Listening to my body

I used to think that my body craved things like ice cream, chips, and fast food.  Now I realized that my body was not craving that crap.  How do I realize this?  Because now I get real food craving, like vegetables.  I am having a major vegetable craving and it seems no matter how many I eat, I can not wait to have more.  I love squash, zucchini, asparagus and anything else I can thing to throw in.  I am in California this week and I had grilled vegetables for lunch.  I was fabulous and filling.   I really could have had them for dinner too...but I do need some protien too Sashimi it is for dinner.

I have more work to do this week...so working from the hotel tonight is what is going to have to happen.

Talk to you later.

I noticed something.

I used to be known for those fateful words at work and it was usually followed by something being wrong with our system.  Well I noticed something about my body too.  Yesterday, I noticed that the loose skin has begun. It started with my lower abdomen, while I have lost fat the skin is not retracting beck and tightening, instead it is hanging more.  Then yesterday, I noticed my upper arms, it is obvious that I have lost alot of the fat up there and the skin is hanging down.  I called F to look at it and C could not help but ask what I wanted him to see, so I showed here and she said, "yeah that does not look like your arm."  I was slightly upset, because I hate wearing long sleeves, but I find the loose skin unattractive.  I told C I was upset because it made me feel not pretty and then out of the mouth of my gorgeous daughter came these words of wisdom that hit the center of my heart and spread like warmth from a fire through out my body.  "Mommy your beauty does not come from a body part, but from your heart and you are beautiful.  I think you are beautiful and Daddy thinks you are beautiful, but you have to remember that you are beautiful!!"  Wow!!! such wisdom from an 8 year old. 

Today was a cleaning day both my car and the house.  We have visitors coming next week and I am out of town in LA until Thursday.  In fact my visitors and I will be hooking up at the airpot because our planes are due in around the same time.   Breakfast was Kashi oatmeal.  BAout 2 hours later I started having stomach cramps again like I did last week. I do not know if I am fighting off a stomach bug.  I have not had much of an appetite for about 4 days, it is a challenge to eat actually.  Lunch was salad with avoocado. Dinner was turkey breast with grilled vegetables.  Tomorrow is a travel day and lots of smalle things to wrap up at work before we go into a build freeze.  

Well I will talk to you later.

Reinforcement...weigh in day results

I am finally getting those reinforcin comments and IT FEELS GOOD!!!  A guy I work with came up to me of Friday and said, "You look great, how much weight have you lost?"  I thanked him and gave him the total from last week..I swear his eyes bugged out of his head and he asked how I am doing it.  I told him that I just cut the bad stuff out my diet, like fast food junk food.  It is amazing to me how many people when I tell them that, say that they could never do that!  Four months ago, I probably would have said the same thing, but if these 4 months have taught me anything, it is that it is possible to eat healthy and be happy.  I feel better fueling my body with healthy food and do not miss the junk that I consumed.  It is like the drug addict that realizes that after they are clean that life is much better.  

Today was weigh in day and I lost 5 more pounds...bringing my total to 83 pounds in 4 months.  Take that Dr. "People like you"  I am doing this the healthy way and being successful.  I am learning healthy habits that are becoming part of my new life.  I am not feeling deprived at all.  I am 17 punds away from the 100 pound mark.  That will be a celebration day for sure!!  I will still have a long way to go even from that mark but I am up for the challenge..Watch out world healthy Crystal is coming at you!!!

Talk to you later...

Another plane story

Flying is always an adventure..so yesterday I flew to LA for a day and half on site.  I took the evening flight so I could be a work early for some meetings.  I managed to get a seat in row 8, near the front of the plane.  So after first class and the preboards had boarded, I got on the plane and got to my row and saw that one of the pre-boards was in the aisle seat.  A nice guy, who was paralyzed from the waist down.  This meant that I had to do the ungraceful climb over him to get to my window seat.  Grateful that I have lost almost 80 pounds so that my butt was not totally in his face, I settle in my seat and it hits me.  I am going to be the last person off this flight, because unless I am willing to do the repeat climb over performance, I am going to have to wait for the wheelchair to come on the plane to take him off.  Oh well, I fell asleep and woke up as we were about to land.  I waited until everyone was off the plane and then was able to exit.  I called F when I got off the plane and he asked me a great question..."So what would you have done if there had been an emergency and you had need to get off the plane quickly?'  It hits me then I would have either had to climb over the seat somehow or I would have died waiting for someone to come and rescue him....Is that even safe??? 

I had a fat free sugar free peach-mango corn muffin for breakfast and Kashi bar for lunch.  I had a salad with 4 grilled shrimp on it and a large order of grilled vegetables and slice of warm french bread for dinner.  Right now my stomach is killing me....either from the bread or the gas caused by the large amount of vegetables I just ate.  This is not fun...

I am flying home tomorrow and then I have weigh in on Saturday...Hoepfully I do not regret the slice of bread. 

Talk to you later...

Dr. Oz strikes again!!

Sorry I have been busy spending time with my family, but I am flying out tomorrow night..  YUCK!! We have a practice for our go-live and I have to be on site. I went out with F last night. Today was another busy work day.  I had Kashi Oatmeal for breakfast.  It is very high in fiber, but not nearly as yummy as the Oat Revolution Oatmeal that I have grown to adore.   Lunch was salad.  Dinner was a chicken breast and vegetables. 

So I was watching TV today and Dr. Oz was on.  He tends ot have lots of shows about losing weight and healthy eating.  Yesterday he was talking about Raspberry Ketones, which is supposed to aid in weight loss.   I am actually tempted to try it.  Today's show was obese women, who want to not only be obese but want to gain more weight.  These women were extreme to say the least, one woman was proud that on the flight to the studio that she needed not one but two seatbelt extenders.  These woman have websites and people pay to watch them eat. As I listened to them I was shaking my head.  I was never proud of being overweight.  I think the part that struck a cord with me though was when one of these women said, "I am healthy, I do not have diabetes, high blood pressure, or any of the other weight related issues that they say are caused by obesity"  I found myself saying to the TV," absent of disease is not a sign of health!!"  Then it hit me, I used to say the same things, like the fact that my cholesterol was in the normal ranges meant that I was fine. But the fact of the matter is, if my daughter needed help would I be able to run up a flight of stairs, or run across a park, or run any where for that matter.  I was not able to climb the moutain in Germany to go sledding with my daughter.  I blamed the asthma, but it was also my wait.  I missed that opportunity to slide down the mountain on a sled with her.   I could not go skiing, or bungee jump, or jump out of plane.  When we went to Disney World, a couple of years ago I was worried if I would be able to ride certain rides, so I just avoided them .  I was missing out on the fun parts of life!! No more! I want to be able to be there and have fun with my daughter and husband.

Talk to you all later...

I even offered to cook....

I was slightly disappointed in F today.  I offered to make F and C some Chili from scratch for dinner tonight and he was trying to be nice when he said no thanks, but what he said kind of hurt.  He said, "Why don't you just buy two cans of chili?"  It hurt me to the bone..why would he want to eat processed meat and artificial crap, when I could have made one with fresh tomatoes...I am sure he was trying to be nice...

I slept in this morning and had oatmeal for breakfast and lunch was avocado.. It is amazing to me that one avocado can make me feel so full.  I am sure it is because of the fat content.  It takes longer to digest.  I really enjoy it just plain..

Dinner will have to see how I feel, I have a headache which usually affects my appetite.

I started taking my Vitamin D, so far no side effects. 

Talk to you later. 

Another weigh in...God I feel good!!!

I went to weigh in this morning and I lost another 2 pounds!!!  That is with the PMS water retention!!  I am 2 pounds away from 80 pounds!!! Every pound I take off makes me feel more empowered and stronger.

C played soccer last night and we went out with a bunch of people afterwards to have pizza.  I ate before the game, so I did not have any pizza and I do not miss it.  I had the same person ask me again if I am eating "real food"  after we went to lunch and I ordered grilled vegetables.  So I asked her, "what is real food?"  She said you know like steak, burgers, and such.  I told her that I felt grilled vegetables were real food.  I make sure I have protien, carbs, and even fat.  I just make better choices so instead of having a processed salad dressing, I add some avocado to my salad to get so naturally occuring fat.  I have shrimp, but instead of fried I get grilled shrimp and I do not have a pound of shrimp.  I do not feel deprived. 

Going to a party tonight and will be out very late, so the plan is to eat before I go and take a Kashi bar in case I get hungry in the middle of the night.

Breakfast this morning is Oatmeal Revolution oatmeal.

Talk to you later...take care...