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THE DO-ABLE DIET
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THE DO-ABLE DIET BARBARA WIMHURST
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Neither the author nor the publisher may be held responsible for claims resulting from information in this book. If you are under medical care for any condition, seek the advice of your health practitioner before acting on any suggestions in this book and do not make any adjustments to prescribed medication without their approval. First published in 2006 Copyright © Barbara Wimhurst 2006 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or 10% of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act. Allen & Unwin 83 Alexander Street Crows Nest NSW 2065 Australia Phone: (61 2) 8425 0100 Fax: (61 2) 9906 2218 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.allenandunwin.com National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry: Wimhurst, Barbara. The do-able diet. ISBN 1 74114 775 1. 1.Wimhurst, Barbara. 2. Dieters – Biography. 3. Reducing diets. I.Title. 613.25 Edited by Karen Ward Text design by Nada Backovic Typesetting by Midland Typesetters, Australia ‘After’ photos by Julien Star Photography ‘Before’ photos from author’s collection Printed in Australia by McPherson’s Printing Group 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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For my boys. It is always about you.
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CONTENTS WELCOME . . .
ix
PA R T 1 : E A R LY DAY S CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4
Free at last Trial and error Desperate measures Fed up!
3 14 28 40
PA R T 2 : N U T S & B O LT S CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 8
The secret revealed Dieting danger zones The social dieter Sweating it out
51 71 84 96
PA R T 3 : C L A I M I N G V I C TO R Y CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 11
Keeping up appearances Thinking thin It’s a wrap
111 122 130
PA R T 4 : T H E E S S E N T I A L S
Sample weekly menu Do-able recipes Kilojoule comparison Do-able tips and tricks
139 147 153 162
WITH THANKS
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WELCOME . . . My name is Barbara and over the past two years I have undergone an ‘Extreme Makeover’. I have lost 45kg and gained a new body and a new life that I never dreamed was possible.At 167cm tall and weighing in at 97kg I was a desperate size 22; I now weigh 52kg and wear a size 8—chalk one up for the fat kid! After exhausting all of the usual programs and fad diets, I was fed up and decided to develop my own weight loss solution. I needed a plan that was flexible, easy to follow and could fit in with my extremely busy life. Armed with a little bit of knowledge and a lot of determination, I single-handedly transformed myself from a ‘fat chick’ into a ‘hot chick’. This book is a frank and honest account of how I won my lifelong battle with obesity and ultimately took control of my eating and my life.The success of my diet surpassed all my expectations and the results I achieved were spectacular! Even better, I did it all without spending a fortune, giving up my sweet tooth or attending embarrassing public weigh-ins. I didn’t join an expensive gym or waste money on organic ingredients that turn your bowel movements into compost. This book does not offer a new miracle cure, just a simple nofuss way to make healthy living a part of your daily routine. I was able to lose weight, have fun and keep enjoying food all at the same time. My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner. Mine is the most do-able diet you will ever find: try it and see!
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PART 1 EARLY DAYS
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CHAPTER 1 Free at last Free at last, thank God Almighty I’m free at last! Ask yourself these questions: Have you ever said, ‘I’m starting a new diet on Monday’? Have you ever ‘busted’ on a diet and thought, might as well blow the day? Have you blown a day and thought, might as well write off the whole week and start again next Monday? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, you need this book! A highly qualified ‘serial dieter’, I have road-tested numerous weight loss schemes in a desperate bid to win my lifelong battle against obesity.All of these ‘solutions’ had one thing in common: I stayed fat. Some of them showed more promise than others but the final results were never spectacular and always short-lived. I would make limited progress under strict supervision but as soon as I got bored, my old friend the local bakery was waiting to comfort me. All of that changed two years ago when I decided to take matters into my own hands and the Do-able Diet was born. Following my simple plan I have managed to lose eight dress sizes, eat at least six times a day, have dessert every night and only exercise a few times a week. In high school I was given the nickname F.A.B. (Fat-Arse Barbara). It was catchy and spread through the school like wildfire.These three letters have been significant in my life since then;
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they have been my torture and eventually my motivation. F.A.B. now means Fabulous And Beautiful and those awful schoolyard days are a distant memory. My attitude to weight loss is no longer one of restriction, frustration, failure and disappointment. I still enjoy my food—the difference is that now I respect its power and treat it much more wisely. I gained 20kg after my first son was born and was terrified that history would be repeated after I had my second baby. I smashed through all my weight barriers and endured the nightmare of watching the scales enter into triple figures. I felt lost and helpless. It was easier at that stage to pretend it wasn’t happening. I blamed it on being pregnant and sank further into the quagmire of denial.The truth was I felt disgusting and could feel the rolls of fat on my body jiggle every time I moved. I was so torn—on one hand I was delighted to be having another child but on the other, felt myself disappearing under the weight of my obsession with food. I finally decided at 26 years of age that enough was enough. For years I had ignored fashion trends and worn clothes that could be easily converted to a family-size tent. I longed to be sexy and to trade my ‘big girl’s blouse’ for short skirts and fitted tops. I had heard of the ‘Yummy Mummies’ and, damn it, I wanted to be one! I was ready to put an end to my love/hate relationship with food: love food/hate myself. I had to get my priorities in order and assess what was most important in my life. If I could create two beautiful human beings then surely I could control what went into my mouth—I at least owed it to myself and my family to try. I began to think seriously about my legacy and the way my boys would remember their childhood. I wanted to win the three-legged race, chase them around the back yard and teach them to swim in the surf. The reality was, in my condition I
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couldn’t even keep up with them and before too many years passed they would have left me behind. Any parent will agree that having children brings a whole new purpose and meaning to your life. You constantly see yourself reflected in their perfect little faces. You know they adore you regardless of your dress size or ability to run an hour on the treadmill. Your kids just love you because you’re ‘Mum’. They actually enjoy cuddling your ‘squishy belly’ and snuggling into an over-ample bosom. It was from within the security of this unconditional love that I found the courage and determination to set myself free. Do-able tip: We all want to give our kids the world. What they really need is happy, healthy, confident parents. Be a good role model—don’t eat anything you wouldn’t give to your children. The best way to take care of them is to take care of yourself.
I began with a visit to the doctor: something I recommend to anyone starting a weight loss program. The results were a bleak assessment of how poorly I was caring for my body. My blood pressure was up, cholesterol and blood sugars were too high, my back was shot and my iron levels were too low. I had the body of an 80-year-old at the ripe old age of 26.The doctor prescribed a stern warning that some lifestyle changes were overdue. I thought deeply about where my future was headed and decided diabetes and heart failure weren’t on my ‘to do’ list. It was time. The truth is, there is only one way to lose weight and keep it off, and we have all known it for many years.You cannot live on highkilojoule convenience foods and expect your waistline to hold its shape. Neither does changing the channel on the remote qualify as exercise.You do have to put in some effort but despite what you may have heard or experienced, it doesn’t have to be torture.
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No one could believe that I lost half my body weight by enjoying normal food and without professional assistance. Over the past few years I have been asked the question ‘What did you do?’ more times than I can remember. I’ve had countless emails and phone calls from strangers who heard my story through friends and acquaintances. Everyone wants to know ‘the secret’. I always answer this question honestly:‘I changed my eating habits and did a little bit of exercise.’ This is not the answer many people want to hear and when I can’t give them the name of a magic pill, I watch their eyes glaze over as they start to think about lunch. I understand this reaction as I used to feel the same way. I’d often cried, ‘I’d do anything to lose weight’—commit murder, take drugs, have surgery—anything except eat less food! After many years of searching it turned out that the answer was right in front of my nose, I just couldn’t smell it over the chicken salt! It isn’t rocket science, so why do we find it so hard? I think clever marketing by weight loss ‘experts’ has destroyed the confidence we have to fight this problem on our own. My body is living proof that excellent results can be achieved without a great deal of inconvenience or expense. Typical diets severely restrict eating and limit food choices to all or nothing. This allows little room for flexibility or compromise—two key elements of a do-able diet. If you falter in a moment of sugar-crazed weakness it can be very hard to get back on track. On my plan, I was never on a diet, I just had days where I ate more kilojoules than others.As long as my weekly intake was within an acceptable range I had nothing to worry about. This was important as it helped to take the daily pressure off. Words you won’t find in my book are ‘can’t have’ because on my plan there is no such thing; nothing is ‘off the menu’. That said, I would be lying if I told you that you can eat anything, in
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any amount, at any time and lose weight—you already know that’s not true or you wouldn’t be needing this book. This plan is not a fad diet. I have little faith in the ability of ‘quick fix’ solutions to be the answer to your weight loss prayers. I know from bitter experience that rapid weight loss usually leads to rapid weight gain. Consequently your metabolism can take years to recover from the shock. I was sick of the diet merry-goround and was ready for a new ride. I wanted to feel better as well as look better so I needed to find a more balanced approach. I was determined to improve my overall health and wellbeing without depriving myself of the food that I love. Do-able tip: Do your body a favour and steer clear of the latest Hollywood diet. They only work for thin people who have a personal trainer and plastic surgeon.
I openly confess that I have a shocking sweet tooth, it is a simple fact of life. Sick of trying to fight it, I found a way that I could still enjoy my naughty little treats. My poison of choice is cheesecake. I love the stuff, can’t give it up. I was thrilled to discover that I didn’t have to. That’s the beauty of this plan: I didn’t have to be perfect, I just had to be better. I found ways to lose weight whilst continuing to enjoy a full social life. I can offer advice to steer you through some typical dieting disaster scenarios such as the dreaded PMT munchies and hosting a child’s birthday party. I am not a doctor or a dietician, just a young mum who combined commonsense with gritty determination and finally won the ‘Battle of the Bulge’. I hope that by sharing my story I may be able to inspire others to take a chance and turn their eating habits and lives around. If you have the will, I can show you the way. Throughout my story I have included the specific details and strategies I used to put my plan into practice.The basic explanation
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is that I became a ‘conscious’ eater and gained the ability to eat by choice, not by habit.These lessons are critical as they are the cornerstone of any long-term weight management plan. I needed a simple yet effective way to decrease my kilojoule intake and increase my level of physical activity. It was important that I constructed a psychological safety barrier between genuine hunger and an unhealthy compulsion to eat. Based on prior performance I was reluctant to trust my mind’s ability to rule my stomach. My brain had already proven to be the weaker contestant. If you stay with me I will give you clear instructions on how to manage your cravings as we progress through the plan. You can make this plan a normal part of your daily routine; it can be applied easily to any lifestyle or situation. One of the aims of my book is to dispel the negative perceptions people have of traditional dieting. I believe I can offer a more positive and user-friendly alternative. Think of it as ‘Dieting for Dummies’. With my guidance you can find the confidence you need to successfully lose weight independently. Accepting responsibility for managing your weight significantly increases the chances of achieving permanent and life-changing results. I developed a simple way to keep track of my eating without the need for kitchen scales or complicated food diaries. Some of the tricks I learned along the way are so obvious you will wonder why you aren’t writing this book yourself ! There is no huge revelation, just loads of practical, easy-to-follow advice on how you can change your life by making subtle changes and being honest about your behaviour. Join me for an easy lesson in FOOD 101 as I share with you the useful information I gathered whilst formulating my plan. Follow my journey as I learned how easy it was to make better food and nutrition choices. I can offer many suggestions on
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healthier food options that are cheap, easy to prepare and that even your kids will love. I have created a series of Do-able tips to make your weight loss attempt easier. I also offer suggestions on ways to ‘bust-proof ’ your home and lifestyle.This process helps you to safeguard your diet in situations that make you feel vulnerable. It is important to establish an environment that is conducive to losing weight.This step is an essential part of the program and can help you stay strong when the sweet voice of temptation whispers in your ear. I have often heard people say ‘I just can’t get motivated’. I have been known to quote this excuse myself. I used to say this as though it were a valid reason to let my weight spiral out of control. I found that this process is self-motivating and the elusive force of willpower is actually not necessary if you are well organised and patient. It is easier to stay focused if you have a strong reason for wanting to lose weight. Perhaps you have had a health scare or you’re trying to fall pregnant. Is the wedding date getting closer and you really want to look good in that dress? Our reasons for wanting to lose weight are as many and varied as the ones that make us gain it in the first place. I set myself a clear goal and imagined every day how great it would feel to achieve it. Do-able tip: Eliminate the word ‘fail’ from your vocabulary. As long as you keep trying you can never fail.
It was important that I set myself an achievable target and allowed a realistic amount of time to reach it. We booked a tropical holiday one year in advance. I scoured the travel brochures and imagined myself in the picture relaxing under a palm tree. (Truth be told, I was wider than the trunk and it could have used me for shade!)
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I decided that by the time we arrived I would be 20 kilograms lighter. I reached that goal by Christmas and by the time we touched down in Cairns I had lost a whopping 40 kilograms, double my original target! Setting a longer time frame and a more reasonable goal weight was a key factor in my success. I was able to relieve the devastating pressure that had hindered my previous efforts to lose weight. If I can convince you of nothing else I hope you believe me when I tell you that it REALLY IS NOT THAT HARD! I was convinced for years that controlling my weight was too difficult and it was a fight I could not possibly win. I couldn’t say that it has always been easy but with a little self-control, some education and a lot of honesty it certainly wasn’t as tough as I thought. Let me tell you from personal experience that reaching your goal weight feels ten thousand times better than you can even imagine. I always knew it would be good; I didn’t realise it would be this good. No food in the world could be more satisfying than the happiness I have found—not even my beloved caramel cheesecake! I feel that I have been given a great opportunity to help others by sharing my knowledge. Every day I see people who I know could be encouraged by my personal experience and benefit from my plan. Sometimes on my morning walk I pass courageous people clearly struggling to walk even a few metres. I want to tell them to keep going because it does get easier. Once you have started just keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep your eyes fixed squarely on the finish line. This plan is not intended to be completed in a matter of weeks or months. It is an ongoing process of change and education. These practices have become second nature for me and I am now maintaining my weight with relative ease. I am still cautious about my eating habits and understand that what has come down can
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obviously go back up. It is important that I never become complacent or take for granted the long road I have travelled. I am confident that as long as I stay focused and continue to eat consciously—by choice, not habit—I will be free from the shackles of obesity forever. I used to say ‘I can’t lose weight, I love food too much’; now I say ‘I can’t eat that, I love my life too much!’ When I reached my current weight I approached a leading women’s magazine to see if they were interested in telling my story. Two weeks later I posed proudly for the photographer in one leg of my old jeans for the magazine’s photo-shoot! People were inspired by my transformation from frumpy, suburban housewife to a role model for healthy living. This process has changed my life in more ways than you can possibly imagine.The fact that you are even reading this book tells you how far my own journey has taken me.Two years ago my life was held down by fat and frustration. Today I feel as light as a feather and appreciate my newfound freedom. By conquering my weight demons I proved that I could be consistent, I was highly motivated and that I had willpower to burn. I gained the confidence to pursue my ambitions and found nothing was beyond my reach. A few years ago feeling proud of my body was unimaginable. Appearing in magazines and writing a book were part of a fantasy that I never thought would come to life. I now know that if I could achieve even my wildest dreams, anything is possible. Life is looking pretty good at this moment. I want to go back to that little fat girl alone in the playground and tell her that everything is going to be all right. Who would have thought that being overweight would open up so many opportunities for me? Remember your childhood dreams and if you haven’t fulfilled them, ask yourself why.When do we give up on our naive ambitions and choose to follow the safe route? The past year has been
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one of the most thrilling, challenging and terrifying of my entire life and I have treasured every moment. Have the courage to stop hiding beneath a layer of fat and let the real you come to the surface. It is never too late to start. Everyone deserves the chance to try. I firmly believe in the saying, ‘Where there is life, there is hope.’ Unless you suffer from an underlying medical condition, the only thing stopping you from losing weight is yourself.When you want it badly enough you will throw away the chips and dips and go out for a walk.
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G E T TO T H E P O I N T You can lose weight by enjoying normal food and simple exercise. The only thing stopping you from losing weight is yourself. Find a reason to lose weight. Set achievable goals. Eliminate the word ‘fail’ from your vocabulary. Enjoy your food, but respect its power and treat it wisely. Eat by choice, not by habit. You do have to put in some effort but it doesn’t have to be torture.
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CHAPTER 2 Trial and error Yo-yos went out with bike pants and big hair! I strongly suspect that this book is not your first attempt to lose weight. Most experienced dieters have a lengthy and distinguished career in weight loss trials. In my experience new ideas on the subject are treated with a mixture of hope and skepticism. People read the book cover at least three times and eye the before-and-after photos of the author to establish their credibility. Eventually, overcome by curiosity and desperation, they fork out their hard-earned cash, secretly praying that this will be the one. I, too, am the proud owner of an extensive weight loss library. Unfortunately, the only thing that ever got leaner from these particular purchases was my wallet, which groaned along with the waistline of my pants at the sight of another diet manual. With all the money I have wasted over the years trying to lose weight I could have had as much plastic surgery as Michael Jackson with enough left over for a holiday in the Caribbean! My issues with weight began at an early age when my adolescent hormones kicked in a few years ahead of schedule, bringing with them all the emotional angst and physical changes that normal teenagers go through. The problem was that I was only ten and my peers were not ready to accept girls with breasts or hips— and if you had already got your ‘rags’ you might as well go to school naked. I had experienced all of the above by sixth grade and my new curvaceous figure was not admired by any of the
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flat-chested, skinny-legged kids in my class. I became different and when you are entering puberty that is about as desirable as growing an extra limb! Upon reflection I’m sure I wasn’t the hottest topic of conversation in the girls’ toilets but at the time I was convinced everyone was talking about me. During these incredibly selfconscious years I was sure that I didn’t measure up and my fragile self-esteem copped a battering. My friends were not approaching physical maturity as quickly and could still ‘pig out’ without fear of any repercussions. I was just a kid and didn’t want to be left out. The result was that the more I tried to join in, the worse my weight problems became. I was badly bullied in high school for being fat and that is a kind of shame that only victims of similar cruelty can understand. To offer some perspective, I was about 65kg and a size 12 when I started being bullied (quite a healthy weight for my height). By the time I left school, I had ballooned to 85kg and was a size 18. I copped daily insults such as ‘barge-arse’ and ‘thunder thighs’. Despite my humiliation I would pretend I hadn’t heard them and continue talking to my friends as though nothing had been said. God, it hurt. I began to see a distorted reflection of myself and thought that I was bigger than I actually was. If only I had been able to see what was really in the mirror, I would have spared myself a lot of heartache. I had to find a way to protect myself from the daily ridicule so I became fat, happy Barb. I would make the jokes before anyone else had the chance. I have noticed this selfdeprecating humour is common in people with weight problems. I have approached weight loss from every angle and any success I enjoyed was moderate and short-lived. We all know that if you don’t eat you will lose weight—sounds simple, but it doesn’t last.
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The only thing more depressing than being overweight is losing 5 kilograms to immediately put back on 10. In my experience, the quicker you take weight off, the quicker it piles straight back on.What really sucks about the yo-yo diet trap is that you screw up your metabolism and each time it gets harder to ‘budge the bulge’. Slow and steady really does win the race! I have always been impatient, wanting everything yesterday. Instead of ‘get rich quick’ schemes I was attracted to ‘get thin quick’ schemes. I have embarked on diets ranging from the unusual to the completely nuts in my desperate quest for a pinup figure. Bad diets offer no assistance in bringing your weight under control and can do untold damage to your health, body and spirit. Each time you fail to lose weight it strikes a blow to your confidence and undermines your own commonsense. The following are just a sample of the extreme diets that I (and I suspect you) have endured in the long search for my ultimate weight loss success. The Grapefruit Diet—now there’s a catchy title! Doesn’t it just make you want to run out and eat a doughnut? I am not a big fan of this particular fruit in the first place and the plan to make it the staple ingredient of my diet was never going to work. I love sweet, rich and strong-flavoured food so something that looks and tastes as bland as a tennis ball was not going to satisfy my intense hunger. For this plan to work I would have had to develop a love of grapefruit—and fast! Though I don’t dispute the healthy qualities of fresh fruit, this type of diet is extremely repetitive and restrictive—not a formula for success, in my opinion. It is difficult to replace what you normally eat with a specific substitute unless it happens to be your favourite food. I’m sure I would have had no trouble with the Cookies & Cream or the Hot Chips & Gravy Diet!
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The Grapefruit Diet tells you to eat fried eggs and bacon with half a grapefruit for breakfast, grapefruit with meat and salad for lunch, the same for dinner and washed down with a black coffee. The grapefruit serves no actual purpose that I can see; you lose weight because you are eating substantially less calories. It was just a healthy-sounding title for a boring diet that its clever author sold to millions of desperate dieters.This one is the Daddy of all FAD (Fat And Desperate) diets and set the benchmark for the multitude that followed. One of the earliest entries in my dieting resume was the Apple & Water Diet. I attempted this drastic diet several times during my teenage years in the period I refer to as my ‘dieting apprenticeship’. As the name suggests, you could only eat two peeled apples and a litre of water over an entire day. In those days I was far more interested in seeing rapid results than I was about achieving a healthy, balanced diet. No thought was given to the long-term consequences of such dangerous eating. It must have taken a toll on my education because it made me so tired and cranky. I am surprised I learned anything over the noisy rumblings of my extremely unhappy stomach. The most alarming thing about this simple but potentially dangerous diet was how widely practised it was throughout my all-girl high school. Everyone I knew tried it at some stage (even girls who were not overweight), always without any adult supervision or advice.The basic idea of this diet is to push yourself to the edge of starvation and eat the bare minimum needed to keep you alive.This diet was torture but I was convinced that ‘you have to suffer to be beautiful’ and gave no thought to the unhealthy attitude I was developing towards my body. Like most things in life, it was a competition and everyone wanted to be in the game. I was jealous in high school of girls that I suspected of having anorexia and joked about how I wished it
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was contagious. I tried many times to go all day without eating in the hope that I would magically become anorexic and my life would suddenly be perfect. Thank God our bodies are usually smarter than our brains. It is actually very difficult to intentionally starve yourself. It is only as an adult that I have come to see anorexia as a sickness and feel incredible pain and sympathy for its sufferers. Several times throughout high school I also tried to make myself vomit and one time even succeeded. If I couldn’t make myself anorexic, maybe bulimia was the way to go? I could eat as much as I liked and then just get rid of it before my body absorbed the calories. Luckily for me, it is not that easy to make yourself puke and my disgust at regurgitating soon put an end to that. When I was eighteen I tried another popular diet called the Cabbage Soup Diet. I barely lasted three days before I was so hungry I began to hallucinate. The idea of this particular plan (other than to sell a lot of cabbages) is to get all your nutrition from a vegetable soup made primarily from cabbage (which, by the way, has no special weight loss benefits). These types of drastic diets dangerously restrict your kilojoule intake and rob your body of essential nutrients, which actually defeats the purpose of trying to lose fat. If your body thinks it is starving it stops burning fat which of course stops you losing weight. If the scales reflect any positive change, it is only fluid that is lost—and usually regained within 48 hours of resuming normal eating. What made these diets even more of a failure was that a week of near-starvation was inevitably followed by a week of bingeing, trying to fill the enormous gap that was left by my disappointment. Each time I would eventually crack and scoff down a loaf of bread with butter and Vegemite, followed by a huge glass of chocolate milk. My diet, motivation and confidence would all get
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flushed straight down the toilet.Years of extreme dieting damaged my metabolism and compounded my ever increasing problem with obesity and low self-esteem. You’d have thought by now that I’d learned my lesson but I did try another variation on the ‘fruit themed’ diet formula with the Watermelon Diet. True, it tasted better than the Grapefruit Diet and filled you up a little more than the Apple & Water Diet, but I was still doomed for failure. A friend suggested this plan as a great way to cleanse your body and flush out your system.That’s a nicer way of saying ‘it gives you the trots’! Eating nothing but watermelon all day guarantees that you’ll spend a good part of the evening in the bathroom. It is great to see a 3 kilogram weight loss in a few days but the same result can be achieved by eating a dodgey oyster—not my favourite way to spend a Saturday night! I must clarify at this point that fruit and vegetables play an important role in any healthy diet. The important thing to remember is that a balanced diet must include a combination of all the essential food groups; no one food can provide you with all the nutrients you need for good health. As soon as you remove an important element from your diet such as fat, sugar, carbohydrates, iron or calcium your body retaliates and starts to compensate for what it is lacking. If you get low on iron, for example, you will feel tired and run-down and less likely to make the effort to eat properly and exercise. If we were meant to live only on watermelon and grapefruit, why did God give us cows and fish and Baker’s Delight? A few years ago I heard about the Fit for Life weight loss program that had exploded onto the dieting scene in America. This is a more balanced approach but it still requires you to dramatically change your normal eating habits, thus making it harder to be consistent.
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It is very strict about only eating fresh fruit and vegetables in the morning until lunchtime and then having small serves of carbohydrates and protein in the afternoon. You are allowed to have an unlimited amount of fruit and vegetables at the specified times. From what I can find, there appears to be no scientific evidence that these ‘food combining’ diets have any effect on long-term weight loss. My other issue with this plan is that it limits the amount of protein, carbohydrate and dairy foods.These foods are an essential part of a healthy and balanced diet. I found this plan too complicated. And as soon as you tell me I can’t have something, I want it even more. Has anyone ever warned you, ‘Do not turn around’? My first instinct is to look. If I am told I can only eat fruit until lunchtime, by nine o’clock I would just about kill for a plate of pancakes with maple syrup. When it comes to food, I have the willpower of a two-year-old with an open jar of peanut butter. My diet needs to be more flexible. If I feel like toast for breakfast but my diet says I’m not allowed, I will obsess over the bread until lunchtime when I am likely to eat the whole loaf. Apparently many people have lost weight using this popular plan but I suspect it has more to do with eating less fat and carbohydrates than it does to do with the time of day you eat them. I agree that the timing of meals does play a part in successful weight loss but if you need some variety in your life, the Do-able Diet is for you. Another weight loss direction I tried was the ‘meal replacement’ drink which has been cleverly marketed as a ‘shake’ and sold in three equally tempting flavours: chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. How bad can it be if it encourages you to drink chocolate milkshakes twice a day? Sounds like a dream come true, until you get to the fine print and discover that you must choose one or the other—food or the shake.
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These are at least nutritionally viable because the drinks contain the recommended amount of the vitamins and minerals that make up a healthy diet. By replacing a meal with one of these drinks you are getting a very precise, measured dose of the nutrients your body needs to function properly. The basic purpose of these types of meal replacements is that you swap two main meals for a shake and eat one low-kilojoule meal per day with no snacking in between. I did lose weight quite quickly on this program but once again it did nothing to change my behaviour or attitude towards food. I found it impossible to maintain and I regained the weight as soon as I was weaned off the bottle and reintroduced to solids. Whilst there are no long-term negative effects on your health, there is the big challenge of convincing your brain that dinner in a glass is as appealing as home-cooked lasagna. These types of weight loss solutions focus solely on the technical issues of reducing kilojoule intake and do nothing to change behaviour or encourage better lifestyle habits. I have identified this as one of the key factors to losing weight and keeping it off: the right diet has to fit into your lifestyle, not the other way around. This is not to say that you don’t need to change the unhealthy habits that have made you overweight but the solution lies within your daily routine. If a diet is too complicated or doesn’t easily blend in with your normal life, it is hard to stay focused. If a diet is too hard to follow your weight loss dreams will never be fulfilled.That is what is special about my plan—the basic principles can be applied to anyone, regardless of gender, job, financial status or age. There are several varieties of the ‘Supermarket Diet’, as I call them, because you don’t need any special instructions and can buy the products easily from the local grocery store. I tried using a combination of low-fat and ‘lite’ convenience products. I would
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eat a low-fat breakfast bar, then a pre-packed salad with low-fat dressing for lunch, followed by a meal from the frozen cuisine cabinet for my dinner. This plan was easy to prepare but after a few weeks I was bored stupid and dead broke! You pay for all that glossy packaging and convenience definitely comes at a high price.With the money it was costing to continually purchase these foods I could have afforded a personal trainer and a chef! This diet ultimately failed for the same reasons as all the others: it didn’t fit into my lifestyle. I was trying to change to suit the diet, not changing my diet to suit me. When I started to come around to the idea that I might be able to lose weight and continue eating real food, I headed off down the calorie-counting path. Anyone reading this book would be familiar with calorie-counting guides—little encyclopedias containing everything you ever wanted to know about the food you eat. They are complete numeric guides that list the nutritional value of many popular foods and products. The idea is that you consult the book each time you eat to check how high it is in calories. They are an excellent resource, but only need to be used in moderation. If you have the time and patience, you keep a daily record of the number of calories you eat at every meal. After a week or so, for me the novelty wore off. I began to dread consulting my ‘calorie conscience’ in case it told me something I wasn’t prepared to hear. It took the fun out of eating a chocolate bar when I found it contained the same number of calories as a regular Hawaiian pizza! Using this approach does help to curb unconscious eating but on its own does not teach you about making better choices. Finding out what you shouldn’t be eating is only half of the equation.You also need help to determine what you should be eating.
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These guides can be helpful as an aid to complement your healthy lifestyle change but on their own I found them little more than a good party trick. It was fun to quote the book and see the look of shock on my friends’ faces as they tucked into a plate of barbecue ribs and wings. As part of my motivational strategy I used to make myself reward charts and stick them on the walls of my bedroom. I would give myself a tick if I had been good for the day (the same way you do for a toddler who uses the potty!). I constantly tried to find new ways of keeping myself on track and staying focused on my goal. I decorated the refrigerator with fat photos of myself as a reminder of what it was I was trying to overcome. In my teenage years I made collages from magazine pictures of women whose bodies I was desperate to emulate. I stuck them inside my wardrobe door and would gaze jealously at their toned legs and perky boobs each time I squeezed into my size 20 pants. Instead of helping me, these strategies made me feel even more hopeless and depressed, which led me straight back to the pantry. It was a vicious cycle. What I never took into account when I compared my inferior body to that of the swimsuit model was the amount of support celebrities get to maintain their million-dollar looks. Think how great you would look too if you had a personal trainer, home gym, private chef and a masseur on staff. The bad news is that these resources are out of most people’s reach. The good news is that excellent results can be achieved without using an army of expensive assistants. The most successful attempt I made at dieting prior to ‘going it alone’ was the Low Fat/Low Carb Diet. This does not qualify to me as a FAD diet because it encourages a mixture of food and a more sensible eating schedule.The basis of any successful weight loss plan is the key principle of less energy in and more energy
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out. The Low Fat/Low Carb Diet was built on this philosophy and in that respect I have to give it some endorsement. I emphasise this idea in my own plan and also support the idea of eating smaller meals at more frequent intervals. In the Low Fat/Low Carb Diet you are told to avoid as much as possible foods containing high levels of carbohydrates (energy) and limit foods with a high fat content. Sound advice, but many people take it to the extreme and don’t realise that your body actually needs these things (in moderation) to function optimally. You are encouraged to cut bread, pasta and rice from your diet, potato is banned and you can just forget all about chocolate cake! Obviously these foods cannot be eaten in unlimited quantities but I have proven that they can still play a part in your daily diet. I often eat boiled rice, bowls of spaghetti and my lunch regularly includes a fresh crusty bread roll. I have learned to balance the amount of these foods in my diet with the other equally important food groups such as dairy and fresh vegetables. I didn’t give up drinking milk or eating cheese and, as I have previously confessed, I still found a way to enjoy sweets such as cake and chocolate. The Low Fat/Low Carb Diet had the same fatal flaw of all the other diets I had tried: it focused too much on what you can’t eat instead of making you excited about what you can eat. I do give some credit to this plan for teaching me about the types of foods that are more conducive to weight loss. I discovered the importance of protein and how some foods can fill you up for longer and reduce the need to snack. I achieved a steady weight loss over the three months that I followed this plan and compared to the other diets it did take a little longer to put the weight back on again. It worked well as long as I only ate at home and never went out for dinner with friends or Friday night drinks after work. Even though I was getting good results, this diet was still lacking the flexibility I needed to stay on track. Whichever way I
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looked at it, I was still on a diet and whenever I stopped it, my life (and waistline) would revert back to the way it had been before. There is only one guarantee that any diet can offer, no matter what the outcome: at some point you will go off it. When that day comes, will you be strong enough to make it on your own in a world full of temptation? The latest incarnation of this type of diet is the Low GI (Glycemic Index) Diet which is heavily backed by the medical establishment but doesn’t sound terribly sexy, does it? For all those non-medical people (like myself ) who don’t even know how to pronounce glycemic let alone explain what it actually means, my basic understanding is that low GI foods contain slower-burning carbohydrates, which give you a slower energy release.This keeps you feeling fuller for longer and takes longer to turn into fat. By all accounts this is a very safe way to lose weight but I found it too complicated and without the constant guidance of a dietitian I lost interest very quickly. The newest diet craze to hit our shelves is the popular CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet. This diet is scientifically based and has achieved positive results in testing and sales. I support its basic findings, a diet high in protein and low in kilojoules. It always comes back to less energy in and more energy out. It tells readers very specifically what to eat, whereas I focus on teaching people how to eat. The main difference between this book and mine is that it was written by scientists and reads like a biology textbook! I believe my story is easier to relate to as I have a personal understanding of all the issues surrounding weight and body image. My plan offers a ‘whole person’ solution and doesn’t rely on science to cure what is a social and emotional problem. The fact is that most reputable diets and weight loss programs will help you lose weight if you follow them to the letter and don’t ever stray off course.This is the biggest challenge all weight
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loss programs face: the ability to be maintained in the long term. A successful diet has to be do-able. The most weight I ever lost on a diet was 12kg and the longest time I kept the weight off was five months. Following my own plan, I lost half of my body weight and I have been ‘97% fat free’ for a year and a half. The only thing better than reaching your goal weight is feeling confident that your new body is here to stay—for good! Do-able tip: Keep some old photos of yourself: one day you might need them. Not for a second during my ‘fat years’ did I think I would be needing ‘before’ photos to share with the entire country!
Don’t be intimidated by so-called experts. No-one knows your mind and body better than you, trust yourself to make the right decisions. Being overweight does not make you a bad person; be proud of who you are on the inside and tell yourself that you deserve to look that good on the outside. Stop ‘crash’ dieting. It will make you fatter—and extremely boring! Who wants to have dinner with someone who can only eat a grapefruit? Get a life, your body will thank you for it.
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G E T TO T H E P O I N T FAD diets DO NOT provide healthy, long-term weight loss. The quicker you take weight off, the quicker it piles straight back on. Each time you fail to lose weight it strikes a blow to your confidence. It is difficult to replace what you normally eat with a specific substitute. Drastic diets dangerously restrict your kilojoule intake and rob your body of essential nutrients, which actually defeats the purpose of trying to lose fat. You need a balanced diet with a combination of all the essential food groups. If a diet is too complicated or doesn’t easily blend with your normal life you will not stay focused and your weight loss dreams will never be fulfilled. Stop ‘crash’ dieting; it will make you fatter and extremely boring!
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CHAPTER 3 Desperate measures If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again! My unsuccessful career as a dieter wasn’t restricted to books, magazine articles and pre-packaged food that tasted like cardboard.When all these attempts failed I tried other measures to lose weight including support groups, Weight Watchers, medication and compulsive exercising. It is quite amazing what torture we will put ourselves through in the quest for the perfect physique. I used to say I would give up anything to lose weight—anything, it seemed, except food! At one point I was so frustrated that I joined Overeaters Anonymous, a support group like Alcoholics Anonymous where we worked a twelve-step program to free ourselves of our addiction to food. I know it sounds extreme but desperate times call for desperate measures. I found out about this ‘secret’ weight loss movement through my aunt, who is heavily involved in AA.At the time I was going through a rough patch and felt that I had little control over what was happening in my life. Throughout this turmoil my comfort eating increased and surprise, surprise, so did my backside! I felt like I had literally become addicted to food and sometimes it seemed I was using it to punish myself. I would keep eating long after my hunger had subsided and would feel bloated and disgusting. I couldn’t understand why I was doing this to myself.
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I never drank or smoked; why was I eating myself to death? I was very confused. I only went to a handful of meetings.To be honest, the whole thing scared the hell out of me. I took the whole anonymous issue very seriously. I was terrified someone would find out my secret and I would be publicly humiliated again. There were approximately fifteen women in my group. I was the youngest. Most of them were in their mid-forties and had children and husbands. I felt like an intruder because I was barely out of high school.The thing I had in common with each of these women was frustration and despair. Listening to their very personal accounts of how they had battled with obesity and low self-esteem used to make me cry. Quite a few of the members had been long-term sufferers of anorexia and bulimia and their stories were frightening. I finally recognised these conditions as serious illnesses and realised how obscene my jealousy had been. It was an important lesson for me to learn that happy was not spelt T-H-I-N. I started to discover that what was going on inside was not always reflected on the outside. The smallest women in that room were as confused and vulnerable as the largest ones. It was very confronting. The format of these meetings follows very closely that of the AA program and each person had to learn the Serenity Prayer: ‘God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.’ I am not particularly religious but I believe that there is something in these words for everyone. Long after I stopped attending the meetings I still remember this prayer. I must make very clear that Overeaters Anonymous is an emotional support group, not a diet club. The idea behind it is to acknowledge you have a problem with eating that is beyond your
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control. At no point did we have to divulge our weight or discuss low-fat recipes. This was purely about the emotional toll of uncontrolled eating and low self-esteem. I heard many stories that touched me but there was one particular woman I will never forget. She didn’t say her name but I guessed she was about 35 and she was the mother of a two-year-old daughter. She was on a low income and her violent husband had bruised her heart more deeply than her body. She broke down and cried as she told the group how she ate to build a protective barrier around herself to feel safer from his abuse. She shared the story of the terrible night her baby had cried for hours in hunger because she had used the money she had for formula to buy junk food for herself. I will always remember the pain on her face when she made this terrible confession. It was one of the saddest things I have ever seen. If obesity was just about food, stories like this one would never be told. I didn’t speak at the meetings, I just listened. My story didn’t seem that impressive given the suffering that I had witnessed in the room. I convinced myself that I wasn’t like those people and that my problems weren’t that serious. It took me nearly another decade to accept that I was in denial and that my eating was definitely out of control. It is this poor woman that I think of every time I hear someone say, ‘She’s just lazy’ or ‘It’s just a matter of willpower’.There are many reasons why people put on weight and you never know what terrible truth may be hiding beneath what you see on the surface. Although these meetings did nothing to change my weight, they did to some degree change my thinking. I came to understand that my ‘weight control switch’ was actually located in my head and not in my stomach. I began to see my eating as a cover for all the other stuff that was going on in my life. It took me
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a few more years to actually ‘get it’ but I thank this group for sharing their experiences and their courage. Overeaters Anonymous had begun to help me identify some of the reasons behind my weight problem but I still hadn’t made any progress getting it off. That led me to Weight Watchers because I wanted a support group that was less about the ‘why’ and more about the ‘how’. I have to clarify here that I know many people who have achieved good results with this program and it is not a fad diet. I know that this organisation is very popular but once again it just wasn’t for me.The public nature of the meetings and weigh-ins were a disaster for me. It didn’t take long for me to add it to the list of tried and failed.Years later I have come to the conclusion that group meetings just aren’t my thing. The Weight Watchers meeting I attended was very busy and had a much more positive vibe than the previous group. It was very results-based, with inspirational before-and-after pictures of the instructors lining the walls.There was an air of excitement and hopeful anticipation in the room as people lined up for their turn. I felt like a big fat Hereford standing in line to be weighed before the slaughter—it was horrible. I have to state that the staff were always encouraging and your weight does not flash up on a giant screen on the wall. I still hated it. At our first meeting I was given a bundle of literature—everything from little food diaries to healthy recipe guides. A year later they were still under the seat in my car. They had some great recipe ideas which were perfect if you had a passion for cooking or a family to feed. At that time I had neither. I agree that this is probably the most nutritionally balanced program your money can buy—that’s okay if you can afford to buy it. I was only working part time and studying so by the time I paid for the meeting I couldn’t afford to buy the right food and ended up standing back at the toaster.
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I tried to get the hang of counting points but it seemed ‘pointless’ to me to introduce another numeric system to count an existing numeric system—confused? So was I! The points were basically a way of monitoring the kilojoules in your diet and reducing your daily intake. I support the idea of accountability but I am flat out remembering to pay the phone bill let alone keeping a score card all day of what I eat. The Weight Watchers program had all the basic elements of a successful weight loss strategy. I found it too complicated and very quickly lost interest.Weight Watchers works really well for people who have the money to pay for it, the time to go to weekly meetings, who enjoy maths and have a good set of kitchen scales. No matter how fancy the packaging or the fanfare, it always comes back to eating everything in moderation and a little bit of exercise. When Weight Watchers didn’t work out I tried to find the same structure and accountability without the humiliation of attending public weight loss rallies. I consulted a private dietician and agreed to be completely open and honest about my eating habits. What a liar: I obviously wasn’t ready to be that accountable.To give her credit, she tried to tailor the diet to my normal tastes (the ones I admitted to) but it was still very restrictive. I didn’t like having a sheet of paper that told me exactly what and how much I had to eat every day of the week.What if I was invited out to dinner? What if I didn’t feel like ham and salad for lunch? If you like to hand over all control and can follow an eating plan to the letter (you are probably not overweight and therefore don’t need to keep reading) then this solution would work for you. If, however, you are more like myself and like a bit of freedom in your food choices you would probably last as long as I did. I admit to being obstructive right from the beginning. I resented the strict approach and never really applied myself. In addition to
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that, I really couldn’t afford the $80 consultation fee or the time off work for appointments. Needless to say, I didn’t realise my weight loss dreams that time either. Do-able tip: Cut the crap! Not just eating it but also talking it— don’t pretend you don’t know why you are overweight. Admit to your behaviour and start changing it.
One of my more bizarre weight loss trials was a kind of Chinese herbal powder. My mother, who has also experienced seesawing weight over the years, heard about this from a friend and found a ‘dealer’ in Chinatown. To this day I have absolutely NO idea what was in the powder. I can tell you that it did nothing to solve my weight problems. It came in an unlabelled container with a bag of empty capsules that you filled with the powder and I was told to take two before meals. One bottle cost $100 so Mum and I went halves. We must have been completely insane! I know that there are a lot of people who swear by alternative medicine but I now realise that it’s not a good idea to purchase any type of substance or powder without sound professional advice. My most extreme weight loss attempt was a few years ago before I fell pregnant for the second time. How excited do we all get when a new ‘diet pill’ comes on to the market? What a wonderful fantasy to be able to eat anything and not put on a gram! I was the first in line! These weight loss tablets are only available on prescription and my doctor warned me of the many possible side effects. I just about took his hand off along with the script and skipped all the way to the pharmacy. At $90 for a one-month prescription, this was also my most expensive weight loss exercise. (I’m sure the pharmacist was just as excited about it as I was!)
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I gave no thought to the cocktail of chemicals I was putting in my body and focused only on the outward change that I hoped to see. Aware of the side effects, I took the pills before even reading the enclosed information leaflet. The most common side effects (and the ones I suffered the most) were diarrhoea and wind pain.The basic job of these particular tablets is to stop your body from absorbing fat. It effectively removes the fat from the food you eat and binds it together before you eventually pass it out of the bowel—sounds fun, doesn’t it? At first I took this to mean that I could eat whatever I wanted because I wouldn’t absorb any of the fat and who cares what colour your bowel movements are—right? Wrong! The first time I ate spaghetti bolognaise I thought an alien was going to explode out of my belly button! I felt like there was a thermal spa bubbling away in my intestines. Let me assure you that is one natural wonder you don’t need to experience. I spent hours in the bathroom and what came out of me was about as natural as what was in those tablets—I learned my lesson. The tablets do work—I think because after your first bad experience with it you are too bloody scared to eat anything high in fat. In this way it helps to change your food choices but doesn’t encourage a permanent change to your lifestyle. It works well on expelling fat but has no effect on sugar which can be just as bad for your waistline. Prescription drugs are as close to a quick fix as I think you’ll find but it’s my bet that once you can’t afford it or get sick of requesting a table near the toilet, you will put the weight back on. The extreme measures I took to change my body from the inside were equalled by the lengths I went to in trying to change how my body appeared on the outside. I spent a fortune on every type of ‘body shaping’ undergarment that money could buy. I had more girdles than Queen Victoria. My rear might have been
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huge but it was so firm you could crack a walnut on it! I jumped, wriggled, squeezed and pushed myself into everything from fullbody corsets to what I affectionately referred to as my ‘rubber undies’.These implements of torture were sometimes so tight that I could barely breathe, let alone eat. For ten years I was so dependent on them that I never ventured out of the house without some sort of fabric reinforcement. I can’t describe to you the levels of discomfort that I endured during that decade. My physical pain was only outdone by my fear that someone would find out. Trying to smuggle a girdle in my luggage on weekends away and keeping them hidden from my husband was a high-level security operation. I could never wear skirts or shorts for fear that the wind would blow them up and expose my secret shame. I wore my apparatus rain, hail or stinking sunshine. Summer was the worst and sometimes I would get blisters where the hot nylon had been rubbing on my skin. I used to drive across town to a shopping centre in a suburb where I didn’t know anyone and would make a ‘snatch and dash’ to the register. I must have looked so guilty that I am surprised I never got searched by store security. I know how it sounds now but at the time I was pretty desperate. It was a momentous occasion the day I realised I didn’t need them anymore. I confessed my secret to my husband and threw them in the wheelie bin! I have never been passionate about exercise and to be honest I still have days where I find it a chore. My attitude to exercise was very similar to my attitude to dieting—all or nothing. I would have months where I did no physical activity beyond walking from the couch to the refrigerator and back.These periods would be followed by a severe case of ‘fitness fever’ when I would overexercise to the point of exhaustion. Those hours spent in front of the television proved costly to more than just my health. I could have opened my own gym with
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the amount of exercise equipment I ordered over the phone. It is amazing how much money you can waste without ever leaving home.With each purchase I would get so excited that I had finally found a tool to make exercise fun. The genius of this marketing was that they had me convinced most of this stuff could be used in your living room whilst watching telly and enjoying a snack at the same time! I now know that for exercise to be effective you actually have to crack a sweat. Another failed plan to turn me into a fitness fanatic was the hire-purchase scheme from my local chemist.These were at least genuine pieces of exercise equipment that came with some advice from a health care professional (not David Hasselhoff ) on how to maximise their benefit. I tried an electric treadmill and an exercise bike. They worked great for a month until I was bored and then they made excellent clothes horses on rainy days. These schemes are great for people wanting to get a kickstart who are not comfortable exercising away from home. Unfortunately, they are very expensive and you need to be extremely disciplined to get value for money. I was very unfit and couldn’t do more than half an hour on either machine. I would spend every minute gasping for breath and praying for the sound of the digital alarm that told me my time was up. Blessed with the coordination of a dyslexic orang-utan, I have never been good at aerobics. I was always going in the opposite direction to everyone else and my grape-vine was a joke! There are only so many times you can bang into other people and still show your face at the class—I passed my quota. Given my timing issues, I thought that the home video version might be more suited to my clumsiness. Over the years I built up quite a personal collection of aerobics and yoga videos (and I have to say that the latter are much better suited to people who are already fit). Interestingly, those videos were the first things to go
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at a garage sale I held a few years ago—more desperate people. The sight of myself in tights and sweatbands thundering around the lounge room like a rogue elephant proved too embarrassing, even for me. I tried my hand at water aerobics a few times because I thought low impact meant low effort—I was wrong. I think I would have enjoyed this activity if I had kept it up because I love the water but the first few sessions nearly killed me and I gave up. Not only can weight loss be an expensive exercise but it can cost you a great deal more in self-esteem when things don’t go according to plan. I am sure you have tried at least some of these things and probably have ideas in your own ‘Diet Resume’ that I have never heard of. It took me a long time to realise that the answers to my weight loss prayers weren’t going to be found in crazy diets, prescription drugs or ridiculous impulse purchases on my credit card. Do-able tip: Weight loss is 90 per cent about what goes on in your head and only 10 per cent what goes into your mouth.
If you follow my advice and commit to my Do-able Diet I am confident you will find the results worthwhile. Not only does this plan definitely work, before long you will actually find yourself enjoying the process. I don’t want to criticise all other diets as being ineffective, they simply didn’t work for me. Do-able tip: Stop the madness! Make a decision to change your life and do it in a safe and responsible way. Your body has to last the rest of your life; treat it with respect.
You can see that my battle with weight has been all-consuming and had an enormous impact on my life. So many times I thought
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my dream was within reach. I had determination and motivation but I was lacking the knowledge to make good food choices. I have tried and seen so many ways to lose weight, ranging from the unorthodox to the downright dangerous. I have to ask, when did common-sense stop being common?
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G E T TO T H E P O I N T Acknowledge that you have a problem; it is the first step to finding a solution. Eat less = weigh less. Your ‘weight control switch’ is actually located in your head and not in your stomach. Happy is not spelt T-H-I-N. Don’t be seduced by fancy packaging; it always comes back to eating everything in moderation and a little bit of exercise. Make a decision to change your life and do it in a safe and responsible way.
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CHAPTER 4 Fed up! Time to take action Every time I saw a NO FAT CHICKS sticker or heard a fat joke on the radio my insides would cringe. I tried to pretend it was not aimed at me, I wasn’t that fat, deep down I knew it was meant for people exactly like me. Being fat makes you part of a social class, a special minority group that has its own place in society. Living as a stereotype adds to your denial because you accept it as your role and you aren’t forced to challenge your position in the world. A huge part of losing weight is accepting that you have a problem in the first place. I learned enough from support groups and my own experience to know that denial is the biggest hurdle to overcome. Do-able tip: Do you ever say ‘It’s a small make’ or ‘At least I’m not as fat as her’? These statements are strong indicators that you are in denial.
I was convinced that if I cut the tags out of my clothes they were not really size 20 or 22. I shopped in stores for ‘plus’ sizes and felt good because my size wasn’t hidden on the back wall. I avoided looking in all mirrors and got rid of my bathroom scales. For a long time I had myself convinced that as long as I didn’t see it, it wasn’t there.
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I remember a time when I went to the movies and I had to struggle to fit my rear end in the seat. I felt the armrest digging into my hips through the entire movie and came out pissed off at the stupid guy who made such tiny chairs—how’s that for denial? Do-able tip: There is no point in trying to lie to the outside world—they can see the problem, even if you can’t.
I can pinpoint the exact moment that snapped me out of denial and prompted me to choose life over food. It was soon after my second son’s birth and I decided to treat myself to a back massage. The very pleasant (and thin) masseuse handed me a towelling robe to wrap around myself once I was undressed. It looked to me like a huge sheet that was held together with a bit of Velcro; no problems—it would have fitted Pavarotti (so I thought). As she handed it to me she paused momentarily and frowned,‘It is one size fits all, but we’ll see how we go. I may be able to join two together.’ She smiled condescendingly and left the room to give me some privacy (or perhaps she didn’t think we would both fit!). If I hadn’t just had a caesarean I would have found a way to squeeze out the window and run away. After the hour was over and I was back in my car, I turned the rear-view mirror down and studied my reflection with great concern. I knew that I had put on some weight over the past few years but I had two kids. Surely I wasn’t as big as she had implied. Or was I? When did ‘one size fits all’ stop applying to me? It was time to face the truth. That day changed my life. Perhaps today will change yours. My unhealthy eating habits started many years ago in childhood and took two-thirds of my life to acknowledge and overcome.
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Habit is a very strong opponent and when it is armed with the delicious temptation of food it becomes one of the most powerful forces in the universe.At the height of my overeating not even He-Man could have torn that fork from my hand! Do-able tip: Each time you go to eat something because it is easier, remind yourself how much easier everything would be if you were a few kilograms lighter.
It was during these formative years that the connection between being happy and eating was forged. From a young age I turned to food as a cure for emotional angst and boredom. It became my faithful and trusted friend; we were inseparable. Most of the good times my family shared revolved around a meal. When we sat down at the table, everyone was united and I felt secure. We were often rewarded for good behaviour with food, a pattern I unwittingly passed on to my own children. As a teenager I lived vicariously through my friends and spent endless hours on the phone quoting them advice from the latest Dolly or Girlfriend magazines. I helped them scheme ways to attract the attention of boys who I liked, and I admired how cute they looked in clothes that I longed to wear.While I accepted my place in the group I was safe. I didn’t challenge anyone and noone was threatened by me. I was just happy-go-lucky, roly-poly Barb with a friendly smile and a chocolate bar always at the ready. I became a cartoon character. Fifteen years later I was still the token fat friend. Do-able tip: My choice to be overweight gave me an identity and a great excuse not to pursue my real ambitions. Don’t make the same mistake.
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It took years to clear out all the emotional baggage of my early life and I found that I was literally still ‘weighed down’. I wanted the world to see on the outside the strong and confident person I had become on the inside. Looking around, I saw that I had in fact achieved many of the goals I had set for my life. All the turmoil and struggle was over and I found that I had run out of excuses to comfort-eat. Do-able tip: A healthy self-esteem is a great way to a better body.
If it hasn’t already become obvious, let me assure you that there is a good reason for my trip down memory lane. Losing weight is as much an emotional journey as it is physical. Gaining weight is not a goal most people actively pursue. It usually piles on gradually over a period of time. (Unless you are a certain Hollywood actress who can blow up and shrink down like a hot air balloon—not a healthy habit, no matter whose diary you are reading!) Fluctuating weight can often be a symptom of other stresses or unresolved problems in your life. I believe that weight gain frequently goes unnoticed because we are too distracted by other issues in our lives. My comfort-eating hit its peak at the same time my weight did: money was tight, I started working from home and I was having trouble falling pregnant. Emotionally I was under enormous pressure and didn’t realise the flow-on effect it was having on my expanding girth. Weight and self-esteem issues are closely linked and unlike people, do not discriminate based on race, gender, age or financial status. A Supreme Court judge can be just as insecure about the figure under her official robes as the mum in her bathrobe faced with a new baby and an unfamiliar body. You might be
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rich, famous, talented and successful but if you aren’t comfortable in your own skin you will never be completely happy. There is a very well known talk show host in America who is famous for two things: being fabulously wealthy and for her very long and public battle with obesity. If you could simply buy your way out of this problem, there would be a lot less fat people in the world.The fact is that the solution to all weight problems is completely free.You can’t buy it, you have to earn it.This is great news because it means we are all on a level playing field. If you aren’t happy with your body, you have the same opportunity to change it as anybody else. Losing weight won’t make your life perfect but it can help you find the confidence and inner strength to pursue your forgotten dreams and ambitions. I now recognise the far-reaching effect that being overweight has had on every area of my life. It influenced the clothes I wore, the relationships I pursued, places I went and even where I parked my car. I subconsciously built a life that supported my overeating and helped me to believe my own lies. I was making choices every day to keep myself fat; I just couldn’t see that at the time. Do-able tip: Don’t waste time justifying your choice to be overweight. The truth is, if you want to change it, you can.
When I finally decided to get serious about losing weight I was determined to find a plan that would cater for my individual tastes and lifestyle. I was finished with starvation diets that were based on irresponsible and unsubstantiated advice. I wanted to enjoy my life and my food but shed some kilos at the same time. I was on a tight budget and not a very creative chef but I was convinced there had to be a way. I knew I couldn’t look myself or anyone else in the eye if I failed again. I wanted a new way, a foolproof
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plan that would see me conquer my Mount Everest and earn me the respect that I deserved. In the past, my attempts to diet usually entailed a miserable week of eating ‘health foods’ that I hated, my stomach grumbling in hungry protest.After counting down to the seventh day, I would jump on the scales full of anticipation only to find I hadn’t lost a bloody thing! I would burst into tears and eat a packet of biscuits to cheer myself up. It was easy then to justify giving up because I had tried really hard and achieved nothing. I decided that my disastrous dieting history had not been in vain and that I knew more about healthy living than I first thought. I scoured countless magazine articles, read dozens of books, watched television programs and had intimate conversations with other women facing the same dilemma. By combining the information I learned along the way with my own commonsense and experience I tailored a plan to suit my specific needs. I knew that putting myself on a strict diet was not the solution. With a new baby to care for, there was no time for private medical clinics or metabolic analysis. I needed a simple, no-frills approach that I could cook by myself, find easily at the supermarket and do in my own time. I hadn’t needed an army of experts or special programs to get myself into this mess; why should I need them to dig myself out? Surely what goes up must come down? Armed with this simple law of physics and a bit of commonsense I put my plan into action. It was revolutionary to me to realise that I didn’t have to drastically change what I was eating if I was prepared to sacrifice the amount I was eating. I found it easier to eat a smaller plate of something that I liked than a larger serving of food that didn’t appeal to my taste buds. How often have we heard experts extolling the virtues of a ‘balanced diet’ or ‘all things in moderation’? Wise words but easier said than done.
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I also had to acknowledge the length of time it had taken to reach my hefty size and accept that it would take equal time to reverse the damage.As I mentioned earlier, years of ‘crash’ dieting had damaged my metabolism (the mechanism that controls how quickly you burn energy) and each year that passed made it harder to jump-start. I didn’t think of my plan as a ‘diet’, a word that often inspires negative feelings such as guilt and frustration. I had already been there, done that, bought the (very large) T-shirt! This time it would work because it was on my terms. No pressure, no wild expectations, no chance for failure—only a hope for success. I knew what I wanted but despite many years of searching I was yet to find it. I wanted my ‘dream diet’, the one that allowed me to continue eating the food I enjoy, didn’t need a lot of exercise and was 97 per cent guilt free! Sounds too good to be true? I thought so too. Before you are ready to begin my plan you must first acknowledge you have a weight problem, identify the reasons why you are choosing to be overweight, and lastly decide to make a lifestyle change and set some achievable goals. Once you have completed these three vital steps it is time to move on to the food.
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G E T TO T H E P O I N T Losing weight is as much an emotional journey as it is physical. Fluctuating weight can often be a symptom of other stresses or unresolved problems in your life. Recognise that habit is a very strong opponent. Don’t use food as a cure for loneliness or boredom. You make choices every day to keep yourself fat. If you are prepared to change how much you’re eating, you don’t always have to give up what you’re eating. A good, happy, healthy self-esteem is a great way to a better body.
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PART 2: NUTS & BOLTS
PART 2 NUTS & BOLTS
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CHAPTER 5 The secret revealed How to have (half of ) your cake and eat it too! I have discovered widespread confusion about what constitutes good nutrition and eating habits. We are constantly bombarded with conflicting information about food and new diet ideas come and go with the tide. I discovered that there is no generic cure and that each person has their individual strengths and weaknesses.An important key to unlocking a weight problem is a basic understanding of the fuel that we rely on to power our bodies. Most people know more about the type of petrol that is best for our car than we do about what is keeping us alive. Following my instructions you will learn how to make the changes that are necessary without sacrificing the food and activities you enjoy. I won’t tell you to stop eating sandwiches and start eating salad every day or stop having pasta and only eat steamed fish. If you learn to eat and exercise in moderation you can lose weight and gain taste at the same time. Learning which foods actually made me feel fuller for longer was important and made a significant difference to my food choices. You already know that the key to solving your weight problem is reducing the amount of energy that you eat and increasing the amount that you burn off. That is not new information. My ‘secret’ is the uncomplicated and do-able way I have managed to apply it to my life.
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G E T T I N G S TA R T E D Change your bad habits one at a time
I know I promised no paperwork but there is a simple written exercise that will help you get started. Don’t go to any trouble— you can do it on the margins of this page. (I won’t mind.) Make a note of what you consider are your top four food vices—be very specific (and honest). Pick which one you want to be free of first. Start with your least favourite and work your way up to the one you think you will find the hardest to give up. My top four were burgers with cheese, chocolate biscuits, toast with peanut butter, and flavoured milk. I chose the biscuits first. Once you make your selection, make a vow to yourself that you will not eat any of that particular food for the next seven days. You can eat anything else from your normal diet as long as you go without the one you have chosen. If you don’t make the whole week you must keep on trying with that same item until you can go seven straight days without eating it. For example, if you choose potato chips and start on Tuesday but only make it to Saturday you have to start the seven days over again. I tried to take it easy and not let thoughts of food dominate my life. In my first week I gave up chocolate biscuits. I could eat anything else as long as I avoided any type of chocolate biscuit.When I reached the seventh day and found that hell had in fact not frozen over, I started to think, I may actually be able to pull this off ! Do-able tip: Be careful not to replace one bad habit with another.
Each week you add another item from your top four and by the end of the first month, hopefully you will be free of your top
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four diet destroyers. Don’t expect to see any drop on the scales this month but you shouldn’t see any gains and your weight will be starting to stabilise—this is the first step in resetting your metabolism. Sounds simple—it is! IT’S ALL ABOUT THE KILOJOULES Eat the food you like—in moderation
My theory is that it is better to have a smaller amount of something that you love rather than a huge plate of something they ate on Survivor ! I hate yoghurt and would much rather start the day with the crunchy sweetness of cereal. By eating something I love, I helped to keep myself from feeling deprived or resentful. By replacing my large bowl with a smaller one I immediately reduced the amount of kilojoules and managed to satisfy my appetite and taste buds.This basic principle is applied to every meal and makes this plan an entirely portable weight loss solution that can be used in any situation from Sunday barbecues to tropical holidays. Do-able tip: Weight loss is not only about what you eat, but also how much you eat.
If you ate a box of dairy milk chocolates every day and nothing else, you would probably still lose weight. By the same reasoning, if you eat too much of typically ‘healthy’ food you will still gain weight. The main point is to eat less kilojoules, either by changing the types of food you eat, the way it is prepared or the size of your portion. All of these are effective ways of cutting your daily energy consumption. I now eat six to seven small meals a day, which keeps me from grazing and snacking all day like I used to.
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Do-able tip: Snacking is weight loss enemy #1. Make a meal of it—take time to enjoy your food and it will satisfy you for longer. Never eat out of a packet or a carton. It is impossible to gauge how much you have eaten and before you know it your fingernails are scratching at the bottom.
A common diet trap can be seen in people who claim to be overweight while eating a ‘healthy’ diet. An example of this was a conversation I had a year ago with a very overweight woman. She was lamenting her lifelong struggle with obesity and how she did all the ‘right’ things but never budged a kilo.We talked for half an hour and in that time I watched her snack on a whole kilo of grapes and around fifteen ‘lite’ cheese crackers. Grapes are healthy but high in sugar and even though the crackers were ‘baked not fried’ they were full of carbohydrate.At the same time I ate a small peach and two soy and linseed biscuits topped with reduced-fat cream cheese and tomato. She was making a classic mistake. She had changed the types of food she was eating but was still eating far too much and overdosing on the kilojoules. Do-able tip: Just because it looks ‘healthy’ does not make it low in kilojoules.
Learn to read food labels
Don’t be afraid of the words calories or kilojoules. Before long, you will have a reasonable idea of which foods you can afford more of and which ones you should be eating less of. It may be a pleasant surprise to find that some things you assumed were high in kilojoules actually turn out to be lower than you thought.
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The second thing to look for is the fat content. (I try to keep to foods that have a fat content of less than 10g per 100g—this means that they are less than 10 per cent fat) and, lastly, check the carbohydrates (sugar). Do-able tip: The most important indicator for weight loss is the kilojoules. If something is high in fat or sugar it will show up in the kilojoules. Rely on this as your guide.
The world of fat has become extremely complicated, with so many products labelled ‘fat free’ and ‘low fat’. I learned very quickly that these words are actually ‘advertising speak’ for ‘It still tastes good because it is full of sugar’! You will note that very few products can make the claim ‘no fat and no sugar’—if you manage to find one, eat the packaging instead; I’m sure it will taste better! Do-able tip: Never trust the advertising claims on packaged food items; don’t assume because it says ‘fat free’ or ‘lite’ that it is low in kilojoules. Always read the nutritional information panel on the label.
Spend some time wandering the aisles of your grocery store and practise learning to read labels.This skill takes time to master but if you put in the effort you will learn how to find the relevant information at a glance.This behaviour has become instinctive to me and I rarely eat any packaged food that has no nutritional information panel. Reading nutritional panels will soon be much easier with the introduction of strict new labelling laws.The criteria for a food to be considered as ‘diet’ or ‘lite’ is to be severely tightened. Products making these claims must prove to be lower in overall kilojoule
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value, not only lower in fat or sugar.This should help to eliminate the many traps that deceptive advertising has laid down to catch would-be dieters. Do-able tip: Don’t be afraid to ask for the nutritional information. I once spent ten minutes at a popular bakery chain while the cashier found a folder containing the facts and figures on each item. With her help I was able to choose something to snack on that was relatively low in kilojoules.
Always check the ‘ser ving size’ listed on packaging
Another clever trick by advertisers is to claim a product is low in fat or sugar because they have measured the serving size as much smaller than the package contains. A good example of this is the 500ml bottles of ‘lite’ flavoured milk, which most people assume is one serving.The label may well claim 250kJ per serve but they are showing the serving size as 100ml.Who has ever bought one of those drinks and finished it over five days? If you were to drink the whole bottle (as most people do) you would actually have had 1250kJ—as much as a whole meal! Do-able tip: To compare between products that display different serving sizes, use the energy (kilojoules) per 100 grams or millilitres. For example, if one packet of biscuits shows a serving size as one biscuit and another brand shows a serving of two, compare the energy per 100g and the one with the lower kilojoules is the winner.
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Eat between 4000 and 6000kJ per day, depending on your height and level of physical activity
Whilst trying to lose weight I kept my daily kilojoule intake between 4000 and 5000 kilojoules. I have found a great deal of conflicting information on the recommended daily intake as it depends on your sex, height and level of physical activity. I suggest that you follow my example as a guide and adjust your daily limit until you are achieving your weight loss comfortably.To lose weight I recommend an average daily limit of 5000kJ. Never eat less than 4000kJ or more than 6000kJ per day. Learn the formula of 3 x 400kJ and 3 x 1200kJ = daily intake less than 5000kJ
To lose weight I kept snacks (morning/afternoon tea and dessert) to an average of 400kJ and my main meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) to an average of 1200kJ. That gave me an average daily kilojoule total of 4800–5000kJ (including drinks) which gave me a healthy weight loss of half to one kilogram per week. (For men I recommend 3 × snacks of 600kJ and 3 × meals of 1500kJ which is a maximum daily limit of 6500kJ.) Doing it this way, you don’t have to constantly record your kilojoule intake or weigh food. Using the information on nutritional labels you can easily calculate an estimate of the kilojoule count for each meal or snack.The only numbers you have to remember are 3 × snacks of 400kJ and 3 × meals of 1200kJ. Now that I am at my goal weight I allow myself a daily intake of 5000–6000kJ and maintain regular exercise. Do-able tip: These totals are an average so if you save kilojoules at one meal time you can use them later if you want to.
The only exception to the ‘kilojoule conscious’ rule is fresh fruit and vegetables. Obviously they don’t come fitted with a
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nutritional label but they are a vital part of a healthy diet. Because they are high in nutritional value and low in fat, I don’t generally include fruit or vegetables in my kilojoule assessment. Be warned however, fruit is high in natural sugar and can increase your daily kilojoule intake if eaten in excessive quantities. I recommend that you eat at least one full cup of vegetables but no more than three serves of fruit per day. Vegetables are an essential part of any healthy diet and can be eaten freely as long as they are prepared in a low-kilojoule way. KILOJOULE CRASH COURSE Here are some examples of how simple it is to work out your daily kilojoule intake. For more examples of the food that makes up my daily diet, turn to the sample menu in the back of the book. Breakfast
The label on the multigrain bread reads 580kJ per serve (it shows that a serve is calculated as two slices). I only eat one slice so I halve that and get roughly 290kJ, plus a teaspoon of low-fat margarine (I allow myself a teaspoon of margarine or oil per day) and a low-fat cheese slice, the label on which states that a serve is one slice and that it has 320kJ. I add two slices of tomato and salt and pepper. The total so far equals 610kJ, well within my range, so I add a lite hot chocolate—the label says a prepared serve of 200ml is 316kJ. Just under the thousand mark—perfect! Morning tea
The label on the low-fat apple and cinnamon muffin mix says that of a batch of twelve muffins (which is the quantity I have made) one muffin is the serving size and it is worth 505kJ.A little pricey but just what I feel like. I saved on brekky, so I am in the clear.
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Lunch
Tuna and cheese toasted sandwich: we already know from breakfast that two slices of multigrain bread is a serve and worth 580kJ. No butter this time, just spray oil on the non-stick sandwich maker. A light sprinkling of low-fat tasty cheese, 1 tablespoon of chopped onion plus a 185g can of tuna. The serving size is 70g (half a can) which has an energy value of 286kJ. The total sits round 1000 kilojoules—day still on track.Add a glass of diet cola, which has virtually no kilojoules. If I am still peckish or have a sweet craving I will finish lunch with a piece of fruit such as an orange, pear, kiwifruit or small bowl of grapes. Remember, you don’t need to count the exact kilojoules in fruit—just be conscious of your sugar intake. Do-able tip: Bananas are high in carbohydrates so are great before going to the gym but apples are lower in kilojoules and make an easy snack.
Afternoon tea
I choose a whole green apple and two low-fat caramel and macadamia cookies. The serving size is two cookies, which is worth 320kJ. Doing well so far. Dinner
I always include a serve of lean meat in my dinner. Chicken, fish, lean beef or lamb are some good options. They are high in protein and other essential nutrients. I decide on Thai coconut curry with chicken (sauce from a jar).The label for the sauce says 397kJ per serve and the bottle serves four.That is the number of people I am cooking for so I can use this as my serving size. I only use skinless chicken breast and if you buy it packaged from the
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grocery store it will have an information label on it. If you buy your meat from the butcher don’t panic, buy lean cuts and keep the portions small. As a guide I use 500 grams of chicken for this dish and it serves four meals, which works out to roughly 125 grams of chicken for each person. Do-able tip: I never serve two different types of highcarbohydrate foods together. For example, if I make a casserole and use lots of potato and sweet potato I don’t serve it with rice. Also if I make a pasta dish I avoid serving it with bread. Carbohydrates are important for fuelling our body with energy but if you eat more than you burn off, they quickly convert to fat.
I used to treat the meat as the main ingredient but now my emphasis is on the vegetables. I fill the pan with at least three types of vegetables (fresh or frozen) and add meat for taste and protein. The label on my chicken says 100 grams is worth 500kJ. The sauce plus the chicken equals 900kJ, add two cups of frozen vegies (peas, corn and carrot) and two tablespoons of rice on the side—I come in under budget. Do-able tip: I used to spread rice or pasta across my plate and then pile the sauce on top, now I fill my bowl with the sauce and add two to three dessertspoons of rice or pasta on the side.
Dessert
I have to finish my day off with dessert. I have two small scoops of low-fat ice-cream which the label tells me is 380kJ. (Sometimes I have one scoop and add a cup of strawberries or some peach slices.) Low-fat vanilla custard or chocolate mousse are great alternatives.
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Do-able tip: Brush your teeth straight after dinner. You won’t want to have to clean them again and probably won’t bother eating again before bed.
It only has to be an estimate
If a food is high in kilojoules or you’re unsure, opt for a smaller portion. Remember, if you can’t work out the exact kilojoule value it doesn’t matter. Just calculate as much as you can and be disciplined with your portions. The key here is average and you will soon be able to tell if you are getting it right because the scales will start to reward your efforts in a very exciting way! If you haven’t lost anything (that means even half a kilo) after the first month, try cutting back your kilojoule intake a little more but do not starve yourself.You must not drop below a total of 4000kJ per day or you will cause damage to your body and metabolism. It may take you a few weeks to get used to this plan, but before long you won’t believe how do-able it is! If you feel like fettuccine carbonara for dinner then have it; just compensate for it with your other meals that day and don’t get carried away with the serving spoon. I refer to my food as kilojoule dollars: by investing them wisely you can save them up to afford a special purchase. If you can’t resist and blow them in one extravagant transaction it is a long bus ride home from the mall! I haven’t had to keep records, weigh food or remember what my calorie count was for the entire day. I have simply stuck to my kilojoule budget for each meal and can go to bed with a clear conscience. If I had a special event to attend or I just felt more hungry I still had time over the rest of the week to make it up. If you think you have overdone it today just be extra careful tomorrow.
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Do-able tip: Aim for more ‘good’ days than ‘bad’ and you will slowly change your eating habits and eventually see positive results.
W H E N I N D O U B T, E AT H A L F ! Reduce the portion size of all meals
I started with my main meal at dinner time. For the first few weeks I continued with my normal daily eating (minus the four food groups I had given up) and swapped my big, shiny dinner plate for a more modest bowl or bread and butter plate (without the bread and butter!). I still made the same meals that my family ate but by reducing the size of my plate I effectively halved the number of kilojoules that found their way into my mouth.This is a great tool for when you can’t work out the kilojoules or just don’t have the time. Do-able tip: Eat less = weigh less.
I have not eaten off a dinner plate at home in over two years. I much prefer a full bowl of steaming spaghetti or roast chicken than a few lonely morsels on a barren plate. It is really an optical illusion but your stomach will feel much fuller and you’ll eat half the amount that you’re used to. Do-able tip: Cut your food into small pieces—it will take longer to eat and trick your brain into thinking you are eating more. For example, cut your sandwiches into fours instead of halves and cut fruit into small cubes. It’s a simple but effective way to cut down your portion size and control ‘brain hunger’.
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In the early days of my weight loss I joined one of my closest friends for a cafe lunch. I had half a BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich) and left just enough room for my favourite caramel cheesecake with a skinny latte. I straight away cut the cake in half and offered the other half to my friend but she declined. We continued chatting but I found I couldn’t concentrate on anything she was saying because all I could think about was that damn bit of cake. I tried to get the waiter’s attention to clear the table but it was rush hour and he was busy. Out of desperation I grabbed the salt bottle and poured it all over the remains of the cake and pushed it to the side of the table. My friend, unaware of the battle against temptation that was raging inside my head, was completely horrified. I explained that I had not gone completely mental but I had to take evasive action to stop myself from succumbing to its soft and creamy advances. The relief was immediate. Once I knew it tasted more like cod than cream, I didn’t want it at all—genius or madness? You be the judge. Do-able tip: Nothing is ‘off the menu’, just always try to use low-fat and low-kilojoule ingredients where possible and keep the amount on your plate to a minimum. No going back for seconds!
THE LIQUID DIET Liquid kilojoules are just as important as food kilojoules; it all ends up in the same place. In the world of the weight-conscious, kilojoules are a precious commodity and can make the difference between triumph and failure.Would it surprise you to know that you can use over half your daily intake just in what you drink?
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I used to drink a chocolate milkshake per day, several glasses of apple and blackcurrant juice, a few cups of coffee with sugar and lemonade with dinner. I was pouring liquid sugar down my throat and didn’t realise I was doubling my daily kilojoule intake just by drinking. There is the equivalent of seven teaspoons of sugar in one glass of soft drink. You might as well eat a block of chocolate with every meal. Cordial and juice are also high in sugar. Don’t be fooled by the phrase ‘only contains natural sugar’, it all looks the same on your hips! Flavoured milk (even the low-fat varieties) is full of sugar and contains more kilojoules than you should consume in your entire main meal.There is no point ordering a skim milk iced coffee or chocolate if it is topped with whipped cream and ice-cream. I love a good milkshake and have bought my own mixer so I can make them with skim milk and low-fat ice-cream, no added sugar. I enjoy them now as an occasional treat. The only drinks I have on a daily basis are water, diet cola (the caffeine-free variety if available), diet lemonade or coffee. I struggle to drink eight glasses of water a day but keep a 600ml bottle in my car and drink it while I’m doing the school run. I try to finish two bottles a day. Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages are generally full of sugar and extremely high in energy. Save the champagne for your ‘coming out’ party when you have reached your goal weight.You can drink more kilojoules in a few glasses of wine or spirits than you would eat during dinner. I am not a big drinker anyway so this was an easy area for me to gain ‘kilojoule credit’. If your social life does include the odd glass of chardy or a few beers you can still join the party but reduce your kilojoule intake
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in the days before and after the event.A glass of wine over dinner or a nightcap with your spouse can actually be good for your health but treat it like eating chocolate: moderation is the key. I usually volunteer to be the designated driver so the temptation to refill my glass is removed entirely. Do-able tip: Too much alcohol is bad for your health, mind and body. Swap the spritzer for a diet soda and reap the rewards.
SPICE IT UP Open your mind and mouth to new experiences
Ask any of my friends and they will tell you that I had the most boring diet of anyone they had ever met. For two years I had a large chocolate milkshake and a chicken burger with fries for lunch at least five times a week. Like life, your diet is a work in progress and the food I eat today is different to what it was three months, six months or two years ago. My lifestyle and eating habits have been constantly evolving throughout this ongoing process. I am like a baby being introduced to the exciting world of solids for the first time. I have discovered a whole new appreciation for good food and I get greater enjoyment from food now than ever before. For the first time in my life I can really taste the different flavours, breathe in the delicious aromas and appreciate the whole fine dining experience. Our country is blessed with an abundance of fresh ingredients and great food. My palate has finally matured and I now crave quality food instead of just quantity. I feel free in my mind and conscience to take pleasure in all the tasty treats that are on offer.
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I will probably never be a gourmet chef (just ask my husband) but with a house of three hungry men to feed I had to learn to toss a steak and peel a spud. I used to only cook for necessity but I am slowly starting to discover that putting in a little more effort and creativity can turn a household chore into a hobby. I have always been a fussy eater and vegetables never featured heavily in my top ten favourite foods.To this day I am not a big salad fan but have made excellent progress on the vegetable front. I had to discover creative ways to incorporate fresh food into my diet. I learned to hide it in my meals the same way you do for finicky three-year-olds who whine about their greens. There is nothing wrong with short cuts
Cooking dinner can be a difficult time of day for any dieter because they are either tired from a long day at work, rushing to a P&C meeting or trying to bath two kids, correct Year 3 spelling homework and keep the chicken from burning at the same time! It is no wonder the supermarkets have become magic shops full of nutritious family-meals-in-an-instant.You can buy everything pre-cut, peeled, cooked and can make a six-course banquet by ‘just adding water’. Women from my grandmother’s generation are horrified at how ‘lazy’ today’s homemakers are because they forget that equal opportunity means that Mum now has to go out and earn the bacon as well as cook it and clean it up! Do-able tip: Once all meals have been served, dump all pots and pans in the sink and immediately fill it with water—no licking the wooden spoon!
Nearly all the dinners I make are built on a base that has either been poured, mixed or dissolved. If you are a distinguished chef
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you may find it harder to give up cream in your mashed potatoes or to cook with spray oil instead of extra virgin. Shop around; there is a great variety of really good and easyto-prepare meals on offer at your local grocery store. Take time when you shop to read the labels.You will find a low-fat or lowkilojoule alternative to most popular meals. Do-able tip: Try one new vegetable and recipe a week. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just something different from your usual routine. The more colourful your food the healthier (and prettier) it is—add vegetables to everything!
When you are tired and hungry and you have to cook for yourself or the kids are wearing you down, it can be tempting to give in to the pressure and grab the car keys. Stock up on some easy dinner basics and try to plan your meals in advance. If you are trying to prepare meals under stress you will end up making the wrong choices. Do-able tip: I always freeze any leftovers in individual containers which come in handy on nights when we have to eat on the run or I don’t feel like cooking. By the end of the week there are a few meals packed away and we have PotLuck Friday. Cheaper, quicker and healthier than takeaway.
We eat a lot of tomato-based meals (because it is low in fat). Some of our regulars include chicken cacciatore, lamb casserole and a variety of stir-fry and curry dishes. Don’t worry if none of these options appeal to you or your family. We still have sausages and mashed potato, lamb roast and pizza. These are just examples— you can continue to include your normal meals as long as you remember to apply the key principles. Stick to your small plate,
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read your labels, be aware of your eating and you can enjoy your favourite foods—fat and guilt free. Do-able tip: Being relaxed at mealtimes helps to control overeating.
TIMING IS EVERYTHING Plan your meals and stop eating three hours before you go to bed at night
Think about your lifestyle and what times you get hungry or eat the most. I eat regularly and have something every two to three hours, starting with breakfast in the early morning, lunch by noon and dinner finished by six o’clock. Do-able tip: For a late-night snack, try a cup of tea or a lowjoule hot chocolate.
If you skip breakfast and don’t start to eat until close to midday, the bulk of your energy intake will occur in the later part of the day. This is the time when most people are winding down and starting to burn kilojoules more slowly. Do-able tip: If you do have a larger snack or eat closer to bedtime you need to burn some energy before you sleep. Ask your partner for their help!
Don’t let yourself get hungry during the day because your appetite builds up and by the time you eat dinner you are starving.This can lead to all sorts of trouble with snacking, picking and
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late-night munchies. Make sure you stop eating around three hours before you go to bed. Do-able tip: Do you know that it takes twenty minutes after you stop eating for your stomach to register it is full?
Although you may be feeling mildly hungry by the time you pull up the covers, you continue to burn energy while you sleep. By morning your body resets your kilojoule count and you are free to start a new day. If you eat dinner too late and load up on carbohydrates late at night any unused kilojoules will convert to fat as you sleep. Do-able tip: It is important to get at least six to eight hours of solid sleep a night. If you are overtired and sluggish you are more likely to binge and less likely to do any exercise.
You might be thinking now that you have learned all my secrets, so why keep reading? There is more to successful weight loss than just the food and I still have a few rabbits to pull out of my hat. In the next chapter I will teach you how to ‘bust-proof ’ your life and apply all your newfound wisdom. Following these guidelines can help your own story reach a happy ending.
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G E T TO T H E P O I N T Learn to eat and exercise in moderation: you can lose weight and enjoy food at the same time. Switch to a smaller plate or bowl. Change your bad habits one at a time. Learn to read food labels. The most important measure is the kilojoules. Never trust the advertising claims on packaged food items. Don’t assume it is low in kilojoules just because it says ‘lite’. Eat between 4000 and 6000kJ per day (for women) or 5000 and 6000kJ (for men). Work from the formula of 3 x 400kJ and 3 x 1200kJ (women) or 3 x 600kJ and 3 x 1500kJ (men). There is no need to weigh food or keep a food diary. Reduce the portion size of all meals. Be aware that the kilojoules you drink are as important as the kilojoules you eat. Be open to new food experiences. Plan your meals and get organised.
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CHAPTER 6 Dieting danger zones Bust-proofing your life Once you have made the decision to start, it is time to ‘bustproof ’ the house and remove any food that may sabotage your plan. Dispose of any items that you find impossible to resist. Do not throw out everything you like or rush out and buy a whole lot of new food that you don’t normally eat. Keep the basics but if you find that you can’t stay away from your husband’s corn chips or the kids’ bikkies are too tempting—ask them to try something different or switch to a brand that doesn’t appeal to you. I cannot fight temptation when it is living under my roof. I don’t know how your house works but it never went down well in mine when I announced I was on a diet and everyone else had to suffer along with me. My husband would fight back tears as I raided the kitchen and donated all his favourite snacks to the trash can. Don’t try to change other people; set an example yourself and the rest of the family might follow your lead. Concentrate on improving your own behaviour and leave others to make their own decisions. In this next section I have identified some of the toughest situations facing would-be dieters. The following tips for ‘bustproofing’ your environment are absolutely essential and will help you stay strong and focused in your weakest moments. Preparation and planning are two valuable dieting tools that can be used to reinforce your diet. With some forward thought you
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will never be caught at the supermarket starving or find there is nothing for dinner except cereal or rice crackers. In this chapter I share specific tips on surviving some of the most common dieting danger zones and prove you can lose weight without losing your friends and becoming a recluse. This is one of the most exciting features of my Do-able Diet; like a classic suit it is appropriate for any occasion. It is the nature of our society that most of our interaction revolves around food. On my plan you can go to that barbecue, have that piece of birthday cake and enjoy the seafood buffet at your cousin’s wedding. Following my simple techniques, you will find out how to manage your weight without feeling deprived or left out.
D I E T I N G DA N G E R Z O N E # 1 — T H E M U N C H I E S One of the biggest dilemmas for struggling dieters is how to survive an attack of the dreaded munchies! This seems to coincide, for women at least, with a particular time of the month when hormone levels and emotions can fly off the radar. I still suffer from the sugar cravings of PMT and to a degree I don’t even try to fight them. I know my cycle is about to start when I find myself licking the empty sugar bowl.These incredible urges are a force of nature and beyond the human power of self-control. The best advice I can offer is to keep yourself distracted. I have found that snacking usually coincides with overtiredness or boredom. Find something else to do or if it is night-time, go to bed. This is the main reason for keeping your home environment ‘bust-proof ’: help yourself by not having temptation within easy reach. If you can’t fight the ‘snack attack’ have a piece of fruit or some cheese and crackers or a cup of tea. Keep it small and keep the kilojoules to a minimum.
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My weakest time of the day is around two o’clock in the afternoon when my blood sugar levels drop and I would sell one of my children for a packet of chocolate coated sultanas. In desperation I have been known to ransack the house in the hope of finding one stale little lolly to satisfy my urge for sugar. If there is none in the house I am not likely to drive to the shop and if I can distract myself for half an hour or so the craving passes and I am safe to be let loose again. Before you tear open the packet of corn chips with your teeth, ask yourself honestly if it will make you feel better or worse to devour the lot. If the answer is yes, go for it and have your binge, get it out of the house and your system as quickly as possible. Eat as many as you can in one hit and throw the rest in the garbage bin. If you retrieve it from the bin, you have bigger problems than I can help you with! Do-able tip: When the munchies strike, get out of the kitchen. Do anything to avoid being near food: do some washing, pull a few weeds, read the kids a story or get on the phone to a friend—use all available lifelines!
D I E T I N G DA N G E R Z O N E # 2 — TA K E AWAY Sometimes, no matter how organised we are, life throws our plans into chaos and we have to eat on the run. Some leading fast-food chains now offer a low-fat range and some of these products actually don’t taste too bad. If you have the willpower to proceed to the drive-through window and not order a meal that comes with a large softdrink and fries, these can be a great emergency backup plan. Always check the nutritional information where available.
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We live close to the water and Sunday afternoon fish and chips is a family tradition. I love this time with my boys and I haven’t had to miss out once because of my diet. I simply wait an extra ten minutes for my fish to be grilled instead of deep-fried. I have the garden salad and let the kids and seagulls share the chips. A simple yet effective way to change my old habits and encourage healthier behaviour. Sometimes on a Friday night we hire a movie and eat pizza on a blanket on the lounge room floor. My kids love these occasions because they get to break about five house rules in one simple meal! It is a fun way to unwind together at the end of a busy week. If I don’t feel like making pizza we get one delivered. We have swapped thick crust for thin and opt for a vegetarian pizza with reduced-fat cheese. It took my family a little time to accept the change but even the kids now approve of this less greasy option. Do-able tip: I make my own garlic bread with a simple French stick and mix a little olive oil instead of butter (still high in kilojoules but you use less) with garlic. I only eat two 1-inchthick pieces of a standard size French stick.
I know I have sung the praises of chicken as a healthy option but that depends on how it is cooked and what accompanies it on the plate. Remember that fried means fat and there is nothing healthy about chicken that has been crumbed and boiled in oil. Even the humble barbecue chook is loaded with kilojoules. Remove the skin (no matter how good it smells) and only eat the meat. Serve with some steamed or baked vegetables (bake in water, not oil) and you can turn it into a quick and nutritious meal. Chinese,Thai, Indian and Italian takeaway all offer a variety of dishes and usually have a selection of lower-fat alternatives. Ask the chef for advice and check the method in which the food is
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cooked. For example, steamed dumplings are going to be half the fat of spring rolls, which are deep-fried. Don’t assume because it has vegetables and lots of colour that it is ‘healthy’ from a weight loss perspective. If you are not sure, keep the serving size small. Better to be safe than sorry. Every time we go into a shop it seems there is an invitation to buy a king-size chocolate bar with a free can of softdrink to sweeten the deal! It is a very tough world for the weight-conscious— healthier alternatives are harder to find and twice as expensive. Don’t confuse tough with impossible, though.You do have to try a little harder but I promise you it is worth the effort.There is a growing movement to make healthier eating more accessible but until brussels sprouts start outselling burgers, junk food is here to stay. Although still outnumbered by junk, there are some excellent fast-food options becoming available. As consumer pressure continues to mount and demand for healthier food increases, the variety and choices will expand. Ask questions, learn about food and always think before you eat. This is one game where it feels great to be a loser! D I E T I N G DA N G E R Z O N E # 3 — H A N G I N G O U T Spending time with loved ones should be the highlight of any day but often these activities are fraught with dieting danger. You don’t have to decline every invitation that comes your way, just be sure to take these ‘bust-proofing’ techniques out with you. The movies
I love going to the movies with friends but now bypass the candy bar and only take a diet soda, bottle of water or my husband to keep my hands occupied. If it doesn’t seem right to watch a movie without popcorn, make your own without butter and take it in
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your handbag (no-one will notice in the dark). Giving up the ‘movie food’ was hard at first but the cinema seats are now a lot more comfortable. Games night
I meet with a group of girlfriends for a games night once a month and it is the highlight of my social calendar. It is a great night of fun, food and laughter. We all bring a bottle of wine and a plate of nibblies. Instead of corn chips and dip, I take rice chips (the lowest kilojoule ones I can find) and low-fat cream cheese or a cheese platter with reduced-fat crackers. I always eat a proper meal before I leave home. If I am not hungry I will be less inclined to keep picking at the plate. Keep drinking water to maintain the feeling of a full tummy. The great Aussie barbecue
There’s nothing like the smell of sausages cooking on the barbecue, which happens to be one of our most common weekend rituals. As inviting as they smell, sausages are full of fat. (Buy the lean beef variety; more expensive but worth every penny.) I advise that you forget the snags altogether and instead try some marinated chicken kebabs or make your own lean mince patties. Pile your plate with fresh green salad instead of coleslaw and potato salad. Don’t hang around at hotplate or the table—have a friendly game of cricket or spread out on the grass with a good book. Have some fun, don’t just go for the food. Do-able tip: Life is full of fun and interesting activities. Don’t eat for entertainment. This is a great lesson to learn as a family. If you or the kids are bored, don’t hang out in the kitchen—instead read a story together or play a fun game. You’ll find you will all be much more enthusiastic about dinner and willing to try new things.
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It would be impossible for me to list all the possible social situations you may find yourself in throughout the course of your weight loss. I have tried to cover some of the most common scenarios and the ones I found myself in most frequently. Over time I’m sure you will develop your own tricks for keeping your environment ‘bust-proof ’ both at home and away.
DIETING DANGER ZONE #4—NEGATIVE THINKING Another part of creating a ‘bust-proof ’ environment is to clean out your head as well as the pantry. Remove all negative words from your vocabulary. Stop saying words like, ‘can’t’, ‘impossible’, ‘hate’ or any other thoughts that bring you down. Replace these ideas with words such as ‘can’ and ‘will’; never underestimate the power of a positive and determined attitude. Phrases such as ‘Stuff it!’ or ‘What the hell?!’ should be avoided at all times. If you catch yourself using words to this effect, be warned that your weight loss attempt is under serious threat! These words are most commonly used immediately prior to bingeing or a bout of unconscious eating. It is absolutely crucial that you remain in control over your appetite. If you choose to scoff an entire bag of chips or half a slab of cake, have the courage to own your decision and the consequences that follow. Do not stuff your face with food that, once you regain control, you will live to regret. Do-able tip: You never regret the food that you didn’t eat, only the food you ate when you knew you shouldn’t have.
I remind myself constantly, ‘I don’t do that anymore’. Every time my eye wanders down the confectionery aisle, or I go to eat the crusts from my sons’ lunch or I think to ask for extra cream on the side, I repeat this affirmation; ‘I don’t do that anymore’. These
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words remind me of how far I have come and how much I prefer the sweet taste of freedom and success. It is important to remember that when you put food in your mouth, even though you can’t see it anymore, it is still there.The few seconds of satisfaction your taste buds get before the crucial swallow moment are followed by a fascinating physical chain of events. Think about what happens to that burger, milkshake and fries once they are out of sight. They float through your insides, sometimes for days or weeks and have an effect on every major organ in your body. Eventually the undigested grease is deposited in your arteries and the excess sugar that you don’t burn off converts to fat and takes up residence on your bum and thighs. Doesn’t sound quite so appealing now, does it? We all have weak moments, (yes, me too) but I am much more upset if I absentmindedly finish my sons’ leftovers than if I choose to eat a whole piece of cheesecake. I cannot stress highly enough the importance of learning to eat consciously and by choice, not habit. When making any choices in life we weigh the balance of what we hope to gain against the price we must pay for that decision. By acknowledging these consequences you will find the strength and determination to make the right food choices.
D I E T I N G DA N G E R Z O N E # 5 — M O U T H H U N G E R Learn to read your hunger and how to distinguish between a true need for nourishment and the simple cravings of your mouth. I was a stranger to real hunger because I ate so much and so often that I never felt anything beyond the aching of my jaw. It was a novelty to actually feel my stomach rumble because it was empty and not just because I was bored or lonely. I began to understand my appetite and knew if I was hungry it meant that I had successfully controlled my cravings and avoided
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overeating.With that knowledge I could look forward to my next meal with a clear conscience. Hunger is your body’s mechanism for letting you know it needs refuelling.Think of it as the petrol light on your dashboard: you may choose to fill up sooner but the car will keep running until empty.Your body works the same way. It will not let you starve without warning. You can’t change the world but you can definitely change your world and establish a ‘safety zone’ to make your life easier. It is important to create an environment for success and be aware of the people and places that may sabotage your efforts. Do-able tip: Avoid situations that make you feel vulnerable or people that encourage you to join them in binge-eating.
D I E T I N G DA N G E R Z O N E # 6 — K I D S These are some tips for weight-conscious mums with young children. There is an entire global marketing network that exists to peddle confectionery and junk food to our children. The images that bombard our living rooms have an effect on us, the parents, as much as on our kids. Constant pictures of ice-cream, chocolate, chips and soft drink fill our heads and quite often end up in the back seat of our cars. For my plan to be successful I had to make changes to my children’s routine as well as my own. Since giving birth my life has been filled with endless excuses to eat: birthday parties, christenings, school fetes and Tupperware parties—it is a big, fat jungle out there! Here are some helpful tips I discovered on my journey back to civilisation.
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Shopping
It is hard to ignore the whining and pleading of a child who is fed up with shopping and wants a snack.We used to be regulars at the doughnut shop where we each had a bright green dinosaur doughnut with chocolate eyes and lolly teeth. Our grocery shopping routine began with morning tea at the bakery and ended with lunch in the food court. In hindsight I am horrified at the terrible example of nutrition I was setting for my precious babies. I now carry snacks in my bag and if I need reinforcements I stop at a fruit shop or we share a low-fat muffin between us. If I want to treat them or provide incentive for good behaviour (otherwise known as bribery) I offer them a trip to the park or a colouring book—much better alternatives for both mind and body. Birthday parties
Stay away from the food table! It’s like a shark with the scent of blood; once you have a lolly or a chip you will keep going back for more. If there are sandwiches or savoury snacks available fill a plate and stand away from the food table. If you are hosting the party make a fruit platter or serve some low-fat dip and crackers. You still need to exercise restraint but these options have far less kilojoules than a bag of chips or bowl of lollies. Always eat a good solid meal before the party so you aren’t standing around with a hungry tummy. Be prepared and keep a piece of fruit or some low-fat (and kilojoule) biscuits in your handbag. Do-able tip: If you need to chew, take a pack of chewing gum to keep your mouth busy and drink a diet soda if you’re feeling uncomfortable or don’t know anyone.
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Playgroup
Morning tea is a mother’s favourite time to catch up with friends and let the kids run free. A play date at the park or local library is not complete without a caffeine fix and a sticky bun. It is the ‘payoff ’ for the hour spent pushing the swing or reading the entire story of Jack and the Beanstalk five times with character voices. I look forward to my coffee break with as much enthusiasm as ever but take some (reduced-fat) cheese and crackers, a low-fat muffin or some fresh fruit (instead of a cream bun or doughnut). Do-able tip: When doing morning tea, try making an exotic fruit platter with yoghurt dip and a few little decorative chocolates to make it more exciting—only one for each guest. Don’t get greedy! Your local bakery might not send you a Christmas card but Santa might want you to sit on his lap instead!
CHECKS AND BALANCES Hold yourself accountable
I promised there would be no food diary or video confession tape but an important way of ‘bust-proofing’ your new lifestyle is accountability. I know it is a big word but it is the essential tool that will stop you eating unconsciously. No, I don’t mean sleepwalking to the fridge in the middle of the night, although if you do that you might want to invest in a padlock. I mean only eating at mealtimes or if you actually feel hungry; don’t eat for any other reason! Throughout this book I have explained the importance of a working knowledge of the energy (kilojoule) value of common foods. I have given you a do-able system to keep track of your kilojoules, all without the need for kitchen scales or measuring
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cups. (I know you have to remember a few numbers but you can always mark that page and refer back until you get the hang of it.) To keep on track I started doing a nightly ‘mental inventory’ of my daily diet and this is an exercise that I practise to this day. I don’t keep a written record but every night I take a few minutes to run through my mind everything (and I mean every last crumb) I have eaten that day. Do-able tip: If you are having trouble remembering what you have eaten, you have probably had too much. Eat less tomorrow.
When I have finished my mental checklist I either congratulate myself for staying on track or acknowledge my indiscretions and promise to try harder tomorrow. As long as I continue this step I will never be overweight again because it successfully stops the spread of denial. I am aware every day of my eating choices and take full responsibility for all my decisions and their consequences. By combining these practices you can effectively ‘bust-proof ’ your eating and ensure the successful outcome of your weight loss attempt. Create a positive environment that makes it impossible for you to fail. It won’t always be easy but it will always be do-able.
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G E T TO T H E P O I N T Create a ‘bust-proof’ environment and remove any items that you can’t resist. Be aware of the dieting danger zones and use strategies to get around them. Remind yourself constantly, ‘I don’t do that anymore’. Learn to differentiate between real and ‘mouth’ hunger. Establish a ‘safety zone’ around situations that make you feel vulnerable. If you are a mum, consider your children’s routines as well as your own. Hold yourself accountable. Only eat if you actually feel hungry, don’t eat for any other reason!
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CHAPTER 7 The social dieter How to eat, have fun and lose weight at the same time —it can be done! As well as a having a hearty appetite I have always enjoyed an active social life and sharing a meal is one of my favourite ways to pass the time. Perhaps it is the thrill of trying a new restaurant, a reason to get dressed up, or a night off from the kids—any excuse will do! The way I order and read the menu may have changed but my passion for dining out is stronger than ever. Nothing beats the aroma of freshly baked garlic bread accompanied by a bowl of steaming pasta or a wood-fired pizza served straight from the oven to the table. I can sense your taste buds starting to tingle as you picture these images like a mirage in the bleak desert of dieting. Go on, reach for that beer-battered chip and dip it in the aioli—you know you want to! Have that melting moment and savour every crumb as you gossip the afternoon away in a trendy suburban cafe. Frock up and meet your mates at the bar for a Friday afternoon session or join your partner for a romantic date where dessert is served after the bill has been paid and the dishes are cleared! If this doesn’t sound like any diet you have ever heard of before, then you are right! Remember, this is the Do-able Diet and in order for it to work it has to become a natural part of your life. For those social butterflies who already have a close group of friends and a strong support network, your main challenge will be
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finding new things on the menu that take your fancy. If your idea of a great Saturday night involves a television, a tub of ice-cream and some candy-coated popcorn, we have a little more work to do. By the time we part ways I am confident that you will be keen to swap the pizza for pantyhose and ready to paint the town red, pink and purple. If you follow my advice and reach your goal weight, there will be nothing holding you back and your days as a wallflower will be numbered. The positive energy and healthy glow that you radiate will keep you in high demand. Everyone enjoys the company of confident and attractive people and you can look forward to an exciting social calendar. Despite what you may have experienced, a healthy social life can involve healthy eating and dining out will not doom your dieting efforts to failure. Be conscious of the food decisions you are making and don’t just eat the first thing that comes to mind. Slow down and consider the options carefully—a little more time spent thinking can save you a lot of time on the treadmill! If you are familiar with the menu of the restaurant, try to have an idea in your head about what you might order and plan your kilojoules for the day accordingly. Do-able tip: Instead of meeting a friend for lunch and a movie, see if they will join you for a walk or swim.
DINING OUT Breakfast
Breakfast is my favourite meal to enjoy in the company of family or friends. There is no better way to start a weekend than with
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some fresh eggs, a hot pot of coffee and some easy conversation. It is deliciously indulgent to take the whole morning to finish breakfast and catch up on all the latest news and gossip. If you are not already a convert to the lazy Sunday brunch then I highly recommend you try it! Just make sure you finish reading this chapter before you head straight for the bacon and the maple syrup. Most good delis and cafes offer an extensive breakfast menu with a choice of continental (yoghurt, cereal, fruit) or cooked options. Unless you are confident that your kilojoule intake for the week has been conservative it is probably best to skip the ‘Big Breakfast’ of fried eggs, sausage and bacon. Instead, I recommend you consider some of the other equally delicious and less fattening options. My personal choice is the omelette or scrambled eggs which I ‘beef up’ with ham, mushroom, tomato, onion, fresh spinach and cheese or any combination of these that is available. By adding other ingredients you can turn boring eggs into a gourmet delight that will keep your eyes and stomach satisfied for hours. Eggs are a fantastic source of protein and when eaten during the late morning can easily take you through lunch and save valuable kilojoules for a treat after dinner. They are best scrambled (but must be cooked without butter and using low-fat milk) or poached instead of fried.A close friend loves eggs benedict, which is fine but be aware the creamy hollandaise sauce is full of kilojoules. I like my eggs served on one slice of toast (multigrain preferably) without butter or margarine and not too much salt, which can cause dehydration. I drink one or two cafe lattes with artificial sweetener (or one sugar) and skim milk and try to keep to water instead of drinking juice, which is also high in sugar. If you find the smell of sizzling bacon too much to resist, ask for a small serve and request that all the fat and rind be trimmed
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when cooking. Some of the more health-conscious establishments will also grill bacon upon request, which cuts out a significant amount of the fat that finds its way from your eyes to your thighs. Pat the bacon with a paper towel before you eat it to mop up any added grease. Optional extras such as hash browns, fried onion and mushrooms, sausages and baked beans can be added in moderation as long as you remember to include them in your daily kilojoule assessment. Any food that is fried is cooked in oil and therefore full of fat and kilojoules. These items can be enjoyed occasionally but are best kept to a minimum. Carbohydrates are the other group to watch out for: don’t overload on bread or other baked goods. Order one slice of toast (or bread product) per person and ask for no butter or at least get it served ‘on the side’ and spread with restraint. Do-able tip: Fried equals fat—try having something cooked a new way. Grilled, baked and steamed are good words to look out for on the menu.
To keep your blood sugar levels steady, don’t drown your toast or pancakes in spreads or butter. Jam, honey and maple syrup are all high in sugar and will make you crave more sweet foods throughout the day.You’ll find the rest of the day is easier if you don’t attract the attention of your sweet tooth first thing in the morning. That said, sometimes all you want is a fluffy stack of sticky pancakes smothered with all the deliciously naughty trimmings. I say, go for it! If you have been frugal managing your kilojoules during the week you can give yourself a break. I recommend you ask for a single pancake (it doesn’t look as good as a stack but still tastes great) with a drizzle of maple syrup or honey, no butter, and fresh berries dusted in icing sugar instead of cream or ice-cream.
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You will probably have to pay the same price even though you are getting less but think of it as an investment in yourself. One where the returns are only limited by your level of commitment. (This is a great treat that is also easy to make at home.) Do-able tip: Ask yourself HOW? Find a way to make every food decision a little bit wiser. It is all about maintaining control.
When you’re out for breakfast, take time to unwind and soak in the relaxed atmosphere. I agree that ‘breakfast is the most important meal’ and sets the standard for the food choices you make throughout the day. If you start the morning with a huge plate of fatty or fried foods you will feel bloated and sluggish and less likely to follow up with more nutritious meals. On the other hand, if you skip breakfast and spend the morning starving, your brain lacks the ability to focus and you are twice as likely to binge later on. It is like trying to win a Formula One Grand Prix in a Ferrari with an engine full of lawnmower petrol. Do-able tip: Enjoy the whole experience, there is more to dining out than just what is on your fork.
Now that we have finished breakfast, who’s ready for lunch? Lunch
If the early morning is not your best time of day you may be more inclined to meet friends for a leisurely lunch. Whether it is grabbing a bite with colleagues or taking your mum out for her birthday,‘doing’ lunch is a great way to break the routine and take some time-out.Time flies when you’re having fun and lunch can easily turn into afternoon tea, dinner and dessert.When someone invites you out, feel free to accept the offer—and no, you don’t
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have to take a paper bag with your salad sandwich and bottle of water. One of the biggest traps to look for when dining out is ‘peer pressure eating’ which can weaken even the most confident and committed dieters. Be very careful not to get caught up in ‘group’ ordering where it is hard to keep track of how much you are eating. For example, have you ever been in the situation when someone suggests that you share a round of garlic bread or chips as an appetiser? It is better to order a plain bread roll without butter or get a meal that is served with chips so you can monitor your serving size. Do-able tip: The number one rule of this plan is to be conscious of every crumb and kilojoule you put in your mouth. Think first, eat later.
If you are worried about making your lunch partner uncomfortable tell them you are not very hungry and saving yourself for the main meal. If you are hungry enough to share a starter, only order one item (for example, bread or bruschetta or chips) and put a small portion on your bread and butter plate, only take one serve and don’t go back for seconds. Do-able tip: Less is more—portion control is the key tool to unlocking your weight loss dream.
My suggestion if you are heading out for lunch is that you start the day with a light breakfast (low in kilojoules) and try to save your appetite for your lunch date. Be careful, do not arrive at lunch or dinner starving or your self-control will evaporate as soon as you open the menu. It is important to remember with lunch that you still have your evening meal to get through and need to
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manage your kilojoules wisely. This is a great time to invoke the ‘when in doubt, eat half ’ principle that I covered earlier. If you just can’t bring yourself to pick the bacon out of your caesar salad and the crème brûlée looks too good to resist, don’t panic. Order what appeals to you but make sure there is food left on your plate at the end of the meal. Share the dessert with your date or if dining alone, cut it in half and send half back with the next waiter who passes the table. If your conscience is still giving you grief, go for a twenty-minute walk after lunch and make dinner a simple and early affair. Do-able tip: When you put down your cutlery and start talking, you have finished eating! Don’t wait for the table to be cleared. Instead, politely call the attention of the closest waiter and ask them to remove the plate, regardless of how much is left on it. This one is a sure-fire diet saver and you will thank me for it later!
Some of my favourite lunchtime treats are toasted sandwiches, Turkish bread subs and the good old BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich). In the past I was a ‘breadaholic’ and although I have cut back I still love the taste of a good, thick slice of carbohydrate! Once again it is best to find something similar to your normal diet and that appeals to your individual tastes.Your appetite will be satisfied for much longer and you will be less inclined to snack later if you enjoy your meal. For a casual lunch I usually have a toasted wholemeal sandwich on thinly sliced bread (ask for it to be made with no butter) with tuna, cheese and mayo. My other favourite lunch is chicken breast, cheese and sun-dried tomato, washed down with a diet cola or a skinny latte.You don’t have to eat these exact meals. I am just trying to demonstrate that you don’t have to live on alfalfa sprouts and pine nuts in order to lose weight.
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Ideally each meal should contain at least three of the essential food groups. A little bit of vegetable, protein and carbohydrate is a great combination and will give you the premium fuel your body needs to drive it to the next pit stop. Don’t be daunted by these technical terms: it is as simple as a toasted sandwich with ham, cheese, and tomato—doesn’t sound so bad, does it? I am a carnivore and sometimes I want nothing more than to wrap my hands around a big of hunk of meat and some tight, round buns! A hamburger of course, what were you thinking? The best low-fat alternative I have found is a grilled chicken burger; ask for no mayonnaise, and leave the bacon off.That way you can still have the cheese, lettuce and tomato and will even have room for the chips that come on the side (remember to ask for a small serve). If chicken is not your beef, there are now some low-fat versions of the good old beef burger available at some fast food chains. Dinner
I have covered most of the basic dining out rules already but there are a few more tips to help you enjoy a guilt-free night out on the town.The most important points are still to eat a smaller portion, be conscious of what you are eating (don’t eat while you are distracted), and to try to reduce the kilojoule value of every meal in some way (no matter how small the gesture, it all helps). Do-able tip: Wear pants with a fitted waist. You will feel uncomfortable if you eat too much and it will keep you conscious of how much you have had.
The best dinner options I have found in restaurants usually involve chicken or fish. White meat is generally lower in fat and kilojoules than red meat, which makes it the dieter’s choice. I have
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discovered that there is an almost endless variety of ways for these two dishes to be served. I have had them grilled, baked, stuffed, rolled, with pasta, with rice, on top of potato, dipped in breadcrumbs—you name it, I’ve ordered it. If you are looking for a bit more excitement or feeling adventurous many restaurants also offer duck, venison and tofu. Red meat is a great source of iron but I suggest you have it served in a stir-fry or warm salad instead of with a loaded potato. Do-able tip: Beware the sauce! Chicken is not low fat if it is stuffed with camembert and drowning in a sea of cream and parmesan. Be conscious of the entire dish, not just the meat.
The following are some very simple tips on how to make dining out a relaxed and pleasurable experience without the confusion or panic. Order small
When ordering pasta or rice I always choose an entree size as my main meal, which is more than adequate and removes the temptation to overeat. Eat first and talk later
You want to try to avoid eating too close to bedtime. If you get dinner finished early you have the rest of the night free to catch up on all the gossip. If you can’t meet up until later, eat dinner at home before you go and suggest supper or a nightcap. Never eat more than two courses at any meal
For example, my sweet tooth dictates that I have a main course and dessert.Those who have more savoury palates may choose
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an entree and a main course. Unless it is your wedding or you have just completed the 40 Hour Famine you have no excuse to devour a four-course banquet. Pick two courses and be done with it. If I couldn’t hold back from the garlic prawn entree and the baked snapper was too good to miss but I still crave something sweet, a skinny hot chocolate (no sugar or cream) usually does the trick. Always ask for a smaller serve
Most places will accommodate where they can. Who knows, if enough people asked, perhaps one day you’ll hear, ‘Do you want to “down size” that?’ at the drive-through—it could happen! If you are following the plan at home (which you should be) these practices will become automatic as your eating is gradually brought under control. Kilojoules are still the primary consideration and you must do your mental inventory every day and allow for any ‘blow-outs’ in your weekly plan.You are measuring your weight loss in weeks so you can afford to be a little flexible. Buffets and all-you-can-eat restaurants are not recommended for the active dieter as these are most definitely not ‘bust-proof ’ environments. If you have to attend a function that is served in this style, only fill your plate once and get busy on the dance floor. Do-able tip: When eating out, drink two glasses of water between courses. It will make you feel fuller and you’ll eat less.
If you feel more comfortable sliding into the couch than you do into a pair of stilettos, we are about to change that! Take it from someone who knows—once you have worked for that new body you will want to show it off. If your dance card has been empty
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for a long time, dust yourself off and prepare to take to the floor. There is a whole world of incredible food to be tasted, laughs to be shared and fun to be had. Open your mind instead of your mouth and let the experiences fill you up.
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G E T TO T H E P O I N T Get out and enjoy your life; everyone enjoys the company of fun, confident people. A healthy social life can involve healthy eating. Surf the menu, don’t just go for ‘the usual’. Enjoy the whole experience; there is more to dining out than just what is on your plate. Beware ‘peer pressure’ or group eating. Never eat more than two courses. Share dessert. Do not arrive at a meal starving. Make sure there is food left on your plate at the end of the meal.
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CHAPTER 8 Sweating it out That’s one small step . . . You knew it had to come. Although I believe weight loss is primarily about diet you can’t ignore the benefits of exercise. Once you have kick-started your metabolism by changing your eating habits you can reinforce it with a little bit of physical activity. You don’t have to run a marathon (although you may choose to later on) or join a fancy gym equipped with individual espresso machines and flat screen TVs. It doesn’t have to replace time with your kids or add more pressure to a busy work schedule. I have found some simple and creative ways to include exercise in my daily life and have been well rewarded for my efforts. Do-able tip: Don’t think of exercise as taking time away from something else, think of it as giving time to yourself. (Even the Prime Minister finds time for a daily walk!)
This may sound familiar and those of you who are diet-weary are thinking you’ve heard it all before but please, give me a little more time before you skip this chapter. No-one could be more antiexercise than I was. Every sports day at school I was conveniently struck down by ‘cramps’ and my idea of power walking was the annual Boxing Day stocktake sales.
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M A K I N G T H E F I R S T M OV E When I mentioned to a friend that I was considering taking up walking she laughed,‘Who are you and what have you done with my Barb?!’. Keeping in line with my ‘no pressure’ approach I waited until I was really comfortable with my eating before I started thinking about exercise. I had surpassed my original goal and had already lost 22 kilograms when I decided it was time to take the next step (literally). I weighed 75 kilograms and was riding high on a wave of confidence after reaching my target. Finally, I had tasted success and I was hungry for more. I am lucky enough to live ten minutes from a beautiful stretch of Queensland coastline which is perfect for all forms of recreational activity. I planned a route along the Esplanade, which is well populated for safety and completely flat—I wasn’t ready to tackle any hills. It took me a week to psych myself for ‘the walk’. I decided to try it once and see how I went; if I hated it, I wouldn’t have to go back. Due to our hectic schedule and overlapping work hours, the only time I could fit in my walk was early in the morning. It was going to be a challenge. I jumped out of bed when the alarm sounded, threw on my clothes, grabbed a water bottle and headed out the door. So far, so good. By the time I got to the walking track my eyes had adjusted to the light and I discovered how beautiful it is to watch the sun rise over the water in the morning breeze. For years I had lived completely unaware of the natural wonder that took place on my doorstep every single day. Life was good. I did some basic stretches, took a deep breath and set out on the path. The first ten minutes were great, the second ten were hard, the final ten nearly killed me! I was shocked by how terrible I felt just from a simple half-hour walk. I was in worse shape than
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I thought. By the time I reached my car I was panting like a dog with rabies and dripping with sweat. I collapsed onto the grass where I fought off cardiac arrest for a few minutes before I slowly started to recover. In those awful moments I didn’t think I could ever make myself do that again— it was tough! Ten minutes later I had caught my breath and began to feel a different sensation. I suddenly felt great. I was exhausted but I hadn’t actually died and the breathtaking view might have been worth the pain. Looking along the path, I saw just how far I had come, not just that morning but over the past few years. I stood up on my wobbly legs and drove home on the biggest adrenalin rush of my life. I decided that I would try to do it again that week but didn’t want to burn myself out so left it for a few days before my encore performance. I walked that same route three times a week for the next four months.The first few weeks were the hardest but I just kept picturing in my mind the way I wanted to look on my holiday. One morning I was shaving my legs and felt the distinct shape of a muscle in my thigh.The next day I walked for 50 minutes! Each time I felt that it was getting easier I would walk faster and further until I was power walking for an hour. I have never pushed it further than that and I haven’t gone more than five times in a week but I try not to go less than three. I enjoy the way people smile and say good morning and I feel so comfortable amongst the other walkers, cyclers, bladers and joggers. It is like we have discovered some special place in the universe that everyone sleeping is oblivious to as they huddle under their doonas and wait for their alarms to sound. Do-able tip: Don’t burn yourself out by going too hard, too fast. Take your time—you have the rest of your life.
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J O I N I N G A GY M My morning exercise ritual has become an important part of my life and I resent early starts when I have to miss out on ‘my time’. It is the only hour of the day that is all about me. I love the quiet and value the luxury of being alone in my own head for a few hours of the week. By the time winter came round I had been walking for four months, the longest period of consistent exercise in my life. It was getting very dark and cold down by the water and I started to feel a little insecure walking on my own. I made an appointment at the gym around the corner from my house. I had been checking it out from outside for weeks and it looked pretty relaxed. Most importantly, I hadn’t noticed a single person jogging out in a G-string leotard—my kind of place. I was nervous even phoning—I had always treated gyms as hang-outs for the thin and glamorous. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I was 60kg when I joined the gym and was delighted with my progress but had new goals to increase my fitness and reshape my body. Over the following six months I continued to lose weight until the scales finally settled on my current weight of 52kg. I have maintained that exact weight without fluctuation for more than eighteen months and I owe a lot of credit to exercise for keeping me there. The consultation I had with the trainer at the gym was fantastic and he was very impressed by my weight loss. Together we came up with a plan to improve my fitness and build muscle tone without putting too much stress on my mind or body. He was very patient and gave me a guided tour of the whole gym, including a demonstration on how to correctly use all the equipment. I kept wanting to pinch myself—could I really be talking to this cute boy in a gym? It felt like an out-of-body experience—you go, girl!
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I couldn’t afford a full twelve-month membership and I didn’t yet completely trust that I would still be going in six months. I signed up for a pay-by-the-week casual membership—no major commitment. I was so excited. It felt great to say to people,‘When I was at the gym . . .’ Within two weeks I had bought a special little tracksuit (no G-strings) and some new trainers—I resisted the sweatbands and leg warmers. Who’d have believed it—me, a gym bunny! I have to confess that it wasn’t all smooth sailing and I fainted on my first official visit. It turns out I have very low blood sugar levels first thing in the morning. I got a little carried away on the treadmill and my body went into sugar-shock. Here I was, all fired up for a big weights session and instead I was flat on my back being force-fed a lolly snake. I scared the life out of my poor instructor and the sheer humiliation felt much worse than the bump I got on my head. I was so embarrassed and didn’t think I could ever show my face there again. He was very reassuring and convinced me he had seen worse. He persuaded me to try again the next morning but to have a banana and a glass of juice beforehand. If I was nervous on my first day you can imagine how I was feeling that second morning. I hadn’t made much of a first impression but I had already overcome so much I was not prepared to let a bruised ego stand in my way. I was very cautious that first week and never again exercised on an empty stomach. By the second week I was hooked. I loved the loud music and bright colours and felt a great sense of empowerment as I pushed, pulled and crunched out my daily frustrations. Just as the strength was building in my muscles I could feel an inner force growing stronger every day. My transformation was nearly complete.
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Do-able tip: Gym memberships are extremely competitive. Phone around for the best deal and don’t be afraid to negotiate. Many gyms will price-match or offer their own special deals. Look around until you find somewhere that you feel comfortable and don’t get talked into signing a long-term contract you can’t afford.
My program at the gym is basic and is made up of half an hour cardio (treadmill, bikes, stepper) workout and a half-hour weights circuit. I don’t want to look like the Incredible Hulk’s lovechild so I keep the weights to a minimum and concentrate on slow, consistent repetitions. I have always liked the look of toned, muscular arms; I find them extremely attractive and was excited about the chance to create my own.Also high on the wish list was a flat stomach (remember, I do have two kids) and firming up my saggy bum. What I like about weight training is that you can target specific areas and choose the exact type of result you are wanting to achieve. Losing weight is only one part of a whole process if you are striving to achieve the figure of your dreams. I would have still reached my target weight if I had done little or no exercise but the final result would have been more skin than thin. If you want to sport a ‘Beyonce style’ butt you need to firm up. Never underestimate the importance of toning. Why go through this entire process to end up looking like the Elephant Man? In cases where people have been extremely overweight their skin has stretched too far and it loses its elasticity.The only solution in these circumstances is corrective surgery but you will not be considered a suitable candidate unless you have shown strong commitment to diet and exercise. I have a small area on my stomach where the skin has been stretched too far and cannot shrink back. I wear it proudly as a reminder of the massive challenge I have overcome.
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I usually finish off at the gym with some stretches and some sit-ups to help strengthen my abdomen and give better support to my spine. I have received treatment since I was thirteen for a long list of chronic muscular and skeletal problems. I have endured back braces, acupuncture and injections of anti-inflammatory directly into my muscles. There has been more improvement in these areas over the past twelve months than I had seen in the previous twelve years. I now only suffer the normal aches and pains that come with the stresses of modern life. A large part of this improvement is due to the work I have put in on the pavement and at the gym. Sometimes at the gym I notice the defensive glances of other young overweight women who think I am there just to show off. They have no idea of my own battle or how much I admire them for having the courage to be there in the first place. I was one of those insecure people who couldn’t join a gym until I lost some weight. Those sort of places were only for people who already looked great in Lycra! I often wish I could tell them I know exactly what they are going through. Take my advice and stop comparing yourself to others. Try not to care about what total strangers are thinking—it is a safe bet that they are thinking more about their own ‘wobbly bits’ than they are about yours! Do-able tip: Let it go—the quickest weight to lose is the chip on your shoulder.
As we headed off on our holiday I have to admit I went through some ‘gym withdrawal’. I was scared about how I would manage on my first real test being away from the security of my home, scales and gym. I was relieved when we arrived in Cairns and our hotel had a well-equipped gym and was surrounded by scenic walking tracks. I was a lot more relaxed about my eating on holidays but
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I made sure I walked or worked out every day to maintain the success I was enjoying. I expected to find I had gained a few kilograms but when we got home I discovered I had lost a further two! Who loses weight on holidays? I couldn’t believe it!
S E T T I N G T H E PAC E There comes a time in every dieter’s life when the bubble has burst and you hit the dreaded ‘plateau’. If you have never experienced this particular dieting low, rest assured, you will. The most frustrating thing about this phenomenon is that you never know when it may strike.You can be doing everything ‘right’ and all of sudden the weight loss train you were riding comes to a screeching halt. This is a frustrating time that tests the will of even the most diligent dieter. It can be the unscheduled delay that stops you from reaching your final destination. Have you ever heard someone moan, ‘The first ten kilos came off easy but I just can’t budge the last five’? That is a plateau.You may have to fight your way through more than one along the journey. I found my weight loss stalled several times and I went for three to four weeks without losing a gram despite sticking to the plan faithfully. It is during these periods that you can feel tempted to admit defeat and your steely determination starts to wane. The best way I found to stay on track and keep the fire of my motivation burning through these tough times was to increase my physical activity. Each time the results on the scales started to slow down, I sped up. If I did some extra exercise eventually things got moving again. Do-able tip: When the going gets tough, the tough go walking!
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If safe walking tracks are not accessible to you or the thought of having your tonsils removed is more appealing than joining the gym don’t give up, there is still hope for you.The key purpose of any exercise is to elevate your heart rate and keep it there for an extended period of time. You do not need the latest electronic equipment or complicated aerobics routines in order to burn fat and improve your fitness. Just by putting in a little imagination and effort I found many ways to increase my physical activity without any inconvenience or expense. Do-able tip: Have a go. Avoid becoming bored by trying a variety of physical activities.
WO R K I N G F R O M H O M E If you have trouble going out to exercise, try my simple ‘in house’ exercise routine: Bathroom lifts
I start with push-ups on the bathroom sink between having my shower and putting on my make-up. Place your hands on the edge of the sink and very slowly lift your entire body until your toes are completely off the floor. Hold yourself in that position and count to five then slowly lower yourself back to the floor and repeat this at least ten times. Arm curls
Using a hairspray or deodorant can, hold it in your hand as though it is a weight and watch in the mirror to see the muscles are flexing.Tightly grip the can and while tensing the muscle as hard as you can, slowly bring the can up to your shoulder and
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then lower it back until your arm is straight again. Repeat twenty times for each arm. Clothesline squats
I do this one every time I hang washing on the clothesline and find it great for my legs and backside. Don’t bend down to the basket, squat down to get the washing out and stand up slowly, tensing your buttocks the entire time. By the time you finish the load you will feel the burn at the back of your thighs that means it’s working. Bed sit-ups
Either first thing in the morning or right before you go to sleep is a great time to do some sit-ups. Lying flat on your back, bend your knees and tuck your toes under the pillows. Put your hands behind your head or crossed on your chest and slowly bring your head up until you feel your abdomen tighten, hold it for five seconds and slowly lie back down. I do this 30 times. Do-able tip: Of course there are a lot of other ways to burn kilojoules on the bed but I will leave those ideas up to you!
G E T M OV I N G ! My message here is to keep it simple. It really is better to do something rather than doing nothing. Even if you just chase your kids around the backyard or take the dog for a walk, it all counts. If you feel sluggish after a heavy meal just doing the vacuuming and mopping the floor will make a difference. These are just a few suggestions of activities that helped me make movement a part of my daily life. If you get bored with one activity, try a new one.
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When I got sick of the gym I started swimming laps and then went through a phase of bike riding and am now back to walking the Esplanade. Push your boundaries, both mentally and physically. Remember, ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained’. We have been given an incredible vehicle to take us through the journey of life; why keep it parked in the garage?
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G E T TO T H E P O I N T Find fun and creative ways to include exercise in your daily life. Get comfortable with your eating before you start to think about exercise. Exercise at least three times a week but never more than five. Don’t burn yourself out by going too hard, too fast. Losing weight will make you smaller but exercise is what makes you toned. Stop comparing yourself to others. Exercise is the best way to break through the dreaded ‘plateau’ and get your weight moving again. A little imagination can increase your physical activity without any inconvenience or expense. Follow an ‘at home’ exercise routine. Keep it simple but do something rather than doing nothing. Make movement part of your daily life. Involve your family, play with the kids or walk the dog.
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PART 3 CLAIMING VICTORY
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CHAPTER 9 Keeping up appearances What goes up finally comes down Once you have ‘bust-proofed’ your life and mastered the art of being a conscious eater, you will want to be rewarded for your efforts.Watching the scales on their downward slide is an exhilarating ride and your white-knuckled terror will soon give way to squeals of delight. Resisting temptation becomes so much easier each successful week into this program. You will marvel at the ability of your body to ‘shrink’ and wonder where on earth does it go? How can half of your physical mass just disappear? No matter what your starting weight or goal weight, the rewards and pitfalls are just the same.You will have days where it seems so easy and days where it feels just too hard. Remember, food has the same amount of kilojoules regardless of your mood. Enjoy your success but don’t take it for granted; once you have started this journey be prepared to follow it all the way.This is not a one-way ticket. If you want to stay at your final destination you have to earn it.
T H E R AT E O F W E I G H T I let you off the hook in the kitchen and you don’t have to weigh food but that rule does not apply in the bathroom. Throughout my journey I weighed myself every single day. This is not because you will lose weight every day—in fact most days it will stay the same. The important thing to look out
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for is that you don’t gain weight and I can tell you that the rush of adrenalin you get when you see the scales drop is a bigger thrill than sky-diving! I swear that the first time I weighed myself and the scales hit 97kg I just about went into heart failure! I had weighed myself two years earlier and was 77kg. How on earth could I put on 20kg without noticing? I was shocked and horrified and I vowed never to weigh myself again. I had no idea I had gained so much weight because I had very little idea of how much I actually ate in a normal day. Sometimes I would take the kids out for morning tea and eat biscuits, chips and doughnuts before stopping at the bakery on the way home for a caramel slice and meat pie for lunch. When I actually sat down and thought about it I was shocked. Eventually I had to face the truth, no matter how scary or depressing the prospect. It is imperative that you know exactly how much you weigh and monitor it closely to measure your progress. If you don’t already own a set of bathroom scales, you need to get some. I didn’t have scales for years and just bought a basic set from the grocery store for $20. They don’t need to be flash or digital, just reasonably accurate and reliable. Once you have completed the first month you will start to get impatient and be looking for some results—this process takes time. Be patient. I didn’t lose anything for the first month and it took around three months to lose the first 7 kilograms. Don’t despair when you read that last sentence; the next 5 kilograms came off in a month. If you do it properly your body will start to respond and will actually help to get your metabolism working. Think of it as a partnership between the two—try not to fight it and work it out together. Starting out slowly and not looking beyond the present week was paramount to the long-term success of my plan. I didn’t
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overwhelm my brain with information or push my body too hard. Discovering you can live without foods that you have been dependent on can give you a great sense of satisfaction.This boost to your confidence will help you to find the motivation to try a little harder. Remember, babies are not weaned off their mother’s milk in one day. It takes a little bit of crying and a whole lot of patience! When I lost my first kilogram I jumped on the scales about fifteen times to be sure it wasn’t a mistake. I was so excited that for the first time in years I was finally heading in the right direction. I was dying to tell someone but no-one knew I was trying to lose weight and I didn’t want to blow my cover. My first goal was to reach 90kg by the time I went on a girls’ weekend in ten weeks’ time.The day before I was due to leave I weighed 91kg and was happy with my success but a little disappointed that I had come so close but hadn’t quite reached my goal. The next morning I weighed myself and the dial stopped right on 90kg—I couldn’t believe it! I will remember that moment of triumph for the rest of my life. It was then that I knew I could make it happen. Each time I saw an improvement on the scales it pushed me to try harder and instead of dreading my weigh-in I began to treat it like a game. I would look forward to it with nervous anticipation and jump for joy every time there was a change.As I have already warned, don’t look for a loss every day—it won’t happen. The daily weighing was more about retraining my brain than about measuring my body. It kept me focused and reinforced at the beginning of each day what my goals were and how badly I wanted to achieve them. The actual weight loss I measured in weeks, Sunday to Sunday. (Use whatever day you started. I deliberately didn’t start on a Monday because that has always been my ‘start diet day’.) It’s funny how it works—I could be exactly the same for six days but
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on the seventh day would drop a whole kilogram. Other weeks I might lose half a kilogram on the third day and not see any change for ten days, at which point I could instantly lose three. I concentrated on not putting any weight on and whatever the scales read on Sunday morning was my weight for the next week. I chose not to keep a written record for fear of complicating the system and adding any undue pressure. If you prefer to write it down, feel free, but make sure you keep the focus on changing your lifestyle, not just your weight in kilograms. Once you have the scales and have decided that today is D-Day (Do-able Diet Day) it is literally time to step up and be counted! If you haven’t been weighed for a long time you may feel anxious and overwhelmed by the figure that confronts you. Don’t panic, take a deep breath and remember the reason why you are standing there in the first place. If you follow my plan I am confident that the day will come when you would proudly be weighed in the heart of the city mall! Weighing is an art. It is a ceremony that I carry out with the same reverence my grandmother reserves for Sunday mass. I follow a strict procedure each time I weigh and find it an excellent tool to keep me motivated. THE RULES OF WEIGHING Always weigh yourself first thing in the morning, after
going to the toilet and before eating or drinking anything.
This rule is the most important.Your weight is affected by the fluid levels in your body and can actually fluctuate throughout the day by up to 2 kilograms. When you are trying to lose weight every gram counts so it is best to weigh yourself when your body is basically empty.
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Do-able tip: If you forget to do it first thing in the morning, skip the day and weigh again tomorrow. It is better not to do it at all than get an unreliable result later in the day.
Always use the same scales and make sure they are on a
flat surface
Don’t be tempted to test yourself on someone else’s scales because they may not match yours exactly. If your scales show a loss of 2kg but your friend’s say no change, your confidence and motivation will take a body blow. If your scales are in good working order only use them and trust what they tell you. For example, when I weighed 57kg on my home scales I felt brave enough to try the digital scales at the gym.They put my weight at 59kg, which didn’t bother me at that stage but if it had been in the early days I would have been devastated. I have lost 45 kilograms on my scales and that is what counts. Do-able tip: The most important number is the total of your weight loss, not the amount you weigh.
Get your gear off!
Make sure you are completely naked—I am deadly serious. As I just said, every gram counts and depending on the climate and your personal sleepwear preference your PJs can add up to 2 kilograms! You only want to weigh your body, not clothing, fluid or stomach contents—offload anything that is weighing you down.
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Make sure the scales start and finish exactly on zero
Don’t cheat by fiddling with the dial. Make sure it starts and finishes right on the line. If you follow these steps and the needle has dropped even a fraction, get excited, you are on your way! Get a tape measure
The other instrument you will need to keep track of your progress is a tape measure.These are readily available from any grocery store and only cost around $5. I took these measurements once a month and wrote them down in the back of my diary.You’ll probably notice the results in your clothes first and may start to feel subtle changes to your body. The first place I lost weight was from the top half of my body: my face, chest and arms showed the earliest results. It is a great feeling to compare the measurements and reflect upon how far you have come. I measured in centimetres and did my arms, boobs, waist, hips, bum and thighs.To give you an idea, my original waist measurement was 101cm (nearly 40 inches) and it is now 66cm (about 27 inches).That is a loss of 35cm and eight dress sizes—not a bad effort by anyone’s standards! Like everything else I recommend you keep it simple. I left the tape measure in my underwear drawer and only pulled it out once a month. I wrote A for arms, B for boobs and so on at the top of the page and noted the measurements in each column.This entire exercise shouldn’t take more than five minutes to complete but the results can keep you on a high for the entire week. Do-able tip: Always measure the fattest parts of your body. There is no point if you don’t measure the worst areas because you won’t get an honest picture of your progress.
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I have only recently started weighing myself weekly and will continue to do that for the rest of my life. I do this to make sure I am never caught by surprise again and that if I start to gain weight I will know immediately and take steps to control it.When I first stepped on the scales I felt a sense of hopelessness and was daunted by the long road that lay ahead of me. Two years on and I can’t even see where I started! Do-able tip: Each time you drop a dress size, treat yourself! Buy a new outfit, have a manicure or indulge in a full body massage. Go on, you’ve earned it!
END OF THE LINE Another important lesson is knowing when to stop losing weight. The fifteen months of my weight loss was such an exciting ride that when it came to an end I wasn’t ready to get off. This can actually be one of the hardest things you face throughout the whole experience. I found it incredibly difficult to say ‘when’ and had to wean myself off the adrenalin rush I got each time I lost a kilogram.With the support of my loved ones and the advice of my doctor and gym instructor I was able to stabilise my weight and accept that my weight loss journey had reached its conclusion. Losing weight became a game and I eventually broke through every level I set for myself. In the final stages I was dropping kilograms so quickly and easily that it started to become an obsession. This transition period from losing to maintaining my weight only lasted a few months but I found the process very challenging. I knew in my rational brain that if I relaxed my eating I wasn’t going to wake up one morning and find that I had put on 40 kilograms. Despite this knowledge the thought of it still worried me.
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I am sharing this lesson because I know I would have appreciated being prepared for this common dilemma. I was so focused on losing weight that it caught me by surprise when it was time to ‘put the brakes on’.
LET’S GO SHOPPING! Every girl knows that a new figure is a great excuse for a new wardrobe! It wasn’t long before none of my old clothes fitted and I had to replace everything. New shirts, pants, underwear, swimwear, PJs—even my feet shrank! My friends and family did very well out of the deal as I handed on clothes that had hardly been worn. I went through eight dress sizes in one year. It got a bit ridiculous because I never had clothes that fitted. It was lucky I didn’t need to spend any money to lose weight because it was costing a fortune to keep me covered. Before you start this program I suggest you find (if you haven’t already) an item of clothing that you love but that no longer fits. If you don’t have anything suitable in your wardrobe buy something one or two sizes smaller than you currently wear. Each month when you take your measurements try that item on. It may be impossible at first but over time it will get easier. My goal was a pair of size 16 pants that hadn’t fitted me since before my first pregnancy. I loved those pants and had worn them on many special occasions. I always felt nice wearing them and thought they flattered my figure (a word I no longer use). Every time we moved house or I did a spring clean, something stopped me from giving them away. Subconsciously I was afraid that getting rid of them would confirm that I would never be that size again and the dream would be over. I couldn’t bear the thought that the spell would never be broken. While I hung on to those pants, there was still hope. I finally gave them away when it
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became obvious they would never fit me again. They ended up being five sizes too big! Buying new clothes is a lot of fun but doesn’t have the sentimental satisfaction of fitting into a body you thought might have been lost forever. In some cases a lot of time and memories have passed since you were last together. Fashions have changed, loved ones have come and gone, babies have been born, careers have developed and life may now be very different. It is like finding a long-lost friend and you will enjoy all the bittersweet nostalgia of the reunion. As I grew more confident I started to experiment with fashion and developed my own sense of style. I discovered a whole new world of fashion that for me had never existed. I began to stock my cupboard with short skirts, tube tops, halter-neck dresses and lots of pretty, girly fabrics. It took me a while to get used to the change and for some of my friends it took even longer. I copped a few sideways glances and ignored the raised eyebrows. I have worked very hard to be proud of my body and I think I’ve earned the right to show it off. (I used to joke that if I could fit into a pair of size 8 pants I would only wear them inside out so the tag was always on display—I haven’t actually done it but the important thing is that I could!) Do-able tip: I found the difference between a dress size is about 6kg. It doesn’t sound so hard when you break it down like that. If you want to lose two dress sizes you only have to work on two lots of six; keep it simple.
There are a few milestones of this journey that I will remember forever: my first pair of sexy jeans and my first two-piece swimsuit. Any overweight person can tell you that denim jeans exist in the land of the forbidden and do nothing to flatter a body that is
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too broad in the seat. The only pair of jeans I owned previously were bought from the K-Mart men’s department (because none of the women’s ones fitted) and were the same size as my husband’s, 102cm with stretch! I was aghast one night at a party when I realised he was wearing my jeans by mistake—the worst part was that he looked better in them than I did! I never wore them again. The day I bought my first pair of size 8 hipsters was one of the best of my life—I want to be buried in those jeans. How much do you dread shopping for a swimsuit? Unless you are Elle Macpherson, those fluorescent lights and full-length mirrors can do untold damage to even the most robust ego. I hadn’t tried on a swimsuit in several years and routinely bought the plain black, size 20 one-piece with built-in underwire and the biggest pair of board shorts I could find.When the time came to pack for Cairns I was a size 10 and you could fit two of me in my old bathing suit. It was time to go shopping. I was ready for the challenge. After hours of indecision I found a cute blue halter-neck two-piece and actually stepped outside the fitting room to get the saleswoman’s opinion—can you imagine doing that? Two years ago I couldn’t. Reaching your target weight is not the end of this journey.You have to keep setting new goals and stay motivated. This should only be the beginning of a process of self-discovery where you gain the confidence to explore new frontiers. If you can take control of your eating and manage your weight, imagine what else you are capable of ! I held myself back for too many years but the new me refuses to be harnessed. I had used many excuses to let myself go—two kids, stress, no time, lack of resources . . . and the list goes on. Instead of being a martyr, make yourself a priority. The fact is I am in the best shape of my life and I still have those kids, a job and no time—what’s your excuse?
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G E T TO T H E P O I N T Weigh yourself every morning—it will remind you of your weight loss goals at the beginning of each day. Measure your weight loss in weeks. Concentrate on not gaining weight. Don’t always expect a loss. Follow my rules of weighing. Know when to stop losing weight. Take basic body measurements—keep it simple. Choose an item of clothing as your goal. It gives you something to work towards. When shopping for your new body, be bold and experiment with styles and fabrics. Show off—you’ve earned it!
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CHAPTER 10 Thinking thin The ‘new’ me It was harder to let go of the fat person than I ever imagined. I found I had to learn to think and act like a thin person, not a role I had experience playing. I spent most of my life avoiding attention and trying desperately to stay out of the spotlight. When I walked along the street I hoped that no-one would notice me and did my best to blend into the crowd. For many years I avoided my reflection and took care not to catch a glimpse of myself in shop windows or bathroom mirrors. It was all part of my cover-up and helped me hide from the layers that had consumed my body. Even after I had lost 45 kilograms I was still startled by my reflection. I would quickly look away and then realise a moment later that I didn’t have to hide from myself anymore, the nightmare was over. I knew in my mind that I was no longer that fat person but I still expected to see her looking back at me. Some days I actually worried it was all a dream and I was going to wake up tomorrow right back where I had started. Accepting success can be as hard as accepting failure. I had sabotaged all my previous efforts to lose weight; why was it working now? There were a few moments when I was convinced that I had an enormous tapeworm in my gut (I heard that can happen) or that I had some terrible undiagnosed disease that was making me lose weight. I couldn’t believe that these amazing results could be achieved by making such simple changes.
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I had to learn to live in the world as a ‘normal’ person, not the circus freak I had felt like for so long. At times I felt like a fat person ‘borrowing’ a thin body. It was as though I was keeping a shameful secret and if people found out the truth they would continue to treat me differently. In some ways I felt like an impostor. I knew in my head that I wasn’t fat anymore and although thrilled with my new shape, it took me a while to get used to. For a long time I was afraid to even walk into ‘skinny people’ shops. I felt like I was trespassing. I automatically searched for my size at the back of the clothes racks and struggled to visualise myself in smaller sizes. Even after I tried pants on I would stare at them on the hanger and not be convinced that they could actually fit my body.This was part of reprogramming my brain to stop thinking fat and start living thin. It wasn’t only my weight that changed. As my new body emerged, so did unfamiliar emotions and challenges. My weight was a huge topic of conversation and every time I saw someone that I hadn’t seen for a while they would be shocked by my transformation. I actually had to warn people that I didn’t see often so they would be able to identify me when we met. It is an odd sensation to be unrecognisable to people who have known you for years. Each time one of my friends or relatives would introduce me to someone new there was always a disclaimer: ‘She used to be really big’. I felt like people were trying to imagine me as I had been and not allowing me to be the person I had become. For a while I didn’t think I would ever be able to leave ‘fat Barbara’ behind. I think it is important to acknowledge these feelings because I found the psychological transition from fat to thin took a lot more work than I ever expected. There are so many little things in my life that have changed as a result of my physical transformation. Insignificant details that
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you take for granted until they change. I can sit closer to the steering wheel, tie my shoelaces whilst standing and the chronic back pain I struggled with has miraculously disappeared. It has been an interesting experience to get to know my own body all over again.There were a few months when I literally felt like a stranger in my own skin. As the padding disappeared I suddenly felt bones sticking out all over the place and it was slightly unnerving. My round and plump face suddenly disappeared and I saw these sharp cheekbones emerge from nowhere. I started banging into things with my hipbones and I clearly remember standing under the shower one day and discovering I had shoulderblades! I know it sounds crazy but I had never felt these parts of my body before. I had to pay close attention and learn how to drive the newer, faster model I was now running. It took time to reacquaint myself with the intimate contours of my body. I have discovered my shape is totally different from what I always assumed. I used to describe myself as having broad shoulders, a pear shape with wide hips and big boobs. I have found out that I am short waisted, have long legs, tiny shoulders and a small waist. No-one, including myself, would have ever guessed I was petite! I had said so many times, ‘I will never be thin, I have a big build’.Wrong again. Do-able tip: Don’t assume you know your limitations. There could be the body of a supermodel hiding under there—you just have to want to bring it out.
My fear of public attention came full circle recently during a trip into the city. I was walking along the street when I spotted a group of tradesmen lining the footpath for their ‘smoko’ break. I felt my muscles tighten and I assumed my ‘don’t talk to me, leave me alone’ posture with my head down and arms crossed. As I got
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close I saw one of the younger guys look up and his mouth start to open. ‘Walk faster, walk faster,’ I told myself. I was nearly clear of the group when I heard the shrill sound of a wolf whistle coming from behind me. I stopped dead in my tracks, I turned around as a few more joined in the chorus.‘Oh my God, are they whistling at me?!’ I knew right then I had made it.
B E WA R E T H E PA R T Y- P O O P E R S ! The first few months of my weight loss went largely unnoticed with only a handful of comments from people asking if I had lost weight. I was just as excited about the first 20 kilograms I lost as I was about the second but it was the latter half of my journey that attracted the most attention.The difference in my appearance from a size 22 to a size 16 was very obvious to me but more subtle to others. But when within six months I went from a size 14 to a size 8, no-one could believe their eyes. I didn’t lose weight any more rapidly but the changes were much more dramatic and pretty soon I had everybody talking. It was very flattering to receive so many compliments and I tried to relax and take it in my stride. I was more accustomed to jibes and fat jokes so I didn’t always appear to be very gracious. I had spent a lifetime putting myself down so accepting accolades for how great I looked was a new experience. I started to feel a lot of pressure to always look good and worried that if I put on a gram everyone would notice. Losing weight was not enough. I had to prove to all the critics that this time was different and I was playing for keeps. Most of the people in my life were a great support throughout this process and coped well with my amazing metamorphosis. It must have been strange for them to see me shrinking before their eyes and difficult to confide in someone who looked so different
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to the person they had always known. The only people who didn’t notice the changes at all were my beloved boys. I find it precious that they still have no idea what all the fuss is about.They think their mum is a princess and always have. God bless them. My close friends and family have been thrilled to witness the new direction my life has taken and encouraged me every step of the way. My mother and grandmother have been very supportive even though they nag me constantly about being too thin and heaven forbid that I should get sick when I have nothing ‘stored for winter’. Mothers are impossible to please because they hold such extremely high hopes and expectations for their children— I know; I am like that with my own kids. My extended family is very proud and a few of my aunts have converted to my bread and butter plate theory. Unfortunately, women are very competitive creatures, especially when it comes to appearances. We are attracted to ‘fat’ photos of celebrities like moths to a flame and we constantly compare ourselves to one another.The role I played in all my relationships had been established a long time ago and it was hard for a few people to accept the change. With my newfound confidence came a more assertive personality and I felt the freedom to express my opinions and ideas. I did lose a few ‘friends’ along the way but I think it had more to do with different expectations of the relationship than my weight. I was an easy target for jealous whispers and it was a convenient excuse for a few people who were unhappy with their own lives. It was impossible for them to accept that I had realised a dream they hadn’t yet achieved for themselves. I didn’t have the energy to deal with other people’s insecurities while I was working so hard to overcome my own. I warned you earlier that not everyone will support your efforts to lose weight because it challenges their own state of denial.
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Some people in your life may be afraid that you will move ahead and leave them behind. All of my relationships have been affected in some way by the massive changes in my body and attitude.The majority have come through stronger, more open and even more precious to me than ever. Do-able tip: Don’t let anyone else’s negativity undermine your determination. Help yourself and you will be better equipped to help them.
GETTING PERSONAL One of the closest and the most personal changes has been the relationship between myself and my husband. We were married when I was only 21 and we have seen many changes in each other over the past decade. I know I would have felt some insecurities if he had suddenly started jogging, lost half his body weight and started dressing in figure-hugging, trendy outfits. I think he has coped very well because if the situation was reversed I probably would have hired a private investigator and a lawyer! He loves the attention I get from his friends and colleagues but grips my hand a little tighter when we go out in public. I know that he checks when I go out alone that I’m wearing my wedding band and makes jokes about me running off with another man— unless George Clooney offers, he is pretty safe! Apart from me, he is the one who has the most ‘hands-on’ contact with my body and it has been a journey of discovery for us both. One of the first places I shed weight from was my impressive bust, which has shrunk to a deflated shadow of its former glory. I used to easily fill a size 18D bra and now I struggle to fill out my size 10A, which is smaller than my first ever training bra.
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At first I found it hard to get used to life as a flat-chested person. It is not something I ever thought would be an issue. My husband, although thrilled with my overall transformation, was a little sad to bid his playmates farewell. All I can tell him is that for me big boobs equals big bum and he can’t have one without the other. I think he is happy to accept the trade. Many people have made comments along the lines of, ‘Your husband must feel like he’s won the lotto!’ This is an interesting perspective.Yes, of course he is very proud of me, but I would be offended if he loved me more now I’m thin than he did for all the years I was fat. He maintains that I have been a ‘spunk’ since we first met and his love hasn’t changed—fat, thin and in between.As I am quick to point out on occasion, a great deal of the wear and tear on my body was earned giving life to his sons so he has to take some responsibility for the stretch marks and loose skin. Do-able tip: If you’re in a relationship, be aware of your partner’s emotions. Imagine how you would feel if the tables were turned. Be sensitive to their fears but don’t let guilt or misguided loyalty stop you from realising your dream.
I didn’t set out to be ‘thin’. I just wanted to feel like I was normal. I wasted half my life observing from the sidelines when what I wanted most was to be in the centre of the action. People treated me differently because I behaved differently. It wasn’t society or other people that changed, it was me. Losing weight stopped me from seeing the world through ‘fat-coloured’ glasses. I am not a better person than I was before. I still have my faults and insecurities. I still get tired and frustrated and face trials and disappointments. The difference is that I now meet these challenges head on and face them with a new strength and determination. People tell me I look good, I tell them I feel great.
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G E T TO T H E P O I N T Learn to think and act like a thinner person. Don’t be afraid of your new body or confidence. Leave the ‘fat’ you in the past and set new goals for the future. Enjoy feeling ‘normal’. Take time to get to know your new body; it may look and feel quite different to your old one. Learn to enjoy being complimented. There is nothing wrong with being special. Feel beautiful. Be sensitive to other’s feelings but don’t let other people’s issues undermine you. Accept who you are, be proud of your strengths and accept your flaws.
THINKING THIN
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CHAPTER 11 It’s a wrap Catch you on the weigh down! As we approach the end of my tale I hope you have found these pages worthy of your valuable time and money. I guess the answer to that question will depend on the return you get from your investment. In the long run, choosing to ignore your weight problem may end up costing you a great deal more than the price of a paperback. In my opinion obesity is much more than just a physical burden but weighs most heavily on your emotions and self-esteem. I have invited you inside my life and honestly exposed my deepest secrets and insecurities. I hope you don’t feel intimidated or overwhelmed by the information I have shared. Think of me as a friend who understands your fears and frustrations and knows first-hand how difficult this process can be. It is my hope that in sharing my story I can inspire you to take up the challenge and work your way to a healthier body, life and spirit. Don’t be fooled by the casual and sometimes humorous tone of this book. It is not my intention to trivialise what I understand is a difficult and deeply personal issue. The way we feel about ourselves goes to the core of who we are and has a significant bearing on the course of life that we chart and follow. I am finally fulfilling my destiny and following the direction my life was always meant to take. I found strength in myself, started
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making some good decisions and took control of my future.The results you can see are only half the prize: everything you can’t see is the other. I am living my dream and hope that by following my advice you may one day live your dream too. Do-able tip: Do not start this program if you are doing it for or because of other people. Make this choice a gift to yourself. Yours is the only opinion that matters.
Remember the number one priority is to live a healthy and balanced life through sensible eating and increased activity. Being underweight can be just as detrimental to your health as being overweight.There is no value to this experience if you reach the finish line in worse shape than when you started. One of the most rewarding aspects of my weight loss journey has been teaching my own children about good nutrition and respect for how they treat their beautiful little bodies. I have carefully reprogrammed the attitude my family has towards food. It is vital that I encourage healthy thinking as well as healthy eating. Armed with the right information you too can prevent your children from suffering the agony of being the fat kid at school. Do-able tip: At some point you have to accept who you are, warts, stretch marks and all. You cannot have a ‘perfect’ body until it is perfect in your own mind.
I have been the same weight for over a year and my metabolism is functioning so well I can eat anything I like without fear of ruining my new figure. My stomach and appetite have shrunk and it would now be impossible for me to eat the amount that I used to in an average day. My tastes and the food I crave now
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are significantly different and my level of physical activity is at an all-time high. I have found the perfect balance point between the energy I put in and the energy that goes out of my body. See, I told you it was that simple. I was extremely proud of myself the day my GP declared that I was in ‘peak physical condition’ and that all my test results were now perfect. Not only was my weight well in hand but I had done it in a safe and sensible manner without compromising my health for the sake of vanity. It was the ultimate endorsement that any sacrifices I had made along the way had been worth it. It was this validation that made me entirely comfortable about sharing my successful weight loss formula with others. Are you ready to accept responsibility for your own actions and behaviour? Stop blaming your weight problems on other people and external influences. Let go of what is in the past, forgive yourself for previous failures and move on. For any diet to work you have to believe in yourself and accept that you deserve to succeed. Are you ready to be happy? I think yes. I have already stated for the record that I am not a weight loss professional and the information I have shared is based only on my personal experience and opinion. My credibility as a weight loss adviser is based on the dramatic results I have achieved by following this proven formula. I could never have predicted that such simple and obvious changes would alter the course of my life so spectacularly. I now realise that all the tools you need to lose weight safely and permanently already exist in your own heart and mind.This book is merely a guide to lead you to the answers that lie within your everyday routine. Do-able tip: Relax, don’t take yourself so seriously, learn to laugh at your shortcomings and remember no body is perfect.
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When my son got stuck a few months ago in a climbing gym at a birthday party, I was delighted to discover that I could climb all the way in to rescue him. I want to run, jump, skip and play more than I have since I was in pre-school. My eldest son gets upset that I ride his scooter and I have recently bought the first bicycle that I have owned since my pink BMX with sparkly handlebars. I have a lot more energy and for the first time in my life, I feel my age. When I take my boys to the park I can fit down the slippery slide and if I jump on the seesaw I don’t send them rocketing into outer space. I spend a great deal more time outside and my skin has a healthy glow that has been missing for years. It was hard for me to learn that anonymity was not a goal to strive for. I finally accept that there is nothing wrong with being special. I now feel strong, powerful and very, very special. I have found something that millions of people around the world are desperately searching for: contentment. I discovered that no matter how great I look on the outside the real prize is the peace I have found on the inside. I finally feel beautiful and it is an amazing experience. I am happy to wake up every morning being me and there is no greater power in the world. These days you are more likely to find me in the garden than in the kitchen. I am so preoccupied now with working, writing, learning and exercising that I sometimes have to remind myself to eat. I am at the end of my twenties and finally appreciate that time is of the essence. I’m not prepared to waste another second. My body feels lighter and so does my spirit. I’ve remembered how to have fun.
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With my story over it is time for you to begin your own. Stop procrastinating; prepare to take action. I want you to put down this book (somewhere safe) and ‘bust-proof ’ your house. I have had my turn, now it is yours.
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G E T TO T H E P O I N T Obesity is a serious issue. Take responsibility for your own health and wellbeing. Stop dreaming and start doing. Make yourself a priority—you deserve to be happy. Have a laugh; it improves any situation.
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PART 4 THE ESSENTIALS
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S A M P L E W E E K LY M E N U IF
Y O U WA N T T O S E E E X A C T LY H O W I D I D I T, H E R E I S A S A M P L E O F M Y T Y P I C A L W E E K LY D I E T
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M O N DAY
Breakfast • Small bowl of cereal • Half a cup of milk • Cup of tea (I only use artificial sweetener and skim/trim milk) Morning tea • Two lite choc-chip cookies • Lite hot chocolate Lunch • Toasted sandwich on two slices multigrain bread with small tin of tuna (in brine or springwater) and three thin slices of reduced-fat cheese (cut off the block), cooked in jaffle-maker with spray oil (no butter) and cut into four triangles • Caffeine-free diet cola • Apple Afternoon tea • Small bowl grapes • Two crackers with reduced-fat cream cheese and sliced tomato • Two glasses of water Dinner • Bowl of chicken coconut curry (sauce from a jar), including skinless chicken breast and three cups of frozen mixed vegetables • Served with three dessertspoons of boiled white rice • Diet cola Dessert • Two medium scoops of low-fat chocolate ice-cream • Six thinly sliced strawberries Supper • Cup of tea
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T U E S DAY
Breakfast • One slice of raisin toast with low-kilojoule strawberry jam and reduced-fat margarine • Instant caramel latte Morning tea • Four reduced-fat crackers • Two slices of herb and garlic cheese • Cup of tea Lunch • Open grill on half a Turkish bread roll with skinless barbecue chicken, strips of fresh capsicum and three thin slices of reduced-fat cheese, cut into four fingers • Diet lemonade • Nectarine Afternoon tea • Orange • One small low-fat apple and cinnamon muffin • Two glasses of water Dinner • One quarter serve of homemade family meat pie, including lean beef mince, diced lean beef and three cups fresh chopped vegetables, using only one sheet of puff pastry for base and topped with mashed sweet potato (no butter) • Diet cola Dessert • Lite hot chocolate Supper • Too full from dinner, get an early night instead
S A M P L E W E E K LY M E N U
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W E D N E S DAY
Breakfast • Small bowl of cereal • Half a cup of skim/trim milk Morning tea • Two lite choc-chip cookies • Cup of tea Lunch • Toasted sandwich on two slices of multigrain bread with low-fat shaved ham, two slices of tomato and three thin slices of reducedfat cheese, cooked in jaffle-maker with spray oil (no butter) • Caffeine-free diet cola • Small bowl of watermelon Afternoon tea • Ten mini cheese crackers with reduced-fat cheese • Mandarin Dinner • Bowl of lamb casserole (sauce from a packet), including lean diced lamb and three cups of vegetables (sweet potato, onion, carrot, frozen peas and canned tomatoes) • Served with three dessertspoons of boiled white rice • Glass of water Dessert • Tub of diet chocolate mousse Supper • Cup of tea
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T H U R S DAY
Breakfast • Small bowl of cereal with a drop of maple syrup for flavour • Half a cup of skim/trim milk Morning tea • Half a slice of caramel cheesecake (no cream) • Skinny latte Lunch • Four rye crackers with shaved turkey breast, a smear of avocado and topped with a thin slice of reduced-fat cheese • Caffeine-free diet cola Afternoon tea • Banana Dinner • Small bowl of chicken cacciatore (sauce from a jar), including skinless chicken breast and three cups of vegetables (freshly chopped zucchini, capsicum, onion and mushrooms) • Served with three dessertspoons of boiled pasta spirals • Diet lemonade Dessert • Two medium scoops of low-fat choc-chip ice-cream Supper • Had cheesecake today so better skip supper
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F R I DAY
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Breakfast • Small bowl of cereal • Half a cup of skim/trim milk Morning tea • Two lite choc-chip and macadamia cookies • Instant caramel latte Lunch • Tin of baked beans on one slice of multigrain toast (no butter), cut into small triangles • Cup of tea • Two plums Afternoon tea • Still full from lunch so wait until dinner Dinner • Baked Nile perch marinated in soy and garlic sauce • Served with green salad and mashed sweet potato (made with skim milk) • Diet cola Dessert • Lite hot chocolate with one small scoop low-fat caramel ice-cream instead of milk (my own creation and tastes fantastic!) Supper • P&C meeting • Cup of tea • One sweet biscuit
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S AT U R DAY
Breakfast • Two crumpets with diet strawberry jam (no butter) • One glass freshly squeezed orange juice, diluted with water Morning tea • Apple, while I’m watching swimming lessons Lunch • Cheese and salad sub from sandwich bar at shopping centre with low-fat mayo instead of butter, cut in half and shared with the kids • Skinny latte • (Sneak half a cinnamon doughnut while the kids aren’t looking) Afternoon tea • Two glasses of water Dinner • One quarter of a homemade pizza; toppings include sun-dried tomato, lean shaved ham, reduced-fat cheese, capsicum, mushroom, onion and tomato paste • Two slices of homemade garlic bread (made with oil and garlic, no butter) • Diet lemon squash Dessert • Share a packet of chocolates during movie with family Supper • Too much chocolate, feel sick!
S A M P L E W E E K LY M E N U
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S U N DAY
Breakfast • Meet friends for breakfast: three-egg omelette with spinach, cheese and mushroom on one slice of sourdough toast (no butter) • Skinny latte Morning tea • Still at breakfast: skinny cappuccino and half a caramel slice (no cream) Lunch • Still out but not hungry: glass of sparkling mineral water and a mint Afternoon tea • Getting hungry: two crackers with reduced-fat cream cheese and sliced tomato • Two glasses of water • Kiwifruit Dinner • Easy dinner tonight: homemade tuna burgers (see recipes) • Diet cola Dessert • Small bowl of fresh fruit salad with a dollop of lite cream Supper • Been a busy weekend, go to bed early
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DO-ABLE RECIPES MY
F AV O U R I T E E A S Y M E A L S
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B R E A K FA S T
Scrambled eggs Throw 3 eggs in a bowl with 1 cup skim milk, use a handmixer to stir until frothy. Pour into a hot frypan sprayed with olive oil, add just about anything. I love fresh spinach leaves, grated cheese, shaved ham, onion, mushroom, fresh tomato and green capsicum. Stir around in pan until it looks lumpy and cooked, drain off any excess juices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve on multigrain or wholemeal toast. (Goes perfectly with a good chat and fresh coffee!)
Sweet crumpet treat Cook 2 crumpets in toaster, spread generously with low-kilojoule jam and 2 scoops of low-fat vanilla ice-cream. Add some fresh chopped strawberries to garnish. (Great low-fat alternative to pancakes and maple syrup.)
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Best tuna burger in the world Pre-heat oven to 200°C. Use a large can of tuna in springwater, drain excess juice. Empty entire can into large bowl and add grated vegetables such as carrot, sweet potato, zucchini, onion and celery. I add cheese to just about everything so throw in a handful of grated reduced-fat tasty. Toss in half a cup of breadcrumbs (I use the ones from a packet) and 2 eggs to combine the ingredients. Use your hands to squish all the ingredients together and push them into patty shapes. Fill a shallow dish with breadcrumbs and roll the tuna patties in the crumbs until lightly coated. Place them on a baking tray sprayed with oil and bake for 15 minutes on each side. When cooked, serve on lightly toasted buns with low-fat mayo, fresh spinach leaves (or lettuce) and slices of tomato. This is one of my all-time favourite meals and a much healthier alternative to your normal hamburger. (This is a fun dish to make with your kids. They love getting their hands stuck into the mix and it encourages them to experiment with new flavours.)
Ribbon sandwiches Boil 2 eggs until firm and mash with low-fat mayo, add half a soft avocado and mash through the egg and mayonnaise. Serve on extremely fresh slices of bread with baby spinach leaves or lettuce mix. Cut into thin strips and remove the crusts. (This is an incredibly simple but more sophisticated version of the egg and lettuce sandwich. It looks and smells beautiful and is a perfect dish to serve friends and visitors.)
DO-ABLE RECIPES
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DINNER
Creamy pasta with bacon and baked vegetables Pre-heat oven to 200°C. Cook 2 cups of pasta in lightly salted boiling water. When pasta is soft, drain it and set aside. Spray a baking dish with oil and line with 6 finely chopped lean bacon rashers, 1 whole peeled and cubed sweet potato, 2 small zucchini, a quarter pumpkin, 1 whole sliced red onion. Sprinkle with chopped shallots and 1 tablespoon of crushed garlic. Spray with a generous coat of oil. Bake in the oven (stirring occasionally) for 20 minutes. In a jug, blend 2 tablespoons of cornflour with 100ml of water into a paste, add half a can of lite evaporated milk and 2 chicken stock cubes. Pour mix into a hot saucepan and stir continually until sauce thickens to a creamy consistency. As it thickens turn heat right down and do not leave or it will quickly burn. When it is nearly ready remove from heat and set aside. Once the bacon is cooked and vegetables are soft, empty them into the saucepan with cream sauce and mix through until well combined. Serve with pasta. (This is an ideal way to enjoy a creamy and indulgent dinner with half the fat and none of the guilt!)
Chicken and asparagus mini pies Using a jar of Chicken Tonight Lite creamy mushroom sauce and a tin of asparagus tips and tenders you can create a simple and delicious family meal that can also be served at parties or packed in the kids’ lunch boxes for school. Preheat oven to around 200°C. Brown 500g of chopped skinless chicken breast in the frying pan with a spray of oil. Add a whole chopped onion, 5 large chopped mushrooms and jar of sauce.
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Stir until all well combined. Add can of asparagus tips, drained. Let simmer for 10 minutes to thicken and then remove from heat. Cut 3 sheets of defrosted puff pastry into quarters. Spray a muffin baking tray with oil and push each piece of pastry (you should have 12) into the muffin moulds. Spoon mixture from frying pan into each one until level with the rim of the muffin tins. Fold the pastry over the top of each one to close and push gently to seal edge together. Cook in pre-heated oven for approximately 20 minutes until pastry has risen and turned golden brown. Let cool before removing them from tray. Great to serve with mashed potato or a summer salad.
DO-ABLE RECIPES
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DESSERT
‘Diet’ cheesecake Crush an entire packet of lite cookies and mix with 3 dessertspoons of melted (reduced-fat) margarine and a tablespoon of brown sugar. Spread evenly in the bottom of a cake pan and put in the fridge for 20 minutes to set. In a large bowl mix 2 packets of lite cream cheese and 1 can of lite condensed milk. Squeeze in the juice of 3 large and juicy lemons (remove the seeds) to set the mixture. Once it has thickened to an almost firm consistency pour over the chilled biscuit base. I like to crush a Cadbury Flake and sprinkle over the entire top to add a decorative touch. Leave in the fridge overnight and serve with low-fat vanilla ice-cream. (Beware, this version is about 30 per cent lower in fat but it is still loaded with kilojoules so serve with restraint.)
Glass half-full Chop up 3 cups of your favourite fruit. I like to make this in summer and use mango, strawberries, peaches, watermelon and grapes. You can use whatever you like but the more colourful, the better it will look. Use a tall glass and fill it halfway with the chopped fruit, pour low-fat vanilla custard over the top and finish with a scoop of low-fat vanilla ice-cream. My kids absolutely love this one. It looks great, tastes delicious and is the perfect (guiltfree) way to end the day.
Bon appétit!
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K I L O J O U L E C O M PA R I S O N In this next section I have laid out some basic tables to show the kilojoule value of some popular foods. These merely act as an example and it doesn’t mean that these foods must be included in your daily diet.The main purpose of this book is to teach you how to eat, not to tell you what to eat.This is what sets my weight loss plan apart from others. You can tailor this program to suit your own taste buds and lifestyle, which is why it works. The information shown in these tables is from Allan Borushek’s Pocket Calorie & Fat Counter, a great little book that will tell you the kilojoule content of any food imaginable.You can also look at his website, <www.CalorieKing.com.au> and of course you should get into the habit of checking the individual labels on all food packaging.This book is not a ‘calorie counter’ and once you learn to read labels at a glance, you will probably never need the following pages again. Keep it simple and keep it off!
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E V E R Y DAY E S S E N T I A L S
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ITEM
KILOJOULES PER SERVE
KILOJOULES PER 100g/ml
White bread
275 per thin slice (28g)
981
Wholemeal bread
260 per thin slice (30g)
866
Multigrain bread
260 per thin slice (30g)
866
Skim milk
460 per 250ml cup
184
Full-cream milk
700 per 250ml cup
280
Trim milk
545 per 250ml cup
218
Full-fat fruit yoghurt
965 per 200g carton
482
Full-fat plain yoghurt
670 per 200g carton
335
Full-fat cheddar cheese
350 per thin slice (21g)
1666
Full-fat sour cream
280 per tbsp (20g)
1400
Full-fat double thick cream
375 per tbsp (20g)
1875
Skinless chicken breast
460 per 100g
460
Lean beef mince
710 per 100g
710
Roast duck breast
790 per 100g
790
Lean rump steak
500 per 100g
500
Bacon
660 per rasher (50g)
1320
Beef sausage
545 per thin sausage (50g)
1090
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Diced trim lamb
540 per 100g
540
Uncooked pasta
505 per 35g
1442
Cooked white long-grain rice
390 per 80g
488
Hokkien noodles
815 per 100g
815
Tropical fruit muesli
690 per small bowl (50g)
1380
Apple
270 per apple (150g)
180
Strawberry
80 per 5 strawberries (100g)
80
Banana
365 per banana (150g)
240
Orange
335 per orange (280g)
150
Mango
425 per mango (240g)
250
Brown potato
440 per potato (150g)
290
Tomato
85 per tomato (150g)
55
Lettuce
10 per cup (35g)
28
Butter
150 per tsp (5g)
3000
Margarine (canola)
150 per tsp (5g)
3000
Canola oil
185 per tsp (5g)
3700
Egg
335 per egg (53g)
603
White sugar
65 per tsp (4g)
1625
Artificial sweetener (Equal)
10 per tsp (5g)
200
K I L O J O U L E C O M PA R I S O N
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DELI DELIGHTS
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ITEM
KILOJOULES PER SERVE
KILOJOULES PER 100g
Camembert /brie
375 per medium slice (30g)
1249
Fetta
380 per medium piece (30g)
1265
Parmesan
540 per 4 tbsp (30g)
1798
Sun-dried tomato in oil
250 per 5 pieces (22g)
1136
Green roasted capsicum in oil
270 per 2 halves (95g)
284
Kalamata olives
170 per 5 olives (10g)
1700
Danish salami
560 per 5 slices (30g)
1864
Leg ham
290 per 2 thin slices (50g)
580
Smoked salmon
70 per slice (12g)
583
Antipasto (olive, sun-dried tomato, mushroom)
210 per 1⁄4 cup (50g)
420
Spring onion dip
250 per tbsp (20g)
1250
Focaccia (plain)
585 per focaccia (50g)
1170
Garlic bread
334 per small piece (23g)
1452
Avocado
135 per tbsp (20g)
675
Cooked crab
420 per 100g
420
Oysters (raw)
165 per 6 oysters (60g)
275
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S W E E T T R E AT S ITEM
KILOJOULES PER SERVE
KILOJOULES PER 100g
Sweet muffin
710 per muffin (60g)
1183
Baked cheesecake
1670 per large slice (120g)
1390
Caramel slice
565 per piece (50g)
1130
Chocolate brownie
920 per piece (50g)
1840
Fresh cream sponge
1270 per slice (100g)
1270
Lamington (no cream or jam)
1045 per square (80g)
1306
Cinnamon doughnut
1045 per doughnut (70g)
1492
Apple pie
1170 per slice (120g)
975
Tiramisu
1380 per square (100g)
1380
Melting moment cookie
670 per biscuit (50g)
1340
Pavlova (fresh cream)
940 per slice (120g)
783
Pancake
470 per medium pancake (40g)
1175
Chocolate mud cake
1465 per small slice (100g)
1465
Chocolate block
670 per 5 squares (30g)
2233
Chocolate eclair (no cream)
940 per eclair (60g)
1566
Lemon meringue pie
1590 per slice (140g)
1135
K I L O J O U L E C O M PA R I S O N
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LIQUID LOWDOWN
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DRINK
KILOJOULES PER SERVE
KILOJOULES PER 100ml
Orange juice
400 per 250ml
160
Cafe latte (full-cream milk)
545 per 200ml
272
Hot chocolate (whipped cream)
835 per 200ml
417
Chocolate milkshake (full-cream milk)
1255 per 200ml
627
Cola soft drink
645 per 375ml
172
Diet cola soft drink
5 per 375ml
2
Sweet white wine/champagne
355 per 120ml
295
Red wine
375 per 120ml
312
Full-strength beer
585 per 375ml
156
Standard spirits
275 per 30ml
916
Fruit cordial
290 per 200ml
145
Tea (black, no sugar)
10 per 200ml
5
Instant coffee (black, no sugar)
15 per 200ml
7
Spring water
0
0
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B A R B ’ S FAT F I L E S
These tables are a little different from the others because they compare some of my old favourites (which I still enjoy occasionally) with some of the new staples of my diet. Once again, the secret is the amount I choose to eat, not just the kilojoule content.These items are shown as an example only and highlight how do-able it is to reduce your kilojoule intake by making better choices.
K I L O J O U L E C O M PA R I S O N
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BEFORE
160
ITEM
KILOJOULES PER SERVE
Peanut butter
525 per tbsp
Buttered toast
625 per slice
White bread roll
650 per roll
Tim Tam
390 per biscuit
Orange juice
320 per glass
Chocolate milkshake (cream)
1568 per cup
Whopper with Cheese
3100 per burger
Meat lovers pizza (thick crust)
2160 per two slices
Fish and chips
2510 per 250g serve
Pancakes
970 per large pancake
Chocolate ice-cream
1045 per 100ml serve
Chocolate custard
565 per 100g tub
Canola oil
185 per tsp
Butter
150 per tsp
Lemon & lime mineral water
415 per glass
Plain M&M’s
2082 per 100g packet
Cheese Twisties
1105 per 50g packet
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AFTER ITEM
KILOJOULES PER SERVE
Diet strawberry jam
25 per tbsp
Raisin toast (no butter)
330 per slice
Pita bread
585 per pocket
Paradise Lites (choc-chip) biscuit
185 per biscuit
Diet cordial
20 per glass
Skinny latte (no sugar)
335 per cup
Lean Beef Burger
1215 per burger
Vegetarian pizza (thin crust)
1350 per two slices
Grilled fish (no chips)
840 per 200g serve
Crumpets
355 per crumpet
Lite chocolate ice-cream
295 per 100ml serve
Diet chocolate mousse
270 per 62g tub
Spray canola oil
65 per 3-second spray
Lite mayonnaise
95 per 25g serve
Water
0
Milky Way bar
285 per 25g bar
Air-popped popcorn (no oil)
115 per cup
K I L O J O U L E C O M PA R I S O N
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DO-ABLE TIPS AND TRICKS HERE’S
A S U M M A RY O F M Y B E S T T I P S A N D TRICKS FOR ACHIEVING WEIGHT LOSS SUCCESS
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The basics
Eat by choice not by habit. When in doubt, eat half. It is all about the kilojoules! Set realistic short-term goals and expect it to take some time.
It is not only about what you eat, how much you eat is equally important.
Become a corporate eater, down size everything! Don’t focus just on fat or sugar. Kilojoules are the most important marker for weight loss.
Always check the serving size on the label, it can be deceptive.
Eat less = weigh less. Don’t eat food you may regret later. Reprogram your thinking. Tell yourself, ‘I don’t do that anymore’.
Do some sort of physical activity every day. You don’t even have to leave the house.
Following my directions, weigh yourself every morning. Bust-proof your life. Create an environment that gives you the best chance to succeed.
Be honest about your weight. Accept you have a problem and do something to change it.
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In the kitchen
Never eat off a full size dinner plate. Always use a bowl or bread and butter plate.
Don’t eat out of packets or boxes. Give yourself a serve and put the rest away.
Once all meals have been served, rinse all pots and pans immediately.
Learn how to make every meal a little bit lower in kilojoules and higher in nutrition.
Try one new vegetable and recipe a week. Cook with low-fat and low-carb ingredients where possible.
The more colourful your food the healthier it is. Add vegetables to everything.
If you really want a treat, try a small chocolate frog or a fun-size chocolate bar.
Make sure your shopping trolley is two-thirds fresh food and only one-third packaged food.
Cut all your food into smaller pieces. It takes longer to eat and keeps you satisfied longer.
Use smaller eating utensils: spoons, bowls, cups, plates and forks. It makes a small serve feel bigger.
Freeze leftovers. They make a great substitute for takeaway.
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On the run
Share dessert with a friend. Half the kilojoules but twice the fun!
When you feel you’ve had enough, call the waiter to remove your plate.
Carry small, healthy snacks in your handbag when shopping or running errands. It saves time, money and kilojoules.
Only buy your kids snacks that you don’t like. If you need a break, have a skinny latte or skinny hot chocolate instead of a milkshake.
When dining out, never order more than two courses. Don’t be afraid to leave uneaten food on your plate. Never be afraid to request nutritional information or ask for something to be made a healthier way.
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Staying on track
Don’t be too hard on yourself. This process should make you feel better, not worse.
Brush your teeth after dinner. You will be less likely to indulge in late night snacking.
Stop eating at least three hours before you go to bed. You will burn kilojoules while you sleep.
When the munchies strike, get out of the kitchen. Do anything to avoid being near food—use all available lifelines!
Take some ‘before’ and ‘during’ photos of yourself. It’s a great way to stay motivated.
Acknowledge the consequences of your eating behaviour and food choices.
Your loss can be someone else’s gain. Insist your friends take home the leftovers.
If someone gives you a high-energy gift such as chocolate, thank them and pass it on to someone who needs it more.
Stop using negative words and thinking bad thoughts about your body.
If you can’t name everything you ate during the day, you have eaten too much.
Have fun and lighten up!
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WITH THANKS Although I have written this book in only a few short months, I have been living this story my entire life.There have been many people along the way who have influenced the direction of my journey and delivered me to this triumphant moment. To acknowledge them individually would fill another book, so I will keep it brief. To Jon, thank you for always loving me and for allowing me to follow my own destiny.You have seen me through this extraordinary process and I am as proud of you as I know you are of me. To Riley and Hayden, there are no words to describe the meaning you have given to my life.You are my sunshine. To Mum and Nana, the women I love so much.You taught me how to be a good person and made me believe I could follow any dream. As usual you were right. My wonderful friends, you make me a better woman, wife and mother.Thank you for always knowing how to make me smile. Julie, my Fairy Godmother, I owe you a debt that can never be repaid.Thank you for all of this. To the team at A&U, Clare, Sue and Richard, your enthusiasm and guidance was always appreciated. My extended family, colleagues and supporters, your faith and encouragement never went unnoticed. For anyone I haven’t mentioned specifically who played a part in this incredible experience, I sincerely thank you all.
WITH THANKS
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To contact the author please send an email to:
Alternatively, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: PO Box 9401 Wynnum Plaza QLD 4178
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