What a Year!!

I realized as I pulled up my blog it has been over a year since I wrote on it.  At first I thought "Bad Laura!" and stopped myself.  I stopped myself and begin to think back over the year.  It was indeed a growing year for me. I had alot of challenges last year.  In the beginning of the year when I tried to do something about my health, it seemed things got worse.  I had a cortisone shot in my knee for my arthritis and the next week I was so sick with throw up for two days.  Not my idea of getting healthy. I tried to go off the Gluten for a while and was feeling better, but other things seemed to overtake me and I was back on the Gluten and sugar again.  There were days I had no energy, motivation or the ability to get out of bed more than going to the couch.  In the process of it all I lost my job and had no income for six months.  It was only by God's Mercy I survived.  So here I am again....once again trying!  Never give up!

This morning I started Day 6 with no wheat, gluten, sugar or soda.  I can tell you this is the best I have felt in many many months.  I think it is so crazy that what we eat affects our daily life so much!  How can you celebrate a birthday without a birthday cake?  Or Christmas without all the Christmas Goodies?  I have to learn how.

This morning I decided to revitalize my blog, because of the changes I have seen in my own body and life in just six days.  Let me take you back to last Thursday.  I had a Rice Krispy square.  I needed a little something to hold me over as I went to the Family History Center for three hours to volunteer.  A little over two hours into my shift, my stomach began cramping, and gurgling, and I got very gassey.  Because it was a slow day I was told I could go home, which I did. Then I felt like my stomach just exploded as I had runs so badly and my stomach was still gurgling and gassey.  I cried.

I cried for two reasons.  I hurt and didn't know how much longer I could stand of this who stomach issue.  And two I cried because the next day I was to meet a child hood friend that was in town from Iowa. But after a prayer and really pondering the whole issue, I just felt like I would not be well enough to meet them for lunch the next day.  I had to cancel.  I looked at my life and all the things I had recently missed because of my legs and my stomach and it made me mad.

I had a new cleanse I was going to try but was going to wait until Monday to start it, but decided on Thursday night I was going to start it the next morning.  The cleanse it said was to remove the trigger foods in your body that makes you crave the sugar, wheat and gluten.  I thought yeah right.  But I guess it was my last hope, so I did it.  Within a couple of hours it was going through me and the first thing I noticed were my knees were sore but didn't hurt as much.

I emailed the site I got it from and they said that sometimes the cleanse does work that quickly.  I really tried to put my mind frame into eating meat, fruits and vegetables instead of the processed food we all love.  So here it is day 6.  Here are somethings I am noticing.

1) Out of the last five days I have over half those days I have had some pretty descent sleep.  One night even sleeping six hours.

2) My feet are beginning to get wrinkles in them.  YES!!  They have not seen wrinkles in the last year!  That means the lymph fluid is moving.

3) I am not as tired as I was -- it seems as of all of the last half  of 2013 and 2014.  I am actually getting things done, like going back to my writing.

4) I think more clearly, am more emotionally stable (not crying all the time), and see a bit of hope and brightness in my life.

5) The best thing is I have not had any sugar, wheat, gluten, or soda for five days going on 6.

I am going to document my journey through this blog, and also my own private journal I am keeping.  I just want all to know there is hope and we can all do this together.  Someone once told me the reason they were fat was because they were a loser and had no self control.  I don't believe that. No overweight person I have ever talked wants to be overweight.  But sometimes we just have to fond what works for us.

I remember when I was in Texas and gave up the sugar and soda. A friend told me I inspired her.  She couldn't do the "No Soda and No Sugar" thing, but she found her own journey.  She began exercising.  It was an hour a night faithfully.  She told me the first year she lost 24 lbs. Then she found an eating program that worked for her.  In the year she has started her eating program she has lost over 100 lbs.  Go figure!!

My legs are very troublesome to me and they will only do so much until I get frustrated.  So I decided to go back to the other approach what I eat.  As much as I tried to control it I couldn't, until I did the cleanse, then I could stay away from the processed food.  I know I won't be perfect, but I do need to find alternative ways to eat the things I love and I think there are ALTERNATIVES.  I just have to find what works best for me!!

If you are struggling with a weight issue, take one area and start there.  Maybe you have decided you are not ready to give up chocolate or sugar, but you can sacrifice the exercise portion of it. Start out with a small step and keep building.  Let me know how you have decided to change your life and get healthy!!