Well you may have wondered where I had gone for the last  7 months, I wish I had some exciting exotic tale to tell you but sadly I had just well and truly fell off the wagon! I suffered a severe injury fracturing 3 vertebrae which left me out of action for many months. This put a halt on any forms of exercise and in typical me style, I thought to myself, “well it’s all or nothing” so I chose nothing which meant I have been eating what I liked for the last 6 months, combined with minimal exercise and a much more sedentary lifestyle than usual. Needless to say all this has lead to a huge backwards step on the scales for me…I am now tipping in at 13stone 11lbs (193lbs) and I am horrified with myself. I could rant on about how disappointed I am with myself but all that negative energy would be wasteful! What I will say is that I have given myself an almighty kick up the backside and I am now back on course to acheive my weight loss and fitness goals.

So what is the plan I here you cry?…

1. I am re-starting this blog to not only share my story but also to keep me on the straight and narrow!

2. I am going to post pictures with my blog entries so I can motivate myself and you with my progress.

3. I have made plans to meet with a nutritionalist trainer to have my lifestyle, diet and exercise regime assessed.

4. With the help of the nutritionalist I will put together and implement lifestyle changes that will help me acheive my weight loss, fitness and health goals once and for all.

I have an appointment with the nutritionalist next monday so I’ll report back then.

Until then,

The Wizard

I love butternut squash and risotto so this recipe makes the most of this traditional autumn/winter vegetable whilst it’s still available. This makes a satisfying evening meal and its low fat too as it avoids the cream which is normally added to risotto. I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients: Serves 2-3

• 1 large butternut squash
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Knob of butter
• 1 large white onion
• 200g Arborio/risotto rice
• 1 glass (175mls) white wine
• 500mls hot chicken stock
• 30g parmesan cheese shavings
• Sage – dried or fresh

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas mark 6
• Peel the butternut squash, de-seed and roughly chop the flesh into 1cm cubes. Put the butternut squash cubes into a roasting tray and drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with a generous amount of sage and add the 2 garlic cloves in their skins to the tin. Shake around to evenly coat with the oil. Roast in the oven for around 45 mins until the squash is soft and starting to get a blackened colour on the corners.
• Whilst the squash is roasting you can start on the risotto, the risotto will take between 20-30 mins to cook so time accordingly so that it is ready with the squash.
• Heat the knob of butter and a tsp of olive oil in a large frying pan. Finely chop the onion and fry on a low heat until softened.
• Add the Arborio rice and fry for a couple of minutes until the grains are coated and start to go translucent at the edges.
• Add the glass of wine and cook until the rice has absorbed the liquid.
• Stirring continuously add a ladle at a time of chicken stock and cook until the stock is absorbed by the rice.
• Continue to add stock, one ladle at a time until the rice is cooked. It will take about 15-20 mins, the cooked rice should be softened but still have a bite.
• Once the rice is cooked stir in the parmesan shavings. Remove the butternut squash from the oven and stir into the risotto. The roasted garlic should be easily removed from the skins and stir into the risotto.
• Leave to stand in the covered pan for a few minutes for the flavours to develop and for the risotto to become creamy.
• Serve with a roasted chicken breast, baked fish fillet or any other low fat protein choice.

And that’s it! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, please do let me know how you get on by posting below.

I have broken every dieting rule in the book this week, starters, deserts, chocolates and alcohol! Ahhh! I have continue with my daily exercise regime though and I think this has been my only saving grace. Stepped on the scales this morning, peeking through closed eyelids as I expected a weight gain but to my relief I had stayed the same, 12 stone 3lbs (171Lbs). The realist in me thinks that perhaps being dehydrated from late night drinking the day before may have helped my cause but let’s not dwell on that!!

So, by the skin of my teeth I have avoided any weight gain this week but here’s hoping for some weight loss next week as we all know things go to pot for Christmas the week after. Every year I say that it won’t but, hey it’s Christmas, let’s enjoy ourselves and then we can focus on our weight loss goals for the new year!

I’ve got loads of weight loss presents on my list for Santa this year so I’ll be sure to let you know how I get on with them all in the products & services review section. From exercise DVDs, diet books and equipment, it’s going to be a focused 2010!

Speak to you all soon and I hope you’ve had a better weight loss week than me.

Until next time…

The Wizard

Met up with some friends I hadn’t seen for a long time at the weekend, we stayed in a hotel in Glasgow so between the full Scottish breakfast, afternoon tea in a café and evening meals in a restaurant not to mention the champagne, all spelt disaster for my diet!

Following on from this it was my Mum’s birthday on Tuesday so it would have been rude not to celebrate so another slap up meal at a restaurant was called for!

I knew that weigh-in day was fast approaching so I decided drastic action was needed the last two days. So I stuck religiously to my diet and did two exercise sessions each day. Fortunately I think I redeemed myself as when I stepped on the scales with eyes closed and fingers crossed I was delighted to see that I had still managed to lose 1 lb! Woohoo! No great shakes but as I was expecting a gain any weight loss is a bonus!

Promising myself and you that I am going to have a much stricter week this time, after all Christmas is fast approaching and I want the goose to be the only one getting fat!

Hope your weight loss journey is going well, as always please leave a comment below and let me know how you’re getting on…

Until next time,

The Wizard

• Avoid anything which contains bubbles/gas i.e. carbonated drinks, sparkling water, champagne etc.
• Drink lots of water, at least 2 litres, approx 8 glasses each day
• Eliminate starchy carbs from your diet such as: white rice, pasta, bread etc.
• Try natural diuretics which can help to flush excess water out of your system and make you feel and look less bloated
• Try a colon-cleansing product, these can clear away waste in your colon and helps to flatten your stomach
• Eat plenty of fibre to keep your intestines moving. Constipation will cause further bloating and a protruding tummy!
• Avoid salty foods as they make you retain water
• Eat lots of celery, watermelon, parsley, asparagus and other foods with a high water content
• If you swallow air this can cause gas bubbles to form in your stomach. When eating, take small bites and chew well with your mouth closed. Avoid drinking through a straw
• Try to eat fruits with high potassium levels such as bananas and cantaloupe. Potassium helps to regulate the fluid balance in your body

You will feel slimmer and look thinner when you are not bloated, give it a try and let me know how you get on by posting a comment below.

1. Vertical Lines

Vertical lines cause onlookers eyes to run uninterrupted up and down the body therefore making you appear thinner and taller. The best stripes to chose are thin stripes placed close together.

2. Stand Tall

Just standing with good posture will make you instantly look thinner. When you stand tall your clothes hang correctly and elongate your body.

3. Underwear

Wearing good supporting underwear can do wonders for your figure. It is amazing how many women are wearing the wrong bra size, I would recommend you get professionally measured at least once a year, especially if you are losing or gaining weight. Wearing a camisole can also help your clothing skim past those bumpy bits without clinging. Or for that special occasion try a body slimmer, these can dramatically affect your figure often making you look 5-12lbs thinner instantly! You’d be amazed how many women have these under those party dresses!

4. Colour

Dark colours can help you look thinner. There is the old favourite black but charcoal, navy and chocolate brown work very well too.

 5. Fabric

As a rule of thumb, you want to avoid wearing bulky or textured fabrics over your problem areas. Try to choose light textured fabrics that tend to drape or skim over your body rather than cling. Always go for a matt fabric as shiny fabrics like satin can catch the light and show up every lump and bump!

6. Fitted Cloths

Many people go for extremely baggy cloths in the hope that it will make them look thinner but it usually has the opposite affect making you appear larger than you actually are. Always chose clothes with some shape which accentuate your best features such as a nipped in waistline or a plunging neckline.

7. Accesorize

Wearing accessories high on your body can draw attention away from your body if you are feeling self conscious. A scarf, dramatic necklace or earrings can all act as a focal point and draw eyes up to your face. Try to find the balance with accessories, chunky jewellery will add weight to your frame, whereas if it’s too fine it will disappear.

8. Shoes

As a general rule, the chunkier the shoe and the more rounded the toe, the heavier you will appear. The best option to make you look thinner is a thin sole, medium to high heel and a pointed toe. Choose shoes which show more of your foot which creates a long line and elongates your legs. Avoid ankle straps as they tend to cut off your legs making them appear shorter.

9. Bronzed Beauty

A bronzed body looks thinner instantly and we all love to have that healthy glow. These days it just isn’t worth hitting the sun-beds, we all know the dangers to our health. So I recommend getting yourself a good quality fake tan. You don’t want to look like you’ve been tangoed so it is worth investing that bit extra in a quality product.

10. Keep it simple

Above all keep your total look simple and elegant.

Follow these simple tips to make you look thinner and you’ll feel like you’ve lost 5lbs instantly! Happy days!

I’ve had a good week. At the moment I have opted to go for a general reduction diet to ease me in gently and to see how the weight loss goes. I tend to find at the beginning of any weight loss programme that relatively simple changes to my diet start to show on the scales and as the weeks pass by I reach a plateau and need more drastic measures to maintain the weight loss. So I am following a basic low fat, reduced calorie diet.

Week 2 of my weight loss journey; All 12stone 4lbs (172lbs) of me!

I have also started walking for an hour each day, I am usually a runner but unfortunately a recent injury has stopped me in my tracks, literally! So again I am easing myself into more exercise gradually and plan to join a gym next week to step things up.

As ever, as soon as I tell myself I am on a diet, I start dreaming of chocolate, cream cakes and ice cream, all things that I wouldn’t eat on a daily basis anyway but all of a sudden they are forbidden so I crave them!! It’s amazing how our minds work. Even so I stayed on track throughout the week and knowing that I have to confess all here helped me to focus! The only blip on the horizon was that I was invited to a friends house for tea., now I can hardly say “yes I’d love to come for dinner but you have to cook me a delicious low fat, low calorie meal”, can I? So, I say nothing and willingly (!) devour the 3 course meal that on a rough estimate exceeds my entire daily calorie allowance. I go home feeling stuffed and guilty but hey, it’s only one day. Life’s too short, I had a great time with my friends and tomorrow is always another day. My philosophy is to try each day to do your best, if things don’t go entirely according to plan, don’t beat yourself up about it, just try harder tomorrow!

And the outcome of it all…jumped on the scales today and I’ve lost 3lbs! Woohoo! So I now weigh in at 12stone 4lbs. (172lbs). For me that’s all I need to see, a slight weight loss on the scales and I feel motivated to tackle another week and to just keep on going until I reach my weight loss goals.

I hope that you’re having a good week too and if you’ve got a weight loss or dieting story you’d like to share please post a comment below, I’d love to hear from you.

Until next time,

The Wizard

 1. Exercise Boosts Metabolism

If your weight loss regime includes regular exercise then you will be increasing your basal metabolic rate (BMR), this is the amount of calories you would use up in a day even if you lay in bed (not that I’m recommending it!).

Wow, if this is what exercise does for you I'm starting immediately!

Every time you exercise you burn fat and calories and boost your metabolism. By exercising regularly you are telling your body that it needs extra energy for the day so it starts burning up excess fuel, i.e. stored fat!

2. Exercise allows you to eat more

To lose weight we need to create a calorie deficit, we need to consume less calories than we burn in a day. To create this calorie deficit we reduce the calories we eat by going on some form of diet. But if we look at the other side of the equation, if we exercise and burn off more calories then we can either lose weight quickly or we can allow ourselves to eat a little bit more and still achieve steady weight loss.

3. Energy Booster

Regular exercise gives you more energy throughout your day. I am not a morning person but if I start my day with a workout then I definitely feel more energized and alert throughout the rest of the day. When we exercise chemicals called endorphins are released into our bloodstream, these can leave us feeling exhilarated and give us that much needed boost to go about our daily lives. You may feel exhausted straight after you’ve exercised but this is a good sign you’ve worked your body hard, rest assured as soon as you get out of that shower you’ll feel better for it!

4. Build your brain

Studies have shown that regular exercise can boost your brain power! When we exercise a chemical called serotonin is released in the brain, this keeps you mentally alert. Active people who exercise regularly tend to be more productive at home and at work.

5. Relieve Stress

Studies have shown that stress may cause weight gain, need more motivation than that to seek some stress relief?! Our body releases a stress hormone called cortisol when we are stressed, this leads to all sorts of changes in your fat and carbohydrate metabolism and stimulates the release of insulin which controls your blood sugars, and the up shot is you end up with an increased appetite. So now you know why you may eat more and gain weight when you are stressed, upset or anxious. Exercise is a great stress reliever, it doesn’t have to be running a marathon, start slowly with something manageable, a 30 minute walk around the block will do wonders for you.

So there you have it, now you’ve got me and the little devil on your shoulder telling you that you need to exercise! Find something that you enjoy, walking the dog, playing with the kids in the park, taking up ballroom dancing, whatever takes your fancy. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as it gets your heart pumping and that you get out there and do it! OK I’ve got to go now…I’ve got a date with the gym, or is that Jim?

Stay motivated by keeping track of your weight loss.

1. If you want to be successful in your weight loss then concentrate on developing your desire rather than battling with your will power. How much do you really want to lose weight? How much more do you want to lose weight than you want to eat that cream cake or have that take-away? My guess is much more! So think of all the reasons you want to lose weight and write them down. Type the list up; hey laminate it if you want to! Then pin it up somewhere you will see it each and every day, the bathroom mirror is perfect, or even better-put it on the door of the fridge!
2. Set yourself some short term goals and boost your weight loss motivation by rewarding yourself with a treat every time you reach them. Try to make the treat a non-food item, perhaps a new piece of clothing now that your old cloths are getting looser, a facial, a manicure or any pampering treatment, something that makes you feel good. If you’re reaching your weight loss goals then you are doing fantastic and there’s no harm in patting yourself on the back!
3. Read about other people’s weight loss success. I personally find nothing as inspirational and motivational as hearing other people’s stories of weight loss, I can’t get enough of it! So read them from our readers here, search for them online, buy slimming magazines or call a friend who has lost some weight recently. These people who have lost weight are just like you and me, if they can do it, we can too!
4. There is nothing more motivating for your weight loss than having a special occasion in your calendar. Be it a wedding, a Christmas party, your birthday, anything. You’ve got the date in mind, you’ve seen the outfit you want to squeeze into, you’re imagining the compliments everyone is giving you because you look amazing…think about this every day when you feel you’re drifting off target, it’ll steer you right on track.
5. Remind yourself how well you’re doing. I know it’s painful but be brave and take a picture of yourself in your underwear or swimwear at the start of your weight loss journey, that’s what self timers and digital cameras are for! No one has to see it, this is just for you. Every month take a new photo and see how far you’ve come, as the you lose more and more weight these photographs will become like milestones until you reach your final weight loss goal.

So there you have it, my top 5 weight loss motivation tips, I hope they help you on your journey. If you have any weight loss motivation tips you’d like to share, please post them using the comment box below, I’d love to hear from you!

Breakfast - your most important meal of the day for weight loss success.

So, why can eating breakfast help with your weight loss?

To many it goes against common sense that by eating extra calories in the morning as opposed to skipping breakfast would help your weight loss. There has been a lot of research on the subject and studies have shown that those that eat breakfast on the whole weight less than those who regularly skip a morning meal.

There are many reasons that starting the day with a healthy breakfast can help you achieve your weight loss goals:

• Eating breakfast can reduce hunger throughout the day which helps you make better food choices in the rest of your meals. If you skip breakfast, chances are by mid-morning you’ll be grabbing for that packet of crisps or chocolate bar and come lunch time you’ll be so ravenous you’ll have munched your way through a high calorie dinner before you know it!
• Eating breakfast is part of a healthy lifestyle, if you are making wise food choices and eating balanced meals at regular intervals you are more likely to be making long term changes to your habits and helping you on your road to weight loss success. If you skip breakfast, especially with the intention of saving calories for later in the day you are only fuelling your habits of binge eating and excess.
• Eating breakfast gets your metabolism working from the moment you start your day. We all know that starvation causes our metabolism to slow down and to go into “starvation mode” holding on to all the fat and calories that comes our way. When you skip breakfast bear in mind you have had nothing to eat overnight so waiting until lunch could mean your body has gone over 12 hours without food, this can be classed a mini-starvation.
• Eating breakfast gives you the energy boost you need to start your day the right way, without it you will feel sluggish and tired.
• It has been shown that eating your calories earlier in the day gives you more time to burn them off and prevents you going to bed with a stomach full of food! Perhaps the traditional way of having a hearty breakfast, large meal at lunch and a small meal in the evening is the way to go.

So there you have it, if you want to start each day the right way and achieve your weight loss goals faster then tucking into a healthy breakfast every morning is the way to go.