Television adds pounds. I know it does because I'm on television now. I recently became a reporter for a new television news magazine and I'm starting to realise how tiny many of the people who are on television must actually be when they appear of normal weight.

We had a launch party for the new program yesterday and we viewed the show. I was surprised that I looked so much bigger than I thought I was but reassured when other, very small people, also looked larger on the screen. It's all an illusion.

But it got me thinking about body image and how that affects us. Much of how we think of our own body is as much an illusion as the size magnification of people on the small screen!

Many of us have a very confused idea of what is a good body weight. The media's skewed images on television and on magazine covers cause us to think we are overweight when we are not. The judgement of society supports that by the constant bombardment of the messages that you aren't good enough if you don't look the way the media has told you you should. It's not wonder we're confused!

I've come a long way. I looked at myself on the television and while I acknowledged that I looked bigger than I would have liked, I really, deep down, don't care. What I had to say, the work I had to do, the way I spoke, the story I presented, was the most important thing.

People get stuck on the journey because while on the journey you are not at the place you think you should be. The key to not getting stuck is to not focus on the weight or the body but on the feelings and the actions you are taking to a healthier body size.

HHypnosis Update

I've been using hypnosis and it really has taken my focus off of eating. I get hungry now before I eat and I am not overeating. I am walking more but that might have more to do with the weather being suitable for my favourite activity. I can feel in my clothes that I have lost some weight and I feel happy about that. I don't use a scale so I can't share the amount but it's definitely working.

I highly suggest using the weight loss mp3 on Hypnotransformations to get started. The owner of that site has agreed to guest blog for me in the future. Watch for her post!




My Writing Blog

My first update is a non-update. I've decided to put off my challenge until the kids start school(tomorrow) for the simple reason that I was swamped and didn't make time to listen to the download more than once. I want to follow the procedure exactly to maximize the benefits. So starting tonight I will be back on track.

That said, even listening once seems to set me in a different mood towards food and eating. My problem these days is a lack of motivation to exercise. I've always been super active and I've gone completely backwards this summer, having no inclination to do much more than a 20 minute walk. Aside from my two dragon boat practices a week I've been pretty much sedentary. That has translated into a plateau of sorts but I'm not worried except for the wellness aspect of regular activity.

I've got exciting things happening with this blog. I've invited Kym at Hypnotransformations to guest blog for me and she's kindly accepted. And I've also invited a local nutritionist and raw-food specialist, Nancy Telfer, who also is a EFT practitioner to guest blog on each subject. Check out her website!So interspersed between my updates will be posts from each of these fascinating women on their wellness specialties!

And remember the walking challenge starting on September 28th! I'm going to start that and I'm hoping some of you will join up and follow me on that journey! I really need to move beyond my 20 minute dog walking excursions!

Namaste friends!




My Writing Blog

In spending much of my life in a feast or famine cycle of dieting, and in spending the last few months determined not to diet, I've discovered that the biggest detriment to my success at weight loss, at becoming healthy and well and shedding the diet mentality along with excess pounds is my own tendency to slip into inertia.

I continuously find excuses not to walk, not to make a nice salad, reasons to do the things that I've always done. It's a pattern of intertia. A pattern of not doing instead of doing, of allowing procrastination to rule my day. I'll do it when the kids go back to school(I have a super large wagon that fits the kids and the cat) or I'll do it after they are in bed(it's dark, I don't) or "I'll make black bean soup tomorrow" and I don't, because tomorrow is as busy as today.

So my new determination is to become a person who does the work. Now. Because in the doing of it is where the determination to do well comes from.

The Wright brothers didn't invent the airplane by pondering the staying on the ground of things. So instead of thinking about what I'm going to be doing, it's time to actually start doing it.

I invite everybody to join me in the no more excuses, time to do it now, portion of their journey.

Affirmation: Today, in this minute even, I will do what is best for my health and wellness. And tomorrow I will do the same.





My Writing Blog

I know there is a question on everybody's mind. The big question. Are you losing any weight? I should answer this for you but there is the rub. I don't know. I don't weigh. I know I'm doing all the things I should be doing. I'm listening to my weight loss hypnosis download regularly, I'm walking weather permitting, I am cooking fresh food and eating a lot of raw. I have not had a binge on anything baked although I have had these things occasionally. I've eaten ice cream but not too much and every day I feel better and better. So the answer to the big question is still, I don't know. And even more important, I'm not all that concerned about it which is an amazing shift. I am no longer preoccupied with the idea. I've let go of the need I have to lose the weight. I do feel like I'm slimmer. My clothes are starting to fit and I know my silhouette is trimmer. So that's it. No weigh ins for me, no updates, no numbers to report. All I can report is a decrease in my obsession with weight and food and an increase in my zest for life.


Affirmation: I am happier, I am healthier, I am grateful.

Namaste

So far it's been a good day! I've stayed close to home as my little one is just getting over a stomach virus and I cancelled the playgroup we had planned. I made the Honey Baked Lentils again but this time I had no turnip so I added carrots and some sliced cabbage...I tasted it earlier and yumminy yum yum. I'm trying to figure out the nutritional value for my Journal.

So what I'm going to do is each day post about each of the acronyms starting with Journaling tomorrow. I'm trying to look at this from a different angle and trying to focus on why we don't do what we know we should be doing while at the same time helping those who don't know what to do come up with some tools to help them. So it might seem a bit haphazard to start.

I'd like to approach this not so much from a you should do this and that but from a perspective of why we aren't doing this or that and what is the thing in our mind that prevents us from taking care of our bodies without feeling we have to deprive ourselves to do so.

You might notice in my menu that I haven't given up my treats. I'm having a glass of wine and I'm having dark chocolate, both of which I think have benefical qualities. I'm also trying to get in a place of not judging what I do, that there is not wrong way to do this. If I slip up and take some steps backwards then not only is it ok but perfectly human and exactly right.

If you have any suggestions to help me along I'd love to hear them.

Please comment below with ideas and things that are working for you.

So Todays Menu

Breakfast: Shredded Wheat and 1% milk & coffee
Lunch: 3 servings of left over eggplant manicotti with a slice of bread,no butter and a cup of camomile tea.
Dinner: Honey baked Lentils and a salad
Snacks:Hot chocolate, popcorn, dark chocolate, red wine

Journal: See above
Accountability: posting here
Motivation: Spent some time on another bloggers site
Exercise: Walked dog for 45 minutes
Service: Again, something I keep private, mostly lending an ear to a friend with a problem and caring for my baby who still has a little ickiness going on.

This is my latest problem. I'm sure my cravings and attacks of the munchies are entirely related to my monthly cycles. Knowing that doesn't help. Knowing that didn't prevent me from eating several Oreo Cakesters and half a bag of goldfish crackers last night when the cravings hit.

I've picked up a bottle of chromium. I remember years ago I used them for cravings and they seemed to help. Let's see how it goes.

Today let's hope the weather holds up for walking. It's still a bit cold but I can't make any more excused. And the kids go back to school tomorrow. It's been a good week but I look forward to a bit of quiet.

I'm going to research this a bit more. I wonder..is it impulsive/compulsive problem or body cravings or a combination of the two. All I know it' defeats me almost every time and I don't know how to fight back.

Two steps backwards. Well not really, just two days without exercise. It's been a crazy time and there just hasn't been enough go in me to, well, go! I haven't checked the weather for tomorrow but please let it be reasonable. I loved the walks we had been having.

Today I made the Honey Baked Lentils and boy were they yummy! I added carrots and turnip and ate way too much. Such are the dangers of eating too little all day. I ate 4 slices of toast for breakfast this morning with peanut butter thinking two wouldn't be enough to get me through until we returned from a shopping expedition. I was right and I was hungry by 2pm but a few handfuls of sunchips got me through until dinner but of course then I proceeded to over-eat that. It was a very unhealthy eating day that even the nutrition of the honey baked lentils likely didn't balance. Oh well. Tomorrow is a new day a la Scarlett O'Hara!

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What I am rediscovering lately is my love for tea. I grew up watching my parents drink tea and carnation milk and that's my preference still. Although I like drinking water when the weather is cool my preference is a hot drink. I've always like tea, regular old black tea and in recent years flavoured as well. Recently I've discovered a store brand that's as good as any of the expensive name brands. I'm not sure of the herbal benefits if there are any but the taste is certainly excellent and the price can't be beat. it's the Irresistables brand from Food Basics. I'm not sure what other stores it might sell in.

I've gone through a package of their Roobois caramel and orange and it was delicious but unfortunately sold out today so I picked up the Bedtime flavour. It's delicious. And the smell from the box is indescribable! The ingredients lists as follows; camomile flowers, spearmint leaves, blueberrries, orange flowers linden flowers, lemon grass, rosehips, passion flower herb and rosebud flower.

It's claimed effect is relaxation and calmness. We shall see how I sleep tonight. At $1.00 for 20 bags I'm happy with just a nice taste. A good nights sleep will be a bonus. I'll let you know tomorrow how it goes.

I know I'm a little smaller. I can tell somehow. I've been walking a lot and not eating junk and moderating my food intake by being aware and mindful. It's been a good week.

I find it hard to be mindful without being obsessive and when the goal is to adopt a normal relationship with food, throw off the diet mentality and work towards a healthy mind, body and spirit all at the same time it's important to not be obsessive about either or the balance is off.

I've been writing a lot and I think that satisfies something in me that food generally does. It makes me happy. It fills the void better than excess baked goods can. It's filling my cup.

So here I sit having a cup of chamomile tea and relaxing, smelling black bean soup cooking in the slow cooker for dinner. I feel good. It's still nice outside and I will walk again.

And I feel lighter. Maybe it's not weightloss but simply feeling that some burdens have lightened. I don't weigh on a scale so I can only judge by how I feel and I feel better, healthier and balanced. And I'm not hungry for food or anything else at this moment in time. Satisfied. That's a good way to be.

Maybe satisfaction is the goal we all should be reaching for in all aspects of our lives. Or maybe we should just be satisfied as we are. Either way it feels good to be me right now and that's really all I need.

I apologise for neglecting this blog and I'm recommitting to it. I've been busy though, to be fair to myself. Spring has sprung and I've been outside! You know, that place that was buried in a white blanket of cold all winter that now is coming back to life! In a few moments I'll be going out again for a walk in the fresh spring air but I noticed comments at the bottom and feel I should be here for a while.

I've been well. Nutrition has been my focus this week and I've been eating really good food. I love black bean soup and found a wonderful simple recipe online. And yesterday I made honey baked lentils, a simple recipe that is absolutely delicious. I'm going to post both recipes here shortly!

Nutrition has never been my problem. I eat quite a healthy variety of foods. My problem is with eating either too much or complimenting my delicious healthy food with too much of the not so optimum type. Ice cream is a big weakness of mine. I can't leave the container alone. I admit it. I'm an icecreamaholic. I've taken to buying mint chocolate chip for the kids because it's the only kind I don't like.

The yoga is fantastic. We did another session on Monday and it was great. There were 4 of us and I felt both super relaxed and rejuvenated at the same time. I like the instructor and she's very patient and supportive of our newness to the practice. I've been trying to practice a bit at home, particularly the balance poses. My kids are excited to help and this morning I was awakened to my three year old doing Mountain Pose in the bed. I guess mountains can lay down too!

And walking..oh the walking is fantastic. I pull the kids in the wagon, hitch the doggie to the side and go..we walked two hours yesterday with stops for milk and groceries. I bypassed the liquor store although there was a Chianti in there calling my name. I like a little red with dinner but I think I'll wait until Saturday and get nice one in town for Saturday's dinner.

I was brave enough on Sunday to try a pair of pants on and they were toooooooo tight. They haven't ever been tight on me. Winter is not a good friend to my waistline. The triumphant part of all of that is the fact that it didn't set me back at all. I have accepted that I've got some work to do and I've committed to following through.

Thank you for joining me along the way.

PS..while I don't record calories or anything right now I am a member of Spark People and find it wonderful and encouraging and best of all it's free! There is some wonderful advice and inspiring stories of people who have made wonderful changes in their lives in the areas of health and fitness. I encourage you to check it out. There is a link on the right of this page.