I Got Product! Some New Healthy Foods I am Trying

Tuesday's Math: Calories In: 1685    Calories Out: 2528

Well, I got product! My gorgeous husband and I went shopping last night and I got some good products for healthy eating and boosting up FIBRE!

Bistro Express Entree

This first one is from Dr. Ben's. I have used the Bistro Express products before and wrote a review about them. Last night I was looking at the entree products and noticed that these babies are high in fibre and within calorie range for a meal. They only take two minutes in the microwave and I think would be good in a pinch. I totally prefer to cook but some days are a rush and it's nice to some healthier alternatives than junk!

Bistro Express Nutrition Information

I apologize for the less than stellar quality photos. I got a different camera and I"m having trouble getting quality photos from it.  But if you can read this, the package contains 370 calories and 5 grams of fibre!

I know the sodium content is not that wonderful but I still find this to be a good "meal in a pinch" idea. I often use the Bistro Express packages for adding  rice to a meal I have cooked. I like these and look forward to trying them.

Toppits Pop Herbs

I am very excited about this next product. This is wonderful for cooking. I know the professional cooks, like Rachel Ray, use fresh spices in their food but i have never got around to doing that. I just haven't upped my cooking to that level, and my budget has usually meant dried spices in the bottle.

Well, last night, I found something that is going to get me to try fresh spices, well almost fresh, anyways. These are from a company in Israel and they are herbs flash frozen from fresh. You pop out a cube, enough for one meal and pop it in your dish. Hello! I can't wait to try this. They have all kinds of flavours but I just wanted to try one to see how it worked. I just checked out the Toppits Website and it looks good, with some recipes on there. I also see that these are completely preservative-free.

 Kraft Dinner Smart

Okay, another one. Yes, it's K.D., or Kraft Dinner. Kraft Dinner is my nemesis. I used to eat a package of those and then feel completely disgusting. That stuff is so deadly but yet so sinfully delicious.

Well, I dared to pick up a different kind of Kraft Dinner. My camera would not take an even half-decent picture of the front of the product but it's Kraft Dinner Smart High Fibre.

It has 5 grams of fibre and 175 calories per serving (which is a quarter cup). You are still getting 6 g of sugar, and it's still pretty high in carbs but much, much better. I am going to try it, at least, because it could be another good emergency, in-a-rush foods.

 Flax

And the last product I am going to share with you is my flax. I had forgotten about flax but am trying it again. This package is already opened but there it is. Again, sorry for the terrible quality of these pictures. This was taken at night and the lamp is shining off the package.

And the fibre, just for 2 tablespoons of this stuff is four grams. Not bad for a few mouthfuls! I have been adding this flax to my smoothies in the morning and I want to try to add to some cooked meals to up the fibre content.

So, there's some product. Yesterday, was a good day. I managed to stay under my calorie range and got some walking in (grocery shopping, which I feel funny counting but at least it's some movement). That was the third day that I have been under my calorie range. I am not trying to be way under but it's just worked out to be a bit under.

My lunch meal was a bit high. I went to Tim Horton's (it's a Canadian thing!) and had the large chili with a bun, and a coffee and that all ended up being over 700 calories. I was very hungry but it did feel like too much and I kept eating. Now I know that I need to order a small chili if I get that again.

Do you have any products for healthier eating you are trying? Feel free to share!

To The Gym, Young Lady!

I am so excited today! We went to the gym! By we, I mean my amazing husband and I. We had kind of a slow day and then out of the blue he asked me if I felt like going, and I responded that I did. It was so great to go and I appreciated him initiating it so much. I find it so hard to go and exercise again, after I fail to do it for a while. Once I'm in the groove, it's so much easier.

So anyways, it was great. I did an hour on the treadmill, my old standby. And my time wasn't too bad, considering. And one more exciting thing: I started a new tracking system! I have been very faithful to Sparkpeople for a long time, but I just wanted to wander around and see what the other systems had to offer. And I wandered over to FitnessPal, and I'm kind of in love!

I can definitely see advantages of both systems but FitnessPal is much faster on my computer, so this is what I am going to use for now. I find tracking is SO time-consuming and this will definitely save me time. And it also has a very easy-to-use recipe calculator, which I will use A LOT because I cook very frequently. So, it feels good to be back on track for losing weight. The thing is, I know it works, when I stick to it. I just have to keep going, and it will happen. I know that.

Goodnight, everyone. Thank you to Leah and Mel for your comments. I am having troubles with this commenting system again, and haven't been able to reply, so thank you!

Supper Tonight: Scrambled Eggs Plus, with turkey sausages. Yum!

Learned Helpless and Weight Gain -- VERY DEEP STUFF ON LOSING WEIGHT

Thanks! 

First of all, I am so, so grateful for the positive comments in the last few days on this blog. Like I said before, I am having trouble with this commenting system, so I just want to thank you on this post. THANKS! :)

And after I had such a victorious feeling on Sunday, I hate to bring up my next topic, but this is life. It has its ups and downs! I have good news and bad news. First the good news. I no longer have job stress. And now the bad news. I no longer have a job. As of today.

So,  I am back to deciding what to do with the rest of my life. Career decision. I need to go back to work again, but I am not sure where to go from here.

I saw something on Dr. Oz that was really interesting. You may have seen the show: it was about women who are very obese, and about some who were happy with being fat, and some that weren't. I'm not getting into the show itself, which was interesting, but one thing that the psychologist said on the show. He said that these women had been told they could not do anything. And I don't necessarily agree that all overweight women feel that they can't do things, but that is something that I struggle with: that feeling of helplessness.

I have just done some research on this. Before this, I had never made the connection between learned helplessness and being overweight. But there is a connection! Wow. This is a BIG revelation to me.

And this is very deep stuff. That's what this blog is about: some very deep stuff on losing weight. It obviously might not apply to many people, but it does to my healing and journey to wellness. And I found these articles on this topic:

1. From a site on eating disorders: Learned Hopelessness. This article says that women with eating disorders often feel helpless, and tend to default to "I can't, it's impossible," when things go wrong. And this feeling is connected to overeating.
   
   
2. Another article from the Institute of Psychiatry in London says that a study showed that women with eating disorders had a higher level of "learned helplessness" during childhood. Learned helplessness was the opposite of "childhood mastery."
   
   
3. And this is from another article from the same site on eating disorders. This article about natural eating, from the Cedric Centre for Counselling talks about how this feeling of learned helpless is the number one thing that leads people to disordered eating, whether it's binge eating, or anorexia, or bulimia. All of these disorders have a similar makeup. 

This last article talks about learning these attitudes a child: why bother? what's the use? Why try? I'm going to fail. I won't do it right. These are exactly the feelings that I struggle with, in my life, in many areas. And it is this feeling that leads to binging, and overeating, in many cases. These kind of feelings also lead to excessive stress, because so many situations make us feel that we cannot handle them. Hello! This so much applies to me. This is the root cause! I can't tell you excited I am to realize this. I will post more about this as I learn more, and ask the LORD to apply these truths to my heart and life.

I am going to learn more about this, and I thank God for this revelation. I don't know if anyone can relate to this, or not, but if you can, I'd love to hear from you. This is really hard stuff to talk about but it's real.

Tacos with Ground Turkey and Low-Fat Cheese

Calories In: 1177   Calories Out: 2185

Yesterday, I had 1177 calories! And I did not feel hungry at the end. It really seemed like another cleansing day from too high of calorie days during the week. It's funny how my body is starting to just regulate itself and to really want the calorie limit that I am trying to reach. 

I made tacos yesterday and managed to make them into a pretty healthy meal. Upon the suggestion of Susan at A Little Nutrition , I made them with ground turkey. I swear to you, I don't think my gorgeous husband even noticed! (They were spiced up quite a bit with the spice package.) And upon the suggestion of my coworker, I used the partly skimmed mozzarella cheese. I had 1/6 cup and it was only 58 calories. So, cheese, once in a while, is a possibility.  The whole meal, with sour cream, cheese, meat, salsa, two hard shells, salsa and veges was 398 calories. And I was full after two tacos! 

Tacos with ground turkey and low-fat cheese. Yay! 

To me, this is nothing short of miraculous because tacos ... man ... I can usually eat no less than four. I love, love, love tacos and anything Mexican that comes on a plate!  But my g.h. finished his portion, and then said, "no, that's enough for me. If I eat anymore, I'd be eating for taste." So, he inspires me! So, another binge trigger food is back. I now know I can eat tacos without blowing my day. It's just nice to have options. 

ONE bad thing, though! I woke up this morning and felt bloated. I didn't understand it, because I had only eaten 1177 calories yesterday! I thought maybe it was MSG, but I checked the package today, and there is no MSG in this package. So, I don't know what is causing the bloatedness. But I can eliminate over-eating from the causes. 

And to those who commented yesterday, thank you for the encouragement! I am having trouble with this comment section, so I didn't comment back in the comments. 

Reflections on overeating

I wanted to write just a bit more after my last post. I have been really looking deeply at the overeating that I do, and these are some reflections. 

First of all, I ended up overeating yesterday quite a bit. I made some stew for supper and it was delicious. Very delicious. And I had a reasonable portion with my husband before he went to work. Then, after he left, I ate about three more bowls of it. There. It's out. My secret's out. I'm a  closet eater. Still. I've been doing much better but at night, for dinner, I often overeat in my portions. 

And why did I do it? Well, I didn't think it really was that much. I mean, my body afterwards definitely knew it was too much but somehow my mind rationalized it. And I racked my brains trying to come up with, why?:As you may have guessed, this isn't the first time I have done this.

Here's that stew again

And it's much less emotional eating, much less of what I would call the binges. No, it's just kind of mindless eating, and it is a form of denial. When I make it, and it's good homemade food, I tend to think, "it's okay. It's healthy food. It's not that bad." And I don't think it counts for much. In short, I do bad math. I see healthy food, as opposed to french fries or cookies, and I justify. I indulge, indulge in healthy food. But it's still indulging, and the calories still really add up. 

And eating too much has become such a habit for me that I don't even realize that I am doing it. I just do it, and regret it afterwards. So, that is why I have to track right now: to force myself to look at how much I eat. To become aware, after years of not realizing. 

And I believe I will get there because I refuse to give up. I am being brutally honest about where I am at, because I am tired of hiding. If I do this, I know I am not the only one. I am clawing myself out of the fat life, and finding the way. And God is helping me. And I fully believe I will make it. I'm not claiming to be the super diet guru. I'm just a woman trying to change. And change is hard, and gradual,  but good. 

Some Deep Stuff On Losing Weight

Today I wanted to take the opportunity to write about some of the "deep stuff" of losing weight. These are some of the thoughts I've had over the course of the week about this weight loss journey. 

First of all, I want to share an epiphany I had this week. The timing is interesting because this week was the traditional holiday of the Epiphany, which  celebrates the revelation of Jesus Christ, especially to the Magi. 

It was in the morning, in the washroom, as I was getting ready for work. I just saw a picture of how losing weight was not about depriving myself more, but it was, in fact, about caring for myself more.  It was about caring for "me," in a way I never have. Caring for me meant eating wonderful foods that nourish my body and moving in a way that makes me feel young and alive. Caring for me meant "paying attention," to what my body really needed. And this caring is not goal-oriented, or focused on results: it's just a beautiful thing to do. 

When I say I saw this, that's what I mean. It was just like a vision of it: that hit me all at once. Not my mind, but my heart and my spirit. And my body. It became very real to me. I believe truth has to hit us, in our hearts, before it truly becomes real to us. 

Love is not about "doing right." It's about caring. I  have always thought of myself as a caring person. But it is usually for others. Caring for myself has been much more of a stretch. And I mean really caring. Not being selfish and demanding. Just caring. 

In fact, binge eating looks like caring for one's self, because it selfishly eats more than it needs, but it's not. It's actually abusing one's self, because one doesn't need tons of food like that. Abuse of others or one's self is never love. And that's what I do when I binge: I abuse myself. 

Eating well and exercising is love, to ourselves. (Image by Prawy, via Morguefile.)

Eating well and exercising is the opposite: it is love. 

It is funny that a couple of days after I had this epiphany, that I ran across this powerful video from the site at Anti-Jared. This video confirmed the feelings and thoughts that I had, so nicely. 

I close with this, and I would love to hear your thoughts. 

From the Blog Roll ... and Beyond!

Hey everyone! I am featuring my favourite links this week. I hope you like them!

Image by Vintage Collective

Absolutely adorable! Peanut Butter Jelly Time from Joanna at Diary of a Mad, Fat Woman asks her three children about what needs to be done to keep healthy. Their answers may surprise you!

Excellent post on counting calories from Tyler at 344pounds. You won't have to do it forever. It's like training for a test. Once you look up the calories a few times, you'll know it.


An article about casseroles and some good ideas for making them more healthy, from Snack Girl. I love casseroles, so it was nice to read a couple of ways to make them a bit heathier!

And, if you read my blog regularly, you will know that I am trying to make it as a writer. I did lots of writing this week! Here is some of the stuff I have written lately:

1.  Some poems There is a creative writing contest going on Hubpages right now, and it was great to do some poems, which are kind of my "first love" of writing. One was about Queen Esther from the Bible: One Night With the King, and one that I published was a poem I wrote years ago about domestic abuse.
2.  A photo gallery I guess I don't talk a lot about my three kitties but this is a photo gallery of when my cat had kittens.



One of the kittens we gave away: Fuzzball

3.  My First Year at Hubpages is an overview of my year at the site where I write the most: Hubpages. 

Just so you know,  my latest hubs, or articles are always available in that little black and grey box in my side bar, under "latest writing" if you ever want to check out what I've been writing else where.
So, that's the roundup from this week. Hope you're having a good weekend! 

Friend-Making Monday: How Do You Get Back On Track?

Those naughty little chocolate bars! 

Well, the weekend is over and today was the day to get back on track. This morning and early afternoon were taken up with some running around for vehicle stuff that had to be done in the morning and the afternoon was prepping for supper and getting things tidied up. And so my day goes.


I didn't get to the gym and I don't really want to walk on Halloween night. So, it will be a quiet evening in giving out candy and trying to withstand the temptation of eating those little bars! Anyone else feeling a bit anxious about this? That's a lot of chocolate and I will have to distract myself and grit my teeth not to dig into some of those leftovers! 

Today is Friend-Making Monday at Kenlie's blog, All The Weigh. If you would like to join in, just grab the image off of this page, and answer the following question. Then, go over to Kenlie's blog and leave a link, and leave a comment here to let me know you took part, too.

This week's question is an interesting one. Here it is:

FMM: What do you do when trying to reclaim your healthy lifestyle after a few emotional, unhealthy weeks? 

Well, this is something I am struggling with all the time. It seems like I keep going back and forth between making great choices and then not-so-great choices.  So this is a constant issue for me. 

What works for me? Here are a few things: 

• Walking really helps to get my head in the right space again. It is exercise and it gets the circulation going. I find if I keep walking, I get more motivated to eat right. 
• I make sure I start blogging, if I have stopped. Coming back and admitting my struggles helps me to be accountable and face things again. 
• I eat a big salad for at least one meal. Getting fresh, healthy food feels so good after eating a bunch of processed crap for a while. 

These are some of the things that I do but by no means do I have this one figured out. I'd love to hear your strategies! 

More Reasons To Accept Ourselves ...

It's Beautiful Wednesday today. When we talk about body image, self-acceptance and feeling beautiful, no matter what your size.

Here a few more reasons to accept who we are, even when our bodies are not perfect. If we wait until we're perfect, we will never be. And we will never be happy. 

Case in point: this video on body image in teens. Teens, skinny as many of us once were, still aren't satisfied with themselves. Young men and women, looking the best they ever will, unhappy with how they look. Why? Because our culture teaches us we are never enough. Let's STOP now. Let's teach our teens and young children that we don't have to be perfect to be beautiful.

 

And another one. This is powerful. Let's show our daughters, our nieces, our female students that we accept ourselves, and they can, too. In spite of what the media says. I want my two beautiful nieces to know that the media's definition of beauty is wrong.

Be You are beautiful! I love you, ladies!

Stress Doesn't Work For Me

Stress doesn't work for me!

It just has been confirmed. This just in! Stress does not work for me. I know you are probably saying, "well, yeah, it doesn't work for any of us but what choice do we have? It's just part of life!" (Sorry, my husband hates it when I try to mind-read, too!)

But anyway, sorry for my silliness but seriously, stress does not work for me. I found this out these last two weeks or so when I got extremely stressed about what was happening my life. The stress I was feeling made it very difficult to concentrate on the work I needed to do to lose weight. (tracking, exercise, being aware of what I was eating.)

I have to avoid stress as much as I can if I am going to lose weight. This might sound strange to some people, kind of unrealistic but I know that about myself.

I am also what is called a "highly sensitive person" who takes a lot of the world and processes it more than other people. This is a condition that supposed to affect about 20% of the population and everything I've read about it rings true for me. (If you are interested, you can check out the link for more info.) And the thing is, it doesn't matter if other people recognize this as real or not. I know my self and what works for me.

In the last couple of days, things have settled down and gotten straightened out and this morning, the scale started going down a bit again. What was different? Stress or lack thereof. Yes, I was eating better too. But I felt able to concentrate again. 

Stress is very well-recognized as being a big factor in being big. I have always believed that it was a big factor for me, personally. It works in a couple of ways. First, it makes it hard to concentrate on what's needed. Too much stress also creates excess cortisol in the body which is associated with belly fat. So, it's a double whammy.

So to me, rest is another key component to losing weight. By rest, I mean not being too full of bad stress and feeling okay with life. And actually resting: getting enough sleep.

I am feeling way better today. I have decided to continue working at home and have some good ideas of how to market my writing. It's exciting! And the family stuff? Well, we all talked and got things on the table. It now feels more manageable. I just don't do stress well. And I am learning to accept that.

What about you? Do you find that stress is a factor in your weight? How do you deal with it?

Sharilee

Why I Love Walking

 

I love this video and song, which are all about walking through life. 

Have you ever noticed that walking is so often used as a metaphor for life? 

In my last post, I did one of those "get to know you" posts. One of the questions was, "what is your favourite way of losing weight?" I said walking. Now walking is certainly not very glamourous. Anyone can do it. And it's not as intense as jogging or a hardcore aerobics class. Some might even wonder, is walking worth it?

For me, it definitely is. I have always loved walking. Some of my best times were walking with my Mom, as a child, a teen and then as a woman. When I stayed there as a an adult, she would run into my room at 6:00 a.m. and ask if I wanted to go for a walk. I grouchily said, "no,": but then got up anyway and we had such awesome talks. The last five years of her life were spent battling cancer and she taught me so much during those years. That life must be grabbed and treasured and lived fully. She fully planned on living longer but cancer finally took a fatal blow.

To me, walking is meditation. It is a time for me. My thoughts run free and unfettered. I plan my future days, contemplate my gnawing decisions and dare to dream. Sometimes I pray, too. Asking for wisdom, understanding. Try to give up my problems to my LORD.

I have now lost ten pounds. My sister asked me last night how it feels to have lost ten pounds. It feels great. I feel so much better and it's partly from carrying around ten less pounds and it's even more from getting in shape. My pace has improved from a 40 minute mile when took my first walk three month ago to an average of 22 minutes for a mile. I can feel the muscles in my legs firing off pistons. The last couple of days, I have sometimes included my upper belly in my walk, thrusting forward slightly to include that part of my body. The first time I did that, I had a pace of 17:44 (I only managed that pace once!)

I am craving healthy foods now. My cravings for junk are rare because my body is starting to feel so much healthier that I don't want to mess up with too much fat or heavy carbs. I am sleeping better from the oxygen which is pumping through me and that I am inhaling as I walk. 

My mind is calmer and I feel happier. Ahh, walking, how I have missed Thee!

If you would like to see my training record for the last couple of miles, see my profile. on the Daily Mile. 

Without A Vision ...

Well, thank goodness you can't catch any cooties over the Internet, because our whole house has been sick this week, and I just feel like I have germs all over me.

A couple of days ago, I realized that fifteen years ago, and a hundred pounds ago, I used to do so so much more in every day! I was thinking of how I used to run around every day, full of energy, getting so much accomplished everyday, without even trying! My energy levels were just so much higher, that I naturally accomplished much more.

Wow, this is a real wake up call to me.  I know maybe getting older is part of it, but if I was in shape, I would be able to just a lot more -- naturally. Now, I have to push myself, to get things done, and to keep going, I have to really push myself. I HATE admitting that, but this is about being honest, and that's the truth.

Paths!

Well, I just wanted to follow up on the last post, about weight prejudice. I am really interested in hearing about other people's opinions on this topic -- please feel free to give your ideas and thoughts on this topic.

I was very glad for my friend, Melissa, from the blog, "Try, Try Again", for making a mention of this post in her blog, and encouraging people to read the post. She had some really good thoughts on the topic, too, which you can read by going to the following link: Try Try Again. Melissa has been a great support to me in the weight loss journey, and I know you would enjoy her blog very much. Thanks, Melissa!

Curves

Well, this morning, I went to Curves again. This was my fourth workout, although I have been a member for a month. How is it? I am trusting that it is good, and that's why I am going to stick with it. Curves is an half-hour workout which consists of one minute on an mini aerobic pad wheree you jog in place, and then one minute on a hydraulic machine designed to work your different muscle groups. It is way different than a regular gym. In fact, it feels easier. But the point is, I can do it. I know I can do this ... and that there is no reason that I can't stick with it.

I have read the research on their website, and many women have lost weight on curves. It is what is called a circuit workout, and circuits are supposed to be very effective. The workout elevates your heart rate significantly. (This according to articles I don't have on hand right now.)  Also, it keeps your basal metabolism up during the day. (According to studies done by an Institute funded by Curves, I believe. )

I do believe that it is going to really help me get exercising and get moving, and be a part in my losing weight. I need a program right now, because I am not motivated enough to do it completely on my own. I'm just not. Hopefully in time, I will get more self-motivation, but now I don't have it. So Curves it is.

Taking Stock

I just read an article in a Prevention magazine publication about willpower. What it said, in a nutshell, was that our motivation, all of ours, is limited. Therefore, you shouldn't try to cut down on your computer time at the same time that you try to quit smoking. Because there are actual physical reasons that you only have so much willpower on hand. Well, that explains a lot! All of my willpower is going towards my job! And that is not just an excuse; it's actually true!

So, as one blogging friend, said, it is hard to concentrate on exercising and eating right at the same time. I guess it makes sense, then, to focus on one thing at a time, until they become more habits. Makes sense to me! And sounds more hopeful, too!

This week, I did not record my eating and I did not exercise. But ... I am not eating junk food, for the most part. And I was before, a lot. I am not trying to get less stressed than I  used to. I am making healthy food choices, most of the time. And I am eating a lot less than I used to. So, even if I am not accomplishing as much as I would like, I do see that my lifestyle has changed. Definitely. I  am choosing to be positive about that ... instead of beating myself up for not doing more. The "more" will come, in time. I just don't want to regress ... that is the huge thing!!!! In the past, I have always regressed and gained weight. This time, I am going to hold on ... making better eating choices.

My life still has a lot of other stresses ... the job, the marriage ... that I am concentrating on. That still bring me stress ... and just the overall busyness of my life. The way it is hard to have time to go out and just relax. All of these things add up, and make it hard to add anything else. Yet. But I will in time.

And something must be working. I saw a friend I hadn't seen in a few months. She commented several times that I looked like I had lost weight. I really value her opinion. She struggles with weight, too, so she is not condescending about it, but just really encouraging.

So, for this week, I am going to try to continue to make good choices in my eating, without any junk food. I won't promise to exercise, or to track my food this week. But I will promise to do my best not to regress and to watch my eating.

Feeling Sore

I am feeling extremely sore from the exercise I did three days ago. It feels like I ran a marathon! I hope this is normal ... I am sure it is, but it's a bit disconcerting. I mean, all I did was walk and do some pilates! Walk, for crying out loud! Very slowly! To be honest, this soreness is discouraging. It feels like everything is such a big deal ... nothing is easy right now! And I can barely walk around the house. It feels like I am going to need a week to recover from every workout!!!!!! Yikes!!!!

This weight loss thing is such a slow, wearying process. I had read a post from "Escape from Obesity" which chronicles what she is doing, and how it has been a slow process for her, but she's doing it month by month. Reading her story gives me courage. She emphasizes that it is slow, but it does work.

http://escapefromobesity.blogspot.com/2008/07/how-i-am-doing-it.html

Right now, I am the heaviest I have ever been. I am experiencing things I never have before. I guess this inappropriate soreness is one of them. So is the absolutely overwhelming exhaustion that I feel so much of the time.  I thought it was because I was so busy, but I hate to admit that it's more likely because I am fat. This is kind of humiliating, but it's better to face the truth.

What gives me hope is that others (like the writer of "Escape from Obesity,") are doing it, and having success. It is possible, although it doesn't feel like it is.

I just hope that this the extreme fatigue from working out does not last, because my life already makes me tired. Arrrghhhhh!!!! Whine, whine, whine!

Will that be Coffee to Go, Or Coffee Has to Go?

Well, one of my late-night research sessions has certainly paid off. While looking for more information on how to lose belly fat, I came across my interesting, albeit disturbing information.

Apparently, not only do I  have to give up Doritos, donuts, and late-night binge eating, but also coffee? Say what? Coffee is what all the skinny people drink, and eat. Who doesn't have a strung-up looking friend who never eats and drinks continuous cups of java, smoking something, all the while saying she's getting fat? 

Coffee is the drink of the creative types, the artistes ... gaunt, slight scary-looking folk who hang around cheap coffee joints and drink coffee because that's all they can afford. 

How in the world did coffee become something that can make you fat? As my gorgeous husband would say, it makes no sense!

 What is it about coffee, then, that it makes it something I should avoid? Well, coffee increases the stress levels of our bodies, literally, by increasing stimulation. That is why you can't sleep for half the night after having that late-night coffee date!

And that stress on the body can lead to an increase in cortisol, which, we know, may cause exhorbiant amounts of belly fat to be distributed on one's said abdomen.

Here's a link that explains the phenomen, a great webite strictly devoted to losing belly fat! Woohoo! Just what I need!
http://www.loss-bellyfat-stay-slim.com/Caffeine-belly-fat.html

Well, I am going to try to give up coffee, but I  have to say, that's a hard one for me. In a way, it's not that surprising ... something that good can't be all good for you! And somewhere inside, I had a feeling that coffee wasn't good for my weight. But I conveniently avoided that nagging feeling and kept right on enjoying it. Even if I don't cut coffee out 100%, I know I will have to cut back, to ease my conscience, if nothing else.

Timmie's anyone? I am going to try out that new steeped tea!

Did Pilates Yesterday

Well, yesterday, I did Pilates. Wow! What a great workout. I felt so amazing after doing this workout ... I didn't know exercise could feel that good. I really believe that Pilates are going to help a lot in getting my body into alignment and into shape.

I also walked yesterday, and ate healthier. I am already starting to feel better, and my gorgeous husband said that I feel a bit smaller, too. Today, he walked with me to the dump road ... it was great to  have his company. Walking has already helped to feel more optimistic about my life overall.

"They" say that exercise helps to boost your endorphin levels, and I believed it, but now I am experiencing it. I just have to keep going. Have to get and stay organized, in order to be able to keep it up. I am writing this blog to try to motivate myself, and to feel less alone in the journey. Even if no one is reading my journal, I can somehow pretend that I writing to an audience out there. And that motivates me.

Today I feel better than I have for a long time. I think this is way we are supposed to feel!