Eating out is something that is done socially, for convenience and for pleasure, but what do you do when you are on a diet and have to eat out.

One way that can help you make the right choices when eating out is to plan ahead. If you know you are going to a particular cafe or restaurant, get a copy of the menu and decide what you are going to have in advance. This is a good way to resist temptation and make a bad food choice.

Following are some tips for eating out at specific types of restaurants:

THAI

• Broth Based Soup
• Go light on dishes with coconut milk
• Choose dishes that have been stir fried, grilled or steamed
• Go for steamed rice not fried rice

ITALIAN

• Dine on pasta rather than pizza, pizza dough id dense in calories
• Pasta choices to go with are Linguine, Puttanesca, Arrabiata or Marinara (tomato based sauces)
• Avoid cream based sauces (I know,the yummy ones) Alfredo and Primavera are the worst
• You can also decrease the calories by ordering entree size dishes and a side of salad or vegies
• Skip the garlic bread and opt for a dish of Olive oil and plain bread to dip in.

INDIAN

• Skip the appetizers as most are fried
• Order dishes with vegies, beans or peas
• Chicken Masala, Shimp Bhuna, Fish Vindaloo and Tandoori (baked)
• Avoid dishes made with coconut milk

CHINESE

• Avoid fried appetizers try steamed dumplings
• Start with a soup like wonton or chicken and corn
• Choose steamed rice and avoid fried noodles
• Order some steaned vegies as a side
• Avoid item described as crispy golen brown or sweet and sour as they are usually fried

JAPANESE

• Clear soup is good to start with
• Sushi, sashimi, California rolls, nori rolls are a good choice
• Braised or grilled beef, chicken or fish, chicken teriyaki
• Stir fries, steamed or pickled vegies
• Tofu dishes and steamed rice
• Avoid fried tofu, chicken, shrimp, fish or vegetable tempura

GREEK

• Choose dips like hummus and tzatziki avoid eggplant and taramosalata
• Choose cabbage rolls, stuffed vine leaves and lean spit roaste meats
• Stay away from fried cheese and fish, moussaka, baklava and other pastries which are calories loaded.

CAFE FOOD

This is a tricky one. All cafes sell different types of food ranging from gourmet sandwiches, to pasta dishes, meat and vegeatble dishes.

My suggestion would be is to follow the rules of all other take aways.

• Don’t order cream based pasta dishes
• Ask for the dressing on the side
• Avoid butter, mayo and any other fatty condiments on your sandwich
• Stick to grainy bread
• Skip the fries and for more salad or vegies
• Stay away from anything fried.

YOU ARE IN CONTROL of what you are eating, so before you order STOP, THINK  and RE THINK your choices and ask yourself will my tummy, hips and thighs thank me tomorrow? If the answer is YES  then you are on your way to making the right choices and are in control when you EAT OUT!

I had an interesting conversation recently with a woman who is a Personal Trainer …

We were chatting about different aspects of our job, what we liked  what we didn’t, where we worked etc. A little while into the conversation she went on to comment that she would never have picked me as a Personal Trainer, as I did not look like one…. At first I did not know whether to be offended or not. But then I asked the question, “What does a Personal Trainer look like?” I was curious.

“Oh”, she said, “you know someone who is buff, has muscle definition and looks better than their client”.

WOW! I was so surprised at the answer I got! I did not expect that. Maybe years ago that was the expectation of a Personal Trainer, but I think now a Personal Trainer is someone who motivates and encourages their clients to be a healthier, fitter version of themselves.. not someone who looks a certain way and makes their client feel insecure about their own appearance.

So I went on to say, “I am a Personal Trainer to REAL people, with REAL bodies and REAL lives. I want to motivate them to not want to be or look like anybody else, but to be a better healthier version of themselves.”

“I want my clients to feel comfortable with me and know I am just like them. I have 3 children, life is busy, I have the occasional bad day, I eat the odd treat. Its normal nobody is perfect and I don’t think that Personal Trainers should be boxed in to look a certain way!”

I am almost 170cm tall, wear a size 12, exercise 4-5 days a week. I am healthy and fit and I am comfortable in my skin!

Surprised by my answer the conversation came to a very quick end and off we went our separate ways. Me, to grab another cup of coffee, she, to probably spend another 2 hours in the gym to achieve what she thought a Personal Trainer should look like!

Health Me caters for the majority of the population, Real people with Real lives who don’t have 3 hours a day to spend exercising and follow a diet of food deprivation to achieve the perfect body. (If their is one)

Health Me wants to teach people how to incorporate good eating and exercise into their lifestyle so that they can have good health and a long life.

So I ask the question: ” What do you think a Personal Trainer should look like?”

Last week I put my lovely boot camp ladies through a pretty tough boot camp session, there was lots of whinging and complaining, however at this weeks weigh in we saw some great losses in both kg’s and in cm’s, so it was worth it.

It was the skipping (with a rope) and the jogging which was the problem! So what I did was I researched what exercise burns how many calories just to give them an idea of why these types of exercises are important in their quest to lose some weight.

An average 70kg woman will burn per/hr:

1056 cal – running up and down stairs

704 cal – skipping

633 cal – boxing

563 cal – tennis

503 cal – jogging

Compared to:

317 cal – dancing

281 cal – walking/running & playing with children

246 cal – cleaning the house.

Interesting don’t you think?

Given that their main goal is to lose weight I plan my sessions around this and incorporate exercises which will give them the maximum amount of calories burn’t in the hour they are training. So this does include running and skipping.

The results of this weeks weigh in speak for themselves and I am hoping that with the understanding of how many calories can be burnt doing particular exercises, there will be no more complaining or whining.

Maree xx

I’m currently at the point that when I look at  myself in the mirror I think, “Ok, not bad.” But when I step on the scales I don like the number it gives me!!!! I want to be 2 kilos lighter, is that too much to ask? Obviously Yes!!!

Why are we so obsessed with the number. Does it make us a better person if we are a certain number on the scales. NO! So why?

For me it was easier to lose 10kg than it is the last 2kg.

So where to now?

I have decided to stop weighing myself so regularly (twice a day) and started to keep a food diary just to check in and see if I  am overeating at any time of the day.

I have joined my lovely group fitness team members in the 6 Week Challenge which started this week , and set myself some goals which are not weight related (trying to take the focus off the number)

I will keep you posted on my progress in the next 6 Weeks and see if I can lose the last 2kg that are currently killing my life or if I just get over it!

Feel free to let me know things you have done to lose those last few kg.

Maree xx

Are you a Seasonal exerciser? Do you only exercise when the weather is warm?

Me, I personally don’t understand it. ”Do you only brush your teeth when the sun is shining?” Or “Do you only clean your house when it hot, not windy????”

Exercise should be part of not only a weekly routine, but a daily routine, just as you would clean your house, do your washing and brush your teeth.

Now I am not saying to go out on a daily basis and train like an athlete in the pouring rain. But what I am saying is to not give up on your goal of living a healthy lifestyle because the weather is crap! There are many other options, like do a 20 – 30 minute session on a exercise bike or treadmill whilst watching a program you watch daily on t.v. Or getting together with a neighbour or friend every second night to walk around your local area.

Its not physically hard, its mentally hard for some. Once you break through that psychological barrier and make exercise part of your daily life (even if it is 3 x 10 min blocks) you will realise its not that hard and the weather really plays no role in it.

So think hard, are you a seasonal exerciser?

As a Personal Trainer and a Food Coach I think I have heard alot of excuses, however what people dont realise is that they are only stopping themselves from achieving great things by putting excuses in the way! This doesn’t only apply to food, exercise and weightloss, it applies to all aspects of  life.

We should practice what we preach, how many of us have told family and friends, “C’mon, you can do it” “Put your mind to it and you can achieve anything”. We all have, but why does this not apply to us? Are we scared we may fail or are we just plain lazy and happy to stay in our comfort zone for the next 30 years.

My house and life is a NO EXCUSES ZONE and I believe we are attempting things in life we normally wouldn’t. Make your life a NO EXCUSES ZONE and start achieving great things! 

As I sit here on the eve of my first children’s School Holiday Bootcamp, I am now realising why we have an obesity problem in children…..its the parents/carers that are making our children overweight. The carers of these children are the ones making the decisions on what children eat and how much they exercise.

I know this may  fuel some fury, however its not the children that do the groceries and fill up the trolley with high fat/sugar foods, the children are not the ones packing their lunches or cooking their dinners, its the carers……

In order for a child to lose or maintain a healthy weight, he/she’s family needs to be on board with a healthy lifestyle. There is no point in giving your child a plate of vegies and grilled chicken if you are eating a take away pizza.

Parents are the children’s first teachers, so not only is it their responsibilty to teach a child right from wrong, it is also their responsibilty to make sure their child knows what a good healthy lifestyle and diet is.

Give your children a good start and teach them how to lookafter the most valuable thing they have – their HEALTH…

Maree

Do you wonder why we start these weight loss programs only to get a few weeks in and then fall back into bad habits. It’s because we all think if we eat less we will lose weight, while this is true, how long can you go on a no carb, minimal calorie diet and function effectively in your job and everyday living. Well you can’t!!!! People who don’t eat enough are always moody, tired and often have bad breath.

So what’s the solution? For me I think being able to eat the things you love should be part of a healthy diet, and yes that includes chocolate. However the quality and quantity is the key. Have a a small piece of good quality dark chocolate and enjoy it, don’t make it a daily event make it a weekly reward. Avoid processed foods and enjoy fresh foods from all the 5 food groups. Keep your body topped up with food every 3 hours to avoid a slump in blood sugar levels.

We need to look a our bodies like a car, petrol is fuel for the car that keeps it going, just as food is our bodies petrol to keep it going. Without petrol a car is sluggish and slow just as our bodies are without good healthy food!

Eat well and exercise regularly and the rest will come. Who said being skinny was healthy….not me!

Start living your life and just be a HEALTHIER version of YOU!