So - I'm really passionate about the topic of my blog - so much that I realize I can ramble on and then get embarrassed that I have prattled on for so long!
In my excitement about starting this blog, I had huge desire to do it "perfectly!" That is - write everyday - no fail. This is because I know what it's like when you follow a blog, that if the email doesn't land in your inbox one morning, you feel a little disappointed, and even cranky that they haven't posted today - especially if you rely on it for motivation!
So at this point I apologise if I've already disappointed you!
So then I was thinking about it, and I realised that it can be difficult some days to try and figure out when to fit in doing a new post. This is very similar to when you start a new "health regime!"
You know the feeling - when you start, you're so excited that you want to do it so well, you want to do it perfectly!
Inevitably a day comes when no matter how hard you try, there is no way that you could achieve "perfect" status. For example, you go to a friends house for dinner, and you there's no alternative, you have to eat the "non-compliant" food on your plate.
So, I committed to blogging because I wanted to help a friend and I thought it could be useful for others too - those that I know and those that I don't!
However, life happens, and I have realised that while you may be struggling to find time to be kind to your body - which is a routine that I've gotten used to now and is as common in my day as brushing my teeth or any other personal hygiene routine - I'm struggling to find time to commit to being regular with my posts.
It doesn't take long, only 10 - 20 minutes - and I feel all the better for having done it! I also LOVE getting feedback - to know that my effort was worth it, and that it helped someone - just like the buzz you get from moving your body!
My point is - while you are trying to find your "groove" with exercising or eating things that make you feel good (for longer than a few minutes!), I'm still trying to work out what "routine" suits me!
Hopefully I'll have adjusted soon, and it will be as easy and normal as brushing my teeth or taking a shower!
Have a great day!
Thursday, 1 March 2012
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
The Definition of Insanity ...
I love Tuesdays - they're usually the only day truly to myself without running around (well, generally) and so I get a lot of work done on things that are close to my heart! My passions! So understandably, I want to maximize the time in my day!
When I come home from dropping the kids off, I like to come home to a clean kitchen with maybe a load of washing that has just finished so that all I have to do is hang it out and then I can focus on me for a bit. Or I may even skip the coming home, and instead take a "free pass" and go out and about all day doing what I need to for me (usually NOT shopping - unless it's for books!)
However - in anticipation of the whole school day ahead of me (free of children that is!) - I tend to get a little greedy and try to cram too many of the household jobs in before school while trying to convince Mini-Master-of-the-House to get dressed, and Little Miss Princess-in-the-Middle to eat, while the Ring Leader of the pack is watching the clock and giving a running commentary on how long until we have to be out the door, while tapping her foot, and micro-managing her siblings!
My love for that clean kitchen feeling is so great that I tend to only leave myself 10 minutes to have a shower, get dressed and - with a lick of "icing" on the face - out the door!
Inevitably - we're late, blood-pressure is high - especially in eldest as she is concerned that she is not there early to catch up with her friends and get in a lot of chatter before the quiet of class time - and guilt factor is high - ALL because of my love for the clean kitchen!
I say all of this because today I realized that I have been doing this school routine for 7 years now - one would think it would have dawned on me a little earlier - I do the SAME thing everyday - just one extra little job!! I promise!! - before walking out the door, and each day I continue to screech into the school grounds at the last possible minute, and promise myself that I won't do it tomorrow!
Then the light bulb came on - it's a matter of priorities - and obviously my clean kitchen is higher on the list than getting the children to school calm, and on time - or even early! Gasp!
My reflection brought to mind the saying "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing every day and expecting a different result!"
Clearly my priorities are around the wrong way - I definitely don't enjoy the daily adrenaline rush of being late! - so I need to restrain myself tomorrow morning from cleaning up as I go, in the effort to get out the door faster! So it got me thinking.....
Are your priorities in order?
I'd love to hear your stories! Don't be shy!
When I come home from dropping the kids off, I like to come home to a clean kitchen with maybe a load of washing that has just finished so that all I have to do is hang it out and then I can focus on me for a bit. Or I may even skip the coming home, and instead take a "free pass" and go out and about all day doing what I need to for me (usually NOT shopping - unless it's for books!)
However - in anticipation of the whole school day ahead of me (free of children that is!) - I tend to get a little greedy and try to cram too many of the household jobs in before school while trying to convince Mini-Master-of-the-House to get dressed, and Little Miss Princess-in-the-Middle to eat, while the Ring Leader of the pack is watching the clock and giving a running commentary on how long until we have to be out the door, while tapping her foot, and micro-managing her siblings!
My love for that clean kitchen feeling is so great that I tend to only leave myself 10 minutes to have a shower, get dressed and - with a lick of "icing" on the face - out the door!
Inevitably - we're late, blood-pressure is high - especially in eldest as she is concerned that she is not there early to catch up with her friends and get in a lot of chatter before the quiet of class time - and guilt factor is high - ALL because of my love for the clean kitchen!
I say all of this because today I realized that I have been doing this school routine for 7 years now - one would think it would have dawned on me a little earlier - I do the SAME thing everyday - just one extra little job!! I promise!! - before walking out the door, and each day I continue to screech into the school grounds at the last possible minute, and promise myself that I won't do it tomorrow!
Then the light bulb came on - it's a matter of priorities - and obviously my clean kitchen is higher on the list than getting the children to school calm, and on time - or even early! Gasp!
My reflection brought to mind the saying "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing every day and expecting a different result!"
Clearly my priorities are around the wrong way - I definitely don't enjoy the daily adrenaline rush of being late! - so I need to restrain myself tomorrow morning from cleaning up as I go, in the effort to get out the door faster! So it got me thinking.....
Are your priorities in order?
I'd love to hear your stories! Don't be shy!
Monday, 27 February 2012
Focus - Create a New Ritual
Happy Monday! I hope your week is off to a flying start!
So last week your focus was on how you feel after eating a number of different types of foods. No doubt some made you feel good, and some made you feel lousy!
While continuing to observe how you feel after eating different foods (and hopefully you've found that you naturally make different choices as a result of listening to your body rather than turning up the music and drowning out the noise in your head!) I want you to identify your weakest point in the day or week, where you tend to eat anything and everything in sight as a result of feeling stressed, anxious, run down or tired.
If you know it's a particular day (eg. Friday as you're out at sport until late after all day at work) then I want you to think about that day in advance and when you feel low in energy and why you think that is - tiredness or is it blood sugar related as you may not have eaten in the last 2-3 hours?
If it's tiredness, is there anyway that you can squeeze in some activity like a walk (nothing super high intensity - so no special clothes really required!) after school while waiting for children from various activities?
If it's blood sugar, can you make up a snack box the night before to take some of your feel-good foods in?
I often find that I get really hungry and tired around 3.30pm - 4.30pm, and I could easily curl up and go to sleep then and there. But if I have a snack, especially one that includes some protein like chicken strips, tuna or a good fat like a handful of almonds, my mind is sharp again and I'm raring to go!
Then dinner time on this kind of night is ALWAYS a killer! That's when the "stuff it - I'm going to eat whatever I want, and start again tomorrow" mindset can switch back into gear if we're not careful. So to prevent this - I have a plan.
I always plan to have Thai on Thursday night. The busiest day of my week! I love thai - and I where I used to go heavy on the rice, and not so much on the chicken, now I only order the chicken stirfy dish, and no rice - as I feel WAY better at bedtime when I don't have a gutful of gluggy rice to digest! Rice at lunch is different - but when associated with Thai - I could only ever have a mountain of it on my plate - no less!
But - my favourite ritual of all - is my nightly cup of tea after dinner. I rarely have dessert these days - if I do it's a piece of fruit - as this used to be my biggest weak spot. I could get through a day fine, but then eat a weeks worth of food after dinner! So, to give my mind a distraction from the fact that I'm choosing to eat light at night, I implemented my tea ritual.
To keep it interesting I choose different types of herbal tea - roasted dandelion blend (try the tea bags - but only with full cream milk - tastes eew without it!) is my favourite, but I've recently discovered dandelion chai from the health food shop, and a good old favourite is peppermint tea - which I almost always have if I had a heavy dinner as the peppermint aids with digestion. It's worth trying different brands of the same flavour until you find one you like.
I used to have a really pretty cup that broke, so I do need to replace that. Maybe i'll even get a nice new little pot just for the fun of it! It's just the ritual of having a cup of tea, after doing all the jobs, and I've had a shower that signals to me "aahh... it's switch off time!" which is super relaxing.
Well, don't let this weeks task daunt you - or get too excited and try to be "perfect" every day. Just focus on those few key points in the week where you feel you could improve, and replace what you have been doing with a new ritual - like a snack box - or a chill out walk - or enjoy your nightly cup of tea!
Enjoy your journey!
So last week your focus was on how you feel after eating a number of different types of foods. No doubt some made you feel good, and some made you feel lousy!
While continuing to observe how you feel after eating different foods (and hopefully you've found that you naturally make different choices as a result of listening to your body rather than turning up the music and drowning out the noise in your head!) I want you to identify your weakest point in the day or week, where you tend to eat anything and everything in sight as a result of feeling stressed, anxious, run down or tired.
If you know it's a particular day (eg. Friday as you're out at sport until late after all day at work) then I want you to think about that day in advance and when you feel low in energy and why you think that is - tiredness or is it blood sugar related as you may not have eaten in the last 2-3 hours?
If it's tiredness, is there anyway that you can squeeze in some activity like a walk (nothing super high intensity - so no special clothes really required!) after school while waiting for children from various activities?
If it's blood sugar, can you make up a snack box the night before to take some of your feel-good foods in?
I often find that I get really hungry and tired around 3.30pm - 4.30pm, and I could easily curl up and go to sleep then and there. But if I have a snack, especially one that includes some protein like chicken strips, tuna or a good fat like a handful of almonds, my mind is sharp again and I'm raring to go!
Then dinner time on this kind of night is ALWAYS a killer! That's when the "stuff it - I'm going to eat whatever I want, and start again tomorrow" mindset can switch back into gear if we're not careful. So to prevent this - I have a plan.
I always plan to have Thai on Thursday night. The busiest day of my week! I love thai - and I where I used to go heavy on the rice, and not so much on the chicken, now I only order the chicken stirfy dish, and no rice - as I feel WAY better at bedtime when I don't have a gutful of gluggy rice to digest! Rice at lunch is different - but when associated with Thai - I could only ever have a mountain of it on my plate - no less!
But - my favourite ritual of all - is my nightly cup of tea after dinner. I rarely have dessert these days - if I do it's a piece of fruit - as this used to be my biggest weak spot. I could get through a day fine, but then eat a weeks worth of food after dinner! So, to give my mind a distraction from the fact that I'm choosing to eat light at night, I implemented my tea ritual.
To keep it interesting I choose different types of herbal tea - roasted dandelion blend (try the tea bags - but only with full cream milk - tastes eew without it!) is my favourite, but I've recently discovered dandelion chai from the health food shop, and a good old favourite is peppermint tea - which I almost always have if I had a heavy dinner as the peppermint aids with digestion. It's worth trying different brands of the same flavour until you find one you like.
I used to have a really pretty cup that broke, so I do need to replace that. Maybe i'll even get a nice new little pot just for the fun of it! It's just the ritual of having a cup of tea, after doing all the jobs, and I've had a shower that signals to me "aahh... it's switch off time!" which is super relaxing.
Well, don't let this weeks task daunt you - or get too excited and try to be "perfect" every day. Just focus on those few key points in the week where you feel you could improve, and replace what you have been doing with a new ritual - like a snack box - or a chill out walk - or enjoy your nightly cup of tea!
Enjoy your journey!
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Feel good fun!
Why do I always do that? I spend the week getting up early and moving my body because I love how I feel afterward, and I know it's a habit fit people have and so if I want to be fit - then I must move! Granted I move differently now to how I used to pre-30kg+, but all the same - it's the feel-good factor that gets me now!
Come the weekend - I have a goal to do certain active things but I put it off ... almost all day. It was only 25 minutes worth of weights and jumping jacks, jump squats etc, but I felt on top of the world once I did it, once I broke a sweat I felt great!
Given the dreary drizzly weather that we've been having, I felt really cooped up. So going into my shed and turning on the party music in a child free zone really helped change my outlook, change my energy levels and made me feel good about myself.
Tomorrow my challenge is to try and do a pilates DVD before anyone is up, but I can't guarantee anything as I'm looking after a baby nephew tonight! If not, it will be later in the day, but with today fresh in my mind, I will be more enthusiastic!
Off to chill out ... have a great night!
Come the weekend - I have a goal to do certain active things but I put it off ... almost all day. It was only 25 minutes worth of weights and jumping jacks, jump squats etc, but I felt on top of the world once I did it, once I broke a sweat I felt great!
Given the dreary drizzly weather that we've been having, I felt really cooped up. So going into my shed and turning on the party music in a child free zone really helped change my outlook, change my energy levels and made me feel good about myself.
Tomorrow my challenge is to try and do a pilates DVD before anyone is up, but I can't guarantee anything as I'm looking after a baby nephew tonight! If not, it will be later in the day, but with today fresh in my mind, I will be more enthusiastic!
Off to chill out ... have a great night!
Friday, 24 February 2012
Nurture your soul
Yay for Friday! You've got to love the weekend! This is the first weekend in about 5 weeks that I won't be rushing around like a mad woman, so I will be savouring the sleep-ins and lazy moments. Cooking up a batch of steaming soup in the current rainy winter-like weather that we're having sounds like a good idea too. I've been guilty of trying to pack to much into each day frequently lately, so this weekend I've got a mission: relax! (I even manage to make that sound stressful!)
What are you up to?
Despite the madness that your weekend may hold - try to find at least 5 minutes to 30 minutes for you in each day - to find some peace and quiet for you.
Whether that be just simply a cup of tea in your favourite place (I set up a new "love nest" which is just a small table with two chairs right outside our bedroom on the back deck which is perfect for this - weather permitting!) or maybe reading your favourite escapism style novel/magazines.
Going for a walk with a destination in mind is fun also - for example, walking to the local markets, or to your favourite cafe for a coffee - it's a great way to start the day!
Take a small amount of time to nurture your soul and it will pay HUGE dividends - you'll feel much more balanced and calm - which for a lot of us means that you're less likely to find us in the pantry!
Have a great weekend!
What are you up to?
Despite the madness that your weekend may hold - try to find at least 5 minutes to 30 minutes for you in each day - to find some peace and quiet for you.
Whether that be just simply a cup of tea in your favourite place (I set up a new "love nest" which is just a small table with two chairs right outside our bedroom on the back deck which is perfect for this - weather permitting!) or maybe reading your favourite escapism style novel/magazines.
Going for a walk with a destination in mind is fun also - for example, walking to the local markets, or to your favourite cafe for a coffee - it's a great way to start the day!
Take a small amount of time to nurture your soul and it will pay HUGE dividends - you'll feel much more balanced and calm - which for a lot of us means that you're less likely to find us in the pantry!
Have a great weekend!
Thursday, 23 February 2012
Focus – Tune into your body
I hope you had a great day .... I did, but I'm glad it's getting toward the end of the week!
So here I go. Do you feel tired of being overweight but not sure where to start? Do you shove food in regardless of whether you are hungry or not? Do you struggle with fitting into the majority of your wardrobe but can't bring yourself to the point where you HAVE to go shopping for new clothes as
It's hard to make such a dramatic change, and I wouldn't recommend it - the fact that it's so foreign means that you can't sustain it, and then you end up feeling worse - and so the negative spiral downwards continues!
How about we approach it from a positive angle? From a self-love angle? Like - I'm going to start thinking about my own needs more? Like I'm going to start taking care of me more - to help me be a more positive person? Sounds good?
Well, my aforementioned friend is starting an experiment with me, and I actually emailed her this information on Sunday night. She was feeling down, yet inspired, so I wanted to help!
So here is the deal. I don't want you to think of any of this as you are doing it to lose weight.
At the moment I just want you to make observations about how you feel when you eat certain foods
I want you to particularly pay attention to how you feel after eating
This sounds really full on, but it doesn't have to be! Just eat what you normally eat and see how you feel. Write it down if you have a tendency to forget!
See if you feel
I found that I ate regardless of how it reacted which is pretty disrespectful to my body when you think of it - if it was our pet or our car we wouldn't give them food or fuel that their systems reject or react negatively to, as we would feel guilty and upset for them, yet we disrespect ourselves in that way without even thinking twice as food has such a HUGE emotional attachment for us!
So for now, just start listening to your body again, and start the process of tuning in to what it is trying to tell you.
Enjoy your journey.
So here I go. Do you feel tired of being overweight but not sure where to start? Do you shove food in regardless of whether you are hungry or not? Do you struggle with fitting into the majority of your wardrobe but can't bring yourself to the point where you HAVE to go shopping for new clothes as
- It's
expensive and
-
It's
demoralizing?
It's hard to make such a dramatic change, and I wouldn't recommend it - the fact that it's so foreign means that you can't sustain it, and then you end up feeling worse - and so the negative spiral downwards continues!
How about we approach it from a positive angle? From a self-love angle? Like - I'm going to start thinking about my own needs more? Like I'm going to start taking care of me more - to help me be a more positive person? Sounds good?
Well, my aforementioned friend is starting an experiment with me, and I actually emailed her this information on Sunday night. She was feeling down, yet inspired, so I wanted to help!
So here is the deal. I don't want you to think of any of this as you are doing it to lose weight.
At the moment I just want you to make observations about how you feel when you eat certain foods
- when you eat them
- immediately after
- within a few hours
- then next day (for gauging your night time meal)
- it's effect on your digestive system and whether it is slow, quick, well-formed or loose (sorry it's so graphic, but it is important info - don't worry - you don't need to tell me!)
- whether your tongue is white and claggy in the morning when you wake up, or if it is pink and free of white coating
I want you to particularly pay attention to how you feel after eating
- white bread (or related products like rolls, pizza, burgers, pasta)
- sweet foods (cakes/biscuits/muffins/muesli bars/orange juice)
- deep fried foods (especially hot chips)
- breakfast cereals
- processed salted deli meats or from packets at supermarket (e.g. ham, chicken, prosciutto, bacon, roast beef, pastrami, kabana, hot dog sausages, any sausages)
- any protein foods that don't contain sugar (eggs, chicken, beef, cottage cheese, milk, cream cheese, natural yogurt)
- salad vegetables
This sounds really full on, but it doesn't have to be! Just eat what you normally eat and see how you feel. Write it down if you have a tendency to forget!
See if you feel
- satisfied or bloated or empty?
- clear or foggy mind?
- calm or hyped?
I found that I ate regardless of how it reacted which is pretty disrespectful to my body when you think of it - if it was our pet or our car we wouldn't give them food or fuel that their systems reject or react negatively to, as we would feel guilty and upset for them, yet we disrespect ourselves in that way without even thinking twice as food has such a HUGE emotional attachment for us!
So for now, just start listening to your body again, and start the process of tuning in to what it is trying to tell you.
Enjoy your journey.
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
A rambling introduction ...
I want to tell you a little more about me before we get started so that you
understand where I coming from, and that I do empathise with the feelings that
you may be experiencing right now as you are reading this.
I’ve always yo-yo’d with my weight. I was always a chubby child, not overly fat, but by boarding school at 12, I had created really bad sneaky comfort eating habits that went out of control in my teens. After an embarrassing incident in year 8, I no longer desired to continue being sporty, so this was a recipe for disaster! My year 12 formal dress now swims on me – I tried it on when visiting my Mum at Christmas – I didn’t realize that I was that big!
Some people in my life have met me skinny, others have met me fat, anyone that meets me now are fooled into thinking that I’ve been like this my whole life – fit, toned and passionate about nutrition and exercise.
Prior to becoming a mum, I started uni – pursuing another passion of mine – music. While at uni for the 18 months, I worked in a bakery – a dangerous place to be with my eating habits! However, I didn’t really know what I wanted to “be when I grew up” so I deferred, as my then boyfriend (now husband) and I were going to save to go overseas. Well, it turned out we were saving for a cot! One month after deferring we found out I was pregnant! I was definitely in shock – didn’t realise that it could happen that easily! What a surprise!
I was a young mum though not as young as some. I had my first daughter at 19, proceeded to have another at 21, lost my third baby, a beautiful boy called Joshua, at 23 due to anencephaly – a devastating condition we found at about at my 20 week scan – and then proceeded to have another baby, a healthy little boy at 25.
Throughout the trials and tribulations that everyone experiences when you have small children - you are sleep deprived, you’re struggling to find the energy to operate let alone plan wonderful meals, finding time for a shower can seem a luxury – I definitely struggled with my self esteem!
I found comfort and escape from the mundane reality (compared to all of my friends still out there partying and exploring the world) in food. As money was scarce in those days, cheap low quality fast foods (and especially chocolate biscuits or any bakery food), or pastas and ice cream were security blankets of choice.
I look back and realise that because I was so lost and unconfident, I sought out food – it gave me a routine around which to build my stay at home mum life, and as a result of my weight problem, I didn’t really have the courage to pursue interests of my own – especially at that stage – singing – where all eyes are on you!
But in October 2009, when my older two were at school and my youngest was about to turn 4, I had a lightbulb moment and I then began a process of change. I started nurturing myself and creating who I am above and beyond the role of Mum to my three children and wife to my handsome husband. (I can just imagine him cringing at my public display of affection!)
I went back to finish of my music degree (which I will finally finish this year – yay!) and I started exploring who I really am – as I had not really had a chance to learn that when I left school.
Although some of this is hard to admit, given that I know people who know me – but not THAT well – will be reading, and that to some I always seemed like the jolly chubby/fat girl who was happy-go-lucky while disguising how down I really was - this may come as a shock. But I hope that by me sharing my story, it helps you get a better understanding of where I’m coming from and why I am so passionate about changing your self-perception.
Tomorrow marks the start of tuning in to you.
I’ve always yo-yo’d with my weight. I was always a chubby child, not overly fat, but by boarding school at 12, I had created really bad sneaky comfort eating habits that went out of control in my teens. After an embarrassing incident in year 8, I no longer desired to continue being sporty, so this was a recipe for disaster! My year 12 formal dress now swims on me – I tried it on when visiting my Mum at Christmas – I didn’t realize that I was that big!
Some people in my life have met me skinny, others have met me fat, anyone that meets me now are fooled into thinking that I’ve been like this my whole life – fit, toned and passionate about nutrition and exercise.
Prior to becoming a mum, I started uni – pursuing another passion of mine – music. While at uni for the 18 months, I worked in a bakery – a dangerous place to be with my eating habits! However, I didn’t really know what I wanted to “be when I grew up” so I deferred, as my then boyfriend (now husband) and I were going to save to go overseas. Well, it turned out we were saving for a cot! One month after deferring we found out I was pregnant! I was definitely in shock – didn’t realise that it could happen that easily! What a surprise!
I was a young mum though not as young as some. I had my first daughter at 19, proceeded to have another at 21, lost my third baby, a beautiful boy called Joshua, at 23 due to anencephaly – a devastating condition we found at about at my 20 week scan – and then proceeded to have another baby, a healthy little boy at 25.
Throughout the trials and tribulations that everyone experiences when you have small children - you are sleep deprived, you’re struggling to find the energy to operate let alone plan wonderful meals, finding time for a shower can seem a luxury – I definitely struggled with my self esteem!
I found comfort and escape from the mundane reality (compared to all of my friends still out there partying and exploring the world) in food. As money was scarce in those days, cheap low quality fast foods (and especially chocolate biscuits or any bakery food), or pastas and ice cream were security blankets of choice.
But in October 2009, when my older two were at school and my youngest was about to turn 4, I had a lightbulb moment and I then began a process of change. I started nurturing myself and creating who I am above and beyond the role of Mum to my three children and wife to my handsome husband. (I can just imagine him cringing at my public display of affection!)
I went back to finish of my music degree (which I will finally finish this year – yay!) and I started exploring who I really am – as I had not really had a chance to learn that when I left school.
Although some of this is hard to admit, given that I know people who know me – but not THAT well – will be reading, and that to some I always seemed like the jolly chubby/fat girl who was happy-go-lucky while disguising how down I really was - this may come as a shock. But I hope that by me sharing my story, it helps you get a better understanding of where I’m coming from and why I am so passionate about changing your self-perception.
Tomorrow marks the start of tuning in to you.
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