Healthy Living

Welcome back! I have been unable to share more on my journey this past week due to some medical issues that have complicated my life. I'm better now, just healing. That is what I'm going to share about today. Without bogging you down with all of the details, I will just share that I spent last weekend in the hospital. I had surgery on Saturday and was released on Sunday afternoon. Thankfully, the infection that I contracted was centralized and seems to be responding well to the surgery and antibiotics. The incision was made just below my chin at the top of my neck. It is closing, but like any other surgery, I have to let my body heal. The doctors gave me clearance to do light workouts and walking, but make sure to keep an eye on the incision sight. With 2 little ones at home, it is hard to keep it light, but I have given myself permission to take the time I need to get our household back to normal. Unfortunately, that means I had to pause my 21 Day Fix (even with the 3 day...

It is becoming increasingly clear to me that weight is not a magic number for happiness. So many of us think, "If I could just get to ___lbs/size, I would be happy with my body." The fact is, however, that this is simply not true. As I have been listening to more podcasts and hearing more and more people share about the depth of their weight loss journeys, it seems that someone who is uncomfortable in their skin will not feel better about themselves no matter what the scale or their clothing size tells them. Now, this is obviously why we need a healthy relationship with the scale and should set some boundaries with it, but it is also necessary that we have a healthy relationship with our bodies and need to allow for the appreciation of ourselves. Self care is an important tool toward losing weight and having a positive self-image. When we have a negative body image, losing weight does not take away critiques, because we are humans and will always have "flaws." I w...

I have never really been a very good crash dieter. I have "succeeded" in some endeavors, that is to say I hit a number; however, it really just comes right back on when I give myself permission to eat what I want again because I made it! Right? No. I have struggled with bulimia, over-eating, binge eating and emotional eating. Bulimia simply scared me and I didn't like the idea of vomiting or taking diarrhetics to get rid of my intake. I knew it was bad, but it seemed easier than giving up food that I enjoyed eating. Over-eating makes me feel so stuffed, it's an uncomfortable, need-to-unbutton-my-jeans feeling, so I would do that on a regular basis when eating out. So, ordering a soda, appetizer, entree, dessert, and maybe a drink if it's a fun friend's night out. Binge eating usually happens when I am bored or overwhelmed and trying to avoid what I need to do. This began to hit me when my oldest daughter began spending more time awake and eating table food. ...

This has been a tough week for our family. Wednesday I had a post put in for a dental implant, Thursday I got a fever. Thinking I was just getting sick and was a little sore, I rested in the late afternoon while my amazing husband took care of the house and the girls. Friday, I was still sore and began swelling in my face. Saturday, the swelling worsened and pain medication was too much. Sunday, I could barely speak because the swelling spread under my tongue, I could barely swallow because the swelling grew under my chin... Sunday, I spent 8 hours in the ER. I wasn't able to eat, I was frustrated and uncomfortable... It was tough, but I was able to get some healthy dinner and found a tasty Greek Yogurt box of ice cream bars to treat myself with this week. I was not able to do my 21 Day Fix, but I gave myself permission to rest and recover. The Half Size Me Community was SO helpful to lean on, because I was able to let them know that I was struggling and ready to binge and I rece...