Local mum Josie Hunt has a qualification in Nutrition for Weight Management and worked as a Weight Loss coach for 18 months. Josie blogs for us about weight watching with some great tips.
“When you start to eat food without labels, you no longer need to count calories”.
This blog is coming from a slightly different angle compared to previous ones. I was weighed this week and told I have lost half a stone. This time, I was weighed at hospital and not at a local slimming club.
“Have you lost your appetite” the Nurse asked me with a concerned look on her face. “Far from it” I replied truthfully. The only difference from my previous weigh in were the types of foods I have been eating and not the amount.
On 1st Feb I had a shock diagnosis of breast cancer. (Don’t worry, ‘weight loss mum’ will not turn into a cancer blog, I will leave that for the other inspirational bloggers on here). Over the following days I learnt about the treatments I would be needing and the side effects I was going to suffer. Hair loss was one thing but when I was told I was going to have to take anti-sickness steroids my heart initially sank, “bald and fat” I think were my words to the Doctor, “how depressing”.
I was prepared for nausea and sickness but I could not prepare myself for how the gruelling regime of chemo was going to affect my taste buds. Chemo can dull taste and smell and cause mouth ulcers and steroids can cause thrush in the mouth. Food can taste like cardboard, metallic or salty.
The first shock to my system was how disgusted I was by the smell of coffee, and my first trip to Sainsburys had me standing outside heaving after smelling the bakery. Drinks tasted like soap (even the thought of a gin made me feel nauseas) and food that I had once eaten as part of what I thought was a healthy and balanced diet now tasted like chemicals.
A simple rice cake tasted like metal. Over the course of the next three weeks I learned to listen to my body and eat what it wanted. My diet has consisted of whole foods with lots of plant based ingredients and lots of flavour boosters such as fresh mint and chilli. I haven’t once obsessed about calories, smartpoints or syns. Instead I’ve eaten whatever I have fancied on the day (subject to my helpful family and friends shopping for me!).
So there we go. I will take a half a stone weight loss, but more importantly, I’m just grateful that I’ve found foods that I can enjoy. I will keep you posted on how the new couple of months go because as I’ve recently learned, you never know what each new day will bring.
Josie on Instagram
Josie documents lots about food on her Instagram account i_watch_my_weight
Blondies!
Blondies, brownies, whities, whatever you call them, these little squares are a great choice if you fancy something sweet but don’t want to ruin your diet. I made nine and only had two before my family polished them off so they are child-friendly too (not sure if that’s a good thing or not!) Suitable for most diets (Slimming World – 15 syns for nine blondies and 12 smartpoints for nine squares) and super easy to make.
3 eggs
50g oats
15g dark choc chips (dark is my favourite but any will do)
1/2 low fat vanilla yoghurt 50g (why not experiment with flavours?)
2 bananas mashed
10g self raising flour
1tsp baking powder
40g raspberries
½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Enjoy!
December
Party season
Hello! So the hype around the party season is just as big these days as the new year resolutions we will all be making (and breaking) in January!
Here are my simple tips to help the dieters stay on track, and for the non dieters to ignore.
1 – Choose your binges wisely! I have turned down four Christmas events this year. No, I’m not a bah humbug, but the two I have agreed to go for I’m super excited about and intend to enjoy every moment and mouthful of. There can be an expectation at Christmas to do things we wouldn’t necessarily do, like accept every social offer that comes our way, thinking it’s ‘what we do’ in the party season, but we really don’t have to.
2 – Too obvious I know, but don’t give in to temptation at the tills in shops by buying every calorific ‘treat’ just because it’s party season. Party season never used to last a whole month, so don’t start now just because there are deals on chocolate and Baileys everywhere we go!
3 – Fill up on good wholesome food at every opportunity so that when you do make choices that aren’t smart, hopefully you won’t gorge.
4 – Take every opportunity you can for exercise. Rich of me to say it seeing as I can’t remember my last run or gym session, but, I am walking lots, namely around the shops buying presents, but it all counts. Do the things you probably don’t fancy doing, take the stairs not the lift, park a bit further away and squeeze those bum cheeks while you wash up!
5 - My last tip is the most important. Take time for you. Even if it’s five minutes a day, away from the stresses and strains of life. Try something gentle like a meditation, or a face mask. Just a wee bit of time for you to focus on yourself. It’s too easy to get sucked in during ‘party season’ but if a weight gain is going to make you feel miserable then it’s important you focus on your goals. Personally I try to lose a few pounds before Christmas so that I can have time ‘off’ to relax and enjoy myself but if your goal is to lose or maintain then it’s even more important you take time every day to remember this.
Happy Christmas weight loss friends, I will see you in the new year!
July
My first Weight Loss Mum Local Mums Online vlog…all about my Weight Watchers journey
April
Lifestyle and balance
I first sat down to write this blog in March but I think I got as far as sitting down. That's just how it goes sometimes, right? We have good intentions but they don’t always last! This post is going to be really simple.
Last time I spoke about mindset and wanting to lose weight. This time I tackle lifestyle, another major factor affecting weight loss. I'm sure most of us who have struggled to lose weight will have had a load of reasons about why it wasn't working. Typical excuses are birthdays, special occasions (I've certainly over-indulged this Easter!), being led astray by partners or friends, irresistible chocolate at the checkout…
All I have to say is this: these are not reasons or excuses, this is what we call real life. We can't expect the world to come to a standstill while we diet our way to a weight we want to be.
So, what can you do? Manage your expectations. Don’t pine for the size 10 body you had pre kids or in your teens. I love a quote and my favourite one is this:
'Your happy weight is the weight you are when you are living the healthiest lifestyle you actually enjoy'.
You need to decide what sacrifices you are truly prepared to make. I love Prosecco. And gin. If I didn’t, I would have the nine stone figure I once had. Much as I'd love this (!), I'm not prepared to cut them out of my life because they make me happy. And so I accept the number on the scale, closer to ten and I smile as I sip my drink.
If you deny yourself something, all you do is crave it and inevitably give in at some point. This often leads you back to square one. So that's my point. Work out what you enjoy, what you're willing to do without and take it from there...
February
Losing weight…
If you have clicked on this blog, I'm guessing you want to lose weight. Or at least see if I have the miracle answer or tell you where you can buy will-power. Well I can't do the latter I'm afraid – I'm yet to see bottles of will-power in the supermarkets. What I can do is help you with the first.
OK, so maybe "miracle answer" is a bit extreme, but in order to successfully lose weight AND keep it off, it really can be quite simple with the right mind-set.
I am a nutritionist and weight loss coach currently working for Weight Watchers. Every member that sticks to the plan will tell you it works, because these members have the right mind-set to make it work.
Here's the science
We need to follow a food plan that creates a calorie deficit. Apart from health-related issues, the two main factors that stand in our way are mind-set and lifestyle. I will be addressing lifestyle in my next blog, so for now, let's think about mind-set. Your mind-set is the set of attitudes you hold; how you let your mind control your behaviours.
So, how can you change your mind-set and make it work for you? Here's where you step in – you have to WANT to lose weight. You have to believe in yourself and believe you CAN do it.
You can find helpful suggestions for shifting your mind-set in the hundreds of books and websites dedicated to the subject. For now, I want you to do one small thing. Take a piece of paper and write down one reason why you want to lose weight and one reason why you DESERVE to lose weight. Stick it somewhere you will see it every day, and start to believe it. The rest will fall into place once you decide what diet plan you are going to follow.
This is your start.
Believe:
You want to lose weight,
You deserve it,
You CAN do it.
About Josie Hunt
I am a local Carshalton Mum who has worked as a teacher for 17 years. After the birth of my twins in 2011 I joined Weight Watchers to help me shift the weight I gained during pregnancy. Not only did I lose the weight but I also began to develop a passion for health and nutrition. I then completed a course in Nutrition for Weight Management in 2015. After helping several friends with their own weight loss struggles I decided to become a weight loss consultant and worked as a coach for Weight Watchers for 18 months. I love helping people achieve their dreams and believe that your best weight is whatever weight you reach when you're living the healthiest life you actually enjoy.
Contact:
Josie Hunt
Tel: 07841613060
Email: snakekaye@hotmail.co.uk
Josie on Instagram
