Thinking about Healthy

So yesterday I did a day of the 5:2 diet.  Actually it wasn't that hard.  I did feel weird and I did want to eat a lot more than I did, but I never actually had a rumbling tummy or gnawing hunger pangs.  I didn't even wake up starving hungry this morning.

And today is Hub's start day on his dieting regime.  Actually he watched the video for Lipotrim and scared himself shitless.  He has a few business meetings to go to this week and he just can't face the whole meal replacement thing.  I'm not surprised and I don't blame him.  He is starting the 4 Hour Body diet today though, which is essentially a diet with no carbs.  Or you can eat beans and lentils.  But no fruit, sugar or bread or rice or potatoes.  And it has worked in the past.

And so  - while at the end of yesterday I felt a bit meh about this 5:2 thing.  It felt like a bit of an effort to do it twice a week.  Today I feel that its actually something I could take on.

And the little extra around my middle, which I generally dismiss as being  - "not that bad for someone my age" is perhaps aiming a little low.  I can do better and being fit is really important.  Not for 'check out my abs' reasons, but for ourselves, our energy levels and for looking after our bodies as well as we can.  And while I am not exactly old yet, I am nearer old than I am young.  And I want to be able to look after myself for as long as I can. 

So.  Am going to do the 5:2 and I am goingt to avoid carbs in general, though not yet obsessively.  Mainly because I have some extremely delicious pasta from Italy still to eat.  And I can't let that go to waste!! I will do my yoga every day and do a class once a week.  I am also going dancing every wednesday morning.  There  is a new class  - which is basically  - move your body however the damn well you want to.  And there is great music.  I love that.  Not sure what else yet.  But I will keep you posted.

How to Nail a Business Meeting (by CHarlotte Gomez)

I met Charlotte Gomez at Likemind (a low key networking for creatives, entrepreneurs and freelancers that I used to organise) about a year or so ago.  At that point she had just arrived in Brighton and she was getting to know it.   I was impressed with her energy, and indeed later tried to get her to co host Likemind with me  but she was too busy with her own stuff by then! 

Anyway, she has just created a new website and it looks great.   I particularly liked her sage advice on how to nail a business meeting.  Good points all. Check them out.

http://charlottegomes.com/5-easy-tips-to-nail-a-business-meeting/

Experiments with Fasting

So I did this BBC quiz thing, and apparently they are well behind the idea that regular fasting is good for the body.  So I have decided to do the 5:2 diet for a while to see what happens.  To see if I can manage it.  To see if I lose a little weight and feel better.

I am feeling pretty good at the moment (got up before 6am today no trouble!) and have been eating pretty well, but Hub is planning to do some crazy Lipotrim thing to lose weight. He is so not into cooking so food diets are really hard for him.  He has diabetes type 2 and has been told to lose weight - so far this hasn't happened despite not eating sugar any more.  He did this off his own back and its prescribed from the pharmacy and involves surviving on 2 meal replacement drinks a day.  So my fasting 5:2 effort is kind of in support of that too.

Its 10.43am and I have to admit I am obsessed with the time.  I have been drinking copious amounds of ginger tea and I have just had a black coffee.

Its not easy.  I don't feel bad though.  And the tea does seem to stave off the hunger pretty well.  Lets see how it goes.   I may well be posting obsessively about it too!

Yes.  Here I am at 11.47.   I got bored more than anything.  I wanted to eat my lunch, I got up early, that's OK I justified it all to myself.  So.  I ate 257 calories.  2 poached eggs and some broccoli and courgette.  With a little smoked salmon and garlic, chilli flakes and apple cider vinegar.  I must say I don't feel very full.

This could be hard!  On the other hand, I am also fine.  And so "hard" is perhaps relative.  Maybe its all habit! I think if i were extremely busy then it might help.  Right then.  Cracking on!

1433.  I feel absolutely fine.  

At 1730 I was really really hungry.  But the food I ate filled me up.  I have drunk an inordinate amount of tea today.  And Im now off to bed  - bit early - don't want to be trying to sleep hungry.  It wasn't fun and I missed lots of yummy things.  Can't imagine how folk do this 2 times a week every week.  Felt like a marathon of concentration and tea drinking.

But I did it! and really its OK.  Just different. 

Experiments with Getting up Early

For the last 2 days I have been getting up at 6am.  Or no, hang on it is 3 mornings I have done no! 

6am.

I was inspired byan article in, I dunno ES magazine or something, all about getting up early and how it gives you a heads up on the day and has lots of benefits.  I have read before that, you know, successful people get up early.   I know that Zen Habits chap gets up at 4am.  Its not something I have really experimented with much though.  As a child i was an early riser.  I remember in summer waking up before 6am most days and hanging around waiting for other people in my family to wake up. As a teenager until - well  until I became a mother actually - I was a night owl.  Motherhood kind of forces sleepless nights and mornings on you,  and yes I got up at 4.30am because my baby was awake.  But I couldnt really do anything.

Now my baby is a full 8 and a half years old.  And doesn't wake up until 7.30am!  And I was impressed with this article. And also my friend Posto Felice  has been rising at 6am to do exercise.  I felt a little jealous of her discipline I guess, and spurred on by this article, I decided to try it.

Certainly it feels more spacious in the morning.  I get an hour to myself  - sometimes 90 mins.  I have got up done some yoga, washed my hair and eaten a full on cooked (paleo stylee) breakfast by 8am.  It feels really really good.   And is getting easier because  - of course - I am now heading to bed and getting to sleep earlier.

I like it.  I have had some very good ideas, got a head start on the day and generally feeling rather on top of things (and smug as husband said he would but hasnt yet! ha ha! beat you!!) Tomorrow I am going to use the time for sorting out a vast number of toys which are in boxes and were all stuffed beneath the spare bed in Bub's room.  Generally driving me slightly crazy.  Toy storage, no, lets re name it as it really is, "TOY CREEP" is driving me crazy.  Where will all this lego GO???

So I will sort it out.  yes I WILL.  And then I will feel so much better!!!

shifting sands

Someone asked me to change the name of my business.  I want to change the name of my business.  Have done for ages.  And I can't find the perfet name for it.  I don't have a perfect name for it.  I loved Uncommon Sense.  Which is indeed Genius but also taken.  Of course.  I liked Be Uncommon.  ish.  But not massively.  I can't think of a term or a name or something that encompasses everything I do.  Words, as everyone knows, change every year.  This year is my year of Delight.  Mainly because its a delightful word.  Next year it will probably be something different.  I love the word Magic. And I really like Practical Magic.  But I don't know how that would work in some settings and also I think there is a film of the same name.  I have no idea what that film might be. 

Kick Ass Creative Power Lady is exhausting! ha ha

Who knew.  Hmm.  Perhaps this needs some modification.  It appears I can be Kick Ass Inspirational Creative Power Lady for only short periods of time.  Then I crash and turn into - errr. almost the opposite.  As in lazy pathetic unimaginative weak  - lady (I can't turn into a man) I guess KAICPL needs to be there as an inspiration but hard to maintain on a day to day basis. 

Perhaps I need a different person. 

Authentic Magic Lady?  Which can go a bit either way because she is authentic and not some creation of an ideal?  WHo is real but also a bit Kick Ass and POwerful when she needs to be.  I mean sometimes you have to heed the duvet day - for balance.

Maybe Kick Ass Creative Power Lady can come out when needed.

Am attempting a long term planning for meals.  This has become tricky due to Bub now being a vegetarian.  We can't eat pasta or veggy sausages for every meal. 

Am off to hunt down some ideas of stuff to eat.

Identity Work (Kick Ass Inspirational Creative Power Lady)

So yesterday I was talking to my friend about value.  And doing the important work first.   This particular important work is to spend time being creative, playing, figuring stuff out, experimenting and making.  Not earning money or keeping house, or even looking after the children. All of which are important things of course.  And key to this discussion was the idea of "value".  So I know  I am shown how valuable I am when I get paid, for example.  Its a tangible thing.  But creative work - this got described like its a treat.  Something that perhaps you ought to pay money for.... And to prioritise it....??  That is like prioritising spending money when you need to be earning it.... My friend was saying that in the past she would actually feel guilty for spending time doing the creative work.  Because it doesn't put food on the table or take care of the family.  And scheduling it was an after thought, or - if I have room after I have done all the other important things then I may treat myself to a bit of creative work time.

And we were talking about how - what if you did prioritise it? What if, like  - when you are trying to save money or put it aside, you 'paid yourself first' and then worked out how to spend the rest of your time.  So on the weekly schedule the creative work comes first.  Then if there is time left for tidying or some such at the end of the week....

And I mentioned all this in a discussion group I am part of, and was given the idea that this is all about IDENTITY  -  specifically written as  -
 
Identity.
Devotion.
Investment.
Motivation (thank you Fabeku).

And to prioritise creativity, rather than procrastinate on it, to value that - is about identity work.

Which also got me thinking.  When I woke up this morning I was buzzing with these ideas...  Value and creative work and identity.

Andrea Sher and she recently wrote about identity.  She wanted to be "a sexy grounded power fairy'.  Almost as a joke, but then... and wrote about how it actually is inspiring her, and guiding her.  And she has started running because this fits with this identity.  Maybe the grounded power part?? Anyways.  I LOVE this idea.  In fact I want to copy it completely.  And be a sexy  grounded  power fairy as well.  (and maybe I will just do that!) but  - well that is hers - .  And so I thought  - what would my identity be? you know the one that I would like and that would inspire me....  And so far I have come up with "Kick Ass,  Creative, Inspirational, Power lady - someone who DOES"  (I still like grounded power fairy  - but hey!) And it really works.  I felt really excited and inspired and motivated by it.  I thought, OK what would a kick ass inspirational creative power lady do when she wakes up????  Yes!!   - she would do her yoga practice!! (so I DID) and she would plan her day. (so I DID)  And she would not waste her time (too much) dilly dallying watching facebook videos (so I stopped!) and she would clear out the clutter and get on with stuff...   YES SHE WOULD.   etc etc.  It really feels like a marvellous touch stone for action, inspiration and power groundedness

I feel totally energised and excited by my day.  I reckon there is something in this Identity work....

So.  Just thought I would share!!!!  Feeling inspired.  And Creative.  And Powerful.  AND KICK ASS.  Whoop!! Now to clear out some clutter and get on with my super powerful kick ass day.