There is so much talk for Feb Fast at the moment. How hard it will be to give up alcohol, how good it will be to do something good for yourself while at the same time giving to charity.
Sounds like a win win doesnt it.
Well, what about those who only drink on social occasions and don’t really care about giving up drinking for a month and give to charities regularly? Through a fun twitter conversation with
@itsonlylisa I was trying to think of what I should give up on for Feb as a way to get into the fun that goes with giving up something in a group. After explaining what I dont already do/have Lisa was suggesting I quickly get a vice before Feb so I can do with out it (cute!). Sort of like a non religious Lent.
Here is a list of what I already don’t have: –
Sugar – I dont add sugar to anything and read labels as much as I can to make sure there are no sugar additives.
Wheat – I gave up wheat fully a year ago after years of pain due to trapped heat in my feet and hands and itching in the mouth (yes, weird I know)
– I have chocolate if it is there but it really doesn’t faze me
Chocolate bullets – this I had an addiction to, I could eat 1 packet in a sitting without taking a breath. Until the day I had 2 pakets in one sitting, gave myself a sugar overload to the level of a two day headache and manic insomnia. I don’t suggest it but this was a great cure to never touch bullets again.
We have lollies in the house (my husband is a triathlete and it is nothing for him to have a constant pick for lollies for energy) but the smell of them is enough to send me back to that’ bullet’ induced sugar coma. I do have some, but it makes my stomach turn and I am quickly regretting each mouthful.
Meat – I haven’t eaten red meat since I was sixteen through hating the taste and gave up chicken for 8 years as well.
we dont buy Junk food and our take-away will be Fish and Chips once a month, tom Yum Soup and we make our own wheat free & thin based pizzas.
Caffeine – I gave up coffee 6 years ago. I am a terrible sleeper and more than 2 coffees a day and I shake and can’t sleep. I really don’t have a body that reacts well to stimulants so my choice of drink is green tea and herbal teas. Green tea has caffeine in it so I switch to mint and herbal teas from 4pm so it wont keep me awake at night. I do drink diet coke, and mainly at lunch time. This I do use to give me a ‘pep’ up and really is easy for me to give up. I will give up Diet Coke for Feb but again, it doesn’t feel like it will be hard for me, so not worthy of a Feb Fast sacrifice.
Reading this makes me look like a right, royal pain in the @%&* and I am known every where I go as a fussy eater. When we go to friends’ for dinner they panic what to serve me and I always say, a great salad or baked veggies and I am in heaven, so there is no need to fuss. (stop rolling your eyes!)
So it started me thinking there isn’t much more to give up. I don’t have vices and I don’t have cravings for foods on a regular basis that seem make it an addiction for me to be a big enough pain to give up for a month. (I do love big fat hot chips and hate when they are in front of me as I have to eat them all, so I stay away from them, or don’t order them). This all leads me to what not to give up for Feb Fast, but what I need to do to gain more out of my life.
Exercise – after full year of not being able to exercise from a bulged disc and sciatica I am finally back walking and at Pilates. I plan to walk every day (ten minutes and growing) with Pilates 3 times a week to get myself back in shape.
Gain:-
1.A better body
2.Better Sleep patterns
3.More energy
Eating Plan – I am a grazer, I literally eat every 2 hours. Just because I don’t eat bad foods, doesn’t mean I always eat the right way. It has been a false sense of security because I dont eat bad I really wont gain weight. That combined with a inactive life, I have slowly gained 5 kilos over two years. And on a 5’3 person on TV, that is like 15 kilos gained. (yes, series 4 will be a hard one for me to watch!). I am going back to 3 square meals that I plan and some small snacks, but no more grazing.
Gain:
4. My wardrobe and getting back into the clothes that are bursting on me
5. Feeling better about myself.
Reclaiming my social life– My life is about work. My hobbies are my career, my hobbies are my passion. But there is no line from work and relaxation. After reading about the Weekend Warrior, my PA, Andy & I realized we work every night and every weekend as well as working during the day. In one weekend we both said, no more emails on the weekend. We went cold Turkey the first weekend and were so refreshed for the working week but the second week (my fault) I was sending emails saying ‘dont answer them till Monday’, but of course what did she do……..? So the Weekend Warrior is in action.
I plan to gain:
6. Reduced stress from worrying about work
7. Seeing more of my husband and kids
8. Making time for my friends
9. Discovering my surroundings again
And the final one is:
10. Laughter and Happiness.
After all, isn’t that what we are all after?
NOTE: As Feb Fast, Dry July has inspired me I will be donating to the charity along with Diabetes Australia, The Alzhimers Association and The Heart Foundation.
