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A skinnymixers story…

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Nikalene Riddle Skinnymixers Healthy Thermomix Recipes

A few of you have asked to see more of my before/after weight loss photos, and I made a promise earlier this year that I would share more, as well as my story. Today I discovered that I now fit into my littlest sisters size 10 jeans (pictured below!), and yesterday I reached a HUGE 37kg lost since starting Skinnymixers – so I thought that there was no time like the present 🙂 While I don’t see myself as the ‘inspirational’ or ‘motivational’ type, so many of you have reached out over the past two years to share that I have contributed towards better health, weight loss and a happy home that I have come to the realisation that sometimes it’s not the stereotypical inspirational types that people find motivating, but rather everyday people like me.

Over the past year I have gained and lost the same 5kg probably 20 times, had complete melt downs over my weight and have denied myself my health by choosing to ignore my body when it was telling me that I wasn’t treating it right… but most of all, I have taken some huge steps towards fixing ME. I still don’t have it all figured out and I have no delusions that it’ll be an easy ride from here either. I still have around 10kg to lose to have a healthy amount of fat for my body type and I really, REALLY need to figure out how the hell to enjoy exercise and make it part of my daily (not yearly) routine. It’ll take a miracle to fix that one.

I know many of you will ask ‘how’, and honestly there isn’t any one answer. It’s been a lot of little things combined and I firmly believe that there isn’t a one size fits all to weight loss like many of the peddlers will have you believe. So while I will run through what I have done, what it boils down to is a) reducing my portion sizes, b) knowledge, c) sheer willpower and d) starting a Healthy Thermomix Recipes facebook group where 100,000 people watch what I eat LOL. While not everyone can manage, I believe that the other 3 things apply to any sort of diet or lifestyle choices we make.

I have lost the bulk of my weight by doing the Changing Habits ‘4 phase fat elimination protocol’. You can read more about it over on the changing habits website. Essentially, it’s a version of the HCG protocol which is centred on extremely rapid weight loss by eliminating foods which are inflammatory from your diet. It’s often used as a way of figuring out which foods might be causing health expressions like eczema and migraines too. The protocol is what helped me figure out my portion sizes. It’s really bloody hard for the first 5 days and 98% of my friends and family who have decided to give it a go because they’ve seen how great it worked for me can’t hack it. It’s not because they don’t want it bad enough, it’s because it isn’t the option for them. While many people might look at this as a failure, I see it as a positive thing – they gave it a go, and they now have one less ‘diet’ to try… which means they’re one step closer to finding the ‘one’.

As I mentioned, the protocol teaches you which foods your body does/doesn’t tolerate… which is where the willpower comes into it for me. Having this knowledge has been SO powerful for me in sustaining my weight loss. I bet there are a few judgemental know it all’s out there no doubt thinking ‘well of course eating hungry jacks is bad for you and that’s why you were fat’ – but what about raw tomato? What about cauliflower? These foods that people think are healthy and good for you, my body really doesn’t like. Having the knowledge of what will happen if I eat a raw tomato salad means that I can make an informed choice about it.

Before I tried the protocol, I was what people call ‘paleo’ now, and I had a generally healthy diet… I was just eating too much and some of the foods I was eating just weren’t working for me. I had lost about 10kg just by making the switch to grain free/dairy free/refined sugar free, but I had plateaued. I tried a few different things like weight watchers/calorie counting – all with very limited, unsustained success. Then I had this brilliant idea to start a healthy thermomix recipe and lifestyle group, and the rest (including the 37kg) is history.

10983260_10152798675318533_4146387719015966052_oPeople sometimes ask why I coined the name ‘Skinnymixers’ when my recipes aren’t even ‘healthy’ – I challenge those people to broaden their perspective on what ‘healthy’ is, and understand that their view of ‘healthy’ might not necessarily work for someone else. I will continue to release recipes that help me in my weight loss efforts, but that also fit inside the gigantic diet spectrum – all the way from low calorie to high fat.

I hope that sharing a little bit of my story has helped fill in a bit of history for those of you who haven’t been following my group or blog since day 1. If I’ve inspired anybody to make even one small change towards health, then perhaps the fear and shame associated with sharing photos like this, that no one else has seen before, becomes irrelevant.

Love Nik xx

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Please note: http://changinghabits.skinnymixers.com is my affiliate page, although I am a new affiliate of this program, I have used it with great success for over a year before becoming an affiliate.

  1. Hi Nik: Y=Thanks for sharing. I find your story truly inspiring. After the birth of my second child – over 30 odd years ago – I have struggled with my weight, constant diet and exercise, Then I gave up for a while and have dieted on and off ever since. Ended with Type II diabetes and a fatty liver to boot. Have tried many diets and most have worked partially. I don’t eat sugar, any white carbs (potato, rice, flour, etc.) but still struggle to lose weight. I thought I would give your cookbooks a try as I can’t find many healthy recipes on Cookidoo either and it’s frustrating. I have been inspired by the sheer size of the Thermomix community that you serve. God bless you and keep up the good work.

  2. Cant thank you enough for sharing your real story and photos, it does inspire! Good for you, you look amazing and probably feel fabulous!

  3. Could you do changing habits drops with Nik’s phase 2 recipes? Do we really need to buy the whole starter pack with books etc?

  4. I find inspiration on Skinnymixer FB page for recipes every now and then and I am often curious to see what other people cook, learning new options for meals to put on the table when I run out of ideas and find it very useful.
    I read this message only now and I 100% agree with what you write here!
    I am a Health Coach and the principle of “what is good for me might be poison for someone else” is a fundamental in finding your the way to lose weight that really works for you as an individual!
    You worked it out by yourself and took many small steps reaching this amazing result.
    Thank you for sharing and for the awesome idea to create your awesome FB page which is truly a big community now. Well done Nik, I admire you!

  5. Fantastic. Thanks for sharing your story. You are amazing in so many ways and all the more because you’ve developed this site. I’ve just lost 8kg on the 4 Phase… and now found your site. Bless you big time.

  6. Hi Nik, I had a similar journey to you but came to it via exercise first, diet second. I used to be a total couch potato and am now a proper exercise junkie. If you really don’t like exercise there are some dance workout programs you can try. Look up CIZE from beach body. It’s so fun it doesn’t even feel like dancing. It needs to be ordered from the US via a site like dvdworkoutworld.com.au thanks for sharing xxoo

  7. Are you able to eat the majority of your recipes while following the 4 phase fat elimination protocol? Already love your recipes so just wondering if I can include them at all. P.s thanks for your recipes there fantastic

    1. There are a few compliant recipes that you can use during the 4PFEP, but not all. They are listed under HCG but you should always check the ingredient list to make sure for yourself. My fav during protocol are the chicken and cauliflower soup, slow cooked greek lamb, zoodle soup, chicken/beef madras, and chicken and broccoli. I have lost nearly 60kg over 3 rounds of 4PFEP.

  8. Awesome Job and very inspiring! I am sure there are plenty you have inspired let alone your own family base! An so true we are all different and not every body is the same! so it is a journey and people like you make the journey much more bearable and enjoyable! Thank you. Deann

  9. Finally a person who understands !!
    When conventional doesn’t work there isn’t a lot of people with an answer
    I’m allergic to garlic. Major intolerance of a host of veg in the same family – tomato, Cap, potato which are all nightshade veg
    And just recently dairy was added to the list and there is an on going discussion about gluten with my doctor. I’m better without it. I have generally removed it now.
    But I still havent cracked the code for my weight loss, there isn’t much left to take out really!

    It’s inspiring to hear others talk about foods. Seemingly healthy food that just wasn’t for them. Thanks. It gives a little bit of hope

    1. I could have written this! After many years of discussing gluten intolerance with doctors, I was diagnosed with coeliac disease and hashimotos thyroiditis. I have found the key to unlocking my lethargy and weight gain were removing grains (including GF) and sugar. These were causing major inflamation in my body. I can actually now tolerate small amounts or dairy. Hope this helps.

  10. I have done the original HCG protocol and it has been brilliant. So far I have done two rounds and dropped 21kg and kept it off for a year so far. Well done!

  11. Hi Nic well done you I remember you and your great advice from last time I was on CH 4 phase fat protocol. I am now doing it again R2 D16 more dedicated and focused this time. I am just new to Skinnymixers are there HCG P2 friendly recipes??? TIA. Judy

  12. Thanks for sharing your success I am going to try the recipes when I get back from over seas holiday. Got the ebooks and eagerly waiting fir hard copies to arrive.
    I am impressed with your site and journey thanks again got chafing. X

  13. You look so much healthier now. Your eyes have come to life and you ‘look’ happier too. Thanks for all the work you do and sharing with all of us

  14. What an inspiration. I stumbled across your website today! And to read that you are a ‘changing habits’ success story . I have been ‘toying’ with the ‘changing habits’ protocol for some time now , and after reading your story above, have decided that it will be the way to go. Thank you for your story.

  15. Tears of joy, these are the moments to stop, acknowledge and celebrate who you are. So inspirational! A beautiful intellectual honest soul.

    Thank you for sharing your voice.

  16. So, so inspirational! And your recipes are the yummiest! Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do with Skinnymixers.

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