Snowed Under

Sorry for not really writing for a while and things are not getting better.

Really busy with visa applications, work, car problems etc.....................

Struggling not to stress eat. Some moments I win and others I lose.

Homemade face masks

Looking for a way to reward yourself without breaking the bank or eating?

Rewarding yourself after you have reached your goals is positive reinforcement.

A few simple homemade masks

Oily Skin

egg white
1 tsp. cornstarch
Beat ingredients. Apply to face, let dry 10-15 min. Rinse.

Corn flour is an excellent ingredient if you're dealing with oily skin. Corn flour picks up oil from the skin and traps it, leaving the skin moisturized but with diminished oiliness and shine free.

Normal, combination skin, oily and blemished skin

Mix one egg white,
1/2 cup cooked instant oatmeal
a teaspoon olive oil
a few drops of lemon juice until smooth.

Spread on your face and neck, leave on for 15 – 30 min then rinse with lukewarm water. Few drops lemon juice will help to reduce blackheads while egg white will leave your skin feel “tight” after this mask application.

Dry skin

Mix one egg yolk,
a teaspoon honey
a teaspoon olive oil
some vitamin E oil.

Spread over your face and neck, leave on for 15 – 30 min then rinse in lukewarm water. You can add more olive oil if you still feel dry on your skin.

For more recipes and some videos got to: Natural Skin Care Info

Earth Day Dieting

HYC Report: I have maintained at 107.2kg.

I walked to school 10min and walked back home this afternoon another 10min.

Tomorrow I would like to add in some extra exercise in the afternoon or morning.

SparksPeople: Earth Friendly food and fitness

100 Day Challenge:
Eat a plate of veggies before lunch and supper. Any veggie you like even if its cucumber

I hve not yet implemented this but I plan to start this evening.

Recipe: Garden Vegetable Frittata

Things happen for a reason

My car battery was dead this morning, so I walked to school. Walked back as well. My calve muscles were still sore from yesterdays walking.

It was a pleasant walk - i think I should plan to do that more often. It was a breathe of fresh air.

Take the T out of torture - Stop torturing yourself - make changes slowly - 4 days at a time.

That's the plan. Now work it. (i am talking to myself). How is your dieting going? What do you do overcome the temptations, overcome the cravings, stick to the plan??

Competitions and Giveaways

Bloggers/readers are the judges. Please vote for your favorite entry (a voting poll will appear in this post) beginning at 5:00 p.m. U.S. central time April 18th to 8:00 p.m. U.S. central time April 21st.

Here is my my entry: http://simonesbutterfly.blogspot.com/2008/04/write-from-karen-photo-contest.html

Please vote for me. Thank you.

You go here to vote:Photo Contest Theme - Spring Time!

Now for the Giveaway/Competition



Please no the following:

1. This contest is only open to U.S. addresses. My humble apologizes to my International friends, but these prizes are bulky and heavy and would cost too much to ship outside the United States - I’m so sorry.

Go read more about it on Write from Karen.

100 Things I like about myself

This is powerful technique I learned about in the beginning of the year.Tackle Any Issue With a List of 100 by Luciano Passuello.
With his permission I have been hosting swaps on Swap-bot doing the list he made.

This is what a view participants had to say:
"oh my gosh this was the hardest yet. I had such a hard time finishing my list. I was out of ideas at 50! I did manage to finish, just barely though. I think it may have boosted my self esteem a little."

"Being a bit of a pessimist and general sadsack I think this swap is just the thing to help me feel better about myself and life in general and look forward to sending my list out :)"

One of the participant's over to set up a blog for the swap: List of 100.

I started a little down today even after I went walking on the beach. Things are looking up now that I am going to do a List 100 - 100 Things That I have accomplished.

I have published some of my lists on my website: 100 Ways to Improve My Life

Here are the first 21 things I wrote about what I like about myself in no order of importance:

1) I like my hair

2) I like my calves

3) Good, healthy teeth

4) I like my confidence

5) Sense of humor

6) Sense of justice

7) Ability to empathize

8) Ability to listen

9) My helpfulness

10) Creativity

11) Ability to think on my feet

12) Resilience

13) I know a little about a lot of things

14) I am flexible, can adapt to various situations

15) Good acting skills

16) Poetic

17) Romantic

18) Good dancer

19) I don’t have many things that I regret doing.

20) Can be productive when I put my mind to it

21) I believe in God

Healing your headaches without medication

Today I have a major headache and I do have any painkillers in the house and don't want to drive into town to buy - so I am going to try this instead.

Drink water and do the following relaxation exercise.

Solace

From Daily Om messages - I read this today and it spoke to me.

I have had a great week and then the weekend hit and I feel like I am about to sabotaging myself. Yesterday I isolated myself and just did nothing constructive, even though I knew there were some important things for me to do.

I think being part of group like the Healthy You Challenge is a positive way of reaching out to others and not just being focused on yourself. It gives off positive energy. So even I just feel like retreating within I am not going to.

Solace In Service
Doing For Others

When we feel bad, often our first instinct is to isolate ourselves and focus on what’s upsetting us. Sometimes we really do need some downtime, but many times the best way to get out of the blues quickly is to turn our attention to other people. In being of service to others, paradoxically, we often find answers to our own questions and solutions to our own problems. We also end up feeling more connected to the people around us, as well as empowered by the experience of helping someone. 

When we reach out to people we can help, we confirm that we are not alone in our own need for support and inspiration, and we also remind ourselves that we are powerful and capable in certain ways. Even as our own problems or moods get the better of us sometimes, there is always someone else who can use our particular gifts and energy to help them out. They, in turn, remind us that we are not the only people in the world with difficulties or issues. We all struggle with the problems of life, and we all feel overwhelmed from time to time, but we can almost always find solace in service.

In the most ideal situation, the person we are helping sheds light on our own dilemma, sometimes with a direct piece of advice, and sometimes without saying anything at all. Sometimes just the act of getting our minds out of the obsessive mode of trying to figure out what to do about our own life does the trick. Many great inventors and artists have found that the inspiration they need to get to the next level in their work comes not when they’re working but when they’re walking around the block or doing dishes. We do ourselves and everyone else a great service when we take a break from our sorrows and extend ourselves to someone in need.

Daily Om Website

Quote for the week

Success is a ladder you cannot climb with your hands in your pockets. ~American Proverb

Weightloss

Hi

I am happy to report that I now weigh 107.2 kg (236pounds) - a Whole 2kg (4.4pounds) loss. YAY.
Also lost 3cm around my waist its now 112cm (44inches)

Goals:
To get to 88cm (35inches) around the waist)

To to lose 10% of my body weight in the next 6 weeks.

How:
Careful meal planning.
Following my plan 80% of the the time , 4 days at a time.

This week I locked in adding veggies to my meals and exercise. Reducing refined carbs and sugar.

New goal cut out refined carbs and sugar completely and re-enforce new habits.

Dealing with cravings and Brain Exericse

Tried out this recipe today. Its Oh so good. Definitely will deal with my cravings for Lemon Meringue ( I never eat the top of the meringue). Got it on the Somersize Board run by BetsC from Looks Aren't Everything:

LEMON ZEST TART:
Preheat oven to 350.

Crust:
1/2 C plus 2 T vanilla whey powder
2 1/2 T sugar (I use WL)
5 T butter

Melt the butter and mix all three ingredients in an 8x8 cooking pan.
Press down on the bottom of pan. I use a spoon to 'even' it out.
Cook for 5 minutes.

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
3/4 C sugar-again whey low
3 eggs
1/2 C lemon jc.

Cream sugar and cream cheese together with mixer. Add eggs one at a
time, mix well each time. Add lemon jc. Mix until well combined.

Pour over warm crust and cook for 20 minutes. Let it cool, and then
refrigerate until cold.


Well I decided to have a rest day. I did try out a few minutes of T-Tapp from You Tube. I am very interested in Brain Gym - Left-Right Brain for learning etc....... I am so adding this to my wish list of DVD's.

"What can T-Tapp hoe downs do for you?
• Increase mental clarity
• Help control hormonal mood swings often experienced with PMS and menopause
• Drop glucose levels quickly. (From 62 to 85 points upon completion and an average rate up to 100 points at 10 minutes post completion
• Burn off excess glucose before it converts to fat.
• Optimal brain balance, because hoedowns involve simultaneous left/right brain cognitive processing. Because of this, initial coordination doing the single count lift/touches from front to side can be challenging, but within a week cognitive processing significantly improves. It is important to exercise the brain as well as the body for quality of life in senior years.

Hoedowns are really aerobic AND they work your legs, butt, core, lats and abs all at once, (and if you're really twisting those thumbs back and getting your elbows forward you'll feel it in your arms as well!) So try Hoe Downs once or twice a day and see what they do for you."

Exercise Galore

Taken on Saturday's walk by Rooi Els

I have now exercised for 4 days in a row. YAY
Saturday it was a walk in Rooi Els
Sunday - Taebo 2
Monday- 15min weights and stretching, 45 min walk in the mountains
Tuesday- 3km walk on Strand beach (sat a coffee shop after 1,5km)
Wednesday- 1 hr walk via the mountains and along the road.

Today I was not very excited about exercising. My body was sore and I can feel a blister on each big toe but my husband has promised me another foot massage.

Tuesday Check In Week 13

The moment of truth. I got on my friends scale again yesterday (mine is still missing) and I am afraid to report that last weeks weight gain (which I did not report) was not an April Fools joke.

In the two weeks that I lost my scale, wrote the itels exam and was dealing with my painful prolonged bleeding and cysts I gained all the weight back that I had lost since I signed up - 3,7kg.
Last weight was 109.7kg and yesterday 109.2 kg.

And though I feel tempted to get down on myself, I also feel good about myself. Its strange. I feel as though I have been through a mini-crisis and come out richer (hehehehe not in weight gain) .

I am not sure how to express but I have learned new things about life, supplements, food and myself. I don't feel despair and I like giving up.

Good news is that since I have been taking the natural supplements I have not had a menstrual cycle for almost two weeks. That is win for me. NON SCALE VICTORY -passed the the Itels exam and the application to Ireland is almost ready. Just waiting for a few original letters from Northern Ireland - the school, the pastor we will be renting from and my husband's employee to say he has been offered the job.

Four Day Win in a Nutshell

This a great podcast where Martha Beck gives you a book in nutshell. At least this is a nut you don't have to avoid!!

From SimonSays Podcasts


http://www.simonsays.com/assets/isbn/0743564154/PC65_0743564154.mp3

Inspiration from Martha Beck

Listening to this was just as much fun as reading her books. Plus she mentions South Africa. This talks about transforming using the the Butterfly as an illustration.

Hope you have a transforming week!

Spring Time - Help me choose

I am thinking of entering Write from Karen's Photo Competition.


Its starts on the 11 April 2008. Voting starts on the 18 April 2008.

These are photographs from Spring 2007, West Coast Nature Reserve

A

B


C
C

D


E

PollPub.com Vote

Which Picture should I enter into the Competition?

A
B
C
D
E



View Results

Poll powered by PollPub.com Free Polls

Message from Mary-Ann

This arrived in my e-mail box and how applicable it is !

Day 6

OK.. so maybe you thought you blew it once or twice this week, remember that there was nothing to give up and no restrictions, so any restrictions you have were created by yourself. And even if you did eat after 9pm, no one was counting except you. Get over it and get on with what you can do.

You will fall and make mistakes, thank God we all do, but that is a wonderful opportunity to make better choices and do things better at the next meal.

Bless you!

Mary-Ann

Day 1 of the new cycle

I have done 30min Taebo Workout Basic 2 no.2 . It is bit more difficult I could not do all. But I know I will get there.

Liquids: 1 Coffee (oops I was supposed to stop today)
4 glasses of water (will drink more before I sleep)
1 orange juice


B: 1 apple
S: none
L: 2 slices of wholewheat toast with a little avo
S: none
SP: hard one - my daughter wants the traditionl Afrikaans dish that we have not had for ages.
But its dairy and I love it - Melkos.

Melkkos
(Serves 4)
2 litres milk 300 ml Snowflake cake flour (165 g) 5 ml salt 15 ml butter cinnamon sugar

1. Bring milk to the boil.

2. Sift the flour and salt together and rub in butter. Add to milk and beat. Lumps will form, but keep stirring well.

3. Cover with lid and simmer for 5-8 minutes, until cooked.

4. Serve hot with cinnamon sugar.

I always use 2% milk.

My actual plan was to have fish, veggies and salad mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Day 4

Exercise today was running after children and picking up shells on the beach.

B: Shake with fruit
S: Herbal Tea
L: One low fat burger with egg and cheese and salad
S: Coffee
SP: 1 pita bread with tuna salad and a glass of orange juice

Water in take 5 glasses plus the tea make 6!

YAY that is a 4 Day WIN for me.

Reward:

Get myself something nice for the bath either radox bath salts or oil.

Next 4 Days
Up my water and herbal intake by 2 to 8 glasses a day
Continue exercising - 2 aerobic days, one weight focus day and yoga/stretching day.
Ensure that I have 2 fruits and 2 veg servings everyday (Dietician recommended 3)
3-5 Protein servings
Going to see if I can keep the carb servings at 2-3.
Cut Dairy and coffee out
Continue to record what I am eating

REWARD: A Healthy You NSV badge next Tuesday.

If I get hungry I am going to try looking a the list of free food on Somersize plan or increase the protein.

This weeks progress

Today I did the 30min Taebo II workout.
Drank 3 cups of herbal tea and 3 glasses of water

B: a few grapes and tea
S: coffee and carrot muffin
L: 1 slice of whole toast with egg and cheese
Glass of orange juice
S: none
SP: Avocado pear, Marconi with a tomato & veggie sauce (lots of veggies) topped with a bit of cheese.

3 Day going strong on meeting my 4 day goals.

I have also finally decided on a definite eating plan which I will implement tomorrow. Also added coconut oil to the list of supplements I am taking. It is apparently good for fighting candida and weight loss.

Somersize

Weigh-in Tuesday

I weighed myself at my friends but I have decided that she must have played an April's Fool Joke on me cause there is no way I could have put on 3kgs in the last two weeks that I did not weight in.







QUOTE: "Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; hate less, love more; and all good things are yours." ~ Swedish Proverb

Todays Report:
I did a run/walk around the block with my daughter. Going to measure it with the car tomorrow.
Splashed around in the pool this afternoon

Drank 3 glasses of water
3 glasses of herbal tea
1 cup of coffee with sugar and milk

Breakfast 1 apple
Snack 1 medium popcorn and coke (went to the movies)
Lunch 2 slices of cheese and onion bread
Snack Few grapes
Supper 2 slices of toast and butter