Saturday, December 10, 2011

A Very Exciting Announcement!

Ever since I started my weight loss journey back in June, people have been asking me how I'm doing it. I've blogged about it and I've even posted my meals on Facebook, but in the back of my head was the thought - wouldn't it be great if people could just pick up a book and read about it, and then have the information on hand whenever they wanted it?

I broached the idea of co-authoring a book to my doctor, and turns out, he's been wanting to publish one for a long time, but just needed a little direction. So I'm bringing the direction, he's bringing the knowledge, and voila! Come March, we are releasing To Your Health: Recipes from the Injury & Wellness Center.

This book will explain why the typical American diet is so unhealthy - leading us to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and much more - and why we need to make changes in our eating habits. Then it will explain the optimum way to eat for the best possible health. I will share the story of my lifetime of bad health, culminating in my having metabolic syndrome (precursor of heart disease and diabetes) and weighing 300 pounds, and how I changed my life and am getting my health back. Then you will find pages and pages of healthy, delicious recipes that you can make and you will want to eat.  This book is volume one of two*, and each volume will be bursting with fantastic information, my before and after pictures, and tips for how you can do it too - not just losing weight, but getting healthy and changing your life.

We are releasing the book toward the end of March (exact date to be determined) and we are offering a special - if you place your order before March 1st and pay for it at the time the order is placed, you will get 15% off and free shipping, which brings your cost to $16.96 (full price of book is $19.95) If you would like to take advantage of this offer, just pop me an e-mail and put "book order" in the subject line.

*The publication date for volume two has not yet been determined, but be thinking, summer of 2012. 

Friday, November 25, 2011

The Story of the Pink Sweater

About five years ago, I was at the local thrift store, and I found a pink sweater.  I loved the color, and it was only a dollar, but it was very much too small for me.  I decided to get it anyway.  After all, it was such a great color, and it was only a dollar, right?  I put it in my closet and every time I would run across it, I would feel a little sad.  Poor, pretty sweater ... never to be worn ...

Back in June, when I started this new lifestyle, I was really amazed to lose six pounds the first week.  After the second week, when it happened again, I thought, "Well, maybe I will fit in that sweater someday."  In August, I set a goal.  "I'm going to wear that sweater on Christmas Day."  It seemed like a good goal.

Well, guess what ...

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, and guess what I wore?

Yep, here's the sweater ... a whole holiday early.  :)

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Hitting a Landmark

I'd like to share with you a little story. It's embarrassing. But I'm going to share it anyway.

About eighteen months ago, I was out in Roosevelt for a book signing, and I stopped in at a restaurant for dinner. All the tables were full, and so there were only booths available. I could not fit into the booth. I was so humiliated.

It turns out that most booths have a "fat" side and a "skinny" side - one bench is farther away from the table than the other. I was with a friend, and she and I traded places so I could have the "fat" side. I just barely fit in it. I ate my dinner with the table just about cutting me in half. Of course, my imagination kicked in and I envisioned everyone in the restaurant looking over at me - "Hey, that fat chick can't even fit in the booth." It was miserable. I don't usually spend a lot of time worrying about what other people think of me - life's too short for that - but that night, it really bothered me.

Last Saturday, I was in Roosevelt again. And I went to the same restaurant. And guess what ...



This is me, sitting on the "skinny" side. And I have room to spare.

If you'd like to read my post about my battle with sugar, click here - I posted it on my other blog.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Tristi's Weight Loss Journey

Me in January of this year.

Me as of last week.

At the time of this writing, I've lost 40 pounds in just over three months. I still have a little over a hundred to go, but I have every reason to believe that it will come off too.

Isn't it human nature that when we see a friend who's lost weight, we ask, "How did you do it?" And isn't it also human nature that if they talk about miracle pills, we're all ears, but if they talk about diet, exercise, water, and sleep, we zone out?

The fact is, we all know what it takes to lose weight. We all know that if we keep eating junk food, we'll never meet those goals, and yet ... it's hard to give up the junk food. It's hard to exercise. It's hard to make consistently positive choices all day long. For some of us, it's flat-out impossible to turn our lives upside down in this way. After all, it was really easy to get fat … seems unfair that it should be so hard to get un-fat.

I used to think it was flat-out impossible for me. I’d exercise my brains out and lose one pound in a month. I tried all kinds of eating plans and would lose a pound a week, which isn’t shabby, but then I’d gain it back while still following the plan. I’d up my thyroid prescription. Somewhat helpful, but not entirely.

I decided that I would need to just accept the fact that I am a large woman. There are a lot of beautiful, talented, wonderful, compassionate women of size in this world—I’d just be one of them. I know that true beauty and worth doesn’t come from the way you look, but I still wasn’t happy with this decision—I wanted to be healthy, and I knew it would never happen carrying so much weight.

Earlier this year, I was very concerned about my second son. He was losing weight, was pale, had no energy, and was having outrageous temper tantrums. We didn't know what to do, and traditional methods weren't helping. Finally we got him in to see my mom's doctor, and we learned that among various other health problems, he had severe allergies. We immediately put him on a limited diet, supplements, and regular visits, and it wasn't long at all before he was a brand-new kid. He'll be able to add some things back into his diet—he’s already added some—but we're doing it gradually and with a doctor's care.

It turns out we all needed to be put on this diet. At first, I honestly thought I was in hell. I'm not talking about the swear word—I’m talking about the geographical location. I suddenly had to figure out what to eat, how to eat it, what supplements to take with it ... for our entire family. Overload!! It was hard enough to do it for one person, but now ... for five? (Yes, I did make my husband figure out his own.) I didn't think I'd survive.

But I lost six pounds that first week.

Wow.

So I kept on, and we're slowly developing some habits that will make this all easier. We're getting into the groove. We want to be healthy. We want to overcome these illnesses that have held us back for so long.

When someone asks me, "How are you doing it?" here's my answer:

1. I am totally 100% off sugar.

2. I am totally 100% off caffeine.

3. I eat no grain or fruit of any kind.

4. I eat meat, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and some raw dairy.

5. I drink 3 qts. of water every day (at least).

6. I take the supplements I've been told to take. I'm suffering from malnutrition—a lifetime of not knowing what to eat, or caring what I ate—and I need to nourish myself.

This is not easy. In fact, I've thrown at least a couple of fits, but never in my children's hearing, because I'm trying to set an example for them. There are times when I want pizza so badly I can hardly see straight. I would commit a crime for some Cherry Coke right now. But you know what? I'm not going to get some. I'm finally on the right track, and I don't want to mess it up.

I've been battling my weight my entire life. I've had some successes, and lots of failures. I never had the self-control to stay away from my favorite foods. I also needed someone to supervise me and tell me what I needed to do. I need the help of the supplements—if you're starving yourself to death because of malnutrition, and then you starve yourself to death because you're on a diet, what good are you doing? I need nutrients, and that's what I'm finally getting.

40 pounds since June 13th. It's working. It hasn’t been easy, but it's working.

Interestingly enough, we aren't approaching me from a weight-loss angle, even though by looking at me, that's clearly a need. We are approaching this from a "Let's get Tristi healthy" angle, and the things we're doing to build up my nutrition and heal my organs are, in turn, helping me lose the unhealthy weight. It's a side benefit, one I can't even tell you how glad I am to be experiencing.

I don't know how long I'll be on this tight regimen. My body was worse off than I first suspected, and we've got a lot of organ systems left to heal. But I'm going to keep at it until I'm well. I've never been so close before, and I'm certainly not giving up now.

"How are you losing your weight, Tristi?" I'm losing it by turning my entire life upside down, getting rid of old habits, creating new ones, throwing away my emotional crutches and learning to stand on my own two feet. And when I reach my goal weight and look in the mirror, I'll know that I'm a winner inside and out.

And yes, I’ll refer you to my doctor. I warn you—he’ll make you change your life. But I promise you—he’ll make you change your life. Think about it.

If you’d like me to send you his contact information, pop me an e-mail.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Blog Hop ... And a Prize!

Welcome to the September Blog Hop! Celebrate the beginning of fall with me and my blogger friends by hopping around, visiting our sites, and entering our contests! There are no limits - you can enter the contest on every blog. With over 40 blogs participating, that's over 40 prizes you could win. Just click on the links below to move on to the next blog.

On this blog, you can win …




This is my new cookbook, which contains over eighty delicious, mouth-watering recipes. The best part? They're all low in sodium, although you'd never guess that from the taste. So take care of your heart while being nice to your taste buds.

I do need to make a quick clarification - while these recipes are healthy, I didn't lose my weight by following this cookbook. I've gone off grains, fruits - basically all carbs, which is a pretty strict diet, in order to get my weight off. So while the cookbook is a great resource, it's not the exact tool I'm using. :)

Would you like to win this prize? You just need to do two things.

1. Become a follower of this blog.

2. Leave me a comment in the trail and tell me why you'd like to win this prize.

That's it! You are now entered. The contest ends on Saturday night, September 24th, at midnight MST, and the winner will be contacted shortly thereafter. Please either leave your e-mail address in the comment trail or make sure it's visible through your profile so I can contact you to tell you that you're the lucky winner.

Now go visit my other friends ...


September Blog Hop Participants

1. Tristi Pinkston, LDS Author
2. Joyce DiPastena
3. I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
4. Mandi Slack
5. Michael D. Young
6. Six Mixed Reviews
7. Pam Williams
8. Laurie Lewis
9. Kristy Tate
10. Marilyn Yarbrough
11. Stacy Coles
12. Kristie Ballard
13. Lynn Parsons
14. Pushing Past the Pounds
15. Sheila Staley
16. cindy Hogan
17. Jamie Thompson
18. Jaclyn Weist
19. Cathy Witbeck
20. Secret Sisters Mysteries
21. Tamera Westhoff
22. Tina Scott
23. Lynnea Mortensen
24. Danyelle Ferguson aka Queen of the Clan
25. Jeanette A. Fratto
26. Bonnie Harris
27. Melissa Lemon
28. Mary Ann Dennis
29. Stephanie Black
30. Jane Still
31. Janice
32. Laura Bastian
33. Tamara Bordon
34. Betsy Love
35. Maria Hoagland
36. Amber Robertson
37. Debbie Davis
38.
39. Christy Monson
40. Carolyn Frank
41. Rebecca Birkin
42. Melissa Cunningham
43. Emily L. Moir
44. Ronda Hinrichsen
45. Lisa Asanuma
46. Joan Sowards
47. Jordan McCollum
48. Diane Stringam Tolley


Saturday, September 17, 2011

Another Skinny Picture


My mom came over this afternoon to take some pictures of me for Facebook and whatnot, and took this one. I honestly thought that for as big as I am, I'd have to lose at least fifty pounds in order to see a difference, but I'm really seeing it now, at 33.5. Hooray!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

A Skinny Picture!

This is the skinniest picture taken of me in a long, long time ... I just had to share it. And I think it's very appropriate that I'm eating a salad. :)

I'm just so tired of hating every picture of me ever taken. When my mom took this one and showed it to me, I actually squealed.

I've decided to post a picture of me every month. That way, when I see you all again in person next time, you'll still recognize me. :)


Sunday, September 11, 2011

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That ...

This blog post is going to be a little bit celebration, a little bit whining...

Let's start with the good stuff. I am now down 33.5 pounds. Yes, you heard me right! I can hardly believe I'm even getting to say that. This is the most weight I've ever lost. Before, my record was twenty-seven pounds, back when I was doing the Healthrider for half an hour every day and practically starving myself. But then I got pregnant, and that came to a stop. I'm really excited about this loss. I feel smaller. I can't even explain what it's like to feel smaller. I honestly thought I was going to be an obese woman the rest of my life.

The whining ... I've been hit by some health problems, and they've both kept me from being the person I've wanted to be this week. It's hard to feel productive when you're lying down with ice on your foot because once again, you've thrown out a bone (I do that every so often) and because you're overstressed. I had a bad day today with my oldest son - we ended up in a fight, which always stresses me out even further. And when your doctor tells you to avoid stress ... it's stressful to avoid stress, you know that? :)

But at any rate, the weight is still coming off. I now look forward to going in to the doctor's office if for no other reason. I'm still spending a lot more time there than I want to - with all of us being treated, it takes a long time - but I have something concrete to look forward to each time.

And when I hit 40 pounds lost, I'm treating myself to a pedicure! I've never had one!

Sunday, September 4, 2011

This Week's Update

I'm quite delighted to announce that my weight loss now totals 27 pounds. That is so epic ... can I just say?

Challenges this week ... staying full enough. Because my diet doesn't allow any grains at all, I'm trying to stay full enough on meats, seeds, and vegetables. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. I've pulled out some of my husbands cookbooks that he collected back when he was doing an alkalerian diet, and I think those will help me broaden my horizons a bit. In addition, Sabine lent me her book about the primal diet, and while I've been too busy to read more than the first chapter up until now, I'm delving into it with a vengeance this week to learn all I can.

So it's a process. A very slow process. :) I'm now off caffeine, which is awesome, although I still miss it. I'm still candy and dessert-free since June 13th, which is something I didn't think I could ever do. And now that I'm off caffeine, I'm sugar-free.

Believe me, I've had my moments of feeling picked on. My husband and I went to the Golden Corral for dinner the other night, and right there in front of me was the most delicious-looking chocolate layer cake. It was hard to fill up my plate with salad and meat and ignore the cakes and the rolls, but you know what? I did it. And I'm really proud of myself.

Right now we're making plans to go to a movie as family for Halloween instead of trick-or-treating. The kids are excited about it - we don't go see movies very often - and I hope it makes it up to them that they aren't getting a whole bag of candy. That would be the worst thing ever for them right now.

Until next time ...

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Well, Whaddya Know?

I got on my little old scale yesterday and got a shock ... I've now lost twenty-two pounds. Yep, that was a shock in a good way. :) I knew I felt a little thinner, but until I saw it on the scale, I thought it had to be wishful thinking or something. I mean, people like me don't lose weight. That's why we are the shape we are. Right?

Well, up until now, that has been my truth. Every time I've tried to lose weight in the past, I either haven't been able to get any off, or I had to get off whatever program I was doing, usually because of time constraints. But because of our health problems, I've been forced into this, and you know, it's not fun to be forced, but I'm seeing some serious benefits. I'm going to need to take in the elastic in the waistbands of my pants ... and I imagine it won't be too much longer before I won't be wearing pants with elastic waistbands. :)

My biggest triumph is that it's been over eight weeks since I've had any chocolate, or any dessert at all. I didn't think I could go this long without a num-num.

My biggest obstacle right now is lack of preparation. I have cheated, and it's always been when I'm away from home, I didn't bring food with me, and my blood sugar drops. I need to get in the habit of taking a snack with me. My mom got me a cute little purse-sized insulated lunch bag, so it's not that taking something is difficult - it's that I don't remember and I don't prepare. If I can get that ironed out, I think I'd be progressing even faster.

My goal right now is to lose a total of forty pounds, and then I'm going to treat myself to a pedicure. I've never had one, and I think cute toes are fun. :) Then I'll set my next goal and decide my next milestone celebration.

In the meantime, the kids are feeling some better, although they miss "good" food. (Their quote) I hope they understand the reasons behind all this and don't fall off the wagon as soon as they get the chance.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

"This is Heavy"

I've said it before and I'll say it again, vacations aren't good for diets. I've been in Texas for a month. Land of BBQ, fried okra, Blue Bell ice cream, and my mom's cooking. I've gained about 7.5 lbs. I go home tomorrow and need to step it up! I can do it!

Friday, August 5, 2011

Hi! Remember me? Probably not!!

Lately, I've been rejoining the blogging world. So here I am again.

And how am I doing with my weight?


Need I go on?

That being said, I've begun taking the right steps. Again. I did do HCG three times. For a while I was down to 185 and I kept that weight pretty well for probably eight or nine months. Then I fell off the bandwagon and started gaining. And gaining.

Hit 200 again. Hit 210 again.

Panicked. Hated myself. Called the doctor.

I've been meaning to get into the doctor for a while to ask about some things. One of them was my thyroid and just general health stuff. I came back fine. Everything was fine. Which is good in a lot of ways. I don't have to worry about high cholesterol, high blood pressure, a bad thyroid or any of that stuff.

Which means, that I can't blame my weight gain on anything BUT my own choices! Sigh. I guess the great thing is that I can start making different choices.

One choice? I've just started on some anti-anxiety medication (go see these two posts for more information). I tend to eat a whole lot more when my anxiety is high. So managing my anxiety through the medication and other things is important.

In speaking with my doctor we decided to also put me on an appetite suppressant.  I'll only be on it for a total of three months, but it should give me a bit of a jump start and encourage me to keep on losing.

In the meantime I'm trying to develop healthier habits overall. The eating hasn't been as good as it should be, but my appetite is definitely smaller, so I have lost weight. I've also been walking more. I read about people doing all kinds of great exercise, running five miles a day, or spinning, or lifting weights and how they feel so good and blah blah blah. I hate it. Because I kind of have the belief that I won't get to the weight I want to (my doctor recommended 160), without doing that kind of crazy exercise.

But you know what? That's okay. I'm just going to start with walking. And so I have. I haven't walked every day, but I have walked a lot more this summer than I have in a long time. And I listen to an audiobook while I do it, making it pretty enjoyable. I don't even walk that far--probably 2 1/2 miles when I do. But hey. That's ok for now.

And I'm just going to continue developing healthier habits. Maybe after walking for a couple of years I'll go to the next level, and maybe start running. Doubt it, but hey miracles have happened before.

I just need to remember this process isn't just about being thin (although I love the idea!), but it's also about me being HEALTHY. Maybe I always figured if I was thin I'd be healthy. But that isn't necessarily true.

So I'm back. And hopefully I'll stay. I've gone from 210 to 196.2 as of this morning. Keeping on, keeping on. And this time, it takes as long as it takes, and I will make sure I'm either maintaining or losing. NOT GAINING. And being HEALTHY.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Eggplant Pizza

I love summertime when the garden is just bursting with vegetables and we have something fresh every night. This year to help us stay on our primal plans we planted (or I guess I should say my husband planted) a lot more than usual and he tried a bunch of new things to give variety to our diet. So when he came to me with 3 beautiful eggplants, I was pleased, but had no idea what to do with them. I'd heard of Eggplant Parmigiana, but since we don't do grains I was looking for something I didn't have to bread (although the few things I've breaded in Almond meal have been divine). So last night we tried Eggplant Pizza. I cut the eggplants length wise about 1/2 and inch thick. Then I broiled them on one side until they were lightly brown. I flipped them and added pizza sauce and mozerella cheese and broiled till the cheese was bubbly and lightly browned. The result was perfect. The kids were not as convinced, but once I told them they had to eat it or else, it actually went down well. I think the name just through them off. I even heard a comment that we could have it again. We will because I loved it and maybe next time I will add other pizza toppings to make it seem more like a real pizza.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

I'm back!

Hey guys! I'm back! Long time no see. I switched google accounts and haven't posted for a very long time. Mainly because my current blog is in one google account and this blog was in the other. A marriage has been performed and we are joined once again!

Just to bring you up to date, the battle with weight and fitness goes on. Up and down and . . . wait, no just up. It's more than frustrating. I have a feeling my problem is my hormones. I'm all over the place. I've taken some tests and will start with bioidenticle hormone treatment. I'm very excited and everyone I've talked to who uses them, swears by them. I'll keep you posted.

You see, if I just had more energy, I'd be able to work out more. I wake up in the mornings feeling like I've just run a marathon. I'm exhausted all the time, and I mean really exhausted. My poor kids feel so put out, because mom never wants to do anything fun.

My appointment with the doc is on the 17th so I'll let you know how it goes. So far, I work out as often as I can and then lay on my bed the rest of the day. (pretty much) --not conducive to great writing. It's been a real push to write at all. Mainly because I'm so tired all the time. I'm at the end of my current ms and only have about ten thousand words to go, so let me tell ya, I need to feel better so I can finish this dang thing, and become rich and famous!

So that's my life in a nutshell. I'll keep posting and let you know of my progress.

My Update

I'm going to start off this post with some fun news - I've lost fifteen pounds. Woohoo! Now, with that important piece of information out of the way, I can proceed with the rest of my update.

As you know, on June 13th I had a doctor appointment and was put on a very limited diet. I have been living it almost faithfully. I say "almost" because about once a week, I do falter, and end up grabbing a sandwich or something like that. I'm also not weaned off caffeine yet, although that is my next big goal. Until I'm off that, I'm not really being compliant with the diet. But it has been over six weeks since I've had chocolate (or dessert at all, for that matter) pasta, rice, or other grains, and I am seeing changes in my body. Even though the weight loss so far is fairly small, the shape of my body is changing. I can feel it in the way my stomach hangs on my body. (Yes, it hangs - we're keeping it real, right?)

Weighing in at my doctor's office was a bit mortifying. My first day of this new lifestyle, my bathroom scale said I weighed 290. Whoa - okay, that wasn't delightful. But then when I got to the doctor's, and got on his very accurate, scary, frightening scale, it added ten pounds. That's right - I started this out at 300. I didn't think I'd gotten that heavy. Wake up for Tristi!! But according to his scale, I'm now 284.5, so yeah, fifteen pounds, and we're backing away from that frightening number that starts with a 3.

Now, I've been down this path before. Huh. A lot. I've lost weight, gained weight, lost weight ... this blog was started during one of those well-meaning fits of losing weight, but then I lost the momentum. This time is different. This time, I can't lose the momentum.

In addition to the food allergies, I've got some health problems. I'm not going to go into them all here, because that's depressing and all that stuff, but also because it would take a long time, but the upshot is that I have to take care of myself or my life expectancy isn't that great. My doctor put it bluntly when he said, "You won't get to see your grandkids." Up until now, I've been skating along, feeling like the golden child, not really affected by anything. These last few months, though ... my knee gave out at the LDStorymakers Writers Conference. I was having to walk a distance between my hotel room and the conference rooms, and I was flat-out exhausted. There are other health factors we've recently discovered that added to that, but the weight was killing my knee, and it plain gave out. I'm tired of all this. I'm tired of weight-related problems, things I can't do - I don't enjoy driving our small car anymore because it's too hard for me to get in and out of. I drive the minivan exclusively now, and it makes me mad that I'm limited in which vehicle I take because of the size of my body. I find that completely wrong.

What it has all come down to, though, is my kids. They are all candidates for diabetes and heart attacks - they got all the bad genes from me and from my husband, and they have problems assimilating sugar. So we're all doing this really limited diet together - no carbs. None. No grain, no fruit, no nothing. We're eating vegetables (but not corn or peas - too high on the glycemic index) lean meats, nuts and seeds, and a limited amount of certain dairy products. We're seeing huge changes in our health, for the whole family. But it has been a challenge.

My biggest challenge right now is that I need to concentrate on making food in advance. This week, I pretty much starved myself to death because there wasn't anything readily available that I wanted to eat, I went too long without eating, and I got sick. I've got to break that habit. My kids will cook up eggs or whatever when they're hungry, and they're fine, but you know, there are just times when I don't want an egg, and I need to be more creative, and I haven't been. This is a way in which I need to be a better guardian of my own health.

I'm going to start checking in more and letting you know how I'm doing. I need further accountability. (Like the doctor's scary scale isn't enough ... ) But right now, here's my report:

1. I'm eating mostly clean. I have had some Wendy's over the last two days - starving, as I mentioned, and didn't prepare, so I need to reset the brain to cook in advance - but for the most part, I'm eating very, very well.

2. No desserts and no chocolate since the start of this diet. Yes, that means I've had no gummy peach rings, no chocolate-covered cinnamon bears, none of my old favorites.

3. I'm now drinking about 16 oz. of Coke - at least, that's what I had today. That's down from about 1 1/2 liters a day. Progress. Progress.

4. I'm not currently exercising. My workload has gotten super, super heavy lately, and what with signing books at Costco, etc, my schedule is more packed than it logically can be. I have plans to reintroduce exercise to my life next week.

5. My water consumption is about 3/4 what it should be, but again, progress.

So ... that's what's up in my world. I'm seeing good changes, I'm making good changes, and I'm very proud of myself. And that's what's important - proud of myself without making excuses. It's a good feeling.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Hey Mama Welcome to the 60's!

So the whole only weighing yourself once a month has been pretty easy this last three weeks since the battery in my scale died. I had a kind of bad 4th of July week in which I had a Pepsi at the Real Soccer Game, a handful of Red Vines on the boat, and an Oreo cookie here and there. Needless to say I wasn't looking forward to getting a new battery after that! But I was still a lot less than I had been and I needed a new swimsuit. My cute step mother-in-law, who is not much older than me, and has divine taste in clothes told me to come over and look through her old ones as she had about 10 extra ones. So I went and found a cute tankini that I looked good in (for the first time in years I was excited to see myself in a swimsuit.
Since the swimsuit experience had gone well I decided to use their scale to check my weight, because I knew from experience it was right on par with my scale. And I had to step on three times just to make sure....I'm in the 60's for the first time in years. I weighed in tonight, fully clothed and in the late afternoon mind you, at 165 so I have lost a total of 34 pounds since February!!! I am so excited. I couldn't help but think of the Hairspray song "Hey Mama Welcome to the 60's". Sixteen more pounds to go to hit that 50 pound mark I was hoping for. Here is hoping the next month goes as well as the last!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

So ... Whassup?

Hey, everyone!

I've had fun scrolling down and checking out the progress updates - it's inspiring to me, and helpful to know I'm not alone in this battle. On days when things aren't going so hot over here, it's awesome to have people to look toward for motivation to keep going.

A couple of updates: when last I posted, I was doing my son's allergy diet with him. That went all right for a couple of days, but then he was restricted even further, and I lost my willpower.

This last Monday saw a huge change in my life. I had my own appointment with Joseph's doctor ... and let's just say, the kid comes by his health problems naturally. I not only am allergic to just about everything, but my organs (especially my adrenals) aren't functioning. So the doctor officially put me on a restricted diet, and he has given me a pile of pills to take to help kick-start the nutrition going. The pills are all condensed vegetable matter, and they look sort of like tiny little cow droppings - you know, dried up grass - but they aren't too hard to swallow.

The difficulty I'm having is just how very limited my allergies make me. I'm going to be having all kinds of treatments for them, so they shouldn't always be this bad, but it's going to take me a little while to figure out a routine that is best for me.

However, there is this - I started this all on Tuesday morning. I should have started Monday night, but we didn't get home until late. Anyway, I started on Tuesday, and when I got on the scale this morning (two days later) it showed a loss of 4 pounds, and I feel like it's a healthy loss, not an "I'm starving to death because I can't eat anything" loss. As my organs get the food they need and start perking up, I should have all kinds of energy and be able to stay better on top of things.

Perhaps what's helping me out the most right now is that the doctor has put me on adrenal support supplements, which is what I need to get me off the Coke. I haven't been able to get off it by myself because I couldn't function without it. Now I have something to help me function, and the doctor didn't take away the Coke entirely. We're weaning me off it slowly, which I think is awesome. As my adrenals wake up, we'll reduce the Coke even further until I'm off it entirely.

So - the upshot is this. I'm doing a very limited diet, taking lots of supplements, drinking three quarts of water a day, and I'm on doctor's orders to rest more and get more sleep. I'll keep you updated as we go along - right now I'm still in, "let's figure out what to eat" phase, but I can tell progress is already being made, and that's very heartening.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Biggest Loser, So Far

Well, I haven't been kicked off yet. I didn't have any weight change last week, which was lucky for me since I'd baked a batch of cookies and had soda. But so far I've lost 5.5 lbs. Normally I wouldn't be too excited about it, but because I crossed a difficult marker in the weight loss (getting myself under 140) I'm pretty stoked. Unfortunately the weight loss hasn't equaled a drop in pants size yet, but whatever. Hopefully I'll be able to keep going and eventually drop a shirt size as well as pants size. I had to buy shorts today (it's been in the 90s all week until today--in the 60s. I hate Cleveland.) and so I was bummed to still be in the same size, but it will all work out in the end.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Almost there!

The title of this post may be a little deceiving. I am still 25 pounds away from my goal, but I am only 1 pound away from my half way mark. My second month of primal went well, but there were a few more hang ups than the first month. Mainly a series of birthday parties with designer cakes that just kept begging to be tested until the last party when I finally gave in and went for it. I'll admit, it was tasty. But after the taste factor went away, eating a whole piece of chocolate cake after 2 months no sugar took its toll on my stomach. I think remembering that gut wrenching feeling will be helpful in the future to refraining from at least so much indulgence. So the big weigh in for the month put me at another five pounds gone away! 24 pounds in 4 months. If I can keep this rate up I will hit my goal by October.
I've found a lot of fun recipes for being primal. The family favorite is Macadamia Crusted Mahi Mahi, which thanks to Costco we can get the wild caught stuff. If you want to try it, just soak your Mahi Mahi in a dish of milk (if you are non dairy use coconut milk) then dip it in fine ground macadamia nuts (I ground mine in my 10$ Black and Decker coffee grinder that I bought at Target to grind my flax seed. Hint...Hazelnuts are too hard to do in this, but macadamia nuts are just fine.) Salt and Pepper and bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes. So easy and so good.
I am still in summer school and just got a part time job, so my grand plans for a workout routine that involves more than walking up and down the stairs at school is still in the idea process, but hopefully by next month that will be a reality. Until then, I'm still feeling great. For the most part being primal has been the easiest and most fulfilling "diet" ever. I can see this being a lifestyle change for good.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Cauliflower Again?

Okay so it is not just for mashing! I have now tried what is called cauliflower rice and it is yummy! I made it by shredding a head of cauliflower on a cheese grater. Then I used it in replace of rice in my stuffed peppers. It is amazing how this one vegetable can be a substitute for so many of the grains I used to use. It is more amazing that my family thinks it is much more flavorful and says they would rather have it this way always. The peppers were divine and I can't wait to try it just as a rice side substitute. I love CAULIFLOWER!

Monday, May 16, 2011

So. . .I Sold the Bike.

I had all these grand plans of exercising and then. . .nope. Didn't happen. After having my other kids I had to lay off the exercising because every time I didn't I lost my milk. This baby doesn't know what a bottle is and refuses to become familiar with one. I don't really have much of a choice here and I don't want to risk losing my milk when he isn't ready to be off.

So, I sold the recumbent stationary bike. I wasn't using it and I wouldn't be using it until after we move from here and I really don't want to take it with us (I'd rather have an upright bike anyway).

However, I have joined a Biggest Loser contest with some girls in my ward and now that I have $20 on the line and there's a competition going, I'm going to try harder to eat better (stop when I'm not hungry, not when I'm bursting) and get more regular exercise like walking and pilates.


I"m really excited about this and hope that it works out. We'll see how it goes!

Saturday, May 14, 2011

I'm Hungry, I Yam

Today I showed a loss of 1.8 pounds. Woohoo! The only problem? I'm hungry.

It's not the diet's fault. I can eat all the meat, seeds, and vegetables I want. It's just that I'm totally not in the habit of eating this way. I didn't have a lot of meat as a child - we couldn't really afford it, so I'm not habituated to eating it. And I'm really, really not used to doing without grains. I've depended on those to help me feel full.

My mom is the one who led us to this way of eating, and she says that yams are what has taken the place of a filling food for her. So I've got my husband running an errand for me - he's going to go buy me some yams.

In the meantime, my son is just doing what he's told, no problems, no complaints, feeling better every day.

I'm sure I will too ... once my system acclimatizes.

Friday, May 13, 2011

How's It Goin'?

First of all, I just have to say, I'm having trust issues with Blogger right now. It ate two blogs from my regular site and it has since reposted one, but I'm still waiting for the other and I'm concerned that this one might not make it up at all. Keeping fingers crossed ...

As we discussed the other day, I'm changing my eating patterns pretty radically. My son has allergies and we're working on figuring out what's up, and his doctor is having him eat really simply for now. Yesterday I started eating alongside him, and I have to say, that kid is kicking my can. He's eating whatever I'm giving him and he's doing it without complaint. Me, on the other hand? I'm a whiner. :)

Yesterday I did pretty well except for two things. At 3:00, my energy dropped and I had a small Cherry Coke. Then at 9:00, I was on my way home from helping at a wedding reception and my blood sugar totally tanked. I pulled into Del Taco and grabbed a chicken taco and a small burrito. So I'd give myself about a 70% for yesterday.

Today I've done better. I did have a little bit of leftover rice from lunch - on this diet, I'm not supposed to have any grains - but I've eaten right the rest of the day. The other difficulty was the Cherry Coke. I am going to have to wean myself off it a little slowly. I'll give myself about an 80% for today.

I haven't weighed today, but plan to tomorrow. Sabine mentioned that on her plan, you don't weigh for a month - I need to keep tabs on things a little more often to keep myself motivated. :)

Talk to you soon!

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Okay, Well, Here We Go!

I'm entering this next phase of my life with great reluctance. You see, I really like food. (I'm sure you've picked up on that along the way.) My favorites are chocolate and Cherry Coke. I started drinking the Coke because my adrenals are shot, and yes, I know that drinking Coke doesn't let adrenals heal, but I haven't found anything natural yet to take the Coke's place. So. Long story short, I'm not losing weight and I'm unhealthy and it's time to really, really do something about it this time.

The catalyst in all this is my son. He's currently going through some allergy treatments and his doctor has put him in a very simple, clean diet. It sounds pretty similar to the primal diet Sabine is doing - lots of clean, fresh meat, a ton of vegetables and seeds, no fruit, no grain, absolutely no sugar or chocolate or caffeine. My son is feeling awesome, although the adjustment has been a little tough for him. But he's such a good kid - he knows this will lead to better overall health, once all his allergies are isolated and we eliminate those things from his diet. He has hardly complained at all, which is a huge example to me.

So I'm looking at him, and I'm looking at pictures of myself from last weekend's LDStorymakers Writers Conference, and I'm thinking, you know what? If my nine-year-old can buck up and do what he needs to do, then I can too. He's probably going to have to have some kind of alternative birthday cake this year, and he's fine with that. Surely I can give up a few things I know aren't good for me.

I told him I was going to do this diet with him so he wouldn't feel alone, but in reality, I'm doing it with him so he can inspire me with his good attitude. I'm a whiner. I'm going to miss all my nummies. But I'm tired of being the largest person in every picture, or at every dinner table, or in every room. I'm tired of thinking I look pretty cute, for a fat person. Yes, I know that's a matter of internal self-talk, and that I have to change my perception before that will go away.

So, here I go, heading out into the unknown. I've been cooking for my son for the last little bit, so I know how to cook for myself. I'm going to eat right alongside him and let him encourage me not to cheat. Eating this way has worked marvels for a lot of people, and I'd love to follow Sabine's example and lose 19 pounds in a month. Most of all, I want to get off the Coke and stop feeling dependent on the chocolate.

I'm just so glad that I have a nine-year-old cheerleader on my team. I wouldn't do it for myself, but I will do it for him. He will help me get healthy while I'm helping him get healthy.

Expect to see me posting a lot more frequently, and probably with some whining, too - I can't whine at my son, so I need to get it out of my system somehow. :)

Today so far:

Weighed in to get a baseline

Breakfast - slice of turkey meatloaf I made with 97/3 ground turkey, chopped onion, celery, egg (no crumbs or oatmeal), 1/2 peeled cucumber, 4 oz. sunflower seeds, large glass of filtered water

I will probably have to taper off the Coke a little slowly. I haven't had any since yesterday - we'll see if I can do it cold turkey or if I need to wean.

Talk to you soon!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Cauliflower!!!

Okay, so going primal has been pretty easy, but there are somethings I was not willing to give up. First up Spaghetti sauce. I knew I could do without the noodles, but not my meaty goodness (which now that I am making it fresh from my homemade bottled tomatoes is to die for). But what was I supposed to put it over? It was a sauce. My answer was Cauliflower. And it was a success, everyone loved it. So I have been sick this past week and wanted some comfort food. Shepard's Pie has always done that for me. At least the ground beef, mashed potatoes version. I know the real stuff is made with lamb, but I grew up calling this Shepard's Pie and so it is. Anyhow, being primal doesn't allow for the starchiness of potatoes, so what was I to do? My meat went fine with a few herbs, some beef broth, and fresh veggies added, but I needed a creamy white topping to make it perfect. So I used mashed cauliflower instead. I topped off my meat, put a pat of butter on top and 40 minutes latter had one of the best versions of Shepard's Pie I'd ever tasted. I can't wait to discover what else I can pair with this wonder vegetable! I didn't even think I liked it that much a month ago. Now it is a staple in my house!!!

Monday, May 2, 2011

Um ... Hi

So, it occurs to me that since I started this blog, I should probably post something, huh? I'm glad to see Brent's posts resuming - he's really inspiring with how he's taking this thing by the horns and wrassling it into submission. Every one of you inspire me with your successes and I commiserate when you have a day that didn't go how you'd hoped. I'm still here, even if I'm very, very quiet right now.

My thing is that I'm having issues with my body right now. After wondering just what was up with my back, I had some x-rays done. I've always known I have scoliosis - that was diagnosed when I was ten. But now I know to what extent I have it (quite a lot) and some other problems I have (I'm just a very interesting medical case). It really explains a lot, like why my ribs keep popping out of alignment, etc.

I've done, and loved, the Game On! diet, as I've mentioned here, but also as I've mentioned here, it's almost impossible for me to keep up with any healthy routine when my life gets busy. I can't concentrate on multiple things at a time anymore - I'm still blaming the concussion, but who knows who long I'll get away with that excuse. So as my author services business picked up, my healthy habits went by the wayside, and I'm weighing pretty much the same right now as I did a year ago. I did back down from that ghastly weight number we once talked about - the one I'm determined never to see - but I'm nowhere near close to the goals I had set for myself.

However, I'm soon going to be following Sabine's example and going primal. It's actually pretty coincidental that she's doing it - my son's doctor is doing some allergy testing, etc, on him and has limited his diet for the time being, and I'm going to join him next week. I'm away from the house Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (LDStorymakers Writers Conference) and I will have no control over my eating, so come Monday, I'm hitting the diet with my son, help him feel a little less alone. And hopefully, I'll drop some awesome weight too.

And that's all for now ... you guys are awesome, you're inspirational, and I appreciate you.

Wanting Some More Accountability

It's been a long time. I've been totally on the workout train the last couple of months (I won't bore you with the details here. Click here if you're interested in reading about it.) as I prepare for another triathlon in less than 3 weeks. (EEEEK!) But my eating habits have hardly budged.

I know I need to go on a no-sugar regimen and really fuel my body with healthy foods from now until race day, but I'm having a hard time committing to it. The biggest challenge I have is my daily routine of sitting down in front of the TV at the end of a long day with my hubby and eating lots of bad foods right before bed. Every night.

Any big ideas on how to combat the problem? I keep vowing to myself that I'll only eat veggies after a certain time at night, but when it comes to that time and my significant other sits down with a big bowl of cereal and some chocolate candy goodness, I can't stick to the plan.

Help??

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Staying Primal

Well it has been one month since I went primal and for the most part I stuck to it. Yes, I messed up once or twice. I had a bite of my daughter's noodles when we went to Panda Express. I had one piece of milk chocolate at Easter, but I tried even on my mess ups to only let them be really little. And when I did my monthly weigh in I was down 11 pounds since April 1st! Wahoo. It worked, and with relative ease. I never went hungry. I ate as much as I wanted when I wanted it, just sticking with vegetables, fruits, and proteins and staying away from sugar, starch, and grains. So, that puts me at a grand total of 19 pounds since Feb 2. One thing for sure with this last month over the 8 pounds I lost the first two month when I just started cutting back...I don't have to go hungry, my posture has improved, and I have had so much more energy. I totally made it through finals week without a Coke! I have been finding some really good substitutes that even my kids like, to stay away from grains. On the menu for tonight is homemade marinara with grass fed beef over cauliflower (instead of pasta). My whole family loves it. I also want to start adding a little walking and a few WOW's (work out of the week from the primal blog...marks' daily apple). Here is to hoping at the end of this month you will still be seeing less of me!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Weigh in day for Brent!

Its Friday weight-loss-watchers, and that means weigh in day for Brent! This morning I tipped the scales showing a loss of 6.7 lbs since Monday and I’m feeling really good about it. I’ve been overly strict, not starvation mind you, but strict. I’m eating lots of fruits and raw veggies, (as much as I want) and some lean proteins (not quite as much as I want) and no sugar (not nearly as much as I want). Plus I am religious about getting in those brisk, daily walks and have added a few pushups and crunches to my regimen as well.
I’ve made some plans to eat less carful over potions of Easter weekend. There are a few meals/time periods were food is part of the celebration. During those specific times, I’m going to enjoy some of the treats and traditional foods that go along with the season. But, that does not mean I will let my nutritional hair down for the entire weekend. If breakfast isn’t part of the official celebration, then I’m going to eat light, same with diner, snacks and so on. I’ve worked really hard to turn this big, unhealthy boat in the right direction and it would be foolish to completely mess it up now, just for sake of a Holiday weekend.
I hope you are doing well, and have made plans to enjoy the weekend as well. Keep up the fight and may the Easter Bunny bring us all a few really chocolaty treats!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

If it doesn’t matter, don’t eat like it does!

It’s been a whirlwind couple of days but the great thing is that I’ve managed to take time to eat right and exercise despite the hectic schedule. There were a few close calls, when I almost slipped, and there have been a few occasions where I almost justified cheating, but in the end I made good choices.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how strict we should be in our dieting and I think we need to be sure to cut ourselves a little slack on special occasions and extenuating circumstances. I’ve always said that I didn’t get fat from going to parties, enjoying the holidays, or eating too much while on vacation. I got this way by eating most every meal like it was a party. We’d all do well if we guiltlessly enjoyed food on those few occasions when food is part of a special event, so long as we were careful to eat nutritiously every other meal during the week. If there is a party, if your neighbor brings over homemade sweet rolls (Lisa), if you’re on a trip, or its Sunday dinner, I say go ahead and indulge a little, then just swear on your life that you’ll be good the rest of the time. I’ll say it again, I don’t think we got out of shape by enjoying special foods on special occasions; it’s the basic everyday food choices that effect us the most. If the meal matters, eat. If it doesn’t matter, don’t eat like it does!
I’m going to weigh in tomorrow. Hopefully I’ll nail double digit number because I’ve sure earned it, having said that, scales are not always fair, so if I don’t hit it big, I won’t be too worried about it.
I wish you well in your nutritional endeavors and I hope to hear more from you soon. Take care.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Calorically intact

Well, I was shooting for some “Biggest Loser” sized numbers and I guess I came pretty close. I am down 7.3 lbs in seven days, that’s enough that I don’t feel like a total failure, but I was really really hoping for something in the double digits. But, I also crashed a burned a few times over the weekend. Without going into detail I didn’t make it out of Logan calorically intact, nor was I on my best nutritional behavior at Mom’s b-day party last night, so all things considered, I ought to be ecstatic about losing 7.
The really great part is that I am back on the wagon and doing well today. Had a good workout dragging trees and branches at the cabin and then came to town and did my daily cemetery walk, even though it was raining. I’ve been munching vegetarian style all day and that seems alright as a temporary tactic. It’s weird for me to have a meal without meat, but I have learned that’s it is possible. Not preferred, but possible.
My next weigh in will be this Friday and I am going to focus a little harder on a double digit loss. That will be tough because its only five days away, but I still think I can pull it off. Please continue to keep me posted on your progress and let me know if you have any strategies on surviving Easter, or if you thing that’s one of those holidays that merits a 24 hour, free pass.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Going Primal

Okay so it has been awhile. What with school, soccer, homework, housework, when is a girl supposed to lose any weight? I realized just how bad it had gotten when I stepped on the scale the morning of my 35th birthday to see it top off at 199. I knew right then I was never going to let it see that 200 mark. EVER! So I did what I felt I could do at the time. I cut back to three cokes a week instead of everyday. I tried walking a bit more when I could. I stopped having after dinner snacks. And it worked--a bit. I went from 199 at the first of Feb to 191 at the first of April. Not terrible, but I felt like it was a half hearted effort. Especially when my husband at lost 29 pounds in those same two months by going Primal.
I was skeptical at first. I got the whole no sugar thing, I really did. But no grains? No starch? No beans? What was up with that? Well I promised to give it a month. And here I am on day 17, and I can't tell you how much I've lost (another one of my husbands rules for me I have to give it a month before I weigh myself) but I can tell you, my energy levels have rapidly increased. I've gotten several comments from people that I am looking better, I feel better, and a couple of days ago I wore a shirt that hasn't been out of my closet in months because the arms were too tight, and there was room to spare!
So I guess finishing out the month being primal won't be so bad. It may be the lifestyle change I was looking for. Its not that hard, it requires a little planning, but I have not gone hungry once, which is good. Plus since most fast food places don't have a ton of options for me, I am saving some money as well.
On May 1st I'll stop on that scale and see what it tells me. Until then. I'm Primal!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

My body seems to appreciate it

Survived the concession counter at the movies last night. The lady behind the glass case looked quite surprised when I said I didn’t need any treats. I guess some of us look more prone to popcorn and drinks than others.
As a side note, the movie was good, but felt strangely foreign. I guess that’s because it was. Not an American actor or location in the whole thing.
So far I’ve been eating smart today. I arranged my schedule to eat my best meal of the day for lunch rather than diner. I did the same thing yesterday and my body seems to appreciate it. I sleep better on an empty stomach and I wake up feeling more refreshed.
In a few minutes I’m headed for a walk. It will be nice once the weather breaks so I can exercise when I want, and not when the wind and rain dictates.
My next big weigh-in will be on Monday and I feel pretty good about hitting a double digit number. Time will tell.
Until tomorrow…keep up the fight.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Concession counters at the movies

Another successful nutrition day. I’m not sure why, but I somehow have a handle on appropriate eating and exercise these days. I’m trying not to get overly cocky though, because sadly, I know from past experience that I could easily fall off the wagon at any time. I hope relapse will not be a problem for me, but I’d better make weight-loss-hay while the sun is shining because the further we get on any journey, the harder it is to turn back. I guess that’s true about all the unhealthy journeys we take as well. It can take so long to turn those massive, misdirected ships around.
My big temptation tonight will be Salt Creek Cinemas. I’m going to the movie with a friend and you know what kind of junk food awaits behind the glass concession counters at the movies. Wish me luck, and please ask me about how I did. Accountability to you is much of what gets me through these tough times.
Thanks again for the emails, texts, posts, and kind words when I run into some of you down town. Please let me know how I can help you with your battles as well. I feel like we’re in this together!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

The Lost Lamb is Returning to the Fold


Yes, it is I, the lost dieter. The lost little lamb is finding her way back to the safety of the fold. I decided that my clothes were sending a message of "Too tight; not right!" After a very sad New Years Eve by myself, (My kids were with their dad) and eating WAY too much, I gave in. On January 4, 2011 I joined Weight Watchers Online. I really love the online program! I love having a plan and trying my best to stick with it. Since the 4th I have lost 15.4 pounds. I know that this is not quite the excitement of The Biggest Loser, when people lose 15 pounds in one week, but I am happy. I am hoping when I next see all of you in May that there will be less of me to look at.

My question is, why does it always take a breaking point before we do something about our weight? As I said, my breaking point came after eating so much pizza I felt like throwing it up. There were many tears that night and I knew I was at my lowest point. I also knew that I loved my kids and myself enough to change my habits. Life is important to me and I want to be here to raise my kids. They also deserve a Mom who has the energy and strength to keep up with them.

I am happy to be back here giving and receiving support . It is the only way to truly be successful in any weight loss journey.