Guess who's back?

Ok, so I'm well aware that this was a much longer break from blogging than I ever intended.

There are things happening in my non-blog life that have drawn me away from the screen for a while and I'm ok with that. Life is to be lived, and not merely observed, so if a break is needed, so be it.

Me and My Great Aunt - she's doing awesome for early 90's!

Recently I have talked to a number of people in real life who actually read this blog (hello out there!) and they have noticed my absence. Which is nice of them really. So I thought maybe it was a good time to reward their persistent loyalty with an update of sorts.

I wrote out my Personal Mission Statement at the beginning of the year and once a month or so I look over it. I am still working on every aspect of the goals I set, at varying pace, but I am pleased that I have been able to help others more with meals and practical help than I have in past years. I think this is due to a number of organisational steps I will explore in a later post.

Quiet time with God: I am still using this system to work through scripture, prayer and reflection on God's grace. It's a good system and it does work well, when I stick to it. My goal this year was not to get frustrated when I missed days (or weeks) of quiet time, but to just get back into it the next day. I have been keeping a record using stickers in a diary, of when I have quiet times. January was definitely the best month. But I am starting to get back on track now.

Food: I am still trying to work out how to balance my *love* of food with my need to eat well and treat my PCOS body kindly. Sadly I have put on even more weight this year, mainly due to inactivity and anxiety. But some recent health scares in my extended family have made me reevaluate my priorities, and I am trying harder to get back on track with food.

Decluttering: I undertook some big declutter missions since my last post on the subject. Our bathroom, laundry and kitchen are all flowing well and I don't have piles of stuff with no place to put it. My wardrobe has had one of its twice-yearly clean outs, and I hosted a clothes swap with some friends to help repurpose some items of clothing - it was actually a lot of fun! I can put all my clothes away in seconds and I now really only have the clothes I actually wear regularly and really need. I have to thank The Minimalist Mom and Small Notebook for their inspiration here, as I am naturally a bit of a hoarder!

One thing I have abandoned is my 366 days photo project. I found that I constantly forgot to take a camera with me most days and remembering to take a photo was another thing all together. I'm proud that I managed to blog a month of photos. Maybe I'll do a December round and we can see how the year started and ended...

Awesome and I are walking well together. Well, we call God our 'bungee cord' in that he holds us together when we try to pull away in frustration! We have been praying together most nights, which is not quite a bible study together, but its a start for us! We have been trying to make an effort to have regular date nights, but as we are out a lot, some times its easier to stay home and just be around each other.

Overall, even though things have been a little nuts this year - and its not the year of stillness I was craving, it is still a year of being intentional in many ways, and I'm thanking God for that!

My Personal Mission Statement

The structure of the statement is based on this post by Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking, and from the material provided in Women of the Word, Fisherman Bible Study Guides "Becoming a Woman of Purpose", by Ruth Haley Barton. Thanks to these ladies for their wisdom.




My Mission Statement


1. To be a person of grace, committed to pursuing Jesus in every task, thought and word.
2. To be a wife of noble character, who serves her husband faithfully and well to affirm his leadership a partner with him in serving the Lord and others.
3. To manage a hospitable, peaceful home, and offer love and refreshment to the people who God brings in to our lives.
4. To live intentionally for God's Kingdom. To have clear, well-seasoned speech and prayer for others, to be influential in grace.
5. To be a worker of moral responsibility, set apart, a noticeable difference in my work and leadership.

My Goals and Disciplines

Relationship with God
Goal: Taking time each day to read God's Word, being faithful and consistent in prayer.
Discipline: Ensuring time every morning to read God's Word and to pray. Going to bed at a reasonable time each night to ensure this. Going to church and small group weekly.

Marriage
Goal: Time to talk and reflect on how our marriage is going. Reflect on my conduct as a wife and supporter and grow in knowledge of how best to serve Awesome.
Discipline: One-on-one time to talk with Awesome every day. Date nights together twice a month. Read 4 books each year on being a Godly wife.

Work
Goal: Gracious service of my staff and clients, going the extra mile, to be set apart in word and deed.
Discipline: Not engage in gossip, pray for work each work day, going the extra mile for each person, not swearing - letting my conversation be seasoned with salt.

Church and Community
Goal: To build intentional relationships with others, to be friendly and welcoming to others, to be faithful in prayer.
Disciplines: Seek out new comers. Take time to nurture relationships with others. To take prayer requests and offers seriously, write them down and follow through.

Physical Health and Well-being
Goal: To be well rested and physically able, to maintain a healthy weight and get adequate exercise.
Disciplines: Go to bed at a reasonable time, eat healthy and nourishing foods, exercise daily (15min+).


Home and Recreation
Goal: Well organised household, food and meals available to nourish our family, help others or feed visitors.
Disciplines: Menu plan where possible, manage finances to ensure extra giving is possible, have ingredients on hand to make food when needed.

Personal Development
Goal: Extend on my knowledge of God's love and the practicalities of being a Christian.
Disciplines: Read at least 10 Christian personal development books this year on a range of topics (eg. hospitality, prayer, being a Godly wife. Read at least 10 books on God's Word this year.


These are not a list of things I already do to show you what an awesome Christian I am and make you feel somehow inadequate if you don't tick all the boxes. This is a list of the things that I actually struggle with the most. Daily. This is what, in God's grace, I want to do about these things this year. And I will need to check in regularly to ensure that I have made these things a priority. Four years ago I wouldn't have thought it possible to do all these things at the same time, but God is slowly changing my heart to show me that it is possible when I intentionally rely on Him and make efforts towards change.

The Year of Intentional

On a lot of the blogs I read regularly, I have noticed women picking a word for the year. Some pick something like saying 'yes' or 'no', a word like 'grace', or 'love'.  These are all good words when they motivate us to live more under God's authority.

I wan't really keen on the idea of picking a word for the year. I had instead started to work on a personal mission statement. The idea was born out of some posts I had read on similar topics and from the Bible study guide I have been doing this week "Becoming a Woman of Purpose" by Ruth Haley Barton (Highly recommended for its Biblical basis, no silly comprehension questions and emphasis on developing a personal mission statement that is based on doing the hard work to determine where your heart is at with God, before you write down your goals).

As I was writing out the purpose, goals and disciplines that I want to focus on in each area of my life, I realised one word was sticking in my head.

Intentional. 

I want to be more intentional. Too often I'm swayed by the thing in front of me, the thing in the next room, the plan for another day, and I don't fulfill the things I need to do, or act the way I should act right now. I want to live each day purposefully, not just see what happens by accident. Days and years are wasted that way (ongoing weight loss battles anyone?). I want to take deliberate steps in my days, to ensure that the things that really matter are the things that are occupying my thoughts.

Rather than a definition of the word, I looked up the synonyms and antonyms for the word intentional.

Synonyms:	advised, aforethought, calculated, considered,designed, designful, done on purpose, intended, meant, meditated, planned, prearranged,premeditated, proposed, purposed, studied,unforced,  voluntary, willful, willing, witting
Antonyms:	accidental, unintentional, unplanned

 Those are all good words. Excellent words. I highlighted ones that particularly stood out to me. The antonyms stood out to me too - they perfectly describe so many of my 'bad days'. 

2012 will be a year of living intentionally. Of meaning to do things, planning to do things, and actually doing them. Of having purpose to my days instead of wasted time. Of wanting and being willing to do the hard stuff in life. 

I'll post my personal mission statement tomorrow (once Awesome has had a chance to read it over and vet it for grammatical and theological flaws!!). 

Do you have a word for 2012? 

No S[ucess]Diet

So I thought I'd try the No S Diet.  Its pretty easy: No snacks, no seconds, no sweets except on days that start with 'S'. 

It was going very well. Until Awesome dropped home for lunch today and mentioned the packet of choc chip cookies he had in the cupboard.

I knew they were there. I knew they were his. I was avoiding them and do very well at it thank you.

But then... I caved. And I opened the packet.

And I ate... well... ok I'm going to be honest here in the privacy of the World Wide Web... half.the.packet.

That's 11 biscuits for those playing along at home.

For the statisticians among you, I have consumed my entire daily quota of kilojoules in 20 minutes.

That's ridiculous.

I'm calling today Sunday and starting fresh from here on in.  No more.

And instead of going and buying a replacement packet of biscuits and hiding the other packet and pretending that I didn't open them ( not that I have done that in the past or anything...) I will fess up when Awesome gets home and apologise for eating his stash.

I am going to last until Saturday and then I am going to weigh myself and see if four and half days without snacks makes a difference.

One Day at a Time

Well ... back when I wrote this post I was very motivated and had goals in mind.

Unfortunately I have fallen off the wagon. Again.

I have been reading a book that quotes a Chinese proverb. "80% is perfection".

I like that!

I am currently... (gulp) stuck at 76kg.  I have lost a bit of weight over the last 6 months (7.5kg) but I still have at least 6kg to go.

So its time for a new plan.

I am going to aim to eat well and exercise 80% of the time.  That's 5 days a week.

So today, its shoes and jacket on - I'm going for a run!

Getting Your Exercise Groove On .. When Your Head Says No...

So, how do I get the exercise happening if I can't make myself go to the gym...?

I love Zumba. Unfortunately I have as much trouble getting to Zumba as I have making myself go to the gym... the same anxieties creep in.

While I'm sorting that out, I have been keeping up with Zumba on my computer! Here are a few free Zumba clips that I love.

Shakira's Waka Waka - I love their energy and the song!

One of the original Zumba videos on the web

This one is just Fun!

My other passion at the moment is shadow boxing. I use move I have learnt in boxing class, and from my Billy Blanks Tae Bo DVD and pop on music and just make it up. After about 30 minutes I'm exhausted! If I push out to an hour I can get an awesome workout.

The final thing I am doing at the moment is a weekly run with a bunch of girls from my church. Knowing and trusting these awesome chickies makes it much easier to get of the house and get there - for some reason my anxieties really don't come to the fore when church people are involved - I have no idea why!

The important thing for me is to keep moving and trying to loose that weight :)

Starting again. For Good.

It's laziness.


It's fear.


I think it might actually be sinful...


Monday afternoon will be my 'follow up' appiontment with the dietitian. The very expernsive dietitian. The dietitian that my doctor said 'Is good, but charges way too much.' The dietitian that is supposed to be helping me loose weight, feel great, and make babies...


Its been two months. Its already cost me gulp... over $300 dollars for the first two visits.


And I've wasted it.


I didn't follow the diet plan. I ate whatever I wanted. And even though I've been working out a lot, I have lost... nothing.


Nothing. Not a scrap in two months.


Its not that I don't believe it will work. In the two weeks that I first followed the eating plan carefully, I dropped two kilos straight away.  (That's 4 1/2 pounds for our imperial friends). It works. I should actually be at my goal weight right now.


But I'm not. So what went wrong?


The Eating Plan Autopsy


1. No prayer. Nope, not one bit. I did this for myself, I thought nothing of committing this journey to God. "Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21  - I believe that when we don't include God in those plans, we have already failed.


2. No organisation. I did nothing to change the way our meals are organised. When I got busy in the morning, I didn't make lunch, so I would just buy... well... icecream mainly...


3. Hiding the plan and goal from others. In the past when loosing weight, I have told family and friends of my methods, and they have supported me by checking what food I can eat and serving good stuff when I eat with them. Less chance for cheating when others are watching...!


So. I start again. Not on Monday. Today. I have already wasted enough time and money. It's time to honour God with obedience.


What do you know you need to do and have all the tools to do, but hold back for fear and laziness? (Oh, please tell me someone else out there is like me!!). 

ACTION PLAN Steps 1 and 2

Ok, I am being brave and I am putting everything out on the line! Here is step one in my ACTION PLAN.

1. Know Your Goal

Know what it is you are setting out to achieve. Write down your goals, and show them to someone else. Its important not to hide what you are trying to achieve.

SMART Goals are much more easily achieved. For more info on SMART goals download this document www.adelaide.edu.au/wpdn/mentoring_goalsetting.doc

2. Set a starting point. 

You need to know where you have come from and where you would like to be. 

Below are my stats from the 12 week fitness program I am part of. This is the initial stats. 

(I don't remember turning 27 yet. ... I think I am only 26 still... but its only a couple of weeks regardless.)

Ok, so there are steps 1 and 2. Have a go at setting your steps, share them in the comments section below or post a link to your own blog. 

Age: 27

Height: 172

Measurements	Initial	Midway	Final	Overall Loss
Body Fat %	40.6
Weight	81.9
Right Bicep	29
Left Bicep	29
Chest	102.5
Waist	94
Hips	104
Right Thigh	60
Left Thigh	58

               

Fitness Scores	Initial	Midway	Final	Overall Improvement
Step ups	86
Push Ups	8
Sit ups	1
6 min shuttle run	56
7 Phase Plank	1

Time for Action!

Well, Spring is here and its time for me to get serious about looking after myself. 

I've spent a year and a half being quite lazy and eating whatever I want, to my own detriment. And now its time for ACTION!!  

I have a plan for the next 12 weeks and beyond.  And I thought as a way to stay accountable to myself, I would post about it each week. I am calling it THE ACTION PLAN. 

In my Action Plan, I will be joining a local fitness transformation boot camp to loose 15kg.  I have also decided to withdraw from sugar completely (even though my one week challenge was a bit of a disaster!). So Fridays will become Fitness Friday and Saturdays will become Sugar-Free Saturday on my blog. Posting my progress will be a way of keeping myself on track - but feel free to encourage me if you like!!  he he he... Even better, you might want to join me for a 12 week ACTION PLAN of your own. 

It might be:

• Giving up a habit like eating chocolate or drinking Coke everyday
• Going for a walk or run 3 times a week
• Establishing a quiet time each day...

The list is endless and feel free to be as creative as you like!!  Leave a comment below to let us know what you are committing to for 12 weeks so we can cheer each other on! 

This week's blog plan: 

Monday: Getting started on an ACTION PLAN

Tuesday: Thanksgiving Tuesday

Wednesday: Tools of the Trade: Resources to help you with an ACTION PLAN of your own

Thursday: See my BEFORE PHOTOS!!

Friday: Fitness Friday - an update on my fitness progress

Saturday: Sugar-Free Saturday - an update on my withdrawal from fructose

So - what will your ACTION PLAN be?