I have 15 pounds left before I reach my final weight loss goal but I have lacked motivation to finish. My best friend, my sister and I just decided to set a goal of losing 10 pounds by March 31st. That gives us 6 weeks to lose 10 pounds each and that is a very attainable goal. I am so excited about this new goal and even more excited to have 2 wonderful people joining me on this next step.
We will keep each other accountable and encouraged through daily emails and weekly weigh-ins. It will be so much fun heading into Summer this year with my weight loss goals attained!!
If you are lacking motivation, grab a couple of friends and get it done together!
When I reach my final goal, I will post before and after pictures. Have a wonderful weight loss week! :)
I have been on my health and weight loss adventure for several years now. I still have goals to attain, but after losing 100 pounds and figuring out some important facts long the way, I figured I would share what I've learned. I love the Lord Jesus with all of my heart and could never have accomplished any of this without His grace, mercy and strength.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Eating what makes you feel good.
One thing I learned early on in the diet process was to eat what really made me feel good. I know sugary snacks can give quick energy, but soon the low hits hard, as well as a sugar headache sometimes for me. When I eat fruits, veggies and proteins that keep my blood sugar more level, it really causes me to feel good. When losing weight, feeling good is really important!
I always try to have a snack between 2:00pm and 3:00pm to keep my energy up. One of my favorite snacks to have in the afternoon is about 5 strawberries, a slice of a good quality cheese and a handful of nuts. I usually add a nice cup of decaf as well and it makes for quite a yummy and satisfying snack.
Find whatever it is that tastes really good and gives your body energy and then enjoy it. Dieting doesn't have to be all about giving everything up, but finding what does well with your body and that helps your weight loss to keep progressing. My afternoon cup of decaf coffee is something I really look forward to every day. When I add it to the snack that gives me energy, it's a win!
I always try to have a snack between 2:00pm and 3:00pm to keep my energy up. One of my favorite snacks to have in the afternoon is about 5 strawberries, a slice of a good quality cheese and a handful of nuts. I usually add a nice cup of decaf as well and it makes for quite a yummy and satisfying snack.
Find whatever it is that tastes really good and gives your body energy and then enjoy it. Dieting doesn't have to be all about giving everything up, but finding what does well with your body and that helps your weight loss to keep progressing. My afternoon cup of decaf coffee is something I really look forward to every day. When I add it to the snack that gives me energy, it's a win!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Finding Enjoyable treats Makes It Fun!
A cup of coffee with sweet-n-low and a little half and half coupled with a handful of nuts is the perfect afternoon snack. You get the sweet taste of the coffee to satisfy those late afternoon sweet cravings and the nuts give the protein needed to help satisfy till dinner, without the weight loss sabotage of sugar. Finding things I love to replace the things that stall my progress has been huge for me. That can be a goal every week...finding something you love to eat or drink that replaces something else that may not be helpful to your weight loss progress. It's easy and fun and it is really helpful for staying the course!
Will probably be posting before and after pics soon. Still getting up the nerve to put the before pics on the internet. :)
Will probably be posting before and after pics soon. Still getting up the nerve to put the before pics on the internet. :)
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
A Road Well Worth the Journey!
Once again, I went to studying everything I could about the issues at hand and this time it was weight loss. I already knew how my body reacted to certain things so as I found steps that made sense for me and I would try them. For example, I had read that it is very good for your body if you don't eat anything after 7:00pm because the body goes into cleansing mode, which is very important for weight loss. I also read that if your body is trying to digest when it needs to be cleansing, then the cleansing can't be effective. The very first step I took was not eating anything after 7:00pm. In fact, I didn't drink anything but water after 7:00pm either. I lost between 10 and 15 pounds just doing this first step and it really made me feel better too. Don't get me wrong, it's not an easy step when you're stomach is growling and you're trying to sleep, but getting through the first 2 weeks was key. It wasn't nearly as hard after my body had gotten use to this step.
Taking one healthy step at a time made the journey a bit easier for me. It also helped me to make these steps part of my life instead of just part of a diet that would one day end. I want to stay healthy and attain more of my goals so I don't want to give up any ground I have covered thus far.
Taking one healthy step at a time made the journey a bit easier for me. It also helped me to make these steps part of my life instead of just part of a diet that would one day end. I want to stay healthy and attain more of my goals so I don't want to give up any ground I have covered thus far.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
The Next Step
As I settled into my gluten free diet, things were getting a little bit better. I did a lot of experimentation with different foods at first, some were really good and some were just plain terrible. I quickly learned which brands to buy and which to stay away from. My ability to digest food was most definitely improving. At least now I could sit through an entire meal with my family without getting up to go and lay on the couch in pain. This was definitely a welcome improvement!
I continued doing a lot of research to try to shed more light on the other issues that I was still dealing with, including not being able to lose weight. I read everything I could for several years and then I found it...hypothyroidism. There was a list of symptoms that seemed to be, for the most part, describing what I was living. Here are a couple of sites that I found very helpful...
http://thyroid.about.com/library/hypoquiz/blhypoquizi.htm
http://www.wilsonssyndrome.com/
My next step would be finding a doctor who would actually listen to me about my thyroid. The doctor I had been going to up to this point was not willing to do this, so the search was on! I prayed for wisdom to find a good doctor who would be able to help me and the Lord answered that prayer and led me to my doctor about a year later. I was so very thankful! My new doctor tested me and found that I indeed did have hypothroidism and he started me right away on a natural thyroid prescription. I actually began feeling better within the first couple of weeks and I now had a very important key to my weight loss journey.I still had quite a long road in front of me, but now I knew that I at least had a fighting chance.
I continued doing a lot of research to try to shed more light on the other issues that I was still dealing with, including not being able to lose weight. I read everything I could for several years and then I found it...hypothyroidism. There was a list of symptoms that seemed to be, for the most part, describing what I was living. Here are a couple of sites that I found very helpful...
http://thyroid.about.com/library/hypoquiz/blhypoquizi.htm
http://www.wilsonssyndrome.com/
My next step would be finding a doctor who would actually listen to me about my thyroid. The doctor I had been going to up to this point was not willing to do this, so the search was on! I prayed for wisdom to find a good doctor who would be able to help me and the Lord answered that prayer and led me to my doctor about a year later. I was so very thankful! My new doctor tested me and found that I indeed did have hypothroidism and he started me right away on a natural thyroid prescription. I actually began feeling better within the first couple of weeks and I now had a very important key to my weight loss journey.I still had quite a long road in front of me, but now I knew that I at least had a fighting chance.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
I only eat sugar on Saturdays and I try not to go crazy with that. Have 1 day per week where you eat something that you love! :)
Ingredients
2 cups gluten free flour (I use Bob's Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter (at room temperature, not melted)
3/4 cup raw sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1&1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
12 ounce bag semi sweet chocolate chips (gluten free)
If needed, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of milk. Only if batter is too dry.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Begin by mixing flour and baking soda in large mixing bowl and set aside. Mix butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs in separate bowl. Slowly add in flour mixture until completely mixed then add GF chocolate chips. A great trick for gluten free baking is using parchment paper. It always makes my cookies come out better. Place by spoonfuls on the ungreased parchment paper that is lining a cookie sheet and bake approx. 9 to 11 minutes until slightly browned. Remove and cool completely. YUM! Always make sure you use all gluten free ingredients if you need to eat a gluten free diet.
Ingredients
2 cups gluten free flour (I use Bob's Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter (at room temperature, not melted)
3/4 cup raw sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1&1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
12 ounce bag semi sweet chocolate chips (gluten free)
If needed, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of milk. Only if batter is too dry.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Begin by mixing flour and baking soda in large mixing bowl and set aside. Mix butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs in separate bowl. Slowly add in flour mixture until completely mixed then add GF chocolate chips. A great trick for gluten free baking is using parchment paper. It always makes my cookies come out better. Place by spoonfuls on the ungreased parchment paper that is lining a cookie sheet and bake approx. 9 to 11 minutes until slightly browned. Remove and cool completely. YUM! Always make sure you use all gluten free ingredients if you need to eat a gluten free diet.
Don't give up!
I had been 100 pounds heavier for years and had given up on ever losing the weight. I tried diets and they didn't work and I couldn't figure out why. I would practically starve myself and literally lose an ounce or two for the week. I had no energy and I couldn't stand it any longer. I was praying hard that the Lord would give me the wisdom to figure out what was wrong with me.
I remember going to sleep at night, sleeping soundly for about 10 hours and waking up feeling exhausted. I began researching everything I could online as well as seeing many doctors, surely someone would figure out what was wrong with me. My first answer came about 6 years ago. Although this answer didn't really help in my quest to lose weight right away, it began to help me feel better. One of my doctors walked in the room and said, "you have severe allergy to wheat." Everyday I fed my family organic, whole grain foods. We ate very little meat and lots of whole wheat, from pastas to breads and cereals. The doctor apologized as if I were going to be upset with her findings. I assured her that it didn't bother me that I was allergic to wheat but I wanted to know everything I needed to do to feel better. I quickly began eating gluten free (this was several years before gluten free tasted good). Sure enough, many of my digestion problems began to go away.
This was my first solution to a healthier me and it played a big role in me feeling better. Don't give up finding out what your body needs. It may take some time to figure it all out, but it's your body and it's worth it! I can tell you it has been worth every moment of research and applying all the changes for me to feel better and to feel better about myself.
I remember going to sleep at night, sleeping soundly for about 10 hours and waking up feeling exhausted. I began researching everything I could online as well as seeing many doctors, surely someone would figure out what was wrong with me. My first answer came about 6 years ago. Although this answer didn't really help in my quest to lose weight right away, it began to help me feel better. One of my doctors walked in the room and said, "you have severe allergy to wheat." Everyday I fed my family organic, whole grain foods. We ate very little meat and lots of whole wheat, from pastas to breads and cereals. The doctor apologized as if I were going to be upset with her findings. I assured her that it didn't bother me that I was allergic to wheat but I wanted to know everything I needed to do to feel better. I quickly began eating gluten free (this was several years before gluten free tasted good). Sure enough, many of my digestion problems began to go away.
This was my first solution to a healthier me and it played a big role in me feeling better. Don't give up finding out what your body needs. It may take some time to figure it all out, but it's your body and it's worth it! I can tell you it has been worth every moment of research and applying all the changes for me to feel better and to feel better about myself.
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