#healthy living – Beautiful Remade

Embracing a healthy lifestyle: letting go of the “diet mentality”

By: Just myself May 7, 2022

Blog#battles of the mind, #building the life you want, #healthy living, #living your best life, #motivation, fitness, gardening1 Comment

I was disappointed with myself at the end of the day yesterday. I had reinstalled another “step counter” on my phone to track my activity and I was no-where close to my goal of steps taken when I went to bed. Crazy thing was my body was screaming at me. Why?

I started cleaning up my gardens yesterday and my two hours I had alloted before I chained myself to my desk for a few hours, turned into five hours of joyous work in the sunshine. Doing hundreds of squats, digging, pulling and activating muscles that have laid dormant since last year.

I worked HARD, so why was I so disappointed about a stupid number on my phone?

The conversation my mind was having with my soul, was not very nice! Instead of saying good job today, it was talking down telling me, “I would never reveal the skinny (healthy)person inside that is disguised in an excess layer of fluff(fat).”

The problem with a mindset of diet is it is equal to scarcity and want vs a mindset of health and well-being which is a mindset of delicious fresh abundance and ability.

Ironically like many other lessons in my life, the most impactful person to give me this lesson about diet vs lifestyle, was my daughter Stephanie. One day I was talking about preparing lunch and said the word “diet”. She spoke up and said,”no mom, not a diet, it’s your lifestyle now.”

A lifestyle is about daily sustained choices for the long-run, as apposed to a short term denial for “quick, unlasting results”.

A lifestyle is about making choices and taking action on a daily bases to bring self closer to your own type of beautiful and joy.

Maybe I should have slipped away yesterday for a power walk, to boost some calorie burning. That would only have worked on one area of my lifestyle dream.

I chose instead, muscle building, weight-lifting, beautifying, garden building, weeding: with the hope that someday soon, my body will be fit AND my gardens will be beautiful. Not to mention the fresh, healthy, local abundance of home-grown food. Payoff for this lifestyle choice!

Where in your life do you need to make a mental shift from lack (diet) to abundance (lifestyle)? What can you do today to level-up the impact of your actions?

Sneaking up

By: Just myself May 4, 2022

Blog#building the life you want, #freedom, #healthy living, #living your best life, #nature therapyLeave a Comment

I love these guys. I don’t know if it’s the size, or their awkward shape, or the little babies they have with too long legs.

These guys were picking in a field near my friend’s house. She was teaching the young people kung-fu and slipped away to tell me to borrow her rubber-boots and go.

I stuck to the edge of the first field, and started picking my way through the thorn brush at the edge of the next when I was spotted and the warning cry went up.

Maybe I should have been more patient? What was the rush anyway? I snapped a couple of pics and tried to move closer.

I should have kept my camera up! They rose up from the far-side of the field. The beauty of their flight took my breath away.

Snippets of Spring 2022

By: Just myself May 3, 2022May 3, 2022

Blog#building the life you want, #healthy living, #life in full colour, #living your best life2 Comments

Continuing a new lifestyle, gluten-free, nearly “added” sugar-free, not “processed”, aim to hydrate and feel great.

Walking with purpose for exercise, or meditation, or socialization.

Enjoying the birds, the gardens, the outside clean up, and the sunshine.

Stepping outside my comfort zone, target shooting in public. Surprised I can do so many things I didn’t know I could.

Trying new or retrying things I haven’t done in years. Learning to not be so self-concious and relaxing into fun.

Campfires with friends. Meeting new people.

Strolls with old friends enjoying the blessings around us.

Just a little taste of spring. A glimpse of thoughts and changes for the season. My beautiful colourful life!

Surprised!!!

By: Just myself January 20, 2022

Blog#building the life you want, #having a full life, #healthy living, fitness, hiking, photographyLeave a Comment

*Only pic I got because my glasses fogged!*

-21°C with a -31 wind chill, who in their right mind goes out in this weather!

I bundled myself up, layer by layer. Thinking with every item I put on there must be an easier way, space material or something. Maybe I could test out extreme winter clothing, find a sponsor, to 0pgive me motivation? But for the moment layer by layer I continued.

As I am sure I have told you before; I am Canadian (that’s what my mom told me anyway), but I hate the cold! Which is why there is always a little doubt about my nationality lol.

I could have asked someone to drive me down to the corner, or Doug probably would have drove my van up and I could have returned him. No I need to move my body. My life depends on it!

Out the door I went, pausing to snap a photo, saying a tiny prayer that I would not get frost bite on my cheeks.

I could hear the wind through the pines. It was loud enough to leave me questioning whether it really was wind or a vehicle, it sounds so similar to a car. A quick glance back assured me of my safety. On I trod.

Sharon’s wind chimes clanged loudly as the wind tried to intimidate me with it’s fierceness. When I got around the corner into the sun I was immediately thankful the wind was to my back. The threats were empty, my layers prevailed. The sun beat onto my face and black coat, I was actually hot!

I could not see through my fogged up glasses to enjoy the sights or snap a photo. The joy of the heat of the sun warming from the outside in, while the wind was stopped by the layers upon layers of clothing is my reward today.

That and the fact I have one more kilometer under my belt. A kilometer closer to my fitness/health goal. A kilometer closer to ‘living my best life’. And hey my foot is not bothering me too much today.

The van is fixed. I will have to find a new motivator to thrust me outside into the cold clean air. For now I will sip my tea, and dream of sunny, warm, spring days.

-3°C & My Van Parts Were In

By: Just myself January 19, 2022

Blog#building the life you want, #healthy living, church, photographyLeave a Comment

Twice in one week the van is visiting the neighbour’s, giving me opportunity to exercise and enjoy the sky and the way the fresh fallen snow clung to the branches.

The warmer winter temperatures were a pleasant treat. How I wish the warm weather would last.

We happened to meet other neighbors along the way home. Happy to catch up and see them doing so well.

The heavens seemed to be dancing with the steeple of the church. Unfortunately the speed of my walk on the unaccomidating footing and the power lines stole my best shots.

Loved having Maggy to watch out for traffic as her crazy momma tried to find the angle for the best shot.

I wonder what the route will have in store for me tomorrow, when I make my way back down to retrieve my van. I am actually looking forward to the simple adventure, and dreaming of other adventures to follow.

Cold but beautiful

By: Just myself January 18, 2022January 18, 2022

Blog#building the life you want, #cold days, #healthy living, #living fully, faith, nature, photographyLeave a Comment

The day after the first big snow storm of the winter. It is very cold, but beautifully bright.

I had to drop my van at the neighbour’s to get some work done on it. I took the chance to get my exercise on the way home.

It is only about a kilometer but in the open areas the wind was bitter on my face, and my blue jeans offered little protection from the freezing temperatures.

I paused to capture some interesting shadows, and shapes that intriqued me, no conscious reason why.

Home by the fire, sipping hot tea. Happy to have filled my lungs with the clean crisp air, happier to absorb the heat back into my bones. Life is good!

Pink bubbly wine and colour full family!

By: Just myself January 1, 2022January 1, 2022

Blog#being alive, #building the life you want, #colour, #having a full life, #healthy living, #new year, goalsLeave a Comment

Happy new year everyone! 2022 is here, and my theme this year is “Colour Fully Alive”!

I am on a mission to see and experience as much colour as I can.

I want to smell, touch, taste, listen and observe colour.

I want to feel colour! I want to discover new colour. I want to absorb colour into my soul and radiate colour.

And I don’t want to be just one colour, I want to be and experience all the brightest, happiest, peaceful colours.

How do you experience colour?

Well I asked my friend to pick up some sparkly wine for to bring in the new year. She chose a pink wine, “because it made me happy”, she said.

My cousin created this colourful delight to feast our eyes and taste buds on.

What about this great red lipstick? It brings my face alive!

I want to live Fully-Coulourfully-Alive this day January 1 2022, because there will never be another day like it.

What colours do you find makes you feel colour-fully-alive? And for curiosity sake why?

The enemy: fatigue

By: Just myself December 12, 2021

Blog#building the life you want, #healthy living, #living fully1 Comment

Learning to pace ones self seems to be a most important aspect of maintaining self-control and getting to one’s goals.

Am I the only one that works like a mad man gets loads done, then crashes and burns in a blaze not so glorious?

I personally like to use timers when I am at home. Maybe it’s a throw back to school bells. I need reminders to take breaks, to eat meals, and to get up and do some more.

When I continually forget to pace myself I end up, tired and cranky or eating an entire box of gluten-free crackers while mindlessly watching useless fluff on t.v. and playing addictive games on my phone. Leaving me down on myself, and frustrated.

How do you pace yourself through the day, so your ending is as glorious as the beginning?