Checking in

Weight in week 14

Losing weight, drinking water and on my way to a new life!

Week 13 after a slump

Hi all

Here is my week 11 update after a time of rest, a loooong rest haah..

That Fateful Day

Who could of known
Who could of seen
What was to unfold
Was more than a dream.

For years I pretended all was okay
That the dreams and visions would go away
But as they took Him I knew this was real
I could hardly breathe, my heart was still.

My baby boy who once laid in hay
Now laid in the court on that fateful day
Broken, whipped, naked and torn
His eyes weary, his body worn.

When He looked at me I could see the strain
As he felt my heart, felt my pain
All I could do was stand there helplessly
He was thinking of others, thinking of me.

I watched as they hung my boy on a cross
I watched as his clothes were tossed
My innocent baby, my firstborn son
I watched as there was nothing that could be done.

And as you breathed your final words
I could not believe what I had heard
"Forgive them Father, for they don't know what they do"
Then you were gone, your pain was through.

Transient ischaemic attack (TIA)

A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) is caused by a temporary cut in blood supply to the brain, due to the partial blockage of an artery by a blood clot or debris. A TIA has the same symptoms as a stroke, but they are temporary as the clot naturally dissolves or is dislodged from the blockage. A TIA does not usually cause long-term brain damage.

A person who has had a TIA, or ‘mini-stroke’, is at greater risk of having a stroke or heart attack. Early identification of symptoms and a diagnosis from your doctor greatly reduces the chances of a major stroke.

TIA is an early warning for stroke

A stroke interrupts blood flow to an area of the brain. A blood clot could block a blood vessel or (more rarely) a blood vessel might break. Brain cells in the immediate area are starved of oxygen and die. Without prompt medical treatment, the surrounding brain cells may also die.

A TIA has identical symptoms to a stroke, but these last for less than 24 hours and are followed by a full recovery. A TIA is a powerful warning that an area of the brain is being deprived of blood and that a stroke may follow in the next few hours, days, weeks or months. Urgent medical attention is needed.

Symptoms

The specific symptoms of a TIA depend on which areas of the brain are being deprived of blood. They can include:

• Visual problems, such as blurring or reduced vision in one or both eyes
• Numbness, weakness or paralysis of the face
• Numbness, weakness or paralysis in an arm or leg, on either or both sides of the body
• Difficulty speaking or understanding
• Dizziness
• Loss of balance
• Swallowing difficulties
• Severe headache or an unusual change in headache pattern
• Nausea
• Vomiting.

The FAST test is an easy way to recognise and remember the common signs of stroke or a TIA. The FAST test involves asking three simple questions. If the person has a problem with any of these functions, dial triple zero (000) to call an ambulance immediately:

• Facial weakness – can the person smile; have their mouth or eyes drooped?
• Arm weakness – can the person raise both arms?
• Speech difficulty – can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
• Time to act – act FAST and call 000 immediately.

If you suddenly experience any of these symptoms, get to a hospital immediately. Remember, stroke is a life-threatening emergency.

Temporary loss of blood supply

The carotid arteries in the neck supply blood to the head. These arteries branch into smaller blood vessels in order to service the brain. If one of these blood vessels is temporarily blocked – by a blood clot or piece of fatty debris – then the symptoms of TIA will occur. If the blockage remains, the person will experience a full stroke. Sometimes, the cause of a TIA is a haemorrhage, when a small blood vessel inside the brain bursts.

Risk factors

Some of the risk factors for TIA and stroke are outside the individual’s control, such as advancing age, gender (men are more likely than women to experience stroke) and family history. However, most risk factors can be attributed to lifestyle factors and can be changed.

Lifestyle-related risk factors include:

• High blood pressure
• Cigarette smoking
• Unmanaged diabetes
• High cholesterol levels
• Lack of regular exercise
• Overconsumption of alcohol, such as frequent binge drinking
• Obesity
• High fat diet, particularly saturated fats
• High salt diet, which can cause high blood pressure.

High-risk groups

A full stroke within three months (or more commonly within the first week) of a TIA is more likely under certain circumstances, including:

• If the TIA lasts for longer than 10 minutes
• If TIA symptoms include weakness and speech problems
• If the person is older than 60 years
• If the person has high blood pressure
• If the person has diabetes.

Diagnosis

A TIA is a medical emergency and you should always seek immediate help. It is important that your medical team distinguishes between a TIA and stroke so they can decide on the right treatment for you. Medical history of specific symptoms and neurological examination provide the most important information required to diagnose a TIA.

The cause of a TIA is determined using a number of tests including:

• Physical examination, including blood pressure measurement
• Blood tests
• Electrocardiogram (ECG) tests to check for abnormal heart rhythms
• Chest x-ray
• Computed tomography (CT) scan of the head
• Ultrasound scan of the carotid arteries
• Heart ultrasound (echocardiogram) to check for heart disease.

Treatment

Treatment aims to prevent the person from experiencing a stroke. Some of the options may include:

• Drugs, such as aspirin, to reduce the risk of blood clots forming in the blood
• The blood-thinning drug warfarin, if the blood clot was caused by heart problems such as atrial fibrillation (abnormal heart rhythms)
• Antihypertensive medication, if your blood pressure is too high
• Drugs to lower cholesterol, if your blood cholesterol is too high
• Surgery to remove the blockage inside an affected carotid artery (carotid endarterectomy). Sometimes, surgery is needed on both arteries.

Lifestyle changes

A person who has experienced a TIA needs to make lifestyle changes to reduce their risk of stroke, including:

• Stop smoking, since cigarette smoke narrows arteries and makes the blood ‘sticky’ and more likely to clot.
• Switch to a low fat, low salt, high fibre diet.
• Strictly limit your dietary intake of saturated fats to help reduce your blood cholesterol.
• Maintain a healthy weight for your height.
• Exercise regularly.
• Limit alcohol to no more than one or two standard drinks per day.
• Properly control diabetes.

Where to get help

• Always dial triple zero (000) to call an ambulance if you think someone is having a stroke or TIA
• Your doctor
• Emergency department of your nearest hospital
• Neurologist (brain doctor)
• National Stroke Foundation StrokeLine Tel. 1800 787 653

Things to remember

• A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) is a minor stroke and provides a powerful warning that a stroke may follow in the next few hours, days, weeks or months.
• A TIA has identical symptoms to stroke; however, these last for less than 24 hours and are followed by a full recovery.
• A TIA is a medical emergency.
• Treatment aims to prevent the person from experiencing a stroke and may include drugs and lifestyle changes.
  
  http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Transient_ischaemic_attack

Weigh in week 9

Hi all

Weigh in week 9 and a discussion about Sometimes food..

What are your sometimes foods?

Weigh in Day week 8!

Hi again

This is my Vlog of weigh in day week 8.

I had a really bad week in terms of food and exercise but I am pleased to report that this week is going great!

Sometimes we need to be real and honest about our slip ups and then get back on the right track! Remember this is our year!!

Having fun with Miss 2

Sometimes exercise can be a chore and boring but other times it can be fun!

The other day Anastasia and I had some  fun with lifting exercises.. I tell you my arms felt the burn haha.

I hope you enjoy our little video of funnies mwah xoxo

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!

Hi beautiful people..

I am back with a vengeance!! I started this year at 126 kilos and am now 115! So a loss of 11 kilos so far (Soooo excited)

I have been Vlogging and have my own Facebook page now so that is pretty cool.

I will be posting videos of my Vlog for you and will post this years when I get home..

I hope you are all going well, this is our year!

The Cycle

I wake up and get out of bed
So many thoughts in my head
I feed the baby as I think of my day
No time to rest and play.

I open the pantry for something to eat
Something easy that I don't have to heat
There is no milk or even fruit
It is as empty as Mother Hubbards boot!

The bread beckons me, lovely and white
Oh those nasty carbs are hard to fight
Lathered with butter all nice and warm
I only had one piece I could of sworn!!

But as I look 3 pieces are gone
And I am hungry again before too long
With the weather wet and shops far
I decide for a chocolate bar.

Lunch time comes and I dread
To even think of more bread
So the quickest thing for me to snack
Is some chips in a pack.

So here I am near the end of the day
I have failed is all I can say
Is dinner going to be nice and healthy?
No, it's tuna sausage rolls for me!

Facts about Avocado and Bananas

 Avocado-

 

1. Protein

Avocadoes provide all 18 essential amino acids necessary for the body to form a complete protein. Unlike the protein in steak, which is difficult for most people to digest, avocado protein is readily absorbed by the body because avocadoes also contain fiber. If you are trying to cut down on animal sources of protein in your diet, or if you are a vegetarian, vegan or raw foodist seeking more protein, avocadoes are a great nutritional ally to include not merely as an occasional treat, but as a regular part of your diet.

2. Beneficial Fats

Avocadoes provide the healthy kind of fat that your body needs. Like olive oil, avocadoes boost levels of HDL (the "good" cholesterol). HDL cholesterol can help protect against the damage caused by free radicals. This type of cholesterol also helps regulate triglyceride levels, preventing diabetes. A study published early this year in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that a vegetarian diet, which includes HDL fats, can reduce levels of LDL (the "bad" cholesterol) as effectively as statin drugs.

3. Carotenoids

Avocadoes are an excellent source of carotenoids. Although many people associate carotenoids only with red and orange produce, avocadoes are also an excellent source of this phytonutrient. Avocadoes, also known as alligator pears, offer a diverse range of carotenoids including not only the better known ones such as beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and lutein, but also lesser known varieties of this type of phytonutrient such as neoxanthin, zeaxanthin, chrysanthemaxanthin, neochrome, beta-cryptoxanthin and violaxanthin. Every time you consume foods rich in carotenoids, you deliver high quality vitamin A to your body, thereby protecting eye health. Carotenoids also enhance the functioning of the immune system and promote healthy functioning of the reproductive system. Since carotenoids are fat soluble, eating avocadoes optimizes the absorption of these nutrients.

4.Anti-Inflammatory

The combined effect of the deluxe package of nutrients contained in avocadoes offers powerful anti-inflammatory benefits. Avocadoes' unique combination of Vitamins C and E, carotenoids, selenium, zinc, phytosterols and omega-3 fatty acids helps guard against inflammation. This means avocadoes can help prevent or mitigate against both osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis.

5. Heart Health

The fat content, which causes some uninformed health "experts" to deem avocadoes as unhealthy, actually provides protection against heart diseases. Studies have shown that oleic acid improves cardiovascular health. Oleic acid is the primary fatty acid in avocadoes. Many people now take supplements in order to consume more omega-3 fatty acids to lower their risk of heart disease. Avocadoes are rich in omega-3, delivering 160 milligrams per cup of alpha-linolenic acid.

6. Choosing and Eating

To get the most nutritional value from avocadoes, avoid those which have become over-ripe. You can identify these at the store because they will have dents and feel overly soft when you hold them. A ripe avocado should have no dents in its skin and will feel slightly soft when squeezed. You can also buy unripe avocadoes, which feel very hard when gripped, and permit them to ripen at home. The portion of the avocado closest to the skin is the most dense in nutrients, so be sure to scrape the skin clean before discarding it.

Bananas

Avocado

Food and Depression

Hello faithful readers

Not many of you know this but I suffer from depression and anxiety. My anxiety is worse than my depression but when I get anxious it fuels my depression, vicious cycle hey!
I have seen over the years that if I am not eating right or exercising I become less tolerant and I can't seem to cope with things as well. It is the same as when I was drinking cola everyday, it would fuel my anxiety and I would be freaking out all the time.

I thought I would post this article that I found on the internet and you could then click on the link to expand the information. It is well worth the read and very helpful. I know I will be taking in some of that sunshine today  :-)

Depression

Depression is rated by the World Health Organisation as the leading cause of disease burden amongst high income countries. Depression is characterised by feelings of worthlessness or guilt, poor concentration, loss of energy, fatigue, thoughts of suicide or preoccupation with death, loss or increase of appetite and weight, a disturbed sleep pattern, slowing down (both physically and mentally), agitation (restlessness or anxiety). If you think you are feeling down, try our free depression test questionnaire to check your mood.
There are many factors that can contribute to the development of depression such as psychological issues or biochemical imbalances, and triggers such as major stress or trauma.
There are also a number of nutritional imbalances that can make you prone to depression such as:

• essential fats –Do you need more Omega 3?;
• homocysteine – Is it too high, corrected with B vitamins?;
• serotonin levels – Do they need boosting with amino acids;
• blood sugar balance;
• levels of the nutrients chromium and Vitamin D;
• food intolerances – Could they be making you sad?

To find out more about these factors read on, or click on our Action Plan for Depression.

---

What is depression?

In Britain, 1 in 20, or around 3 million people, are diagnosed with depression. Unipolar Depression is rated by the World Health Organization as the leading cause of disease burden amongst high-income countries.

Are you depressed?

Depression is diagnosed on the basis of symptoms in a questionnaire test, the most common being the Hamilton Rating Scale of Depression, or HRS for short. This contains questions about your mood, guilt feelings, suicidal thoughts, insomnia, agitation, anxiety, physical problems, sex drive, and so on. Depending on your test score on these questions, you will be diagnosed with either “mild,” “moderate,” or “severe” depression. Here’s a simplified depression test questionnaire to check your mood.

What causes depression?

There are many factors that can contribute to the development of depression. There might be underlying biochemical or psychological issues that predispose an individual to depression. There might be a trigger such as a stressful event, a bereavement, loss of a job, or break up of a relationship. If you are suffering with a low mood, whether you consider that it is depression or not, you should see your GP who can rule out medical causes, recommend counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy and psychotherapy, and assess your medication. Exercise is also very important and there’s lots of evidence that regular exercise boosts mood, especially if you’re able to exercise outdoors in a green environment. Even a walk in the park or a stroll by the river is thought to be beneficial.

Diet & Nutrition – what works

Increase your omega 3 fats

Omega-3 fats are called essential fats, because unlike some other substances, they can’t be manufactured within the human body, and therefore it is essential that you take them in through your diet. The richest dietary source is from oily fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, pilchards, herring, trout and fresh but not tinned tuna. Surveys have shown that the more fish the population of a country eats the lower is their incidence of depression. There are two key types of omega-3 fats, EPA and DHA and the evidence suggests that it’s the EPA which seems to be the most potent natural anti-depressant.

Increase your intake of B vitamins

People with either low blood levels of the B-vitamin folic acid, or high blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine (a sign that you are not getting enough B6, B12 or folic acid), are both more likely to be depressed and less likely to get a positive result from anti-depressant drugs. In a study comparing the effects of giving an SSRI with either a placebo or with folic acid, 61% of patients improved on the placebo combination but 93% improved with the addition of folic acid. But how does folic acid itself, a cheap vitamin with no side-effects, compare to anti-depressants?

Boost your serotonin with amino acids

Serotonin is made in the body and brain from an amino acid called tryptophan. Tryptophan is then converted into another amino acid called 5-Hydroxy Tryptophan (5-HTP), which in turn is converted into the neurotransmitter serotonin. Tryptophan can be found in the diet; it’s in many protein rich foods such as meat, fish, beans and eggs. 5-HTP is found in high levels in the African Griffonia bean, but this bean is not a common feature of most people’s diet. Just not getting enough tryptophan is likely to make you depressed; people fed food deficient in tryptophan became rapidly depressed within hours.

Balance your blood sugar

There is a direct link between mood and blood sugar balance. All carbohydrate foods are broken down into glucose and your brain runs on glucose. The more uneven your blood sugar supply the more uneven your mood. In fact, our experience at the Brain Bio Centre is that poor blood sugar balance is often the single-biggest factor in mood disorders amongst the people that seek our advice.

Up your intake of chronium

This mineral is vital for keeping your blood sugar level stable because insulin, which clears glucose from the blood, can't work properly without it. In fact it turns out that just supplying proper levels of chromium to people with atypical depression can make a big difference.

Bring on the sunshine

Known as the ‘sunshine vitamin’, around 90% of our vitamin D is synthesised in our skin by the action of sunlight. Vitamin D deficiency is increasingly being recognised as a common problem around the globe and may be implicated in depression, particularly if you feel worse in winter.

Bad mood foods

Some foods are associated with mood problems. For example, in a huge population study, Coeliac Disease (a severe intolerance to gluten – the protein found in wheat, rye and barley) was associated with an 80% increased risk for depression. It is thought that Coeliac Disease is vastly underdiagnosed in the UK. Your GP can test for it, and should test you if you have fluctuating digestive symptoms including diarrhoea, constipation or bloating, and especially if you have unexplained anaemia. In fact, you can have mood symptoms relating to gluten, even without Coeliac Disease.


Food for the brain-Depression

Extended Easter

Easter is about Salvation, family, love and food overload!!

I am not sure about any of you but I am still eating Easter eggs and making the excuse that it is still Easter.. A week on and I am still making excuses for each yummy  bit of chocolate that goes into my mouth.. Easter has been extended in this house and it is time to stop!!

I look around at my family as we happily eat junk without even a thought and smirk at the excuses for doing so.. Holidays/Easter/It was on special/This will be the last time, etc etc. They are such weak excuses yet somehow in our human minds we find them acceptable.. All of us in my house are feeling sluggish and bloated and it is time to put the bunny down and pick up the carrot :-D

How about you, has the Easter Bunny well and truly bitten you on the butt and you are in a sugar coma? Has chocolate wormed its way back into your life that at first you found reasons to eat it but now you just eat? Has the laziness of school holidays made it acceptable to let your guard down? If so join me to say no more to these excuses, grab a bottle of water and lets work off this lull!!

It is good to eat Fats

Hello everyone

So so sorry I haven't blogged in a while, my days seem to be a bit of a blur lately..

I was reading an article on good fats and bad fats and although I may of been eating a few of those baddies lately it was good to read that fats are good, well good fats are... In a world where we are told to eat everything in low fats I think it is healthy for us to know that not all fats are bad for us..

I have listed some good fats and bad fats for you as well as put the link for the article.. Hope you find it as interesting as I did!!

GOOD FATS
Monounsaturated fat	Polyunsaturated fat
Olive oil Canola oil Sunflower oil Peanut oil Sesame oil Avocados Olives Nuts (almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews) Peanut butter	Soybean oil Corn oil Safflower oil Walnuts Sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds Flaxseed Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines) Soymilk Tofu

BAD FATS
Saturated fat	Trans fat
High-fat cuts of meat (beef, lamb, pork) Chicken with the skin Whole-fat dairy products (milk and cream) Butter Cheese Ice cream Palm and coconut oil Lard	Commercially-baked pastries, cookies, doughnuts, muffins, cakes, pizza dough Packaged snack foods (crackers, microwave popcorn, chips) Stick margarine Vegetable shortening Fried foods (French fries, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, breaded fish) Candy bars

Sources of Saturated Fats	Healthier Options
Butter	Olive oil
Cheese	Low-fat or reduced-fat cheese
Red meat	White meat chicken or turkey
Cream	Low-fat milk or fat-free creamer
Eggs	Egg whites, an egg substitute (e.g. Eggbeaters), or tofu
Ice cream	Frozen yogurt or reduced fat ice cream
Whole milk	Skim or 1% milk
Sour cream	Plain, non-fat yogurt

   http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_fats.htm

Day- Not really sure- Unmotivated

Hello lovely readers

It would be a lie to tell you that I am all positive and everything is going great when in fact I am feeling deflated, tired and unmotivated! I could blame the fact that it is Monday but that's not really the problem, I could blame my age, my weight or my laziness but neither of those seem to be the problem either..

The problem is that the weather is so so hot, I can't stand hot weather and on top of that I am fearful of snakes that may be where I walk (I walk through a walking track that has bushes and a creek etc) I also don't want to take the baby out in the heat, it is gross and the weather itself is deflating..

So here I am not sure what to do, feeling stuck in limbo as I can't go on my walks and then fearful what will happen when it gets rainy and cold!! So my question to you, what do you do on those days that you are stuck at home? Any exercising tips for at home mummies?

Day 44- Sticks and stones never broke my bones but words cut deep

Hello bloggers..

I saw this video this morning and I thought that I would share it with you all. It touched on a raw nerve, a memory that lays dormant until triggered, and well this video was an avalanche of emotions for me!!

As a kid I was the unpopular one at school, I was so unpopular that even the other unpopular kids didn't want to be seen playing with me!! I don't know if it was because of the patches sewn on my clothes, the cheap hair cut or the fact that I was kind to others, I don't really know and I never will know.. I was called names such a fatso even when I wasn't fat, I was teased about my large nose (It really is large), I was called Miss Piggy because along with my pig like nose my Mother made me wear a hideous light pink jumper very much resembling that of Miss Piggy.. I was never chosen for sport and when I was finally chosen for a team the members groaned and when I wasn't any good at sport the team made fun of me.. Funnily enough I don't ever remember a teacher telling them to stop..

I remember in grade 5, it was nearly Christmas.. I stole $20 out of my Mums purse (That was a huge amount of money back then) I took it and traded it for coins at the local store and then spent it on the 20c Skilltester games. I won a whole garbage bag full of toys and that day I gave each of my classmates a toy for Christmas in hope that somebody would like me, anybody but it didn't help I couldn't even buy friendship!! And then on the downside the school called my Mum and I was totally busted!!

Sadly I carried the rejection into my teens and into relationships and I ended up with guys who reminded me that I was stupid, I was ugly, I was fat and I was nothing without them..

So why am I writing about bullying in a blog that has to do with becoming a better me? Well because this time I am doing something for me. I am not losing weight to fulfill societies view of what beautiful is, I am losing weight because I want to live long and be all that I was made to be.. I am not losing weight to impress anyone I am losing weight to show myself that despite how I got here, despite how the negative words of the past turned me to comfort eat I am now happy to be healthy and my comfort is no longer in food as the words that were said to me no longer have such a strong hold... And lastly I am not losing weight because somebody said that I should, I am doing it to be a better me, a better Mum, a better Wife and a better Lami who will enjoy life and live it to the fullest!!

I want to encourage those who have been bullied to rise above it, to see the beauty that you are, to know that those words that were said to hurt you mean nothing and I know they hurt deep, oh how I know but trust me they are lies and you are a conqueror!! Sending love to you all from one victorious person to another xoxo

Day 36- Sweet Slip ups

Hello wonderful people..

Yes, yes that is ice cream you can see there, yes yes is my freezer, no no there is no longer ice cream in that freezer..

You may remember reading my blog the other day, well the sugar demons got the better of me and I went and bought ice cream. Funny thing is I didn't feel guilty for it.. Why?? Because I have been doing really well and this was merely a slip up.. If I feel guilty and let guilt raid my thoughts then I will most likely eat a tub of ice cream again.. Okay not really a tub, maybe 3/4 of a tub.. The good thing.. I didn't eat 2 tubs!!

The day after eating the ice cream was a new day and I am proud to say that I didn't buy any more ice cream, I did not buy lollies and I did not buy chocolate.. I had a healthy sugar free day!!

So as I leave this short blog post I encourage you all that when you have a slip up, get up, wipe the dust off your bottom and start your new day xoxo

Day *Who really cares*- Would kill for chocolate right now!!

Hello beautiful people, I hope you are all doing well.

I told you at the beginning that I would share my trials and triumphs and well today I am sharing a trial (I can't be all perfect all the time, right?)

Yesterday was a really good day. It was Valentines day and my hubby was sick so I took the baby with me to the movies. I enjoyed a nice coffee yesterday and 2 little heart chocolates. I felt good because I allowed myself to have a treat and because I am eating healthy I did not have to feel bad about it.. Today is another story..

Today I am having a real bad emotional day. It is my hormonal time of the month, I am getting a bit bogged down with having extra responsibilities and miss the help that hubby normally gives (He really is a big help) and there is a situation in my life that there seems like there is no way of getting out of it, which is really really depressing.. Have you ever had those days where all of the realities and trials of bills, work, parenting, etc etc come and raise their ugly heads all at once? Well today is one of those days of me. I look at the picture above and it is almost like a mirror image, I could just drown myself in ice cream! I have been trying to think positive but right now, right here I am a bit numb to happy thoughts.

I was chocolate, I want lollies, I want ice cream!! I just want to stuff my face until my sorrows seems somewhat sweeter.. Have I had any of that stuff yet?? Well no I haven't.. Am I going to? I cannot answer that question.. There is still quite a few hours between now and tomorrow and now isn't looking too positive..

On that rather somber thought I bid you all farewell and I shall update you tomorrow whether today turned out better than I thought xoxo

Shrove Tuesday

Hi all, hope your weekend was fab..



Sorry I have not been around for about a week, I have had a sick bubba, been busy with work and have not been around much, I finally have a chance to write something small for you all today.

I found an awesome recipe for Paleo banana pancakes.. Not only are they healthy but they are gluten free and packed full of protein!! I was just browsing my Facebook this morning and Quirky cooking had a link up which led me to Primal Primos.. They have a lot of other amazing recipes as well !

I thought that since today is Shrove Tuesday I would shared the recipe with you.. Enjoy!

Paleo Banana Pancakes

Serves	4-5
Prep time	6 minutes
Cook time	5 minutes
Total time	11 minutes

• 1 large Banana
• 2 large Eggs
• dash Ground Cinnamon
• dash Ground Nutmeg

Directions

Step 1	Break up banana and pulse through food processor until a consistent mash forms.
Step 2	Add your eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and let the food processor go until all ingredients are well incorporated.
Step 3	Lightly grease a skillet over medium heat.
Step 4	Pour batter into pan and flip once bubbles start to form.
Step 5	When the pancake is golden brown on both sides, remove from pan and enjoy!

Day 21-22 Here I am, I can do it again!

Hello beautiful people, I hope you have had a brilliant weekend..

I am not sure why I didn't start my blog with this video but today seemed like a good day to remind myself and others that we can do this!!

About 5 years ago I started a weight loss journey and lost close to 60 kilos. I did it through eating healthy, exercising and believing that I could do it.. It took just over a year to get to a good weight and I had never felt so better.. I started the weight loss journey with the right intents, losing weight because of health but then I became obsessed and I started losing weight because of how I would look. I had expectations to meet, mine and others and I wasn't happy until I got there..

To be totally honest with you all, even when I got there, I wasn't happy, I saw flaws, I picked on little things and I compared myself to others. Why?? Because I became so self absorbed, so worried about how I looked, my figure, the clothes I wore that no matter how hard I tried I would of never of been happy.. The internal struggle was never about how I looked but a deeper insecurity in who I was.

I can now tell you that even though I put a lot of weight back on during my pregnancy, I am happy now, I don't compare, I don't strive for perfection but I choose to live a healthy long life so I can see my children grow. When I get to my before weight again and can wear nice clothes that will just be a bonus in this journey, not a must!!

So sit back and enjoy my video of how I once lost weight and know that it can be done again, the right way this time!!