Your 1500 Calorie Purple Guide To Weightloss

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The nutrition industry has an unsung hero: the great principles of weight loss that everyone refuses to believe in.  Energy restriction coupled with increased calorie burn, truly does equate to weight loss.  You just need to believe the facts, practice and stick to it.

The trousers

If you are wondering what inspired me to write this blog post, I tried to get into my white jeans this weekend.  Sure they zipped up, but my rebellious curves made me look like a pumpkin that someone tried to squeeze through the middle.  Not pretty.  Christmas is under 3 months away so my instincts told me, “I should BE ABLE to get into these comfortably before the party / festive season hits!”

If you too have mastered the laws of nutrition but simply lack the practical tips to put together a healthy eating plan for weight loss; then dare to give this a go.  If variety is the heart of healthy eating, then I’ll be lovingly filling myself with fruit and vegetables for the much needed mineral and vitamins.

I’ll be trying vegetarian recipes and eating my favourite foods such as salmon for essential omega 3 fatty acids and proteins.  I will also be filling up on plenty of slow releasing or low GI (glycaemic index) carbohydrates to fuel my runs.  I love carbs and would not be able to survive more than 8 hours without it (and that’s when I am asleep of course). 

If you have been following me on A Light Perspective’s facebook page www.facebook.com/Alightperspective then you may have noticed that I have been posting pictures of the food I eat.  Feel free to join in and post pictures of your breakfast or lunch meals on the fan page.

So what’s next?  I’ll be posting 1500 calorie eating plans for a few days each week.  I have chosen 1500 calories as I believe that an average woman normally eats around 2000 calories a day.  To facilitate weight loss, you need to cut back by around 500 calories per day for weight loss of 500g at the end of the week.  If you want to eat more, then earn any extra calories by burning it off through exercise.

Quality control

It’s just like anything else, if you want to maintain a beautiful dress, you get it dry cleaned and store it carefully to ensure that it lasts beautifully over the seasons for a timeless piece.  Your body works the same way.  For a high quality living product, fill it with high quality foods packed with nutrition.  Remember to exercise it regularly for a toned and beautiful exterior.

Regardless of whether you want to LOOK good for your age or improve your risk factors for disease, you will enjoy feeling lighter and healthier after shedding a few pounds if overweight.  Or maybe like me, you may just be aiming to shed a few pounds to simply look good in your clothes.  Remember, as long as your weight loss goals also envelope the principles of healthy eating, then you will be on the road to a slimmer and healthy you.

So let’s get started.

Breakfast

1 cup of reduced fat milk

½ cup of cooked oats

½ small banana sliced or ½ cup strawberry halves

125g fat free yoghurt

Use this portion of milk to make a cup of tea or coffee.

Mid-morning tea

20 grapes

Cup of tea made with reduced fat milk

Lunch

Sandwich – make your own using 2 slices of wholegrain bread that’s high in fibre.  

Aim for >5g/100g or see my article Are You Carb Smart?

Fillings

60g mozzarella

Tomato slices

30g avocado to spread

Fresh / dried herbs OR salad leaves

Plus

120g pottle of reduced fat yoghurt (or save for later)

1 large orange

Cup of tea

Mid afternoon snack

Cup of tea or use the orange or yoghurt from lunch if you have saved this.

Dinner

1 portion of Aromatic Mediterranean Chicken & Courgette Rice With Smoked Paprika.

1 serving of fruit salad (for recipe ideas see Lazy Fruit Salad.

Plus

Extra vegetables on the side if still hungry such as green beans, broccoli or a simple salad of tomato and cucumbers.

Drink – plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.

Purple Tip

These are only tips to give you ideas of what a 1500 calorie eating plan looks like.

Don't forget to fit in at least 30 minutes of exercise such as walking, jogging, cycling or sport.  Whatever you choose, enjoy, have fun and remember the successful dieter continues the principles of healthy eating for a lifetime.

What are your tips for weightloss?  Do comment below lovely readers, I do love hearing from you.

How To Exercise A Little Portion Control - St Jacques With Coriander & Peanut Pesto

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Seafood, pesto, portion control.  For this week's Weekend Dinner Party themed post, I've chosen a gorgeous French number that has drawn flavours from the Asian world.  The coriander, lime and peanut based pesto sauce is phenomenal, zesty and absolutely delish.

Scallops are one of my favourite things in the world but it's always a good idea to check with your guests to make sure that they like seafood!  I've also chosen this recipe as it illustrates the essential steps every good host should bear in mind for the weight-conscious diner; portion control.

If you dread hosting dinner parties because you are worried about over-eating, let me assure you that its impossible to do so with this fabulous recipe.  Firstly, it is a tiny bit labour intensive but don't let that put you off.  It's so tasty that you will savour every mouthful when you finally do sit down to enjoy it.  Eating slowly allows you to recognise early when you are full.

I realise that everyone wants to please their guests with plenty to eat, but the health conscious diner may resent you afterwards for the extra indulgent mouthfuls eaten.

Life's just too short for regrets.  Show no signs of slowing down, there's no reason why you cannot attend or host dinner parties if you are trying to eat healthy and lose weight.  Simply exercise a little portion control, choose ingredients that boast flavour but without the weight of added calories.

And of course, this recipe is milk, egg, wheat, gluten and soy free.  It does however, contain peanuts, therefore is not nut free.  

Expecting a vegetarian diner?  No problem, simply substitute the scallops for tofu.  It will work 
beautifully with the pesto sauce.



Saint-Jacques With Coriander & Peanut Pesto Sauce


INGREDIENTS

500ml vegetable stock
2 tablespoons mirin*
1 tablespoon lemon grass
2 kaffir lime leaves
3 rounded teaspoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon fish sauce (check thickeners to ensure gluten / wheat free)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots, chopped finely
4 red onions, chopped finely
3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
2 tablespoons ginger, chopped finely
1 teaspoon ground white pepper

140g risotto rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon gluten and wheat free flour
16 large scallops
1 lime, sliced


For the pesto
2 tablespoons, dry roasted and unsalted peanuts
50g coriander leaves, chopped using scissors
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger
Pinch of white pepper
Juice of 2 limes
1 teaspoon soft brown sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Serves 4


Purple Tip - The rice requires 3 hours of cool time in the fridge.  If you are expecting guests in the evening, I would prepare the rice earlier in the day.


DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan, add the vegetable stock, *mirin (this is a type of Japanese rice wine which I did not have, so I used wine and added a little sugar), lemon grass, kiffir leaves, ground coriander, fish sauce and allow to boil for a few minutes, then simmer.
2.  In a casserole dish, add olive oil, shallot, onions, garlic, ginger and white pepper.  Temper for a few minutes and enjoy the aromas released.
3. Add the rice and coat each grain in the oil.
4. Remove lemon grass from the stock then pour this into the rice in 100ml aliquots and only when the rice has absorbed the liquid.  Add up to an extra 200ml of water if necessary.
5. The rice is done when all of the liquid has been absorbed.  Now allow to cool then keep in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
6. To prepare the pesto, first add the peanuts into a grinder.  Grind till you have a paste but with 'bits' in it.
7. In a blender, add the peanuts, coriander leaves, garlic, ginger and white pepper.  Blend for a couple of minutes or until you have a green paste.  Now add the freshly squeezed lime juice, brown sugar, fish sauce and vegetable oil.  Mix well then set aside.
8. To make the risotto galettes, shape into 4 balls then press gentle with your hands to flatten.  Cover with cling film and return them to cool in the fridge for 10 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a saucepan.  When the galettes are ready, dust with a little bit of flour then fry evenly on both sides for 2 minutes each side.  Repeat this step a few times so that the galettes are crispy on the outside.
10. Place the galettes on paper towel to remove excess oil.
11. Now temper the scallops or tofu in a saucepan with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  You will need to cook evenly on both sides.
12. Serve immediately with the galette, scallops, a generous serve of the pesto and lime slices on the side.  

Purple Tip - Don't forget a little salad or portion of vegetables on the side

Now remember, the 3 steps to a successful dieter's dinner party are:

• Go for pre-portioned meals to reduce the temptation for seconds.
• Choose tasty dishes that promote use of herbs or spices with focus on quality rather than quantity.
• Engage your guests in conversation to allow your guests to eat slowly and savour every mouthful.

Have a great week lovely readers!  What are your tips for successful dining when also trying to shed pounds?

If you enjoyed this post, then why not SHARE with a TWEET or a LIKE on facebook?  Thank you so much!

To Eat Or Not To Eat – Pizza Or Glass Of Water?

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How do you cope when you rush out of an extended meeting that’s lasted for hours longer than anticipated?  It’s 3.30pm, you’ve missed lunch and there’s just a great British pie or pizza with soggy chips that the cafeteria will rustle up for you.  What do you do?  Do you gorge on the calories or skip it and survive on air and water until dinner?  Let’s discuss!

The good news is you are probably not alone.  This happens to everyone from time to time, but if this is a regular occurrence, you may need to do something about it.  Even so, let’s face it; if you haven't planned for this and don't have a delicious sandwich waiting for you in the fridge, then your options are pretty limited. 

Scenario one: you stuff yourself and feed your screaming tummy.  Scenario two: you choose to brave it and drink another glass of water as there really isn’t anything suitable to eat.

Sounds harsh but I believe we’ve incited a fierce debate.  It’s a little bit like weight cycling or yo yo dieting, whereby you lose weight and then regain it all over again in the space of a few days.  Did you know that some studies quote that fasting and feasting may affect your resting energy expenditure?  

Weight loss as a result of skipping meals may make you feel giddy with joy, but you may also experience a decline in your metabolic rate.  Worse, a high proportion of this weight loss may in fact be lean body mass rather than fat mass.  Not all studies are in agreement with these claims but the impact on state of mind and your food choices at the next meal as a result of skipping meals may in fact be pointing the finger towards an unhealthy diet and lifestyle.  

What's more, I can’t imagine that you will have energy for an intense hour of swimming or cycling after just a glass of water for lunch as fuel for your planned after work activity.

So if it's not scenario two should we settle on scenario one?  You decide to buy a slice of the cheesy gooey gluttonous pizza. OK, perhaps it’s only gluttonous if you go for the chips too.  And that’s exactly it, choose a small portion of what’s going on offer and top up with fruit or low fat yoghurt (instead of the soggy chips as extra) to keep you going till your evening meal.  This ensures that you are not filling your body with unnecessary calories just because you are raving mad with hunger.

Scenarios two is certainly not recommended but if you are beyond hunger, choose something light even if you only do choose a piece of fruit, cereal bar or a bit of toast.  

Be sensible and you may wake up in a weeks time finding that you have successfully managed to shed another pound.  Why?  You made the smart choice of eating to hunger instead of overriding the hunger cues.  It may not have been the most healthiest choice, but you chose an acceptable portion size which meant that you still had the energy for the planned after work exercise plans.

Purple verdict?  It’s possible you may disagree, but I say eat it and have the glass of water too.  Slot in an exercise session to work it off then forget about it.  Tomorrow’s another day.

Did you know that you can subscribe by email?  Enter your email address directly on this blog to receive other nutrition tips directly into your inbox.

If you enjoyed reading this article, then please do share the purple love with a TWEET or a LIKE on facebook.  Thank you so much.

Model Behaviour: How To Maintain An Accurate Food Diary

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If you are serious about weight loss, then you should be devoted to your food diary.  There is a growing body of evidence indicating success with weight loss in individuals who adopt the model behaviour of recording their intake in a food diary.

If you are not entirely convinced read Why Food Diaries Are A Girl's Best Friend.  Food diaries really can be key in ensuring that you achieve your short and long term goals.  We would all love a girl friend to encourage us through our weight loss journey, but when a friend isn't available, rely on these diaries.  The great thing about food diaries are that even when your mood changes and you abandon your diary, once you confidence and the courage to continue with the weight loss journey, you've always got your diary to refer back to.

The diary is a fantastic tool to verify what worked for you in the past and what didn't.  So if you are feeling inspired and want practical tips for completing an online food diary, grab a cuppa and let's go through a day's entry together.

Once you have created an account with myfitnesspal (or a similar online diary), you will notice straight away that you can log your food intake under the headings; breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

I am going to start today's entry with Breakfast.

Breakfast is a classic example of how important it is to read the nutrition tables at the back of any food packaging.  If you eat cereal like me, it really does pay to screen your cereals.  If you feel bewildered and are unsure which cereal brand to choose, read this short guide to make the selection process crystal clear: Breakfast Attack: How To Screen Your Cereal.

I find that the suggested serving sizes on breakfast cereals are completely unrealistic.  Who actually only ever eats a tiny 40g portion?  I would be starving and eating my arm by mid morning if that was all I ate.  What I suggest you do is to weigh your morning cereal just once,  so that your diary entries are as accurate as possible.  

I have chosen a cup of milk as I use this in cereal but also for cups of tea through-out the day.  I never add sugar to tea therefore to save time, I simply add this as a single entry.  I will choose 2 teaspoons of sugar and 2 x 1/2 cup of cooked oats.  Equally, you may be given the option of selecting 1 cup of cereal.  I have not weighed my cereal recently, therefore I prefer to overestimate.

Let's move onto lunch.  Today I ate mash with mackerel in a tomato sauce, a monstrous bunch of grapes and a pottle of reduced fat yoghurt as a snack later in the day.  I grabbed this from the hospital cafeteria therefore I really am clueless for exact weights.  I will need to estimate portion sizes.  After navigating to 'lunch', type in the food item that you would like to search for in the search box.  I typed in mash potato and selected the first option.

I chose 2 servings of mash as it looked like a large portion (from memory).  I've entered the mackerel to what I felt was the best match in the search field.  I am half way through completing the diary.

Before amnesia conveniently strikes, I better enter the 5 fun sized chocolates that I ate today.  What a dreadful day to reveal my diary I am thinking...  I checked the labels and each fun bar consisted of 40 calories.  I have therefore entered 2.5 servings as each fun bar on this particular selection provided 80 calories.

Had I not checked the labels or the calorie content of the actual product before eating, on entering 5 x 80 calorie fun sized bars, the diary would have falsely given me a higher calorie reading.  

My rule is simply not to fret about each and every single calorie but I also like to be as accurate as possible.  The idea is to record your intake to get a sense of how many calories are remaining in the calorie bank that day.  For example, if your diary tells you that have met you target for the day but you are still hungry, then you know to reach for the darling clementine and not for seconds from your evening meal.

Don't forget to record your exercise or activity for the day too.  I personally ignore all other columns (carbs, fat and protein).  Having said that, watch for trends.  Are you regularly exceeding one macro nutrient and under achieving in the other?  For a detailed review of your food intake, consult a dietitian.

I have completed my diary in full for you to view.  Click here Food/diary/GirlnThePurpleDress.  Don't forget, you will need the key purple.


And so my lovely readers, a quick example of how to complete a food diary.  Next time, we'll go through how to enter a complicated recipe.  Have you got tips on entering your intake?  How do you monitor your intake on a weight loss plan?  

Do comment below, I love hearing from you!

Do SHARE with a TWEET or a LIKE on facebook.  I appreciate your support.

Should You Risk Losing Your Beauty Sleep & Flat Belly?

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Are you feeling the pressures of work?  Are there pressing deadlines to meet; exams to study for?  Are you burning the candle at both ends?  You can survive on a few hours of sleep surely, right?

Choose to give up your beauty sleep and you are probably more likely to throw out your healthy eating habits too, reports a study in Nutrition in 2012.  Short sleep duration was associated with poor diet quality in 410 medical students in Iran.  Unfortunately, females who slept for less than 6 hours per night were significantly more likely to be overweight and obese.  They were more likely to carry fat around their middle.  Do You Know Your Waist To Hip Ratio?  Their diets tended to be higher in calories, low in fibre, fruit, whole grains and beans.

These findings are duplicated in other studies such as ‘The Swan Sleep Study’ in Obesity 2012.  Interestingly this study reported that for each hour of less sleep this equated to an increase in Body Mass Index by one point.  Remember that the cut-off for normal healthy range is less than 25 kg/m².  An increase by one point would therefore push you from the normal to the overweight category if you hold a BMI of 25.

This is also true for children it appears.  A study of Australian children over 4 years showed that children from the lower socio-economic backgrounds and low sleep duration were more likely to increase their risk of obesity, as reported in Paediatric Obesity this year.

It is important to appreciate that lack of sleep may not necessarily cause weight gain; simply that it is merely associated with higher risk of being overweight or obese.  Could it be that whilst you burn the midnight oil finishing off that incredibly important piece of work yet again, you are also reaching for bags of crisps or other high fat snacks?  Are you so tired from lack of sleep that the next day, you pounce on endless mugs of coffees with cream and sugar, have little time for grocery shopping and hence spend little or no time preparing a healthy menu for the day and week?

Is your starring role at work, hours of sweat over documents, sleepless nights and poor food choices worth it, once at the end of your journey, you can barely squeeze into that gorgeous black dress to celebrate?  It’s a tough world out there and you may not think twice about trading in sleep for an extra hour of work, but make this a regular routine and you really may run the risk of weight gain.  The International Journal of Obesity, in 2008 reported that you may be up to 3.8 times more likely to be obese for men and 2.3 times more likely at risk for women if you sleep less than 5 hours per night.

What’s the solution?  Aim for 7 to 8 hours of beauty sleep each night.  If that sounds impossible, try to get to bed at least a half hour early each night.  If that fails, leave the crisps, chocolate and biscuits in the trolley at the supermarket and replace with a spectacular fruit bowl that’s within easy reach. 

You may also find that on the nights that you do get time to cook, make extra so that you have extras for the next evening, saving on cooking time.  Certain microwavable meals may be ‘okay’ every now and then, just make sure that you screen your labels (see Be Shopping Savvy: Nutrition Labelling Decoded).

When you do finally hit the sack, don’t forget to read a book for a few minutes or listen to soothing music to create a moment of calm and tranquility so that sleep envelopes you the minute your sleepy head touches the pillow.

How much sleep do you get each night?  I need at least 8 hours to function fully but 7 hours is pretty good too!

Do comment below, I love hearing from you!

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Cereal - Your Low Fat Chocolate Fix?

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You may laugh, but the Frenchman insists that the best things in life are foods that he loved as a kid.  This is apparently so good, that he is not willing to share his box of gold.  It's actually been labelled as 'precious' and so this unopened box of chocolatey cereal stares at me untouched.


All this fuss over a box of sugary cereal got me thinking.  Do you remember your days as a student when you snacked on cereal after a long day of lectures?  Similarly, this would make a really good snack when a chocolate craving hits, don't you think?


I've had a look at the nutrition panel and this is 4.8% fat (under 10%), high in sugar at 37% (over 15%) but surprisingly has a decent fibre content at 5.9%.  A 30g portion with semi-skimmed milk will set you back 178kcal.  This is probably similar to Coco Pops, except that Coco Pops Original is composed of 2% fat, 35% sugar and 2% fibre.  To check this out yourself see Kellogs Coco Pops.

I am not saying snack on chocolate cereal.  Or am I?  What I am saying is, compared to a 50g bar of chocolate which will set you back over 250kcal, you are likely to gain a wider range of vitamins, minerals and fibre if you do end up indulging in chocolate flavoured cereal instead.


Other snacks to comfort a sweet tooth are fruit of course.  A deliciously juicy wedge of melon or strawberries are not only nutritious but taste great too.  When this really does not suffice and you feel like banging your head against a wall unless you are drip fed chocolate, then consider making yourself a low fat chocolate drink.  Use cocoa powder, a teaspoon of sugar and skimmed milk.


If all this fails, then a small portion of cereal just might have to be your chocolate fix.  Just make sure that it's not part of a daily affair and that you are not replacing healthy snacks such as fruit with cereal.  Always eat your fruit and reassess your 'death by chocolate' mood again in 20 minutes.  You may feel sunny and quite content..


Enjoy this gorgeous hot weather and don't forget to tell me how you feed your chocolate craving.

How I Lost 20kg - The Harsh Truth That No-one Tells You About Weight Loss

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Armand is a young man of 18 years and has battled with his size for most of his teenage life.  Losing weight is not just about reducing his body size, it's about improving his risk factors for disease and changing how he eats.  Keep reading to discover his journey through his weight loss.

How do you feel after losing 20kg?
I feel better.  Life is easier.  It's now possible to play sport.  Even the simple task of moving and just living life in general is easier.  What I really enjoy about the weight loss is that it’s easier to buy clothes.  I have more choice with a smaller size.  Smaller clothes are more trendy and stylish.  I especially love being able to wear my brother’s clothes now that I am almost closer to his size.

How long did it take you to lose the weight?

Two months.  I lost 15kg in the first month and then a further 5kg during the second month.  The hardest part during this process was to not regain the weight.  Losing weight was the easy part.  Having said this, I found the process of weight loss extremely difficult on my body.

What diet did you follow?

The Dukan diet, which originated in France by Dr Pierre Dukan.  It consisted mostly of protein foods for 2 weeks, followed by 2 weeks whereby vegetables were introduced.  I then introduced carbohydrates at lunch, but never for dinner.  For the evening meal, I ate only vegetables and I ate one serving of fruit.  After the second month, I started to increase this to two servings of fruit per day.

I found this diet useful as it was the first step that I needed to start losing weight and decreasing my size.  Learning to control my appetite and portions was the next learning phase.

Did you see a dietitian?

My neighbour and family friend is a dietitian.  I casually chatted with him one week after commencing the diet.  He was not a fan of the diet but he suggested that I continue with the regime since I had already committed myself to this.  

As I was following the 'protein' only phase, he advised me to increase the variety of the foods that I was eating.  He suggested that I cook using olive oils as he explained that it contains essential oils for hair and skin.  He also suggested that I slowly introduce my 'usual foods', with careful attention to portion sizes.  A tip that he gave me was to eat no more than 100g of uncooked pasta or 250g of cooked pasta per day.  As I can eat pasta twice in the same day, this was a very useful suggestion.

How did you find the first two weeks on the diet?

I found that the diet zapped my energy, especially as the Dukan diet consisted of very little energy or calories with limited vitamins and minerals.  Due to my size it was also very difficult to play sport or participate in any type of activity.

Are you currently participating in sport or regular activity?

I play football once a week and I plan to cycle to work.  Considering that I have never played or participated in activity before, I am really happy to be able to join my friends for football.

How did you learn to limit your portion sizes?

On the Dukan diet it was impossible to overeat as I was always full.  I would not recommend this diet if you want to lose ‘a little bit of weight’ for the summer.  This was about a lifestyle change for me and I work very hard to not overeat every day.  This journey is about teaching myself self-control.  This is not the first time in attempting this diet either.  At the first attempt, after the initial loss of 8kg, as soon as I returned to my previous eating habits I regained the 8kg plus an additional 4kg.  

What advice do you want to share with others?

Consult with a dietitian.  They are the experts and I found the little practical pieces of advice really useful and still follow them today.

I feel like my body still carries the 'scars' from the Dukan diet.  I remember days when I could hardly climb out of bed as I felt extremely tired from the lack of energy and calories.

Be sure that you want to lose weight.  For me, I was 30kg overweight and although the Dukan diet is ‘dangerous’ and rough on your body, I believed that it was more dangerous to do nothing about my weight.  I knew that I had higher risks for diabetes and heart disease.  I needed and wanted to take the risks of following the Dukan diet to start the journey of improving my health and reducing my body size.

This is not a miracle diet, I still need to learn how to ‘eat’.  This was especially important after the weight loss as I do not want to regain any weight.  This was the first step and the trigger that I needed to initiate the weight loss.  As I shed the weight, I found that this also motivated me to continue and stick to the diet.

It’s the period after the Dukan diet that’s the most difficult (after the initial four weeks).  As I started to eat ‘normally’ or socialise with friends, I've found that it's extremely tempting to have just that 'little bit more'.  

Always pay attention every single day to what you eat.  Be aware of what you eat and how much you eat.

What further changes do you need to make to your diet?

I need to start eating more vegetables with lunch and dinner.  This is the most difficult change for me as vegetables are time consuming to prepare and they are not foods that I would necessarily choose to eat first.  I do enjoy eating fruit and will continue to eat 1-2 servings per day.

I understand that eating breakfast is something to work on, but breakfast is a struggle.  I really cannot face eating in the morning.  I will work on it!

Do you plan to lose more weight?

I would like to lose a minimum of 10kg.  I plan to achieve this by increasing my activity through cycling.  I also plan to increase the portion sizes of vegetables for dinner.  For lunch I plan to eat a serving of meat, carbs and vegetables but with attention to the portion sizes.  I find that it works well for me to eat a filling lunch but a 'light' meal for dinner.  I plan to limit starchy carbohydrates for the evening meal.

What motivates you to achieve your goals?

A friend offered me a football t-shirt from the Dutch team but it's too small for me.  I would like to be able to wear it.  This is one of my motivation.  I want to work on my fitness so that I can improve my performance at football with friends.  Finally, I want people to notice me not because I am ‘large’ but because I am ‘healthy’ and ‘fit’.

My motto

It’s not about motivation but the obligation I have to myself to get healthy.

  

Is Your Head In The Clouds & Feet In A River?

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Do you sometimes feel like the world is getting too much for you?  Suddenly you are juggling a move, kids, your career, the house chores and you've barely got time to cook a decent meal.  At a glance you feel like the shriveled version of the previously glamorous and organised you.  

If you are feeling stressed, nursing a wretched cold and starting to reach out for that packet of biscuits...because after all, you reckon you should just give up right now and give into emotional eating, right?

Stop right there!  You don't belong in that state of mind.  Despite it all feeling like it's flying out of control, have you ever considered escaping the city for a few hours with nature?

Pack yourself a picnic lunch with the family, jump in a car and drive towards the mountains or a river this weekend.  Scotland would have been ideal.  Pity it's a bit far to drive to from London for a day trip.

From Nice, in France, the mountains are only about thirty to forty minutes drive away.

When you reach a spot by the river that you like, breathe in the fresh air and find yourself a secluded spot by the gushing water.

You'll quickly note that nothing will calm your nerves and throbbing veins like the soothing sound of running water.  

Undo a button, ruffle your hair and say bonjour to the pretty butterflies and coloured insects whilst you munch on your sandwich.

If you are out with kids, ask them to create a 'natural refrigerator' to store your drinks.  If you pull out a large stone from the river bed, wedge your bottle of orange juice or an alternative bottled beverage here, then cover it up with loose stones.  Ensure that there is an opening to allow cool water to reach your drink.  This will keep it chilled for a couple of hours or so.

Escaping from the city like so gives you an opportunity to reflect, recoup and most importantly, to calm down!  This really is a great way to de-stress.  It sure beats a packet of biscuits or some calorie loaded treat.  

Besides, life's too short for regrets.  There really is no time to stress over those large portion of fries you ate the other night.  

Instead, it's best to do something about it and getting some quality time with yourself, loved ones or the entire family may just be what the doctor orders.  So if you are stressing about forking out a fortune to check in with the therapist, chill, it's nearly the end of the week so go ahead and pencil in a date with nature.  

You really will have your head in the clouds and feet in a river by this Sunday.  I hope for you anyway!

If you are lucky, you may even experience a gorgeous waterfall.  You'll love your date with nature I am sure.  Sometimes, you just need to touch base with her.

Lovely readers, how do you cope with stress?