I haven’t been updating you all about my weight loss journey over the past two months because I haven’t weighed myself in a while. Why? Well, because I’m feeling very happy with my body.
My metabolism is working well now which is really exciting seeing that it was dormant for such a long time. In terms of my weight, I think I have maintained my weight, added a bit of muscle and most critically (because I’m a girl after all), I fit comfortably into my size 12 clothes again. The goal is to get back into my size 10 clothes but then again I decided I will focus more on this goal after the hot summer months. It’s much harder to keep consistent in 38 degree celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) heat.
I may need to remind everyone that my weight loss journey is a slow and ongoing lifestyle change and not a quick fix. So, in the past couple of months I have successfully continued to workout and eat as clean as possible. This does not mean that I haven’t had a pizza, cocktail or ice-cream all summer! Once again, I stress that I believe in balance and I am not going to deprive myself of certain foods if I feel like them. Balance is key. The heat has affected my training schedule and energy. Some days it has just been too hot for me to do my intense workouts. I haven’t stopped completely but before I was working out up to 6 times a week and in the heat that has dropped to 3-4 times a week over the past 3 weeks.
Something that I do want to share with you is a quick over view about supplements (or maybe we should call them ‘dietary extras’) that I take to help my weight loss and metabolism and keep up with my work out regime.
I like to think that I do not take a lot of unnatural supplements but sometimes our bodies do not get enough from food and we need a little extra. In saying this, just because I take these supplements doesn’t mean that you need to take the same supplements. To each his or her own.
Chia Seeds
I have one dessert spoon of chia seeds a day. I add these to my oats in the morning or to a yogurt or protein shake during the day. Chia seeds are a great natural source of Omega-3, calcium and fibre. If made part of your diet, these seeds can work wonders for your energy. I can actually recall an instance where I was playing a game of basketball recently, and I was so much more energetic than usual, so much so that it made me think, ‘ What did I eat today?’ Then I rememebered I had chia seeds in my pre workout protein shake. I’m sure this works. You can read more about chia seeds in my post: The next super food: Chia Seeds
Ground Flaxseed
I have only just started using flaxseed. I add one dessert spoon to my oats in the morning. I have read a lot of positive things about ground flaxseed. It is said to be a great source of Omega 3, protein and Lignans. I will report more about flaxseed at a later date once I have been using it a little longer. If you would like to read more about Flaxseed click here
Whey Protein
I try to eat 4-5 meals a day, each consisting of 25-30g of protein. This means that I am eating a lot of solid foods like eggs, chicken, turkey, tuna, and while this can get boring, it can also take up a lot cooking/prep of time. To help me get my 4-5 meals a day I use a vanilla whey protein powder, mixed with water, (sometimes I add coffee, cinnamon, peanut butter, fruit).
I take whey protein nearly every day, usually in the late afternoon because I know I’ll be working out later in the evening and my dinner will be after that. My whey protein is low carb and high in protein, with 23g of protein per scoop. I usually take 1.5 scoops. I do not add milk to my protein I mix only with water. I have tried different protein shakes and it really depends on taste. If I had the opportunity to get protein from outside Malta I would go with a very plain basic brand. Whey protein is not a magical drink that helps you lose weight, it’s there to make you get enough protein intake, which is very, very important. My protein powder also includes Glutamine, which helps boost muscle growth.
Potassium/Magnesium
I read about the benefits of Potassium and Magnessium in Tim Ferris’ book; The Four Hour Body. When I tried to get these individually in the recommended quantities the pharamist wouldnt give them to me, so as an alternative over the counter solution which contains nearly the same dosage as recommended in the book I’m using a disolvable solution called Bioton, which contains 150mg potassium and 120mg magnesium.
These satchets are used by athletes who run marathons and sweat a lot. I use them after training sessions in the evening generally before bed. I take a satchet nearly every day, depending on my activity. The reason I take Potassium is because it “assists in protein synthesis from amino acids and in carbohydrate metabolism” (source). Magnesium helps muscles relax and contract as well as helps with the production of enzymes and protein(source). Obviously I would prefer to get both potassium and magnesium naturally from food but it is not always possible to eat the volume of food you would need to eat to get the correct amount of nutrients, so I find the sachets a good way of controlling this. Buy Magnesium and Potassium Tablets
Natural food sources of Magnesium
Natural food sources of Potassium
Glucosamine
Glucosamine reduces joint pain. If you have suffered from injuries or have weak joints glucosamine will help. I use glucosamine when old injuries, start to ache (ankle and wrist). I only use this supplement periodically. This is not a set part of my supplement intake, but a good one to know of. Buy Glucosamine Tablets
Calcium
Sometime I eliminate dairy from my diet. When I do this I try to provide my body with more calcium from chia seeds and other natural sources but sometimes this is not enough so I take calcium tablets every morning with breakfast. Buy Calcium tablets
I can not stress enough that taking supplements should be done with a lot of care. If you don’t know what you gain from your food intake you should not look into adding supplements. Taking too much of anything can result in getting very sick. I take supplements knowing exactly what I get out of my food. This knowledge has come from months of food diaries and several hours of research about the food I eat and volumes of nutrients I get from the food I eat. That said, I do not see any harm in adding chia seeds or flaxseed to a normal healthy person’s diet. Consumed in moderation I think you will see lots of positive effects from these two things.
