Tag Archives: diet

Your Questions Answered, Part 1

15 Jan

The other day I sent out a tweet and a Facebook status asking people to send me any questions that they might have in regards to my weight loss journey over the last 2 years and I was blown away by all the questions that came flooding through!  So, I will answer as many as possible over the next few blog posts and you are definitely welcome to keep sending them through!

@enzee17 asked:

I’d love to see an example of a food diary for a day from your old life compared to your new life.

I’ve been thinking about doing a post on this for a while now!  So here it is:

Old me:

Breakfast – would usually be toast with vegemite and margarine or 3 weet-bix with a teaspoon of sugar and milk.

Morning tea – cup of tea with milk and 2 sugars and biscuits from the biscuit jar at work.

Lunch – I used to buy my lunch a lot so I would either get a sandwich, sushi, salad… whatever I could grab really.  I tried to eat healthy where I could but I didn’t really understand nutrition the way that I do now so often my food choices were not the best but I rarely ate fast food so I thought that I was being good!

Afternoon tea – muesli bar, diet yoghurt or a piece of fruit always followed by… more biscuits. :-|

Dinner – I used to use those Masterfoods meal bases a lot or jars of sauces like Kang Tong or Chicken Tonight to make casseroles, pasta dishes and stir fries.  I used to think I was a really good cook when using these things!  A regular Martha Stewart!  I didn’t realise how full of sugar, salt and preservatives they are… Also, my dinner servings would be HUGE and were always washed down with soft drink.  I’d also make buttery mashed potatoes and fatty cuts of meat (pork chops, sausages, lamb cutlets etc) but I would always serve them with salad or vegetables and this made me think that I was being “healthy”.

Dessert – I’d generally always have something sweet after dinner like ice-cream or chocolate.

New me:

I’m not really able to give out my full diet in its exact entirety as my coach has devised it for me and it is her intellectual property but I can say the basics!

I eat a lot of oats, eggs, low fat natural yoghurt, berries, tuna, brown rice, fresh vegetables, fresh salads, fish, chicken, lean cuts of red meat, sweet potato, whey protein, rice cakes, low fat cottage cheese, natural peanut butter, fruit (one piece of low sugar fruit daily)… It’s very varied at the moment!  I don’t know exact calories, I just eat as clean as possible.

I do not have artificial foods or diet soft drinks – everything I eat is as close to its natural state as possible (except cheat meals where anything is fair game)!  This is the way I have been eating for a good 6 months or more now and have gotten great results.

I use flavourings like herbs, spices, chilli, garlic, ginger, tamari and stevia.  Essentially it’s pretty much a typical body builders diet.  In the next week or so it will tighten up A LOT and I will go into a strict comp prep diet that isn’t reasonable for anyone to follow, except if you are competing!

Progress Pic, January 2012

@Addicted_Cloth asked:

I would like to know how you conquered seeing food as a fuel and not pleasure – my BIGGEST problem.

Some time ago I wrote a blog post on this called It’s Time to Disconnect.  I just read it then and I still feel the same way.  Actually, I feel even MORE comfortable with seeing food as fuel because of the results I have gotten from eating clean and the close proximity of my comps!

I guess when you want something SO BADLY all temptation falls away.  I am so intently focused on my goal of rocking it on stage and achieving the best physique that my body is able to give me that I find it easy to switch off the little voice in my head that is begging me for tasty treats when I need to. You just have to make your goal THAT important to you.

But I will be honest here, over the last week or so I have been having more cheat meals scattered throughout the week because I know that in a weeks time I will be going 100% clean so I’m getting any last bits of cravings out of the way now so I can totally switch into machine mode when I need to without feeling like I’ve missed out on something.

I also thrive on routine and repetition.  Knowing that I have all my meals set out for me and ready to grab when I need them is extremely comforting to me and makes me feel really at ease, even if it is the same meals over and over again.  I don’t know exactly why, but I guess it’s because I just don’t have to worry about it and I can focus my mental energy into my training and getting through my day-to-day life.  It’s just one less thing to worry about.  If you make it not an issue, it won’t be an issue.  It really is a mental thing that takes quite some time to figure out, I won’t lie!

Welcome to the Gun Show!

Well, there’s 2 questions answered!  I’ve got a whole heap more coming up!  This has been fun actually and has helped me get my blogging mojo back!  Looking forward to what else you guys come up with and I hope this helps.  :)

Dexa Scan – Follow Up

28 Dec

Way back in August I went for my first dexa scan.  When I left Jarrod at MeaureUp that first time I vowed that I would reach my goals of achieving 23% body fat and having between 10kg and 15kg of fat mass in 12 weeks.  I went back to Jarrod recently, about 16 weeks later, and here is how I went!

August Results

Body fat percentage: 27.6%

Fat mass: 18.5kg

Lean muscle mass: 45.8kg

Body Part Breakdown:

Each arm: approx 1kg fat mass; 2.2kg muscle mass
Trunk: approx 6kg fat mass; 23kg muscle mass
Each leg: approx 4.5kg fat mass; 7.8kg muscle mass

December Results

Body fat percentage: 21.9% (5.7% drop GOAL REACHED)

Fat mass: 13.8kg (4.7kg drop GOAL REACHED)

Lean muscle mass: 46.4kg (600g gain)

Body Part Breakdown:

Each arm: approx 700g fat mass; 2.4kg muscle mass (a drop of 200g in fat and a gain of 200g in muscle in each arm)
Trunk: approx 4kg fat mass; 23kg muscle mass (a drop of 2kg in fat and a small increase in muscle)
Each leg: approx 3.5kg fat mass; 7.5kg muscle mass (a drop of 1kg in fat and a small decrease in muscle in each leg)

December Scan

I’m extremely pleased with my results!  I now have no doubt in my mind that I will be stage ready in 4 months (YES!  4 months!  More on my comp in an upcoming post!).

To be in a good position for comp I need to lose another 4kg of fat.  I think that is very doable seeing that I just lost that amount in 4 months and I wasn’t even on a hard cutting diet!  Nor was I very strict with my cardio either.

I am extremely excited to see what changes my body is going to make over the next few months and can’t wait to share it all with you guys!  Stay tuned! :)

Giveaway: Balancing Health and Wellbeing with Blackmores!

2 Dec

I was recently contacted by Blackmore’s to do a review of their new “Personal Health System”.  At first, I was a bit wary.  I get asked to do a lot of product reviews and I like to align myself only with things that I truly believe in and things that I think are relevant to mine and my reader’s interests.  So I had a quick squiz (yes, squiz, I’m standing by that word!) at the site and I was actually pleasantly surprised by what I saw!

Developed specifically for time-poor Australians, The Blackmores Personal Health System (PHS) takes Blackmores’ expert understanding of nature and science a step further, providing an individually tailored online health program which combines the latest interactive technology with personal support from Blackmores’ team of naturopaths.

Basically, it is a 360 degree holistic approach to health including menu plans, nutrition advice, fitness suggestions, and a community of support as well as a lot more. It gives time-poor people the opportunity to stay fit and healthy wherever they are, whenever they want, with the support they need.  Blackmores has also welcomed Asher Keddie (Australian actress and star of TV show OffSpring) as their inaugural PHS member and ambassador.

I decided to trial the Sport & Fitness Program as it was most relevant to my goals.   The first thing I did was get stuck into the Health Assessment which was VERY thorough!  I may have giggled at how many questions about pooh it asks but hey, a healthy pooh is very important!  ;)   My overall score was 82/100 which is 14 points above the average of all females.   It went on to show the areas that are letting me down – vitality and digestive health being the main culprits.  But after having a chat to one of their wonderful naturopaths and being sent some awesome supplements to try, I’m pleased to report that these issues are no longer such a problem for me!  I’ll provide a review on these products in another post!

Once I had completed the assessment I started browsing the other areas of the program.  There was really nothing that it didn’t cover – it has everything!  It provides you with a menu plan, a workout plan, a food and workout diary, a My Body tracking system (where you can record PBs, your weight and measurements – SO motivating!), access to email your assigned naturopath whenever you see fit (my FAVOURITE feature) as well as an awesome resource library that has great articles on nutrition, exercise and healthy living.   There is also a great forum with over 308,000 members and growing!  I personally think that being a part of a community is highly beneficial to reaching your goals as it provides an invaluable amount of support and motivation.

I honestly can not speak highly enough about this system!  I have only covered the basics of it too, it offers so much more!  And lucky for you guys I have TWO FREE one-month passes to giveaway (valued at $49.95 each)!

To win just leave a comment below on why you think you are deserving to win this prize!  A winner will be drawn at random on Monday the 12th of December at approximately 9:00am EST.

Get in quick guys!  This is a great way to help you start your new year (and new you!) with a bang!

Clean Eats: Garli, Chilli, Ginger & Soy Barramundi

27 Oct

Haven’t done a recipe post for a while! But I haven’t been very adventurous to be honest. I keep having the same things over and over so when I thought up this baby I was excited to share because it was such a welcome change from the usual!

20111027-081357.jpg

It’s not much of a recipe, really. You know me – add “some” of this, a “pinch” of that! I believe cooking should be to YOUR tastes. Get creative!

So, this is what I did:

I heated the oven to about 190 degrees Celsius. On a baking tray lined with baking paper I placed my fish fillet, face up.

In a bowl I combined chilli, minced garlic, grated ginger, soy sauce (I prefer to use tamari but had none left) and a splash of fish sauce. I mixed this all up to form a watery paste and then drizzled it over the fish, reserving some for the vegetables. Then I baked that sucker for about 15 minutes (until the fish was easily flaked with a fork).

Then, I tossed some vegetables (baby bok choy, mushroom, broccolini, capsicum and zucchini) into a hot pan and poured over the remaining sauce. I stirred them around until they were wilted slightly but still maintained some crunch.

And that was it! Simple, clean, delicious. I think this would work well with chicken or turkey breasts too!

Give it a go and let me know what you think. :)

Working to the BEAT!

18 Oct

Before I head to the gym, I go through the following list:

  • Towel & gym pass – check
  • Dri-fit or moisture-wicking workout gear – check
  • Nike frees 2 – check
  • BCAAs – check
  • Post-workout protein shake – check
  • Shaker bottle – check
  • Earphones and iPhone with all my music stored on it and sorted into playlists - check!

The last one for me is the MOST important thing.  There is nothing that will get me amped up for a workout more than good tunes.  I often get asked, “Don’t you get bored doing long sessions of cardio?”.  NOPE.  As long as I have my tunes I am good to go!  I seriously get so very peed off if I forget my iPhone or even WORSE when I forget just the earphones.  YOU ARE USELESS TO ME NOW, IPHONE!  USELESS!!!

So, when I was contacted by Chris at RunHundred.com to do a blog post on the most popular workout songs for September 2011 I thought, why yes, I would love to do that!  This is a great chance for my readers to understand the benefits of training with music!

The best type of songs to listen to when doing moderate cardio activities like jogging or working out on an elliptical trainer are songs that are 120 – 140 beats per minute.  This tempo is similar to the average person’s heart rate when working out.   For a higher intensity session, go for songs with about 150 beats per minute.  Work out in time to the music and feel the minutes just pass you by!

Here’s the full list, according to votes placed at RunHundred.com.  I have highlighted in bold my personal favourites.  ;)

Pitbull, Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer – Give Me Everything (Sidney Samson Remix) – 129 BPM

Nicki Minaj – Super Bass – 128 BPM

Switchfoot – Dark Horses – 83 BPM

Gym Class Heroes & Adam Levine – Stereo Hearts – 90 BPM

Lady GaGa – Edge Of Glory (Bare Noize Remix) – 140 BPM

Pitbull & Marc Anthony – Rain Over Me – 128 BPM

Nadia Ali, Alex Kenji & Starkillers – Pressure (Alesso Radio Edit) – 129 BPM

T.I. & B.o.B. – We Don’t Get Down Like Y’all – 92 BPM

LMFAO, GoonRock & Lauren Bennett – Party Rock Anthem (Russ Chimes Remix) – 129 BPM

Alexandra Stan – Mr. Saxobeat – 129 BPM

Now here is the cool part!  To find more workout songs – and hear next month’s contenders— folks can check out the free database at RunHundred.com. Visitors can browse the song selections there by genre, tempo, and era to find the music that best fits with their particular workout routine.

If this sounds like it might be up your alley, here are six reasons to subscribe:

  • It’s free
  • You’ll get the weekly updates and the monthly top 10 list
  • The songs come from Top 40 radio, college radio, and the clubs
  • Each song’s BPM (beats per minute) is listed, so you can sort them by tempo
  • If you like any of the songs, there are links to buy them on Amazon.com and itunes
  • Lastly, your email address will be kept private – they don’t share or sell your info

This is an awesome resource that I know I find really useful and I hope you guys do too!

What’s your favourite workout tracks at the moment?

This is Why You Fail in the Gym, Part 5 (Final)

11 Oct

Yep.  This is the final part in this 5 part series.

Don’t cry guys.

No, please don’t, cause if you cry, I’ll cry.

Oh no, wait, that only works with me and vomit…

Anyway, yes, this is the last part of the series but the blog will live on of course!  And this final piece of the puzzle is to me the MOST important piece.  If you do not have this, you have nothing.  You will 100% fail if you do not have this.  Trust me.

Source: http://akshatrathi.wordpress.com

Motivation.  It’s all about DESIRE.  How badly you want something.  What lengths you will go to to get it.  How hard you will push yourself and what sacrifices you will make.

I was having a chat to a work friend the other day who has, over the past year, lost a whopping 5okg.  That is no easy feat!   She was saying how her friends keep asking her what her “secret” was.   And she said to me that there is no “secret”, it’s just a sudden realisation that this is more important to you than anything.  We agreed that it’s something within you that if other people don’t have it then it’s hard to explain to explain to them how to get it.

But I’m going to attempt to do just that.  Let’s go on a journey of self-discovery…

Look, you can set goals until the cows come home but if you do not have the motivation to make those goals reality they are nothing but words.  They have no importance to you because there is no consequence if you don’t achieve them – you simply just don’t meet your goal.  The end.  Let’s have another piece of cake.

So, how do we get the motivation to achieve the goal?  How do we make it a priority above all else?  How do we KEEP motivation from slipping when our goals could take weeks, months, or years to achieve?

For me, it was easy.  Lose weight or get diabetes.  Simple.   However, before I knew that I was close to having diabetes I had always wanted to lose weight.  I felt such self-loathing towards myself which I projected outwards onto others.  I was miserable in my own skin (not to mention just a plain old misery to be around) and I couldn’t believe I had let myself get that way.   I did what most people do though, I let life get in the way and never made my goal important enough to take action towards achieving it.

So, why do YOU want to lose weight?  That’s the first and foremost question you need to ask yourself.  WHY.  It might be because you feel uncomfortable and depressed at your current size, it might be because you’re not fit enough to keep up with the kids or maybe it’s because you feel lethargic and tired all the time and want that zest for life back.  Whatever the reason is you need to own up to it.  You need to recognise it and understand it.  Do not brush it off as a passing thought – it is reality and you need to face it.

After you have had a think about “why” then you need to have a think about what is the consequence if you don’t reach your goal?  Again, my consequence was that I would wind up having diabetes but even if that wasn’t the case the consequences were pretty dire.  If I continued on my pattern of self-loathing and body hate I was going to end up alienating myself from friends and family and  living a life of “make-believe”, where I acted like I was happy but I was really far from it.  I would have just existed in this world rather than lived life to it’s fullest because I didn’t think that I was worthy of happiness.  Yeah.  Deep right?  If you look within yourself and starting asking yourself these things you will go deep too.  And it’s hard.  It’s REALLY hard to face up to these feelings, but well worth it.  Because you will start to recognise the motivation within you to do something about it.  Write down your reasons and consequences and keep them somewhere close.

Right, so now that we’ve all had a look into our souls and hopefully had that “lightbulb” moment we can start to spur ourselves into action.

The first few weeks are the hardest and it is when you are most likely to make a few slip ups or even just dump the plan all together.  If you feel like that is about to happen, go back and read your reasons and consequences.  You’re making a promise to yourself here to build a better and healthier life.  Why would you want to let yourself down like that?  It’s so exhausting trying and failing and trying and failing over and over again.  It’s time to just do it and get it over and done with!  Once and for all!

The most important things to keep you on track are planning and organisation.  If I didn’t do these things I would be a complete failure.  Every week I enter into my diary what exercise I am going to do and what time I am going to do it.  I schedule it in and I make no excuses.  I get it done because it is my priority.  I am too important to myself to let myself down. I know that if I don’t do my planned exercise it will just mean my goal is further away from me achieving it.   Nuh uh.  Not happening.

I also  plan all my meals and snacks and have everything on hand, ready to go.  This means I have no excuses to eat something that is not on the plan.

In the beginning I of course made this blog to keep me accountable and I recall some of my earlier posts were about what I was eating that day or what exercise I was doing.  This helped IMMENSELY.  Even if you just create a private blog or keep a diary, it will help keep you accountable.

For me, once I had done the soul-searching and organised and put some structure into my life, it provided me with the motivation to continue, day in and day out, to make myself a better, healthier, happier version of me that I could ever dream possible.

And once you start getting results, oooooo weeee, now THAT’S motivation.  You won’t want to stop because you can feel and see the changes that are taking place in your body week after week.  That spurs you on like nothing else.  Plus, you get fitter, less tired and exercise becomes easier.  You get used to your new healthy way of eating and all of a sudden it all falls into place and it just becomes life, second-nature to you.

There you have it – that’s my take on motivation and what it takes to keep going.  Now do you dare share your reasons and consequences in the comments below?  I think you should!  Go on… do it!  :)

 

This is Why You Fail in the Gym, Part 4

4 Oct

Guess who’s back.

Back again.

Me vs the Bulge is back.

Telling you, why you fail in the gym.

Oh god, that sounded so much better in my head… in reality it now seems like the lamest thing I have ever done.  Ah well.  It’s staying there.  You will just have to deal with it.

OKAY!  Let’s talk! What have you been up to?  Oh yeah?  That sounds great.  Really?  Awesome.  Now listen, shut up.  I want to tell you something.  It’s about cardio.

Cardio - useful for when being chased by zombies, also useful for fat loss.

You know that thing where you sit on the bike in the gym and you’re reading a magazine?  You know, that other thing where you walk on the treadmill at a snail’s pace and chat to your friend on the phone?  COME ON, you know that thing where you run around with your kids for 5 mins in the backyard? You KNOW, THAT THING, THAT THING where you run 20m for the bus or you walk your dog around the park for 10 mins whilst he goes “toilies” or when you take the 15 minute walk to work in the morning?

YEAH.  THOSE THINGS.  If you’re looking for weight loss – you’re doing them wrong.

These things, they are NOT efficient cardio for weight loss.  Sure, some of them are nice, leisurely things to do and at least you’re doing some movement (except the bike/magazine and treadmill/phone combinations – that’s UNFORGIVEABLE) but if you are not breaking a sweat or getting your heart rate up then it’s unlikely that you are going to lose fat, especially if you don’t have a whole lot to lose.

Unfortunately, the cold hard truth is that cardio is uncomfortable.  It’s sweaty, it’s hard, it’s unattractive, it hurts, breathing is difficult, it’s hard.  Oh, I said that.  Well it is.  It’s damn hard and I hate it BUT it will burn that fat off your body if you do it RIGHT.

Here’s the figures – in order to burn off 1kg over a week you need to create a calorie deficit, over the week, of about 7000 calories through diet and exercise WITHOUT dropping lower than consuming 1200 calories per day.

Walking at a moderate pace for an hour burns about 230 calories.  If you choose moderate walking alone as cardio choice (without changing your diet) you would need to go on THIRTY one-hour walks a week to burn that kilo.  THIRTY!  I don’t know about you but I would much rather maximise my time to get the most fat burning done in as little time as possible.

So, how do we do cardio the right way, for maximum calorie burning?

The most success I have found is with High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).  I try to make sure I have 4 cardio sessions a week at the moment and they last anywhere between 30 – 60 mins.  The majority of my cardio sessions are HIIT but I will also incorporate longer, steady state cardio sessions.

Some examples of HIIT that I do:

  • Elliptical trainer sprints – 30 sec sprint, 30 sec moderate pace
  • Sprints in the park – all out sprint, fast as I can, for 50-70m then walk back to the start (repeated about 20 times)
  • Sprints on treadmill (not ideal but sometimes it’s the only choice I have) – 30 sec sprint (at level 15-16), 30 sec walk (at level 6)
  • Stair runs – choose a good long stair case and walk down the stairs then RUN back up them.  RUN I SAY!
  • Soft sand running – all out sprint, fast as I can, for 50-70m then walk back to the start (repeated about 20 times)
  • Skipping (Tabata style) – 20 seconds all out, 10 sec rest

The Tabata method is actually great for any activity – especially plyometrics like jump squats/jump lunges etc.  It’s a great way to combine resistance and cardio.  And it will get that heart rate up and work up a SWEAT.

If your cardio fitness isn’t great you will need to start off slow and build your session times up.  The good thing is that with this type of training you only need 30 mins or so a few times a week to start seeing results.  Incorporate it into your strength/resistance plan and you are on the winning path to fat loss my friends!

So, keep the dog walks, keep the playing with the kids and keep your short walks to the bus stop and work but realise them for what they are – incidental exercise.  Still a good type of exercise but it is not the type that is going to get you that svelte, tight body of your dreams.

Do you incorporate HIIT into your training?  What does your cardio plan look like?

 

(Note: these activities may not be suitable for everyone.  Please consult your doctor before undertaking any fitness regime.)

 

Supp Y’all?

23 Sep

This is how many supplements you will need. NOT.

I often get asked what supplements I take and to be honest I don’t take a whole lot but there are 3 supplements that I am currently taking on a daily basis and that I swear by.  I think that if you have a rich and varied diet that you should get all the nutrients you need but when you put your body through strenuous exercise regularly, you sometimes need a little assistance.

Whey Protein Isolate

I have written a little about whey protein in another post which you can read here.

I usually mix my WPI with a little skim milk, vanilla extract and cacao powder.  It’s great to have any time of day as a snack but is particularly beneficial immediately after exercise as it quickly provides protein to the muscles.

BCAAs

I’ve only recently starting taking BCAAs and I am now converted.  The brand I use currently is Xtend but I think I will change to something else when I’m done as it contains artificial sweeteners and is really REALLY sweet.  You get used to it but, yeah, wow, it’s sweet!

Since using them I have found that I recover easier and have less muscles soreness, which is exactly what I need when I have been smashing 5-6 weight sessions a week and a few cardio sessions too!

Glutamine

I take glutamine for its immune and digestive system benefits but it is also another supplement that aids recovery post exercise.

I also take, as required, but not every day:

Fish Oil

For the anti-inflammatory and omega-3 benefits.

Bio Magnesium

To help with muscular cramps and ease premenstrual symptoms.

I would recommend talking to your GP before commencing any supplement usage to ensure that they are safe for you to use!

What supplements do you swear by?

This is Why You Fail in the Gym, Part 3

18 Sep

Knock knock! 

Who’s there?

It’s me!

Me who?

Me Vs The Bulge telling you all about why you are failing in the gym again! :D

The last 2 parts of this series addressed goal setting and strength training.  This post is all about diet.  And I don’t mean Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers, I mean diet in the true definition of the word – “The usual food and drink of a person or animal.”

Source: fashionhealthy.tumblr.com/

It took me a long time to finally get my head around diet and what I should be eating.  I spent far too long trapped in “diet land” and was suckered in to all types of quick fix “solutions” to my weight woes.  I’ve tried shake diets, soup diets, diet pills, meal delivery services, Atkins, extremely low-calorie diets… you name it, I’ve most likely tried it.

If I had to only ever have one piece of advice to give to others it would be to DITCH THE DIETS.  They do not work, they are unsustainable, they mess with your metabolism, they do not provide you with enough energy to fuel you through exercise and the generally make you feel lousy and miserable.  It’s really not worth it.

So finally I got to the point of realising that diets don’t work and with the help of Nat I started changing my evil diet ways.  The first thing I did was I got rid of the majority of the processed foods I was eating – diet yoghurts, diet soft drinks, diet sauces and marinades… basically anything labelled DIET had to go and most things that come in a box, packet or bottle too.  Why?  Because these foods are usually full of nasty preservatives and hidden fats and sugars.  Just because something is labelled “low-fat” doesn’t mean it’s not full of sugar which will eventually store as fat in your body.  DO NOT WANT.

The next thing I did was start eating foods which were as close to their natural state as possible. My daily diet became full to the brim of fresh produce.  I’d never SEEN so much fresh fruit and vegetables in my fridge!  It got to the point that when we go grocery shopping we hardly enter the aisles at all except to buy tins of legumes and tomatoes and to buy practically the entire spice section. Spices and herbs are now my best friends!

I finally started to feel free from the constraints of diet hell.  I was training hard and seeing results.  But there was something else I needed to address that was holding me back from reaching my full potential… the weekends.

All week I would eat really well but then the weekend would hit and I would have a cheat meal.  That’s all well and good and perfectly normal, but that cheat meal would turn into another cheat meal, and then a cheat DAY and then I would go out and have a few drinks (hello empty calories!) and think, “Stuff it – I’ll go back to healthy eating on Monday”.  So before I knew it, the entire weekend was full of cheats. Which is to say, I was cheating myself out of reaching my goals.  Self-sabotage at it’s finest!

What people don’t realise is that whilst you may be eating at a calorie deficit during the week, falling off the wagon weekend can put you over your weekly calorie limit and therefore you find that you have eaten at maintenance calories for the week or even WORSE a calorie surplus!  This could basically cancel out all that hard work you did in the gym that week.  All that sweat and pain for NOTHING.

So if you are going to be spending all this time working out then you MUST address your diet as well.  They go hand in hand.

Source: cutandjacked.com

So my tips -

Consume fresh and unprocessed foods that are as close to their natural state as possible

Ditch the diets

Eat to fuel your body – steer clear of empty calories

Eat small meals and often to keep your metabolism humming smoothly

Limit sugar and starchy foods

Use fresh and dried herbs, chilli, garlic, ginger, lemon and lime to flavour your food

Make sure you get plenty of healthy fats – avocado, flaxseed oil, olive oil and unsalted nuts

Stick to low GI carbohydrates for slow release energy and to maintain healthy blood sugar levels

I could probably go on and on and on when it comes to diet but I’ll let you guys have a say too – what are your healthy eating tips?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Wedding Dress

10 Sep

As I got out of the shower today and was searching for something to wear, I spied my wedding dress hanging in my wardrobe, untouched since the day I wore it when I married the man I love nearly 4 years ago.

I’m not much of a “wedding person”. I didn’t care too much for minor details, all I wanted was a big party with our closest friends and relatives – a good food, drinks flowing and raucous dancing kind of affair. And that’s what I got and I loved every minute of it.

So being the non-wedding person that I am I clearly wasn’t too fussed with what I was going to wear on the day. I knew 3 things – it had to be under $1k as I’m a terrible tight arse, it had to be flowy to hide my chubby tummy and thighs and it had to be fairly understated and simple.

About 4 weeks away from the wedding date I walked into a dress store (yep, 4 weeks and it wasn’t even a bridal store) that sold all these beautiful silk dresses, tried on 3 dresses and settled on my dress.

20110910-022822.jpg

$700 later, thank you very much, I was pretty impressed with myself. I loved my dress and on the day I felt beautiful in it (until I saw the wedding photos that is!).

So, there it was, hanging there in my closet and I couldn’t help but wonder how it would look now. The only way to find out was to try it on!

20110910-022047.jpg

20110910-022125.jpg

20110910-022147.jpg

It was hanging off my frame! I remember on the day I had to suck everything in to zip it up and my boobs were spilling gloriously out of the top (ah boobs, how I miss thee).

I could always get it taken in and it would look quite nice:

20110910-022206.jpg

I guess I regret not knowing what I know now about weight loss… I regret not fully committing myself to weight loss prior to the wedding.

But at the same time I don’t think that would have changed the day that I had. I remember not feeling 100% satisfied with my weight but I allowed myself to let those feelings go for the day and just enjoy the moment. And that’s all that mattered.

To the married gals – were you happy with your size on your wedding day? Did you place pressure on yourself to get to a certain size for “the big day”? How do you feel now when you look back on your wedding photos?

← Older Entries

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 247 other followers