Let's talk about Flex baby!

14^th November  2017

The best thing you can ever do is believe in you!

I’m so excited and I just can’t hide it…  It’s time for me to share FLEX with my members, I was awake at 4.15 this morning but not because of hormones because I woke up with all things FLEX going round in my head, it’s gonna be fabulous.

I did my first day on it yesterday, I wasn’t even hungry by the time I got from work at half nine, so I shared an M&S pizza with Lynne and had me a medium glass of wine – yep I did say medium, not large, I even had 5 points left, check me out, 3 meals, glass of wine and 5 points left.  Day one in the bag, these are my meals from yesterday.

Let the Flex begin, day 1, meal 1 - 2 slices bread, scrambled egg with spring onions, mushroom & tomatoes with a bit of protein cheese = tasty

Day 1, meal 2 – I love sardines and they’re so good for you too, they’re cheap, sustainable and delicious, not to mention full of calcium and healthy omega-3 fats – don’t knock em till you’ve tried em! I enjoyed them with olives on toast a little ketchup & hard-boiled egg.

Day 1, meal 3 – I wasn’t hungry so had big slice of M&S pizza (6sp) with a glass of wine (4sp) to finish my day

In addition to making a change to my meals yesterday, I changed my drinking, only one mug of tea all day and one can of diet coke, lots and lots of water, I’m ready to get healthy again and Flex is going to help me do it.  Have I mentioned I’m excited to tell my members how Smart Points has just got easier to follow?  Flex really is our most flexible programme ever with more choice and more freedom!

Anyway, back to yesterday, great to see a new coach last night tell her members about Flex, it went down well there so if I hadn’t already been confident about telling everyone, I would’ve been after last night’s meeting.  It took me back to when I started as a coach (leader then), how times have changed, we have ipads and technology, we’ve got the app (7 years almost since that arrived), but the one thing that hasn’t changed is that coach that stands at the scales and at the front of the meeting and supports those members.  They can’t be replaced by technology because there’s nothing quite like that human contact, that understanding, the meeting room is where the magic happens. 

I watched a member last night go from “I don’t like this, I’m going to stick to what I’ve been doing” to half hour later saying “I love it, I can have __ and eat more __ and I think it’s going to be great”.  What happened in that short time?  She listened to the coach and the other members, took in all the info, got over her initial fear of change – not maybe people like change – and left embracing the idea.

Anyway, I need to move myself, I’ve got lots and lots of new programme material and stock to put in my car, I need to have me a little breakfast first.  Bring it on!

You ready for change BeYOUtiful – I know I am!

HOT STUFF! Whatever!

13^th November 2017

Just so we’re clear, I’m under no obligation to stay in the same mood for any length of time.  Perimenopause

Morning, it has been since 2.38am for me, can I just say when I asked the universe  for a smoking hot body the journey to menopause was not what I meant!  I’ve just googled it, here’s just a little of the info I found;

“Perimenopause is a time of unpredictability. Menstrual and hormone-related symptoms are different for every woman. Some notice few or no changes. And others have severe symptoms that disrupt their sleep and daily lives. As during the teen years, irregular cycles can lead to heavy menstrual bleeding. Other common symptoms include mild to severe hot flashes, insomnia, cloudy thinking, headaches, heart palpitations, mood swings, irritability, depression, and anxiety. Some of these symptoms can also be related to aging and other life changes.”

Well last night I had all but 3 of those systems bar!  How lucky am I, I thought as I lay there feeling my beard grow.  And to think this is just the warm up, I have the menopause to follow!

Yeah it wasn’t a great night’s sleep at all, the only bonus is I’ve woke up with a stonking headache but no desire for food, I’ve got so much to do today, this will be fun – NOT!   The Paracetamol ain’t touching it, so I’m gonna get the big drugs out ;) Not really, I’ll just try a couple of Ibruprofen next, I can’t handle a day long headache if I’m driving to Leominster later.

More googled info:

You can improve your body's ability to handle menstrual changes by getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, limiting alcohol and caffeine intake, and reducing stress. Nonprescription pain relievers can also help reduce some symptoms.

So there’s my motivation to get properly on track and sort myself out, if moving more, eating healthy, drinking less alcohol and caffeine and reducing stress will help me not have nights like last night, let’s do this!

Together with my members this week, I’m starting Flex, the cat seems to be well and truly out of the bag so using the name of the new magic is okay I reckon, I can’t wait to discuss it with members this week and show them how fabulous this is going to be for all of us, early Christmas pressie for sure.  As we all start following it and seeing the results we can use the hashtag #TheFlexEffect

If you can’t wait till your meeting and need to know a little more https://www.facebook.com/weightwatchersuk/videos/1498771283491818/ Weight Watchers posted this video yesterday, I’d still say wait for the meeting, its better when you’re told something and can ask questions straight away!  I won’t be answering any questions until the relevant meetings, so be warned before you message me!

Right Alfie is dogging me, he wants his walk so I’m off now, here’s to a very, very healthy day, I will sleep better tonight if it kills me!  I do hope you slept better than me BeYOUtiful xx

A heart of gratitude today

12^th November 2017

If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan.  And guess what they have planned for you?  Not much! - Jim Rohn

In bed by 8pm, that was so good last night, I’d already started falling asleep in my chair so when mom suggested we go to bed as I was already there in the chair, I couldn’t really argue!

I’ve already walked the dog, he wasn’t willing to wait this morning, then the moron has just walked across to the shops and stood on the green for half hour, it’s wet, cold and windy and I’m stood next to him saying to myself, “I’m never having another dog!”  I’m hoping it dries up, I have so much washing to do, oh I hate that I’ve turned into a grown up thinking about my housework.

I’m still not doing loads of it today, I’m going to potter, I love my Sunday pottering, got my chicken to try a slow cook chicken stuffing dinner, gonna get my washing done, clean my kitchen, maybe tidy my bedroom and the living room, but then when I’ve had enough I’ll be finding something worth watching on the tele and chilling for the rest of the day. 

Wonder Woman was a good film, not at all what I was expecting, I thought it would be a lot more light-hearted, still good though. 

We went shopping, by ‘we’ I mean mom and I, I got to Sainsbury’s and realised I hadn’t taken my coupon so had to go back home, asked mom if she was up for a drive and she said yes.  Cost me a blinking fortune she did, a trolley full of goodies, worth every penny it was to see her out and about.  She had a good long natter with the Poppy men, there was flirting going on too, I can tell ya, I had no change so mom bought a few things and took a tenner out of my purse – worth it too, after all we may not be here if it wasn’t for all those brave men.  She had a chat with Elle too who she spotted before I did.  Yeah I enjoyed our shopping trip a lot, it was good to get out together without Alfie being a nightmare in the car and he was chilled when we got back anyway.

So I’ve decided my mom doesn’t have Alzheimer’s, she has ‘some-timers’ - sometimes she remembers and sometimes she doesn’t. 

Make sure you stop and take a moment for silent today at 11am, stop, pause and remember and be grateful for everything they did and everything you have now.  Today is a day for the nation to remember and honour those who have sacrificed themselves to secure and protect our freedom.

Each year at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, we observe a Two Minute Silence. Armistice Day on 11 November marks the end of the First World War and is a day to remember and honour those who have paid the price for our freedom.  Please ensure you respect those precious minutes.

Today, take care of you BeYOUtiful and spend a little time with those you love xx