Picture
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.

 
 


Comments


Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply

    Follow me in Facebook @ Kathy Shell

    RSS Feed

    _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.

    Archives

    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009