Wow! Time has gone by so quickly. I've been very busy with school, where I'm finding chemistry challenging. My weight had been holding, and I think it was the way I was eating. Food was too good at school, and I was eating more there than I should, and it was rich food. That being said, I still eat there once in a while so I don't feel deprived. I made a big dietary decision. Since I do not have time to calculate every morsel that goes in my mouth I'm primarily eating vegan. I'm not going to be dogged about it, although I did start to drop weight right away when I changed.
My first motivation to try veganism again was that I was having lots of inflammation problems, and I knew it had to be food related. Because I was eating out a lot it was hard to calculate things like sodium and fat. I know that even though I've been indulging a bit more in things like nuts and avocado, they are healthy fats, and much better for me than some of the fats I was consuming. Don't get me wrong, there are still lots of things I was doing right, but some old habits resurfaced too. Anyway, the inflammation was nearly immediately resolved, and then my energy level went up too. I'm able to push myself harder at the gym, and I'm sure that I will be seeing that 100lbs down mark sooner than later.
Here is the most astonishing thing, I think I'm becoming a morning person. Something I thought I would never be. I've always been a night owl, finding it hard to go to sleep before 11 and get up before 10, but that is completely different now. I'm super productive in the morning, and I get up by 7 or earlier everyday. A couple of days a week I go to the gym at 5 am. Something I wouldn't have even thought of doing before.
Also, since I've started school I have been making a habit of working on going up and down stairs more. I still usually take an elevator, but I go down stairs one foot at a time and forward. It may sound silly, but that is big progress. I don't know when I started, but at some point I started going down the stairs sideways and had to put both feet on one step before I stepped down to the next. It was a rather slow agonizing process. Going down stairs is still a challenge, but I do push myself to do a few more every week. Plus, my daughter asked me if I would go up the stair with her at Market of Choice one day and I did. She was astonished and said "Mom, you could never have done that so easy in the past." So, there is still constant progress, even though I feel like I've plateaued a bit. I don't plan on letting the holidays reverse that progress, and I should have more time once I'm past finals to let you know some of the strategies I use to keep it healthy during the holidays. Until next time, I hope you are spending time pursuing your health in a new way each day!
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Life Changes, Stress, and Lifestyle Management
I know, it has been a while, please excuse the distance between posts. I have been pretty busy. I wasn't planning on doing school full time when I started, I wasn't planning to have a job while in school, but my plate is delightfully full. I'm enjoying having so much time that is productive, something I couldn't have sustained before the lifestyle changes I started in March, but I do still get tired, or perhaps just too busy to think about the minute details.
The biggest change, besides being constantly on the run, and never really having a day home to just relax, is my diet. With busyness comes the problem of lack of time. Lack of time to create the foods I prefer to eat, lack of time to plan ahead. This, and the fact that the school has a culinary department that makes the food, has led me to some less than ideal eating. It is hard to schedule eating 5-6 times a day. It is hard to eat smaller meals. It is hard to prepare meals. Add in a bit of stress, and my eating has not been what it was previously. I think this may be preventing the scale from moving.
All that, but I am not slipping that far into old patterns. I still limit my starchy carbs, I still typically stop at one plate, I still try to use portion control on those things that matter. (In other words anything not vegetable.) My new healthy habits are not gone, but perhaps a bit transformed. I do still go to Orange Theory Fitness 3-5 times a week, and I'm so glad I do.
I'm not sure what the greatest praise in all of this is. My weight has stayed the same under less than ideal circumstances, that is not a bad thing. I have made some really healthy new habits. School is going well, and even though I'm busy I'm more capable of handing that than I was previously. All in all, I feel great about where I'm at. Do I still want to lose more weight? Of course. My goal is to be in a healthy BMI, but I will not condemn myself for where I am right now, and I'm sure the weight will still come off, and I'm certainly giving it no opportunity to come back!
The biggest change, besides being constantly on the run, and never really having a day home to just relax, is my diet. With busyness comes the problem of lack of time. Lack of time to create the foods I prefer to eat, lack of time to plan ahead. This, and the fact that the school has a culinary department that makes the food, has led me to some less than ideal eating. It is hard to schedule eating 5-6 times a day. It is hard to eat smaller meals. It is hard to prepare meals. Add in a bit of stress, and my eating has not been what it was previously. I think this may be preventing the scale from moving.
All that, but I am not slipping that far into old patterns. I still limit my starchy carbs, I still typically stop at one plate, I still try to use portion control on those things that matter. (In other words anything not vegetable.) My new healthy habits are not gone, but perhaps a bit transformed. I do still go to Orange Theory Fitness 3-5 times a week, and I'm so glad I do.
I'm not sure what the greatest praise in all of this is. My weight has stayed the same under less than ideal circumstances, that is not a bad thing. I have made some really healthy new habits. School is going well, and even though I'm busy I'm more capable of handing that than I was previously. All in all, I feel great about where I'm at. Do I still want to lose more weight? Of course. My goal is to be in a healthy BMI, but I will not condemn myself for where I am right now, and I'm sure the weight will still come off, and I'm certainly giving it no opportunity to come back!
Saturday, October 7, 2017
I'm an Overcomer
Madisa's song is reverberating in my mind, and it is inspiring me to not quit or give in. The start to school has been a bit rocky. I had my first test this week and I did not get a score I'm happy with. I know that God will walk me through this too, so I put my faith in Him. It has been a rough transition into school. I'm still doing well with going to Orange Theory at least three times a week, working towards five, but not there just yet.
Today I'm tired, and feeling a bit overwhelmed. I had an interaction with a beloved and valuable friend, and I was much less than loving, kind, and encouraging. I'm working through that with the Lord, and it brings me to other areas I need to grow in. I've been a co-dependent for so much of my life, and I believe shedding that skin is a necessary step in my walk.
I'm sort of holding steady on my weight right now, but eating right in my super busy schedule has been challenging. I've gotten almost en entirely new wardrobe since working and going to school means I need to wear decent looking clothes, and nothing I had previously seemed to fit. It is a good thing.
Today I'm tired, and feeling a bit overwhelmed. I had an interaction with a beloved and valuable friend, and I was much less than loving, kind, and encouraging. I'm working through that with the Lord, and it brings me to other areas I need to grow in. I've been a co-dependent for so much of my life, and I believe shedding that skin is a necessary step in my walk.
I'm sort of holding steady on my weight right now, but eating right in my super busy schedule has been challenging. I've gotten almost en entirely new wardrobe since working and going to school means I need to wear decent looking clothes, and nothing I had previously seemed to fit. It is a good thing.
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Lifestyle Changes
I'm seeing my life change on a daily basis. Change is the one thing we can count on in our lives, and I have always been aware of that, but in the past it seemed like change wasn't always healthy. Today, I choose healthy, and tomorrow I hope to do the same. I do not always make perfect choices, but the choices I make now are much more calculated than previously.
For example, yesterday I did my first Dry Tri at Orange Theory Fitness (OTF). A Dry Tri is a in gym triathlon that includes a 2000 meter row, 600 body weight movements, and 2.5k power walk or 5k run. I'm not a runner yet, so for me it was the power walk. I finished in roughly an hour, and I have a real sense of accomplishment just from finishing. This is not something I could have done 3 months ago when I first joined OTF. My 12 year old daughter was able to come cheer me on, and afterward I promised to take her to DelTaco. This is one of the only fast food places we ever eat at. I walked in planning on ordering my usual, 2 chicken soft tacos on soft corn tortillas without secret sauce, and then got sucked in by the Queso Blanco advertising.
Here is where it gets amazing. As we were coming out of OTF I could smell french fries, I'm not sure where the scent came from, but I commented to my daughter that they smelled yummy. I like french fries, but for me they are not typically hard to resist. This day was no different, until we were looking at the Queso Blanco menu and they had cheese fries. In the past I might have just had them, but thanks to fast food menuing that includes the calories, I knew they were 500 calories. Some quick calculations, knowing that I actually hadn't eaten much for the day, and I realized I could indulge, a little. I asked my daughter if she would like to split an order, decided to get only one taco and no iced coffee, but unsweetened iced tea. This is a win!
Did I need fries? No, I could have gone without them. Did I allow myself a food that sounded good when I was in the mood? Yes, because I know that allowing myself an occasional day of reduced vigilance, especially in the light of so much physical activity, keeps me from feeling deprived. Feelings of deprivation can lead to binges, and I want to avoid that. The key here is knowing when to give in to a craving, and when to exercise will power. In the end, giving in to the craving is actually will power because I made a careful decision, not a decision made in a moment ruled by emotional eating. That is powerful indeed.
For example, yesterday I did my first Dry Tri at Orange Theory Fitness (OTF). A Dry Tri is a in gym triathlon that includes a 2000 meter row, 600 body weight movements, and 2.5k power walk or 5k run. I'm not a runner yet, so for me it was the power walk. I finished in roughly an hour, and I have a real sense of accomplishment just from finishing. This is not something I could have done 3 months ago when I first joined OTF. My 12 year old daughter was able to come cheer me on, and afterward I promised to take her to DelTaco. This is one of the only fast food places we ever eat at. I walked in planning on ordering my usual, 2 chicken soft tacos on soft corn tortillas without secret sauce, and then got sucked in by the Queso Blanco advertising.
Here is where it gets amazing. As we were coming out of OTF I could smell french fries, I'm not sure where the scent came from, but I commented to my daughter that they smelled yummy. I like french fries, but for me they are not typically hard to resist. This day was no different, until we were looking at the Queso Blanco menu and they had cheese fries. In the past I might have just had them, but thanks to fast food menuing that includes the calories, I knew they were 500 calories. Some quick calculations, knowing that I actually hadn't eaten much for the day, and I realized I could indulge, a little. I asked my daughter if she would like to split an order, decided to get only one taco and no iced coffee, but unsweetened iced tea. This is a win!
Did I need fries? No, I could have gone without them. Did I allow myself a food that sounded good when I was in the mood? Yes, because I know that allowing myself an occasional day of reduced vigilance, especially in the light of so much physical activity, keeps me from feeling deprived. Feelings of deprivation can lead to binges, and I want to avoid that. The key here is knowing when to give in to a craving, and when to exercise will power. In the end, giving in to the craving is actually will power because I made a careful decision, not a decision made in a moment ruled by emotional eating. That is powerful indeed.
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
It is Official, I'm at 299 lbs
I know, I've been close for a while, but today the scale actually read 299. I'm so excited to be continuing to lose weight. It feels good to have lost 64lbs, and counting. I'm rediscovering my love of clothes shopping, although some things are cut strange, and sometimes my body is a strange shape.
So, I have always been honest with you about the changes happening, and I feel like I still need to be. The one that is disconcerting right now is that the extra skin on my lower belly folds and I'm lovingly calling it my second butt. My husband gets offended I call it that, but let me tell you, it is hard to dress it. Pants that fit right everywhere else don't quite fit the second butt correctly.
This is a journey, and I know it isn't always going to be great. However, the payoff is feeling better and being healthier. That is well worth every effort.
So, I have always been honest with you about the changes happening, and I feel like I still need to be. The one that is disconcerting right now is that the extra skin on my lower belly folds and I'm lovingly calling it my second butt. My husband gets offended I call it that, but let me tell you, it is hard to dress it. Pants that fit right everywhere else don't quite fit the second butt correctly.
This is a journey, and I know it isn't always going to be great. However, the payoff is feeling better and being healthier. That is well worth every effort.
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Hello from My Busy Life!
Whew! It has been a while. I didn't even realize how long until I shared my blog with a new friend I made at Heart Change over the weekend. The journey continues. I have still not dropped below 300, but I'm super close. This lifestyle is becoming more of habit. My youngest daughter started school last week, and I'm driving her and her BFF to school everyday so I can go to Orange Theory right after. I'm actually enjoying starting a schedule.
I feel like as I settle into that schedule, and get started in school it will be a good thing. It is going to make it easier, having a routine. Routine has never been a strong point for me. I'm not always sure I'm designed to do the same things day in and day out. We will see how that goes. Meanwhile, I need to regulate diet amidst the rest of this.
I haven't been so strict on diet, and I'm finding that since my body was already sort of trained on diet I tend to still be okay in not being too strict. I haven't been keeping track daily, but when I do go to check my diet I usually find that I'm on track, or under on daily calories. My body has become accustomed to smaller portion sizes, frequent small meals, and much less sugar. My daughter gave me a brownie the other night after I got home from Heart Change, and everyone said it was super delicious, but I found it too sweet and as much as I enjoy chocolate two bites was plenty for me. Those sort of changes encourage me.
Although the things that have been really encouraging me are the increased ability to do things in and out of the gym. We went to the beach and the walk up the steep hill was no biggie for me. I did 70 squats down to the bench last week. Something I don't think I could have done one of when I started Orange Theory. I'm getting ready now to do the dry triathlon at Orange Theory in two weeks. I'm not sure I can finish it in the allotted hour, but I'm going to give it my best try. I will update you on my progress on that. It is my first step toward a traditional triathlon, which I hope to do next summer. Up and onward I go!
I feel like as I settle into that schedule, and get started in school it will be a good thing. It is going to make it easier, having a routine. Routine has never been a strong point for me. I'm not always sure I'm designed to do the same things day in and day out. We will see how that goes. Meanwhile, I need to regulate diet amidst the rest of this.
I haven't been so strict on diet, and I'm finding that since my body was already sort of trained on diet I tend to still be okay in not being too strict. I haven't been keeping track daily, but when I do go to check my diet I usually find that I'm on track, or under on daily calories. My body has become accustomed to smaller portion sizes, frequent small meals, and much less sugar. My daughter gave me a brownie the other night after I got home from Heart Change, and everyone said it was super delicious, but I found it too sweet and as much as I enjoy chocolate two bites was plenty for me. Those sort of changes encourage me.
Although the things that have been really encouraging me are the increased ability to do things in and out of the gym. We went to the beach and the walk up the steep hill was no biggie for me. I did 70 squats down to the bench last week. Something I don't think I could have done one of when I started Orange Theory. I'm getting ready now to do the dry triathlon at Orange Theory in two weeks. I'm not sure I can finish it in the allotted hour, but I'm going to give it my best try. I will update you on my progress on that. It is my first step toward a traditional triathlon, which I hope to do next summer. Up and onward I go!
Saturday, September 2, 2017
This Journey
Once again, some time has passed since my last blog. I've been very busy getting ready for school, both for myself, and my two daughters. I'm still kind of maintaining in about the same place I was. I think I may have shook the plateau, we will see. I was helping at a Heart Change workshop, and I found myself in the position of eating the food placed before me. I put it in God's hands. When I came back I was about 4 lbs up from when I had left, but that weight dropped off quickly. I think perhaps my body had gone into starvation/conservation mode, so I wasn't losing. Now I hope it is convinced that I was not starving, and I can start dropping again.
I am finding that I'm ready to start downsizing my clothes. I have a lot that don't fit, some of them very nice, and I will be listing them on eBay. I'm also trying to get my wardrobe ready for school. I'm finding that I'm enjoying clothes shopping again. Something I really haven't had the pleasure of doing for many years, or at least not without heading out of town to a special store. Now I can fit into sizes that are carried at Ross, and other stores. It is nice to be able to shop in a regular store.
You know, maybe in my mind I was downplaying that, but it is a really big non-scale victory. I forgot how much I love to clothes shop. I will have to be careful, because it could become an unhealthy addiction. Perhaps I need to work in retail again. I'm not sure, with all that is on my plate, that I'm ready to add a job to it. I feel like my days right now revolve around meal prep, exercising, and managing the household. To that I will be adding school. I want to see how I can manage all that before I bite off way more than I can chew.
I am finding that I'm ready to start downsizing my clothes. I have a lot that don't fit, some of them very nice, and I will be listing them on eBay. I'm also trying to get my wardrobe ready for school. I'm finding that I'm enjoying clothes shopping again. Something I really haven't had the pleasure of doing for many years, or at least not without heading out of town to a special store. Now I can fit into sizes that are carried at Ross, and other stores. It is nice to be able to shop in a regular store.
You know, maybe in my mind I was downplaying that, but it is a really big non-scale victory. I forgot how much I love to clothes shop. I will have to be careful, because it could become an unhealthy addiction. Perhaps I need to work in retail again. I'm not sure, with all that is on my plate, that I'm ready to add a job to it. I feel like my days right now revolve around meal prep, exercising, and managing the household. To that I will be adding school. I want to see how I can manage all that before I bite off way more than I can chew.
Saturday, August 19, 2017
I'm Still Here, and Still Working Hard
It has been so long since I created a new post, and I apologize. The weight has been coming off slowly, but it has been coming off. I'm not below 300 just yet, but getting oh so close. Lately life has been filled with so many non-scale victories that I had to share them here. My hubby and I spent the day together, and as part of the day we went to the Ross store in Albany. I think it tends to have more plus size clothing than the one here in Corvallis. Everything I tried on fit, and I tried on 3x and some 2x. I actually bought two items that were 2x. I haven't been able to fit a 2x since before I met my hubby over 19 years ago. Wow! It is pretty exciting to be able to walk into a store and find things that fit, I've had to catalog shop, or shop at special plus size stores for years.
Also on the note of sizing, and changes, I had to buy new winter shoes this week. I have always had wide feet, and for many years I've only worn Crocs, Birkenstocks, and Merrell Moccasins, but my feet have really been changing. Last week we had a bit of a cold snap and I decided to wear my Merrell's. After I had them on, I had to admit that my feet had gotten so much narrower that they were slopping around in my shoes. Since the shoes don't tie, they weren't going to work for winter. We were shopping in Albany and I saw these cute Clark shoes. They looked like they would be great for winter and walking around the college I'll be attending this fall, but I also didn't think they would fit. I've worn size 10s for years because I needed the width, but I've always been a size 9 1/2. These shoes were a 9 1/2 and regular width, I almost didn't try them on. My hubby persuaded me, and they fit, beautifully. Since they tie, they should be functional for a while.
Now, some non clothing related victories. This one is about movement. I have had a hard time with stairs for several years, only taking them when I absolutely have to. A couple of days ago we were in Market of Choice and although I rode the elevator up to go to the bathroom, I took the stairs down. Down is the harder for me, and I won't lie, it was still rough but I did it. Mobility is becoming so much less an issue. God is still working on my negative talk and attitudes about mobility.
The negative talk God is helping me overcome lately is the one that involves fitness. I love going to Orange Theory Fitness, something I thought I would never say. Even so, sometimes I find myself working hard to convince myself that I want to go. I always enjoy it once I get there, but I have this old negative thing about going to the gym. I'm realizing it is tied to a deeper lie that I am not athletic. My life choices have not been athleticism, but those were my choices, my body has always been capable of it. I am realizing that saying I'm not an athlete when I have athletic goals is like creating a self fulfilling prophecy. That is no longer how I live. I'm not limited by the past.
Perhaps that is the greatest victory, and one I'm constantly reaffirming, I'm not limited by what I have been. My future is today, this moment, now. I can choose how I want to move forward in this moment, and with the Lord's guidance and transformation my choices are getting better all the time. I'm happy to be moving ahead, and I can't wait to see what tomorrow is, but today I'm going to Orange Theory Fitness, and then maybe the Farmer's Market.
Also on the note of sizing, and changes, I had to buy new winter shoes this week. I have always had wide feet, and for many years I've only worn Crocs, Birkenstocks, and Merrell Moccasins, but my feet have really been changing. Last week we had a bit of a cold snap and I decided to wear my Merrell's. After I had them on, I had to admit that my feet had gotten so much narrower that they were slopping around in my shoes. Since the shoes don't tie, they weren't going to work for winter. We were shopping in Albany and I saw these cute Clark shoes. They looked like they would be great for winter and walking around the college I'll be attending this fall, but I also didn't think they would fit. I've worn size 10s for years because I needed the width, but I've always been a size 9 1/2. These shoes were a 9 1/2 and regular width, I almost didn't try them on. My hubby persuaded me, and they fit, beautifully. Since they tie, they should be functional for a while.
Now, some non clothing related victories. This one is about movement. I have had a hard time with stairs for several years, only taking them when I absolutely have to. A couple of days ago we were in Market of Choice and although I rode the elevator up to go to the bathroom, I took the stairs down. Down is the harder for me, and I won't lie, it was still rough but I did it. Mobility is becoming so much less an issue. God is still working on my negative talk and attitudes about mobility.
The negative talk God is helping me overcome lately is the one that involves fitness. I love going to Orange Theory Fitness, something I thought I would never say. Even so, sometimes I find myself working hard to convince myself that I want to go. I always enjoy it once I get there, but I have this old negative thing about going to the gym. I'm realizing it is tied to a deeper lie that I am not athletic. My life choices have not been athleticism, but those were my choices, my body has always been capable of it. I am realizing that saying I'm not an athlete when I have athletic goals is like creating a self fulfilling prophecy. That is no longer how I live. I'm not limited by the past.
Perhaps that is the greatest victory, and one I'm constantly reaffirming, I'm not limited by what I have been. My future is today, this moment, now. I can choose how I want to move forward in this moment, and with the Lord's guidance and transformation my choices are getting better all the time. I'm happy to be moving ahead, and I can't wait to see what tomorrow is, but today I'm going to Orange Theory Fitness, and then maybe the Farmer's Market.
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
Lifestyle Decisions
Lifestyle, it has to support any pursuit of health. Dictionary.com defines lifestyle as "the habits, attitudes, tastes, moral standards, economic level, etc.,that together constitute the mode of living of an individual or group." You must change each of those things if you want to successfully change from a pursuit of dis-ease, to a pursuit of health.
Let me break this down. Habits and attitudes often walk hand in hand. I have a very dear friend who has a habit of dis-ease. He doesn't see it as that, but it is none the less. He likes to go to convenience stores. He has done it for so long that I don't think he can imagine not going to them. My family on the other hand, very rarely goes to one. In this habit, he buys a diet soda. Would he buy that diet soda if he went to a regular grocery? Perhaps, but his trips to the convenience store often cause him to buy 2 for 1, or a bigger size because of the "special". This is not a condemnation of convenience stores, sometimes they are necessary, road trips for example. However this friend doesn't even have a car, so why go there? The decision to walk in the door in the first place comes from a attitude of thinking that convenience stores are, as the name implies, inherently more convenient. When you don't have a car, are they really? If you do have a car, the only time they are really "convenient" is when you have to stop to fuel up. This has become a habit for my friend, and as such it partly defines his lifestyle. Again, this is not a condemnation of convenience stores, but besides a very few items like water, nuts, or fruit, there isn't very much in them that supports a pursuit of health.
For this discussion, I believe I am going to skip over moral standards for today. Morals do play into a pursuit of health, but I do not think they are as key a factor as economic level. I may get some flack for this, because there are many who do not think they can pursue health if they are low income. I myself have at times been a victim of this kind of thinking. Let me tell you though, we are by all standards low income, yet my needs are always met. My family has spent many years on food stamps, and with thoughtful budgeting there is no reason that food stamps are not sufficient to pursue healthy eating goals. There are of course some challenges, but nothing determination and planning cannot overcome.
Exploring that thought further, for years I told myself I couldn't support going to the gym. It is challenging, even now, but there are many things I can go without so that I can go to the gym. The bottom line is priorities. Are you willing to prioritize your health? Or do you really need the big screen tv? Many times over the years my husband and I have made choices that sacrifice something else so we can pursue our health. When you have your health, you have time to figure out those other things. As for me, I choose to chase after my health with everything I have, while I still have time.
I am blessed. God protected me for so long, until I got the wake up call last year. All these changes I make, they are lifestyle decisions. My husband said that when I joined Orange Theory Fitness he knew that it was just going to become part of our lives. Part of the new norm. What attitudes do you need to rework? What habits need changed? How do you know? Stop, and ask yourself does this support my long term health? If they answer is no, just stop. It is empowering to know that you can stop. If you can't stop, think that through, and decide how you can align it to your long term goals. Now go, run your race!
Let me break this down. Habits and attitudes often walk hand in hand. I have a very dear friend who has a habit of dis-ease. He doesn't see it as that, but it is none the less. He likes to go to convenience stores. He has done it for so long that I don't think he can imagine not going to them. My family on the other hand, very rarely goes to one. In this habit, he buys a diet soda. Would he buy that diet soda if he went to a regular grocery? Perhaps, but his trips to the convenience store often cause him to buy 2 for 1, or a bigger size because of the "special". This is not a condemnation of convenience stores, sometimes they are necessary, road trips for example. However this friend doesn't even have a car, so why go there? The decision to walk in the door in the first place comes from a attitude of thinking that convenience stores are, as the name implies, inherently more convenient. When you don't have a car, are they really? If you do have a car, the only time they are really "convenient" is when you have to stop to fuel up. This has become a habit for my friend, and as such it partly defines his lifestyle. Again, this is not a condemnation of convenience stores, but besides a very few items like water, nuts, or fruit, there isn't very much in them that supports a pursuit of health.
For this discussion, I believe I am going to skip over moral standards for today. Morals do play into a pursuit of health, but I do not think they are as key a factor as economic level. I may get some flack for this, because there are many who do not think they can pursue health if they are low income. I myself have at times been a victim of this kind of thinking. Let me tell you though, we are by all standards low income, yet my needs are always met. My family has spent many years on food stamps, and with thoughtful budgeting there is no reason that food stamps are not sufficient to pursue healthy eating goals. There are of course some challenges, but nothing determination and planning cannot overcome.
Exploring that thought further, for years I told myself I couldn't support going to the gym. It is challenging, even now, but there are many things I can go without so that I can go to the gym. The bottom line is priorities. Are you willing to prioritize your health? Or do you really need the big screen tv? Many times over the years my husband and I have made choices that sacrifice something else so we can pursue our health. When you have your health, you have time to figure out those other things. As for me, I choose to chase after my health with everything I have, while I still have time.
I am blessed. God protected me for so long, until I got the wake up call last year. All these changes I make, they are lifestyle decisions. My husband said that when I joined Orange Theory Fitness he knew that it was just going to become part of our lives. Part of the new norm. What attitudes do you need to rework? What habits need changed? How do you know? Stop, and ask yourself does this support my long term health? If they answer is no, just stop. It is empowering to know that you can stop. If you can't stop, think that through, and decide how you can align it to your long term goals. Now go, run your race!
Thursday, July 27, 2017
When will I finally drop below 300?
When I set my goals a little bit back, one of them was to be under 300lbs by the 30th of July. It does not look like I will make that goal, although I'm not going to count my chickens before they hatch. I've been doing lots of Orange Theory. I did 5 days last week, and plan to do 6 this week. (They are playing a bingo game, and it motivates me.) I know that doing Orange Theory is making my body into a fat burning machine, and that right now I am transitioning to muscle, so I understand why the scale isn't moving, but it is still frustrating.
We've been really busy, and perhaps my food hasn't been as on as before. I've stayed pretty good on my calories, except for a couple of days while I was adjusting to Orange Theory. What I've been eating has changed some. I was busy and tired last week, so I think I ate more grain based carbs than I normally do, and that may be part of the hold up as well.
So, I'm looking for non-scale victories. I'm going to take measurements later today, so there will probably be some. Movement, in general is getting easier. I'm working on so many things at once with Orange Theory that I could not pinpoint all the victories. My speed and incline on the treadmill has almost doubled, the rowing machine isn't killing my knees anywhere near as bad as it did at first. I even completed a 2000 meter row, something I didn't think I could accomplish.
This is a good journey, and when I get discouraged I look to all the people who support me on it, and most importantly Jesus, for my encouragement. It always comes, just when I need it, just what I needed to hear to keep going. This is a battle I will win, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the race He has set before me, and I am going to run it as strongly and with endurance, as I can, letting His strength sustain me.
We've been really busy, and perhaps my food hasn't been as on as before. I've stayed pretty good on my calories, except for a couple of days while I was adjusting to Orange Theory. What I've been eating has changed some. I was busy and tired last week, so I think I ate more grain based carbs than I normally do, and that may be part of the hold up as well.
So, I'm looking for non-scale victories. I'm going to take measurements later today, so there will probably be some. Movement, in general is getting easier. I'm working on so many things at once with Orange Theory that I could not pinpoint all the victories. My speed and incline on the treadmill has almost doubled, the rowing machine isn't killing my knees anywhere near as bad as it did at first. I even completed a 2000 meter row, something I didn't think I could accomplish.
This is a good journey, and when I get discouraged I look to all the people who support me on it, and most importantly Jesus, for my encouragement. It always comes, just when I need it, just what I needed to hear to keep going. This is a battle I will win, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the race He has set before me, and I am going to run it as strongly and with endurance, as I can, letting His strength sustain me.
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Accepting My Curves
I'm having a problem with the accepting my curves movement. I think it is fabulous to be good with where your body is at, but I think many are using the "Loving my Curves" movement to embrace unhealthiness. I have been overweight all my life. It has always been a struggle. I am not trying to be a skinny model type, I know I never will be. I am striving to be fit and the best I can be. For many years I was okay with being bigger, and it became a sort of excuse. A reason I couldn't do things, that eventually became an omnipresent reality. I had so many things on hold for when I lost weight, but I honestly wasn't putting any effort in.
The rub for me, and probably others, since I don't think my journey is that unique, was that being okay with where I was meant I didn't have to try to do better. My husband used to work at a place that had a sign that read "Good Enough is the enemy of Excellence." I was living a "good enough" life for years, but God promised excellence. Did that mean he would hand it to me on a silver platter? No, it meant I needed to go out and run the race that was laid before me, and in that race I would discover a deeper, more excellent relationship with Him. That doesn't make it easy.
Everyday I am walking in a new healing. My thought patterns are changing. The excuses are getting eliminated. This week I'm doing something I would have thought I couldn't do in the past. More importantly, because I was living in "good enough" I didn't really want to do it. So, what is it I am doing? Well, a few weeks ago I talked about Orange Theory Fitness, and I have joined them now. Twice a year they do what they call a challenge week, and this is that week. I had originally planned to do only Monday, Wednesday, and Friday this week, but every day is a different challenge, so I am going Monday-Friday.
Does it intimidate me? Heck yeah. Am I wondering how I'm going to do it? Definitely. However, this will give me all sorts of bench marks so I can check my progress in six months. I don't think it is chance that this is basically the first week I'm there. I believe God will give me the strength to see it through. I believe out of it He will create excellence. I'm excited to see how the week ends, and I feel like this is only the beginning of the fitness side of my journey.
The rub for me, and probably others, since I don't think my journey is that unique, was that being okay with where I was meant I didn't have to try to do better. My husband used to work at a place that had a sign that read "Good Enough is the enemy of Excellence." I was living a "good enough" life for years, but God promised excellence. Did that mean he would hand it to me on a silver platter? No, it meant I needed to go out and run the race that was laid before me, and in that race I would discover a deeper, more excellent relationship with Him. That doesn't make it easy.
Everyday I am walking in a new healing. My thought patterns are changing. The excuses are getting eliminated. This week I'm doing something I would have thought I couldn't do in the past. More importantly, because I was living in "good enough" I didn't really want to do it. So, what is it I am doing? Well, a few weeks ago I talked about Orange Theory Fitness, and I have joined them now. Twice a year they do what they call a challenge week, and this is that week. I had originally planned to do only Monday, Wednesday, and Friday this week, but every day is a different challenge, so I am going Monday-Friday.
Does it intimidate me? Heck yeah. Am I wondering how I'm going to do it? Definitely. However, this will give me all sorts of bench marks so I can check my progress in six months. I don't think it is chance that this is basically the first week I'm there. I believe God will give me the strength to see it through. I believe out of it He will create excellence. I'm excited to see how the week ends, and I feel like this is only the beginning of the fitness side of my journey.
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Busy-ness & Plateauing
As I blogged about not so long ago, I set some goals for my weight-loss. Something I have never done before. Right now, the next milestone, getting under 300 is just around the corner. I have been sitting on a plateau around 315 lately. It is a bit frustrating. I'm hoping to get into Orange Theory Fitness by the end of this week, and hopefully hard work can help me reach the under 300 goal by the end of the month. The one thing I'm not going to allow myself to be is discouraged even if I don't make that goal.
It has been quite a while since I wrote a post here, I have just been so busy. Time seems to play tricks on me, by one token my days seem to pass slowly, by another token I seem to never have the time to do the things I want to get done. I'm slowly learning to overcome my tendency to procrastinate. I know that sounds silly. However, it is a real problem I face on a daily basis. It effects everything in my life, cooking, cleaning out my closet, and exercising.
Cleaning out the closet needs to happen soon. A lot of my clothes don't fit, and it is time to sort through them. Perhaps, some of the nicer ones can be consigned or sold to help me get my gym membership, and or new clothes. I hate to spend much on clothing because I know I'm not staying here. That is really sinking in. I'm not staying here. I'm going down, and rather I'm on a plateau or not, this size is temporary.
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Non-Scale Victories
So, the scale has been moving very slowly lately, but it is at least still going down. I am choosing to focus instead on non-scale victories. I've had a load of them lately. Some big, some small, some...well I don't know how to explain, so let me try. As you lose weight, one of the first things that need to be replaced is undergarments. You know, a dress, shirt, or pants can be too big and okay, but you can't have your undies falling off. My issue was not so much the undies as the bras. My bras were already kind of needing replaced, and then I was looking at pictures of myself in the blue dress and realized they were really beyond use. I found a good deal and ordered new ones. I wasn't even entirely sure the size I needed, so I ordered three sizes. I ended up needing the smallest band size, and the smallest cup size I ordered. The rest got sent back for exchange.
Okay, here is where it gets real, and honest. I went down two cup sizes. TWO! Yep, I have nothing much to speak of left up top. It is amazing to see how different things fit now that I have the correct bra size on. The best part is the next time I need bras I won't have to order them because I fit into a fairly normal size now. That is truly a non-scale victory.
Just breaking news, I can usually wear a seat-belt now. Something I have not always been doing. In many cars seat-belts didn't fit, in our car it fit but was tight. It is somewhat dependent upon how far forward I have the seat, and as such, when driving, it can be a bit too tight still. I've been out of the habit of wearing a seat-belt, so now my daughter is reminding me to put it on.
I've had several non-scale fitness victories. Last night we watched the fireworks and I sat on the ground. I got up without any help. Also, two weekends ago when I was away, I went up and down stairs several times a day. All in all, small victories are adding up, and today I finally got my new hair-cut. My daughter had colored my hair last week. So, here is to victory over all the challenges involved in losing weight. (Including the sagging skin, which will be discussed another day.)
Okay, here is where it gets real, and honest. I went down two cup sizes. TWO! Yep, I have nothing much to speak of left up top. It is amazing to see how different things fit now that I have the correct bra size on. The best part is the next time I need bras I won't have to order them because I fit into a fairly normal size now. That is truly a non-scale victory.
Just breaking news, I can usually wear a seat-belt now. Something I have not always been doing. In many cars seat-belts didn't fit, in our car it fit but was tight. It is somewhat dependent upon how far forward I have the seat, and as such, when driving, it can be a bit too tight still. I've been out of the habit of wearing a seat-belt, so now my daughter is reminding me to put it on.
I've had several non-scale fitness victories. Last night we watched the fireworks and I sat on the ground. I got up without any help. Also, two weekends ago when I was away, I went up and down stairs several times a day. All in all, small victories are adding up, and today I finally got my new hair-cut. My daughter had colored my hair last week. So, here is to victory over all the challenges involved in losing weight. (Including the sagging skin, which will be discussed another day.)
Saturday, July 1, 2017
Freedom in Movement!
Life is constantly changing. It has been almost a year ago that I went into the hospital with sepsis, and stayed for 9 days. The life changes that have happened since then are amazing. Just after closing the shop, my health was so poor. I don't know how many times I caught colds. I was having a hard time just walking around the store, many times resorting to the wheelchair cart. My knee was in pain pretty much constantly, and it was severely limiting my movement.
This week I'm really feeling changes in that area. It has been happening for about a month, but this week is when I really noticed how limited I had been. Now I'm parking further from the store on purpose, and it is freeing to not have to drive around and around to get a better spot. This is something I didn't really even think of, much less consider a kind of bondage.
I feel better, stronger, and healthier everyday. Just yesterday I tried Orange Theory Fitness, something I'm sure I would have disliked and dreaded in the past, but not yesterday. It is like I'm craving the challenge now. I cannot even fathom the changes that God is working in my spirit and body. Yesterday was exhilarating, and I'm hoping to be able to go again soon.
Finally, I'm going to finish this off by saying, I'm starting to take the stairs. Going down is still challenging to my knee, but I'm confident I will be able to reverse that. This morning I took my fasting blood sugar, and most of the time that is about 135-140, today it was 105, so I'm confident I'm reversing the diabetes. Most importantly, I'm sure that God is transforming me into a more abundant life, and I praise Him for the transformations.
This week I'm really feeling changes in that area. It has been happening for about a month, but this week is when I really noticed how limited I had been. Now I'm parking further from the store on purpose, and it is freeing to not have to drive around and around to get a better spot. This is something I didn't really even think of, much less consider a kind of bondage.
I feel better, stronger, and healthier everyday. Just yesterday I tried Orange Theory Fitness, something I'm sure I would have disliked and dreaded in the past, but not yesterday. It is like I'm craving the challenge now. I cannot even fathom the changes that God is working in my spirit and body. Yesterday was exhilarating, and I'm hoping to be able to go again soon.
Finally, I'm going to finish this off by saying, I'm starting to take the stairs. Going down is still challenging to my knee, but I'm confident I will be able to reverse that. This morning I took my fasting blood sugar, and most of the time that is about 135-140, today it was 105, so I'm confident I'm reversing the diabetes. Most importantly, I'm sure that God is transforming me into a more abundant life, and I praise Him for the transformations.
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Chicken Meal Prepping
So, I follow a very general reduced calorie plan, where I eat 6 small meals spaced through the day. Generally speaking I try to keep the meals about 200 calories, with at least 10 grams of protein, and get a couple of veggie servings in each. I'm a bit more flexible about carbs and fat. A large part of my daily diet is chicken breast meat that I cook myself and keep on hand to add to meals. Today, that is what my blog is going to be about.
Part of my meal prepping strategy is to cook extra when I do cook, and package it into meal size portions. In fact, I do not leave food in the pan for "seconds", when I serve a meal I make all the plates up for my family, then I package "leftovers" for later meals. This allows me to always have a stack of grab and go meals in the fridge.
Chicken is sort of an exception for me. Every week I buy a pack or two of chicken breasts, season them simply (either Spike, or salt & pepper), and then I cook the entire pack. After it cools I shred the chicken, put it in a bag and store it in the fridge. Chicken is such a great source of low fat protein, and by shredding it I have lots of control over portion sizes. I also find that when it is shredded everyone in the family is happy with less. I often eat a 2.5 oz portion of chicken. The pictures below show a comparison of 2.5 ounces of chicken in a single piece, sliced, and shredded. You can see that shredding makes the portion seem much larger. Each 2.5 oz portion is about 86 calories, with not quite 2 grams of fat, and 16 grams of protein. (I don't mention carbs, because it has none.)
86 calories of a blank slate. What are some of things I do with this? I use it with leftover cooked veggies and a tablespoon or two of sauce. Think any type of leftover veggie, chicken, and sweet chili sauce, or, sliced onions and peppers with barbecue sauce. I throw it on salads, into "pasta" or zoodle dishes, and sometimes I just eat it plain, with raw veggies. A recent fave is to take about 1.5 ounces, mix a tablespoon of salsa, and throw it in a corn tortilla with lettuce and lite sour cream and cheese. The options are basically endless and it takes on any flavor.
Planning ahead for success when you are hungry is the best way to succeed, and this is why meal prepping works and is so popular right now. However, you have to make meal prep your own. What do you eat regularly? What could you eat everyday in different ways? Get creative.
86 calories of a blank slate. What are some of things I do with this? I use it with leftover cooked veggies and a tablespoon or two of sauce. Think any type of leftover veggie, chicken, and sweet chili sauce, or, sliced onions and peppers with barbecue sauce. I throw it on salads, into "pasta" or zoodle dishes, and sometimes I just eat it plain, with raw veggies. A recent fave is to take about 1.5 ounces, mix a tablespoon of salsa, and throw it in a corn tortilla with lettuce and lite sour cream and cheese. The options are basically endless and it takes on any flavor.
Planning ahead for success when you are hungry is the best way to succeed, and this is why meal prepping works and is so popular right now. However, you have to make meal prep your own. What do you eat regularly? What could you eat everyday in different ways? Get creative.
Saturday, June 17, 2017
Little Steps
Changing a little bit each day adds up. Navigating this new life style becomes easier daily. There is always the question of what I might do today to make another step to pursue my health. This week I have been much more active. Parking further from stores, going to the pool, taking walks. I cannot say that each week I decide what part of the journey I'm working on, but that just seems to naturally happen. I have the food part of my plan pretty under control, the next thing to work on logically is fitness.
I hear a lot of talk about non-scale victories, and I've been experiencing those frequently. Things like being able to sit with my leg underneath me, like I used to do before I had so much knee pain. The lack of knee pain is becoming a thing. Last week I set myself some weight loss goals. The weight ranges I wanted to be by certain times. This week, I'm realizing I have fitness goals. That may sound silly, because it would seem they go hand in hand, but fitness goals are not something I ever thought I would have, or set.
Even more amazingly, is the type of goal. So, I have secretly always wanted to do a triathlon. Clearly something I never spoke of, or shared with people because it was absurd considering my weight. You may even think it is absurd now. The crazy part is I can see myself enjoying two parts of the triathlon, the swimming and bicycling, but the third part, running is something I have never really enjoyed, not even as a child.
To take this a step further, this will mean I need to train in running, and the best way to test my endurance in that would be to do a marathon. Obviously this is not something I plan to do soon. probably not this year, but perhaps the next. This is something that is going to take training and planning, but I am seeing myself at the finish line. I'm not sure when that mind shift happened, I only know it did.
I've tried to lose weight so many times, but this time is so different. I cannot explain what has happened, I'm trying to wrap my own mind around it. All I can say is it must be the Holy Spirit transforming my mind. My goals don't feel the same, they don't feel out of reach. It used to be such a struggle. I worked so hard to try to lose weight, to even try to care about it. I couldn't seem to succeed because I was so focused on how hard it was. Now, it isn't so hard, just a series of steps. Small steps that are leading to a big outcome, a big revealing of sorts. What will I look like, be like, and do at goal? A question I'm constantly asking and answering. A question constantly being answered. I cannot wait!
I hear a lot of talk about non-scale victories, and I've been experiencing those frequently. Things like being able to sit with my leg underneath me, like I used to do before I had so much knee pain. The lack of knee pain is becoming a thing. Last week I set myself some weight loss goals. The weight ranges I wanted to be by certain times. This week, I'm realizing I have fitness goals. That may sound silly, because it would seem they go hand in hand, but fitness goals are not something I ever thought I would have, or set.
Even more amazingly, is the type of goal. So, I have secretly always wanted to do a triathlon. Clearly something I never spoke of, or shared with people because it was absurd considering my weight. You may even think it is absurd now. The crazy part is I can see myself enjoying two parts of the triathlon, the swimming and bicycling, but the third part, running is something I have never really enjoyed, not even as a child.
To take this a step further, this will mean I need to train in running, and the best way to test my endurance in that would be to do a marathon. Obviously this is not something I plan to do soon. probably not this year, but perhaps the next. This is something that is going to take training and planning, but I am seeing myself at the finish line. I'm not sure when that mind shift happened, I only know it did.
I've tried to lose weight so many times, but this time is so different. I cannot explain what has happened, I'm trying to wrap my own mind around it. All I can say is it must be the Holy Spirit transforming my mind. My goals don't feel the same, they don't feel out of reach. It used to be such a struggle. I worked so hard to try to lose weight, to even try to care about it. I couldn't seem to succeed because I was so focused on how hard it was. Now, it isn't so hard, just a series of steps. Small steps that are leading to a big outcome, a big revealing of sorts. What will I look like, be like, and do at goal? A question I'm constantly asking and answering. A question constantly being answered. I cannot wait!
Saturday, June 10, 2017
40+ Lbs. Gone!
No more plateau, and I guess it wasn't really a long one or anything, but I've been kind of use to losing a lb or so every couple of days, when I don't it seems odd. Anyway, I got on the scale today and am down to 322, that is 41 lbs off. I don't think I've ever successfully lost this much weight. Even bigger is the transforming of my mind.
I mentioned in my blog a couple of days ago that I had been thinking about a blog I wanted to write but then it was whisked out of my mind. Here it is, back again. I know that God promises to transform our minds, and I know that I have changed so much from the woman I was when I first accepted Jesus as my Savior, but I'm so glad that He isn't content leaving me there.
My weight has been a lifelong struggle, as any of you who know me are well aware. I know it is a kind of bondage, and one that in some ways I've inflicted upon myself. I'm not sure why. I've met friends who have clear issues with being slim and/or at a healthy weight, and my subconscious tells me that there is something that is an issue for me, but I cannot put a finger on it.
I often ask myself is eating a form of self medication? What am I medicating? I look back, and while my life isn't perfect, I think I've had it pretty good. I had a loving family, my dad wasn't present, but I had a grandpa and uncle that were daily parts of my life. I've forgiven my father long ago for not being there when I was young, and we have many years of a great relationship now. My mom worked a lot, she had to, but I was always with my grandma, one of the most important people in my life.
As I walk down this road and work on myself, I cannot deny that I have emotional struggles to overcome. I, like so many people that are obese, have been an emotional eater. I've said it before, and I will say it again, I think that we are taught that by our society. Perhaps my greatest struggle with emotional eating is knowing what I'm feeling. It may sound silly, but that is something I have had a hard time with for a long time. I did a workshop called Heart Change many years ago, and I realized then that I intellectualize everything, and I don't really allow myself to feel my feelings.
This blog, this slow weight transformation, it is going to stir up feelings that I have to learn to take to the foot of the cross where they belong. I have got to stop holding on to them, but at the same time I have to give myself permission to feel them. If you haven't struggled with these things, bless you, but I know that my emotions are going to have to be addressed, and as I address them I see how the transformation of my mind is happening.
Without the element of emotional eating, as the Lord transforms me to understand that I am eating to fuel my body, making good choices is becoming easier, and a habit. He is so good to me that He gives me pleasure even in fueling my body, but I have to learn that He is my fuel, and I don't need to overeat to stuff the feelings I should be turning over to Him. 40 lbs lost means nothing, if my mind and emotions are not shifting so I can keep it off.
I mentioned in my blog a couple of days ago that I had been thinking about a blog I wanted to write but then it was whisked out of my mind. Here it is, back again. I know that God promises to transform our minds, and I know that I have changed so much from the woman I was when I first accepted Jesus as my Savior, but I'm so glad that He isn't content leaving me there.
My weight has been a lifelong struggle, as any of you who know me are well aware. I know it is a kind of bondage, and one that in some ways I've inflicted upon myself. I'm not sure why. I've met friends who have clear issues with being slim and/or at a healthy weight, and my subconscious tells me that there is something that is an issue for me, but I cannot put a finger on it.
I often ask myself is eating a form of self medication? What am I medicating? I look back, and while my life isn't perfect, I think I've had it pretty good. I had a loving family, my dad wasn't present, but I had a grandpa and uncle that were daily parts of my life. I've forgiven my father long ago for not being there when I was young, and we have many years of a great relationship now. My mom worked a lot, she had to, but I was always with my grandma, one of the most important people in my life.
As I walk down this road and work on myself, I cannot deny that I have emotional struggles to overcome. I, like so many people that are obese, have been an emotional eater. I've said it before, and I will say it again, I think that we are taught that by our society. Perhaps my greatest struggle with emotional eating is knowing what I'm feeling. It may sound silly, but that is something I have had a hard time with for a long time. I did a workshop called Heart Change many years ago, and I realized then that I intellectualize everything, and I don't really allow myself to feel my feelings.
This blog, this slow weight transformation, it is going to stir up feelings that I have to learn to take to the foot of the cross where they belong. I have got to stop holding on to them, but at the same time I have to give myself permission to feel them. If you haven't struggled with these things, bless you, but I know that my emotions are going to have to be addressed, and as I address them I see how the transformation of my mind is happening.
Without the element of emotional eating, as the Lord transforms me to understand that I am eating to fuel my body, making good choices is becoming easier, and a habit. He is so good to me that He gives me pleasure even in fueling my body, but I have to learn that He is my fuel, and I don't need to overeat to stuff the feelings I should be turning over to Him. 40 lbs lost means nothing, if my mind and emotions are not shifting so I can keep it off.
Thursday, June 8, 2017
Plateauing, and amazing day!
It doesn't seem like 5 days since I blogged, so I apologize. I've had several busy days. I had a blog post all mapped out in my mind a couple of days ago, but darn if I can remember it all now. I know that it had to do with the emotional changes that come with weight loss. If I'm meant to write it, it will come back.
I still haven't gotten my hair dyed and cut, it has just been hectic. On top of it all, and maybe because I haven't been able to be completely on plan, I've been kind of on a plateau. It is just 5 lbs. below my previous plateaus.
Today, I may have discovered a breakthrough. Two days ago my husband and I tried roasting our own coffee for the first time. I know that I have written about coffee before, but this was an entirely new experience. We have been cold brewing for quite some time. It cuts the bitterness of the coffee. However, my hubby saw a TED talk about roasting coffee, and how coffee is a fresh food that isn't treated like one. The best way I can describe it is this, it is like dried legumes. They will keep forever if they are dried, green coffee is the same. You noticed I said green coffee?
So, once you cook the legumes you need to use them in a few days or they spoil, right? Same with coffee once it is roasted. According to this video, coffee should be roasted, and then allowed to sit for 7-9 hours before grinding and using. It should not be stored, and definitely needs to be used within 7 days from roasting.This preserves the anti-oxidants in the coffee.
All I can say is WOW! I am a daily coffee drinker. It seems to help my metabolism. This fresh roasted coffee was a completely new experience. I had energy to spare, so much so that I had to find ways to use it. My husband said that he has heard people say they needed a way to use up their energy, but neither of us have never felt that way until today. We drank our fresh roasted coffee yesterday, hot, but it did not do to us what it did today with the cold brew.
So, I will continue to report on this coffee breakthrough, and eventually I may make a video showing how we roast it, and how we brew it. Meanwhile, we will continue to experiment. (This first batch was not a taste we loved, but we plan to try different types of beans.)
I still haven't gotten my hair dyed and cut, it has just been hectic. On top of it all, and maybe because I haven't been able to be completely on plan, I've been kind of on a plateau. It is just 5 lbs. below my previous plateaus.
Today, I may have discovered a breakthrough. Two days ago my husband and I tried roasting our own coffee for the first time. I know that I have written about coffee before, but this was an entirely new experience. We have been cold brewing for quite some time. It cuts the bitterness of the coffee. However, my hubby saw a TED talk about roasting coffee, and how coffee is a fresh food that isn't treated like one. The best way I can describe it is this, it is like dried legumes. They will keep forever if they are dried, green coffee is the same. You noticed I said green coffee?
So, once you cook the legumes you need to use them in a few days or they spoil, right? Same with coffee once it is roasted. According to this video, coffee should be roasted, and then allowed to sit for 7-9 hours before grinding and using. It should not be stored, and definitely needs to be used within 7 days from roasting.This preserves the anti-oxidants in the coffee.
All I can say is WOW! I am a daily coffee drinker. It seems to help my metabolism. This fresh roasted coffee was a completely new experience. I had energy to spare, so much so that I had to find ways to use it. My husband said that he has heard people say they needed a way to use up their energy, but neither of us have never felt that way until today. We drank our fresh roasted coffee yesterday, hot, but it did not do to us what it did today with the cold brew.
So, I will continue to report on this coffee breakthrough, and eventually I may make a video showing how we roast it, and how we brew it. Meanwhile, we will continue to experiment. (This first batch was not a taste we loved, but we plan to try different types of beans.)
Saturday, June 3, 2017
Self Control--WOW!
Self control, I feel like this has been my nemesis. It is something I have struggled with, as a Christian, and knowing it is a fruit of the Spirit, something I felt ashamed to not be able to exhibit. Clearly, with my weight it was not something I excelled at. I could offer a lot of reasons/excuses, and before anyone reminds me, I know it is covered by grace. Still, who doesn't want to see the fruits of the Spirit in their lives?
However, the Lord so gently guides us, and beautifully grows those fruits in us, in me. It is exciting to see the Lord build something new in me. It was something I never doubted He would build in me, I just wasn't sure what it would look like. At this point it looks like almost 40 lbs. gone, and the scale still going down. It is not to my glory that He builds it, it is His, and that is something I do not want to forget.
So today, I want to say thank you Jesus! You are the rock on which I stand, and the wind beneath my sails. When I'm discouraged you lift my head. I'm thankful this is the time, and this is the way you are leading me daily.
This blog, today, has not really gone the way I had thought in my mind, but it is flowing from my heart. I'm so overwhelmed by God's amazing love, and that even in this He is lovingly guiding me.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
However, the Lord so gently guides us, and beautifully grows those fruits in us, in me. It is exciting to see the Lord build something new in me. It was something I never doubted He would build in me, I just wasn't sure what it would look like. At this point it looks like almost 40 lbs. gone, and the scale still going down. It is not to my glory that He builds it, it is His, and that is something I do not want to forget.
So today, I want to say thank you Jesus! You are the rock on which I stand, and the wind beneath my sails. When I'm discouraged you lift my head. I'm thankful this is the time, and this is the way you are leading me daily.
This blog, today, has not really gone the way I had thought in my mind, but it is flowing from my heart. I'm so overwhelmed by God's amazing love, and that even in this He is lovingly guiding me.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
First Goal Acheived!
So, like many who are trying to lose weight, my first goal was to lose 10% of my original body weight. I have done that in just about 2 1/2 months, 11 weeks to be precise. So far, I'm averaging 3.5 lbs loss a week. I cannot anticipate to continue at that rate, although it would certainly be nice. I'm in this for the long haul, and I do not want to sabotage what I've worked so hard to accomplish.
Tonight, I was challenged by a student/family potluck for my daughter, who is a senior in high school. I planned ahead and brought my own meal prep container filled with food I knew I could eat on plan. I did have a few things from the potluck, a few pieces of fruit, a piece of sushi, and a single chocolate crinkle cookie off the dessert table. I decided before going to make sure I made very careful choices. Homemade items I would not get a chance to repeat, and or items that would fit on plan and would be okay. This pre-planning and decision making is what kept me strong throughout.
To celebrate my goal my daughters plan to help me dye my hair, and then my hubby is going to take me to get it cut. I hope to do that tonight, but it may have to wait until the weekend since we have a week busy with graduation events.
My next big goal is to get below 300, that means I have about 25lbs to lose to get there. I'm planning on adding more exercise to my program, and I'm finding that challenging. So, another of my goals is to be able to ride my bicycle to the local co-op, and eventually to the farmer's market. What are your goals?
Tonight, I was challenged by a student/family potluck for my daughter, who is a senior in high school. I planned ahead and brought my own meal prep container filled with food I knew I could eat on plan. I did have a few things from the potluck, a few pieces of fruit, a piece of sushi, and a single chocolate crinkle cookie off the dessert table. I decided before going to make sure I made very careful choices. Homemade items I would not get a chance to repeat, and or items that would fit on plan and would be okay. This pre-planning and decision making is what kept me strong throughout.
To celebrate my goal my daughters plan to help me dye my hair, and then my hubby is going to take me to get it cut. I hope to do that tonight, but it may have to wait until the weekend since we have a week busy with graduation events.
My next big goal is to get below 300, that means I have about 25lbs to lose to get there. I'm planning on adding more exercise to my program, and I'm finding that challenging. So, another of my goals is to be able to ride my bicycle to the local co-op, and eventually to the farmer's market. What are your goals?
Monday, May 29, 2017
Memorial Day!
Today, let's take a moment to remember those that have served our country, and especially the many that have died in that service. Those lives are the foundation of this country, they are the people who make our freedoms possible. Thank you!
My grandfather served in World War II, and today I am reflecting on so many happy memories of him. He didn't go overseas, and a part of me is glad for this, because if he had I may not have had the pleasure of spending so much time with him. I am blessed in that as a child we essentially lived in my grandparent's backyard. I spent many days with my grandpa, when he wasn't away working.
It seems that most of my favorite memories of him involve the garden. Growing up, we always had a huge garden. I have many happy memories of both my grandparents in the garden, but with my grandpa I remember picking strawberries, and the long sticks with cans that he made so we could harvest the fruit in the trees without an orchard ladder. (I'm not really sure why we never had an orchard ladder, we had many fruit trees.) I also remember the year we planted corn. We may have done it more than once, but I only remember once. That year my grandfather taught me about how tasty baby corn is, my grandma wasn't thrilled about this!
Ah...The garden. Some of my funniest memories of him are in the garden too. He used to sit out in a lawn chair with his pistol and shoot at the gophers. I think it was somehow therapeutic to him. The thing my husband still laughs about, and teases me about, is that when I was really little my grandfather convinced me that little girls could be pulled down into gopher holes by the gopher. He told me my only defense was to put my arms out so they couldn't pull me all the way down and shout gopher so they could come rescue me. We had many "Gopher Drills". He would shout gopher and I would put my arms out as quickly as I could. There was a part of me that is embarrassed by how silly I was, but I realize more all the time how my grandfather's sense of humor is part of my heritage.
A heritage I'm proud to be part of. It is gratifying to see how it passes down in the generations. I see quite a bit of my grandfather's sense of humor in my youngest daughter. She just makes me laugh, but she has that same dry wit. I see him in myself when I get obsessed with a topic and can't stop researching it, or when I find yet another thing I'm interested in. He had a quick wit, he was well read, and he had a playful side I have really come to appreciate. Thank you grandpa, for being such an important part of my life, and future.
My grandfather served in World War II, and today I am reflecting on so many happy memories of him. He didn't go overseas, and a part of me is glad for this, because if he had I may not have had the pleasure of spending so much time with him. I am blessed in that as a child we essentially lived in my grandparent's backyard. I spent many days with my grandpa, when he wasn't away working.
It seems that most of my favorite memories of him involve the garden. Growing up, we always had a huge garden. I have many happy memories of both my grandparents in the garden, but with my grandpa I remember picking strawberries, and the long sticks with cans that he made so we could harvest the fruit in the trees without an orchard ladder. (I'm not really sure why we never had an orchard ladder, we had many fruit trees.) I also remember the year we planted corn. We may have done it more than once, but I only remember once. That year my grandfather taught me about how tasty baby corn is, my grandma wasn't thrilled about this!
Ah...The garden. Some of my funniest memories of him are in the garden too. He used to sit out in a lawn chair with his pistol and shoot at the gophers. I think it was somehow therapeutic to him. The thing my husband still laughs about, and teases me about, is that when I was really little my grandfather convinced me that little girls could be pulled down into gopher holes by the gopher. He told me my only defense was to put my arms out so they couldn't pull me all the way down and shout gopher so they could come rescue me. We had many "Gopher Drills". He would shout gopher and I would put my arms out as quickly as I could. There was a part of me that is embarrassed by how silly I was, but I realize more all the time how my grandfather's sense of humor is part of my heritage.
A heritage I'm proud to be part of. It is gratifying to see how it passes down in the generations. I see quite a bit of my grandfather's sense of humor in my youngest daughter. She just makes me laugh, but she has that same dry wit. I see him in myself when I get obsessed with a topic and can't stop researching it, or when I find yet another thing I'm interested in. He had a quick wit, he was well read, and he had a playful side I have really come to appreciate. Thank you grandpa, for being such an important part of my life, and future.
Friday, May 26, 2017
Comfort Food Conversations
As an American, I believe I was raised to comfort myself with food. I've sadly done the same with my daughter's. Some examples are obvious, "You had a bad day? Let's get ice cream." More insidious, are the comfort food cravings that crop up as you are losing weight, and watching what you eat. The voice inside your head (usually this is the deceiver) saying "I've stayed on plan all week, a couple of cookies won't hurt." Half a box of cookies later... We've all been there.
What am I doing about this today? Well, for one thing I'm aware of the types of food I crave. I don't bring them into the house. In fact I've told my husband before that if he wants to buy X, he can keep it in the car and eat it while he is working. More and more he is wanting to stay on plan with me, so he isn't doing that.
Another thing, I try to find ways to feed my craving for comfort, but stay on plan. This morning, I didn't even realize I was in the mood for a comfort food, but as I started to think about my usual breakfast of veggies and egg whites, it just wasn't what I was in the mood for. I was in the mood for a "fried" egg sandwich. Something that a week ago, would have been tricky.
As part of this plan, I have gone gluten free. It wasn't deliberate at first. I was just avoiding carbs, particularly processed carbs, which limited my exposure to wheat. Then I had some pizza on an off day. The next day I was foggy, and tired all day. I realized the gluten was effecting me, and previously I had eaten so much of it that I had never noticed. You may be asking yourself why I went on this bunny trail, my answer is this week I bought myself a loaf of gluten free bread.
So, with my gluten free bread in mind, I decided I could swing a fried egg sandwich, with my usual morning coffee. I planned it all out on Sparkpeople first. It did come out as about 100 more calories than I would usually do for breakfast, but I can work that out throughout the day. Meanwhile it was great to satisfy the craving. What did I do differently than previously? I used to use oversized (standard now) slices of wheat bread, spread with a fair amount of mayo, tons of mustard (this to me is the key to a good fried egg sandwich), two eggs fried in butter or coconut oil. I just ran the numbers, and it would have been about 575 calories. Today's whole breakfast, including coffee came in at 305. Just about half.
I like to find ways to eat the things I want to eat, but stay within my goals. Most days my cravings are not so intense, and when I find something is really too high in calories I just avoid it. Otherwise, I try to plan a way to have it. Most things can adhere to a plan, and I think it is good to eat a variety of foods. I also think knowledge is power. I think it is powerful to start to figure out how many calories are in the foods you normally eat. Then, you are truly making an informed choice when you eat them. This journey, is all about the small daily choices that add up, in other words it is just like when I gained the weight. I choose to no longer keep my head in the sand, but to be aware of all that I eat, eat a bounty of the good food the Lord has provided, and praise Him as he changes me from the inside out.
if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you Col. 3:8put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and (Rom. 12:2; Col. 3:10)be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you (Rom. 6:4; 7:6; 12:2; 2 Cor. 5:17; Col. 3:10)put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:21-24
What am I doing about this today? Well, for one thing I'm aware of the types of food I crave. I don't bring them into the house. In fact I've told my husband before that if he wants to buy X, he can keep it in the car and eat it while he is working. More and more he is wanting to stay on plan with me, so he isn't doing that.
Another thing, I try to find ways to feed my craving for comfort, but stay on plan. This morning, I didn't even realize I was in the mood for a comfort food, but as I started to think about my usual breakfast of veggies and egg whites, it just wasn't what I was in the mood for. I was in the mood for a "fried" egg sandwich. Something that a week ago, would have been tricky.
As part of this plan, I have gone gluten free. It wasn't deliberate at first. I was just avoiding carbs, particularly processed carbs, which limited my exposure to wheat. Then I had some pizza on an off day. The next day I was foggy, and tired all day. I realized the gluten was effecting me, and previously I had eaten so much of it that I had never noticed. You may be asking yourself why I went on this bunny trail, my answer is this week I bought myself a loaf of gluten free bread.
So, with my gluten free bread in mind, I decided I could swing a fried egg sandwich, with my usual morning coffee. I planned it all out on Sparkpeople first. It did come out as about 100 more calories than I would usually do for breakfast, but I can work that out throughout the day. Meanwhile it was great to satisfy the craving. What did I do differently than previously? I used to use oversized (standard now) slices of wheat bread, spread with a fair amount of mayo, tons of mustard (this to me is the key to a good fried egg sandwich), two eggs fried in butter or coconut oil. I just ran the numbers, and it would have been about 575 calories. Today's whole breakfast, including coffee came in at 305. Just about half.
I like to find ways to eat the things I want to eat, but stay within my goals. Most days my cravings are not so intense, and when I find something is really too high in calories I just avoid it. Otherwise, I try to plan a way to have it. Most things can adhere to a plan, and I think it is good to eat a variety of foods. I also think knowledge is power. I think it is powerful to start to figure out how many calories are in the foods you normally eat. Then, you are truly making an informed choice when you eat them. This journey, is all about the small daily choices that add up, in other words it is just like when I gained the weight. I choose to no longer keep my head in the sand, but to be aware of all that I eat, eat a bounty of the good food the Lord has provided, and praise Him as he changes me from the inside out.
if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you Col. 3:8put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and (Rom. 12:2; Col. 3:10)be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you (Rom. 6:4; 7:6; 12:2; 2 Cor. 5:17; Col. 3:10)put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:21-24
Thursday, May 25, 2017
Weight Loss Ups & Downs
Today, I'm feeling discouraged. Okay, I know it isn't actually logical. I can look at my weight-loss progress, and see I'm ahead of schedule for my goal, my body is feeling better, and yesterday I fit into a dress a friend had gotten me, but had never fit. It isn't often I have a mood like I do today, and I can actually feel my mood yo-yoing. I'm battling my own self talk.
How am I going to choose to battle this today? I'm going to bring the Lord to the battle first, by getting into scripture, and spending time with Him. Then I'm going to remind myself of the success I've had so far, and keep my eye on the prize. I'm going to take control of these emotions that are making me feel discouraged, and frankly a bit depressed.
I'm not feeling like doing that, but I am not going to let my emotions drive this train. I am having a bit of a plateau, and I know that is normal. I weigh myself everyday, and I know our weight fluctuates, and most of the time I'm content to just wait and actually record my weight when it has gone down, but it has been a few days, and I guess I was hoping for it to continue to go down. On top of that, yesterday wasn't a great day.
I'm going to give myself credit though, my not great day is nothing like even a normal day used to be. On Sparkpeople my daily calorie intake goal is between 1200-1550. I like to stay between 1200-1300, but I don't always succeed. Yesterday I felt out of control of my eating. I went out of town with my hubby, and I didn't really plan. We bought some protein bars on the way out of town, and a bag of air popped popcorn. I do eat bars as part of my normal routine, but not usually two fuelings in a row. So, I think I felt deprived. I ended up binging half the bag of popcorn. In the end, my calorie intake was 1566. I felt out of control, but I guess it ended up working out okay.
The good news, I got a new swimsuit in the mail yesterday, and I'm very happy with it. It is comfortable, I look good in it, and it fits well. The best part? I bought a size smaller than before, and it fits fine. I probably could go even one more size down. I'm really looking forward to the day when I can actually just shop in normal stores, not just online for clothing.
I apologize if this reflects my up and down feelings, but I want to be real, and this is really where I'm at today. As Scarlett would say, "After-all, tomorrow is another day."
How am I going to choose to battle this today? I'm going to bring the Lord to the battle first, by getting into scripture, and spending time with Him. Then I'm going to remind myself of the success I've had so far, and keep my eye on the prize. I'm going to take control of these emotions that are making me feel discouraged, and frankly a bit depressed.
I'm not feeling like doing that, but I am not going to let my emotions drive this train. I am having a bit of a plateau, and I know that is normal. I weigh myself everyday, and I know our weight fluctuates, and most of the time I'm content to just wait and actually record my weight when it has gone down, but it has been a few days, and I guess I was hoping for it to continue to go down. On top of that, yesterday wasn't a great day.
I'm going to give myself credit though, my not great day is nothing like even a normal day used to be. On Sparkpeople my daily calorie intake goal is between 1200-1550. I like to stay between 1200-1300, but I don't always succeed. Yesterday I felt out of control of my eating. I went out of town with my hubby, and I didn't really plan. We bought some protein bars on the way out of town, and a bag of air popped popcorn. I do eat bars as part of my normal routine, but not usually two fuelings in a row. So, I think I felt deprived. I ended up binging half the bag of popcorn. In the end, my calorie intake was 1566. I felt out of control, but I guess it ended up working out okay.
The good news, I got a new swimsuit in the mail yesterday, and I'm very happy with it. It is comfortable, I look good in it, and it fits well. The best part? I bought a size smaller than before, and it fits fine. I probably could go even one more size down. I'm really looking forward to the day when I can actually just shop in normal stores, not just online for clothing.
I apologize if this reflects my up and down feelings, but I want to be real, and this is really where I'm at today. As Scarlett would say, "After-all, tomorrow is another day."
Sunday, May 21, 2017
Eating Out!
Here are the things I look for:
A menu with nutrition information I can look at before going (This does limit me to chains for the most part.)
A place that offers whole/fresh food options
Finally, a place I will enjoy eating at.
Some places I eat here locally are Laughing Planet, Chipotle, & Burgerville. So, now if I know I'm going out, the next step to my plan is to survey the menu. I'm looking for a meal between 200-300 calories, or 400-500 if I plan to split it. Keep in mind that I eat 5-6 small meals a day, each equal to about 200 calories more or less. I look at the carbs, I would not say I'm low carbing, but I'm cautious about my numbers on carbs and making sure that some of the carbs are fiber, not bunches of sugars. Next, I look at protein, and make sure there is sufficient protein for the meal to be satisfying. Finally, and something I'm finding increasingly important is sodium.
Sodium, especially when eating out, has become a pet topic of mine lately. I had hypertension when I started this plan just over 2 months ago, and I'm happy to report I no longer have high blood pressure. I'm quite sure that part of the high blood pressure was caused by all the eating out we were doing when I had the shop. I've been researching this after I discovered the high amount of sodium in some of the foods at restaurants.
To start off with, just how much sodium should we be taking in on a daily basis? According to the American Heart Association no more than 2400 mg a day, but recommended no more than 1500 mg a day. ("How Much Sodium Should I Eat Per Day?", 2017) Multiple sources say most of that comes from processed food. In fact "the watchdog group Center for Science in the Public Interest found that 85 out of 102 meals at popular restaurant chains contained more than a full day's worth of sodium. Some of the meals had four days’ worth of sodium."("Low-Sodium Diet: How to Eat Less Sodium at Restaurants", 2017).
What does it all mean? It means eating out, and keeping sodium low is challenging. I will give you an example, I like Chipotle, and I know they try to offer healthy options. The great thing about their website is you can enter your choices and then see how it effects your meal. If I were to have 3 crispy chicken tacos with black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, and romaine lettuce the sodium is 1440 mg. Well, that is pretty close to the day's recommendation for sodium in one meal. (Actually, I wouldn't eat this particular meal, because it is too high in calories, but I thought it was a decent example.) There aren't really many choices that don't exceed the daily recommended maximum. Last time I went I had a salad, with chicken, black beans, fajita veggies, and salsa, no dressing. The calories were a bit high at 365, but I adjusted through the day for that. The sodium was 1225 mg. More than I like to do for a meal, but workable.
Long story short, make your choices carefully, and thoughtfully. Keep eating out to a minimum since you cannot control the amount of sodium in the foods you are consuming. If you are eating in a mom & pop type of establishment that can be great, depending upon what it is. I guarantee that if one of their suppliers is Sysco or similar national restaurant suppliers, you are at risk of eating high levels of sodium. Just making you aware, as I have become aware.
Citations:
"How Much Sodium Should I Eat per Day?" Sodium Breakup. American Heart Association, n.d. Web. 21 May 2017.
"Nutrition Calculator." Chipotle. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2017
.Zelman, Kathleen M. "Low-Sodium Diet: How to Eat Less Sodium at Restaurants." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 21 May 2017.
Friday, May 19, 2017
Wow! Victorious Breakthrough
I was stressing about a number, and my past experiences with that number. The number was 330, a place I've plateaued several time. I really believe drinking 64 oz. of water before eating, and within the first half hour after waking up, have helped me break through this typical plateau. Today, I weighed in at 329, that puts me at 34lbs lost, only 3 lbs away from having lost 10% of my body weight. I'm really excited about how things are going.
Further great news, everyone in my family has lost weight. My hubby has lost about 20lbs, I'm not sure what my oldest daughter has lost, but her prom dress was too big, and she had to go with a different one because she had lost weight, and the youngest wouldn't weigh herself when we began, but since she has noticed a real change she is weighing herself now. We had been keeping our bathroom scale under the sink, none of us really wanted to know what it said, but now it is out in the bathroom and we all weigh in frequently.
Okay, so I'm excited about scale breakthroughs, but I have to tell you, I try not to obsess with the number on the scale. I'm being honest, if I step on the scale, and I don't like the number, I don't track it. In other words my weigh ins look far between when I'm plateauing. It is a mind set that the number I don't like is not permanent, and tracking it would make it permanent.
So, non-scale victories: yesterday I walked quite a bit around downtown and it wasn't terribly strenuous like it used to be, and I stayed on plan yesterday, even with eating out and having a busy day of meetings. Perhaps tomorrow I will talk about eating out strategies that work for me. Also, yesterday I got to wear this great dress that I had bought a few months back at the thrift store. I really like it, and it makes me feel sassy. Finally, a huge non scale victory yesterday, I have a denim jacket that I bought quite a while ago, but it never completely buttoned, yesterday I was able to button it, easily. Now how is that for sassy! (Below is the sassy dress, not on the same day, but....)
Monday, May 15, 2017
Mother's Day Blessings
Everyday I'm learning, little by little, that the little steps matter. Today, my husband got me a great Mother's Day gift, that really helps me pursue health. He bought me a kite. It is important to find things you enjoy, and I enjoy kite flying. I haven't done it in years, but I can't wait to go to the park around the corner from us and fly my kite. Yesterday was a bit cold for such things, but as spring is finally springing here in Oregon, I'm looking forward to outdoors pursuits.
There was still food at our Mother's Day celebration, but I decided I wanted spring rolls. It is a meal I adore, but don't really love making because it is a lot of prep. The family got together and did the prep, and I just helped direct. It was an awesome time sitting around the table making spring rolls and talking. A small thing that blesses a mom's heart.
Today, I finally remembered I wanted to start drinking the 2 quarts of water before I eat anything. Since I try to eat within an hour of getting up, and I want to drink the water in basically one sitting, it was a challenge. The thing is now, I feel great. Drinking that much water helps get things moving, plus I know that all the rest the water I drink throughout the day is kind of bonus water.
Finally, the best mother's day I got was when I stepped on the scale yesterday I finally dropped that pound that had been stubbornly hanging on. Right here, where I am now, has always been a place that my body wants to plateau. I'm going to have to work to shake things up so I can continue to lose about 15 lbs a month. My plan is to incorporate more exercise, and of course adding the water in the morning. I hope it is enough to shake it up, because I'm done fooling around. This weight is going to go.
There was still food at our Mother's Day celebration, but I decided I wanted spring rolls. It is a meal I adore, but don't really love making because it is a lot of prep. The family got together and did the prep, and I just helped direct. It was an awesome time sitting around the table making spring rolls and talking. A small thing that blesses a mom's heart.
Today, I finally remembered I wanted to start drinking the 2 quarts of water before I eat anything. Since I try to eat within an hour of getting up, and I want to drink the water in basically one sitting, it was a challenge. The thing is now, I feel great. Drinking that much water helps get things moving, plus I know that all the rest the water I drink throughout the day is kind of bonus water.
Finally, the best mother's day I got was when I stepped on the scale yesterday I finally dropped that pound that had been stubbornly hanging on. Right here, where I am now, has always been a place that my body wants to plateau. I'm going to have to work to shake things up so I can continue to lose about 15 lbs a month. My plan is to incorporate more exercise, and of course adding the water in the morning. I hope it is enough to shake it up, because I'm done fooling around. This weight is going to go.
Friday, May 12, 2017
Starting the Day Right
Starting the day on the right track cannot be underestimated! Today, for example, I decided to do something a little different from my typical eggs and veggies breakfast. Cereal just sounded good, and since I want to live a life of abundance, and not limitation, I decided to go ahead and have cereal. I had some gluten free Puffins Peanut Butter cereal. I stayed with a serving size, and I added a half of a cup of soymilk to up the protein content. With that I had my usual cup of coffee, today with maple syrup.
It all came in at the right caloric load. So, it balanced out to 209 calories, which is right on track for a meal. I eat 5-6 small meals a day, and keep them around 200 calories. This meal had 34 carbs, which is a little high for a typical morning meal, 6 grams of fat, 8 grams of protein, which is a little low, I like to stay at 10 grams and above, and 3 grams of fiber, which is reasonable. So, all the numbers were okay, not great, but acceptable.
Why then, am I so hungry after only an hour? I'm finding myself counting down the minutes until my next meal. This is not something I normally do. All I can gather is that it is the lower protein count, and perhaps the carb numbers. I'm not exactly sure, but I do know that either an egg breakfast, like a frittata, scramble, or even a tofu scramble, keeps me satisfied, and on track with my day better.
It is important to know how to start your day. Here is where I believe each person is individual. Some people start with fruit. I used to drink 2 quarts of water before I ate or drank anything else in the morning. This is a great way to get your body primed for the day. Actually, as I'm writing this I think I want to get back in that habit. It has several benefits. It helps your body flush toxins that may have gathered overnight while you sleep, it gives you all the water you need for the day in one sitting, so you know you will not get dehydrated during the day, and it assures that you are not going into the first meal of the day starving.
In fact, often we think we are hungry, when in fact we are thirsty. Next time you think you are hungry, try drinking water. If you find drinking water challenging, infuse it with fruit. Lemons and limes are great for detoxifying and alkalizing your body. Other fruit, like berries can be very tasty, you can even try cucumbers for a refreshing treat in summer. Another way to try drinking water is with therapeutic grade essential oils, like doTERRA. I particularly like the Slim & Sassy blend. You can find out more on my website : http://mydoterra.com/amandavellinga
Blessings to you, as you seek ways to start your day right. Let me know what that means to you.
It all came in at the right caloric load. So, it balanced out to 209 calories, which is right on track for a meal. I eat 5-6 small meals a day, and keep them around 200 calories. This meal had 34 carbs, which is a little high for a typical morning meal, 6 grams of fat, 8 grams of protein, which is a little low, I like to stay at 10 grams and above, and 3 grams of fiber, which is reasonable. So, all the numbers were okay, not great, but acceptable.
Why then, am I so hungry after only an hour? I'm finding myself counting down the minutes until my next meal. This is not something I normally do. All I can gather is that it is the lower protein count, and perhaps the carb numbers. I'm not exactly sure, but I do know that either an egg breakfast, like a frittata, scramble, or even a tofu scramble, keeps me satisfied, and on track with my day better.
It is important to know how to start your day. Here is where I believe each person is individual. Some people start with fruit. I used to drink 2 quarts of water before I ate or drank anything else in the morning. This is a great way to get your body primed for the day. Actually, as I'm writing this I think I want to get back in that habit. It has several benefits. It helps your body flush toxins that may have gathered overnight while you sleep, it gives you all the water you need for the day in one sitting, so you know you will not get dehydrated during the day, and it assures that you are not going into the first meal of the day starving.
In fact, often we think we are hungry, when in fact we are thirsty. Next time you think you are hungry, try drinking water. If you find drinking water challenging, infuse it with fruit. Lemons and limes are great for detoxifying and alkalizing your body. Other fruit, like berries can be very tasty, you can even try cucumbers for a refreshing treat in summer. Another way to try drinking water is with therapeutic grade essential oils, like doTERRA. I particularly like the Slim & Sassy blend. You can find out more on my website : http://mydoterra.com/amandavellinga
Blessings to you, as you seek ways to start your day right. Let me know what that means to you.
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Re-Learning Social Eating
Yesterday I had an event with my daughter. It tested my resolve a bit. It was a mother daughter lemonade party. We planned ahead and took our own Zevia sodas, since I knew I wouldn't want the lemonade. It is always challenging eating in a social situation. So much of our social lives are centered around eating. Think of this, does a wedding feel complete if there isn't cake? How about a funeral, with no food? Or, even more regular things, like how about going to the movies? Spending family time? Netflix and chill? All of it seems to involve food. For a food addicted person this can be challenging.
Think about it, food addiction isn't like other addictions that can be stopped entirely. (I'm not saying that stopping isn't a challenge.) This is where the problem lies. Couple that with a society that glamorizes overindulging, and it is no wonder we have an obesity epidemic. I could go on and on about the ties between eating, media, body image, weight, and exercise, but what really matters is how am I dealing with those issues today?
Like any addict, it is one day at a time. Yesterday, I was victorious. I avoided the gluten filled foods, which is a challenge for me. I ate the vegetables and fruit, and indulged in a bit of fruit dip. In the end, did I feel deprived? No. It is those little victories, where I change my actions for my pursuit of health, that really are awesome. These are daily reasons to thank God as he transforms my mind, and consequently my body. I'm realizing daily, that I'm no longer a slave to my desire to eat. In fact, I am finding more pleasure in eating well than I was in just eating as my flesh willed me to.
Think about it, food addiction isn't like other addictions that can be stopped entirely. (I'm not saying that stopping isn't a challenge.) This is where the problem lies. Couple that with a society that glamorizes overindulging, and it is no wonder we have an obesity epidemic. I could go on and on about the ties between eating, media, body image, weight, and exercise, but what really matters is how am I dealing with those issues today?
Like any addict, it is one day at a time. Yesterday, I was victorious. I avoided the gluten filled foods, which is a challenge for me. I ate the vegetables and fruit, and indulged in a bit of fruit dip. In the end, did I feel deprived? No. It is those little victories, where I change my actions for my pursuit of health, that really are awesome. These are daily reasons to thank God as he transforms my mind, and consequently my body. I'm realizing daily, that I'm no longer a slave to my desire to eat. In fact, I am finding more pleasure in eating well than I was in just eating as my flesh willed me to.
Monday, May 8, 2017
Exhaustion, and Sleep Apnea
Back in July I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. It is a heck of a thing to realize that you may have never had good quality sleep as an adult. I remember that first night of sleeping with a bi-pap machine. I woke up and felt like I hadn't been to sleep. The amazing part was how quickly I fell asleep. I have always dealt with insomnia, and come to find out that may be because of the apnea.
When I first came home from the hospital I was pretty obsessed with the bi-pap machine. I took naps just so I could use it. (Of course, I was recovering from sepsis at the time.) Then, after a month or so I was less enchanted with the machine. Just this February, I got a new sleep mask, and my romance with the machine was revived.
All that to say, I'm not sure how much sleep factors into weight loss, but I know it does. Occasionally, I will sleep without my mask, and when I do I find that I need an afternoon nap. When I sleep with my mask I awake refreshed, and I do that with fewer hours of sleep. Without the mask I can never seem to get enough sleep.
Sleep factors into my pursuit of health because when I'm well rested I feel like I can conquer the world. I wake up ready to be productive, rather than slogging through my day from coffee cup to nap. I also seem to crave less sugar because I am rested. I'm not trying to get that sugar rush. Before getting tested for sleep apnea I would never have thought that sleep could make those differences, but then I don't think I ever really had good sleep as an adult. (Maybe even as a child.)
When I first came home from the hospital I was pretty obsessed with the bi-pap machine. I took naps just so I could use it. (Of course, I was recovering from sepsis at the time.) Then, after a month or so I was less enchanted with the machine. Just this February, I got a new sleep mask, and my romance with the machine was revived.
All that to say, I'm not sure how much sleep factors into weight loss, but I know it does. Occasionally, I will sleep without my mask, and when I do I find that I need an afternoon nap. When I sleep with my mask I awake refreshed, and I do that with fewer hours of sleep. Without the mask I can never seem to get enough sleep.
Sleep factors into my pursuit of health because when I'm well rested I feel like I can conquer the world. I wake up ready to be productive, rather than slogging through my day from coffee cup to nap. I also seem to crave less sugar because I am rested. I'm not trying to get that sugar rush. Before getting tested for sleep apnea I would never have thought that sleep could make those differences, but then I don't think I ever really had good sleep as an adult. (Maybe even as a child.)
Friday, May 5, 2017
Facing Challenges
Lately it seems like I'm facing challenge after challenge. Food challenges have been easier to overcome. I feel like I've hit an epiphany I've been waiting a lifetime to hit. Suddenly I'm looking at foods as fuel, and calories. I've always understood this concept, but recently it is becoming a thing that helps me change the way I interact with food. I find myself weighing out how much an item will "cost" me if I indulge in it. Most the time finding I would rather go home and eat something else, that will better fuel my body. I'm feeding myself for my health more than I ever have before.
Today, could be a classic day to overindulge, it is my birthday. I'm finding myself more focused on the goal of staying healthy than classic birthday foods. I'm not going to decide that I am not having cake, but if I do have an indulgence it will be very carefully chosen. Any indulgence will have to be something I know I want enough to make it worth it.
Finally, my biggest challenge today is still my knees. I am going to the doctor today about my knees. I'm afraid I won't get immediate answers, but I'm ready to face whatever answers I get.
Today, could be a classic day to overindulge, it is my birthday. I'm finding myself more focused on the goal of staying healthy than classic birthday foods. I'm not going to decide that I am not having cake, but if I do have an indulgence it will be very carefully chosen. Any indulgence will have to be something I know I want enough to make it worth it.
Finally, my biggest challenge today is still my knees. I am going to the doctor today about my knees. I'm afraid I won't get immediate answers, but I'm ready to face whatever answers I get.
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
The Quest for "On Plan" Coffee
So, I have not always been a coffee drinker. When I was younger I liked the aroma, but not the flavor. Then in my late teens, early twenties, I went through an obsession with espresso. I think perhaps I liked the accessories, i.e. the demitasse cups, more that the beverage. After moving to Colorado, at age 23, I was still an occasional coffee drinker. Back then my caffeine of choice was Diet Pepsi. When I did drink coffee, I always wanted plenty of cream and sugar. I continued this way until my husband, oldest daughter, and I moved to Oregon.
Then begins our Dutch Bros. stage. When we moved here we had never heard of Dutch Bros. We both agreed that Starbucks was not our thing, but a friend of ours turned us on to Dutch Bros. and we ended up pretty addicted. There have been times on and off in the 12+ years we've been in Oregon that we had Dutch Bros. daily. There have also been times that I've been totally off coffee. Somewhere, about 8 years ago I stopped drinking Diet Pepsi, and that may have been why the coffee intake raised.
My love affair with coffee was rather full blown. I started brewing coffee at home. The only problem with brewing it at home was that if I brewed a pot my husband would maybe have a cup, and I would drink the rest. (Who wants coffee that sat a day, and who wants to waste coffee?) This became a thing for a while, always with lots of soymilk and sugar, or maybe agave. Then, we decided a French Press would be better than brewed. Partly because when you brew drip coffee, it always seemed that if you brewed half a pot it wasn't strong enough. We got a couple of small French Presses, and started making our coffee that way. Still, all this time buying coffee at Dutch Bros. or other such coffee houses when we went out and could afford to.
Then, almost 4 years ago we moved to Corvallis, OR. We still drank Dutch Bros. a few times a month, and we also tried most of the coffee shops around town. We found a local coffee shop we really liked, but still tons of cream and sugar. I opened my shop and my coffee addiction really reared it's ugly head again. The shop was near Starbucks, which was and still is zero temptation for me, and Einstein Bros. Bagels. Well, the drip coffee at Einstein was good, and if I purchased it early in the day, I could have unlimited refills. This was not good for me. I got a little out of control for a while.
During all these years, and our family's attempts to get healthier, we had at some point discovered cold brew coffee. About a year and a half ago we bought a pot to cold brew coffee. If you don't already know, cold brew is much less acidic than hot brewed coffee. It also retains more of the good anti-oxidants that are in coffee. Consequently, it is naturally sweeter tasting. Still with the benefits of cold brew, my husband felt it wasn't strong enough.
Then, research led me to Turkish style coffee, and that led me deeper to using Turkish style coffee in a cold brew process. Turkish coffee is just a much finer grind of coffee. The texture of Turkish style coffee is like that of cocoa powder. You can use any type of coffee in that grind. We like a locally roasted coffee called River Mud. To make the cold brew you mix 1 cup of ground coffee with about 1 quart of cold water, and let it sit on the counter over night for at least 24 hours. Then you strain out the grounds. We use our cold brew pot's strainer, but you could use a nut milk bag, or similar. It is really that simple.
Today, my on plan coffee is 10 oz. of cold brew, 3/4 cup of organic almond milk, and 2 teaspoons of agave. This comes in at about 55 calories. Much better than my fave Dutch Bros. drink that comes in at 440 cals for a similar size. These type of choices help me stay on plan, and not feel deprived.
Then begins our Dutch Bros. stage. When we moved here we had never heard of Dutch Bros. We both agreed that Starbucks was not our thing, but a friend of ours turned us on to Dutch Bros. and we ended up pretty addicted. There have been times on and off in the 12+ years we've been in Oregon that we had Dutch Bros. daily. There have also been times that I've been totally off coffee. Somewhere, about 8 years ago I stopped drinking Diet Pepsi, and that may have been why the coffee intake raised.
My love affair with coffee was rather full blown. I started brewing coffee at home. The only problem with brewing it at home was that if I brewed a pot my husband would maybe have a cup, and I would drink the rest. (Who wants coffee that sat a day, and who wants to waste coffee?) This became a thing for a while, always with lots of soymilk and sugar, or maybe agave. Then, we decided a French Press would be better than brewed. Partly because when you brew drip coffee, it always seemed that if you brewed half a pot it wasn't strong enough. We got a couple of small French Presses, and started making our coffee that way. Still, all this time buying coffee at Dutch Bros. or other such coffee houses when we went out and could afford to.
Then, almost 4 years ago we moved to Corvallis, OR. We still drank Dutch Bros. a few times a month, and we also tried most of the coffee shops around town. We found a local coffee shop we really liked, but still tons of cream and sugar. I opened my shop and my coffee addiction really reared it's ugly head again. The shop was near Starbucks, which was and still is zero temptation for me, and Einstein Bros. Bagels. Well, the drip coffee at Einstein was good, and if I purchased it early in the day, I could have unlimited refills. This was not good for me. I got a little out of control for a while.
During all these years, and our family's attempts to get healthier, we had at some point discovered cold brew coffee. About a year and a half ago we bought a pot to cold brew coffee. If you don't already know, cold brew is much less acidic than hot brewed coffee. It also retains more of the good anti-oxidants that are in coffee. Consequently, it is naturally sweeter tasting. Still with the benefits of cold brew, my husband felt it wasn't strong enough.
Then, research led me to Turkish style coffee, and that led me deeper to using Turkish style coffee in a cold brew process. Turkish coffee is just a much finer grind of coffee. The texture of Turkish style coffee is like that of cocoa powder. You can use any type of coffee in that grind. We like a locally roasted coffee called River Mud. To make the cold brew you mix 1 cup of ground coffee with about 1 quart of cold water, and let it sit on the counter over night for at least 24 hours. Then you strain out the grounds. We use our cold brew pot's strainer, but you could use a nut milk bag, or similar. It is really that simple.
Today, my on plan coffee is 10 oz. of cold brew, 3/4 cup of organic almond milk, and 2 teaspoons of agave. This comes in at about 55 calories. Much better than my fave Dutch Bros. drink that comes in at 440 cals for a similar size. These type of choices help me stay on plan, and not feel deprived.
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Challenge Update plus Sweet Chili Chicken Salad Recipe
So, yesterday I had intense knee pain, and I won't lie, it still hurts. Today is not as bad as yesterday. I watched part of the legs workout on the SparkPeople 28 Day Home workout challenge, and decided that I was unable to do it. I substituted the sitting workout instead. So small victory, I did workout.
As for dining challenges at our friend's house. It turned out great. I took the sweet chili chicken salad, and avocado black bean brownies. They were delicious, and I stayed totally on plan. Today, I am going to include the recipe for the sweet chili chicken salad.
As for dining challenges at our friend's house. It turned out great. I took the sweet chili chicken salad, and avocado black bean brownies. They were delicious, and I stayed totally on plan. Today, I am going to include the recipe for the sweet chili chicken salad.
Sweet Chili Chicken Salad
Cabbage, shredded 3/4 cup
Carrot 1 small, shredded
Radish, 1-2 small, chopped
Zucchini, shredded 1/2 cup
Fresh mint and/or Cilantro about a total of 2 Tbsp. chopped
Red bell pepper, chopped 1/4 cup
2-3 ounces of shredded cooked chicken breast*
1 Tablespoon of Sweet Chili Sauce (I like Mae Ploy, or Grama's)
Zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 Tablespoon sliced dry roasted almonds (I like Trader Joe's)
Mix the chicken and chili sauce, and set aside. Layer the rest of the veggies, zest the half lemon over veggies, and squeeze the juice over the salad. Top with the chicken and toasted almonds. The macros below are with 3 ounces of chicken.
Nutritional Info
- Servings Per Recipe: 1
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 264.6
- Total Fat: 6.8 g
- Cholesterol: 52.7 mg
- Sodium: 442.0 mg
- Total Carbs: 26.1 g
- Dietary Fiber: 4.7 g
- Protein: 23.1 g
There are of course lots of possible variations. The veggies can vary depending upon what you have on hand. Instead of almonds you could used toasted sesame seeds, or cashews. Let me know if you try this salad, and what you think of it. Let me know if you want more salad ideas. Please subscribe.
*I get large packages of chicken and cook a big batch of breasts at one time with salt and pepper on it, then I shred and store for later use.
Farmer's Market from Sparkpeople Blog 5/2/17
Tomorrow is a Farmer's Market day here in Corvallis, OR. I can hardly wait. If you don't shop your market I want to encourage you to do so. There are incredible finds there. I've always been adventurous when it comes to produce. When I was a little girl my grandparents always had a huge garden and I always had a row in that garden. My row was always Swiss Chard. I still adore Swiss Chard. My grandparents would plant certain things, like carrots, and cucumbers, and we had a lovely strawberry patch, but they also experimented. I remember the year they first tried bok choy and my grandma couldn't seem to find ways to use it all.
Anyway, all this to say that most Americans eat a very narrow range of fruits and vegetables, but there are sooooo many out there that are delicious and overlooked. I made a beautiful egg white omelet this morning with shiitake mushrooms, green garlic, and arugula, all from the market. I wish I had taken a picture, but I devoured it too fast. (No picture could honestly have done it credit.) The buttery flavor of the mushrooms complemented by the deep flavor of the arugula, the mild garlic and a little Romano cheese was an intense sensation.
The Farmer's Market gives us all an opportunity to eat gourmet meals. The ingredients are premium, and the flavors varied. If you are ever unsure about an item, just ask the grower. They can tell you what it is, some ideas on how to use it, and what it tastes like. They often will offer a taste if it is something that can be eaten raw. If you have grown bored with your vegetable routine, I encourage you to explore your market.
Anyway, all this to say that most Americans eat a very narrow range of fruits and vegetables, but there are sooooo many out there that are delicious and overlooked. I made a beautiful egg white omelet this morning with shiitake mushrooms, green garlic, and arugula, all from the market. I wish I had taken a picture, but I devoured it too fast. (No picture could honestly have done it credit.) The buttery flavor of the mushrooms complemented by the deep flavor of the arugula, the mild garlic and a little Romano cheese was an intense sensation.
The Farmer's Market gives us all an opportunity to eat gourmet meals. The ingredients are premium, and the flavors varied. If you are ever unsure about an item, just ask the grower. They can tell you what it is, some ideas on how to use it, and what it tastes like. They often will offer a taste if it is something that can be eaten raw. If you have grown bored with your vegetable routine, I encourage you to explore your market.
Knee Pain and other challenges from Sparkpeople Blog 5/1/17
I'm having a hard time focusing today due to knee pain. I believe I need to make a doctor's appointment. I'm trying to do the 28 day Home Workout Challenge, but I'm not sure if I can do it today. I am going to attempt since it is only 10 minutes today, but my concern, without having watched the video, is that today is a leg workout. I'm not going to let it discourage me.
Also challenging today, spring allergies. My hubby is mowing the lawn and cut grass kills me. My daughter is making me doTERRA tri-blend shots with lavender, peppermint, and lemon. It helps. Also running doTERRA Breathe in the diffuser. On top of all that it is that time of month. Wowser! I'm going to make it through this day victorious.
The final challenge of the day is family fellowship at a friend's house tonight. It is always potluck. Last week I took frittata and salad, and the host had barbeque chicken legs and stuffing, both things I cannot eat. This week she plans on doing roast and peach cobbler. Thankfully, she doesn't make things overly sweet, so the cobbler won't be a huge problem. I'm not sure what I'm taking. I think black bean brownies, salad, and some sort of casserole. I need to assess what I have in the fridge. I know I have some shredded chicken I should use up. Maybe I'll just make the brownies and a sweet chili chicken salad. That sounds good, and filling. (Plus easy since I have most of it made already.) Challenge accepted!
Also challenging today, spring allergies. My hubby is mowing the lawn and cut grass kills me. My daughter is making me doTERRA tri-blend shots with lavender, peppermint, and lemon. It helps. Also running doTERRA Breathe in the diffuser. On top of all that it is that time of month. Wowser! I'm going to make it through this day victorious.
The final challenge of the day is family fellowship at a friend's house tonight. It is always potluck. Last week I took frittata and salad, and the host had barbeque chicken legs and stuffing, both things I cannot eat. This week she plans on doing roast and peach cobbler. Thankfully, she doesn't make things overly sweet, so the cobbler won't be a huge problem. I'm not sure what I'm taking. I think black bean brownies, salad, and some sort of casserole. I need to assess what I have in the fridge. I know I have some shredded chicken I should use up. Maybe I'll just make the brownies and a sweet chili chicken salad. That sounds good, and filling. (Plus easy since I have most of it made already.) Challenge accepted!
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