rice paper rolls

Um... why didn't anyone tell me that making your own rice paper rolls is WAY better than buying them?

Ok, some of you probably did tell me that and thanks to an impromptu Asian supermarket trip with my sister, I finally made them!

Delicious and light, rice paper rolls will be a regular feature during lunch from now on. Oh and the best thing about making your own, is that YOU choose the ingredients. I know... it's amazing!

- Dani

weightloss vs hunger

I once read that the amount of money spent on dieting and weightloss products could actually stop world hunger. Of course this is just a figure and doesn't factor in the political and logistical issues regarding stopping world hunger, but it got me thinking.

Then I stumbled across the Stop the Hunger website, which goes a step further into comparing dieting and world hunger. The page is a constant stream of live stats regarding the world population, the number of undernourished people, the number of overweight people, etc. What is perhaps most astonishing is the comparison of the dollars spent on weight-loss programs in the USA today (~$97m) and the cost of feeding the hungry today (~$18m).

In Australia, it is estimated that people will spend $827m on counselling services, low-calorie foods and shakes, diet cookbooks, weight loss guides, dietary supplements and surgery in an effort to lose weight throughout 2012-13.

Now I'm not saying that all of this is a waste of money, but surely someone is trying to link the money spent by the overweight with the needs of the hungry. (Although I imagine that there are plenty of people in the healthy weight range that also spend money on diet products.)

A short google search later and I find out that Zumba started a Great Calorie Drive. Basically, you use the Zumba Fitness app to donate the calories you have burned to people struggling with hunger (through The United Nations World Food Programme).

Unfortunately, this seems limited to calories burned in Zumba classes exclusively.

There are a few bloggers that have encouraged people to eat one bowl of rice for one day (per year) and donate the money they would have spent on food or encouraged people to donate a pound of food for each pound of weight they lose (which seems based on a similar promotion by Subway).

Of course there are other initiatives aimed at reducing hunger, such as Outnumber hunger and P4P, but this is unrelated to the weight loss industry.

I am most interested in turning dollars that would be spent on weight-loss programs or unused gym memberships into dollars for the hungry.

Does anyone know of anything like this in the market already?

- Dani

post 12wbt

It's over. While I'm partially relieved, I also feel hesitant about being 'cut off' from the 12wbt site/world.

Has my body transformed? Not really, well not much, but it has been a step in the right direction.

Some of the recipes were fantastic and it was nice having workouts planned by someone else, but I'm loving my new 'independence'.

Since the end of round 4 of 12wbt, I've been regularly running along the beach - though the weather really isn't making it easy - I'm loving healthy food and I'm keen to experiment a bit more in the kitchen.

After a recent conversation with friends, I'm also considering training for a mini triathlon. I'm a terrible swimmer, so I don't know if I will actually compete any time in the future. But being fit enough to do a triathlon definitely seems to be a motivating factor at the moment.

Basically, life is pretty great. I'm exercising, I'm eating well and I feel really happy.

Now that I'm not focused on the 12wbt, this blog is going evolve slightly. I'm hoping to share more recipes, discuss topics of interest, provide general updates about my life, etc. But my weight loss and transformation journey is far from over, so this will still be a recurring topic.

Looking forward to having this body again

- Dani

everything is falling into place

The last few weeks have been fantastic. I am feeling healthy, happy and almost fit. It is hard to describe how wonderful this feeling is. Furthermore, the bonds with my family and boyfriend have strengthened. My work is constantly challenging and encouraging me. To be honest, life couldn't get much better.

This transformation started after I realised how unbalanced my life was. I'd put on a bit more weight and I was working some pretty long hours at the time. Then I had the thought "If I'm prepared to work this hard in one area of my life, why don't I put in half as much effort into other areas of my life?". At this point, I decided to join the Michelle Bridges 12 week transformation and thus my journey began.

It certainly hasn't been a smooth journey. There have been good weeks and bad weeks. Positive moments and moments of sheer hopelessness. I can honestly say that acknowledging my situation, trying to move beyond my weaknesses and flaws, has been one of the hardest things I have ever done.

People often make excuses because they don't want to take accountability for their actions (or in-action). But I didn't just make excuses, I didn't care. By not caring, I was happy, but my body wasn't.

This body is the only one I've got and I'm going to have it my whole life. And I have treated it so poorly.

When I realised this and realised the behavioural issues ingrained in me that perpetuate this mistreatment, I felt totally shattered. Here I was thinking that I am a capable, dedicated, smart individual, but I couldn't do something as simple as keep my body in good shape. Needless to say, this self-reflection resulted in a lot of tears.

Out of the tears and reflection came something wonderful - knowledge and resolve. I was learning, learning about myself, learning about what I needed to do to get out of this situation. Now by no means am I now a guru on health and fitness, my mind still craves all sorts of things when I know I'd actually prefer something else, but I am better. And I will never stop learning, nor will I want to go through that process again.

Now I'm under 80kg, a milestone I thought I'd reach weeks ago, but I am thrilled regardless. My body shape is different and I am loving it. My attitude has changed, and is continuing to change. Everything has well and truly fallen into place.

This brings me to the main point of this post, and it is a point I'm sure I will need to tell myself time and time again. I also hope it might help just one other person out there.

Don't give up.

Every small improvement you make, even if it isn't a permanent one, will help you. Every over-indulgent snack you turn down, every extra step you take. All of it is worth it. And this applies to anything you want to achieve in life. It might not be the fastest way to reach your goals, but you will make progress.

In a previous post, when I was in struggle-town, I wrote this -

I might be able to make this transformation step-by-fricken-tiny-step. But I have to keep trying. Because even though I'm no where near my goals, I am closer than when I started. I might never have a light bulb moment, but I never want to give up.

And it is so true. I think that this realisation really helped to turn things around for me. I stopped focusing on achieving the perfect transformation, stopped comparing myself to other 12wbters with phenomenal will-power.

So yes, there are crazy, amazing, inspiring people out there who can lose 20kg in 3 months or transition from being a couch potato to a marathon runner. But the people who get on with their lives and make small changes every day, those people are inspiring too.

- Dani

under 80kg (finally!)

I'm back! I spent most of yesterday preparing for the week, trying to get back into a decent routine. Trying to be even more prepared than last year.

As I only had access to scales once during the past two weeks, I decided to weigh myself upon my return and guess what boys and girls... I'm under 80kg!

Yes it has finally happened!

And that weight is never coming back. I will never weight over 80kg again.

My progress has been slow, but I'm feeling pretty confident that I am making life-long changes. Changes that can be sustained and maintained. I'm improving my overall lifestyle.

I have to admit I'm also pretty stoked that I met this milestone after 3 weeks of holiday, 3 weeks of not following any 12WBT plan. It makes me believe in myself. I don't need a program, a celebrity trainer, a specific set of rules to achieve my transformation goals. It just takes good ol' common sense. Something most of us have, we just don't take advantage of it enough.

- Dani

a few words from Japan

Eight fabulous, enchanting nights gone and four more nights left to enjoy. I am loving Japan.

I don't know why but I was expecting less similarities between Japan and Australia. I was expecting a topsy-turvy mind boggling world. But it reminds me a lot of my dear Melbourne, in ways, almost moreso than any other country I've visited.

And not that the Japanese restaurants back home are bad, but the food here is fantastic. (I love Japanese cuisine.)

Every day we are walking kilometre after kilometre. So it comes as no real surprise that I've lost weight. Though, having not followed any of the 12wbt plans for the last 3 weeks, I imagine that my strength and cardio fitness has decreased.

Furthermore, it's nice to be exercising and eating well in a more organic fashion. (Compared to the detailed and planned 12wbt world.)

- Dani

Ps. There will be more detailed posts in the near future (following my return to Aussie soil). If you want to see more pictures, please follow me on Instagram - daniemerson

goals

I'm aching all over, struggling to breathe and all I want to do is curl up in bed. Yep, I am sick.

So I guess the exercise plan isn't exactly going to be adhered to with military precision. (Understatement.) And there are a couple of red flags this week. (Not ideal.)

Whether I like it or not shit happens. Every second of my life can't be planned and executed perfectly, so I need to think of the bigger picture when things get a little haywire.

To get past a bad day or two, or even an entire slump, I've developed some goals. And I'm going to achieve these goals regardless of my ability to 'stick to the plan'.

December goals
- Weigh less than 80kg
- Run 3km non-stop outdoors (record time and aim to beat it)
- Row 500m as fast as possible (record time and aim to beat it)
- Plank on toes for 1 min (more if possible)
- Burn >3000 calories during workouts in one week

January goals
- Weigh less than 78kg
- Run 3km non-stop outdoors (record time and aim to beat it)
- Row 500m as fast as possible (record time)
- Plank on toes for 1 min 30 secs (more if possible)
- Burn >3000 calories during workouts in one week

February goals
- Weigh less than 76kg
- Run 5km non-stop outdoors (record time and aim to beat it)
- Row 500m under 2 mins
- Plank on toes for 2 mins
- Burn >3000 calories during workouts in one week - twice

I think my goals are realistic and I intend to re-evaluate them at the end of each month.

But right now I'm going to focus on drinking lots of water, filling my body with essential vitamins & nutrients, and getting plenty of rest. (Woe is me.)

- Dani

week 12

It is here! The 12th and final week of the Michelle Bridges 12 week body transformation (Round 3 2012).

I have lost a few kilos, a fair few centimetres and gained a slightly healthier outlook. It is progress, but not at the intensity I wanted. Having signed up at the gym and joined the 12wbt, I thought I'd take significant steps in reaching my goals. But no.

So I thought it was time for a 12wbt reflection.

Nutrition
The food has been 50/50 for me. The nutrition plans don't really suit my lifestyle, as many recipes require far too much prep and cooking time. I often feel that all I do (Mon to Fri) is work, cook/eat, exercise and sleep.

In some ways, the nutrition plan is almost too ambitious as well. I would normally never buy so many different ingredients for one week and at times, following the plan to the letter can seem expensive.

Furthermore, my friends and I love to eat out. So rather than encouraging everyone to eat at home all the time, there could be a little more focus on how to make the best choices when eating out.

There have been massive highlights though. I now eat breakfast more regularly - almost every day. And a few of the recipes will be favourites in my household for some time to come.

Exercise
I have really enjoyed the planned workout sessions, though I'm not sure that I will ever stick to the full plan. I just don't seem to be able to workout 6 days in a row. Normally by Thursday my body is so sore from the previous three sessions that I can't do the full workout. (Hopefully this won't be such a problem as I get fitter and stronger.)

I have, however, changed my lifestyle to incorporate more physical activities (e.g., discovering new places on my bike) - which I am loving.

Mindset
I must admit, I haven't watched every weekly mindset video, so I perhaps haven't focused enough on this area. However, I kinda feel that the 12wbt is a good tool but that it won't 'fix the problem' so to speak.

I have been overweight for about 4-5 years now, but I have had problems with food since I was a teenager. I would drink coke everyday, eat doughnuts before school, stash confectionery in my bedroom.

Now don't even think about blaming my parents. In fact, my mum is a bit of a health nut. There was never any junk food in the house, though we would occasionally get to eat Coco Pops during school holidays. We only drank water and rarely had take-away.

But I wanted what other people ate. So I would spend most of my pocket money and later my after-school income on 'crap' food - often from the school canteen and occasionally from the local milkbar.

I never gained weight until I stopped participating in organised sports (after I left college).

So yes the 12wbt is changing my habits, but I still want that other food, whether I enjoy it or not. I can't imagine ever not wanting processed, highly addictive, massively marketed junk food. My palate might be changing, but my thought patterns haven't.

Overall
It must be doing something and I must enjoy it because I've signed up for Round 4. There have been brilliant moments where I felt fit, healthy and strong. Moments when an email from Mish would fill me with rage. (Yes, at times I seemed to go through the five stages of grief.) Moments when I just didn't care.

Mostly though, the 12wbt has made me think more about what I do and who I want to be. I might not have made significant changes so far, but I'm getting there.

Despite not reaching my goals, I'm still going to give it my all at the Group Workout and Finale Cocktail Party. I don't particularly plan on celebrating my successes, but I'm sure it will give me plenty of inspiration to kick-start Round 4. See you there!

- Dani

red flag week

I've been feeling a little less social over the past few weeks. I am completely unable to rein myself in when eating and drinking out with friends, so it has been best to avoid those situation. But I can't go on like that forever.

This week I am out almost every night with birthday dinners, comedy nights, cocktail functions, the races, etc. It is a busy time of year and I know that I am failing to stick to the 12wbt plan. I didn't workout on Monday or Tuesday (but I did go for a lunchtime walk) and my diet has been far from ideal.

I know I'm supposed to suck it up, get up early and JFDI. But after a late night, it just doesn't happen. And to be honest, I'm not keen on depriving myself of sleep in order to exercise in the morning. Yes, I can try to get home earlier - but it's not happening this week.

While I am exercising when I can and watching what I eat as much as possible, in these situations I am completely weak - I know this. I ate birthday cake on Monday and I can't imagine not doing that. People have birthdays and people eat cake - I don't want to miss out on these things.

At home I seem able (most of the time) to be the mature adult that understands that I can't have everything I want. When I'm out though, it's all 'I want, I want, I want', and the mature adult doesn't even seem to be in the room.

If willpower really is a muscle, then I'd like to know how I can train it before I am in those situations. Because at the moment, I am feeling horrible, eating out, drinking and not exercising (even though it hasn't really affected my weight loss - which is even more annoying). Eating out is inevitable but I should be able to choose the healthiest option on the menu, say no say to that glass of wine with dinner and get up early the next morning to exercise. Shouldn't I? But I can't imagine ever not wanting the wine, not wanting the creamy risotto, not wanting to sleep in. And when I do say no to those things I tend to get a bit sulky and I don't enjoy the moment as much. (If you haven't guessed by now, I really hate being told I can't have something.)

There must be a balance between living a healthy, active life and engaging in 'normal' activities like eating out and having birthday cake. And I guess the answer is moderation. But as an overweight person, does moderation not apply to some things?

Basically I am feeling pretty weak and pathetic right now. My lack of willpower has been a huge barrier for me over the past few years, but I really thought that this time I was going to break through...

- Dani

big in Japan

Throughout the last 8 weeks I have changed a lot... but not as much as I'd like. I clearly have a long way to go before I can claim that I think fit and healthy.

This has gotten me thinking about whether I'll sign up for the next round of the 12 week body transformation. At the moment, I'm thinking that I will skip the next round, but sign up for the first round in 2013. Why? Because 1. I need to start doing these things for myself, not because a program tells me to and 2. I'm going to Japan in January.

As you may or may not know, people in Japan are very small and I'm not just talking about height. Morning exercise is part of almost everyone's routine and the government has even imposed waistline standards. So... I'm going to be big in Japan - physically.

I figure that between the 12wbt (and the finale), summer looming around the corner, seeing my family at Christmas and heading to Japan for new years, I have more motivational factors than anyone could ever need. If I don't seriously lose some weight now, then I don't know when I ever will.

So now I feel positive and confident knowing that I have 4 weeks of 12wbt and 'Project Japan' to keep me going through to the end of the year.

I also tried on some dresses today (maybe with the finale in mind) and though I was very hesitant about trying on a size 12 dress, it fit! It didn't look great, it did nothing for my shape, but it fit. Just another reason to smile and keep losing weight!

- Dani

the plateau phase

...is over! I lost 700 grams this week, and after a 5 week plateau, I almost can't believe it. I wish I'd taken a photo of my scales to prove to myself that it is real.

I have to admit that I weighed myself on Tuesday, not Wednesday - as I was much too focused on showering and jumping on my bike. But it still counts, yeah?

It makes me wonder why I did plateau for so long, because I did the maths (I have my spreadsheet remember) and it wasn't reconciling with the results. There is certainly a degree of human error involved in calculating calories etc, but I honestly should have lost more weight over the past 8 weeks.

Hopefully my body (and mind) has done whatever re-adjusting it needed to do and now the weight will continue to drop. (Fingers crossed!)

Regardless of my weight loss, I'm enjoying being more active everyday and the longer days are definitely spurring me on.

Here's hoping my measurements and fitness test results are on track this week too!

- Dani

avoid, avoid, avoid

I'm not normally a 'chocolate person', it is something I enjoy but it isn't a weakness of mine... until recently!

Being told a piece of dark chocolate here and there is ok led to me consuming dark chocolate (albeit small amounts) almost every day. Not cool.

Haigh's dark chocolate - so addictive!

So guess what happens now? ...no more chocolate! Once a week max, but preferably not at all. At least for the foreseeable future.

And my undoing every weekend is largely due to alcohol. While I rarely drink beyond the National guidelines, a glass or two certainly starts upping the calorie intake, which (at this stage of my journey) I just can't afford.

October is looking like a very dry, chocolate-less month. I'm sure it will be fantastic!

What have you had to cut out/avoid to reach your goals?

- Dani

catching flies with honey

I gained 500 grams this week and I couldn't be happier.

The first 5 weeks of this 12wbt have not been easy for me. I found myself constantly stressing about diet and exercise. It felt like my home life revolved around the kitchen and the gym. And, dare I say it, I missed my couch. I would love to be a shiny, happy person that wants to squeeze activity into every moment of their life, but... I enjoy settling on the couch to watch a good movie. (Who doesn't?)

I was also constantly disappointed in myself for not following the 12wbt plans to the letter and on Sunday, I realised that I was tense and unhappy - and that something needed to change.

Sad Panda

So, thinking about my original goal - to find balance - I tried to gain some perspective.

I realised that I have my own choices to blame. Choosing to exercise after work limits my time in the evening to cook, clean, relax, etc. Also, the 12wbt is a tool that I'm using to improve my life, not a rule book, so it shouldn't stress me out. And most importantly, I want to change my life forever! So I need to find what works for me.

Since I had this realisation, I've changed my mindset and I'm actually choosing to spend more time in the kitchen and more time exercising. Even when I've had the option to enjoy some couch time, I've gone for a bike ride instead.

Gettin' some air

I'm feeling more motivated to change my life than ever before. If my joints are sore, the sun is shining and I choose to walk home from work instead of hitting the gym, I know I'll make up for it later in the week. I can eat non-12wbt approved meals, but I need to be mindful of my calorie intake and the nutrients my body needs. (I'm working on some healthy recipes right now!)

Nuts-for-lemon balls (I adapted my nuts-for-lemon bars recipe)

I would be lying if I didn't admit that I do need more discipline (I guess that's why I'm in this position in the first place), but stressing out and feeling despondent is never going to help me reach my goals. So now variation and substitution are friends not foes, and my focus is on the big picture (e.g., being active everyday, eating well) rather than religiously following specific plans/guidelines. And... I feel so much happier.

- Dani

incentives

I've hit a bit of a plateau. I guess the initial enthusiasm of doing something new has worn off and I'm sinking into old habits probably more that I realise. So it's time to crack the whip and dangle a wee carrot. (Normally this doesn't work for me, but I'm going to give it a shot.)

Once I get under 80kg I'm going to allow myself a little splurge and here are some ideas...

Running shorts (Lorna Jane)

Asics Gel-Blur33 2.0

Presta packable shirket (Lululemon)

Sweatcuffs (Lululemon)

Fitbit One

I decided my splurge should help promote my healthier lifestyle, hence these ideas are fairly 'fitness focused'. But I'm also lacking a decent party/cocktail dress... so that could be a splurge option too.

Do incentives and rewards work for you? If so, which incentives drive you the most?

- Dani

the good, the bad and the... hungry

As part of my transformation I am trying to have a more positive outlook, but as I enter week 5 of the 12wbt I realise I'm feeling a little on the fence. There is good and there is bad, but I'm embracing both.

The positives
I am loving the workouts. I'm not participating in as many classes as I would have liked and I don't always train 6 times a week, but I am pushing it 100% in every session and occasionally adding a little more. The workouts are making me feel like my old, sporty, competitive self again - it is great!

A huge, massive positive for me is that *drum roll please* I'm eating breakfast!

I'm eating 12wbt meals approximately 50% of the time and 75% of my meals/snacks are healthy... so I can't complain about that. The 12wbt meals have been surprisingly delicious too!

The negatives
So this is where I hit a low - the other 25% of my meals... it's not good. I revert back to old behaviours (weekend drinks), old comfort foods (creamy pasta) and old excuses ("It's ok, I've barely eaten anything all day"). And most of the time, I don't even enjoy it!

I know it is my mind craving these things rather than my body, but I find it so hard to not give in to temptation.

Additional to these moments of weakness, I've also been getting very hungry, particularly at night and occasionally in the afternoons at work. While I haven't always satisfied these cravings, I'm wondering if, once again, this is actually my mind wanting to eat rather than the body needing it. (Why does this happen?)

And lastly, mornings. I really want to train in the mornings, but it hasn't happened. I know Michelle Bridges says "go into robot mode", but I'm never in robot mode - maybe this is why I struggle to stick to a plan.

***

So one third of the way through my 12 week transformation and these are my yays and nays. I've learnt that I can't just focus on my strengths - I've gotten super fit before but it didn't result in any weight loss. Instead, I'm trying to appreciate my weaknesses/struggle points and use them to shape my focus areas. My willpower certainly seems to need more training sessions than my body at the moment. But compared to where I was 4 weeks ago... well I'm much fitter, I've lost a little weight and I'm thinking of ways to make my meals as healthy as possible. I guess I've got plenty to be positive about :)

- Dani

the maths

So today was weigh-in day and my mood is a little flat... I only lost 100 grams this week.

This got me thinking though, what does it take to lose 1kg?

I remembered reading an article that talked about weight loss in terms of numbers. Instead of being written by a celebrity trainer or health expert, this article was written by Jessica Irvine - an economics writer, and it was surprisingly helpful. (Quick fact - Jessica was also a 12wbt member.)

So I did my research and various sources weren't 100% consistent but 7500-7700 kilocalories (which are commonly just referred to as calories) equals approx 1kg. So to lose 1kg, you need to burn 7500-7700 more calories than you consume. (It is more complicated than that, but this can still be a good guide.)

Using my own approximate details (I've averaged over a week) as an example, I should be losing approximately 130 grams per day.

1200 (Daily calorie intake) - 1623 (BMR*) - 600 (Additional calories expended e.g., workout) = -1023 Cal

7600 Cal

= -0.13

*Basal Metabolic Rate (see below for more details)

One bad day won't have a drastic effect, but the more you stick to the plan, the easier it will be. If I was to add 400 calories to my daily dietary intake it would nearly halve my weight loss.

I have now started a spreadsheet (geek!) with all these numbers and hopefully instead of feeling flat next weigh-in I will know exactly why I have (or haven't) lost weight.

Who knew a little bit of maths could be so helpful?

So while we're on the topic of maths, I'll quickly touch on the maths behind Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). But firstly what is BMR? It is the amount of energy expended daily at rest.

For anyone involved in the 12 week body transformation, your BMR has already been calculated for you and you can find it on your 'My Stats' page. For everyone else, here is one way you can determine your BMR.

Females: BMR = 655 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + (1.8 x height in cm) - (4.7 x age in years)
Males: BMR = 66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) - (6.8 x age in years)

Once again, this maths isn't exact but it gives you a good idea.

There you go, weight loss through maths. Obviously, knowing how many calories you need to cut out doesn't exactly help you avoid the temptation of the cookie jar, but at least you'll know you can work it off by adding an extra 10 minutes to your workout.

So here's to many positive future weigh-ins!

the beginning

Hello, I'm a 26 year old living in Melbourne, working in the CBD and dabbling in a few other things (e.g., blogging, tweeting). Oh and I'm trying to change my life.

About a month ago, after a fairly intense period at work, I realised that my life wasn't particularly balanced. I was prepared to dedicate 110% of myself to work and yet I wasn't doing the same for other areas of my life - especially my health and fitness. In fact, throughout my life I have often devoted most of myself to one or two areas and completely neglected the rest.

I might have indulged in a tad too much on alcohol in the past

This is also not the first time I have focused on my fitness. In my childhood, up 'til I was 21 really, I was a very dedicated sportswoman. Two years ago I ran in the Run Melbourne 10km event - I actually did it. But during all that time I was focusing on my fitness rather than my health and well-being.

Can you spot me?

This time I'm taking a more holistic approach. I'm hoping to be a healthier, fitter, friendly, happier version of myself. A good daughter, partner, employee and friend. I will take pride in what I eat, how I look and how I act. It has been easy to say "I don't care", but I should care - this is my life, this is me.

Self explanatory really

So before I start preaching and singing Gospel (it is so easy to get carried away), here are my goals...

• Lose 20kg (while I don't like to focus on weight, this is a bit of a necessity)
• Run 3km comfortably
• Participate in gym classes with ease (this is both a physical and psychological battle)
• Reduce the portion sizes of my lunch and dinner
• Eat breakfast!
• Get my car serviced (it might not seem relevant, but it is part of me being devoted to every area of my life)
• Feel comfortable in bathers (please note I have written 'feel comfortable', I know I'm no Miranda Kerr)
• Change the way I think - I want to think fit and healthy

And yes, I am writing a blog about finding the right balance in life and a blog about dining out. I'm hoping to keep both blogs alive and that my new-found balance will give my food blog a healthy twist.


- Dani