About five years ago I lost around 10 kilos and I felt amazing. Over the last 3 years, I have let that weight creep back on to my waistline, my thighs, my stomach and my bottom. I weigh around the same amount that I did when I told myself that I had to do something about my size five years ago. And it is so frustrating when you yo-yo diet and your weight goes up and down, especially when you are a very healthy eater and you are active. It's super annoying!
I 'hand on heart' honestly do 10,000 steps as a minimum every day, I also do yoga daily and I try to do a couple of HIIT or cardio workouts a week as well. I am pretty active and I am strong, there is no denying that. But since my hysterectomy and my onset menopause, I have started to put weight on and part of that is hormonal and part of that is the portions of food that I eat.
You see, I LOVE FOOD! Always have and always will. I love to shop for it, prepare it, cook it and eat it. I enjoy everything that goes with food. The foraging, purchasing and harvesting, the ritual of creating in the kitchen and eating at the table and the intense sensory experiences that come with a well made meal. I adore all of the smells and textures, the tastes and the flavours, I love it all!
This love of all things food related has led me to probably eat far more than I should be eating for my size, because I am actually only 5 foot 5inches, but I can easily eat a bear man sized meal for dinner if I am hungry. I also cannot control myself when it comes to bread and butter (lord my thighs) incredible cakes and desserts (god my flabby tummy) and pretty much anything Italian or Thai (Mamma Mia my arse)! I also really like wine and whiskey and well, just really delicious cocktails and drinks that have far too many calories.
Anyway, this has led to me looking more Flabbitha Cristie than Agatha Cristie and I made a promise to myself that I was going to get down to a respectful and healthy weight range on the scales this year and say goodbye to the yo-yo dieting for good. But as we all know, fridge pickers wear big knickers, so no more cheeky ice-creams, slices of cake or packets of chips for me for a while. I now have my work cut for me once again and some dirty habits to cull if I am going to make this happen. And you know what? I did it before and I think that with a few simple changes I can actually fix things again pretty quickly.
So, I have set myself a goal of getting back to a healthy BMI rating this year. At the moment I fall into the overweight category (not by a lot but any amount in the overweight category is never good) and it is certainly not good for my heart or prospects of longevity. To be clear, I am not looking for thin, skinny or lean, I am an almost 50 year old, post hysterectomy, menopausal, middle-aged woman, I don't need thin, I need wellness. I am looking for a healthy and sustainable weight that I can maintain without having to forgo all of the consumable joys that make life just a bit juicier and a lot more delicious.
Now because my activity levels are pretty high already, it is my diet that I have to address. And this basically all comes down to portion size. I just eat too much and my servings are too large. I also know that I eat too many carbs and need to get more fill from veggies. And I have to find something else to do between 3 and 5 pm because that is the time that I am most prone to inhaling something grossly carb heavy and generally bad for me.
Trust me, I know how to make this work, I really do already know the drill and I know how it goes! I have lost and gained weight all of my life. I even gained 5 kilos after each of my pregnancies but that still didn't put me into the overweight BMI category that I now find myself in. And I really don't want the scale to be the goal this time, I want the lifestyle habits to be the goal. I want to learn how to manage my eating forever, not just until I see a certain number on the scale.
So I already know that going hard and fast is a method, but it never sticks. All or nothing works well too, but it is gruelling and horrible and hard to sustain. And just getting to a goal number works, but I have never been able to maintain that number. So, it is a whole lifestyle choice overhaul this time, and it needs to be a permanent choice, not just a 'until I get there' choice, which is what I have done every other time.
This time I am doing things differently, I am going to reach a healthy BMI by changing the way that I look at food and managing my caloric intake - PERMANENTLY! First thing that I need to do is get a lot better at healthy menu planning and meal/snack prepping. I do menu plan but I don't always go for the healthiest recipes and until I can manage my cravings, I probably should avoid putting too many high calorie options on the menu. That's going to be my starting point and I will keep myself accountable by blogging about my progress once a month as well. Great - got a solid plan, I'm off to the drawing board and the fruit bowl!
I 'hand on heart' honestly do 10,000 steps as a minimum every day, I also do yoga daily and I try to do a couple of HIIT or cardio workouts a week as well. I am pretty active and I am strong, there is no denying that. But since my hysterectomy and my onset menopause, I have started to put weight on and part of that is hormonal and part of that is the portions of food that I eat.
You see, I LOVE FOOD! Always have and always will. I love to shop for it, prepare it, cook it and eat it. I enjoy everything that goes with food. The foraging, purchasing and harvesting, the ritual of creating in the kitchen and eating at the table and the intense sensory experiences that come with a well made meal. I adore all of the smells and textures, the tastes and the flavours, I love it all!
This love of all things food related has led me to probably eat far more than I should be eating for my size, because I am actually only 5 foot 5inches, but I can easily eat a bear man sized meal for dinner if I am hungry. I also cannot control myself when it comes to bread and butter (lord my thighs) incredible cakes and desserts (god my flabby tummy) and pretty much anything Italian or Thai (Mamma Mia my arse)! I also really like wine and whiskey and well, just really delicious cocktails and drinks that have far too many calories.
Anyway, this has led to me looking more Flabbitha Cristie than Agatha Cristie and I made a promise to myself that I was going to get down to a respectful and healthy weight range on the scales this year and say goodbye to the yo-yo dieting for good. But as we all know, fridge pickers wear big knickers, so no more cheeky ice-creams, slices of cake or packets of chips for me for a while. I now have my work cut for me once again and some dirty habits to cull if I am going to make this happen. And you know what? I did it before and I think that with a few simple changes I can actually fix things again pretty quickly.
So, I have set myself a goal of getting back to a healthy BMI rating this year. At the moment I fall into the overweight category (not by a lot but any amount in the overweight category is never good) and it is certainly not good for my heart or prospects of longevity. To be clear, I am not looking for thin, skinny or lean, I am an almost 50 year old, post hysterectomy, menopausal, middle-aged woman, I don't need thin, I need wellness. I am looking for a healthy and sustainable weight that I can maintain without having to forgo all of the consumable joys that make life just a bit juicier and a lot more delicious.
Now because my activity levels are pretty high already, it is my diet that I have to address. And this basically all comes down to portion size. I just eat too much and my servings are too large. I also know that I eat too many carbs and need to get more fill from veggies. And I have to find something else to do between 3 and 5 pm because that is the time that I am most prone to inhaling something grossly carb heavy and generally bad for me.
Trust me, I know how to make this work, I really do already know the drill and I know how it goes! I have lost and gained weight all of my life. I even gained 5 kilos after each of my pregnancies but that still didn't put me into the overweight BMI category that I now find myself in. And I really don't want the scale to be the goal this time, I want the lifestyle habits to be the goal. I want to learn how to manage my eating forever, not just until I see a certain number on the scale.
So I already know that going hard and fast is a method, but it never sticks. All or nothing works well too, but it is gruelling and horrible and hard to sustain. And just getting to a goal number works, but I have never been able to maintain that number. So, it is a whole lifestyle choice overhaul this time, and it needs to be a permanent choice, not just a 'until I get there' choice, which is what I have done every other time.
This time I am doing things differently, I am going to reach a healthy BMI by changing the way that I look at food and managing my caloric intake - PERMANENTLY! First thing that I need to do is get a lot better at healthy menu planning and meal/snack prepping. I do menu plan but I don't always go for the healthiest recipes and until I can manage my cravings, I probably should avoid putting too many high calorie options on the menu. That's going to be my starting point and I will keep myself accountable by blogging about my progress once a month as well. Great - got a solid plan, I'm off to the drawing board and the fruit bowl!
THE MENU
Release Date: 2022
Rating: M 15+
Running Time: 107 mins
A black-comedy drama directed by Mark Mylod and written by Seth Reiss and Will Tracy that will have you inspired by the epicurean delights and horrified by the monstrous behaviours.
A group of wealthy guests that includes acclaimed food critics, movie stars and successful business tycoons and professionals ascend on a remote private island to be immersed in an exclusive culinary experience delivered by world renown celebrity chef Julian Slowik. A series of decadent and painstakingly created course are delivered with a monologue and introductions from Julian himself, but as the night slowly progresses so does the extreme delivery of the menu.
Actors Hong Chau, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult and John Leguizamo are all terrific, but it is Ralph Fiennes who shines the brightest here, delivering all of chef Julian Slowik's intensity and insanity with a flawless ease and compelling conviction.
Deliciously evil and delightfully entertaining, The Menu delivers a hard hitting social commentary about wealth, privilege and exploitation. It is over the top bonkers at times, and utterly implausible, but it is a highly entertaining satire worthy of your time.
FINAL SAY: You will eat less than you desire and more than you deserve.
4 Chilli Peppers
Release Date: 2022
Rating: M 15+
Running Time: 107 mins
A black-comedy drama directed by Mark Mylod and written by Seth Reiss and Will Tracy that will have you inspired by the epicurean delights and horrified by the monstrous behaviours.
A group of wealthy guests that includes acclaimed food critics, movie stars and successful business tycoons and professionals ascend on a remote private island to be immersed in an exclusive culinary experience delivered by world renown celebrity chef Julian Slowik. A series of decadent and painstakingly created course are delivered with a monologue and introductions from Julian himself, but as the night slowly progresses so does the extreme delivery of the menu.
Actors Hong Chau, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult and John Leguizamo are all terrific, but it is Ralph Fiennes who shines the brightest here, delivering all of chef Julian Slowik's intensity and insanity with a flawless ease and compelling conviction.
Deliciously evil and delightfully entertaining, The Menu delivers a hard hitting social commentary about wealth, privilege and exploitation. It is over the top bonkers at times, and utterly implausible, but it is a highly entertaining satire worthy of your time.
FINAL SAY: You will eat less than you desire and more than you deserve.
4 Chilli Peppers
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