Control - What we can and can't control

I have learnt recently that there are some things in life we can't control, but there are also many things that we can't control

- I cannot control everything in life
- I cannot control the words, actions and thoughts of others
- I cannot change the mistakes that I have made in the past

You know what I can control??


ME!


- I can control the little things (and occasionally the big things) in life that will make me happy
- I can continue to track my food and make positive and healthy choices in regards to myself and my lifestyle
- I can commit as a whole to my martial arts training and open the ears and listen to the corrections and advice that I'm given and take the onboard and commit to getting better
- I can control my attitude - instead of using negative words, such as I CAN'T OR FAILED OR TOO HARD.  Use words such as I CAN AND I WILL.  Using positive terms will keep me in a positive headspace to continue and succeed not only in the weight loss journey, but also in life.  
- I can control my behaviour within my lifestyle- by spending more time with my friends, surrounding myself with people who are going to lift me to higher heights and not drag me down.  By setting goals and achieving them, no matter how small and and acknowledging the success that I have achieved so far.  


I know that in this hectic world we all live in, alot of things are out of our control, but remember not all things.  We control what we can, personal things that shouldn't be out of our control.  Having control of these things can make you mentally strong and in some cases also physically. 


Do you have control of yourself?

Week of Reflection and Achievements

So this week for me has been a good week.  Monday was a little bit dodgy because we had a public holiday, but I managed to kick some ass the other 4 days after Monday to pull a 1.1kg loss and finally achieving my first 10kg loss!

Weigh In this week and hit my first 10kg loss

My weight loss from yesterday has really set me in a good focused mood heading into next week.  I never do any exercise on weigh in today, but as soon as Saturday is over and Sunday is in the house- so is exercise.  Today I went swimming this morning and did around 40-45 minutes, which unfortunately due to the chlorine in the morning it leaves me with really bad allergies.   I was just about to crawl into bed this afternoon to try and sleep it off, but next thing Jason rang asking if I wanted to Knapsack, now at first I was a little bit hesistant, I thought I'm already sneezing and about ready to fall asleep, but he was like you'll be find the fresh air will do you good.  I admit I felt better for getting out and doing it but then I got home and the allergies started again!

This week is definately going to be a good week though I can feel it as they say in my bones.  I have got through the weekend, tracking well, made plans to combat the coming week.  I have selected my meals I'm cooking for the coming week.  This week I'm cooking Mexican Beef Pan Fry, which I have actually just finished cooking

Prepping the food

Finished Product- so filling!

The other dish I am doing this week is Italian One Pan Lamb, both these recipes are out of the "Love your food" book that comes with your binder.  

Time to making some more positive changes for the week ahead and continue to do what is working for me as well, which is:

- Training - both incorporating running, swimming and kickboxing
- Tracking- which I'm counting every morsel that goes in between my lips get tracked
- Positive Food Choices- Making choices of healthy foods that are going to assist my with my weight loss
- Focus- Stay focused ton what I want to achieve and work hard towards it
- Support system- Stay in contact with friends who support this decision both on and off facebook and the Weight Watchers Online Community.
- Attend my meeting next Saturday and weigh in and aim for another good loss

What positive changes are you looking to make this week?

Self Discipline (or lack their of)

Okay guys, let me fill you in.  Here in Australia we have just had a 3 day long weekend, as yesterday was Monday and the Queens Birthday, so we had the day off work.  This is the worst thing that could possibly happen!

In addition all the Weight Watchers Meetings were closed so people who weigh in on Monday are going to have to wait another week to be weighed in.  If it was me and I knew I had trained hard, ate well- I would want to wait another week to be weighed in, but hey that's just me!

To be honest this holiday Monday didn't go so well, you see I have no trouble sticking to my Propoints during the week while I'm at work and even on the weekends.  But this holiday I struggled big time!  

I mean I went over by 6 Propoints.  Now most of my friends and family would say "You know Gill it's only 6 Propoints- you did a big run on Saturday (10km) and you would have burnt that off don't worry about it" Or "Its only 6 Propoints- you'll burn that off running on the treadmill during the week or in your kickboxing class" and last but not least "You have those extra 49 Propoints to use during the week- just take it out of them".  These are 3 very valid points and options that I have.  But what they don't understand is the fact that I felt like I needed to go over them and that I did!  I'm very disappointed in myself.  

Now I know that I can't change the past, and in my new philosophy is that "I can't undo the mistakes I made yesterday, but I can change the future by making positive choices".  This I think is the best way to be.  Remember the mistakes, but don't dwell on them, you will only obsess.  The best way to do this is to focus on making good, positive, healthy choices to impact your future.  This is exactly what I plan to do today.  I'm starting off the day with scrambled eggs on toast with grilled tomato.  

Promise to myself today- To make healthy choices and tackle today head on!

The food I over ate on yesterday

Self Esteem

So I was reading this blog post about self esteem and how it can make us ugly people.  Generally I don't have the best self esteem, due to alot of things that have happened to me over the years and the non- supportive family that I have.  Well I shouldn't say totally unsupportive- they support what I am doing with Weight Watchers, but if it looks like I'm eating too much food- which I know I am not, because of how my weight loss is going I mean come on, I've lost 9.1kg in 5 weeks! I must be doing something right!!  But my mum always cooks my meals for me while I'm working.  So thats really all the support they offer.  

I often get told that "somethings not right with me" or "I need to see a psychiatrist", which isn't something that a supportive person should be giving out to people especially their daughter.  They often say that I have an angry out look on the world, and that its no wonder I don't have a boyfriend.  

I mean yeah I can get angry at people and myself, but so do a lot of people.  Let's look through the checklist:

Do I have anger? Yeah
Do I have joy? Yeah
Do I have love? Not in my life right now
Do I have laughter? All the time!
Do I have trust? Well, I have issues with that one.  I do trust only around 2-3 people in my life. 
Do I have fear? Yes
Do I have disappointment? Yes

Why do I have all these?  Because I'm human.  I'm not a non emotional alien from another planet!   We all have atleast some of these issues.  I do get angry at my immediate family, mainly because they think they are helping my harrassing me, but infact they are just making things worse.  The constant harrassement and persistent bothering are just not what I need and unfortunately they don't listen to what I want.  


Self esteem for me is a constant battle but at the moment I feel like it's a battle that I'm winning.  I went out to a Salsa Club this past weekend, all dolled up in a dress that suits my body shape right now, hair done and make up on.  I actually felt like such a girly girl, but it was awesome and my friends and even people who I'd never met told me how fantastic I looked and how much fun I was having and how happy I looked!  I realised then that myself esteem was at all time high!! I projected out positive and happy vibes because I really was happy!! 


Projection is a massive thing it allows yourself to project to other how truly happy you are.  I will definately be using this tool alot more often!

Since flying on that high, I am back in the kitchen on this public holiday Monday, cooking up a storm with my Goats Cheese, Spinach and Pumpkin Mini Fritattas!

Prepping the pumpkin and the spinach

Adding the goats cheese

Final Product!

Weigh In 11/6/11

Another Saturday arrives which also means for another weigh in arrives.  As most of you know weigh ins tend to inflict alot of different emotions on people.  For me, it creates- excitement, celebration, nervousness, and sometimes disappointment.  

For me- I have had an awesome run since the start of my Weight Watchers Journey.

Week 1- Start at 127.1kg
Week 2- 124.4kg - 2.7kg loss
Week 3 - 122.4kg- 2kg loss
Week 4 - 120.4kg - 2kg loss
Week 5 - 119.2kg - 1.2kg loss
Week 6 - 118kg - 1.2kg loss


The run that I am having is just fantastic, I have been very strict on myself, but still eating the foods I want but tracking religiously!

This weeks results

So far now I have lost 9.1kg in 5 weeks at the best part about this is that I am now starting to get compliments from work mates and on a good day even family members.  My work mates say to me, "your looking thinner".  My parents say you finally look like your loosing the weight- granted kind of positive but not wholly.  


I am stoked to be so close to my 10kg loss only 900g off.  Just gotta keep chipping away at it and tackling every day and every kilo as it comes


Start Weight - 127.1kg
Current Weight- 118kg
Total Loss - 9.1kg
Goal Weight - 60kg
Weight to go - 58kg

Body Image + Your Body

We here alot of people everywhere talking about body image, and what we'd like our bodies to be like.  It seems funny to me that most people are never really 100% happy with our body even when we are fit and lean and healthy.  At the moment me at 119.2kg of course I'm not happy with my body, but I'm not even sure I'll be 100% happy then, but I believe I will be much happier than I am now.  

I mean to be honest, my ideal body would probably be similar to Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider- strong, curvy and sexy, but I know that I will never look exactly like that but I will work damn hard to make sure I become strong, slim and healthy!

A friend had posted a quote on her blog and I'm going to borrow - its says "Love your body- not for what it looks like, but it what it can do and what its capable of doing".  I love this quote- it re-affirms my beliefs that our bodies are capable of alot more than we do to them.  

Instead of being disappointed in the way your body looks now and thinking negative thoughts about it.  Think about how good are you going to look and what you are working to achieve.  Think about what your body does for you in 1 day.  It keeps your heart beating, it keeps you alive, it lets you drive, swim, lift, walk, run, bend, stretch, type.  What would be do with out it?

Next time you start thinking negative about your body.  Stop...rewind and start thinking positive and name 3 things you love about your body.  

Start embracing it for it all it does for you and stop thinking about the negative things.  Start making changes for the positive starting right now!

 

Goals + Commitments for the Coming Week

Ok, so tomorrow is Monday, which means the start of a new working week and weight loss week (well technically mine starts Saturday morning straight after weigh in)- anyway.  Its time to make a commitment to myself for the coming week.  

1.  Is to track everything I eat and drink and be completely honest with myself.  No matter if I have 50g of chocolate - everything goes in that tracker.  

2.  Be active within the weight loss community, which means being active on the blog on the WW website, be active on the message boards, and also on this blog.  

3.  Make good, positive choices when it comes to food- which means eating food that is beneficial to my weight loss.  

4.  Make a commitment to train 6 days this week.  I have trained Friday morning - after my weigh in - had to weigh in a day earlier this week and did a 7km Bridge to Bridge walk.  Also trained this morning with 40 minutes of laps.  Adding onto this commitment I will give 100% to all my training this week and in the future.  

5.  Attend my meeting next Saturday

6.  Surrounding myself with positive people