Health & Wellbeing

What to talk about next?

Well, I've introduced myself and I've spoken about my love of all things Disney so I think the next logical subject will be to chat health and wellbeing.

Now I do have a couple of pages that talk about various aspects of my life with regard to eating well and looking after myself but I think it feels right to give a bit of an overview of where I started and where I am now.

For most, if not all of my life, I seem to have been in a constant battle with my weight. I was never really happy with the numbers on the scale or the image in the mirror looking back at me. I think I was pretty typical of most women craving the slim and sexy figure but never being able to obtain the image I had in my head. 

As we moved into the late 1980's my then fiance, Simon, was diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolaemia, a genetic condition leading to high cholesterol levels and was told to adopt a low fat diet as a matter of urgency. We dutifully did as we were told; we ate as low fat as we could, we embraced the plethora of low fat foods that appeared on the supermarket shelves, we abandoned eggs, cheese, full fat milk, yogurt and cream and we even became regular gym attendees! But I still battled with my weight and my figure. Two children later and things had not improved, and all the time we stuck religiously to the low fat diet and did as we were told by the powers that be.

And then in 2014 a couple of things happened. First we watched a couple of documentaries; 'Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead' and 'Fed Up'. They highlighted the perils of processed foods and sugar along with the strength and commitment of people who were prepared to put in the effort to getting themselves fit and healthy. Then a few weeks later a chance conversation with my daughters karate instructor introduced me to a locally run group called 'Get Real Fat Loss'; a 90 day challenge to lose weight. Now I have never bought into the whole weight-loss industry of clubs and meetings but this was different. It was run by a local guy, Jason, who wanted to give women the right information to set them up for a new way of eating and living. We were a small group of women who encouraged each other by way of a private Facebook group all guided by Jason who gave us personalised food plans along with some body weight exercises (see my page Getting Real for more details).

About two thirds of the way through the 90 days I had reached my target weight and by the end I had lost around two stone (28lbs) and dropped from a UK dress size of 12/14 down to an 8 (and sometimes even a 6!). Then, while on my 90 day journey, I read a book by Gary Taubes called 'Why We Get Fat and What to Do About it' which provided the science behind the nutritional changes I'd made. So what were those changes? At that time the major change I made was the number of carbohydrates in my life - no more potatoes, no more pasta, no more rice and no more bread. All those foods that I'd been told were good for me because they were 'low in fat' were in fact hijacking my insulin response and causing me to hold onto fat rather than burn it. (see my page Eating Well, Staying Healthy for more information).

Since then I have been able to stick with the low carb (or keto) approach to eating and as the years have moved on I have become more focused on eating real foods. I try to cook everything from scratch and limit the amount of processed, and especially the ultra processed foods, in my diet. The approach is that if something has more than five ingredients or contains things that wouldn't appear in a standard kitchen cupboard then I will not buy it. There is a great book by Chris van Tulleken called Ultra Processed People and I would urge everyone to read it and understand just what the so-called 'food' in the lovely packaging on our supermarket shelves actually is!

The bodyweight exercises that I started back in 2014 have now evolved into a weights workout three times a week. Around 2018 I had joined a local gym with Simon and both our kids but when the 'lockdowns' happened in 2020 we decided to convert our garage into a home gym and it has been one of the best decisions ever. We have enough equipment for us to workout effectively and are still able to use the garage as a garage! It also means 'getting to the gym' is easy and quick and we have no excuse for not getting out there and getting a workout done.

Then a couple of years ago I decided to step away from my job of 18 years as a pre-school manager and I entered the world of retirement. Being at home enabled me to spend more time being active; daily walks became the norm and gym sessions didn't feel quite so onerous. I was also able to spend more time 'on me' and began to incorporate cold showers, Wim Hof breathing and meditation into my daily life. 

Last year Simon decided to set himself a challenge to lower his body fat percentage. As part of a routine check-in with our doctor we were introduced to a set of scales that recorded not just our weight but our BMI, body fat percentage, muscle percentage, visceral fat percentage and our RM calories (resting metabolic number of calories). And while all our figures were great Simon wondered whether he could get his body fat under 10%. With an upcoming cruise (Disney of course) as incentive he found a personal trainer to try and help him achieve his goal. So with a focus on getting enough protein in our diet and increasing our daily step count to around 14,000 Simon hit (and has maintained) his goal and along the way I also managed to reduce my body fat much to my surprise. 

Late last year we took the decision to invest in an infrared sauna after a home improvement project gave us the extra space we needed. A daily sauna has now become part of our lives; thirty minutes a day to relax, meditate and absorb the benefits of heat exposure.

And as we rolled into the new year Simon joined me in this retirement malarkey so we now have the time to pursue those things in life that have had to take a back seat during our working life. We have the time to devote to our own wellbeing, to concentrate on our diet and exercise, to spend quality time together, to kick start travelling more than we have been previously able, to enjoy spending time with our Star Wars cosplay family as well as numerous projects that we now have the time and the head space to take on.

And that is where you find me now...enjoying life with my soul mate and best friend by my side, in the best physical shape of my life and looking forward to each and every day and the possibilities that lay ahead.

1st September 2022...A change in proceedings

So today should have been Day 896 for those of you who have been watching, but I've decided to make a change.

This blog originally started back in 2012 as a way to chat about my passion and love for all things Disney, but especially the parks. Over the years it evolved to include my approach to a healthy lifestyle, the changes I made and the impacts they had, my love for tattoos and sometimes it covered just life in general.

Fast forward to March of 2020 when the whole world went crazy and we found ourselves in a situation that was unique, scary and to use the buzzword of the time, unprecedented; I am of course talking about lockdown. With time on my hands and an urge to write I decided to start a blog entry per day, a diary if you will, to record what was happening not just in my life but in the world around us; it was to be a 'lockdown diary'. After all none of us had ever experienced anything like this and I thought it would be interesting to record what happened, how long it lasted (remember at this point we were told two weeks to flatten the curve!) and how it impacted all of our lives.

My decision to write was purely a selfish one; to record what was happening in my life, how the world events were affecting me and those close to me as well as from time to time chance for me to vent and express my own opinions as to what was happening, and perhaps even share information along the way. Like I said this wasn't started for any specific reason, it wasn't started to find fame or fortune or to find recognition. It was for me, by me and if anyone else wanted to read along then that was fine and if they liked what they were reading then that was a bonus. I had no idea back then that over two years later I would still find myself compelled to 'keep a diary' and that it would have reached in excess of 890 days worth of events.

Back in October of 2020 I found myself struggling to keep the writing going and interestingly I have found those same feelings resurfacing of late. I even began a blog post back then that I never published but that I now find myself referring back to. I think the simple act of writing out my feelings was cathartic and meant I was able to re-focus on what I was doing and how I presented it to the world. I am going to use those words from October 2020 to help me with todays post as I think that what I put down in words then is still as valid today.

October 2020

'My writing has been questioned and no doubt my writing about it being questioned will also get questioned but I am not going to let any other opinions out there stop me from doing what I want and writing about what I want, that is personal to me in a forum that I have chosen to write in.

I have been told that the manor in which I write reveals more about me than I reveal in person...does it? I don't know, I can't possibly know because I am not aware that the person I appear to be in person is any different to the person that is writing this. I will admit to not being the most talkative person and that sharing some things can be a challenge for me and so perhaps writing it down, without judgement or interruption, is easier for me.

I have been told that the manor in which I write is opinionated and aggressive; two words that I would never have associated with myself. Yes, I have opinions on a variety of subjects but that is not the same as being opinionated, the definition of which is 'characterised by conceited assertiveness and dogmatism'. I like to think that I can recognise that everyone has their own views of the world and while I will always try to impart whatever knowledge I may have I know that there will always be disagreements and thought processes and that is fine. I have always said that I will not force my views on others providing they do the same with me. We have to accept that we will not all think the same and that is fine, it's what makes us all individuals, after all it would be no fun if we were all the same. I strive to accept that I will not always be right, that I am open to information that may change my understanding and therefore my opinion. We have to accept that change will happen, it may not always be what we want but it will happen and we need to find a way to embrace and accept it to be able to move on and change and adapt ourselves.

Aggressive; now I don't wish to sound conceited but I have never thought myself to be an aggressive person, in fact I have been accused in the past of being too laid back. I may be passionate about things that I hold dear and if my passion has been interpreted as being aggressive then I can only apologise. There may have been times over the last 220 plus days that I have attempted to express my frustrations or anger at situations, often situations that are too big for me to have any impact on or any control over and again being aggressive was never my intention.'

So that's where we were almost two years ago and again I have gotten to a point where I am letting the opinions of others, whether known individuals or strangers, temper what I write and how I want to write it. I find myself censoring my dialogue rather than allowing myself to write openly, freely and with passion.

Like I said above I have my own set of opinions and beliefs and these will not always sit well with some of those who happen to take the time to read. But they are just my opinions and I recognise that some may agree and some may not, but I think I have the right to be able to express those opinions without dealing with abuse from those who have their own differing opinions. I would never presume to aggressively attack someone just for not agreeing one hundred percent with my way of thinking, but it would appear others out there are happy to attack and deride without any constructive purpose at heart.

In this world we will not always agree with each other and that can be frustrating but we have to sometimes agree to disagree. We have to respect each others right to have those opinions, we should listen and be respectful, we should hear what people have to say and be open to those alternate view points but if we don't hold the same viewpoint then so be it. Respect each other, learn from each other and move along. 

Sometimes we will discover new information that will change our thoughts and minds and that's fine; that's how it should be. We should be open to learning, to expanding our knowledge, to understanding and appreciating positions that could be totally alien to us. But if we can do that then so should others with equally strong opinions.

Let me have my voice and I will let you have yours. Neither of us should stop the other from expressing their true feelings, their true worth nor made to feel belittled or an outsider because they may differ from the perceived 'norm'. No-one should be made to feel any less of a person simply because opinions don't always align.

At the end of the day there is always another channel to watch, another blog to read or simply the 'off switch' to be found. No-one is being forced to read or watch anything, if you don't like it then simply move along and find something that you do like and enjoy. Stop wasting your time and energy on fighting battles that you will never have any resolve for, find your tribe and enjoy them.

And so where does all that leave this blog? Well the blog will keep on going but it will be back to its original intent as a space for me to share my thoughts, my feelings, my tattoos, my love of Disney and my approach to life. I'm sure that there will be posts where I will use the medium to vent against issues that I have no control over, or issues that I feel passionate about but I will strive to write what I want, about what I want, when I want and in my own way because it is right for me and no-one else.

The past 890 plus days have been interesting to say the least...that two weeks to flatten the curve turned out to be much, much longer and contorted than any of us could have possibly imagined. We have had lockdowns, tiers, social distancing, masks, vaccines, mandates, eat out to help out and more. And although the world is more 'normal' than it has ever been since Day 1 it still has some way to go to get us completely back to how we used to be. Will we ever get there I wonder? I hope so, but who can tell? I know that at the moment the world does not feel completely like it did in 2019 and I guess somethings may never go back to how they were but all we can do is hang on in there and watch it all unfurl.

Things will change, some we will like and some we won't but we will persevere and do our best to move forward with positivity and make the most of whatever comes our way.

See you next time.
xx

Day 521...Kestival 2021

Day 521...

And today we were off to a festival...a food festival...a keto food festival in fact, called Kestival 2021.

About two weeks ago one of the low carb doctors that I follow, Dr Jen Unwin, mentioned on her Instagram page that she would be speaking at an upcoming keto festival so with my curiosity spiked I followed the link. I then discovered Keto Fitness Club a UK based group devoted to promoting all things keto and fitness and who were hosting a festival near Northampton in August.

Intrigued I visited their website to find out more and booked a couple of tickets for Simon and I to attend during the day element of the festival. We thought at just £10 a ticket each, and knowing that Jen Unwin and her husband Dr David Unwin would be speaking, we'd give it a go. Having bought the tickets I then began a further look into this Keto Fitness Club and discovered a family that wanted to spread the word about the keto lifestyle and subsequently I now follow them on various social media platforms as well as discovering their extensive range of recipes online.

Ordinarily whenever I look up any keto or low carb recipes online I invariably get pointed to US sites with US ingredients and US measurements which is not only confusing but very frustrating. The only website that I have found that I go back to again and again, and in fact am now a member of, is Diet Doctor because not only is there a mountain of easy to understand information but all their recipes are in both US and metric measurements and with links to 'translate' ingredients that for some reason go by different names in the UK and US!.

But with Keto Fitness Club I have found somewhere that talks my language...literally! All the right names for things and all the measurements that I understand and all with handy hints as to which supermarkets or brands to go for that support a keto lifestyle the best. 

So just a 55 minute car journey away we found ourselves spending the day in a very large marquee (thanks to the great British weather being a tad on the wet side) chatting with like minded others, watching cookery presentations, perusing the stalls and eating some fabulous keto food. 

On arrival, just as we were checking-in, I looked over and saw Dr Jen Unwin who waved at me, smiled and asked how we were...the last (and only time) I have met Jen was two years ago at a festival she helped organise called Real Food Rocks...totally amazed that she remembered us. We later got to speak with her and her husband David, who also remembered us!!

We tried some cacao tea (iced) which was rather nice and refreshing; we had a little demo of some essential oils - peppermint and wild orange - which I can still smell on my hands!; we discovered a way of making keto crepes using bamboo flour and then there was food!

Me and iced cacao tea!

Included with the £10 ticket was a 'food token', not sure what to expect we ventured off to find what was on offer. Thinking we would have to choose one thing but no it was a buffet where we could try as much or as little as we wanted...

...we had burger, sausage, tandoori chicken, pulled pork, falafel, salad and coleslaw and it was all extremely yummy and of course all keto friendly. It was so great to be out and not have to worry about finding something on the menu that is anywhere close to being keto.

We then watched a great food presentation by a chef called 'The Spice Guy' who made three very simple and tasty dishes in about thirty minutes. Not only did he cook up some great food but he was funny and engaging to watch.

Later in the afternoon we found ourselves chatting with a young couple about all things keto and low carb and how best to manage that with a young family. We also were able to listen to both Jen and David Unwin speak and answer questions.

Dr David Unwin in full flow

We had a great day and didn't let the weather get in the way. We had a little break in the rain which meant we could sit outside to eat our lunch but the event was so well organised that the rain didn't stop them from doing everything they wanted; a great example of why having a 'rainy day plan' is essential.

We have had a lovely day, that felt more 'normal' than anything we have done for a long while. And are rounding it out with homemade keto pizza which seems to have become our Saturday night go-to meal!

See you all tomorrow.
xx

What's wrong with real food?

Well I haven't wrote a post for a while and to be honest time has been an issue and that's a poor excuse...I really need to start 'making' the time to write.

So here we go as something today sparked in me the desire to write...well OK perhaps more of a moan...but well here goes!

Scrolling through Facebook while waiting for my nails to dry...as you do...and I see one of those sponsored posts by a UK supermarket chain promoting one of their food products.

The product in question is a Blueberry Muffin Fibre Bar - I mean what the heck is that supposed to be! Now on the Facebook post people were raving about this and celebrating the fact that there was even a chocolate brownie flavour. So my intrigue was sparked...knowing full well that this was likely to be more processed food rubbish.

So the bar is being promoted as low calorie (86 cals per bar) and high fibre (5.3g per bar) and described as 'Blueberry muffin bars with a white vanilla flavoured drizzle' Sounds appetising...not! It would appear that the supermarket chain in question has sent some of these new bars out to bloggers etc who seemed to be 'wowed' by them and very quick to point out that they are only '2 syns on Slimming World'. OK shall we talk about how each bar contains 13g of carbs of which 7.2g is sugar never mind how full of rubbish these bars actually are...

This is the actual ingredient list - 'Wheat Flour , Inulin , Sugar , Wheat Fibre , White Vanilla Flavoured Drizzle (7%) [Sugar, Palm Kernel Oil, Emulsifier (Lecithins), Salt, Flavouring] , Fructose , Dehydrated Sweetened Blueberries (6%) [Blueberries, Sugar, Sunflower Oil] , Palm Oil , Humectant (Glycerol) , Sunflower Oil , Egg White Powder [Egg White, Yeast, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid)] , Milk Powder , Modified Maize Starch , Flavourings , Raising Agents (Sodium Carbonates, Sodium Phosphates, Calcium Phosphates) , Citric Acid , Emulsifier (Soya Lecithins) , Salt , Stabilisers (Carob Bean Gum, Xanthan Gum)'

I really don't know where to start. Just reading this list is making my stomach turn, how can eating all of that in one bar be good for you? Just look how many different vegetable oils are in there, how much wheat product and never mind the sugars and all the ingredients I can't pronounce.

Anyone that has read my blog will know that I now follow a Keto/Low Carb High Fat lifestyle but in my past I would have jumped at something like this. On the face of it, and how it's presented to the world at large, it looks and sounds healthy and the majority will think its 'probably better than having a cookie or a chocolate bar'. But with what I know now I don't even entertain the idea of eating anything like this, in fact I feel quite offended that products like this exist, in fact I'm quite angry that the food industry is still duping innocent people into eating stuff like this on the pretence that it is healthy and good for you.

These bars are full of carbs and sugars that you don't need, they are full of wheat products that you don't need, they are full of vegetable oils that you really don't need. In fact there is nothing in these that you do need. A 24g bar is not going to satisfy any hunger pangs, you will be left feeling hungry very shortly afterwards and either resort to eating another bar or heading for the sort of foods you were probably trying to avoid by eating this in the first place.

They are packaged and promoted as being the 'answer' you've been looking for. They fall in line with the 'low fat' model that has been pushed at us all for way too long now. They are made to sound 'healthy' and 'good for you'. The marketing line from the chocolate brownie version reads as this 'Enjoy these bars of chocolatey indulgence when you fancy something a little sweet in your day. High in fibre & less than 90 calories per bar? Delicious!' - UNBELIEVABLE.

They are providing the 'easy' way out to a population that has been poorly informed over the last few decades. When will the message get through that we have all been fed a lie and that is why we are all struggling with our weight and most importantly our health. These should come with a 'health warning'!

If you eat a diet that is full of protein and natural fats then there is no need for items like this. You will get the energy you require from real foods that will keep you fuelled throughout the day. Sure we all feel like a snack now and then or perhaps even a treat but there are better ways of doing it. Most people following a keto or low carb diet are able to listen to their bodies better and recognise when they are 'actually' hungry rather than just eating because 'it's that time of day'. As someone who used to love the sweet snacks in between meals I can honestly say that I no longer crave those snacks. If I do get peckish I simply opt for a chunk of cheese or perhaps a slice of cold meat. Occasionally I may have some full fat greek yogurt with a few berries and I will confess to a little 85% dark chocolate most days.

So let's ditch these 'fake', processed 'foods' and just eat real foods that taste great, are satisfying and keep us looking and feeling great. Simple. No fads, no gimmicks just honest food.

New Year, New Me!!

Isn't that how all blog posts etc are supposed to start this time of year - New Year, New Me!!

Lots of articles about diets, getting fit, moving more, eating better, being healthy etc, etc and how NOW is the time to do it! After all what better time to do something about your weight, or shape or fitness than the start of a new year!!  OK I hope you can detect my sarcasm as I write this because really?!!

Just because we start a new year shouldn't be the reason to create a new you! If you want to do something about your weight or how you look you should do it because the want is there not because of what time of year it is.

Now I will be the first to admit that over the festive period I have like most people indulged in foods I wouldn't normally have done, probably had a few drinks more than usual and not moved as much as I do usually. So yes the New Year, or rather the end of the holidays, is the kick start back into my usual routine.

There will be lots of 'diets' out there that will promise amazing results in amazing amounts of time or fantastic results by buying their products or sticking to a 'points' system or some other type of gimmick normally involving a 'discounted price' to entice you in. The problem with most of these 'quick fixes' are that they are just that, a quick fix, that doesn't last and the only thing that you can guarantee being any lighter is your purse! Now don't get me wrong some people will use these diets and for them it will work and it may even work long term for them but for most of us we buy in, stick to it for a while until we hit a bump in the road and we go back to square one.

Now for anyone who has read my blog over the last few years will be aware of my own success at losing weight and feeling better about myself and body shape. Have a look at my page called - 'Getting Real' where I go into detail about how I lost weight and started a new way of eating...a lifestyle change.

And I think this is key to anyone who really wants to lose the weight; it is not dieting that will help you to lose weight it is making a change to your lifestyle.

Having changed my lifestyle two and a half years ago I have not only embraced it but I continue to learn more about what I am now doing and how that affects me and my body and how the way most of us eat is doing us more harm than good. And it is a lifestyle that I found relatively easy to adopt and one that the whole family now follows. So what did I do?

Have a look at the page on this blog called 'Getting Real' as well as my post from June 2015 called 'One Year On' as both of these document my journey and how I got to where I am today.

Basically I have adopted what is often referred to as either 'low carb' or 'low carb, high fat' (LCHF) way of eating. This means cutting down on the sugars and starches - so no potatoes, breads, pasta or rice - while eating plenty of fish, meat, eggs, natural fats and veggies (those that grow above ground!).

I don't count calories - lots of studies now show that not all calories are the same; the way your body processes calories depends on where they come from! Take in sugars or carbs and your body doesn't really know what to do with them and so stores them as fat which leaves you feeling hungry...so you eat more (usually more carbs) and so the vicious circle begins. Take in fats and proteins and your body uses these for energy and actually starts burning your fat stores, you also feel satisfied when you've eaten fats and protein and so avoid the cycle of eating more when it's not needed.

The key to all this is to eat real foods and ditch the highly processed sugary rubbish that is way too easily available. Many years ago the official dietary advice to lose weight and keep your heart healthy was to eat low fat foods...the food industry obliged and provided us with a ton of low fat or fat free alternatives. The problem with removing the fat was that the food tasted pretty nasty so the food industry replaced the missing fat with sugar or sweeteners. But this meant our carb intake increased; we didn't feel 'full' so we ate more. The food industry recognised they were onto a good thing by supporting the official dietary advice and so kept on producing more and more processed low fat foods. We now find ourselves with a food industry still supporting the 'low fat advice' and not wanting to make a change because of the detrimental affect it could have to their profit margins.

The latest evidence now tells us that fat has never been our enemy, it's been sugar all along. The advice that governments followed about having a low fat diet was wrong...they simply listened to those that shouted the loudest, those scientists who, at the time, had the connections and believed their ideas to be right...unfortunately for us they were not. I urge you to read a book called 'Why We Get Fat and What to Do About it' by Gary Taubes - a fascinating and easy read which explains why we find ourselves today with the highest obesity and diabetes rates ever, despite following all the government advice to eat low fat.

So the answer is simple ditch the carbs, enjoy fats and protein and eat real food. No fads, no gimmicks, no magic powders simply good, tasty, satisfying real food. And yes you can throw some exercise into the mix as well but the exercise won't make you lose weight; it will keep you fit and will tone what you've got but it's what you put into your body that will make the biggest changes.

I have been eating this way for two and a half years. I complete a set of body weight exercises most days. I dropped from a size 12 (UK) to a size 8 (UK) and have stayed that way. Yes my weight will fluctuate every now and then but it stays pretty consistent. While changing the way you have eaten all your life can be daunting and a challenge I have found it really straight forward to stick to; there's no portion control or calorie counting it's simply finding the right food, eating it and enjoying it.

If you want to make a change, feel good about how you look and at the same time improve your health and well being then give this lifestyle a try. I did, it worked and I'm staying this way!

Please feel free to comment below, or contact me via Twitter @JaynePhipps should you want to know more.

A really good website to give you more information is www.dietdoctor.com

Eating Healthy...and Proud of it!

So there I was this morning perusing my Facebook feed, as you do, when I came across one of those 'suggested posts' and the title caught my eye! I don't even know why it caught me eye...it read 'What Jennifer Aniston Eats in a Day Will Make You Sad'. But something made me click on the link.

What I found was a blog piece wrote about an interview that Jennifer Aniston had given to 'Elle' magazine. As she is renowned for 'looking good' she was asked about what she did to keep herself looking as slim and as good as she does!

I then preceded to read the article and found myself getting rather annoyed. Jennifer Ansiton had simply explained her healthy eating plan...no gimmicks...no quick fixes...just simple healthy eating. But what annoyed me was the blog authors attitude that in some way her choice to eat healthy was 'sad', that she was somehow 'depriving' herself of something. The whole blog piece really slammed her for choosing this lifestyle, and was wrote with heavy sarcasm and an attitude that was full of criticism. How can someone's decision to make healthy food choices be treated with such disdain?

Now I am all for freedom of choice (and opinion for that matter) and as a consequence someone's choice to eat a certain way or live their life a certain way should be their choice and their choice alone. It doesn't mean you have to agree with it or follow what they are doing but the least you can do is respect their choice.

I changed my way of eating nearly two years ago; I lost nearly 2 stone in weight and dropped 2 (sometimes 3!) dress sizes. I have never felt better about my body and how I look. I still have bits of me I don't like and still worry about how I look but I know that I am in better shape than I was 2 years ago. And I am proud of what I have achieved and proud of the fact that I have made a change to my lifestyle that I have stuck to. And along the way I have helped and supported others to make changes to their lifestyles too.

So if (and when) people ask me how I've lost the weight there is no quick fix or gimmick to tell them about I'm afraid. It is simply a change to my lifestyle that involves cutting out the processed foods and eating healthy clean foods. But I have to admit I kind of dread it when people ask me because I know what their reaction is going to be most of the time. As soon as I explain what I have done people usually say 'Oh I couldn't do that' and for some reason I then feel guilty...I know...why??

So let's ask me the same question that was asked of Jennifer Aniston - what do I eat most days? Well, breakfast tends to be sausage, egg and bacon. Lunch will be a salad with either chicken, ham, cheese or tuna followed by a yogurt (as low sugar as I can find - avoid all the low fat rubbish!). Dinner will be chicken, fish or meat with a large salad or plenty of veggies. I will probably have a bowl of greek or natural yogurt with some berries and most days I will have a couple of squares of very dark chocolate. Snacks will be either nuts with some dried fruit (not a fan of nuts but getting better with them) or cheese or some dark chocolate.

I don't worry too much about the number of calories each day but try to ensure that processed foods and foods marked 'low fat/fat free' are avoided. I don't eat bread, pasta, rice or white potatoes, nor do I drink diet drinks or fruit juice. And so far it seems to be working for me!

I find myself wanting to learn more about the relationship between food and our bodies and understand the effect that food can have on us. I have come across some great books and articles and am beginning to know more about what happens when we eat certain types of foods. I am passionate about what I am learning and will explain it the best I can to anyone who is truly interested.

And that is the other key to all of this you have to want to make that change. There is no point wishing you were slimmer or weighed less or wanting to look like Jennifer Aniston unless you are prepared to do something about it. It's very easy to come up with excuses but if you want something bad enough then you will make that change. The next thing is then sticking to that change; I initially made the change for a 90 day challenge but found that after the 90 days I really didn't want to go back to my old ways. The foods that I thought I would miss I actually didn't and never have since. Now don't get me wrong I will allow myself an indulgence every now and then, but I don't let that one indulgence become licence to fall back into old ways.

But with all of this I made a choice to change what I was doing, for my own reasons. And whilst I don't expect everyone to do the same, or even like or agree with what I have done, I at least hope that people will respect me for my own choices.

If you are interested in making a change then please feel free to comment below or message me via Twitter @JaynePhipps. Also check out Gary Taubes - Why We Get Fat & What to Do About It & Dr Mark Hyman - Eat Fat Get Thin & The Blood Sugar Solution for some great reads too.