Life tips from Happy Coach

South East Asian Thin Steak

2010-11-22T16:54:00.001-08:00

South East Asian Thin Steak

Ingredients:

400g sirloin steak
3 tablespoons of peanuts – grind finely in a food processor
1 teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of soy sauce
¼ onion – thinly sliced
1 tablespoons of sesame oil
6 tablespoons of oil

Directions:

Freeze the sirloin steak in a freezer bag for 30 minutes for easy slicing, slice thinly
In saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil, fry the finely grind peanuts for 4-5 minutes, set aside to cool.
In a bowl, combine the beef slices, peanuts, pepper, salt, soy sauce, onion, sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of oil, cover with GLAD wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
In a saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil, fry the beef slices for 5-10 minutes or until cooked.

Serve with vegetables or salad

Mexican Chilli Con Can

2010-11-15T13:30:00.000-08:00

Mexican Chili Con Carne

4 servings

Ingredients:

1 can of 420-425g Mexican Style Beans*
600g of mince
2 tablespoons of oil
1 onion – sliced
1 glove of garlic
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper
2 tablespoons of cheese

Directions:

In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil, brown the onion and garlic, add the mince and cook thoroughly
Add the Mexican style beans
Add the salt and pepper
Add the cheese

Serve

*Craigs Mexican Style Beans
Servings per pack: 2
Serving size: 210g

Per serving Per 100g
energy 1010kj 480kj
protein 12g 5.7g
fat Total 1.1g
Saturated 0.2g Total 0.5g
Saturated 0.1g
carbohydrate 39.1g 18.6g
sugars 15.3g 7.3g
Dietary fibre 13.2g 6.3g
sodium 230mg 110mg

Ingredients :

Red kidney beans (53%), Mexican sace (tomato puree, sugar), onions, chillies, chilli powder, maize starch, maize thickener (1422), herbs and spices, food acid (acetic acid), salt, flavour.

*MasterFoods Mexican Style Beans
Servings per pack: 4
Serving size: 105g

Per serving Per 100g
energy 560kj 533kj
protein 6.3g 6.0g
fat Total 0.5g
Saturated 0.14g Total 0.4g
Saturated 0.13g
carbohydrate 24.3g 23.1g
sugars 7.2g 6.9g
Dietary fibre 5.3g 5.0g
sodium 291mg 277mg

Ingredients:

Dutch brown beans (60%), tomatoes, onion (2%), capsicum (2%), sugar, salt, herbs and spices, chilli (0.06%), thickener (modified cornstarch), food acid (citric)

Capsicum and Eggplant Parcels

2010-11-09T13:34:00.001-08:00

Capsicum and Eggplant Parcels

1 red capsicum (cut into 2 halves, empty all the seeds out)
1 green capsicum (cut into 2 halves, empty all the seeds out)
1 egg plant (cut into 16 portions, dig a hole the half way into the egg plant pieces, discard the dug out pieces)
500g pork mince
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
2 chili - sliced
2 eggs – beaten
2 tablespoons of coriander leaves
5 pieces of mushrooms – sliced thinly
1 onion – sliced thinly
3 tablespoons of oil

Directions:

In a saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil, aromatize the onion and the mushrooms for 5 minutes

In a bowl, combine, the pork mince, onion, mushrooms, salt, pepper, sesame oil, chili, eggs, coriander leaves, knead the mixture slightly

Fill the eggplant pieces, the capsicum halves with the pork mixture

Add ½ cup of oil to a baking pan, arrange the capsicum and eggplant pieces with some space between them and bake for 30 minutes.

Cider Vinegar Chicken

2010-11-07T18:17:00.000-08:00

Cider Vinegar Chicken

Ingredients:

6 chicken thighs
5 gloves of garlic
1 cup of cider vinegar
1 375ml of Campbell Real Chicken Stock
1 teaspoon of peppercorns
½ teaspoon of tumeric
½ teaspoon of curry powder
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
3 tablespoons of oil

Directions:

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients, cover with glad wrap and keep in the fridge for 1 hour.

In a saucepan, heat another 3 tablespoons of oil for 3 minutes.
Pour the content of the bowl to the saucepan and cook for 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked properly.

Remove the chicken thighs and place the chicken thighs in a baking tray, bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from the baking tray and arrange on a plate, pour the sauce on top and serve with salad or vegetables.

Mushroom Chicken

2010-11-03T17:18:00.000-07:00

Mushroom Chicken

Ingredients:

4 slices of bacon
5 medium sized mushrooms - sliced
1 onion – sliced
2 double chicken breasts – thinly sliced
1 cup of red wine
3 gloves of garlic – sliced
salt and pepper to taste
½ pack of Campbell real stock (chicken)
2 slices of ginger – thinly sliced
3 tablespoons of oil

Directions:

In a saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil.

Add onion, garlic, mushrooms and ginger, aromatize for 2-3 minutes.

Add the chicken and bacon, fry for 5-10 minutes.

In a pot, combine onion, garlic, mushrooms, ginger, chicken and bacon, mix thoroughly.

Pour in red wine and stock.

Place the cover on the pot and simmer.

Vegetarian Frittata

2010-10-20T18:18:00.001-07:00

Vegetarian Frittata

Ingredients :

2 tablespoons of oil
2 gloves of garlic – sliced
1 onion –sliced
1 capsicum – sliced
6 eggs
1 teaspoon of mixed herbs
1 tablespoon of coriander leaves
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup of grated cheese
2 cups of spinach

Directions :

Separate the egg yolk and egg white
Beat the egg yolk
Beat the egg white

Grease the baking pan with 2 tablespoons of oil
In a bowl, add egg white, egg yolk, garlic, onion, capsicum, mixed herbs, coriander leaves, cheese, spinach, salt and pepper to taste – mix thoroughly

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes

Serve

Lamb Stir Fry

2010-10-18T19:31:00.001-07:00

Lamb stirfry

Ingredients:

400g lamb fillet - sliced
2 cloves of garlic
1 red capsicum – thinly sliced
1 carrot – thinly sliced
1 onion – sliced
3 tablespoons of oil
2 tablespoons of curry powder
1 can of baby corn
4 lime leaves – sliced
2 tablespoons of Campbell Fish Stock
3 tablespoons of oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil, add garlic and onion, aromatize for 3 minutes.
Add the lamb slices, fry for 5 minutes.
Add capsicum, carrot, curry powder, baby corn, lime leaves and fish stock.
Fry for another 5 minutes.

Cold chinese chicken with wine

2010-10-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

Cold chinese chicken with wine

Ingredients:

Half a chicken – chopped into pieces (skin on)
2 teaspoons of salt
1 pack of 375mls of Campbell Real Stock (Chicken)
3 slices of ginger – sliced
½ onion – sliced
3 tablespoons of white wine

Directions:

Place the chicken pieces in microwave safe bowl (with cover), rub salt against the chicken pieces, sprinkle the ginger and onion on top.

Microwave the chicken, covered, on HIGH for 15-20 minutes (the cooking time may vary from microwave to microwave).

In a separate bowl, combine the wine and the chicken stock

Pour on top of the chicken pieces and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Serve.

tomato meat balls

2010-10-14T18:06:00.000-07:00

Tomato Meat Balls

Ingredients:

500g beef mince (for fat sensitive low carb lifestyle, make sure you use lean beef mince)
1/2 onion finely chopped
2 tablespoons of white wine
1 slices of ginger – finely chopped
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoon of non-aspartame sugar substitute
1 tablespoon of oil
2 eggs – beaten
2 teaspoon of mixed herbs
400g can of tomato*

Instructions :

Mix the mince, onion, white wine, ginger, salt, sugar substitute, oil, eggs and mixed herbs and shape into balls
Bake the meatballs in the oven (in a baking pan) for 30minutes at 180 degrees calcius
Remove the meatballs from the oven and place on a plate
Pour the tomato in a saucepan or an microwave safe bowl and boil for 20-30 minutes or microwave on medium.
Pour the heated tomato sauce onto the meatballs

Serve with salad or vegetables

*Nutritional facts are based on Demaine Italian Crushed Tomatoes

Per 100g

Energy 92kj
Protein 1.2g
Fat 0.5
Saturated 0.2g
Carbohydrate 3.1g
Sugars 2.8g
Sodium 5mg

Coconut beef curry

2010-10-13T17:07:00.001-07:00

Coconut Beef Curry

Ingredients:

400g sirloin steak – cut into cubes
5 chilies – sliced
2 cups of desiccated coconut
1 onion – sliced
2 cloves of garlic – sliced
2 stems of lemon grass
2 slices of ginger
1 tablespoon of coriander leaves
2 teaspoons of cumin
1 teaspoon of tumeric
4 tablespoons of oil
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
½ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of pepper
8 tablespoons of oil
1 tablespoon of curry powder
1 cup of coconut cream or milk

Directions:

In a saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil, fry the beef cubes for 10 mins or until half done, set aside.

In a baking tray, spread the coconut in a baking tray and bake until golden brown - ___ minutes.

In a food processor, add chilies, garlic, onion, lemon grass, ginger, coriander leaves, cumin, tumeric, salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons of oil and curry powder.

In a saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil, add the beef cubes, the mixture from the food processor, soy sauce and coconut cream/milk, fry at low heat until the beef mixture is dry.

Stir in the coconut, mix thoroughly.

Serve

Low Carb Cheese Crackers

2010-10-11T18:29:00.001-07:00

Low Carb Cheese Crackers

Use any kind of yellow cheese (e.g. Tasty, Edam).

Grate the cheese into clusters (approximately the size of a biscuit, approximately 7cm in diameter).

Add sesame seeds, almond flakes or sunflower seeds for texture.

Bake until clusters are crisp.

Optional: Use cream cheese as dip

Low Carb Cheesecake

2010-10-06T18:47:00.000-07:00

Cheesecake Recipe

1 block of Philidaephia Cream Cheese

Sweeten to taste – Add sweetener

3 eggs

300 mls cream

1 tablespoon of vanilla essence

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

3 teaspoon of unsweetened gelatin

125 mls of hot water

375 mls of cold water

Method:

In a food processor, add cream cheese, cream, sweetener and mix with the “pulse” mode until smooth.

Add egg, one at a time.

Then add the vanilla essence and lemon juice.

Mix 3 teaspoons of unsweetened gelatin to 125 mls of hot water

Once the gelatin crystals have dissolved, add the remaining 375 mls of cold water

Then add the gelatin mixture to the mixture in the food processor , mix until smooth and pour into a cheesecake mould or bowl

Cheese cake base: (Optional)

You can crush low carb biscuits and butter together to make a cheesecake base

Thai Beef Salad

2010-09-30T18:14:00.001-07:00

Thai beef salad

400g sirloin steak
2 gloves of garlic - sliced
½ teaspoon of pepper
6 tablespoons of oil/butter
4 coriander roots - sliced
3 tablespoons of coriander leaves
2 medium sized tomatoes – sliced
½ cucumber – sliced
1 onion – sliced
2 tablespoons of white wine
½ lettuce – sliced
2 eggs – hard boiled – sliced into 2 halves

For dressing :

2 tablespoons of Campbell Real Stock (Fish)
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 red chilies – sliced
2 teaspoons of non-aspartame sugar substitute

Directions:

In a food processor, combine garlic, coriander roots, black pepper and 2 tablespoons of oil and white wine.
Marinate the steak in the garlic/roots/pepper/oil/white wine mixture overnight in a freezer bag, be sure to massage the marinate and the steak.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil/butter in a saucepan, pan fry the steak, turn the steak regular, make sure the steak is not well done (slight pink in the middle) to ensure tenderness. Set aside to cool.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan, aromatize the sliced onion

On a plate, arrange the lettuce, cucumber and tomato

Slice the steak into thick slices and place on top of the salad

Place the onion on top of the steak

Combine the fish stock, lemon juice, soy sauce, chilies and sweetener in a small bowl

Pour on top of the steak, garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Eggplant Musaka

2010-09-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

Eggplant Musaka

1 eggplant (565g)
400g beef mince
1 onion – sliced
2 eggs - beaten
1 cup milk
½ cup oil
½ cup of chopped parsley
2 gloves of garlic
½ teaspoon of all spice
salt to taste
3 tablespoons of grated cheese

Directions :

1. Peel eggplant, slice into thin slices lengthwise, add salt
2. Heat oil in a saucepan, cook eggplant slices to golden brown
3. Remove the eggplant slices and place on a separate plate
4. Using the same saucepan, brown the onion and the garlic.
5. Add the mince and cook for a few minutes until brown.
6. Add the all spice and chopped parsley, mix evenly into the mince
7. Remove the mince mixture and place in a bowl
8. In a baking pan or dish, layer the eggplant and mince mixture :

i.e. eggplant slices at the bottom
mince on top
eggplant slices on top of the mince
and so on …….

9. Mix the eggs mixture and milk – add to the eggplant/mince layered mixture in the baking dish
10. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top
11. Bake for 180 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Thai Fish Cakes

2010-09-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

Thai fish cakes

Ingredients:

400g fish fillet
2 eggs beaten
½ cup of coriander leaves
1 tablespoon of curry powder
2 chilies – sliced
1 onion – sliced
4 tablespoons of oil

Directions:

In a food processor, mince the fish fillets until smooth.
Add the bakemix, eggs, coriander leaves, curry powder, chilies, onion to the fish mince in the food processor.
Remove the mixture and form 18 patties
Heat the oil in a saucepan, fry the patties.

Lamb chop with beetroot and wine sauce

2010-09-22T14:33:00.000-07:00

Lamb chop with beetroot and wine sauce

Ingredients:

4 lamb chops
1 glove of garlic
1 410g of canned beetroot slices
2 teaspoons of non-aspartame sweetener
250mls of red wine
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoon of oil
2 teaspoons of pepper
1 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of mixed herbs

Directions:

In a saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil, add the lamb chops, sprinkle salt, mixed herbs and pepper evenly over both sides of the chops, once cooked, set aside on a plate.

In a blender or food processor, puree the garlic, sweetener, beetroot, vinegar and red wine

Use the vinegar/red wine as a sauce for the lamb chops

Serve with salad and vegetables

Watties Beetroot Slices

Servings per package : 3
Serving size : 80g

Per serving Per 100g
energy 180kj 225kj
protein 0.8g 1g
Fat total 0.2g 0.2g
Fat saturated 0g 0g
Carbohydrate 8.7g 10.9g
Sugars 6.4g 8.0g
Dietary Fibre 1.4g 1.7g
Sodium 305mg 380mg

Spicy roast chicken with stuffing

2010-09-21T20:18:00.000-07:00

Spicy roast chicken with stuffing

Ingredients:

1 size 20 chicken
2 chilies – thinly sliced
3 gloves of garlic – sliced
2 teaspoons of pepper
2 teaspoons of non-aspartame sugar substitute
2 tablespoons of white wine
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 teaspoons of tumeric (65% carb)
1 teaspoon of mixed herbs
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
4 tablespoons of oil/butter (melted)

Ingredients for stuffing:

200g of pork mince
2 chilies – sliced
100 mls of coconut cream
2 tablespoons of coriander leaves
1/3 cup of peanuts
½ onion – sliced
2 gloves garlic
½ teaspoon of salt

Directions:

In a food processor, combine, mixed herbs, chilies, garlic, pepper, sugar substitute, white wine, soy sauce, tumeric, lemon juice and oil/butter, set aside in a bowl.

In a food processor, combine pork mince, chilies, coconut cream, coriander leaves, peanuts, onion, garlic and salt. In a saucepan, fry the mixture for 5 minutes.

Stuff the chicken with the pork mince mixture.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, place the chicken on a baking tray, bake for 30 minutes.

Use a brush to brush the mixture from the food processor to the surface of the chicken quarters

Bake for a further 30 minutes

low carb energy drink

2010-06-23T18:16:00.000-07:00

There is a new low carb energy drink on the market, it is called MONSTER (LO-Carb), it is a larger can than the aspartame free red bull, retail for $2.99 (in Mobil, not sure what the price will be elsewhere), it is aspartame free, it contains Sucrolose (SPLENDA) and Acesulphame K, the carb is higher though (vs red bull and V), 6.5g carbs per can.

WII Balance Board

2010-06-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

Bought an imitation WII FIT balance board last weekend, it is under the brand name SNAKEBYTE, it retails for $159, bought it on special at $139, it also comes with the Nintendo game Fit Plus (vs the Nintendo Balance Board RRP$199, sometimes on special at $170). Went home, after the kids have gone to bed, I decided to try it out. For any first time user, the software runs a body testing (like fitness testing), it asks for your age, weight and height, it is based on BMI anyway, which in my opinion, is grossly inacurrate! After the body testing, the software told me that, I should be 67kg with a fitness age of 48 years old. I was shocked !!I was 68kg between the age of 13 and 17 (I was 86 kgs and 5 feet when I was 12!!!). The software painted a little figure that is supposed to be me, a man with a chubby midsection!!! This shows that how inaccurate BMI is, as mentioned in my book!

WII FIT is great, it offers training plus, yoga, muscle workouts, aerobic exercises and balance games. In training plus, I tried the cycling game, great for cardio, I was sweating !!

I tried yoga on the balance board, great for someone who wants to do yoga at home. The muscle training is great too, I tried the triceps extension, with extra weights, it will definitely tone your muscles, also tried the pushups and side stance.

Aerobic exercises offers options such as Hola hoops exercises, Jogging and steps, there are 3 different levels available, beginner, intermediate and advance.

I also tried the balance games, snow boarding, skiing, great for fun but for weight loss, it is not that effective. May be beneficial for strengthening your core.

I tried the Gold Gym's Cardio Workout game (mentioned in previous post) with the balance board, it offers some extra strength exercises, such as pushups, back exercises, Abdominal exercises and squats.

Overall, using the WII console with the balance board will definitely increase the effectiveness of your fitness program and assist in weight loss.

I tried out some games

2010-06-18T01:07:00.000-07:00

6 days after the birth of our baby girl, Lilly, I bought 2 Nintendo WII games on trademe for $51, they retail for $50 each. One of them is called "Personal Coach" and the other GOLD GYM's Cardio Workout.

I received them today, so after both babies have gone to sleep, I decided to try them out. As I have mentioned in my last post, I still have not purchased the WII balance board yet. Insert the "Personal Coach" disc into the console, cruise around the control panel of the game, entered all my measurements, weight etc, I then realised that, the Personal Coach game nothing but a personalised, workout DVD that is similar to an aerobic DVD that requires you to follow the "moves" of your personal coach. It did ask you to commit to certain volume of workout and on certain days. It also asked if I own a step board, heart rate monitor and a swiss ball, so I can carry out some other routines that utilise these equipments.

Overall, I find Personal Coach fairly dissapointing, I wouldnt recommend you buy it.

The GOLD GYM's cardio workout - I tried it without the WII balance board, therefore I was fairly restrictive in what I can do with the game. The shape boxing, mitt training and dodging training are better, in comparison the WII SPORTS game's boxing section, it added other punches, such as RIGHT and LEFT hooks and upper cuts, on top of jabs and crosses. Overall, this is a better game, compared to personal coach. I guess it can only get better with the balance board, so watch this space.

Just an addition to my previous post, if you are looking to buy an extra nunchuk controller, you can purchase one from www.trademe.co.nz for under $40, brand new, it is not the Nintendo brand but a generic one, it works find, why pay $99 in the shops!!!

My experience with Nintendo WII console

2010-06-07T00:23:00.000-07:00

Queen's Birthday weekend, Monday, 8 days before the expected birth date of my daughter, Lilly, I decided to purchase a Nintendo Wii console from Bond and Bond, lincoln road, henderson, auckland. It costed me $379, it came with the console, one "nunchuk" controller (essential for playing any boxing game) and the WII SPORTS game (which allows you to play boxing, tennis, golf, baseball and bowling). When I return home with the console, I shown it to my wife and my engineer sister in law happened to be there. She was overjoyed! We set it up and dive in for a game or two (or 20!!!!).

The actual boxing, tennis game, if played with an extra controller (cost will be an extra $100, $50 for the controller and another $50 for the "nunchuk" part) with another player can be a good substitute for conventional exercise, such as walking and running. Nevertheless, playing against the machine may not be as exhausting as playing with another partner.

Later, mum and dad came around for dinner, we had carbs!!!!! I know it was naughty but mum payed for dinner, cant resist it, it is noodles, noodles and noodles !!! After they left, I had another go, this time, I was sweating !! I tried out the fitness test, swing the baseball bat, playing tennis and bowling, I started to get warm and sweat but the results was a bit dissapointing, apparently, I had the fitness level of a 58 years old person.

Then I discovered the fitness training, I tried the punching bag, punching mitts and dodging tennis balls boxing training, these got me sweating big time!!!

The moral of the story, on a tight budget, look for a bargain at $379, this beginner pack could be a good substitute for conventional exercise, can be a fun way to view exercise, I know you think exercise cannot be fun but WII Sports is. Before I made my purchase, I checked out the warehouse and Noel Leeming, they both charged over $400 for the same package. I think at Noel Leeming, at $412, you get what I bought but with an extra cricket game and motion sensor (which will be useful for better motion detection when you use the WII).

Cant wait to get the WII FIT board which comes with the WII FIT game, I nearly was talked into buying it at $170 but resisted it (RRP $199). The guy at Bond and Bond made me a deal but there was a deal 2 weeks ago that offered the console package for $379 and the WII FIT at $170. Last week, Noel Leeming had the WII FIT package for $150. So shop around, bargain hard!! Get the WII package, it is well worth it!!!

Fear of nothing?

2010-02-08T13:32:00.000-08:00

Hello to you all! Sorry I have been a bit lazy in updating my blog. I was talking to a client on saturday and she told me that her friend has lost over 30 kgs and is now "freaking out" about not being able to maintain her weight. Lets refer to my client as VA for the purpose of this blog post. I told VA that most of my clients spend their time while losing weight worrying about not being able to lose weight but will anticipating failure help you lose weight, I guess not! In fact, in life, "you become what you fear most"!

VA's friend, on the other hand, lost weight but REPLACE IT with the fear of not able to maintain weight, it is as if she lost weight but need to replace all her worries with something, so she conveniently replaced it with the fear of weight maintenance.

I told VA that according to a latest movie, the end of earth is actually 2012 (not that I believe it!!), so dont worry BE HAPPY, fear nothing, unleash her potential and be all she can be, trust herself and me, show NO FEAR!!!! towards her weight loss attempt!!

Not sure what you can do with this but thought it is interesting enough, so I wrote it down!!!!

Take care !!

Change your relationship with food

2009-10-28T20:26:00.000-07:00

If you have a weight issue, it is most likely that you may have a "one night stand" relationship with food. If you met someone for the first time in a bar and had a brief relationship, you may not even know the person's name, or what they do for that matter. This relationship is similar to that of you purchasing fast foods, you dont even know what's in the fast foods (e.g. Mcdonald, Chinese takeaway)? Can you name every single ingredient in fried rice you purchased from a chinese taleaway?

To change your relationship with food, I suggest you start cooking or at least learn how to cook. Cooking your own food is like dating someone:

1. Decide on a recipe = deciding on what kind of spouse you are hoping to meet. Just a thought, you can search the internet for both! (potential spouse and recipes, I mean!)

2. Shopping for the ingredients = Searching for that special someone

3. Preparing the ingredients, cooking and plating the recipe = dating someone, going on dates with them, finding out more about them.

4. Enjoying the prepared food = enjoying your date's company.

5. Get "hooked" on a certain recipe = marrying someone?

So, change your relationship to food and maybe you may lose your "weight issue" !!

Take care, until tomorrow.

Learn to live with you!

2009-10-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry guys and girls, I have not been blogging for a while. Now that my exam is over, no more study for the year, I will make an effort to write again.

A few weeks ago, I was talking to a client, lets call her DB. On my way to work, I called DB to let her know that I was stucked in traffic and wonder if she is too. She asked me how she can change a certain aspect of her character. She is your typical introverts, not very assertive, feel guilty about most things and let everyone talk advantage of her.

I told her that she is who she is, she can never change who she is, a bit like a curry recipe. It is known to many that the Indians and thai add sugar to their curries to make it less spicy for their caucasian customers. Now, these sugary curry taste like curry, they smell like curry and off course, look like curry!

I told DB that she is essentially a curry and I am her sugar, taking my advice is like adding sugar to any curry, it neutralises her guilt, make her have the right amount of assertiveness (but not overly aggressive) and learn to say No to some people who asked for her help. She doesnt have to be mean or swing from her introvert self to an extravert, something she is not comfortable with.

The key here is to learn to be aware of who you are, recognises your strong points and weaknesses and moderate them with some advice (from counsellors, life coaches, self-help books, family members and friends), like the "moderating sugar" in curries.

Retain your authentic self, be yourself, be a refined version of you. Love yourself!

Not sure what you can do with this but sounds interesting, so I thought I write it down.

Take care!!

Happy Coach

Habit Control

2007-12-18T19:20:00.000-08:00

Most people who decide to try out a “diet” either find one in a book or magazine or are given one by a nutritionist or personal trainer, follow that diet to the letter for 12–16 weeks, then switch straight back to the way they were living beforehand. Then — to their shock/horror — they start gaining weight again. Which is the reason why so many sceptics claim that low carb diets don’t work — because they tried one, lost weight, but put all the pounds back on again. This is typical of human nature: when something goes wrong, the last thing we blame is ourselves. The truth is that people regain the weight they lost because they start eating in exactly the same way they were prior to following the low carb diet.

But what if those people had possessed greater willpower — would this have helped them stick with the low carb lifestyle? The answer, sadly, is no: willpower is a weight-loss myth. If willpower by itself helped us lose weight then the first diet plan we ever followed, combined with the strength of our willpower, would have done the trick. So if willpower isn’t the key, what is? In my opinion, the answer lies in behavioural change, and this is something that takes time and also requires careful planning and training. There is ongoing argument in the educational and psychological fields over whether changing one’s habits can by itself lead to behavioural change — but years of experience has convinced me that habit change can most definitely lead to effective behavioural change.

Drawing from my personal observations of the previous nine years (assisting approximately 7000 low carb weight-loss clients plus another 20,000 or so sports nutrition clients since 1995), in this chapter I outline solutions to some of the many habits that may contribute to weight gain or poor weight management. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of responses to every single weight gain habit that exists — there are just too many to cover — but it will help you master the main types of habits that lie at the core of the problem.

The power of visualisation

2007-12-12T15:00:00.000-08:00

Willpower does not work in regard to weight loss because the human imagination is much more powerful.

Words are extremely powerful, so to ensure successful weight loss you must use positive, empowering words to uplift your spirit and define your goal. For example, if you state your goal as:

“I just want to get rid of that nasty, ugly cellulite, podgy stomach and flabby arms.”

This is a perfect example of what I describe as a goal described in a negative manner. Stop for a moment and consider what comes into your mind when you say words like “ugly”, “nasty”, “cellulite”, “podgy stomach” and “flabby arms”? Conjure up a mental image of yourself with ugly cellulite, podgy stomach and flabby arms. What does that do to uplift your spirit — nothing! It might even encourage you to think that it is impossible to get rid of those unwanted features of your body, and this is when that little voice inside your head speaks up and says: “If I can’t get rid of them, I might as well have fun and eat that king-size bar of chocolate and I might feel better.”

If words weren’t so powerful, do you think restaurants would go to all the trouble of writing such delicious descriptions of the fantastic meals on their menus? For example:

A thick, juicy, organically raised sirloin steak, grilled to your satisfaction, served with garden salad and fresh asparagus, topped with mozzarella cheese.

Descriptions like that are extremely inviting and appetising — and have me salivating just while reading them (I’m biased, by the way, I’m a big steak lover!).

But what if the restaurant had written:

Slaughtered cow, burned and arranged with dead vegetables and covered with fermented milk.

Is that description as inviting as the previous one?

Visualise

Now that we have discussed some of the theory behind goal setting, I want you to stand in front of a mirror, visualise yourself at your goal weight, and picture yourself running along the beach with your partner at a Bali resort, inhaling the fresh sea air, feeling your partner’s hand in yours, the warm sand beneath your feet . . . Feel the body, the new you and STOP. Remember the feeling and write it down

Goal Setting

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Goal setting

Once you have replaced your old negative belief system with your new empowering belief system, the next stage is to set your goal/s.

Step 1: Set realistic goals — health first, self-image second

Have you ever wondered why you have never achieved your goal weight/body fat percentage or have achieved them but was still not happy with your appearance? Could it be that you are trying to attain a body shape that is totally unrealistic?

Every day we are confronted on television and in magazines with the apparently “perfect bodies” of Hollywood stars and supermodels. Not only have a lot of these images been digitally “touched up”, there are even “beauty lenses” that give the models/stars slimmer thighs and buttocks! Surely no one thinks these women look that good first thing in the morning before putting on their make-up? Not likely! And if you believe that the bodybuilders and male models with “six-pack abs” look like that all year round, think again! I have helped hundreds of bodybuilders (and some male models) get in shape for their various competitions and events, and I can assure you that their midsections look far from perfect even just two to four weeks afterwards.

Thus, to set a realistic goal for yourself, apply the following rule:

Health first, self-image second.

To start with, go to your local gym or nutritionist, get your body fat percentage measured (for a description of the various methods of body fat measurement available, please refer to Appendix A). Listed below are some suggested goal body fat percentages:

Female:
Normal range: 20–28%
Average: 23–24%
Slim: 18–20%
Athletic: 15–16%
Minimum body fat percentage for women above 40 years of age: 23%*

*Note: Due to the risk of osteoporosis and stress fractures, I recommend against females over 40 years of age reducing their body fat below 23% — a low body fat percentage may lead to a low oestrogen level, and subsequently calcium may leak from the bones.

Male:
Healthy body fat percentage: 15%
Athletic: 10–12%
“six-pack abs”: 7%

How to identify your negative beliefs

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Identifying your negative beliefs relating to your weight

Set out a table on a piece of paper, it will help you organise and replace your negative beliefs. In the left-hand column write down all your negative beliefs about your weight. For example:

• I will never be able to lose weight because I have no willpower.
• I will never be able to lose weight because I will end up putting it all back on again anyway, so why bother?
• My parents are fat; my brothers and sisters are fat; I was just unlucky to have been born into a “fat” family; I will never be slim.

Then in the right-hand column replace them with positive, empowering thoughts. For example:

• I will be able to lose weight; I don’t need willpower just reprogramming.
• I will be able to lose weight, and by reprogramming my life and changing my habits I will be able to achieve my goal weight and maintain my weight FOR LIFE!
• Sure, genetics may play a part in my struggle with weight but I also share the same eating habits as my family: THE LEGACY WILL STOP HERE, I will change my eating habits and STOP this “fat” legacy. And so that my children will not suffer from the same weight issues, I will also empower them with good eating habits.

Once you have identified all those negatives beliefs and replaced them with positive, empowering thoughts you need to rehearse them to yourself daily. Make it the first thing you do in the morning — after your daily meditation, of course

Conditioning and weight related issues

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Personal Belief System

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Conditioning

Take the example of a circus elephant that from an early age has been chained to a large timber pole buried deep in the ground. The young animal will pull, push and struggle against its constraint but will never be able to escape. Eventually, after long years of this conditioning, when the young elephant is fully grown — and has become one of the strongest creatures on the planet — even though the heavy pole cannot withstand their enormous pulling power, the elephant will not even attempt to escape. It will stay within an area equal to the length of the chain.

Just like we have with our weight-loss attempts, elephants conditioned in such a way also live in daily fear — the fear of being unable to escape from their predicament which has conditioned them to accept the status quo even though the power of freedom lies within them.

Tomorrow
A wise person once said; “If you go into a battle with the intention to lose, you have just lost the battle!”.

For example, you have just lost 10 kg and attained your goal weight, but have been invited to a friend’s house for dinner. This person is famous for their apple pie, which just happens to be your favourite dessert! After dinner, you keep saying to yourself, “don’t eat the pie, don’t eat the pie!”. But what is on your mind the whole time you are saying this to yourself — APPLE PIE! And this is where your fear sets in — fear of gaining weight, but also equal fear of turning down the apple pie and never being able to enjoy food. So you decide to treat yourself this once and have a few pieces of the pie. Then the “all-or-nothing” mindset comes into play — since you have just “broken” your diet, you give yourself permission to eat whatever you want today and start “fresh” again tomorrow. But guess what — tomorrow never comes!

To lose weight successfully and permanently, you need to change your personal belief system about your ability to lose weight. I am going to help you reprogramme your personal belief system for weight-loss success.

Why do our belief systems need reprogramming?
Since the beginning of time human beings have desired those things that are “off limits” — this is the essential wisdom contained in the story of Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit.

However, willpower is something that will generally last only between two to four weeks — it is the short-term motivator that helps you to look good at your brother’s wedding, for instance. And what do you do at your brother’s wedding? Let me guess — stuff your face with food! Why? Because you have prohibited yourself from stuffing your face in the build-up to the event.

Consider this scenario. If I say to you “Don’t think about the colour red” and then ask “What colour are you thinking about now? Let me guess — RED?” I will most probably be correct. If your answer wasn’t red, then you are obviously a person that is completely in control — even though I have yet to meet such a person — and you can put this book down right now because you don’t need my help. Otherwise, I suggest you read on . . .

Changing your personal belief system
As I said earlier, all human beings operate with a set of beliefs (good or bad) or a belief system. According to popular motivation guru Tony Robbins, an opinion is like a tabletop with no legs while a belief system is a tabletop supported by four legs. Those legs are the experiences you have had in the past that support your opinion. So if you have lost weight before but ended up putting it all back on, then your weight-loss opinion is supported by experiences/legs that tell you that there is no point in even trying to lose weight in the future because you will end up failing to maintain that weight loss again anyway.

At this stage you might be wondering how all this psychoanalysis is going to help you lose weight. Well, here’s the answer:

You cannot change what you are not aware of.

A lot of the negative beliefs we have about our weight operate at a subconscious level. All I have been doing is to make you aware of them. Once you are aware of them, I can then help you change them.

To be continued......

The true reasons behind weight related issues

2007-12-02T18:38:00.000-08:00

Mind control

Everybody you meet, all the TV weight-loss programmes you watch, and most of the diet books you read will tell you that if a person is motivated with endless amounts of willpower they will be able to lose weight. My message to you is that weight loss has nothing to do with willpower.

At this point, you might be saying to yourself “this guy is crazy — he doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”

So let me ask you a simple question:

Pretend for a moment that I’m a skilled magician and that merely by snapping my fingers I can make you wake up tomorrow morning slim, trim and at your goal weight — will you be happy for me to transform you?

Assuming the answer is “yes” my next question to you is:

Once I have snapped my fingers and you have lost all the weight you wish to lose — will you be able to maintain that goal weight for the rest of your life?

If your answer is “yes” then put this book down now. However, if your answer is “no”, I recommend that you read on . . .

Personal belief systems

Whether we are aware of it or not, we all have a personal belief system which underlies how we go about our everyday tasks. We “absorb” our past experiences and translate them into the gospel truths of our lives. This is the reason why — time and time again — someone who has lost weight ends up putting all or some of it back on again. They may have lost weight but they have not transformed what is at their core — their eating habits.

Does everyone do this? Yes, almost everyone. Basically, we believe that our past experience equals our future reality. In other words, because we have lost weight before and ended up piling it all back on again — and more — we have been conditioned to believe that the same thing is going to happen every time we lose weight.

Fear factor

Some say that human beings strive on hopes and dreams. Unfortunately, in my professional experience, the majority of weight-loss attempts are motivated by something much more primal — fear. The fear of your partner leaving you for a slimmer and younger person; the fear of rejection by the opposite sex; the fear of being ostracised by society.
It’s a sad truth that Western society has labelled fat people as being lazy, unmotivated and lacking in willpower. Nowadays, people are even being turned down for jobs just because they are overweight. On the other hand, even if a person has achieved their goal weight, he or she will still live in a state of constant fear — for example, fear of putting the weight back on, or fear that their goal weight is still not good enough for their partner. It’s easy to see why plastic surgery is so popular in our age — it’s an industry fuelled by our fears.

to be continued.......