Photo credit: Wiffygal’s

As the weather starts to get cold and winter approaches we all love to keep warm, and with food there isn’t much difference.  I have a great selection of winter warmers that will suit most tastes.

1. Carrot and Ginger Soup Recipe
2. Leek and Stilton Soup Recipe
3. The Ultimate Pick Me Up Soup Recipe
4. Cullen Skink Soup Recipe
5. Vegetable and Bean Soup Recipe
6. Wild Mushroom Soup
7. Smoked Haddock and Corn Chowder Recipe
8. Cock-a-Leekie Soup Recipe
9. Cauliflower, Broccoli and Mustard Soup Recipe
10. Left Over Soup Recipe

 All soups listed above are curtesy of Britishfood.about.com

For those of you that like the low fat version of soups a list in the link provided brought to you by lowfatcooking.about.com.

Tast.com also has some lovely recipes that are their low fat collection.  Take a look and you will be surprised at what you will find.

Enjoy the colder whether and if you have any soups or recipes that you think my readers will enjoy please send them in and I’ll post them up on the site.

Photo credit:  Andrecarol

We consume so many foods and don’t really know what is in them; yes I am talking about fresh vegetables and fruits.  Chemicals are still used all over the world on crops.  As many of you already know I am married to a wonderful man who just so happens to have a green thumb. 

My husband has created our very own veggie patch as well as some lovely herbs.  The reason I am telling you this is because they are chemical free and will no doubt be the yummiest tasting vegetables you will ever eat.  So I thought I would write a post on the benefits of having your own vegetable garden.

Whilst it costs money to set up and maintain your garden it can ultimately save you money with your grocery bill.  Not to mention the fresh produce you have in your back yard that you can come home from work, go outside pick your lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber, along with some parsley or basil to create a wonderful salad with your lean chicken, fish or meat.  On the other hand you might be feeling the cold like I am and come home, dig out some carrots, beans and even potatoes and leaks to create a warm comfort food soup, infused with a little chicken or beef or lamb it will warm the most fussiest of hearts.

The main point of this post is to show you that you can eat healthy and have fun watching your vegetables and fruit grow right before your eyes, then think of many different combinations to make a healthy, low fat meal that is also packed with nutrients.  This will assist you in losing weight because you have these foods at your doorstep (well in your back yard) anyway. 

Now I realise that some of you are not much of gardeners – neither am I really, however I see how my husband’s eyes light up when he plants something from a seed and it grows into a lovely healthy vegetable that we can eat.  I am more of a herb gardener – you can do this in pots and they look lovely on a window or balcony.

Photo credit: Mfoley25

By having herbs and vegetables in your garden you can really make the most wonderful meals and you will know they are fresh because you picked it from your own garden.  So why don’t you give gardening a go for the pleasure of watching something grow, for the peace it gives you, the health aspects and not to mention that gardening is a great exercise for you to do without you even knowing it – and it certainly doesn’t feel like you are slogging it out in the gym.  I hope this inspires you all to start growing something of your own.  I would love to hear your success stories.

Here are some helpful sites for you to visit that will help you set up your own gardens with the help from the professionals.

Suburbanfarmer

One Green Generation

Vegatable Garden Feng Shui

Photo credidt: Ayomide

We all know how hard it is to stay on track with weight loss programs and how easy it is to fall off the wagon.  I have been off the wagon for quite a few months.  I think I had gotten to the point that I just plain gave up on myself.  There is light at the end of the tunnel and I think these simple documents will help you too.  I have put together some simple documents that are ready to use just by printing them.  The documents I have created are food journal, exercise log and weight loss chart.  I will start my own journal on Monday so I will be struggling along with you all.

Sometimes we tell ourselves that we can’t do this anymore and give up, but the truth is that when I keep telling myself I am doing this instead of I can’t do this it really does help.  Positive statements and thought patterns really do work when you are trying to achieve something, like weight loss.  I hope these tips and documents help you too.  Lets take the challenge together, I expect you all to tell me how you are going, and I want all of us to support each other through this. 

Weighloss chart

Food Log

Exercise Log

Photo credit : bautistalh

There has been extensive research into Low Gi (Glycemic Index) and how it affects our body with weight loss.  PCOS is common in women and the experts have associated a Low Gi diet as a great way to combat weight loss, Diabetes and of course PCOS.  For me personally I am trying to incorporate some recipes that you would cook everyday and convert them into Low Gi meals.

You can search the Low Gi database in the link above to obtain your favourite recipes with Low Gi in mind.  I am taking my own advice and doing just that.  My weight struggle has been a long and heat breaking battle.  I have tried everything under the sun to lose weight, change my lifestyle and just generally be healthy.  I have also been diagnosed with PCOS and it has definitely not helped me to lose weight. 

Every case is different and in my case it has been very difficult to manage my eating patterns, not to mention the constant pressure I have to try to fall pregnant.  It has been like a vicious circle.  I have read a few books on Low Gi and found that it may just assist me in losing weight, and ultimately fall pregnant.

Another great book to read on Low Gi is (Gi Feel Good – Health & Weight loss) by John Ratcliffe Dip. TCM, Grad Dip Psy.  Very interesting reading as well as great recipes and food charts with Gi numbers beside them, just like the chart on www.glycemicindex.com with high, medium and low Gi as a guide.  This book gives you an insight that you may not have even thought about but explains the ins and outs of the process.

Other useful websites are:

 www.glycemic-index.com

www.low-carbohydrate.com

Photo credit: Tojosan

I find it especially difficult on special occasions and parties when it comes to food, alcohol and smoking.  I tend to almost always overeat, drink too much or even smoke much more then I usually do.  The result is not much fun. 

You may ask yourselves why do we do this?  Why do we let it happen when we know that it is bad for us?  The questions are endless but the real thing we should try to ascertain is what can we do to stop ourselves.

The above link shows us what overindulgence is and what kind of help can we get for it, plus some helpful tips of how we can avoid doing this to ourselves.  I am the first to admit that when I get depressed over what ever it is, I tend to turn to food and over do it.

Then other times I am really good, but the times I overindulge out weigh the times I am good.  Not to mention exercising, which has been minimal in the last 6 months.

I guess in this instance I can relate to all of you whom overindulge and understand what drives you to do this.  Obesity is not an easy thing to have to live with and for me my fear of actually succeeding is a big part of why I am still obese.  This may sound strange to you, but there you have it ‘my fear determines whether I lose weight or not’.

I would be interested to hear your story of what triggers you off to overindulge so please email me your stories to katly@big-girls-dont-cry.com.

Some great video tips of how to handle those holiday parties when it comes to food and alcohol will give you some to plan for at the end of 2010.  Good luck – I will be attempting to take all this on board myself and will let you know how it goes at the next party or gathering for a special occasion.

Photo credit: Ahmed

Many of you may have heard of the Lemon Detox Diet and how you can lose weight and cleanse your insides.  The link will give you all the information from their website, but I am here to talk about how I think that replacing all your solid food with three drink replacements isn’t the answer.

Sure you can do this but I don’t know about you but I would be starving and break it.  Therefore you won’t get the bennefits and you just wasted your money. 

There are so many miracle diets on the market, pills, drinks, meat diets etc, but what we are all forgetting is that none of these are the answer really because you need to eat, and you need to exercise.

You need to do this every day of your life, I know because I have not done it for a while.  My eating has gone to the dog house, exercise is non exsistant and what I and everyone else should do is figure out a routine for you that you can stick to.

This post isn’t giving you facts and figures, the site can give you that.  I just wanted to voice my opinion about all these crash diet plans.  I am sure they all mean well and I am sure some of them work.

What happens when you stop – but haven’t changed your ways, I’ll tell you what happens you put all the weight back on and then some. 

There are however some great uses for the lemon, below are the uses I have found.

Readers Digest lemon uses

28 creative uses for lemons

Natural uses for lemons

House hold uses for lemons

10 Eco friendly things to do with lemons

How to save money with lemons

Healthy uses for lemons

Some of these links may overlap but you will definately get the general idea.  When I think of lemons I think refreshing.  So even though the Lemon detox diet isn’t exactly what I think will help you acheive weight loss and keep it off there are many other great uses for the Lemon.

Photo credit: Absolute Apetite

I was looking over Angie All The Way’s blog the other day and it suddenly dawned on me that all of her food that is displayed looks absolutely fantastic.  So presentation may be the key to healthy eating too.  If you make a dish and slop it in your plate or use ugly crockery the food is just food, but if you use your nice white dinner plates and present the food well you have a masterpiece.

How to cook gourmet will show you how you can present your food.  I believe that if you can make healthy food look interesting you are more likely to enjoy it and stick to it.  Have you ever steamed some vegetables and thought how bland they are, why not try to sprinkle some oregano on them with a pinch of sea salt.  You will be amazed how well it tastes and gives the vegetables some texture too.

Here is an interesting insight of how to steam your vegetables and a handy video, there is definitely a knack to it and after all you don’t want soggy vegetables for dinner, nothing worse than that.  It would be any wonder you dove off the couch for that packet of chips in the cupboard.   

So next time you are in the kitchen and trying to think of something healthy to cook, remember healthy doesn’t have to be boring and there are many websites you can find to help you with presentation, perhaps for your next dinner party.

Photo credit: Alex Segre

If you have tried everything that you can think of to lose weight and have failed perhaps you can look into getting lap band surgery.  I like many out there have really struggled to lose the weight.  I have tried the gym, I have tried pills and diets, and even drugs from the doctor, meal replacement, you name it I have tried it.

I am currently trying to do the research for the lap band to see if this is something that I may be willing to give a go.  It is really not about looking good, or sexy or thin – it is for me to lose weight so that maybe I could fall pregnant.   Also I just want to be able to feel fit again and do the things that I can’t do now.

So if you need information for Australians please look to the links above and below and talk to your local doctor about it, perhaps go to a seminar.  For people in Melbourne please refer to the link for information and locations.

There are also support groups available to you before and after your surgery which will assist you in handling the process emotionally.  We all need help sometimes to weigh through our thoughts and feelings, after all you would be having a surgery and I am sure it won’t be the most pleasant thing you deal with in your life. 

Good luck to you all and if anyone has a story about their surgery please email me or comment at the end of this post.

Photo credit: Moggierocket

I have noticed that most of my readers have been following my progress or lack of getting pregnant. Well I am still not pregnant.  It has been 4 years since we have been trying to have a baby and those 4 years have been really tough to handle, especially for me.

I have been to specialists and read articles on the subject and I am more confused now than I ever was.  Honestly – eat this, don’t eat that, stop smoking, and lose weight blah blah blah.  I really can’t take it anymore.

What is a girl to do to get the correct information about Poly cystic ovary disease?  I have never been as frustrated in my life as I am now, all the things we should do to get pregnant and other women fall pregnant just by looking at their partner.

I really feel as though all my efforts to change my habits and perhaps get healthy enough to fall pregnant have been in vain. It is just not working for me and I am just about to give up altogether.  Then deal with the fact that I will never be a mother.

Do not ask me how I will do this, but I have to try to accept it and move on.  I am sick to death of all the stress I have been under because of it, and just generally feeling awful. I just want to be happy again minus all the pressure.

You know what I am talking about, the times when people that haven’t seen you in a long time ask, so how long have you been married?  Oh, shouldn’t you have kids by now? The questions people ask you are ridiculous.  It really @#**#$ me off and very hurtful because then you feel even more like a failure because then you have to explain your situation.

So you ask how I feel now, well I don’t feel very good, my health isn’t where I want it to be, and emotionally I am devastated.  Trying very hard just to keep myself from getting depressed about it, and stop crying.  I will be ok, but I don’t know when I will be happy again.

Photo credit: Ruben

As many of you know I have been ill on and off since probably March 2008.  This has all taken its toll on me and I can happily report I am on the mend now and working out again.  I did however feel that I should tell you all what I have gone through so that maybe if anyone else has any health issues they are struggling with can perhaps be helped to know that sometimes there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Firstly, back in March I was on fertility drugs for around 3 months, they made me feel sick all the time and the bloating was unbearable.  It was a waste of time as I never got pregnant.  A month or so later I had a very bad chest infection which had me off work and then gym for a month.

Then when I got better I started to have the pains in the side and back and again was going to the gym one day then again one day the next week and so on.  After awhile I ended up having a sever attack and went to the doctor whom did tests and then told me I had gall stones and that my gall bladder had to be removed.

I suffered with the pain for several months before actually going in for the operation.  Then once I had the operation the gall stone pain stopped but was replaced with recovering from the cuts (four of them) on my stomach area.  The pain was pretty bad afterwards and I was unable to go to the gym again for 3 months.  I guess on some people recovery is different.

Once I recovered properly I went back to the gym however you would never guess what happened to me then, yes you guessed it I ended up injuring my feet from starting vigorous exercise over the months and it became so painful that I was unable to do any classes as I was in a lot of pain and could barely stand. 

The last accident I had is when I went away in March 2009 where I slipped in the shower; my legs were hurt and are only now starting to become better.  I hope that is the last of my health issues but to be honest I won’t hold my breath.