THERE IS NO SHAME IN DEVELOPING WHAT YOUR PATH WILL BE NO MATTER WHAT YOUR AGE..

SO as we all know since February I have been in a tug of war with my weight... its been really difficult... I had lost 54 pounds .. and have since gained 10 of that back... This healthier lifestyle is a struggle.. and sometimes you have to go back to the roots of what worked...  Through a sweet Friend Kim Holmes... I have discovered NutmegStatenutrition.com...  and on my own I found AmBari.com.. both offer meal suppliments under 200 calories that are great tasting...  I did great on medifast and just do not want to go that route again so I am opting for similiar with the same benifits.. I will be staying in the 1000 to 1200 calorie range.. modifying my carbs and sugars...  I seem to do WELL with controlled meal suppliments .. this way I do not have to think .. about ANYTHING  just go grab a bar or shake or chips or whatever and that mini meal is done.. each meal will be under 200 calories.. I will go back to the 6 smalls a day.. 4-5 suppliments and 1 healthy meal in the evening...  what I liked about what I am creating is that you can do this .. and still supliment a serving of fruit for a meal if you want... ( nutmegstatenutrition lays out a program for you online.. very similiar in many aspects to medifast.... I will say these suppliments are amazing quality and delicous.. I am also using quest bars and chips as well... both are in the right guidlines..  financially its about half the price.. so I liked that too and there is a lot of vairety .. more than I probably will try .. I start Tuesday .. waiting for all the packages to get in.. I look forward to keeping you up to date on my progress as I get this new ball rolling... YeaH i know I have recommited .. triple commited  etc in the last few months.. nothing stuck... its just the way it goes I guess... I think going to what works for me might be a good idea..

SO let me tell you about my friend Kim...  I really enjoying getting together with her when we can.. she sells me my Mary Kay products... oh before you groan.... MK  is not the MK of your mothers day ... the products are current and great..I have known Kim for about 16 years... We worked together  is how we met.. I have watched Kim just Blossom over the last few years and when she became her own boss she just took off... and it shows in her... and on her.. She looks wonderful..  and she looks that way because she is happy... She works hard and has created a great and exciting business.. that gets her clients  ( like myself)  excited too.. I always feel so good after our visits.. during our last visit she told me about the program she was on and the products ... and which ones she liked... She has always had to keep an eye on her weight   like me.. and  tried a lot of different things.. .. She has found success with meal suppliments as well.. so it  doubly made me feel good when we talked.. .

One thing I have learned is that it pays to talk to your friends.. when you want to change... when you want to enhance your life...our friends are our greatest advisors and  helpers..a superlative resource!

Have a great week...

YOU ONLY FAIL WHEN YOU DON' T GET BACK UP

It is never as simple as we thought! ,, You hoped you have found the answer  and then reality sets in.. Still the same battle..sigh.......

. ....I am alive and well... still in there... still working.. On good days  I have one or two MF meals and monitor the rest of my day by eating healthy and logging my food and getting some form of exercise in.. On other days I just try and survive.., thankfully there are now far more good days..I know I can reach my goals .... You can too.. Just stick with what works for you...

Motivation

JULY 8th

On July 8 th 2013 I made the decision and commitment to change my life ... I started TAKE SHAPE FOR LIFE a Medifast fueled program ..in 8 months I lost 54.8 pounds.. Since I have been off the program and eating again I have gained 12 pounds.. I have lost 2 of the twelve I gained by walking 1-2 times a day and half assed logging my food.. I tried WW but for me it was a trigger to eat far more carbs than I needed.. WW is a great program ..but with my physical limitations ( fibromyalgia) I need a little less freedom and More routine .. So I sat down with Steve and told him how I felt .. We decided to tighten things up.. No more going out to dinner..or at least limit it to once a month .. Walking once or twice a day.. I am logging  my food and tracking my steps.. Swimming when I can...

I found it shocking how fast the weight started climbing back..while some weight gain is normal coming off such a restrictive program as I was on... I realized I mustturn things around before 12 pounds became twenty or 30 pounds.  So here we are again.. Picking up and moving one

step at a time....

MY TOOLS:

My fitness pal APP for logging ..

Webmd APP for logging and motivation. They have a great program to assist in reaching healthy habits and goals 

My FB page Accentuate the Positve for motivation.. 

My family and friends for support..

Weilos  APP for motivating and support too..

I think the hardest thing is admitting something is getting out of your control...

It takes more than strength to find it again... 

More than desire...

I know I do not want to lose what I have created and accomplished... 

This is my thing.. 

My struggle...

   So many people have far greater and challenging struggles but I think those of us in what ever personal war we are waging  ( weight loss, getting fit, ceasing smoking, career goals etc...) must just keep on trying ... 

Nothing is ever over and hope is never lost..until the very end ..

so I think I will keep on fighting no matter how tired I get ..or what hurts ... 

Every success is won by great challenge ...this is mine...

Most folks have no idea what it is like.. Most say just stop eating..shut your mouth...exercise..simplistic estimates of human nature if you ask me..They don't grasp the struggle.. They don't understand that there are factors that must lace together to create success..I think that applies to anything though ...For me ..call it a set back ..a failure of character.. A weakness... Hmm I just call it my battle ...

To those that do understand ..do grasp the deep and complicated veins of this fight .. It is energy for my soul to know you " get it" ..

My husband gets it.. He is my biggest fan and my most determined cheer leader .. He never quits ..no matter what his challenge ..he picks up..regroups..dusts off and moves ahead..he the fabric of my inspiration..reminding me of how far I have come..not how far I must go.. No matter my size he never loves me less .. But he takes pride in how I feel  and constantly encourages me to find my path no matter how many times I have to dust off and regroup ...

My hope was to be 73.8 pounds less by now.. Instead I am 43.8 pounds less  with 30 more hills to climb...

Time to get moving ! TODAY IS A NEW DAY!!! 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME ...

FINDING THE PATH...

I hate when I get like this... 

Uncomfortable and not liking the path I am on...

soooo what do you do...??? 

Me??

 I don't give up I just find a new path.. 

While I think WW is great I feel it is just not for me,.. 

I think it gives me permission to go carb crazy ..

I was doing much better just using my fitness pal and watching calories and carbs..

.I like the way the app works.. 

I don't have to keep creating foods and it takes me a minute to figure things.. 

So .. I have wonderful support.. Great friends  who have been helping me and not to mention my sweet husband... 

I like the things Patricia Kimerling has been connecting me too and the recipes are not too complicated..

I really just want to live instead of worry constantly ... 

So here is to my yet again new ( old) path.. And living!!! 

I also removed a lot of the WW stuff from my feed on FB ... just because so many comments were choices that are not good to me.. I will still visit the pages from time to time for motivation ..but seeing recipes for dump cakes and 123 cakes constantly made me feel like I was linked to a Paula Deen page or something... That's why sooo many of the pages I keep up with are people who eat whole and healthy with treats here and there ..l am not putting WW down its just about what works for me..

I think that's what any true health adventure is.. Finding the right path... 

I talked to another good friend today who shares my struggles and she so understood how I felt..

So it's all good ... I know I keep flitting around since Medifast .. But I just have to find my way.. And I will .. 

Have a great week 

REALIZING.... LEARNED..... ALWAYS MUST...... ACCEPTING... RECOMMITING

REALIZING:    it is one of those sick stomach realizations about yourself.. but you have to take it in .. and realize that this is just part of you.. maybe not your favorite part but it is how you are wired.. so you have to plan a way to live with it... I am talking about old habits.. old  reactions... old actions that creep back into the fold of your life silently.. and you are almost unaware that they are sliding back into your daily habits.. as they sooth and smoothly wrap themselves into your veins yet again..


LEARNED:   I can stop it...  I can  combat it...  I can re focus that energy and reaction to something more beneficial ..


ALWAYS MUST:   Keep Trigger foods out.. ( talk more about that in a minute) .. Healthy choices available at all times for all circumstances. 


ACCEPTING:  THIS IS WHO I AM ..  A GRACIOUS MIX OF INSECURITES AND WEAKNESS.. COMBINED WITH THE DESIRE TO BE HEALTHY AND BETTER.. 


TRIGGER FOODS:  It is a stark realization that a harmless box of crackers can be the devil in drag .  I learned that this week.. I thought I found a friend in Townhouse Pretzel thins ( garlic parmesan )  NO they are no friend of mine and they do not even taste that good... they are processed junk.. my body wants it and wants the whole box...   its gone now... never to cross my threshold again...
It is odd that I can have a few reduced fat wheat thins.. and not think anything of it...  have no interest in them whatsoever.. they are not a trigger food.. but those Townhouse Pretzel Thins sure were a big no no... So No No more  in our house...   I can have Kind quinoa  granola clusters in the house and sprinkle some on my light yogurt.. and its no problem.. I can have other brands in the house.. and the red lights go flashing... and the sirens blare... I just cant leave it alone... Its so ugly and weird.. that I still have trigger foods....  I think the  understanding is always..that I will have to deal with this.. so developing the skills to manage it once and for all ... is what I am doing now... I realize that there are foods that can not come into the house... and its horribly ironic when you go into our downstairs and see our test kitchen.. for our business. and you know that there are freezers full of  cakes, pies,  dough... pastries.. etc.. at any time during the year...  Some how I have managed to turn that off... and know that this in not something I get involved with... therefore its not  issue... but a frigging box of crackers is.. how wacky is that... ??  
  As long as I stay portion controlled with my carbs I seem to do better...   3 servings of fruit a day..  2 servings of light bread a day ..   3 servings of veggies a day .. and protein mixed in ... and a weight watchers ice cream bar as a special treat... the thing I do not understand with myself is how come I can eat one of those ice cream bars.. and it is not a trigger.. 1 and I am fine... I started looking at sugar amounts on  various things.. and I find that when something is higher in sugar I seem to want it more.. when its lower in sugar.. i.e. the kind granola or the WW ice cream bar... I am satisfied with what I get... a portion...   all thought I think its more carb related than just sugar.. I am not huge on really fatty foods... like fries... or things of that nature.. they tend to make me ill so I prefer lower fat foods... so its not the fat content... I tie it too the sugars and carbs.. or really Sugars are Carbs .. so it is one in the same... 
So... My 1 year anniversary is coming up on July 8th... the day I decided to turn my world around.... so that is cause for celebration...  My hope is to knock off another 20 pounds for this year...
 I have also learned that I maintain with in 5 pounds .. fabulously on WW...  now I just have to pull the food in tighter and lessen the carbs and concentrate on veggies and protein a bit more...  to help me get the rest of the weight off.. I also believe working consistently on my portion sizes will help too..
 My recommitment day is JUNE 18th... It sounded like a good date... 


wishing everyone... the ability to Realize...  to Learn... to find their Always Musts... to become Accepting... and to Recommit to yourself... that you are a priority...

THE COLORS OF COLORADO, SWEET HOME ALABAMA

SOOO took my first big road trip since the  weight loss.... 
Eating was an adventure and I will put this firmly in concrete I much prefer being at home in my own environment when it comes to food...
I totally enjoy  creating our meals...  I like knowing what is and is not in my food..  I like being in control of my portion sizes and measuring if need be.  I like the portion controlled servings I have around my kitchen...


While I am a great eyeballer.. I just prefer the comfort of my own environment...  That is not to say I did not have a great adventure mind you... So let me break it down for you..


We left at 3 am   ... heading down the road in the Miata.. ( color us crazy but that was what we wanted to do ) .. As we approached  Cullman Al.. we ran into a bit of a twist... we hit a tire recap in the road ( commonly known in these parts as a road gator) .. it broke off half the front spoiler sending that flying under the car... denting the heat shield( found that out that this week when we had the repair estimate done)  and knocking brackets loose.. as well as some plastic parts on the back of the car....  SOOO we turned that vehicle around.. drove 70 miles back home... parked her in the garage loaded up the Cx9 and headed off yet again...


For the most part the ride from Alabama to Colorado was uneventful other than a couple hiccups with the GPS..  the road conditions where decent...  the traffic was  heavy in St Louis.. in fact as we were heading towards Kansas City ... we came upon a shoot out... It honestly looked like something you would see on Law and Order or any one of those police shows...  Multiple cop cars with  cops all over the place .. guns drawn .. German sheperds with their partners tracking... Cops running back and forth... this was right off the interstate and it was very surrealistic to see..   Otherwise we hit a few rain patches...  Got to Topeka the first night and camped out at a Ramada Inn...   Headed on to Colorado the next day ...  and arrived safely .. right as we pulled into the parking lot of the Hotel.. our GPS crapped out.. totally... Thank heavens for WAZE  on our phones.. it got us back home safe the following week..  


 Once in Colorado we settled down and got busy getting ready for the IDDBA...  International Dairy Deli Bakery Association Convention...  lets just say its a room the length of  3 or so football fields  .. loaded with every type of food .. you can imagine.. Cheeses,  Pizza,  Deli Meats .. pastries... cookies... candies...  sandwiches.. etc..in the mix of the not so healthy were some good choices ..but a few times I just had to walk out ..sit in the lobby and regroup...

This gives you an idea ...

We also saw this GORGEOUSNESS :

We left Colorado a week ago and arrived home safely to rainy SWEET HOME ALABAMA.. A beautiful trip ..but glad to be back home...

A little motivation for our weekend :