Tiny Teatox

I first heard of the Tiny Teatox through a friend who claimed to have lost 7kg in two weeks.....just by drinking tea!!
She gave me the yourtea.com web address and I immediately started to read up on said miracle tea
I assumed it would be some type of laxative, as a lot of diet teas are, but Your Tea claims their Tiny Teatox concoction is anything but..

They offer a 14 day teatox, a 28 teatox and sell other products like tea specifically designed to reduce cellulite... You mean something that has plague my upper thighs most of my teenage and adult life can be un done by drinking tea?? Sign me up!!

The teatox claims to give you a good clean out of and nourish your digestive system, assisting with weight loss, fluid retention and removing harmful toxins from your body... after my typical weekend binging it sounds like something my insides will thank me for...

"Excess fat, fluid and toxins aren't removed in the way you may know it. No - these stubborn little buggers take a much tougher approach. Unlike other detox's that contain a lot of laxatives that momentarily flush out toxins I contain chinese herbal ingredients that truly cleanse and nourish your digestive system.

I have many properties that perform the following jobs: drying phlegm (a cellulite aggravator), reducing waste and fat and help you fight food stagnation in the body by nourishing your digestive system.

Once I have cleansed and nourished your insides you will digest your meals more efficiently... in turn, helping you feel more energised and full of life!"

Excellent, thin, cellulite free, happy and energised - life goals sounding achievable

"Drink me 3 times a day, 30 minutes before or after meals:

Morning, midday and early evening

Soak 1 bag in a cup of boiling water for 5-7 minutes at a time.

Avoid drinking me with meals or late at night."

Apparently Tiny Teatox is side effect free and you don't have to change what you are currently eating -

HOWEVER,

They do recommend that you eat clean, exercise regularly and avoid fatty, processed foods to achieve the best results -

They also suggest that you eat "warmed" food. This helps your body digest meals more easily -

I will be leaving my salad out on the bench for 10 mins before I eat it 

You can read more of their healthy tips and read up on the product yourself here...

http://www.yourtea.com/blogs/healthytips

The thing that really sold the warm magic amber liquid to me were the hundreds upon hundreds of photos sent it by people (mainly young girls) who have tried the product and boast proudly of their weight loss and amazing results -

Only a couple of girls wrote things like "I've been drinking tea for a week and I've seen no changes in my body..." 

Yourtea replies to these messages asking the unsuccessful candidates to email them certain details about their diet and lifestyle to try and see what the problem might be stopping the tea from working it's magic

...Which I thought was very responsible and helpful of them 

Images are taken from the Tiny Teatox facebook page

So if you need me, I'll be in the kitchen for the next 14 days making tea.... 

I might even take one of those sexy shots for you

sources:

http://www.yourtea.com

https://www.facebook.com/tinyteatox

Day 5
Breakfast 
Skim flat white
2 boiled eggs

Snack 
95grms of tuna

Lunch
95grms of tuna

Snack
nothing, I was too busy at work

Dinner
2 pieces of bruschetta
cup of salad with olives and dressing
200grms of salmon with lemon
2x vodka sodas with lime

My brother is in town so we go out...

an espresso
3x pims, soda and orange
2x bacis
an elephant chocolate
half a brownie

I weigh myself the next morning and have lost another 500grms!

I was actually really surprised about Posh's diet plan, I wasn't ever really 'hungry,' un satisfied at times during the day but I didn't feel like I was ever starving myself like when I was on the cabbage soup diet. 

I didn't really stick to all of her rules, (although I am still unclear what her rules are really) I ate chocolate, I ate crackers and bruschetta but I still kept my calorie count quite low.

I also think that eating 5 smaller meals 5 times a day helped my body to burn the calories easier because my food was in smaller portions.

I thought I ate less before by only eating 2 or 3 times a day but I didn't, I would just too much in one sitting never giving my body a chance to easily digest my food.

I also like that Vic has a drink now and then and eats things like tapas at parties, she seems to eat a little bit of everything.... but just a little bit.

The results were quite surprising to me as well, I didn't expect to loose much but I did in just 5 days and bloating was reduced as well...

End weight: 66.5kg

Total loss in 5 days: 2kg

From a Man's Perspective....

How are are you?
20

How tall are you?
176cm

How much do you weigh?
88kg

Do you follow any specific routine/restrict anything to maintain your weight?
Not really....

What's your favourite thing about yourself?
I'm a good person

What would you change about yourself?
I'd like to weigh less

What's the craziest thing you've ever done to loose weight?
I just avoid sugary drinks and fast food, nothing crazy
I have tried weight loss tablets and drinks before

Do you think you are normal?
Mentally or psychically?

Both or either or...
I'm a bit too emotional and maybe a bit over weight

What kind of things do you look for in a girl?
A pretty face and personality

What makes a pretty face?
Eyes, lips and bone structure

Would you not go out with a girl because she was too skinny?
no, I'd still go out with her

Would you not go out with a girl because she was overweight?
no, as long as she had a good personality...

What size clothing do you think most girls are?
I dunno, a 10?

Would you feel uncomfortable if an overweight girl approached you at a bar with confidence?
no

So you wouldn't care what others might be thinking around you like your mates?
no, I would talk to any girl that approached me, I don't care what other people think..

Have you ever been a situation where you've felt uncomfortable about your body?
yes

When?
In front of girls sometimes or other boys, just around people you don't really know in a situation when you might not have a shirt on..

Do you ever look at yourself in the mirror and think you're fat?
yes

Often? Sometimes? Every time?
Often

Do you go to the gym?
yes

Why?
To be healthy, to loose weight

Too feel more manly?
yes but more so to get fit

Do you count calories?
no

Do you deny yourself cravings/something you really want to eat because it might make you fat?
sometimes

Do you skip meals?
Yes, I don't eat breakfast

Have you ever had an eating disorder?
no

Have you ever made yourself throw up after a meal?
yes

Do you feel body pressures from other men?
No, mainly from celebrities/the media

Has a girl ever made you feel like the way you look is not good enough?
yes

What size do you think the ultimate women is?
I really have no idea about sizes.... as long as they have personality it doesn't matter

Readers Post, Mum Knows Best...

I have always thought it was normal for a young girl to have a problem with the way she looks... to wish that she had longer legs or wish her thighs didn't touch in that spot, it's just too bad about those short goat legs though, cause those babies are genetic!

My own self hatred came from someone else who was also cursed with goat legs...
In about 10 seconds my confidence is smashed into a thousand pieces with questions like  'Are you sure about that skirt? Don't you think it could be longer in the front?'
I would always end up wearing that outfit as a weird self pride thing despite the comment that completely under minded my self confidence, coming from that person who badgers you about 'self respect' and to be 'happy within yourself because you're beautiful.'
...But how are you meant to feel confident and beautiful when you leave the house if that person makes you feel like a wilder beast pretending to be a flamingo?

My classic confidence murderer is my dear mother.

Don't get me wrong I love my mother, she's an amazing woman and someone I always look to for advice, but that lady always knows how to take my self confidence down by about a million notches

I love fashion and the clothes that I wear but even as I finally fit my thighs into a life changing skirt the goat leg comments always comes back to haunt me.

I'm not going to pretend that I haven't gone to drastic levels to try to look skinnier. I'm a very anxious person. I've always had this feeling of dread that something awful will happen to me one day and I usually express that feeling through food.
Depending on my mood shows my level of control and how I feel , i.e classic vomiting after eating something I would never eat like 4 slices of birthday cake washed down with a glass of milk. Cake yes,  milk no. Or starving my self for two days so that I can fit my thighs into a ridiculous dress that I have to wear or else something awful will happen to me. 

I love fashion and the clothes I wear but even if I think I look hot and skinny that comment about my goat legs will alway come back to get me.

Writing this has made me feel more in control of my anxiety, my only regret is my 15 year old self would have never have been able to let go of it.
At the end of the day I know I can never live off cake and be Lana del Rey.

The Five Hands diet aka The Victoria Beckham diet, part one

Ok, so when I first read this one I did freak out a little bit
VB is best known for 3 things

1. being married to David Beckham

2. being Posh Spice
3. being very, very, thin


So I didn't expect to be fed much..

According to Grazia magazine, Posh went on the Five Hands diet to loose the 1st 7lbs (about 10kgs,) days after giving birth to daughter, Harper Seven, to get back to her svelte self just in time for fashion week
Posh's sources said she snacked 5 times a day on a high protein foods like chilli prawns, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs
She also ate a lot of green vegetables and salad, drank gallons of water and exercised for 30 minutes a day to help shift the excess baby fat

There are a few different variations on the Five Hands Diet and when I was researching I couldn't seem to find an eating plan as such

I did find these guidelines from one source:

There are plenty of foods and greens to choose from. You should always calculate the total of proteins and carbs eaten at a single meal, not for the whole day.

The low-fat protein meals will consist mostly of turkey breat and fish, an amount equal to the thickness and size of your palm.

The carbohydrates are separated in a degree, depending on the volume you should consume in a single meal)

You have carbohydrates that can be consumed in unlimited quantity. You might not enjoy some of these but there’s plenty to choose from: mushrooms, radishes, shallots, raw broccoli, cabbage, raw celery, cauliflower, endives, parsley, etc

In a volume of 2 clenched fists, you can consume: cucumbers, green beans, cooked broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes, strawberries, brussel sprouts, etc.

In a volume of a single clenched fist, you can eat: peas, garlic, carrots, coleslaw, ginger, onions, etc. Plus, you can include the following fruits: raw pineapple, watermelon, blueberries, apples, grapes, limes, peaches, grapefruits, etc.

For the following carbohydrates, it is best to consume a maximum of 2/3 of your clenched fist: greens like chickpeas, kidney beans, parsnip, yams, cooked carrots, beans, beetroot; fruits like plums, papaya, mandarins, kiwi, unsweetened applesauce.

In the Five Hands Diet, it is best to limit or avoid the following carbohydrate foods: dried prunes, bananas, raw figs, all sorts of wheat products (spaghetti, tortillas, waffles, pasta, pizza crust, bread, bagels, etc).

The Five Hands Diet has no contraindications for sick people. All these proteins and carbohydrates are recommended and healthy for your body.

I have read the information above about 20 times and I'm still confused what to ear and when
I am going with Posh's basic eating plan, 5 hands, protein, green vegetables, exercise for 30 minutes a day and drink lots of water....

According to one source, Posh was free to drink whatever she liked. Posh loves champagne, amen sister, this diet is starting to sound ok to me...

Starting weight 68.5kg

Day 1
Breakfast
an espresso I'm not sure if milk is allowed, sugar def. isn't so I skip both
100grms of egg white with a cup of onion, spinach and mushrooms cooked in

Snack
handful of almonds apparently you eat what you can lay flat across your palm, no stacking them or laying them up your fingers!!

Lunch
100grms of tuna with raw lettuce, tomato and cabbage

Snack
handful of almonds

Dinner
100grms of salmon with a cup of steamed broccoli and mushrooms

no exercise today...


Day 2
Breakfast
skim flat white
2x boiled eggs

Snack
95grm tin of tuna

Lunch

95grm tin of tuna

Snack

95grm tin of tuna

Dinner

95grm tin of tuna

a cup of lettuce and red cabbage

30 minutes exercise on the elliptical

Day 3

Breakfast

skim flat white 

2x boiled eggs

Snack 

handful of almonds

Lunch 

95grms of tuna

Snack 

95grms of tuna

Dinner

200grms of grilled salmon

a cup of cooked broccoli, onion and mushrooms

3x vodka sodas with lime

My fiance had cooked me a whole piece of fish and I just ate the lot.... there was no way that I was just eating half, I was too hungry

I didn't feel hungry afterwards but I didn't feel satisfied either

I remember reading on one website that Posh was free to 'drink whatever she liked,' surely she doesn't drink cans of coke but with this in mind and in attempt to stop overeating I made a drink to take the edge off and ended up drinking another two

I slept like a baby with no hunger pains

no exercise today

Day 4

Breakfast

skim flat white 

2x boiled eggs

Snack 

handful of almonds

Lunch 

handful of almonds

Snack

handful of almonds

I know right? You are so bored of reading this eating plan, trust me, I am more bored eating it 

I gave eating salad at lunch times because I felt like I was just eating leaves with no dressing and you can't add salt to anything....blahhhh

Good news is, I am down 1.1kgs in just 4 days despite drinking last night

This night I went out for a drink with a friend and this is when things got a little out of control...

Dinner

It's really hard to find 100grms of protein at a bar, we ordered a cheese bored because I thought I could eat the smoked salmon off it

I ended up eating...

around 100grms of smoked salmon

4x crackers 

a few grapes about 

50grms of cheese

8x green olives

2x mojitos with lychees in them

Damn you Victoria Beckham! How do you go out and deny yourself the delicious cheese board laid out and offered in front you ??

But that's not all, then I went home, still hungry (because crackers and cheese is not much of a dinner) and ate...

a bowl of lentils

95grms of tuna

3x salada biscuits

2x vodka and sodas with a dash of cranberry

4x prunes

4x squares of chocolate 

2x tablespoons of ice cream

safe to say...

no exercise today

I went to bed feeling like such a failure and thought of Victoria Beckham snake eyeing me and singing 'Stop right now, thank you very much...'

Look let's not blow this out of proportion, I did have a mini binge but on the plus side I only ate small amounts of a lot of different things and most of them were healthy choices... And this is where this diet fails me a bit.. I am hungrier at night time, I like to eat sweet things, I cannot stick to these strict guidelines when my friends around me aren't.

Sometimes I need a few salada biscuits in my life.

I woke up the next day feeling totally deflated, I weighed myself again and actually I hadn't gained 6943764387 kilos like I thought I did 

I am no quitter and I decide to see my last Posh day out despite a minor hiccup 

I have also bought some berries to try and control my ravenous night time sugar and carb cravings...

My inner VB is feeling more motivated then ever....

...to be continued

http://style.uk.msn.com/health/posh’s-strict-five-hands-diet
http://www.e-natural.org/five-hands-diet/

Readers Post, Surviving High School and Vogue..

I stumbled across this blog word from mouth, when realising everything it stood for I somehow had to get involved. What you're about to read is what I went through in high school to be thin.

Currently I'm in two conflicting worlds... Wanting to look like Abby Lee Kershaw and wanting the diet of Nigella. Am I really asking too much?

Since leaving high school I have put on 4kgs. However since year 9 I have managed to gain 9kgs... So it's obvious to say that I am living pretty healthy. I already know I drink maybe a little too much in a week but a girl lives once?

Going back to school days I took lengthy measures to be "skinny". In all honesty my influence was vogue and the other girls loosing weight around me. It was like if you weren't one of the skinniest girls you were a fat girl.... and honey let me tell you the "fat" girls were probably lighter than my current weight.

Throughout high school my eating plan quickly changed from pizza and thick shakes to the below;
Breakfast: half a handful of fibre cereal
Lunch: 95g of tuna and a light salada biscuit
Dinner: 95g tuna and handful of salad
Dessert: black tea and one sweetener (woah girl watch the kilojouls in that sweetener yea?)

This diet was Monday to Sunday and I had no time to indulge. Now as soon as the holidays came around this is where I really iced the cake, (funny because if anyone had given me cake I would have donated it to the nearest pot plant.) In the holidays I would run 7km 4 times a week and swim everyday.

By the end of the holidays I weighed 51kgs. My height is 5'6. 

I remember waking up one morning and weighing myself as I would any other morning and the scales read 52kg. I freaked, I weighed myself on every set of scales in the house and they all said 52kg. 

I cried and really hated myself. I tried on all of my clothes to see if they fit the same and began to take laxatives excessively. I came in contact with a wheat product that acts as a laxative and I added a spoon of that with every meal. It tasted vial and I to this day when I smell it I'm sick.

The laxative thing got that bad that I would vomit when running and could only run 3kms at a time. This is where my dad got involved. 

My mother would spur my weight loss on and now I realise she ain't eating a whole lot. 

My dad was already concerned because I was suffering clinical depression due to pressure I was putting on myself. I had this stupid idea in my head that if I had put on a certain amount of weight on by a particular date I would kill myself. 

I'm shaking my head at myself now thinking about it.

I would get text messages from girls at school warning me "I had gone too far". I thought they were just jealous but in all reality they were right.

After going through a little life change with dad I put on 10kgs. My dad told me I wasn't allowed to buy "books" such as vogue. 

My second spur of obsession with weight loss happened during year 12. It was triggered by getting in a huge fight with a bunch of girls. Because of emotional stress and insecurity, I lost 7kgs dropping back down to 54kgs.

I don't remember how it happened so quickly.. those days are clear as woodstock. 

I was that upset and hungry all the time, it just happened. But when I was loosing the weight I realised that I was actually avoiding food. 

Who secretly wouldn't want to be taking home a size 6/8 dress from a shop all the time?

Now school has finished I have been working a full time job for two years. I realised starving yourself is hard when you can't afford to drop the ball at work.

I mean I'm not saying I'm perfect now because I hate my hips arms and thighs and sometimes wonder if there is a way to make your toes skinnier but I have come to terms with having a real life, involves eating. 

If all I had to do today was mope around the house, I would probably weigh 10kgs less.

I don't know if reading this has helped anyone but in a small way I hope it has.

Readers Post, a Love/Hate Relationship

I've been a size 14 my entire adult life except for a glorious 3-6 month period where a bout of bulimia paid off and I finally fit my size 10 red velvet flares. 

I felt amazing in them and I received SO many compliments - mostly of the 'you've lost so much weight' and 'you look so good' variety. 
Eventually I got sick of the bulimia and gradually put the weight back on through a pure love of eating, feeling satisfied after eating and reaching my early/mid twenties and realising my health was more valuable than my size (by this I mean that vomitting after meals must surely be worse than eating too much.)

My relationship with food is like a teenage friend - sometimes I need it to be everything to me - friend, confidant, almost a lover - and other times I can't bear to be around it, or it to be around me. 
Sugar is my worst enemy and my best friend, if only I took the time to think it through before indulging.

In terms of fashion, I've never been interested in what the magazines or trendy people say. I've tried to work with what I like, what feels 'original' - yet doesn't stand out too much - and what feels comfortable. 

I hate trying clothes on in change rooms as I usually feel a sense of shock at how I look from so many angles - chins that I don't usually see, extra rolls at my waist - my confidence evaporates at such close examination.

Really I think anyone can be fashionable as long as they try something a little different, feel confident and don't follow the crowd.

Food has been my frenemy for so many years - I associate many occasions & life moments with certain foods & drinks. For me eating fills a hole in my psyche - I feel unsure when I'm hungry - a little bit empty, worried, grumpy.

I've had a few glasses of wine before writing this - I hope I've given you something valuable to use - if not, well it's been a strange sort of journal entry for me to write.

Secret Eaters, part 3

Day 3

Sunday

Breakfast (at noon)

150grms scrambled eggs 150 cals

100grms of smoked salmon 117 cals

2x pieces of toast 133 cals

with butter 102 cals remind me to skip the butter next time... I don't even like it that much!! 

3x aspargaus 48 cals 

about 1 tbs of oil 40 cals

detox juice with carrot, apple, ginger, beetroot 50 cals

total breakfast: 640 cals

Lunch

A medium size black forest cupcake with cream icing 330 cals

total lunch: 330 cals

Dinner

1x piece of pumpkin bread 179 cals

200grms mixed salad with lettuce, onion, tomato, olives 70 cals

about 200grms of roasted veggies 140 cals

150grms of fish 200 cals

4x floured and friend bugs 195 cals

5x glasses of 200ml champagne 850 cals

5x strawberries 33 cals

15x blue berries 57 cals

5x squares of dark lindt chocolate 250 cals

total dinner: 1974 (oopsy just ate all my calories in one meal and possible drank my body weight in champagne)

total Sunday calories: 2944

I love Sunday eating the best, this is me, at my best eating (and drinking) whatever I want, whenever I want, I wish I could eat cupcakes and pumpkin bread everyday...

So what is the point of all this weekend calorie counting and sharing it with you?

Well I think it's important that you are honest with yourself about what you really eat

A lot of Secret Eaters don't count outside their main meals and don't consider things like 2 tbs of butter on their toast containing nearly more calories then the toast it self

I probably underestimated my daily in take by around 1000 cals a day - which is a huge amount when you think about the daily recommendation for me only being around 1500

Obviously, I don't eat like this everyday... maybe I would surprise myself if I counted a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday?

My main weekend weakness? Alcohol

It made up nearly a third of my calorie in take for the 3 days

...I don't work hard all week to not enjoy a drink on the weekend (or five like on Sunday)

I think it's important to be aware, but hey, as Gwyneth Paltrow said, 'It's all good!'

sources

http://www.fatsecret.com/

http://caloriecount.about.com

Secret Eaters, part 2

DAY 2

Saturday

Breakfast (yeah I'm not feeling so hot this morning..)

shot coffee 1 cal

with 200ml skim milk 70 cals

double shot coffee 2 cals

with 200ml skim milk 140 cals

100grms egg whites 49 cals

50grms of mixed onions/capsicum/mushrooms 20 cals

500ml fresh detox juice included beetroot, carrot, apple, ginger 50 cals

total breakfast: 332 cals

Lunch

180grms tuna 160 cals

100grms of tabouli 115 cals

total lunch: 275 cals

Dinner
200grms salad with lettuce, capsicum, onion, olives, tomato 70 cals
3 floured and fried small bugs 145 cals
130gm floured and fried fish 200 cals
2x 200ml glasses of champagne 340 cals
3x vodka and sodas with fresh lime 240 cals
1x baci 85 cals
1x elephant chocolate 100 cals

total dinner: 1180 cals

...later that night when we go out
2x vodka and soda with fresh lime 80 cals
1/2 brownie (about 100grms) 150 cals
about 100 grms of hot chips 160 cals
(with a little sauce and mayo) 50 cals

total extra calories I ingested whilst under the influence: 440 cals 

total calories for Saturday night: 2227 cals

we walked about 1km home again (I like to give myself points for exercise, even though this proabably burnt off 2 single chips...)

I'm starting to notice two key things about my weekend eating habits ...
a. I eat all my calories at the wrong end of the day and like many 'secret eaters' I think "I've been good all day" - so therefore I deserve to treat myself at the end of the day with a huge carb binge...

b. drinking = eating crap

sources 
http://www.sparkpeople.com/calories-in.asp?food=hot+chips

Secret Eaters, part 1

The other night I watched a very interesting show on the Lifestyle You channel called 'Secret Eaters'
It was hosted by Anna Richardson who has also been a host on 'Super Size vs Super Skinny' on the same channel

Basically Anna and her team of private investigators bug your house, put a camera on your fridge and follow you to McDonalds to count how many calories you are really eating -
The people on the show are in total diet denial and are not sure why they are getting fatter and fatter when they 'don't really snack' or 'only eat salad'

I did feel sad for the lady last night who insisted she only ate salads but forgot to mention the 3 heaped tablespoons of full fat mayo she used as a dressing. Rookie mistake. Seriously that shit is like the Devil's food... She was consuming something like 300 extra calories without even realising it..

The happy snackers all kept food diaries and according to hers she was only eating around 1800 calories a day, which is the recommended calorie in take for a woman, if you want to maintain your current weight.
Turns out after the extra dollops of mayo, excessive amounts of wine at a dinner party and things like licking the yogurt lid, poor Jill was consuming something more like 2500 calories a day
That's and extra 700 calories that she didn't even know she was ingesting, scary shit

I started to shift uncomfortably on the couch and avoided eye contact with Moe, (my dog) when Anna started talking about all the nasty secret calories that are found in alcohol. Ok confession time, I am in a bit of alcohol calorie diet denial myself..I never count them. After googling 'how many calories are in a shot of vodka' I felt very shocked (and a little betrayed) to find that there was somewhere between 70-100. It's not really a huge amount but denial me thought that there weren't any.. (Different websites show a different number and I suppose it depends on the brand?)
70-100 nasty calories in just the vodka alone...
Luckily I drink mine with soda, the people on the show were drinking things like full malt whiskey with coke, big pints of Guinness and full yeasty beer. Telling myself this made me feel a little better but did make me think, how many calories do I really consume in a day? How many times have I licked the yoghurt lid?

So I have decided to keep a food diary and go all PI on myself over the next couple of days.. Starting with the weekend. (ARGHH!)
I will eat as weekend normally as possible and if it is ingested, it will be counted. I want to find out what I am really eating (and drinking) and what its adds up to; because if you ask me now I would probably tell you that like Jill, I just eat salad all the time

DAY 1
Friday
Breakfast
shot coffee 1 cal (off to a great start!)
200ml skim milk 70 cals 
100grms egg whites 49 cals
50grms of mixed onions/capsicum/mushrooms, including a little oil 20 cals

total breakfast: 140 cals

Lunch
100grms of tuna 160 cals
100grms of tabouli 115 cals

total lunch: 275 cals

Dinner
5 shots of vodka (with soda water) 375 cals
50ml ginger cordial 131 cals
5 mint leaves 3 cals
juice from one lime 7 cals
1 piece of bruschetta 100 cals
about 250grms of salad (lettuce, tomato, red cabbage, cucumber, olives) 70 cals
2 tablespoons of italian salad dressing 80 cals
2 crumbed and fried mushrooms with cheese and tomato sauce (yum) 260 cals 
2 pieces of thin crust pizza with smoked salmon, spinach, tomato, olives 250 cals

total dinner: 1276 cals

..later that night (It gets a little hairy now)
2x vodka and soda with fresh lime  164 cals
shot of tequila (sucked on the lemon) 100 cals
shot of frangelico 70 cals
ate two lemon wedges 7 cals
corner of a brownie 20 cals

walked home with a group (yes good, exercise, go me)
1x cup of tea 2 cals
ate about 8 breakfast biscuits with tea (oops) 442 cals

extra calories: 805

Total calories today: 2496
About 696 over my recommended daily amount
I actually would have come in at about the normal recommended amount had I not ate all those breakfast biscuits

You can see why someone like Jill or myself, would think that breakfast biscuits are 'healthy' and have less calories then just eating a chocolate, (what I really wanted to eat in the first place) but in reality they are full of high energy ingredients and calories that you maybe wouldn't count... which makes sense because they are for breakfast and you're probably not meant to eat 8 of them...

....to be continued

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/secret-eaters/episode-guide/series-1/episode-1
http://www.diet-blog.com
http://www.myfitnesspal.com

Alcohol and secret calories...

Don't get us wrong, we love a drink as much as the next blogger

Whenever we are researching a new diet to trial, we are always waiting for it to read, 'yes! drinking allowed!' Which long term, would make diets a lot easier to stick to...

and just in case you're wondering, no diet (that we've found) says drinking is ok

Bacardi rum, 30ml 70 cals

Vodka, (Smirnoff) 30ml 74 cals

Cider, 200mls 75 cals 

Light Beer, 2.2% 375ml 94 cals

Red wine, 200ml 133 cals 

White wine, dry 200ml 135 cals
Bloody Mary 140 cals

Champagne, brut, 200ml 170 cals
A Mojito, 180 cals 

White wine, sweet 200ml 189 cals
A Martini, (straight up) 200cals
Gin and Tonic, 200 cals
A Cosmo, 213 cals

A standard vodka cruiser or other alcopop drink, 237cals
A Martini, (with olives) 250 cals
Vodka and Cranberry, 200 cals
Rum and Coke, 240 cals
Expresso Martini, 430 cals

It seems that there are a lot of 'secret' calories in alcohol that many of us don't count -

Enjoy a good espresso martini!

..Everything in moderation, including moderation 

http://www.completefitness.com.au/articles/nutrition/alcoholweightloss.php

http://www.livestrong.com
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5006857_many-calories-martini_.html
http://www.travellady.com/Issues/Issue69/spirits.htm

The Cabbage Soup Diet

'The Cabbage Soup' diet aka 'Death by Cleanse'
This fast fix fad diet only lasts for 7 days and promises weight loss of up to 5kg in one week!
'Wow!' You say, 'sign me up, its a miracle!' I said, 'and it's only for one week!'
Let me tell you something, one week lasts a looonnnnnng time when you're starving hungry and start eating your finger nails for sustenance...

Celebrities that have survived the Cabbage Soup diet or as some say 'cleanse' (to try and make it sound more fashion) include Liz Hurley, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jamie Pressly
I really don't know how Buffy managed to slay any vampires without carbs but hey, she looks great

So here's the deal,
Make heinous soup by combining a whole cabbage, 6 brown onions, 2 green capsicums, 3 carrots, a whole head of celery, 1L of water and vegetable stock
There are different variations of the recipe but none that are any more exciting or bearable then the other

Day one - Eat only fruit, all the fruit you want except banana
Drink unsweetened tea, black coffee, cranberry juice, and water
Eat as much soup as you like

This is a picture actually posted on the mother ship site

......just in case you need help identifying a peeled banana

The problem with this diet is that the soup tastes revolting and 'as much as you want' is probably none at all 

I tried to eat at least one bowl a day...

It also makes you fart all the time, yay

Breakfast - 

1x apple

1/2 rockmelon

Lunch - 

Bowl of soup

2x apple

1x pear

Dinner -

1x bowl of soup

4x raspberries

I went to bed feeling totally unsatisfied and empty but positive about some major weight loss that should miraculously take place when I woke up in the morning...

Day two - Stuff, stuff, stuff yourself!! Eat as much as you want or fresh, raw or cooked vegetables of your choice. Stay away from dry beans, peas and corn. Reward yourself with a big baked potato with butter at the end of the day 

Eat as much soup as you like but no fruit today 

Breakfast - 

I skipped breakfast because I couldn't stomach the soup or vegetables first thing in the morning 

Lunch - 

Soup!

1x celery sticks

2x handful of spinach leaves

1x carrot

Dinner - 

Soup.... again 

This is the day that really pissed me off -

No one likes to "stuff, stuff, stuff!" themselves with tomato, celery, lettuce (with no dressing) and carrot sticks... 

Seriously I felt like brachiosaurus trying to eat my body weight in leaves - and I was still hungry

No amount of empty salad is going to fill me up 

I also don't think a big bland potato with lashings of butter is much of a 'reward' 

You also don't have any energy or will power to cook the bastard, so I didn't bother

I went to bed at 8pm (hungry) so I didn't have to think about food

Day three - Combine days one and two, eat as much fruit and veg as you like, no potato 

Eat the soup at least once today 

Breakfast -

1x apple

Lunch - 

soup

Dinner -

soup 

This was the day that really started to mess with me 

I woke up lethargic and angry - even though I had had an early night 

I found it really hard to do basic actions like shower, think... talk 

I was so over eating pointless amounts of fruit and veg that I tended to avoid eating at all 

I nearly threw up after dinner from the smell of the soup and it still makes me gag now whenever I think about it 

I also had to go to a very stressful and important meeting that night and ended up nearly crying, not making sense and getting angry at everyone because they had bought pizza and wine along to rub in my face

To top it all off I got my period and didn't know if I was going to die from the pain or hunger 

Basic senses like seeing and happiness started to leave my body as though a dementor had come and sucked my soul from my body -

I hope to never experience this day again 

Determined not to throw in the towel after day three, I left the girls to drink and went to bed at 8.30pm

Day four - Eat as many as 8 bananas and drink as many glasses of skim milk as you like, along with your soup. This day is suppose to lessen your desire for sweets

Breakfast -

banana smoothie with 2 bananas and 500ml of skim milk

1x skinny flat white

Lunch

2x bananas

Dinner 

banana smoothie with 1 banana and 250ml of milk 

I'm happy to say that I am still alive and I woke up to the day I had been looking forward to the most -

It was so good to get up and drink something that actually satisfied me and gave me energy 

It doesn't sound like a lot of 'food' but compared to what I was eating the previous 3 days it was a banana flavoured God send 

Friends went out that night but I didn't think I would be much fun, following them around like a pale, hungry, zombie

I couldn't bring myself to soup today, I was on such a high from the bananas and couldn't bare the thought of eating it 

It's like they (the Cabbage Cult Lords) give you this day so you don't eat your arm - I was getting pretty desperate..

Day five - You may have up to 500gms and a large tin or up to 6 fresh tomatoes. Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water on this day to flush the uric acid from your body. Eat the soup at least once today 

Breakfast

100grms tuna

1x tomato

1x skinny fw

Lunch 

180grms of tuna

Dinner

180grms of tuna

1x tomato

4x vodka and soda with fresh lemon (not allowed)

Firstly, who the f*ck eats a nice big tin of cold tomatoes? Was this some sort of test to see if you were stupid enough?

I don't eat beef or 'broiled' chicken either, whatever the hell that is (it sounds gross,) so I substituted both for tinned tuna 

I love tuna and use to eat it in the good old days, so it was nice to have some comforting, nolstagic food.... except now I am starving and it seems to fall on an empty stomach 

But hey, I'm not complaining because at least I 'm getting some protein and my vision is returning

Everyday this stupid diet is telling me to 'eat the soup, eat the soup, join us, eat the soooouuuppp!' like the lost souls from the other side of the Cabbage Cult 

I chucked the remaining soup in the bin and nearly vomitted on top of it

I'll finish the eating plan without it...

Day six - Eat beef and vegetables today. You can even have 2-3 steaks with fresh vegetables or salad. NO BAKED POTATO. Eat your soup at least once

Breakfast

1x skinny flat white 

Lunch 

180grms of tuna

Dinner

1 piece of salmon

salad with no dressing 

birthday cake (oops)

5x vodka and soda with fresh lime

I woke up tired this morning, probably from the vodka, suprisingly I'm not very hungry at all

I need a coffee first thing in the morning though... which I'm probably not suppose to have but I had to work 

It was a friends birthday hence the cake and vodkas

I think I did pretty well to just have the salmon for dinner though and the salad with the no dressing!

It's really hard to go out on this diet, especially to a birthday party and not eat and drink what everyone else is 

I would've felt rude if I didn't drink or eat cake 

When you're on the cabbage soup diet, you often feel like you have to over compensate in personalty and enthusiasm because the food you are eating is so bland it actually makes other people feel a little bored watching you 

Start weight - 70kg

End weight - 66.7kg

Total loss - 3.3kg

Was it worth the weight loss?

Thats a tough question, the results were good but I feel as though I have been abused in some way

I don't recommend this diet, I personally couldn't stomach the soup past day 3, so I don't know If I even did it 'properly.'

I think if I had stuck to it better, I would have lost more weight as the diet promised but would have also compromised my happiness even more 

The Cabbage Soup Cult doesn't recommend that you do this diet longer then the 7 days and 'no psychical activity' is recommended (because you would actually die)

The Cabbage Soup Diet is extreme and very tough to stick to - it's also gross

But hey if you like being dizzy, grumpy, blind, antisocial and want to look like Jamie Pressly, go for it 

Jaimee Pressly went on this diet to loose weight for her 30th birthday party

She completed the death cleanse not once, but twice, in a row

She lost 32lbs (14.5kg) in two weeks;

which is considered 'unhealthy' and 'dangerous' by the medical authorities

I think she should be sent some kind of award for living 

Well she gets an awesome body but it was definitely earnt, not given

She has a great box gap

"I lost the first 32 pounds (14.5kg) [of baby weight] by my 30th birthday, which we celebrated in Vegas. We had pool parties, and I was not about to be chunky. I did the cabbage soup diet twice in a row. It lasts six days, and you eat cabbage soup three to four times a day. But one day, you can also eat up to eight bananas."

She's definitely sugar coating it for you, its sucks.

http://www.cabbage-soup-diet.com/
http://aboutcabbagesoupdiet.com/
http://www.fitsugar.com/Jaime-Pressly-Tells-Health-Magazine-She-Did-Cabbage-Soup-Diet-8513246