The second half of my journey should be much easier than the first half. Not only do I have my nutrition game plan down pat, but I now prefer eating healthy foods over junk food anyway so there are few issues about making healthier choices anymore. The main thing now is to regulate portion sizes. I still track what I eat and the quantities of it. It is too easy to add an additional handful or two of something and that significantly decreases weight loss. And of course, the biggest hurdle for me, the moving more aspect of my healthy life plan. If only my body were able to do all that my mind wills it to do! While I will continue to eat a healthy non-inflammatory, nutrient dense diet, my focus is going to be on increasing mobility, flexibility, and activity.
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Twelfth Month
Last night was the season opener between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys. Tom Brady looked good…what am I saying? Tom Brady looked AMAZING! He always looks amazing. I love the open way he communicates with his teammates. Not exactly sure what he said to the guy who allowed him to be sacked…twice! But I think he clearly and succinctly conveyed to him that he maybe needed to put a little more effort into the endeavor! And that’s why he is the GOAT. He has a gameplan that he follows, has high expectations for those around him that are only surpassed by the expectations he has for himself, and he is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence. I try to tweak his example and apply it to areas in my life and he has been a tremendous help to me on my journey. After the Bucs domination over the Cowboys, it was great to see the other team’s players clamor around Brady to meet him—a memorable moment for them, I’m sure. There was a twenty-something reporter that annoyed me, basically asking Brady why he thinks he can still play being so old! Those questions must be very trying for him, too; they are so trite. Ask him what in his training prepared him for the win that day, or how his views on nutrition and fitness improve his game, or if he misses playing with Gronk. Be relevant and don’t be rude, for goodness sake.
Another thing that I find so amazing is the way Brady never seems to let all this fan worshipping go to his head. He stays amazingly grounded, and he even participates in a little lighthearted teasing of his, well, what some may call eccentricities. I’m a believer, so to me he is not being eccentric at all, but a trailblazer! Still, I loved the FTX commercial where the other two players ordered steak, and he ordered their parsley! So funny! Or the Hertz commercial where he realizes all he needed was a vacation, and he is definitely NOT leaving! Love his ability to laugh at himself. You have to be very comfortable in your own skin to be able to do that and do it well.
Now that football season has started and baseball season is slowly coming to a close, I am thinking about the differences between the two very popular sports. Baseball is my number one, but football is fun, too. I just hate when people get hurt, so when players facemask one another or inflict unnecessary roughness, I cringe. My absolute favorite explanation of the differences between the two sports comes from George Carlin. If you’ve never seen this before, it is worth the click and the couple minutes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIkqNiBASfI). I love the fall season and enjoy football, but baseball has my heart, and no one explains it better than Carlin…maybe it has to do with my liking to be “safe at home,” too.
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We are finally enjoying cooler weather now and I am planning to participate in more outdoor activities now that I won’t melt onto the pavement! This week I have gotten back to riding my stationary bicycle and was able to increase the time to sixty to ninety minutes each day. Sometimes a walk of five to ten minutes has me a bit short of breath and searching for the nearest bench. Riding the bike offers a way for me to get movement without incapacitating myself for the next several days. It is a great way for me to use the time that I am watching a game on television. I often do other things while watching TV. Sometimes I read a book at the same time, so I guess I am back to being able to multitask a bit again. The other day I was riding my bike while reading a book and watching a baseball game. I felt a bit more like my old goofball self again.
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Naturally occurring sugars in foods are not what I am targeting for the chopping block with my healthy life plan. Sugars that occur naturally in fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and whole grains are not the likely culprit regarding my issues with obesity, and I don’t worry about including them in my diet. Added sugars are doing the damage and they are the ones I am avoiding. By eliminating most processed foods I have significantly cut down the amount of added sugars consumed, and I do not add sugar to foods I am making either. If I didn’t have a significant weight problem, I probably wouldn’t eliminate nearly all added sugars from my diet, but still I would eliminate a large portion of them due to the unhealthy consequences of a diet high in added sugars. From what I can find out, countries with the highest per capita sugar consumption also have high rates of the overweight and obese. Reducing sugar is key to maintaining a healthy weight for me and being a generally healthy person overall.
Now I am searching for recipes for foods, especially traditional foods for holidays, that have made adjustments like elimination of sugars. I am looking at Whole30 foods since I already know they will have replaced sugars. There is a pumpkin custard recipe that I made before that is tasty, healthy, and has no added sugars, and I plan on making it soon. The recipe calls for two ripe bananas to sweeten the dish. This is the type of recipe I am looking for—all healthful ingredients and no added sugars. Last year I had a small slice of pumpkin pie with my family, and it wasn’t a big deal, but this year I would prefer to make my own healthier version of a slightly sweetened dish that at its heart is very healthy.
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In the spirit of moving forward, I am in the planning stages of scheduling a trip to Disneyland. We are planning to go in December to see all the beautiful holiday decorations. It is my favorite time of the year at the happiest place on earth. I know I will be about ten pounds lighter by then, and feeling better physically, too, but I am realistic. I know that I will need to rent a wheelchair—memories of my failed fair day last summer are unfortunately not among the forgotten glimpses of my recent past! I just get too short of breath still to think I can walk around the park all day long without ruining the day for my entire family—no one wants to stop every ten minutes for someone to sit on a bench to breathe! Even love has its limits when Mickey Mouse and crew are at hand! And the reality is that it’s going to be challenging enough just doing the minimum walking required. We will have a fairly large party, about ten people, and it should be a lot of crazy, hectic, exhilarating and exhausting fun. The last time I was at Disneyland was in early March 2020, and I daresay much has changed. Topping the agenda for the day is a ride on the new Rise of the Resistance attraction! It was open the last time I was at the park, but we didn’t win the lottery, or whatever they were calling it, to go on. This time, no matter what, we will go on it! There will be a number of little ones with us making their Disneyland debut, so that makes it even more fun! I hope they still hand out My First Visit badges. Can’t wait to see all the little faces aglow with excitement!
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The one-year anniversary of living my new life on the Healthy Life Plan is quickly approaching. It has been a challenging and rewarding year for me. Many goals have been achieved so far and it has been a very positive experience. The support and encouragement that I receive from family, friends, and all of you new friends has been such a blessing to me, and I am thankful when you take a moment or two to let me know how you are benefitting from living a healthier lifestyle as well! I never really thought that my book would be read internationally, but it is very exciting for me to see that it is being read not only in the US, but also from Australia to Chile, from Japan to Ireland, and more! It is my greatest goal to help others in some way to live a healthier and happier life. Something positive did come out of my experience with Covid-19, and I want to share it with others.
The most challenging experience this past year has been trying to recover from long Covid. That has been much more difficult and frustrating than revamping my entire diet and nutrition plan and increasing my physical fitness activities combined. I continue to persevere because what other choice do I have? At times overwhelming depression has come a knocking at my door, but so far, I have been able to not allow it to get a lasting foothold in my life. Just taking one day at a time. Even if I have to crawl, clawing my way across the finish line, I will make it.
The most exciting part of my year has been to see my determination steadfastly becoming my greatest attribute—nothing will stop me! I will attain my healthy life goals and maintain them for the rest of my life. Period.
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Check-in 12: Today is October 10, 2022, and MyFitnessPal let me know this morning that I am on a 366-day streak! I have logged in for 366 days in a row! Happy Healthy Life Plan one year anniversary to me! I’m down another two and a half pounds for a total weight loss of fifty-two and a half pounds for the year! There is a temptation to lose the weight faster, but I know that in the past fast weight loss was always regained. I am determined to lose this weight permanently, which means holding steady and keeping on the successful path I’ve carved out for myself. The healthy life plan’s key point of not going hungry is an important one, and I make sure that I never allow myself to feel actual discomfort from hunger. I am in this for the long haul! Steady weight loss is permanent weight loss for me and that is worth celebrating. You can’t see the balloons and confetti flying, but in my heart, fireworks are bursting all around me today!
One year ago, still very weak from having long Covid, I happened to see a guy on YouTube who had lost a lot of weight during the lockdown, and it touched something in me. It ignited a spark that had my mind racing around trying to develop a plan to lose the excess weight that kept me weak, miserable, and at risk of premature death. I didn’t want to remain a depressed sugar junkie and I didn’t want to die of Covid. I knew I had to do something if I was ever going to feel like getting out of bed again, maybe leaving the house again. I became determined to find solutions to the issues that in the past had prevented me from successfully losing weight before. And now one year later, and fifty-two and a half pounds lighter, I am happy to say that I did find the answers I needed. I am well on my way to being my happiest, healthiest self ever, and it feels amazing! Join me.
Thirteenth Month
Gauging life success by shopping excursions is somewhat laughable, but it could happen to just about anyone. My mother wanted to go to Marshall’s today, so I took her, but instead of waiting for her in the car, I decided to go inside. Inside. The spooky place where all the germ-carriers dwell. The thought of that no longer makes my knees quiver. I masked up, grabbed a cart, and went for it. Holding onto a cart minimizes the fear of falling from the lightheadedness I still occasionally experience, so stores with carts will get my business more often than those without. It may not be stylish, but who cares. I slowly made my way through the store, found a couple things I discovered I really, really needed though they weren’t on my mind at all before entering the establishment, and then I started to feel a bit short of breath. This little excursion lasted about twenty minutes, give or take, and I was fine. Once I felt uncomfortable with the shortness of breath feeling, I went straight to the check-out, then left. Rebuilding a life can take a great amount of time and effort. Armed with the necessary tools, I’m working on it.
Then tonight all decked out in my Dodger gear, the Post Season Games began for the Dodgers and I had a front row seat. The best seat in the house! Well, in my house, but I stayed dry and warm and could see everything. This has been a record-breaking year for my favorite group of guys, and I have been patiently waiting for this all week…actually for many weeks! It was a drizzly day and ended up sprinkling during the last couple of innings, but it was an exciting game and the number one team in all of baseball, the Dodgers, beat the newly smoking hot Padres 5-3. My game night snack was air fried asparagus, and it was delicious.
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Maybe there are others who are new to air frying, too, so I’ll let you know what I’ve found out so far. It is very easy to use an air fryer, the food doesn’t lose as many nutrients as with other forms of cooking, and cleanup is a breeze. It takes about ten minutes or so to have healthy and tasty veggies. I am loving it!
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It cannot be ignored. The Dodgers were eliminated from the playoffs last night. I could whine about all the unfair, inaccurate calls at the plate…but I won’t. The bottom line is that the Dodgers, my Dodgers, were in a bit of a slump towards the end of the season, and the Padres, who, due to their being only a fifth-place team, were immediately in the playoffs and beat the higher ranked New York Mets for the opportunity to continue and play the Dodgers, my Dodgers. So slumping Dodgers versus the Padres on a winning streak, and there you go. This is baseball. Every team can beat every team. Overall, the Dodgers were the number one team in all of baseball for the 2022 season. They are not going to the World Series because the baseball gods have placed many hurdles before the teams. When I was a kid, at the end of the season the top team in each league would meet for the World Series. That gave you the top team in baseball for that year. Now the lengthy, drawn-out post season allows many teams that were barely playing above .500 percent baseball to participate in the series—the Dodgers were nearly a .700 percent winning team, finishing the season with a franchise record breaking one hundred eleven wins! I was hoping for a Dodgers/Yankees matchup, but in reality, the top American League team is probably the Astros…I just don’t use that kind of language in my house…we do not say the “A” word around here! This was my best attempt to discuss a subject that I couldn’t ignore, and not be whiny. I love my Dodgers and hate all the negativity surrounding them right now. It was so difficult to see the shock and disbelief on the players’ faces. I was stunned…I think many of us were. There was far too much hype surrounding the playoffs this year all throughout the season. Baseball is a very mental game, and we need to reduce the pressure during playoff season, not add to it. We are all only human…I do not expect players to be perfect, robotic. Try your best and win, lose, or draw, I’m okay with that.
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Check-in 13: Today is November 10, 2022, and I have lost another three pounds for a total weight loss of fifty-five and a half pounds. The weight is coming off by my being consistent in making healthy choices of what I eat and trying to move more as I am able. Programs that offer fast weight loss are very tempting. Who wouldn’t want to lose fifteen pounds in two weeks? But that is an unrealistic claim. Any large amount of weight loss in a small amount of time has never stayed off for me. Would I like to lose weight a bit faster? Yes! If I could exercise more I think the weight would come off at a little faster pace, but weight loss is weight loss, and I’ll take it! I saw someone the other day that I hadn’t seen in over a year, and when they saw me they exclaimed, “Wow! You look so skinny!” Now I know that isn’t true, but compared to where I was before, there is a big difference! It felt great! That positive encouragement really made my day and is helping me to stick to my plan without worrying about the length of time it takes to reach my goal weight. I know that I will get there. The faith I have in myself now is so comforting, reassuring. It’s amazing!
Fourteenth Month
The holidays are quickly approaching. I am looking forward to spending time with family and enjoying a lovely dinner together. My daughter makes the turkey now. She makes the most delicious, tender, juicy bird around. We all enjoy it. Similar to last year, I will have some of everything that I want and not worry about accurate calorie counting for Thanksgiving…I will even have a small slice of pumpkin pie. The world as we know it will not end!
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Thanksgiving was wonderful. Everyone was in high spirits and the meal was healthy and delicious. I am thankful for my family. They are a fun, loving, group of goofballs, and they are just perfect for me.
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We invited my oldest daughter and her family here from out of town for a week to celebrate the holidays and just spend time together. It’s a tight squeeze here with six more people running around, but it’s a lot of fun. My plan was to feed them what they enjoy and then stay on my current meal plan. The reality was that making more dishes than usual proved to be too much for me and I often ate the same things they did…minus the sugary treats! After a week of that, I noticed that I put back on about a pound and a half! Now they have returned to their home, and I have returned to my previous eating routine. It is definitely easier putting weight on than it is taking it off, but I can do this!
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My daughter who is attending university is studying for finals right now. I am looking forward to her coming home for Christmas break! Fun activities and healthy foods are all the rage around here! We are still planning that Disneyland trip I talk about now and then. I bought the tickets and it’s on the calendar for this holiday season! Reluctantly I have accepted the reality that I will need a wheelchair to be able to go. The shortness of breath has improved, but not nearly enough to manage a theme park all day. In all honesty I’ll likely be struggling by the time we get to the tram, but I am determined to make the best of it. We never know how much time we have in this world. I don’t want to prevent myself from enjoying what time I do have because I can’t do what I used to do. Things change. I am adapting to the changes the best I can.
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Probably the most difficult challenging dietary change during the visit with all the grandkids was the snacking. They want (and need) to eat constantly, and I gave in to a little light nibbling of my own once in a while. Curbing the snack monster was one of the hardest things for me initially, and I do not want to go down that path again. It was so easy to just start with a bite here, a bite there, and before I knew it, I was consuming too many needless calories and resuming unlearned habits. Taking a harsh stance with myself about this seems unwise. I am weening myself off the snacks over a few days. Thankfully I never gave in to the sweet treats. I know better than that.
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We received some distressing news from a close relative’s doctor. Someone close to me has just been diagnosed with diabetes. They were warned for nearly a decade to make gradual dietary changes since they were considered a prediabetic. Despite much encouragement from all the family, they refused to make the needed changes. They appear to be surprised and a bit devastated with the news, but I have been expecting this call for the past year or more.
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We went to Disneyland and had a wonderful time. The new Genie+ system, which replaced the old FastPass system, is utilized from your smart phone and is so easy to use. It helps you get much more out of your day. We got to the park when they opened and stayed there for fourteen hours! With the electric mobility device, I was able to do everything we wanted to do without experiencing shortness of breath or untimely exhaustion. It was a rainy day and the fireworks show was cancelled, but other than that, it was a huge success. The park was full but not uncomfortably so. I ate whatever healthy/healthier foods I wanted—no calorie counting that day, but I stayed away from sweets completely. That was the way that I planned to do the day and I think it worked out fine. Did I wear a mask? Of course. I did take it off to eat but wore it the rest of the time. Most people were not masked, but there was a mix of masked/unmasked, even with employees. Wearing a mask doesn’t eliminate the risk of contracting Covid 19 or the flu, but it significantly reduces the risk. Since I am also vaccinated, I did not feel uncomfortable. I have come a long way and feel proud of myself for growing beyond the fear.
Check-in 14: Today is December 15, 2022, and I lost nearly another four pounds for a total weight loss of over fifty-nine pounds! Food is not the answer for stress and depression. It was a seemingly easy, almost harmless way to cope with life’s ups and downs, except that it really isn’t. The television show Friends had an episode where the girls share their ways of dealing with heartbreak by eating ice cream, and it was funny, and really not an issue for those weighing somewhere around one hundred and four pounds soaking wet! For us non-celebrity types, turning to food for comfort can become problematic. I self-medicated with ice cream and other sugary foods for many years and it was not pretty or funny. Now I use more positive tools for dealing with emotional issues, but it is still challenging. I am thankful that I no longer misuse food in that way. Just about forty more pounds to my goal and I’ll get there for sure! Being successful with food choices is helping me to have greater confidence in myself and my abilities. I am so thankful for my healthy new life!
Fifteenth Month
Christmas is just around the corner. Gifts are all purchased and wrapped, a few activities are planned, and decorations are cheerily displayed around the house. Personally though, I am feeling a bit Charlie Brown-ish. I am sticking to my plan, but life can be brutally hard.
There have been numerous stressful issues with some of the people closest to me recently. I have not been able to write much. I am staying mindful of what I eat and making healthy choices for myself. I am allowing myself to take a guilt-free break from writing so I can deal with everything.
Check-in 15: Today is January 15th, and I am down a bit for a total loss of over sixty pounds. During this stressful time, I am focusing on eating healthy and using the relaxation techniques that work best for me. When it all hits the fan, I know that I can maintain my current weight and find other ways to deal with the stress. Good luck with your goals!
Sixteenth Month
Still maintaining my weight loss and healthy eating habits. Doing my best.
Check-in 16: Today is February 15th, and I am maintaining.
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