Christmas Struggles

Good Evening to all!

Well today is Christmas and I know many of you enjoyed the day with family and friends, and of course you spent the day eating all the sweets, and good food you could place your hands on. Well just SO you know I did extremely well today and the past few days. Yes, I stayed true to my carb diet and only ate what was allowed on my food plan!

Today we made homemade "vegetable soup", and made our low carb bread to dip in the soup. For my breakfast I had 'eggs, cheese, and pepperoni sandwich'.  What you say sandwich, how can that be. Well you place the cheese on the plate then place the egg on the cheese drop some pepperoni, then cheese on top. It makes a great sandwich and stays within the carb count for the day. The vegetable soup does not have that many carbs, with a bowl full, and the oopies bread is very low as well. I did enjoy some celery with some cream cheese and my little bit of peanut butter.  On a side note I have a made decision to give up my "diet coke" this month to see if this will help speed up weight loss. We shall see!

We were invited out to eat dinner on Friday, and I was very good, I ate a salad only....and had my last diet coke...so today I had a headache which is caffeine related but I am going to persevere....I need to be true to myself and no-one else.  I believe you all will reach the goal you have set forth for you with your life dreams, whether they are going back to school, continuing your education, or finding a way to lose weight.  My wish for you today and always is to find the strength and believe in yourself when you choose to deviate from your path.

God Speed!
Cheryl

~Commitment!~

Good evening to all! 

As some of friends and family know life is challenging. Everyday can have struggles. I personally have been dealing with many things this past month in my personal life, and sometimes I ask myself am I committed? I know you are saying committed to WHAT? Well weight loss of course.  SO with that being said, let me ask you a few questions? 

When you hear the word commitment do you equate this word with weight loss or only with family, friends or work?   WELL for me this word is applicable to all things in life. When YOU decide to begin your weight loss journey, the first thing you do is make a commitment. The second step of your commitment is deciding on the plan, process, and end goal on the journey of losing weight?   

SO let me ask you were you able to stick to your commitment of losing weight? Did you hit a milestone during your weight loss commitment, or did you say enough is enough and break your commitment to improving your health?  If you decided to quit what was your reason and secondly are beating yourself up for the decision you have made? IF you are beating yourself up, then you are still committed you just need a helping dose of "GET BACK ON THE TRAIN"!!! Remember we all need to have support!!! Do not be afraid to ask for help or just find someone to talk to when you are feeling down or low!  ONE thing you should never forget is your are not alone!!! 

SO now comes the question what is your commitment goal? Did you commit to losing  a certain number of pounds, or did you just commit to eat better? Either way you  took the first step!!!! OH yeah for me my commitment was to lose ex-number of pounds this past year! YEP you all guessed it it has been 1 year for me on this journey!  Secondly I know you are asking yourself, did she make the goal or fall short!  WELL let me tell you, I stuck to my year commitment and I was able to lose half the goal I set! I am now working on the second half goal! Hopefully this will not take me a whole year! I know you are saying "WHAT"!  Let me just say: I understand now what I need to do so I can win this battle against the injustice of weight loss!!! 

A milestone could be 1 pound, or more! Remember you are working towards your commitment to increase your overall health and lifestyle! 

God Speed! 

Cheryl 

Count Down!

Good Evening~

I know you are asking "countdown" to what? Well to the weigh in time which is coming up next Friday! I am working extra hard these last  2 weeks with staying strong with in the structured format in doing a low carb diet. On a side note I did find a great cookie that only has 8 carbs...and they are so good. The one I like the most is the salted caramel and they are sold in "Walmart" with five to box or singular at Krogers. They are called  power crunch. Oh so good you need to try one and you will be in love! LOL....

Each day comes with challenges the best way to overcome these challenges is face the day one hour at time or if need be one minute at a time. So many times we focus on the whole day and then we become overwhelmed with the task ahead of us. As a society we all take giant steps instead of taking smaller steps to reach the goal we have set forth for ourselves.  Do you review your goal daily and then say I have accomplished a portion of the goal. I know you are asking what do you mean? Well when you plan for the day Do you pack your lunch and then stay true and eat the lunch you have packed, if you answer yes, then you reached one of your goals. If you go and buy lunch you did not stay true to what you set for yourself on this day. Yes or No?

So on a different path today. I have joined this app called "sparkpeople" and it is very interesting. They have Dieticians, life coaches and other who supply blog post on various food choices, exercise and life in general. When you read an article you gain points and when you track your food, exercise and water intake you gain points too.  I enjoy this app very much. I have been reading as much as I can on exercising and the difference between cardio workout and strength training.   It very amazing how much weight training will help you to lose more weight than just doing cardio.

So I have been increasing my weight training, and still doing my cardio. I have a program that only takes 6 minutes per day and you will never believe this but it does work the whole body in just 6 minutes a day! I know I know what you are thinking yeah yeah yeah! How can that possibly work. Well I am living proof. I have dropped my pants size to a size 12 and other styles a size 16 oh hell yeah! Just by doing this program for the last 35 days or more.

I am open to hear what program you follow and how does this program increase your target heart rate and does this help to clear the cobwebs out?

God Speed!
Cheryl

Thanksgiving

Good Afternoon to everyone!

Today is Thanksgiving a day when many will spend the time with family and friends and find peace and solace in the family unit, and many will find pain and loneliness in today. I know many of you are like what is she talking about.  Well let's stop and think for a moment. Many are spending this day far away from the ones they love, and many are thinking about the ones they have lost.

Many have lost the meaning of "Thanksgiving".  I know many of you area saying "what", but it is true. The first Thanksgiving harvest began in 1621 with the Pilgrims from Plymouth and the first bountiful harvest came through on this day and they took the time to celebrate this day with the Waccamaw Indians. In the early mid 1800's President Lincoln proclaimed this Day as a Holiday to enjoy the bountiful harvest for family, friends, and enemies to stop and take time to enjoy the feast laid before them.  Somewhere along the way  society has lost the meaning of "Thanksgiving' and look at this day as a day to  spend money on finding his/her way to complete early christmas shopping. Where is/ and what happened to  the joy of just spending time with friends and family and enjoying in the bountiful feast of company and enjoying the feast that has been prepared by those that love you?

Many will say what I am thankful for. But should we be saying what can I offer to someone who is less fortunate than me? Will this kind gesture offer you comfort in knowing you were able to help someone less fortunate than you?  With that being said: How many take the time to ensure his/her neighbor is ok, making sure they have food on the table, or they are able to go to the store to buy medicine. The Hussle and Bussle of the world has taken it's toll on human kind.

I may not be the best person to those who feel I should be, but I try. I also try to make sure those around me have a friend, and someone they can talk to you.  The spirit of Thanksgiving leads us into the spirit of Christmas which is also totally lost. Sorry I am on the high horse today but I just feel the need to express my feelings.

Please remember these are only my feelings and thoughts. You have the choice to read or forgo the read!

God Speed!
Cheryl

Daily Struggles

Good Saturday Morning!

Hope everyone is doing well thus far today! Here is thought for you to ponder. Everyone stresses about losing weight and what they need to do to lose a pound or two. What we seem to forget is that the weight did not come on overnight and will disappear overnight. WHAT you say! YOU mean I am not going to lose a pound a overnight!!! WELL technically we can lose one pound, but we are not going to lose all we need to lose overnight! YES that is correct, it is going take time and sometimes we just have to process this thought and work slowly.

The question you must ask? What is important to you losing the weight, and keeping it off or losing the weight and then gaining it back and then some. SO for me it is about losing the weight and keeping off, I have been on this roller coaster ride for many years, and it does not get any easier. I struggle everyday with choices and sometimes I do not always make the best food choices and then I must move on and get over it! YES we are all human and making the best food choice is challenging everyday.  JUST remember do not give up and keep pushing forward. The hardest part is when you eating out with friends and or just eating with family, and you see what they are choosing to eat is the not the same thing you can eat that time or place? DO not fret it will become easier and the choices will be easier to make. The  one thing to remember if you slip it will be OK! Just remember to not let it beat you down!

What is your favorite food to eat, that is not allowed or recommended on your food plan? For me that would be "donuts, chocolate, and just plain everything" yep you are right that would throw a huge monkey wrench into the mix with all the great food that makes us feel good. LOL! WELL I'm going to keep focused on the goal at the end of my journey, and I know I will WIN this fight and hit my goal!

Just remember we are all in this journey together and WE will find the strength to win over the injustice of weight loss!

Go team Go!

God Speed!
Cheryl

Reach and Overcome: Struggles

Reach and Overcome: Struggles:   Happy November Morning!  There are many obstacles we face each and everyday when trying to lose weight. The biggest obs...

Struggles

 

Happy November Morning! 

There are many obstacles we face each and everyday when trying to lose weight. The biggest obstacle is our self.  What you ask how can we be the biggest obstacle? First we might make an excuse to why it is okay to eat this food or that food?  Will this count towards my food calorie or the carbs that I am counting. Yes they do count there is no such thing as free food.  So we must take responsibility of our actions and these actions can be detrimental to one's diet plan in winning over the injustice of weight loss! Yes, yes, yes....if you want to win then you must make the choice and sacrifice on giving up the notion "oh I can eat this or I can eat that"!!! 

In the long run no you cannot eat this or eat that. OUR bodies change as we age....yes I went there! As you know we age every day and this impacts our ability to digest or break down certain food types. Sugar is the major culprit for losing weight. This food particle does not break down, but in fact stores in your body and then becomes the fat.....the question you are asking is how then how can I eat an apple or any fruit for that matter. Well glad you asked! If you are following strictly then you cannot eat fruit. If you are eating in moderation then one piece per day but still you must count in the daily food intake. A little piece here a little piece there will impact your overall goal! 

YOU must take the first step in gaining control and then following through with the plan you laid out for yourself. I know you can do and win over the "injustice of weight loss"!  I have faith in you and myself! 

I am working towards a goal for this month, and hopefully I will be able to find the inner strength to obtain this weight loss goal! Struggles area the challenges in which we become stronger in the end!

God Speed! 

Cheryl 

Struggles

Good Afternoon to all!

It has been a hot minute since I have typed about my life and challenges with weight loss! How many missed me LOL!!! I sure did miss myself. What you say; why did she write that. Well you know it helps me to write about my challenges and if I am not writing about my challenges, sometimes I feel like I am not staying true to myself or the goal I am working towards!

I have been reading many blogs and post from Pinterest and my weight app "sparkle" and I have found some great food ideas, and exercise ideas.  How many of you are still facing the sugar monster? What do you crave and then do you break down and eat this monster crave?  Here are some things you can do avert the monster crave? The number one is exercise! Not skipping breakfast as this is the best way to beat the monster crave (sugar)!  I read this one article which shows that eating "a protein packed breakfast will help to curve the monster crave". For example "eggs, peanut butter, Greek yogurt" just to name a few. Depriving yourself of sleep is a major factor in creating the "monster crave" as well. You must have around 7-9 hours sleep per night as this will help to curve the the crave of the sugar monster.  What are some ways you beat the sugar monster crave?  Keeping a diary of what works and what doesn't work for you,  offers guidance towards winning over the injustice of weight loss!

I was at the doctor's office on Friday for my weigh-in and I was fortunate to meet a very nice person which allowed me an opportunity to speak with her on my weight loss journey of the highs and lows. Yes we all face them. WE have days that are better than others, and weeks that WE are strong and keep on the correct path, and then WE have weeks where we just give in and say tomorrow is another day! WE all must stay strong and empower each other to stay on course! The most important thing to remember is we are not alone in this battle! Find a food buddy, that you feel comfortable with and offer them strength and allow them to offer you strength!

I struggle everyday and sometimes I feel like just giving up, then I REMEMBER oh wait; I cannot give up, I have lost 45 pounds since Jan of this year! I still have a long way to go, to win this battle. Just remember set a goal that is obtainable within a time frame. For some it might be one pound per month, or two pounds in 2 weeks. It is what works best for you. I am going to keep moving forward and stay strong! The holiday's are fast approaching with all the goodies being baked and brought to work, home or school, be strong and remember to keep the faith and stay strong and this too shall pass. 

My wish for you all is find the strength,  a food buddy to help you maintain or overcome the hurdle you are facing with weight or life in general! 

God speed! 
Cheryl 

Food for Thought!

Evening! 

It has been a while since I have written about my journey. I am sitting  here, thinking about what is happening with my life and goals. There are many people who have been writing about his/her struggles with food and other addictions. We read about their success stories, but do we respond, or congratulate them, and lastly do we find a way to follow them? Some of you are like what where is this coming from? The reason, I am asking is if we are truly inspiring you wouldn't you find away to follow our journey, and make a comment or two to let us know if we truly made you feel good or just connected with you. The connection could be with a thought or statement? Sometimes I allow my insecurities to creep in and cause self doubt. This a weakness of mine, and one I continue to work on everyday. What is your weakness which causes you self doubt, and what do you do to overcome this?

I do hope I am able to offer you inspiration/or motivation so you can make a change whether big or small? 

Do you believe in you?   I am going to win this battle  as I am strong enough to believe in me!!! 🌟 are you strong enough to believe in you?

God Speed!!!
CHERYL

Struggles!

Hello Friends and Family!

 Well well well it has been awhile since I have written anything! Life and work throw us challenges everyday and our food choices are dependent on the daily struggles we are facing! The one thing we must remember is we are the deciding factor on the choices we are going to make that affect our ability to lose or gain weight!  I know if I am struggling then I know you are struggling as well! Just remember I am here for you even if you lose or gain....I know you are saying "yeah yeah yeah" albeit you know I am correct a mundo!

Some of you know me very well and some of you know me from reading my blog! Just know I work hard at following the correct path and sometimes I stumble just like you, but I get back up and move forward. QUITTING is not an option and I was able to go shopping and try on some shirts and to my amazement the smaller size fit.....I SO know you are shouting praise the weight loss god! Cause I know I am....and I have some shirts in my closet that I tried on the other day and just felt very frumpy in them what you say...."frumpy", yes because the shirts are way to big...and this can make you feel "Frumpy"!!! How many of you keep wearing shirts or pants that are too big? It is better to begin wearing the smaller size clothes that will showcase the new curves you're developing with WINNING against the weight loss of injustice! GO TEAM GO!

I know you all will find the path that works best for you and that is what winning is all about! I believe in the power of prayer and the power of good food choices....my Dr has a sign in his office that states: "Fruit is Nature's' Candy", think about that for a minute.....how much sugar is in natural fruit; I know you are saying but that is good for you...but actually it is not....this sugar causes the body to store it as fat! Just sayin'!!!! I miss eating my apples, grapes and such, albeit I would rather lose weight than gain! Just my thought!

I wish you all well on your journey against the "Injustice of Weight Loss"!

God Speed!

Cheryl

Day & Life of a Dieter!

Good evening family and friends! I hope today finds you all well. Please remember to say a prayer for all the military families who have lost a loved. Now onto another question I have for you! What do you feel about the words of positive thinking s affect your decision on the food choices you make. So when you read a positive thinking quote do you say to yourself "SELF" today is the day I am going to take charge. Then do you take charge and make a change or do you say to yourself "SELF" we will begin tomorrow! As a dieter or someone who is trying to win against the injustice of "WEIGHT LOSS" I try everyday to find a positive thought everyday to help me with the challenges I face daily. SO what are some of the type of "positive quotes" do you find moving? I enjoy the ones that show self worth and how to capture one's own self worth in the magic of words! Staying on top the food choices we eat are challenges "everyone" faces each day. JUST remember that it is ok to make choices that may not fit into YOUR daily calorie count, carb count or just not allowed to eat food! I hope you all find the inner strength to stay positive to win over the injustice of weight loss! Good luck to you all and I look forward to hearing from you all on your winning goals! God Speed! Cheryl

Hello!

Good Evening to all my friends and family!


I know you all have been waiting with bated breath to see if I was going to write and tell you about my Dr appointment from Friday!  Well some of you have heard the news so far! I am down 40 pounds, and 6 inches lost from my waist....and the weight loss from this Dr appointment was 5 pounds! I know only 5 pounds so why the disappointment you are asking....well I was expecting more! But as they say a loss is a loss! Yes, yes, yes, I will accept this win against the injustice of losing weight!

I am winning the battle and just have not won the war yet, but there is still plenty to lose and I am heading in the right direction for reaching my goal. What you say reaching your goal what is the poundage left to reach this wonderland goal! Well I will let you know the total start weight once I reach closer to the goal weight!

Oh by the way I did go shopping and was able to drop a whole pant size and depending on the style 2 pants sizes...and I have dropped some sizes in shirts as well....so we are at least heading in the right direction LOL!!!! I do have days that I still struggle with and so want to give up this fight, but why now when I am winning the daily battle! Oh yeah...I see you SMH....go on with your bad self and join on the band wagon, the more the  merry I always say!

Hope you all enjoy the read today!

God Speed Cheryl

Recipes

Good Evening!

For those interested in the weight loss challenge within yourself, here are some recipes for you to try and then see if you lose 7-10 pounds in one week. If you like more recipes just let me know and I will post more!

Bread: 25 minutes bake time
oopsie bread:
 3 eggs
Cream cheese (softened is easier to mix)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (optional)
Separate the egg whites from the yolk
Beat the egg whites to stiff so when you hold the bowl upside down it does not fall out
Mix the cream cheese/and eggs & Baking soda together
Then fold in your egg whites
Once you have the consistency of the ingredients
I grease the cookie sheet with "Pam spray"
Drop onto a cookie sheet will make small bread like wafers
Or you can cook them in a muffin tin

Pancakes:  Baked 20 -25 minutes give or take!
1/2 cream cheese/ or whole depending on your preference
1 TBSP cinnamon
1 Packet Sweetener (stevia/splenda) which ever you prefer!
Mix together in your blender
Grease your pan and cook until brown flip and wala!
Or you can cook them in a muffin pan and make mini cheesecakes! (Oh yeah!)

From my Friend!
Good Girl Moonshine:
Apple Cider Vinegar
Ground Ginger
Stevia
Water and Ice!

Pizza! Mix together 
7 Cups Mozzarella Cheese
6 Eggs
Place your pepperoni
Bake 45 minutes

Chocolate Mousse! 
1 box sugar free pudding ( I prefer chocolate)
1 Cup heavy whipping cream
Mix together and place in refrigerator until set

Shrimp salad! Mix together 
 1 sm bag shrimp
Softened cream cheese (box)
Onion
1/2 cup mayo
2 eggs
(vegetables/mushrooms) your choosing

Weekend Thought!

Good Afternoon!

It has been quite awhile since I have written, many things have been swirling around in my mind. One of  the things swirling around in my mind; what am I going to write about. There are so many topics and finding just one is very challenging! I have been following a site that focuses on low carb high fat diet and the ability to lose weight.  SO many members have lost so much weight since they started his/her weight lose journey. It truly is amazing some have lost over 30-40 pounds in three months or more. Some have lost over 100 pounds in a years time frame! It truly is amazing how once you begin to accept the process of changing your lifestyle positive things begin to happen!

Changing your food habits helps the process of losing weight. For example eating high carbs keeps the weight on and eating low carbs helps to trick the body into losing weight by starting to burn the fat that has been stored in your body.  For example when you eat a "bagel" with cream cheese it will take the body 2-3 days to burn off the bread.

My weigh in coming up this week and I have been working extremely hard these past 2 weeks to eat less than 20 carbs per day. I know  you are saying "less than" 20 carbs that has to be hard. You are probably asking how do you eat less than 20 carbs. Well it all depends on the food you are interested in eating. I was able to make some "oopsies bread" which has no carbs and can be used to eat hamburgers, or eat with salad and dip in your olive oil! Oh yeah. I did make some "cream cheese" pancakes with zero carbs! SO go on with your bad self and keep eating all that high carb bread food!

Some other good food choices are around vegetables and protein. Using Atkins milk to make milk shakes and then freezing them make a really good ice cream treat!  Eating chips are based on using zucchini and frying them.  SO for everything you feel you cannot give up I have found an alternative!  A good snack is "green peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes together with some salt and pepper and submarine salad dressing.  I wish all that take the low carb route the best of luck in the weight loss journey!

One thing to remember is to add some exercise into the lifestyle changes. It can be just walking, swimming, running or weightlifting.

God Speed!
Cheryl

Medicare Coverage Database – Centers for Medicare

Medicare Coverage Database – Centers for Medicare

Life!

Good Evening Family and Friends!

Life is always hectic but it all depends on how  you come to terms with the challenges that makes your life hectic day and everyday. SO you are asking how do I deal with the challenges that might make my life hectic! It all depends on what the challenge is and or the circumstance that I might be facing that day.  I find the best way to work through a hectic day is to find time to relax and or exercise. I feel better and my brain feels more free with the daily exercise.

One thing I have started doing with my weight loss program is to track my carb intake and this will actually show me how much I am truly eating with "carbs" fat, protein and calories.  Then I track my exercise for walking. Since I cannot track my swimming but I know that is good exercise for me as it uses all your muscles and helps to slim down the back.

What do you all do track your food intake, exercise output, and what type of exercise do you find fits better into  your lifestyle?  Everyone is different and this helps us to keep us in balance with our friends and family. Life would be boring if we all were the same and did our work out the sames. For me I like challenging myself to walk faster, or swim more laps!

The sad part is how society treats those losing weight or changing themselves for the better. I read an article where this women worked to lose over 100 pounds and all the negative comments made on her post. Do you really believe that negativity is the most encouraging for those facing the injustice of losing weight! For me that would be the "H$$ to the No"!   Why do you feel that being negative is a good way to make friends or offer encouragement!!!  Each person is special in his or her own way and this helps us to grow and learn and find ways to help others with our knowledge!

I do hope you all enjoy reading my posts as I write for myself with hoping I am able to offer love and support to one person who is facing the same challenges!

God Speed!

Cheryl

Challenges

Good Evening!

It has been a while since I have written to you all. SO I thought I would drop a line to see how everyone is doing with life and the winning the battle over the injustice of losing weight! Tomorrow is the weigh day and I am must confess I am not looking forward to this day! Not because I have not been faithful to my food plan and following what I have been eating, just because I was not able to reach my goal last month! I will chug along and hopefully this time will show a different progress.

This past few days have been hard with all the heat and just being able to breath outside in the heat and this can cause you take a different path for eating as well. It has been challenging to stay away from my favorite food, but I did survive thus far!

The other day, I met some new providers and learned about the Emergency room via first hand! Oh yes, I had an asthma attack and was at work, thank you goodness you say! Yes for me that was a life saver, as I was not able to breath and ended up on oxygen, and of course being my normal self made all the nursing staff laugh! My boss was there and told the doctors "do not believe her" she is just saying that so she can go home!  What you say "she would never do that right" tell a fiber diber to she could go home. No not me! However; I am fine but it does show you how life can throw you a curve ball and change the decisions you make in a minute!

Just remember you are in control and you are the one who will win over the injustice of weight loss! Remember to live for today and if you need live for the minute, or hour! It is not about winning and doing all in one day!

God Speed!
Cheryl

Work and Life!

Hello my friends!

Hope this finds you all well and enjoying your evening with friends/family! It has been a while since I have written to you and mainly because I was not sure what topic I wanted to write about.  SO I decided to write about work balance and life balance.  How many spend multiple hours at work and then you do not take a break to free your mind; yes free your mind from the work flow and find time to enjoy the day. SO  you sit at your desk and eat  your breakfast, and then turn around and eat your lunch at the desk too!

The question becomes is this healthy and then do you eat choose to eat healthy food? OR do you eat something that is high in carbs, high in sugar, and high in calories. Yep, I know you are saying that is me and I do that everyday. SO when are you going to change this habit? I so understand your thought process, it is easier to eat at the desk and you feel like you are completing work and staying focused. The truth is "no" you are not working productively cause you are really stopping to eat the meal and then lift your arm to take a drink.  It really is time to make a change and this change will offer the opportunity to rest the mind and at the same time get a mini walk in.

I need to follow my own advice with stepping away from my desk or a project to take a few minutes to enjoy the meal and or socialize with co-workers and this helps to build a good team spirit! :) Life is to short to work every hour of every day? I need to keep my self focused on track and this will help me to reach the final goal!

You all know that last week I wrote about the bagel calling my name, well just know I have won and that bagel was not eaten by me or even purchased by me!!!! Oh HECK YEAH; I moved on and moved passed the urge to eat that bagel!  Well I digress about that topic so I do believe it is time to move on to something else.

Well one more week until weigh in say a prayer I meet a higher loss than 2 pounds, but I will be happy with a 2 pound weight loss! It is all about the loss!

God Speed!

Cheryl

Forgiveness!

Good Evening!

Hope all is going well for everyone today.  Here is some food for thought and for us to ponder on. What does forgiveness mean to you and how can this impact our ability to lose weight? For instance when we have a falling out or fight with a friend, co-worker, and or family. Most times we will offer up forgiveness and move on to the next phase of the friendship. SO we when offer up forgiveness do you feel better about the relationship with the person with whom you might have had a disagreement with? I know some are saying "yes" and some are saying "no" depending on the circumstance and or the reason for the disagreement.


SO if you are able to forgive another person are you able to forgive yourself?  What you say "forgive" myself for what? For me the ability to forgive myself for overeating and for enjoying food packed with sugar and carbs! Yep you are correct the ability to forgive ourselves when we eat a piece of candy or eat a tasty toasted bagel "LOL"  yep; I am still focused on eating that elusive bagel! Alas I digress, when we do not forgive ourselves we allow the indiscretion to keep us from moving onto the next level of enjoyment when we lose a pound or 3! You all know I am right cause when we carry this baggage we cannot move forward.

SO! you need to forgive yourself for eating that candy, bagel, french fry, cake or cookie, whatever it is that you felt the need to take a binge day on! It is not the end of the world as we know and allowing ourselves forgiveness, we can take the next step of winning the battle against the injustice of losing weight! Weigh in day is coming and staying on track is one challenge that I am facing each everyday for the next three weeks! I will overcome the urge to eat that "bagel" calling my name! But if I do fall off the wagon, then I will forgive myself and move on.

Godspeed to all and I hope you enjoy the reading! Remember to always to forgive yourself!

Cheryl

Daily Struggle!

Good Evening!

I hope you all had a great holiday weekend with friends and family and found time to enjoy “fireworks” or offer your time to help those in need, and to hug a “warrior” that fought for our freedom to make choices. I had the opportunity to spend time with family prior to July 4^th and then with friends on July 4^th and was able to enjoy the prepared food for the day.

I bet you are asking yourself what did she eat and did she fall off the wagon, which would place her back on the weight loss train! Well to be totally honest; I only missed a by a few bites of food. The ribs were wonderful and the chicken was to “die for” that is so true! I kept my carbs down for the whole day so I could enjoy the feast for the 4^th of July!  It can be hard to stay on track but with taking the time to see what options we have then that helps to make the decisions for the day and the ultimate end of what to eat vs. what not to eat. SO I played it very smart on this day and saved all my carbs for the party! It is still hard to everyday to say “no” to this food or that food. I have some friends who are doing the “Weight Watchers” program and they count points and for the meals they eat daily. I tried that program but with all the carbs loaded in the food I was  not able to lose any weight.  I wish them much success in the food choices they make to meet the goals of the points they are allowed to eat during the day and week! It is about finding the program that works best for you and your lifestyle!

I know you are saying “yeah oh yeah” and what are you doing to keep yourself on track with the goal(s)  you might have set for yourself; well I am working on staying on the right path to hopefully lose that 8 pounds or more in the next three weeks when I present to the doctors’ office for weigh in! But alas as time is moving forward so am I, and I was able to complete a 2.5 mile walk this past weekend and I completed the walk in 45 minutes. Boy oh boy that was a killer for me. Last week I did 7 days in row for walking and that was challenging, and there was many times I wanted to “say no” I am not going. But I got in the car drove to the park and completed the walk!  Dedication is the key to meeting and overcoming the daily struggles we all face!  I know you can do it and I have that one day you will post the goal you have set and will share with me the changes you are making. Any change is a positive!

God Speed!

Cheryl 

Daily Struggle!

Good Evening!

Well this weekend is a Holiday and many will be celebrating July 4th with "hot dogs, hamburgers, watermelon, and other delicious types of food containing high "carbs" sugar and other great tasting enticing sweetness! I know you are thinking the same thing I am thinking; how do we survive with all the good food that needs to be eaten.  Well we will just need to take it one day at time to look past the carbs and how good they may taste! WHAT you say look past the good stuff!! Then you must ask yourself do I want to lose weight or stay the same or worst yet gain?  For me I want to keep on the losing end of the injustice of losing weight!

I know how I have felt the last few times after eating a few carbs and then having carb overload and just not feeling myself! I did get to spend some time this week with loved ones and I stayed very true to my food plan with the exception of the last day with them....oh yes you are correct but I did not fall completely off the wagon; only slightly!   I know you are asking yourself how can you only fall off slightly...well no "French Fries" that is how! LOL!!!  On serious note I took care to make sure the food I was going to eat that day was included in my carb count for the day.

I have been able to enjoy walking outside this week, with my daughter and that was fun and exciting and she helped me to increase my stride to increase my target heart rate! OH YEAH it is the small things in life that make me happy! SO when I lose a pound or 2 I am excited as the scale is going down and not up!  I did make a change in my outer appearance as well which is helping my inner soul to see the new me! I will keep changing on both the inside and outside and thus will be the winner once I have met the goal I set for myself!  I am going to win this race and yes it is race! What you are saying a "race" against what!  Well for starters a better eating habit, decreasing the chances of having heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure! Those are just few. For me less knee pain, and back pain with the decrease of weight!

I hope you all have wonderful and glorious July 4th with loved ones and please remember to thank a veteran who has served is serving and who have lost his/her loved one for our freedom!

God Speed!

Cheryl

Daily Thought!

Good Morning!

Many of my co-workers receive a daily quote on how to be stronger, and to not allow others to put them down and find the strength to stand up and be heard. Fighting the injustice of weight loss every day is the same as allowing someone to put you down. We must find the inner strength to overcome the injustice of losing weight!  I read everyday how others are losing weight and they are finding happiness in his/her own daily battles.  Finding something to celebrate everyday with only a few pounds of weight loss is better than going the opposite way of gaining weight.

SO with this I am finding my own inner personal strength and looking past the injustice of weight loss and coming to terms that everyone will lose at a different pace and to not allow myself to become discouraged with this person is losing faster than me. ALAS; I must find what makes me happy and stay true to me so that the injustice of losing weight does not win the battle!  What are some of your ways to beat the injustice of losing weight? Do you feel that exercise helps with beating the injustice of losing weight? For instance if you begin weight lifting does this help to increase or decrease weight loss. Many say that muscle mass increases and thus helping to decrease fat. I believe I will delve into researching this matter and see what others are really saying and believing about this phenomenon.

SO what are some of your ways that you use to fight the injustice of losing weight? I find that walking helps to clear the cob-webs and keep the mind from becoming stagnant, and thus helping in keeping the thought process clear. If we allow our mind to become clogged then we are not able to climb the hill and win the battle against the injustice of weight loss or weight gain!

I thank you all who read my blog and I do hope you find some words of wisdom from within!

God Speed!

Cheryl

Awesomeness!

Hello! 

Well today has been a good day thus far. I walked on the treadmill this morning and did my 1 mile in 19 minutes and then completed the other 1/2 mile on the hill incline. I set the incline to 4, then 6 and finally 8. With the last 5 minutes on the 8 incline with the speed set at 2.8 and with the last 2 minutes turned the speed to 3.0. It was challenging but I persevered and was able to complete the challenge I set for myself today!.  SO were you able to  complete & complete your inner challenge(s) today and most importantly do you feel like you WON!?  I know you did and that is wonderful and I am so proud of you for working past the desire to stop, and say tomorrow is another day. 

Did some errands today, came home and made my breakfast; wait for it, I know what you are thinking, she did not follow her regimen.  I have to say you would be SO wrong with that thought today.  I actually made a very good breakfast: my breakfast included "pancakes" I know you are saying how can you follow your regimen with pancakes; well these are made with Pork Skin so no carbs. The pancakes were cooked in light virgin oil, also made 2 fried eggs, and 2 turkey hot dogs and lastly  American cheese. All in all most likely about 10 carbs total Oh yeah! It was good eating a pancake sandwich and feeling full after eating only one sandwich.  I was able to find some sugar free Popsicles and they have around 6 carbs, so this will be counted in my daily 20 carbs per day since it is summer and very hot outside. 

My next thing is to begin working on my arms with doing toning exercises to help with the wave of the flag (LOL) I know you are saying she is not right in the noggin! I just have to keep everything light and airy as this will help me to continue on my goal path. Everyday I must say to myself this is going to help me to reach my goal weight and beat the injustice of losing weight and I will be the winner. 

The winner you say: yes, we will win with increasing our health, decreasing the bad food choices, and ultimately find a happy medium to continue the journey to healthy eating, and continue  on our weight loss and/or maintaining our new found weight. I know each of you are going to win, and overcome the challenges you face on a daily basis! Just know that I am here and ready to listen or just read what you have to write about! 

I hope you enjoy the reading the today! 

God Speed! 

Cheryl 

Struggles !!!

Good Evening!

Struggles; what does that mean to you and how does that affect your ability to lose weight, and make good food choices?  Everyday I struggle with decisions that are related to life and unfortunately food is a struggle choice everyday.  We all must decide on what to eat today and does this meal contain "high carbs, low carbs, no carbs" and will it really satisfy our hunger for the day.  Sure sure you are saying, it is not really that hard. BUT you are so WRONG!

Tomorrow test yourself with the food choices you have to make all day. Are you going to count your carbs, calories, sugar, fat or other. SO take a tablet with you and track all these tomorrow and then see if the food choices were hard for you throughout the day. For example how many carbs & sugar are in your yogurt, then look at your bread you may eat for the day; how carbs, sugar including the fat count. So for me my daily lunch is "tuna, mayo, 2 hard boiled eggs, pickles" so with that being said, how many carbs, sugar and calories? Carbs = 4, eggs are free. Good food choice. Sugar free jello this is zero carbs. Think about it?

Then making a decision for the evening meal is even more challenging; why you ask because now you must include your family in the meal planning decision and if you have children....just think about that! Do you go for the good food choices are the bad food choices so you do not have too cook for the evening? Most families favorite food is "pizza" and we all know how much fat and carbs are in that meal, yep you are so right! Here is good recipe for pizza;  7 cups mozzarella cheese and 6 eggs mix together than place on a cookie sheet and place your pepperoni and bake for 45 minutes until golden brown.....just like pizza and zero carbs to 4! Oh yeah I know what you are thinking does it really take like pizza; I have to say "yes"!!!!

Just remember we are never alone when we are making choices and sometimes just having someone to write to or listen helps us to move past the struggles we are facing everyday.

God Speed!
Cheryl

Good Evening!

I hope today finds you all well! I know it has been a crazy weekend and a crazy few days.  This past weekend was spent with some great friends and we just had a blast hanging out and of course you guessed it "food" was the hot topic for us! We had a good time just eating carb after carb! Oh yeah you say!!!! Why did you do that and then you ask how did I feel? Well let me just tell you; eating the food was a great experience  with my taste buds but the after affect was not so good for my mind, body and just in general! Why you ask did I then partake in eating food that was not conducive for my health and well being?  That is the million dollar question?!

SO with the million dollar question; we must ask ourselves why we do what we do? Why do we say it is OK to eat this carb just this once and then feel bad after we have consumed the food? Why do we say well today is my "cheat" day when in fact everyday is a "cheat" day. Yes I know you are all saying "what" we do not have a cheat day everyday. I know you do!!! Let me eat this candy bar and then start over tomorrow, or let me eat this piece of bread, or ice cream, or the big one "chocolate" candy. Honestly can you say you do not do this?  When you are having a stressful day what is the one thing you turn to for comfort....."yes you are right on with your answer FOOD"!!  We all have this in our genetic make-up some of us are stronger than others, you know I am right!

NOW we must ask ourselves was the food intake worth the after affects of how we felt or feel a few days after? I have to "say that would be a big NO"! So then why do we do what we do? I cannot answer that question for you I can only the answer the question for myself, but will I like the answer I have, probably not! SO then why do I constantly battle with myself when I know the outcome and the after affects of eating incorrectly.

My question to you is how do you feel when you have done something with a "Statement only this one time"? The only answer is the truthful answer to yourself. You only have to be truthful to you and to no one else and on the flip side the "higher power" will always know what you are doing and what you are promising to lose this one pound or more! I know from this past week and month, what I must do achieve the ultimate goal I have set for myself.  Only you know what you are striving for and you are the only one that can obtain this goal and be true to you!

God Speed!
Cheryl

Obesity and Losing Weight Challenge

Good Evening!


Hope all is well for everyone. Here is thought for us to ponder on; what are some causes for obesity other than genetics. For instance how many commercials on TV are related to "fast food" restaurants with french fries, hamburgers, chocolate milk shakes. Or how about the "ice cream" commercials try this kind versus that one! So with all the commercials we have been watching bring us to say "wow" that looks good, and I want to eat this or I want to eat that. What are we do when we are trying to lose weight!

Right now a pizza commercial is on for Caesars Caesars' little pizza, and if you are feeling hungry this commercial only offers you the choice to go find something to eat that includes a major buco loads of carbohydrates. When you are out and about how many find it easier to stop and find a carb to eat rather than finding protein food that does not include carbohydrates.  Why o why does America feel the need to show commercials with carbohydrates; when losing weight is challenging enough everyday with all other life challenges we are facing!

I know the injustice is just not "right" for those who fight everyday to lose weight whether you are working to lose one pound to greater than 100 pounds. What should we do to move past the injustice of the food commercials. What you say? We can make a difference in the lives of others! Oh yes we can, we just need to find a special way to help each other with the daily food challenges we might face on a daily basis!

I hope you all find the readings enjoyable, as I am finding joy in writing them and I am open to any topics you might find interesting to write about. I look forward to hearing from you on any topic!

God Speed!

Cheryl

Addiction to Food!

Good Evening!

Well today was a weigh in day! I know you are asking "how much" well my friends and family said to me; just remember a loss is a loss no matter how much  or how little!.  For me the scale only tipped a few pounds. So I had to ponder on the food choices I have been making for the past few weeks, and did these choices impact my ability to tip the scale with a higher weight loss!  I am going to have to say yes with some of the dietary choices I have eaten. With that being said we must ask ourselves are we addicted to food and and does this addition hinder our ability to lose, or does our mind keep us from losing?  So here is the definition for the word Addiction: (   ad·dic·tion)

noun  the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity. "he committed the theft to finance his drug addiction"  

1. :

   So with this definition do I feel I have a food addiction? Is it hard for me to say "no" when someone offers me a chocolate candy bar, or sweet cookie, or bagel with cream cheese. TO be quite honest I have to say "no" to this question. I have become very strict with my food regime, however; I do have an occasional slip up with a bite here or there. I know you are saying well that is not too bad! That is wrong! A slip here a slip there will cause a major slip and backslide that takes weeks to overcome the injustice of losing only a few pounds here or there! Yep! You are right on target with saying; wow I never looked at that way before! So, I must forge ahead with my healthy choices and hopefully this will help to beat the injustice of losing weight and regaining control of my own life and thought processes!

I have not forgotten what my goal is, and I will continue to work towards this everyday, and I must remember that yesterday is gone, tomorrow has not arrived and to focus on today! Even if I must take one- minute-by-minute to meet till the day is complete! A positive outlook will always over shine the negative outlook, and we cannot continue to beat ourselves up and feel like we did not accomplish a goal or take a giant step forward!  Today is the day of the rest of our lives and we must strive daily to be the best we can be!  I know you are saying "Blahblahblah" and that fine too! I on the other hand will continue to fight the injustice of losing weight, and continue to keep my head held high and work to overcome my "addiction" to a little here and a little there! SINCE that is keeping me from meeting my goal and hitting the mark!

I offer you kudos to those that are trying and willing to look past the injustice of losing weight and forging ahead with your inner strength and positive thoughts that are helping you to move forward, and not to look in the review mirror! Ask yourself what does looking back achieve for you? Other than make you sad, depressed or angry depending on what is looking back at you from the review mirror!

I must let go and move on and face tomorrow with good choices and strive to be the best I can be tomorrow!  Always remember that we are not guaranteed any day! So live today, with love and laughter in your heart!

God Speed!
Cheryl

Daily Battles

Good Sunday Morning!

It will be a good day and hopefully bring with it great food choices!  Saturday is gone and past and lets just say I am glad that day is over and done!  The day started out well enough, I decided to clean the upstairs and completed that task, and then decided to donate some of my clothes that are "to big" so to speak. Yes; that is an awesome feeling when you try on something and it is to big and falls off! I do not have the heart to part with some of "work clothes" since my sister helped me to pick them out during my heavy time.  Some say they are pretty dresses!  A friend told me one day "I really like your dress" and I said my dress; she was referring to my shirt that almost hung like a dress. I shared that one with Poppi, who thought she was right on!  I cannot help but chuckle silently when I think about that one!

SO many of you are wondering about Saturday and what caused the day break down. After I finished cleaning upstairs, I finally got to enjoy the pool, and met some nice neighbors and read a book and I did finally enjoy the water! It has been a long time since I was able to swim and get in and out of the pool. I love swimming and could live in the pool water all year round.  Any ways I digress; so after the pool we came home, and got ready to run our errands. Completed my wonderful day at the nail spa and then we decided to eat supper. The waitress was not in a very happy mood.  Up until this point my food intake was spectacular! My atkins chocolate shake, and only my drinks in the morning.  I know what you are thinking and this time "you are so right"! I had a chicken sandwich with avocado and bacon, that part was excellent, the non-excellent part was the "bread and FF".  I only ate half the sandwich and some of the FF.

In the journey of weight loss; we are constantly fighting the battle of should I or shouldn't I. The thing you must remember is to look at each day as a new beginning with the hopes, of jumping over the hurdles that are thrown your way!  Struggles come everyday and we cannot beat ourselves up when we fall down. We must pick ourselves up and say "wow" I took a detour, and now I must get back on the road and continue my journey. THE one thing WE must never do is say "I AM A FAILURE" why you ask! When you state this comment you are placing a negative thought in your subconscious, and this will keep playing over and over until  you give up thus allowing the injustice of "weight loss"  to win the battle!  The question is do you want defeat  the weight loss injustice? I know I do; this is why I write my story to share with you, and for you to share with others if you have someone who needs to be uplifted on his/her struggle with from the injustice of  the weight loss battle!

God Speed!

Cheryl

Chiropractor and Weight Loss interesting thought!

Good Evening!

Today was an interesting day to say the least!

So think about this; for instance we wake up every day, which is a good thing right! I mean it is better to be on this side of the ground instead of under the ground! I know you are thinking what in the world does this have to do with weight loss? Well in many ways it does, if we are on this side, then we have continue to control our thought processes and define our ambitions and stay focused on the goal at hand; right?

SO today I began my day as I usually do, get up and the usual routine of thinking about what to wear to work and sometimes, my  mood defines what I am going to wear to work. For instance if I am feeling blue then I wear blue, if I am feeling sad, I might wear grey or something dark.  Today I felt in a mixed mood; this helped to create a different version of my lunch! SO lunch today; "Chicken Salad with 2 hard boiled eggs, some pickles, and olives" with a side of sugar free jello! I know what you are thinking wow that is boring and uck! For me it has been a stable to help me to pound off the pounds....LOL!

Then  some of us took a stroll to the mini cafeteria, where I decided to eat something different.....wait for it I know,  what you are thinking Uh-OH another bagel fiasco right: well today you are thinking in the wrong direction...I included a "chicken cobb salad and did not even add my "ranch dressing" oh yeah "baby", and it was so good too! I also had a glass of unsweetened goji green tea! It was so good and thus added some extra steps back to the office. Go me!

SO today I had an appointment with a Chiropractor and his practice is based on how the spine and nerves intertwine. He looks for spinal deformities and will base your therapy on your deformity. He explained to me a pinched nerve can affect other systems within the body. So what I learned today was the accident that I had diving into the swimming pool and jarring my neck at the age of 12/13. That I most likely caused some nerve damage to my neck spine. Oh yeah what a shocker! I know you are thinking she is trying to blame this on her craziness! Ha- ha-ha-ha! On a serious note it was interesting to learn.  With that being said this pinched nerve could also be the cause of some of weight loss struggles as it is near the gland that controls the thyroid.  I was like WOW! Is this a bright spot in the weight loss injustice, which I have been dealing with for the past 37 years! I know we can only hope and pray.

I must still continue to follow my program to the strongest letter of the law and continue to fight the injustice everyday! I came home from the appointment and Poppi asked me if I was going to work out and I said "no", what you say! Well on the way up the stairs I changed my mind since our dinner was cooking in the oven and would not be ready for an hour. So did 25 minutes on the treadmill, with walking my mile in 20 minutes and the last five minutes all uphill with a high speed! Oh yeah go me! I felt better too!

What challenges did you face today and what did you do to overcome the challenges with eating today and just life in general?  Our food choices are sometimes based on our mood and how we are feeling that day. What is your favorite food when you are having a bad day?

Thanks for reading I hope you enjoy the post!

God Speed!

Cheryl

How does being bullied affect your "weight" either losing or gaining?

Good Evening!

Well I have many things running through my mind with food and weight loss and I was having a conversation the other day with a friend. Yes, I do actually have a friend or too, LOL!   Anyways; I digress with this banter.  SO my friend and I were talking about how something from your childhood, teen years, young adulthood, and yes even as a "grown-up"; how a bully can affect your weight. How you ask? Well if you stop and think about it, it revolves around the negative comments. Negative comments, stay with you and affects your self esteem. Remember when you have low self-esteem  you may turn to food for comfort, you know I am right!!

SO, what we need to ask ourselves; how do we overcome these negative comments, and how do we deal with "bullies"?  Bullies will always find away to make you feel inadequate and this is done with a derogatory comment, and a bully knows how to make sure each word will affect your self esteem. It is truly amazing for me to see things differently, and to reflect on how certain things changed my behavior. For instance in this story; a person was being bullied by some people and this caused this person to lease self esteem, and with the loss of his/her self esteem they began to deteriorate in other ways that was noticeable by others causing worry and concern in this persons well being.  I know you are asking what became of this person. Well this person was able to fight back and find the inner strength he/she needed to believe in themselves once more.  How many of you have been bullied during your life; work, home, or by a complete stranger. What you said by a complete stranger; yes, that is true. When you go shopping or playing at the beach or in the park, someone can upset you with a derogatory comment, which is said loud enough for you to hear. How many have had this happen to you?  My question to you is; how do you, and or how did you handle this? Did you turn to food to soothe the soul?  If we answer yes; what then should be our new practice to help each of us deal with a bully?  

We allow a bully to win when we turn to food, and this food then becomes our saving grace to hide behind so we do not have to deal with the problem at hand; the “derogatory comment" that has hurt our feelings/pride.  We must ask ourselves how do we overcome the bullying and take back control of inner strength to say "no" to the food we eat to console our egos?

I have had to face many things in my life; and one that was the hardest to admit is; that I have been hit head on by a bully! The words and comments that were made unfortunately were reinforced by some people, who I thought were my friends, and that really hurt me.  Alas I have grown from this experience and I am moving forward, and I do hope that I have learned not turn to food to soothe my soul! 

I am heading in the right direction, and hopefully and thus reducing my need to overcome eating food to soothe my soul~!

God Speed!

Cheryl

Good Evening!

Well my mind has been running non-stop on what to write about. SO today I decided to write about “good-n-plenty” yep just like the candy! However; this good-n-plenty is about the choices we make  whether they are good or bad  when we choose something to eat.

For instance there are plenty of programs out there to help us to lose the weight “so” they claim. If you follow this program or follow that program you will lose 10 lbs.  There is plenty of good advice from multiple health care providers, and  those pretending to be health care gurus who are offering you the best chance of shedding those pounds. 

How many articles have you read or seen where the person just took the bull by the horn and gave up on the good-n-plenty and went straight for the gusto on taking control of his/her life and then before you know it they have lost the weight and the loss of pounds could range from 20 to 100 pounds. The question then becomes what is stopping us from taking back control of our lives to remove the excess weight we are carrying? 

Our mind is what is holding us back and we are over processing the idea of losing weight and this I tell you is what is holding us back. Today we must take control over the “thought demons” and pass over the “good-n-plenty” and say today will be my day to jump start on my new life goals!

Each day is new day, even if you back slide you must just say “don’t look back-look forward” and then start over and find the strength to continue to push past the “thought demons”.  For me this is my new mantra; don’t look back but look forward and push through the pain and suffering of the good-n-plenty’s; and focus on the end goal.

Each person needs to list the positive and negatives associated with the good-n-plenty. The products, the tools that suck you in, and most definitely the marketing strategy. The marketing strategy is what lures you to the self then you are captivated by the label and begin reading the magic words; the promise of losing weight! My goal is not to be tempted by the product that lures to the program calling "lose weight with me"!  My inner goal will be to follow the program my Dr has prescribed for me and seems to be working fairly well! 

I know that  everyone's body is not made the same. Our genetic make-up is what makes each of  us different  and that helps to define the person we are meant to be. Just remember that everyone that over eats will/ or might  eventually gain the extra pounds.  Side note: putting on the pounds is easy it is taking off the pounds that is hard.  Just know I am here to listen and share my story. Sometimes we have to share our failures to gain successes! 

God speed!

Cheryl 

Good Morning!

It has been awhile since I wrote to you all and so I wanted to drop a line to let you know that each day is a challenge! These daily challenges will never change; how we deal with these challenges will help each of us to overcome our personal challenges.  SO for example the last four weeks I told you all  how I lost 10 lbs total. Well these next four weeks have been a tough road for me. With all the new changes and challenges at work with the added stressors related to our deadlines can cause a diet meltdown; I was coping well with these stressors until the other day! Oh no you say; the questions you are asking yourself did she fall completely off the wagon ‘so to speak’ not totally! I just had to eat a bagel with cream cheese; and you all are saying well that is not too bad, ugh yes it is! A bagel with cream cheese is packed with mega carbohydrates that can stop your metabolism to shut down completely and not even allow a 1 Lb weight loss. Then to top that off that the other day was “national doughnut day” and the office staff brought in Krispy Kreme doughnuts! Well my defenses were already weakened with the ‘bagel’ fiasco.

Alas I succumbed to the doughnut. The truth is to admit your weakness and failures as these will help you to overcome them in the future. Those that do admit to his/her failures are the ones hiding behind insecurities of self doubt!  So to round out the challenges going on in my life; a change within my husband’s health has curtailed our daily 2 mile walk outside, however; I have not allowed that to stop me! Oh yeah: I am walking on the treadmill. Alas it is not the same as the fresh air and sunshine albeit I have noticed that walking on the treadmill has increased my stamina for the 2 miles walks outside!

My treadmill routine is walking as fast as I can during the first mile and alas I have done the first 1 mile in 19 minutes for the past 2 days and then doing the next ½ mi in 10 minutes and all uphill with a four level incline! Boy that was a killer the first time!  Doing 2 miles on the treadmill is challenging so currently I am  currently doing 1 & half miles and hopefully will increase this week to meet the 2 mile walk.  Then do the last mile all uphill oh my pray for me! LOL!

My next appointment is coming up in a few weeks so it is time for me to buckle down and stay focused on the goal ahead, which is reaching the 8 lb mark! I know I can achieve this goal and will work extra hard on meeting this challenge head on in the next few weeks!

 God speed to you all!

Cheryl

Good Morning!

How many people play the “blame game” when it comes to weight loss? I know I did and sometimes I still do. It does seem like it is everyone else’s fault for why I cannot lose weight.  Some of our blame game excuses are:  my husband is not supportive of the need to change our eating habits.  My Mom is the reason I am so fat because she let me eat anything and everything in sight.  My work days are so long, that it is easier to grab a fast food meal in place of eating a salad or making a light dinner at home. These are just a few blame game excuses and this is so sad that we feel that we need to blame others! 
When in fact we are in control of our own eating habits and the choices we make on a daily basis. IT is no different than the friends we hang out with, the movies and TV shows we want to watch. Do we blame others when we sit down and watch TV?  Do we blame others for the friends we hang out with?  Do we blame others for the clothes we choose to wear? Personally No! So why should we blame others for our inability to make healthy food choices? 

If they chose to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge are you going to follow suit? I would certainly hope NOT!  So why follow them in the food choices as well!!! 

We are our own worst enemy when it comes to eating and it so easy to blame others for our weight challenges!  I know I was and sometimes I can still be one of those people. It does seem easier to blame others than to take responsibility for our own actions and make the changes we need to make in our own life! 

God speed to you all!
Cheryl 

  Hello my name is Cheryl Macias and I currently reside in NC. 

Many of my friends remember me when I was a svelte 125 lbs before I gave birth to three amazing children.  Since then I have been struggling with weight loss for over the past 37 years, and like most of you out there, I have TRIED it all! 

To say the least some worked for a short time span and some did not work at all.  I followed my own thought process of "well I am exercising so why is the weight not coming off" because I was still eating incorrectly. However; I did not fully understand that concept during my younger life years; meaning my early twenties into my forty's so to speak. 

So; I began doing the Special K diet and followed that for awhile and it did not offer me any weight loss. I then began the slim fast program and was able to lose some weight with exercise and dancing. At one time I dropped about 50 lbs. Wow you say, but I still did not fully understand that I needed to continue this program or that I needed to gradually add food back into my routine.

I met my current husband while I was doing the Slim Fast  diet, and for awhile the weight did stay off, but then alas love took over and then food began to creep back in slowly and before I knew all my lost weigh piled back on with a few more pounds.  During this time we became sedentary, and this did not help either.  So for the next 12 years; I just grew and grew and kept blaming all my weight gain on my "body" and its inability to lose weight when I would try a different diet regime.  Low and behold I ballooned to a weight that was out of control.

SO through my weight loss struggles, I offered a new position with one of the  local hospitals, and the stress from this position caused me to continue to get bigger and bigger and bigger, until one day at my doctor’s appointment, my doctor mentioned a weight loss program that did not entail "bypass surgery" or anything like that. I thought what is that I have to lose other than my life "right". How many of you are saying the same thing? We are all in the same boat!

SO, while I continuing through my weight loss struggles, and all the life stresses from the position I was currently working, I decided to look for another job. With all my health factors and the weight continued weight again, I needed to decide what was more important life or death! One of my guardian angels pointed me in the right direction for a new position and low and behold; I received a second chance at life with my new job!. How you ask well with this new position was the opportunity to increase my daily exercise regime, which at this time I did have one, (yes you are right)! So this new position actually required me to walk from one end of the hospital to the other. Well let me tell you that was not an easy feat for the first week or so. It took me 25 minutes to walk only a "half mile" yes you are saying “25 minutes” how sad is that fact!  So began the journey of increasing my physical activity in a small way, and then I made the appointment to meet with the “Diet Dr.” and thus began my weight loss journey.  Here is my journey since then beginning in November 2014.

I met with the Dr and did my little self speal about life and eating habits and still blaming being overweight on my body and metabolism "oh yes" I did.  Well I went to the first meeting and only half haphazardly listened. I went home and reviewed the material and said I will begin the following week; I had all this food and did not want it to go to waste. Of course all this dieting began during Thanksgiving and Christmas!  Wow!

 I slowly began following the program and it was time for me to go back to my first appointment and the moment of true of how much weight did I really lose; and it was only lost three pounds.  Yep you are right! I really wasn't following the program as designed.  Well my Dr said we can only move forward so I set my own personal goal to lose (x) number of pounds in the next four weeks.  My four weeks appointment came and when I climbed on the scale, I lost 8 lbs boy that was an awesome feeling!   Needless to say I was committed at this time SO I continued on the same path and this time my husband joined me in the fight against being overweight!

We continued to follow the diet program 100% for the next four weeks and I dropped another 8 lbs. I felt invincible!  So I thought well I am doing good, so I strayed the next few weeks, and when I returned for my next appointment and  I got on the scale it was only 2 lbs, I was heartbroken and of course I did not take blame why should I right!  Wrong, I only had myself to blame for not meeting my goal. SO once more; I again took control and this time I included walking into the mix. Side note it only takes me 10 minutes now to walk from the parking deck to my office OH YEAH!

SO our next month journey included walking 2 miles and the first time it took me over 1 hour to complete the course. I did not let that stop me; I continued following the program and continued to walk every night once I got home. This also includes my 1 mile every day at work rounding out to 3 miles per day.  My 2 mile was a heart pumping walk, we found a great path around our house that includes all up hill and then all downhill increasing our target heart rate to be the fat burning zone. My 2 mile walk became easier and easier until we completed our course in 50 minutes, then 45 minutes,  then 40 minutes; until today I did my walk in 39 minutes! Oh yeah I was excited and very proud of myself. I digress, during this time I went to my Dr. Appointment and got on the scale! I did it I meet the small goal I set for myself of losing 10 pounds in one month! I was elated and excited and so proud of myself.  At this point and time I have lost a total of 32 pounds, and I now fully understand the need to reach my target goal.

Weight loss is not easy and is the most challenging life changing area we will face on a daily basis!  I want you to know that I am here to listen and help to the best of my ability. God Speed to all that are willing to step up and challenge themselves to lose weight and become more active and fit!

Cheryl