Follow up to the original series published on my blog, Soul Java, February, 2010. Links to that blog are at the end of this.
Wow! I have been sending people by the scores to my original blog about my weight loss when they would ask about how I lost weight. I just read pieces of it and realized that I am SHAMEFULLY overdue for an update!
As of today, November 12, 2012, I weigh 138 pounds. I have not taken any medication to assist in weight loss for over two years. I do take some meds to help me get to sleep as well as some vitamin supplements, which are chronicled in another blog.
I do fifteen minutes of cardio two to three times a week, that's usually a jog. I do *yoga daily. I usually include my yoga during my Happy Exercise,(Check back for a blog about my Happy Exercise.) which means I am doing a series of poses every hour. It only takes about 5-8 minutes, and it is a great break from my desk and also amazing for toning, and stretching.
I drink liquid almost ALL day. I drink water, coffee, juice, smoothies, etc. I go to the bathroom almost every hour, and I sweat a lot. Both are very healthy signs.
I eat an early dinner, usually around 5 p.m. Sometimes it can be as early as 3 p.m. and sometimes as late as 6 p.m. But I do everything I can to not eat within a couple hours of bedtime. I honestly just do not like myself when I eat too near bedtime. If I am suffering with PMS cravings, I'll have a spoonful of honey, and sometimes I'll throw in a few nuts like pecans, almonds, or walnuts stirred in with the honey. I may have some hot cocoa with some honey stirred in if I am needing a chocolate fix.
I have gotten to a place where I truly do not like a full stomach. I get sick, sad, and moody if I'm too full. So I have become more attuned to my stomach than my tongue. I used to eat based on how much my tongue enjoyed the food. Now I eat based on how much my midsection feels full.
I eat whatever sounds yummy. That could be a salad, or it could be rice. It could be a hamburger from McDonalds, or it could be a cup of broth. I'm not strict about what will not go into my mouth. When I exercise, if it hurts, I take a break! Period. I do not follow the pattern of "no pain, no gain." I do not subscribe to any philosophy that is inconvenient. This carries over to food for me. If I'm craving something, I eat it. So, clearly the health and nutrition experts will not be asking me to join their governing boards. But, I have succeeded for ME, I govern ME, and if I want to eat something considered "unhealthy," I do.
But I do so in moderation. If I go to McDonald's, I usually get a plain hamburger, a small fry, and a small diet coke without ice. If I want one of the "value meals" I'll get it. But it is rare for me to eat 3/4 of it. Since it is such a huge waste of money, I just get what I will actually eat. When I eat in a sit-down restaurant I usually ask for a to go box AS SOON as the food is brought to the table & I box half of it.
Sleep is very important to weight loss, health, and mood. By nature I would hardly EVER sleep. It's NOTHING for me to be awake for 36-48 consecutive hours. I can work, work, work! But guess what I am doing while I'm awake? Eating. And guess who suffers when my mood crashes? My kids. So I take meds to sleep. I rotate between melatonin, 5-HTP, Benadryl, etc. Honey is also helpful to calm you so you can sleep. As is chamomile, and no lights on. There are a million and one tricks to help induce sleep, I say try them all!
I started with Weight Watchers, and I still employee their basic ideas. But now that the weight is off, I have learned to focus more on "needs" than "wants," and it is AMAZING how little our body actually "needs."
It's been a long journey for me, but I've enjoyed every step. I've learned what works for me. I've learned which details to stand unmoving on, and which to give in a little for.
Don't give up on your journey to health and wellness! If you have questions, feel free to ask me. I am not a trained professional. But I can tell you what I did in my situation. I can speak of my experiences. I strongly encourage you to seek out a professional. But, don't let their rules make you feel like it is impossible. Either filter what they say, or go find a different professional with a viewpoint closer to what you can actually live out. Don't give up! Losing .2 pounds in a week may not sound as awesome as losing 10 pounds in a week, but it's better than GAINING .2!
You can do this!!!
Denée Richardson, Le Muser
www.deneerichardson.com
~Thanks to Lisa Velie for editing.
*Yoga: Not the "spiritual" yoga. I'm sorry if the word is offensive, but it's the only word I know to describe the toning and stretching workouts that I do. But I'm an absolute, Holy Ghost filled, tongue-talking, Pentecostal lifestyle living, chick. Scouts honor. Yoga is no more "spiritual" to me than it would be for an atheist to jump up and down, wave his hands, sing, run an aisle and those actions make him "Pentecostal" because he did a few "exercises" that are similar to our church services. Those actions DO NOT make that person Pentecostal. It merely gives them a great cardio workout! Just because a person balances on one leg while holding the opposite leg straight out behind them, with both arms outstretched, sweating bullets as they try not to fall over does NOT make them an actual Yogi. It does not fill them with an ancient evil spirit. It merely makes them look hilarious while building muscles and exceptional balancing skills. That's it. I will not permit nor reply to arguments on the topic. Get your own blog and write against it if you need to.
Part 4
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