Why Do You Eat? Understand Your Triggers.

I am sure you have all been on pins and needles wondering where I have been and how I have been doing!   I have taken a little time away from the juicing and tried my hand at eating whole foods again. 

See, now, here is my issue.   I love to eat.   I have been trying to be mindful here now about what, when and why I eat?   I have discovered a number of things.

1.  I eat when I am bored.

Yes.   I admit it.   When I get home, or when I am bored I go and open up the fridge to see what is in there.   Usually, I don't pick something healthy.  Some pretzels, a cheese and crackers, lunch meat and of course the dreaded........   

POTATO CHIPS

Understanding your eating habits is a big part of the battle.  What are your triggers?   Do you know what they are?   

2.  I have a hard time stopping when I am satisfied.

Oh, this is such a learned behavior.   Again, I am not one to blame others, but I am of the 'clean your plate' generation.   You weren't allowed to leave the table until you cleaned your plate.

I won't tell you about the peas that I snuck to the dog so I wouldn't have to eat them.    I have to work really hard to be sure that I don't finish what is served, especially at a restaurant.   Serving sizes have become absolutely ridiculous at restaurants.   

A couple of tips at restaurants.

 - Avoid the bread basket!

 - Avoid heavy, creamy dressings and go for vinaigrettes or oil and vinegar

 - Ask the server to split your entree and put half in a box before it is served

 - Split your entree with a friend

 - Start with a green salad (but remember to avoid the creamy dressings)

 - Drink a large glass of water before you eat

 - Avoid alcohol if you are really trying to lose weight

3.  Enjoy your food/Eat slowly/CHEW

We live in such a rushed world and we are always (at our house) throwing down dinner or eating late, or eating breakfast in the car.   Food is something that should be enjoyed.   Chewing has been shown to help increase satiety.  Even if you are eating a green salad, sit down at the table and enjoy your food!   Chewing your food well also helps with digestion!

Here is a great article to read on that.   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26188140

So, where am I at?   As I mentioned, I took a couple weeks where I focused on exercise and eating healthy.   As of this morning I am down a total of 22 pounds.   I am almost half way to my goal!   

What have I noticed?

• Increased Energy
• Sleeping Better
• Clothes Fit Better
• My skin is clearer and looks more lusturous
• I stand just a little bit taller now (I know I was tall to start)

#THISISMYJOURNEY, #IAMWORTHY

BHAG's - Update - Day #11

Weight Loss is a funny thing.  When you have more than 10 or 20 pounds to lose it can seem overwhelming.   What happens for me?  I lose the first chunk of weight.  I feel great.  I can see it in my face   My clothes fit differently.  Then reality hits.   I HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO!

It is easy to get frustrated.   It is easy to give up.   It is easy to say things like, "I'll never get there".

Yes I will.   I know I can do this.   What makes me even more excited is I am doing this on my own.   No fancy pills or shakes (all the shakes do is drop your calorie intake, so why wouldn't you just do that with whole foods?)

I have not wanted to share my goal because I guess I was embarrassed by how big that goal had become.  It meant I had let my emotions and other external factors affect my well being and affect my weight.

So, here it is...  My weight loss goal from my start date is 50lbs.   Ok.  I know there are people that have hundreds of pounds to lose.   I have HUGE respect for them.   But #THISISMYJOURNEY.

I have not given you the results of my 10 day juice cleanse.   I made it all 10 days and I didn't stray once!   That is a big goal for me.   Was it easy?   No.  Would I do it again?   Yes.  Actually, today I am on day 4 of another 5 days.  I will fill you in on the Chicago weekend a bit later.

But for now...   Here are the final 10 day results.

I have a long way to go.  For the naysayers and doubters out there.  I am 9 days since day 10 and I am continuing to lose weight.   I haven't gained it all back.  I am not passing out.  I took a weekend off and then today is day 5 of another 5 days.  I will post day 5 results tomorrow.

Let me just say, the gains (or losses in this case) far outweigh the challenges.

#IAMWORTHY, #THISISMYJOURNEY

Forgiveness - Day #10 - Did You See How Fat She Is? - Part Deux

Forgiveness has a release and a lightness that goes with it.  Holding on to anger, hurt and hatred takes a lot of negative energy.   PLUS, it is not what Jesus wants us to do. 

If you have been following my journey, you know some pretty hurtful words were said about me.    A series of events including this one propelled me to make a change and make it BIG.

Another one of those events that I have not shared is when we were in Arizona for a baseball tournament.   It was just our son and me on that trip.  The weather was beautiful.  A couple of younger and much more fit Mom's were going to go hiking.  I chose to say no.  I knew I would hold them back and didn't want to do that.  Others sat by the pool.  I chose to not go to the pool because I was embarrassed of my body.  I was absolutely wallowing in misery and self pity.  Pretty pathetic.   Here I was in all this beauty and I sat in my room and worked, and read, by myself.

Notice that I used the word 'chose'.   I wasn't forced.  I chose to be miserable.   Joy, contentment, happiness?   Those are all choices too.

That trip was a real turning point for me.   Our daughter was still fighting a serious illness so it wasn't time for me to act.   But it was always there.  The desire to change it.

Long story short.   I forgive myself for wallowing in self-pity, for not caring for myself and for letting myself get to the place I was.   I forgive the person that said those words to me.  I will say again, they define her, not me.   I feel a lightness.  No pun intended.  This lightness is in my heart.  Before you say something negative about someone, look in your heart to see why you are saying it?   Are you hurt or angry and need to lash out at someone else?   It really doesn't make you feel better.

Most importantly, if you hear a friend or someone else say something like that about someone else, tell them, "THAT IS NOT OK!!!!!!!"  Trust me, if they are talking like that about someone behind their back, most likely they talk about you behind your back too.   TELL THEM - NO!

I know that was kind of a random thought sequence right there.  Welcome to my brain.

For me, I FORGIVE MYSELF AND I FORGIVE YOU.

This is the last day of this juice only juice cleanse.   I feel great.   I still have a journey ahead of me and the next 4 days present a great challenge to me that I am ready to take on.

I will weigh and measure in the morning before heading to the gym.  Thanks for following along.  Stay if you want.   My journey is not over.

#THISISMYJOURNEY
#IAMWORTHY

My Heart Is Full - Day #9

There were times in the last 9 days that I wanted to quit.   I wanted to give in.   I just wanted to eat whole food.   Notice, I did not say real food.   Juice is real food.   My family has been amazingly supportive. 

My poor family is not really eating much because at first it was hard for me to cook when I wasn't partaking.  I hope they know how much I appreciate their support.   Not eating, the mess in the kitchen, my 'occasional' moodiness on this journey and so much more.

I have been holding on to this little gem since I started.    When I got out my gratitude journal to start this journey I found a letter.   I don't know when it was written, but it came from our lovely daughter.

Here is the text.  Misspellings and all.  I can tell by the writing, the context and the spelling/punctuation that she was quite a bit younger.

To: Mommy I <heart> U

My Mom has made me laugh, made me cry, wiped my tears, hugged me tight, watched me succeed, seen me fail, cheered me on, kept me going strong, and drove me crazy.

But in the end it is all ok and every bad or crazy things that have happened to you, because you guys got in a fight or something, it's worth it.  All it does is bring you to closer together.   You need to be close to your Mom and luckily I am.  She is my best friend, the person who I go and tell everything to.  Sure we may fight but every Mom and daughter do, but I do know that my Mom is the one person who can make me smile from a million miles away.  The best things happen when I am with my Mom, like rolling the windows down in the car and cranking the music up so we can sing like no one is listening, or just laughing together.   Just being with her is a new adventure.  That is what makes my Mom special.  Theese are the memorys that I will remember forever, cherish and love even after she is gone.  As I get older I will only become harder to deal with, I may get an attitude and think my Moms weird and unfair but I will always remember that:

Moms are a promise from God that you will have a friend forever.   But I have to disagree, I didn't get a friend, I got a hero.

I love you and always will Mom

Happy Mothers day.


#THISISMYJOURNEY
#IAMWORTHY

David, Elsie & Porter thank you from the bottom of my heart.   I love you all more than anything!

Week One Results - Day 8

I know you have all been waiting with baited breath for my week one results.  Ha!   Seriously though, I was excited and anxious to measure this morning.  I know where the scale has been and have been pleased with that, but I know that the scale can be very misleading.  Here are a few reasons.

1. If I even look at salt (ok that is a sight exaggeration) the scale will go up the next day.   
2. I also know that I am not getting a ton of protein and that I can be burning muscle instead of fat.  I am ok with that right now.*  
3. Plus, I know the first week can be a lot of water weight.

*Here is a great article that talks about muscle loss and how to avoid it during a juice.  I have been adding in the fruits and veggies that are high in amino acids to counteract this.   I am confident that I have not lost a lot of muscle in my 7 days.  https://www.livestrong.com/article/556855-solutions-to-minimize-loss-of-muscle-while-juice-fasting/

BUT, measurements don't lie.

So drum roll please.... (This feels really weird for some reason
to me to share this).

Pounds GONE FOREVER ----- 10.6

Inches Lost

Chest - 1.5"  (of course your boobs get smaller first)
Waist - 1"
Hips - 2"
Thigh - .5"
Calf - .5"

Total of 6.5"

I am very pleased! 

• I do feel lighter.   
• You can see it in my face.   
• Our daughter came home from a weekend trip and said, "Mama you look skinnier".  
• Clothes that were tight are a little bit looser.   

Now is the time for me to push through and keep on.   I know the results will start to slow down, but progress is progress.  There is no magic pill.  There is no quick fix.  This is a lifestyle change.

Every pound counts.   If you think that losing just one pound is not very much, take a look at this.

Improvements

Sleeping Better
Night Sweats Gone
More Clarity
More Energy
Inches Gone
Pounds Gone
Morning joint pain gone (foot and hip)

I am going to keep this short and sweet.  Lots to do at work today and lots of energy this morning to get it done!

This week, I am adding in more weight training to start building more muscle.   You know muscle burns more fat right?  SO BRING ON THE MUSCLES BABY!

When you exercise, you use muscle. This helps build muscle mass, and muscletissue burns more calories -- even when you're at rest -- than body fat. According to Wharton, 10 pounds of muscle would burn 50 calories in a day spent at rest, while 10 pounds of fat would burn 20 calories.May 11, 2007

8 Ways to Burn Calories and Fight Fat - WebMD

https://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/features/8-ways-to-burn-calories-and-fight-fat

I still have this Chicago trip coming up (maybe).   Working on a plan so I don't lose ANY progress.

#IAMWORTHY
#THISISMYJOURNEY

You Don't Sweat Much For A Fat Girl- Day 7

There is a clarity that comes with juicing for me.   Maybe it is the massive simplification of your diet that gives you the opportunity to look at things.   I don't really know.   I was visiting with my sister yesterday about eating habits and how they are formed by your parents and your childhood.

Somewhere along the line, I became uncomfortable with my weight and/or my body.  I was skinny for many many years.   I was actually skinny for more of my life than I have been overweight (not using the word fat - that word is ugly to me).  In high school I was 5'11" and weighed 130 pounds.   Far from overweight.  I put on the proverbial 5 pounds in college.  Yes it was only 5 because we walked and biked everywhere!   I was still far from overweight. 

That's me sitting behind the piano in high school.  Of course none of my high school photos are digital.  I'll have to look for some to scan.   The sad thing?  I don't like pictures now and I don't let anyone take my picture.

I remember high school, when I would sit on the sofa, with friends, I would always put a pillow in my lap over my stomach.   I don't know why, but I still do it to this day.   I also remember my Mother always wanting me to buy clothes that were too big for me.   I remember clearly buying a skirt and jacket and her telling me that I was a big girl and needed a large size.   Keep in mind sizes have changed over the years.  What was a 14 is probably now a 12 or even a 10  She wanted me to buy size 16's.  The skirts were always too big and the jacket was baggy.

Here is an article showing the evolution of women's clothing sizes.   http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3198374/Chart-reveals-clothing-sizes-changed-past-60-years-shows-size-12-Marilyn-Monroe-00-8-today.html

I don't know why she thought I needed a larger size than what fit me.  Don't get me wrong.  I am not blaming her.  She was not doing anything to hurt me.   Here is another good one.  I had a boyfriend in college that thought it was really funny to say, "You don't sweat much for a fat girl."   I dated a guy after college that told me, "I don't mean to offend you, but your arms don't look good in a sleeveless shirt."   Anytime someone starts a sentence with, 'I don't mean to offend you,' it probably shouldn't be said.

So... long and the short.  Did all these things affect me?   I really don't know.   But acknowledging all those things can only help me.   I release that past completely.   I am where I am.  I am beautiful.  I am loved.  I am worthy.   I am making changes for me because I am worthy,  not because of my past.

Day 7 is just about over.   I will weigh and take measurements in the morning to see the results of week one. 

#IAMWORTHY
#THISISMYJOURNEY

Day 4 Sucks - Turning Your Day Right Side Up

Today just totally got off on the wrong foot.   Last night before I went to bed, I found a rash under my arms that I didn't like.   So I spent a lot of last night with my good friend Dr. Google.   I don't recommend becoming a friend of this particular Doctor.  By the time I was done reading, I was stressed, anxious and couldn't sleep.

This morning I did not get up and do my devotion.   I did not do my gratitude list.   I did not do my essential oil protocol.  I felt shaky and just REALLY WANTED FOOD.  We did not go to the gym.  I wanted to quit. 

I did not give in.   I tried to settle my mind and my heart.  I did some deep breathing.   I did a couple devotionals on the drive to work.   Amazing things happened.   My breathing slowed.   My heart rate slowed.  And I no longer feel shaky.   We have all had those days where the stress seems to consume you and the day just spirals out of control.  You stub your toe, you spill your coffee, traffic is bad and by the time to get to work you are wound up pretty tight!   The day doesn't seem to go well from there.  Right? 

All last night I was writing a nasty email response to someone in my head.   I wanted to say all the things that pissed me off.   Do you ever do that?  Write emails in your head?   Or have conversations in your head with what you want to say to someone when you are angry with them.   So counterproductive.    Really.   It puts your mind in a negative place and then puts your heart in that negative place also.  When you get to work you can even change the attitudes of the people around you.   You change their vibrations/frequency.  Have you met people like that?   I can them perennial life suckers.   You know the type?  The people that seem to suck the air out of a room.  The people that if you spend too much time with them, your shoulders are tense, you have a headache and you get crabby.  Those people actually lowered your frequency!

Frequencies.  Everything has a frequency.   Things like meditation, praying and deep breathing naturally raise your frequency.   Things like illness and stress lower your frequency.  Essential oils raise your frequency (more about that another day).  This is actually science not hocus pocus mumbo jumbo and I have learned a lot about it, but I am NOT an expert.

After I got to work.   I wrote the email.   But it was not at all what I said last night.   I am drinking my juice.   I put some frankincense (very gounding) over my heart and took 5 deep breaths of frankincense.  I am going to plug in some relaxing music and do my gratitude journal now. 

The moral of the story?   Sometimes your days get inside out.   You can always make the decision to right them before they get out of control.   You have that control over yourself. 

I will continue on.   I have not cared for my body for a number of years.   It is time.  I am worth it.  I am worthy. 

Blessings to you all today!  I know that you are there cheering me on, and I am cheering for you too!

#IAMWORTHY
#THISISMYJOURNEY

If you want to learn more about frequencies or frankincense, here are a couple of posts from other essential oils lovers!

Frequencies
Frankincense
More On Frequencies