Happy New Year! Time for a do-over.

I can't believe I totally dropped the ball on this last year and here we are again, essentially starting over. That's ok, life is full of do-over opportunities. It's one of the beautiful things about this journey we're on.

2010 was a great year regardless. A lot of great things happened last year. Most importantly, I began a committed relationship with a man who I met through a mutual friend. We were online, long-distance acquaintances for over a year before we ever considered the possibility of a love connection. He moved in with me in Dallas in July despite his distaste for Texas. :) Funny how some things just appear out of nowhere when you least expect them. Scott loves me exactly the way I am... good and bad. That's a blessing, but it's also led to some complacency on my part in regards to my weight. Plus, he does all the cooking and it's hard to resist.  But, resist I must! We both must.

My primary goal for 2011 is health and wellness. I am motivated now more than ever to get my weight down firstly for myself and my own well being, and also for my career. I know realistically that my weight is keeping a lot of people from taking me seriously and professionally despite all my good work.  I'm tired of it!  I pledge to make my body an accurate representation of my strength, self-esteem, and discipline. It will no longer be a barrier to being seen exactly for who I am instead of what size I wear.

Another great thing that happened in 2010 was starting a jewelry business with my friend, Andrini. We worked very hard on getting the right pieces for our collection of artisan crafted jewelry from Bali, Indonesia. HatiBali.com has been a dream come true for both of us, and we only hope to see it grow by leaps and bounds in 2011... and pay for a buying trip/vacation to Bali later this year. :)  As I lose weight, I'll be able to showcase more of the jewelry that I love because my fat neck won't be a limitation any longer.

We ended up in Chicago for Christmas with all of Scott's family. We drove 15 hours straight each way without even coming close to fighting about anything. Woo! It was my first trip and I absolutely loved the city. Watching people ice skate in Millennium Park made me wish I was at a size where I could feel comfortable about skating again without the fear of breaking something. Even with 30 degree weather and snow, I was constantly hot and sweating due to my layers of built-in insulation.  But, I did enjoy playing out in the snow. :)

So, reflecting on 2010 has been fun. But it's time to get serious about making my life even better in 2011. I really need to lose this weight for so many reasons.  Exercise of course is on top of the resolution list, along with healthy green drinks and consistency with nutritional supplements in addition to clean eating.

Here's to a GREAT NEW YEAR!

Cleanliness is Next to Godliness

I've been eating clean now for a couple of weeks and I'm down 7 pounds in 10 days. The only thing I've changed in my lifestyle is the way I eat. I know exercise is key, but I just haven't gotten in a routine... yet.

Eating "clean" has changed the way I feel from top to bottom. I no longer have out-of-control cravings for sugar. I have a lot more energy. I'm waking up easily in the mornings. All these crazy aches and pains have gone away.

What is eating clean? For me: no milk, no sugar, no chemicals, no genetically modified food, no processed food, no hydrogenated oils, no white flour. I've been eating a lot more organic produce. Replaced high fructose corn syrup and added sugars with fresh fruit and stevia. Replaced my beloved cow's milk for unsweetened almond milk. Started cooking fresh food for myself or buying freshly cooked food, rather than processed and preserved food. I refuse to put any artificial sweeteners or man-made chemicals into my body.  Juicing occasionally to use up my fresh produce. Basically, I'm eating food that is closer to the way it exists in nature.

And it's PAYING OFF!

My moods are stabilized without the crazy sugar/insulin/sugar swings. My brain is working at a more optimal and less foggy level. My digestive system is balancing out.

I'm not being fanatical, just responsible and balanced. I wanted a cupcake so badly last night, and I got a little one baked fresh at Whole Foods. I knew there were no hydrogenated oils or crazy additives and it wasn't nearly as sweet, but it was satisfying.

The other night, I was tempted to stop and get something for dinner. I usually stop at Boston Market, which is a better option than most places because I get freshly cooked food. But, I remembered I had plenty of food in my fridge. I came home and took 15 minutes to thaw and cook some black tiger shrimp in garlic and some reheated brown rice and peas. Stir fried everything in the garlic and olive oil and put it on a plate with fresh tomatoes and sea salt. It was very yummy.

There's a saying that "Cleanliness is next to Godliness", and maybe that's true but not in the way we have been interpreting it. I believe God lives in us, not in a church. So, in that respect keeping your body clean is keeping your "temple" clean, right?  I feel closer to everything around me now that I'm starting to get my body working like it was intended to work.

Fresh Food!

My new Jack LaLanne Power Juicer Pro arrived earlier this weekend. That inspired me to go out shopping for fresh fruits and vegetables. Not that I didn't have any, I just now wanted more variety. Here's the bounty except what's in the fridge...

This juicer makes it easy to use the fruits I like without too much prep work. For example, I like oranges, but it's too much work to get all the texture off that I don't like, just to eat an orange.  This way, I just peel the rind off and throw the whole orange in the juicer. Easy!  Also cut a pineapple in quarters without peeling in, and in it goes! It also makes it easy to get the benefits from some things I don't like so much, like carrots (at least raw) because I can sweeten it with fruit.

Here's the before and after of my juice du jour...

 

It wasn't quite as delicious as the pure apple juice I made last night (I had some really ripe apples that needed to be used). But, it was tasty despite having a whole raw carrot, half a cucumber, and two cherry tomatoes in addition to the pineapple and orange. 

I'm excited about this addition to my healthy lifestyle changes. Last night I whipped up a quick dinner of rotisserie chicken (pre-made by the grocer), fingerling potatoes with crimini mushrooms and fresh garlic, and steamed broccoli. It was yummy and satisfying.

 

I think I'm going to make my own omelet for lunch with onion, mushrooms, tomato, and a little avocado on top. I always hated cooking just for myself, but it's nice to know exactly what I'm eating and to see the results on the scale. Two pounds down in the last few days. :)

Loving the Breeze

I have been keeping to my word (for the most part) of getting on track with healthy eating. This includes frequent visits to Whole Foods and lots of planning and preparation. I've been taking my lunch to work most days and eating healthy when I have gone out. Case in point, I had a warm spinach salad at Macaroni Grill yesterday instead of pasta. And, it was really good. When a vendor took some of us to lunch the other day, I had a fancy spinach and goat cheese omelet. Yummy! (and I'm not being sarcastic this time)

While eating said omelet, a discussion occurred at the table about healthy eating and that I was avoiding red meat. I spared telling them that I had my second colonic appointment later that afternoon and didn't want to clog the plumbing. I was also relaying how funny it was that my cats are now pissed that I'm using Rice Dream in my cereal instead of milk because they usually lick the remains in the bowl when I'm done. A couple of licks of the Rice Dream and they both gave me the stink eye. Oh well, it tastes just fine to me (to my delight). I struggled with the idea of giving up my beloved dairy, especially in the form of a glass of ice cold milk or ice cream. My coworker at the table mentioned that if I liked the Rice Dream, I would really like almond milk better. He was absolutely right! LOVED the Almond Breeze (unflavored) in my fiber cereal this morning. I was very pleased at the difference in the smooth texture and flavor even though the Rice Dream really wasn't bad.

Giving up milk, sugar, and bread completely are not going to be easy. Even if it is just for a few weeks during the cleanse. But, after switching to pure Stevia extract instead of sugar, and Almond Milk instead of cow's milk, I'm ever hopeful that it will be so much easier than I expected it to be.

Proof positive is already showing. In the last two weeks of eating healthier, eliminating red meat, limiting dairy consumption to a little cheese here and there, watching the sugar grams on the labels of everything I eat, and focusing on more whole and natural foods instead of processed... I have felt better than I have in a very long time. Not to mention the weekly colonics to get in practice for the hard core cleanse routine! Several people around me have been sick and I've been feeling great. I've had more energy than I have in a long time.

Oh, and I'm also getting better about taking my vitamin D, krill oil, and B complex.  Hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, I will be able to ween off all my medications.

Still working on the exercise part. :(  But not until after I have a massage this afternoon.

To good health!!

Taking Back My Health

So the last couple of weeks have been difficult, health wise. In fact, the last couple of months have been difficult.

Strange, sheet-drenching night sweats. Waking up with unexplainable, 24-hour, tailbone pain (alien abduction anal probing gone wrong?  -- not that it could ever go right). Bouts of pure exhaustion even with plenty of sleep. Cluster headaches. And I'm sure I'm forgetting a couple of things. Not to mention the strange "gain 4.5 pounds and suddenly lose it 2 days later" thing. I think I had forgotten to mention that I lost it as quickly as I complained about it. Speculations abounded about perimenopause, arthritis in my tailbone, crazy bacteria, and even cancer.

With all this weirdness going on, I decided to follow my doctor's orders and take the Prevpac she prescribed for the h. pylori bacteria in my stomach. I have always fought taking medication unless absolutely necessary. And recently decided to stop the Crestor after the blood tests proved it was having adverse effects that weren't worth the "theoretical" benefits. First day into the Prevpac and I experienced what I call the "great exorcism". It was the most violent series of vomiting ever, which caused me to have black eyes and tiny bruising all over my swollen face for several days after. That was Super Bowl weekend and after I let my stomach settle and nursed on Pedialyte for a day, I tried the medication again and was in pain and a lot of discomfort all of Sunday.

That's when I decided I'd had it with this whole idea of throwing prescription meds at every symptom. I'm tired of doctors listening to the pharmaceutical companies who are deep in their pockets instead of hearing their patients. I want a more holistic approach to my health. Apparently, I'm very sensitive to chemicals as this is not my first or second horrible experience with medication side effects.

I'm on a mission to recover my health. I'm researching natural methods and ways in which I can make myself function at my best. I just finished reading "Cleaning Up! The Ultimate Body Cleanse". It's very thorough in defining the why, where, and how of cleansing your body of all the crazy toxins that are robbing us of good health.  I'm not naive in thinking it will be easy. I've started this journey in various forms over the last 7 years. However, I realize how important it is that I finally see this through.

I know that it is going to require dedication to routine and follow-through, so I have to work up to it.

I have less than 4 weeks until I go to Puerta Vallarta and so for the next few weeks the focus will be on exercise and healthy eating (not quite to the extreme of the cleansing diets, but getting on the right track). Then after PV, I plan to start the cleansing regimen. There's a lot of preparation that goes into this. Meanwhile, I'm cleaning and organizing my kitchen and my closets to get into a healthier routine.

Wish me luck!

WTF?

My body is clearly not cooperating with me. Friday morning I woke up with tailbone pain for no reason. I hadn't fallen recently. I hadn't done anything to exert myself except for 5 days prior I went walking twice and overdid it a bit. I was taking care to limit my intake of sugar grams. And for no reason, my tailbone hurt pretty badly all day, making it difficult to walk or sit comfortably.

The pain went away over the weekend after some icing and rest. But, I got up this morning and stepped on the Wii Balance Board to find out I've gained 4.5 pounds in the past week. 4.5 pounds!!!! How is that possible?? I would have had to eat over 15,000 extra calories on top of a normal diet (NORMAL, meaning NOT dieting). And yet, I was paying close attention to my sugar intake. I did get a little out of control over the weekend after the whole tailbone thing, but there's no freakin way some pound cake after a week of being good adds up to 4.5 pounds.

It's starting to get really disturbing, all this weirdness that keeps happening with my body and not knowing what the cause is. Frustrated beyond belief!

Sugar, Sugar Everywhere!

I've known for a long time that I had an addiction to sugar. I thought it was pretty harmless as long as I was exercising and watching my calories. But see... that's the thing. I haven't been exercising (until yesterday), and like any addiction, a substantial dose of sugar makes you want more and more and more! It sends all kinds of warm fuzzy signals to your brain, which make you feel good for a while, until you crash.

There's a lot of newly published research out there about what sugar does to your body and the vicious cycle it causes. The main concern for me is the spike in insulin, especially since I'm labeled by the doctors as "insulin resistant". When insulin goes up, it triggers the urge for more sugar, which causes more insulin, which triggers sugar cravings, which causes more insulin... you get the point.

Insulin also causes fat storage in the belly area. And if you're on a vicious insulin, sugar, insulin, sugar cycle, guess what's getting bigger? Yep! I have been overweight my whole adult life, but never really had a BELLY until the last 2 years. Where the heck did that come from? I thought maybe it just had nowhere else to go, and maybe that's true. But, the things I'm reading about sugar are quite scary because I know that if I don't get it under control, I am fighting a losing battle.

So, instead of counting calories, I'm trying to stick to the recommended max 5 grams of sugar per meal (which doesn't spike insulin). It sounded easy enough to do until I started looking at nutrition information. Do you realize how much sugar is in everything you eat? Not talking about carbs here... just sugar grams. It's going to take a lot of effort and a major mind shift to ween myself off of sugar, but I think if I can do that and keep up the exercise, the results will follow. The hope is that eventually I don't daydream about Sprinkles cupcakes all day long. mmmmmm.... bad!bad!bad!