Happy with my lot...

17^th April 2012

Life is like a ten-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.  Charles M. Schulz

You’ve gotta love the flow of the universe or karma, or whatever you want to call it, over the last week or so facebook has made me realise how fortunate I am to be as happy as I am and to love my life as I do. I haven't chosen the usual path a woman takes - I don't feel the need for a man in my life, don't get me wrong I've had relationships, some were amazing but I've never felt I NEEDED a man, I’m happy in my own company. Obviously being single has also meant choosing to not have children also, something else I didn't think I needed nor wanted. Again I really like children and I really like men just happy with my life the way it is and didn’t need them to make it any better. It appears there are a lot of people out there not quite so happy which is such a shame because whatever your situation or life choices you should be enjoying your life, as far as we know we only get one.

I mentioned karma at the start because yesterday I was in the best mood ever and there’s only one thing guaranteed to spoil or taint that mood and as my friends would tell you, that would be lack of sleep!  I don’t function without sleep, I can go to bed at 4 in the afternoon and sleep all night long, however last night, the universe saw fit to stop me getting any!  Alfie’s not well, I’m not quite sure what’s wrong with him and I will take him to the vets today, I think he may have pulled something or have an allergy but he’s scratched and twitched and cried all night, hence the lack of sleep.  Bless mom she come and took him for about 3 hours so I have had some sleep but I actually turned my alarm clock off this morning and got back in bed for 20 more minutes, I never do that but this morning I needed to.

Hey ho, I’m still smiling and still happy, just hope Alfie gets sorted quickly – poor little thing.

So why am I so content as opposed to some of the people who are posting doom and gloom on facebook - I’m not sure.  I do know I enjoy the simple things in life, and I regularly think about the things I am grateful for.  I’m aware of the negative and not so good stuff but I don’t focus on it, I focus on the positive.  I get pleasure from helping others and making other people happy but I also get pleasure from doing nice things for myself.  It’s all about balance. 

Looking on the bright side – it really works.  Like this morning it’s raining, the wind has howled all night and instead of thing yak horrible day, I’m thinking, great we need the rain, I’m not walking Alfie this morning because he’s poorly so bonus that I haven’t got to walk in it and the wind that would’ve probably kept me awake last night didn’t because Alfie was already doing that ;-) glass half full kinda girl!

I was going to talk about writing a gratitude list but instead I’m gonna share one of my favourite stories with you as dogs seem to be the focus of my blog today.  This story shows that you really do have a choice of how you view a situation, don’t get me wrong I know everyone has problems and issues going on and some are really, really bad but you decide how you approach them.  I’m not trying to say you haven’t got huge problems or that yours  aren’t real but how you decide to approach them makes a massive difference to how you cope.  So here’s my tale;

There was a pile of dog dirt on the pavement as they walked to work four men trod in it on their way to work.

The first man felt very sad, he looked at the mess and smelt the smell and said you know this just about sums me up, this always happens to me.  It’s the kind of guy I am, I can’t even walk down the street without messing things up.  The days started badly and it’s going to get worse from here on in. this man never got to work , he went home, got into bed and stayed there feeling more depressed as the day went on.

The second man saw the mess and smelled the smell and started to panic, he said to himself, “o dear what should I do now, there are so many things I should do, but I want to do the right thing I don’t want to get it wrong in case people think badly of me, I must get it right at all costs.  If I clean my shoes there will be no where to put the mess and if I leave it somewhere someone might see me, on the other hand, but then, and what if.  This man never got to work, he stayed there feeling more and more paralysed  in panic as the day when on.

The third man saw the mess and smelled the smell and started to get angry, within minutes that anger had almost become a rage he felt himself getting hotter, he started to stomp around and he was saying to himself what careless son of a bitch did this, this is the most awful thing ever, nobody should be so careless they shouldn’t be let out of the house in the mornings.  I bet they let their dog do this here just to get me and ruin my day, let me get my hands on them.  This man got to work but he didn’t achieve much he was too angry and distracted for most of the day and as he contributed to his soon to be heart disease he planned torturous revenge on all dog owners.

The fourth man was annoyed at first then he started to smile he looked at the mess and smelled the smell and said to himself isn’t it just great that I remembered to put my shoes on this morning! And with that he wiped his shoes on the grass and went to work.

You know what you think influences how you feel and what you do!

Have a fabulous day, play in the puddles and remember to put your shoes on! ;-)

YAY it's Monday - you ready for another week!

16^th April 2012

Kind words cost nothing, and smiles are free. Have a productive week and take time to enjoy the little things life has to offer.

I usually make all sorts of plans when I have a weekend at home and rarely follow through ;-) this weekend however I did, I had planned to take care of me and that’s exactly what I did.  I spent four hours yesterday cooking and now have a fridge and freezer full of meals to save me time for the next few weeks.  All good healthy tasty stuff too, I made that ‘pot of love’ from yesterdays blog, was very tasty although it took longer for the rice to cook that it says.  I also made a double batch of the chicken and bacon casserole from the recipe cards, I just love that meal and could easily eat it twice a day, its delicious.  So I’m all set for a good week, we have no cakes, biscuits or junk in our house because even mom has decided she thinks her health problems might lesson if she cuts them down. 

Yesterday morning I looked back to see what I was doing 12 months ago to the day and smiled when I read and realised it was the anniversary since I’d fetched Alfie, bless him, he’s still as cute as the day I picked him up 2 years ago and helps to keep me fit by taking me for a good long walk each morning.  Keeping a blog or diary is interesting, it’s helped me to notice patterns about myself and to realise that I feel/behave differently at different times of the year, April is usually a month of spending time at home, being productive and getting things done both at home and at work. 

Something’s never change though; mom’s just got out of bed moaning. She does that all the time ;-) and every morning I agree with her and smile.  We all have things in our lives to be grateful for and she is one of mine, moaning or not!

I’ve smiled a lot this last week, after visiting my brother last weekend, I realised how much like him I am, probably because everyone kept telling me!  Since I’ve been back home I keep noticing certain things I do, faces I pull, things I say, and I keep laughing, looking at mom and saying “I’m turning to Terry ain’t I?” She laughs and says yes.  There’s 8 years between us, but mom reckons we could have been twins we’re so alike and it wasn’t until this trip that I remembered how close we were as children and I keep smiling when I think about it.  We’re still alike now and we seem to be living the same life in different countries, we both get up early in the morning, walk dogs, go to work and enjoy life.  I think I may have already said that in a previous blog, or at least I’ve thought / said it before!  I’ll blame perimenopause for not remembering whether I’ve already wrote it or not, I plan to blame it for everything for the next ten years until I go through the change and turn into whatever it is the menopause turns me into!

I’m going to make a conscious effort, now I’ve stocked up with all this healthy food to eat more brown rice, brown pasta, lentils and pulses.  Introduce more vegetarian meals into my life I think, as well as oily fish at least once a week.   According to that ‘super foods to boost your moods’ book I will start to notice the difference very quickly, so we shall see.  I don’t suffer from depression but I have been getting cranky/ratty when it’s that time of the month these days (perimenopause that will be ;-) ), so let’s see if it helps that.

Eating better this last week has definitely got rid of my heartburn/indigestion so that’s one step in the right direction, I’ve heard the saying “nothing tastes as good as being thin feels” but I beg to disagree, they’ve obviously never tasted a good bottle of South African Pinotage or a donor kebab after a night out on the town, or a curry on a Friday night!  However I must say I do believe, “nothing tastes better than feeling well” and that’s why I am doing everything in my power to ensure I eat well to feel great, which I’d already decided before reading that book, now having read it I’m even more convinced it’s the only way to go. That’s why I’m sat here drinking hot water rather than tea because too much tea gives me heartburn!

YAY it’s Monday we get to start another week, how lucky are we!

No buy the junk, not eat the junk!

15^th April 2012

Achievement seems to be connected with action. Successful men and women keep moving. They make mistakes but they don’t quit.  Conrad Hilton

Went to bed early last night with a cluster headache, not pleasant at all, but thankfully I’ve woken up fresh as a daisy, I also lay in bed this morning just enjoying the silence and looking at the sky, beautiful morning out there, will be going to enjoy it with Alfie shortly. 

Well my weekend is on course as planned, yesterday I looked through books etc found some recipes I fancy cooking and I went and did a big shop, all good nutritious food, even moms onboard she asked me only to get her yogurts and some wotsits, so she realises all the junk is not making her feel great.  I might look into making her some healthy puddings. I’ll mostly be cooking today and filling my freezer full of scrumptious, nutritious dishes. 

Healthy eating for me is not about strict nutrition philosophies, getting unrealistically thin, or depriving myself of the foods I love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, and keeping myself as healthy as possible– all of which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and using them in a way that works for you.  I won’t be thinking at every meal time, “does this meal contain all the vitamins I need and is it nutritionally balanced”, I don’t need to because all the foods I’ve bought are healthy so however I put them together over the week means I’m eating a balanced diet. I haven’t bought any junk so I can’t eat any junk!

The rest of this blog is about food, it’s nutrition and also a couple of recipes;

FOOD FACT OF THE DAY

Broccoli is just amazing!  Not only is it one of my favourite veggies, but it is an excellent support of folic acid (people with depression are more likely to have a folate deficiency and also it’s good for ladies who want to get pregnant) If you need a natural lift – quickly (and without the aid of chocolate!) then apparently it is important to eat the broccoli raw, lightly steamed or stir fried, as thi is the best way to retain its nutrient value.  It also contains more vitamin C than an orange, which boosts the immune system and helps those with chronic fatigue.  It’s one of the richest sources of vitamin A, which benefits growth, development, reproduction, skin and vision, and will give us an added boost that we so need when we feel out of sorts.  It also has as much calcium as a glass of milk, which can help relieve mood swings.  Plus other stuff like a high amount of flavonoids, polyphenols, and sulphur compound – all of which are good for you of course. 

Guess who’s been reading books ;-)

Tomatoes are also fantastic foods, but I’m not gonna go into the hows and whys, just trust me and apparently the canned ones are even better!  Here’s a scrumptious recipes I found to make sure you enjoy them. 

ROAST TOMATO RISOTTO
A stunning risotto which is worth the wait while the tomatoes roast and turn themselves into a powerful mood meal.

(Serves 4 – 16pp each) Seems high but I’m guessing there really big portions so maybe split 6 ways for 11pp each.

500g/1lb tomatoes
6tbsp/90ml olive oil (23pp)
1 small butternut squash
1 onion, finely chopped
320g/120oz good risotto rice (29pp)
300ml/10fl oz stock
300ml/10fl oz white wine (7pp)
Bunch of chopped parsley
Pinch of dried sage
3 crushed garlic cloves
50g/2oz Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (6pp) (this cheese is similar to parmesan but made from sheeps milk)

Method: Place the tomatoes on a baking tray and drizzle them with half the olive oil. Place them into a pre-heated oven, 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Roast for 30 minutes until the tomatoes are well cooked, soft and squishy. Peel the squash and chop the flesh into small pieces. Place the other half of the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan and gently fry the squash and chopped onion until they are soft. Add the tomatoes and mix, then stir in the rice and garlic and turn the whole mixture for 2 minutes. Add enough stock to just cover the rice. As the rice absorbs the stock, about 5 minutes, add some more stock to cover the rice and then continue with the white wine until the entire liquid is absorbed. Now, add the herbs, garlic and
cheese and mix on a low heat for 2 minutes. Serve
immediately - this dish needs no accompaniment!

And here is another recipe from the same book that I plan to make today;

A POT OF LOVE (32pp total)
Try this delicious one-pot meal with lentils, a rich source of iron to boost your energy and love you up.

1 tbsp olive oil (4pp)
2 onions, chopped
3 crushed cloves garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp curry powder
½ tsp cinnamon
4 sliced carrots
100g dried lentils (8pp)
200g  brown rice (20pp)
500ml  stock
1 diced apple (unpeeled)
4 sliced spring onions

In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat; cook onions, garlic, cumin, curry powder and cinnamon, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in carrots, lentils and rice; cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute. Pour in stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice and lentils are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the apple and spring onions, then cook, covered, for 5 minutes or until the spring onions are heated through. Serve with a dollop of live yoghurt.

Banana's on Turkey anyone - it'll make you smile!

14th April 2012

When the world says, "Give up," Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."  Author Unknown

Well I’m a happy bunny this morning, started off thinking I was just a little crazy, got straight out of bed at 6am, made a cup of tea, logged on to write my blog and instead logged onto the self assessment inland revenue site and started doing my tax return!  Am I mad, starting Saturday with tax, most people usually put it off until the last minute – I’m not most people ;-)  I’ve been waiting to get it done out of the way so I knew exactly what I owed.  I’ve been self-employed for 6 or 7 years until last July when Weight Watchers took us on as employees, so my return was only from April – July, which meant I had no idea at all how much I’d owe.  Obviously from the happy bunny comment it isn’t as high as I’d expected so I’m smiling this morning.  Just hope I’ve done it right - they’ll soon let me know I’m sure!

At least I can now afford the washing machine that I ordered this week, the one we’ve got is washing the floor as well as the clothes every time its used ;-) even though I tried to convince mom that was a good thing, she was having none of it.

I ended up having a real lazy day yesterday, which I knew I would, after being tortured in Whacky Warehouse and leaving with our ears ringing, we had lunch at the Broadway which I have to admit has much improved, the food was very good, my mate had toad in the hole and it looked amazing, actually it tasted pretty good as I pinched a bit of her Yorkshire pudding. 

Today is my “getting on it” day, once I’ve finished blogging, I’m moving on to planning, I’m going to plan my meals for the next few weeks, write a shopping list, go shopping, then tomorrow I’m going to do cooking.  It’s taken me all week to get my head in the right place, have to admit the meetings have really helped me as well as my members this week.  I’m so happy with my life and who I am that I need to find other reasons to lose weight other than “because the chart says so” or “because I wanna be slimmer”, because if I’m 100% honest, when I look in the mirror I love what’s looking back and me, I always smile at my reflection, even when I’m looking rough.  So my motivation is going to my health as I mentioned earlier in the week, I started reading up on some stuff last night, it’s all extremely interesting.  I was reading to find out what’s good for you and what helps which symptoms and I got to reading about depression.  I’m very fortunate in that I don’t suffer, don’t get me wrong I have days where I’m grumpy but I’ve never had depression and openly admit I can’t imagine it, although I have realised from talking to others that it’s a chemical thing.  This book was saying how depression is rising and they believed it was connected to what we eat, the more processed food you eat the more likely to get depression.  Book was obviously full of lots of statistics which I don’t need to share, but it is also full of lots of nutritional information which I will be reading.  So in a nutshell, I have condensed two pages about Serotonin which is the happy chemical below;

Serotonin can only be made by the brain.

Foods rich in the amino acid tryptophan help the brain to make supplies of serotonin.

Serotonin is associated with lifting the mood, decreasing feelings of stress and tension and helping us to relax. At night the brain converts serotonin into melatonin, which helps keep your internal clock on form and gives you a good nights sleep.

Bananas
Turkey
Cottage cheese
Sunflower seeds
Brown rice
Peanuts
Soy products

Well I’m already happy, but I don’t think you can be too happy and with the menopause around the corner determined to make me a grumpy bird having hot flushes, I’m gonna be prepared, I’m off to buy those items above, I’m thinking turkey casserole with brown rice and a banana a day to keep the mean menopause away.

Right I’m off for a 1-2 hour walk with Alfie, he’s whining in my office door, he’s a clever dog, knows its Saturday and my day off, so he will take me miles.

Enjoy your day. x

In the change - but what into!!!

13^th April 2012

I don't think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains. Anne Frank

This weekend I will mostly be taking care of me…

Yes my job is to help motivate others to lose weight and eat healthy by encouraging them to take care of themselves and put themselves first.  This weekend, I intend to do just that – take care of me.  I’ve got it all planned out, I’m going to tidy my house a little, then get my Weight Watcher books out, my cookbooks etc and do some meal planning.  Next I plan to go shopping, then spend a few hours in the kitchen filling my freezer full of scrumptiousness for the next few weeks, to help me get on track.  I’ve got a timeline planned out in my diary, so my weight loss goals are realistic, I know the weeks I can lose and the weeks I’ve got no chance because I’ll be too busy having fun, holidays etc.   My mission is to be back at my goal (or at least within the +5lb) by September 23^rd when we have our Weight Watcher Conference.  Yep, that’s my motivation, to be within my ideal weight range, I was gonna say to be looking hot, but hell I already do when I make a effort, don’t forget I’m gorgeous – just like you ;-)

So my weekend starts in roughly 4 hours when I’ve finished doing my paperwork, I may do a bit of work over the weekend but only because I want to not because I have to.  Meeting my mate for some lunch today, already decided on gammon and jacket potato, both good filling and healthy options and going for a curry with Katie tomorrow night, so need to plan what I'm having there too!

I’m going to be putting together my shopping list with a few thoughts in mind, 1 = weight loss, 2 = menopausal symptoms (I’m sure I’m heading there so if I start eating things that will help then it might make it more bearable), 3 = Heartburn & indigestion (I’m fed up of foods giving it me, last weekend in Corfu, everything I ate and drank caused me pain afterwards.

So to be honest, the health side means more to me than looking good or being slim, I’d be happy to be any weight if I was fit, healthy and happy.  We’ve talked in meetings this week about motivation and what made members join Weight Watchers, so many say health reasons, we all like to look good, but feeling good is super important.

So foods that I’ve read up on that may help menopause symptoms are; Soya for hot flushes, no one yet understands exactly what causes them but it has been observed that women in Japan have far fewer menopausal symptoms and one theory is that this is because their diet includes a lot of soya.  Unfortunately they recommend avoiding stimulants such as tea, coffee, alcohol and chocolate, especially at night – boo I love a cuppa tea nearly as much as a glass of wine!  I wonder if the soya might counterbalance the other two!

Avoid snacking on sugary foods – all too often a sharp rise in your blood glucose level may be followed by a sharp dip and leave you feeling tired and drained. Choose fresh fruit instead.   That’s definitely good for the waistline too.

Many people associate the menopause with weight gain but, as we get older, we need fewer calories. Eating a bit less sounds a simplistic solution but it will help. Eat more starchy complex carbohydrates, such as wholemeal pasta, bread and rice, as they will help boost your metabolism so that you burn body fat more quickly.   This leans towards suggesting more Filling & Healthy days.

I reckon this one would help every women for that one week a month! To help you feel less irritable, eat breakfast and eat little and often to balance your blood sugar

Depression and irritability  - Eat more complex carbohydrates as they will also help to increase serotonin levels, which in turn will help control appetite and make you feel better in yourself. Other useful strategies to help you feel less irritable are to eat breakfast and to eat little and often to balance your blood sugar.

If you type Menopause and food into a search engine it will find you lots of information that may also be useful.  I read the other day to eat turkey and cherry tomatoes for the tryptophan - its a feel good food as are soy products, seafood, wholegrains, beans, rice, houmous, lentils, eggs. I’m also adding oily fish for the Omega 3 etc. 

All good stuff, I’m be as fit as a fiddle come September!

I intend to have a great day!

12^th April 2012

To do is to be – Socrates.  To be is to do – Plato.  Do be do be do - Sinatra!

I’m really enjoying my meetings this week, we’re looking at focus and motivation and it’s even starting to help me get back in the zone.  It’s good to think about why you want to lose weight rather than just saying ‘I want to lose weight’.

It’s important to focus on what you want, have you ever been to a party, expecting it to be terrible –and it was? Ever left for a party, expecting it to be brilliant – and it was? You might not have realized this in your life yet; however the outcome you expect is often the outcome you get.  Last time I went to Corfu for a long weekend I went with mom and I expected to be exhausted when I got back and kept saying I’m gonna struggle to get through the week having had such little sleep and I did, by Thursday I was hanging by a thread.  However this time, same flights, I kept saying I’ll be fine, I have a snooze on the plan and I’ve only got to work 3 days, I’ll manage and I have, this morning doesn’t feel any different to a usual Thursday.

So if your choice is to wake up on a bright, sunny day, yawn and stretch as you get out of your comfortable bed, deciding that you’re going to have a wonderful day ahead of you, you can have a great day! Or you could wake to grey clouds and heavy rain, stub your toe on the bed, and decide that today is a bad day, guess what? Strangely, you’ll be right again.

Simply put your intention sets your direction. In other words, the route you plan out for yourself is most likely the one you’ll end up taking. If you expect something great to happen, it often does.  Ooo think about how great that would be for your weight loss journey if you decided on your outcome now! Set your intention, make it clear that you’re going to attend your meeting each week, eat healthy and lose weight, you’ll meet some fantastic people in your meeting and you’ll enjoy the journey.

Why not set your intention for the day right now, the brighter the better.  Mine is to have a fabulous day, my meetings are all going to run like clockwork and my members are going to all leave the meeting feeling motivated.  I’m going to eat healthily all day and enjoy my day.

How about you?

Remember, the sun is always shining brightly. It never stops. It’s just that most people look to the sky and end up seeing the grey clouds that cover it. They focus on that gloom and doom. They’re immersed in negativity.   Decide to clear those grey clouds – so you can realize the bright, shiny happiness hiding just behind.

I try to constantly see the sunshine, heck I even appreciate the grey clouds.  You may be thinking “really”, yeah I do because the truth is that in order for you to experience true happiness in your life, you must experience sadness. It’s necessary. Without sadness, we really can’t even understand what happiness is. Yet how many of us struggle and fight against sadness when it comes into our lives? We think that we should ONLY be experiencing the good, the positive, the happy. We MUST be thinking positively at all times. And if we don’t, we blame ourselves for failing.

Is this a realistic way to live your life? In order to have happiness, you must also experience sadness. Dolly Parton describes it much more eloquently: "If you want the rainbow, you’ve got to put up with the rain." In other words, and quite simply: It’s all good. Stop judging individual experiences, and how "good" or “bad" they are. Just enjoy and embrace all your life adventures. And when seemingly negative things happen, remember that it’s just the duality of life. It’s just the other side of the coin. It’s required. It’s part of the equation. So, appreciate the other side of the coin – and you will be happy.

Todays blog was inspired by “The 18 Rules of Happiness: How to Be Happy” by Karl Moore, it’s only cost me 50p as a Kindle book from Amazon, go buy it, it’s a short book, really easy to read and full of great tips.

Have a fabulous day, I INTEND TO! ;-)

I've been Eastered - have you!

11^th April 2012

In any family, measles are less contagious than bad habits.   Mignon McLaughlin

I haven’t blogged since Friday or was it Thursday, it seems like forever because seriously I’ve been having some major fun.  We flew out to Corfu on Friday to see my brother and his wife and returned early hours of yesterday morning.  In-between we’ve laughed and laughed some more, lovely to see my brother and his wife and even better to introduce them to my friends.   Not so sure I liked all the locals telling me how much I looked like my brother, after all he’s a 50 year old bald bloke with no hair, a big nose and a wok-shaped stomach as opposed to a wash-board one.

Back home reality hits from a diet point of view the minute you step on the scales, which all three of us did yesterday and we are all now back on track ready to get the pounds off for summer so we can enjoy ourselves some more. 

For the rest of the week I plan to eat from the freezer, there’s a few meals left that I’ve made over the last month or so and then I can go shopping at the weekend after I’ve done myself a meal plan and shopping list. 

I fancy following a few of filling and healthy days also next week, so I definitely need to plan because I haven’t really done that before, I may have done one or two days here and there but I’ve never really planned it.

It’s amazing what we all take for granted but can make someone else’s day, my brothers lived in Corfu for 6 years and the one thing he misses is Radio 2, at the weekend we found him an app for his new ipod that means he will now be able to play it everyday, he was over the moon.  We on the other hand missed being able to put the toilet paper down the toilet ;-)

So it’s 7 weeks or thereabouts to my holiday, I’d like to lose a minimum of a pound a week which is doable as I don’t really have another planned between now and then.  The weather will hopefully be improving giving us all more chance to get outside and enjoy a bit of walking or running.

So it’s either porridge for breakfast or pilchards on toast, I’m not totally sure yet but at least I have options, and lunch looks like chicken and rice casserole but I need to wait for it to defrost to know for sure.  Note to self – put stickers on your freezer meals!

I’m guessing after yesterdays meetings lots of you may be thinking, shall I/shall I not get weighed this week......

So here is why you will;
1. You promised me and yourself last week you would definitely get weighed this week.
2. We are all in the same boat this week!
3. Next week will be amazing even if this week may not be.
4. If you leave it even one week, I guarantee you it will only get worse.

So if I haven’t already, I’ll see you in the meeting this week, we still managed 185lb weight loss yesterday even though at least half of us didn’t lose at all!

We’re all back on track from today!  Unless you’re away on holiday, in which case I’m guessing you’re not even reading this.

Sexy is not a size- true beauty comes from inside!

6^th April 2012

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. - Maria Robinson –

I was saddened yesterday realising that people (even some of my members) still judge others on their size, I don’t think anyone has the right to tell someone else they’re ‘fat’ or at what size you will become attractive!  What’s that all about, every woman (and man) I know is gorgeous in a different way, in their own unique way.  And I think the way I reacted yesterday showed me I’m a little bit naive to think that because I think this way everyone else will too.

It always makes me smile when they start throwing statistics and research at you to about the dangers of being overweight, research full stop makes me smile because for every piece that tells me the dangers of being fat, I can find similar on the dangers of being slim, heck chocolate is supposed to be bad for you but last week ‘research’ showed it could help you lose weight.  Trust me researchers can find evidence to prove anything!

I’ve been every weight from 8st 13lb to 14st since I was 18, and those numbers have not only affected my physical health but my emotional health also.  These days I hover around 11 stone and according to the charts I’m overweight and guess what -  I couldn’t give a stuff!  Why?  Are you thinking “you’re a Weight Watcher leader, you should care, you tell people to get to their goal weights?”  No actually I don’t, I try to tell people to get to a weight they’re happy at, a weight they can maintain, a weight they can still enjoy life at and be happy in their skin. 

I’m healthier than I’ve ever been, both physically and emotionally.  I eat healthy foods most of the time because I appreciate that they make me feel well and they give me energy, I don’t eat ‘diet food’ because it makes me thin!  I move more, I walk the dog every morning because it sets me up for the day and makes me feel calm, not because it burns calories.  I run at least once or twice a week because it challenges me and invigorates me, I don’t run for fun, I’d be lying if I said I did, I do run because it makes me feel better about indulging in a glass of wine though, I see it as counterbalancing any harm the alcohol might be doing – whether that’s true or not only my body knows, I’m not interested in the research.

I’m going away this weekend and I will overindulge, I’ll eat too much and drink too much and I’ll do it with real gusto and without a thought for my weight, the enjoyment I’ll have this weekend with my friends and family with give me a feel good feeling that will last me a month or more, and when I return I’ll eat sensibly and drink less to counterbalance the overindulging.

Beauty comes in all sizes, I have photos of myself from when I was in my 20’s and looking at them I know I wasn’t happy with my body even though I was a good stone lighter than I am now, even the photos of me at a size 8, I can recall me wanting to lose more or being scared to go out for fear I’d put some weight on.  That’s not healthy nor happy.

My most favourite photos of myself these days are the ones when I’m smiling and laughing because I can always tell by the smile in the photo whether it’s a real one or that ‘smile the camera’ pose.  20 years ago I didn’t like having my photo taken, 20 years on I was brave enough to have a photo shoot done including a naked shot, yep I took my clothes off even though officially I’m overweight because I don’t care what anyone else thinks of me and how I look because guess what, “I love me and I’m very happy in my skin”. 

That’s what I want for every woman that joins my meeting, for them to learn to love themselves regardless of what they weigh, I see it happen too and it makes me so happy, there’s nothing better than seeing a gorgeous lady feeling good about herself and being happy in her own skin.   That feeling doesn’t come from a set of scales, that feeling comes from inside.

So gorgeous, enjoy your day and have a fabulous Easter weekend, I know I will.

A big pile of Pooh!

5^th April 2012

It’s often the last key on the ring that opens the door! (Unknown)

Everybody looks at life with a different vision.  If three people look at a tree, one will see how many metres of valuable timber there is, the second will see it as firewood to be burned to keep the family warm.  The third will see it as a marvel of nature with a value far beyond its worth in money or firewood.  What we live for determines what we see in life and gives clearer focus to our inner vision.

It always makes me smile how everyone has an opinion or everybody sees a situation differently, I’ve seen and heard a lot of that the last few days, and of course no one is right but at the same time everyone is in their own thinking. 

Just thinking out loud there, I’m not going anywhere with it!  I treated myself yesterday to my favourite book on audio, “The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff. It’s the nearest thing I have to a bible, I don’t think I’ve ever really wanted to read a book more than once, but this one I like to dip into now and again to help ground me.  It’s a clever yet easy to read little book about Taoism which is a philosophy not a religion, I won’t go into that too much but it’s generally how I try to live my life not because I read it in a book but because I already was doing so and then read it in a book and realised it. 

Anyways just a small piece from the book stuck in my mind yesterday as I was driving to town, it starts with Winnie the Pooh reading his poem Cottleston Pie, which goes;

Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie,

A fly can’t bird, but a bird can fly
Ask me a riddle and I reply;
Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie

(there’s more but you’ll have to buy the book or a Pooh book to read it ;-) )

The books using the poem to explain that cleverness has its limitations and the thing that makes people truly different – unique, in fact – is something Cleverness cannot really understand.  They refer to that something special as Inner Nature.

So using the poem the author explains that first verse like so;

“a fly can’t bird, but a bird can fly.”  Very simple.  It’s obvious, isn’t it?  And yet, you’d be surprised how many people violate this simple principle every day of their lives and try to fit square pegs in round holes, ignoring the clear reality that Things Are As They Are. 

It then uses a writing of Chuang-tse to illustrate this and then comes back and continues;

In other words, everything has its own place and function.  That applies to people, although many don’t seem to realise it, stuck as they are in the wrong job, the wrong marriage, or the wrong house.  When you know and respect your own Inner Nature, you know where you belong.  You also know where you don’t belong.  One man’s food is often another man’s poison, and what is glamorous and existing to some can be a dangerous trap to others.

-----

Again today I’m just voicing my thoughts in a bit of a mitch motch way so I’m not quite sure if that makes sense without having read more of the book, I think it does.  I suppose I’m trying to get across that if you’re living your true self and respect your inner nature then life just flows, yes we all have problems and down days but you just accept them for what they are and handle them.  I’m not happy all the time but even when I’m not happy I’m okay because I know that I will be happy again soon and this is just my hormones or a certain situation making me feel that way. 

A fly can’t bird but a bird can fly.  Work out what you can do and where you fit, I did and I’m so glad, my life’s so much easier now.

I most definitely recommend this book, but I also recommend all the Winnie the Pooh books too, great reading for grown ups or little ones.  You can beat a bit of Pooh ;0)

I've said it before & I'll probably say it again...

4^th April 2012

Good habits are as easy to form as bad ones. Tim McCarver

I struggled through yesterday, I had a lurking headache on top of my back ache and it got worse as the day went on, tablets were not helping.  I did manage to stay on track though and went to bed having used 28pp, and earned 5pp on my pedometer, that’s the first time I’ve tracked in over a week and the scales proved it yesterday morning, in four weeks I’ve lost absolutely zero, actually that’s not strictly true, I lost it then found it again, lost 3lb, then gained 2.5lb the week after and ½ lb this week!  Mmm got maintenance nailed, but I’m well aware of the fact I really should (oooo there’s that word and hence my problem) lose 4-7lb to be more comfortable and even more to be at goal. 

SHOULD

A word oozing with guilt and expectancy, if I here someone say “I should do….” It doesn’t sound anywhere near as meaningful as “I could do…..” Could is saying you have a choice, whereas ‘should’ is saying you ought to do it even if you don’t really want to.

Now if you’d asked me last week ‘Do you want to lose half stone?” My reply would’ve been no not really.  Why, because I would’ve been thinking purely from an image point of view and I know that with the right clothes I can look ok if I dress properly. 

However ask me today, “do you want to lose half stone?” and the reply would be, “I want to eat better and move more and if the side effect of that is a half stone weight loss, then yes I do.”

I was in bed with a pounding headache last night just gone 8pm and I slept until the alarm at 5am this morning, Monday I felt drained all day even though I had relaxed all weekend.  Last week I didn’t think about what I ate at all, and I didn’t eat great, and I truly believe that is part of the reason I haven’t felt great this week.

And yes I’m well aware I’ve probably said this kind of thing before, but hey I’m human, I have a rubbish memory and I have to remind myself occasionally that eating well and moving more isn’t just about weight loss it’s about feeling good and having the energy to enjoy life. 

So here’s to some balance being put back in my life, healthy eating, regular exercise whatever they may be, walking the dog is the main thing, I do that 7 days a week, so any running that gets added to that is a bonus.  I’d have bought myself a scooter yesterday after watching the kids having fun on them if they weren’t so expensive on ebay!  I can just see me tazzing around the estate screaming “beep beep” with Alfie pulling me with his lead.

Egg and beans for breakfast I think, I’ll have time to make that, mmm, I might even add tinned tomatoes and mushrooms – now you’re talking.  

Yep I could eat healthy and more more sounds much more appealing that I should.  I am going to eat healthier and move more sounds more convincing and I actually mean that today.

Apparently we may have snow on the way, at least if it does come I’ll be moving more shovelling it off the drive.

Eat well, feel well!

I am the genie of the lamp, I grant you 3 wishes - NOT!

3^rd April 2012

What do you want?

Now there’s a question, and one I was asked by the book I was reading yesterday.  Answer – I don’t know, or nothing, I’m not quite sure which is true!  I couldn’t think of anything I wanted off the top of my head.  More energy maybe!  Did the book author mean big things or small day to day things, I don’t have any “I want to sail around the world” type ambitions, the ones I did have, I’ve achieved, the main one being to see a Blue Whale in its natural environment, it took me a long time and a lot of money, but I saved and I waited and I got there and it was the most magical experience of my life.  If on the other hand he means the day to day stuff, again I’m pretty lucky, I like my life although I would like a bit more energy and motivation at weekends sometimes, if I’m not away doing something I tend to be a bit lazy, but again maybe that’s the way I like it – I’m trying to decide on that one.

I met my mate and her kids for lunch yesterday and we ended up playing the 3 wishes game, I love that little Jenny wanted to know why the number was always three, was it because the genie was only 3 years old.  She tried to play it smart and make her third wish for a thousand more wishes but we put a stop on that one straight away.  I’m trying to remember her wishes now, it’s my age – my memory has always been bad but now it absolutely sucks.  I do remember one of her wishes being to have wings to fly to France, but not wings instead of her arms wings on her back as well as her arms!  One of Wills wishes was to have a flying cape which also made him invisible, a bit like Batmans (his words not mine!)  I think Jenny’s first wish was for a large amount of money, can’t remember the actual amount but it was enough to manage on.  I chose ‘good health, wealth and happiness’, thought that would maybe cover most things.  I smiled when Jenny replied, “Why, aren’t you happy?” My response yes I am but it’s always good to know I’ll always be happy.  You gotta love kids cos her next questions was, “why would you want to be happy if you fell over and broke your arm?”  Mmm good point, well made I’d say.

After we stopped laughing at the fact that everyone had agreed they’d laugh at me if I fell over and because I’d chose good health I’d get over the broken arm so it was ok, I realised little Jenny was right, it’s not normal to be happy all the time!  We have a selection of moods to choose the one that suits at any one time, me yesterday I was subdued and drained, I would have found it hard work to be happy, but at the same time I wasn’t miserable.

So going back to the ‘what do you want?’ question, I would like the energy to do things but also continue to relax and chill out to recuperate when necessary. 

So I’m going to answer that question again.  What do I want?  BALANCE!  Yeah Balance in my life, starting with an equal balance between my work and my personal life, between having fun and relaxing, between eating healthily and having a bit of what I fancy. 

In that same book I’m reading he talked about ‘time’ as if it was currency and said imagine a bank where your money is kept and if you don’t spend it by midnight every day, they take it off you!  I didn’t like that idea at all, but if that was the case you’d spend it every day wouldn’t you – just like we do with our daily ProPoints allowance.  He went on to explain that you’d probably make lists of what you could spend your money on so that you made it go as far as you could every day.  He suggested you do the same thing with your time because we all only get a limited amount of time in our lives, it’s the one things we can’t buy.  If you don’t use your hours wisely, they disappear.  Are you spending your valuable hours wisely or just wasting them away.  What one person sees as time well spent another would see as a waste, same goes for money I suppose, my mom thinks it’s ridiculous we all spend so much time on computers and yet I find it boring how much time she spends watching episodes of CSi, when to me they are the same programme over and over with a different dead body, they also drain my energy because of the negativity involved in them.   Again we’re all very, very different. 

So today, think about your time and how you’re spending it, where do you waste time, where do you wish you had more time and how could you find it.

On that note, I’m going to get ready to walk Alfie because that hour everyday for me is an hour well spent, I love it.

Remember a genie with 3 wishes is unlikely to turn up anytime some, but I realised a long time ago if you have dreams and wishes you can make them happen yourself without his help!

Enjoy your day. x

Low fat isn't always the wisest choice!

2^nd April 2012

It'll all be okay in the end - if its not okay, it's not the end.

I had a lovely day yesterday, very chilled and relaxed, got me a 2 hour walk in before 9am which always sets me up, I love to walk first thing in the morning before most people are even out of bed.  Yesterday, the ground was covered with frost, and the sun was rising high in a very clear sky, it was glorious, especially as Alfie took me up to Essington pools and through the countryside paths.  I spent the rest of my day reading, writing, long hot bath followed by chatting with my mom and my friends, yep an all round good day.

Food – oh yes there was food involved too of course, but no thought of dieting, I like it when I feel that way, I didn’t over eat because food wasn’t even in my mind, I had a chicken toastie when I got back from my walk which was 11p, then the next time I thought about food was about 3ish, and I made us Chicken Tikka Masala from M&S, I’d bought the original one and the diet version, when I was a lot younger me and mom used to have this as a treat and I’d mop up the plastic carton with a slice of bread and butter ;0) it made me smile putting it out.  The diet version was 10pp and came with some rice, the original version was 13pp for the packet which could be split between two and be the same amount that was in the diet one.  And if you were to add microwave rice yourself then it would work out at 6pp for tikka and 5 or 6pp for rice so not much different in ProPoint values but a beck of a difference in taste, mom liked the diet one because it was bland and she like bland, I liked the proper one because it had some taste!

low fat isn't always the wisest choice!

Out tea was influenced by our environment, the tv adverts got to us, whatever we was watching was “Sponsored by mini magnums” mmm after about the third time of seeing that clip, as if by magic an ice cream man came pulling into our street and parked right outside our front gate!  Now you’ve got to admit that sounds to me like the universe was telling us something!  So we indulged and had a Magnum each, mom fetched them and came back with the one with nuts on of course which are an extra propoint, 8pp each, blooming lovely it was though.  So that was my meal and as I wasn’t hungry anyway it was delicious and I totally enjoyed it.

I think I forgot to tell you that I resisted the giant walnut whip from M&S when I went in on Saturday, it wasn’t a big as I’d expected and most definitely not worth £8 nor the potential 45pp either!  So I’m over that desire now, I’ve moved on, instead I had a M&S meal deal for a tenner, mom enjoyed the desert and we’ll eat the side and main as two separate meals this week. 

I’m loving that my attention span is back and I’m managing to read again, I’ve finished one, and have 3 others on the go, ones a story book which I have to be in the mood for, the other two are self-help type books, I love em, they give me ideas and also help me realise since I started reading these kind of books 17 years ago, I really have helped myself and changed my life.  So don’t pooh pah those types of books, if you’re not happy where you are, then do something about it.  I did, I didn’t just read a couple of books and it all got better, I read the books, took on board some of the advice and made changes.  It took time and effort, it was scary sometimes too, I made big bold brave changes which actually terrified me when I thought of the possible consequences, but WOW did it pay off in the end.

So if you knew you couldn’t fail – what would you be brave enough to attempt!

Nothing much to say, but lots to do...

1^st April 2012

If you learn to appreciate more of what you already have, you will find yourself having more to appreciate.

I’ve just got back from a 2 hour walk with Alfie, now that’s the way to start your day especially on a glorious morning like this, I’d do that every day if I had the time.  I usually write my blog first then walk but this morning I swigged a mug of tea back quick and went straight out.

I had an amazing massage yesterday; I totally relaxed my body and at the same time gave myself time to think about stuff without it seeming like I wasn’t resting, if that makes any sense at all.  Anyway I came out of there feeling relaxed, refreshed and full of ideas. 

I have nothing planned for today, I’m just going to go with the flow and do whatever takes my fancy throughout the day.  A little bit of work to do but nothing that I won’t enjoy so it’s not so bad.

So today for me is about doing things I fancy not things I should, and not doing them in the order I normally would, so I’m off ;-)

Short & sweet today, just a reminder to myself that I don’t have to write this blog if I don’t want to, I actually write it because I enjoy it.  However today, I’ve got a mindful of stuff I wanna go do.

Enjoy your day & find time to do something you want to do. x