I surprised myself when I went to my parents house...

Happy New Year!! So this year I am back, I am focused and ready for a healthy new year. Unfortunatley I got this random ear infection which landed me in hospital so I headed back to my parents place for a few days to recover as I wasn't doing well on my own but that's not the point to my story...

Whilst I was there, something very interesting happened...

It started off simple... my parents decided to go a easy microwave dinner of spaghetti and meatballs which normally I would have loved but this time, the salt was so overpowering I couldn't handle it, I didn't finish it...

Then I went to have dessert, the standard ice-cream and fresh strawberries, yum right? But no, one mouthful and the sugar was so powerful, so sickly sweet, I couldn't eat it... my dad was quite happy though. 

Then my parents had a guest over and we had T-Bone steak and salad which I made, I got stuck into the salad, but couldn't finish my steak. My dad, bless him, thought I didn't like it, but no I was just "full". I didn't need all that steak...

More and more of these occasions kept happening to me and it really took me by surprise... I really think my mentality has shifted... I didn't expect it to happen so quickly but I am grabbing this by both horns and running with it. 

When you get in the "I'm losing weight" mentality it is great from here... You look at food differently, you assess is this going to be beneficial to my weight loss? If no, why would I want to put that into my body?

I hope you have all decided to get back into it in the new year, weight loss is not a fad, this is a healthy life decision and something that really is for life...

I plan on posting a lot more now so look forward to hearing from me soon!

Have you made the decision to change your life yet?

With Love, 

Jaime xx

NoSugarVember that's right....nothing....

Summer is now less than a month away...eeeeek! I am going up and down on about 3kg and it is so annoying, I lose, I gain, yet I cannot get to the goal I want to be which is 68kg.
I am actually about 4kg off and I really want to hit it by December so I have taken Jade's lead and decided to try NoSugarVember. To find out more about what it involves check out this website.

It is going to be so hard ahhhh It's not that I eat a lot of sugar, actually I am pretty healthy, it's more portion sizes I struggle with but I really will try.

Here is the extract from her blog:

ALLOWED FOODS:

• Rolled oats, quinoa, millet, barley & brown rice

• Veggies (just not potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes) 

• 2 pieces of low-med sugar fruit (grapefruits, rockmelon, watermelon, berries, apple or rhubarb) per day

• Oils, butter and avocado

• Eggs, meat, chicken, fish & nuts

• Bocconcini, cheddar, ricotta & goats cheese

• 1 cup plain natural yoghurt or cottage cheese (just one cup of either per day)

• Coffee, tea, herbal tea sparkling mineral water.. All minus sugar (dont add it!)

• Ready for alcohol? Glass of red wine, low carb light beer, vodka, gin, rum & whiskey. Moderation is key (no more than 6/wk). Try not to consume alcohol during NoSugarVember, as avoiding alcohol is essential for fat loss. If you are happy with your weight and fat levels, then be my guest and consume alcohol in moderation.

Use your initiative & check foods if there is more than 3 grams of sugar (total serving) then it's a no go. For example some breads are within that range (Burgen rye bread) so you can have it.
BANNED FOODS:

• Sugar and all sugar containing products (milk, ice cream, pastries, chocolate, soft drinks,etc You catch my drift right?)

• Sauces and or condiments containing sugar 

Be aware and check your food labels (if you eat things from boxes,they will more than likely contain sugar. I'd love to write every food that contains sugar but quite frankly, I have a life! Ha. Just jump on goggle and have a search if you are unsure.

TIPS:

• Suck it up! It's 30 days, you can do it!

• Exercise to boost your results

• Add a dash (I said a DASH!) of cream or coconut cream to coffee/tea if needed

•  Flavour your water or sparkling mineral water with a squeeze of fresh lime or lemon! Drink truckloads of water throughout the day and after exercise.

• Get over milk and soy! So many people have allergies to milk and dairy products. You need 700- 1200 mg per day of calcium You can get calcium from other sources such as: Spinach  150mg per cup & wakame, parsley,  sesame seeds 88mg per tablespoon, Almonds 250mg per 10 nuts, Sardines have 450mg/100g, Oysters contain 190/120g, cottage cheese 240mg/100g and surprisingly even herbs are one of the highest sources of calcium, coming in at an average 85-40mg per tablespoon. Even more reason to add flavour to your meals. Also get some sun! Why? Calcium needs vitamin D to be absorbed. 

• Keep foods clean- protein, veg, nuts, natural yoghurt & wholegrain carbs. Watch tinned/canned items- check nutritional panel

 So I shall document my progress and let you all know how I go!

Wish me good luck!

Jaime xx

My First Fun Run- The 13km Pub2Pub Race!

So today I completed my first ever fun run and wasn't it a big one! The race I entered I have been talking about for a while, called the Pub2Pub Race, a 13km race around beautiful Sydneys Northern Beaches, I was so nervous and barely slept a wink last night, literally, I think I had maybe 2 hours sleep, whoops and I have had such an amazing day. 

The race started at 8am on the dot and I got down to the beach at 7:15am to get myself ready and to warm up. Over an hour before the race started I had a small protein shake with water and a mueslei bar and a strong black tea to power me through my run, it definitely helped!

The point that sucks the most about this fun run is you start on the sand, soft sand and the first part of the run is a 800m soft sand run, it really sorts out the boys from the men so to speak, after that I was already in pain and took my ages to recover to power through the pain was hard, my legs burned and I hadn't even hit 1km. When I run I use the Nike+ GPS app which tracks your run and lets you know when you hit each km, when it said I was at 2km I wanted to cry, how on earth was I going to keep running 11km more? The app also lets you select a playlist, which I have set up of my great running tracks and away I go. I highly recommend this as I like to know how I am going per km for time. When I run I normally run each km on average 7mins but today I run 6.45mins so I knew I was running really well. This means you can track whether you are running too fast or need to pick up the pace. 

Just your avg Sunday morning w 5,000 of my closest friends.

 One thing I love about the run was the scenery... The run literally takes you from beach to beach and with the sun shining it was just great, there were people lined the streets clapping and cheering and it really helped to push me on through the pain.

I read one of those motivational quote things recently which said enjoy every downhill you deserve it, and that was something I did, every time I climbed a monster hill and made it to the top I got such a rush running downhill. Unlike city2surf where the monster hill is in the middle this run has 2 monster hills, one in the middle then one right at the end, but once you get up that last hill it is one massive downhill to the finish line and let me tell you I pounded the pavement down that hill like you wouldn't believe. It is amazing the energy reserves you can find when you think you have nothing left, as we were running down the hill there were people everywhere, when the finish line was in sight I just belted towards it and the feeling of it being over was so amazing, so rewarding and something I will never forget... 

The picture to the right is me moment after I finished the race, my hands were a little shakey which is why it isn't focused. Those moments when you finish are cruical in your recovery, drink lots of water and stretch, for gods sake stretch and walk around, don't just stop and collapse, even though you may want to!

What I have realised post race is just how important it is to challenge yourself, to put yourself out of your comfort zone, not only is it good for your body but also for your soul, you need to have something to work towards or it just isn't the same.

My final results are as below:

 I ran 13km with 5,000 and my category is people aged 19-29 years, I cannot believe this achievement, considering I only started training a couple of months ago, it makes me excited to know what I am capable of if I put my mind to it. 

What have you done lately to push yourself?

I will do more posts about training and equipment all for running long distance in the coming weeks. 

I hope you found this helpful, I really wanted to share this with you.

Jaime 

xx

Article: 11 Weight Blocks And How To Solve Them

I borrowed this great interview I read from LifestyleYOU which you can view here which I thought I would share with you as I know this is something I struggle with in my journey to weight loss. 

Julie White, Weigh It Up's food consultant, is a pioneer of low-fat, low-GI, healthy high-flavour gourmet meals and snacks and she has these tips for avoiding the most common weight problems.

How do you combat afternoon bloating?

“Bloating” can refer to two different things.

The first is when you feel puffy with fluid retention caused by consuming too much salt, alcohol or carbohydrates. In this instance you simply reduce your intake of them and the bloating will go.

The second is when your body actually reacts to certain foods and causes bloating of the stomach and bowel. This occurs when certain sugars aren’t digested properly in the small intestine and travel to the large intestine where they ferment and give off gas causing wind, flatulence and general discomfort. Not pleasant at all.

In this instance you need to see a dietitian to determine which foods are the culprits.

What is your favourite low fat breakfast meal?

At the moment in this chilly weather it would be baked beans. In fact my daughter and I always seem to order them when we eat out for breakfast and we both agree that so far none have come anywhere near the ones we make with butter beans, smoked paprika and feta.

The recipe ‘Smoked Paprika Beans’ is in our Winter Warmers recipe book. It’s a great breakfast, low in fat and high in protein, fibre and the anti oxidant- lycopene (anti -cancer, particularly bowel) along with the good carbs for sustained energy to get you through the morning.

If you want to have an alcoholic drink, which is best?

Wine is good, particularly red wine with high anti oxidant levels said to have anti- aging properties and reduces the risk of coronary heart disease.

Many people find beer and champagne tend to be bloating.

Certainly stay away from mixed drinks with high sugar soft drinks or fruit juice.

At the end of the day, the issue is more with the amount consumed not the type.
You still need to take into account the calories you are consuming whilst drinking. It's very easy to ignore them and often they can be the difference between losing, maintaining and gaining weight.

Alcohol is nutritionally empty calories made up of carbohydrates and for every gram of carbohydrate you store, you store 3-4 grams of water which results in bloating.

I know for me personally, when a few kilos creep on, alcohol is the first thing to be eliminated to drop some weight.

The other issue with too much alcohol is after a couple of drinks we stop saying “NO” to the high fat snacks and add even more calories and kilos to our waistlines.
I’m not saying don’t drink, but take into consideration the amount you are having if you aren’t losing weight.

Sparkling mineral water added to wine makes a great drink and reduces the calories.

What are some good, healthy snacks for work?

Healthy snacks are really important between meals.

My favourite would be ½ cup of low fat Greek style yoghurt with ½ cup frozen mixed berries and topped with ALPS Blend (our mix of almonds, linseeds, flax seeds, pumpkin, poppy, sunflower, sesame and chi seeds - see recipe in the book) or toasted nuts.

Others:

• Low fat dip with a selection of raw vegetables eg cauliflower, mushrooms, cucumber, broccoli, zucchini, beans, carrots, celery
• Vegetable soup – see our quick cook Lazy Minestrone recipe or a ‘Cup of Soup’ on the website
• Wholegrain muffin with low fat cream cheese and avocado, ricotta with low sugar jam or a tablespoon of crunchy peanut butter
• Wholegrain fruit bread with low fat cream cheese
• Fresh fruit and small handful of nuts
• Better still make up some of our healthy snacks, Choc Cherry & Pear muffins, Date, Walnut & Dark Chocolate slice, Refuel Bar, Swisse Balls or Powerful Cookies on the weekend and freeze them to take to work


What should I eat before I go to the gym?

Something very light.

You don’t want a belly full of food that’s trying to be digested whilst you’re working out.
I like a piece of fruit half an hour before to give me some energy.
If it’s in the morning I usually have half an orange or a mandarin.
Latest research says you burn more fat as your fuel source when you have Vitamin C present, so orange it is.


Is it okay to eat carbs at night?

You can, just make sure they are the healthy low Human Interference (HI) ones with as little processing as possible and have them in moderation.
As for alcohol, you store water when you store excess carbohydrates so if you consume to many you will feel ‘puffy’.
Personally, when I want to drop weight I keep my carb intake to during the day when I need the energy to get me through the day and burn them off.


What foods are absolute no nos?

Deep fried foods, anything cooked with cream and lots of butter and processed, nutritionally-depleted junk food.
Its amazing once you get these foods out of your diet you find in no time at all you lose the taste for them and avoiding them is no longer an issue.
You actually look for healthier foods because of how they make you feel after you’ve eaten them.


Do you still believe in 8 glasses of water a day?

There is a lot of evidence now saying you don’t need that much.
I would recommend 6 and that can include some tea and coffee, and remember fruit and vegetables contain a lot of water too.

Are tea and coffee really that bad for us?

Not at all.

Many studies show that all teas; green, black and white with high anti oxidants have many nutritional benefits.

And new evidence supports caffeine in coffee, in moderation, as being particularly beneficial for heart health.

The problem lies with how we have them, with high fat milk and sugar and often with a high fat high sugar snack.

So keep to skim milk, get rid of the sugar, ditch the calorie laden snack and make one of our healthy ones.

Do you believe in superfoods?

All natural unprocessed foods are superfoods as far as I’m concerned.

The ‘list’ changes regularly, so I think we should just include all fresh natural foods in our diet to obtain the array of nutrients

I must admit, my favourites though are the often forgotten heroes - herbs and spices.
They are highly concentrated in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

What is your number one tip for staying healthy?

Moderation in everything and finding a balance between healthy eating and exercise.

Weigh it Up Australia’s first ever recipe book “Winter Warmers”, has an exciting array of new and classic seasonal dishes with a very healthy twist. For more info visit www.weighitup.com.au.

Pole Dancing- What it's really like!

So on Monday night girls, I tried my first ever class of pole dancing... I was so nervous going into the class, what I thought was going to be 5 girls in my class ended up being 14! You have to wear short shorts and a singlet, bare feet are preferred and let me tell you, I was glad I had some fake tan on, it was like my armour. Ever since losing some weight it has been a real long time (apart from Thailand) since anyone say that much of my bare legs. I noticed that most of the girls doing the class were a few years younger than me and all were quite skinny yet I was not going to let this get to me, when I looked in the big mirrors I realised I am actually probably not that much bigger than them! Yay!

Let me say that I am not the most coordinated person around and definitely not the strongest so doing this for me was always going to be a massive challenge, I thought "yeh right, like you will ever get me to fling myself around the pole, or hang upside down, good luck with that" but me, trying to be the new me, thought I would give it a go. 
We did a nice long warm up which I must admit we all struggled with even that. Then came the body rolls, jesus christ my legs! I am not really a fan of lunges so the non stop bending killed me and actually still hurts me now... oww.... Even though it hurt like hell, it was really fun, we all were really uncoordinated which was a big relief to know we all struggled. After the body rolls we then learnt how to move around the poll (on the ground) doing bends and twirls which took coordination and skill, but even though they were hard they were doable. At the end of the class we began to learn the dance which we will be performing at the end of our 8 week course. We learn a little bit more each week to the song Rhiannon Disturbia, so far I am loving the routine, it seems so fast and hard but I know it will get easier. 

Right now I am definetley not flinging myself around but I am feeling a lot more confident and keen to learn more. And let me tell you my instructor has the most amazing toned figure and if this will get me that, or even close I would be happy!



Have you ever tried pole dancing classes?



Jaime 


xx

Today I am going to try... Pole Dancing!

In my bid to make sure I continue to get fitter and not bored of exercise I have enrolled in a Pole Dancing course. This really sort of came out of the blue actually as I was talking to my beautician who has the most amazing figure and she was saying how she does it and LOVES it and there is a studio not far from where I live. I always thought the idea of learning how to fling myself upside down and all over the place was something that someone as uncoordinated like me is just not meant to do. You know what? I think that is why I want to try this, I know it will be hard, I know I will be covered head to toe in bruises, but it will use every muscle in my body, I know these days I am stronger then I probably have ever been and feel that I am ready to tackle this challenge. I have brough my best friend along with me to give it a go, to be honest I think we will spend the first few classes just laughing at each other trying to fling ourselves around this pole. 
The great thing about this class is that there will be only 5 of us, I expected there to be like 15 or 20 gorgeous girls in my class, which would be so intimidating, 5 I can handle. 

I will keep you posted how I go...

Jaime 

xx

Cheat days, friend or foe?

Lately I have been feeling like I live a double life, split personality, whatever you want to call it...Durign the week I am so healthy and fit and then come the weekend, something comes over me and I eat everything in sight, bad foods and all, then I weigh myself on the Monday morning and I have put on at least 1kg, then begins a cycle of being really good to lose that weight again.... so frustrating. One thing I tried last weekend was having a cheat day. I know, before you get all up at me for having a cheat day, for me, for right now, it works. A lot of people will tell you, that cheat days are terrible, that everything should be in moderation, I am doing that for sure and I am a huge fan of the moderation and not going without, but right now I need to break my cycle. 
I chose Saturday as my cheat day and when let me tell you, it was liberating. Now I just want to mention that this did not by any means meant that I gorged from sun up to sun down and I started my day with my usual healthy breakfast but in the afternoon when I felt like something sweet I got a packet of mashmellows, and if I wanted something I had it. It felt like it made all my hard work during the week worth it, made it easier to face the next week knowing I had that to look forward to. During the week if I felt like chocolate I would think, well if I still want it Saturday I will eat it Saturday and most times, I didn't. I went to the footy and had a saussage sizzle and really enjoyed it and when I went out that night I drank vodka lime and soda not wine. Then the next day it was back to the drawing board, and this time I had new strength to get through the week. 


I am not saying it is for everyone but it was something I needed and is working for me right now. 


Do you have cheat days?


Jaime 


xx

Review: Tiffiny Hall- The Weightloss Warrior!

Today I bring you a review of a really fantastic weight loss book. This book is by none other than the amazing trainer on The Biggest Loser-Tiffiny Hall titled "The weightloss warrior". I bought this book months ago but it wasn't until yesterday actually that I finished it. (I am a bit like that with books sometimes, I really just don't have that much time for reading, anyway)... I loved it. I have been as you all would know by now, on my own weightloss journey all this year and this book came at a time for me when I needed inspiration and guidance. I have actually read A LOT of weigthtloss books (is that weird?) and to me so much of them has just been, well either fluff of nothing helpful or a really regimented diet (the zone, I am pointing at you!). This rarely works for anyone and is not long term. One of the main reasons I love Weight Watchers is it is about long term health and well being, this is what Tiffiny is all about. 

I watched The Biggest Loser, every night and I found her style of training and discipline really inspiring and I wanted to learn more about her style and see if it was something I could apply to my life. As soon as I started reading the book I knew it was going to change the way I think about food forever. 

She opens with a really great statement I want to share with you: Health, like martial arts, is about the balance of four elements: earth (nutrition), wind (movement), fire (metabolism and muscle) and water (fluidity of the mind and body). I think this is such an important statement and one she follows throughout her book. She encourages people to try eating naked (not with no clothes on, gosh get your mind out of the gutter) but food which is unprocessed, natural and stripping meals back to the essential flavours. She believes in treats but to really treat them as that... (Something I am trying to work on)

She helps you get down to the bottom of why you are the way you are, unfit, unhealthy and to really evaulate your life, to become a healthier person you must train the mind first and then the body will follow, see it is all about listening to what your body is telling you and that bad food for example is actually harming your body. 

She teaches you not on what to eat and when but how to make healthier options which will be beneficial for your body. 

At the end of the book she does have a nice big section of yummy recipes which look fantastic and I can't wait to try! 

If you are like I was and needing some inspiration and direction and maybe even some education on your health and wellbeing then pop into your local book shop and pick this up, I know it has really helped me. Even though I have just finished it I know I will start again now as I know I will get a lot more out of it the second time and the third...

I hope you enjoy it just as much as I have. 

Have you read any good diet or health and fitness books lately?

Jaime 

xx

Peek inside my grocery trolley

I thought this Monday morning I would let you peep inside what my weekly food shop looks like. This is for myself and my boyfriend for a whole week. 

In my stash you can find...
-Free range chicken breasts
-Atlantic Salmon 
-Pork Fillets
-Organic produce when available so there was some cauliflower and some others
-Asian veggies 
-Apples and oranges for snacks
-Low Fat cottage cheese
-Free range eggs
-Limes 
-Avocado
-Frozen berries 
-Goats cheese (great to sprinkle on my healthy pizzas)
-Wholemeal pitta bread

And much more... I think the state of your shopping trolley really shows your diet, so next time you do your weekly shop, have a look and see just how much processed food and artificial ingredients you really have. 

 Jaime 

xx

Motivation of the day

Something to think about when you next make an excuse as to why you are not exercisng, I know this is something I have been known to do... you just need to look at what you do each day and think, rather than watch Home and Away on the couch, could I be at the gym instead?

Jaime 

xx