Monday 30 November 2015

Healthy Mind & Body - Day 20

Weight Loss Help


Even though I didn't want to log on today, it was a long driving day, 4 hours of driving, so my eyes are exhausted! I just got up and did it!

Interestingly, the content today was about stepping out of your comfort zone, to a place where you feel uncomfortable. It certainly feels uncomfortable getting to complete my lesson today, though I do know and appreciate that learnings and growth occurs when you feel uncomfortable - BRING IT ON!!

Creating a habit takes time. Did you go from zero to full speed on any of your bad habits (insert here the habit you wish to change, that could be eating chocolate, drinking cans of soda, or even smoking)? 

When you first started that habit, did you jump in and eat, e.g. a block of chocolate at once, or did you start with one square and slowly eat more and more?

Most habits become habits die to consistency and gradual increase in the behaviour.

It's the same with developing a new habit such as exercise. Just begin small, keep consistent, and gradually increase how much you do.

This is how I got back into my exercise routine, I started with just one small 25 minute walk on one day.

Wanting to change your habits? Call me now

Sunday 29 November 2015

Healthy Mind & Body - day 19

Weight Loss Help - Quick Tip


Seriously feeling fantastic. Up at 5.30am as I was running a market stall, picked up my friend at 6am, tea in hand (thank you my darling man), arrived at our stall around 7am, set up and ready to go by 8. Feeling invincible!

Washed out late in the day, creating some cleaning. As t was a Sunday, all thoughts of business commitment faded dramatically.

Now, at bed time, I realised I could spend a few moments to create a response in my course, AND a blog!!

Yay!!,,,

How many day now, oh yes, let me count, 6!!

Feeling pretty darn happy, and consistent!

Enjoy my storm photos and video. This was one of the things that postponed my routine, but, yes, I still managed it!!  Looks like I will have to post the videos tomorrow as technology isn't playing the game. Won't let that stop me today x




Saturday 28 November 2015

Healthy Mind & Body - Day 18

Weight Loss Help

More consistent action has occurred. Yet again, I have logged in and completed my course work, I woke and did my planking exercise, before going for an extra long walk, and now I am here sharing.  

Today is about focus, and the laws of focus.  

What You Focus On:

  • you find

  • seems real to you

  • grows

  • ultimately, you become


    "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life"
    - Steve Jobs

    Natural weight loss
     

Friday 27 November 2015

Healthy Mind and Body - Day 17

Weight Loss Help


I'm beginning to believe that procrastination is flying out of the window.  Here I am on Day 17 of my course and I've now been consistently completing it every day for the last 4 days, a record. I have done my dreaded planking exercise every monring for 4 mornings.  And best of all, I overcame my procrastinating mind this morning, it was all 

  • "oh, you've already done 2 workouts in a row, have a rest" 
  • "oh, do you really want to get up and do weights?" 
  • "are you sure you want to get up?"


BUT, I DID IT!!!

I got up and went to my gym area to lift weights, thought I'd only do one set and give up, BUT I didn't!!

I started to enjoy doing it after all, awesome!  Listening to the sounds of the birds gave me such gratitude for being in this special place. A great way to begin the day.

removing procrastination

By getting to this stage in my 60 day journey, I have come to the realisation that my mindset closely follows the beautiful quote by Henry Ford

"Whether you think you can,
or you think you can't
You're right

Natural weight loss


Thursday 26 November 2015

Healthy Mind and Body - Day 16

Weight Loss Help

Here we are, another day, another day of committment and completion!

Wow, oh wow, the feeling of excitement, knowing that I have got up, done my plank exercise, gone for a walk, and now completed another day in a row of my healthy mind and body course - feeling very proud of myself (yes, it is okay to be proud of your achievements, remember, I did say that you must first love who you are now? This applies)

The sense of purpose, knowing that after two weeks, things are starting to come together for me, enhances how my mood is, it enhances my motivation levels, and definitely reduces the procrastination!

Today is a day of purpose, gratitude and love for all around me.

Yesterday, my day started differently, and then it lifted, the changes that occurred because I took some actions, in both my business day and my personal day, were all positive.  I made the decision to work more efficiently, and I still managed to complete my tasks even when 'obstacles' arose (yes, they were positive obstacles, and they changed my routine, but I still completed my tasks!).  I even made a decision to turn off the tv and read a book, instead of fridge hunting when the ads were on, do you know what? When you read a book, there are no boring ads!! How incredible!!

Haa haa, feeling very positive about the journey forward.   It will always be a journey, never forget that!

Come and check out some of my daily motivation and tips on Facebook too


Wednesday 25 November 2015

Healthy Mind and Body - Day 15


Weight Loss Help

Day 15 - two days in a row now, and I've been doing my coursework - Woo Hoo!!

I also made a committment yesterday to do one exercise for the next week, choosing one I didn't particulary enjoy.  So, this morning, before my walk, I got up and did a plank, raising alternate arms, 10 times each - phew! Done. Now, to repeat for another 6 mornings

It's all about making changes.  These changes will help you to condition your mind, and attitude, to taking steps towards your goals.

Thinking about how you want to be.

Asking yourself, why do I want to create that body?

Remembering that you are responsible for all your choices

You are therefore responsible for your transformation

Remember, in order to step into change, one of the first steps is to remember to love yourself first, as you are now.  It's not the external that we/people see and love, it's what's inside.  Take a look, honestly, at yourself. List what others see, that they love about you (yes, I know it's hard, I've come from a place of disbelief in self, a place of not thinking I'm worthy), and then take that list and agree with it!

Be grateful for who you were, before wanting to make a change, lovingly step towards where you want to be.

Self talk that empowers you is important. Here are some examples:

  • I am strong enough
  • I am on my way
  • I am worthy
  • I am enough
  • I am able to do this
  • I am moving forward
  • I am loveable and loving
  • I am............

As you can see, there is a pattern - taking responsibility for where you are, for your choices, means that you step into that responsibility, with love and gratitude.

Now, once you've written a list, stand tall (I call it WARRIOR POSE - hands on hips, straight back, feet shoulder width apart) and speak your list out loud, with confidence, 3 times - YES 3 TIMES!!

By breathing self belief into yourself daily, you will walk differently, hold yourself differently, and you will believe in YOU!

Tuesday 24 November 2015

Healthy Mind and Body - Day 12 - 14

Weight Loss Help

One of the consistent aspects of undertaking my daily journaling with this study is that I'm consistently inconsistent! 

However, I am still committed to this study, and I'm consistently good at catching up!  Every 2 - 3 days, I take the time to complete my daily tasks!

By day 60, I'll be doing this daily!!

"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."
-  Albert Einstein

My plan is to complete my daily tasks

Want to join me on this journey?


Saturday 21 November 2015

Healthy Mind and Body - Day 11

Weight Loss Help

Another busy day today, but the excuses did not override the commitment - time to celebrate!!!!

Here I am - celebrating being ME. Celebrating my commitment

Vision is the focus of today, what keeps you going?  What keeps you on target?

"With a powerful vision and strong desire, you can truly focus on what you want instead of what you don't want. With consistent focus on what you want, you can achieve it."
- Isagenix


Focusing on my energy, my ability to live in the now, avoids the worry of what is to come, the regret or wishes for what was - truly focusing on today, living for today, with today in mind.

Yes, there is always the big vision, where I'm going to, but by living in the here and now, I can see the future vision, without the worry, without the anxiety, without the continual wish that things were different.

My new mindset vision - what I am living into:

I awake with joy and excitement in my heart, running over my Morning 6 to keep me focused on what is to be done today, and the WHY.  During the day, the challenges don't give way to procrastination, they instead give me the energy and the excitement to forge ahead, as I know that this change, and change is exciting and to be embraced.  By focusing on today, on what needs to be done today to take me one step closer to my ultimate goal, makes the day seem so much easier and joyful.  One step closer to being able to help those who need their health improved, but have noone to turn to, no medical system to support them, one step closer to building a home for the homeless, creating an unique space for the homeless that is governed by The Four Agreements (and of course, an area for their pets!). This mindset gives rise to much gratitude that I have been put here to implement these options for those that need the extra help, all deserve love, joy, peace and gratitude in their lives.  

- Sandra Venables
Nov 2015

My WHY - develop your own too, it keeps you focused.

My vision is to impact the health of the children of HIV positive parents, to ensure they have the opportunity to live their lives to the fullest they can, in a healthy and positive manner. To repay Bern for all I have borrowed from him. To build a place for the homeless on the Gold Coast, that will support them, and their pets, in a way that is non-confrontational to them, that helps them achieve what they wish to achieve, that is run on the vision of gratitude and positiveness, and the Four Agreements, that allows others to grow again, to step into the world with love and know that there is a point to this magic life they live. My legacy will be to the chiildren of sick parents and to those without a home  
- Sandra Venables
Nov 2015


weight loss help
 

Friday 20 November 2015

Are You Overreacting?

Life Journey

Look around you, how are you reacting to situations?  Life is about a choice, you choose how you react.

"Life is 10% of what happens to me, and 90% of how I react to it"
- Chuck Swindoll


Choice is a decision.  You choose. 

  • to be overweight
  • to not exercise
  • to eat junk food
  • to drink soda
  • to be the victim

When did you give up responsibility for how you live your life?

Choose now to make the decision to make change. Start today!

 

Healthy Mind and Body - Day 8, 9 & 10

Weight Loss Help

Well, here I am at Day 10, and I've had 'good' excuses for not completing Days 8 and 9 before today.  I have even had some wonderful justification. Talk about learning!!  


Excuses

  • it's been a long day
  • my mother called me
  • I've been working all day already

Justifications

  • I'm working on moving forward anyway
  • I've been focused on the steps I need to make anyway
  • I'm going in the right direction anyway

Notice a pattern? I certainly have while I've been writing this out - anyway. What an amazing word to use for justifying why I've not stuck to my committment.  Yes, I am playing catch up now, so that indicates to me that I am doing the best I can (remember the Four Agreements?), and I am almost committing!

Yes, I have noticed that I have been more focused since I made the committment to this 60 day journey. However, there will always be obstacles in your path (and mine too), and finding excuses is a natural thing to do, BUT, finding reasons to still do it regardless is important!  This is my journey.

One of the first statements on Day 8 is about blocking and resistance, I think this is where I'm at and it's what will be changing.  Let's go for it!

"You will either step forward into growth, or step backward into safety"
- Abraham Maslow


Stop procrastinating about starting - contact me now to find out how!

Tuesday 17 November 2015

Healthy Mind and Body - Day 7

Weight Loss Help

When taking the journey through natural weight loss, often it's your will power, the strength of your mind, that will get you through the rough days.

'The energy of the mind is the essence of life'
- Aristotle

This quote by Aristotle is very relevant to your weight Loss journey. The strength of your mind determines your outcome, it determines how you see the day, and therefore how you approach the day.

Determine your own day. Remember it is your choice how you see the day, your choice to react to situations and food temptations, your choice...........

Today, I chose to have a nutritional cleanse, I was tempted many times to stop it and eat some food, rather than follow my balanced herbal cleansing routine, my mind and my WHY kept me on track. Here I am, at the end of the day, about to make a warming cup of tea to celebrate my success. Thank you mind, for all you do to take me on my preferred journey.

Monday 16 November 2015

Healthy Mind and Body - Day 6

Weight Loss Help

Do you use the daily tasks as an excuse or as a reason? 

When you are on a Life Journey, it can feel easier to fall back on an excuse for not doing something that takes you a step closer to your goal.

Today, I could've very easily said, oh that's just too hard, let it go, and walk away. It was about getting my phone issues sorted out, but it relates to my Life Journey.

The person assisting me on swapping my intermittent faulty phone with a new one was not able to quickly and easily swap my info from one phone to another. The thought went through my mind

'Oh, you don't really deserve to have your phone replaced, just say it's too hard, walk away and take your almost ok phone with you, it'll be easier'

However, I overrode that thought and stated instead

'I deserve no less than anyone else, I am worth the best, because I am the best'

WOW, what a change for me!! Yes, I deserve the best, so stand up and ask for it!

Are you believing in yourself? And are you grateful for all that happens to you in a day, both positive and negative? All experiences help us to learn. 

Enjoy and embrace your learning as you go on your weight loss journey.

Sunday 15 November 2015

Healthy Mind and Body - Day 5

Weight Loss Help

Though today has been exceptionally full, I've found the time at last to be consistent and committed to changing my attitude.

"Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out."
-  Robert Collier


Taking a small step every day towards your goal is inspirational. 

Making changes in your current lifestyle will feel difficult, it will make you wonder why you are doing this new thing. That Lizard on your shoulder (your internal voice) will try to protect you and make you remain within your comfort zone.

Remember, all change appears to be difficult while you're transforming your lifestyle. 

Push through these uncomfortable moments, by remembering your WHY.  Why do you want to have a new nutritional lifestyle, that allows you to achieve those things you originally wrote down. Remember what they were?

Things such as:

  • keeping up with your children
  • sleeping through the night
  • having energy at the end of the day
  • having energy when you wake up
  • wearing a bikini
  • wearing that wonderful little black number you have spotted!!

Looking forward to hearing your inner voice telling you this is difficult, celebrate it, embrace it, fight for the change, make the changes one step at a time!


Saturday 14 November 2015

Heatlhy Mind And Body - Day 3 & 4

Weight Loss Help


On my Life Journey, making changes to habits, I can slip up.  Yesterday was no different. I can make excuses for not opening up my Healthy Mind and Body course work, or I can state what actually happened.  What actually happened was that I just plain forgot to complete the task.

Now, in the words of don Miguel Ruiz and The Four Agreements, I am being impeccable with my word (not berrating myself for not doing it) and agreeing that I did the best I could yesterday. And here I am today, completing the coursework from yesterday and also from today.  A little catchup and still the feeling of consistency and committment are strong and true.

"A man is but the product of his thoughts, what he thinks, he becomes"
- Ghandi

This quote from Ghandi is very reflective of how my day went yesterday, I knew it was to be a day of learning, as I was going to a training seminar. My mind was open and I saw different opportunities, including feeling confident enough to offer my services to an acquaintance - and he accepted - first sale done!!  Such joyous feelings from that, and then my mind was so much more open to learning.  Loved the consequences of keeping an open mind, thinking I was learning something new, then seeing it unfold and develop into business.

When you are learning a new habit, often you have an inner voice playing along with you.  This inner voice, which some have called a Lizard, is looking out for you, keeping you in your comfort zone, not allowing you to be hurt.  In doing this, the Lizard is also keeping you from changing your habits.

This inner voice will justify and make excuses for why you did not do something, it will justify why you are eating a little more every day, why you stay in bed rather than exercise, why you don't complete your tasks for the day.  All to keep you in the perceived place of comfort.  When the inner voice, or Lizard, is getting louder with justifications and excuses, that's when you know you're on the verge of change.

Embrace this inner voice, and use it to fuel your passion for the change you so desire.  


Your desired change may be that
  • you're fitter, 
  • you've dropped a dress size, 
  • you're able to keep up with the kids without panting, 
  • you're feeling comfortable in a bikini
  • you're eating because it's fuel for your body, and not smothering your emotions
When you are building new habits, taking one step at a time, in order to reinforce the change, is easier to do than jumping right in and changing everything in one day.

"Becoming is better than being"
- Carol Dweck



Friday 13 November 2015

Do Weight Loss Apps MAKE You Lose Weight?

Weight Loss Apps & Weight Loss


Weight Loss Apps

Do you use Smartphone apps to aid in your diet for weight loss?  Do you use an app to monitor your food intake to ensure you are following a natural weight loss?

A recent study undertaken in the US and published in the Obesity Journal, shows that the use of a Smartphone app to aid in weight loss did not have an effect.  This was when it was compared to personal coaching and a control group.

The study was undertaken on young overweight (considered obese) adults.  Those with the personal coaching had lost more weight after 6 months, but after 24 months, there was no longer a significant difference between the groups.

I looked through the supporting information and what I did find interesting was that the healthy eating habits index, when compared to the baseline, had all three groups increasing their calorie intake in the first 6 months!  After 24 months, the group using the Smartphone app had reduced their calorie intake closer back to the baseline.  So, does it make you more aware of what you're eating?

I personally use a couple of Smartphone apps. The first one I used was myFitnessPal.  I used this app to assess my calorie intake each day. You can also add your exercise and water intake, and even set up a supportive group of friends doing the same thing.  Make it a competition!!  I found this was good for helping me establish my portion control

The second app I have been using lately, is MapMyWalk. This is helping me monitor how long I walk for, and at what pace, giving a report on my activities.  You can use this with friends also, and can share it on Facebook (which I have been) to keep you motivated and accountable.  I quite like this one too.

I also have a Samsung smartphone, and it has a program on it called SHealth. This monitors my steps every day, which is useful for those days when I'm not actually doing an organised activity, but I can still see that I've achieved at least 60 minutes walking, in between meetings, or office duties.  So I find that useful too. 

Tell me what your experiences are of Smartphone apps and your weight loss journey

Natural Weight Loss

Thursday 12 November 2015

Healthy Mind & Body, Day 2

Do You Self Sabotage?

Only on Day 2 of my new 60 day Life Journey committment to consistency and the Universe appears to be conspiring to sabotage me!!  Clients texting wanting products made up for them now, people popping into the clinic in my next scheduled time to do the course, hubby popping in to ask questions, and thoughts of what needs to be done next!  

Finally, I stopped and said, NO, I am doing this and the next important 'stuff' needs to wait for 1/4 of an hour!!

First statement of my course highlights the following:

"Your thoughts shape your day, and you have a choice on what you think and feel"

How appropriate - I woke up knowing I'd be busy, and it's been busier than I'd expected - so my thoughts truly are shaping my day. And, then I made a choice, to stop and breathe, and become more inspired in my path forwards.

I decided to focus on what is important for me - to move ahead on my healthy body goals, and to move ahead in my business!  It's been a busy day, but a day of focus, so that is important to me.

Be Grateful For Your Day & All It Entails

Be Proud Of Your Achievements, No Matter The Size

You Are Doing The Best You Can, Be Gentle & Grateful





Wednesday 11 November 2015

Secret Tips To Sodium or Salt In Your Diet

Increased Risk Of Obesity 25%


Reading the local paper revealed a study has shown that the percentage by which a person's risk of obesity is increased by 25%, for each gram of salt you eat a day.  This means that your natural weight loss program may silently be sabotaged by the foods, and the so-called healthy foods, that you are choosing.  In the article below, the recommendation is to reduce your intake of sodium to either 2300mg or 1500mg a day, this is in line with the FDA which also recommends you reduce your intake to 2300mg a day, unless you're in a high risk group, then reduce it to 1500mg a day

How Much Salt Do You Eat A Day?


Remember to check out hidden salt on your processed foods. This is where a lot of the salt you consume on a daily basis is hidden. It's not usually about the amount of salt you add to your food, most people today add less and less due to a variety of media campaigns over the years.

A good article about where to find your salt and sodium levels in your foods is given below:

"When you scan food labels, what’s the first stat you check? I’d venture a guess that for most people, it’s calories. Our eyes then veer to other nutrients — fats, carbs, sugar, fiber. But in my experience, not enough people pause to review the sodium content before making their choice.

That’s unsettling, because all of us — young and old, high blood pressure or not — should be paying attention to how much sodium we’re getting from packaged foods. Eating a high-salt diet raises blood pressure and increases the risk of other long-term health problems, including heart attack and stroke. While major health organizations currently disagree on how low we should go (many advise less than 1500 milligrams sodium per day for at-risk populations, while the Institute of Medicine recently concluded there wasn’t enough evidence at this time torecommend reductions below 2300 milligrams), they all agree that reducing the population’s sodium intake from the current excessive levels is an important public health goal.

 

Salt: The Other Sugar

Salt isn’t as hot button an issue as sugar, even though both have well-established, detrimental effects on health. That may be in part because salt doesn’t have a direct link to weight and obesity, which is such an emotionally-charged issue. You can get away with eating a high-salt diet for decades of your life without seeing the damage on the outside — around your waistline and thighs — but chances are, it will catch up with you eventually, in the form of high blood pressure and possibly something worse. The short-term benefits of a low-sodium diet aren’t as tangible, and the long-term problems are far away, which makes it harder to convince the public it’s a high health priority.

On top of that, it’s more difficult to conceptualize how much salt is in foods. Health experts can grab the public’s attention by dramatically unveiling the 17 teaspoons of straight sugar found in a 20-ounce bottle of soda, but even with the saltiest foods, we’re talking about fractions of a teaspoon. The message just isn’t as powerful.

And because we still don’t pay enough attention to sodium as we should, companies are able to get away with putting outrageous amounts of salt into processed and restaurant foods, which supply about 75 percent of the salt in the U.S. diet. Sure, we might think to check the sodium in obvious offenders, like soup and other canned foods, but we’re less likely to pay attention in foods that don’t scream “salty”, like breads, cereals, salad dressings, and frozen meals. (Heads up: Bread is actually the number one source of sodium in our diet, because we eat so much of it.)

 

Health Foods Can Be Salt Bombs

What’s more, there are a huge number of seemingly healthy products — with an otherwise very appealing overall nutrition profile — that have ridiculously high sodium numbers. Here are some that stood out on a recent trip to the supermarket:
  • Whole-Wheat Bread: I spotted brands with 200 mg per slice, or 400 mg per sandwich. That’s 17 percent of the maximum daily recommended intake (2300 mg). I also came across a whole wheat English muffin with 530 mg (23 percent)!
  • “Healthier” Chips: One brand of lentil chips had 420 mg (18 percent) per serving. As a comparison, that’s about 2.5 times as much as a serving of regular potato chips.
  • Low-Fat Cottage Cheese: Some brands clocked in at 450 mg per 1/2 cup (20 percent). Yikes!
  • Hummus: Some flavors logged 140 mg per 2 Tbsp. If you ate 3 servings (a typical portion for a meal), you’d be consuming 420 mg (18 percent).
  • Salad Dressing: Some “all-natural” and “organic” brands soared as high as 450 mg (20 percent) per 2 Tbsp.
  • Whole-Grain Cereals: A few cereals went as high as 270 mg (12 percent) per serving, and many people pour more than one serving.
  • Veggie Burgers: Many were in the 400 range, and one brand went as high as 500 mg (22 percent) per patty. Eat it on a salty bun and the sodium soars even higher.
  • Pasta Sauce: These numbers shocked even me — some “organic” and “all-natural” brands topped 650 mg in just 1/2 cup.
That’s a real shame, because outside of their high sodium levels, many of these products are good options with clean ingredient lists.

The good news is, the sodiuminformation is right there on the Nutrition Facts Panel for all to see, and if you’re already checking the label for calories, fat, and sugar, it only takes another second to assess the salt content. As a general rule of thumb, I advise looking for snacks with less than 200 milligrams sodium, and meals with less than 500 milligrams (of course, less is better). If you find that some of your favorite products are on the salty side, drop the manufacturer a note using Facebook or another social media channel. If enough people request changes, they’ll be forced to listen."



Even though this article states that there are currently no direct links with weight and obesity, the UK researchers have discovered that it does increase your risk of obesity by 25%. So, it's worthwhile reducing your salt intake from the hidden foods.

If you're looking for a way to reduce the sodium and salt content in your diet, contact me now for a discussion on a way to do this. 

diet for weight loss, natural weight loss
Photo courtesy of Tuomas Lehtine @ FreeDigitalPhoto.net
 

Healthy Mind And Body

Your Life Journey To A Healthy Mind & Body


When you are working on your Life Journey, do you realise that it takes both mindset and physical health changes?

I've written before about where is your head, and I'm now going to tell you about a program I am beginning this week.  I will be reporting to you how it progresses.

This program is a 60 day program and it will be looking at making changes for the long term, in my mind, and in my body.

Yes, I have lost over 20kg in my natural weight loss journey and I am managing to maintain it (for over 18 months now). However, I recognise that I do still eat emotionally, that I do still have a FAT head (I am continually surprised that it's me walking past a mirror - is that really my body?) and that in order to make my Life Journey easier, I need to move from being unconsciously incompetent (doing the wrong things unconsciously, e.g. my emotional eating) to being unconsciously competent.

Yes, this will be a journey, and it will take consistency and commitment, but I did begin it today. Day 1 is completed, now onto the rest of my 60 day journey.

As I tick off issues, I will be reporting them here for you to follow, for you to begin to look at your mindset, your vision that carries you towards your goal, your nutrition, your fitness and what your daily focus becomes.

I want to support others on their journey, by sharing my own.  It's never easy to step outside of your comfort zone, but in doing so, growth occurs.

By being kind to yourself on your journey, you are more likely to grow and follow that journey through to the ultimate outcome you are seeking.  You know what that outcome is, write it down, envision yourself there, feel what it will be like to be there, OWN IT!

Today was a gentle beginning,
  1. defining what mindset means to me, 
  2. working a little on my why (how do I connect with my family every day, they are my support and my accountability partners after all, we all need support)
  3. defining what nutrition means to me, and my dedication to being my own nutrition advocate (I am dedicated to flushing my body with good nutrition, good nutrition will enable me to easily maintain a healthy body, a healthy body is preventative medicine, one of my values)
  4. what new fitness regime would I like to try out, and when will I do it (looks like I will be committing to taking a Stand Up Paddleboard lesson after all!!)
  5. what is my daily focus for today, what can you be proud of completing, undertaking, finishing, committing too today.

Always remember to be kind to yourself as you step into any new Life Journey, every day begins with just one step at a time, yet that step is the beginning of the journey that will take you towards your new outcome.

If you are interested in taking this journey too, contact me now for a free 1/2 hour consultation on HOW YOU CAN TOO!

Natural weight loss

Monday 9 November 2015

Top Tip For Muscle Mass

Muscle Mass Decreases As You Age


I've seen it, you've seen it, the community sees it! The older you get, and often when you are following a diet for weight loss, the more frail you appear to become, and also the risk of falls increases as you age.  It's a known fact that for every decade you age past 30 years of age, your muscle mass decreases

Well, I for one am not going to fall into that category!! As I rush towards the age group of being post-menopausal, yes next year in fact, I am doing all that I can to ensure that my muscle mass remains high, and strong.

So, what am I doing?  To begin with three main things:
  1. Exercise, weight bearing of course (lifting weights)
  2. Good nutrition (ensuring I get enough protein in my diet, balanced with all the other good stuff)
  3. Adding Vitamin D3 to my supplement regime.

The first two (exercise and diet) have been written about to ensure maintenance of your muscle mass by many authors, and has been shown to be of benefit scientifically too.

The third piece of information on Vitamin D3 is of interest too.  From the Isagenix Health website, this following article shows why Vitamin D3 is now believed to be of benefit in maintaining muscle mass.

"One of the hard facts of aging is that with every decade of life starting around age 30, muscle mass beings to decrease. If not remedied with good nutrition and regular exercise, this loss of both muscle mass and muscle function may eventually lead to frailty.  However, a new study has revealed that vitamin D3 can assist aging women in fighting to retain muscle.

Findings from this study, performed by Brazilian researchers and presented at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Northern American Menopause Society, showed that vitamin D supplementation in postmenopausal women can significantly increase muscle strength while reducing the loss of muscle mass.

Despite the body’s ability to make vitamin D using sunlight, postmenopausal women around the world are commonly deficient in the nutrient, leading to muscle weakness and a greater risk of falling.

With this in mind, researchers decided to put vitamin D to the test: They designed a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that would evaluate the success of administering 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day for nine months to women aged 50 to 65. The study would determine whether an added dosage of vitamin D would help strengthen muscle and aid in preventing these women from falling.

The study’s results showed that vitamin D3 supplementation was associated with a significant increase of about 25 percent in muscle strength, as determined by handgrip strength and through a chair-raising test. In comparison, those in the placebo group actually lost an average of almost 7 percent of muscle mass and were nearly twice as likely to fall.

The researchers concluded that vitamin D supplementation alone helped to provide significant protection against the risk for sarcopenia, which is age-related muscle loss.

These results add to a growing body of evidence from epidemiological studies and clinical trials showing that vitamin D plays a very important role in muscle health and that the current Recommended Dietary Intakes, especially for the elderly, are largely inadequate for long-term health. For this reason, researchers and physicians alike are increasingly suggesting vitamin D supplementation to help support muscle health and maintenance to combat the frailty that often accompanies old age."

I was interested to notice that the placebo group lost an average of almost 7% muscle mass. As I have followed an effective weight loss regime, my muscle mass has not decreased, and in fact, I have gained muscles that have not gone away while maintaining my weight.  Great news as I head towards 50, fast!

Are you working towards retaining your muscle mass?

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Saturday 7 November 2015

Where Does The Time Go?

Time Ticks - Weight Tocks!


I can hardly believe it's been over a month since I last blogged! Wow!!

During this time I have been busy increasing my walking regime again - over the Winter it became a little less regular, hosting visitors from overseas (and yes, that does mean eating and possibly drinking more than usual!!), reading self development books and taking some time to be ME!

AND during this time, I've been keeping my discoveries to myself - so with my heartfelt apologies, here are some of my learnings over the last month:-

  • there is no try, only do (thank you Yoda)
  • excuses don't change the outcome
  • change comes from within
  • feeling the gratitudes and the goals as you state them make them more meaningful
  • happiness comes from within
  • emotional eating hurts physically

Of all of these gains, the emotional eating journey over the last month has been the hardest journey in my Life Journey that I've undertake for some time.  Do you emotionally eat?  Does it actually hurt you physically? 

I found that the emotional eating resulted in overeating, and since I've been at my goal weight for over 18 months, the physical pain came from a couple of areas:

  1. a sore tummy from overeating - this never occurred to me when I was overweight
  2. seeing the scales creep upwards by a couple of kilograms (about 4 pounds) - ouch!!

I've now been on a journey of learning to choose my response to the emotions that caused the eating.  This choice is only made by me, noone outside of me can make that choice for me. It is only ME that can change this reaction to the emotions.

How do you overcome your emotional eating habits?

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