The Thinking Person's Diet

Another diet book?
NO! Just simple changes, with the latest research and wisdom from mates and achievers, updated from Susie's first book Half My Size. It's her story of how she shed more than 50 kilograms and kept it off for ten years. Susie hasn't always been successful and had to work hard to discover the reasons why, as they are not always within our control.

Come with her while she details 21st century research and discoveries that help explain what a journey weight control is, for her, for you, and for everyone. Susie looks at ways to achieve realistic and achievable results that will make you feel terrific about the way you look and feel, inside and out! She looks at simple things YOU can do. Her tips, her hints, what worked for her. It hasn't always been easy but Susie is still half her size!

Susie Elelman AM is a versatile multimedia broadcaster. Author, TV presenter, radio host, reporter and producer are just some of the many hats she has worn throughout an impressive media career spanning four decades. Susie can currently be seen voicing her opinions as a regular host on Studio 10 on the Ten and WIN Networks nationally.

Still Half My Size
New Holland Publishers
Author: Susie Elelman
RRP: $29.99

 

Interview with Susie Elelman

Question: Why did you decide to write Still Half My Size?

Susie Elelman: Since my first book Half My Size was published in 2005 (also by New Holland) there has been lots of new research and discoveries to help with weight management that I felt it was important to update my readers.

I've kept all the fantastic motivational interviews with high profile celebrities including Shelley Taylor-Smith, Jeff Fenech, Jessica Rowe, Tara Moss, Sandra Sully, Wayne Pearce, John Maclean and Trevor Hendy and conduct new interviews.

In Still Half My Size I also explain how I've shed in excess of 50 kilograms and how I've managed to keep it off.


Question: What's different in Still Half My Size?

Susie Elelman: There are new interviews in Still Half My Size with experts in their field, including Dr Gary Aaron from The Australian Menopause Centre, to helps us manage the menopause madness and the weight gain that often accompanies it.

I also interview Orthopaedic Surgeon and No Fructose Advocate Dr Gary Fettke & Award-winning International Chef, Restaurateur, Author, TV's MKR Judge & Paleo Devotee Pete Evans.

There's a Chapter called 21st Century Discoveries where I explain the research behind how stress can be making us fat and the discovery of a -fat virus' that could account for 30% of the world's obesity problems. My interview Dr Maxwell Strong takes about the importance a prebiotic fibre in good gut health.

NLP guru Laureli Blyth shares some great tips to get our minds in shape, fitness industry veteran Glenn Chipperfield gives some quick and easy TV Ad-break exercises you can do without leaving the couch and Elle Macpherson's Mum Fran contributes some of her yummy low-fat recipes she fed her family on.

The final and most popular chapter -ADD Sex & Double Your Results' contains an interview with Sexpert Dr Rosie King and there's a Comparative Energy Consumption Chart that shows how well Sex stacks up alongside household chores & sporting activities in burning energy.

The colourful photo gallery shows me in all shapes and sizes and contains many of my outrageous Logie gowns.


Question: What's your top piece of advice for achieving realistic weight loss results?

Susie Elelman: My best tips for anyone embarking on weight management are;

Don't weigh yourself
Weighing yourself only sets you up to fail. 1kg of muscle weighs the same as 1kg of fat but muscle doesn't take up as much room. Just take your waist measurement instead.
Women should be 88cm or less and men 102cm or less.

Take Baby Steps
There's more chance of you succeeding if you start with baby steps. Making subtle changes will be easier to adopt as lifestyle changes in the long term rather than making dramatic and hard to maintain changes all at once.

Read the label on all foods in a packet or container
There is so much hidden sugar, fat and salt in pre-packaged foods, especially in yoghurts and bread that you really need to read the nutritional panel printed on the pack. Only measure from the 100gm column as portion sizes will vary.
-Everyday foods' shouldn't exceed 10gms of total fat and sugar should be less than 15gm per 100gms.
More than 22.5gms of sugar is considered high and 5gms in 100gms as low.
Portion Size
Our closed fist is about the size of our stomach so beware of the size of your meal.
Serving meals on smaller plates and eating with smaller cutlery will help reduce and slow down your food intake.

Mindful Eating
Evidence shows we eat around 30% more food while watching TV or when focussing our minds on other things. Chewing each mouthful well and putting down our eating utensils between each mouthful helps too.


Question: What five ingredients could you not live without?

Susie Elelman: Lemon juice – My substitute for high fat/sugar filled salad dressings.

LSA – (Linseed, Sunflower Seeds and Almonds) Great vegan protein alternative to high sugar laden carbohydrates like cereals at breakfast, I add some fruit & yoghurt. Great in a smoothie too. I make mine fresh (3 parts Linseed also called flaxseed, 2 parts Sunflower seeds & 1 part almonds, pulse each in a food processor and combine)

Plain Yoghurt – My versatile alternative to high fat sour cream when making dips or on top of baked potatoes or with curries. You can add chives and other fresh herbs or make it sweet.

Garlic & Chilli – For this humble cook these help make any meal taste yummy and help speed up my metabolism.

Crunchy Raw Veggies – I chop up raw hard vegetables like carrots, daikon radish, snap peas, cucumber & capsicum instead of eating high fat carbs like corn chips and crackers with hummus and dips.


Interview by Brooke Hunter

 

Still Half My Size
New Holland Publishers
Author: Susie Elelman
RRP: $29.99