17 JULY 2016

“I ONLY HAVE TO LOOK AT MY BEFORE

AND AFTER PHOTOGRAPHS

TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE!”

– Katie Maxwell, member

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WEEKLYWEEK 29

TURN UP THE FLAVOUR BY TAKING IT SLOW IN

THE KITCHEN

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steadyslow and

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FOR KATIE MAXWELL, FINDING WORK-LIFE BALANCE PROVED THE KEY TO HEALTH AND HAPPINESS.

WOMAN on a mission

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My weight has always been a bit of an issue but it was when I started a new job that I let my

health fall by the wayside. I really wanted to impress my bosses, so I’d work late every night, and because I was tired, I’d eat whatever was available. It wasn’t that I was having pizza and soft drink every night, but I’d have lots of carbs and cake with colleagues, then I’d throw pasta and a jar of sauce on for dinner.

REALITY CHECK It was becoming harder to fi nd clothes that made me feel attractive and after I saw a photo of myself I thought, ‘Ugh, what is going on here?’ I knew I had to do something, but it was still three or four months before I joined WW. I wanted to make sure I would be completely focused because I knew I needed to overhaul my life and that there’d be no turning back. I went to my fi rst Group Coaching session thinking I would just lose 5kg.

I hadn’t weighed myself in years so it was a total shock to get onto the scales and see I weighed 123kg! But I stuck to my original plan and just honed in on my 5kg goal, and when I realised it was achievable – and enjoyable – to reach, I decided to go for another 5kg. Th en, I just kept going and achieved Goal two years later in early 2015.

CREATING BALANCE Long hours were the norm for me, but I started to realise I wasn’t doing myself – or my workplace – any favours by slaving around the clock.

Lost

50kgin 2 years

WW SUCCESSFUL SLIMMER

I tested a new work-life balance, setting my hours and only working back if I really needed to. It gave me time to exercise in the morning and I felt like a better worker. I realised that it wasn’t my bosses who were making me work all the time – it was something I’d brought upon myself in a bid to be a good employee. Yet that lifestyle is unsustainable – if you’re not healthy and active, there’s a good chance one day you won’t be able to work at all.

STAYING SOCIAL I’ve always been a social butterfl y so any healthy living plan had to allow for restaurant dinners and wine! I didn’t want to be one of those people who cut back on everything and couldn’t even enjoy a nice dinner out. I learned that if I wanted to eat out, I had to balance that with a day of fruit and vegies and going for an extra run.

I used to think I was happy but now that I look back on it, I realise I had hang-ups and I didn’t have a good image of myself. I only have to look at my before and after photographs to see the diff erence. Two years has made such a huge diff erence to my confi dence and the way I view myself – I am so much happier than I ever was.

BEFORE

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TRENDING NOW: Running! Pounding the pavement will make you feel twice as good if you’re in Melbourne on Sunday 24 July for Run Melbourne. Th is annual event allows you to get fi t while raising money for a charity of your choice at the same time – win win! Not in Melbourne? Not to worry. A jog around your local area with a friend is also a double win – it’s a chance for a social catch-up and you’ll get a tidy accumulation of FitPoints™ at the same time.

A BIT OF A STRETCH

According to Exercise Scientist Martha Lourey-Bird, a decent post-workout stretch is about more than holding a pose for half a second, giving your tired muscles a shake and moving on. Like many things, a

good stretch requires a touch more time, but the benefi ts are worth it. Proper stretching improves circulation and blood fl ow (which will reduce muscle tension) and increases fl exibility. If your calves or hamstrings are

feeling tight, it’s good to take your time and hold stretches of these muscles for at least 30 seconds on each leg (as Martha demonstrates below). Remember to breathe deeply and only stretch to the point of mild discomfort.

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RECLAIM YOUR TIMEIf your to-do list is out of control and longed-for me-time never happens, you might have a raging case of RWS.

WHAT’S RWS? Rushing Woman’s Syndrome was first coined by nutritional biochemist and author Dr Libby Weaver when she saw women become increasingly exhausted by their to-do lists. This madness can have you feeling stretched thin and can lead to a spike in stress hormones.

SLOW DOWN! Taking time for you, and just you, isn’t a completely selfish pursuit. When you take positive steps to reclaim your time , such as finding a pocket of me-time every day, a sense of calm enters your life, and you become a better friend, partner, colleague and mum. Plus, it’s better for your overall health. Researchers say serious, sustained stress can alter our internal biological systems and could lead to illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

WW YOUR WAY

SLOW AND READYWhether it’s the relief of coming home to a healthy meal that’s ready to go or you just enjoy rich, hearty fl avours that have developed over several hours, slow cookers tend to bring out an intense passion in their owners!

WW Senior Food Editor (and slow cooker afi cionado) Lucy Kelly says, “My slow cooker gets a real workout over winter.” Th e beauty of this technique is that it boosts fl avour, not SmartPoints™.

“I always recommend using the cheaper, tougher cuts of meat, such as chuck or stewing steak, which work beautifully. Just remove as much visible fat as possible before you start,” Lucy advises. “Don’t worry, trimming the meat will still produce soft and tender stews, casseroles or curries, while reducing the SmartPoints™ at the same time.”

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CURRIED LAMB SHANK SOUP

1 tbs olive oil 6 x 150g lean French-trimmed

lamb shanks, fat trimmedO 1 brown onion, finely choppedO 2 carrots, cut into 1cm piecesO 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tbs curry powder 3 cups (750ml) beef stockO 400g can diced tomatoesO 1 cup (200g) dried French-style

green lentilsO 160g baby spinach leaves

1 Heat half the oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Cook shanks, in batches, for 3 minutes each side or until browned. Transfer to a 4.5 litre (18-cup) slow cooker.2 Heat remaining oil in same pan over medium heat. Cook onion and carrot, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion has softened. Add garlic

SmartPoints™ VALUE PER SERVE:�8�|�SERVES:�6�|�PREP:�15 minsCOOKING TIME:�8 hours 20 mins (low); 4 hours 20 mins (high)

O Filling & Healthy foods are marked with a green circle. These foods help fill you up and keep you healthy.

and curry powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant.3 Add stock and bring to the boil. Transfer to slow cooker. Add tomatoes, lentils and 1.25 litres (5 cups) water. Cook, covered, on low for 8 hours (or high for 4 hours).4 Transfer lamb to a plate. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard fat and bones. Using 2 forks, coarsely shred meat. Stir meat and spinach into soup. Cook, covered, on high for 5 minutes or until spinach has wilted. Season with salt and pepper to serve.NOTE : Suitable to freeze for up to 3 months.SERVE WITH : Warm wholegrain tortillas. Add 4 SmartPoints™ value for a 40g tortilla per serve.ON THE STOVE TOP: If you don’t have a slow cooker, cook soup in a large covered saucepan over low heat for 3 hours or until shanks are tender. Continue from Step 4.

For more slow-cooked healthy and hearty recipes, grab

a copy of the latest WW cookbook,

REAL FOOD SLOW

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NEXT WEEK Bring the simplicity (not to mention savings!) back into your life.WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Your feedback means a lot to us and helps us improve your experience. The next time you see an email with the request ‘Tell us about your WW experience’, please take the 5-minute survey and tell us what you think.

TRY THIS! MARTHA’S 10,000 BEFORE 10AM CHALLENGE

ENJOY A DECADENT CHOCOLATE TREAT CHOOSE FROM BLACK FOREST OR CHOC HAZELNUT FLAVOUR BITES

Do you struggle to fit a little treat into your daily allowance? We created these portion-controlled bites to help you enjoy your dose of chocolate while keeping your SmartPoints™ tally under control! Perfect as a snack or after-dinner treat, they are only 1 SmartPoints™ value and come in two flavours – Black Forest and Choc Hazelnut.AU$7.95/NZ$8.20

ASK OUR EXPERTWEIGHT WATCHERS EXERCISE SCIENTIST MARTHA LOUREY-BIRD IS HERE TO HELP.

For me personally, the best time of

day to exercise is at 6am. It never used to be, but I had to change things around when I became a full-time working mum. The kids are still in bed at this time and I’m back to wake them at 7am. It really doesn’t matter what else happens in my day, I know I’ve done something great for me. It sets up my day in the best possible way and helps me achieve my goal of walking 10,000 steps before 10am. Why don’t you give it a try too?

Martha on the run before her family wakes.

O Filling & Healthy foods are marked with a green circle. These foods help fill you up and keep you healthy.

ADVERTISING FEATURE

CHICKEN SCHNITZEL WITH SALSA VERDE

SmartPoints™ VALUE PER SERVE 8 SERVES 4 | PREP 20 mins COOKING TIME 15 mins

¼ cup (35g) plain flourO 1 egg 1 cup (65g) panko breadcrumbsO ½ tsp onion powder 1 ½ tbs olive oilO 4 x 150g lean chicken breast filletsO 1 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf

parsley leavesO 1 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves 4 gherkins 1 tbs capers 1 tsp white wine vinegar 1 tbs Dijon mustard O 300g green beans, trimmed, halvedO 500g cherry tomatoes, halved

DOWN TO

SmartPoints™

SmartPoints™

Visit www.philips.com.au/airfryer for info and recipes

HOW DOES IT WORK?You can fry, grill, roast and bake with less or no oil thanks to the use of the Philips Rapid Air Technology.

prepared in the Philips Airfryer

1 Place flour on a plate. Whisk egg and 2 tsp water in a shallow plate. Combine breadcrumbs, onion powder and 1 tbs oil in a third shallow plate. Season.2 Place chicken between 2 sheets of baking paper and pound with a rolling pin until an even thickness of 1.5cm. Working with 1 piece at a time, coat with flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg and finally coat with breadcrumb mixture.3 Preheat Airfryer to 200°C. Place 2 chicken pieces in Airfryer basket, taking care to allow a small gap between them. Place grill attachment over chicken and place remaining chicken pieces on grill. Slide basket into Airfryer. Set timer to 12 minutes. Remove from Airfryer4 Meanwhile, using a food processor, process parsley, basil, gherkins, capers, vinegar, mustard and 2 tbs water, stopping several times to scrape down side of bowl, until a rough paste forms. Season.5 Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook beans for 1 minute or until lightly charred. Season. Add tomatoes. Carefully add ¼ cup (60ml) water, standing back to avoid steam. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until tomatoes soften slightly.6 Serve chicken schnitzel with beans and tomatoes and dollop over salsa verde. #

Original recipe uses an extra 80ml olive oil for shallow frying.