Inchloss UPdaTED!

Yeah!  

So I made some progress.  I've lost 9 lbs!  WHOO Fringing HOOO!  Also, checking with the latest stats, I have lost 18 inches!  Now that is some progress!  Even in the time of stress and doughnuts in my face, I've preserved and made it through the holidays.  Today despite stressful days ahead, I have something positive to look towards.  

Motivators ->Veruca, Cass and Focusing on the tiny

On the way to work today I was thinking of different blog suggestions I could use.  Motivation is key to my success and I was thinking of things that help me go each day and continue on this quest.  First one, that came to mind from I don't even know where, was Veruca Salt.  You know the character from Willy Wonka who turned into a giant blueberry?  Yeah, that's the one.  One year a friend suggested I be Veruca Salt and that my boyfriend at the time could be Willy Wonka.  I didn't immediately remember who she was and hadn't seen the movie in a decade or so.  She told me, that it was the girl that was the giant blueberry.  My heart deflated and I was hurt beyond the expression that I had on my face.  I decided against that costume.  I can have fun with myself but being related to a giant blueberry was a bit above and beyond where I wanted to go.  So, to motivate myself, it is to keep reminding myself that if I stay true to my myself and my workout plan, I will eventually loose that ability to remind people of a giant blueberry.  Or a sumo wrestler, giant bumble bee and might just make it into a sexy costume column instead.  

Second thing that comes to mind is Cassandra.  She has came to work out with me every week for a while now and I've really come to appreciate it.  Even if we're both tired, working out with someone else really makes it work.  I might be tired but I'm going to get through it and might get even further with someone else pushing me.  I started Strength  training because of her and although it's only been a couple of weeks it has really helped out in many, many ways.  And so comes the third motivator.  

Focusing on the tiny.  Not a tiny waist but tiny things that are changing for the positive.  Like, my legs don't fall asleep when I'm on the elliptical any longer.  Like I can appreciate my calves again.  Like I have fat rolls again.  O.k. so why would I appreciate fat rolls?  Well, when your as fat as I was, it's one big roll.  It's now changing to a little bit smaller and multiple rolls instead of a big one.  I like that!  It means progress.  Also the strength training has helped me be stronger in almost everything I do.  I get up off the bus and I don't have to take double steps down the stairs any longer.  That always make me feel old and disabled.  Now I go down like a normal person.  Happy Happy day!  So it seems like everyday almost, I find little things that change in my daily existence that keep me moving.  Now if I can find a healthy cupcake...

Safe Fiber Muffin in response to my lovely niece.

http://cmsmgsjts.blogspot.com/ posted a deathly dangerous 5 minute chocolate cake... well, I don't think for me, that's the best idea.  Did I mention I'm trying to do better than that?  I love you dear niece but for the rest of us, here's a healthy alternative taken from Diabetes Discussions.com:  The notes at the bottom are not from me...oh and at my last post I said 2lbs. down.  I'm now 5 lbs down!!!  Whoop Whoop Whoop!

The One Min. Muffin (12 grams of fiber) 1/4 cup flax seed mill (grind in a coffee machine) 1 egg 1/4 teaspon baking powder 1 dash of salt 1 package of splenda mix together and place into microwave for 1 minute. I have some Pamper Chef glass little bowls, I put my mix in. Any microwaveable dish will do. Reminder: the smaller the container, the muffin becomes more heavy. The bigger the fluffier. I dont put sugar. I replace with some honey, cinn., nutmeg. Also put sunflowers seeds, sliced almonds and dried cranberries.  My son likes choc. chip in his. You can also make it savory. The sky is the limit.  I have a friend who puts, ham, cheese and chives with some herbs. The first time I made this, I had to cut it into 4ths and ate it thru out the day. If your nt use to alot of fiber, take it slow because you could have problems at the bathroom.  Enjoy.. Let me know how things go....

I love me some Gila Monster Spit!

O.K. so, I've started this new drug...I know drugs are not the answer to weight loss, but oh oh oh!  I have been working out for almost 4 months now.  I know, I have lost inches, and I know that I didn't take a beginning weight, but since going to the diabetic doctor last month, I knew what my weight was on their scale.  And, since that time, not a pound has budged off my stubborn weight.  Not a pound!  Then, last week, I started Byetta.  It was a drug formulated by Gila monster spit.  I'm not kidding.  Seems like these creatures have an ability to regulate their blood sugars because they hardly ever eat in the desert.  One of it's side effects is weight loss. Anyway, so I decided that I'd give it a try but it has a couple of other side effects so I was nervous.  I don't care about the side effects any more!  I lost two pounds and I've only been on it one week!  YAHOO!  

Now I'm going to use rationalization and realism.  It could have been that I finally had gotten there by working out and doing better on the food stuff.  But, I haven't been doing better on the food stuff.  

Actually, last week was a crappy week for food.  I listed some of the foods to my niece and I had only one dinner that could be considered healthy.  But, I did notice, I ate less of the bad, and had very few snacks.  I was nauseous last week, but I have experienced worse and it faded the further I went through the week.  The tired feeling and weakness was, for me, worse because it shortened my workouts.  So, I'm not sure really what caused the weight loss.  But, finally its starting and that is what I'm really excited about.  If it is the Byetta than it's a no-brainer.  I'll stay on it as long as I keep making some progress.  This week is already starting out better, I was able to drink coffee this morning and had just a hint of nausea.  Today also I was full with half my lunch!  I mean I felt stuffed!  Added bonus is my blood sugars seem to be regulating at 100-130 and even when I forgot my insulin this last weekend they didn't spike up as high as they would have without it!  

I would be over the moon if I could keep this up.  Two pounds a week would be 8 lbs in one month!  It's not biggest loser weight loss but who cares?

An inspiring story

This website also has a couple of free downloads as well.  A calorie counter and an exercise tracker in Excel spreadsheet forms.

 

http://www.ihavebones.com/

Slow month

Well, it's almost been a month since my last post on inches.  It's been a rough month.  I've had a lot of different med changes.  One I'm still afraid of, and others that just made me feel crappy.  I also was sick more than once this month.  These are definitely sound reasons to have a slow month but somehow the guilt still comes into play.  But, on a good note, I'm back on track as of the last week.  Even with Thanksgiving landing in my stomach.  I've been getting in the workouts, and now I have my niece coming once a week to work out with me!  My dear husband is still very supportive and not sabotaging my efforts. 

I think that I'll really start to work on the diet starting now.  I've been checking myself most days for not overeating and I always try to eat better for the diabetes but I think I'll try even harder to eat more veggies, and less high fat foods.  I'm a lover of all things related to butter so this will be a challenge.  I love to bake.  Cookies, cakes, and brownies, oh my!  But, it's usually not a big problem because I have the ability to take these to work and fatten up my co-workers.  Most of them are men so they just appreciate all this.  Sam and the boys will on occasion get the fruits of my labor and very smaller occasions, I'll eat most of whatever it is.  So, my baking is not the biggest problem.  After dinner is the largest problem.  I love popcorn.  Not just boring bland, no butter popcorn. But, buttery, covered in Parmesan popcorn.  Not just a serving, but a full sized bowl steaming with cheese.  Heaven in a bowl.  I'll be working off that bowl every time I eat it.  So, I'm going to try my hardest to get that off my repertoire.  I can't say I'll never eat it, but working out in the evenings seems to help with this and so does eating oatmeal in the first hour I'm awake.  So, with my new drug (starting tomorrow) and keeping on schedule, I should be able to combat this big fatty problem.  Wish me luck.

Now for the inch update.  I'm saying this again, it's been a slow month.  But, thankfully, a little progress has been made!  As of this morning, no inches on the breasts, no loss the arms, half an inch on my waist, half an inch on my leg and one full inch on my hips.  I have to say I've noticed my waist the most.  I can't tell you exactly why only a half inch on the stomach seemed to feel so much different but it does.  It feels like two inches.  I could tell the difference when I zipped up my coat, and the way my shirts hangs on me.  So, it might not be a big loss but it feels big and that along with any progress is always a good thing.  I keep thinking marathon, not a sprint.  

Food and a free diet

So this is some info I have researched.  Increasing your diet in these foods help with many things to make your body work better.  

Dr. Perricone's Superfoods:

Açaí

The Allium Family

Barley

Beans and Lentils

Buckwheat

Green Foods

Hot Peppers

Nuts and Seeds

Sprouts

Yogurt and Kefir

Also if you want a free diet plan recommended for heart health Here's a free one from the National Institute for Health. Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure with DASH if this link doesn't work.  www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf