COFFEE IMAGE

DEPRESSO

HOW I FEEL WHEN THERE IS NO COFFEE

Girls basketball

Upward.org

History: Founded in 1995 by Caz McCaslin in Spartanburg, SC, Upward Sports has grown to become the world’s largest Christian sports league for children. The first-class sports programming—which includes basketball, flag football, soccer and cheerleading—provides a fun sports experience based on healthy competition for kids, teaching skills for the sports arena and values for life. 

1986	Developed a kids basketball program that incorporated athletic skills and values for success on and off the court—including sportsmanship, teamwork, integrity and respect for authority
1994	Reached maximum number of athletes that could participate by outpacing the gymnasium’s capacity (despite a renovation); a wait list was created
1995	Launched first nationwide season of Upward Sports when seven churches hosted Upward Basketball Leagues with several hundred kids participating
2000	Expanded to include kids soccer and kids basketball cheerleading
2003	The 1,000th Upward Sports League is hosted by a church
2005	Added kids flag football and kids flag football cheerleading
2006	More than 400,000 kids participated in Upward Sports for the first time. Launched the first Upward Sports League in Canada
2008	The 2,000th Upward Sports League is hosted by a church
2010	Upward Sports tops a half million coaches, referees and other volunteers for the first time
2013	Some 2,400 churches worldwide host Upward Sports Leagues with close to 500,000 kids participating through the help of just as many volunteers, coaches and referees in 47 U.S. states and Canada

Exercise = no excuses. San Antonio TX 2013 November

Note to self on "Food Pushers"

My top 4 tips on staying on a healthy eating plan this holiday season and how to be polite to "Food Pushers"

1. Stall, 

Comment: Food Pusher is offering you food as soon as you get to the party or you are offered snacks between meals, and Finally offered holiday food at work or as a gift. 

Remember: these acts are acts of kindness, food is love to most people. It is still our obligation to be polite and caring even if we don't want the food being offered. 

Strategy: "The Stall" 

-Wow that looks so good, but I am stuffed, maybe later

-I will check out the desserts after (fill in the blank) I get warm by the fire, or after I get settled in, the point is to stall 

2. Take and Fake

Comment: Birthday party how to handle the sharing of the birthday cake. Also this is a great strategy at work functions that involve food.

Remember: Misery loves company, and people like to see others do bad because it lessens their guilt. You still want to look friendly and a game player, so play along with the "take and fake" It is our social obligation to look and act as part of the team

Strategy: Take a piece of cake and cut the piece of cake in half, take your time, Give the appearance of eating by taking a fork full of cake half way to your mouth and then putting it back down, the truth is for me, cake does in fact smell great, ( like a vanilla candle) so I am truthful and say Mmm this smells great. When you have the fork full of cake half way to your mouth, try to get eye contact with the hostess or someone important such as the birthday person or who is important to your career if this is at a work function.  

The secret here is that most party food is full of air and can be easily smashed to look smaller. When you see people almost done eating try to discard your smashed uneaten food and that way you are done the same time as everyone else without poisoning your body with unhealthy food.

3. Charm is your best friend

Comment: (Dinner party or your a guest at someones home) I worked all day on making this meal just for you, or this is my signature dish, I made it just for you.

Remember: No one likes to think they made the wrong decision. 

(It took me years as an adult to finally get it in my head that people do every single action for them selves, Simply put, everything is personal.)

Here is what is really going on when someone makes or offers you a personalized dish and you refuse it. They think they made the wrong decision on what dish to make or purchase for you. Its not about rejection as mush is a hurtful opinion on their ability to make the right decision. 

Scenario: You go to a dinner party and the main dish is seafood, and you hate seafood. You say yuck I hate seafood. The hostess gets hurt feeling which has nothing to do with seafood but everything to do with the fact that the hostess made the wrong decision on what to offer, they made the dish to impress and failed. 

Strategy: Take smaller portions of higher-calorie items during your meal. Then, take a small portion of the dessert. Place a tiny bite on your fork and eat it, (10 calories of the dish) and make sure you give the chef your compliments; she will be less likely to assume that you disliked the dish when you say that firm no to a second helping.

Allergies, what if you are allergic to shell fish, the first step should be taken by the hostess to ask if anyone has a food allergy before planning the event menu, but if this doesn't happen, the person with the allergy should be polite and protect themselves without broadcasting it to everyone of their health status, because (health issues are boring and private) Avoid the food, by stalling and as a last resort, use the take an fake method, which allows the offered food to be avoided at all cost. 

4 Get it to go

Comment: I made the cookies for everyone (at work), or in my case in healthcare we have family members bring or bake cookies and sugary foods for us all the time, we even have one family member who buys pizza every single weekend for the nursing staff. 

Scenario: I am working as charge nurse for the 6am-2pm shift nursing home, and a family member purchased expensive christmas cookies from a local  bakery and is full of pride and kindness as she thrust the cookies my way. 

Strategy: I make a big deal of the act of kindness, I compliment their decision on choosing the bakery or if it is homemade on the decision of what type of food they made. 

Store purchased food: 

"Wow, these are from (bakery name), I have heard they make the best (food). 

Homemade food:

"That so nice, I can see that you are good at making (the food). Give a detail, if it is cookies compliment how nicely they are decorated, or if it is a savory dish, compliment how good it smells.

Also, compliment the packaging or their timing on giving the gift, such as for a holiday or birthday. Remember this is an act of kindness and gratitude on their part. 

Now for the Get it to go strategy:

After you make them feel good about giving the food, say something in this area

"I will really enjoy this when I take my break" the point is to let then know that even though you will not eat the food now, that you will take it with you

You are at a party or holiday meal and you are having food pushed onto you while you are just trying to exit graciously. The loving comment from you should be

"Please wrap it up, I will take it with me" 

When ever possible just get the food to go.

Final thought:

Never, I repeat Never be afraid, worried, or concerned about wasting food. I think of it this way, must celebratory food is made from unhealthy ingredients such as lard, trans fats, starchy white flour, and fatted meats. Zero starving children are saved by a person over eating. 

Gym

A personal journey of losing over a 100 lbs picture update and inspiration

It all begins with small changes. It took over a year for my body to adjust to food changes, another year to adjust to a new eating schedule, and now half way done with year three and my body is adjusting to also working out with cardio 3 times a a week and free weight lifting 2 days a week, with restricted calories.

I still struggle to maintain my loss plus reduce the extra 30 odd pounds I still need to shed. My long term goal is to have lost the 30 pounds in the next year and then I should have perfected a food choice and schedule that is right for me, (we are all individual snow flakes) my plan should keep me healthy, flexible, and happy in my own body.  

As I have said before, this has been one of the hardest achievements for me as an adult.
1. Was it easy? Absolutely NO
2. If I could do it over again, would I still make myself shed the pounds? YES, yes, yesssss!
3. How did I stay motivated? Part by looking in the mirror, often, as in several times a day. Looking around myself, and seeing fat people everywhere, and knowing I don't want to feel that way again. Also, I know I deserve to have a body full of energy and be light to move around in to make memories in.


My point: it all starts with one pound at a time, one health choice at a time, one "Yes, I can" at a time, and one day, week, month, year at a time.

bing images

image from bing

Gluten and Sugar Free Peanut Butter Cookies

This recipe has been in my family for many decades, the only change I did was substitute the sugar with Splenda.

Total Time:  17 minutes, depending on how easily the thick peanut butter is removed from the container and incorporated with the other ingredients.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: depending on how large you make the cookie, we starting with circles the size of a golf ball before applying hash mark, 10 minutes
Ingredients :

1 cup all natural peanut butter
1 cup sugar substitute (Splenda)
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
1 mix ingredients in a small bowl.
2 drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheet.
3
bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until set.

Warning, these will be crumbly, that is just how it is. Also, they are so addictive.

Dinner Oct 2nd 2013 eggplant with garlic

Egg plant with roasted garlic

A personal journey of losing a 100lbs. Chapter Three, leaving the comfort zone, part two

It takes courage to leave your comfort zone, it takes mental energy and we all have the power to achieve our goals. We all deserve to enjoy the best health possible for our bodies.  A “can do spirit” is absolutely necessary to achieve any goal. In order to leave your comfort zone you have to want something with your entire heart. There is so much to be gained by leaving your comfort zone. Pride in accomplishments when you step on the scales, try on smaller clothes, or for me it was having a foot of slack on the air plane seat belt after it was buckled around my hips.

there was a time when I was to fat for a plane seat belt

Two months before I decided to live a healthy life, my job required me to fly several times a week. With each flight I dreaded the point when I would have to suck in and click my seat belt on the plane. Several times I almost didn't make it, and I was on the edge of having to ask for a seat belt extension. I was going to have to leave my comfort zone regardless of how I proceeded in the future. I was faced with asking for a seat belt extension or start living a healthy lifestyle that would make my hips fit in the plane’s seat; both were going to make me leave my comfort zone.  Due to choosing health, I have a 12 inches or more extra strap dangling when I click the plane seat belt. Now my self esteem performs a happy dance each time I click the plane seat belt. 

I apologize to all of the people who sat next to me on my flights 3 years ago, I am sorry for taking up more than my share of the seat and arm rest. 

 Chapter Three: leave the comfort zone, end of part 2

my older relatives wonder why use younger kids are fat, and it is partly because we don't replace hunger pains with cancer sticks.

Accountable weight post (selfie)

Average day of running around town completing errands

San Antonio TX Sept 2013 temp 92 hot today

Drank lots of bottled green tea (sugar free) 

Yellow and berry for fall
I almost tipped the scales at 300lbs in 2010
Look at me now, it's been a long road

NOW, how I look in 2013 September

Me in 2010

It's that time of year, allergies

Note to self had to start taking daily Loratadine 10mg today. For slight moist nose and thick throat,

A personal journey of losing a 100lbs. Chapter Three, leaving the comfort zone, page one

Chapter Three: leave the comfort zone

Choosing to make healthy life style changes is going to be uncomfortable at first. It all depends on how bad you want to enjoy a healthy body. Think of making healthy life style choices as a fresh start.

 

everyone needs a fresh start, sometimes

 It might involve changing jobs, friends, and some family members. It all depends on how important it is to you to be healthy and to focus on only the actions that will lead you to a healthy body. This involves learning new food options, and portions and how to handle celebrations. This entails education on how to handle every aspect of your life when it comes to oral consumption. At first this will not be easy and it will feel uncomfortable.

starting a new way of eating can feel up hill and difficult

What is to be gained by never leaving a comfort zone?

Choosing to serve the elderly first in daily activities and later as a nursing home nurse and finally as a hospice nurse, I have seen the early results of lazy, cowardly, and low self esteem choices, and what they have done to people’s bodies. So many nursing homes are full of chronically ill people who are on Medicaid and are in their mid fifties. Scores of these illnesses were avoidable if they had simply chosen to perform healthy life styles; they dive into the comfort zone of the victim role. In the end they still lost their jobs, homes, and for the most part their self respect, plus living with the burden on being overweight and chronically ill.

lazy fat couch potato

A true story

 58 year old man who bathed in the role of being the victim. He has lost the ability to walk, he is being counseled on losing his left leg to gout and he is on numerous medications, for kidney, heart, blood pressure, gout, and diabetes. He was told to stop eating processed, salty, starchy, fatty foods. When I ran into him at the supermarket he was on the frozen food isle browsing the frozen dinners. He had borrowed the stores electric scooter and the front basket was full of food. One box of saltine white crackers, a loaf of white sliced bread, several cans of pork sausage, a couple packages of the cheapest hot dogs were all easily seen at first glance. After I asked him to look at the ingredients of his food choices; he looked up into my eyes with a sad puppy dog face and said “well, what am I going to eat, if I can’t eat this stuff?” To him not being able to eat food he considered normal was in human.  My thoughts on this poor attitude are “stop eating like a kid.” All of the food he had in his basket was elementary cafeteria food. As adults, we have to leave the comfort zone of our childhood eats and start eating like an adult. Most adults pass on dessert. Most adults avoid candy. Most adults limit portions. As a grownup we are no longer growing we are maintaining and rebuilding which takes minimal daily calories. An adult body has one choice when consuming the same foods and calories as a growing child and that is to grow outward which is fat. He was not willing to leave this comfort zone; and as a result, his body will continue to slowly deteriorate. His victim attitude cheated him out of the remaining years of his life.

 Chapter Three: leave the comfort zone, end of page 1

Whats for supper? Turkey

Lean Southern Dinner

 Lean beef
southern spices (paprika, garlic, cumin)

 add veggies and lime juice

serve with homemade guacamole and fat free sour cream

Iced Coffee for sunny afternoons June 2013

no words needed...

A personal journey of losing a 100lbs. Chapter Two: Own it, page 3

 Hunger verses Starving

I know that I will have to be aware of my physical shape for the remainder of my life. I know that I will never be able to eat whatever or how much I want of high fat starchy foods. That is just life. Just like an alcoholic must re-frame from liquor. Am addicted to high calorie foods, but I re-frame from those foods.  It is that simple, that is just the way it is. I have not had one bite of sugar/starch in over a year.  Knowing this I have learned to listen to my body. I have learned the difference between feeling hungry and the definite feeling of starving. To me hunger is a great way to make sure I omit unnecessary calories, no one ever died from hunger, but starving is a different condition. 

what I wish I looked like while consuming food

Hunger, you might have a craving, or you hear your tummy growl, but over all you feel calm inside, and then ask yourself, can I comfortably wait to eat for an hour and then go keep yourself busy and if it goes easy and before you know it the hour has passed. For people who gain weight easily, hunger can be a symptom gone wrong, just because you might feel a little hungry, or have a food craving, or even hear your tummy growl. Take a hard look at your body, and look at those extra pounds and know that hunger is just your body being lazy and not wanting to metabolize that fat, but instead wants to trick you into taking the easy road of consuming calories. Hunger is a feeling I have learned to live with, and I have not suffered any negative results by ignoring hunger.

putting a mask on fake starving known as hunger

The feeling of starving now that is a completely different condition. I try my best to not let myself get starved. The feeling of starving is a feeling, of nervousness, panic, and distraction and all without any known source or cause, it is just a feeling of perhaps doom, or negativity, or unable to focus. I have noticed that starving increases joint pain. It took some trial and error before I learned the difference between hunger and starving. Starving is a cruel effect and no one should feel it. 

starving

I noticed that when I sat down to eat after allowing myself to feel starving that I would barely chew my food and would just pile the food in my mouth almost wanting to use my hands to pick up the chunks of chicken or vegetables. It was almost like a basic need to my body had been ignored. I have learned that to address staring that I have two rules that work well for me.

piggy out isn't healthy

Rule one, you will of course always feel hungry before starving. Sometimes I would feel hungry just two hours after eating, and logically there isn’t a possible reason for my body to seriously need more calorie intake. So to lose weight I have had to learn to reason, live with, and deal with hunger, that’s just the facts of life. So the first feeling of hunger, I look at the time and compare that to when I last ate. I tell myself, I know I feel hungry but “right now is not the time for me to eat” and I assure myself that I will check my hunger in an hour. I then go do something, work on a hobby, clean house, surf the internet, watch a movie or read a book, simply stay focus on non food habits.  Also an important part of this rule is to make a time when you will eat, say its 11 am and your lunch is at 1 pm  grab a beverage, stay busy and make and keep that promise with yourself that you will eat as promised at 1 pm. (have and stick to a plan that is realistic and personalized) 

know what foods you are going to eat today

Rule two how to deal with starving when it isn't time to eat.  So you look at the time and it is noon but lunch isn't till 1 pm and you have addressed hunger and now you are feeling starving, nervous, can’t sit still, unable to focus. I have found that it only takes as little as 1 ½ to 2 ounces of very lean meat to completely take care of the starving feeling. I truly feel that no one should feel starving, it is a negative feeling toward the only body that you have and the body that you love.  I make my own homemade beef jerky with zero sugars and starches, my beef jerky has zero carbohydrates and it is lean because beef jerky must be lean, fat makes it go rancid. I usually keep a small zip lock bag of beef jerky on me, or a small can of tuna. No matter how busy my schedule is or how many meetings I have and can’t get away to go eat. I can always find five minutes to eat 2 ounces of meat.  Of course, I have to have mints too for freshening my breath. There are many of on the market that is sugar and aspartame free.

keep a lunch date with yourself

 Brushing your teeth is a trick I use on hunger. If it is way too early for me to eat again, I have found that simply brushing my teeth resets that hunger feeling.  

Plus who doesn't like fresh breath? One of the side effects of working toward a healthy BMI is a feeling of attractiveness, and fresh breath goes with that.

All of these tips are helpful to the person who is lovingly committed to keeping their body healthy. 

image source from bing

A personal journey of losing a 100lbs. 

Chapter Two: Own it, end of page 3 and the end of Chapter Two, Own it

Next month: Chapter Three: leave the comfort zone, page 1