Making progress...

Ok so checked in this week with my first proper weigh in!!!

Body fat: 25.3%
Weight: 74 kg [4 kg down]
Waist: 74 cm [7cm down]
Hips: 94 cm [4 cm down]
Thighs: 64 cm [1 cm down]

Feeling fantastic! And I can really see my body to take shape!

This week I wanted to talk about the major differences from my last journey of weight loss, compared to this time around [after baby!]

Last time around it took me most of 2013 to get to my goal and loose 15kgs!!! It was a long and hard and VERY rewarding journey...it was a journey of UPS and DOWNS...I focused mostly on exercising hard...and thought eating should be ok and kind of healthy...
My exercise routine included a couple of walks a week, in which I would add on a few sprints along the way to up the intensity and to burn calories. I would do at least 3 really intense home workouts, some of my own, some with friends. And I was doing a little kick boxing with friends! And yoga once a week.
I ate ok...not the best, but ok! Not much processed foods, but they did slip in there occasionally, and also sugar crept in my diet too ;-(

I got the results I wanted with hard work! And I think I installed some really good habits along the way [which is what you want!] Start off how you mean to carry on I always say.

SO WHATS DIFFERENT THIS TIME???

This time the weight is coming off faster! This time I am still exercising, but not as intense...This time I am eating Low Carb, High [good] Fat...and this way of eating is so the perfect answer to my prayers!!! My carbs are very limited, I almost never eat over 50 grams of carbs a day and my sugars are under 20 grams a day...and the little carbs and sugars I do end up having are not processed.
I eat loads of avocados...eggs...bacon!!!...cheese...cream [NO I do not even have milk!] cream cheese, BUTTER! mayo [always home made, not the store brought with those bad oils!] I do have veggies! Cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, tomatoes...mostly! The only fruit I have is a few berries!

Now I can imaging what you are all thinking!!! But don't you miss fruit?? Don't you miss bread?? and the short answer is A BIG FAT NO!!! I thought that I would miss fruit...especially water melon! being summer and all! But no...You see when you increase the good fats enough it eliminates your sugar cravings! [well it did for me!] AND the best part is my baby is thriving on my new way of eating and getting plenty of milk ;-) So its a big win win...

The main things I have noticed eating like this is that I feel fantastic! My mind is a lot more happier [not that it was sad before, but it just feels great!] and my body is heading in the right direction to get to my goal!!!

WHAT DO I DO FOR EXERCISE NOW??
Ok so I still exercise ;-) But I totally owe the weigh loss to the eating! The reason I say this is before I started eating like this I was exercising HARD! and felt like I was getting no where! The scales were not moving at all...measurements were slowly coming down, but not much. I do think exercise is so important as well as eating good ;-)
And as we all know when we are on a weigh loss journey the scales go up and down...well this way of eating its mostly down ;-)

So my exercise routine looks a bit like this:
Yoga once a week [love my yoga!]
Walk 2-3 times a week [so sprints! however I might start these up again in a few months as I really enjoy them!]
Home circuit 2 - 3 times a week...
HMMMM now you might be thinking this looks the same as before?? RIGHT? Well the difference is in my home workouts...I no longer slave away for an hour +, I do a quick 20 - 30 min blast! and in that I ALWAYS have a 5min high intensity. But it makes exercise a whole lot more achievable to do every day if you are not working out for over an hour!!!

One thing I thought about eating like this [and some of you might be thinking the same] is "oh gosh this is going to be REALLY expensive] Well actually I don't think it is at all...I am finding I am getting less at the supermarket! Because I am not buying chips, crackers, bread [only a loaf for the other half!] And YES you might be saying they are all the cheap food anyways...and YES they are, but the short story is THEY DO NOT KEEP YOU FULL! Where as a meal of loads of good fats keep you fuller for longer! Hence you eat less ;-)
This weeks grocery shop I am going keep track of and next weeks blog I am going to show you that it is affordable ;-)

If you want to check it out more the go to Aunty google and type in Low carb island!

Stacey x

My Happy Place...

Dear fit book...

I am away from home but I thought I better post a quick blog to keep up appearances! I will do my best to blog once a week, and I have also set up a private Facebook group called "my happy place" where I will share daily posts of exercise and food, and I will also share my progress photos so you can see every step of the way if you wish to follow. My journey may help you, it may not...just take what you want from it...feel free to ask questions, I can only give advise of my experiences, I am no expert ☺️

Today I wanted to touch on the topic of food! It has taken me a long time to learn to nourish my body, rather I used to eat because it looked nice and tasted nice not really knowing or thinking about what I was putting into my body or how it was affecting it. It's funny how long it can take us to wake up and realise this...I am proud to say that I eat at least 80% clean food!. It is amazing how great your body feels when you eat to nourish...I won't have McDonald's and the like...I won't have processed carbs...I just won't! To me that's not even worthy of a treat food, I used to think I was good when I "cut back" but now I realise it was not actually that much better! I feel that over the years I have "matured" in my way of eating and I feel I have finally "grown up" and have a good relationship with food and my body is thanking me for it...

Anyways that's it from me for this week, a bit boring I must admit...But next week I will share my progress to date and I will share the differences of this journey of wellness compared to the last (pre-baby) - they are quite different! Also what's in my fit box (exercise gears!) for my home workouts that I make up!

Feel free to leave comments! Remember to look up my happy place on Facebook ☺️

Good night 😴
Stacey

mum on a mission

January 21 2015
Dear fit book,

Welcome everyone to my journey, let me start by telling you a bit about myself. I am 35 years young! I am a parter to the luckiest man in the world [hehe] A mumma to four wonderful children, ages 9, 9 [yes twins!] 6 and 4 months. I am a photographer [part time business of my own] In a past life I was a Chef [in the Army!] I have been a swimming instructor [for babies and pre-school] Now I am a PT and Nutrition wannabe ;-) AND I love horses ;-)

About 2 years ago I decided to clean up my act and get myself fit and healthy, I have never been a "big" person, but I must admit I have been a tad over weight at times in my life. Although most people would say "oh you look fine!" See I have one of those body types with the little waist and big butt and legs ;-) I think this type of body is very deceiving with weight! It is easier to hide a big lower body then it is to hide a big upper body. It sucked trying to find pants to fit me! They would either fit good on the waist and totally tight on the legs, or fit perfectly on the legs and then I found fit my fist in the small of my back at the waist! Yeah I am sure loads of you can relate!

So let me continue...I always sat my weight around 72kgs [I am 171 cm high!] but as children accumulated over the years, that weight crept up and up and was harder to get down!!! SO I set a goal to be 65 kg...to me that was the unknown! In my whole adult life I had never been under 70!!! I always like to aim high so if I fall short I will still more then likely reach my goal ;-) So ideally I would be happy at 68kg...

I started around April 2013...with my friend...who at first I watched! as she walked and ran with her pretty new baby in the push chair...I watched her [bigger then me at the time] slowly get smaller and smaller, then she was the same as me...thats what made me click!!! Stacey get off your butt!!! At that time I was sitting at 80 kgs [ekkkk!] A size 16...

Walking was my main go to exercise [as I hated running!] Also LOVED kickboxing! and YOGA was soooo good too...So anyways to cut a long story short, here is my article that was in the Good Health Choices Magazine!!! Yup no gym! I made up home workouts with minimal equipment...this journey took LOADs of hard work and dedication...I tracked calories on my fitness pal to stay on track...it was a long rewarding journey! And I got there to my 65 kg goal by christmas 2014! AND this was an awesome christmas! I was skinny! and strong ;-)

I set myself goals like I wanted to do a yoga headstand, I wanted to do 3 pull ups...etc as well as my weight goal. I had ABs too!!! 

THIS WAS ME!!! FEELING SUPER FANTASTIC!!!

After christmas I found out I was pregnant ;-) Really exciting news that a baby was on the way...and on the other hand it was time to say bye to my brief encounter with 65kgs...

I kept reasonably fit during pregnancy...We welcomed our little guy in September 2014...body mostly recovered after a couple of months...then it was time to set some NEW health and fitness goals!!!

...HERE IS THE NEXT STEP...

...STAY TUNED...