Start Again

I want to start writing again to keep myself motivated. In 2015 I want to come closer to achieving my long-term goal of being healthier and happier. This year is going to be better! I feel it!

I have decided to try blog weekly, documenting my days with plenty of photos in hope that it will help me to get back on track after falling behind my goals these last couple of months. 

My desire towards attaining a better lifestyle came about in 2012 where I started taking little steps to a healthier me. They say that is the best way to ensure you will keep to your new habits. It is true; by making gradual changes I grew a greater passion for health and fitness. And as the years went by, I could really see myself improving. My last couple of months, however, have not been near as healthy. I am quickly falling deeper and deeper into the trap of binge eating and laziness. I am struggling to pick my self up once more and simply start again.

Many say this is not easy. You are surrounded by temptations daily where mornings are filled with smells of freshly baked muffins, afternoons are in study and work, and evenings are simply demotivating when you begin to think how long your day will be tomorrow. But no, I say. This is when its time to get rid of those thoughts and write down the words, “I am looking forward to tomorrow”. I live by the saying, ‘everything is only as hard as you think it to be’. All I need now is to push myself and keep that momentum going. 

So lets begin. This Monday was Australia Day and because I remember overeating the day before at a friend’s birthday, I stuck to a jug of lemon water for breakfast to try freshening up a bit and giving myself a cleanse. Since Australia day is famous for BBQ’s, I ended up eating a lot of protein after that. 

Tuesday I had a farewell gathering for a friend in the park where I made a poor choice of keeping a packet of chips right in front of me. It disappeared too quickly!

Wednesday wasn’t much better. I was at home all day and this meant a lot of unhealthy snacking.

I had volunteer training at university the following day and to reward us for our efforts, they gave us free food and lots of it! Pancakes for breakfast, nachos for lunch, and in between, plenty of cookies.

After writing all this down I have realised how poor my days have been! This is definitely making me realise that I need to start making a change.

Friday night I caught up with my amigos for dessert at San Churros. As I ended up having a very late lunch, I didn’t get around to eating dinner before I left and this meant I could fit more chocolate in. Oh no! Don’t get me wrong, it is always great to go out with friends for a treat but I definitely didn’t deserve it this time around especially since I wasn’t even fitting in any exercise during the week.

The weekend was definitely one of the best weekends these holidays! Perhaps not in regards to the food choices but to the fun I had.

Saturday morning began with a healthy breakfast; coconut milk and buckwheat flakes, and then a catch up with friends at a cafe over some lemongrass and ginger tea! Good start. 

Lunch was at a friend’s place where we made some cheese toasties. They're not the healthiest, yes, but I’ve learnt over the years that it is impolite to simply state, “I won’t eat this because I am trying to be healthy”. Be healthy with integrity.

Later that day I went over to another friend's place where we enjoyed some Russian dumplings right before the power went out in the neighbourhood! I feel like the power should go out more often as it was such a refreshing night being surrounded by candlelight, laughter and not to mention cheesy fondue over a camp stove. It was simply the best!

The next day was filled with adventure starting up at 7am. The family took me three hours out of town to a freshly aired field to fly some planes. It was my first time flying in a glider and the views from up there were simply mesmerising! Big breakfast to start the day; toasted sandwich and fruit salad with yoghurt. Almonds, walnuts and lollies, were the snacks for the day and dinner was pizza; two slices only!

And so the motivation begins! Next week it’s time to improve. It’s time to step it up and get back on track. If you’re struggling like me, it's ok, you’ve already made the first step of wanting to make a change. Now let's do this together! A great tip is to start reflecting each week. Shouldn’t a healthy lifestyle be a priority?

Vee

Being Persistent

Being persistent is important because everything takes time. Everyone makes goals for themselves but not everyone achieves them because it is always easier to give up. I have found myself in these situations many times before but through dedication I have not given up on my goals yet!

I have constantly tried to eat healthy and exercise more but sometimes I begin to feel as if I will never achieve this goal. There were days I would eat some chocolate and then have a little more and then get to a point where I couldn't stop. Birthdays would come around and I couldn't just not try some of the cake they have prepared and more and more I begin to fall down the achievement ladder. What I have recently realised, however, is that change is a gradual process and you need to keep taking everything step by step. It does not matter if you slip up from time to time, what is key is that you remember to continue. I am more persistent now and allow myself to have a days off and remind myself that the reason I want to be healthy is because it will make me a happier person!

I have also recently started a YouTube channel to expand my creativity but the feeling of my channel not going anywhere, made if difficult for me to continue. With the constantly growing YouTube community it has become very challenging to be able have your content seen by others. I felt like giving up because of this but this is where I reminded myself that no matter what, I need to keep going because making videos is something that makes me happy. If you ever feel doubt about a goal, try remember why you started in the first place. This is what persistence is all about. 

So I want to leave you with a few steps that I hope will help you in achieving your goals:

Step 1. Start with acknowledging the steps it will take for you to achieve a goal

Step 2. Put notes around your room that will motivate you to remember your goal

Step 3. Create a chart that will help calculate your progress

Step 4. Don't forget to chill out and not always be worrying about the need to achieve a goal! As long as you remember that you are moving forward, it's ok to take breaks

Step 5. Do not quit if it becomes difficult…go back to step 2 if needed :) 

Step 6. Believe in yourself!

Step 7. Once you achieve it, reward yourself! 

Remember to make every moment count, this is what life is here for!

Check out some of my more motivational videos:

Vee

Feeling like Winter in Summer

Christmas in Australia is very different to the ones you see in American films. There is no snow, no fireplaces warming up the houses and no hot cocoa smell in the air. The Australians celebrate their last months of the year at the beach, cooking sausages on the BBQ. How very setreotypical of us! But it is true.

Although I do enjoy the sun, I also wish I could have a white Christmas like the ones in movies. This is exactly why enjoyed my Friday tonight! It was rainy and it was cold! This meaning I could snug up in my onesie and drink some hot chocolate.

Despite the recent stormy weather, I will be looking forward to enjoying my christmas by the pool, sipping lemonade! But until then I am going back under my blankets! 

Vee

Happiness

It seems that one negative destroys the hundreds of positives that were surrounding you a second earlier. You begin to fall into a state of annoyance where every little thing irritates you more. It seems that it is easier to stay furious rather than to see the brighter side. You have fallen into the trap. 

I tend to argue with my brother from time to time, like typical siblings do. Today we began an argument where both of us ended up storming off, not being able to stand each other any longer. When I went into my room, the feeling of resentment stayed with me. This terrible sense of anger was not allowing me to concentrate nor take any of the exam revision for the next day. Everything was getting worse to a point where I even got angry at other family members which made them upset too. Negative energy spreads quickly! This is when I realised that I had to stop and begin doing things that make me happy. So I began writing this blog, and what do you know, I am starting to feel better already!

Some days not everything will go your way, but this does not mean you should make it worse by keeping the negative aura around you. The longer you stay upset, the worse it will become and soon it will spread to others. This is where you have to stop yourself and take those deep breaths you have missed. Let go of the fury that lies beneath you and begin to smile. It might be the hardest step but it is worth it. Once you free your mind, quickly you will manifest the desired results of your previous tasks. Those around you will also begin to the feel the positivity and accept your apology if you ask. Happiness will always feel better! 

I leave you with this little tip...

Vee