Day 6 Election Crazy

I missed posting on day six.  I was overwhelmed with the elections and then depressed with the results.  This is not a political blog.  Since the activities of my whole day had to do with the election, we'll make it short.

Current Total Holiday Weight Loss {6.6 lbs}

Day 5 Parties, a Recipe for Failure?

One of the hardest things about holiday parties for someone who is trying to be healthy is the feeling of deprivation that will inevitably ensue.  One of the comments I hear most frequently at these gatherings is, "She can't have any.  She's on a diet."  Of course I am going to find myself feeling left out, when that is the only thing I am hearing.  I had to totally change my thought process into, "I can have whatever I want.  I am choosing to only put good things into my body."  When I am feeling especially picked on, I have to say it out loud.

Today there was a big birthday celebration at the office for Todd (that little sweetie is 31)!  Birthdays are pretty much the same as any other holiday when it comes to the food traditions they are centered around.  Hello birthday cake and ice cream.  Today our resident office diva, Annette, laid out a smorgasbord of healthy eats: carrots, baby tomatoes, celery, turkey, and even some broccoli alongside some cupcakes (she got the idea from reading this blog, hooray)!  It was a great way to make all the healthy eaters feel included in the event without stepping on the birthday fairy's toes.

Before I go to a party or other social gathering, I have to pump my healthy-self up.  I am not talking about weight lifting, although that would probably help too.  I have to mentally place myself in risky decision-making situations and decide what I will do beforehand.  It's easier to turn down Mom's ice cream cake without hurting her feelings with a creative preset answer, "Oh Mom, that looks sooo delicious.  I would love a piece, but not today.  You'll have to give me that recipe."  

If you would like to join the ranks of people getting healthy, you can join us for our weekly meeting to learn the Habits of Health.  Here's a little link to the event.  Hope to see you there!

 

Current Holiday Weight Loss Total {5.7 lbs}

Day 4 Shut the Front Door

Here is a picture from today.

Don't you wish you had wood paneling like that?

I cannot believe how much weight  I have lost in just the last few days.  I had been at a plateau for what had seemed like the longest time.  I could tell I was losing inches (my pants were falling off me, people), but my weight was staying the same.  Hallelujah for this blog!


And can I get an AMEN for Sundays.  I love Sundays.  They are the day for helping create a Healthy Mind.  This is just one part of the trilogy of health (Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Healthy Finances) that Dr. Anderson discusses in our Habits of Health program materials.  As part of the Healthy Mind, my husband and I include a Healthy Spirit.

As part of our religious practices, my husband and I participate in fasting once a month.  Today was that day.  Fasting might seem counter intuitive to losing weight (body says, "Yikes, no food!  Quick, store everything as fat), but it has contributed greatly to my overall health.  I could quote medical research in favor of fasting and also evidence opposed to fasting and its medical benefits, however; I am referring to the benefits for my Spiritual and Mental Health.

These are just some of the ways I have benefited from fasting:

1.  I gain more control over my body.  Let's face it, we do a lot of things out of habit.  One of them is eating.  By showing my body that my mind is in control, even just for one day with one thing, I feel more in control over all aspects of my life.

2.  I feel closer to God.  Fasting is more than just starving yourself for a day.  While fasting, we offer up petitions or ask for things from our Heavenly Father in prayer.  We sacrifice something in hopes that God will bless us.  I know that He has indeed blessed my with my righteous desires when I have faithfully fasted and prayed.

3.  I feel joy.  That happiness comes from helping others.  When we fast, we contribute the funds we would have used to buy our own food to those in need.  There is a great feeling of peace and joy that comes from helping others. 

Our Mental Health and Physical Health are woven together.  If we decide to neglect our Mental Health, our Physical Health will be kept from its optimal level and vice versa.  If you are trying to get a Healthy Body, remember to nourish your soul.  It doesn't matter what your belief system is, your mind needs to be strengthened.

Current Holiday Weight Loss Total {5.3 lbs}

Day 3 I missed it!

I totally forgot!  I was so caught up in shooting up pumpkins and hearing a cute niece make creepy shrieking sounds and cleaning my house that I spaced it. The short of it:

November 3 Current Holiday Weight Loss Total {3.3 lbs}

Yeah, that seems like a lot of pounds.  I know.  I am sure it will not continue at that rate forever.

Day 2 Dinner for 2

Have I mentioned my husband is amazing?!  He made a fabulously healthy dinner for us tonight.  We call it a "Lean & Green" meal, meaning a serving of lean protein and 1 1/2 C veggies.  Tonight's meal was sort of an experiment, but it turned out great.

Nick was craving some homemade chicken enchiladas, but alas, I am not eating any tortillas.  He decided to swap cabbage leaves for tortillas.  At first I thought, "Barf!" but they turned out delicious.  The only downside of the cabbage was the enchiladas were hard to cut through.  I needed a steak knife to do it.

How can you make them for you and your family?  Grill up some chicken, shred it, wrap in a cabbage tortilla with your favorite enchilada sauce, and put it in the oven.  Top with lettuce, tomato, avocado and some low-fat cheese.  Enjoy!

Current Holiday Weight Loss {1.6 lbs}

Day 1 Over and Done

Technically the first of November is not the beginning of holiday junk food days.  See figure 1 & 2.

Figure 1: Left-over Halloween Contraband

Figure 2: Unopened Halloween Contraband

I hate wasting food.  A common practice when getting ready to start a healthy eating program is to clean out all of the junk food by eating it.  There is an alternative: give it away.  You'll feel good about doing something nice for someone else, and you won't get a belly ache.  

To keep from indulging on what the treat-or-treaters missed out on, I made my husband take the leftovers to work and give them to co-workers/clients.  I took the unopened bags back to the store (one of the advantages of not buying holiday specific candy).  We saved the receipt and in turn saved a couple of bucks and a couple thousand unnecessary calories. 

Current Holiday Weight Loss Total {0}

Beginning: Very Good Place to Start

So here I am, me, Brooke.  And yes, I did lose 50 lbs. using a fabulous health program (the after picture was from a week ago).  Here's the deal:  I'm Not Finished!  I am still working towards a healthy BMI . Even though I feel so much better physically and mentally with some of the weight gone, my BMI of 27 reminds me I am still at risk for heart disease and diabetes.

What should I do now?  It's the end of October and I am already hearing the ring-a-ding melodies of a slow-melting-chocolate-peppermint-pumpkin-cinnamon-covered-everything-I-have-worked-for-going-to-waste-new-year.  Most people in diet-landia would say something like, "You've worked hard, give yourself a break."

This year I am determined to be Holiday Healthy.  What is "Holiday Healthy?" you ask.  Yes, it is a catch phrase my husband and I made up.  And yes, perhaps it is a little cheesy.  And you could even call it, if I do say so myself, a little poetic.  But what does it imply?

(Oh, by the way, this is my cute husband.  He's now lost 98 lbs!)

 Being Holiday Healthy is all about giving up something you want in the moment for something that is greater.  In my case that would mean forgoing a delicious slice of Mama C's homemade {Banana Cream Pie: The Best Pie Ever} for something that is more important for me, {Optimal Health}. 

Right about now, you might be thinking, "Come on lady, it's JUST ONE PIECE OF PIE."  To tell you the truth, a couple of years ago I would have been saying the same thing.  But I have come to realize that all those little, seemingly meaningless decisions we make are the ones that mold and shape our lives.  Giving in today makes it that much easier to give in tomorrow.  Not to mention, with all the parties, family gatherings, and get-togethers in November and December, one could justify having 'just one piece of pie' several times a week.  That's a lot of pie!

Staying healthy isn't easy.  There are so many things working against us.  This year I've decided that you are all going to help me, yes YOU random blog-reader internet user!  I am going to be accountable to YOU by posting all about my experiences on this blog every day for the next two months.  Each post will contain, at the very least, the following information:

Current Holiday Weight Loss Total (tomorrow will be zero, it's day one)

Pretty simple, right?  I will also be giving tips, tricks and other health info along the way.  You might also get to hear some of my own personal weight loss drama.

Thanks for helping me!  I hope what I post here is helpful to you!

-Brooke