Updated Pic and Food Diary

I've decided it's time to start blogging my food again, it's not only great accountability for me but I think most of you want some food inspiration.  The most visited pages are the food journal entries!  So far I've only got these pics of two days dinners but I will start blogging a bit more with the food journals each week :)

Also an updated picture for you, 69.6kgs yesterday so I've lost just over a kilo since I posted my weight last.

Friday, October 28 2011 

7.30am: 5 strips of streaky bacon, 4 poached eggs, hot cocoa with 1 tsp sugar and 3 Tbsps Coconut Cream

12.30pm: 2 x Walnut crackers with camembert, hot cocoa with 1 tsp sugar and 3 Tbsps Coconut Cream

5.30pm: Leftover piece of Meatza with Salad Greens, spring onion, cucumber and guacamole.  4 pieces Old Gold

Saturday, October 29  2011

7.30am: 2 egg omelet with 2 Tbsps Cream, filled with 2 strips of streaky bacon, grated colby and cream cheese.  hot cocoa with 1 tsp sugar and 3 Tbsps Coconut Cream

12.30pm: 2 walnut crackers with camembert, hot cocoa with 1 tsp sugar and 3 Tbsps Coconut Cream

5.30pm: Chicken cabonara with zucchini, mushroom, bacon and reduced cream and parmesan sauce. 4 pieces old gold

New Link to my TV Interview on Good Morning!

Hey guys here's the correct link to my TV interview I did yesterday, it was an amazing experience and I loved every minute of it. I hope that someone out there is inspired to change their way of eating for life!
http://tvnz.co.nz/good-morning/s2010-210410-michellematangi-video-3481727

Being Healthy

I want to thank you all for my lovely comments about my recent picture, I do feel very blown away! I'm very proud of myself and I’ve been thinking lately about what this weight loss and health journey means to me and what I want to achieve. I started this blog as a way to have an outlet about my weight loss and health so I don’t drive my family and friends crazy.

So I have noticed lately I am getting a little fixated on the numbers and not so much on how I feel. I want to change this and not concentrate on achieving a certain weight or size. I definitely want to look great and feel comfortable in my skin and my jeans.
I’ve always hated those pity stares…as if to say ‘oh if only she lost that weight how hot she would be’. I'm guilty of doing this to others! I guess my main motivator was vanity but following closely was also my health. When I was over 100kgs things were starting to get difficult, even going for a walk was hard in all honesty, I hated that I couldn’t hoist myself up on the kitchen bench while having one of those kitchen conversations.

So my goal is to be healthy at the weight my body arrives at, having some muscle show through, I want to be able to keep up with my friends on a bike ride, I want to sit on the floor with my legs crossed and not worry about constantly moving my clothing to try and disguise the fat, I want to fit easily into booths at cafes, I want to feel comfortable after I’ve eaten and not get horizontal or have reflux pain, I want to be able to do some exercise and not feel like I’m going to die, I don’t want panic attacks which were so constant because I was so out of balance, and I want to live a long healthy life. These things are MOST important to me.

Reading the Primal Blueprint has actually been really great in helping me reassess my goals and what I want. Since I’m working from home it’s too easy to not do any exercise and since the way I eat is allowing me to drop considerable body fat it’s easy to be lazy. I do have a bit of a lazy nature when it comes to exercise. This is one of the main reasons I joined the gym, I needed somewhere I can go and have me time and create that wonderful feeling I get from working out.

DH and I have discussed my obsessive nature when it comes to weight, the last time I embarked on a weight loss journey was when I was 21 and I slimmed down to 55kgs and boy was that number important to me. I looked great in clothing but in a bikini I was skinny-fat, so I got obsessive, thinking I needed to lose more weight which was not the problem obviously. I kind of gave up trying to look so good and eventually all the weight crept back on and then some. This time I have agreed that he can tell me if I start to get like that again, naturally it’s a concern of mine. I do feel a whole lot different this time, I am making much better food choices and I feel so in tune with my body, whereas last time I simply didn’t listen to my body and just aimed solely for weight loss.

Don't get me wrong I still plan on looking wonderful at the beach and not feel like I have a fat suit on, which is how I felt last year. DH is a surfer and a water baby so naturally we go to the beach a lot in summer. My way of getting there is about being healthy and not so fixated on the scale because I can see it would be easy for me to get obsessive about it again, losing weight on the scale is very addictive and I don’t want to get to that bad place again.

So with all that in mind I will still be keeping track of my progress but in a more moderated fashion. I am not going to weigh myself anymore than once a week period! I feel this is the only way to protect myself from getting obsessive again, last time I lost the weight I would sometimes weigh several times a day! Measurements will be another form of my progress, as will the clothes I wear and the mirror. I do think it’s important to know how my progress is going, and I have to set goals but I will be forming a much better relationship with myself.

I’d love to know how you feel about yourself, do you want to be a certain ‘weight’ or ‘size’ or are you striving to be healthy and feel great about yourself?

Being Healthy

I want to thank you all for my lovely comments about my recent picture, I do feel very blown away! I'm very proud of myself and I’ve been thinking lately about what this weight loss and health journey means to me and what I want to achieve. I started this blog as a way to have an outlet about my weight loss and health so I don’t drive my family and friends crazy.

So I have noticed lately I am getting a little fixated on the numbers and not so much on how I feel. I want to change this and not concentrate on achieving a certain weight or size. I definitely want to look great and feel comfortable in my skin and my jeans.
I’ve always hated those pity stares…as if to say ‘oh if only she lost that weight how hot she would be’. I'm guilty of doing this to others! I guess my main motivator was vanity but following closely was also my health. When I was over 100kgs things were starting to get difficult, even going for a walk was hard in all honesty, I hated that I couldn’t hoist myself up on the kitchen bench while having one of those kitchen conversations.

So my goal is to be healthy at the weight my body arrives at, having some muscle show through, I want to be able to keep up with my friends on a bike ride, I want to sit on the floor with my legs crossed and not worry about constantly moving my clothing to try and disguise the fat, I want to fit easily into booths at cafes, I want to feel comfortable after I’ve eaten and not get horizontal or have reflux pain, I want to be able to do some exercise and not feel like I’m going to die, I don’t want panic attacks which were so constant because I was so out of balance, and I want to live a long healthy life. These things are MOST important to me.

Reading the Primal Blueprint has actually been really great in helping me reassess my goals and what I want. Since I’m working from home it’s too easy to not do any exercise and since the way I eat is allowing me to drop considerable body fat it’s easy to be lazy. I do have a bit of a lazy nature when it comes to exercise. This is one of the main reasons I joined the gym, I needed somewhere I can go and have me time and create that wonderful feeling I get from working out.

DH and I have discussed my obsessive nature when it comes to weight, the last time I embarked on a weight loss journey was when I was 21 and I slimmed down to 55kgs and boy was that number important to me. I looked great in clothing but in a bikini I was skinny-fat, so I got obsessive, thinking I needed to lose more weight which was not the problem obviously. I kind of gave up trying to look so good and eventually all the weight crept back on and then some. This time I have agreed that he can tell me if I start to get like that again, naturally it’s a concern of mine. I do feel a whole lot different this time, I am making much better food choices and I feel so in tune with my body, whereas last time I simply didn’t listen to my body and just aimed solely for weight loss.

Don't get me wrong I still plan on looking wonderful at the beach and not feel like I have a fat suit on, which is how I felt last year. DH is a surfer and a water baby so naturally we go to the beach a lot in summer. My way of getting there is about being healthy and not so fixated on the scale because I can see it would be easy for me to get obsessive about it again, losing weight on the scale is very addictive and I don’t want to get to that bad place again.

So with all that in mind I will still be keeping track of my progress but in a more moderated fashion. I am not going to weigh myself anymore than once a week period! I feel this is the only way to protect myself from getting obsessive again, last time I lost the weight I would sometimes weigh several times a day! Measurements will be another form of my progress, as will the clothes I wear and the mirror. I do think it’s important to know how my progress is going, and I have to set goals but I will be forming a much better relationship with myself.

I’d love to know how you feel about yourself, do you want to be a certain ‘weight’ or ‘size’ or are you striving to be healthy and feel great about yourself?

PB Book Review and My exercise plan!

So I have finally read the whole Primal blueprint book and it’s such a great read!! I’m a very slow reader but I tend to absorb nutrition information really well. I also found it really easy to read which is great. I have lent it to my family with strict instructions not to let their young kids get their hands on it. After all it’s a signed copy and I don’t want it ruined, on the other hand I would really like to spread the word and letting them read it is the best I can do, they are already seeing my results.

I was really stoked to read the information on Exercise, it’s crucial to read this book if you want to live healthy. It’s not just about a ‘diet’ it’s totally about lifestyle in all areas and I really like this aspect, it kinda gave me a nudge in the right direction. So much so that the stuff I read on Exercise was so good I have finally joined the gym, it’s literally just around the corner from where I live so it’s really about time I started lifting some weights, get my heart healthy and prevent the ‘skinny fat’ look.

There is definitely new information in this book, if you read Marks Daily Apple blog which he already gives us so much info free, however there’s more in this book and it really elaborates on so much. I highly recommend you buying the book, you will not regret it, it cost me $67NZD but worth every penny. When I think of how much in the past I have spent on ‘diet/lifestyle’ books man have I wasted some $$. I don’t feel like I have wasted any money on the PB Book, it’s well worth the read.

Now that I’ve finished the PB Book I’m finally onto reading Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes, it finally arrived at the library. I was surprised at how big this book is, hopefully I can get through it in library borrowing time. So far it’s a pretty hard read but I’m really enjoying it. Will let you know once I’ve finished it.

So on another note my eating has been so good this week, I have been having a bit of ghee or organic butter and a little cream. I haven’t had any cheese which is hard but I think it was the problem for me, better kept to a sensible vice.

I joined the gym on Thursday and went for my assessment yesterday, man I am so unfit it’s embarrassing, my body fat is 40.3% based on Tanita scales but it is that time of the month and they said they will also do a proper calliper test which will be good, then I can have an accurate read and measure my results a whole lot better. I’m guessing it’s in the upper 30’s anyway.

My goal is to lift weights and change my body composition; I asked them to do me a weights program with a little cardio and HIIT, I told them I already have my diet sorted to lose the rest of the fat I need to and I just need help with the exercise part. I plan to go 3-4 times a week, hopefully more but to be honest since I’m such a slacker at exercise, if I can get there 3 times it will be a miracle. So I’m really excited to start changing the look and feel of my body.

I weighed this week even though I said I wasn’t going to, I haven’t started working out yet so I sneaked a peak, it was 78.1!! woohoo I am stoked that means I’ve lost exactly 29kgs, wow! and yes I will upload a new photo shortly...

PB Book Review and My exercise plan!

So I have finally read the whole Primal blueprint book and it’s such a great read!! I’m a very slow reader but I tend to absorb nutrition information really well. I also found it really easy to read which is great. I have lent it to my family with strict instructions not to let their young kids get their hands on it. After all it’s a signed copy and I don’t want it ruined, on the other hand I would really like to spread the word and letting them read it is the best I can do, they are already seeing my results.

I was really stoked to read the information on Exercise, it’s crucial to read this book if you want to live healthy. It’s not just about a ‘diet’ it’s totally about lifestyle in all areas and I really like this aspect, it kinda gave me a nudge in the right direction. So much so that the stuff I read on Exercise was so good I have finally joined the gym, it’s literally just around the corner from where I live so it’s really about time I started lifting some weights, get my heart healthy and prevent the ‘skinny fat’ look.

There is definitely new information in this book, if you read Marks Daily Apple blog which he already gives us so much info free, however there’s more in this book and it really elaborates on so much. I highly recommend you buying the book, you will not regret it, it cost me $67NZD but worth every penny. When I think of how much in the past I have spent on ‘diet/lifestyle’ books man have I wasted some $$. I don’t feel like I have wasted any money on the PB Book, it’s well worth the read.

Now that I’ve finished the PB Book I’m finally onto reading Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes, it finally arrived at the library. I was surprised at how big this book is, hopefully I can get through it in library borrowing time. So far it’s a pretty hard read but I’m really enjoying it. Will let you know once I’ve finished it.

So on another note my eating has been so good this week, I have been having a bit of ghee or organic butter and a little cream. I haven’t had any cheese which is hard but I think it was the problem for me, better kept to a sensible vice.

I joined the gym on Thursday and went for my assessment yesterday, man I am so unfit it’s embarrassing, my body fat is 40.3% based on Tanita scales but it is that time of the month and they said they will also do a proper calliper test which will be good, then I can have an accurate read and measure my results a whole lot better. I’m guessing it’s in the upper 30’s anyway.

My goal is to lift weights and change my body composition; I asked them to do me a weights program with a little cardio and HIIT, I told them I already have my diet sorted to lose the rest of the fat I need to and I just need help with the exercise part. I plan to go 3-4 times a week, hopefully more but to be honest since I’m such a slacker at exercise, if I can get there 3 times it will be a miracle. So I’m really excited to start changing the look and feel of my body.

I weighed this week even though I said I wasn’t going to, I haven’t started working out yet so I sneaked a peak, it was 78.1!! woohoo I am stoked that means I’ve lost exactly 29kgs, wow! and yes I will upload a new photo shortly...

The Primal Blueprint Book

I have just received the Primal Blueprint book in the mail!!! :) I love getting packages from America it's very exciting! I don't know why lol. Anyway as I've only just received it I am yet to read it and I'm guessing I won't be able to put it down! It's one pretty big book so I have a lot to get through, it is also hardcover which is very nice.

I'm also doing a little bit of experimenting with reducing my dairy intake. I have wayy too much of it I've decided to reduce it and I'm hoping this is going to pay off. I will let you know how I go, it's day two and I do miss my dairy already, I love dairy and this is why I think I need to taper off a little.

Weight is down to 81.8kg today so happy it's going downwards again, let's hope I can get to the 70's in the next few weeks!

How often do you weigh yourself?

I've just read an article in the latest 'OK!' magazine about a mother and daughter from Australia's Biggest Loser. Meaghan and Julie, they have both lost substantial amounts of weight, Meaghan lost 36.4kg and Julie 43.6kg, they do look fabulous, I love reading success stories of their life transformation.
Here's a link to some before pictures http://www.929.com.au/entertainment/blogs/biggestloser//blog/biggest-loser--julie--meaghan/20090123-2gci.html and the after pictures http://www.okmagazine.com.au/behind-the-scenes.html

In one of the questions OK asks is Do you still weigh yourself now?
Meghan and Julie: "Yeah!"
Julie: "Every day in fact, which I know probably isn't healthy, but I've got to keep on top of it. I don't want to wait until the end of the week and realise I've put on two kilos! I know it's too hard to take off! So I'm keeping track on a daily basis."

I don't blame her for weighing herself everyday, when you've lost a lot of weight you obviously want to stay on top of it.

They are eating what I would call low fat, moderate protein, moderate carbs. Meaghan's Diet example is Breakfast: 30gms of oats with four egg whites, low-fat yoghurt and a spoonful of jam', Lunch: Grilled chicken salad, Dinner: Steamed vegies and maybe a serving of fish for dinner. So it probably feels like a bit of a struggle to take the weight off. When you are low carbing and keeping enough fat in your diet it totally changes the struggle factor.

So I've just put up a poll because I'd love to know how often you weigh yourself... I'm a once a week weigh er at the moment but sometimes sneak a mid week weigh, I do find it hard to wait a week, it feels like ages. I know the change in lifestyle is just that, a change in lifestyle and shouldn't be focused on the scale but for me it helps keep me motivated, some say weighing yourself is addictive and I think they are right, whoever 'they' are!

I had a big night on Saturday and was out till 3am with dh and friends. People are surprised I have the stamina especially since I don't drink alcohol. I sometimes feel hungover anyway just because of the late night. So yesterday was a very easy day, I went to bed early because I was soo tired, I'm still a little weary today and have decided to fast today because I'm feeling a little gluttonous from the weekend, just a bit of overindulgence, not necessarily with high carb foods though, just too much in general.

On another note I've asked our local library to order Good Calories, Bad Calories so I'm waiting for that to arrive, I can't wait to read it. I think Mark Sisson's book is out soon so I will be purchasing that as soon as it's available for purchase. I need a good book to read and I'm only really in to books like that.