Sensitive Sally

Well it's 3:53 AM and I can't sleep. I am one of those people who lie awake thinking about things when something is on my mind. So rather than analyze things to death by myself, I figure why not blog about it?

I am a pretty sensitive person by nature. I get over things quickly but at the time I feel things intensely. In fact when I am upset, worried, angry or any number of emotions, I feel it physically. I get this feeling of a knot in my stomach. It is like a physical reminder that something is bothering me even if when I am not actually thinking about it in that exact moment. In the past I would eat and that sensation in my stomach would be replaced by a more familiar and comforting one. I can't reach for food so here I am reaching for my keyboard in hopes that it has a similar effect.

So here's the situation without getting into too much detail. A friend of mine is going through one of those big events in their life. I like to think I played a little part in making it happen and I couldn't be happier for them. I found out that they are having a few get-togethers to celebrate and I wasn't invited. Normally this wouldn't really faze me, in fact I am not a big fan of these shindigs so I would likely just send a gift and my best wishes, but this time I feel really hurt. I don't know why I wasn't included and I have no control over it so rather than worry about that I am trying to figure out WHY it is affecting me so much and what to do with it.

I have a few theories. First, it is that time of the month so I am irrationally emotional. I am cleansing my liver which can actually stir up emotions, especially anger. I desperately want people to like me and when that comes into question I breakdown. I see a lot of myself in this person and maybe thought we were closer than we are so I am disappointed. These are all good theories and maybe have a grain of truth but if I was to really dig deep I think the issue is FOOD.

I feel raw. I feel that knot in my stomach. I feel like I want to comfort myself and I can't....rather I won't. Not the way I am used to doing it. I can't allow myself to reach for food when I am feeling this way, even healthy food. The whole point of this journey is to learn new ways to cope. THIS is helping actually, writing about it is bringing me down a few pegs. I feel childish that I am being such a sensitive Sally but it is how I am feeling and I have to honour it. Asking the person themselves WHY is not an option and at the end of the day I don't think the answer really matters anyways. I am trying to remember the quote I posted the other day about "What other people think of me is none of my business".

This is a test and my opportunity to develop some new coping techniques. So I am curious, what do you do to deal with emotions like this? How do you bring yourself back down when emotions are running high? Any tips are highly appreciated!

Why Cleanse? Part One

Hi Everyone,

Day one is under my belt and I feel great. I am feeling so optimistic about this coming year and again, I thank you all for the amazing support. I have been rewriting my goals morning and night, walking, drinking my water...I am even being nice to my husband! Miracles can indeed happen!

Today I am going to start talking about CLEANSING. I am a big believer in cleansing. I have seen how it can change people's health in amazing ways. It is a large topic so I am going to break it into 3 posts.

We have all heard about cleansing or detoxing our body (not to be confused with the detox that Lindsay Lohan is forced into bi-weekly). We read about cleansing in magazines, hear ads on the radio and see products line the shelves of our health food store. It seems like cleansing has exploded overnight but this is not true, in fact cultures have cleansed for thousands of years.
Is it necessary to cleanse our bodies? YES!! If you drink alcohol or smoke, you need to cleanse. If you sit in traffic and breath in the fumes from cars, you need to cleanse. If you use plastic, make up, lotions, pharmaceuticals,  or dry cleaning, you need to cleanse. Basically if you live in this day and age, YOU NEED TO CLEANSE.

Our bodies are amazing machines and they cleanse every minute of every day. For example, our kidneys and liver cleanse toxins so that they can be removed from the body via urine and our bowel. If you were to ask a Doctor if you should cleanse, chances are they would say "Your body does it for you" and this is true to a degree. However, our bodies are bombarded with more toxins than ever in history. Cancer rates are through the roof, kids are developing liver disease, our bodies are nutritionally depleted and still most Doctors refuse to acknowledge that this could be in part due to our toxic environment and bodies. Our bodies weren't designed to handle and process the amount and types of toxins it is faced with today.

A study conducted by Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the Environmental Working Group tested volunteers blood and urine and what they found was shocking. There was a total of 167 chemicals found, an average of 91 in each person. Of these toxins, 76 caused cancer, 91 are toxic to the brain and 79 cause birth defects. These industrial toxins were even found in high levels in infants. This is scary stuff. Check out www.toxicnation.ca for studies they are doing on Canadians including our politicians.

Still not convinced? I am going to ask you a series of questions. If you answer yes to any then you should really consider doing a cleanse (whether you have a weight problem or not).

1. Are you constipated? If you are not eliminating regularly you are creating toxins from within your body. You should be having at least 1 but ideally 2-3 bowel movements per day. One movement for every meal is a good goal!
2. Do you eat or drink alot of C.R.A.P? Coffee, Refined Carbohydrates, Alcohol and Processed Foods.
3. Do you work with chemicals, metals, or oils? This includes welders, mechanics, hair dressers etc.
4. Do you eat non-organic fruits and vegetables?
5. Do you feel tired or sluggish especially after eating?
6. Do you suffer from headaches, sore joints or sensitivity to certain smells?
7. Do you have skin issues including acne, eczema or rashes?
8. Do you drink unfiltered tap water?
9. Do you use regular household cleaners or dryclean your clothing?
10. Do you have difficulty losing weight regardless of diet and exercise?

I haven't cleansed in almost 2 years and I can answer YES to 7 of those questions. Today is day 2 of my cleanse and my headache tells me it is working! Tomorrow I am going to explain how toxins can contribute to obesity so that you have a better understanding as to why it is such a big part of my weight loss plan.
 

What's the plan man?

       Before Photos

 Ok if there is one thing I don't enjoy, it is getting my picture taken. This was not fun for me! Poor Jon must have taken 20 pictures before I finally just gave up. Thankfully, I will only be posting these every 20 pounds and who knows? I might actually start to like striking a pose!

So here I am, Day ONE and I am excited, nervous, overwhelmed but most of all, optimistic. The last few weeks of introspection have been really valuable for me. It wasn't easy but I learned alot and I see more clearly (and maybe with more empathy) where I am coming from. When I first started writing I thought my issues all lie with food. If I can get the food under control, my problems will be solved. What I have learned is that the problem lies with ME and the decisions I make surrounding food. Using food to soothe myself, using food to celebrate, using food to punish instead of simply using food to nourish my body. I have come to realise that my struggle this year will not be with food, it will be learning to deal with life without using food as a coping agent.

At the beginning of December when I started thinking about doing this blog, my old thinking took hold. I wanted to come up with some really cool eating plan that I could put my signature on. I made up my own little food triangle and tracking sheets. I thought I would share what I ate each day so that others could follow along. But I realized something, focussing on the food plan instead of the reason I am the way I am would never lead me to succeed. I would have some weight loss initially but then I would start questioning my program, questioning my results, and fall back into old habits. I realized I needed to make the food part of my journey somewhat automatic, meaning I didn't have to really think about it, so I can focus my energy on the more important things.
Part one of my plan is WEIGHT WATCHERS
While a bit of a bitter pill to swallow, this is also really liberating. I have decided to follow Weight Watchers to get this weight off once and for all. It won't be the first time I do WW but it will be the last. The reasons I have decided to go this route are:

1. It is proven and it has worked for me in the past.
2. No foods are forbidden. This was important for me since whenever I go on a diet I tend to be very extreme and I am the queen of low carb. Now that we have a little boy, I want to ensure that I am teaching him good habits, not extreme habits.
3. It is based on portion control which is a huge issue for me.
4. My husband wanted to do it and I think it is important that we do this together.
5. There is the accountability of weighing in weekly. I have actually had Jon hide our scale so I don't weigh inbetween meetings as I can get a little obsessive about weighing. The excitement of seeing the progress every monday morning should keep me driven. No peeking inbetween!

The main reason I chose it is that it is easy for me to follow. I am a nutritionist, I know what foods to eat. I know that if I just follow this plan (I mean ACTUALLY follow it as written, not tweak it) that the food part of my journey will be taken care of. I won't have to think about it and it will free up my energy to focus on getting my other issues in check. Making this decision, while hard, has taken so much pressure off of me. Why reinvent the wheel? Just follow the program and don't stop. Seems simple enough right?

So yesterday morning Jon and I went to Weight Watchers, signed up and weighed in. I am actually about 12 pounds heavier than I thought (OUCH!) but it is not the end of the world. Weight that comes on fast, comes off fast.

Part two of my plan is CLEANSING
I truly believe that cleansing the body is crucial for longterm weight loss success. I will be posting alot about this but as of this morning I started a herbal cleanse that I will be doing for the next 6-8 weeks. Why? Well I will get more in depth about this in the next few days but short version is:

FAT HOLDS TOXINS. AS YOU RELEASE FAT, YOU RELEASE TOXINS

Cleansing helps your body to handle that increased toxic burden. If you are fat, you are toxic. This is a fact. I work for a natural health company and we specialize in cleansing but there are lots of options out there. More on this tomorrow.

Part three of my plan is to MOVE MORE
I went for a walk this morning and that is what I am going to do every morning. Each day a little further. I am also going to try to incorporate a new form of exercise every month. This month I am going to buy some Kettle Bells and start using them. I will share my experiences. Not everything I try will stick I am sure but I am hoping to resurrect some sort of passion for fitness.

Part four of my plan is SELF CARE
For me this encompasses everything from putting lotion on my whole body instead of just my hands and elbows to taking certain supplements. It is taking the time to nurture my body on the inside and on the outside. I always take time to put on my make up and do my hair every morning but I might skip taking my vitamins or shaving my legs. I want to feel good about myself and part of that is taking the time to take care of myself. Also a big part of my self care will be learning to cope without food. Letting the emotions run their course and know I will be ok on the other end of it. It is in those moments of feeling raw and exposed that self care, or self LOVE, will comfort me the way food did before.

Part five of my plan is SHARING
Last but not least, I want to genuinely share everything about this journey. I want to help others the way that all of you are helping me. This blog is a big part of that but I also what to interract with people going through the same thing. If you have any questions about anything I blog about, please send them to me. You can send them to my email if you don't want to post a comment. You can send me a message on facebook. I'll answer everything to the best of my ability.  Invite your friends to add me as a friend if they want to follow along. I want my struggles, truimphs, confessions to stand for more than just a number on the scale.

This is it, my five part plan to change my body and life. I wish you all the best in 2013 and that whatever goals and dreams you aspire to will become your reality. Happy New Year to my family and friends, new and old. Let the games begin!

Goal Setting 101

OK people, change of plans! I am going to refocus my efforts from losing weight to getting taller. Off to the medieval stretching racks I go. That HAS to be easier than dieting right??Joking of course but sometimes it seems anything is easier than dieting.

DIET. I am trying to actually remove the term from my vocabulary but it is pretty deeply ingrained. I have lived a life of one diet after another. I just want to learn to eat like a "normal" person (whatever the hell that means!). Getting a handle on my relationship with food is definitely one of my goals during this process, one of many goals. This post is going to look at how to set goals and then I will set my intentions for 2013.

Most successful people in the world know what they want and they have a plan to get it. Goal setting is consistent trait among top achievers especially with regards to fitness and business. It makes sense right? You are training for a marathon, you have milestones or things you need to accomplish to get there. You see yourself finishing that race but there is a process of training to get to that finish line.

In my professional life, I have always been a goal setter and it has led to a lot of success for me. For 10 years I worked in Sales and if I didn't have goals or quotas, I would have nothing to strive for. But I have never consistently done goal setting in my personal life. Sure, I have set goals on New Years Eve to get in shape and have more fun etc. But I have never truly set goals in writing and kept them in the forefront of my mind.

One of my favorite business gurus is Brian Tracy. He talks a lot about the process of goal setting in all of his books on sales and self improvement. Being that I want to be a top achiever now for my health, I am going to use the tools he sets out to set some goals for myself and I will share those tips with you.

1. Goals must be PRESENT, PERSONAL and POSITIVE. So for example, "I am smoke-free" is better than "Quit smoking".

2. Goals must be measurable and have a time line: "I am smoke-free by November 2nd, 2013"

Goals are 100 times more effective if written down and 1000 times more effective if rewritten every day. Have a book by your bed or on your desk that you write and rewrite your goals in everyday.

Goals are very personal and some people may decide to keep them private but sometimes sharing those goals creates a sense of accountability. I have shared with you my goal to lose 100 pounds, now I need to make it personal, positive and present to make it really effective. I also like to add an element of emotion or excitement to a goal. I feel the more excitement you can put behind a goal, the more drive you will have to accomplish it. That would look something like:

"I am 100 pounds lighter by December 31, 2013 and I feel full of energy and joy"

There is my main goal for 2013, that is my ultimate 1 year goal. But I believe in setting smaller, monthly goals as well. I have decided my monthly goals will not be about a number on the scale but rather about the process of getting to my ultimate goal of releasing 100 pounds. I also believe in setting a stretch goal that you keep in the back of your mind. For me, that stretch goal is to actually lose 120 pounds which would take me to a weight I haven't seen since Grade 6. So I am going to alter my main goal slightly to say:

"I am 100 or more pounds lighter by December 31, 2013 and I feel full of energy and joy"

You might be wondering why I didn't just set my goal to be 120 pounds. A stretch goal is just that, a stretch. It is very difficult to consistently lose 10 pounds a month and I know that. Although I feel like I could definitely lose 8.3 pounds which would get me to my goal. It is about setting a high standard but realistic enough to reach. I certainly don't want to limit myself to 100 pounds off but I don't want to be disappointed if I don't reach that stretch goal of 120.

Now to set my January goals:

"I walk a little bit further every day in January enjoying the crisp fresh air"

"I drink 3 litres of pure, clean water every day in January to replenish my body"

"I write my goals down every day in January and visualize my life as a healthy, new woman"

"I cleanse my body of toxins in January to start the year off fresh"

That should get me started!I have seen the power of setting goals in my career now I am going to harness that power and apply it to my health. I hope these tips help you be able to do the same if you so choose. Tomorrow I will get into the nitty gritty of why I chose the plan I did, what that plan is and any supplements I will be incorporating. I wish you all a very safe and fun New Years Eve and a fresh start for all tomorrow!

Maybe it's glandular??

I always used to say I had a large frame. I was just a bigger girl than most and by god, my bones must weigh a ton. That was until I learned how to find out if you are "big boned" by measuring your wrist circumference. Turns out, I have a small frame. A small frame carrying a heavy load. I have spent a lot of my life looking for reasons (beyond the food) for my weight problem. These include:

1. Environment: Can't blame that! Grew up in a very healthy home.
2. Genetics: Well there is something to that in my predisposition to be overweight but that said, my mother has always remained thin.
3. Thyroid: Not an issue
4. Metabolism: Maybe a little out of whack from years of yo-yo dieting but not enough to justify the size I am at.
5. Immobility: Nope. I don't have an inability to exercise, I have just chosen not to in recent years.
6. Hormones: Ding Ding Ding we have a winner! I have some issues with my hormones that certainly don't help my situation. Let's look at this a little further.

I started going to specialists when I was 6 years old because I was already showing signs of puberty. I began menstruating at 9 and was fully developed by 11. Precocious puberty it was called. Not unusual by today's standards but back in the day, I was a rarity. At the age of 13 I was finally diagnosed with something called Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, PCOS for short. This is something I will definitely explore deeper in another post since 1 in 9 women may have PCOS. It goes largely undiagnosed because people show symptoms in so many different ways. For example, I have PCOS and I have issues with my period, hair growth in places a lady doesn't want it (thank god for waxing!) and obesity. The singer Jewel also has PCOS and her major problem was with infertility but no issues with weight.

I have researched this disorder for years and will share the conventional and natural treatment options when I post about it in a few weeks. PCOS creates a body that is more likely to store fat but it doesn't make it impossible to lose it. In my twenties, my doctor made me feel so hopeless about my prospects to lose weight and ever have children due to my PCOS that I kind of gave up on myself. If this blog only helps one other woman to see the possibilities for herself, even with PCOS, then I am a happy woman!

The last 10 posts have been all about looking back. Tomorrow on New Years Eve 2012, I begin looking forward. I will share my goals (I refuse to call them resolutions!) for the next 12 months and on January 1st I will share my plan to get there. I want to thank you all again for reading and sending me so much positivity. I am so excited to share this next chapter of my life with you all!

Power of Personality: The Ugly!

I love this quote from one of my favorite self-improvement gurus, Brian Tracy. It’s true; nothing is more toxic to living the life you desire than a bad attitude. Now, no one is happy and positive ALL the time and if they are, no one wants to spend any time with them. That said, trying to maintain a positive outlook on life is one of the keys to happiness and success. What about when your personality or character flaws get in the way of that positive outlook? It’s bound to happen but knowing what those character flaws are allows you to keep them in check.

Yesterday was all “puppies and lollipops” as I listed off some of my positive personality traits. It sure felt good to dig deep and focus on the positive. Today will be more “porcupines and liverwurst” as I expose a handful of my less desirable qualities. I actually went through these with my husband Jon last night to make sure I wasn’t just being hard on myself but NO, it appears I am a real piece of work J

Louise’s Not So Kick Ass Personality Traits

1.       Impatient: I could very well be the most impatient person ever, ESPECIALLY when it comes to weight loss. If things aren’t progressing at the speed I envision (which generally is the speed of light) then I get impatient and give up. It is really quite childish! I don’t kick and scream….often…but I throw all progress out the window and move onto something else. I don’t think I am really impatient with other people, although my husband might disagree, but with myself I am terrible.

2.       Impulsive: Another “Im” word….hmmmm wonder if there is a meaning to that? I am a very impulsive person. I make decisions quickly and often without thinking things through. Now this is not always a bad thing, I certainly don’t suffer from analysis paralysis and no one can accuse me of sitting on the fence. But I know my impulsivity makes my husband uneasy and it affects more than just me. How it affects my ability to lose weight is that I change my mind too frequently. I hear about some new can’t fail weight loss pill, gadget, program and I am on it baby. I am a nutritionist and I should know better but keep in mind, I am a fat nutritionist!

3.       Judgmental: As Jon once said to me “Judgment. Your biggest fear and greatest strength!” Now I am not talking about judging people on how they look or dress although I am human and sometimes that creeps in. Usually while at Wal-Mart! I tend to be more judgmental with regards to peoples actions or inactions. If they are not what I think is “right” then it is hard for me not to judge. I guess you could say I am not a “live and let live” sort of gal. For example, every month Jon and I donate a good amount of money to charity. If I know someone has the means to do the same and don’t, I judge them. The problem, and I realize this now, is that I don’t know the whole story. Perhaps they volunteer their time which is a currency far more valuable than money. It is like I am judging people based on my values instead of looking at their own. On the flip side, I am very much afraid of being judged. Part of the reason I am doing this blog is to get over that fear. No one judges me more harshly than I judge myself. I resolve in 2013 to be gentler in my judgment of myself and others….even you Jon. J

4.       Procrastinator: I think I will come back to this one…….

5.       Hedonistic: The definition of hedonistic is: Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses. YUP! That’s me. I like all things good; good food, good nookie, good books, good movies, good drinks. The list goes on and on. My hedonism and procrastination kind of play off each other. I can always find something I would RATHER do than the things I necessarily SHOULD do. The exception to this is at work, I tend to tackle things head on there. The good, the bad and the ugly. But in the other areas of my life, I almost always pick pleasure over the mundane. Floors need vacuuming? Sure but my bed looks so warm and cozy. Time to go for a walk? Well DUH but I am really into this movie. Are those veggies about to go bad in the fridge? Yep but I would prefer pizza. This sort of self-indulgent lifestyle is obviously going to have to change to get this fat off especially considering it is a big reason why I am so overweight. The way I am going to do that is change my definition of self-indulgent to include things like exercise and eating well. We already got rid of cable so I am half way there!!

6.        Arrogant: This is one of Jon’s additions to my list and I was surprised, until I heard his reasoning. I guess I am a bit of a know it all? I really didn’t see it until he, rather easily, started rhyming off examples. I guess I am particularly bad when it comes to nutritional/weight loss advice. I know where this stems from. I was going to be the next big thing in the weight loss world. I was going to get myself healthy on a diet I devised, write a book, help millions and of course, be on Oprah. So I have spent the last 15 years formulating this miracle plan in my mind and it would be the ONLY plan that would work for me. It didn’t stop me from spending thousands of dollars on other diets but I would just call that research. If I could figure out why those didn’t work, I could improve my master plan. If I am completely honest, my master plan was just a conglomeration of many other plans mashed together. Nothing new, nothing ground breaking. If someone tried to give me advice, I would be polite and listen but in my mind I was all like “Do you know who you are talking to???!!!” Arrogant indeed. Stubborn for sure. I am no longer a slave to my master plan. I am open to all possibilities, even those I didn’t come up with myself.

Well, that sucked but a worthy exercise all the same. Now that I am painfully aware of my character flaws, I can stomp on them when they start to drag me down. I will re-read this post whenever I start to fall back into bad habits or if I forget. Although as I found out last night, my husband is only so keen to remind me.

The Power of Personality

This post I am going to explore personality and how it impacts weight. Does personality directly impact the number on the scale? Not particularly but I do believe that we all have certain character traits that make it easier or more difficult to get the weight off. I know for myself, my personality can be a help or a hindrance. I am going to do a pro/con sort of exercise here and I suggest you do the same if you are trying to lose weight. When you know what tools you are working with or are working against you, you can make changes. Knowledge is power.

It is always easier to rhyme off what we don’t like about ourselves so in the spirit of showing myself more love, I am going to start with my positives.

Louise’s Kick Ass Personality Traits

1.       Bravery: Not jump out of a plane type bravery but I think I am brave in the way that I don’t shy away from uncomfortable situations. I try to look at those sorts of things as opportunities to grow. Some examples of this in my life have been:

·         Encouraging my parents to sell their home and move to another town when I was in Grade nine. Even though it meant starting over in a new high school, I was excited about the prospect. My only trepidation was leaving my best friend but we survived and are besties to this day.

·         Deciding to study Nutrition in University. I knew full well that I would be the only person with a weight problem in my program and I was. Even telling people that I wanted to be a Nutritionist when I was 100 pounds overweight could have been uncomfortable for some. I knew it was the right decision for me and that is all that mattered. I was proud and knew in my heart that I would kick ass at it.

·         Public speaking. I have always embraced opportunities to get up and speak in front of groups. In my job as a Sales Rep, I used to do public lectures on topics ranging from cleansing to indigestion. Even though I would be nervous and shaky beforehand, once I started speaking it was like a high.

How is bravery going to help me in my weight loss journey? Well I think it I am either brave or crazy to be writing this blog! It will take bravery on my part to admit when I encounter failure and I will. No journey is a straight line. Most of all I will have to be brave when I need to ask for help or support. I am fiercely proud and independent so asking for help is not easy but I will do it when I need it.            

2.       Humor: Anyone who knows me knows that I am a joker. I have a sick, twisted and I like to think, delightful sense of humor. How will that help me blast the fat? Well sometimes you just have to laugh. You have to take life as it comes and if you can laugh instead of cry, you are ahead in the game. Plus, laughing burns calories right?

3.       Kindness: I like to think I am a kind human being to both people and animals. I feel other’s pain deeply and try to live a life that doesn’t hurt others. That being said I am not very kind to myself (and my husband at times!). I need to embrace my empathetic nature and apply it to myself. That alone will go a long way towards helping in this emotional journey.

4.       Drive: I have always been a very driven individual. I had my first job when I was 13 and haven’t stopped working since. For my age I am very established in a career I love and really push myself to be my very best in that regard. I have used that drive in other areas of my life as well. I used it to pay off $20,000 of credit card debt in one year, to save up for our down payment for our house, to quit smoking, to hit quotas etc. I need to harness this drive to keep me motivated to reach all the goals I set for myself going forward, especially the BIG ONE!

5.       Honesty: I try to be honest with others and I am very open (as I guess this blog is demonstrating). Where I need to be more honest is with myself. In the past if I was on a weight loss program and it stopped working, I would change it claiming that the program was flawed. I genuinely thought that I knew better but in all honesty, the program wasn’t the issue. If I really was honest with myself I would admit that the program stopped working because I stopped working the program. I stopped counting carbs or points or servings. I stopped writing down what I was eating. I stopped paying attention to the little snacks or nibbles here and there. I STOPPED FOLLOWING THE PLAN. Now that I have admitted that, I know better. The plan I am going to follow in 2013 and beyond is going to be followed the way it was intended. If I fall off track it is because I messed up. Admitting this is going to keep me honest. No more excuses!

6.       Desire to learn: I am a constant learner. I like to read and research things so that I know them inside out. I read self-improvement literature and try to apply at least one concept from every book I read or cd I listen to. In my industry, I keep on top of new and exciting developments. I just like to learn new things. Much of my life has been dedicated to learning about why we get fat and what to do about it. What I have truly learned (sadly) is that there is no magic bullet or formula. It is basically about balancing energy input with expenditure. Calories in need to be less than calories out. Are there ways to improve this formula? Of course but at the end of the day, this is it. So this year, I am not going to bombard myself with reading about weight loss. Rather, I am going to use my desire to learn to discover new ways to deal with the emotional turmoil that comes along with it.

 

I am sure there are more positive character traits that I can draw on in this journey but this is a great starting point. I will be reading and rereading this list when I need to trust myself and the process.  Tomorrow I will look at my less stellar points (let’s hope the list isn’t twice as long as this one!). When you know better, you do better J