Weigh In 30/7/11 + This Week!

This past week has been an interesting one.  Been so busy at week, lots of training and meetings.  

We had a training session on Tuesday night 4pm-7pm, now, last time we had a training session they bought snakes and lollies and other things that were generally not going to assist me with my weight loss.  Unfortunately I gave in and had the snakes and lollies, I felt disgusting afterwards, and I ended up having a really bad week and gaining 1.9kg.  But that's all in the past.  This time I can prepared!  I bought a WW Peach and Cinnamon Muffin from Muffin Break, a can of Pepsi Max and some Rockmelon. 

WW Muffin

Pepsi Max

Rockmelon

I was so proud of myself that I made the effort to plan and take the healthy food with me, and not eat any of the bad / un healthy food that was left out for us.  


I also made the effort to pack my gym bag incase we did get out of my training early, and lucky enough we did.  It gave me half an hour to get to the gym, which lucky for me was only 5 minutes away.  I managed to get in run and also a double rounds at boxing!! Absolute killer!


As City2Surf is looming only 2 weeks to go.  I have really started throw myself into the running.  I have done week 1 of C25K, which is a running program designed to get you from the coach to 5k.  For me, because I am still overweight it definately does push me to the limit (and the people at Jabout can vouch for that, they always hear me screaming at myself to push harder!), but the running is something I definately want to keep up and not give up on because it gets harder.  I just need to keep remembering only 14 training days to go!!


This weeks weigh in was a little disappointing.  I had track all my food, trained like a wolverine:

And only had a loss of 200g.  Now I know most people would say, and I say it to other people- its better on than off, and its true.  It's just a pain in the ass, when you train hard, you eat right and you lose 200g.  


In a effort to be better for next weeks weigh in.  I went to the pool and did a 2.5km swim, and then got home, woke up this morning and it says a loss of 1.1kg!!


I was like damn body- you couldn't get it in to gear for yesterdays weigh in!!  Oh well, atleast I have a jump start on next weel, but by no means will I be relaxing.  I will be working hard for it every single day!

Weigh In 23/7/11

I know this blog post has been a little while coming- but I'm back more motivated and ready to smash it!

The weekend before last I knew that I had a pretty bad week and knew it was going to reflect poorly at weigh in and it did I gained a massive 1.9kg.  This was the kickstart that I needed to get me back on track.  

Last week I tracked every single morsel and liquid that went into my mouth and was rewarded with a massive 2.5kg loss!!

Starting Sunday I thought time to plan for an awesome week! I headed down to the pool, got my 1.5km swim in and had great tracking all weekend.  I feel pretty awesome where I am at in my journey at the moment.  

I have realised that for me I need to make sure that I plan everything and always have healthy food options at the ready like- fruit and yoghurt in the fridge, jellys armed and at the ready.  I mean not that there is any bad food in the fridge at home, its just I might have a Weight Watchers Apple Crumble bar, but instead of stopping at 1 I will eat maybe 6!  Something that I definately am addressing for myself

One of my close friends sent me the below picture which has really inspired and motivated me the last week:

This picture is so very true, nothing comes easily you have to work hard for it the rest of your life!  Hard work is definately something I know about I know that if I dedicate myself to it, I will achieve it, I just needed to focus on it and not let anything break it!

Release The Real You

Release the real you

Convined a long- held love of chocolate or yo-yo dieting is sabotaging your slim-down efforts?  Gabby McMillan reveals how to change all that and rewrite your weight loss future.

Excuses roll of the tounge, don’t they.  “I skipped the gym because work got in the way”.  “My cravings always get the better of me- hand me another chip”.  “Mum’s never been into exercise and I take after her”,  Repeat negative comments enough times and they will become true, says Tara Diversi, a Sydney based dietitian and co-author of The Good Enough Diet.  Clinical psychologist Dr Michelle Pritchard agrees.  “People do have a tendancy to reinforce their beliefs by behaving in a way that’s consistent with what they think is true – whether it can be helpful or unhelpful”.  But what if you could learn from past mistakes, ditch the excuses and fulfil every goal on your list?  Well, according to the experts, it’s possible.  Here’s how to lose self-defeating labels and take control of your future.

“I’m a yo-yo dietier and always will be”

If your weight rises and falls more than a Bondi Beach tide, themn this is for you.  Yo-yo dieting is tough on your body and mind because it stops and starts, all the while pressuring you to feel as though you have to be perfect.  This ultimately leads to failure, so the cycle continues.  Diversi says the first step is to believe you can change and find a big enough reason to follow through.  Start by changing your focus from dieting to having a healthy lifestyle.  That way, you can take baby steps in your quest for good health.

Dr Pritchard always recommends working slowly and consistently towards your goals.  “Having unrealistic expectations will only increase the chances of failure and readopting the unhealthy labels”.  Diversi agrees, adding.  “Cut yourself some slack.  Stop trying to be perfect and you’ll get better results”.  So, focus on the positive by asking yourself what small, healthy changes you can make in the short, medium and long term, instead of making all or nothing statements such as “I’m never eating chocolate again”.

“I’m hopeless with regular exercise”

“What we say to ourselves control how we act and what we think is possible”, explains Dr Adam Fraser, an exercise physiologist and co-author with Diversi of The Good Enough Diet.  “If you often says, “I’m not an exercise type person”, then that limiting label will stop you from exercising”.

Dr Fraser says the key to moving past the negative labels is to challenge them.  “Ask yourself whether this label is accurate, realistic and optimistic”, he advises.  “Anyone who can move can improve their ability to exercise.  If you believe you are hopeless at exercise, find something you enjoy, start at a level you can handle and seek out workout buddies to increase your enjoyment”.  Just remember, these labels won’t disappear overnight, adds Dr Pritchard.  “Many people have adopted or held onto these negative labels for a long time, so they will take time to work through”.  You can change your behaviour only if you first change the way you think.

“I can’t resist fads”

“People will always be enticed to try the latest craze, since we tend to repeat patterns” says Diversi.  So if you’ve tried everything from shakes and pills to meal replacements and detoxes, remind yourself that these techniques don’t teach healthy sustainable for life.  “Before repeating that pattern again , ask yourself what will this mean for you in the long term”.  Diversi advises.  Healthy goals should include moderation, not total deprivation, otherwise your weight loss attempts will be impossible to maintain (who wants soup for 2 meals a day for the rest of their lives?).  Elizabeth Hanley, co author of No Problem! Says it’s common for people to get caught up inan overpowering sense of urgency when it comes to losing weight.  “When we expect too much from outselves to fast, we are doomed to fail”, Hanley explains.  Pressuring yourself with unrealistic, short term focused goals such as “I’m off carbs because I have to lose weight for my birthday” – will mean your success will only be short-lived- and the weight will swiftly be regained.  Hanley’s advice for ditching fad dieting for good?  “Make small changes towards healthier eating and you’re more likely to stay on track for life”.

“I’m the funny big girl”

Don’t see anything wrong with this self deprecating label?  Think again.  While some labels may seem harmless.  Hanley says there can be negative messages lurking beneath the surface.  “It’s important to change all negative labels because we are what we tell ourselves”, Hanley explains.  “It’s great to see yourself as funny – that’s a good label – but choose another word instead of seeing yourself as ‘big’.  When you feel good about who you are on the inside, your outside appearance will slowly change towards a healthier you”.  Dr Pritchard says focusing on individual strengths not only make you reach goals more successfully.  Instead of letting the “I’m the funny bigger girl” record play on repeat, change it up so there are no damaging undetones.  While you can’t erase your previous weight loss experiences, you can develop a better perspective for the present and future, which can help you achieve your healthy goals.  “Use this history as a motivator for change and rescript your perspectives for the way forward” Dr Pritchard says.  “Self – defeating labels may take time to change, but if you start by slowing chipping away at them, then your goals can definately be achieved”.

4 steps to the new you

Start small with these simple tips from author Elizabeth Hanley

-      Check your self talk- Write down all your throughts daily.  Even if you only do it for a short time, you will learn alot about how you view yourself and eradicate old, negative thinking

-      Create no fail envirionment – Plan ahead and keep healthier altertnatives handy so that you’re not tempted by unhealthy food choices

-      Surround yourself in positivity- Spend time with happy,motivated and encouraging people and keep positive messages around the house and stay focused on helpful thinking

-      Be open to setbacks- When they happen tell yourself, “It’s okay to have setbacks, I’ll keep moving torwards being a healthier person”.

C  Courtesty of Weight Watchers Magazine

My Week- 10th July - Week 28

My Week- 10^th July- Week 28

Keeping track of your weight loss

Tracking everything you eat and drink is a key to successful weight loss

Research shows keeping track of what you eat and drink can have a positive effect on your weight loss.  Without tracking, it’s easy to think you’ve eaten less than you actually have.

Research shows people can underestimate what they’ve by up to 50%

Choose the method that suits you:

1.     1.  The list maker- If you’re the kind of person who loves pen and paper list making, using your tracker.  It has a 12 week tracker for meals and a space to check off your healthy choices, activity and fluids.

2.     2.  The savvy onliner- If you have easy online access throughout the day, try tracking with the plan manager.  Not only can track your daily Propoints values, you can chart your weight loss progress, modify recipes and save your favorite foods and recipes.

3.    3.  The techy type- The new Weight Watchers iPhone app is perfect for techy types.  It puts tracking in the palm of your hand wherever you go.  You can also use your mobile phone to take photos of your meals to record later or send yourself a text or phone message of what you ate to record in your tracker when you get home. 

Give yourself added flexibility

If you have a social occasion coming up, flex the Propoints Plan to work around you.  Here are three ways to get the most out of a social week:

1.     Use your weekly Propoints allowance.  It’s your spontaneity stash!

2.     Up your exercise.  Earn some activity Propoints values to spend

3.    Focus meal choices on Filling and Healthy Foods which are lower in Propoints values

4.    Munch on 0 Propoint fruit and vegetables to keep you full without tapping into your Propoints budget

Drinking your fill

Weight Watchers dietitian Emma Stirling explains why drinking fluids is important to your weight loss

Water is really the most essential nutrient, so make sure you are not ignorning this important part of your tracker.  Absence of water soon leads to life threatening dehydration.  Even mild dehydration, equivalent to losing as little of 2% of body weight, can lead to a drop in mental and physical performance.  Let’s explore:

Water and weight

When it comes to weight loss, maintaining hydration is important.  Fluid is required for digestion, absorption, transportation, dissolving nutrients, elimination of waste products and body temperature and body temperature regulation.

However it’s important to realise that water is not a magic substance that can flush fat out of the body.  An adequate fluid supply can support weight loss efforts as water has no kilojoules. 

Drinking water before or with meals can also slow down eating and some studies suggest it can curb your hunger.  Sometimes thirst can be confused with hunger, so staying hydrated can help prevent non hunger based, overeating

Water wise

A hydration status differs from person to person, fluid requirements will also differ.  It is affected by things like your kidney function and how much body water you lose each day.

A good personal guide is to keep check on the colour of your urine which should be light or clear, not deep coloured. 

The Weight Watchers Good Health Guidelines recommend 6-8 cups of fluid (not water) a day.

For good health and weight loss it’s great to aim for half of your total fluid as plain or sparkling water.  New research shos that caffeinated beverages do not have the diuretic or fluid loss effect previously believed if you are a regular consumer.  So the rest of the daily tally can be made up of all alcohol free beverages, including tea or coffee. 

Tip- Down a glass of water or two while you’re cooking or before a meal

Keeping score

Weight Watchers exercise consultant Allan Bolton shows us how to track our exercise Propoints values accurately

Measuring exercise

There are several ways to measure exercise intensity.  These rang from very complex methods, requiring laboratory equipment to simple, more practical evaluations of how you feel during exercise.  The most common is Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) where intensity is rated as low, moderate or high.

Know your RPE

A good way to make RPE work for you is to establish perceptual anchors to work from ie on a scale of 1, zero= sitting motionless and 10= the hardest you could possibly work at a particular activity.  Moderate intensity sits somewhere in the middle.  The RPE low, moderate and high can be used to estimate activity Propoints values.

When using Weight Watchers online activity tracker Propoints vakues awarded to exercises are based on published intensity values for activities chosen. 

Whatever the method used, all total energy cost values for exercise are based on intensity x duration per kilogram of body weight.  Changing any of these will affect the number of activity Propoints values earned. 

For Example- A person weighting 75kg will earn more Propoints walking at 6kph (constant intensity) for 30 minutes (fixed duration) than a person of 65kg (different weight).

To make your activity Propoints accurate, simply be as honest as you can with time, intensity and current body weight. 

Is sweating an indicator of fitness?

The purpose of sweat is to help cool the body.  Whether someone glistens or drips does not indicate how hard they are working, it merely indicates how effectively they sweat.  Factors such as temperature, humidity and clothing worn also have a significant  on sweat production.  If the same person performed the same exercise in far north Queensland (AUS) and Dunedin (south NZ) the intensity would be the same but sweating rate would be very different. 

Weigh In 9/7/11 +10%

Today was weigh in day and normally before weigh in I tend to get all sweaty palmed and panic and wonder if I had done enough to lose weigh.  Not today!  I knew that I had, had a good week and was expected about a 1.3-1.5kg loss, to my surprise and also my weigher and leaders surprise, I took off a massive 2.5kg!  I couldn't believe it! I was so stoked

My loss this week

Then she also told me that I had reached 10% of my body weight loss, and was presented with my keyring!

This week has just been awesome! Now I'm just focusing on next week and how I can make positive choices and aim for another great week!

Weigh In 2/7/11

Okay so I had weigh in on Saturday and it didn't go according to plan.  I had, had a good week up until Thursday when a friend invited me out to dinner.  I thought okay- you know I've had a good week.  I've only used 10 Propoints out of my weekly stash of 49, I'll make a positive choice and it will all be fine.  Boy was I wrong!

I got to the Coffee Club and ordered diet coke- no Propoints, and grilled chicken on turkish bread with lettuce, tomato and some kind of sauce was on it.  This would have to be one of the healthiest things on the planet!  But at weigh in I gained 0.9kg.  I couldn't believe it.  I thought I've worked out hard, I've ate well.  But this lesson has showed me that I can't do this so close to my weigh in day!

Gain

Tracking this week

Tracking

Tracking

I left my meeting not feeling at the good about myself.  Just disappointed and frustrated!  But then I had an epiphany and thought, Look- you are the only one that can change what happens from now into the future- There's no point feeling upset and down about what's happened, shut the door on it and move on.  That's exactly what I have done.  I've had a good weekend and will have an awesome week!

Now its time to forget about that week and focus on moving forward and having a kick ass week this week!

My Week 26th June- Week 26- This Weeks Meeting Book

My Week- 26th June

Habits for a Healthy Weight
Successful slimmers have healthy habits in common.  Want to know what they are?

1.  Tracking- Writing down everything that passes your lips brings awareness to what and how much you are eating.  It's the most effective way of thinking about food choices

2.  Regular Exercise- Research shows that exercise not only aids weight loss, it helps keep it off as well.  Make exercise a part of your daily routine.

3.  Portion Control- Measuring and weighing your portions in order to get the correct Propoints value is an essential part of effective tracking.  

4.  Sort your surroundings- Organise your home and work environments to support the food choices that will help you lose weight.

5.  Plan ahead- Planning ahead healthy meals and ensuring you have all the ingredients on hand, helps keep you on track.

6.  Moderation - Learning the art of flexible restraint is important for weigh loss.


Warm Up with a hot cup

Hot choc o'clock
Chocolate is probably the best known mood food thought to trigger the release of endorphins.  Endorphins are natural opiates in the brain know to block pain and produce euphoric feelings.  Just remember you can have too much of a good thing.

Smart switch- Ditch the grande hot chocolate with whipped cream and syrup
Go for- A teaspoon of cocoa or drinking chocolate with 1/2 hot water and 1/2 skim milk


Yes Barista
Coffee is the most common all round pick me up.  A low dose of caffeine is classified as being between 80mg-250mg of caffeine per day for adults or the equivalent of 1-3 cups of instant coffee per day.  Caffeine doses within this range have been associated with increases in mood, alertness, efficiency and concentration.  However even at this low dose, caffeine has been shown to interfere with quality of sleep in some individuals, especially if consumed in the late afternoon or evening.  


Smart switch- Ditch the full cream lattes with caramel swirls.  
Go for- Small skinny lattes or good quality plunger coffee with a dash of milk

Tea Time
There's an explosion of teas on the market these days from black and green to herbal blends with floating botanicals.  In winter a little spice can make all things nice and blow away those winter blues, so try chai and other teas with aromatic compounds.  Both black and green teas have powerful anti-oxidents .  Plus where would we be without a peppermint brew to cleanse the palate after a meal.

Smart Switch - Ditch the sugars in your tea
Go for- An alternative sweetener or naturally sweet, fruit flavoured tea.