Friday, September 30, 2016
Jennifer lost 35 pounds
http://ift.tt/2dGssUf
Jennifer lost 35 pounds. In the past, fitness wasn’t something she had to work at. That all changed after her second pregnancy. After her mom was diagnosed with ALS and the family moved to another state, she was faced with stress and depression. This strong mom found herself in a rut and took action to take […]
Weight Loss
Jennifer lost 35 pounds. In the past, fitness wasn’t something she had to work at. That all changed after her second pregnancy. After her mom was diagnosed with ALS and the family moved to another state, she was faced with stress and depression. This strong mom found herself in a rut and took action to take […]
Weight Loss
Life
http://ift.tt/2cHT30L
Happy Friday! It's finally the weekend (at least for me) and I am happy to have a little down time tonight and hopefully tomorrow. It's been a busy couple of weeks, but that doesn't mean I am neglecting my healthy eating. I have done much better with that since stopping the tracking. Using a more relaxed method is so much better for me, as I explained in my last post. I'm still enjoying my CSA box but that is coming to a close next week. I'll have to start hitting the produce section in the grocery store more often. I am really glad to have fresh locally grown squash available right now! We not only got the last of the summer squash, but we are getting delicious winter squash now, too. Zucchini, yellow squash, delicata, acorn squash, spaghetti squash and butternut squash are all in my pantry and I am roasting, baking and steaming them nearly every day. I hope to make some winter squash soup this week, too. I got a heck of a deal on grass fed beef and lamb (about $3 a pound!) so bought a bunch of that to stick in the freezer along with the pastured pork and free range chicken. Good stuff!
Someone asked about my schedule on the last post, and I've often gotten comments or emails asking whether I work outside the home and what I do with my time. I have posted about that in the past but things have changed a lot over the past few years. I no longer have little kids and teens taking up most of my time, so that has freed up my day for other things. I know I am very blessed to be able to spend much of my time as I wish; for most of my life, that was not the case, as I was either in school or working full time. I did have some great years when the boys were little, being a stay at home mom to 4+, homemaker, and farmer's wife (and that was a LOT of work, but joyous work!). My husband and I have chosen to have me stay home since our daughter was born, and even though she is in middle school now I am able to keep working part time from home and keep my priorities on home and family.
One of the passions of my heart is animal rescue. Ever since I was a child, I wanted to work with animals and help the less fortunate. I love all of God's creatures and it breaks my heart to see any animal suffering, neglected, or abused. So I spend a part of every day volunteering in rescue. My kids and I used to just go and walk dogs at the shelter; eventually it evolved into being even more involved. I do transports when a dog or cat needs to go to a different rescue or home, take animals to the vet when needed, do home checks on potential adopters, and foster dogs and cats in my home. I had planned to cut back and stop fostering for awhile to give myself more time to focus on my health, but we had an emergency foster come in last night who was in danger of being euthanized if I did not take her. Once she is adopted, and my other foster goes to her new home, I am not taking any more animals for awhile. I'd say I spend an average of 3 hours a day on rescue, plus 1-2 hours more in pet and foster care (just feeding, walking, exercising, grooming, etc). I also spend an hour or two a week working my Therapy dog, which is lots of fun, and 2-3 hours a week training my other dog. Having time to do what I love is amazing and not for one second do I take this for granted. It's a hobby that I find very relaxing and fulfilling and it just downright makes me happy that I can give of myself in this way. And the animals give back 100 fold. They know when they have been helped and they love you for it.
So aside from that, I do the typical homemaker stuff, keeping up the house, shopping, cooking, laundry, yard work, help with homework and fundraisers, all the usual things all stay-at-home-moms do. On weekends and after school, I spend time with my family. We try to have dinner together most nights. I spend an hour or two most weekdays taking my daughter to her after-school sports and groups, and we're part of an active church family with regular church service and activities two or three days a week. (I have to say I never thought I would enjoy church as much as I do!) I take my two youngest kids to various appointments (doctors, dentist, orthodontist, specialists) and sometimes get together with other Moms to visit and have fun. Sometimes we take the kids to a movie together, or to a big park to play. Last week we went to a fall festival and the kids had a blast! We have dinner with friends about twice a week. I go to meetings related to my science career twice a month (trying to stay in the loop for when I do go back to work). Right now, as I type, I am listening to my daughter practice the violin and I'm pausing to play tug with my dog every so often. Multi-tasking at its best! I also do still work from home but spend less time on that than I used to (just a few hours a week). Plus, you know, I blog once in awhile and sometimes, when everyone is in bed, I just sit down and read or watch reality TV and drink decaf coffee! I love the quiet at night.
Anyway, it's not very weight-loss related, but if you wanted to get to know me better there you have it. I like a simple life. I like sleeping with the windows open and listening to the crickets chirp at night in the summer. I love the seven trees I planted around my house over a decade ago and the huge, mature maples that were already here when I moved in. I love sitting on my porch in a rocking chair and watching the birds and the squirrels in the yard. I love having children (even the adult ones!) and being with family. I do know that all of this will only get better and more sweet as I get to a healthier weight, so I am making time for that, too. I have given a lot of thought to a comment I got some time ago, stating that the commenter looks at weight loss/better health as her "job" and so commits a certain number of hours a day specifically to that; this resonates with me, and when my fosters are adopted, I would like to take those hours I am now using on rescue and spend them specifically on bettering my health. Seems like a great idea to me!
Weight Loss
Happy Friday! It's finally the weekend (at least for me) and I am happy to have a little down time tonight and hopefully tomorrow. It's been a busy couple of weeks, but that doesn't mean I am neglecting my healthy eating. I have done much better with that since stopping the tracking. Using a more relaxed method is so much better for me, as I explained in my last post. I'm still enjoying my CSA box but that is coming to a close next week. I'll have to start hitting the produce section in the grocery store more often. I am really glad to have fresh locally grown squash available right now! We not only got the last of the summer squash, but we are getting delicious winter squash now, too. Zucchini, yellow squash, delicata, acorn squash, spaghetti squash and butternut squash are all in my pantry and I am roasting, baking and steaming them nearly every day. I hope to make some winter squash soup this week, too. I got a heck of a deal on grass fed beef and lamb (about $3 a pound!) so bought a bunch of that to stick in the freezer along with the pastured pork and free range chicken. Good stuff!
Someone asked about my schedule on the last post, and I've often gotten comments or emails asking whether I work outside the home and what I do with my time. I have posted about that in the past but things have changed a lot over the past few years. I no longer have little kids and teens taking up most of my time, so that has freed up my day for other things. I know I am very blessed to be able to spend much of my time as I wish; for most of my life, that was not the case, as I was either in school or working full time. I did have some great years when the boys were little, being a stay at home mom to 4+, homemaker, and farmer's wife (and that was a LOT of work, but joyous work!). My husband and I have chosen to have me stay home since our daughter was born, and even though she is in middle school now I am able to keep working part time from home and keep my priorities on home and family.
One of the passions of my heart is animal rescue. Ever since I was a child, I wanted to work with animals and help the less fortunate. I love all of God's creatures and it breaks my heart to see any animal suffering, neglected, or abused. So I spend a part of every day volunteering in rescue. My kids and I used to just go and walk dogs at the shelter; eventually it evolved into being even more involved. I do transports when a dog or cat needs to go to a different rescue or home, take animals to the vet when needed, do home checks on potential adopters, and foster dogs and cats in my home. I had planned to cut back and stop fostering for awhile to give myself more time to focus on my health, but we had an emergency foster come in last night who was in danger of being euthanized if I did not take her. Once she is adopted, and my other foster goes to her new home, I am not taking any more animals for awhile. I'd say I spend an average of 3 hours a day on rescue, plus 1-2 hours more in pet and foster care (just feeding, walking, exercising, grooming, etc). I also spend an hour or two a week working my Therapy dog, which is lots of fun, and 2-3 hours a week training my other dog. Having time to do what I love is amazing and not for one second do I take this for granted. It's a hobby that I find very relaxing and fulfilling and it just downright makes me happy that I can give of myself in this way. And the animals give back 100 fold. They know when they have been helped and they love you for it.
So aside from that, I do the typical homemaker stuff, keeping up the house, shopping, cooking, laundry, yard work, help with homework and fundraisers, all the usual things all stay-at-home-moms do. On weekends and after school, I spend time with my family. We try to have dinner together most nights. I spend an hour or two most weekdays taking my daughter to her after-school sports and groups, and we're part of an active church family with regular church service and activities two or three days a week. (I have to say I never thought I would enjoy church as much as I do!) I take my two youngest kids to various appointments (doctors, dentist, orthodontist, specialists) and sometimes get together with other Moms to visit and have fun. Sometimes we take the kids to a movie together, or to a big park to play. Last week we went to a fall festival and the kids had a blast! We have dinner with friends about twice a week. I go to meetings related to my science career twice a month (trying to stay in the loop for when I do go back to work). Right now, as I type, I am listening to my daughter practice the violin and I'm pausing to play tug with my dog every so often. Multi-tasking at its best! I also do still work from home but spend less time on that than I used to (just a few hours a week). Plus, you know, I blog once in awhile and sometimes, when everyone is in bed, I just sit down and read or watch reality TV and drink decaf coffee! I love the quiet at night.
Anyway, it's not very weight-loss related, but if you wanted to get to know me better there you have it. I like a simple life. I like sleeping with the windows open and listening to the crickets chirp at night in the summer. I love the seven trees I planted around my house over a decade ago and the huge, mature maples that were already here when I moved in. I love sitting on my porch in a rocking chair and watching the birds and the squirrels in the yard. I love having children (even the adult ones!) and being with family. I do know that all of this will only get better and more sweet as I get to a healthier weight, so I am making time for that, too. I have given a lot of thought to a comment I got some time ago, stating that the commenter looks at weight loss/better health as her "job" and so commits a certain number of hours a day specifically to that; this resonates with me, and when my fosters are adopted, I would like to take those hours I am now using on rescue and spend them specifically on bettering my health. Seems like a great idea to me!
Weight Loss
It’s O.K. for Me to Love Me
By Irene Conlan—
Some of us have been around for a long time and we’re just learning that it’s o.k. to love ourselves. We were taught never to put ourselves first, that we were born sinful or bad, that we would never amount to anything unless … (fill in the blank). If we mentioned something positive about ourselves it was called bragging and was not acceptable. We were told in school, Sunday school and at home that “Pride goeth before a fall.” And we were warned about letting things “go to our head.” Praise was considered dangerously ego inflating and the rule of thumb was that if you didn’t hear that it was wrong you probably did a good job.
Those days, hopefully, are gone for good.
Now we know that not only is it o.k, but it’s essential to love yourself. Consider these questions:
- If I don’t love me, who else can?
- If I don’t love me, can I truly love someone else?
Call it what you want— self-love, self-esteem, self-worth—how you regard yourself determines how you will regard others and how you will respond to a relationship. It is NOT —I repeat—It is NOT the “pride” part of “pride goes before a fall.”
I’m not saying that we love only ourselves. Balance requires that we are “other-centered” as well as “self-centered” (self centered in a good way.” It also requires that we can give love as well receive love.
So, how do we build our self esteem, our love of self in a healthy way?
Hara Estroff Marano, in Psychology Today states:
Self-love doesn’t happen by luck or the grace of God. You have to create it. These are among the most important elements of it.
- Honoring yourself and who you really are. Love is your birthright. As Teilhard de Chardin said, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience.”
- Telling the highest truth, which is that we are powerful beings capable of creating joy and success or pain and suffering in our lives. We are not destined to be victims. We have the power to choose, and this power is both the greatest responsibility we have and the greatest opportunity.
- Honoring who you are becoming. Self-love involves recognizing that you are constantly evolving and growing to become a more powerful and more loving being.
- Honoring your feelings and responding to those feelings. Remember, feelings are important signals, and even the so-called negative feelings of anger and fear serve the important purpose of alerting us to the obstacles in our life.
- Recognizing that the universe is literally made of love. “If we will just open ourselves to receive, like flowers opening to the sun, then everything is possible,” says Ti Caine, hypnotherapist and life coach based in Sherman Oaks, California.
How do you begin honoring yourself? It starts with awareness. Become aware of who you are, what your strengths are, what you like/love. Pay attention. Accept the fact that you are unique, special, one of a kind. Some of the tools to help you become more aware and accepting of who you are include:
Meditation—this is a time when you really get to know you. Silence of the mind can teach you more that you can possibly learn in a lecture. Use it as a time to commune with your inner self. Have a good chat with your Supreme Being. Do you think for a moment that the Creator made a mistake when you were created?
Journaling—writing down your thoughts and feelings on a daily basis can show you a clearer picture of your strengths and weaknesses. We all have weaknesses so don’t be afraid of them.
Gratitude and Appreciation—As you start being aware of those things you are grateful for and that you appreciate you will find it easier to be grateful for and appreciate things about yourself.
Service to others – There is absolutely no better way to feel better about yourself than to be of service to others. Not just because you receive sincere compliments but because the energy of giving creates something new in you. Try it and see.
There is never a better time to start loving yourself than right now. Go for it.
Self Esteem Feeds
Teja lost 51 pounds
http://ift.tt/2dcQiev
Transformation of the Day: Teja lost 51 pounds. One day, she just didn’t recognize herself in the mirror and that was her wakeup call. Clean eating, exercise and a great support system has propelled this fit mom to achieve great results. Now, she is using her story to inspire thousand and thousands of others to change […]
Weight Loss
Transformation of the Day: Teja lost 51 pounds. One day, she just didn’t recognize herself in the mirror and that was her wakeup call. Clean eating, exercise and a great support system has propelled this fit mom to achieve great results. Now, she is using her story to inspire thousand and thousands of others to change […]
No related posts.
Weight Loss
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Abi lost 16 pounds
http://ift.tt/2cZWqRJ
Abi lost 16 pounds. She began her journey a few months ago and is celebrating her progress. Taking action by using portion control, group exercise and drinking lots of water are just some of the tools she used. My name is Abi and to be honest I don’t really have a story. I just knew a […]
Weight Loss
Abi lost 16 pounds. She began her journey a few months ago and is celebrating her progress. Taking action by using portion control, group exercise and drinking lots of water are just some of the tools she used. My name is Abi and to be honest I don’t really have a story. I just knew a […]
Related posts:
Weight Loss
Hunger may motivate us more than thirst, fear, or anxiety
http://ift.tt/2dcXkxk
A mouse study reveals that hunger may be a stronger motivating force than a number of other driving states, including fear, anxiety, and social needs.
Weight Loss
A mouse study reveals that hunger may be a stronger motivating force than a number of other driving states, including fear, anxiety, and social needs.
Weight Loss
Latoya lost 69 pounds
http://ift.tt/2dGCxDb
Transformation of the day: Latoya lost 69 pounds. Falling in love with green smoothies, changing her eating habits and exercising changed her life. She is a widow and mother of six who says that if she can do it, we all can. Check out her story. My motivation to lose weight was when I moved […]
Weight Loss
Transformation of the day: Latoya lost 69 pounds. Falling in love with green smoothies, changing her eating habits and exercising changed her life. She is a widow and mother of six who says that if she can do it, we all can. Check out her story. My motivation to lose weight was when I moved […]
Related posts:
Weight Loss
Brown adipose tissue is able to secrete factors that activate fat and carbohydrate metabolism
http://ift.tt/2dgqrOZ
Brown adipose tissue - main organ generating heat in the body- is also an endocrine organ that secretes signaling factors that activate the fat and carbohydrates metabolism.
Weight Loss
Brown adipose tissue - main organ generating heat in the body- is also an endocrine organ that secretes signaling factors that activate the fat and carbohydrates metabolism.
Weight Loss
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Huge news!
http://ift.tt/2dlLykM
You know how when someone tells you a secret, and then they say not to tell anyone, and it nearly kills you because you're dying to spill the beans? Yeah, that's how I've been feeling for two months now.
I have been SO SO SO excited to share this on my blog ever since I found out about it in July (on Noah's birthday, actually). I had to wait until I had permission to share it on my blog, and it's been killing me ;)
Read more »
Weight Loss
You know how when someone tells you a secret, and then they say not to tell anyone, and it nearly kills you because you're dying to spill the beans? Yeah, that's how I've been feeling for two months now.
I have been SO SO SO excited to share this on my blog ever since I found out about it in July (on Noah's birthday, actually). I had to wait until I had permission to share it on my blog, and it's been killing me ;)
Read more »
Weight Loss
14 Day Plan and Prep Challenge
http://ift.tt/2dAUuQF
BWLW October Challenge Details! I’m so excited about helping you get on track with your eating goals. We are focused on clean eating habits and meal planning this month. There is no exercise portion, but if you are looking for workout challenge, check out our exercise board on Pinterest. Goal: Help you to create a […]
Weight Loss
BWLW October Challenge Details! I’m so excited about helping you get on track with your eating goals. We are focused on clean eating habits and meal planning this month. There is no exercise portion, but if you are looking for workout challenge, check out our exercise board on Pinterest. Goal: Help you to create a […]
Related posts:
Weight Loss
LIAM 279 – Live It Forward with Kent Julian
My good friend, Kent Julian, is back on the show after 200 episodes. Kent first joined us for episode 78 and we talked about the E+R=O formula. Today, we have another lively conversation around the topic of “live it forward” and how he has turned that into a profitable brand. Kent has developed a live conference called “Live It Forward: ADVANCE” which will help you move from DREAM to DO! Listen our conversation:
Listen on iTunes or Listen to/download this episode here:
Love the show? Click here to Tweet a shoutout!
Want to know how you can support the LIAM Mission? Click here.
Mentioned in this show:
- Kent Julian
- website: http://ift.tt/1NoZTJf
- Conference: http://ift.tt/2cBKqot
- Restory YOU! Personal Development Workshop
- Worry No More! book
- Download: Affirmations for Abundant Living
- LIAM Team Life Coaching Community
Subscription/Social Links:
- Subscribe on iTunes!
- Subscribe on Stitcher Radio!
- Watch on YouTube!
- LIAM on Twitter: @LifeIs262
- LIAM on Facebook / LifeIsAMarathon
- Subscribe to the LIAM Mailing List
- www.BruceVanHorn.com
- Bruce Van Horn on Twitter
- Bruce Van Horn on Facebook
The post LIAM 279 – Live It Forward with Kent Julian appeared first on Life Is A Marathon : Life Coaching | Self-Esteem | Personal Development | Personal Branding | Positive Thinking | Community.
Self Esteem Feeds
Hearty Salmon and Wild Rice Soup in a Hurry
http://ift.tt/2dDshvv
This is the third recipe I’m sharing as an ambassador for Chicken of the Sea and Minute Rice leading up ...
Weight Loss
Weight Loss
I will NOT put a shirt on.
http://ift.tt/2cVSr8O
I've been taking my shirt off for years - long before I had surgery.
I wasn't ashamed then and I won't be ashamed now.
This here blog, my Instagram, my Snapchat, my Periscope, my Facebook - is all about my life. Fitness and all the things that go along with it are the backbone, so if you don't like to see my body then you're welcome to not come around here anymore. I've shared the good, the bad, the ugly.
I'll also give you a eye opening tid bit - having your skin removed is not the same as them cutting off your fat. You still need to be active and eat right, so when will it ever be enough?
Hopefully never - I pray that I wake up each day with a vigor to improve an area of my life. If not my body, than my relationship with God or my family. To be a better parent than I was yesterday. To be a better business woman. To be a better friend. The day I stop trying to outdo myself will be the day I have given up.
Do you know why I've been so consistent in my fitness? I don't stop changing it up, I can name the hundred's of ways I've used to lose weight.
Running
Weight Watchers
Jenny Craig
Bootcamps
Gym classes
Spin Class
Clean Eating
Lifting weight
Crossfit
Counting macros
There is no wrong way to get healthy! I had success using all of these tools, but I get bored. Starting Crossfit this year has renewed my passion, I was getting stale at the gym. God led me here - not for myself, but for my family. In the 16 years I've been with Oliver I have never seen him stick with anything for this long. Marriage is hard, but it is less hard when we have a common interest we can share together.
and yes, what lessons am I teaching my daughter?
Hard work pays off.
Be consistent.
Take your shirt off if you want to!
There is a world outside of Minecraft ;)
Do I think she will grow up to judge me for having plastic surgery?
No. Would I have judged my own mother for doing it? No.
I'm sure she'll have her own list of complaints about how I failed her as a Mother, but that's the circle of life. I think we all judge our parents to harshly, until we are grown and see just how hard it is to always do the exact right thing.
Weight Loss
After having my surgery I of course started to get nasty comments and messages - "it was my own fault for being fat" - "I need to put a shirt on" - "what lesson am I teaching my daughter? That I have to spend thousands of dollars to feel good about myself?"
At first it really annoyed me, so much so that I found myself putting on a shirt. Then I thought - EFF THAT. I will not be shamed into doing ANYTHING I don't want to do.
I've been taking my shirt off for years - long before I had surgery.
I wasn't ashamed then and I won't be ashamed now.
This here blog, my Instagram, my Snapchat, my Periscope, my Facebook - is all about my life. Fitness and all the things that go along with it are the backbone, so if you don't like to see my body then you're welcome to not come around here anymore. I've shared the good, the bad, the ugly.
I'll also give you a eye opening tid bit - having your skin removed is not the same as them cutting off your fat. You still need to be active and eat right, so when will it ever be enough?
Hopefully never - I pray that I wake up each day with a vigor to improve an area of my life. If not my body, than my relationship with God or my family. To be a better parent than I was yesterday. To be a better business woman. To be a better friend. The day I stop trying to outdo myself will be the day I have given up.
Do you know why I've been so consistent in my fitness? I don't stop changing it up, I can name the hundred's of ways I've used to lose weight.
Running
Weight Watchers
Jenny Craig
Bootcamps
Gym classes
Spin Class
Clean Eating
Lifting weight
Crossfit
Counting macros
There is no wrong way to get healthy! I had success using all of these tools, but I get bored. Starting Crossfit this year has renewed my passion, I was getting stale at the gym. God led me here - not for myself, but for my family. In the 16 years I've been with Oliver I have never seen him stick with anything for this long. Marriage is hard, but it is less hard when we have a common interest we can share together.
and yes, what lessons am I teaching my daughter?
Hard work pays off.
Be consistent.
Take your shirt off if you want to!
There is a world outside of Minecraft ;)
Do I think she will grow up to judge me for having plastic surgery?
No. Would I have judged my own mother for doing it? No.
I'm sure she'll have her own list of complaints about how I failed her as a Mother, but that's the circle of life. I think we all judge our parents to harshly, until we are grown and see just how hard it is to always do the exact right thing.
Weight Loss
Vanessa lost 80 pounds
http://ift.tt/2dkliU5
Transformation of the Day: Vanessa lost 80 pounds. She reached a point where she didn’t like the woman staring back at her in the mirror. Emotional eating became habit and she felt that she was losing her identity. She learned to love herself more and accept herself. Check out what steps she took to turn […]
Weight Loss
Transformation of the Day: Vanessa lost 80 pounds. She reached a point where she didn’t like the woman staring back at her in the mirror. Emotional eating became habit and she felt that she was losing her identity. She learned to love herself more and accept herself. Check out what steps she took to turn […]
Related posts:
Weight Loss
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Meskerem lost 44 pounds
http://ift.tt/2dqElAY
Meskerem lost 44 pounds. Our Ethiopian sista wrote in to share her success. Being diagnosed with pre-hypertension, she knew that she had to make some lifestyle changes. Healthy eating habits and working out on a regular basis really made the difference. Check out her journey. Meskerem D. from Ethiopia Age 28 Height: 5’5″ Starting weight: 180.4 […]
Weight Loss
Meskerem lost 44 pounds. Our Ethiopian sista wrote in to share her success. Being diagnosed with pre-hypertension, she knew that she had to make some lifestyle changes. Healthy eating habits and working out on a regular basis really made the difference. Check out her journey. Meskerem D. from Ethiopia Age 28 Height: 5’5″ Starting weight: 180.4 […]
Weight Loss
One year without injury
http://ift.tt/2d549TU
Being sick is so frustrating! What started as a sore throat for a few days turned into some serious sinus congestion. Now, instead of a very hoarse voice, I just sound like I'm talking while plugging my nose. I've also been coughing quite a bit.
Poor Noah is still having symptoms from his virus, and stayed home from school today because he was coughing so much. When my kids were little, there was one year that they were both constantly sick with bronchitis. If it wasn't one of them, it was the other. Noah's even turned into walking pneumonia. I had to give them breathing treatments several times a day, and stock up on Mucinex.
I never realized how awful bronchitis was until I got it that same year (all three of us were sick at the same time). I would have coughing fits that were so violent I thought I would literally cough up a lung.
Read more »
Weight Loss
Being sick is so frustrating! What started as a sore throat for a few days turned into some serious sinus congestion. Now, instead of a very hoarse voice, I just sound like I'm talking while plugging my nose. I've also been coughing quite a bit.
Poor Noah is still having symptoms from his virus, and stayed home from school today because he was coughing so much. When my kids were little, there was one year that they were both constantly sick with bronchitis. If it wasn't one of them, it was the other. Noah's even turned into walking pneumonia. I had to give them breathing treatments several times a day, and stock up on Mucinex.
I never realized how awful bronchitis was until I got it that same year (all three of us were sick at the same time). I would have coughing fits that were so violent I thought I would literally cough up a lung.
Read more »
Weight Loss
What Kind of Man Calls Miss Universe ‘Miss Piggy?’
http://ift.tt/2dBeHJb
Weight Loss
"She gained like 55 pounds in 9 months [...] she was like an 'eating machine' [...] I guess she ate a lot of everything."
The post What Kind of Man Calls Miss Universe ‘Miss Piggy?’ appeared first on A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss.
Weight Loss
Not Disordered
http://ift.tt/2d76RWq
Sometimes, it's really hard to say how important to me (or unimportant) this whole weight thing is. There are days when it feels like the most urgent thing EVER (like, when my pants are too tight, or I come across someone who has not seen me since I regained the weight, or when I just don't FEEL well because of obesity) and there are days when it is not even on the radar (like when I am just having a great day, feeling good and happy and like there is nothing at all negative in my life). Really there are days it doesn't cross my mind because I am busy living life and the fat just is what it is, I am the size I am, and it becomes a non-issue.
I guess it shouldn't be that way. At least, I kind of feel guilty about it when I stop and think about it. Like... I had some great, but busy days this week and it did not cross my mind at all to feel bad about my weight (which may be good) but it also did not cross my mind to make an effort to do anything about it (which is not so good, unless I want to stay 245 pounds). It's kind of what I wanted: for food and diet to fade back into the background of life... to feel completely UN-obsessed with food. It's a healthy mindset from a recovered eating disorder point of view; the "binge monster" and obsessive food thoughts went right back into hibernation when I stopped weighing, measuring, and tracking all my food and calories. That's good, right? I don't feel disordered. I feel pretty normal in the food thought department.
But does feeling "normal" and un-obsessed about food preclude weight loss? Do you HAVE to have a food-centric existence to get the weight off? Is it possible to lose 70 or 80 pounds without a razor sharp focus on diet and exercise... without making The Diet the main focus of your existence? I dunno. When I lost large chunks of weight on Medifast, I had to "drink the Kool Aid" and live, eat, and breathe the Medifast lifestyle. That *did* result in the food obsession going away.... mainly because all the choices were made (packets instead of food) and food became an inconvenience more than anything. I mean, really, any plan that has you measuring spices like pepper and oregano and has you eating on an exact schedule from a very limited menu requires you to truly buy in to their doctrine... like a religion. Calorie counting, not so much, but it also requires a lot of attention to food. I really would like to get the weight off without thinking about it so much. Is that too much to ask?
This week I have gone back to eating basically whatever healthy choices I prefer. I find my body does tell me if I need protein, or carbs, or fat if I listen. When I get hungry, if I pay attention I can feel what I am hungry for. I still sometimes want junk, but I just don't keep it in the house so if I really, REALLY want it I have to go get it. And then I get one portion. Mentally this feels healthy to me. And my weight has stopped going up. But I am not losing.
Am I just too happy and content with my life? Maybe I need to be more miserable. I admit I am scared that a health crisis is what will give me that huge shove to DO something about my weight. But then I think... I AM doing something. More protein and produce, less carbs and junk. And it is benefiting my health. My joints don't ache like they used to. The tendinitis is gone. I sleep better and don't have reflux when I am eating well. My A1C is good and my blood pressure is great with 1/4 the medication dose that I was taking in the past. But what I am doing is not enough for weight loss.
Well, enough of that for now. Time to get back to living life.
Weight Loss
Sometimes, it's really hard to say how important to me (or unimportant) this whole weight thing is. There are days when it feels like the most urgent thing EVER (like, when my pants are too tight, or I come across someone who has not seen me since I regained the weight, or when I just don't FEEL well because of obesity) and there are days when it is not even on the radar (like when I am just having a great day, feeling good and happy and like there is nothing at all negative in my life). Really there are days it doesn't cross my mind because I am busy living life and the fat just is what it is, I am the size I am, and it becomes a non-issue.
I guess it shouldn't be that way. At least, I kind of feel guilty about it when I stop and think about it. Like... I had some great, but busy days this week and it did not cross my mind at all to feel bad about my weight (which may be good) but it also did not cross my mind to make an effort to do anything about it (which is not so good, unless I want to stay 245 pounds). It's kind of what I wanted: for food and diet to fade back into the background of life... to feel completely UN-obsessed with food. It's a healthy mindset from a recovered eating disorder point of view; the "binge monster" and obsessive food thoughts went right back into hibernation when I stopped weighing, measuring, and tracking all my food and calories. That's good, right? I don't feel disordered. I feel pretty normal in the food thought department.
But does feeling "normal" and un-obsessed about food preclude weight loss? Do you HAVE to have a food-centric existence to get the weight off? Is it possible to lose 70 or 80 pounds without a razor sharp focus on diet and exercise... without making The Diet the main focus of your existence? I dunno. When I lost large chunks of weight on Medifast, I had to "drink the Kool Aid" and live, eat, and breathe the Medifast lifestyle. That *did* result in the food obsession going away.... mainly because all the choices were made (packets instead of food) and food became an inconvenience more than anything. I mean, really, any plan that has you measuring spices like pepper and oregano and has you eating on an exact schedule from a very limited menu requires you to truly buy in to their doctrine... like a religion. Calorie counting, not so much, but it also requires a lot of attention to food. I really would like to get the weight off without thinking about it so much. Is that too much to ask?
This week I have gone back to eating basically whatever healthy choices I prefer. I find my body does tell me if I need protein, or carbs, or fat if I listen. When I get hungry, if I pay attention I can feel what I am hungry for. I still sometimes want junk, but I just don't keep it in the house so if I really, REALLY want it I have to go get it. And then I get one portion. Mentally this feels healthy to me. And my weight has stopped going up. But I am not losing.
Am I just too happy and content with my life? Maybe I need to be more miserable. I admit I am scared that a health crisis is what will give me that huge shove to DO something about my weight. But then I think... I AM doing something. More protein and produce, less carbs and junk. And it is benefiting my health. My joints don't ache like they used to. The tendinitis is gone. I sleep better and don't have reflux when I am eating well. My A1C is good and my blood pressure is great with 1/4 the medication dose that I was taking in the past. But what I am doing is not enough for weight loss.
Well, enough of that for now. Time to get back to living life.
Weight Loss
What Does It Feel Like to Have High Blood Sugar Levels?
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Learn about what it feels like to have high blood sugar levels and the symptoms that they cause. This article also looks at treatment and prevention.
Weight Loss
Learn about what it feels like to have high blood sugar levels and the symptoms that they cause. This article also looks at treatment and prevention.
Weight Loss
Lisa lost 86 pounds
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Transformation of the Day: Lisa lost 86 pounds. She’s been fighting the battle of the bulge since childhood. Diets and weight loss plans just led to a cycle of losing and then gaining back weight. 2 years ago, she decided to have surgery to change her lifestyle, but she says it’s not a quick fix. […]
Weight Loss
Transformation of the Day: Lisa lost 86 pounds. She’s been fighting the battle of the bulge since childhood. Diets and weight loss plans just led to a cycle of losing and then gaining back weight. 2 years ago, she decided to have surgery to change her lifestyle, but she says it’s not a quick fix. […]
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Weight Loss
Exercise can increase levels of hunger-promoting endocannabinoids even if you are sleep-deprived
http://ift.tt/2d603XR
A research group at Uppsala University has investigated how levels of endocannabinoids - which target the same receptors as cannabis - are affected by short sleep duration, and whether acute...
Weight Loss
A research group at Uppsala University has investigated how levels of endocannabinoids - which target the same receptors as cannabis - are affected by short sleep duration, and whether acute...
Weight Loss
Region of body fat affects heart disease risk
http://ift.tt/2d60IZa
People who carry excess belly fat face an increased risk of heart disease, compared with people who have fat elsewhere, new research finds
Weight Loss
People who carry excess belly fat face an increased risk of heart disease, compared with people who have fat elsewhere, new research finds
Weight Loss
Monday, September 26, 2016
Rashonda lost over 60 pounds
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Update from Rashonda who’s had an amazing weight release journey. She has provided a recap of her transformation below. She has dropped over 60 pounds, dropped 4-5 dress sizes, 5 bra sizes and 2 shoe sizes. Age: 26 Height: 5’3″ Starting weight: 204.8 pounds Current weight: 141.0 pounds Total weight loss: 63.8lbs Representing: Chicago, IL My […]
Weight Loss
Update from Rashonda who’s had an amazing weight release journey. She has provided a recap of her transformation below. She has dropped over 60 pounds, dropped 4-5 dress sizes, 5 bra sizes and 2 shoe sizes. Age: 26 Height: 5’3″ Starting weight: 204.8 pounds Current weight: 141.0 pounds Total weight loss: 63.8lbs Representing: Chicago, IL My […]
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Weight Loss
Switching It Up!
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Weight Loss
| Cut Oats Top |
Mini Me and I did a little shopping this weekend, a new crossfit outfit for her and some new shoes for me. We let the boys tag along, we debated on going to Octoberfest in Mckinney, but it was still so hot out we changed our minds. She's really into Crossfit kids, every day she changes into her workout gear and practices her pushups and squats, she loved using the kettle bell last week to 'deadlift'.
We had an early dinner at Houlihans, I went with the Squash Lasagna with zoodles on the side - very delicious! My FB group was challenged to have veggies at EVERY MEAL all weekend long. I made some tough choices, I was dying for a burger, but opted for veggies. Eating out can be hard, I try to stick to places I know has SOMETHING I can work with - we rarely eat Italian for that very reason - lots of pasta and sauces.
I went to Saturday Crossfit and got a crazy hair to do GHD sit-ups, I swore after my surgery I would never do theses again. Someone told me a story about someone ripping open her wounds 10 years later and it got me scared, but you know me... Anyways I did them and my abs are feeling it!
Sunday I hit the gym to test run these 3 WODs and make sure I could do them in the time limit. Event 1 was really easy {I'm doing the scaled version so the red weight is the weight I use}, event 2 had me like WHOA. I barely made it in the 8 minute time limit, but I'm going to practice again next weekend and maybe adjust what ground to overhead move I'm doing. Event 3 seemed ok - 115 deadlifts, not too bad... until you have to do nonstop for 5 minutes. Then 2 minutes of kettle bell swings, ahhhhh. I didn't do bad, but I need to work on my endurance. I signed up for the BigRigs Rachel's Challenge Event - it's October 15th!
After Church we ran into my Dad at Costco and he took the kids so we had a lovely quite lunch together. 2 years olds and restaurants are just a hard combo - he likes to climb around and touch every knife in sight. We went to Fuddruckers and I ordered the Kale Power Salad - delish! Highly recommend! I've never put pickled onions in a salad, but I might try to recreate this at home.
Next week I'm hosting an October Diet Bet - weighs out Halloween day. You can sign up here. I'm debating trying something new - either carb cycling or Intermittent Fasting. I'm leaning more towards carb cycling, but I'm going to research a bit more {aka ask Poppy.} before I decide. I just feel like switching life up a bit!
Anyways, everyone is welcome to join the Diet Bet, you don't have to count macros or anything fancy if you don't want to, but I'll have a Facebook group for the month of the bet. I'll post the link on the Diet Bet wall this week :)
Weight Loss
Naturally Sweetened Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
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This post is sponsored by Natural Delights. These pumpkin cupcakes have no refined sugar. Instead, they’re naturally sweetened with Medjool Date ...
Weight Loss
Weight Loss
Cheretta lost 45 pounds
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Transformation of the Day: Cheretta lost 45 pounds. After years of trying to lose the pounds and dealing with sleep apnea, this petite diva felt that it was time to make some changes. As she approached the age of 40, she began to make changes to her lifestyle and seek out the help she needed to get […]
Weight Loss
Transformation of the Day: Cheretta lost 45 pounds. After years of trying to lose the pounds and dealing with sleep apnea, this petite diva felt that it was time to make some changes. As she approached the age of 40, she began to make changes to her lifestyle and seek out the help she needed to get […]
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Weight Loss
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Danita lost 53 pounds
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Danita lost 53 pounds. She realized the power of changing her eating and exercise habits. It’s now, in her 50s, that she has truly come into her own, mind and body. She is a member of our private Facebook group. Check out her journey. My name is Danita and I’ve lost 53 pounds. It was a long […]
Weight Loss
Danita lost 53 pounds. She realized the power of changing her eating and exercise habits. It’s now, in her 50s, that she has truly come into her own, mind and body. She is a member of our private Facebook group. Check out her journey. My name is Danita and I’ve lost 53 pounds. It was a long […]
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Weight Loss
Feeling sick
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I honestly can't even remember the last time I was sick. It's been such a long time! However, when I woke up a couple of days ago, my throat was SO sore. When I tried to talk, my voice was really hoarse, and I was clearing my throat all day. My kids had the same symptoms a few days ago, starting with the sore throat and then progressing to major nasal congestion. I just hope whatever I have doesn't progress to that!
I had already planned on this weekend being a restday weekend, because I had such a crazy busy week. It felt good to stay so busy, but at the same time, I really wanted just an hour to relax! I decided to start working on a project that I've been avoiding for a few years now... organizing my photos on my computer.
I've been using iPhoto for three years, and I love it! However, Apple discontinued using it, and now they want us to use Photos (a different program that basically does the same stuff). This would have been a very simple task if all of my photos were dated properly, but somehow, they got jumbled and I knew it would be a huge pain to organize them. Hence the procrastination.
First, I went to Wal-Mart to buy an external hard drive. I have over 20,000 photos on my computer, which takes up a lot of space, so I got a 2 TB hard drive to back everything up to. Since I've been sick, I have spent a couple of days working on the transfer. Eventually, once all my photos are in one spot, I'd like to go through and tag them all with Faces. That will take weeks or even months to do, but when it's done, I'll be SO happy to have all my photos super organized.
I still haven't made up my mind about starting a training plan or some sort of schedule. I really feel like I need a plan to follow, because I'm having a very hard time making myself work out. However, I don't really want to train hard--at least not for a few more months--and I don't want to do long distances. So, basically, I just need to make a plan to stay active, but not really train for anything in particular.
I've been having a hard time tracking my food on the weekends, which is odd--weekends have never really been a particular problem for me. The last two weekends, I had two high-calorie days in a row. My body does fine with just one high-calorie day, but having two in a row makes my weight stay the same for the week. To lose weight, I need to get back in the habit of one day per week. Most interesting to me, though, is the fact that I have consistently gotten right back to normal-calorie days in between. It would be easy to let two days turn into three, and then into four, etc.
Sorry, I really don't have anything else to write! I really hope I can kick this cold soon. Noah said something funny today, so I'll leave with this...
The kids have been interested in roller blading, and Noah's blades were too small when he put them on today. I dug my roller blades out of my closet, and said he could try those on.
Noah: Wow, those rollerblades look really old. When were they made?
Me: I got them when I was about 16.
Noah: Dang, so they were made in the 1900's!
(I haven't even taken any photos I could use for this post! Here is an oldie but goodie...)
Remember that time I wore my helmet backwards the entire 20-something miles of my ride? ;)
Weight Loss
I honestly can't even remember the last time I was sick. It's been such a long time! However, when I woke up a couple of days ago, my throat was SO sore. When I tried to talk, my voice was really hoarse, and I was clearing my throat all day. My kids had the same symptoms a few days ago, starting with the sore throat and then progressing to major nasal congestion. I just hope whatever I have doesn't progress to that!
I had already planned on this weekend being a rest
I've been using iPhoto for three years, and I love it! However, Apple discontinued using it, and now they want us to use Photos (a different program that basically does the same stuff). This would have been a very simple task if all of my photos were dated properly, but somehow, they got jumbled and I knew it would be a huge pain to organize them. Hence the procrastination.
First, I went to Wal-Mart to buy an external hard drive. I have over 20,000 photos on my computer, which takes up a lot of space, so I got a 2 TB hard drive to back everything up to. Since I've been sick, I have spent a couple of days working on the transfer. Eventually, once all my photos are in one spot, I'd like to go through and tag them all with Faces. That will take weeks or even months to do, but when it's done, I'll be SO happy to have all my photos super organized.
I still haven't made up my mind about starting a training plan or some sort of schedule. I really feel like I need a plan to follow, because I'm having a very hard time making myself work out. However, I don't really want to train hard--at least not for a few more months--and I don't want to do long distances. So, basically, I just need to make a plan to stay active, but not really train for anything in particular.
I've been having a hard time tracking my food on the weekends, which is odd--weekends have never really been a particular problem for me. The last two weekends, I had two high-calorie days in a row. My body does fine with just one high-calorie day, but having two in a row makes my weight stay the same for the week. To lose weight, I need to get back in the habit of one day per week. Most interesting to me, though, is the fact that I have consistently gotten right back to normal-calorie days in between. It would be easy to let two days turn into three, and then into four, etc.
Sorry, I really don't have anything else to write! I really hope I can kick this cold soon. Noah said something funny today, so I'll leave with this...
The kids have been interested in roller blading, and Noah's blades were too small when he put them on today. I dug my roller blades out of my closet, and said he could try those on.
Noah: Wow, those rollerblades look really old. When were they made?
Me: I got them when I was about 16.
Noah: Dang, so they were made in the 1900's!
(I haven't even taken any photos I could use for this post! Here is an oldie but goodie...)
Remember that time I wore my helmet backwards the entire 20-something miles of my ride? ;)
Weight Loss
LIAM 278 – Magic, Ruined, Redeemed
I remembered reading an article about the great jazz trumpeter, Wynton Marsalis, playing a beautiful song that was ruined, at the climax of the song, when someone’s cell phone went off. The reporter wrote that the magic of the moment was ruined. However, how Mr. Marsalis chose to respond to the annoyance redeemed the moment and, in fact, turned it into something even more beautiful. I use this as a metaphor for how we always have a choice about how to respond to the events that “ruin” our lives. You have the choice to redeem your life and create something more beautiful that what you think you lost. Listen as I explain:
Listen on iTunes or Listen to/download this episode here:
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Mentioned in this show:
- Restory YOU! Personal Development Workshop
- Worry No More! book
- Download: Affirmations for Abundant Living
- LIAM Team Life Coaching Community
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The post LIAM 278 – Magic, Ruined, Redeemed appeared first on Life Is A Marathon : Life Coaching | Self-Esteem | Personal Development | Personal Branding | Positive Thinking | Community.
Self Esteem Feeds
Shajuana lost 83 pounds
http://ift.tt/2cud3Us
Transformation of the Day: Shajuana lost 83 pounds. In the past, she tried all kinds of diet plans and methods for losing weight without getting lasting results. At the start of 2016, proud this mom found a bootcamp program that turned her life around. Now, she’d dedicated to eating nutritious meals and working out on a regular […]
Weight Loss
Transformation of the Day: Shajuana lost 83 pounds. In the past, she tried all kinds of diet plans and methods for losing weight without getting lasting results. At the start of 2016, proud this mom found a bootcamp program that turned her life around. Now, she’d dedicated to eating nutritious meals and working out on a regular […]
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Weight Loss
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Victoria lost 49 pounds
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Victoria lost 49 pounds. She did it for herself and for the benefit of her 2 children. “If you would have told me in Feb 2016 that losing 107 pounds by Dec 2016 was impossible, I wouldn’t have believed you. Now, I’m sure I’ll knock that goal out of the park, plus some more.” Check out how […]
Weight Loss
Victoria lost 49 pounds. She did it for herself and for the benefit of her 2 children. “If you would have told me in Feb 2016 that losing 107 pounds by Dec 2016 was impossible, I wouldn’t have believed you. Now, I’m sure I’ll knock that goal out of the park, plus some more.” Check out how […]
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Weight Loss
Weekly Coffee Date
http://ift.tt/2cBasvj
Happy Saturday, friends! I spent the first half of this week in Indiana with Tuttorosso Tomatoes, exploring the fields where ...
Weight Loss
Weight Loss
Michelle lost 41 pounds
http://ift.tt/2cQ4iHF
Transformation of the Day: Michelle lost 41 pounds this year. The results of her Dec 2015 health assessment motivated this mom to become more disciplined and healthy. She saw how focusing on nutrition alone can produce awesome results. Check out her journey. Hello, my name is Michelle. I weighed 224 pounds in Jan 2016 (5’8″ in height). […]
Weight Loss
Transformation of the Day: Michelle lost 41 pounds this year. The results of her Dec 2015 health assessment motivated this mom to become more disciplined and healthy. She saw how focusing on nutrition alone can produce awesome results. Check out her journey. Hello, my name is Michelle. I weighed 224 pounds in Jan 2016 (5’8″ in height). […]
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Weight Loss
Friday, September 23, 2016
Bianca went from a size 14 to a size 6
http://ift.tt/2cJWDsm
Bianca went from a size 14 to a size 6. The weight gain came after she moved to China and she eventually was faced with depression and low energy. She was inspired by the vegan diet of one of the ladies we featured. She did her research, changed her habits and didn’t focus on number on the […]
Weight Loss
Bianca went from a size 14 to a size 6. The weight gain came after she moved to China and she eventually was faced with depression and low energy. She was inspired by the vegan diet of one of the ladies we featured. She did her research, changed her habits and didn’t focus on number on the […]
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Weight Loss
5 Tips to Help You Lose Weight While Still Feeling Satisfied
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Weight Loss
5 tips to help you control your portions, feel satisfied, and still shed the unwanted pounds.
The post 5 Tips to Help You Lose Weight While Still Feeling Satisfied appeared first on A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss.
Weight Loss
Calming Down
http://ift.tt/2ctpYv2
Today is only the third day since I gave up calorie counting, and I feel immeasurably better. I am much more relaxed and the tension over food is gone. I know that is not a "normal" response (meaning, a response one would have if they never had food issues), but I have struggled with eating disorders for many years, and I don't want to ramp that back up. To be clear, I know I have a problem with overeating sometimes, or eating too often, just because something tastes really good. I sometimes make a choice that is not the best for health, just like most other people I know who do not have an eating disorder. Sometimes the cheesecake just looks really good, or you take seconds on dinner because it was delicious, even though you're not hungry anymore. I think those are pretty normal behaviors. Not saying they are *wise* behaviors for an obese person, but if a thin person has a slice of cake after dinner or takes seconds, no one thinks twice about it. It's not a sign of disorder. What IS a sign of disorder, or the first symptom of an ED coming out of hibernation for *me* is the "voices in my head." I don't mean literal voices. I mean the running dialogue of thought that is generally calm and low key turns into a rambling commentary about food, moving to a higher and more fervent pitch as I am exposed to food thoughts and smells and sights. THAT is not normal, so when I start getting this tense feeling and thinking, "omg, I have to have a burger and fries, I miss having a burger and fries but I cannot eat that because it will put me over my calories for today, and I CANNOT go over my calories for today, because I went over yesterday and I am never going to lose weight if I don't stick to my calories, but oh that burger that lady was eating looked SO good and I really want a burger and not a salad, and not chicken or vegetables but a BURGER and fries...." and so on... then I know the eating disorder is coming back to life. And that's what was starting to happen with all this weighing, measuring, tracking, counting, etc. As soon as I quit, all of that noise in my head stopped, and I felt relaxed and not hyperfocused on food anymore.
I have to stay here, in this healthy mind-space about food and eating. It is *really* dangerous, not to mention terribly distracting to me, to spend all that time and energy on FOOD like I used to do when I was binge eating years ago. I NEVER want to go there again. I do need and want to lose weight, but not at the cost of my mental health. Do you want to know what I think would happen over time if I kept trying to force myself into the calorie thing? I think I would become bulimic. I think my BED would rise from the dead along with my obsessive food thoughts, but I would not be able to control my eating and would, at this point, do ANYTHING not to get back up around 300 pounds, and I would find a way to purge after the binges. I know I would. I cannot go there, just can't.
So that leaves the question: what to do about the unhealthy extra fat I am carrying around? WLS is still on the table for next year. But I also still have time to try and work this out.
The last couple of days I have not restricted AT ALL. I have not told myself I *cannot* have any certain food... only that I *want* to eat for health and that I will *usually* avoid higher carb foods. I know that ruling out whole foods groups (like grains) gets tricky for me (mentally) but I also know they are not helpful in my quest for health. So I tell myself, "if you want bread you can have it. But do you really want it?" and sometimes I do... often I can skip it. If I do want it I take half the portion I think I want. I look at my food and decide if it will be healthy or not. I don't add up calories in my head. I am just... trying to relax about food again.
Yesterday for breakfast I made this "Paleo Pumpkin N'Oatmeal" (not because I am going Paleo, but because Paleo recipes are, in general, a healthier choice for me) and it was so good!
I had a little bit leftover today... just a few spoonfuls... and heated that up to have for breakfast with a pastured pork sausage link and some berries and a small nectarine from the Farmer's Market. I am having some coffee with coconut milk now, and the dinner plan is smothered pork chops with onion and mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, and sauteed fresh green beans. I often will make mashed cauliflower in place of the potatoes for myself, but I don't have any on hand so I will limit myself to a small spoon of the potatoes, load up on green beans, and have some fresh cantaloupe for dessert. I did go to the Farmer's Market this week and got some locally grown squash (butternut, acorn, and spaghetti), apples, plums, berries, nectarines, celery, carrots, leeks, greens, onions, and melons.
This is my method: plan healthy meals based on protein and produce. Stock up on the healthy stuff and prep it so it is ready when I am hungry. Get back on the bike today and get back into the riding habit. I'll give it a week for the food thoughts to settle and see how the scale responds to that. I will cut back in non-triggering ways as needed.
Weight Loss
Today is only the third day since I gave up calorie counting, and I feel immeasurably better. I am much more relaxed and the tension over food is gone. I know that is not a "normal" response (meaning, a response one would have if they never had food issues), but I have struggled with eating disorders for many years, and I don't want to ramp that back up. To be clear, I know I have a problem with overeating sometimes, or eating too often, just because something tastes really good. I sometimes make a choice that is not the best for health, just like most other people I know who do not have an eating disorder. Sometimes the cheesecake just looks really good, or you take seconds on dinner because it was delicious, even though you're not hungry anymore. I think those are pretty normal behaviors. Not saying they are *wise* behaviors for an obese person, but if a thin person has a slice of cake after dinner or takes seconds, no one thinks twice about it. It's not a sign of disorder. What IS a sign of disorder, or the first symptom of an ED coming out of hibernation for *me* is the "voices in my head." I don't mean literal voices. I mean the running dialogue of thought that is generally calm and low key turns into a rambling commentary about food, moving to a higher and more fervent pitch as I am exposed to food thoughts and smells and sights. THAT is not normal, so when I start getting this tense feeling and thinking, "omg, I have to have a burger and fries, I miss having a burger and fries but I cannot eat that because it will put me over my calories for today, and I CANNOT go over my calories for today, because I went over yesterday and I am never going to lose weight if I don't stick to my calories, but oh that burger that lady was eating looked SO good and I really want a burger and not a salad, and not chicken or vegetables but a BURGER and fries...." and so on... then I know the eating disorder is coming back to life. And that's what was starting to happen with all this weighing, measuring, tracking, counting, etc. As soon as I quit, all of that noise in my head stopped, and I felt relaxed and not hyperfocused on food anymore.
I have to stay here, in this healthy mind-space about food and eating. It is *really* dangerous, not to mention terribly distracting to me, to spend all that time and energy on FOOD like I used to do when I was binge eating years ago. I NEVER want to go there again. I do need and want to lose weight, but not at the cost of my mental health. Do you want to know what I think would happen over time if I kept trying to force myself into the calorie thing? I think I would become bulimic. I think my BED would rise from the dead along with my obsessive food thoughts, but I would not be able to control my eating and would, at this point, do ANYTHING not to get back up around 300 pounds, and I would find a way to purge after the binges. I know I would. I cannot go there, just can't.
So that leaves the question: what to do about the unhealthy extra fat I am carrying around? WLS is still on the table for next year. But I also still have time to try and work this out.
The last couple of days I have not restricted AT ALL. I have not told myself I *cannot* have any certain food... only that I *want* to eat for health and that I will *usually* avoid higher carb foods. I know that ruling out whole foods groups (like grains) gets tricky for me (mentally) but I also know they are not helpful in my quest for health. So I tell myself, "if you want bread you can have it. But do you really want it?" and sometimes I do... often I can skip it. If I do want it I take half the portion I think I want. I look at my food and decide if it will be healthy or not. I don't add up calories in my head. I am just... trying to relax about food again.
Yesterday for breakfast I made this "Paleo Pumpkin N'Oatmeal" (not because I am going Paleo, but because Paleo recipes are, in general, a healthier choice for me) and it was so good!
I had a little bit leftover today... just a few spoonfuls... and heated that up to have for breakfast with a pastured pork sausage link and some berries and a small nectarine from the Farmer's Market. I am having some coffee with coconut milk now, and the dinner plan is smothered pork chops with onion and mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, and sauteed fresh green beans. I often will make mashed cauliflower in place of the potatoes for myself, but I don't have any on hand so I will limit myself to a small spoon of the potatoes, load up on green beans, and have some fresh cantaloupe for dessert. I did go to the Farmer's Market this week and got some locally grown squash (butternut, acorn, and spaghetti), apples, plums, berries, nectarines, celery, carrots, leeks, greens, onions, and melons.
This is my method: plan healthy meals based on protein and produce. Stock up on the healthy stuff and prep it so it is ready when I am hungry. Get back on the bike today and get back into the riding habit. I'll give it a week for the food thoughts to settle and see how the scale responds to that. I will cut back in non-triggering ways as needed.
Weight Loss
Sherita lost 93 pounds
http://ift.tt/2df5Au5
Transformation of the Day: Sherita lost 93 pounds. She started her journey 2 years ago after a sunday morning photo wake up call. Through exercising, clean eating, dedication and prayer, this mom has changed her life. Check out her story. I started my journey in November of 2014. It was a typical Sunday morning and I was getting dressed for […]
Weight Loss
Transformation of the Day: Sherita lost 93 pounds. She started her journey 2 years ago after a sunday morning photo wake up call. Through exercising, clean eating, dedication and prayer, this mom has changed her life. Check out her story. I started my journey in November of 2014. It was a typical Sunday morning and I was getting dressed for […]
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Weight Loss
Existence of exercise-induced muscle memory challenged
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While there are many differences in gene expression after regular exercise training, researchers have found no evidence of training-induced muscle memory.
Weight Loss
While there are many differences in gene expression after regular exercise training, researchers have found no evidence of training-induced muscle memory.
Weight Loss
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Weight Loss Surgery Isn’t Fool-Proof, but Neither is a Low-Carb Diet
http://ift.tt/2cVb3H7
Weight Loss
The difficult thing about doctors prescribing low-carb diets to reverse conditions like diabetes? Most people struggle with sticking to them.
The post Weight Loss Surgery Isn’t Fool-Proof, but Neither is a Low-Carb Diet appeared first on A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss.
Weight Loss
Nyarai lost 61 pounds
http://ift.tt/2cw7por
Transformation of the Day: Nyarai lost 61 pounds. She is a 23 year old college student. After a warning from her doctor and years of being fed up with her weight, she decided to take action. It’s taken her 2 years to lose the weight and she’s been successful this time because she wasn’t in […]
Weight Loss
Transformation of the Day: Nyarai lost 61 pounds. She is a 23 year old college student. After a warning from her doctor and years of being fed up with her weight, she decided to take action. It’s taken her 2 years to lose the weight and she’s been successful this time because she wasn’t in […]
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Weight Loss
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Elexis lost 31 pounds
http://ift.tt/2cM9CPl
Alexis lost 31 pounds. As a student, she was spending her days binging on food, sleeping all day and not being active. The words of her beloved grandmother inspired her to live a healthier and better life. She is changing her life with clean eating, exercise and by working to figure out what works for her. My […]
Weight Loss
Alexis lost 31 pounds. As a student, she was spending her days binging on food, sleeping all day and not being active. The words of her beloved grandmother inspired her to live a healthier and better life. She is changing her life with clean eating, exercise and by working to figure out what works for her. My […]
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Weight Loss
Busy busy busy
http://ift.tt/2cSIHxg
I have been so, so busy lately! I've been looking for a chance to sit down a write a post, but things have been crazy around here. I have about an hour right now to write a quick post. (Not complaining--being busy feels good!)
I've been doing really well with the calorie counting. It still just astonishes me that it's so much easier (for me, anyway) to eat well and exercise in September versus July. Since I started logging my food again (a couple of weeks ago, after we got home from vacation), I have felt much better, too. More energy, more awake in the mornings, sleeping better, etc.
All I've been doing is following the same things I did last year, when I started calorie counting. It worked so well then, that there was no reason to change it.
Read more »
Weight Loss
I have been so, so busy lately! I've been looking for a chance to sit down a write a post, but things have been crazy around here. I have about an hour right now to write a quick post. (Not complaining--being busy feels good!)
I've been doing really well with the calorie counting. It still just astonishes me that it's so much easier (for me, anyway) to eat well and exercise in September versus July. Since I started logging my food again (a couple of weeks ago, after we got home from vacation), I have felt much better, too. More energy, more awake in the mornings, sleeping better, etc.
All I've been doing is following the same things I did last year, when I started calorie counting. It worked so well then, that there was no reason to change it.
Read more »
Weight Loss
LIAM 277 – The Martial Arts Mindset with Andrea Harkins
Andrea Harkins, also known as “The Martial Arts Woman,” is an Internationally recognized writer, motivator, and martial artist. When I met Andrea, I was instantly attracted to how she teaches and lives the mindset principles of martial arts as as way of dealing the the challenges of life. She shares with us some of her personal life challenges and how thinking as a Martial Artist allows her to live with more peace. Listen to our insightful conversation:
Listen on iTunes or Listen to/download this episode here:
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Mentioned in this show:
- Andrea Harkins
- Website: http://ift.tt/2cnghZS
- Restory YOU! Personal Development Workshop
- Worry No More! book
- Download: Affirmations for Abundant Living
- LIAM Team Life Coaching Community
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The post LIAM 277 – The Martial Arts Mindset with Andrea Harkins appeared first on Life Is A Marathon : Life Coaching | Self-Esteem | Personal Development | Personal Branding | Positive Thinking | Community.
Self Esteem Feeds
Crunchy Curried Vegetables
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I love a good salad and I love snacking on crunchy vegetables. I’ve been eating a lot of broccoli and cauliflower lately and I wanted to take it in a little different direction flavor wise. I also wanted to create something that would work with the Raw Vegan journey I’m trying to transition to. This […]
Weight Loss
I love a good salad and I love snacking on crunchy vegetables. I’ve been eating a lot of broccoli and cauliflower lately and I wanted to take it in a little different direction flavor wise. I also wanted to create something that would work with the Raw Vegan journey I’m trying to transition to. This […]
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Weight Loss
Q&A Wednesday: I Hit My Goal, Now I Don’t Know What to Do!
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Weight Loss
Q: I not only hit my goal, but I am 15lbs below it...and now I don't know what to do! I don't know what to focus on! I don't know how to handle the attention! Help!
The post Q&A Wednesday: I Hit My Goal, Now I Don’t Know What to Do! appeared first on A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss.
Weight Loss
Obsessive Food Thoughts and Tracking
http://ift.tt/2dk6F7p
Wow, it's been awhile since I wrote! I appreciate the comments and emails you sent to make sure I am okay. It's nice to be missed! I don't want to leave you hanging though. Plus I am ready to give an accounting of what I've been up to and why the lack of blogging.
It's true: I lost 64 pounds counting calories in 2007-8. It worked. It works for lots of people and there's no reason it shouldn't also work for me again. So when many of you recommended I go back to "what works," that's what I did. I have spent a couple of weeks counting calories, with limited success, on My Fitness Pal. I could feel my inner resistance to this as I got out the food scale and measuring cups and started tracking every bite I ate. I told my inner rebelliousness to shut up, that this is what needs to be done and it is NOT THAT HARD and I can do this. I just need to get into the habit. Suck it up, just do it until it is habit. I knew that the resistance came because I had tracked on and off for years and was just really sick of it. The last couple years of "freedom from tracking" really did feel like a freedom, but look what it got me? Certainly not weight loss.
So I pushed on, trying to get a few solid days of tracking in a row. The feeling in my head was one of being overwhelmed with "food thoughts." I found myself starting to obsess about food more and more: what could I eat? How much could I eat within the calorie budget? How many grapes can I have tonight? Is there room for a cookie too? Even simple things like making a pot of soup felt triggering to me because instead of just throwing carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, turnips, etc into a pot, I had to weigh and measure each ingredient, enter it into a recipe calculator, then measure the finished soup and divide the total calories into servings. Even something like a baked chicken thigh or some roasted broccoli turned into a lot of food thought: how much olive oil am I brushing on these and how much am I ingesting? I have to weigh and measure the chicken and the veggies, figure out the oil, decide if I should or should not eat the skin? If someone makes a dish that I am not familiar with, how do I know how many calories are in this? Even a tossed salad turned into a feeling of stress because I don't really know how much of each vegetable, protein, or dressing the person put in there. Even the baked salmon a friend prepared stressed me out because I am not bringing a food scale to a party and weighing my portions in front of everyone like an obsessed crazy person. Wait... an obsessed crazy person? Is that the label for someone who hauls around a food scale, measures every bit no matter where they are, breaks out the measuring cups at the potluck to measure their steamed green beans, and MUST KNOW the caloric content of every bite they put in their mouth? Is it?
Maybe for some people. Certainly for me. Counting, tracking, weighing, measuring turned my brain back to food obsession. I was thinking about food FAR more often and for longer than I was when I was just aiming for healthy choices. I had a window open on my laptop all day long for logging food, and was running to add things in several times a day, analyzing my carbs and protein and planning what I should have later to fit into the macros. I have a slippery slope going on here: I used to binge eat. I used to have serious food obsessions, but this disappeared over the past couple of years with a more relaxed approach to healthy eating. LESS thinking about food felt healthier to me. The problem is I did not lose weight doing that. NOT tracking... is it healthier? It is definitely better for my mental health. But I also have not lost any weight doing this so far. I am up a couple of pounds. I am feeling more stressed about food. I don't like it. I am done with tracking as of right now. I am closing My Fitness Pal with its 442 logged calories for today and letting it go.
For me, it is healthier to look at a food spread (whether it's at a potluck, a party, or my own kitchen) and think, "steamed vegetables are a good choice. Lean protein is a good choice. I will put those on my plate and eat until I am satisfied but not full." My mental health and the remission of my eating disorders is far more important to me than my weight, honestly. And I would lose weight doing my general untracked healthy eating.... if I did not ALSO eat sweets and grains.
I don't have all the answers. I can't keep going with something that resurrects my eating disorders so I am going for the better mental health right now and will go back to "make the best choices at the moment, eat as healthy as I can, and don't eat too much or too often." I have all the old tools at my disposal (like drinking more water, cutting out sugar, watching the carbs, eating enough protein, and the good ol' CSA produce box) but I am sure nothing, and I mean nothing will work if my mind is constantly agitated about food.
In other news, life's been good here even with the lack of weight progress. One of my sons came home to visit last week, my nephew came to stay for a long weekend the week prior, and we are down to ONE foster dog right now which lightens my load considerably! When she is adopted I am not taking any new fosters for a long time. I need to focus on my health, so as much as I love volunteering with rescue, I am going to take a break from the fostering and transport side of things. I will still be doing therapy visits with one of my dogs; that is rewarding and so enjoyable and I meet the most wonderful people that way. The kids are all doing well (although my daughter was sick with a fever last week for a few days, she is back to school now) so the general stress level of life is low. I had the stomach flu last week also (before my daughter got sick) and that was a couple days of misery, but I'm fine now. The biking has not been happening but I am still on my journey to bike across America; I just have to get back in the habit of riding morning and evening and get caught up on my miles.
This journey is far from over. I know I am on the right path. I can't see all the exact twists and turns ahead, but I just feel it in my gut that I am learning exactly what I need to learn to come to a place of peace with food... a peace that will be permanent and result in my best health!
Weight Loss
Wow, it's been awhile since I wrote! I appreciate the comments and emails you sent to make sure I am okay. It's nice to be missed! I don't want to leave you hanging though. Plus I am ready to give an accounting of what I've been up to and why the lack of blogging.
It's true: I lost 64 pounds counting calories in 2007-8. It worked. It works for lots of people and there's no reason it shouldn't also work for me again. So when many of you recommended I go back to "what works," that's what I did. I have spent a couple of weeks counting calories, with limited success, on My Fitness Pal. I could feel my inner resistance to this as I got out the food scale and measuring cups and started tracking every bite I ate. I told my inner rebelliousness to shut up, that this is what needs to be done and it is NOT THAT HARD and I can do this. I just need to get into the habit. Suck it up, just do it until it is habit. I knew that the resistance came because I had tracked on and off for years and was just really sick of it. The last couple years of "freedom from tracking" really did feel like a freedom, but look what it got me? Certainly not weight loss.
So I pushed on, trying to get a few solid days of tracking in a row. The feeling in my head was one of being overwhelmed with "food thoughts." I found myself starting to obsess about food more and more: what could I eat? How much could I eat within the calorie budget? How many grapes can I have tonight? Is there room for a cookie too? Even simple things like making a pot of soup felt triggering to me because instead of just throwing carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, turnips, etc into a pot, I had to weigh and measure each ingredient, enter it into a recipe calculator, then measure the finished soup and divide the total calories into servings. Even something like a baked chicken thigh or some roasted broccoli turned into a lot of food thought: how much olive oil am I brushing on these and how much am I ingesting? I have to weigh and measure the chicken and the veggies, figure out the oil, decide if I should or should not eat the skin? If someone makes a dish that I am not familiar with, how do I know how many calories are in this? Even a tossed salad turned into a feeling of stress because I don't really know how much of each vegetable, protein, or dressing the person put in there. Even the baked salmon a friend prepared stressed me out because I am not bringing a food scale to a party and weighing my portions in front of everyone like an obsessed crazy person. Wait... an obsessed crazy person? Is that the label for someone who hauls around a food scale, measures every bit no matter where they are, breaks out the measuring cups at the potluck to measure their steamed green beans, and MUST KNOW the caloric content of every bite they put in their mouth? Is it?
Maybe for some people. Certainly for me. Counting, tracking, weighing, measuring turned my brain back to food obsession. I was thinking about food FAR more often and for longer than I was when I was just aiming for healthy choices. I had a window open on my laptop all day long for logging food, and was running to add things in several times a day, analyzing my carbs and protein and planning what I should have later to fit into the macros. I have a slippery slope going on here: I used to binge eat. I used to have serious food obsessions, but this disappeared over the past couple of years with a more relaxed approach to healthy eating. LESS thinking about food felt healthier to me. The problem is I did not lose weight doing that. NOT tracking... is it healthier? It is definitely better for my mental health. But I also have not lost any weight doing this so far. I am up a couple of pounds. I am feeling more stressed about food. I don't like it. I am done with tracking as of right now. I am closing My Fitness Pal with its 442 logged calories for today and letting it go.
For me, it is healthier to look at a food spread (whether it's at a potluck, a party, or my own kitchen) and think, "steamed vegetables are a good choice. Lean protein is a good choice. I will put those on my plate and eat until I am satisfied but not full." My mental health and the remission of my eating disorders is far more important to me than my weight, honestly. And I would lose weight doing my general untracked healthy eating.... if I did not ALSO eat sweets and grains.
I don't have all the answers. I can't keep going with something that resurrects my eating disorders so I am going for the better mental health right now and will go back to "make the best choices at the moment, eat as healthy as I can, and don't eat too much or too often." I have all the old tools at my disposal (like drinking more water, cutting out sugar, watching the carbs, eating enough protein, and the good ol' CSA produce box) but I am sure nothing, and I mean nothing will work if my mind is constantly agitated about food.
In other news, life's been good here even with the lack of weight progress. One of my sons came home to visit last week, my nephew came to stay for a long weekend the week prior, and we are down to ONE foster dog right now which lightens my load considerably! When she is adopted I am not taking any new fosters for a long time. I need to focus on my health, so as much as I love volunteering with rescue, I am going to take a break from the fostering and transport side of things. I will still be doing therapy visits with one of my dogs; that is rewarding and so enjoyable and I meet the most wonderful people that way. The kids are all doing well (although my daughter was sick with a fever last week for a few days, she is back to school now) so the general stress level of life is low. I had the stomach flu last week also (before my daughter got sick) and that was a couple days of misery, but I'm fine now. The biking has not been happening but I am still on my journey to bike across America; I just have to get back in the habit of riding morning and evening and get caught up on my miles.
This journey is far from over. I know I am on the right path. I can't see all the exact twists and turns ahead, but I just feel it in my gut that I am learning exactly what I need to learn to come to a place of peace with food... a peace that will be permanent and result in my best health!
Weight Loss
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