Category: Health

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Failure and beginning again

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At the beginning of 2014 I set myself a goal. My goal was to draw in this journal every day of this year.

Many things happened this year.

My Mr made a rule that our family was not to travel anywhere outside of Western Australia. Which for the wanderlust obsessed is a big but necessary call.

We gave birth to most delightful baby girl.

I started writing a book about being over 25 and single.

Two blogs combined and helped a lady living on the streets in Greece find a home.

I considered giving up on social media.

and so much more that was never documented anywhere.

I keep looking at my journal and each time I am a little sad at the thought of my failure.

At the same time though, I am bursting with inspiration about new little happenings that are stirring in my heart and mind.

If we don’t fail, we don’t have the capacity to begin again and it is doing so that we keep becoming that which I believe we were created to be.

Failure may be embarrassing, but I would prefer to live a life of having a go, than one that sits on the sidelines commentating.

Here I find myself at the edge of a new year season and I am so excited about the challenges and commitments I want to make again for 2015.

I am offering one day guided creative retreats for people in Perth.

A one on one experience, where you have the opportunity to take time out at the beginning of the year to reflect and decide to make changes in specific areas of your life.

If you want change, you need help and accountability.

That is what these retreats are all about. Click the photo below for more information;

Creative Retreat

My failures, might help others succeed.

Every day.

Every season.

Ever learning.

Bring on 2015, I say.

PS- don’t forget to subscribe to my blog on the front page to receive your free code for Capture 30 merry days.

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for life

amanda

Amanda 2I am just getting ready to go live on radio and talk about something that I have always found difficult. A few girlfriends and I started a little experiment a year or so ago and it has gone a bit crazy. Our goal was to celebrate womanhood and encourage women in the fact that we are not each others competition.

Life around my house lately has been quite wild, so writing here has been difficult but I am back and excited to be making a contribution even when it hurts.

My topic today for the live interview is eating disorders and I will be sharing my story about how difficult it was to overcome one in my life in my late teens and early twenties.

Our world is slightly (okay a lot) obsessed with our exterior image, but we don’t realise that everything shaped on our exterior begins its fruition on our interior.

The root cause of my eating disorder was worrying about what others thought about me and my desire to fit in. I may not be throwing up my food any more but I still battle this problem everyday. I battle after two babies in three years, a complete change of lifestyle and career, to find my equilibrium and use food as a fuel rather than a reward.

I grew up in a culture when there was always another diet or fad on the cards, I grew up in a dancing school that promoted ‘The skinnier the better dancer’, I grew up in the eighties wanting to fit into those MC Hammer pants and not look like a Oumpa Lumpa.

Many years of culture and decisions have left me as an adult wondering, will there ever be a day where I am not battling what I am eating from the moment I wake up.

My goal this Spring and Summer has been to walk everyday with my family.

To lay down my phone and engage with my family.

To make my food choices about wellbeing and health, rather than quick weight loss and shame.

How about you?

What are you struggling with this Summer?

We all are, just some of us are more open to confront it than others.

Tune in here: at 8.40 perth time for my interview, or take time to encourage another towards wellness this Summer rather than a desire to fit into a culture that promotes skinny as best.

Skinny is not successful, skinny can be very unhealthy.

Wellness, health, fitness these are brilliant pursuits.

Skinny can be very deceptive.

If you are struggling with an eating disorder, get in touch with a health professional today and find strength in being honest and seeking health.

All my love

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Health and wellness

spring two

Spring

spring three

Spring has well and truly sprung in our little piece of Eden.

Our lime tree that sits in a wine barrel on our tiny porch has flowers for the first time promising fruit this summer.

Little birds jump along our window sill awakening life to the sound of the morning.

And my post pregnancy body is ready to move again and get back into shape for summer.

As I read stories of friends and families who completed marathons yesterday, I am both inspired and terrified for the year ahead.

I am inspired because I desperately long to fit back into my pre-pregnancy jeans, but terrified about the eternal roller coaster of emotions that dieting and exercise bring into my days.

We have scales in our house for the first time in five years and my husband and I have a goal to lose a certain amount of weight by a certain time, with a reward at the end.

My husband is off and racing, inspired and encouraged at his progress already and I am quiet in my despair that another go, another app on my phone, another list of to do’s and I will fail again.

spring four

You see Charl is a body builder by trade, a Muay thai fighter by night and a personal trainer by profession.

I am a cake baker, a people lover, a hospitality fiend and a writer by passion.

None of my characteristics lean towards success in this area but overall health and wellness is imperative for my future and family.

Charl and I had a profound conversation last week, with the words he said still ringing in my heart.

He kindly said;

‘The problem is babe, you are so focussed on diet and exercise that you will always fail because it is not a natural part of your make up. You need to change the tone and language, to health and fitness. When you are focussed on wellness and training for life, your motivation towards change is so much more apparent.”

Health

Wellness

Training

Fitness.

That I can do.

I want to live a Healthy life, for my future, my potential, my passion and my privileges.

I want to train hard towards goals like the city to surf, because I want my children to be proud of their mum who is motivated at the school gate.

I want to choose nutrition that is about wellness and energy, allowing me to bring my best to all the areas that demand me of my time.

I want to look at my camera and not delete photos so that a record of my current shape is removed from my hard drive.

I want to live free from the shame of being overweight and unfit.

Day by day.

Choice by choice.

I want it to be a lifestyle not a fad and unfortunately the amount of years that the latest diet has plagued my fridge is way longer than the amount of years I have lived with my husband, who encourages me towards healthy living rather than strict plans that fail constantly.

Here is a toast towards wellness this spring.

Making choices that are healthy rather than starving myself away from nutrition and wellbeing.

Step by step.

Run by run.

Moment by moment.

Choosing life.

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Sleep

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Today I had a big sleep in the middle of the day. I woke up feeling really guilty, but so grateful for the rest. I am now 16 weeks pregnant and I am not sure how I even worked with my first little bun in the oven till 8months pregnant.

Why do we feel guilty when we allow ourselves to do what is essential?

Lack of sleep equals a lack of inspiration.

Our hormones are affected, our ability to think quickly and ability to innovate is affected.

Our sleep patterns directly affect our output.

So why do we feel guilty when we sleep in, or we take a nanna nap, or we just go to bed early?

It’s almost like we have to hide it from one another, because there is this unwritten rule that we are being unproductive.

I have found in my own life, creating a good routine before going to bed, being proactive in turning my phone on sleep mode, reading before I go to bed, (rather than falling asleep in front of the t.v), a hot cup of herbal tea, a hot shower, worship music; all induce a more restful sleep.

Another tip is making sure that I process the day well and let go of the things I cannot change. If I am struggling to fall asleep to find quotes, meditations or scripture to fill my mind with goodness rather than worry as I fall into slumber.

How are you sleeping?

Do you need to plan a few Nanna naps to catch up?

Do you need to plan a bracket day? a stress leave day? A personal day?

Do you need to plan a PJ day?

Sleep equals productivity.

I know our obsession with busy, means even the notion of a siesta is coupled in lazy language but if you want to live a productive life.

You need to get better at sleeping.

Talk tomorrow

Amanda

 

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Excuses

20140201-203246.jpgBeing pregnant has amazing benefits; growing nails, growing hair but many challenges as well.

Exhaustion

Weight gain

Lethargy.

Honestly I have been struggling with my weight this pregnancy. I hadn’t lost the weight from my first pregnancy, I was exercising and we eat mostly well, but I really wanted to be in a better place before falling pregnant again.

It’s funny, because this area of my life, affects my inspiration, it affects my productivity, it affects my marriage.

It is core to every part of me.

The last 12 weeks or so, I have been pretending that it is no big deal, but really it is.

Every week as I grow bigger and do less exercise, I am feeling worse and worse.

So today I took charge.

This monday a new round of Michelle Bridges 12 week course begins and I have decided to do the pregnancy program.

I have put it off so many times because I use the excuse of pregnancy, busyness, life, anything to stop me from making a commitment that will take charge of my health.

It is a big commitment, but I am believing taking hold of all the excuses of why I shouldn’t and bringing forth all the reasons why I should, I have committed to making change.

Pregnancy can’t be my excuse anymore. I will be healthy about it, but not exercising is not an option.

The way I eat and the way I exercise, clearly affects my mental health and my inspiration output.

My creativity is directly affected by the way I treat my body.

My relationships are directly affected by the way I exercise and consequently feel.

No more excuses.

What are the excuses that are stopping you committing to something that really needs to change in your world?

12 week’s starts on Monday.

Oh my.

Amanda