Bloomin Aero!

14th July 2016

The greatest sweetener of human life is friendship.  Joseph Addison

Go to sleep when you're tired!  Great piece of advice that, if I'd done it last night, I wouldn't have had those few chunks of Aero!  Two things I learned (again) last night, sleep is my friend, because after a good night of sleep I wake up feeling refreshed and ready to face a fab new day.  The second thing, the idea of how that unopened chocolate Aero is going to taste is a damn sight better than how it actually did taste!  I can believe I wasted 11sp are 40g of chocolate, that I wouldn't normally even have in my house, but a member bought it for mom for when she can eat again!  That was last Wednesday, it's been taunting me ever since!  I can honestly say, as chocolate goes, aero doesn't do it for me at all, but it took 40g for me to actually decide that fact!  The other 60g is being melted today and put in a hot chocolate for mom.  Just once more proves don't have in the house what you don't want to eat. 

What other things can help us be healthy and happy which in turn helps our weight loss?  How about making someone else happy?  Spreading a bit of happiness will not only make someone feel good and brighten their day but it will also make you feel good.  Make someone a cuppa tea, pay someone a compliment.  Yesterday the chap in front of me at the car park pay station was a pound short so I gave it to him, he said "I'll go and get change from the shop", I said, "it's okay, don't worry, just pay it forward", I went away feeling good for helping someone out. 

Most important, celebrate those small victories, heck celebrate EVERY victory.  I had a trainee in my meeting last night and he did a really good job but he forgot to give the members a chance to say how well they'd done, I could see a couple of them were disappointed with not having the change to WHOOP WHOOP their achievement!  And remember it's not just about the numbers, when I went to the Old Mitre for lunch yesterday, I ended up having a light bite, I went for the 4oz rump steak rather than the 8oz, I won't lie I still had chips with it but it was still a heck of a lot better than it could've been.  It was delicious too by the way, can't praise that place enough.  And in the 2 for £12 range, the steak, chips, onion rings and garden peas will cost you about 17sp, it was delicious!  Good steak is what sells a good eatery to me.

Next on my list would be gratitude, practice is daily, some people say to do it before going to bed, I'd say do it when you're sat in front of the tv at night and you're thinking "what can I eat now", instead get yourself a notepad and each night think of at least 3 things you're grateful for and write them down.  It really does help you stay positive and appreciate those little things in life - the things that really matter.

Mmm, how about doing something else, instead of sitting in front of the tv thinking 'what can I eat next', get up, switch off, go for a walk, read a book, spend time with those loved ones you're grateful to have!  Maybe think about trying a exercise class.  Find something other than tv and facebook to do.

Get tracking, or take it one step further, and start journaling, writing is great therapy, why do you think I blog!  It can really help put everything into perspective, help you to process your thoughts and what's going on in your subconscious.  From a weight loss point of view, it doesn't just help to know what you've eaten, but when and why.  Write it all down.   

Spend a bit of time on your own, learn to enjoy your own company without it involving a trip to the fridge!  If you still haven't check out the headspace app and have a go at 10 minutes of meditation, take a bit of time out to calm your mind and acknowledge all those thoughts in your head, then realise you can turn them off.

Sometimes to help us draw a line, we need to cry it out!  Nothing wrong with a good blart, I had one Monday, because I believe having a good cry washes out your heart, if you keep it inside, it'll tear you apart. We all have 'stuff' going on in our lives, don't ignore the stuff nor how it makes you feel, acknowledge it, accept it if necessary or decide what you're going to do to change it.

I know it's raining a lot this summer but if you can get outside, it's proven that vitamin D boosts your mood and the fresh air gives you an energy boost, I'm really, really enjoying my daily stroll with mom and Alfie, it helps to clear my head.  Some of you might enjoy getting a bit sweaty too, a bit of exercise maybe, turn that walk into a faster walk, or even a little jog. 

That's just a few things you can do to help you get healthy and happy, we've been talking about lots more in the meetings this week, I'll probably blog a few more as the week goes by, but now, I'm off to make me a mug of tea, get my journal and start making a note of everything I'm eating, drinking, thinking, and doing!  I loved it when a member (thanks Stacey) commented she'd noticed I'd gone up with my steps on her fitbit app, I've increased in the rankings, it made me realise how even a tootle round the block with the dog is making a difference.  

Here's to doing other things that'll make a difference, however small.  You up for that BeYOUtiful?  Here's to a great day and making a difference.