12wk Health Blitz Challenge - Week 5

Ditch the Dessert – No Cakes / Cheeses

Week 5 of the 12wk Health Blitz Challenge is all about  “Ditching the Dessert. No Cake or Cheese.!”  For some this could be one of the hardest challenges to date however achieving it will mean subtracting 100s of calories from your diet each day. Remember you need to burn 3500 calories to lose approximately ½ kg of body fat. The calories from dessert just sit & turn into fat. So unless you’re intending to workout at 10pm at night, avoid that dessert!

We have heard this said before: ‘I am so full, but I will make room for dessert’ or ‘I’m so full Mummy, can I have dessert now?’ Having a dessert after a meal is not one of those ‘must have’ things and has little nutritional value. Desserts are one of those foods that we tend to eat for taste rather than hunger, as we are already full or had enough to eat from our main meal. They are actually classified in the ‘not real food’ basket because they have little or no nutritional value.

Here are some tips to help you to avoid desserts and to conquer this week’s challenge:

• After having the main meal clear the table and go for a walk.  This way you are not tempted to have dessert and you get extra exercise in too.

• This week, don’t buy and keep any desserts in your cupboard or fridge/freezer. That way if they are not in the house you wont eat them.

• Wait 30 mins after your meal and if you find you are still hungry have a piece of fruit. This will help fill you up and it is a healthier alternative.

• Drink plenty of water during the day and before a meal. Have a hot cup of low fat milk after your meal. 

When we say no cheese for this weeks challenge we mean the dessert cheeses such as the soft white cheese, blue cheese and fruit cheeses. As these are the cheeses that are full of calories and don’t have the same nutrition value as the hard cheeses.  We also tend to eat these cheeses in larger quantities. Low fat hard cheese is ok in small quantities during the week as we still want to include protein in our diet. However, still remember those portion sizes so a small matchbox size of hard cheese is one serving.

Week 5 - Extra Topic

What do the Food labels mean?

Fact 1: A US study found that those who take up the label-reading habit are more likely to lose weight than those who don’t.

Fact 2: the word “Light” or “Lite” on the label can mean light in flavour and not light in calories

Fact 3: The ingredient list must be listed from the most to the least amount within the product

Healthy Eating Tip: When reading the label aim for less than 30% fat, less than 300mg per serve Sodium, and 5 grams of sugar per serving

Motivational Tip: Write down what life will be like when you have lost your weight. Write it as if it has already happened and then imagine what it will be like.

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***Found this awesome article written by the 'Food and Drug Association' on how to understand food labels. It is very comprehensive and I learnt a lot reading it. You have to read it is.

Click here to access the article - How to Understand and Use Nutritional Fact Labels

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Have a successful week.

Jason