Friday, September 10, 2010

Liquid health.

Do you remember the 12 week challenge I organised a few months ago? It was in response to my GP telling me to lose 10kgs (22 pounds)  Well in the 12 weeks that I sweated, exercised and dieted I lost just over half the weight. Then I took a month off. I was getting fed up of being the food police in work where my colleagues were doing the challenge with me. I returned to normal and brought in muffins and pigged out on the chocolates that departing patients left behind. I did however keep up the exercise and found that although I stopped losing weight I didn't gain any.

After a month of pigging out the people around me in work started talking about doing another challenge. The 1st of September was the first day of spring here in Australia so that's when we started again. $10 to join up, I weighed everyone, measured their Body Mass Index, told them their healthy weight range and how much weight they should lose to have a healthy BMI, did a body scan that measures body fat, muscle and water percentages and then sent them on their way to make whatever healthy changes to their diet and lifestyle over the coming weeks.

You would think that at the start of a new health kick my motivation would be high? It's not. I'm tired and cranky. I need something more than exercising in the garage after a day on the wards. Something more than Weight watchers zero point soup at lunchtime. So I tried green tea. It is supposed to help you to maximise fat loss while dieting and exercising. Just the kind of thing I needed to hear. Doesn't this google image make it look attractive...


So for the last two weeks I have been brewing up a litre of green tea each day and drinking it by the cupful. I can't say I love the taste. I like milk in my tea and drinking a tea straight from brewing lacks comfort. But who said exercising and weight loss was about comfort?! Sometimes I drank it hot. One day I brought it in cold to work in a plastic bottle. My workmates delighted in telling me how much it looked like a bad urine sample...

After two weeks I was excited. I had avoided weighing myself but decided that it was now or never! How much fat had melted away, dissolved by my cups of bitter goodness? Wait for it... Sit down.... I lost a grand total of... 0.2kgs! Yes folks that's just under half a pound. I cannot express my excitement... or lack thereof.  So tonight I am sitting down to watch a movie with a different health drink, a great big glass of Merlot. I hear it has great cardiac benefits and I'm willing to try it.

I'll let you know how I get on...

6 comments - click here to leave your comment:

  1. Good Luck Gina... can't wait to hear how it all goes! Remember, muscle weighs more then fat... could it be you are bulking up?? You look beautiful!

     
  2. Much luck to you...I need to join you on this quest! It is my desire to eat better and drop a few pounds this winter.

     
  3. when I look at your picture you just look like a natural beauty who has such pure beautiful skin. I think sitting down with a glass of wine and putting the weight issue on the back burner for a minute is a great plan...enjoy!

    Oh, and I love when you stop at my blog...to know I have a friend in Australia who is taking her socks off makes me smile!

     
  4. Hoping this week's numbers are better :)

    I'm on the Weight Watcher's plan and ate almost a bowl of homemade spagetti sauce tonight (little to no "points"). Just isn't the same as the bowl of ice cream I used to have, although...skinny is going to feel so good :)

    Let's hope I'm able to keep focus and motivation up! Hope you are successful too! You sound like you are on the right track...

     
  5. I would join you on the Merlot plan. Heck, I'm going to join you right now!

    Good habits are sometimes just NOT fun.

     
  6. You might have had more luck with a laxative tea, but green tea is just that: tea that is green...oh, but I hear it has cancer fighting agents! So you're good. And yes, I bet it would have looking like you were toting around a urine sample! I'm still laughing at that.
    Good for you though to taking this weight loss thing head on. You'll have to continue sharing your secrets with those of us who find a good chocolate bar is the equivalent to 2 hours in the psychologist's office.