Day 1 in the bag - 12wk challenge

30th September 2016

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.  Walt Disney

Just make a start!  Stop over thinking it, yesterday I talked about 12 weeks to make a difference, just in case you need reminding;

It takes It takes 4 weeks for you to notice a change It takes 8 weeks for your friends to notice It takes 12 weeks for the rest of the world to notice It takes one day to decide that you are enough Give it 12 weeks, don't quit!

Don't overcomplicate things, if you know you're overeating, you don't need to go out and buy special food, the one thing that will make the biggest difference right now is eating less.  You don't need superfoods, or special ingredients, yes we both know there's more to it than just eating less but it's a great place to start.

So now I've got your attention, what else can you do, you could actually eat more, now I'm contradicting myself, but you can eat more of the good stuff, more fruit and vegetables will fill you up and stop you wanting to eat more of the not so good stuff!

I started yesterday, I know I'm going to find it hard but if I don't start I'll never get back to it, eating healthy is one thing but I want to lose some weight too, I thought about my why's and now I can move towards them.  Having seen my reflection in the shop windows on Wednesday after having a conversation with a member on Tuesday when she said, "I've got that dress, but I had to take the 12 back and get the 10 because they come up big don't they!" and I said, "Erm, no they don't, I wasn't wearing a 10 or a 12!"  Anyway, after a chat with a leader and getting it straight in my head, I decided yesterday I would add a 30 minute walk into yesterday to prove I can add 30 minute walk into every day because Thursdays are my busiest and I did.

I realised yesterday when I was chatting to a member we don't have to 'find' or 'make' the time to do things, the time is already there, we all get 24 hours in a day, what we need to do is 'take' the time and realise we're worth it, after all this is our lives we're living, don't be giving all your time to other people and things and neglecting yourself.

I made it through my first day of my 12 week challenge, I invited my members to join me and I'm thrilled to say the uptake and enthusiasm was staggering, Christmas day is 12 weeks on Saturday so it's perfect timing, but you can start the 12 week challenge at anytime, I always say to a new member, give us 12 weeks to make a difference.

I detoxified my house a little yesterday and got rid of the junk foods that I know I'm susceptible too, I gave them away.  If you're excuse right now is "I haven't got the willpower" then remember you only need willpower if you're being tempted to overeat, if you're not then you won't eat the junk, so you won't need any willpower.  You can't eat what isn't there - sort your surroundings!  I didn't want to find myself stuffing a Wispa or a bar of Cadbury's don't my neck, so I gave them away to a neighbour about to leave for work yesterday.   Yes we have to have some treats in the house for mom, but she has the ones I can live without, we've compromised, if she wants something I like, we just buy her the one when she wants to eat it, then I'm not tempted.

I haven't been shopping so I made use of what I had, cooked gammon joint in slow cooker with carrots and onions had it with parsley sauce and mash, realised I'm not a fan of parsley sauce.  Brekkie was egg on toast with cherry tomatoes and for tea I had a ham toastie with my packet of pork crunch that a member treats me to every week.  Usually I'd have mindlessly eaten them in-between weighing members at the scales and not really giving them any attention, last night they were eaten from a plate as part of my meal and I was full once I'd finished!

I really fancy a jacket potato, I don't eat them very often but I need it on my menu for sure!  I need to have a sort through my cupboards too so I know what I have to eat.  Trying to decide whether to do an online shop (got a coupon ain't I!) or just write a list of the things I need and go to the supermarket.  Decisions, decisions...  But first a cuppa, nearly finished my pint of water.

Today what are you going to do to help you BeYOUtiful?  I'm going to fit in another 30 minute walk and eat wisely.

Now is a good time!  If not now - when?

Give it 12 weeks, end 2016 in style?

29th September 2016

Never feel guilty for doing what's best for you.

I just checked the Christmas calender and it's exactly (at this moment in time) 86 days, 18 hours, 56 minutes, 2 seconds away from Christmas day!  Wowsers, that's just over 12 weeks and I love the above saying, which I've heard a number of times in my life;

It takes 4 weeks for you to notice a change

October starts Saturday if you were to decide to make it Tracktober and commit to a month of honest tracking, sticking to your allowance you would feel and notice that difference, yes the numbers on the scales would change but more than that you'd feel difference too, you'd have more energy, you'd feel more positive and I'd bet you'd smile more.  I quite like this idea too, especially the energy bit!  Focus on how you're feeling not just the numbers, lots of those changes are happening internally. 

It takes 8 weeks for your friends to notice

Start today and by the 24th November your friends will start to say, ooo have you lost some weight?  By them you'll be feeling even better, you'll probably have lost 5% of your body weight, which brings all sorts of benefits with it.  You'll also probably be looking for that Christmas outfit and feeling much better when you're stood in the changing rooms trying them on! 

It takes 12 weeks for the rest of the world to notice

22nd December is 12 weeks away, you're in the supermarket doing that last bit of shopping before the big day, you'd spotted your refection in the windows on the way in and actually thought, 'check me out, I'm looking good', that's the opposite of what I thought when I caught my reflection when I was out shopping yesterday!  Then you bump into one or two people that you know in passing, maybe the shop assistant and she says, "Wow, have you lost weight?  HOW?" and you proudly say, "yeah I have, I've lost a stone since the beginning of October, I've really enjoyed getting healthy again, I'm so glad I did".

It takes one day to decide that you are enough

Never forget that, as you are right not, you're enough.  What you're about to do is decide that you are worth taking care of, worth take the time to eat well, to think about what you're consuming and the effect it's having on your body.  Worth taking that 30 minutes out of your day to go for a walk and get some exercise (even I need to realise this bit! Starting today!)

I'm up for this - are you?

The twelve week challenge, one day at a time, one week at a time, one month at a time, one decision at a time - the time will pass anyway so what have you got to lose - weight, self-doubt, self-criticism!

What have you got to gain?  I'll let you fill the gap here....

Give it 12 weeks, don't quit!

How busy are you?

28th September 2016

When you wake up in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive.

Everyone's so busy!  I particularly noticed it yesterday after asking a question in my group, sadly the busy is usually work related!  I get we all have to work and I understand that these days employees expect more of us and our wages don't seem to cover our bills but it just makes me sad to think we're all losing that work / life balance.  It's so easy to get consumed by making a living we forget to make a life!

The sunset was amazing last night did you see it?  I had to keep stopping my car to take photos on my way home, it was incredible, and as I drove round the last corner there was a chap walking his dog, looking at his phone, completely oblivious of what was happening above him, he missed out there.  Don't be like that chap, don't miss out on the things going on around you!

Twice in my life I've took pay cuts, the first time it was one of the most difficult thing I ever did, taking that jump from a well paid job with a car allowance to a job where I wasn't guaranteed any wage at all and only had 2 meetings a week, that first few months I probably earned what I'd have got on the dole, but I was happy, I'd got my life back.  I'd been working 10-12 hours a day, 5 days a week in a job I no longer enjoyed, I had debt on a credit card that meant I couldn't leave and a mom I wanted to take care of and keep her in the way she'd become accustomed too.  I realised she would rather live a little less well off than have a miserable daughter, I learnt to ask myself the question "Do I want or do I need?" that saved me so much money.  I started to shop in Kwik Save (Lidl's of the past!) and cook from scratch to save money.  I found my happy again and got me a job I enjoyed going to again, I still do! 

This year I had to make changes again, that job I love so much had started to take up too much of my time, if I wasn't at work, I was shattered, that's no way to live at all, I needed the balance back so I tweaked my hours and thanks to the new system we have in place too, I'm doing less hours and I'm started to feel the benefit of it at last. 

There's nothing worse than being exhausted all the time, not having any time to do things you enjoy, or take care of yourself.  It's not the best environment for a healthy and happy you!

I used to overwork and save all year round for a holiday to escape my life, now I have no desire to escape my life, I'm happy with a day trip somewhere for a nice walk and sleeping in my own comfy bed knowing my mom's happy and comfy in the room next door.

As long as I can pay my bills and afford to eat, I don't need the latest phone or a new car without the dents and scratches mine has.  I no longer buy my clothes from the more expensive shops, I wait for Sainsbury's to have its 25% off and they're just fine, this way of living is working for me just fine and because of it I get to spend lots of hours with mom doing nothing and we love to do nothing together!

Today, I shall mostly be doing a bit of work in my office, giving my bro a lift to the hospital and nipping to the shop for milk before heading off to see my members tonight, you know what, that's a damn good day in my world, I think I'll cook a nice dinner too, not sure what yet though.

Right I'm off, have a great day, focus of the healthy and happy BeYOUtiful, make this a life you want to live not have to live xx

If I stop, how will.....

27th September 2016

You are far too smart to be the only thing standing in your way!

How to stay motivated?  The million dollar question that is isn't it.  Or how to get motivated in the first place?  I don't have a magic answer I'm afraid, it's different for everyone and you have to find ways that work for you.  Sticking to anything long term that isn't your norm takes effort, anything worth having takes effort.  If you are struggling to stay with your weight loss plan, here are some simple questions to ask yourself;

If I stop, how will I look in six months or one year from now?
If I stop, how will I feel in six months or one year from now?
If I stop, what will my health be like?
If I stop, how will my family and friends be affected?

I know my answer to the first one is definitely BIGGER, when I'm not keeping an eye on what I'm eating, I gain weight because I like to eat, even when I'm not tracking or 100% on plan, I still monitor what I'm eating because it's too easy not to. 

Please answer all four of those questions, answer them honestly too, it's too easy to pretend nothing will change.

If you have done well so far and feeling a bit stuck, go clear out your wardrobe, get rid of those clothes that no longer fit you, sell them on ebay and buy yourself a new outfit with the profit.

Stop giving so much power to the numbers on the scales, focus on the feeling, how do you feel since you've lost some weight, more energetic maybe?  How's your mood after you've eaten a healthy meal as opposed to a plate full of junk?  How do you feel after  you've taken a good walk round the block and got yourself some fresh air?  Focusing on the feel good feelings will encourage you to keep doing those things.

With Christmas on its way and all those parties around the corner you will find yourself invited too, do you have a favourite "outfit" in mind you want to wear?  If so hang it where you can see it, that's another way to keep your motivation going, if you can see it, you can visualise it.

Work on silencing that inner critic, he/she's a bitch and self-criticism isn't a good way to motivate yourself, it's more likely to sabotage your efforts than encourage you, believe it or not it can cause cravings for fatty and sweet foods and that's scientifically proven, so stop it please.  The next time you start to criticise yourself, put your hand on your heart, hold it there, take a few deep breathes and say you're okay. Silence that negative voice in your head. 

You're amazing because you want to make changes to be healthier!

Get healthy in the house!  You can't eat what's not there! Usually when I write or say that I mean you can't eat junk if you don't buy it but today I also mean you can't eat fruit if it's not there either.  I ate fruit on Saturday because it was in front of me at my meeting, I haven't done that at home in weeks because there isn't any.  Guess what I'm buying today?  Change your environment to reflect your intentions, put your walking shoes/trainers where you can see them, have the fruit bowl on the sie, healthy snacks in the cupboards, live like you're already healthy and in control.

Last but not least, don't forget your WHY!  List your reasons for wanting to lose weight, keep your why close by as they say at Weight Watchers, if you don't know why, you're less likely to succeed.

If you're still struggling to do it 100%, break it down, set yourself smaller goals, to focus on, like today decide you'll drink 2 litres of water, or walk for 20 minutes, or ensure you eat your five a day.  Break it down into doable tasks...

For most people losing just 5% of their body weight is enough to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.  There's a whole list of other benefits from weight loss too, but today let's just focus on the fact every person I weigh that loses weight ends up smiling, that's plenty enough reason for me, so today my goal is to ensure I get my 5 a day, that's my challenge and I'm going to buy some fruit.  What you going to do BeYOUtiful?