Eating MY Way and Feeling Great!

I have been asked many, many times what program I'm following to lose weight, what foods I'm eating or not eating, what exercises I'm doing, and exactly how much walking I'm doing. I don't have a clearcut, solid answer for my weight loss plan. I have counted points, counted calories, measured, eaten percentages, etc. I have done it all at one time or another.  I have been on and off this diet roller coaster for most of my life but somehow have finally managed to go in the right direction. I have definitely been all over the place with my food choices throughout this whole process. I have changed my diet many times to find what works for me - not just for weight loss but for my overall feeling of wellness - and now I think I have finally found more of a permanent, lifelong way of eating... one that WORKS FOR ME and makes ME feel good.

In the very beginning [of this particular chapter of my life], I went to Weight Watchers. I wanted, and needed, the structure. Weight Watchers works ... sounds like the commercial, right? ... it really does... if you stick with it. As with most diets. You eat real food and make your own choices so I think it is a good program but you have to make the RIGHT food choices, not just eat for points. I stuck with Weight Watchers for awhile, dropping my first 25 pounds and then started "cheating". I decided I could do it on my own without paying a weekly fee (no need to waste the money if I wasn't going to stick with the program). Eventually I got bored and the diet felt too restrictive (there are only so many points in a day!). I was constantly obsessing about food, how many points it had, how many points I had left for the day, and how many points I just went OVER my allotted amount! Weight Watchers got me started and for that I am thankful and would suggest the program to anyone who needs the structure and guidance.

Being mindful, I started paying attention to the amount of food I ate and cut out most sugar (candy bars, cookies, cakes...)and ALL fast food (except for Subway, which doesn't really count as "fast food" in my opinion, like McDonalds, Burger King, etc.). I eventually stopped really trying and stayed at the same weight for nearly a year. I was happy I could maintain my weight loss for that long but finally decided I needed to lose more of it. I went to a sports nutritionalist who helped me realize I was eating TOO FEW calories for the amount of walking I was doing (imagine being told to EAT! MORE!) and that my diet wasn't balanced. I was eating too much processed food which was nothing more than junk food. Somewhat reluctantly, I gave up my daily frozen meal(s) - and seriously went through withdrawals! - and started eating more whole foods - fresh and tasty foods! That's really where all the changes started taking place (Thank you Tracy!) and I started dropping the pounds again. I also felt a lot better and had a lot more energy. 

Of course I have gone through periods of not trying... of being happy and comfortable where I was at... and then to being unhappy and trying again. I have had many ups and downs (always within a ten-pound range) and many months of no movement at all. Regardless, I have accomplished a lot and certainly don't criticize myself for not having it all off by now. I don't care how long it has taken. All I care about is that I never regain it. That is ALL that matters to me. I will eventually lose the last of my unwanted weight and will work for the rest of my life never to gain it back again.

I don't think there is any one way to eat. Eating healthy is the most important and of course, there are many different opinions on exactly what is "healthy".  My way may not be your way but I think we can all agree that there really is no "quick fix".  Don't waste your time or your money on every new diet program that comes along. Rapid weight loss almost never stays off so be willing to put in the time and make the lifelong commitment to eat better 99% of the time. Cut out the fast food, the processed foods and sugars. Be mindful of what you are eating. YOU. CAN. DO. IT!

Another thing that has helped make my weight loss journey a success is by not keeping the "fat clothes" around. Every time I lose enough to go down a size in clothing, I buy a few new outfits and donate the clothes (ALL. OF. THEM.) that just got too big for me. I don't allow myself the safety net of having the larger sizes in the back of my closet "just in case." If my current size becomes a little snug I get back to reality and start watching what I eat again. There is NO WAY I will allow myself to buy clothes in a BIGGER size again. Get rid of the crutch.

So about my latest way of eating... it has been over a month since I last ate meat with the exception of one meal of salmon a week ago, which some will call "meat" and some won't. Fish seems to be placed in a different category but personally, I still consider it "meat" and don't plan to eat it except on very rare occasions. The rest of the meats (beef, pork, chicken, etc.) were never a big part of my life (I ate them though) but now I can say they probably won't ever find their way back on my plate again. I have no cravings for meat at all and quite honestly, thinking about eating it now makes me gag a little! Amazing what your mind is capable of, isn't it? 

(I'm still cooking meat for my family and not expecting them to follow suit. I'm not one to push 'my way' on anyone. We are all individuals with our own minds, preferences, food issues, etc. Find what works for YOU and stick with it. Not everyone is going to agree with how you are losing weight. ("Not eating meat?! Are you kidding me?! You'll die from lack of protein!")  There are plenty of Negative Nellies out there - who often times are disappointed in themselves because they aren't losing their own unwanted pounds - as well as too many "experts".)

I find myself unwilling to go out to eat most of the time now for fear of not finding anything on the menu that I can eat other than a side green salad, minus this and that. Unfortunately, MOST vegetarian meals are made with onions and I have a VERY negative reaction to onions and avoid them COMPLETELY. That actually creates a HUGE issue when dining out (and always has - regardless of being a meat eater or not) because it seems like everything has onion in it in one form or another. Chefs LOVE using onions (trust me, I know) so finding meals without them isn't easy. Not being able to eat onions limits my choices to very few on ANY menu. It is much easier to just eat at home.

So what exactly AM I eating? Lots and lots of variety, actually!

I am getting much more creative in the kitchen and trying foods I never had before. One of those new foods is Quinoa.  I use it in place of rice in different dishes such as Mexican Rice, Vegetable Stir-Fry or Stuffed Bell Peppers. I also eat it as a side dish or mix it with beans to make a meal. If you haven't tried it, you should. 

Another food I just discovered is Black Rice. It has A LOT of flavor and it's very good for you too. It might just be my new favorite!

I'm also busy cooking up pots of all kinds of fresh beans (navy, kidney, pinto, garbanzo) as well as black-eyed peas and lentils.  I'm eating a LARGE variety of vegetables and fruits too along with lots of different types of raw nuts.

I don't eat dairy except for one yogurt a day (for some reason I want that ONE) and I have recently (within the last week) completely stopped eating wheat products (surprisingly my appetite took a nose dive - SERIOUSLY - after cutting wheat) and no, I do not have celiac disease. I read enough about the negative effects of wheat so I decided to try to eliminate it. It hasn't been all that hard but you have to be willing to give up bread, pasta, crackers, cookies, cakes, and a million other things you would never suspect wheat being added into! (Read the labels.) So far, so good. 

AMAZINGLY, even with ALL that I have given up out of my diet, there are still PLENTY of choices out there left to eat.

My diet has been evolving for quite awhile. A couple years ago I had no end of stomach problems, pain, etc.  Through MANY trials, errors and tests, I have been able to pinpoint exact foods (and what they boil down to - dairy, fructose, etc.) that cause me problems. The changes I have made have not only improved my stomach issues, they have ELIMINATED them. I feel 100 times better .... actually, a MILLION times better!

Now... with all that said... I am the first one to admit I am not perfect (big surprise, right?!) and I have my moments of weakness. I have times of stress when I eat anything and everything in sight! However, those times are getting fewer and fewer - I would rather feel good than be physically ill - so overall, I am on the right track to being a very healthy individual. I just have to stick to it...

LIFE IS GOOD!

A whole lot more than Weigh Day Wednesday...

Well... this has been quite the week!

As for what we did on the town Monday night - it was THIS...

My sister-in-law, Edith, got her very first tattoo! I have CORRUPTED her! heheheee Isn't is B-E-A-U-tiful?!

As for the rest of this week, it all  started with THESE...

Chocolate-covered pecans from my dear brother and dear sister-in-law, thankyouverymuch! They were for Valentine's Day! Very sweet, yes, but I am a confessed chocoholic! I certainly couldn't leave them on the counter top for Husband and Son to eat! Noooo.... Just looking at them didn't satisfy my cravings at all. Can you believe that?! Smelling them didn't do a thing for me either! Tasting them was the only option left, right?! Once that happened, well... the fat lady was singing at the opera! Dieting for the whole week was O-V-E-R. (Amazing how that happens, isn't it?)

Chocolate-covered pecans led to soy MOCHAS (which I never cared for until recently). Mochas led to all kinds of sugary treats, especially Hot Tamales (my "chocolate replacement drug"). And I ate PLENTY of them.

I then became quite sick for a couple of days... kinda like the flu but it was more like the "ate way too much junk... sugar highs/sugar lows" kinda sick. Blaaaaaah. By Saturday I no longer wanted to get off the couch. I became quite the sluggish blob and felt a lot like this...

I finally made it out the door early Sunday morning for my weekly walk with Vancouver Fit but "FIT" I wasn't! I struggled. I struggled to breathe up the hills. I struggled to talk and walk at the same time. I struggled to keep moving. I struggled every step of the way for all nine miles.

Monday morning I woke up with the mindset to get back into control. I went out and walked 13.2 miles with a friend (our own marathon again). I still struggled but nothing like the day before... but. I. still. struggled.

It blows me away to think how easy it is to jump off the cliff and then what a very difficult journey it is to find my way back up to the top. The results of my free-for-all week surely would show up on the scale today. Of course it would. So, to not disappoint myself further, I avoided that baby like the plague! Forget it. Not doing it.

Note to self: Chocolate is NOT a friend... and neither is sugar. 

Ahhh well.... here goes another week! Hoping for a better one. It is all about C-O-N-T-R-O-L, I know. I'll find it!

_________________

 

Please pray for my dear friend Sally. She needs prayers for strength and healing.  

 

I love you, Sally!



July 2003



Presidents' Day Half Marathon

Once again, Sue and I made up our own half marathon because we didn't participate in any "official" events for the month of February! Who goes out and walks 13+ miles just because they can? We do! We were lucky enough to not be rained on (although we were both totally decked out in full rain gear) and the walk was very enjoyable along the Willamette River in Portland. We both had on new shoes and both had very happy feet! Afterwards (as it started raining... whew... it waited until we were done!), we enjoyed wonderful, warm mochas at the very closest Starbucks we could find! It was a really great day!

And of course... bling was included (thanks, Sue!)...

GREAT... until I got home... because since then I have been working on our taxes for the past three hours! Ugh!

Better times ahead though... Ray is cooking up a nice dinner and my sister-in-law is about to arrive from north of Seattle! Fun times to be had tonight as we will be meeting up with my daughter and causing some trouble out on the town! haha I will fill you in on what we're doing later! ;) hehehe

A CAbi "Photo Shoot"

Something different for a change - I got in front of the camera... willingly!

Linda and I modeling clothing by CAbi



Showing off the cut of the "Work It Jacket"

I don't know why my hand looks like that... I swear it isn't THAT wrinkly!

I *think* I like these pictures. I'm being brave and posting them here! I'm not used to seeing any pictures of me that I think look decent (but I'm told these do!). Of course we all pick ourselves apart, don't we? WHY ARE WE SO HARD ON OURSELVES?! WHY ARE WE SO HARD ON EACH OTHER?! Unfortunately,  I still view myself as fat! Will that ever change?! I'm trying to feel comfortable in my own skin but it is NOT easy. I often wonder, Will I ever be happy when I look in the mirror? I have less than 20 pounds to lose to reach my goal weight. I sure hope my eyes/brain/mind catch up soon!

Determined to live the life I want to live!

I got another one! I knew when I got [past the pain of] the first one, I would eventually get another one. They are unbelievably addictive.

My tattoo is a daily reminder to myself of how far I have come... how I got here... and where I'm going.

The Japanese writing means "determination". That single word has changed my life. People ask me all the time how I have accomplished my weight loss and the answer is always the same... DETERMINATION. It took a lot of determination to get off the couch, move past the back pain and start walking. It took a lot of determination to lose nearly 100 pounds. It will continue to take a lot of determination to get the last of the unwanted weight off and then keep it off.

The numbers represent the distance of a full marathon. Walking marathons has also changed my life. Walking helped me lose weight. Losing weight helped me find my passion for walking marathons! And to walk 26.2 miles... well, it takes A LOT of determination!

Health, mobility, courage, self-confidence, pride, happiness... the list of what I have gained goes on and on! I look at my tattoo and I see all of this! It really means a lot to me.