Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 9

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 9

by | Apr 20, 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 9

Timing is very important.  When I started the THM plan, I was shocked at how often they eat meals and snacks.  I had heard before that you should eat 4-6 smaller meals a day, instead of 3 large meals.  It is incredibly important to make sure that you never get hangry.  Yes, I spelled that correctly;  it is when you are so hungry that you start to get angry.  Just like on the Snickers commercials.  Not that they are the healthiest choice, but in a pinch, they can help you to combat low blood sugar and hangry feelings.  They are not on plan, though.

So how does this adapt in the real world?  I do get breaks at work, and they are not quite at the 3-hour mark, but I make do.  I have fruit and protein for my snacks.  It is really easy to eat an unsweetened applesauce and some laughing cow cheese.  I have also been known to snack on turkey pepperoni sticks.  The kind I like is not too spicy.  I have a low tolerance for spicy foods and am very sensitive to spices.

Meals vary for my lunches and suppers.  I enjoy grabbing a banana on the way out the door, again not on plan, but that is my quick dairy free and iron free start to my day.  The thyroid pill requires water and an empty stomach for it to work properly, to avoid these foods for two hours after taking it, so I don’t have side effects.  I have tried other things, but the food I can eat in the car when my husband is driving me to work is what I choose.  I also have black coffee when I get to work.

When I prep cook, it is the best way for me to stay on plan.  I have tried a lot of THM recipes, and I really like them.  I have been slacking in the prep cooking department.  I have things I can make, but I am not feeling like cooking.  Part of that is the effort, part of it is the storage situation, and the other part is that my husband is not on the plan with me.  Sometimes that requires making two meals, or different side dishes.  Again, more time, energy, and effort.  Not to mention that I don’t jump up to do the dishes every day like I should.  I know that is a different story, but it all ties in together with a big pretty bow.

If I make my lunch, there is a good chance I will be on plan.  When I don’t, I can stay on plan, but it is more difficult to buy lunch and stay on plan.  I am getting better at it, but the budget dictates that I need to start prep cooking again.

There are also meals when my husband and I don’t eat the same thing at all.  If I am eating on plan, he may have something that he likes instead of joining me.  That used to bother me.  Now I try and think that if he isn’t having the same thing as me, then there is more for me to eat and stay on track longer with.  So it is all about perspective.  And timing.

When the time is right for you, the choices will be easier because you are ready.  It took me most of my life to feel like I was ready to tackle this plan and become healthier.  When I found it, the timing was ripe for me to make a change and try something new.  I didn’t know then that it was going to be the answer for me, and that all I have to do is get serious about staying on the plan.  It is time to get serious.  Are you with me?

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 9

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 8

by | Apr 12, 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 8

I am following the Trim Healthy Mama (THM) Plan.  They have some books on the program, and it is implemented into your life, the best way you can.  I am honestly telling you that I am trying.  I am also going to admit that I am struggling.

I can’t seem to find my willpower.  It is so easy to eat the unhealthy, off plan things.  They are all prepared and full of preservatives, and sugar and other junk, but they are literally the no-brainer choice.  When you are hungry, and there is a choice of something quick and easy, it is SO easy to fall into that pattern.

I am not an official THM trained coach, I am making my own way, and not on plan 100% of the time.  But I do see the value of it.  I have seen myself make little changes along the way, and I believe that they will all add up one day.  Someday I will realize that the changes I am making added up to enough effort to make a difference.

I keep checking my waistline.  Every once in a while I stand straight, with my hands on my waistline, and I think that it is smaller.  I just measured it for fun.  It isn’t.  One day it will be.

I have decided that it is time to start looking for a new bathing suit.  The last time I did that I was ready to throw in the beach towel.  I tried on all the one piece suits I could find, in all the local stores.  The very last one I tried on was the one I bought.  It was perfect.  The straps have lost their elasticity, and I tied knots in them last summer to hold the bathing suit in place.  It does not fit right anymore, so I have decided to start hunting for a new one.

It must be a one piece.  I refuse to buy a bathing suit that has a skirt.  Support is a must.  It has to fit right, be fashionable, comfortable, and practical.  I would like to say it will be a size or two smaller than the last one.  Maybe next year I can do that.

When I find one I like, I am going to look into swimming more often.  I would like to get back into Aquacise classes.  I used to go, and I think it is time to get back into a swimming pool on a regular basis.  A long time ago, on an island on the East Coast of Canada, I used to teach swimming lessons.  I love swimming as much as I love dancing.  I think it is time to start adding in new activities to help me want to make smarter choices about what I eat.  One small change at a time, I will regain control of my health, my body size, my energy levels, and my life.  It all comes down to me.  I know the easy way is how I got to be in this predicament.  I have to set my mind to working my way back out, one small change at a time.  Then it won’t be such a daunting task to get a new bathing suit.  Having a choice of several bathing suits instead of the only one that works will be something to look forward to.

 

Take The Time To Fill Your Own Coffee Cup

Take The Time To Fill Your Own Coffee Cup

by | Apr 11, 2017 | Coffee and Stories

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This past weekend, I wrote about facing my inner demons.  I fight with myself sometimes.  Nobody throws punches, and nobody gets hurt.  Except maybe my own ego.

I can get stuck in a pattern of doing nothing while having the best intentions of getting through a whole list of things that need to be done.  There are days when I literally talk myself out of getting anything done.  It is a nasty little place to be in, and it happens when things are bothering me, or in the winter.  I am less likely to have the energy to do more than the basics in the winter time, and that is sometimes left too long.  In this endless loop of getting nothing done, I can become overwhelmed by how much there IS to do, and that doesn’t help me at all.

Spring is here.  I feel the change in the weather, and in my spirit.  The blog has started me off in the right direction.  I am wanting to get things done, and I FEEL DIFFERENT about life right now.  I am trying new things, making small changes, and thinking about what I need to do to make the leap from blogging to writing a book.

A year ago I was recovering from an infection in my knee.  It was not a pleasant experience, I would never recommend a knee infection as something for anyone to do.  I was away from work for 3 months, and sat around that whole time, as I was told to not be moving around very much.  I had nurses visiting me in my home for IV antibiotics once a day for two or three weeks.  I was taught how to bandage the wound when the IV was over, and they stopped the home checks.  I longed for the day that I could have a shower without medical tape and shopping bags protecting the bandages from getting wet.  I was on some strong painkillers, for the first time ever, and I was scared that I might become addicted.  I did not.

Spring cleaning didn’t really happen last year.  So I am on a mission to get it done properly this year.  I am writing about it, and puttering at it, and making a little more progress in that kitchen every time I get in there. I have made a few inexpensive purchases to help me to get this project accomplished.  I see the progress, but I am not ready to share it yet.

I needed to stop and just take a breath last weekend.  That’s what the title means.  When you worry about everyone or everything else and don’t take time for yourself, you can empty your coffee pot before you get yourself a refill.  That is a mistake that can build into a disaster if it is not made a priority.

It’s not Ok to neglect your own needs in order to make sure that everyone else’s needs are taken care of first.  Sometimes, it is necessary to take care of others first.  However, if you don’t stop and take time for you, the coffee at the bottom of the pot is going to have a burnt taste, and it will not be a pleasant thing to drink.

Whatever it is in your life that allows you to feel refreshed and recharged is something that you need to always make time for.  If it is the 5 am cup of coffee before anyone else in your home is awake, get up and pour yourself a hot cup of coffee.  If it is taking a bath at the end of a long and tiring day, make time to fill the bathtub.  Read a book for a chapter a day, at the time you can schedule it in.  If you have dogs, they can help you take the time to yourself to think when you have to walk them anyway.

Or, at other times you need to be around other people.  Friends and family are important too.  Find people that are fun to be around, and bring you up, not down.  I am not saying that you should ignore all of your other friends, but when you need to feel good, surround yourself with people, things and activities that help you do just that.

When I think about where I was a year ago, I had no idea I was going to make a leap into becoming a blogger.  I was waiting to be told that I could start going back to Zumba classes.  I was learning about the Trim Healthy Mama Plan, and trying new recipes.  I was already going through the motions of being back to work at my day job.  And I was miserable.

Now I have a blossoming new outlook for spring this year.  I will be working on my New Year’s Resolutions and branching out with what I am doing with my life.  I am chasing my dreams and making them into my reality.  One at a time.

Thank you for reading my 60th Blog Post.  Still having fun, and Always Thinking…

 

Weekend Warrior #7

Weekend Warrior #7

by | Apr 9, 2017 | Weekend Warrior

 

Here we are.  Another weekend is over.  If you are reading the other stories I post, you may know that I did a little shopping last week.  I have tried and tried to get myself into that kitchen.  This week, I chose another fight.  I decided to fight some inner demons.

I have been working hard on this blog.  I am pouring my heart and soul into it, and it is having positive effects in my life.  This weekend, I took a much needed break from my routine.

I have given myself a deadline for starting to work on my book.  I hope to be done with my Spring Cleaning on or before July 1st.  This way I have given myself a full 6 months for each project I am working on this year.  If I finish early, bonus.  I have no doubts that when I sit down to write, it will happen.  I am doing well with the consistency of the blog.

A discussion online made me stop and think about my progress.  I have not finished yet what I have resolved to do this year.  I am making lists and getting some of the things done, but I never finish the list.  The approach thus far has been to make the list, get done what I can, and start a new list the next day.  Or continue the same list.  The discussion I was referring to was when someone alluded to feeling like a fraud because they have not written a book yet.

I am not a fraud.  I work hard at things all the time, even if the progress is made only inside of my head.  I am also working on making myself healthier, and that is a project that has no deadline.  It is ongoing.  Deciding what is best for me to tackle on a weekly basis is moving towards completing something.  Progress is progress.  No matter how it appears to anyone else.

I did a small amount of puttering.  I did not do anything that is picture worthy.  So the progress pics will have to wait another week.  I have a few vacation days coming up in April, and I plan to use them wisely.  I am hoping to catch up in the kitchen this month and be able to move on to the rest of my home.  I am going to have to force the issue, with myself, if I am ever going to get it accomplished.  That is why I have had to give myself a deadline.  At some point, I DO have to finish the Spring Cleaning and move on to the book writing.

Writing this series is helping.  I am planning and seeing what needs to be done, and I have ideas of what I will be sharing in the pictures as I progress.  Tomorrow after work I have plans to work on a small section of the kitchen while making supper.  As I wrote somewhere earlier today on social media, the house does not bounce itself.

This weekend I caught up with some friends, and we had a fantastic time at a local board game cafe.  We hung out for the whole evening, and that included the taxi driver being pulled over by the cops for making an illegal left turn while driving us to my friend’s house.  If I had a cell phone (what! she doesn’t have a cell phone! the horror!) I would have been able to join in with the Pokemon Go the rest of them played last night.  I tried it, and we had fun just hanging out.

Today I spent some quality time chatting with family.  Then I went to see the new Smurfs movie with my husband.  It was SMURFTASTIC!  So familiar, and positive, and full of all the Smurfy jokes and Smurf magic.

I worked on myself this weekend.  I recharged my batteries and am ready to take on the next week.  I will be working on the Spring Cleaning over the next weekend, and hopefully a little bit all week.  I know it will all add up and I will get there.  So no, I am not a fraud, by any standard.  I am a person that is a work in progress, and I am going to keep working until I accomplish my goals.

#WeekendWarrior

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 9

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 7

by | Apr 6, 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 7

The importance of happiness is not something that should be ignored in dealing with weight issues.  If I am unhappy, I will eat my feelings, and not make healthy food choices.  When I am happy, I tend to be smarter and more conscious of what I am eating.  It is not always so straightforward, though.

Happiness is linked to positivity and optimism.  Energy is higher when I am happy. Happiness can, therefore, be linked with motivation.  When I have the motivation, nothing can stand in my way.  Except for dessert.  How do I stay motivated?  The first trick is to set reasonable goals.

I am not talking about the scale, although anyone that has weight issues has a love-hate relationship with the bathroom scale.  We love it when the number on the scale is favourable; we hate it when it is not.  It is best to not weigh yourself every day, but if the scale is right there, and you are just going to peek…that can be a depressing habit.  Because we all know that weight fluctuates.  If the scale shows a plateau or a change in the wrong direction, well there is a reason to just give up and go eat everything you want.  So if you avoid the scale completely, or weigh only once a week or once a month, it is sufficient, and the number on the scale does not become an unhealthy obsession.

I am talking about doing little things to make the journey worthwhile.  Allow yourself to buy something nice once in a while.  Not food.  That is not a productive treat unless is a healthy choice.  But you’re going to eat anyway, so food is not necessarily the correct reward for someone with weight issues.

A new tube of lipstick or a new nail polish is a way to treat yourself without worrying about size.  One size fits all gifts are perfect rewards for people like me because they do not have to be fit into.  It is great to find out that you are down a size when you need to go buy a new pair of jeans or a new dress, but it can be counter-productive because the size of clothing also impacts our self-image.  If it is a larger size or the same, it implies that what you are doing is not enough, and it can also make you want to stop trying.

Grab your favourite music and go for a walk.  Music makes me happy and motivates me.  I get so many more things accomplished when I listen to music.  Buy a new album and support your favourite artist.  If you listen to that album while exercising, you are benefiting from your treat, and it is helping you on your journey.  There are lots of ways to listen to your music now, but I still buy CDs from the bands I want to support.  I buy them at a live show if I can, they get a bigger slice of the pie that way.  Food analogy.  I can’t escape desserts no matter how hard I try.  There are no calories here, though.

Last Saturday I had an errand or two.  I wanted to get a clear plastic tablecloth. A protective cover for my pretty tablecloth and some new placemats.  I ‘ve purchased two new pieces of art (I found them at the dollar store a few months ago) for my kitchen, which I can hang up when I finish spring cleaning it.

I found the stainless steel straws I have been looking for,  (PLEASE IF YOU BUY THESE ONLY DRINK COLD BEVERAGES WITH THEM).  Hot drinks ingested quickly into the stomach…that can’t end well.  The straws would possibly increase that heat, and the only way I can think of treating a burn on the inside of your stomach is aloe vera juice.  I do not know if that would even work.

The reason I have been searching for the stainless steel straws was for a Trim Healthy Mama drink I make from the plan.  It calls for apple cider vinegar, which can be nasty to the enamel on your teeth.  It is good to help with weight loss.  So I am helping my weight loss, adding less waste to the environment by using straws that I can wash and use forever, and I am saving the enamel on my teeth.

I could not pass up the sale I found on coffee.  Keurig K-cups, 75% off.  That worked out to $3.00 a box.  I stocked up.  That is a treat for me that I can be happy about.  I drink 3 k-cups a day.  Black.  I am trying 3 new kinds of coffee, and if I don’t like it, I can give it to someone else and not feel like it was an expensive thing to give away.  I hope I like them because I plan to be drinking my bargain coffee for a while.

Soul food isn’t food.  It is what makes you feel good.  Music is my soul food.  I am glad I have it because it helps me snap out of a mood, and kick into high gear.  Which is what I need to continue on my not so straight and completely not narrow path.  Stop reaching for comfort food, and stock up on your soul food.  Find whatever makes you happy, and make it a part of your new routine.  Not your meal plan.

#TrustYourGut