Week 3: When are you most hungry?

Well, 2 weeks into out 12 Week Challenge and you should be feeling a couple of kgs lighter!

This week I want to focus on your feelings of hunger. While many of us are scared of feeling hunger, being hungry is actually a sign that your body is breaking down your food properly and your metabolism is working optimally.

Ideally we should feel hungry every 3-4 hours, or maybe 2-3 hours in the morning when your body is burning more fuel. If you are feeling hungry more frequently than that you are either metabolically blessed or not eating enough carbohydrates and proteins to keep you full for long enough.

This week, observe your hunger and start to differentiate head hunger, where you just want something in your mouth to actually hunger when you need to eat a well balanced meal or snack.

To start off on the right track, try having just a soup or salad for dinner one night so you wake up hungry and can start a day on the right track.

In the meantime, I would love to hear how you are all going so drop me a line this week.

Week 2: Planning is the key to dietary success

If there is a common characteristic of those people who eat well on a daily basis and control their weight, it is that they always plan their food intake.

Planners never leave their diets to chance, instead acknowledging its importance in supporting them with their health and fitness goals and prioritising it in their daily lives. For example, you will rarely see a dietitian caught without food; a nut bar or apple can always be found in the bottom of their bag which ensures that the munchies doesn't see them become a victim of cheap snacks on the go. To develop this skill for yourself each week, here are the steps you need to take:

Dietary Planning Steps to Success
1) Set aside time to shop each week.
2) Have enough ingredients for 1-2 backup meals in your cupboard at all times - "Steam fresh" veges, tuna and eggs for an omelette's are good options.
3) Each Sunday, plan your first few meals of the week.
4) Always plan your lunch the night before.
5) Pack what food you can the night before.
6) Always have a snack with you.
7) Have food rules for 4-5 days each week, before letting go a little on weekends.
8) Know the best options you can buy snacks or lunch if you have to near your work place.
9) Plan all your food and take it with you when flying and travelling for work.
10) On Mondays at lunchtime, go to a supermarket and buy your fruit and vegetables for work and home so you have them ready for the week ahead.

Your 12 Week Challenge - Week

Week 1: 12 Week Challenge

Are your nutrients balanced?
Ensuring you have the right balance of carbohydrates, protein and good fat in your diet for each of your meals and mid meals is the most important thing you can do to support your fat loss goals.

Common mistakes are:
· Eating too much carbohydrate and not enough protein for breakfast
· Not eating enough salad and vegetables at lunch and dinner
· Not eating a protein rich snack such as a Go Natural Nut Bar OR cheese and crackers late in the afternoon
· Drinking too much coffee and tea throughout the morning

This week, to make sure your nutrients are balanced:
1) Choose eggs or baked beans with grain toast for breakfast or a small cup of wholegrain cereal with low fat milk + 1 teaspoon LSA mix.
2) Make sure you have a balanced snack of yoghurt and fruit, cheese and crackers, a skim Latte or a nut bar for morning and afternoon tea.
3) Add a vegetable soup or salad to your lunch sandwich or leftovers.
4) Snack on a carrot or apple on the way home.
5) Stick to plain meat and vegetables for dinner Monday – Thursday.

Your weight loss to do list – July 14th

1) Take your measurements and document them

2) Keep a record for 2 days of all the food you have eaten

3) Make sure you are:
· Eating carbohydrates and proteins together
· Not eating too much good fat
· Eating enough vegetables
· Avoiding alcohol during the week
· Drinking green tea after each meal
· Drink 2L of water each day

Good luck!

People are funny

One of the perks of working with people is being able to observe their behaviour in the name of research. Here, a trip to the gym, coffee shop, football or shopping centre all represent an amazing opportunity to see potential clients in all their glory; emotions, instinct and human nature completely raw and on display. Here are my most recent observations.....

Take a simple run in the morning - why is it that women NEVER stop to let another female runner cross the road while men ALWAYS do?

Why do people go to the gym instead of getting off the train a stop earlier?

Why do people in Melbourne stop to let you cross the road while people in Sydney would run you over rather than stop?

Why do our cars get larger as petrol costs more?

Why do the high tax paying residents of the East put up with paying Waverley council more and more hard earned car parking $

Why is everyone in such a rush to get no where really that important?

Why do people continue to get fatter depsite their being more gyms, health information and diets than ever before?

Why are Australians so obsessed with overpaid sportsmen who behave badly while medical researchers struggle to pay their mortgages?

Why do we spend more time watching others live their lives on TV rather than be living our own?

Why do we spend more and more money on stuff with credit we can't repay?

Why do blokes declare such loyalty to their mates and women such loyalty to their blokes?