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?