The peril that is a weekend at the coast

Hey y'all

So I trust my American pals had a good Memorial Weekend? We had a long weekend as well, yesterday was Africa day here in the Southern African region and so me and a few friends decided to head to the coats for some r&r. It was lovely, as well as a peril to my hair and health journeys.

On the hair side - salty humidity is NOT cool. Even though I am freshly relaxed, my hair puffed up like yeasty dough before being beat down with fists. My ends indicated to me that they need extreme TLC as they puffed more, indicating dryness and lack of protein, so I am on those missions. I will relay exactly how in my #WashdayExperience post later this week. 

The BIG peril was of course to my diet and routine. Holy Moses!!! Vacations, even mini ones can prove fatal to a structured eating plan, even if you stay in a self catering chalet and not a hotel. It was an entire cheat weekend, but one learns from one's mistakes and thus I wish to tell you guys what I picked up this past few day:

• Have your "cheat" meal consist of 75% lean protein and then 25% veggies. This weekend I managed to still steer clear of carbs and starches. High protein meals means feeling fuller for longer so you won't be tempted with ice cream stands on the beach. I did slip slightly and realised my body really doesn't like carbs anymore so it really isn't a big loss. I felt annoyed and irritated from the sugar spikes it caused and I'm so over it.
• It may be a vacation, but don't sleep in too late. Sleeping in too late means missing breakfast, heading straight into brunch/lunch and over eating. It happened to me both mornings of my weekend away and it led to the most guilt. So, next time, I am going to get up at the same time as always, have my usual breakfast and thus eat normally over lunch. Over eating piles on the calories. 
• Small coastal towns are awesome for walking, so leave the car and actually walk around. I did manage to get some of this in, but after a certain time in the afternoon the weather didn't really permit it. the mist and the fog was so dense, I would have walked straight into the sea, lol. 
• Have 100cal snack packs on hand, depending of course on your itinerary whilst on holiday. It helps you to keep within your calorie limits without feeling like you're starving or depraving yourself on vacation. And I'm talking healthy snacks like nuts, seeds, biltong. NOT sweets and candy and cookies and biscuits. 
• Last but not least, don't beat yourself up if you've crossed the calorie line a few times. Just pick yourself up and start over. Today is Day 1 for me all over again, but it's not like I gained back the 18 pounds I've lost so far in the space of a single weekend. So my attitude will be as if I did, keeping myself in check and being as strict with myself as I was when I started my program 6 weeks ago. And the result will be that hopefully I will shed another 7-9 pounds in the next couple of weeks. 

Essentially at the end of the day, never give up, I've learned that now. Just because one cheats once in a while (and now I'm talking only about food people!!! Don't go getting ideas, lol!) does not mean that all efforts up till that point has been a waste. Trust me, it has not. Don't beat yourself up, accept that you're only human, that mistakes will be made AND that you didn't gain the weight in a month, so stop expecting to lose all of it in a month. To lose and KEEP the weight off requires a life style change, and those are pretty hard if it's too drastic, so slipping here and there is not the end of the world. Just remember that you need to keep a handle on yourself otherwise it turns into the slippery slope and you end up gaining 20 pounds. 

Anyhoo, this journey kicks my butt sometimes, but I'm not giving up, in any way, sense or form. 18 pounds down, 63 pounds to go. There's no stopping me any time soon. 

Have a great week everybody!!!

New rules, new staples.

Hey there everyone

So, I told y'all that i am on a weight loss journey. Anyone who is anyone that has ever attempted one will tell you that this tends to be on of the hardest things you'll ever do. Temptation is everywhere!!! As a consequence I have learned a couple of things over the past few weeks that I've been on a new journey and hopefully the last one ever. At the end of this I plan to be slender and strong and STAY that way. So I figured why not do a quick #fitnessfriday post on a Tuesday?

One of the things that I have learned is to prepare food ahead of time. It stops you from giving into stupid cravings which will end up being the down fall of your weight loss plans. The second thing, and I feel that this walks hand in hand with beforehand preparation, is to do smart grocery shopping. I am one of the laziest people you will EVER encounter. They say most women dream of finding the perfect partner/husband/man/ect. Me? I dream of being able to eat whatever I want and NOT gain weight. Because that is as far removed from my reality as me getting it on with Captain America, I needed to get smart about what I actually buy at the store and thus have in my house.

Hey there good looking!!

Fish has become a staple. And I specifically look out for cuts and pieces and brands that allow me to either microwave or steam or oven bake, that way avoiding preparing it with any additional fat. Fish fry is out of the window for me, and honestly, I don't miss it.

Steamed Thai curry hake, steam vegetables and a side of chunky guacamole. Took me about 15 in total to prepare.

Lemon pepper oven baked hake, caulirice and a herby tomato salsa. 

Oven baked haddock fillet and Greek salad using apple cider vinegar and herbs as dressing

My staples! 

As y'all can see, I vary the taste of my fishy meals but one theme runs through out - each one of these plates that you see has less than 250 calories in energy, are very low in fat and has next to zero carbohydrates. They're delicious and don't taste like diet food. Remember, eating healthy does not mean eating bland, tasteless food.

So, what has been your saving grace in the quest to live healthy (and perhaps shed a few pounds?) Till next time y'all!

My other journey

Hey there y'all

Yes, I am on  a bit of a weight loss journey as well, only this time it's different. 

I have almost always been on a diet! My whole life I have been chunky, husky, chubby, fat, obese, a risk to my health and life and I am busy changing that. I am on this journey with my GP by my side. I take supplements up the wazoo, I have cut out practically all starches, carbs and sugars, I drink water like it's going out of fashion and I am trying to eat as clean and organically as possible. Weight loss is 70% nutrition and 30% exercise, and trust me I have been focusing on my nutrition.

So, in the coming weeks I am planning to update y'all more frequently here on Fitness Fridays, but I didn't want to start until I could see for myself that the discipline is actually paying off. 

so, without further ado:

Changes aren't always huge. But now that I can see an actual change and difference I am super motivated. I will not give up, I will not relapse, I will soldier on, I WILL make it. 

PS I lost 13 pounds in one month. Only a million more to go (well that's how it feels in my head, lol)

Have a great weekend everybody!!