Today is my fourth time running my monthly feature where I will be giving you updates on how I am doing physically, mentally, etc. and in which you can link up a post about some form of progress you are making, if you wish (see details below). I am enjoying this, and being publicly accountable (as hard as it is) will and is helping me out tremendously. I hope you enjoy this link-up as well, will link up something inspiring and share it with others so that we can meet our goals together! :)
Here is how I am doing so far:
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| Me today, April 5, 2014 at 229 lbs. Sorry about the frowny face - it was early and I hadn't had my coffee yet! LOL :) Oh, and hubby didn't warn me he was taking the pictures until he had taken them, so I didn't know when to smile. Next time, I'll tell him to warn me! :D |
- I've lost some weight! I've lost 5 lbs. since last weigh in, but I've actually lost more than that this month. You see, about halfway into March, I noticed that my weight was going up and I was teetering around 240 - sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. This was obviously not ok with me! I decided it was time for action! I knew my biggest issue was that I was eating a lot of soy and processed foods as well as a lot more sugar/carbs than protein, so I decided to change my eating habit drastically. I knew I needed to do something that would have me focus on getting more protein in my diet and cut out the soy (something that my body is not ok with - definitely a food sensitivity for me), so I decided to do a modified version of the South Beach (stage one), which meant no carbs, no starchy veggies, no grains and no fruits for around 2 weeks. It was rough, and I went through a pretty nasty detox (saying I was crabby would be an understatement), but I feel so much better now, especially since I have more energy, less pain and more focus. Those things alone made the detox worth it, truly. Besides that, I figure I lost over 10 lbs. in those 2 weeks, hitting 229 today - the lowest I've been since about September 2013!
- I've made some serious eating change decisions. As I mentioned above, I am working on getting more protein into my diet and working on eating less carbs and soy. My hope is to eliminate soy from my diet, at least when I'm home. I will do my level best to keep it out of my diet when I'm away from home, but if it is not possible, I plan on making the healthiest choice of the options available to me. I know that the biggest key to me regaining my health is eliminating soy more than anything else, and so (no matter how hard it is) that is what I will do. I've done it before, I can do it again. I've also decided to keep an eye on how sugar and gluten make me feel. If I notice an issue with IBS, fatigue, headaches, etc. associated with them, then I plan on removing them from my diet or at least greatly reducing them. I know that won't be easy either, but I will do what I need to to be healthy again. :)
- I'm adding a new supplement to my routine. I will now have 8 vitamins/supplements to take vs. 7. I am adding a probiotic to the mix. I think this will be a great addition, especially since I was encouraged to add one by my doctor and several friends. I had been eating yogurt daily, but most of the yogurts I can tolerate texture-wise contain soy, so I figured a soy-free probiotic pill would be a great option. This way, I'm guaranteed to get the probiotics into my diet, and if I do find a soy-free yogurt that I like to eat by itself, then that's just an added bonus! :)
- I am getting more active! The weather is slowly getting nicer, so I've been able to get out for walks a little. It feels so nice! I am looking forward to more and more energy as the weight comes off and my diet improves and my body adjusts. I'm also looking forward to the energy that comes from getting more exercise (yes, it does work that way), and I'm sure the kids will enjoy it, too! :)
- My exciting news did not pan out. I was supposed to have an interview with a very well-known magazine, but due to an email getting to me 2 months late, I missed the chance. I am disappointed, but I know that God's hand is in all things, so I trust that other opportunities will come my way. :)
- I have some exciting plans for my blogs! I'm not sure when I'll get those plans rolling, but I am hopeful that it will be by next month. I can't wait, but I'm not going to tell you the details because I don't want to spoil the surprise! :)
- Spring Break is this week! My boys have Spring Break this week (well, through Thursday since we decided to do school on Friday so we could take Good Friday off when hubby has off work). I am excited to have some time away from the schooling, as are the kids, and looking forward to having some fun times with them as well as get some Spring Cleaning done. I am even hopeful to knock off some things off my To Do List! :) We shall see!
- We've made some decisions about schooling. At the end of March, we signed our daughter up for pre-school. I am hopeful that she will get in and we won't be put on a waiting list, but if she does get put on a waiting list, I'm going to do something at home with her. I'm kinda leaning towards, if school outside the home doesn't work out (i.e. she can't get into preschool or we have issues signing up for school when it comes time for her to be in kindergarten), that maybe that is our cue that we should just homeschool her. That terrifies me, honestly, because I feel out of my element from preschool through about second grade, but I have been praying about it, and feel like that is really the way to handle it. As to the boys, we've re-registered for the online school again next year, and we're all excited about it. The boys have really thrived and, though it's been rough at times, I know this is the best thing for all of us. :)
- I am having a lot of "Where did the time go?" moments lately! As school winds down for the year, I am forced to realize these things: 1) My oldest will be in 7th grade next year and the Teen Youth Group at church this summer! Whoa! He will be 12 in October! 2) My middle kid will be 10 in a few weeks! Say what? Two kids in my house in double digits!?! Now I feel old. 3) My youngest will be 4 in July and in preschool next fall! Yah...I feel old. I am excited and sad all at the same time over all of these things. It won't be long now and we'll be facing driver's ed and graduations and...well, let's not go there. :) I'll just focus on enjoying and getting through each phase as we get there.
- I got new glasses. As you may or may not have noticed in the pictures above, I got new glasses. It has been a long time since I've had wire frames and they took awhile to get used to, but I like them. :)
I know I shared a lot this month, and I hope I didn't overwhelm you! March was definitely a month of change here! How are you doing on your goals? Hopefully well, and I hope you will link-up a post telling me all about it or even leave a comment sharing your thoughts. As always, I wish you the best of luck in all you do, and hope you will return soon! :)
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Now It's Your Turn!
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Grab A Badge!
(This post was originally posted on my original site, Fibro, Fit and Fab!)
Congrats, Julie! Losing weight is tough and getting back into a routine after this long, grey winter is just as hard (I'm trying to do both too!). But keep up the good work! :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jo, and good luck to you, too! I appreciate the support, and know that you have mine! :) Thanks for stopping by, my friend!
DeleteJulie, Hope you are having a beautiful day! FYI- I nominated you for a Liebster Award! http://www.estheticgoddess.com/2014/04/my-first-liebster-woohoo.html
ReplyDeleteI am, thank you! It's absolutely gorgeous here, and I'm so thankful! :) I hope you are doing well, and thanks for the nomination. :)
DeleteLOVE your new glasses! They look fabulous! I am so sorry to hear that your news did not pan out...UGH, late email is so frustrating! Can't wait to hear more about the blog plans...and really hope preschool comes through! :)-Ashley
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ashley, on all accounts!
DeleteI was really bummed about the article, but am hopeful that I may get another chance in future. Time will tell! :)
I may not know about preschool until the end of summer, but I am hoping I will know a lot sooner so I'm not scrambling to figure out what to do for her.
I am looking forward to the blog plans, but am not finding the time I want at the moment to implement them. It will happen, though! :)
Thanks for stopping by!
They say the first step is always the hardest and you've made it through. Take one day as it comes and just do the best you can. Don't beat yourself up if you take one step backward, it happens, we're human... Congrats on the decision to aim for a healthier lifestyle and congrats on the weight loss. The first two weeks of the South Beach are brutal, the rest won't be as bad.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kim! I appreciate it! The first 2 weeks are murder! Glad they are done! :) My biggest worry is that I will slip up and go back to "grab and go" and slack off where soy is concerned. So far, so good. I am trying to be careful with the carbs, too, because I know how easy it is to just slip into eating those and too little protein. I'm glad the weather is nice and I can get outside, too. That definitely helps!
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
So glad that you're making such wonderful changes for your health.
ReplyDeleteMe, too! Thanks, Melissa, and thanks for stopping by!
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