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FREEBIE: Belly Flattening 4 Day Meal Plan - Click Here

4 Steps To Look Awesome By 31 Aug

29/5/2018

 

BONUS: BOOST YOUR METABOLISM - Free 4 Day Meal Plan + Recipes​ Click Here

Updated: 23 Aug 2019
Last week I spoke about taking time and I did - how about you? 


I did crocheting in the evenings and on the weekend. 

And I worked on a couple of mandalas. Here is one that I completed...

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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! 

This year 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.

Recipe
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
Recipe
Whisk 2 eggs with a dash of milk, and
add grated cheese.
Pop into the microwave for 3min30sec 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. 

  1. So have some nuts packed in your bag. 
  2. Take a salad with tuna and olive oil for lunch.
  3. 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.

BONUS: BOOST YOUR METABOLISM - Free 4 Day Meal Plan + Recipes​ Click Here

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​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.

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​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 what to pack for the office - 
** Soup 
** Carrot sticks - cucumber - celery sticks - baby tomatoes - cottage cheese - hummus
** Take salad leaves and tuna - chicken - pilchards  and make a bowl of salad full of fibre & protein. 
** Boiled eggs
** Avos

BONUS: BOOST YOUR METABOLISM - Free 4 Day Meal Plan + Recipes​ Click Here
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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...
Now you have 4 steps. 
Choose 1 step and get it working for you.
Add another step after a week.

In effect, you are layering new ways one step at a time.

This will have  a greater impact on your health in the long term rather than trying to do all 4 steps immediately. 

If you'd like help in getting this plan into action, set up a call with me here. I'd love to help you!

BONUS: BOOST YOUR METABOLISM - Free 4 Day Meal Plan + Recipes​ Click Here

5 Ways To Get Back On Track

10/5/2018

 
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.

Boost your iron - a recipe - and... have you got a fussy eater? recipe for them too!

8/5/2018

 
Here we are in May! The first 4 months have flown by. 

Are you like me and wondering how that happened?
Yup it's just crazy how the days are melting into each other.

So normally I send you an email on a Tuesday but as yesterday was a holiday and I figured you probably wouldn't be looking at email, I delayed it till today.

This last week for me has been a bit of  mad round-about. There's nothing that I can put my finger on and say that is what set it off. It just was a mad week. 

Maybe it was just because it was a short week... who knows!

This week I thought I'd share a couple of recipes with you.

This one is a variation on bolognese....

The extra ingredient is chicken livers and this is to add iron to your diet. 

If you remember iron's job is to bind a haemoglobin molecule to a red blood cell. 

When you don't have enough iron then you can become anaemic.
When you're anaemic your body has less of an ability to carry oxygen in your blood.

As a result you may start to feel tired and have less energy.
  • Headaches and dizziness,
  • irritability and
  • an overall paleness in your cheeks, tongue, lips and skin and
  • a fast or irregular heartbeat
are all signs of anaemia.

Bolognese Recipe
  • 500g of lean beef mince
  • 250g of chicken livers
  • 1 onion
  • crushed garlic
  • 1/2 cup of lentils (red or brown)
  • 1 chopped or grated carrot
  • 1 tin of tomato & onion mix

Method
  1. Melt a dessertspoon of coconut oil
  2. Add chopped onions and garlic
  3. Add chicken livers 
  4. Brown the chicken livers till they are no longer soft to press.
  5. Remove from the pan
  6. Add the mince and brown
  7. Chop the chicken livers or put them into a Twista or some such gadget to chop them for you
  8. Add back to the browned mince
  9. Stir in a 1/2 cup of lentils, tin of tomato & onion mix and carrot
  10. Use the tomato & onion tin and add 1/2 a tin of water to the mix
  11. Stir and season with salt, pepper and herbs.
  12. Set to simmer for 25 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent the lentils sticking.
  13. If needs be add extra water.
  14. With 5 minutes to go add 2 dessertspoons of tomato sauce and chutney.
Serve with wholewheat spaghetti, zoodles (zucchini spagetti), brown or wild rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice.
My second child is sooo different from my first. My first pretty much eats everything except and he will tell you, "mushrooms and courgettes". 

My second on the other hand will eat anything that his wonderful nanny feeds to him but...
when I offer the EXACT same food he will not touch it.

So fussy or power struggle I made these muffins which he does eat when I dont' offer them. (sigh)

Carrot & Courgette Muffins for your Fussy Eater
  • 4 cups of flour - I use 3 cups of wheat and 1 cup of rice
  • 1/3 cup of sugar or castor sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 2 carrots
  • 3 courgettes
  • 2 eggs
  • 120ml sunflower oil 
  • 120ml milk

Method
  1. Turn oven to 180*C
  2. Sift flour
  3. Add sugar & baking powder
  4. Grate carrots and courgettes and then put them through your Magi-Mix to chop them fine
  5. Add flour and sugar to Magi-Mix 
  6. Tip into a baking bowl
  7. Add eggs and milk and oil
  8. Stir
  9. The batter is quite runny
  10. Spray your muffin tin
  11. Divide the batter
  12. Bake for about 15-18 minutes
  13. Remove when golden and skewer comes out clean
  14. Leave to cool
Can be eaten on their own or with butter and Bovril.

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