Be Happy Where You Are At

It is early in the morning...well not now though it is 5:15. I got up at 3:30 this morning and I get a lot done and then sometimes go back for a rest a 6:00 until 7 and get busy on my day. I have to say I am content for the moment of where I am. That could be a good or a bad thing. With being laid up and out for nearly a month and a half it has been hard to get back into the swing of things on a run basis but every day I am healing from my injuries. It takes time and I need to take it so that I can get stronger every day.

While reading about the people in the Old Testament especially the prophets though they were persecuted because of what they knew to be true, they stuck to doing what Heavenly Father asked of them and never backed down. With my natural woman characteristics I want that same conviction to be happy where I am but to work at being better every day. If we berate ourselves that mentality sticks with us and we aren't moving forward....we are at a stand still. Take from your readings the important things that will give you that stick-to-it-ness to keep the obstacles from blocking your successes.

CHOICES

It has been sometime since I have written....it is already November 2nd election day. A lot has happened with some of my choices: one in which laid me up for sometime with not being able to do a lot having missed a step at 4:30 in the morning to go exercise. The thought was on my mind earlier than that. I was so grateful for my body and how each part works together to help me breathe, walk, think...it was going to be a great day. It was a Monday morning the 27th of September and I was eager to move my limbs. However not in quite the way I anticipated...missing the bottom step to the landing, spraining both ankles and a fractured 5th Metatarsil bone in my right foot.

Okay, I had my prayer, got dressed, had an option of what shoes to wear....whether to turn the light on or not....not wanting to wake anyone up. The first thing I did was yell for Cliff out of a dead sleep to come help me. Jacque heard me fall and asked Spencer to get up and help me. Oh, no....I was in so much pain I couldn't walk on any foot.

I cried all day long. Anyone called, I cried. At that point I didn't think I would be doing the things I wanted to accomplish...would be put on hold....for how long; at least 6 weeks. Well, now that it has been six weeks I am doing more but my foot is still swollen and bruised. Rexene brought me an ice thingy to put on my foot and when my foot is extremely tired I go up and read, watch tv for about two hours changing every 20 minutes on and 20 minutes off. I have been on it for 4 hours and I am going to have to take a break.

Lois Middleton came to see me and after I told her what I just told you...she said you could look at this accident two ways. Perhaps Satan is saying okay she is so appreciative of her body lets give her a trial and will she still be grateful for her body and/or maybe I have been serving many in and around me...maybe they need to learn to serve you. Think what you will!

I am a survivor. I actually did exercise every day in which involved my upper body strength...walking with a walker back and forth to the bathroom, to the doctor and around the upper part of the house in which I should have stayed longer. This too shall be past and I will be better for it.

First Day of Many

I started today writing down my foods I have eaten. I have done fairly well and glad to say that I have finished eating before 6:45 p.m. and now will just drink water for an hour and be done for the night.

I also started writing down what I have been doing all day to see where I procrastinate. It is my hope that their won't too many days wasted.

Every Day is a New Day

I have had some yo-yo days over eating and exercising. They seem to be the same ones and if I could just get past the hard moments then maybe, just maybe I can get control of what I need to do. They say you should write down EVERYTHING you eat. My perfectionistic ways are also putting down the fats, carbs, proteins etc...but after day three I have not done any of that.

Notebooks....I like them! I have scores....the kids will have an interesting time figuring out my journals as I have about 6 and I write in them when I find one to write in so they aren't really in order. One day however, I will try to figure it out before it is too late. I have done well for many years keeping track and having them in order when Spencer and Crystal were on their missions. What joy that was for us....we were so blessed. We have great blessings now....but those were awesome days.

Back to the notebook. I thought I would make a habit out of keeping an 'everything' I eat diary for one month and if I master that I will add either one of the following...fats, carbs or proteins or calories to what I write down. I WILL master the habit I am trying to form. The 'I WILL' says I will do it....if I said 'I will try'.....I become a failure even before I try.

Forever Ago

It seems a long time since I have written and it has! It's true that every day is a new day; and the days go faster when you are older. Or is it just that we are so busy and hopefully it is the right kind of busy.

I am not going to catch up the last two months as my time is limited. I will however, add this little tidbit and I don't even remember where I got it from. Try whipping strawberries in a blender with milk with some xylitol and whip some air into it and drink it down 1/2 hour before eating your next meal. They say you will fill fuller and not even want to eat much or more throughout the day. Have a great one!

Belated Journey

Last week I was going to share with you my journey with the Belly Fat Cure? Well, a lot happened...I was sick and I shot out of town without checking weather to surprise the girls in Idaho. I took Jacque with me and we left in a rain storm...the worst over the Bozeman pass going about 20 miles in hour and not seeing where we were going. I knew their was a big yellow truck behind me and thought I was safe if he didn't get too close. We went slow but kept moving. I have been in some scary driving moments but this was right up there. It rained pretty much the whole way but we arrived safely.

So my journey begins now after a week of being sick to my stomach and leaving town.

For breakfast I had 1/4 cup blueberries; 1/2 cup Fiber One cereal; Ezekial bread toast with coconut oil spread and cinnamon. In a half hour I will have a glass of water. It was a wonderful!

Jorge Cruise

My girls have different ideas about this and that on how to lose the last ten pounds. For me it is much more than ten pounds but I think that at my age I have tried just about every diet I care to.

See I have a belly! The belly has been there for some time since my 1998 surgery when I had a mass within a mass on my stomach. They cut me down the middle like a meatloaf cutting all of the muscles in sight to get to this mass that they weren't sure was to find out. Naturally so you wouldn't want to just cut over the top of the mass but because of that surgery I have no muscle control in my stomach which protrudes.

About a year ago I went on the Ideal Protein diet and lost 40 pounds but have gained about 10 back. They think that this Belly Fat Cure will help me get back down to this 40 pound loss and get back on schedule to losing my weight.

Of course they think that would be right up my alley and so I bought the BOOK. Interesting enough he said that American's consume far more sugar than they should and that it contributes to the belly fat. Through his research he found that even the average person consumes 47 tsp of sugar. No way I thought. But then one day I started adding it up and it is possible.

For instance a cup of broccoli has 2 natural sugars in it;
1/2 a fuji apple has 7 sugars and 1 carb; the good news is that an avacado has 0 sugars and 0 carbs....so eat up;
1/2 med banana has 7 sugars and 1 carb;
1 small orange has 9 sugars and 1 carb;
1/2 mango has 12 sugars and 1 carb;
1/2 cup strawberries has 4 sugars and 1 carb....so my smoothies are going to be on an occasional basis now.

So when I say 1 carb = one serving.

5 to 20 grams =1 serving;
21 to 40=2 servings;
41-60 grams=3 servings
Anything under 5 grams is not counted.

So say you have a food that has 21 grams....it is two servings.

I have tried it off and on this past week. It will be a tough haul but I will give the whole week try and see where it gets me. I will blog every day to share what I have eaten and how it is going.

SPARKS PEOPLE TAKE ON TAMING THE WILD BEAST

Tame the Emotional Eating Beast for Good

3 Ways to Get Back on Track
-- By Dean Anderson, Behavioral Psychology Expert

When weight loss professionals discuss emotional eating, you hear a lot of talk about stimulus control, stress management techniques, and cognitive reframing. This is all well and good (and you’ll be hearing some of that here), but it doesn’t quite capture the actual experience of being caught up in an episode of emotional eating. In a recent post here on the Message Boards, a SparkPeople member got much closer to capturing the experience when she described it as “waking up the Slumbering Beast” we have inside us.

This really is what it feels like, at least in my experience. You’re doing OK, cruising along, when suddenly something happens that stirs up a bunch of feelings, and all of a sudden the Beast is awake and eating everything it can get its hands on. Or maybe it isn’t always that dramatic—maybe you just get bored, or start feeling a little anxious because there is nothing going on to distract you from that vague sense of impending doom that always seems to be lurking just under the surface. Even that little bit of free-floating anxiety can be enough to wake the Beast up and set it on the prowl for something to eat. Or it might be as simple as getting home from work or school, or finding yourself alone for a little while, after a hard day. Whatever the trigger might be, the Beast isn’t about to go back to sleep without doing some serious eating first. Or so the story normally goes.

There are two basic and complimentary approaches you can use to tame the Beast before it trashes your food plan, and you’ll need both for long-term success. The difference between them is the same as the difference between emergency medicine and preventive medicine. The main focus here will be on coping with the immediate emergency. You’ll find more information about the preventive approach, aimed at putting an end to the problem for good, in the links at the end of this article.

When the Beast is Loose: Getting It Back in Its Cage

The bad news here is that will power has little effect on controlling emotional eating. From a psychological perspective, the shift into emotional eating mode is usually a “state-dependent” event, which is a fancy way of saying that it involves shifting into a different state of consciousness (or persona) with its own independent set of emotions and related thinking patterns. For a little while, you literally aren’t your normal self, and the normal tricks you use to manage your behavior and thinking may not work.

The good news is that your Emotional Eating Beast is a pretty dim-witted critter, and you can trick it into going back where it came from without too much effort, if you know how to do it. Here are some tricks that usually work:

1. Play the Stalling Game. Your Beast has a very short attention span, and if you can manage to stall it for just a few minutes on its way to the kitchen, it will often forget why it woke up in the first place, and happily go back where it came from. So, instead of trying to fight it and tell it that it can’t have what it wants, just tell it to hang on for five minutes and wait until you’re done doing what you’re doing. If necessary, you can usually get away with stalling like this 2-3 times before things start to get ugly, and most of the time, that 10-15 minutes will be plenty long enough for your Beast to forget the whole business and go back to sleep.

2. Play the Distraction/Substitution Game. If your Beast doesn’t fall for the Stalling Game, you can still use your superior mental capacities to keep the upper hand. The key here is to keep in mind that what your Beast really wants isn’t food, but emotional comfort. If you can find ways to comfort yourself that don’t involve food, the need to eat will go away very quickly. Find something you enjoy doing that’s simple and easy to do right away. Listen to soothing or inspirational music, take a hot bath or a nice walk around the block, logon to SparkPeople, grab the phone and chat with a friend, or do some inspirational reading—you get the idea. Think of the Beast as a young child who just woke up from a nightmare, and of yourself as the parent looking for a way to help your child calm down and realize that it was all just a bad dream.

3. Play the Good Beast/ Bad Beast Game. Even though the Beast may seem powerful and overwhelming, it is just as afraid of you as you are of it. It knows full well that you can and, someday, probably will just tell it to go take a hike, and that will be the end of the game. To postpone this unhappy day for as along as possible, the Beast is always willing to negotiate with you if you can muster up enough nerve to stare it in the eye and demand some sort of compromise you can live with. If you keep your kitchen stocked with healthy snacks that won’t kill your diet and your self-respect, and you let the Beast get its hands on them, then you can both stay relatively happy—until that day when you’re ready to finally toss the Beast out and change the locks.

Once you have the immediate situation under control, you can start working on ways to prevent this problem from happening in the first place, by learning how to handle stress and powerful feelings without relying on food. There are lots of articles in the Resource Center on stress management and handling negative thinking. In addition, you’ll find some helpful ideas in these articles:

HEALTHY EATING TIP #7-10

Put protein in perspective

Protein gives us the energy to get up and go—and keep going. Protein in food is broken down into the 20 amino acids that are the body’s basic building blocks for growth and energy, and essential for maintaining cells, tissues and organs. A lack of protein in our diet can slow growth, reduce muscle mass, lower immunity, and weaken the heart and respiratory system. Protein is particularly important for children, whose bodies are growing and changing daily.

Here are some guidelines for including protein in your healthy diet:

Try different types of protein. Whether or not you are a vegetarian, trying different protein sources—such as beans, nuts, seeds, peas, tofu and soy products—will open up new options for healthy mealtimes.

* Beans: Black beans, navy beans, garbanzos, and lentils are good options.
* Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, pistachios and pecans are great choices.
* Soy products: Try tofu, soy milk, tempeh and veggie burgers for a change.
* Avoid salted or sugary nuts and refried beans.

Downsize your portions of protein. Most people in the U.S. eat too much protein. Try to move away from protein being the center of your meal. Focus on equal servings of protein, whole grains, and vegetables.

Focus on quality sources of protein, like fresh fish, chicken or turkey, tofu, eggs, beans or nuts. When you are having meat, chicken, or turkey, buy meat that is free of hormones and antibiotics.

Complete, incomplete and complementary proteins

* A complete protein source—from animal proteins such as meat, poultry, fish, milk, cheese and eggs—provides all of the essential amino acids.
* An incomplete protein—from vegetable proteins like grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and beans—is low in one or more essential amino acids.
* Complementary proteins are two or more incomplete protein sources that together provide all of the essential amino acids your body needs. For example, rice and dry beans are each incomplete proteins, but together they provide all of the essential amino acids.
* Do complementary proteins need to be eaten in the same meal? Research shows that your body can combine complementary proteins that are eaten within the same day.
* Why are complete and complementary proteins important? Complete and complementary proteins that provide all of the essential amino acids will fill you up longer than carbohydrates because they break down more slowly in the digestive process.


HEALTHY EATING TIP #8

Add calcium & vitamin D for strong bones

Calcium and vitamin D are essential for strong, healthy bones—vitamin D is essential for optimum calcium absorption in the small intestine. Recommended calcium levels are 1000 mg per day, 1200 mg if you are over 50 years old. Take a vitamin D and calcium supplement if you don’t get enough of these nutrients from your diet.

Great sources of calcium include:

* Dairy products, which come already fortified with vitamin D.
* Dark green, leafy vegetables, such as kale and collard greens
* Dried beans and legumes


HEALTHY TIP #9

Limit sugar, salt, and refined grains

If you succeed in planning your diet around fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and good fats, you may find yourself naturally cutting back on foods that can get in the way of your healthy diet—sugar, salt and refined starches.

Sugar and refined starches

It is okay to enjoy sweets in moderation, but try to cut down on sugar. Sugar causes energy ups and downs and adds to health problems like arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, headaches, and depression.

* Give recipes a makeover. Often recipes taste just as good with less sugar.
* Avoid sugary drinks. One 12-oz soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar in it! Try sparkling water with lemon or a splash of fruit juice.
* Eliminate processed foods. Processed foods and foods made with white flour and white sugar cause your blood sugar to go up and down leaving you tired and sapped of energy.


Salt itself is not bad, but most of us consume too much salt in our diets.

* Limit sodium to 2,300 mg per day, the equivalent to one teaspoon of salt. Most of us consume far more than one teaspoon of salt per day.
* Avoid processed, packaged, restaurant and fast food. Processed foods like canned soups or frozen meals contain hidden sodium that quickly surpasses the recommended teaspoon a day.

HEALTHY TIP #10

Healthy eating tip 10: Plan quick and easy meals ahead

Healthy eating starts with great planning. You will have won half the healthy diet battle if you have a well-stocked kitchen, a stash of quick and easy recipes, and plenty of healthy snacks.

Plan your meals by the week or even the month

One of the best ways to have a healthy diet is to prepare your own food and eat in regularly. Pick a few healthy recipes that you and your family like and build a meal schedule around them. If you have three or four meals planned per week and eat leftovers on the other nights, you will be much farther ahead than if you are eating out or having frozen dinners most nights.

Shop the perimeter of the grocery store

In general, healthy eating ingredients are found around the outer edges of most grocery stores—fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and poultry, whole grain breads and dairy products. The centers of many grocery stores are filled with overpriced, processed foods that aren’t good for you. Shop the perimeter of the store for most of your groceries (fresh items), add a few things from the freezer section (frozen fruits and vegetables), and the aisles with spices, oils, and whole grains (like rolled oats, brown rice, whole wheat pasta).

Cook when you can

Try to cook one or both weekend days or on a weekday evening and make extra to freeze or set aside for another night. Cooking ahead saves time and money, and it is gratifying to know that you have a home cooked meal waiting to be eaten.

Have an emergency dinner or two ready to go

Challenge yourself to come up with two or three dinners that can be put together without going to the store—utilizing things in your pantry, freezer and spice rack. A delicious dinner of whole grain pasta with a quick tomato sauce or a quick and easy black bean quesadilla on a whole wheat flour tortilla (among endless other recipes) could act as your go-to meal when you are just too busy to shop or cook.

Stock your kitchen to be meal ready

Try to keep your kitchen stocked with recipe basics:

* Fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables.
* Recipe and soup starters such as garlic, onions, carrots, and celery.
* Healthy staples like brown rice, white Basmati rice, whole-wheat pasta, quinoa, and wild rice.
* Whole wheat bread and tortillas for healthy sandwiches and wraps.
* Beans such as lentils, black beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, kidney beans, fava beans, and lima beans.
* Frozen corn, peas, and other vegetables to add to recipes or for a quick vegetable side dish.
* Frozen fruit and berries to make smoothies or frozen desserts.
* Dark greens for salads, plus salad add-ins like dried fruit, nuts, beans, and seeds.
* Fresh and dried herbs and spices.
* Healthy fats and oils for cooking, such as olive oil and canola oil. You can also try specialty oils like peanut, sesame, or truffle oil for adding flavor.
* Unsalted nuts for snacking, like almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, and pistachios.
* Vinegars, such as balsamic, red wine, and rice vinegar for salads and veggies.
* Strong cheeses, like aged Parmesan or blue cheese for intense flavor in salads, pasta, and soups.

HEALTHY EATING TIP#6

Enjoy healthy fats & avoid unhealthy fats

Good sources of healthy fat are needed to nourish your brain, heart and cells, as well as your hair, skin, and nails. Foods rich in certain omega-3 fats called EPA and DHA are particularly important and can reduce cardiovascular disease, improve your mood and help prevent dementia.

Add to your healthy diet:

* Monounsaturated fats, from plant oils like canola oil, peanut oil, and olive oil, as well as avocados, nuts (like almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans) and seeds (such as pumpkin, sesame).

* Polyunsaturated fats, including Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, found in fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and some cold water fish oil supplements. Other sources of polyunsaturated fats are unheated sunflower, corn, soybean, and flaxseed oils, and walnuts.

Reduce or eliminate from your diet:

* Saturated fats, found primarily in animal sources including red meat and whole milk dairy products.

* Trans fats, found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed foods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

5 Tips to BETTER EATING

HEALTHY TIP #1:Set yourself up for success

To set yourself up for success, think about planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps rather than one big drastic change. If you approach the changes gradually and with commitment, you will have a healthy diet sooner than you think.

* Simplify. Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories or measuring portion sizes, think of your diet in terms of color, variety and freshness—then it should be easier to make healthy choices. Focus on finding foods you love and easy recipes that incorporate a few fresh ingredients. Gradually, your diet will become healthier and more delicious.

* Start slow and make changes to your eating habits over time. Trying to make your diet healthy overnight isn’t realistic or smart. Changing everything at once usually leads to cheating or giving up on your new eating plan. Make small steps, like adding a salad (full of different color vegetables) to your diet once a day or switching from butter to olive oil when cooking. As your small changes become habit, you can continue to add more healthy choices to your diet.

* Every change you make to improve your diet matters. You don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to completely eliminate foods you enjoy to have a healthy diet. The long term goal is to feel good, have more energy and reduce the risk of cancer and disease. Don’t let your missteps derail you—every healthy food choice you make counts.

Think of exercise as a food group in your diet.

Find something active that you like to do and add it to your day, just like you would add healthy greens, blueberries or salmon. The benefits of lifelong exercise are abundant and regular exercise may even motivate you to make healthy food choices a habit.


HEALTHY TIP #2 Moderation is key

People often think of healthy eating as an all or nothing proposition, but a key foundation for any healthy diet is moderation. Despite what certain fad diets would have you believe, we all need a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals to sustain a healthy body.

* Try not to think of certain foods as “off limits.” When you ban certain foods or food groups, it is natural to want those foods more, and then feel like a failure if you give in to temptation. If you are drawn towards sweet, salty or unhealthy foods, start by reducing portion sizes and not eating them as often. Later you may find yourself craving them less or thinking of them as only occasional indulgences.

* Think smaller portions. Serving sizes have ballooned recently, particularly in restaurants. When dining out, choose a starter instead of an entrée, split a dish with a friend, and don’t order supersized anything. At home, use smaller plates, think about serving sizes in realistic terms and start small. Visual cues can help with portion sizes—your serving of meat, fish or chicken should be the size of a deck of cards. A teaspoon of oil or salad dressing is about the size of a matchbook and your slice of bread should be the size of a CD case.


HEALTHY TIP #3: It's not just what you eat, it's how you eat

Healthy eating is about more than the food on your plate—it is also about how you think about food. Healthy eating habits can be learned and it is important to slow down and think about food as nourishment rather than just something to gulp down in between meetings or on the way to pick up the kids.

* Eat with others whenever possible. Eating with other people has numerous social and emotional benefits—particularly for children—and allows you to model healthy eating habits. Eating in front of the TV or computer often leads to mindless overeating.

* Take time to chew your food and enjoy mealtimes. Chew your food slowly, savoring every bite. We tend to rush though our meals, forgetting to actually taste the flavors and feel the textures of what is in our mouths. Reconnect with the joy of eating.

* Listen to your body. Ask yourself if you are really hungry, or have a glass of water to see if you are thirsty instead of hungry. During a meal, stop eating before you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly.

* Eat breakfast, and eat smaller meals throughout the day. A healthy breakfast can jump. Fruits and vegetables are the foundation of a healthy diet—they are low in calories and nutrient dense, which means they are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Fruits and vegetables should be part of every meal and your first choice for a snack—aim for a minimum of five portions each day. The antioxidants and other nutrients in fruits and vegetables help protect against certain types of cancer and other diseases.



HEALTHY TIP #4 Fill up on healthy fruits and vegetables.

Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day—the brighter the better.

The brighter, deeper colored fruits and vegetables contain higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants—and different colors provide different benefits. Some great choices are:

* Greens: Greens are packed with calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, vitamins A, C, E and K, and they help strengthen the blood and respiratory systems. Be adventurous with your greens and branch out beyond bright and dark green lettuce—kale, mustard greens, broccoli, Chinese cabbage are just a few of the options.

* Sweet vegetables: Naturally sweet vegetables add healthy sweetness to your meals and reduce your cravings for other sweets. Some examples of sweet vegetables are corn, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes or yams, winter squash, and onions.

* Fruit: A wide variety of fruit is also vital to a healthy diet. Fruit provides fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. Berries are cancer-fighting, apples provide fiber, oranges and mangos offer vitamin C, and so on.

Don’t forget to shop fresh and local whenever possible

The local farmer’s market, fruit stand or Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group are great ways to get access to fresh, local produce. To find local growers, farmer's markets, and CSAs in your area, visit Local Harvest.

Avoid: Fruit juices, which can contain up to 10 teaspoons of sugar per cup; avoid or dilute with water. Canned fruit is often in sugary syrup, and dried fruit, while an excellent source of fiber, can be high in calories. Avoid fried veggies and those with dressings or sauces—too much unhealthy fat and calories.

Water—a vital part of a healthy diet

Water makes up about 75% of our bodies and helps flush our systems of waste products and toxins. Yet many people go through life dehydrated—causing tiredness, low energy and headaches.

Caffeinated beverages, in particular, actually cause the body to lose water. Fresh fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, contain plenty of water and can help with hydration, especially when you are looking for an alternative to your eighth glass of water for the day.
start your metabolism, and eating small, healthy meals throughout the day (rather than the standard three large meals) keeps your energy up and your metabolism going.


HEALTHY EATING TIP #5: Eat more healthy carbs and whole grains

Choose healthy carbohydrates and fiber sources, especially whole grains, for long lasting energy. In addition to being delicious and satisfying, whole grains are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, which help to protect against coronary heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes. Studies have shown people who eat more whole grains tend to have a healthier heart.

A quick definition of healthy carbs and unhealthy carbs:

Healthy carbs (sometimes known as good carbs) include whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Healthy carbs are digested slowly, helping you feel full longer and keeping blood sugar and insulin levels stable.

Unhealthy carbs (or bad carbs) are foods such as white flour, refined sugar and white rice that have been stripped of all bran, fiber and nutrients. Unhealthy carbs digest quickly and cause spikes in blood sugar levels and energy.

* Include a variety of whole grains in your healthy diet, including whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, and barley. Experiment with different grains to find your favorites.

* Make sure you're really getting whole grains. Be aware that the words stone-ground, multi-grain, 100% wheat, or bran, don’t necessarily mean that a product is whole grain. Look for the new Whole Grain Stamp. If there is no stamp look for the words “whole grain” or “100% whole wheat,” and check the ingredients.

* Try mixing grains as a first step to switching to whole grains. If whole grains, like brown rice and whole wheat pasta, don’t sound good at first, start by mixing what you normally use with the whole grains. You can gradually increase the whole grain to 100%.

Avoid: Refined grains such as breads, pastas, and breakfast cereals that are not whole grain.

Fiber: An essential component of a healthy diet

Dietary fiber, found in plant foods (fruit, vegetables and whole grains) is essential for maintaining a healthy digestive system. Fiber helps support a healthy diet by helping you feel full faster and for a longer amount of time, and keeping your blood sugar stable. A healthy diet contains approximately 20-30 grams of fiber a day, but most of us only get about half that amount.

The two types of fiber are soluble and insoluble.

* Soluble fiber can dissolve in water and can also help to lower blood fats and maintain blood sugar. Primary sources are beans, fruit and oat products.

* Insoluble fiber cannot dissolve in water, so it passes directly through the digestive system. It’s found in whole grain products and vegetables.

A New Dawning

It's now been nearly a week and a half since my Mom passed away. So sad for me but a great day in heaven for Mom and all her with her husband, her son, her siblings and parents and friends and relatives. She was SO ready to go. I took on a lot of responsibility to be with her 8+ hours a day in the hospital and then at the nursing home and then into the hospice room for four days. I wouldn't have changed any time spent with her.

It took a toll on my eating habits and virtually no exercise time. All of my children came home and all the goodies people brought to our home were consumed by all of us. They were ever so good!

Candace and I both felt drawn to change....We plan to rebound back with enthusiasm to always be the best that we can be. We both have felt if we are prepared spiritually and prepare mentally for our goals that everything else will fall into place. I believe that to be true but we must follow some guidelines of eating to get where we want to be.

These are some tips that I get excited to do every day:

1)I read in a magazine that if I rub in a circular motion 100 times on my stomach before I exercise that it will get my digestive juices going so that I will eliminate effectively. It does work!

2) Drink a glass of vinegar water every morning when I get up. I start and stop this many times. Perhaps the lack of making it a habit.

3)Eat some protein before exercising to give me energy to exercise more effectively.

4)I have started to exercise twice a day. More in the morning....but only about 10 minutes at night

5)Drink a glass of water before each meal and then after each meal....not in between. Making sure I consume 8 to 10 glasses of water a day!

6) We don't need all of the food we eat....so half the portion is good enough.

7) Chew slowly. I have to work on this a lot. I always seem to be in a big hurry to get onto the next project. I have always been this way....eating fast!

8) Eat fruit in the morning mostly and salads for lunch and dinner.

9) An actress was asked how she got her sweets in...she said eat whatever you want before noon; you have the rest of the day to work it off.

10)Enjoy food! Read and try a new tip every week that will help me be healthier.

STEP 6-Eat more plant foods, fewer animal foods

You don't have to count calories if you don't want to says a study done. If we eat a variety of meals based on the USDA guideline people have lost three times more weight over a year than people on a specific low-fat diet. There suggestion is to push heaps of high-energy mean to the side and let fruits and vegetables be the main attraction on your plate.

EAT more fiber! If you eat white flour and sugar foods, it won't be long and you will be hungry again; but if you eat a bowl of oatmeal or bran cereal w/no added sugar you will keep full longer. The same is true for fiber in other food. Fiber moves other food out of the body before the body has a chance to absorb them. KEY NOTE: "For every gram of fiber you eat, you'll absorb about 4 fewer calories than if you ate simple carbohydrates." Most people eat only 13 grams of fiber a day. Eat three times as much 40 grams....that amount will block the absorption of 160 calories a day.

DRINK at least 8 glasses of water a day. "Your brain and other organs and do not work well without adequate hydration."

EAT a healthy breakfast of a high-fiber food rather than cornflakes. It will stick with you throughout the day.

EAT beans! Add them to your salads, soups and chili and other dishes.

EAT whole grains. They not only have fiber but also folate, magnesium and vitamin E where the white flour counter-parts are lacking.

AIM FOR NINE: Fruits and vegetables are naturally high in fiber, low in fat and calories and full of other vitamins such as A, C, and E. So eat nine a day...so I am assuming that is a combined total of the two.

STEP 5 - -Keep a Food Diary for a Week

People tend to underestimate what they eat by 20 to 50 percent. To take STOCK of what you are really eating; write down your foods and portions every day for a week. Then review what you've eaten.

Your diary will help you see your eating patterns for workdays and weekends and holidays and pinpoint when you tend to overeat. Once you know when those periods of overeating are, you can either make sure you have a healthy snack ready or schedule an activity to keep yourself away from the fridge. (I have done this many times but I think why it hasn't worked for me is because I didn't make it a habit but consistently doing it.)

Cliff got me an iTouch for Christmas and it has on it a place to figure out your calories; fats; sodium; potassium; carbs; proteins....put in exercising. It takes all of the time consuming efforts away from having to look it up etc. But when my life is hectic that too goes by the way side. It has been a couple of weeks since I have recorded anything. Crystal tells me that I can go on the computer under myfitnesspal and copy it off.

STARTING tomorrow....I will faithfully keep a WEEK log of my eating habits and print it off to see how I did. I will record it on here next Saturday!

The next section asks that we count what we drink...that really doesn't affect me much as I am a water drinker and there are no calories in that. But occasionally I will have a protein drink with milk.

They talk about the calories in alcoholic drinks but because I don't drink it is not worth mentioning.

This is what they say about WATER: There is no better thirst quencher. Water has zero calories and it fills you up and keeps your metabolism running more efficiently.

STEP 4-Determine Your Real Calorie Need

Balance what you eat with your activity.

They give a point system: If your job or lifestyle involves a lot of sitting you exercise rarely; give yourself 12 points.

If you get more daily activity than light walking and you exercise aerobically for 45 to 60 minutes three times a week; give yourself 15 points.

If you get more daily activity than light walking and you get 45 to 60 minutes of aerobic activity at least five times a week; giver yourself 18 points.

MULTIPLY your points by your goal weight in pounds to get your daily calories. For example: if you are a 140 pound active woman and you want to lose 10 pounds; multiply 15 by 130 and get 1950 calories.

To lose fat instead of muscle you need to eat at least 1200 calories a day. Problem is that typical American woman eats an average of 3800 calories a day---many more calories than she needs.

If you eat just 500 extra calories a day--the equivalent of a Snickers bar and a medium Coke--you'll be getting 3500 more calories a week than you need. That adds up to a new pound of fat on the scales.

STEP 3 - Set A Starting Date

The main point they are making is that when you know what your BMI is and you have measured your waist; and your weight the next step in your progression is to set a GOAL and then commit yourself....which means discipline yourself to keep it.

Make sure that when you set your goal day and mark the X on the calendar that it is the right time to start. If their are too many responsibilities knocking at your door you may want to wait until some of those things have been done away with. (My thought on that is if I never start, I will never lose....but I also know that if I am overwhelmed I will not be able to concentrate; like our trip to Kansas was a bit stressful.)

WHEN you find the right time in your life; make an appointment with yourself. Fill your kitchen with the foods that will help you become a healthy eater and find someone to walk with and prepare for an exercise.

Step 2-Measure your Waist Line

There is a right way and a wrong way to measure your waist. Hold a measuring tape horizontally around the abdomen at navel level, parallel to the floor. The tape should be snug, but not pulled tight. Breathe out and note your waist measurement.

For us women a waist circumference of 35 inches or higher is unhealthy.

Okay we have already distinguished that I am not healthy according to their standards. Losing the good weight slowly is how it needs to be done for me. However, I did go on Ideal Protein for five months and I did take the weight off faster and I have gained some back but it helped me jump start my decline in how much I weigh. It has been five months off the diet and like I said I have gained some weight back but I still feel like my road to good health is progressing nicely.

While we were on our trip to Kansas I had the right mind set but I didn't always keep a great profile of eating healthy. I love M&M's but I ate a half bag and through the others away. They aren't my favorite any more. I like licorice but again I don't have a desire to buy a bag. However, chocolate if still on my list of sweets but I only crave it once in awhile.

I have a cold now because of the stress level I was under and I want to get back the energy level I had before my injury with cutting the corner too soon 6 weeks ago and start exercising. I don't feel the urge yet because of the cold that is dragging me down. But this too shall pass.

It is my hope that I will have mastered this long battle with weight that I have deemed so important in this life time and take what I know into the next life. It is one issue that has followed me after I was married as I was skinny as a rail before that.

STEP 1-Ultimate Guide for Women

I am for learning all aspects of how I need to behave when it comes to become a healthy eater. I have immersed myself with books and writings that I glean from to make the magic mix of ideas that will be inspirational in my life to be fulfilled and a happy person because of choices that I make.

Prevention put out a book called "The Ultimate Guide for Women's Health and Wellness. There are 10 steps or strategies that will be helpful in making decisions that comes into connection with being healthy. Each day I will add a step.

The FIRST STEP entails: Calculate your Body Mass Index. Without any comment I may have about this step it tells us to:

1) Multiply your weight in pounds by 703.
2) Divide that number you your height in inches.
3) Divide that number again by your height in
inches, and you'll have your BMI.

A BMI of between 18.5 and 25 is considered healthiest. You're considered overweight if your BMI is 25 or over and obese if it's 30 or over.

Don't let your BMI go below 18.5--that's too low because it's unhealthy to be that skinny.

I have known for years that I was overweight though by their scales I was obese. I did the math and I am in the 25 and over group. My BMI is 28.5. I have some work to do.

Every Day is a New Beginning

Today is a wonderfully new day with opportunities to have growth and hopefully not the waistline. I have so much to do before leaving on our trip to Kansas but my spirits are high with great anticipation because the is the first real day that I exercised and feel great! I like to watch something motivating or music when I take my feet to the elliptical and the AB circle that Cliff got me for Christmas. Today it was the biggest loser. At times I wish I could exercise all day long and lost the weight as fast as they have but that isn't reality. But I do get pumped when I see how good they are doing and that I CAN DO IT TOO!!!

Can't

The word can't shouldn't be in any one's vocabulary! I find that if I tell myself I can't have any sweets; or no chocolate; or not this or that, its like my body is going to prove you wrong and tell you I CAN eat those things. I need to trick myself into thinking that those foods are going to be around a long time and that I don't need to eat them right now or this week. But saying can't isn't in my picture of acceptance.

We all know that food ideas and sweets come and go. As a child I used to eat a licorice treat called HELPS. It came in a small red box I think that looked like a match box except the sides slide out the other way rather than the long way like matches. It had two small holes that the small perfectly squared treats would fall out into your hand. I GOT that every time we went to town. Grandpa Burnett took us up main street to the drugstore to pay for our ten cent candy of our choosing. I would savor those candies every time I got them. A couple of years ago I found something similar but not exactly like it.

I really don't eat much chocolate. I do get cravings for it at times....I eat it and then I am done....for another time and place.

Parsley

I was searching the web for something yesterday and came across a site called Harvest Eating by Chef Keith Snow. He has many recipes that he makes and you can watch him make it. I copied off a couple of recipes that I will put under the meals. One is called Black Bean and Cilantro Burgers and the other is Olivia's Chocolate Hazelnut Infusion.

The tip that I was impressed with was when we grow parsley or buy it that you cut the bottoms off and put it in a glass of water and it will keep up to two weeks. I love parsley and I thought that perhaps I could and would eat it better if it were a greenery in water staring me in the face. A definite A+ in my book. I think that might work with other things also like cilantro.

Twelve Age-Defying Superfoods

It has been awhile since I have written on this blog but I have not stopped reading. I came across this article in the July/August Well Being Journal (I ordered some of the back issues that looked interesting). This one intrigued me because after I got done reading it I counted up the number of foods that they said were so good for us; I was already eating! Hurrah! I must be doing something right! This is the rundown of the 12 food that will help you to have vibrant health.

PARSNIPS: are nicknamed the 'beatify food' because of the way it helps to strengthen hair and nails and improve skin quality. I hadn't eaten them before and went out immediately and bought some. I really, really like them. They taste like potatoes! Yum, yum!

AVOCADOS: Have more protein than any other fruit. It is known as 'nature's butter. It has a quarter of the fat calories contained in the same weight of dairy butter. It also exceeds other fruits as a source of powerful antioxidant lutein which protects your arteries from hardening and the eyes from cataracts and macular degeneration. (Both of latter ailments are prevalent in the Boggio lineage).

POMEGRANATES: These fruits are packed full of disease fighting antioxidants. Studies suggest that they offer almost three times more than antioxidant sources such as green tea, blueberry juice and cranberry juice. They contain potassium, fiber, vitamin c and niacin all which contribute to increased energy and good health and have been shown to reduce plaque build up in arteries by up to 44 percent.

BANANAS: Monkeys are wiser than we think--Fiber from green unripe bananas reduces bad cholesterol and increases the good by as much as 30 percent, while a ripe banana is one of the best ways to soothe an upset stomach. They are wonderful source of energy; can relieve heartburn and will also decrease the risk of strokes. With the exception of strawberries, no other fresh fruit is higher in minerals. (I must be part monkey too, as I am wise in eating bananas every day!)

BROCCOLI: Have almost twice as much protein as steak--11.2 g per 100 calories compared with only 5.4g. It has been proven effective against cancer, heart disease and a host of other serious conditions. (I eat broccoli nearly every day; twice a day.)

APPLES: Eating an apple a day could very well keep the cardiologist away. Studies suggest that eating apples reduces the risk of stroke and your chances of dying from a heart attack. They lower cholesterol and also appear to decrease the risk of lung cancer. Eating them whole, with the skin on, provides the highest level of nutritional value. (I love apples.)

PARSLEY: Parsley is a common herb and a powerhouse of the nutrients that rejuvenate and detoxify. Parsley is a stress buster. Studies have show it to be effective in reducing depression, lowering cholesterol and strengthening kidneys. Herbalists recommend parsley to relieve the symptoms of rheumatism and PMS. (I buy it with the intention of eating it, but forget and goes to waste).

CINNAMON: Helps to relieve bloating and stabilize blood sugar. It speeds up the processing of sugar in your body. Putting cinnamon sticks in your tea or water or sprinkling just a tiny amount on desserts, fruits and cereal and into smoothies, will make your insulin release much more efficient, which may slow again and help ward off diabetes and obesity. (Wow! I don't use the sugar on my toast; just coconut oil and cinnamon. I am grateful for its usefulness!)

OATS: Are inexpensive, and incredibly easy to incorporate into your life; they contain twice as much protein as brown rice and are an excellent source of complex carbohydrates to maintain your energy levels through the day. They improve your resistance to stress, help to regulate the thyroid; soothe the nervous and digestive systems; and stabilize blood sugar levels. (I ate those faithfully as a child and many years after I was married; now it seems to be occasionally use. Perhaps I will start again a few times a week!)

GARLIC: Garlic has been used for thousands of years for diseases for thousands of years. They are a rich source of sulphur compounds that keep your body chemistry in balance; fighting infections, slowing down the production of cholesterol and lowering blood pressure. Their is evidence that it helps to fight cancer and improves the action of the live and gall bladder (which I don't have any more).

TOMATOES: This low calorie fruit is jam-packed with nutrients and phytochemicals which boost the body's immune defenses. They are rich in vitamins C and B and also contain lots of lycopene which appears to act as a protective factor against cancer and may also benefit the heart. Cooked tomatoes contain more lycopene than raw; most of the nutritional value is contained in the skin; cherry tomatoes are more nutritious than large ones.

ALMONDS: Two ounces of almonds give you more than 50 percent of your daily requirement of magnesium; a mineral that's important for heart health. Eating almonds every day for a least a month has been shown to reduce cholesterol and lower other risk factors for heart disease.

Good Thoughts

I have a driven nature sometimes to do things for other people who may be going through hard times. Sometimes I let my imperfectism get in the way of my accomplishment. Long story short; I am following my gut feeling on it and let the pieces fall where they may.

Yesterday I was out shopping for Easter treats and books for my grandchildren and I was looking for a treat for myself. One of the sweeter side of treats we bought years ago was red and black licorice; cherry nibs or pieces. I bought the bag or cherry pieces and while driving home from Costco listening to a positive phrase tape on weight loss ate piece after piece of the licorice and there still is a little over half of the bag left. Some how I don't think that is suppose to happen at the same time....eating a sweet and listening to a tape on being strong against tempting foods!!!

I have heard it said that we shouldn't cut out the sweets totally because when we come upon the temptation we may not be able to eat only a few bites but maybe the whole bag. I ENJOYED the handful of licorice immensely. I didn't lose a pound but I didn't gain one either. Overall I felt good about all of the other things that I ate.

Analogy

Sunday I was studying the lesson for Sunday School. I got a late start but it got me to thinking about my determinations over my weight issue. I seem to learn much more when I read an uptake on someone elses insight to the topic of discussion. However, it helped me to make this point! This point was brought out from Meridian Magazine by Phillip Allred.

It was in context of how Joseph could RESIST not only Potiphar's wife's advances but also overcome what could have been an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and abandonment. Resist is the key word for me + sometimes we have hopelessness when we don't reach our goals and we abandon them to eat something that isn't as healthy as it should be for us.

He and his brothers grew up in the same family. Had the same instruction I am assuming throughout the years. They all made choices and some not so good resulting in Joseph being sold into Egypt. Joseph took to the teachings of his father and loved the Lord and now he is a young man thousand miles away from home and he is doing his best to keep the standards taught to him by his parents. Brother Allred states that every time he came up against temptation he remembered the teachings of his parents at home. He looked sin in the face and stood like a rock.

So for me I have many food temptations. I need to remember that their will always be food. I need to stand up against the foods that are a temptation for me and stand like a rock against it.

Aren't we suppose to compare ourselves to the scriptures? I am a believer that I will be healthy and record what I eat....I DO do better. Thanks to the iTouch in recording my food intake. Otherwise I wouldn't be very good at it.

Yogurt

I love Greek Yogurt! A possible issue is ....that it costs me a lot of money to buy the kind I like called Fage. I mentioned before how great it tastes and how expensive it is that awhile ago I bought a Euro Yogurt maker. I pulled it out of the box and cleaned it up and made a batch of yogurt. I think that I could substitute some of the Fage for this yogurt.

It's been a long time since I had a cooking therometer but it is something you will need if you want to make yogurt. It doesn't make a lot and so I will have to make it often. But it will be a nice trade off so that I don't have to buy so much of the other. It makes six small jars. I like it plain the best.

This too shall pass!

I am feeling a bit lost and falling behind a little on my food and exercise goals. I was an avid exerciser and water drinker; but now with my injury I find I am not doing the first at all and the second less than I should. I thought I was getting better but the progress is so slow. I am thinking that by the middle of next week if I am not feeling better then I should go in for other tests. I may be at this level of thinking because we are odd creatures of habit wanting what we want when we want it. That's a mouthful! We want to be healed yesterday. Well there you have my thoughts on the matter. I have to be patient; not one of my strong suits and think to myself and this too shall pass!

Power of the Moment

I have been spending quite a bit of time watching over the grandchildren when Jacque is gone. When I am not playing with them I got out all books that I apparently got on sale from Barnes and Noble or a second hand shop that I thought I needed to help me with my ever ending issues with becoming a 'better me'. Such books are.. Health/Fitness; detox cookbook;3-Hour Diet; Dr Bridells Logical and Completely Guaranteed Diet; 15 minute cookbook; the Shangrali Diet; Heart and Healthy Living 1magazines; Dr. Phil's The Ultimate Weight Solution; Eat My Words; the 60-Seconds to weight Loss Success; and my new favorite is the Well Being Journal. The latter I have been like a sponge full of water taking it all in.

Most people who know me that I have a library full of books but I have decided to read each of these books and find what I like from them and then give them away. If they aren't useful then maybe they will be for others. I don't want to harbor books that will not help me be the best me.

Here are some 60 second tricks to help us when we go browsing for something to eat.

Place a post it note that says; "What you're looking for isn't here!" in places to find at low moments as reminders of what you're really seeking---a healthy body and self-mastery.

Keep disposable gloves in your kitchen and purse. wear them while cooking or at the movies to stop mindless nibbling.

Keep warm soapy water in the sink or a big bowl while cooking. Immediately place mixing beaters, bowls and spoons in it to avoid extra licks and tastes. (I think this one WOULDN'T work for me. I would just clean out the bowl before putting it in the sink.)

Keep an extra toothbrush and toothpaste in your purse,, desk drawer and the bathrrom closest to the kitchen. Quickly brush your teeth after all meals and snacks.

Take a motivating pictures and put it on your fridge; in your pantry or where you look for things to eat to motivate you to not eat extra snacks.

Exercise

I had all good intentions of rising this morning to exercise. I have strict orders from Wade and my husband that I am NOT to exercise or garden or vacuum this week. So I said then I can sit and read books; find and make good foods. That is the good life...no worries. Well I wouldn't go so far as to say that...perhaps a better word would be concerns.

I sure appreciate the days that I do feel good and accomplish a lot. This too shall pass.

Dr. Oz's Ten Commandments for Weight Loss

I have mentioned to you probably a few times that their are certain topics out there that I am like a sponge; weight loss tips is one of those for me. This is what he said:

1) Thou shalt not wear pants that stretch. Wear set size!
2) Thou shalt not keep fat clothes in your closet when you lose weight.
3) Thou shalt not eat meat that walks on four legs more than once a week.
4) Thou shalt not graze or browse in search of prey? Use your brain rather than impulses. Plan your meal and snacks ahead of time.
5) Thou shalt not eat after 7:30 p.m.
6) Thou shalt not pile food more than 1" high on plate.
7) Thou shalt not chew thy food less than 20 times. It takes awhile for your biological blubber to connect with your brain to say you have enough intake of food. Their is a back and forth chemistry between your stomach and your brain to let you know what weigh you will be happy at.
8) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors plate nor sneak bites of it.
9) Thou shalt not carry small bills. Meaning that the vending machines like your $1 bills and change.
10) Thou shalt not eat while standing up or in a car.

I can say honestly that I do well numbers 1.2.5.6.8.9 really well. That is over half the points of success. I have not problem eating a good breakfast which is my favorite meal of the day; lunch second and then dinner third. I usually am done eating by 6:00 every night is always my goal. I have some work on the grazing and browsing end of it all. I am on the road to success. Yahoo!

Moving my scale to the kitchen

Water. I love water, so why don't I drink more? I have come to realize that I am a great procrastinator--totally didn't ever think I would be one. It is one of my most serious problems. I resolve to drink more water.
I am going to go to that meeting tomorrow night, so I will have to miss the RS party--I really want to go to the party too, but I guess I have to choose.
I have such sympathy for your bruises. We take longer to heal now and it is just not funny. Why did you go to the chiropractor--do you have a standing appt?
I have started taking 15 minute walks each day and plan to expand on the time and intensity. I would like to join a gym, but again, I am a great procrastinator--the last time I had a gym membership, I just kept putting off going. I need to forgive myself for a thousand things and just move on.

Water

I have read oodles of books about nutrition over the years. From Dr. Biddle's Diet book his suggestion is to drink a glass of water before each meal and each snack. I drink a lot of water during the day; but I have yet to master or to remember to drink before each meal or snack. That will be on my agenda this week as I am not able to exercise.

Another day with high insights ahead! I went to the chiropractor yesterday. As he was punching me here and there I said it doesn't hurt there. Cliff said by the time he is done you will! Of course, it hurt to laugh but I am breathing better and I can move a lot better I just can't pick up Baer yet. I am not able to do gardening yet but hopefully next week the weather will be nice and the dead flowers won't be going anywhere and it will still be there for me when I get better; as I am the only gardener in the house.

This is just a sprinkle in my life and it will soon pass!

I am so sorry for the pain you have in your side--amazing how things happen. ...am even more sorry for Jackie--there are a lot of baaaaaddd drivers out there.
I am going to go to a class on Thursday pm--oh, that is RS dinner night! Pain. I guess that I will decide what to do. The class is an introduction/tutorial on the diet.
Keep your resolve strong. Everything matters.

Hope

Marjie I am glad that you found the site all right! It does help to write things down. Yesterday was not the best day for Jackie and I. Someone rearend Jackie's Armada and totaled it and left her with pain in her back and neck. I was carrying Baer around and we cut a corner to quickly and he knee-ed me in the side and I am in pain and can't lift anything. So it is difficult for the both of us to move today. With this happening I won't be exercising for probably the rest of the week; so I will have to watch my intake of food so as not to gain any weight. I have started to weigh myself again to hold myself accountable. I fluctuate between two pounds but despite all the has happened over the last three months trying to adjust my food levels without a diet I think I have done fairly well. So I can say that I have officially lost 32 lbs. You go for it Marjie. I think the hardest thing for me was not to have any fruit at all. It did help to have someone else doing it with me. I am sure Jennifer will be a big support for you through all of it and what I am saying I am here for you! Go for it and enjoy!

Everything Matters

First of all, thank you Diane, for providing this communication tool to help us both in our weight loss journey. I truly hope that we both can inspire each other to become slimmer and healthier women. I have been so miserable for so long and I, like you, do not want to look back in another ten years of frustration thinking "why haven't I lost weight yet?". Pain.
I just left a message for Jennifer Spoonemore to get information on the protein diet. I ALWAYS feel like I can do it alone, but obviously I CANNOT. I want to be healthy. My emotions totally control my eating and I am sad most of the time lately. I need to trust in the Lord and put my troubles "in a box" and not let them rule me. I think if I would just follow the Gospel plan and read the scriptures more and pray more, I would be able to figure out my life a little better.
I have several beautiful outfits that I bought years ago, that I have never worn. I want to wear them and feel good. I avoid doing alot of things because I do not like how I look, so I need to reverse this pattern now.
We can do this, Diane. You can get back on track and I can finally get on track.
I named this post "everything matters" because every bite matters, every choice, and every bit of exercise. It all matters.

A New Day

I realized after I read my first post that I DIDN'T finish it...so...Long story short, I have some big shoes to fill every day when I look at thousands of people around the world who ARE making a difference in there lives. I got an email last week but didn't read it until this morning. You can go under YouTube and look for the one that says Team Hoyt. I cried; rejoiced; and decided that I need to make a difference today after watching that video. Amazingly wonderful!

I know that there are going to be foods that maybe aren't so good for me. Like I just ate a girl scout cookie....I even ate two. Boy, did they taste good! Its over now and I am moving on. I heard an actress say once if you want to eat something that is not so good for you, eat it before lunch and then be good the rest of the day. I like that thought! I ate the cookies at 10:30....and I will be good the rest of the day.

It was helpful to clean out the refrigerator today so I can actually see what is good to eat in it. Makes a big difference when you look inside to see good food waiting to be eaten. One of my favorites is mustard greens; purple cabbage; homemade salsa; other lettuces. The tomatoes aren't very tasty now and so I am not fond of eating them but occasionally I will plug one in for good measure.

Beginnings

I have to say that this is probably the best thing I have started to do all year except maybe write on LDS Journal my happenings. This is a more personalized way to share my journey with optimal health.

I have to thank Jackie, my daughter-in-law for setting this up for me. I KNOW I couldn't have done it on my own without some over the shoulder instructions every minute of every entry. When I talk with Crystal I always tell her I am illiterate. She said Mom that's that you can't read! I said, well then computer illiterate. I keep plugging away in hopes of conquering my weakness.

I would have to say a turning point in my losing weight was an avenue I took with Candace when she and I went on the Ideal Protein diet that I got from Wendy Fike. It was so difficult but over a course of 5 months I had lost 40 lbs. Who would have thought! THEN I have become affected by artificial light with the doctor telling me to go off artificial sweeteners meaning that I would have to go off this diet. Having said that I did not weight myself for three months. I didn't want to know if I had gained any back knowing full well that I had.I had to get real with where I am at with my attitude towards where I was and what I wanted to look like; I needed to start weighing myself and start taking conscious effort of what goes in the mouth and down to the stomach and exercise! Plus I will be 58 YEARS old this year and I surely do not want to have this as a goal that I would have to look at and learn from the next 42 years. I want to have learned it and then live it and move on to other great goals that I have set for myself.



Long story short, I have