Recently I received a couple emails with questions and I wanted to share my responses with all of you. Today I focused on questions from Carol:
Photo source: Etsy
Today is my 8 month anniversary with Julie! I can't believe how the time has flown!! I am down 3 sizes, I was 22/24 and now I am 16/18. I am happy to have gone down but to be honest I am a little disappointed that I'm not down more? When I look in the mirror I still look fat. I know we all lose differently but I am scared I won't lose anymore it seems I've been this size for months. It helps to read your blog, I wonder if you or your bloggers have any advice? 

Congratulations Carol for you success in dropping 3 sizes! You are not alone in feeling the way you do about slow weight loss and how you look in the mirror. I've experienced both and many others who read this blog have too.

Let's looks at your questions up close and personal and see if we can turn this around for you.

Slow Weight loss

I too was frustrated with how slow my weight came off. A couple weeks ago, a little over three years on this program, I realized I was still complaining about this and I decided the time had come for me to change my tune. I was tired of singing Wah, Wah, Wah and I decided to focus on the positive instead of the negative.

How did I change my tune? I reflected back to where I've been, where I am today, and I took a good look in the mirror . . .

You are Down Three Sizes

Celebrate your new size and appreciate where you are today. Plateaus are part of the journey, as our body slows down to heal itself. Ask yourself: physically and mentally - do you feel better in a 16/18 or size 22/24? When was the last time you were a 16/18? Celebrate your success and keep doing what you've been doing.

I'm no longer a 30/32. Hello! This is really big and sometimes I too forget where I've been. Today I'm between a 14-18, in real women's sizes, not large women's clothing. In fact, I can't find anything to fit me in large women's stores anymore, although once in a while I go in and give it another try. Okay, so I bought undies (size 14) at Lane Bryant few months ago, but it was only because I had a gift card. The last time I was able to shop in regular clothing stores was the early 1990's and the last time I was able to wear a size 14 was 1984.

Disappointed in Not Being Smaller

Okay, so you want to be down more. Don't let yourself get caught up playing that song, stop it now! What's the alternative here - quitting and gaining back all the weight you lost? Not an option right? 

I struggled with this issue too, cue music: I wanna be smaller, wah, wah, wah. Well guess what? I am smaller and so are you! Celebrate and focus on how much smaller you are today.

One of the things that gets me singing that song again is when I compare my weight loss journey to others; cue music. There are many factors as to why some lose faster than others. I can't begin to understand them, although I have tortured myself trying to figure this out -  I stopped trying.

My journey is what it is and I'm so happy to be the size I am today and no longer a 30/32. When I remember where I've been, it helps me be put things back into perspective and appreciate the size I am today.

It's Taking So Long

When was the last time you stayed with a weight loss program for 8 months? How long has it been that you've maintained this size (or any size) for this long? Would you prefer a) taking a long time to drop to the next size or b) going up a size?

Cue music, Why is this taking so long? This is yet another verse and one we need to stop singing. It doesn't matter how long it takes to reach our goal size. What matters is that we keep moving forward. Time is going to pass whether we stay the course or not.

Whining, cue music, When Can I Eat X or Y Again? only keeps the music playing. If not eating X or Y means we get to maintain the size we are today, then let's not worry about when we can have those foods again.

Let's stop all this music and stop feeling sorry for ourselves for not being able to eat like others, as this keeps the music playing over and over again. Eating like others is what put all that extra weight on us. We may or may not ever be able to eat like others, so let's get over this and focus on how good it feels to finally look like others (no longer obese). Our key-food choices allow us to avoid foods that we seem to have allergic reactions to in ways others do not. For us, non-key food puts weight on us; key foods do not. We choose which foods we eat, so let's stop this song too.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Mirrors and photographs often reflect what we want to see. Some people look in the mirror and see a thin person when they are quite heavy, and others look in the mirror and see a fat person, but in reality they're underweight. Take photos and take them often. Further along in your journey those photos will show your reality - you are smaller than you used to be. You're probably smaller than you think you are too.

Most people struggle with seeing the changes in the mirror. People at goal size struggle with this too. This is something each of us must come to terms with or we will gain our weight back. We are what we think we are and the sooner in our journey we start to see ourselves as we really are the better.

I'm still working on this issue, but I realize this is part of the journey and I'm determined to work this through. Last week I tried on a floor-length dress and when I looked in the mirror I had mixed feelings. A part of me felt WOW and another part of me only focused on the roundness of my hips, cue music, Oh Those Hips. No, stop! Cue music, Wow! Much better.

Can I Eat This or That?

I continue to refine what I'm eating. Recently I was reminded that Julie teaches us to shop on the outside parameter of the grocery store, where food is fresh and less likely to be processed. This was big and I realized there were items inside the isles that I was eating that are not key-friendly. Step away from the center isles.

The key program has evolved over the years, as do most programs based on research studies. Some of us were told we could have X and others were told we couldn't have X. Go by what you learned in your classes.

That said, I have been persuaded to take a second look at some of my food choices. This morning I cooked chicken and decided to skip the mayo today and have just plan chicken. We can have mayo, but we have to be mindful of the amount of fat we're eating. Today I was mindful and I chose not to have mayo.

Sometimes I think about all this way too much. Everything I need to know about this program is my mind and I don't need to over complicate things. The later is hard to do, but sometimes it comes as a great relief to me when I realize I'm complicating things and I just stop thinking so much.

Wah, Wah, Wah

I'm SO over all the complaining and it feels great! I encourage you to do the same as soon as possible. Don't wait 3 years to stop complaining or worse - don't allow your frustration, with how slow you feel your progress is going, to drive you off program entirely.

Change your tune today!



April 01, 2014
It's time to get moving! For the month of April I have set exercise goals for myself to help me keep committed to exercise. I've been on this weight loss program for over 3 years and this way of eating is a routine way of life for me. It's time to make exercise routine as well. I feel great mentally and physically when I exercise, so why not feel this way every day?
Get moving!
Last summer I walked at 6am with a friend and after months of her encouragement, I finally bought a Fitbit. It's been a great tool to keep me motivated to meet my walking goals and keep me accountable. Having a walking buddy is a great help too, as time seems to pass faster and I stepped up my game to get up to her walking pace.

I did great keeping up with my steps throughout the fall with my friend and when the temperature dropped we moved into the gym. Then the dead of winter hit and I fell off my routine. My friend traveled a lot and I didn't get in the gym much. A few weeks ago, we recommitted to walking again and I feel great, but I want more consistency. Oh, and I have a 10k run in 3 weeks!

So, what's a girl to do? Encourage more friends to buy a Fitbit so we can inspire one another of course! I now have 10 Fitbit friends and it's been a lot of fun cheering each other on. Fit bit has these fun icons that you can cheer your friends and they get a message of encouragement from you via email.
Last night I was disappointed in how low my number of steps were at the end of the day. I reported to my friends "What? Only 8,405 steps today? How is that possible? I was sure I did well over 10,000. Sigh...."

One friend encouraged me to meet my 10,000 steps by doing the steps inside my house.

"I'll go up and down my stairs 10 times and report back in" I replied and then I did it!

I did it!
See how this works? Friends can be a great motivator for us!

My Exercise Goals for April
  1. Walk 10,000 steps daily, which is a little over 4 miles.
  2. Do 30 squats daily: 3 days on, 1 day off, and repeat for the whole month.
    This How to Squat video explains how to do a squat the right way and the key is this: if your knees or back hurt you're doing them wrong! How cool is that? No pain should be going on when you're doing squats!
  3. Five minutes of upper arm workout.
    This How to Tone Your Upper Arms video shows 3 simple exercises that I can do after my walk, so my body is warmed up before I do them.
How About You?

Are you ready to set small daily goals for the month of April? Small goals are easier to accomplish, foster a sense of success, and helps you achieve the next day's goals.
Each daily goal is like a rung on a ladder that helps you, step by step, to the top. --AARP
Start where you are today and make realistic goals. You don't have run a marathon, but can you walk out your front door for 5 minutes and then back home? Start there and add on longer goals. If you can walk for 20 minutes, build up to 30 minutes. Signup for a 3 mile walk (5k) later this year that will help you reach a 3-mile goal. Find a friend to join you or do it alone, either way it will help you and help raise money for a good cause. If you've been walking 3 miles, consider a 6 mile (10k) or commit to walking more times a week.
Walking won't just get you in better shape — it could cut down your chances of developing dementia as well. Plus, some studies show that people who cannot walk a quarter-mile in five minutes have a higher mortality rate. Buy a pedometer; try to average 10,000 steps a day, seven days a week. (source unknown)
Resources

These resources may help you get started exercise or to kick things up:


March 31, 2014
When I was a little girl, I loved vegetables and I hated meat. I would sit for hours at the kitchen table. It was just me and a big thick slice of meatloaf the size of Block Island, or so it seemed to me at the time. Mom told me I had to eat all the food on my plate because there were children starving in China, and I was not to leave the table until I had eaten every bite on my plate.  
That's me running along side of the parade with my brothers and very pregnant aunt.
I spent many a night at the kitchen table until 9pm. I poked my meatloaf with a fork, unwilling to take a bite, as Mom folded laundry in the adjacent living room and glanced over to give me the evil eye from time to time. Each time she walked down the hall to put away laundry, I fed a piece of meatloaf to my dog Outlaw. This didn't help children starving in China, but it sure made Outlaw a happy dog and eventually my plate was empty.

I never I understood how eating the food on my plate could help children in China, but I do know many mothers told their kids to finish their plates because of children starving elsewhere in the world. The real reasons they told us to clean our plates:
  1. we were wasting food and she worked hard to earn the money to buy that food, and 
  2. she cooked it and, whether we liked it or not, we going to eat it.
My Mom would be shocked to see me cooking and eating meat today, especially roast beef. Roast beef was the meat we argued over the most. She served it every Sunday, so you can guess where I spent most of my time on Sunday nights: at the kitchen table with a happy dog at my feet.

This program has completely reversed my feelings about meat and I am happy with how much meat seems to agree with me. Prior to this program I never would have ordered a steak at a restaurant or cooked one a home. Cooking a hamburger, meatloaf, or meatballs, was about as meaty as I could handle. It was not uncommon for me to be in the middle of eating a hamburger and stop because I had lost my appetite for it before I could finish. As much as I enjoy meat today, sometimes I still lose my appetite for meat as I'm eating it.

When I think about the lesson mom was trying to teach me, the only lesson I learned was to feel guilty for leaving food on my plate. I won't blame my mom for my weight issues, but forcing me to eat everything on my plate did not help me or any  starving child elsewhere in the world.

So many of us were taught to clean our plates that many diets encourage leaving a few bites our plates, to help us break us from this brainwashing habit. I get the concept, but I prefer to put less on my plate or ask for a to-go box instead.

Hmm, it seems I really do take not being wasteful to heart. Thanks Mom!

The moral of my story: save yourself first. Children around the world will still be hungry if we skip the bread, hold the fries, or decline the second vegetable. Eating non-key foods won't help them either.




March 30, 2014
When I think about rutabagas, I reflect back to happy memories of Thanksgiving and Christmas family gatherings. The dinner table was so crowded that no one noticed my plate was filled with only vegetables. It isn't that I didn't like turkey, but if I could get away with eating just vegetables, that was my preference. Plus, it was always fun seeing if I could get away with it.
Rutabaga French Fries; recipe below. Photo source: Jacky.
l My mom never cooked rutabagas. It was my dad's mother who brought rutabagas and other root vegetables to our holiday table. Unlike me and my Dad, my Mom loathed root veggies and as they cooked on the stove Mom would turn her nose up and whisper unpleasant remarks about their aroma. But me, I loved how they smelled.

Grandma always boiled and mashed her rutabagas. I never saw olive oil in her kitchen, she cooked and baked with lard and bacon fat. I don't know if it was an economic or cultural factor, or her personal choice not to use olive oil. 

I do know that Grandma and Dad would have enjoyed these rutabaga french fries as much as I did.

Rutabaga French Fries

This rutabaga french fries recipe came from key friend Jacky and a few preparation tips from me.
1. Peel the rutabaga. This is actually quite easy to do, as the outer peel, which is usually waxed to preserve freshness all winter long, peels away easily with a sharp vegetable peeler. It's much like peeling the skin off an apple.
Peel the skin off.
2. Cut rutabaga into sticks. The flesh itself is very hard, but you can slice it away in thin slices, starting from the outside.

3. Spread the sticks out on a cookie sheet, coat with olive oil, salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and a little cayenne pepper or season to suit your taste (salt optional) and mix with your hands to coat all the sticks well with oil and seasonings.
4.  Bake at 425 about 40-45 minutes; turn them over when they're about half cooked. Optional: when they're almost done, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and bake more 5 minutes.
I only set the oven to 400, next time I'll go higher so they are more crisp.
Here's what I had with my Rutabaga French Fries; yummy!
Rutabagas turn sweet when they're baked and having roasted or baked veggies along with a nice piece of meat makes for a nice dinner. Plus, they're high in antioxidant and anti-cancer compounds and one cup of rutabaga contains 53% of the daily recommended vitamin C. (Nutritional data from What are Rutabagas Good For? )
March 30, 2014
Last week I was in a room with about a dozen people when I heard a someone say "I wish I could eat anything I wanted." I was surprised to hear these words coming from a tall and slender person. My immediate response, which I kept to myself: you CAN eat anything you want, but you have to live with the consequences of your choices.
Consequences
This was a gentle reminder for me on a couple of fronts.

First, I don't need to feel sorry for myself that I can't eat this or that. It is my choice not to eat those foods.

The truth is, I really can eat anything I want and so can you. I can eat any and all the carbs and sugars I desire, but the consequences of eating those foods will lead me back to obesity.

Let's say it together now: NO thank you.

I choose NOT to eat carbs, sugars, and other foods that don't support a healthy lifestyle. I want a long and healthy life far more than I want those foods. It's my choice, so there's no need to feel sorry for myself.

It's your choice too: sugar and carbs or a healthy life?

The second reminder was that even people with slender bodies, who we think have it together when it comes to food, have food issues. This saga of wishing we could eat anything we want to eat can't go on for the rest of our lives. I don't want to reach my goal size and find myself feeling sorry that I can't eat this or that. There must be a way to stop this kind of self-pity.

Let's stop this now.

Spending our energies in such negative thoughts is not healthy. Remember what I said about wanting a long and healthy life? There's no room in a long and healthy life for negativity, so let's put an end to that way of thinking right now.

Let's push away those kind of thoughts every time they surface. Pause and reflect on what we're thinking and then smile as an affirmation that we are letting go of this way of thinking, because it no longer serves us

I'm going to use the "tap, tap, tap" metaphor, to tap away (push away) this kind of thinking, in the same way I push away food cravings.

Let's move beyond our old ways of thinking. We choose what we eat or don't eat, so let's own this. We choose to eat healthy foods and we choose what we think. Let's fill our minds and our bodies with things that support healthy living.

Let's live with those consequences! 



Photo source: Reality Clark County

March 18, 2014
I apologize to Theresa for taking so long to put some thoughts and pictures down on my trip to Montana, September 2013. Can I start by saying it was one of my most memorable trips ever?

If you have never been to Montana, might I suggest it? If you want to spend time in a rural, rugged area with beautiful scenery and a peaceful way of life, then Montana is the place for you.

I got to go with my husband when he took a business trip there-spouses were invited, and I have been different places with the same core of people many times. Each time it is like the spouses picked up where we left off...totally enjoyable. Two of the girls and I have stayed in contact, and it was good to see them again. The only difference this time compared to the last time I saw them? My weight. And my zest for life!!!!! 
This picture is from our Newport Rhode Island Trip in August 2010.
This is me (on the right) 10 months before I went to Julie.
This is us in Montana, September 2013, me in the middle
Me ziplining!
We stayed in a beautiful resort 6500 feet above sea level on a mountain called Lone Peak in the Southeastern part. The ladies and I got to do some really fun things such as ziplining, which I never would have done before my Key way of life. Not only was it scary but fun going down, it was quite the terrain climbing UP to get to where we were going. Hiking up the mountain to the zip line was tough and challenging, but I DID IT!!! The whole afternoon adventure was SO freeing and exhilarating, and exciting! I NEVER would have thought I would EVER have done this! And I WILL do it again!!!!
Me at Lone Peak
We took an expedition trip to the top of Lone Peak (11500 feet above sea level) and enjoyed a view I have never ever experienced before, seeing 2 other states (Idaho and Wyoming). It was chilly, but an event I am thrilled I got to be a part of. A little scary taking the tram and the expedition truck, but I never worried once that  I was out of my "league" or that we would come across a challenge I wouldn't be a part of. Also, I had to really find my "trust factor" to take the above picture because standing out on that metal ledge, there was nothing below me, and that is my biggest fear of all!
Lone Peak
No one believes this is not a photo shopped picture
My husband and I had a day to travel to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. On our drive in the park, we came across a lone bison (there are no buffalo in the US, only American Bison) happily having lunch by the side of the road. I had hubby turn our vehicle around, and I got out because I wanted a picture-My husband wouldn't get out to take it! A nice gentleman who was also snapping pictures took this "one and done" picture of me. My favorite picture of all!

I stayed on program the ENTIRE time. I had duck bacon, elk chili, walleye trout, and bison-I had NO problem explaining what I wanted wherever we went, and everywhere we went they were VERY accommodating. We had a kitchen in our room, so we were able to have food readily available for "just in case", but I never needed it. My husband and I made sure we walked every day-the weather was wonderful, and the mountain air was amazing.

I hope he is chosen to go this coming September to the next business/pleasure trip-it will be in Rockport, Maine, and it looks like it will be held at a beautiful coastal resort-this weekend trip is always in some pretty nice places-and now I jump right in and join in whatever activities they have planned. 

Vacations are different now! I look for things to do that I wouldn't do if I was home. I love being included, I am not (as) afraid, and I feel like I fit in! Thank you Julie!



March 08, 2014
This delicious recipe and photo comes to us from Lou.
Sausage Casserole
Ingredients

Add what you like or have available - here's what Lou used:
  • 5 pounds of link breakfast sausage
  • 15 eggs
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1/2 large onion, diced
  • About 1 cup shredded cheese (your choice - I used Colby jack and mozzarella)
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan
  • About 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • Pepper to taste
Directions:
  1. Cook sausage links.
  2. Sauté onions and pepper in a little olive oil. Once cooked set aside.
  3. Beat the eggs and add the garlic powder and Parmesan mixing well.
  4. Drain the sausage and cut into chunks and add to a baking dish. Mine was about 16/8 and 2 in deep. 
  5. Add the onions and peppers.
  6. Pour in the eggs and add your shredded cheese.
  7. Bake until solid - about an hour at 350.
March 02, 2014
Craving something sweet? Stuffed red peppers to the rescue! I basically used my meatball recipe, but instead of rolling up the meatballs and cooking them all day in the crock pot, I stuffed them into peppers and dinner was ready in about an hour. Here's my yummy recipe.
Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
  • 4 large red bell peppers (or your favorite kind of bell pepper)
  • 1 small jar of tomato sauce (or homemade tomato sauce)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 lbs ground beef 
  • 6-8 cloves of fresh minced garlic (or garlic flakes or garlic powder)
  • Fresh chopped basil (add enough to suit your taste)
  • 1 cup minced onion
  • 1/3 cup breadcrumbs (I use Progresso Italian Seasoned)
Directions
  1. Cut the bell peppers in half length-wise and remove seeds and ends.
  2. After cutting the peppers in half, find a baking dish all the peppers will fit into.
  3. Cover the bottom of the dish with tomato sauce; the sauce doesn't have to be deep. I did not use the whole jar of sauce, but sometimes I do.
  4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs.
  5. Add the ground beef, garlic, basil, and onions in the bowl with the eggs.
  6. Add the breadcrumbs on top of all the other ingredients.
  7. Use your hands to mix all the ingredients together.
  8. Stuff all of the meat mixture into the peppers and then place the peppers in the baking dish. You may top with more sauce. 
  9. Cover or don't cover, they turn out delicious either way and the dish burns either way.
  10. Bake at 400 degrees until the beef is cooked all the way through. I didn't watch the clock, but it was about an hour. I slice into a pepper to see if it's cook enough before serving.
 07/17/14 Update

 I made this recipe again last night for a friend and I cut this recipe in half. I served it yellow squash that I turned into noodles with my spirooli.

Same recipe, different day. Photo by Theresa.

Noodles made with yellow squash. Photo by Theresa.


March 02, 2014