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Taking Back Control – Update #2! #WayOfLife #WalkingToWellness #SlimPod

04 May 2025 17 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Health, Life, mental-health, Slimpod, Taking back control, Weight Loss, writing

Hello my lovely Peeps!

It’s been around a month since my last update, and I am now beginning Week 10 of my Slimpod journey.

I listen to my Pods every day, and most days, I listen twice. I now have four in total: the original Slimpod, then Chilpod, Sugarpod and now Fitpod.

Fitpod does what it says on the box. Its job is to encourage movement.

Again, all four are not essential to listen to. You an pick and choose which ones you want to, but I listen to them all. Slimpod is the one recommended to listen to every day.

I’ve watched the weekly videos, too, with lots of advice on how to deal with how your mind is processing the changes to emotional eating.

I am eating much better. I cook more, even on school days, so I can use more proper foods. And I am experimenting more, too!

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I’m still walking, daily, and in the Easter holidays, I even walked twice a day! I’ve enjoyed observing the changes around me as Spring really kicks in. The leaves on the trees burst out in glorious greens, and the wildflowers are growing and changing. I love seeing the swathes of bluebells that carpet the floors of the various woodlands around us. Plus, I am enjoying seeing the animals. There are sheep, and one ram who is always in a paddock alone. He stops and stares at me every time I pass him. I have named him Sheep, and I say hello whenever I pass. Then there are the horses in their paddocks. I am lucky enough to see a beautiful white foal with his mother most days, and I’ve seen him grow, from a wobbly-legged baby, to a stronger one, practising how to gallop! It’s just glorious where I live, and the sunshine makes it such a positive place to live!

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And the changes in me?

Well, I hit a bit of a plateau with the weight loss initially, but I stayed positive, and now I have lost 12lb, as well as 2 inches off the waist! I feel more energetic, and the daily walks are so good for my mental health!

I appear to have fallen into a natural 14:10 fasting day, as I am eating when hungry, and I rarely feel hungry at breakfast time. My first meal of the day is lunch, and it is always healthy, nutritious and filling. I may snack but equally I don’t always feel the need to reach for sweet stuff. And I eat a good dinner and maybe a take away once in a while.

And I feel good!

So, yup right now, I am two weeks from finishing the initial programme, and I can say I 100% advocate it!

I’m sharing this link, only if you feel like having a go. It gives you 10% off if you wish to continue with Slimpod after your 10 day free trial, and you also get 30 days after, to get money back, if you don’t feel it is for you, so essentially, you have 40 days to try it out!

https://30116thinkingslimm.refr.cc/gold-referral/u/ritubhathal?s=sp&t=cp

I’ll leave you with a picture of a happy me on one of my walks, because I am feeling happier about many things in life, right now, and I also feel like I have the mental strength to deal with things that are not so easy, right now, too.

Now enjoy your day, everyone, and be happy!

Oh, and May the 4th be with us all!

Taking Back Control – Update #1! #WayOfLife #WalkingToWellness #SlimPod

06 Apr 2025 17 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Changing Thinking, Diet, Food, Health, Life, mental-health, nutrition, Slimpod, Snoozebands, Weight Loss, writing

Hey Peeps, it’s me!

After my last post, I feel it’s only right to update you on my new journey!

Day 37 in the SlimPod House… (As I write that, I can hear it playing like the guy from Big Brother (UK) who used to narrate, Marcus Bentley, with his distinctive Geordie voice!)

Yes, I am still going with the SlimPod pods and listening to them at least once daily before bed. Sometimes I might even listen twice, if I feel like it.

Three have been released for me at this stage: the original SlimPod, the ChillPod, and the new SugarPod.

It’s only the first one that is essential to listen to daily. The second is suitable for relaxing or even being used as a stress buster, and the third, the SugarPod, is something to listen to, especially if you have feelings of addiction to certain things. It’s called SugarPod, but it’s not just about sugar; the mindset can relate to many things. If your mind is not quite ready for it, it can make a listener feel the urge to binge! So, it is additional, and up to you to judge when you may want to listen.

I was a bit scared, but in the end, I added it to my playlist and listen to it daily. I’m actually listening right now as I type because it is talking to my unconscious mind, so I don’t have to actively listen.

What are the changes I have noticed?

Well, let’s start with Fibro Frank (remember, I have given my Fibromyalgia a unique name!) I am feeling more energetic and finding the pains are not as constant. That may be because of meds I am on, but the positive feeling is attributed to my mindset.

I had settled into my three healthy meals a day, and then I began to listen to my body more and eat when hungry. I try my best, given that I am in school during term time! One big thing I noticed was that I am not really hungry first thing in the morning. I have a cup of green tea and then get going. I have my first meal at around 11.30 when we have lunchtime at school. If I snack, which is rarely, I will have fruit. After school, I used to have a cup of tea and some sweet/savoury snacks. I’m not doing that much now. I have a good, healthy dinner. If I want something sweet, I reach for fruit and Greek yoghurt.

The plan advocates the 80:20 rule: eat well 80% of the time and enjoy the other 20%!

So, I can forgive myself for the odd takeaway once a week or eating a chocolate bar or crisps occasionally. I’m just not craving them as much.

Another big thing is that I have started walking every day. I usually hit my step targets because of my job, but now, I go for a purposeful walk at the end of the workday, once I am home, or earlier on the weekend. I am blessed that we live in a village, so I get to walk through the lanes, chatting to the local sheep or horses as I go or singing along to my music while I walk! (Still wearing my SnoozeBand. In fact, I have two. One for inside and one for outdoors!)

I’m feeling more confident, genuinely, better about myself, and I have lost 10 lbs. Healthy weight loss is just brilliant. I feel good! That dress below is even a little loose for me.

I’m fully endorsing this programme, and below is an affiliate link if you are interested in the free trial or even signing up after!

https://30116thinkingslimm.refr.cc/gold-referral/u/ritubhathal?s=sp&t=cp

Right, I will keep you updated on the progress!

In the meantime, have a great rest of your Sunday!

#JusJoJan 27th – 30th – Catch up

30 Jan 2025 17 Comments

by Ritu in #1linerweds, #jusjojan Tags: #jusjojan, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Family, jusjojan25, Life, Linda G Hill, One Liner Wednesday

Hi Peeps, I’m sorry I’ve not been on here much the last week, but there was a combination of things going on.

I’ll explain soon, but let me link the words that we need to be using for the prompts…

Monday – Glamorous – Thank you, Sadje! Please visit Sadje’s blog to read her posts and say hello.

Tuesday – Confusion – Thank you, Dan! Please visit Dan’s blog to read his posts and say hello.

Wednesday – One-Liner Wednesday

Thursday – Hesitation – Thank you, Wendy! Please visit Wendy’s blog to read her posts and say hello.

So, Monday came, and it was a tough day. it was my dear, dear cousin-sister’s funeral. She was taken far too soon after a battle with cancer. It was always going to be tough, but coupled with the fact that I wasn’t feeling very well all weekend, things were tougher.

Confusion set in my mind. Do I go or not? Am I okay? Was I well enough? This is my only chance to say goodbye…

Hesitation was there, but after dosing up all weekend, I felt a bit better on Monday morning, and MIL and I headed off for a two-hour journey to where the funeral was going to be, early in the morning.

As we got closer, I felt the hot and cold sweats kicking in. My throat began to feel like I had razor blades. As I coughed, it felt like bits of my throat were leaving my body, and there was the feeling that someone had punched me in the chest.

Somehow, we got there. I searched out my parents, and the long, emotional day began… as I deteriorated. I had managed to contact the Drs surgery and by some miracle, secured a telephone appointment for just before we needed to enter the crematorium.

I got prescribed antibiotics. Just had to wait until we got home to pick them up.

Let me backtrack and tell you a little bit about my cousin. She was a beautiful soul, always calm, loved by many. She was a mother and grandma, recently. I have never seen someone accept their fate as gracefully as her. She told me, when I visited her, that she didn’t want anyone to be sad. She was lucky. She had seen so much that many never get a chance to. A happy marriage, her sons settled, meeting her two grandchildren.

Her nickname, along with several others, was Posh. Because of her style. She was always elegant. Never overstated. Glamorous is not the word. That makes me think of someone a bit ostentatious, a bit out there. No, she was that person who always looked wonderfully put together, and along with her calm demeanor, it was great way to be.

Now, back to the funeral.

Expecting around 200 mourners, the Gurdwara was actually packed with more like 400, by the end. I feel it was a testament to her and how she cared for others, that so many came out, in bad weather, to give her the most fitting send-off. And she was someone who loved to stay in touch with others. If a friend or family were visiting from overseas, she’d be there, arranging get togethers.

This felt like one of the biggest reunions, for so many of us. I met family and friends I haven’t seen for five years or more.

And I feel that wherever in her journey she was, she stopped to look down, (for there was no question that the only place for her was up) and smiled that she had managed to bring so many people together, not only to celebrate her life, but to find each other, once again.

It was around 1.30 pm when MIL and I left. I hoped the journey would be around one and a half hours. By this time, I was flagging.

Honestly, I have little recollection of the drive home, as the pains became worse. And as we reached the home stretch, an accident had happened so we were stuck in very slow traffic for over an hour. After picking up meds, dropping MIL off and picking Lil Princess up, it was around 5pm before we arrived home.

From then, to Wednesday morning, I don’t remember much of what was going on around me. I collapsed on the bed. I was fed by Lil Princess at one point, Hubby Dearest made sure she was taken to college (usually my job), and I slept, took meds, ate minimally, and slept more.

Halfway human by Weds, but still not well enough to be back at school, I tried to do some work. (Life of a teacher – you never lose the guilt of not doing what you should be, even if you are unwell.) And Lil Man appears to have caught some version of the bug, now. He’s off work, too.

And now we hit Thursday. Still coughing quite a bit, and very tired. I could get up and drop Lil Princess off. Well, I had to, because now Hubby Dearest appears to have got a strain of it, too.

Honestly, I just hope it’s not as bad as I had it, because I have never felt this incapacitated before.

And there we have it. Thank you, January. The gift that has just kept giving, and none of it has been nice stuff.

My One Liner for this week:

“Never wait to show you care.” – Ritu

#JusJoJan 19th – Why?

19 Jan 2025 13 Comments

by Ritu in #jusjojan Tags: #jusjojan, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Life, Linda G Hill, Poetry, Why, writing

Today, our prompt comes to us from the wonderful Willow., who happens to be my beautiful blog sis! Thank you, Willow! Please be sure to visit Willow’s blog to read her posts and say hello. And follow her while you’re there if you’re not already.

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 19th, 2025 is “why.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

“Why?”

Probably the most dreaded question from a child for both parents and teachers, alike.

When the ‘Why?’ train starts, it can go on…. FOREVER!

For example:

Adult: We're going for lunch
Child: Why?
A: Because we need to eat
C: Why?
A: To give you energy
C: Why?
A: To help you grow
C: Why?
A: Because you are getting bigger and older
C: Why?
A: Because that's what happens to children
C: Why?
...

See what I mean?

I end up answering back in rhyme, if it gets out of hand. Even that can go on and on…

Child: Why?
Me: Pudding Pie
C: Why?
Me: In the sky
C: Why?
Me: Flying high
C: Why?
Me: Drinking chai
C: Why?
Me: So I can try
C: Why?
Me: To say goodbye! Now we need to go do something else!

At least I’m teaching rhyme, eh!

Daily Prompt – JusJoJan the 19th, 2025

#JusJoJan 13th – Embrace

13 Jan 2025 16 Comments

by Ritu in #jusjojan Tags: #jusjojan, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Embrace, Family, Hugs, Life, Linda G Hill, love, mental-health

Today, the prompt is brought to us by the lovely Laura. Thank you, Laura! Please be sure to visit Laura’s blog to read her posts and say hello. And follow her while you’re there if you’re not already.

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 13th, 2025 is “embrace.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

Embrace is the more formal word for one of my favourite things.

A hug, or a cuddle.

I am a hugger. If you’ve met me, you would already know that.

I start and end any meeting with people I care about with hugs.

I get it from Pops. He is the best hugger in the world.

And I know there are people who don’t like hugs, so I am mindful but I have to tell you that I have converted a few over the years. Lil Princess is not fond of physical touch, so we have our side hugs that we have perfected, but she won’t accept them from just anyone…

I love my job because the children of that age are so affectionate and they are always throwing their arms around us, and within reason, and with safeguarding in place, there is not much a squeeze from a 4 year old can’t solve.

Did you know the health benefits of an embrace, or a hug?

That physical contact releases oxytocin, or the ‘love hormone’. It can support the bonding and emotional connection within a relationship.

Hugs are proven stress busters! (Unless you are one of those who finds it hard to be touched.)

A hug can bring your mood up!

They increase seratonin and dopamine, which are essential for well-being and happiness.

And the optimal length of time for a hug is 5-10 seconds, as it is deemed the most comfortable, and will reap some of the above benefits.

But, if you can manage 20 seconds…it can be good for your heart, reduce blood pressure and stress!

See, a hug is like medicine.

May be one day I will be one of those people out there who stand in the street with a placard saying Free Hugs!

Because I think we all need hugs, and imagine, if all the above could be reduced by a simple embrace, what a brighter world we would be in…