Joyful Journey to Health 2-22-16

February 22, 2016 by carolyninjoy 5 Comments

I’m pleased to share that since early in 2015 I have removed (not lost…I won’t find it again) forty seven [yes, 47] pounds. Yay! Progress.  I will continue to imagine myself leaner, healthier & with abundant energy.   I will take the steps necessary to reach my goal of being stronger & slimmer.

I weigh in only at the doctor’s office & have another follow-up visit set for March 3rd so will give another update then.  He’s changed some of my medicines & I hope the new ones will continue to work better with less side effects.  It’s ironic to me that some of the drugs given actually make other symptoms WORSE. I’m pleased to report that the newest medicine is helping:  lower blood pressure & less chest pain.

I came across an article published through aarp.org called 67 Science-Backed Ways to Lose Weight. Here are a few ideas I gleaned from it.

“Losing weight isn’t easy—and doing it in a healthy, sustainable way can make the task feel even harder.  Making small changes each day is one way to get started, but it’s important to remember that just because a weight-loss strategy works for someone else, it may not work for you.

Freeze what you won’t be serving. Once meal prep is over, serve yourself a reasonable portion, then package up the rest and immediately stash it in the fridge or freezer for a later date. When the food is out of sight, studies show you’ll be less likely to reach for a second helping.

Try thinking of your favorite activity—dancing in the rain, getting a massage, playing with a puppy.

Research shows that engaging in imagery can reduce the intensity of food cravings. You can also try smelling something non-food related. One study found that smelling jasmine (still pretty pleasant!) helped to reduce cravings.”

If you want to visit the article, here’s the link. AARP Article 67 Science Backed Ways to Lose Weight

The ‘smelling jasmine’ sentence made me smile because my puppy is NAMED Miss Jasmine. 🙂  I think I mentioned previously that she’s my arms workout partner.  She pulls a tug rope while I count out my bicep curls & we both have fun.  She now weighs 76 + pounds & it’s a good workout.  She incredibly strong.  Here is a photo taken last week.

“There’s no such thing as ruining your life. Life’s a pretty resilient thing, it turns out.”-Sophie Kinsella

I’m grateful for the opportunity to turn my life around. It’s taken me a long time to learn that deferred gratification is STILL gratification. I’ve spent a lot of needless energy doing battle against having what I want, when I want it.  I’m continuing to learn that life doesn’t end if I have to wait for something.  Just because a food item seems to ‘sing my name’ does not mean that I have to succumb to the ‘Siren’s song’.   I am ultimately in control of my actions.

I still haven’t perfected the breakfast cookie recipe so I’ll do that sometime during the coming week.

“If you don’t do what’s best for your body, you’re the one who comes up on the short end.”-Julius Erving

No more short end for me, I’m doing what’s best for my body.

This is in response to  Silver Threading Help, My Diet Stopped Working

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