Thursday 19 September 2013

So proud...

You guys have no idea how very proud I am at this moment. 

In the last week or two, I have had so many emails, messages, and calls from people who have read my blog and they are loosing weight, feeling fabulous,or finally started to feel like they are in control of their world. It makes me so excited that my blog can motivate others in such a way... One gorgeous girl told me she has lost 3 kg already. In 2 weeks. I just wanted to jump through the phone and squeeze her tight, I was super proud of the effort she has put in to get to that point.

You guys rock!

All it takes is the moment of decision. The moment you put your plan into action. The rest is easy.

The other reason, I am excited is because I went race dress shopping yesterday, in a skinny person shop. You know the type, groovy music, twig thin shop assistants in too short dresses.. 
Firstly, I am excited because they actually acknowledged me and wanted to help, rather than look at me like, "oh pleaseeee, as if we have anything big enough for that arse, in our funky little skinny person store", and secondly, because  I bought one. It's a size 12 and its white. And it made Hugo's eyes sparkle when he saw me in it... Emerald 100, here I come! 

But, back to business-

I'm going to give you a plan example to use as a guide to start if you need to. I know some of you are still struggling with writing what you really want, when it comes to setting life goals. So here's a little simplified inspiration..

One of my goals at the moment is to be 70kg on December 31 2013. I am going to achieve that by clean, healthy eating, by continuing to walk daily till I get clearance to go back to gym classes, lifting and stretching etc, and by remaining focused on my goal. I am also going to start bike riding of an evening, only 5 kilometres each night to start with. When I get full clearance to return to gym, I will set specific plans in place that outline days of the week, classes I will attend etc. I had 16 weeks to get to my goal weight, so dividing the weight to loose by the amount of weeks, leaves me with a weekly target of how much I need to loose to reach my goal on or before December 31. You can be much more specific. 

I understand that coming up to the festive season there will be moments along the way where I will drink champagne and eat canapés, but that won't cause me any distress because life happens, remember? My goal is realistic to start with, so an occasional lapse will not damage my overall goal.. To succeed at long term weight loss, you gotta be realistic. Anyone who has tried to loose weight in the past will have stories about eating one chocolate biscuit, then deciding to eat the whole packet, and then being so down on themselves they forgo their diet completely, for a number of weeks. 

That kind of rigid "all or nothing" thinking does my head in. Unrealistic and not sustainable... Setting yourself up for failure right from the start. Fancy a chocolate biscuit? Enjoy it, savour it, eat it slowly, try to describe what it tastes like.. Then bask in the fact that you can eat something you really enjoy without any guilt attached. Because you are the one in charge here.. 
You are not some terrible, weak willed good for nothing because you ate a biscuit.. You are a beautiful, fabulous person who had a craving for something sweet, just like any other human being on earth. No big deal. Don't waste one moment beating yourself up.. You're way too busy getting gorgeous. Stay focused on your goal. Eyes on the prize, remember? 
 
I have a theory though, that the body craves what it needs, eg in pregnancy, the body will ask for all sorts of weird concoctions to get the minerals that it needs to grow a new human. I believe the same is true in weight loss. 
I recently went to a naturopath who told me that my body was in dire need of some decent fats. My elbows were like a rasp, my skin was dull and lacklustre. She could tell just by looking at me that I was a long term dieter. She asked me what I craved, what was my comfort food? Butternut snap biscuits with real cold butter. And occasionally, chocolate coated liquorice. 
Little did I realise that my body was trying to tell me, I had low blood pressure ( liquorice will raise blood pressure ) and also needed a fat injection to supplement the skin... Years of eating low fat had taken its toll on my skin. I've recently added more good fats to my diet, avocado etc, and sure enough Hugo has stopped referring to my elbows as the 'renovators' and my skin feels much more supple. 
I believe we need to start seeing food as our medicine, and taking notice of what the body really wants.   I've never really been one to write down what I eat, but I guess it may help you determine if there is a pattern to your cravings. Try it for a few weeks if you are having cravings other than the ole ' what a bitch of a day, I need a Turkish delight.." kind of day, which we all  have from time to time. 

I still have mid afternoon cravings for a cuppa and something sweet. Ok, I admit, I'm not superwoman. (Yet..). So rather than deny myself, I eat something sweet, natural and clean. Eg date and almond balls, apricot coconut balls, or choc coconut slice. All home made, all easy as pie to make, and absolutely guilt free! 
Grab yourself a handful of good pitted dates, throw the in a blender, chuck in some coconut, some mixed nuts, mixed fruit and blend till it looks like breadcrumbs. Roll into balls, toss in coconut and put in fridge.  Or do the same but substitute the dates with apricots. Easy. If its a bit dry, throw in some coconut oil. 
Or chocolate slice... Blend dates, coconut, cocoa together, push into slice tin and set in fridge. Cut into squares. I'm actually too lazy to press and cut, so I just blob them onto baking paper till they set in fridge. Cate has actually iced the slice as well with choc icing, and used as a "normal" slice for a function. Not a good idea to introduce the icing sugar, but it looked fantastic for the special occasion.  

Make these treats yourself, , not only are they way cheaper and fresher, but they have less preservatives, less additives, and only contain what you put in there. No hidden sugar, fat or allergens.

So, realistically, Being healthy is not about denying yourself of treats, avoiding special occasions, and missing out in all the fun, it's about realising you are important enough to eat well, and well worthy of the good things in life.

You are not fat, you have fat... And getting your head around the fact that there is a huge difference, is very important....Which I will tell you about tomorrow. 





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