22 Oct Top 6 things I did to get fit, healthy and lose weight

Over the last six or so years it seems my clothes have been shrinking.   Don’t laugh that’s

Feeling on top of the world after a run

what it feels like.  My favourite jeans wouldn’t do up and my green beaded top wouldn’t get over my head what was going on?  I blame it all on the Tieri Tummy.

I moved to a very social town, a mining town where neighbours talk to each other and like each other.  And so started the barbeque’s and the saucy sauv blanc’s with the neighbours a couple of times a week. It was also in the golden era, but now distant memory of the DINKS (Double income no kids).  There was plenty of time for dinner at the pub and bowly, drinks at the Golfy and holidays to Airlie Beach, Melbourne, Sydney and where ever our heart desired.

Yes I did have work to go and their was a bit of exercise thrown in there, but as I got older it wasn’t enough.  I needed to know more about what was going to keep me fit and healthy.  From the time I moved into Tieri town after until six years later when I left I had put on the Tieri ten (kilos)!  It was time to take action I started doing some reading.

I read the 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss and took some bits from that and although I wasn’t that keen on the 12 week body transformation , I read Michelle Bridges books.  I took the insights and the bits I could easily put into action. I didn’t want to follow all the rules that was too much hard work.  I read the health and fitness columns in the Sunday paper, scanned the Body & Soul lift outs.  I armed myself with the knowledge, then I needed to find the tools.

The news that we were moving to Mudgee a town with a gym and creche, fitness classes and lots of like minded souls gave me the fitness tools and it was the change that I needed to get started.  Gym for me was a social outing as well as an opportunity to get fit and child minding was my motivator to not miss a session and get moving.

That’s what I think helps just one little thing, one motivator that will get you started and keep you healthy.

These are the top six things I think helped me to get fit, healthy and lose weight and that might help you too:

1. Exercise three times a week.  I committed to going to the gym or doing some sort of exercise even if it was just yoga at home whether I felt like it or not three times a week minimum.  I also went for a walk, jog or gym on the weekends when hubby was home.
2. Change the size of the plate.   Our dinner plates went from flying saucers to a bit bigger than a side plate.  It makes a difference to your weight when you’ve got a smaller plate!
3. Make dinner meals smaller and cut out as many of the carbs as possible.  We started eating less at night and heaps more vegies much to Matt’s horror. So we’d have a palm size piece of meat, no more than one quarter of the plate potato, pasta or carbs and the other half of the plate is vegies so peas, beans, carrots, broccoli etc.
4. Include protein as part of breakfast. Milk on cereal, eggs with toast, protein shakes.  I make sure I have some protein with breakky.  I have a couple of protein shakes a couple of morning a week with roughly a heaped tablespoon of protein powder (I like healthy mummy protein powder it already has fibre in it), berries/fruit, 250 ml  of low fat milk and oat bran all mixed up with a stab blender.
5. Get to know the types of meals that have 300 cal.  I’m not one for sticking to a menu plan but books like Tim Ferriss and Michelle Bridges,   give you the info to know that one piece of toast and two boiled/poached eggs with rocket, oats, yoghurt and berries, special K and berries, are all a healthy amount of calories for breakfast. Know your go to acceptable calorie meals that are easy for you for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
6. Eat lots of salads with lots of greens and  a little bit of protein for lunch.  I try to eat a salad for lunch most days.  A 110 gram of tuna or some chicken with a couple of handfuls of rocket/spinach and then some extras.  Tomatoes, cheese, capers, olives. Most days I don’t have carbs with lunch.  If I do it’s a little bit of pasta, cous cous or I put my salad on a wrap. If I can’t have a salad,I have a sandwich with salad and protein or both.

None of it’s rocket science and what helped me might not help you but showing up to start will be your biggest challenge.

I’m always wanting to learn more, what are your top tips for being fit, health and losing weight?