Join me on a journey of weight loss and self development, to find happiness under layers of fat and insecurity » Mental Health

The Jon Gabriel Method

blogadmin — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 08:39:45 +0000

Has anyone tried The Gabriel Method???? I have recently seen this clip and looked up his sites and yes let my fingers do a bit of walking – what did we do before Google – I just can’t imagine life ‘back then’.
It’s a bit sales pitchy etc but man if it’s works why not give it a go. I’l be buying the book to read and add to my collection. I firmly believe that if you read / hear /see enough, one day something will sink in. I feel that about everything in life really. It just takes that one word or action to make something click.
Anyway, check out the clip and his sites.
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Sorry I’ve been so slack!!

blogadmin — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:44:33 +0000

I’m not sure why I’m apologising to cyber space, but saying sorry seems to be something I am very good at….but hey, that’s a whole lot of sessions with The Lovely Liz to work all that out.
Yes I am back. Where have I been and what have I been doing??? Here is the list of reasons I have been absent.
1/ I’m a single full time working mum, and trying to start a business so just haven’t had time.
2/ My 71 yr old mother came to stay with me after a full knee replacement and life just changed.
3/ I hurt my back.
4/ I had pnuemonia and that included a hospital stay.
5/ I went away for a couple of weeks.
6/ We had Easter and I felt guilty (another REALLY healthy emotion) about eating chocolate.
7/ I have a 2 1/2 year old!!!!
8/ I have felt a little bad deep down that my results haven’t been faster.
Now the question is which of these reasons is valid??
They all are!!!
Yep, it’s been a crazy few months, but the truth is if I had really wanted to find the time, I would have – and it’s that simple.
Have you ever felt so overwelmed that you kinda get off the beaten track and you’re not sure how to get back on?? I’m not talking about being depressed, just lacking focus and not being able to see the trees etc.
Well I had a weeks holiday in Fiji, the end of the financial year has come and gone and the auditors have gone for another year….. I’ve found my focus again, thanx to my new trainer – she shall remain nameless at the moment, but she’s an inspiration – she lost over 50kg and is now a personal trainer!!!!
I hope you will continue to join me on this crazy adventure.
Good news is – I have still managed to strip some layers during this slack time.

Weigh Ins

blogadmin — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 11:35:07 +0000

Weigh Offs they should be called….isn’t that what you are measuring – Weight Off not the Weight In. Either way, it’s still scary.
Do you do what some have hinted at on some reality shows – bulk up, then shed more at the next weigh in?? I think not. That would only be fooling yourself.
Sure I’m scared. Have I lost anything? Will it be enough to put me ahead in the comp? Am I happy with my effort this week.
My brain has turned into a rolling question sheet – I feel like the host of a tv quiz show. Why are the answers not popping up quickly like they’re on an autocue??
We hold so much faith in numbers. I’m healthy. I have no sugar, blood pressure, heart or other physical ailments yet I am morbidly obese apparently. Why can’t your target weight be based on more than just numbers?
If I get to 70kgs I will look like a very different person, I will be fit, healthy and able to fit into sizes that have run away from me since I was a teenager, yet according to the weight gurus I will still be overweight. Seems crazy to me.
I watched The Biggest Loser tonight for the first time this season. They have an interesting Forum People get so heated about this show. I myself would never go in it, but I have lots of admiration for those that do. It’s hard enough to face your own demons let alone doing it on national television – says me who is writing this all online for who knows how many people to see.

Shift your thinking

blogadmin — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 10:42:07 +0000

What did I do tonight?? Well it wasn’t exactly exciting enough to cause fireworks, but it made me feel great.
I cleaned out my wardrobe.
All the clothes that made me look or feel fat and frumpy went in a pile.
All the clothes I can fit into went at one end, the ones with a few more kilos to go in the middle and the one that are 20kgs off down the other end.
I tell you, you need to do this. It’s like I’ve been shopping, I now have all these extra clothes to wear.
I needed to actually try everything on as I still think I’m bigger than I am and those ‘nicer’ clothes won’t fit me. They do. Now I have no excuse not to wear nice clothes every day. I needed to actually see for real that I wasn’t 133.5kgs any more. I know the scales say I’m 118.5kgs, but I still felt so much bigger than I am. I needed to shift my thinking.
This was a very liberating and uplifting feeling.
Anyone who has been up and down the weight see saw would know this feeling. You have clothes in your wardrob in 6 sizes and you feel like you have nothing to wear. It just takes a little organisation, but I swear you will have clothes that will help motivate you to stay on track. I’m not talking that elusive little black dress that you last wore in 1995, I’m talking current clothes that will help you feel like you fit in again, RIGHT NOW!!!!!
That’s the important thing. You want to start feeling fashionable, sexy and attractive along your weight loss journey, not just at the end….because guess what!!! There is no end to a weight loss journey. If you have ever been overweight you are on that journey for life baby. You may not be actively shedding weight but maintaining your goal weight will require just as much effort. I know this because I’ve lost weight, not made the effort and put it all back on again. Never again!!!!

Mondayitis

blogadmin — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 09:54:26 +0000

Is Mondayitis a word???? No, however it is a sickness that many of us are faced with every 7 days. Questions go over and over in our minds, answers are a little less prolific.
Life changing thoughts spin around and around at dizzying speeds.
I don’t know about you, but it’s like every Monday is New Years Day all over again.
I will be great with my food habits!
I will exercise more!
I will keep the house spotless!
I will work hard!
What do I want to do with my life?
Should I change jobs?
Should I find a partner?
Can I be bothered?
I’ll stop spending so much money!
I’ll stick to a budget!
I make phone calls when I say I’m going to!
I’ll finish my To Do List – everyday!

We usually start of well, then by the time the 6th day has come around again, it’s like it’s Christmas, and we think – oh, heck…..I’ll start being good on Monday. What happened to Wednesday, do any of us ever start a new thing on a Wednesday? Probably not as we are to intrenched in worrying if we are going to stick to our weekly resolutions.

I’ve changed this in my house – I start the month on a mission. I have a chart in my ensuite with each day listed for the month. Across the top are then things I want to do everyday. Yes, I’m a dag and I use little star stickers to mark out what I achieve everyday.

Last month I did really well. I even managed to stop biting my fingernails!!!

This month I added “Do Something Fun”, as I felt I was really letting myself down by not making sure I spent some time every month, doing something fun.

I’ll add links to the Strippers Tools page as I go with things I use that keep me motivated.

Weekend Worries

blogadmin — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 11:18:39 +0000

When you have a child and you come up to a weekend, you think of all the fun things you can do. My problem is, most of the fun things I think of involve swimming, playing in parks, ice skating, bike riding etc etc. What’s the problem I hear you ask? Well, they are all action things, and as a fat chick the thought of doing action things outside the comfort of a gym scares the daylights out of me.
I seriously think people will look at anything my daughter eats and think poor girl, she’ll end up just like her mother or they will wonder how on earth I think I can ride a bike at my size etc etc etc. I hate it!!!!
The smart side of my brain says that’s all crap and people won’t give a toss about you and the emotional side of my brain feel so sorry for my daughter having to go out with a mother who clearly has a few issues. The silly thing is, my daughter has no concept that I’m not normal and if I keep thinking the way I think, she’ll end up with issues just like me….arghghghgh…back to the therapy couch I go.

Weekly Therapy

blogadmin — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 11:18:40 +0000

I’m glad I go to see my doctor once a week. I know it’s not forever, but it will change me forever. See, I can be positive. I know that I will fix all these issue and I will stop reaching for something when I am happy, sad, angry – pick an excuse any excuse.
Today we talked lots on me getting back out there….dating!!!! What a scary thought. I have had partners when I have been this size, but for some reason now I am so repulsed by how I see myself that I can’t imagine anyone wanting to go out with me. I’m not just talking about the size of my arse, it’s the whole package. How I look, act, react, communicate, feel – it’s a long list.
When my confidence drops many things follow. I dress down, I wear less makeup, I let the house get a little more messy, I leave the dishes for a day, I don’t return phone calls etc etc etc. All of these things, then in turn make me feel worse about myself.
I don’t want to be the person that lets a word make me stay at home when I could be out enjoying all the amazing things this life has to offer.
I don’t take any medication for depression as I’m not depressed. I have depressive episodes, but I think we all do to some extent. Believe it or not I’m actually happy at the moment. I truly believe that I will overcome these hurdles and be the great mother, lover, friend, partner, sibling, child, business owner that I want to be. This place is full of opportunity, I just need to knock on the door a little more often.
I am a great believer in therapy, and I believe that people should not be allowed to be medicated without some form of therapy. I know so many people that became part of that Prozac Nation culture and truly believed a magic pill would fix everything. Medication does wonderful things for people suffering with depression or forms of mental illness. They are true ailments, just like chicken pox and people should be treated with respect and kindness when suffering through any illness.
I’ll get off my soap box now.

Charting success

blogadmin — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 10:12:20 +0000

Well, I’m down over 12kgs now – people say that is fantastic. But when you have 50kg still to go it doesn’t seem that amazing.
People want to know what ‘diet’ I’m on. I have forbidden that word. I’m on a healthy eating plan, and if that means I can have chocolate and wine sometimes then chances are I’ll be able to change for good.
I did have a very emotional day the other day. OK, to be honest I had a COMPLETE meltdown. My 2yr old decided that it was the day she was going to push every single button to see how far she could push me. When I realised I wanted to eat and drink anything and leave her in the park as I truly didn’t think I could be her mother anymore as I was such a failure…it was time to call for help. I thank whatever force it is out there that gave me the strength and knowhow to pick up the phone and say HELP!!!!!! Some days it is really hard being a single mum, but I’m not the only one on the planet and my daughter and I will survive our ‘moments’.
Why is it that nature makes me think I’m the failure if my daughter has a tantrum – I know it’s something that 99.9% of toddlers do, yet I truly believed that I could add motherhood to the ever growing list of things I have failed at.
My brain just misses that whole logic thing sometimes.

The Optimist’s Creed

blogadmin — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 09:59:24 +0000

I’m an Optimist. I believe that everything will be ok one day. One day I will be a healthy weight. One day I will no longer get so down when I feel I have let someone down. One day I will truly believe I am a great mother for my daughter. One day I’ll get this blog design finished and actually start letting people know it’s here!!!?Ok, so on day I will actually start writing on it everyday.?Do you find life gets in the way of you doing what you want to do?? I missed the gym today, because it was so busy at work. Yes, that’s an excuse. Yes, I probably could have found a way – but it all just seemed too hard.?I have The Optimist’s Creed by Christian D Larson on my bathroom wall and in my office. It’s amazing. Written nearly 100 years ago, I hope you will find that it means something to you also.
Here is a modified version that The Secret published – still haven’t seen the movie, I’ll know you’ll find that hard to believe.
The Optimist’s Creed

Cheer up Charlie

blogadmin — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 09:31:07 +0000

I haven’t seen The Secret (must be one of the only people in the world), but I have read the book. One thing I can really relate to is how you create the situation you most think about.?I woke up feeling tired, heavy and in a general – can’t be bothered mood. I got to training and said “I don’t think I can do the hills today”. Guess what happened….don’t think you need too many guesses. I couldn’t do it – ok, so I only stopped for a 5 sec breather, but still. I did that. Not my legs, not my breathing, not the weather, not any other excuse under the sun. It was all me. A hill that I ran all of a week ago, I needed a break on this week, just because.?I don’t want to berate myself, but you kinda can’t help it.?You constantly have to remind yourself that you need to think the things you most want, not the things you don’t. Don’t let fear keep you thinking the bad stuff, as there is SO much good stuff out there.?There is so much stuff I want to add to the blog and I feel like I’m in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory – “But daddy, I want an Ompaloompah and I want one now”. It’s not all going to happen today, or even this week. So I’m going to take a chill pill and get it all done over the next few weeks. By Jan 2008 (more goals, I know), this site will be fully operational with links, images etc etc etc etc. Let’s face it, 6 months a go, I didn’t even really understand what a Blog was.