Tuesday 24 February 2015

Patience is the Key!

I have always had to work on patience. My personality falls more into the "instant gratification" category.
One thing I have learned is that, for me, the biggest key to weight loss and achieving overall good health is :


Whenever I have wanted quick, easy instant results...I have always failed miserably!
Right now, I am enjoying each day and the journey the Lord has me on as I learn what is working best for my 50+ year old body. I NEED to be patient with this process so that it becomes a part of me, something that will stick so I don't have to be a weight "yo-yo-er" forever.

I find that truly taking one day at a time is the best way for me to exercise patience with weight loss. If I think too far in to the future...it just feels like it takes longer to get there. If I focus on how much weight I have to lose, or how long it will take....it can just feel big and overwhelming. Small goals work for me and are easier to attain. I am more focused on getting to the next size down rather than the numbers on the scale...I am just enjoying feeling better every day and not dreading getting dressed because all my clothes were too tight again.



My son told me the other day that he is proud of me for catching this and doing something about it before I got back to 250 lbs again. That just blessed me tremendously!

I found this picture today: 
that's me on the right...about 3 1/2 years ago....

and this is me on the right about two years later:

I'm about 10 lbs heavier than that right now...so my next short term goal is to be back in this dress again this summer. It's taken a lot of patience, trials, successes and determination. I've fallen down, but the Lord helped me get back up and forward I will go!

The older I get...the more patient I need to be! :)







Sunday 22 February 2015

Special Occasions!

Charlie and her cupcake!!!
My youngest Grand-daughter just had her 2nd Birthday party. She has been such a light in our lives. She is so full of personality and a huge blessing to our family. Isn't she a little doll??

And for the first time in a very long time (actually...maybe the first time ever!!!) I did not have any of the party food. No cupcakes, no chips & salsa, not even any vegies & dip. I had a big cup of tea and at my 3 hour mark I had my protein shake I had brought along with me. AND HERE'S THE KICKER....I did NOT feel sorry for myself. I did not even want it....ANY of it.

I just enjoyed my amazing family, I "basked" in the love I felt for them all and from them all. THAT's what I chose to fill up on. So grateful to be there and so honored to be a part of this amazing group of people. I didn't feel the need to indulge in the cupcakes (which, by the way, happen to be a favorite of mine...any baking really) I just enjoyed watching my little sweetheart eat hers and that was enough for me.

Spring and summer tend to be seasons filled with special occasions. Weddings, bridal showers, birthdays, baby showers, graduations...etc.





A couple of weeks ago I attended a bridal shower and I brought my own food. I brought my protein shake to the birthday party...I know I'll have to pick and choose when I will have an off plan meal or day, so I am trying to choose wisely and have some good common sense about it. We have a LOT of birthday parties in our family...I find them easy to bring my own food to. We have a wedding to attend in about a month...I may choose at that time to have an off plan day...or I may not, I'll see how I feel at the time.


 I do know the people who love me understand why I bring my own food right now. I am not embarrassed to do it. There will be times where "real life" does happen...but being healthy is my "real life"and I can work with these special occasions and still make good choices for me.

Life is full of special occasions...but we CAN choose to focus on the reason for the event, the people we are celebrating, the love in our lives instead of all the food and drink....and we can have a fantastic time!!






Saturday 21 February 2015

What is your WHY?

                                                                              




I am really enjoying reading "Body Confidence" by Mark Macdonald.

One of the things he talks about is What is your Why?

Why do you want to lose weight? Why do you want to get healthier? Why do you want to learn how to maintain your goals once you reach them?

So here are the 5 questions he says to ask yourself.
1. "Why" do I want to achieve my goal(s)?
2. What will I "get" from achieving my goal(s)?
3. What happens once I achieve my goal(s)?
4. Is my "why" strong enough to keep me focused on my health during life's challenges? (ex: moving, a new job, illness, traveling...anything that throws a wrench into your daily routine)
5. Is the "why" I've chosen only short-term? If so, what is my long term "why"?

So...it's good to have a "short-term" why and a "long-term" why.

My short-term WHY is easy:



Most of my adult life I have pretty much DREADED summer!! Short sleeve tops, no layering, shorts and bathing suits....ARGHHHH!!!! It's so hard to hide your body and be comfortable in the summer when you are uncomfortable in your own skin!

The last 3 years (summers of 2014, 2013 and even 2012 to a certain degree) were so wonderful! I actually enjoyed summer for the first time in years! But I knew, heading towards this summer, 2015, that I was already dreading summer because I had once again lost control and the scale was climbing higher each week. So my short-term why is to be back in to my size 12 (or smaller) clothes for this summer, to be active and happy and more comfortable in the heat, not being concerned about "hiding" my body.

Whooooohoooooo for summer!
 OK...now my long-term WHY!

I want to look and feel healthy for the rest of my life! My husband, children and grand-children are a huge reason for this. I want to start setting a good example. I don't want to be the fat gramma who never wants to go to the beach, or the pool or for a bike ride. I want to be an overcomer in every area of my life!

 I want to go out for dinner with my 3 beautiful daughters-in-law and not feel like I stick out like a HUGE sore thumb.




Sooooo....what are your "WHYS"?
We all have them!!









Monday 16 February 2015

4 Week Results

                                 A Different Kind of Victory

                                                                            
So today is the start of week 5 for me. Here are some results from my first four weeks.

As you know, I lost 8 pounds in week one...the detox/cleanse week. I didn't think to take my measurements until the start of week 2.

As of this morning I have lost a total of 9.5 pounds on the scale!

BUT....in three weeks I have lost a total of 9 inches!!
(measuring: bust, waist, hips, thigh, calf and arm)

and I have gone down 1 full size!!

                                               



So how is this victory different? I am so not focused on what the scale says!! The "old" me would have been disappointed with only 1.5 pounds in 3 weeks...but lets face it...9 inches in total is sooooo awesome. And it really is about how I FEEL. 
I thank God for this time in my life...for what I'm learning and for the strength to stay the course!




Sunday 15 February 2015

How can you cheat if your not dieting?

                             Cheating

                                                                      


 I am on an "UN-DIET" !!!......WHAT???

I have been on many "diets" in my life. I remember in high school I lost 25 pounds just eating hotdogs (yep...you read right!) and salads and drinking unsweetened grapefruit juice.
I have done Weight Watchers a couple of times, I have done the no-carb thing, I had one time where I just cut out all refined sugar (which is a good thing...but in my mind, it was just temporary...a means to an end). I have counted calories, points, and whatever else I needed to count.
What every one of these times in my life have in common is that they were all "just temporary" A way to get to a certain goal weight. I lost weight on every one of them and I put all the weight back on plus some pretty much every time. Let's face it...how long can you really live without ANY carbs? Especially the complex carbs.
How long can you choke down unsweetened grapefruit juice?
Even the last time I was on Weight Watchers...I was determined it would be a "lifestyle" for me...but once I stopped tracking (writing everything I ate down) eventually I would fall into bad habits and the portions would become bigger and bigger...and the weight would start to creep on.

I am learning a new way of eating. I HAVE determined I am not on a diet (a temporary way of life). I must stress...I am really taking one day at a time with this and so FOR TODAY I am eating in a whole new way!

So...my buddy, the one who introduced this to me, shared how a friend of hers took the word "CHEAT" out of her vocabulary (in regards to food anyway)....I LIKE that. I am not cheating...I may have an off program meal, or day or evening, but I will get right back on program the next meal or day.

It is actually good to have an off plan meal once in a while. Once a week my husband and I go out for a meal. It is actually good for the metabolism to do this...to do a little "jump start"...so our bodies don't get used to the same thing ALL the time....hey...what can I say...it's working for me!

I still make my healthy choices, I like being on plan, I feel the best when I am eating every three hours...my even portions of protein, carb and fat. I feel light and I don't feel "bloaty"

SO...yesterday was Valentines Day...and yes...my hubby and I "indulged" Champagne and chocolate covered strawberries.
At the moment it was good...we enjoyed it and our time with each other...REAL LIFE!
But I did pay the price...I could feel the sugar in my body...I had weird full body shakes and had a very hard time sleeping. I felt queasy. I did not enjoy this sensation. SO, not something I will do again very soon...I like feeling good and sleeping good way more. But I didn't beat myself up over it. I didn't decide to just "give up" everything because of one off plan evening. I got right back on it! And did not feel any guilt.

I love this new way of life...I love my UN-DIET!!



Wednesday 11 February 2015

How Important is Breathing? :)



How important is breathing? Besides keeping us alive...if you are losing weight...breathing is extremely important!

Read this:
Where does all that fat go when you lose weight?
According to a new UNSW Australia study, published today in the British Medical Journal, a startling number of health professionals don’t know the answer to that question. The most common misconception, expressed by more than half of the 150 doctors, dieticians and personal trainers surveyed, is that your body burns it all up into energy.
But the truth is that most of the fat mass is breathed out as carbon dioxide. That’s right, you exhale it into thin air.
The team of researchers traced every atom’s exit pathway from the body and discovered that when 10 kg (22 pounds) of fat are fully oxidised, 8.4 kg (18.5 pounds) of fat departs through your breath as CO2, while the remaining 1.6 kg (3.5 pounds) drains out as good old H2O.
So remember that the next time you shed some weight. You’re not sweating, peeing or pooping it out — you’re breathing it out into the world around you.

WOW...who'd a thunk? I always thought you just peed it out...but that is such a small part of it. It's all about breathing!



I have learned how to breathe properly when I work out, and I have started doing some good deep breathing exercises throughout my day. Deep breath in through the nose and slowly out through the mouth. (helps with stress too!)

So keep breathing everyone...esp. when you are exercising or active...you'll breathe out the unwanted fat and relieve some stress while you're at it!


Tuesday 10 February 2015

Boredom

                  The silent, subtle trickster!

                                                                      




I think my hardest part of the day...the time I struggle with little thoughts that want to trick me into eating things, or thinking I want to eat things, is the evenings.
My husband works from 5pm to 5am. Three nights one week, 4 the next.
In winter time especially, the evenings can get a little boring for me at times.
I have always turned to food to fill the time for me...I would graze all evening long till bedtime.

So there are a few things I've found that are a help:
I will do something creative like make cards, or keep my hands busy with crochet.
Go upstairs and visit with my kids/grandkids
phone a friend
write a blog post :)
go meet with friends for tea
re-organize my closet.....etc, etc, etc

I find summer time so much easier in this sense,,,so much more can be done outside in the evenings.
What have you found that fills the wintery boredom times and does not involve food...I am so very open to hearing some great ideas!

Sunday 8 February 2015

Exercise...you CAN learn to embrace it!!

                      Shake you BOOTY!!

                                                                         
I have always thought Helen Mirren is a pretty darn good example of a mature, beautiful classy woman.
She will be 70 this year....70!! Now...I really don't know if she's had any "work" done, but I love that she looks healthy (not skinny), she dresses appropriately and obviously keeps herself in good shape.

I could totally handle looking like this when I'm 70!

On that note...I was never a huge "exercisy, outdoorsy, sporty, athleticy" type person. Growing up...I always tried to get out of P.E. My mom tried to get me into cross country skiing...I went twice. The ONLY sport I seemed to be somewhat good at was fastball. I have always had every excuse to get out of any kind of physical activity (unless you count shopping as phsical activity! :)

                                                                                


This last three years, something has definitely changed...I started "moving" more....walking, biking, even yard work. Now, I am even doing a work out routine that includes weights, resistance bands and exercise balls along with walking and doing sprints on the treadmill.  And I actually LIKE it. I have embraced MOVING. I am realizing more than ever how important it is as I get older that I don't become sedentary. I still probably sit around more than I should especially in the winter (it's pretty hard to crochet on the treadmill...HA!) but it is my goal to become more and more active as I continue to get to my healthy place!
Summer is coming...eventually...then I will be out on the trampoline, biking and walking, playing with my grandkids.
In six years my mother had 2 hip replacements, a major back surgery and a knee replacement surgery. This resulted from a lifetime of being overweight and sedentary. I am very determined to NOT end up in a place like that. It's painful and difficult to go through, recoveries are tough and it is not easy to be the caregiver...it is my great hope and prayer that my husband and children will not have to experience what I had to go through with my mother.

                                                                             





What about you...do you like to walk (or skip or jump or bike...) are you wanting to become a more active you? Or have you learned to embrace any activity lately? Leave me a comment and let me know where you are at....I'd love to hear it!









Friday 6 February 2015

Water....H20...Agua!!!

                                                                      WATER


I have never loved drinking water. Unless I was dying of thirst. It tasted tinny and gave me an almost heartburn type feeling when I would try to drink the 8 cups a day "they" recommend. I always had to flavour it with something...like Crystal Lite or Starbucks Refresher...which of course, defeats the whole purpose!

Then a friend of mine told me about Dolphin Water.

I have FALLEN IN LOVE WITH DRINKING WATER!!!

This water is amazing. It has a wonderful non-tinny fantastic phenomenal taste.....that in itself has sold me...BUT WAIT...theres MORE!! ;)

My friend had one of the worse cases of eczema I have ever see, Her hands in particular looked like a burn victim...it was painful for her and painful to look at. She started drinking this water and within weeks was completely clear. I know...how do we know it was the water? A couple of months ago she went to California for a little over 2 weeks. While there she didn't have her Dolphin Water..and sure as shootin..the eczema started coming back. Once home and back on her water...she was clear again within a few days!

Water is so good for flushing out the toxins (incl. fat) from the body...but only works if you can actually be drinking the amounts you need to. Why not have it doing even more for us while we're at it.
Whether it be eczema, acne, psoriasis or just for over all great health...this water is "where it's at" for me.

You can get this water for a reasonably low price in Mission BC. The owner, Dolph has people coming all over the province to get this water.



Dolph and his team have been so wonderful to us...always friendly and helpful in so many ways. And so very knowledgeable on health related issues. This water is oxygenated, micro clustered, has negative ions (antioxidants) and is infused with trace minerals. If you want to know more...call him...or better yet, go see him if you can...he can explain better how it works. All I know is that even my own skin is clearer and smoother since I've been on it...at 51, I'll take all the help I can!
   






Thursday 5 February 2015

Excuses!

EXCUSES!!! I've had them all at one time or another!

"I don't have time to exercise"  "I'll start eating better after _____________ (insert special event)"

"I can't give up diet pop...the fizz scratches my throat" (yes...that was a real excuse :)

"I don't have the money to pay a weekly/monthly fee"  "eating healthy costs more"

"I'm on too much pain to exercise"

ETC, ETC, ETC..........

I really believe it comes down to a true "AHA" moment....the "flick of a switch" within us where we are finally ready to be done with the excuses and truly do something to get healthier and feel better. There is an answer to every excuse....there really is....we just have to be ready to face them head on and be determined to FIND the answer that works best for us.
 I've had a few of these "aha" moments in my life....most recently a few weeks ago when an old acquaintance walked in to my place of work, recognized me (we hadn't seen each other since 1999) and we started a conversation that changed my life once again. This woman was an answer to my prayer for help and I will always be grateful she came in that day and shared this program with me. We have now renewed our friendship and she is a wonderful support for me on this "8 Week Run"
So now....all my excuses have lost their "power" I strive to live one day at a time...so for today, I am without excuse. I am allowing myself the "gift" of good healthy eating, great daily exercise, a solid spiritual walk (because each one can effect the other). I am grateful and so happy. I know there may be some challenges along the way, but even the small daily victories are what I'm focusing on right now (like going in to grab a french fry...and pulling back at the last second because I knew I really didn't want it and I recognized this action as a bad habit I want to break....whooohooooo!!)

So do you have excuses? Or is it time for an "AHA" moment for you?

Wednesday 4 February 2015

A Whole Different Way of Thinking

I realized today that in just 3 weeks I have developed a whole new way of thinking....about food, fat, the scale, calories and working out.





I have always had a love/hate relationship with the scale....mostly hate!! Most of my life I have avoided it. The last 2 1/2 years I have faithfully weighed myself every Friday morning...until about 2 months ago when I started avoiding it again because i didn't want to see the number....I knew it was going up more and more and I was in a bit of panic mode.
So when I stepped on it 2 1/2 weeks ago...the 1st day on this new program...it was, well...ugly (and yet not quite as bad as I thought it would be!)
I am discovering on this program, that my body is metabolizing fat is a whole different way...the number on the scale will not necessarily reflect what is happening in my body...so I have decided, after getting some good advice, to weigh myself only once a month....whew!!! It feels like a weight off my shoulders, a freedom!!

So I promised you on my first post that I would let you in on this fantastic program.
The web site is:  www.8weekrun.com


Here's some of the things I love:
1. It is FREE...no join up fee, no weekly fees, no monthly fees....yeehaw!
2. It is easy...it's all laid out in a clear, no nonsense format...not once did I feel overwhelmed when reading through it...I knew what I had to do.
3. I do not need to "track" or write down what I'm eating. I eat every three hours...a balance of protein, carbs and healthy fat (of which you are given lists with all your choices.

When you go to the web site....look for the 4 pdf files to download (they are under steps 8, 9 ,10 and 12)...the whole program is in these files. Just print and read. You can choose to register for the 8 week run challenge, but it is not mandatory and you can still do the program. Mark MacDonald, the creator of the program, has a book called Body Confidence...a good read! If you decide to do this program, He has a line of protein powder and supplements that, although not mandatory, do make it very easy, and in the long run, less expensive than buying everything at the health food store....nice and easy!!!

( MARK MACDONALD is the creator of the Venice Nutrition Program. He opened the first Venice Nutrition Consulting Center in Venice Beach, California, over a decade ago and it has since developed into a network of over 350 centers across the United States. The Venice Nutrition Program has been licensed by hundreds of health facilities, doctors’ offices, fitness studios, and health professionals nationwide.)

I will let you know...week one is a "cleanse" It's a detox week....a bit of a challenge...but let's face it, if you really want to get a good kick start on burning fat the right way, then you can do anything for 1 week!

OK...so, if you have any questions leave me a comment with your email address and I will get back to you with an answer as quickly as I can. REMEMBER....if I can do this....ANYONE can!!! I can almost feel the fat burning away! :)


Sunday 1 February 2015

Blog post #1...Here I go!

I am on a journey....to be healthy on every level....spiritually ( I am a Bible believing Christian) and physically.

A bit about myself: I am 51 years old...52 in May.

 I am a wife....have been for 32 years to a man who is my soul mate and best friend and who is about as opposite to me in personality as one can get....this keeps things from getting boring! :)

I am a Mother to three amazing young men and a Mother-in-law to three amazing young women!

I am a Gramma to 10 wonderful, awesome, cute grand-children (do I sound a little "over-the-top"?)  5 boys and 5 girls...ages 2-9. They are the lights of my life and a huge part of the reason I want to be healthy in every way going in to my "golden years"
This picture is almost 2 years old...so it's a little out of date but the only one with all 10 kids and me as of right now.


I love to sing, play piano and guitar, I am an artist and I love to create whether on canvas, creating cards or crochet. I've always been a reader, a movie watcher and a shopper...I am a "fashionista"!

OK....so why the blog??? 

The main focus is going to be on the ups and downs...the challenges of being physically healthy in my 50's+.

I have struggled with my weight my entire life...starting at age 10 or so. In my adult life I've been up and down 70-80 pounds a couple of times (my first pregnancy I gained 90 or so pounds and then had 3 babies in 3 years) Then again in 1999 I lost 70 pounds only to gain it all back over the course of a few years. Then On Jan 2, 2012 I, once again had an "aha" moment. I realized there were no pictures of me with my grandbabies over the holiday season because I had gotten so heavy again I didn't want my picture taken. I determined I was not going to go into my 50's overweight and unhealthy. I had 16 months until I turned 50 and I joined Weight Watchers that very day. Over the next 20 months or so, I lost 75 pounds....YAY!!! I became more active and was a much happier overall healthier person.

Here are some before pics:



And here is a pic after 50 pounds lost:





And then...some challenging personal times came along and I, being the emotional eater that I was, started falling in to some bad habits again...before I knew it...20 pounds back on as of mid January 2015.

I definitely was feeling terrible...having back problems again and just and an overall sluggish, lousy feeling.My clothes were getting TIGHT...I knew I needed to something or I would end upright back up where I had been. So I prayed! Weight Watchers was a wonderful program for me and I have had great success with it a couple of times in my life... I tried doing WW again and I just couldn't seem to get back into it. I think I grew weary of trying to write down and "track" all my food.....so I continued praying! Then I met a woman who I had briefly known back in 1999. She recognized me from when we had both attended WW mtgs. then. We got to talking and she shared with me a program she was about to start and invited me to an informational seminar.
 This program tackles 4 things that are important to me and that I needed. 1: It is designed to burn fat...esp. belly fat. 2: It is "clean eating" way of life...little to no packaged, full of preservatives foods. 3: Blood sugar levels even out and the sugar cravings disappear 4: If done properly, you see and feel results fairly quickly...which I needed. My back was in seriously bad shape!

Are you intrigued??? Stay tuned for post #2 and I will introduce this program to you and let you know what my results have been so far (today ends week 2 for me). I will share with you my day to day challenges and the victories...what's working and what is not. How I am going to make this a way of life and not just a "diet" And how I am going to keep myself accountable.