I'm a bit miffed!

So today I read a post that kind of well, let's not sugar coat, it pissed me off!

I follow a page on Facebook that is about this guy who's lost quite a chunk of weight and at first I thought, this is going to inspire me so I hit the 'like' button and started reading most of which was good content, but lately I have noticed that this person is hell bent on just being noticed.

Today he wrote about how he'd had a hard time trying to get his story on a multitude of tv shows, magazines, newspapers etc and how annoyed he was that none of them wanted his story, but the fact is, there are so many stories just like his, this stuff is old news. My question is this why does getting into the media matter? He has a Facebook page with a HUGE readership, everyone praises him and spend time on his page so why did he feel the need to to use his weight loss as some kind of fame gathering exercise because that's the message I was getting from him. It's a shame, but he's not the only one, I have found a few pages like this and it's sad, it's almost like they've lost their weight and now because they've done it, they want to be rewarded for it. Isn't being healthy reward enough? He goes on to mention at the end of the post that he has given up his pursuit of getting his story into the media and will just post on Facebook.

I'm getting pretty annoyed by people who use their weight loss purely to get famous. Why can't they be satisfied with their FB pages, or blogs, why not write a book, even a recipe book of the food they ate while losing the weight, that's the information I find extremely useful. The problem with trying to align yourself with mainstream media is that the second they've had enough of you and you've sold enough advertising slots for them, you're gone!

I myself am in the process of writing a cookbook for three reasons, I like to photograph food, I hope that the recipes I put into the book are helpful to others and I've always wanted to do it. I don't care if nobody buys it, I don't care if I don't get recognised or rewards or anything like that, I just care that I do it because I'm the type of person who will start a project and not finish. Having a project or a hobby to focus on is a great way to keep you busy and have you concentrate on something other than weight loss, find your passion and get to it and whatever you do, lose weight for you.

Rant over! xx

I've nearly jumped ship so many times!

I cannot believe it's already July and so far this year, my weight loss has not been crash hot, in fact it's been a bit of a disaster. I have lost and gained weight more times than I care to remember. In the past few months I have let my focus slide backwards and have caught myself eating the wrong things again. This was always going to happen at some stage. After reading a post that my beautiful friend wrote tonight about her struggle, it made me re-think why the hell I started this in the first place, what was the reason for doing it because lately I have lost my mojo!

So after reading her post three times, I sat down and wrote a reply and read what I wrote about my reason for losing weight and here is part of what I wrote:

"I want a better life, a healthier life more than anything in the world, I don't care about clothes or looks or money, I care about my life and my place in the world. When I am on my death bed the last thing I EVER want to be thinking is "I wish I had lost the weight, things could've been so different" that thought terrifies me!

After writing this it was like a huge church bell rang in my head and now I'm ready to continue. I am no longer going to put time limits on my goals I am just going to keep on keeping on. Yes I could've lost all my weight by now, but what is the point of dwelling on that except to make myself feel like a failure and go eat a cheesecake! I don't want that, I don't need that. As long as I give myself permission from time to time to have something that I really want BAD such as today, I had a burger, then I will never feel deprived.

I have lost 30kg, there is nothing to be upset about that, I am not a failure, I am slowly winning this, it's only now that I realise that I am doing a good job, I am changing my life, I can do this! All I need to do is make a few tweaks here and there to my diet because my workouts these days are quite strenuous so I cannot survive on rabbit food any more, I must refuel properly or else I will be diving for that cookie jar, which has been happening.

Exercise has been my saviour! I love it and do it every single day without fail! If I do not move my butt at least once a day, I will not sleep well and be the biggest grump on the planet in the morning!

So starting in the morning, a new revitalised and school assignment free Barbara will once again punch this weight loss in the ass!

Always remember your biggest motivator is yourself because you are the only one who can really make yourself do what you need to do and as your see changes taking place on your body and within yourself emotionally, you will gain so much drive you'll be unstoppable! 

Take charge of your life today, I am! :) xx

Apologies, yes I know it's been a while.

Where do I begin? it's been quite a while since I wrote my last post I cannot even remember what I wrote last!

Over the past few weeks I have had a few struggles with my personal life and although I have said many many times that I don't let things like that steer me away from my goal, that is in fact what happened recently. I gave in to negative annoyances and was led astray for a little while.

A few weeks ago, I weighed in at 105kg (231lb) then last week shock horror, I hopped onto the scale and saw the awful number of 108.6kg (239.5lb) OMG!!! I had gained 3.6kg! So over the last week it was time to focus and get busy! I ate well most of the time, managed to get in 12 workouts and after weighing on Monday this week I am down to 107.2kg (235.8lb) yay! So now it's just a matter of keeping up the good work!

I have started vlogging again but this week I cannot make a video as I am very busy with my portfolio for school. This week is my final week and then hopefully, I will have earned my Diploma in Digital Photography. Here is one of the submissions for my folio, I am creating it in the style of Weston and am using vegetables and I love the textures.

Next week I will definitely have another video for viewing and hopefully some good news on another good loss for the week.

Have a great week and thanks for stopping by!

Barbs xx

I'm so tired of hearing excuses, you either want it or you don't!

I've written about this before but today I'm kind of pissed and so here goes...

This morning I decided that I felt well enough to go for a 5km walk because having lost almost three weeks of exercise due to bronchitis, I was really going nuts! I threw on a heavy jacket, a scarf, my sunnies and set out for a chilly frosty walk in the wind,  it was nice and sunny too so it wasn't all bad.

I made my way to town feeling good about myself and happy that I went but once I got in I was dying of thirst and needed something to drink so I opted for, yes you guessed it, a coffee! Not exactly the best thing I admit it but it was warm and toasty just what I needed, drinking anything cold at this stage in my recovery is a no go and I wasn't feeling like downing boiled water.

Where am I going with this.... oh yeah...while I was waiting for my coffee at a cafe, a couple came in and went to the counter to order. She was a rather large woman and he was average sized and quite a good looking guy. Anyway, they were asked what they'd like to order and he said he'd like a coffee and scone and she said a chocolate brownie with cream and a mocha. Her partner looked at her and instantly she got angry and said "today is my cheat day!" and he said "but you said your cheat day is in the weekend", then she said "I need this I'm not having a good day" and he said "you told me to tell you NO when it's not your cheat day, and to not accept any excuses", and she said "what excuse? why do you do this to me, I'm sick of you judging me and telling me what I can and cannot have, you're an ass!" I was so embarrassed that I had to look away and was making eyes at the barista to hurry up, stop milking the cow and give me my drink! Then I heard the poor man say to his partner in an barely audible whisper "I'm only doing this because you said for me to and because I love you and I want you to be happy", and she just stood there with the most vicious look on her face, I wanted to go and give the man a cuddle and smash the brownie in her face.

So this brings me to my BIGGEST most annoying frustrating peeve EVER! Excuses, I loathe excuses with a passion in regards to weight loss and I used to be the biggest excuse creator on the planet. Every single time I would reach for some nasty crappy food, I always had an excuse which I felt was valid but now looking back, I was just pathetic and stupid! Excuses for not exercising or eating well, drinking enough water, you name it, I had an excuse for it.... "oh my back hurts, I cannot concentrate without chocolate, I get highly agitated when I sweat" ugh! so pathetic! So now whenever I hear a large person make up some bullshit bogus excuse as to why they cannot lose weight and get healthy, it makes my blood boil when they complain about it.

Do I ever make excuses for things? sure I do, I make excuses for why I cannot go to bed early, when the real reason is simply that I don't want to go to bed early, I love my quiet "me time" when the kids are asleep, so I stay up late because I want to. I know I need to get to bed, but I don't WANT to.

Which brings me to the difference between want and need in weight loss.

Here's the thing.....YOU CAN ONLY LOSE WEIGHT IF YOU WANT TO!!! that's right you have to WANT it, not need it, not wish it, you have to WANT it, because when you finally make up your damn mind that there is no food or excuse that matters more than your want to lose weight, then you will lose weight. It's so damn simple, it's painful!

August 5th 2012, was the day I finally decided I WANT THIS!

So come on, really think about this, do you want to lose weight or not? seriously really, really think about it, how bad do you want it? are you prepared to give up the necessary things you need to in order to lose the weight? ARE YOU? because if you are not, then you are not ready, it's as simple as that. You hear everyday of people who lose loads of weight, then they lose momentum and fall right off the wagon and put it all back on and more and why? I think it's because they were truly not ready. How do I know? because I have been there countless times!

Most people want the magic pill, the super weight loss powder, the wake up and you're skinny system and there simply is no such thing. Corporations are making mega bucks out of all of us with these "magic potions of bullshit" when the only true way to shift the weight is through the basic formula, eat less, move more, acceptance of what needs to be done and the time it will take and bags and bags of positive thinking. It's taken me decades to accept this and now that I have, it's come so easily, yes it's hard work, but once you accept those facts it becomes routine and you don't think twice about it.

Another popular excuse that pisses me the hell off is "I haven't got the money" BULLSHIT! Let me tell you something, I live on the most meagre budget on the planet, I raise two kids on that meagre budget and yet I have lost 30kg in 8mths with no gym membership, no personal trainer, no car, no fancy schmancy foods or tablets, only 1 bag of protein powder that I haven't finished, and I eat mostly raw fruit and veges and a little meat for protein and iron. So please, the I haven't got the money for healthy food and exercise excuse is 100% BULL CRAP! Fitness doesn't have to cost a cent, I walk my ass off 7 days a week and then do exercises I found for FREE off youtube!

So, here's Barb's magic formula:

1. WANT IT BAD! and accept that it will take time and patience. Also accept that you will stuff it up, shit happens!

2. Clear your mind of the fact that you can dump loads of weight quickly, you can, but watch it all come back on. Weight loss is for LIFE it is a lifestyle change not a quick fix.

3. Throw excuses in the trash with all the shitty food in your pantry

4. Train your brain! Find some mental tactics to help you keep a positive attitude and don't let anyone derail your progress with their negative crap.

5. If you need extra support, find a support network that is NOT going to put up with your excuses!

Well that's my rant for today, be happy, decide what you WANT and go for it and remember ..... work hard because the day will come when you don't have to suck it in! - I read that on a post this morning in Facebook!

Ciao,
Barbs xx

Sometimes you've just got to get a pair of balls!

I wasn't sure about what to write about today until I had to do my assignment this week for my photography diploma. This week I had to emulate Cindy Sherman, a famous photographer who took self portraits which look like scenes from movies, she didn't copy actual movies she just took shots to look as if they'd leapt out of the silver screen.

Which brings me to my photograph for this week.

I decided that I was going to not just take a boring "selfie" where I hide every single flaw I can think of and then manipulate the photograph to the max, no! I decided I would step right out of my comfort zone and boost my self confidence at the same time, do I care if anyone thinks I look like a buffalo in my photograph? no, I don't give a crap because I look at the photo and I see someone who is healthier, fitter, beautiful and is about to become the person she always wanted to be, a slim confident woman with bags of energy and a high self esteem! So anyone who wants to say anything nasty, do your worst, I don't care!

So here it is, my assignment for the week, a shot of myself in my bed, half dressed and looking fab! So why not do something similar or do something that you've always been afraid to do before. Empower yourself and set yourself free, honestly it's seriously liberating!

Be Mindful of your Weight Loss Spend

So today I mentioned on my Facebook Page  that weight loss this time around hasn't cost me more than a few items of clothing, two pairs of New Balance shoes, and around $50 groceries per week in the last 10mths.

Four years of weight loss spend from 2007- 2011 cost me $21,643!!!! that's enough for a very nice car! Shocker! What freaks me out even more is that the first two years which include VERY expensive gym memberships barely got used, what an idiot!

Well it just goes to show, you don't need to spend big bucks to lose weight because I have only spent around $2500 over the last 10 months and that includes groceries, shoes and workout gear!

I am not only losing weight but gaining one heck of an education in the do's and don'ts of weight loss. DO work your ass off and DON'T waste your cash!

What a Week! Time for a New Plan of Attack!

Hello lovely people, first I want to apologise for being M.I.A for the past week. Friday last week I was hit with a terrible cold, then a few days later I thought I was okay and decided to go and do a 5km walk then ended up with a mild dose of bronchitis! So it's been a week of achy body, stuffed up nose and no taste sensation what so ever! Today is the first time I have tasted food in a week and wow! food is fabulous once again!

Even though I hate being sick, I managed to handle it meds free, just a few panadols and a little cough syrup AND I got to finally understand why it is VITAL to get healthy, here is what I wrote on a facebook post this week:


Why it pays to eat clean, lose weight, get fit and get healthy!
My Facebook Page: click here 

I have found out that I have bronchitis not a cold. I spent last night finding it hard to sleep because all I could hear was the rattling in my lungs from all the mucous build up, funny thing is, even though I have this I don't feel really ill, just a bit achy, snotty and pissed off. My former sumo self never handled sickness very well at all, I would spend almost two weeks in bed and at least three of those days I would be feverish (this time around I was feverish overnight) and almost unresponsive which was pretty scary, AND I would be jacked up to the eyeballs on antibiotics, ibuprofen, you name it I had it. 

This time around 30kg lighter and a million times fitter, I have been drinking loads of soup, green smoothies, ginger, lemon and honey tea and eating really well even though I cannot taste anything. If by Friday I still have the rattles going on in my lungs (it's only a little at the moment, but still annoying), I will go and get checked up just in case.

So there you go, if you are contemplating getting healthy DO IT, DO IT NOW! It really does pay off in more ways than one!


So there you go, a huge lesson learned I just wish I had've done this so many years ago!

Okay enough of that, there's no point dwelling on the woulda, shoulda, coulda right? Let's just get stuck into the here and now and speaking of which I have a new master plan of attack for my next round of weight loss!

BARB'S NEW MASTER PLAN TO SHRINK MY GUT & REDUCE MY BUTT (hehe)

Okay, here goes:

FOOD

Breakfast: 1 of the following
- green smoothie + 8 raw almonds + 2 kiwifruit
- soaked oats with Greek yoghurt + nuts & seeds

Snack: 1 of the following
- Peanut Butter Protein Bar (that I make myself)
- Fruit
- Greek yoghurt with nuts if I haven't had it in my breakfast
- Nuts
- Trail mix
- Air popped popcorn
- Rice crackers

Lunch: 1 of the following
- Spinach & feta wrap packed with veges and 20g edam cheese
- Giant salad, no dressing with half cup of cooked brown rice + 100g baked or grilled chicken
- Spinach and cheese egg white omelette with a huge salad, no dressing

 Snack: same as the snacks above

Dinner: 1 of the following
- Omelette with huge salad, no dressing
- Baked potato with a tiny blob of garlic butter, shredded carrot & cabbage + dollop sour cream
- Fish fillet  or baked spicy chicken with huge salad
- Bolognaise sauce on brown rice + huge salad no dressing
- Spicy Soup with beans and stacks of veges

Snack: same as the snacks above

So that's basically the food part of it, as you can see it's mostly clean and mostly non-processed foods!

EXERCISE

I will be moving my butt 7 days a week

Monday/Wed/Fri/Sat - 8km walk + 30mins calisthenics
Tues/Thurs/Sun - Interval training + weight training (90mins total)

If I am knackered or have DOMS really bad then I will have a day off, it's no big deal

.... and that's my master plan put into action as of tomorrow 18 May 2013!

So what about cravings and the odd special occasion I hear you say. My take on this is this, if I have a craving I will wait two days and if I still want it bad, I will have it. Usually by the second day I am over it and then don't need to eat the offender, but sometimes I do and it's not the end of the world!

As for celebrations, going out etc, I just make mindful food choices or if I really want to taste everything, then I just try a little bit, there really is no need to gorge yourself on a special occasion or miss out, just have a bit of control otherwise you have to work twice as hard to correct your mistake!

The trick I have learned throughout the last months of my weight loss journey is to relax my mind and not get so worked up about numbers, sure I still want to see the number on the scale jump down to double digits asap (NZ), but it's much better to think of the tremendous health benefits you are receiving from your efforts. How you look and weigh should be secondary to this and a happy bonus rather than the be all and end all!

- Barbs xx