (v)

 

this week i am fasting with my grandmother for kavady. kavady is a hindu festival that my family observes every year which focuses on carrying your burdens and meditating on them whilst sacrificing every day luxuries. traditionally, it is usually a very strict sacrifice that includes eating only vegetables and fruit, and praying every day – morning and night. since i am not physically carrying kavady this year, i am not fasting too strictly and have just given up meat for the week.

it is a great detox and as someone who has no problems eating vegetarian options, it comes as a welcomed change to the diet. i feel lighter and happier and it’s adding some (much needed!) variation to my weigh-less diet.

today, in the hope of eating something yummy, i made myself the most delicious vegetarian burger that would make any person content when substituting a beef burger. actually – i take that back, because it STAND ALONE is pretty awesome and i’ll probably make it again, even on a day i’m not observing a fast.

i pan fried the fry’s soya burgers in a pan after doing a quick sauted squash salad. for the salad – prepre patty pans, baby zuchini and baby gem squash and saute in a pan with olive oil and garlic. add salt and pepper and a splash of lemon juice for taste. i actually have a gooseberry and lemon reduction that i like to deglaze the pan with and it adds a delicious dimension of flavour to the vegetables. finish with parsely and leave aside to cool.

on top of the burger i added some sauted mushroom and any white cheese and it was an AMAZING lunch option that i hope you all will try :)

 

peace and love friends and have an amazing week! xo

journey

 

these past couple of months have been really quite life changing. with my parents and brother in another city and me on the last leg of my degree and first leg of my career, everything has changed around me. but unlike my old self, i have embraced it and am enjoying my new found freedom and lifestyle.

one such lifestyle change is my joining weigh-less at the end of january. i have gained an inordinate amount of weight over the last 4 years. i was not obese but i definitely was over weight and i just wasn’t happy anymore. my relationship with food was becoming something i was starting to resent. i would feel guilty every time i ate. it took a long time for me to accept where i was in my life and that i seriously needed to stop stressing about it and do something about it.

the day came and i decided that i would join the one in the glenwood area, with a group leader i knew a little. it was the best decision of my life. yes, i have my lows where i just want to give up but i have lost 4kg so far and have another 6 to go and the goal is the reason i am not giving up.

i know that i love food. i know that a good meal – both eating and preparing – will always be so satisfying to me, but not to the detriment of my health and my happiness. as a woman, no matter what we say, we KNOW what we need to do to make ourselves happy on the outside. even if we pretend that the outside doesn’t matter sometimes, it really does and deep down looking good really does make us feel good and i’m DEFINITELY not talking about being THIN, i’m talking about the outward expression of ourselves through our clothes and our bodies. if we are not confident in our bodies, no matter what size or shape, that will always come through in our confidence and it’s one of the reasons i want to do this so badly. when i looked in the mirror, be it at home or out at a restaurant, i would feel unhappy and that was the sign.

but now i am on this road and it’s a great feeling. it’s an exciting feeling. it’s a step in the right direction and it doesn’t matter whether it takes me 2 months more or 6 months more – perseverance is what is going to pay off :)

i’ve decided that although for the next few months i will not be blogging rich, decadent foods, i will be blogging my healthy options and my journey to my goal weight.

hope you’re all in for a ride :))

may

xo