Did you know that Half The Woman I Ws (that’s me!) is now on Twitter. Follow me to get your regular health and weight loss tips, as well as some extra motivation! You can find me at:

https://twitter.com/HTWIW

Issue 36 hits the stands today with me on the cover! “I lost 70kg and still ate chocolate” is the headline they used – not one I would have chosen myself but it is true, and I still eat chocolate to this day. The are of course some differences – I eat much less chocolate, and I eat dark chocolate, usually 85% cocoa. Before I lost the weight I was craving fats and sugars, and so commonly advertised chocolate bars or blocks of chocolate easily satisfied my need. But these types of chocolate are not quality products, they actually have very little cocoa in them at all and are often filled with other unhealthy items like peanuts, wafers and chewy caramel – more fat and sugar.

Now I eat chocolate as a little luxury, not every day and I eat it for its heath properties: anti-oxidants which rid the body of free radicals; and its oleic and stearic acids which make up 75% of the fat in dark chocolate and help to lower cholesterol. Plus, chocolate makes you feel good – it has a variety of chemicals which boost our endorphins and elevate our mood – one of the reasons we often crave it when we’re feeling down or premenstrual. Sure you can get more natural dopamine by eating a bowl of broad beans but that just isn’t as much fun! And the bottom line here is it’s all about balance.

My favourite chocolate? Green and Black’s Maya Gold. Perfect as a special treat with a good Barossa Shiraz – but only one glass and only a couple of squares!

Today is my birthday and so begins a week long of celebrations as I catch up with various friends and family members. I love celebrating birthdays – and not just my own. Each one is a marker in time where one can pause and reflect, and think about the changes that have happened over the past year. In this modern world it seems we are continually striving to achieve more, be better and improve our heath. We rarely acknowledge or appreciate all the things we have already achieved, the friends that we already have, the love of our families and the level of health we have right now (it almost certainly all could be worse). The passing of another year is a good way to take stock, acknowledge our wins, and set some new goals. And whilst we should stop and count our blessings every day, not just once a year, I’d like to share with you what I’m grateful for today: my health and happiness; my husband Antony and my dogs Kimba and Willow;  my family, friends, and the community I live in; the ability to travel across this vast country and around around this great planet; to share my life and love with those around me; and mostly for the privilege and opportunity to inspire others to achieve more and be all they can be. These are my real birthday gifts.

It’s important to keep active not only to lose weight and keep it off, but also so you stay mobile right through your life. Your body is a ‘use it or lose it’ proposition. Almost any excuse to get you going will do – walk instead of take the car, park further from the shops, use the stairs instead of the lift, get off the tram a stop early and walk … there must be a million ways. One of the reasons we got two dogs was to force us to stay more active, and with so many fantastic parks near to us it’s a joy to get out each day in the sunshine and soak up some rays. I usually let Kimba and Willow lead the way but often our walks often take longer than I planned because Kimba also loves to sit on the park benches and watch the world go by. So what excuse are you going to use to get more active today?

One of the great things about being a writer is that I get to do it in some of the most beautiful parts of the world. As long as I have my laptop, I can write – and I’ve even been known to write on paper with a pen when I don’t (what have we gone back to the dark ages?) Here I get to look our over the heritage gardens from the Chinese Room at Chateau Yering in the Yarra Valley.  Its moments like these, in unfamiliar but beautiful surroundings with a change of view where my creativity gets revved up and I get inspired to write some of my best work. So if you’re feeling a little uninspired, then change your view to reinvigorate your motivation or at the very least, a little creativity.

Today’s post is dedicated to the man behind the woman that is “Half The Woman I Was’ – my wonderful husband Antony Anderson. You see we met face to face for the first time 15 years ago today. After meeting on a small Internet dating site which had less than 2,000 members and talking on the phone for 2 days we decided to have dinner at a Greek restaurant half way between our homes, in Northcote. When I think back to the people that we both were, and the journey that we’ve travelled over that time I can’t begin to quantify the immense changes. Sure physically I’m now half the size I was when we first met, that Greek restaurant no longer exists and the little Internet dating site called RSVP is now Australia’s largest singles dating site with over a million members. So a lot has changed physically. But it’s the emotional and spiritual changes that we’ve had to make in this journey, who we have had to become at our very core of being, that are the most incredible. And Without this amazing man by my side, my partner in business, life and love who pushes me to become a better person each and every day, I doubt I would have achieved so much in my life. Thank you darling Antony – I love you.

On Saturday 4th August I was presented with an Award from my publisher, Darren J Stephens of Global Publishing, for becoming an Internationally Published Author. It is such a privilege and joy to work with such wonderful people who make my job so much easier.

Yes, I took the plunge tonight and signed up for Twitter, Stay tuned for an announement of when I’ll actually start tweeting …..

This 4 minute video could save your life! Australia has surpassed the USA as the world’s fattest country with more than 13 million Australians overweight and more than 4 million obese – that’s over 75% of the population. Half The Woman I Was explains how you can lose weight and keep it off forever with 9 Simple Steps. Watch and discover hor you cna change your health and your life – forever.

The official Book Launch of Half The Woman I Was” took place on 27th June, 2012. Introduced by good friend Aubrey Rhodes, there was not a dry eye in the audience as Sigrid shared her emotional journey since forming the book’s concept back in 2005, including her powerful and courageous decision to ‘jump ship’ from her six-figure corporate salary to pursue her passion of Half The Woman I Was full time. Check out our YouTube Channel to see the video “The Launch”.