New Challenge

Time to get serious last week was not a good week as I had a few problems that threw a spanner in the works so this week is get back on track week.

Affirmation cards are made and ready to use so they will be part of this weeks challenge.

Exercise is a must so I am planning on two sessions a day of 30 minutes each session.

Starting Monday 14th May the plan will go into action. I will exercise for 6 days leaving Sunday as a rest day, that way I will have a day that is a 'free' day.

What Constitutes as Exercise

• Walking
• Dance
• Chair Exercise
• Vigorous Housework

Plan
I Promise to:
Get up early and exercise 30 minutes before breakfast
Exercise 30 minutes in the afternoon
Select and use 1 Affirmation card as my thought for the day every morning.
This is my promise to myself
Reward
Have some uninterrupted Me time. This can be reading, knitting, planning my next crafting project anything I want to do just for me.


Exercise and Affirmations used


Monday  Walking  Think before I chose what I eat

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Positive Affirmations

Think Positive

Saying 'If I can....' or 'I might....' or 'I wish  could....' or when I go off track and I will as I am human, saying 'That's it I have blown diet' will only enforce negative feelings.

So a change of wording is needed. 'I can...' or 'I will....' or 'I am going to....' enforces positive feelings.
So I ate too much and had a fat laden dessert and really enjoyed it, does that really destroy all I have achieved? No of course not all it means is I strayed from my plan. So the next day I get back to eating and exercising as before.
When an athlete falls does that mean all they achieved before the fall is lost? are all their medals now null and void? of course not, they get back up and start the process of getting back in shape after the  fall. So if what they have done is not lost why should straying from my eating and exercise plan be thrown away!

How can I keep a positive frame of mind each day? Daily Affirmations help.
Here is my list:

I eat healthy foods because I want to

Fruit is a good sweet treat

Fried food is not good for me

My clothes fit better every day

Smaller portions do fill me

What I eat becomes a part of me

Eating slowly is OK.

I can see the rewards of exercising

Look how far I have come don't give up

Think before I chose what I eat

I Love my body

Like a stamp I stick to one thing until I reach my goal

For each Affirmation I want to make a card so I can draw out a card each day and repeat the affirmation and place where I can see it. That way I can keep a positive idea firmly planted in my mind each day.

Why I am doing this

After years of dieting losing weight and gaining it back again I am ready for a new approach.
No more diets, calorie or points counting, no weird celebrity diets, no cutting out foods that we need to be healthy or having foods types on set days. I have done the lot and lost weight only to gain it back with extra pounds added.
Why? The diets have not taught me to change my eating habits for life.

My plan is simple, Eat less, Move more.
How will I do this?
Use a smaller plate and follow the divided plate plan. So 1/4 is for Protein 1/4 for Carbs and 1/2 for vegetables. Combination meals like shepherds pie, pasta bakes or stews I go with half  the main dish then half vegetables.
Breakfast is cereal or toast for me, lunch is salad, soup or Ryvita with low fat cheese, wafer thin meats or something like that. Snacks is usually fruit.
Water is drunk along with fruit teas or De-caf black coffee.

Exercise
Walking is easy cheap and I love it the only problem is I have a problem with my back that causes mobility problems, so I do other things as well.
Chair Exercise is great and as I am sat down causes less stress on my back but still gives me a good workout. See my links for some fun Chair exercises. Don't be put off by Senior chair exercise they are good for all ages.