August Update

Welcome to August reader(s)! The numeros on the scale announced this morning that since I have started this journey of mine, I have lost 50.5 pounds. Although I was hoping for a higher number this month, I will take that 50.5 pounds and savor it. This is some of the reasons why:
1. I feel FANTASTIC! I've gone from always feeling like crap and noticing the "good" days, to feeling wonderful and noticing the one or two "bad" days.
2. I have so much more energy and am actually getting things done with ease.
3. I'm sleeping better. (probably still snore, but my cats won't say)
4. I feel younger.
5. I feel FANTASTIC!

And did I mention how good I feel? Okay, here's the list of not so good stuff:
1. Oh, wait... there aren't any.

Yesterday I accomplished something I thought would never happen. I started a new leg of my journey that will hopefully up the total for next month. I actually went outside and walked... and walked... and walked. All the way up my street (it's pretty long, for me anyway. I'm going to measure the distance with my car later) and back. And although I was sweaty and smelly, the one thing that DIDN'T happen was the pain in my lower back that I have been having just walking to and from my car. There was not even a twinge. Needless to say, I was all smiley and giggley for most of the day yesterday. Today I slept late, so I haven't walked yet. I will be out the door the minute I'm done with this post, though.

I've learned a lot over the course of this year about foods, what they do to your body, why this country is in such a state of unhealthiness. I've watched documentaries, I'm currently reading a book recommended by my Mom and Dad called Sugar Busters and I feel I will be learning the rest of my life.

I've tried to share my knowledge of what I've learned to a few of my friends also struggling with losing weight, but I don't want to become this health nut freak that goes and tells everyone that what they are doing is wrong. So I say what I can, I tell them what I've been doing and I sit back and watch them make mistakes knowing that I was, at one time, turning a deaf ear as well. My advice to them, and to others is as follows:

First of all, and most importantly, you HAVE to start upstairs. In da brain area. It's not so much the "wanting" to lose weight mind frame you need, although that is a part of it, it's the "caring about you" that needs to come first. If you don't have that, anything and everything you do will fail completely. This was the hardest part for me and I truly believe it's the hardest part for everyone.

Secondly, and I'm sure I'll piss some people off with this one, I'll touch on surgery. Lap-band, bypass, whatever. If you don't change your eating habits now, then you are wasting money, going through a whole lot of pain and recovery, for nothing. It's not a magic cure, folks! Sure, you'll lose some weight from basic starvation, but you're going to feel like crap. I've starved myself before. I know how I felt and it wasn't good. I know people who have had surgery and the results years later are sad, to say the least. They lost a lot of weight at first, but after they started feeling better they went right back to eating as they always did and have not lost what they wanted/needed or/and gained it back (EVEN WITH THE SURGERY) and still feel like crap to this day. Sure, you may be thinking that you are different... but you're not. And you will see what I mean a few years down the road. My advice to any who are considering this, learn about the foods you are putting in your mouth. Knowledge, knowledge, knowledge. If you know that ice cream is bad for you, yet you eat it still, then you need to go back to the paragraph up there about caring about yourself and find out WHY you are still putting it in your mouth. Because frankly, if you cared about yourself, you wouldn't WANT to poison yourself. And in the end, once you care enough about you to eat right, there is no NEED for surgery.

Knowledge is power, readers. We live in a world where knowledge is at our fingertips. Just a few clicks on the keyboard and all the information is readily available. Don't go on a diet! Change your eating lifestyle. Change the way you think of yourself. Love yourself, first and foremost! I write this, because I've lived without really caring about me for the past 20 years or so. Learn what the foods you are eating are doing to your body... even the ones we think are healthy. Go for the scientific side of learning about foods. It will shock you as much as it did me.

Love yourself people! Love who you are. Love the gift of life. Love any and all things you do, even if you think it's insignificant. Because what may be insignificance in your mind, might be affecting someone else's life in a such a positive way and you may not ever even know about it.

Now go out and eat a carrot stick or something.