Secret Snacking Habits Of Thin People

“It’s Christmas Time, Mistletoe & Wine”

Oh yes, and party time and snacking time!!

 

If you’re like the average Christmas party goer, then any thoughts of being good at this time of the year generally go out the window.  The array of snacks and drinks on offer are all tempting and the encouragement of “go on, it’s only once a year” reduces your resolve very quickly.  Peer pressure to conform is very difficult to resist!  Have you ever heard of the saying,

“it’s my party and I’ll eat if I want to”? 

So, that is a little bit of a changed saying, but, according to a very recent study on snacking behaviours, you are more likely to snack when it is a special occassion, or there is an opportunity put in front of you (think platters of food!).  And, let’s face it, Christmas is generally considered a special occassion, as are all the office parties, the family get togethers, the friend catchups!

 

The question then remains, how do you avoid these tempting snacks, or the drinks that are on offer, and remain true to your plan of healthy eating?

 

My plan

• Avoid Hunger

One way to be free from the temptation of the food platter is to go to the party with a full stomach.  This can be achieved by having a snack before you arrive, consisting of high protein and fibre and lower in calories. This will create the sensation of fullness so that you can still have one or two tempting treats, but you won’t be searching for something to overcome that inevitable hunger attack when you first arrive after being at work all day.

 

• Avoid Stress

Stress can lead to emotional and compulsive eating.  Christmas creates a lot of stress for many people and for a variety of reasons.  Remember this when you are heading into the Christmas season.  Some ways you can avoid stress are to incorporate meditation into your daily routine, complete a gratitude diary every evening before bed and to utilise adaptogenic herbs that can allow you to manage your stress better.  Personally, I use herbs such as ashwagandha, eleuthero, and shizandra daily to mitigate my stress levels.

 

• Have a Plan

Drinking alcohol, or even sweet cocktails, seems to be on the increase around the party season.  These are the hidden and empty calories that will ensure you become a statistic and increase your weight by 5kg (about 10lb) over the holiday season.  Plan to swap or replace these drinks with a healthy option.  If you don’t want to appear to be ‘the only one not drinking’, plan to have a spritzer (half wine, half soda water) and ensure you alternate this with a glass of water.  This plan will take you far into the holiday season without adding the weight to your body.  Other options available today include low (or no) alcohol drinks.  I especially love using bottle sparkling water, I always feel I’m having a special drink, add a slice of lemon or lime and some ice and an umbrella and I’m in party land!

 

• Use Balanced Snacks

Make sure you carry balanced snacks with you during the holiday season. By balanced snacks, I’m talking about snacks that contain carbohydrates, protein, fats and fibre.  Small snacks such as these will give you that full feeling and that extra energy you need to get through the hustle and bustle of food preparation, present buying and present wrapping, all while finishing up your work deadlines in time for the summer break!

• Be Gentle On You

Remember, it’s alright if you splurge once in a while.  Remember to have a plan to get back onto the road of healthy eating and living the very next day. Don’t allow a night of indulgence ruin your plans by the allure of, well, I’ve done it now, might as well really ruin it!!  Pick yourself back up the next day and get right back into your healthy eating plans, look forward and not behind you, it’s difficult to keep moving forward when you’re constantly looking over your shoulder.

• Begin Today

Avoid the temptation to start your New Year’s resolution to commit to a healthy lifestyle in 2015. Begin today!  Use your healthy lifestyle plans to begin your Life Journey today, every step forward is a step further ahead. By waiting until January 1,  you’ve wasted over 2 weeks of your precious life!!

To get started on your healthy Life Journey, using healthy balanced snacks and meals, contact me now!

Snacking, courtesy of Isagenix

 

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Stress Secrets

Stress Less

Love Life More

 

Quite often I take the time to create a blend for the clinic, usually focusing on what I am looking for most within my day too.  Usually the blending process is done intuitively.  Today was no different.  I went to my ‘toolbox’ of essential oils and randomly chose three oils

 

Today’s Blend

Lime

Patchouli

Melissa

These three are burning gently now as I write this blog, the aroma is very relaxing and I understand that the effects of these will be to uplift my heart and joy of life, along with easing me through the changes I’m making to my work and personal life, knowing that my strength is contained within me!

Lime:

• eases stress
• uplifting
• help to ease you through changes
• keeps you alert
• nutures the solar plexus chakra

 

Patchouli:

• creates unity, focusing  your heart and head together
• to aid you in rising above your self imposed barriers
• to aid you in sticking to your plan
• grounding, yet linked to your spirituality, the unity of both
• aids you in realising that your strength is always within you
• nutures the sacral chakra

 

Melissa:

• unconditional love, love of life, joy of life
• aids you in following  your dreams with passion
• lets you live  your life from your heart, encompassing all that you are passionate about
• gives joy and happiness in large quanitites
• nutures the solar and heart chakras

 

Enjoy today’s blend and live life to it’s fullest, with joy, happiness & passion, striving for your dreams that are attainable by following your heart and using the strength within you.

 

Stress Less, Live Life More

Are Mistakes Failures?

In today’s society there seems to be a strong pressure for us to all perform, to perform well (in fact perfectly) and to achieve the top of anything we attempt.

 

We make mistakes!!

 

How many of us admit that we’ve made a mistake, and what does it mean to admit to this mistake?

 

This week, I had a day where I made a mistake.  Instead of following my routine that I had set aside for the month of November, I didn’t follow my plan. Yes, this was a mistake.

 

What it catastrophic?

 

NO!!

 

Did I Learn From This?

 

YES!!

 

What did I learn I hear you ask?

 

Well, I learnt a couple of things – okay, I’ve listed 7.

 

1. To be kind to myself
2. To improve on the me I was yesterday
3. To be the best me I can be
4. To make a mistake is to learn
5. To learn is to grow
6. To grow is LIVING!
7. Once a mistake is made, to learn from it and move back is powerful

 

I’ve been following the teachings of Don Miguel Ruiz and his wonderfully quoted book, The Four Agreements.  These four agreements are:

 

1. Be impeccable with your word
2. Don’t take anything personally
3. Don’t make assumptions
4. Always do your best.

 

These agreements came to mind for me strongly when I admitted to myself that it had been a mistake to not follow my program for a day.  However, the tempered my response to this mistake, and supported my growth from that mistake.

 

Within these, I was gentle to myself for slipping off the rails (being impeccable with my word), telling myself how easy it will be to step back onto these rails and be a better person performing the task than I was the day before (always doing my best) and not blaming myself (not taking it personally that I slipped).  I have stepped back onto the rails, with determination and gratitude for where I have developed to as a person.

 

A year ago, it would have been so easy to tell myself off for slipping off a planned strategy, to have felt bad for doing the ‘wrong’ thing, to then continue being off the rails. Now, life is much gentler.

 

Remember: be gentle to yourself, so you can be gentle to others

 

Responsibility for your mistakes, results in growth

The Wonders of My World

Today I was out walking when I decided to utilise the powers of the Universe again and see if they were still working (as if they wouldn’t be, but hey, you’ve just got to check them out every so often!)

 

My walk today was to a rainforest area that I really love, it’s main attraction is a waterfall (which you have all seen many times!).  I always hear a lot of birds but don’t often see Pademelons here, they appear to be few in this area and they are usually very flighty.  Well, today I asked if I could see one in this area again.

 

To my joy we walked around a corner and BAM, there was a beautiful one sitting in the middle of the path.  It just looked up at us and didn’t move.  I very slowly retrieved my phone for a photo, and it still just wandered, well, okay, hopped, a few feet, but close enough for this wonderful photo – so much better than the one I posted on my Facebook page the other week.

 

Pademelon in Rainforest

 

As we continued our walk in the rainforest, and our conversation about the bats that moved, the pademelons, the beautiful creek and mini waterfall into a pool, it was mentioned about my conversation with the Universe on the appearance of a pademelon.  The conversation then changed to, “oh, is that why we’ve not seen any noisy Pitta’s today?”

 

So, as you can imagine, the conversation in my head to the Universe then changed to wanting to see a noisy pitta.

 

On our walk back out of the rainforest, BAM, we saw a beautiful, and almost still noisy Pitta – how amazing, it wasn’t hopping all over the place, not flying off, but just sitting there, waiting for me to again retrieve my phone slowly, and get a photo of this beautifully coloured bird.

 

Noisy Pitta in the Rainforest

 

Wow, what a wonderful morning to be out walking, thinking that I was so grateful for all that the Universe had delivered to me for today, it was now time to continue on my walk and go back home to my fun filled day ahead.

 

BAM!!!!

Here was a pademelon in front of me, and how awesome, with it’s little joey!!!! I’ve never, ever seen a joey of this beautiful little creature before (in the 5 years we’ve been walking here) and here was the cutest little one!! I stopped and watched it hop over to it’s mum and climb into it’s pouch – sorry, no photos here.  Boy, was I ever grateful to the Universe for that ‘extra’.

 

The walk home was undertaken with a beautiful smile on my face, and a skip in my step – you know, even when things are looking a bit on the gloomy side, when we stop and ask to see the joy and beauty around us, the Universe will provide it for us, and with extra too.

 

Here’s is the final extra – it’s now Jasmine flowering time here on the Mountain – when I walked outside first thing I noticed was the aroma – how wonderful!!!!

 

 

Jasmine flowering on the Mountain

 

Wanting to know more about the ways of the Universe and how to harness that way via mentoring, contact me now!

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Secrets of Procrastination

“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.”

– Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

 

I listened to a podcast recently on Procrastination, with the wonderful Jeffery Combs, and I started to realise that procrastination is a definite part of my life, so it was a quick decision to write about it as I’m sure there are many people who will want to read this.

 

Why read this?

 

Because:

• it’s a reason to put off doing what you know you need to do,
• you want to find out if you are a procrastinator, or
• to see how you can change being a procrastinator!

 

Do you answer Yes to any of these questions?

• did you, or do you, do your homework or study at the last minute?
• do you only do your washing when you run out of clothes?
• do you do your ironing when you are getting dressed in the mornings?
• are your clothes in piles on the floor, waiting to be put away or stored or given away?
• do you arrive late to appointments, parties, work…..?
• do you undertake your preparation for meetings, presentations just before the event?
• does TV stop you ‘doing’ things?
• do you say “I need to….” or “I should….”?
• do you love sitting down and reading a good novel, even when you have chores to be done?
• do you ‘wing it’ in life, very ‘last minute’?

 

If you answered YES, you are a PROCRASTINATOR!!!

The next step then is how to change this?

 

1. Make a committment to change
2. Be objective and honest with yourself
3. Follow systems, be organised

 

Make a Committment to Change

This is the first step on your daily Life Journey to change from being a procrastinator to becoming a producer!  Without making the decision to change, you will never make the change, your mind will continue to put off until tomorrow the steps you are to take to ensure your success in life.

Stop making excuses and start making decisions.  The energy given to the statement “I am….” is far higher than, “I should….”

Practice it, how does it feel to say each one, where do you feel the energy?

 

Be Objective & Honest With Yourself

How often do you say, “I don’t know why I……”?

YOU are the only person who really knows why you do what you do – be honest with why you are putting off until tomorrow what you could begin doing today.

What are you afraid of if you do complete a task? Is it fear of:-

• failure?
• being judged?
• what will happen if the outcome is successful?
• being disappointed if the outcome isn’t what you desire?

Procrastination is the effect of a cause, not the cause – it is a learned behaviour, not part of who you are.  Take the decision to change, then discover WHY you want to avoid a successful outcome.  Take the story out of the possible outcome, e.g., stop worrying about what might happen, and focus on being productive!

 

Follow Systems, Become Organised

Quite often procrastination is a result of being disorganised and becoming overwhelmed with that level of disorganisation.

A useful system to begin following is to divide your time up over your day, include in the planning

• your family time,
• your exercise time,
• your meals,
• your productive time and
• your relaxation time

 

Ask yourself at the end of every day –

“How effective have I been today?” 

“Has my activity included some productivity?”

Utilise a gratitude diary at the end of every day also, include 10 things for which you are grateful for. These can begin as small steps, but always say thank you for the steps you have undertaken to reduce your procrastination, e.g., ‘I am grateful for establishing my diary planning today’

 

If you are looking to reduce your procrastination and wish to be mentored through this, contact me now!

 

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S.M.A.R.T or D.U.M.B Goals

I often write about your Life Journey and how you take those steps forward each time.  A lot of where we get our drive and passion from for our Life Journey is from our goals.  Where we see ourselves in the future, what we’re striving for.

 

Typically when goals are mentioned, the acronym S.M.A.R.T comes to mind.

S.M.A.R.T. goals are what our society has been driven by for quite some time now.  And were spoken about by a great mentor I’ve tapped into, Zig Ziglar.  What do they mean?

S = specific

M= measureable

A = actionable

R = realistic

T = timely

The Secret and the discussions about the Law of Attraction guide us to setting these goals, we need to know what it is we want and when we want it by, remembering all along that the Universe is Abundant and will provide to you what you ask for.

While we understand the core message from The Secret, about the Law of Attraction, part of that message is to actually feel  like you have already achieved this goal!  Listen to the passion in the following video from Brendon Burchard, it is very inspiring and will help you feelthe passion of having achieved your goals!

Enjoy this video and think about what your goals are to you – exciting, or dull??

Secrets to Success

Your life journey takes you down many differing paths, each one has positive and negative success associated with them.  The choices we make along our path results in different outcomes.  How do we know we are travelling well?

 

One of the secrets to success I have discovered is

 

POSTURE

 

I have been listening to various podcasts lately, and they are stating some ideas of similarity – the posture you hold while undertaking a task, whether it’s a new one, or one you’ve repeated many times, will determine a number of different things:

 

1. Your sense of ability to accomplish the task
2. Your energy that surrounds the outcome of the task
3. Your motivation to complete the task

 

I first discovered this when I was out running.  It’s amazing how a simple thing like running with your chin pointing straight ahead can change

• your pace,
• your sense of lightness in your step and
• your motivation on whether you can make it to the next point in your run

I’ve been trying out this technique when I’m feeling tired on my runs, and to date, every time, it has changed how I’m feeling about the completion of the run.

 

Next, I discovered that this very same aspect of posture can change how you see the outcome of a task you’re undertaking when working.  Whenever I am feeling like I’m hitting a block in my thoughts, whether it’s for writing, researching or speaking to new people, I change my posture.  The difference in my ENERGY, CONFIDENCE & INSPIRATION for the task at hand is amazing.

 

Try this out at home. 

 

When you’re feeling low about an issue (no matter what it may be) that has troubled you during the day,

1. stand up and,
2. with a smile on your face, and
3. your head held high,
4. talk about what that issue is

Do you notice the change in energy associated with that issue?

Imagine if you do this when you’re in the middle of a task that is draining your energy, your motivation or inspiration?

Try practising this in the mirror too – you will definitely notice a change in your posture – the smile helps with that too.

How you hold yourself during the day makes a difference to whether your tasks have successful or non-successful outcomes – mainly because your energy around the task changes, which invariably changes the whole situation and the potential outcome too.

 

Take the path and journey to success, change your posture, lift your chin, hold your head up high and remember to smile, the energy will definitely change for the better.

 

Keep your posture looking upwards and your energy will follow

 

 

Easy steps to breaking habits

I know that it is difficult to get into good habits, but how easy is it to break those habits?  I remember reading somewhere, once, long ago, that it takes 3 weeks to create a ‘good’ habit, and 2 days to break it!

 

Well, for the last month, my routines have gone out the window.  However, in my mind I have been

• blogging daily,
• writing out my gratitudes daily,
• writing up my daily intentions,
• exercising daily,
• maintaining my healthy eating routines,
• working on my business
• and generally doing all my routines!

 

Does this work for you? Did it work for me?  Well, the answer to this is yes, and no.

 

I did keep up with running every second or third day.

I did mentally, and electronically, ‘write out’ my gratitudes, intentions and blogging ideas.

All this occurred while I was on holiday in New Zealand.

 

The ‘trouble’ was when I came home!!  How crazy is that? I immediately stopped my writing, I did keep up some exercise and generally healthy living options.

Though, to put it into perspective, when I came home, it was a short work week, I took the Thursday off as it was my birthday (perks of ‘knowing’ the boss!!), then it was Easter and now we’re coming up to Anzac Day weekend.  All up, many more days off my routine than my mindset had prepared for.

 

So, at home, the routines had gone out of the window, as I had prepared for the change of scenery while I was away (even when my plans changed dramatically), but not for the change of daily routine when I was back.

 

This made me start to think this week about how important my organised routines were in my daily maintainence of my healthy living journey and my mindset around them also.

 

I’ve now implemented my routines again, so I’m back on track!  The daily writing is occurring again, the healthy living routines are all occurring again and being more organised is definitely returning.  Life journey back on track!

 

How important are your routines to you? What happens when they are disrupted?

 

Where are your routines taking you?

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Change – The Secret Guide To Change

Health & Happiness Collective

What is Change?

What is Change?

Have you been saying things such as

• why do the whales gets hunted?
• why is there so much hunger in the world?
• isn’t it sad to see so much war in the world?
• isn’t it awful that those children were molested?

These questions make us dwell on what is not right in the world, or even in our world. Mahatma Ghandi stated that WE must be the change we wish to see in the world.

This is so very important when we are wishing for things to be different, we need to begin within, to make the changes we wish to see. One person can start a change.  Are you that person?

How do you begin to change?

How do you change?

Change begins one step at a time.  I have been listening to some podcasts recently, and a couple of their favourite sayings are:

“A Master was once a Disaster”

“Fail falling forward”

In other words, each step forward in the direction of your ultimate goal is a learning step, whether you are taking a positive or a negative step, while always remembering that those you aspire to be like weren’t born a master at the skill. It takes practice.

I find this is a great way to keep focused on the change I am making to my life, rather than focusing on the negative feedback that often occurs in your head when we are making these changes you seek.

What are the first steps to change?

Steps to change?

• Always the first step is the hardest – now where have I heard that before?? Oh yes, it’s the lyrics to a song!!

But how true is it? To break a good habit seems to take but a day, to create a good habit, practice, practice and practice again, for 3 weeks according to some studies!  It always seems so easy to slide back into bad habits, but difficult to create new habits.

Sometimes the language you use is the obstacle.

Reflect on the sentence above “….difficult to create…” do you notice the obstacle here?  Yes, it’s the word DIFFICULT!

Changing your language can be one of the first steps you can take in beginning a change. Instead of using,

…..difficult to create….

TRY

…..easy to create……

This can be the very first step you undertake when making changes.

• The next step to change is working outside of your comfort zone.

Extend yourself in areas you have not been comfortable in.  Examples of this may be to talk in front of a group of people, where before you were not able to undertake this task.  Use groups in your local area to gain the confidence to do this, e.g., the local Toastmasters, or join a new interest group and try talking one on one to a stranger. Remember, it’s all about one step at a time. Extend yourself and you will grow, with growth comes change.

• Lastly, give yourself a daily internal shower

Whenever we are considering change, we initially look at ourselves externally, thinking this will make all the difference to how we move forward in our lives, e.g.:

• new clothes

• new hairstyle

• new appearance

• new tattoo

• new makeup

Does this make a change that is significant to our lives? Does this really allow you to fail falling forward, to learn new ideas or concepts that are outside of your comfort zone?

You need to consider cleaning up the inside of your body as  well as the mind!! By cleaning out the toxins that sit within your cells, that eat away at you as much as the negative thoughts eat away at you, you begin a new journey, you take on board CHANGE!

Why change me?

Why change me?

The eternal question:

why do I need to change?

If you have not achieved what you are looking for, is it the scenery that needs to be changed? Or is it you that needs to change?  There is a saying that is often reiterated throughout the internet,

…….if you have not got what you want, doing what you are currently doing,

then you need to change what you are doing……

This is a lovely set of reasons for instigating change in you.

What do you feel you are missing in your life?  Is it freedom? What does that type of freedom mean to you? Is it financial? Is it time? Is it materialistic? Is it spiritual?

First discover what you are searching for, it makes it easier to instigate the changes you are dreaming of.

Thank you for reading my blog on change, and all of the blogs from the Health & Happiness Collective. It’s been a fun time about change, and if you wish to instigate change, please contact me.

Life Journey Update

I’ve been following a life journey over the last 7 months.  It’s involved a changing body shape and interestingly enough a changing mental shape too.

I wanted to give you an update on where I’m at with my physical body – today I weighed in at 100g under my personal goal.  I set this goal when I first began back on 23 July 2013. The last time I was this weight (60kg) was in 1999 and I think I maintained it for all of a month before slowly following the typical rebound scenario, up and up and up and oh yes, up again!!! Until finally arriving at a never before reached peak of 82kg.  Isn’t this the typical scenario for so many people?

Avoid Yo-yo Dieting

This is called Yo-yo dieting in the media today.  It’s also a heartbreaking situation.  For those of you who, like me have been through all of the different types of diets recommended, pushed, tantalisingly held in front of us over the last 30 years, you will know that I’m at a point of ‘how long will this last”.  Physically though, I now know about nutritional rebalancing as a lifestyle, I’m confident this won’t occur because my insides have had a shower!

However, interestingly, things have also changed for me mentally this time.  Usually I think great, and I slow down everything I’ve been doing, hence the yo-yo scenario begins.  BUT, what I’ve learnt over my last 6 months journey (by the way, this was 18 months faster than the last time I reached this goal) is that it’s not about reaching the goal, it’s about maintaining the lifestyle you have created.

About a month ago, my gym membership ran out.  At that time I was stil 3 kg away from my goal weight.  I had to make a DECISION.  The decision was about whether or not I would maintain my exercise regime, was it important enough for me to maintain it without the incentive of a gym to attend?

My DECISION was that it mattered to me for my health and for my well being and sense of joy in life to have the purpose in my morning routine to still get out of bed and attend my gym sessions.  Yes, I’m fortunate enough to have a treadmill and weights station conveniently located on my back patio!

My DECISION was also that it was about more than just the weight, it was about me showing and mentoring others into believing there was another way, that yo-yo dieting does not have to remain in your life.

Over the last 7 months, my personal development journey has been along the lines of self-belief and also about understanding WHY I’m here, what is my role in my life journey.

My WHY came in for me with a bang on Tuesday!  Here it is: 

I believe that everyone deserves to be nurtured to step into their Greatness,

with love, integrity, strength, passion and fun

I’m here to do that for others.  I’ve always understood that my role in life is one of servitude, that I’m here to serve mankind, but to truly discover what it is that I’m to do in that servitude has given me a bounce, a joy and a passion that is beyond description.

In my mind this blog today was to be an update on my weight loss journey, so I’ll also give you those details now, not just my passion about my WHY!!I began my journey at 82kg, I’m now 60kg, a loss of 22kg (or 48.5lb).

My waist has gone from 95cm (37.5inches) to 75cm (29.5inches)

My chest has gone from 105.5cm (41.5inches) to 92cm (36inches)

My buttocks have gone from 110cm (43inches) to 92cm (36inches)

My abdomen has gone from 107.5cm (42inches) to 85cm (33.5inches)

I’m feeling AWESOME!!!

Here are some before and after shots as well

26 July 2013

7 Sep 2013

 

10 Dec 2013

5 Feb 2014

5 March 2014

 

Thank you universe and followers for making my journey so enjoyable.  

This journey will be continuing as it’s only just begun – my mission now is to help others achieve their greatness – come along for the ride, it’s going to be filled with passion, love and fun!!

Contact me today! Places are filling fast!

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