Ian Stephens Blog

Howdy followers and fellow un-poggers,

If you are new to this blog, go read Pog Blog number 1 to get a feel for what we are about. With a dramatic proportion of the Western World population overweight or obese, we have decided to live the 7 Laws of Natural Health, and test out the results.

I set myself the goal to lose cm’s around the waist, improve blood pressure and lose weight. The last 2 weeks have confirmed that the universe will always test your commitment and resolve to achieve your outcomes! Heavy travel, along with losing my grandmother, and I readily confess to have taken my eye off the ball. My old habit of turning to too much food has returned, and whilst the quality of food has greatly improved, I have simply been eating too large a proportions and not exercising enough to lose weight. Net result - a 1kg gain in weight and 1cm back on the tummy! Ok, so I’m human, and it’s about having awareness then getting back on track.

Not sure how you are travelling, and yet my new learning is to reduce my portion sizes down to that of my wife. She has a smaller serving and always leaves some. She is not compelled to demonish everything on the plate!

It’s all about temperance this week… which brings us to the 5th Law of Natural Health…

MIND MANAGEMENT AND TEMPERANCE

 

Temperance, or self-control, is having a totally healthy and balanced lifestyle in every way. It includes the proper ratio of work to play, personal time versus time with the family and friends, right eating, right thinking, time spent with self and contemplating the bigger picture…

 

Temperance is moderation in every sphere of our lives. It includes more than just avoiding drugs, alcohol and over-eating. True self-control is avoiding those things that are harmful and using in moderation those things that are good.

 

Temperance in eating includes:

 

·         Drastically reducing the intake of anything harmful (alcohol, caffine, drugs, refined sugars etc), and eating moderately of good healthy food (this is where I need to focus).

·         Eating breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen, and dinner like a pauper.

·         Eating a variety of foods as grown, with very littel that is refined.

·         Not eating too wide a variety of foods at any one meal.

·         Eating at regular times in a relaxed and cheerful environment.

·         Enjoying your food. (including really enjoying a treat if you have been good all week)

Timely for me that this weeks law is exactly the one I have been struggling with. Off to Perth to my Grandmothers funeral (102 years old - not a bad effort!). This means I will be even more conscious and awake to lowering my calorie intake to cope with a week where I will be hard pressed to find exercise time.

Looking forward to posting more encouraging progress next week.

Until then, be encouraged…

Ian (AKA the Pogger Blogger!)