Getting Healthy from the inside out...

The week is over and my name is Chantal……… I love Fridays because of the speed at which they go!Hello!!!I know everybody is doing fine because somehow I have been able to communicate with you guys one way or the other. Wow! First of all, I want to thank you all for the responses I got from my first blog post! So I have been walking on clouds since my last visit from the Doctor and I must say it feels good up here! Once upon a time, I would have been ashamed to post a photo of myself on such a public forum for the world to see. I’ve worked hard to whittle my formally size 20 frame to now size 16. Remember, your weight is just a number on the scale, and you should carry yourself with CONFIDENCE no matter how much you weigh. I think it’s absolutely necessary to celebrate each small victory in your weight loss journey - It keeps you from losing sight of the BIG PICTURE, and reminds you that you’re actually making PROGRESS! Cheers to all those Mini Milestones. Weight loss is a life long journey, there is no final destination. No matter what your size is, OWN your look and know that true beauty begins from within. The 2 words that you should ALWAYS REMEMBER and NEVER FORGET before embarking on any journey or while trying to reach any goal are: IT’S POSSIBLE.

Before back in 2013

After 2014

people will celebrate with you once you reach the finish line, but you must be YOUR OWN biggest cheerleader during the race. Never Give In, Never Give Up, and Never Stop Trying… EVER, remain COMMITTED, be CONSISTENT. This is me I envisioned 12 months ago. When you’re inside your own body, changes in your appearance after drastic weight loss may not be as apparent to you as they are to others, but I’m really starting to see the fruits of my labor now. People that have known me along my weight loss journey know that taking full bodied pictures of me used to be quite a hassle. I was so displeased with my figure that I generally hated every photo, requested that a new one be taken repeatedly, closer or at a different angle. Confidence is not something that comes once you’ve reached your goals… it’s a prerequisite that’s required to get there. Probably the best part of any weight loss journey is gaining the opportunity to reinvent yourself through your wardrobe. I’m finally able to wear high heels and pumps because they don’t hurt my feet like they used to, and wearing dresses and skirts is no longer a painful endeavor as my thighs don’t rub together when I walk. When I was heavier, my wardrobe didn’t accurately reflect my true persona, as I was forced to choose clothing that fit, rather than the items I actually wanted. Now my clothes reflect the classy, sexy, confident, and charismatic woman inside of me that was screaming to break through the barrier of my weight, and she is FREE to live out loud! If I can do it, so can you. The journey is not an easy one but I can assure you that In the end, it will all be worth it. So, there you go. Share your thoughts, any criticism is welcome and I can't wait to hear what you think of my little piece. I hope you liked it! Cheers to the freaking weekend, I drink my capuchino shake to that ;)

Keep Trying! Losing Weight is a Lifestyle Change

Mmmmmh! Imagine a situation where you no longer fit into your biggest size clothing. So earlier this year, I had my Annual medical checks, my cholesterol was high, Blood Pressure was a whopping range of 140/111!. My doctor flat out told me that if I didn’t get down to 75Kgs from 107kgs, I’d end up digging my own grave at an early age! These are the exact words Dr. Aluoch told me. Got so much respect and admiration for him! I vowed right there and then to clean up my lifestyle and eating habits. The reality that I weighed more than double my ideal weight was shocking! That's when I knew things had to change I read a story in Guidepost about a group of ladies who kept track of their calories and increased their activity levels. (Follow https://www.facebook.com/WeighSmartDietDivas) They saw good weight loss results. This was exactly what Calorie Count offered. I discovered Calorie Count a few days into my journey. I’ve also had people ask me what I am doing differently since compared to most people, I eat pretty healthy. It’s about portion control and not eating more than what my body needs. I have realized that am in control of my health – and my weight directly relate to the choices that I make. It's all simple math. If I make poor, destructive, unhealthy, choices – my body will reflect them. If I make wise, healthy, choices – my body will reflect them Maintenance is far more difficult than weight loss, I am sort of an expert in losing weight. I have an equal expertise in gaining it back! I worry endlessly about gaining weight back after working so hard to lose it. Truth be told, I still do. Health has been a process for me and it seems to be a never-ending journey. Going to the gym almost every day has made maintenance much, much easier. I notice that it makes the difference between gaining the weight back and maintaining it. For instance, if I am on vacation and away from the gym and make a few poor choices (Sweet wine anyone?) I will put on a few weight. I must admit...WINE is my weakness! I LOVE WINE! But, if I am at home and do a bit of celebrating but continue to exercise, I will just maintain my weight. Yeeey! I am embarrassed to say that there has definitely been times when I have thought, "I just want to sit around and eat all day." And honestly, I feel some freedom in that thought. Food is a comfort and I love to eat. So, I have had to really take a long, hard look at my behaviors and feelings when I want to renounce my healthy lifestyle. And every time it happens I have to choose a better, healthier choice. This can be very difficult. So far, so good! It's been about a year and a half of good choices. I do still log my food. And I log my weight. This may sound silly, but I stay motivated by buying really beautiful clothes and shoes that make me feel confident. Fashion really motivates me. Almost hitting my goal weight, excited to say my total cholesterol has gone down! And can’t wait to see Dr. Aluoch’s reaction in my next Annual medical check appointment early next year. . My BMI is down from 37 to 28. Almost getting there!!!!! During my last visit at the hospital a month ago, the doctor was so excited when he finally got to remove the word “obesity” from my chart! 15kgs lost so far!!!! What can I say??? Am so proud of myself!! Did I experience difficulty losing weight? The answer is YES! at times it definitely seems like a very slow process, but it’s worth it! I feel much better and more in control of my life My advice to the dieters, 1. Keep trying! You may have to try many times before this lifestyle change sticks. Remember, one day at a time. 2. Be accountable and be honest with yourself. You'll feel better if you are honest about a “bad” rather than hiding or giving up. Aim for progress, not perfection. We all love pie, cookies, cakes, etc. The bottom line is that we can still enjoy these things, just not all the time. Be willing to “break up” with certain foods that keep dragging you down the path of destruction. Just say no. Maturity is knowing that we can’t have everything we want when we want it 3. Support people going through this journey. Give them encouragement to keep going and I promise they will do the same for you! 4. Be willing to uncover and dig at the root causes of any unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. This may take professional therapy. But, you absolutely cannot battle a demon you cannot even see. Be willing to turn the light on first. No more numbing pain with food. No more eating to fill voids – for pleasure, for acceptance, or any other reason other than nutrition! Be willing to confront truth and pain 5. Fix your spiritual life. Connection to a higher power is crucial. You are not here by accident. We all have a Divine Purpose. Yes, all of us. You are not your past. You are not your mistakes, flaws, failures, etc. You are loved and must absorb this fact down to every last cell in your body. 6. Prepare yourself mentally, People will notice, so decide now how you will deal with the attention you get when you start seeing the results.

How to listen to your body: Exercising smart.

What’s one of the biggest mistakes that people make when exercising? Your body is very good at letting you know when you’re doing something wrong. So what’s the biggest mistake? Not listening to your body. According personal trainer fitness expert Clifford Coetzer, your slogan during exercise should be ‘no pain, no injuries.’ “Pain,” says Coetzer, “should be treated as a red light.”

Exercise: The Goldilocks principle

The Goldilocks principle can be applied to almost anything. It’s the idea that there’s a happy medium that falls between margins and does not reach extremes in either direction. When applied to exercise, the Goldilocks principle refers to not overtraining and not slacking off. 

According to Coetzer, there are a few basic guidelines to follow to make sure you’re getting the most out of your training. You should experience delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS, meaning that your muscles are sensitive or tender but not stiff, normally 24 to 48 hours after a workout and your joints shouldn’t be sore. You should also take at least one day off training entirely and if you work every day, you should work muscles that have not been exercised in the last 48 hours. 

Listening to your body

There are several signs to look for during and after exercise that tell you if you’re working too hard or not working hard enough. 

·         Do you dread exercising?

·         Do you find it difficult to catch your breath during exercise or does it take a long time for your heart rate to go back to normal afterwards?

·         Do you feel drained and exhausted after exercise and unable to recover?

·         Do you feel persistently fatigued despite getting enough sleep?

·         Are you cranky, irritable, and short-tempered during the day?

·         Do you battle to fall asleep or wake up often and battle to get back to sleep?

·         Have you lost your appetite?

·         Are you losing muscle definition?

·         Is exercise becoming more difficult?

If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions you may be over training. This puts you at risk for persistent muscle soreness and fatigue, loss of fitness, persistent infection (like a sore throat), injury, weight gain, and loss of muscle definition. Psychological symptoms are often more noticeable than physical symptoms and include irritability, depression, insomnia, and loss of enthusiasm for exercise.

If you answer ‘yes’ to any of the following you may be under-training:

·         Do you exercise for less than 30 minutes, 5 days a week?

·         Do you fail to break a sweat?

·         Are you able to sing during your workout?

·         Do you never feel any muscle soreness after working out?

·         Has your appetite remained the same?

·         Do you feel apathetic towards exercise instead of excited?

·         Do you feel as though working out is a waste of time?

Ideally, good exercise should leave you feeling happy and motivated. Coetzer says that you know that you’re working at the right intensity if you’re able to talk but not sing during your workout and you don’t experience dizziness, joint pain, or profuse sweating. You should also have more energy, be more awake, and concentrate better. You should also be sleeping better at night. 

If this is not how you feel after exercise, you may be over- or under-training.

Why More Women should seek out Mentors

Mentoring is successful if you can help your mentee discover answers to her own questions by providing pathways, insights and resources to further knowledge and understanding. Whilst the mentee has come to you for guidance, she is not necessarily looking for you to provide all the answers. Your mentee will grow and benefit more if you show the way but don’t give your solutions to her own questions.

Finding a mentor may not be that difficult, but finding the right one could be. It all starts with understanding the benefits of mentoring, then determining what specifically you need and want from the relationship. Are you looking for better performance out of the team you’re leading? Do you want to learn how to present ideas more persuasively to your boss? Once goals are identified, it’s easier to seek out the appropriate mentor.

Target people who have skills that you think will complement and help you enhance your own. The skills potential mentors possess don’t necessarily have to be directly related to the subject matter of your job. In most mentoring relationships, it is not subject matter and technical expertise with which mentees struggle, It’s the core leadership skills like influencing, working through problems, negotiation and interpersonal skills with which less-experienced professionals most often need help. If you’ve targeted someone you believe would be your ideal mentor but are uncomfortable approaching that person, consider enlisting a trusted co-worker to make the introduction.

Key Points to Remember

Once an introduction is made, it’s important to ensure the relationship is mutually beneficial.

1. Be open. Aim for an easygoing connection and candid conversation.

2. Set goals. Go in with some specific objectives in mind.

3. Take it seriously. It’s not just coffee. Respect your mentor’s time and be thoughtful about the work you’re doing.