Kefir for digestion

Photo courtesy Tot Snob

Oh how I love my kefir!

Since I've been drinking kefir (see here for more), taking coconut oil and applying it topically, my dermatitis has disappeared. I'm amazed. Nothing has worked for me like this! Also I've found my bowel movements have improved, I'm not as hungry, I don't get a bloated feeling and.... I'VE FINALLY KICKED MY FLU!! Oh and I've maintained my weight, despite the lack of training these last few weeks. It just goes to show that good nutrition is 75% of the battle when it comes to losing weight. "If exercise is the father of health, nutrition is his wife."

This has been the morning ritual:

Kefired Banana Smoothie

1 1/2 cups freshly made kefir
1 ripe banana
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon unpasturised honey
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch cinnamon
Handful of ice

If I know lunch is going to be late I'll also throw a raw egg in there too.

I wanted to give the body for life challenge a red hot go and I've lost the momentum from a few weeks ago. So, today (since I'm feeling so much better) I've decided to start my challenge over. I've got my first weights session in three weeks (...gasp!) - arms tonight. I wonder how I'll do? If I've lost strength or maintained?

Another little detail... because I've been so sick for so long, I'm going to kick start my training with a 21 day detox. I've just finished reading Dr Joshi's Holistic Detox. Hopefully it will give me the energy and build up my immune system against another unwanted relapse. (Yes, don't chastise me because I've read another nutrition book! I'm working my way through the whole library...)

To Enjoy

The emphasis is on lots of fresh akaline forming greens, proteins (I'm using vegetarian sources - fermented soy, cottage cheese, feta cheese, yoghurt, kefir and eggs), whole grains and legumes (avoiding wheat or yeast) and cold pressed oils.

To Avoid

Sugar, wheat, yeast, gluten, alcohol, coffee (caffeine), fruit (except bananas), red meat and all artificial or processed foods are not allowed. Dairy is limited.

I eat very healthy already, but this will step it up a notch to help me recover more quickly.

I ate a cookie.

Photo courtesy Dessert comes first.

I ate a cookie. (Ohhhhhh YEAH.... Cookie high)

No, it's not a reason to PANIC and jump on the treadmill for 4 hours! Why? Because "cookies are a sometimes food" (to quote the Cookie Monster).

I aim to eat clean 90% of the time and indulge in treats SOME of the time. I don't feel guilty, I enjoy it. That way, I never feel deprived and start eating mountains of rice crackers to fill the empty place that says "I want a cookie, I want a cookie, I want a cookie, I want a cookie, I want a cookie!!!!!" Rice cakes aren't cookies silly! So, I eat a cookie! But not rubbish low fat cardboard ones, I'll have the BEST ones I can find, made from real chocolate and butter just like Mum used to make.

Or maybe two. : ) I love free days.

MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH...

Since I've had this cold the momentum of my challenge is seriously under threat! So when I'm better, instead of just adding more weeks on to the end, I'm going to start over, take new photos and get back into it. If something is worth doing, it's worth doing PROPERLY. Right?

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.

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.

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!

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!

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