The Calorie Counter

So I’ve officially become one of those girls that counts calories, but I guess it’s better to be known as the Calorie Counter than something like the Cookie Monster! I’ve officially completed my first week of the Michelle Bridge’s 12 Week Body Transformation program and already the changes are incredible! Counting calories has been more educative than tiresome and it’s really helped me get the most out of what I put into my body!

I’ve gone from a girl that has to drag herself out of bed each morning after really late nights (and no, not being a party animal, simply sitting up in bed watching episode after episode of Smash – check it out!!) to a girl who is getting up at 5.30am on weekdays and already cycling or running at the gym well before 6.00am. For so long now I’ve wishfully been telling morning people, “I wish I was like you, but I’m just not! No way would I have the energy to go to the gym that early!” and to that I say – PLEASE TRY IT!

I have felt so awake, alive and alert the past week my productivity has increased by about 200%! Even if you don’t have a gym membership, my challenge to all my readers this week is to get up at least ONE morning at 6am and go for a walk/run/skip/cycle/whatever takes your fancy and see how it makes you feel!! Here I am wondering what I’ve been doing the past 21 years of my life  – not maximising my mornings, that’s for sure!!

As 80% of weight-loss relates to nutrition, it’s also been super important to stick to the meal plan but it has been super easy because of the delicious menu and easy recipes that are making me feel like a MasterChef in my tiny kitchen 🙂 I now completely understand the ‘Swap it, don’t Stop it‘ campaign  – like substituting potato mash for sweet potato mash – delicious, healthy and adds some colour to your plate! I was also amazed that not a single one of my dinners last week included pasta, rice or bread – there is no need for carb overload, especially in the evening. Instead of complementing our lamb cutlets with a mash last Friday night we had a delicious combination of ricotta, lemon juice, peas and mint – YUM. This program is really the best investment I’ve ever made 🙂

Another challenge I’ve taken up over the next month is a month’s ban on alcohol with Hello Sunday Morning. As mentioned earlier, this fits in perfectly with my 12WBT because alcohol would push me way over my calorie limit anyway, but also has given me an opportunity to show everybody that alcohol isn’t needed to create a good night out. I had the best time salsa-ing and cha-cha-ing my way through Pitbull’s concert, with the fantastic feeling of being hydrated by water! As I watched everyone around me down beer after beer after beer, I couldn’t help but think what their Sunday Mornings were going to be like the next morning. It hit even closer to home when Taio Cruz belted out his hit song ‘Hangover’, not once but twice, to the roars and cheers from the crowd but this is a culture I’m hoping to change one conversation at a time. If you haven’t taken up the Hello Sunday Morning challenge yet, why not? You can even try it for a week, and I can promise you that you’ll get a lot more out of your Sunday Morning than ever before 🙂 

As I spend most of my spare time on fitness and health blogs now, I would love to read about your current endeavours to get fit and eat well – we’re in this journey together, so comment below!

I’ve just finished my August novel – Gogo Mama, 12 inspiring tales from the heart of Africa, so stay tuned for a book review later this week. I’ll also do an overall check-in of my 365 day project – 2 months down, 10 months to go!