Sooooooo I fell of the "get fit, get healthy" wagon. Ok ok, let me be honest, I willingly jumped off. Or did I roll off? Beats me. All I know is that I lost some weight, gained it back and here we go again.
I don't like to exercise. I cannot emphasize that enough. I like to dance to but do it consistently, religiously...... ehhhhh. I just don't know.
But as I get older I realise I do need to some physical activity - at least 3 - 5 times a week. Sitting on my butt and watching my muscle tone disappear is not ideal and don't bother mention the pain you feel after not exercising for soooooo long.
Soooooooo I turned 26 again a few months ago (any one that says otherwise runs the risk of being unfriended on FB and/or phone number accidentally deleted) and I can't help feeling even more unfit than I usually do.
Yet I don't despair as I have been exercising on and off since the beginning of the year but I'm still not consistent with it.
So yes........ here we go again. I'm starting, well restarting my exercise programme. It's no longer just about looking good but about feeling good too.
This time around I want to lose more than pounds and inches. I want to eat better, cleaner. Eat less of what I know is not good for me and more of what is.
My journey restarts. I hope to be a better storyteller this time around...........
Friday, 8 April 2016
Monday, 29 September 2014
Confessions of a Picky Eater
Picky Eater
Definition - A person that is adverse to a wide variety of foods; additionally picky eaters often display an unwillingness to try new foods, or any food that contains even a small amount of a food they do not like.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Picky%20Eater
My name is Melissa and I am a picky eater. Well sometimes. Oh well work in progress. For as far back as I can remember I have always been very cautious of the food I eat. I tend to be hesitant in trying new foods as I am over concerned of how it might taste. In addition the presentation may be off which then turns me off and I just don't eat it.
Growing up my Mom was the head chef in my house (still is and the best there is). The food was usually prepared with love and pride as my Mommy can cook good (better than good actually !!). Despite that I realise (now) that I was bit of a challenge growing up in terms of what I would eat, when I would eat it and how often could she give it to me to eat. Still she forged on and made accommodations to suit my palate (yes mi know - spoil, spoil, spoil - hate me or love me I'm still awesome). Sometimes the "pickiness" would get to her and she'd let me know in no uncertain terms that she wasn't cooking anything else and that I would have to eat what was prepared. I still didn't eat it. Well I'd pick at it instead. Push it around my plate if necessary to give the impression that I had tried it.
Other times she would bribe me or convince me that food that I didn't like was somehow different this time and that I should give it a shot. Lots of times it worked. Lots of times it didn't. I remember one particular food/meal and the bribe that followed to get me to eat it. It was soup. Chicken soup I believe. Now my Mommy cooked soup every Saturday - rain or shine - soup was being cooked. Most times I'd barely taste cause I didn't like it and I wasn't gonna eat it. I am not sure why I didn't like it. I just knew that I didn't.
Quite a few of my friends have heard me tell this story but it still rings true and funny for me. Most of my friends know that I have a keen interest in "long hair." I always say that I want my hair to reach mi knee - that's how bad I want it (lol). Anyhow my natural hair (cause mi did young right) at time was pretty short and I wasn't fond of it. I could speak negatively of my hair and I used to but I've learnt to be grateful for every strand I've got. I digress (clears throat) and continue.
So yes I wanted the "long hair" and my Mom knew this and used it against me to get me to eat the darn soup!! My Mom told me that if I drank soup every Saturday without complaint my hair would grow. At first I don't think I bought it (at least I hope I didn't - I pray I wasn't that gullible). And I hope I thought about it before I committed to it. Well I committed to it all right and I drank that soup every Saturday without fail and complaint. The results (you ask) - the hair didn't grow but I loooooovvvee soup now especially chicken soup. Yum Yum!! Lol!!
There were other foods that were hated on sight or smell. This could have been due to the texture, colour, etc. It didn't matter how she fixed I wasn't gonna eat it. The list was long and for awhile I stuck to the basics. Sometimes I would have been prodded to try new stuff and sometimes I would have to be bribed (once again) into tasting in same. In that instance I would have just swallowed quickly without allowing the food to settle too much on my taste buds. I was then asked, "How it taste? Can eat, don't?" My response would have been in the negative with a made up face.
Other times she would bribe me or convince me that food that I didn't like was somehow different this time and that I should give it a shot. Lots of times it worked. Lots of times it didn't. I remember one particular food/meal and the bribe that followed to get me to eat it. It was soup. Chicken soup I believe. Now my Mommy cooked soup every Saturday - rain or shine - soup was being cooked. Most times I'd barely taste cause I didn't like it and I wasn't gonna eat it. I am not sure why I didn't like it. I just knew that I didn't.
Quite a few of my friends have heard me tell this story but it still rings true and funny for me. Most of my friends know that I have a keen interest in "long hair." I always say that I want my hair to reach mi knee - that's how bad I want it (lol). Anyhow my natural hair (cause mi did young right) at time was pretty short and I wasn't fond of it. I could speak negatively of my hair and I used to but I've learnt to be grateful for every strand I've got. I digress (clears throat) and continue.
So yes I wanted the "long hair" and my Mom knew this and used it against me to get me to eat the darn soup!! My Mom told me that if I drank soup every Saturday without complaint my hair would grow. At first I don't think I bought it (at least I hope I didn't - I pray I wasn't that gullible). And I hope I thought about it before I committed to it. Well I committed to it all right and I drank that soup every Saturday without fail and complaint. The results (you ask) - the hair didn't grow but I loooooovvvee soup now especially chicken soup. Yum Yum!! Lol!!
There were other foods that were hated on sight or smell. This could have been due to the texture, colour, etc. It didn't matter how she fixed I wasn't gonna eat it. The list was long and for awhile I stuck to the basics. Sometimes I would have been prodded to try new stuff and sometimes I would have to be bribed (once again) into tasting in same. In that instance I would have just swallowed quickly without allowing the food to settle too much on my taste buds. I was then asked, "How it taste? Can eat, don't?" My response would have been in the negative with a made up face.
Well I'm pleased to say that I've gotten older and wiser (hopefully :)) and a lot more daring (at least for me) in regards to what I will or won't try. There are some foods that I have definitely tried and to an extent regret not taking the time to try them before.
When I decided to start to eat healthier I found that often times the foods I would initially reject were on the list of foods I wouldn't even try. This journey of life (and eating better) has definitely taught me not to be so hard and fast with "food" and give it a taste once in awhile. I will admit that I'm not gonna eat everything and I still will "pick" but for the most part I think I have improved.
My suggestions to adult picky eaters (cause I know you are out there):
When I decided to start to eat healthier I found that often times the foods I would initially reject were on the list of foods I wouldn't even try. This journey of life (and eating better) has definitely taught me not to be so hard and fast with "food" and give it a taste once in awhile. I will admit that I'm not gonna eat everything and I still will "pick" but for the most part I think I have improved.
My suggestions to adult picky eaters (cause I know you are out there):
- Approach the unfamiliar food with an open mind. Don't rule out the food you haven't tried especially if the presentation is top notch. Give it a try!
- Spices are essential and truly can change the flavour of a previously disliked food. Trust me on this.
- Don't be afraid to experiment and make the food more appealing to your palate. Incorporate foods you're not fond of with foods that you like. Slides down better and is more appealing to eat.
- Lastly if you tried the food and you still don't like it - don't give up. Move on and try something else. You will find something that sticks.
Happy picking, trying and eating!
Sunday, 24 August 2014
It's all about Self-Love *heart - Learning to love yourself in any state
In my last post couple of posts I briefly mentioned how content I've become in my skin as well as hitting rock bottom in regards my weight, lack of exercise and how it made me feel.
It took a long time to reach a point where I could honestly say something like that. I always troubled with low self esteem, body issues. Despite hitting rock bottom with the weight gain, etc I still felt content in my skin. I feel content as I realise that I have the power to change that feeling. Nobody else but me.
As we are born I would think all parents pray for a healthy child - ten fingers, ten toes. After that I think gender comes is next in line as a desire. Boy or girl - like there's anything else. In the days, weeks and months following our births we are deemed the most perfect, adorable, cutest (I could go on with the adjectives) human alive. We are complimented and adored and we (as babies) laugh and giggle in response and in agreement. Eventually other well meaning individuals/outsiders (siblings, other relatives, friends, acquaintances, even strangers) then voice their opinions about us - what are we doing at what age; are we teething, walking, creeping, crawling - you get my drift. If we are doing what were supposed to be doing at a particular age, then great - we've escaped any admonishing for a while. If we don't then we are "nicely" criticized and compared to others about our lack of progress.
I am almost sure that it goes downhill from here. It's possible we are likely too young to care but that doesn't stop the parade of needless criticisms and comparisons. So we continue and grow some more. The "outsiders" (as mentioned above) become more vocal as we grow.
So we grow up and more compliments and criticisms are sent our way. Sometimes the compliments outweighs the criticisms and we are able to cope and forge our way through. On the other hand when the criticisms outweigh the compliments then we find ourselves in trouble. We come become plagued with low self esteem, poor self image, depression - I could go on. We compare ourselves to everyone we meet and we wonder about our shortfalls and why we fail to (constantly) make the "grade." I think one of my most painful moments in regards to my self image was probably mid high school. I always felt that my gal pals were pretty ( and I was not pretty) and so I asked a friend of mine what was it like being pretty. (Insert dramatic music here). She answered and explained her life as a pretty girl. In that moment I felt devastated, crushed even. She spoke of a life I could never relate to (at that time). A life of a girl who had a healthy self image. I think my teenage years sometimes were the roughest as I had an unhealthy self image. Thank God things have changed.
I often wonder about the lack of love of oneself and the predicaments we get ourselves in as a result of that lack. I think about my past and how my lack of love for myself has impacted me and the decisions I made yesterday, today and for my future. Feelings of lack are neverending. Every time a goal is reached or you possess the next big thing your ego will move the line and makes the achievement seem, once again,lacking. Boy this word "lack" getting a ton of use!
I was never fat, then again neither was I never slim. Well that's not completely true. I wore size 5 until about 8 or 9th grade (I was about 13 going 14 or maybe 14 going 15 - honestly don't remember). Then came my curves. It seems like I went to bed one night and suddenly my hips and derriere appeared bigger than I remembered (lol). My body changed and so did my self image. I was no longer petite and I no longer fit a particular and "acceptable mold".
As we are born I would think all parents pray for a healthy child - ten fingers, ten toes. After that I think gender comes is next in line as a desire. Boy or girl - like there's anything else. In the days, weeks and months following our births we are deemed the most perfect, adorable, cutest (I could go on with the adjectives) human alive. We are complimented and adored and we (as babies) laugh and giggle in response and in agreement. Eventually other well meaning individuals/outsiders (siblings, other relatives, friends, acquaintances, even strangers) then voice their opinions about us - what are we doing at what age; are we teething, walking, creeping, crawling - you get my drift. If we are doing what were supposed to be doing at a particular age, then great - we've escaped any admonishing for a while. If we don't then we are "nicely" criticized and compared to others about our lack of progress.
I am almost sure that it goes downhill from here. It's possible we are likely too young to care but that doesn't stop the parade of needless criticisms and comparisons. So we continue and grow some more. The "outsiders" (as mentioned above) become more vocal as we grow.
So we grow up and more compliments and criticisms are sent our way. Sometimes the compliments outweighs the criticisms and we are able to cope and forge our way through. On the other hand when the criticisms outweigh the compliments then we find ourselves in trouble. We come become plagued with low self esteem, poor self image, depression - I could go on. We compare ourselves to everyone we meet and we wonder about our shortfalls and why we fail to (constantly) make the "grade." I think one of my most painful moments in regards to my self image was probably mid high school. I always felt that my gal pals were pretty ( and I was not pretty) and so I asked a friend of mine what was it like being pretty. (Insert dramatic music here). She answered and explained her life as a pretty girl. In that moment I felt devastated, crushed even. She spoke of a life I could never relate to (at that time). A life of a girl who had a healthy self image. I think my teenage years sometimes were the roughest as I had an unhealthy self image. Thank God things have changed.
I often wonder about the lack of love of oneself and the predicaments we get ourselves in as a result of that lack. I think about my past and how my lack of love for myself has impacted me and the decisions I made yesterday, today and for my future. Feelings of lack are neverending. Every time a goal is reached or you possess the next big thing your ego will move the line and makes the achievement seem, once again,lacking. Boy this word "lack" getting a ton of use!
I was never fat, then again neither was I never slim. Well that's not completely true. I wore size 5 until about 8 or 9th grade (I was about 13 going 14 or maybe 14 going 15 - honestly don't remember). Then came my curves. It seems like I went to bed one night and suddenly my hips and derriere appeared bigger than I remembered (lol). My body changed and so did my self image. I was no longer petite and I no longer fit a particular and "acceptable mold".
With age I realise comes maturity and (some) wisdom. I have learnt that the women in magazines do not look like the women in the magazine. For the most part they have been photoshopped, airbrushed, etc to death. So no matter how you pray, wish, exercise, diet and tweak away you will always be you or a rundown version of you. Take note of the series called Botched on E! Online (it's a series highlighting botched - hence the name - plastic surgeries and the qualified plastic surgeons who now attempt to correct these procedures). My apologies as I digress. I continue.
Ever felt surrounded by perfection - it could be a sibling, another relative, a friend or a co-worker. Someone who knowingly or unknowingly make you feel inferior. You wonder what it's like to be like them. You think how much better your life would be if you were exactly like them. It gets even harder when their traits, characteristics, looks get them ahead especially further than you. You get annoyed, stressed out, exhausted even cause despite all your efforts to be someone else it never goes the way you think or hope. You can never be anyone else but yourself.
Only YOU can change the way YOU view yourself. Learning to love yourself is one heck of a journey and it certainly doesn't happen overnight. It is one day at a time process. It is a continuous process. Self love as defined by Google.com is regard for one's own well being and happiness. If you are busy trying to be someone else it is impossible to be mindful of one's own well being and happiness.
Learning to love myself definitely took a long time. I'm embarrassed to say how long it took.
One thing that has definitely helped me in loving myself is my relationship with God. He created me in His image. God doesn't make mistakes as He created me to be unique. I have daily devotions and read His word.
I have also learnt that giving yourself a regular pep talk goes a far way than hearing a compliment from someone. Do you think you can believe anyone if you don't believe in yourself?
Be kind to yourself. Stop being negative and thinking negatively of yourself. Believe in your achievements whether great or small. They are your achievements.
Accept yourself. Accept the good, bad and the not so good.
Engage in activities that your engage your passion and that "feel good" feeling.
You are the only person that can be the best you there is. You are perfect being you.
Replace every negative adjective you usually describe yourself with a positive. Do it until it becomes a habit. Do it until it feels true deep down inside.
Accept that change is necessary and constant.
Be patient with yourself. You created a negative self image over time. There's no way you can undo all of that in one go.
You will have momentary lapses. You will falter along the journey of self-love. The ultimate goal is not let this momentary lapses become semi-permanent ones.
Just take it one day at a time. I did.
Ever felt surrounded by perfection - it could be a sibling, another relative, a friend or a co-worker. Someone who knowingly or unknowingly make you feel inferior. You wonder what it's like to be like them. You think how much better your life would be if you were exactly like them. It gets even harder when their traits, characteristics, looks get them ahead especially further than you. You get annoyed, stressed out, exhausted even cause despite all your efforts to be someone else it never goes the way you think or hope. You can never be anyone else but yourself.
Only YOU can change the way YOU view yourself. Learning to love yourself is one heck of a journey and it certainly doesn't happen overnight. It is one day at a time process. It is a continuous process. Self love as defined by Google.com is regard for one's own well being and happiness. If you are busy trying to be someone else it is impossible to be mindful of one's own well being and happiness.
Learning to love myself definitely took a long time. I'm embarrassed to say how long it took.
One thing that has definitely helped me in loving myself is my relationship with God. He created me in His image. God doesn't make mistakes as He created me to be unique. I have daily devotions and read His word.
I have also learnt that giving yourself a regular pep talk goes a far way than hearing a compliment from someone. Do you think you can believe anyone if you don't believe in yourself?
Be kind to yourself. Stop being negative and thinking negatively of yourself. Believe in your achievements whether great or small. They are your achievements.
Accept yourself. Accept the good, bad and the not so good.
Engage in activities that your engage your passion and that "feel good" feeling.
You are the only person that can be the best you there is. You are perfect being you.
Replace every negative adjective you usually describe yourself with a positive. Do it until it becomes a habit. Do it until it feels true deep down inside.
Accept that change is necessary and constant.
Be patient with yourself. You created a negative self image over time. There's no way you can undo all of that in one go.
You will have momentary lapses. You will falter along the journey of self-love. The ultimate goal is not let this momentary lapses become semi-permanent ones.
Just take it one day at a time. I did.
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