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I am striving for a goal by Christmas.

I am working to overcome one essential missing factor in order to succeed in achieving my Christmas goal.

I need to create a sense of discontent, with my current state of being to help me achieve this goal. J.

Given I am a happy person and love most of my life just as it is now, I need to become more driven to want to change from a state that I am currently quite comfortable at if I want to achieve a goal that places me at a different size and shape than I’m now at.

 I had just filled out the body image form and said ‘I liked what I look like’, and I realize while that is a healthy attitude of mind, it is not driving me forward for a slimming goal. My pride in my appearance rates way down in my scale of importance, give me pride in my active life, family garden over what people look like, any day.

As an example of my failure to show concern for my looks, I have been home from the caravan tour of Australia since the beginning of September, here it is almost two months later, I have not unpacked my day and night cream, hand cream, lol, nail polish what’s that?  As for things like the best eye creams to use, well I have long ago thought that if I were more interest in cosmetic beauty I would have achieved my goal weight a long time ago.

I feel healthy and proud of where I have come from, right now, I am more interested in life as it is today, enjoying healthy eating, activity, and doing things that emotionally satisfy me, this day. I find it hard to muster up any strong sense of discontent with the present to drive me hard toward the goals I say I want to achieve. I now see that this is the reason why my weight has stalled for so long.

 I can see that if I want to achieve my stated weight release goal of being able to fit into size 12 jeans, I had best create a healthy disrespect and discontent for the size I currently am and give myself the kick in the behind, I needJ.

I am off to my Extreme measures exercise class tonight, looking forward to it. I know this is the action plan I need to help me achieve the slimming goal I set myself. I am doing the action plans to achieve my goals OK, but I could live very happily at any size I was at as long as I was healthy and able to function well.  As I feel healthy and I am functioning well, I lost my drive to complete my goal.

I will do some ‘mind work’, I will try to focus on how much easier it will be to find clothes to fit both my waist and hips if I did not have a roll of belly fat.

 I am going to make myself a vision board of healthy slim seniors actively enjoying life in their latter years to help my mind focus on slimness, long-levity and health in the one image, the image I will use as my goal motivation. 

I might hunt up my moisturizers and try to create in myself a normal feminine interest in physical appearance, something this bush lady, just doesn't currently see as a priority in life but understands how a little vanity might be a good weight loss goal motivator.

 
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Yesterday a dahlia that was not working in the overall design of my garden took the fury of my frustration that the doctor had not ‘fixed’, my husband’s health problem. This measure and chatting to my friends on face book and an incredible boost of confidence I received from performing so well, in my fitness assessment in my first extreme measures session all ensured I felt no urge whatever to go and eat straight out of the refrigerator.

Managing the basic needs in the pyramid helped me achieve my higher needs of weight mastery. No way would I have achieved the same result, by focusing just on my goal of weight mastery and trying to apply will power to stop myself stress or comfort eating.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs,

I believe, is something that I would recommend my slimming friends look at in order to feel a greater understanding of why in some periods of their life it becomes a lot harder to achieve weight management goals.

Goals that involve personal fulfillment, such as achieving the ideal of weight mastery, that, are latter developments, we rarely achieve before the essentials of our lives met.
To seek fulfillment goals such as weight mastery, we sometimes need to focus first on more basic needs, look at what no longer works for us, change what we can and accept what we cannot change.

Have you heard the expression ‘making mountains out of mole hills’, well for some people the criteria in their own minds of having their basics met, a feeling of a safe, loving home, essential needs before they can concentrate on self fulfillment and self actualization goals, might be to have the ironing done or cup cakes in the home. This might be ridiculous desires in an outdoorsy type like me, but I do understand this need in others, similarly artists who cannot create in an untidy studio or someone needing to have a tidy desk and an understanding the return of premium term life insurance.

We could laugh at the ways we each find to feel sure in our own mind's, the basics are in place so we feel ‘ready’, to express ourselves fully, ready to work towards our higher goals. What do I need in place? My husband and dog, walking beside me in the bush, or in the window view chair.  A rose or wildflowers outside my window, a rural view, a caravan and four wheel drive in sound condition, scores extremely high on my ‘proof that I and my beloved are safe’ and my essential needs, rating scale, fulfilled. In this sort of setting, I can pursue creative dreams of painting, writing and strive for weight mastery.

We are who we are, what a basic need to each of us is, varies according to our nature and nurture.
To achieve goals of personal fulfillment, focus on our most basic needs and set yourself up, in an environment that will give you a sound base, so you can reach for the stars.

‘Don’t start a diet, begin a new lifestyle’

I am not suggesting you attend Extreme Measures, this was something, I felt ready for, for me.

Before I ever got to this stage there was career, belongings, home to downsize and a period of grief to go through at the parting of some things I had loved in my mid life as i transitioned into our new, gray nomad lifestyle and put into place the preparations for the elderly years ahead. I am working hard to be a strong elderly, not a frail elderly, right now, this is my goal, by far, ahead of any slimming goal, but I am assuming and believing that natural slimming will be a part of the fitness I gain.

The biggest thing I did to allow myself to become slimmer and fitter, was not a diet or exercise program, it was taking a hard, observation look at the foundations of our life, looking at how we had outgrown our need for the full on career, possessions, large home  and bravely making the right changes.  It was only when I got our pyramid foundations right, even  just into the planning stage, that I began to find I could start shifting my bulk of excess weight and begin to increase my fitness.

For me, at least, if I find I am gaining weight, I know it is not a diet I need to rush to, it’s a case of quietly looking at what is happening in my life, changing what isn’t working or accepting what I can’t fix and finding ways to release negative emotion in constructive ways.

 
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The introductions to the Extreme measures, group and trainers was over and , we were told to grab a drink bottle from a box, and fill it, I took the opportunity to duck into the ladies, lol, this 63 year old bladder of mine, could let me down if I’m taken too far away from a toilet for too long. Never been caught out yet in public and sure do not want extreme measures to end with extreme embarrassment. 

I took off after the group who were now all outside in the darkening late twilight.  We all walked a little away from the road until we had reached a sealed trail alongside the Goulburn River,  we are to run from a particular point until we reached a gate at the end, and then to turn and run back and we would be timed. At least I think that is what was said, I part hear, part lip read and part guess and follow what the crowd is doing and lol, look confused and ask people a lot what was being said, and that’s ‘the drift’, I got.

Someone broke from the start  and began running, I almost started with them but saw the others hadn’t so I waited until the group took off and I was right in there behind the first starters, not the first to start, not the last and I held my place for longer than I thought would have been possible.  The trainers had looked at me with concern before I ran, said ‘I could walk’. It was obvious I was the oldest person there. I had already said I has had heart lung problems without elaborating that I had scared lungs, or pulmonary fibrosis, (once), somehow  I have miraculously recovered most of my lung function and I told them I do sprint and alternate short sprints and walking and I would be fine doing this.  Sixty seconds is about the longest I can sprint in one go, I told them then. I’m usually back to 45 seconds then I can manage a few 30 second sprints, all this in a 30 minute walk, and that’s been my best effort so far and as I’ve said, I slacked off, in the last few months, totally, I’ve only been doing my weight work outs and core strengthening exercises.

I was out of breath early in the run but loved that I was keeping up with the group.  I was feeling so proud that I, who had never been able to run as a child and who once had damaged lungs, was not only running but also running with a group, and keeping pace, early into the run. I began to slip behind after a while, it surprised me I even kept pace as long as I did I finally slowed down to a walk and thought, ‘what is the sound’?  Exhilaration, I am feeling as I hear the sound of runners behind me, I cannot believe it, I am ahead of some runners, not last. I kept on walking, still catching my breath, the first runner caught up to me, and I broke into a run with her, advanced on her, slowed down, she caught up, then a man caught up and I stepped up the running pace, ‘don’t tell me I am actually out running a MAN?  Lol. I was exhilarated and I made a real effort to stop him from overtaking me. He did overtake me, then he slowed pace to a walk and I overtook him again, lol, then he overtook me, we had a little friendly battle it out together, well back behind the leaders though and the lady behind me was no more within ear shot and I think from the sound, there were others behind her. 

As I reached the gate, a trainer was there yelling out encouragement and I quicken my pace at what was a walk now. The man was just ahead of me and I maintained my lead over the group behind and there was no way I could catch any leaders so the competition was off now so I fast pace walked, huffing and puffing a bit but remembering to breath properly and I wasn’t over exerting or trying too hard now.  The finish line came into view, I could see someone standing there looking at me with a stop watch in hand so I burst into a run and sprinted as hard as I could to the end.

 

Can I just say, that is the proudest I have felt about my physical performance and the best I have ever performed in a race in my life (OK it was not a race), and to think I not only was not the last one to finish, and I overtook younger women.  I did overhear someone behind me say ‘of course I have an ankle injury’, and I thought to myself, my right ankle hurt the entire duration of the race and both my feet are arthritic from having been smashed in a car crash decades ago, lol, but I did it and never let on I was hurting. I was  proud of myself.

8.35 minutes to run/walk one kilometers, lol, not exactly John Landy’s four minute mile, or a marathon effort but for me, with my past medical history, a stroke at 32 and PE at 44, and all the rest of the health guff, I just ran for longer than I’ve ever done in my life.

We went back to the training room, refilled our water bottles, and paired up.

I teamed up with one of the men, the man I had had the fun of trying to run past. J. In most of the exercises I think I performed well, my weight workouts and core training Spider-man exercises I have been doing for about 6 weeks now helped me perform a lot better at these exercises then the run as they did not require the same amount of lung expansion as running requires.  

Each of our partners was to count how many repetitions we each did in the fitness assessment exercises and how many at what intensity level.  We started with how many push ups we could do in one minute.

I do not recall the full sequence or all the fitness assessment tests, there were step-ups, I performed equally to some of the younger women and out stepped my male partner. There were backward press-ups (not sure the correct name), using your hands to raise and lower your body and I fell in a total heap doing that one.  'Must strengthen those arms more' I am thinking.

Then the final one, an exercise, I think was called, called the hover. We were to take up a push up pose and hold it as long as we could.  I started well but in just a short time, I wanted to drop. We were to call out and say when we ‘dropped’ and how long we had held the position would be written down.  I so wanted to drop but I refused to be the first to drop.  I am thinking lol, ‘this is like on the Biggest Looser challenges’, I think.  I kept holding somehow, someone had to drop before me, I would hang on if pig headed determination would get me there.

Finally one two, then three women in front of me, dropped to the ground and called out, and their times were recorded, and hey, I am still holding my pose. I might as well try to outlast some others, J.  Holding, holding, please let a few more drop, I would love to outlast half of them, J, what a thing of pride, drop, drop, drop, drop, they are gradually going down,  can’t see everyone but I think I’m in the final half of the group, hang on Kathy.  The instructor calls out to me, ‘can you feel it hurting’, and lol, I actually laugh and call back. ‘I sure can’.  Then no one is dropping, I call out, ‘do we get a lollipop if we are the last one holding’, and the instructor calls back, ‘lol, Not in my class you do not’. Still no one goes down. Then one or two, I can’t see to my side, too much effort hanging on,...’I’m down’, getting heaps of praise from the trainer, ‘well done Kathy J’.

I look up, there is only a few young women holding, then only two. The two remaining women holding the hover pose, are young and fit looking they were not giving way. The instructor tells them to both go for an extra degree of difficulty into the move, up onto their toes, they both make the movement change and one drops in 30 seconds the other follows a few seconds later, J, the session is over.  I am feeling EXHILARATED, as I have not felt for ages.  I remember I arrived, barely holding back tears, worried about my man who is sick and chocked up with a lump in my throat, not feeling like I could do a single exercise and here I was, so proud, so very proud of what I had just achieved. J.

The trainer said, you would hurt in the morning after that last one. Lol, I believe her.  I think the push up assessment hurt more than the hover, I tried so hard. Nothing I will not recover in two days.  Oh hang one, lol, tomorrow night is the first exercise session,lol, OMG,” what was it that we did tonight, J, if the exercise session is tomorrow night.”

I was keen to blog this while I remembered it all.

 I made and ate a healthy avocado salad and drank a glass of skim milk for early supper when I arrived home. this was my third meal for the day as we had eaten the meat meal and vegetables meal as a late lunch. I am not going to ruin that effort by overeating on top of it

Day one and I know I can keep up with half the class, I will be on the borderline I suspect of the half who do not make it past half way and those who compete the course.  I know i will try, very hard, as I am very eager to improve my fitness and trim down some more and I know I need the emotional release.

 
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I arrived at the gym fto begin my first Extreme Measures course, 30 minutes early, feeling rather fragile due to my husband’s continuing ill health and his being referred to see a surgeon for further investigatory tests.  I knew that if I had not paid my fees before tonight I would not have gone tonight.  Bu being early I did have a chance to explain the first two trainers to arrive, that ‘I was, feeling fragile’ and that I would have to have the phone on and duck out during the session  as I was expecting a phone call from my husband’s doctor.  They were OK with that and said ‘the sessions were informal’.

We were handed a folder that gave the times and the dates of the sessions and I moved from the back of the room where I had originally set myself up to hide the fact I had been crying earlier that evening , to the front of the room so I could hear better.  It became obvious to me that I would need to ask several times, ‘what to do, what was happening’, as I was reminded that I do not have good hearing in-group situations.

The instructors handed the participants each a form to fill in about nutrition with questions about, how we ate, I knew that all, my answers were ‘spot on perfect’.  I always have breakfast, rarely eat take away, prepare a meal from scratch every day, eat  six or more vegetables a day, wholegrain bread, skim milk and draw the size of the portion of meat you eat, on the paper.  I drew the size of the palm of my hand but I knew that sometimes I was exceeding this amount. The truth being told to me, if not  on the form.

Then there were many body image questions, ‘yes, I am proud of my body, yes I believe my family like the way I look.’

Then there were questions about exercise and that is where I could see that I have not been doing enough aerobic exercise, ‘how many times do I exercise each week enough to raise a sweat and get slightly out of breath. UMmmm....’3 to 5 times’ I wrote down, knowing that a year ago it was 7 times a week and now to say I broke into a sweat would be more because it was a hot day than through any genuine effort of mine.  I knew that food quantity, not quality and lack f aerobic exercise on a regular basis, ever since I slacked off back in August when I got the flu and Reg followed close on my heals by becoming ill, set my exercise sessions back considerably.  Firstly I was not well enough, and then I was out of the habit and then , I never wanted to leave my sick man alone long enough to go on walk runs, so Ii stopped doing them.

I looked up and the room was full, I counted 13 people and 3 group leaders out the front. The third Extreme Measures group leader, our accredited dietitian, said she would be doing the course with us as a participant and would be available for one on one session with us and for special nutrition group nights. Me being who I am, I had already checked out her qualifications, I know that this woman was one I was most eager to use fully our opportunities of one to one sessions. I wanted her to know  my nutrition needs and to listen to her advice as soon as I had the opportunity, so that if there was any way I could improve my nutrition to assist me and my own personal needs, I was eager to learn.

The members of the group then arranged our chairs into a circle and we were to introduce ourselves. The introductions were detailed, more than a ‘hello I am Kathy’ sort of intro, it was health, reason to attend extreme measures attendance before and goals for attending extreme measures. I am thinking, ‘health’, where do I start, what to tell what do I leave out; they do not have 10 hours. Shish.What is important.   My turn came, I swallowed, “  My name is Kathy ~ ‘Three years ago, recovering from serious injuries, broken feet, crushed leg, painful to simply stand, morbidly obese from years of inactivity due to ill health and injury and comfort eating, I was told I needed a heart lung transplant or I would die. I told them to give the transplant to a younger person not someone turning 60  I made a commitment to get healthier,  knowing my husband had front lobe degeneration and would need a carer, I set about exercising, swimming at first then I stepped through the pain barrier and started walking, and now, (I stood up and jumped), and every one smiled, and I halved the amount I was eating, I didn’t have to change what I ate, I already ate healthy. 

I went from a size 22 to 24 to my current (I pointed to my top) size 12, (pointed to my hips), size 14, but I have been stuck on the devils number 88.8 for over two years and cannot budge. The devils no is 888 not 666, I said, and laughed. I then picked up the apron of fat that now hands low on my belly and around over my hip and a wobbled it under my clothes, ad i said, I still have a long way to go, and i cannot do it on my own, and that is why I am here. ~ Oh and I waffle too much. “

Phew... glad that is over. I did say too much

I didn’t even hear what the rest of the group said about themselves, I think I was feeling a little embarrassed that i had said so much.

I do recall the fist people in the group telling quite a bit of information about themselves, health, injuries, work, and I had felt I needed to say what I did.

I know one of the men in the group, made me laugh, instead of saying he was back for another session, he called himself, ‘a repeat offender’J.

I turned out that only I and one other person was in the extreme measures course for the first time.   I knew that the previous extreme measures courses had been six weeks long and a couple of the previous participants voiced concern at the extra two weeks and the additional $100. cost for these two weeks as they said, they had been very tired by the end of 6 weeks.  I also heard from listening to this introduction that 50% of the participants in the previous extreme measures sessions drop out by mid way through. One of these participants was back again after having dropped out the previous session due to injuries and she and was striving to become slimmer in time for her wedding in April.  Some participants said they were here ‘for the challenge’, some related the extreme Measures to doing, ‘evening boot camp’ and said they were doing it instead of doing boot camp because the early evening time slot was superior to them than the thought of getting out of bed to exercise at dawn in the boot camp. 

The trainers spoke only briefly about weight loss and it became evident that weight loss was not a priority. Fitness was the objective of the Extreme Measures and if the participants were overweight, the trainers would be looking for centimeters lost and reminding us that muscle weighs heavier than fat. They said one of the participants last time lost 35 cm but only 25 gram over six weeks (I think were the statistics).  They said that weighing in would be optional, they did it but they did not want to see people ‘doing their heads in’, and becoming discourages over the results on the scales when we would all be building muscle as we were going to be worked, very hard.

They said it would be fun, they would make it fun, but we were going to be pushed (according to our ability), and we would be encouraged to work hard.

The main trainer said she wants to speak to me more about my past injuries and I have of course filled in a form which states that I have osteoporosis and mild blood pressure and I also handed in a doctors certificate saying I am approved to do this course and I’ve made it clear, I will work to my own abilities and be listening to my body.

 
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Marble Bar, Pilbara, Western Australia, in the Pilbara region of Western Australia,  to the south of which, withing the Pilbara region, is the now ghost town of Wittenoon , the site of Australia's only blue asbestos mine.

The Wittenoom Tragedy

The CSR mining and milling of blue asbestos at Wittenoom, Western Australia, is the greatest industrial disaster in Australia and is comparable to similar catastrophes such as Bhopal, Seveso and Minamato.
At Wittenoom thousands of workers and their families, visitors, tourists, consultants and Government officials were exposed to lethal levels of blue asbestos a thousand times higher than occupationally regulated at the time.
DUST

2009 Victorian Tour

2 - 24 October

Media Release

Regional Arts Victoria is proud to announce the 2009 tour of Dust which will tour Victoria during October.

Brought to you by the artists behind the critically acclaimed We Built this City, Dust brings to life the story of those affected by asbestos-related diseases.

 

Set in two parts, Dust delivers a roving performance incorporating sideshow, rock ‘n’ roll, film and a vortex of dust! A traditional approach unfolds for the second half, featuring Mick Thomas from Weddings Parties Anything with a choir of 50 voices made up of local singers and performers. The production incorporates local stories and experiences with asbestos.

 

This fast-paced multi-media theatre production takes its audience on an almighty journey. A peek into Australian homes from the not too distant past, reveals domestic products exposed families to asbestos; toothpaste, play dough, hair dryers and cigarette filters were all made with asbestos. Have you checked your shed? Did you check the electric blanket, and the surgical thread?

Asbestos was mined primarily in WA and manufactured by James Hardie Industries. By the 1950’s, a quarter of all houses built in Australia were clad with asbestos cement sheets. It was used by handymen to knock up a boat shed or add an extra room on the family home until the late 1980’s. Their overalls were washed by housewives and the asbestos dust residue swept up by their children.

Currently there are hundreds of people facing asbestos-related illness including lung cancers. The number of illnesses from exposure is expected to peak in the year 2020.

 

Far from being depressing or polemical, this production is joyous, touching and inspirational. Like the people who battled James Hardie Industries and won, Dust represents guts, determination and the Australian fighting spirit.

 

Regional Arts Victoria is touring Dust to Geelong, Shepparton and Sale during October 2009.

Produced by Hubcap Productions and Regional Arts Victoria in partnership with The Asbestos Diseases

Society of Victoria (ADSVIC).

 

For more information, visit www.hubcapproductions.com.auand mesothelioma

 
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Win this gift voucher, signed by me, and you can use it to buy from my EBay store or from my private on line store.
Just mention one of my webs, as a recommendation to view it, in one of your blogs. Post a comment that you have done this, on this blog with your blog post link this in turn will promote YOUR blog. In one week's time I will draw a $20. gift voucher for one of my link exchangers and comment posters.  Wishing everyone, fun, and personal benefit in drawing attention to your own blog, in getting into the spirit of this competition.  Competition is short, one week only, drawing is next Friday night.

I am working long and late hours listing teddy bears into a clearance sale store on EBay.

It was the sedentary job of selling on EBay which lead to my obesity during my 50’s.  So pleased I broke the cycle and became slimmer and healthier in my 60’s.

Today I had the enormous thrill of discovering the weights I pull are higher than some of the younger men at my gym are using. J. I have only been working late at night listing on EBay for a couple of nights and already i am finding I want to go snack at night on high calorie snacks, just to break the monotony, so it’s even more than the sedentary behaviour it’s the snacking that I find is harmful.  Tonight I used my observations (snacking at night while I list) and applied a corrections tool. I went and bought a punnet of beautiful blueberries and I have a bowl of them with natural unsweetened, no fat yogurt beside me and I’ll also drink some Dilma tea while I work.  I also have placed a 2 moth time limit on this downsizing sale; I’ll not be led back into sedentary work, long term.I am looking forward to the Extreme measures course beginning next Monday evening at my gym. And i am going into a competition to try to win a $100. Gift voucher from by NoniB, offered by We are Slimming, for spreading the word about their weight loss support forum.

I thought I would do my own Gift voucher competition which this time will be drawn from my readers who recommends any one of my blogs, in their blog, and then leaves a comment here, with the name of the blog,  so I can check it out. 
This will help promote, both our blogs.
The competition will be drawn in one weeks time

JLooking for Online Weight Loss Support? Then why don't you pop by and check out www.weareslimming.com.au/forum

 Win this voucher and use it to buy teddy bears , art cards, art fridge magnets from my stores
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I want to loose weight, yet I just gained weight and I am happy. Am I crazy, lol, J? No I have a great gym trainer who I trust and I have belief that I am heading to a weight loss goal by gaining weight this week.

I was told at my gym assessment, this week that I have gained weight but I was also told I have gained 3%of my body weight in muscle and lost 3% of my body weight of fat, over the six weeks I have been attending gym, and the extra muscle I am building will raise my metabolism and make it easier for me to not pile weight as easily as I once did

The trainers at the Aquamoves gym I’m attending at Shepparton, are excellent J.   They told me to ‘slow down’ at increasing the weights I work out with. I have always increased my weight resistance as soon as a routine becomes easier to do.  I thought this was the correct way to work out and gain muscle strength and as a result, the strength I am aiming for, bone strength.  The trainer on duty explained to me that ligaments and bone take a lot longer to strengthen than muscle and I need to give my ligaments a longer period to build their strength and catch up to the strength I’m gaining in my muscles, before I put them under more strain.

So here I am, this positive Pollyanna, lol, J feeling happy that I gained weight this week.

My gym trainer told me that my body would ‘work in cycles’. He encouraged me to actually eat more calories, even the amount of calories that previously would have had me gaining fat.  He explained that I must NEVER ever skip a meal, that every meal needed to contain protein as a part of it, (I do these things already) and I would see my body sometimes gaining muscle and sometimes losing fat but not at the same time.  He said that I needed to do more, low intensity exercise, general activity, in order to lose my excess fat, and that on the days when I do my strength training, I would want to, and I should, eat more, allow my body to have the calories to build muscle and that this muscle would long term be what helps my body burn more calories.

Yes technically I ‘knew’, all this stuff, but having an expert listen to you and observe your actions, and your body composition and act as your guide, is the most incredibly reassuring way to help you focus on body health and natural slimming through fitness, and not be focusing on the scales. This is the first time in my life, I have been happy to see the scales tell me I have a weight gain. I am thrilled that I have learned to use the scales as a tool and not a judge and jury to praise or condemn my behavior.

Can I gain fat and lose muscle at the same time?

Today I will do my high intensity work out at the gym, it’s my circuit training day and I will not increase my weights even if the exercise seems easier than it was two days ago, I’ll listen to what I’ve been told by the expert and give my ligaments time to catch up in strength, so I do not injure myself and have a setback I am trying very hard to avoid.

I will also add in more low impact exercise, I’ll do some housework, some gardening, and walk around our estate with the dog.  It is time for me to begin J, my active afternoon.

Note:-I wrote some tips as promised a few days ago, about a tool I use to help me overcome indecision, and I published it in a recent blog post and because it was art related as well as lifestyle related, I published it in my ‘A creative Life Blog’

Have a wonderful day, everyone.

 
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Do, Love, Hope. 10/19/2009
 
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The secret of happiness has been said to be:-

to have something to do,

something to love and

something to hope for. 


Live out of your imagination, not your history.”
–  Stephen Covey 

Love:-The something to love.
This is powerful stuff. J.  Learning to put your own needs first, take time to do what you want to do and need to do, to support yourself in achieving your goals. Learning that we are responsible for our own happiness, and understanding that no white knight in shining armor or magic mixture is responsible for making us happy is one of the greatest secrets to happiness. I always felt that needed to e taught in schools, it's so important, more important than the 3 R's.
This knowledge that it's not only OK to make time for yourself, but it's the best way to care for others, to show others by example that self reliance is the way to inner happiness, and fulfillment of goals, is quite liberating to others. No one wants to be burdened with feeling they are responsible for anther's happiness. 
Self love and nurture, is the most unselfish act any one can do and something I think all of us slimmers and carers, need to work on. 

Something to do also involves the encouraging and support we give to others and when we strive to encourage others who are seeking similar goals to our own, it is a powerful motivating force, in helping to keep us following our own action plan toward our own goal.

The time when I lost my greatest amount of excess weight was when I was a forum participant working as an equal, one on one, with others encouraging me out of an invalid status, sedentary lifestyle while I in turn encouraged them to trust themselves around food and learn that slimming involved loving good food eaten regularly and it was no more about denial, hunger and deprivation dieting than it was about the opposite, binging, unhealthy or overeating. Together we applauded our achievements, offered encouragement during the disappointments and safe uncritical friendship when we needed to vent. We crossed the line from the triple digits to the double digits together and made wonderful life lasting friendships in the process.   
I am seeking to find this fellowship by taking a step upward and working with health professionals in further studies of nutrition and fitness.
Something to hope for.

I’m leaving this area, BLANK – for you to fill in the space with YOUR DREAMS, Your future goals. Dream and Believe in YOU.
 
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On Monday I draw the winner of Faith, the lovely hand finished bear I will be sending to one of the wonderful people who have taken the time to comment on my blogs. I have also decided that she will be my painting portrait, subject tomorrow night. I rather enjoy posing a bear with flowers, as a painting subject.

Faith will be far happier heading off to her new owner than where she was before stored along with my art supplies in metal buildings we hired for the purpose, while we downsized from Buninyong gallery where she was created.

There is room here on the grass lands near our summer studio if we wanted to put up a metal building as storage; a few of our neighbours have done this, on this communal vacant land not far from the lake. Space is still a little crammed in our downsized home so I suppose I know I could use the extra space but I also know I should be downsizing, lol, me as well as my possessions, and having another room, in the form of a metal building on the nearby land, would be like my keeping bigger clothes, ‘just in case’, it would be too easy to begin spreading again, lol, J. So Faith sits for her portrait with me tomorrow night for a little relaxation and pleasure for me and then  we find her a new owner on Monday and I look for creative ways to downsize some more possessions. J  

 
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Prize details.
On Monday 19th of October I will be drawing the winner of the competition for

WIN ‘Faith’.

A unique, hand finished,
by artist, Kathy Shell,
collectors, item, teddy bear.

FREE entry

Faith is a beautiful 32 cm hand finished in acrylic folk art, style flower paint work, by myself, Kathy Shell, new teddy bear ‘from the Boyles range.

 How to enter

An entry will be placed in the draw for every person who leaves a comment on one of my blog posts.  You may comment on as many posts as you like over any of my four blogs.

You may comment on any of my five blogs, or all of them. I will place one entry into the draw for every comment, you will not be judged on content it is purely a fun game of chance. 

Relax and enjoy the competition.

 Faith would make a beautiful Christmas Gift for someone special and everything, including shipping or postage is included and the competition is open to anyone worldwide. 

Competition Requirements are that the winner will be contacted on the 19th October and they will need to supply an address for Faith to be sent to, within a week of being notified that they are the winner and the competition is not open to members of my own family.
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I am always encouraged dieters to keep up their calcium rich foods, even when they are cutting back on excess food quantity. It seems there is a lot of research coming out to show that calcium not only is an aid to building and maintaining  bone density, it is also a beneficial  nutrient to help prevent some fat storage and to raise your metabolism.  For other nutrients which may be of use, in helping you slim, check out nutritional alternatives to diet pills. To learn how you can best incorporate adequate nutrition into an eating plan you will enjoy, be able to stick to and will be in balance with your current energy requirements, I would recommend talking to an accredited, dietitian. 

An Accredited dietitian may call themselves a nutritionist but a nutritionist is not necessarily an accredited dietitian and may not have the same up to date nutritional knowledge and is not bound by the same code of ethics and conduct. I have qualifications that would allow myself to claim to be a nutritionist, yet I always find it helpful to talk about my current eating plan with an accredited dietitian, every few months, rarely do I not feel it well worth the cost.  I weigh up what I might have spent on foody, fitness, slimming magazines and calculate how much more I gain from a one on one personal consultation with an expert every few months for around the same cost as a couple of months of magazines and I feel this is the right track for me to be proceeding down.

I personally always strive to treat things naturally, as my first option, especially the management of my weight, though my mind is open to accepting help when needed. I am fully supportive of those of my friends who have chosen to have gastric banding; I know it is no easy option. I also am supportive of those who have chosen to use meal replacements and or diet pills, believe me, I understand the frustration of very long weight plateaus and weight stalls, after an initial period of weight loss it can become extremely hard to release that last amount of weight you desire to, to achieve goal weight.

I’m calling in the experts to help me again, on Monday week; I am going to be talking with an accredited dietitian again, at my gym.  I’ll have a list of questions for her and looking for any new tips I can learn to help me achieve my healthy weight release goals.
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    _Happy New year :-)
    I am going to combine several seemingly contradicting eating and exercise programs and put together my own Artslim Naturally slimming and Gray-Nomad fitness program.  I plan to bring these out as a low cost EBook and small paperback. They will suit anyone interested in managing weight with son=me difficult health conditions such as metabolic syndrome and past injuries.

     I'll be showing you some of the books I am reading that have some excellent qualities, although they will not be exactly what I am putting together to suit me and my style of doing things.
    I will be focusing on eating and exercising for wellness, weight loss if obese, weight management and balanced fulfilling lifestyle..

    Art and Art Print Gifts, available to purchase from The Art of
    Kathy Shell

       142 mm x 110mm
    large fridge magnets.
    View below.
    Picture
    "Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can." Spring garden with pansies. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell
    Picture
    "Everyday is a renewal of life." Mare and Foal. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Be weird whenever you have the chance. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Friends Forever. Gollies and bears family. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    "Fall in love with someone." Old English Sheepdogs. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    "If friends were flowers I'd pick you." Just Joey Rose. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Live, Love, Laugh.Learn. Hannah with Flower. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Indulge in the things you truly love. Blythewood Grange. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    "The winds of heaven are that which blows between a horses ears." Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Love your friends, no matter who they are. Bear grouping. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    "I always knew you'd make a splash." Jenny and Max. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    If friends were flowers, I'd pick you. Magnolia. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves. Three heavy horses at the gate. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    "Don't approach a goat from the front, a horse from the back or a fool from any side. Three heavy horses, side on. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    "Get to know your neighbour!" Rusty and Rosco the Clydesdales. "Don't approach a goat from the front, a horse from the back or a fool from any side. Three heavy horses, side on. Large Fridge magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    "Believe in yourself." Churchill Island farmyard. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    "Share with Friends. " Reg walking the dog. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    "Friends are welcome anytime, relatives by appointment only." Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    "Best Mates" Two Possums climbing together. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Grampians Farmyard. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Kangaroo Ground, Victoria. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Horses at the Dam. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Wattle Ridge. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Bushfire Haze, Enfield Forrest Blaze. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Campfire, Robe River, Pilbara, Western Australia. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Golden Holstein Rose on Blue. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Heavy Horse, Mare and Foal. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    28 Parrot, in McDonnell Ranges, Central Australian. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Old bush dunny.and shed. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Welsh Pony Mare and Foal. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Pilbara, Western Australia. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Brumbies of the Snowy River, Gold. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Clydesdale Foal. Vertical. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Carlton and United Clydesdale team and dray at Buninyong. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Oil painting Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Emu Twist. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Robe River. Pilbara, Western Australia. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Mt Sonda, the Sleeping Lubra, McDonnell ranges, Central Australia. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Kookaburra, Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Murray River, Right. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Homeward bound. Clydesdales and dray in Australian landscape, Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Formosa Gardens )Beautiful Gardens) Ballarat,Victoria, Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Cream Frangipani on Blue. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Heavy Horses at gate and in stable. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Sturt Desert Pea. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Tennant Creek, Northern Territory. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Composite of Heavy Horse art images. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.
    Picture
    Buninyong Bush early evening. Large Fridge Magnet featuring the Art of Kathy Shell.

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