My First YouTube Video

Bad Habits for weight loss

To ensure that I do not go back entirely to the bad habits that make me to gain even more weight, I’m not perfect. I watch for the following:

1.     Drinks

I do not drink aimlessly now, actually I ensure that I save my calories for foods that will sustain me for longer. For example when I have my lunch I do not take juice or fizzy drink but instead water and I know for a 250 ml orange juice, I have saved about 111 calories and this is a commercial juice and not home-made. So I rather eat a full orange (45 calories) than its counterpart commercial juice. I enjoy taking coffee for its effects on me, it gives me more energy you know, that pick me up thing when feeling down and out without the added sugar "wink" because I take it with only a teaspoon of honey and sometimes a little milk just a little.

2.     Portion size

I'm so bad when it comes to portions, you know I will dish for myself and come back again and adjust the size of the starch so much that I have a kitchen scale for weighing my food because my eye cannot correspond with my hand, I know in my head the portion but my hand does not and my mouth does not, also my stomach does not so a scale works for me. I also used a smallest mug in the house before buying the scale that's just how bad in this I was but I found a way. Most of the time within a few weeks my hand adapts to the size and the stomach has to have what's there. If someone dishes for me I tell them what exactly to be on my plate or I will eat the whole thing eish what they taught me though is not good at all "finish your food!" 

3.     Limit processed foods

I cut back on processed foods like, slash! And eat them only on my cheat days, with time I have noticed I am not that into most processed foods. I think I forget about most of the processed foods I used to eat such as sweet, bubble gum, chips etc. But sometimes the craving hits in, like really hard especially for them chips whuuu lah-lah…

4. Weigh yourself

Do not be scared to weigh yourself especially if you know you have fallen off from the wagon, to give yourself a wakeup call I most definitely need that wakeup call all the time when I slack and the scale always freaks me out. And I over joy when I know I have been stuffing myself and not even exercising and found the scale exactly where it was when I last weighed myself. I even take the battery out and reset just in case I’m fooling myself and then take off where I have left and just pat myself at the back and say it was not bad at all after all what you were doing it’s only that I am more aware and alert of my eating habits and somehow exaggerate a little in my head.

5. The company I keep

Surround yourself with what motivates you on your journey. If you keep a company of emotional eaters soon you will eat like them and definitely be big like them, keep away from such they will even demotivate you right at your face and say “you are so obsessed about your weight you know” just enjoy life. How do you enjoy life when you cannot even run after your kids and have fun? Hooo let me leave it right here, gosh!!!…

6. Exercising

Yes, exercising! Whuuu I stop only for a week and then it’s so difficult to start again. I jog when I really want to kill it and when I have stopped jogging by some life things, you know. With exercise there is just something that distract me, ohhh season! You know when the season change I catch some flu and fever and then I have to slow down and stop entirely exercising until I’m good again and then I cannot because the laziness hit hard and, and, and. I purposely walk very fast on my way to work when I realise it’s so difficult to start where I have left of until I get my courage and strength phew. I promise you it is not easy, it takes a lot of determination and discipline whuuu…. I salute all the fitness babes out there, you do your thing hands up.

That’s what keeps me from finding myself appearing on TLC channel from that show “Over 600 pounds body” something like that… Sometimes I stand up while watching it and weigh myself and run on one spot just to make sure I am not as big in such a way that I am a risk to my own body. Advice from a big woman hahahaaa….

7. And lastly my Morning Routine, I mean THE JUST FOUND MORNING ROUTINE… the story for another day…

How to stop eating junk food?

When I started working I took it into my heart that I had to pay myself back and that was achieved through food, snacks anything that I can put in my mouth and somehow convinced is thee thing. In my mind having a slab of chocolate all the time in my bag was heaven together with bubble gum, not just one but a packet of them and will just pop at any time and chew away my hard work. as time goes on I noticed my teeth were sensitive especially after chewing the bubble gum. When my teeth became sensitive, I told myself I need to control the gum chewing habit as it became worse even when chewing my teeth will be aching.

Diet

Choose a diet that is strict and encourages you to eat more vegetables, more protein and more fruits but less starch and nothing processed for a specific period. That will encourages you as it will give quick results and encourages you to keep up the good work and therefore make it easy to keep eating clean and staying clear of junk food.

Make it difficult for you to have it

 I started by not having chocolate or gum at my arms rich, I only bought when I want them and only buy one at a time, it was not easy but I had to or I was going to lead an uncomfortable life of sensitive teeth that made it even difficult for me to laugh. My teeth were sensitive towards air that comes inside my mouth when I laugh or talk. before I know it I was lazy to just stand up and go to buy chewing gum as it was the one I had more challenge stopping eating it, bit by bit I stopped buying it. I only buy cinnamon chewing gum from Stimorol only if I am in a trip that is more than three hours away to my destination. why? I enjoy it but I cannot chew for long now because  my jaws get tired and when the sweetness is no more I throw it away but the cinnamon ones somehow they are sweet the longest.

I used the same strategy for the chocolate as well when I noticed that my weight was just increasing no matter what and soon found out that my pay me back method was firing back at me at a very unhealthy way. With chocolate because it comes at so many different varieties I had to ask myself which form I love the most and that will be the form I can have at least once a month or maybe once a week without feeling like I am putting my health at risk. So my favorite form of chocolate is moist gooey chocolate cake or muffin or cupcake let me say the combination of flour, sugar, butter and cocoa oh very nice. The cake must be really good or what ever combination must be really great or I will not fatten myself with some not so good dry cake and worst cheap ingredients. If the cake is not good I just taste and leave it, it's not worth it hahahaaaa... this works for me and I keep it that way.

Keep healthy snacks at hand

I try to have something healthy in my bag and it varies from season to season, now I am busy with loosing weight and then a snack that I eat or keep in my pocket is my kola nut. This thing takes away my cravings like a miracle and I like the bitterly after taste because it keeps me busy for a long time trying to get rid of the taste and it also curbs my appetite. I take this only if I feel like my cravings are everywhere, I feel like having chocolate before I know it, I feel like having chicken wings then I know this girl is about to binge! and take out my kola nut and chew vwa-lah craving gone!

                                                    Kola nut
Drink thy waters!

Since I started long time ago to start with 1 liters of water as the first thing I do when I wake up, I do not suffer from headaches anymore. Water is life to our bodies and also noticed that my choices of food changed, I think maybe is from knowing that I started by flushing my system with clean water so I cannot pollute it now for example I cannot start my day with a sweet, after drinking my water no, no, no, no at least in the afternoon not in the morning. I can say I am more aware of my body and listening to it and in general thinking for it you know and again not to go back to my old habits hey. I do not drink fizzy drinks as much as I used to I can go the whole month without even taking a sip but I still do sometimes, I've gotta "live" hahahaaaa.

Ohh I keep a food journal...

I keep a food journal when I start going back to my old ways, so is like you will pay big time you silly so start with that journal that you do not like. The moment I start the food journal also my counting calorie knowledge kicks in and start to be on healthy food track again. It's not easy to cut junk food, I need to lean on, time and again and when it feels like chaos I cry to my Helper to assist. I totally depend on God for everything I do, sometimes I start alone 'being human" and quickly remember when I just cannot do it that I am alone in this route and ask the Almighty to lead me and everything falls into place again. The weight challenge is a journey for me that I need not to travel alone because I just cannot, I just lose it when I do it alone.

I prepare meals...

As a mother I buy grocery and prepare food so most of the grocery list is more on the healthy side without boring everyone in the house and also sticking to the budget.

Limit going to restaurants or buying take away

When I go to the restaurant I make sure it's worth it and I enjoy myself so instead of saying choose your food wisely, what works for me is I choose the food that I  have been craving, that I love and enjoy the most even if is the worst dish ever. Because I felt if I am in a deprivation mode is difficult for me to wean myself from junk food but when I know is available to me only at the certain time I get the satisfaction and I can hold on until the next time and before I know it is not my go to food anymore and I do not know why it happens like that.

Do not try to do everything all at once do it step by step and start with the easiest for you, for me it was drinking water first thing in the morning and then I incorporated the other steps as I continue. I am not at my best but I am better than 6 months ago.

Homework Time with Children and Losing It

Homework time in my home used to be the most stressful time for me as a mother. You know when you are trying your best to make a grade 1 understand a lesson and is more than decades since you had your own grade 1, it is a struggle. I used to even drag going home after work, even the thought of it, when I know that the day will be even more strenuous for me emotionally more than it was at work physically.

Let me give you just a glance of what was happening in this house around about 17:45 PM the time I usually arrive during week days. I do not even have time to take my work bag to the bedroom, the moment I enter I fill up the kettle with water to start cooking, oh actually when I enter at the door all my kids come hopping to me, some calling me mama, the other one mommy and the other ma etc. The youngest in this home was around 11 months. I will hold all of them giving hugs and kisses and the last one I will hold on my hip and she will take a while before letting go of me or not at all and have to resort to putting her on my back. She is a heavy child and was around 15.0 kilograms then. If I want to see progress in this house she must be on my back, anyway now she ask for me to put her on my back as she can mutter something I can hear, what can I do, it's called mothering. After all the excitement and is sort of went down I call on my son and niece to ask them if they were given a home work and also reaching for the school bags. I know a few times where they said there was no homework and found us with that red pen gee they are still using a red pen why can't they change to green maybe, somethings just never change.

I check their books and find oh boy there again when is this going to end though...I take out the homework book and the book for writing “Lord have mercy”, I start by asking what we did yesterday they do not know a thing. I get angry and furious and cling fists and teeth and all the angry faces, while at it my 31 months old daughter is crying to be carried as well. We will do the homework and cooking but by the time we finish it we are all angry, teary and pulling faces, just a horrible time in this home. This started to bother me, “life is not supposed to be like this and it looks like I will lose my children in this process”. I like to Google things and topics but this one I did not, I was frustrated, you know when you feel like there is a lump in your chest and all you want to do is just scream, yeah that one. I remember talking to myself as I approach home and actually crying and saying “I do not want to lose my children with this homework thing please Lord help me” and something clicked in my mind that I wanted to lose weight this year 2017 and my goal was to start exercising and dieting, it was time to get rid of all the baby fat besides my girl was going to turn one soon, I cannot be calling it baby fat any more hahahaaa. I missed the point when I forgot to take care of me, to do the things that makes me happy was actually the problem in this whole scenario.

I had to reflect and ask myself where I went wrong in this whole thing and how to solve it. I realized that I forgot they are children and everything is new to them and it takes time to grasp new information. They always say a happy mommy makes a happy home, so this starts with me. I told myself that you know what tomorrow when I arrive, I will give all the hugs and kisses and I will go straight to my bedroom and change to my jogging gear. I like outdoors when I start to exercise it is so revitalizing. I did exactly that the following morning, I was on a mission, behold my child was not even clingy that day wow that was amazing. I went straight out of the door after changing, still no one is crying after me, praise be to the living God. I went for 3 kilometer run and I did that in 22 minutes baaam! I was back. When I came back that is when I asked everyone for their homework, behold I was so relaxed and definitely dripping in sweat.

I sat down with my son and niece with their homework and I told them we are doing the homework today, sitting down for a change. When they did not remember or understand something I was like do not worry you will know next time, mommy will do it with you until you understand, I was more on motivating and praising them when they get something right, or wrong for that matter. I did not force myself to do this, it just came out of me naturally while busy stretching. I found my son stressing over himself when he did not understand something and I was the one who was saying do not worry as long as we do it every day you will know it, do not be hard on yourself, this is new to you. Now I do not ask him to take out his homework most of the times, he takes it out without me asking and if he is watching his favorite television cartoons, he asks politely if he can finish watching and do the homework later. We are not 100% perfect yet, he has his days and I have mine but I am more aware of myself now and more relaxed during this time and if it happens that I just cannot cope at that time. I tell them to pack everything and have a brake and come back after fifteen minutes to finish off and by the time they come back, I have collected myself together and said my motherly affirmations to myself and at it with a bang and patience.

I hope this will help another parent who is struggling with homework time to remember that it starts with you, get yourself together and all things will fall into place when you are in a clear head space. For me it is exercising and prayer that calms me, for you it might be reading your favorite book, but just make sure you are happy for you to make a happy homework time.

Just Me Cruising: How to prevent sagging skin while losing weight:...

Just Me Cruising: How to prevent sagging skin while losing weight:

...: How to prevent sagging skin while losing weight: I have noticed that as I loose weight my skin starts to slightly get loose, this happens ...

How to prevent sagging skin while losing weight

How to prevent sagging skin while losing weight:

I have noticed that as I loose weight my skin starts to slightly get loose, this happens if I am on a yo-yo diet meaning the diet where I can not sustain it and the calories are very restricted and the deficit is way more than 500 calories. Most of the time in these diets we lose muscles more than fat and the scale go down and we celebrate that we have lost weight, three days after that 1 kilogram is gained back and so follow the other kilograms and more than double what you have lost. That is not a problem in a short term, the problem is after these diets we do not feed our muscles after the diet. The secrete is when you see you are loosing weight very fast, slow down a little bit for example you have cut all the carbohydrates then sneak in just a little bit of good carbs and ensure you add more protein to your diet this secrete works better for the ones who does not really enjoy being in the gym 6 days a week.

Secrete number two is to drink lots of water while on the diet,our bodies are made of more than 60% water so work with your body not against it. Secrete number three take gelatin, bone broth, collagen powder or agar-agar if you are vegetarian to maintain the elasticity of the skin. The skin is the biggest organ that occupies a lot of area in our bodies, I believe is a myth that when you lose weight your sagging skin is the after effects. It is not supposed to be like that, the skin can stretch and still tighten again, ask a woman who has given birth. we just need to educate ourselves on how to lose weight the balanced way and more than anything listen to our bodies.

You can find these at Dis-chem with all the description on how to prepare and take it.

Secrete number four is weight training, the bigger you are the better for your skin not to sag by using weight training and a little bit of cardio. Cardio makes our bodies to lose weight fast but does not increase our muscle mass as much as weight training does. To have toned body without sagging skin, just maintain your caloric deficit at 500, drink lots of water, do more weight training alternating with cardio, take gelatin or agar-agar to maintain the elasticity of your skin. I have just explained in simple terms what tends to be very scientific sometimes before getting straight to the point and here I just got to the point without the scientific jargon.

 It can feel like you are not doing any thing and you do not see any changes on your body, remember we can entirely depend on God, ask Him to help you in this journey and give you wisdom on how to take care of your body as the temple of the Holy Spirit. As humans we function on the spirit, soul and physical and all should be aligned together, we cannot neglect the other and only concentrate on one. The equation should balance.

Just Me Cruising: After 13 days of Metabolism Diet with a tweak.I ...

Just Me Cruising: After 13 days of Metabolism Diet with a tweak.

I ...: After 13 days of Metabolism Diet with a tweak. I did do the 13 Days Metabolism Diet for the second time and it was harder than the first ...

After 13 days of Metabolism Diet with a tweak.

After 13 days of Metabolism Diet with a tweak.

I did do the 13 Days Metabolism Diet for the second time and it was harder than the first time maybe I did not have enough motivation to get the body that I want at the shortest time. What I did this time around was to add a second cup of coffee in the late afternoons, they were the hardest. I also ate home made bread instead of the store bought bread and I believe my slice were on the big side. There were days where I felt the food was just too little especially on the days where a fruit was eaten, I then added another fruit instead of the one stipulated in the diet. I was also drinking lemon water when too hungry and that is not part of this diet. My conclusion is that, this diet is a very strict diet that needs to be followed exactly the way it is or the expected results will not be achieved. 

In the beginning of the diet and at the end I took the following measurements:

Part	Before	After
Hips	119	115
Belly button	89	87
Around the right thigh	72	71
Waist line (Belt line)	87	84
Around right biceps	33	32.5
Chest	93	89.5
Weight	80.85	77.7

We all know we have all the different 13 Days Metabolism Diet and the one below is the one I followed:

THE DANISH HOSPITAL METABOLISM DIET – 13 DAY PLAN

                         Lump: Means 1tspn, large steak means 200g, spinach/salad 400g, piece chicken is half chicken. DO NOT

                                          CHEAT

Day 1: Morning: 1 cup coffee/tea, a lump of sugar Midday: 2 hard-boiled eggs, 1 tomato, steamed spinach Evening: 1 large grilled steak, salad w. oil/lemon

Day 2: Morning: 1 cup coffee/tea, a lump of sugar Midday: 1 slice ham, 1 cup yoghurt Evening: 1 large grilled steak, salad w. oil/lemon

Day 3: Morning: 1 cup coffee/tea, a lump of sugar, 1 slice of toast Midday: Boiled cellery/cauliflower, 1 tomato, 1 fruit Evening: 1 slice ham, 2 hard-boiled eggs, salad w. oil/lemon

Day 4: Morning: 1 cup coffee/tea, a lump of sugar, 1 slice of toast Midday: 1 hard-boiled egg, 1 grated carrot Evening: 1 can fruit salad, 1 cup yoghurt

Day 5: Morning: 1 large grated carrot w. lemon Midday: 1 fillet boiled lean fish w. lemon Evening: 1 large grilled steak, salad w. cellery and oil/lemon

Day 6: Morning: 1 cup coffee/tea, a lump of sugar, 1 slice of toast Midday: 1 hard-boiled egg, 1 grated carrot Evening: 1 piece of chicken, salad w. oil/lemon

Day 7: Morning: 1 cup tea Midday: 1 slice grilled meat (lamb or veal cutlet) Evening: 1 fruit

Day 8: Morning: 1 cup coffee/tea, a lump of sugar Midday: 2 hard-boiled eggs, 1 tomato, steamed spinach Evening: 1 large grilled steak, salad w. oil/lemon

Day 9: Morning: 1 cup coffee/tea, a lump of sugar Midday: 1 slice ham, 1 cup yoghurt Evening: 1 large grilled steak, salad w. oil/lemon

Day 10: Morning: 1 cup coffee/tea, a lump of sugar, 1 slice of toast Midday: Boiled cellery/cauliflower, 1 tomato, 1 fruit Evening: 1 slice ham, 2 hard-boiled eggs, salad w. oil/lemon

Day 11: Morning: 1 cup coffee/tea, a lump of sugar, 1 slice of toast Midday: 1 hard-boiled egg, 1 grated carrot, 1 small cup cottage cheese Evening: 1 can fruit salad, 1 cup yoghurt

Day 12: Morning: 1 large grated carrot w. lemon Midday: 1 fillet boiled lean fish w. lemon Evening: 1 large grilled steak, salad w. cellery and oil/lemon

Day 13: Morning: 1 cup coffee/tea, a lump of sugar, 1 slice of toast Midday: 1 hard-boiled egg, 1 grated carrot Evening: 1 piece of chicken, salad w. oil/lemon

This diet lasts 13 days and although difficult, it is efficient. The metabolism's change is that at the end of the diet one can come back to the normal alimentation without gaining weight for two years. If the diet is respected daily, step by step, one can lose all the fat accumulated in tissues. The diet must last exactly 13 days, not more and not less.

Recommendations:
Any aliment added beside the aliments allowed by the diet (a candy, a chewing gum, a biscuit, a glass of beer or wine) imposes the immediate stop of the diet as it has no longer effect. You can start over again only in six months. In case you cannot resist to keep the diet more than 6 days (respecting all the alimentary indications), stop it and begin again the diet after three months.
If you are hungry, drink water, at least 2 l/day.
The lettuce should be fresh.
Coffee cannot be replaced by tea or the other way round.
The natural yogurt is the non- pasteurized one, without sweeteners or fruits addition.

https://thesacredplant.com/docuseries/?ref=f337a9d2-5dd8-490a-afc3-2ada956e13f6

Lose weight fast: My go to diet, when all is doomed

Lose weight fast: My go to diet, when all is doomed

In October 2012 as I was preparing to go to the vacation with the ladies, I realised my weight was just stubborn now. The scale did not want to move no matter how much I trained and my stomach was still pouching from the pregnancy, then I stumbled upon the 13 days Metabolism diet. I wanted to look good naked, I mean in the bikini. I was left with maybe around 21 days to go to the vacation, then I decided I am doing this diet and will see for myself, indeed I lost 9 kg and the stomach was gone, just like that Poof! gone! Below is how I looked and I miss this me after two more children after that. The weight for me was off for more than a year and got pregnant afterwards, maybe is because I was living an active life and was eating good portions. So after five years I will repeat the diet but with some silly tweaks there and there such as adding olive oil in my spinach, eish it's so horrible.

Besides I experienced all the good things afterwards such as being regular contrary to what is said about the diet, I also did not gain the whole weight back until the following year about the same time when I went with girls to the other vacation. I also noticed that my stomach looked more toned instead of flabby due as it usually happens with rapid weigh-loss, so I am team 13 days metabolism diet. Below is my photo August the following year (2013) in the beach and the fat around my tummy was still considerable good than before the diet.

I will see this time around what will be the results and whether I am still team 13 days metabolism diet or not.

A Diet To Lose Weight Fast

Losing Weight Fast:

 In the Beginning to Motivate Myself I do challenges such as weight lose challenge for example now I have registered for heat 5 that started on the 13th March 2017 at the sleek-geek ultimate you website. I like the way they make me feel, goal oriented and the motivational talks that I start to have in my mind. When I take my before pictures I call them exactly that Before and get the anticipation of writing my story with both the before and after photos. To participate in a challenge makes things easier because I know, I am not alone and the struggle continues but not alone. The foods and exercising sessions that other members post are so much of motivation for me. I am in this to transform and make a difference in my life in a best way for my family and more than anything for myself. A feeling good mommy makes a happy family. Aluta Continua!

My Eating Habits as a Child

Eating habits by my grandmother

I started staying with my grandmother from my mother’s side at an early age of three together with other grandchildren from uncles. Every time we were eating my grandmother would say we must finish all of our food so that we could be fatter. In my language the word fat (Tyebileyo) is not as ugly as when is said in English. All of this was routed in my mind that I should finish my plate every time I eat to this day I still finish my food.

 My grandmother did not teach me to eat junk food and all the foods that we were forced to finish today are called organic food and I mean organic food, because the food was sawed in the fields with no pesticides whatsoever but only irrigated by the Heavenly Father God by means of rain. Even though we were mostly eating the staple food Pap (Powdered maize cooked with water into solid porridge) with salt if there is something to eat pap with would be peas; beans; potatoes (yes gravy made from potatoes) and some natural green leafy vegetables of which were seasonal. We were eating meat at least once a month for at least three conservative days and that’s it back to square one, eating pap with salt. 

No one was fat from that diet though. I would comfortably say we were of healthy weight all of us and we did not look malnourished at all. When I first started staying with my grandmother, her cows were not with us but with some family member and the years went by and I don’t know how old I was but I remember things changed for the better when her cows were brought back and now was pap with milk. That was a celebration Wow! For a change we have isishebo (something to eat pap with).

As I am growing I have noticed that I was not eating the same diet but still stuck with the finish your food syndrome.I have a big portion problem and as long the food is in front of me I will finish it. To monitor this habit, I make sure my portion size is served from the onset. When at home I am the one who dishes food therefore will dish what’s right for me, even use kitchen scale if I am getting out of hand. When eating out I share my food right at the beginning and check the portion sizes as well.

 As a mother of three children I do not force my children to finish their food at least I try not to but thanks God my husband is there to make sure I do not do that hahahaa. I do not even fuss about it, if they say they are full that’s it, I put the plate away. I do not want to repeat what happened to me. I try to ensure that they eat as healthy as possible. If they want something sweet I give them fruits, they like fruits such as apples and bananas in the summer season and are affordable and in winter oranges are available and cheap, I do give them sweets as a treat. I wouldn’t say that I have perfected my habits when it comes to food but I am slowly getting there. 

I make sure that at least once a week we eat rice or pap with dried beans either kidney beans or sugar beans, peas, lentils as our supper without meat. I also ensure that there is one day per week where we eat vegetables with rice such as cabbage; carrots, spinach and or kale taking a bigger portion in our plates. We have not totally stopped eating the junk food but we eat it less often now. My portion sizes are a little bit improving and I am better than before I started being aware of my eating habits. I have started exactly where I am because conditions are just never perfect to start, so just start your journey the time is now not tomorrow but now.

Enjoy every moment

I thought it would be a great idea to join the other runners from Johannesburg to Marakele Marathon (2^nd March 2013) in Limpopo Province, sometime away from the kids. Besides I started this year with a bang when it comes to running and going to the races. I joined a running club so that I will have an Athlete South Africa (ASA) license and save on temporal licenses that I buy for each and every race by the way I did that for the whole of 2012 and it’s time to be financially smarter Boss. The journey to Marakele National Park started on Friday right after work. I did not go back home because I packed everything the night before and yes I was going with my husband. We drove to Centurion where we were going to meet with other running club members to take a shuttle. We were on time, because I am good with time management (blowing my own horn) and had to wait for everyone  else “you know African time hey”, after three hours of waiting at last we drove off to Marakele.



Kumba Iron Ore Runners Club

  On the way it was really nice and I was guzzling on coke, I really like it but looks like it does not like me because it makes me feel guilty afterwards hahahaa. We arrive at our destination at around past ten at night and our food was prepared already, it was a braai style. I ate beef, mutton and sausage accompanied by some salads. I was so full, and the meat is very heavy in my stomach. It was time to sleep and our sleeping time was really limited as we had to wake up at 04:00am to prepare ourselves for the race. When I wake up in the morning my stomach was still bloated and full. I tried to go to the restroom to relieve myself, ouch there was nothing. Usually when I  run 21KM I eat something light like oat meal  but there was no way I could eat. I was still full from the braai, I had to go with my big stomach and told myself that I would just do the best that I can do with this situation. People were very few in this Marakele race with me being used to crowds and crowds of people for a race, you know in Johannesburg some people just come to the race to walk and chat nothing serious just enjoying the environment. I was going to run the 21km; I reckon there were serious runners here not the amateurs like me. None the less that did not discourage me, I prepared myself for 21KM and I am going to do it and not the 10KM that’s it. I have planned to do it less than three hours no matter how bad my situation. The race started at exactly six o’clock in the morning on the unpaved road with gravel, sand and stones. Things are just getting worse and worse for me.  When the race started I was tempted to run as fast as everyone else but I told myself I am the one who knows my situation and if I want to finish this race I should be just steady and constant. It looks like that worked for me until I saw myself alone in the forest; I do not know whether to say forest or jungle because I felt like I was in a jungle.

Nice vista at Marakele National Park

I looked at the back there was no one and I looked in front of me there was no one either. I started to panic a little bit and I had to sort of follow the water plastics that the runners throw on the road that we get at water zones to affirm myself that I was still on the right trek. I told myself to enjoy the environment by the way I always carry my camera, if I see something interesting I will take photos but have to finish under three hours.

The sun rise at Marakele National Park

After a while I noticed some other ladies as well in front of me and realised ohh they were also tempted to gallop like the professional athletes at least now there was hope for my situation. As I am passing them I was supporting them with some remarks of hope just to hold on and keep up, something like “that’s a good pace you are having there hey”. As I was cruising now I saw the rhino poo but did not see the rhino and sometimes very far away I saw a baboon. I think is good I did not see the rhino “alone’?! No it was good, I cannot really imagine what I would have done mhm. I was starting to forget now my heavy stomach as I was enjoying my running, no, let’s say cruising, running I do not think will be perfect for this moment.

When I was one km away from 10.5KM mark, I saw more of the people that we started together the race coming back, it was a lap race and I thought to myself, I was not really bad as I supposed. I took them photos as they were running passing me and they also cheered me that I was doing well. I was the heaviest in that group hey; I mean my club group that did 21KM race dah. In the race I always get people I call race friends, those that either we have the same problem or they motivate me to be better. My first race friend for the Marakele Marathon was a white lady, wow! The woman was beautiful, the body was perfect for a fifty year old, yes I asked her how old she was. There was no way she could not answer me because I just could not stop showering her with praises and I mean genuine praises, from woman to woman. I am telling you, you could take her and a 21 year old and cut them both their heads off and ask a person who is older will say is the twenty-one year old. Definitely I asked for her secrete for looking so divine. She blamed it on genes, but inside I was like but you are in the race meaning you are the woman who really takes care of herself. As usually after that brief conversation she left and ran, could not see her, vanish in the forest, story of my life. I am used to that by now hahahaaa, oh my word, my my, my. I continued with my race, yes it’s mine, I have started it and I am going to finish it.

Here is my race friend number two a white male, looked younger than me and I did not ask him how old he is, I know, do not ask how, just know hahahaaa. I am never wrong with my race friends hey, you know that awkward moment of trying to talk to someone and you can see that you are annoying them and sheepishly go away, has not happened with me yet. I cannot remember my opening line with this one; I just knew we were in the same boat rocking it. At this moment my knees were painful I felt like a pressurised can as if I will open the knee and release the pressure. This young guy was experiencing the same thing as me and was also his first 21KM. He was a perfect race friend for me because now I could share my race experiences with someone you know who does not know much about the race and feel like a know it all athlete, you know what I mean. We ran together and supported each other  that even though there is a pressure in our  knees when we run; we must not give up and just walk but we must keep on trying and testing if we can run again sometimes some other things in the race they do not last is just for that moment. Moments like these I call them the devil moments, those moments that want you to feel like you are defeated when you are actually a winner. In life we must keep on hoping and trying things out, just because there is a stumbling block in front of you today does not mean tomorrow the block will still be there just keep pressing on. You will be surprised to find the door that was closed yesterday today is opened and realised that you have missed out on a great opportunity if you have not gone back and check. Hope is what keeps us determined for the best in everything. We started planning together our finishing with this young guy and said we should plan to finish this race with charisma and energy therefore we should estimate a good distance that we can sprint to the finish line and we must not finish it limping, we do not want people to feel sorry for us. Wow! Me and this guy we are just perfect, I thought he will find it ridiculous but he did not and we made a joke that when we get there to the finish line we should tell the marshals that we were actually doing 42KM when they point us to the 21KM medals tables.




Finishing it with style


And yes we did finish it less than three hours, I enjoyed myself that I forgot to check my finishing time and remembered after a while and realised was around thirteen minutes before three hours so maybe I finished around twenty minutes before three hours I am not sure I was carried away by the moment.

In this race I have learnt that is not good to eat lots of red meat before a race for me from 15KM and above the red meat is no, no. I was still traumatised you know by red meat so much that today is my 20^th day without red meat in my mouth and I used to eat it at least three to four times a week. And I also know that in this life whatever you are going through there is always someone in the same situation as you are, you just need to be strong and keep on. Now I understand why there is alcoholics anonymous, is people with the same challenges fighting them together for united we are strong divided we are weak. I love the human kind.

I hope you will enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writting it.

HAPPINESS IT’S A CHOICE

How difficult it is when you wake up in the morning and already you are feeling grumpy, tired and annoyed. You feel like covering yourself with blankets and just go back to sleep. Unfortunately you have to go to work or maybe do the job because you still need to eat and have shelter over your head. I say do not allow that, think of all the positive things that are happening in your life, count your blessings; hit the gym; jump; run whatever that makes you happy without hurting anyone and do not forget to wear your smile. I love life.

The feel good drug of choice

The feel good drug of choice

The thought of waking up early in the morning paralyses me. I think I am not an early person because I cannot even talk and I like to use my early morning sign language. The thought of having the feel good drug strike my mind, the feeling of even taking it makes me feel like phew. I beg myself and suddenly get out of bed, brush my teeth, splash some cold water on my face and put on my jogging gear, yes my jogging gear. The moment I do that there is no turning back, not even the weather can stop me. Why? I am just tired of being fat, demotivated and feeling sorry for myself and sometimes hypnotise people to feeling sorry for me by saying “I have been a chubby child all my childhood”, ok, then does that mean I have to be unfit as well, No! My aim is not to be super skinny but to be able to do the physical things that people of my age can do. My weakness is the love for nice food, and I tend to eat like as if there is no tomorrow hahahaa. See me eating especially meat; you will think I am in a war. I do not use any cutlery but my hands, if I am in a restaurant you will hear me bragging about being an African therefore eating with my hands. No! Its meat that’s all, just come close to me and whisper “the meat does not have legs will not run”. I am not sure if one day someone can come to me and say that what I would do, most probably will burst in laughter.

That was not a joke but now I have changed to a lady, who knows when she had enough to eat and very generous with my food so that I eat as small as possible. As I have confessed that I am meat lover, but tend to sacrifice some other things when eating the meat such as carbohydrates that came with determination to look good and feel good about my body. I have notice that the meat is filling quickly when I eat it without carbohydrates. The feel good drug for me is jogging and food but I had to choose so that I can live a healthy life style. I could not choose but instead I get a good dose of the jogging drug and then a moderate amount of all the food I like. 1Timothy 4:8, for physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. Our bodies are a temple of God, we need to take care of them just like Jesus Christ did, and he walked most of the time to where ever He went. He liked to pray on the mountain meaning he was hiking to the mountain. Healthy body with a fit mind will help us to be like Jesus in thinking and actions. A tired mind cannot think let alone acting on its thinking even praying needs, a body, a mind and the spirit that is in good “shape”.

The road running race of life

The road running race of life

The first time I ran a race was on the 25^th March 2012, where I was participating on the Jackie Gibson half marathon. When I was preparing for the race I was only running 5KM maximum and I was not very serious about it because I knew I was going to do it just under three hours. I am not exactly sure why I was so sure about that, I can say it was self-confidence at play there. I did not pre-register for the race therefore had to register on the day and I was in the very last line. The race started and I was not sure because I did not hear anything I just saw people in front moving so I did “moving with the flow”. I saw few people starting to run, I followed suit. I started to see more old women there and I mean very old, I thought to myself wow they have lots of time and they are just here to kill time even if it takes them many hours they do not mind.

I have this particular old lady in my mind as I write who was very tall and wrinkled everywhere and moving in a very funny way. I thought, definitely here I am not going to be the last one the very old people will be last, it’s a pity I cannot differentiate between a marathon runner and half marathon runner and I think I was assuming they were all doing half marathon as long as I thought they were very old for the race. Bear in mind this is my first race and did not have a clue what it was. While running having all these conversations to myself I was very fast and sort of had a strategy that when running down the steep would just let go of my body and be fast and as running up the hill will be slow. When I was only left with 5KM my body started aching. I could not run and now I was walking very slowly I felt like asking for a lift ha-ha and I thought you know what if one car can drive by and jokingly ask me to get in, I would just get in without giving her /him a chance to say that they were joking.

To my surprise all the very old people that I left behind long time ago and even undermined them, they all passed me in the same speed they were when I passed them. The old lady I was talking about passed me and I watch her as she disappeared on the road and never saw her. I think I have anniversary with Jackie Gibson Marathon and would participate even this year (2013) and hope to see that lady and talk to her and I will tell you about my conversation with her guys.I did finish the race and yes under three hours, my time was 2hrs44 minutes. I was very proud of myself and I got addicted to road running races. 

Doing the race has thought me many lessons about life and this came some months after I have done the race, every time I think about it I saw the resemblance of the life we live. Some people in life they start the race of life at a very high speed and all those that are left behind they feel like they are not doing enough when in actual fact they are, is just that they are in the warm up phase. While in the warm up stage do not allow the devil to take your hope away from you. And there are those who are moderate and steady in their running and seem all the time to pass the ones that started in a very high speed as they approach the finish line. A verse come to my mind as I am writing that says the first would be last and the last would be first; Matthew 20:16. Also there are those who start very late and very fast and pass everyone else and finish in time. Now I enjoy my race either the one of life or the road running they are so similar to each other that I learn something from the road running race marathon that I can apply to my race of life. Never ever give up on the race of life, do not lose hope your turn is coming, it’s so big and real it overwhelms you because you are what God says you are. Just enjoy the ride.

See you soon and I hope you enjoyed this read if you did Google+ please. You can leave a comment here or in your heart. I love the world.

Giving And Receiving

     

 Everyone has a Gift to Give no matter how small



A gift from Nature to me

I believe giving is the gift and it does not matter whether you are poor or rich. I noticed that when I was waiting on the pavement for my husband who went in the shops while looking after our sleeping son. I saw this woman who was selling sweets and cigarettes on the pavement with an infant boy. Looking at them I could sense that they were hungry and the boy was breastfeeding on his mother. While looking at this, a guy selling mangos pass by and I could see they knew each other. She bought one mango and asked the guy to cut it in half, she took the unpeeled half and she ate it. She asks the guy to cut and peel the other half into two pieces and she gave one to her son. I was amazed when one guy appeared I do not know where and looked like they really knew each other and she gave him the other piece of mango without even complaining. I sat there thinking “phew” this woman is a giver not just a giver but with love. I imagined if it was me in this situation I was going to come up with all sorts of excuses such as “I am breastfeeding therefore I must be full to feed my child and by the way this mango is not enough blah-blah-blah” depending on how much you are begging me, and choose the smallest piece and give you while mumbling. How many of us who do not use the opportunity to give when it avails itself? Out of this encounter I have learnt that actually anyone has an ability to give, is really up to you to use it. What a nice feeling when you give out of passion, when giving is part of you and just follow your heart that as much as I enjoy receiving a gift the other person does too. The devil has filled our hearts with things such as “they do not want to work, they want to live on hand-outs and so on and so forth” while stealing our blessings from giving, right in front of us. I am just going to follow what God tells me to do with the situation at hand and if it’s time to give I am going to just reach for my pocket, basket, heart, mind and give. Here is the article for reads that I think is great about GIVING. http://powertochange.com/experience/family/giftofgiving/

The Journey and Gratitude over Challenges

I have started this Blog with enthusiasm and immediately I was overwhelmed with what am I going to write about because many topics came flooding in my mind and did not know where to start, until the word gratitude came to my mind.  I thought this is an opportunity to be grateful for the little things I have. I looked back on life as the little girl and was filled with gratitude. Growing up as girl in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape Sterkspruit and being taken care of by my grand-mother who sold umqombothi “African beer” to ensure that we had food in our stomachs, propelled me.

My parents were in eRhawutini (Johannesburg) to look for jobs. When I was twelve years old I started to live with my mother. Living with my mother was nice, even though life was not easy but being with my mom made me happy. I’m thankful for happiness in my life that still flourishes to this day; I find delight in very small things you will see as we go along. I refuse to be unhappy.When I was in Ebenezer S.S.S  my mother started a business of selling tribe and I was actively involved, I should be honest I have never liked it because I was given nasty names but I could not refuse to help her because I understood we had to eat and go to school. All this moulded me to be a strong woman that I am. In the midst of all I passed my matric (grade twelve) and I was sure I am going to tertiary to my surprise there was no money (another story for another day).

I was never ever so heart broken in my life, I was crying each and every night for five months. The strong woman that I am continued with selling tribe and my mother had to go back to eRhawutini to look for a job to be a domestic worker. It was so hurting when people were asking me why I am sitting on the town street pavement selling tribe and not in university. It was so difficult to answer that question that I would just sob. My throat would feel like there is something in it that strangles me and will gasp for air.Finally the first semester was gone and yep enrolled at Vaal University of Technology with the little I have saved to be exact R5000 and told my mother that the moment I get a bursary I want her to go back home, and I did get the bursary and I graduated with cum laude in Analytical Chemistry and promised my mother a house and  van (small truck) when I am working.

I think gratefulness made me who I am today

Through this journey I have learnt that having gratitude kills the thoughts of self-pity. I seldom feel jealousy for the success of other people but instead my hope is raised and get so excited like as if the success is mine. I do not feel ashamed of what happened, because today I have something to be grateful for. I dismiss the negative thoughts by giving thanks for any challenge, for in Christ Jesus the son of the living God nothing is impossible. I am grateful for better life and it’s still going on, who knowsJ

                                   It’s a bad behaviour not to keep promises hey, here is the house to my beloved mother.

I hope you will enjoy this Blog and comments are all welcomed, I can only learn from them. Love you all.