FAD DIET FAIRY TALE - DON'T BE A SUCKER

POST New Years Eve, people get desperate to lose the weight, its so often a new years resolution that we've all made at least twice in our life.  Fair enough lets make some changes to be healthier and fitter.  BUT if you ever get the desire to try a milkshake instead of a meal, a prepackaged food, or tablets or a drink, a detox or some other crapola to slim down or whatever they promise.  I implore you not to do this, DON’T spend money on this.  This is ‘marketing’ at its most brilliant.

Did you know that diet product companies spend about 10 times more money on marketing and advertising than they do on the actual 'slimming' product!!!  They don't even care what goes in the product, they only care about the best way to sell it. (ie con the public)

Scientifically, there is no evidence to support any fad diet to date.  I’m talking since the early 1900’s – there is NO SCIENCE BASED EVIDENCE that even one of these have worked long term (i.e. kept the weight off, or kept the weight off for six months- even Atkins, especially Atkins, don't get me started on that fad diet disaster).  And trust me, five people paid to tell you that it worked is NOT evidence, its marketing, its paid actors, and its photoshopping. You hear that so and so knows someone who did it and it worked. really... I want to see them six months later please.

The bathroom scale may show some weight loss. Promises of losses of 5kg are water and lean muscle, everything you DON’T want to lose.  It’s like dropping the oil and fuel from your car; sure your car will weigh less, but it’s not going to perform is it, and sooner rather than later its going to need fuel and oil to sustain it.

People on diets are grumpy mothers truckers! because fad diets do not feed the brain or fuel the body, they just make you think of food constantly and your brain is hungry therefore, you get moody, impatient, short tempered, and quite frankly, a bit of a bitch.

On a fad diet, the scale weight you lose will be regained when you return to normal habits.  It’s very highly probable you will gain more weight than you initially lost, as your body has converted to fat storing mode until it returns to normal.  The icing on the cake is now you are financially poorer for it.

PLEASE PLEASE don’t fall for this bullshit.  These fad diet people don’t care about you, your health, your life.  They just want your money, they have spent millions on marketing, they want profits.

Save your money, save your sanity, save your heart, your brain, your kidneys, your gastrointestinal tract.

If you want to lose some weight, write down your goal, (6 months lose 10-12kg) break that goal down into smaller goals (lose 3 kilos first month, 2 kilos second month… and so on) Now write down your plans and preparations to make the clever changes to meet these goals.  Such as changes to eating, changes to physical activity, swap the drive to a walk, swap the chips to something healthy, changes to mindset (positive positive positive).

It’s a slow race sure, but you know what? So what !  It took me six months to reach my very first goal, then another 6 months to reach the next one.  I will have been at this for two years in April 2012, which is my latest goal to achieve, and Im planning for my next goal as I type this!

You must have a goal - break it down to smaller timeframes - plan and prepare.  Easy ! Free ! Sustainable ! Yours !

Slow and steady wins the race. Stick to the game plan and you will live longer and be more vital, be a clear thinking, stress coping machine, and remember to give time, time.

Day by day, you will be better than yesterday.

If you are unsure about food content and serving sizes please check out http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/n31.pdf

Easy Tips, Hints and Ideas for eating just a little bit healthier


A baked potato is low in fat, - the butter, sour cream and bacon bits sure as hell aren’t.  But they sure do increase your chances of blowing that top button off your waistband!

Try salsa, low-fat cottage cheese and shallots, as a topping or scrap the humble potato altogether and have roasted or mashed sweet potato, (no cream, milk or butter required) it’s delicious and you don’t need any toppings.  Bit of salt and pepper and you’re set.
 
If you typically pour gravy on your dinner, really limit the portion, if you love it that much.  Or alternatively, choose a chutney instead. The other night I tried Tzatziki Skinny Dip, Shaun thought it was okay, and I loved it.  Just a little bit – remember it’s all about PORTION CONTROL
 
Avoid excessive bread consumption, but if you love your bread roll, get multi-grain, and DON’T butter it!  Steer clear of white bread. White bread has a high-glycemic carbohydrate content.  This tells your body to increase the release of the hormone insulin. Insulin delivers the fuel from food to the muscles and stores it as fat.

The older we get the less carbs we need, so go easy on those carbs and ‘up’ the protein and good fats.
 
Resist the temptation to pile heaps of cheese on your plate, on top of salads, in your sandwiches and other meals.  Try low fat parmesan, but only a bit.  It has higher protein content than most cheeses and it’s got a nice kick to it.  Remember:  it’s all about portion control.
 
Christmas fruit is freaking amazing and I really have to control myself, too much fruit is NOT good for you.  One to two serves of fruit a day is plenty. One glass of fruit juice equals two serves at least.
 
Before you head out, or sit down to lunch or dinner, get some water into you.  Two big glasses straight from the tap.  (Bottled water is a rip off).   Sometimes, more often than not, when you think you’re hungry, you’re actually dehydrated!  So fill up with some water, wait 10 minutes then go for the food.  Don’t fall for the marketing genius of Gatorade, Endura, Extend, Vitamin Water, and all the other bullshit.  Tap water is all you need.  You only need electrolyte additives (isotonic or hypertonics) if you have just done a marathon, triathlon, cycled 80km plus, swam 20km or more or you have suffered gastro.

Water should be near you at all times of the day.  I do water dosing.  I continually drink water in small amounts throughout the entire day, especially in summer, in humid conditions and when exercising.  It’s surprising how well your body will recover from a workout if you ‘water dose’ continually throughout your day.  Too much water in one hit, is NOT GOOD.  Try ‘water dosing’.

If you are unsure about serving sizes please check out http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/n31.pdf

Any questions, please free to ask me, if I can’t help you, I’ll find you the information you require.  No information will be given without scientific foundation.  I actually do give a damn about you J



Get healthier, get happier, get going ! Be better than you were yesterday.

Friday is the best day to start a change in your diet.

Friday.  Best day to start anything new, and to make changes.

Your resolve is firm, and honestly if you can do one full weekend incorporating your changes, you’ve got it made baby!

Do physical activity both weekend days,(ease into it, but do get puffy and a little sweat going), eat a great breakfast both weekend days. Eat super healthy lunches and smaller portion nutritious dinners, and you will hit the ground running for that next week.

TRY THESE IDEAS TO HELP GET YOU GOING

1. reduce portion/plate sizes

 2. stop eating white – bread, rice, pasta, sugar.

(white carbs have a high-glycemic carbohydrate content.  A High GI tells your body to increase the release of the hormone insulin.  Insulin delivers the fuel from food to the muscles and will store it as adipose (fat) if it not burned /used up in moderate to high physical activity.

3. anything and everything dairy needs to be changed to ‘low’ to ‘no fat’ 
(kids after the age of four years do not require full cream milk or dairy products)

4. Drink water.  NOT fizzy, not juice, not milk. (tea and coffee is okay - don’t make your coffee on milk)

5. Increase your fibre intake.

Do this and your heart will love you, your brain will love you, your kidneys will love you, and your gastrointestinal tract will most especially love you. (that’s your poop maker)


Remember any changes, no matter the size, have to be preparedplanned, consistent, flexible and sustainable.   Nothing is ever easy first time out, practice these changes for three weeks until they are a habit.

Be better than you were yesterday x

The Tin Lids - (our kids)


They download every action we do, every word we say, every habit we have, every opinion we make.



We shape their principles, their attitude, their lifestyle, their curiosity, their behavior, and their education.  We can make them intolerant, tolerant, religious, atheist, hardworking, tenacious, diligent, overtly careful, mean spirited, annoying or fearless. We can make them fat, slender, athletic or slovenly.  They are but clay.  We absolutely have to take this seriously folks.  

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What we do, day in and day out, is being watched and stored as appropriate behavior, including how we eat, what we eat, when we eat.



I eat quite ‘cleanly’, so does my husband, Shaun, and our kids think that’s normal.  I will try every sport thrown at me, because I was given the opportunity to do so many different things as a kid, (thank you mum and dad xxx).  My kids think it’s normal to try every sport going. (It costs a lot of money these days, but it’s still worth it.)  We drag the boys along to the Defence Force gym on weekends and they hang out while we train. They grab a basket ball or football or nothing at all and start playing games they make up.   We don’t shove this lifestyle down their throats; we don’t even talk about it that much with them.  They see it; they watch us live it; it’s normal.



I do have rules though.



Some Rules for my Boys



Breakfast must be eaten. All of it.  No ifs, no buts no excuses.



Fizzy drinks, flavoured milk, juice boxes, any fruit juice, poppas – as rarely as possible – NEVER would be perfect.  (If you knew the crap that was in those drinks, you’d fall over with shock!)



The only takeaway they eat is pizza once every two months or so.  Shaun and I don’t eat the pizza, we will cook something like veges and chicken or lean meat, and we all sit down to eat together.



They can’t eat in front of the TV. They can’t eat if on the computer.



For every hour of computer or TV they owe us an hour “off” the TV or computer.  During these times they can read, build forts using all my linen, move their mattresses off their bed to make bunkers, go outside, practice their karate moves, do craft or drawing or painting, use my phone to make movies, or take photos (some funny stuff has come out of those activities).  The words “I’m bored” shit me, so they know not to use them around me, and so they go do something.



Very soon we are going to be cooking dinner together – thanks for that tip Jamie Oliver!  By the way if you get spare 20 minutes please watch the Jamie Oliver lecture (via the TED seminars) posted on my facebook page.  It’s all about what I’ve been saying – or trying to say up above.



Now my kids do get meat pies, or lollies, or chocolate or an ice cream.  But they don’t get these treats daily or routinely.  And again, when Shaun and I give the treats, we don’t eat any ourselves.



My 9 and 7 year old sons recognise nearly all fruits and vegetables in the supermarket, we make it a game when we go shopping. They know what protein is and what it does, and they know a little bit about carbs and fats. They understand hydration is vitally important and the colour and smell of their ‘wee wee’ tells them something (a must for living in Townsville).



We do encourage competitiveness (hello real world) combined with respect, discipline, good sportsmanship and that old lesson of “sometimes you win, sometimes you lose”.  We are preparing them to be good humans that live a long long time; and not give us arsehole grandchildren J


 

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The bit about kids watching our every move and making it their own is supported by these dudes below, and I’m sure a thousand other journal articles, but these are the ones I researched.



Bonnell, S. (2010) The effect of SHAPEDOWN on habilts and self-esteem for overweight and obese children.  Doctoral dissertation.



Cooper, R., Hypponen, E., Berry, D., Power, C. (2010) Associations between parental and offspring adiposity up to midlife: the contribution of adult lifestyle factor in the 1958 British birth cohort study. American Journal of Nutrition. 2010. 92(4) 946-953.



Golley, R.K., Magarey, A.M., Baur, L.A., Steinbeck, K.S., Daniels, L.A. (2007) Twelve month effectiveness of a parent-led family-focused weight-management program for prepubertal children: a randomized, controlled trial. URL www.cinahl.com/cgi-bin/refsvc?jid=783&accno2009529314.


Food Food Glorious Food .......... in moderation


A calorie/kilojoules deficit guarantees fat loss.



Fat loss is about achieving a calorie/kilojoules deficit.



It is not about how many days you walk, run, jog, ride, train, or lift. It’s not about your hormones, your genetics, your body chemistry, your body shape, your star sign or the latest greatest machine. 



It is just as simple as ‘calorie/kilojoules in’ versus ‘calorie/kilojoules out’



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That being said, achieving your calorie/kilojoules deficit with food alone is only 70% of the job.  The best way to achieve a calorie/kilojoules deficit is when you combine it with physical activity. The successful approach is to do this food/activity combo consistently. 



Consistency is achieved when planning and preparation is clear, flexible and sustainable. Goal making is so important. Without a concise realistic goal, (written down, and looked at daily), you will have real trouble sticking to your guns. Tweak your plans and preparation as you go along so it’s sustainable, enjoyable and flexible with your life, your kids, your family, your job, your partner, your mates, and your social life.  We have a hell of a lot to juggle, so make plans !



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If you increase your cardio, be certain your calorie/kilojoules intake stays the same.  If you do more physical activity you must stop yourself from eating more.



How many times do you hear people say, “I can eat this mars bar I went to gym this morning.”  WRONG DUDE, you are going to gym this morning to burn/use yesterday’s calories and this morning’s breakfast.  Remember why you have made these changes.  It has nothing to do with that mars bar.



Now I will never deny a person the right to chocolate. That would be insane. So have a mars bar (or packet chips or whatever) each fortnight if you want, but put it in your plan, and prepare for it.  Maybe you could plan your food for that day to be just a little smaller portion to accommodate your junk food fix. 



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Hope this helps. 

Any questions about anything?  I will do everything in my power to help you find answers. 








Be a better you, than you were yesterday




Let's get started!

So they tell us we are expected to gain weight and get a little worse for wear as we age. Well F**k That Champ!

This page is for women and men. Originally I had the word ‘menopause’ in the title cause that's why I started training to kick menopause in the face – maybe yours as well.
I’m 44. I’m not trying to be 20 again, I’m not trying to look like a pre-pubescent boy all skinny and shapeless, and as much as I utterly respect natural body builders, (and wow they are incredibly amazing!), I don’t have the determination focus and dedication for that type of training any longer than say 2 weeks.

But, I am going to be BETTER each day, better than I was yesterday.

I don’t have all the answers, but what I do have I’ll share with you. I’m a mature (ha!) aged student at James Cook University studying Sport and Exercise Science. Apart from my family, my first love is nutrition - eating it and the knowledge of it. My second love is looking like an Aussie chick should look – athletic. And of course meeting menopause head on and screaming in its face I DON’T THINK SO BUDDY, sure I’ll go through it, but on my terms thanks.

I have amazingly successful friends; academically and competitively and life experience wise, and I’m hoping they will also contribute to this page from time to time. hint hint nudge nudge slap slap

I don’t believe in fad diets/detox blah blah blah. They are complete bullshit and my pet hate; along with excuses.

I don’t want you to spend your money, I want to encourage you to spend energy and expand your thinking, show our kids the way, not just tell them.

FIVE BASIC STEPS I LOVE



  1. Food
  2. Exercise
  3. Goals
  4. Surround
  5. No Excuses!
FOOD: our portion sizes are waaaaaaay too big, sort that out, buy smaller dinner plates.
Find out what is protein what is carbohydrate and what is fats. All are awesome, find out which ones are best. Site to download/print keep
http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/n31.pdf

EXERCISE: you will need motivation to get you exercising for three weeks, then it’s a habit. just get your ass out there, put on your shoes and goooooo. Upside 1. makes your brain say 'wheeeeee' a lot more often. Upside 2. Homicidal thoughts toward loved ones dissipate. Upside 3. prepares your body for the rest of its life. Upside 4. what you thought was too hard too stressful seems very do-able right about now.

GOALS: I cannot stress this one enough ! No goal = no preparation, and no preparation = Nothing. What do you want to achieve? (let’s be realistic here) Now how are you going to get there? Give yourself a time limit and then break that time limit down to little goals along your way. My goals are as small as weekly ! but my long term goal is April 2012. Then I shall make another. Goals can be changed a little too, I cut and paste mine all the time! And if you fall off the horse, dust yourself off beautiful person, and get back on the damn horse.

SURROUND: yourself with people with strong goal orientation, and with people who are successful in anyway. This is really a no brainer ! My girlfriend is up here on holidays hitting the gym daily – awesome! One and a half hours a day out of her holiday, and she’ll probably go home fitter! I get to spend even more time with her – at the gym all giggly and shit lol. I have another male friend who’s goal every holiday is to come home lifting more, with less body fat! And they have epic food-beverage-a-licious, awesome holidays. My cousin is a triathlete 44 years old trains like he's 15, thinks a 'flat out' ride up Mt. Cootha is very pleasant - Lord knows he's a machine - hell my car couldn't do it. Surround yourself with success it rubs off.

EXCUSES: Uggghh I hate excuses. Piss them off. Don’t even start.
Too busy? well today all you have to do is 3 sets of 10 push ups, 10 reverse sit ups, 10 calves raises, 10 single leg lunges, 10 jump squats. Every ad on TV screams "jog on the spot and do three burpees each ad". Your kids will think you’ve lost your mind…. and I bet they join in! Making dinner? Every time you leave or enter the kitchen do five squats. Doing the dishes? Stand on one foot (curse those core muscles) then do 10 calf raises.

Still enjoy a pig out every now and then, but consider the portion size of it, and then halve it.

Any food, physical activity, rest or making changes, questions ? Ask me, I’ll help or find out for you.

There are no stupid questions EVER!



That’s it for now. Just remember be a better you with each day. Be better than yesterday.