My Little Secret

You may not know it to look at me, but I can be vile, evil and down right nasty.

What causes me to turn into this terrible person? This the list is exhausting. You see I have IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and food sensitivities. So many foods trigger my digestive system to spasm and cause me bloating, pain and mood swings.

With a small attack I am yelling at the kids, irrational and sad. This happens weekly.

A major attack only happens every couple of months. During this time you will see me crippled over the toilet, crying, wishing the pain to stop, wanting to push away the invisible hands that have my intestines in their vice like grip, hating myself for being over indulgent. If only I'd said no to that bacon, chocolate, white bread, lolly, etc.

Eating clean for me is more about health than weight loss. I want our kids to remember the healthy me and not the vile creature I become.

The Next Step

So when you have dedicated a year to getting fit and healthy, how do you keep going once you get close to your goal? How do you keep going when the pressure of compliments starts to get on top of you?

What is the next logical step for me to keep momentum and not get caught up in the usual weight loss/gain cycle. The time has almost come for my focus to shift from weight loss to strength and fitness. It is almost time to rid myself of weigh in's and move on to PB's.

I have now registered for Tough Mudder.

What better way to train towards peak fitness than joining one of the most gruelling fitness events on the planet.

For those of you who have not heard of the event, it is an 18km course with 16+ obstacles devised by the English SAS. It includes electric shocks, ice baths, climbing walls and lots of mud.

So as I celebrate Easter and move into training mode, in the back of my mind I will be developing the mental toughness to get through this next stage!

A year gone by

This time last year Dave and I were getting ready to embark on the trip of a lifetime. Yes a year has gone by already and what an amazing year it has been.

In this year I have shed 24kilo's, run a 5km fun run, learnt to love myself, repaired my relationship with food, can do 20 push ups and started a full time (4 days a week) job. All this whilst still being the best wife and mother I can be.

This weekend Dave and I are heading to Geelong for my 20 year high school reunion. Not only will it be great to see my class mates but the best thing is spending quality time with my amazing husband. With all that happens in a day, week, month and year it is easy to disconnect from each other. Conversations that you take for granted are missed when you are organising a household of 6. I am looking forward to just sitting back and chatting, uninterrupted.

So I guess I will need to take some after photo's to see what a year looks like. I had better break out the fake tan to hide the cross training singlet mark I have acquired.

Breaking the cycle

When you have done something a certain way your entire life, how hard is it the change the habit?

I have a handful of friends who have transformed themselves and are looking fabulous. I am so inspired by these women. The down side is I am now wanting to try the diet/program they are on.

That is not what I am setting to achieve, it's the behaviour I am trying to break. I have set myself a goal to get to a size 14 by my 40th birthday. I estimate that this is about 0.8kg a month over the next 2.5 years. I am taking baby steps and retraining my way of thinking about food and exercise.

With 3 daughters I want them to grow up knowing how to make healthy choices. I want them to not have any hang ups with food. The best way to do this is to be a good role model. My biggest challenge is getting rid of these old patterns of behaviour.

So as I hit my first hurdle in this journey, I have turned to writing and know that putting my thoughts out there is another step in the right direction for me.

And to all those women out there who have fought their battle and won.

I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!

Living Green

I woke up yesterday morning and was VILE. I was yelling at the kids, moody, unreasonable and did not like myself at all. WHY? I ate pizza on Tuesday night and my 'green' body did not appreciate it.

It is so crazy how much food can effect your entire being. When I am eating green and my body is alkalized I am on top of the world. I can get up at 5am, go for a run, get every ones clothes layed out, lunches made and all before anyone gets up. Eat acidic food and I don't even want to get out of bed. I am lethargic, moody and generally a BITCH. I know it's hard to believe, but I am.

So last night when we went out for dinner I had a beautiful Greek salad and shared some of Dave's pasta. That way I got to enjoy some rich food but my body got the green's it needed.

This isn't something that can change over night and it will take me years to get the hang of. I still fight daily with my food issues but I am winning the battle.

My aim is by the time I am 40, I will be in a happy, healthy place and listening to my body.

Allow me to introduce myself

Good afternoon,

my name is Shelley Peers and I am a strong confident woman.

You may have met me previously but that wasn't the real me, that was a watered down version of who Shelley thought she should be. I used to follow, walking 1 step behind, not wanting to draw attention to myself. I used to go along with the crowd, not daring to deviate, not having a voice.

But that has all changed. I have stopped listening to my brain telling me what I should do. I now lead with my heart and listen to my soul. There are too many learnt patterns in the brain and it does not know what is good for me. My heart and soul do.

Today could have been a down day for me, attending a funeral yesterday and missing out on two opportunities today. But it's not. Everything happens for a reason and when something you want really bad doesn't come your way, get excited, because there is something bigger and better approaching.

I have a new clarity, a new confidence, and I am so excited about our life. I am on a journey to be the best wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend that I can be. I have found my place in the universe and it is a wonderful spot.

Thank you for joining me.

Luv Shell

Aligning the Spiritual, Physical, Mental and Emotional Me

Firstly I would like to thank everyone for their ongoing support. Being able to share my journey has definitely made it easier to keep going.

I am about to embark on another part of my journey, a spiritual path. I have an appointment tomorrow with a Holistic Wellness Coach. Mind, Body and Spirit all coming together. On this journey I will stop obsessing about food and build a new relationship with it. A healthy one, of respect and enjoyment.

With this new knowledge and clearness of mind I will be able to raise my children to also have a great relationship with food and exercise. I know it will take some work to get to where I want to be, but it will be a fun journey. This journey is about healing my mind and my inner health. Not about what I weight on the scales or the next diet I can try. That is all about to stop and the true Shelley will shine through. No more baggage or reliance on food for comfort and reassurance.

It's amazing how just admitting this to you all has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders.

We must be the change we want to see in the world

. Gandhi.