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

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