The Best Breakfast Toasts

As I said in 5 tips to stick to your eating plan, my ideal breakfast is low GI seed bread with some form of delicious topping. Check out these tried-and-tested yummy combinations :)

PS: How to make basil mayo? Mix up mayo with strips of fresh basil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. For a lighter version, swap out half the mayo for yogurt.

Watch what you eat

A few weeks ago my trainer said to me "You're going to have to watch what you eat soon."

My immediate reaction... What do you MEAN watch what I eat? What do you think I've been doing this whole time?? 

But then I realised... I really do need to take a good look at my diet. Even though I'm a healthy body weight, it doesn't mean that I'm healthy. My boyfriend and I buy brownie ice cream and sugar cones. I buy a french loaf and eat almost the whole thing in a day. If I'm ever going to achieve my body goals I need to look at the crap I'm putting in my body on a daily basis.

I know I could never go cold turkey on junk food... but I can definitely be more mindful. No more brownie in a mug at midnight. No more pizza after a night of drinking. It's time to take control of my food and my health.

Gym Ball Adventures

Every time.

5 tips to stick to your eating plan

30 kilos later... and at least once a week I'm asked the question "How did you do it?" There's no simple answer and there's no quick solution. To put it simply, it takes perseverance. That said, I have some tips that worked for me. I'm not saying they'll work for you - everyone has different diet habits - but I'd like to pass on any knowledge that might help :)

1. Don't drink your calories

Sodas, juices, ice tea - all full of sugar. The best thing to drink is water. Alcohol is another biggie - one glass of dry white contains up to 77 calories. If I do have wine, I choose a lite variety and add lots of ice.

2. Always eat breakfast

We've all heard the 'most important meal of the day speech' - well you know what? #TRUTH
When I wasn't eating breakfast, I would starve it out till about 11, at which point I resembled a zombie from The Walking Dead. My personal preference for a good breakfast is low GI seed bread with avo or egg.

3. Have a little junk food

I know what you're thinking... How can this retarded girl be telling me to eat junk food when I'm on a diet?? 
Well, in my version of healthy living you can eat everything. Yesterday I ate delicious greasy BACON CHEESE FRIES. Today? Back to healthy eating. Having just a little satisfies my craving so I have the motivation to keep going. I mean, a life without bacon is not worth living, right?

4. Get some sleep

If I'm out with friends, I start getting itchy feet by 11pm - God it's so late, I need to get to bed! When you're tired, you make bad food choices - you crave something carby and sugary to give you an energy boost. 8 hours - your body will thank you.

5. Stay active

Yeah yeah, I know the story... you had a rough day at work and now you just want to sink into the couch and watch junk TV. I know the feeling all too well. Even on the days I feel like that, I try to at least take a walk or do a chilled gym class. My problem? If I don't do any activity, I feel guilty and start eating the whole kitchen.

You don't look like the sporty type

I have a... let's say, an interesting relationship with my boyfriend's mother. She's a lovely woman - very accepting of me, very kind and helpful, and of course, she must have done a great job raising her son for me to want to date him. However, there are certain things she says that make me wonder what she really thinks of me. For the purpose of this post, let's call her MIL (mother-in-law).

Case 1

BF: Niki and I are going rock climbing.

MIL: Oh that's so nice that you try things Paul likes. You don't look very sporty, more of an arty-farty type.

Pause - Is arty-farty a euphemism for fat?!


Case 2

BF: Sooo... my mom was clearing her closet and asked if you want this?

*sends photo of oversized printed waist-coat thing*

Me: Ummm... tell her I said thank you for thinking of me, but it's not really my style.

BF: I tried it on, it's HUGE.

Now is it just me... or does she think of me as a heffer?

Annoying things people say #5

So I'm walking out the gym after pilates and a swim, and the receptionist stops me.

Receptionist: Can I ask you something... you've lost a lot of weight, right?

Me: Yeah

Receptionist: So, how did you do it?

Me: Umm... well I'm here every day...

Receptionist: That's all?

Me: I've been eating healthier as well.

Receptionist: So no pills or anything??

You WORK at the gym, crazy lady. You know I'm here EVERY day. Why on earth would I be gyming my butt off if I were taking pills? Exercise and healthy eating - the commandments of weight loss - why would you believe otherwise?

30 Kilos Later

I've always been fat. I grew up as a squishy chubby-cheeked little girl and continued to gain more weight as I got older. I remember being teased by a class member in Grade 1. I remember dreading my visits to Little Gem for uniforms at the beginning of the school year... knowing I had to go two sizes up. I remember feeling like I was different from other people. 

Growing up larger than most, you develop a lot of strengths. You make a lot of friends, you develop your personality, you learn how to cope on your own. You also develop defenses - in your relationships, your fears, in the way you picture your future.

I honestly never thought I would or could ever lose this much weight. I never thought I'd start running. I never thought I'd be wearing shorts and sleeveless shirts. 

When I first started losing weight, I didn't have any expectations. I set a goal of 10% of my body weight and thought I would be happy with just that. Once I lost the first 10kgs... I knew I could do more. I realised I had the potential and the drive to lose much more weight. 

This week I reached the 30kg mark. I'm amazed. I have collar bones I never knew existed. After almost two years, I've reached a body weight I deem 'normal'. This is usually the part where you say "Thanks to the support of xyz I was able to this".

No. I did this all on my own. No-one cooked me healthy food, no-one forced me to go to gym, no-one held my hand. I own this achievement. 

For anyone out there trying to lose weight, I want you to know the truth - there are two sides to this coin. Firstly, losing weight does not make you happy. You feel lighter, healthier, more energetic - but it cannot make you happier. Over the last two years, I've had to come to terms with my emotional issues regarding weight and weight loss. It seems that sometimes your fat issues are simply replaced by new ones. Sometimes when people tell me how good I look, I can't help but think how awful I must have looked before. I step on the scale every. single. day. My stress about looking fat has been replaced by the fear of getting fat again.

That said, losing weight is also liberating. I'm no longer scared of doing sports or adventure activities. I can go to the shops and buy any clothing I like. I'm a more confident and brave person. Losing weight is a true test of your strength and determination. It's not as simple as "eat less, exercise more" - there's emotions, temptations, peer pressure, self-loathing... the list is endless. Weight loss has taught me to just deal with one day at a time - You messed up? It's fine, start over tomorrow. Progress is far greater than perfection.