I guess we all think we eat right, we exercise enough, we didn't eat that extra piece of cake at morning tea, I didn't sneak that piece of chocolate, I didn't put that extra serving on my plate. The truth is, we did, you did, I did.
Hi, my name is Rach and I'm sharing my experience with you. I started out in the same position as every obese/over weight person IN DENIAL!! I was perfect the way I was, I didn't need to lose weight, I didn't care what you thought of me, or how you perceived my body or weight. The truth is, I didn't care because I didn't know any better. Who are you to tell me how I should feel? How I should eat? How I should exercise? You don't now me or my reasons for why I live the way I do, and who cares, I do everything right anyway. Did you agree with at least one or more of the statements I just made? If you answered yes (even in your own mind where I can't acknowledge you're agreeing) then please, read on.
It started in a doctors office. My husband and I had been trying for a baby for 2 years, I knew it would always be hard because I had been diagnosed with PCOS at 19 yrs old. But, what was to follow that meeting left me in a fit of rage. The doctor told me "You're too overweight to try for a baby right now. Sure, I can get you pregnant. But will you carry full term? Will you have complications through child birth? Will you put your own health at risk?.... " he then proceeded to tell me "Give it 6 months, lose as much weight as you can and we will go from there..."
I was absolutely furious. Who the hell was he to tell me I was to fat to have something that I so desperately wanted. I left there and refused to go back. I started seeing a dietitian, spoke to my doctor about surgical procedures but deep down, I wasn't ready to lose weight. How can you work at something when you don't believe you need to? How can you quit something when you don't see a reason to? Why change when you're happy as you are?
So, I gave it a half arsed attempt.... I thought, it wont work so why bother?
Then, my whole world changed. One morning I woke up and my life was as usual, in my eyes, Perfect. By 6pm that night my life would have changed forever. One phone call changed it all. I'll save you the whole poor me spiel of the whole situation, but lets just say. My marriage ended that day.
The days, weeks that followed were a roller coaster of emotions. However, stress does amazing things. And, someone had a bigger plan for me. Over the next few weeks I went to the dietitian and I stood on the scales as always but changes were happening without me knowing... 1 kilo, 2 kilos, 3 kilos... I was losing weight.
Wait, hold the phone! Yes, I said it.... I was losing weight! And that's where my story begins.....
I quickly learnt that I can lose weight, I feel better about myself, I have energy, I don't want to give up on life.
So, I started paying attention, learning about nutrition, eating properly and healthily and it showed. I was energetic, happier, more confident and overall, I was becoming the person I used to be... The person I didn't realise had disappeared.
What's my point? If I can do it... So can you. You just need to find that inspiration within yourself that kick starts your journey. But you don't have to do it alone, you shouldn't do it alone.
Start by taking a photo of yourself... A photo that is you at your complete worst and that is your starting point. The photo that started it all for me was so unbelievably confronting that I still have difficulty looking at it without tearing up.
Once you have that fire in your gut to change, the hard work begins. More than 50% of your work is going to be nutrition. If you can get your eating right then you're more than half way there. Exercise start with a walk, every day. 20 minutes and you can build it from there.
A routine of a perfectly balanced diet, exercise (10,000 steps per day) 2lts of water a day, and a good nights sleep is where it all begins.
I won't bore you with the whole you should, shouldn't, could, would, spiel right now... If you want to do it, and want help. I'm here. But right now, I figure half of my story may help, inspire, motivate.
But, even as a start. I will share a recipe and hopefully it might show you healthy eating isn't all about tasteless cardboard that you would rather starve than eat.
This recipe is taken from Crunch Time Cookbook by Michelle Bridges.
Chicken Sang Choy Bow.
(serves 2)
1 large iceberg lettuce
olive oil spray
220g lean chicken mince
2 shallots (spring onions) thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
1 red capsicum, diced
3 teaspoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons salt-reduced soy sauce
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 handfuls bean sprouts
Select the best lettuce leaves and if necessary trim them with scissors to make at least 6 large "cups" Place in a large bowl filled with iced water to crisp.
Lightly spray wok with oil and heat on high. Stir-fry the chicken and half of the shallots for 2 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Add the carrot, celery, capsicum, sauces and garlic.
Stir-fry for another 4 minutes. Transfer immediately to a serving bowl. Scatter with remaining shallots.
To serve, arrange the lettuce cups on a platter with the bean sprouts. Spoon a little chicken mixture into each leaf, top with several bean sprouts and fold the lettuce over to enclose the filling.
Eat with your Hands.
(to feed a family of 4, just simply double all quantities on chicken, vegetables and sauces.)
So, I hope part of my story and some words on encouragement have helped a little, or at least made you think.
In closing, my life is now as such. I have lost 34 kilos. I went from eating fried, fatty, carb loaded foods, to eating 5 smaller meals, calorie controlled and carb conscious every day.... I also go to the gym 5 days a week for 30minutes to an hour depending on my schedule. I also see a personal trainer once a week (sometimes more also depending on my schedule).
My life has changed beyond comparison and I would recommend it to anyone! It has been hard work, but it has been worth it. To see the tears in my mothers eyes when she saw me for the first time when I had shed 30 kilos was everything to me. And you can feel that same feeling as well.
I leave you with a parting quote which changed my life;
"If you continue to do what you have always done.... You will continue to get what you have always got!"
Good Luck,
