Juice, Physio, Competitions;

and a partridge in a pear tree.

It's been a busy few weeks. Apologises for lack of updates, I've been having issues with blogger.com on my laptop, just found out I need to use Google Chrome to get it to open properly.

As I write this I am a little beat up, hung over. I was at a funeral yesterday and ended up quite intoxicated alongside all of my best friends. The manfriend had to take my home at 7pm! opps! Probably something to do with the fact I only really had about three solid food meals in the 5 days prior, and a macaroni pie at 10.30 that morning.

I decided to start a juice detox on Monday. Weight loss aside, this was about jump starting my healthy eating plan. The smoking has been taken care off, I gave myself the time I needed to ensure the hypnosis had worked before I attempted to begin progress into New Years Resolution number 2! I had heard of other people doing these juice detoxes and it seemed an extreme, but beneficial way, to jump into healthy eating plans for life.

Manfriend didn't last a day. I made it to day 3 and caved, having dinner. So I juiced day 4 until tea time and all of day 5. Then when on juice of a very different type day 6, hence the state of me, day 7!

  I lost about 7lbs all together. Having put on from a weekend of cider and takeaways before juicing on the Monday. But the more impressive part was how good I felt. My energy levels were brilliant, my skin cleared up, my concentration was better. I would defo recommend it, even for a day or two, just to get a wee physical and ego boost.

In other news, I met my new physio. Tiny Australian Gorgeous Physiotherapist, who upon first meeting I did not feel appreciated the full significance that the pain in my legs is in my daily life. Feeling 80 when your not even 30, and having felt this way for almost 10 years, is not funny, now is it insignificant in my life. However, over the course of the hour I managed to convince her how difficult things have been for me and she sent me away with my list of stretches. I must do them every SINGLE day!! I am going back to see Skippy (yeah - I know it's an easy Oz link but it's late, I'm tired, and she is a little "bouncy", clearly due to her super flexible, easy bendy body) in two weeks. I shall update you on process.

Speaking of stretching, the girls and I at Pole class are taking photos of our stretches every couple of weeks to track any progress we make. 2014 is a bendy, flexy year for us all!!

In final, Pole related news, I did a crazy wild thing. I entered the 2014 Edinburgh Pole Competition. Beginners category, freestyle. Jessie J tune. Bricking it - you get the idea. I need a challenge.

So a busy week, but I'm still needing to get back into my exercises. I was worried about doing too much whilst juicing, in case my body went into shock. 7.15am metafit is booked in for tomorrow though. It's time to start embracing New Year Resolution 2 - Get Fit! Get Strong! Get Sexy!!

3 day juice detox.....day 1

Well it is day 1. I've had three juices made from fruit and vegetables.I'm starving. I've a sore head. I haven't eaten. I hate this. I want food. blah blah blah blah.....

I know it's for the best. I just need to power through.

You are feeling sleepy....verry sleepy

Yesterday I was hypnotised, by a beautiful individual called Jen. Today I am a non smoker.

I've never been hypnotised before. I've seen people get hypnotised on holiday and do really stupid things, but I've never volunteered, nor really thought much of the process. I have always believed in the unconscious mind, because I believe that we take in information beyond that which we actually remember. People facing near death situations have consistently reported huge chunks of information and images flash before them as the brain tries to find something to use to save itself from death, and the majority of this information people agree they couldn't consciously retain it.

However, the idea of past lives, external auras, energy fields, all of that I have never been sure of. Not to say I disbelieve it, but I've just never had strong feelings either way.

I've tried to stop smoking more times that I could honestly say. I've tried champix, zanex, patches, inhalers, nasal sprays, cold turkey, the lot. I've completed long drawn out nicotine replacement therapy, 12 week courses, where every day I am reminded that I am trying to stop, trying to quit, then I finally get there and although my body no longer wants cigarettes absolutely nothing has been done to support my brain.

I have been recorded as consistently low on the "addiction" scale, due to a variety of factors. The health model of addiction is to replace the physical chemical that the body is in need of and wean it off. Same is true of almost all addiction replacement drugs. Despite having a low physical addiction I have constantly struggled to loose the "need" for cigarettes, and came to the conclusion that I had a complete psychological addiction which needed addressed.

One of my work colleagues had been hypnotised in the past and stopped for 15 months as a result, I took the plunge and we contacted Jen, a hypnotherapist (amongst many other things) in Glasgow.                                                                                                                                                        

Yesterday I had my last cigarette, standing on the corner of Hope and Bothwell street, at 2.55pm.

I don't know if I can't explain what happened. I felt awake enough, at several points I thought to myself "this can't be working, I can hear absolutely everything", but then at other times I was saying things and seeing images that I couldn't say I was thinking about on a conscious level. I left feeling unsure, feeling that I probably could have a fag if I wanted, and thinking I may have just been completely scammed.

But since 2.55pm of the 4th of January 2014 I haven't smoked. I'm aware that I am not smoking, I feel kind of strange, but I'm not in pain over it. I'm sitting here this morning thinking it's weird that I haven't had a cigarette this morning, I'm very aware that I am not smoking, but I don't feel that fussed over it. I feel like a non smoker. In fact I kind of feel weird thinking about the not smoking, because why would I, I don't smoke.

I'm sorry, it's a complete ramble, I can hardly get my thoughts in order in my head, never mind on paper. But I feel confident that something is different, that I have broken a loop or a link. Something has changed.

I feel free.

http://www.soulessencescotland.co.uk/

Happy New Year!

I love Christmas, I adore the shopping, the panic, the tree, the food, the frenzy. I love watching people open the presents I've thought hard about with great joy, and I love receiving my own presents, symbols that others have thought long and hard about me to.

Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book; write a good one - Brad Paisley

 The journal of clinical psychology has listed the top ten resolutions for 2014, and at the top of the list: Losing weight. In fact on average 38% of people who make resolutions will aim for weight loss, and of all this who make any resolutions only 8% will see them through.
 
8%...pretty small chance.

For the last 5 years or so I have probably made weight loss my resolution. Yet as I weigh in for 2014 I am once again heavier than I have ever been. It's quite dismaying at times, still feeling horrid about my appearance, looking bad over the improvements I've made, and the lags I've went through. Looking through the blogs, the pictures, the victories and the defeats and here I am, heavier than ever, once again.

My New Year Resolution List usually starts with desire to lose between ten and three thousands pounds" - Nia Vardalos

This year however, I will not be deterred, I don't see the last 5 years as failures, I can't. If I do then I'll never see past it. I love new year as much as I love Christmas. I had a wonderful time celebrating with my friends and family. I  brought in the bells with a Bacardi, with a kiss, and auld lang syne ringing in my ears. My plans were set, meals prep and detox were going to take place over the 5 days holiday that I have, kettlebells were set up for the launch into the exercise programme with the manfriend, all was ready!

Then the worst possible thing ever - I have been stricken with the dreaded flu-like lurgy. I'm loaded with the cold and have been holed up on the couch for 2 days now. I did manage to drag my butt off the couch long enough to shove a chicken in the slow cooker for me and manfriends first health dinner. Today I haven't eaten, well I've had two chocolate biscuits, and I think I'll hit the lentil soup later. I wanted to get this done, for sure, because the blog is going to be an integral part of the 2014 resolution.

Look out 2014 - check me out! Here I come!!