Reader Interview, Living in the 70s

My mum and dad both come from large families

I love having hundreds of first and second cousins, uncles, aunties, cousin's babies...

It always makes things like weddings more fun and funerals easier

We are a big family, but a very close one...

My dad is the only male in his family, he has four older sisters

I always wondered what it would be like to grow up with sisters as I don't have any..

What was it like to grow up in the 70s?

Were there the same kind of body pressures as there are now?

Was it easier to have all the extra support? 

Or did it make it harder?

I interview one of my aunties to find out more...

How old are you?

57

How tall are you?

163cm

How much do you weigh?

57kg

How much did you weigh when you were 18?

Probably between 53-56kg

I remember putting on weight when I went on the pill, I got a fat bum

I didn't like that much!

Did you think your weight was 'normal' when you were 18? 

Yes

Were most of your friends around the same weight? or heavier? or lighter?

Around the same weight as me
We had one friend who was a bit bigger and she always thought she was overweight

Do you follow any special routine or restrict any types of foods to maintain your current weight?

I try to eat 5 cups of veggies a day and 3 pieces of fruit. I eat meals served on a bread and butter plate. I rarely use a dinner plate (to control portion size)

I have an 80%-20% rule. 80% of the time I 'eat perfectly' and 20% I eat whatever I want! That normally equates to not having temptations like chocolate/cake/biscuits etc in the house and when I go out to eat, I eat whatever I like!

On any meal I eat I aim to eat 80% of protein and fibre, 20% carbohydrates (I never call them "carbs") and fat

I drink water when I'm thirsty, minimum 4 glasses daily. Don't sip water - drink full glasses at a time

Exercise is a big part of my life; I do yoga 3 times a week, brisk walking, bike riding.. I exercise 4 consecutive days minimum 40mins and have 3 days rest

What did you eat as a teenager? ..and how is it different to what you eat now?

Everything!!

I eat more grains and beans now, less saturated fats and trans fats (they're the killers)

I also eat less read meat and more fish

Was there a lot of emphasis on diet and body image when you were growing up? Or more now?

I think it's more widespread now

Did you use to smoke cigarettes to stay thin? Or because it was cool?

I use to smoke to manage stress! Students lived on coffee and nicotine, oh and toast!! Cheap!!

Yes it was the fashion with all sorts of fun paraphernalia like cigarette cases, long cigarette holders (20s style was big!!)

Did you use to care what you looked like when you were a teen?

Yes

Did you like your body?

Yes

Did you think you were 'normal?'

Yes I thought I was... perhaps I was a bit short, my boobs were too small, I remember that being a bit of an issue as my friends matured earlier than me. I felt like I looked too young. (Now that is an asset!)

Do you feel better/worse about your body now? Or the same?

I think I feel the same. I don't like the ageing effects on the body tho'

Have you learnt to accept the things you cannot change about your body?

Yes

What pressures did you face in regards to food, fashion and body image when you were growing up?

I don't believe I felt pressure

Whats your favourite part of your body?

Legs, hair and face

What advice would you give your 18 year old self?

Be aware of the addictions and self medicating (ie: smoking) and the life patterns that are being set up

SUSIE HOPE NATURAL HEALTH
Naturopath specialising in chronic conditions. 
Holistic health addressing physical/physiological, mental/psychological, emotional/feelings, thought patterns/habits and spiritual/happiness, belief systems

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.