I’m Hungry

Eating healthily means I’m soooooooooooooo hungry. Last year my husband and I decided to give up bread at the same time. This was fuelled by a documentary I watched on T.V. I was mortified to discover that a lot of supermarket bread is not given time to prove which means that yeast is left to ferment in our bellies and hence the bloated feeling you may have experienced. I was really put off by that. So I decided to give it up. I initially substituted with Ryvita (which wasn’t that bad) but I eventually concluded there was no substitute for bread. By the end of the year, we were eating bread a lot less, not totally giving it up but it got me thinking about eating healthier, a goal I’ve always kind of ignored because I’ve been blessed with slim genes. Those genes have now gone A.W.O.L due to a combination of having two children, ageing and starting a cake business. Oh the dreaded cakes! 😦 I saw myself go up almost two dress sizes.

So healthy eating is NOW firmly on the agenda. I am motivated by the fact that I lost about 3 inches round my waist, without exercise, when I gave up bread. However, beyond losing weight, I really do want to eat healthily and not feel so tired all the time. I spent a lot of 2013 feeling listless and perpetually exhausted. The strangest thing is since I changed my diet, I’ve slept better and feel a lot more energised with seemingly less food. So I’m doing a lot of research about what to eat and what not to eat at the moment particularly on healthy snacks.

It has taken a lot of organisation though. Buying fresh fruit and veg, prepping them for lunch at work and making smoothies – not to talk about the expense. I will blog about any interesting discoveries.

Here’s one great tip that has worked for us as a family. Prepare your vegetables and place in an airtight container filled with water (where appropriate) and keep in the fridge for up to three days. I’ve been able to save time after work and stopped making excuses for not having a salad.

I Don’t Do Resolutions

They make me depressed when I get to the end of the year and I haven’t accomplished them. So you ask, were they written down? Were they time bound? Were they blahdiblahdiblah? Yeah yeah. I know. Goals should be SMART and blah blah blah but resolutions don’t work for me.

I find that having a theme or a focus for the year works better for me and then I apply it to every area of my life. At the end of each year I’m able to see tangible changes and I don’t feel like a loo-oo-ser. My theme for 2012 was new beginnings; I left my job after 10 years, moved to a new city with no friends or family, made new friends, tried new recipes, got a new job, did new things. 2013 was about actions not words; I started this blog, started writing a book- ish 🙂 , became a school governor (which I had wanted to do for ages), turned a hobby into a business and generally applied integrity to the things I said I would do. 2014 is going to be a year of growth and I’m looking forward to stretching beyond my usual capacity.

It obviously doesn’t mean I don’t believe in plans. I just prefer not to be caught up in the emotional frenzy of a new year and make good choices for myself without the almighty resolution hanging over my head. I have accomplished so much more this way than the years when I ‘resolved’ to do something. In the words of John .C. Maxwell,

you can’t manage a decision you haven’t made.

The other thing I don’t like about resolutions is how it fragments life. Like a new year really means you can put the past behind you like it’s not a part of you. I appreciate the optimism of a better year ahead but life is a continuum and can’t really be fragmented into the ‘you’ of 2013, 2014, and so on. Rather than resolving to do something fantastically and radically new, why don’t we add to the progress or non-progress of the previous year. Acknowledging that change can’t happen without action. And honestly, there are some things we aren’t always ready to change. We’ll just have to accept that they’ll be there to be picked up in 2015, God willing, because life is a continuum.

Some people may use resolutions in the right way and kudos to them. I have simply made peace with the fact that they aren’t for me.

2014

I could never orchestrate the beautiful tapestry that is the life You have in store for me. 

I could never fully plan it. 

Whilst I may prepare for it, I could never put the pieces quite as together as You do.

Twenty Things The Year 2013 Taught Me

Here are a few things I learnt this year which should keep me in check in 2014.
1. A little humility never hurt anyone.
2. It is better to be practical than go hungry.
3. There are many blessings on the pathway to achieving your goal.
4. In dark times you are motivated to discover what you really want to do with your life.
5. Good relationships with family and friends enrich your life.
6. Do what makes you happy today since there is no guarantee of tomorrow.
7. Even a dead-end job can be brought to life.
8. In time, things work out beautifully.
9. Learn from the mistakes of other people, there is really no need to go through their pain.
10. Treat people with respect and kindness. It is vital.
11. Never say you can’t do something because you can always learn.
12. Don’t compare yourself to others. Start where you are, keep at it and you’ll excel.
13. Never stop learning and don’t be too proud to learn from others.
14. Find a hobby that creates an oasis in times of frustration.
15. How people treat you is not a reflection of who you are.
16. Take risks and take them often. Stretch your capabilities and your faith.
17. Don’t try and save the world. Simply contribute your part.
18. Use your experience and your knowledge to create opportunities.
19. Do not limit yourself.
20. Never stop smiling. 🙂