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Friday 13 April 2012

In the change - but what into!!!

13th April 2012

I don't think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains. Anne Frank


This weekend I will mostly be taking care of me…

Yes my job is to help motivate others to lose weight and eat healthy by encouraging them to take care of themselves and put themselves first.  This weekend, I intend to do just that – take care of me.  I’ve got it all planned out, I’m going to tidy my house a little, then get my Weight Watcher books out, my cookbooks etc and do some meal planning.  Next I plan to go shopping, then spend a few hours in the kitchen filling my freezer full of scrumptiousness for the next few weeks, to help me get on track.  I’ve got a timeline planned out in my diary, so my weight loss goals are realistic, I know the weeks I can lose and the weeks I’ve got no chance because I’ll be too busy having fun, holidays etc.   My mission is to be back at my goal (or at least within the +5lb) by September 23rd when we have our Weight Watcher Conference.  Yep, that’s my motivation, to be within my ideal weight range, I was gonna say to be looking hot, but hell I already do when I make a effort, don’t forget I’m gorgeous – just like you ;-)

So my weekend starts in roughly 4 hours when I’ve finished doing my paperwork, I may do a bit of work over the weekend but only because I want to not because I have to.  Meeting my mate for some lunch today, already decided on gammon and jacket potato, both good filling and healthy options and going for a curry with Katie tomorrow night, so need to plan what I'm having there too!

I’m going to be putting together my shopping list with a few thoughts in mind, 1 = weight loss, 2 = menopausal symptoms (I’m sure I’m heading there so if I start eating things that will help then it might make it more bearable), 3 = Heartburn & indigestion (I’m fed up of foods giving it me, last weekend in Corfu, everything I ate and drank caused me pain afterwards.

So to be honest, the health side means more to me than looking good or being slim, I’d be happy to be any weight if I was fit, healthy and happy.  We’ve talked in meetings this week about motivation and what made members join Weight Watchers, so many say health reasons, we all like to look good, but feeling good is super important.

So foods that I’ve read up on that may help menopause symptoms are; Soya for hot flushes, no one yet understands exactly what causes them but it has been observed that women in Japan have far fewer menopausal symptoms and one theory is that this is because their diet includes a lot of soya.  Unfortunately they recommend avoiding stimulants such as tea, coffee, alcohol and chocolate, especially at night – boo I love a cuppa tea nearly as much as a glass of wine!  I wonder if the soya might counterbalance the other two!

Avoid snacking on sugary foods – all too often a sharp rise in your blood glucose level may be followed by a sharp dip and leave you feeling tired and drained. Choose fresh fruit instead.   That’s definitely good for the waistline too.

Many people associate the menopause with weight gain but, as we get older, we need fewer calories. Eating a bit less sounds a simplistic solution but it will help. Eat more starchy complex carbohydrates, such as wholemeal pasta, bread and rice, as they will help boost your metabolism so that you burn body fat more quickly.   This leans towards suggesting more Filling & Healthy days.

I reckon this one would help every women for that one week a month! To help you feel less irritable, eat breakfast and eat little and often to balance your blood sugar

Depression and irritability  - Eat more complex carbohydrates as they will also help to increase serotonin levels, which in turn will help control appetite and make you feel better in yourself. Other useful strategies to help you feel less irritable are to eat breakfast and to eat little and often to balance your blood sugar.

If you type Menopause and food into a search engine it will find you lots of information that may also be useful.  I read the other day to eat turkey and cherry tomatoes for the tryptophan - its a feel good food as are soy products, seafood, wholegrains, beans, rice, houmous, lentils, eggs. I’m also adding oily fish for the Omega 3 etc. 

All good stuff, I’m be as fit as a fiddle come September!

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