Keep On Keepin' On




I'm not sure where this weight loss journey is headed, but I will keep going as much as I can. I'm finding it so hard to overcome my eating habits. For the last two months of working to change them I have only lost 10 pounds or so.

I'm feeling a little defeated and lost.

I wish I could wave a magic wand and my situation would be different, but there is no magic wand and for all my efforts the results are minuscule.

I know I cannot give up and that wherever I am now will change and I can be on top again.

Dietary changes will come in time. I can't afford to just give up! Two steps forward and one step back. I wish I was more confident that I will have great results to share soon, but I'm realizing that the results may take more time. I'm not the diet guru that can start a diet and show you my 100 pound loss in 6 or 8 months, but what I can do, is show you my resolve to keep going and stay with it!

Reflectively, I can see that I've instituted more healthy choices than when I started. I now eat fish, which I never did before and I drink more water, for sure. I'm getting better at taking my vitamins and my exercise has increased and become more regular.

I may not be seeing the dramatic changes as fast as I would like, but I am moving into a better lifestyle.

The best advice I can give is to keep integrating healthy choices. Find an exercise that you can achieve. Do something for yourself to raise your spirits and most of all--Just keep with it!

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SassyCassWeightLoss is Taking a Week Off...

I have decided to take a week off posting to SassyCassWeightLoss. I need to gauge my weekly readership. I will be doing all of the things I've posted to date with regards to my wight loss goals and  keeping up. Email me at: sassycassweightloss@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns.

'Turn Your Breakfast Bowl Upside Down'





I'm Doing it Again...

Recently on the Dr. Oz show; he introduced a new and interesting idea of how to save yourself 100 calories during your morning meal. Instead of pouring the cereal into your bowl first and then adding some sliced fruit on top, he suggested doing it in opposite fashion. Fruit first and then top it off with your cereal.

"Turn your bowl upside down." he said.

Last week when I was at the store I bought a 1/4 flat of fresh strawberries. So, when I saw his idea yesterday I could hardly wait to try it! I grabbed about 10 or so strawberries, which I washed and then sliced. I made a healthy pile in my bowl and then proceeded to pour my granola over the top. He was right! I used much less of the cereal and more of the fresh strawberries.

Being the analytical person that I am, I decided I wanted to know for sure if I had saved any calories. I measured out the two options being sure to keep my portions realistic and then calculated the nutritional information. 

Sure enough! The new option saved me MORE THAN 100 Calories! It actually saved me a total of…

136 Calories Saved!

Not only was it the same amount in bulk as what I was used to; I had the added bonus of the strawberries nutritional value. Strawberries have vitamins: A, C, E, K, B6 and Folate, as well as Omegas 3 and 6 fatty acids. Afterward, I felt super good and plenty full. I think it was just about the best bowl of granola I’ve ever had!

My investigation led me to a pretty great outcome and I believe I will never have cereal the same again! This blogger is a changed woman! Give it a try and check back to let me know what you thought…

Start tomorrow and turn your breakfast  upside down!





Be Courageous and Remember, Today is Anew!

I must relax & cut things down to a manageable size!

             

If you're like me, Dieting can be exhaustive and stressful! The battle to lose the weight can get so overbearing it consumes you. It's six weeks into my weight loss journey & I'm getting discouraged simply because I'm not losing the big pounds. 


I got on the scale yesterday I had only lost 1/2 pound. My heart sank a little and I thought to myself, "If I don't lose more weight; how can I be an inspiration to anyone?" 
Transforming my life is more than what the scale says! I do not want to get skinny quick just so I can gain it all back plus more! This time I have to remember that I'm in it for the long haul & no matter what a 1/2 pound loss is still a loss!

How am I going to keep it alive?

The top five things I know I must do: 


1. Drink Water
2. Eat fish and colorful veggies every week.
3. Exercise at least 10 minutes per day, but more is better.
4. Look out for excess intake of fat, sugar, sodium, and carbs.
5. Take vitamins & supplements.

Being dedicated to these five items is key for me. 

If I do nothing more than the things on this list; I'm certain that weight loss will happen. Even if it's only a 1/2 pound, the changes I'm making are a lot better than the choices I was making before I started out.

Remembering a loss is a loss and keeping it first and foremost on your mind is the goal. 

Obsessing over dietary changes is only stressing me out and making it difficult to go on with the plan. As with anything, whenever I begin to feel this way, I remember to bring it back down and start from the beginning. 

Relaxing into this new approach is something I need to master if I am to be successful and rewarding myself in new and interesting ways is too. Instead of using food as a reward maybe I will buy myself something new to update my style.


I believe that treasures of the heart lead to treasures of the mind. In the past I've gotten to this point and given up. I can feel that train of thought creeping in. I want to make sure I'm taking care of myself emotionally as well as physically. 


Today I will approach the day with renewed strength and dedication. I will talk to myself in a positive voice and I will rediscover the things in life that are good. I encourage you to do the same! 


Let's kick start it again and again until we get it right! 


              

                      



*This blog is not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult with your doctor for treatment of any medical condition and before beginning any diet or exercise regimen.










Mastering the Plateau!






It's been a few weeks now that I haven't lost or gained much. I'm hovering right around 250 pounds. I've been as low as 248 and as high as 252. I'm still struggling with late night eating as well as some poor food choices and while "Frogging" is an idea that I think will work; it seems to be proving a little uncomfortable.

I'm feeling good about the fact that I have been able to hold my weight and I'm equally pleased by the changes in my dietary choices. The uncomfortable part is the discipline it takes to "maintain" my weight, not gaining or losing, but staying at one weight level on purpose. 

In the past, I've always called this time a "plateau".

In the preceding link to the Mayo Clinic’s article entitled, "Getting Past a Weight-Loss Plateau, they describe the phenomenon of plateauing as, "A weight-loss plateau occurs when you no longer lose weight despite continuing with your exercise and healthy-eating habits."

For me, plateauing is something I'm trying to master now instead of fighting. I want to make lasting changes and I believe that controlling a healthy maintenance weight for a few weeks at a time will help me. Instead of rushing the weight loss process and failing again, I want to make changes for a lifetime.

So, for me, jumping from one weight loss goal to the next and hovering there for a while will increase my chances of success. I've never been able to just stay in one place with regards to my weight for any substantial amount of time. 

Learning the discipline of maintaining my weight has been an interesting ride for me so far. I'm becoming more aware of the difference between the number of calories it takes to lose weight verses maintaining it. 

I found this easy to use and helpful calculator that shows weight loss as well as weight maintenance recommended daily caloric intakes. It doesn't require you to sign up and it compares with several other calculators I found on line. 

So, whatever your weight loss choices may be I hope that you are successful in your goals. This isn't an easy journey, but it is one worth taking.

Kick Start the Metabolism & Shrink the Fat.


Much as I dislike drinking water every day, it helps the weight loss process in several ways. I find that it will settle the stomach in the morning and rehydrate me after a night’s sleep. Claims by leading authorities’ say that water kick starts the metabolism for an added boost and I've found that to be true. I’ve also seen a change in my digestive system that is positive, not to mention, water flushes the fat from your body.

I have also begun to take Raspberry Ketones Razberi-K 100mg twice a day as was featured on The Dr OZ Show (Tips for shrinking your fat) as well as drinking the Clover tea he suggested as well. Read his article about it.

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I would like to hear from you about your weight loss stories & struggles. Let's start a conversation...

The First Six Steps to Any Weight Loss Program




Starting out each day I am filled with resolve to, "Get it right" this time. I begin the day with stretching and exercise, water and a healthy breakfast, but somewhere in the middle, I give in. My cravings for food consume me and I am helpless to fight. In the end, I succumb.


It starts out harmless enough. I believe that anything in moderation is okay. So, I give into the craving, thinking that a just a little will fend it off and I can get back to the healthier choices, but giving in only creates more of the same craving headaches and I have lost the battle again.

Before I know it I am engaged in an all-out war with myself. My attempts to stay on track are diminished and I'm left at the end of the day with a long list in my food journal. How did I get here and how can I get back to where I was?

This is when I began to have a revelation! Food is controlling me and I am powerless!

For a decade now I have been under the authority of my cravings. I have been completely powerless and continually defeated when it comes to controlling my diet. If only I could wrangle in my destructive behavior and stop the endless battle—I would be set. Over the last weeks I have identified my triggers, my habits, my weaknesses and my resolve, but achieving my weight loss goals has been difficult! 

Now I'm admitting in greater detail that I have a problem and that I am powerless over food! 

My thinking is evolving and I am gaining new ground every day, but still, it isn't enough. During this weight loss process I have begun a step style journey of my own. First, I began by talking openly about my eating disorder (ED), then I started to formulate a basic plan, next I reached out for help through friends, family and the on-line community and now, I have realized my powerlessness.

These are the steps I've developed so far: 

1. Reflect inward and realize that an eating disorder (ED) exists.
2. Begin to have positive self talk designed to create a plan map.
3. Reach out in places you know are safe and begin an open conversation.
4. Admit to yourself and a close support member that you are ineffective in controlling and managing your diet in healthy and productive ways.
5. Be open to obtaining spiritual guidance from your personal Savior and seek instruction beyond yourself.

While I believe there are some things from the standard 12 step program that could be applied to an eating disorder; I am certain that a dietary program that relies on steps will need revamping in order to truly work. 

It is time to become fearless and transparent. I must dig deep into the reasons and circumstances that got me where I am currently. I believe that reaching back into my past and putting together a clearer map of how I got where I am today will bring insight and release from the chains that bind me to my unhealthy eating. 

In every life situation there are defining moments that change us and our way of doing things.

There are paths known and unknown that got me here and those things must be discovered and addressed before real change can occur. With this in mind I turn to the next logical step:

6. Begin uncovering past observations and choices that led to the eating habits you have today and write them down.

As with anything I’ve done in this life, there’s always been some kind of order or instructions that were used to get me where I am today. These paths must be sought out in order to find answers and gain resolution going forward. 

Developing a strategy is imperative and necessary & I hope that these steps will be helpful in assisting in your weight loss plan. I know they are helping me so far. 

Generations of Bad Eating Habits...






Throughout our lives and generation after generation we've passed on our eating habits to those coming up behind us. 

My generation grew up during the fast food explosion. I remember the family taking a picnic to the park with a bucket full of our favorite fried chicken with all the trimmings. This was what was to be the beginning of my love affair with fast food. Already, convenience was turning the tides of the family dinner table and as a kid—I couldn't have been more thrilled!

In kind, when I became a mother, I passed on this idea and began taking my children to the place with the coolest toys. They are grown up now, but we still have an entire box of collected toys. I'm hoping one day we'll be able to turn that box into the best thing about our eating experiences all those years ago. 

Today there is a shift that's trending toward homemade packed treats for the park with healthy nutrient packed goodies. This is an extraordinary change in the right direction. 

I find that I'm looking forward to the new frame of mind and am excited for how these healthy changes will impact the paths of the next generation. As we slowly move into a society that's teaching our youngsters to know where their food comes from I am cautiously optimistic. 

In a recent study by Penn State, "they found that children’s weight gain between fifth and eighth grades was not associated with the introduction or the duration of exposure to competitive food sales in middle school." and they concluded  that, "One possible explanation is that children’s food preferences and dietary patterns are firmly established before adolescence.

Looking into my own dietary history; I can pinpoint the very moment where I began to use fast food as a tool of convenience. Opting to grab and go rather than fixing a healthy option in my kitchen. It was during those first few years of adult freedom. I was on the go a lot and found fast food to be an easy option. I didn't worry about the consequences because I was so active. I was setting up my generational legacy without even knowing it.

Determining ones generational dietary path can be tricky. We have to open up and discover where our relationships with food come from and how we're going to change them for future generations.

Hindsight being 20/20, I have decided to take a deeper look into my pathways of nutrition. My children are beginning to adopt the new changes and that is where the proof is in the pudding. Hopefully, they will not repeat my mistakes?





Eating Disorders (ED) come in many packages...




What you may expect an eating disorder to look like may not always be the case. Just because you don't purge, doesn't mean that you aren't a binge eater.

Often, those with eating disorders go unnoticed. Take for instance the cheerleader whom everyone adores for her athleticism, or the track runner, or even people in places of authority. 

There is not just one face to the eating disorder. 

It can be hiding in plain sight! 

It could even be hiding in 

You!

Years can roll on... A person may never discover that their eating habits are distorted. Denial is often a useful tool when it’s used to hide the disease.

Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Night eating, Obesity, or even Binge eating can be a mystery to the one who suffers with it. Until the problem can be discovered and identified; you may never truly know the motivations behind your choices.

Take the time to ask yourself the 

important 

questions. 

Don't be afraid to dig deep. 

If you suspect you may have an eating disorder, the National Institute of Mental Health NIMH has a load of information regarding eating disorders. If you're unsure if an eating disorder applies to you, there's a self-test that you can take.

Whatever your suspicions may be; don't be afraid to ask yourself the tough questions & remember the first life-line to YOU, is... YOU!

Truth be told, I binged all morning!




Today is a particularly difficult day. I’ve been in a lot of pain in my neck, head, and eyes. When I feel like this it is hard to function. I find that binging is my main source of comfort.

This morning when I got up; I just didn’t feel well. Chronic pain has been a close companion ever since the accident 5 years ago and believe me nobody wants me to, “Get over it!” more than I do, but some days that just seems impossible. 


It’s been 6 weeks without pain medication and I’m happy about that, however, some days the pain is too much! When I feel this way I tend to loose strength to eat right. 

The first part of the day I ate one thing after another. I started out right with my glass of water and a light breakfast. Not soon after I was back in the kitchen having a second course, then a third and so on, until I finally felt satisfied. It alleviated my pain for a while, but as we already know, this was only a quick fix. I finally took two Tylenol and lay back down to get rid of the pain.

When I woke, my headache was lessened, but in no way was I fully recovered. Its days like these that I can’t seem to find the will-power to resist the pain eating. I gave in to every yummy thing I’ve been moderating for the last eleven days. I wish I could say that everything I ate was a healthier choice, but was not the case. Sure, some things were good choices like my salad, but the peperoni was not. 

They say the first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem. I recognize whole-heartily this problem that I have. I just don’t know how to fix it! I have tried endlessly and I continue to fall into the trap.

I'm beginning to identify the problem in its totality, but I still have no clear plan. Now that I'm coming around to this information I am going to make good use of it and see if I can come up with some ideas that work. 
If any of you have ideas that have worked for you; I would love for you to share them? 

Map Out Your Daily Diet...





Map out your daily diet and then stick to it! It will help tremendously if you decide what your diet will be for the day. Think of your activities for that day and then make a decision as to what your food will consist of.

For instance, if you know you will be eating out make sure your order is pre-determined. Instead of choosing from the menu, think about how you can tailor your order to fit your diet.

When I go out for breakfast I special order...


254 Pounds This Morning! A Six Pound Loss...





So, I'm at the scale this morning and knowing that I had a few back slides yesterday and it's only been a couple of days since I last weighed myself, but I got on the scale anyways. The scale reported to me that I was 254 pounds! WhaaHoo! That's a loss of 6 pounds!

What have I been doing...

Not bad for the first day?





April 5th, 2012...

Sarting the day...





To kick start my metabolism today I have had:

10 minutes of exercise, m
y first full glass of water. (I will need 7 more today),Oatmeal w/ Honey, Cinnamon, and fresh apple.

I started the day before getting out of bed by stretching. I suffer from chronic pain...

I am challenging myself...

4/5/2012 12:27:08 AM

Wouldn't it be nice if tomorrow when I woke up I was a healthy 125 pounds?

I've been dreaming for a long time. It's been almost 15 years now with this weight on. I’m so tired of carrying the weight of a second person with me every day. Tomorrow I will begin on my weightloss journey and I will be taking you with me!