It is interesting reading, tripping through other people’s blogs and everyone’s responses when it comes to eating, body image and food stress.
There are unrealistic ideals in terms of thinness, eating disorders, people who believe one thing bagging anyone else who has a different view. A myriad of ways to eat – paleo, vegetarian, vegan, high protein, fruitarian, bananas only, raw food only, low carb, junk food only, low carb high fat. A combination of the above, eat some things but leave other things out. As well as the whole ‘a little bit of everything in moderation’ camp.
So really to find your way through the murky depths of the many views, concepts, programs and guidelines, there is only one true shining light of guidance for you. And that is…
I’m excited again at the start of a new year, it does it to me every time. Not sure why, maybe it’s the holidays and so you are more relaxed and actually have time to think about your life and make plans. Or maybe it’s time to brush yourself off and start again.
I have been reading a few health books lately, specifically about grains and weight loss. The interesting thing is that they exactly mirror my beliefs on this subject and reveal at least five weight loss mistakes that people make.
My beliefs of course stem from my own experience but also of witnessing the plight of others who keep trying to do the ‘diet and exercise’ advice and fail spectacularly for years. Some never succeed and spend most of their lives miserable. (After dishing out hundreds of dollars on programs that can never work.)
I had a fantastic conversation with a friend Pam who has been overweight all of her adult life, tried everything to lose it as well, without success. She has tried everything on her weight loss journey. She loves to exercise, drinks lots of water, is into alternative health and the Law of Attraction, is active, fun loving, gets out lots. But still this is the one thing that has niggled her and her whole family actually, all their lives.
Hi, I’m Kristy Alford (Zenk). An Aussie of Lithuanian descent. A writer, a sales & marketing professional, minimal exercise lover and fan of food (obviously!) I battled with my weight for most of my life – overeating, binge eating, yo-yo dieting and exercising to exhaustion – for the longest time. I spent some of the best years of my life obsessing, being miserable, trying to find the ‘right’ way to lose weight rather than focusing on the most important thing – being happy. Stupid huh?
My life
So my life completely turned around when I decided enough was enough, no more obsessing over calories, starvation diets and driving myself crazy. Enough! I decided to forget about all the advice out there that didn’t work for me and instead to tune into my own body and listen to what it was telling me. It’s quite clever you know. This awareness led me to the way I eat and exercise today and enables me to have the body I want with no effort at all. The double bonus is clarity of mind, boundless energy, sweet treats, no health issues and a love of life.
Thoughts
My aim is to be a weight loss cheerleader for those desiring change in their lives and who have tried everything like I did, with no success. I hate to see people suffer like I did. Just so unnecessary! The one big lesson I have learned along the way, is that there is no one way to do this, no one absolute right way. Different methods suit different people and if I had to calorie count to this day, I’m sure I would be frustrated to distraction, still overweight and ready to throttle someone!
My passions
I am passionate about helping those who are open minded and ready for change. No one can make you do it; it has to come from you. Watching and helping people find their way is thrilling beyond belief. Other passions are healthy, organic food and finding the easiest possible way to lose weight and cook healthy food. Why make it harder than it needs to be?
My approach to food
I’m currently following the Dr Ray Peat guidelines and tweaking it to suit my body, to reach a new balance that works for me. Practically it is low polyunsaturated fat, low grain, a little meal and seafood, bone broth and gelatin. I love coconut oil, root & fruit like veges, coffee, chocolate, natural sweeteners like raw honey, coconut sugar and fresh fruit. You will see what else I eat through my blog posts, book and social media pages. Eating enough is definitely a part of a healthy life. Starving to lose weight is so 80s – not to mention damaging to the metabolism.
My books!
When I found the answer for myself I was just bursting to let everyone know what I had discovered and I wanted everyone to be as happy too. However some people are not ready for change, and different methods suit different people. I found myself annoying more people than I was helping! Not the desired effect. So I wrote it all down and figured those who were ready to hear it would find it. The result is this blog and five books on diet, exercise, loose skin and recipes! Read more about the books here.
Photography
I am so lucky and blessed that my husband is a professional photographer, with a fantastic eye for telling a story. All my books are full of his magical shots and this site too except for a few of my food shots taken with my trusty iPhone! So if you get a chance, check out his amazing photography on his website and YouTube channel.
Love exploring opportunities
Reviews, giveaways, advertising, guest posts, featuring in other blogs, magazines, media – love to hear from you. Followers on Instagram – @slimbirdy, Facebook, Pinterest,Twitter, and my blog – love to hear your questions, stories, comments and about you too.
Ah yes, New Year. New beginnings, a fresh start, a chance to wipe the slate clean and this time stick to those weight loss resolutions to get to your goal weight.
So it’s two weeks in and how are you travelling so far?
If you were anything like me, you would have already blown it by now. Those habits are deeply ingrained and take a little more than a fanciful thought or even signing up to a 12-week program to make a permanent change. We are talking f-o-r-e-v-e-r people, so it may take some persistent, consistent reminders and shifts to change 20/30/40 year old habits. So try this on… Continue reading →
It is interesting reading, tripping through other people’s blogs and everyone’s responses when it comes to eating, body image and food stress.
