Good afternoon, everyone!!!
I decided I would blog today about what’s been going on in my world lately. Hopefully I will maintain at least once a week blogging on my progress. This is my goal anyway.
Last week I went to my doctor. As most of you know the course of the last couple of years I’ve had a few issues, one they took my thyroid out, then the hysterectomy that threw me right into menopause, and then most recently blockage in my heart that suddenly just vanished.
Well, I decided during my walk yesterday to start from the beginning of this up and down roller coaster and start blogging weekly on the progress of this latest venture.
Back when the doc was concerned I had thyroid cancer, they removed my entire thyroid, which now requires me to be on a medication to make my body believe I still have a thyroid. As I prepared to go for surgery, I overheard a couple of ladies who were ‘friends’ making the comment, “Now she’ll get fat,” both laughing and really cutting me to the core because first of all these ladies I considered friends, secondly, I’ve always been mindful of my weight and as a personal preference I don’t like to hold extra pounds at my age.
I’ll address the first aspect of this to start with. If you are someone’s friend please be mindful of the words you think you’re saying behind their back, because voices do travel and when someone is possibly facing the BIG C, it is scary regardless if the surgery will take care of the problem.
Second, the reason I stay mindful of my weight is because our family history of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes is very high. Sure these things can happen regardless BUT my line of thinking is, as I grow older I have to be mindful of what makes my body work and what doesn’t to give it the best chance possible even ‘if’ these things occur.
I did fine after the thyroid surgery, maintained my weight, keep up a good daily routine, kept active, and just kept moving forward.
Then the hysterectomy came and went and this is where my problems started. I had a LOT of bleeding after and the doctor and nurses would tell me, “If you’re still bleeding it means you’re doing too much.” Well, to me I wasn’t doing much of anything so this made no sense, but it contributed to this downward spiral that I firmly believe contributed to my heart issue this past winter.
I put on way too much weight for my build. I became depressed. I hated feeling this way. So, finally after packing on 40+ pounds over the course of two years I kept telling myself I needed to do something. So I would diet and not even lose a pound. After two weeks I would get more discouraged, more depressed, and just more and more angry.
So when at the doctor last week I told her my dilemma, because frankly I was at the end of my rope. It was either be happy with the extra weight and reserve to the fact that this was not good for my health but I couldn’t do anything about it, or find out what my doctor could do to help me.
So, for the next six weeks I am doing something to help me be mindful of my calories and exercise. I’m recording everything on an app for my phone called myfitnesspal. I’m getting serious about my health and finding new ways to increase exercise and cut down on calorie intake each day.
She started me on 1400 calories a day with the hope of losing five pounds over the course of this six weeks. What I like about this is I can eat what I want I just have to stay mindful of the calories I take in and record everything. What I wouldn’t advise is doing a program like this without first talking to your doctor.
See I had this app installed on my phone, I had my calorie count too low for me and never even knew. I was going by what the app told me I should have not my doctor. I also had no idea how to use the app properly, which fortunately, my doctor’s nurse had used this in the past and knew how to explain it to me.
Since I am watching cholesterol I try to stick close to low fat foods and since I don’t have a thyroid I need low fat, high protein/high fiber diet. I’m spending this first week getting used to the app, putting more variety of exercise into my daily routine, and finding creative ways to work in my downtime seeing as I need to be at the computer so many hours a day for writing purposes.
Today is my first day off work since going on this plan, so I am really trying to find ways to get me out of the chair and up doing something more often than spending hours at a time typing away J I’ll let you know next week how that goes J
Since beginning this plan, I’ve already lost the five pounds she wants me to lose in six weeks J So that feels good and is an incentive to keep me pushing forward. I feel like I have more energy, but today, for some reason I am feeling a bit down. I’m not real sure what that is about, but am hoping to combat that with a bit of exercise on the treadmill here in a little while. Plus I decided maybe completing the trim painting in my entry way will help increase a sense of accomplishment which will combat this down-in-the-dumps feeling.
After I put the second coat on here in another twenty-five minutes, then I’ll hit the treadmill and add some weights to my routine today since I won’t be lifting any heavy boxes at work today J
Hubby also picked me up a new RED bike the other day while I was at work. So I’ve been trying to add a bit of bike riding in my daily routine just to get a different exercise in each day also. We all know how much I love red J
Now for why I thought I should share this journey with you. Number one reason is another way to help hold me accountable. See I need that push or I will slack. If I know I have to do something I’ll do it, if I’m given free reign well, let’s just say I can talk myself out of anything under the sun for sure.
The second reason I’m sharing is because I know I’m not the only one out there who is like this. I also know I’m not the only one who’s had friends who would love to see them ‘plump out’ or struggle and have no issue talking about it behind your back.
Yes, I was that ‘skinny’ girl in the past. I was that girl who didn’t have to worry about what I ate or how much exercise I got in each day. You know the girl people would love to see get ‘fat’ for a change. Well, news flash, that was when I was twenty. Everyone has issues one way or the other where weight is concerned. I don’t want to be that twenty year old who weighed 95 pounds soaking wet. Today, my concern is being healthy, inside and out.
Today I am happy with meat on my bones, because it was fine when I was young to be a bit underweight, but these days, it is better for me to be at the right weight for my age and height. It is best for me to be mindful of what is best to keep me in good health and active to be able to be the grandmother I want to be. That’s means, get off my backside and play J
Do I have all the answers? Does my doctor have all the answers? Will this work? I know for me it is a guessing game. I just follow what I need to do and one thing I know for certain it is not a diet but a lifestyle change that needs to happen for me. I need to make new routines and be mindful of what I take into my body.
No you won’t see this old girl going completely off meat for any reason. I love meat too much J No, you won’t see me buy into some of the latest fads, because that’s not who I am either.
You will see me procrastinate, because frankly, I know I’m good at it J You will see me work toward changing my lifestyle, because for me that is the only thing that works. How do I know this? Because several years back I went through this very thing. Two years of working hard at changing up my lifestyle was blow to hell when I gave up. It’s that plain and simple.
I threw out the window everything I had worked so hard for. Two years it took me to reach my goal weight. I maintained it for five years. Then just like that, I said, the hell with it. Now look at where I am today. Back then I had a thyroid and it was easier to see results. Today, I don’t have one and I find it all too easy to give up after a week or two of no results.
So welcome back to my journey. My goal is to take off ten pounds in six months and maintain it for the other six months. In this six month period I also want to change up what foods I eat each day, practice a better exercise program to keep active in my daily routine (regardless of time of year seeing as I live in Indiana), and work toward a healthier mind frame.
Wish me luck J
Everyone have a lovely day!!!
Blessings to all!!!
I decided I would blog today about what’s been going on in my world lately. Hopefully I will maintain at least once a week blogging on my progress. This is my goal anyway.
Last week I went to my doctor. As most of you know the course of the last couple of years I’ve had a few issues, one they took my thyroid out, then the hysterectomy that threw me right into menopause, and then most recently blockage in my heart that suddenly just vanished.
Well, I decided during my walk yesterday to start from the beginning of this up and down roller coaster and start blogging weekly on the progress of this latest venture.
Back when the doc was concerned I had thyroid cancer, they removed my entire thyroid, which now requires me to be on a medication to make my body believe I still have a thyroid. As I prepared to go for surgery, I overheard a couple of ladies who were ‘friends’ making the comment, “Now she’ll get fat,” both laughing and really cutting me to the core because first of all these ladies I considered friends, secondly, I’ve always been mindful of my weight and as a personal preference I don’t like to hold extra pounds at my age.
I’ll address the first aspect of this to start with. If you are someone’s friend please be mindful of the words you think you’re saying behind their back, because voices do travel and when someone is possibly facing the BIG C, it is scary regardless if the surgery will take care of the problem.
Second, the reason I stay mindful of my weight is because our family history of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes is very high. Sure these things can happen regardless BUT my line of thinking is, as I grow older I have to be mindful of what makes my body work and what doesn’t to give it the best chance possible even ‘if’ these things occur.
I did fine after the thyroid surgery, maintained my weight, keep up a good daily routine, kept active, and just kept moving forward.
Then the hysterectomy came and went and this is where my problems started. I had a LOT of bleeding after and the doctor and nurses would tell me, “If you’re still bleeding it means you’re doing too much.” Well, to me I wasn’t doing much of anything so this made no sense, but it contributed to this downward spiral that I firmly believe contributed to my heart issue this past winter.
I put on way too much weight for my build. I became depressed. I hated feeling this way. So, finally after packing on 40+ pounds over the course of two years I kept telling myself I needed to do something. So I would diet and not even lose a pound. After two weeks I would get more discouraged, more depressed, and just more and more angry.
So when at the doctor last week I told her my dilemma, because frankly I was at the end of my rope. It was either be happy with the extra weight and reserve to the fact that this was not good for my health but I couldn’t do anything about it, or find out what my doctor could do to help me.
So, for the next six weeks I am doing something to help me be mindful of my calories and exercise. I’m recording everything on an app for my phone called myfitnesspal. I’m getting serious about my health and finding new ways to increase exercise and cut down on calorie intake each day.
She started me on 1400 calories a day with the hope of losing five pounds over the course of this six weeks. What I like about this is I can eat what I want I just have to stay mindful of the calories I take in and record everything. What I wouldn’t advise is doing a program like this without first talking to your doctor.
See I had this app installed on my phone, I had my calorie count too low for me and never even knew. I was going by what the app told me I should have not my doctor. I also had no idea how to use the app properly, which fortunately, my doctor’s nurse had used this in the past and knew how to explain it to me.
Since I am watching cholesterol I try to stick close to low fat foods and since I don’t have a thyroid I need low fat, high protein/high fiber diet. I’m spending this first week getting used to the app, putting more variety of exercise into my daily routine, and finding creative ways to work in my downtime seeing as I need to be at the computer so many hours a day for writing purposes.
Today is my first day off work since going on this plan, so I am really trying to find ways to get me out of the chair and up doing something more often than spending hours at a time typing away J I’ll let you know next week how that goes J
Since beginning this plan, I’ve already lost the five pounds she wants me to lose in six weeks J So that feels good and is an incentive to keep me pushing forward. I feel like I have more energy, but today, for some reason I am feeling a bit down. I’m not real sure what that is about, but am hoping to combat that with a bit of exercise on the treadmill here in a little while. Plus I decided maybe completing the trim painting in my entry way will help increase a sense of accomplishment which will combat this down-in-the-dumps feeling.
After I put the second coat on here in another twenty-five minutes, then I’ll hit the treadmill and add some weights to my routine today since I won’t be lifting any heavy boxes at work today J
Hubby also picked me up a new RED bike the other day while I was at work. So I’ve been trying to add a bit of bike riding in my daily routine just to get a different exercise in each day also. We all know how much I love red J
Now for why I thought I should share this journey with you. Number one reason is another way to help hold me accountable. See I need that push or I will slack. If I know I have to do something I’ll do it, if I’m given free reign well, let’s just say I can talk myself out of anything under the sun for sure.
The second reason I’m sharing is because I know I’m not the only one out there who is like this. I also know I’m not the only one who’s had friends who would love to see them ‘plump out’ or struggle and have no issue talking about it behind your back.
Yes, I was that ‘skinny’ girl in the past. I was that girl who didn’t have to worry about what I ate or how much exercise I got in each day. You know the girl people would love to see get ‘fat’ for a change. Well, news flash, that was when I was twenty. Everyone has issues one way or the other where weight is concerned. I don’t want to be that twenty year old who weighed 95 pounds soaking wet. Today, my concern is being healthy, inside and out.
Today I am happy with meat on my bones, because it was fine when I was young to be a bit underweight, but these days, it is better for me to be at the right weight for my age and height. It is best for me to be mindful of what is best to keep me in good health and active to be able to be the grandmother I want to be. That’s means, get off my backside and play J
Do I have all the answers? Does my doctor have all the answers? Will this work? I know for me it is a guessing game. I just follow what I need to do and one thing I know for certain it is not a diet but a lifestyle change that needs to happen for me. I need to make new routines and be mindful of what I take into my body.
No you won’t see this old girl going completely off meat for any reason. I love meat too much J No, you won’t see me buy into some of the latest fads, because that’s not who I am either.
You will see me procrastinate, because frankly, I know I’m good at it J You will see me work toward changing my lifestyle, because for me that is the only thing that works. How do I know this? Because several years back I went through this very thing. Two years of working hard at changing up my lifestyle was blow to hell when I gave up. It’s that plain and simple.
I threw out the window everything I had worked so hard for. Two years it took me to reach my goal weight. I maintained it for five years. Then just like that, I said, the hell with it. Now look at where I am today. Back then I had a thyroid and it was easier to see results. Today, I don’t have one and I find it all too easy to give up after a week or two of no results.
So welcome back to my journey. My goal is to take off ten pounds in six months and maintain it for the other six months. In this six month period I also want to change up what foods I eat each day, practice a better exercise program to keep active in my daily routine (regardless of time of year seeing as I live in Indiana), and work toward a healthier mind frame.
Wish me luck J
Everyone have a lovely day!!!
Blessings to all!!!