Getting my healthy back on!

31st January 2017

There is no shortcut, it takes time to achieve your goals

 

Last day of January, where did that month go!  I'm putting my hand up right now to admit to a 1.5lb gain yesterday - oops!  The weekend was so much fun though, but if I'm honest it wasn't just the weekend, I've been picking at moms treat stuff too, so I'm not surprised, I'm also okay with it and ready to Focus in February.  On a positive I'm 1.5lb lighter than I was at the start of January, I'll take that, it was my birthday month after all. 

Today I'm thinking No Count, egg, mushrooms and tomatoes on toast for breakfast, egg, beans and chips for dinner and a bowl of soup for tea - how easy was that to sort!  Yeah I'm going to stick with a bit of veggie again today I think, no reason other than I ate a lot of meat last week so trying to balance it out a little.  I've also got a Smart Kitchen food box coming tomorrow and I ordered the veggie version, mainly because I was fortunate to trial this for Weight Watchers last year and I was very impressed so I thought I'd see what they've done for the veggies out there - I'll let you know, or of course you could go and have a look yourself. https://wwsmartkitchen.co.uk/

That'll save me thinking about what to eat and it'll also make me try new recipes and new foods, I found that really good with the trial because I didn't have a choice and I was doing it because I'd agreed to, I had to try the meals and I have to say I enjoyed every one of them, even the ones I didn't think I would enjoy.

Then when the week is over, I can look forward to a beef stew, actually I might make one of those today or tomorrow, I can't see me being 100% veggie all week, but you never know ;) me fickle and indecisive - I won't have it said!

I've got a lot to do this morning before work and for a change I slept until my alarm so I need to get a wriggle on!

I've also decided that I'm going to be doing "Time for a cuppa" for dementia uk in my meetings at the beginning of March, the main event will be at and after my Saturday morning meeting on the 4th but I'll probably do a little bit of something in all of them, so I need to get my thinking cap on and as well as those who can make a cake or two, I'm looking for the help of crafters to help me out with an idea!

https://www.dementiauk.org/get-involved/time-for-a-cuppa-2017/

In other words I've got a lot to do, so I haven't got time to sit here trying to think of what to write, I have however decided that this week I'm going to get myself a weight loss, if I can up the weight loss to 2-3lb a month, I can be another stone lighter by Summer, I want that and it's not going to happen by accident, I need to actually stop eating and drinking so much and get my tracking on.  Today will be day 1 of doing just that, I'm going to start it off by going to fetch and eat an apple, the pint of water has already been drunk.

Here's to making the last day of January a really good healthy one - you up for that too BeYOUtiful? x

Happy Monday?

30th January 2017

Remember important things - that includes you!

Healthy and happy it what I'm all about but how do we do it?  It seems obviously doesn't it but is it, I don't think so, not always anyway. 

Balance is another word I use a lot and I think that is the key, balance with everything, so Friday night I had a bad night's sleep, so last night I had an early night, even if you're not sleeping, you're resting.  I now feel ready to take on my week.

Saturday I overindulged, now for the rest of the week I'll eat healthier, Saturday was a special day out, I wasn't going to say no to something I fancied.  I won't be tempted in the house as the temptation isn't there, I can't eat what I don't buy!  It makes all the difference, I'm very easily led and mom had a packet of malted milk last week, I couldn't stop looking at them, thinking about them and eventually eating some of them.

So today I may gain, if I do, should I let that make me unhappy?  Or should I say okay, look at what a fab weekend I had, now let's start eating healthy again, cut down a little more on the good stuff, maybe try and fit in a couple of walks.  I'll take the latter option as if I let it make me unhappy, that will lead to me continuing to overeat and gain even more weight.

People must think I've been blogging and dieting forever and they'd be right, I will always be watching my weight because my natural behaviour is to overeat, if I didn't keep trying, I'd just keeping gaining, at least this way, I'm keeping those numbers down and the food I eat is mostly healthy and freshly cooked.

Being healthy is a number of things

- getting enough sleep

- eating healthy foods

- drinking plenty water

- moving more - go out and get some fresh air

- treating yourself - not to food, to something else you'd like, a good book maybe

- having good friends

- taking time to smile and laugh

- having hobbies

- managing the stress in your life - try yoga, deep breathes, meditation, writing

- having goals - know what you want to achieve and why you want to achieve it.

Being happy comes from within so stop waiting for it to find you or arrive from somewhere.  According to science only a small percentage of the variation in peoples reports of happiness comes down to the differences in their circumstances.  The bulk of what determines happiness is due to personality, our thoughts and behaviours - and these we can change!

Which means you can learn to be happier!

Happy isn't about what you own, how much money you have, people who are happy seem to realise that happiness is the sum of their life choices which consist of spending time with family and friends, appreciating what you have, looking on the bright side - you can always choice optimism, having a sense of purpose and living in the now, these things all helps to find your happy.

The great news is you are in control of your happy, you can choose your thoughts and actions and influence how happy you're going to be.  Get started if you're not already there, surround yourself with happy people, invest in those relationships.

Be thankful for what you already have, let gratitude be your last through before you go to bed and your first thought when you wake up.  

Start looking on the bright side, get optimistic, it may not be easy but really start to question yourself "Are things really as bad as you think?" and if they are, what can you learn from the situation to help you in the future, or what can you do now to change it.

Have a goal, find your purpose, live in the moment, don't put off your life, you only get one!  Don't wait till you've lost weight to go do the things you want to do, don't wait till you have enough money to have fun, find cheaper ways to have fun.  I don't know how much our day out cost on Saturday because it was my birthday treat, I do know even if we'd been walking round Cannock chase and ate packed sandwiches we'd made ourselves, we'd have still enjoyed it just as much because it was the being together and spending time with those I love that was the highlight of the day for me.

Right 2 days left in January, I'm making February the new January, if folk can decide to get fit and healthy in January, they can do it in February too, especially as we're now one month closer to spring!  Here's to the magic of Monday, the ability to wipe the slate clean, draw the line, start afresh if needed.  I think I might even do meat-free Monday today, see what I can come up with, if my imagination isn't on form, there's always egg and chips.  I fancy baked beans for brekkie maybe, mmm.

Right I'm off, I've had my lie in, time to get stuff done, I'll ease myself into my day slowly though I think.

Make it a happy Monday BeYOUtiful. xx

Finishing the bucket list!

29th January 2017

Surround yourself with those who make you happy.

Well it's 7am Sunday morning and I'm sat here smiling with numb bum cheeks :)

I had the best day yesterday, I won't lie I was apprehensive, my girls Katie and Vicky had told me they were taking me for a birthday surprise outing and that I needed to be dressed for the outdoors!  Mmm, I woke up yesterday looked out the window and though, "yay, rain - nice!" I'd also had a lousy night's sleep so I was tired, there was not a lot of energy left in me after a very, very busy January, a long week of 12 meetings and a few restless nights, so the idea of doing something outside in the cold, well it wasn't being sold to me at all. 

I had a great meeting on the morning, rushed home to get changed and I was picked up at 10.45am by Vicky, we then drove to get Katie before they told me I was going to Bakewell, nothing more, so now I'm thinking that's a long way to drive to get wet, it's damn cold in the peak district too, are we going hill walking?  Don't get me wrong I love a bit of hill walking but I also like dry days. 

We arrived and I've got to say once I was told what we were doing, I suddenly woke up, I was buzzing, we were going to tick off the last thing on my bucket list, we were hiring a tandem and going for a ride along the Monsal Trail.  I was absolutely thrilled, I've wanted to do it for years and it really is the last thing on my 'To Do' list, anything else I experience now in life is a bonus. 

 Having a test ride!

It didn't let me down, it was everything I imagined it would be and it couldn't have been in a better place either, as we didn't have to contend with traffic, hills or even turning round!  As Miranda would say "such fun!"  It really was and of course even better that they'd remembered and organised it as a surprise - I'm not usually good with surprises.

Two hours later we went to Chatsworth for some lunch, mmm delicious, I had to partake in the local beer plus a ploughmans.  I also had ginger pudding and custard, I'm afraid I really don't like Bakewell tarts so couldn't try them, but I did bring a couple home for mom and my brother.

Driving past Chatsworth we were lucky enough to see lots of fallow deer too, so that was an added highlight.  Yep, I'm still sat here smiling to myself, it really was a day of making memories with two very dear friends, who I can thank Weight Watchers for finding, it's been 9 years since Katie walked into my meeting and we just clicked, it's coming up to 13 years since Vicky and I got to know each other when I joined Weight Watchers to lose weight, yep can't thank Weight Watchers enough for bringing such amazing ladies into my life. 

All I can say is if I don't get a weight loss tomorrow it was worth it, this feeling of happy doesn't care what I weigh.  I can also say, I had a couple of hours of exercise so the healthy got a big tick too this weekend.  It also goes to show no matter how tired you think you are, doing a bit of activity does give you energy, because when we'd finished I felt like I could've gone for a walk too. 

It's reminded me how much I love to be outdoors, I'm feeling a need to get myself over Cannock Chase and up the Wrekin, so maybe next Sunday that'll be my plan, a couple of hours first thing whilst mom and Alfie are still in bed.

Today's all about the chilling though, I have a film ready to watch, so mom and me can put the heating on, get the hot chocolate and relax.  Of course I'll be walking Alfie at some point and I have promised to clean the kitchen too, so that's all being done first. 

Have you got a bucket list?  What's on it?  Will you be ticking anything off it this year?  Don't leave it too late to plan these things.  I'm happy to say at 47, I've ticked then all off, heck I've forgot what some of them were!  I can now chill, enjoy what else my future holds and just take life as it comes, knowing that I've been Whalewatching, I've seen Everest, I've hiked in the Himalayas, climbed Machu Picchu, cycled through Laos, Kenya, USA, so many things, not forgetting I've rode a tandem with my besties!  My life is officially the best.

Thank you to my BeYOUtiful friends for making me extremely happy, I truly am blessed.

Focused in February

28th January 2017

The same voice that says "give up" can also be trained to say "keep going!"

We've had a rough night in this house, moms woke often in awful pain and that in turn wakes me, been up since 4 so coffee will be part of this mornings ritual!

I'm off out for a few hours later with my mates too, no idea where, I just know it's outdoors (yay it's raining) and I've been told to dress warm!  Eek.

I made a delicious hassleback chicken dinner yesterday, using basil leaves, tomato and mozzarella cheese, had them served with Butternut squaffles all for only 5sp a portion - bargain.

Okay so January was our warm up!  Who's up for making February our new January,  Chinese New Year starts today, so we can all borrow their calendar, it's the year of the Rooster, I was born in the year of the Rooster too, so all the more reason to start afresh with a positive attitude, although I've done quite okay this week.

Right Focused in February, let's do this, write down what you want to focus on (they're called resolutions in January I do believe!) be specific, so here we go I'm going to put it out there, I want to lose a stone by summer, I'll say by my mom's birthday July 6th to give it a day.

Did you know just writing it down means you're more likely to achieve it!  Go one them write it down.  Well done and congratulations on your upcoming success.

Next we need to know what we'll get from achieving this thing we're going to focus on, what's the payoff, for me it's getting back into my size 12's comfortably for when I want to put jeans and shorts on this summer and get in the garden.  Go on write it down.

Now we need to make sure we keep ourselves focused on this goal, how will we remind ourselves of what and why?  I'm thinking I'm going to hang my favourite jeans in my room so I can see them, I might even put the shorts in the kitchen where they can be seen - I could stick them to the fridge!   How about you?

We know it's not going to be plain sailing, nothing worth having ever is, so how are we going to stay focused throughout February and beyond, do you need to have a list of meals you'll chose from when eating out, do you need to become the designated driver more often, maybe you need to start online shopping like me to stop you being tempted.  Think about and write down how you'll stay focused on your goal.

Will you reward yourself along the way?  I've just decided I'm going to put a tenner in a pot for every pound I lose, then at the end of it I'll have £140, I might spend £70 when I get my silver 7 on something nice then do the same with the other £70, or I might wait until I get the £140 and buy something really nice. 

So decisions made, goal set, plan of action, what's the first things you're going to do to get you started?  I'm going to have a light breakfast because I know I'll probably be eating out this afternoon and I want to enjoy it as I don't do it very often and I need to prove to myself I can do that and still lose weight like my members do.

Right let's do this shall we?  I'm not waiting till February 1, you needn't either BeYOUtiful, let's get focused and fabulous for February.