Category: Emotional Well-Being

Posted in Emotional Well-Being, Encouragement/Motivation

Pain in the Journey

Posted on by HeatherLynn

Pain.  It is a factor in your journey that will provide a frustrating stumbling block you will feel helpless to overcome.  When you are in chronic or severe pain from an injury, you may want to literally feed that pain.   They call this “maladaptive pain-related coping”.   The term “maladaptive” refers to behaviors or actions that hinder an individual’s ability to adapt or adjust to different situations differently.  ( I hope we have BOTH learned something new today!) 

Overeating in response to pain is basically just a coping mechanism.  It makes you temporarily feel better.  Psychologically, deep down, there is this primitive need to fuel up to replace the energies you are exerting as your body attempts to heal the injury.  

This leads, obviously, to over-eating, knocking you off the journey you’ve worked so hard on, landing on a plateau and falling back into a sea of frustration.  It can be a dangerous time for you as you risk falling back into old habits since your resolve is distracted by the pain.   

There are some things you can do to help. 

1.  Be careful and don’t hurt yourself.   I know, great wisdom coming from the Queen of Klutz.  If I am not injured then something is certainly wrong!   

2.  Don’t suffer through the pain. Get to a medical professional and get the help you need.  

4. Bulk up on the antioxidants. Fresh, leaf vegetables and fruits with complex carbs are much better than simple sugars.  

5. Keep moving as much as you can.  Depending on the injury of course.   Take frequent breaks. 

6. Get plenty of sleep.  Your body repairs itself quite a bit during those hours.  

Ice is your friend when it comes to injuries.  Inflammation is what is causing most of that pain and ice packs greatly alleviate the discomfort.  

Here are some foods you can partake of , that also reduce inflammation :  

Whole Grains :   whole grain bread, oats, brown rice, barly, quinoa, couscous, polenta,     bulgur, and rye bread.  Also stick with multi-grain or wheat pasta.  

Beans,nuts, seeds, pod foods :  peas, edamame, black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas,        white beans,  hummus, walnuts, almonds, pecans,        peanuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pinenuts etc. :  

Fruits : berries, pomegranates, cherries. Darker colored fruits are especially good.  Avoid     fruit juices.  

Vegetables : yellow, orange and red peppers and tomatoes, Spinach, chard, kale, leaf            lettuce, romaine lettuce, arugula, mixed greens (focus on dark leafy greens)                   Purple and green cabbage, onions, garlic, broccoli, brussels sprouts,            cauliflower, radishes, cucumbers, green beans and green onions. 

Olive Oil:  replace butter and other oils with this for cooking. 

Fish : Go for cold water fish like salmon, herring, anchovies, sardines and mackerel. 

White Meat ;  chicken, turkey and other birds.  No frying or deep frying.  

Dairy: Eggs, natural cheese ( not processed ), low-fat milk, yogurt.  

Herbs ;  cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, garlic, rosemary, cayenne, pepper, black pepper. 

Honestly, looking at the list of “anti-inflammatory” foods, it is not much different than how you should be customizing your diet on a regular basis when you are not in pain.   

Above all, know that an injury does not mean your journey has come to an end.  This is just a setback.   The hard work is not in the physical, its in the mental.  You are going to have to mentally pick yourself up and get yourself back into the driver’s seat and start walking again.   How long will you sit on the side of the road using your pain as the reason you have failed?    

Day five – My Journey Phase 2  

Posted in Emotional Well-Being, intermittent-fasting

I am my own Enemy

Posted on by HeatherLynn

Does Fasting Work?   That’s the one question I am asked frequently.  My answer… its the ONLY thing that has worked for me.   I have tried many variations of fad diets, portion control and calorie counting, and it all ended with me being frustrated.  Honestly, even the Intermittent Fasting brought me to the point of frustration, and I had to sit down and have a hard look at things. 

All my life I have identified as the “fat girl”, the “chubby woman”, the girl with love handles and jiggly thighs.   That’s who I know and that is who society knows.  I am accustomed to a certain way of deference from others… subtle judging glances as I fill my grocery cart,  not so subtle stares as I chuff by in my shorts that insist on riding up the inside of my thighs forcing me to do the awkward pull and leg shake to fix the problem.  I admit, I am most likely only imagining most of this, people are very self-absorbed and have no interest in those around them while in public.   However, being out there, I have always been very aware of how large I am.    It’s like the times I’ve gone in the woman’s section to look at clothes and I just “knew” the women there were asking themselves why I thought I was going to find anything at all that would fit me in that section.  I was up here in the first class, and I needed to get my rotund butt back over to lower-class where the sold the clothes by square foot.   

I dropped 80lbs.  People were smiling more at me.   I was getting appreciative looks and direct eye-contact.    My cart had fresh veggies and fruits in it and not a single item of junk food or sugar.   I was still very aware of being out there, but now it felt amazing!  I was lighter and moving quicker and it was like being on a sort of natural high.    I was actually achieving a goal I had only dreamed of for decades!  

Then the self-saboteur came knocking.    She looks like me, the “old” me.   She told me things like, “Its cool to back off on the fasting a bit now, you got this” and she would look at the clock and shrug, “two scoops of ice cream at 9 pm isn’t going to kill you”.    I was oblivious to her tactics, I still felt good, although I admit my energy wasn’t quite the same.  Then I was watching more tv and finding excuses to sit down rather than get up and move around.    My weight loss stopped.   It went beyond a plateau, it came to a screeching halt, tires squealing.    I gave half-hearted attempts to return to my patterns but my “get up and go” was gone.     Jumping into the mix came a back injury, an excuse not to move much, but also a discovery that when i am in severe pain, I EAT.    

I wasn’t gaining, but I wasn’t losing.   Ten months down the road and I hurt my shoulder.  More pain and realization that things are not going my way at all.   This time I sat down and had a chat with my doctor.   It was obvious that I had lost my motivation and in our discussion we both agreed that I had sabotaged myself.    The question is WHY???   I don’t have the full answer, not yet.   I’m still working on that part.   I think part of it is that I suddenly didn’t know my part anymore.   After decades of being the “fat girl” , I wasn’ t her any longer and it threw me for a curve.    That’s something I’ll need to work on. 

In the meantime,  I am back on track with my Intermittent Fasting.   My doctor visit was the motivation I needed to get me back.   I don’t want to go back to where I was.  The only option is to pick myself up and keep moving forward.  

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Posted in Emotional Well-Being, Encouragement/Motivation

TABLETOP-PLATEAU

Posted on by HeatherLynn

Plateaus are a part of the journey.   Plateaus are expected, but they should not last any major length of time, after all, they would be called something much more discerning if they were expected to be lengthy.     

I climbed up on a table-top plateau back in September.    I then leapt over to another table-top, and another and another. It became just an endless row of tabletops with a few low hills but no major hikes or drops in elevation.    Of that, I should be grateful, I haven’t been climbing, but the frustration of not dropping can be daunting. 

What happened?   Body changes?  Environment?   Psychological?    Perhaps all of that.    I got in my own head and lost my motivation.  Not completely, but it’s certainly not where it was a year ago and that is the key to the lack of my recent success.   

I can give excuses.  Justification is a skill I honed years ago while shoveling piles of unhealthy foods into my mouth and claiming one thing or another was the cause of my woes.   The only one I would be fooling is myself, and not very well.     

I know I am to blame.   I start each morning focused.   I do well UNLESS I am not active.   If I am moving around cleaning, doing chores, tending to my flock of birds or simply just walking, I am fine.   A bottle of water or a cup of hot coffee is all that I seem to need.   However, I do not have the type of career that is considered active, and I find myself looking at a computer screen early in the day.   Within the first hour, my stomach growls and I successfully ignore it for about two hours and then I give in.   Because I am weak.   No, that’s just an excuse.   The reason is because I was weak before I ever arrived at work.   I either tossed a bag of grapes into my work bag or I stopped purposely to grab a fruit cup from the local convenience store on my way in.  

So, what really happened?   I happened.   I started feeling really good about what I looked like, and I stumbled.  I let up on myself and quit being so disciplined.  I treated myself one too many times, gave myself a “break” too often and now here I am.   I feel the pressure from myself to keep trying.  I’m not at the goal I’ve set and until I reach that goal, I have to keep pushing.    

My eating habits are a little skewed right now.   I have been portioning out too much, indulging in the starches and giving in to the sweet tooth.   Talk about the three major roadblocks on getting off the table!   Now that the weather is beginning to move to the warmer side of things. Well, at least some days of the week it is.   I’ll be outside more, which means I’ll be more active.   The days are getting longer which means I’ll be finding things to do to keep busy.   Sitting on the couch when its still daylight feels “lazy” to me and I can’t do lazy.   Not if I want to reach my goal.      

Motivational Plan for the week:   

BE MINDFUL OF MY MEALS 

BE ACTIVE IN THE DAYLIGHT 

DRINK MORE WATER 

I think those are three achievable goals for my week.   I think I need to write down every time I use an excuse for deviating from the plan and what the excuse is.   I find journaling a difficult task because you must be honest and writing it down makes it very real.    

Fourth step for the week:  Journal your Justifications.  

To all on this journey, it’s important to know that with the success also comes the roadblocks, the things that make you want to fall back into the old habits.   You’ve come too far to fall back into the old habits. Stay strong and know that you are amazing, and you have the power to get through!  

Posted in Emotional Well-Being, Food Stuff

Food Noise – Hear me Roar

Posted on by HeatherLynn

When I was young, I remember breakfast discussions between adults about lunch plans and dinner plans.  To me this seemed normal, it would be necessary to have this information so you would know to get things out of the freezer to thaw or to know what time a meal would be served.   

As I grew older, I found myself planning future meals while devouring a current meal.  Often, I would be thinking about it as I drove to work or took a walk.  It was okay, that was the way it was supposed to be. I was being proactive.  

Now let’s go back to those younger days and fill in some time gaps.  When I was offered a baked good or sweet treat, it was GOOD. They made me feel warm and happy inside, albeit only for a short period so I always wanted more and the cravings would become obsessive.   As I gained in years, I also gained in pounds.  I had a yen for the sweets.   Since I lived in an area where fast food was twelve miles away and an absolute special occasion, processed goodies were not yet an issue.   However, I gained my independence and loved the taste of cheeseburgers and fries.    

Adulthood came upon me.  Still planning my meals, thinking about yummy snacks to get at the store, stopping at convenience stores for a quick chocolate bar and then mentally berating myself for being a compulsive snacker with no self-control.  I would become angry with myself and sometimes I would be able to turn away from the temptations, but 90% of the time I would give in.   The underlying reason?   Food had always been a comfort to me and although it was making me miserable physically and mentally, it was giving me brief moments of comfort that I apparently needed as I struggled with life.   

I had no idea this had a name.  Currently its trending as “Food Noise” and I am most certainly a victim of this.   

Food Noise is a preoccupation with food.   For example, after (or during) you’ve had a meal, you may instantly start thinking about your next snack or next meal.  It is an internal dialogue that can be influenced by factors such as diet, mental well-being, and nutrient deficiencies.  

– fixate on what, when, or how much to eat.   

-plan the next meal before having finished your current one.   

-compulsively check restaurant menus or delivery services   

-stress about the consequences of food choices.   

– internally beat yourself up over your lack of self-control but still give into the impulse 

However it manifests for you, the impact on your life and eating behavior can be both harmful and overwhelming to your physical and mental health. 

It is possible to quiet the Food Noise. 

  1. Focus on a healthier diet 
  1. Eliminate the processed foods (no more Fast Food! ) 
  1. Meal Prepping – having the meals prepped makes it easier to not overeat 
  1. Stop buying the unhealthy snacks, get them out of your house, if they are not there you cannot eat them 
  1. Educate yourself on healthy recipes and learn how to prepare them.  Taking this time to prepare your meals makes you more mindful of what you are doing. 
  1. Eat Intentionally 
  1. Make an eating schedule and stick to it.   
  1. If Joe brings in donuts for the office, you don’t have to eat one, you can politely decline and remove yourself away from the temptation. 
  1. Bring healthy snacks for yourself so when you are tempted to give in for that sweet stuff, you have a workaround. 
  1. Exercise 
  1. Its hard to walk and stuff a cheeseburger in your mouth at the same time. 
  1. Find activities that keep your hands busy and your blood pumping, you’ll find that thoughts of food are nowhere in sight. 
  1. Reduce Stress 
  1. What i love about this one is people throw this suggestion out like you are intentionally bringing stress into your life.   Do your best to find ways to reduce the stress factors.  I know some things are not in your control but you do have the power to control how you handle it. 
  1. Get more sleep 
  1. Tired and fatigued equals the desire to fuel up.  If you are rested you won’t feel the extra need to gain energy. 
  1. Look into Medication 
  1. Semaglutide medications tend to activate certain receptors, which promote the release of the hormone GLP-1 which basically quiets your food noise.   
  1. Talk to your doctor if you consider this direction, it is important to make sure you understand all side effects and results of using this method to quiet your food noise.  

I will tell you this.  My food noise started when I was a child.  It’s lived with me for decades and honestly, it’s like a family member in my head.   Since beginning my journey and making changes in my lifestyle, this family member has become noticeably quieter.   There are days, admittedly, when Food Noise roars and is nearly deafening.  On those days, I have my arsenal of weapons to fight it.  An always available full water bottle, a portioned out healthy snack, and a “Before” and “After” photo nearby to show me what determination and perseverance looks like.   

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Posted in Emotional Well-Being, Encouragement/Motivation

The Cult of 10,000 Steps a Day

Posted on by HeatherLynn

Walking 10,000 steps a day is the goal; this is more a guideline than a cold, hard fact.

An average American will walk 3,000 – 4,000 steps a day. Personally, I average around 4,300 steps per workday. I stopped using my fitness tracker for a time and recently have put it back in play. In my mind I’ve set a soft goal of 8,000 steps per day, but I accept it will most likely not reach that level without extra effort on my part. This got me wondering where the idea of 10,000 steps came from. Why not 7,000 steps or 9,000 steps?

It was a marketing campaign, of all things, that started this trend and over time it became a sort of mantra for anyone tracking their movement. Around the time of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Japan introduced the modern pedometer into their marketplace. They called it “Manpo-kei”, which translates to “10,000 steps”. It quickly gained popularity as Japanese walking clubs formed and the Manpo-kei was the minimum the members were expected to walk. It didn’t take long for concept to start spreading beyond the Japanese to the rest of the health-conscious walkers around the world.

There have been some studies done in which suggest the benefit in terms of mortality risk, levels off in the area of 6,000 steps to 8.000 steps for older adults and 8,000 steps to 10,000 steps for the younger generations. The takeaway is there’s evidence to suggest that moving even a little more is beneficial.

Walking has great side effects on mental health, creativity and the well-being. The very act of the activity gets everything going. Brain power, endorphins, emotions. Sitting on your couch, you don’t feel motivated to do much, but get up and start moving and suddenly, you are getting inspired.

During the cold months, its much more difficult to get outside and go for a walk, so I stick to the treadmill in the house and get my steps in trudging back and forth taking care of my chickens. In the summer, its easier to get out and walk ( albeit when the humidity isn’t trying to kill me ), but the bottom line is, I have to make the effort. No one is going to walk for me and since this is my journey, i have to push myself.

Some interesting ways to get your steps in :

Make the extra trips back and forth to carry groceries into the house.

Park in the furthest reaches of the parking lot and huff it in. Your car is actually less prone to getting dinged and scratched. ( I do not recommend this after dark, be safe of course! )

Return your cart to a cart corral that is a little further away.

Pace when you are waiting for your car to fill with fuel

Do two or three full laps , up and down every aisle, of the stores you visit. Not to purchase or browse, just simply to walk.

Take a nice day and go on a photography walk in the city. I’ve done this and found some very interesting pieces of architecture I normally would miss just driving by.

Find a safe walking trail and walk it. There are maps available online of all sorts of walking trails across the country.

Stairs, not elevator

Bike if you can. Its not much of an option for my situation as a rural dweller, there is quite a distance to cover to get to town and no public transportation.

Plan your weekends to involve things that include movement. Like museum tours, walking tours and such.

Three great reasons you can start today :

Walking is FREE. It will certainly fit in your budget.

Weather can be a hindrance but you can walk inside as well as outside.

You do not need special equipment or clothing to take a walk.

If you hit 10,000 steps, that’s awesome! Set your own goal, adjust it as you progress. Its not about the numbers, its about moving.

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Posted in Emotional Well-Being, Encouragement/Motivation

2025 The Pilgrimage Continues

Posted on by HeatherLynn

It is the final day of the year marking the end of one of the many legs of the journey to happier, healthier lifestyle.   To say it has been fraught with mishaps and complications would be dead-on accurate.   This journey, like life itself, will never be problem free and I accept that.  The unexpected will happen, the diversions, the temptations, the doubts and misgivings.   All that matters is that I have emerged at this end better than what I plunged in at!  

I am looking forward to continuing this journey.  Can I still call it a journey or is it something more epic now?  Should I call it more a like a personal pilgrimage?  Whatever I refer to this as, it is certainly a new way of life.     

What does the next twelve months have in store for me?  I honestly cannot tell you.   I can share with you my hopes, my goals, my intentions, and then life is going to step in and let me know what really is going to happen.   I accept that, this is why I do not make New Year’s Resolutions.   I understand there are just too many variables in my life that can throw me off track.  

This is what I’ll do :

  1. Recognize my weaknesses –   when I travel/visit relatives/ social gatherings   I have a lot of trouble staying on point with my eating habits.    I also found that I like to bake, but cannot resist the temptation of testing my results so I need to refrain from that activity.    
  1. Keep my Focus –   remind myself daily the reasoning behind my journey and the way I feel now verses the way I felt before starting.   
  1. Use the Apps – there are apps to help with Fasting, Tracking Exercise, Logging Food, and nearly anything you can think of.  USE THEM RELIGIOUSLY 
  1. Exercise at minimum 15-20 minutes a day.   This means a brisk walk if nothing else.   You should be trying to do more a few times a week, but the daily 15 is better than nothing at all.    
  1. Adhere to your schedule –  I drifted from my fasting schedule a few times and I’ve paid the price with a stubborn plateau.   Stick to your schedule.  
  1. Don’t let other people’s bad habits take you off course. –   If you live with someone who isn’t 100% supportive,  that is on them.   Stick to your guns and if they wish to eat and practice habits that do not coincide with your journey, do not enable them by getting them their “fixes” { junk food; processed food; candy; etc }  
  1. Look in the mirror every morning and give yourself a smile and say “Good Morning! Let’s do this! “  

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  

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Posted in Emotional Well-Being

Reflection Perceptions

Posted on by HeatherLynn

When I was a teen, I was not in the popular clique.  I was one of those girls who wanted to be a part of their world, and I wanted to be like them, instead I was this socially awkward girl who had always just “known” she was different.   I was the fourth square in the famed Sesame Street four-square skit “one of these things is not like the other”.    And they were all well aware of it.   They had a lot of different names for me, but the ones that really carried with me were those that pertained to my size, “Elephant, Hippo, etc.”.     It is not a shocking thing to say that I developed a certain perception of the image I saw in the mirror each morning.   Hearing myself called by those names often enough, I began to believe I truly was disproportionately oversized.   

As an adult, I look at photos taken of me in that era.   I look amazing.  I don’t look like a side show attraction, I looked healthy, slim with some cushioned curves.  Overweight is not the term I would use looking at the girl in those photos.     My social environment was certainly the cause of my body dysmorphia at the time.     

Wait…what?  Did I say “Body Dysmorphia”?   Had I suffered from a disorder and sudden became cured as I grew older?  The simple answer is “sort of”.   Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a true disease that many suffer from.  People who suffer from this are preoccupied with something about their physical appearance they perceive as a flaw, even when that ‘flaw’ is not observable to others.   

Signs of body dysmorphic disorder include: 

  • Repetitive behaviors, such as compulsive grooming or constantly checking the mirror. 
  • Seeking frequent reassurance from other people about appearance. 
  • Constant stream of anxiety stemming from thoughts about size and appearance.  

I didn’t have any of the repetitve behaviors, I certainly didn’t want reassurance from others about my appearance because I feared they would confirm my fears, and I didn’t have anxiety about it.    What I did have was a horrible misconception of what I truly looked like.   I cannot tell you there was a magic cure because I fear I may still suffer somewhat from it. 

Let me explain.  My teen years are long behind me.   I’ve worked my way through my 20’s, 30’s and 40’s with both weight loss and gain as I navigated the churning waters of my self-worth and learned to love myself.   Life threw a lot of curve balls my way and somehow, I survived and hit my 50’s.    I found myself here, being classified as “obese” on the doctor’s charts.   The word “obese” is like being called names by those popular girls.  Hurtful and damaging to the self-esteem.    My mirror showed a woman who was not worthy to speak to.  I’d forget though, when I was out in public.  I would talk to people and walk with confidence and laugh as if I was actually one of them.  And then I would see my reflection in a window, and I would remember.  

Let’s fast forward to this past year.   I put myself on a health journey and my body has most definitely changed.   I can physically feel the difference, I can see the difference in the mirror and I absolutely know that I am not a freak.    Does this mean I am cured of the body dysmorphia?   I wish it did.     My self-confidence is better than it has been in decades, but something else is going on now and I need to learn how to navigate it.    I don’t understand what size I am. 

That sounds funny, right?   I was a size 24w-26w for a very long time.  Purchasing clothes was easy knowing what size to search for, knowing I couldn’t sit in a restaurant booth because I wouldn’t be able to breathe, understanding that I couldn’t ride on a lot of amusement rides or that stadium seats would be uncomfortable.  When you are big, you accept things and you learn to navigate in the world with this acceptance.   

I lost weight, but I’ve forgotten how to navigate in a world where I am not “obese”.  When I purchase clothes, I make a lot of mistakes and end up with things that are too big.   I hesitate when I am offered a booth at a restaurant, and when I glance at my reflection in a window, I am constantly surprised by what I see.  That isn’t me.   I don’t know that woman like I knew who I was before.    I immediately look for a flaw to focus on, because the flaw is like a warm blanket, comforting to me in this world where I must re-learn how to navigate.   

There are a lot of things people just never talk about when it comes to weight loss and I think its important that we do talk about it.  It might feel insignificant, especially after years of the struggle just to find clothes large enough to fit, yet this is still a thing you must deal with.   I know I cannot be the only one who struggles with this.    

Another goal for my next leg of the journey – adjust my view in the mirror so my perception and view are a closer match!  

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Posted in Emotional Well-Being, Encouragement/Motivation

Setting Goals

Posted on by HeatherLynn

December –   Its the final month of the year.   A time we can look back and reflect on the prior months and see our success stories and our stumbles.     Did you achieve every goal you set for yourself last January?   Most likely, you did not.   This doesn’t mean you are a failure, it simply shows that life has a way of interrupting plans.       

Now is the time to grab a notebook and jot down some new goals.    We do not refer to them as resolutions since resolutions almost always end up as failed attempts.   Instead we shall refer to them as goals to work towards as we step into the next twelve months of our busy lives.  

  1. Drink Water every day  –  that’s a simple goal and one you can track.   I am not a huge fan of plain water unless its from my own well and has ice in it.   I like the flavored, no-calorie seltzers like Waterloo and Bubly.    They replaced soda in my refrigerator and not only are they healthier, they are easier on the wallet.   
  1. Move every day –   be creative with this.  Your lifestyle will dictate how you want to make this happen.   If you are urban, go for a tour in the city under the guise of a photography walk.  Take pictures and explore.  Go to a museum,  the park, play frisbee, or simply turn on YouTube to DannyGo and do some simple exercises meant for children but are actually really fun.    If you are rural, we all know that you will be out there mowing, raking, building, fixing, walking…  just keep doing it!    
  1. Eat Healthy –  ( healthier )  groceries are expensive and we all now the healthier it is, the more it seems to cost.   However, your body will benefit from the fresh fruits and vegetables.  Skip the processed meals, and avoid all those chemicals and preservatives!       Limit your fast food to twice a month,  eat out as special occasion and not as a regular ritual.   Cooking and preparing your meals at home helps control your portions and also opens you up to a world of dishes you would never find in a restaurant. 
  1. Learn a new skill or hobby.    This is a very important goal.   You are never too old to learn new things and taking up a new hobby fuels your motivation.   This can be anything from raising animals to painting, cake decorating, or even ballroom dancing.    Whatever it is, have fun with it, you deserve it!  

You don’t have to wait until January first to begin your new journey.   You can start today.  Every day you have is precious and you should not waste a single one.   The date on the calendar is merely a guideline for reference, the power to change is all in your hands and ready when you are.  

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Posted in Emotional Well-Being, Just a Thought

Learning to Redress Yourself

Posted on by HeatherLynn

At one point in the past, I was pushing past 400lb. mark on the scale, which meant that my clothing was not only plus-sized, but it was also super-plus-sized to accommodate the extra bulges.     I have wardrobe of clothing which reflects this very fact.    This brings me to the dilemma I now face.

My clothing is no longer suitable for the body I have now.    I’ve dropped a significant amount of weight and gone down several sizes.  This equals out to every piece of clothing I own looking baggy and unkempt when I put it on.  Shirts fall off my shoulders, pants constantly slip from my hips.  What continues to surprise me is when I pull a shirt from the realms of the dresser.  Those dark depths contain the shirts I liked but they were simply not big enough for me and I was unwilling to toss them.   I put them on now and they drape across me like a hastily hung blanket in the window.   It’s a refreshing surprise and one I am secretly loving every time it happens.     Motivation comes in all forms!

However, I had no choice but to return to the stores to rebuild a new wardrobe.

It started about four months ago, my rebuilding phase.  I held it off until then, knowing that I was still on my journey and numbers and sizes can still change.   I was clueless on my size at this point, so I decided a trip to Lane Bryant for new undergarments would be my first stop.   The ladies there took my measurements and let me know that I had indeed lost inches around the waistline, but my chest stubbornly remained the same robust size it had been for years.     With this information, I went to the local Walmart and bought a pair of inexpensive jeans, and I hit up Amazon for a few t-shirts.   It was summertime and those were the basic items that could get me by.   

What I am learning as I continue my journey is this, when it comes to your wardrobe:

1. Assess your current wardrobe. Put aside all clothing you know is way too big on you now.  Donate it or sell it.  Get it out of the house and make it so it is no longer an option.  We don’t save the close in case we get big again.  We are NOT going back.     Personally, I am hanging on to my jackets and hoodies, and a few heavier shirts for the Winter so I can layer properly.   

2. Choose correctly sized undergarments. I’m sure there is a scientific reason to do this, but I say do it because its far more comfortable.   Saggy underwear is uncomfortable and feels weird, a bra that is too big will make your shirts look lumpy.   Besides, new undergarments always make you feel good.

3. Grab essentials and staple pieces. Get a few things that will get you by.  A couple pairs of jeans, a few t-shirts, a nice dress shirt or two.   You’re still on your journey and clothing costs no matter what size you are.

4.  Look for sales.  Especially this time of the year.   Frequent the thrift shops and the discount stores.  You do not need to be spending hard earned money on clothing that is only going to be used for your transitioning period.   

5. Congratulate yourself for a job well done, but don’t stop moving, this is now your life!

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Posted in Emotional Well-Being, Encouragement/Motivation, Food Stuff

Self-Destruction and Re-Learning

Posted on by HeatherLynn

I’ve been stuck on this barren plateau for nearly two months. Its frustrating and disenheartening, but I’m the queen of self-sabotage. I’ve cheated on myself several times. I ate outside my eating window. I ate things that I knew were not healthy for me and I over indulged. I didn’t exercise willpower at the store and I doubled up on portions when I knew I should have had one. I have no excuses. I could try and justify it but those who know me would see right through the veil of disguise. I have only myself to blame. I am responsible for my actions.

Knowing this, I must start over.. How shall I do this? The hard way, of course. Re-learn the basics.

  1. Cut back on carbs
    Yes. Cut back on carbs right as Carb-Season hits. Such an easy thing to do for a girl that loves bread and pasta and potatoes. This is where the willpower is needed but often lacking.
  2. Increase exercise frequency or intensity.
    Time Change. It doesn’t matter that you gained an extra hour of sleep, it does not help because it takes at least three days for your body to figure it out. In the meantime, its dark when you get home from work. Exercise feels “wrong” when its dark, I don’t know why, it just does. Your motivation wanes with the daylight. This is when you must push yourself and find that inner strength to go to the gym or do that extra 15 minutes of exercise in your living room. Every little bit helps.
  3. Track everything you eat
    Every piece of stolen Halloween candy, every time you do a “This once won’t matter”; every taste test when you’re cooking; it all adds up. Tracking is a major pain and using the available apps helps! It does help you visualize how much you are consuming.
  4. Don’t skimp on protein
    This is unwaveringly true. Protein sustains you for a long time and you do not get hungry near as quickly as if you had just filled up on vegetables alone. Proeins also boosts your metabolic rate which translates into calorie burning. Eat some chicken, eat some beans, treat yourself to some steak!
  5. Manage Stress
    This is the most difficult of all. Stress comes in many forms. Family issues, work issues, personal, and even national. Many of us handle this by eating. Its a normal response, but its one that has to be controlled, especially when you have chosen to lead a healthier lifestyle. Make sure your snacks are healthy, stay within your portion size, and if you are intermittent fasting, do not stray outside of your eating hours.
  6. Avoid Alcohol.
    During the holiday season. Okay, it is sound advice, after all, alcohol packs a lot of calories, it loosens inhibitions which may lead you to overindulging, and it can suppress fat burning. I personally found that with the weight-loss, I also have no idea what my alcohol tolerance is. If you do drink, limit yourself to one or two and switch out to water.
  7. Eat more fiber.
    Perfect time of the year for the hot cereals like Oatmeal and Cream of Wheat. There are many other sources of fiber as well. Chickpeas, barley, broccoli, and kidney beans just to name a few. The fiber fills you up and helps with your digestive track.
  8. Drink water, coffee, or tea
    If you are intermittent fasting, you are already doing this. Remember to avoid the creamers and sugars – this includes the fun flavored black coffees. Stick with Columbian Roasts or Jamacian Blends. Green teas are particular good to drink but don’t shy away from the black teas, they are just as tasty. Water is always your first option. Its fine to drink seltzer water, but check the calories on the can first. I’ve found that some companies produce both water without sweeteners and no calories, and they also produce water that has sweetener and run anywhere from 5 to 10 calories a serving. If its sweet and has a calorie, its going to break your fast.
  9. Get plenty of sleep
    This is difficult. Time change messes with your biorhythm to start you off. Then there are the fluctuating temperatures that cause sinus issues and often difficulting breathing at night. The cold virus can run you down quick. Set yourself a bedtime just like you had to do when you were a kid, and stick to it. If possible, take a nap during the day, but no longer than an hour. Have a cup of Chamomile tea before bed to relax you, or a nice warm bath. Stay off of your social media an hour before bedtime to avoid stimulating your senses.
  10. The scale is a dirty liar
    One morning it tells you that you’ve lost 3lbs.; the next day it tells you you’ve gained 5lbs. It is not a reliable source of information when it comes to your weight loss. The way your clothes are fitting is a good indicator. The way people respond to you, the compliments you get, your overall attitude… all good signs that you are on the right path. The scale is just a tool and should only be brought out once a week as a guideline.

Don’t feel guilty about what has lead you to this point. Brush yourself off and go forward. All is not lost, you merely stumbled in the road. YOU GOT THIS!

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