Last night’s seminar “Eating for fat loss – The balancing act” was a huge success. Thank you to everyone who attended!

Although I originally capped numbers at 12, I eventually ended up having 15 clients and 2 trainers attend. My apologies to those who missed out, I will have another one in a few weeks, so please register your interest in the comments section or via email directly to me.

I know we went a little long on time, wrapping up in just under 3 hours, there is still more I could have gone through, so what I will do is go over some of the important things.

What is stopping you from reaching your goals?

When I walked in this morning, up on the whiteboard was the list of reasons everyone gave for not achieving their goals, so I want to make that list here so you can be aware of what is holding you back and focus on changing it.

I am creating the list in the order you said it and the way you said it;

• Too many carbs
• Meal sizes
• Skipping meals
• Not being organised
• Drinking alcohol
• Inconsistency
• Laziness
• Boredom
• Escapism
• Socialising

So taking a look at that list, I can see that a lot of them relate to each other.

Why are you eating too many carbs, eating meals that are too big and skipping meals? Because you are not organised, lazy and inconsistent!

Why do you drink too much alcohol? Because of escapism and socialising!

If you are eating because of boredom then get a hobby!

These are all easy things to fix, you just need to put half as much effort into your own health as what you do into making your boss rich!

Insulin and fat gain.

Remember that when you eat just carbs, you will spike your blood sugars and release insulin. While this insulin is circulating, you will not use fat as a fuel. Balance your meals with carbs, protein and fat to moderate the effects on blood sugar levels.

The Glycemic index

Carbohydrates aren’t categorised into good carbs and bad carbs because I have something against them. I am merely the messenger, they ruined their own reputation when they were tested on the glycemic index, they have no-one to blame for their poor social stigma other than themselves and what they do to your blood sugar levels.

Food charts

Use those food charts wisely. At last there is a precise way to say what a portion should really look like. No more guessing and wondering why you are not losing weight. They are really easy to use, it may just take you a week or two to get used to it, but if you want me to go back to the work example, when you first started your current job, did you know what to do and find it easy on day 1? or day 2? No, like anything in life, it takes a bit of time to adjust to it and learn how to use it properly to get the full benefit from it!

Supplements

If you are trying to get a portion of protein at every meal without using a supplement, you are setting yourself up for failure.

How often do I hear things like;

• I missed morning tea because I was in a meeting or I was too busy.
• I didn’t have any protein at breakfast because I just didn’t have time to cook eggs.
• I had to just have [insert garbage food from foodcourt here] because I was at the shopping centre.
• I don’t normally get drive through, it was just because I was on the road a lot today.
• What protein can I possibly have with fruit?
• I’m sick of eating tuna.

I think you get the message.

There are a lot of products out there and most of them are so full of chemicals, you would be better off eating the box they come in, but I have combed the internet and health food shops and here are my pick of products;

Optimum Nutrition 100% why protein Natural, order at www.vitaminking.com.au/100-natural-whey-protein-by-optimum

Phyto Protein 100% Pea protein isolate, order at www.vitaminking.com.au/phyto-protein-pea-protein-isolate-by-logical-nutrition-pty-ltd-vital-greens

PureFit all natural protein bars, check them out at www.purefitaus.com/about-purefit-bars and order them with me directly and you won’t have to pay the $10 postage. Clients only.

Forum

The best way to move forward with the information that you have is to talk to others when you have a question. This is why I have set up this forum, so that any questions you have I can answer and at the same time, I am probably answering for 10 other people who also had the same question. So please post any comments about last night or any questions you have about your eating to the forum.

Firstly, I would like to congratulate everybody on a great effort. I can see big differences in a lot of people.

Your comments on the blog are really inspirational for others, so please keep them coming. If you have got something to share that you think will help others along the way to better health, please post it up for everyone to see.

So just via enrollments, we raised $754 and whilst I am disappointed that people caved during the month, I am super excited to see how much we raised via misdemeanours and sponsors.

Please donate your money, send me the receipt and I will put the tally up for everyone to see.

I hope that from this month you will have made a few changes to your eating habits. Below are the things I would love to see you take away from this month into the future;

Alcohol only on special occasions and no more than once a week

Cakes and sweets only on special occasions and no more than once a week

No sugar in your caffeine

Only multigrain bread

No soft drink ever

Cut right down on white potato

Cut right down on white rice

If you can cover those bases, you are doing alright!

Once again, well done everyone, please post your results and your experience for others to see and get inspired by for next time.

OK guys, we are now into the last week of SUGARFREEFEBRUAREE.

There have only been 2 people making confessions and only 2 people making their praises of the program. I am positive that many of you need to make confessions and many more of you have some great things to say about how you are feeling this month.

So, let’s hear it!

And by all reports, the amount raised for Haiti is growing with all the slip ups I am hearing about.

Good luck with week 4:)

Wow, this sugar free month has flown by, there are only 11 days to go!

As most of you know, I have been on holidays and as such have not been taking part in the sugar free festival. The difference is that I have been living sugar free almost everyday since NOSUGARVEMBER started with the exception of 4 days.

What I noticed when I was on holiday is that I didn’t want sugar as much. I am a self confessed chocolate and donut addict. Our cupboards have been full of chocolate since Christmas and our intention was always to take it on holidays with us to eat. We had a biscuit or two and realised we didn’t actually want it, so we threw them out. Now bear in mind, we were not being strict at all, we gave ourselves free passes to eat whatever we wanted on the holiday, but we actually didn’t want it. About a week into the holiday when the chocolate had just been sitting there staring at us with no desire to eat it, we just threw everything out as it didn’t even taste the same to us anymore. I went to the shop to get some donuts as I have been hanging out for some since my birthday last year and guess what… all that anticipation and I didn’t enjoy them that much. Normally my favourite sweet treat ended up a huge disappointment.

So you’ve just got to stick with it to kick those cravings and habits.

Now since I’ve been back, I have heard many mixed comments, mostly just in passing, but I would love to hear what you have got to say here on the blog so that others can read and might associate with it.

I’ll just tell you some of the comments and make of them what you will.

“I’m struggling big time”

“I have found it really hard and haven’t been as strict as I was in November”

“I’ve lost 5kg’s”

“I didn’t know I couldn’t eat white bread”

“I’m really struggling with the alcohol” and same person “I feel so much better without drinking alcohol”

“I’ve lost another 2kg’s”

“I’m struggling with the alcohol” and same person “I don’t think I want to drink again, I feel so much better, it stops you feeling depressed”

That’s all I can think of at the moment, I am sure there were more though, mostly about how much they are struggling with no alcohol. Is it not scary to think you cannot give up alcohol for 28 days? I haven’t ever harped about alcohol much, but let me just say that alcohol is a toxin in the body. It is really bad for you and it affects your organs and your sanity. If you feel you cannot give it up for 28 days, then you need to give it up for 28 days, for your own sake!

One more thing, I hear a lot about people wanting to eat after dinner and asking what they can eat if they can’t eat dessert. It is not necessary, you just ate dinner! It is a habit that you can get out of.

It is time to take responsibility for your own actions, if you want to lose weight, you have to be a bit uncomfortable. You might have to skip dessert and you will have to drag your butt out of bed in the morning. Far too many people want life handed to them on a platter and they spend their whole lives waiting for it. Good luck if that’s you, you’re best to resign yourself to a life of mediocrity and whinging right now.

Enjoy the next 11 days of sugar freedom and yes, I am back on the sugar free wagon now too:)

Well we are into Day 2 of sugar free February. We have got 29 people enrolled. We have raised $754 so far for the Haiti Earthquake appeal and I am hoping we can crack the $1000 mark with sponsors or late enrolments.

I am really excited you have all decided to kick the “white death” for a month to see how it feels.

What I want you to achieve out of this month is seeing how much sugar you would normally consume and seeing how you feel when you don’t have it.

It is not a crack pot diet that I want you to all starve yourself. Take a look at the meal plan, it is only a suggestion, but it is a healthy eating plan, so please don’t come to me telling me you just ate roast beef all day because you didn’t know what else to eat!

Avoid sweetening your food with any other type of sweeteners natural or artificial, that will hardly help with your tastebuds.

Don’t find ways to justify having sugar, it is just a major cop-out. For example, having a beer when you finish an adventure race…..

After this month, I am not expecting everyone to give up sugar for ever, but hopefully your tastebuds will have changed a little, you will see that you feel better and weight less, so it might encourage you to cut right back on it and only have it at special moments.

Good luck everyone, like I said, I am super excited, so stay focussed, eat healthy and be happy.

Here is the enrolment list, but it is not too late to join…

Adam M, Tori E, Jo J, Kirsty D, Tim S, Deb M, Kelly P, Jovana P, Kate H, Finn C, Damian A, Monika P, Jess C, Emma H, Danny C, Rachel C, Luke C, Abbey M, Louise W, Cass K, Darrin P, Leonie, Genevieve S, Louise G, Kristin R, Greg D, Kim H, Jane S, Sheena C

Here’s a few things that work for me on the go or at work.

Firstly, plan ahead. Take food from home or at the very least know in advance exactly what you are going to buy for lunch. Don’t just wander aimlessly into the food court and hope that the salad is more appealing than the meat pie, because I’ve got news for you!

Takeaway is expensive, make your lunch at home!

Check out this quick and easy salad to have for lunch or dinner – Yummy Salad

If you get breakfast at work, try poaching your eggs in the microwave – I put boiling water into a cereal bowl, crack in 2 eggs and put in the microwave for 1min 15 seconds. Drain off the water and eat.

Breakfast in the car, bus or train on the way to work – Protein shake bircher muesli – I mix up a berry protein shake and add my serving of rolled oats. Leave over night and drink it down on the way to work.

Always have a packet of almonds in your drawer at work for a snack with an apple.

Sanitarium natural peanut butter is ok spread on crackers. All others have sugar and oil added.

If you have any tips of your own, please share them with us.

I make this salad to serve with any protein accompaniment. It is so easy to make at work, you just wash all the ingredients and throw them in a bowl with the dressing of your choice. No chopping or cooking required.

3 in 1 sprout mix from the fruit and veg shop – It has alfalfa sprouts, snow pea sprouts and mung beans. The brand I get is “Belmore Bean” and it is called “3 in 1 combo”. Chuck in as many as you like of each type.

Grape tomatoes – The tiny ones at the moment are so sweet and juicy. I use about half a punnet for myself per serve.

Baby spinach – As much as you want, the stuff is so good for you.

That’s it, wash it, dress it, eat it with your accompaniment.

The following food plan is an example of what you can eat and be considerably reducing your sugar intake. Whilst you can follow is exactly if you want, you don’t have to, it is merely some suggestions. You can tweak it to suit your own tastes and goals.

Last Saturday was my duaghter’s 2nd birthday party. We had all the usuals that you would find at a kids b’day party and I decided this was a good a time as any to partake in some of the treats.

Now this was the first sugar I have had since New Years Eve.

I didn’t feel bad or anything after I ate it, I felt fine, but I did notice one very important thing. The next day I wanted more. I was craving sugar bad! 

So I guess what I am saying is that to make it easy on yourself, you have to go cold turkey. A little bit of sugar here and there in February will only make it harder on yourself. And cost you a donation!

I know that living sugar free is near impossible, but doing a month of no sugar definitely helps to reduce the sugar from then onwards in your diet. You would have to be a robot to live sugar free all the time, but choose your moments wisely and you’ll enjoy better health and your ideal weight.

With the success of NOSUGARVEMBER  last year, I have had many requests to do it all over again, but this time let’s make it worthwhile.

Last week there was a major disaster in Haiti, so I have decided that we should band together to raise some money for this very worthy cause.

To sign up for SUGARFREEFEBRUAREE you must donate $25 to the Haiti earthquake appeal. You then send your receipt to me and you’re in the challenge.

So what is the challenge?

From the first day in February to the Last day in February, you are going to give up all sugar.

Here’s the rules:

Put your name down in the comment section of the Blog to sign up.

Donate $25 to the Haiti earthquake appeal and send me your confirmation.

https://www.oxfam.org.au/donate/current-appeals/haiti-earthquake-appeal/email? 

or

https://www.redcross.org.au/Donations/onlineDonations.asp

When you mess up, which I am sure you will, at least once. You have to write down what you did on the blog for everyone to see. This alone will help to keep you on track. There is nothing like being accountable to keep you on track, let alone being accountable to everyone in the challenge!

Every time you mess up, it will cost you $10 towards the earthquake appeal. Write it down when you mess up and donate at the end of the month.

Get others to join you. The more people who join, the more people we will get off sugar and the more money we will raise!

Get others to sponsor you. The more people who sponsor you, the more likely you are to stick to the program and the more money we can raise! $1 per day that you stay sugar free is a good starting rate.

No refined sugar at all.

No sugar in tea or coffee.

No artificial sweeteners either! 

No cakes, chocolates, lollies, soft drinks etc

No bottled fruit juice

No alcohol

No dried fruit

Only 2 serves of fruit per day. If weight loss is not your goals then feel free to have more than 2 pices of fruit per day.

No sweetened yogurt

No white potato

Only mulitgrain bread if you must have bread

Only basmati  or brown rice if you must have rice

Pasta no more than twice a week

If you follow this, you are sure to trim away the bodyfat. I don’t like to make outrageous comments, but I am positive if you follow these rules, you will get leaner!

It really doesn’t take that long to change your tastebuds and reduce the amount of sugar in your diet. Try it for 28 days and see how you feel. Other than being thinner and healthier, I bet you won’t crave it as much either!

So what are waiting for. The challenge that will make you healthier and leaner is now going to raise money for a great cause!

Put your name down in the comments section with anything else that you might like to say and follow one of those above links to donate your $25 registration fee. Start telling people what you are doing and why you are doing it. Get them to do it with you or sponsor you if they need their sugar too much.

I am hoping for a huge list of names!

More details to come, but to get you started, check out the NOSUGARVEMBER folder

 http://blog.fittabodies.com/category/nosugarvember/

28 days to sugarfreedom!!!