Life and Weight Loss Excuses!!

We all do them!!!  I think I lead the pack!!  Ha Ha  Here are some of the ones I found online are and ones of my own at the end.

My parents (ancestors) were overweight, so I am too.  

Great Grandmother

Grandmother

  We have to remember we are the one who chooses our own destiny.  Yes the genes play a part in it, but we are the only ones who can change who we are.  Here are some pictures of my grandmother and great grandmother. When I first saw these pictures, I thought yep I am dead meat!! On the left is my grandmother Grace Linn Moore, and on the right is Carrie Valls Schoenbohm.  I have their same body type!!!  I showed the picture to my manager who said, "Well we know where you body type comes from!"  So yes genes have a big part to play in our weight, but so does alot of other factors.  I am stubborn enough and determined enough to break cycles in my life and change me.

My Family Won't Eat Healthy Food.
We can't expect ourselves or our family to automatically go from eating junk food to eating a healthier diet.  It just doesn't work that way.  We need to find small ways to change our eating habits rather than big ones. I had a friend who used to have one green vegetable for dinner every night.  Those green vegetables varied, between green beans, broccoli, salad, brussell sprouts etc. I had a friend who added one new fruit to her vegetable each week. So think of little changes to incorporate to begin with. This reminds me of a story:

STORY TIME

My brother would easily go through a gallon of milk in a day or two.  Remember how I said earlier my mom used to tell us to slow down we were not going to a fire?  Well my brother could eat. She often said, "he can't be tasting what he is eating." My mom in all her wisdom decided to go with a cheaper milk and see if he could taste the difference.  For about three months he could not.  Then one day, "Mom this milk tastes funny!! I think it is spoiled!"  She tried to explain there was nothing wrong with the milk, it was just a different kind and not the whole milk.  He replied, "I can't drink this stuff it's gross!!!"  I don't think she went back to the whole milk and he had to get used to the 2% milk.

I have never been a milk drinker, although I do like and can drink skim milk.  And yes I can tell the difference between whole milk and skim milk!!  But the point to this whole story is, sometimes we just shove things in our mouths without even thinking about it.
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Adding little changes to our food is probably not going to be noticeable.  What small changes can you make to your food to make them healthier?

I Don't Have Time!
Don't get me started on this one!!!   Let's start with lunch at work.  By the time you go out to get lunch, bring it back and snarf it down, there is no time to enjoy lunch or even relax.  But if you got in the habit of making your lunch at night and taking it to work with you, not only would you be saving $$ but also you could relax and maybe go for a walk, or read a book or do something else besides run to get lunch and be stressed.  There have been several jobs where I have taken a 10 minute walk and then eaten lunch. I have mentioned before my water aerobics story and the success I had with it.  I had joined a website that had a message board and most of the replies were positive when I posted my successes. The keyword being MOST!!!  But one lady said, "I wish I had the free time you did to do water aerobics."  Hello did I miss something?  FREE TIME?  I left my house at 6:30 in the morning, worked all day, then drove straight to water aerobics after work, did an hour class, was lucky if I got home by 7:00 pm at night. And I was always early for work, because of parking and the 15 minute hike to my building.  It was all about changing priorities to make time.

I Don't Have Any Support.
I do understand this one.  I have said this before, I do not know what I would do without Erika.  On Monday I was a tad bit later than normal getting to the church and she had begun loading Audrey her daughter into the car to leave.  I showed up just in time!!!  We did our walk around the building.  She is my motivator.  And I have never had anyone like that before to really support me and make sure I go walking.  We could have very easily said, "Let' not do it today" but we were both there so why not do it!!  Do you have a dog you can take for a walk?  Maybe a neighbor or co-worker will go with you. Not take the neighbor or co-worker for a walk, (ha ha) but have them walk with you.  Remember it doesn't take much, you are just trying to change your habits and make small changes that will become bigger habits.


I Am Afraid of Regaining It All.
What is your thought on this?  This has never crossed my mind.  I guess because I have always lost the same pounds over and over.  Ha Ha This time it is going to be different.

All of the above is from the article "Weight Loss Excuses" on about.com.

Here are some of my own thoughts:


What will happen when I get thin?
Even when I have lost weight before, I do not have the mindset in me to think differently when I was thinner. Part of it becomes because even when  I was 20 lbs overweight, I was still referred to as a cow, water buffalo, horse etc. There was a time in my life where I had lots a substantial amount of weight.  I had gotten off a bus and was walking to a friends house when I got whistled at. I hurried to my friends house and it was all I could do to not cry.  Eventually I told my friend what happened and she said, "Laura that is a good thing" but I could never make myself believe that.  So that worries me.  Even if I was to get into a single digit size, I worry how I will be viewed and what would happen.  Whistles?  Name calling?  I don't think I could handle any attention and that bothers me deep down.  I know, I know, there are some deep mental issues inside there.

Failure
Also now, I can blame all my failures to my weight.  When I lose the weight, I can blame my weight anymore for my failures.

Do I Deserve To Be Thin and Healthy?
I have a very dear friend who is Diabetic.  I watch her struggle on a daily basis with her diabetes.  Today I was thinking to myself as I watched her check her blood sugar, why is it she has diabetes?  She is very trim and tiny and watches what she eats -- or at least I think she does.  And yet her diabetes is such a burden to her and her lifestyle.  I have been tested for diabetes on many occasions, and always told the same thing.  There is nothing wrong with me. I know that is not right, but they have to go off the blood work.  So I do what I can now and hopefully I will be able to dodge the bullet.

See for me this is all a mind game.  There is a book I am going to check into that is called:  Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person  I want to read this as I think it will help deal with the issues in my head.

So what about all of you?  What are your excuses?  How are you going to combat them?  Any advice from those who have met their goals and gotten to their goal weight?

501 Ways to Get The Sugar Out

No I am not going to list 501 ways, BUT I thought I would share with you a book that I love!!  In 2001 I was preparing for chance of a lifetime.  I was going to be a Volunteer for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games.  This had been a 2 year process of paper work, test events, training, FINALLY getting an assignment, my uniform etc.  The one thing I had not been able to do though was to lose weight.  One day my friend and I were at the library and I found a book called, "Get The Sugar Out".  It sounded interesting so I checked it out and read it.

I already knew I had a problem with sugar, but it was hard to admit it. I was on a last ditch effort to take off some weight before the games started.  On December 29th, I began to take all the sugar out of my diet.  This included, sweets, pasta, bread, potatoes, soda, all things sugar.  I mentioned to another friend on New Year's Eve how I was giving up sugar and she laughed at me.  She went on to say we all need sugar, and I could never give it up.  That go around, I went 6 months with no sugar before I caved in.  But by eliminating those things and walking 1 mile a day five times a week I lost over 40 lbs in a month.  The weight fell off.  Even though I had done it for six months, I felt like I failed.

However, after the Olympics were over, I heard my friend's voice over and over, You Can't Do It!!!  I was so mad at myself when I did cave in thinking I would simply go back off the sugar again.  It was not that easy.  Last September was the first time I had been able to give it up since 2002.  My thought when I think back to this is why couldn't she just be supportive?

This part of my life reminds me of a favorite children's story.  There is a series of books by Ricky Van Shelton called Tales From a Duck Named Quacker, Quacker meets Mrs, Moo, and Quacker Meets Candadian Geese.  There are four of them (I do not have the fourth one) and each one tells a different story and a different moral.  One of my favorites (if anyone really wants to know what the title is, leave a message and I will dig them out) tells the story of Quacker and a friend.  His friend asks him,
"Why do you wag your tail and bark like a dog?"
Quacker replies, "Because that is who I am."
His friend replies, "No you're not, that is a dog and you are a duck."
Quacker asks, "Don't you like me for who I am?  This is all I know how to be." 

This story always touches me because our true friends and those we love seem to accept us for who we are, yet they also sometimes want to mold us into what they want or what is acceptable to society or something!   I have not quite got that part figured out yet.  They don't mean the harm, but sometimes it is still there.  I have said before, I did this last September to gain control of my life, because somewhere I had to have some control over something.  Through it all there have been challenges, victories, defeats and downfalls.  But despite all of that it is the things I have learned that I know one day I will will by battle to become a healthier me. It all starts with doing what you can and building upon it.

Early in the book, "Get the Sugar Out" Ann Gittleman starts by listing the problems with sugar in heart disease, diabetes and cancer, the three leading disease killers.  Also listed on the list is your immune system.  I just thought of this while writing this blog.  Since being off the sugar in September I have been sick once.  I think it was more the stress than anything, but none the less I was a sick little puppy.  Now all my friends are getting sick and (knock on wood) I have avoided it all.  Could it be by being off the sugar my immune system has increased that I have avoided all the nasty bugs that are going around?  Hmmm interesting thought.

Back to the book, besides the obvious diseases and ailments listed above Ms. Gittleman lists many others.  Some that are included are:

Acne, Allergies, Arthritis, Cancer, Constipation (excuse me need to potty!!! LOL Sorry I couldn't resist!), Depression, Fatique, Mood Swings, Premature Aging and the list goes on.  But the point is, trying to get rid of the sugar is not just about losing weight, it is about getting healthier.  Here are the Top 10 Hints for getting sugar out of your diet::

1-Stop adding sugar to cereal and fruit.
2-Eliminate processed carbohydrates from your kitchen - yes white bread, white pasta, whit rice
3-Go with whole and unprocessed foods
4-Thin out sweeteners or sweet foods
5-Beware of "Fat Free" it does not mean they are less sugar
6-The more natural food the better
7-Become a food detectve
8-Eat for taste and nutrition
9-Listen to your body
10-Eat regular and balanced meals.

Okay so looking at this list even I GET OVERWHELMED!  I am going to take three of them and work on them. I don't have a problem with number 1, but I need #2 and #3, and #10.

This is a very good book that explains all you ever want to know about sugar.  It talks about the Glycemic Index on foods.  The whole goal is to keep your blood sugar at an even level so as not to get the cravings, and binges etc.  It's all doable and all possible....with time.  There are several good books on the market that will help you understand your body and how it reacts to sugar. Someone has mentioned "Eating for your Body Type".  While we all need to watch what we eat and exercise, I believe there is more to it than that.  It means educating our selves on what is right for us and only we will know "that" is.

Have you found other books you like and are helpful?  Please share them with us here!!

The Good, Bad, and Evil of Sugar

You didn't know sugar had three sides to it did you?

The Good -- I saw the good last night of what sugar can do for a person that needs it.  I hear every Sunday about being prepared, having knowledge, having faith, and believing in miracles.  Last night, I saw all of them come together in a matter of minutes when my friend went into diabetic shock.

The Bad --Everything has sugar.  There are good and bad sugars and we need to educate ourselves on them, how they affect us, and what to do for others when they are in trouble.

The Evil -- Addiction.  Sugar gets the bad rap because it is an addictive legal drug.  I know, you are not addicted to sugar right? If you can pass up that piece of cake or candy you really want for a week then I can probably side with you. But if all you are thinking about right now is the piece of cake you want, then I would be re-evaluating the whole sugar addiction thing.

What happened?

For those who know me or have been reading my blog, you probably know I love Family History.  It's just part of who I am.  I was looking forward to last night because I would get to see my friend from the FHC (Family History Center).  Last Thursday we got into a discussion about soda and her blood sugar levels, and part of me felt a bit guilty.  I knew she was a big girl and I decided it was not my "right" to come down on her.  That changed last night. As her friend, I am glad I called her out on when I saw a change in her last week.

As we were sitting in our FHC meeting last night, I noticed she tilted her head back.  She then moved it back down, and a few seconds later she tilted it back again.  The first thought that came to me, was "something is not right."  I had seen her before sitting at a computer before and tilting her head back to read the monitor, but this was a large screen.  The third time she tilted back, her friend next to her leaned over to talk to her.  Her friend gave me the "something is wrong" look and I looked over to my other friend Karen.  Let' me just say I am so grateful these two ladies were there last night.  To make a long story short, our friend went into a Diabetic Shock.  I had no idea what to do!!

I knew about the Glucose tablets and we gave her one, but it was not working.  We learned later, we needed to put it under her tongue. So I am curious, if you were in my situation last night, would you have known what to do?  Have you ever been there before?

A few things we learned:
We learned how to give a glucose tablet. Just putting in the mouth does not work you need to get it UNDER the tongue.

Call 911

Luckily our church building was packed with people and in the midst of all these people were a doctor and a nurse.  A miracle they were there!  My friend's bishop (like a pastor) had her information for the paramedics and EMT's. He knew how to contact her husband. I saw some incredible and knowledgeable people at work last night.

We were asked, do you have sugar packets? Do you have any Orange Juice? We had none.  They gave her an IV of sugar and water.  This saved my friend. 

Here are things I now KNOW from last night:

1. Orange Juice – A Diabetic's friend.  Make sure you have a small can on hand (with a straw). It acts fast into the blood stream. If you are diabetic, do you carry one in your purse or in the car with you?  If you are in an office, do you have a can or two on hand for emergency purposes?
2. Stress-- Stress can cause blood sugars to rise and nose dive.  Rep. Giffords who was shot in Tuscon over the weekend, is my friend's cousin. I am sure part of the reason for her diabetic shock was her worry for her cousin.
3. Behavior Change – Are they agitated? Have a glazed look? Unresponsive or short answers such as “yeahh” “ noooo”. Something could be wrong. Keep asking questions to keep them alert and get as much information as you can. Remember it is always better to be safe than sorry.
4. Prepare – Ask your diabetic friends what you need to do in order to help them should the time arise. Do they wear a glucose pump? Do you have emergency contact numbers? Do you know how to give them a glucose tablet? Do they carry tablets with them?

If you think this is not your problem, you are wrong.  We need to be there for each other, even when some of us think we can do it on our own.  I have many friends who are diabetic, and I never really thought of any of this before. I need to know how to be there for them if this happens and I am there. Ask your friends what you need to know and do, if this should happen to them. If they tell you not to worry, make them humor you!!! Be persistence!! Not mean, but persistence and then share this story!!!  My friend wears a pump, I have no clue how to work the pump, but tomorrow we are getting together so I can learn how.  Last night it was the EMT's who knew to turn it off.

Sugar is a big part of our lives, both for the good and the bad. We need to be educated on it and what are the affects it has on us. Not only what the signs are for us, but what they are for someone going into shock and what can we do till they get their sugar level back up.  As much as I think sugar is not my friend, last night I realized it was.

I know we all need some kind of sugar for our bodies.  There are different kinds we can get and my whole purpose of this blog is to just help us do the best we can with the sugar and soda in our lives.  There is alot of natural sugar in fruits.  I often see where bananas are not a "dieter's friend" due to the high level of carbs and sugars.  But at the same time, it is a better alternative for me than sitting down with a bag of M&M's (and yes I can eat the whole bag!) We all need to educate ourselves on our limits, and what sugar and soda do for us.  I saw the good of sugar last night, and maybe there is some good in soda as well.

In the beginning stages of my blog Bev shared her story as a mother of diabetic children.  I feel it needs to be shared again.  This is her story of being a Mom with diabetic children.

Bev's Story

Again, thank you Bev for shsaring your story!  By the way, I am looking for Guest Bloggers!!!  If anyone has ideas and would like to be a Guest Blogger please email me. I know you all have some great ideas!!!