Working Out-You be the Judge!

I go to the gym at least six days a week.  I've been taking a quilting class, so that is my one day off.  So while at the gym yesterday I started to think.  Does anyone pay attention to what is going on while they are working out?

I can say that 90% of the time, I'm so involved in my own routine, music, and trying desperately not to fall off whatever machine I'm on to pay much attention to those around me.  Sometimes people tap me to get me attention and I practically jump out of my skin, it's almost like I'm a cartoon cat and I'm end up hanging from the ceiling from my claws.

Occasionally, I notice who is in the gym, who is in front of me or who happens to be behind or beside me.  The other day was a prime example.  Now I know I'm not Usane Bolt and I will never run in the Olympics, but I think I'm progressing nicely and even though my form may be amateur, my intent is pure.  But I was on the treadmill, mind you I was there first.  I was working my way up to a run, now my knees need the warm up before forcing them to support my weight in a full run.  A person (description will be excluded to protect the anonymous) took the treadmill next to me, now mind you there are 5 other treadmills to use and not in use, but they chose the one directly next to me, so I smiled at them and continued on my little journey.  Fine, I understand that people are creatures of habit and if you like a particular machine I get the choice.  So this person starts at a dead run.  Peachy, kudos to them for having the stamina and physical attributes to start off like I just pulled the trigger on a track pistol.

What I didn't necessarily notice until a few minutes later was that this person was looking at my machine and seemed to be comparing their workout to mine.  And maybe they have facial ticks while working out, but they seemed to grimace and smirk at my machine.  Fine, be judgy if you wish.  I was impressed you started out like you were running from some big bear who had just got out of hibernation and was looking for a meal to fill his belly.

I also noticed when I did get up to my "running speed"  that you would look over at my machine and up your machine to, I don't know, prove you could go faster.  Hey, I could go faster if I wanted, but then again it would be me going faster out the back of the treadmill on a one way trip on my backside while doing all sorts of yoga poses in mid air.  Plus I can guarantee that I wouldn't be sticking the landing, unless you count me laying in a mass of body parts on the floor gasping for air as a landing.

Once my workout was over, I cleaned my machine, turned to Judgement Central and smiled.  I'm not hear to judge, I'm here to make my butt smaller.  I don't know this person, I see them at the gym often and I still smile.

I think if you are going to the gym, or just outside walking, whether you be the fittest of fit or just starting on your health journey, GOOD FOR YOU!  I will never judge and will also smile and offer encouragement to those that are giving an effort.  I was the fat girl before and when I started going to the gym, I have to admit, I had a bit of a phobia.  I didn't want anyone to make fun of me, if I could only walk for 20 minutes at a snail's pace then that was a start.  Did I wish I could just start running from the get go and keep up with some of those that could run and make it look so easy?  Yes.  But each day I do better.  Each day I'm a little stronger, I'm little more confident.

So if you happen to be next to me, in front of me or behind me (well if you are behind me and you see my head popping or my arms flinging about, I'm just really into my music and I have a tendency to add a few dance moves in my routine in order to make the time go faster, so this is my gift to you to see my excellent dance moves that occasionally put me off balance and you get to chuckle at my flawless (ever comical) recovery before I fall off the machine I'm on).

I sincerely don't pay attention to what is going on around me while I'm working out.  Once my earbuds are in, I'm completely zoned into my own world.  I hear nothing but my music and the thoughts in my head.  My goal is to do what I went to the gym to do and not fall or injure myself.  This is a full time concentration skill that I have to work at every second I'm working out.

So to those that judge others for trying to make themselves better.  Shame on you for deflating someone when all they are trying to do is improve their world.  But for those of you that encourage, support, heck don't even pay attention, a gold star to you for giving those of us that may be scared to step into a gym because we don't have cute outfits to wear or sweat as though are doing jumping jacks on the surface of the sun.

If we just smile and give of ourselves selflessly, imagine all the wonderful things that would come from it.

So if you are scared to go to the gym, put on your sneakers, grab your favorite tunes and get going.  Fear is a powerful thing, but happiness and accomplishment beats fear in the backside every time.  Be brave my friends and take that first step, before you know it you will be running!

Stay warm and enjoy your week!  Have a peachy day!

Goodbye 47, Hello 48, for 7 months is here!

I did the 5k in 44 minutes!  That's a minute under my goal of 45.  I was very happy with myself.  I was even happier when I got a 2nd place medal for ladies in my age group.  This is fantastic!  I was completely surprised, I didn't do this for a medal, but hey it's really nice to get one.

That got me thinking.  When you set a goal for yourself and you accomplish it, there should be a way that you get a medal or some sort of recognition.  I know what you are saying, achieving your goal should be all the satisfaction you need.  And I agree, but when I got a medal, that was pretty awesome.  Maybe I should start a company that takes your goals and when you achieve them, I send you a medal that you get to wear around your neck.  Something that will make people ask, "Hey what did you get the medal for?"  Then you get to brag a little about how you crushed a goal you had and you are taking your "victory lap".

I know I'm not doing this for recognition, but it's nice to get a pat on the back or getting something tangible that you can hold to show that you did accomplish what you set out to do.

Being proud of yourself shouldn't be a bad thing.  I was proud I crossed that finish line.  I have worked hard for the past 7 months and having just the littlest victory is a grand thing.

So as of tomorrow, 04/19/17, it will mark 7 months.  So here are my stats:

Months No Soda/Alcohol:  9 months

Months No Pasta/Bread/Potatoes/Sweets:  7 months

Dress sizes lost:  6 sizes from start

Total Pounds Lost:  80

To put in perspective, apparently 80 pounds is the equivalant of:

A labrador retreiver

A dishwasher

A bag of concrete

854 Twinkies

24,191 Reeces Peanut Butter Cups

So there you have it.  7 months and I have 5 months left until I hopefully hit my goal.  Wouldn't it be great when I hit my goal that I got a peanut butter cup medal.  By then I might actually eat it!

When you accomplish something that you always hoped you would one day do, you feel a huge weight come off your shoulders.  I DID IT!  No one did it for me, it was me against me.

There were times during the run that I wanted to just slow down and give up.  I had a great partner in my son, who would consistently push me.  He wasn't going to let me quit.  Even though slowing down to a leisurely pace would have been easy, I didn't want to take the "easy" way.  I didn't know my time while I was going.  All I knew is that from the songs on my ipod, I knew what songs put me into the 45 minute category and it was up to me to get my happy butt across that line before I heard the first note of the song I knew was at the 45 minute mark.

When the song I knew was just after the 40 minute mark started playing, I was searching the horizon for that finish line and by goodness if I didn't see it.  It seemed really tiny, which might have just been my bad eyesight in my old age, but I knew I had to pick up the pace and get to it and fast.  So bigger strides I took, and though I could feel it in my legs and my lungs that I might be pushing my limits, I knew I was going to get across that line.  Without looking up and concentrating way to hard on my shoes, which I noticed in this last stretch that I have a hole in my right shoe right above my big toe.  I was going to cross that line running, not walking!  AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I DID!

As my friends cheered, in my mind it sounded like I was at the Super Bowl.  Yes my imagination is vast and wild.  Though there was no confetti and no one famous sang the National anthem.  To me it was the Super Bowl of the last day of my 47th year on this planet.(My birthday was the next day)  So I raised my hands and smiled a smile that made my whole body tingle.  

So even though it may be easy to give up or put something off until tomorrow.  Don't take the easy way out.  Believe me, I was the queen of tomorrow.  Tomorrow I'll start my diet, tomorrow I'll start working out every day. Tomorrow I'll clean out the spare room (ok that one I'm still working on, but that more a family problem, than a me thing)  Tomorrow I'll be happy.  Well, guess what, today I eat better.  Today I workout, today I AM HAPPY!  (The spare room is another story for another day)

I gave up on tomorrows and decided to start with todays.  But I really need to look into getting a medal company going because every one deserves to feel special.  Maybe one where you can get a free ice cream cone or a free round of applause when you complete your goals.  Ok, I know, I'm just in the "developing" stage of my idea, but you have to admit, if you got a medal in the mail made of chocolate with a coupon for a free ice cream, you are going to tell me you wouldn't be a little bit happier!!!!

Have a peachy week!  48 is going to be my best year yet!

Here's a pic of me with my medal and with my amazing 5k partner, Spencer!

Turtles in Peanut Butter and a Bucket Filling

So my first 5k of the year is this Saturday.  My company is one of the sponsors and I'm the only one from work doing the run.  ("Run" in the sense that I will be going faster than when I walk to the refridgerator)

So I didn't decide until the last minute to do, due to the fact it is on Easter Weekend and I wasn't sure on what plans had been made.  But with the ok from my beloved hubby, I signed up myself and my wonderful son, Spencer!  So basically I've had about 2 weeks to see how long it would take this body to run 5k or for those of us who aren't on the metric system, that's 3.1 miles.

So my mission I chose to take on is to complete the 5k in less that 45 minutes.  Now that's a little less than a 15 minute mile, which might seem slow to some, but until you actually start to run and try to beat that time, that last mile seems more like trying to run to the moon.  But with the 45 minute goal also comes my goal of not passing out or tripping.  Which if any of you know me, I'd place bets on the tripping happening, I believe the odds are 1000:1 that I will trip at some point.  I look at my feet alot just to make sure that they are there I suppose, but when I look up I seem to find the one hole in the street the size of a small golf ball and seem to hit it precisely right in order to tumble like a weed in the old West.

So big celebration when I cross the finish line, because that will mean that it's over and I can collapse in a happy heap.

I never in a million years thought I would look forward to getting to run.  I know other people can run longer, faster, and probably look like something out of a Nike commercial when they do run.  Me, I look like a turtle running through peanut butter while juggling jelly beans in the rain, (makes for an interesting image, right, I should probably put together children's color book pages)

With my weight loss, I've had to do a restructuring on my head also.  If you would have told me a year ago I would be "running" in a 5k, working out every day and not having a snickers or Diet Pepsi for over six months, I would have called you insane and suggested a straight jacket, but a pretty one with sparkles and a nice bedazzled helmet.  My heart is lighter, yes I still have those days when I wish I could change things, or the stresses of every day life catch up with me, but when I go work out and sweat that 30 to 60 minutes, it seems to release all those built up negative feelings and it's just me against me.  Doesn't mean that I've solved any world problems or that the things that were negative miraculously became positive, but my outlook on the situation changed. Yesterday was a prime example, My work day started on a negative and unfortunately it seemed to keep piling up and more negative on top of negative.  When I got home last night, I asked Spencer if we were working out, normally he says, "Yes" right away, but oddly this time he looked at me and said, "Mom, you look worn out, did you have a bad day at work? We don't have to work out if you don't want to."

Then it hit me looking at that sweet face, that I was letting my negative day come home with me and I was being a carrier and just by my demeanor, my son could tell the day had taken me over.  I looked at him and said, "Let's go to the gym, it might only be for 20 minutes though" I didn't think I could do much in my state of mind at the time.

So I changed my clothes, but on my snazzy new running shoes and off we went.  60 minutes later when we returned home, we were smiling and laughing and joking with each other.  What started as a miserable and draining day ended with a "refilling of my bucket".

So be a bucket filler not a bucket drainer.  It's hard to keep your bucket full all the time, but it does help when you are feeling that your bucket is being drained to have something or someone give you a boost.  Sometimes when you give from your bucket to fill another it really just fills yours even more.

Think of me on Saturday morning, unless you hear the Life Flight chopper heading out to Lake Cornelia to transport me after my monumental tripping accident, then if you could stifle you giggles because you know I'm going to ask the pilot to do a few drive bys of my friends house so I can wave at them.  Cause how many times am I going to get to ride in a helicopter I tell you?

So fill you bucket.  Set your goals and try each day to to get closer to them.  And if someone gets in your way, swing your bucket at their head!  Cause you are kind, you are smart, and you are so very important in this world and don't you forget it!

Have a peachy rest of your week my friends.  And I hope the Easter Bunny brings you lots of goodies, but beware of the brown jelly beans.. ha ha ha.

Until next time my friends...

In this world nothing can be certain, except death and taxes!

It's that time of the year when the snow start to melt, the sun start to shine, the grass starts to get green and its time to do your taxes.
Now when I was younger, tax season was a great time because it was like having a savings account that paid you back yearly. Sometimes it was more and sometimes less but always it was a magical time when your Uncle Sam sent you a check and since my birthday is April 16th, is was like he was giving me my own special birthday money.
Now that I'm older and established in my career and working hard, seems my Uncle Sam seems to think I need to contribute a bit more each year to help compensate for his lack of being able to budget his money.  I have suggested perhaps he should start doing extreme couponing, but he doesn't seem to be in any hurry to do so.

Mr. Benjamin Franklin made his famous quote, "In this world nothing can be certain, except death and taxes!" How kind of one of the forefathers of this country to laying it the line.  You can detain death, eat healthy, exercise, avoid unnecessary risk, but when it comes to taxes, when the bell tolls it tolls for everyone and April 15 is when Quazee Moto goes to the bell tower and starts swaying from the bells announcing to the country the deadline is here.

My son asked me what do our taxes go to.  And to be honest I had to google it.  It was interesting:

It goes towards defense, healthcare programs, money to those in need, interest on the national debt, veterans benefits, education and job placement, immigration and law enforcement, natural resources and science related programs (like NASA).  Now this is just a skimming of what it goes towards but you get the idea.

I'm not going to get political with you.  Just an observation as I get ready to go the tax man, which looks a lot like someone walking to the guillotine. It's like sitting in the principals office waiting to see what your punishment is going to be for trying to survive another year.  Every year I sit and listen as he goes through paper after paper and all I really care to know is there going to be a comma in the check I have to write.

But I do my duty, and file my taxes.  I pull up my big girl panties (which are a few sizes smaller from last year) and I smile and I send what I'm supposed to, I sign the papers and as an American citizen I hand over what would be an amazing vacation to the Bahamas, or a down payment on a small 2nd home on the lake.  Then I go home triumphant that I have made it through another year of taxes all while secretly happy that I got to use my Winnie the Pooh checks again.

So just a little ditty today, while the sun has decided to visit for a day or two.  Enjoy your day, get a little sun on your face and a song in your heart.  For you only have another week to finish your taxes and that my dear you can be certain!!!!!!

6 Months - how many M&Ms did I lose?

Well this post is taking a lot for me to do.  Didn't realize how emotional I would become just having to post pictures of myself.  But then again, I don't look at pictures of myself and now I realize why I have avoided doing so.  I have cropped all my "before" pictures to save the identity of the innocent.  As I cropped each picture, I felt a welling of unhappiness and despair and tears, if I am being brutally honest.  I remember the unhappiness I felt and the feelings of inadequency, of having others make me feel less than, for letting other people have control over my thoughts and in general, my world. And to be honest, these people probably thought nothing of me, or maybe I just craved them to like me and include me.  But I came to the realization that I can't change them, the only person I have control over is me (and all my multiple personalities that live my my head).

When I look at the before pictures of myself, I didn't feel like I think I looked.  I thought I was overweight, but in no way did I ever imagine that I was as delusional as I was.  I always joke I never had a full length mirror and I now think maybe that was a HUGE error on my part and I'm going out to purchase one post haste.  I'm only 6 months into this journey and even though my clothes hang on me and the number of the scale is smaller, in my mind's eye, when I'm not in front of a mirror, I still see the old me.  I don't feel like the old me, but I still see the old me, this is a hurdle I'm slowing trying to crawl over.

So for those that have been waiting to see what my stats are at 6 months, here we go:

Months No Soda or Alcohol:  8 months

Months No Pasta/Bread/Potatoes:  6 months

Days a Week Working out:  6 times a week at least 30 minutes or more

TOTAL POUNDS LOST TO DATE:

76

Yes, 76 pounds.  Let's put that into perspective shall we.

76 pounds is equal in weight to:

38,000 - Plain M&M's

51 dozen - Krispy Creme Doughnuts-Glazed

588 - Regular Sized Snickers Bars

304 - Sticks of Butter

7.6 bags - Potatoes (10 lbs)

I never thought I would get to 76 pounds in 6 months.  But each day I woke up and made the decision to stick to my routine.  Drink water, eat protein and vegetables. stay away from sweets and processed foods.  Go to the gym.  In the beginning I HAD to tell myself from the minute I woke up until the minute my head hit the pillow that I HAD to do this.  But 6 months in, I don't think of it anymore as HAVE TO.  I wake up now and just do it.  I don't even think about it, it's just the way it is.  I have my weak moments, like when an Olive Garden commercial comes on and it's been cold and raining and comfort food is an excellent choice and seeing all that melted cheese on a lasagna and butter dripping off the breadsticks, I'd lick the tv screen if I thought it would help, but then again I'd be the one that would have to clean the screen and cleaning up my drool off my television screen isn't something high on my to do list. 

My struggle was emotional and until I came to grips with it and got over feeling bad over things I had no control of, my journey was going to fail.  I still struggle but I don't eat how I feel anymore.  Maybe some of what I was feeling was all in my own imagination, but I know some of it wasn't, it was very real and very painful, I don't let others have that power anymore.  If they don't want to be in my company, well, then it's their loss. 

I know now my weight gain was emotional and food was my therapist.  
Now when I express my feelings, I'm reminded of what a wise man told me,
"If someone replies to your feelings, then they either have also been the victim or are guilty of the crime of which you profess."
 But once I got beyond worrying about what everyone else thought, I found out I didn't need their approval to be happy.  I also did it on my terms, no gimmicks, no quick fixes, no starvation or yucky shakes.  Just a complete overhaul of my day to day.  I have great friends who support and encourage me and without my hubby and kids supporting me I wouldn't be as far as I am.  

I'm not perfect by any means, but I do know I'm a good person, I have a good heart and I'm there when someone needs me.  I would walk through fire before I would let anyone feel like they didn't matter.  

And luckily for me, I finally  decided to walk through fire for the one person I wasn't helping or taking care of.....ME!

So please be kind when you comment because I'm not proud of the before in fact I'm truly disappointed in how I lost myself. I must stress how hard it is for me to post these, in fact, I'm probably talking more in this post to just postpone having to link the pics, but after lots of hard work and dedication, I'm happy to say that my first "after" pic there is a difference. I see a small difference but others tell me it's big. My eye is probably more critical but I'm my own worst critic. 
FYI:  the last pic of the before was taken exactly 2 days before I started this journey. 

BEFORE

I have no one to blame but myself, but in the same breath I can pat myself on the back for getting this far.  6 months ago I couldn't run, my knees hurt, my clothes were tight.  I hated being the "fat" one in pictures.  My energy level was low and my internal happiness level was down right invisible. I seemed happy on the outside but inside it was a struggle.  I internalized everything and apparently many many pounds of junk food. I still live in my head but now all my personalities are playing nice with a common goal.  My PMS self is a bit more cranky now she doesn't get her chocolate but a hot shower and extra sleep usually appease her.  

But I can run 20 minutes straight on the treadmill, when I started I couldn't run I could barely walk 30 minutes without limping for days because of the pain in my knees. When I started I could barely do 15 minutes on the elliptical at level 1, Now I do 40 minutes at level 22.  I'm still working on the push up thing, but am working on it, upper body strengthening and planks will be the death of me I'm sure.  I own a pair of jeans that the size begins with a 1, not a 2.  Heck even had to buy new bras and underwear because the old ones were too big and baggy.  Clothes that were tight on me before, now hang on me. I actually have to wear a belt with some of my old pants so they don't fall off until I get to shopping for more.  I don't have to shop in the plus size section.  I have clothes that have "L" in the size instead of XL or 2XL.  I even have an a few "M"s. Ladies out there will understand the significance of that. That is a huge shock to my system.

Okay enough stalling, here are the after pictures.  And remember I'm doing my best!

AFTER

This has been one of my more honest and emotional posts but when I look back on this in September 2017 which will be one year from when I started, I hope that I see even more improvement, but I sincerely wish I have the hope in my heart that I have now.

Everyone deserves to live their best selves.  Sometimes the biggest obstacle we have to get over is ourselves.  And after looking at my before pictures, I really was a big obstacle to have to get over, but luckily, with a little determination, guidance, and a can do attitude, I got this far and I'm going to go farther.  I have six months to hit my goal I have for myself.  I never thought 6 months could change anything, but after looking at my pictures, 6 months is a lifetime of difference and it all began with one day and hope!

So please comment and thank you for following me on this journey.  I'm amazed at how many read my posts, but it's also encouraging when I read your comments and IM's that you send.  They make my gloomy days bright and my bright days dazzle.

So until April my friends, stay hopeful!

What did we do before technology?

I know you are all waiting "patiently" for me to post my 6 month pics and I will.  I just seriously have not had a moment to put on something I'm willing for the world to see me in and take a pic.  I promise they will be coming post haste.

Anyway, I got a strange IM yesterday.  So they asked me if I was who I was, and if I was the daughter of my mother (is this confusing enough, don't want to be throwing out names and such to keep the innocent safe).  I replied back that I was and low and behold, found a cousin from my mothers side that I haven't seen since my mother passed in 1982.  Let's just say my father wasn't the best at keeping me and my siblings in touch with her side of the family.

At first I was excited, thrilled.  I had tried on my own to find people, but people get married, names change, everyone moves to all corners of the universe and I have to admit my memory was a bit fuzzy on details of all those involved.

It was nice to hear they had been looking for us also. But as with any story involving family, with the sweet comes the bitter.  Basically out of all 7 siblings (my mom included) there is only one uncle, Uncle John, left.  The rest have passed on.  Which in a way is really quite sad.  I realize I haven't seen these individuals in 32 years, though I did see my Uncle Gene and Aunt Brenda, Aunt Mary, and Grandmother Rose in 1995 when we visited Texas, but it was only a 24 hour visit and to be honest,   there was a thirteen year gap from the funeral until Texas, and they didn't know me and I really didn't know them very well.  I remembered bits and pieces but have to say it just made me miss my mom more.

So there are cousins that are still around and luckily one of them found me on Facebook.  Now I've basically gone through my life with very little family besides my immediate family, but after the passing of my mom, dad, and all my grandparents, it's funny how staying in touch seems to blend away in time.

So I am digesting all the information I am getting and to be honest, it's a lot to process.  Maybe you come from big families and this whole concept is foreign to you.  And to be honest, I'm so glad it is foreign to you.  I would be thrilled to have lots of family that has known me since birth.  But unfortunately that number is dwindling to a very small and exclusive club and I unfortunately haven't been on the guest list to get in for some time.

So this week has been more thinking of my mom and remembering the small bits I can remember of her family.  I am still working out every day, but this information seems to be flooding my brain and I'm a bit distracted, which I'm sure is normal.  Would be the first time I was ever "normal"!

So as I process this wonderful thing that happened, I will get my camera charged, put on some clothes (no nude pics happening here, ladies and gentlemen, not that kind of blog) and take an after pic for all to see.

So thank you for your patience and support.  This has been definitely an interesting development.  Now to see where it leads......

How much for Grapes? or Creating your own Chia Pet

Ok, so when you go "healthy"  you think all things are going to be great.  You hear about it from tv, magazines and radio, then you find out one of the Biggest Loser coaches has a heart attack while working out.  I know that it was probably something hereditary, but it makes you think.
Plus cost wise, it's a bit more pricey to eat healthy than to eat quick! You see how much it cost to buy fresh fruit and vegetables and trying to find an alternative to potatoes and pasta is a downright trainwreck.  Why can I buy tator tots for $1.99 a package but the alternative broccoli tots are $3.89 and there are less in the package, plus trying to find them it like trying to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  You have to be in the right place at the right time.

I have used google, pinterest and the internet to vast extremes.  Now the pictures of the foods they show you may look great, but when you make them in reality, let's face it, it will make you just pick up the phone and order a pizza!  Plus why does eating healthy have to be so time consuming.  You want a pizza, you rip off the wrapper and throw it into the oven or better yet, dial your favorite local pizzeria and viola, you have supper.  When half of my household doesn't do bread, this makes things more challenging.  Yes, I've made the cauliflower pizza crust and yes, it's good, but man, when I get home from work some days I don't want to spend half my time getting appliances out (ie food processor, press, blender) to whip up these culinary masterpieces. Just so you are aware, I have very limited counter space, so getting these things require going up and down my stairs to my basement to retrieve said appliance, taking them out of the box (yes I still have the original boxes for many of them, keeps them from getting too dusty in the basement) then having to wash and put it back because I don't have the counter space to just let it hang in the kitchen.

I hear a few of you saying, hey that's extra steps, extra exercise!  Yes you are correct, but when I get home after work and then going to work out the last thing on my mind is "Let's do some stairs!!!!"  Messing up the kitchen preparing something I am only going to eat about 5 bites of can be a bit discouraging.  Also I have a growing 15 year old that has involuntarily been on this journey with us and I feel like I'm depriving him of the comfort food all kids should have on a regular basis while their metabolism is still high.  Even though he is a trooper and I do occasionally make him spaghetti or some other deliciously creamy delight he wishes.

I don't know if you've ever tried staying away from processed foods, potatoes, pasta and bread, but let me tell you, until you decide to no longer partake in them you don't realize how much of what you ate was that.

Also due to my diet change, a side effect is losing hair.  Now I've had a full head of hair since birth.  Always been something of mine that I took a little pride in.  I have naturally curly/wavy hair.  Well apparently since I'm eating healthy and under a doctor's care (you didn't think I just started this journey on a whim,heck no, I have a certified doctor that tells me what to do, I needed guidance for sure), this is something that can happen.  So the whole time I was eating sinfully delicious foods, I had great hair, I change my lifestyle to be healthy in order to lose weight to make sure I don't have to have knee surgery in my forties and the trade off it HAIR LOSS.  My doctor reassures me that this is temporary, but I swear every morning when I do my hair, I could make my own chia pet. In fact the hubby was saying that we may need to start grooming the cats due to the hair in the bathroom rugs, until I pointed out to him it wasn't the cats that were shedding but his incredible shrinking wife.  If I ball up a weeks worth of what falls from my head, my cats would think we adopted another pet.

You would think with all this "healthy eating" it would make your hair more healthy, but guess all the changes in my body and taking ALL my vitamins and such, it is too much of a shock on my system and the way the body resets itself is to let your hair fall out.  Now apparently this is normal, but not for me.  New hair is growing and I've adjusted some supplements to help with this transition but have to admit, every day I see hair fall from my head a little part of me says, "Is this really worth it?"  I'm not a vain person, but my hair has always been something I've always fit into, if I didn't like it one day, all it took was a phone call to my fav hairdresser and presto chango, a new me.

So this week has been a challenge for me but with next week being the 6 month mark, I'm a bit giddy to see the change.  I don't have a great before photo but I have a few that will give me an idea.  I found this saying:

It's been 24 1/2 weeks since I started this and I have to admit, I see a little change, but apparently it must be bigger than I think because of the feedback I get from people.  You never see yourself as other see you.  Plus not owning a full length mirror probably helped in my denial process.
So stay tuned next week when I will officially post photos.  This will require a lot of courage on my part as I'm more of a behind the camera girl than the object of the photo.  So when you do see it, please be kind because it really is taking all my nerve to actually take the 6 month after photo and post it!

So you see not every week is sunshine and flowers, some are harder to get through, but if we didn't have valleys would wouldn't be able to appreciate the view from the mountain!

So until next week my friends, stay strong, stay smiling!