Can you see my halo shining brightly? Say hello to Healthy Barbie

Hello, hello! Feels like it has been ages since we’ve spoken. I *eventually* have some time to do a proper post. Am sitting in a hotel room in Johannesburg, room service (including two glasses of wine) on its way.

So, first things first – the review went amazingly well! Way better than I anticipated. They love me. What’s not to love.

Then, let me tell you how my new healthy lifestyle programme is going. In a word, impressive! Its funny, I’ve been wanting to eat better and get some exercise for ages and done nothing about it. And then once I had made a decision to actually do something, it has been way easier than I expected. Making the (committed, real) decision to do something is often harder than the actual doing.

So, I went back on last Wednesday to pick up my eating plan. I had lost 0.5kgs (1lb) between Friday and Wednesday. Just from making a conscious effort to not eat the junk I had been eating.

To be honest, I only read through the diet plan today for the first time. I just haven’t had the time. I looked at it briefly before, and picked up the most important pointers, but I didn’t scrutinize meal plans etc. I am convinced I can get this right without sticking to the meal plan.  It is a little bit little for me anyway, I hate being hungry. Having said that, just by cutting down on my simple carbs, I have already seen a difference in my blood sugar levels, I am thrilled!

Pausing to open the door for room service…My eyes are always bigger than my stomach. I’ve ordered WAY too much. What a waste. Wasted my entire Per Diem allocation in one meal. Will have to have dry (low carb, low GI) bread and water tomorrow. I was very torn between eating it all up (SUCH a waste of money not to eat it) and leaving it because eating it all when I am not hungry is just silly. I came to a compromise. Leave some, eat some. Drink all the wine.

Anyway, as I was saying…. What I like about this dietician is that she doesn’t expect you to make radical changes all at once. For example, she says that although drinking alcohol is not first prize, wine is part of my lifestyle and so we just substitute some of my carbs for the glass(es) of wine. I like the way she thinks.

I am seeing her again in two weeks time and between now and then we have decided to focus on three things only: Eating more protein (for years I’ve avoided all protein because I thought it made you fat), going 3-4 hours between meals (I eat all the time. Even thought it is all healthy stuff, I graze all day long and by doing this, my body never has to dig into the fat reserves because I keep supplying it with fuel) and lastly, to start with supplements that are aimed at stabilizing blood sugar – the main one being Chromium. The others are vit C and B (take that already), omegas (take that already), vit E, calcium and magnesium. Being healthy is bloody expensive!

I’ve started with eating more protein, and I can see what a difference it makes. Cutting down on the carbs and increasing the protein definitely keeps me fuller for longer and keeps the blood sugar a lot more stable. I am trying to go 3-4 hours between meals, but I am not there yet. And I have ordered the supplements. Am very proud of myself. *halo shining brightly*

But even more impressive is that I have start walking every morning!!!! I am so proud of myself!! I have been wanting to exercise for ages, but I have so little time with the kids that I just cant take an hour out of my time with them to go to gym, so now every morning I pop them into the pram, put Bruno on a lead, lather my feet in heel softening balm, stuff feet into socks, grab water bottle and off we go for a walk. It’s a win win situation – I get to exercise AND spend time with the kids, plus Bruno gets to go for a walk. I’ve walked every morning this past week – just call me Healthy Barbie!!

There is a teensy little problem in that the kids aren’t THAT keen to sit in the pram for long stretches so we compromise.  They sit in the pram while I stride briskly down the road until we get to the empty cul de sac at the bottom of the road. I then let Bruno off the lead and let the kids out the pram to play in the middle of the traffic circle. It has a few rocks that they like to climb. Bruno goes off to pee on bushes and chase birds. And while the lot of them are busy climbing and peeing, I trot around the traffic circle in the cul de sac to the enthusiastic cheers of my kids “Mommy is doing exercises! Run mommy run!” I look like a complete fucking nutjob jogging round and round a traffic circle but luckily I don’t care. The kids love it. So do I.

Even better, I’ve bought myself an el cheapo pedometer and now I can see how many steps I take every day. Yesterday I walked 8500 steps the entire day and tonight I am on 8114. Yesterday was a better day but I spent 2 hours on a flight today, so I have a legitimate excuse. I am having so much fun being Healthy Barbie!

Anyway, I’ve just opened my second little bottle of wine and Exercise Barbie is rapidly transforming into Drunk Tipsy Barbie so I better go. Apparently top athletes have lower tolerance to alcohol because they are fit. Alcohol circulates faster or something like that. Must be that. Screen going blurry. Must go. Love you. Bye.

(more about the healthy routine in my Times column today)

Comments

[21stCenturyMom]

OH - so it's the athletic endevours that are making me what we refer to in the States as 'a cheap date'. I can't drink at all without getting tipsy.

Congratulations on your Healthy Barbie lifestyle. It sounds like it suits you well.

[Kathy]

Good for you! I, too, am trying to make some small, but meaningful changes to my habits for (hopefully) the better. I am trying to learn to stop eating when I am satisfied as opposed to eating until my plate is clean. Did you have the "Clean Plate Club" in SA when you were growing up? It was a fairly common guilt trip used in the US when I was young. My parents would tell me of all of the starving kids in the world (often Africa, specifically!)and I should be greatful and eat ALL of my dinner. Wildly screwed logic. Who was shipping my brussel sprouts to Africa, I have no idea. Keep us posted on your progress!

[maddy]

Go healthy Barbie! Keep up the good work!

[JuliaKB]

Gold stars for you!
And although you might be getting tipsier faster, it might also pass faster. See if it becomes true for you. And if it does, you can learn to space the drinks in such a way that you control your level of tipsy. Enjoy finding out, either way :).

[Dana]

Tertia, you are making us so proud...
I am good in the healthy food department, not so good with exercise. My husband is literally dragging me every evening to walk; I wonder if you have put some ideas in his head.
And Kathy, I was born and raised in Argentina and my mother always talked about the starving kids! it must come in some old-fashion mother's book.
PS: Congratulations on your review!

[Lauraszoo]

Digging out my pom-poms, slipping into short shirt, wiggling into tight sweater.... okay now I'm ready....

TWO
FOUR
SIX
EIGHT
WHO IS DOING REALLY GREAT?
TERTIA
TERTIA
GO TERTIA!!!

Taking nap, way too much exercize....

[Jazz]

Way to go Tertia!

[kristylynne]

YOU GO GIRL. Would that I were so enthusiastic about exercise. I started out well a few years ago, walking every day, and then this spring it started to rain and didn't stop for six months, and by the time it finally stopped I had become horribly lethargic and lazy. Never got back into that mode. Must, MUST get my ass in gear. You are an inspiration.

[Maritza]

Good going! Very proud of you...like the pedometer thingy...I'm a gadget fanatic...okeee...one more thing on my wishlist...

[Nicola]

Hey, well done Terta!! That is so great and you really can be proud of yourself because making all these changes can be tough. I have the weird thing of enjoying (and regularly doing) the exercise bit BUT I really struggle with the eating part. I exercise like a demon so you'd think you can eat whatever you like, but it just doesn't work that way (which really sucks big time). I also have PCOS and I love food and I really struggle to go 3 hours without food. But worst of all, I am a major chocoholic and feel really hard done by if I have to go a day without the beautiful stuff. Sigh. For me, it's a never-ending battle. And I'm only 27. I sometimes think about the fact that I have another 50 years of this crap ahead of me and I could just kill myself... Not really, but you knwow what I mean??

[Linus]

Well done Tertia. You're certainly a LOT more active than me. I think I'm allergic to exercise, but anyway... have lots of fun, maybe I'll follow your example and do the same. I know the my son and dog would love me forever. And good luck with the eating plan, I know you'll do well.

[SCY]

Way to go Tertia! I am trying to up the exercise and cut down on the eating (like you I tend to graze all day) using that whole supply and demand equation theory. Supply less food, increase the demand by exercising more and hey presto! The weight should fall off ;)

[Megan]

Well done! I'm trying, or at least I say I'm trying, to be healthier. I'm even doing my best NOT to pretend that skipping a meal is not only a healthy thing it then justifies whatever naughty snack I want later in the day. Why oh why isn't wine on the food pyramid?

[Jennifer Margulis]

Go Tertia. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you put your will to doing it. I'm inspired. There's a surfer beach party coming up here in two weeks. I wish I could lose enough weight to show up in a bikini (not that I even wore bikinis in my 20s)!!!

[victoria]

AWESOME! Go healthy Barbie go!!

[Heather]

Congratulations! I've been trying to exercise at night too and I've been feeling a difference.

[Bev]

You make it sound so easy! I want to also have a good eating & exercise plan but my get up and go just got up and went....
Glad you're getting it together though - at least that's one of us!

[millie]

Yay for Healthy Barbie. Though that's an oxymoron if I've ever heard one. You set such a good example that Large American Toy companies will have to follow.