Vacations are good for you

Ok, well here is part one of the post I promised. Yesterday I said I'd post it by this afternoon, which turned into tomorrow morning, which is now today. Got it? Good.

There's nothing quite like a vacation to remind you of what life SHOULD be like. And while getting away isn't always 100% non-stressful (especially with kids), you should strive to make your getaway as relaxing as possible. Not just physically, but mentally too. By physically relaxing I don't mean inactive. I mean treating your body with the rest and nourishment it needs. Our room had a jacuzzi tub and you can bet I spent some time in it. We also slept in a lot, which felt really good. Mentally, many of us need to "get away from it all". That's easier said than done, but is vital to de-stressing. We all need to step back from time to time and evaluate our life, direction, motivation, goals, etc. I find I can do that better when I've had some time off. Time to remember who I am, what I want and why I want it. This also works for your diet. If you are frustrated or finding you are losing interest, step back a moment and look at the big picture. Determine your goals and what it really takes to get there. Decide if your current plan of action is helping or hindering. Or maybe it's just your attitude and expectations need some adjusting. Whatever the case, re-evaluating is always a good idea to get you going again.

I did just that this past week and find I'm more excited than ever about the direction I'm heading in life and in my health.

A quick summary:

Our vacation was a nice little getaway to Branson, Missouri. For those of you that have never been to Branson, it's a great place to take the family. You'll find Sliver Dollar City Amusement Park, White Water, Tours (Ride the Ducks) and mini-golf/go-cart racing galore! Shopping is great there and you can easily find something for everyone. Loads of restaurants as well to suit every appetite. And the shows are always a blast. I have no idea how many shows there are, but it'd take you weeks to see them all.

We opted for a couple of days at Silver Dollar City and a couple of local attractions during the week. Sadly it rained most of the time we were there and most of the outdoor rides were shut down due to lightening about half way through each day. We arrived early enough though that we were able to ride everything we liked. While the rides were shut down we spent time wandering through the shops in SDC, watching the shows available, and watching the demonstrations. I highly recommend watching the blacksmith and the glassblower - very cool stuff! Also the saloon show is always a riot.

Depending on when you get to SDC you can find a variety of shows. We were there during World Fest and saw a show from Ireland called Feet of Fire. Being of Irish heritage myself, I loved every minute. But even if you don't have any Irish blood in your veins, you would enjoy it. We also saw a Chinese Acrobatic act. Amazing how limber these people were! If you twisted me up like a pretzel I'd be broken for life. These people bended like they were made of rubber... they just bounced right back to a normal human form. AMAZING!

As for food in SCD, lots to choose from. As with most places, you can make about any meal LC if you know what to look for. If you go to the Lumberjack Skillet, they have what they call a low-carb fajita skillet. Honestly, it's only lc if you don't eat the tortilla that comes with it, but it's filling enough you don't need it. I get it every time we go and enjoy it immensely.

We also spent some time at the Hollywood Wax Museum. My kids have never seen a wax museum and though they'd enjoy it. We all thought it was cool, but it was a bit expensive for no longer than we were in there. If you have little kids, keep in mind there is a Hall of Monsters (which look pretty real... so it's kinda freaky, even for an adult) but you can bypass it though and alternate route.

The highlight of our trip was seeing the Bob Nelson show at the Clay Cooper Theatre. Bob has been one of my favorite comedians since I saw him in TV when I was about 10. When I heard he was there I knew we had to go. My only reservation was that I knew Bob used to curse a little in his routines. Before buying tickets I asked the clerk about his act and she said he'd cleaned it up in recent years. Later I learned that Bob was now a Christian and wants to keep his act 100% family friendly. Let me just say that this show was so awesome that we will go again next time we are there. We all laughed until we cried. And we were on the front row, so I got great shots, as well as the fact that we were actually a part of the show here and there when he decided to use people from the crowd for something.

All in all the trip was relaxing and much needed. We haven't taken a vacation since 2007 and needed the getaway badly. Now I'm back and renewed in mind, spirit, and my determination to take care of myself. (Nothing like traversing up and down hills on foot to make one aware of their physical condition, or in my case, lack thereof!) I'm also ready to get back to writing full time. I'll be honest. I've had so much on my plate the last month or so that the idea of blogging for writing for Examiner just stressed me out. But now that I'm looking at it through refreshed eyes, I'm ready to get going again.

I'm running short on time, but plan to come back later today to talk about the steps we can take at home to give ourselves a "mini-vacation" when we can't physically get away. (Also I'll probably share some photos, because you know my camera and I are never far apart.)

Break Time

Hey everyone. I'm taking a self-imposed break from blogging right now. I just have too much else I need to get done and pressuring myself to blog isn't helping any. (Can we say STRESS???) It won't be a long break... probably just two or three days. But I need it none-the-less. I've got to regroup a bit and get some other things out of the way. Then I should be able to come back and actually post something semi-intelligent, instead of all my "Hi and Bye" posts like I've been doing lately.

So, I'll see you all towards the end of the week.

May 16, 2007

Happy Wednesday!

Yesterday was a rough day for me emotionally. I had some major stress yesterday, but I'm glad to announce I didn't cave in to it. I kept myself preoccupied and busy. At some points the stress was so bad that I was literally sick at my stomach.. which also aides in my lack of hunger I guess. Whatever the reason, I did well and the scale rewarded me. I'm down 1.5 lbs.. which only leaves 2.5 until I'm back at my lowest weight.

Today so far:
Breakfast: EAS Carb Control Shake - 2 carbs
Water: none yet

I'll update more later.. need to go get on the treadmill.

Update #1

Exercise:
Treadmill - 33 minutes, 1.32 miles, 153 calories burned
Pilates - 10 minutes Thigh workout

Water so far: 16 ounces (I need to get a move on this!)

Update #2

Lunch: Low-Carb Pizza - 5 carbs

Snack: Atkins Bar - 2 carbs

Dinner: Hamburger Patty, green beans almondine, pickle - 5 carbs

Dessert: Frozen Chocolate Kisses - 4 carbs

Total for the day: 18 carbs
Total water for the day: 48 ounces

The way I do it...

I've decided to write a quick post in answer to Katiep's question left in the comment section of my last post. I thought It might be beneficial for others who are wondering the same thing, which is what am I doing to lose weight.

First let me say that I'm doing the Atkins plan, which is considered the most "radical" of the low-carb plans. At present I'm doing a plan closer to the 1972 version of Atkins, than the newest version. My carbs are pretty low most of the time. I'd venture to guess they are regularly under 20 carbs. The reason I say "guess" is because I really don't know. I'm no longer keeping track because I tend to obsess over it, which seems to do me more damage than good. I have a good knowledge of what I can and can't eat, as well as the carb counts in most foods. So I look at my food choices and just mentally tally my carb counts in the meal. Sometimes I go over 20, sometimes I don't reach it. But I do not write it down or let a few grams of carbs bother me. I did that last time and I almost drove me nutso.

As an idea of my menu, here's what I normally do:

Breakfast: EAS protein shake

Mid-Morning (after workout): EAS protein shake (this is something I just started doing a couple of weeks ago)

Lunch: smoked turkey with melted cheddar/colby on top (just enough to fill a small plate - no huge portions) OR small bowl of chicken salad (I'd be glad to share my recipe) and a pickle, OR small salad and baked fish.

Mid-afternoon snack: I try not to snack between meals unless I just really feel hungry. (The after workout shake being the exception) If I do it may be a protein bar, shake, or a few ounces of cheese. I try to choose something that will last me a while.

Dinner: Grilled meats and veggies. Sometimes I'll make one of my favorite lc dishes, like Green Chili and Jack chicken. This meal will vary a lot with me since it's the meal that we almost always eat as a family.

If I am hungry between dinner and bedtime, especially if I'm wanting chocolate, I'll make my favorite flavored coffee (decaf) and sip on that through-out the evening. It really helps keep me from mindless eating.

I'll admit I don't drink near enough water. I'm a diet rite junkie. It's my biggest vice. But it could be worse so I don't concern myself over it too much. If I did drink more water I would almost bet the farm I'd lose even faster. I've seen it happen before that way.

This is just to give you a general idea. I don't count calories and I don't worry about fat.

My workouts are pretty simple right now. I spend a minimum of 30 minutes a day, but usually an hour, on my treadmill. I do this 6 days a week. I do try to make those 30+ minutes count by pushing myself enough to be sure I work up a good sweat. I am usually in dire need of a shower afterwards.

I'm also sure to take my supplements. I take a multi-vitamin, chromium, fish oil, and calcium. The calcium and multi really need no explanation. The fish oil helps with depression, as does the chromium. The chromium also has been shown to help metabolize fat. I have a book that tells all about this. I'll have to find it and share some info from it soon.

That's pretty much it. I keep it simple. I try not to indulge in lc sweets or lc junk food very often, although I do occasionally.

Do keep in mind that I still have over 45 lbs to lose. As I near goal, my loss will slow down and I'll have to be patient to see the lose last 10 lbs or so disappear. There's a chance I'll have to work a bit harder at it as well. But I NEVER plan to go back to counting like a maniac and panicking if I accidentally eat a crouton.

I don't fight my body, I work with it. I just try to live, have a good outlook, and be content where I am at right now, knowing that with each passing day I'm losing weight and seeing progress. And as long as I stick with it I'll be just fine. I think sometimes we slow ourselves down by stressing over it.

So anyhoo.. that's what I do. It's not scientific. It may not even make sense to some, but it works for me and I'm happiest doing it this way.

I'd be more than happy to share recipes, suggestions, etc with anyone who'd like me to. I used to moderate a low-carb forum several years ago, so I'm used to helping people with their menu's and such.

Stress and Emotional Eating

It seems like the last couple of days I've been bombarded with stress. And wow is this a bad time for me to try and deal with it. I'm already an emotional wreck due to TOM. I was talking with my husband last night and just broke down crying. We were discussing the source of our recent stress and I just couldn't hold it in.

Now I know a good cry is beneficial now and then, so that doesn't bother me. What does concern me is my seemingly built-in need to eat when I feel this way. Emotional eating will be something I battle the rest of my life. Despite the things I've read, the advice I've been given, and the techniques I've tried, it's still an issue. Of course there are always those who have no clue what you are talking about, and love to hand out advice about it as if they were the expert on such matters. Don't you just love it when someone says "Well just don't eat!"? Well now, why didn't I think of that? Surely it's as simple as you make it sound. (insert sarcastic eye roll here)

I've found the only thing that will get me though times like these are what I call distraction tactics. I have to get my mind off of food and my emotions. If I can focus on other things and stay busy until the craving passes, I can keep myself afloat. If I don't find a successful distraction - I sink right to the bottom.. and usually that bottom is a McDonald's french fry sack. Several minutes later I wake up from a carb-induced trance, berating myself for what I've just done. Then the emotions get stirred and it starts all over again.

It's taking me some time to learn my triggers, and the methods of distraction that work for me, but I'm getting there. Last night I wanted to eat, even though I knew I wasn't hungry. Instead I picked up a book I've been reading and became engrossed in the written page. It wasn't long until I'd forgotten about eating. For a short while I wasn't a mother who's struggling to guide her children, a wife who is trying to encourage her husband and help make major life decisions. For those few chapters I was able to look through the eyes of the author and see issues far worse than my own. And while I'm not the type of person that takes pleasure in seeing others who are less fortunate (it breaks my heart!), I certainly put my book down realizing my problems weren't so big after all.

Were my issues and emotions still there after I put down the book? Yep. But by then the urge to eat had subsided and I could think clearly. I knew that if I would have given in to emotional eating, I would have started a cycle that's tough to break.

While I may not have won the war, last night I won a battle. And I intend to beat this thing in that very way - one battle at time.

The Journey

Hey Gang.. I'm very short on time again today so I thought I'd just share this with you. I wrote this poem back in 2003 after losing almost 50 lbs on low-carb. I thought back over all the things I'd been through to get to that point. All the emotions, fears, joys and victories that lead me to where I was on that day. Here was the result...

The Journey

There is a secret world

few people know about,

where fears run wild and free

in endless fields of doubt.


You can see the Mt. of Hope

far off in the distance.

But the only way to get there

is the pathway called persistence.


You see their peaks glistening

in the golden rays of sun.

You keep your eyes focused,

your journey has begun.


Though many times you stumble

and the road gets rough and steep,

the importance of this journey

keeps you on your feet.


So at the base of Mt. Hope

you find yourself at last!

The doubts and fears behind you,

the battles in the past.


As you step foot on that mountain;

all worries left behind,

you've successfully made the journey

through a place we call..

the mind.

Copyright 2003 A.M.D.

I hope this poem encourages and motivates you as it did others at the time I wrote it. This not only applies to dieting, but to the many struggles we face daily in life. Hang in there.. success may only be one step away.

Sticking with what works

When I read the article titled The Secret To Loss: Motivation it was all I could do not to cry. Not because it's necessarily sad, but because it's exactly where I have been for the last few years. My regular readers know that I've been battling health issues for some time now. I was diagnosed with depression and Fibromyalgia 7 years ago, but none of the medications ever worked for me. I was truly blessed to learn about low-carb back in 2001 and it literally changed my life. I felt like I'd gotten my life back. I once again had reasons to get out of bed every morning. Knowing I wouldn't spend my days feeling hopeless, stressed and unworthy, I was able to face each day with a spring in my step and smile on my face.

But.. (you knew there was a "but" coming didn't you.) I let stress get the better of me after maintaining my 50 lb loss for close to 6 months. In one year we had lost our only source of income due to downsizing, faced financial ruin and had 5 deaths in the family. It just turned out to be more than I could take. I reverted to my old ways of dealing with my emotions - food. After all my hard work and improved health, you would think I would have known better. Instead I let all I'd learned about health, particularly my health, fade away and my emotions took over all rational thinking.

Now here I am, over 2 years later, almost 70 lbs overweight and fighting to get through each day. I hadn't forgotten what I needed to do, I just didn't have the motivation. I didn't care anymore. It wasn't until recent weeks that I realized had truly hit bottom. I was determined, like the ladies in the article, that I HAD to do something. I knew low-carb worked and that it was the miracle I needed for my health. But where to start? It was overwhelming! After several failed attempts to start induction, I realized I needed something a little different this time. I knew that low-carb was still the lifestyle for me, I just wasn't sure what it was going to take to get my motivation back.

Motivation can be found in the strangest places. Sometimes it can be a picture of yourself. Sometimes it can be clothing that no longer fits. Sometimes it's a family member or yourself getting sick. In my case, it was a combination of this blog, my website, and my need for instant gratification.

(kimkins references deleted by Sparky's Girl)

No matter what diet you are on, if it works for you and keeps you healthy, keep at it. When you know it works, it's a lot easier to stay motivated. For those of you who still feel you are fighting a losing battle, remember that you are not alone, and many before you have overcome the same obstacles you are facing. It's not impossible. You can do it! Don't let life keep you from living! Determine to be the one who steps out and makes the change and you will find that you have motivated others to do the same.