Thursday, March 27, 2014

WHAT REALLY IS THE REWARD?????

So I was bright and early to see my doctor this morning.. he put me on the scale ( still makes me cringe) ... he said to you know there is an Alfred Hitchcock movie called  THE LADY VANISHES..   and that is you! ..  .. went into exam room.. and he said I have dropped  WEIGHT more since our last visit... I told him how i had been feeling... resentful towards myself... ( silly I know) ...  and how I kept wondering what all this hard work was for... what was my reward... and rather firmly he looked at me and said.. something very simple yet something I needed to really hear... 

YOUR REWARD HONI, IS NOT BEING MORBIDLY OBESE OR OBESES ANY LONGER and THAT IS IT! .. 

Now do you want to be OBESE?? ( I said no.. of course) ... 

.....I....

 guess I kept looking for more... and not looking at the most important thing... which is exactly what he said... He He also said if I stayed  right where I am now and just maintained that would be great.. and if I wanted to go ahead and lose 19-20 more pounds like I want to do.. that that is great too.. and he thoroughly believes I can ... but I need to remember what I have accomplished and that there are changes... wether I chose to see them or not.. He also said... I need to have the EMG ... anad he explained  why... and he also explained long before OBAMACARE that  getting diagnostic tests for patients who really need more studying has become increasingly difficult ... and that it is a battle with the insurance companies.. he said it had been over 5 years since my last MRI of my neck and we need to see if more nerve impingement has occured.. in fact  some of this flare from my Fibro could actually be my neck... so I am going to go ahead and have the EMG... take the new meds from the Rhuematologist and  then even if I am denied a MRI again  my doctor said he will make it happen... and deal with the insurance himself...  He explained  .. we are following protocol.. and they will have sufficent evidence that more  diagnostics are needed to properly find out what is happening...  
So that is where I am at ...

 Today I finally get the Reward.. the Reward is very simply just what the doctor said....  
So much like  the weight loss.. no grand epiphany... there is no grand epithany ..  as I get smaller ...  aside from the usual.. fitting into nicer clothes... shopping is easier....    moving is easier....   the biggest reward.. is that I am  NOT a MORBIDLY OBESE- OBESE person....  that I am  pretty much an average size woman now...  and I need to take some time and be proud of this journey... 
My job now is to maintain and  lose more if I choose... 

I think what a lot of people never learn .. are the simple truths about the journey... the whole journey.... 

 When one loses a lot  of weight.... those desires to   go back to old eating patterns do not just  go away... they are always there and will always be there.... and that in my thought process just has to be accepted...  I feel like accepting that notion gives you strength .. becauase then all it becomes is a choice... for example.... I can eat a pizza ... but it really won't make me feel better... I can  eat french fries.. but its not going to do anything for me... Or I can make healthier choices... and  benifit my body with good nutrition... and give myself what I need... 

 I have also learned to always stop and ask myself am I hungry or really just thirsty... so before I eat anything I drink.. and then I have my answer.. sometimes I am just thirsty and not hungry... that has helped me too...

HAVE A GREAT DAY !  KEEP ON KEEPING ON!!


Wednesday, March 26, 2014

IT CAN ALWAYS BE WORSE

IT  is one of those things I have to remind myself of...

IT CAN ALWAYS BE


                                                          WORSE......


  Today I got the official diagnosis of early osteoarthritis in my hands.. this will be treated with an anti-inflammatory drug  I have not tried before and I don't remember the name off hand..
I go for my physical and will discuss it tomorrow with my doctor..

Same conversation different doctor  from today

 :     " You are on the right path but you must work on your sleep and try and avoid stress as much as you can"  " you also need to do stretching and strengthening exercises as well.. "   " oh and I can send you to a pain clinic ....where they will give you drug therapies that will  mask your pain and ultimately impede your exercise and more natural methods of achieving a feeling of well being.....well.. uhmmmm okay that was not exactly what she said...  I embellishing on it after she did say "  I can send you to a pain clinic" ...... so then I got to go into the hospital and get my hands  X rayed to look for abnormalities.... which she did not think at this time she would find any....  OH and the last thing she said was ... did I know they were suspecting I might have other  autoimmune diseases but from her testing and the way I responded ... it does not  appear to be anything more than Fibromyalgia , Chronic pain,  Spinal Stenosis , and Osteoarthritis...   okay... Well I never had known they suspected  I might have  an Autoimmune issue ... well I guess Fibro falls in that category but ... good grief...  I was glad when that was all over...

 At first when I left.. I sat in my car and was mad... I was resentful with myself....
I know it sounds really silly because in the grand scheme of life..... things could be far worse...

But here my mind wanders off and thinks... After all the work I have done  over the last 8 months .. this is my reward???? 

 It made me mad to think like that.. but it was truly how I felt as the hot tears of frustration leaked down my cheeks...  Just one more thing I did NOT  need added to my little bag of  "FUN" .

AGAIN I STRESS I KNOW THIS IS NOT A BIG DEAL....

     but....... for that instant .. to me it was...

Did in my heart of hearts I really think that the weight loss was going to solve it all for me.... perhaps I did....

but the reality is... very simple indeed..

 I am 51 years old... and shit .. is just gonna happen...  age.. happens... and it sure beats the alternative... My father and his mother ( my grandmother) both had osteoarthritis in their hands..so genetically I am predisposed to having it ...

 Weight is still being maintained and as my body adjusts will keep moving downwards...
Overall I feel good.. aside from the pain...
I just  have to remember that .. some things just are ... and maybe there are no answers..
and the solution is just surviving and finding natural alternatives to help you along..

Remember it can always be

         WORSE... 

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

CHOOSING YOUR POWER

WOULDN'T IT BE AMAZING IF WE COULD ALL HAVE A SUPER POWER??


XRAY VISION    
                                              READING SOMEONE'S MIND


ABILITY TO FLY


                                            MASSIVE STRENGTH


ABILITY TO CHANGE THE WEATHER


                                                                      SHAPE SHIFTING..


HMMM 


SHAPE SHIFTING ... 


 THAT WOULD BE COOL...


BUT .. I  digress...


 WE  do have an ability ... we do have one  power...


We do have one... the one thing that  may not seem to change our circumstances  in the immediate future but ULTIMATELY   does make a huge difference..


We  are blessed with the ability to chose how we think..


IF we choose to think we are TRAPPED  


then we are ...  I believe there is always an escape hatch... to a mode of thinking...


In life sometimes there are no escape hatches for example .. if you have a terminal illness... that is something you have to somehow walk through... and  God Willing.. you  can find ways to see  good and happy things even then...  It seems many of those people in that type of fight... decide though the odds are against them to be positive anyway... they cherish each day ... they fight each day to get one more day...


We on the other hand... who do not have that diagnosis but  might be battling our own  wars  that seem like terminal illness... sometimes we need to step back and  take a real look at things... and fix what needs to be fixed..


Most of the time.. it is one thing.... that one simple power we have..


Each of us owns this one valuable power...


THE WAY WE THINK...


IF YOU THINK THE WORLD IS YOUR ENEMY 


 EVERYTHING IS:


 BLACK AND GREY   


WELL then ... it pretty much is... because that is the way you are choosing to see the world..


YOUR WORLD...   you think you are powerless... but the fact is you are powerful..


My  diagnosis of Fibromyalgia and Chronic pain... are great mind fuckers...  sorry if that offends you... but there are NO two words better suited for  FMS and CP  than 


 MIND FUCKERS... 

 sometimes the pain is so over whelming that I just want to give up..


     CALL IT QUITS...


                           SIGN OUT
GIVE UP                 
                       
                                          TUNE OUT....


I do not sleep well.. so I do not get the  advantage of restorative sleep to help me...


so I wage war on the one thing I do have control over and that is my thinking...


trust me it is  a .....


CONSTANT WAR


I FIND  THOUGH...


I usually do much better when I am kind to myself..


when I think good thoughts...


when I search for the best in life rather than the worst..


When I look for the best in others instead of focusing on the worst ...


When I look for the best in myself instead of focusing on the worst...


When I believe in positive things instead of focusing on the worst...


When I choose peaceful thoughts instead of focusing on the worst..


When I honestly look at my mistakes... and stop focusing on the worst..


WHEN I FIX MY THINKING ...


CHOOSE MY POWER ...


THINGS AUTOMATICALLY START HEALING...


LIFE IS FULL OF CHALLENGES ..


NO MATTER WHAT YOU TRY AND DO SOMETIMES YOU MIGHT NOT MAKE THE BEST CHOICES... 


 or something unexpectedly negative might happen that day ...


IF YOU DWELL ON THE NEGATIVE OF THOSE CHOICES..  HOW CAN YOU EXPECT SOMETHING POSITIVE TO HAPPEN???


or the bad thing that happened that day ..... HOW DO YOU FIND THE POSTIVE???


Jimmy Buffet has a great Song..


BREATH IN BREATH OUT AND MOVE ON   <<< CLICK FOR VIDEO..


 HERE ARE LYRICS :


  I bought a cheap watch from a crazy man
Floating down canal
It doesn't use numbers or moving hands
It always just says now
Now you may be thinking that I was had
But this watch is never wrong
And If I have trouble the warranty said
Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On

And it rained, It was nothing really new
And it blew, we've seen all that before
And it poured, the Earth began to strain
Pontchartrain leaking through the door, tides at war

If a hurricane doesn't leave you dead
It will make you strong
Don't try to explain it just nod your head
Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On

[Guitar Solo]
And it rained, It was nothing really new
And it blew, seen all that before
And it poured, the Earth began to strain
Pontchartrain buried the 9th Ward to the 2nd floor

According to my watch the time is now
Past is dead and gone
Don't try to shake it just nod your head
Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On

Don't try to shake it just bow your head
Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On



THE TIME IS NOW :  TO BREATH IN ... BREATH OUT .. AND MOVE ON...


HOW ON EARTH DO YOU EXPECT TO MOVE ON..????


CHOOSE YOUR POWER WISELY..


Think of it this way:


A  Positive Attitude takes less energy than a Negative one..


A Positive Attitude  has far more  COLOR AND DEPTH ....


You can go so much farther .. when you focus on the good in life rather than the bad..


CHOOSE YOUR POWER....


Although I still wouldn't mind if I could shape shift...  


Have a great day ..

Thursday, March 13, 2014

IT HAPPENS

Soo I am not exactly what you would call happy at the moment .. 

I am up 1.4 pound today... 

Though I did expect this to happen .l was hoping It would not..


 Sooo we call all the tools we use Feedback ...

 Here are the things I know...

Tuesday I ate lunch and Dinner out.. That's the way the circumstances of the day fell..

 I made healthy choices but .. I did not prepare my own food..
I also have taken a caloric increase going from eating 800-1000 calories a day to 1000-1200.
Still with in acceptable guide lines...

 However maybe not for me if I want to loose weight.. ??? I just am not sure..

Things we already know.. 

I am limited in my ability to work out so I need to consider that..

 However I can walk more so I can do that..

Perhaps I should lower the calories back to the 800-1000 range.. ??

Or do I give my body a couple more weeks to adjust while trying to increase movement 

.. My thinking is that if within the week If I see another spike .. I would lower my daily calories back to the 800-1000 range.
.because my body seems to have lost weight best in that range... On Medifast 

sigh..... 

The truth...

I just am not sure..

 I know my choices are all healthy now..

I just need to figure out my dynamics again..with careful monitoring I am sure I can. 

Soo I am slightly bruised today ....

still in learning mode as I learn what works for me...

The other thought floating in my mind is the SCALE 

Once a week or should I grab another day like Sunday to see if I am moving in the right direction..

.my biggest annoyance is becoming scale obsessive.

I know people like that..I will not walk that dark path...

Honi the scale is a tool ..that's it!!!

Have a Rock Solid day!!!

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

JAWBONE UP

SO LOVING THIS DEVICE... ITS EASY PEASY TO LEARN HOW TO USE 
 DOWNLOADED THE  APP FOR MY IPHONE 
SYNCED IT UP.. AND WATCHING IT WORK ... THIS LITTLE THING WILL HELP ME  ON MY JOURNEY TO HELP MYSELF..
JAWBONE UP    <<<  THATS THE LINK TO THE DEVICE..   I GOT THE WIRED ONE... BUT THE OFFER A UP24 THATS BLUETOOTH ...

GOT MINE ON AMAZON FOR 100.00 ( AMAZON PRIME)


LOOKING FORWARD TO LEARNING ALONG THE WAY

Saturday, March 8, 2014

I WAS MORBIDLY OBESE

IN A WORLD OF PERFECTION....
I always stood out..  ...
 I stood out not for beauty's sake.. 
 I stood about because I was large..
big...
round..
hunky...
 huge...
fat... 
a big girl....
husky ...
rotund...
 fleshy...
and so forth.. 


 I always hated flying or sitting next to people I did not know... you know.. my fat ass falling into a side of their seat... being squished next to someone who I did not know.. or being squished next to someone I did know..it was always embarrassing to me... I always dreaded seatbelts on the airplane too.. would it fit.. and I would never ask for a seatbelt extender I would just hold myself in and try not to touch to the best of my ability the person sitting next to me on a flight... lets face that... that was impossible.. especially if the person next to me was big too...  I was always worried about my spillage into the seat next to me...
At Parties or Events...
I always looked around .. when I entered a room or went somewhere to see if I was the largest person there... and in many cases I was ... 


WAS...


I was...  told things.. I was told in no uncertain terms by a doctor  that I was definitely going to get diabetes ..  ( how in the hell did he know that...  ohhhh statistically he knew that... and he applied his random knowledge that earned him his degree in Orthopedic Medicine that I was going to be a Diabetic because I was fat...   (IDIOT!)  


No one knows... what will happen to you.. but when you are Morbidly Obese you set yourself  on a path of the higher risks  of things not going well for you...


Morbidly Obese...


I was Morbidly Obese...  


In the study of Morbid Obesity here is what I possibly had to look forward to at that size.. this is a general overview:


Health Risks

The following health problems are associated with morbid obesity:

High Blood Pressure

Persistently elevated blood pressure, or hypertension, is much more common in people who are obese. Hypertension can lead to the development of heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, and arterial blockage.

Heart Disease

Heart disease, including heart attack and congestive heart failure, is six times more likely in obese persons. In fact, severely obese persons have 40 times the risk of dying suddenly from a heart attack, as compared to the non-obese.

High Cholesterol Levels

Obesity contributes to high blood cholesterol levels and thus to a higher incidence of heart disease and high blood pressure.

Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus, specifically adult-onset or type II diabetes, is ten times more common in people who are obese. Persistently elevated blood sugar causes tissue damage throughout the body, leading to kidney failure, blindness, heart attack, stroke, and arterial blockage in the legs which can result in amputation.

Respiratory Problems

People who are overweight often feel "winded" after slight physical exertion and need to stop and catch their breath. This is caused by a heavier-than-normal chest wall, which makes full expansion of the lungs more difficult. Any activity that requires a greater demand for oxygen will result in shortness of breath. Exercise or even daily activities, such as climbing stairs, housework, or running to catch a train, become difficult to perform.
The major breathing problems caused by severe obesity are sleep apnea syndrome and obesity hypoventilation syndrome. Sleep apnea is when a person stops breathing temporarily during sleep. In an overweight person, this is caused by fat compressing the neck and blocking the windpipe, which causes loud snoring and periods of "not breathing". This results in poor quality and restless sleep due to the lack of oxygen and, subsequently, to daytime drowsiness. Most people are unaware that they have this problem, but the health effects can be devastating, including heart rhythm disturbances and even sudden death.

Gastroesophageal Reflux

Acid reflux, or heartburn, is common in obese persons for several reasons. Acid in the stomach is normally prevented from going back up the esophagus, or swallowing tube, by a valve. The valve can be overcome by increased pressure in the stomach, the result of consuming a large meal. A heavy belly only aggravates this condition. Consequently, food and acid can wash back up into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation. In severe cases, the food and acid can reach all the way up into the wind-pipe (trachea) and be inhaled, which can result in severe pneumonia or lung injury.

Urinary Stress Incontinence

Many obese women experience urinary stress incontinence. This typically can occur when the bladder valve is overcome by the pressure of a heavy belly pressing against the bladder, combined with increased pressure from a cough, sneeze or laugh.

Degenerative Arthritis

Obesity can accelerate wear and tear of the lower back and weight-bearing joints (hips, knees, ankles, feet), leading to degenerative arthritis. Arthritis in the lower back can lead to nerve compression and chronic pain. Arthritis in the joints can cause problems with walking, and may eventually require joint replacement surgery. However, many orthopedic surgeons refuse to perform surgery in severely overweight patients, until they lose much of their weight.

Venous Stasis Disease/Ulcers

The veins of the legs can carry blood back to the heart against gravity because they have one-way valves. These valves are more likely to breakdown as resistance against the blood increases, which is what happens as the abdomen grows heavier and heavier. When the valves fail, the legs become swollen and discolored and may even develop ulcers. Venous disease can be debilitating and rarely improves without weight loss.

Cancer

Studies have shown that overweight women have a higher risk of cancer of the breast, uterus, and ovaries. Obese men have a higher risk of having esophageal, colon and prostate cancer.

Skin Infections

Many overweight persons have skin that folds over on itself. The areas within the creases can become irritated from sweating and chafing, often leading to infections despite frequent bathing, and causes pain and discomfort. Skin cuts created from bra straps can also cause pain and become infected.

Infertility

The excess fat in women plays a significant role in changing the levels of estrogen and progesterone, resulting in irregular menstrual cycles and infertility. This can be reversed once weight loss




By the BMI charts.. according to my height.. I am OBESE  now...  leaning toward  OVER WEIGHT . almost there... My goal weight 132 pounds.. at 4ft 11 inches tall and a medium bone structure... still puts me in the Overweight category ... ..However if we go back and look at what I weighed when I started... I was 205.8 pounds... at 4ft 11 inches tall... I have lost 54.8 pounds now... 


( MY FITNESS PAL APP likes to tell me I have hit the 55 pound mark.. but not quiet yet... )


So comparatively speaking.. the BMI charts  say 99-119  and I'm goal setting  132~  FRANKLY
I really do not give a flying fuck about the BMI scale......  because I believe I can get to that weight  132  and stay with in 5 pounds of that goal.. ... I certainly do not see my 51 year old self weighing between 99-119 pounds as the BMI chart says would be NORMAL weight for me.. I am okay with it though... so is my doctor...so is my dietician .... its a realistic weight... in a  world of unrealistic expectations..


I realize also that my chance of staying at or near my goal weight according to statistics is between slim and none...


I also know myself well enough to know... I have always marched to the sound of a different drum  and never .. fallen into just simply a statistic...


I believe at any age it is always important to strive to be the best self you can be.... both physically healthy and  emotionally healthy... its a never ending process ....


 I hate seeing a lot of people who hit their 50s... just stop...  they become stuck in a certain rut and do not believe they can change anything... or maybe they really do not care... they focus on other things... and that's fine...


 I became fascinated with :  FAT ACCEPTANCE WEBSITES AND GROUPS...


I think about my friends who for medical reasons deal with obesity .. and struggle to stay healthy... those folks... I pray for... because they have a far harder experience than I do...


The folks who have tried a billion programs .. and never stuck with them.. and gained their weight back because they did nothing to change their habits... and then one day they just decided.. okay.. No more trying.. I am what I am .. and I will make the best of it....
On the one hand I admire that attitude..  but on the other hand.. when I look at the health risks of staying  where they are ... its frightening...  to be that ticking time bomb...


I have many friends who fall into the morbidly obese range but eat fairly healthy... and do their best to exercise...   THEY TRY...trying is good.. They are not stagnant ... 

I think about those who would rather give in then push out... 
I wonder if those that are complacent about it. ..their morbid obesity..if deep down they want to change... 

I also have read a lot about WLS and the one thing that grabs my attention is that many of these people consider the surgery their "fix" ..they make no changes other than the allowable quantity of food... They make no effort.. 

I greatly admire those that do though.. Those that follow a nutritional based program ..those who are rebuilding themselves from the inside out...

I greatly admire those who have found the fortitude to do it all themselves and now motivate folks like me..who are on their own journeys to a better life... 

It is my hope that one day I can pay it forward by motivating others to find their path... 




 For me.. .I   see  myself and my journey a lot like this article talks about from the Huffington Post..


please click and read ..FAT ACCEPTANCE   


I say this often and I say it loud... Live your life your way...YOUR AGE DOES NOT MATTER....    If you want to change.. anything in your life... begin now... It can be done... You can find what works for you to enhance your world...

Friday, March 7, 2014

WHAT DEFINES SUCCESS?

I  do not think that defining success is based on one moment... I think its all the billions of little moments that build up ... to that moment where you realize you are accomplishing your goals.... in each of those billions of moments... you are doing something.. to insure you are moving in the right direction.   that to me defines success..


Some people associate success by  reaching a set goal.. and they are steadfast that you have to reach that goal otherwise you are a failure... So success to them is something hard  , square and defined..


I like to think of success as flexible.. as ever changing.. as moldable to the moment you are in... for isn't each day that you get up.. breath.. move .. and live .. a success..


For many people... success is just defined by the numbers on the scale..  they do not look at other tools... for fate be damned if that scale has not moved 3-5 pounds then they are a failure... they do not look at the way they feel.. they do not look at how their body has changed.. they look at the numbers..


 During the course of my journey a very hard lesson for me has been that weight loss is not just about the numbers on the scale... you see .. the human body is flexible.. its ever changing .. so naturally with in each day .. each hour even.. those numbers  can fluctuate...


It is important to look at other things... the overall way you feel.. the way your body moves now compared to how it did 7 months ago... the way your clothes fit...
the confidence instilled now that you are on your way..  these things in and of themselves are also successes..


 I decided that I needed to break the last 19 pounds down.. 
So right now I only have 10 pounds to lose.. after that has left the building I will have 9 pounds left to my goal..
I decided if I broke the last 19 pounds down.. it made seem like a much smaller mountain to climb...


I know for many of my friends.. 19 pounds of fat is equivalent to  3 pounds... for they are on  much more mountainous  journeys than me... WHEN I AM DONE  I will have lost 73.8 pounds...  that amount for many of my friends .. is just their beginning.. So sometimes.. I feel a little selfish when I talk about my goals... but the reality is this.... my 73.8 pound total  ( when I get there).. is equivalent to their 150-200 or more weight loss.. because.. its my journey...


So I journey on... I aim towards my next success in the billions of  moments ahead... next stop 10 pounds... :-)


May we each continue on our successful journeys wherever they take us.
Have a Rock Solid weekend.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

DO YOU REALLY LISTEN TO YOUR BODY?


I can say I usually tell it shut up..

Chronic Pain/Fibromyalgia can make you think that way...
I know far too many people who have given in to their pain and are either bed bound or so loopy they barely function from all the pain killers they are on..


I decided a long time ago that would not be  path... I decided that the medications do not work and I do not like how they feel..
I decided even at my heaviest I was just going to live .. and do the best I could.. after all the pain could not get worse..


OPPS!


Even with the weight loss the pain has gotten worse.. much worse.. but I just deal with the day and do the best I can..


Some days are like today..
Aqua Zumba
Breakfast
Work
Lunch ( photo below)
Work
and just Living...


Some days are slower..
A little work
feeling crappy
A little more work
Fighting to get through the day..
Remembering to breath and just deal with it..


So .. most of the time I tell my body to SHUSH... and go on..
Saturday I started listening to my body when it started reacting to the medifast food I had been living on for the last 7 months... My body was  gagging... stomach aches.. nausea .. I started going back to old menus where I had great success.. still the same reaction.. feeling horrible..


Sunday I ate  Fresh, and whole foods.. real food.. Sunday .. I was not sick.. I had energy .. We rode 150 miles on the motorcycle with out stopping for a break..


I listened to her... now  on Thursday I am going to have metabolic testing to see how alive my metabolism is .. and what food I should be eating to help promote the rest of my journey to a healthy weight.. I am meeting with a dietician to basically come up with a individualized plan to finish the weight loss and get on the newest road of maintaining better health..


I will apparently always be burdened with my pain..


But .. I am in charge... well.. actually my body is in charge...


and I listened...


I  can not get over how much better I feel ..


Day three .. and things are going well..


I am also prepared for a little weight gain on Thursday do to increasing my carbs a bit and introducing different foods. The dietician said that is a possibility so don't freak out.. just give it time...


I liked that she asked me "what I wanted from her"   It gave me a chance to think for a minute and say.. I just want to create a individualize program for me.. of menus , foods
We will come up with a more accurate idea of Calories / Carbs/ Fats/ Sugars too.. for me based on how my body works..


For now:
Keeping the Carbs at about 100
Keeping the Calories at about 1000
Keeping the Sugar and Fat down too..


The dietician said this last haul is going to be a lot of work.. and a lot of finding out what my body will process  the best..
We shall see how this little science experiment goes..
Overall so far I am feeling much better  and that makes me happy..


So .. the question for you is ..


Do You REALLY LISTEN TO YOUR BODY???


Had a  Egg Scramble " for lunch today ..


Fresh kale
Garlic
a little sweet onion
red pepper
mushrooms
then I added 3/4 a cup egg beaters
and a small handful of 2% cheeses
seasoned it up.. and it was delightful..  good protein and veggies ..

Veggies sautéed prior to adding egg and cheese 











Monday, March 3, 2014

MOVING FORWARD

There are moments in life where you have to decide what is right for you... where you have to come to the conclusion that what you are doing is not working the way you need  it to be working .. so you have to adjust things...
That revelation came this weekend for me..
I realized I need to build up my foundation of Motivation 
I realized I needed to change what I am doing to reach my goal
I realized I needed a Honi livable life style plan 
I realized I needed more resources
I am building my resources
I created a Facebook page ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE 


I  am hoping I can help others even if it is just one person.. realize that no matter their AGE, SIZE, LIMITIATIONS ... that they can make changes... that life can get better... that the real hard core truth is we are the masters of our destiny .. its corny I know.. but it is the truth..


You have to stand up and fight for yourself and make your differences.. and your changes and the thing is .. No surgery .. No pills ... no diet .. no lifestyle is going to do it for you..


YOU IN THE CORE OF YOURSELF MUST MAKE A COMMITMENT TO YOURSELF TO CHANGE! ..


It is  complicated
It is messy
It is hard...


But in this life... what is not complicated... what is not hard..??? 


Easy is living  the same
LIVING really LIVING is using every cell in your body to make yourself the best that you can be..


I know my limitations because of my CP and FMS  ( CP - Chronic Pain   FMS-  Fibromyalgia Syndrome)   .. I know I won't ever win a medal for a marathon..
I know I won't go mountain biking,  hiking.. climbing   or race bicycles
I know  I can not even tolerate a exercise class


BUT!!!


I KNOW THESE THINGS TOO:


I  CAN SWIM!!
  I CAN WALK!!
I CAN DANCE!!
 I CAN MOVE!!


My endurance is building up..
The whole time through this weight loss adventure my pain level as increased ... not decreased.. I am guessing because I am more active and calling on muscles and nerves to be more responsive that ever before....
My Point is very simple...  that I do not let my LIMITATIONS.. stop me from moving forward..


Even though I changed my official weigh day to Thursday .. I got on the scale this morning... because I wanted to see if one day of eating healthy and weaning off of Medifast was going to be my demise...
guess what..
Yesterday I ate the following..


1 egg
half a piece of Steve's  homemade whole wheat bread
1 turkey sausage link


Tomato salad
1 hard boiled egg
half an apple


A medifast Shake


3 Vietnamese spring rolls ( Rice wraps stuffed with herbs, lettuces, shrimp cold and NOT fried.)


and a South Beach Bar


and a handful of almonds


Just at under 1000 calories..  
 
ON TSFL I was eating between 800- 1000 calories .... 5 of their meals  and one lean and green meal...


This morning the scale did not EXPLODE...
in fact I weighed exactly the same as I did on Thursday.. and that was an eye opener...


I kept the carbs in check
I kept the calories in check
I walked a little
We did a 150 mile nonstop motorcycle ride yesterday as well.


So the official weigh day is Thursday .. the new eating is going well.. I am studying the South Beach Books.. and so far I am liking everything I am reading.. and really loving the idea of eating fresh.. because I have already lost 54.4 pounds.. I am starting at phase 2 rather than phase 1.. 
I downloaded the SB app but was disappointed that the only way to get the latest info was to subscribe to the program for 5 bucks a week ...  SO I  got several of the books and put them on my Kindle App and have a wealth of resources from there...( cheaper than buying the hardbound books.. which I think somewhere I have the original book )


One huge factor of my success is the support I already have and  My biggest blessing on this Journey is my husband... who is my greatest support   and always tries to come up with new ideas to insure my success .. .


Okay... I know .. I know!!!!  You want some answers.... You want to know why and what's going on...


 Honi.. what are you saying... You have touted TSFL/MEDIFAST for 7 months... what's going on..????
SO.. here is what happened..


I was getting to the point I could not tolerate the food anymore...  gagging.. taking an hour to eat.. stomach issues...   I still handle the bars, shakes and  soft bakes fine..  I learned a lot ..  I have some great recipes for  good lean meals..  but everything else was just a slow torture to get into my body...
Both my husband Steve, and myself decided.. that my body was sending me a message... it needed a change..  this totally goes against anything TSFL teaches and I am aware of that.. but for me.. I know I needed to ACT now..rather than  REACT later .. REACT  by giving in .. and quitting and not following through.. which ... well.. that has been my hallmark all these years.. 






A-  ACTION
C- CHANGE
T-  TRANSFORM


So .. here is the thing..


FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU  NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE SAYS... THEN IF YOU REACH A POINT WHERE THINGS ARE NOT GOING AS YOU HAD PLANNED OR HOPED..
CHANGE IT...


HERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE NOT A FACTOR:


YOUR AGE


YOUR SIZE


YOUR LIMITATIONS






HERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE A FACTOR:


WHO YOU WANT TO BE


YOUR WILLINGNESS TO CHANGE


YOUR DESIRE




KEEP THE LAST 3 IN MIND.. AS YOU GO ON YOUR WAY...

HAVE A GREAT AND HEALTHY WEEK!