On our journey through life~

As I go on this journey through life, I have met some wonderful people.  They were there to support me as I let my daughter leave the nest to start her dreams.  We’ve supported one another through depression, weight loss and weight gain.  We’ve listened to each other’s struggles and virtually sent big hugs when someone has lost a beloved father, mother-in-law and furry family member.  We’ve sent support to a few as they have dealt with cancer.  I’ve been blessed by these new friends.  We meet as sisters searching for a healthy new lifestyle but we have also embraced as sisters who are venturing through life and all it has to offer.

I love this little youtube message.  It made me cry thinking of my friends and our shared lives.  I hope it brings some comfort and thoughfulness to others.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNY8KL_YSlc

This morning, I send my love to all those out there who are on this journey.  Thank you for coming into my life and for opening the door and allowing me to enter yours. I am truly blessed.

April 26, 2009 | Filed Under Assistance on your journey

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Yummy!!!

I wanted to share with you  one of my current addictions.  Flatout Bread!  I am absolutely in love with it!  100 calories for the entire  Multi-grain wrap, 2.5 grams of fat, 17 grams of carbs, 9 grams of protein AND 5 grams of FIBER!  It is so good!  I make pizza with it, breakfast burritos, veggie wraps, or I just put some almond butter and bananas on it and eat it!  OH!  I love it!  I can’t eat the entire wrap, it’s too big, but every bite is so fulfilling!

 Check out their website - then venture over to Cost Co and try it out!  YUM YUM YUM!  www.flatoutbread.com.

September 29, 2008 | Filed Under Assistance on your journey

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Taking things that don’t belong to you~

Last Monday while I was swimming, someone decided to steal my brand new swim gloves.  I was so sad.  It made me angry.  Why would someone think it was okay to just take something of mine?  Why?

I felt violated.  I’m well aware this was such a minor violation.  I took them off, to swim my last 5 mins with the kick board, turned away from them and they disappeared.

It made me think of my life as an obese woman.  I turned my back on myself and obesity took over.  I allowed it to take my self esteem, my confidence, my health, my energy, my feeling of well-being.  Why?

In a way I allowed someone to help themselves to my gloves by leaving them on the side of the pool while I swam my last laps.  They were new, pretty and inviting. 

Did I consciously allow obesity to rob me of my well-being?  Did I turn my back briefly and allow the transgression against my being to take place?

We see this happen everyday in so many ways.  We marry men or women who rob us of our well being, our happiness, our respect.  We allow friends into our hearts and homes that do the same.  We take jobs that make us feel unfulfilled.  We allow hardships from our past or present to steal our joy.  Why?

What makes a person turn their backs on themselves?  Is there something that happens to us as children that make us not love ourselves as we should?  This has been something that has been bothering me since getting my Lap Band.  My life was a mess.  I had been in a bad marriage for over 22 years, I was super morbidly obese and I was very unhappy.

Being SMO robbed me of so much of my life.  But yet, some things I wouldn’t allow SMO to take away - I continued to work full time, many times working overtime.   I continued to do things with my daughter.  Not as much as I wanted to, but I didn’t avoid contact with her or her school’s activities.  I was her school nurse for all of her class trips as an elementary school child.  What made me confident enough to venture out and continue with those things, but not confident enough to say, “Enough is Enough?”  It’s a serious question.

It makes me feel so weak. 

I’m realizing, however, that looking back doesn’t help me in my future.  I need to look forward, stop ruminating over the past and my weaknesses.  It’s time to start building my new foundation, so that I never allow food, people, or hardships to control my life again.

Well, I’m back on track with my new swim gloves.  They arrived in the mail on Friday.  I happily headed to the pool knowing that I had to be diligent about keeping an eye on them.  They are valuable to me.  They’re a tool I need to get a better work out.  My Lap Band is a tool also and with it’s help, I’m on my way to being a stronger, healthier woman.  A woman who doesn’t turn her back on herself - ever again!

September 18, 2008 | Filed Under Assistance on your journey

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Today I will…

Be thankful for this beautiful day.

Know that I am a whole human being and not a statistic

Live with passion, give with kindness, and love completely.

Find strength in the things that bring me joy.

Express how I feel with honesty

Listen to my body.

Rest when I’m tired.

Eat when I’m hungry.

Know that I am exactly where I need to be on my journey.

(I found these words of affirmation on a card this afternoon and I felt they were perfect for me and for anyone else as they continue their weight loss journey.)

August 13, 2008 | Filed Under Assistance on your journey

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100 days to being a more balanced person~

When I think of a healthy, happy person, I think of a person who is whole.  Someone who is balanced.  They are a full being of everything good.

I’ve decided to challenge myself to become a better person.  Becoming a more balanced person is my goal and I’m giving myself 100 days to do it.  Why 100 days, you may ask yourself?  Why not? 

Below I’ve outlined all the areas that need improvement.  Everyone is different, but for me, I would like to change these things about myself.

My Head - I need to replace all of the negative thoughts of myself and others with positive affirmations.  Since losing weight, I feel wonderful. I’m able to do things I could not previously do.  In my mind, I feel like a new person.  Unfortunately, when I look in the mirror, I see a person who has such a long long way to go.  I get disappointed and sad.  I feel I should look better.  And I must confess that at least once a day, I think to myself how pathetically ugly I am.  That negativity needs to stop!  Instead, I need to say to myself, “you are looking much better than you did before.”  My face is smaller, my frame is smaller and I actually am starting to look more normal.  When a person weighs as much as I did, they don’t look normal.  Sad, but true.  I need to learn to love myself.  I need to treasure who I am and what I am becoming.  I need to be proud of my accomplishments — not only my weight loss, but my career, and the other things I’ve done well in my life.   I need to realize that none of my accomplishments would have happened without God’s help.  He has given me so much in my life.  I need to replace my negative thoughts, with prayers of thanksgiving.

My Mouth –Lately, I’ve found myself getting easily frustrated with things at work.  I sometimes want to say things, I shouldn’t.  It’s not always the best option to stand up for myself — it’s a better option to accept things the way they are and try to work with them in a positive way to influence a good change.  You know the old, Honey vs Vinegar story!  Another way to be imbalanced is to allow myself to gossip or discuss others in a bad way.  It’s not good and it serves no valuable purpose.  I try not to do this, but often find myself  engaging in the conversations with others.  Later on my way home, I regret it. 

My Feet — I need to continue moving my body.  Keeping active and working toward my work out goals and meeting my personal work out challenges is going to assist me in being a more balanced person.  I got an email to register for the Susan G Komen, Walk for the Cure — the marathon for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research.  My goal is to do that 5k in October.  I have never been able to do it before, partly because I worked many Saturday nights and working all night and walking a 5k the next day wouldn’t have been feasible… BUT mostly because working all night and walking 5 steps was hardly doable!  One year, I “slept in for the cure” — I was proud of that because everyone knew I worked nights and that sounded pretty true, but in all reality, even if I hadn’t worked all night, I still most likely would have been sawing some logs come marathon time!

My Heart — I need to renew my passion for life.  I need to find what makes my heart beat faster — in a sweet way and nurture that love.  Lately, I’ve been beaming - why?  Because I’m falling in love with a wonderful man.  He’s someone who has given his heart to me in such a consistent and sweet manner.  He’s that special person who brings passion to my life.  I need to nurture him and our new blossoming relationship.   Another thing I’m passionate about is my career.  I’ve decided to take the RNC exam in October.  I will be studying daily to pass this test.  Being the best NICU nurse I can be has always been a passion of mine.

My Hands – I need to use my hands to work hard to debulk my home.  Clean the clutter out of my space.  These things are destructive and keep my life in an imbalanced state.  When I come home from a long day at work, I want to come home to a place that is calm and secure.  Having a home without clutter will be calm and secure for me.

My Tummy — Being balanced for me means eating healthy and whole foods.  Sugars and white carbs are toxic.  They are evil.  They offer no food value.  When I eat them, they do not enhance my health.  For 100 days, I am not going to consume sugar or white carbs… white rice, white pasta or white flour.  My meals will be food that is closest to it’s natural state. 

I invite every one to join me on my 100 day journey to a more balanced person.   I know I may stumble along the way, but I also know that I will pick myself up, dust myself off and continue on….

July 17, 2008 | Filed Under Assistance on your journey

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