Best 100kcal Snack Ever!

I am pleased to annouce that after just 3 weeks, I have managed to drop a comfortable 3 kg! What a wonderful feeling it was to step on the scale yesterday and see that the little marker was below the 80 kg point - a very happy 79 kg! This is the best feeling I've had in weeks, and is such an inspiration to carry on eating healthily and exercising the way I have been. To be honest, following a specific diet - like a low G.I./low G.L./low carb diet is very tricky for me - but I have taken recipe ideas from each of these plans but suited it to myself. However, by using the Spark People website, and actually making a point of tracking my calorie intake, as well as having a record of how much I've achieved at gym, I've found the key to my success!

Now there are several products that have helped me so far, one of which being the Trimspa Froodia snack bar, which so far I've only seen available from Sunset Pharmacy in Sea Point. As a low calorie snack, it's fairly inexpensive and tastes absolutely delicious - they are just like eating dried fruit bars and don't have the slightest aftertaste at all. As a snack, it's fantastic because it gives you that sweet pick-me-up so often lacking in a diet - and with only 100kcal, you can't go wrong. Also, if you're into Hoodia gordonii (the succulent plant used by the San to stave off hunger), and aren't really up to swallowing pills - it's a great way to get 400mg into your system! Another plus is its low G.I. value, as well as the fact that it's fat free and a good source of dietary fibre. It's also made in a nut-free, soy-free South African facility and is Kosher certified. You can find more information on it at http://www.trimspa.com if you're interested!

2 Weeks Later...

Well, it's been two weeks since going for the colonic and I must tell you, I feel like a whole new person. No longer is going to the bathroom an unpleasant experience, and with the new Low G.I./Low G.L. diet I am trying very hard to follow (will tell you about those products in another post) as well as exercising for minimum half an hour, 3 times a week - I've lost my first kg! Now it doesn't sound like a lot, and it's not like you can see any difference by just looking at me - but I feel amazing! I look forward to going to gym, eating healthily and knowing that I'm staying within my recommended calorie range of between 1200-1500 cal a day feels great! I know that the results will start to show in the next couple of weeks if I carry on like this, and hopefully I'll be on my way to getting the body I've always dreamed of.

Looking at the other girls at the gym, I often feel jealous - how can they have such perfect bodies, they don't look as if they have an ounce of cellulite! Why can't I be just like them? Is there something wrong with me that's made me turn into this wobbly thing at just 24! Even though I'm comfortable with my body around my boyfriend, I still always think that he kind of compares my body with those of his previous girlfriends - who I know were much slimmer and more petite than me. I am generally quite clumsy, and this also doesn't help with sex appeal! So yes, before I start going off on another tangent, there are so many things that cross my mind when I go to the gym and see this slender things sweating & ab-crunching - like what do they eat? how much water do they drink? do they ever sit and have a whole bottle of red wine in a single sitting? do they ever eat junk food or snack on stuff that's unhealthy?...... all these thoughts go on in my mind as I sweat away on the step machine.

Anyway... enough of my thoughts for one day... so far I've consumed 621 cals (that's breakfast & lunch) which leaves me with plenty space for a healthy snack and supper later. Happy weight loss everyone!!! xx DD

Thinz - A Detoxer's Worst Nightmare

Today I thought I'd tell you about an over the counter "weight control" pill, that you can pick up at your local pharmacy (if you're in South Africa, that is) - Thinz. I know this has nothing to do with detoxing - as these are about the most toxic thing you can put in your system, but I feel it's my duty to warn as many of you as possible about them, in case any of you are ever tempted.

They come in packs of 16, 32 and 48. The miracle pills are appetite suppressors - medically termed anorexigenics. Thinz "work" by increasing your heart rate, and boosting your energy levels. Because of this increased level of energy, you are supposedly more active and start loosing weight rapidly! Now think about this for a second... a pill that takes away your natural desire to consume food for fuel, unnaturally increasing your heart rate giving you a false sense of energy... How is that supposed to make you more active? And why would anyone be so stupid to take something like that? Well... you guessed it... I was.

I guess the fascination with these pills started when I was pretty young. My mom always told me how she noticed some ladies of her generation with shaky hands, which she put down to a nasty side-effect of the diet pills that were available in those days. I didn't really think much about it at the time, but then a couple of years ago I was at Clicks, and saw a girl who had been a few years younger than me at school asking for Thinz at the self-medication counter. About two months ago, when the thought of losing weight seemed like the most daunting thing out there, I remember this incident - and without much though, I sped down to the pharmacy and asked for a pack of 16. I didn't tell anyone about this, and felt like I was committing some sort of crime by getting these for myself. I knew they contained Ephedrine - similar to what you find in Ecstasy pills - but even that didn't stop me.

I had such an adrenaline rush thinking that these would help me to "put down the fork!" - to quote Stewie from Family Guy (love that show!). So I drove home, and the next day I popped a pill after eating breakfast (like it directs on the packet). I was looking forward to the buzz and being able to say no to food - which, writing this now makes me realise just how stupid this whole plan of mine was! How can you say no to food? Food is the best gift you can give to yourself, it's what keeps you living! Anyway, after about half an hour I started feeling something, a little light-headed and pretty darn thirsty. Also, there was a faint metallic taste in my mouth. As the day passed I started feeling more and more nauseous - and continued drinking water. It didn't help at all that that particular week I had an absolutely colossal job to complete at work - which meant hours staring at screens and concentrating really hard. Anyway, what did I do - I took the pills every day, still ate badly, didn't get more energy, felt sick, drank too much water for my kidneys to handle, felt sick some more, sat in a chair with my "increased energy levels" and hardly even walked around the office I was so busy, had a throbbing migraine at the end of each day, didn't sleep properly, felt sick in the morning, drank some more, felt sick in the evening... you get the picture.

Don't take these pills. They release Ephedrine into the gastro-intestinal tract continuously over a period of approximately 12 hours - which is why they have to come in capsule form... if you had to ingest all this in one go, you would probably end up seriously ill and would probably have to be hospitalised. According to the packet, Thinz should not be taken more than four weeks at a time, after which your body needs a short rest. According to me, Thinz should not be taken ever, period. Not unless you want to mess your body up, starve it of nutrition, clog up your insides (did I mention the constipation?) - and basically end up nauseous, migrainey, and feeling spaced out.

Detox Foot Pads

So here they are, the "miracle" foot pads that just end up making your bed smell like fungus in the morning. Yeah, they ended up going all sticky and brown, and I did feel a slight warm sensation I'm not sure it was anything more than a reaction to whatever they put in them. I'll post some pictures of how the pads looked the next day, but right now I'm about to leave work - it's been a busy week but I've accomplished a lot. Primarily, by going to gym three times and starting to count calories on SparkPeople (what an inspiration!). Going to a movie tonight, and then hopefully to gym again tomorrow morning. Will catch up with you soon xx DD

The Toxygen Colon Hydrotherapy Machine

So this is an image of the contraption almost identical to the one that my hydrotherapist, Pieter du Toit used on me. You can see the three-filter system on the right side, and in the centre is where all the wonderful debris are backlit. It's actually quite small, no longer than 60cm wide - not a huge intimidating machine at all. The red knob at the bottom right corner is the Water Control device, which when twisted to the left fills the pipe with water, and then is released by twisting it to its illustrated position. The metres monitor the temperature, as well as the pressure of the water.

The Colonic!!!!

So the day finally came, and off I went on a surprisingly quick drive to Pieter du Toit's Colon Therapy clinic in Panorama. As I pulled into the driveway, a small white-haired, bearded man waved at me and the realisation hit me that there was absolutely no backing out now! I got out of the car, walked over to him and shook his hand and he lead me into a very small, but clean looking room with a bed and the colon hydrotherapy device attached to the wall - just like I'd seen on Jackass. I was starting to get a bit of a lump in my throat, as I filled out a form with my details, after which I was told to empty my bladder in the adjacent bathroom. I found it quite difficult to go, knowing that there was some strange man who I'd just met right in the next room - but turning on the tap eventually did the trick!

Back in the room, and after some generous lubrication, the tube was inserted while I lay on my side taking deep breaths. Then I was told to turn over and lie on my back to secure the device. It took quite a while for the water to reach temperature, but after a few minutes we were ready to go. I wasn't sure exactly what was going to happen, and there were obviously some fears that something might go wrong and that I may end up getting myself damaged internally! But at least I knew that this guy was a professional and had been doing it for many years. Apparently, in America (where he got his official qualification), many patients believe in having 4 colonics a year - and they book all their appointments in advance! And then it began...

Slowly, warm water filled the pipe and I could feel my tummy feeling decidedly uncomfortable. I remembered from Jackass that the lady conducting Johnny Knoxville's colonic said he'd feel the "distinct feeling of needing to go", and sure enough, I was also beginning to get that distinct feeling! It took at least 4 or 5 "fill and releases" for anything to budge from my poor colon, but eventually I could see small particles that looked a bit like algae floating through the backlit wall device. Now let me just say, that this was to be the pattern for the next 45 minutes - and 5 minutes in, all I wanted was for this pipe to be out of me and to get into my car and drive very fast in the opposite direction. It was not a painless procedure at all, I really found it quite unpleasant - and now three days later, I still have a bit of discomfort just under my right ribcage.

So for almost an hour, we went through this process of fill and release, fill and release, and slowly slowly slowly bits and pieces began to flow through the pipe. Now, a quick biology lesson! In the anatomy of the digestive system, the colon is another name for the large intestine. The main function of the colon appears to be extraction of water from faeces, and it consists of four distinct areas: the ascending colon, transverse colon, the descending colon, and the sigmoid colon. The colon from cecum to the mid-transverse colon is also known as the right colon, while the remainder is known as the left colon. Now the reason why I'm going into so much detail, is because each distinct area, curves into the next - and these curves are little waste traps! Every time we'd hid one of these areas, it felt like I was going to pop!

Eventually it was over, and I was told to go to the bathroom - and that there was a shower or bidet to use. I couldn't imagine why one might need a shower - but it didn't take me long to figure that out! Let's just say it wasn't the most dignified of experiences, and before long I think I can know easily imagine what an enema would feel like. I'll post about coffee enemas another time! After that it was back on the table, to have my pressure points massaged (an unexpected bonus - which I think was probably quite helpful). It did feel rather odd having this old man rubbing his oily hands all over my back, but I accepted that he was a professional and does this all the time. He did tell me that if I felt uncomfortable at any time to just say something - but I didn't. Then, when that was over it was back to the loo one final time (more came out!!!), and then time to get dressed and sit down to hear what special precautions I should be aware of, i.e. what to avoid, and certain supplements that I would need to maintain a balanced, healthy colon.

Most of the points were fairly obvious, for example taking a good probiotic - because obviously along with all the bad bacteria that's washed out in the treatment, so is all the good bacteria that helps your colon function. I got some Reuteri which is what I always use when I'm on any sort of antibiotic, and I've been chewing one tablet morning and evening. Then he told me that nobody should ever drink tea/coffee/any beverage that is too hot - the reason for this being that it can do pretty bad damage to your insides - something that I was not aware of. This is going to be hard! But luckily I usually make tea and then forget about it, drinking it lukewarm - so shouldn't be too much of a problem. There was of course the obvious water intake - mine is extremely poor, and I've been trying especially hard today to drink a good 1.5 litres. So far so good - but I'm peeing every hour! Then the difficult but healthy no junk food, no alcohol (aaarrrggghhh!!!!), no sweets, chips or chocolates..... and then finally, a good basic exercise regime - walking or cycling, but under no circumstances jogging or running (because it's so bad for the knees!)...... and then no crossing of legs, as well as taking Gingko Biloba as a supplement, elevating the legs to chair height for at least 10 minutes a day, and finally (phew) taking cold-pressed flax oil at 9pm every night. I will post some recipes to aid in disguising the taste of flax oil (I can't bare the taste of it on its own) - but I'll leave that for another day :)

Bloated

Ok, so I am starting to feel really really gross. This past week has been an absolute binge, and my stomach feels about ready to pop. Why two burgers at lunch. Why? God, don't I have any self control. Carbs carbs carbs sugar fat sugar and more carbs, not to mention all the cheese! It's like I'm addicted to food. I'm not even hungry and I'm already thinking about the next thing I'm going to put in my mouth. I really have a problem. Where's the detox? Where's the motivation? To put my feelings in a nutshell, I feel like throwing up in the office toilets, drinking a bucket of water, and hauling my lazy fat ass off to the gym where I can sweat for a couple of hours. I think I might just have to do some exercise before going for the colonic tomorrow.

About that, I don't think the way I've been eating (and drinking) this week has been at all helpful in preparing for what I'm about to undergo. I managed to persuade my boyfriend to find the clip from Jackass called "Santa Colonic" - just to see what I may expect tomorrow. I must admit, I did feel a little nervous when I heard his reactions to the tube being placed and then also when it was all done, the whole running to the toilet thing and putting his feet up on that natural squatting device was rather undignified - I hope it might be a less extreme experience for me. I knew what the foot rests were, because I had seen them advertised when I was doing research on detoxification, and you can even order them - just do a google search, they're quite easy to find.

So tomorrow's the big day. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to post again until Monday after the deed has been done - but I'll type it out and submit it first thing... tomorrow is the official start of the detox so I need all the support I can get! I think the first thing I'm going to have to do is just get rid of all the temptations I have in the house - even if it means throwing stuff away or bringing it to work so it doesn't get wasted. I have my soup in the work fridge already, so there's no excuses come Monday lunch time. I'm also going to stock up on the Low GI Detox and Appetite Kickstart tabs from Clicks - I'm tempted to get the Perc Lemon Diet & Fat Buster pills, because they really worked the last time I made an effort to cleanse my system and lose weight. But you know, I think the only way that I'm going to really see results is by being very strict, and following a regular exercise regime.

Re. foot pads - I applied my 4th lot of patches last night, and amazingly enough - thre were some dry areas (I applied to the base of my heels). I also had a feeling of mental and physical vitality, which I thought might have been due to them, and also a few aches in my side which they mention on the packaging - however any detoxing that may have occured has probably been radically undone by all the junk I've eaten at work today. No more Biggles also! That's probably my number one rule... Biggles aka Tangerine is this place a few blocks down from our offices that you can order yummy things like Bacon & Avo or Egg & Mushroom Croissants (among other things) from..... ok - that's enough for one day! Going to get back to work - so that I can fully enjoy the rugby later. Go Boks!!!