A new approach

Okay second week of the new year and have decided I need a little help in sticking to eating right. I thought about appointing someone to nudge me when I thought about eating something I shouldn't or eating more than I should. But then like many people I don't like having people tell me how to eat and what to eat so I shot that idea right out the window. After not coming up with any ideas I let it go for a while. Then the other day while at my Moms she showed me bracelet that she had gotten from the cancer place when she was receiving treatments. It is kind of blue/green. I thought hum blue for water and green for veggies. Wow, perfect reminders to drink more water and eat green veggies. I ask her if I could have it, that I have been looking for something to keep me on tract with my eating right.

So now for about 5 days I have been wearing the blue/green rubber band. I guess it is all a mind game but it is working. Since I am right handed and eat with my right hand I keep it on my right arm as to see it as I put something in my mouth. It is working.

Last night as I started to get the munchies. As I went to the kitchen and started going through the pantry my eye caught the rubber band. The little reminder I needed to stick to the eating right plan I wanted to stick to, so I went over to the fridge grabbed a bottle water and the cucumbers I had already cut up for the munchies and some shredded lettuce. I fixed me a small salad with lettuce and cucumbers and water. The little blue/green band is doing its job. I need to police myself and not have others doing it for me. This is another day and so far so good. My band friend and I are sticking to it. 

Choices, Choices

Before deciding what food I need to buy, what choices to pick between whole wheat bread, whole grain bread and so on, I first had to really look at what eating right plan to choice. Over the many years of trying to and loosing weight was the daunting task of picking the right plan for me. Recently over the past 6 months I have tried and used several diet (eating right) plans. From the BFC (the belly fat cure to the 17 day diet). I will tell you I lost weight on both from 15-18 pounds. So they both were good, but I had to decided what I could stick with and do for a long period of time. About 15 years ago I did loose around 80lbs.

A little history here: I started to gain weight around the age of 13 for one main reason. I was very active as a child. I skated, played volley ball and so on. When I was around 12 I had to have surgery on my feet because of having an extra bone in both of my feet. After that the doctor took me out of gym in school, told me I couldn't roller skate. I did skate anyway and broke my ankle because of my feet being weak. Well anyway this started my weight to head up hill. By the time a graduated from high school I was hitting 210, yes I said it 210. About 20 years ago I decided that enough was enough so in my 30's I decided to loose the weight. It took me a year and 1/2 and lost down to 135lbs. I couldn't remember when I every weight that. It was after I lost the weight I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Now I need someone to explain to me how I could not have any of the above until after I lost weight. SO FRUSTRATING needless to say.

Well anyway when I decided to loose the weight, I decided to buy the Richard Simmons deal a meal where I didn't have to count the calories it was done for me, it told me how many starches, proteins, veggies, fats and dairy I could have a day, plus it through in a few bonuses and freebies. It was easy and something I could stick to. I could eat out and eat fast food if I wanted to. The plan told me what I could get at different places and stick to the plan.

Over the years I think I just become frustrated that I was doing everything right, lost the weight to become healthy and in my mind what good did it do just to be told after all my hard work that I had high blood pressure and diabetes. Needless to say I started to eat my old way and didn't care. NOW here we are today and the scale is climbing up again.

I decided to head back to my friend Richard Simmons tried and true and prove by me that deal a meal works for me. So people have ask me how I plan on loosing it and this is what I have decided. The last time I lost I did the deal a meal and walled every day most days anyway.

So, it all boils down to you have to see what works for you, what you can do, stick to. I fully believe eating right doesn't have to be a job or depressing. You have to do a eating plan that you body responds to. Everyone on is different and one doesn't fit all. So Richard is the way for me to go.

I will sign off with this, I am asking that anyone that wishes to say a prayer for me and all the other struggling with their weight. It isn't easy, but I do believe it can be done, but I have to take one minute, one hour, one day at a time. Goodnight for now an hope you continue to tune in and give me your feedback and support.

A new day

Okay, went grocery shopping today. Nothing fancy. Tried to take the advice of staying on the outside isles only for the healthier stuff. I am not a big meat eater, fish sometimes and that is about it. I have to admit finding meat substitues isn' the easiest thing, but it can be done. Finding the balance between the protein veggies and the low carb ones takes some training, but once you get the hang of it, it isn't to hard. You have some beans that are high in protein and low in starch or the other way around. As I was standing in the check-out I was think, "okay, here I go". At first I was looking at the whole long year ahead of me. I then though NO, you need to just look at the next minute, the next hour and so on. Don't look at the pick picture will surely fail. Plus I made a decision right there not to call this a diet. It is my "eating right plan", my eating to live plan, not my living to eat plan.

Now that my groceries have been gotten for the rest of the week, no I need to focus on so sort of exercise plan. I am not going to come up with some elaborate plan that I can't stick to. Walking works for me and I know it can work again. About 10 years ago I lost a large amount of weight just by walking, walking 5 days a week and sometimes 6. I don't have no fancy gym to go to, no home gym, just myself, my feet and the road.

I have made a commitment to walk, no certain time, no setting the clock to get up and walk. I want to enjoy this adventure not dread it. So tomorrow is a new day, a new adventure. I have promised myself to write down my good days and my not so good days. I keep reminding myself that that there are going to be obstacles along the way. I can't dwell on them, but I can decided how I will proceed from where I am at that point. I want this to be a meaningful adventure and know I am learning as I go. Someone once told me that God allows U-turns and I am sure there will be many of them along with stops, detour and pauses, but I will continue forward to a new me and a longer life. Okay, until tomorrow and a new day.   

Night before my journey

The post is to make me accountable for myself and my action on the journey to weight loss. I hope that my blogging will in some way encourage others and for others to encourage me with their ups and downs as well.


Okay, here I sit thinking about tomorrow, the beginning of a journey that will have its ups and downs. It will have its rewards and disappointments. I know it can be done, but am I willing to take the plunge into a struggle that will eventually lead hopefully to better health and a more fulfilling life. The fact of the matter is, it is a matter of do I want to live a long healthy life or short one with all kinds of problems that can come from being a diabetic. Being I just turned 50 now is the time to get serious about the fact that no one can loose the weight for me.  My prayer tonight is "Lord give me the strength to take one day at a time, leaning on you when I think I can't do it, when I want to eat something that isn't good for me and eating it want get me to my goal a year from now". Okay until tomorrow. I will post my ups and downs, my success and my failures and I am sure there will be plenty of both.