Four Years On...

So this time four years ago we had a bit of a party weekend as Simon and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. And as is customary with any party there was plenty of food and drink.

But on the Monday morning I started something that would change everything I thought I knew about food and diet.

Through a chance conversation with my daughter's karate instructors I took up a challenge they had developed called '90 Day Get Real Fat Loss'. The idea being that try something for 90 days, make a difference to how you look and what you weigh and then keep that change going for life.

Well four years on I am living proof that you can make a change to decades of being told to eat a certain way, that the weight and inches can be lost, that the loss can be maintained and that this new way of eating is easily sustainable.

For years, like I think most people, I'd not been happy with those numbers on the scale or what I saw looking back at me in the mirror. Now I know I wasn't obese, and I probably wasn't even classified as being overweight. Friends would tell me I looked fine, that I had nothing to worry about. But for me it obviously was something I worried about.

My mum was diabetic and so I kind of knew that she had to avoid sweet stuff but that didn't stop us having sweet stuff in the house. Before Simon and I got married and had a place of our own we would pretty much eat whatever we wanted. I knew that too many cakes, biscuits and chocolate bars weren't good for you but I was active...we would be out three nights a week at clubs dancing for hours and then we started going to the gym three, maybe even, four times a week so we were burning off that bad stuff - right?

About a year before we got married Simon's mum was diagnosed with high cholesterol and so Simon got tested in case it was hereditary and lo and behold he too had high levels. In the late 1980's this was all new to us; what did it all mean? The advice given by the doctor was to cut back on our fat and dairy intake as otherwise we were heading for heart problems and an increased risk of dying from a heart attack! With warnings like that we did as we were told. Out went the butter, the full fat milk, no more eggs and forget about cheese and fatty meats literally overnight!

So for the next 25 years or so we followed, what we were all being told to follow, a low fat diet; after all this would work for those pesky high cholesterol levels as well as my mum's diabetes. We ate pasta, rice, stuck to chicken and fish, had cereals and toast for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch. We had low fat or fat free salad dressings and yogurts...in fact anything that had low fat, or fat free, on the label we probably had it in the cupboard and fridge. After all picking up a chocolate bar or dessert or biscuit with low fat blazoned across the packaging meant we could indulge with a clear conscience.

Oh how wrong we were!

So four years ago I decided to try something different. One thing I'd never done was to follow any mass marketed slimming regime...the skeptic in me always thought these were a bit of a scam and besides I really didn't fancy parting with hard earned cash to stand on a scale in a room full of people and be told whether I'd put on or lost a pound! But this 'Get Real Fat Loss' was different; it was developed by a karate instructor (Jason) who had an understanding of nutrition and was fed up of hearing the mums of the kids he was teaching moaning about weight loss and hearing the horror stories of their weight loss regimes. I saw photos of women I knew and the difference that this programme had made to their bodies. These weren't touched up, magazine, promotional photos these were genuine photos viewed on someone's phone. I think it was seeing these real life results that made me think 'what have I got to lose?'.

The great thing was that under the guidance of Jason I had to figure out what would work best for me. After recording my food for a week Jason was able to analyse what I was eating and then come up with the best ratio of fat, protein and carbohydrate that I should be consuming. Now I have spoke about this before on previous posts but suffice to say the big change I had to make was to reduce my carb intake and up my fat! I estimate that my daily carb intake back then was around the 230g mark and this had to reduce down to about 70g per day; that was a big change!

But I was all set to give this a go; I looked at what I had been eating to see where the changes had to be made - bread, pasta, rice, potatoes....OK so my first reaction was what can I have instead of these? Initially I would have a very small new potato with my salad and meat of choice or perhaps I would have literally 3 or 4 chips (fries) with my meal. When it came to rice I discovered very early on that cauliflower rice was a good substitute. But you know what? After a short while I realised that I didn't actually miss these foods and the more I thought about it the more I came to the conclusion that these were actually quite bland and were just 'fillers' on my plate.

About 60 days in I reached my 'goal' weight and by the end of the 90 days I'd lost another 7 pounds. It was the first time in my life that attempting any kind of 'diet' had produced the dramatic results that you dream of. But more importantly I was enjoying my food, enjoying the results I'd achieved and knew that I couldn't go back to my old ways.

But what about exercise I hear you say - well yes when I first started the challenge I would complete a series of body weight exercises at home, twice a day. So simple stuff like squats, lunges, press-ups and a few planks. But these did not get rid of the pounds these simply helped shape and tone what I'd got! For about the past year and a bit I've swapped daily exercise at home for visiting the gym a few times a week. This has proved to be great fun as we get to go as a family and lift heavy weights! I know that since going to the gym I have put on a few pounds but I also know that my muscle mass has increased while my measurements have remained pretty constant.

It was only after I'd reached the end of the 90 day challenge that I came across a book by Gary Taubes called 'Why we get fat and what to do about it'. I remember reading it and everything just fell into place; this book echoed everything that I had done. It gave me the science behind what I had done...I was living proof of what adopting a low carb, high fat lifestyle was all about.

So here we are four years on and we are still a low carb family (Oh yes all for one and one for all in this house!). I wouldn't change the way I eat now for anything. We eat well, we eat till we are full and we enjoy what we eat. I have a fridge full of butter, cream cheese, eggs (lots of eggs), double cream, full fat milk, greek yogurt and cheese. We eat red meat as well as chicken and fish. We have bacon for breakfast every morning! I have red wine most evenings and always a little dark chocolate - 85% is my favourite at the moment. What's not to love about all of that?!

So for some facts and figures;

At the start of my 90 day challenge I weighed 147lbs and by the end I weighed 126lbs, a loss of 21 pounds. I did lose more weight after the 90 days dropping a total of 28 pounds. Since then I think my body has found a more natural weight around 128 - 130lbs which I am quite happy with and have maintained this now for almost 2 years.

I have lost, and maintained, 2.5 inches from my waist, 3 inches from my hips and 2.75 inches from my bust.

Here come the photos - eek! These were all taken on a mobile phone and have not been altered in anyway!

June 2014

September 2014

June 2018

June 2014

September 2014

June 2018

June 2014

September 2014

June 2018

So that's me...now and then...as I've said before if I can do it, anyone can. Low carb all the way!

One Year On...

Well this time a year ago I decided to take up a challenge for 90 days to see if I could lose some weight, get toned but more importantly eat healthier.

My target was to lose about 12lbs in weight in 90 days; starting at 10st 5lbs (145lbs) I wanted to get down to about 9st 7lbs (133lbs). So how did I do and more importantly how am I doing now?

Well if you've read my previous posts on this blog, or read the page entitled 'Getting Real' you will have a pretty good idea of the outcome. But for those of you who haven't let me give you a quick run down of what I've achieved over the last year and how I've done it.

So after seeing an inspirational film called 'Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead' and a chance conversation with my daughters karate instructor I signed up for a locally run scheme called 'Get Real Fat Loss'. This wasn't a diet, or a weight loss gimmick but rather a new approach to eating and exercise and making it all about a lifestyle choice. Everyone on the challenge was treated as an individual, with daily goals set for your intake of calories, fat, carbohydrates and proteins.

The big difference to my food intake at the time (which I thought was pretty ok!) was a big reduction in the amount of carbohydrates I was eating; this meant cutting out those high sugar, starchy foods - bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, cereals etc. And while it was a little tricky to get used to at first I soon found myself adapting to it and just getting on with it. In fact I wasn't really missing what had up until then been regular items in my day-to-day foods, and when I saw the pounds disappearing too I knew it was all worth it.

Now it wasn't just a change to the way I was eating that took place it was also a change to my exercise routine. Not a lover of exercise I had attempted to do some running and although this had been a bit hit and miss I had managed to keep plugging away at it. But now I stopped running and instead concentrated on core body-weight exercises twice a day; a combination of things like squats, planks, lunges, press-ups etc.

Then by about day 56 I found that I had reached my target of 9st 7lbs (133lbs). I was determined to see it through to the end of the 90 days to see just exactly what I could achieve. Besides I was loving the new me so much and I was determined to keep me that way!

By the time I reached day 90 I weighed in at 9st 0.4lbs (126.4lbs) a total loss of 18.6lbs. I had also managed to lose 6cm from my thighs and waist, 6.5cm from my bust and 7cm from my hips. I was thrilled with the results but also found that this new way of eating and exercising was now just the 'norm'. So I signed up for the 'Lifestyle' section of the 'Get Real Fat Loss' program which aimed to help keep me 'on track' as well as to offer support, advice and guidance.

Around the middle of November last year I had reached a weight of 8st 6.4lbs (118.4lbs), losing a further 1.5cm from my thighs, 2 cm from my bust and 4 cm from my hips. Since then my weight and measurements have remained constant; I have been able to maintain this weight for 7 months!!

So one year on and I have lost approximately 28lbs in weight and 7.5cm from my thighs, 8.5cm from my bust and 11cm from my hips!!

Now for the scary bit...the photos!!! I have worn the exact same set of clothes in each photo, and tried to take them in the same position each time. These have not been 'touched up' or altered, they are exactly as you see them here.

9th June 2014

6th September 2014 - Day 90

7th June 2015 - 1 Year On

Posing - just because I can ;)

This is not a diet, this is a lifestyle, this is the new and improved me! I shall not be going back to my old ways of eating I shall be staying focused and eating what I now know to be the right foods to keep my weight constant and more importantly, keep me healthy.

Bye 2014 Hello 2015

So we've come to that time of year when it's traditional to look back on another year and look forward to the new one that's about to begin...and while it may be a cliche to do so I thought it was the right thing to do.

So what has 2014 been all about for me...well personally it's been a year of changes, sacrifices and moving forward.

The year started off with me getting into the swing of recording podcasts with good friend Michelle as we got the Disney Dream Girls Podcast well and truly up and running.  We are still going strong and have had great fun recording and chatting with some brilliant guests.

I finally managed to complete my review of our 2013 visit to Walt Disney World, although it did take me till the end of August (a full year) to do it! This was a great way to relive those memories, especially as we knew there would be no Disney trip this year as personal circumstances meant this was not going to be financially viable...but by year end I can say that we are officially counting down to Disney...Disneyland Paris!! (38 days as I type woo hoo!)

Although I did get a little Disney fix by getting my fourth tattoo (all Disney inspired of course!)

Around Easter time I decided to get my running shoes back on after a lapse of about 6 months and adopted the Jeff Galloway 'run-walk-run' approach which worked really well for me. It was also around this time that I decided to make some changes and give myself a healthier lifestyle, this was triggered by two things; firstly I saw the film 'Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead' and secondly I had a chance conversation with my daughters karate instructor. The film was inspirational, not for the methods used in the film, but for the stories and the people who had the determination to make changes in their lives.  The conversation gave me the tools to bring about the change, it was the introduction to the 'Get Real Fat Loss' program.

Taking up the initial 90 day challenge of the 'Get Real Fat Loss' program, and then continuing beyond, has been my biggest personal success and achievement this year. Through a personalised approach to fat loss, exercise and eating I have managed to lose 2 Stone (28lbs) in weight, I have dropped 2 (sometimes 3!!) dress sizes and around 7cms from thighs, waist and bust and 10cms from my hips.  I didn't think I had that much to lose but I can honestly say that I now feel and look better than I can ever remember. I now wear clothes without feeling self conscious or worried that I have lumps in places I'd rather I didn't.  The food that we (yes the rest of the family too...can't be cooking different meals for different people so we all eat together and eat the same things) is so much better than it was this time last year; we have cut out the processed foods and replaced them with lots of fresh foods, veggies and salads and we are all loving it.  We have all either lost weight or seen improvements in complexions or skin conditions so it really has benefited the whole family. And while over the Christmas break I have allowed myself a few treats I know that going forward this new approach is here to stay.

In June Simon and I celebrated 25 years of marriage...we had a great party with loads of friends to celebrate in style.

Yes that is me wearing my wedding dress!

The later part of the year saw us host our annual Halloween party, book the aforementioned trip to Disneyland Paris and close out the year with the usual festive happenings.

So as the year draws to a close I can look forward happy in the knowledge that I have made the most of what 2014 had to offer and that 2015 is another year that will be filled with challenges no doubt but also with friends, family and a sprinkle of Disney magic.  I wish everyone out there a very happy, healthy and safe New Year and may 2015 bring you a year filled with love, happiness and friendships xx

90 Day Challenge

So for those of you that are regular visitors to this blog you will know that I have recently been under taking a bit of a challenge...a 90 day challenge in fact...a challenge that ended yesterday...or did it?!

So let me fill you in on what I'm talking about and how it all came about.

The tag line for this blog is 'blogging, jogging, podcasting and planning my way to the Magic Kingdom'.  When this blog started I had decided it was time to get myself off the couch and get fit...or at least fitter than I was!  With, at the time, an upcoming visit planned for Walt Disney World and specifically Coronado Springs Resort my aim was to be able to jog around Lago Dorado at the resort...it was a little 'carrot' to get me moving!

Well it worked, it got me off my butt and moving, although there were a few occasions over the next 12 months or so where the jogging stopped and I had to re-start.  But each time I did I was always pleasantly surprised by how easily I picked it up.  Now I am not a runner (in fact I often refer to my running as a bouncy walk!) but through using the 'Couch 2 5K' method and then later the Jeff Galloway 'run-walk-run' method I was able to get out and move!

Let's move forward to around Easter this year when Simon showed me a film called 'Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead'.  It was a documentary that followed an Australian called Joe Cross who had decided that he needed to do something about his weight and the amount of medication he was on for a skin condition.  Now his solution was to travel across America on a 60 day juice diet which for him brought about some amazing results.  Now it wasn't the method that he used to shed his weight that got to me (hubby is a real skeptic and insists that I share links on why Detox Diets aren't scientifically sound and how the science behind Juice Fasting doesn't hold up, making them an expensive and damaging waste of money) but it was the inspiration he gave to others and the effect that had on them.  In particular one lorry driver that the documentary followed for the later half of the film; this was a chap that was considerably obese but he made the decision to change and do something about it which to me was inspirational...it left me with a feeling of 'well if he can do it what the hell am I moaning about'.

So I resolved that as a family we would start eating better; we would eat healthier foods and reduce the processed foods that were just too easy to turn to...and we did, we started to make the change and you know what it was fine, it wasn't a big deal we just did it!

A few weeks into our new healthier eating I was chatting to Molly's karate instructor, Selina, who told me about a programme her husband Jason had started called 'Get Real Fat Loss'. She showed me some photos of herself before and after the challenge and I was amazed. She spoke about how easy it was to adopt a new way of eating and how it didn't leave her feeling hungry; I was intrigued.

So after speaking with Simon and then chatting with Jason I decided to sign up for a '90 Day Get Real Fat Loss Challenge'...I figured I had nothing to lose after all I just wanted to be eating healthier and getting fitter and if I managed to lose a few pounds as well along the way then I would be really happy.

On Monday 9th June I started my challenge, 90 days of a new way of eating plus exercises twice a day.  The great thing with this programme is that it is designed for each person individually it is not a 'one size fits all' approach.  You provide Jason with a food diary for a week and he tells you what you should be doing by breaking down your calories with regard to your fat, protein and carbohydrate intake. And then through a private Facebook group you share what you're eating each day and what exercises you are doing, along with weekly weight and measurement updates.  From this Jason can monitor your progress and change, if needed, your calories etc.

So I started at 10 stone 5lbs (145lbs) with the aim of getting to around 9 stone 7lbs (133lbs), well 90 days later and I have surpassed my goal and now weigh 9 stone 0.4lbs (126.4lbs) a total loss of 18.6lbs.  I have also managed to lose 6 cm from my thighs and waist, 6.5cm from my bust and 7cm from my hips.

The change is so dramatic that at times it has taken some getting used to...I also now need a completely new wardrobe as most of my clothes are literally just hanging off me! But this is a change I am very happy about (if a little unexpected!) and now my challenge continues as I learn how to keep the new me that I have created.

But I know that I can do it; I have the support of Jason and all the girls currently enrolled in the challenge as well as, and most importantly, an amazing and supportive and encouraging husband in Simon.  He has been so supportive all the way through and I know that he is proud of what I have achieved and that in itself is an added bonus in all of this - thank you Simon, love you always xx

As I now embark on the next phase of this journey I would say to anyone out there who is fed up with their weight, or the way they look or simply know they should be eating and living better you can do something about it if you want it enough. I did...and you can too!

This was taken on 1st June 2014

Taken on 7th September 2014

At the beginning of June we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary and I was pleased to be able to get into my wedding dress...just! I hope you can see the difference when I tried the dress on today!!

It's been a month...

Well I can't believe it's been over a month since I last wrote a post for my blog!  So I thought I'd better rectify the situation and fill you all in on what I've been up to!

Well where do we start...if we go back to the end of May I had my fourth tattoo completed...and yes it is Disney themed.  The design took inspiration from a drawing that Simon did for his 365 Mickeys project which in turn took inspiration from my foot tattoo.  So here is my foot tattoo;

Photo taken August 2011 - guess where?!!

Then Simon drew this...

From Simon's 365 Mickey Project from July 2011

And I got a new tattoo which looks like this;

Photo taken just as it had been finished!

We then had a weekend of much celebration as we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversay - see my previous post for details and photos!

And since then it has been a combination of work, podcasting and life that has stopped me putting finger to keyboard.

Pre-School is very busy at the moment; it's our final term of the school year so we have been busy producing end of year reports, staff appraisals, renewing of contracts, scheduling in new starters for September as well as getting ready for our Leavers Concert!  We have an 'under the sea' theme this year so have spent the last couple of weeks learning new songs all with a watery theme!!

I have been busy with my co-host Michelle recording and planning for the Disney Dream Girls Podcast and this week sees us release Episode 18...Star Wars & Ratatouille!!  Give us a listen I'm sure you'll have a great laugh listening to us waffle on :)

Now something I haven't mentioned is my running...and this is because I haven't done any!!  But let me explain and all will become clear.  

Back on the 21st April I wrote about getting back into running again and about my desire to 'get fit, eat better, make healthy choices and enjoy life doing it'...well this has now taken on a new direction.  I decided to take part in a 90 day challenge called 'Get Real Fat Loss', this is a system that has been developed by the owner of where my daughter attends her mixed martial arts classes and is designed to get rid of fat and tone up at the same time.

This has led to quite a change in my diet...well a re-thinking of how and what I eat would be a better description and this new way of eating, coupled with twice daily exercises (hence why the no running!), has seen me lose about 10lbs whilst at the same time making quite a difference (for the better) to the shape and tone of my body.  I am only about 34 days into the challenge but the results so far have been amazing.

The challenge is designed for each person specifically - this is not a 'one-diet-fits-all' approach - with the aim to educate about nutrition and physical activity and how these can be incorporated into your lifestyle and hopefully make changes for the better, for good!  Is it easy? Probably easier than you may be thinking...but it has it's challenges as you re-train your brain and its approach to eating and food, as well as the motivation needed to find the time to do the exercises.  I'm currently up at 6am on a work day to get my exercises done before starting the day!  But it is very achievable if you want to make that change and be the healthier, fitter person that you can be....if I can do it believe me anyone can...you just need to want to change.

Well I think that brings us up-to-date...hopefully my next post will see me back on track with my diary from last years WDW vacation!