Tis the season....

With the ‘silly season’ now upon us it seems the perfect time to stop and have a think about ways to keep the Christmas indulgence balanced to ensure our thighs don’t end up looking like the Christmas Ham.

If you are anything like me you will have many pressing social engagements over the coming weeks. All involving an abundance of food, drinks and of course merriment (aka: egg nog). be it work Christmas parties, mother’s group parties, family parties, friends, more family, and of course the big day itself.

The one day of the year where we seem to think it socially acceptable to eat until we are literally bursting out of our pants. The day where Uncle Herbert proceeds to undo his belt buckle and allow the button and zip from his jeans to slowly unfurl (or pop right off) to allow for the second helping of Christmas pudding and Aunt Ethel's trifle. Even worse someone in the family inevitably wears elastic waisted pants specifically allowing for easy stretching after a lunch AND dinner of pure indulgence.

Last Christmas I actually managed to jog 7 kms in between lunch and dinner. However, I then knowingly proceeded to eat every inch of food insight and completely make redundant my earlier efforts. In hindsight I would have been much better placed simply skipping the jog and reducing the quantity of food on my plate!

So, how do we avoid the extra Christmas kilos this year? Well, sadly my only answers are the same as usual. Move more and eat less. If your family is likely to have a vast array of mouth-watering-yet-weight-increasing-snacks on offer before the turkey makes an appearance, how about taking along a healthy fruit platter to share.

I am always bemused to see that the platters with celery, carrot sticks, humus, dried fruit and nuts, grapes, cherries and a variety of other low fat snack items seem to be the first off the plate.

If I were to give you my top 5 Christmas day tips they would be:

1: Start the day with a healthy, filling breakfast. I know some families start Christmas day with brunch. If this is you, consider indulging in summer fruits, healthy sea food, freshly squeezed juices, summer muesli's and yogurts mixed with seasonal berries. (NB: A glass of champagne is of course a must).

2: Take a 2 litre bottle of water with you. Christmas in Oz is hot of course and mostly always involves sun and champagne. If nothing else, your water will at best keep the hangover at bay till after 5pm!

3: Take the skin off! Not the quintessential sunburn we Aussies are so prone too – but rather, the skin off your bird. Chicken, turkey and pork are all meats high in protein. Whilst I too lament the skin is often the tastiest part, it’s also the part laden with fat and guaranteed to increase the size of my thighs! Over Christmas think about taking the skin off your meat and adding a teaspoon of home made apple sauce for some extra flavour!

4: Have a Christmas day stroll instead of an after lunch nap! For as long as I can recall my folks would have an afternoon nap in between lunch and dinner. Perhaps it was to recharge their batteries before the partying (eating) continued, or perhaps it was a direct result of the bodies exhausted efforts at digesting a days worth of food consumed in one hour!

It is often the case that when one feels full, they will also feel lethargy. So, how about this year rather than having a nap – take a walk. A gentle stroll around the block will give your body a chance to digest the ice-cream and trifle and give you a nice energy boost from the increased heart rate and blood flow! Hey, if nothing else you’ll be prepped for round 2.

5: Last but not least – put your party frock on and boogie! Christmas is a celebration and celebrations in my book are worth donning your pretty dress and fancy heels and reflecting on all the year has been. Laugh with your friends and family, enjoy good food and drink. And, if you do over-indulge - make sure you enjoy it - you can always work it off later :o)

Happy Christmas Season guys :)

Detox over!

Hooray, detox is over!

Actually if I am honest with my loyal readers I must admit I ended it 3 days early.

I can justify it though.......

My baby sister and my awesome brother in law moved into their new home on Sunday. I volunteered to assist with the move and also weed their garden and mow their lawn (WHY GOD WHY????????????!!!!).

Truth be told, I actually really enjoy gardening. Being out in the garden and seeing the small improvements simply ripping weeds (at least I assume they are weeds) makes, fills me with glee (small things/small minds and all that). Not to mention it's free and usually my hobbies involve spending a fair portion of money needlessly!

Any-who, after spending the afternoon lifting boxes and weeding, I decided to venture inside for a glass of tasteless and very unappealing mineral water. Typically as I entered the kitchen weeds recklessly strewn all over my clothes, dirt replacing what was previously eye-shadow, who should I run into but my brother-in-law sipping away on a cold, inviting, desirable beer! Instantaneously my lips started to tingle, my hands started to shake and naturally I started salivating. (Gosh, I sound like an alcoholic don't I - DON'T ANSWER THAT).

Now it needs to be said that beer is generally not my first drink of choice. A cold glass of white wine is. BUT (clearly it is a big but), on a summer's day when the rays from the sun are penetrating through your clothes, you're dreaming of the beach and the accompanying life-guards (ahem) and sweat is beading the very make-up off your face - beer is the answer!

Well to cut a long story short, as I stood there envious of my brother, watching the bottle reach his lips and imagining they were mine, I decided to abstain from the beer but drive straight to the shops to purchase a celebratory bottle of Moet!

As my besty remarked, you simply CAN'T say no to Moet! So there you have it, a week long detox unfurled for a glass of expensive french champagne. Perfect.

I should add that in this week I was extremely loyal to my Blackmores box and abstained from the numerous 'no no's' listed in the detox handbook despite many being in my top-5-must-have-food-group (i.e coffee). I also lost 1.5kgs (started at 71kgs and ended at 69.5kgs) which is a grand feat in anyone's books; and continued running every day despite the claim I'd barely be able to lift my head from my pillow.

It has to be said though that aside from the very obvious lack of wine with my main meal (no, not lunch) I actually felt NO different at all. I had expected unthinkable headaches, numerous toilet stops and lethargy, but nope, nudda, nill.

So, what can I conclude from this I ask you - wine is good for the body, mind and soul - clearly ;o)

"D" Day's!

Bula, Fiji was bliss!

It was so incredible in fact that Muscle Man and I are planning a return trip in March to celebrate our wedding anniversary!

I did jog once but thanks to the sand being so amazingly soft (and white) it was like attempting to run through powder snow (a very funny sight - unless you are the one trying to run in it). Needless to say after that first morning I willingly succumbed to holiday mode and took up my prime position by the pool - cocktail in one hand trashy novel in the other. Perfect.

One thing I must admit too is that I don't yet have the emotional strength to sit pool-side with a throng of amazingly beautiful women (some the mothers of multiple children) wearing string bikini's with not an inch of cellulite or trace of a stretch mark in sight. It looked so effortless for so many. Not a care in the world, not a whisper of gruelling Fijian morning runs or nastily self- critiquing every pair of shorts I wore.

Muscle Man became quite accustomed to pepping me up after each trip to the pool or beach where I would forlornly return to my room feeling like a beached whale tattooed (well scarred) with the map of the world on my not-taut mid section.

I think for anyone who has lost weight (or wants to) the battle is not simply won with loosing kilos. I've said the whole way through my blog that the quest to love ones-self and feel comfortable in our skin is more than half the journey. Fiji was a very real reminder that my battle is not yet complete and in fact if anything requires some serious adjustment of late.

So then, the question is what am I going to do about it?

Well, first things first - Dust myself off and start again! I must admit that prior to (and certainly after) holidays I had been feeling a little lax with my eating and exercise habits. Sure, I still ran/run an average of 25-30kms a week but it was becoming evident this was only enough to keep my wine and potato chip consumption at bay (yes, it was a large consumption.....of wine). Add to this the vast array of rich and indulgent foods in Fiji (not to mention the colourful and enticing drinks that come with my favourite appeal; a little umbrella and a glace cherry) and we have a recipe for thigh chaff. Yes, eventually something had to give (before my deck chair did).

So as a start, I am now on day 3 of 12 of a detox and healthy eating kick start. I am not thinking of this as a diet (I hate that word) but rather am thinking of this as a chance to replenish the soul, rejuvenate the mind and remove the excess fat! I must admit I don't feel amazingly better or worse (as had been toted) at this stage but I do feel capable and that in itself is a plus in my books!

I am of course on the eternal quest for balance and 'self-love' but surely I'll get there with baby steps right!

Yeah, I'm slack I know!

Only in the blogging sense mind you! I still run just as much, whinge as much (if not more) and curse my paternal grandmothers genes just as much as ever!

But, I am slack in the blogging arena of late and I apologise profusely. I have picked up an extra day at work and Bob now sleeps in the room which houses the computer. I am determined not to let this fall by the way-side though so I am going to make a concerted effort to update with a decent blog at least once a week. Weight loss and exercise are very much a daily frustration/lesson for me so there is more to be said!

We are off to Fiji on Tuesday - HOORAY. I have two sets of swimmers picked out and have been mentally prepping myself for the confidence to wear both without a kaftan over top! I can't wait. Muscle Man keeps lamenting to me that he is looking forward to a whole week off exercise, I lament back that I am looking forward to crisp morning runs along Fijian beaches (that and the cocktails).

I haven't been jogging outside to much at the moment as I have a seriously debilitating fear of Magpies (anyone else?). Sexy Twin on the other hand thinks she is the Maggie whisperer and runs with them daily. She takes their swooping her as a sign of encouragement and runs faster (more like runs away...).

I am thinking it's almost time to either upgrade my faithful treadmill or invest in another piece of equipment. Maybe a x-trainer. Any thoughts? I am also determined to start attending at least 1 pump class at the gym per week with Muscle Man. I simply HATE weights and yet I completely recognise their benefits.

On another note if anyone wants to pay for me to have liposuction and a boob job, feel free!!

Until next time, Bula Vinaka - Am off for the morning run!

My Sexy Twin complex

Being a twin has always come with the assumption that we choose to dress the same, speak the same, indulge in the same guilty pleasures and essentially that we are one personality in two bodies. When we were younger we revelled in this assumption because naturally being twins, we played the part. We were so accustomed to being identified as one person that at such a tender age, we knew no different than to accept the public perception and be “one”.

There is no doubt that being twins there is an unmistakable bond. We have a relationship that stems from the very core of our beings. A relationship that unlike any other comes with an undeniable oneness that no matter how we might try, we can not deny the fact that we are bound by something instinctive, something primal.

What then is the issue you may wonder? Well with social assumption comes pressure and to a large extent it has also potentially defined the way which I (and possibly sexy twin) view myself – both individually and comparatively. When you are expected to be the same, shouldn't you look the same too?

At the moment sexy twin is looking mighty tiny and I must admit that over the last few weeks I have found myself feeling like the “fat twin” again. Feelings which are reminiscent of years gone by. Growing up it was not uncommon to be told that she was the "skinnier" twin, naturally sparking a personal assumption that I must have been the "fatter" one of the pair.

The thing is, whether it is a twin, a friend, a sister, a mother, a movie star or simply Mary, Marg or Mollie next door, there are times in our lives when we do compare ourselves to others. In many ways how could we not when we are inundated with images of thin, toned, tanned women wearing string bikinis or LBD's (little black dresses), lying on a deck chair and having any male (or 4 litre container of castrol oil) within a 5 mile radius drooling.

Women of today are set up to believe that this is the way we should look. These images are defining the way in which we view not only ourselves but also the way we view others. It certainly makes it hard when in one advertisement we have waif like models swanning around on a cat-walk for "who wants to be a supermodel" and typically the very next advert will be for Jenny Craig. How can we possibly deny the subliminal messages which are being transmitted directly to our fragile 'trying-to-lose-weight' minds.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely acknowledge we have an obesity epidemic in this country, surely we all realise it. I'm personally not sure of the answer but one thing I am increasingly aware of is the need to teach self-respect, self-belief and a genuine understanding of health before teaching that a size 10 is the only way to be healthy or attractive. Perhaps to some extent my own perceptions are marred by my pessimism that society really does understand the pressure we place on young girls/women these days when it comes to body image.

Whatever the soap-box I am standing on this week, deep down I do know unequivocally that Sexy twin loves me unconditionally for me. She would never ever look at me as the “fat twin”. I also know that she would never consider herself the image, or model of what she and I should look like. I guess realistically this is yet another issue with battling the bulge. Learning to change our social and personal perception and, or, belief regarding the female form and the shape which it should allegedly take.

The weird thing about my own perception is that I often look at myself and wish to change my shape but then my shape is actually the shape I love the most on women in today’s society!

I guess that there is yet another example of my own body dysmorphia! Naturally I blame the media ;o)

A not so subtle sign!

This morning when I went to clean my teeth in the bathroom I noticed my scales were wet. Using my powers of investigation (i.e. asking the males in my life what happened) I was able to deduce that Jim had pee'd on them! Now Jim has been toilet trained for over 6 months so I can only assume this is his way of telling me he loves me just the way I am and to abandon the scales ;o)

He's a keeper!

Spring has Sprung

Spring has finally sprung, and for me, alongside spring comes a new vigour to enjoy life and smell the roses. I have found myself walking outside the last few days with a goofy-half-cocked smile on my face and a renewed feeling of health, well-being and motivation.

Maybe I love spring so much because in my family it represents so much life. Sexy Twin and I share a birthday in October. My Dad, younger sister, two youngest brothers, one niece, one nephew, and of course MY newest baby Bob, are also all born in spring.

Walk around any lake or parkland and you'll likely see baby ducklings, smell daffodils or John quills blooming; and living in the Nations Capital we are inundated with delicious smelling cherry blossoms and golden wattle. What's not to love. (Muscle Man just said hayfever! Condolences to all you sufferers)

It does however also mark the season when every second advertisement on TV is for weight loss clinics, meal replacement diets, gyms, pills or over the counter diet cures and every other "miracle cure, lose weight fast scheme". Let's be honest, in many ways it is the perfect time to start advertising these items. People are painfully aware that summer is nearly upon us and with that particular season comes the threat of swimmers, shorts, sleeveless tops and sadly for me - regular leg shaving (so lazy through winter!).

In my pre-fab days, I dreaded the onslaught of slender girls with long tanned appendages wearing 1/3rd of the clothing I was. I dreaded the thought of shopping for summer clothes; painfully aware muffins were a winter food and not a flattering look when displayed on your mid-section.

I dreaded the fact that my peers would be frolicking around in the waves on beach weekends away, and Sunday picnics to the local river, whilst I would be sitting on shore nursing my low self-esteem and rapidly diminishing levels of fun. I dreaded summer nights out when girlfriends would be dressed in flowing, slender summer dresses and if lucky, I'd have found a suitable kaftan. I am sure whenever there is something you fear, the world conspires against you and suddenly it's all you see. Swimmers, dresses, singlets, shorts, BIKINI'S would chase me in my summer night dreams.

Well, let's not let this summer be like that. Let's not let our fears, rational or otherwise, see us racing to the cupboard for a handful of chocolate and a smattering of chips whenever the word "shorts" is heard. Let's make this Spring season the start of brisk walks outside, indulging in fresh salads and ripe fruits, taking in the beauty of life and making genuine changes to ensure an enjoyable summer, now and for many more to come.

My best Spring tips to prepare for a beaut summer:

1: Take advantage of the extra warmth and light we currently have. Aim to walk for a minimum of 20 minutes during your day. If you work, go for a walk in your lunch break or after work before the last light. If you are home with kidlets aim to take them to the park a few times a week. Maybe try a different park every 2nd day and try and add an extra 5 minutes to your walk.

2: Start making salads for lunch. Salads can be interesting (although we all know you don't make friends with salad). Add sliced mushrooms, a spoonful of corn kernels, a tin of tuna, cherry tomatoes, a sprinkle of lite feta cheese, pinenuts, and english spinach or rocket for something new.

3: Spend a few minutes each day taking some deep breaths and stretching. As you do so focus on the fact that you CAN achieve your goals without the aid of marketing and scare tactics (i.e diet pills and shakes).

4: Visualise yourself at goals. Imagine yourself strutting the beach in your shorts. Imagine yourself in that summer dress or flowing skirt. Then set realistic time frames to those goals. Allow yourself time to enjoy life, indulge when you want too, and rest when you need. Moderation truly is the key.

5: BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! We can be our own worst enemy but also our biggest strength. Make the choice to be your biggest strength.

Remember - smelling the roses is a cliche, but it's a tried, tested and true one (in my opinion!).