For me it was never about dropping sizes, it was simply about regaining my health. But dropping sizes has sure helped! From size 21 to a size 12 in a short time sure brought a smile to my face!
New Year resolutions and all — I have had a few people message me asking me for support in their own journeys. I thought it may be an opportune time to just give 6 simple steps to losing that waist size … and regaining whatever it is one is seeking….
It is a website to track calories. (Don’t worry about what others say about counting calories……for the time being simply do it). It’s free. It polices your intake, without anyone else knowing about it. It’s yours, it’s private. EVERY morsel that you intake, you add in there, so you know how many calories you eat every day. For average women over 25 yrs, they can about 1200-1500 calls should be enough (including the beverages we consume). I would constantly say ‘I don’t each much” until I started tracking the calorie intake. I was in for a rude shock. I was eating food equivalent to 3 women every day. You will be shocked how much we actually eat – little morsels, little extras here and there all add up.
Step two Start walking – Start moving your body: Not just from the bedroom to the refrigerator, please. Start walking….with 20 mins, then build it to 30 mins a day at a steady pace. Slowly keep increasing the time. Increase in intensity.
Join the gym and start doing some strength training, all the better….
Step three: Sleep well. Try and get at least 8 hours of sleep…every night please (not every week!) Sleep is so under valued but is the most necessary for all of us. A well-rested body can do much more — requires less food, has more energy to do things …..
Step four:
Think positive. Surround yourself with positive people. Not those who suck the energy out of you.
Most of us, rush to the refrigerator when we feel low. Try and be happy, (life is full of ups and downs and it is not easy) so surround yourself with positive people. This is very critical.
Not those positive types who need to eat and drink to feel positive – if you know what I mean.
Step five: Educate yourself about food and nutrition
If you are reading this, chances are you have access to the internet and the information world. The best thing one can do as we go on this journey of lifestyle change is to educate ourselves about food and nutrition. Learn to read labels at supermarkets or when you buy groceries. Make sensible decisions. Just because it is commercialised, it doesn’t mean it is good for you.
For example: (a detailed blog on this to follow) stay away from sugar substitutes. stay away from ‘diet’ drinks stop buying processed food (and convenient foods) eat simple food but home-cooked. low fat is not necessarily fat-free or good
Step six: Keep loving yourself
Keep loving yourself…..I have to remind myself every day that I am the most important person in my life. My happy self brings in happy energy around me…and to me spreading happy energy is what keeps me going.
Keep a log…you will start noticing small changes initially. Until in about 3 months, you will start receiving compliments as others will notice it as well…!!! Take plenty of pictures…I swear I have loved seeing my “before and after” .. it’s an amazing feeling to see the progress one has made and how we can change things if and when we take control.
With love and best wishes to all….Keep walking…keep logging…keep loving….keep happy…stay beautiful (inside and out) xxxx
SEVEN weeks since my beautiful, angelic mother passed. Her death was sudden. So many things left unsaid, unanswered, unsorted. Too many regrets. She was meant to spend Christmas with us, and then celebrate my children’s 16th birthday (next month) who were her babies. The loss is deep. The loss immense, it’s intense. Unbearable at times. Left a BIG hole. Biggest ever so far. Typical things I heard my family and friends say (and God bless you all for that):
– Don’t cry, Let her soul rest in peace – This pain will pass, and you will only remember the happy times – Stay happy for your children – We all lose our mothers someday, so just stay strong, it’s part of life.
I took in all in, and felt the pain, tried not to shed tears with all the expectations around me, and mostly tried to stay strong. But, something’s got to give! So, I became a self-sabotger!
I smoked, I drank so much that one day I blacked out, and I ate and ate and ate…..! The more I ate, the more I felt weak, ugly, felt like a loser…. I simply did not care….
I said “F***K” off to all those who reminded me that:
– I was diabetic and had to take care of my health – I needed to look after myself and look presentable – I had children to worry about
Until, I woke up weighing five kilos more than I did on 28th October, feeling miserable, lost, and deeply upset with myself for being a self-sabotager. I decided not to be hard on myself. It dawned on me that there will be many of my loved ones who will be dealing with similar issues, particularly during the festive period. Festive times also bring its own amount of stress. Statistics show that divorce/separation rates are higher during this time. Christmas, celebratory time for some, is also a grieving time for many. I realised that grieving does not mean being silly, sad and hurting oneself. Grieving is to simply accept and let go of the person who won’t be present in our lives any more. And to live with beautiful memories. To live our lives each day with absolute honesty, sincerity, and authenticity is our responsibility. To keep their memories alive with our behaviour, every moment, every day is also our responsibility.
Losing anyone is not easy – whether in death or through a break-up. And when someone is going through such challenging times, all we should do is hold their hand and give them support. That’s all I have needed, and I got that in plenty from my loving family and special friends.
I had to remind myself that I am the most important person in my life and that I had to be self-responsible.
So, as a reminder to myself and my friends who are on a similar journey, I have put together FIVE simple thoughts :
1) Make peace with yourself – most critical 2) Let go of all that you do not need to take forward in 2014! (I normally write all of the things I don’t want on a piece of paper and put it in an envelope and either burn it or chuck in the bin) 3) Find one thing to do, just for you. 4) No binge eating, or drinking! 5) Find one person who is lonely this season, and just be there for them.
Wishing all my friends, loved ones a wonderful and safe time.
Start walking – Start moving your body: Not just from the bedroom to the refrigerator, please.
