Continuing the Battle--Addicted to Food

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13

I know that many of you received an email from Gloria on August 28th. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate Gloria and all that she is doing for so many people, especially me!!! I have been overweight all my life, been to many doctors, on hundreds (literally) of diets, took pills, taken shots, gone to Weight Watchers, joined TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) and struggled with every pound!!!! I can honestly say that no one has ever mentioned to me or hinted that I have a food addiction. Reading those words was like running into a brick wall. Addicted to food---that really threw me. I thank God that she is honest and outspoken. No doctor has ever said that to me and I needed to hear that a long time ago!!!!!

I never thought of myself as having an addition. But it is true. So many times I find myself craving certain foods, especially those starchy carbs. Creamed potatoes, corn, peas, white rice, bread, pasta--all these things are an addiction for me. It really is not so much the sweets-like cake, pie and candy as it is the starchy carbs. As long as I do not indulge I am fine. BUT!! give me a small portion of creamed potatoes and I have to have more!!!

Many say there is nothing you cannot eat as long as you do so in moderation. Well, for me, that is not true. There are some foods, like starchy carbs, that trigger a feeding frenzy for me and the best thing for me to do is stay away from them!!! We are all different and we have to learn to know our bodies and how we react to certain foods, etc. No one is going to monitor what you eat but you!!!

So let me tell you weight loss is a struggle--I am continually battling with myself. The sensible, health conscious Faith knows that starchy carbs are not good for me---the human, self satisfying Faith yearns to jump right in and have those potatoes, that bowl of white rice with butter or that pile of pasta with the rich sauces.

If you have these same urges remember you are not alone!!!!

Email me at healthierfaith@bellsouth.net and let me know that I am not alone!! I would love to hear from you!!! Thanks for coming along on my journey to a healthier me!!! Faith

Back on Track!!!

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13

I am overjoyed to let you all know that I am out of the "sink hole" and back on the road to a healthier life. I last weighed-in on Tuesday August 19th and I gained FOUR pounds!! I was really fighting the urge to eat the whole livelong day!! I blogged about the hole I was in and was overwhelmed by the emails of support I received. I thank you all for being there for me!!! Your words of encouragement helped me more than you know. I picked myself up and brushed myself off, climbed out of that hole and today when I weighed-in I had lost those FOUR pounds!!! I ALSO LOST FOUR MORE!!!!!! 287!! I have not been this weight in more years than I want to count!! Only 36 pounds to the 100 mark!!

My next goal is 30 pounds by October 16th. Well that is 21 pounds to go now. I am not going to say that I cannot do this. I have seven weeks to do all I can!! I began this journey on January 16, 2008 by joining Body Dimensions Fitness and beginning to workout with Gloria Trull, my trainer ( I love that she is my trainer!!) who has become a good friend. Soon after I was introduced to Lorin Gryder and Living Lean Meals. Lorin is great and her meals have been a life saver!! Portion control is my biggest problem and her meals have helped enormously!! I am determined to step on the scales on January 16, 2009 100 pounds lighter, smaller and 200% healthier!!!!!

Again thanks for all the emails. You can contact me with questions or comments at healthierfaith@bellsouth.net. Have a wonderful Labor Day!!!!! Faith

Catching Up and Confessing

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13

Catching Up
I am sorry that I haven't blogged in a while. I have no excuse except that I just have not taken the time to do it. I have been quite busy and have neglected what I declared I would not do when I started this journey and that is time for myself. Since my last weigh-in, it seems everything under the sun has come across the road I am on and I have detoured from my destination. I feel like I have dropped into a large sink hole and can't get out!!! That brings me to the second part of this blog----confessing!!!

Confessing
I have not been as diligent as I should have been in the past few weeks. I have let the overwhelming temptations take control me. You know the occasional Snicker bar or the piece of cake and ice cream at a party or the fried foods when going out to celebrate an important occasion. I am sure you may also know how it is to let the cares and chores of this life keep you from the exercise you know you need everyday. You see I am human and while I have lost 60 pounds on what seems to have been an easy road to health believe me it has not been easy. I weighed in today and gained FOUR pounds. I did not cry or give up but am determined to carry on, crawl out of this sink hole and lose those four pounds plus several more before the next weigh in!!!!!!!

We all have these times. After sixty pounds and being able to get in new clothes or clothes I haven't been able to wear, hearing all the praises my supporters, the aches and pains of carrying around all that excess weight are gone and I feel great; the mind (an evil thing at times) seems to settle back and suggest things as "Take a few weeks and relax. Don't be so diligent. Enjoy the weight lose. You deserve to eat what you want for a while!" Well all of this is bull!!!! If you let your guard down, as I have, that weight will creep right back on your thighs, and middle and wherever else it looks the worse!!!

I feel like I need to apologize to Gloria, my wonderful trainer at Body Dimensions and Lorin my expert chef at Living Lean Meals for failing them and all their hard work. I feel like I have let them down!!!!

Enough Whining and Confessing!!!!!!!
I am going to pick myself up and brush myself off and get right back on this road to a healthier life!!! This sink hole that I ran into on my journey is not going to take up any more of my time and energies!!!

If you would like to comment or have any questions please email me at healthierfaith@bellsouth.net. Thanks for coming along on my journey to a healthier life. I will try really hard to avoid those detours and sink holes in the future!!!!
Faith

Mind Over Matter

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13

I have never liked having my picture taken. I was always the one taking the pictures and that is the way I liked it. When video cameras came out and my brother got one he "videod" every gathering the family had. I hated that camera. Actually it was the way I looked that gave me the discomfort not the camera. When you weigh over 300 pounds you avoid really looking at yourself for fear of what you will see. The picture attached was taken this week at the office where I work. A friend, who is a "photographer", took this picture with her digital camera. She insisted and I obliged. I was really surprised at the results. Now mind you I have another 100 pounds or so to lose but I was pleased and surprised at the change the 60 pounds has made.

I have never had a problem with who I am. The Lord has been extremely good to me in my 56 years and I thank Him daily for His blessings!!! I had a good childhood and was taught to be the best person you can be. I trusted the Lord as my Savior when I was young and have been richly blessed through my relationship with the Lord Jesus. I enjoy my Christian life!! I have parents and siblings that love me, my husband loves me and I have a full and rich life. I say all this because with a great life and the love of so many I have learned to love myself. Not in a conceited way or a boastful way because I know that I am nothing without the help of the Lord. I have never sat and cried about being "fat." I have always "made the best" of my weight whatever it was.

I learned at a very early age to laugh at myself. Who I am and what I am does not depend on the number on the scales or other people's opinions. However, I am not happy with my health. I would like to not have to go to the "Plus Size" dress shops to buy my clothing. I would like to not have to order from special catalogs for "plus size" women. I would like to not have to take so much medication and go to the doctor every three months. I would like to be able to spend the day shopping without my feet and legs hurting so badly. I would like to be rid of diabetes medication, cholesterol medication, blood pressure medication and asthma medications. This is the road losing 60 pounds has started me on. The road to good health and healthier living.

I am sorry!! I meant to blog about MIND OVER MATTER:

The weight is coming off slower now. The first thing I think of is "you need to eat less." Whenever I do not lose 6-7-8 pounds as I have in the past months I tend to be tempted to cut back on the food I eat. Now I am eating three Living Lean Meals a day and three small 100-200 calorie snacks for a total of about 1350-1500 calories a day. I workout with Gloria, twice a week and do 30 - 45 minutes of cardio 5-6 days a week. So my meals are set and it is not a matter of counting calories because mine are already counted. But everythime I weigh and lose nothing or just a couple pounds that little demon, remember her, jumps on my shoulder and says, "You are eating too much!!!!!! You need to cut back on the calories!!!!"

This is a real problem, I believe, with people trying to lose weight. I have heard it over and over again. "I hardly ate anything and still did not lose." Our mindset is that eating alot is the cause of all the poundage. Sometimes it is in the beginning but when you are trying to lose weight after eating anything and all you want for so long. Cutting back on the food isn't as simple as it sounds. Many people I talk to have said this to me, "I hardly eat anything." There are two things wrong with this statement:

1. It is not always the amount of food you eat but what you are eating. If your menu, however small, is laden with fat and calories then the amount may be more harmful than you think.

2. Even the most nutritious menu is harmful if you are not eating enough calories. Eating too little triggers you body into thinking that you are starving and the pounds are security that you won't.

I have learned that eating too few calories can sabotage a weight loss, healthy living program as much as too many calories. It is very important to calculate the correct calorie intake for you individually. The time spent in doing this is so worth it. There are tools on the Body Dimension Fitness website that will help you do this. Or you can do like me and let Living Lean Meals do the calculating for you by ordering from their menu. However you choose to calculate those calories please make sure that you are eating a nutritious menu every day and don't get discouraged!!!! Get plenty of sleep, exercise daily and drink lots of water!!!!

Please let me know how you are doing. I would love to hear from others who are on a healthy lifestyle journey. If you have questions, comments or just want to chat email me at healthierfaith@bellsouth.net. Thanks for following along with me on my journey to a healthier me!!!

Another Milestone

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13

Just a short blog to let everyone know that I weighed in today. I have lost 4 more pounds. I have now lost 60 pounds!!!!! I cannot put into words how great I feel. I have 40 pounds to go by December 31st. My goal is 25 more pounds by October 16th. Then 15 pounds from then to the end of the year.

Thanks for following my progress. Comments, questions or just to chat; contact me at healthierfaith@bellsouth.net. Just click on this link. Faith

Bittersweet Success

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13

Yes, bittersweet success is what I feel today. I got my lab work bad from the doctor. My cholesterol is 165 and the LDL and HDL and well within the target range. My A1C is 6.2 which is also below the 7 or 6.5 (depending on who you talk to) range. BUT!!! the doctor is not going to reduce or eliminate any of my medications at this time. Since my next appointment is in six months I will have to wait until then and try again to get this done. I was so sure that she would at least reduce the medications so of course I am very disappointed!!!!!

I refuse to have a pity party and let this discourage me from trying even harder to continue on this healthy road. I am switching up my cardio. I am on level 8 of 10 on the elliptical machine and I now switch the programs between cardio-hill intervals-weigh loss-strength. The variety helps alot. I still burn around 600+ calories during my 30 minutes.

I am facing new challenges now. The weight seems to come off slower and I am so tempted to eat less. I will talk about that next time!!!

Thanks for following my progress and listening to me chat as I become healthier!! Remember to contact me just click on this link: healthierfaith@bellsouth.net. I look forward to hearing from you!!!!

Doctor Appointment

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13 KJB

This will be a short blog. I will have more to say when my lab results come back next week. The doctor was very pleased with my progress. I was in to see her in April and have lost 20+ pounds since then. My blood pressure was good and she was please with my heart and lungs. She also advised that depending on the results of my blood work she may decrease my medications. The best part of the visit is that I do not have to go back for another visit for 6 months. For 10 years, since I was diagnosed with diabetes I have been going to the doctor every three months for blood work. She indicated that if I continue on the same healthy road I may be able to come off the medications. This is my goal!!!

I also have something to share with you. Many have told me that they do not comment to the blogs because of the hassle of an ID and Password. Well I have come up with a way to make it much easier to contact me. I have an email address you can send your comments to. Just click on healthierfaith@bellsouth.net. If you click on this link I think you will be able to just drop me an email with any comments, questions or even advise. I look forward to hearing from all of you!!!
Thank you coming along on my journey to a healthier lifestyle. Faith