My journey to better health

Another beautiful day in Central Oregon!!!  This is the Three Sisters mountains.....we have so many gorgeous mountains surrounding us.  

Since I made the decision to just share my thoughts and what's going on in my life, I have felt such a 'burden' lifted.  I actually look forward to blogging.

I still haven't picked up a stamp to make a card but I know it will happen soon!

For now, I am enjoying this new found freedom to just BE.  I know that this may not make sense to some people but I am not really concerned, anymore, about making sense to anyone else.  ;-)

As I mentioned in another post, I started a weight loss journey, in January because of a visit to the Dr.  I was having some breathing issues that I was concerned about, but after several tests, it was determined that my weight was the issue.  Also, that my numbers were up with my diabetes and blood pressure.
So, with my Dr's permission, I decided to try and get those numbers down without medication but with diet (nutrition) and exercise.

Have you ever noticed HOW many books there are about losing weight and how many ways there are to go about it?  And, on top of that, there are tons and tons of different health books on how we should eat or should not eat.....every author convinced that their way is THE way!!!  Wheat free, Atkins, Vegan, Vegetarianism, Paleo, this guy, that guy, this woman, that woman.....all giving their perspective on how we should eat for optimum health. And, to be honest, most of them all work.  I have probably tried some of them at some point in my life and to tell you the truth, I have probably lost weight on most of them.

This time, however, I have decided to do it my way with regard to the foods I eat.  To be honest, if we don't change the way we eat, then no diet will ever work, long term.

I am reading advice from nutritionists but am not following any specific plan. And, with the exception of being accountable to a friend each week, I am not joining any weight loss program, not following any specific 'diet' plan and, also for the first time, I am not putting a deadline as to when I should reach my goal! How freeing is that?

I did download an app called MyFitnessPal and have been using that tool for keeping me on track with my calories but also watching my carbs, sugars, protein (along with so many other things) and water intake.  Wow....it's so enlightening to find where all those hidden sugars and salt are!!  Some things I would have never guessed if I didn't have that app.



We recently went to the coast and I did pretty well.  I enjoyed our get away so much.....a beautiful 3 day visit to the coast with nothing but sunshine and a motel view of the ocean.  I had made up my mind, beforehand, that I would eat the best I could but also allow myself to indulge in a few things I loved, if I chose to.  I would just track the calories. I would also try harder to get in more steps.

I had purchased a Fitbit, several years ago to motivate me to get more walking into my day.  You can go to Fitbit.com and check it out.  My goal is to eventually get to 10,000 steps a day.  Haven't gotten to that point yet....but in time it will come.  Anyway, it encourages me to get in more steps every day.

Over the course of four days, I treated myself to a part of an apple dumpling (not the dumpling part) that we purchased at a road stand on the way to Tillamook, OR, a couple of small cups of clam chowder, (one at the Chowder House at Nye Beach and the other at the Sea Hag in Depoe Bay) and a small ice cream cone at the Tillamook Cheese Factory, in Tillamook, OR. I wanted to prove to myself that I could enjoy different foods now and then, but I just needed to be responsible. AND, that it's all about choices!

On the way home, David took me to the Olive Garden for lunch, in Salem, as he had a couple of gift cards and he knows I LOVE Italian food.  But, I knew that I couldn't indulge in a huge plate of noodles and countless bread sticks...like I have in the past but, I also didn't want to just sit there and have salad, either, while my slim hubby indulged in whatever he wanted.  :-)

I know, from experience, that when I only eat salads on a 'diet', I soon get very bored with it and give up.  I also wanted to prove to myself that I don't have to avoid certain places because I am on a 'diet'.  I actually welcomed it as a challenge ;-)

So, I asked the waitress if she knew of some good choices for those who are watching their calories.  She actually brought me a hand out that had the caloric and other dietary information for everything they offer.

She allowed me to order off the 'additions' portion of the menu....which you are only supposed to order from IF you are having the all you can eat salad and soup. I ended up ordering a very small bowl of Fettucinne (and savored every bite) and a plate of asparagus along with the all you can eat salad that I shared with David. I also had 1/2 of a bread stick. ;-)  Now THAT was hard just eating a half....but it was so good!!!  I learned that if you are upfront with the wait staff, they sometimes will go out of their way to accommodate you!

It felt good to know that I don't have to give up certain foods just because I was on a 'diet'!!  I really hate the word diet....I like to refer to it, better, as A Way of eating...not a diet!

I weighed in last Friday, 3 days after our trip and I lost 1.2 pounds.  YES!!!! So, that is a total, so far, of 12 pounds.  Still a long ways to go but I am in no hurry this time.  Like I said, I don't have a deadline as to what I want to lose by what date.

Now, had I chosen to NOT have those special treats, I might have lost more....but this is not a race to see how much I can lose in the fastest amount of time, this is me teaching myself that I can eat those things in moderation and stay on track.

                             

On the way home from the coast, we stopped at a local Wal Mart and I bought a new set of scales.  My others ones were still working fine, but they are the kind with the little needle pointer. Sometimes, you can't really figure out the 1/2's and 1/4's and I wanted to know exactly what I weigh each week, as I know down the road....there will be times that it's less than a pound.....and just knowing I lost something will motivate and encourage me.  It also gives other reports as to BMI and other things.

Enjoy your day!!!!  Do something for yourself and remember to not allow negative thoughts to deprive you of your JOY!!!

BIG HUGS,
Char