Lifestyle Change

I think my head has finally gotten with the programme and realised that eating no wheat/sugar is permanent, not just 'to lose weight' like I've done before.

I'm not a zealot. I still occasionally have wheat and sugar but they are not part of my daily life.

Nigel Latta (for you New Zealand readers) did a documentary on sugar the other day and it confirmed everything I've been preaching and thinking about for years. I'm so happy the world is finally starting to realise the dangers and evils of this processed giant. Sugar is added to EVERYTHING. If fat has been removed you can be sure that sugar has been added in spadefuls.

I'm still losing weight very slowly, but I'm okay with that. My goal is still a couple of KG away and that's fine. I'm upping my exercise and toning exercises a bit at the moment, not to help with weight loss but for health and to keep my body moving. And for once I'm loving it as it's not an obligation or a chore.

Til next time
Zealous Girl

Second 'fast' day

I'm half way through my second fasting day and feeling good. This way of eating is working well. I ate basically as much as I wanted on my non-fast days, which wasn't over the top, but it made me feel like I didn't have to restrict, which always messes with my mind.

Next week I need to add some exercise back into my life. I need tone, I need muscles and I need endorphins :-)

How are you all doing?
ZG :-)

Apologies

Oh goodness it's been a long time since I last posted. It's not for lack of something to report, life just got so busy last year. Young kids, work, home business, family life... it's such a busy time and I haven't had time to read any blogs let alone write one, but here I am again... trying to find time :-)

I've been dukaning on and off all last year. Sadly on every 'off' I gained back some weight. I've got to the stage where my body is holding onto the weight and I'm finding it really hard to lose. I'm not actually overweight but I'm not where I want to be.

I heard of the 'fast' diet late last year and thought it meant 'speedy' diet and for those of you who have dieted you'll know there is no way to lose weight fast and keep it off long term. I got the book out of the library just for interest sake (I was skeptical) and I actually liked most of what I read. Really liked it. It's not 'fast' but about 'fasting'. Anyway after a lot of thinking I've decided to add 'fasting' into my life.

So two days a week I'm going to fast and eat only 500 calories but five days a week I eat normal. But by normal I'm still trying to follow a dukan/low carb type way of eating. I'm hoping this will help kick start my weight loss again and I'll finally be able to find a way to not gain all the weight back.

Today was my first 'fast' day and it wasn't as hard as I'd imagined and tomorrow I don't have to count calories or worry about watching what I eat. I'm hoping this helps me find a way to eat a normal healthy diet where occasionally I can have something I'm really craving. That's the hope :-)

How are you all going?

If you're interesting in watching the documentary on fasting, check this out: http://vimeo.com/54089463

Mobility Scooter to walk the dog

Yesterday I was walking along the beach where I live and I noticed a dog trotting along. Then I saw it's owner on a mobility scooter and it gave me a reality check.

• One day I'm going to be old. 
• One day my body won't move very well and I may have to use a scooter. 
• One day I'm going to look back at this time of my life and regret not using my body to the best of its ability. 

Only I can control what goes into my mouth. Only I can move my body and look after it. Only I can reshape it to the best that it can be. It's my responsibility. I can't blame Mcdonalds, I can't blame someone else. I'm in charge. The buck stops with me.

Therefore I propose that we all stop making excuses and take responsibility. When we pick up food we know we shouldn't eat... it's our choice. It doesn't matter than someone else may have brought tempting food to our house or convinced us to eat it. We decide what goes into our mouth.

So let's make the choice to be happy with our bodies or make the right choices for us, until we have the body we are happy with. I'm beginning to think that 'diet' is a very dangerous word. I've dieted for years, got to a good weight then gone back to eating normal and gained weight again. I have to find a eating lifestyle that allows me to stay at my acceptable weight. Something that isn't too hard that I can't keep it up. I also have to find a fitness routine I can keep up long term.

So far the way of eating that has worked best for me is a form of Dukan/Atkins/Low carb. I find avoiding wheat and sugar in 90% of my diet does the trick. This way I can occasionally have something wheaty or sugary which solves my craving problems and I don't tend to fall off the wagon and binge so much.

My weight has stalled this month. I can't seem to get any lower. I'm not far from my goal so I'm not too stressed. This month I'm going to concentrate on building up a bit of muscle as I notice I'm still quite flabby (skinny fat) and I'd like to be more toned.

Who do you blame for your weight gains? 

Five

My son turned five in the weekend and yes I did eat some cake :-) it was good! Although I must say I really notice how food with flour and sugar doesn't sit very well in my stomach anymore. Back to bacon and eggs the next day and it feels much better :-)

Speaking of eggs. We are baby sitting four chickens. FRESH EGGS. They are quite needy little madams and eat soooo much, but it's fantastic having the eggs. As you can imagine, egg is a major part of my diet.

The photo above is the sunrise last week from our deck.
Daylight savings has ended so it gets dark early in the evening again and the mornings are semi light again. So I'm back to hitting the pavement in the mornings, although I am incredibly unfit so it's slow going.

My weight is still plateauing although I feel like my clothes are a little looser. I'm not giving up this time. This time I'm in this for life. If I have a few days of slipping up, I just pick myself up and get on with it again. So far it's working for me :-)

Let me know how you guys are going!!

No April Fools here

It's April. Where oh where has the year gone?
I've been up and down a bit since my last post, but still working hard towards my goal. My clothes feel looser even if the scales aren't always my friend. 3kg left to go.... well, I HAD 3kg left to go before easter.... enter a few sneaky easter eggs.... oops. Eggs are protein aren't they ;-)

On a side note, I'm baby sitting some chickens for my inlaw's for two weeks. Hopefully it will be fresh eggs on the menu daily :-)

Exercise = zilch, but I'd like to change that once day-light savings ends and the mornings are semi light again.

Have a great week
ZG

Photo is my baby boy, turning 5 in five days....

Is exercise essential for weight loss?

One week with no cheating - YAY. Lost one kilogram (approx 2 pounds) which is just okay. I would have liked more, but I'm sure my body is fighting me because it's so tired of my yo-yoing... I only have myself to blame.

The key to sticking to my diet this week was preparation. Having lots of protein in the fridge, cooked and ready to grab at a moments notice, and some atkins bars for the times I was in a fix.

My hubby was beating me on weight loss all week but at the weekly weigh-in (this morning) I beat him by .1 of a percent. Go me!!!!

My thoughts on exercising to lose weight: 
I've been thinking a lot about exercise and how much is it really needed for weight loss. Now don't get me wrong, I think it's vital for a healthy body but this is what I've found when using it with weight loss:

1. I got within one kilogram of my true weight with NO exercise (doctors orders after an operation) so therefore it is not essential for weight loss.

2. Exercise makes me hungrier, which means I'm eating the extra calories (plus some) I've lost by exercising.

3. If I don't do a planned exercise session, I get guilty and often eat something bad to make myself feel better.

So I've concluded that for me exercising on a regular basis for weight loss, is a no go. It works against me and my diet. Therefore I will reach my goal weight THEN add exercise back into my life for fun and health rather than weight loss. So Zealous Girl is not running right now. ALTHOUGH I do exercise on a non-planned basis (hike with family, bike ride for fun) but it's not for weight loss.

What are your thoughts on exercise and weight loss?