JUNE 14th Pluggin Along with Optimism

Yesterday I finished up a 7 part series on my art blog (HERE) that kept me busy and happy. But... that's not the main reason I've been quiet here.

All Tiny Food photos today

credited to: Shay Aaron

Recently I sort of made a decision that I just wasn't going to post if I didn't feel I had anything to say. I finally let go of that feeling of "obligation", or the "supposed to" thoughts, or even guilt. 

Guilt?? Well, because I've received so much support over the last 3 years, and made friends and benefited from the online wt loss community. So I sort of felt it was only fair to give back, ya know? 

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But at this point in my journey, I feel the best way to support others from my blog is to only post when I honestly feel like it! To be genuine, and not force it. 

So, today all I want to share about is a smidge of progress, and a feeling of optimism. 

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Over the last 3 years I've gone round and round with this counting calories thing. Sooo many opinions on that topic! So many different approaches. What works for one, doesn't work for another, yadda yadda yadda. 

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I do low carb. That works for ME. I know it's not for everyone, but I love it. Yet I get sooo annoyed with low carbers who INSIST you don't need to count calories. 

"Eating low carb will naturally limit your hunger, and you'll automatically eat less, your blood sugars will be lowered causing less insulin release, hence the weight loss." 

Uh huh.... right. That IS true... for PHYSICAL hunger.

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But my achilles heel has always been: my overeating was not caused by physical hunger. 

I love eating low carb. I ate my last sugar and white flour in March of 2009. Best decision I ever made! Yet... I still struggle to lose weight. 

TOO. MANY. CALORIES. 

Plain and simple. Portion control has always been my nemesis. Well, that and age and menopausal hormones and inability to vigorously exercise... but that's another post. ;-)

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I finally admitted to myself that my resistance to consistently counting calories was mostly rebellion on my part. Why me? Why should *I* have to, when others don't? It's not fair... and other such childish thoughts. 

I've learned so much regarding health and nutrition from listening to podcasts, especially from Jimmy Moore at Livin La Vida Low Carb (HERE).  But I had almost stopped listening recently, because I was sooo tired of the "experts" who insist that if you eat low carb it's like the end-all, be-all panacea for whatever ails the world! 

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Don't get me wrong...I totally believe it's healthy, but I also acknowledge some people don't take to it, for a variety of reasons, and I don't criticize them.

Well, a couple of days ago I listened to just one more podcast. And I am sooo glad I did! Jimmy interviewed diabetes expert Jenny Ruhl, from Bloodsugar101.com  

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Finally, someone who tells it like it is! The title of the free podcast is "The Truth About Low Carb Diets"(HERE).   I might not agree with 100% of what she said (sorry, I don't know about you, but my ancestors weren't amoebae) but she DID address this thing about calories, along with a lot of other interesting info. If you're on low carb and struggling, you might consider giving it a listen.

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Regardless of what "diet" you choose, and regardless of what the promoters of said diet say... calories DO matter in the end. 

So... all that jabbering to say: I'm finally okay with having to count the calories! Maybe someday I won't need to... but for now, it's a tool that will help me stay within healthy limits. 

I discovered that for me, when all is going smoothly in my life, I can "hear" when to stop, and can do my own limiting naturally. 

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But when stress amps up, my "hearing" gets clogged, or maybe I just don't WANT to hear it. Either way, it doesn't work under stressful conditions.

So for now, I count. Until I get closer to goal, until I get better at this, until I just don't need to any more: I count. 

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I think a lot of us "know" there is a thing we need to do. A thing we don't WANT to do. A thing we fight, we resist, we justify NOT doing. A thing we might even resent doing. Yet deep down, we know it would be beneficial. My prayer for all of us is: to have the grace to DO it. 

Not talk about it. Not hope about it. Not whine about it. Not think about it. Not read about it. But... to DO it. To add action to the equation. That's what I'm working on.

Pretty boring stuff, nothing new really... but it's just where I'm at. :-D

My book quote for today:  "By the grace of God, each moment is a new beginning, a new dawn for your potential.  Your thoughts can become totally different, and as a result, your character can change and your life can be transformed. God wants you to be completely alive, full of passion, and bursting with joy." --Tommy Newberry, The 4:8 Principle

My verse for today: "Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me."

My quote for today: "If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward." --Martin Luther King Jr

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

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DAY 1026

SEPT 18th Progress... & Time to DO!

Hello Journal & Friends,

I finally did it. I did what I kept SAYING I was going to do... take a Blogcation. 

I discovered that I was so used to coming and reading blogs every day, almost like a dependency or something, and it was hard to stop... I might miss something! I found it extremely difficult to actually disengage. I finally did, and have only read a few here and there for the last few days. 

I've been up and down... hot and cold... encouraged and discouraged. 

And finally, after a lot of thought, I decided to just do what I did in the beginning... what worked.

 KISS... Keep It Super Simple.

I've learned how to offically count grams of carbs, calories, fiber, fat and protein. I found I was doing pretty well in those percentages. 

But after months of that... well, I think I just burned out on all the record keeping. I rebelled, and didn't count ANYthing the last couple of weeks. Dangerous for someone like me who is still learning portion control. :-}

So... back to KISS. Super simple... just keep tabs on the calories, and not sweat the fine print. :-) The rest will come in time.

It always cracks me up when I feel like I'm chasing my tail going nowhere, and then someone goes and quotes ME! Happened this morning. I had just finished reading an old post of mine, and it had thoroughly smacked me, in a good way. It was written when I was feeling more spunky than now: Grumpy Schmumpy? Just DO it! 

So, there I am, feeling all sheepish but encouraged over that post, and I get an email from a fellow Oregonian, Joy at Nuggets of Truth, telling me she quoted one of my comments I left her. Oh, the irony!! I just had to laugh. Thank you, Joy, it helped me, too!

Progress... that's how I'm looking at this. Another leg of the journey, another bend in the road. Here is part of what I said to Joy... I must've been in a Smarty Pants mood that day!!!

"... don't let those doubts win.

I have doubts come a-knocking at my door all the time. Most of the time I don't invite them in for a tea party! Let alone let em move in and unpack! Kick em out, is what I have to remind myself to do. I DO have a choice as to whether or not I believe the lie.

I truly believe that the battle is won or lost between the ears...

...the SuperHeroes of weight loss are simply farther down the road as some of us. So, don't compare yourself to them. When you get all your stuff worked out, and it "clicks", you'll be one, too!

Once we find our path, and work out our method, alls left is to do... and I don't think we have to have it all ironed out perfectly, with 100% hot-shot belief before we can DO the doing.... ya know?? Because the more we DO, the more we will believe, because we will have created a New History to prove to ourselves we can DO it. :-D

...until I totally See It, I'll continue to just DO it."

Ummm... methinks it's time to follow my own advice!!

From Dr Phil's book: "It's all about changing..."

My verse for today: "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you..."

My quote for today: "The birds they sing at break of day, 'Start again...' I hear them say." --Leonard Cohen

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

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DAY 763

JULY 7th On the Carb Conquest Cruise!

Good Afternoon

 Journal & Friends!

I've joined Deb on her Carb Conquest Cruise, and wanted to give an update. Bottomline: it's going great and I am excited!

I'm not saying it's all been perfect. Far from it. But I am learning so much, and each day seems to get better n better. 

What are you learning, you ask? Why, thank you for asking. I shall tell you. ;-)

I am learning:

... that once my barrier to change was broken down on one topic, it became a smidge easier to be WILLING to look at other areas that could benefit from change.

... that once I changed my attitude and decided that I WAS going to learn to count those dang carbs... it wasn't as hard as I had anticipated.

... that it really helps to be accountable to someone who is doing the same type, or similar plan, because they understand, they get it.

... that I needed to get real honest with myself that what I was doing had stopped working (guesstimating the carbs) and I needed to change, and learn to do it properly and accurately.

... that I still had a lot to learn about balancing the calories with the carbs. I tend to run out of calories before I hit my target of 40 carbs per day, and then my calories have been climing too high. EeeK! So, I'm learning to balance that out.

... that going to bed a little earlier and getting up... gasp... a little earlier in order to eat a proper protein rich breakfast won't kill me, LOL!

... that my main downfall can be summed up by the description "random unplanned eating". When I make a menu out and stick to it, allowing for flexibility but only at the PLANNED TIME, and not at unplanned random Munchfests, then I do so much better. Way better. Hugely better. Can we say: I succeed!

... that I should pay attention after I pray. It came as a pleasant surprise to realize that all this information and change came only a day or so AFTER I had prayed a simple "HELP!!"  God is gracious and loving, and I believe He WANTS to help us. I'm reminded of an old song that is sung to the tune of Dannyboy. One line goes: "He looked beyond our faults and saw our need."

... that there are wonderful and generous people out there that aren't out to "get you" and take your money. That they really do just want to share their knowledge to help people help themselves. One such person that I've been learning from is a neurosurgeon named Dr Jack Kruse.   He shares his protocol about regaining Leptin Sensitivity (leptin is the "master hormone" that regulates all the rest he says). It's a lot of reading--but worth it, so for anyone interested, here is his Blog.

... And lastly, that we CAN change. *I* can change. All I need is to be willing, and find the right information. God will meet me where I am at. I am no longer going to "claim" and label myself as one who overeats at night... that nighttime eating is my downfall. It USED to be. No more. I am saying I am changing, and learning, and no longer a slave to that. I am willing to change, and choosing it. Because what I get in exchange for it is worth it. :-)

From Dr Phil's book: "Change your thinking to change your weight."

My verse for today: "The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out."

My quote for today: "Condemnation without investigation is the height of ignorance."  --Albert Einstein

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

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DAY 692

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FEB 10 Clap! Clap! Clap!

Good Evening Journal & Friends,

Holy cannoli! I watched a video from Sean at Daily Diary of a Winning Loser, and threw out my post that I just wrote. Instead, if you want to be inspired... motivated... encouraged... do yourself a favor and go watch his video, here! Go, Sean, go!

I've been reading Sean from shortly after his beginning, and went back to catch up on the posts I missed. He was one of the first bloggers to leave me a comment, and he made me feel welcomed, and encouraged me to DO this. 

That was back when he was a Little Shot... now he is a Big Shot, and there is no way he can keep up with all his followers. But I highly appreciate his support back in my beginner days. It meant a lot to me, to see someone DO it, paving the way and being an inspiration.

He's been working on a book, and I can't wait to support him by buying a copy. No... I don't buy "diet" books any more. But this one feels like it's the story of change from a friend. Even though some might not think I agree with his philosophy about food (since I do low carb), I actually DO, in my own way.

Sean had food issues. At 505 pounds, well, duh! How well could I relate. So, he started out by making peace with food. He ate whatever he wanted, just not ALL of it.  He had a calorie budget, and simply stuck to his budget. 

And over time, he naturally made better and better nutritional choices. He took a lot of flack in the beginning from the "cleaner eater" crowd. They didn't understand why he took that approach. I did. I started at 460... boy, did I ever understand!

And he was honest with himself along the way. Because he realized that, bottomline, it wasn't really all about the food.

I totally agree with his approach! I just can't do "sugar". We don't all have the same physiology. But I still use basically the same approach, only within the guidelines of No Sugar (and stuff that turns to sugar quickly in the body, like starches). And once you learn how to shop, cook, and bake without sugar, there are tons of choices. So over time, I've gradually made better nutritional choices, though I still have a long ways to go in that department, that's for sure. 

But I would highly recommend his simple approach. If you haven't found your own "path", then check Sean out. Go back, and read from the beginning. It's chock full of inspiration and epiphanies along the way. Oh, did I mention he's gone from 505 to about 230 pounds??

I promise you, you won't be disappointed!

PS: Invite you to join the discussion in the Comments, where we talk in a little more detail about Sean's approach, and how I personalized it.

From Dr Phil's book: "You will want to resist things that are new and that you don't understand... you can overcome this by consciously taking on the attitude of a willing spirit."

My verse for today: "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music."

My quote for today: "For the person that is really progressing and they read up a lot and they have a lot of energy and discipline, they don't need a trainer. It depends on the individual. I don't need a trainer--I am my own trainer." --Jack LaLanne

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

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DAY 545