EXPERIMENT:
I want to share the results of a little experiment which I carried out with three friends during the month of January.
As my recent blogs have been about Wellness and Weight management, we decided to see what we could achieve to that end within a month.
Since my recovery from post viral fatigue, my friends had been commenting that I look better and seem to have increased energy.
I had put this down to changes that I made to my diet and lifestyle.
Using this model, we wanted to see if they could benefit too, with hopefully the addition of some weight loss.
Straight away we decided to be realistic about it all.
PREPARATIONS:
We looked through many wellness blogs and websites to see how we would relate to them.
Most were works of art. Beautiful presentations and offering everything from pilates to personal coaching.
Immediately we were seduced into a calm relaxing world which promised improved health and well being.
Many offered a further course or coaching sessions which could be delivered to the customer`s own home, further improving mental and physical health by mindset reframing and confidence building.
It all sounded wonderful, until we looked at our own lives.
It seemed that in order to follow the suggestions, there would need to be a sufficient amount of time spent on achieving the goals, large amounts of preferably organic food, and fitting it all around working and family life.
None of us live in large accommodation with spare rooms where we can meditate and focus, but share the space with teenagers and other family members with their own agendas.
We are all medium earners which means we are not on the breadline, but don`t have a lot of extra money to buy expensive food and gym membership.
We had to keep things simple, and whilst mindful of the benefits of a healthy eating programme for the whole family, were all too aware that it is not something that would be achieved over night.
After an exhausting work day, we often look forward to a a glass of wine "reward".
This, we realized would be under threat!
OBJECTIVES:
As the idea was partly influenced by my own post viral fatigue journey, I had found by trial and error, the food and lifestyle which helped me become well again.
I knew how long it took to get through the day when I was at my worst and remembered the many months of stop and start to achieve normality, so I was determined not to slide back, but to make an effort and set specific time aside to incorporate the changes to my day.
We set about making a plan which we all could follow and actually stick to, and incorporate four differing ways of life.
The objectives were to lose some weight and to feel less stressed whilst improving energy levels.To achieve this, we planned to eat non processed food at meal times including increased vegetable intake, limit carbs and healthy fats, cut out sugar, drink plenty of water, increase light exercise and relaxation, and have plenty of sleep.
We were also including the families, so that no one felt excluded, and it was worth the expenditure on good food.
GETTING STARTED:
First of all the weigh in. None of us were obese but needed a bit of weight reduction. Not a huge amount to lose, perhaps around 5-7 pounds?
We did plan to keep a food and health diary, which was more successful for some than others.
It was a useful "extra", and was particularly helpful at the end, when we looked back at how we each tackled the tasks in hand, and for those who kept a food list.
We all had different schedules for the week which included work, shopping, cooking, domestic tasks and family time including activities. Some of us had more assistance with household chores than others.
We looked at a typical day starting with breakfast.
As part of the breakfast selection for everyone, there would be a variety of things from cereal, (with sugar), fruit/berries, yogurt, pro biotics, cheese, eggs, tofu, ham, croissants, toast with butter / spread / honey and fruit juice or milk, tea / coffee.
There could be some cooking involved, such as omelette, scrambled eggs or porridge.
Our little group was pretty guilty of knowing what should be eaten, but due to the manic rush for school and work, it was very much a last minute grab of whatever was nearest.
Of course guilt soon sets in, and we question why the croissant with butter was any easier an option than the banana as we raced out the door!
Organization seemed to be key, so choices were made the night before as to what we would have.
INCLUDING FAMILY:
This extended to family members too, although wasn`t an immediate success, but did become accepted by everyone. (The drawing up of artistic menus was arguably a more creative experience than the actual food choices in one household).
The advantage was that each week, there was less choice available as less acceptable items were removed, so once the decision was made, breakfast could be eaten without fuss, guilt or arguments.(Well, almost)!
Avoided were food containing or having added sugar, (cereals, croissants toast with spreads).
Fruit juices were limited as can be very high in natural and added sugars.
Over the month, this simple adjustment meant that breakfast consisted of some proper fuel for the day, rather than have a hunger spike mid morning.
Porridge became a surprising popular choice and is very cost effective. Eaten with some berries and yogurt, it supplies protein, carbs and vitamins and will stave off hunger pangs for hours.
Interestingly enough, savoury food seemed to give a longer period of fullness. This adds weight to the recommendations of some, that the savoury evening meal should be eaten at breakfast time!
Fluid intake is important for everyone, so water, milk, coffee and tea gave a good start.
Lunch times were easier, as not involved in family chaos.
Soup was the winner here, as easy to prepare, can be left in a slow cooker and kept for family. Sandwiches made with good sourdough bread, preferably a one slice open sandwich, and some protein and /or salad filling, was also easy to prepare.
The evening meal was the biggest headache for us.
Again, organization was the game changer. Preparing as much as possible beforehand, and getting some family help if possible.
The plan was to use ingredients which were not processed.
That meant cooking from scratch, which in some households is something that is almost unknown.
Meat, fish, cheese, eggs, milk, tofu, pulses, cereals, and vegetables livened up with some herbs and spices, formed the basis of dinner.
Choosing new recipes from the internet was an activity enjoyed by everyone.
It is all too easy to settle for a quick fix. A ready meal or processed chicken pieces. A quick blast in the air fryer or microwave and it is done!
For a little bit of extra prep time, a whole chicken, meat or fish can be cooked in a variety of ways with potatoes, and vegetables, which leave out chemical additives, and trans fats, and minimize carbs.
Anything left can be can be reheated next day, or served cold with salad.
Altering a portion sizes is something we all did. Just a little bit less and fill up with vegetables.
A trick which many swear by, is drinking some water before eating, and it does seem to work.
CHANGES:
So far so good. That was eating taken care of, but what about the wine, exercise and relaxation?
As far as wine was concerned, two of the group decided to give up altogether and devote the time to some yoga, using their own bedroom to relax.
The remaining two, reluctant to give up their tipple, decided to try different options.
Switching from wine to a spirit with a low calorie mixture or creating mocktails with a ginger base turned out to be favourites.
Now for the exercise /relaxation.
A couple of car journeys were swapped for walking, and were found to be easy to fit in.
Relaxation varied. The yoga enthusiasts continued, the others settled for reading a good book and doing a short meditation.
We all tried to cut down on screen time and go to bed a bit earlier.
The changes that were made were not radical, in fact they were quite small, but we stuck to them, and began to feel the benefits.
The important thing was that we could fit in the changes to a busy lifestyle, which in the end reduced the stresses, and had us feeling more grounded and energetic.
We looked forward to the weigh in after a month.
WHAT WE LEARNED:
Miraculously, we all lost weight. It varied from 4 pounds to 8.
This was an interesting experiment and showed that we needn`t go overboard when pursuing weight loss and wellness, but a sensible approach which cuts out processed foods, sugar, excess carbs and trans fats, together with slowing down our manic lifestyles and taking time to relax and enjoy the moment.
It is certainly something we will continue to do as individuals, but it also helps if there is support from others, so can be tailored to whatever suits, including family.
I now have proof that for weight reduction and improved wellness, especially following a period of illness, these simple but effective lifestyle choices work, and are easy to implement.
The secret is to MAKE time. Don`t look on it as a luxury, but on a necessity, in order to keep an acceptable balance between mental and physical health and our body weight.
It helps to be as organized as possible. It saves time and things run much more smoothly which reduces stress and adds to the overall success.
DISCLAIMER:
The blog refers to personal choices between four individuals in order to see if by altering their eating habits, making some small changes to include exercise and relaxation, they could achieve their objectives.
There are further blogs and books on the internet to support their choices, but they should not be looked on as suitable for everyone.
If there any health concerns, it may be wise to seek health professional advice before making changes..
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