by Tish MacWebber | Jan 26, 2018 | Trust Your Gut
Trust Your Gut this week is going to be positive. I got on the scale again, and I am down from my trip in the wrong direction. I was down a pound less than since the last time I checked and was going the right way again. It went a little wrong there, for a bit. I am finally starting to get things going in the right direction, again.
I think it does have to do with me packing more lunches and eating at home more. Not that I always eat the healthiest things, but there is more control when you are making things for yourself.
I am probably starting to adapt to my new schedule. Well, that goes out the window on Sunday. The good news is that I am going to be back to my regular schedule. For now. That can change, and it is one of the things that I will have to adapt to if it does, but I really hope that it works out well for me.
I am figuring things out creatively and using my brain to get results. I have more self-confidence because I am finally starting to believe that I can make the changes I need to change what is happening in my life. I will not change everything all at once, but I notice that I am making a larger effort to do the things that matter again.
Maybe the Shrinker is helping. Ooh, cayenne. Sometimes there is a little too much, and it is hard to make myself drink it. But I force it down if it is too spicy, because it still mostly tastes good, and I do think it is helping. I was also happy to find a new type of chocolate chai tea to add to it when I run out of the tea bags I had in the back of the cupboard. I am starting to use the recipes and knowledge I had learned when I started THM, and I am confident that if I don’t go too far away from it, I will start losing more weight.
Speaking of losing weight, I am kind of upset about one thing. The first place I see it is on my chin when I am retaining fluid, but you will never guess where I seem to lose it first. My fingers, of all places. My ring slid on a little easier today. Now if you remember, being able to wear the engagement ring and my wedding band comfortably on my ring finger is a Non-Scale Victory that I am working towards, and I felt a little bit closer to that goal this morning. Small blessings are not to be taken for granted, even if they seem annoying when you look at the big picture.
#TrustYourGut
by Tish MacWebber | Jan 19, 2018 | Trust Your Gut
This week in Trust Your Gut, I want to focus on the big picture for this category. I am morbidly obese, with type 2 diabetes, thyroid disease, and a few other less dramatic health issues. The ones that relate here the most are the ones that I write about. However, when I started writing in this category, I did have a bigger picture in mind.
Some people have participated in telling their stories here. It is a brave thing to do, to write down one of the biggest things that play such a large role in your day to day life. Your weight, your appearance, how you see yourself, and how you think the rest of the world sees you. I work on this material every week, and lately, I have been finding myself at a loss for what to write about.
My story is written to be real, and honest. It is relatable, and I know that it resonates with many of the people that read this Blog, maybe only for this story every week. I really appreciate each and every one of you that have become fans of this category, and the whole Blog, of course.
Don’t worry, I am not dumping it. I will still be writing every week. What I want to do is to reach out to more people. I have a one-sided view of the struggles I am having with my weight. One thing that women, and of course men and children have in common in this world is that we all have imperfections that we do not like about ourselves. It might be that you are struggling with a number, but not the one on the scale, the one on the tag of your clothing, the size. Another person may have issues with not seeing their true self in the mirror. Some people look at their reflection and see what used to be there, or see themselves as fat when in reality, they aren’t.
Karen Carpenter’s story is a well-known story about a real person who had everything to live for but died from anorexia and complications related to that disease. Bulimia is another issue that people have that is not something that I could imagine having to deal with, but I know that there are people out there that struggle just as hard as I do, with their own issues relating to their weight. I was watching This Is Us and this week they touched on another side character’s story. She has been written into the show as a person who is dealing with the perception that she is fat, overeating, and purging after she eats too much. That is a very basic description of bulimia.
Stories about people that have these other issues are not mine to tell. They are the stories of other people. They could be featured here in this category, as a side character story. I am hoping that this week someone reads this and thinks that they might be brave enough to share their story. I would love the opportunity to help you help yourself by telling the story, and maybe you can help someone else that is just like you. That is my ultimate goal here, with my story. I want to help people like me, with ideas of new things to try and to share what is working for me, and what is not.
If you are like me, struggling with the overweight end of the scale, I am open to stories from everyone that is brave enough to share them here. If you are not a writer, I can talk to you and work with you to develop a story here for you, or I can send some questions and we can write it like an interview, where you answer some or all of the questions, whatever you are comfortable sharing. Let’s face it, I do have a story to tell, but if it is always my story, at some point it will be repetitive and boring. That will make people lose interest, and that would not help people like I have intended to do here.
If you have contributed to this category in the past, and want to write an update, that is also something that I would be very happy to set up with you. I am always trying to help people, and learning about different people and their issues helps me just as much as reading my story can help you.
My gut is telling me that it is time to put out an invitation to new and different stories and points of view here, in this category. If you are reading this, and have a story to tell, please reach out to me in the comments below, or in a private e-mail (tishmacwebber@gmail.com with the subject: Trust Your Gut Submission). I sincerely want to hear from people that are struggling with their weight, on either end of the scale, so that together, we can help each other, and help people like us.
#TrustYourGut
by Tish MacWebber | Jan 14, 2018 | Trust Your Gut
This week in Trust Your Gut, I am going to talk about weighing in. I got on the scale this morning. I worked harder on the meal planning last week and even started drinking The Shrinker once a day. That is oolong tea, with cinnamon and cayenne, that is supposed to help kick up your metabolism. It is a THM recipe. There is more in it, and the basic recipe can be found here. I think the original recipe is for a larger batch. I have been using 4 oolong tea bags. Then I do my thing, as the recipe in the link says, I own it. I add chocolate chai tea, a teeny tiny bit of cayenne. Spicy things do not agree with me. I add extra cinnamon. Unsweetened cashew milk with vanilla. I brew the oolong in a teapot, I have a tea container that I can put loose tea leaves in, and I am putting the chocolate chai in there. I am almost out, so I am going to try and stretch it until payday. Lastly, I sweeten with Swerve. It is the sweetener that I have chosen to use.
I am drinking coffee too, 2 K-cups in my new NaNoWriMo stainless Steel Mug. It is too tall to put under my Keurig, so I have to brew the coffee in a regular mug. I have gotten myself into the habit of drinking my coffee black. I have learned to enjoy it that way. It is better for me without sugar.
So when I combine this with eating healthier, I expect to see results. I climbed on the scale yesterday. I was 0.1 lb heavier than the last time. Granted I have not been able to go to Zumba twice a week, and the new schedule is causing a shift in my sleeping pattern.
Am I going to let it win? No. A scale is just a tool, not an enemy. It needs to be used properly, and I am trying to do that. It is so easy to jump on it every morning to see what happened. I cannot do that to myself. So once every week or two, I am going to weigh myself, and see where things sit. I am glad that there wasn’t a huge weight gain, 0.1 lb is not anything to sweat over. Unless you are working out, then by all means, sweating it out is the way to go.
I am still adjusting to my new routine. I think I am doing great! I am trying harder, paying more attention, and not derailing as often as I had been. I am also done eating that tub of chocolate ice cream. I finished it tonight. With creme de menthe on it. It is just like chocolate mint candy that way. It was my Christmas treat this year. Now it is gone, and it is time to move on.
That is where things are at this week. What are you succeeding at in your journey to becoming a healthier version of yourself? Share your wins and your losses below. 😉 In this case, losses are a good thing!
#TrustYourGut
by Tish MacWebber | Jan 5, 2018 | Trust Your Gut
This week in Trust Your Gut, I am not sure what to write about. I have done better with food choices. In fact, I tried something new. I bought Green Giant riced cauliflower and sweet potato in the frozen vegetable section of the grocery store, a while back. I am not afraid to try new things, but I will admit that it sat in the freezer for longer than had I intended it to. I had some THM Crispy Lickin’ Chicken Thighs in the oven, so I decided to make this new thing my side dish.
I cooked it in the bag in the microwave. There are stove top directions, but I wasn’t ready to try frying it just yet. I cooked it, and added butter to it and mixed it in. I really liked it. I was full with the chicken and the sweet potato cauliflower rice. I have split it into 2 meals, and have my own healthy “TV dinner” packed in the fridge, ready to heat and eat.
I also finished up the loaded spaghetti squash casserole that I made last week. I had it for lunch at work the last two days. I am not sure if I am going to take the chicken meal for lunch tomorrow, or if it might be a sandwich day. Sometimes I take eggs and scramble them for lunch with cheese. Whatever I bring, I am trying to have healthier choices again.
I have not had Zumba classes this week, but I expect to have some shoveling to do for activity tomorrow. It is called a weather bomb cyclone, and there was a large snowfall warning overnight. It is freezing rain out there now, so I am not sure if there will be any snow to shovel tomorrow or not. I will see in the morning. We have a late start time, and work was closed early today, which is very unusual, that does not happen very often. Neither does a bomb cyclone. It is the first time I have heard of a winter storm with that name.
I am also trying to get more sleep in. It has been a busy December with building the website in all of my free time. Now that it is here, although not finished, it is not the cause of stress to meet the launch deadline. I know that 6 hours of sleep is technically enough to squeak by on, it is not ideal. I am trying to get in more sleep when I can. I don’t want to get sick, and I know I will have a better chance at being healthier if I make sleep more important in my goals for a healthier lifestyle. I have been pushing my limits. I know I need to slow down. Just a little.
The website is launched. The Holidays are over. Now is the time to continue to work on living a healthier lifestyle. I keep working towards my goals. When I start seeing results, it will be just the incentive I need to keep going. My defining word for 2018 is SUCCESS. I plan to make it happen.
#TrustYourGut
by Tish MacWebber | Sep 7, 2017 | Trust Your Gut
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.
