The days are so much shorter and the nights have recently got cooler. And it is so easy to let the grams creep in and on.
The next thing you know it is 31 August and you need to lose 5kgs by Spring!!!!

This does not have to be the case Not this year! 

2018 can be a different year. You can even lose weight.

Just because the temperatures are dropping doesn't mean that the cms and kgs have got to stop.
4 Steps to Look Awesome by 31 August

1) Start Each Day with a Full Tank.

You don't drive all the way to Plett and then fill up with petrol. You fill up at the beginning of  your trip and during the journey. 
It is the same thing with your body.

Eat in the morning.

If eating is not your thing then drink your breakfast! It's quicker too.

Take a handful of frozen berries, 2 scoops of protein powder, a mix of milk, double cream yoghurt and water to make 300ml, a spoon of flaxseed and 5 almonds
Whizz it up and drink.

OR
Whisk 2 eggs with a dash of milk, and add grated cheese. Pop into the microwave for 4 minutes at 80%

Boom! You're on your way.

By eating breakfast you start your day off with balanced blood sugar levels. 

Eating regularly throughout the day will help to keep your metabolism working efficiently and your digestive system will be more comfortable. 

• So have some nuts packed in your bag. 
• Take a salad with tuna and olive oil for lunch.
• Put some biltong in a ziploc bag for the ride home.

By the time supper comes around you'll find that you're not as ravenous and you eat less.

​2) Watch Your Drinks
The colder months make it so much easier to indulge in milky, creamy drinks. Who doesn't like a hot chai latte on a winter afternoon?
Or a hot chocolate on the sofa after supper?

I find that when I have a hot milky drink then I cannot help but indulge in the rusks or muffins or biscuits.

So not only does the chai latte have up to 8 teaspoons of sugar but it doesn't stop you wanting to eat too. 
As a result... you take in more calories. 
And really would you sit down in front of the sugar bowl and eat 8 teaspoons? 

No, I didn't think so! 
Instead choose herbal teas. There is a such a variety these days. I have discovered a lovely range by Carmien.

And you can make your regular rooibos more interesting with lemongrass stalks, ginger root and lemon slices.

​3) Be Prepared
Set aside an evening a week to set yourself up.

• Prep the carrot sticks, cucumber and celery sticks.
• Make a big pot of soup that you can leave in a container in the fridge and decant into smaller amounts for during the week.
• Sit down with your family and plan the meals for the week ahead. When your kids are involved in the planning and shopping for the meals then there will be less of the "AAAHHH Mom, I don't eat that!!"

Here's waht to pack for the office - 

• Soup 
• Carrot sticks - cucumber - celery sticks - baby tomatoes - cottage cheese - hummus
• Take salad leaves and tuna - chicken - pilchards  and add the above to make a bowl of salad
• Boiled eggs - Avos
• Corn cakes - Rice cakes

4) Get Enough Sleep
If you're getting less than 6 hours of sleep a night then  you're 60% more likely to be overweight!
Tired people eat more.
Because two hormones linked to appetite regulation are altered.

Ghrelin and Leptin
Ghrelin stimulates hunger.

Leptin sends a message to your brain to say you're full and switches off your appetite. Less sleep means that you have higher levels of ghrelin. You're going to be hungrier. 

Less sleep means that leptin will be lowered. You're not going to ever feel full and satisfied.

Plus a lack of sleep stimulates cravings for sweet, processed foods - think, muffins, cakes and chocolates.

Your goal is 7 - 9 hours of sleep. What time do you need to go to bed?
Let me know...
 

​So this week I thought I'd focus on something that we all have...
FAT.

Good news though - Fat doesn't make you FAT!

In fact it is essential to our ongoing good health.

Not only does it help our body to absorb vitamins and minerals, it also produces and releases hormones that affect your organs. 


But now don't get all complacent about your body fat.

There are 2 different types of fat.
And where they are found is critical. 

Just like in real estate, it's a case of Location, Location, Location!

There is subcutaneous fat.
This is the fat that lies below your skin. It keeps you warm and cushions you from a fall or bump. It stores calories.
It is PINCHABLE.

The other type of fat is Visceral Fat.
It stores calories too.
It is found deep inside your abdominal cavity. It surrounds your organs. It is Firm to press.
It is not squishy and pinchable. 

When you have too much visceral fat it can increase your LDL cholesterol. That is the bad kind.
It can also increase your blood pressure.
Visceral fat makes your body less sensitive to insulin which can increase your chances of Type 2 diabetes.

​Having a greater ratio of visceral fat is linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, strokes and other chronic diseases like Alzheimers.

Belly fat also produces inflammatory molecules that go into your blooldstream.

​Continuous long term inflammation puts your body under severe stress. 
As a result we become one big hormonal imbalance.
And that is a topic for another day. 
So since you can't spot reduce fat around your tummy what can you do?

4 things.

1) Keep track  of your measurements. They are far more telling than the scale ever will be.
I have been tracking my measurement for 17 years, of and on!!

When you lose cm you're losing FAT.
If you're losing Fat then your risk of Type 2 diabetes and other lifestyle diseases are decreased. 

2) Sweat each day. 
Belly fat responds well to endurance exercise that raises your heart rate. Running, biking, swimming, rowing are going to help.

3) Choose to eat foods that are whole i.e. they aren't packaged and processed - vegetables, lean protein and healthy fats. 

4) Sleep - get 7 - 9 hours of sleep  per night. Your body needs time to repair itself. Lack of sleep affects your appetite.

Back in 1995 I took a product – tablets – to lose weight.

The weight had crept up as it does when you finish school and your lifestyle changes.
Less exercise, later nights, poorer food choices, more coffee, more alcohol.

Next thing you know there's someone you vaguely recognise staring back at you.
And clothes are more skin-tight than skimming...

So I took the tablets. That lasted about 36 hours. A racing heart and runny tummy later I was done trying diet tabs!

What did I do about the weight?
I did join a gym for awhile.
I was conscious of what I ate for a time but...

it wasn’t until I saw a photo of myself from my European Tour that I realised I needed to do something.

And then serendipitously, I met a group of people who spoke about how by feeding the body good nutrition, the body could start o heal itself and lose weight.

I went on to lose 7kgs and drop a dress size.

....this is me in 1997 with my brother and me today!

So whether you’re starting your weight loss journey (or maybe it’s AGAIN),

finding yourself in the middle and on a plateau or

are working on maintaining your new found goal weight (which is way harder...) here are some ideas to keep you on track.

1. Wherever you are START NOW

Instead of focussing on the total number, what can you do right now to get moving in the direction of your goal?

So turn your focus to THIS day. What can you do right now?

Print a food log or download an app to track your food?
Menu plan for the rest of the week?
Leave your desk or house and walk for 5 minutes?
Do a No Sweat Workout that will leave you burning calories for the next 24 hours?
 
2.  Lose the Guilt
Release yourself from the woulda, shouldas.
You can’t go back and change them.

Of course, you can moan and whine about how you fell off the wagon.

But what will you do next time a similar situation comes up?

Surely you’re not going to do the same thing again?!!!
Be prepared.
Try this when you're wanting something sweet at the end of the day - 
Pop a frozen banana into the blender with a good serving of Double Cream Yoghurt, cinnamon and peanut butter.
Whizz it up and enjoy yumminess. 

• Have the biltong ready.
• Cut the carrot sticks so they’re ready to dip into the cottage cheese or hummus.
• Pack the nuts into your handbag.

And acknowledge your wins, your progress. Of course, you’re not going to celebrate with food. Find other ways...

3. Think of using pros for help
Maybe having a few sessions with a personal trainer will add value to your gym visits and give you the added accountability you need to keep on going.

A visit to a dietician or nutritionist could help you figure out what new foods you could introduce into your family’s menu This would benefit all of you.

A health coach can help you to stay on track and holds you to being accountable so that you can reach your goals. They’ll provide insights about food and lifestyle choices.

It can be useful to have someone with an impartial view be there to support you.

4. Reach out to friends and family
Let them know that you’re working on your health and weight goals.
Tell them WHY you’re doing it.
When your family knows WHY they can be more helpful and supportive towards your end goals.
You might even get yourself a “coach” who’ll keep you on track.

5 Make a plan
Meal planning sounds confining but when you know what you’re meant to be eating then there’s less chance to make poor choices.

• Aim to add veggies to every meal.
• Try adding a new fruit or vegetable to your menu each week.
• Most of us have a small selection of recipes that we use all the time.
• Try a new recipe twice a month.

It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut and eat the same foods each week.
<< Test First Name >>,You Are Not Alone.

Weight gain happens and it isn’t overnight.

It’s a result of a series of actions. Don’t give up or feel defeated.

It is way easier to change the ship’s course a few degrees at a time than to swing it around a full 180*.

What was your wakeup call I’d love to hear from you.