Entries Tagged 'Life' ↓

Almost everyone I know has been, or are, at that place in their lives where they try to lose weight. Its winter, and we all know how easily the extra kilo’s gather with all the cozy snacks.
Its so much nicer to cuddle under the duvet, watching a DVD, with a cup of hot chocolate and some popcorn, instead or having a glass of water and celery sticks. Most people use the excuse that they use more energy to warm their bodies during winter.

This is a very convenient argument, and we’ve probably all said it to ourselves when we wanted to buy our favorite chocolate bar, or potato crisps, or pizza… and the list goes on. The problem is this: if your input is more than your output you will gain weight.
If you don’t exercise at all you’re burning very little calories. In turn you’re probably eating more than you’re burning.

A friend of mine recently told me that she started a new diet, and after three days she hadn’t lost any weight, so she quit. LOL. I just laughed at her, and told her that these things take time. The weight she wants to lose didn’t gather around her hips in just three days. She’s been building on that for nearly a year.

Little exercise is definitely better than none at all. You’re burning more calories than you would’ve done if you didn’t exercise.
Exercise doesn’t ONLY burn calories, it strengthens & tones your muscles, and one of the most important muscles being your heart. Cardio exercise does wonders, but I hate it. I hate the burning in my chest & the sweat and all that. I don’t mind stretching, and weight training so much, but cardio is a real drag for me.

I found a BMR Calculation which is quite helpful it tells you how many calories you burn just by being alive – doing no exercise.
Keeping in mind that exercise is essential to keep you healthy, thus saying that you shouldn’t just cut out calories and expect to feel better.
Eating exactly the same as you’re doing at the moment (given that you’re not gaining weight) and just doing (more) excercise should cause you to lose weight.

This doesn’t always work though. A lot of people struggle because their metabolisms are slow, or due to other medical reasons.
Speeding up your metabolism is a whole different story. Some people start their day with drinking warm water & lemon juice, others swear by a fiber rich diet. I think for each person the recipe is different. You have to find what works for you. You’re not likely to follow a eating program consisting of foods you don’t like. You have to find foods which you like, but are healthy at the same time. Same with exercise. Find a sport or exercise which appeals to you. You’re most likely to continue that in the long run. For myself I have running, but I love a cross trainer. For this very reason I will not join a gym. I find it more convenient to exercise at home, and given that I have a cross trainer, I know I will stick with my exercise program.

Its very important to make both your eating plan, and your exercise program a habit. This will ensure that your weight is steady. Its OK to have a chocolate bar every now and again. And its OK to eat out one a month or so. What is important is that it doesn’t become a habit.

I spent part of the weekend @ the hospital again. Nothing too serious, and I wasn’t the patient either, but still not nice.

At least I had breakfast with a good friend on Saturday before going to the hospital. The breakfast was great. Except for the chats, the food was also great. I had a BBQ Bacon & Mushroom omelet at Maxi’s – you should really try it. It was YUM.

Other than that I’ve developed a sore throat / cold / flu. Don’t know where that came from since I’ve been taking my vitamins.

Yesterday I went home early because I felt awful. I slept the whole afternoon till 7pm, and went to bed again at 9pm. Which is why I didn’t write yesterday. Sorry.

I’ve also signed up with Pownce, so if you want an invite, just leave a comment. These invites are obviously not scarce, so I wouldn’t be surprised if no one wanted one. I’m indeed impressed with Pownce, and I have to agree with the general opinion, its a bit better than twitter. If you’re already a member on Pownce – add me as a friend!

Hope you’re all doing well. I’ll post again soon. Just wanted to let you know that I’m still here.

Its something that I’ve been wondering about for a long time. What happens to my blog if I’m gone? There must be blogs that have been abandoned due to their owner passing away. Where are those blogs? Would anyone ever know? Unless we had immediate family who has access to our blogs or very close friends, our readers might never know where we went. Maybe even thinking that we merely lost interest in blogging.

Its a strange and eerie thought, but still a reality. The ideal would be for a fellow blogger to be in touch with your family – right? And that fellow blogger will have access to your blog’s username / password just to let the readers know what has happened. I don’t have someone like that unfortunately. Maybe I should try to find one?

The same counts for all my e-mail addresses. I have quite a few of those, and though my work e-mail addy would be sorted, I doubt if anyone would figure out the security questions / passwords for my other e-mail addy’s.

Any advice on this? Have any one of you got a backup plan I can use?

Its cold, cloudy, and WINTER. Since last night I’ve been missing England a lot. I was there for almost a year during 2003. If I had a choice I’d go back now. Not just on a 2 year visa though – It’d have to be permanent. Its very disruptive to pack up and go there, only to come back again, and then try to find your feet.

What I liked about it so much? Everything. If I had a decent job this time round I’d definitely enjoy it more too, but the job wasn’t bad. I worked in a factory, and the money was OK. The hours sucked. 6am – 12pm, sometimes till 4pm – and over weekends 4am – 2pm.

Now I have a comfortable 8:30am – 5pm office job. Nice and cozy, plus I don’t work with people so much. However, in a factory you don’t always realize how clever people are. It doesn’t take much brains to chop cucumbers, as opposed to my current job, where everyone is expected to think for him / herself. Not that they do, which makes it so frustrating at times.

I was talking to someone the other day about simple jobs. If the money is good, why not? People who do simple jobs, like chop cucumbers, don’t have stress. They wake up each morning knowing what is expected of them. As long as they wash their hands and don’t eat the veggies, they should keep management happy. If they work over time, its optional, and they get paid well for it. It really is a simple life.

You might say that these people don’t have dreams and ambitions, which might very well be true, but for myself, I have more than enough dreams and ambitions that are not work related. If I had more time to follow those dreams, I would definitely do so.

The older people who I worked with in the factory were really nice people. They were warm and friendly, and most of all content. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that a simple job will give make you content. But I am saying that an important position at a big company with millions of rands will not make you content. It is what is inside of you that counts. And with a simple job one has more time and energy to spend on the important things.

I believe it is important to set goals for yourself in different areas of your life: not only work. Personal goals might score a bit higher with me even. These are the goals which we set voluntary – things that are close to our hearts. Usually the sort of things that ‘really matter’.

For the international visitors’ interest, it snowed in Johannesburg this morning - for the first time since 1981. There are photo’s of it on the Highveld website, pop into their gallery if you’re interested.
In the news this morning they also said that a man had died of exposure. This troubles me deeply. Whenever I think about people dying of cold or hunger it makes me so sad I want to cry.
I found a beautiful, sad, and very true piece of writing on the Highveld site too…

Please see Highveld’s terms and conditions before using this content.

“Holding on for a hero…

I will not look at the news today. Not a glimpse, not a stolen glance over the shoulder – nothing.

I will avoid all things bad, drink two bottles of water, buy salad for lunch, and listen to the sounds of people going about their business. Today is a day for deep breaths, for taking stock, for sitting quietly reminding ourselves that winning hearts and minds is more important than standing on a podium, clutching reward.

With spring waiting patiently for winter to have its evil way, the lazy 7am sunlight makes for stark viewing. I saw an old man today, hiding from the wind against a posh Bryanston wall. Everything he owns in one trolley, everything he dreams about frozen in that moment. Bowing forward, begging for respite from a life which has offered him very little, the man battled for survival.

I wonder what he has to say. I wonder if he has a family. I wonder why he’s on the street, alone, fighting for his life. Does he ever look up at the stars, amazed at their beauty, does he ever admire the fireworks display of a highveld storm, will he let the sun rain down upon him on a glorious summer day?

Will he make it that far?

Chances are that the man cannot afford to enjoy the simple pleasures of life because he is too busy finding lunch in a gutter, searching for dinner in a trashcan – pushing his trolley along, hoping for a kind face in a cold world.

He is the soldier of misfortune, the gladiator of the underworld – ignored, ridiculed, pursued, haunted. Yet, he is the one who will risk another cold shun and wave a trembling hand. He is the one who bravely takes it on the chin when gleaming 4X4’s pretend he does not exist.

He has no job to strike from, no car to speed with, no agenda behind what he says. No company in which he can commit fraud, no wife to abuse, no family to murder. Yet, HE, is regarded as a third-class citizen. This man, guilty of nothing but boldly facing adversity – is what we point at when talking about the failure of the human race.

Armed with nothing but a trolley and the will to survive – he is the hero, the champion, the bastion of hope for every director, CEO, superstar and common worker in the world. For every day he survives, we can survive a hundred, for every smile he gives, we can give a thousand.

This man: cold, frozen, bowed forward . . . is the symbol of human triumph, the award-winning advertisement of unwavering courage.

I will not look at the news today. I will not think about all that I want changed in my life, all that I desire, all that I’ve not yet achieved. Today I will celebrate being alive. Today I will admire the setting sun, honouring the courage of one man to survive winter alone.

I hope summer warms his heart . . .

I hope he makes it that far.”

Everyone is disappointed at some point or another. And its even worse if you love the person and they you. Why are we disappointed? Obviously because we expect something more or different, and then don’t receive the wanted attention, or expected behavior. This might be due to a lack of communication or even just because the other person was selfish or inconsiderate.

Whatever the reason, it is more important to learn to deal with it. Not as a couple. But you, and I as individuals. Even if the other party doesn’t apologize or show regret. To remain emotionally healthy yourself, you need to forgive the person, and move on, right? Right… Its not always so easy.

It is very important to realize that we cannot hold other people responsible for what we feel. What you feel is up to you. If you were disappointed, you should review your expectations of the other person? Is it fair? Sometimes the other person was really at fault, but very often it was just a difference of mindset.

Your girlfriend might like it if you text her to say goodnight every single night, but to you it seems senseless to send the same message each night? She will take offense if you tell her that you feel you’re waisting your money – its the thought that counts, remember? The point is we all have different outlooks on life, and to merge that and remain happy is tricky.

It is important to be realistic about your expectations. Your boyfriend will not give up his sport for you every single weekend. Abandon childish demands and foolish expectations. Most guys love their sport, and for them to give it up, is like to ask of you to give up your make-up. It ain’t gonna happen. Be fair about what you expect!

Admit to yourself that you had expectations that were not met, and then move on. Forgive the person. Talk about your expectations to the ‘disappointer’, and tell them how you feel. Most of the time the disappointment might be over something that isn’t such a major issue in any case. Try to think to yourself if you would still be angry with that person if they were lying on their death bed. Would you be willing to forgive them then? Would you be willing to see it over? If you would, then it wasn’t such a big deal really!!

Relationships so often turn into what I WANT. What I NEED. And what is important to ME. Make sure that you keep yourself focussed on the other person. Remember things that are important to THEM. If you are still unhappy in the end, you should consider the worth of the relationship altogether.

Its Friday, and ITS MY BIRTHDAY!!! Cool eh? . Friday birthdays are extra nice, but limited. I had a Friday-Birthday in 1984, 1990, 2001, today in 2007, and the next one will be in 2012. What is your favourite day to have your birthday on?

My day has been good so far though I am at work – I’m looking forward to tonight too – the family is coming over, and I have to still get a few snacks! If I had the time I’d have baked a cake like this one in the picture, isn’t it STUNNING?

I started writing this about a year ago, and it has been in my drafts ever since. This morning I decided to finish it. People are still late regularly. Is it just in my life that people do this, or can you relate to my frustration?

Something which to me is incredibly important doesn’t seem to bother many other people. If you have an appointment you should be there on time right? RIGHT! I know I spend my time really weird – having coffee and watching morning news for the first hour after waking up, and then I have to squash everything else into the remaining 15 minutes. Make-up, hair, clothes — never mind packing lunch
BUT, I am ON time 99.9% of the time. Whether I’m just going to work, or to the dentist, or meeting with friends, I usually get there on time. I don’t know how, but I do. I hate being late. And I hate it when people are late.

Somehow I seem to be one of very few people feeling this way. People don’t mind being late. They don’t apologize for it. They just try to go on as normal and if you were to mention something about it, they’d probably be angry with you!

I heard that its etiquette for royalty to be one hour late; obviously a lot of people think of themselves are royalty then! They tend to act like people are incredible honoured to meet with them!? I don’t mind if you have a serious rough morning (like a geyser bursts?) or just oversleep once in a while, but every single day, or every single time we meet for coffee is NOT COOL!!

If you know you’re prone to be late, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! Get up one hour earlier, do the important things first, and if you have time you can still carry on with whatever else it is that normally throws you off schedule.

But please, for the sake of your friends, keep the appointments you make!

I suspect Natasha Bedingfield is partially responsible for the break up of Anna & Enrique.

Why, you might ask?

Well. The cute couple were going strong for nearly 5 years when suddenly Anna caught onto the new catchy Natasha Bedingfield tune “I wanna have your baby”, and guess what? Enrique didn’t return the compliment! Instead he dumped her. Or she him. Who knows. The reason being that Anna wanted to start a family, and Enrique, well… He was just not ready?

I feel for him, but hey, if you’re dating Anna Kournikova, and she wants to have your baby, you’re pretty stupid to refuse! But I suppose he is Enrique Iglesias after all…

Most of you have read the scare-mail about the person whose kidneys were stolen while he was passed out. Well, read on. While the kidney story was an urban legend, this one is not. It’s happening every day.

My thighs were stolen from me during the night a few years ago. It was just
that quick. I went to sleep in my body and woke up with someone else’s thighs. The new ones had the texture of cooked oatmeal. Who would have done such a cruel thing to legs that had been mine for years? Whose thighs were these and what happened to mine? Hurt and angry, I resigned myself to living out my life in jeans and Sheer Energy pantyhose. Then, just when my guard was down, the thieves struck again.

My butt was next. I knew it was the same gang, because they took pains to match my new rear end to the thighs they stuck me with earlier. I couldn’t believe that my new butt was attached at least three inches lower than my
original. Now, my rear complemented my legs, lump for lump. Frantic, I prayed that long skirts would stay in fashion It was two years ago when I realized my arms had been switched. One morning I was fixing my hair and I watched horrified but fascinated as the flesh of my upper arms swung to and fro with the motion of the hairbrush. This was really getting scary. My body was being replaced one section at a time. How clever and fiendish.

Age? Age had nothing to do with it. Age is supposed to creep up, unnoticed, something like maturity. NO, I was being attacked repeatedly and without warning. In despair, I gave up my T-shirts.

What could they do to me next?

My poor neck suddenly disappeared faster than the Thanksgiving turkey it now resembled. That’s why I decided to tell my story. I can’t take on the medical profession by myself. Women of the world, wake up and smell the
coffee. That really isn’t plastic that those surgeons are using.

You KNOW where they are getting those replacement parts, don’t you? The next time you suspect someone has had a face “lifted,” look again. Was it lifted from you? I think I finally found my thighs – and I hope that Cindy Crawford paid a really good price for them!

This is not a hoax. This is happening to women in every town every night. WARN YOUR FRIENDS!

P.S. I must say that last year I thought someone had stolen my breasts. I was lying in bed and they were gone! As I jumped out of bed, I was relieved to see that they had just been hiding in my armpits as I slept.

Now I keep them hidden in my waistband.