The wonderful world of Kefir!

As a Kefir initiate, I'm so EXCITED to share with you this wonderful probiotic drink! I was lucky enough to be shown how to make it at my cheese workshop. Dinking Kefir (pronounced kee-fear) is like drinking a living zoo of microorganisms to help foster a healthy gut environment. Even more diversity than you would find in fresh yoghurt (although you need yoghurt too)! When your gut is healthy, YOU are. You can assimilate and utilise nutrients and energy from food better with no nasty bowel problems like gas or diahorrea.
For the low down on all that is Kefir check out Dom's site.

Elisabeth gave us our very own kefir 'grains' (not a grain but a culture that looks like grains, see picture above) to grow some of our own at home. It only takes 24hrs! I made some yesterday and drank my Kefir smoothie for breakfast today, put on another batch this morning ready for tomorrow's brekky. It's very easy, even easier than yoghurt because there is no heating of the milk at all.

So what does it taste like? Very similar to natural yoghurt with a sharper sourish aftertaste. Sometimes Kefir can have a slight alcohol content of about 0.5%, but not enough to stop you driving! You can drink it straight, very refreshing, or have it in a smoothie rather than milk. As it is a fermented food, the milk is much easier to digest, the bacteria in effect 'pre-digesting' the milk sugars. People with lactose intolerance might find kefir a tasty alternative to milk. You can use kefir as a started for sourdough bread, to make kefired cream and kefired butter. I've also read it can be used as a culture for making cheeses.

As for where to get good kefir grains.... I don't actually know! I was fortunate enough to be given some at the workshop, but as far as I know it has been handed down for thousands of years and originated somewhere in the middle east. Kefir grains multiply so the excess is usually shared around to members of the community. You can buy dehydrated grains, but I'm not sure what kind of quality they are. Previously, I had only read about kefir and had been unable to source it, let alone taste some!

So today I ate the fruits of my labour... well, not much labour really. I still made it though!

Kefir Blueberry Power Smoothie

1 1/2 cups cultured kefir
1 cup of blueberries
1 small ripe ladyfinger bannana
1 scoop cold filtered unsweetened whey protein (20g)
Tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Serve over ice.

It was HEAVENLY. I thought foods that are good for you are meant to taste bad too!

Week 4 complete!

Photo courtesy Kevin Cherry Art

I can't believe I'm a third of the way through already! I've only got another 8 weeks to go... better get my skates on.

Here's my week 4 results:
Weight -1kg
Bust -2cm
R arm -1.5cm
Waist -1cm
Hips - 0cm (this is always the last spot I lose from)
R thigh - 1.5cm

I'm not concerned by the amount of weight I've lost because I've lost size which means... I've definitely put on muscle! I'm up on all my weights in the gym so things are changing for the better inside. I'm doing 48kgs on the bench press despite a week's set back due to the flu. When I first started weight training (a few months prior) I could hardly lift the bar without popping a vein! Makes me feel so good to see those numbers!

So what have I learned?

• I can eat like a friggin' horse and get results!
• Planning. When I plan each day's meals, workouts and work, I can be organised enough so there's no excuses to NOT follow through.
  
• I need 8 hours sleep if I want to train at my best and not hate every minute of it!
• Set small goals each day. Eg: run up the hill, or just to the next lamp post, get to bed by 10pm, go for two more reps!
• Scales are not an accurate reflection of REAL progress. Muscle weighs heavier than fat.
• My body is an amazing machine, I can do so much more than I thought possible!

Tomorrow is my 4th free day and I've also learned some strategies to not make it a total write off!

1. Have what I really want but buy just a portion, not the whole bucket of icecream
2. Ditto for the champagne! I've been buying mini bottles, so cute yet still full of yummy bubbles
3. Try to eat well even if you are cheating, keep having 2/3 plate veg, 1/3 protein, even if that protein is battered fish
4. Drink lots of water to help with the sluggish feeling you seem to get after loading up on junk

I'm actually going to a cheese workshop run by a lady who specialises in permaculture. We're learning how to make cheddar, feta, cottage cheese, brie, yoghurt and kefir. Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea are provided, so it's a good thing it is my free day! Not that I'll be missing my protein snack with all that cheese! It's great because I drink raw milk (straight from the cow to me) and it's hard to find raw cheeses. I'll be able to make my own instead of tearing my hair out ringing every health food shop from here to Coonabarrabran trying to find some! (hehe remember that old Coon cheese ad?)

If you're interested, here's a great site all about raw milk and it's benefits.

CRAZY 300 training!

I LOVE this!! So simple, such amazing results.

Wah! I couldn't get the video to work when I posted the html.... but here's the link to the original site. The first video is the one about 300 training. The others are good too, but the first one blew me away! Good read.

Skinny Bitch?

I'm on Day 24 of my BFL challenge. At the end of this week I'll be taking my first lot of measurements (fingers crossed). So far though, I don't feel very different (scratches head?). My pants are a little looser but I won't know for sure until then. I thought I might see results a little faster than I have been! A month can feel like a very long time... especially when I'm dragging myself out of bed at 6pm after a late night.

IF things are going slower than they should be I'm going to switch back to my vegetarian diet. Prior to the last 5 months or so, I'd been a vegetarian since I was 15. I decided to eat meat again in an attempt to build muscle and lose fat. If it's not helping me reach my goals, why should I? I've always loved animals and this has been a hard adjustment. It's not that I don't like the taste, just the thought of it is disgusting. I've been working very hard to adjust my thinking and try to enjoy my meals, if I start thinking too much, I can't do it.

I used to eat a lot of legumes, vegetables, some dairy and eggs. On my VEGETARIAN BFL plan (no, I'm not stopping... you calling me a quitter? No way!) I will still eat like that, my protein will come from whey and eggs rather than chicken, steak and fish. Still whole foods, low sugar.

If I could look as lovely as Sophie, I'd go back to it in a heartbeat!

Recently a co-worker tried the "Skinny Bitch Diet". She's lost so much weight she looks like a model! The diet is a whole foods VEGAN plan, with protein coming from soy - a big no-no. A big concern about going vegan would be muscle wastage and bone density loss. I'm pretty sure the reason why the diet works (initially anyhow) is because it promotes extreme calorie restriction. Another danger is the possibility of developing vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

As for my training, I've been spot on, did an abs workout tonight, I KNOW I'll be feeling that one tomorrow... pancake tummy here I come!

S-L-O-W-L-Y

Need I say more?

Day 17 of the challenge... SEEMS to be getting harder. But that's probably due to certain feminine ...erhm... conditions. I've been bitchy and down all day, I even burst into tears when attempting my second set of standing rows. Why? I quote: "I'm a failure because I can't lift it!" My husband took me inside, gave me a big hug and told me not to worry about doing anything too strenuous today. He kindly rescheduled our training session for tomorrow. I love him... *Sigh*

Arrrrgh! I hope I'm not like this NEXT time around! I've still got about 10 weeks left! Thankfully, I've mananged to stave off any bad food cravings with choc-mint protein shakes and copious amounts of hot chickory tea.

The other problem... I have been CONVINCED these last couple of days that I'm eating too much. I checked and double checked the portion sizes and foods on the BFL website. Yes... I AM doing it right... and eating frequently enough, nicely spaced meals over the day... BUT coming from a not-so-healthy-regarding-food background, I'm having a hard time BELIEVING that it is OK to eat like this! My strength has improved, no doubt, and I've lost 1 centimetre from my waist and hips, but I thought my results would be more obvious. I'm on week three and visually, there's a minimal difference, if any. It's discouraging... although I know I just need to be patient! Easier said than done. Makes me feel like skipping meals or even just snacks. That would be self-sabotage, so I won't. Plus, I don't want to go through that pain to get skinny then put it all straight back on again if I eat any more than a pea. I enjoy my food and want to keep enjoying it!

Meanwhile... aerobics on your own with the DVD player is dead boring! Halfway through this morning I stopped that nonsense and vacuumed the house at a vigorous pace instead and found it was just as entertaining!

Aerobic workouts I DO enjoy:
• Sexercise!
• Dancing!
• Surfing!
• Playing chasey with the dogs!
• Shopping at stocktake sales!
• Jumping castles!
• Ice skating!
• Touch footy on the beach!
• Boxing!
• Cleaning the shower! (NOT)

Tomorrow is a new day. Consistency is the key right? I heard someone describe their challenge this way... "It's like peeling off one sheet per day from a roll of paper towels. Each day you might not notice the difference but at the end, if you put the cardboard core next to a full roll, the difference is obvious!" Bring on the spills, I've got plenty of towels to use up!

Mixing up the fitness routine

Instead of my usual cardio in the morning, last night was spent ice skating. So much fun! Not quite like the AMAZING moves in blades of glory (totally without wires, right?), but I can do one trick where I slide on one knee with arms outstretched... I call it "the proposal". Only my third time ever on the ice, so I was pretty chuffed. Great on the legs too... probably didn't help that I had a leg weights session right beforehand, but today, my legs are FEELING IT. Ouch!

We invited a large crew to come too (trying to combine fitness and social occasions as much as possible), some of whom were beginners. I'd assured them they'd be fine, have fun and not KILL themselves! Unfortunately one of these girls fell after 10 minutes cracking her head on the ice and was concussed. The other took a tumble as she was just getting the hang of it and broke her wrist! They were carted off to emergency in the same ambulance! Ironic? Yes. Me feeling extremely guilty? Yes. The rest of the (very late) evening was tensley spent in the emergency waiting room at the hospital.... Yawn!

DESPITE this I still bounced out of bed at the usual 6:30am. (Yay for me!) Took the babies for a nice long walk before breakfast. I'm loving the early exercise, it is so energising, keeps me chirpy all day long.

The perils of... walking?

Photo courtesy Trevor's Birding

Yesterday I was swooped not once but FOUR times.

Here I am, walking my puppies, it's a lovely sunny day... The grass is green and wet with shining dew, nice and quiet, no one was around. I was in the moment, soaking it up. Next thing I know, out of the blue, I feel a wind on my cheek and a snapping sound in my ear! I jumped about 2 feet in the air and screamed. (Must have looked funny because the dogs turned around and were eyeing me strangely.)

So I'm scanning the skies trying to figure out what just happened, when I spy a stealthy magpie sitting not far away on a light post. Aha! I started yelling at it and waving my arms like a crazy person while trying to walk away.... Despite my bravado, it was undeterred and hurtled towards me with kamakaze zeal. What does a sensible girl do?

I RAN. All the while screaming, jumping around, making empty threats and dragging the confused dogs behind me. Talk about a high intensity cardio workout!

The scariest part was how it kept snapping it's beak right next to my head. Some of my friends have had bleeding gashes in their heads from magpie attacks, so I was totally freaked! It must have been nesting in the park, the strange thing was, the area it was patrolling was the size of a football field, so you can imagine how hard it was to get away. Pure evil. But they do sing nice sometimes, I'll give them that.

I've been told they don't swoop if you have eyes painted on the back of a hat... but I think I'll avoid the area for the rest of the month!

I'm up to day 12, so far so good! My measurements are down by a centimetre on my waist and hips, although I've not lost scale weight yet. I'm not concerned, as long as my clothes are beginning to feel looser and I'm getting toned and terrific! I've got a legs session tonight and then we're off to ice skating, double whammy.

This morning we have our local farmer's markets, I'm dangerously low on veggies, it's amazing how much I've been eating! I'm like a hungry, hungry hippo! Should I invest in a bigger fridge? Strawberries are in season... last week I got 2kg for $5! Used them up in fresh strawberry smoothies.


Strawberry Super Smoothie
500gms hulled fresh strawberries
2 scoops of vanilla protein powder
5 big ice cubes
Pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg
1/2 cup whole milk
Teaspoon of honey

Blend. If it's too thick add a little ice water and blend to the desired consistency. SO GOOD. Pink deliciousness! Serves 2. (I drink it all by myself though...)

I got 'em... guts that is

Image courtesy Emerald City Comics

I feel like her a bit today! I did my new HIIT during my lunch hour. Despite my calves absolutely caining from the sprints, I'm so glad that I dug deep and just did it. Wow. This is a great feeling.

AND during my weights sess tonight I hit a new high on the bench press - 47 kgs!!! I'm seriously chuffed! I thought I was only going to be able to do 45! I'm gonna make a choc-mint protein shake to celebrate!

As each week goes by, my strength is steadily improving. I'm not the hulk or anything, but it gives you a reason to keep going and to try harder, you've got numbers to beat. I can't wait until November to see how much I'll be lifting by then! Aiming to be able to lift my own body weight at the least. Grow muscles.. groooow!

Night, night, I'm off to have a niiiice hot shower, got to get up early tomorrow - no excuses!

More of my eats

This is what I had for brekkie today, scrambled eggs (yes, WHOLE eggs), grilled eggplant and my grandma's homemade cauliflower pickles.















This is bug toast copied from Skwigg... toasted rye bread, natural peanut butter (no added nothing), grated carrot, raisins. Yummy!

I'll keep posting pics as I remember to do it. Does anyone else have any good pics or links for low carb foods?

Have I got the guts?

Photo courtesy Interwebjunk

I did a bad thing.

The alarm went off today and I hit snooze until 7:30am! Dear me, those late nights have been catching up! I've noticed if I get to bed by 10:30pm I can do the 6:30am start. If I don't I can't.

I'm an 8 hour MINIMUM girl. Always been that way. Mum used to tell me stories when I was just a baby, at bed time I would start crying on the dot, when they took me into my room I would start laughing and arching my back to get to the bed. Hehe I STILL do that sometimes!

So because I didn't work out this morning... I bought my gym gear to work, I'm going to do a HIIT (high intensity interval training) running session at lunch for 20 mins. Gives me 40mins to eat my lunch and get changed. I've never trained that way before but it goes like this:

Warm up 5 min (easy jog)
Sprint for 1 min
Then jog for 2 min (5kph)
Sprint for 1 min
Then jog for 2 min (5kph)
Sprint for 1 min
Then jog for 2 min (5kph)
Then... cool down 5 min (fast walk)

This is my plan:

• 3 times a week for four weeks
• Then add another sess to make it 4 sessions a week for four weeks
• Then next 4 weeks add another sprint jog cycle in

I'd have to leave the dogs at home, there is no way I could do it with all their sniffing! Besides, are THEY fit enough? (Sook in particular...) They'd still need a walk though, so I'd have to walk them as well. Unless I did that at night, or get up earlier and do both? It's only 20mins HIIT. Then half an hour walk with the dogs, only about 15mins extra. I'm going to use a polar watch and HR monitor... it will be good to know my heart rate, to see if I'm hitting it.

Do I have the guts to do this by myself? I'm used to leaning on my husband who is a personal trainer to push me hard. Gotta start from the bottom up I guess!

Got weights session - arms and back tonight! I'm going for a new high of 45 kgs on the bench press... I'm really looking forward to it! Shooting for 8-10 reps.

My Quotidian Diet - Day 9

Here's a pic of my daily eggies! Jamie Oliver eat your heart out! Eggs, parsely, feta, tomato and red onion... I'm making myself hungry.

Every day for the last few months I've eaten two or three eggs for breakfast. I like them scrambled, in an omelette, in a smoothie, fried or sometimes poached, but I save that one for when we go out for breakfast. I can never get it right! I seem to break the yolk or it gets everywhere... One day I will master the poach!

Eggs also fit in nicely with my new plan. This is the only thing that I take exception to on the BFL plan... I DO NOT eat egg whites! Why not? Yolks have all the nutrients! It's like buying cereal and then eating the cardboard box! Here's a great article explaining about eggs and their benefits. No more egg white omelettes. Besides, they taste like, well... nothing, unless you smother them in sauce or salt. Yuck.

Also I stumbled upon this article that adults who eat eggs for breakfast lose 65 percent more weight. If that's not a good reason to start eating them, I don't know what is.

But PLEASE make them good quality, free range eggs. Apart from the delicious taste, you are making sure that the chickens are looked after with a good quality of life. Cage eggs are cheap but the poor chooks suffer.

BFL day 9... already! I'm doing really well, not cheating and exercising once or twice every day. This morning I did a pilates video - ouch my abs! Last night was weight training - lower body, I smashed it. I'm loving it! Tomorrow - Wednesday - I have arms again and I'm going for 10 reps of 45kgs on the benchpress. Woot! It may not seem like a lot to all you buff bohemoths, but for a wussy little girl like me, it's huge. I'll let you know if I can hit it... or not. Either way I'm going to be putting on my ugly face!

I'll start exercising on Monday...

Bad habits. We all have them. From forgetting to floss to forgetting to let grandma out of the cupboard, they exert a negative influence on our daily lives.

They say a habit takes 21 days to form. So if you start now, by the end of the month you'll have new ones... right? Well... no. Most people sabotage their efforts before that happens.

When starting or breaking any habit we tend to tell our conscious mind we are going to change and it’s for LIFE. On the other hand, if you tell yourself you want to try something for a finite 21 days it seems a more manageable goal. It might sound a little strange to ‘talk to your conscious’... but what I mean is we all have conversations with ourselves inside our heads - should I go to the pub or should I not, should I go to the gym or should I not? There are a hundred conversations we have with ourselves every day.

Tell yourself (your conscious brain) that you are going to try it for 21 days. When you have completed 21 days, your neural pathways will have formed already and you will more than likely continue with your new habit. Just take it one day at a time!

So this sounds pretty straight forward... why do people fail to make the change?

Too difficult. People set out with a lot of ambition and enthusiasm, and start out with a big goal. “I’m going to go to the gym for an hour a day!” or “I’m going to run 30 minutes every day!” The problem is that the goal is too difficult to sustain for very long.

Too many goals. Often we set out to do too much. We want to stop smoking, and stop drinking coffee, and make healthy choices, and do our tax on time, and lift weights. Those are multiple goals, and you cannot focus on what is the most important if you’re trying to do all the others at the same time. Or you might start with one goal, but then get caught up in another goal (to stop procrastinating, for example), and lose focus on the first one.

Not enough motivation. It’s not a lack of discipline, it’s a lack of motivation. You need to find your reason to keep going!

So how does one combat these hurdles...? There are four tools in your artillery.

1. Set one easy, specific, measurable goal

Write this down. If you don’t write it down, it’s not important. Don’t set a difficult goal. Set one that is super, super easy. Five minutes of exercise a day. You can do that. Work your way to 10 minutes after a month. Make it easy to start with, so you can build your habit, then gradually increase. Be specific, what activity are you going to do, at what time of day, and where? Don’t just say “exercise” or “I’m going to walk”. Make it an appointment you can’t miss. Stick to one goal for at least a month. Two months if you can bear it. Don’t start up a second goal during that 30-day period. If you do, you are threatening the success of your original goal.

2. Keep a daily journal

As you record each day, you will start to see your progress, and it will motivate you to keep going. And you have to make it a habit to log it right away. Don’t put it off, and say you’ll do it before you go to bed. As soon as you’re done working out, log it. Just the date, time, and what you did.

3. Tell others about your progress

Do it on your blog, an online forum, with your spouse, friends, family, a workout partner, a coach, a group or a class. However you set it up, make it part of the process that you have to report your daily workout to other people. It could be through email, or the phone, or just by telling your co-workers what you did this morning. But be sure that they know your goal, and that you are going to report to them every day.

4. Motivation - Keep it up!

If you miss two consecutive workouts, you need to look at why, and add a new motivation. Rewards, more public pressure, inspiration, whatever it takes. Think of ways to reinforce your new habits in a positive way. I read of a woman who would take her own extra soft luxury towels to the gym and put on her favourite scent as soon as she finished her workout and stepped out of a hot shower.

What are my goals?
• Get up every day (besides Sunday) at 6:30am and do some form of exercise before anything else. Even if it's only a walk. Every second day, weights.
• Consistently make healthy food choices for the next 12 weeks.

What is my motivation?
• I want to wake up and feel great at the start of each day
• My dogs get a nice walk
• Each day I'm getting fitter
• I'll have more energy to get through the working day
• I want to achieve a goal and be disciplined enough to see it through
• Feel great in my own skin
• Do something healthy that's just for me

Don't wait until Monday to start hitting your targets, start today!

FREE Day!!

In case you hadn't guessed already, my poison of choice is champagne. I love the crisp finish, the slightly acid bite, the pale golden hue, the glassware, the way it pairs perfectly with strawberries... most of all the bubbles seem to appear from nowhere! Fascinating! When you are holding a delicious drop of bubbly and taking teasing sips, every occasion can be a special one. It's like choosing to add mood music when eating dinner, or candlelight. Ahhh... it's my favourite!

As I've reached my first milestone: FREE DAY no 1... I thought it was appropriate to open a bottle! Any excuse will do! No, I'm joking, I was saving it up just for today. I've been looking forward to it and now, it's allowed! I love this plan! I haven't been going crazy today, just having a little bit here and there. From what I can gather, free days are about little indulgences, rewards and satisfaction. When you eat so clean for six whole days, it helps to know you can relax one day and not get the 'guilts'.

The Guilts
Self talk... Maybe if I have one piece of cake today, it won't be so bad... I've been so good all week, it won't matter really. Besides, if I don't have some the others in the office will think I'm being unsociable. It's not that big a slice. Anyway, I deserve it. Oh, this is so good! The chocolate fudge icing is so rich! Wow, that was a big piece... oh, no, I wonder what I'll have for dinner now? Soup? I have to make up for this or I'll gain weight on my diet again! WHY did I eat it?! I feel sick and sluggish, my stomach hurts... I always do this, why can't I have any self discipline? I'm going to be a fat pig forever, no wonder I can't control myself! Every time I try to eat healthy THIS happens. I'm such a failure. I can't be bothered cooking tonight, I'll just get takeaway. It's no use trying to be good, this is not my fault, it's genetic.

Sound familiar? A lot of people have a negative voice dictating lies to them, steering them away from healthy choices. It's up to you if you choose to listen or not.

By following the body for life plan, I can have my cake and eat it too. No more guilts, no more calorie counting. It's simple, consistent and effective. There's a saying: "You don't have to take exercise seriously, just regularly". If you do that, over time your body composition will change and if you do have occasional indulgences, it's not going to matter much at all.

So this is what I had on my free day (wow, week one is over! :))
Meal 1: 2 free range whole egg omlette with grated cheese, parsley, tomato, red onion and avocado, chickory tea
Meal 2: Strawberry smoothie with protein powder (I got 2kgs of fresh strawberries for $5 at the local farmers' markets)
Meal 3: Leftover strawberry smoothie
Meal 4: Sprouted dark rye bread with cream cheese and pickles, handful of sprouted cashew nuts
Meal 5: French-style roast chicken (got this awesome free range chicken from my local butcher) with roast sweet potato, beetroot, capsicum, onion, pumpkin, 2 glasses of champagne
Meal 6: Strawberries with melted dark chocolate dipping sauce, chickory tea

Free day is also my day for a much deserved sleep in. Lovely. I also had a nana nap this afternoon. How naughty!

More diet nonsense

It never ceases to amaze me how people can be so easily sucked in to believing the media when it comes to health. Just because something is labeled 'diet' it doesn't mean it's OK to guzzle it down! Nor does it mean these foods are GOOD for you. (Slaps forehead)

The health and diet foods industry make squizzillions from the gullible public. Why? People want to lose fat! Why do they believe psuedo-scientific lying hype? Because they want to do it the EASY WAY. I shudder every time I see an ad marketing Coco Pops to Mums as a health food. Sigh. It's immoral.

I'm sorry folks, but there is no easy way. If you want to lose fat, you have to move your butt regularly, eat right, get enough sleep and drink water. Simple.

Common quick fixes and their outcomes....

'Diet', 'lite' and 'low-fat' foods
Quick fix: May help shed scale weight in the short term

Inevitable outcome:

• Artificially sweetened and over-processed foods full of chemical additives place a toxic load on the liver and can lead to cancer. Unfortunately, the liver is the organ most responsible for fat burning.
• Feelings of deprivation, leading to binges. Foods are 'guilt free' so more is eaten, even binging on 'fat free' foods results in excess daily calories.
• Muscle wasting due to less protein intake (protein is relatively high in calories, so dieters frequently cut back) and higher sugar intake raises insulin - the hormone that tells your body to store fat (lite foods use sugar and corn syrup to make them taste good). Less muscle equals lower metabolism. You may creep up to your original weight but your body puts on fat easier than muscle resulting in a lower muscle to fat ratio.
• Less value nutritionally depriving the body of vital nutrients responsible for healing, rebuilding and detoxifying resulting in lower immune function, tiredness and aging.
• Hormonal imbalances - fat and protein help regulate the body's intricate hormonal network, unbalanced hormones due to less fat and protein are responsible for weight gain, mood swings, lack of concentration and irritability

Gastric banding, lap banding and other weight loss surgeries
Quick fix: Rapid weight loss

Inevitable outcome:

• Malnutrition - the body is unable to absorb nutrients, immunity is lowered,
• Nausea and discomfort when eating
• Bowel movements impaired due to lack of bulk in diet
• Muscle wastes due to dramatic drop in calories
• Over time stomach stretches back to original size
• Complications can lead to death or extreme fatigue

Liposuction
Quick fix: Immediate fat loss, the area is visibly more smooth

Inevitable outcome:

• Fat cells have been permanently removed resulting in possible scarring and an uneven distribution
• If a strict diet is not constantly adhered to any weight gain, even a minimal amount, will be lumpy and uneven. The problem areas initially targeted will look worse!
• Nerve endings can be damaged resulting in less sensation
  
• Severe bruising and capillary damage. Blood vessels closest to skin (in the dermis) are responsible for removing toxins that can cause cellulite and work in conjunction with the lymphatic system. They also help keep the skin looking young. When they are damaged the appearance of cellulite become worse, skin in the area looks prematurely aged

So don't be a sucker, PLEASE eat your greens and go for a walk... it is less expensive, not to mention much less painful! Every single person has an amazing body that is GEARED towards keeping you healthy! Daily, hundreds of thousands of cells are being built, repaired and destroyed. Fuel that machine with quality foods, move it around and take time to rest and destress, it will respond accordingly and become efficient and energetic.

Besides... bacon flavoured coke is just wrong on so many levels. Sheesh!

Day 4... PHWOARRRR!

Oh yeah, I can't believe I'm halfway through week 1 already! So far so good, my nutrition is stellar and I've not skipped an exercise session yet! I'm so proud of myself. (Pats self on back)

I'm really looking forward to my free day, not because I can eat whatever, but because I can have a well deserved sleep in! Yawn, 6:30am... arrrgh. My NEW habit will form soon, right? On sunday I'm not going to go crazy, I'll keep it clean, but I will have a glass of champagne and a baby cup of rich chocolate icecream.

This whole thing has made me so focussed, I have a goal in mind and I want to smash it! I've got a gorgeous lingerie model stuck on my fridge at the moment (my hubby is not complaining!) and when I complete the 12 weeks, I'm going to get a shoot done with exactly that pose, in similar underwear to show how far I've come. I can't wait! Rain, hail, shine, I'm going to do this!

Day 2 BFL Challenge

Well the hard part is over. Starting. Now all I have to do is take one day at a time for the next 83 days and I'll reach my goal.

Getting up today was traumatic. 6:30am is when NIGHT SHIFT workers arise! Arrrgh. I DID get up though, had a little pity party and then just did it. Took the dogs for a big long walk and made myself a leisurely breakfast before work, omlette with feta, tomato, basil, parsley and red onion, as per yesterday. Do you know what? I actually enjoyed it once I got moving. It was very pleasant, not many people around and sunny and warm, not hot. Beautiful.

They say habits take 28 days to form. 2 down, 26 to go!

Eating all of this food is a bit confronting, you start feeling really hungry, even though it feels like you just ate! I'm thinking of taking photos of my meals and posting them here, so I can remember them when I'm stressed or busy and can't think of anything to have. Not that I'm a food stylist, but I do like to think I can cook well, Donna Hay watch out!

Cardio tonight, I'll have to go off to bed a little bit earlier I think! I have to avoid as many negatives as I can so that I keep it going. Positive association. I read somewhere that a lady uses extra soft scented towels for her workouts and makes sure to have a relaxing bath afterward as a reward. Subconciously, we need thing like that to feel good when we are cultivating new habits.

Body For Life 12 Week Challenge

I thought it was appropriate to post an old school weight lifter chick, Rachel McLish, Ms Olympia 1980 herself, because I have decided I need to get back to basics. What a role model!

I'm ditching the Warrior Diet for a Body-for-Life type plan. Although I HAVE increased my muscle percentage, my body fat has only changed minimally. I enjoyed the freedom that comes from eating one meal a day, but wanted better results than I was getting. As I progress, I might go back to it, I think there's some very good science behind it. That's the problem I guess... there is reasonable science behind A LOT of different diet plans, that is why most people are hopelessly confused! Also, I'm afraid it is slowly wearing away at my resolve NOT to go back to my disordered eating. My attitude towards food of late has been less than stellar, and I was finding myself restricting again in an effort to speed up my fat loss. BAD IDEA, I know. *sighs* I really don't want to go down that self destructive path again, so I'm turning around now, while I can still see the forest, so to speak!

Based on Skwigg's great results (I've been a secret fan of hers for a long time) I've bit the bullet and committed myself to a 12 week Body for Life Challenge. That means lots of small meals, with emphasis on protein and workouts 6 days a week, 3 weights sessions, 3 cardio. There's a cheat day every week and a sleep in too. (Ahhh.... bed. I love my bed.) I'm not sticking to the BFL plan exactly, I'll use it as a rough guideline with most of my nutrition coming from whole foods rather than protein bars, shakes and products. I'll use a shake or two here and there but not every second meal! The whey protein I use is cold filtered and plain, with no flavours or sweeteners, mixed with water.

Unfortunately, because I'm from Australia, I can't actually enter the comp. So, I thought I might enter this one instead. Not quite the same prize pool (pity, the extra cash would have come in handy :)), but it is the same length and gives me something to work towards, a tangible goal. Besides, it's not about the money, it's about how I feel, setting and achieving goals, self esteem and discipline. I have never in my LIFE been able to get up out of bed at 6:30am! Not that I didn't want to or that I had no alarm, the reasons to get up just weren't good enough and my bed is so cozy and warm.... Ah, no, I'm NOT a morning person! So even if I can achieve THAT, this attempt will have been worth it.

I printed out a diary with every day for the next 12 weeks, workout plans, meal plans, actual meals, milestones and measurement goals. I've also taken some before shots and stuck them on the fridge with the date. As I complete each month, I'm going to take a new photo and stick it up there alongside the original. So motivating! I've outlawed banned substances such as biscuits and there is a strict edict that will be enforced regarding chocolate consumption and location. I've set alarms and reminders on my phone until DECEMBER (I've TRULY lost it this time), 6:30am wake up call for my morning workout, 10:30am snack, 12:30pm lunch, 3:30pm snack. They've only just been set today and already they were helpful, I got busy at work and almost forgot to have the mid afternoon mini meal! Whoops!

So Day 1, so far, so good! I'm feeling very motivated now I've committed to this plan. Anyone else out there doing it? Let me know!

Meal 1: 2 egg (free range) omlette with chopped tomato, spanish onion, feta, coffee
Meal 2: Protein shake, apple, water
Meal 3: 2 tandoori chicken legs, 1 cup of fruit (pineapple, strawberries), water
Meal 4: 1 cup of beef and vegetable curry, herbal tea, water
Meal 5: Steak, steamed carrots, roast beetroot, roast onion and tomato gravy, diet coke (slaps wrist)
Meal 6: Protein, piece of fruit, herbal tea

Today's exercise: 6:30am 45min pilates session, 6:30pm 45 min weight training - arms

Day 2 here I come! Yawn, got to go to bed, early start tomorrow. For once! haha