The Second Half of 2009

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:19

As Gloria emailed and reminded all of us "Bigger Loser" contestants, we are approaching the beginning of the second half of 2009. I, for one, have not been dedicated to my goal of healthy living. I thought I would include my Bible verse today. I have left it off several blogs recently because I simply tried to do what needed to be done within myself and not depending on the Lord for my strength. Of course, as always, when we try to accomplishment anything without the Lord we are setting ourselves up for failure.

That is my "lesson" for today!! NOW, I am back on track and lost 7.4 of the 13 or so pounds that I gained. I stuck faithfully to my P90X program and as you can see when it is done right it works!!! This has been a real eye opener in that I know I must day by day, meal by meal keep control of my eating with the Lord's help. The exercise and/or cardio I pretty much have in line as I go to Body Dimensions Fitness every morning. I seldom miss and when I do I do cardio at home. I did get off course with the sickness of my Dad and all that needed to be done. But mostly I get the cardio and weight training done.

My diet was another matter. For whatever reason (which I do not know) I decided to eat on my own during the most stressful time of my life. It did not work as you can tell from the 13 pound gain! So back to Living Lean meals I go. When I was so stressed and it was meal time I would eat whatever was handy and you can bet that was not healthy or weight loss friendly. So my frig is now packed weekly with Living Lean meals. Lorin has many new recipes and they are delicious.

So I am back at it. In the next two weeks I plan to lose the other weight I gained and soon to be below 270 and work real hard toward the 251 and my 100 pounds lost!!!!!

Before I go I want to thank Gloria for staying on my butt (pardon my language) about my eating and exercise!! I feel I need to pay her therapist fees for her advise and wisdom!!! She is great and has been an especially great blessing. I also want to thank those fellow gymsters who have "been there" for me since my dad's diagnosis of cancer. I appreciate ever shoulder I have cried on and every word of encouragement and support. You are all very special blessings!!!!

Thanks to all of you for coming along on my journey to a healthy life. Email me at healthierfaith@yahoo.com. Love, Faith

Stress---My Worst Enemy

Stress---My Worst Enemy

Hello everyone,

Yes I am still around!! I have put off blogging because I truly did not know what to write!! I have come to an obstacle in the path of my journey that seems insurmountable!!! I have not really tried since October. That was hard for me to confess. I have no excuses!!! I have however enjoyed my new 71 pounds lighter self and been on a roller coaster of gains and losses for the past few months. I have sold all my larger size clothes and just "cleaned up" my closet and dresser drawers. Not only did I need new clothes but I also needed new "unmentionables." So I have enjoyed shopping, shopping, shopping!! I have also enjoyed not taking so many meds and getting good reports from my doctor.

You may be asking where is the stress in that. Well let me tell you I have always thought I have handled stress pretty well. My job is somewhat stressful at times but it keeps the job and days interesting and I have a most capable administrative assistant and we help each other with the stress at work. We all have stressful days and I handle those pretty well. But since the middle of April I have really been leaning on the Lord for strength and help in my time of need. My Dad was diagnosed with colon cancer and the cancer was found in nine lymph nodes and his lungs.. Now this is an 81 year old man who has been sick very little in his lifetime. He has not been in the hospital except when he fell off a scaffolding on the job and hurt his back some 40 years ago. I was devastated and it has been colon surgery and a whirlwind of doctor appointments since mid April!!

My life has been blessed beyond what I am worthy and this was really hard for me. Even though I finally got through the crying and crying and fear that my Dad was gonna die and finally turned it all over to the Lord the stress has been hard on my system and me!!! I know now that I am a emotional eater. I am hungry all the time. Nothing I seem to do satisfies that "need" for food!!! I have found myself dreading going to the gym. The desire is not there anymore. I know I am probably disappointing many of you including Gloria and that is why I have put off blogging for so long.

Take this morning for instance! I got up and got ready for the gym but just could not go. I sent Gloria a text and told her I was not coming. Now it was a cardio day for me and I can do cardio at home but I have always looked forward to going to the gym.

So, I know that the Lord will take care of my Dad. I have turned my Dad over to HIM. I am praying for the help I need with this stress. This is something I have not dealt with since starting on the journey. My Dad's younger brother died while my Dad was in the hospital and another family member had a heart attack. Sometimes our bodies are not in sink with our minds. Mentally (with the Lord's help and many wonderful friends) I believe I have cleared this obstacle but physically I have not. I have been to the doctor because,per the DOC, the stress has gotten my resistance down and I have now been dealing with an upper respiratory infection. I am just tired!!!!!

Now this is not a blog for pity but prayers!! There will always be obstacles in our lives. I have not handled mine very well. I hope this may help someone else who encounters what they may think is an insurmountable obstacle in their lives. I am determined to get back on track and gain control of my eating!!

Of course our Lord is wonderful!!! My Dad had a PET Scan and the cancer has not spread to any new areas. We knew it had metastasized to his lungs but only one lymph node in is neck showed cancer in the scan. He is beginning chemo on Friday June 5th. Please pray for my Dad!!

Thank you so much for patiently and continually staying with me on this somewhat rocky journey to a healthier me. Love, Faith

On the Right Track

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

Well a heartfelt and hardy congratulations to Gwen Butler!!!!! She took on the challenge and was our Bigger Loser this weigh in!! Great job Gwen!!! 3.8 pounds is fabulous!!!

I am happy to say that quite a few of you took up the challenge to lose at least one pound and I am very proud of all of you who met the challenge. Some of you went beyond the challenge of one pound and lost much more and I was very impressed. I met my 5 pound goal and went beyond that goal to 5.6 pounds. I made it into the top five!!!!!

Some of you may say that is good but you were not the Biggest Loser. I believe while being the biggest loser is a goal to compete for every two weeks; this Biggest Loser contest is more than that. It is a personal challenge for me. It will help me meet my personal goal of losing the remainder of weight I need to lose. As I first and foremost strive to reach my own personal weight goal the Biggest Loser Contest is a tool in reaching that goal.

So as we enter into each and every week of the Biggest Loser Contest we need to challenge ourselves. Wouldn't it be great if all who are participating would lose next week!!! Set a goal for the next two weeks and strive to do all that we need to do to achieve that goal: Effective Cardio, Weight Training and Eating Right!!!!!

Thanks for coming along on this journey and email me at healthierfaith@yahoo.com.
See ya at the scales!!!!!! Faith

To My Competitors

First I want to congratulate Danielle Salomon on being the biggest loser this time out!!!! As for the other 19 participants, many of us need to put our hearts into this competition. Now before you say anything I want you to know that I have given myself a good tongue lashing for just plain not trying hard enough. I have not been trying hard enough, I have not been watching my food intake, I have not been consistent in my cardio and I have just not taken this competition seriously!!! AND it looks like many of you are in my same boat!!

I think we have our eyes on the prize at the end of the journey and think "I HAVE A WHOLE YEAR TO DO THIS." Well sisters three months has quickly gone by and I for one am ashamed that I have no progress to show for the last three months. This is not about the pot at the end of the rainbow. It is about accountability, day by day consistency!! If you have pounds to lose, rather 10 or 75, it is a one day at a time journey. I have learned that I, for one, cannot set my goals aside for even a day, although I have done that for three months!!!!

SO I challenge each of you who committed yourselves to the BIGGEST LOSER CONTEST to strive and dedicate yourself to a loss of at least one pound or more (I am reaching for 5) at our next weigh in on April 10th. Let's forget about the prize at the end of the journey and set our personal goals for this competition weigh in by weigh in. I want to lose 75 more pounds this year. I haven't gotten off to a very good start but that ended on Friday March 27th when I weighed in and realized that I had gained nearly 4 pounds in the last 4 weeks!!! This is NOT ACCEPTABLE to me.

Now reclaim you determination to reach your weight loss goal and if you do not have one then set one. LET'S PUT OUR HEARTS INTO THIS COMPETITION!!!!!! Keep to our meal plans and do that cardio regularly and fiercely!! SWEAT! SWEAT! SWEAT! See ya at the scales!!!
Thank for coming along on this journey!! As you can see sometimes there are valleys to climb out of and we can do it!!! Love ya all, Faith

Weigh In Week

It is weigh in week and I have learned to take it one weigh in at a time!!! I must confess that with the loss of 75 pounds I am getting too laid back, or "blazay" if you will, about my work out and eating. It is a real struggle now. Why, you ask. Well I must admit I am enjoying my new size!!! Of course to most people a weight of 278 is not something to enjoy but when you weighed 351 it is a big change. Now unless you have made a drastic change in your life for the better it may be hard for you to understand where I am coming from. I feel like a bird let out of a cage and I want to spread my wings!! I can thank Gloria at Body Dimensions and Lorin at Living Lean Meals for that.

I can buy clothes that do not look like they are made for Grandma Moses!!! You would not believe what I found at a local consignment shop. I guess I can name names in my blog. I was told to check out the local shop "Plum Pretty." Since I have 75+ more pounds to lose I hate to pay full price for clothes that in a few months I will probably not be able to wear. So I thought I would check out this shop. I got some beautiful things at a very reasonable price!! Anyway, with all the new clothes and feeling so darn good (no asthma-lots of energy-no back pain-no knee pain-etc. etc!!) my mind has not been on my eating and work outs as intensely as it should.

So I gave myself a real good talkin' to and committed myself to the next 75 pounds!!! I know that these pounds may be harder to shed than the first 75 but I also know that I can do it!!!

By the way, if you order meals from Living Lean Meals I sure hope you are enjoying the new menu items as much as I am. They have really come up with some delicious dishes that are good for you. If you do not order from Living Lean check out their website at www.livingleanmeals.com. If you do not at the present time have a work out trainer, well, the best trainer in the world is at Body Dimensions Fitness and you can check out their website at www.bodydimensionsfitness.com. Gloria Trull is the best!!!!!

I want to thank those of you who have been following along on my journey to a healthier me. I guess you could say i am about half way through this journey and made some pretty remarkable strides. I know that I have not accomplished this by myself. The Lord has been and is always by my side and with me through whatever comes my way. My husband is always in my corner 100%. Then there are my co-workers, friends and family. Most of all I have a great trainer and "food preparer." It takes alot of support to continue on this journey. Keep me in your prayers and thanks again to all of you!!!!!

Email me at healthierfaith@yahoo.com. Love, Faith

Busy Days

It seems that my life gets busier and busier!!
I should have blogged before now and I hope you will forgive my tardiness. I weighed on February 27th and had lost 3 pounds. I just knew I would be a biggest loser but no I wasn't. I did not even make the top five. You see our qualification is based on percentage of body weight lost. To calculate that you take the difference between the old and new weights, then divide it by the starting weight. Well the more you weigh the lower the percentage. Anyway I was a little disappointed that I did not even make the top five. So I will just have to try harder.

I have begun jogging a little on the treadmill at the gym. Now I can only do it for about 5 minutes but I plan to work on going longer and longer. Since the weather is so beautiful I have measures off a mile in a couple directions from my house and an beginning to walk more. I want to walk in the Susan B.Komen walk this year and DO NOT want to be the last one to finish--so I am in training

There is alot for me to report right now. I am trying very hard to stay on the P90X and am praying the weight turns loose. Thank you for coming along on my journey to a healthier me!! Love, Faith

HURRAY!!!!!!

Well it is a new week and I have good news. I lost four pounds in one week. I believe the draught is over. HEHE!! This P90X program is great. I have been on it correctly for two weeks. I really enjoy planning out the menus for each day to make sure I get the right amounts of protein, veggies, carbs, snacks, dairy, fruit, fat and even a condiment!!! I use Living Lean meals and plan my menus around the meals. It is great. Of course the first couple weeks I did not plan correctly and kinda needed some instructions from Gloria and Lorin. But I believe that I have the system down now. I have lost 75 pounds in 13 months. I want to lose another 75 pounds this year.

Now for the fabulous news. This week was a week of maintenance. You know what I mean--doctors, doctors, doctors. I went to the eye doctor and all is well. No damage to my eyes from diabetes. He also reminded me that drinking water was essential to good eyes. New to me but water is all I drink and he said he could tell by the lubrication of one's eyes as to rather they were drinking enough water. I am getting new glasses after wearing the same ones for 8 years. Something to go with my new me!!! Then it was off to the allergist and to my joy he said I am asthma free. No more inhalers or pills; only a monthly allergy shot!!! When I was diagnosed with asthma many years ago he wrote thirteen prescriptions on that day and I have finally been taken off the last one!!!! HAPPY DAYS!!!!

Next it was off to the podiatrists. As a diabetic I have to see him each year. ( I guess I am high maintenance after all)!! Anyway, all is well with the feet and legs and the circulation. Then I went to see my family doctor. The six month diabetic check up. Several weeks ago I asked to have my blood drawn ahead of my appointment. You see, I went off the diabetic and cholesterol meds back in October. I wanted to be able to discuss my blood results at my appointment. Well going off the meds was the right thing to do. Now I am not suggesting that you go off your meds. My sugars were dropping and I knew I had to do something. Sometimes we know our bodies better than anyone. My A1C was 5.8. Most doctors want it below 6.5-7! My cholesterol was 155!!!!! I was afraid that my doctor would not agree with no meds but she did!!!! She was very, very pleased with the healthier me!!

So now after 13 months of healthier living, cardio and weight training at Body Dimensions with Gloria Trull and eating Living Lean meals from Lorin Miller, I am healthier than I have ever been!!! So I celebrated and went out at lunch on Thursday and bought myself three new outfits!!! It felt wonderful!!!

Next week is weigh in for the Biggest Loser contest at Body Dimensions and I plan to win!!! Thank you all for coming along on my journey to a healthier me. If you would like to email me with comments, suggestions, questions or just to say hello my email is healthierfaith@yahoo.com. Love, Faith