Healthy Living - Inspired Living SA

My 100 Healthy Days With Well I Am – Motivation

I thought I would give you a bit of an update on my progress with My 100 Healthy Days With Well I Am! As I have mentioned before, I have never been someone who likes dieting, mostly because I get bored very quickly and lose interest. I have found that a much better approach to losing weight and fitness is a lifestyle change but this can be easier said than done! Especially during the cold winter months and if I am on holiday because all I want to do is comfort eat.

The most important thing with any challenge is to set yourself goals! When setting yourself goals, they need to be realistic and attainable, otherwise you will give up very quickly. Make sure you have a clear idea of what you would like to achieve and the time you would like to do it in.

My biggest issue recently is unexplained weight-gain, although not a huge amount, it has been a steady climb, which has found me the heaviest I have ever been unless pregnant! I know that it does have quite a bit to do with age but I am determined to lose the weight! So my main goal in the Well I Am Challenge, is to lose 10kg and get back to what I weighed a year ago!

So what lifestyle changes have I made to help me achieve my goals? From a meal perspective I have cut down portion size and I try to avoid any processed food. I have also cut down my salt intake dramatically. What I am not prepared to do is eat bland steamed food – this is where I draw the line!

To be honest I love food not just eating it but the entire experience – I know for some people food is merely a necessity but that is not the case for me. I think this is why I find it hard to diet – food must be interesting and sexy for me to enjoy it and if I cannot enjoy it then what is the point! I guess this has been one of my challenges – to make healthy food not only tasty but appealing visually. You may remember the post I did featuring My Healthy Recipes and meal ideas.

I do find myself eating out quite a bit and this can pose a problem, if you are trying to lose weight but there are many healthy options available on menus, which are lower in calories and you can always substitute your starch, with salad or veg. If you have to eat desert, then if possible share it with someone – then at least you can share the guilt 😉

I am almost 3 weeks into the 100 day challenge and even though I spent a week on holiday in Knysna and have had a bad cold, I have managed to maintain both a healthy diet{with the odd cheats} and regular exercise! This has not been easy but I am motivated to stick to my plan and I have things like a trip to Italy in September, to really motivate me and keep me focused!

To date I have lost over 2,5kgs, which means that I have 7,5kg to go! I am also feeling much healthier and more energised, which I think is a combination of eating well and excising daily.

Are you doing the 100 Healthy Days with Well I Am or a similar challenge? If you are I would love to hear about your goals and how you keep yourself motivated!

Fitness, Lifestyle

My 100 Healthy Days with well I am

Today marks the beginning of my 100 healthy days with well I am! I must admit I am both excited and nervous about the journey that lies ahead!

For those who of you who do not know what well I am is – it is a lifestyle challenge, where you pledge to 100 healthy days, to transform your body, your habits and your life.

As a family we do follow a fairly healthy eating plan, which has been leaning towards a more banting approach. We also try to exercise a minimum of 3 time per week, which includes cardio and weight training. The thing you do begin to realise, though, is when you get to a certain age{no numbers mentioned}, maintaining fitness levels and weigh-loss is not as easy as it was in your 20’s! It becomes very much about being disciplined and having a well balanced lifestyle.

Although not officially, my family will also be joining me on my journey of 100 Healthy Days! I feel that this is a great way to encourage both healthy living and fitness, for the whole family and making it more of a lifestyle, than a diet or weight-loss program!

The beginning of the challenge could not be at a worse time for me, winter is when all I want to do is eat comfort food and to top it all, it is the start of the school holidays! I am however determined to make this challenge work for me and get my body summer ready!

I am not hugely over weight but I have at least 10kg which I need to lose and I would like to be able to run a half marathon by the end of the year! So there are no cheats, no shortcuts or half-measures – I simply need to put the work in to get the results.

The great thing about doing the 100 Healthy Days challenge, is that you have the support of well i am. They offer meal plans, exercise programs and inspiration for your journey!

The most uncomfortable part of the process leading up to the challenge, was taking the before photographs, you really feel quite vulnerable and exposed. It also forces you to acknowledge, that there is indeed work to be done! It is amazing how much you can hide under layers of clothing but that been said I am excited to get started and see the transformation!

You can still register for the challenge even though it starts today. I will be sharing my 100 Healthy Days journey with you both on the blog and on social media, using the hashtag #wia100healthydays. Please follow along and if you are doing the challenge as well please leave a comment below, so that I can follow your progress as well.

Disclosure Ranking: 2

Healthy Living, Lifestyle

{ Lifestyle } Health Benefits of Olives

I know Olives, can be an acquired taste but they are oh so healthy for you! Personally, I love olives and can sit and merrily munch away on them! Not only do they taste delicious, but do you know the Health Benefits of Olives? [Read more…]

Cape Town Lifestyle, FAR Photography, Instagram, Lifestyle

My Week on Instagram

Hi everyone it is Monday again and time for me to share My Week on Instagram! I am afraid I have been a bit slack on the blogging front but things have been a bit chaotic around here! From organising my daughters 13th Birthday party this Saturday, to my poor pooch having to go in for an operation this week, there has not been much time for anything else!

The one thing I am trying to maintain in the midst of all the chaos is healthy living and healthy eating! We are trying, as a family, to eat a well-balanced diet, which means cutting out all the processed foods and including lots of fresh fruit and veg. The other side of staying healthy – for me anyway, is maintaining my fitness level, my goal is to exercise at least 6 out of 7 days of the week. This is not easy to do with a busy schedule but I am determined to keep it up!

As well as eating and living a healthy life, it is vital to take some time out to enjoy life and what would life be without coffee!!?? As you know I am vaguely obsessed with coffee and really wish I had more time on my hands to explore more of the fab coffee spots in Cape Town! I recently discovered a little hidden gem at Buitenverwachting wine farm, called the Coffee Bloc. They not only serve the most awesome coffee, served on a heart-shaped wooden board but they have the most amazing tapas!

Last week I received Bukeela Nespresso capsules, to try out! Bukeela is a new pure origin Lungo coffee, from Ethiopia. I really enjoyed the flavour but it is not quite as intense in flavour, as the other Nespresso coffees I drink!{I like my coffee quite strong!} I would classify it as a well rounded, flavourful, easy drinking coffee 🙂

I absolutely love makeup and looking good, it is amazing how quickly a bright lippie can lift your mood! There is also nothing better than a pretty mani and pedi and although I don’t always have time to pop in to a salon, I try to keep my nails looking good! This summer I have really been enjoying all the gorgeous bright makeup colours – especially coral and fuchsia shades. One of my favourite lipsticks for summer, has to be Vegas Vault, by MAC Cosmetics.

If you would like to see more of my pics, then pop over to my Instagram feed, or follow me @inspiredlivingsa. Please leave your Instagram user name or link in the comment section below so that I can follow back.

Healthy Living, Lifestyle

RealXGear

Summer is on its way and we all tend to spend more time outdoors in summer, whether it is for exercising purposes and part of healthy living or just to enjoy the beautiful weather. The most important thing to remember when spending more time outdoors, is to be prepared for the hot weather. It is vital to protect the delicate skin on your face, from the sun’s harsh rays, especially when exercising! I ensure that I wear a peak cap whenever I exercise outdoors, as well as sunscreen.

I was recently sent a few goodies from RealXGear to try out. RealXGear is 21st-Century Cooling technology made for the extreme performance needs of athletes, sports fans, workers – in short, anyone who needs to stay cool, particularly in the hot summer sun!

The cooling towel I received has a rather unusual texture, much like that of a car chamois but does absorb well and if you are like me and overheat after excising, it feels really cooling on your skin. Unfortunately the weather has been abysmal lately and I have not had much chance, to try out my visor yet but I thought I would share more about the products with you.

How does the cooling technology work?

In addition to the passive evaporative cooling benefits of a wet towel on hot skin, RealXGear cooling technology also involves active cooling through a chemical reaction. Inside RealXGear towels and caps are chemical beads that drop in temperature rapidly when wet, and stay cool for hours. These chemicals are completely safe and environmentally friendly.

Using Cold Water

Obviously the best and fastest results will come from using cold water. Our cooling gear has proven to keep a person’s outside skin up to 20 degrees cooler when using cold water to wet a RealXGear cooling towel.

Using Ambient Temperature Water

If you’re using water that’s about the same temperature as the air, your outer skin will be at least 12 degrees cooler in just a matter of minutes. The towel will then remain cool from 2 to 8 hours depending on the saturation of the towel and outside conditions. For example, a biker wearing our towel may only remain cool for 2 hours as a result of the wind drying out the towel and the beads inside. A gardener wearing our towel, on the other hand, will remain cool up to 8 hours because the outside conditions are not as extreme in drying out the towel.

Using Hot Water

To really put our claims to the test, our product launched on QVC and the demonstration showed the towel being wet with 194 degree water and within three minutes the towel cooled down to 71.9 degrees. Even using almost boiling water, the cooling beads were able to actively cool the towel down to a temperature where it can keep you cool, too! ~ RealXGear

As well as the cooling visor, you will find cooling caps in various colours and the cooling towel in various colours and sizes on their website. To find out more about RealXGear or purchase any of their products click here. As a special offer Inspired Living SA readers, can receive 20% off online orders, if you enter rxg20 at checkout.

Info Source: RealXGear