Looking after Y.O.U!

How do you look after yourself?  Do you routinely put yourself first?  As number one, above anyone or anything else?  Does this to you, sound selfish?  What if I told you, that to take care of others, you must take care of yourself?  Would you believe me?  Think about it… If you let yourself go, emotionally and physically, would you be the best version of yourself?  Would this emotionally and or physically sick person be the person that YOUR loved ones deserve?  I don’t think so.  Think of yourself like a car, to function properly you must maintain it, run it, service it and fuel it with the good stuff.  What happens if you fill up a car with dirty fuel?  Enough of the crap and the car ‘gets sick’.  Just like us human beings. 

So what can you do to look after YOURSELF?  Here I go, think about my list.  These are things that you need to do to look after YOURSELF.  They are things that will help you to live a healthier and happier life.

1.     Spend time with the right people.  These are the people who love and appreciate you.  They go out of their way to look after you and encourage you to be the best person that you can be.  They embrace you unconditionally as the person you are and will support you on your journey to be the best that you can be.

2.     Stop running and face your problems.  If you are anything like myself, you have a natural tendency to run from things that scare you rather than face them head on.  You may think that these things define you as a person.  Wrong.  I have learned through many ups and downs in life that it isn’t these problems that define me.  It is the way that I have conducted myself when dealing with them and the lessons that they have taught me that define me as a person.  You choose.  Will you run?  Or is it time to be BRAVE?

3.     Make your own happiness a priority.  Your needs matter.  If you do not value, look after, and stand up for yourself, you aren’t really looking after yourself.  YOU deserve to be looked after, and YOU have the power to do this, it is your responsibility.  Remember that by looking after yourself, you can offer a better version of yourself to your loved ones.  It is possible to look after others as well as yourself at the same time.

4.     Embrace your individuality.  We are all different and that is what makes us special.  Trying to be or aspiring to be anyone else is a waste of time.   Embrace yourself for who you are.  Accept yourself.

5.     Stop.  Just for a moment every now and then.  We can get so caught up in our busy day-to-day lives that we forget to live.  Live in the present and appreciate what you have rather than focusing solely on what you do not have.  Life is for living and life is right now.  Appreciate it.

6.     Be kind to yourself.  Raise your hand if you have every said any of the following to yourself: you don’t deserve to be happy, you’re too fat/skinny/short/tall, nobody likes you, you’re a horrible person who doesn’t deserve friends, nobody loves you… the list of self sabotaging comments to oneself goes on and on but I’ll leave it there.  These mind games are not only NOT TRUE but by saying these things to yourself, you are slowly destroying yourself.  Sabotaging yourself.  Would you treat your mother like this?  No.  Your best friend? Nope, didn’t think so.  So why would you treat yourself in the same way?

7.     Be honest with yourself.  Enough with the lies, the stories… the justifications.  Get into the habit of telling yourself the truth.  However tough it may be to hear.

8.     Value the lessons your mistakes teach you.  Every mistake you make teaches you a lesson.  Focus on this rather than beating yourself up for the mistake that was made… I have turned my world upside down and become a totally new person by learning from my mistakes.

9.     Start forgiving yourself and others. We’ve all been hurt by our own decisions and/or by others. The pain of these experiences hurts but is normal, however sometimes it lingers for too long. We relive the pain over and over and have a hard time letting go. Forgiveness is the cure. It doesn’t mean you’re erasing the past, or forgetting what happened. It means you’re letting go of the resentment and pain, and instead choosing to learn from the incident and move on with your life.

10.  If you want something.  Go out and get it.  Make a plan of how you will get it, and make it happen!  Work for it.  If you don’t, you won’t achieve what ever it is that you want.  I know all too well what it is like to want something really, really badly.  You write it down super neatly in brand new markers, colour code it, illustrate it, laminate it and stick it on the wall and then cross your fingers and pray to God it will appear before you.  When it doesn’t appear you bag the whole idea and chuck it in the too hard basket claiming it just isn’t possible’… not for you anyway.  Life doesn’t work like this.  Sorry to burst any bubbles.  If you want something, YOU have to make it happen.

11.   People change.  Fact.  It sounds harsh but you cannot keep every friend you have ever made.  People move on and priorities change.  There will be people who forget about you and who you forget about.  Appreciate your friends but remember to be open to new people.  Who knows what that new girl at work could mean to you in a years time?

12.  Concentrate on the things you can control.  Not everything can always go to plan.  Sometimes things are just plain crap and you have to make the best out of a tough situation.  Look for the silver lining and control the controllable.  The rest has a way of figuring itself out.

13.  Compete against yourself and nobody else, they are not you.  They do not have the same strengths and weaknesses that you do.  Look in the mirror… that is your competition.  Aim to be a better version of yourself.

14.  Start creating your own happiness.  If you are waiting for someone else to make you happy, you’re missing out. Smile because you can. Choose happiness. Be the change you want to see in the world. Be happy with who you are now, and let your positivity inspire your journey into tomorrow. Happiness is often found when and where you decide to seek it.
15. Only YOU can control what goes into your mouth.  You decide if you are going to fuel your body with good, healthy and nutritious foods or highly processed and preserved junk foods...your call.

So this is a long and heavy list.  Reading through it sounds huge and confronting.  Too hard?  No it’s not… because YOU ARE WORTH IT.  But the answers are here (cryptically).  Only you have the answers to your life.  Choose one thing from the list and work hard at it, don’t give up.  If you fall down, just get back up.  Once you have achieved it, choose another.  Remember that nothing happens over night but looking after yourself is the most important thing because at the end of the day, only you can truly look after YOU.

YOUR life is YOUR responsibility

Liz Xox

For similar articles/lists, check out the following:
Life Buzz
The mind unleashed
Body and Soul - 8 steps to happiness
Mind, body, green

Joyful June and introducing, Operation COMMANDO!!

Wow! I’m not too sure where June went!! Yes, I know it’s the 29^th still.  It seems like this year is just whizzing by!  SO this month has been pretty crazy!  Lots of ups and lots of downs.  For those of you who do not know me, I am at University studying to be a Primary school teacher.  I finished my third year prac which I LOVED!  I had such an amazing time in the classroom teaching the kids but I also learned a lot from them.  This wasn’t simply what we are supposed to learn on prac…curriculum, assessment, testing, crowd control, problem solving, building relationships etc.  No, I realised how happy and carefree young kids can and should be.  I realised (well, remembered) that happiness is the most important thing in life.  Yes, education/a roof/food/control (in my case!) etc… are all important, but at the end of the day, unless you are happy, you can not appreciate what you have.  I realised this one lunchtime I was simply watching and listening to the kids play.  The brilliant sound of laughter and happiness filled me with happiness.  Now this is something I already have learned, but sometimes we can get so caught up in out own problems and worries that we can forget to just be happy – it was a lovely reminder to myself that no matter what I’m going through I need to be grateful for what I have and just be happy.

So I finished prac and realised, that OMG! I SURVIVED THE SEMESTER!!  I throughout the semester, between my part time job and full time uni I have been working full six day weeks which doesn’t allow much time once I factor in training, a social life and uni work.  So I was ecstatic when I realised that I had survived this horrendous semester and that uni break is now here!  I am taking the opportunity now to rest, reset myself some goals and work on me.  My nutrition and training didn’t necessarily ‘suffer’ overall this semester, but I did go though periods where it was definitely not ideal!  Think…lollies, chocolate, cakes, portion distortion, coffees, missed training sessions…and all the other rubbish that comes with stress!  But hey, I’m only human and I am thankful that I did manage to stay pretty much on track.

My assignment board from semester 1...I SURVIVED IT!!

So what else have I been up to lately?  So if you have met me, you’ll probably know that I have a thing for the ‘Commando’.  For my 21^st birthday last year, my friends stuck his photo inside my card!!  Yep!  He is amazing.  So I decided to reward myself, for holding it together pretty well this year (it’s been rough).  I enrolled in a three day training camp lead by Commando up in the Gold Coast.  Permit me to scream… I AM SO, SO, SO EXCITED!!  I convinced a mate it would be a great experience and she will be coming with me.  So we have paid for flights and the camp!!  I will likely die at the hands of Commando, but hey, if I do, I will definitely be dying happy!!  So, now…I have my new goal (I have been without one for awhile, just kinda floundering and training because I JFDI).

OPERATION COMMANDO!!  I have been at my goal weight for a while now.  I also have a little more fat to lose.  I want to improve myself in all areas of my life… so my new goals under OPERATION COMMANDO are:

1.     Lose the last 5 kilos to be comfortable in a bikini on the Gold Coast

2.     Improve my muscle definition

3.     Increase the weights I currently lift in all areas

4.     Consciously work on being happy and relaxed in my mind everyday, this means being kind to myself – because if you have a healthy mindset, your body will follow…

5.     Survive training with the ‘Commando’

This was inside my 21st birthday card last year!

It's up on my wall now...Operation Commando!  I will be ready to train come November!

So from now until Novemeber, I want to become even better than I am now.  I want to be kinder to myself and a more relaxed and happier person.  I also want to increase my fitness and strength and when November rolls around, I will not have any regrets!

And, just some other random moments from the month of June…

But first, let me take a selfie ;) 

Just saying'... I love my new One Active top!!

                                              Mmmmmm! This chicken noodle soup I made last week was incredible!! 

I felt beautiful at my cousins wedding, in the dress I had agonised over buying! I can now go shopping and buy gorgeous, designer clothes off the rack! 

YUM! Zucchini slice...reminds me of my childhood =) It tastes great and freezes well too!

Liz Xox

To love yourself, you must accept yourself

This is a life lesson I have learned over the past couple of years.  It is a valuable one, which every one should learn.  Everyone has the right to love and be loved, but it is surprising how many people do not love themselves.  I’ve been there.  Trust me, loving yourself everyday is so much more enjoyable than hating who you are, what you see in the mirror, that past or current life of yours you try to bury but really you can’t because it’s eating you alive.  So when you are in this dark place of hating who you are, where do you go?  How do you even start?  What can you possibly do to learn how to love yourself?

Acceptance.  Here is the first step.  You must learn to accept yourself.  No, not the person you wish you were, but the true you.  Acknowledge the things that you do not like and that cannot be changed.  These are the features and or qualities you must learn to love.  It is healthier to accept the things that cannot be changed rather than resist them.  Being different and unique makes us who we are.  I used to wish I could look like a stick thin, six-foot tall run way model.  Reality, NEVER GONNA HAPPEN!  I am short but I have learned to hold myself tall and proud.  I used to get bullied for my skin colour, those words of malice stayed in my mind and I learned to hate my colour.  Years later I have learned to love it and hey, I can wear any colour I like!  Embrace your age; you have lived rich experiences throughout your years.  Cherish the memories.  Love your laugh, it means that you are happy.  Your eyes portray to others your warmth, love and happiness, accept the shape and colour they are.  Your nose, you may hate it but someone out there thinks it makes you look beautiful.  Believe in your ability to sing/create/run/jump/fly…what ever it is you love to do, you are good at it and it brings you joy. 

On the flip side I used to hate being the ‘fat’ girl.  This was something I could control; I did not have to resign myself to being this way forever.  I took control and I changed something about myself that I could.  You can change the way you relate to people, you can teach yourself to be more caring.  You can learn to control your outbursts of rage, anger and frustration.  If you’re not happy with your weight, do something about it.  If you hate the way you push people away, recognise why and change. 

Unrealistic expectations set us back from achieving any change.  Have a think.  What do you dislike about yourself?  Write a list.  Now sort this list into two, ‘things about myself I need to accept’ and ‘things about myself I would like to change’.  What is reasonable?  What is achievable?  Remember you have got to be positive.  Positive self-talk is crucial to accepting who you are.

Now write down five things that you love about yourself.  Stick this on your mirror, it should be the first thing you see in the morning and the last thing you see before you go to bed.

The serenity prayer composed by Reinhold Niebuhr, has been around for decades and has been adopted by AA groups and other twelve step programs globally.  I first heard it on the television show ‘Desperate Housewives’ and found it rather comforting.  This one line made me realise that I cannot control everything about myself or generally in life.  I learned to focus on what I could and to control the controllable.  So here it is, read it slowly and let it sink in. 

Give me the grace to accept with serenity, the things that cannot be changed, the courage to change the things that should be changed and the wisdom to distinguish the difference.

Liz Xox

If you care about what other people think, you will always be their prisoner

If you care about what other people think, you will always be their prisoner.  Too true.  It took me years to figure this out.  I spent countless hours, days, weeks and years trying to impress the wrong people.  I always cared about what the “cool kids” thought about me.  I always wondered if they liked me.  I tried my best to be like them.  I wasn’t being true to myself; peer pressure is a funny thing.  I used to live my life as a prisoner, a prisoner in my own mind because I never thought I compared to anyone else.  There was always someone 'skinnier', even 'fatter', someone better at art, better at sports, a better friend, a better student, more popular...I mean the list goes on.  It's a bit of a fact of life, there will always be someone better at you than something, I realised I had to stop these destructive thoughts and be the best person I could be.

When I started to focus on myself, I realised this was no way to live.  I could no longer spend my life, trying to impress other people.  It was time to look after myself and be the best me I could be.  I started taking time out for myself and started to nourish my body as it deserved.  I became happier and my energy returned.  My days were no longer tiring and endless, rather fulfilling and rewarding.  I did not care anymore.  Why? I stopped trying to be like everyone else.  I slowly learned to stand for myself, to be an independent woman, to make my own decisions based on my health and well being, nobody else’s. So I started to realise what ‘truly happy’ felt like.

You have to try.  You have to want it.  You have to be willing to work at it during every minute of everyday.  You have to love yourself, but more importantly you must respect yourself enough to not let yourself become a prisoner to others.  Simply refuse.  It is time to make a stand for yourself, show the world who YOU truly are.  Stop caring what other people think, and just BE HAPPY!

Liz Xox

And suddenly I realised...

When this is your view. You're upset, tired, stressed, basically just fed up and have had it. You've had your melt down, you've cried your heart out. You're alone. What happens next? What do you do? 


My head cleared, ok. I just have to emotionally survive. I've spent my life putting up emotional barriers. This is becoming clear to me. When ever I have been emotionally hurt, I've immediately shut myself down, I deal on my own, or maybe I don't deal with anything? I just bury. I'm good at burying my emotions. Maybe I thought that I could protect myself? Maybe I thought that all I had to do was not get attached to anyone so they couldn't hurt me? This is starting to become quite clear to me. I don't really trust people. I find it super hard to trust people. It takes a long time for me to consider someone a friend. People have a habit of leaving or letting you down. This is my experience. 


So I've had "issues" or "stuff" going on...(don't we all?)  I've pretty much kept the most of it all bottled up. Because hey that's what I've always done. I've spent my life being very independent. I have always been very organised and punctual. I have created a life for myself that allows minimal emotional communication. Subconsciously I've thought that showing emotion was weak. 

This has only just dawned on me. I have only just realised that I've made myself so self sufficient that I haven't allowed myself to experience love. Now when I say this I don't mean that I don't love my friends or family. I do, but not in a way that I could ever pour out my soul to them. So this moment of clarity has taught me that I need to let go of some of this control and start to bring down some barriers. I have definitely brought some down in the past year on my journey to change myself. Every kilo I shed taught me a lesson about self respect and self love. I've learned to love myself. It's now time for me to learn to love and trust others.  

So I decide it is time to head home.  What comes on the radio? Lean on me - Bill Withers.  Yep, maybe, just maybe, sometimes I need to learn to swallow my pride and lean on someone else.

Liz Xox 

The Mad Month of May!

Alrighty, so May.  Boy it has shot by fast and I have done/been a part of some pretty awesome things.  Firstly I completed the Mother’s Day Classic in Adelaide.  7.2km run…no I did not run that distance but did a good combination of walking and running to finish in under an hour.  I was SO nervous and was so tempted to not do it, but I’d roped a mate into doing it with me so I couldn’t back out.  Alright I thought…just do it.  You can do it!  We walked to the start line and my heart was pounding…nobody looked twice at me, but I wondered what on earth I had gotten myself into!  Too late, we were off…I had no choice but to just go forward…I ran almost 2km…the furthest I’ve run consistently, I’m no runner, give me a weights session any day, so that was a huge achievement for me.  At the last corner I could see the finish line, and sprinted, I could hear people on the side lines saying, “Woah! Watch her go!” “Wow! Go girl!”  That was a great feeling, to sprint over the finish line, the public cheering for me, and receive MY FIRST EVER MEDAL!  Yes, I have never before received a medal!  It was a great moment, and yes I realise that every person who finishes the race receives one. 

Before the race...

The crowds before the race...

Me with my first ever medal!

Earlier this month I received my copy of Michelle Bridges new book that has been released in the US titled “Total Body Transformation”.  Why?  BECAUSE I APPEAR IN IT!  Yep, flip right to the last page and you will see me in the top row, right in the middle.  I remember submitting photos and thinking, meh…I’ll never be chosen, sometimes I do still doubt myself.  But I was chosen.  A few days after receiving an email saying I would be featured, I had the opportunity to meet Mish.  I told her that I was in the book.  She told me how hard it was to choose who would and would not be featured and that she was very proud of my achievements. What an amazing thing!  To be published in a Mish Bridges book, even if it is only available in the US!

'Total Body Transformation' (US version) - Michelle Bridges

Hanging out with my mate Mish ;) - (back in Feb)

I have also spent a majority of last week sick in bed.  That was not fun at all.  Sometimes you just push yourself so hard for so long that you just collapse.  Yep, well it is the end of semester (almost) and starting my placement (teaching) a being surrounded by kids all day, my body just crashed.  I was pretty miserable and couldn’t eat, let alone train!  So I did not train all week.  I felt so guilty for it too.  I know I shouldn’t but I did.  It taught me that even though I felt fat and lazy, when I got back into it, my body remembered what to do, the muscles remember.  Heading back into the gym after a week off felt amazing!  My mind was clear and I felt so alive!  It made me think that maybe, just maybe (not all the time, or even often) I do not need to train as hard and as often as I do. I can’t see myself slowing down though!  I love my training too much.  It is fantastic ‘me’ time.

This month I also gave Bikram Yoga a go…I wrote off Yoga after trying it a few months back, and I hate humidity and too much sweat…so naturally I thought yoga in a steaming hot room would be a great idea.  The sweat was intolerable, I was hot, it was humid and I was frustrated.  I mean, I’m glad I tried it but I can now say it is not for me knowing that I gave it a go! 

My 'Post Bikram Yoga' face!

I have been participating in the 12WBT weekly challenges too…I made it a goal to participate more in the weekly challenges and I certainly have been doing so this round...example...

Week 2 challenge - #12WBTgreenie

Week 3 challenge - #12WBTpushup

Oh and THIS HAPPENED! Yes, small things delight me!!  Ecstatic much!! =D

So this is what May looked like for me (on top of my daily life).  Full on and challenging but VERY rewarding too.  I work hard and it certainly pays off!

Liz Xox

My 80/20 life-style

Sometimes people assume that I live in my own happy bubble of motivation, waking up every morning, jumping out of bed saying “WOOOO!  I’m going to go and smash my training and wash it down with a delicious brekky of the top ten super foods wilted/steamed/blitzed etc, etc, to form some congealed mess of nutrition”…No, this is not me, I love my food.  I want to make it clear that I AM NOT PERFECT! No one is. 

I was at work a couple of weeks ago and was about to chow into a piece of white bread toast with butter (provided).  I thought, what the heck?  I haven’t had white bread and butter in over a year, time for a treat.  The comments I got were ridiculous!  “Are you really going to eat that?”  “Omg! She really is going to eat that!” “What are you doing?” “You’re going to regret that!” “Are you allowed to eat that?” “Shit, if Liz can eat that, so can I! *Throws self at the food*” WOW! I thought, these people clearly don’t know the first thing about healthy living – Liz style.  From my experience, a lot of people think that to be healthy you have to deprive yourself of all bad food, only eat your greens and protein and then treat yourself to a carb on weekends...and oh no sugar! WRONG!  To my way of thinking, balance and consistency is key!  I had a discussion with a good friend the other day, she said to me, “Liz I love that we can still have our dinner dates, you don’t deprive yourself of eating out and if need be you find healthy options”.  All I could think was BINGO!  I have it down!  For me, this lifestyle works.

Ok, so here I go, I LOVE a good burger! Yes I eat clean a majority of the time; I pump myself full of super foods on a regular basis and I definitely enjoy them.  But I do not eat like this all the time.  I follow the 80/20 rule.  Eat clean 80% of the time and treat yourself 20%.  Hear me out.  In recent posts I have talked about not being on a diet, but changing my lifestyle.  I think it is natural to crave different foods at different times and unfortunately ‘junk’ fast and processed foods have become an accepted, normal part of today’s society.  Yes these foods can harm our bodies in large amounts, hey I was proof of that, but when you learn how, I also believe that they can be ENJOYED in SMALL amounts. 

Ok so when I say I love a good burger, I mean a GOOD one.  You won’t see me chowing down on a Big Mac at my local McDonalds, or rushing off to KFC for a Zinger Deluxe, these are just pumped full of unnecessary sugars, fats and chemicals.  Instead you will see me carefully choosing one of the cool new burger bars, which seem to be popping up all over Adelaide (no sugar buns thanks!).  This is a treat, I enjoy eating out with my mates and clean eater or not, who doesn’t love a meal out with good company?  A good burger has to be accompanied by hot chips…oh I’m salivating as I write this!  Surely the best kind are those hand cut, crunchy home made rosemary salted ones?  Well, to me anyway! And to those of you who don’t believe I eat burgers and chips, here is your proof!  Because hey, there are plenty of people out there that are shocked and horrified that I would ever possibly even consider allowing chocolate to pass by my lips!  Note: I LOVE CHOCOLATE!

The Hackney Hotel (Adelaide) - The "Hackney Wagyu Beef" Burger, I think goes down as one of my all time favourites!

Enuf Burger at Glenelg North (Adelaide) uses wholemeal buns! And for those of you who still didn't believe that I ate burgers, here...I made my friend take a picture!

Ok, so more about the 80/20 rule.  It has taught me self-control and self-discipline.  It has taught me about how to live a healthy, balanced lifestyle without depriving myself of what my body craves.  Over time clean eating has changed WHAT my body craves.  Seventeen months ago I was a junk food addict.  I craved salt and sugar CONSTANTLY.  Fast-forward to today, my cravings are not as strong as they once were (or my will power muscle is just much stronger), and I no longer need the huge portion sizes I used to, to satisfy a craving…everything in moderation!  I don’t get too carried away with the maths any more, sure I did when I had a lot of weight to lose in the beginning, but now that I am at a weight I am comfortable with, I find a rough calorie count is all I need to keep me on track.  Basically I look at it like this: 20% of my main meals each week is roughly three meals, or a meal or two with coffee and or dessert dates.  The main thing I try to remember here is that I’m not having a ‘cheat meal’, there is no cheating in my lifestyle.  It’s just another meal.  I know that as soon as I view it as a ‘cheat’ it could potentially become a total blow out!

So, no I’m not perfect.  I do not eat clean 100% of the time; I don’t think anyone could do that!  In today’s society, surrounded by calorie-laden foods, it’s just not possible for the average person.  80/20, it works for me, it may or may not work for you.  Everyone is different.  But to everyone out there who thought I only drink water and green smoothies, I love a nice glass of wine.  To those people who thought I gave up chocolate, I still indulge in it!  And to everyone who thought that to be healthy means you have to give up your favourite foods, guess what? YOU DON’T!

Liz Xox

This is they type of food I eat 80% of the time, whole and healthy super foods!