Fat girl Fit

Is no secret that I am greedy girl. Am also vain girl and always worried about fat backside.
Spent years dieting, and was expert dieter by adulthood, having majored in disordered eating during teens. Learnt calories were the enemy from my mum who was always either on diet or falling off one, she loved food and was terrific cook, but always dieting.

I did Atkins diet, Israeli Army diet, cheese and raisin diet, soup diet, bread diet, raw food diet, Weight watchers, F plan, liquid diet meal substitutes and more. Just got plumper every year. Dieting doesn't work, research shows dieting alone makes you fatter in long term. We just cant live on diet forever so when we stop we gain back not only what we lost, but more besides. So depressing - 10 lb baby hadn't helped any either.
Gradually started to exercise - doing long vigorous walks several times a week but took sooo long, picked up the pace and began to run a bit - on the down hills and stuff. Gradually built up to running several hilly kms a time and felt good about being able to "run for my life if I had to".

About 6 years ago was so fed up battling bulge I decided to join gym and determined if I was going to do it (as was v.expensive) would really have to use it. Wanted to get off diet merry go round for ever. I did 12 week intensive program at Gym to kick off, went 6 days a week, pushed myself hard and lost 7 kgs. I have kept off 5 of them and am fit (but not slim). Discovered that having some muscles makes you look trimmer, and exercising when fit is invigorating- is agonising when unfit. I never imagined I could be fit "gym type person" ! No one more surprised than me.

Found I got sick less, had more stamina for physical demands of job and developed healthier eating habits. Now am huge exercise advocate and wish I'd done this way sooner

I avoid useless calories -eg: don't drink juice, soft drinks unless sugar free or much alcohol. Never ever eat candy bars or boring biscuits, or bought pizzas, very rarely eat takeaways, sugary cereal etc. But relish lovely piece of cake or yummy dinner.

I look for active opportunities, activity of any kind . Many of my recipes are really healthy (I wrote for Healthy Food guide for several years). Bake as is fun and is food to be shared. Because it's not forbidden I don't need to "pig out".
I use lite olivani for baking unless special treat, and use very little oil in cooking - saving calories for where they really count - ie CAKE!

Want to change your shape? want to keep up with the kids? just want to feel better?

Get pair of trainers (I started with Warehouse ones), some cheap leggings (2 for $25 in Glassons- go halves with a friend) and some running shorts for over top (to disguise wobbly thighs and cover dimply skin) and a good bra!!! (Kmart is pretty cheap) - girls only obviously

When kids are at sports practice walk/jog round the park
Walk everywhere you can and break into jog, every now and then
See if each time you can jog one letterbox further than last time
Keep walking shoes in car - if you have time to kill - slip em on and do lap or two of car park
Put fast music on Ipod - if you play slow music you'll move slower
Meet friends for a walk and finish at cafe for coffee instead of meeting in cafe - talk as you walk
When weather is too bad try a group class at YMCA or community centre or gym
If you have injuries try Aqua walking at local pool
make it do-able. No way am I going running at 5am on winter morning! be realistic and succeed
Healthy choices aren't expensive - health care is...

Love to know what you think re fit v fat etc

Trash or treasure

Am feeling Old today - my beloved nephew El had birthday today - turning 20 which makes me, well Older than 20 anyway.
El has promised to take me dumpster diving sometime, he and friends are waging private war on waste by clambering into supermarket dumpsters and "recycling" - or um, "re appropriating"?? dated but perfectly good food. Boxes of chocolates, loaves of bread, packets of fancy biscuits... is not because they're stingy (although they are poor - students all of them), same boys won't hesitate to offer food to homeless person or clothes or whatever. Dumpster diving is way of hitting back at corporate waste and ridiculous consumerism.

Rich is appalled I wan't to do this. So wont tell him - will wait till there is football on telly.
Also will not get in actual dumpster myself as already mentioned, I am old, and not so able to clamber out in hurry if necessary. Don't want close call like prince William nearly getting run over by rubbish truck when doing homeless experience. will be lookout person, and will run very very fast if approached by security guard as dumpster diving not actually encouraged by supermarkets. Do want to see for myself though, also would like to have free boxes of chocs.

Why is there so much waste when food prices so high? Why are these things not "on special" so we can choose to buy them cheap - is high wastage driving prices up? Do you think El and his friends are wrong or should discarded food be "fair game"? What do you think?

Retro baking - Rock cakes rock

Rock cakes

One of the first things I baked as a child – some people call them “childrens cakes” because they are so easy and quick to make, they are ideal for impatient eager young bakiers. Rock cakes are a bit like a fruity sweet scone – excellent with a cup of tea or a glass of milk.

1 cup of plain flour
1 heaped tsp baking powder
50 g butter or olivani
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup currants
¼ cup sultanas – or a tablespoon of candied mixed peel
1 egg – lightly beaten
a pinch of mixed spice
a splash of milk -1-2 tbsp should be enough
Pre heat the oven to 200°

Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs or stir in the sugar, baking powder, spice and dried fruit. Mix in the egg and just enough milk to make the mixture moist enough to clump together. You can make rock cakes in the food processor, pulsing the mixture to as not to over- mix it and pulverize the fruit .
Place mounds of mixture onto a cold greased baking tray – this quantity makes approximately 8 Rock cakes but you can easily double it.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until turning golden.

Slow learner

Had another go at slowcooking. Bought big piece of corned beef from butcher who actually makes it by soaking in Brine - Old School style.
Read facebook posts and determined to cook mine in gingerale, with juice and zest of 1/2 an orange, a bay leaf , and large pieces of kumara, swede and carrot around outside.
5 hours on high - beef is cooked. Tastes just the same as if I'd boiled it. Veges are soggy and v. Salty. Served with brocoli and saute potatoes.
Will not bother doing again unless have to go out in early evening and cant cook in usual manner as was no noticable advantage to doing it slow.
Personally couldn't use slow cooker for dinner everyday as am crying out for some scrunch and crunch on my plate after only 2 days. Is like eating toddler food -would have been good when tooth was sore though.

Will continue to experiment but am just not liking the textures and missing smell of sauteed onion and garlic and sizzling meat, crispy edges, and crunchy toppings.

Slow cooking for un believers

Am trying to unlock the mysteries of the slow cooker. So many people passionately defending them, I must be missing something. Am not food snob, so will try to get over myself and give slow cooker a workout.
Bought house brand size 16 chook on special in big yellow supermarket. Made homemade BBQ sauce - not too much liquid as advised by- well everyone.

Used 1/3 cup tomato sauce, 1 tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp brown sugar and 1 tbsp apricot jam - Yup made it up as I went along, was tangy and tasty.
Browned whole chook in frying pan then put in slow cooker, slathered on sauce and cooked on high about 5 hours. house smelt like rest home on muggy day - one of the things I most dislike about slow cooking, steamy, damp nappy smell.

Chicken was cooked and tender without disintegrating - so was happy, (have had chicken just fall bits in slow cooker - not tender, overcooked).
Feeling encouraged, scooped out sauce - which had multiplied substantially, skimmed the fat and thickened with cornflour, poured over chicken and mash and happily ate.
Did not taste blurry or bland.

Next time I will not brown chicken first, instead will try removing breast skin, so less fat, and sauce can permeate meat (I hope). Will also try adding some veg. overall a good result from an unbeliever.

let them eat cake

Went to a seminar last week and learnt that we eat 25% more sugar a day now than we did in the 70's. Yikes!
Seminar was interesting despite being packed with dietitians and such like. I was starving so made a dash for the afternoon tea table as soon as break was announced.
Caterers had provided colourful array of chilly sliced fruit and healthy oaty looking bars. Obviously trying to score points with dietitians.
Miracle of miracles, I spotted one lone triangle of ginger crunch buried among the scroggin slice. Must have slipped in the pile by accident. I snagged it naturally,and was well into daily quota of sugar and fat before fatal mistake of gloating to my friend Claire that I'd got the only bit of slice with icing, next thing I know I'm sharing it. (Is easy to forget Claire is dietitian cos she actually likes food. most seem to treat it as mortal enemy).
One of the speakers at seminar is Head of public relations for McDonalds. Surprising the dietitians didn't stone her there and then. Was quite interesting that McDonald's have tried to sell healthy stuff, but people just don't go to Macca's for salad or cereal. Good that 50% of happy meals are now sold with a healthy option like fruit or water, but I kinda understand. While I personally haven't eaten Macca's in 8 years and don't plan to. When I go out I want the choice, all junk is clearly not good, but all healthy is no fun either and if I do choose the oat bar, then can I have a glass of wine with it?

Have detected a worrying tightness around waistband of jeans. Concluded that diet high in cake is not entirely to blame as is actually genetic fault. Am simply to short for my appetite. If had legs several centremetres longer and a waist, would be able to spread the load over a greater area of mass. As it is, am still waiting to grow legs!
Also think fibres of denim contract when not in frequent use - has been too hot for jeans so havent worn them for months. I am sure this phenomena is not unique to my jeans. Anyone else have similar experience?
I will research it on google while enjoying my morning coffee break - Flat White and White chocolate and macadamia brownie.

White chocolate and Macadamia brownie

This slice is luxurious yet super easy to make. Macadamias give it an engaging scrunch, and the finished brownie has the delectable fudgey-ness of a traditional brownie with creamy white chocolate instead. It’s a natural partner for raspberry coulis, great coffee and company.

225g butter or margarine
220g good quality white chocolate – I use a whole tablet of Cadbury Dream
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1¼ tsp vanilla essence
2 cups plain flour
½ cup coarsely chopped raw macadamia nuts

Pre heat the oven to 180°
Line a Swiss roll or slice tin with non stick baking paper.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over a low heat , when melted add the sugar and stir well, then remove from heat and add the white chocolate, broken into pieces.
Stir the mixture until the chocolate is completely melted, it may have a curdled appearance at this stage, don’t despair.
Mix in the eggs one at a time and stir in the flour, vanilla and the chopped nuts. Pour into a well-greased and lined sponge roll or slice tin. Bake in a moderate oven at 180°C for 35 minutes.

Cool and cut into 24 fingers. Serve dusted with icing sugar.