In the process of my journey - I bought SO many books and magazines - they were literally piled around me. I read so many different theories on nutrition, magazines for improving running technique, gleaned other magazines for tips on designing workouts for particular reasons and so on. But NONE of this mattered if I didn't take what I learnt and then put it into action.
Just knowing information doesn't mean that it will make us healthy. Quite often we know isn't working for us, and we also know what we generally should be doing - but we choose not to. We are making a decision at that point - to put our head in the sand. I know - I've done it myself so many times.
It takes the recognition that we're not happy with our current state, and the realization that "if you do what you've always done, you'll get what you always get!"
So if you are wanting a different outcome, or perhaps you've started making changes but you're struggling to keep it going - start finding a way to maintain a positive momentum of change. Look at your vision board, work on your passions, play your "theme song," do things that "satisfy your soul without compromising your goal" (my own little saying) - so baking a whole cake for yourself is out!
These small things help to create a positive shift in your thinking which will hopefully lead you to make choices regarding your health that show appreciation for, and nurture, your body.
Start loving yourself more by making an effort to be less critical of yourself, and making choices that you know will nourish and care for your body, and you will be amazed at how this will help you keep moving towards a healthier and happier you.
Are you feeling me? What is your gut reaction to this post? Let me know how you feel about this topic - I'd love to hear more thoughts!
Have a great week!
Sunday, 18 March 2012
Wednesday, 14 March 2012
What's your theme song?
So, I got to thinking this morning as I drove home from the school drop off.
In an effort to find motivation to knuckle down and write another project that I'm working on, I put on one of my favourite positive songs - which wasn't quite the one I was looking for, but it helped lift my mood and made me remember that everything worth having requires hard work and nothing comes easy.
This made me wonder who else has a "theme song?"
My theme songs change every now and then depending on the goals that I'm working on - for example I remember running a half marathon last May in preparation for a marathon later in the year. This event was a test - the time that I achieved would be used by my mad marathon buddies to calculate a predicted time for big run.
The whole time I was running I could see the 65 year old man who was a training buddy about 1km ahead of me! So I started repeating (in my head) "kick it up another notch" (from the song "Kick it Up" by The McClymonts) to remind me to push through the pain and keep going because before I know it - the race will be over and I wanted to know that I had put everything in.
This was so powerful!! I didn't catch him - he came in at 1hr 37mins and I came in at 1hr 42! But I had shaved 16 minutes off my previous (and first) half marathon time and I was in the top 10 finishers for females!
As an interesting side note, apparently the man who smashed the then world record for men's 5000m race (Halle Gebrselassie of Eithiopia) said that he won by setting his pace to the beat of that old song from the 90's - "Scatman!"
My current "theme song" is "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield and "Astonishing" by the very talented Natalie Weiss - which I play regularly with my children in the car! These are just beautiful songs with such positive uplifting messages and as I feel like I have such BIG plans for my life - the what is obvious to me, but the how isn't quite apparent yet - so "Unwritten" seems like an obvious choice! Just hearing the song gets me inspired!
So guess what I'm about to do? Play my theme songs and write!
What's your "theme song?" I'd love to hear the song titles that you feel help you towards your goal!
In an effort to find motivation to knuckle down and write another project that I'm working on, I put on one of my favourite positive songs - which wasn't quite the one I was looking for, but it helped lift my mood and made me remember that everything worth having requires hard work and nothing comes easy.
This made me wonder who else has a "theme song?"
My theme songs change every now and then depending on the goals that I'm working on - for example I remember running a half marathon last May in preparation for a marathon later in the year. This event was a test - the time that I achieved would be used by my mad marathon buddies to calculate a predicted time for big run.
The whole time I was running I could see the 65 year old man who was a training buddy about 1km ahead of me! So I started repeating (in my head) "kick it up another notch" (from the song "Kick it Up" by The McClymonts) to remind me to push through the pain and keep going because before I know it - the race will be over and I wanted to know that I had put everything in.
This was so powerful!! I didn't catch him - he came in at 1hr 37mins and I came in at 1hr 42! But I had shaved 16 minutes off my previous (and first) half marathon time and I was in the top 10 finishers for females!
As an interesting side note, apparently the man who smashed the then world record for men's 5000m race (Halle Gebrselassie of Eithiopia) said that he won by setting his pace to the beat of that old song from the 90's - "Scatman!"
My current "theme song" is "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield and "Astonishing" by the very talented Natalie Weiss - which I play regularly with my children in the car! These are just beautiful songs with such positive uplifting messages and as I feel like I have such BIG plans for my life - the what is obvious to me, but the how isn't quite apparent yet - so "Unwritten" seems like an obvious choice! Just hearing the song gets me inspired!
So guess what I'm about to do? Play my theme songs and write!
What's your "theme song?" I'd love to hear the song titles that you feel help you towards your goal!
Sunday, 11 March 2012
Focus - Invite More Energy into Your Life
So far I've talked about focusing on how your body feels after eating certain foods and how it responds to these foods. I've also suggested that you create a new ritual in place of one that didn't make you feel so great, or wasn't working for you - for example the mid-afternoon slump.
Then I raised the question of passion - are you doing the things that you love? (Have you got any thoughts on this? I'd love to hear what your passion is!)
So far - you may be thinking that this is not getting dramatic results - but the key thing to consider is that until you realize that your actions are not aligned with the end result that you have in mind - you are not going to reach your goal - optimal health which happens to result in a slim healthy body!
Just like my light bulb moment when I realized that I was a fat person because I was acting like one. I expected to meander through the day eating whatever I wanted - while also expecting that I should be able to fit into anything I like! Go figure!
So one characteristic of a healthy person became obvious to me - they all eat plant food like fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. But where I was coming from - that all seemed like rabbit food.
My palate was so used to being saturated with full-on flavour explosions like savoury crackers with as many numbers and artificial colours in them as there were crackers in the box, or rich mud cake (that was designed to sit on a shelf for 3 to 4 weeks!) washed down with creamy coffee. Plant food was just so bland in comparison!
With this in mind, the focus for the week is to invite more energy into your life - through living foods.
Think about how much food that you include during your day that includes real live energy. Do you start the day with a piece of fruit in your breakfast? Or a roasted tomato on the side of your eggs? Or avocado on toast?
Do you choose these foods as a snack during the day? These are all very portable foods, and very easily picked up from the supermarket or corner store as a "fast food" when you're in a bind and drive-thru fast food seems like the only option!
Or do you fit the stereotype of a Standard Australian Diet (SAD diet) that includes a piece of tomato on your sandwich at lunch and then you wait until dinner to get your first real dose of vitamins and minerals from plant foods in your meat and three veg?
This week, be mindful of how many plant foods you are eating each day, and try to increase the volume of your intake, and especially try to start consuming them earlier in the day if dinnertime tends to be your main live food meal.
You can achieve this by having a fruit smoothie in the morning, or pan-fried vegies (in good fats) with your eggs, a banana at morning tea, or Cyndi O'Meara's favourite of dips and vegetable sticks at snack times. This is great for kids too! Check out her recipe page.
The most fulfilling part of writing this blog is hearing your thoughts - I love to know your feedback and your stories. Please let me know how you feel about this or any of my previous posts!
Have a great day!
Then I raised the question of passion - are you doing the things that you love? (Have you got any thoughts on this? I'd love to hear what your passion is!)
So far - you may be thinking that this is not getting dramatic results - but the key thing to consider is that until you realize that your actions are not aligned with the end result that you have in mind - you are not going to reach your goal - optimal health which happens to result in a slim healthy body!
Just like my light bulb moment when I realized that I was a fat person because I was acting like one. I expected to meander through the day eating whatever I wanted - while also expecting that I should be able to fit into anything I like! Go figure!
So one characteristic of a healthy person became obvious to me - they all eat plant food like fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. But where I was coming from - that all seemed like rabbit food.
My palate was so used to being saturated with full-on flavour explosions like savoury crackers with as many numbers and artificial colours in them as there were crackers in the box, or rich mud cake (that was designed to sit on a shelf for 3 to 4 weeks!) washed down with creamy coffee. Plant food was just so bland in comparison!
With this in mind, the focus for the week is to invite more energy into your life - through living foods.
Think about how much food that you include during your day that includes real live energy. Do you start the day with a piece of fruit in your breakfast? Or a roasted tomato on the side of your eggs? Or avocado on toast?
Do you choose these foods as a snack during the day? These are all very portable foods, and very easily picked up from the supermarket or corner store as a "fast food" when you're in a bind and drive-thru fast food seems like the only option!
Or do you fit the stereotype of a Standard Australian Diet (SAD diet) that includes a piece of tomato on your sandwich at lunch and then you wait until dinner to get your first real dose of vitamins and minerals from plant foods in your meat and three veg?
This week, be mindful of how many plant foods you are eating each day, and try to increase the volume of your intake, and especially try to start consuming them earlier in the day if dinnertime tends to be your main live food meal.
You can achieve this by having a fruit smoothie in the morning, or pan-fried vegies (in good fats) with your eggs, a banana at morning tea, or Cyndi O'Meara's favourite of dips and vegetable sticks at snack times. This is great for kids too! Check out her recipe page.
The most fulfilling part of writing this blog is hearing your thoughts - I love to know your feedback and your stories. Please let me know how you feel about this or any of my previous posts!
Have a great day!
Sunday, 4 March 2012
Focus - Are you doing what you love?
Are you living a life full of passion? When you wake up in the morning do you have a spring in your step because you are inspired to get out of bed and make the most of your day?
Or do you feel like you're only half way there?
Do you have hidden desires to develop a skill, hone a craft, grow your own vegetables, write a book, travel, or develop your career? Dig down deep and tap into the you that you really desire to be. Find out what you really want to be known for, or labelled as, or having achieved - depending on what is important to you. I always like to read other people's obituaries, and think about how I would like my own to read - which can sound quite morbid - but it helps me to work backwards and figure out the small steps that I can take everyday towards living the life I dream of.
I felt like I was only halfway there, and I didn't really have any interests besides reading and food! (and at that stage, singing along to the radio - this was before I went back to uni!) Then I decided to start taking steps towards living a more authentic life - that is, one that truly reflected the person that I believed I could be. When I starting acting on this, it was amazing how much less I wanted to hang in the kitchen at night time!!
Instead of watching TV which was often accompanied by eating as a hobby - I started devoting some time each night after all of the children were in bed to researching my area of interest. Whether it be surfing the net, reading a book, writing down ideas or dreaming big! It was amazing how once I started planting the seeds, they started to grow.
I created a vision board of all of the things I wanted to get eventually and especially of outfits I wanted to wear when I felt fit and healthy! It was amazing to look back at it almost two years later and discover that a long time after looking at it, I had actually accumulated almost all of it and had achieved the picture of health in those pics!
Soon the life that I wanted began to evolve - on the inside and the out! I had started actively pursuing a different road - and it feels so good!
Of course this is an example on a larger scale. Maybe there are small tweaks that you can make to your life to include some more time to pursue your passions - open your mind and you never know where the journey will take you!
This has a huge effect on your self-esteem and creating a positive outlook, which in turn changes the way you feel about yourself, your health and what you put in your body to nurture your health.
So this week - don't forget to
1. Keep being conscious of what your body is trying to tell you,
2. Create a new ritual - that hopefully replaces a time of the day where you normally choose foods that make you feel yuk!
3. Devote some time in your week to pursue your passions
Have a great week - and enjoy your journey!
Or do you feel like you're only half way there?
Do you have hidden desires to develop a skill, hone a craft, grow your own vegetables, write a book, travel, or develop your career? Dig down deep and tap into the you that you really desire to be. Find out what you really want to be known for, or labelled as, or having achieved - depending on what is important to you. I always like to read other people's obituaries, and think about how I would like my own to read - which can sound quite morbid - but it helps me to work backwards and figure out the small steps that I can take everyday towards living the life I dream of.
I felt like I was only halfway there, and I didn't really have any interests besides reading and food! (and at that stage, singing along to the radio - this was before I went back to uni!) Then I decided to start taking steps towards living a more authentic life - that is, one that truly reflected the person that I believed I could be. When I starting acting on this, it was amazing how much less I wanted to hang in the kitchen at night time!!
Instead of watching TV which was often accompanied by eating as a hobby - I started devoting some time each night after all of the children were in bed to researching my area of interest. Whether it be surfing the net, reading a book, writing down ideas or dreaming big! It was amazing how once I started planting the seeds, they started to grow.
I created a vision board of all of the things I wanted to get eventually and especially of outfits I wanted to wear when I felt fit and healthy! It was amazing to look back at it almost two years later and discover that a long time after looking at it, I had actually accumulated almost all of it and had achieved the picture of health in those pics!
Soon the life that I wanted began to evolve - on the inside and the out! I had started actively pursuing a different road - and it feels so good!
Of course this is an example on a larger scale. Maybe there are small tweaks that you can make to your life to include some more time to pursue your passions - open your mind and you never know where the journey will take you!
This has a huge effect on your self-esteem and creating a positive outlook, which in turn changes the way you feel about yourself, your health and what you put in your body to nurture your health.
So this week - don't forget to
1. Keep being conscious of what your body is trying to tell you,
2. Create a new ritual - that hopefully replaces a time of the day where you normally choose foods that make you feel yuk!
3. Devote some time in your week to pursue your passions
Have a great week - and enjoy your journey!
Saturday, 3 March 2012
Time out Together!
Well, it doesn't happen very often, but my husband and I are going on a date night! With three children and him away quite a bit for work, time alone together is like gold! Especially on the weekend! As you can tell from all of my exclamation marks - I'm quite excited!
Time out together is really important to get back in tune with each other - it's a great chance to talk about things besides the usual "can you pick up some milk on the way home?" type conversations that can end up forming a large part of the everyday together.
For those reading who don't have a significant other - time out with close friends or family is just as important!!
So if you haven't got plans already this weekend - find time to satisfy your soul with some quiet time with loved ones, it can make the world of difference to the beginning of the new week - you can start feeling happy that you've caught up with people that matter to you - fresh for the week with a positive state of mind!
Have a great weekend!
PS. Keep tuning in to your body and how you feel after eating certain things, and let me know what you've noticed, I find it interesting to hear other people's experiences!
Time out together is really important to get back in tune with each other - it's a great chance to talk about things besides the usual "can you pick up some milk on the way home?" type conversations that can end up forming a large part of the everyday together.
For those reading who don't have a significant other - time out with close friends or family is just as important!!
So if you haven't got plans already this weekend - find time to satisfy your soul with some quiet time with loved ones, it can make the world of difference to the beginning of the new week - you can start feeling happy that you've caught up with people that matter to you - fresh for the week with a positive state of mind!
Have a great weekend!
PS. Keep tuning in to your body and how you feel after eating certain things, and let me know what you've noticed, I find it interesting to hear other people's experiences!
Thursday, 1 March 2012
Perfection
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!
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!
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!
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