I'll eat and eat and eat until I'm sick....

7^th December 2011

Countdown to Christmas tip – Stress free eating. The festive period can be hectic. What to eat can be one less thing to worry about with an EASY Start menu plan  (available on WW site) - a week's worth of tasty eating ideas to help you stay on track.

Well I gave in and did my bit of Christmas shopping and wrapping yesterday, 30 helpers is enough, I’m so glad me and my mates don’t buy nor do I get any family gifts otherwise I’d be in trouble right now because that’s a lot of shopping and wrapping.  I did come up with a nice idea for members though, if you want a cheap little bit of something for a friend, I can wrap it up pretty like the photo above – check talented little me out ;D

I’ve been listening to an audio book by Daniel Gottlieb, Letters to Sam, it’s a very moving book with letters from a grandfather to his grandson. I thought I’d share a little bit with you about change which is something we all have to cope with and some find it difficult, especially the changes you need to make to lose weight and the change in how you look and feel when you lose the weight.

Letter to My Grandson by Daniel Gottlieb

Change is difficult for all of us. The older we get, the more change we face. All change involves loss, and whenever we lose something, we ache to have it back. Everything I have lost in my life -- big things and little things -- I've wanted back at first.

So because we know that all change is loss and all loss is change, your mom and dad worried about how you would react when it was time to give up your beloved pacifier -- your "binky".

Now that you're four, you no longer have your binky; you have nothing to protect you from your anxiety. That's why transitions are hard. Those transitional objects give us the illusion of security. When they are gone, we are left with the insecurity that's been there all along.

Sam, almost everything we become attached to we'll eventually lose; our possessions, our loved ones, and even our youth and health. Yes, each loss is a blow. But it's also an opportunity. There's an old Sufi saying: "When the heart weeps for what it's lost, the soul rejoices for what it's gained."

As much as anyone who loves you, would like to rescue you from your pain and give the binky right back to you, that wouldn't be a good idea. Each stage of growth involves loss. Without it, you can't have the gain.

So when you feel the pain of loss, please don't grab at something to take away the pain. Just have faith that pain, like everything else, is transitional. Through it, you will learn about your ability to deal with adversity. You will learn about how you manage stress. You will feel pride. On the other side of pain, you will learn something about who you are.

A friend of mine recently told me she had so many difficulties in her life that she felt like she was living in a nightmare and didn't know what to do. I told her to find the bus station and wait for the bus! She looked at me like I was crazy. I explained that all emotions are temporary, and we can wait for them to pass as though we were waiting for a bus. We can wait with frustration, anger or feelings of victimhood, but that won't make the bus come any faster. We could wait with patience and relaxation, but that wouldn't make the bus come faster either! We just have to have faith that it's coming.

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Isn’t he a wise man!   So if you’re struggling with your weight loss at the moment, maybe because it’s Christmas and you have lots of parties to attend or just because you’re so busy, don’t stress and worry, find the bus station and wait for the bus!  I’ll be there when you’re ready, call me your conductor ;)

I didn’t have the best day diet wise yesterday, we had a trip to Hooty’s and mom bought lots of biscuits, actually who am I trying to kid, it was me that put the fig rolls, lemon puffs and jam mallows in the basket not mom.  I had 3 of each for my lunch and felt sick afterwards.  Mom’s put them out of my sight now so I won’t have anymore, but it’s reminded me of why I don’t buy those three types of biscuits – because I like them and they make me feel sick afterwards!  A good lesson to relearn this close to the Christmas break, I shall not go crazy with my Christmas food shop this year, a little bit of something nice but not too much.  I will however use the break as a chance to cook up some delicious dishes.  Have you thought about how you’ll survive?

Have a fantastic day, despite the rain. xx