Step on It

The scale.

For most women, we have a dread of stepping on the scale. 

That's why it's so important the focus is on health and not weight. 

Obsessing about weight causes eating disorders. The other end is denial of our true weight, which leads to more weight gain and an unhealthier self. 

I think an accurate scale is important. It's part of accountability. You can lie to yourself that your weight s fine if you never have to look at it. 

But BMI is important. Obesity and its complications kills more people than any single disease out there. 

So step on it. Get real. Get moving.

Then be balanced. 

I just got an Aria scale by Fitbit for Christmas. I'm so excited! I made a pact with myself to only weigh in on Monday mornings. 

Oh, I want to get on it. Daily. But that is just crazy making. There are so many things that change our weight daily, and don't give us any idea of the big picture.

So for the new year, get on that scale. Get real. Celebrate if you are where you need to be as a healthy person, and if it is a different number, start setting realistic goals. Get moving! You can do it!

You have to start with the facts!  

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Chew On This

Slow down!

Your eating speed, that is. 

It takes 20 minutes from when you eat something for your brain to register that your stomach is full.

If you're wolfing down your food, you're going to still think you're hungry. Often that leads to mindless eating. 

I'm not a binge eater, but I'm a fast eater. I'm an RN - you eat when you can at work, and some days that's very fast!

Here's where accountability comes in again. You eat the right foods, in the right portions. 

Then you stop!

It's a simple premise. If you can do this, you are on your way to a healthier, less hungry you! 

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Eating Outside The Box

Deciding to live a healthy life means eating outside the box. 

Cereal boxes. Mac and cheese boxes. Cracker boxes. Basically, almost without exception, anything that comes in a box. 

Generations ago, people grew their own food. Raised livestock. Canned their food. Had root cellars. Shared from their abundance. They were living, breathing, actual sized humans. 

Now we have a generation eating processed "food" out of boxes. Filled with ingredients we can neither name or identify. A generation guzzling chemical laden soda. Eating fast "food" in a car. Growing more overweight, obese, and killing themselves one bite at a time. 

It's amazing that when people decide to get healthy, one of the hardest things to do is drink water. Pure, unadulterated, water. 

It's time to get outside the box. 

It's time to read. 

One of the first things I had to do when I became diabetic was read labels. To say it was eye opening is a huge understatement. I shuddered as I read labels of food I used to eat thoughtlessly. I was looking for nutritional values, but as I looked deeper, I saw that eating from the box wasn't feeding me. You can fill your belly but get no nutritional value. 

Get out of the box. 

Go find a recipe book that features fresh real produce, actual living ingredients. Buy fresh local produce. Learn to cook if you haven't been a cook. If you can read and follow directions, you can do it. 

Start by getting outside of the box. 

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Cold Turkey

Hello, my name is EBER and I am a sugar addict. 

Oh yes, I know this does not jive with my diabetes diagnosis. I'm well aware, as my blood sugar readings tell me...along with the feelings of nausea, dizziness, and exhaustion. My brain understands logically that every blood sugar over 130 is physically damaging to me. 

It's a long standing love affair. 

The sugar rush of comfort has been my go to for most of my life. When I was stressed out, it was cheese Danish time. Or cookies. Or a huge soda. Ice cream. Brownies. Stop. STOP!

It's not a healthy self comforter. I know this, and I always knew it - but I never have eaten anything to excess. I wasn't the whole row of Oreos girl. But I will eat some Oreos! I'd eat ice cream, but a few bites. I'm not a binger. 

These are the excuses I gave myself. When I was a young person, my slender frame belied my eating habits. 

As the decades added up, so did the pounds - about a pound a year. By middle age I was overweight, and diagnosed with diabetes. 

It's hard to kick 4 decades of bad habits. Especially when they taste so good!

I have had short periods of sugar eating decreased. Just a treat here and there. But slowly, insidiously, the occasional became the regular. Only now, I'm having immediate physical consequences. 

Oh don't read this and think you are immune from sugar and its negative effects. Read this: 

http:///articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/09/02/fructose-affects-brain-health.aspx

 

If that doesn't convince you, how about this article from Neurology:

http://www.neurology.org/content/63/4/E9.full

I though bread would be my nemesis. Alas, no - I have eliminated it with nary a backwards glance. It's the drug induced effects of sugar that have me in their grips. 

There is only one thing to do. Go cold turkey.

Say what?

You heard me. My sugar addled mind must be cleared of the poison. Not little by little, but all at once. Now. TODAY!

Lawd help me. Seriously. 

I've already found recipes for thanksgiving to replace the sugar laden ones. 

This is long over due, and the sugar addiction won't go down without a fight. 

One day at a time. 

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The #1 Question

What do you think the #1 question is that people ask me about my journey to a healthier of me? It isn't even close. After seeing the changes in my life and lifestyle, they always ask the same thing. 

How do I get the right shoes? 

It's the right question, for sure. Most people, including me in the beginning, are wearing the wrong shoes. And this one thing is a deal breaker! The wrong shoes will keep you from exercising, and could cause temporary or permanent injury. 

So what is my recommendation? 

Go to a running store. Notice I didn't say shoe store! Even if your plan is to walk, go to a running store - they know how to fit you with the proper shoe for what your goals are. They will do a gait analysis for free, and make recommendations based on how you move. 

It is a deal breaker. Yes, you may spend more money than the tennis shoes you buy on sale but shoes are foundational. Proper shoes protect your feet. They help your stride, which helps protect your back. 

So if you are considering starting to exercise, see your doctor. If they give you the go ahead, then... Get thee to the running store. 

Oh, and while you are at it get some good, supportive athletic socks. If they are cute, all the better!

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Running For My Life

Tomorrow I'm going to do a half marathon.  I've done seven in the last 4 years, but I've been off my training schedule for the past couple of months. 

I am still walking or walk/running 30-40 miles a week, so the new "lax" me is in a much better place physically 

than the girl who ran that first half four years ago.

Tomorrow is important. 

November is a heavy month for me emotionally. I've had three very close loved ones die in November. Some major life changing events happened to me in November. I've come to dread it. 

I have depression, and although I am medicated and counseled, there are times I need to do more. I knew I needed to turn November around. 

The simple, yet sometimes profound, daily affirmations of thankfulness are the first thing I did at the beginning of this month. It helps. 

I am also trying to be more mindful. For example, tonight as I observed a very miserable woman out to dinner with her spouse, I purposed to be more aware of my attitude. And how I am reflecting myself, and affecting others. 

Those are good things, but tomorrow's date is a significant day in my history. A day that, in the past, has made me morose, depressed, overly consumed. Etc. 

So tomorrow I am going to run. For my life. 

The last time I did this was after my miscarriage. I was in such a fragile state emotionally, and I needed to do something life affirming. I needed to push through the pain. So I ran, and so did the tears. 

So it will be tomorrow. 

I have a new playlist of music to keep me moving and positive. I go into this knowing full well I'm not going to have a peak performance- but that's okay. 

Tomorrow I am running for my life. 

I will be the better for it. 

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Fit Minded...Or Fat Minded?

Ironically, it came to me on my cruise this week that I am either fit minded or fat minded. 

The main thing that has to change in order to have any lasting success living a healthy lifestyle is the mind. 

First, you have to have a determination to consciously approach everything from a fit mindset. EVERYTHING. The decision to change your mindset is something you have to walk out every day.  Every hour. Every meal. Everything.

It is not easy, and it is not quick. That is why when people hear the safe and successful weight loss is 1-3 pounds a week, most think that's not enough and go for some quick fix. Liquid diets. Pills. Off brand things I won't mention. 

That's why accountability is so important to being fit minded. A fit minded person reads labels, and is accountable for what they are eating. My initial success was hinged tremendously on posting EVERYTHING on www.livestrong.com. Even if it was a bite, or a handful of M&M's, I knew I would have to put it in my tracker on MyPlate. 

My carb addiction was the first very obvious issue - and for me, the dangerous one, as a newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic. Initially, to my horror, I saw that 60-80% of my caloric intake came from carbs.  

My fat-mindedness was not happy. My fat mind loved comfort foods, and I realized that I was using food as a drug more than I wanted to admit. 

My fit mind became stronger every day that I was accountable to MyPlate, and every day the carb percentage went down. I average 60-80 grams of carbs a day now, when my prescribed daily carb intake was 180 grams a day. It's a little by little, bit by bit, conscious fit mind that makes changes. I would like to be at 40 carbs a day, when I'm not training for races. One day at a time. 

My fat mind also was a slug. I went to work, ate, and slept. There was no exercise. My fat mind had a million excuses - I work 12 hour shifts, I have a long commute, I'm tired, I'm not an athlete, I hated P.E. Ad infinitum. 

My fit mind had to make a plan, and stick to it. Initially it was walking everyday. It doesn't seem like much, but when you are a couch tater, it's a lot. 

Eventually I was run/walking the Jeff Galloway plan, and I was doing 5k's. Then 10k's. Now I've done 7 half marathons. 

I spent a week on a cruise ship with the constant reminder of why it's hard to be fit. Buffets were laid out in glorious splendor. Lounge chairs were everywhere. It's vacation, right? Said the fat minded girl. 

But this daily deciding to be fit minded girl went to the gym three times for a total of 11 miles. Walked 60k steps. Climbed flights and flights of stairs instead of using the elevators.  Ate the healthier selections, and did have dessert - but ate half. 

Being fit minded means you understand that we only get one body, and we need to take good care of it. If you feel like crap, I guarantee that making changes in your diet and exercise will help you feel better. 

Where are you - fat minded and making excuses? Or fit minded, and making resolutions? 

I never want this to be me - 400+lbs. struggling to breathe and walk

She didn't wake up that way. 

But every day she wakes up fat minded, it will just progressively continue to kill her. One bite at a time. 

Make the decision to be fit minded. Start today. As they say, the rest of your life starts NOW! 

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You Are What You Drink

One of the easiest ways to improve your health is by taking stock of what you are drinking. 

Are you drinking soda? Full sugar soda, or pop for you Yankees, is full of empty calories, and lots of sugar. It also has loads of non-nutritive chemicals. So drop the pop! 

As a former cola-a-holic, this is not an easy task. I was not a coffee drinker - I got my caffiene from soda. I also swore I'd never drink diet soda - but with a diabetes diagnosis, I had to make a change. So I found a diet soda I could tolerate, and started there. 

Fully knowing diet soda is nothing nutritional, I made the shift over to diet lemonade, and eventually water. Now, I drink 80-100 oz of water a day. Room temp, mostly between meals. Occasionally I will have a hankering for some bubbly soda, and I will have a can of diet. 

Juice is gone for me, unless I am hypoglycemic. The benefit of fruit is in the eating of the fruit - you get all the nutritional value, the fiber, etc. Juice has been concentrated, pasteurized, and often sweetened. 

The other factor is do you want I drink your calories? A cup of grape juice has 150 calories and 40 carbs! Orange juice is 99 calories and 20 carbs per cup. Apple juice is 113 calories and 28 carbs per cup. Here's a half cup serving:

I know I would rather eat something yummy and healthy. 28 carbs is a LOT. If you are trying to lose weight, cutting carbs is a great place to start - and the empty carbs in juice and soda is a prime example of an easy step you can take to a healthier you. 

Mindful drinking! Start reading those beverage labels!

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Spiralized!

About a month ago I bought a spiralizer. 

I got it for less than $20. As a diabetic my side dish choices do not include pasta (unless it's Dreamfield's!), potatoes, or rice. This handy gadget turns veggies into pasta noodle shape!

Ridiculously easy to use. I used it on a zucchini, made a pesto sauce, and sautéed some shrimp. 15 minutes of prep and cooking yielded a fresh, delish meal! Viola! 

Even better as leftovers. Oh the culinary places the spiralizer and I will go together! 

Try something fresh and new! 

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Alternatives for White Food

If you have ever endeavored to change to a healthier lifestyle, one of the first things it seems everyone will tell you to get rid off is white food. 

White sugar. White floor. White rice. White potatoes. 

If you, like me, were raised on all that, this is not an easy - or instant - task. I am still having my battles with refined sugar, my former drug of choice. 

As a diabetic, the call to get rid of white food becomes more urgent, as basically all white food is carbohydrate laden. Ugh!

The first change I made is I stopped eating rice. I loooove white rice, and it was a slow and painful release. A serving size is a mere 1/3 a cup.  I can eat 2 cups in a few minutes - and I would if I could. I can't. So white rice went adios. 

Wild rice is okay - I'm not wild about it, but I will eat it. It doesn't do a lot for me so it's in the rotation infrequently. 

Pasta I love - and hallelujah for "Dreamfields" brand pasta! A serving - a real, adult sized serving - is only 5 net carbs! When any other regular pasta is 45 net carbs.  Wheat pasta is an option, but it is gritty and gross, in my opinion. Dreamfields tastes great and has a normal texture.

My most recent discovery is this wonder, and it cost me less than $12. A spiralizer - it takes raw veggies and turns them into long pasta like coils. Amazing! Now a zucchini can be my "pasta", and there are no carbs to mess with! The options are exciting and I have just begun. It is a fresh and quick alternative, and a way to eat more veggies. Win! I made spiralizer zucchini with pesto sauce and fresh shrimp tonight. The whole dish took under 15 minutes, and is bright and delicious! 

So enjoy the picture of my first spiralizer dish, and check out the gadget for yourself!

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Kitchen Basics® Spiral Vegetable Slicer - Stainless Steel Vegetable Spiralizer with Quality Sharp Japanese Blades - 2 Julienne Sizes / Design vegetable stir-fries or pasta dishes / Decorate serving dishes 
by F&W 
Link: http://amzn.com/B00H4F9LXG

Inspiration

A friend and colleague of mine did the Ironman yesterday. 

Look it up.  Google. It is a monster endurance race of swimming, biking, and running. 

Not for me. 

I do, however, want to challenge myself.  I have a big birthday in 2017. I'm hoping that next fall I can qualify, so I can run the 2017 Boston Marathon. 

What?? I said I'd NEVER run a marathon, and now I have to run one marathon to qualify to run another one!

Boston is special for me because my relatives are from the area.  My grandfather is buried near there. Plus I was so inspired by the runners who said "in your face" to the cowards who did the bombing. 

The qualifying run is where I lived before I moved here. I left the most toxic, unhealthy time of my life. To qualify there, it really would be full circle. Symbolic of how far I have come, by the grace of God. 

Conquering the wall of no for my "big" birthday would have me in the best shape of my life. Again, how awesome.  

So, I'm grateful to my friend who pushed himself safely to meet a goal. Ultimately the competition is against yourself. 

Right now I'm in dream and discussion phase. Planning the trips associated so the run is part, and the rest is enjoying the cities with my hubby. 

What is your goal!? Mine started four years ago with walking daily. 

Start somewhere! Announce it - be accountable! Then GO FOR IT!

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What's Your Rough Time?

It happens every day. Some time during the late afternoon, I am starving. I do not crave healthy things during this bad time, but crave all the former "go to" foods that would throw me off my healthy course.

It's bizarre. 

The rest of the day, I eat every 2-3 hours.  Frequent, small, low carb meals.  I drink lots of water in between. 

This bad time - it is terrible! Unfortunately, I have succumbed to it on more than one occasion, eating forbidden fruits of the former unhealthy life. 

Oh, I try to prepare for it.  It is the time of day I have one small square of dark chocolate, which I relish. Nothing healthy sounds good at this time, though. 

Yesterday I ate some pork rinds, and that seemed to satiate me. 

I'm hoping that as I continue to avoid the food traps during my hours of temptation, the issue will subside. 

It may not. 

What is your bad part of the day? What, if anything, do you do about it?

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The Shake Debate

So, I have been looking and reading and watching and pricing...shakes.  Healthy ones, not the shakes of my past that came with lots of ice cream!

Popular exercise programs, including Piyo which I find to be a great adjunct to my running program, hawk the benefits of their shake for health and supplement. Or meal replacement! I cannot pay $4 a shake. I will not sell the product to get a discount.  I don't use them for meal replacement. 

So the search went on. 

Via another blogger, I found this product:

Amazing Grass

What appealed to me was it is gluten free and vegan  -lower carb by far than some other shakes I have seen. This particular product has the phytonutrients and green things missing from my ever healthier diet. It is not gritty and it doesn't taste like grass - and this coming from a girl that takes shots of wheat grass every time I go to the local farmers market. 

 

You may not be saying "yum", but I'm already pleased. It is helping greatly with my chronic lower GI problems. I mix it with light vanilla almond milk for breakfast. And ice! Easy! I read tons of reviews. I am pleased. Of course my disclaimer is always consult your physician before making changes! 

The other great thing is 30 servings for $20!  Now that's reasonable. 

The bottom line is make choices and changes - in conjunction with your health care team - that enhance your life. Safely!

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Out Eating

Oh, yes, I am a foodie. A food snob, sometimes. An adventurous palate has me wanting to try new cuisine on a regular basis!

The diabetes and not wanting unwanted side effects make me think about everything I eat. Every. Single. Bite. 

So go with me out to eat - I do it a lot. 

First of all, I drink water. Not a lot, though! Drinking volumes of water with meals is a mistake. You dilute your stomach acids and ability to digest. Drink water all day- limit dinner beverages. 

I skip the bread. Kill me. Former carb addict now just says no. I will occasionally make exceptions if the meal is super low carb - but usually I pass on the bread basket.  

First up from this weekend at Walt Disney World (WDW) is seafood curry from Yak and Yeti. Mmmm. Wish I could smell it again! Fresh seafood - yes! Rice- oh, only a little but it was soooo good in that coconut milk broth. So limit the carb, eat the fresh veggies and seafood. 

This was Chris' dish, and I had a rib, and a bite of slaw.  The slaw was vinegar based, so I could have eaten more. Fresh cabbage- yes! Rice, again no. 

Now to Morocco in WDW - pita sliders. Tabouli- fresh yum! Lentils- for me, in moderation but yum! Hummus - I adore but will make my sugars go up so I out some on the whole wheat pitas. One had lamb, one had veggies, and one had falafel. I'm not a big falafel fan so I didn't eat that one. Lots of fresh veggies insider the other two , so it was a good choice - high in fiber and taste!  

And then there was this guy...

Ginormous carrot cake cup cake. I took off the candy head - didn't eat it. I cut a third of it off with a knife - and relished every single bite, and licked the knife clean! You have to treat yourself occasionally or you will go crazy. I'm much less likely to stray if I get an occasional treat. Make it worth the calories! If it doesn't taste good, stop! Don't waste your time and daily allowance on tasteless calories!

We were also walking an average of 9 miles a day. Yes, you read that right. So that helped me maintain my blood sugars in healthy range. 

Just a snapshot of eating out - pick fresh, healthy foods. Limit unhealthy or calorie high (or for diabetic me carb high) components. Give yourself a treat. 

You can be healthy and still have a healthy love of food! 

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Training in Earnest

It officially begins. 

I have started kicking it into higher gear to prepare for my first half marathon of my running season, which is six weeks away. 

It is still excruciatingly hot and muggy. No bueno...but no excuses!

August was a bad month. Oh, I still did a lot of stairs, walked a lot of miles, ran some more, did some Piyo. But August typically is - and was - the nadir of my clinical depression. It's hard to motivate when you are summoning energy to breath. 

Ah, but September! Already I feel the abyss hissing away it's retreat. I'm excited to get back to the discipline and peace of my runs. 

Just a short three years ago...I walked my first 5k. I was recovering from an exacerbation of my back woes, so it took me 53 minutes. But I did it! At a pace that didn't hurt me. And I had fun. 

As I've mentioned before, I am goal oriented. I don't have enough discipline to just run. If I know I've  paid for a run, I'm going to train. 

Start somewhere. 

If you want to start exercising and you are a couch tater like I was, here's what to do. 

1. Go to your doctor. Get your baseline health status, if you don't already have it. Talk to them about what you want to do. They will let you know what is recommended or feasible for where you are. 

2. Go on www.active.com, or a similar site, and peruse the opportunities in your area. Pick something within your capability and interest. If you want something fun, look for color runs or zombie runs or music runs - you will see that exercising with a big bunch of folks is fun!  Or pick a cause run - one that raises money for a responsible charitable organization. You will help others while you're helping yourself.

4. Buy good shoes. Go to a running store - even if you are a walker - and be evaluated for the proper shoes.  They look at how you walk, where you land on your foot, and they pick the right shoe. Yes it will cost more  - but they last longer, and the right shoe will make or break you. You can avoid a lot of injuries by doing this step. 

3. Begin! If you need direction, like this rookie did, get it. Running stores have classes for beginners. There are tons of programs for your phone that will keep you moving. Running clubs also are great - everyone has to start somewhere. 

I walked just over 4 miles this morning, starting with the Jeff Galloway half marathon training.  It was miserably humid. But I concentrated on my great uplifting music, and the beauty around me. I exclusively run/walk outside. I need the sights sounds and smells to keep my mind occupied. But a treadmill or elliptical or bike or tread climber - whatever. You pick what you like, get informed, get a goal, and GO!

😍 

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It Starts Now

I saw this amazing video yesterday.  I posted it but I want it seen by as many people as possible.

The choices you make everyday for yourself and your family are affecting your family health.  

You can't go back - and I wish I could, I would change a lot.  I can't change the past, but I can be a healthier me today.  

Please watch this.  Pass it on.  This is why our country is in the shape it is in.  Love yourself. Love your family. Stop the cycle!

http://kfor.com/2014/08/10/wow-powerful-video-may-change-the-way-you-view-healthy-eating/

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No more Stalling

I already messed up today - I'll start tomorrow. 

I will start on Monday. 

I will start being healthy after my vacation. 

I'm going to start after my birthday. 

Have you ever said any of these statements in regards to eating healthy and exercising? 

I know I have - many, many times. The "Imma gonna" syndrome. 

Anyone with any bit of intelligence knows the basics of what they could be doing to be healthier. But we choose to make excuses because that is easier. 

Or is it? Is being unhealthy easier? I'll tell you first had being a diabetic isn't easy at all. Is having high blood pressure easier? Cardiovascular disease? Social pressure or shunning from obesity - is that easier?

It's only easier to be unhealthy because we have allowed ourselves to believe it. 

I never was one to exercise - I made fun of people who exercised on cruise ships. I am one of those people now that goes to the gym on the ship!

It's a paradigm shift.  Would you leave the house for work without showering or brushing your teeth? All you are doing is caring for basic hygiene. That is important! 

MORE important is caring for your health.  Are you drinking water - lots of pure natural water, every day? I never drank water.  Then I slowly began to incorporate it, and now I drink an average of 90oz a day. With no ice. 

I never read labels - now I always do. It's really eye opening.  The more you know, the easier it is. 

Stop making excuses and do something positive - starting now.   Grab a drink of water.  Go for a 30 minute brisk walk. 

The road to a healthier you starts here and now - but you have to take that first step. 

Go!

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Motivation

How do you get motivated to exercise? 

How do you stay motivated?

For me, my diabetes is looming and I won't go down without a fight. 

Even with that diagnosis, I still struggle. It's a habit - habits have to be built from the ground floor, then maintained.  

Each person is different - your list of why you want to or need to exercise is going to look different then mine. Your motivational will be different. 

It helps to identify goals, and set them down. I just mapped out the runs I want to do from October-May, and that helps motivate me because I have to train. My blood sugar was terrible this morning, and that motivates me.  I need to walk my dog. Etc. 

In place of excuses, look for reasons to exercise. Mine look like this: I always feel better after I go. I've made great progress and I don't want to go backward. It's only 64 degrees right now - a miracle in July! I want to wear my cute workout clothes.  If I do it now I can reward myself with a beach afternoon. 

Definitely squash any excuse that comes to mind. Unless you have been to a physician who has told you not to exercise, there IS no excuse. 

Everyone needs to exercise. It's part of taking care of ourselves. It's what we need to do to live longer, healthier lives. 

Get moving!

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You Are What You Eat

One of the best things you can do for yourself is eat fresh, local produce. 

I know some of you will say "I can't afford that!" I used to say that when I got all my produce from grocery stores.

But look a little further...online, look up U-pick and find local farms in your area. Or, if you live in a city, ask about farmer's markets. 

I bought these beautiful peaches at a local farm stand. Yes, I can get them at the grocery store, but look at the little label. From other countries, often. Or far away states. Which means there are probably more chemicals involved in keeping them fresh for market. The closer to your home you buy your food, the fresher and tastier it will be. 

Case in point - tomatoes. I'm still dreaming of the tomatoes I picked warm off the vine in my Daddy Dale's amazing garden.  Popping cherry tomatoes in my mouth seconds after I picked them. Wow- flavor explosion! Grocery tomatoes stopped tasting like tomatoes a long, long time ago.

Of course if you can grow them yourself, that is ideal - you say you don't have space? Gardening in raised gardens can yield high crops with minimal effort. Pots of fresh herbs and veggies can thrive on patios. It just takes some effort. 

I'm in the process of putting up a bushel of fresh, just picked local sweet corn. $14 for a bushel, and we are enjoying ears so sweet you don't need to add a thing. Corn chowder is next. Then the rest is flash frozen after a quick boil and ice bath. A lot of work? Sure - one days work will lead to many delicious meals, and peace of mind that I am feeding my family the best, freshest option. 

I'm no expert here - I'm just trying to get healthier.  I would eventually like to start canning. 

So where do you start? Use that internet! Find local farms, and support them. Eat fresh produce when it is in season, and put it up by canning or freezing. I'm at the beginning of this journey - I have  1/2 a side of local beef, 20 pounds of blueberries my family picked, 5 lbs of zipper peas, and fresh corn in my freezer. I have local honey and jam in my pantry. 

It makes a difference - to your health, to the local economy, and to combat the processed food industry. 

Eat clean.  It'll do a body good!

e b e r 

Where Do You Go?

Where do you go when you are stressed out? What is your "go to"? 

By the picture above you can see where I want to go. 

For most of my life I was unhealthy. But skinny.  So I could go to the pastry and ice cream and candy and sweets when I was stressed out. I never gained an ounce. I didn't work out and I still had a "healthy weight". I was slender. So for almost thirty years, I dealt with stress by comforting myself with food. I met societal body expectations, but boy was I unhealthy!

Then, slowly, I began to add weight. About 10 pounds per decade. I certainly didn't exercise! So four years ago when I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I was overweight. Not obese, but I was not happy with my habitus. 

Now I read up on diabetes. As a nurse I knew the long term risks associated, but now I was a patient. 

I have drastically changed my diet over the last four years. Fortunately I love vegetables and drink lots of water. 

But...all those years of going after food for comfort have done me no favors. 

I still want to go to junk food when I am stressed. I have eaten things j shouldn't - two days ago I had a chocolate milk shake. And my blood sugar two hours later was through the roof. 

The point if this blog is this - examine where you go to handle stress. I'm trying to convert to going to exercise when I am stressed. Even a walk and listening to music. 

It takes time. 

Are you going to food? Smoking? Drinking? Other harmful things? 

I'm asking you to examine where you go...and purpose to change it if it's not making you healthier. 

It takes time...and it starts with looking at your coping mechanisms with honesty. 

Then, if you find they are harmful, change them. One day at a time. 

e b e r

A Simple - Yet Vital - First Step

Are you drinking your calories? One of the first reality checks I had was the caloric intake of the beverages I was consuming.  My favorite beverage was soda. My soda of choice is 340 calories per 32 oz drink - and on a hot summer day, I drank them by the gallons! 

Sports drinks look healthy, right? Wrong. 32 oz of a popular "ade" is 200 calories per serving. 

How about a refreshing lemonade? How about 300 calories in 20 oz.

Read the labels.  Look at all the chemicals and colorings and high fructose corn syrup - a dangerous, addictive sugar.

Diet sodas and beverages are a solution to the calorie trap - but you still get all the chemicals, plus more in the artificial sweeteners.

What's the answer? WATER.

I know - you hate drinking water.  I did, too. In the last three years, I have gone from hating water to drinking 80-100oz a day.

Where to you start? There are some tricks to changing over.  I use cute insulated cups that I refill throughout the day - I have one at work that reminds me to drink. 

Some people hate the "taste" of water, so they put in lemon slices, or other fruit slices, or infuse flavor into the water.

So think about it - do you want to drink your calories? Do you want empty calories full of chemicals part of your daily life? Or would you rather save your calories for tasty, healthy food! Substance!

Are you ready to drink water...water that your body needs, water that your body is made of, water that flushes out toxins, water that refreshes?

It's a first step toward overall better health. 

It's part of letting go of denial and embracing health!

e b e r

Fix Your Eyes on the Prize

Do you want to lose weight? Lose inches? Get healthy? Start exercising?

What are your goals? Why?

Before you start your journey, you have to identify where you want to be. Once you've identified that, you can determine if it is a worthwhile goal. 

If you are just trying to shrink a dress size or two, you are probably not going to be successful.  Likewise, the goal of a specific area if the body whittling down is also unrealistic. 

Getting and staying healthy - that became my goal. Before my diabetes diagnosis, I knew I had a few pounds to lose, so I half heartedly started cooking healthier. I would exercise intermittently. Because I was not giving it my all, I got little to know positive health benefits. 

Then I got serious. 

My goal became to get as healthy as I could...one step at a time. I didn't have a specific weight I aimed for - but I have dropped  from a size 14 to size 8 so far. I have gone from occasionally strolling around the neighborhood to working out regularly. 

It didn't happen overnight. 

It happens day by day.  

Every day, I set a goal. Today, my goal is to be true to my meatless Monday goal, and my goal is to not give in to afternoon junk food cravings. My goal is to get my 15k steps in, and to do my Piyo workout. 

I identified these goals this morning at 0400.  I put my eye on the goal, and I remain focused. 

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. 

This is not a diet - it's a lifestyle. I know every day I reach my goals, my discipline and self control grow stronger. 

On days I don't meet the mark, I evaluate why...and I press forward. Begin again. I don't give up. I'm invested in myself. 

What are your goals? Are they long term? Are they realistic? 

Set your eye on your goal and get out there and get it!

e b e r

Fitbit-Words Can't Express My Love, but I'll Try!

Yes, I am a Fitbit addict. 

I love love love my Fitbit. As with most fitness related purchases, I did a lot of research before I bought it last June.  I wanted a way to track my activity, set goals, and it had great reviews.  I got mine back when slate and black were the only band color options.

It has exceeded my expectations. It encourages me daily...when I see my progress, it motivates me to keep pressing.  When I am close to a goal, I will push through to reach it.  It's durable and now with the new colors, fun! Lightweight, waterproof. I love it!

The pink is my new Flex.  When I hit my goal, it will buzz on my wrist, and I do a happy dance! Every 20% toward my goal, a light will flash, and I know where I am. It's great after a busy day to look up my stats and see I've walked 3-5 miles on a nursing shift! The other band was my Force - loved it but it was recalled due to a tiny portion of users having a skin reaction. I never did. 

The battery lasts close to a week. I love it that I can uses it as an alarm- it's a gentle buzz on my arm that wakes me up, and doesn't wake my hubby when I wake up at 0340!

This was yesterday - work, and a walk when I got home. It now tracks extra exercise - yesterday was a 13hr work day. But on days I do Piyo or run or yoga or swim, I put it in there. It's a free app for my phone - it automatically sync's my steps and active minutes, or I can look it up and it will sync. My starting goal was 10k steps a day...eventually I increase my goal to 15k.  Goals help me stay on track!

My favorite part is my Fitbit FRIENDS! People who are just like me, living the healthy life, a day at a time.  They cheer me on - both through the app, and through groups on Facebook. They have become my sisters in health - you know you are! Xox

The Fitbit site online is awesome- as a diabetic, I can log my blood sugars and A1C there, and it will show trends for morning, afternoon, and evening sugars.  I track my water,  I track all my food intake on my phone app, and the online site shows me the breakdown of percentages of carbs, protein, and fat.  Since I manage my diabetes with my diet, this is a vital tool for me. The food data base is huge, and now you can scan a food product code with your phone and Fitbit will find it and input it to the data base. It is truly a way to be totally accountable!

There are several versions of the Fitbit- the Flex is the most popular.  Their website www.fitbit.com has all the info you need, and you can order there. Or you can go to retail outlets- the price is the same everywhere. 

Last, I am humbled and awed by their customer service. No kidding! Any questions or issues were handled quickly and professionally! I lost my first Flex in Cozumel, and they replaced it for free in record time. They set the standard for how customer service should be.

This was not a paid advertisement! I'm a Fitbit fanatic- built from a novice to an enthusiastic fan! If you are thinking about getting a tracker, I encourage you to check it out!

e b e r 

Healthier Eating

Some time ago, I decided to participate in "Meatless Monday". I could easily be a vegetarian I love veggies so much, but I will always eat lean meat.  My family needed tweaking too - they did not share my love of veggies. Frankly, they got most veggies from cans. 

So I presented the first dish - baked ziti, with fresh local squash and zucchini instead of ground beef. They ate it, with a few remarks of how it was missing meat. As time has passed, the vegetable dishes I have presented have been accepted better, and even welcomed. It took time!

Now they love veggie baked ziti. At least one day a week is meat free. 

Make one change at a time...let it become habit, the norm, then change something else. Small steps that last will lead to success - lots of change at once leads to failure!

e b e r

A Million Ways To Succeed

When someone decides to get healthy, where do they go? What do they do to reach their goal? I do not believe in dieting, so I will not address any diet that is touted. I really believe that health derives from a lifestyle- a daily commitment to love yourself enough to take care of yourself - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. When I received my diabetes diagnosis, I went to the hospital class, led by a Certified Diabetic Educator.  Even though I am a nurse, I was now a patient. I needed to see the disease from a whole new angle. I learned a LOT. It was a two day class, and I left with a basic knowledge from a patient's view, and perimeters for my nutritional needs. 

That was the beginning. 

I also knew I had to get consistently physically active. How do I motivate myself to do that? I work full time, commute 60+ hours a week, and my days off were times of exhaustion and recovery. 

I decided to follow my own advice - I used to tell my kids,when faced by a seemingly insurmountable task, this silly parable: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. 

I started with walking - I settled on "5k a day". It sounded good. The year I started this was a scorchingly hot, brutal summer, so I assigned myself times to go...and I went. 

There are a plethora of exercise applications for your phone - I randomly picked the Nike one. One thing that is important to my healthy lifestyle is goals. Measurable goals lead to measurable results. I like to see the miles adding up. It encourages me to hit milestones.  It is also a part of being accountable. 

There are also a lot of free websites that can help you.  The one I picked was www.livestrong.com. I liked it because it broke down everything I ate into protein, carbs,fat, calories, etc. By being accountable and putting every morsel of food into that data base, I could see my progress. I could tweak my carbs. I could also graph my blood sugars, and the app will graph carbs to blood sugar responses. For free! 

Any program - be it Weight Watchers, Livestrong, My Fitness Pal, etc., can be a tool to help you stay healthy, but they all share one major component: the need for total accountability!  You have to face what your weight is...put it in there. You have to admit to eating things that might not be the best choice...put it in there. Eventually, for me, knowing I would have to input that junk food I emotionally ate gave me pause. You've got to be brutally honest with yourself!

When I started my journey to be healthy, it was just me and determination. No gym membership, no friend to hold me to my word, not a vast amount of time to work with. 

When your ready to stop making excuses and accept that you need to change, you're ready. 

There are a million ways to succeed once you start seeking them!

e b e r

Accountability

I love to eat. Really love to eat...I love good food, prepared with fresh, wholesome ingredients. I love junk food, too...but I don't eat it anymore. At 69.5" tall, my top weight was 192. Overweight, but never obese. I was sedentary when I wasn't running my butt off at work. Then, four years ago, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. As a registered nurse, something had to give. I was not going to go down a path I knew too well, of illness and concurrent problems. So I began exercising. With my physicians permission of course. 

 DISCLAIMER: Although I am a medical provider, I am not a substitute for profession advise from your primary care provider! If you want to do something I do, talk to your doctor! 

Since that diagnosis, I have lost 30 pounds, shrunk from a size 14 to a size 8, wear small bottoms and medium tops, and feel better. I am also on no diabetic medications! Is it easy? Heck no! It takes discipline, sacrifice (bread, how I miss thee), imagination, and accountability. In the last 4 years, I have run 7 half marathons, 1 15k, 2 10k's, and lots of 5k's. I used to make fun of runners. I exercise on vacation! I swore I'd never do that! 

I'm getting older everyday. Everyday brings new challenges. This is the place I will come to be real about the journey of a former typical American. Well, I was never as fat. :) 

e.b.e.r