Weight Loss Journals - petecohen.tv

Be totally honest about how you are doing so far....
Here goes:
First two weeks, fabulous. Flying high, everything happening. Doing the tools with ease, because I was putting the programme top of the agenda.
Since then, not so great. The agenda got altered- work, home, kids etc and although i watched the videos still, it took all my spare energy/ time/committment to do that.
I have to find a way of working this programme to fit in with my life. It will take me a year to lose all the weight I want to lose, and it is unrealistic to expect that I can keep putting this first for a year. But that doesn't mean I don't want to lose weight enough- it just means there is other stuff in my life which I also want (like happy, un-neglected children, a decent relationship with my husband, not to feel stressed to the eye-balls at work because I'm doing this instead of the other non-clinical stuff like research proposals, online training courses etc).
I'm glad Pete asked us to pick what we wanted to do this week. To be honest I probably didn't do the exercise wheel thing last week because i've never found it helpful before. I know I'm sedentary, and seeing it on a chart just makes me feel worse- it isn't a revelation, or empowering- because out of 24 hours there is only probably an hour where I have any choice what I do- at least on the days when i work. And I can spend an awful lot of sedentary time reading the blogs and commenting, too!
Pete has asked us to monitor our energy levels and cut out sugar for a week.
I'm quite happy to cut out sugar, because I don't eat it anyway. But I'm going to eat low GL this week- not quite cut out carbs, but only eat low glycaemic load ones (ie no bread, pasta, rice, potatoes)- or certainly only a tiny amount mixed with lots of protein and veg. I know this will give me loads of energy, lift my mood and I will get more done.
The other thing I'm going to do is cut out alcohol. I've been struggling with this for the last couple of weeks- I'm afraid its a default when I'm stressed. But again, I know if I knock it on the head, I will feel so much better about myself, and I will be more in control of my eating and I will lose weight. Currently still stuck at 15st 3lbs as I was nearly 2 weeks ago.
So here we go:
Low GL eating
No alcohol
for the next week
xx
Ros xx

Yesterday and today I have been as active as possible- with a vengeance. I walked the dog for an hour, cleaned the car, did the food shop at Asda, cleaned the fridge before the nice new healthy food went in it yesterday, then today I've been cleaning like a whirlwind, so that I can carry on painting my kitchen cupboards tomorrow (after taking the kids swimming) and Monday. The plasterer is coming next weekend to put the coving up that we bought 4 years ago and never got round to sorting out. I'm so chuffed that I'm finally getting these bits and pieces done- I know that the house will look completely different in a years time, even if we haven't quite got the money to finish it. Waiting for a quote for the granite worksurfaces to come through- another job I'd not got round to until this week. Got a feeling it's going to be a shocker (probably why I was putting it off!)
So I haven't been doing any organised exercise like going to the gym or doing my Davina video, and I know Pete suggested getting into resistance training...but I really want to get these jobs done and I'm moving my body so much more, I'm making an executive decision to spend my time getting stuff done rather than do formal exercise sessions. When I haven't got a list of jobs a mile long to keep me active, I will get Davina off the shelf.
I'm thinking about doing different activities through the week, including swimming which I really miss. I'm hoping now the kids are all able to come in the big pool I might be able to get some lengths done myself- the years of frustration in the baby pool should start to pay off now!
I'm really buzzing now, and I don't feel like sleeping but it's gone half ten, so I'll listen to the relaxation track and see if that settles me down.
Night all xx

Thinking about St Giles Hotel or Strand Palace- both within walking distance of Covent Garden for after the party. Anyone have any thoughts?

I'm still struggling with the laptop- finding all sorts of bits and pieces that haven't re-installed properly, but I think it's mostly sorted now. This has made me feel a bit distanced from the programme- or it has allowed me to distance myself , perhaps. It was a good job Tuesday night came when it did, as that was the first time that I hadn't done my food diary since we started...defiinitely part of a slippery slope.
Still struggling with sugar and stimulants- chose diet coke yesterday instead of water for the first time in weeks... why? I really don't know. Felt like rebellion, and I was with people so didn't stop to have an internal chat with Rose about it- I just did it, in true Ros style.
I've realised that when I'm in this position, I'm really not good at giving myself proper credit. Or at least, if I give myself credit for something (eg resisting a piece of cake) but then later succumb, the duck gives me a doubly hard time and tells me the fact that I initially resisted doesn't count. (as well as being useless and weak and destined to be fat forever. Bloody thing. I grind his beak into the kitchen floor with my heel).
Getting over this hiccup is a puzzle...I'm not sure whether to carry on giving myself outcomes like no alcohol or no sugar which are feeling very hard to do but at least tell me where I should be headed, or whether to take the pressure off that one, choose something different and possible easier (like exercise, or listening to the relaxation tape) then give myself credit for that and build from there. TO be honest the duck knows perfectly well that that would be me copping out and wouldn't hesitate to express this.
Actually, my best weapon against the duck is not shouting at him to shut up- we just get into a fight. It's blocking his voice by asking Rose's opinion instead. So I shall commune with her for a secoond and see what she comes up with...

OK. Rose says I'm trying to do things perfectly and getting everything out of proportion. I'm letting the duck in for example because this morning I had porridge, which means I won't be doing Pete's carb free day today as I had vaguely intended to, and I used porridge oats that one of the kids had tipped dry into a bowl and had added a bit of sugar to- so I had half a teaspoon of sugar that I didn't want and hadn't intended to have today, because I didn't want to chuck the oats away. But it's not worth beating myself up about these thin gs. Carb free takes planning, so I shall do it tommorrow and make sure I have suitable food in. Boiled egg for breakfast, chicken salad for lunch etc. And I could have had 5 times as much sugar with my breakfast if I had chosen cheerios, or frosties, for goodness sake. So I shall stop sweating the small stuff, but I shall keep the 50 by 50 goal in mind and see where that takes me. And I shall keep asking Rose when the duck starts up. BTW- her other suggestion was that I make myself a star chart like the kids have, and stick a star on it for every time I do something that takes me towards that goal- as a real concrete reminder of the successes that the duck cant undo.
Have a good day, everyone

I'll probably blog tonight after the course, but I thought I'd do this now while I've got a few minutes.
Displacement activities:
If I've got half an hour spare:
Read a book
Have a pampering bath
Listen to the relaxation tape
Do some meditation/ visualisation
Play the piano
Blog
Dance to some 80's pop!

If I've only got 5 minutes to spare:
Breathe
Talk to Rose
Ask for a hug
Start a job on my job list
Put some perfume on

I've had problems with the internet over the weekend- My laptop seems to have caught a nasty bug which kept crashing the internet and I've had to try and wipe the hard drive and reinstall. I can't believe how difficult it is to wipe a hard drive these days- it used to be so easy!!!!
I've been really frustrated and busy and that has caused a wobble which I'm still struggling with. But in the interests of doing things differently, I will continue to blog. I've been keeping the food diary, but I've noticed I'm not doing it simultaneously, which allows leeway for sugary alcoholy stuff.
The way I treat these wobbles is what is going to make the difference, I know.
I have not exercised apart from walking the dog today because I needed to paint some of the kitchen cupboards- a job that has needed soing for 3 years which I'm finally getting round to. The problem is that because I haven't done any aerobic type exercise (which would normally be a sign that I'm well and truly on the Petewagon) the duck is warming up. I also had a todo with my daughter before school which shook me up and I needed Rose's advice badly- amazing how talking to an imaginary friend (I hope not out loud, but I wouldn't bet on it...thank God for quiet countryside!) while walking the dog and taking their advice about how to manage a 13 year old girl with a learning disability can make things better- not to mention the imaginary hug and the pat on the back for doing a difficult job to the best of my ability. Career choice obviously= if you can't beat them, join them...
So a little target for tomorrow- cut down on sugar and stimulants to get back on track. Looking forward to the online meeting.
Love to all xx

I've just listened to the recap video and for the first time in the many times (over the last nearly 3 years!) I have got to day 10, I am thinking about giving myself a 10 out of 10 for effort. I have to say I have been doing really well this time- I seem to have gone up a gear or several.

All the tools I've been using work, as they have done in the past. It's just that I have managed to maintain my focus and concentrate on the programme this time much better. It's not even that I've had any more time than ususal- I've just found ways of making the programme more convenient. I've stopped giving myself a hard time if I don't watch the video first thing in the morning- because, lets face it, after nearly 3 years on this programme I know what I need to be doing- it's a case of just chuffing DOING IT! But I have watched the videos every day except one, and the one wobble didn't derail me.
So I'm trying to work out what is making the difference this time...and I think it is a combination of things, not all of which are part of the programme per se.

My imaginary identical twin Rose has been a fabulous idea- I know Pete tells us to visualise what we want and make it into a video we can play in our heads, brighter and brighter, but that way I only ever see short clips of what I want- it's quite difficult to do. But Rose is somehow more 3 dimensional- even if I can't always picture what she looks like, I alsways know how she would behave and what she would advise, and if I follow that advice, ta dah!

I've also been paying more attention to my thoughts, and I've realised that my duck doesn't often give me a hard time, unless I binge eat or drink. But what the sneaky devil does is pretend he's on my side when he's not really- encouraging me to make bad choices 'because I deserve it' eg the ice cream last night. Whereas Rose would say, 'Well you could have some chocolate ice cream that you made, but every bit you have takes you further from your goal- you have to factor that in to the equation. If it means so much, why don't you just have a tiny taste? That way, you'll still get to sample the results and see if the recipe works, but you won't needlessly sabotage your efforts on the programme, and you are doing fabulously.' Much more helpful. She's good, Rose- she has my best interests at heart all the time.

Shoana's 50 by 50 challenge has been pure genius, too. As Pete says in today's video, if you push yourself so far out of your normal zone, you'll never go back to your old habits. And knowing the goal was 50 pounds in 18 weeks (nearly 3lb per week!) is so much more challenging than anything I've dared to give myself before, it has really concentrated my mind and kept me up to the mark. I know I can't afford any lapses if I'm going to get anywhere near it, which means that my sneaky duck is less likely to get a look in with his persuasive 'just this once- it won't make any difference in the long run' wheedles. I know it is highly unlikely that I will lose 50 pounds in 18 weeks, but I don't hink I am going to beat myself up if I don't achieve exactly that, which is what would have stopped me setting a target like that before. It's just that if I aim for the stars, I stand a damn good chance of reaching the moon.. whereas if I aim for the moon, I might not ever escape the atmosphere...

Given that I do have a busy life, I have to say that the new phone has made a huge difference! Bizarre, but true. I'm keeping my food diary and exercise log on it, and becasue I always have my phone with me (unlike a notebook and pen or the computer), I can put things in as I eat them, and this has been really effective at keeping me on the straight and narrow. Also I've found a great to-do-list type app, and having this means I have constantly got in front of me little jobs that need doing and have needed doing for ages. Result- self-esteem and feelings of being in control of my life increase, I feel more capable of controlling my eating and drinking, and 'being as active as possible' just happens with no effort! I've never really tried to have a go at this tool particularly before- others seemed more of a priority to me. But its great to be routinely doing another one. Oh, and the phone gets me on the internet, so I can also look at the blogs wherever I am when I've got a spare minute- eg watching my son's tennis lesson. I can't log on to the videos as yet, because of the flash player (does anyone know if there is a way of doing this on the iphone?)

I'm eating when hungry, drinking 2 litres of water,eating natural foods and cutting down on sugar and stimulants now. The first three are habits now.
I'm working on the regular exercise one- still planning on dancing. I have opportunities to exercise on Monday an Friday and I'm just trying to build this into my life so it too becomes a habit again. I have also started jogging when I walk the dog, and I'm making my dog walks (which I do at least 4 times a week) into hour long ones if physically possible (ie sometimes not Wednesday because I have to squeeze it in between work in the morning and the school run). I've pushed myself to set a challenging target again- I used to love running, but got a recurrent injury (plantar fasciitis) and whenever I started again, the pain would come back. But I have decided that I am going to work up to it really slowly and give my feet a chance to adapt. Frustrating, because my heart gets fitter faster than my feet so I feel like I'm not pushing myself. But I know if I push my feet too far, i won't half feel it when I try and get out of bed the next morning. Anyway, so far so good- and just giving myself the possibility that I might one day be able to run regularly around the reservoir again is giving me a real buzz.
Relaxation is something I'm working on at the moment- I want to get back into meditating too.
In fact, I'm going to listen to the tape now, before I go to work.
All things considered, i'm really pleased with myself. And determined to keep at it, however long it takes.
Oh- and I couldn't resist the scales this morning because my bras are all doing up a hook tighter...and I'm 15st 3 lbs- I've lost 6 lbs since New Year! I am determinined not to weigh myself for another 3 weeks though, as not weighing myself is freeing me to measure my success by how well I'm sticking to the programme as Pete asked.
Oh- and I've managed to swap my on-call weekend so I can come to the vitality show- party party! Is everyone getting tickets for the Sat pm session? And where are people staying?

Sorry about the length of this one, people, but I'm quite excited in case you hadn't guessed!

Ros xx

I managed to download the mp3 onto my iphone- admittedly more by luck than judgement so listened to it today while sitting in the Morrisons car park!
I have been able to keep a track of my thoughts, and to be honest they're mostly pretty neutral- based on stuff I've got to do etc. The only dodgy bit was when I made some homemade ice-cream for pudding (gave in to the smallest person in the house who has been begging me for ages and we bought the cream specially this week) and I ate a fair share of it rather than just having a taste. I wasn't hungry, but I was aware my mind was saying vaguely ' well I've made it so of course I'm having some- no question'. But Pete challenged us to change a habit we'd picked up on last week, and the thing I decided to tackle was this mentally justifying overeating that I do. I know it is going to be a tough one, like eating slowly, so I'm not surprised I didn't overthrow it today, but at least I'm paying attention to what i'm saying to myself. I need to make those vague thoughts clearer so I can hear them properly, then challenge them!
So more work on that tomorrow.
PS Ash- I know I look like a girly swot with the homework (that made me laugh!), but actually it's just dementia- if I don't do it straight away, there's a risk it won't get done at all!

I feel really hyper after that! I'm glad Pete has given us the realxation mp3 as one of this weeks challenges, as I think I need it. It struck me when I looked at my tool tracker that I haven't used it for ages. I'm going to try and download both mp3s to my new iphone (aka my auxiliary brain), then I will be able to use them a lot more.

Goal setting...
WHAT DO I WANT?
To wear size 12 clthes
To be healthy
To be able to run around the reservoir non stop (approx 35 mins)
To be proud of myself for overcoming this weight problem
To be like Rose- calm, elegant, gentle and in control

IF I GOT WHAT I WANTED WHAT WOULD IT DO FOR ME?
I'd be so proud of myself for achieving something I'd been struggling with for more than 20 years.
I'd feel able to spend more money on myself (decent haircut, makeup, facials, treatments etc)
I'd feel able to wear good quality clothes (eg from Coast, Hobbs etc, not matalan!)
I'd feel good in front of mirrors, shop windows and cameras
I'd be healthier- less likely to get ill as I get older

HOW WOULD I KNOW THAT I'VE GOT WHAT I WANTED?
I'd be running regularly around the reservoir again
I'd have a wardrobe full of lovely size 12 clothes
I'd be eating well by habit
I'd be able to wear a Laura Ashley tea dress that I bought at the end of the Lighter Life programme I did 4 years ago for the millisecond that I was 10 stone 10lbs, but never got to wear.

WHAT WOULD I SEE?
Slim, toned arms
Gorgeous clothes
Muscles in my legs
Hips measuring less than 40 inches
A taut tummy
Me lying on the beach looking great in a fab bikini!

WHAT WOULD I FEEL?
Calm
Content
and in Control

WHAT WOULD I HEAR?
Compliments- from my husband, friends and family
Me being a good mum to my kids- loving and encouraging

Pete said if you wnat something that you haven't got, you don't want it enough. And it struck me during the meeting, the problem isn't that I don't want to be slim, fit and healthy. Its that I also want to be able to eat and drink what I like, when i like, to numb myself and to treat myself and to celebrate. So I have to decide- how much do I really want the latter? And is it worth giving up my wanting to be healthy? The answer is a resounding NO. So I'm ditching that want and I'm really going for my lovely healthy goals.

I'm going to carry on keeping my food diary because putting it on the hone is easy and convenient, and it really helps me be conscious of the programme all through the day.
Off to try and download the mp3 now
Night all xx

Definitely a mixed bag yesterday- I was on the go non-stop. Took the kids swimming and managed to do a few lengths myself- it's so much easier now they are older...at least we are in the big pool, they are all in their depth in the shallow end and they can all swim a bit. Came home, cooked Sunday lunch and ate it (slowly! Hurrah, I did it!). Went to asda and did the fastest food shop in the world as there was only half an hour before it closed, did about 8 loads of washing, cleaned the bathroom...I think I can tick 'being as active as possible'. I also drank my 2 litres water, and only ate when hungry. And I did manage to eat slowly- or at least much slower than I would normally! I made the kids a sandwich for tea, but I was still full from our late sunday lunch- ended up having some soup and a couple of ryvita and cheese at about 11 pm when I got hungry. I wanted to get the ironing pile all done, so after I'd got the kids into bed, I put on the DVD of series 1 of Greek which had just arrived from amazon and did the ironing to it. Unfortunately, I listened to the duck telling me I deserved a treat for doing all this hard work, and I opened a bottle of wine...ended up drinking far more than Rose would have ( I need a new tool- drinking slowly!). I didn't finish the ironing until 1am, then I decided to finish the whole DVD, so didn't go to bed until 2am. Which isn't really looking after myself. So I'm pleased with myself for getting all that stuff done (and ticking it off on my phone's to do list) and really pleased for eating slowly as it is far and away the most difficult tool for me. As for the alcohol wobble, well- in line with the weeble video today, I'm looking back, working out what happened, planning what I would do differently next time, and letting it go. So- I didn't recognise the duck 's voice telling me 'I deserve a treat'. I need to keep Rose close by my side, because she would have had 1 small glass of wine, she would have drunk it slowly out of our hand made dartington wine glasses that we got for a wedding present, she wouldn't have been watching a DVD or doing the ironing at the same time, she would have been concentrating on savouring the flavour with all her attention. Then she'd have put the bottle back in the fridge, washed up the lovely glass and poured herself some sparkling water to drink while ironing. SO that's what I'll do next time.
II must keep an ear out for that 'I deserve a treat' phrase- and ask Rose what sort of treat she would give herself, because I'm guessing it wouldn't be shoving her own bodyweight of galaxy and sauvignon blanc in her mouth!
Things to remember next time I want to 'treat' myself with food or alcohol- it isn't treating myself to abuse my body. It will take me further away from being the person I want to be- slim, fit, healthy and elegant.
SO today: I've walked the dog, but unfortunately it was icy and so I couldn't do any jogging apart from one tiny stretch. I'm going to clean the other bathroom and my en-suite and do my Davina DVD. Actaully, I will have to clean the sitting room before I can do Davina- I hate to think what state the rug is in- I'm certainly not doing situps on it until it's hoovered. So it looks like I'll have a clean house by the end of today- at least by my standards!
Have a great day, everyone, and I'll see you online girls tomorrow evening
Ros xx

Have been spending the last two days doing a huge amount of organising- catching up with things and getting ahead of myself. Bank statements now balanced, plasterer booked, oil ordered (more than 50p a litre- ouch!), and loads and loads of other niggly jobs that I'd been putting off for ages all ticked off my to do list. My i-phone arrived and I'm completely in love with it- I can keep my food diary really easily in the notes section because whether i'm at work or at home,eating out or in, my phone is always with me- no excuses not to be 100% accurate ;)
Eating when hungry has been going well, but eating slowly, especially today was poor. This is something that I can really use to push myself with because I do find it difficult. So I hereby commit to making tomorrow the official 'Rose teaches Ros to eat slowly' day!
I had a tricky time this afternoon as we'd promised we'd take the kids to the Flaming Dragon- oriental buffet. I'd never been there before and I was worried about the healthy eating options, but on the whole I made good choices. Apart from prawn toast. Which I ate. Too quickly. THe food was good and I had sushi for the first time, plus a tiger prawn stir fry that I chose the ingredients for then they cooked for me. Fruit salad for pud. Next time- pick smaller portions (I did eat too much) choose soup to start and ignore the small voices of the prawn toasts calling me. Oh- and don't have wine, drink water. Got to get over that 'we hardly ever go out to eat so I deserve a glass of wine' mentality. I need to keep Rose close on occasions like this in the future. On the plus side, waiting for my stir fry to be cooked meant I was pausing while everyone else was stuffing themselves.
I walked the dog really fast yesterday for 45 mins as I was expecting my phone and I didn't want to miss the delivery man. I did do the jogging as planned, and touch wood no painful heels this morning, so I'll carry on. Today has been relatively sendentary, which I need to tackle, but i've been setting up the to do list and stuff on the phone, so I hope the sedentary time today will be an investment, as I've definitely been far more active overall since I did my to do list- and mentally I've been buzzing. the duck hasn't got a word in edgeways.
So tomorrow, I'm going to listen to the relaxation mp3 (might even download it onto the phone if I can work out how!) and do some energetic exercise, including walking the dog with intermittent jogging and EAT SLOWLY.
Love to all xx

I have been keeping a handwritten journal in a rather fabulous notebook bound with ivory silk, silver thread and silver sequins (Rose approves... she's got expensive tastes...I could get to like that!) that I got from WHSmith in November. Over the last couple of days I've only had the time to log on to watch the videos, but not to blog. I've just got back from my friends' house after choir, so I'll catch up now, even though it's 1am so technically day 4.
Day 2
The bit of the video I really noticed this time was about learning to walk, and babies using role models. Rose is proving to be a fab role model. For those that haven't read the original post, Rose is the name I gave to my inner friend and role model- the opposite of the duck . Imagining her as a person has proved really powerful. She's exactly what I want to be.
I did well on eating when hungry and drinking water. Also ate natural foods, no sugar or stimulants, and since I couldn't get the car off the ice rink that was my drive, I took the dog for a 45 min walk with two of my kids who couldn't get to school. Kept my food diary as well.

Day 3
The video hotspot today was that sentence'it's easy for us to slip into doing things we've always done before and play well within our capabilities.' I feel like I could just slip into petecohen.tving the way I usually do. But this time I want to experiment with being wholehearted- really step up and push myself to aim further than I've ever dared before. Joining Shoana's 50 by 50 challenge is part of that.
I've had the worst day I can remember for a long time in terms of external factors, ranging from a professional disagreement with someone senior at work, my lunch time homemade leek and stilton soup exploding out of my thermos and splattering every surface in my office with gone off, fermenting stilton in milk (I didn't put it in the fridge after I made it but thought it would be ok cos it was only veg, forgetting the blue bits in the stilton were made of live bugs- doh!). Something else happened a work that made me feel criticised (usually a major flashpoint for me, though I am getting better at being objective). I was really looking forward to the first choir practice of the year, then I discovered that I'd put my mate and I down to do the teas and coffees for the 80odd choir members about 2 months ago then forgotten. So I had to rush off to get milk and biscuits etc to keep the punters happy. And to cap it all we're singing Poulenc and some modern stuff and it sounds awful- I really don't feel like paying my choir membership fees to sing this! In case you hadn't guessed the work stuff (unlike the choir stuff) is actually quite a big deal and v stressy.
However, I have not stuffed my feelings down with food, I've managed to stay low GL so am only getting true hunger coming through rather than carb craving. I am actually having a glass of wine as I type this but not in a wanting to alter my feelings kind of way. Pat on the back for me so far :)
Tomorrow, if the path is clearer, I will try 30 seconds of jogging every 5 mins on the dog walk, to start getting back into running. I know that much sounds pathetic, but my poor feet will collapse if I push oit too much. Slow and steady increases in impact, and I hope they will cope.
Here's to day 4
Night all xx

Pete asked us on the online course to commit to watching the videos every day and search for something new. The bit I really noticed this time was 'you get out of anything exactly what you put in'. I really am determined to step right up to the mark and challenge myself to be great at this programme. I haven't REALLY pushed myself before- so let's be a scientist, try something different and see what happens!

I've watched the Ronnie O'Sullivan podcast and commented as requested.
I'm going to keep a food diary of everything I put in my mouth for the next week as requested.

Waist measured- 42'' and head measured (what next?!) 22''

What do I want to achieve in 10 weeks?
I want to have the mental habits of a slim person- ie my imaginary friend Rose (I'm so glad I thought of that- I know it is probably bad news to start having imaginary friends when I'll be 43 next month, but it is really working- Eddison eat your heart out!)
I want to have started learning to dance ballroom and latin.
I want to have more fun in my life
I want to have more relaxation in my life
I want to be able to eat slowly and mindfully

How do I feel about where I am now?
Determined, embarrassed (I first joined in August 2007 and here I am still as overweight, if not more so having fallen off the Petewagon so many times- but I'm getting closer to that tungsten wire!), excited, a bit anxious...

What do I want to gain?
Good eating habits
Good thinking habits
Good exercise habits

It was great to meet up, good to feel part of a real team. And I am definitely going to the vitality show on the Saturday and staying Saturday night if it's the petecohen.tv's 2nd birthday! Party party...Yippeee

THings I can do for myself to help myself to my goal:
1. Be kind to myself
2. Be my own best friend
3. Love myself and treat myself with the same respect and compassion I would offer others
4. Don't allow myself to make excuses
5. Keep on keeping on
6. Never give up
7. Keep focussed on my goal
8. Commit 100% to the 50 by 50 challenge
9. Put all possible effort into this
10. Don't be afraid of success
11. Don't dwell on the past
12. Learn from mistakes and move on
13. Don't over analyse
14. Keep it simple
15. Ask for help when I need it
16. Blog the hard times, don't swallow them down with chocolate
17. Treat my body with the respect it deserves, not like a dustbin
18. Find the pause button between impulse and action
19. Keep thinking while acting
20. Concentrate on the beauty of food
21. Keep myself hydrated
22. Get into the habit of meditating again
23. Treat myself as though I'm already there
24. Invest time and energy in my appearance- I deserve it
25. Keep the kitchen tidy- no visible food- why make things harder?
26. Practise resistance training- just say no!
27. Recognise self-justifications for actions that will take me further from my goal and challenge them
28. Don't let myself get away with being half-hearted
29. Plan ahead- preferably the night before
30. Take lunch to work
31. Never be without healthy snacks
32. Eat when 7 or more on the hunger scale
33. Use a smaller plate
34. Don't eat more than I can hold in my cupped hands at one sitting
35. Keep low GL- don't get on the sugar rollercaoster in the first place
36. Drink wine to savour the taste, not to blot things out
37. Do things differently once ina while
38. Put away plates straight after first serving
39. Don't put anything past my lips unless my full attention is on it
40. Treat myself now- manicure, facial, aromatherapy massage. I deserve it.
41. Give myself credit
42. Be true to myself
43. Be a scientist
44. Don't catastrophise
45. Keep practising shutting the duck up
46. Experiment with new recipes
47. Get the veg garden going this year
48. Get the family to choose active things to do at weekends
49. Learn to dance
50. Be open new ideas

Just caught up on the blog and saw Shoana's ideas- excellent idea! I came up with 20 odd reasons before and thought that was good....but this is about being exceptional :)
1. I would have more confidence
2. I would feel better when meeting new people
3. I would feel better when seeing people I haven't seen for a while
4. I'd feel in control of myself
5. I'll feel so proud of myself for overcoming this problem
6. My mood would be generally better
7. I'd like looking in the mirror
8. I'll feel like complimenting myself
9. I'll get more compliments from others
10. My family will be so proud of me
11. I'll look good in fabulous clothes
12.I'll be able to justify buying some really good quality stuff when my weight is stable
13. I'll be able to buy silk undies!
14. I'll have much more choice of fitness gear
15. I'll feel sexy and attractive
16. I'll be able to run again
17. I'll be able to do DIY without getting stuck in awkward spaces
18. I'll be able to sit in the kitchen chair with the arms without them pinching my bum and thighs
19. I'll be able to buckle sandals easily
20. I'll be able to put tights on easily
21. I'll be able to wear high heels without my feet hurting
22. I'll be less likely to get plantar fasciitis
23. I'll be more supple and flexible
24. My heart will be fitter
25. My muscles will be toned and strong
26. My balance will be better
27. I'll be less likely to get heart disease
28. I'll be less likely to get high blood pressure
29. I'll be less likely to get type 2 diabetes
30. I'll be less likely to get bowel, breast and gynae cancers
31. I'll be less likely to get depressed
32. I'll be more likely to be around for my children's adult lives
33. I'll be less likely to get osteoporosis and hip fractures
34. I'll be more likely to enjoy my old age
35. I'll feel good about myself
36. I'll be a good role model
37. I will be able to reach my full potential
38. My skin and hair will look better
39. I'll look more graceful when I move
40. I'll have more energy
41. I'll have more time for important stuff when i'm not worrying about food
42. I'll set a good example for my family
43. I''l have more mental space to think and relax
44. I'll love myself and value myself more
45. I'll be happy in my own head
46. I won't avoid cameras
47. I'll feel comfortable and confident at the swimming pool
48. I'll feel great on the beach
49. I'll be fit enought to learn to do the quickstep
50. I will be a slim, strong, fit and elegant woman :)