Bring up the subject of weight is a touchy subject for many of us. I use to be quite slim, but I was rarely satisfied with my slimness. It seemed to be a constant battle to stay there. Sometime during my illness, I got tired of fighting the battle. It seemed like nothing made a difference, but I know I was weary and battle worn. Trying to lose weight caused too much of an emotional reaction in me: it was just one more thing to deal with. The best reason I can think of now to lose weight is to improve my health. My knees are suffering and I have borderline diabetes, so I have to watch what I eat. For the last two years, I have made very gradual changes in my diet to the point that I no longer feel deprived. One of the main things I do is pay attention to my hunger and fullness. When I am satisfied, I quit eating. There are many times I have put leftovers from my plate in a container for later.
However, the thing I do not do anymore is make a list of "Nevers." These would be the foods that the diet gurus say never to eat. I did not feel at all deprived during the fall of this year. I even had the occasional hamburger and french fries. I only had to make a few changes, because I already eat a healthy diet. One change was keeping cookies and ice cream out of the house. I did buy the low carb bars for treats, but they are not something I always want to have around. Another thing I did was I took primrose oil in addition to my supplements. I also found myself giving up "treats" without disappointment, because I had alternatives or I didn't want to become addicted to sugar again. One of the things I really love is that I have actually forgotten there was leftover ice cream in the freezer. So I am seeing behavior changes, all done gradually.
That's the other thing: I have not been very good about taking all my supplements for the last three weeks. Could it be my body works better when I take the supplements? Do you ever get tired of loading up the medicine containers and taking the supplements? I do. I wish I didn't have to take any, but it is medicine and supplements that helped heal my body to the point I could function again. So today, I will take the time to line them up and get myself back on the path I need to be on.
One more thing: I mentioned I had a new secret weapon to add to my weight-loss efforts. Usually, I avoid anything that promises to help one lose weight, but I saw Dr. Oz's name next to something I have never heard of and I knew to go to his website, because he does not endorse for money or sell supplements. In fact, he warns against buying something that has his name beside it, because people use his name without his permission. What I did was check this out and I am not going to explain it all to you, because Dr. Oz's web site does it so much better. He did an experiment with a carefully selected section of his audience, using placebos and green coffee extract to see if green coffee extract helps people lose weight. The important thing to note is there were positive results, but it is not recommended as something to take for months on end. Also, it is important to note that some green coffee extracts have fillers he does not recommend. I am doing this as an experiment to see if it helps me this month, but I do not endorse or recommend this to anyone else. I just figured that I already drink coffee, so it would not hurt me. I am merely telling you what I am doing, not suggesting you try it. I don't even know if it is going to be helpful. In fact, I took it yesterday and weighed more this morning. So please take this as my disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, nor a dietitian. If you want to lose weight, you should contact your doctor and always inform him/her of any supplements you are taking. Some supplements may interact with your medications. It is good to err on the side of caution. Lastly, if you are interested in the green coffee bean extract, I suggest you watch all of Dr. Oz's videos on the subject. Also, read the other information about green coffee extract on his website. I just went back to read the information today, and I decided to follow the directions I saw there -- not the directions on the container of green coffee extract I bought. Again, I repeat, this is merely a report, not an endorsement. You should contact your medical professional before beginning a weight-loss program or taking over the counter supplements.
One more thing, I promise not to bore you with the details of my progress every blog post. However, I will let you know how things are going -- negatively or positively; although, I have to let you know I am aiming for Positive Results. As far as weight goals go -- I have none. Most of my life has been filled with unrealistic or realistic weight goals. I am aiming for healthy lifestyle changes: as many as I can make in my physical condition.
To simplify, I will list them and that will conclude this post.
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| Learning to Balance Life Changes |
P.S. As I was writing out my lifestyle changes, I remembered what I have been doing differently, which could have tipped my carbohydrates over the amount I can have and lose weight. I have been drinking cherry juice to bring down the inflammation in my knee. Since I don't count carbs or calories, this may have made me gain a few pounds. So, I will either have to stop drinking the juice or count the carbs. I could also look for fresh cherries, but I doubt I will find them this time of year. I also went about two or three weeks without journaling my food, which I should have mentioned on my list of lifestyle changes. Writing down what I eat makes a difference for me.
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It is always lovely hearing from you.
Deborah