Day Six Sugar Free & Flour-Free and Sugar-Free Pancakes Recipe #1wksugarfree

I know it's only evening here and I still have hours left before the day is over for me, but I decided to post early today because things are going really well. I had a moment where I struggled, which I will describe in a moment, but other than that, remaining sugar free is getting easier.

My momentary struggle happened when my husband and I went grocery shopping. We needed food, so I hadn't eaten much by then and I was hungry.  You should never go shopping while hungry. We passed by a large pack of marshmallows which were on sale for £1. For a brief moment, I really struggled not to buy them. I could even picture myself opening the pack and eating some on the way home. I remembered how they would taste. Until that moment, I didn't even know that marshmallows could be a problem for me. I like marshmallows, but my cravings usually fall more towards chocolate and caramel. Did you know that marshmallows have a smell? They do, and in that moment, I remembered it.

We continued on and there were a couple of things that called to me, though none as strongly as the marshmallows had. Pink & Whites (a wafer-like thing with marshmallow between the two sides) were on sale for 50 pence a pack, and my husband even drew my attention to them, but I shook my head "no" and quickly moved on. Alpen Light cereal bars were on sale too, and we usually buy those when they are on sale. My husband asked the question, but I wasn't even tempted for me. In fact, I told him he could buy them for him, as I knew I would be able to control myself around them.

 I ate lots of grilled chicken and salad ingredients today. I had a bit of cheese and some yogurt. I also had some watermelon and plums. Later, I have some strawberries that I can enjoy if I get hungry after my workout on the elliptical crosstrainer. We have bought some eggs, so I will probably make myself an omelet for breakfast, complete with peppers, onion, a sprinkling of cheese and some lean bacon.

As of this morning, my weight is down 8.6lbs. I have to admit that I am thrilled, especially when my weight loss had been stuck for several months.

How are you doing with the challenge so far? Let me know in the comments below.

Here is a recipe for pancakes that doesn't use any flour or sugar. It does use sweetener, but you can reduce the amount at your discretion. I sometimes like adding cinnamon to my pancakes. I recommend topping the pancakes with fruit and/or yogurt.

Flour-Free and Sugar-Free Pancakes

Makes 2 pancakes.

Ingredients

4 tbsp sweetener
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg

Directions

1. Separate the egg yolk and the egg white into separate bowls.

2. Add 2 tbsp of sweetener to the egg white. Using an electric mixer, whip up the egg white until it makes stiff peaks.

3. Add the vanilla extract and the rest of the sweetener to the egg yolk and mix well.

4. Fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg white mixture.

5. Spray a pan with Fry Light and pour half of the mixture into the pan. After a minute, flip the "pancake" over.

6. Take it out a minute later and repeat the cooking process with the rest of the mixture.

Add your favorite topping and enjoy!


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Sugar Free Day Five #1wksugarfree

Another day of avoiding sugar and, in my case, bread. I had a salad with a lean sausage cut up in it for lunch and another, bigger salad with chicken for dinner. Breakfast is usually eggs and yogurt, but I am out of eggs, so  just had the yogurt and a banana. I didn't go shopping today, so I need to go buy some more eggs.

This morning when I weighed myself, I have lost another small amount of weight for a total loss of 7.2 lbs in total so far. This will be interesting to see how the next few days go as I am at a weight I tend to get stuck at when I'm losing. The first day of the challenge, I lost 3.4lbs. The second day I lost 1.4lbs. The third day, I lost 2 lbs and yesterday, I lost .4lbs. It'll be interesting to see how long this keeps up.

Here are links to helpful articles about the evils of sugar and sugar addiction that I have found. Some I have read fully and some I have only skimmed.


The Psychology Behind Sugar Addictions

Five Clues You Are Addicted to Sugar

Why Is Sugar So Addictive

Breaking Your Sugar Addiction

The Truth About Sugar Addiction

Expert Tips to Kick Sugar Addiction

These are just a few of the articles I have found on the topic. There is tons of material out there about sugar and its effect on us. I was informed of a 30 day challenge to go sugar-free that has a Facebook page, so I'm sharing it here, in case anyone is interested in checking it out after this sugar-free week is up. It's called The Sugar Challenge.

How are you all doing so far? Please let me know in the comments!


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Day Four Sugar Free #1wksugarfree

Here I am on day four of the challenge. I am still having cravings, but they are being satisfied with healthy food, so I think I am craving sugar whenever I let myself get hungry. I just have to make sure not to let myself get hungry, and when I do, to reach for something healthy, and it makes things so much easier.

Did I mention that I was struck today with loads of inspiration for several picture book stories, something that hasn't happened in quite some time for me? I wonder if the lack of excess sugar in my system helped my muse.

I weighed myself this morning, and I've lost even more weight now. I've now lost a total of 6 lbs.

This is really giving me even better results than I expected this early in the challenge.

How is everyone else doing (those of you who have already started)?


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Sugar Free Day Three #1wksugarfree

So another day has passed. I resisted the chocolate covered ice cream popsicles in the refrigerator.  I avoided the sugary fruit gummy sweets that my daughter still has sitting in a bag on the counter in my kitchen. I filled myself up on meat and eggs, yogurt and a bit of cheese.

The cravings are still getting to me, but I found it slightly easier today, possibly because I ate a couple of bananas and a nectarine, which helped to satisfy my sugar cravings but in a natural way. (Normally, I avoid bananas, but today, it was either eat the bananas or give in to my cravings. I chose not to give in.)

The good news is that my weight went down some more. I stepped on the scale this morning to find I had dropped another 1.4lbs, making my total loss so far 4.8lbs. And that was after only two days sugar-free (and bread free).

I made a delicious crust-less quiche today, full of vegetables and the whole family enjoyed it (although my younger kids picked the vegetables out of it. *sigh*)

Yesterday, my eldest daughter told me that she and her husband are starting the challenge on Monday. They are going to go sugar-free and bread-free for the week.

I finally remembered to take my waist measurements this morning, so hopefully I will have some news about it when the week is over. I even measured my belly fat area, since that's the area that is the worst to carry around extra fat health-wise, and I have read that it is the place where most sugar-caused weight goes.


So, three days down successfully. Four to go!

How are you doing so far? Please let me know in the comments.




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Day Two Sugar Free #1wksugarfree

Today has gone well. I ate a lot of healthy food and had nothing processed or full of sugar. I am still having cravings, but I am fighting them off, in part, because I know I have to report in here and I refuse to disappoint you all. If I gave in to the cravings, I'd be disappointing myself too. It's not worth it. 

This morning, I weighed in with a loss since yesterday of 3.4 lbs! I know that it is probably water-weight brought on by my not eating bread, but it still was nice to see on the scale. I forgot to take my waist measurement (again), so I will have to do so tonight and let you know the difference in it, if there is any, at the end of my week. (Of course, it will only be the difference after 5 days by then, since I keep forgetting to take the measurement.)

I hope you are all doing well with your sugar-free days so far, if you have already started. I'd love to hear in the comments how you are finding the challenge on this second day.



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Sugar Free Day One (plus sugar-free quotes) #1wksugarfree

Day One of My Sugar-Free WeekMy first sugar-free day isn't quite over yet, but I don't intend to stay up until past midnight tonight, so I figured it would be okay to let you know how it is going so far, now that dinner has passed. I have not allwoed myself any sugar today, so I am calling today a success.

Now, how have I been feeling? I've been really tired today, but I am not associuating that with my lack of sugar and bread because I was really tired yesterday too. Also, I was up a little early today and out riding buses getting my kids to school, when I haven't had to do that for several months. And it's really hot. I'm always tired in the heat. But I said I would share how I am feeling, so that's how I'm feeling - tired.

This is only day one, so how difficult has it been to give up the sugar (and bread)? I'm not going to lie; it hasn't been easy. The fruit jelly gummy sweets that my 18 year old bought have been calling to me, as have the ice cream bars in the freezer. It hasn't helped that I haven't eaten enough today. I need to go shopping so that I have more available food on hand that I am allowed to eat. If I had planned better, I would have done the shopping yesterday and made sure I had everything I needed before today, but I didn't think it through. Tomorrow, I intend to eat my fill of meat, eggs, fruit and vegetables.

If I remember to, I will be measuring my waist later tonight so I can see if there are any changes at the end of the week. I should have done it this morning, but I only just thought of it. Sugar, bread and the like are supposed to cause weight gain in the belly, so it will be interesting to see the results of this week's experiment.

Now, just  for fun, I have added some quotes about living sugar-free below:

Quotes about giving up sugar from people who have tried it before:

"I did the The SUGAR Challenge by Richard Callender and it was awesome . My new favourite snack is greek yoghurt peanut butter (sugar free ) and a banana (nom nom). I lost nearly a stone [14 lbs] in 30 days I was full of energy my PMT [premenstrual tension, also known as PMS or premenstrual stress] massively reduced along with cellulite. It was a major eye opener to so much crap in food. Back to normal now, but my sugar intake is still very low. I will never be 100% saintly but I'm 95% and that's pretty good." ~Zoey Tyler

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"It's been life changing for me. Up until the heat wave hit, I was sleeping so much more deeply than I have for a long time. I no longer get a ravenous hunger that makes me want to eat everything in the cupboard. I'm much more even tempered and I'm 10 lbs down. I think I can say I've broken the cravings for sugar. I don't look at it as not being able to have it; I'm choosing not to have it, " ~Wendy Land

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"I've cut all sugar out, including bread & milk for 11 weeks and feel so much better for it and have also lost 1 stone most of which was body fat. I still allow myself 2 squares of 85%+ chocolate if I need it or after dinner. I have so much more energy and mental clarity for cutting out processed foods.

It's true, it doesn't take long to have an effect once you give it up. I was a chocoholic and could easily consume 3 or 4 bars per night! Since I started 'clean eating' cutting out all processed foods and only eating what nature provides (that has not been altered in any way by man) my sugar cravings have gone, my body fat has dropped, I feel ALIVE! I still enjoy 2 squares of 85% chocolate but don't crave the chocolate anymore, I can now take or leave it. It has been quite an eye opener as to what is actually in our foods. My hayfever has virtually gone too, I haven't taken anything for it for over a month now and I believe it has a lot to do with what is hidden in our foods.

I couldn't believe the difference just through changing what I eat, and the pollen count is at its highest now and I'm still okay." ~Sandra Redhead

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"About a month ago I decided to go without sugar for a day.  (I succeeded until sunset at which time the vampire in me had to eat some Marshmallow Fluff.)" ~Brenda Harris

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"We don't need sugar to live, and we don't need it as a society." ~Mehmet Oz

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"I'm still not comfortable recommending that people eat saturated fat with abandon, but it's clear to me that sugar, flour and oxidized seed oils create inflammatory effects in the body that almost certainly bear most of the responsibility for elevating heart disease risk." ~Andrew Weil

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"I cut out refined sugars cold turkey. No M&M's at the movies, no energy bars, no Gatorade – I even had to be more careful when going to Jamba Juice, because sometimes they use sugar-filled juice from concentrate. After a few months, I stopped craving sugar entirely.


The difference was instantaneous: I slept better, I recovered from workouts more easily, and I had more energy. When we started training camp in September, we were doing two-a-days – four or five hours on the court – and I never got sore. Even more telling is the fact that this summer I traveled all over the world for my foundation, bringing team sports to war-ravaged countries. I was missing out on sleep and still training the whole time, but I never got sick. I've got to think it's because sugar wasn't wearing me down." ~Steve Nash

****

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If you started with me today, how has your first day of living sugar-free been? Let me know in the comments. If you are starting tomorrow, Sunday or Monday, don't forget to go shopping for lean meat, eggs, fruit, vegetables and other natral food that you can eat without adding sugar.

Brenda Harris has decided to join the challenge and blogged about it. Her post was funny, so I'm linking it for you to go and have a read. A Sugar free Challenge by Brenda Harris



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How unhealthy is sugar? #1wksugarfree

I have finally admitted to myself that I have a hard time passing by the cakes, sweets and ice creams that seem to be multiplying in my house now that my 18 year old is working. She keeps going out and buying a bunch of junk food, and I keep finding myself, (with the help of her telling me, "Go ahead and help yourself,") helping myself to the munchies on frequent occasions. I am beginning to see where my small weight re-gain has come from.

While I was caught up in the joy of my weight loss success and still losing weight every week, it was easier to pass by these little nibbles, because I was seeing weekly, and sometimes daily, results for my efforts. But once I was in maintenance mode, there was less of a visible change to notice each week for my healthy-eating efforts, so sneaking a small cookie here and gummy bear there became easier to allow myself.

This week, as I caught myself eating junk food after junk food, I realized that I am addicted to sugar. I've noticed this about myself before, but never did anything about it. People are frequently suggesting that I give up having added sugar in anything, and I am often reading about others who are doing that. But I always felt like that was just too drastic a step for me to take. I mean, give up sugar? No more candy? No more chocolate? No more ice cream? No more cake or cookies? Am I even capable of such a huge step? Me, the person who was born with the strongest sweet tooth in California? I didn't think I was capable of even attempting such a thing.

But I have been considering this for a while now. And really, if I can lose over 145 lbs, then I am capable of anything I set my mind to, and giving up sugar is just one of those things. Right? So here is what I am doing:


FOR ONE WEEK:

1 - I am giving up cookies, cakes, sweets, ice cream and all other sugar-filled desserts.

2 - I am giving up sugary cereals and will not be adding sugar to any of my food.

And, I'm adding some additional changes to my challenge for the week, due to carbohydrates being so easily converted to sugar in the body.

3 - I am giving up all bread, rice, pasta and potatoes, and everything made from them.

4 - I am only allowing sweetener in my coffee and tea, and not adding artificial sweeteners to any of my other food.

5 - I will be blogging daily about how well or poorly I am doing without sugar and bread in my daily diet and the moods I am experiencing, which may or may not be a result of the dietary change.

6 - I will add, with each blog post, whether my weight has stayed the same, gone down or gone up and by how much.

Any commentary I make about the challenge on Facebook or Twitter will be using the hashtag #1wksugarfree

Are any of you brave enough to join in this challenge with me? You only need to do #1 and #2 of the things listed to be counted as joining in. (Some people don't like starting over the weekend, so even though I am starting on Friday, you can change your own start date to Monday and still be counted as joining in.)

You don't need to blog about it, but if you leave a comment here letting me know that you are going to join in the challenge with me, comment at least once during the week on either Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #1wksugarfree and leave a comment on the last post I make on this at the end of the week (on July 26th) letting me know how you have done, I will enter you in a drawing for the cookbook, "Sweet and Sugar Free: An All Natural Fruit-Sweetened Dessert Cookbook" by Karen E. Barker (or a similar cookbook if this one isn't available). If your profile does not include an e-mail I can reach you at, I will need you to leave a way for me to get in touch with you if you win. The winner will be announced on July 27th.

So, please come and join me in exiling sugar from my daily life for the next week! Commiserate or rejoice with me as we attempt this challenge together!

(Obviously, if you have any diet-related health conditions, such as diabetes or hypoglycemia, then you need to make sure with your doctor that you are allowed to take part in this.)

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Finding Balance #healthyliving

Over the holidays this year, I stopped exercising and started letting myself eat whatever I wanted. The reason behind this was that I was beginning to get too strict with myself. I wasn't eating enough and I was over-exercising. Both are things that can, individually, put my body into starvation mode, and it was showing. My weight was slowly inching up even though I was exercising several hours a day and not eating enough. So, I decided to shock my body out of starvation mode by spending two weeks eating what I wanted and not adding any exercise into my daily routine. This didn't work out so well for me.

Remember, a long time ago on this blog, when I mentioned that I have a binge eating disorder? Well, following Slimming World helped me to keep control over it. When I found myself going in the opposite direction and wandering into anorexic territory (which is not the Slimming World way), I decided to make a change, but I didn't only let loose for the two weeks I had planned on. I found that, once I started letting myself eat what I wanted, the binge eating took over again and it took me two months to reign it back in. It also took me those same two months to force myself back into exercising daily.

In the meantime, my weight went up. It went up more than I had planned on. I have still lost well over 100 pounds. I have no longer lost over 145 lbs. I have about 19 pounds left to get back to my low weight. (It was 40 lbs, but I already started losing the weight again a couple of months ago.) It is depressing and I am not happy with myself or my body right now.

I am back to doing anywhere from a minimum of an hour and half of exercise daily to a maximum of 2 hours. Usually, I spend 66 minutes using the elliptical crosstrainer and spend about 45 minutes walking. But one thing I discovered with the bit of weight gain and the lack of weight training, is that I really do not like the way my arms look. I had, before letting go, been getting my arms rather toned and was seeing some nice muscle developing in them. So this past month, I have reincorporated weight training into my exercise regime. Three days a week, instead of walking the dog for 45 minutes, I am doing the Wii Fit step routine while doing different arm lifts using handweights. It's working. I am already noticing the muscle development.

My biggest problem right now is in finding balance in my healthy living efforts. I don't want to be swinging from one eating disorder to another, from binge eating to anorexia. (And yes, you can be overweight AND suffer from anorexia at the same time. I am not saying I was anorexic, only that I was heading in that direction.) The main reason I lost the weight in the first place is because I want to be healthy and live a long time so I can stick around for my children. Overexercising and not eating enough will NOT help me achieve that goal.

I am still proud of the 126 lbs I have lost. I am happy that I am living a healthy lifestyle and increasing my energy and strength. I am determined to continue to do so and not to let anything keep me from being as healthy and strong as it is possible for me to be. I am also determined not to let this recent failure get me down. I can let regret eat at me or I can work towards fixing things. I choose to fix things.

Continued goal:

I will be a healthy example for my children, and I will not let any disparaging words about my body or my weight pass my lips for my children to hear.


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Skinny Dreaming's Super Slimmers - Sharing Inspirational Weight Loss Success Stories

Some of you already know about Skinny Dreaming's Super Slimmers and Skinny Dreaming Recipes (links to which are shown in the sidebar). And some of you might follow Skinny Dreaming on Facebook, where links to the inspirational weight loss stories and healthy recipes are all shared in one place. But for those of you who remain unaware of these, I thought I would list some of those inspirational success story interviews with people who have lost a lot of weight, so you can go and enjoy the motivation and inspiration that their stories bring.

It's important that people on their weight loss journey have others to look up to who have done it before them. Seeing someone who has been successful on their weight loss journey helps by letting a person see that it can be done because it has been done before. I know that it was the success stories I read about others or saw in the people I knew that helped me to make my own weight loss and fitness journey such a success.

Skinny Dreaming's Super Slimmers

Super Slimmer Jenn lost over 160 lbs!

Super Slimmer David lost 220 lbs!

 Super Slimmer Helen lost over 66 lbs!

Super Slimmer Morgaen lost an incredible 86 1/2 lbs!

Super Slimmer Jill lost 100 lbs!

Super Slimmer Valerie lost 50 lbs!

Have you lost 50 pounds or more to reach your goal weight? Do you want to help inspire others and show them that, yes, it can be done? I am looking for more people to feature as Super Slimmers. E-mail me (using the contact me link in the sidebar), and I will send you some interview questions for you to fill in and send back. I will also need some before and after photos to include in the post. Those who get featured will get a "Super Slimmers" mug sent to them as a thank you.

Also, if you have been featured in the past, but had not at the time reached your goal weight and have since lost more weight, please let me know and we will add an update post on your progress.

If any of my previous Super Slimmers did not get their mug, please contact me through my e-mail (contact link is in the sidebar) and I will send one out to you right away.


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Can you carry a fridge on your back while running a marathon?

photo by Appliances Online

 I recently read about a challenge one guy has taken upon himself to raise money for charity. He has lost loved ones to cancer, so the charity of his choice is The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation. First off, I find even the idea of carrying a fridge on my back for a FEW STEPS a painful idea. I doubt I could make it without harming something in my back. I work hard at my fitness. I run, I hike, I use the elliptical crosstrainer, I do exercise videos, I use the Wii Fit and the Kinect, I train with weights and I do all of these things regularly. Not a day goes by that I don't fit exercise into my daily life. BUT, I do not think I could even take two steps with a fridge strapped onto my back. This is Tony's second year doing this. And the great news is that Tony the Fridge broke the world record on the 24 hours challenge! It is amazing what one person can achieve when he believes strongly enough in what he is doing.

photo by Appliances Online

Here's the some of the press release from Appliances Online, a company that is helping to sponsor him. This press release came out before he had done the run and these are only parts of it.

A VERY COOL CHALLENGE - 24 HOURS AND 100 MILES CARRYING A FRIDGE...

One of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation’s most dedicated and unusual fund-raisers is taking on an incredible new challenge this week.

Tony ‘the Fridge’ Phoenix-Morrison, from Hebburn, raised over £13,000 for the charity last year by running 30 consecutive, daily half marathons carrying a fridge on his back.

Now Tony is back, with an even larger fridge, and this Friday (19 April) he will be attempting to run for 24 hours, covering an astonishing 100 miles - the equivalent of almost four marathons - around Newcastle’s Quayside after a challenge was issued by online retail giant, Appliances Online...

...Tony says: “The 30 half marathons felt like a long relentless slog.  Every day getting up and out again was really hard but this is a whole different sort of pressure.

“To even carry the fridge for 24 hours isn’t easy but to do that and keep running, well, it’s going to a be a struggle.  My new Smeg fridge looks great but at 42kg it’s even heavier than the last one.

“This challenge is best described as the impossible journey.  Both mentally and physically, the reality is that I am a Granddad one week away from my 49th birthday and, to be honest, I have no idea whether I can l keep going for 24 hours let alone reach 100 miles...

...“I’m passionate about raising money for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.  I’ve seen the work the charity funds and met some remarkable people who are benefitting from it.

“I’m proud to be playing a part and just hope I can complete this challenge and keep helping the charity.  Thinking about that, and the loved ones I’ve lost to cancer, will be my motivation when it gets really tough on Saturday afternoon.”

Tony will be setting off at 6pm on Friday and, all being well, will complete 100 one mile laps of Newcastle’s Quayside finishing at 6pm on Saturday.  The start and finish point is the Pitcher and Piano bar, which, along with Malmaison Hotel, is providing support.

Tony was challenged by Appliances Online, the UK's largest online kitchen appliance retailer, to undertake the marathon effort. The retail giant is donating £15,000 to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation...

...To sponsor Tony for The Appliances Online 24 Hour Challenge please visit www.justgiving.com/tonythefridge.  Or you can text a donation via JustTextGiving by texting FRID93 and the amount in pounds to 70070.

The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation:

The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation aim to find better ways to detect and treat cancer - and to do so while directly helping patients currently fighting the disease.  It also helps fund projects which improve cancer patient care.

photo by Appliances Online

Is there something that you believe strongly enough in that you could do something like this? You might be surprised by how far believing in something, and in yourself, can take you!

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Why Being Healthy Is More Important Than Being Skinny

When I came up with the name Skinny Dreaming for my blog in 2008, it was because I was morbidly obese and wanted to reach a healthy BMI. To me, getting healthy was "skinny dreaming." I set up a Google alert that lets me know when someone is trying to use my blog name and, since then, I most often come across other blogs of young severely anorexic girls who post pictures of themselves and give tips for other anorexic girls on how to starve themselves or purge the food they eat and other very dangerous activities. It makes me so sad. I don't want my website's name associated with that kind of thinking and I really, really want these girls to understand that they are beautiful as they are and they don't need to hurt themselves through starvation and/or binging/purging. 

According to the National Eating Disorders Association, anorexia has one of the highest death rates of any mental health condition.

Side Effects of Anorexia:

1 - Hair loss
2 - Dental decay
3 - Osteoporosis

These three symptoms are just the visible symptoms, and, if you're thinking about losing weight by starving yourself, take a look at those three symptoms right there. They are not pretty. You may end up skinny, but you'll also end up bald, toothless and hunched.

4 - Weakness
5 - Fatigue
6 - Heart problems
7 - Paralysis - temporary but can lead to more permanent nerve damage and paralysis
8 - Kidney damage/kidney failure
9 - Loss of menstrual cycle/infertility
10 - Dizziness/vertigo/low blood pressure/anemia

There are other symptoms and side effects, but the really important side effect to take note of is

DEATH.

I take pride in the fact that I have not only lost the excess weight I was carrying, but that I stopped while I was still at a healthy weight. I have grown healthier and stronger. How can anyone think that all of the other side effects and risks are worth starving themselves or purging after meals? I know that some psychologists will say it is about the anorexics' need for control, but there are other ways to take control of your life that have nothing to do with how much or how little you are eating or allowing into your body.  How about taking control of your HEALTH? How about taking control of your mind and increasing your knowledge and learning? How about working on getting stronger, physically and emotionally?

To anyone who thinks that it is worth starving themselves or making themselves vomit in order to be thin, please, PLEASE choose instead to value yourself and your life more than that. Please.


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Excellent Exercise Option for People with Cancer (guest post)

This is a guest post by Melanie Bowen. Melanie Bowen joined the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance in 2011 as an awareness advocate for natural health and cancer cure initiatives. You will often find her highlighting the great benefits of alternative nutritional, emotional, and physical treatments on those diagnosed with cancer or other serious illness. Melanie also assists in social media outreach in her efforts to spread awareness. In her spare time, you can find Melanie trying new vegan recipes, on her yoga mat, or spending time with her family.

Excellent Exercise Options for People with Cancer
 
Finding time to begin a consistent fitness routine may seem like a laughable subject to someone who is busy fighting for her life going through cancer treatments.  But, fitness activities may be the very thing that gives a cancer patient the edge needed in order to beat the disease and to recover at a much quicker rate.  While exercise is not known as a cure for cancer, getting physically active can provide multiple benefits to the body.  These benefits can help a person to gain a significant advantage when it comes to battling cancers such as mesothelioma and breast cancer.

Discover Effective Exercises for Cancer Patients

There are numerous resources out there to find different exercises for all different levels of skill and even energy levels for those going through treatment. Because chemotherapy takes a heavy toll on a person’s ability to feel strong physically and emotionally, there are a few exercise types that are suggested just for people going through cancer treatments. Some common and very helpful examples include aerobic exercise, strength training, and yoga.

The Benefits of Yoga

Yoga is one of the most highly recommended types of exercise for people undergoing cancer treatment.  Yoga is an exceptional exercise for very ill people for a variety of reasons.  This form of exercise is low impact and it can be elevated in intensity and length of time if a person begins feeling stronger after the first few weeks.  Stretching muscles, toning the body, improving oxygen levels and increasing blood circulation are just a few benefits people can expect to gain when they begin regular yoga sessions.  Each of these benefits will play a significant role in helping a person to overcome a major disease.

Get Results Through Aerobic Exercises

Aerobic exercises are another form of activity that is also available in low impact sessions.  Like yoga, the intensity level of aerobic may be increased in time as the person’s physical strength increases.  Aerobics is an ideal form of activity for a person with cancer because it provides great weight management, improved circulation and helpful strength training for the body.

No matter what exercises a patient incorporates into their routine, they will benefit both physically and mentally as long as their program is created and supervised with the consultation of a physician. Be sure to speak with your doctor as soon as possible to find ways to work appropriate physical activity into your schedule.

 

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2013 - The Year To BELIEVE

A friend of mine (Joanna Marple) was asking what my "word for the year" was going to be. She had decided that hers was going to be "centered," and she encouraged me to take risks this year. I hadn't really thought about what my word for the year would be before she asked. I took my time thinking about it. In 2010, my word for the year was "courage." I was determined to have the courage to reach for my dreams. In 2011, although I didn't specifically pick a word, it would have been "dream." I was ready to dream big. And in 2012, due to all of the challenges I participated in and started and goals I challenged myself to complete, it would have been "challenge."

This year's word is "BELIEVE." I believe that good things are going to happen this year. I believe that 2013 is going to be the year I reach several of my goals. And most of all, I believe in myself and in my ability to reach my goals.

What's your word for 2013? Think about it and then post it in the comments below.

And here are my health and weight-related goals for 2013:

1-Losing the extra pounds I added back on after reaching my goal weight. I have still lost buckets of weight, but my weight went up a small amount in the past two years, and, although I reset my target to where I am because I have been maintaining for so long, I was happier with myself at the lower weight, so this year, I will make an effort to return to that weight.
2-Maintaining my weight (within 6 pounds either way) once I reach my renewed target weight. There will be no slacking off from my healthy lifestyle just because I become more comfortable in my own skin.
3-Eating more fruit and vegetables. I haven't been as good about that this year as I was in years past.
4-Getting moderate exercise six days a week. You might think that this is because I haven't been doing the exercise, but actually, it's the opposite. I have been doing too much exercise and I have been obsessing over it to the point where I won't even let myself skip a day during the week. I actually found myself not wanting to do things with friends because it would take away from my exercise time. This is a very unhealthy attitude, so this year, I am trying to be more moderate and less obsessed, and I am making myself take one day a week as a day of rest.
5-Cooking more of my meals from scratch. This past year I have found myself turning to convenience food more often, and I know I feel better, healthier and stronger when I make food myself using all fresh ingredients.
6-Making sure I eat at least three meals a day. Again, this past year, I found I was eating less and less as the year wore on and that is very unhealthy, so I am making sure that this year, I eat plenty of good healthy food and get all the nutrients and sustenance I need.
7-Adding strength training to my fitness routine. I don't do enough of this and I know I am happier with my body when it's stronger and has more lean muscle.
 8-Doing or learning something new and fun that's good for me. I haven't decided what this will be yet, but I'll figure it out.

I believe that I can achieve all of these things. I have done them all before and made them all a part of my lifestyle (until I let them slide), so I can get back to that lifestyle again. I believe in myself and in my ability to do what is best and healthiest for my body.

Happy New Year! May your 2013 be full of success, happiness, health and magic!



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Finding the Courage To Fight for What You Want

Why is it that some people succeed beyond all expectations while others fail miserably? Why is it that some people reach their goals and others give up when only part-way there?

The answer is courage. It takes courage to deal with all of the negative influences of people who say you can't do it and to say instead, I will do it. It takes courage to want something else for yourself even when you know it will be a difficult journey. It takes courage to say "I am not giving up" and courage to keep doing the things that are good for you even when you don't feel like it. It takes courage to want to change your life and even more courage to do something about it.

Change can be scary, whether it's changing jobs, changing your lifestyle, changing your friends, changing your habits, changing your weight or even changing your dreams. Fighting to make those changes, even when they're scary, takes an immense amount of courage.

We should all be courageous warriors for change in our lives. We all have things in our lives that need changing. We all have dreams and hopes and desires, and it is going to take courage to reach for them. It'll take courage to believe in yourself, and it'll take courage to face down whatever fears or obstacles are in your way, in order to get what you want. It'll take courage to disagree with the little negative voice in your head.

But it's worth it. Being courageous, believing in yourself and fighting for your dreams is worth every second of the journey it will take you on.

So be a warrior. Be confident. Be courageous.

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Are you ready for the Zombie Apocalypse? #ZAP

My friends Anna Meade over at Yearning for Wonderland and Emmie Mears drew my attention to Zombie Apocalypse Preparation (ZAP).  In order to be ready to survive the zombie apocalypse, you have to be fit, able to run, leap and survive on only the food that's necessary to keep you strong. I have some friends doing #ZAP, and I think I am going to join them.




Here are some key points to achieve for your Zombie Apocalypse Preparation:

1.  Ability to run long distances at a decent pace. Good endurance.

2. Ability to lift yourself over walls or to climb up the sides of buildings. Good strength.

3. Ability to survive off of only food that is necessary to your continued health. Good nutrition.


Here are some ways that you can gain these abilities:

1. The best way to build up endurance is to practice. Participate in aerobic exercise for long periods of time. Start slowly but build up your endurance over time. Running is an excellent way to build up your endurance. Start by running for 10 minutes straight. When that becomes comfortable, start running for 15 minutes straight and so on until you can run for at least 30 minutes. It's even better if you can train until you can reach an hour of running.

2. There are many ways to build up your strength. Lifting weights is one way, but sometimes, you can replace weights with other things around the house. (If you're a mom of young children, you have an edge on others as you can practice lifting your children while doing other activities. It's a great way to build up strength.) Another excellent form of resistance training is swimming. My 19 year old daughter has found an excellent form of training for Zombie Apocalypse Preparation; she has taken up parkour. In parkour, she is training to do somersaults off of buildings, climb many different structures and run and jump over obstacles. It's a more extreme form of training, but might be an excellent and fun way to prepare. Doing push-ups, sit-ups and chin-ups are also good methods for building your strength.

3. In order to be eating for optimal nutrition and health, it is necessary to give up junk food. Sweets, chocolate and sodas are not going to do your health any good. Carbohydrates will only slow you down. You only need healthy carbohydrates such as whole grain breads, whole grain pasta and whole grain  rice, to help with some of the burn-off during your aerobic and endurance training. Protein is excellent to help with your strength training. And you need to stick to monounsaturated fats. You need fat to help you when times get lean, but you don't want the unhealthy saturated fats that will harm your heart. Eat things like fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, lean meats, eggs, fat-free yogurt, beans and legumes. Limit your breads and cereals. Get used to drinking plenty of water.


Now, I must admit that I will probably not be doing everything on this list. My endurance is already high as I have been doing a large amount of daily aerobic exercise for years now. But I do need to increase my strength training, so I am implementing this plan by adding strength training to my weekly exercise. Whether that means I will be lifting weights, training using a strength training video or taking up swimming, I don't know yet.

As most of you know, I lost over 145 pounds through healthy eating and exercise, and I maintained it for years. Recently, I have gained back about 15 pounds. This is due to old bad eating habits creeping slowly back into my daily diet, which includes a strong sweet tooth. I intend to go back to writing down my daily food intake and reducing the amount of chocolate and other junk food that passes my lips. I also intend to drink more water (something I have never been very good at) and upping the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables I eat.

I've been debating taking some form of karate classes. I haven't taken karate lessons since I was a teenager. Back then, I trained in Shotokan, which is a style that is a combination of several karate fighting styles. My eldest daughter is taking Taekwando, and my second eldest is taking a weapon's based form of Kung Fu. I will have to see what is available to me here and what the costs are before I decide what to do.

I'll be ready for the Zombie Apocalypse in no time!

Who is with me in joining in with #ZAP (Zombie Apocalypse Preparation)? Ready to become a ZAP warrior?

P.S. Another ability that is a good one to have in preparation for the coming zombie apocalypse is the ability to make lethal weapons out of common household objects. But since this is a fitness and health blog, we'll save that training for someone else's blog.


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Juggling Two Dreams

When I was morbidly obese, the only thing I dreamed about was losing the weight and getting myself healthy so that I could live long enough to see my children grow up. It took a long time for me to believe in myself enough to start working towards that dream, but eventually, I made it come true.


Then I started focusing on other dreams. One of those dreams is to be a published author. While I have had some short stories and some articels for magazines published, I haven't yet finished any of my novels to the point of having them ready for publication.


I am finding that trying to maintain one dream while striving for the other is not a simple matter. Writing is a process that keeps me sitting at my computer for long periods of time. Between that and shuffling my children to and from school, keeping tabs on them while they are home and general household maintenance (cooking and cleaning), fitting my usual two to three hours of exercise into my daily regime is increasingly difficult.


I have learned to try and fit my exercise in early in the morning, and, when that is not possible, right after my youngest children go to bed (7:00pm) which leaves me with some time to write later in the evening. I also get some of my exercise through walking and do a lot of walking while taking my children to and from school.


I am also finding that writing works better when I am not hungry. The temptation, when I am writing, is to snack on junk food. I have been fighting that temptation, and sometimes the temptation wins. I have learned that I need to eat something healthy (such as fruit) before sitting down to write and that I need to make sure to stop, even when my creativity feels like it's on a roll, to have regular, healthy, balanced meals at mealtimes.


Maintaining my weight loss sometimes feels like it is harder work than losing it was but it is worth the effort. I still have more energy than I had when I was overweight, and even my creative ideas seem to flow more easily now. Juggling two dreams isn't easy, but it's worth the effort.



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