New Year, New Me!

[Chile]

Wow, scary experience with your husband's fainting. I'm glad it turned out okay and that you've got a renewed zest for life and getting healthy!

If you are interested in looking at my strength-training regimen, I recently posted it to my blog here. My goal is to have a well-rounded set of exercises that develop nice muscles (for a female ) and provide the strength I need to lead an active, athletic life. I'm also finding that the strength I've gained since I started this in May has led to reduced shoulder pain and a significant decrease in lower back pain when I overdo on yard work or other work. My endurance is gradually increasing due to the regular biking and walking, as well.

I, too, can't wait for the flab to be gone and uncover the muscles I feel beginning to take shape underneath!

[kirstykay]

Thanks Chile! That work out routine looks really good. Thanks for sharing it.

I did the strength class at my gym last night...I think I pushed myself a little too hard; I'm really dragging today. I'll just do some light cardio later today, but going to take it easy. My plan as of right now is to do the class on Wed. nights and Sat. mornings-My dh will join my on Saturdays, so that will be fun. We can stay and do some cardio if we feel like it. I love the instructor at the Wednesday class! She is really clear in the way she explains everything, and makes it easy to follow and to understand correct form. I have not always thought that in group strength classes I've taken elsewhere. I stayed after to ask her about a knee problem I was having during lunges, and she was able to completely help me! I didn't have ANY knee pain last night doing lunges...yay! It feels really good to be working out regularly again.

[sksamboots]

It's great to find things you enjoy. Keep it up!!

[kirstykay]

I went for a glorious walk outside today! After the DAYS of rain we've been having, it was really nice to be outside. I think I really needed the fresh air. I was feeling a little down today, and by the second time around the lake, my mood began to completely change! Being in nature, enjoying the sunshine and the crisp fall breeze was just what the doctor ordered! I want to make this more a part of my normal routine. Oh, and I walked 5.5 miles when it was all said and done. I feel revitalized!

[kirstykay]

I went for a glorious walk outside today! After the DAYS of rain we've been having, it was really nice to be outside. I think I really needed the fresh air. I was feeling a little down today, and by the second time around the lake, my mood began to completely change! Being in nature, enjoying the sunshine and the crisp fall breeze was just what the doctor ordered! I want to make this more a part of my normal routine. Oh, and I walked 5.5 miles when it was all said and done. I feel revitalized!

[kirstykay]

Had a great day today. It was quiet around here, which was nice. I did my elliptical for 60 minutes! Happy about that. I've only been doing 30, so it was good for me. Not too intense.

I'm on plan. I found a coffee substitute which I tried at home. It's made completely from plant foods, like beet root and some other things that I can't remember. I really liked having it the last couple of days, but the way I make it is with vanilla soy milk-like a latte. So, according to SactoBob's October challenge, I'll be stopping that. I think soymilk will be sort of a challenge to give up. But I don't mind doing it because I really want to finish losing this weight.

[kirstykay]

I'm down another 2 pounds: 185.4! I finally hit the 70 lb. mark! I have to stop and really internalize this. I've lost over 70 lbs! Yay! I don't ever remember being this weight. I gained most of my weight the year after my first baby girl was born. She'll be turning 21 this month! Wow! Where does the time go???? Anyway. I gaind 50 pounds with that pregnancy, but at my 6 week check up, I was within 10 pounds of my pre-pregnancy weight...still overweight, but manageable...or so I thought. I pretty much ate my way through my first year of motherhood. I was so young, and felt so isolated. None of my friends were having babies yet, and I was home alone with her so much of the time. My husband worked very hard at two different jobs so that I could stay home and raise our daughter. I grew to love being a mom, but I know I stuffed down a lot of my loneliness with food, and developed a pattern of numbing myself that would stay with me for years to come. That year, I didn't own a scale, nor did we have a full-length mirror in our little townhouse. I wore mostly stretch pants and large shirts (it was the 90s). I never saw the number 185 on my way up! By the time I got pregnant with my second child, 19 months after my girl was born, I weighed in at over 220 at the doctor's office! I was in complete shock and horror! But then, I was already pregnant, so I couldn't go on a diet. Instead, I used it as another excuse to eat whatever I wanted, moslty sweets. I ended up that pregnancy with a beautiful 10 pound baby boy, and another 15 pounds heavier! That's when I started going on just about every diet that was out there...and that began my life-long battle with obesity and yo-yo dieting.

I am finally learning how to break the cycle and change my life for good. It feels good to feel good and to know that I get to choose how I want to live the next 21 years and beyond!

[kirstykay]

Can I just say, I LOVE my doctor? She is so supportive and she always makes me feel like she respects me and trusts me to take charge of my own health. Now, she doesn't necessarily promote a whole plant foods diet, but she is proud of me for adopting one, and she lets the numbers speak for themselves. When I wanted to wean myself off my diabetes meds, she didn't try to stop me...she said, "Well, let's give it a try, we'll see how the numbers look." When they were better than they had ever been while I was on them and I was losing weight, she encouraged me to keep up the good work. Today, when I went in for my appointment she called me a "rock star" for losing 70 pounds and said that's one of the hardest things for people to do. I really appreciate her, and I love the way she allows and empowers me to "buck the system" (as long as it's working). Thankfully, Dr. McDougall WORKS!!!

I'll post my blood work numbers when I get them in a couple days. My blood pressure was 120/70!

[kirstykay]

Blood work came back from the doctor. I wasn't thrilled with it. My total cholesterol was 180, which I was surprised by. It was actually lower last year! I suppose that's because of all the little allowances I've invited into my diet. I'm glad I'm changing that. My A1c was 6.2 which is okay, but I know it was higher because of my indulgences in August, (the test measures 3 months and I've really been back to McDougalling seriously the last month). I'm not anemic anymore, which is good--focusing on the green leafy veggies helps with that. It's the cholesterol number that has me disturbed, but I'm sure with my new focus, that will continue to drop. Of course, the doctor was fine with it because it's under 200, so she said that I don't have to come back for more blood work until next year. I'd like to go in another 3 months and get it re-tested. I'm sure if I asked her, she'd do that.

I'm going to just keep pressing on. I haven't lost any more weight this week. I was on a streak there for a while of losing every couple of days, but I know it's not realistic to expect that to keep going. I just need to trust that the weight will keep going down. I do look for that positive feedback from the scale, I must admit! I AM happy with my 20 pound drop, though, and don't want to minimize that for sure!I've been getting a lot of compliments. I just want it to keep going!

My son and I made cookies last night to send to my other son in college. I didn't have any! It's the first time I haven't really been tempted to take BLTs (bites, licks, and tastes) when making cookies, so I am proud of myself. I think I really am breaking the compulsion to overeat that I've battled for so long!

Here's the link to the recipe for the cookies. http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2008/12/lo ... okies.html
I made a few tweeks to it, but it's a good healthy recipe for kids and people who aren't on MWL.
My adjustments:
First of all, I doubled the recipe because we were sending most of them to my older son, but I wanted to have some for my little guy to have too. Second, I used agave nectar instead of the white sugar (and cut the amount in half) and turbanado sugar for the brown sugar (same amount). Third, the recipe calls for 1 c unbleached white flour and 1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour. I don't buy white flour, so I used 1 c white whole wheat flour and 1/2 c old fashioned rolled oats. It adds a bit more nutrition to the cookies, and I like the texture better with the oats. The cookies got a thumbs up from the family! This is our favorite cookie recipe.

I like to have heatlhy treats for my son to take in his lunches. I've been keeping myself from making things like this, though because I can't seem to keep my hands off of them. This is an experiment. They are for my son, not for me! I will not have any of them. There, I've put it in writing! Now I have to be accountable. It's not worth it, and I'm not tempted, so I think I'm making progress.

I leave tomorrow for the weekend. My sister and I are taking my mom for a girls' weekend getaway for her 70th birthday. It will be really fun. We're going to get some pampering at a spa, in addition to walks by the lake, maybe a boat tour, and lots of fun shopping! The only thing that concerns me is, in my family, celebrating always means eating and drinking! I suppose that's not really unique to my family, that's pretty much American culture. But, ever since I've been serious about not compromising, I feel like there is this weirdness with my family. It's like, if I don't want to sit around all weekend eating junk and drinking wine, that somehow I'm not participating in the celelbration. I feel like there is a sense that my family feels I am rejecting THEM by not eating junk with them. Now, mind you, my family is all obese! So... really? I guess I am rejecting wanting to continue the cycle of obesity, and to do that, I may make other people uncomfortable. It's just one of the costs of changing my life. It's a cost I am willing to pay. The nice thing about the place we're staying is that it has a full kitchen. It's more like a condo than a hotel, really, right on the lake! So, I plan on making lots of healthy foods. Maybe my mom and sister will see how delicious it is to be healthy (not likely). We will eat out, but I plan on having plain salads out, maybe plain baked potatoes, because I know I don't have to rely on restaurant food to get full. Despite the food issues, I still think it will be a nice weekend away.

Sorry for the long post. I guess I had a lot to say today. Here's to a great McDougall weekend!!!

[Chile]

My cholesterol after almost three months of McDougalling, with just a few minor cheats, went from 243 to 184. I emailed Dr. McDougall since I'd had blood tests done by him when I went to the live-in program and he said that it would continue to improve as I stuck with eating well. So, I'm not too worried but will have it retested next year. (My insurance will only pay for 1 blood test a year unless medically advised. It paid for the second cholesterol test last year only because it was high the first time.)

Regarding the use of different types of flour, I have found that the whole white wheat flour is versatile enough to use for every flour need I have. It has enough protein and gluten to work well for yeast breads. White wheat is softer than the harsher red winter wheat and the flour works well for quick breads and muffins (and would be fine for cookies). It's perfectly fine for thickening gravies and sauces, too. It is definitely my go-to whole grain flour and eliminates, IMHO, the need to even keep refined white flour in one's pantry!

[kirstykay]

Chile,
Thanks for your comments. Yes, I noticed your improved numbers! That's quite impressive! Thanks for mentioning about insurance. I didn't think of that. I suppose I may have to wait until next year! My oncologist does blood work, and I'm scheduled to see him in December, so that will be a good amount of time. I'm sure they will come down by then.

I don't know why I was surprised...if I don't do the program fully, I can't expect the results! This was a good reminder that there is a lot more at stake here than what size jeans I wear! Well, I'm towing the line now, so I'm expecting good results. I've given up my soy milk this week...I don't miss it too much.

[kirstykay]

I had a lovely weekend away, and it's good to be back home with my family! Everything worked out just fine in terms of eating with my mom and sister. They think I'm weird, and they have no interest in changing their own WOE, but they were supportive and complimentary about the changes I've made. Even though we're all obese, I'm the only one who has had diabetes and cancer, so I think they don't feel like it's necessary for them to change. They want me to be healthy, so they figure if that's what I have to do, so be it. Anyway, I was pleased that it wasn't hard to do my own thing and enjoy a nice weekend away.

I'm home now, and back to my more normal routine! Hope everyone has a great week!

[kirstykay]

Today is my 2 year annversary of joining this forum and committing to this WOE. I am very happy with my lowering weight. I'm so close to the 170s I can taste it! When I began two years ago, my fasting blood sugar was at an all-time high of 200. I was on two different diabetes medications, and my doctor wanted me to start taking insulin. I had recently recovered from surgery to remove malignant melanoma from my arm. I was tipping the scale at my all-time high of 255.5 lbs. I felt helpless and hopeless, and out of options. Today I weigh 181 pounds, my fasting blood sugar this morning was 99, I no longer take any diabetic medictions, and I am full of energy. I have hope again that I will finish this journey strong, and restore my health completely.

My birthday is in one month. I want to see how much more I can lose by then. I'm at a point in the year that traditionally has been a very difficult time for me food-wise. It begins with my mom's birthday on Oct 10, then dd birthday on Oct 25, then Halloween, then my birthday in November, then of course Thanksgiving which ushers in all the Holiday baking and parties, followed up by Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, then of course all the left-overs until New Year's Eve, followed by New Year's Day and my wedding anniversary!!! Basically, in the past, this celebration season has brought with it, tremendous indulgence, terrible guilt, and frustrating backwards movement away from my healthy living goals and freedom from the bondage of food.

This year, I am determined to create a different tradition! It helps that I am closer to my goals than I ever have been before, so my motivation is high. I am unwilling to allow myself to lose any ground. In fact, I will continue through this season and really have something to celebrate when it's all over! I want to ring in the New Year by hitting my 100 pound loss mark. I can do it.

To that end, I am spending the next 21 days on a fresh vegetable and juice fast. I will not eat any solid foods, but drink plenty of fresh organic vegetable and fruit juices, water and herbal teas. I will weigh myself only once a week, and report to this journal as a way of keeping myself accountable. My desire is to increase my focus, continue to conquer my food addictions, cleanse my body at the cellular level, and lose more weight. I will continue to exercise 5 days/week and get plenty of rest. By beginning today, I'll be done one week before my birthday. I will break my fast with fresh fruit and slowly introduce whole, unprocessed foods. When it's all done, I'll be poised to get through the rest of the holidays without going off the MWL plan.

I realize this could be difficult, but I am excited about it and ready to undertake this challenge as a way of breaking my 20 plus years of using this time of year to over-indulge, self-sabatoge, and feel terrible about myself. I am ready to change for good.

[kirstykay]

Well, today is DAY TWO of my juice fast.

For anyone who is interested in learning more about this, I got the inspiration from the "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" documentary.
http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/

So far, so good! I did get pretty hungry yesterday, but I'm feeling better this morning. I feel light and

My juice this morning was from the documentary:
Mean Green from Phil Staples
6 Kale leaves
2 apples
1 cucumber
4 Celery Stalks
½ lemon
1” ginger root

I added a few grapes that needed to be used. It was good. I am happy that I like the taste of the juices. The ginger is a bit strong; I think I would use a bit less next time.

I have to clean my house today and do laundry, so I'm not going to the gym this morning. I have to take my mom to the doctor this afternoon, so I will do my 60 minutes on my elliptical a bit later this afternoon.

[sksamboots]

Keep on keepin on. Happy 2 year versary