The 1 year, 2 months check in (Den)

I'm bad at posting right now. I just haven't been losing the weight, and posting seemed futile. I have been maintaining, though. And recently, I have lost a few new pounds. I'm down to 206. In 2 more pounds, I will be the same weight as about 10 years ago, and after that, I will be down where I haven't been since I was in my very early 20s. I have been trying, but I hit about a 2 month plateau that drove me crazy. It seems to have broken now and we will see if I can't lose a few more pounds before another one comes along. Doesn't matter, ya know? Just maintaining is a miracle for me. So, I am not stressing about it.

My mom is below 200! I think she is 197 now. She is so happy, and she looks great. Her blood sugar numbers are in the normal range with a little help from medication, but he doctor says she can come off if it continues to drop. So, yay for mom! I am still vegan and still exercising. I tested my blood sugar, and it was 78 the other day!!! That's a far cry from back in the day, when the drs said I needed to think about meds. I haven't had my cholesterol checked in forever. I wonder what that is at?

I will post again when I lose more pounds. So, hopefully, I am posting again soon!

Kori's check in 9/30/12

I find it funny how simlar Denice and my journeys have been to this point. We both have struggled with weight all of our lives and we both have had health issues that made us rethink what we are doing to our bodies. I knew when we started this process it was going to be a lifetime committment.

I hit my total loss of 49 pounds in May and I have lost three more overe the summer, which is not where I thought I would be but I have discovered that I am thrilled with it. I have maintained this weight loss longer than any other in my past. I love that both Denice and I had the same down time and we both came out the other side at the same weight we started. I am ready to recommit to remaining healthy and losing more weight.

I met with my diabetes provider and he is thrilled with me. He agreed that if my numbers look good in March, he will take me off of all of my medication. Yay.

I commit to at least two organized classes per week at my office, they have zumba, circuit training and boot camps to choose from.

Bring it on!!!!!

A pretty good week (Den)

I’m eating very well lately. I have really cut down on the refined carbohydrates. I try to view them as treats that I don’t often have. They are like “desserts” to me. I don’t have as much of a sweet-tooth as I do a starch-tooth. On my “generally banned” list, I have placed bread, noodles, granulated sugar (but,  uh, we won’t talk about yesterday at the Chinese restaurant!!). But anyway…if I have a craving for starch, then I try to go to a whole food source first – potatoes or beans – but for me, even those things can get out of control quickly, so I try to be careful when I eat them.

My goals for this week include adding some exercise back into my life. I’ve been pretty active with life in general, but not with routine exercise. I’m gonna try to fit 3 sessions into this upcoming week. I did exercise on Tuesday and Thursday this past week. My legs were killing me! The weather is turning gorgeous around San Antonio. I need to try and take advantage of it for the next couple of months. 

I bought a new pair of pants yesterday. They are still size 18, but I thought that I didn't look so terrible in that full length mirror. That's an unusual thought for me, as I generally see myself as "huge." I go out of my way to avoid seeing myself in full length mirrors, but it wasn't so bad yesterday, and I think having a better self-image might be an integral part of the weight loss process, rather than an end result.

Back on track! (Den)

I decided that today is my official weigh-in, and I’m happy to report that I am 213.6 pounds…the lowest I’ve been for quite some time. It means that I am losing new weight once again. In the last decade, my lowest weight was 205 about 7 years ago (I haven't been below 200 in well over 20 years). So, 205 is a small milestone marker that I am looking forward to reaching before the holidays get here.

With this weigh day on the books, I will not record another weight for about 4 weeks. For me, it is just imperative that I stay off that scale! I can’t handle the fluctuations that come along with daily or even weekly weigh-ins. Monthly seems to work for me, but I hope to keep posting progress reports on other topics.

I have to say that I am thrilled with the fact that I haven’t gained back my 46 pounds. Yes, I have been on a bit of a self-imposed plateau, but I’m coming to terms with the way that I lose weight. I do well in this sporadic weight-loss pattern -- I lose for a while, I get bored and stop trying, I bob along at the same weight, then I start back at it. But I have to admit that although I didn’t plan to stop and start all the time, it seems to be working overall. I would love to just dump all my weight and be done with it, but my body seems to be content with doing things this way, so who am I to complain? After all, I am almost 50 pounds lighter, and that feels pretty darn good.

What can I say? It was summer! I was busy!? (Den)

Ugh. Long time no post. In fact, this weekend fall begins, so this is the only post I've managed to produce all summer. Sorry! But there is good news. I am only 2 pounds up from my low weight, and I’m ready to get going again. I will weigh again some time next week to see if I can rid myself of those couple of pounds, and then I will be off to losing fresh weight once again!

I guess I would say that I am inspired by my mom this past week. She is 199.6 pounds. She hasn’t been below 200 in decades! She’s super excited, and I’m excited for her. She is eating well and walking 2.5 miles several times per week. How can I not be inspired to join in on that? I still remember that feeling of getting below those ten pound marks on the scale, too. It’s a great feeling. But to get below that dreaded hundred pound mark?! Well, that’s just fabulous. And what I really love…that inspiration, giddiness, confidence, and excitement are contagious. It’s a bug that I’m happy to catch!

I’m 216, so in 17 pounds, I can also say that I’m in that ONEderland. It doesn’t seem so far away…not like when I was 260 anyway! 17 pounds sound doable. Even if I’m reasonable about losing, it’s doable by the end of the year; if I’m super committed, maybe I can get it done even sooner than that. So, I’ll check back with the blog in a week or so when I decide to weigh again, and then I will take a weigh-break for a month, but I’ll try to keep posting about other things.

Weigh Day Updates (Den)

OK. So, I was pretty nervous about this weigh-in. I haven’t weighed in a long time, but I haven’t been trying to lose any weight either. If anything, I figured I would really pack on some pounds since I returned to eating “normal” food. To my surprise, I was only up 2 pounds…easily lost if I put half a bit of effort into it. I had to get on the scale several times to verify that I hadn’t gained 20 pounds back!

I won’t say that I have been struggling. No, rather, I just have been lazy about working through my weight loss. I kind of went into maintenance mode for a little while. This seems to be my M.O.: lose for a few weeks, then get bored and maintain for a while as I wait for inspiration to strike again.

I’m actually kind of at peace with the whole thing. I make better choices all the time; my screw-ups are farther in between. We live a mostly vegan lifestyle, especially with at-home meals. I treat myself occasionally (had a milkshake just two days ago!), and I refuse to feel guilty about that because they are not daily treats. While I am not dumping weight at a record pace, I also don’t engage the stress of losing weight…something that has always seemed to haunt me. This is a new feeling for me - one which only came along after I quit getting on the scale every day; I really like not fretting about my weight all the time. 

Check In-Kori

     I haven't posted for quite a while. I have been disinterested in the weight loss process for the past several weeks as other things have crowded it out. I have maintained my weight and even lost a few ounces here and there. I am only 8 ounces from the 50 pound mark. I have allowed these other things to keep me from not sleeping enough and not getting exercise. It's amazing how stress/time demands can creep in and take over. I declare war on them today and I will get a grip on my life and my health again.
     I am proud of myself that I have continued to eat relatively well and not allowed myself to eat my frustration. That is huge for me. I continue to see my health counselor and that helps a lot too.
     I will cook well this week, fit in four days of thirty minutes of exercise and sleep at least 7.5 hours per night. That is my promise to myself.

Week 19 Updates (Den)

What a week! Goodness, I came off my cleansing and went nuts eating! On a positive note, I kept up with my exercise, and I have lived a fulfilling vegan week. I have to buckle down now, though, so that I don’t gain weight eating so much yummy food. Even good food can make ya fat. It’s a good thing that I don’t have weigh-in right now.

I think I would like to officially move my weigh days to 5 days after my “monthly, you-know-what” thing. That seems like it would be the most consistent, accurate time to weigh. So, instead of the 15^th of the month (an arbitrary date), I may take another month or so hiatus from the scale. I just feel a lot better not relying on my scale numbers. I get a little scale withdrawal every now and then, but overall, it’s just better this way for me.

Oh, and, Kudos to my boys! They have lived with vegan dinners for 9 days now. They have been good sports…trying a variety of mysterious foods (at least to them). They have had tempeh, green apple chili, lentil loaf, mashed cauliflower and potatoes, pad Thai and kimchee, aloo gobi, and zucchini balls. Surprisingly, they have actually liked everything!  Next week, I will be introducing them to seitan, bean burgers, quinoa tabbouleh, polenta, and falafel pitas. I know they had pepperoni pizza for lunch one day, but other than that, they have been surprising good about eating vegan supper. The problem is – dinner has been so delicious. Can anybody remind me about that thing…you know…uh…portion control…yeah, that’s it!

Look at Us! (Den)

I just love to load up our blog and see these two side by side photos of our new, improved bodies! Look at my best friend! She looks AWESOME! Not just in the body, but in the smile and the clothes and the self-confidence. That's beautiful! It's not always easy to stay on the straight and narrow...even when our health is at stake, but we have done well and that's something that we can be proud of. Kori: you keep it up, because you are so worth it! Even when it is rediculously busy, don't forget that you have to put yourself first in order to keep giving all of it away. The more energy you have, the more productive you can be. Hang in there. I'm super proud of you!

(Kori)Saturday weigh in

I have been feeling complacent the last couple of weeks. I have had my middle daughters graduation, a friends wedding and many changes at work. I also signed up for school again. I have had to put a lot of energy and effort into keeping up and excercise and eating really well have fallen by the wayside a bit. I know that in the past I would used this hectic time to eat myself stupid, which would have made me ill. I did maintain good habits and I have lost weight but only in ounces. I feel the stress on my body and my mind and I am ready to refocus and get busy. I also have found that now that all of my clothes fit and I can purchase clothes in the store again, it is easier to not be so focused. I decided to purchase an adorable outfit that was 2 sizes smaller so that I have other goals and I will continue to do this. It's helps in two ways, expense; now that I have lost weight and all of my clothes fit, I will need to begin purchasing all new clothes from here on out, motivation; my reasons for wanting to be fit are morphing a bit. I have gotten my numbers under control but now I have fitness goals I want to attain. So here is to a new, less stressful week and getting a grip!

Week 18 Update (Den)

It’s been a pretty good week. I finished up with my cleansing on Wednesday, and I found out how much I had lost. But the euphoria has faded, and I am ready to buckle down and integrate certain foods back into my life. I tried coffee, but it really upset my stomach for about 4 hours. So, I am not going back to it…I’ve switched to tea in the mornings. I am not purchasing any additional quick veggie foods like Boca burgers and Chik’n patties.  I am making my own stuff – bean burgers, seitan, falafel, etc.

My stomach hasn’t been pleased to be back on “regular” foods, despite my trying to be careful. My Thai food restaurant adventure produced a whole lot of gastro-instestinal troubles the next morning (and I only had stir-fried veggies with tofu cubes). My tempeh “TLT” sandwiches (although very tasty) upset my belly, too. The sourdough might have been the culprit on that one! At any rate, I think it will take some time for everything to normalize.

I won’t weigh again for a month, and I’m hoping that I can produce a 5 pound loss in that time. I’m not too worried about it, though. I feel a huge sense of relief not having to confront my scale too often. Mostly, I just want to keep up with my workouts, continue to eat good food, and not let things bother me mentally. I think that the weight will release if I just follow that plan. 

Weigh Day!!! (Den)

Boo-yah! Sabotaging, negative, pessimistic mind needs to shut-up once and for all! My restart was a success! Technically, I am still going for 2 more days, but I want to put my weigh days on the 15^th of every month, so I weighed today. I am really excited to keep moving forward, and even more excited to bring the boys on board with my new vegan dinner menus. I have to say that this experiment with myself was very insightful and motivating, not only because I lost weight, but because I feel pretty darn good. Here are some of my results:

-          Lost 20 pounds…I’ve lost 46 pounds altogether!

-          Shrank into my size 18s

-          Lost 2.5 inches off my waist

-          Lost 3.5 inches off my hips

-          Lost 1.5 inches off each thigh

-          No more insomnia meds

-          Fasting Blood Sugar was 79 (Doc said I was prediabetic a few years ago)

-          No more high blood pressure

-          Very reduced abdominal pain

-          Donated a ton of clothes to Goodwill

-          Went from 0 workouts to over 200 minutes of cardio per week

I have to say that I was pretty darn surprised to lose that much. I really wanted 10 pounds, and I was nervous to get on the scale because I wasn't sure if I would get it. I had to get on the scale a few times to make sure I wasn't seeing the numbers wrong. I'm really happy with all the results, not just the weight loss. Yay!

Week 17 Updates (Den)

I cannot say how excited I am that I have nearly finished 6 weeks of food elimination & cleansing! Wednesday will be my final day, and I am going to have Thai food at my favorite little restaurant on Thursday. They make a wicked bowl of veggies and tofu cubes that I am craving…I have not eaten at a restaurant since I began this reset, and I am looking forward to the treat.

I’ve been doing really well, but I still feel a little hesitation about getting on the scale and seeing if I made my goal or not. I am looking for that digital read of 224. I have really worked hard these past few weeks, and I want the proof in the numbers! Despite not knowing, I did see myself in a full-length mirror yesterday and I was surprised at my reflection. I actually saw a difference in my shape. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking, but I’m pretty sure that I look different than I did a few weeks ago.

I have no reservations about the last 6 weeks. I’ve done everything that I could, and I’ve met all my goals for the reset. I’ve worked hard physically, stuck to my easting plan, and given it everything that I possible could give. Still, I’m ready to begin bringing back certain foods into my life. I’ll make a mid-week post on Wednesday to announce whether or not the scale cooperated with my reset plan! Regardless, I feel great and I’m proud of my accomplishment.

Kori Saturday Update

Wow lot's has been happening. My oldest daughter starts college in two weeks so I have been helping her down this path with all the extra paperwork etc. I have registered for my summer classes and I have been helping my two youngest finish up their year. It is official Abby has all her credits and will graduate May 15th 1 year early!!!! Now I only have 1 child in high school! Also Becky will be 21 this month, I am amazed and awed at the journey we have had with her and the awesome person she has turned into. My youngest Hailee started the year behind in credits and has managed to recapture most of what she needs and is looking forward to joining the other two in college.
I also have had a major change at work that opens a huge opportunity for me to advance, so I am looking forward to what transpires from this.
Through all of this I have managed to continue to lose weight and staybalanced in my eating. Exercise is the one thing that I have still been unable to master on a regular basis, I have added in things like taking the stairs, parking farther away, walking every day at lunch, which I know are all major improvements but what I crave is that exercise you enjoy and sweat and come out of feeling great. I will continue to search for it.
All in all, I feel great and I am so enjoying sharing this experience with my oldest friend. Den, you inspire me. Keep up the great work!!!!!!

Week 16 Update (Den)

This has been another really good week for me. I’m in control of my eating and my exercising. Since I knew I was doing a six week “reset” plan, I have incorporated small goals that build upon each other each week. This week, I brought my exercise up to 50 minutes. I wrapped my bad knee and added an upper body cardio boxing routine. I’m feeling pretty tough!

I only have about a week and a half left of my cleansing diet. I’m ready to be done! But it’s a bitter-sweet feeling. I haven’t had any refined products, and I think I’ll keep going with that decision. I like the whole-foods concept of eating. I’m anxious to get the boys eating vegan dinners. They are not planning to go vegan in their lives, but just eat vegan for supper. They are surprisingly excited to try some of my recipes!

Not weighing has been difficult at times. Colton has lost a couple of pounds, and he keeps telling me, “Mommy, I can tell that you’ve lost weight, too. You are gonna be so happy when you get on the scale.” That kills me! But I really want to achieve my goal, so I’m staying off of it. I can see my mini-finish line…just 12 more days.

Blood Pressure (Den)

The time has come for me to reduce my blood pressure medication. I’ve been keeping close tabs on it the last couple of weeks, and it consistently runs about 100/60 with a pulse at 60 BPM (the low side of normal). Normal BP used to be 120/80, but I know the experts have reduced that a bit; anyway, low is considered 90/60. So, I’m approaching the low end.

I take a small dose of beta blocker, and I’m a little anxious about withdrawing from it because it also controls my tachycardia and migraines. I’m going to begin (next week) by dividing the dose, and hope that I don’t have those problems return. While I recognize that the advice of a doctor is recommended, I know that she would tell me to do the same thing (as I have withdrawn from this medication before under doctor supervision).

Yet, it can be hard to let go of things that we cling to like a security blanket. For example, I’ve had insomnia for years, and although I have prescription drugs for it, they freak me out and I just take OTC pills. Well, I quit taking them about two weeks ago, and to my surprise, my insomnia seems to have gone the way of the do-do. I’m still leery about its return, but for now, it seems to be under control. I’m hoping I can get those same results as I step down from my HBP pills, too.

Updates for Week 15 (Den)

A really great week! Colton’s schooling has gone remarkably well, and my folks gave us a really awesome gift that will make my life so much better; I spent days at the zoo, the park, the museum, hiking, exercising. I even donated some of my old “fat” clothes. I tried on the shorts that I wore all last summer, and they didn’t fit at all. I could actually pull them off without unzipping them! Trying on my old clothes has given me some extra motivation. I think that I might be back into my size 18s in the next few weeks…I’m getting really close! At my highest weight, I was a 24 (borderline 26), so it will be awesome to officially drop out of the 20s.

I announced to the boys that when I come off this cleansing program in three weeks – when I start integrating some of the things I’ve totally eliminated – I will not prepare meat for them at dinner. If they want meat, they can have it for lunch, or eat it when we go out for dinner, but I’ll be cooking vegan for them and me. They took the news very well, and while I expect there will be a certain amount of hesitation, I think they can tolerate the “ordeal.” I guess you could say that I’m going to force their support! OK, so sue me, LOL!

I’ve been working out pretty consistently. The pain in my side feels much better. It’s not gone, but I hardly notice it, and I hope that is a good sign that I am healing from whatever has been bothering me. I’m overall impressed with my results this week: I feel good! Really, that’s the only measure of success right now, and I'll take it.

Kori update

I forgot to update Saturday because I literally ran from morning till night. I lost 4 oz this week and it took me from the the 280's to the 270's. I have been overly busy and a bit stressed and I can feel it. I am proud that I have been eating well, even on the most busy days. No fast food, no stuffing my mouth with whatever I can reach. I have continued to be conscious of what I eat and how it makes me feel. I am proud of Den for restructuring her plan and getting back on it. Hang in there. Love you.

No weigh day! (Den)

I still have not jumped on the scale, although I will confess that I was sorely tempted the other day! My mom called after she saw this picture of me, and said that I really looked as though I had lost some weight, and she wanted to know how much. I told her that I didn’t know since I hadn’t gotten on the scale in weeks, and didn’t plan on weighing for several more. She said it was “stupid” not to weigh for so long, but I disagree. I’ve been doing so much better since I stopped fretting over that scale! Weigh day has always been about excuses for me…an excuse to eat out if I did well, and an excuse to beat myself up (and eat!) when I do poorly. Now, my only gauge of progress is the way my clothes fit, and that is working just fine.

We all have to try on different things while we go through this process. No single plan is going to fit everybody. Everyone has different needs, and I respect that. Doing something “different” freaks people out. I don’t know why. But the hardest thing in life is to figure out what YOU have to do, and not what OTHERS should be doing. The weight…the obesity (I hate that word!)…is not about food. It’s about your mind, your personal history, your physical and spiritual needs. Eating and being fat – at least for the obese – is just a symptom. One can treat the symptoms (diet and lose weight), but the underlying issues won’t go away without some deeper, more complex changes. That is what I am trying to do…mentally refocus and learn what triggers MY eating.

Updates for Week 14 (Den)

Another good week…I think. I don’t really have any "proof." I haven’t weighed, and I haven’t measured any of the food that I’m eating, or counted any calories. I’m two weeks into the “experiment” with myself, and I have to say that my Sabotaging Mind tries to fight me (the logical one) all the time. Sabotaging Mind wants to get on the scale; it really wants proof that I know what I’m doing! But I am denying myself, because I need to learn something really critical from the experiment. I need to learn how to trust myself. I figured that out this week. I don’t trust myself.

What I don’t need is more nutritional training. I know the protein count on almost everything, I know high fiber from low, which starches are high on the glycemic index, what contains saturated fat, how many calories to eat per day, how much the recommended guidelines are for almost every stinking food that I put in my mouth. But, I still don’t trust myself. Sabotaging Mind says, “You better weigh! You are probably gaining weight doing this crazy experiment! You are wasting 6 weeks on this silly idea!”…“You better measure that! You can only have a quarter cup of those nuts!”…“You can’t trust yourself. Look! You’re fat! And you’re gonna ‘trust’ yourself!”

I second guess myself all the time. But not weighing and measuring has given me some freedom. I’m still watching what I eat…and I know that I’m not all willy-nilly binging and stuffing myself. I’m being very careful. I mean after all, it’s my own self-trust that’s at stake. If I get on the scale after 6 weeks and don’t lose my 10  pounds, then Sabotaging Mind was right all along…I really can’t trust myself! But, if I get on and the scale says, “Yay! Job well done! You’re 225!” then I guess I need to have a long talk with that self-doubting, untrusting, manipulative, heckling Sabotaging Mind of mine. For another four weeks, though, we’ll just keep bickering with each other.