The year of the healthy eater

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Bo

This year has definitely been the year of the ~~diet~~ healthy eating plan. Not a week has gone by without some article popping up on the web or tweets about no carbs, low carbs, Paleo, Atkins, Dukan… you name it. I’ve watched the outcry from dieticians against Professor Tim Noakes’ revolutionary eating plan. I’ve become aware of the Sleek Geek movement and the numerous updates. Even buddies of ours swapped the regular burgers and beers for green leaves and black coffee. It’s truly been a year where everyone has joined one or other healthy eating plan in the hope of losing weight.

So when KK completed the RAC Tough One 32km running race recently, we were discussing the race and it got me thinking. You see, as a runner, KK will never walk during a race. In his mind, it’s a running race and the only time he walks is through the water stops. Yet walking during a race is very much part of my races. My walk/run strategy is what gets me to the finish line. Both of us are runners but with very different running styles. We do what works for us.

And I guess that’s the point with diets too. Noakes’ eating plan is not for everyone, but it has worked for him. Sleek Geek has motivated loads of people, but the whole group thing might turn some people off. And yes, those on the cabbage/South California/Atkins diet might feel great for a week when they are able to lose 6kgs, and that’s okay.

Let them enjoy the high while it lasts. We’re all different and sometimes, something that works for me might not necessarily work for someone else. The key is to not judge or criticize but try to support as much as I can. Because let’s face it, there’s nothing as wonderful as crossing that finish line or losing those kilo’s! Is there?

It’ll happen. Just calm down…

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Bo

I do not have any patience. Fact!

After starting my eating plan (diet is a dirty word!) at the end of July, I expected to see the weight dropping off, especially since I had stuck to the rules, denied myself chips and chuckles and ensured I kept my daily salads exciting and fresh.

At my last appointment with Melanie, my dietitian, I complained bitterly. It’s really disheartening to see others around me losing 1kg a week and making it look so easy. I’m not even able to lose 1kg a month!

I am busting myself at gym with my personal trainer, I’ve added in a spinning class. I have also tried to keep up the running training. But it’s starting to get to me.

She listened and then methodically went through my daily eating schedule and made one or two adjustments. Then she sat back and smiled and said, “Bron, a watched scale doesn’t drop. Stop stressing…”.

I think if anything, sticking to a strict eating plan is teaching me more about patience than anything else. I’m okay with the discipline. I’m good with my portion sizes. In fact, I even enjoy the gym and watching how hard I can push myself.

But once again, it’s never about the physical, it’s always what’s going on in my head and keeping that in check. It’s about calming down and keeping at it. It’s constantly reminding myself that I will lose weight and that I am doing everything right.

I know this! If anything, my running training has always taught me this. It doesn’t just happen overnight. It’s the hard work that pays off. Eventually.

Patience Bron.

Time for a clean up

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Bo

I’ve heard it so many times before: If you are trying to lose weight, make sure you don’t stock anything that can potentially tempt you. To be honest, if I’m going to be serious about sticking to a proper, healthy eating plan, I got to do what’s right.

So I finally cleaned out my sweet cupboard. By cleaned out, I don’t mean I sat down and ate everything. I literally threw stuff away and took the rest of the sweets to work (only to make my colleagues grow chubby!).

I have been meaning to do it for ages but never got around to doing it and every weekend, I’d just buy more and more goodies, adding to the heap.

My weakness is chips. I love chips! Any flavour but especially the chutney flavoured ones.

Funny enough, I am able to resist chocolates. In fact, some years have gone by when we’ve had to throw Easter eggs away because they’ve gone old.

Sorting through the cupboard, I was horrified that so many of the sweets had passed their expiry date. So much of it had to be thrown away as it was inedible. Some of the goodies I had no memory of even buying. Worst of all was that some of it were gifts from people that had gone to waste.

What’s left in my cupboard are packets of nuts, dried fruit (and maybe one bag of speckled eggs and a pack of caramello bears). But no more chocolates. No more buckets of sour gums. No more chips.

And it feels good…

Why do we allow things in our lives to gather dust? Why do we put off clearing out and getting rid of things in our lives that are only causing us to slip up or not accomplish our goals? How come we don’t see how unnecessary things take up so much space in our lives?