All the reasons why I didn't have weight loss surgery, even though it's become quite mainstream now.

My husband went to a dietitian because he wanted to learn more about weight loss, what he should be eating, serving sizes, portion control.

All afternoon I've wanted to eat. Not because I’m hungry, but bored, and lacking direction or focus. Here's what I do to minimise the damage

Ever since I’ve been on weight loss, if I’m invited out for a meal, I immediately start thinking about what to order. I generally overeat.

Well, I know I'm a bit behind the ball on this one, since we’re almost in 2019. But 2017 was a big year. Full of ups and downs, steps forward and emotional upheavals. This one was a hard to get down on paper, if I'm honest. Let’s start with the easy stuff. Physically I played a season of Touch Football with a team of cops, that was interesting. I hadn’t played Touch since grade 10. And even then I wasn’t in a top team or anything. I’m not a good, fast runner you guys, and I h

Standing in the fridge or pantry, chowing down on food with my hands. This has been a struggle. Here's how to deal with it in two steps.

What is wellness coaching? As a wellness coach, I understand that when it comes to wellness goals, it’s not always straightforward. You and I take a whole-istic approach to your goals. Primarily, it focuses on: Nutrition Fitness Sleep Stress Relationships Work/Life balance I understand that each and every one of us is different. So, together we consider every aspect of your life, your values, dreams, desires, priorities as well as, your situation, time and money constraints.

I have struggled with this for as long as I can remember. And I still do sometimes. If you’re like me and know that your emotions trigger eating patterns… whether it’s positive or negative emotions, stick with me while I explain my thoughts. As children we were often rewarded with food. Example: be good at the shops and you get to pick a treat, don’t fight on the car trip and we’ll get McDonald’s ice creams. As adults if something good happens, our brain often wants a reward.

Do you have a hobby? Something that you can do where you just lose track of time. That thing that happens when you lose time and space, you can’t hear people, you’re 100% focused? That’s called “flow state”, most people call it being “in the zone”. Have you ever had a moment like that before? What were you doing? If it was a work task, what was it about that task that you enjoyed? There’s got to be an aspect of that that we can bring to another action and create a hobby out o

When your alarm goes off in the pitch black and all you want to do is stay snuggled in bed. Or when the afternoon carb-attack hits (maybe yours happens after dinner?) and you find yourself chowing down on everything you shouldn’t be. You’re spending a lot more time bundled up on the couch watching Netflix. In my case, at the moment it’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Orphan Black, Plebs, How to Get Away with Murder, Santa Clarita Diet (don’t judge), House Rules (I like reno reality sho

We’ve all been there, had a family event, a wedding to attend, birthday party, weekend away with the girls or a holiday with your partner… and you had FUN! You didn’t worry about your diet or exercise at all. But now you have the guilts. And you don’t feel great. Maybe sluggish, bloated? Here’s 10 easy steps to sort you out: 1) Decide when your last day of eating like an asshole will be. If that’s today, cool. Look at the next steps now. 2) Have a large glass of water when yo

Last year, and quite possibly for years prior, I had some trouble with my thyroid gland. Not many people know much about the thyroid, so here’s a run-down: “The thyroid gland is situated at the front of the throat, below the larynx (Adam’s apple), and comprises two lobes that lie on either side of the windpipe. The thyroid gland secretes hormones to regulate many metabolic processes, including growth and energy expenditure. If the thyroid gland is overactive or sluggish, the

So you’ve worked your butt off creating healthier habits for a good while now. You’ve finally gotten the hang of it and you’re making baby steps towards a healthier life. Then something happens and it feels like your world is crumbling. All of a sudden you’re travelling or dealing with something that has thrown your whole life out of whack. And while you know it might only be for a short time, right now it feels massive. First of all, know that you won’t be able to maintain e

About 8 weeks ago, I hit an absolute wall. I was completely down in the dumps about myself. My anxiety started playing up, and then depression hit. And then it was a lovely merry-go-round of shitty emotions. I honestly had no idea how to get out of it. I had all the physical symptoms, exhaustion, muscle fatigue, skin was not good, not sleeping well. And I had lost motivation for life. I felt numb half the time and a mix of self-loathing, depression and anxiety the rest of the

Stressful situations are kind of unavoidable in life. But how we feel when we encounter them and how our bodies react can be very much down to the individual. Here’s how to manage stress before it handles you: 1. Make sure you’re getting enough rest. Rest is so important and can greatly affect our memory, brain function, physical capabilities and also our emotional state. Rest is sleep, and also taking rest days and down time each day to relax our bodies. 2. Fuel your body wi

My health discovery started a few times, and only this time has it stuck. I believe that while having support people is a part of getting healthier, it shouldn’t be the main precipice that you cling to; it's just one aspect. At the beginning we’re torn between wanting to get healthy and needing to get healthy. It’s a hard line to cross into that Wanting stage. Having people around you and having people support you is really two different things. I want you to think about a co

Guys and Girls, this was me. I had my husband but I had just moved to a new place and had no friends or support system. Here’s what worked: 1) Get really, really clear on your motivation. Reach for the stars, even if it seems impossible. 2) Make a vision board. Print out words, pictures and quotes that mean something to you and put them up everywhere – your phone background, your bathroom mirror, your fridge, your computer at work. 3) Take Before pictures – make sure you’re w

Now, let me start out by saying I am not an expert at relationships. I am still growing in that sense. However, I have learnt a few things in my travels. Living in another country and being married to a foreigner has its benefits in forcing a person into different circles. Most of my growth in the last year has been brought upon by reading Christal Fuentes’ “How to be H.O.T.” book. I highly recommend this book as a lighter take on a heavy subject. She also has a fantastic blo

Ladies, are you feeling anxious about how you will go over the Christmas period when you’ve created some really great lifestyle changes this year? In 2015 I had immense anxiety leading up to Christmas. I was away from my family, in cold and snowy Canada and those two situations combined with a spread of food, usually means that I overeat. And then comes the vicious cycle of guilt, depression, regret, eat again. Confidence drops and next thing, you’re pulling out your fat pant

1994 Age 5 First limiting belief that I remember creating about my physical appearance 1996 Age 7 Baby sister born - felt I wasn't Enough. 1998 Age 10 Baby brother born 2002-2006 Age 14-17 Changed schools in year 9 General high school shenanigans (parties, boys) So much teenage angst (body image, depression, who am I?) 2007 Age 18 First real fad diet Had my heart broken Started University (didn’t finish Uni) Met my now-husband (online) 2008 Age 19 Completed a Massage and Arom