Moments of Motivation

I've always been a little obsessed with ballet.... strangely enough didn't ever go for lessons, but spend hours hovering on my tip toes with one hand on the kitchen counter and one hand on the chest freezer. I loved how weird feet look on pointe.
I used to prance around in hand-me-down leotards.... total fav was yellow with 3/4 sleeves, I even had one of those wrap around jerseys.... *sigh*

After doing the 15 minute ballet buns workout yesterday morning, I did a 40 minute barre work out last night. I'm about a million pliats away from my ballet body.... I want the grace and bendiness of a ballerina. They move so fluidly and can lift their legs so high. I want to be a ballerina!!!!

I am not sure if I mentioned that one of my "rewards" once I'm thin is a photoshoot. I'm busy collecting photos of similar poses I want to strike. Found some reasonable balletesque ones (as in I'm not wrapping a leg around my neck), so the challenge to be bendy is on!

Here are my latest motivational posters

I will post links to a few of my favourite youtube workout videos in a separate post soon....

Breaking Out Of My Chains

I remember seeing a YOU magazine article years ago, where a women claimed that she had shed piles of weight, just by the power of prayer. I was very cynical about it.

Over the last 18 months I have been on a journey of really drawing closer to God and have been so blessed. God gave me a PILE of blessings over the last year and the more I give over to Him, the better things go - figures right? Now, if you have got this far and are still reading, good.

I seem to be getting the same message from so many places, in so many different ways:

• We are the image-bearers of Christ
• Our bodies are our temple
• Jesus was super fit, He walked everywhere (Thanks Mom)

So, I started to think.... if I am an image-bearer... and should be following Jesus' spiritual example... maybe I should be following His physical example? God designed my body to be strong, to work the field and to get me places. How dare I flop into a heap? Then I heard a sermon on "work" and how it is good to work and how God doesn't want us to be lazy. These words almost haunt me. I was also reminded to dedicate everything that I do to God's glory (yeah, not easy!). So I prayed. I asked God to bless my diet, to give me self control and perseverance.

I just did my home work for the Beth Moore "Breaking Free" Bible study that I've joined on Saturday mornings. Working through a study on how we need to find our satisfaction in God, feed our souls, I came across two absolute gems of scripture.

"Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?

Why pay for food that does you no good?

Listen, and I will tell you where to get food that is

good for the soul!"

Isaiah 55v2

 

"You satisfy me more than the richest of foods.

I will praise You with songs of joy."

Psalm 63v5

 

I have been slowly becoming aware that the root of my weight gain is comfort eating, I feel like I am breaking habits and teaching my body to be satisfied with better food. At the same time, I am feeding my soul like crazy and aligning my whole self-image to God's image of me.

 

Pray for me, wish me luck, whatever fits into your beliefs. I know that there is no way I would be making this progress, with such surprising ease, without God's help!

The Big 4

I have officially have shed FOUR KILO's in less than two weeks!!

I haven't really been open about what my start weight was, well it was 83kg... and now I'm 79kg, properly under 80kg :)

Cue the happy dance :) I love Dukan

How To Get a Butt like a Ballerina

I have been full of excuses this week about working out, so did a quick 15 min video this morning.... sheeeeesh... good workout, gorgeous new body role model!

Tell The World....

"I'm coming home
I'm coming home
Tell the World I'm coming home
Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday
I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes
I'm coming home, I'm coming home
Tell the World that I'm coming"
                                                          - Skylar Grey (Coming Home)

I got addicted to the P Diddy version while travelling last year. I remember discovering it on the playlist on the plane just before I landed in London, tears pushing to get out as the fields rolled out beneath us. I felt so emotional, this was my first trip outside of CT, I was about to see my best friends from school (strange how so many of them ended up across the sea), I'd done something brave, and I'd been travelling for about 19 hours on a smidgen of sleep...

I felt like I was about to escape reality and that all my mistakes would be washed away, I'd be reborn in England. I was forever changed by leaving everything at home for a month. I grew, my eyes opened, I was inspired. 

It was my theme song on the way home, when I was really coming home.... almost like a prayer that I had changed for the better, that I would still be me, that my kingdom would remember me....

When Granny was sick and dying, she kept saying that she was ready to "go home"... I knew she didn't mean back to Pinelands. On the day that she died, I put the P Diddy version on and howled during the chorus.

And now, I have discovered the original Skylar Grey version by accident, and it is soooooo utterly moving.

Words to live by

This is EXACTLY how I feel and why I am on this journey

Just Say NO

I sit, tummy weirdly growly after lunch and I don’t feel very satisfied. I had an amazing salad, stuffed with veggies and steak…. I even had an egg… but I feel kinda huuuungry. Maybe because everyone else had sandwiches for lunch? We’re on a training course and all cooped up in a room together.

On Saturday night I was literally in the middle of free pizza and wine… my kryptonite. Somehow I sucked down sparkling water with mint and told myself I was fantastic. Dukan is easy behind closed doors, but not so much when you’re talking to someone wrestling with a super melted slice of pizza. If ever I wanted an exercise in self-control, that was it. I was so hungry for a snack by the time I got home, and biltong is a sore substitute. but, I’m getting thinner and that makes this all worth it. Just sometimes, sometimes….

NEW WEEK, NEW CHANCE TO BE AMAZING

Monday motivation...

It just feels wrong…

Dukan has proved to be surprisingly easy. Side thought, Dr Dukan is lucky to have such a catchy surname…. If I invented an eating plan and called it The Paine Diet…. I doubt I’d have the same cult following.

Over the last nine days, Brother and I have looked at each other a few times and wondered if we really are allowed to eat such deliciousness. We are :)

Lean bacon with fat-free smooth cottage cheese…. OMW

Gojiberry FF yoghurt (we’re allowed gojiberries in an any stage!)

Steak… with ham

Ostrich sausage (no cereals added)

As of today I’ve lost 3.5kg and Brother has lost 4kg. It is not the easiest diet to be on, but it’s also very very user friendly.

Day #7

Whoop whoop! Managed a whole week on ATTACK, so hitting the veg tomorrow!
About 3.3kg down now.... feeling good! Planned a quite night in, so expect some great posts over the next week or so ;)