Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 29

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 29

by | Sep 7, 2017 | Trust Your Gut

 

Trust Your Gut is a series of stories about real people with weight issues, and complications arising from those issues.  It will explain what the person is facing, what their options are, what they have decided to do to take action, and why they chose the path they are on.  Each person’s story will be based on truth, so it won’t all be happy, but it will be real.  The goal of this series is to get people talking about options that are available for people who have weight issues, on either end of the scale.  If you would like to contribute to this series, there is a contact form linked on my Home page for this blog.  I know there are people out there that want to help people like them; as I do.

 

The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name.  If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story.  The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors.  I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.

This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.

Here is  Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 29

I have not done what I set out to do in September.  I have not followed the plan, I have not kept detailed records, and I have not put any effort into what I needed to do this week at all.

The Monster is winning this week.  It is crushing the soul of my inner beauty. What am I going to do about it?

I have to refocus.  I have to make the efforts I need to make to have results.  I am not perfect, and although I was going to try my best, I fell short.  Like not even falling off the wagon, because I never climbed on it in the first place.

What am I NOT going to do about it?  Make excuses.

I am better than that.  I am better than the monster inside that convinced me it was a great idea to eat chips and Fudgsicles this week.  I am better than the monster that is telling me it is OK to eat whatever I want to because I am really hungry and don’t have time to wait for a healthier option to be ready to eat.  I am worth the effort of drowning out the monster with my inner beauty.  I need to let it shine, and help me find the way to becoming a healthier version of myself.

I need to have a plan, not just the THM plan, although that is a part of what I need to do, it needs to be a complete plan that encompasses everything I am working on and makes me want to work at this.  On me.  It is bigger than me just writing about it.  I need to DO it.  So this weekend, I am going to set aside a few hours to get this set up.

Part of the reason is that I am very skilled at making excuses.  I need to stop it.  Right now.  I am on such a roll with my writing that I do not want to stop.  I want to keep moving forward in all aspects of my life and live it to the fullest.  I will also avoid things and just do what I want to do instead of what I need to do if it is easier.  This is not a good way to do what I want to do, which is to lead by example.  I am not feeling the leader vibe this week.  I need to change things and make this happen.

Now. OK, on the weekend, as I am a tad bit busy with the writing and the entrepreneurial dreams and projects I am working on to change my whole life for the better.  The problem with letting the monster win is that I am leaving out a very important aspect of this dream, and that is me.  I need to rank myself higher on the list of things to be taken care of, so the inner beauty has the chance to glow and outshine the monster forever.

I am making a commitment here to have this ready to go for Monday.  I am going to hold myself accountable for taking the steps to make things happen.  Only I can make the necessary plans and changes to have this work.  It is time to take action and stop listening to the monster that keeps me from being the healthiest version of myself.  It is time to open the cage that traps my inner beauty so far inside me that I cannot find it anymore.  I need to let it out and nurture it until it is as bright as the sun.  I need to keep telling myself that I am worth it until I believe it.  Louder than the monster.  Brighter than the stars in the sky.  Over and over again, until I really get it.  And then you will see that I am doing this in front of all who witness it, and I will be accomplishing the dream of leading by example, by working hard to achieve my personal and professional goals.  Other things are starting to fall into place.  This is just the next thing I am on the verge of succeeding at.  Time to shine.

If you are following this series, and like what you read, thank you.  If you have your own story to share, please contact me.  I have accepted other people’s stories in this category and would love to have more stories than my own to share here.  I don’t want to bore everyone with my stories EVERY week, so if this is something YOU want to do, reach out to me.  There is a contact page for that very reason.  I am also willing to work with people to write a story based on an informal interview or having some discussions about their issues, to help other people deal with their own issues, and helping people understand what it is really like to have issues on EITHER END of the scale.  I would be happy to share your experiences, issues, successes, and tips here in the future.  Stop thinking about it.  Stop making excuses.  Let’s work together to change ourselves and the lives we live.  Our inner beauties deserve to be free and thriving.  We are worth every bit of the effort.  Let’s drop-kick those monsters to the curb. Together.  If I can do this, so can you.

#TrustYourGut.

 

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 29

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 28

by | Sep 1, 2017 | Trust Your Gut

 

Trust Your Gut is a series of stories about real people with weight issues, and complications arising from those issues.  It will explain what the person is facing, what their options are, what they have decided to do to take action, and why they chose the path they are on.  Each person’s story will be based on truth, so it won’t all be happy, but it will be real.  The goal of this series is to get people talking about options that are available for people who have weight issues, on either end of the scale.  If you would like to contribute to this series, there is a contact form linked on my Homepage for this blog.  I know there are people out there that want to help people like them; as I do.

 

The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name.  If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story.  The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors.  I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.

This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.

Here is  Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 28

Somebody asked me a question the day that made me stop and think.  The question was, “Where do you get your energy?”  My quick response was, “Coffee and kickass multivitamins.”  But I thought about it some more and felt that the person that asked me the question deserved a better answer.  I met up with him a few minutes later, and I explained that it is from following my passion.  When I am being creative, it makes me push my limits and myself.  I am inspired all the time, even in my sleep.  If I let myself go when it comes to being creative, whether or not it is writing, there are no boundaries.  I can be struck by an idea for the blog by having a conversation with my husband or a friend.  It can even happen when I am working.  I can wake up in the middle of the night with an idea, and when that happens, I make myself go write it down.

I wish I could harness this energy, and direct some of it towards my metabolic rate.  The feelings of utter joy I have when I am making progress on one of my projects is unmatched anywhere else in my life.  It is all me, from my very core, and it radiates out.  It is contagious.  It is visible.  People can see the change in me when I am working on something that makes my heart sing!

Note: I realized after this was published, that I forgot a very important part of my answer to this question.  YOU!  Every time someone reads, likes, shares or comments on this blog, it adds fuel to my train of momentum.  So thank you, each and every one of you for taking the time out of your busy lives to include reading my words.  It means more than I can write here, in just one paragraph, and even if there was a longer place for this note, I don’t know if words can describe the feelings I have inside about every bit of growth it has from your continued support.  You all amaze me.

I am starting to prepare for my challenge. It starts tomorrow.  I have a long weekend.  With the work I have done in the last month with the other challenges, I want to keep the momentum going.  I am going to focus on making healthier choices.  I am going to use the same fire and determination in my journey to be a healthier version of myself.  Tonight, I am getting it out of my system.  This weekend, I am going to be setting up my new routine.  I will need to get organized and to do that I will need a plan.  That means food, specifically meals, and snacks, drinks, testing my sugars frequently, recording all of this and how much insulin I am taking.  If I am serious about this, I know I will see results.  I wrote in my challenges about why I want to be an entrepreneur.  Part of the answer was because I want to lead by example.  I am working hard on my dreams, and one of them is becoming a healthier version of myself.  I am going to start with planning the next week while I start this weekend.

I will be researching new recipes in my Trim Healthy Mama book.  There are other recipes online, and there are my favourites I can mix into the meal plan.  I have not made a lot of desserts because I was not certain of the sweetener ratio.  I am using swerve in the powdered and granular form.  THM uses their own sweeteners, and there are conversions for their blends of sweeteners.  I have the chart on the inside of a cabinet door in the kitchen.  I have most of the ingredients I need for making THM recipes, so I am going to expand my horizons with testing some new recipes and adding the ones I like to my rotation.  I think that might be why I have not been as inspired to stay on plan.  I know I need to do this.

#TrustYourGut

Putting on my GAME FACE!

Putting on my GAME FACE!

by | Aug 27, 2017 | Events

Before Starting. The "Blank Canvas"

Tish before Makeup or hair styling was done.

A few months ago, I shared a story about makeup.  Makeup: A Purge and Purchase Story was fun to experience, and fun to write about.  I was surprised by the comment thread my makeup questions spurred on my Facebook page.  Quite a few people had opinions, and some joined me on my shopping trip.

This morning I woke up and decided I would do my hair and makeup for my Facebook Live video.  I was announcing the winner of the Scavenger Hunt Contest I had going on all week.  I didn’t just want a “like and share” contest.  I wanted people to follow links to my different areas of expertise, one page for my jewellery making business, Tish’s Treasures, another my Facebook Author page, Tish MacWebber’s Author Facebook Page, and here, on my blog.

People showed interest, but not everyone participated.  Some tried to do all of the steps, and others liked the pages.  I made my first Facebook live videos this week.  I found that the one I made from my personal Facebook page was the one that had the most interaction, so I am learning as I am trying new things.  I have watched them after recording, just to hear what I sounded like, and to learn.  I will keep working on them, as they are another way to reach out to people that might not want to spend their time hunting for different pages.

That being said, at some point in the future, I am going to make the leap from this Blog page to my own website.  That will be a new step for me, outside of my comfort zone.  I want to combine the Bling, Blog, and Books I am creating on to a website.  I will be looking for help to do this, and I know that people in the communities I am involved with in my social media circles will point me in the right direction so I can figure it all out.  I am doing all of the work myself, since this page launched for the second time.  I had help at the start and took over when I was ready to take the reins.  It has been a bumpy ride at times, but so much fun.

Now for the makeup.  I am going to share a series of selfies I took this morning while getting ready for my video shoot.  That sounds bigger than it was.  It was less than five minutes long.  I am still not used to how things are flipped on the laptop.  It is another thing to work at until I am great at it.

 

 

Close up! Lips have been found!

Close up! Lips have been found! I hardly recognize myself!

Ready to shoot my video!

Ready to shoot my video!

This happens to be the second tube of mascara I have tried.  I miss my wonder-curl mascara, they don’t make it anymore.  I will give them each another try before blogging my thoughts.  I also tried a new eye makeup remover.  I have not found one that completely cleans mascara from my lashes, ever.  Any tips will be appreciated with this in mind.  I asked about this today on my personal Facebook page, and it became quite a thread.  I am always happy to see another person’s point of view.  😉

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 29

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 27

by | Aug 24, 2017 | Trust Your Gut

 

Trust Your Gut is a series of stories about real people with weight issues, and complications arising from those issues.  It will explain what the person is facing, what their options are, what they have decided to do to take action, and why they chose the path they are on.  Each person’s story will be based on truth, so it won’t all be happy, but it will be real.  The goal of this series is to get people talking about options that are available for people who have weight issues, on either end of the scale.  If you would like to contribute to this series, there is a contact form linked on my Homepage for this blog.  I know there are people out there that want to help people like them; as I do.

 

The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name.  If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story.  The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors.  I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.

This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.

Here is  Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 27

Summer is slowly sneaking past us, and soon it will be fall.  I have seen other people do challenges, and I have a few things I need to get back on track with.  One of them is my zig-zagging on the path less travelled to living a healthier lifestyle.  I don’t have kids, and I am not going back to school.  But September can be a new start for this and other areas of my life that are lacking commitment right now.

In THM, there are many different groups to belong to.  You can join based on food types, health issues, location, budget friendly, beginner, very fluffy, the main THM group and allergy issue groups.  There is even one for people that Blog about THM. I am involved in several and have not been contributing much lately.  I can share my Blog stories on their pages, but not if that is the only thing I am contributing.  I think that is fair.

I do write this to keep myself accountable, and also to help other people.  If you don’t have the same issues I have with being morbidly obese, then reading this Blog might help you learn how to be a better friend to someone like me.  It may even help you figure out what you can do to help them.

Let’s go with a big one. Do not be the food police.  Every person that is capable of feeding themselves is also capable of deciding what to eat, what not to eat, and how much of that they are going to eat.  If I am having a piece of cake at a social gathering, and someone makes me feel bad about it, I am going to eat two or three times the amount of cake I allowed for with my meal plan and insulin doses.  Saying nothing and judging by silence or a look is no better.  I eat the guilt instead of feeling it.  That is a dangerous option for me.  I am trying so hard to make better choices, but a simple thing like me having chocolate to get through a rough work day can compound to a box of chocolates at home later on.  Yes, a box, not one or two pieces.  If I bring them home, I want to gobble them up so they aren’t there to tempt me anymore.  When I think about that, it is really messed up.  But it is how I think.

I hid being a type 2 diabetic for a long time.  Now that I am open about it, I feel like people are always watching what I eat, and judging me.  If I was realistic, I would think that I am not so important in other people’s lives that they spend time critically thinking about what I am eating.  I have answered a lot of questions regarding what I am eating for lunch at work, and when it is a healthy recipe, I am proud to share.  Even if the cauliflower that I had to heat up is stinky, or someone is grossed out by the way I am assembling my cheeseburger pie.  If it tastes good, fills me, and doesn’t make me feel bad after eating it, then I am happy to share about what I am eating, and even share the recipes I love if people want to try them.

Back to September coming up.  I am going to focus more on me, and the THM plan.  What do I mean?  It is going to be hard.  I am going to have a 30 day no cheat challenge.  Eek!  I have commitment issues when it comes to being 100% on plan, but it is about time that I really put an effort into it.  At the same time, I am going to post in the groups more in September, so that I can share the blog posts that relate to THM in the groups more.  Finally, to get myself on track and stay there, I will have to prep cook.  That also needs time and energy.  If it is focused, it does not have to take a lot of either, because I am prep cooking for me, and sometimes for my husband, not an army.  Leftovers are handy for lunches, as long as I have the means of storing them properly.

One thing that concerns me is maintaining a solid balance of my blood sugars.  I am worried about lows and treating them while staying on plan.  That is a tricky path in the brambles and may require bending of the rules a bit.  If I have to pick a quick source of the wrong kind of sugar to avoid a hospital or death, I am going to have to be OK with that.  Before I start, though, I am going to hang out in the THM Diabetes group and ask some questions to make me feel better about how to treat the lows.  I am giving myself time to do this, before the official start.  I will need to start recording my blood sugars, insulin doses and keep a food diary to make this work because if I don’t know what the patterns are, it is hard to manage the blood sugar highs and lows properly.  This sounds like work to me, but if you do something consistently for 30 days it becomes a habit, and I am trying to develop better habits for a healthier lifestyle.  I wrote it here, so now I have to follow through.

Accountability.  It is time to take things seriously again.  Writing it all down every day will help me track patterns and find out how different foods affect my sugars.  I know I am not going to be 100% on plan, being me, but if I can give it my best attempt, I will have something I can be proud of working on.  So I am going to make a real effort in September. I need to refocus on a few things, and this is one of them.  Time to start planning.  Anybody else getting ready to start fresh in September?  I will cheer you on as I share my progress every week, here.  It’s time to refocus.

#TrustYourGut

Weekend Warrior #26

Weekend Warrior #26

by | Aug 21, 2017 | Weekend Warrior

I don’t have any “plans” this weekend.  I am going to do that Bouncing of the House I didn’t do last weekend.  I will catch up with a friend and maybe call another friend.  This weekend I am going to be alone while the hubby is at work.  Sometimes that is just what I need.

I will crank the tunes and get some things done tomorrow.  I am happy to say he did some work around here this week, so it isn’t a total disaster waiting for me to have to do everything.  It helps to have a partner with the chores, even if we work better in tandem than together on some projects.

I have to say it, and I don’t want to.  I have had another generation of ants in the kitchen.  I also want to put it out there that mint plants are needy divas.  They are happy or parched or dying or perky.  There is no happy medium, only the hour after they are watered, it seems.  I am struggling to keep them alive, and losing the battle with one already.  I need them to live to chase the bugs away.  I have seen spiders and ants, so maybe it is not a reliable theory.  It was worth a shot, though.

The problem with having a completely free weekend happens when I don’t have a reason to get the chores done.  It is much more fun to procrastinate on the computer and binge watch TV all day.  I know I am crawling out of bed in the morning to get the car.  I have not decided if that will happen Sunday, or not.  If I stay home, I don’t spend money.  That is a good rule of thumb for me.  I do have errands and so I need the car tomorrow.  I don’t like being home without it if I don’t need to be.  What if I need something?  I need the car to go get it.

Then a whole other list of things happens, I blink, and the day is gone and I have nothing to show for it.  So I think this weekend I will make a list.  Sometimes that is the only way for me to stay on track.

I have one day of the Brand Story Challenge I have participated in all week left.  It is over on Saturday, and I am looking forward to trying to put it all together.  There are prizes, and I feel like I am putting myself out there, much like I do here, and just going for it.  It may not seem like I am working hard at this if you don’t know me, but there are parts that are shared publicly and parts that are just for you and the members of the challenge.  So I have been sharing it all in the closed group.  I feel like if I put it all out there, maybe I have a chance to win something.  I can work hard, and hope.  I am trying to get below my outer layer and see what I am hiding inside that can help propel me forward.  It is making me think about things differently, and that is OK.

With Sunday morning there came a lack of sleep, due to humidity and some inspirations!  I have just filmed my first ever Facebook live video and created a scavenger hunt for the first contest I have ever launched for Tish’s Treasures.  I am really hoping it steps up my entrepreneurial game, and I am already planning my next contest!

I did get the car Sunday too.  I spent too much time trying to get in a nap, so this is causing my posting here to be late.  I have had so much to do, but my body needed to rest up before the dreaded Monday appeared.  (Oh no! It’s here!)

There was a bonus round for the Brand Story Challenge.  It is not quite ready, but will be shared all over the place really soon!

I am going to leave a link for my first Facebook Live Contest video HERE!  It is open to anyone that completes the requirements.  If you enter, best of luck to you!  There is a prize!

I am feeling drained after this weekend.  Humidity is not nice when you are unable to sleep through it.  I got a lot done, though, so I am calling it a draw…today was not as productive as it could have been.  How was your weekend?