Black November

When I was a young turkey, new to the coop, my big brother Mike took me out to the stoop.

Then he sat me down and he spoke real slow.  And he told me there was something I just had to know.

His look and his tone I will always remember, when he told me of the horrors of Black November.

Come about August, now listen to me, each day you’ll get six meals instead of just three

And soon you’ll be thick, where once you were thin, and you’ll grow a big rubbery thing under your chin.

And then one morning, when you’re warm in your bed, in will burst the farmers wife, and hack of your head.

Then she’ll pluck out your feathers till you’re bald and pink, and then scoop out your insides leavin ya lyin in the sink.  And then comes the worst part he said not bluffing, she’ll come in

and pack your rear end with stuffing.

Well, the rest of his words were too grim to repeat, I sat on the stoop like a winged piece of meat, and decided on the spot to avoid being cooked, I’d have to lay low and remain overlooked.

I began a new diet of nuts and granola, high roughage salads, juice and diet cola.  And as others ate pastires, chocolate and crepes, I stayed in my room doing Jane Fonda tapes, I

maintained my weight of two pounds and a half and tried not to notice when the bigger birds laughed.

But twas I who was laughing, under my breath, as they chomped and chewed ever closer to death.  And sure enough when Black November rolled around, I was the last turkey left in the entire compound.

So now I’m a pet in the farmer’s wife’s lap, I haven’t a worry, so I eat and I nap.  She held me today, while sewing and humming.  And smiled at me saying…CHRISTMAS IS COMING!

Interesting

I heard something very interesting on The Biggest Loser yesterday.  They had a Doctor visiting that specializes on the brain.


He was saying when an overweight person sees a big juicy hamburger, their mind registers great want for it.  When a thin person sees that hamburger, they don't desire it as much as the overweight person.  Well that doesn't seem like much of a surprise does it?  But what was interesting was when that thin person eats that hamburger, they experience great satisfaction in eating that one hamburger.  The over weight person doesn't.  Therefore they will need to eat two or three for the same amount of satisfaction as the thin person.


It's all about reprograming our minds.  And, it can take weeks or even months for that reprograming to happen by eating healthy and changing your habits.
However, you can slide right back into the bad reprograming within a week!  Makes me realize how much I need to be very mindful of what I'm putting into my mouth and body.

Dining Out

Tonight I'm headed out with my Mom and Sister and some of my Sisters friends to celebrate my Sister's birthday.  I'm excited for a girls night out.  Haven't had one in awhile.  Sometimes eating out can be a real struggle for those of us who are trying to live a healthy lifestyle.  Dishes can be deceptively full of calories and sometimes we can think we are making wise decisions, when really we aren't.  But never eating out is not an option for most of us and frankly wouldn't be very much fun.  So, we just have to make sure to have a plan. 

I've been working really hard on tracking everything I eat the last few weeks and really being prepared for what will be going on during all these holidays. Tonight we are going to The Olive Garden.  It's really nice when you know where you're going because you can get online and look at the restaurants nutrition information ahead of time and make your decision about what you're going to eat before you get to the restaurant.

I have already looked at the menu and I know exactly what I'm going to get.  When I go to the restaurant, I wont even look at the menu.  I may get caught up in the temptation of all those other delicious menu items and give into the temptation of choosing something full of cheese and pasta. I know this will only take me further from my goal leaving me feeling frustrated and discouraged. 

I have chosen a bowl of their Zuppa Toscana.  I know this is something that will leave me feeling satisfied and yet it will not go overboard on my calaries and will allow me to enjoy a nice glass of wine and a little popcorn at the movies after dinner.  Lucky for me I'm someone that LOVES soup.  Especially at this time of year as the weather cools and the nights come a little quicker.  I'll make sure I have one bread stick because they're so yummy and then make sure the bread stays at the other end of the table always passing it on to someone else.

This has been a great way for me to be successful when tackling that tricky obstacle of eating out. 

I also wanted to mention, if you get something that has more calories than what I'm looking at with this soup one other thing to do that will help is to ask for a box as soon as your food arrives and put half of your dinner in it and close it up.  Put it in a bag under your chair and forget about it.  :)  But don't forget to take it with you at the end of your meal.  Then you'll get to enjoy it again the next day for lunch or dinner.


Good Luck!

Holiday Eating

The holiday's are just around the corner.  Do you have a plan?  If you're trying to loose weight or maintain, you better have a plan, or you'll get beyond all the holidays and wish you would have had a plan. :)


So first up is Halloween.  All that yummy chocolate, or for me it's anything fruity and chewy that turns my head.  Halloween is all about the candy.  So how are you going to tackle it?  I have a plan.  Do you?


I don't buy any candy until just before Halloween.  That way it's not a temptation the days before Halloween.  The other thing I do is I buy candy I don't really care for.  What does it matter?  I'm just giving it away anyway.


I also plan on allowing myself a little treat on Halloween.   I figure out exactly what I will want to have and adjust my eating accordingly earlier in the day.


The night of Halloween, plan a nutritious meal for the whole family.  Wether or not you're going to partake in the candy, you know your kiddos are going to, so make sure they get something really good for them in their tummies.  The more satisfied you and your family are the less you're going to be tempted to eat junk.


I also try to really focus on the kids.  I make sure I'm involved and enjoy watching the fun they're having rather than focusing on what I think might make me happy.  Because in the long run, if I pig out on candy, not only am I going to feel sick to my stomach, but I'm not going to feel very good about myself.

Always a Challenge

I lost almost 60 pounds and reached my goal weight on Dec. 8th, 2008.  I have maintained it successfully so far.  It is not without it's challenges though.  There have been times I'm 13 pounds under my goal.   (Felt really good at that weight)  There have been times I have been 1 or 2 pounds above my goal.  (Never more than 2)  


Maintaining is a whole other beast that is tricky to tackle.  I struggle with being content at where I'm at.  That thought of having to loose weight is always nudging me in the back of my mind.  I realize I'm doing well.  I'm exactly where I should be.  I just always have the thought that I need to loose more!  "I'm not skinny enough.  If only I could get rid of the little bulges on the sides of my thighs."  Maybe that's ok.  Maybe that's what has kept me from gaining weight.  But sometimes I wonder why I can't just be happy with where I'm at.


Is it the world's influence saying you're just not small enough?  Is it a feeling of not being good enough?  I don't know.  I just know it's a daily struggle.  I just have to keep doing what I've been doing and focusing on the fact that I have successfully maintained my weight for almost three years!  That is huge.  It's not an easy task.  I have made sacrifices and stayed focused.  I should be proud of what I've done.


I should be proud of what I've done.

8-3-2011, Reshaping It All: Motivation For Physical and Spiritual Fitness

I’m reading a REALLY good book by Candice Cameron Bure.  Great advice for a Christian trying to maintain or loose weight.  I thought I’d put the things I’ve highlighted down in this blog.  Just so it’s all in one spot for reference.
*I often receive letters from women who tell me they have lost twenty, thirty, forty, and even ninty pounds.Weight they could never lose before is finally coming off.  What’s their secret to success?  It’s the same as mine.  We’ve finally moved faith to the forefront, which includes putting God first in our plan to lose weight.


*Exercise is equally important to me as my diet is, but the only reason these changes became a permanent part of my lifestyle is because my thoughts were trained to accept them as necessary rather than optional.


*If I overeat today, I’ll weaken my resistance muscle, which I’ve worked diligently to build up.


*Author Mark Twain said, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.  The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable ones then starting on the first one.”


*Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt. 6:34)


*If you want something you’ve never had before, you have to do something you’ve never done before. – Author unknown


*The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, learn about them, or even seriously consider them as believable or achievable.  Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.   -Denis Waitley


*Eat until you’re satisfied.  Not full-satisfied.


*In addition to trainers and buddies, we have an additional support system on which I have relied, Jesus Christ.  When the changes we make are anchored in the will of God and when our love for God becomes the driving force in our lives, we discover the ultimate trainer is with us, cheering us on.


*Because I trust that since He was faithful to me in the past, He will be the same faithful God in my future.  If you believe that the direction you’re taking is in accordance with God’s will for your life – and I believe that healthy living is – I encourage you to press on in faith.


*There is a popular acronym known in the land of the lean as HALT.  It means that when you feel like reaching for food, ask yourself first if you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired.  If you’re hungry, then proceed, but if you are reaching for food in response to emotion, then halt your behavior immediately and deal with the problem at hand.


*Let me first say this: God loves you, just the shape you are, and there isn’t a single number on the scale that could ever change that.


*He understands the desire we have to walk across the mall, to slip into smaller sized pants, to like the reflection we see, and to hold a form of beauty both inside and out.  After all, He created all things beautiful, from the smallest detail of a flower to the vastness of the midnight sky.  And while He loves us, He has given us the opportunity to improve our quality of life, but ultimately you will have to make that choice.  No one will make it for you.  Only you can weigh the cost and make that decision.


*What thoughts cloud your mind?  Do you believe you can and will do what you set out to do, or do you entertain negative thoughts that whisper, “You can’t”?  Believing in ourselves but, more importantly, believing in God as our source of strength will change us from the person we were.  We shouldn’t want to be anyone else, but we can be the best God created us to be.  It’s that familiar prayer of hope:  God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.  _Reinhold Niebuhr


*The first step is to believe in yourself enough to get off the fence and step on to the other side.


*It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not. – Author Unknown


*Whether you think you can or think you can’t you are right! – Henry Ford


*When we resist temptation, it eventually leaves.  I promise you that.  I mean seriously, you aren’t still craving that chocolate bar you rejected last month are you?  The temptation eventually left.


*Serious training involved balance and that his training had as much to do with his spirit as it did his body.


*If we tell ourselves that we’re nothing all day, how can we ever look in the mirror and expect to see ourselves the way God sees us?  If we tell ourselves that we won’t succeed, how can we find the courage to be a success?  We can’t unless we start to change patterns in our thoughts.  Thinking is a choice we make minute by minute, day by day.  In order to stay in the right frame of mind, so that we are equipped to overcome the enemy, we’re instructed to train our thoughts.  I train my body, and in the same way I’ve had to retrain my thoughts.


*Ask God to be with you on your journey to reshaping you body, spirit, and soul.  Not merely as a walking buddy, but rather as one who leads the way.


*You were running a good race.  Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? (Gal. 5:7)


*We start running the race with joyful enthusiasm, having faith that this time we will kick the bad habits – this time we will make it work!  But then someone cuts in on our dance with the Lord and leads us away.  Don’t let him whisper for even a moment.  Anything that is contrary to the fruit of the Spirit will lead us farther and farther away from the prize.


*“I can’t do this on my own.  I’m willing to take a step in faith to stop doing it the wrong way, knowing with all my heart that You will provide me the willpower to say ‘no’ or give me a way out.”


* As he thinks in his heart, so is he. (Prov. 23:7)


I’m not done with the book yet, but so far, these are the little nuggets I’ve gleaned.