Two Weeks In

So you have decided to change your life. You want to eat better, sleep better and just all the way around be healthier. Yeah....me too! Right now though, I am not just in the "I want stage" but I am in the actively proceeding forward, "I am doing it" stage.

A little over two weeks ago, I decided that I was going to give Trim Healthy Mama another go and I was going to see what I could achieve to better my health, my joy and my life. I knew THM would work....if I worked it. After all THM didn't quit on me.....I quit on it and more importantly, I had quit on myself. So here we are.

This time around, since I am not as much of a novice where THM is concerned, instead of focusing on how actually to work the program, I am focusing on how I feel and how to best tweak the program to work for me personally. Yes, that is the beauty of THM, there is leeway there to let you make the program work for you. Of course, you have to be mindful of your body and your health and pay attention to how eating, drinking and moving differently affects you personally. Then it is as simple as keeping what works for you and putting what currently doesn't on the back burner. I say put it on the back burner, because what I have learned about THM is, that just because something doesn't work for you in the here and now, doesn't mean that later on it won't be just what you need.

As I stated above, this time around, I am much more familiar with the program and how it works, so I am able to be a little more experimental. One thing that I notice, that I think I touched on in another blog post was that, as you become more entrenched in the program, your taste buds change. At least mine did. I remember when I first started out, things like apple cider vinegar in my drinks, mashed cauliflower, and the different breads made without white or wheat flour tasted off and admittedly, not appetizing at all. The fact that sugar was a no no, forced me to take out stock in Truvia as it was the only sweetener I could stand and I had to have a ton of it in everything. Things like Gentle Sweet and Super Sweet were not in the least appealing to me. Now though, here I stand today to tell you that I live on Good Girl Moonshine with yes....apple cider vinegar, I eat cauliflower in all forms and put it into just about everything and although I am still not a fan of some of the breads, I can eat them and I have grown a real affinity for sprouted bread. As for my sugar addiction....once again it is under control and I have grown a true appreciation for Gentle Sweet and Super Sweet as I have learned to use them in my cooking. I also no longer feel the need to add as much Stevia either and have lowered my intake dramatically.

This time around, I am also taking advantage of my THM cookbooks and trying different recipes such as Reuben in a Bowl as well as going back to some of my families favorites like Egg Roll in a Bowl. I am also learning  as I have stated before, that by doing a little planning ahead, making a weekly menu and a reciprocating grocery list, that I am cutting way down on our food bill as well as waste. Also, most of these recipes make enough that there is plenty left over for lunches or to freeze for future meals. It cuts down on the impulses to go grab fast food because you are tired and by using your crock pot and/or Instantpot, you save a great deal of time in the kitchen.

So since starting back on THM on January 13th, as of today I have lost 4.8 pounds. Of course the first week is when I lost a big part of that, as not only was I eating better, but I also started drinking more water, which always flushes the system and sets your body up for success. Also, without getting too graphic or throwing out TMI, when we don't eat and drink well, our bodies don't process well. Our systems don't function efficiently from sleep to flushing waste from our bodies. Too much sugar, fat and carbs together and not enough vegetables and healthy fats can cause our systems and our metabolism to slow down to nothing. We can feel like slugs moving through our day. Once back on THM though, I could feel everything starting to work properly again and I was functioning better, enjoying my food more, sleeping better and just all around feeling better. So while the weight loss is nice, the NSV's that are associated with all of this are sometimes even better.

NSV's you ask? NSV's are non-scale victories. While the numbers on the scale might be my goal, the NSV's are what will actually keep me motivated between weigh-in's and help me to stay focused on what is important in all of this.....me and my health. From time to time you may notice me putting far more emphasis on the NSV's in my life than on the numbers and that is the way I feel it should be. In fact, in my opinion, the NSV's have far more value to me than the numbers ever will.

In the little more than two weeks I have been doing this, my blood pressure numbers are also getting better, but I am still not where I want them to be and I refuse to rely solely on medication to get me there. After all....my end game is to be off blood pressure medication altogether (another important NSV for me). As I have been focused on getting back into the swing of eating these last weeks, starting this week, I plan on adding some movement and dare I say exercise into the mix. I had already started doing some very light yoga in the morning and in the evening and it does help how I function throughout the day and sleep at night, but this week there will be walking. We shall see how that goes in the days to come.

The one thing that I have learned through my past on THM and through my life in the last year is that......any goal is achievable if I want it badly enough and am willing to work for it. I have also learned the valuable lesson that I can do nothing without help from my Higher Power, meaning that when I am weak of will, He will pull me through....all I have to do is ask. I am also fully aware that in order to change things, I must be willing to put in the work and love myself enough to want the best for me. I can't do anything for someone else. I MUST do it for me. And finally, I can't eat an elephant in one bite, but I can eat him one bite at a time. In other words, I will not lose 100 lbs, be healthy and feel great in a week. However, if I take it one step at a time, one meal at a time and one NSV at a time, I will not only reach my goals, but quite possibly exceed them.

So there you have it. I am two weeks in and still going strong. Yay me and yay THM!

Until next time.........

A Little Determination.......and a Whole Lot of Prayer

Another week is in the books and this week was probably the most emotinally satisfying week so far. There were a lot of little NSV's and I hate to call them "little" because actually, any NSV at this point is monumental in my book.

This was the week that I realized that I was 40+ days into this plan and that I had no intentions of losing ground or falling back. I actually woke up in the middle of the night one night and had nothing short of an epiphany. Okay....granted, I woke up because I had to pee, BUT at that exact moment, when I popped up out of bed and didn't "struggle" to get up, I realized that I am really doing this! I am really losing weight and getting healthy!

Truthfully, no one except my son has said that they notice anything different in me. He says he can tell around my mid section. I can actually see it in my face, but I think maybe at this point, the change may not be as noticable on the outside as it is on the inside.

I feel different from my head to my toes.....literally. My headaches  that plagued me at least 12-15 times a month have gone to maybe 2-3 times  per month and they have been weather related. I have fought off and won over an impending sinus infection without going near an antibiotic. I move eaiser and I don't get winded after running up and down the stairs for the billionth time in a day. I actually have the energy to run up and down the stairs a billion times each day. My knees and hips no longer hurt and the horrible pains I would have in my feet in the middle of the night and the first thing in the morning are now non-existant.

As far as other NSV's go, I am now down to about a chin and a half instead of the tripple chin I was starting to sprout. I managed to make it 3 days this week on the elliptical working for 20 minutes on a fat burning workout. I also implemented arm and leg work outs to my regimine. I realized that I can comfortably cross my legs now and all my clothes are getting looser. And finally, I have managed to move down to a smaller size jeans once again. I am over the moon!

I think though, the biggest NSV for me came this week when my middle son asked me when I had a cheat day coming up. I just looked at him but my inner self was screaming "CHEAT DAY? What the heck are you trying to do to me?" I managed to calmly and with only a hint of hysteria in my voice. ask him why he was asking. Apparently he was craving a pre-THM dish that I used to make and wanted me to make it for him. Rather than cave and say we can do that, my mind went to work thinking how I could THMify the recipe so we could all  enjoy it. You know what....I figured it out! I think it was then that I realized that I am now not only eating differently, but I am also thinking differently about food. My mind has become a bit of a THM calculator, separating out fats from carbs and quickly changing a mainstream recipe into a THM recipe just by mentally rearranging the ingredients.

So it was a really good week mentally and today was my last "full week" weigh in of the Spring Fling Challenge. I had no hesitation approaching the scales this morning and as I looked down, I was greeted with another loss. My losses seem to be low numbers but steady results and I am good with that because all of those low numbers eventaully add up to a great big number and I know that with the path I am on, that big number is coming.

Today starts the last days of my challenge. June 30th, I will tally up all the numbers, check all the measurements and do the most telling thing of all.....take pictures. I am almost excited to see my befores and afters and to see if the change is really visable. Fingers crossed.

This has been the most rewarding few weeks that I have had in many years. I have proven some things to myself and finally I have counted myself worthy of the change I not only needed but also deserved. I am learning about me, my health and most of all..... that I can do anything with a little determination..... and a whole lot of prayer!

Non-Scale Victories vs. The Numbers

My life is getting exciting! Yes, I have lapsed from blogging and yes......that usually means that the bottom has fallen out of my life or especially on this blog.....it means that my newest "lifestyle change" has completely derailed. This time though, it means just the opposite. This time my absence is two fold. First of all, for the last week or so, my router has been messing up and my computer access was gone, but even before that, I had fallen off the blogs because I had fallen head first into life. That's right......I am LIVING!

So what has brought about all the excitement and this LIVING stuff? Okay.....I have to say it....TRIM HEALTHY MAMA!!!! Yes, I know. I tried really hard not to talk about the whole THM thing, but what can I say? It is actually changing me. I feel better than I have felt since before I got pregnant with my son David....dare I say.....15 years ago. I have energy! I have motivation.....and I am not ashamed to look at myself in the mirror anymore!!!!! I even took a "selfie" of a makeover (makeup makeover that is) that I had last night....AND I shared it on Facebook! If you know me at all.....you know that is huge in Lisaland! I also put on a pair of jeans yesterday, totally thinking they would not fit.......and they did. Last time I had them on was in September and even trying to button them caused my muffin top to spill over and caused me to feel anything but attractive. Yesterday though, they fit nicely and buttoned with ease. I was beyond happy. I could even wear them and sit down for a meal and not feel as if I was going to bust out of them. It was glorious. These things were my first major NSV (non-scale victories) since making these changes and they have motivated me like I have never been motivated before. Feeling good, clothes fitting, never being hungry and wanting to do something other than be sitting on my butt attached to the computer.....those are really BIG wins in my world.

If you are a numbers person though, and many of us are, then you believe that the numbers are the big determiner of success in weight loss. Well, true. While numbers don't tell the complete story, they do have merit and my numbers are agreeing with all my NSV's. Since starting this program 11 weeks ago, I have lost about 11" and 11 pounds. It is slow but steady and successful loss. And on a little side note, there has been a bit of a worry in my head about whether I was kidding myself on this program. I mean after all, I am eating butter, cooking with coconut oil and having the occasional full-on, full-fat cream in my diet, not to mention cream cheese, ranch dressing and lots and lots of delicious food. Was this the "cookie diet" all over again? Yeah....don't ask! So 11 weeks ago I took my blood pressure. It was 130/91. It wasn't horrible if I was in the process of bringing it down, but if my lifestyle was going to cause it to climb, then I might be heading into dangerous waters. I was going to give THM a chance though. Today I took it and my BP was.....................107/77!!!! Now THAT is a pretty number and it gives me even more incentive to keep going.

I have much more weight to take off and yes, the holidays are just around the corner. How is this going to work? The same way it did through my son's birthday and Candyfest 2014, better known as Halloween. If I fall off and have a piece of cake or eat 42 pieces of licorice (approximately), then in three hours, I jump right back on THM and forgive myself.

I have already decided that Thanksgiving day and Christmas Day will be cheat days. I plan on fixing all my regular fair with the addition of a couple of new and wonderful THM dishes. Then, at the end of the day as my kids walk out the door, they will be taking leftovers home with them and I will be back on track. It is as simple as that. One day will not derail me, however in the past, the guilt and resulting giving up from that guilt, did. This year, cheating is built-in to my lifestyle, and so is jumping right back on track after the cheat. Funny thing too, after eating on THM for a period of time, when you do have a cheat day, your body craves getting back on track and therefore, that makes it a hundred times easier to stay on track.

Okay, so there you have it. Whether I am looking at my NSV or going by the numbers, the fact is......this change is working! It is working in ways I never dreamed possible and it is making me a better parent, a better cook and a much happier person in the process. For more information on THM, contact me here or on fb. Happy Thursday everyone....now I gotta run!!!!!!