Lose Weight Slow

I know this is a hard concept to grasp. Lets face it, we want rid of those extra kilos NOW! We want to fit into a size 12 NOW not next week, next month or even next year!

But the sad truth is if you lose weight fast you will put it back on faster! Your mind/body system does not like change and the one thing it hates more than change is quick change. So the only way to fool it into submission is to lose weight so slowly that it doesn't catch on until its too late! That way your changes have a chance of being permanent.

I've taken over two years to lose 30kg and I don't care if it takes another two to lose the next 30! In fact I don't care if it takes another ten! Those ten years will pass anyway and the important thing is losing it. Sure I'd love someone to wave a magic wand and make me a size 12 now - I'm human! But if being a 12 NOW meant being back to a 20 in a few weeks or months then I wouldn't take it. Losing it is too challenging to do it more than once.

For me the big thing that set me out on the path to weight loss success was accepting that it would take time and probably a lot of time and that was ok. Realising that a crash diet, cabbage soup diet, lemonade diet, even Atkins or South Beach was never going to change my life is actually what has saved it!

The thing for me is that life is too short not to go off course occasionally - the best scenery is off the beaten track! Friends are more important than diets and if that friend happens to make a killer chocolate cake then so be it! I'm not going to avoid them, and lets face it, I'm probably not going to avoid the cake either so what I will do is enjoy every morsel and then get back on track tomorrow.

Oh dear

Oh dear! Blew the detox! I was doing so well but this morning was a very early start and my routine was completely messed up. So for lunch, instead of my usual lovely healthy raw salad, I had a tuna salad Subway. Not the end of the world, I know, but annoying that I can be blown off course by a simple change in routine. Oh, and I am really going to suffer for the wheat!

Starting to realise that a huge amount of this "losing it" thing is about preparation, preparation and more preparation. I knew I had an early start and I could have been prepared for it. Still, its all about making mistakes and learning from them. Who was it who said "good judgement comes from experience, experience comes from bad judgement"?

OH BTW here's the recipe for my lovely raw lunch - its really tasty and filling and the best part is it takes ages to eat so there's no chance of feeling deprived! Its sort of based on The Juice Master: Turbo-charge Your Life in 14 Days turbo charged salad but I've tweaked it a bit! The tahini dressing makes it feel super rich and indulgent when it really isn't!

First there's the basic salad:
I cup raw red cabbage (or white if that's all you've got) grated or thinly sliced
Half a carrot grated (or more if you fancy)
Half an apple
A stick of celery
Half a small cucumber
A handful of pumpkin seeds

Then you can add any or all of the following:
An avocado
Half a bulb of fennel
A couple of sprigs of brocoli. grated or chopped
Half a pepper chopped
Spinach leaves, rocket leaves, lettuce - whatever greenery takes your fancy
A couple of tablespoons of beans - cannelini, kidney, borlotti, whatever you prefer (though Heinz baked beans might be stretching it a little!)
A handful of walnuts
4 olives, black or green, your choice
A small tin of tuna (don't buy the flaked stuff though, it tastes like catfood! Well, not that I've tasted catfood...)
Half a cup of cold (but cooked) brown rice

And the dressing:
One tablespoon of tahini
One and a half tablespoons of olive oil
A tablespoon of cider vinegar or balsamic
Juice of half a lemon or a whole lime
And if you're feeling really indulgent a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup!
Put all these in a jar and shake and you have instant mayonnaise!

Chop or grate everything to a manageable size and stir thoroughly then pour over the dressing and stir again. Enjoy!

hello

OK this is my first ever blog post so I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing here. Practicing maybe?

This blog is about losing weight but its also about shedding all the other crap that comes with that.

If losing weight was just about eating less, how simple life would be. But only the effortlessly thin truly believe that! And I've got news for you guys - virtually no one stays effortlessly thin forever! So enjoy it while you can.

I believe in living life to the max and I don't believe to lose the weight I want to I have to deprive myself forever. I've got 30kg to lose so I'm in this for the long run. And if the long run meant no chocolate again ever I'd be doomed to fail!

And in case anyone is wondering how I can call myself an expert - well, I may have 30kg to lose but I've already lost the first 30 - so I must be doing something right!

Right now I'm on day 4 of a major detox - with all the joys that brings. More on that later - I've got lunch to make!