Reaching Onederland

Those who have ever had A LOT of weight to lose may be familiar with the word "Onederland." It refers to the milestone of having your weight start with the number 1 instead of the number 2. This morning, I weighed 199.5. I may have just barely squeezed under the bar, but that's good enough for me. It's been a LONG time since I've been the Onederland, and I am happy to be back. I recognize that it's just a milestone on a very long journey, but that's okay.

I met with a doctor to move forward with getting my hernia repaired. He wants me to get down to 180 first, which is the same thing the previous doctor requested. I'm okay with that. My intent is to lose a lot more than that, and I'm headed in that direction already. I have another appointment with him on January 7, and I would be very happy to reach that weight by then. That's a big goal, but I will continue to eat healthy and exercise, and see how close I can get. They asked me if I wanted to discuss the option of bariatric surgery to help me lose the weight, and I was thinking, 'Did I not just lose 30 pounds in less than 3 months? No thank you, I'm doing just fine on my own.' :)

Unfortunately, I have to plan my surgery around some trips. I am traveling to Germany with Cameron and the high school choir on Valentine's Day, and I have an Arbonne conference in Las Vegas in mid April. Finding a day with several weeks after it to heal up is challenging. I am hoping that I can schedule it for just after my February trip, so I will have about seven weeks till my next trip.

Not having a sweet tooth anymore is a real blessing. I can drink my herbal tea without sweetener now, where I used to put a teaspoon of sugar in it. I have had a few bites of chocolate over the past several weeks, and I am very content with the 80% cocoa variety, instead of milk chocolate. I even have some cocoa nibs in my house, which are 100% cocoa, and I have a bit for a treat every now and then. If I do taste a sweet treat, I just have one taste, and it's satisfying. I'm not compelled to stuff my face. It sounds really weird, doesn't it? It's weird for me. A whole, new world. I like it. I look forward to a happy holiday with my family that involves lots more than just baking and eating treats, and then weighing less on the other side of it. I am feeling good, moving better, and shrinking bit by bit. I'm glad I will fit better in my airplane seat in February! It will be a much more comfortable trip across the pond than in the past.

Thanks to all my friends for all our your support along the way. It means a lot. I am truly blessed. <3

New measurements are posted on my Success Log on the right.

Suzy, 1...sugar, 0

Hello all! I'm writing at midnight, so I hope this comes out clearly! Some people have been asking why I haven't been posting. Mostly because I'm busy with TONS of stuff. Also, I have to admit that I like to post success stories. So I waited.

A lot has changed since my last post, actually. Through a series of choices and approaches to taking care of my body, I have overcome my sugar addiction. Believe it or not, I have mixed feelings about this. Part of me wants to jump for joy! It is really liberating. I keep asking myself, "Is this what normal people feel like? Like, food doesn't run their lives?" I have lost the feeling I've had all my life, which has been a really overwhelming urge to eat, most of the time.

I also have a sort of twisted sadness, like I lost a good friend. It's mostly because sweets taste good, so I miss the experience. I have turned to junk food for comfort and stress relief for most of my life. That's a psychological longing which hasn't gone away completely. But it's fading. Now, if I eat a sugary food, I get a headache within a few minutes that lasts quite a while. So that helps discourage me from eating it.

Another feeling I have is tentativeness. I don't want to let down my guard. I worry about falling back into my previous habits. It wouldn't be that hard. I'm sure you're familiar with the "slippery slope." Before I really got a handle on my eating, I thought about what a long, hard path I had ahead of me on my journey to health. I felt like it was hard to get any distance behind me. Now that I have started down the road, I want to see it through. I don't want to go back to where I was. I let me fear of falling push me on and motivate me to persevere.

So, you may have two questions. One may be, "What are you doing to be successful?" I'll tell you a little, and you can message me for more details. I have been using the Arbonne protein shakes and bars, as before. But I have really cleaned up my food consumption in addition to that. I have virtually eliminated grains from my diet. While there are some grains which may be healthier than wheat, like quinoa, for example, I am simply not eating any of them. I am eating lots of vegetables and meats, and healthy fats. I try to eat 5-10 different vegetables a day, along with some chicken or salmon. I have a big salad, always with half an avocado along with the other vegetables. I'm avoiding all processed foods or artificial foods. I eat some beef and cheese, but I have mostly eliminated those as well. The reason for that is that they don't go through me very well. Otherwise, I would probably eat more of them. So, that's what I'm doing.

Another question you might ask is, "How is this new approach affecting your body?" I'll tell you that, too! I have lost another 11 pounds or so. I'm down about 21 pounds since May. But 11 of that has come in October. I've lost about 4 inches around my waist, and about 3 inches around my hips. I've gone down a bra size and a jeans size. Eliminating grains from my diet, as making the choice to refrain from eating even a little bit of junk and processed food, has really made a difference. I think it's really allowed my body to detox and eliminate the junk. I am also exercising regularly, but not fanatically.

You may remember that I have a really big abdominal hernia that I need to have repaired. I was told I needed to lose weight before the surgery could be done. I really want to get it done by the New Year, because we already met our annual insurance deductible. :) I have an appointment in three weeks to see if they will do the surgery sooner rather than later. I need to continue to lose weight, because I haven't reached the proper weight yet. But I'm hopeful that I will continue to make progress and that I will get approval.

I had a fun time tonight looking for grain free Thanksgiving recipes on Pinterest. I found some really good ones that I am excited to try! I'd better experiment with them a bit before I break with tradition too much! I might have a mutiny on my hands!

I will post my new weight and measurements for those who are curious. If you want to hear more about my program, feel free to message me! Thank you, friends, for your support! I really do appreciate it.

Ten pounds down...

I've lost ten pounds total since mid-May, which feels good. It's slower than I would like, but I'm learning a lot. Honestly, I've never been good at really sticking to a program. I'm quite sure it's because I've never really, truly committed myself. And I've never had a true change of heart. One of the things that is helping me this time around, this final time around, is that I have educated myself about nutrition, better than I ever have before, and the knowledge I have gained has changed me.

Gaining knowledge can give you a deeper understanding of a subject, but when you actually internalize it and believe it, you gain understanding, and that understanding can change who you are. I believe we are all in a constant state of change. Have you ever read a book, then reread it several years later? When I've done this, I have a completely different experience. Why? The book is exactly the same. What changed was me. I had years of life experience, gaining of knowledge, exposure to new ideas, and I am a different person the second time around.

I am finally being converted the idea of to taking care of my body, instead of just trying to look a certain way. The great thing is that looking good is a happy by-product of taking care of my body! I have certain health issues, like low thyroid and digestive problems, that I am learning can be healed and mended through nutrition. That is very exciting to me! It's a long process for me to shed so many bad habits, but I am learning. I am trying to be very mindful when I eat. Giving up the habit of mindless munching has been hard, but I am learning that it can be done! I am also eating lots more veggies and a lot fewer grain products. As I'm writing this, Sarah and I are making pizza crust our of cauliflower! I am feeling better, and I'm not hungry.

I've read a lot of good books lately, that really help me with my outlook on life. I think I may write a couple of book reviews for the blog. Love you, friends! <3

Day One

Today is my 46th birthday. Most people focus on landmark birthdays as a time to reflect and take a look at their lives. I think 46 is a perfectly unremarkable birthday to think about where my life has brought me to, and where I am going.

I've been thinking for a long time about whether or not I wanted to continue with this blog. The main question I ask myself is, "Is it necessary, or even a good idea, to publicize my journey?" What I usually come back to is that this blog is mostly only read by my friends, so it's more of a way to keep up with you than to be openly public about anything. But if others happen to read it, that's okay too. Another reason it's hard to open up is that sometimes I feel ashamed of who I am. Don't get me wrong. I think I have some pretty good qualities. But I am pretty hard on myself as well, so publicly acknowledging my shortcomings is a challenge. But enough about that. I'm gonna do it anyway.

Even though I haven't been writing, my life has been changing a lot. My desire to grow personally gets stronger and stronger all the time. I have been doing a lot of reading and studying ways to improve myself and become my best self. My habits and the way I spend my time have changed. I'll talk more about that over the course of time.

So, I'm writing because I have decided to have the best year of my life this year, in my 47th year. And yes, I truly believe this is a decision that I, or anyone, can make. That's saying something, considering the many amazing things that have happened in my life so far. This year has had a great start already, as I became a grandma. What an amazing experience! I thought becoming a mom was amazing, but when my own child brought a child into this world, I gained a new perspective on eternity.

Here are some of the things that will happen in my life this year, because I choose them for myself. I will lose 100 pounds, maybe a little more. I will have surgery to get my hernia fixed, so I can be in one piece again. I will continue to help my children become their best selves. I will become a Regional Vice President of my own company with Arbonne. I will continue to strive to do as much for other people as I can, because this brings me the greatest joy in my life. And I will learn to love myself better, so I can love others better. To me, relationships are the very most important thing in life, and they should be cherished above all else.

I called this post Day One because I believe that every day is Day One. Every day is a chance for me to decide to make my life what I want it to be. So tomorrow is also Day One, and every day after that.

I will post my health achievements for you all to see, because I appreciate your support. Look for the chart on the right bar of the blog. And I will keep you updated on the other, less quantitative things as well. Thanks for your friendship, and for being a part of my life. Have a beautiful day!