Increase your strength, vitality and maintain a healthy weight

Prepare yourself physically & mentally

Change does not happen overnight and you are more likely to revert back to old ways if you don’t take the time to prepare yourself

• First consider why you want to lose weight or eat better. Is it for your health, to improve your energy levels and be able to run around with your children? Is your weight loss for you or someone else? Answering these questions can help make your journey a successful one - the key is - Do it for YOURSELF
• Set yourself realistic goals. If you are in your late 30’s it’s going to be a tall ask to expect to be able to return to the weight you maintained in your early 20’s (for some). There’s also the fact that if you’ve possibly had children it’s highly likely that when you do lose weight, your body shape will be different than your pre-baby days. This is not necessarily a bad thing and learning to appreciate and admire your post-baby body is a kind and rewarding experience. You are a woman and we are supposed to have curves!
• Prepare your fridge and pantry by removing anything you feel will hinder your progress and make sure you don’t buy them again on your next shopping trip
• Fill your fridge and pantry with all the foods that will help you achieve your goal

Manage Your Calorie Intake

The protein, carbohydrates and fats we consume contribute to our body’s growth, repair and energy needs so it makes sense that if we consume a higher amount of calories than we require for these three functions, the excess will be stored for another time and weight gain will be the result. Sometimes giving yourself rules or guidelines is more suitable than actually following a diet or mealplan.

• Make breakfast your first priority
• Eat 5-6 small meals a day
• Try not to eat after 7:30pm. It’s best to go to bed feeling like you are hungry enough to eat but not so hungry that you wont sleep!
• Avoid white bread, rice (except basmati) or pasta – instead focus on wholegrain or whole meal. The more natural colors your food contains the higher nutritional value it will have
• Use fresh ingredients in your cooking as much as possible. Minimize canned, jarred or frozen foods
• Include a wide variety of colors in your diet. The more colurs your fruits and vegetables have greater antioxidant and nutrient content
• Don’t overcook your vegetables, lightly steam, stir fry or bake to keep as many nutrients as possible
• If your goal is to lose weight it really is as simple as calories out needing to exceed the calories going in, but the type of calories you consume are important.
• Your focus should be on foods high in protein, low GI & low in saturated fat (such as lean red meat, chicken & fish) and high in nutrients such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains
• Limit your caffeine intake to 2 serves a day (preferably one) to minimize nutrient deficiencies Drink coffee away from meals (reduces nutrient absorption)
• Drink at least 2 litres of filtered water every day, more on hot days if exercising or breastfeeding 

Simple Lifestyle Changes

• Don't eat on the run - Rest and relax while eating meals to allow your body to efficiently digest - Eating slowly and enjoying your food allows your stomach to send the message to your brain when your are full so you are less likely to overeat
• Get Support - Make sure your family and friends are on board with your new lifestyle choices, ideally they will eat the same as you and assist with preparation of meals

Be organized!

• Make extra dinner to take to work for lunch the next day
• Have a weekly meal plan and shop with a list
• Make a note to remind yourself to take meat for dinner out of freezer (not only will this make things easier but it also reduces the temptation to get takeaway or cook something quick, easy & unhealthy)
• Spend some time preparing snacks and dinners for your work days
• If you are going out take your food with you, even if you are only going to a friends’ (unless they eat the same way as you do) or shopping (you might end up staying out longer than you initially thought)

Connect & Educate

• Eat dinner together as a family without the TV or other distractions. It’s a great way to connect with your family at the end of the day and digest your food properly
• Some people benefit from having a friend or family member who is working toward the same goal to help motivate and keep them on track. It can be great to bounce ideas off them and share encouraging words at the end of a difficult day. However, it is important for you to be strong on your own as well, you don’t want to find yourself relying on someone else for  strength or willpower   
• If you find you need more discipline keep a food diary. You will know where you are going wrong and see how much you improve as you get stronger and fitter
• Learn how to read and compare labels - look for options with lowest sugar & saturated fat. Always compare products ‘per 100g’ (usually last column on table), not per ‘serving size’ as the serving size will vary from one product to the next
• Health and happiness is contagious. Once you've got a grasp on your new way of eating others will soon follow. Your friends and family will see how strong and healthy you've become and want experience this feeling also. 

Nurture Yourself and Your Relationships

• If you are following these guidelines for weight loss you can choose to have one free day a week if you feel you need to, or you may prefer instead to have one free meal or treat yourself to a dessert if you feel you’ve earned it. You will be put in situations where you will need a great deal of willpower, e.g. eating out or going to peoples places so this might be the time you decide to have your free meal or treat. There’s no point killing yourself over it but it does feel good if you are strong enough to resist temptation! You will be one step closer to your goal. 
• Take time out for YOU to do what YOU love! Read a book, take a bath or go on a date with your partner
• Every day in the shower use a Loofa all over in a circular motion from the ground up. This not only benefits the skin but also improves circulation and can help with the appearance of cellulite
• If you need help to wind down at night drink a cup of chamomile tea at around 8:30-9:00pm (See sleep tips)

Move It!

• Exercise a minimum of 30 min 3 times a week with a combination of cardiovascular and strength training

Weight training

• Even women should train with weights. Why?
• Weight training is essential for weight loss because increasing your muscle mass will increase your metabolism. Muscles are constantly breaking down and rebuilding as we use them which requires your body to use energy which burns calories
• Helps to maintain bone density

Cardio

• Cardiovascular training involves anything that increases your heart rate. This includes walking, jogging, swimming, aerobics, cycling etc.
• Make your exercise a social event! If you have trouble getting motivated on your own find a friend who will meet you a couple of times a week to go for a walk, jog, swim or bike ride.
• Get your heart rate up as often as possible by doing incidental exercise. This means take the stairs instead of the lift, park your car a bit further away, use your legs to squat rather than your back to bend when you have to lower yourself to the ground or pick up your children

Be aware of your posture

• when you are sitting at your desk, driving, eating or shopping (i.e. all the time!) imagine the top of your head is being pulled up by a piece of string & pull your belly button towards your spine. It may feel awkward or unnatural at first but it will eventually become second nature.
• To have good posture you need to strengthen your core muscles. Yoga & Pilates are two forms of exercise that focus on exactly that! If you can't get to a class there are many DVDs available for you to do at home
• Five minutes of stretching twice a day is easy to fit in and will do amazing things for your tired aching muscles
  

Drink Up!

We all know we should and quite often we mean to drink more water but can go all day without a single sip. If this sounds like you then perhaps you’ll find a way to drink more water amongst these suggestions

• If you are at home during the day fill a 2Lt jug or 2 x 1Lt bottles of water at the start of the day and place them on the bench if you like room temperature water or in the fridge if you like chilled. Each time you empty your glass refill it from the jug and aim to finish the whole thing by the end of the day
• Place a glass of water on your bathroom sink and each time you wash your hands have a glass of water
• If you think making your water more exciting will help add some lemon juice, 30-40ml of fruit juice or even 10ml of liquid chlorophyll which has a spearmint flavour and is very nutritious and cleansing
• Don’t leave the house without a bottle of water

LOVE – PLAY – SING – DANCE - LIVE!