Indian Chicken Burger

These are the best, or at least one of the best burgers I have eaten in a while! They have a great taste and are very filling, if you wanted to you can add a few home made chips on the side and enjoy a healthy burger and fries meal!


Ingredients

• Tandoori curry paste, 4 teaspoon(s)
• Natural yoghurt, low fat, 8 tablespoon(s)
• Chicken breast, lean, raw, 600 g
• Mixed grain bread roll, 4 roll(s), cut in half
• Mango chutney, 8 teaspoon(s)
• Cucumber, 1 cup chopped
• Carrot, 1 cup grated
• Baby spinach, 1 cup
• Coriander, 1 cup

 

What to do

Mix the tandoori paste with 1 tablespoon of yoghurt. Coat the chicken breast with the marinade and set aside.

Spread the bread roll with mango chutney and place the cucumber, grated carrot and baby spinach on top.

Heat a non-stick frying pan to a medium heat. Cook the marinated chicken for 2-3 minutes each side or until cooked through. Place the chicken on the roll and top with yoghurt and coriander.

Baked Fish

So of late I have been trying some new recipes and really enjoyed this simple and easy one the other night for dinner:

Baked fish for 2

300g white fish fillet (I used shark)
1 teaspoon Lemongrass
1teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon sweet chili sauce
2 cups lettuce
2 carrots, cut chunky
1 cup cut pumpkin
1 onion
1/2 capsicum
1 corn on the cob, corn kernels removed

Cooking Directions

Mix together the lemongrass, fish sauce, honey, sweet chili together in a bowl as this will make a marinade that can be brushed over the fish both sides.

Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees

Cut the carrot into chunks and lightly spray the carrots and pumpkin with some olive oil and sprinkle salt over and put in the oven to bake. Brush the marinade over both sides of the fish and add to the oven and bake for 30 minutes turning 1/2 way through.

Meanwhile spray a non stick pan and heat on the stove, add the onion and soften then add the capsicum cut into small pieces and the corn kernels and cook, approx. 10 minutes.

To serve put the lettuce on the plate and then add the roasted carrot and pumpkin over then the fish and then the baked fish.

Approx 410 calories per serve

If you want you can add a little more sweet chili sauce over the top to add a little more zing that will be an extra 6 calories for each teaspoon.

A Quote

So I heard a great quote a few weeks ago and I think that it something that can help when you come to think of food, the quote is:

"FOOD IS FUEL"

When I heard this quote I thought how clever it was as sometimes we eat, myself included, just because the food tastes great and we want to entertain our taste buds and we then may choose the foods that are not the best option for our bodies. We need to view our bodies like a car that need fuel to run on and the fuel is the food. Once we can change this mind set it can become easier to eat food and view food in a different light. Now I am not saying not to have a treat every once in a while BUT keep it to only once in a while and this way we can keep our bodies healthy and running on the right things not the junk things!

So next time you plan to smoother your bread in a stack of butter or your tempted to eat something deep fried or full of sugar stop and ask yourself the question how if at all can this food be fuel for my body!

Goal Setting

Ok so how many times do you have a goal in your mind and it stays in there without coming out?

To maximise your goal you need to write it down and leave it somewhere visible that you can see everyday as a reminder.

How often do you set a goal write it down YET don't have a time frame to go with it?

Many times we never accomplish a goal as we never are really focused on it as we have no deadline to meet. For example if you want to run a 5km fun run at your personal best then you should look for the date of one in your area and train and focus your goal around the date the race is run.

If your goal is to lose 10kg have you written this down and then put a date as to when you want to reach it? The other thing to consider is that the goal date is realistic. So don't set yourself a goal to lose 10kg in 2 weeks, unless you are either on the Biggest Looser OR you want to set yourself up for failure.

Another important thing to help goal setting is to be positive about it, don't allow for self doubt to creep in as it will put your goals back a little.

Sometimes it is a good idea to have something as a reward once you get to a goal, for example when I lost 40 kg in weight I originally freaked out as I thought how will I ever do this (which is that self doubt coming in). To help overcome and to make it a positive I broke the 40kg down to smaller stages. So I would make my goal to lose 5 kg in a month. Sometimes I reached my target and then some months I didn't BUT when I didn't I looked at what I had done and even though I hadn't lost my goal I had lost and I talked that as a positive. As a extra reward each time I would lose 5kg I would treat myself with something (non food). So it may be a body cream or nail polish just something small, so this was my short term reward. I even set myself middle range reward which were to have a cut/colour which is something I don't do often (being a hairdresser I do my own colours usually). Then I had the long term goal which was to take a holiday trip to Melbourne and shop with my Mum and Sister (however this changed to joining a gym).

The main thing is to realise that goal setting is so important as without goals we just float through lives and look back and think of the things we wanted to do but haven't done yet. Having a visual makes them real and more than a thought.

So now go and draw, print a picture or write down you plan and work out the time frame in which you want to achieve it by, then place it somewhere you can see it each day!

Image source

5 Great Butt Exercises

SQUATS


Squats are one of the best exercises you can do for your hips, butt and thighs and they're also a functional exercise, helping us build strength for a variety of daily activities


How to:

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart and, for added intensity, hold weights at shoulder level or at your sides.
2. Bend the knees, and lower into a squat, keeping the knees behind the toes. Imagine that you're sticking your butt out behind you, but keep the torso upright and contracted.
3. Press into the heels to stand up.
4. Repeat for 2-3 sets of 8-16 reps

LUNGES


Lunges are a challenging exercise because they work so many muscles at the same time


On the front leg, you'll work the glutes and hamstrings and, on the back leg, you'll work the quads and calves. What's nice about lunges is that there are a variety to choose from such as:

* Static Lunges
* Side to Side Lunges
* Sliding Lunges
* Low Lunges
* One-Legged Lunge
* Wheel lunges (front, side, reverse)
* Step by Step: Lunges 

STEP UPS


Step ups are another great exercise for the glutes. For step ups, place one foot on a step or platform and push through the heel to lift the body up. This is an excellent exercise for the glutes, providing you use a step that's high enough, although you may need to work up to a higher step if you're a beginner. You eventually want a height were your knee is at about a 90-degree angle.


The other key is to concentrate all your weight on the stepping leg. In other words, lower down gently, barely touching the toes of the other leg to the ground. You'll really feel this when you take it slow and concentrate on the working leg.

More Step Ups

* Side step ups
* Crossover step ups
* Resistance Band step ups


HIP EXTENSIONS


While I'm fond of more compound moves (like the squats, lunges and step ups listed above) since they work more muscle groups, the hip extension is an exercise that specifically targets the largest muscle in the body...the gluteus maximus.

For this move, you can hold a dumbbell behind the knee or use ankle weights for added intensity.

More Variations:

* Hip lift on the ball
* Hyperextension on the ball

ONE LEGGED DEADLIFT


Deadlifts are great for your hamstrings, butt and lower back, but this one-legged version is a great way to add intensity to the exercise and engage your stabilizer muscles to keep your body balanced. Form is critical and you should skip this exercise if you have any back problems.


To do this move, take the left leg back just a bit, lightly resting on the toe. With the weights in front of the thighs, tip from the hips and lower the weights as low as your flexibility allows. Keep your back flat or with a natural arch and make sure you keep the abs contracted to protect the back. Squeeze the glutes of the working leg to raise back up. Do 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps.

More Variations

* One-Legged Deadlift with Balance
* One-Legged Deadlift on the Ball

The Facts on Muscle (it's really not that scary after all)

Ok so I am pretty pumped from training on the weekend, got to see the new Les Mills stuff coming out as well as do a education session with the trainers. One of the things discussed was building muscle.

Ok so how many boys think that the only way they can get bulk is to lift heavy weights for short reps????
Well studies have shown that you can in fact lift lighter weight but just increase the reps and get the same results. Now the reason in this is FATIGUE. The idea is that you should get to the end of a session of working a particular muscle and be tiered but still be able to have correct form.

Another thing people believe is that they only need to do aerobic training in order to loose weight. In fact lifting some weights and training where you build muscle is in fact a great way to reduce fat. The reason is that building muscle means you burn fat even when you rest, as muscle needs energy from fat to survive!!!!! So no need to slog out and sweat your guts out running on a treadmill just talk to a trainer about working some muscles!

Another bonus of muscle is that it protects the joint. In fact the reason that people as they get older need to have things replaced, ie. hip knees etc is that they have lost muscle in these areas, which is something that happens as we get older, however if we practice to build and continue to look after our muscles we may in fact have better spine and peripheral joints as the muscle will help keep the stress off them!

Ok so now the last thing I will fill your head with is especially for the ladies that say they don't want to bulk up! Well guess what you wont bulk up doing weights as women do not generally produce enough testosterone to bulk up. However if your genetics are that your family has a list of fat bums or legs then your going to still have these the question is do you want a jelly bum or do you want a toned bum! Women build lean muscle and that lean muscle strips away the fat!

So now you know a little more about why muscle training is good for you and may I just add that as a Body Pump instructor I can say that this program is one of the best programs for both men and women to help strengthen, and shape your body. Plus the bonus is that in a one hour class you can work your whole body and not slog out one hour doing really heavy weights! So if you haven't tried Body Pump maybe you should.

My Journey on the weight loss trail

Ok so I thought I would share with you my journey of weight loss and how food and living has helped change me!


I was 110kg and had never felt so miserable in all my life as I was unable to keep up with my little man who had just turned 1. I would look in the mirror and feel terrible at what I saw looking back so I decided to make a change in the way I was living!

I started to change the foods I ate and also the size of portions, so instead of reaching for the whole packet of chips I would eat a row of rice crackers and drink water. I didn't cut all the things I loved out I just cut down and really focused on the portions. I walked everywhere and would spend time doing aerobic DVD's at home as I didn't want anyone to see me.

I finally got to my goal weight after 10 months and as a reward I joined my local gym, where I loved to do classes and use the equipment. After being so familiar with the staff I was approached to start training to become an instructor and for just over a year I have been encouraging our members to either loose weight, get fitter or just to have some fun!

My main tips are set small goals, don't look always at the big goal but look to the smaller ones. Every time I lost 5kg I would buy something for myself, nothing big but something nice as a reward.
Don't stop eating certain foods just portion size them or have them only as treats every now and again as you will crave and then give into the crave in a BIG way!

If you have never exercised start slow, go for a walk and gradually build up. If you use an excuse you don't have time break it down instead of doing a 30 minute walk do 3 10 minute ones during the day.
Have a partner to help you, surround yourself with LOTS of positive people that will help you, sometimes people can bring your good efforts down and make you doubt yourself. Sometimes writing your goals down is a good way to remember what you want to achieve.

So here is the before!!!!!!!!

This is a rare photo I had I actually looked like this for a number of years but just didn't want my photos taken!

And this is the after!!!!!!!

What does your poo say about you?

Ok so the title is a little interesting BUT have you ever wondered?

I received a message from a site called the food coach and found this article very interesting!

To view the article click here

Too hot to work out!

Sometimes when the weather picks up we may find ourselves making excuses as to why we should not excercise!!!! Here are a few tips to help get you out and getting fit.

• Try to exercise at the coolest part of the day, so if you can get up a little early and get moving!
• If you are not a morning person then wait until a little later in the evening and start then, I some times find it a little hard first thing in the morning to get out but getting the kids sorted and ready and giving them dinner then going is a great option as no sun and usually a little milder weather makes exercise a little more enjoyable. I will usually prepare a salad and then eat when I have finished, but if I am hungry prior I will eat a banana.
• I find I try not to exercise at the hottest part of the day as it makes me feel a little light headed, and this is due to overheating and the body not being able to cope with it all.
• Drink plenty of water, and when I say plenty I mean plenty! Prior to during and then loads after. Because you will be sweating more you need to replace what you use. I would even suggest to get something that has electrolytes in it as it is able to also replace not just the fluids but also all the other good stuff your sweating out.
• Types of workouts depends on you and what you want, however walking is one of the best things to do and also free and easy. 

The key is to set yourself goals and stick to it so try to avoid using excuses, including the one of the weather is too hot!

The BEST Breakfast Shake!

Ok so going away has been a good things as Melbourne has a great variety of food compared to Tassie! While we were away Ryan and I fell in love with BOOST juices. So much so that I have come home and started to pick up my game on ideas for my breakfast shake. And here is one I came up with:

250ml light milk
1 banana
1 ice cream scoop of muesli (yes fruit and all)
1 scoop of frozen mango yogurt
ice cubes
2 scoop of a good vanilla protein powder

Place all the items into a ice crushing blender and pulse until smooth!

Tastes yummy and will keep you full for a very long time!

A Hardcore Workout!!!!

Ok so I was looking over facebook today and found this post from the guy at career fitness and thought oh dear!!!!! If anyone is keen maybe we should give it a go, definately HARDCORE!


If anyone is time challenged but still looking for a hardcore workout then how about trying this little beauty courtsey of Crossfit. You do as many rounds as possible in 25 minutes of the following circuit. 5 x Deadlifts (weight = your bodyweight), 5 Chin Ups, 5 Squat Thrusters (Men 60kg/Women 40kg), 5 Kettlebell Swings (Men 32kg/Women 24kg), 5 Burpees. The Australain Record for this is 11 rounds in 25 minutes


The thing I think is that I don't think I could even get the weight on  bar to cover my body weight for the deadlift!!!!!!!! Good luck to the person who holds the record of doing 11 in 25 minutes they are some champion in the fitness world!!!!!!

Chicken Salad Recipe

Well after a lovely break away I am back to add more things on the food and living blog!

Last night we had the best chicken salad ever!

You will need:

2 small chicken thighs
1 small chicken breast
1 avocado
lettuce
carrot
Parmesan cheese
red capsicum
spring onions
1 onion or 2 small ones
about 6 mushrooms

Ok so first off you cut the chicken into cubes and add a good amount of cracked pepper and salt, and cook in a lightly sprayed pan until browned. Next you add the onion then once soft and slightly coloured add the mushrooms then cook until mushrooms are soft.

While the chicken is cooking shred a iceberg lettuce and grate finely carrot and Parmesan over the top of it. Add small diced pieces of red capsicum and spring onions over it. Once the chicken mix is cooked add it to the salad then add small pieces of diced avocado over the top. If you wish you can add a teaspoon of Aaoli but it will add more calories to the dish. Serve straight away!

The thing I like about this is that I don't need to add any other spice apart from salt and pepper to get a great flavour from the chicken and the chicken thighs actually make the chicken stay moist as chicken breast can sometimes be a little dry.

So you thing you don't have time to get fit?

Our life seems to be over taken with so much that we say that we just can't fit in time to get fit, BUT there are things we do everyday that can help us to get to our goal.


Here is a list of ideas taken from the Weight Watchers web site to help you on your way:



Get off the couch
You've had a long day at work, dinner has been cooked and cleaned up and you've been looking forward to watching your favorite TV show all day. Great! Use this opportunity to do an ad-break workout. Try completing one set of 20 lunges, squats, crunches, arm circles or as many push-ups as you can per break. Repeat this for each ad-break during your show. (Even better if you're watching an hour-long program!)
Brush and squeeze
Use the time that you're brushing your teeth to squeeze your butt muscles. Hold for one count and repeat. Do this trick in the morning and at night.
Use your steps
You probably lug your overstuffed laundry basket to the clothes line in one trip, but you'll burn extra kilojoules by making multiple trips up and down the steps. Instead of emptying contents into one basket, make smaller trips back and fourth.
Squat at every opportunity
Instead of thinking, "I don't feel like picking that up now," view a cluttered floor as a chance to get some leg and butt work in. Bend your knees when putting away clothes, shoes and everything else that isn't where it should be.
Do it yourself
Around the house, try mowing your lawn with an old-fashioned push mower (try Bunnings Warehouse), or take an afternoon to weed the garden or add a fresh coat of paint to a room in the house. In the kitchen, instead buying frozen pre-cut vegies, chop them fresh and mix ingredients with a spoon using elbow grease instead of an electric mixer.


I joined Weight Watchers to help me lose my weight as it was my conscience to weigh in each week! Maybe you can do the same thing at home and do a weekly weigh in, or you may like to get together with a group of people and weigh in together. They say losing weight is easier to do with a person so that you can help motivate each other and stay on track. If you do have a weekly weigh in remember try also to do a monthly measurements as well in case the scales don't change as much as you think they should but your body shape may be changing instead!

Quote to keep your mind on the game!

Ok so Ryan was asking me the other day about a quote that we heard to keep us motivated, it was on a Billy Blanks Tae Bo DVD just one of the many I loved to work out to before I started the gym. His quote is:

"I am where I am today cause my mind put me there, where I am tomorrow is where my mind will put me"

The key thing to keeping healthy and fit is to have a dream to make a goal and write it down so you know where your going. Keep the dream and goal in your mind so you always remember why your doing what your doing. I find that sometimes there are things that I don't want to do but I remember the bigger picture and talk myself (in my head not out loud or people will think I am crazy) through it. The best thing about this quote is is it relates to all the things we do, not just our health and lifestyle so if things are not going as you want them to go it may be that your mind needs to change the direction! I know that for me if I had kept in my mind to sit on my bum and not get up and do exercise I would not be where I am today and would be still at 110kg and feeling crap and horrible about myself with no self esteem and feeling useless about myself. The scary thing is having kids that I couldn't keep up with and the worry that because I was overweight I may not live as long as I could so who would be around for them! The mind is a powerful weapon in changing ourselves for the better.

Lovely Legs!

Ok so if you want to have lovely legs your going to have to do a little work to help get there. One thing you can do is squats!

Squats are one of the best ways to strengthen and condition the lower body.

If your new to squats here a few things to help you set up and execute the squat move:

* Heels start a little wider than your hips and toes are slightly turned out
* The movement is initiated from the hips, with a simultaneous movement at the knee and ankles
* A squat should not go any lower than 90 degrees, so your butt should go no lower than your knees.
* You should keep the abdominal strong so it can support your lower back.
* Keep chest proud and avoid leaning over as squat
* As you lower down into the squat position your knees should stay in line with your toes, and as you raise up you should push up through the heels to help activate the glute.
* The chin should be tucked in slightly as to avoid straining the neck.
* As you push up try to keep the knees soft and avoid locking them out.
* The hips should finish directly under the shoulders

Now if your a first timer to squats you may like to start off a little easy, so if you've never done a squat before, simply sit down on a bench and then stand back up, following the above set up and ways to execute the moves. When your starting out it's best to use just your body weight. As you get a bit more practice you might like to add a weight to hold onto, you do this by either using a weight plate and hugging it to your chest. Again make sure you keep your chest up should blades in at the back, try to avoid leaning forward as you do the squat.

Common faults with squats include:

* looking down and dropping the chest position
* When coming to the stand position pushing the hips forward and doing like a pelvic thrust move
* Butt going lower than 90 degrees
* Not pushing up through the heels, therefore not activating the glute
* Knees not staying in line with the toes as you come down
* Knees and ankles rolling inwards

Ideas on how to use the squat in a workout

warm up- very important you could do this by going for your regular walk and then come back and do a few sets of the following:

* slow down for 4 counts then slow up for 4 counts (2 times)
* A little quicker down, this time 3 down and push up for 1 ( 4 times)
* A little quicker again this time down for 2 counts then up for 2 counts ( 4 times)
* Single up and down ( 8 times)
* Hold down and do 4 little pulses at the bottom then rise ( 4 times)

If your new I suggest you start off doing this set of exercises 3 times using just your body weight. If you have done squats I suggest you try either with hand weights each side of you or a bar on your back positioned on the meaty part of the upper back, away from the neck, starting light with the weights. You can start with doing this routine 3 times and as you get stronger you can increase your weight selection.

Easy Chicken burgers Serves 2

Ok so I have been trying to some up with a healthy make at home alternative to a chicken burger from Burger Got Soul and I think that I have!

1 chicken breast, sliced in half so it is a little flatter
chicken salt
salt and pepper
2 eggs
onion
2 rolls (wholemeal is the best option as it is low gi)
iceberg lettuce leaves
tomato
slice of pineapple (fresh is best) or a tin if you don't have fresh
1 tsp Aioli

Cut the chicken breast in half to flatten it out apply a good seasoning of the chicken salt, salt and pepper on both sides then cook it in a fry pan with a good spray of olive oil. Cook one side completely before turning and cooking the second side.
Remove the chicken from the pan and leave it to rest. Add another spray to the pan and add the round sliced onions and cook. Then  crack an egg and cook to your liking, I always use a non stick fry pan as I don't have to add much oil to cook and it never sticks!
To assemble the burger spread the Aioli onto the top and bottom of the roll, then on the bottom add the lettuce leaves, followed by the chicken breast, pineapple, egg, tomato, and onions.

Sometimes I may add a piece of healthy bacon and a slice of cheese. This is a great dinner that the kids will love and it is guaranteed to keep your tummy from rumbling! I usually only have the burger as a main meal as I am stuffed by the end.

Why weight training!

Weight training is a great add-on to cardiovascular exercise because it helps maintain muscle mass, boost metabolism and reduce fat. After age 20 our metabolic rate can decrease by around 10% per decade. This is primarily due to muscles shrinking with age and decreasing use.

In addition, we lose both fat and muscle during weight loss - so relying on an eating plan without upping exercise levels, the greater the muscle loss. Weight training can help you keep the muscle while you lose the fat; particularly on the upper body which isn't loaded much by walking, jogging or cycling. Weight training can help you achieve your goals.

Another reason to add weight training to your routine is to help with the toning up as you lose your weight. Ladies often think that they shouldn't be doing weight training as they are worried about getting bulky, but let me reassure you that women's bodies are not designed to be big and unless you are working out every day and working on weight training exercises for an hours or more and doing a lot of isolation work then you will only tone muscles and help build the metabolic rate which will help in your weight loss. As a Body Pump certified instructor in a local gym I take 3 classes a week, on top of this I also do other resistance training in my other classes and I have not  bulked out but have toned up a lot as I had lots of flabby skin (mind you I still have some flab but that is because once we hit 30 our skin has trouble shrinking back as we start to lose elasticity) . 


If you are currently exercising and have not yet started a resistance part to your training you may like to add 2-3 times a week where you add some resistance training in, it is also a good idea to give yourself a rest day in between to help muscles recover. I personally LOVE Body Pump as it only takes an hour of your time and you work all areas of the body. But if you do not have access to the gym you can do a few things at home to get you started.  Over the next few weeks I will add some ideas you can work on at home so stay tuned.

Steps to stay on Track Step 1

Ok so people have asked me a number of times how I managed to lose 40kg in weight, let me tell you it was a challenge BUT I did a number of small things to get to the goal and to stay motivated one of the first things I did was instead of looking at the BIG PICTURE of how much you may want or need to loose break the number down. So for me even though I needed to lose 40kg I set myself 5 kg goals and when I got to the 5kg goal I did something small for myself. Sometimes it was a new clothing item, or a beauty product, or a new DVD to exercise to. When I got to the 10kg loss I did something a little bigger like go and pay for a hair colour (even though I am a hairdresser and I could do my own, it was nice to just be spoilt), other suggestions may be a night out dancing, a night away, or maybe you can make some other suggestions! I then set myself a reward for getting to my main goal of 40kg and that was to go on a girls trip to Melbourne with my mum and sister. So really I set up a short term goal, middle range goal and a long term goal. By doing this it helped that big number of 40 really a little easier and not seem so daunting!

If your a visual person like me another idea that can help you is when you reach say a 5kg loss go and weigh something equal to it. So for ever 5, 10 15kg etc you can actually physically feel and see what you have lost. I kept a paper clip chain and when I lost 1 kg I would take a clip off and it was good to see it wither down.

This is what I use to look like!!!!!! Having these photos around, even tho I want to cringe at the sight of myself it is sometimes just enough to not want to go back! So when you get to your goal don't throw the old you completely out keep some of it be it photos a piece of clothing as a reminder of how far you have come!

Some Great Advice

Ok so I am sharing with you a tip I got via email today which is a very important one!

Combine Diet And Exercise To The Get Best Results

Resistance and general exercise activity keep our metabolism ticking over. Weight training not only builds muscle but also provides mechanism to increase our Basal Metabolic Rate. A sound resistance exercise program combined with an aerobic activity such as walking, jogging or cycling are so important to those of us wanting to lose weight. Straight out dieting does not lead to the best weight results rather a combination of diet and exercise is key to maintaining a healthy leaner figure.

As we all know a balance in everything is the most important thing, by doing a little of each of these the weight will strip off BUT the main thing is that you will become a much healthier and happier person! 

Questions and topics!

Feel free to add a comment any time and ask questions, I will try and respond as quick as I can. If it is something personal just drop me a comment with your email and I will respond personally as well otherwise you can find me on facebook and inbox me.

Also if you have a topic you would like me to cover leave a message in the comments and I will see what I can do.

Have a great day!

BMI, what's yours?

BMI Stands for Body Mass Index. It is used to estimate your total amount of body fat. 


To work out your BMI click here  and fill in the details of your weight and height. OR you can work it out using


weight (kg)
height (m2)


The results of your BMI will put you into a category as to what is accepted as healthy and what is not.

• Under 18 - you are very underweight and possibly malnourished.
• Under 20 - you are underweight and could afford to gain a little weight.
• 20 to 25 - you have a healthy weight range for young and middle-aged adults.
• 26 to 30 - you are overweight
• Over 30 - you are obese.

NOW BMI is not the only way to work out and estimate your body fat and there is flaws in this method. One being that it does not determine the difference between muscle and fat.

I would say that the best way to monitor changes in your body is to measure yourself using a trusty old tape measure as this gives you a better understanding as to how you body shape is changing. 

Key areas to measure include:

top of arms

chest

hips

waist

thighs

calf

Most people who lose weight go through a period where they lose weight and then they slow down or go through a stage where they lose nothing. It may happen for many reasons but I have found that if your exercising and eating a healthy diet you may find that the shape of your body is changing instead of the scales, and it goes back to something earlier where muscle weights the same as fat, and lean muscle is better for us than fat (this is something I will talk more about later). So measuring yourself once a month is a great idea!

I found that when I lost 40kg I went through this process of great weight loss then very slow, and after 7-8 months I found it hard to stay focused on where I was going. But I hung in there and read up heaps and the idea of measuring really help me overcome what could have been a throw my hands in the air moment and give up on the goal. So my tip today is hang in there continue doing the right things eat healthy food and do some form of exercise and don't lose sight of the big picture of a healthy life style!

The benefits of Protein and a recipe!

I have a few sites that I like to check out and one in particular is the Body Science site!

They have a variety of information including, if you click here you can read about women and protein and the benefits of it in your diet. I must say that my diet consists of at least one protein shake in a day if not sometimes 2! As the article suggests if you are finding yourself feeling hungry mid morning you may benefit from having a little more protein for your breakfast. I sometimes have mixed a little milk and protein powder and put it on my brekkie. But the best breakfast I enjoy on most mornings is:

1 cup skim or low fat milk

1/2 cup ice

1 banana or 2 teaspoons Caro

1 scoop of protein powder (chocolate hydroxyburn, or vanilla physic sometimes I put a little of each)

Blend in an ice crushing blender and enjoy!

I find that when I have this shake I can get through a fair bit of my day. Occasionally I may get hunger pangs around 11, especially if I am working a double shift, but a banana or apple can help get me through till 1 when I have lunch.

The Start of a New Year

Ok so how many people set themselves a New Years resolution that they are going to lose weight and go on a diet and get more healthy! If you are not one of these people then at least you will know someone who has made the comment.

Well I have decided to write a blog designated to health and living. Over the next few months I am going to blog recipes, health tips and many more things so keep checking back to see what is happening.

And if you are one of those people who have set themselves a New Years resolution to get healthy then good luck!