Results...

Well my new way of [trying to] thinking about food has paid off. This week I lost a massive 2.2kgs!!! It wasn't an easy week in some ways, yet in others it was a breeze. I didn't feel like I was on a diet, rather I felt like I could eat whatever I wanted - the difference was that I didn't eat just because I could. The hard part was finding food in my mouth or hand on my way to my mouth, without having made the concious choice to eat. I found it very interesting questioning myself when I thought I was hungry only to find I was feeling bored or tired.

I think I probably have cut back the quantity of food I consume buy up to 3/4, and I'm not hungry. I feel satisfied and happy - ewww you all say - yes I was way over eating ALL the time.

This week I'm focusing on expecting a little more from myself at the gym and continuing my good work from last week.

On a very very very exciting note, my tax return will be enough to cover the operation Marko has to have for us to have kids!! He has an appointment in November with the specialist then the op will be in January!!! Yay!!

Emily xoxo

My mission!

Back in July I posted on my health and fitness - made several goals and stuck to only one of them. I started my discussion group on facebook and have tried to regularly post there with my buds who are also trying to get healthier. A few weeks into our discussion groups existence, Tam heard about a book on Oprah called 'Women, Food and God' by Geneen Roth. We decided that we should do an online book club around the book and all purchased a copy. Initially I got about halfway through and then got distracted by school. So last week after talking at length with my gorgeous cousing Isla, I picked it up again and started reading from the beginning.

This book is going to CHANGE MY LIFE.

I am thinking about food differently, I am thinking about why I want to eat when I reach for food when I'm not hungry, and I'm trying to live in the here and now. Now some of you may think 'So What?' but for me this is a BIG BIG deal. I eat when I am sad, bored, happy, lonely, excited, tired, frustrated, worried - basically anytime I'll eat - but usually I'm really not hungry. I'm what Geneen refers to as a Permitter - I constantly allow myself to just eat what I want when I want with no thought about whether A: I'm hungry or B:if I'm hungry then what food does my body need and want. I just eat whatever I can get my hands on and usually a lot of it.

I think the other part of this book that appeals to me is the fact that she is trying to teach her readers to trust their innate judgement. I have always believed my judgement was flawed. I find it insanely hard to make decisions and often let others decide for me. What I am learning through reading this book and trying to get in touch with my body is that if I listen to what my body wants, not what my mind is telling me I want, I will eat appropriately and eventually I will reach my healthy weight. I know it's kinda radical. Geneen descibes diets as simply a means to punish ourselves for being overweight and that because we aren't really in touch with or listening to our body it can't be sustained. Makes sense to me!

Therefore I have decided to use this book as my guide. I have spent the last two days focussing on my body and what it needs for fuel. I have been suprised by how little I have needed and amazed at the difference between what my body appears to need and the quantity I have been eating. No wonder I'm overweight!

I have also been reading Cathy Zielske's blog (she's lost about 20kg this year) and one of the things I love is that she has been taking photos in her bathroom mirror to document the change in her body. So here's mine for now:

I'm also doing a 12 week challenge with my friend Sonia - my challenge is to go to the gym 3 times per week and to eat only when I'm hungry.... Week one just finished and I lost 200gms...better than nothing I say.

Here's to getting healthy!!

Emily xoxo

Random Notes on a Friendship album - by Moira Coates

This beautiful album was made specially for me by the very talented and beautiful Moira Coates. She made it as a gift for me when we moved from Warwick to Roma in 2008. I miss this woman so much, her friendship is so important to me.

So enjoy looking at this amazing album which celebrates our years of friendship.

Emily xoxo

Dicky Beach holiday album - in progress

Here it is so far! I still have quite a few pages to add and some to put on the rear of the patterned pages already created. I am happy with the overall look so far and can't wait to start taking the pictures for it when we go on holidays.



Emily xoxo

Holiday album

Inspiration struck in a major way over the weekend and I pulled out a Kaiser album that I've had for at least 12 months and I decided to turn it into a holiday mini album. I was inspired by my dear friend Moira who created all the the pages of her road trip album (seen here) prior to going on her holiday. She then took the album and a small stash that all co-ordinated with her papers and she added photos and postit notes of what they did as they travelled. When she got home there wasn't too much more to do with it other than to print out journalling and add titles and extra embellishments. Inspiring isn't she!

So I have set about creating a 'Dicky Beach' mini album. This Christmas will be our third year going to Dicky Beach caravan park camping. My entire family goes, and this year we have tried to book four joining sites (well I still haven't booked so we'll see where we end up). I am planning to have the whole mini album covered and additional pages added before leaving for the holiday. Over the two weeks I will take lots of pics and get them printed down there and add them in while it's all fresh. I haven't photographed what I've done so far, but I'll do that for you all tomorrow. In the meantime, check out Moira's road trip album. I LOVE it and she's had it published in a magazine - I forget which one.

Emily xoxo

A return to the land of Blogging..

OH how slack I have been!! I can't believe it has been so long since I posted. Just so you are aware - the last few weeks of a school term you are unlikely to hear from me. I also promised my hubbie I would try to keep the computer off during our two weeks holiday - and amazingly I did!

So what have I been up to? Not a lot scrapping or smocking wise. Last night I went to a stitch, scrap and socialise cancer council fundraiser and had a lovely time. I got seriously paid out because I took my whole scrap stash (I hadn't organised what I was going to work on so I just took everything) and met some lovely people. I am planning on going each Tuesday night. It is technically a patchwork night each Tuesday but Becc tells me that she goes and scraps. So perhaps I will start getting a little more accomplished. I got one 30 x 30 layout nearly completed last night - will post a photo when it is finished. I laughed a lot and really enjoyed getting out and scrapping. Yay!!

Emily xoxo