Working on a whole new me

This year, after turning 46, I have decided to really take some control on my life. I'm not getting any younger and I'm aware that I'm not as fit nor as slim as I would like to be.  So rather than slipping complacently into middle age, I have decided to make it my mission to become the me that I want to be. A mum that my kids can be proud of and aspire to be like and a wife who will enjoy an active future with my husband.

My plan is multi-faceted, taking a holistic approach to health, happiness and well being. As my confidence in myself is increasing, these things are taking on a life of their own. I am finding things about me are changing and I'm happy just going along with it. 

Diet

I am a vegetarian. However, I am an over-eating vegetarian who enjoys food a bit too much. This meant lots of cheese, plenty of carbs and big portions of dinner. This year, I've made steps towards a more plant based diet. Many meals are becoming vegan and I'm making alternative dairy free versions of family favourite meals like my vegan Mac & Cheese. I've made switches to almond milk, soya cream and coconut oil. I've also added more nuts, seeds, vegetables and pulses to our meals, and I've cut down on my refined sugar intake. I still make some slightly more indulgent things from time to time and still enjoy the occasional treat, but on a whole, my family's diet has improved.

However, even though the food I was preparing and consuming was all good stuff, my natural propensity to greediness still resulted in eating to excess. Thankfully, I was fortunate enough to bump into the lovely Sandra from Thinking Slimmer at this year's Blog On MOSI conference. Having worked with Thinking Slimmer before and becoming one of the original weightloss blogger poster girls for the product, I know that Slimpods work. They retune your mind using cognitive hypnotherapy, altering the way your brain thinks about food, allowing you to make good choices naturally.  Sandra agreed to me trialing the Slimpods again and I've started listening at bedtime. 

I must be very susceptible to the Slimpod's suggestion or maybe a part of my brain has been instantly reawakened, because from the very first day I changed. Like someone had thrown a switch in my brain removing the urge to mindlessly snack through every waking hour or eat beyond fullness. It was incredible and after a week I am 3.5 lbs down simply because my habits have changed. No calorie counting or having to make separate meals, I'm just eating less without even thinking about it. I know that the extra weight will be gone soon, while the foods I eat nourish and fuel my body, rather than fill me up with empty calories.

Exercise

Just by making the decision to take back control, I have found myself feeling more active: dancing around the kitchen while I wait for the kettle to boil, jumping up and lunging just for fun or doing some vigorous housework. I'm just more energised. Although doing structured exercise isn't really my thing (my Scoliosis means I end up putting my back out if I go to the gym or do a class), taking active days out with the family really appeals to me.  We have recently bought season tickets to Trentham Gardens and love going for long walks around the lake. I'd like to take our walking further. Climbing the Wrekin is something I'd like to try to do now Freddy is a bit bigger. Popping on our walking boots and packing our waterproofs, some water and healthy snacks in to a suitable rucksack (I've spotted some good rucksacks available online) I reckon we could scale the 1335 ft high peak!  Our Merlin Annual Passes are also great for going on days out. Alton Towers not only boasts some cool rides and CBeebies Land, it has some lovely walks through the gardens, which are pretty steep in places. You get a good workout and its very pretty.

I like the idea of us keeping fit together as a family. I am not the sort of person who could go solo and take up something like running (I have pondered this prospect over and over again as my sister runs and just completed her latest 10K race) but it's just not for me. Walking in beautiful places however, up hills, around lakes, through gardens or in woodland, whilst having fun with Ian and the kids sounds like a good compromise.

Beauty treatments

I've never really been the glamorous type. My own mother refused to leave the house without a full face of make-up, but I am the complete opposite. I'll happily do the school run with a face like nature intended. I've never really bothered with a full blown skincare cleanse, tone and moisturise routine, and until recently, I hadn't been to a hairdresser for years. My mum religiously dyed her hair for as long as I can remember, touching up her white roots with mascara in between treatments. Unlike her, I've decided to go grey naturally. Whether this is down to pure apathy or whether I think silver highlights look cool is open to debate!

Recently however, I've embraced my girlie side, relishing pampering myself top to toe. From face masks to nail varnish to fake tanned legs to pedicures - I am really enjoying using all my beauty products and feeling good about my self.  It feels good to have a bit of me-time while the kids are at school to do something for myself. Me-time is something I've never really understood until now, but investing a little in myself really is a positive thing. Although I'll never be a total glamour puss, I am enjoying taking a bit more time over myself and my beauty rituals. 

Happiness

I make no secret of the fact that I have previously found the concept of happiness quite elusive. In the past I've struggled with depression, dwelling on some dark parts of my life, able to achieve only a superficial kind of fleeting happiness rather than real contentment. But over the years this has changed dramatically. 

Becoming more mindful and reflective has allowed me to let go of so much of the darkness. I have found peace with a lot of issues that festered inside me, freeing me to live in the present and embrace the joy that surrounds me. The joy that comes from being a wife and mother to the most wonderful people that I have in my life. I strive to be a better person and have learnt that true happiness comes from giving rather than taking.

I am in a good place. That doesn't mean that bad things don't happen, but when they do I'm better positioned to help those around me through them. My mantra these days is that I can't change things that have happened, but I can change the way I deal with them and the effect they have on me. Life truly is so precious, to live it in the dark is such a waste.

Taking responsibility for my health, for my happiness and for my life has made a huge difference to me. Here's hoping I can maintain my momentum and emerge a better person.

Win Fill & Go Bottles with the BRITA Drinking Water Challenge

One of the easiest ways of improving your well being is to keep your body well hydrated.  One of the best ways of doing this is to drink water.  Water is cheap, has no calories and no added ingredients.  It is recommended that we drink 1.2 litres of water a day, which will enable our bodies to function properly, improving the skin, increasing energy levels and staving off hunger pangs.

Tap water is the best choice as bottled water is expensive, environmentally unfriendly and bulky to store.  However, tap water can taste a bit yuck!  It is also difficult to keep track of how much you are drinking.  There is a handy solution available in the form of convenient jugs and bottles which allow us to filter tap water at home and on the go.  The BRITA Marella jug and the funky Fill & Go bottle are ideal and make it easier to reach your target.

I was challenged to take part in the BRITA Drinking Water Challenge, to drink the recommended 1.2 litres a day and to see if I felt any better for doing so.  I was supplied with the jug and a Fill & Go bottle.  Keeping the jug topped up in the fridge provides a constant supply of freshly filtered and chilled water to drink.  The Fill & Go bottle is brilliant.  You can keep it on your desk or take it to the gym or in the car on long journeys.  Fill it twice a day and enjoy filtered water on the go for just a few pence a litre.

I am not good at drinking water.  I end up with coffee or Pepsi Max instead.  Neither are particularly healthy options.  But having the Fill & Go bottle by my side has really encouraged me, reminding me to drink water instead.  It tastes good too and is instantly refreshing and rehydrating.  I forget how good drinking water feels!  

I have found that I do definitely feel better.  The most noticeable thing is that I get less headaches.  I know that dehydration is a cause of these but I put it down to being tired - and usually grab a Pepsi Max to wake myself up.  It's a vicious circle!  Drinking water also helps with the healthy eating.  I feel less peckish and feel more in touch with my body.  My skin feels more hydrated too.  My skin looks better too as the bags under my eyes look less prominent.  It is just so easy to make this improvement when you put your mind to it!  I feel ashamed that I neglect my water consumption in favour of Pepsi Max, even though I know that it is just chemicals and caffeine and does my health no good.  Switching my addictive Pepsi craving for water is a really positive step towards improving my health long term.

If you want to join the challenge and see how much better you feel after drinking the recommended amount of water a day, I have an excellent giveaway for you! TEN of my readers can win their own BRITA Fill & Go bottle worth £14.99 each to make drinking water so much easier and tastier.  Simply fill out the Rafflecopter entry form below.  Good luck!  It closes at 11.59pm on the 2nd March 2013.

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