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

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.

Wear a Pedometer and Walk Your Way to a Fit New You!

On Saturday when I weighed in to Weight Watchers after having a crazy Easter full of Chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner I had put on 0.9kg. I was disapointed yet I expected it. 
I need to get back on that horse yet again but by going to that meeting even though I really didn't want to I was not alone. When asked who had put on pretty much everyone put up their hand. Yes we are all alike. 
I decided to make a choice to not let it get to me and to continue back on my journey after all there will be many bumps on the road. 

I also decided to buy a Pedometer, a Weight Watchers Pedometer to be exact as not only does it record your steps but it tells you how many acticity points you have earnt. 
So now as I have in the past when I have worn one I am walking more and making myself more active. This "incidental" activity is so important and is what increases our heart rate and generally makes us less lazy. 

When I am waiting for water to boil or standing around I walk on the spot every "extra" step I take is extra calories I am burning off and helping me get closer and closer, literally step by step to my goal. 

It is only 6 weeks til I go to Thailand and til I am going to be spending 2 weeks in a bikini! I want to look good and feel confident. When I was last in Thailand it will be 2 years ago when I go and right now I am 13kg lighter then when I went last time. I know I didn't feel comfortable when I was last there and I want to really enjoy it. 

So the next 6 weeks will be intense and I hope you can stay with me on my journey.

Jaime xx

I will lose weight if I want to!

So yes I am losing weight but by no means do I feel like I am done. My goal is to lose 15kg which is well within my healthy weight range and by no means at the bottom of the healthy weight range and yet as soon as I mentioned that I have lost 8kg I got many responses saying that "Gosh you certaintly don't need to lose more", or the "be careful you don't start to get too extreme" and I thought whoah people back off, I am no nearer anorexic then I am about to run a marathon. I feel so proud of what I have accomplished as I have been this way, this weight for a long time and I really want to lose it. No I don't want to be stick skinny or a size 8, I will never be that size but is it so wrong that I want to be a healthy comfortable 12 and god forbid sometimes fit into a 10?

I guess it is hard for some people to accept change, I know when I good girlfriend of mine who was like me and always a 14 lost a lot of weight (healthily) and dropped to a 10-12, I was envious, jealous and thought, why couldn't I be like that too?

I guess I need to develop mental touchness to fight any negativity. 

I am doing this weight loss slowly and healthily, but I am not restricting myself, I am indulging in my fave dark chocolate every day (pretty much) and I have taken on the philosphy that if I want a treat have the most amazing treat and really enjoy it but just only have a little bit!

Dark chocolate is my new best friend as it has such little sugar and I only need a small amount to be satisfied. 

I guess this is a bit of a rant, I am sure you have felt the same before either being on the weight loss end yourself or someone you knew lost weight, it is hard to acept people around you are battling demons you yourself have battled and not yet won., 

We just need to support each other and make sure we surround ourselves with fit, healthy, supportive friends who will love you no matter what you look like or what you weigh. 

Luckily my boyfriend is incredibly supportive and loves me and tonight he is taking me out to dinner to celebrate my achievement.

It doesn't hurt to treat yourself not to sweet foods but to shopping, lots and lots of shopping!


Jaime xx

Hitting my 5% GOAL!!!

At Weight Watchers there are 3 goals they like to celebrate and it is established when you first join. They work out what what your healthy weight range is and what you want your goal weight to be (which is within that range) and for you to reach that they work out what your 5% goal is when you have lost 5% of your body weight and then your 10% goal and then finaly GOAL!!

This last Saturday I finally hit my 5% goal and my god it was a great feeling. 

For me that had meant I had lost (well in total as I had already lost like 3 kg before starting Weight Watchers) 6.9kg. From my last weigh in which was 2 weeks ago I was supposed to lost 0.5kg to hit goal yet I SMASHED it with 1.5kg!! Go me!!

I am now only 2.9kg from my 10% goal and really feel like I am on track!

In total I have now last 8kg and couldn't be happier about it! I finally feel like I am getting somewhere and I will tell you I have been getting so many compliments which is such a boost of confidence!

 I am now so much more aware of what I put in my body and I think about everything, gone are the days of mindless eating (well a million times more than I used to). I have learnt there is absolutely zero point in spending money on beauty products when you are not healthy from the inside.


I have even had random Seafood guys telling me I have lost weight!


Loves it!


Jaime xx

The Biggest Loser

Like most of Australia we are all tuning in right now watching this latest season of The Biggest Loser, I think I have watched more of this season (when I mean more I mean EVERY episode) and I think it is because I am at a point in my life when I want to see massive changes in myself so I am looking to this show which provides me with great inspiration.
Thanks to Foxtel IQ I never miss a episode and feel like I have been with the contestents throughout all their blood, sweat and tears to get to their goals. 
I know I have heard many friends over the years The Biggest Loser has been going for say that they sit there eating junk food whilst watching it and look in the past that might have been me but not this season. 
When I am running on the treadmill I feel like I have the commando beside me yelling at me saying "Who are you doing this for?" "You don't want to be that fat person who was unhappy do you?" ummm yes this may make me seem like I am crazy but it actually helps. 

Personal Training sessions work really well for me and it is something I am going to reinvest in soon when I have a little more moolah but for now I have this to think about...

 Hoping for a BIG loss this week!

Jaime xx

Time...why is there never enough?

Isn't this the age old tale, not enough time in the day... I think when you are trying to lose weight it is like you need that much more. You need more time to think about healthy food options to cook healthier meals that you wouldn't normally cook, time to work out...every...day... to plan on what you will eat each day so you are not forced with temptation or have to buy something for lunch only to be stuck with unhealthier options...

People think weight loss is simply but it isn't, we get stuck in a rut and and make things to eat which are quick, easy and more often then not fatty...(hello pasta anyone?) I guess I am just getting frustrated, my boyfriend doesn't know how to cook and won't eat healthy food unless I am cooking it so it means it takes, time and effort, on top of all this are daily chores, blogging and now working from home...

I want this so bad to lose this weight but when I get tired and stressed doesn't it just seem like it's so simple to take the easy way out?

Sorry if I sound like I am complaining I just feel like I am struggling right this second... maybe I just need a good night sleep. 

Thanks for listening.

Jaime xx

Your measuring tape is your friend!

So this morning when I stepped onto the scales I had a loss, yippee!! From Saturday considering I put on 0.7kg since then I am now down 0.2kg if that makes sense? I hate putting on over the weekend, yet I always seem to do it. Too much spare time for mindless eating? I think so.
So I decided whilst I was feeling skinny again to do my meansurements and I thought I would share as I am so happy with them!
 

Since December when I first began this journey:

My Waist was 83cm and is now 75cm a loss of 8cm!
My Hips were 104cm and are now 95cm, a loss of 9cm!
My thighs were 67cm and are now 62cm, a loss of 5cm!!

I honeslty can not stress enough how important it is to do your measurements throughout this journey we are all on.

Sometimes when you are feeling like te scales aren't showing how you feel then this is a great way of realising that your body is actually changing and getting smaller!

I know it has given me a huge boost in confidence as that loss is my mind is huge!!

Have a great day!!

Jaime xx

Starting over yet again...

So my name is Jaime, I have just turned 26 and I decided this was going to be the year I lost that "extra" weight that I have been kidding myself into thinking I haven't been putting on for years. When I really think about it I haven't been comfortable within my own skin for a long time. I have been covering up the extra bulges with clothes and jewellery for way too long.
I have tried eating healthy, I have tried diets yet I feel like everytime I have tried I have never succeeded. I have just put that weight back on again.
Almost a year ago I had to get my gall bladder removed and since then I have suffered huge digestional problems. I can no longer eat fatty, sugary foods, and dairy yet the weight hasn't come off.
In January this year I joined Weight Watchers and I have since lost 6.1kg. I originally weighed 80kg and I want to get to 65kg. I think I was 20 the last time I weighed that little. I am currently 73.9kg and I feel like I have hit a plateau. That is why I have started this blog to hlelp me get push through and get to my goal and to get me into exercise. I hope through this blog and your support I can, no I will get there!
I am over not having clothes fit properly and not being able to wear nice clothes, this is my journey, I hope you enjoy it.
I will include recipes and diet and exercise information which I hope will help more people and inspire people in the same boat as me.
Jaime x