The Smile Coach: Achievement...What can you set your mind to? Part 4

So what could have possibly come next?

I spent the next week recovering from a hard mentally and physically run. Lucky I have some great friends and whether they know it or not they get me through it! Sharon, you are a star!

Follow the Yellow Brick Road! 

So the following Sunday, Sunday just gone, I began another club challenge, delving into the unknown, my understanding was a pleasurable amble of anything from 6 to 26 miles, depending on what you want to do. This one though was a new challenge, I was happy with the fact the Marathon probably wasn't going to happen this year....

What a difference a week can make, beautiful weather! This time the jacket was off by the 2nd stop because it was too hot! 12 miles came and went, got to 18/19 miles....unknown mileage for me...I felt so happy, I'd fuelled right, I was feeling good, if not a little tired, the views of the Southdowns were amazing, having never been up there before, it was breathtaking...and so was the running.

It felt like we ran around the outside of Lewes as the views changed....such long deep hills, the estuaries of Newhaven....beautiful views of Alfriston. This is why I love running...you see so much that you wouldn't normally see otherwise but that can be achieved by going round the block or by going a bit further out to places you've never been, that's why i think I've stuck with running for so long, every run is different, every run is a new achievement. Those hills that I've looked at from the A27, I can now say I've run over them!, I've been up there!

If Only!

Support on the day was fantastic, thank to all who ran with me!

Beautiful Views

I'd had no goals at the start, except to maybe keep my mileage up but by the end of the day I surpassed all of my expectations, I'd gone 5 miles over my previous heights....but I'm also so proud of myself that I stopped when I did. I stopped at 23 miles, I had nothing to prove, my body was tired, I was mentally done, I knew this when we stopped about 19 miles in and my eyes did began to well up, I chose then to stop at the next stop.

And I did! I knew that if this was a marathon, I could push myself to walk that last 3 miles, probably very slowly, but I would do it....but not today.

I was on a high that I'd gone that far, so much of a high that now in a few weeks time, I will be running Beachy Head Marathon on 27/10/2018.

Immediately after 23 miles!

It's so funny how life does it sometimes, It was a goal, then it wasn't, which I was quite happy with.....and then in the space of a few hours it became a goal again! A realistic one, that I know I can do!

As long as you look after yourself and listen to your body, you can do anything that you want to do....you just have to have a starting point and a desire......maybe that's where The Smile Coach can help you out. Goals are goals, whatever size they are we can achieve them together!

Thank you for reading my blog again, Please do give me feedback on the weekly approach.

Any update that I promised, I'll right into next month's blog!

Keep Smiling!!!

The Smile Coach,

Located in Hastings, East Sussex

www.thesmilecoachforyou.co.uk

Facebook: Emma Wareham
Instagram: @thesmilecoachforyou
Twitter: @emmalovesarun

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/emma-wareham1

The Smile Coach: Achievement...What can you set your mind to? Part 3

Part 3.....Where did I get to?

Oh yeah, that self doubt was setting in....I also think I'd got to an OK point of thinking, oh well, there's always next year......It's ok, I'm not bothered, I'm ok with this....And I was, I was actually ok with this, because I believe that when the time is right, you will do it, what ever it is!

It might be something you never thought you would do...it might be something you planned but you're not quite ready to...but I'm a great believer in, plant the seed and the tree will grow.... that desire won't go away, but when the time is right you can act on it, thats why I believe there are so many Smiler's out there, whether you've got in touch or not...when the time is right...for you...you will!

It's a bit like giving up smoking, until the point where it is 100% what you want to do, it will not happen. Once it is that 100% you, it will happen!

2 weeks ago on Sunday I got up to go and do the Rye to Hastings Race with my club Hastings Runners, I love this run, well after the first 3 miles or so anyway. The views are usually spectacular, the weather is lovely, and there's lots of people to run with at the back (my favourite place to be, of course).

NOT this year, the weather forecast was horrendous, but ever the optimist, I thought, nah, it'll be ok...up until midnight the night before the lovely Sharon was messaging me and the lovely Arrianne, firstly, are we mad enough to do this and then are you mad enough to do this?? respectively!

I set a time of 6.45 the next morning to decide...I slept really badly, thinking about what was ahead...I woke up many times...then the alarm after 5 hours 45 mins of sleep and decided...yes we are doing it!

What made me decide this... well I thought ahead to the future...to how I wanted to feel and I knew that if I hadn't got on that coach at silly o'clock on a Sunday Morning, I would annoy myself allday, because lunchtime would come and go and I'd think, well I could have done that, the weather's much better now!

So on the coach we got....off the coach we got....sometimes there are advantages to being one of the more......time relaxed members of a club...the weather was so bad, we got an earlier start....yes please, I'd love to run in that rain even earlier....the weather was that bad, I stepped over a dead frog and soapsuds started appearing from nowhere out of my running gear...I thought it was my dextrose tablets disintegrating until, in an effort to prove that it was the Dextrose I got a taste of soap instead, great advert for Aldi though, keeps washing even after the machine!!!

Delirium set in at this point! Singing Queen's Don't stop me now, poor Kim had to listen to it!

There was mud, there was beach stones allowing the faster to pass easier on the world's narrowest running path with only an inch of safety before possibly falling down a hill onto a fast road. There was no possible way of stopping for the yearly selfie stop, everything was far too wet for that. I thought about ditching the running jacket as it was wetter than me...but the gloves in my bag were even wetter so there was no warmth to gain.....pretty much, it was the toughest run I've ever,ever had.12.8 miles of not much fun! But of course I kept that smile as much as I could, because I was doing it, I was out there, I was ALIVE!!!! I was also quite delirious by the end...but I did it...because I can and if I can...anyone can!

Part 4 coming up next week!

The Smile Coach,

Located in Hastings, East Sussex

www.thesmilecoachforyou.co.uk

Facebook: Emma Wareham
Instagram: @thesmilecoachforyou
Twitter: @emmalovesarun

And if you're feeling a little generous.....just a few pennies would be much appreciated...https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/emma-wareham1 

The Smile Coach: Achievement....What can you set your mind to?.....Part 2

Welcome Back Smilers! Thanks for sticking with me for Part 2!

The title for this month is Achievement, but what does that really mean?

For me, I think it is doing more than you ever thought you could do...pushing yourself more, putting yourself out there....moving it forward no matter what you come up against.

I do this, many people I know do this, but it can be measured on so many levels, that's what I love about it. It is as big as you feel it is...and I bet you don't always give yourself the credit that you deserve!

At the beginning of this year I had the idea in my head that I would love to run a marathon, this wasn't a new thought but it was one that felt more realistic than before, if not for this year, for a year very close to this one.

I trained for Hastings Half Marathon early on, as I regularly do, I love this half, the atmosphere is AMAZING! If you are considering it, just sign up, I promise you that it will be worth it!

I train with some fantastic friends, I really do love them all, I think we all help each other out, mainly when we don't realise that it's needed.I improved my time this year, getting closer to a pre-Jack half time. I was so happy, you'd think that I would then continue running distances so that by the time Beachy Head Marathon comes round at the end of October I'd be more than ready......but no!

I have kept up the regular stuff, Netball, my amazing Bin Running Group 5K's, Fitness rave's, anything else that comes up, but generally family weekend life seems to get in the way of the distance runs, (this is by no means a bad thing, as I look to the future, I see my Aimee growing up, I know Jack will only follow, at that point there needs to be some future goals in place,) I managed 1 10K in the summer, but I think it's fair to say that I have not put in the effort that you would think a Marathon would require.

My head has been having some serious debates with itself, even The Smile Coach isn't immune to these demons! I should have done more, I should have known better, I should, I should, I should...there's that perception bit again! It really does creep up everywhere!

On to Part 3.....


The Smile Coach,

Located in Hastings, East Sussex

www.thesmilecoachforyou.co.uk

Facebook: Emma Wareham
Instagram: @thesmilecoachforyou
Twitter: @emmalovesarun

If you can spare a penny or two....https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/emma-wareham1

The Smile Coach: Achievement...What can you set your mind to? Part 1

Hey Smilers, How are you all doing?

I have taken a little longer with this blog (I know I shouldn't start on a negative!), but I've been thinking a lot about how to build The Smile Coach Concept.

I've spoken to many people, taken input, read a lot, researched and this month I'm going to try a new approach, you may or may not like it, please leave me feedback so I can develop towards the future, I'm going to try smaller blog segments over the month.

I've increased my Social Media posts, positive, happy posts only, and I'm certain that this is the way to go to grow the Smile Empire...my Smilers are doing fantastically. As I educate myself with my Lifecoaching learning, I'm finding new methods to encourage them with to reach their future goals.

I love my appointments, you never know what will come out of them and every single Smiler is inspiring to me. I love the fact that they trust me to encourage them to grow and together we get there!

I'm thinking about some Christmas promotion of services, although I'm a bit torn here, only because a Smiler is someone that wants to make changes, they don't have to know how, but they need that desire to change, pace is not an issue, but the desire is, so if you are not ready can someone buy that for you.....but then your friends do know you best, sometimes better than you know yourself!

I'm not sure the whole package can be a gift if the Smiler isn't ready to commit yet,unless of course they have stated that this is what they would love, but maybe my one off goalsetting opportunity is a session that can help a Smiler realise that there is something that they want to change and we can go from there....small steps...huge changes!

I do worry that people are not sure about how I work with people, to be honest there is no right or wrong way, but throughout our sessions we build on the goals that we set in Session one. Goals can be food changes, steps towards exercise, increasing what you are already doing, whatever they are, they are only set to your current abilities, Its all about you!

We sit down together and I will write down the goals and the forward steps to take towards them, I will then write them up and send them to you, preferably within a couple of days so that you have them for the next fortnight before we meet up again. All Smilers work at different paces and we review it all as we go.

So Achievement....What can you set your mind to?.....Time to await Part 2 for the answer! I plan to release a new part weekly, but I can tell you that it involves an account of what I have achieved recently 😁😁😃😃

A pic from one of this month's post's, look at that October Sky!

Keep Smiling!

Lots of Love

The Smile Coach,

Located in Hastings, East Sussex

www.thesmilecoachforyou.co.uk

Facebook: Emma Wareham
Instagram: @thesmilecoachforyou
Twitter: @emmalovesarun

And if you are feeling generous...... https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/emma-wareham1
I'll be running my first marathon on 27/10/2018!

Blog No 5: Perception- How The Smile Coach discovered the hold it can have over you and your life!

Hey Friends, Readers, Smilers and Future Smilers! (I'd love you to be!)

How are you all doing?

Apologies that this blog is a little later than usual, the busyness of the  Summer Hols have caught up with me I think, trying to keep the balance of fun and new adventures (currently writing this blog whilst in the car taking Aimee to her first festival to see @The_Prodigy! Don't worry I'm not driving!) with a good mix of eyes & teeth MOT's as well as shopping for school uniforms. It's still not sinking in yet that Jack starts school in just a couple of weeks time!

Soggy Family Memories: Awaiting The Prodigy @ The Victorious Festival!

Anyway, what's The Smile Coach been up to in a non Summer Hols way?

Well, in my last blog I told you that I was going to see a consultant about my mystery, possibly, gluten attacks, I thought that he'd tell me that there's not much they can do and send me, probably unhappily, for once, on my way.....but he didn't. Apparently my test results were indicating some issues so I ended up with a swift invite for an Endoscopy and a Colonoscopy. What a treat I was in for!

I'm not going to go into details on here, there are somethings that really don't need to be blogged about, but if you ever get offered the same mind blowing experience, drop me a message and I can try and guide you through the build up to such a "lovely" experience! Now that it's done I'll get full results next month, I'll update you then, if there's anything interesting to report.

During the aftermath of my funfilled day, I have returned to normal life pretty quickly, back to the day job, back to being Emma, back to being mum. The only thing that I did delay was my Smile Coaching as I want to be able to give all of my sessions 100% of The Smile Coach and as the procedures were unknown territory to me I planned coaching the week before giving me the week of "doomsday" to recover and then return to my fortnightly sessions, fully smiling!

That week is this week, I'm looking forward to catching up with all Smilers, seeing what they've been up to and how we can together keep them moving forward.

I'm learning a lot, what I can do, what situations challenge me during coaching, but that push me that bit more to hone and progress my skills. I really do hope that whatever has happened before my Smilers meet me, that they feel they are smiling by the time they leave me and are feeling proud of their progress towards their chosen goals.

I know that nothing happens quickly overnight, but I hope that with my hard work and determination that The Smile Coach becomes a respected place for realistic weight loss coaching, motivation and confidence boosting and that people will know that I'm here to help and to propel them into their future minds, after all, it's all about the mind, get that to it's happy place and the rest happily follows. I'm proof of that and now that I've written this statement, it will come true, I just need to click my ruby red heels three times! He hee!!!

So....this brings me onto to the title of this blog.....Perception.....to me that's a gigantic word!

It is so important to each and everyone of us and one that, once you finally understand it's true meaning, can release you from your own mental health nightmare, don't get me wrong though, the daily struggles may still be there but that dark pull, down that spiral can be avoided easier, we are all very different and what's right for me maybe very different for another but I hope that my perspective on Perception might help someone else to release their mind from their own continuous negative circles of thought.

As I'm growing and becoming more aware of me, of who I am, why I'm here, I feel more and more like I was put here as a connector of people.... as I look back over my life (which I'm hoping is only halfway through) I'm always a link between people, sometimes positive, sometimes negative depending on their own experiences,thoughts, feelings and of course...perspective of situations.

This just feels like my logical outlook on things and I've never minded being that connector, but a couple of years ago, back when life became a bit too much to cope with because of the constant battle of researching help for my gorgeous little man's food intolerance's, I was sinking deeper and deeper into a darkness, trying to keep a lid on things, trying to keep up with daily life, trying to find answers and trying to do it all on no sleep for 18 months, (literally no sleep, Zombie world, Food Intolerance world!).

I constantly felt judged, I felt like no one believed me, I felt the need to do it all, I felt pressure in not being able to fix the problem, I felt like the whole world could see all of this, I felt alone (to any friends and family reading this, physically I wasn't, I know you were there, :) ), I felt financial pressures from not being able to earn enough for everyday life plus for help to find little man's answers......I felt..... I felt...... I felt......can you see the common theme here?

It was all about what I felt and thought, the situations were real but my overthinking was accelerating my own mental health....my perspective, my perception.

I was living it, and inside.... it was getting worse....but in reality I had people around me, friends and family, I was supported, not alone, Team Wareham was and still is a strong unit, and eventually life would settle and we would learn to live with the intolerance's, but at that point I was beyond being able to see or think straight, my perception needed some help!

So what changed?

Quite simply (but hard at the time)......Talking!

Talking changed everything and also knowing some of the kindest hearts around. Releasing some of those repetitive, circular thoughts, realising that friends weren't sick of me going on, that they actually wanted to do anything they could to help, and they did help, they were legendary and it will never be forgotten, and they all know who they are.

One in particular amazing friend set up a whole day of support that changed everything as it gave us the ability to see private practitioners and try alternative methods to help our little man and his complicated digestive system (these will follow in a future blog!) and it still helps us now, we've come so far and I never thought I'd be this calm about the Jack starting school and entering his own world where I don't have full control over his food choices, luckily he is a very clued up small person and manages his own food choices really well!

Once I'd begun to open up, to release my thoughts, I began to see what had always been in front of me, it really was just (not a small word) my perspective that had been closed off and wrong, finally my thoughts began to find ways to help my mind deal with future perceptions, I completed a Mindfulness course, which literally gave me a chance to breath and I completed a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy course, which taught me a lot, especially ways of curbing my overthinking....which work 90% of the time now, but when my brain does start to turn, I can use those methods, I met new people and simply was able to get back to finding me again.

I guess this whole blog entry is yet another reason why I want The Smile Coach to succeed, I've been up, I've been down, but sometimes all we need is a helping hand, I've been inspired by what feels like a life changing experience, or was that just my perception of it?

To be fair, it may not be someone else's, but that's why we should always be kind, you never know whats going on behind that smile.

It's also important to understand that you can only help someone when they are ready to change that perception, that mindset, when those small triggers are inviting them towards a brighter view, they may not know how to do it, but they want it, after all, as I've learnt that really is what friends are for, The Smile Coach may have been The Really Grumpy Coach without it!

Thank you for reading, please feel free to spread the smiles and share your positive thoughts on it!

Look after each other and keep smiling!

Lots of love

Emma,

The Smile Coach,

Located in Hastings, East Sussex

www.thesmilecoachforyou.co.uk

Facebook: Emma Wareham
Instagram: @thesmilecoachforyou
Twitter: @emmalovesarun

How did I become the Gluten Free Smile Coach?

Welcome back to The Smile Coach's blog, Thank you for returning, Thank you for reading, Thank you for supporting me!!!

I'm having so many wonderfully amazing conversations lately that I feel like The Smile Coach is a complete vehicle for moving forward, not just for my Smilers, but for me too, avenues are opening up that I never thought possible, I hope to keep it all coming!

Most importantly my smile coaching journeys are going really well, some are coming towards the end of the journeys, others are just beginning, I'm covering a variety of subjects, from health, weight, anxiety, confidence and motivation to just pushing out of that comfort zone and making things happen!

My website www.thesmilecoachforyou.co.uk is now fully up and running, I hope you like it, its been a massive learning curve for me, I designed it, with a little help from friends and family and I hope it flows really well for you to follow.

If you feel that you could do with some Smile Coaching please get in touch, there's no time like the present, we can do it in person or over Skype, I'd love to help you out! Or, if you know someone that would benefit, please send them my way. All details are now on the website, which I hope to regularly update with any changes.

So....How did I become Gluten Free, was it a fad? Was it a choice? Why am I one of those annoying people that's really difficult to cater for?

Well, I have a suspicion that I should have always been gluten free, when I was a lot bigger than I was now, my favourite go to foods were definitely pastry and bread related stodge as well as anything oat related, especially Flapjack....Ooohhhhh Flapjack!!! I still love it, just in an imaginary way now ( I'm too sensitive to even have Gluten Free Oats now :( ) And they do say that you crave the foods that aren't good for you.

Every Christmas I would look forward to the big day and finish it feeling like I had eaten for England but I never had because of the almighty uncomfortable feelings I would get all day followed my stomach churning heartburn.....parties were always the same too, it was rubbish, but I thought it was just the norm, I could never go too mad because I also had a gallstone, so too much fat would also hurt, not a lot made sense but I just went with it.....

When I got married in 2007 as well as bagging myself an amazing husband, I also met a friend for life at my wedding reception, my lifey, ( you've met her in the other blogs!) Back then she was a rarity in being a person that lived Gluten/Wheat Free, the more we talked, the more I thought....this sounds like me...but didn't want to be a copycat.

Anyway, in  October 2013 I decided to try being GF for the 4 weeks before my birthday, not because of symptoms that I'd probably always had but because I thought it might add another element to my weight loss journey, it could just be the next twist that I needed in order to banish one of these 3 supermodels from my body!

So for 4 weeks, I struggled but I managed it, all with the reward of a birthday weekend to Portsmouth where I could eat what I wanted, just for that weekend.......looking back now I, 100%, would not recommend just deciding to give up wheat or gluten as a lifestyle choice, as for me there was no going back, I just never thought that it would be like that.

I didn't inform my doctor (big mistake), I didn't really think about the future, (again big mistake) and I really didn't think about whether there was anyway to go back to eating Wheat or Gluten (another big mistake)

What happened was that I had my birthday weekend, ate what I wanted, didn't enjoy it as it all felt bloated in my stomach and the heartburn attacked (the old feelings were back), and then when the weekend was finished off with a birthday pizza, it tipped me over the edge and I was in bed for 2 days in pain, with no energy....not quite how I thought the birthday would be!

I realised quite quickly how silly I was not to inform my doctor, I was now one of those people that couldn't eat wheat or gluten, but yet couldn't be tested for Coeliac or Gluten Sensitivity because for that to happen I need to eat it, but I was stuck in a catch 22 situation, to eat, caused pain, so to not eat was best, but meant that it couldn't be recognised.

Over the years I've just got used to it, I know its a better way to be for me and it helps feed my love of finding bargains in shops, I'm always in a supermarket stalking the GF bread section looking for yellow stickers, I tend to always have something stashed in the freezer with the famous reduced stickers on!

The advantages are that parties & nights out don't often affect the weight loss as I normally can't eat much of the offered goodies, this can be good and bad, it's definitely lowered my intake of processed foods, which is never a bad thing, but I do feel like I stick out like a saw thumb at a buffet table sometimes, whilst asking about ingredients or checking labels, I do hate being that person, but the consequences far outweigh going wrong and being in pain, discomfort and god knows what else for up to a week afterwards.

Those symptoms have gotten worse over the years and I am now finally being investigated as any mistakes have a severe affect on me (you don't need the detail!), so this week I'll be seeing a consultant, I don't hold out too much hope for concrete results but I've spent so many years not seeking help and just putting up with it that I'm just glad its now all going on the record.

With the amount of allergies and intolerance in my household (the Jack journey, that's a future blog!), its just another thing to leave out of the varied/mixed menus that I produce!

So now, I can come onto my one of my favourite days out of the year! The Free From And Allergy Show at Olympia in London, with my mum and sister Kk. It's also combined with The Vegan show and the Naturally You show.

Me, Mum and Sis at the Asda Stand, looking very happy!

For one day only I get to feel normal, all the big/small companies and Supermarkets bring their new products and you can sample everything!! It's heaven! I can't wait for next year already!

This year though, I went for me but the day became about The Smile Coach, I spoke to so many amazing people, amazing companies, amazing products!

I know I can't just give you a big list but I will try and share some pics of products and what I made from them with you, the best thing is just speaking to people who.... just get it!

So first up I found these amazing noodles...Oomi noodles...made from Fish protein, low carb, low cal, high protein, gluten free....I asked the people manning the stand if they taste fishy and instead of selling me a pack to try, they gave me a pack with a free coolbag too, love a gimmick!

I've got to admit that I was dubious, I don't like the smell or taste of fish, something I do wish I could rectify...any hypnotists out there??? So, I bought them home and its been a longtime since I've had a stirfry with noodles..I have had rice noodles in the past but have always loved the sturdier egg noodles....well Oomi is the best replacement, that you'll ever find, A M A Z I N G!!!

That free pack was a fantastic gift, because I will now hunt them down in a supermarket and will be buying them regularly, here's a pic or too of the pack and created.....so lovely and didn't taste of fish at all!

What is that lady doing?

Can't miss this pack in the shops!

The Best Stirfry!

I tried colourful new products on the Gosh stand, beautiful flavours, vibrant colours, elegant flavours. Beetroot wraps on the Warburtons stand...and then we met Martin and his new baguette on the Genius stand, we had a good laugh with him, the baguette got the better of us all! Tesco's, Asda...you name them, they were there...there's a GF Lemon Meringue Pie coming to a Tesco near you soon and will be my new go to pud when going to a dinner date or inviting people to mine!

Martin and his hilarious Baguette, thanks Genius!

For the health conscious amongst us  I found a couple of products that I can't wait to get my hands on more of, they were Wyldsson Plant based Protein Powder and their Vegan Nutella...all available on Amazon, absolutely no rubbish in them, the offer I bought on the day was amazing and I now wish I'd bought so many more of their products! 

Last year, I helped a friend, Pam to gain her PT qualification and really got into using Protein Powder but everyone I bought contained hidden wheat and didn't make me feel great, so ever since then I've been looking for one that contains no hidden rubbish....and I've finally found it! I'll be setting up amazon as soon as I run out of my first pack and the Vegan Nutella.......wowsers!!! Heavenly! Cannot explain how happy it made me. Reordering soon.... I tried to get a better deal but he told me he'd be rowing a boat back to Dublin if he did, so I let him off and said I'd still mention his amazing products in the blog, lol!!! You've got to hustle, when you can! #Wyldsson can't get enough!

Get these high Protein products on Amazon!

Also the Protein Ball Co provided fantastic run chat, gorgeous flavours and the revelation that they are only based along the coast from me in Worthing, just a short trip from Hastings, yet an even shorter trip would be to a supermarket near me. 

I'll be looking out for them at future races, (hopefully the Beachy Head Marathon in October), I also witnessed my first free sample rage, here, with a man that seemed very determined to try all the flavours, more than once, I thought a single ball was polite, he didn't....

So near to me......

The second sampler rage was a lady at the Tesco stall, who physically pushed me out of the way over a sausage, it was such a strong push, I thought it was my mum! I couldn't help but laugh... I mean they were good sausages, but.....lol!

We had many laughs throughout the day, its a day out where you don't need to think about buying lunch...and even the Vodka samples come Gluten free!

Gluten Free Vodka from Riverside Spirits, Gorgeous Flavours! 

The biggest company Schar (can't find the German a) give out free tickets in the months before the weekend, you can take part in full-on dinner sampling sessions, if you're quick enough, when they release the times, you can learn so much, try so much and buy so much.... plus don't forget your free goody bags! 

Hopefully I've sold the show to you and next year, we'll all go on a day out together, allergy bods, vegans and everyone in between all squished on a coach, awaiting an amazing day with big Smiles on our faces, otherwise, you can't get on the Smile Coach's Smile Coach!

So that's my gluten free story with a fun ending! This week I'll find out more...or not, whatever the results, there's no way back for me, sensitivities may become more milder but I'll be avoiding Gluten and Wheat forever! The world is catching up though, the shops are getting easier to contend with, although they do insist in replacing gluten with sugar! Unprocessed is the way to be!

I have more products to tell you about but will save them for another day!

Life is far too short, to not look over your day and think of one thing that made you happy! 

Be it a yellow sticker or winning the lottery, we've all got those happy things, although mine are quite simple!

Keep Smiling Smilers! It makes the world go round!

Lots of love Emma, The Smile Coach xxx

www.thesmilecoachforyou.co.uk

Please keep the positive feedback and comments coming. :)

Blog no 3: The Smile Coach continues........

Wow, Wow, Wow!!!

I think each blog is going to start with Thank Yous but how could I not? I thought over 350 readers for my first blog was an achievement but then blog number 2 came along and you have all now read it over 1200 times!

Maybe in the grand scheme of Social Media it's not on a Kardashian level, but to me, that is more than I could have ever hoped for and more, you are all amazing! Thank you so much for your support.

So what has The Smile Coach been up to lately?

Well, the concept of The Smile Coach continues to grow, my band of merry Smilers is increasing frequently, all still blasting their goals to pieces. A bit like the England Team today against Panama....it isn't often that you can say that!

I'm trying out a small group session, for anyone that would like to try out having a Smile Coach and doesn't mind talking in front of their friends, I'll keep you posted on this idea through future blogs.

I'm also now setting my mind towards creating a website, my biggest mind block! I have come to realise that I need a home for all of my information, a one stop shop for all things Smile Coach!

I have been creating the information to post....I just need some pictures and may have to have some taken...eeekkkkk!

Another shadow from the past, you may think I have no problem posting pics on my own Facebook page which I don't, but I will have approved them before I post them.

At times, my mind very easily reverts back to the nearly size 24 Emma, the one that would do anything not to be in a picture, or would hide in the background, anything but be centre stage in a shot, with the result being photographic evidence of how big I looked and felt, even though at that point in time I may have been enjoying life.

Selfie with my Lifey!

These days, I'll get in a selfie with friends (whatever thoughts maybe going through my head) because although I may not find it the easiest thing in the world, you have got to live life, have fun and most importantly SMILE!!! Memories are great things to create!

Some recent fun and memory creating has been a trip to Thorpe Park with my friend Lucy to celebrate her birthday.

We had a lovely sunny day, not too many people, so queues were minimal and a whole day of catching up and putting the world to rights! This is a therapy in itself, something that should be prescribed on the NHS, friend time, it's such a precious thing!

Why am I blabbering on? Well, another reason that I feel qualified to be The Smile Coach is that i have lived a life that many are trying to escape from, a few years ago, at my biggest, I went to Thorpe park with Mr W for what was meant to be a fun day out, just us, just fun.

One of the first rides we came to.....Vortex....it looked fun, we decided to queue, we waited and waited, and then came our turn.....

What I'm about to share with you, until now has been kept a closely guarded secret, only a few know and only that few, really know the mortifying impact that it had on me. And now I'm about to share it with the world, but that's ok because the more you share, the less active your brain becomes with all that over thinking and sometimes people surprise you with their reaction and you realise that the world isn't such a bad place.

 The wake up call that I wasn't yet ready for.

So jumping back into that queue....what happened, the ride finished it's current turn, those people were let off, we were let in, we found our seats...have you guessed yet?

We sat in those seats, facing the other 30 people or so on the ride, the safety harnesses mechanically came down individually over us and then stopped, at this point we were meant to finish off by plugging in the little seat belt bit in, my harness was no where near where it needed to be, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make it work, I shuffled about, hoping that no one would notice and that maybe I could make it fit....I couldn't.

Mr W was safely done up and ready to go, the ride operators were coming round to make the last checks, they got to me, they tried, 2 of them nearly jumping on it, to try to plug it in, me going redder and redder at all this attention!

Eventually my horror came to an end, they told me that I couldn't ride safely so I would have to leave the ride.....I had to do the walk of shame, tears in my eyes, I just couldn't believe it, mortified doesn't even nearly cover how I felt, ashamed, gutted, dying inside and out, those phrases are still not enough.

Mr W, forever by my side, did his best to console me, the rest of that day is still a blur, I couldn't tell you if i managed to fit on any other rides because I have blanked the rest of my memory from that unforgettable day. Yet, I still wasn't ready to change, that came later!

Coming back to present day, a day at Thorpe Park sounds fun to most and it is now fun to me because of all the changes that I've made I can now fully sit in those seats, no worries and enjoy every moment, the up's, the down's the round and round's! And I do... because I will never forget the feelings from that day.

The first time I went on Vortex afterwards was with my Lifey (see selfie) and I finally laid to rest all the bad feeling between myself and that ride, last week though it was closed, but I at least managed to take a pic for the blog......

This horrendous episode is just another reason why The Smile Coach can work, why it does work, I have been there, Weight loss, Anxiety, Health and many other things.

One size doesn't fit all, but one smile does, so if you are sitting there reading this, feeling stuck in whatever situation you are in, think about contacting me, I've now bared my sole, maybe I can help to heal yours before you end up in a situation like I did, or help you to move away from these situations.

In future blogs I'll write about other subjects too, so you see how my concept fits all areas of motivation and confidence building but my weight loss is where it all began.

My Smilers say they love the fact that their goals are their own personalised plan, just for them, you can have one too......

I now have some business cards for contact, I ordered 250, I seem to have given most of them out already, so will be ordering more soon, but here's a pic of one so that you know how to get hold of The Smile Coach.

It's official, I have a card!

Today I ran a 10K race in my club colours, I wasn't first, I wasn't last but the most important thing was that I got up and did it!

It was a very hot morning, with plenty of hills, but instead of moaning about them, I appreciated the gorgeous country lanes that I ran down, feeling the sun through my duvet cover of a club t shirt ( I've shrunk since I last wore it, always a good thing!), the fields I saw, the huge cows in those fields and some of the not so lovely countryside smells!

I tried to finish with a smile but in those conditions and with a uphill, round the corner finish it was a tall order so maybe I'll just show you a smiley pic!

I guess it's time to finish this blog episode, please leave me any positive feedback you can and spread the word of The Smile Coach. Many people have said they tried to comment on Blogger but were unable to, I think that I have now fixed that and you should be able to this time.

Hopefully you've enjoyed reading about one of my most mortifying moments on this planet! Nothing's sacred! But hopefully you can see how I've turned such a negative into a positive!

One last note before I go....the Bikini had another outing!

This time I wore it at my local pool, it was a long walk from my towel into water deep enough to cover me up...but I did it! I also told myself that those eyes coming my way, were just them thinking how lovely I was! Who knows, but it worked for me and I'm still smiling! I hope you are too! Until next time, stay smiling!

Emma

The Smile Coach xxx

Blog No 2: Did The Smile Coach follow her own advice?

Welcome to blog number 2 from The Smile Coach!

What advice? What's she talking about? We'll get to that bit in a min but first......

I need to say a MASSIVE thank you for all of your absolutely amazing comments, I really was blown away by all of your positive words, it has completely empowered me to push this idea forward, I've been researching and increasing my knowledge a lot since my last blog as you've given me the belief that this isn't just a silly idea but that it is the future and this is just the beginning!

I'm coaching some amazing ladies currently and the changes they are making are incredible, although I won't go into that too much on here, you just need to know that they are making fantastic changes for themselves by themselves by sailing through my 10 session plan completely tailored to them, again by them, with a little input from me but when we get together it just seems to happen and rainbows of opportunities open up, and by the next time we meet they're on their way to achieving their goals even more! It really is amazing! I'm learning from them as much as they are from me! If you want to find out more about becoming a "Smiler" get in touch with me on here or via Facebook and we can make a start!

Hopefully The Smile Coach and her Smilers can take over the world, life really is too short for sadness and negativity, even when you're not feeling your best, just a little smile or a chat can really make someone's day! Be happy, be healthy and the rest will fall into place!

So when I left you at the end of my last blog I was about to fly off into the sunset with one of my lovely sister's and 5 friends for some fun 30th birthday celebrations!

And what a blooming fantastic time we had.....so much fun, many cocktails, sun, sea but none of the other S...Sangria but only because we were in the wrong country!

The English girls certainly arrived and gave the kind hard working hotel staff a good taste of the season to come. I think we entertained them as much as they entertained us, they didn't really know what had hit them! But we did earn an amazing souvenir plate/ornament for our efforts, it certainly was a well earned prize!

It was a lovely reminder that sometimes we all need to take some time out from normal everyday life, it doesn't need to be a big trip, camping in a field in the sunshine has just as many advantages, but we do need to do it. Practising Mindfulness is important whether you are aware of what that means or not, we all need to, just take a few minutes to breathe and relax, listen to what your body is telling you.

I made sure that I had a few moments all to myself, just to think, to look at the beautiful Aegean Sea, to be thankful that I'd worked hard enough to get myself to the point of sitting with my feet in the pool with that beautiful view and silence all around.....until everyone else appeared on our balconies anyway!

I did miss Team Wareham immensely back home, all going about their daily routine, but I knew they were all safe and happy so I was safe too.

It made me realise that we all need time out every now and then, just to be able to go back with new energy and maybe a slightly more enhanced outlook than before, we're all growing and sometimes a little rest does wonders!

A quiet moment all to myself.

Getting back to the title of this blog...did I take my own advice? 

In Blog 1 I explained that I was planning on wearing a bikini on this trip, something that I had never done before, not even as a kid, that was mainly because as a kid we always had a family beach chalet and we mainly wore whatever my totally bonkers Nanny Bus Bus had scavenged from the beach and hung up in the chalet! There was always a pair of shoes in every size hanging on the hooks waiting to be borrowed by some unsuspecting guest! 

Anyway I'm moving away from the subject but that lady that I loved so much needed a mention somewhere in my blogs, she was the best sun lounger tent maker ever!

So did I do it? The answer is....yes I bloody did!!! And it felt great! The world didn't stop, I may not have been the smallest in or around the pool but I certainly had a confidence that I've never had before! 

Once we arrived at the hotel and after the first cocktail, we were shown to our rooms...and swim up pools...so I had to, we all couldn't get changed quick enough and I really had a now or never moment, whats stops us most of the time is ourselves and I defiantly thought NO, I'm not giving into my worries, I'm going to do it once and for all! And I did! 

Me, on another day in the Sea, I did it more than once! 

For years I thought I couldn't, who told me that I couldn't? Me, Me, Me and the way the world made me feel at times! We limit ourselves, I'm not doing it anymore, I'm bored of that, I'm going to fly high...and try not to get shot down! Ha Ha!!

Now that I am The Smile Coach it is my mission to add a smile to everyone's life that wants it, including mine and I definitely want it! Whats not to love about Happiness and Balance? Have fun, work hard, enjoy!

Whats coming up next in my life?

I'm still increasing my knowledge to turn a passion into a business, familywise there may be a camping trip on the horizon, weather depending, I am a fair weather camper! 

And of course I want to see what you all think of this blog.... Answers on a postcard please, or just a Blogger or Facebook comment will do, again thank you for reading and here's to moving further forward ready for blog number 3!

Keeping Smiling!!!

Emma

(I fully apologise for the amount of exclamation marks in this blog but I don't know any other way to convey the importance of being happy and grateful for the little things to the big things in life!)

Who is The Smile Coach?

Who is the Smile Coach?

There is a very long answer to that question and I hope to answer it in this, my very first post as The Smile Coach.

My idea of being The Smile Coach has been growing in my head for the last few years, its something I've slowly worked on, in between the ups and downs of life.

I've watched, I've listened and I've learnt and now I hope to cultivate something that will be my bright future but there's a long way to go to get to that point, we're all on a journey after all!

In reality, I'm Emma, I'm 38, I'm a wife, I'm a mum to 2 beautiful children, I'm rich in friends and family, I work hard, I am a runner, I play netball, I started a running group which I love leading every week (Bin Runners Rock!) and I don't often sit down for long! But who does, right?

I have always been on the larger side of slim, there is photographic evidence of me being a size 14 at the age of 14, and it's only now at the age of 38 that I'm back there!

Since 2009 I've lost over 6 stone, my trigger for this journey was that I was becoming unhealthy, my gallbladder became blocked in 2008, I spent a week with constant pins and needles all over my body and look very unwell, I had a few gallbladder attacks, including Christmas eve 2008, which was so bad that Christmas morning with my then 2 year old daughter Aimee felt like an oscar winning performance in enjoying watching her open her presents, yet i was in so much pain and wiped out from the night before and I never even saw Santa come down the chimney!

I didn't want to be that big, I was wearing size 22 clothes and was beginning to need a 24, I really didn't want to go there.....so I began to make changes, those small changes slowly began to be become bigger changes and eventually it began to pay off.

In April 2009, I changed jobs, so started in a new office, one of those changes was that I told myself that the cakes in the corner weren't for me because I was new, so that I wouldn't eat them.

Small mindset changes have become a method that I have used all the way along to help me change my behaviours and take control of who I am and who I want to be.

So why has it taken me so long?

Mainly because I do not have the kind of body that easily drops weight, in 2008 I was diagnosed with an Underactive Thyroid and at a point where I took myself to the docs because I thought I was going mad, along came the diagnosis of having a Vitamin B12 Deficiency, which explained the extreme brain fogs that I suffered and still do, but now I know that it means time to top up rather than let it slide. I still think there's another hormone imbalance to blame but I'm no doctor and wouldn't know what to ask for.

As well as food changes I began to make fitness changes, I found a love for spinning, which was fun but bulked me up when i need to lose then tone, I have tried many different classes, from legs,bums and tums, to Zumba to my ultimate all time favourite FightKlub, Troy Dureh's empire is amazing and I even became a world record holder when myself and my Lifey (a very special friend) took part in the worlds biggest Boxing Exercise class in 2015!

I've done fitness weekends, circuit classes, ( I now try not to as I don't like people shouting at me!), swimming, walking, weights, Piyo, Yoga, you name it, I've been there and tried it!

 Running and Netball are the two that have remained with me and I think its because everytime you take part in one of them you have a totally different experience to the last time.

This was me April 2009,3 times the size as my friend!

Luckily in 2018, There is a little less of me!

So where am I going with this Smile Coach Thing??? 

There is a lot more to my path and I hope to cover all of that in other posts, but throughout the years people that I talk to have always asked me Where do i get my willpower from? and they wish that they had my determination.

I have 9 years coaching experience in other areas and that the discussions that I have with my coachees seem to lead to breaking many barriers and them moving onto better things so now I'd like to link that experience into motivating people to get fitter and healthier. 

When I've mentioned my ideas to people, the first thing they say is "Oh, like a Personal Trainer" but no it isn't that, it's helping clients get to the point where they feel confident enough to hire a Personal Trainer, changing mindset and smashing barriers down together helping to make things not seem so scary thorough goal setting and habit changing. The best label I can give it is Life Coach, to give understanding to what I'd like to do.

Basically I'd love to give that determination and willpower to others to enable them to do whatever they want to do!

What's stopping me?

I'm slowly getting there, I'm building plans, I'm working with some clients (who are seeing some amazing results!) in order to gain confidence in coaching the methods that I know do work, I'm researching networking and gaining more qualifications for coaching.

I'm growing my confidence in putting my ideas out there, I'm proof my ideas work, but the world of Self Employment is a scary thought and I don't want to get it wrong. 

I don't know how to build websites, what to eventually charge, how to keep the clients coming' although I'm finding that I'm acting upon things once I've said it out loud, I'm a massive over thinker, so my head whirls with so much information that by starting this blog you can join me on this part of my journey, maybe help me out with info, give me your suggestions, inspire me!

I'm also working on myself, nobody's perfect but you can always learn and improve!

What's next for The Smile Coach?

Well hopefully if you are reading this it means that I have had the courage to post this Blog for the first time!

I then plan to continue building The Smile Coach platform, moulding it into the vision that is in front of me!

This week I will be celebrating few firsts too! I am going away with 7 friends to a beautiful Greek Island to celebrate my sister's 30th birthday, (I've never done this before!) And for me the biggest achievement is that on this trip in my suitcase will be a........Bikini!!!!! I've never owned one before and I'm just going to go for it, you only live once and I've spent many years hiding away, not anymore! 

The Smile Coach and her wobbly bits will be wearing a smile with pride, after all if I don't follow my advice who will??? 

Thanking you for reading my first post, hopefully one of many, but maybe the next one will be after my Greek trip! I hope I've brought a smile to your face and that you will follow my chosen career path in making the world Smile!