Chasing the elusive '00

It's been sooooo long since I was below that elusive '00 ....but I shot the sheriff and won! I can officially say I'm in the 'hundreds' now! Wahooo! I might have celebrated this before with a piece of cake or a trip to the ice cream store.... a little counteractive to my goal, wouldn't ya say? ;-) Well, I won't be doing that today. If I choose to do that in the future, you can rest assured it will be a much smaller piece of cake!

That's one message I have taken from studying the philosophy of my friend, Dr. Michelle May. Her book Am I Hungry (first edition) made me stop and think about the reasons I eat. And oh are there many! So I eat more mindfully now. I still would like to read her newest book Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat, which replaces her first book. Click on the link above here and you can read the first chapter for free.

While I haven't read her newest book yet, I agree with Dr. May's advice--you have to be more mindful of what you eat and why. Becoming more mindful and aware of what and why you eat includes becoming an informed eater. That's a very important step. It's not about counting calories. From my perspective, it's also knowing what is going into your body. Pesticides? Antibiotics? Chemicals? It's important to identify those elements when you are on your journey to creating a healthier you! The old adage, "If your grandmother wouldn't eat it, you probably shouldn't either!" is a powerful statement. Our food supply has become so infiltrated with elements that will downright kill you. Maybe not tomorrow... but the long term effects certainly can and do.

Carolanne and I having some fun in the garden!

So make sure you are getting the freshest food possible. Start a garden. It doesn't have to be a large spot...can even be a single pot! Buy organic when you can. I know. I know. I've heard the ... "but it's so expensive ..." I used to be one who said this regularly! But you know... I found a way. Where there's a will, there's a way to a healthier you! Your motivation just has to kick in. It's like the drug addict or the alcoholic hitting their "rock bottom." Everyone has their own rock bottom. Change is hard at first, but taking that first step will save your life and add years to your journey!

My first step was to step away from processed foods. There is so much junk in those foods, it is unreal! When I can't pronounce what is on the label and I don't have a clue what that ingredient means--I SHOULD NOT EAT IT! Also, if the label has more than five ingredients? Probably not a good choice. I have become an avid label reader.

And, now I CHOOSE to spend my money on good things that will fuel my body and give it sustaining life. Will I live forever? Probably not. I'm not sure I would want to. However, I can reasonably say that I have changed the course of my 'inherited future' to live a longer and healthier life than my parents. And, if I don't get the chance to live longer (because you know....we don't really control that), I will be able to ENJOY my life more because of better health. I remember when my youngest was a toddler that it was a challenge for me to get on the floor to play with her... all because I was too heavy! Make a change for a better you today.

Talking about HCG
A lot of people have asked me, "What do you eat?" So I thought I would talk a little about that today. It is a drastic cut in calories from the diets of most people. But I don't COUNT the calories ...or the points... I just put good food in my body. My doctor has a handout that tells me what foods will serve the purpose of my HCG weight loss journey. You can also find them in Kevin Trudeau's book, The Weight Loss Cure.

For example, today's lunch will consist of:  Tilapia, Lettuce, Blueberry Vinaigrette, and a Grissini breadstick. The food choices are very specific. There's a reason for this. Dr. Simeon found that a 500-calorie diet worked best for this protocol along with the HCG in order to reset the hypothalamus and burn the unwanted fat from the body. A body needs a certain amount of "good fat" to sustain itself during times of poverty. However, in this day and age, we don't need to worry to much about that.

I would highly recommend reading Trudeau's book. It will absolutely give you some food for thought. It's important to begin educating yourself about health and nutrition. Start where you are. It doesn't matter if you are 50, 32, 22 or 8. It's important to know what is good for your body. I wish I had heeded these messages from well-meaning educators a long time ago.

Onward for the Stats!
Ok... so here are the stats.

Day 10
Down another 1.6 pounds to ... *drum roll* (yes, I'm publicly going to publish my weight on the Internet...oh my... *gasp*) ......*longer drum roll and cymbal crash* .....  199!!!

I cannot tell you how this makes me feel. I have not been below 200 since my youngest daughter was born almost 9 years ago. Yesterday when I stepped on the scale and it reflected 200.6... I was like....COME ON! But today is a new story, and one that has definitely boosted my image of myself. (That's another blog!)

Weight loss is not a linear function. Body weight will fluctuate throughout the day, whether you are on a weight loss journey such as I am or not. I would recommend weighing at the same time of the day (or week) without clothing. I was amazed at how much difference a piece of clothing can make! And I'm not talking about jeans or sneakers neither! ;-)

I think that's about all for today. If you have questions, feel free to post them! You won't always see your posts right away because they come to me for moderation first. Yeah, I'm a chicken... still waiting to just let go of that one!

'til next time ... Edna