30th September 2010 - facebook group email

Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. Carl Gustav Jung

Last day of September and 12 weeks to Christmas – YAY, and I know I shall be lighter by then for sure because I’m enjoying taking care of my body and mind, and when you enjoy something and don’t treat it like a duty, you enjoy it more.

Loved that some of you did the gratitude thing on my wall, let’s keep that going and do it again today, so mine are;

1. Yesterday I got into my skinny jeans that haven’t fit me all year – and not just one pair!
2. I’m grateful for Julie, Chris and all of my helpers without whom I couldn’t run my meetings.
3. I’m grateful that Alfie woke me up early as he needed a number two and didn’t do it in the house!

What you grateful for, go write it on the facebook group wall or use the comment below - if it works!

I had an appointment yesterday at the doctors about my back, I booked it 2 weeks ago because I’ve got so much on at the moment it was the only time I could fit it in and when I rushed to get there, I was told my appt wasn’t on the system and my doctor was on holiday for two weeks. Normally I might have lost my temper but I just smiled and said, “that’s ok, I’ve had a bad back for 5 years, what’s another 2 weeks”. Yep sometimes its just not worth getting wound up about is it.

Still off booze and only 1or2 cups of tea a day and I feel fabulous, my sleep was disturbed by a little doodle called Alfie last night but hey ho, he’s a lot better than he was! Maybe less caffeine is one of the reasons I’m calmer, it does make you agitated doesn’t it! What I am having to remember to do though is drink more water, because I’m having a lot less fluid each day without my mugs of tea. Few people - whether active or not - drink sufficient water, and side effects of even slight dehydration include headaches, fatigue and low concentration levels. Yet increasing fluid intake can increase energy levels, aid digestion, give skin a boost and help boost your anti-aging armoury (cheap than Elemis face cream). Concentrate on drinking little and often throughout the day, being extra vigilant after exercise or when you've been confined in a dry, overheated or air-conditioned environment.

Another great day yesterday in my meetings, it always amazes me how much my members have in common and how alike they all are, but at the same time how each meeting has its own personality and even though my meeting topic is the same for the week, it’s rarely the same in any meeting and that’s why I love my work, I’ve loved watching the light go on in so many peoples eyes this week, it’s very rewarding.

When you find work, hobbies and activities that you enjoy and are rewarding you are less likely to treat eating as a recreational pastime! Boredom and dissatisfaction with our lives are two of the major reasons why we overeat. So if you’re bored or unhappy think about what you can do to rectify that. There’s always a solution if you look hard enough.

So whatever you have planned today, whether its work or pleasure, find a way to enjoy it. If you’re coming to get weighed, don’t forget your smile and enthusiasm ;-)

Remember life starts now.

Are you living yet?

Bev xx

29th September 2010 todays facebook email

One reason I don't drink is that I want to know when I am having a good time. Lady Astor

(You knew that wasn’t going to have been written by me!!!! But she does have a point whoever she is)

So how did your day go yesterday, did you try the tuning in and seeing if you were hungry? What about the gratitude idea? I bet most of you didn’t! So today I’m going to test my theory, I want you to you the facebook group wall as your gratitude board and write one thing on it, read the next paragraph first in case your struggling for ideas.

There are many things in your life for which to be grateful. These might include having close friends, being in a loving relationship, being part of a supportive family, enjoying good health, having a roof over your head or enough food to eat. Alternatively, you might have a job that you love, have happy memories of the past, recently had a nice experience, such as an especially lovely cup of coffee, enjoyed the smile of a stranger, had your dog welcome you home, eaten a great meal or stopped to smell the flowers. Think back over the past week and list three of these things. This should take a maximum of 60 seconds so don’t say your too busy!

Now go and type at least one of them on my wall, all three would be even better and don’t say your too busy, hell I’m typing this email at 5.30 in the morning so I can send it to you as that’s how busy my day is ;-)

Yesterday I was grateful for;

- My amazing members and being able to see the light go on in some of their eyes as I did my talk.
- My mom for posting my mail for me.
- Karen at the Chi Rooms for my wonderful massage and making my back a little easier.

Ooo I could think of loads! How lucky am I, do I have the perfect life – no but I do have a lot to be happy about and grateful for. I’m going to buy or find out (cos I know I have loads already) a lovely notepad and each day I will do this exercise to remind me how good life can be, even on the worst of days.

Don’t miss your meeting this week – why not?

1. Because it’s a Beverley Special, you’re getting the hyped up Bev from the weekend on full motivating throttle.
2. Because you’re worth it and it may be just what you need to give you a different perspective!
3. Because it’s the last week of free registration if you need to come back and get into the swing of things after taking a break.

Anywho I better get started on the day ahead, lots to do, no rest for the wicked and all those daft sayings.

Remember life starts now.

Are you living yet?

Bev xx

28th September 2010

"To be awake is to be alive." Henry David Thoreau

I’m playing catch up today because of being away all weekend, but at the same time I’m feeling really good, very driven and focused after my super weekend. It’s great to be in a place where food isn’t a priority, when eating is something I’m doing because I’m hungry and not because it’s a mealtime. I only ate 2 meals yesterday but they were enough and I ate what I enjoyed, I made a delicious puff pastry tomato, mushroom, cheese and bacon tart thing which was scrumptious and for my breakfast I’d had a sandwich from M&S, and in-between the only thing I’d felt my body needed was a pear about 4.30. Now the sandwich from M&S was a New York Pastrami on Rye and it was 7 points – now in the past I’ve thought ooo I can’t spend 7 points on a sandwich! I’d usually have about 3 or 4 points for my breakfast but the difference was whereas I’m usually ravenous or at least peckish quite quickly, by spending the 7 points I felt satisfied because I tuned into my body, ate when I was hungry, ate what I wanted and sat down, put it on a plate and focused on it. By doing this I stopped when I was satisfied by physically and emotionally!

Try it today, ask yourself the question, “Am I hungry?”, then if the answer is yes ask, “What am I hungry for?” Whatever you choose to eat, stop when you’re satisfied. Of course these free things will take time to master, and lets be honest you may not always have the time to go through this process, if that’s the case, choose just one meal today or tomorrow, or whenever you feel your able to and try it. What can I say it’s working for me, I had the most fabulous weekend in London, I didn’t say no to anything I fancied but at the same time I didn’t just eat for the sake of eating and I came back 1/2lb lighter whereas normally after a break I’ve gained a few pounds! So that’s my story, you decide whether this idea could help you write yours.

I was reading a book yesterday on the train and apparently writing down the things in our life that we are grateful for is a very powerful exercise and helps make/keep us happy. So today I’m grateful for my Alfie Doodle who gave me the most wonderful welcome home yesterday and has just come to me for a bit of love which we interrupted this email to oblige and now he’s sat on my lap making it delightfully difficult to type as he has his head rested on my right arm! I’m also grateful for my mom who supports me 100% even when the tone of her voice tells me she’s not even 50% sure I’m doing the right thing. And lastly I’m grateful to all the amazing people that were part of my superb weekend in London and they were a long of them.

So what are you grateful for or glad to have in your life, or what happened yesterday or this week to make you smile? Don’t just think it – write it down, it’s the writing down bit apparently that makes it so powerful. Anything’s worth a go isn’t it if it enriches your life and makes you happier.

Oh one more thing that made me smile was the responses I had to my emails this weekend telling me to have a good time in London because I deserve it, it’s lovely when people think about you and take the time out to respond, so thank you to all of you for being my members and allowing me to do work I enjoy.

Remember life starts now.

Are you living yet? I am!

Monday 27th September 2010

Be your own guru because no one knows you better than yourself! (Beverley)

Well I've had the best weekend, I'm feeling very relaxed and rested and last night I fell asleep in the hotel room watching XFactor and didn't get up till 6am which is just over 9 hours - wow that's fab for me and I'm sure the cutting out of alcohol and cutting down of booze has really helped.

So I woke at six and because I'm in a hotel room I clicked on the tv and good heavens the first thing I heard this morning was 'Britain is the fattest country in Europe and the 5th in the world!'. At last we won something!! Seriously though, this isn't a great thing to hear and I personally think the government are approaching it all wrong - bribery and scaremongering is not the solution!

Moving away from that I was warmed to see people this weekend running, walking and generally moving more whilst I walked through Regents Park.  I think a lot of people resent exercise because of the way it's sold as a way to lose weight yet another time when we're obsessing about how much we weigh as if we don't already get enough opportunities for that!

So ask yourself how do you like to move, what do you enjoy doing or what might you enjoy doing?  I asked myself the question as I lay there this morning and realised I wanted to stretch so that's what I did for ten minutes. I didn't follow a routine or watch a DVD I just started stretching and moving and guess what when I'd finished I felt great ready to face the day.  

Our bodies like to move, we are not meant to be sedentary so how would you like move today?  Not tomorrow - today because the answer might be different tomorrow. For me yesterday I wanted to walk - I don't want to do that today because I've got a shin splint from walking in the wrong footwear :-)

Ask yourself the question 'how would I like to move today' then close your eyes and try and tune into your body, feel how it feels - are you shoulders stiff, is it s bit fidgety - have you got ants in your pants, is it tired.  Ask your body?  Then do it - move in whatever way feels good to you without thinking about how many points you may earn doing it!

Have you ever thought "ooo I'd love to try...." but not done it for whatever reason, maybe you were scared, you thought you may not like it, you knew you wouldn't stick at it.  Well guess what you don't have to stick at it, try it once and if it doesn't work - try something else. 

I love walking but not when it's pouring down with rain!

So just for today try to tune in and ask your body how it would like to move and remember it doesn't have to be for an hour it can just be a few minutes.  Maybe walk to the end of your street and back or dance to a tune whilst you wait for the kettle to boil or whilst you clean your teeth.  

Remember life starts now.

Are you living yet?

Saturday

Sunday 26th September 2010

Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.--Dalai Lama
 
Yesterday was a gorgeous day, on the morning I took a lovely 2 mile walk through Regents park and primrose hill enjoying the sights and sounds of London - you can't beat a walk to clear the head.  

Anyway I caved and had a cup of tea couldn't cope with the headache so I will start by cutting down from ten cups to one of two, I am sleeping better and still no booze ;-)

These days when I make changes to what I eat or drink, I tend to be asking myself is this good for me and my health and by health I mean mental and well as physical health rather than how many calories/points are in it.  I don't eat food I don't enjoy just because they'll get me slimmer - do you?  I know I used to!

Anyway I'm having a wonderful weekend in London and not pointing anything although thinking about whether I'm hungry and what I'm hungry for so by being my own guru I don't feel as if I've overeaten. 

Try it yourself, wait until your hungry for a change and then ask yourself what is it you really want?  Try and tune into your body because believe it or not the answer won't always bs chocolate or crisps.  

Have a superb Sunday.  

Remember life starts now.

Are you living yet?

24th September 2010

All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt!  Lucy, Peanuts

Friday again, where do the days go!  I’ve got a lovely weekend planned, meal with my bessies, theatre show in London, can’t wait to get on that train!  So if you don’t get an email off me until Tuesday, it’s because I’m having far too much fun or I can’t access FB from my phone.  But I promise I’ll try!

I really should go and pack a weekend case, as I haven’t done that yet – o dear, preparation isn’t my forte just lately.

Yesterday I decided to give up caffeine and alcohol!!!! WHY!  Well because we all know they’re not really any good for you and I consume too much of both, plus the alcohol robs me of points that I actually would rather be spending on delicious food.  So wish me luck on that venture this weekend!

On a positive note I did sleep better last night, coincidence – I think not.

I’ve also found a new diet too, it’s called ‘Alfie’ he’s eating my breakfast toast as I type, so that’s saved me some points.

My meetings have been great this week, lots of weight loss, members all focused, even those that weren’t the week before came back ready to refocus.  Make sure that positivity stays with you all over the weekend.

Remember life starts now.

Are you living yet? 

23rd September 2010 - today's facebook email

A man's errors are his portals of discovery. --James Joyce

Yesterday there were a few tears in my meeting from members, actually I shed a few myself on the way to my meeting, mine were because I’m frustrated because I’m in pain, so I’ve decided to take action and do what I can to help that. My members were for different reasons, but one was a returning member I hadn’t seen for a few months, when she say what the scales said, it must have hit home and she started crying, unfortunately she didn’t stay which is a huge shame as the last time a new member cried in my meeting at the number on the scales she became one of my gold stars, losing loads of weight to get to goal and now she drops in once a month to keep her weight in check, not only did she change her weight but she changed her life and she did it with the support of all the members in my meeting. Everything is so much easier with support, why do you think they invented bras!

So if you ever feel down about your weight, talk about it, and at the same time remember its just a number and it can be changed, the beauty of it is we each have the power to make the change, and the easiest what to do it is one step at a time.

I thought as we’ve done fibre and sugar this week, today we’d look at salt. Did you know we’re only supposed to have 6g salt per day tops! In a quarter of a pizza from pizza hut there’s 9g salt! Salt should be used as a flavour enhancer, so you should be seasoning to taste not pouring it on!

Apparently about 1 in 4 of us is what is called salt sensitive so chronic use of salt over time causes muscles in the small arteries of our body to constrict, and long term it will raise the blood pressure, so if you are salt sensitive and there’s no way of knowing that, even small excesses of salt in your diet will raise your blood pressure, the trouble with that is high blood pressure especially when its combined with high cholesterol narrows the arteries to a point where a clot can form which could lead to a heart attack.

Just by being a bit more aware we can make massive differences!

Use sea salt, and by using pepper and herbs you can use less. Did you realise in processed food salt gets lost and it’s balanced out with sugar believe it or not!

75% of our salt consumption comes from pre-prepared food, so get in touch with your labels more and you can get those levels down. For example for my tea last night I had a Morrisons Value Minced Beef Hotpot which had 1.8g salt in, a third of my intake almost and yet it didn’t taste like there was any in there at all, so guess what – I added more! On a positive note, it was only 3 points.

Remember life starts now.

Are you living yet?

22nd September 2010

If you really do put a small value upon yourself, rest assured that the world will not raise your price.

I heard something the other day and it stuck in my mind, “if you are the caretaker of your family, you have got to take care of yourself first then you've got so much more to give.” How true is this, you cannot take care of everyone else, a house, a family etc, if you’re not taking care of yourself first! So let’s get on with doing that eh.

If you’re reading this email and you haven’t been to one of my meetings for a while, and there are some of you because I’ve browsed the member list, then it’s time to come back to a meeting! It’s less than 100 days till Christmas, so you want to be able to look and feel good in time for that, but more importantly, don’t you want to look and feel good all the time? I know just eating healthy filling foods for the last 10 days has made me feel 100% better, I’ve been spending every weekend for the last few months slobbing in front of the tv, but this weekend I didn’t, I moved around and did stuff, because I had more energy!

So I expect to be seeing a few of you this week or next, after all from a totally selfish point of view, or as mentioned at the beginning, I’m taking care of me as well as being the caretaker of my members, “if you don’t get weighed, I don’t get paid!”

So moving on and changing the subject, did you know why we’re told that you should be chewing your food 20 times before you swallow, well the reason for this is we’ve got little stretch receptors in our jaw, so the more you open your jaw and shut, the more you chew, the better because it actually sends a signal to the part of your brain that acknowledges that you’re full. Mmm interesting…

Also to help you get slim without feeling hungry, remember whole grain cereals keep you fuller for longer reducing the temptation to snack. So maybe have wholegrain cereals at breakfast time if you get peckish mid morning.

Staying slim isn’t just about looking good it’s about staying healthy. Did you realise that 2 litres of regular coke has 40 teaspoons of sugar in it! All empty calories! That’s a staggering amount and if you have a bag of sugar go put that many spoons in a bowl to see! You may not drink it anymore but do your kids? If so why not mix unsweetened fruit juice with sparkling water for lower calorie fizzy drinks.

Crisps too are obviously high in fat, so you could consider snacking on popcorn instead or better still fruit! I’m buying a lot more fruit at the moment to try and encourage me to eat more as it’s not something I’m in the habit of.

There are lots of little things that can be done to make a difference without it being a big deal; it’s about making small, regular, permanent steps to change for good. And the first step you should make is walking back into your meeting because I can’t help you if you’re not there!

So let’s have a fabulous day, hopefully it’ll be another lovely bright day like yesterday, the sky yesterday morning was awesome, so if you’re up when the sun rises this morning take a moment to enjoy the view, it truly is beautiful and proves there’s more to life than food!

Remember life starts now.

Are you living yet?

21st September 2010

Do right. Do your best. Treat others as you would want to be treated. Lou Holtz

I lost 2lb when I got weighed yesterday, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping for more, 3-4lb was my goal and I did what I tell others not to do, aim too high and then end up disappointed, 2lb any other week would have been fabulous! I know I had two extremely bad weeks preceding and got away with only a 2lb gain so really ones balanced out the other! I still feel much better in myself than I have done in a while, more energy, I spent time in the kitchen again yesterday, made a turkey hotpot and a bacon, onion and cabbage mash dish. So that’s the most important thing – feeling better in myself. We also had some amazing weight loss in yesterdays meetings, 164lb lost – WOW!

In my work I notice that the word FAT offends some, I suppose it all depends on the context it’s being used in. Today I thought I’d educate us again, so I’m talking about the fat we eat, not the fat we wear ;-)

Did you know the “Recommended Daily Allowance” of fat for a woman is 70g, for a man 95g. But did you realise curry has around 26g fat, burger and chips could be as much as 45g fat and a Kebab provides an incredible 82g fat!

So if you’re a woman the kebab alone wipes out a whole days fat allowance!

If you’d like to live a little bit longer these takeout meals have got to be treats and not an everyday thing!

The reason that fat matters of course is because fat makes us fat! But also the wrong kind of fat can raise our cholesterol, and over time this can cause a heart attack or stroke. Did you know too that there is good cholesterol that actually cleans away what has built up! Saturated fat actually starts clogging up the arteries and that’s the bad news, this comes from too much full fat dairy -things like cream, pies, pasties, inferior fatty sausages and fatty red meat.

So to help lower the amount you eat, one thing you can do is take the skin off a chicken breast – this cuts the saturated fat by 30%.

Did you know a lot of vegetable oils contain saturated fats so read the label!

The good news and the good fats come from good old Olive Oil because they help stop the bad fats from clogging our arteries up. Try rapeseed and hemp oil – they’re packed with good fats. Obviously don’t use copious amounts of either ;-)

Seeds and nuts are good too and you can easily toast and pop in your cereals. Again remember they are high in points, you don’t need lots.

Foods high in soluble fibre like lentils, beans, chickpeas can lower cholesterol.

And oily fish like mackerel, salmon, tuna and anchovies are great for the good fats. Sardines, just have them once a week, they’re excellent and there only going to cost 35p!

Fish oils are proven to help the heart and are linked with reduced stress and depression.

And it’s not just about the fats, it’s the antioxidants too, good old dark bitter chocolate and red wine, these all contain antioxidants and that’s what stops the fats from clogging up our arteries. So that’s good news isn’t it! You’re going to weigh and point these things though of course, and if you haven’t got the points spare there’s always raspberries and strawberries, which are another great source of anti-oxidants.

Remember life starts now.

Are you living yet?

20th September 2010 - today's facebook email

I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed. Michael Jordan

Amanda completed her run, inspirational - well done, a very respectable 2hrs 30minutes. Alfie and me usually manage a mile in 30 minutes, so good going Amanda ;-)

So it was the end of week 1 yesterday of getting back to eating healthy, tracking everything I eat and following the plan, if I’m totally honest I feel much better in myself, I had more energy this weekend than I’ve had in a long time. I spent a few hours cooking in the kitchen, made a fish pie and even did the washing up! I did make the mistake of getting on the scales yesterday afternoon after staying off them all week and it looks like I may have gained weight, but we’ll know for sure this morning at my official weigh in. I have to say getting on those scales totally turned my mood, which proves it’s not a good idea to jump on scales in-between weigh-ins! If I have gained I’ll be gutted because I know I’ve stuck to the plan, however it won’t stop me carrying on because I do feel better, so the results will have to show next week if not this.

If I haven’t lost weight one of the reasons I can come up with is ‘painkillers’ and how they affect your body! You all often talk to me about toilet your problems! So instead of going into that, let’s talk about fibre ;-)

Did you know we need 20-24g fibre a day so start looking at food labels, get to know what’s in your food, check out the nutritional labels, look at the ingredients, I have been doing and there are some scary ingredients in those lists!

Did you know in just one tin of baked beans you’ve got half the amount of fibre you need in a day. 1 serving of plain instant porridge contains around 2.4g fibre and yes instant packet porridge is fine if that’s more convenient for you. In 3 tablespoons of peas you get 3 times as much fibre as you would do in a banana.

Water – it’s the water and fibre together that helps, so if you find you are having problems with constipation up your fluid intake! Also limit alcohol and caffeine as they can lead to dehydration, creating stools that are hard and more difficult to pass (is this too much info for a Monday morning!)

Exercise gets the adrenalin pumping round the body and that stimulates the gut. Also apparently magnesium can help loosen stools, so increase your intake of magnesium-rich foods, such as spinach, almonds, nuts, raisins, bran flakes and artichokes!

Did you know we get through £43,000,000 of laxatives each year in England alone! That’s a lot of problems!

Types of Fibre

There are two types of fibre - soluble and insoluble - and your body needs both to stay healthy. Fibre reduces the risk of bowel problems, some cancers and keeps your digestive system working well. Soluble fibre is also thought to lower blood cholesterol levels.

Pasta, rice, potatoes, bread, cereals, pulses, nuts, fruit and vegetables are all rich in fibre, so make them part of your daily intake.

Five Ways to Boost Your Fibre Intake:

1. Swap a slice of white bread for a slice of wholewheat bread
2. Eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast
3. Swap potatoes for a portion of brown rice at dinner time
4. Add lentils to a dish to make it more filling and richer in fibre
5. Eat five portions of fresh fruit and vegetables every day



Remember life starts now.

Are you living yet? Don’t forget to go to the toilet first ;-)

19th September 2010 - todays facebook email

Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get. Ray Kroc

Today’s email is inspired by Amanda who is undertaking the Great North Run today for the Stroke Association. We’ve already raised some money for her but feel free to sponsor some more at http://www.justgiving.com/amandasmith-wilcox. You can watch it on the bbc too if you want to.

It’s easier to move in the summer, you can walk everywhere, but now the days are getting shorter and the idea of walking on a cold, damp, dark morning simply doesn't appeal to most!

SO I got to thinking... what could we do this winter?

I have to admit I do still enjoy a walk, I just wear warmer clothing, there’s nothing better than a brisk walk on cold winter morning when the sun is rising.

However if that’s not your thing, how about trying those Zumba classes everyone’s talking about, they’re a great laugh apparently.

You could of course join a gym and use a treadmill, do a fitness class, go for a swim. The options are endless, it’s important to find something you enjoy.

There are different kinds of exercising, including;

Aerobic, cardiovascular such as walking, running, swimming, which burns calories and improves fitness. Resistance training including weights which strengthens your muscles

and stretching exercises such as yoga or pilates which increases flexibility.

If you aren’t doing anything at all, just concentrate on moving more in your day-to-day life. Start by doing just a little bit more than you normally do, use the stairs, park further away from the shop door, get off a bus stop sooner or walk the dog a bit further (we managed an hour yesterday). Have a dance around the house whilst you’re doing your housework or cooking your tea. Anything that gets you moving move!

Including activity in your daily life will help you keep the weight you lose off for good!

Enjoy today, have a great run Amanda, beat the chicken!

Remember life starts now.

Are you living yet?

18th September 2010 - todays facebook email

It took me a long time not to judge myself through someone else's eyes. Sally Field

Oh my word, I watched Jamie Olivers American programme yesterday and I actually cried watching it, I cannot believe people can be so stubborn. Don’t get me wrong, I eat unhealthily sometimes, but when I do I know I’m making the wrong food choices, I’m not ignorant about it, pretending the Big Macs a wise food choice! If you didn’t catch it, you can watch it on demand click the link below

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/jamies-american-food-revolution/4od

I felt quite healthy after watching it I have to say!

I’ve been back tracking, measuring, weighing and following the plan since Monday and I’m chuffed because what I ate and drunk yesterday would have been my choices had I been on a diet or not and I’m still within my points and on track. 5 days without weighing myself can’t wait to get on a set of scales Monday, now I remember what it’s like to be a real dieter! If I haven’t lost I’ll be gutted! ;-)

And the one thing I’ve realised more than anything this week, if you want to succeed you have to put in some EFFORT & TIME! Yep, as much as I’d like a quick fix solution and someone to give me a little leaflet with all the answer on, that’s never going to happen. So this week I’ve been so busy, the couple of hours I usually have between meetings I’ve been driving to and from the Chiropractors etc, so I really have had to be organised and find the time to cook or think about what to do. I feel better for it too if I’m honest.

I spent a few hours at the eye infirmary yesterday with my mom, when we left after being given the all clear, mom said, “my eyes are precious, it’s best to be sure”. I totally agree with her, but isn’t it funny how when it’s something so obviously wrong with us we go and sort it out, but food and weight is something that can do damage to that same body every day and yet a lot of the time we don’t take care of it. I don’t know about you, but I think my body is just as precious as my eyes! So I’m going to try and remind myself of that on a regular basis.

I made a concoction yesterday which turned out to be delicious, I’m not usually a fan of tomato based dishes but the pineapple in this seemed to balance out the flavours, I really enjoyed it and it filled me up.

3 portions, 2pts each using;

280g chicken (4.5pts)
10 black olives (0pts)
2 tins tomatoes
Celery
200g Pineapple (1pt)
Pepper (already roasted)
Butternut Squash (left over already roasted)
Onion
Carrot
gherkins
added a bit of ginger and garlic

I love my Weight Watcher cookbooks because not only can I cook the recipes in them, I start to get ideas of how to make things up myself when I only have what’s in my fridge.

Remember life starts now.

Are you living yet?

17th September 2010 - todays facebook email

A gold medal is a nice thing - but if you're not enough without it, you'll never be enough with it. from Cool Runnings

I’m going to be doing some cooking this weekend I’ve decided that’s after I’ve decluttered my house yet again! Yes I’ve got out my copy of Just for Me and Cook and I shall be knocking up some delicious delights, firstly starting with Mango and Lime chicken mmm nice!

I’ve been reading this months magazine too and I think I’m going to have a go at backing, there’s a yummy recipe for Sun dried tomato and rosemary twists that look to die for. And I’m thinking I may serve it with some delicious zero pointed soup or the turkey meatball broth in the Quick and Easy cook book – tasty. Shame its only 5.30am otherwise I’d got make that now!

I made a delicious beef casserole yesterday, chopped the veggies at 7.30 yesterday morning and just left it in the oven on gas mark 1 and when I got home at 12 it was cooked to perfection. Mmm I forgot how good, proper healthy food could taste. I think we do don’t we, we spend so long eating junk and thinking its delicious that when we get a decent healthy meal put in front of us it’s a shock.

My thing to work on at the moment is portion size, when I have a bowl of stew I want two bowls of stew, but at least I’m not having bread and butter with it these days ;-) That’s why I think I’m going to make a really think chunky vegetable stew/soup thing so I can really be full up, carrots, onions, swede, celery etc.

Yes after my chiropractor visit, I’m going in the kitchen for sure.

The weekend is almost upon us, how will you be spending yours? Have you got anything nice planned? If so try to remember you’re losing weight and you don’t want anything to set that back.

Remember life starts now.

Are you living yet?

16th September 2010 - facebook email

It's easier to go down a hill than up, but the view is much better at the top. Arnold Bennet

Cold this morning, feels like winter sitting here at 5.15am, hold on I gotta go put some socks on and make a cuppa tea!

I’m back, I put the heating on too, it’s cold, I’m going to be making a beef casserole today, bought the veggies yesterday and defrosted the meat, so just got to try and find time for the chopping of veg before I got to work this morning. It’s been a really busy week, I’ve been playing catch up all week to try and get everything done, but I’m managing to stick to my plan, I even had a pot noodle for my tea last night and still on track and I have to say they’re not what they used to be, I’m not in a rush to eat another!

Yesterday I had a quick look at the philadelpia cheese website, it has some nice recipes and little videos of how to cook them on it. Worth taking a look when you have some time. http://www.philadelphia.co.uk/philadelphia3/page?PagecRef=1

Here’s a nice recipe for some soup using low fat soft cheese, perfect for a day like today. I think I’ve got everything on that list, so may make that too.

Butternut Squash, Red Pepper and Soft Cheese Soup serves 4, 1pt each

5 spray low-fat cooking spray
1 large onion(s), chopped
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped into chunks
1 medium red green or yellow pepper(s), deseeded and chopped
2 veg stock cubes dissolved in 1.2 litres (2 pints) hot water
100 g low-fat soft cheese
1 pinch salt & 1/4 teaspoon pepper, Freshly ground

Instructions

Spray a large saucepan with low fat cooking spray. Add the onion and cook gently for about 3 minutes, until softened, but not browned.

Add the butternut squash, red pepper and vegetable stock. Heat until simmering, then cook gently for about 25 minutes, partially covered, until the vegetables are tender.

Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor & add soft cheese. Blend for about 15 - 20 seconds, until smooth. Return to saucepan, reheat & season to taste

I understand how difficult it can be to stay on plan when you’re busy, but never forget you are the most important person in your world, so you need to take care of yourself!

Make time – easier said than done I know, but if I can do it, you can. You’re worth it!

Remember life starts now.

Are you living yet?

15th September 2010 - today's facebook email

"Just living is not enough", said the butterfly, "one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower." Hans Christian Anderson

Wednesday already, where did this Monday and Tuesday go, I can’t believe we’re halfway through the week already, I’m looking forward to the weekend because I’ve decided to have a declutter the house weekend – brave of me.

I made a lovely curry yesterday using a Sainsbury’s home brand basic curry sauce and a Weight Watchers tikka masala sauce mixed together add onion and chicken and fresh pineapple and it’s a lovely sweet curry, serves 6 people too.

Well the weather wasn’t the best yesterday, but it didn’t stop members coming out to get weighed and join, we had over 150lb lost yesterday, congrats to Michael who has now lost 120lb! And Rachel who’s lost 61lb, amazing, not just the losing part, but the sticking with it too. And good look to the new members that have joined this week, 14 weeks to Christmas, let’s make sure you’re looking fantastic in those outfits at the Christmas parties – you may all be sighing but it’ll be here soon enough!

I had a member join yesterday morning who’s been following the plan online but came back to a meeting because she said its just not the same without that weekly meeting and weigh-in and support from the leader and other members and of course I’m biased so I’m going to agree with her but even as a member I know its true from past experience.

This week I’m making a conscious effort to eat my five a day, fruit gets a little bit harder to eat when the weather cools I think but only from a psychological perspective so I’m changing that habit and will ensure I eat plenty fruit and vegetables, yesterday I included strawberries and banana in my morning smoothie, I also had a banana early evening to tide me over till tea time, I had a tray of mixed fruit from the supermarket for elevenses, on my lunch I had mixed salad leaves and beetroot, then in my tea I added pineapple to the curry and the rice had mushrooms in it! Not bad, let’s see if I can continue with my challenge.

I also measured myself yesterday so that not only can I track my success on the scales but also in the inches on my body. If you haven’t done it I suggest you do, you can get some staggering results. If you don’t want to know how many inches your waist is, do it in centimetres because let’s be honest they don’t mean much to any of us, so having an 100cm waist – you won’t know if that’s good or bad ;-)

Okay let’s start the day, have a good one.

Remember life starts now.

Are you living yet?

September 14th 2010 - facebook email

"Just living is not enough", said the butterfly, "one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower." Hans Christian Anderson


It’s 5.46am pitch black outside and raining – boo! I’ve been up since 5am and I’m feeling good, my back is in bits still, but I stuck to my diet yesterday so I don’t care ;-) I’m gonna focus on my diet, lose weight and feel great and my back WILL get better.

Yesterday I included plenty of filling foods, I had some delicious strawberries which were so sweet, I also had a smoothie for breakfast, a tasty lunch of roasted butternut squash, chicken and slunbushed tomatoes and for my tea I had smoked salmon, philidelphia light, asparagus and mixed salad leaves with balsamic vinegar. And I still managed to have some wine.

I was a little concerned I wouldn’t get to eat properly because I was so busy and rushing around but I made time, I chose food that was easy to prepare, the butternut squash can just be left in the oven and everything else was easy enough, the chicken was leftover from one of the cooked ones from Sainsbury’s. Now I’m all ready for day two.

I was happy getting weighed yesterday morning even though I’d put weight on because now I know by Christmas I will be back at goal – watch this space people!

You’ve gotta believe to achieve!

Now I know it’s still 14 weeks to Christmas so the Christmas parties aren’t quite here yet, but lets be honest we often get invited to parties, or go out for meals and I think its these times we can struggle most, so in such situations you need to ‘plan’ because that's what will help you most.

What you do to make a ‘Plan’ is decide what and how much you intend to eat, preferably just before you start eating. Try to picture it, and as you make that Plan, keep in mind how you will expect to feel after you've finished eating that amount, for the rest of the evening and even the following morning. So it's something like, "do I want to eat so much that I feel bloated, uncomfortably full and miserable, or do I want to eat less and feel energised, happy and in control?" So you make your Plan with that - what sort of experience you intend to create afterward - in mind.

Assuming you've made a moderate Plan, the real challenge will be keeping to it, because when you've finished eating a significant amount smaller than usual, you will almost certainly feel a desire to eat more. Keeping to your Plan will depend on your management of that feeling of desire.

The more you can use any opportunity to practice making and keeping Plans over the next three months, the less anxious you'll be feeling and the more control you'll have when the parties begin around Christmas time.

I had this test on Sunday at the conference, we had a buffet and on the menu it said the dessert was pecan and maple tart and I was sat there thinking shall I/shan’t I when Angie one of the leaders on my area reminded me that when I eat pudding I always feel sick and bloated afterwards, and I thought, “yes, she’s so right, it might taste nice but it really makes me feel awful afterwards.” So instead I had a bit of fruit salad and felt very proud of myself.

YOU too have the POWER to take control!

So let’s take charge of our emotions today and have a positive, successful diet day ;-)

Remember life starts now.

Are you living yet?

13th September 2010

The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good. - Samuel Johnson

Okay so we’ll take a break from the “loving yourself” subject for today, but I’ll be coming back to it ;-)

Yesterday I went to our leaders roadshow and this year I didn’t get a diamond leader award, was I disappointed, of course I was a little, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t, was I surprised, no sometimes you just know don’t you. But what I was, was inspired, it reminded me of what an amazing bunch of people I work with, I was also motivated, it reminded me how Weight Watchers works because of the team support, it really does. The whole day was like a super charged Weight Watcher meeting for leaders, and I left knowing I may have struggled all year with the battle of my belly but from this moment I’m on course for goal! I’m starting with my 5%. I seem to have gained and lost the same five pounds all year long, well from today, I know I’m going to lose the rest. And how do I know because yesterday I was reminded that “Weight Watchers WORKS!” So this morning already, I’ve measured out my pint of skimmed milk in my jug, I’ve already planned to have a smoothie for my breakfast and a piece of toast which I share with Alfie ;-)

It’s just over 14 weeks to Christmas and I intend to be back at goal by them, what do you intend to do. Because as I was reminded yesterday, the programme works if you do! Yes if you follow this plan you can get to your goal, if you stick to your points you will lose weight!

Yay, can’t wait to get weighed this morning, to put the last rotten week behind me and focus on losing those pounds – how about you, are you gonna lose some with me!

I know eating better will make me feel better, I also know losing a little bit of weight will ease my back and knees (god I sound 90!) so together with the Chiropractor and the meditation and relaxation techniques I’m putting in place, the futures bright!

Dark nights are looming but that’s all good because we can have good hearty stews and tongue tingling curries, which are both filling and low in points. For more on filling up on the right foods, don’t miss this weeks meeting!

Have a wonderful week.

Remember life starts now.

Are you living yet? I’ve decided to!

I know I usually finish there but not today, because also over the weekend I listened to an audio book called “Brilliant Life” and one of the things we were asked to do was write a list of 50 things I wanted in life, not just massive things, the small things too, and after I’d written them I remember thinking – what am I waiting for! Stop procrastinating (big word for a Monday morning) and get on with starting that list! I didn’t get to 50 things, because I was busy and didn’t have time to focus for long enough but I’ll go back to hit, but below is my list so far, some short term, some long term and some probably pie in the sky never gonna happen!

Be happy
Stop procrastinating
Get fit
Be healthy and eat well
Go for more walks
Yoga
Photography
Pain free
Tidy house once and for all – mmm probably never gonna happen once & for all but I can dream!
Meditate daily
Read the books I own
Write a book
Do my photo books
Make cards/scrap book
Always have a fulfilling career
Get debt free
Holiday in Italy
Eat at a Michelin star restaurant
Learn continually
Pay mortgage off
Tandem ride
Train dog – this is the probably never gonna happen one!
So what would go on your list!?

12th September 2010

One of the secrets of a long and fruitful life is to forgive everybody, everything, every night before you go to bed. Bernard M. Baruch
YOU’RE A PURPLE PIG!

???? Do you believe me? I hope not!

Thoughts have no power over you unless you give into them. Thoughts are only words strung together. They have NO MEANING WHATSOEVER. Only you give meaning to them. Therefore choose to think thoughts that support you.

Today I go to my Weight Watcher Leader conference, some of us will get a “Diamond Leader Award” others won’t, will that make us any less of a leader, I choose to think not. Of course I’d love to get the award but if I don’t, I can be happy in the knowledge I do my best and love my job.

As you can imagine it can be a great deal of pressure knowing that all those other leaders could be looking at you and judging your size because after all “Weight Loss” is our business. I confess the last one I attended, this thought was at the forefront of my mind, I wanted to make sure I looked my best, this time however I’m not concerned, I’ve learnt to realise what other people think of me is none of my business. My size does not define me and anyone who judges me on my size, isn’t worthy of my attention.

So back to being a purple pig ;-)

Do you worry about what others think of you? You shouldn’t! Remember the exercise from earlier in the week, “I love and accept myself” well here’s another one for you, for the next month (yes month) say over and over to yourself, “I approve of myself”.

Do it as often as possible, 3 or 4 hundred times a day if you can. You can’t say it too many times. When you’re worrying about something, you easily go over the problem that many times. So this month make your mantra “I approve of myself”.

Doing this exercise will bring up anything that may be buried in your consciousness that is in opposition to this statement. So when those negative thoughts come up, such as, “How can I approve of myself when I’m fat”, or “This is silly, it’s not doing any good”. Whatever negative that comes out, take control, don’t give these thoughts any importance, just see them for what they are – another way to keep you stuck in the past. Gently say to them, “I let you go; I approve of myself”.

You may even be sat reading and thinking, “This is daft”, “It’s not true”, let these thoughts just pass by. They have no power unless you choose to believe them.

Just respond with “I approve of myself, I approve of myself, I approve of myself”, It’s a little bit like going “la la la la la la la la la” when someone’s annoying you ;-)


So what’s with the purple pig?

Well part of self-acceptance is releasing other people’s opinions. If I were to keep telling you, “You’re a purple pig” you’d think I was crazy, laugh or maybe even get annoyed. But hopefully you wouldn’t believe me!

But have you noticed how many of the things that are equally as ridiculous have been said to you and you choose to believe them about yourself just because someone else says its so! So believing that your self worth is dependent on the shape of your body is your version of believing that “you are a purple pig”.

Remember you are unique, and there will never be another one of you, which makes you a ‘PERFECT YOU’ you’re not meant to be like anyone else, your fingerprints are different and so are you. So be proud of who you are and don’t let anyone else make you feel anything less than wonderful.

So today and every day from now;

Think thoughts that make you happy.
Do things that make you feel good.
Be with people who make you feel good.
Eat things that make your body feel good.
And go at a pace that makes you feel good.

Just like I don’t need a badge to tell me I’m a diamond, you don’t need others approval to tell you you’re amazing.

Enjoy your day.

Remember life starts now.

Are you living yet?

11th September 2010

Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death. Earl Wilson

What you put your attention on GROWS!

So stop looking at your tummy ;-)

I don’t want to be fat,
I don’t want to eat chips,
I don’t want to go over my points,
I don’t want to gain weight this week,

These statements show how we fight the negative mentally. Thinking that if we do then the positive will automatically come to us, unfortunately it doesn’t work that way.

Moaning about what you don’t want doesn’t bring you what you do want! Correct?

Moaning about it doesn’t make a situation improve nor bring you what you want. The more you dwell on what you don’t want, the more of it you create. So for the last week I’ve been whining over my trapped nerve in my back and guess what it’s not got any better.

Why is this? Because what you focus your attention on grows and becomes permanent in your life. So move away from what you don’t want and focus on what it is that you do want, so lets see how those sentences could read in a more positive way.

I am slimmer.
I eat and enjoy healthy foods.
I am sticking within my points.
I am continually losing weight each week.

These are all affirmations, the ones at the top of the page negative ones, those directly above positive ones! I talked about affirmations earlier in the week and honestly they work.

If you continually make positive statements about how you want your life to be, then its more likely to happen. One thing to remember when using affirmations is to always make them in the PRESENT TENSE, such as “I am” or “I have”. If you’re saying, “I want”, or “I will have” then your subconscious is so clever that it will leave it for now because you’re not asking for it now. So it will always be just out of reach in the future.

And remember at the same time as you’re making all these affirmation statements you need to be loving and accepting the person you are now – because you are amazing after all, let’s not forget that! We all are!

If you can learn to love and accept yourself for who you truly are, no matter what, then everything else in life becomes so much easier.

Remember that exercise with the mirror a couple of days ago when I asked you to look in the mirror and say, “I love and accept you exactly as you are right now,” Did you do it?

Trust me, if you didn’t do it now because loving yourself makes you feel good. Self approval and self acceptance is wonderful, never criticising yourself is awesome.

Ooo I can almost hear you all now, saying things like.

“But I’ve always criticised myself”
“I’m not perfect, how can I say those things”
“how can I possibly like everything about myself, my bums huge!”
“Isn’t it arrogant to love yourself?”

Anything I’ve missed?

You don’t need to be perfect no one is, but you are amazing and you should acknowledge that.

Repeat after me,

“I LOVE ME I DO”

Have a great day ;-)

10th September 2010 - today's facebook email

When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you. Lao Tzu

I’ve been reading my self help books again haven’t I to pick me up as my backs been giving me a great deal of pain, so apologies, but you’ve got to put up with me being all “positive” in my emails too ;-). You may wander what any of this has to do with weight loss, but trust me; most weight problems start in the mind and with the emotions!

The only thing you have any control of is your current thought! Think about that for a moment!

Your old thoughts are gone; there is nothing you can do about them except live out the experiences they caused. Your current thought, the one you are thinking right now, is totally under your control.

So do you believe that your mind controls you? That you have not control over your actions?

Well it doesn’t!

You are in control of your mind. YOU use your mind. YOU can stop thinking those thoughts and replace them with different thoughts.

So when your old thinking tries to come back and say, “It’s so hard to change”, take control. Say to your mind, “I now choose to believe it is easy for me to make changes”. You may need to have this conversation a few times with your mind for it to accept that you are in control and that what you decide goes, but it’ll catch up eventually!

Of course its going to rebel at first, just as a child would who’s been allowed to stay up late during the six weeks holidays and suddenly has to go back to going to bed at 7pm, for the first few nights they will probably play up but eventually they’ll get the message and go to sleep. Your mind just like your kids does not want to be retrained, but remember you are in control and if you stay focused and firm, eventually the new way of thinking will become established. And how great will you feel realising how strong you are and not that helpless victim after all. Take back your power, be the master of your own mind!

So relax and take a deep breathe, and as you breathe out allow the tension to leave your body. Relax your face and your entire body, lift your shoulders up then release them and let them hang loose. Now say to yourself, “I am willing to let go of my old thoughts, I release all tension. I release all fear. I release all anger. I release all guilt. I release all sadness. I let go of all old limitations. I let go and I am at peace with myself. I am at peace with my body. I am at peace with the process of life. I am safe.

Repeat it a few times and feel the tension leave your body, by doing this you are clearing away all the old negative thoughts from your mind and preparing it to accept new ones.

Think about how much love you have in your heart, enough to make a great many feel special, enough to heal a lot of peoples but just for today use that love to heal YOU. Feel a warmth beginning to glow in your heart, a softness, a gentleness. From today use this feeling to remind you to change the way you think and talk about yourself.

Choose an affirmation to help you get through today; this will of course be different for all of us. Some suggestions could be;

“I now discover how wonderful I am, I choose to love and enjoy myself”
“I lovingly take care of my body, my mind and my emotions.”
“I love and approve of myself”
“I forgive others. I forgive myself. I am free to love and enjoy life.”

Remember life starts now….

Are you living yet?

September 9th 2010 - facebook email

As long as you’re going to be thinking anyway, THINK BIG. Donald Trump

Anyone who knows me personally knows I have a bit of a foul mouth! But there’s one swear word I absolutely hate to hear anyone use! It just makes me cringe, it makes me feel that person doesn’t have any respect for themselves using it or anyone else – any idea what that word is?

Before I tell you what the word is, I want you to do an exercise for me, I want you to write a at least five or six ways to finish the sentence “I should…..”

Go on; don’t carry on reading until you finish the sentence;

1. I should………………………………………………………………………….

2. I should………………………………………………………………………….

3. I should………………………………………………………………………….

4. I should………………………………………………………………………….

5. I should………………………………………………………………………….

6. I should………………………………………………………………………….

Have you done it? Now go over each sentence and ask yourself, “Why?” Why do you feel you should be doing those things?

You may have wrote;

I should stick to my diet.
I should lose weight.
I should go and do the ironing.
Etc, etc.

So that swear word I mentioned earlier, it’s actually the word “SHOULD” I find that more offensive that any other word – WHY?

Because I believe that ‘should’ is one of the most damaging words in our language. Every time we use should, we are actually saying “WRONG”. Either we are wrong or we need more wrongs in our life. Should implies that you ought to be doing it and if you don’t you’re bad, and that is followed by guilt, an emotion we most certainly do not need in our lives!

Freedom of choice is what we need, so I would prefer to take the word SHOULD and remove it from our vocabulary forever. Let’s replace it with the word COULD. Could gives you a choice and that way you won’t ever be wrong or need to feel guilty.

Try it, instead of saying, I SHOULD lose weight, say if I really wanted to, I COULD lose weight. This sounds totally different doesn’t it. So go back over those sentences and say them again only using COULD instead. Then ask yourself “WHY haven’t I?” and see what answers you come up with. They may include;

I don’t want to.
I’m afraid to.
I don’t know how to.
It’s too difficult
I’m not good enough.

I’ve also noticed that the “I COULD” statements become easier when we start loving ourselves, remove the guilt and give ourselves a break.

So right now go to the mirror take a good look at yourself and say, “I love and accept you exactly as you are right now, and I’m choosing to lose weight because I love you and I want to take care of your body”.

DO IT, don’t feel silly, do it now!

Remember life starts now…

Should you be living yet?

OR

Could you be living yet?

;-“)

Affirmation suggestion for the day - Everything is in divine and perfect order right now.

8th September 2010 - today's facebook email

Beauty is not in the face; Beauty is a light in the heart. Kahlil Gibran

Well I’m feeling better in myself today so hopefully can get my head out of the pity plate and get back on track, I’m sat here with 4 satsumas as part of my breakfast anyway so that’s a good start. I have to say a huge thank you to my members for really cheering me up last night - we had a proper good giggle. And congratulations to my two ladies that got their gold membership yesterday, well done and here’s to staying there!

So how do you manage to stay motivated long term?

Surround yourself with like-minded people, continue to adopt small, healthy lifestyle changes and use the tools you have every day. Also set mini goals to help keep your eye on the prize when the novelty of the plan is replaced by familiarity.

If you want to learn more ways to stay on track? You can always check out previous emails on my blog or look at the Weight Watchers website if you’re a monthly pass for ideas, the also send a weekly email newsletter filled with recipes, helpful tips, expert advice and inspirational Meetings Success Stories. There really is inspiration everywhere is only you look!

Finding different ways to stay motivated helps you stick with the plan. Our most successful members say that adding exercise to their routine helps get them to their goal. Looking for new ways to exercise? Why not try Zumba, or if you want something more relaxing what about a yoga class, or call a friend and go for a walk.

I find the best thing that keeps me motivated is reminding myself of why I want to lose weight – after all it’s not a hobby is it!

So today's question is - WHY do you want to lose weight?

My main reason at present is to motivate my members to do the same and to take some pressure off my bad back! Let us know your reasons, add it to the facebook page.

So because of those reasons, today I’m back on track, no more pity plate, no more KFC visits, no more ‘can’t be bothered’, today I’m going to eat healthy and enjoy doing it!

Are you?

Remember life starts now…

Are you living yet?

7th September 2010 - today's facebook email

Think about what you want, not what you don’t want. Guard your thoughts carefully, because they create your experiences.

FOCUS

Sometimes it seems that our thoughts choose us, but this is never the case. We always choose our thoughts – every moment. Our thoughts always have an effect, and there are no neutral thoughts. One-half second before you hold a thought, you decide to hold it. So, with practice, you can learn to monitor and alter your thoughts. This is the equivalent of putting your hands on the steering wheel of your life.

One way to take control of your thoughts is to use affirmations, so what are they?

An affirmation is really anything we say or think and a lot of what we normally say or think is quite negative and does not create good experiences for us. We have to retrain our thinking and speaking into positive patterns if we want to change our lives. An affirmation opens the way; it is the beginning point of change. In essence you are saying to your subconscious mind, “I am taking responsibility, I am aware that there is something I can do to change”

When I talk about ‘doing affirmations’ I mean to consciously choose words to help to eliminate something from your life or to help to create something new in your life.

Every thought you think and every word you speak is an affirmation!

All our self-talk is a stream of affirmations, you are using affirmations every moment whether you know it or not, you are affirming and creating your life’s experiences with every word and every thought. Your beliefs are merely habitual thinking patterns that you learnt as a child, many of them work very well for you, other beliefs may be limiting your ability to create the very things you may say you want.

What you want and what you believe you deserve may be very different! You need to pay attention to your thoughts so that you can begin to eliminate the ones that are creating experiences that you do not want in your life.

Also realise that every complaint is an affirmation of something you think you don’t want in your life. Every time you get angry you are affirming that you want more anger in your life. Every time you feel like a victim you are affirming that you want to continue to feel like a victim. If you feel that life doesn’t give you what you want in your world then it is certain that you will never have the goodies that life gives to others until you change the way you think and talk. You are not a bad person for thinking the way that you do, you have just never learnt how to think and talk. The world is now just beginning to learn that our thoughts create our experiences, your parents probably didn’t know this so they could not teach it to you, they taught you how to look at life the way their parents had taught them. So nobody is wrong, however, it is time for all of us to wake up and to begin to consciously create our lives in a way that pleases and supports us. You can do it, I can do it, we can all do it. You just need to learn how.

So choose a specific area of your life, obviously diet is the main topic hear so we’ll start there.

Some people say affirmations don’t work, which is an affirmation in itself, however if they’re saying, “Every day I’m getting slimmer and healthier”, then thinking “Oh this is stupid it won’t work”, which affirmation will win out, the negative one because it is part of a long standing habitual way of looking at life. Saying your affirmations once a day then complaining the rest of the day won’t work either, the complaining ones will always win because they are usually more of them.

So you have to believe to achieve. Think happy thoughts – its that simple and its doable!

The way you choose to think right now is exactly that – A CHOICE!

You won’t change overnight, but if you continually chose to think positively then you will feel better – I promise!

So whats your affirmation for today going to be?

“I can do it”
“I am in control”
"Focus on Happiness"
"I love the me, I'm shrinking to be"

Choose one that suits you.

Remember your thinking is the only thing you will ever have total control over in your life!

Life starts now…

Are you living yet?

6th September 2010 - facebook email

Everyone loves to be loved. Mark Spitz

And another Monday morning rolls around, 109 days to Christmas, or rather 107 days to my holiday. One of the reasons I enjoy writing my daily email is it gets me to think positive or at least think first thing in a morning.

I’ve had a very lazy weekend, mainly because I have a trapped nerve and the doctor told me not to do too much, so when I get extra time on my hands and I feel a bit poo, I read or listen to Pooh because he cheers me up, so this morning I thought I’d share some of his wisdom with you.

An important Principle – on not getting any fatter.

“It all comes,’ said Rabbit sternly, ‘of eating too much. I thought at the time,’ said Rabbit, ‘only I didn’t like to say anything,’ said Rabbit, ‘that one of us was eating too much,’ said Rabbit, ‘and I knew it wasn’t me,’ he said…

‘Then there’s only one thing to be done,’ he said. ‘We shall have to wait for you to get thin again.’

‘How long does getting thin take?’ asked Pooh anxiously.

‘About a week, I should think.’…

‘A week!’ said Pooh gloomily. ‘What about meals?’

‘I’m afraid no meals.’ Said Christopher Robin, ‘because of getting thin quicker. But we will read to you.’…

‘Then would you read a Sustaining Book, such as would help and comfort a Wedged Bear in Great Tightness?’

WINNIE-THE-POOH

Pooh used a crash diet once, in an emergency to get out of a particularly tight spot (Rabbit’s front door), but it’s not something he would want to do again – ever. And it is not something he would recommend. Neither would I, nor would the world’s leading nutrition and medical experts. As Pooh knows, crash diets don’t work because afterwards you go back to your previous weight or even heavier.

What does work is permanently changing your habits one step at a time, slowly but surely shaping your future.

The Weight Watchers points system helps you to control what you eat and the discover plan gives you lots of ideas for changing your habits.

So what habit will you focus on this week? I’m choosing the mind, I’m going to focus on thinking positively and taking some ‘me time’ each day after my lunch I plan to do 15 minutes meditation.

If you’re interested in having a go at meditation yourself here’s a youtube video link to help, it’s the first of a three parter.

Meditation for Beginners Part 1

Remember life starts now…

Are you living yet?

5th September 2010 - facebook email

The heart is always right - if there's a question of choosing between the mind and the heart - because mind is a creation of the society. It has been educated. You have been given it by the society, not by existence. The heart is unpolluted. Osho

Another beautiful day, we’ve just got back from our walk, I met my brother over Baggeridge Park but it was closed so we parked on the street and walked, unfortunately we set the alarm off! It told us we were being filmed and the police had been notified – oops! Maybe we should go later next time ;-)

Have you noticed that some days, you just want to stay in bed and hope the world forgets you exist! I was having one of those yesterday, sitting there in pain with pins and needles and numbness in my leg and feet, so I went back to bed and meditated, which turned into fell back to sleep for a few hours.

I woke up and decided feeling sorry for myself wasn’t going to get me well, no - but being productive might! Finding things to improve my back would help much more than self-pity. The same applies to losing weight. Sitting there saying, “it’s not fair, it’s so hard, I just like food”, blah, blah, blah… This doesn’t help and I think we’re all a bit guilty of self-pity now and again but self-help is what we need more of.

So I plan to incorporate some muscle building and stretching exercises into my day to improve my back and be more careful when lifting all the boxes in and out of my car and try to sit properly!

What about our weight loss then, what can we do there? Self-pity usually ends up in a food blow out or a general “can’t be bothered” attitude, so how do we stay positive and focused so that we continually lose weight?

For me I have to make sure the food I do it, I enjoy – that’s my number one priority. So this morning after my walk, I’ve started my day with 2 slices of back bacon (3pts) 1 slice toast with butter (3pts) mushrooms and tomatoes, delicious and will keep me going till later in the day.

How do you stay motivated – let us know, use the group wall, that’s what its for…

Losing weight isn’t easy, but then again nothing worth having is! So simplify it as much as you can. Next weeks meeting is about different lifestyles and tailoring the diet to suit you.

So from today the self-pity has been shelved and instead I’m going to start being grateful, focusing on the good stuff rather than the bad, I may have numb legs at the moment, but at least I have two! I saw a young lady walking with crutches the other day and she’d lost one of hers!
So start counting the good stuff, the things that make you happy. Did you know science is now proving that feeling grateful can actually make us healthier! Practicing gratitude, acknowledging the blessings in our lives and making it a point to recognise the good stuff can change us positively. We’ll sleep better and exercise more. We’ll feel more optimistic. We’ll be more alert and active. And if we do this over a period of time, we’ll realise that we’re making progress towards our life goals.

It may not come easy to you but it can be done. You could start by recording your thanks, take a moment just before you go to bed maybe (or in our case maybe before we eat our main meal, to remind us there’s more to life than food!) and write down three things that happened that day for which you are grateful. Anything that made you feel uplifted, that brought a smile to your face or your heart, or will contribute towards your future happiness, works.

After each situation for which you feel thankful, write down why this was food for your. Perhaps you got an email from someone you haven’t heard from in a long time and this reminded you of the good times you had together. It made you realise that people think of you even thought you’ve had no contact with them, which must mean you’re a pretty special person.

Also make a note of who, if anyone, played a role in what you’ve recalled for the day and how that person has had an impact on your life.

Does this sound difficult to do? I’d rather do this exercise than sit ups!
A gratitude journal will make you look at life in a positive way reminding you of the good stuff and how others add to your life. It makes you look at what went right instead of what’s going wrong.

So on my list today I will definitely write that I’m grateful for setting the alarm off at a country park with my brother and it reminded me of some of the crazy stunts we pulled together as kids! It also reminded me that we still can do daft things now – we don’t have to be ‘grown-up’ all the time!

Remember life starts now…

Are you living yet?

And are you grateful for that life?!

4th September 2010 - facebook email

Try not to judge a person on what they have achieved in life; look at the obstacles that they overcame to get there. David Kay

Well I finally admitted defeat and went to the doctors yesterday about my back, and amongst other things I have a trapped nerve so he’s given me some tablets which he wants me to take this weekend at least, I can’t take them any longer cos they make me spaced out, so right now I’m sat here in pain but I don’t care cos I’m a little bit high!!!

So here’s your email and I'll catch ya tomorrow ;-)

What are they?
- They are a good source of soluble fibre
- They contain many of the vitamins and minerals we need.
- They are low in fat.
- They are low in calories as well as being very versatile and delicious!
- A natural source of the antioxidant vitamins - beta-carotene (a form of vitamin A), vitamins C and E. These are thought to help protect against free-radicals which can cause damage to the body if present in large amounts.
- Filling up on them reduces the amount of fatty foods we eat.
- They contain phytonutrients - these are naturally occurring, they are not vitamins or minerals but instead active compounds that are often antioxidants and have a beneficial effect on health.

So have you guessed what I’m talking about?

Fruit and vegetables

And all the above are the reasons why we need to eat them and 5 a day is a campaign to increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables by highlighting the reasons why we need to eat them. We should be eating at least 400g of fruit and vegetables a day (this doesn't include potatoes). This works out to be at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables in any form. Fresh, frozen, dried or canned - it doesn't matter which. Frozen and canned fruit and vegetables in water or natural juices can be just as good for you as fresh.

What makes a portion?

A single portion should weigh about 80grams which is roughly the same as:

1 apple, orange, banana or pear
1 large slice of melon or pineapple
2 plums, kiwi fruit, satsumas
3 tablespoons of cooked vegetables
A dessert bowlful of salad
1 glass of pure fruit juice (this includes from concentrate) but this only counts as one portion no matter how much you drink over a day.
1 tablespoon of dried fruit

For the demon dwarves (a.k.a. children) a portion is as much as they could hold in their hand.

Eating 5 a day

Five portions a day is easy to achieve:

A glass of fruit juice for breakfast
A banana for a mid morning snack
An apple with lunch
2 portions of vegetables with your evening meal

And with the huge variety of fruits and vegetables available, you need never get bored!



Easy ways to eat more fruit and veg

- Add fruits such as bananas, strawberries or apples to breakfast cereals.
- Mash bananas or fresh strawberries and whisk into milk to make a delicious milkshake
- Add canned or chopped vegetables such as carrots, peas or mushrooms to soups, stews, Bolognese sauce or home-made burgers.
- Carrots, leeks, beansprouts, courgettes and broccoli are ideal served topped with a cheese sauce (use skimmed milk and half fat cheese to help keep the fat levels low!).
- Jacket potatoes make a quick lunchtime snack with chopped pepper, spring onions and tuna.
- Give your children fruit for snacks instead of sweets. Bananas, apples, satsumas, small bunches of grapes or small tins of fruit are ideal in lunchboxes. Try small packets of dried fruit, like raisins, too.
- Add canned, fresh or (thawed) frozen fruit to jellies and top with cold custard
- Puree or chop canned, fresh or (thawed) frozen fruit and stir into natural yogurt or fromage frais for a quick dessert or snack
- In the warmer months, don't forget to include vegetables and fruit kebabs at barbecues. Sweetcorn on the cob and baked bananas in their skins go down a treat
- Have fresh crudités with a low fat dip. Try things like sticks of carrot, cucumber, celery and pepper, broccoli and cherry tomatoes
- Fruit salad makes a great pudding at any time. Any leftovers can always be eaten for breakfast.

Looking after you fresh fruit and veg

Storage

Eat fruit and vegetables in the freshest possible condition. Store them in a cool dark place.

Preparation

Wash and cut, chop or grate just before cooking or eating. If necessary, scrape or peel as thinly as possible. Eat in their skins whenever possible.

Cooking

Cook vegetables in the shortest possible time - until they are tender rather than soft. Use a minimum of water in cooking vegetables - try pressure cooking, steaming or microwaving - and use the water to make gravy. Place vegetables straight into boiling water (rather than heating from cold).

Enjoy your day ;-)

3rd September facebook email

When we are content to live with ourselves, without the need for someone or something else to complete our self; then our path to happiness is no longer influenced by our fears and insecurities.

Where’s the sun gone? It’s foggy this morning but hopefully that’ll burn away. I’m on a go slow but I need to speed up because I’ve got lots to do, hey ho we’ll get there.
If you remember about a month ago I went to a dinner party and we had Jamie Olivers Sticky Chicken, which was delicious, unfortunately when I did the maths it was quite high in points so couldn’t go on my diet recipe list. I’m glad to say I’ve just found a recipe which seems a little similar and not so many points so might be giving it a go, recipe below.

I’ve also put a couple of recipes for chocolate fixes! Mmm something to do with the kids this weekend maybe? They’ll go great in their lunchboxes and with your cuppa.

Sticky marmalade chicken with roasties

This chicken meal costs less than a £1 a portion and takes under an hour to cook! And only 6½ points a portion.

4 large potatoes
2 onions, quartered
2tbsp vegetable oil
pinch of chilli powder (optional)
1 pack chicken drumsticks (contains 6-8)
2tbsp marmalade
freshly ground black pepper
1 or 2 red peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped
frozen mixed vegetables, to serve

Preheat oven to Gas 7, 220ºC, 425ºF. Cut the potato into 1cm (½in) cubes and the onions into 8 wedges. Heat the oil in a large roasting tin. Add potatoes, sprinkle with chilli if using, and roast for 10 minutes.

Score the chicken drumsticks with a sharp knife. Warm the marmalade in a pan until it almost melts, then add the chicken pieces and roll in the marmalade to coat.

Remove potatoes from the oven, add the chicken, season well and roast for 25 minutes more. Add peppers and cook for 10-15 minutes until chicken is golden, and cooked through.
Beacon hill cookies

Most biscuits are full of fat, but that's not the way this cookie crumbles. They may be 1½ points each, but they’re so rich you only need 1 or 2 to hit the spot, plus the nuts will give you a protein hit too which will help to fill you up.

Ingredients - makes 15

100g 70 per cent dark chocolate
2 egg whites
½ tsp cream of tartar
50g fruit sugar
50g cocoa powder
50g chopped hazelnuts
½ tsp vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 180°C. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water or in the microwave. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the egg whites until they reach soft peaks. Tablespoon by tablespoon add in the cream of tartar and sugar.

Fold the cooled chocolate, nuts and vanilla and cocoa powder into the mixture.

Onto parchment lined baking sheets drop teaspoons full of the mixture onto the parchment leaving 4cm around each dollop. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly cracked on top. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Mmm tasty chocolate fix and these cookies will keep for a week in a jar so you don’t need to eat them all at once ;-)





Mini Chocolate Brownies

Serves 16 at 2 points per portion

Preparation Time: 15 min Cooking Time: 30 min

Using pureed prunes means you can cut the fat in these yummy chocolate brownies.

Ingredients

150 g dried prunes, ready to eat, pitted
5 spray low-fat cooking spray
100 g chocolate, plain, broken into pieces
1 large egg(s), beaten
150 g light brown sugar, or muscovado
60 g cocoa powder, 3 tbspns
75 g flour, plain
1 pinch salt
2 portion egg white
1 heaped teaspoon cocoa powder, for dusting

Put the prunes into a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to soak for about 2 hours, or overnight.

Put the prunes into a saucepan with 50ml of their soaking liquid. Heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until just a little liquid remains (about 2 tbsp). Puree with a stick blender or in a liquidizer until smooth. Cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 180°C / fan oven 160°C / Gas Mark 4. Spray a 20cm (8 inch) square cake tin with low fat cooking spray, then line with greaseproof paper.

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, positioned over a saucepan of simmering water.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the prunes, whole egg and muscovado sugar. Sift in the cocoa powder, flour and salt and fold in with a metal spoon. Add the melted chocolate and stir in gently.

In a large grease-free bowl, whip the egg whites until they hold their shape. Tip them into the chocolate mixture and fold in gently. Transfer to the prepared tin and level the surface.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until firm to the touch. Cool, then cut into 16 squares. Serve, dusted with a little cocoa powder.

Remember life starts now.

Are you living yet?

2nd September 2010 - today's facebook email

No one would ever have crossed the ocean if he could have gotten off the ship in the storm. Charles Kettering

OMG I almost forgot to write the email and I’ve been up since 4.44am thanks to Alfie tap dancing on the windowsill in my bedroom!

So what to write!! Yesterday I cooked a delicious Malaysian Chicken dish from the ‘Just for Me’ cookbook, which has been reduced to £2.95.

And just a reminder that all the Weight Watchers bars are on offer 3 boxes for £5, plus the new magazine has arrived!

That’s my bit of advertising done ;-)

Great weight loss last night, over 100lb at Ashmore Park, well done all of you, and congratulations to Margaret yesterday morning on achieving her certificate for losing 75lb – wow, not far off goal now.

Last Thursday night one of my members made the famous Weetabix cake and bought it in for members to sample, they loved it, so below is the recipe, if you like bread pudding then you’ll love this and you wouldn’t believe that it has Weetabix in!

Weetabix pudding 1pt per slice (12 slices)

2 Weetabix
100g sultanas
150 ml skimmed milk
150 ml water
100g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon Mixed Spice,
1 teaspoon artificial sweetener, (optional)
1 medium egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 180C, 350F or gas mark 4. Put Weetabix and sultanas in bowl, pour milk and water over the top and soak up all the liquid. Stir in flour, mixed spice, sweetener and beaten egg. Spoon mixture into (1lb) lined / non-stick loaf tin and bake for 1hr 15m until cooked. Cool on a wire rack before serving, and then cut into slices. It has the texture of bread pudding. Delicious, and why not add a bit of custard for extra points treat.

Wasn’t it a beautiful day yesterday, sign the demon dwarves are due to go back to school! And the fact that they are due back means some of you can get back to your meetings now ;-) Looks like another lovely day ahead, I’m hoping it stays for the weekend so I can go walking with Alfie.

----

If anyone has a local shop that has cards in the window to advertise things can you email me the details so I can go and put a Weight Watcher card up advertising my meetings please. It takes me a day to do because I don’t know where they’ll put them up so I have to aimlessly drive round like a fool!

Thanks in advance.

Remember life starts now…

Are you living yet.

1st September 2010 Tracker

Well I haven't tracked for a few days, partly because I haven't been sticking to the plan and partly because I haven't had time.   However yesterday I got back on track and I know the easiest way to stay focussed is to write it down, because according to research those that don't track can overeat by up to 50%!  Not good.

Yesterday I had smoothie 2pt for breakfast,
Lunch - liver & onions = 3.5pts ready meal, it was good but I'm beginning to think its wrongly packaged!
Tea honey lemon salmon & couscous 8pts and delicious

Extras
Satsumas 2pts
milk in tea 2pts
couscous 2pts

I also earnt 5.5pts on my pedometer = yay

1st September 2010 - todays facebook email

1st September 2010

A Smile is a powerful weapon. You can even break ice with it.

What an absolutely gorgeous morning, the sunrise was beautiful and I enjoyed it whilst walking Alfie, we managed a mile, he has to sniff everything! We were out 40 minutes though so not a fast pace at all.

However slow or not – it’s moving and for someone who suffer with lower back pain permanently keeping active really is important to me. When I get out of bed in a morning seriously, I look like an 80 year old hobbling to the bathroom, everything from my back down hurts including my feet, so yes activity matters because believe it or not it does help to relieve the pain.

Now you may not have such problems, but activity is still important, its one of the key elements of weight loss and it doesn’t have to be an intense workout at the gym or exercise class it can be much more subtle.

It’s important to find everyday ways to get moving because small changes really do add up! Yesterday I earnt 5 points on my pedometer just by adding a couple of those walks with Alfie to my day, and a walk round the shops.

"Washing windows, scrubbing floors, pacing while on the phone... All of these count towards additional activity, as long as it is additional. You could multitask in terms of doing activity and getting things done around the house. Spend an hour cleaning out the cupboards on a weekend. That will be your hour of activity instead of going to the gym and walking on the treadmill at a 3mph pace.

When it comes to improving your activity level, start small and adopt the mantra:
'Anything is better than nothing'.

Here’s a few suggestions to help you increase your daily physical activity, you'll find that moving a little bit more isn't as hard as you think.

At Home

Get off the Couch
You've had a long day at work, dinner has been cooked and cleaned up, and you've been looking forward to watching your favourite TV show all day. Great! Use this opportunity to do an advert break workout. Try completing one set of 20 lunges, squats, crunches, arm circles or as many push-ups as you can per break. Repeat this for each ad break during your show (even better if you're watching an hour long programme!).

Brush and Squeeze
Use the time that you're brushing your teeth to squeeze your rear muscles. Hold for one count and repeat. Do this trick in the morning and at night.

Use Your Steps
While you can probably lug your overstuffed shopping bags from the car to your kitchen in one trip, you'll burn extra calories by making multiple trips back and forth. The will also help your back, less strain!

Squat at Every Opportunity
Instead of thinking, 'I don't feel like picking that up now', view a cluttered floor as a chance to get some leg work in. Bend your knees when putting away clothes, shoes and everything else that isn't where it should be.

Do it Yourself
Around the house, try mowing your lawn with an old-fashioned push mower, or take an afternoon to tend the garden or add a new coat of paint to a room or two. In the kitchen, instead of using a food processor or buying produce pre-cleaned, cut and bagged, chop fresh vegetables. And mix ingredients with a spoon using elbow grease if an electric mixer isn't necessary.

At the Office

The Desk Workout
To strengthen calf and abs muscles - and to help with your posture - sit up straight and squeeze in your stomach as you lift up on your toes to tighten your calves. Work the calf muscles further and shape up your ankles by stretching your leg and pointing your toes forward and backward 20 times, then circle your feet and ankles 20 times on each foot.

Stand Up
Whenever you pick up your phone, stand up at your desk to give your body a stretch and an energy boost. Try to keep files you use often in an overhead compartment so that you need to stand up to reach them.

Go the Distance
Start using the toilets further away from your desk. Refill your water at a cooler that's on the other side of the office. Schedule a 'daily reminder' to walk a lap around your office; it's a great opportunity to meet new colleagues, and no one will know your ulterior motive.

Move Before You Eat
Put your snacks in the kitchen so that you have to move for food, and do a lap or two around the office before sitting down with it.

While on Holiday

Ocean Moves
The possibilities for aquatic exercise at the beach are nearly limitless: swimming, bodysurfing, boogie boarding, surfing, windsurfing, kayaking, snorkeling and waist-deep water walking.

Sand Solutions
Want to stay dry? Grab some buckets and shovels; get to work on building a large sand castle or sculpture. All of that digging and scooping will give your arms a great workout. Make friends with your beach blanket neighbours and organise a game of beach volleyball or footie.

Give Your Car a Holiday
Turn an ice cream excursion into walk with the family. Walk to a shop to pick up groceries and snacks. Visit a nearby playground with your children and push them on the swings or do pull-ups on the bars.

Keep Going
Set mini activity goals for yourself and try to take advantage of every opportunity to move. Use excuses like 'I have to go to the postbox', or 'I need to visit the ATM' to enjoy some fresh air and walk. Change your mindset about necessary chores being something you have to do, and turn life's odd jobs into healthier lifestyle choices.

Remember life starts now

Are you living yet?