Welcome to my blog about mental and physical health
THOUGHT
Taking steps forward takes you into the unknown! Taking steps back keeps you in your comfort zone! Be adventurous today and step outside your comfort zone - life is an adventure!
OK everyone - my days of dieting yo-yo style MUST end - I'm sure it can't be healthy for ones body! Not long after the new year, I'm 47 - only 3 years until I'm 50, then my metabolism will go to pot. 😱 I have soup recipes for yummy healthy soup for lunch! 🍵 I have low fat dinner recipes - yummy low fat dinner recipes! 🍽 All I have to do is plan a menu for a month (to begin with) 🗓 Come on people let's show the world what can be done and get moving and grooving! 🎤🎵🎶🎙💃🏻🕺
So here I am again! You can tell I haven't been good on my diet (what diet?). OK OK I mustn't use the word diet! Words NOT to use: Diet - it invokes pictures of lettuce and yuck stuff like that 🍃🍃🍃 (although it's not that yuck really) Tomorrow - it never comes you won't say on Monday (which is tomorrow) - oh it's tomorrow today! NEVER start your diet tomorrow - ALWAYS make yourself accountable and say I'm starting it on Monday 19th September 2016 (for example) 📅📅📅 Can't - of course we can - I think "I can't do this!" what a wuss! It's hardly rocket science. 🙈🙉🙊 DO NOT blame anyone or anything else - if you are fed up and comfort eat - did that person or situation make you eat? BE ACCOUNTABLE - TAKE OWNERSHIP for your gluttony! Only YOU shoved that bad food into your gob, no one else did! (talking to myself here) OK Monday is another day - a NEW day, a day where we can start to make a difference! Remember we didn't put all that weight on overnight and we won't shed it overnight! Want to be dedicated to shifting those pounds - Let's get going!
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Let's do more than lose weight - let's make this quest a full package - a new adventure! Let's get fit - start off gradually, don't go nuts and burn ourselves out. 🏃🏃🏃🏃 Let's start taking care of our skin - skin care regime, moisturise, dry brushing, foot soaking etc 👀💍👙👖👚👠👢💄👞👛👕👒👓👔 Don't buy food as a reward - a bunch of flowers or a new garment would be better! Come on WE can do this! Really we can!
Not a lot has happened lately (as always). Last time I weighed myself I'd gained weight! I am 12 stone 9lb and the path to fatty-hood forever if I keep this up! Next year is my 25th wedding anniversary and I really want to lose just over 3 stone for it! 42lb/19.05kg I seem like a lost cause, but I'm not! I need to address the issue in hand! Things stopping me losing weight: Apathy Lack of sleep Fear of gaining again if I lose Fear of getting a migraine if I exercise Lack of exercise due to above point Lack of will power Lack of self discipline - saying NO to the cake! All in all - I am the problem, ME - I'm stopping myself losing weight! Today I ate so much - it's ridiculous! Maybe I should do a Vlog for a month - hmmmmmm, but have I got the self-discipline to do it? OK this was a quick update Have a fab time readers/followers ❤❤❤❤❤❤💓💓💓💓💓💗💗💗💗💗💘💘💘💘💘💝💝💝💝💝💖💖💖💖💖💖💕💕💕💕💕💞💞💞💞💞💞
I haven't been good for years where eating is concerned and I'm just fed up with the word 'diet'. I have followed Rosemary Conley's diets in the past and they do work! The thing is I feel a bit bored with them - the food is gorgeous and I have every book she has published (except her latest 3-2-1 Diet). I have wondered if I can be self disciplined enough to actually stop following a set diet and make up my own plan using MyFitnessPal and healthy recipes! Did people have this problem years ago before high fat and sugar processed food became freely available? Start from scratch meals are always yummier than processed ones and probably much more healthy so maybe that's the key! Below is a photo of me in 2005 when I swam 6.5 miles a week, did 2 aerobic and toning DVDs a day etc. I was really fit! I ain't putting a photo of me online like I am now - unfit, and lardy! Maybe I could get to this weight again (3 stone lighter) IF IF IF I put my mind to it and ate less, exercised more!
HAPPY EASTER folks - don't eat too many eggs :D xxxx
Well it's ages since I posted anything! Been yo yoing all year and not lost any weight but 2016 must be THE year to lose at least 3 stone - that's 42lb to lose 4 would be phenomenal, but 3 would be fine!
Decluttering My House OK I'm really not an expert on decluttering - you won't see many (if any) photos of my house because I am soooo untidy BUT I'm absolutely fed up with having junk everywhere! I'm sure certain friends don't call around because they are super-duper tidy and can't stand my mess! I'm sure that I don't function well at all because of the clutter everywhere! When I'm in work I keep my area clean and tidy and I function much better! Alright, what I have done is - I have written out 12 labels, these are the 12 categories to sort into! What I mean by that is - I am going to go through each box of junk I have and place each item into its category on the floor or into several labelled boxes etc. I'm doing this, because in the past, I've found that if I just generally sort into 'keep' and 'throw' - the throw pile disappears but I leave the keep pile and I don't end up sorting it and filing the items away. By categorising my stuff, I'm hoping it will be easier to file away the items in the correct places! So my categories are:
Books - I have plenty of shelves to put them on!
Magazines and catalogues - I have a few mags coming in so I am going to dismantle them and keep the articles which will be of use and throw the rest
Avon - I'm an Avon rep/Sales Leader and I can't get going on it because I am so disorganised with the clutter I can't think straight to run my own business
Recycling - a blue recycling bag to hand to throw those things which can be reprocessed, straight in
Trash - A black bin bag to hand to throw the things which can't be recycled
Burning/shredding - A clear bag, with private info which I don't want others to get my details from (e.g. old credit card bills, utility bills etc)
Financial - up to date bank statements, bills etc to file away until they can go in the burning bag
Stationery/Writing - as I love writing I have notebooks and scraps of paper with poems on, ideas for new stories etc - time to gather those together and file them away in a plastic folder until I can put them into a book. File the notebooks away into a drawer, until needed.
Craft/Misc. - I don't think I'll have a lot of craft things, but just in case I do! Misc could be anything which doesn't fit into the other categories
DVDs/CDs - speaks for itself - I do have shelves with DVDs on and boxes for my CDs so the loose ones need to be filed away
One with my lads' names on - not for them to be tidied away, but their stuff to be taken to their rooms and filed away!
Music - as I play the flute, have singing and piano lessons, and I play various size recorders (occasionally), I have a lot of music!
Seems like a lot of categories, but I think I could work this way - I have a logical brain and this seems a logical way of doing this. Decluttering My Mind As a Christian (I know not everyone reading this will be one), I feel like so much 'other' stuff has come into my life, cluttering my brain. I write, play flute, piano and sing (not well or professionally), I work part time, am an Avon rep and Sales Leader, help with a youth group etc etc and my mind is getting clogged with political stuff (I love politics :) ) so it's time to rethink what I must prioritise, I feel like I have to get back to basics in my mind and stop cluttering it with all stuff which isn't important or won't change my life or other people's lives for the better. I came back from my church's holiday, yesterday and the speaker was talking about making God central in our lives and everything else will fit together! Time to do that, methinks :) Decluttering My Body This can be a short one: Stop eating junk! Drink more Eat less Exercise more I hope this works out - I will keep you updated and let you know if it did work and if my house is tidy or not :) If it does work - I will have to train my husband and adult sons to keep with my system (although I'm more untidy than they are!) Take care Carolyn xxxx
BB creams are an Asian import that have become super popular in the last two years here in the US. BB creams provide coverage with added skin care benefits like SPF and anti-oxidants--the list goes on depending on what brand you choose. They're lighter than foundation but heavier than tinted moisturizers. While the additives in BB creams can have the same efficacy as they would in stand-alone serums, be careful about counting on BB creams for adequate sun protection. "My only concern is that since BB cream is generally tinted, women use less on their face," Manhattan dermatologist Dr. Heidi Waldorf said. Meaning you won't slather it on the way you do--or should--with a more traditional sunscreen, resulting in inadequate protection.
CC CREAMS:
The difference between BB and CC creams is subtle--CC generally stands for “color correcting” and the products are meant to address issues like redness or sallowness (usually with light-diffusing particles), whereas BB creams are like lighter foundation with a few skin care benefits thrown in. “CC cream is a color corrector and will be lighter on the skin [than a BB cream],” celeb makeup artist Nico Guilis told us. “They have more of a whipped, light, fluffy feel and finish--kind of the new and improved BB.”
While BB and CC creams are marketed for separate issues, and are theoretically different, I've tried many BBs and a few CC creams--and honestly, they're almost the same. Where it gets most confusing here is that BB/CC benefits and coverage vary greatly among different brands. For example, Clinique's CC cream is definitely more opaque than some BB creams I've tried from other brands. So go figure. You have to be diligent in reading ingredients and most importantly, trying them out (like we did) to figure out what you want and need. (Allure has a great list here detailing which BB/CC brands are best for which type of skin issues).
DD CREAMS:
And now get ready for DD creams (sigh).
Julep is releasing what it's calling a "Dynamic Do-All" cream this summer, and it kinda sounds like a BB/CC hybrid. Weirdly, the cosmetics industry was predicting something completely different for DD creams. Back in November of 2012, a cosmetics industry analyst told Cosmetic Design (a trade website) that a number of DD creams, called "Daily Defense" creams were poised to launch, but they aren't for your face--rather they are "heavy duty body and foot creams." So it will be interesting to see if Julep single-handedly just changed that category with its forthcoming launch.
This is supposed to be posted onto my Avon blog, but for some reason I sign into my Avon account, but Google keeps directing it here so I'm going to post it here! :)
This article is from HERE and was NOT written by me therefore I do not own any copyright attached to the article! It was written by Lisa Niven 14th February 2014
BB creams made their European debut in 2011 following their huge success in the Asian market, and quickly made an impact on the beauty world. But what is a BB cream? Some companies refer to them as Blemish Balms, others as Beauty Balms, but the general consensus is that they should provide moisturisation, SPF protection and sheer coverage alongside soothing and healing properties - preventing the need for numerous separate products.
The similarity to tinted moisturisers has been noted, but BB creams are designed to go one step further - with additions such as hyaluronic acid and antioxidants to regenerate skin. Originally created by dermatologists for patients who had gone through laser skin surgery, the idea is that they actually provide genuine benefits for the skin - as well as providing enough coverage to be used as either a foundation or a primer, depending upon your preference.
I dug out some really nice trousers the other day from my wardrobe and they were a size 12 :-s they fitted me really well, 10 years ago! I know people say, don't hang onto your old clothes etc, but I have, in the hope of being able to fit into them again! I have size 16s (which I am, but I'm the upper end of 16), 14s and 12s so I have plenty of measuring garments! I don't like myself much - but I think to be successful we have to learn to love ourselves (not in a narcissistic way). I have been thinking about all the things which I didn't regard as important, in my past, until recently - achievements or acknowledgments that say - OK I can't be that bad... e.g. (not showing off - these are examples)
When I was 17 I was chosen to represent Girl Guides Wales in Thailand - someone must have thought highly of me to choose me out of 50 others.
I was chosen to represent my fellow students in Cardiff Uni - there were about 6 of us who had replied - again my fellow students must have thought highly of me...
I won't go on because you will all think I'm big-headed lol! I began to wonder - why do we think so little of ourselves when many people probably look up to us as role models or whatever? I remember saying to my sister that I always felt as if I lived in her shadow because she was very academic and always got good grades, but I'm a plodder and generally gained 'C; grades - her reply astonished me! She said that she always felt as if she lived in my shadow because I was little miss personality and everyone I met [adults] loved me! [my mum would have been happy to let me stay with them for a week because I was a right little pain in the butt at home lol].
Begin the year by thinking of your achievements - the compliments you've had, the things you've been chosen to do. Even if the only things you can think of are the hugs your children have given you and said I love you! The cards you've received from family and friends. etc. These things show that although we may not appreciate and love ourselves - others do - we can then start shifting the focus from not appreciating ourselves to thinking - you know what - I'm not that bad after all! Have a fantastic 2015 Carolyn xxxx
I originally posted these on the Rosemary Conley Online forum: TRYING - I'm trying to lose weight - this word speaks of never getting there...
FAILED/FAILURE - no you haven't/aren't - you've had a blip which can be rectified AND you are on this site!
NEVER - I'll never get there - says who - only you!
FED-UP - no don't get fed-up - this leads to negative thinking!
DIET - a diet to me speaks of endless bowls of lettuce and boring foods - we're on a lifestyle change or weight loss programme
TOMORROW - don't ever start a lifestyle change plan 'tomorrow' because that's a get out clause! Remember tomorrow never comes! So start your plan on (insert day of week, date etc), this makes starting much more tangible.
Negative words about yourself - DON'T say them (I do sometimes), YOU ARE beautiful/handsome - OK you may not look like a super model etc but a lot of those people live superficial lives anyway! You are who you are and true beauty comes from the inside, not outside!
OK folks - these are things I say, quite often! If you can think of anymore - feel free to add them and REMEMBER you have taken a huge positive step by joining this site! We're all in this together and we all make mistakes, and we all support one another!
Have a fabulous day
xxxx PS Rosemary Conley Online is a members only site so my links won't link you to the forum I originally posted on, and the views posted here are mine and are not those of Rosemary Conley or her business!
Ok hands up - who has been there (lost your weight, looked good, felt good) and back again (gained the weight lost and/or more)?
My hand shoots up in the air! If Yoyo-dieting was an Olympic sport I'd win gold! But why do we lose weight and then put it back on again?
For me - losing weight has not been a lifestyle change - it has been a case of "great I've reached my goal I can eat what I like, when I like!" Oh yes? That really doesn't work!
Taking the Lord of the Rings analogy (well, loosely anyway - can't parallel all of the story), we are little Frodos:
Think of our weight as the ring - it's heavy and it inhibits us! We need to get that ring to mount doom and throw it in there!
Perhaps our Gollums (temptations or those foods we find hard to resist) will follow us and try to scupper our efforts to get rid of the weight.
There may be good times where we do lose weight, but we mustn't rest on our laurels (like Frodo and Sam at Rivendell when they thought they could go back to Hobbiton - we mustn't go back to Blobbiton) - the ring had to be destroyed (the weight has to be lost) and it's only me or you who can lose our weight - I can't lose your weight for you and you can't lose mine for me. We can't carry someone else's weight for them and 'share the load' (why would we want to do that anyway?). The onus is on ME/YOU to lose the weight.
Goblins, Uruk Hai and orcs may try to hinder us - these are people who are unhelpful - "oh go on one won't hurt!" "I've bought you a huge box of chocolates for your birthday [even though I know you're on a diet]" next time someone is unhelpful picture them as an orc or something! When the arrows of temptation come flying at you - protect yourself with the shields of willpower and resolve.
Shelobs may come and attack when you least expect it and inhibit you, you may think - that's it, I'm done for, may as well give up - I've been stung by a cream cake, packet of crisps/biscuits etc. But it's only temporary - we're just hindered, not completely done for!
Come on folks - we are on a journey - it's not going to be easy, but if you want to achieve, it's not going to be! Let's all get to mount doom and dump our weight in there forever - throwing our Gollums in as well!
* These high-fibre vegetables are also goitrogenic, meaning that they promote thyroid enlargement and can potentially cause or aggravate hypothyroidism. Typically, the risk is highest when these foods are consumed raw, regularly, and in substantial quantity. Cooking eliminates most goitrogenic properties.
Highest Fibre Fruits Apples Avocado Bananas Berries -- Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, etc. Dried Fruits -- Figs, Raisins, Apricots, Dates, etc. Guava Kiwi Orange Pears Prunes
Other High Fibre Foods Bran Cereals, 5-10 grams - All-Bran, Bran Buds, 100% Bran, Raisin Bran Bread, whole grain Beans, Lentils, Lima Beans Nuts -- Almonds, Brazil nuts, Peanuts, Walnuts, Cashews
Sometimes we can get bored of dieting - counting calories, the discipline of exercising, points, syns, lettuce, low fat, high carb, low carb, no carb, lots of protein, no protein - it's repetitive and mundane. Let me share something with you: I play the flute (not to a high level, but I've got Grade 5 and could probably skip to Grade 8 with practise - and a teacher). Well, in my early days of flute playing I did tone exercises for 10 minutes every day - slow, boring and repetitive BUT it has helped me to develop good tone! Scales and arpeggios etc - boring boring boring - up and down,. down and up BUT they are great for helping with dexterity, speed, tone, transposition etc etc. Think of dieting like that - don't look at the here and now - look to the future - what you will become - a beautiful string of lost pounds, playing a tuneful melody. OK seems like a strange analogy, but I hope you get what I'm trying to say! Keep going - it will be worth it in the end xxxx
Tonight I bought a single chicken breast portion (already cooked) from work - I took the skin off and diced it into a bowl. I then mixed in 2 heaped teaspoons of Lime Pickle! In a colander I cut up: some ice berg lettuce, baby spinach a chunk of cucumber diced sprig each of basil, parsley and mint piccolini cherry tomatoes strands of peeled carrot wash all of those and then add to the Lime Pickle chicken, mix thoroughly and enjoy! Sometimes I'll add diced apple, strawberries, grapes and kiwi fruit to my salads to add some different flavours! You could also add peppers, spring onions, radishes, beetroot etc! The salad tonight was yummy :) xxxx
Was just wondering what to post today on my blog and as I was pondering I thought of a beach! A beautiful sandy beach. I think most people love beaches - whether you're the sunbathing type or more active sporty type. There's something nice about a sandy beach. The sound of the sea lapping on the shore, when the sea comes in, it can be fun dodging the advancing waves. Looking in rock pools for crabs and other creatures. Burying your friends in the sand or whatever. Have you ever considered though how many tiny grains of sand make up a beach? Trillions, no doubt. We can look at our weight loss campaign like a beach - the grains of sand may be tiny but when put together they make something beautiful - it's the same as us - we may only be losing 1lb or even half a pound a week, but those build up and we are becoming shaped and formed. Just think of the smaller clothes we can buy as we keep losing, the confidence we will gain (I have to admit that when I have been slimmer I've had much more confidence!). Keep going on your weight loss quest - it will be worth it in the end :) xxxx
No, this isn't a form of limp jogging ;) This is what I've done for the past couple of weeks - Logging EVERYTHING I eat and trying to keep within my calorie allowance. So far it's working because I've lost 4lb since the beginning of July (although my ticker says 3lb - I didn't change my start weight, which was 1lb more). I haven't done much exercise - the basic walking to work! I need to up my exercise and see if I do better! OK if you're struggling - don't panic! Log all your eat and be accountable for it - no excuses now! Last Friday (11th July 2014) I went on a picnic and knew I'd eaten over my allowance, but wasn't sure how much over - well after logging I was over 500 calories above what I should have been! OK it was a shock, even embarrassing, but, by logging it I was taking ownership and making myself accountable for the excess calories and then I could get back on track again over the weekend! Don't despair if you eat more - start again the following day and put the blip behind you! This is a journey - we will encounter hurdles (holes in the road), etc, but the main thing is getting to the end of the journey! Have a good week folks! xxxx
When we go on a diet sometimes it's difficult to see that there are others who are struggling as well! The word 'DIET' conjures up images of unending lettuce leaves and boring food like that, but it doesn't have to be that way! Remember my ownership blog post? All of us need to take ownership of what we do in our lives! What food we put in our mouths, how much water we drink, how much exercise we do etc. We all struggle, sometimes it feels like the boat is sinking, but remember, you're not alone - although others can't lose the weight for you - the others, who are not struggling at that moment in time, can 'bail the water out' by encouraging you, helping you out along the way, guiding you! Let's start bailing out the water by looking at what you eat and drink in a day - log it! I use www.myfitnesspal.com to log my food - I've been on it for just 3 weeks and I'm finding it does help me to take ownership of what I'm putting in my mouth and I can track the calories (OK this might sound boring, but look at your weight loss as a journey). There's no better time to start than TODAY!
Christian since 1990, wife and mother who loves to write poetry and children's stories. I have 1 husband and 2 sons. I have been writing poetry and stories since I was a child.
