Quadruple Rainbow!!!!!!!!

Rainbows are a beautiful sight to behold. Did you hear about the recent double double rainbow? It took place IN New York after a lot of rain, and one lucky lady broke the internet with the gorgeous picture. Here’s a link to a story on it: http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/21/us/new-york-quadruple-rainbow/. The thing about rainbows, a beautiful sight to behold full of lore and mystery, is that they come out after rain and storms, when the sun is trying to shine through. So that’s not the scientific way to explain a rainbow, but it’s the gist. Dolly Parton speaks of this as evidenced below:

Maybe it’s that she’s an artist, a great one at that, but she gets it. There is a duality in life, maybe self imposed, but it exists. There is not an appreciation for the light until you’ve been in the dark. There’s no rainbow, without rain. There’s a far greater acceptance of the warm summer days if the winter months have been cold. As is with health and weight loss. If the last four years taught me anything, it is to appreciate good health when I have it, and work as hard as I can to keep it. I absolutely hate that every morsel I put in my mouth has to be verified gluten free, checked for any possible cross contamination, questions must be asked of the host at parties…basically there is no joy in eating anymore. I am learning that food is for fuel, we should all eat like that, but we don’t. I see commercials, tv shows, movies, Facebook posts, friends, all eating anything they want without a care or concern. It hurts me, I long for that freedom. But, if I didn’t ask all of the questions, look at websites, Google everything, read label after label after label, I would be in the storm. This reality is actually my rainbow, daresay my quadruple rainbow. I am experiencing health now that I never dreamed possible in the storm of the 2011-2014 (January to December). The sun peeked through the clouds and rain and the brightest rainbow appeared.

What storm are you facing? What steps can you do to let the sun in? How can you make your rainbow shine?

Keep workin’ your plan, you’re worth it!

3 Tier Path to Weight Loss

To lose weight, we must eat healthy food.  We must workout and lead an active life.  Both will fuel your emotions and you.

If our emotions are in check, we will have more desire to eat well and lead an active life thus leading to weight loss.

If we are active, we will be more prone to positive emotions and to eat healthier food, thus leading to weight loss.

IMAGINE A PRETTY PICTURE SHOWING THIS ALL TOGETHER ; )

Wow, I feel like I’ve lied to you all. My last post, 5 weeks ago, was about Never Giving Up! Apparently, I needed to listen to Mr. Churchill a bit more. I have NOT given up, but I’ve given in a few times. In fact, the whole quote is, “When you are going through hell, keep on going. Never never never give up.”– Winston Churchill. As my body seems to always do, it got sick again. I’m not going through hell, maybe just in the suburbs. J I finally asked my doc if this is what I am to expect with the plethora of diseases I have, and he said for the time being most likely. The more I work to get healthier, the healthier I will become, the less likely I am to have relapses. Common sense, huh? Well, I had to hear it from him.

We are all guilty of self-talk, admit it. You talk to yourself, don’t you? I say I am talking to my animals, but I admit, I think out loud. Yeah, that’s what I’m doing. Self-talk can be positive or negative, it’s your choice. I knew what my doctor said, I’d said it to myself, but I needed someone to reassure me. I know what I need to do, why I am doing it, and what I want at the “end”. But, I need support. To get that support, I now have two health coaches, one in person and email, one email and phone. I am utilizing a program through work (Humana Vitality) to log achievements, work on goals, do wellness checks and courses…I was required to hit Silver Status (before 8/31/15) to stay on my Wellness insurance plan next year, I hit Platinum Status in March. Platinum is as high as one can go, although points can still be earned. Some coworkers are thinking they will never hit silver, I’m trying to help them see it is possible.

I had set a goal to reduce my A1c to below 7, this is a 3 month indicator of what my diabetes looks like in my body. I had been 7.4 or 7.6 in December, by March I was 6.5 (on the line of diabetic and pre-diabetic). That earned me almost 4000 points and put me past Silver Status. Sure, my coworkers may not have this availability for these points, but good for them that they don’t have diabetes or it’s under control. I have a goal to reduce my blood pressure for which I am working on a course to help me. I am working on two other courses to get fit and get lean. Some of these will earn me points to buy more things, some will not. I just turned in more points and got a $25 Target giftcard!  Wahoo!

Has my food and activity been stellar the last couple of weeks? No. Have I given up? Hell no!  I began a part time job a few weeks ago, something I wanted for a while. The job, not just the extra income. I wish I could say I was used to the new schedule by now, but I can’t. I work at least two evenings a week, and most of every Sunday. That’s three days I used to have to complete meal prep, chores, social activities. I am having to trade in my priorities, and figure out how all of my old priorities can mingle with my new priorities. On top of this, I am fostering a momma dog and her puppy, both available for adoption soon. Life is crazy busy and I have to continue to put myself first, if I want to feel well enough to get through life and enjoy it. My health has felt worse these last couple of weeks, I know partly because of not eating 100% clean.

My in person Health Coach Jenna asked me yesterday if she could submit my name to our personnel division as a testimonial for the work wellness program. She’s been trying to help me see all the good I have done in order to help me stay on track. It wasn’t until she laid it all out in black and white that I saw all that I have accomplished, mostly in a very short time. Guess what, my food has been better since I read this. I signed the release form today, hopefully this will become a reality. Am I to my goal? No. Am I perfect? No. But I am trying!!!!!!!!!!

I leave you with some quotes that may help you on your journey.

Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about. Sir Winston Churchill

“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” Albert Einstein

“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Don’t be discouraged. It’s often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock.” Author Unknown

“Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts.” Author Unknown

“It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.” Confucius

“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” Harriet Stowe

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Thomas Edison

“People are always blaming circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get ahead in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them.” George Bernard Shaw

“Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful.” Zig Zigla

“When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Courage doesn’t always roar, sometimes it’s the quiet voice at the end of the day whispering ‘I will try again tomorrow’.” Mary Anne Radmacher

 “The day you give up on your dreams is the day you give up on yourself.”– Author Unknown

“When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place.” Author Unknown

And last but not least, remember this: 

“Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.”  Earl Nightingale

Quotes found at http://www.keepinspiring.me/quotes-about-not-giving-up-staying-strong/#ixzz3UwfsI81M

Keep workin' your plan, you're worth it!

Don't give up!

This is my new mantra, thanks to Mr. Churchill. I broke out my scale for the January weigh-in, and should have just put it right back. I've been weighing myself every few days and I am up from the 1/31 weigh-in. It has me so frustrated. I have to remember that weight loss is only 1 piece of the puzzle.

Puzzles...I love puzzles.  We have the Lunchtime Linkers here at work, a group of 4-6 that do puzzles on our breaks.  We have done upwards of 30 puzzles in the last year.  We glue and hang a few, others we pass on to be enjoyed elsewhere, and a few that were mine made it home and are hanging in my home.

Wait...what was I talking about? Oh that's right, weight being one piece of the puzzle.  I did digress, but let me do so again.  The first puzzle we did was a Downton Abbey cast image, and one piece was lost.  The piece was in the sky and that was a really challenging section. I was already frustrated at this point, this was my first real puzzle and I was quickly learning to appreciate I was not born with an innate ability to complete puzzles quickly and easily. We contacted the maker and they sent us the piece, along with 999 more. We searched for that one piece, found it out of 1000 and went to put it in the puzzle. The piece didn't fit. Talk about mad!!!!!!!! Luckily, one of the Linkers took it home and completed it for us, the cut and dye was different between the two. That puzzle proudly hangs in my dining room and I remember how we all persevered and never gave up on that one, and how with the help of others I accomplished something I wasn't sure I could do.

January was a fun month, full of challenges and lots of learning about the Paleo diet. I was active with a group of ladies on an online Facebook community, with daily posts and encouragement. Many of us are still doing Paleo, but the Whole30 element isn't there anymore. One of the things you learn in the Whole30 is not to weigh yourself, for this journey is about so much more than weight loss. I need to lose between 85-103 pounds, depending on where I end up happiest with my body. 103 will get me back to my former weight when I was a Weight Watchers leader. 85 will get me into the top of my range according to my height. Needless to say, I want that number to go down, not up. I examined my diet last weekend when I saw a 2 pound gain. I realized I had been eating a Lara Bar a day, and some nuts. I cut back on both of those. I had been drinking a buttered coffee a day, most days. I have only had 2 this week. I wasn't eating as many vegetables, I have had more each and every day today, sometimes 2 or more salads a day. I knew there were things I could change.

I weighed this morning and I am up even more. I began to question if I wasn't eating enough, if my body was going into starvation mode. I am beginning to obsess, if you haven't figured this out already.

My scale is going in my hall closet tonight. I do not want it tempting me, calling my name. The key things I need to remember are:

My inches are going down, so I am losing fat

My A1C is 6.5, almost in pre-diabetes range!!!!!

My clothes are getting looser

My healthy eating habits are rooted and natural now

My cravings are non-existent for foods that are not healthy

My doctor told me I look happy and my skin is clearing up

I am standing so much taller that I am now hitting my head on signage in the grocery store

...All good things. Weight is just the relationship you hold to gravity at that moment in time, the key for me, and anyone really, is to build a healthy lifestyle that is attainable and sustainable. That is what I am doing and what I vow to focus on. I will allow myself to weigh in the last of every month, no more. I pledge this to you all now!

Go find your puzzle pieces, put your puzzle together! And remember, Never never never give up!

Keep workin' your plan, you're worth it!

Where have I been?

Boy it has been a while since I posted an update.  I can definitely see that this blog, whether anyone is reading it or not, is integral to my journey to wellness.  Not posting, not having this extra piece of accountability, has affected my program.  I finished the first Whole30 on 1/30, losing 18 pounds and 8+ inches.  I felt great.  The last two weeks, I have slipped a couple times.  The last time was this past weekend, a baked potato with cheese and sour cream.  I was sick almost instantly, my day out with a friend was changed and I hated my friend having to experience this.  I had spoken out loud to my friend that I feel I have to have the option to enjoy a non-Paleo meal from time to time, I can't do Paleo every day of my life.  My body decided that can't be the case.  I have to live the Paleo diet, or I will be sick and have little to no social life.

And I have been extra tired and even a mild case of the flu in the last 2 weeks.  Correlation?  I know so!

My parents are both dealing with some health issues, upwards of major.  I've been more on the run with them, and my food prep has dwindled, my veggie consumption has lessened. I can eat a chicken breast on the run, I just don't always plan for that. I have been making a conscious effort this week to increase my vegetable intake, more fruit but not too much (1 serving a day). I tried a new to me recipe for baked cauliflower mash last night.  It was quite tasty and I will link below.  It's the little actions that add up.

I saw a doctor today and we chatted about my blog and diet.  I was so touched that she has taken the time to read this, as this is so much more than just putting thoughts out there.  This is therapy for me, I hope so for you too.  This is a journey that I am taking very seriously.  I am taking my health in my firmly clasped hands and I am not letting it loose.  I refuse to go back to where I was that got me to the Cleveland Clinic.  I refuse to allow myself to continue to get worse, as I have allowed myself for the last 4 years. The thing is, I railed against no diagnosis, no explanation for my illness. Yet I was not doing all I could do to get better. The diagnosis doesn't matter anymore. All that matters is health, strength and longevity.

I had been walking but that has been suspended for a time.  My shins are raging from muscle atrophy post surgery.  I need to ice and massage for a bit to get them to a lower level of pain.  My left ankle is inflamed and got a steroid shot today, that will help a lot.  My hope is another week and I will be back out there pounding the pavement.

I am off my meds now!!!!!!!! I am able to tolerate the aches and pains that haven't healed yet. I wake up refreshed every morning, even with 6-7 hours sleep.  My body rhythms are in sync.  I definitely feel and trust that this can and will be my life, and it will provide a GREAT life!

Thanks for reading and I hope you find some inspiration here to make the changes you need.  I highly recommend the Paleo diet if you have any health issues at all.

http://paleoporn.net/cauliflower-casserole/

Keep workin' your plan, you're worth it!

Meg

I made hard "baked" eggs!!!!!!!!!

I love hard boiled eggs, but never know why they don't always turn out right.  Well, I think I found the way to perfect eggs.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees, place eggs in a muffin pan.  Bake for 25 minutes.  See, easy peasy.  325 for 25!

These eggs are fresh from a local farm...yum!!!!!!!

Place in an ice bath to cool, mine just took a few minutes.  The egg peeled perfectly!  You will likely get a few brown spots from where the egg touched the pan, that's ok.  I've had the hardest time with eggs peeling lately, I was so happy this peeled so well.

And here's proof positive it works.  Beautiful local hard "baked" egg!

Keep workin' your plan, you're worth it!

I am struggling to title this post, so I am deciding not to do so.  I'm learning that everything doesn't have to be labeled, categorized or planned.  When I began my Whole30, I had to know exactly what I had and prepped way too much food.  I ate it, it was all healthy, but I had to ensure I wouldn't slip.  I felt like I was bringing my kitchen with me everyday.  I still bring quite a bit to work, well it seems like a lot.  I have realized I use containers 2-3 times as big as they need to be, so I will be buying new and smaller containers.  27 days into this journey, I have realized that I know what I'm doing, I can whip up a yummy compliant meal in no time.  Tonight, I am having scallopini chicken breast with a mango cilantro relish.  I will create the relish from scratch, on the fly.  I will likely get a head of cauliflower on the way home to make "rice" as a side.

I've been watching a lot of Top Chef on Hulu.  While I am no where near that caliber, like light years away, I do take solace in knowing that I do a Quickfire Challenge virtually every night in my kitchen.  I wish I could serve a few of my dishes to Chef Colicchio.  He'd probably trash them, but it would be fun.  Just once.  I'm also gleaming many ideas from their dishes, and learning some new ingredients I would like to try.  I really want to try Sea Urchin.

Life is much like this title-less post, it exists but is not always defined.  Paths exists that can be followed, but there are no signs to tell you which to choose.  Sometimes you just have to trust your gut and take a step in any direction and hope it is the right one.  Scratch that, a good and beneficial path.  There is no one right way to get where you need to get in this sort of journey.  All paths, even if they seem to end in failure, are worth it.  You can learn something from everything you do in life. You may not get to your goal, but the experience will help guide you in the future, on your next step to wellness.

I have had a setback, a path I choose was not the right path.  I have small fiber neuropathy, it is a side effect of a couple medical conditions I am working to heal.  It results, in me, in tingling and numbness in weird places unlike typical diabetic neuropathy.  Mine manifests in my eyes and around the eyes, around the lips and top of my head.  I started feeling the twinges a few days back, and the worst manifestation I get, I got.  I get so sick in my intestines that it is as if I have the stomach flu. The last 2 days have been horrid.  The path I choose was to stop all my meds on 1/1/15 when I started this journey to wellness, the Whole30.  I knew several of my meds had side effects that were making me feel worse as I was told by one of my specialists.   I told all the doctors I have seen, and assured them I would go back on meds if needed.  Well, I started back on my nerve medication yesterday.  I already feel less nerve issues, although it causing drowsiness.  I have no idea how this will affect my weight loss, but I need to not have the nerve issues.

So, choose a path, any path.  See where it leads you.  If it doesn't feel right, choose the next path you come across.  You may get discouraged, I sure was when the nerve issues reappeared.  It's ok,,,life will improve.  I have learned so much in my journey to wellness, even though it hasn't been long, and I am finally seeing that I don't have to worry about everything that hurts or twinges.  I recognize the symptoms and I take the appropriate steps that I have in my power to correct the issue.

Schew, enough of therapy!  So, this morning I whipped up a batch of homemade Paleo Mayo.  I prayed to the Paleo gods to help get it right, I have 4 fails in a month.  That equates to at least 15 dollars in oil.  They heard my plea and gave me a delicious reward.  The recipe was:

one large or extra large egg
1 C light olive oil (not extra virgin)
juice of half a lime
a generous pinch of salt.

Put all in a container not much wider than an immersion blender and blend on high.  In about 30 seconds, you should have gorgeous, creamy, smooth nectar of the Paleo gods.  I used just under a cup of oil because I used a large egg.  There are so many things you can do with Paleo mayo.  Try it.  Have fun.  I'll post links for variations in a day or two.

Here is my lunch today, using my homemade ketchup pickles and mayo.  I keep my George Foreman grill at work and cook up meat here sometimes.  This is one path I have taken, and it works.  It relieves stress and worry about what I will eat, or if I run out of time at home to cook the night before.  And I get so many comments from my coworkers about how they should hire me to cook for them.  Nice stroke of the ego never hurts.  :)  Oh, yes my mayo is in an old Talenti Gelato cup.  You know what, I think I like it more than the gelato.  I could seriously sit and eat the whole batch of mayo, it is sooooooooo good!

Keep workin' your plan, you're worth it!