Well Woman 101: July 2013

If only I could write blog posts as often as they come to me whilst running or at work. Time does not allow. Regardless, I shall persist and write whenever I get the chance to do so.

Saturdays are usually my "extra" workout days. Today, I woke up planning to run 10km as I did last week, however after just 1km, I felt this tiredness creeping up and knew I wouldn't be able to achieve that particular goal. Why? I was exhausted. I went to bed after midnight, was woken up at 5am by my toddler and set out at 630am. That is definitely not enough sleep for me to embark on a 10km run, so I carried on and completed 5.5km in 34minutes using HIIT. I was pleased with myself for not giving and still doing what I can.

Many people get by on 3-4hours sleep a night and carry on going to work, businesses and so on and then when they embark on this healthy lifestyle, they struggle to work out or eat right due to fatigue (aka lack of sleep/rest!). I've come to realise over the last few months that getting enough sleep is just as important as eating right and working out, if I am to achieve my weightloss/fitness goals. Our bodies do a lot of rejuvenation whilst we sleep so it is also beneficial for skin, hair, mental agility and more. SLEEEP IS VITAL!!!!

I'm not a "SLEEP person" as they say. I find it hard sleeping during the day and if I have any outstanding work (serious or otherwise - think- CandyCrush and so on, LOL), I struggle to sleep well at night. I will make more effort to get to bed on time so I can wake up at dawn feeling refreshed. I will also try whenever i can (especially at weekends) to sleep during the day.

So, there. Now that I have made this pledge and written it down, I know I have a better chance at achieving it.

Ciao!!!!

Hello all!

Someone new to weightloss/fitness world on a BB group asked for a list of healthy foods to be e-mailed to her and within 5mins, from the top of my head, I wrote the following. At the end of it, I was so impressed, I decided to put it on here so many others can benefit. I've procrastinated updating this blog long enough so hereis an opportunity:

Here's my own idea of 'clean-eating' foods...remember we ought to endeavor to eat "clean" 90% of the time when trying to lose weight.

THE PICTURES AREN'T FASCINATING, I KNOW, BUT THE FOOD TASTES GOOD. BLAME POOR CAMERA PHONE...

1) Oatmeal - great as breakfast - don't add sugar, just sweeten with fruits (apples or bananas or grapes or rasins). Make it even more filling and nutritous by adding nuts ;) Oats are versatile, they can be ground and used in place of flour for baking and can also be turned in boiling water and eaten as swallow!

2) Plaintain - I boil, grill or add them to vegetables. I never fry them. They are filling - high in cals so watch portions!

3) Sweet potatoes - another fave of mine. Vegetable that can b eaten as a 'carb' substitute ;) Friend to anyone trying to shed weight. VERY FILLING without high cals, nutritious too! I boil them, grill them or boil and pound them and eat with any soup! Also use to make pottage or as a simple snack. 100g-200g is a portion.

4) Apples!!! Filling, high in fibre and 1 a day really does keep the doctor away!

5) Fish - mackarel (especially) - high in healthy fats and oil, good for the brain and low in cals! Need I say more? Oh yes, grill or boil or smoke, do not fry!

6) SKINLESS Chicken - many complain about this however, over time my habit of removing skin has become 2nd nature, I no longer miss it. Skin is full of cholesterol, bad fats, high cals. Always eat more chicken/fish then the carb u r having them with.

7) Smoothies! These were used as my dinner for like 3months when I lost 18kg (only swapped for peppersoup sometimes). Vegetable smoothes, fruit smoothies of 'Freggys' (mixed)...get adventurous! They are filling and nutritious. Relieves fatigue and great for bowel movements ;) (remember to always add pulp). My fave mix is watermelon and pineapple with a little bit of lime for that kick ;)

8) Beans! This should be higher up on the list. High in fibre and protein, filling and nutritous. Beans pottage (oil free with shredded fish and co ;)), gbegiri, moimoi (akara is a no-no)

9) Nuts! Great as snacks, high in healthy fats (still fat so portion is important!)- I count my nuts ooo, don't just gulp them indiscriminately!

10) Wholegrain rice, pasta, bread - Yes, brown carbs, filling and they don't cause a high blood sugar spike and fall! Wholegrain foods may have a slightly higher calorie estimate to their white counterparts, however, u need less quantity in a portion to feel full and u get plenty more goodness (fibre!) With them ;) remember fibre, protein are a dieter's vice.

And last but not least, the ALMIGHTY Water!!! 2-3ltrs a day before during and after meals ;) Manytimes you feel hungry but you have eaten, you might just be thirsty! Gulp up!

Hope y'all find this 'quick off-the-top-of-my-head' list helpful. Pardon any typos or gbagauns ;)