100plusGO

160 pounds. BMI now 52% which is still "Morbidly Obese" but I look and feel a whole lot better than I did. I have learned a LOT in this process. And every pound is a whole brick of butter (454g butter). Therefore, every 10 pounds deserves a celebration (non-foodie of course). There's 140 more pounds for me to shed before I reach goal. I) Do you sleep lot? I used to sleep a LOT! Now, when I go to bed, I set my alarm to 7 hours later. Did you know? ... Over sleeping messes up serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain. When those 2 little things get outta whack we end up sad & even more tired. II) Try to get outside everyday... regardless of the weather. It is important to get out of the house/apartment even for a short time. I putter around the yard ... walk around the block... It's amazing what a little time out of the house can do for you. If you have a balcony, get yourself a blanket and sit outside 15 mins. Rain or shine or snow. You'll be so glad you did. Besides, Movement MAKES energy. Always a good feeling afterward. The hard part is to do it. So, getting out of the house is now as important to me as brushing my teeth everyday.


**** HOW I STARTED ****

1st. Swept my floors each morning. It was not easy. 5 mins and I was winded. But I would sit down for a bit and try again, and again ... by the end of the day, my floors were swept. Talk about a good feeling :) Gotta start somewhere.

2nd. Walked to the end of the driveway to check the mail. (I didn't have a long driveway)

3rd. CUT fast food joints. That was a tough one. So convenient and quick.
*NO DRIVE THRUs ***except I DO GET COFFEE. When they ask "Is that all?... that is ALL I get.

4th. Park my car at the cart booth. Walk the extra steps, even on a bad weather days (**except icy days**). One perk of parking at the carts is how easy it is to locate my car, and I don't have to go far to put my shopping cart away. (I now park 2 spaces beyond the cart booth to prevent getting dings or damage on my car.)


****LET'S WORK TOGETHER****
Let's make 1 small change for ourselves TODAY. My first change was cutting pop and chips. Ya - maybe 2 changes but for me the two always went together.
[Did you know eating a salty food and sipping a sweet tasting drink -even if sugar-free- stops the full signal? Try it next time you have a combo. Don't sip that drink until later. You won't be able to finish your burger and fries. It is freaky!]
Once we've conquered that one change, try another healthy change. Prevent RELAPSE BEHAVIOR. Make a written contract and sign it... a contract to your brain and heart and liver... that you/I will learn the good fuel to fuel up with. No more dirty food. No more franken food. REAL food. And no more over-stuffing. No more buffets. Our stomach is only the size of our fist (and the size of an egg or banana if you're a Bariatric patient)
Smaller portions. More often in the day. Protein first. Dark green and bright colored veggies next. A small complex carb. If we do relapse, start over. Just Keep Going. Never quit. Never guilt. FOOD ADDICTION is difficult because we can't just quit buying food or quit eating. FOOD is everywhere and in most celebrations. BUT we CAN choose the food we do buy, and prioritize how we eat that food: protein first, colorful veggies next, and wholesome complex carbs last. Stick to that order and you'll do great. Remember to use FULL fats in milk, buttermilk, butter, yogurts, cheeses. EVOO (dark bottle) is the first olive press. Nut butters have good fats. Fatty fish is food for the brain and excellent for cardiovascular health. GOOD FATS vs bad. GOOD CARBS vs bad. Once those are established, the rest is much easier. Our muscles, hair, nails, brain, and joints need that good fat. Use your fist and choose wisely. No need to count calories. Eat well. Feel well. HEAD HUNGER is the same as a smoker's elbow. A smoker who quits will tell you the bending of the elbow after meals is so difficult ... we have the same issue. Our elbow is used to bending a lot longer than our proper food portions allow, especially at night. Find a way to bend that elbow without food attached to it. CHEAT DAY does not exist. It's real name is Relapse Behavior. Alcoholics and drug addicts will tell you that they cannot have a 'cheat day'. It will set them off to a season of bingeing. We are the same. WE can't have a specific no-no food or foods that would set us off for a weekend of consuming mega calories. Cheat Day can lead to a few days of bingeing on no-no foods and drinks. Once you know YOUR 'trigger foods', go ahead and have that piece of birthday cake or enjoy that Thanksgiving or Christmas stuffing IF IT WILL NOT lead to a binge of pizza AND chips AND garlic fingers AND ice cream AND beer (all high carby items) in a whole day or more. If you notice that happening, then THAT particular item that started the Binge Fest has become a no-no food for you. Once you can itemize which no-no food sets you/me off on a season of bingeing, that 'trigger food' becomes no-no for us. Period. (**Trigger foods are different for everyone: some CAN eat ONE piece of pie, pizza, cake, or ONE handful of chips. Others cannot.**)

NO is a KIND WORD that PROTECTS US. It is not ok to punish our Liver, our Heart, our Pancreas ... It is not ok to eat 2 sandwiches(4 bread slices) or a footlong sandwich (6 bread in one sitting). It is not ok to eat a cereal bowl of mashed potatoes. It is NOT ok to drink pop (carbonation) after Bariatric surgeries. Carbonation is dangerous to Bariatric tummies. Ulcers are no fun and completely preventable. NO is a kind word. Be kind ... to yourself/myself. Never beat yourself up. Be KIND to yourself always. Make that contract. It works. RESTART. Learn. Repeat. Guilt free. WELCOME ABOARD
Let's DO this!!