1 Down 11 more to go!

I have been home sick for a few days so have had a lot of time to think about this last month. I am so pleased about many things but most of all about this blog. Primarily, I am so happy to have connected and reconnected with so many people who can relate to my journey. It has been such a blessing to know I am not alone and that maybe my struggles can help someone else. I have also found the emotional/creative outlet to be amazing for those times when my resolve to "STEP AWAY FROM THE COOKIES" was less than rock solid. All of my introspection in writing these posts has taught me a lot about myself and I think it will be a huge part of me healing this whacked relationship I have with food.

Everyday in January, I  rewrote my goals and most of them I stuck with. The only setback I had was when I hurt my knee so I was unable to continue my daily walks. I am hoping to get back at it soon though, I actually miss them! Now I have to look into February and what my objectives for this month are. Last month I wanted to just stick to the weight watchers plan and eat within my daily point limit. I did that I am pleased to say. Now this month I want to make better choices with my food so I am nourishing my body instead of just feeding it. Does that make sense? I need to stick to more whole foods and less of the 2 point snacks which are basically empty calories. I also want to resume walking at a pace that means I don't injure my knee further. I am down 1 month of cleansing so I will continue with the detoxification process with a slight change of focus. Here are my goals for February 2013:

1. I make daily food choices that nourish my body and flood my cells with nutrients to build the new me.
2. I drink 3 litres of water and limit my coffee consumption to 2 cups daily so that my body is well hydrated and replenished.
3. I walk every day that I am able and get leaner and stronger with every step.
4. I detoxify my body and mind from all things toxic so that I radiate health and happiness.
5. I write and rewrite my goals daily until they become my reality.

February is the month of love and family. This February I am going to work on reconnecting with my husband and spending quality time with my loved ones. I know that taking care of myself ultimately benefits them but I want to make sure that they know they are not lost in this process. I appreciate Jon's support so much and sometimes take it for granted. That changes now. Old habits die hard so I am giving him permission (in writing) here today to call me on my bullshit when necessary and I will do the same. Onward and upward.

Love to all and thanks again for the support!

Lessons Learned from Facebook

Are you your own #1 fan? Are you a cheerleader in your own life? If you are like most people the answer to those questions would be a resounding NO. Whether it is because we are taught to be humble and not think too highly of ourselves or because of the internal dialogue telling us we are not good enough, most people are way too hard on themselves. I am no exception.

 I want to tell you about my friend Jodi. She has suffered so much loss in her life. Her mother passed away when we were just teenagers, then she lost her best friend and just recently her father. Is she sad and lonely at times? Of course, who wouldn’t be? But what I see from the outside looking in is someone who is a survivor with a great sense of humor about life and a positive “don’t mess with me” attitude. She keeps taking blows but keeps getting back up. By contrast if I look at my life, I am blessed to have wonderful support system however I often feel overwhelmed, over-looked and down for the count. Besides our situations, where lies the difference between Jodi and I?

I saw it clearly the other night in one of her comments on good old Facebook. I am sure she didn’t think too much of it when she posted it but it really stood out to me as profound.  She had posted these lyrics from Edwin McCain’s song “I’ll Be”: You're my survival, you're my living proof. My love is alive, and not dead....I'll be love's suicide. I'll be better when I'm older. I'll be the greatest fan of your life ♥

Someone posted and said with love “Jodi, you need to be the biggest fan of your life” and she responded with “I have been ever since my ♥Mum♥ died 19 years ago. I am President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, CEO, Owner, and Creator of my fan club....lol...No wonder I'm so damn tired!”

I loved her response. She looks out for herself, she cheers herself on, and she knows that she is doing the best that she can. She is not seeking outside approval; she IS the greatest fan of her life. I have glimpses where I think to myself  “DAMN GIRL you are something special!” but those thoughts are usually fleeting and replaced with “You really should work on A, B and C!” I am going to take a lesson from Jodi and start my own “Louise” fan club with a very exclusive member list…..ME.

Thanks Jodi and keep kicking ass girl!

Week 4 Update: A step in the right direction!

Why do I get so nervous before these damn weigh-ins? I know I did all the right things this week but I was really dreading stepping on the scale this AM. Thankfully it was positive; I am down another 2.5 pounds. That makes a total of 15 pounds since I started this journey January 1^st.  I am so pleased!

 This week was one of those weeks were I was hungry ALL the time. My friend PMS is in the house so I think that is a big part of it. I get so down on myself when this happens “Why are you hungry???!!! You JUST ate!” so this week’s theme is going to be SELF LOVE J

For anyone who is following along and doing the emotional/mental work with me (writing your goals, visualizing, making your mission statement) I did something I thought I would share. I have taken my mission that I wrote last week and put it at the top of a blank word document on my computer. I then printed a pile of these sheets and this is what I am going to write my goals on every day.  I write them morning and before bed so each time will be an opportunity to re-read my mission and reinforce the “WHY” of what I am doing here. SELF LOVE baby!

In the food department I wanted to share an easy and delish recipe I made last night. I bought a big-ass jug of “Garden Fresh Salsa” at Costco and some chicken breasts which I had divided up to freeze.  In my slowcooker I put in 3 frozen chicken breasts, about 2 cups of the salsa and cooked on low for 6 hours. At 6 hours I added a cup of corn kernels and about 3 cups of finely chopped baby bok choy (any green would do, I think Kale would be awesome). It cooked with the salsa for another hour and then I served it all over rice. It was really tasty and nutritious! Next time I will add grated zucchini and carrot to up the veggie count even more.

On the cleansing front, I am switching gears a bit. I have just finished doing Rapid Cleanse for 4 weeks and have felt great. That is a total body cleanse, I am going to switch now to a liver cleanse. I feel like my bowel is cleansed enough and time to focus on the most important organ of detoxification, the liver. I had originally planned on doing Rapid Cleanse for 6 weeks but my body is telling me 4 are enough. I am trying to listen to that little voice inside even if it means a change in plans. Part of long-term success is being flexible in your approach. So I am still cleansing, just cleansing one organ instead of all of them J

I know a lot of you are on your own journeys. I would love to hear about your successes and challenges.

Remember….one week, one day, one meal and ONE POUND at a time J

Making It My Mission

Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life’s about creating yourself. 
  – George Bernard Shaw

I love this quote and I think it is so powerful  As someone who has wasted much of my adult life trying to find my purpose or passion, I also find this quote liberating. You mean, my life can be about whatever the hell I want it to be about? AWESOME!

The last two days I did an exercise to try to harness the power of the pleasure pain principle. What I do next is take the best of what the exercise taught me and create a mission statement for myself. This is something that I will print out and carry with me at all times. It is a good thing to read daily but especially when your resolve is slipping. Your mission statement doesn’t have to be long but it does have to mean something to you. The power lies in how you connect to the words; how they resonate with you and your desires.

It is my year to finally gain control of my life. It is my responsibility to take care of myself so that I am here for my family. It is my goal to nurture my body and mind into lasting change. It is my vision to become the radiant woman that I know exists inside. It is my desire to live a life of passion and adventure. It is my time to rise to the occasion and CREATE my best self.

This is MY mission. What is yours?

The Pleasure Pain Principle: PAIN

I used to be a smoker. It is hard for me to believe now but it is true. It was a true love/hate relationship. I loved the way it filled my time when driving, the stress-relief, having something in my hands and mouth. I hated the smell, the taste, the way I hacked and coughed every morning, and the way it made me feel like a total hypocrite since I worked in the health field. I had tried to quit but it never really “stuck”. I remember getting the patch from my Doctor and after 3 days thinking “The only way this is going to work is if I can roll it up and smoke it!” The pleasure of smoking far outweighed the pain. One day that all changed.

I was in Nova Scotia on business and it was a Sunday afternoon. I decided to go to a park and enjoy the day. I was sitting on a bench (smoking no doubt) when across the sidewalk a woman sat down with what looked to be a very young baby in a carrier. She lit up a cigarette and I almost choked. I was a smoker and I was horrified that she was smoking with her baby so close by. In that instant I decided I no longer wanted to be a smoker. I went back to my hotel and proceeded to make my lists. First I put down how much better my life would be as a non-smoker (more money, better health, no more stinky clothes or car etc.).  Then I got on the hotel computer and started reading stats about smoking deaths and looking at pictures of lung cancer ridden lungs. I inundated myself with images and horrifying health facts until I had no choice but to quit. The pain finally outweighed the pleasure. I filled the prescription for Zyban I had in my purse and within a week I was a non-smoker. That was 12 years ago and I haven’t smoked since.

This is the power of the pain pleasure principle. Most of us are aware that obesity is affecting our health. You can be healthy and fat, don’t get me wrong, but most fat people make CHOICES that are not healthy. Can you see the difference? Yesterday I wrote down the pleasure I would gain by losing this weight once and for all. Today I am focusing on the pain I will feel if I don’t get it off. If you have never done this, go online and start researching diabetes, heart disease, cancer, inflammation, insurance. It is scary stuff. Look at pictures, read people’s stories, really FEEL what it would be like to be in those situations and then start writing.

If I don’t get this weight off this time, chances are I never will. My body can only handle so much of the burden I have placed on it and it is starting to give. I will need that knee replacement before I turn 40, my sciatica will make it so I can barely walk a block. Inside, my arteries will start hardening and narrowing leading me to a stroke or heart attack before my time. I am already suffering from insulin resistance due to my PCOS, this will surely develop into diabetes. With that comes neuropathy or what I dread the most, blindness. Imagine not being able to watch Aidan grow up. My health is already suffering and things will just get worse.

If I don’t get this weight off it will be very difficult to get pregnant again if we decide we want to have more children. I will not only be older which presents its own challenges, I will likely be bigger. I was lucky with my last pregnancy that I didn’t become diabetic or develop pre-eclampsia but the next time myself or my baby will not be so fortunate. In this body I am not the mom I want to be to Aidan. I want to be able to run and play, to get down on the ground with him and not worry about getting back up. He deserves nothing but the best and I am not at my best. I want him to be proud of me and never feel ashamed. I am one of his role-models but as I stand today, I don’t want him to follow in my footsteps. At this size I am not showing him how to love himself or how to take care of himself. At this size I show him how to slowly kill himself.

If I don’t get this weight off, I will never fulfill my potential and greatness. Even if I try my hardest to not let my size hold me back, it will. It is not easy to exist with 100 plus pounds of excess weight. Everything is more difficult. People will judge me regardless of whether they intend to or not, it is human nature. I will be stuck buying clothes I hate, avoiding places that aren’t “Fat-friendly”, worrying about flying or if a chair can hold me. So much of my energy will continue to be used focusing on things that I wouldn’t have to even consider if I was thinner.

 If I don’t get this weight off I will not be able to get insurance to protect my family if something happens to me. I will not be able to be the responsible person I want to be in that regard. I will not be able to see the world because of my fear of the unknown. Will I be able to “handle” what awaits me on the other end? I will not be able to teach Aidan to ride a bike or learn to downhill ski. I will avoid taking him to the beach or pool even though I love the water.  I will continue to choose to avoid situations and activities that I would enjoy because of my fear of failure or judgment.

BOTTOM LINE: If I don’t get this weight off now, I will live the rest of my life letting my body dictate my experiences and the experience of those I love. My potential will be trapped under the layers of fat on my body and I will not be the woman, mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend that I am meant to be.

This may be harsh and it is not meant to describe every overweight person’s situation or feelings. This is my PAIN. I needed to be as brutal as I could handle in order to make this future seem unbearable. It does! I want nothing but the best for my family and I. We live a nice life but we also miss out on so much because I am uncomfortable with my size. This year is my year to overcome these obstacles, I feel it in my bones. In tomorrow's post I will make this my "mission".

Pleasure Pain Principle: PLEASURE

They say that if you do something for 3 weeks it becomes a habit. I am not convinced of this. What I do know is that for most people, 3 weeks into a new eating plan or New Years resolution is when your motivation starts to falter. I know this is the case for me. I am feeling discouraged and it is more than the scale. My knee is in a lot of pain and it has been a week since my last walk which I (shockingly) really miss! Thank goodness for you guys and this blog. So many of you have jumped on board with me and are experiencing some of the same struggles. Not that I would wish them on anyone but it is sure nice to know you are not alone. The good news is, we can turn this around. It is time to bring out the big guns.

The Pleasure Principle is a Freudian concept that has been brought into the limelight by Tony Robbins. He says it is the single greatest tool to harness your personal power. The concept is that everything we do is to gain pleasure or avoid pain. I was never sold on this until many years ago when I saw it very clearly in my own life.

As a sales rep I was on the road A LOT. I had just upgraded my car to an Impala and loved driving fast. It got me where I needed to go faster and I had fun doing it. I wasn't reckless, I just enjoyed speed.  I guess I wasn't very good at it though because I tended to get speeding tickets on a regular basis. The last time I got pulled over the officer told me that this ticket was going to push me over 10 demerit points and I could lose my licence. I freaked out. I needed my car for my livelihood. I would not only lose my car, I would lose my job. I decided to fight the ticket and lucky for me, it got dropped but something happened in that instant. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't speed. On the 401, my speedometer would not go above 110. The "pain" or fear of losing my licence far outweighed the pleasure of speeding.

Once I saw the power of this I used this principle to help me quit smoking and to get out of a bad relationship once and for all. I even used it for losing weight when I realized that if I didn't get this weight off, having a baby was just a pipe dream. Now it is time to use it again. There is a a more complicated way to do this but all I do is start writing. I set my goal (in this case to lose 100 or more pounds by Dec 31, 2013) and then I write down the pleasure I will gain by achieving this goal in as much detail as possible.

"If I lose this weight I will finally be free to live and move without limitations. I will make my son proud but most of all I will be proud of myself and no longer feel like a hypocrite. I will be able to shop in regular stores and wear beautiful clothes that make me stand out in the crowd. My husband and I will ignite our passion for life and love. I will enjoy the great outdoors and never have to worry again if there will be hills or stairs. I will travel freely and enjoy flying in planes. I will walk the streets of New York or explore the old cities of Italy all day without wearing out. I will go to any restaurant to enjoy a meal knowing that the food doesn't dictate my choices and neither does the booth size. I will learn yoga and treat my body as the temple it is. I will set a good example for my children and inspire them to adopt good habits. I will get up and speak without fear of judgement. I will go on a tropical vacation and lounge by the pool in a beautiful bathing suit without covering up. I will be healthier than ever and cut my risk for diabetes, heart disease and cancer. My PCOS will be controlled without the use of drugs. I will be there for my family. I will be able to help others get their healthy bodies back and that will feed my soul. I will be taken seriously because I take myself seriously. I will be unstoppable!"

You have to feel this with passion. Post it somewhere that you can read it every day. Maybe make a vision board with images if you are a more visual person. Now the opposite side of the coin is PAIN. I will do this one tomorrow because it requires a little more research and time. Until then, I will dream of yoga pants and shopping in NYC.

Week 3 Update: Son of a......

Well, that weigh-in sucked! I was down 0.1 pounds….seriously? I could have cried. I ate within my points every day and didn’t even use my weekly points yet. I drank my water. I tracked. I did what I was supposed to do and what did I get in return? 0.1 pounds!!! Ok rant over. It is life and some weeks will be better than others. Of course being the over-analyzer I am, I can’t just leave it at “You win some, you lose some!” Instead I am going to look at my week and see what might be going on. A few things could contribute:

1.       PMS….the 3 letters that all those dear to me dread so much! My periods are so out of whack that I can never tell when it is coming but it might be around the corner.

2.       I hurt my knee so I haven’t been able to walk since Wednesday morning. That said, I have lost weight effectively before without exercising so I am not convinced this is the issue.

3.       I have been taking anti-inflammatories for my knee and my WW leader said they lead to water retention. This makes sense.

4.       Too much sodium. I did make a few curries this week with stock in the recipe and Jon and I shared some salty popcorn yesterday so this could be partially to blame. However I could get my wedding rings on this morning and usually if I have had too much salt, they give me a run for my money.

5.       I didn’t take any fibre with my cleansing kit this week as an experiment, an experiment that might have bitten me in the ass! I wanted to see the severity of my detox symptoms if I didn’t have fibre in my system to bind the toxins as they were released. Sure enough I did get a mild headache, some achy joints in my hands and some acne on my face. Perhaps my body rebelled and held onto water and fat to dilute the toxins I released. This is just a theory but one thing for sure; I am starting back on my fibre today!

My natural tendency would be to start changing things since I had two weeks with low numbers at the scale but I am going to just stay the course and follow the program as it is laid out. I feel good, I don’t feel deprived and I know if I am just consistent, my body will catch up. Thanks for letting me vent. Hopefully next week I will be celebrating with you all instead!

Hunger Games

Nope, this post is not about the movie phenomenon where, as I understand, teenagers are in a game to the death. This post is about the physiological response of hunger and how I swear it tries to kill my resolve to get this blasted weight off! Many years ago someone said that they embrace the sensation of hunger. They said that whenever their stomach was growling they thought to themselves "GOOD now my body has to draw on my fat stores to fulfill it's hunger". Sounds like eating disorder talk doesn't it? But this person is far from suffering from an eating disorder, they just have a different mindset. If they know they have eaten enough, and they do because they log everything they eat, when the growling stomach comes along they just ignore it. "Let it snack on my thighs for awhile!"

I wish I was this strong. Hunger pangs are stressful for me. I am slowly getting better but not long ago, that feeling in my stomach would almost cause anxiety. The urge to eat would become overwhelming just to stop my stomach from growling. I would grab something quick, eat it quick and the feeling would quickly go away. Great right? NOPE because it would just be a matter of an hour or two and the feeling would be right back. See, I am ALWAYS hungry. I could eat a really nice and nutritious meal and I would be hungry an hour later. My husband, who is a big guy, could eat the same meal and be completely satisfied whereas I am physically hungry. Not just that psychological urge like "I could go for something sweet right now" or the munchies, I am full blown, stomach growling hungry. Why is this? There are several reasons:

1. I have a condition called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome which is largely a condition off hormone imbalance. One of the hormones that is out of whack is INSULIN. When I eat, I secrete a large amount of insulin but the receptors to pick it up in my body are not very effective so my body secretes even more insulin to try to bring my blood sugar down. This results in a dramatic drop in blood sugar that leads to hunger.
2. Poor nutrient quality in our food and poor assimilation in our bodies leads to trace nutrient deficiencies. When this happens the body registers this lack of nutrients as hunger no matter how much you have just eaten.
3. My body is dehydrated. Even though I drink a lot of water compared to most people, I also drink a lot of coffee and my water requirements are higher just based on my size alone. The body can easily mistake thirst for hunger.
4. If you are exhausted, the body may signal hunger so that you consume more "energy" to help get you through the day. Also when I am tired, I know I don't take the time to eat consistently or consciously. I eat mindlessly.
5. Not enough fibre and fat in my diet. Both fibre and fat signal the brain to secrete CCK (cholecystokinin) which is a hormone that tells the body that it has had enough. It is one of the main satiety hormones.
6. Certain components of food, gliadin proteins in wheat for example, are actually powerful appetite stimulants so the more you eat, the more you want.

If you look at this list, a lot of the points are related. For example, say I don't eat enough fruit and vegetables during the day. I am missing all those valuable trace nutrients (point 2) and fibre (point 5) but also all of the water that naturally occurs in fresh fruits and veggies (point 3). Before when I would feel that hunger sensation, I would grab whatever was most convenient to just make it go away. Now I am trying to stop and ask "WHY am I hungry?". If I still have some Weight Watchers points left for the day I will certainly eat but I am still trying to ask myself where the sensation is coming from.

Yesterday was a prime example. I was FAMISHED last night. Part of the problem was  that I hadn't eaten enough early in the day so I still had 1/4 of my daily points left after dinner. But there was more to it. I made a  really nice curried chicken stir fry for dinner, lots of veggies and we each had a good sized portion. I shouldn't have been hungry but I literally felt like I could eat a horse even after eating dinner. So began the "2 point spiral" snack time. What I mean by this is I started snacking and eating a pile of 2 point, nutritionally void, snacks. A bag of pop chips, a snack bar, a turkey bite. Of course none of this crap was going to fill me up in fact it was going to cause big fluctuations in my blood sugar and it did. I would finish one snack and then 30 minutes later want something else until finally I asked myself "WHY THE HELL AM I SO HUNGRY!!??" Well the answer was clear. I looked back at my day and I barely ate any fruit, I ate a ton of wheat and I hadn't gotten in much water. So I filled up my 1 litre bottle of water and grabbed some fresh pineapple and within minutes.....relief. My stomach stopped growling and I was finally satisfied. I won the hunger game this time but only after a few time-outs and a tactical change.

"Hunger knows no friend but its feeder."
-Aristophanes

Your Questions Answered: Choosing a Multivitamin

This friday I am going to answer a question one of my friends asked me. How do I choose a good multivitamin and is it really necessaryto take one? Well here you go :)

We have all seen the commercials about multivitamins on TV: "Complete from A to Zinc" but is taking a daily multi really necessary? I think so but you have to choose carefully. I look at multivitamins to fill in gaps that might be missing in your diet. That being said, there is no substitute for good foods because they bring with them fiber, antioxidants, water and other benefits to our body. I also think that you need to look at your state of health and family history and supplement in addition to your multi. For example, if you are overweight with varicose veins and a family history of heart disease I would recommend a multi plus chromium, Vitamin E and Fish oil at a minimum. If you smoke, you need extra Vitamin C, E and B Vitamins. This is where seeing a Nutritionist would be very beneficial in determining what supplements you should be taking.

So what multivitamin should you choose? Stay AWAY from the no-name and pharmacy brands such as Centrum and One A Day. Many of the vitamins in these supplements are synthetic form and your body cannot recognize them properly. In fact, some synthetic vitamins can actually harm the body (although you would have to take a lot). They use these forms to keep the product cheap but with multis, like anything in life, you get what you pay for. Also look at the list of "other" or "Non-medicinal" ingredients, it is longer than the list of nutrients in the product! This means there is a lot of crap (binders, fillers, artificial colours and preservatives) in amongst the vitamins which make it hard for your body to absorb.

For many people, a multivitamin is the only supplement they take so it is important to make sure it is of high quality, natural source, easy for the body to absorb and complete. Here are my recommendations for getting the best Multivitamin for you:

• Visit your local health food store or your natural health practitioner to get your multi, stay away from the big box stores. In general the better products are at the health food store plus it is nice to support a small business. Plus if you can get 900 pills for $12.00 what do you really think is in the capsules? Not much!
• Try to ensure that your multi has a B 50 Complex in it, when you find this it is likely that all of the other vitamins and minerals are at a good level in the product. Ask for help and they will be able to show you the options with a B 50.
• Opt for capsules and softgels instead of tablets. Not all multivitamins in a tablet format are bad but with all of the binders to hold the tablet together, your body has to work harder to break them down. You may need to take 2-3 capsules but even if you only took one per day you would still be getting far more benefit than from taking one of the popular drug store brands.
• Take your multi after breakfast to avoid becoming nauseated. The B-vitamins can be hard on an empty stomach.
• You can buy multivitamins that are gender or age specific. I am not so concerned about gender specific vitamins, I just buy a good quality one that both my husband and I can take. However if you are a single woman or man, you might as well buy a good woman's or man's multi. As far as age goes, I do think that anyone over the age of 50 should buy an iron-free multi because excess iron can cause joint inflammation. All multis specific for this age group are iron free.

My company doesn't make multivitamins but my husband and I do take one. The one we take is Platinum Naturals Super Multi because it is in a soft gel, hemp oil base which helps with fat soluble vitamin absorption. It is also just a one per day which appeals to me. Other brands that are safe bets are Progressive, Flora,  Sisu, Natural Factors, Nu Life and NOW. If you don't take one, go to your local health food store and buy a good multivitamin today. Look at it as a little bit of daily heath insurance.

Falling Down

EVERY time I get on a health kick it seems something comes up to try to test me. This is not me feeling sorry for myself; it is just the way it seems to be. I thought this time might be different but sadly, no.

I have bad knees. No fault of their own, it is from hauling around my larger than life body for all these years. I haven’t consistently exercised in ages and on the weekend I was marveling at how wonderful my knees were holding up with my daily walks. I shouldn’t have thought it and definitely shouldn’t have said it out loud because Tuesday I ended up rolling over on my ankle and hurting my knee.  CURSES! Now usually I wouldn’t have been too upset about an excuse not to exercise but this really  threw me into a funk. Last night I felt completely overwhelmed and a little distraught. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what the issue was. I was honest with my husband and told him “I REALLY want to eat right now!” I was craving that familiar comfort. He suggested instead that I go to bed early and let him take care of getting the baby down to sleep. I am very blessed.

So I took an Aleve for my sore knee and crawled into bed by 8 pm. I was still feeling raw but thankfully I was also feeling exhausted so it wasn’t long till I passed out. I woke up this morning at 6 AM and my knee was feeling a little better. I got my walking clothes on and decided that even if I just took the dog around the block it was better than nothing. I stepped out into the cold air, focused on getting my gloves on, and promptly fell off our front step. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!  What I wanted to do was sit there on the ground and cry. What I did was get up and start walking around the block like I had intended to do. A little more gimpy than usual but I did it.

Now my knees are killing me but at least I know that when I fell down, I got right back up.  My first big “fall” and I survived. Isn’t this what any journey is about? Getting back up? I may have to alter my course a bit until I am feeling better but I will still move in the direction of my goals.

Okay UNIVERSE, lesson learned! Maybe next time you don't have to send me falling ass over teakettle?
Please and Thank You :)

Louise

 

The F Word

Yes I have been known to say it once or twice (in the last hour!) but I am actually talking about another 4 letter F word.....FOOD. I have been getting so many requests for my daily food log or at least examples of what I am eating so that is what today's post is about.

**DISCLAIMER: The food I am about to list is what I have been eating but not necessarily what I would recommend as a Nutritionist! This first month on Weight Watchers I am focused on eating within my daily points and following the program. Once I get that under my belt I will refocus my efforts on making sure I get a good nutritional bang for my points buck.

I will break it down to what I normally eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks since I eat a lot of the same things every day.

Breakfast

• Probably 4 mornings out of 7 I have a green smoothie. This is just a pile of greens (spinach and kale mostly) blended with carrots, cucumber, an apple, another piece of fruit like a pear, and the juice of a lemon.
• If I am not having my smoothie I always have a piece of fruit.
• On top of my smoothie or fruit, I almost always have an egg on a Dempsters multi grain thin bun with laughing cow cheese wedge and tomato slices. This holds me over until lunch.

Morning Snack

• Coffee baby!!!

Lunch

• This is an area I definitely plan on improving upon nutritionally. These days I usually have a Smart One's microwave dinner if I go home for lunch.
• If I take my lunch to work it is either a pb and apple sandwich on a dempster thin bun, leftovers or rice crackers with bean dip or hummus. Along with this I have yogurt and maybe a piece of fruit.
• If I have to grab my lunch out then lately it has been a cheddar cheese bagel with light cream cheese from Timmies (lowest point bagel oddly enough) or a sugar free latte and grilled chicken wrap from McDonalds.

Afternoon Snack

• I find I need an afternoon snack ever since I started working in an office. Maybe it is because I take lunch so early? I am not sure. If I don't have something I am a raging wench by the time I get home because my blood sugar is so low.
• Usually I have an apple and a small portion of cheese, a handful of almonds or a bag of Pop Chips (if you haven't tried these, they are delish! Only 2 points per bag and gluten free).

Dinner

• This is harder for me to pinpoint because it changes all the time. Tonight we are having crockpot fajitas (an experiment) and tomorrow thai beef stew (another experiment). I try to make a few larger dishes that will last us a few meals or at least a big meal and then lunch the next day. This could be a casserole, pasta dish, soup. Whatever it is I can guarentee it has tons of veggies. I am the queen of getting vegetables into everything. I grate zucchinni and carrots into chili, boil brocolli with my pasta, wilt spinach into stirfrys, put mashed squash or pumpkin into stews and soups to thicken them. I am super stealthy! We have also been known to do "breakfast for dinner" or zap a Smart One's Pizza.
• I have the bad habit of needing something sweet after dinner, a habit I hope to break in coming months. We tend to have a low point treat like Chapmans frozen yogurt bars or Dairy Milk Thin bars on hand. At least they are portion controlled but definately not a good thing to have daily. My boss once said "It isn't a treat if you have it every day!!", she is right!

Evening Snack

• If I am hungry after dinner I tend to have a piece of fruit. Last week I enjoyed a pomegranite over a few nights and loved it! It took awhile to eat and satisfied my sweet craving so I will be doing that again.

So not horrible I guess, I am at least getting lots of fruits and vegetables into me every day. My goal is to get to the point where processed foods are an absolute rarity. I also want to wean myself off so much wheat simply because I feel much better when I am not on it. There it is folks. Would love to hear what you eat especially for lunches! I struggle with what to eat at lunch especially if I am bringing it to work with me. Feel free to share your secrets! Thanks :)

Week 2 UPDATE!

HI Everyone,

So two weeks are under my belt and I am feeling great. I had my weigh in this morning and I am down 1.9 pounds. Initially I was disappointed. My impatience and old thinking crept in. It was not enough!! But when I realistically thought about it, that was 12.6 pounds off in 2 weeks! If I keep up with the rate of 1.9 pounds per week going forward I would be down 107.6 pounds by the end of the year. Not too shabby!

The best part is that I don't feel like I am giving up a lot. When I would do low carb in the past and had a week of no loss or very little loss, I felt so discouraged because I always felt like I was giving up so much. On this program, nothing is off limits. I am loving it so far. An even greater success than losing 12.6 pounds is that I have walked everyday since January 1st. I can't believe how much stronger I feel already. My first day, I could barely do 15 minutes of brisk walking. My back and feet were killing me. Now I am walking over 30 minutes every morning and feeling great. No more sore back or knees and in fact, I feel much less achy when I get out of bed in the morning. It is great!

Today is also the last day of my second Rapid Cleanse kit. Earlier in the week I was badly broken out on my face and back but my skin is super clear now. Also someone commented on Friday about how bright and clear my eyes looked. Still bitchy a bit but better than I was (although Jon might beg to differ!). Still getting headaches from time to time but it is usually if I haven't drank enough water. If I down a couple of glasses, the headache disappears. Going to continue and start my third box tomorrow. Excited to see what this week will bring.

Thanks again for all of your support and encouragement. Never in a million years did I expect this response when I started this blog last month. Please feel free to invite your friends to "friend" me on facebook if they want to follow along. The more the merrier!

THIN Thinking: The Follow Up

A week ago I wrote a post about the difference between how thin people and overweight people think about food. It has been one of my most read blog posts so far and I have received lots of messages about it. I said that for the next week I would watch all the skinny folk in my life to see what decisions they made on a consistent basis that helped keep them that way. I also said I would report back today and that is exactly what I am going to do but first I wanted to share an email I received within 10 minutes of posting my post last week. It was from a dear friend of mine who I am sure won't mind me passing on the gist of what she said.

She started by thanking me for writing the post because she hates it when people say "You are so lucky to be thin!" because she works her ass off to be that way. Now I can't imagine hating it if anyone said I was thin but I totally get where she is coming from. She isn't lucky to be that way. It isn't a fluke. She is thin because she works at it. When someone says she is lucky to be that way, it belittles all of the effort she puts in. I can't imagine if in a year, when I am 100 pound lighter, someone says to me "Well all you had to do was eat less!". That statement, while partially true, would diminish all of the other work I had to do to get there. So it is true that she is BLESSED to be thin but it is not luck. I will never say that to anyone again.

She then went on to state that her and her husband are those skinny hotel gym-using psychos I mentioned in my post. She said it is not easy but in the morning they make sure they go to the gym first. Even when the buffet breakfast is calling, they get in a workout so that they can enjoy the rest of the day. She said something that resonated with me as well. She said "We know we will feel better afterwards". I am kind of starting to get that. I always feel better after I get my walk in but if I don't do it first thing, it might not get done. She also said that they enjoy having some drinks in the afternoon but only allow themselves one or two fruity/slushy drinks and then it is on to lower sugar options. Smart cookie! The interesting thing I found is that she said that they actually discuss these things before their trip and make a promise to themselves. They make a plan and they stick to it. The only thing my husband and I discuss before vacation is which credit card to use, what to do with the dog and where to eat first! Hers is a perfect example of THIN THINKING and I thank her for sharing with me.

On to my discoveries for the week. I work in the natural health field and with lots of very healthy people. I decided to really pay attention to what was going on around me this week and what I found was interesting. It was interesting because the people were different but the habits were the same. Very enlightening. Here goes:

1. They eat breakfast and a healthy one at that.  No Tim Hortons brekkie here. We are talking sprouted grain english muffins with almond butter, multigrain hot cereal with chia seeds, hard boiled eggs and fruit. This I know because a lot of my coworkers don't eat until they arrive at the office and my office is right across from the lunch room (which made my sneaking around extra easy).
2. They snack....a lot. I work with one beautiful gal who I swear doesn't stop eating. She has breakfast, then a boiled egg, then a protein shake, and on and on. She comes to work with a lunch bag the size of a suitcase and keeps herself nourished all day.
3. They bring their own lunch. I would say that most of the healthy folk either go home for lunch or bring it with them. They may go out for lunch once a week but even then, it is not to McDicks. It is to Whole Foods for hummus and salad. If I am not watching my weight, I am eating out at lunch. I can almost guarantee it. Well not anymore. I can't afford it in more ways than one!
4. They drink tea. Now, I don't drink that stuff they call coffee at the office but I do drink coffee all day AT the office. I bring it with me in the morning and I usually bring some more with me after lunch. Last week I watched and while people may start their day with a cup of joe, the rest of the day they had teabags floating around in their mugs. This is a habit I am going to try to adopt. Gone are the days where I drink so much coffee that I could percolate it myself!
5. They go for walks on their breaks. Not everyone but a few of the ladies I work with go for a walk on their lunch break. I am sure you feel much better after getting the blood flowing and some nice fresh air.
6. They eat when they are hungry, not just to the clock. One coworker in particular was having a really late lunch and I commented on it. She said "I just wasn't hungry until now and I like to eat when my body tells me to eat". Now if I waited till my body told me to eat, I would make a bad decision. If I am hungry I reach for whatever I can get my hands on. But she was taking her time and putting together a beautiful salad with salmon for herself. To me that is being in tune with your body.
7. They eat natural foods. You can open the fridge in our office and you would be hard pressed to find any processed crap. In fact it is so full of food, you would be hard pressed to find anything you are looking for. They eat REAL food and for the most part it looks really good!

So there it is. I hope they don't mind me sharing all of their secrets but I know I learned a lot. I suggest that if you are trying to reform your habits and begin thinking a little thinner that you also pay attention to those around you. Pick a person to be your mentor. They don't even need to know that you are following their lead. Just watch, learn and then take action. Little changes can make a big difference. You know, I think I am finally getting this THIN THINKING through my thick head!

Visualize This....

Quieting my mind is not easy. I seem to be always thinking about something; What I will wear tomorrow, what we need at the grocery store, when our hydro bill is going to arrive, the list goes on and on. Over the years I have tried to meditate because I know it would be so good for me but again, I can't seem to quiet my mind. The same thing happens when I try to practice visualization.

Visualization is basically harnessing the power of the imagination to help you reach your goals and dreams. It means spending time everyday imagining the YOU you want to become as if you already are that person. This is not easy! First, it requires finding some quiet time to spend alone imagining. Anyone who is a mom knows this is not easy. In fact it is not easy for anyone, our days seem to be jam packed with the important and the mundane. Then it requires that you empty your mind of all things and focus solely on your goal. I would always try to get this picture in my mind of myself looking gorgeous with a perfect figure. It would become clear and then in an instant it would be gone and I would be thinking about some sort of work deadline. That was until I learned how to make visualization WAY easier. Thank you Tony Robbins!

I am a big fan of that giant creature known as Tony Robbins. Him personally I can only take in small doses but his lessons are rock solid. I have a lot of his books and audio programs from my days as a sales rep where I would listen to audio books in my car all the time. He has a two part way to make visualization much easier and more effective which I will explain in layman's terms here.

1) Decide What You Want

• Spend a few minutes writing down what your ideal life would look like if NOTHING could get in the way. That means no limitations; Not education, not money, not family. Basically the world is your oyster. You can focus on just one aspect of your life or what I do and focus on everything. I wrote down everything from having a happy marriage to driving my black BMW with red leather interior. I wrote down where I live, what I am doing in my career, how many kids I have and of course, how I look and feel. I have done this many times and the key I find is to put in as much detail as possible. What this does is gets you thinking about what is possible instead of just living in the moment.

2) Visualize in Action

• For me, this is key. When I close my eyes to visualize, I play a movie in my mind. I watch my perfect self in action instead of focusing on a sole image. I am not sure why this works so well but my guess is that it keeps your mind engaged so it doesn't wander. Right now my focus is on changing my body and life for the positive. I have two reels that I play in my mind everyday after I write out my goals. In both visualizations I look vibrantly healthy with glowing skin and a physically fit body. I am not a waif, I just look HEALTHY. In the first visualization, I am dressed in yoga pants and jacket (lulu lemon since I have never been able to buy those!) going for a hike with my family. We are happy and enjoying the fresh air. In the second visualization, I am in a beautifully tailored business suit with high heels doing a lecture. I love public speaking but I have never felt like I was a good representation of what I was teaching about. In this visualization I am not only talking the talk, I am walking the walk (and looking hot doing so!).

Cool eh? Knowing how to do it is one thing, actually doing it is another. I have to really force myself to take that few minutes everyday after I write down my goals to actually do it. If we really think about it though, we visualize all the time. Where the problem lies is that most people are visualizing things that don't serve them. Thinking about the past is a form of visualization. You do something wrong or something is done to you and you play that scenario over and over in your mind. This is visualization. Worrying is a form of visualization in that you are imagining what could go wrong. Negative self talk is also a form of visualization. What do you think would happen if you replaced all of this "visualization" with focusing on what was possible? Try it and see!

We become what we think about, most of the time.
~ Earl Nightingale

Old Habits Die Hard

This whole journey for me is about developing new habits. BETTER HABITS. Yesterday morning I blogged about how I was getting into the habit of exercise. I am also getting into the habit of drinking my water, writing my goals, tracking my WW points; all very positive things. But as my title said, old habits die hard.

One of my really bad habits is eating out too often. While we have been doing better, last night was one of those nights that I slipped back into old habits. I got home from work, tired and hungry. I had been snacking throughout the day but hadn’t had a proper lunch due to meetings. I could have easily thrown something together for us; breakfast for dinner, smart ones microwave meal, soup and salad but instead I asked Jon the dreaded question “What do you feel like for dinner?” 

This question usually leads to a drawn out discussion of all of our options. This time around it was even more drawn out because we were trying to decide on something that would work for WW. First we had to figure out how many points we had left for the day, then what we felt like eating and finally, what we COULD eat and stay on program. What a pain in the ass! So we ended up choosing Wendy’s and both had a chicken sandwich and chili. Was it good? Yeah it was fine. Was it worth the hassle? Not even remotely. I should have made something for us out of our fully stocked fridge. Old habits die hard.

After the fact I was thinking about it and I started to feel disappointed in myself. Not that I had eaten fast food because I made food choices that still worked and kept me on plan. I was disappointed that we had fallen into that bad habit. I think it comes down to a few things;

·         Poor Planning

·         Allowing myself to get too hungry

·         Laziness

·         Being self-indulgent

So instead of falling into another bad habit and beating myself up over it, I decided to look for some solutions. I actually went ahead and cooked up our dinner for the next few nights. I had a butternut squash on hand so I roasted it, put half aside to make soup and made the other half into a burrito filling with veggies and black beans. I packed myself a snack for work so that I wouldn’t be so hungry at the end of the day. I even added a goal to my list:

“I prepare healthy and convenient meals every day that energize and nourish my body”

Will I always be perfect? No but having a plan is half the battle. Sticking to it is the other half.

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”
― Jim Ryun

 

These Boots are made for Walking!

Discipline has never been my strong suit ESPECIALLY when it comes to exercise. I used to look for any excuse not to do it; too hot, too cold, sore back, rabid coyotes wandering the streets…you get the point. If I could get out of it I would because frankly, I was lazy. Now I realize that I am only a week into this journey but something feels very different this time around. I feel like my programming is changing.

We all have scripts we tell ourselves whether we realize it or not. They are constantly running in the back of our mind. Scripts about our bodies, our relationships, our finances, our abilities, etc. They could be positive but more often than not they are holding us back. As a society, we are taught from a young age to be humble, not to brag, not to be too outlandish. God forbid we stand out in a crowd or sing our own praises. I had a script about exercise that I didn’t like it, I sucked at it and frankly it was the devil! No wonder I made excuses to avoid it!

On January 1^st I started writing (morning and night) that I “Walk a little further every day and feel my body getting leaner and stronger with each step” and I feel different. I am changing my script. I noticed it very clearly this morning. I was tucked in bed with Jon and the dog sound asleep beside me. We have indulged in some new linens so our bed is extra cozy these days. The baby was still at rest and the sky was looking dark and cold outside. The thought crossed my mind to stay in bed and trade dog walking duties with Jon. “Honey if you walk Simon this morning, I will walk him tonight” I would ask ever so sweetly and Jon, being such a loving husband, would oblige. But today something was different because as soon as that thought came into my mind it was replaced with “Get your ass out of bed and get moving woman! You will feel so much better when it is done!”

 No laying there talking myself out of the walk, I was actually talking myself into it!  This is huge people!!!! Yes, 4 exclamation points huge! This is the power of goals. Even though my boots are too tight, I have blisters on my feet, it is cold and I have to literally drag my dog out of bed, I WANTED to go for my walk this morning. I wanted to feel leaner and stronger with each step and the best part is that I DO.

Whatcha Eating??

Even though I am trying not to focus so much on food in this journey the fact remains that this gal loves food. A lot of you have been contacting me asking what I am eating.  While I don’t want to get into posting my food intake daily (that isn’t what the blog is about), I thought that every Tuesday I will fill you on my fave food finds of the week.  So here you go:

·        Jon’s Dad gave us a beautiful big block of 2 year old cheddar. This would normally be a total danger zone but we actually had some with granny smith apple slices for breakfast on Sunday. We sliced it very thinly, weighed out 2 servings each (worth 8 points for those of you on WW) and enjoyed every morsel. If you have never had old cheddar and apple, try it! It satisfied us for the whole morning and felt decedent.

·         Earlier in the week I made a really delicious and easy bean dip using Amy’s Organic Refried Beans. I mixed a can of the beans with some salsa to have with sliced veggies and rice crackers. I also tried it heated up with a laughing cow cheese wedge melted in it. VERY good and satisfying!

·         I am not usually big on frozen dinners. I find them over processed and lacking in flavor. Not the case with the WW Smart Ones. Over processed? Yes but they are quite tasty and good in a pinch. I like to have them as an option for lunches. They are on sale this week at Wal-Mart for $1.99 each (good deal!). The chicken fajita pizza and roast turkey dinner are both very good.

·         In my green smoothie this week I discovered that baby bok choy is really mild in flavor and a great addition. It is also very high in calcium. Green smoothies rock my socks so I will most likely do a whole post on them at some point.

·         Spaghetti squash sounds gross but it is awesome (even if you are not a squash person). I discovered this veggie while I was doing low carb. It is the perfect replacement for pasta with virtually no calories. WAY better than those shirataki noodles that are all the rage (rubber bands as I call them). This week I discovered that you can cook one of these squash super-fast and easily in the slow cooker. I didn’t even cut it open first. Just pop it in with a little bit of water and it was done in about 2 hours on high. Use this with a nice meaty pasta sauce and you will be thanking me!

I hope this gives you some ideas to try. Feel free to share your food finds with me as well!

Week One UPDATE :)

HI Everyone,

My first week is under my belt and I would say it has been a grand success. Now the first week on any weight loss program you tend to have a big loss at the scale. Mostly water but it is still very encouraging. My weigh in was this morning and I am down.....drum roll please.............10.7 pounds!
That is 1/10 of the way to my goal and a nice way to start this journey.

Bigger than the weight loss for me is the fact that I wasn't obsessing about food all week. Obsessing about blogging???? Maybe! But with regards to food, I just followed the WW program as it was laid out and didn't find I was playing games with myself or the program. I wrote and rewrote my goals every morning and evening and fine tuned them by the end of the week to really resonate with me. I will rewrite them here:

• I weigh 100 or more pounds lighter by December 31, 2013 and I feel like I can do anything I set my mind to!
• I drink 3 liters of pure water every day to hydrate and replenish my entire body.
• I walk a little bit further every day and feel my body getting leaner and stronger with every step.
• I detoxify my body and mind from all things toxic and I glow from the inside out.
• I write and rewrite my goals daily until they become my reality.

I am also finishing up my box of Total Body Rapid Cleanse I am feeling pretty good so far. I had a bad headache for the first 4 days. No problems with running to the bathroom or anything of that nature. What I did notice (as did my husband) is that I have been on bitch on wheels! In chinese medicine they refer to the liver as the "seat of anger". The philosophy is that it stores not only your anger and negative emotions but also those of your loved ones (spouse, children, parents etc). When you begin to work on your liver, as you are doing when you cleanse, these negative emotions can surface. I definately noticed that. I tend to be a little short tempered with Jon but I found myself getting impatient with Aidan and that is not like me. Especially near the end of the day I would find myself getting really agitated. The first week on a cleanse is the hardest for some people but I always found my cleansing reactions went up a notch when I entered week 2 so we will see what the next 7 days brings. Hopefully I don't kill Jon in the process. I mean how much anger can be stored in one little organ????

So onto week 2. I want to thank you all again for your support and encouragment. I am so happy I am not taking this journey alone!

THIN Thinking

Many years ago I was out for coffee with a coworker. We finished our coffees and she said she was going to get another and asked if I wanted one. Being a coffee addict I was not about to say no so I replied "Sure, large with 2 cream". She literally stopped in her tracks and looked at me with a mix of humour and disbelief. "Your kidding right?" she asked. I was confused. "OK medium with double cream please". She said "You use CREAM in your coffee instead of milk?????". She couldn't believe that I would make that choice. To her, she drank a lot of coffee so of course she would use milk instead of cream. It was that sort of thinking that set us apart. It was that sort of thinking that kept her THIN.

Now to this day I still use cream in my coffee but I learned something that day. It was the first time I really consciously realized that thin people are thin because they work at it. Of course there are those exceptions, those people who can't put weight on if their life depended on it. But in my lifetime I think I have met about 6 of those people.....6. The rest of the people I know with a healthy body weight are that way because every day and every meal they make decisions that encourage that outcome. They are not perfect all the time, no one is, but the majority of the time they are conscious about what they put in their mouth. Walk into any gym and you will see that 80% of the people there are in good shape. Walk into a HOTEL gym and about 100% will be thin. No fat person in their right mind would workout while on a vacation. I am on vacation for god sakes! Eat healthy on vacation? Are you kidding me? I have planned whole trips around restaurants we wanted to visit! Now I am not saying that thin people don't indulge while on vacation but their mind is wired differently than mine. In most cases those skinny psychos working out in the hotel gym are doing that so that they can enjoy an amazing dinner guilt free later on. They are countering the damage in advance instead of my thinking which is GO BIG OR GO HOME (and then deal with the consequences)!

Until a few years ago I had spent my whole life looking at thin people and thinking "You don't know how lucky you are!" meanwhile luck had nothing to do with it. They work at being thin as much as I work at being fat.

WHAT?? Work at being fat??? That makes no sense. Why would I work at something I don't want for myself? If I am brutally honest with myself, and you know I am, I work DAMN hard to maintain this ample figure of mine. Just living with an extra 100 plus pounds is difficult enough but things that should be simple are much more difficult when you are obese. Flying in an airplane, walking around a new city, fitting in a restaurant booth, finding winter boots that fit over your cankles! That is the not so pretty truth about reality for someone like me. A reality I created by the decisions I made every day and every meal. Is it more work to throw together a quick stir-fry or go pick up takeout? Well as I proved Friday night, it is much quicker to cook the damn stir-fry. By the time you decide what you want to eat, order it, go pick it up and come home you could have cooked a nutritious meal. Another example is running to the store. I live very close to a grocery store, 10 minute walk max, yet I usually drive to pick something up. By the time I clear the snow off the car, drive over and park I could have easily walked and saved myself some gas. My decisions to be constantly on (or off) a diet. That is a lot of work spent in planning instead of just executing better habits on a regular basis. You see, I WORK at this. You could even say I have mastered it!

So this week I am going to keep an eye on all those skinny wenches in my life (whom I love so dearly) and see how they make decisions that keep them in the great shape they are in. I will report back next Sunday with my findings. Who knows? Maybe I will even master the art of "Thinking Thin" by the end of this year. Using the treadmill on my next vacation? I wouldn't put money on it if I were you!

Cleansing: Your Questions Answered

Wow, I have had so many questions come in to me about cleansing over the past few days. I am going to answer them here since it seems the same questions keep coming up so maybe more of you are wondering the same things.

1)      What should I eat and drink while I am doing a cleanse?

Ideally we should be eating really “clean” while cleansing. This means lots of fruits and veggies, lean proteins, whole grains, good fats and very little else. No white carbs, processed foods, coffee, booze or fast food but this is not a reality for everyone. A cleanse is a great way to kick start a healthier lifestyle so even if you are not there yet, it can get you moving in the right direction. Renew Life cleanses are designed to work regardless of diet or lifestyle choices which is one of the reasons I love them so much. They meet you where you are at.

 

One thing you really need to do is ensure you are drinking enough water. I aim for 3 liters a day which is a lot but not for my size. They say half your body weight in ounces is a good guideline. If I did that I would float away! Just aim to drink more than you do now. It makes sure that the toxins are being flushed through your system and helps to lessen some of the side effects of detoxifying.

 

2)      Do I need to take anything else when I am doing a herbal cleanse and can I continue to take my multivitamins?

You can definitely continue to take your other supplements. The one thing we always recommend people consume when cleansing is fibre. Fibre is like a sponge that absorbs toxins as you release them. If you eat a very healthy diet, you MAY be getting enough fibre in your foods but this is not normally the case. There are a ton of different fibre options out there, some are better than others. We sell 3 different products that you can find in the health food store. My favorite is Organic Clear Fibre because it has no flavor and mixes clear in water. I also add it to my smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal etc. It is included with the Rapid Cleanse kit that I am doing. If you are a little short on cash, pick up milled flaxseed. It is about $7.00 a bag and works great.

Unless you drink a ton of water, stay away for psyllium fibre (the fibre found in Metamucil). It can be hard on the bowel and constipating.

3)      I am prone to diarrhea, can I still cleanse?

Yes you can but you may need to take it a little more gently.  The exception to this is if your diarrhea is caused by inflammatory bowel disease like Crohns or Colitis. If you have a disorder of the bowel then you should probably not do a colon cleanse unless under supervision of a Naturopathic doctor.  If you tend towards a looser bowel, start with First Cleanse. It focusses more on the other detoxifying organs (liver, kidneys, skin, blood, lungs, and lymphatic system) with a very gentle bowel component. It is only 15 days but if you feel like you are getting results, you can stay on it longer.

4)      Is this going to suck?

LOL this was actually a message someone sent me and the answer is IT CAN but only for a week or so. When you start cleansing you can get a few unpleasant symptoms but they usually go away within the first 3-5 days. Headaches, muscle aches, fatigue and skin breakouts are the most common. I have had a headache for 3 days straight. Not debilitating, just kind of there in the background. It is just telling me that sure enough, I am toxic. Some people are lucky and have no symptoms. Cleansing is a different experience for everyone. If you are still getting headaches after the first week, increase your water and go get a fibre supplement to take.

The good news is that most people feel much more energetic after about 2 weeks. I know I notice that energy boost at about day 9 and I also notice that my skin glows by the end of the cleanse. My joints hurt less, my eyes are brighter and I just feel healthier overall. There are so many benefits besides weight loss.

Just a few other tips to help your body detoxify:

·         SWEAT. If you have access to a sauna, get in there and sweat. Of course exercise works as well but not nearly as relaxing J Sweating is a great way to release toxins through your biggest organ….your skin.

·         Drink warm lemon water upon waking. Squeeze fresh lemon into some warm water and drink it first thing in the morning. It is like a wake me up for your liver.

·         Get enough sleep. Just do it! It’s good for you dammit.

·         Try to eat leafy greens every day. Greens are very detoxifying and alkalizing. The deeper green the better. I add them to my smoothies but if you are a salad person have at it. Just make sure you stay away from iceberg and really processed dressings. Experiment with different lettuces, throw in some spinach or kale, add brightly colored veggies and fruit (red cabbage, yellow peppers, purple onions, carrots etc) and dress with olive oil and vinegar. Your salad should look like a rainbow on your plate.  

Good luck for everyone who has decided to start detoxifying their body. Cleansing is one of the most rewarding things you can do for your health and your waist line! I will share my experiences every 7 days as I go through my 6 weeks of Rapid Cleanse.

 

 

Do these toxins make me look fat? Cleansing Part 2

Why yes, yes they do!  Various studies have shown that toxins slow down the body’s metabolic rate; decrease feelings of fullness, leading to eating more and more calories; and limit our ability to burn fat. When faced with toxicity, our bodies respond by retaining water in an effort to dilute water-soluble toxins, and fat to try to dilute fat-soluble toxins. Your body will store water and fat in an effort to dilute these toxins.  This chart illustrates the whole process of detoxification beautifully.

There is a group of toxins called (big word alert) Organochlorines.  They are found in virtually everyone and are easy to detect and measure so Organochlorines (OC for short) are frequently studied in association with obesity. We cannot get rid of them very well, so the body stores them in our fat cells. As we lose weight, the fat cells release the toxins into the bloodstream. Once these toxins are in the bloodstream, all hell breaks loose.

One of the first things toxins do when your fat cells release them into the blood is slow down your resting metabolic rate. So as you begin to lose weight, those surfacing toxins can begin to work against your weight loss. This can lead to the dreaded plateau. This is why cleansing is important. If you can get rid of these toxins quickly, you can reduce or eliminate this effect.

One study that came out in 2002 looked at five factors that affected RMR (resting metabolic rate) during weight loss in sixteen obese men-all of whom experienced a decrease in their metabolism. Not only were toxic OCs in their blood partly to blame for the lower RMR, but the study also confirmed that of the five factors considered, including fat mass and appetite hormones, the presence of OCs was the most important factor influencing  metabolism. The study further determined that the toxins were affecting the production of the thyroid hormones. Your thyroid plays a major role in your body’s regulation of its metabolic rate, so it’s not surprising that toxins present in the blood can lead to a slower metabolism.

Bottom line: The more fat you have, the more toxins you retain.  Toxins not only lead to weight gain but also sabotage your ability to lose weight.

So how do you cleanse? Well there are lots of different options actually but the 3 most common are: Fasting or Juicing, Nutritional Cleansing and Herbal Cleansing.

• Fasting or Juicing: Many cultures fast periodically for health or spiritual reasons. It is gaining popularity in western society and there are even retreats you can attend to fast in a controlled environment. How fasting works to cleanse is that it takes the burden of digestion off the body, allowing all of the bodies functions to perform better. Enzymes which are usually used for digesting food travel to the intestine and blood stream where they "clean" the system of dead and damaged cells, pollutants and unwanted bacteria. Fasting also gives the major organs a rest so that they can become rejuvenated. Sounds great right? Fasting is not for everyone, especially if you have a highly physically demanding job or blood sugar issues. Most people who fast do so for 3-10 days although there are people who do it for much longer. Please proceed with caution if you do decide to fast.
• Nutritional Cleansing: This is a wonderful way to cleanse the body by flooding it with minerals, vitamins and other nutrients. These nutrients help the fuel the body and nourish it so that it works optimally. When you support the body with the proper nutrition, your liver, kidneys and bowel are able to release and eliminate toxins efficiently.
• Herbal Cleansing: Currently this is the most popular way of cleansing the body. Herbal cleanses are usually sold as kits with products to cleanse the organs and support the bowel. It is very important that if you are going to cleanse your liver you make sure you are not constipated. If the toxins are dumped into the bowel and sit there, they will be reabsorbed. Think of it this way, you wouldn’t sweep out the garage with the garage door closed. Same with the body, you have to make sure that your bowels are functioning normally.   Either deal with the constipation first or buy a herbal cleanse that addresses that issue (2-3 bowel movements a day is ideal!). Herbal Cleanses use formulas of herbs, minerals and amino acids that help the organs of detoxification to increase their output. These kits usually last between 7 - 30 days (30 days is ideal to do the job fully although a 7 day cleanse done every month is also effective).

I am doing a combination of nutritional and herbal cleansing. I make myself a green smoothie most days that is filled with lots of organic veggies and fruit. The base is always leafy greens like kale, spinach, chard, romaine and then I put in whatever else I have on hand (cucumber, celery, beets are a few examples). To make it palatable I put in one apple and/or a pear and the juice of one lemon. Fill the blender with filtered water and blend. I can usually get 3 glasses of smoothie out of that. Not only does it help my body detoxify, it is full of fiber to help bind the toxins my body is releasing on its own.  This is not everyone’s cup of tea and thankfully you don’t have to go this route to cleanse your body of toxins. That is where herbal cleansing products come in.

The herbal cleanse I am doing is called Total Body Rapid Cleanse and it is by the company I work for, Renew Life. Obviously I am biased and think we make the best cleanses out there but go to your health food store and see what’s available. As a general rule, if it is sold on a TV infomercial or by a multi-level marketing company, it is overpriced and underperforming. Not always the case but most often the case. I am choosing to do 6 but more likely 8 weeks of Rapid Cleanse. It is only a 7 day cleanse so I will be doing one per week. We do sell a really good 30 day cleanse called CleanseSMART but I had 3 of the Rapid Cleanse on hand so I will use them up. The other reason is that Rapid Cleanse is a little bit stronger and since I have cleansed before, I feel I can handle it.

This was a mega long post! My apologies but hopefully you find the content interesting. Tomorrow I will cover a few more action steps you can take to help detoxify your body and also what you can expect to feel while cleansing. It ain’t always pretty!