September 24, 2008 - Angels and Demons

This week I received an e-mail from a new friend seeking advice regarding weight loss tips. She is seeking to lose weight herself and is looking for advice from people that have been successful in losing/keeping off weight. I gladly wrote the six things that have helped me lose weight and my current top five go-to meals. I hope my information is helpful to her and gives her some ideas into what will work best for her individual life and needs. I will be one of her number one supporters and plan to be with her through all stages of the journey – good or bad.

I am extremely flattered that she chose to e-mail me. Yes, I have lost weight--officially 42 pounds and counting. I have learned a lot in choosing to live a healthier life. I have also apparently encouraged others to lose weight, including MY SISTER, some of my close friends, and work colleagues. I think because the people around me are also trying to live healthier lives it continues to “spur” me on.

The recent comments regarding my weight loss from others leads me to what I am choosing to write about today. I have not taken a magic pill. I still make bad decisions and do not eat correctly every day. I still do the things that caused me to gain weight in the first place. I just do not fall victim of my demons every day. Currently, I am winning the mental game.

On a recent trip to a favorite Mexican restaurant in town, I ate more chips than any one person should eat in a day. Not only did I eat those chips, I am relatively sure I ate most of the chorizo-queso dip that we got with it. For my main meal I had chosen sensibly, but since I eat small meals every three hours, I should not have eaten the whole thing. After the meal I did not beat myself up about it. I just went on from there. I knew I had not eaten more than 3500 calories (number of calories in a pound). For the day, I won the mental game.

As I proceed in my healthier lifestyle I gain further insight into myself and actions. For example, I know if I walk into the Bigfoot store at the interstate I will buy a Honey Bun. I will do it. No doubt about it. So you know what I do? I do not go in there. I can honestly say in the past six months I have walked into the store no more than four times. Two of which were to purchase lottery tickets, but it was a struggle not to get junk food. The Bigfoot is one of my triggers to binge eating. As you can tell by the numbers, half the time I went to Bigfoot I won and half the time I did not.

Bigfoot Score

Demons – 2

Angels – 2

I don’t know if the Demons will prevail when I go into the Bigfoot to buy the winning Hoosier Lottery ticket tonight, but if they do I will not beat myself up about it. I will pick myself up and start anew.

For the record, my money is on the Angels…

Til Next Week,
Kristi

September 21, 2008 - For my Facebook friends

One of my dearest friends suggested that I update Facebook at the same time I update my blog. He thinks that I might inspire others . Anyhoo, this is a test message to see if I can get the feature to work!

September 17, 2008 - What I have to be proud of..

Hello Everyone,

I went to the weight loss clinic today and found out I lost 3 pounds! Woo hoo! Over the last few weeks, I have really noticed how much better I feel as compared to 6 months ago.

The following are some of the side effects I have experienced from losing weight and eating better.

-My feet no longer have a "strange tingling" sensation.
-My stomach no longer feels queasy all of the time.
-I do not have skin rashes as much.
-My moods are more regulated.
-My skin is a lot rosier.
-I am sleeping better.
-I do not have as many unexplained body aches.
-My self esteem is generally a bit higher.

All-in-all I think I am doing quite well!

The picture is of my dog Sweetie who passed this past December. I have been fondly thinking of her a lot this week. This time of year is when Sweetie would start to get TOO cold. She did not like it when the temperature got below 80.

Til next week,
Kristi Sue

September 11, 2008 - Pork and Bean Cake

Hellooooooooo Everyone!

For those that do not know, I am saving money buy purchasing food through Angel Food Ministries (need to save money for all of these vitamins and supplements I take). Angel Food Ministries is basically a food buying club sponsored by the USDA and local churches. For thirty dollars you get a box of food. Normally, it is primarily frozen meat, frozen vegetables, a boxed starch item, dessert, and a condiment or two. It is designed to feed a family of four for the week. The food is valued at 50-60 dollars in the local grocery store. There are no income requirements since it is normal food, just purchased in bulk by Angel Food Ministries.

I am pleased with the quality of the food and it is super convenient. All of my friends that also do it are pleased as well. However, sometimes I do not know what to do with some of the food items that are part of the basic box. For example, the following are a few things I previously made that I never would have if I had not found out about Angel Food through a friend of mine.

-Italian Sausage Gratin
-Tater Tot Casserole
-Cranberry and Chicken Nugget Casserole

Well, I now need to do something with a can of pork and beans. I found a recipe for Pork and Bean Cake on Allrecipes.com. I am thinking of trying it. Has anyone out there tried it?

Til Next Week,
Kristi

September 3, 2008 - When you WANT to get to 40...

I had a bummer today. I thought my weight dropped 5 pounds in the last two weeks, but I knew I was in trouble when I looked at the scale before I went to the doctor today. I gained 3 of the pounds back OVERNIGHT. Now, it could be a number of things (bloating, etc.), but sure enough I only lost 2 pounds, officially. I am bummed. I really wanted it to be 40+ pounds this week.

On a good note, I came across this interesting article regarding the top 100 things that help you lose weight....100 Smartest Diet Tips

Til Next Week,
Kristi