I can hardly contain myself! I packed last night, and am about to go to bed.... because TOMORROW I GO TO SYDNEY!!! I have to work a half day, then we get a cab to the airport, pick up our bus, head out for dinner (carb-loading meal of pasta! yum!) and plan to be in bed by 9pm.
We have to be at the registration table at 6:30am, to be ready to walk at 7:30am, for about 14 hours. This afternoon I made my last supply stop for bandaids, electrolytes, and a head torch. I've got all my snacks packed and ready to go - the only food I haven't got yet is my peanut butter sandwiches which my support crew will be preparing with fresh white bread on the morning of our walk, while we're walking, before we meet them at lunch time.
I am SO SCARED and SO EXCITED I cannot decide which one is bigger.
I know I can do this.
I cannot wait for 10pm Friday night, when I can sit in my hotel room and write a big "F*ck You" on my Facebook status to all of those people who looked at a fat girl and thought she couldn't do it. To all of those people who looked at a fat girl and thought she was unfit. To all of those people who looked at the guidelines for this walk (that stated 'obese participants should seriously consider their fitness before undertaking this trek') and thought that I would be the one quitting this before I got there.
I have been training for this for the last 3 years, physically and mentally. I have needed something big to work towards, and this walk has come at exactly the right time. In the last two months I have walked over 175km in preparation. I've worn holes in 5 pairs of leggings, and had to replace about 5 pairs of socks. I've purchased a new pair of shoes and nearly walked out their lifespan.
I'm ready. Ready to be proud of myself and my achievements. Ready to prove to myself and everyone else that fat people ARE NOT a waste of life. That fat people can be fit people (even if they don't want to be fat people and will one day be thin, fit, people), and that thin people are not necessarily fit people. That it takes guts to do this.
I'm ready.
Wednesday 27 February 2013
Thursday 21 February 2013
Ch-ch-changes!
So one of the changes I have made on this 'journey' is the bedtime routine. I used to have my laptop in my bedroom, my phone on me at all times, and either the TV or the radio on (on a sleep timer!) while I was falling asleep. This meant that once I went to bed, it often took 2 or 3 hours before I turned out the light, and another hour or so before I actually closed my eyes. One of the problems with doing this is that I never really switched off, and often took hours to fall asleep. I didn't sleep well, and I didn't get anywhere near enough quality sleep. I also used to eat. A lot. In bed.
When I moved in with Dave (May 2012), I made a decision to change this. We have a TV in our bedroom, but we don't use it. Our bedroom is for sleeping (and other bedroom activities... *wink wink). Phones are turned to silent and not used. They're only in the room because that's our alarm to wake up. We read. Books. The laptop stays in the lounge room. We don't eat or drink in bed, except for a glass of water we keep beside the bed.
I've noticed over the last few months that this is a great thing. I sleep much more soundly. I fall asleep much easier. I wake up more refreshed.
Now I just need to work on the actual TIME I go to bed. I always say 10pm is the magic time - I usually get up at 6am, so that's the recommended 8 hours. This probably only happens about 3 nights a week, and I need to increase that. Time to set an alarm at 9:30pm to start getting ready for bed!! And as I write this, it's 10:20pm. Bugger.
When I moved in with Dave (May 2012), I made a decision to change this. We have a TV in our bedroom, but we don't use it. Our bedroom is for sleeping (and other bedroom activities... *wink wink). Phones are turned to silent and not used. They're only in the room because that's our alarm to wake up. We read. Books. The laptop stays in the lounge room. We don't eat or drink in bed, except for a glass of water we keep beside the bed.
I've noticed over the last few months that this is a great thing. I sleep much more soundly. I fall asleep much easier. I wake up more refreshed.
Now I just need to work on the actual TIME I go to bed. I always say 10pm is the magic time - I usually get up at 6am, so that's the recommended 8 hours. This probably only happens about 3 nights a week, and I need to increase that. Time to set an alarm at 9:30pm to start getting ready for bed!! And as I write this, it's 10:20pm. Bugger.
Saturday 16 February 2013
The hardest day of 2013, so far.
Today I walked for 6.5 hours. I covered 27km, and climbed the equivalent of 252 flights of stairs. My Fitbit tells me that I took 38,000 steps. It was by far the furthest I have walked and the longest I have walked. What made it so hard?
It was 34 degrees. There was stretches of no shade, just the blazing sun.
The first 20km were breathtakingly beautiful. We were walking along the coast, with little bush trails in certain parts, little stretches through open plains. We saw a few kangaroos (very big! but quite friendly and much more scared of us than we were of them) and an echidna (too cute!). We got lost a couple of times, but only really detoured about 3km so it wasn't too bad.
About 5km from the end, I hit the wall. Literally. There was a hill (we're calling it Heart Attack Hill!) that broke me, physically and mentally. I would say it went for about 300 metres, but it took us nearly an hour to climb. My body shut down. I had been feeling great until this point - I actually surprised myself with how good it was. Don't get me wrong, it was hot, I hurt, I was getting tired. But nothing compared to that hour. My heart was beating so hard, so fast. My breathing was ragged. My legs didn't hurt (much!) but the rest of my body would not let me continue.
The girls in my team were amazing. About halfway up the hill, they noticed I had stopped and asked me if I was okay. I thought I just needed a minute, so I said 'Yep!'. Two minutes later I had stopped again and again I heard the question 'Are you okay?'. I was not okay. It took a lot of courage to say the word 'No', but I knew things would not be good if I was stubborn and didn't listen to my body.
We got to some shade, cracked the icepack, and sat down. Single use icepacks are AMAZING. I got my breathing under control while applying the icepack to my neck, underarms and elbows. I even put it on my head at one point, trying to cool everything down. We got the water sorted, and as I knew that there was no going back (we were in the middle of the bush!), I really took my time making sure I was ready to keep going.
The shady spots were scattered over the next 300 metres, so we aimed for the next one before stopping for a drink and a breather each time. We finally got to the top of the hill, turned the corner, and to my dismay, saw ANOTHER hill. The next 500 metres or so we took very slowly, heading for the shade. I began to feel awful again so we stopped and had some sugar (yay for lollies!) and a bit of a stretch, before heading off again.
The ground started flattening out, the tree cover began increasing, and I had never been more happy to see a bush trail. I ran out of water and was waiting patiently for the last of my ice to melt in my frozen drink bottle. Each time a mouthful melted, I drank it greedily.
We made it. Icy poles all around for the team!! The thing that I am taking away from all of this, is that I have to believe in myself. There will be times when I cannot, and other people's belief in me may get me through, but in the end, 'if it is to be, it is up to me'. I am capable of more than I think. Not impossible, I'm possible.
The only bad part is that this was a TRAINING walk. Training for the 50km in two weeks. We are praying for cooler weather!
Sponsor me here:
http://www.coastrekfundraising.com.au/kellyrebbechi1
All funds raised will go to the Fred Hollows Foundation - to restore sight to the needlessly blind in developing countries. $25 will restore sight for one person, forever!
It was 34 degrees. There was stretches of no shade, just the blazing sun.
The first 20km were breathtakingly beautiful. We were walking along the coast, with little bush trails in certain parts, little stretches through open plains. We saw a few kangaroos (very big! but quite friendly and much more scared of us than we were of them) and an echidna (too cute!). We got lost a couple of times, but only really detoured about 3km so it wasn't too bad.
About 5km from the end, I hit the wall. Literally. There was a hill (we're calling it Heart Attack Hill!) that broke me, physically and mentally. I would say it went for about 300 metres, but it took us nearly an hour to climb. My body shut down. I had been feeling great until this point - I actually surprised myself with how good it was. Don't get me wrong, it was hot, I hurt, I was getting tired. But nothing compared to that hour. My heart was beating so hard, so fast. My breathing was ragged. My legs didn't hurt (much!) but the rest of my body would not let me continue.
The girls in my team were amazing. About halfway up the hill, they noticed I had stopped and asked me if I was okay. I thought I just needed a minute, so I said 'Yep!'. Two minutes later I had stopped again and again I heard the question 'Are you okay?'. I was not okay. It took a lot of courage to say the word 'No', but I knew things would not be good if I was stubborn and didn't listen to my body.
We got to some shade, cracked the icepack, and sat down. Single use icepacks are AMAZING. I got my breathing under control while applying the icepack to my neck, underarms and elbows. I even put it on my head at one point, trying to cool everything down. We got the water sorted, and as I knew that there was no going back (we were in the middle of the bush!), I really took my time making sure I was ready to keep going.
The shady spots were scattered over the next 300 metres, so we aimed for the next one before stopping for a drink and a breather each time. We finally got to the top of the hill, turned the corner, and to my dismay, saw ANOTHER hill. The next 500 metres or so we took very slowly, heading for the shade. I began to feel awful again so we stopped and had some sugar (yay for lollies!) and a bit of a stretch, before heading off again.
The ground started flattening out, the tree cover began increasing, and I had never been more happy to see a bush trail. I ran out of water and was waiting patiently for the last of my ice to melt in my frozen drink bottle. Each time a mouthful melted, I drank it greedily.
We made it. Icy poles all around for the team!! The thing that I am taking away from all of this, is that I have to believe in myself. There will be times when I cannot, and other people's belief in me may get me through, but in the end, 'if it is to be, it is up to me'. I am capable of more than I think. Not impossible, I'm possible.
The only bad part is that this was a TRAINING walk. Training for the 50km in two weeks. We are praying for cooler weather!
Sponsor me here:
http://www.coastrekfundraising.com.au/kellyrebbechi1
All funds raised will go to the Fred Hollows Foundation - to restore sight to the needlessly blind in developing countries. $25 will restore sight for one person, forever!
Thursday 14 February 2013
Celebrating a little win!
Today is my first win for the Round.
I went for a walk this morning with my 50km training team - we did a lap of the Tan, and then a few sets of stairs at the Shrine of Remembrance. I also walked on morning and afternoon breaks and ended up with a Fitbit calorie adjustment of over 500 calories for the day. WIN.
I ate well today, no snacking at work (I bought my lunch at the cafe today and so wanted to make sure I had the calories for dinner), and I finished the day on 1201 calories consumed. WIN.
I also managed to convince myself MANY times today that I didn't actually NEED the chocolate bar that is sitting in my drawer at work. It's still there. WIN.
So I ended the day with perfect food calories and perfect exercise calories. It's not going to happen every day, but I'm bloody going to celebrate the days that it does!!
Cheers!
I went for a walk this morning with my 50km training team - we did a lap of the Tan, and then a few sets of stairs at the Shrine of Remembrance. I also walked on morning and afternoon breaks and ended up with a Fitbit calorie adjustment of over 500 calories for the day. WIN.
I ate well today, no snacking at work (I bought my lunch at the cafe today and so wanted to make sure I had the calories for dinner), and I finished the day on 1201 calories consumed. WIN.
I also managed to convince myself MANY times today that I didn't actually NEED the chocolate bar that is sitting in my drawer at work. It's still there. WIN.
So I ended the day with perfect food calories and perfect exercise calories. It's not going to happen every day, but I'm bloody going to celebrate the days that it does!!
Cheers!
Wednesday 13 February 2013
Update on last night.
Last night's post was a little depressing, but very real. I think it's important to show both sides of my feelings - the good and the bad. It seems I only admit these things to myself (and accept them as happening) when I put it down here, so I feel this blog might be a bit of a rollercoaster ride!
Weigh in this morning was fairly good. I weighed after a wee, 0.4kg less than last Wednesday. Then two hours later I took a giant dump and apparently, it was giant, because I lost another kilo!! I have recorded my initial weight officially though, as I weigh at 6am every week and this should be a consistent time every week for accuracy.
Then I had orange M&Ms for breakfast. Because, you know, that's what I do. I tried them, they're new and delicious, but now my mouth is all funny because of the sugar and my teeth are furry and I feel a little sick. Mental note taken.
Weigh in this morning was fairly good. I weighed after a wee, 0.4kg less than last Wednesday. Then two hours later I took a giant dump and apparently, it was giant, because I lost another kilo!! I have recorded my initial weight officially though, as I weigh at 6am every week and this should be a consistent time every week for accuracy.
Then I had orange M&Ms for breakfast. Because, you know, that's what I do. I tried them, they're new and delicious, but now my mouth is all funny because of the sugar and my teeth are furry and I feel a little sick. Mental note taken.
Tuesday 12 February 2013
Is it all just too hard?
Well, the first two days of 12WBT have not gone so well. Both days I have gone over my cal limit, but both days I have exercised. Last night I had cali for a few hours, and this morning I walked along the beach with my Coastrek training buddies. Last night, on the way home from cali I had a large cheeseburger meal from Maccas, and this afternoon I ate a box of TeeVee Snacks.
I must say, I enjoyed every mouthful of both 'meals'. I also enjoyed both cali and the walk. We'll see what happens at weigh-in in the morning - how I feel, how I want to change. How much do I want this? Why do my emotions swing like this? Why am I so motivated one minute, and not the next?
I need to keep remembering the phrase 'don't give up what you want most for what you want now'.
I'll admit I haven't eaten Maccas or TeeVee snacks for a while, and while I enjoyed them, I don't think I need to do that again for another while. I've gone a bit crazy with a few different foods lately that I haven't eaten in a while, and I think that's part of the problem. I deny myself for so long, that I go nuts. This can't happen.
Tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow I'll have more willpower.
I must say, I enjoyed every mouthful of both 'meals'. I also enjoyed both cali and the walk. We'll see what happens at weigh-in in the morning - how I feel, how I want to change. How much do I want this? Why do my emotions swing like this? Why am I so motivated one minute, and not the next?
I need to keep remembering the phrase 'don't give up what you want most for what you want now'.
I'll admit I haven't eaten Maccas or TeeVee snacks for a while, and while I enjoyed them, I don't think I need to do that again for another while. I've gone a bit crazy with a few different foods lately that I haven't eaten in a while, and I think that's part of the problem. I deny myself for so long, that I go nuts. This can't happen.
Tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow I'll have more willpower.
Sunday 10 February 2013
Twas the night before Kick-Off and all through the house..
.. were the smells of baking!
Haha... well I guess I can say that I haven't done the preseason task of throwing out all the crap in the house yet. Tomorrow is the first day of Round 1, 2013. It is also the day of the Coastrek Fundraising Bake-Off. The girls on the walking team and I are baking our butts off today to sell the fruits of our labour tomorrow afternoon at work. I've made two sets of muffins (Triple Choc and Cinnamon Crumble) and a batch of Honey Joys. Dave has just pulled a Lemon Meringue Pie out of the oven. Putting the Honey Joys in the container to cart to work, one didn't fit so I ate it. It was delicious! And eye opening. Usually, if I'd made a double batch (like I did today!) I would have eaten at least 4, possibly 12, before they got anywhere. Not tonight! I bloody enjoyed that Honey Joy, but only because I adjusted my dinner so that I could fit it in.
We had burgers tonight, and I had mine without the bun, with a sh*tload of salad. One patty only. And I made up a salad in a container for tomorrow's lunch, with the extra patty (that I would have scarfed in 'the olden days') so that I wasn't tempted to go back for seconds. My how times have changed.
I spent today doing my preseason tasks for Round 1. I know it's a little late, being the night before Kick-Off, but I really needed to think about my goals for the coming 12 weeks, 6 months, 12 months, before I committed it to paper. Last round, and the one I did this time last year, I was all gung-ho about losing a certain number of kilos, running ridiculous distances, and pretending I would change my habits. Given my track record, I know I'm going to fall away a bit during the next 12 weeks. I know it's going to get hard, my life is going to get busy, I'm going to be tired. But I also know that I really do want to change my life for the better, and that the small changes I have been making are making a difference.
My time trial was almost two minutes slower than my time trial from Round 4 2012. And I actually was impressed with myself! I've not run at all in the last 8 weeks - my training for the 50km walk means that I have been focusing on walking, and racking up big distances in the walk department. Running is completely different - breathing, stride, pacing yourself - so much to think about! So I wasn't expecting much in the time trial, but I was determined to run the whole time, not stop to walk. I also did it without music for the first time ever. I usually run to the beat, but I got a new phone and haven't had a chance to upload any music on it yet. I kind of liked just listening to the sound of my own breathing. It was ragged, but not laboured. The only body part that hurt was my calves. I guess that's one of the differences between walking and running that I hadn't noticed before - running is all on the toes so it makes sense that my calves wouldn't be conditioned.
Round 4 2012 was better than Round 1 2012 in that I stuck to the workouts for much longer (up to Week 6, rather than 2 or 3 days!), but I've decided to go Intermediate this Round. My fitness test results do not place me in the Intermediate category (pushups and sit & reach were, all other aspects are beginner) but I did not feel challenged by the Beginner workouts and began to seek other ways of achieving the calorie burns for cardio which then made me less inclined to head to the gym which then made me skip the toning days and eventually led to me falling completely off the wagon in regard to exercise. I have stepped up a bit with the walking training (we're doing minimum 15km now at least twice a week for the next 3 weeks) but the strength is non-existent. I've decided that this Round I'll do all prescribed workouts in the afternoon after work, except on a Monday (I have Calisthenics from 430 until 10pm, and have to work from 7-3 to make sure I get my hours in and travel to the other side of town for 430) where I'll just accept the calorie burn from cali as my cardio - lucky Monday is a cardio day!
My HRM is sh*t - I don't know what's wrong with it, but it's reading all over the place and is more of a bother than I care to deal with, so I'm going by my fitbit calorie adjustment for my burns. It's not going to be accurate on my Toning days, but I figure as long as I keep my calories in check on the eating side, it shouldn't matter too much. After all, it's meant to be 80% diet and 20% exercise!
And... the end of the Round is a week before my 30th birthday!! Can't wait!
Haha... well I guess I can say that I haven't done the preseason task of throwing out all the crap in the house yet. Tomorrow is the first day of Round 1, 2013. It is also the day of the Coastrek Fundraising Bake-Off. The girls on the walking team and I are baking our butts off today to sell the fruits of our labour tomorrow afternoon at work. I've made two sets of muffins (Triple Choc and Cinnamon Crumble) and a batch of Honey Joys. Dave has just pulled a Lemon Meringue Pie out of the oven. Putting the Honey Joys in the container to cart to work, one didn't fit so I ate it. It was delicious! And eye opening. Usually, if I'd made a double batch (like I did today!) I would have eaten at least 4, possibly 12, before they got anywhere. Not tonight! I bloody enjoyed that Honey Joy, but only because I adjusted my dinner so that I could fit it in.
We had burgers tonight, and I had mine without the bun, with a sh*tload of salad. One patty only. And I made up a salad in a container for tomorrow's lunch, with the extra patty (that I would have scarfed in 'the olden days') so that I wasn't tempted to go back for seconds. My how times have changed.
I spent today doing my preseason tasks for Round 1. I know it's a little late, being the night before Kick-Off, but I really needed to think about my goals for the coming 12 weeks, 6 months, 12 months, before I committed it to paper. Last round, and the one I did this time last year, I was all gung-ho about losing a certain number of kilos, running ridiculous distances, and pretending I would change my habits. Given my track record, I know I'm going to fall away a bit during the next 12 weeks. I know it's going to get hard, my life is going to get busy, I'm going to be tired. But I also know that I really do want to change my life for the better, and that the small changes I have been making are making a difference.
My time trial was almost two minutes slower than my time trial from Round 4 2012. And I actually was impressed with myself! I've not run at all in the last 8 weeks - my training for the 50km walk means that I have been focusing on walking, and racking up big distances in the walk department. Running is completely different - breathing, stride, pacing yourself - so much to think about! So I wasn't expecting much in the time trial, but I was determined to run the whole time, not stop to walk. I also did it without music for the first time ever. I usually run to the beat, but I got a new phone and haven't had a chance to upload any music on it yet. I kind of liked just listening to the sound of my own breathing. It was ragged, but not laboured. The only body part that hurt was my calves. I guess that's one of the differences between walking and running that I hadn't noticed before - running is all on the toes so it makes sense that my calves wouldn't be conditioned.
Round 4 2012 was better than Round 1 2012 in that I stuck to the workouts for much longer (up to Week 6, rather than 2 or 3 days!), but I've decided to go Intermediate this Round. My fitness test results do not place me in the Intermediate category (pushups and sit & reach were, all other aspects are beginner) but I did not feel challenged by the Beginner workouts and began to seek other ways of achieving the calorie burns for cardio which then made me less inclined to head to the gym which then made me skip the toning days and eventually led to me falling completely off the wagon in regard to exercise. I have stepped up a bit with the walking training (we're doing minimum 15km now at least twice a week for the next 3 weeks) but the strength is non-existent. I've decided that this Round I'll do all prescribed workouts in the afternoon after work, except on a Monday (I have Calisthenics from 430 until 10pm, and have to work from 7-3 to make sure I get my hours in and travel to the other side of town for 430) where I'll just accept the calorie burn from cali as my cardio - lucky Monday is a cardio day!
My HRM is sh*t - I don't know what's wrong with it, but it's reading all over the place and is more of a bother than I care to deal with, so I'm going by my fitbit calorie adjustment for my burns. It's not going to be accurate on my Toning days, but I figure as long as I keep my calories in check on the eating side, it shouldn't matter too much. After all, it's meant to be 80% diet and 20% exercise!
And... the end of the Round is a week before my 30th birthday!! Can't wait!
Wednesday 6 February 2013
When you make a plan...
... and you commit to that plan, you really can't back out, can you?
I'm training for this 50km walk (less than 4 weeks to go!) and we had a 15km walk marked in for tonight after work. But it's 36 degrees! What do we do?
We chill our water, we bring icy-pole money, we sunscreen it up, and we just bloody go!
It was hot. It was sweaty. My legs were heavy and sore from my first night back at Calisthenics on Monday night. It was actually amazing. That Calippo at 11km was the best thing I've ever eaten (until the two-minute noodles with kecap manis and tuna when I got home!) and by the end of it our fingers were all swollen. My hands looked like Huey's! Oh, good old Sausage Fingers.
It makes you appreciate your body for what it can do in the face of adversity. My body is amazing me every day with what I put it through. I really need to start thinking a little bit more about some of the things I'm asking it to do - most of them are good things, but a lot of the time I feed it crap and expect it to be a mean machine. Food is fuel. Sometimes, it's fun fuel, but it's fuel nonetheless. Must remember that!
I'm training for this 50km walk (less than 4 weeks to go!) and we had a 15km walk marked in for tonight after work. But it's 36 degrees! What do we do?
We chill our water, we bring icy-pole money, we sunscreen it up, and we just bloody go!
It was hot. It was sweaty. My legs were heavy and sore from my first night back at Calisthenics on Monday night. It was actually amazing. That Calippo at 11km was the best thing I've ever eaten (until the two-minute noodles with kecap manis and tuna when I got home!) and by the end of it our fingers were all swollen. My hands looked like Huey's! Oh, good old Sausage Fingers.
It makes you appreciate your body for what it can do in the face of adversity. My body is amazing me every day with what I put it through. I really need to start thinking a little bit more about some of the things I'm asking it to do - most of them are good things, but a lot of the time I feed it crap and expect it to be a mean machine. Food is fuel. Sometimes, it's fun fuel, but it's fuel nonetheless. Must remember that!
Sunday 3 February 2013
100 things I'm grateful to my body for..
One of my inspirations, Dani, put a challenge on our Facebook page to write down 100 things that you are grateful to your body for. Here are mine:
1. My eyes - too see all around me
2. My ears - to hear music and laughter
3. My legs - they carry me everywhere and hardly ever complain
4. My arms - without them, I wouldn't have my hands ;-)
5. My hands - they hold, comfort, nurture, work, create, inspire.
6. My digestive system - I put it through a lot, and it usually treats me very well in return
7. My physical strength - It needs work, but my body will do ANYTHING I ask of it, and sometimes more.
8. My mind - it is the most powerful part of my body
9. The ability to think for myself
10. The ability to ignore others around me who may be 'secretly sabotaging' my efforts
11. My stubbornness - often I will set myself a goal and be damned if anyone tries to get in my way (usually, it's me!)
12. My determination to succeed, even though it takes more willpower than I have most days
13. My heart - it beats strong and sure, and makes me realise just how able I am.
14. My lungs - there are tar-free, and serve me well
15. My feet - I don't treat them well, yet they take me anywhere I need to go
16. My eyebrows - this one is a bit silly... they keep their shape really well, I almost never touch them.
17. My hair - it's a brilliant red. I will never touch the colour again now that I've realised just how magnificent it is.
18. My blisters - a sign of hard work
19. Calluses - another sign of hard work
20. My sense of taste - I would be lost without it... lol
21. My positivity - recently appearing out of nowhere, I'm loving a positive outlook on this whole thing.
22. Hugs.
23. Snuggles with nieces, nephews and my man. Not at the same time. That might get awkward.
24. Being able to help others
25. I'm tall.
26. My ass is amazing. I've got a big, perky one and I want it to stay!
27. I almost never get sick. Thank You Immune System!
28. DOMS - if my muscles hurt, I know I've worked hard. I want to cry when I get out of bed some days, but..
29. I can get out of bed every day. My body is amazing.
30. Scabs, scratches, sores. They all heal pretty quickly.
31. Emotions - I have many. Occasionally, they get the better of me and I make a fool of myself, but mostly they do not control me.
32. Patience. Being a cali teacher for littlies, I need a lot of this. Most of the time it's there!
33. Kindness. I try. I'm not always successful.
34. My knees - they often creak and click when under pressure, but they've never failed me.
35. Sweat. It's brilliant - a sign of hard work, a sign that my body is working well and it's systems are functioning correctly.
36. My knuckles - they crack magnificently :-)
37. Periods. While they suck at the time, it's pretty fascinating to be a woman, to have all these bodily processes going on that will one day sustain life.
38. Thirst. My body now craves water. Pure, icy cold, water.
39. Hunger. True hunger, not just cravings. It's strange to wake up in the morning and realise that empty feeling is actually hunger - I don't feel it often and it's surprising when I do. Might be best if I feel it more!
40. Dancing. My body will do anything I ask of it out on the floor. It might take a while for the steps to feel natural, for the movements to flow, but then something amazing happens and suddenly I'm alive.
41. Walking. It's a simple pleasure.
42. Running. Not so simple, not so pleasureable. But an achievement.
43. Cycling. I love the wind in my hair. Bugs in my mouth, not so much.
44. Swimming. I haven't drowned yet, but I won't be winning any races.
45. Driving. I don't think any more. I just drive. It's relaxing.
46. My toenails. They've learned to grow properly now, not ingrown all the time like they used to.
47. Talking. I do it a lot.
48. Work. Typing, talking, numbers, spreadsheets, repetition. This body handles it all with ease.
49. Stress. I don't get stressed very often - my body knows how to calm me down, it's like my heart beats out of my chest screaming STOP! STOP! STOP! and I do. I stop and breathe, and think.
50. Calves. They look pretty good right now. Especially on the old demi-pointe. Quite defined.
51. Boobs. I want more, but they're enough. I'm sure they'll do what they were designed for soon enough!
52. Teeth. No trouble. Never any trouble. Just a bit furry sometimes, but then we brush and we're all good.
53. Bones. They're strong.
54. Sleep. My body sleeps well. I'm almost always well rested, when I remember to go to bed at a decent time!
55. This is hard. There's that determination again.
56. My vision - it's quite good. Glasses at work, but nothing too major!
57. My hearing is awesome.
58. My voice - I can't sing, but I can certainly speak freely. It's a privilege we all take for granted.
59. I am woman, hear me roar!
60. I relate to song lyrics.
61. I cry. When I've had enough, I cry. It's a relief.
62. I gather strength from others.
63. The strong women in my life encourage me to be me. To stay true, to stick up for myself and what I believe in.
64. I can listen to another's opinion or view, see how it differs from mine, accept the differences, and still be happy within myself without pushing my views or opinions on them. Sometimes that process takes a while, but we get there in the end.
65. Passion. It's a wonderful thing.
66. Sexy times. Yeah, thanks body for that nugget. Laugh, cry, make a fool of yourself... it's all part of love!
67. Hindsight. It's brill.
68. The heart's ability to mend itself, and open itself up again to be broken. This little gamble paid off, big time.
69. Love. Notice how I left that for number 69? Not sexy times, love. Bahaha. It's all good.
70. Quads. They're strong. They're confident. They know their job and they get it done.
71. Poo. It's fascinating. It's wonderful. I try not to touch it and I definitely don't eat it, but it's amazing how what goes in comes out.
72. Wee. Not so fascinating, but still thankful-worthy. If it's dark, I need to drink more. If it hurts, something's wrong. If it's bright, I'd better hope I had Berocca that morning or there is something DEFINITELY wrong.
73. Biceps. They're in there somewhere, and I'll find them. But for now, they're content just pulling the forearm as required.
74. Imagination. Sometimes I amaze myself with my imagination, my mind wanderings, my daydreams.
75. Compassion. I am one compassionate lady.
76. Fingernails. They grow. They don't break often. I usually chew them before they get the chance to break.
77. Cuticles. I don't know what their purpose is, but they don't give me much grief so I guess I'm thankful for that.
78. Appendix. It's good. So far.
79. Freckles. Mum used to tell me they were sun kisses and I felt sorry for the kids who didn't have them. I have got so much love from the sun over the years I'm surprised we're not getting married and having babies.
80. Lips. I've got nice lips. That reminds me, I need Blistex.
81. My wrists. They're delicate little things. They give me hope that one day, the rest of me will be delicate as well and I'll finally match. Except my ass. That can stay!
82. Hips. They crack so satisfyingly sometimes - a moment of pain but it's so worth it.
83. Nose. It's there, giving me all sorts of exciting info - smells, snot. Wonderful.
84. Body hair. I'm thankful that most of that is blonde. Hardly any maintenance required. Go team!
85. Belly button. It's there, doing it's job. Whatever that is. Yep, I'm thankful for that.
86. Serious time again. My brain. Gosh, it's got a lot to worry about. I never hear it complaining though. Thanks for that!
87. Collarbones. They've snuck onto the scene in the last year or so, and they're starting to really look nice.
88. Ribs. Once, when I got a new pillow, I ended up with a twisted rib. That hurt. But it taught me to never spend too much money on a pillow, and now my ribs and I are all straightened out.
89. Stomach. Mine surprises me sometimes with just how much I can fit in there.
90. Fat. I'm thankful for all the extra that I have. This might sound strange, but I would not be the person that I am today without the fat.
91. My determination to get rid of the fat. It's there. It's not always the strongest voice in the crowd, but it's always there at the end of the day.
92. Flexibility. Yeah, I can do the splits. It's not all it's cracked up to be, but it's nice to ask your body to do something and have it respond with an 'I can do that!'
93. Core strength. There's not a lot there, but my body sings when I remember to work on it.
94. Smile. Never underestimate the power of a smile.
95. Facial expressions. I don't have that many, but they're fun all the same.
96. Listening to my body - I used to ignore a lot of what it was saying to me. Not any more!
97. Mindfulness. I'm working on being mindful, it's a struggle sometimes, and I slip, but I'm still thankful for it.
98. Meditation. It's hard to switch off. I do enjoy it though, sometimes when I'm taken through a guided meditation on my iPod from the nice lady I like to call Maggie, because she's Scottish.
99. Reading. For pleasure, for work, for whatever. I'm thankful that I can.
100. Humour! If you don't laugh, you'll cry. I hope you laughed... I did!!
1. My eyes - too see all around me
2. My ears - to hear music and laughter
3. My legs - they carry me everywhere and hardly ever complain
4. My arms - without them, I wouldn't have my hands ;-)
5. My hands - they hold, comfort, nurture, work, create, inspire.
6. My digestive system - I put it through a lot, and it usually treats me very well in return
7. My physical strength - It needs work, but my body will do ANYTHING I ask of it, and sometimes more.
8. My mind - it is the most powerful part of my body
9. The ability to think for myself
10. The ability to ignore others around me who may be 'secretly sabotaging' my efforts
11. My stubbornness - often I will set myself a goal and be damned if anyone tries to get in my way (usually, it's me!)
12. My determination to succeed, even though it takes more willpower than I have most days
13. My heart - it beats strong and sure, and makes me realise just how able I am.
14. My lungs - there are tar-free, and serve me well
15. My feet - I don't treat them well, yet they take me anywhere I need to go
16. My eyebrows - this one is a bit silly... they keep their shape really well, I almost never touch them.
17. My hair - it's a brilliant red. I will never touch the colour again now that I've realised just how magnificent it is.
18. My blisters - a sign of hard work
19. Calluses - another sign of hard work
20. My sense of taste - I would be lost without it... lol
21. My positivity - recently appearing out of nowhere, I'm loving a positive outlook on this whole thing.
22. Hugs.
23. Snuggles with nieces, nephews and my man. Not at the same time. That might get awkward.
24. Being able to help others
25. I'm tall.
26. My ass is amazing. I've got a big, perky one and I want it to stay!
27. I almost never get sick. Thank You Immune System!
28. DOMS - if my muscles hurt, I know I've worked hard. I want to cry when I get out of bed some days, but..
29. I can get out of bed every day. My body is amazing.
30. Scabs, scratches, sores. They all heal pretty quickly.
31. Emotions - I have many. Occasionally, they get the better of me and I make a fool of myself, but mostly they do not control me.
32. Patience. Being a cali teacher for littlies, I need a lot of this. Most of the time it's there!
33. Kindness. I try. I'm not always successful.
34. My knees - they often creak and click when under pressure, but they've never failed me.
35. Sweat. It's brilliant - a sign of hard work, a sign that my body is working well and it's systems are functioning correctly.
36. My knuckles - they crack magnificently :-)
37. Periods. While they suck at the time, it's pretty fascinating to be a woman, to have all these bodily processes going on that will one day sustain life.
38. Thirst. My body now craves water. Pure, icy cold, water.
39. Hunger. True hunger, not just cravings. It's strange to wake up in the morning and realise that empty feeling is actually hunger - I don't feel it often and it's surprising when I do. Might be best if I feel it more!
40. Dancing. My body will do anything I ask of it out on the floor. It might take a while for the steps to feel natural, for the movements to flow, but then something amazing happens and suddenly I'm alive.
41. Walking. It's a simple pleasure.
42. Running. Not so simple, not so pleasureable. But an achievement.
43. Cycling. I love the wind in my hair. Bugs in my mouth, not so much.
44. Swimming. I haven't drowned yet, but I won't be winning any races.
45. Driving. I don't think any more. I just drive. It's relaxing.
46. My toenails. They've learned to grow properly now, not ingrown all the time like they used to.
47. Talking. I do it a lot.
48. Work. Typing, talking, numbers, spreadsheets, repetition. This body handles it all with ease.
49. Stress. I don't get stressed very often - my body knows how to calm me down, it's like my heart beats out of my chest screaming STOP! STOP! STOP! and I do. I stop and breathe, and think.
50. Calves. They look pretty good right now. Especially on the old demi-pointe. Quite defined.
51. Boobs. I want more, but they're enough. I'm sure they'll do what they were designed for soon enough!
52. Teeth. No trouble. Never any trouble. Just a bit furry sometimes, but then we brush and we're all good.
53. Bones. They're strong.
54. Sleep. My body sleeps well. I'm almost always well rested, when I remember to go to bed at a decent time!
55. This is hard. There's that determination again.
56. My vision - it's quite good. Glasses at work, but nothing too major!
57. My hearing is awesome.
58. My voice - I can't sing, but I can certainly speak freely. It's a privilege we all take for granted.
59. I am woman, hear me roar!
60. I relate to song lyrics.
61. I cry. When I've had enough, I cry. It's a relief.
62. I gather strength from others.
63. The strong women in my life encourage me to be me. To stay true, to stick up for myself and what I believe in.
64. I can listen to another's opinion or view, see how it differs from mine, accept the differences, and still be happy within myself without pushing my views or opinions on them. Sometimes that process takes a while, but we get there in the end.
65. Passion. It's a wonderful thing.
66. Sexy times. Yeah, thanks body for that nugget. Laugh, cry, make a fool of yourself... it's all part of love!
67. Hindsight. It's brill.
68. The heart's ability to mend itself, and open itself up again to be broken. This little gamble paid off, big time.
69. Love. Notice how I left that for number 69? Not sexy times, love. Bahaha. It's all good.
70. Quads. They're strong. They're confident. They know their job and they get it done.
71. Poo. It's fascinating. It's wonderful. I try not to touch it and I definitely don't eat it, but it's amazing how what goes in comes out.
72. Wee. Not so fascinating, but still thankful-worthy. If it's dark, I need to drink more. If it hurts, something's wrong. If it's bright, I'd better hope I had Berocca that morning or there is something DEFINITELY wrong.
73. Biceps. They're in there somewhere, and I'll find them. But for now, they're content just pulling the forearm as required.
74. Imagination. Sometimes I amaze myself with my imagination, my mind wanderings, my daydreams.
75. Compassion. I am one compassionate lady.
76. Fingernails. They grow. They don't break often. I usually chew them before they get the chance to break.
77. Cuticles. I don't know what their purpose is, but they don't give me much grief so I guess I'm thankful for that.
78. Appendix. It's good. So far.
79. Freckles. Mum used to tell me they were sun kisses and I felt sorry for the kids who didn't have them. I have got so much love from the sun over the years I'm surprised we're not getting married and having babies.
80. Lips. I've got nice lips. That reminds me, I need Blistex.
81. My wrists. They're delicate little things. They give me hope that one day, the rest of me will be delicate as well and I'll finally match. Except my ass. That can stay!
82. Hips. They crack so satisfyingly sometimes - a moment of pain but it's so worth it.
83. Nose. It's there, giving me all sorts of exciting info - smells, snot. Wonderful.
84. Body hair. I'm thankful that most of that is blonde. Hardly any maintenance required. Go team!
85. Belly button. It's there, doing it's job. Whatever that is. Yep, I'm thankful for that.
86. Serious time again. My brain. Gosh, it's got a lot to worry about. I never hear it complaining though. Thanks for that!
87. Collarbones. They've snuck onto the scene in the last year or so, and they're starting to really look nice.
88. Ribs. Once, when I got a new pillow, I ended up with a twisted rib. That hurt. But it taught me to never spend too much money on a pillow, and now my ribs and I are all straightened out.
89. Stomach. Mine surprises me sometimes with just how much I can fit in there.
90. Fat. I'm thankful for all the extra that I have. This might sound strange, but I would not be the person that I am today without the fat.
91. My determination to get rid of the fat. It's there. It's not always the strongest voice in the crowd, but it's always there at the end of the day.
92. Flexibility. Yeah, I can do the splits. It's not all it's cracked up to be, but it's nice to ask your body to do something and have it respond with an 'I can do that!'
93. Core strength. There's not a lot there, but my body sings when I remember to work on it.
94. Smile. Never underestimate the power of a smile.
95. Facial expressions. I don't have that many, but they're fun all the same.
96. Listening to my body - I used to ignore a lot of what it was saying to me. Not any more!
97. Mindfulness. I'm working on being mindful, it's a struggle sometimes, and I slip, but I'm still thankful for it.
98. Meditation. It's hard to switch off. I do enjoy it though, sometimes when I'm taken through a guided meditation on my iPod from the nice lady I like to call Maggie, because she's Scottish.
99. Reading. For pleasure, for work, for whatever. I'm thankful that I can.
100. Humour! If you don't laugh, you'll cry. I hope you laughed... I did!!
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