My Clean Eating Experience

It's no secret to people who know me that I was very overweight after having my second baby. I put on 50kg whilst pregnant, and retained about 20kg of it afterward. I weighed 100kg. I was unhappy with that, so I set myself a weightloss goal in October of 2009 to lose 10kg by Christmas. I did that, and kept going losing around 25kg by the end of the following year using the CSIRO diet. 

I felt great! But there was that last 5kg I wanted to budge, and a bit of a baby belly still there that I didn't like. We all have our body hangups. Mine is my stomach. It really bothers me emensely, but I'm slowly accepting it now. Anyway, I digress. I wanted to lose the last 5kg, but couldn't. So, after a bit of googling, I discovered clean eating. 

I was a clean eating convert overnight. I switched my morning weetbix to a smoothie made with water and a little fruit, stopped having all dairy, only ate whole grains, and started surviving on 1200 calories per day. I preached about my new eating habits, and amazed people by the fact that I didn't eat bread or eat any sweets. And you know what? I lost the weight. I got down to 72kg and started wearing size 10 clothes which was a huge achievement for me. I was happy with my weight loss. I was achieving what I wanted and that was exciting for me.

But you know what? I was afraid of food. I was afraid that if I ate dairy (other than Greek yoghurt) I would turn into a balloon. I was afraid that if I ate bread, I would feel bloated. I was afraid that if I didn't eat every 2 hours, I would ruin my metabolism. I never had massive bingey cheat  days because I didn't want to ruin my progress. So I chugged on at my clean eating journey (we'll call it a journey, everyone else does). 

In May 2013 I started to feel really tired, I was the thinnest I'd ever been, and I loved what my body looked like, even my tummy was going away, and baby abs were starting to show. I never got 'too thin', but I missed feeling good about food. I missed eating vegemite on toast for breakfast, and I missed being able to fit food in to my daily plan and run with it, like I'd learned when I originally lost weight. I didn't want to binge out. But I did want to eat a cookie, made with real flour, without feeling bad. I have so many limitations to my diet already due to allergies, and I was restricting myself further and I was miserable!!

It was at this time that I discovered how to count my macronutrients, and a way of eating that would not cost me my goals, but would allow me to work toward them by fitting my foods into my daily allowance. I sat down and worked out what I was supposed to eat, and discovered that I should be eating a minimum of 1600 calories a day (with no activity). No wonder I was exhausted!! I put on weight to start with. It was only a few kilos, but I noticed. I started to notice my body leaning down again after a few months though, and I'm really quite happy with my body and it's progress now.

I'm glad I made the change. For the first time in my life, I am in control of what goes in my mouth, and I know that I am eating correctly for my body's needs and my body goals. It's okay to eat bread, and milk, and Ice Cream and cake. It can be made to fit into my daily intake and still be balanced to suit my body's needs. We need a balanced diet to stay healthy. You might ask, how does cake fuel my body for the better? Well it probably doesn't, but... You feel happier knowing you are allowed to eat it of you can make it fit. After all, no one can survive on broccoli, chicken breasts, and brown rice alone. Although these foods are part of a balanced healthy diet, so is cheese and bread and lollies!

Do I regret my experience with clean eating? Not for a second. I learned that I am very stubborn and have more dedication than I knew I did. I learned about new foods, and how I can fill my nutrient requirements with them. I learned to cook with new ingredients, and I discovered Hulk Pancakes! I know now, however, that there is more to being healthy than the food you eat and that depriving yourself from certain kinds of foods, even if it is in the best intent, is not healthy. Because having a healthy relationship with food and your body starts with feeling good about food, not being afraid of it. 

Now, if you are a clean eater, and that works for you that is fine. This is my own experience, and I'm not saying you should change. But think about this... Why restrict yourself with food when it isn't poison, and you aren't allergic to it?

My Goals for 2014

Seeing as I have not really been in attendance over the New Year period, I thought I would do a little more catching up. I am not a New Year Resolution kind of girl. I think resolutions are made to be broken. But I am a goal setter, and not just in the New Year ;)

In January, I sat down and asked myself what I wanted to aim for at the moment. You know, with uni going like crazy, and all of those other things to keep me occupied, why not have MORE goals?!?! I like to set myself goals because I like to be living with purpose and because I always seek to improve myself in little ways. So when I sat down on that day I didn't pledge amazing, mountain-moving goals that would take heaps of time. I sat down and asked what I wanted, what it is that I think will make my life happier, and my family's too. So here they are; my goals for 2014.

Goal #1: Family.

 I want to make more time to spend with the kids. Over the Christmas period, I locked myself in a room and worked on assignments for days at a time whilst the MR looked after the kids (bless him). My goal is to have more time to spend with them, and do the things that they love. Read books with Miss R, and play counting games with Mr O, because they love these things and I love them. 

Goal #2: Study.

I want to stop studying on the weekends. I overload at uni. This means that I do more subjects in a given study period than is recommended. I do this for a few reasons, I want to finish my degree faster, and I have the opportunity to not work and study instead at this time. Last year, when Olly was in Kindergarten, I was able to use my time wisely and only study when the kids weren't home, or when the MR was home to look after them. This worked well, but with both kids in school full time this year, it is my goal to stop studying on the weekends, use my time without them during the week to study, and have more family time on the weekends. I am also aiming to finish my degree this year, and undertake my internship in term 1 of next year. This is a big goal, and it is going to be hard work, but I am committed to making it happen.

Goal #3: Fitness & Health.

It is no secret that I am a bit of a gym junkie. My current goal is to go to the gym five days per week. Being fitter, stronger, and faster is important to me, not only because I want to look good naked (and have abs), but because it is important for my health. I have arthritis in my spine, and being strong is a step toward being pain free. I want to be stronger than ever, especially in my core, as this will give me the ability to do things I haven't been able to before. As another part of this goal, I am being more strict with my nutrition. Carrying extra weight makes the joints hurt, and eating the right things gives my body the energy it needs to workout five days a week, run around after two kids, and keep up with uni. Sticking to a healthy, flexible, balanced diet is an important part of this goal too.

Goal #4: Me.

We all pledge to look after ourselves, and give ourselves time to relax. My 'me' goal for this year is that I will find time to do the things that I love. Playing my guitar, singing without abandon, take photos, knit, and sew just to name a few. This is an important one, because it is part of maintaining sanity in this crazy life that I am pushing on through.

So those are my goals. I have already started working toward them, I know that things wont slow down this year, and I don't want them to! What are your goals for the future?

Amy 

a little knitting

I am not the world's worst knitter. I am, however, also not the world's best knitter either. I am really good at making things like scarves and blankets that don't require anything other than stitching row after row of normal knit stitches.

 

Every winter though, I get a knitting bug. All I want to do is knit, and so I look online at all the wonderful things that other people have made, then I look at some patterns and get really excited by all of the things that you can make with wool. I usually will start a really cool project as well.

Then time over runs me, I get overwhelmed by the terminology in a pattern or in any case end up looking like this...

Anyway, so now that winter is here again, I have forgotten about all the knitting failures of the past and decided to use some of that wool I have laying around to make Oliver a scarf. Oliver is so skinny, a real grown up sized scarf would just look so silly, so I thought it wouldn't take me long to knit him up a little one.

So I cast on a few stitches and off I went. Oliver is very impatient and ever since I cast onto the needles he has been asking when it will be done.

I'm thinking it won't be long before it is!

So I was so excited about my ability to knit scarves that I have joined Ravelry. I also dog eared some patterns, and have purchased some circular knitting needles and beautiful wool from Bendigo. 

There is just something about creating that just gives me a buzz that I haven't had in a long time.I have found sitting and knitting while we watch television, or I watch Oliver play in the morning has been really relaxing so I want to keep it up. 

My Goal:  

To knit 2 items that aren't scarves or blankets.

Watch this space - I am determined to be a good knitter.

time

If there is one thing that I have always struggled with it has been time management. I often will have a huge deadline coming up and just ignore it until the last minute and end up stressed out and exhausted ensuring that I get everything finished on time. Yes - I always do get things completed, even when I manage my time poorly but this is not the point.

One big thing that I learned when I was off on my teaching rounds it was time management. This is something that I have vowed to continue to do and am doing very well at thus far. I am currently overloading at uni. This means that rather than completing the normal prescribed study load, I am doing an extra subject so that I can complete my degree earlier than I would have otherwise. I am able to do this because I don't work, I have very self-sufficient children one of which is at school full time and the other goes to kindergarten. I also set myself goals that MUST be completed. I keep a big cork board with my study planner and time table on it - I also keep a diary...

 

This is a fresh one for the new financial year.

I am finding that managing my time means that I am much less stressed at the end of the day, because I know exactly where I stand with each upcoming deadline and I know that I have used the time that I have had to work on each thing to my best ability. You can't do much more than that! Achieving my daily study / housework / sewing / fitness / kid oriented goals really puts a smile on my face.

Here are some photos of what I have gotten up to today in my well managed time.

Oliver and I made apple leather using Kate's instructions. He thinks he is a master chef and he loves to spend time helping out in the kitchen. I love to cook, so his desire to help me makes morning activity time quite easy to organise.

I worked on calisthenics head gear for the little miss. I have actually almost finished all of her costumes for this year. Hooray!!

And good old lesson plans for assignments. I actually love the kinds of assignments that I have to plan lessons for rather than just write an essay - they seem so much more relevant.

Anyway - back to it!

What are your tips for managing your time?

blogtober 23rd: missing

Yes, I've been missing the last few days of Blogtoberfest. I have desperately wanted to post, but had computer issues, university assignments, and I decided to change my photo editing software because perhaps the previous software had something to do with the first excuse.

I have returned, I still have lots of assignments to work on and complete. One of which is a big, annoying and incredibly confusing research report that I am sure you don't want to read about. But thankfully life goes on, in a few weeks these subjects will be over and new ones will begin and I am gaining more knowledge about the profession that I will hold one day in the not so distant future.

I did promise to try to de-stash some patterns this month, and with only seven days remaining I really do wonder whether I will get another item sewn up with all of my other commitments. But I do want to start. I have two patterns that I would like to get sewn up in the near future.

Both of these patterns are yet to be opened and I am intent on doing so before the end of the year for both of them.

One is Vogue v8365 (I can't find a link to the pattern anywhere!). I am not really a shorts person generally. I don't know why, but I just think I look weird might be my height. Don't even get me started about how ridiculous I look in 3/4 pants! Anyway, I was looking through my stash of patterns and this one I had prepared with fabric chosen and everything in the folder with it ready to go. So I will divulge the desires of past-Amy and make up these shorts. Probably in view A. Short shorts are always more friendly than ones that finish just above the knee.

The other pattern is the Claire Cami Dress by Serendipity studio. This pattern has five different lengths to choose from from cami, tunic, short dress etc. I will probably (once again) head to the short option. It is getting close to summer.  I'm really looking forward to wearing one of these dresses actually.

Thirdly, and not pictured, I want to make another Anna Mini Dress. I love a good summer mini-dress and I made the longer length last year and I never wore it because it was at a silly length for me (and I made it too big). This pattern is obviously third on the list because I want to finish something I haven't started before first.

Well, its time to go make the lunches...



What photo editing software do you use?
Do you look funny in knee length shorts too?
What is your favourite Summer clothing item?

Blogtober 8th: planning

I mentioned in my intentions that I want to make things this month. This has been food for thought and today I have been dreaming away at work today about sewing. I have been thinking about wanting to make a dress. I had the fabric in mind, it's been in my stash for a while and I have the notions I need to make it up. When you are serving hundreds of coffees to customers all day, you need something to occupy your mind, or you do go slightly insane.

I have been thinking about this fabric...

I bought this fabric a few years ago wanting to make a skirt that most likely left my mind's focus due to orders that I had or stock I had to make. 

I am thinking that I'd like to make a strapless dress as this is a stretchy fabric, and I want something quick and easy, plus, I am a big strapless dress wearer when the warmer weather visits us.

I have my finished product blurrily hanging in my mind (it was a 8 hour shift okay?!?!). But here is some vague images of what I would like to do...

from here

 

from here 

from here

I hope to make some progress, or finish this project tomorrow. I am pretty single minded and like to finish what I start fairly quickly.

What do you think about when you are at work?

Do you dream up finished projects before you make them?

Are you looking forward to the warm weather as much as I am??

blogtober 6th: intentions

It has been mentioned that setting a goal or intention for blogtober is a good way to stay motivated to post each day within the month. 

It was my goal to actually do this post on Wednesday, but if you look back on my posts, I did not post on Wednesday (because I completely forgot due to unknown reasons). I will post it now though, however delayed it might be. 

me looking pensive

So unfulfilled goals aside...

My intention is to continue to be me. 

To share the way that I share, but every day.

To involve myself in new ways and be introduced to new people. 

To read things about experiences others have had. 

To discover places I want to re-visit.

To enjoy and expand my new patch of cyberspace.
To make things.

To be generous and give. 

To continue to show snapshots of our life.



Are you playing along with blogtoberfest?
Do you have a blogtober goal?