I said you're the good kind of fat!

Okay so we all know there is no secret spell to instant weight-loss or ultimate physique improvement; there are no magic pills, no special slimming drinks, no perfect quick fix diets either.

It is all about the healthy, sustainable approach to getting your results. An equation almost, the more you put in-the more you get out. But, there are tricks and tips for speeding up those results or ways of ensuring success.

I have 2 words that may scare you when you think of losing weight and they are: FATS and CARBS and it is such a common misconception that these food groups are the enemy. They are not, in fact we need them in our diets in order to function let alone to have a healthy body and lifestyle. 

A lot of people take on the idea that removing fat from your diet ultimately removes fat from you. So instead you might make the mistake of choosing low fat alternatives to common full fat products, -and I don't want to be the one to break it to you, but more often than not these are doing you more bad than good. Low fat products tend to replace the fat content for sugar in order to keep it edible and tasty. You won't notice the difference in taste with low fat products because they are made to be pleasing (sugar sugar sugar) but you may just see the consequences on your waistline. 

So, instead focus on getting the right healthy fats that are imperative foods for maintaining healthy skin, weight-loss and all round body health. 

Healthy Fats that you can enjoy include: Fish, nuts and seeds, avocado, olives and olive oil, coconut oil and eggs.

Why are fats so good?

• Fats that are rich in Omega 3 Fatty acids are great for your brain and heart functions
• A leaner, improved body composition. 
• Supports thyroid function which helps to regulate our bodies fat
• Losing weight is easier with healthy balanced hormones-you guessed it, fats affect cholesterol which makes hormones so good fats=good hormones=good progress.
• They are filling, which means you don't need to eat as much to feel satisfied.

And remember:

Eat Clean, Train Mean, Look Lean

It doesn't happen overnight - It took me 2 years

Instant coffee. Instant technology. Instant photographs. Instant meals. Instant transactions. It seems that everything these days is instant – it is all about how fast things can be done and how quickly something can be accomplished. We want it fast, and we want it NOW!

We don’t want to wait for anything anymore. We are so accustomed to everything being done straight away that ‘patience’ is pretty much never heard of.
I personally believe that our society’s obsession with instant everything is a huge contributing factor to why so many people give up on their goals. (And I’m sure also why people often get caught up in the phenomenon of fad diets that claim to give you results in mere weeks or days). As with everything else in this world, it’s as if we have come to expect change to occur almost straight away… and then when that doesn’t happen we get completely bummed out. We feel frustrated to the point of giving up.
And yes I am totally guilty of this. I would be lying if I didn’t admit to it. Numerous times in the past I have wanted to (or even have) given up on my goals because it’s seemed like all the effort and hard work wasn’t paying off. It’s pretty deflating when you are seemingly doing everything right – eating well, exercising regularly and yet nothing changes. It’s easy to get caught up thinking it is all a complete waste of time and effort. But then you have to ask yourself ‘am I putting a realistic time frame on this?’

It has taken me 2 years to get to where I am today. I had ups and downs within that time, I lost weight, I put weight back on, I went hard out at the gym, I stopped going to the gym, I had so much motivation, I lost all motivation. Its a vicious circle sometimes and when you don't see those changes almost immediately it's disheartening and it's no wonder people give up.
I eventually got the point where I realised this can't happen anymore, I wanted a toned, fit body and I wasn't going to get that if I didn't put in the effort and keep going. It's happening slowly but the weight is dropping off, the muscle is building and I'm slowly but surely getting more toned.

I tried oil pulling for 2 weeks: here's whats happened

When it comes to natural remedies, treatments homemade products, I'm pretty much a sucker for anything. So when I kept hearing about oil pulling, the new cool craze I was definitely keen to give it a go.

Oil pulling, also known as 'kavala' or 'gundusha' is an ancient dental technique that involves swishing a tablespoon of oil around your mouth on an empty stomach for about 20 minutes. This action supposedly draws out toxins in your body, primarily to improve your oral health but also to improve your overall health.

How I got my abs back - The 2:4:1 diet

It seems like forever ago I decided I would start the quest of searching for my abs again. And I did for a while, they come back slightly and then Christmas happened and they disappeared. Getting back into clean eating and focusing on exercising again was a struggle and getting those baby abs to come back out seemed so out of reach.

It was about 2 months ago that I decided to make a serious effort to get that body back that I was proud of and that feeling of being healthy again and its been paying off. In 2 months I've made a real change mentally, my new diet and cheat meals seems to work well with how my body responds to food and funnily enough I have stressed less about training and just focused on doing 3 gruelling sessions with a trainer a week, 15-20 minute Pilate sessions 4-5 times a week and some yoga when I need the down time. I haven't pushed myself, exhausted myself or felt guilty from having days off training and the kilos, centimetres and fat seems to be falling off quickly, something that doesn't easily happen for me.

My training sessions are focused on my whole body but I have been putting in some work around my core and abs but mainly for me the thing that helps those baby abs pop is diet.
This year I decided I was really going to focus on eating whole foods, work out how my body responds to different foods and minimise the amount of dairy and wheat I was eating and the easiest weekly meal plan was following a 2:4:1 diet.

2 DAYS OF FASTING

4 DAYS OF CLEAN EATING

1 DAY OF FREE EATING

 

THE FASTING DAYS - No this does not mean I don't eat for 2 days. These are 2 non-consecutive days where I restrict my calories. I don't calorie count so I'm guessing that I would cut it down to around 600-700 calories for the day. This just involves me eating very simple and clean meals for the day. I try to eat a minimal amount of meat and focus on eating mainly vegetables, miso soup and if I have meat it's a very small amount and very lean. I drink copious amounts of green tea on this day to help with any hunger but one fasting day always comes after my free eating day so I am generally not hungry anyway.

THE CLEAN EATING DAYS - I follow my everyday clean eating days for 4 days a week. Vegies, fruit, lean meats, healthy carbs, healthy fats which help me maintain my weight and give me energy for the days especially when I am weight training.

THE FREE EATING DAY - I probably couldn't do a full day of eating whatever I want because I would be sick, so for this day its about 70% clean eating and 30% treats. I'll enjoy chocolate, dessert, burgers, pizza - whatever I want in small amounts or for just one meal. This satisfies my cravings enough to get me through for the next week.


After 2 months of following this way of eating I have made some really great changes that I am so happy with in my body. This diet works so well for me because if I completely stick to a strictly clean and lean diet without a cheat or relaxing I become miserable and that's when I end up binging. The cheat days not only get my metabolism going, but they keep me in line to not overindulge. The fasting days are much easier for me to do so I can enjoy a treat, not feel guilty and also lose fat at the same time.
It's not only my stomach that is now showing definition but I am losing cm and toning up everywhere. I recently had a bioscan done to see where my body was sitting and I have gained 1.2kg of muscle, lost 2.3kg of fat and my body fat percentage has dropped 3.5%. I love seeing the transformation again and with just under a year to go till the wedding I am on the right track to be the hottest bride for my fiancé! 

Maintaining a balance between a healthy lifestyle and a fun social life

Over the years, my biggest dietary challenge has been maintaining a fit body while still having fun. If I ate alone and went to bed early, I knew I’d be feeling skinny in the morning, but hand me my best friends, my fiancé or a Sunday breakfast and my limits would go out the window.
The sad truth is, it’s easier to lose/maintain weight if you avoid social events. The real challenge is when life gets in the way of your own “plans” and causes you to reassess your clean eating diet.
I know many women (including myself) who have turned down dinner plans or a night out with friends because of their diet. Salads and going to sleep early may get you that flat stomach, but what is the point of it if you can’t show it off?
How can you maintain your weight without skipping out on fun life experiences? Your best bet is to avoid sabotaging yourself. I’ve slowly learned how to balance diet through trial and error, and I would be lying if I said this wasn’t still somewhat of a weekly challenge for me.
Over time I have realised some helpful tips in achieving a balance of food and fun:

Do you need to elimate sugar or fat to lose weight?

I recently came across an article about the effects of sugar and fat to your body and how this affects your weight loss.
When starting on a new diet regime everyone has their idea on how to lose weight; no carbs after 5, no fat, no sugar, raw until 4, run 10km a day - the list goes on. But I'd say the most popular thing we have been told is to cut out carbs (including sugar) or to go on a low fat diet.