Behind The Scenes 22 April 2022 – Weight Loss Update

What a busy week behind the scenes 22 April 2022, I’ve had some exciting things happen and some disappointments which I will go into. It was amazing having weight loss coach Irena Ross from Nutrifit join me to talk about my weight loss journey so far and have her share her fantastic tips for moms to lose weight.

Weight Loss Update And Tips

Since last year October I have lost 12 kgs and got my weight down to 70.3kgs, well that was a few weeks ago and it appears that either I have put on a few more kilos since then or (and I prefer this option) the new scale I bought has added them on. However, I am still incredibly happy with my progress and content with where I am. Here are the two main things I’ve learned from my own experience and talking with Irena:

1. Be Kind To Yourself 

The number one mistake I made over the 6 year trying to lose weight (and failing) was to push myself way too hard and expect too much of myself. I would gear myself up and make a long list of things I should be doing then set a date that I would start with all of these things. The result was that I started off strong and then started losing momentum. Then I would lose the plot and beat myself up.

2. Change Habits Slowly And One At A Time

I only found success last year when I decided to be kind to myself and tackle one thing at a time, slowly and in a way that made me feel good. When I mastered one thing and it became habit I started looking at what I would change next. Over time I started exercising regularly, eating smaller portions, eating healthier food and cutting out junk (Coke, chips, and chocolate), eating unprocessed foods and drinking more water.

My weight loss was slow and mostly steady, my focus was more on changing my habits than losing weight. I started losing weight slowly. but steadily, and I started feeling physically better but also in a more positive mindset.

One thing that also stood out for me this time is that I wasn’t following something I researched online, I was not following a meal plan or exercise program. I was doing what felt right for me.

From my experience through this and from talking to Irena my advice to anyone wanting to lose weight is to pick something small you want to change and that you know you can achieve and start with that. One step at a time and do it until it becomes a habit before you move onto anything else.

I will keep you updated on my progress. For now I’ve identified a problem area – it is getting colder which means that I am not keen to get outdoors and walk, plus warm weather means I want to eat more. My goal right now is to figure out a winter plan so that I don’t undo all the great things I’ve achieved so far and if I can make it through winter maintaining my weight that is going to be perfect.

 

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Sweatcoin Update – I Didn’t Get My Free Netflix

Sweatcoin is an app that pays you to walk. For every 1000 steps you walk you earn 1 Sweatcoin (less a 5% fee). There are also ways to earn extra Sweatcoins such as referring people, daily rewards and a 20 minute double boost where you earn double coins for those 20 minutes.

You can redeem Sweatcoins for offers that are available. These offers change all the time. There was a first week offer available to redeem 300 Sweatcoins for free Netflix and I love my Netflix.

I didn’t get my free Netflix that I was working so hard to get. I achieved the 300 Sweatcoins in time and redeemed the offer. I was told it would take 14 days for it to be sent to me… if it was still available. I got an email about 10 days later telling me it was no longer available so they had sent me $10 via Paypal, which I did receive.

Now firstly there was confusion around the Netflix offer, when it showed up on my home screen it said I would get one month free Netflix, but when clicking on the offer it said I would get 6 months free Netflix so I was not sure what I would get. Clearly it was for only one month which was a disappointment.

I also claimed an offer to redeem R40 via Paypal for referring 5 people. This was supposed to be paid to me within 7 days but I have not received that amount and there is no response from multiple queries I have sent to support.

So those things have been a disappointment, however I still love the concept of Sweatcoin and I am going to be continuing with it for a while longer and redeem some more offers to see what happens. I will write a full review in a few weeks time when I have all the information I need.

If you want to sign up under me and earn to walk click here….. or wait until I’ve written my review with all the pros and cons.

Working With Q Photo

I’m so excited to be doing a collaboration with Q Photo very soon! They supply beautiful, high quality photobooks and I’ve placed my order for my first one. I made one for my older child’s first year and I am super excited for it to arrive. I will unbox it in my first live video after it arrives. I’m busy with choosing photos for the next few photobooks.

Now I love being online and I have all my photos saved digitally and I share quite a bit on social media too. However, there is something so special about having photos on display in the home, or flipping through a physical album.

I’ve also received a voucher code for my readers – go to https://www.qphoto.co.za/everyday-photo-book and order the Everyday Photobook with 15 % off when you use the voucher code KABOUTJIE 

Google Family Link & FYI play it safe

So many people have told me how amazing Google Family Link is to manage your child’s screen time, however I’m honestly not that tech savvy. It may seem surprising since I am a blogger. Everyone assumes I’m a whiz with tech, but it takes me time to learn things. When it comes to phones I’m particularly reluctant to learn new things.

I finally set up Google Family Link and I hit some challenges along the way, particularly with my main email address which is through Google but a domain email and it wouldn’t accept it. Likewise I had my kids phones set up with domain email addresses. This meant that I had to remove those Google accounts from my kids phones and set up new Gmail addresses for them. Then I had to set up Google Family Link on my phone using my Gmail address.

Now that it is all done I’m kicking myself for not doing it sooner. It is fantastic! I can set how much time my kids can spend on their phones every day, as well as times that they can use their phones. I can also shut down their phones with the click of a button when they are not listening to me when I say they must put their phone down and do something. Oh the power!

The next step is for me to set up their phones with FYI play it safe which is an app that will keep my kids safe online through monitoring their use while keeping their privacy. If there is anything of concern I will be sent an alert with a screenshot.

FYI play it safe monitors dodgy apps, bullying behaviour, if anyone is attempting to groom my child, depression, and many more things. Next week I get to test my tech skills again to set it up.

I will be writing a review on FYI play it safe once I have used it for a while, so watch this space!

Ysense Earnings Update

I’m still loving earning an extra income with Ysense – I’ve now earned $495 (R7771.92) this year to date – not bad for a side income completing surveys and offers, playing games and referring others right?

If you want to know more about Ysense click here to read my review and also check out my post sharing tips on how to earn more through Ysense. Click here to sign up.

I wish you all a fantastic weekend and I will catch up with you next week.