NATALIE
NOTHING IS HOLDING NATALIE BACK!
Most often the hardest thing is to make a start.
I had made changes, reduced my wine and carbohydrate intake, increased my greens and leafy vegetables, increased my exercise and persisted with intermittent fasting, but no matter my effort the weight (especially around my waistline) continued to stick fast and even increase. I had hit 47 years of age, and the symptoms of perimenopause had well and truly made themselves known.
I had followed (maybe even stalked) the Kim Beach way of life for around a year before starting, reading all the superstar stories, joining the online global community, buying the Kim Beach book, and researching every bit of information I could find, but it wasn’t until I found myself clicking on a Facebook ad targeted towards women in perimenopause claiming that their collection of pills and potions (my words not theirs) would see me lose the weight and regain what I felt I had lost; feeling good both physically and emotionally, for a tidy sum of $$$. It was this moment that I realised I could take control again, but not with pills and potions, and signed up to the Kim Beach 8 week No Excuses program right there and then, starting the very next day.
I did not look back.
“It was about making changes I could stick to long term and not feel I was missing out“
Initially the hardest change for me was eating 5 meals a day, as I had been limiting myself to 2 or 3 meals only (lunch and dinner, with a post dinner snack). Even now sometimes I must remind myself to eat that morning tea/afternoon tea snack if I get preoccupied or lose track of the day when busy. The next challenge was the wine. I love wine, and I used it to relax and unwind after a stressful day, which turned out to be 7 days a week, because on the weekends I deserved to relax. I gave up wine for 6 weeks, I was grumpy, I wanted wine, but slowly but surely, I talked myself into successfully relaxing with soda water or a cup of tea promising that I would allow myself a few glasses of wine on a planned weekend away with my hubby. I made it to the 6 weeks, really enjoyed the wine and food while away, but also was able to slip back into my Kim Beach No Excuses routine on our return and successfully complete the 8 week program.
During my 8 weeks of KB No Excuses I stuck to the 80/20 rule, allowing myself a pasta dinner with salad (my favourite) once a week and a square of KB Seriously Good Fudge every night with a cup of tea. It wasn’t about just finishing the 8 weeks for me; it was about making changes I could stick to long term and not feel I was missing out.
“The online support group is amazing and really makes a difference to the KB journey”
Training/exercise was not a problem as I already had a routine, I just stuck to it more, changed the focus (from boot camp to running and weights) and reminded myself that I had No Excuses but to get up and out of bed at 5am to get it done before my day started. I am not a runner, but I do run :D which I suppose qualifies me as a runner. I love running on forest trails, being out in the open air in nature and stick to around 20kms a week. I am not fast, my pace is forward, my aim is enjoyment and some days the run feels amazing and others not so much, but it is all part of the experience. I also weight train at 2-3 days a week, walk and do a bit of yoga so my body does get a bit of gentle nurturing.
The online support group is amazing and really makes a difference to the KB journey. Changing eating habits and perception of body image can be tricky, but it is made all that much easier with so many other like-minded people sharing their highs and lows, achievements and discoveries, while also cheering everyone else along.
I have now completed 6 months of Kim Beach No Excuses and for me this is now just how I eat. I still have my pasta dinner once a week, and a piece of KB fudge (sometimes 2) with a cup of tea every night and I even enjoy wine on weekends, but with conscious mindful enjoyment not mindless consumption. I am not perfect, and I am not aiming for lean and mean, but to love my body for all its curves and be the healthiest I can be. I will still eat a treat every now and again or have an extra glass(es) of wine on weekends, but it is always a choice with the next meal/next day back on track with the KB way.
As I said at the beginning of my story, the hardest part is to start, and now I have started nothing is holding me back.
