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...

Yesterday I had a tough day. I did not give into every craving, but I came close. I went 300 calories over my goal, but I know that because I still tracked everything! That was the first time I have ever done that. In the past, I have usually stopped tracking and given up with an "all or nothing" mindset. "I'll start again on Monday," "I'll try again next week," "I'll wait until I have ___..." This could go on and on, but I'm sure you get the picture. This is another reason I have been so grateful for the Half Size Me Community and Podcast, as well as friends and family who have come out and shared that they, too, have struggled through this mindset. I had a bad day. I ate more than I have been eating and I let myself have more of what I have been trying to limit or eliminate. You know what, though? At the end of the day, I have still lost about 13lbs. I have made enough small changes over the last 3 weeks to know that this is...

It is amazing how we change as we grow older. In my late teens and early twenties, I was convinced that talk radio was pointless. I hated commercials and music was ever playing in the background of EVERYTHING I did: homework, driving, cleaning, working out... everything. As time has progressed, and hubby and I have decided to do the Ramsey plan for getting out of debt, I have needed the Dave Ramsey Podcast in order to help me with more motivation and encouragement from the successes. One podcast has led to another and another. Now, I find that when I'm cleaning, researching, driving, working out, i.e. walking and fitness training, I cannot listen to music. My mind works better and stays focused with, you guessed it, talk radio. I have about 10 podcasts in my iTunes radio, 6-7 that I listen to regularly. I have to say that I binge-cast on the Half Size Me show. The successes and uplifting messages and the intro music give me that little push that we all need. It is my "Eye ...

Today has been great as far as meals and preparation. I was ahead of schedule most of the morning, so I was able to get ahead on tracking, prepping for the babies, and looking up some home workout videos that I am considering. So, I spent a significant amount of time looking over the Beach Body website. I knew that they had a few dance programs others, but I was really excited to look into the dance ones. I am super excited about Country Heat and Cize. I would also like to try the 21 Day Fix. If anyone owns these videos, I would be ever so grateful if I could borrow one before I commit to the purchase. I don't know about Country Heat, but I am pretty sure that hubby would like to do Cize with me. I am prayerful for that. He is not as intense with his desires to change, but he is super supportive of me and is not complaining at all about the alterations I am making to our family meals. He also appreciates the fact that we are not eating out as much, if at all. In addition to o...