Today is the first day of the rest of my life!

Since the delivery of my second son in 1995, I have struggled to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight and shape. I have attempted every diet known to man and had a few successes, but never fully got to the goal I was attempting or kept the progress I had made for very long.

Today marks my latest attempt. I am running out of time to make the changes needed before I get too fat and too old to really do something about it. I will walk every day and curtail my diet to healthy choices and rewards in small amounts rarely.

It's do or die trying! As long as I can walk; I will walk! As long as I can watch my food intake; I will watch my food intake! I can no longer accept this body I have created and it does not fit into my plans for the future! I will succeed! 

I'm adding walking to my daily regimen day I walked 5 miles. I'm sore, but I'm not too sore. Things went well and I'm looking favorably into the future! 

Better than Meats the Eye!

A Vegetarian Sandwich that I Love!


When I was working at an office in downtown Portland Oregon, USA years ago, I stumbled upon a little deli. It was there I was introduced to this most Fabulous Vegetarian Sandwich!

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Bread-2 slices
Neufchâtel cheese or cream cheese-2Tbsp.
Alfalfa or clover sprouts-liberal amount
Cucumber slices-As many as you want! Go for the Gusto!
Onion Slices-Optional

And the secret ingredient that makes this sandwich so delish...

Sunflower Seeds-Raw, Roasted, with salt, but best without!

Of course you can add any other veggies that you love!

Enjoy!

The "I Wills" that "I Will" Today!

After an extended weekend; I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day! I am rededicating myself to my weight loss goals and getting motivated!


Today I got up, got dressed, filled my water bottle and headed out for a walk before I could talk myself out of it. What a blessing! The air was fresh and most yards were full of life and color.

I've had a lot of time to formulate my strategy and renew my resolve. There have been so many triggers identified in the last two months that I have gained ample insight as to why I eat the way I do. My desire to keep going runs even deeper and with that being said I want to rededicate myself to all that I've begun.

When thinking of all the triggers that have come to light there is one that really sticks out for me. The fact that I overeat when I'm experiencing pain, whether it's the physical pain or the emotional pain, either one triggers the unhealthy eating and bad habits. Looking over the last two months has shown me that stressing out about my diet super charges the triggers to more bad habits. I have also found it difficult to stick to drinking my daily amount of water and taking vitamins seem to be a turn off over time.

So, what’s the solution?

I don't think there is any magic bullet, nor do I think a secret shortcut exists! In keeping up with all the latest trends and trying just about everything under the sun from past to present, I'm convinced of some very basic designs when it comes to weight loss.

For me, the only times I've ever lost weight in my life, the things that worked best and produced the greatest results were simply these:

1. Cutting Calories. No weight loss has ever happened without a serious reduction in calories.
2. Reducing Eating Times. When I lost 65 pounds one time around 2005, I had decided to eat only 3 simple meals a day and one small evening snack. 
3. Plain old walking has also been one of the best successes for me in the past.
4. Keeping the self-talk positive, Always!

I have also lost weight on Weight Watchers and Curves, but the real evidence has been good old fashioned healthy living. I realize I’ve developed some really bad habits over the last 17 years and getting them out of my life will be the greatest obstacle. When I think of how I ate and the level of activity I used to have; I realize how much things have changed. Sugar coating any of these facts will only be a disservice to the goals ahead of me. Most importantly, I must remember…

Today is a New Day!

The 2 month mark is quickly approaching and my desire to lose the weight is stronger than ever. With that being said I'm restarting my diet guidelines and fast-forwarding into health and wellness. My current weight today is 250.9 which considering the back-slide recently is pretty darn good. 

It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again! So, Today “I Will”…

“I will” begin again and limit my food intake and eating times. I will eat breakfast between 7 and 9am, lunch between noon and 2pm, dinner between 5 and 7pm. I will reserve a yummy snack for the hours before bed, but it will be very small and very yummy!

“I will” drink a minimum of 6 twelve ounce glasses of water and take all my vitamins.

“I will” not eat in between the meal times I have set. In the past I have thought of the in-between times as fasting times and it has helped.

“I will” walk and/or complete a workout twice today.

“I will” get to bed at a regular time, preferably one that reduces my chances of eating. I figure after the 10 or 11 o'clock new will be good.

These are my “I will” commitments moving forward...

So, please join me and let's make a new commitment! We don't need a special occasion or a certain date. What we need is to begin each and every day with a commitment to our lives! We all know what we want, now let's get out there and get it!