LLWT- 3 with Whole-Wheat Home-made Bread

Let’s Lose Weight Together Part 3 (LLWT-3)

I accept, that I couldn’t give my 100% to the diet at first. It took me sometime to adjust, but after following the diet just for a couple of weeks, I am visibly thinner and 2.5 kgs lighter now. Since the start of ‘let’s lose weight together’, I knew that I would have to go for a carbohydrate free week soon, but surely it can’t be during the festive season which is upon us right now. Hence, I am thinking of continuing my week one diet for the next 2 weeks, wherein there would be many many cheat meals. This week our most favouriteDurga Pujo will start and it would get with itself once in a year opportunity to gorge on some traditional sweets and snacks. And choosing to keep myself from the gorging spree is not only difficult but insanely impossible. But, I promise to cheat smartly, and write about every tip or trick that helped me religiously. The goal is to meet you back here on the week starting 17^th, in the same weight as I am right now. I need to lose the next 4 kgs which would be much more difficult than this, but that would be after the festive season, and not before it.

For the past week, I noticed I had the urge of indulging in carbohydrates a lot. At the restaurant, I would reach for that Tawa Phulka or a smaller egg or vegetable filled paratha made without oil, all the time. At home, I had my parents-in-law visiting, so it was much easier to just reach up to that ladle full of Daliya (desi bulgur wheat) or white rice with my fish curry or indulge in an array of sweets displayed in my dining area, every-time they came back from CP. And with Pujo starting, I don’t think I can survive the season without indulging in Mughlai Porotha (Deep fried square parcel made with white flour, filled with spicy fish/chicken mince) or a Lobongo Latika (a similar kind of dish, but sweet). Caterers from Kolkata come in to make these scrumptious snacks and meals, and I can’t muster enough courage to steer clear of tasting it. Yet, it’s the portion control that I will exercise. I will cheat a lot during these days, but the idea is to come back to right eating after that.

For example, last week a good friend invited me over to his place for a garden tour. He is a foodie like me, and wanted me to try Samosa and Jalebi from his favourite Nukkad shop. He follows me here, and he thot it was just a matter of tempting me to stray away from the path. I had a samosa with him at 6, preceded by 2 hot and crisp jalebies. But then, I came back to have a cup of soup in the night for dinner and nothing else. This is how I managed to steer clear of any additional weight by following restraint in the next meal. Even with drinks, I opted to munch on Cream cracker biscuits and roasted chana, rather than crispy fried potato chips etc. The week one diet is a framework for me, wherein I devised a new meal plan for me each and every day. From today, I will start following a modified Week 1 diet, and by the next week I will decide if I am strong enough to go to a week 2 diet or not.

This is what I would be eating for the week starting today.

Early morning starts with a flavored nutritious coriander and lime water. I will boil a bunch of coriander for 10 mins strain, and keep the concentrate in the fridge. Early in the morning, I will mix the coriander water concentrate in warm water with a squeeze of lime and drink it. I will follow it up with 3 soaked almonds.

Exercise or an intense Activity

For breakfast, I will have protein with carbohydrates like a good piece of homemade whole wheat bread with fresh cottage cheese, salt and pepper or a dry Daal bhara paratha and curd, or an egg roll.  

At 11.30 am, 1 small bowl papaya followed by a cup of green tea.

The lunch would be healthy Carbohydrate (roti) with protein and fibres, like- raajma, salad and grilled veggies. Or Matar paneer, salad and grilled veggies.

At 5 pm, 1 katori dahi+ 1 tsp ground flaxseed will increase my metabolism.

At 7 pm, I would have tea with roasted chana or a small bowl of sprout salad.

For dinner strictly no carbohydrate but a light protein and fiber based meal.

And if hungry during bedtime, I will finish it up with 1 cup toned milk.

This week, I will concentrate mostly on eating healthy protein and try to detox myself in the time I eat in my house. I will keep adapting the diet each day, depending on my circumstances. As you have noticed since the start of Lets lose weight together, I have never really stressed myself out to eat something that is far away from my reach. I have stayed on the good eating path, yet enjoying a foodie’s life. And the festive would be nothing else than that.

For the recipe today, I am showing you the way I make my daily dose of home-made bread, each time, every time and it works perfectly all the time. This way, I know I will eat a good carbohydrate in the morning, which would get me ready for all the cheats that would come my way during the day.  

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour (WWF)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (you need the gluten)

2 tsp Active dry yeast

2 Tbsp honey

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk, lukewarm

2 Tablespoons olive oil, or any vegetable oil

1 egg

1/4 cup additional WWF for kneading

Instructions:

For a detailed Youtube Tutorial, Click here!!

In a large measuring jug, stir in lukewarm milk with 2 tbsp honey and yeast. Put it in a draft free place for it to proof, while you get the rest of the ingredients in place.

Put both the flours and salt in a large mixing bowl, with a dough hook. Beat it to combine well.

Once the yeast blooms, add in a room temperature egg, and dump it all in the mixer. Beat it on low to combine. Now slowly pour in the 2 tbsp of oil, while the mixer is running and combine it well in the dough. Then put the speed on high for 2 minutes to form the gluten well.

After the 2 minutes are over, on a low speed add about 1/4 cup more flour until dough forms a mass. I make my bread in a kitchen aid mixer. However all this can be easily achieved by hand too. Kneading the dough well makes sure you have a soft and pillowy interior that we all love in a store bought bread. 

Knead the dough well to achieve a non-sticky appearance, cover and let rise for an hour, till double in size.

Shape dough into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until it is one inch taller than the pan, about 35 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius, and bake the bread for 30 minutes. Once browned, and sounds hollow on knocking it, place it on a wire rack to cool. Slice and enjoy as and when needed!

Bread recipes are a bit scary to follow if you are new to it. I have been baking my bread pretty regularly, and that’s why I invested on a brand new kitchen aid last year. If you need a Youtube video about baking this whole-wheat bread to ease your nerve, then write to me. I would be more than happy to oblige! Cheers!!