Update time (2 days late)

OK... let the beatings commence.  I know, I know... I'm a couple of days late with this blog post.  Most of you follow me on Facebook and so you know that I saw my weight-loss doctor on Monday and when I returned home, I posted that my quarterly blood work was great and that I'd blog about it later.  I guess I didn't know that 'later' would mean 2 days later.  Sorry.  Let's just say that "life happens" and life REALLY happened to me yesterday.  I feel really bad even complaining about it because I can name who are going through legitimate health issues, personal struggles, and other things that are a bazzillion times worse than my own issues, so I'm just going to let it go and move on.

(You were expecting Elsa from "Frozen", weren't you?)

So, let's get to the update.  I'm going to "Keep it real" and throw out some numbers that are pretty embarrassing for me to admit but I'm making progress that I'm proud of, so that's what I'm focusing on!  

June 30- weight 292

July 11- (first visit to Dr.)- weight 287.0

     measurements: waist: 44

                            hips:   57

                            chest: 49.5

                            neck: 15.5

July 28 (17 days between Dr. visits)- weight 279.3  That is 7.7 lbs down since the last visit and 12.7 lbs. down since June 30.  Please excuse me for a brief moment of happy dancing!

      

      measurements: waist: 43 1/2 (- 1/2 inch)

                             hips: 55 (- 2 inches)

                             chest: no change

                             neck: 15 (- 1/2 inch)

So, these are the kind of numbers that really, REALLY keep me going. Now, you may also remember that I had quarterly blood work done to check my thyroid levels.  Of course, it was a full blood panel, so there were other things that these numbers would show, so when the doctor came in, there was a bit of nervousness, and then he said these words, "Your numbers look great.  There's really nothing we need to talk about."

Not sure I heard that correctly...

WOW!  I was elated!  After not really focusing so much on what I was eating for almost a year, I have to admit that I was a little worried that my blood sugar numbers would be high or that the markers to indicate the risk for developing diabetes would be high.  ABSOLUTELY NOT!  Both numbers were normal, and in fact, the marker to indicate the risk for developing diabetes was on the low side of the "very low risk of developing diabetes."  I cried when I read this when I got home.  See, my sweet Momma always worried over me when she was alive.  She didn't want me to become diabetic.  She saw what it did to her sweet baby brother and my brother and sisters saw what it did to her later in life. (she was type 2)   I wish she were here to see me today, but I know that she must be proud.  I certainly hope she is.  I believe she is.  

And so I want to leave you with this picture.  I bought this necklace at the end of the school year, knowing that at some point I'd be re-starting my journey.  Before you ask, I bought it from Origami Owl.  My friend Shannon Holliman is a consultant and her contact information is www.shannonholliman.OrigamiOwl.com.  So, I chose the word "believe" as a reminder to myself to believe in myself, even when it is hard, even when the scale isn't moving, even when I want to quit.  The pink and black 'jewels' are my 2 favorite colors.  I wear this most days and when I reach up and tug at it, when I see it in the mirror, and finally when I take it off at night, it is that gentle reminder to believe.  And now, it is that reminder that others, including my Momma, believe, too.

~Erin~

Thursday thoughts

Ok, ok... So, I missed yesterday's posting of my weigh-in, but I have a good excuse.  I've been attending an AP French Language and Culture Institute workshop this week from 8:00-4:30 and yesterday, I had every intention of coming home and writing.  But, that just didn't happen.  My stomach revolted against me yesterday and I just didn't feel well at all yesterday.  So please forgive!

I did weigh-in yesterday and here it is: 279.8.  That means that since this journey started on June 30 that I am down 11 pounds!  Can I get a WOOHOO, people??  :-)

With that being said, I had really built up in my mind that the number was going to be even lower, so here is what I've decided to do from here on out.  I'm going to weigh on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month.  I think that seeing a 2 week progress is going to be more motivating to me than seeing small progress every week.  Some of you are probably different and want to see every little tenth of a pound difference as it comes off.  That's what makes each of our journeys special and unique.  For me, with such a long way to go, I know that I can get discouraged really quickly, so I will keep to the twice monthly weigh-ins.

OK- a follow up to last week's post about how I gave up Diet Coke.  I neglected to mention that I did not have any of the side effects that are typically noted with caffeine withdrawal.  I didn't have any headaches, which was what I really feared, nor was I especially tired.

Now this week, since I was keeping to more of a 'working' schedule (getting up at 5:30 and working from 8-4:30), I wanted something that would help keep me energized since I was no longer drinking Diet Coke.  I do not drink coffee and I don't like iced tea.  Hmmm... what to do.  Well...  I turned to my Young Living Essential Oils and in my reference manual, I read than a drop of Frankincense and a drop of Peppermint on the soles of the feet in the morning would help to keep me energized throughout the day.

These 2 oils are going to keep me energized? For realz?

Let me tell you- if you told me this at this time last year, I would've laughed and reached for a 5 hour Energy drink or something super unhealthy.  But I have seen how the Young Living Oils have worked in the lives of my friends and already in my life, so I gave it a try.  Y'all, IT WORKED!  I did not get overly tired or feel like I needed a nap during the day.  I was able to get through my work each day and even run a few errands, watch TV with my husband at night, and then go to bed at 10:00 pm and get a good night's sleep.  

Next up, I will be trying a combination of oils to help with appetite control.  Stay tuned, friends!

How I have kicked my addiction to the curb

Hello.  My name is Erin.  I am an addict... a Diet Coke addict.
If given the choice of what to drink, I would always, ALWAYS choose Diet Coke.  Breakfast?  Diet Coke!  Lunch?  Diet Coke!  Dinner?  Diet Coke!  It doesn't matter- I'm drinking Diet Coke!  At school, I even have the following sign in my classroom:

I have a very refined Diet Coke palate.  I CAN very definitely tell the difference between Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi so don't even think you're going to try to slip THAT one past me!  Traveling up North is the worst because it is so hard to find restaurants that serve Diet Coke, except for the good old Golden Arches!  Even locally, though, I will always ask the waiter/waitress if they serve Coke products and if they say 'no', I immediately make a mental note to not return to this restaurant!  (if you think I'm joking, ask my husband about the Buffalo Wild Wings incident!)  Got the picture?  I LOVE DIET COKE!! 

Well, I knew that re-starting my health journey I was going to need to start drinking more water and try to start drinking less Diet Coke.  I really, REALLY didn't want to do this, but I thought I would at least give it a try.  I have also been trying to incorporate the use of essential oils more and more (which is another blog post for another day!) and decided that I would try the lemon essential oil in my water.  Now, let me make this clear, I am using Young Living Essential Oil.  It is therapeutic grade essential oil. The stuff you buy at the grocery store is not and should not be ingested.   (If you want more information on Young Living oils, please email me at starsfan9@gmail.com)  Now, lemon essential oil will break down plastics, so I needed to drink out of a glass water bottle.  I purchased a really cool glass water bottle at  Market Street, added my water, 2 drops of the lemon essential oil, and I gave it a try in the mornings as part of my morning routine.

My glass water bottle and Young Living Lemon E.O.

Now, something really amazing started to happen.  As the day went on, I found that I wasn't as hungry in between meals as I used to be.  ME!  The big girl on the health journey wasn't hungry!  What was happening?!?!  Well, one of the benefits of lemon essential oil is that it helps with appetite control!  Then, a REALLY strange thing happened.  Dave and I went to dinner and I ordered a Diet Coke, as was my habit.  I hadn't had one all day, and I thought I deserved one!  Well, it tasted funny!  I chalked it up to the restaurant having a bunch of bad syrup or something and ordered water instead.  As the days went on, I continued my lemon water regimen in the morning and continued to drink water throughout the day.  And guess what?  Every time I have tried Diet Coke, it has tasted absolutely horrible, whether it be at a restaurant, from a can, or from a 20 oz. bottle.  

So, I decided to see if this sudden aversion to Diet Coke was  only  an aversion to Diet Coke.  I tried to drink some Diet Sprite one morning because my tummy was a little bit upset.  Nope- tasted gross.  

I'll admit, I'm a bit sad about this.  Diet Coke and I have had such a deep relationship for so long.  I feel like I'm breaking up with one of my best friends.  Plus, having a sign that says, "This classroom runs on love, laughter and lots of water" just doesn't carry the same punch!  

But, on this journey called life, we often have to say 'goodbye' to toxic friends because they are just bringing us down, bringing negativity into our lives, and perhaps keeping us from being who we were intended to be.  I guess it is no different with my 'friend' Diet Coke, now is it?

Weigh-in Wednesday

So, on many social media outlets (FB, Instagram, Twitter), Wednesday is "Woman crush Wednesday."  OK, let me say right here that I'm not quite sure who made up all of these theme days, but I think they've gotten a little out of hand!  LOL

For this blog, I will be doing WEIGH-IN WEDNESDAY as a way of keeping myself accountable and keeping you updated. Without further delay...
     - started this journey on June 30 at 292  (I hate that number- but, I'm "keepin' it real!"
     - had my first appointment with my weight loss doctor on July 11- officially weighing in at 287
     - Today is July 16 and the scale says 282.  FIVE POUNDS SINCE SATURDAY!!!  SHUT.THE.FRONT.DOOR!!!!!

   Doin' the happy dance!!

I have been asked quite often, "How do you do it?  You must be so strong and have so much will-power!"  I really don't have a lot of will-power, but I do have some tricks I'd like to share and I'm going to tell you what has worked for me.  Now, it is important to remember: I am not a doctor.  Before you actually start a weight loss program of your own, you need to consult with your physician.  As you will see in what I am about to tell you, I am closely monitored by doctors and have regular blood tests.  

"How do you do it?"- In January of 2012, I began my journey with a consultation with a weight-loss doctor in Plano, Dr. Obi Chukwuocha who has a practice called Worthy Weight Loss. (www.worthyweightloss.com) When I say that I see a weight loss doctor, a lot of people think that I am talking about a surgical doctor or that I've had weight loss surgery.  I have not had, nor do I plan to have weight loss surgery.  While that is an option that works for many, many people, it is not an option that I wanted to consider.  (I have a healthy fear of surgery and high medical bills!)  So, back to "how I do it"- I see Dr. Obi once every 6 weeks.  He monitors my weight, vitals, measurements, body composition (% fat vs % muscle), etc.  He does not have a prescribed 'diet' that I have to eat or a list of required foods, which is probably why this works for me. The program is basically this: high protein, low carb, no white carbs.  That means no rice, no pastas, breads, etc.  Now, there are some low-carb tortillas and breads that can be used and he provides a list of those, so it is not like I don't ever get to have bread!  

Here is the big key:  breakfast must be a minimum of 30 g. protein and no more than 5 carbs.  Try that!  It is HARD!  I'm all about the protein part, trust me, but you'd be surprised what had carbs in it!  Want milk with your breakfast?  Check the carbs.  You'll be surprised!  Even soy and almond milk are high in carbs.  Juice?  All sugar, so high in carbs.    Read the nutritional labels of the products in your home just to see the carb amounts.  It will shock you!

So, after the 30 g. protein/5 g. carb breakfast, the rest of the day can be spent how I want to get to these totals: 100-110 g. protein and 70-75 g. carbs.  We try to stick to 1,000-1,200 calories, but Dr. Obi encourages me to focus more on the protein and getting every single bit of it in, so sometimes, calories may go over a bit, and he's OK with that.

This is what works for me.  It has worked in the past and it is working now. I'm not kidding you- it is NOT easy.  There are times that I get really sad because I really want to eat something "carby" that someone else is eating.  While I know that "all things in moderation" is a good rule of thumb, I honestly don't know when to stop, so for me, I just have to deny myself these super carby treats.  I have found some great substitutions and hope to share some of them on this blog in the future.

Please leave comments, questions, encouragements in the comment sections.  I really hope there are people actually reading this!

Have a good one-

Erin

Looking back and moving forward

Let's talk about numbers:
372
140
57

Now, those aren't just random numbers that I made up.  2 of them, I absolutely can't stand and 1 of them I am absolutely proud of.

If you haven't guessed, 372 represents my weight when I started my journey in 2012.  There.  I've said it.  Many of you never knew what that number was because I didn't tell too many people.  It's embarrassing.  And, you know what is strange about it?  I never felt like I weighed that much.  Yes, I knew I was fat.  I knew I should lose weight, but I never dreamed that number would be so high.  So, what does 372 look like?  Here's a picture from January 2012 when I was on a trip to Barcelona with my husband.

So enough about 372.  I don't want to ever, EVER go back to any weight that starts with a 3!  EVER!

140- This is a number I am so very proud of!  This is the number that represents my total weight loss, achieved over about a 14 month period.  I stuck to my low-carb, high protein diet and even started to incorporate exercise (yes, I exercised!) to get to that number.  I enjoyed buying clothes at "normal" clothing stores.  I enjoyed the compliments of people who would say, "you look so great!".  I loved the energy I had to get through my work day.  I loved that I was no longer the fattest employee at work.  (yes, that is something that always haunted me.  Am I the largest one here?  Wherever I was, I would ask that question.)

This is a picture of me at about 120 lbs lost- right before I did the Biggest Loser Run/Walk in January 2013.

Ahh.... Those were the days!  The Biggest Loser Run/Walk was a great experience that made me decide to try running.  I never thought I'd EVER run, unless I was being chased by an animal or something!  But I did a total of 4 more 5K races and although I never ran the whole way, each race I would run more and walk less.  I loved how my life was changing and getting better with the changes I was making.

57- This number makes me sad, angry, depressed and yet, at the same time, motivates me.  This number represents the number of pounds I have put back on since June 2013.  A little over a year-- 57 pounds.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME??  Unfortunately, no, it is not a joke.  Rather than blog about all that went wrong last year or make excuses for these pounds, I will just say this:  we had a bad year, my husband and I.  I am an emotional eater.  There it is.  That's the reason for those pounds.  It started with me rationalizing things like this: "I've had a really bad day.  I deserve this ice cream. (these chips, this hamburger... whatever the 'food du jour' was)  Then the pounds started to creep on.  The size L shirts that I was so proud to be able to wear started getting a little tighter.  The size 18 pants (which to some of you still seem HUGE, but to me, who had been in 26/28s, felt awesome) didn't fit anymore.  Cue the depression.  Cue the eating of whatever I wanted.  I was doing the exact opposite of what was going to make me feel better.  It doesn't make sense, but it is reality.  So, what does 57 look like?

And that brings us to today.  Tomorrow, July 11, I will see my weight loss doctor for the first time in 4 months.  He will help me stay focused and get back to where I was and hopefully, continue to move past 140 a bit! (That's the goal, at least!)  Since re-committing to my journey last Monday, June 30, I have stuck to my high protein, low-carb regimen even when I didn't want to.  I've been drinking more water, even though I prefer Diet Coke.  

It's small steps, but I'm doing what I can for now.  

Let's see where this takes me!

~Erin~

Danger! Girl with a 'tude AND a blog!

Me?  A blogger?

Well, I don't know about that, but let me 'keep it real' for a minute-

What I do know is that I have a lot to say and a lot of thoughts that keep me up at night.  I've not really ever been one to journal with pen and paper.  In fact, my efforts to keep journals in the past were huge failures.  I think the longest journal I ever kept was 3 days!  So, I'm not promising how often I'm going to post, but I do know this:  since January of 2012, I have been on a weight-loss journey.  With this has come many highs and many lows.  One thing that I feel is a big part of this is the mental part-- the thoughts in my head that hold me back.  This past year, these thoughts, along with some very tough personal issues,  have destroyed much of the good that I have done on this journey.

So, now I'm fighting back!  It is time for me to refocus and recommit to becoming the healthier version of me that I had started to become.  I wasn't finished!  LOL  So here's what I hope this blog will be:

1. An outlet for me and others to share struggles and successes.
2. A place to share suggestions, recipes, and hints for the journey.
3. A source of inspiration for myself and others.
4. A place to be accountable.
5. A place where I "Keep it Real"- I don't want to sugar coat this at all.  This journey is hard and there are a lot of emotions that go with it.  

So, let's give this a try and see how it goes!