Wednesday, April 27, 2011

OK so i caved...haha

Well I said that I wasn't ready to buy new clothes. But since I was running out of thing that fit, I caved!! Monday I went shopping for just a few items. I thought I would just add a couple of articles to my closet. So I have been wearing things that I had hung on to over the years and some stretchy yoga pants. I had an idea of what size I needed. I was at Lane Bryant, I cannot wait until I do not have to shop at the "Specialty" store, the clerk was hounding me. I so hate that! Really, if I need you I will come get you. Don't stalk me while I shop. Any hoodles. I was looking at crop pants. I like longer capri's cuffed and not tight legs. While I was talking with the clerk the Size question came into play and I said what size I felt I was, the look on her face was that of disbelief. My insecurity kicked in and I thought she was thinking "Girl you are bigger than that!" SO I start making excuses for my baggy sweats and so on!! She asks to start a dressing room for me and I decline, cause as much as I dislike pushy sales people I dislike dressing room full length mirrors!! I shop around for a few minutes find my spoils and head to the counter. I even opted for a denim skirt with leggings. After the "Look" I got from the clerk I was second guessing my size choice the rest of the day! I need to have more self confidence. Later that evening when I was dressing for bed, I decided to try on my skirt. Afraid that it was going to be tight and I would look really bad. I decided to face my fear, to my surprise it was too big! When Den came in the room I asked him what he thought and he said that if I wanted to wear it longer I may want to exchange it. I decided to keep it, it might shrink. When I wore it to work yesterday I had to roll the waist down one time and I did wear the legging's under it and it was cute. Today I wore a pair of Crop Pants, same size, also big. I don't have to undo them to take them off. I probably wont wear them long but I am so excited that I was wrong!! I really do need to build the self esteem and stop seeing myself as the old me. She did not believe that I was that size because I was smaller. That is a good feeling! Just another accomplishment along my journey. I still have many more sizes and pounds to lose. I have mindsets to overcome.
I live in real world where sometimes life sucks! I still have to work on my coping skills. I had an opportunity recently to blow it bad!! I was feeling sorry for myself and I was feeling like I just wanted to stuff my feelings and resort to old behavior. I didn't give in. I dealt with my issues and I moved forward. We are having very bad weather right now. Like very scary weather. I have only made it to the gym once this week. I can't run outside because I don't like running in the rain. I am going to the gym tomorrow. I have another 5K in 2 weeks just 2 days after my 43rd Birthday!! I am happy with my accomplishments so far, but I am not finished, no where near!!
Thank you and Keep moving, be it up, out, forward ect just keep it going!!!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

have I mentioned...

I have tweaked several recipes and tried different sweeteners. Some are like baby laxative! NOT GOOD!! Went to the movies and had some sugar free turtles, Den bought them for me, IDK why. Anyway was not a good movie for me!! Couldn't wait to get home. One morning I put Truvia and Sugar free Coffee creamer in my coffee and then had a not so friendly morning. For some reason I just cant stand the way Splenda tastes anymore. Since everyone seems to be against it now, I guess that it a good thing.
I picked up Agave Nectar at the grocery store looking for an alternative to Sugar for Den. He does like Honey but it is too thick in some things. I made some Strawberry Shortcake and sweetened the berries with it and they were GOOOODDD!!! It has about 30 calories a tablespoon so I am using it in moderation. It is yummy. I have Stevia but it is not my favorite. I do like Truvia, it really does taste like sugar. However after the Coffee exp I am leery. I have become used to unsweet.
Some replacements are good, I do like the Lays Light Chips made with Olean. I remember when that first came out, everyone was saying how you spend your day in the bathroom. The product was pulled and redone. Now its all good!! With 75 Calories per serving and they taste like Classic Lays, its a great substitution.
Turkey sausage not so much. Reduced Fat Jimmy Dean sausage is pretty good. Whole Grain Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Den said it is not the best. Just figure out a way to add a serving of veggies to it he will never know.
It will be 2 weeks tomorrow that he started drinking the Aloe Vera juice and taking the Digestive Support enzymes. He is 100% off his Ulcer and acid reflux meds. He has not had 1 tums! He is eating Pizza, chili, hot dogs, ice cream. All his usual junk but he is digesting it all and healing his digestive tract with the aloe. I am amazed at how well he is doing! He is telling everyone! He now has his dad on the stuff. I never thought that he would quit chewing tobacco, and he did a year ago this month. We thought that he would always live with ulcer pain and acid reflux. I feel that he has been given a miracle. The fact that he is SOLD on this now. That is awesome!!
Changing your lifestyle is easy just do it one step at a time but keep moving!!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

I feel the need to clean out my closet and buy new clothes

So far I have not had to buy new clothes except for bras! LOL!! Funny how those are the first articles that cease to fit!! Anyway, I have only bought yoga pants and sweats. I still had some smaller items that I clung to with the hope that I would fit in them again someday. The weather is getting warmer and my oversized sweatshirts are not cutting it any longer. My ideal outfit is Jean Capri's and a Sweatshirt with Flip Flop's. I would love to feel comfortable in Women's cut Tee Shirts and Shorts, but just not there yet. My sister told me once that I need to see myself thin so that I will stop dressing frumpy. It is hard to adjust your brain as the body changes. I am still so self conscience about areas that I think need a tent to cover. I am just not one of those girls that will wear tight jeans with the muffin top and tight shirts looking a sausage casing, I mean really! That is not attractive. Friends don't let friends wear that kind of stuff! I give permission to anyone, please tell me if you ever see me in attire that makes me look like the Michelin Man, I promise that I will not get mad. Can you tell that I am less than ready to shop? I don't know why. I am down 53 pounds and lots of inches, but I am just not wanting to shop until I lose about 20-30 more pounds. After my Gastric Bypass I was a shopaholic. I used to love to shop for shoes, not so much now. I like perfume, my fave right now is Flower Bomb by Viktor and Rolf. I love make up. Clothes not so much. I will get there, I know I will. I am happy with my results. I will like it when I am about 2 more sizes smaller. I am looking forward to Miss Me jeans, lol. I want a pair of those so bad!
I will continue my journey and adjust my brain as my body shrinks, and in doing this I have to Keep Moving!!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

No one gets Fat cause they hate food!!

In my quest to a healthy lifestyle, there are things that have not changed. I love to cook and I love good tasting food. I have tweaked my recipes and substituted ingredients with more healthy ones. I love to use Greek Yogurt in place of Sour Cream in dips, I am now using Stone ground Whole Wheat Flour, and  I love Spicy Mustard on Sandwiches and no Mayo!!! Today I discovered Agave Nectar, yum!! Tonight I made Oven Fried Chicken Steak with Sausage Gravy, it was so good and only 300 Calories. With mashed Cauliflower and baked sweet potato it was a perfect dinner!! For dessert, yes dessert!! I made Strawberry Shortcake with Sugar free Angel Food Cake, Fresh sliced strawberries sweetened with Agave Nectar topped with Sugar free cool whip. At 115 calories it was even sweeter!!
Dennis is liking the changes. I must say it makes life easier when he is ok with whats for Dinner. I have a recipe for Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies made with White Kidney Beans and Brownies with Black Beans, I think those ingredients I will keep secret.  I have added a link to my Chicken Fried Steak recipe. Try it it was very good!!
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1590886

Last week I said that Dennis was taking Aloe Vera juice and enzymes for Gluten digestion, well it is working! He is feeling better in a week!! Almost immediately the Digestion Support capsules went to work! He has not complained about stomach upset and has no more Gluten issues. He said that the Aloe Vera juice is really helping with the Ulcers. He hasn't taken Omeprazole in a week. That is his Acid reflux medicine. He is doing better!! Much better!!! He has added Magnesium to the mix. I am just so happy that he is feeling better. Maybe I can get him to do a 5K with me soon.
The weather is nice and nothing makes you feel better that to keep moving!!

Friday, April 8, 2011

Oh no skin is heading south!!!

The one thing that I am not liking is my skin right now. I can lie to myself but pictures DO NOT LIE!! I saw a picture that my Esthetician  posted up on Facebook and I did not like the lines on my forehead. Ok so its time to Re-do the Botox. I smiled in the mirror and I had some lines around my dimples that were not there before. When brushing my teeth yesterday I noticed lines around my mouth. hey I thought only smokers got those! Then tonight I downloaded some pictures from last Saturday's 5K and I saw what sent me into instant depression, my face has fallen!! It is now time to seek medical attention. My Esthestician talked with me about a new machine that she has that plumps skin and in 12 treatments will reverse the signs of aging. Ok I am going to give it a try but if it does not work, I am going to have a lift. I was already prepared to have a tummy tuck and lipo on the problem areas but I just cant take what is happening to my face. My friend said that my skin will figure it out but I am thinking NO its going to get worse. I may be over reacting but I have never liked the whole looking older thing. My face looks like 40 miles of bad road! Not liking that at all!
We all have our vanities. Some women are worse than others. Even though I was Fat I still liked my skin and I felt I had a pretty face. I still had my assets. Not so much right now LOL. Be real there are things that we all want to change. I don't care who you are you have a wrinkle or a roll that you want gone! I want them all gone but I will start with the accordion on my forehead! I mean did I really frown all my life? My mom was right, my face stayed that way! All the years of sleeping in my make up has caught up with me. No do overs. Crap.
Now I get a dose of TCA Peels and Retin A with this Lunch Time Face Lift Facial thing. Since I am not spending money on Fast Food I will gladly spend it on my face right now. I know women who learned how to ride a Harley after 40 and some that went on elaborate trips. Well I am getting my face back.
Sorry if its not your bag, I had to vent.
Keep Moving, I know that I will get in shape.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

I hate plateaus

I really hate hitting a plateau! I play with my diet and up my calories and I actually lose weight. Weird! I also realized that I was not drinking enough water. After the 5K I got a bad headache that lasted until Monday. The cause was dehydration. I have drank so much water this week that I feel I could float away.
I started strength training this week and boy am I sore. My body hurts very bad. I feel like I have been run over by a herd of wild bulls. Why do I feel 18 in my mind but 90 in my body? Lol
While using the weight machines I sat in front of a mirror wall with a full body view of myself yuck! I am losing weight from my feet to my mid thighs and then from my forehead to my ribs. Why can't it all just meet in the middle? I felt like Jabba the Hut sitting there. My face is looking droopy! WTH! I really need Botox in a bad way. I am loving the results, but I will need to see a Plastic Surgeon. I want body parts put back in their proper place. To put it nicely.
Back to Plateaus. I just hate it when you are kicking your butt at the gym and eating right. Counting every calorie and watching every item you eat. Simply just doing everything right. Then it's weigh in time and nothing! 2 weeks go by and still no loss or only a very small loss. That is very frustrating. What do you do? Some give up. I sure have wanted to. But I press on. I have upped my calories and increased my workouts. Changed the routine. Sometimes it still takes a day or two but it still breaks. What I find that has worked great is I don't do the same thing everyday. I change my caloric intake depending on my workout. I eat more protein on the high burn days. I eat light on non workout days. Your body thinks your killing it whenever you diet. So it will go into survival mode. It will burn muscle and store fat. It takes as much as 21 days to convince your body that your not killing it. Don't cut your caloric intake too low. Find out what your body burns daily then add exercise. Set your intake based on that number.
Just keep moving while you figure out what works for you and burn more that you take in.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Aloe Vera Juice

In all my reading I learned that Aloe Vera juice is very good for you. In trying to help Den feel better I suggest to him that he needed to start drinking this stuff. Well he was less than enthused. With Den in tow we ventured to "Mr Nutrition Market" in Van Buren Ar a very knowledgable health food store. They were so helpful in pointing us in the right direction with Enzymes to aid in food digestine. The best find was Georges Aloe Vera Juice. Tasteless and colorless. Looks and tastes like water but 4oz a day packs a health filled punch.
Health benefits include Essential Ammino Acids, Anti Inflamitory agent, Collegen and Elastin repair, Daily dose of vitamins, daily dose of minerals, regulates weight and energy levels, immune support and function, and aids in healthy digestion. At $24 a gallon it is pretty cost effective. I figure it can't hurt. If it does only half of what it claims I will be happy. After making Den aware of what his diet is doing to his over all energy or lack of and just what is in his food, he is getting more receptive to changing gradually. None the less some change is good.
I am usually not a big vitamin and supplement fan. I read a long time ago that your body doesn't adsorb very much of the tablet form supplements, and that if you eat right your body will get enough of what you really need. Well I am not too sure of that now. Still not a fan of tablet form supplements, however there are liquid vitamins and powder greens that are better absorbed. In all my studies I have learned a lot about food, additives and preservatives. Not really liking what I am reading. That is a whole other topic. I wish I had a Trader Joes or a Whole Foods here. I am happy that I do have a local market that has some items. A Dr told me that if you can't "Hunt it, Fish it, Pick it from a tree or bush" you shouldn't eat it. I am thinking that is a good rule. A lifetime of convenience has given way to common like-minded eating habits that die hard.
Join me in the 30 day Aloe Vera juice challenge, in doing so Keep Moving!

Monday, April 4, 2011

Overwhelmed

First off I did a 5K last Saturday and I finished in 56:28 minutes. Last time I finished in 58:12 minutes. I had hoped to finish in 55 minutes. I came close. The point is that I finished. I am working so hard to do this. I am proud that I finish this race. I am doing another 5K in May and I hope to finish faster and run more.
I read everyday. I look for articles about healthy living. Diets for running nutrition, diets for healthy intestinal digestion and on and on. I read an article tonight about Gluten. I can't believe how much of our food that is processed with Gluten or a product made from Gluten. Just how bad it is for you. So on one hand you should eat whole grains then on the other hand no wheat. I live in an area with very limited resources when it comes to Grocery Stores. This is when I need an Whole Foods. The nearest one is in Little Rock. In reading this I began asking Den questions in the article about health symptoms and he answered yes to almost all of them. I told him that he was possibly Gluten Allergic. It will take a move of God to change his eating habits. I call him the processed food king. If it does not come in a box he is lost. I have changed some of that but he is a hard nut.
I am tired of being tired. I really want to feel better and have a better quality of life. So much change is so overwhelming. I don't want to burn out. How do you find a happy medium? How do you change a little step at a time? Have you ever tried cutting out wheat? I looked in my pantry and wow, I would throw most of all of it away. I am trying to keep it simple. I eat the same things all the time. I do try new things and I add to my list of acceptable foods. However simple right now is better.
No matter what I do I Keep moving, that is what helps me get the weight off!