Lunch On-the-Go

My weight has been stable the past week or so. I'm now at 81.3 kgs, so another gradual loss :-)

At 5.3 kgs from my goal weight I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have been a bit more relaxed with my intake but in saying that, I am committed to my goal and I am still following the low carb / low sugar plan while aiming to achieve balance through using the 'new food pyramid' structure.

Working the past few weeks has made it a challenge for me. I am not always home to prepare a nutritious lunch and I have not been organised enough to prepare ahead for lunches on the run. I need to get on top of this because often I choose not to have lunch and this only slows the metabolism and makes me hungry, tired and irritable :-( not good for fat burning or for those around me!

My main options are - pack a salad, low carb bread sandwich, fruit, nuts, a smoothie or shake (if I can keep it cold) or leftovers (if I can either keep it cool or reheat if necessary). Sounds simple enough and if I'm organising this for my family, then why can't I do it for myself?

Next week I am putting a bigger focus on 

getting my lunches on-the-go sorted by having some practical, healthy solutions  in place and being better organised to  make sure that I have have a healthy lunch to eat every day. 

The Low Down on Calories

I used to calorie count a lot in my younger dieting years.  I had a handbook (before the days of the Internet) and I committed the calories of certain food items to memory.

It was something I found was a useful tool in deciding how much I should eat to either lose or maintained my weight (which ever I was trying to achieve).

These days it is something I do automatically when I am preparing meals.  Usually I guestimate based on my knowledge and previous experience, but occasionally I do a more scientific calculation or look online.

So, what are calories?  They are a unit of measure (like metres and litres) but in relation to the energy value of food (at least that is my definition).  Calories seem to apply more to the US while the more common measure in NZ is kilojoules or kJ's.  You will see reference to them on the back of food packaging showing the energy value of the contents, per serving and usually per 100 grams.

While I normally don't subscribe to US units of measure (I like my metric system of centimetres and metres, over inches and yards),  I do prefer calories over kilojoules.  Here is why:
There is almost exactly 1 calorie to 4 kilojoules.  This means there are less numbers to remember when it comes to learning and remembering how many calories are in food items.  For example, a serving (2) Farmbake chocolate chip cookies (not normally on my list folks, but is a treat for the kids :-) is 503kJ -  so that is about 125 calories.  I use that value and halve it to get the per biscuit value of 63.  For me it is far easier to remember the lower number of 63, than 125 calories 'per serve' or 503 kJ. 

If you struggle with the math (as I do at times), you can use a calorie / kilojoule conversion tool, like this one:  
http://www.bupa.com.au/health-and-wellness/tools-and-apps/tools-and-calculators/calorie-converter

So, how is knowing how many calories are in something a helpful tool?  Well, once you calculate your daily calorie requirements (how many your body will use) you can then start to count your calories to ensure that you either maintain or lose weight. 

Here is a simple online calorie calculator tool to work out your daily calorie requirements (to maintain your current weight) http://www.mayoclinic.org/calorie-calculator/itt-20084939

My estimated calories needed to maintain my current weight works out to 2150.

With this magic number, in theory, I can work out how much I can eat or not eat depending on my goals. 

Note, if I become more active the number increases, likewise, if I become less active it decreases and my daily food intake needs to adjust to suit my activity level.

So what can I eat with a daily allowance of 2150 calories?  Well it's not all about quantity it is about quality and achieving balance (think of the food pyramid).  Yes, I could use my allowance to eat four Big Macs or 34 farm bake cookies and in theory I would not gain weight. But, what kind of nutritional benefit does that offer my body? 

Calorie counting must be used in combination with your nutrition plan.  You must also be sensible about restricting calories.  I have been down the path of extreme diets and let me tell you, reducing your calories too drastically will not help you achieve steady and sustainable weight loss or help you form healthy eating habits.

I tend to aim for an intake of around 3/4 of the estimated calories to ensure steady and controlled weight loss, but I'm not ruled by planning out my calories and getting the numbers right.  It is just one tool I use to help me get the balance right.

The BLT Low Carb Salad

Today's lunch is a classic example of turning a sandwich idea into a low carb salad. The BLT which I would have (back in my high carb days) made with a slice of bacon, two slices of tomato and a lonely piece of lettuce between two thick pieces of bread, has now become the BLT Salad!

I used two heaped cups of greens (baby spinach and baby kale leaves), a whole tomato (sliced) and two slices of bacon, along with mushrooms, cheese and mayo for extra flavour.  Man was it tasty! 

The bacon is from our own home reared pigs so is a cost effective protein option. The vege component was the most expensive part of the meal, but overall it was not too bad at around $3 for a delicious meal.  

The New Food Pyramid

  

A while back I wrote a post and included the 'new food pyramid'  This is one which was developed by an organisation called Fitness First.   Details are available on their website:  http://www.fitnessfirst.com.au/healthy-eating/the-new-food-pyramid/

There are a few schools of thought around what the healthy food pyramid should look like.  Back in the day it looked more like this:

 

 

 

 

The food groups in the same position as the newer model pyramids are veges and the sweets and treats category.  So there is some consensus.

The most obvious change is the whole grains, which have now moved from the bottom of the pyramid (eat most) to third from the top, in the newer model I follow.

A recent NZ Herald article http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11451171 stated that 'The Healthy Eating Pyramid has had it's first update in 15 years'.  This is the model that they discussed:

 

 

While I agree with the placement of vegetables, I have an issue with the order of the remaining categories.  I have a firm belief that proteins and healthy fats should rate higher (sit lower on the pyramid) than cereals or grains.  You will also notice that junk food / treats are not featured on this pyramid.  Apparently they no longer exist - however I'm pretty certain that they do exist and feature in most diets (a little unrealistic to assume that we will never have treats!).  It is a pretty pyramid, but I'm not convinced it is right for me.

I guess there is no right or wrong answer.  At the end of the day we each need to decide for ourselves what we should put into our own bodies.   We are all individuals and what suits one person may not suit another.  Guidance is good, but it's up to us to make choices we can live with.

Please note:  The opinions in this blog are my own based on my own research and experience.  I am not an expert Nutrition Advisor or qualified Doctor (although these days you almost need to be in order to take good care of yourself).  Please, do seek advice from a trusted health care professional should you wish to talk to someone about nutrition and healthy eating :-)

Making it Work

The hardest part of returning to work is making work - work.

When you are already busy meeting the demands of running a household and then you throw a full-time job in the mix, where on earth are you supposed to find the time to spend with the kids or go to dentist appointments, or ring your Mum?

Work/life balance is one of the hardest things to achieve but probably the most important part of working.  At the end of the day, family is our number one priority and it is vital that businesses recognise this.

Having a boss that fully understands that you have kids and that there are times that work has to take a back seat while family takes the front seat (sometimes to the emergency room, or a sports day or whatever) is a rare and valuable thing.

While I'm doing a lot of hours at the moment, I am trying to keep sight of the big picture and making sure that I give priority to my life's VIPs - who I happen to live with ;-). Fortunately I have a boss who is completely on board with what is important in life and shares the work/life balance philosophy.

It is still a challenge, one that I face every day and sometimes I feel like I get it all wrong and I'm a bad parent or that I'm not achieving enough of my work goals but, I'm trying and ultimately that's all any of us can do.

I'm still working on a recipe for the work/life balance secret sauce - when I have it, I'll let you know!

Carb and Sugar Fuelled Weekend!

It's all gone pear shaped and if I don't watch it, so will I!

What a weekend - bread, cake, potato and sugary drinks.  To be fair, I was not binge eating, I still exercised self control and made sure my portions were not excessive. I listened to my body and stopped eating when I felt full - so I can feel good about that.  But Oh did I indulge in all those things I have been trying to avoid :-(

The sad part was that I really enjoyed them! I think the thing I enjoyed the most was ginger beer (Bundaberg). God that stuff is good! I haven't had a sugar laden drink in nearly 6 months and it was heaven. Not so much the sugar part, but the ginger was devine. Okay, the sugar was pretty good.

What the heck has happened to my will power? Why am I not working harder to stick to the programme? Work has made life busier, but I still need to make wise choices around my nutrition.

I need to put the weekend behind me and focus on getting my nutrition right! More preparation behind lunches that I can pack and then eat on the run and saying NO to the naughties!

82 Kg Selfie

6 kgs till goal weight! 

20 Kgs in 20 Weeks!

I made it!  82.4 kgs down from 102.4 kgs.

It took 20 weeks, but I did it.  I'm a size 14, down from an 18-20 and my BMI is nudging ever closer to the healthy weight range, currently I'm at 26.3 (bang in the middle of the overweight category), down about 7 from my original 33 (which was well into the obese category).

So where to from here?  Well, I still have my sights set on 76 kgs as my goal weight (which actually still sits inside the overweight range.  I'm not letting the BMI scale dictate where I want to be, but I'm using it as a tool to help guide me.  I'm only 6.4 kgs from goal weight and it seems completely realistic and achievable over the next 6-8 weeks.

My level of physical activity has reduced recently (more time in front of the computer with my new job) but I have been careful to take that into consideration and I'm monitoring things closely.  I'm determined to make it, I've got this far and I'm not stopping now :-)

Working Girl Selfie

It's been a while since I selfied. All dressed for work :-) 

My current weight is 82.6 kgs. I'm inching closer to my next target and my goal weight. 6.6 kgs to go!

Busy Times Ahead

I have officially found employment! I joined the company on Friday.

I have started my induction with a newly formed business, working with a dynamic and passionate team.

I have loads to learn in my new role, so it's busy times ahead from now.  Here goes... 

Heading Home

After almost a week away from my family, I am heading home.

I miss my family, but it has been nice to see my Auckland friends and family.

It will be so sweet to be home again. There are some exciting things happening on the career front, so watch this space.

The weight loss is still progressing. 82.8 kgs as of this morning. My next target is close - 20 kgs lost soon!