Hello everyone, hope you are having as good a time as we are and are getting everything ready for Mother’s Day next Sunday. Speaking of which, we will be spending it at the local cinema chomping on popcorn. It’s fast becoming one of my favorite things to do as a family especially here in Malaysia where they have family friendly theaters complete with couches for the little ones to stretch out on. I can’t wait.
As Sunday is a special day, we are planning our weekly meals accordingly with our ‘cheat day’ on Sunday so that we can enjoy our lunch out and movie snacks guilt free. Last week went (mostly) to plan, although we did do a little extra cheating on Wednesday, which was a public holiday in Malaysia. Breakfasts and lunches were all on schedule, as were most of the evening meals too. We did find a new restaurant, Kayra, which does amazing Kerala cuisine and was simply too good to pass up after our family jungle park walks. The most important thing though, is that we have adjusted the “normal” to a much healthier pattern – and that’s what’s going to really count in the long term.
Andy seems to be doing fine, and may have lost a bit of weight – he hasn’t reported any improvement in performance yet, which is the aim, but it’s very early days yet. Despite eating heartily and, for the first time, snacking regularly, he has also said that he’s been feeling a bit hungry and so we are going to up the protein intake and cut down on the carbs slightly to see if that’s the right balance. Again, when it comes to diet and nutrition, there is no one size fits all meal plan. Everything needs to be tweaked to fit your body, your lifestyle, your budget, etc. However, it appears that staying away from processed foods, excess sugar and fat plus cutting down on the beer has really made a difference in just one week. He’s looking more fit and toned and dare I say it, his beer belly is shrinking by the day! This middle ages man is really filling out that lycra in good way.

Monday
Breakfast: leftover roast chicken wraps loaded with fresh veg
AM Snack: green apple
Lunch: Worker’s Curry (Chana Masala)
PM Snack: 2 oz bag of nuts (about 50 g)
Dinner: Pan seared salmon, baked potato, side salad

Tuesday
Breakfast: Breakfast burrito (scrambled egg, fried potato, tomato)
AM Snack: green apple
Lunch: Worker’s Curry (Chana Masala)
PM Snack: Malaysian Curry ‘puffs’ (about 1 or 2)
Dinner: Crispy Lentil Cakes over a cucumber and tomato salad with feta and a lemon yogurt dressing, naan

Wednesday
Breakfast: Breakfast burrito (scrambled egg, fried potato, tomato)
AM Snack: fruit smoothie
Lunch: Tuna Crunch Sandwiches (canned tuna with a touch of mayo and loaded with cucumber, onion and red bell pepper)
PM Snack: 2 oz bag of nuts (about 50 g)
Dinner: Chinese Style ‘Liver and Onions’, jasmine rice, mixed veg in oyster sauce
Thursday
Breakfast: Breakfast burrito (scrambled egg, fried potato, tomato)
AM Snack: green apple
Lunch: Tuna Crunch Sandwiches (canned tuna with a touch of mayo and loaded with cucumber, onion and red bell pepper)
PM Snack: Malaysian Chicken Curry ‘Puff’
Dinner: Lamb and Spinach Curry, Basmati Rice

Friday
Breakfast: leftovers in a wrap
AM Snack: green apple
Lunch: Sashimi salad with Saba mackerel at local Japanese restaurant
PM Snack: 2 oz bag of nuts (about 50 g)
Dinner: Chicken Fajitas

Saturday
Breakfast: Kedgeree with smoked butterfish, coffee or tea
AM Snack: fruit
Lunch: soup and sandwich
PM Snack: Malaysian Chicken Curry puffs
Dinner: Spicy Seafood Linguine, Tomato and Feta salad with Balsamic vinaigrette

Sunday (Happy Mother’s Day!!)
Breakfast: Eggs, smoked salmon, toast, fresh fruit, coffee or tea
AM Snack: Movie popcorn
Lunch: MOTHER’S DAY LUNCH OUT
PM Snack: beer (eh, why not?)
Dinner: Roasted Cider Pork Loin with Sage, Onions and Apples served with mashed potatoes
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