so i just started reading ”why do you overeat, when all you want is to be slim?” by Zoe Harcombe.

im only like a third of the way through it so i havent formed an opinion yet, but it claims that most of us overeat, or binge, or have food addictions etc due to at least one of three conditions.

either candida, food intolerances and hypoglycaemia.

im not sure if i am buying it, but it does seem to make a lot of sense!

because i am diabetic, im very prone to candida, and i do have a lot of the symptoms.

anyway, i will continue reading, and see how it turns out!

..sue xx

Are you looking to trim fat, lose love handles, and flatten your belly? We hear a lot about dieting and cutting back our calories to lose weight, but we don’t just want to lose weight, we also want to lose fat… and fast!

In a nut shell, without exercising, much of the weight you lose will be muscle, not fat, and your metabolism will slow. To lose fat, you’ll need to add more exercise to your weight loss program. Try increasing your workout routine to at least 3 days per week for 1 hour each day. Aim to get your heart rate into that cardio fat burning zone of 60% - 70% of your maximum heart rate (max heart rate = 220 - your age) for at least 30 minutes each workout and do a variety of strength training exercises for at least 20 minutes.

Develop a healthy diet plan with fewer calories than your current daily intake. Then, increase the calorie deficit by burning more calories with both cardio and strength training and you will begin to see the fat melt away.

1. Strength Training. Lean muscle helps burns more fat in both your active and rest states. To gain more muscle, you must strength train regularly. Lifting heavier weights at lower reps will burn more calories and elevate your metabolism. Don’t worry ladies, strength training will not make you bulky, you need testosterone for that.

2. Cardio Training.  Work up a sweat. Find an activity you can do for an extended period of time. Run, walk, cycle, and spin your way to less fat.  Try to go for 45 minutes to 1 hour with at least 30 minutes in the fat burning heart rate zone.

3. Circuit Training. An excellent way to burn fat is to circuit train. Perform a variety of strength exercises in a progressive sequence. To further increase fat burning, keep your heart rate up by moving quickly, or jogging, between exercises.

4. Know Calories Burned. Make the most out of your workout. Use a calories burned calculator to learn how many calories each exercise burns. Popular cardio machines also include a fat burning settings to ensure you’re working at a speed and intensity to target fat.

5. Know Your Daily Calorie Intake. So, how much exercise do you need to perform? A calorie calculator will establish your daily intake for weight maintenance. Eat fewer (but not too few) calories and burn a lot more with exercise to create an energy deficit.

6. Track Calories and Nutrients. Design a plan and stick to it. Stay within your calorie and nutrient target ranges. Utilize a calorie counter to track the foods and beverages you consume each day. Knowledge of the foods you eat will help you make better choices.

7. Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals. Distribute food energy into 6 small meals per day. Eat 3 balanced, portion-controlled meals with 3 smaller snacks as needed. You’ll feel more satiated, have more energy for workouts, and keep your metabolism revving.

8. The Right Stuff. What you eat is as important as how much you eat. A fat burning diet should be low in added sugar, lower fat, and higher in protein. Eat lean meats, low-fat dairy products, fruits, non-starchy vegetables, and whole grains. Avoid added sugars and processed foods.

lol random thought:

it just makes me think ”what the hell” when people only eat egg whites.

i mean..seriously….what??

yeah, im gonna throw away the only bit of an egg i actually like!

to me, that would be like making myself a beef sandwich and throwing away the beef!

YOLKS ARENT THE DEVIL for gods sake.

they are yummy and nutritious and just………….fecking EAT them!!

and dont give me any crap about ”oh but they have saturated fat and cholesterol and blah-de-blah in them…”

yes, but its a GOOD source, and unless you eat like a whole carton of the things a day, i THINK you are ok! a tiny bit of saturated fat and cholesterol isnt the end of the world you know.

if you are eating a good BALANCED diet, you’re all good! its the balance thats important, not the nutritional info on each individual item of food.

so yeah, thats it on the egg front ;) if you try and take my egg yolks away from me, i will kill you with my spoon…..

..sue xxx

15 Simple Ways to Eat Better Today

— By Leanne Beattie, Health & Fitness Writer

Most people are creatures of habit. We go to the grocery store on the same day every week and fill our carts with the same stuff. If it’s Monday, chicken’s for dinner and Wednesday always means spaghetti. We are comforted with knowing what to expect—even if our meals aren’t that exciting, we know what we’re going to eat.

That’s what makes eating healthier so scary sometimes. We are so used to eating a certain way that we rarely think about what we’re actually putting into our bodies. So to eat a healthier diet means actually waking up and paying attention to what’s on your plate.

Make Healthy Eating a Habit
Eating healthier doesn’t have to be overwhelming. If you want to adopt healthy habits that will last, then the easiest way to do it is by making small, gradual changes. Don’t expect too much from yourself too soon—it takes about a month for any new action to become habit.

Before you start making any changes to your diet, take a week or two to observe your current eating habits. Track everything that goes in your mouth, including drinks and treats, no matter how small. Keeping a food journal will really open your eyes—realizing that you ate 10 cookies over the course of the week might make you think twice before reaching into the cookie jar again tonight, for example. You might not realize how bad your present eating habits are until you see an unhealthy pattern right there in black and white. Once you see that some changes are in order, then you’re ready to take the next steps.

Small Changes Mean Big Rewards
If you can’t stand the taste of broccoli, then vowing to eat it more often is pretty unrealistic. But if increasing the number of vegetables you eat each day is one of your goals, start by finding a few different ones that you can painlessly work into your diet. Make sure you select a variety of colors (dark green, red, orange, etc.) to get the most nutrients per bite. Add some shredded carrots to your muffin batter or top your pizza with fresh tomatoes, for example.

If you know you need to eat more fruit, start by adding some sliced bananas to your cereal in the morning or bake an apple with a bit of brown sugar for a yummy, low-cal dessert. Fresh berries and yogurt make a nice, light breakfast or snack too.

As you adopt this new style of eating, you will find that your food preferences will gradually change—when you cut out high-sugar, high-fat goodies, your cravings will actually go away in time. Your body wants healthy food!

One of the biggest challenges to eating healthier is finding substitutions for existing foods in your diet. Here are some tips to make the transition easier:

• Use mustard instead of mayo on your sandwiches. You’ll get lots of flavor with much fewer calories and fat.
   
• Select whole wheat bread over white bread. Be sure to read the label to ensure you’re getting whole grains, not just colored white bread.
   
• Eat the white meat of turkey or chicken, which is lower in fat than dark meat, red meat and pork. Animal fat is the number one dietary source of unhealthy saturated fat.
   
• Start using lean ground beef, pork tenderloin or fish instead of high-fat cuts of meat.
   
• Change your cooking methods. Bake, grill or broil your meals instead of frying. Use non-stick sprays—or better yet, non-stick pans—instead of oil.
• 
• 
   
• Drink more water. Slowly reduce the amount of soda you drink and replace it with herbal tea or water. Aim for eight cups of pure water each day.
   
• Don’t drink your calories. Eat a whole orange instead of drinking a glass of juice, for example. Real food is usually more filling and more nutritious than juices, fruit drinks, and other high-calorie beverages.
   
• Serve sauces and dressings on the side. Dip your fork into the sauce, then dip your fork into the food. You’ll still have the flavor but with fewer calories.
   
• Gradually switch to skim milk. Milk commonly comes in four varieties: whole (4% fat), 2%, 1% and skim (0% fat). Gradually wean yourself from the higher-fat varieties to the lower fat milk every two weeks. For example: continue drinking your normal 2% milk for two weeks, then move to 1% for two weeks, and then your palate will be ready for the consistency of skim milk.
   
• Switch from full-fat cheeses to reduced-fat or fat-free cheeses the same way you would with milk (see tip above).
   
• Order vegetables on the side instead of fries. Flavor them with lemon juice or herbs instead of butter.
   
• Snack on fruit and nuts instead of sugary treats. The fiber, protein and healthy fats in this combo will sustain you to your next meal and you won’t have the energy slump that comes after eating candy.
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• 
   
• Reduce your portion size. Most people will eat whatever amount of food is in front of them, so start putting your meals on smaller plates. You will be just as satisfied because your mind “sees” that you’re eating a full plate of food.

Eating a healthier diet doesn’t have to mean deprivation. You don’t have to cut out your favorite foods completely—you just have to make a few changes. Treat yourself to a mini chocolate bar instead of a full-sized one, for example. By trying to eat the most nutritious foods possible, you are creating a healthy lifestyle that will help you reach your best weight. You deserve the very best!

Does Junk Food Have A Place in a Healthy Diet??

— By The American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR)

Studies of American eating habits reveal that almost a quarter of the calories we consume come from nutrient-poor selections – better known as “junk food.” If one-fourth of what we eat is junk food, a plan for weight reduction should emphasize eating differently, not just eating less as many nutrition experts advise for weight loss. And if you have a healthy weight, you should still eat less junk food to prevent weight gain and chronic diseases, like cancer.

Too Many Calories from Sodas, Sweets and Desserts
In a recent study that surveyed 4,700 people, soft drinks were the number one source of calories. They accounted for 7.1 percent of the calories the people in this study consumed. Altogether, the categories of soft drinks, sweets and desserts, and alcoholic beverages made up 23.8 percent of total calorie intake. Salty snacks and fruit-flavored drinks added another five percent of calories. Since all of these foods are relatively concentrated in calories, you don’t have to eat a lot of them to increase your daily calorie total.

Another study revealed that people who eat a lot of junk food suffer nutritionally. This study looked at the impact of salty snack foods like potato chips, corn chips, crackers, pretzels and cheese curls. Those who ate the most of these high-fat salty snack foods had diets high in total and saturated fat and low in fruits and vegetables. These people scored poorly for dietary healthfulness.

Score High Points for Health
Studies of nutrient-poor food consumption highlight several important messages:

• Between-meal snacks and drinks may be the best place to substitute healthy choices and cut back on excess calories.
• People who are overweight can still be undernourished. Eating more healthful foods is a good way to improve your health and lower your calorie intake at the same time.
• Junk food is not okay when it displaces healthy food, even if you maintain an appropriate weight. Eating substantial amounts of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods tends to be part of an eating pattern that ignores nutrient-rich vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans. Even if you don’t gain weight by eating lots of junk food, you could increase your health risks, like the risk of cancer, by depriving yourself of protective nutrients and phytochemicals.

CARDIO:

40 mins cycling

STRENGTH:

10 minute sparkpeople bootcamp core workout

…

seated dumbbell press - 3 sets of 12 reps (2x5kg)

standing dumbbell straight arm raise - 3 sets of 12 reps (2x3kg)

standing dumbbell lateral raise - 3 sets of 12 reps (2x3kg)

seated bent over rear delt raise - 3 sets of 12 reps (2x3kg)

crunches - 3 sets of 12

bicycle crunches - 3 sets of 12

……………………………………

BREAKFAST:

porridge with sweetener

2 slices wholemeal toast

LUNCH:

2 small slices roast pork

broccoli

swede

DINNER:

wholegrain spaghetti

spoonful of tinned minced beef and onion

large mixed salad (mixed leaves, onion, pepper, mushroom, jalapenos)

SNACKS:

banana

2 plums

whole bran cereal with semi skimmed milk

pro-biotic fruit yoghurt

can of coke

slice of watermelon

…sue xx

ive had a great day today!

now that im back in calorie mode, its good to see how many i have torched during my workouts.

and with todays little stack of workouts, ive burned off almost 500 of the little bleeders! thats not a bad result to say ive not left the damned house today haha.

and ive also not eaten anything naughty. yes ive had my can of coke, but ive already allowed that to myself once a day to make me know im having something thats a bit bad, without making me resentful and all that other stupid crap we go through.

ive had LOADS of fruit and veggies. about nine servings so far today.

im very happy with myself today, yes i am :)

…sue xx

now this is a salad!

tuna steak, baked sweet potato (no butter or any dressing of any kind), mixed leaves, baby tomatoes, red onion, red pepper, chestnut mushrooms, a few olives and other antipasta bits (but i seriously only had a couple of bits).

damn, i forgot to add some jalapeno’s!! oh well.

and my dessert, raspberries and canteloupe melon.

yummy, and how healthy can i be for one meal??

..sue xx

got a lovely little fruit delivery today :)

apples, oranges, blackberries (although i dont really like them so i gave them to one of my boys - he loves stuff like that!), raspberries and quite a bit of melon :)

im getting in loads of fruit at the moment, which cant be a bad thing!

..sue xx

really happy with my eating today. ive been a paleo princess! the only thing i have had that i really could live without is the can of coke, but its not the end of the world. it will go eventually.

anyway, yeah, ive eaten really well. plenty of meat, fruit, fish, veg etc.

just wish i wasnt so damned tired! its really getting to me, which is why im mentioning it so damned much lol.

..sue xx

very nearly got some chocolate when i got out of bed this morning, but instead i reached for a banana and half a big juicy grapefruit.

MUCH better!! and i feel ready to conquer the day the right way after a good start :)

also, ive had a coffee, not a coke.

look at me, im on FIRE!! haha

..sue xx

ooh i havent had any green tea yet today!

must rectify that situation RIGHT now!

..sue xx