My weight loss journey.......before and after

Now

1.5 years ago

               

                 
                      

            I have thought long and hard about how I can best help others understand just how easy this weight-loss journey can really be. The process for me has been very slow and gradual, taking many, many months of incremental progress. Yet, it can easily be followed by anyone who is not looking for a quick weight-loss fix. At first glance, the habits I currently live by such as juicing and running, which have been built over time, may seem a bit over the top for anyone just starting out, but trust me, the process has a way of changing you so that all the changes seem logical and simple as you reach each new level. All it takes is truly committing to changing one tiny habit at a time and choosing to adopt each one for the long haul. 

                          My weight-loss journey began when I stepped on a working and (for once) 'trusty' scale after not having done so in months and became horrified to see the numbers 199 lbs. flash on the screen. One stinking pound away from the dreaded 200 lbs was where all my blind living led me to. THAT moment, right there, was my ultimate rock-dead-bottom. The Universe knew me well, for had it read 200 lbs. I might have just resigned myself to being overweight. Yet, that 1 stinking pound less carried with it some hope, hope for a reversal. 
                    
                          Everyone has a 'bottom', a point they know in their soul that once they reach it, 'something' MUST be done. Bottom in this context, for anyone not familiar with this lingo, it defines the very moment one decides it's time to stop and go the opposite direction. Being 1 pound away from two hundred pounds was my wake up call, I needed nothing else to make me aware of my state.  At that moment I felt a irrevocable resolve to take this on for good, no matter what it took. I was done trying to convince myself I was okay with being big, I was done with my baggage about weight, I was done with all the excuses.....I wanted more. 

                       Around that time the Universe sent me another small gift. I also was lucky to read somewhere that cravings are the technically body's way of telling you that you are not giving it what it so desperately needs, nutrients, minerals....etc. Overweight people are overweight, I was informed by this source, because they eat too much of the wrong foods, which often carry no nutrient value. Therefore, the body keeps asking and asking and asking for more and more food to try to fill the body's basic nutrient needs.  I thought on this and decided that I could work with this logic, it was simple and clear. After spending half a day on YouTube watching 101 ways of cooking veggies I began cooking and juicing vegetables daily to see if in fact this theory was correct. I began filling my body with the 'right' types of nutrients and that made all the difference. Within days, the cravings, which have plagued me my whole life, began to subside and I had enormous amounts of energy throughout the day to the point where I would even wake up in the middle of the night to watch movies, read, or blog. This past Thanksgiving, for example, was the first official holiday in which I wasn't constantly thinking 'FOOD!!! the whole time. Food stopped being the end-all-be-all of my life and I felt free to enjoy all the other gifts such holidays provide. 

                         But juicing and eating well alone are not the fix-all cure to life-time weight control. Yes, itwill help one get rid of the excess weight super fast, yet, there are some other minor adjustment that need to also take place in order to make this journey a life-long journey of success. Below I list a few words of wisdom to help you along this journey. I wish you all, whoever you are, success in bringing health, joy and expansive love into your  world.   

1. The weight is NOT coming off with exercise. I am not an expert on this mind you, but I am an expert on my own body and have been doing this weight loss stuff long enough to speak with some authority on what may or may not work. Let me begin by saying that, we all have seen these 'Biggest Loser' types shows  on TV where some extremely fit person militaristically pushes an obese person to run 3 miles, as if that would make him lose any weight in the long-term. As a person who has severely injured herself numerous times doing these ridiculous drill-and-kill type programs while overweight, I don't think they are the way to go at all. Not to say you should no be doing SOME form of exercise. But initially, if your BMI labels you as OBESE the way to lose weight safely and fast would be through what you eat and don't eat primarily. Excessive exercise is not the way to start losing weight if you have a lot of pounds to lose.  Makes sense to me; The excess weight must come off first before a serious exercise program can even take hold. Therefore, I am convinced that the fastest, safest way to lose the weight is to eat extremely right.....period. I would strongly push for vegetable juicing (34 oz day total, or in the least an 8oz glass of vegetable juice before all meals in the least as a way to kick start the loss) I would also advice watching any and all Youtube video that teach basic vegetable cooking skills. YouTube has some wonderful videos for all sorts of recipes, they are addictive. I must add here also that starving is not part of the plan at all, you must feed your body well, period. Starving is very much like 'holding your breath', at some point you have to come up for air....IF it's not a life-long solution, why bother. The obvious rules apply, no sodas, no chips, no salty popcorn, no sugar, no white bread, and most importantly NO to tiny portions. A teeny tiny salad will only turn one into a raging cranky bitch in 2 hours, stop it!! No one like cranky...eat all you like of the good stuff and then go live life!!! But make sure you eat amazing foods.....vegetables......fruits mostly.....fill up on them, make them THE main meal, not the side dishes. Only eating right, to the extreme, will start the ball rolling in the right direction, and fast. Sounds simple, but too many people equate fruits and veggies with small portions and starving. Make them the main meal......

2. Get a heart monitor .....go online and find your target heart rate for your age and weight and make sure you reach that range for at least 30 minutes a day. No cheating, no excuses. Just set time aside and do it, don't think too long about it for if you do, you'll talk yourself out of it. You may have kids, you may be a single parent, whatever your excuse is, find time to do this as if your life depended on it. One of my main goal in getting fit began with my my desire to one day be a grandma. Ooh!! I cannot wait to see what that would be like. But not all of us will get there. It IS a matter of life and death. Therefore, making time and getting all the materials you need to make your workout fun is very important. If you need music, get music. If you need good shoes, a gym membership, a sitter....do it. 

3. This is HUGE. I had to stop blaming people for my weight issues. I did this unconscious 'cranky blaming' for years. My loved ones could not even buy me clothes without me getting all sensitive about who knows what. I have no idea what I was mad at really, yet, nevertheless it felt helpful to deflect the blame on others so that I could stay my course, it was easier than doing something about it in the end. Soon everyone knew to stay off 'my issue'. The narrative of blaming-others became a part of who I was and I never questioned this thinking until much later. You see, I had guilt-tripped every loved one enough so that no one ever dare bother me about my weight, so I was left alone.  Suddenly, I had no one else to fight against, nothing else left to defend.  I had to come to terms with my part in this whole mess, all of it. 

4. NEW life-long habits. It's not a diet, far from it. It's a change of habit ......for life. The 'for life' part is the biggie. Don't even bother changing any habit at all ever unless you can see yourself doing it for the rest of your life. Seriously, choose carefully what you want to incorporate into your routines, for if you take on too much you'll have a hard time sustaining it, if you chose too little, you'll see no change and give up. The first habit I started was juicing and having at least two 8 oz of vegetable juice a day before my meals. The weight fell off me fast, 6 months later, I started juicing more daily. I went from 2 glasses a day to 4 glasses a day and today there are days that the juice may easily replace a meal. A year later, I started jogging daily in addition to the juicing. I started with 30 minutes a day for 3 to 5 months and making sure my heart rate was 118 or more for those 30 minutes.  Notice, all these habit changes are small and very easy to do on their own, nothing revolutionary. Needless to say I did not lose the weight overnight. It took about a year to lose 30-40 lbs. But, the great news is that I have kept it all off and most importantly, I KNOW I am never going back. It's THAT simple. 

5. ONCE the weight is gone, you MUST chose a form of exercise that you can stick with for the rest of your life. There is NO other way around it so might as well accept it right now. Exercise must be a part of your life if you want to live a long and healthy life....period. Pharmaceutical companies spend millions each year trying to convince you there are ways around this supposed 'horrible fact'. You can try millions of easy fixes to lose weight, but NONE will ever work for the long run except a change of habit that requires regular exercise that raises your heart rate for a sustained period of time. This might seem gloomy to any and all who have given up on being physical, yet, the joy, energy and sense of balance I get from exercising 6 days a week makes it all so worth it. The huge secret here is that people who work out are actually not superhuman people who like to torture themselves in the gym daily. A few months back, I too would have cried painful tears if anyone would have dragged me out of bed at 6am to go jogging in the freezing cold temperature. Now, because of how amazing it makes me feel during and after running, I seriously cannot wait to get up and go running every morning...and yes, at 6am. Again, 6 months ago, this was not me.....6 months ago I had given up on ever running again. So don't worry, your mind will change once it gets what it needs and that will make all other larger changes so easy to continue in the right direction....I promise. You will do wonderful!!

6. Worth. Poeple are overweight for many reasons. My personal weight issues relate deeply to issues of self-worth. All my life I have had internal battles relating to lack of self-worth, all for reasons that make no or little sense to me now. These past struggles have manifested themselves into my body through the way I relate to it, how and what I consume, what I think of it, how I view myself or not view myself. I know that we all come here to learn many lessons, and one of mine related to overcoming this hurdle with lack of self-value. I know fairly well that I am not alone in this plight, which is why I share so openly my own weaknesses. These are very much everyone's weaknesses as well. All humans come to face similar hurdles and it's my hope that with the sharing of my own personal journey with weight-loss I can help others jump this hurdle much easier. 

                   I started meditating on the awesome and sheer value of having this life and of having a strong healthy body. I feel so incredibly blessed to be here, at this time, leading this awesome adventure with all sorts of souls. My weight-loss goes way beyond a simple physical change. It's much, much, much larger than that. This journey has allowed me to once again to feel strong, in control and has afforded me the ability to manifest my loving energy in a brighter, clearer and more beautiful way. Peace. 

                         

New Running Goals and some tips for long-term weight loss....

                   I have been again inspired by amazing people to change my life for the better. This time I have challenged myself to run 1,000 miles in one year and I am so excited about this new challenge and I know I can do it. This one challenge is inspired by a FB buddy, Heather Anderson (you know you rock). To complete the challenge I would have to run a little less than 20 miles a week for 52 weeks..... 

                  I have learned that I do much better with small and incremental changes to my daily routine and to not adopt new changes until I can adapt to the initial changes completely first. Over one and half years ago I started juicing daily and I now do it daily without a blink of an eyes. I wake up 1/2 hour early to make my drinks for the day and take them everywhere I go with me. This routine has become so part of my life that I could not think of having one day without my vegetable/fruit drink. This summer I began running in July and I now cannot think of a week going by in which I don't run at least 14 miles/week. 

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                  This change in approach to bringing change in one's life is so easy and so manageable that I would absolutely recommend it to anyone trying to bring some positive and permanent changes to their lives. Yes, the changes to your body are slower than perhaps a crash diet might be, yet, the changes are longer lasting. Because I was able to take my time to implement each new initiative I was able to make sure that each small change was fully implemented BEFORE I brought in a new addition to my routine. 

                  When people first hear about me running, the first thing a non-runner will say to me is, "I can't run at all.", or claim, "running is not for me." Running was not for me either when I weighed 200 lbs. Not at all!! But, after juicing for a year and losing all that extra weight, running became lots more possible, suddenly I saw myself doing it in my imagination. I did not just start running while grossly overweight. That would have surely caused an injury and surely I would not have been able to continue this for long at all. We all grew up with these TV shows where grossly overweight people are being militaristically trained to do excessive amounts of exercise. But I truly believe that if you are going to run, the extra weight needs to come off first in order to make it safe for your feet and your knees and your heart....and the fastest, safest and tastiest way to do this is through juicing. A juice fast is not abusive to your body, cleans you out. It's an ultra-healthy way to lose weight compared to all other unsafe methods out there. 

                      This might not be the way most people would choose to go about becoming ultra-healthy, but it's done wonders to my life, my energy and my outlook of the world. I am glad I listened to my inner voice.....would love to hear how you changed your life around for the better. 

Running, and why I love it so much.....

   I have been trying to figure out why it is that I love running so much. In my attempts to unravel this small personal mystery I have been watching all these movies about running and following people online who run, read articles, magazines...on and on. In one of the movies, I don't remember which, one runner hit the nail on the head. She mentioned how in today's world, there are very few true feelings of triumphs we get to experience on a daily basis and she added that to her, running a long run and actually completing it brings out that feeling of triumph each time. After hearing this, it all made sense and I was then able to clearly understand why I love running.

          To me, running is a metaphor for life, yet, one that's encapsulated in a tiny microscopic hour's run. Life in a bottle is you may. No doubt the run somewhat begins as a struggle. At almost 40, my knees complain as I begin my runs, my ankles take a few blocks to adjust and not feel so achy. Yet, the feeling of triumph experienced after the run has ended far surpasses any struggle experienced during the run that it makes it all worth it 1000%. This feeling has been so incredibly powerful that I don't see myself ever not running again. This thing, this habit, this tool is now mine and I am keeping it as part of my life as long as I live. In fact, the other day, I had gone two days without running, things got busy and life took hold of all free time. I did not worry for I knew it was not gone. Soon, I began having this incredible urge to run that came from deep inside and would not let me off the hook. The feeling could only be likened to a nagging craving for something you can almost taste it. This craving won't go away unless fulfilled. It's become a bit of an addiction I'd dare say, for it only takes for me to even see another runner to again feel the need to go out there myself and feel the pavement beneath my feet. I have never been happier and more balanced than these few months of (almost) daily running and most of it has to do with the benefits running has brought forth in my life. I feel strong, healthy, awake, alive.....who would want to go back to anything else?

Update on my daily running routine

                   I have managed to carve a half-hour daily running/jogging work-out routine for a month now. I am in disbelief that I am able to find the time to accomplish this daily, and without fail. For years I have been making excuses after excuses to avoid having to really work out. Yet, here I am at a point in my life where I know in my bones that this is not going to roll back to some form of lazy complacency. All it took was a clear decision not to hear the excuses, not even for a minute to entertain them in my head. Despite my day's tiredness each night, despite my daily inner resistance I went out that door and did it and I could not be more excited.  A few months back this would have seemed like a huge undertaking, yet, after a few days it was a breeze walking out that door and hitting the pavement. The amazing feeling one gets from sweating, from feeling strong and fearless is worth every bit of effort. After just several days, the routine no longer feels like a struggle. It begins to feel more like a lifeline, a pure necessity to maintaining total well being. 

             Although the routine has become quite simple to accommodate into my days nowadays, I did have quite a bit of setting up work that needed to be established at the beginning. I got new sneakers, I got a heart rate monitor, I set up all my running clothes, sneakers and socks in one place in my closet so I can quickly access them and head out the door.  Last but not least, I had to adjust and time when I ate at night in order to be able to run on an empty stomach once my two kiddies went to bed. Last, I even created fun mixes and uploaded them along with inspiring books onto my iPod Touch to give my workout that extra fun kick. 

Getting ready for my daily morning juicing routine - celebrating 1 year of daily juicing this June ....this year 35lbs lighter....

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Check out my new juicer!!!

My juicer died today after only 2 months of daily juicing...the one before it lasted 3 months of daily juicing.....so I treated myself to a Brevelle juicer...hopefully this one will last longer...

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Finding Healthy Inspirations from unlikely sources

In two months I lost 20 lbs. While I am nowhere near my goal I could not be happier. I've been wanting to lose some of this extra 'baby weight' for some time, but somehow had never been ready enough to stick with it long term. Yet, there are some unlikely sources that have helped me enormously in staying on track and I thought to share them with you here.

* YOUTUBE: above all other sources I have used to keep me inspired, YouTube has been the TOP contributor. I have watched countless hours of videos from people on: *healthy cooking recipes, *people who juice, *Raw food folks, and on and on.....every time I would feel that my progress was slowing down I would just stay up late and watch some of these inspirational people. Try it, put in a search for healthy recipes and you will see hundreds of videos of people actually showing you how and what to do with food.

* Netflix: I swear by my Netflix stream account. they have these amazing documentaries about food that you can stream anytime. They have been seminal in getting me motivated to even start on a healthier lifestyle.

* Public Library: Find amazing free resources for recipe books. Rent one or two and go shopping. If you like it copy the recipe on a card and keep them in a box.

* A phone APP: I have this application on my android phone called 'simple weight' and I weigh myself once a week and record my progress on this app. They have this neat chart that visually shows you your progress and it's so motivating to see the line sail down every week. Some also have the BMI and some tell you how far you've come, etc. Shop around and find the one that suits you.

* Email: Every month I use a measuring tape to take my dimensions (waist, hip, chest, etc). I email the dimensions to myself and that way I have the dimensions date-stamped and saved. When I take new dimensions I just search for that email and forward it to myself with the new information.

* Pedometer: I wear one daily and keep track of how many steps I take a day. Some days I challenge myself to reach a certain number.

* NUTS!!! : I know they are expensive, but I buy a lot of nuts, all different kinds and keep a bag of them in my purse at all times. That way, when I am out running errands I can snack on something heavy and healthy. My favorite are salt-free sunflower seeds from Whole Foods, they are less than 2$.

* Dehydrator: I bought myself a dehydrator. Sounds pretty boring right? wrong!! now I can buy fruits in bulk that are on sale, for example, and eat some the way they come but also use the rest to make dried fruit 'snack' for later or to store for when those fruits are not in season. I also make tons of other foods with my dehydrator such as chewy granola-ish snacks, dry herbs, 100%fruit roll ups, etc. All ultra-healthy.

* My eyes: I love, love, love eating. When I started this it was very, very important for me to continue to enjoy my food. So I look at healthy-bent recipe books and find recipes that look good and make them. I make food that LOOKS good to me. None of that mush we all initially think about when we think 'vegan' or 'vegetarian' or 'healthy eating.'

* Healthy friends: I have gotten tons of advice and inspiration from friends who have managed to begin and continue a healthy lifestyle. I truly believe that in the end we are an accumulation of everyone we have ever met. I drink 3 glasses of water in the morning because a friend of mine did it and was able to always maintain her weight. Take time to find out what systems others have developed to make their healthy living possible or easier.

Free weights from home

I have begun to do free weights from home right before going to bed. Nora, being my right hand girl, of course also wants to do it too....so instead of free weights, she gets to use 2 paint tubes as weights. Here is her 'gear'.

I have a book where I have drawn all the exercises using stick figures. She then insisted on drawing her own stick figures copying the poses found in the book above. These are hilarious. Notice her depiction of a dumbbell.
Do you recognize any of these exercises?

Losing pounds on healthy fruits and veggies

Okay, so I've never been very good at staying on diets....so now I am just going for healthy. I might lose the weight within a longer span of time, but it feels good and I am now on it for more than a month....which is amazing for ME....

For breakfast I might have a 3 egg whites on 1/2 toast and a cup of coffee, for lunch a huge salad with homemade dressing, for after-work snack I will have oatmeal with raisins, cocoa, and soy milk and for dinner another huge salad with chicken or tuna and dressing.....OR grilled vegetables with chicken or maybe a whole baked yam....

So far I have lost 3 inches on my hips and 3 inches on my waist...I do not own a balance so we'll have to see how that goes once I get a hold of one......my clothes fit me better and overall my skin is amazing....will keep you posted.

A battle with weight loss.....I say give me back my life!

Just as I thought, It's happening....slowly but surely, I am losing weight!!

I knew deep inside that the change would come if only I stopped making losing weight such an intense need in my life. You see, I am a stress-eater. I eat when I get stressed, or have nothing to do....Yet, I knew that the minute I realized that life was more than reaching this goal, I would lose the weight.

Instead of all this fretting, I began just "being there" for everything, 110%. I walk everywhere with my children in a stroller and not necessarily focused on getting to my destination fast or faster. Instead, I just focus on having fun with my kids....loving their little voices, minding their moods without getting frazzled, and simply allowing myself to feel right in my own body, no matter how "not-skinny" I felt. If I ran into anyone, I would enjoy their words and truly listen to their stories and not get caught on the destructive thoughts that haunt all people who have struggled with their body as I have.

What baggage?

I was at the DCPS office getting fingerprinted and this man in his late 50's, who was also there for the same purpose, starts up a conversation with me.

He says, "You don't need to be carrying all that junk around......" and proceeds to talk loudly and tell me about how he teachers Tai Chi and can make me very strong. I just assumed by "junk" he meant my backpack.....although it did not really make sense, I was too busy to stop and make it make sense. But I've lived in cities all my life and there are plenty of people among us who don't make sense....so I just chucked it thinking, this guy's a bit off.....beware!

I am a generally polite person and as he describes what he teaches I am slightly interested although he hardly responds to my responses to his comments....making me aware that he's not really listening......he's one of these people who just want to talk.....and talk...and talk.....and make sure everyone around hears how cool he is....

My name is called and I go to the desk. His name is called and he comes behind me....and again repeats, "You don't need to carrying all that junk". Again, thinking he's referring to my backpack I answer, "I need this JUNK, It's my certification documents." He then clarifies as if we're talking about the weather, "No, you know what I mean, the one you're carrying on your body."

This man was referring to my weight!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME! ARE....YOU...KIDDING...ME!!!

In my mind I am amazed and say to myself, "My husband even knows not to mention my weight".

All my life I've never been a quick-witted person. I generally trust that people will be courteous and am frozen in panic thoughts when people become something other than polite. To my envy, my younger sister, on the other hand, is much more quick-witted than me. She will put a person in their place before they are even done being rude to her. I wish I was more that way, but I am not. On this day, I was not at all expecting this man to be so outrightly rude .....The old me would have been embarrassed and cowardly and maybe even depressed to have a stranger call me out on my weight, but I did not allow this socially disabled man to shake my sunshine...not even one bit. I am blessed with a wonderful husband, two amazingly smart and healthy children and I am going to be working the job of my dreams.....nope, no shaking me off that tree.

I felt sorry for him actually. To have gone 50 plus years not knowing how to be around people must be rough. I would not be surprised if he's had a rough time with women.

What would have I said, have I been quicker?

I would have said, "I might be carrying around a lot of body junk.....but I'd rather have have that any day than carrying around all that extra EGO. "

I love how life has these little ways of showing you just how lucky you are!

Been Doing Weights....Getting Ready for Summer

I have been doing free weights now for a few weeks and I love it!!!! I cannot afford a gym membership  and have very little time anyway, so this works out best for me. 

When I use to do weights before a few years back, before the babies came,  I was very comprehensive about it.....doing EVERYTHING, from my shoulders all the way down to my calves. Yet, now, I am just working on parts I want to improve such as my posture, my shoulders so I can wear tank tops in the summer and my chest......and what woman does not want perky breasts.....

Oops, I just realized, this might not be a good post for men. My husband is a bit squeamish when it comes to women topics....so be warned....this is "woman" topic. 

So here is how I do it.....I made a fun dance mix.  I love dance music with a passion, reminds me of my club days and going to "gay" night at clubs and watching the men dance in such amazing ways....

Back to what I do.....Every other day I get all my materials, 

* 2 sets of varying hand weights (I use a 6 lbs. and a 12 lbs. set) and 

* those stretchy cords with handles on each side and 

* put on some very comfy clothes. 

In a journal, I had pre-drawn all my routines from a women's weight training book I borrowed  from the library and I open it up to the page for whatever I will be focusing on that day. I do abdominals every every time and with it I choose one or two other concentrations.  It might be shoulders, back or chest. I do 3 sets of whatever reps I can do on the spot. I do not keep track of any of this.....too busy, and not that important at this stage in my life. 

For Beautiful Back and Awesome Posture

I put the stretchy thingy on the door and then close the door so that it does not move.

 

I use the 12 lbs. pound weight and lean over the couch. 

For Defined Shoulders

I use the 6 lbs. weights to do this and do 3 sets of about 14. I find that in time I can do more in each set. 

I use the 6 lbs. weights for this.

I do not look like this....I only use the 6 lbs. weight for this. 

For Perky Breasts....Instant Lift!

Okay, so they are "girl" push-ups....but you have to start somewhere. 

I use the 12 lbs. weights for this....and they work!!

I use the stretchy thingies for these.  I stick one half behind the door, lock the door and voila!  you have your own home gym. 

Tighten Those Abdominals

These are very hard.....but my husband told me it has to be just little lifts...nothing huge.....take it easy. 

These look funny, but they work anther part of your abs.....I do not reach my toes like this guy. 

I do 3 sets of all 3 of these.....and believe me I take my time.....

My SOUP FEVER CATCHES ON.....

As you may know I've been making healthy soups daily and freezing them to supplement our daily meals. I buy whatever is on sale and boil it with some healthy beans then grind half the batch to give it a thicker consistency. Below is one I made with lentils, carrots and cauliflower.  Luke, my 4-year-old came up to me yesterday and said, "mom, I want to make a soup."  I helped him get himself set up, he cut a bunch of potatoes and tomatoes and carrots.  We let it cool when done and ground up the whole thing. He has yet to taste it, yet I was amazed at how very excited he was about making his soup, his way.....

This one above is mine

this one above is Luke's before we ground it up......smelled delicious. 

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My Shift in Food Thought......Soup to the rescue!

The soup craze began when I started to get a little sick, was again addicted to coffee or fearing the dreaded "coffee headache" and was not able to wear my favorite ring. I realized then I needed to start taking care of myself more. I've always been more instinctual when trying to figure out what is right for my health. You will never catch me memorizing, and following to the letter someone else's idea of how to be healthy. I think ultimately it's trust thing. I do not trust others more than myself in terms of what is good for ME. 

Now I've never been that unhealthy to begin with. I don't drink soda ever, I grill, I rarely eat meat, I don't ever drink juice of any kind unless it's pressed or juiced from a juicer, etc, etc. To me the issue has always been nervous eating. With all the natural chaos that a normal day with two kids brings, comes a lot of high-pressure moments. Food has somehow provided a sense of relaxation. My goal is to totally stop associating with food emotionally in any way. For example, celebrations do not need to always be associated with foods.  I'm slowly learning that "good times" can be surrounded by other celebratory items. Hugs, paying attention to what one is saying, playing with kids, focusing on just BEING with family, dancing, taking pictures.

So out of all this I decide to make soup. I was searching online and there are easily millions of recipes just for low-fat vegetable soups. You have a whole spectrum from hot, cold, red, creamy, heavy, light, chunky...and the list goes on. I then thought, what would happen if I just ate soup for a while just to clean out my system? I love soup and from the looks of the recipes, are super-easy to make. So for 2 days now I've had amazing mixed vegetable soups for breakfast, lunch and dinner with an assortment of beans and I immediately felt better, have not needed coffee, and now feel full of energy! I do eat other things in between by the way. One day I made thick banana-milk shake in between, but I just make sure 70% of my intake was soup. 

Now, amazingly, I do not have to think about food for it's incredibly filling and because most of it is frozen I just need to defrost. Also, you don't get bored because I made all sort of flavors. One has potatoes, hominy and cabbage and another might be less dense and have assorted beans, onions and kale. Amazingly, when I get a craving I just defrost and eat or make a tea, decaf coffee, or a decaf earl grey. The great things are that it's super healthy, absolutely yummy, filling and never boring. 

Would love to know any healthy diet changes you have made...have a great day!!

MY list of Healthy Weight Loss Habits..

As an attempt to get my eating in order I used some online sources to make my own list of some weight loss habits I will try to follow for at least a week. Would love to know about any weight loss tips you find helpful.1. Cleaning up your home in order to increase your physical activity level. 

2. Use the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. 

3. If you are going to school (I'm a teacher),  go for a walk in between classes. Try to walk for at least 10-15 minutes. Taking these short walks on a daily basis adds up.
4. Park your car farther away from your destination. 
5. Workout for 30 Minutes Twice a Week

6. Do workout DVD with Nora (she loves yoga-ish poses)

7. Walk my dog more often. 

8. Do pushups during commercials

9. Listen to my favorite music. Adjusting your eating habits is important for losing weight. Let’s face it, all those extra pounds are the result of foods that were consumed at one point or another. Starving yourself certainly doesn’t work and isn’t practical, instead here are some tips to help you eat smart and lose weight.
10. Read the Nutrition Facts food labels. Eat within the serving given. 
11. Eat 5-6 smaller meals per day instead of the traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner.  12. Decrease your consumptions of bread, rice, fried foods with breading, cereal and pasta.  
13. Drink lots of water. 

14. ELIMINATE fast food restaurant visits. 

15.  Track your weight loss progress daily. 

16. Take Before Photos.  

17. Take a nap or a shower when feeling strong cravings. 

18. Book your next beach vacation.