Author: Melissa

For an assessment task I’ve been researching Koh, an Australian company that sells innovative, eco-friendly cleaning products. It has got me in the mood to make my own house sparkly.

For the next week and a bit, I’ll be busy finishing several final assessment tasks for my last two subjects of the year. In addition to my little Koh project, I am working with some other students on a business plan and pitch for a mail-order pharmacy idea that is due next Friday. And I have a 1,750-word essay on managing workforce diversity due a couple of days later, on Sunday. The very next day, I will be rising early and picking up my holiday companions for our road trip to Bundaberg. The mood will be jubilant! even more so since it will be Jo’s birthday!

When I get back after our trip, there will be several weeks of study break since my next classes do not start until the end of January. One of the things I would like to get done during my break is a deep clean of the house.

I’m very keen on using natural (and cheap) products, and most of the following are tried-and-true natural cleaning solutions. All I’ve usually only lacked is the elbow grease 😀

• Microfibre cloths: they may be made from synthetic materials, but these cloths, when dry, pick up dust like nothing else. When damp, they cut through grime with just a little elbow grease. They can also be thrown in the washing machine and used again and again – but make sure you don’t add fabric softener. It coats the fibres and reduces their effectiveness.
• White vinegar: great degreaser and when diluted can be used on wooden floors, tiles and benchtops.
• Lemons: tougher than vinegar. Try rubbing a cut lemon dipped in salt on sink stains.
• Bi-carbonate of soda: use on its own as an abrasive or combine with vinegar to remove tough stains.
• Salt: good natural scourer. Dip a toothbrush in salt and scrub tile grout.
• Washing soda:this is more alkaline than baking soda so use gloves. A natural alternative to sugar soap.
• Soap flakes: when dissolved in warm water, pure soap is a good all-round cleaner. If you need extra power, add some washing soda.

List from Homes to Love.

Rubber glove photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

This morning I woke with a sense of anticipation and gratitude; today is the first day of the rest of my life, and the last three months have put me on a path to better health. I lost 13 kg and got rid of some bad habits by sticking to the programme. I still have 6 kg to shed before I reach the healthy body mass index (BMI) range.

My shape has changed, noticeably on the top half of my body. Below are my ‘before and after’ photos. On my first day, the pants were quite snug around the waist and hips. Today they are very loose, I had to keep pulling them up.

I am continuing on the Fast800 programme on the transitional 3:4 plan (four days fasting at 800 calories) for a couple of weeks before we head off on holiday in Bundaberg. While we’re away, it will be impractical to stick to the plan but I will try to make healthy choices whenever I can. I’m looking forward to the occasional glass of red wine that is now allowed to me! When we’re back, I will go onto the 5:2 plan (two days fasting).

‘Feet on scales’ photo by i yunmai on Unsplash

Jo kindly invited me to a birthday lunch at her place today for Dad, who is now an octogenarian! We almost forgot to take photos but thankfully remembered shortly after we had all filled our bellies with Chinese take-away (and Fast 800 chicken stir fry in my case).

I really like this photo Mum took; it captures Dad in a candid moment as he looks at me instead of the camera.

In fact, it’s only week ten this week, but it’s close enough to the end of the 12-week programme to be wondering what happens next. Some people on the community forum have posted about it. I’ve been thinking a little about it, and Mum asked about it the other day.

So, initial thoughts were that I would just continue on the Mediterranean style diet, stick to healthy eating habits, and keep going with regular exercise.

I started thinking about how well this programme has suited me. I was super motivated going into it, determined to kickstart a healthier lifestyle. The meals are probably the best feature, they introduced so much variety and taste to my diet. Other aspects of the programme have been helpful too. The little dopamine hit from checking off each of the daily tasks in the app – the three meals, the exercise session, and the reading article with the scientific evidence covering all aspects of health eating. There have been goal setting guides and mindfulness meditations which I can follow at my leisure. The community forum has been great too for the peer support.

Apparently what happens next is my account switches over to a monthly plan, with the first month as a trial. You retain access to the app and all the content. The approach changes from fasting every day on the restricted calories diet, to the 5:2 programme, in which you fast only 2 days of the week. I might try it!

Photo by Holly Mandarich on Unsplash