Yesterday I was listening to the Livin' La Vida Low Carb Show podcast archives and heard a very inspiring interview with Shauna Reid, blogger, and author of The Amazing Adventures of Diet Girl. Among other things, she reminded me why I am writing this blog. I wanted a way to record my learnings on this journey in a more interactive and interesting way than a document stored on my hard drive. Check out this podcast, his original blog, and Shauna's blog for a big dose of inspiration.

I missed updating on Sunday, so here is that update somewhat belatedly.

Current Weight: 238
Weight Last Week: 239
Weight loss since last week: 1 pound
Total weight loss this year: 4.8 pounds
(Starting weight, 242.8)

My food choices: 10 of 10 (that won't be the case this week! Argh)
Exercise: 5 out of 10 - I did not exercise but due to a wicked toothache. I was motivated to.
Motivation: 10 of 10 - Motivated and looking forward all week

Yesterday I learned that I have an underactive thyroid. When I see my doctor a couple of weeks hence, I will learn how I might correct that. It was a bit of a relief to know why the weight is coming off so slowly. In other news, I learned that my blood sugar which last year was borderline "high normal" at 112, is now down to a tidy 82; the bottom of the range is 70. I attribute this directly to my change in eating lifestyle since last year; really limiting the simple carbs and avoiding sugary foods all together.

Finally, thank you for reading my blog and supporting my weight loss effort. You are good friends, indeed. I am richly blessed!

Walking into the Wind

I admit it. These last two days have been heart-wrenching ones. Nothing actually bad has happened; just lots of potential for things to go south. Yesterday was no problem, eating-wise. I actually took the girls -- albeit unexpectedly -- out for breakfast. I had amazing self-control. I am owning that! I ate half of a breakfast sandwich and focused on drinking my water and coffee. It must have been plenty because I wasn't hungry for several hours.

Today has been another story. Yesterday my dad had a heart valve replaced and we thought he was doing okay. But I did not sleep well at all. I woke up worrying and was just waiting for it to get late enough (there's a two -hour time difference) to call my mom. Sure enough, they had to take him back to surgery because he was having a bleeding problem. It was a tough morning and unusually, both my girls were home.

It was really interesting to see how when people are sad, other females want to cook for them. Both girls are proficient in the kitchen and throughout the day, they kept trying to cook me stuff. It is pretty hard to turn down your child trying to feed you! At least, it's pretty hard for me to turn down my children. And they were offering me sandwiches. They must have that instinctual knowledge that bread releases the "happy" molecules.

But we survived. I made one "poor choice" as my kids would say, but I traded the calories for nutritious food. So I stayed within my 1200; but 200 of them were M&Ms.! I'm done eating for the day so if I get hungry now, it's off to bed!

I have been reading/watching some awesome health/diet stuff lately. So here are a couple of links for you!

This is 49 minutes of great BBC! A doctor turns detective and investigates food claims.
Americans aren't the only ones struggling with weight - the Brits are fighting the battle too.
Finally, a really thought provoking PBS documentary on Fat. Motivating.

Another day, another plan!

So . . . did I ever mention my reason for starting this blog? I started it because I wanted to record my learnings on this journey and a blog was so much more interactive than a WORD document. I knew from the past 3 years that there is a lot to learn so guess what? I'm still learning.

I saw my doctor this week, one Dr. Fung. He's great. He hears my struggles and he is committed to walking with me on this journey. This is the first time in 10 years I've gotten a doctor to take seriously my weight issues and to really help me. [Note: handing me a diet that's been copied 400 times does not constitute standing alongside me.]

That's the good news. The less good news is that while there is nothing apparently "wrong" with me, I do have a body that is stubbornly holding onto the weight. He agreed that my daily calories should be plenty low enough for me to lose weight and since I'm losing so slowly, that it was time for a "drastic measure." I've agreed to cut my calories to 1200 a day and to exercise 3 hours a week (but not much more). He has assured me this is safe but we are going to monitor for ketosis or other negative affects. I will see him again in a month and we will check on my progress at that point.

So today was a 1200 calorie day and I'm not hungry. My stomach growled a few times, but I can ignore that. Last year I conquered the emotional eating, so I can easily eat whatever is on my plan. I am not tempted usually to snack. 1200 is fairly low, so I will not be able to splurge calories on sweets even occasionally; if I do I'm sure I will be hungry because that will take up some calories that I would usually spend on something filling, like brown rice or legumes. Just knowing that will help me stay with the healthier, filling foods.

Check in: Current Weight: 239
Weight Last Week: 239
Weight loss since last week: No change
Total weight loss this year: 3.8 pounds
(Starting weight, 242.8)

My food choices: 7 of 10 I needed to have more "ready to eat" food on hand
Exercise: 10 out of 10 - I got in 3 hours of exercise
Motivation: 10 of 10 I am ready to proceed!

Quickie - Link to Another Blog

I was just about to give up on the Get Fit Slowly blog when lo and behold, they surprised me. Here's a lighthearted but inspiring guest post on a "plus-size" woman who begins regularly going to the gym. Enjoy!

Gym Guy