Back to Basics

I've been getting quite a few emails asking for advice and strategies on how to lose weight. The basic premise of living a healthy lifestyle is something that is commonly addressed nowadays. A single search on the internet will lead you to thousands and thousands of sites talking about how to eat healthy and how to exercise efficiently. Perhaps this is the problem. There's just too much information out there and for someone who wants to get started, it can get overwhelming.

When people ask me what I did to lose weight, they're not happy with my answer. I talk about staying away from refined sugars and starches, not drinking soda, not eating anything with preservatives or artificial ingredients ... and the most common reaction is a look of horror followed by asking 'So, what do you eat?' When I add on my resistance training routine along with my Jiu-Jitsu, they shake their heads and say that it's impossible. That it's too much.

There are a few things I have to say to this:
1) I'm happy with the way I eat and the way I train.
2) The changes I made to my lifestyle did not happen overnight. They took time. They took discipline. They took deliberate thought and action until they became habits.
3) I do these things because they work for me.

While I do believe that the basic premise of living a healthy lifestyle is the same for everyone, the exact details will vary ... after all, it's your lifestyle.

You need to figure out what works for you -- what suits your tastes, what suits your routine. That being said, you also need to accept that changes will probably need to be made. You may need to cut a few things out of your diet, step up the intensity of your exercise, and rearrange your routine. You can't expect to continue to do the same thing and expect different results -- it's going to take some work.

There is no 'one size fits all' outline for how to live a healthy lifestyle. You really do have to sit down and figure out what works for you.

The first thing to do is go back to basics --
1) Set your goal(s)
2) Start eating a bit less
3) Start exercising a bit more

From there, come up with a food and fitness based plan on how to reach your goals. What you eat and how you train will differ depending on what your fitness goals are. Do you want to run a marathon? Enter a strong man/woman competition? Excel in MMA?

What you want to achieve will determine your actual plan.

Once you've figured that out, make changes in a way that you know you will be able to sustain. If you don't think you can cut out sugar, dairy, gluten, and red meat all at once, then don't. Set yourself up for success -- don't choose impossible goals or tasks that you dread. Remember, this is your life. You are in control. You make the choices -- and you have to own up to the consequences.

I really think it's important to start with small, simple changes, and then keep modifying as you go along.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with going all in from the very beginning. I cut everything out all at once and it worked for me -- but I'll be honest, it's not easy to sustain. I'm now trying to come up with a better balance that will suit my lifestyle.

When in doubt, keep it simple. Here are a few basic tips to get you started:

1. Drink more water (cut down/eliminate soda, juice, alcohol)
2. Eat more fresh foods (cut down/eliminate processed foods that are filled with artificial flavors and preservatives)
3. Move more (take the stairs instead of elevator, walk instead of drive, find a fun activity to participate in)
4. Eat less and chew more
5. Get enough sleep

You can do it -- just keep trying.

Steps and Stops

I'm usually good at just getting on with things, but I find that I've spent most of this week 'talking to myself' and constantly having to stop, take a moment, evaluate (and reevaluate) my choices and almost scold myself into action. Okay, scold is a bit of a strong word. It's just that things this week just haven't fallen into place naturally like they usually do. It's strange.

I've spent the past 3 years getting into good habits, and for the most part they really are part of my lifestyle, but every once in a while I stumble. Perhaps it's about getting bored with my routine - eating and doing pretty much the same things day in and day out. Still, in the end I'm kinda just being a baby about it. The choice to do things differently and change things up is always in my hands. It basically boils down to two choices -- do something to change your routine or suck it up and just get on with it.

I've done a bit of both.

I've been doing a weekly step challenge through the FitBit app. I have to say it has really motivated me to get up and moving. I get my workouts in daily - whether it's at the gym or on the Jiu-Jitsu mats, but this step challenge has added a new dimension. The bit of friendly competition gets me to go out and take a walk when normally I would have just stuck to my basic workouts. It just goes to show, when you've got the right motivation, you will make time to keep moving! So I'm happy with my step count. I have a relatively low daily step goal (only 5,000 steps), but that's because Jiu-Jitsu doesn't involve any steps, but it sure is a workout! I'm happy that I've hit over 10,000 steps on all days this week except for 1 day. That's more than I've done in a while and I'm happy with that!

I've also been stepping away from the treadmill. The cold has kept me indoors. Yes, I know that compared to other places, it's not that cold in London, but for me it's cold. I chose not to confront the cold this time and just workout indoors. However, now that it's finally warming up (I would have never called single digit weather 'warming up'), I've been going for outdoor walks. The brisk air is refreshing, and the lovely natural scenery around me makes it much more enjoyable.

So my steps have been good this week. Despite craving sweets and bread - I don't normally crave bread so this is strange for me - I haven't given in, and I've been sticking to my veggies and proteins. Overall, the week has been going well -- now it's just about getting rid of that nagging voice in my head that keeps saying - Take a break, stay in bed. Be lazy and order in a pizza.

Will that voice ever disappear? I'm not sure -- in the meantime, I've got to keep my ultimate goals in mind and keep powering through.

Getting Ready for Another Week

The weekend definitely goes by way too quickly. After unwinding a bit and getting a chance to catch up with a friend from back home, I'm ready to tackle this upcoming week!

Now on to some grocery shopping and food prep.

This week's menu: 
Breakfasts: Açai, banana, and red grape smoothie
Lunches: Sautéed sweet potato and broccoli with spinach, avocado, and cucumber
Dinners: Monday & Tuesday - tuna loaf with salad, Wednesday - salmon with baked vegetables, Thursday - chicken and bell peppers, Friday - Stuffed baked sweet potato

This week's general plan:
Eating with a minimum of 4 1/2 hours in between meals.
No snacking.
Drinking 4 L of water/day.
Exercise: 2 strength training sessions, 3 cardio sessions, 3 Jiu-Jitsu sessions

The 'no snacking' will be my biggest challenge, but this is what I want to try to accomplish this week -- I won't know if I can do it unless I try!

Surviving the Weekend

Whenever I'm off a schedule, I find that it becomes harder to stick to my food routine. The pockets of empty time (in other words, the times when I'm procrastinating) leave open the chance to want to eat out of boredom.

The best habit I think I've cultivated is to not buy junk food at all. There are no snacks in the house - no biscuits, no crisps, no chocolates. Even if I really, really wanted to have something, there is nothing that I can easily reach for. Ironically, when I get intense cravings, I somehow still go to the cupboard and desperately look for some chocolate ... I know there's nothing there, but I still look.

My weekends used to be really unstructured, thus leaving open the temptation to just sit on the couch and watch TV ... which inevitably leads to wanting to munch on something.

The good thing is that my weekends have also become routine. For the most part that suits me fine. I know what I'm going to eat, when I'm going to eat, and what I'm going to do. That structure really helps me. It may seem boring to some, but the great things about setting a schedule for yourself is that you can change it up if you want to.

This all relates to points 2 and 3 in the Lifestyle challenge.
- Eat thoughtfully
- Choose your celebrations

Things come up. There are birthdays. There are parties. We have whims.

The thing that I want to work on most is to not let those instances throw me off track.

It all boils down to making decisions that I know will make me happy, both in the moment and in the future.

I went for a long period of time when I was saying 'no' to a lot of things. That actually suited me just fine. Even if others had a problem with it (and many, many people did), I put myself, my health, my happiness first.

I will still do that to this day, but now I'm a bit more relaxed. This doesn't mean I'll eat whatever I want without thinking about it. Instead, I make a thoughtful/conscious decision about my actions. Whatever I decide to do (workout, rest, eat, fast), it will be my choice, for my happiness - whether that means taking my own salad to a dinner party or sitting down and enjoying a piece of carrot cake with a cup of coffee. It's my choice.

Taking responsibility for this choice (and the consequences) is important. It's not about guilting yourself into feeling one way or another. It's about understanding that whatever we choose to do has a consequence.

Making these decisions requires practice and patience. It involves implementing some discipline into your decision making process. Maybe at this very moment, your desire to have a piece of chocolate cake is very strong ... but you've got to take a moment and ask yourself - do I really want it? Is eating this cake really going to make me happy? Does this action help me reach my overall goal? Will doing this action lead to regret in the future (whether it's 1 hour/1 week/1 month later)?

After answering those questions - you make a choice.

The ultimate goal is to work towards optimal health and overall happiness (at least those are my goals).  This doesn't stop just because the weekend is here.

As you gear up for the weekend, don't forget your overall goals. Find ways to create new routines and new habits that you enjoy and that also correspond to you achieving your goals.

When you start off, making such decisions takes time and requires quite a bit of thought and organization. However, if you stick with it, you'll see that it will soon become a habit, and making healthy choices will become second nature.

Break from the Kitchen

For the past 8 weeks, during the Whole Life Challenge, I spent an incredible amount of time in the kitchen. Although things fell into a bit of a routine and it was easy to prep for the week, there were some days when I just didn't feel like cooking. I wanted to take a break from the kitchen. It wasn't that I wanted to eat anything unhealthy, it's just that I did not want to cook. I wanted to eat without worrying whether or not the way the food was prepared and the ingredients in the meal were compliant with the challenge or not. More than that, I didn't want to worry about all the chopping, cooking, and cleaning that goes along with cooking!

As a result, I've decided to take a bit of a break from the kitchen this week. I have so many errands and tasks that I need to tackle this coming week that I think saving some cooking time will help me get some of that stuff done. That being said, I still went to do my weekly shop with my meal plan in hand, and I still spent my Sunday preparing my meals for the week. However, from today until the upcoming Sunday, I don't plan on doing any additional cooking ... but still eat healthily through the week.

While this doesn't mean I won't be spending any time in the kitchen, hopefully it will free up a few hours that I can use to be more productive elsewhere!

Gear Up for the Week!

Ahh Sunday -- the last day of the weekend, the day before the busy week begins again ... so tempting to just stay curled up in bed and relax.

Ya right. That's not how Sunday works for me. As tempting as the above scenario sounds, my busy Sunday routine has actually become something I enjoy. It's mainly because I can actually get things prepared for the upcoming week in a relaxed manner. I know that once the week begins, things come up. I run out of time. I get thrown off track. I get flustered ... add to that being unprepared with my menu/meals for the weak and you'll soon find me dialing for a takeaway ... and if that happens on a Monday, it can definitely be hard to stop that trend for the rest of the week.

Instead, I've made Sunday my prep day. It definitely takes up time, and it is a lot of work, but once the week starts I'm always thankful that I took a few hours on Sunday to set myself up for a successful week ahead.

My Sundays are:
8:30 a.m. light breakfast + menu planning for the week
10:30 a.m. Jiu-Jitsu
1:30 p.m. grocery shopping for the week
2:00 p.m. lunch
3:30 p.m. food prep

I'm usually done with my food prep by 6:00 p.m., after which I can just relax and be happy that my meals for the upcoming work week are sorted.

Things I usually prepare on a Sunday - all the recipes below are gluten-free, sugar-free, preservative-free!

Banana muffins
Granola to have with organic Greek yogurt
Quinoa and chicken salad (recipe coming soon)
Lemon 'cake' (recipe coming soon)

Although I don't prepare my dinners for the week in advance, having my menu set before I head to the supermarket ensures I buy exactly what I need for my meals for the week. Nothing extra!

Why Water

The first main focus of the 100 Day Lifestyle challenge is to check our fluid intake. The overall goal of this challenge is to make small adjustments each day/week that will help us lead a healthier lifestyle. It's about finding out how many healthy habits you can incorporate without feeling like you've 'given up everything.'

For the first 10 days of the challenge, the idea is to focus on your fluid consumption. It comes in 2 parts:

1) Increase your water intake. Your goal is to work up to drinking your minimum requirement of water on a daily basis. (You can use this link to help you figure out how much water you should be drinking: http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm.) If you can start drinking your minimum requirement from Day 1, that's great.

2) Decrease your intake of other liquids - particularly alcohol and soda, but also coffee, tea, and juice. This decrease can come gradually. For example, if you have 3 cups of coffee a day, try to make one of those 1/2 a cup of coffee. Instead of drinking 2 sodas, maybe just have 1. The choice is yours. It's important to remember that not all beverages are the same in terms of nutrient value and benefit/harm to the body. Drinking beverages such as tea and coffee aren't necessarily bad for you. However, once you start adding milk and sugar and other flavored shots to your beverage, the beverage decreases in nutrition value.

It's all about finding a balance. In the beginning, don't take the changes to such an extreme where you feel like you can't sustain them. This challenge is about finding a healthy balance that works for you - for your body type, for your health, for your lifestyle.

Although I mentioned that this is the focus for the first 10 days, the goal is to really keep up this lifestyle practice throughout the challenge (and your life) as much as possible. For right now though, let's just try to focus on staying on point through the first 10 days.

We've probably heard it all before - drink more water, water is good for you, water is important - but does everyone realize exactly why it's so important? Here are a few facts about why water is such an essential nutrient for our body:

-  More than 2/3 of a human's body weight is made up of water. This is why humans can survive for weeks without any food, but can barely survive past one week without any water.

-  Each day we lose 2-3 L of water through natural body processes such as urination, sweating, and breathing. Since our body relies on water to function properly (e.g. for proper digestion), it is important to stay hydrated in order to compensate for the loss.

- When we add exercise to the mix, we can lose an additional 1-2 L of water per hour of exercise. Therefore, it's especially important to stay hydrated. Plus, water delivers oxygen to the muscles and this helps the body perform more efficiently. A 5% reduction of water in the body decreases muscle strength and endurance.

- Mild dehydration is one of the most common causes of daytime fatigue.

- Water helps eliminate toxins from our bodies (through perspiration and urination and by aiding with bowel movements, which ensures that toxins are quickly and regularly removed from our body).

The Importance of Tracking

As part of the 50-Day Lifestyle challenge, one of the daily tasks is to track what/how much/when you eat and move. Although the physical task itself is simple - really, how tough is it to type in a note on your phone saying that you've had 1 apple and a tuna sandwich at 1 pm - the discipline of it is more challenging.

I, myself, have started tracking on many occasions - kept it up for months and then just stopped doing it. Part of it was that I just didn't feel like doing it, but the other part was that I felt confident in the routine choices I was making. If I'm having the same breakfast/lunch/dinners week after week, why keep on tracking?

Well, the thing is, when things become routine, you can also become a bit complacent and not notice the little extras that creep in to your daily diet. Sure over a period of a week or a month 1 or 2 cookies won't hurt -- but tracking makes you fully aware of whether you really are having a 'treat' once in a while or if it's more regular than that. Even things such as measuring your serving size once in a while will help confirm just how much you are consuming. I remember that when I weighed my portion of protein - believe I really was only eating 3 oz. I was shocked to find that I was eating 6 oz -- double my portion!

A reality check once in a while is a good thing. If you're putting in the effort, you might as well do it right.

Here's a good article that outlines the benefits of tracking your eating and your exercise. The listed reasons definitely help motivate me to write it all down!

Cooking Fest!

The weekend plus Monday were full of errands, training, and a ton of cooking! I spent pretty much all of Sunday in the kitchen preparing for the upcoming week and making some new Whole Life Challenge-friendly foods. It was a lot of work but also a lot of fun! I'll be posting recipes soon, but in the meantime, click on the link below the photo for the recipe for my homemade granola (gluten-free, sugar-free, totally natural, and suitable for paleo too).

Homemade Granola

Tracking

Isn't this the truth?! 

Where did the Week Go?

I can't believe it's Friday already! I actually didn't realize what day it was until I read somebody else's blog with the same opening statement! I was like what?! How did that happen?

It has been a busy, busy week. A quick update:

1) Weight training: I only got 2 weight sessions in this week, but they were both really good. Ever since I came to London (and also during the time I was training on vacation), I've been rotating 3 weight lifting routines (5 different exercises in each routine, 10 reps each). I'm so happy to see progress! I have one more weight training session left of this program before I move on to something a bit different.

2) Cardio: My cardio has mainly been walking and circuit training through MetaFit class. I did a couple days of HIIT training on the treadmill, working in a few sprints, but it's still not easy on my knees. I so desperately want to run, but I keep getting knocked back. I think I need to continue to work on strength training and hopefully that will have a positive impact on my running.

3) Jiujitsu: I finally restarted jiujitsu training this week! I was so happy to get back into it, but not so thrilled to be training in a gi. I just don't find it comfortable. Still, the two sessions were really good. We worked on rear naked chokes and triangle chokes - some of my favorite moves :)

4) Weight Watchers: My first weight watchers weigh in was frustrating. I lost 1/2 kg. I wasn't surprised. I had 3 meals out during the week so I'm sure that didn't help. This week they started talking about pro points but it all sounds a bit complicated for me for where I'm at. I'm sticking to the simple start plan until I see a bit more movement with my weight.

5) My Food: The biggest effort I've made this past week as to cut down my dinner portions. Even though my dinners are clean and healthy, I know that I need to watch how much I'm eating. I've been doing that, but I've been going to bed hungry, and I really hate that feeling. Still, I survive through it. I'm going to keep at it for a while and see where it goes. The discipline has to pay off at some point.

6) Tracking: I wear my Fitbit to track my steps and I've been logging into My Fitness Pal for the past 2 weeks now. I don't rely on the numbers they give for calories burned during activities, but tracking food has been good. I've connected with a few people on My Fitness Pal -- if you're on it, do look me up! I find the extra connection helpful and motivating!

7) Update on my brother: He's still in hospital. There's still no confirmed diagnosis. Today, for the first time after his surgery last week, he was able to move his legs a bit (after an aggressive treatment with steroids). I'll be flying to Bangkok next week - I'm just too far away from my family during such a stressful time. Applying for my visa too huge chunks of time out of my days this week. It's always such a frustrating process. If you don't have to apply for visas to travel, count your blessings!!!

8) Final thoughts: I was so hoping to fall into a more normal routine starting August 1st. However, with my upcoming travel, it looks like that is not going to happen. I know that several blog posts ago I accepted the fact that my norm was to have a chaotic schedule, but still -- the lack of routine is so difficult to deal with. I'm trying to stay positive and keep working at it. Regardless of what's going on, the basics never change -- eat healthy and keep exercising.

Planning vs. Obsessing

Ok. My planning has taken over my life. Even I have started to look at it as obsessing. I'm sitting down planning my meals with calculators and charts.

I know what this is. This is my old OCD coming back in a different form. Before it was clean/organize to the minute details whenever I felt like I was not in control of my life. Seeing things that I could control take shape made me feel better (except for the side effects of the emotional eating that went alongside the OCD).

As I mentioned yesterday, my lack of structure is really throwing me off. Even when I've got a schedule, there are no real repercussions for me not doing something. I could sleep all day really -- but I'm not the type to sleep all day. If I'm tired, I'll sleep or take a nap, but you'll never find me lazing in bed unless I'm not feeling well.

So, I'm giving myself until Monday to finish this obsessing and then I will actually start implementing my plan. This doesn't mean that I'm off track now. I'm not sitting at home eating fried chicken and guzzling beer. I'm just a bit disorganized at the moment. I'm doing unhealthy things with healthy foods e.g. having a date or two instead of a meal or eating while standing or adding honey to my tea to satisfy my sweet tooth when I've never done that before!

I need to stop this. Just because something is a healthier option, in a natural state, or 'allowed' on some list doesn't mean that I should just mindlessly munch. No - I need to get back to being more mindful.

Gathering my Tools

On Tuesday evening I attended my first ever Weight Watchers meeting. I never really thought that I would join Weight Watchers (too much use of the word points for me), but I just feel a bit off track and off balance in my new surroundings. I have friends around England, but nobody close by. I know that I can be disciplined and follow a good routine, but a bit of extra accountability - plus support from a community who is also focusing on similar goals - would definitely be helpful right now. Plus the lack of structure to my day (given that I'm not working at the moment) makes it easy for me to mindlessly graze on food.

So, as I mentioned in a previous post, I've been doing a lot of reading about different type of diets. Again, I'm not looking to follow a particular diet (temporary phase). I'm just looking for information that will help me put together a sustainable healthy eating and living plan.

During the Weight Watchers meeting, I met the group leader and we chatted for a bit. He then led the group talk - no surprises about what he had to say there: If you're stuck, change up your routine; it's not the fruit that makes you gain weight, it's the other stuff -- and a few wise words about staying on track while on holiday, with my favorite line of the night "You're not on holiday from your health."

I think given my background (things I've tried before and what I've studied through my nutritionist certification) I had a few reservations. I mean, looking at the ingredients on a box of WW bars made me want to faint … however, I told myself that if I was going to join this group then I was going to give it a go. I didn't to eat those bars if I didn't want to. There were foods on the list of 'allowed' foods that I knew I wouldn't eat (e.g. sandwich thins and artificial sweetener) but that's true for so many of the other diets that I've been reading about to.

I like that the first week has nothing to do with points or calculating. It's just about making healthy choices. It's the right way to start - look at foods differently and look at all the things you CAN eat vs. what you can't.

Although I am being open-minded about the experience, the one main reservation I have is about the weigh-ins measuring pure body weight vs. distinguishing between lean muscle mass and fat. I lift weights and I lift heavy. Since I want to go to these meetings for both support and accountability (make sure that my weight DOES go down), I don't want to feel like I'm not making progress because I'm building muscle.

That being said, I still have weight to lose regardless of whether I'm putting on muscle or not -- so for now, I'm going to focus on that.

Knowledge is Power

I've been reading a lot lately about different types of diets. I think the way the word diet is used nowadays can be quite misleading.

According to Oxford Dictionary, diet refers to "the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats." In this sense, diet has to do with a person's regular choices and habits -- not a temporary phase or fad.

If you do a Google search on the word diet, many results come up such as the Intermittent Fasting Diet, the Atkins Diet, the 2-Day Diet and so on.

My research has not been related to these types of fad diets. Instead, I've been curious about details of those diets that claim to be more of a lifestyle change.

I definitely experienced a change in lifestyle after I did the Whole Life Challenge. I learned so many things from that experience and I have been to still apply what I learned to my everyday life. I truly experienced a change in lifestyle.

Although I know the Whole Life Challenge way of eating really suited me, I do not abide by it 100% of the time. I have incorporated other foods into my regular diet -- some of them work well and others not so much.

It is in the interest of finding out the most suitable way of eating for my lifestyle - my body chemistry, my physical activity, my general habits - that I have been researching different types of diets.

Although the phrase, 'move more, eat less' is often spouted throughout the fitness community, I have found that it isn't as simple as that. I went through phases where I was exercising a lot and hardly eating -- but that didn't work for me. I was ruining my metabolism and starving myself; my workouts were inefficient, and the foods that I was eating were unhealthy.

I found that even though lentils and legumes were allowed on the Whole Life Challenge, they didn't suit me very well.

I know that eating quinoa is 'allowed' as part of generally 'Eating Clean' - but it doesn't suit me very well.

... you get the picture.

So, I'm continuing my exploration into the world of healthy foods. I've got quite a few notes going on -- about clean eating in general, about living a Paleo lifestyle, about the Dolce Diet, the Gracie Diet, the Atkins Diet, etc.

I'll be updating my blog every once in a while about what I discover.

The 2 things that have been consistent so far:

1) Stay away from refined and processed foods as well as sugar
2) You've got to modify your eating to suit your lifestyle and your body chemistry - one diet does not fit all!

The Food

I know I wrote a post on staying healthy on holiday before I traveled -- I tried. I really did, but boy did the food get me.

Although there were mornings of eggs or yogurt and granola or fruit -- there were also mornings of pain au chocolats and muffins.

There were lunches/dinners of salads -- but there were also dinners of short ribs or pizza.

... and there was dessert.

I am so happy I stayed active over the holiday, but it wasn't enough. There too many periods of inactivity between workouts (lounging around, relaxing etc.) and too many calories in those indulgent meals. Add to that what felt like an endless journey back to London and I guess it's no surprise that I've gained some weight.

I know what needs to be done. It's just about doing it now.

The further challenge at this point is that I'm fasting. It's the month of Ramadan during which fasting involves no food or water from sunrise to sunset -- which is from around 3:50 a.m. to 9:15 p.m.

That's a long time to go without food or water, but that's not the part that worries me. I know the first couple of days are challenging because your body is getting used to the new routine. It does get easier.

The tough thing is the exercise. In Kuwait I would usually workout about 2 hours before it was time to break my fast. That way I would get home, shower, and be ready to eat.

However, I don't think I've ever been in a situation where sunset is SO late.

I know that I won't be doing my HIIT workouts during this time (too exhausting and they definitely make me thirsty), but I will be focusing on walking and perhaps some basic resistance training.

So, I won't be falling into a regular routine just yet but will have more of a modified one until the end of Ramadan ... and then I'll see where to go from there.

In a way, it's kind of good to go through this now as it'll be a sort of detox. The trick will be to eat the right things at the right time (isn't that always the key though) as I will be eating dinner much later than normal and will have to choose foods that will slowly release energy through the day.

Citizens was one of the restaurants at the Mandalay Bay. When ordering the chicken salad, the waiter told me that the portions were huge. He suggested sharing the salad - he would divide it into two bowls. I'm so glad he did. This photo is half a portion of the salad (I couldn't finish it -- and I didn't eat the corn or the fried bits that came with the salad). It was really good - chicken, lettuce, tomato, black beans, and avocado. However, the portion size bewildered me.

What's the point of serving such a massive salad? I wish I had taken a photo of the original size. If between 2 people it can't be completed, why serve it in the first place? Isn't it wasteful? The portion sizing in the States was overwhelming. I know people want more for their money but still -- it just seemed so wasteful to me. Still, I'm glad the waiter suggested we share the salad. It was tasty and definitely enough for two!

Cooking Adventures

One of the things I have loved the most about moving to London is the groceries. I know that sounds weird, but the local produce in Kuwait was of questionable quality, and the imported goods were rather expensive. However, more than the cost, imagine how much freshness is lost after the produce has been packaged and shipped from abroad -- by the time it has docked in the ports, been cleared through customs, and shelved in the supermarket, you can imagine the state it is in …

Here, I have 4 different supermarkets within a ten minute walk. I have a local butcher just a few minutes away. I am thrilled!

Now I know that all the labels and marketing - fresh! no preservatives! 100% natural! organic! - can be misleading, but I finally have so many items to choose from. All the labels are in English and the nutritional values are clearly marked. It's been fab!

Here are a few things I've cooked for dinner recently - recipes to hopefully follow soon:

simple chicken stir-fry 

chicken breast, onions, a variety of bell peppers, and peas 

almond crusted cod with roasted vegetables

(a recipe to add to my whole life challenge stock)

my post-workout omelet with tomatoes and half an avocado 

this is my favorite dinner so far -- baked salmon with broccolini, carrots, sugar snap peas, and mushrooms stuffed with tomato ratatouille 

I'm having so much fun grocery shopping and cooking these yummy meals! I think I need to start trying some new fruits and vegetables. There are quite a few things in the produce aisle that I've never tried. It's time to be adventurous -- and keep it healthy!

My FitBit Flex

I'm really happy with the changes I've made to my lifestyle. I feel healthy and strong. I enjoy exercising, and I enjoy eating clean. I exercise daily (varying intensities), but I know that my wrist injury and not being able to give 100% during my training and having to stay off weight lifting for 4 months has affected my strength, and in turn, it has had an impact on my body (shape, body fat%). Still, I do the best I can whenever I can. My diet is not perfect, but when I do go off track, it really is just that single incident versus an endless binge-fest.

Despite my good habits, my weight is at a standstill. I knew that I needed to be a bit more careful in tracking my food and my movements. That's what led me to buying a FitBit Flex. I asked a number of people who use it (and are all fitness inclined) whether they found it helpful. They all said yes. One of my friends has a similar exercise routine to me, and she said that despite her natural enthusiasm to work hard and push hard all the time, having a FitBit helped motivate her to move more.

So, I decided to get one.

My FitBit Flex

I've only had it for a few days, but I love it so far. It's easy to use, and I love the fact that it syncs up to my phone.

I'm always a bit skeptical of the numbers that appear on calorie counters and other similar gadgets. I feel like they overestimate the numbers. So, even though numbers, such as the ones I got on my first day (pictured below), make me feel happy, I'm taking them with a grain of salt. Just because it says that I burned 4,005 calories doesn't mean that I can eat at least another 1,000 calories and still be able to lose weight.

I think you still have to be sensible - eat at the right time and eat the right foods.

So, I'm using the FitBit as an extra source of knowledge for me. I'm tracking my foods. I'm tracking my movement. I'm monitoring my water intake and my sleep. Hopefully I'll be able to use all of this vigilance to my advantage!

If you're on FitBit and want to connect, look me up!

My Day 1 Stats: I worked out for 4 hours that day 

(1 hour weights, 1 hour Kajukenbo, 2 hours Muay Thai)

Before, During, and After

If everything related to Thanksgiving was just limited to one meal, then it really wouldn't be a big deal. I had a great plan for Thanksgiving day. My meal plan was good, my portions were what I imagined them to be, and overall I'm really happy with how everything turned out. So the 'during' part of Thanksgiving was great.

Me & Benny the turkey :) 

Thanksgiving 2013 - kept it simple this year

However, the parts I did not account for or really think about were the before and after.

The two days leading up to Thanksgiving were really hectic. Final touches on the menu, organizing the house, doing the shopping and prep work, and of course cooking -- it all really kept me busy.

Then there was the grazing --- that was my downfall. A little taste here, a little there --- tasting different combinations -- ya, it wasn't good. I'm sure I consumed a lot of extra calories with all that nibbling. So that was the 'before' part.

The 'after' -- well, as you can imagine, there are leftovers. The first thing I did was get rid of as much of the 'naughty' stuff as I could. The other things, e.g. roasted sweet potatoes and turkey, well, that's not too bad to have around at all.

In terms of being healthy, I did alright. I had a lovely, lovely time. Plus, as much as I love cooking my healthy dishes, it felt really good to get back into the kitchen and just cook a feast. I thought I had lost my touch, but I was happy to find that I hadn't.

Now that the month is over, it's time to kick it into really high gear, navigate all the social activities of December, and end the year lighter than what I was when I started!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Holiday Food

I found myself shopping for groceries I don't normally buy today. The shop took ages because I couldn't remember where things like mayonnaise and evaporated milk were located. It felt strange to buy these things in the first place. I wanted to put a sign on my cart saying - it's not for me, I swear! It's for the holidays.

Every year I throw a Thanksgiving dinner. I keep track of my menus so that I make sure I don't have the same exact foods each year. However, this year as I was going through my menus I thought - No, I won't be serving that; oh my god, that's such an unhealthy recipe; there's no way I would cook/serve/eat that, so not this time.

This year, I'm keeping it much leaner and healthier. Right now the unhealthiest thing on the menu is the stuffing and the mayo for the deviled eggs. The really deadly part will be the dessert. I'm keeping it very simple for the dinner party, but holiday treats that I'm baking for others means that temptation will be lingering somewhere around the house. At least it's for other people so the food will be out of the house quickly.

I'm pleased with my menu. Most of the stuff is from my regular dinner rotation. I'm just adding a small twist to keep it festive. The only issue I need to look out for is overeating, but I'm hoping that just putting one serving on my plate will help me avoid that obstacle!

The Work Continues

I was almost going to entitle this post -- Starting Again. However, that wouldn't have been accurate. Every day is part of my weight loss/get healthy efforts. I either contribute to my end goal in a positive way or a negative way. There's no starting again. This is my only life. Each day counts.

After my great results of the Whole Life Challenge, I allowed myself to not be as strict with my food. I had some milk with my coffee, some cheese in my omelet, a bit of chocolate as a dessert.

I think we can all see where this is heading.

A little bit here and a little bit there starts to add up. Sure, a 50 calorie piece of chocolate won't hurt, but have one for 7 days and you've just had 350 calories, which is about the same as one of my small meals.

Actually, that reminds of me a conversation D & I had last month. During the time I was really sick in October, I was eating, but I barely had an appetite. One of the things I didn't have at all was a snack. Usually in the afternoon I'd have 2-3 dates with a cup of green tea or I'd have a handful of raw mixed nuts with raisins plus I'd have fruit.

As a result of not eating much, I was losing weight. I was definitely happy with the number I was seeing on the scale, but I knew it wasn't 'real' weight loss. As soon as I went back to my regular eating, that weight would come back.

After I started to feel better and my appetite returned, and I started to eat more (as well as move more), but the weight didn't come back on. I was still slowly losing.

The biggest change: I didn't go back to having those snacks.

A few dates, some nuts, and some fruit -- I was looking at maybe 300-500 calories a day depending on how much I ate/which fruits I ate. Plus, a lot of that was sugar. Sure it was natural sugar, but it was sugar nonetheless. It definitely was not good for me.

So, I was doing alright, but after the challenge, I started to see some weight fluctuation -- and not in the right direction. My short trip to Dubai involved quite a bit of indulgence, and when I came back, I was mortified by the number on the scale.

I didn't go overboard and gorge/binge, but I had a bit here and a bit there ... and as I've already said, those little bits add up.

After I got back, I was immediately back to my regular healthy eating. I was watching my portions, not snacking, and definitely increasing my movement.

Each day I've seen a steady loss of weight. I'm sure this is mainly due to the fact that a lot of the foods I ate were quite salty, and of course there's the bloating with having things with gluten in them.

The bottom line is, eating all those little things can add up --- and eliminating all those little things can help you lose weight.

I'm definitely not 100% back on the Whole Life Challenge way of eating, but I am 100% conscious of what I am eating and how much I'm eating. I've felt great this week - lighter and more energetic (though  my sleep hasn't been good for the past week - more on that later).

Also, after 6 weeks of not going to the gym (that number makes me want to cry), I went back yesterday. Although I have been working out - my MMA training plus outdoor walks/jogs - it wasn't the same as being back in the gym. I definitely missed it.

I'm a bit frustrated because I have to take it kinda easy while my wrist is healing, but I was still able to do some weight exercises. I stuck to light weights and focused on form and worked on really going deeper into my moves (e.g. really, really low squats and lunges). I can't wait to get back to my normal self!

In the meantime, the work continues -- every day counts.