By Judy Davie
For further information about food and nutrition, visit Judy Davie’s website at www.thefoodcoach.com.au
I lost so much weight before my wedding and looked and felt terrific. Now two months later the weight I lost is all back on and I feel terrible.
It’s normal to place such importance on your wedding. The fairytale is coming true and all you can think of is the day. It must be perfect and usually is. The problem is that afterwards life returns to typical run of the mill stuff and we end up feeling flat and miserable. What’s left to look forward to now?
The key to physical and mental stability is to realise that happiness and contentment can only be found inside you. No person, event, or thing can make you happy for any sustained length of time and should therefore never be relied on. When we want something and get it, it provides only momentary happiness. When we meet someone and fall in love it may deliver enormous joy, but in time that too becomes normalised, and when we look forward to a special event, once it’s passed, what then?
The one constant in your life is you and you alone can make yourself happy. Your accomplishments at work, in the home, how you relate to people and how well you take care of yourself will all attribute to your own personal sense of self and happiness.
All you need to remember is how great you felt when you were looking after your body. Imagine feeling like that all the time.
You have the day you’re in and the rest of your life to look forward to and regardless of what’s happening. Happy or sad, life’s always better when you eat well, look after yourself and are physically fit.
I can’t get through the day without chocolate in the afternoon and I never stop at one piece. I really look forward to it and don’t want to give it up, but do need to lose weight. Any suggestions?
Chocolate contains chemicals which help to produce endorphins in the brain which make us feel good. The experience of eating chocolate provides such pleasure it’s hard to exercise discipline with one or two squares only. To prolong the pleasure and reduce your kilojoule intake, try a hot cup of cocoa. Made with skimmed milk and one teaspoon of sugar, it takes longer to finish and will give you the same sense of pleasure other chocolate products give.
I can’t get into the dress I was planning to wear to my husband’s work function. It’s in two weeks. Are there any crash diets I can do to help? I don’t want to buy a new dress.
Not knowing how much weight you need to lose it’s hard to say. Although I rarely recommend losing more than one kilogram a week, two kilograms can have a significant effect on the waistline, so it’s worth trying.*
What’s important, however, is to make sure you keep the metabolism going by eating small meals at regular intervals and include at least 40 minutes cardio exercise four to five times a week.
After 4pm
Cut out all bread, crackers, rice, pasta, cakes, biscuits, pastries, potatoes, sweet potato, pumpkin and parsnip.
Throughout the day drink between 1200 to 2000ml water and a few cups of green tea
On rising
drink 300ml hot water with half lemon juice
Breakfast
half a weetbix biscuit with one cup fresh chopped apple, pear, kiwi fruit and mandarin, three chopped prunes and four tablespoons low-fat natural yoghurt
Black coffee
Mid morning
one apple
Lunch
choose from an avocado and salad on a wholegrain roll or homemade veggie soup (made with carrots, zucchini, tomato, beans, onion, garlic, turnip and fennel and veggie stock)
Black coffee
Afternoon snack
10 almonds
Dinner
200g piece grilled fish, or 150g piece of red meat or chicken served with steamed vegetables or salad (up to four serves of vegetables)
Orange with three tablespoons low fat natural yoghurt and 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
*Before starting a weight reduction diet you should check with your GP.
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