This year I have decided to stop paying for the privilege of getting up at the crack of dawn to get sweaty with a host of city workers and blow dry my hair in-sync with half a dozen scantily clad women. Millions of people’s ultimate dream I’m sure! Although in recent weeks (read: months) the only reminder of my membership is that Little Red Card poking from under my well worn credit card in my purse.

Now I just need to find time to visit the gym, just to quit…

2015 is the year of the (relatively) free workout. Not sure about you, but I need consistency and convenience, possibly why the Gym idea keeps failing.

Harking back 15 odd years, I used to borrow my mum’s Jane Fonda video from the early 90s, all shiny leotards, bouncy perms and fetching shell suits. But the exercise DVD has made a come back recently, and my good friend recommended Jillian Michaels to be, personal trainer on “The Biggest Loser”. Jillian is billed as the toughest trainer on TV, so purchasing her “30 Day Shred” seemed like a good starting point. This is a 20 minute routine, incorporating strength, abs and cardio exercises. I’m on day 3, which is fairly good for my usual exercise attention span. The DVD is easy to follow, whilst remaining challenging, and only an exercise may and hand weights are required. Perfect.

The challenge is to keep going, completing the DVD every day for 30 days. I have never been able to stick to one routine for that long, but I am trying my hardest so watch this space!

In other news, we went back to Slimming World Group last week, to face the music post skiing. It was not pretty! It is salvageable though, so for the last few days I have been following the new plan, EESP, extra easy speed and protein.

Today’s recipe is a perfect example of the SP plan.

Baked cod in a herb crust, with a red pepper sauce

Adapted from the SW website

Serves 2.

Ingredients
2 cod loins
Coriander
Parsley
Juice of 1 lime
25g breadcrumbs
Sea salt and ground black pepper

For the sauce:
2 red peppers
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

Pop the cod steaks onto a lined, ovenproof dish and sprinkle with the parsley, coriander, lime juice and seasoning. Leave in the fridge for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 200C (180c fan).

Place the peppers and garlic in the oven for 15 minutes. Upon removal, peel and deseed the peppers. Blitz the peppers, garlic and balsamic vinegar in a blender, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Turn the cod in the marinade so they are coated on both sides, sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and bake for 15 minutes. Serve with the pepper sauce and plenty of veg. SPlendid….!!