Claire's Body Transformation Update!

Claire came  to see me at in January this year and has since gone on to reshape her body by making changes to her activity and exercise levels, her diet and her mindset and attitude. Today we reviewed her measurements and, I am extremely happy to say, she has continued to progress with her fat loss goals. Since January she has reduced her weight by 30lb!! Her torso has reduced by an average of 11cm and her body fat percentage is heading towards the healthier range. When I asked Claire what she thinks has been the biggest reason for these amazing results she said that making exercise part of her regular routine has been the most important factor in her achievements. She went on to say that her motivation to eat healthier is fuelled by doing more exercise. When I first met Claire she was not at all confident in being in the gym, now she is there, swinging her kettlebells with the best of them and inspiring others to change their exercise and eating habits. Being further inspired now by Jessica Ennis, Claire is on target for her 22% body fat measurement goal. Well done Claire, we are all supporting you!!

Please scroll down to see Claire's photos....

   

Claire Janaury 2012

  

Claire August 2102






Looking great!!

Please feel free to post a comment to support Claire....

Claire's Story June 2012

Should We Be Drinking Diet Drinks?

Over the last 10 years I have noticed that a lot of the people who come to me for help to lose weight have a few things in common and one of those things is drinking diet drinks. Of course, they are shocked when I suggest that diet drinks are not helping them in reaching their weight loss goals and struggle to believe that a fat free, sugar free, calorie free drink could possibly be doing them more harm than good.

As someone who promotes consuming foods and drinks  as"near to nature" as possible in order to maintain a healthy diet I believe that diet drinks are a long way from nature and so should be avoided. This would include all drinks with aspartame, a man made sweetener. (Now try finding orange squash or other fruit squash drinks without aspartame in them - it's not that easy!)

To convince me further on this subject (and encouraging me to spread the word further) is an article in Fitpro Network (The magazine for personal trainers) written by Luis Devera. He discusses this question and gives examples of studies and explanations that give evidence of possible ways that these diet drinks may be effecting us.

I have included a summary of the examples he gives here:

• Over 10 years a study showed that "the waistlines of diet soft-drinkers grew 70% more than non-drinkers".
• Another study proposed that "the artificial sweetener may have a triggering effect on the appetite but, unlike normal sugars, can't deliver the goods to satisfy, leaving the dieter hungry". 
• One theory is that "people unconsciously allow themselves to overeat believing they have saved calories by drinking diet options". 
• Another theory is that the "sweet stimulus produces an insulin response". 
• Or it could be that the brain's hard wiring for appetite control is disrupted by the lack of calories coming in when there is a taste that indicates there should be calories?
• It has also been found that kidney function can be reduced in some people who drink two or more servings of diet drinks daily.
• Then to add to all of this there is the knowledge that diet drinks contain phosphoric acid which, if there is too much in the body, can contribute to calcium being excreted more quickly than normal. Also increasing the risk of osteoporosis and other side effects.

With all of this in mind perhaps we should ask ourselves if these diet drinks are really supporting our health goals?
  Is the short term pleasure of the taste worth the long term pain they could be causing us?

My recommended health giving drink - you know it - WATER!!!



Sue x

Claire's Six Months Transformation - Her Story

I would like to introduce you to Claire who has kindly agreed to share her fat loss story. I hope that she can inspire you to believe that change is possible. You just have to decide to make the necessary changes that will make the difference! Well done Claire, you look amazing!! Read more below to find out how she has made this incredible transformation.....





 


 

My aunt very thoughtfully paid for training sessions with Sue for Christmas in 2011. After visiting Sue and understanding her methods, I was very excited to begin training. Yet with Sue the training also comes with a weekly dialogue about ways to approach health and how to envisage the results you are after. With me, it was very much about losing weight at the start as I thought this would be the only indicator of weightloss. However, Sue re-educated me to understand that there are many other factors which contribute to a healthier body. This includes a healthier mind and belief system. Before beginning, I would very much look at the negatives (too fat, big tummy etc) and this is counterproductive to success. Sue taught me to look at the bigger picture and to remain positive. At first it was very difficult to change my beliefs but truely this was the only way I was going to achieve success. Now, I think myself healthier and slim and this positive attitude has contributed to my continued weightloss and healthier body.

Sue helpfully showed me a number of exercises I can complete at home or at the gym. This has meant that I have been able to continue working out in a way which I know works. By doing circuit training, I have been strengthening my muscles AND not allowing myself to become bored by endless hours on the cardio machines.

My attitude to food has also changed. We discussed how your body is like an engine that needs fuelling in order to work properly. If you don't have enough fuel your engine won't work efficiently. Likewise, if you give the engine the wrong type of fuel it will not work in the way you wish it to work. So now, with that thought in mind, I try to combine a healthier way of eating with a more active lifestyle. This has worked!

There is still a long way to go for me. However, I now have the skills and tools to help me continue.

Thank you Sue! X

Unmasking black pepper's secrets as a fat fighter

Unmasking black pepper's secrets as a fat fighter - click here for latest scientific research!

I love it when I come across information like this that suggests how eating certain foods can help us become healthier. For someone like myself, who enjoys eating, knowing more of the healthy benefits of these foods gives me even more pleasure when I eat them!

We know that our tongue is designed to experience the main flavours of sweet, sour, salty and bitter and many cultures go to great lengths to make sure that these tastes are satisfied within a meal. I usually notice how satisfied I feel after eating meals that contain a variety of added flavours from herbs and spices and how unsatisfied I feel after eating a bland and uninteresting meal.

I wonder if we are becoming more and more unbalanced (over-heavy) in our bodies as we become unbalanced (under-light) in our minds. As the scales tip towards more work and away from rest and play in our lives do we turn to food to "spice up our lives". Is it the food we are craving for when we order our Indian takeaway or is it the spice?

What if, adding black pepper, chilli or spices to our meals we would be more satisfied by the taste of the food and in turn not feel the need to eat more?

What if, adding these condiments to our meals could strengthen our metabolism and help us to burn fat more easily?

What if ,we thought about where we could find more balance in our lives to create a more comfortable balance in ourselves?

Would we be more satisfied if we enhanced our lives by adding a bit more spice to it?

Sue x

Never, Ever Give Up. Arthur's Inspirational Transformation!

Sleep Well To Lose Weight

 

I am sure you are aware that there have been numerous studies and articles produced about the link with being overweight and sleep. Scientist have proven that sleep and our appetite hormones are connected in some way and one study has shown that those who slept less than eight hours a night not only had lower levels of leptin (a hormone produced in fat cells which sends a signal to the brain when you are full) and higher levels of ghrelin (a hormone which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract and stimulates appetite) but they also had a higher level of body fat.

Today I read a about another study which also indicates the importance of sleep in relation to maintaining a healthy weight. (Click here to read more about this study). The study says:

“French scientists show that impairments to a gene known to be responsible for our internal body clocks, called "Rev-Erb alpha," leads to excessive weight gain and related health problems.....

"It is now clear that impairment of daily rhythms such as shift-work, exposure to artificial lighting, or jet-lag has multiple adverse effects on human health, every effort should be made to maintain or restore normal temporal organization and to avoid potentially disruptive behaviours such as nocturnal meals or light exposure at night."It seems possible then that waking in the night, turning on the light, and eating, could all play a part in what is making us fatter.

So, the question is what can you do about it?

Of course, the obvious answer is to not wake up in the first place so perhaps the first place to start is to discover why you are waking up and what you could do differently to either remain asleep or go straight back to sleep.

When I struggle to go back to sleep it is usually when I am worried or have something on my mind. One way to deal with distracting yourself from these thoughts might be to turn on the light and read or watch television but if you want to avoid the light exposure since it may impair our internal body clock and lead to weight gain, you might have to find some other distraction.

Another typical distraction might be to have something to eat but again, this could be a potentially disruptive behaviour, and combined with the probability of having to turn on lights to get something to eat, could provide the perfect environment for weight gain....and an even more perfect one with the addition of the extra calories you are eating!

Perhaps the solution to helping yourself sleep well is to finding a more positive way of dealing with what it is that is making you anxious or stressed so that you can feel differently about it. Can you imagine that by changing how you think and feel about your problem might help you feel less stressed, less worried and more relaxed. Your mind becomes clearer, you breath more evenly, your heart beats more regularly, your muscles relax.....you are in a more perfect environment for sleep and all the health benefits that perfect sleep brings you!

Coming soon...Changing how you think and feel

Happy Exercise vs. Stressed Exercise – There’s a Big Metabolic Difference

Happy Exercise vs. Stressed Exercise – There’s a Big Metabolic Difference

Marc David writes in his article (clink on link above) how important it is to exercise with the right attitude.  He explains how, in the wrong context exercise can "wear us down, elevate cortisol and insulin levels, generate inflammatory chemicals, and lock us into a survival metabolism in which we vigorously store fat and arrest the building of muscle. When we exercise and move from a place of inspiration, freedom, and joy our body will love us right back by rewarding us with a hotter calorie burning metabolism."

This supports my beliefs that to reach our exercise goals, whether they may be to become slimmer, fitter or healthier, we should first find some form of exercise that we can enjoy so that we are motivated to exercise for pleasure. When we exercise from a pleasure perspective we are more likely to feel happy and breath rhythmically. Exercise from a pain perspective and we are more likely to feel stressed and unhappy.

Now which would you rather be?

92 year-old Yoga Master

Elizabeth Gilbert: A new way to think about creativity

Be More Sugar Aware!

If you need any further evidence to suggest that you should reduce your sugar intake, read these clips below.... the more you can associate the pain in sugary foods rather than the pleasure, the easier it is to say no thank you, I don't want to eat that!

From Dr Marilyn Glenville
http://www.naturalhealthpractice.com/_5_00_OFF_PM_SUPPORT_P2012.cfm?utm_source=NHPe1.8feb12OTM15OFFPMS8thA&utm_content=NHP&utm_term=LG&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=OTM15OFFPMS0212LG&dm_i=VON,OTRO,4E8J96,204GV,1
Cut Out Sugar

In the last of our health tips about pre-menstrual syndrome, we’re going to look at balancing blood sugar and why it’s important.  It has been found that the higher the sugar content of your diet, the more severe your pre-menstrual symptoms.  I would recommend that you cut out sugar entirely – and that includes added sugar in drinks and cereal, and avoiding the sugar in alcohol.  It is also important to eat little and often to keep your blood sugar levels stable.  Choose foods that are rich in complex carbohydrates, which not only keep your blood sugar in balance but also help to increase blood levels of serotonin, the calming brain chemical that lifts mood and curbs appetite.

From Dr Mark Hymen
http://psychologyofeating.com/diabesity-a-reversible-epidemic-by-dr-mark-hyman/

When your diet is full of empty calories and an abundance of quickly absorbed sugars, liquid calories,^[i] and carbohydrates (like bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes), your cells slowly become resistant to the effects of insulin and needs more and more to do the same job of keeping your blood sugar even. Thus you develop insulin resistance. A high insulin level is the first sign of a problem. The higher your insulin levels are, the worse your insulin resistance. Your body starts to age and deteriorate. In fact, insulin resistance is the single most important phenomenon that leads to rapid and premature ageing and all its resultant diseases, including heart disease, stroke, dementia, and cancer.^[ii],[iii]

As your insulin levels increase it leads to an appetite that is out of control, increasing weight gain around the belly, more inflammation and oxidative stress, and myriad downstream effects including high blood pressure; high cholesterol; low HDL, high triglycerides;^[iv] weight gain around the middle; thickening of the blood; and increased risk of cancer, Alzheimer’s, and depression. These are all a result of insulin resistance and too much insulin. Elevated blood sugar is not the source of the problem.

From Science Daily

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120227152723.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fhealth_medicine%2Fobesity+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Health+%26+Medicine+News+--+Obesity%29

"These studies provide new insights into how fructose may contribute to the development of obesity and diabetes. In particular, the identification of contrasting roles for two enzymes that are involved in fructose metabolism was surprising and could be important in understanding why some individuals may be more sensitive to the metabolic effects of fructose than others."

Previous research has shown that fructose intake in added sugars such as sucrose and high fructose corn syrup is strongly linked to the epidemic rise in obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Fructose intake also causes features of metabolic syndrome in laboratory animals and humans. It is known to cause visceral (organ) fat accumulation and insulin resistance compared to starch based diets even when calories are kept even.

FatScrap Chat Room January 2012

Hi and welcome back!

So, it's been a few months since we had any activity here but I'm pleased to welcome you back to share your questions, experiences and support.

I'd like to also welcome, Claire, Sarah and Clare to this Chat Room and hope you find this tool useful in helping you to achieve your health and fitness goals.

As it is the New Year and the talk of New Years Resolutions is in the air, this is a good time to review your goals. Create goals that are exciting and inspiring and will create the life you dream of. When you have a goal that you really want, you will go out of your way to get it!! Make sure you have a clear vision of your goal; see yourself being the healthier and fitter person you want to be, doing the things you want to do and feeling all those positive feelings that come with a healthier and fitter lifestyle.

Now, if you have that vision, can you commit to it? Can you make a promise yourself that you intend to achieve it? Can you go a step further and write down your promise? Even a step further and share it with us here?!!!

All the goal achievers in the world recommend that once you have your vision, writing your goal is the next step to achieving it. Other steps are, keeping your written goal with you at all times, having your goal somewhere where you can see it each day, listing as many reasons why you want to achieve your goal, working out the steps you will need to take to reach it, and planning for any hurdles or obstacles that might come along.

I have a vision that next January I will be taking you to Centre Parcs because you will have achieved your goal! I am already seeing us exercising, swimming, relaxing, cooking etc there, hearing the laughter and fun we are going to have, feeling happy and excited that we are doing all these things and pleased to be sharing and celebrating your success! I am even now imaging having to book two chalets as so many of you have achieved your goals.....WOW!! What a vision!!!

Next year I will be writing this January Chat Room in Centre Parcs and will be including a picture of us all there!!! Including YOU!!!

Sue x

Rowing

Yesterday I showed Vicky, Fi and Penny and Lizzie a film of correct rowing technique to help them improve their rowing skills. As we all know, it is so easy to get complacent with what we are doing, think we are doing enough to get by and then sometimes wonder why we are not getting better or achieving greater results. The improvement in everybody's technique on the rower yesterday showed how, just by observing and copying someone's behaviour, comparing it to their own behaviour and then changing one little thing they were doing, had a knock on affect to how they felt. The biggest change to behaviour for everyone was tilting the hips/body earlier in the move which led to less shoulder effort and more leg effort...the muscles which should be doing most of the work! This reduced tension in the shoulders, made breathing more relaxed and encouraged postural muscles to engage more. As Vicky, Fi, Penny and Lizzie practise this new rowing behaviour their leg, back and core muscles will become stronger leading to increased distance and speed.

So sometimes we have to take a step back, look at the behaviour of someone who is successful in what they do and what we want to do, look at what we are doing and compare our behaviour to theirs, notice where we might be able to make our behaviour more like theirs and then modify our actions to be more like theirs. With a bit of focus and practise we can see how this new behaviour affects our performance and as we notice how much better we might be feeling we can then continue to implement this new way of doing something until we no longer have to think about doing it, it just happens...Hey presto! A new positive habit has been created that is going to give us better results!!

If you would like to practise your rowing technique at home try this exercise with a partner.

Sitting opposite your partner with legs straight out in front of you and the soles of your feet against your partners, take a resistance band, tie the ends together and hold it as if you are holding the handle of the rower. Your partner holds the other end in the same way. (Think of the nursery rhyme row, row, row your boat!)

Now taking it in turns, keeping you spine long,  rock your hips forwards and pull the band as if you were pulling the handle of the rower towards you on the effort part of the exercise.

.

At the same time your partner, keeping their spine straight, rocks their hips backwards and lets their arms and body be pulled forward as if they were holding the handle of the rower on the recovery part of the exercise.

Reverse the movement so that you are now doing the recovery part of the exercise and your partner is doing the effort.

Keep this movement flowing backwards and forwards as if you were on the rower and notice where you feel the muscles working in your body. Notice especially the muscles working in your upper back, between the shoulder blades, in the front of your arms, in your core (your trunk - abs, lower back and spine), in your buttocks. If you feel tension in your neck or shoulders you may have to adjust your neck and shoulder position.

Sue x

"As I row.... I feel my energy flow, I feel my strength power me forward as I overcome resistance." Sue

What do you notice as you row?

How Can I Change My Eating Behaviours?

How much does what's happening in and around you dictate your actions? What if you were to change what is happening to make it easier to do something and harder not to?

Our actions have a lot to do with the influences around us.  Often the reasons we eat have little to do with hunger and a lot to do with the subtle cues (triggers) that drive us. These triggers can be found in the eating environment, in the food environment and in the emotional environment.

The eating environment triggers may be regarding the atmosphere or ambiance of the place you eat, the ease and ability to eat, the social aspect of eating,  the distractions around the eating and the time and length of time for eating

Imagine being in a busy, noisy, fast paced, “all you can eat” restaurant. Will you want to eat more because you are seeing other people eating, unaware of how much you are eating, wanting to get value for money, eating fast and distracted by the conversation around you?

The food environment triggers may be regarding the salience (prominence and visibility) of the food, the structure and variety of foods, the size of food packaging and portions, the shape and size of food plates, glasses and bowls.

Imagine being in a room with  a large bowl of brightly coloured, assorted chocolates in the centre of the coffee table, will you want to eat more because of they way they look, because there are lots of different tastes and textures and because they are constantly in your view?

The emotional environment triggers may be regarding your internal feelings, the need for reward or punishment, the need for fulfilment and satiation, the need for energy or relaxation, the need for stimulation and variety…

Imagine being in a place where you feeling tired and bored and you think food will provide the energy and stimulation you need. Will you eat more because the food won’t be satisfying your real needs?

So what can you do to change your environment so that it supports the eating behaviour that you want to see in yourself?...........

Move!!!!

What can you move away from or move away from you?

What can you move nearer to or near to you?

Who can you move away from?

Who can you move nearer to?

Where can you move away from?

Where can you move nearer to?

Move away from the things that trigger unwanted eating behaviours

·  Move away from self destructive feelings about yourself and move nearer to positive feeling about yourself.

·  Move away from worrying about things you can not control and move nearer towards things that you can influence.

·  Move away from the things you are fearful about and move nearer to the things that you have courage about.

·  Move away from the lack of satisfaction and enjoyment around food and move nearer to feeling satisfied and pleasured around food.

·  Move away from feeling guilty about what and how you eat and move nearer to feeling happy about what and how you eat.

·  Move away from the larger portions/packages and move towards the smaller sizes.

·  Move away from irregularity and being unorganised and move towards structure and planning.

Move away from the person/people who trigger unwanted eating behaviours

·  Move away from seeing yourself being this person with this eating behaviour and move nearer to seeing yourself being a person with a different eating behaviour.

·  Move away from the person/people who encourage your unwanted eating behaviours and move nearer to the person/people who encourage your desired eating behaviours.

·  Move away from the person who tells you, you must, you should, you ought, you will…. and move nearer to the person who asks if you can.

·  Move away from the person/people who disrespects you and move nearer to the person/people who respects you.

Move away from the places that trigger unwanted eating behaviours

·  Move away from sitting near the vending machine at work and move nearer to a place that provides you with stimulation and energy at work.

·  Move away from having coffee where there are cakes and biscuits on view and move nearer to a place that allows you to enjoy your coffee on its own.

·  Move away from going to the same garage/service station where you always buy fuel for you as well as your car and move nearer to a different garage where you will only buy fuel for your car and have your own fuel elsewhere.

  ·  Move away from the unhealthy food isle in the supermarket and move nearer to the healthy food isle in    the supermarket.

 ·  Move away from socialising around places you eat and move nearer to socialising around other places.

Of course, if you don't feel able to change the environments, or think it's important to change them, or don't really see yourself making the changes, or don't think there is any point in changing these environments that are influencing your behaviour, then that's another story.....!

Embracing Change And Uncertainty

Why do we often fear change? Probably because it creates uncertainty and uncertainty can feel uncomfortable.

How much more comfortable it feels when we know we are doing the right thing, when we are certain that the change we are making is the right change to make. It explains why we are always looking to “Experts” to tell us how to lose weight, what the right diet is etc. “Experts” seem so certain about what they are talking about which, in turn,  installs the confidence that we are looking for. We no longer have to worry, we have something to believe in, and we think we have the magic answer! We put our trust and faith in the “Expert” and can then blame them when we don’t get the results we expected but as we cling to an idea of perfection we are still clinging to a fear of change.

Uncertainty is a good thing. By 'not knowing' we have to learn to trust, find faith, be humble and be patient. When we fear uncertainty we resist, we tighten up, we become stressed and stop the natural flow of our metabolisms. Change is inevitable and necessary. Without change we would stagnate. Change creates difference and when things are different there is transformation and variation. And we all know that “Change is as good as a rest!”

How would it be if next time you are faced with change and uncertainty you trusted your intuition, you had faith in yourself, you respected your needs as well as the needs other’s, and took one step at a time…? Can you imagine how you might feel? By embracing uncertainty we can breathe, be open, relaxed and welcoming and let the mystery flow and unfold. We can learn what works and what doesn’t work for us. We can search and find our own answers and make change easier.

FatScrap Chat Room September/October

Hi and welcome back

Somebody asked me the other day “Why can’t I ‘Just Do It!’? I know I need to eat healthily, I know I need to exercise, I know what to do and how to do it but I just don’t seem to be able to apply myself!

Well the reason why it’s not that easy to ‘Just Do It!’ is because we  hold onto limiting beliefs and unconscious negative behaviours about ‘Doing It’.

For example, you might think you will go out for a run but somehow it never happens. Perhaps you have a deep down belief that you are not a good runner, or perhaps one time you ran and felt sick, well these are the sort of sabotaging thoughts and memories that can stop you in your tracks!

To be able to ‘Just Do It!’ you need to explore and uncover your limiting beliefs and unconscious behaviours around the It and start to focus on the beliefs and behaviours that support you in being able to ‘Just Do It!

Here are some questions that may help you begin this process..

Do you have any fears about It?

Do you have any joys about It?

What is important about It?

Do you have any painful memories about It?

Do you have any happy memories about It?

Can you see yourself doing It?

What have you learnt about It?

What is your relationship with It?

Sue x

10 Flat-Belly Tricks

10 Flat-Belly Tricks

Zero sugar, more protein, exercise....mmmm where have I heard this before?!!!

Goals vs. Attachment (and Doing vs. Being) | Wanto Blog

Goals vs. Attachment (and Doing vs. Being) Wanto Blog

FatScrap Chat Room July/ August

Hi all

Well, last months attempts at chatting here didn't quite work out due to technical difficulties so we continued to correspond by email. This proved to be beneficial in some ways as some of you found it was easier to communicate this way, and thank you for all your food diaries, thoughts and comments.

I have decided to go back to using this space for our communications because it is a permanently open space and anyone can come here for help and inspiration at anytime. I hope that you can all appreciate the value of using this tool and I look forward to hearing from you.

Now, this week a challenge was set and I will hand you over to Hayley to tell you about it...

Dear Fat Scrapers

Just when I thought it was safe to go back into the gym, Sue comes up with a little gem!
She has challenged Vicky and I to lose 4lb’s in 3 weeks!!. Now having never really spoken to Vicky I was unsure how this would go down, however I have just trained for an hour with Sue and Vicky, and to be honest, she is very determined, you should’ve seen the look in her eyes!!........think I have my work cut out for me!

So, I am using an advantage(even if it’s unfair!!). I need your help, please join us in this challenge and we can all achieve it together. My thoughts are that if some of you join in then we can push each other at training even more than usual.

COME ON GUYS, I need your help!!!

...so there you are, the challenge is set 4lb of fat loss (not weight loss)  in 3 weeks. Let us know if you are going to join in and we'll keep a record of it all here...and your food and exercise diaries of course as we will want to know how you did it!!

Sue x

Investing in yourself - A message from Hayley

I'd like to share with you something that Hayley came up with this week. She said that when you are investing in something you would check your investment account to see what was happening so why, when you are investing in your health and fitness would you not check your measurements to see what was happening? Your body composition is just one of the things that changes when you are investing in your health and fitness and there are lots of other things too that you can check to see if your investment is paying off..other physical changes like your strength and fitness levels, your energy levels; nutritional changes like your cravings and enjoyment and your emotional changes like your happiness levels.

Also, Hayley made a very good point that when you are investing in something, for example, saving up for a holiday, you would ask yourself the question "Can I afford that?" when something comes along that might take your investment (focus) elsewhere. How would it be if you asked yourself "Can I afford this?" when you are drawn towards the chocolate bar with your cup of coffee, the glass of wine with dinner, the pudding that everyone else is having.....?

A while ago a past FatScrapper said to me that when she ate out with friends she felt she had to have everything they were having as they would split the bill and she would not be getting the value out of her share of the bill. Another FatScrapper asked her "What about the value you are getting out of your investment in FatScrap?

We always have a choice, and it's how we value our choices that leads to action. When you invest in your health and fitness, and FatScrap, you are investing in yourself, you are valuing you, you are acknowleding your self worth and increasing your self esteem. Love you, you are amazing!!!

And thank you, beautiful Hayley, for sharing your love with us!

Sue x

Strengthen your metabolism by choosing with your heart

I have just been doing some further research on weight loss, especially after last night's "weigh in and measurements. Fiona pointed out that she was confused as to why she had lost 12 cm on her tummy and yet gained 1 cm on her calf and lost 8lb of body fat and because of this she was unable to feel good about the positive changes and was feeling bad about the gained centimeter and her perceived "small" weight loss. Well, there is no easy answer as to why the measurements show these changes in body composition and of course we "expect" that if we have lost centimetres we should have lost weight because that is what we are told to expect. (mmm and if we don't do as we are told then we are told we are in the wrong - would this explain your confusion and lack of feeling good Fiona? When you ask a doctor about losing weight they will usually tell you it's about eating less and exercising more, and yes, this is the theory and it makes sense but the research I have found today suggests that it's about eating less of the foods that make you "hungry" and more of the foods that satiate you. Now, I'm not saying that this is the answer but again, it makes sense and is worth taking into consideration. This is slightly different to the eating less and doing more theory which I have always struggled with as if you keep on eating less and less and doing more and more, somewhere along the line you will get to the point of eating nothing and having no energy to do anything!

Last night I was talking to Mandy and Fiona about the fact that they are struggling with "weight loss" because they have a very low metabolic rate. Today I read that a persons metabolic rate could be low due to the quality of the foods we eat rather than the quantity. It was suggested that if the food is lacking in the nutrients our body needs then the metabolic rate will be lowered to meet the nutritional values that are being consumed..for example if the body is not getting enough protein then it will not have enough fuel to power the muscles so perhaps muscle size is reduced to meet the level of incoming protein. And perhaps, if this is the case, it is the same for every nutrient we consume, if the level of the nutrient required by our body is not high enough then our body will not be able to operate at maximum efficiency. I believe that it is  not just the amount  (energy value) of food we are putting into our body that determines how well our body functions but the amount of quality (nutritional value) food and the amount of enjoyable (emotional value) food we are putting in our body. When our body is not having its energy needs, nutritional needs or emotional needs met it is going to send out signals that it is "hungry" (lacking in these needs)  and if these needs are not met, then more signals will be sent out. We might become aware of these signals by feeling hunger pangs, craving certain foods, feeling empty, feeling tired, feeling unloved etc and  it is when we misinterpret these signals or do not acknowledge them that we remain "hungry".

Last night I related the story of my restaurant lunch (Butternut squash salad - just salad leaves and squash and a few seeds) and how I did not feel satisfied from it (it was low in protein and fat and did not have enough variety of textures, colours and taste to satiate my senses!). I also made the choice to eat the bread roll that came with it as I thought this would help to "fill me up" but after  my lunch I was still craving something. (protein and fat I guessed) Because I was aware of this I was able to make up for the lack of protein as soon as I could and when I got home I ate some homemade sausage roll!! Now, you may be thinking..what Sue ate sausage roll!!! And I say yes, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I felt it was what I wanted and I felt satisfied from eating it. Of course I could have made a "low fat, high protein" choice like a piece of chicken, and actually I did have that choice available to me but that wasn't what I fancied, perhaps it was the fat I was needing as well as the protein (Yes, we do need fat!!!!!)  and perhaps I also was guided to it because it gave me a combination of different textures and taste which had been lacking in my meal! Anyway, the point is, I ate a small amount of what I fancied, enjoyed it and felt good from it!!! I listened to "my hunger", and I believe that I gave my body what it was asking for. I also believe that I gave it something that it did not need, perhaps too much wheat from the bread and the pastry, as I was up in the night with inflammation in certain areas of my body that I have not had since I have eaten less grain so I will listen to those signals and heed them.

So I would suggest that if you are not feeling good or happy about what is happening to your body, whether it is around your lack of weight loss, your lack of health or your lack of well being it might be due to your lack of nutritional requirements, your lack of physical requirements or your lack of emotional requirements. When you become more aware of the signals your body is sending you through how you are feeling, what you are thinking, what you are noticing, what you are hearing and what your intuition is telling you, you can respond to these signals and feel different. When you are feeling hungry for example and tune into your senses, you can eat the quantity of food that satisfies your physical hunger signals; you can eat the quality foods that satisfies your nutritional hunger signals and you can eat the pleasurable foods that satisfy your emotional hunger signals. Perhaps finding the right balance of quantity, quality and pleasurable foods that satiate you in every way is the magic formula for you to gain a stronger metabolism?

We are all different and we all have different needs, including different nutritional requirements, as the metaphor says " One man's meat is another man's poison",  there is no magic formula of how much nutrition we all need, it is very much down to us listening to our own individual signals and learning to eat intuitively. How can you do this? Well, I believe that by noticing how you feel when you eat and after you have eaten is a good signal of whether the foods you have given you your correct nutritional requirements. When you accept that you are different to everyone else, and that your friend may be able to enjoy eating different amounts of different quality foods to you because they have different physical, nutritional and emotional requirements you will find that it is easy to accept the choices that you need to make to get the best from your body.

I am often told that I must have strong will power to make the food choices I make and yes, I think that is true. When you say you will do something, you commit to it and the stronger you are committed to something the more you will stick with it. Strong commitment comes from strong belief, the stronger the belief you have in something the more passionate you are about it.  My willpower comes from my strong belief that the quantity, quality and enjoyment of the foods I eat will have an effect on the way I feel physically, nutritionally and emotionally so I am passionate about food, committed to eating what I am going to feel good from eating. My strong willpower means it's easy to say yes to my "medicines"  and no to my "poisons".

Choose with your heart and your heart will feel good.

Sue x

FatScrap Chat Room May/June 2011

Hi and welcome to the latest FatScrap Chat Room!

I have been looking into the benefits of eating a Grain Free diet and I am interested in trying this out to see how my body responds to it. I would welcome any feedback of your experiences if you decide to try this with me.

I suggest you try it for a week and if you feel fine with it, continue for longer as sometimes it can take a while for any health benefits to kick in.

If you would like any further info on why and how to eat Grain Free, I have included some links.

I will be blogging my food diaries and experiences below so I hope that you will find this useful.

I am avoiding wheat, rice, oats, wheat, spelt, barley, amaranth, millet, rye and corn for now and substituting with lots of vegetables and pulses for fibre. I also use quinoa as it is not a grain and include nuts and seeds for added nutrients, variety and to fill me up!

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Sue x


http://www.nograindiet.com/index.htm

http://www.grainfreeliving.com/home

http://www.livestrong.com/article/418637-grain-free-diet-for-pcos/

FatScrap Chat Room April 2011

 Hi FatScrappers

Sorry I am a bit late with publishing this month's chat room; I have been spending my "me time" in other ways! Now you may be surprised that I consider creating this space for you as time for me and this brings me very nicely to the subject of this months Chat Room thought..how do you define "Me Time"?

I was at a workshop last week and the subject of "Me time" came up. Several people described how they liked to spend their "Me time" and I was interested to hear their very different ideas so I asked the question  "How do you define 'Me time?" After several different answers we came up with what I believe defines it brilliantly - Freedom of Choice! So as I create this space for you, not because I have to but because I choose to, I know that I am having some time for me and feeling happy as I do it.

So FatScrappers, your mission, should you be prepared to accept it,  is to think about the choices you have and value the "Me time" in them.

Of course, if you would like to share any of your "me time" experiences or thoughts on how you would define "Me time" we would love to hear them.

Sue x

FatScrap Chat Room March 2011

Hi and welcome!

Goodness, where did February go? I think we were all so busy FatScrapping!And, it looks like you lovely committed people are still on track and feeling the benefits of this wonderfully healthy lifestyle!

And, of course, we have a few new FatScrappers on board - A big welcome from us all to you all! We hope you enjoy being a member of this growing Community and join us here in supporting each other, as well as recording your daily food diaries.

One of the first FatScrapping tools we use is the planning tool. Planning is such an important part of FatScrap and will help you find it easier to make healthy eating and regular exercise part of your routine. Eventually, this new lifestyle will become so much a part of you that you will not have to plan to achieve - you will already there, but at this stage, even planning your shopping is important so that you have all the best choices available. The question you might like to ask yourself is "How am I going to do this?" You might find that the more confident you are with the "how?", the less you need to plan and that's fine. But it's when you are not confident, not sure if you can do something, that planning can help. Planning is rehearsing success. The more you rehearse your actions, the more likely you will perform them. The more you rehearse your actions with a positive outcome, the more likely you will perform them with a positive outcome!

So whether you are planning your food choices and how you are going to feel when you are eating them, or planning to come to your training session and how you are going to feel when you are training, Plan to feel great and hopefully you will!!

Sue x

FatScrap Chat Room February 2011

Hi FatScrappers


Thank you so much for all your January chatting and for sharing your FatScrap experiences and tips. I’m really looking forward to another busy Chat Room this month! The Chat Room is just one of the tools that your FatScrap Toolbox provides for you and I hope you have found it a valuable tool in your progress so far.

I think by now you will appreciate that good quality eating goes hand in hand with good quality exercising, and by good quality I mean a good quality of fun, pleasure and enjoyment! I am thrilled when I receive the feedback that you are really enjoying the training sessions and also thrilled when you are enjoying buying, cooking and eating healthier foods. This is the difference that I hope to make. Yes, I do hope that your body fat levels reduce, that your lean tissue increases and that you become stronger and fitter as a result of your lifestyle changes but it is the lifestyle changes that I am here to help you with. The reason you are gaining so much from the Programme is because you WANT to make the changes. So many people think that they want to be slimmer, fitter or healthier and wonder why they can’t do it. It’s simple really, they want something else more; they want to eat so called “treats” everyday, they want to regularly drink alcohol, they want to sit in front of the TV to relax when they come in from work, they want to keep doing the things that stop them becoming what they think they want.

The difference with all of you , my dear FatScrappers, is that YOU WANT to do something different, you want to make the changes that you know will get you where you want to be and you now know how to do this. So keep strong, keep believing, keep committed and keep wanting to be the person that you are today because you are slimmer, fitter and healthier, you are “going for gold”, you are “A star”, you are “a reflection of your true self”

And I am so happy for you!!

Sue x

FatScrap Chat Room January 2011

Hi FatScrappers and Happy New Year!!

I am so happy to welcome in this New Year with so many new FatScrap friends! This time last year FatScrap was an idea I was playing with and a year on I can definately say that FatScrap is now an idea that I am working with!! It has given me so much pleasure helping you to make big and small changes to the way you think and feel about food and exercise and I very much appreciate your willingness and to give FatScrap a go..thank you! x

So here I am, once again, launching a new page for all your food diaries, chat and questions and hoping that you will find this tool invaluable to help you to achieve your health and fitness goals.
                                       
                                       
Apple got us thinking about the New Year on one of the previous pages and suggested we might like to write about our goals for 2011 beginning with..

"2011 is the year I am going to..."

This is Apple's goal..
2011 is the year I am going to... build on what I have achieved in 2010 and follow my dreams. I will continue to spend time with people and places I love and enjoy discovering what truely inspires me. Also I will reach the stage on my yoga course where I can begin to share with others what I have learnt and hopefully this can add enrichment and joy to their lives as it does mine

And here is mine...

2011 is the year I am going to... PLAN! Plan to be oganised, plan to be on time and plan to achieve my best.  This will allow me to be calm and relaxed which will benefit my health, my family, my freinds and my work!

It would be lovely to hear your 2011 goals too!!

Health and happiness

Sue x

FatScrap Chat Room December 2010

Hi and welcome back!

Thank you for all your valuable contributions in last month's chat room. I think this new system works so I will continue this way.

This month is the month of many stations! The question you must ask yourself when you approach one is "How important is it for me to stop here or how important is it that I stay on track?" Only you will know the answer that will leave you feeling comfortable with your choice..and that is the choice you should make.
Feeling guilty will lead to the negative cycle of results, beliefs, expectations and behaviours so make the positive choices and keep your positive cycle rolling forward! Happy Christmas!! x x

Continuing The FatScrap Way

Now you know how good it feels to have gained a better way of eating, a better way of exercising, a better way of changing your body shape and a better way of feeling, you will want to continue this. So, what are you going to do now? Well, the obvious thing is to carry on what you have been doing – if you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got! Eating a low sugar diet is going to benefit your health in so many ways and eating a very, very low sugar diet will increase those benefits even more!

This is why the next few weeks are so important for you and will make a difference to whether you have taken the Fatscrap principles on board for just a quick four week fix or whether you are prepared to commit further to them to maintain a healthy lifestyle and achieve further healthy benefits.

From what I understand, it is the sugar in our diets that is causing so many of the diseases we are suffering from and all around now there is strong evidence to support this. The high amount of sugars we eat in the form of carbohydrates put a huge strain on insulin production in the body and it is the result of the high levels of insulin that are thought to be causing so many health issues. The main sources of our high level sugar intake is starch (like potatoes, bread, rice, pasta) fructose and basic sugar. All of these foods (even the wholegrain!) cause insulin to be produced and insulin’s role is to store fat!! If you think about it, this makes sense as what are cows fed to fatten them up?...Grains!!

Over the last four weeks you have been amazed at how easy it is not to crave sugar when you are not eating so much of it, you have felt the benefits from eating less sugar, you have been shocked by how much sugar is hidden in so many of the “healthy” foods we think are told are healthy!! So, do you really want to bring more of this type of food back into your food choices? Ask yourself “what would be the benefit of eating more sugar again?” and then ask yourself “what would be the benefit of eating even less sugar?”

When I designed FatScrap I felt it was too much to ask of you to eliminate all forms starch, fructose and basic sugars so I compromised and suggested you eliminate the more obvious “unhealthy” forms of sugar – the starchy sugars in wheat and wheat based foods, the simple sugars in sugar, and sugary foods – and you managed to do this a lot easier than you expected. Now imagine how you would feel if you continued to choose delicious alternatives to these and more of those insulin raising carbohydrates?

I am not suggesting that you go on a “low carbohydrate diet” as such but just look at maintaining the reduction in the levels of these foods that you achieved so far and then gradually reducing them a little further as and when you feel you can. You may now be thinking, “What would I eat instead?” And the answer may surprise you, but it is probably what you have been eating more of instead already…FAT!!!

“FAT!!!!” you may be shouting “But doesn’t fat make you fat?!!!

” NO!!!! “

“Well isn’t fat bad for you?!!” you may be asking.

“NO!!! – NOT THE GOOD FATS!!!!

“I’m confused!!!!!!” you may be thinking

And yes, this is where it gets so confusing. We keep being told to eat less fat, we eat less fat and yet we still get fatter, we still get diseases – BECAUSE WE EAT MORE SUGAR INSTEAD!!! Manufacturers produce low fat products but add sugar in some form (fructose being one of the worse forms!!) to make the food taste nice and make us want more!

The GOOD FATS are what we want to be eating more of…

• Oils (eaten unheated) ― Fish oils, Flaxseed oil, olive oil. If you must cook with oil use coconut oil or olive oil

• Avocados ― excellent source

• Olives ― green or black and olive oil

• Nuts ― macadamia, almonds, pecans, walnuts, Brazil nuts, etc. PEANUTS ARE NOT NUTS!

• Seeds - pumpkin and sunflower

It really is this simple!!

Eat less food that turns to sugar that raise insulin that stores fat.


Eat more GOOD FATS that turn to essential fatty acids that support the cardiovascular, reproductive, immune, and nervous systems.


Drink less alcohol that contains energy (calories) that contains no nutritional benefits and makes you feel ill in the long term (think how a hangover makes you feel!).


Drink more water that contains no energy (calories) that contains lots of nutritional benefits and makes you feel well in the long term.

If you are ready to keep committing to your long term health and fitness

Continue….

Omitting cakes, biscuits, sweets, chocolate, sugary deserts, honey, syrups, sugar based drinks and replacing with the natural occurring sugars in fruit and vegetables.

Omitting artificial sugars and replace with the natural occurring sugars in fruit and vegetables.

Omitting wheat and wheat based foods like pasta, bread, pastry, pizza and replacing with smaller portions of alternative starchy foods

Omitting alcohol and replacing with water

And start to…..

Reduce starchy foods portions including wholegrain and potatoes to smaller portions at meal times and replace with larger portions of vegetables.

Reduce saturated fat foods like chips, crisps, fatty meats, butter and replace with healthy fats like unsalted nuts and lean meats, avocados, oils.

Reduce high sugar fruits like dried fruits, bananas, pineapple and replace with lower sugar fruits like berries.

Reduce fruit juice and replace with fruit flavoured teas or water

Reduce peanut butter and replace with almond butter or other nut butters.

And of course
KEEP COMMITTING TO EXERCISE!!
Healthy eating and exercise go hand in hand with creating the healthy body you deserve to have!

Sue x

Is Your Inner Child Keeping You Fat?

The food we choose is not “naughty” or “bad”. Nearly all the food we eat contains some form of nutrition. It's just that some food is a better quality of nutrition than others.

Watching TV or spending time at rest is not "naughty" or "bad". Rest and down time is good for us, just not too much of it!!

So why is it we say that we ate “naughty” or “bad” food or that we are “naughty” or “bad” for eating junk food or not exercising?

Why is it that we think we are being naughty by giving ourselves treats, when actually would we treat a naughty child?

Is the cause of this "naughtiness" actually rebellion?

We may be saying that you really want a slimmer, fitter and healthier body and force ourselves to go on a diet or start and exercise programme but then find that we start being “naughty” or “bad”: the diet slips, excuses are found not to exercise and we end up being back where we started or worse!

I believe that often this happens because someone else’s rules are being followed. The diet, the teacher, the trainer makes the rules and we follow them, until there comes a point when we decide we don’t want to follow someone else’s rules and rebel.

So what would it be like if you were to take responsibility and make your own rules?

Having a healthy and fit lifestyle is not about punishing yourself or making yourself “naughty” or “bad” or “wrong” for being unhealthy or unfit. It’s about creating an environment that helps you to feel and be your best. It’s about being happy with who you are, enjoying the choices you make and feeling you are doing the best you can with the resources you have available.

You can find a balance between eating the healthier, good quality nutritious foods and the less healthy, poorer quality foods. You can find a balance of activity and exercise you enjoy, with rest and relaxation.

As an adult you can choose to do these things not because you think you should or someone has told you to.

But because you want to!

Sue x

FatScrap Chat Room November 2010

Hi FatScrappers!

I am trying out a new idea for FatScrap this month and have created this space for you all to chat, record your food diaries, ask me questions and anything else you would like to use this for to help you all with your FatScrap journey.

I will still be producing weekly articles of motivation, tips and advice for you, and of course you are welcome to comment and respond to these on the relevant page.

Don't forget that you will need to click on the "subscribe by email" link (under the comment's box) to receive any updates of comments posted on each page.

I hope this new way might work better for us all so please let me know what you think.

                                                             Sue x