The Weight Loss Debate - STOP JUDGING

I get a little frustrated with the negative attitude and comments aimed at some people's efforts towards weight loss. Amazingly, it is sometimes coming from people who have been down the weight loss road and know firsthand the battle people face.

I say, to anyone trying to lose weight to put them into a healthier state, I don't care which method you choose, because half of the work is making that decision to lose the weight, commit to it and maintain the loss.

Yet, I hear time and time again people saying things like, "Oh yeah, she has lost heaps, but she had Lap Band Surgery." or "He looks much healthier now, but he has a personal trainer."

There is no easy way to lose weight in my mind.

Every single method, whether it be Diet Shakes, Exercise, Lap Band Surgery, using a Personal Trainer, or the many other options and tools at your disposal, involve a commitment of time, sacrifice, effort, and ups and downs, and I see none of them as cheating.

Weight Loss can be one of the biggest mental and physical battles you may have to face in life. To make the decision and effort to turn around bad eating and exercise habits, which may even have been present your whole life, is such a commendable position to take.

To hear opinions that the weight loss can be bought, or that the help from surgery, medicine or trainer is the simple, easier option is honestly disappointing.

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Defending the Biggest Loser Approach

There has been a lot of flack across the social media with the latest season of The Biggest Loser-Australia.

Tweets and posts on Facebook about torturing kids for ratings. People saying that the contestants must sign a clause to be dehumanised on TV. Comments about The Biggest Loser becoming a freak show when they bring out the bigger contestants, and that watching fat people on TV is not entertaining. I'm sure with every season comes a new barrage of haters.

The Biggest Loser is currently being show by Channel Ten in Australia, and you should check this preview out here if you are not sure what I am talking about.

I am standing up for their approach,

While watching this season, as well as previous ones, I have seen the trainers push the contestants to reach their potential. They are not degrading the contestants and name-calling. They are truthful in what it takes to get results. They are truthful and honest about how the contestants came to be in their current situation. They know all of the excuses and whinges to slow down or give up, and hear it all of the time. They are not there to pretend, or give these people a break; that is not their job. They are not there to make friends. 

They are there to share their expertise, get results and be professional in their role as a trainer.

These contestants put their hand up for the show because they knew they needed help.

The selectors chose these particular contestants because they were prime candidates to improve their lives.

Just as putting on weight does not happen overnight, the process of losing yourself, your self-worth and confidence is a gradual process.

The facade that a person will put up to say they are happy with life or that they accept that this is the way life is for them, is never their ideal situation or their lifetime dream.

The family and friends of these people may tell them from time to time that they need to get off their bum, that they need to eat better or look after themselves, but mostly, they bite their tongue, or the arguments turn into disapproving looks over time. 

When people approach a personal trainer or go to the extreme of applying for a national TV weight loss show, they are asking for help. 

They need help with their eating schedule and choices. 

They need help with food portions and selection.

They need help keeping motivated. 

They need help with their mindset, confidence and self-worth. 

They need help with exercise routines, techniques and equipment use.

They need help to see that their decisions and the way they choose to live affects a wide range of people.

They need help seeing the truth behind the consequences of poor eating habits, loss self esteem and inactivity. 

They need to know there are options.

They need to know they are capable, to do more than they think, to achieve their dreams.

They need to be told what to do, a push to keep going, and the encouraging words.

They need goals to aim for and rewards.

Many are asking for help in one of these areas; but many need help in all of these areas.

2013 The Biggest Loser, Australia Trainers Shannon, Michelle and The Commando

If the task was easy, there would be no contestants, no trainers, and certainly no show.

This year, there is the added challenge of dealing with family issues between the contestants being the child and their parent.

The fact is, obesity is an epidemic. Obesity causes multitudes of health problems. Obesity has detrimental effects on the person and those around them.

There is no doubt that the creators of The Biggest Loser are making money and getting ratings over this show. Whether that is the driving factor behind the show, or why it has survived many seasons; I really, truly don't care.

I do care that this program gives opportunity to people who need it, whether it be the contestants who appear on the screen, or whether it is the people at home who are being inspired by the efforts, motivated by the words, and grossed out by the hard truths.

I Live With Vampires

I am a fan of Vampire movies. This all started way back with the introduction of The Lost Boys, and has continued through to the current Twilight series. It is an interesting topic, I think.

What I am not a fan of is living like a vampire within my own home.

I am the person who gets up in the morning and throws open the curtains wide so the sunlight can stream in. I don't like to close said curtains until that light has waned so much as to need to turn the light on (unless they are closed to keep the heat out).

The people I live with are quite the opposite.

Those three people, also known as my hubby and children, are the ones who come behind me to quickly close the curtains again, blocking the light which they claim is "too bright".

I sometimes wonder whether others in the neighbourhood think we are sending some sort of SOS signals with the constant flashing of material across the windows, as they are opened, closed, then opened again.

If there is sunshine, I like to feel it's warmth and the welcome glow that it casts in a room.

For me, dark is gloomy and depressing.

Does anybody else feel their spirits lifted by a little sunlight? 
Are you a curtains open or shut kind of person?

Christmas Spirit ... Where are you?

Christmas is my favourite time of year. The festive colours, the building excitement and the thousands of sale catalogues filling my mail box is just my thing.

This year, my Christmas Spirit has gone missing.
I'm not sure how this happened, as it has never happened before to this extent.

Some years,  it takes me a little to get wound up, but usually, once the tree is up, there is no stopping me flinging lights here and there and hanging baubles. The countdown with the children leading up to that big day excites me as much as them, as I remind them each day to open the door on the Advent Calendar.

I love getting the tree out and decorating on the 1st of December.
Hubby does not understand my passion in buying a few new decorations each year, or why our little family has now four boxes full of stuff for one month in the year.
I happily dangle from the ladder to hang Icicle Lights on the house, and positively get dizzy winding the lights around the little Pine Tree in the front yard.
Its a simple, but effective display each year, which gives me joy in knowing that it has made at least one child in the neighbourhood say "Ooooooh".

This year, I have nothing.
I feel nothing.
The passion for Christmas is just not there.

I have put the tree up with the kids, because it is my duty as a parent of young children.

That's all I had to give.

I missed the Advent Calendar sale.
There are no lights adorning our house or tree in the front yard.
There have even been many nights I haven't even bothered to turn our Christmas Tree Lights on, if the kids had already snuggled down in bed.

Christmas has come around too fast this year. I am not ready.

Are you in the spirit of this festive season, or are you a little lost too? 

Wordless Wednesday - Some days are like this...

                    

 

Source: Uploaded by user via Bright Side Up on Pinterest

Anxiety: The power of the positive

I really thought that my mind was my own to control. I'm sure there have been many before me that have thought the same. The thoughts swirling around my mind are mine and I can turn them on and off when I want to .....or at least, this is what I wanted to believe.

This all came crumbling down the day that Anxiety took over my mind and my life. I then had to reassess exactly what controlled my thoughts and the process from which they stemmed from. I had never given much thought to good thoughts and bad thoughts before. Not in the way that a thought can be constructive or destructive.

Who is hounding the average-build couch potato?

Damned if you do, damned if you don't! That's how I feel about this weeks article and photo of Chrissie Swan and her sons. It sure has got the tongues wagging in the debates about obesity and parenting.

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 The thing that makes me laugh is I hear so many people say they would like to see more "normal sized" people on magazines and TV, instead of stick-thin people that are well below the average size. As soon as this happens though, the critics and wannabe-critics come out in full force to tear these people and their lifestyles apart. The amount of assumptions and judgements I have read about Chrissie and her family from this one article is amazing, and a little tragic in my opinion.

Chrissie spoke about her weight when she appeared as a contestant on Big Brother Australia in 2003. This was my first introduction to Chrissie, as it was for many others around the nation. I liked her instantly for her humour, her morals, her intelligence and confidence. I have been a fan ever since. More recently, she publicly joined Jenny Craig to lose weight with the aim of falling pregnant. I am sure that diet, health and nutrition have been fore-front in her mind for quite some time.

Parents are judged on every single aspect these days at a glance. So many assumptions are made, without knowing the facts. To look at a lovely photo of Chrissie and her sons and ignore the joy and love on their faces, just to degrade it with assumptions of sugar intake, lack of exercise, portion size, and parenting neglect is wrong.

A persons weight is just one indicator to be aware of, and when you are talking about children who have not yet grown, then so much can yet change.

I find it a little stupid to make such assumptions at a glance, when some people I know and their families fall into the average build category. Yet, I have seen their lack of exercise and ignorance to diet and nutrition.
Who is hounding the average build person with questions on responsible parenting?

This topic has come at a significant time for me, as I am still waiting for a reply from Coles on their Lack of support to my health.

If you are interested in some websites with more information on nutrition or lack of for children, please see the following:

Parents Jury, Fame and Shame Awards

The Junk-o-meter for TV

Ellyn Satter - guide for children and adults on eating

Some positive thoughts to start your week

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Unbearable Lightness Book Review

I love immersing myself in a good book. Admittedly, since becoming a parent I find it harder to block the world out ans really sink my teeth into a story. So, when I do manage to do this, I need to share it. I know I am committed to the story when I find myself thinking about the character throughout my day, and thinking about their situation.

Unbearable Lightness, written by Portia de Rossi is her own story to tell. The book focuses on her acting career, her sexuality and her eating disorder that dominated her life. It is a story of real struggle and contradiction. Here was a woman who wanted to be a model and actor, yet was uncomfortable with the attention. A woman, who had admiration and could see the beauty in others, but not herself. A story of a woman battling a mental disorder, while denying it existed.

I remember Portia de Rossi's entry to my life and the television series, Ally McBeal as Nelly, and I joined others in watching this natural beauty work her character with sex appeal, intelligence and confidence. I remember thinking how cool this girl from Australia was, joining the Hollywood scene and living her dream. In the book, Portia gives her own recollection of starting on Ally McBeal, which couldn't have been more different to what I imagined. As she describes her workday, her joy and frustrations, her high and lows, I marvelled at her honesty and the detail she offers to help you enter and understand her world.

Her anorexia and bulimia dominated her life for 20 years, and I really felt the emotion and dominance of her mental illness. I was continually shocked at the practices that she thought were normal, the thought process of the disorder, the ever-shocking calories intake(or lack thereof), and the numbers on the scales. 

The last chapters of the book describe her recovery and finding happiness with her wife, Ellen Degeneres. Some may say this section has been brushed over, but I felt she wanted the struggle with her disorder and sexuality to remain bold and clear.

Does your child worry?

My first born is a worrier. It is quite constant. It affects her physically and her confidence. As an adult diagnosed with Anxiety disorder I know the effects anxiety can have. Taking more control and responsibility of your thoughts and fears can be a huge help.

Worry is a part of life - and even described as normal and necessary. To fear new and unfamiliar circumstances is part of our survival tactics. There are so many things you will encounter in life that you might stress or worry about, or which will cause you anxiety. But, to not push past the worry will rob you of so many experiences and opportunities in life. It's all about managing your fears and putting them aside. Sometimes, easier said than done.

The perks of starting work later

I had forgotten the mentality of people who drive in peak hour time slots.

Yes - even Tasmania has peak hour traffic! Hard to believe?

It has been a while since I have had to endure this time slot, but his morning I started work early to finish early. Certainly a perk of my job!

I wasn't ready for the onslaught of the drivers around me.
Has it occurred to these people that if they left home 10 minutes earlier that they wouldn't need to dart in and out of the traffic and speed past others doing 100k/h in a 100k zone? I know it doesn't make that much difference in your travelling time anyway. Yes - I have tested it!

Actually I have to admit that when I used to work in the city (many moons ago) I was prone to "driving in the fast lane". Shocking, I know! I think some people get caught up in the vibe of the morning traffic and before they know it, they are joining the other frantic drivers zipping in and out of the traffic.

So today, I am grateful that I usually get to drop my daughter at school and then casually make my way to work, through hospitable traffic.

How do you handle peak hour traffic?