2015 and all the grand plans...

New Year Resolutions - love them or hate them, it's a great time for reassessing and planning the upcoming year.

Coupled with the obligatory public holidays, the quiet time allows for the ability to sneak off to a corner of the world to think. 

Where do I wanna be in 365 days? What do I want to change in that time? What do I want to continue, grow, get stronger, lose, stop, or walk away from?

A lot of people will tell you to start from the beginning. I prefer to start from the end. Make plans based on where I want to be at years end, rather than where I am now. 

So, with that in mind, I can then plan the steps to get where I want to be. Wanna be stronger?  Schedule in some Pump classes, Wanna run a marathon? Start with the Coach to 5k App.

I liken this to being in a yacht. It's all very well to say you want to go sailing, but you must have an end destination in mind or you spend your holidays bobbing up n down in the local Marina. yea, you're on a yacht and yes you're sailing, but is that really what you wanted?

So, this new year, the beautiful cool dawning of 2015, as the sun rises on your new year, schedule in some time for yourself this year.

Much love and wishes of a safe n healthy new year. J

Two more sleeps..

The carols are playing, the shopping is done, the champers is chilling, and I'm out of mun!  Lol, how's that for some festive prose? 

But seriously, I'm sorted. The presents are complete, the food is prepared, the drinks are on ice. It's all systems go for the one big family day of the year. 

The laughs, the good natured ribbing, the tickling, the obligatory beer at 6am.. I love it. I wait all year for this one day, where we all get together to chill. 

Usually there's an over abundance of food and wine. This year, it's different. The food is home made, lovingly prepared by Cate and I, with Hugo cooking the roast for lunch. My Xmas will come ready made by loving hands not prepackaged or factory mass produced. 

The family recipes handed down from generation to generation are used, with the tricks and techniques passed on, in case one year, I'm not here. I'm one of those cooks who measure by feel, and transferring those skills to Cate is hard, almost a cup of that, a cup and a splash of that.. Maybe it would have been easier to measure, but where's the fun in that? 

I will, without a doubt, eat food I know isn't the best choice, but you know what? One bad choice doesn't make a huge difference, it's the consistent bad choices that matter. 

So, this Xmas Day, eat, drink and be merry. Love those children and laugh till your lungs hurt, but most importantly, relax, enjoy, and have a glass of champagne to celebrate a fabulous year! 

With much much love at Xmas time. 

Jak.  

Get thin, get smart, get rich.

Oops, time has once again gotten away from me.

With all good intentions, I try to blog bi weekly, and then it happens. Life. It gets in the way. I get busy, I get slack, I get lazy, or maybe I'm just utilising avoidance tactics.

Writing a blog is soul bareing, and sometimes I forget that people actually read what I write,what I feel and they know all about what I'm thinking...  Having strangers approach me and talk about my latest blog scares me sometimes, especially if it's a subject close to my heart. I forget that I'm not just a nobody, with thoughts and feelings of disappointment, happiness, frustration and fear, that other people too are feeling the same. It's weird, exhilarating to think that my words on a screen can sometimes resonate with people, yet it can creep me out when some random lady at Coles, comments on my shopping trolley contents.

So, I've been missing in action again, getting my head straight, thinking about the positive effects of this blog, and trying not to worry about the Trolley Sniffers. Yes, I know I talk about not eating cereal, but the particular brand I have in my trolley is gluten free, consisting of nuts n seeds, with a little dried fruit, and by the way, why the hell do I feel I need to justify myself to you?

I've spent this last week in Brisbane, reflecting on the past year and how I've spent my time. The majority of it has been exercising, eating well and being health focused. I've travelled a lot, seen fabulous new places and met wonderful people. Some of my time however, has been hiding away from the masses and laying safe in my blanket fort, overwhelmed with the world and all it's contents. I'm human. I feel pain, and hurt and stress. I get discouraged when my skirt feels tighter than last week, I get lonely when I'm home all by myself, I get bored and I over eat. But over the years,  I have learned to distract myself as much as possible, to find a route that takes me further from the fridge, and closer to my goals.

This year, I also decided to get back into coaching, I have had ten totally committed clients who have just smashed their goals this year, they have set themselves targets, stepped up to the mark and just got the job done without any looking back. I'm very proud of these guys. They are the people that make my job worth it. They are the people who have made major transformation this year, and they deserve to be really proud of themselves, because I'm proud of the personal commitment they have shown.

There are also clients, who are just not ready, yet. They know they should lose weight, make healthier choices, yet still don't. These are the people I love to work with,  because getting that head into the right spot, for whatever reason, is the turning point. The light switch that goes on and bam, the game changes for the better. Getting clients to see that there is hope, there is opportunity, and to understand why they are carrying their weight around, is so cathartic. Is it a barrier to keep people away, is it emotional weight from someone else, is it even your junk you're carrying??  This will be the focus for next year, helping people move forward and away from the emotional and psychological baggage that they lug about.. Release those burdens and see how good they feel. 

I've also used this week as a planning opportunity for 2015. If you don't plan or ask for what you want, how does the body know what you're aiming for? Remember the old biblical quote, Ask and Ye Shall Receive? I need you to spend a moment to think on what you're asking for, what is it that you put out to the universe? Eg, I am strong, fit and healthy vs I can never loose weight?

As Xmas fast approaches, I'd love for you to find the time, to focus on the things you achieved this year, and the things that are still on your list.

Wishing for a trip to New York? Get that on your list. Investigate flights, accommodation, put money aside for this every week? Is $50 a week more important in the bank for your trip or in the pokies every Friday?
Need a new man? Write a shopping list of every trait you wish this man to have - and then trust he universe to find him for you. Don't laugh, this works!

If you only have time for one personal thing between now and New Years, do this. Write that damn list. Put everything on it. Want 5k in the bank at years end, write it down. Want to fit into a bikini for your cruise, write it down.

Then, put it in a drawer till the Xmas madness is over. Once the world has calmed again, get it out, and refine it. Put plans in place behind every goal. Small steps to get you where you wanna be.

Amongst my goals for 2015, is to continue my exercise journey, find more enjoyable ways to exercise eg my new found love for Zumba, blog more regularly and focus more on group sessions for SYMMYA in the area. These are a lot more specific, but you're getting the gist. 

Get Thin, Get Smart, Get Rich, was my mantra for many a year, and it worked. I had smaller steps behind each of these, get thin was obvious, get smart was a trigger for me to focus on making smarter personal choices and complete some study, and get rich was a reminder to save enough money to provide my kids with a safe haven, a home to come to when the world gets harsh. Having that broken down into a quick, easy to remember Mantra was a great way for me to stay focussed. 

"Love more, laugh more, learn more" is my new Mantra. 

Look out 2015, I'm coming for you. 

Healthy on Holudays

I know it can be hard to 'be good' on Holidays, especially when  when it comes to food choices. 

So, I'm in Ireland, land of beef pies and mashed potato, and I'll be honest, I've been worried about how I was going to manage to eat well. 

I don't know why I worried. We have had amazing food and a range of choices at each meal, I'm feeling way more confident today. 

Yesterday started with a really long walk into town, coffee then the walk home. A slice of home baked bread went down a treat. I usually have gluten related issues after eating bread, but one slice of this bread, made with minimal preservatives apparently was fine. And tasty! 

Lunch was the best tasting Tomato Soup I have ever eaten! Randomly came across a lunch spot in the town of Navan, after hearing the chefs singing whilst We walked thru the lane. No food is better than one cooked by a happy chef! 

Dinner last night was at a Lebanese bistro and  was divine. Lebanese lamp chops cooked with spices and herbs, along with carrot mash. Yum! 

Hugo and I walked for hours yesterday, we climbed spiral stair cases, and run up hills, I don't think we have anything to worry about with our exercise levels! 

Off to work today, I'm excited! 

OMG I'm going stir crazy!

19 hours straight on a plane is enough to do anyone's head in, but particularly for someone like me who is not used to sitting down for long periods of time. I'm starting to get bored, and fidgety, and I'm starting to enjoy annoying Hugo, purely for my own entertainment. 

I had prepared books, a notepad, and a list of things to do whilst on the plane, but I had almost polished all of those off, during the 6 hour delay on the Tarmac in Brisbane. I currently need a stretch, a big glass of water, some fresh air. I'm counting my blessings that the people that are also inhabiting this small space, don't smell bad, are quite personable, and are not totally impatient pricks like some others,a few rows back. 

By the time we get off this plane, we will have been sitting for 20 hours... With still another 7 hour flight to go! But, no point complaining, I'm very lucky to be here to experience it. No doubt Emirates will meet us in the gate Lounge and give us rescheduled information for the connection that we have already missed. So, I have nothing to worry about except time itself, and how best to use it without Hugo stabbing me with a plastic fork.

The extra hours have given me plenty of opportunity to think. About food choices and the effects on the body, lack of exercise and the effect that has on the body also.. I've watched parents fill their kids with lollies, then growl when they cannot sit still. I've watched people eat their food so quickly, I'm sure they didn't taste it.. And I've noticed these are also the same people looking for more food from the hostess an hour later. I have also wondered why a caterer would feed 680 people confined to a very small space, baked beans for breakfast. 

I've also thought about adults using the oxygen mask first, before fitting their children's. Everyone enroute accepts that as a given. We listen to the steward and read the emergency card in the seat pocket in front of us. It Makes sense, of course you cannot help your children if you don't first fit your mask. You are of no value to anyone, least of all your children, if you fall ill in an emergency situation. 

Agree?

Then why is it that most mothers, will dedicate their time, their energy, their oxygen, their life force, to assisting everyone else surrounding them, putting themselves last all the time?

Does that sound familiar? Are you one of these people who thinks scheduling time to maximise your health and well being, is selfish? 

Do you ever stop to think that your children would prefer to have you healthy, happy and around for a long time? That your husband would prefer you were fit enough to spend your retirement travelling and enjoying yourselves?

Do you think its time to change? To spend an hour a day in the pursuit of health and happiness. One hour. That's not much time. People tell me they are unable to find time to exercise, or shop for healthy food, yet they can fill me in on what's happening on the latest TV series? Prioritise your time and think long term. Are your current habits going to sustain you into your 80's? 

If you cannot find time in your current waking hours, get up an hour earlier. The weather is perfect for early morning walks, the gyms are open 24 hours these days. There are no excuses. 

This week, whilst I am wandering about the Emerald Isle in search of free wifi, I want you to stop and think, what would happen if you were too sick to care for your family? Who would have the kids, who would do the shopping, the washing, the cooking, the cleaning? And then ask yourself if you are happy about that situation. Ask yourself if you are looking after yourself and your family, in the smartest possible way? Ask yourself if you watch more TV than exercise? Ask yourself where you can add in an hour of health focus, whether that be exercise, de cluttering your mind, buying healthy food, or taking time out for a long bath by candlelight. 

Stop making excuses, and start making a difference. 

Wellness Coaching ... Why?

I've had many queries about Wellness Coaching recently, and why it's working.

Wellness coaching is about making changes, tweaking your lifestyle in how you eat, exercise, and how you think. 

Self belief makes a massive difference to how you think, feel and behave. Wellness coaching gives you the power to make the changes required for maximum health. 

There's no pills, potions or shakes, it's not willpower. It's self empowerment. You can do this, you are in charge of your body. You know what you need to do to make your body operate at peak performance, wellness coaching works through the reasons why you don't! 

Little things can make a huge difference, even a 1% change a day will make an amazing difference long term. Wellness coaching will help re-ignite your passion and zest for life.

Sessions usually last an hour and are tailored for you specifically. This is not a one in, all in approach, together we will get to the bottom of why you are overweight, and create strategies in conquering them. 

It sounds like a simple process, because it is. Don't delay it any longer. Make an appointment and make a difference. 

Holidays don't have to mean weight gain.

Holidays... Usually symbolistic of over indulgence and a break from the old exercise routines. But it does not have to be that way. With a little forward planning and a tiny bit of organisation, your holiday does not have to mean the end of all your hard work.

Plan to take healthy snacks on the flight, to alleviate the mid flight munchies. Drink lots of water during the flight and avoid alcohol.

Once at your destination, walk a lot. So many hidden gems can be found just when out walking. That incredible sunset, the cliff face that can't be seen from the road, the animals in the paddocks, the hidden shops and cafés down the arcades and hidden from the high street. These are the things that make your holiday unique. Special. Unforgettable. Yours.

In your hotel room, you can do tricep dips on the chairs or the edge of the table, you could swim in the hotel pool,  do push-ups, run up the stairs instead of using the elevator. Carry your own shopping. Run along the beach. Pack resistance bands in your bag, they are really light and are so versatile.

Eat mindfully. Try the locally cooked foods, freshly made salads, fruit, veges. Stay away from the Macca's, the KFC's, the Hungry Hippo's etc, and eat locally grown foods. Taste the local delicacies, sample the cuisine and savour the flavours. Don't miss out on anything, but make sure what you are eating is freshly prepared.

Hugo and I are off to Ireland and the UK for a month. 30 days of English and Irish breakfasts, of Guinness and Pear Cider.
My plan, which I am hoping will work, is to eat a protein based breakfast, no doubt much later than we eat here, and a sensible sized dinner. Lunch, if I'm hungry will be very light, probably a piece of fruit.

I've also factored in exercise every day. Walking, hill climbing, zip lining, bike riding. Yes, we are doing a road trip of Ireland, but that doesn't mean that we have to be stuck in the car all day long. Ireland is a gorgeous country and the opportunity for exercise based sight seeing is vast. No, I'm not keen in lining up for three hours to see the Book of Kells, but I would love to do the Ghost Walk for the same amount of time that evening, thanks.

Holidays are all about you. About your attitude and how you treat yourself. How you relax and enjoy your down time. Me? I choose to exercise on my holidays, because I've worked way too damn hard to throw away all my great work.

So, as the school holidays approach, and I see Facebook status' counting down to cruises, trips to NZ, and Fiji, take the time to prepare. Make this holiday an active one, a healthy one, and live long enough to enjoy many many more.

I'm going to spend my time, trying to figure out if this photo is really telling me the truth... :) wish me luck.