Happy Holidays and A Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone.

Here we are, another year has nearly past and another christmas has approached so fast. Seems just yesterday I was writing here on christmas day last year.

So I have just decorated the table and I am pretty pleased with the result, looking good. We are having a cold lunch today as it is going to be 37C and nobody wants to have the oven on in that heat. Although I really love having the traditional cooked lunch, as we are of english decent it is tradition but as we get older you just can't be bothered.

I am so looking forward to seeing the kids, that is the best part to see the excitement in their eyes and how they love to tell you about santa and the toys that he left for them.

I here the food calling my name, christmas pudding and brandy custard, oooh I can almost smell it now. Isn't today the day you just throw the diet out the window and say "To Hell With It."

I best keep moving as I can see this day is going to get hectic and time is going to disappear quick.

Best Wishes Everyone
Be Safe Throughout These Holidays.

How To Stop Yourself Eating

Please, Please, Please if you know how let me know. The only way I can think of is, putting tape across my mouth.

Here it is that time of day again when the dreaded munchies hit. It is the same time everyday when I sit and fight with my inner self, my mind. It's like a recording that is played over and over in my head.

"Ohhh, what can I eat now?" Bent over, with my head in the fridge, door wide open.
"No, don't even go there. You don't need it."

The worst part about this is that I'm not even hungry. I have no hunger pains, not starving to death like some poor other person out there in the world, someone who really needs food desperately.

No, bored I would say and just a very bad habit that I have gotten into, one I need to break.

Pick, pick, pick thats all I seem to do. I try and tell myself its all healthy stuff but not all of it is, some, yes, and it's the amount, way too much stuff gets shoved into this big mouth.

So here I am writing this to take me away from the kitchen, to get away from the sight of the fridge and the pantry.
Is it working I hear you say.
Probably at this very moment, yes. It will be when I walk away from this computer that it will get tough, but I am telling myself that I need a big glass of water to kick things off.

That'll work
weight loss

Blueberry Muffins With Frozen Berries

I like to bake, not all the time but occasionally. Most reasons why I don't bake enough is because if I do I'm the one that eats it and that does nothing for my figure, what's left of it anyway.

So I decided to try and make my on recipe for Blueberry Muffins With Frozen Berries, something healthy and low in fat.
Apparently blueberries are a great source of antioxidants and a friend of mine started to eat blueberries a lot, every day almost and he said that his eyesight has improved so much that he doesn't wear his glasses much anymore, so I'm eating a tonne.

So heres my attempt at creating a new recipe for Blueberry Muffins With Frozen Berries

INGREDIENTS
500g SR Flour, sifted
125g Caster Sugar
4 Eggs
1 Cup Low Fat Milk or Powdered Milk
1/2 Cup Canola Oil
250g Frozen Blueberries
Few drops vanilla essence

METHOD
Sift all dry ingredients into a bowl, make a well and then mix in wet ingredients. Combine all together until smooth consistency.
Pour mixture into muffin tin, makes about 20. Bake in moderate oven, 180 degrees C, for about 30 minutes.
Press lightly on top, if muffin springs back then blueberry muffins are ready.

I also have made these muffins with cranberries, so try a mixture of berries for different flavours.

Try out my blueberry muffin with frozen berries recipe and let me know how you like them. I'm guessing my husband will love them, especially if I don't tell him there healthy or low fat.

Weight Gain In Winter

Fat


Linda Braucht


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Am I so glad that winter has finally gone. Although it still has not warmed up that much yet.
I was doing really well with my weight control up till about three months ago, WINTER. Weight Gain just found me.

Each morning you jump on the scales and up they go, just a little and you think ahh that's not so bad I can lose that. But then a week or so passes by, you head back to the bathroom and climb on the scales, ohhh another kilo just shows up.
Before you know it 5kgs has magically appeared. Now I'm in a depressive mood, all that hard work just gone.

Really is going to be a struggle to get that weight off. My mind set is not in the right place. I cannot seem to find that WILLPOWER that I once had, it has deserted me.

But I will lose that weight and some, that is why I started this blog in the first place, to keep my mind on track and make myself lose weight and this is what I will do.
(little pep talk to self) might work, let's hope.

Exercise!

"Exercise is a DIRTY word. Everytime I hear it I wash my mouth out with chocolate" UNKNOWN

Problems Being Overweight

Weight Problems





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And So It Begins, our obsession with our weight.
Is it not true that most of our lives is spent listening to people critis others about their looks and weight. For many it becomes and obsession about weight.

Homemade Nut Bars

Fruit an nut bars would have to be the best snack when feeling a little peckish, but one problem is though that a lot of these health bars are full of sugar.
Making homemade nut bars is so much healthier because you know what is in these bars, you can choose to add more or less sugar or try a substitute.

I found this recipe for homemade nut bars, really easy to make and great for the hips.

HOMEMADE NUT BARS
1/2 cup barley flakes
1/4 cup apple juice, heated
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup wholemeal s.r flour
2 tblsp caster sugar
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped dates
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
60g margarine (I use weightwatchers)
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven at 180 degrees C and grease a lamington pan.
Barley flakes should be added to warm apple juice in heat proof bowl, let stand for awhile.

In large bowl mix together oats, flour, sugar, barley, dried fruits, pecans and seeds.

In saucepan melt margarine with honey over low heat. Cool to add vanilla and egg. Stir until combined.

Pour margarine mixture over oat mixture and mix well. Press into laminton tray and cook for about 25 to 30 mins. Let cool in pan.

Homemade nut bars are low in fat and are healthy.
Makes about 20 slices


Truly a great nut bar to have as a snack. When you make it yourself at least you know whats in it.

Like Lookin' In a Mirror

Ever Tried Detox To Kick Start A Diet?

Detox, "What's that?" I hear you say.

Detox is when you try and rid your body of any unwanted toxins. Eating only fresh vegetables and cutting back on carbs.

Caffeine

Alcohol

Processed foods

Salty foods

Bad carbs, sugar

I have completed this task twice and I can truly say it was the most difficult of tasks I have ever tried when it comes to dieting.

Trying to eat soup for 5 days along with a few extras is boring and not very satisfying, but I must say that I really felt great after the week was up. I wasn't bloated and my skin seemed better. (Probably all the water you drink)

The first couple of days are the hardest. Headaches began at lunchtime on the first day and by nightfall, nausea set in, dry reaching, ohh not so good. Lasted two days but stuck by it although I felt like I was dying.
All this is the start of ridding yourself of those bad toxins, caffeine is the worst for me, not that I drink a lot of coffee, a latte probably once or twice a week. As soon as I cut caffeine out of my diet the headache appears and usually ends up being a migraine, not nice. (I do drink green tea regularly)

If you can get through the first few days you will not regret it. It will kick start your weight loss and you will feel lighter and healthier.

Try this soup for your detox diet: (Losing The Last 5kg, Susie Burrell)

Vegetable Soup

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
5 sticks celery, chopped
500ml salt-reduced vegetable stock
750ml water
400g tin tomatoes, chopped
carrot, cubed
500g pumpkin, cubed
200g sweet potato, cubed
300g broccoli, cut into florets, steam. Save till serving
1 leek, finely sliced (optional)
Cumin to taste

1 Heat oil in large saucepan. Add onion, leek, celery and cumin, saute over low heat until soft.

2 Add all other ingredients, minus broccoli, bring to the boil then simmer for about 10 minutes.

3 Serve with steamed broccoli on top

Make a double batch and freeze in small portion sizes for quick, easy meals. Only do this for 5 days, no longer.
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Exercise, Sound Familiar

I do believe that I may have been a little bit like this at some stage in my life.

50kg & Need To Lose Weight! Oh Come On.

Don't you just hate it when a skinny person says that they need to lose weight.
Mean while they are hitching up their size 8 denim jeans. (I wish), if only I could get to a size 12.

I am working with this young English backpacker at the moment, yer, totally way to thin but just the other day she came out with "Started my diet today."

Well, my mouth dropped open. "what do you mean a diet? You need a belt for your pants now."

Why do skinny people say such stupid things, maybe they need to lose 2 kilos. Oh my God, stop the train. That's devastating, a whole 2 kilos.
Why would you even bother bringing it up.
Do these people say things like this just to here "No, you don't need to lose weight, you look great as you are."
Of course they do, I think it's an ego trip.

I also have come to a decision that I am not going clothes shopping with any of my skinny friends again. It is way to humiliating, watching them try on some slinky, size 10 top and have them say "No, I don't think it fits right." (Totally looks awesome)
Then I try on a shirt, there is no way I am going to even step out of the dressing room to show her. Size 14 is just a bit tight, don't even bother asking for the next size, shame.

What do you think? Do you agree?

weight loss

Indulgence of Chocolate at Easter

Hey everyone, just wanted to wish you all a Happy Easter. The only time of year that it feels alright to eat chocolate and boy, am I going to eat it - a lot.

At the moment I am not going to think about my weight issues, I will worry about that again on Easter Monday. Back in fighting, yer same old routine day in day out, constantly battling the bulge.

But as of now I am totally only thinking about one thing and that is chocolate, my favourite food of all time, along with cheesecake.
The best chocolate is Lindt and Cadburys, the cheaper brands just don't cut it when it comes to smoothness, you now the type, when you can place a small piece in your mouth and just let it melt, don't chew it just let it dissolve on its own. Cheaper brands tend to have a funny taste about them, perhaps its just me, I like quality when it comes to chocolate.

We all know that dark chocolate is better for us. Above 70% cocoa is recommended. I'll try and have some (lol).

HAPPY EASTER...........HAPPY HUNTING.........

Over Weight- I Give Up

Yer, that's how I feel right about now.
I was totally feeling great because I had lost over 1kg in the last week.
On top of the world and nothing could stop me. But oh how things change, suddenly the 1kg is back and my spirits have just been smashed, all that hard work gone, just like that, just like you flicked the light off.

I totally am over trying to keep weight off, it really gets me down, forever worrying about what to eat, what not to eat. OVER IT.......

Perhaps I'm just feeling a bit low because I am full of the flu, coughing, sneezing, aching all over, runny nose, you name it I've got it.

I'll pop another pill and see how I go tomorrow, those pills seem to make everything seem better. (Give me more).

Wii Fit - My Answer To Exercise

I have it, The WII Fit. My daughter gave it to me for my birthday. Totally loving it.

I have lost 1.7kg since starting. I try and do a workout - step aerobics, hula hoops, cycling and then finish off with Michael Jackson dancing. I totally feel great after doing it. I did nearly 1000 steps in one session of 8mins on the step board. Suppose to tone up the butt area, in my case, something that really needs a lot of work.

I have weighed myself every morning at 6.30am and put in that I want to lose 5kg in two months, can't rush these things. So lets see how I do, oh I must tell you that I have been doing other exercise as well, not much, but I am totally trying to do 10,000 steps a day. I made 12,000 the other day after doing the step aerobics.

With the winter months approaching fast, I really need to get some weight off, so I have room to move through those cold months, you know what it's like, the smell of hot food and you tend to eat more, lots more. Not that I want to put any on at all but it is a known fact that we all tend to gain a pound here or there during winter.

exercise

Dancing Madly

I have been dancing madly for an hour to Michael Jackson. I put my pedometer on and have reached 4 thousand steps just in that one hour.

This WII console must be good for you, surely. My heart rate has been right up there and I am not thinking about food or watching TV.
Computer games aren't so bad, after all.

exercise

Dancing The Weight Off With WII

It's back, yes I finally got a WII.
My daughter and husband have bought me a WII for my birthday. It came in a pack with the Michael Jackson Dance game.

Now that's a sight. Don't laugh. Me movin' and shakin' is not a pretty site.
After I set it up, which took me a while, I danced to THILLER. My heart was pounding that hard that it felt like it was going to jump out my chest. Even my husband had a go.

The footy was on tv and if anybody knows me well, they know that I love my footy. But I didn't watch the game, instead I danced. Little bit sore this morning.
I told my husband that I would have the THRILLER moves all down pat by the end of the week.

I cannot see how this could not be good for you, dancing instead of watching tv, just has to be good to move that weight and shift that fat.

I told my brother that I received a WII for my birthday, he said "What are you fifteen or something?"
I didn't tell him that I wanted it for the exercise so that I could try and get the weight off. He just wouldn't understand.

We're all kids at heart, aren't we?

weight loss

Massage and Detox For My Weight Loss

I was in heaven. Was this going to help my weight loss, probably not much.

It's my birthday this month so my mother gave me a voucher to a massage clinic. 2 and 1/2 hours of relaxation, just what I needed.

First I had an anti-aging facial, yer, I hear you, I probably needed that. My face felt smooth when finished and I felt so refreshed but of course this usually costs $95 and there ain't no way that I will pay that much to get my face done.

Next I had a massage, remedial. Only 1/2hr and could have been a lot deeper but it still felt so good.

Detox Foot Spa came next, this was very different, never ever heard of it before and very hard to believe.
An electric current travels through the water and some how the consultant can tell by the colour of the water what is happening in your body.
My water was very good, (unusual I thought), except that I had traces of metal in it. Don't ask me how the metal gets in the water but trully, it was there.
The young girl asked me if I smoked, "NO", did I eat a lot of can food, like tuna and "Yes" I had a bit of tuna over the last couple of weeks but I do not eat much canned food.

Producing a list of all the metals that could be found in our body, the young girl said these items can have metals in them.
This list was nearly three pages long and from what was on it, well, you would never eat food again, so you would starve to death. Now this is something that I won't be doing, starving.

After I got over that shock, I had a pedicure. Massage for my feet, loved this immensely. Always have liked my feet being rubbed.

Now the only complaint that I had was it was not 2 1/2 hrs of relaxation like the brochure said, it was only
1 1/2hrs. I probably could have had an hour massage, now that would have been nice.

Hey, don't get me wrong, I really did enjoy it all and really appreciated my present. It is something that I would never buy for myself, so

THANKYOU TO MY MUM FOR A WONDERFUL GIFT.

weight loss

Another Day In The Zucchini Patch

Zucchini everywhere, yes it's back to that time of year and I did a stupid thing and planted some of my own, about 2 acres.
Been picking these little buggers(my own) for two weeks now and am really starting to feel it in the back area. (I feel a massage coming on).
One good thing out of this is that I should make some good money and my legs feel like they are getting much thinner. (imagination perhaps)
I walk for about an hour each night picking, and most times I really try and step it out, huffing and puffing towards the end.
No pain, No gain, isn't that what they say.

So I keep telling myself, "think of the reward at the end." Kilos falling off. Pray, Pray, Pray.

31 DAY FAT LOSS



exercise

Thoughts With Japan

God Bless you all. May god keep you all safe.
The world is with you.

WII Gone

Withdrawal symptoms have hit. My daughter has moved out and she had the nerve to take the WII with her. (it was hers).
No more hula hooping, boxing or aerobics. Man, do I miss it.
Now I have gone back to watching TV and before I would spend a good hour doing my fitness routine.
Perhaps it was because it was new that I was right into it but hey, if it got me moving I'm all for it.
Now playing the guitar hero is not exercise and that is all that my daughter does, no fitness stuff, so perhaps she should bring it back. Great idea, what do you think.

Birthday is soon, I'll have to put in a request or a few hints.

Catchya Later 

Dieting and Weight Loss Just Flew Out The Window

That's right, this whole week has just blown up in my face.
My dad just turned 70yrs old, so we had a big party. Suppose to have been a surprise but he had a pretty good idea what was going on.

We had the usual nibbles and of course the birthday cake, a huge round delicious MUDCAKE with PROFITTEROLES and chocolate shavings all on top.
Now how can you say "NO" to that.

On the night not so bad, had a small portion just like I've been telling you all to do throughout my blog, but there was nearly half left and we have been eating it for morning tea all week.

Here it is placed in front of me looking right at me saying "eat me"
At the time I feel like cookie monster and just gorge myself then I feel sick afterwards.

Its all gone now, so I'm back into diet mode flat out.
31 DAY FAT LOSS CURE


diet

Dining and Eating Out

Take a look at my page about trying to stay on your diet when dining out
Please leave a comment if you like.
TIPS FOR DIETING AND EATING OUT

What's The Go With Clothing Sizes?

I am totally over trying to guess what size I am.
Yesterday I went shopping for some cheap work clothes and I mean really cheap, $15 for two Polo shirts.
Now I would usually say that I am a size 14, only since I lost my weight, but here I was buying a 2XL T/shirt. The only reason I even looked at this size was because that was all there was left.
I held it up and measured it around my bust and I thought ooh my god this is going to fit.
When I got it home and tried it on, shock horror, it actually was a firm fit.

Now we all know where it was made, I really don't have to say, but how can anyone really say that they are a size 10,12 or 16 or whatever. the sizes are all over the place.
I would take a 2XL as being a size 20 or more. Why is there not a regulation on measurements for each size.
I measured this T/shirt against a size 14 that I already had at home and it was slightly bigger, I mean about a half centimeter, wow, not what you would expect.

So I have decided that size does not matter, it means nothing. I am going to try clothing on before I even think about the size of it.

Flood Devastation

What a very unusual five to six months of weather this country has had.

I just wanted to say that my family and myself are thinking of you all during these disastrous floods.
To those who have lost loved ones, our deepest sympathy goes out to you.

I have already donated some money at our local bank but I will be heading back there tomorrow to donate again.

To those of us that are not effected by the floods and have not donated as of yet, please don't hesitate, just a couple of dollars will be helpful I'm sure.

As I am writing this it has not stopped raining and I mean heavy, really heavy. I just travelled from Adelaide today and there was so much water on the roads it was dangerous. I have not seen so much water fall from the sky in such a short period of time.

I feel this country needs to pull together at this difficult time and I believe that as true blue aussies, we will.

Exercise Has Never Been So Much Fun

Yer, really.

You think I'm joking don't you, but I'm not.
I have found the best thing yet that is enjoyable but yet gives you a workout.

WII game console. I bought one for my daughter for xmas and I haven't stopped using it since. Told you I was still a kid at heart.

The first time I played, I played non stop for 2 and half hours and boy was I tired when I finished. The next day my arms where that sore from playing baseball that you'd think I played a real game.

Boxing is just as bad, my husband keeps telling me that I don't have to try and really hit them but makes no difference I still go in hard.
Best workout ever from doing something fun. You really don't realise how hard you've been working out until a couple of hours later when your puffing madly and sweat is running down your face.

I have bought her the wII fit Plus for her birthday middle of January, apparently that is suppose to be great.

If you haven't had a go of one try it, you really will enjoy it.

All I can say is bring it on!!!!

exercise

NEW YEARS RESOLUTION-"LOSE WEIGHT"

2010 has nearly come and gone.
2011 will be upon us before we know it.
Let's make 2011 the best yet.

New Years resolutions, be nice to everyone. Treat others how you would like to be treated.
Keep on losing weight, even if it's just a little at a time.

As you can see I've got a few, probably could add a few more, but hey, For me the second one will be the biggest and hardest to keep.
I do remember making the same one last year and I do believe that I may have succeeded with it but I need to keep going and just keeping it off will be the struggle.

So to all,
Have a HAPPY, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
May 2011 bring happiness and good times.