They Did Not Get The Memo

One of the questions I had today at my appointment was about medications, especially ones that might be contributing to weight gain and uncontrollable appetite. All of them, it turns out, but they did not want to make changes.

They said I should exercise. I said I am already walking 20,000 or more steps on most days. The question then was, how do I do that? I said I read while walking, and I do it inside. They told me, no, no, that is no good you have to be outside. Maybe ride a bike, which I told them is bad on my knees. I have to have shots for my knees because of the pain.

Here is the real deal. I lost 65 pounds walking inside the house and kept it off for almost seven years. I cannot walk outside because I cannot breathe out there.

This evening, I revved it up a few notches by playing a selection of my favorite hits and letting myself go with the music. The real demon in this thing is hunger. The people who help me manage my mind cannot help with my weight, so I must make it happen again. I will, because I know I can.

If you have something hard you are facing, do not let anyone tell you that you must do it their way. If your way works for you, work it. You know yourself, your abilities, better than any expert who is on the outskirts of your life. I believe we are strong. I could explain, but all you need to know is that you are capable. There is nothing that can stand against you when you put your mind and heart into accomplishing something.

Rock on…

Oh, I moved the icons for the social media services off of the front home screen on my phone. I have not opened them on tabs in Chrome since I said I was leaving. Funny how I feel better, and how I seem to have more time. The experiment is going well.

Honey and Almond Milk

There are benefits to drinking honey and milk, and Almond Milk adds to the benefits. With the risk of Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses, I thought I would mention this.

When using unsweetened Almond Milk, it is lower in calories than dairy milk. It is free of dairy, gluten, carrageenan, cholesterol, soy, sugar, artificial colors, and flavors. Plus, it has a higher percentage of calcium than dairy milk.

Some Benefits:

Aids Digestion – honey promotes the growth of good bacteria. It helps maintain a healthy gastrointestinal tract, eliminating bloating, constipation, and cramps. There is also evidence it helps with stomach infections.
Stamina Booster – ingesting cold milk and honey in the morning can benefit energy levels all day. There is also a boost to focusing, concentration, mental clarity, and physical abilities.
Eases Insomnia – combined, milk and honey give significant advantages toward promoting sleep.
Promotes Bone Health – milk is a contributor to skeletal systems, and honey helps get the necessary nutrients there more efficiently.
Antibacterial Properties – both milk and honey have antibacterial properties on organisms, such as staphylococcus. When taken together, their effect is more potent. Their use is effective in combating infections of the upper respiratory tract and easing colds and cough.
Stress Buster – honey and milk have a calming effect. They cause a release of serotonin, which is relaxing. Also, it lowers cortisol levels, which helps prevent the adverse impact on internal organs, including the brain. Honey is a mood lifter, so it can help when there is a need to find energy.
Athletic Performance – Drinking milk and honey before a workout can help maintain a stable level of energy, and drinking it afterward can help restore the body.
Healthy Skin and Hair – honey and milk have nutrients that bring out the glow and smoothness of skin and hair.

Need a bonus reason, honey, and almond milk are delicious together. As with all things, these should be consumed in moderation. If you are on a weight loss regimen, remember to count them in your total consumption. Unfortunately, they are not without calories.

It Ain’t Over

In December of 2013, I needed a watch. I had a Samsung Galaxy S3, but I have always needed time at hand because I do not do time. I ordered an Invicta from Amazon, and it was damaged when I got it. I saw something somewhere that the Samsung Gear would be released in December. It would have a pedometer.

At this point, I weighed in over 200 pounds. I found out the date of the Gear release knowing it would sync with the S3, and I went that day to Best Buy and got one. That changed my life.

I used the pedometer and an app called MyFitnessPal and journaled in a notebook each day. By the end of 2014, I lost over sixty pounds.

Losing my mother and my beloved Hope caused extreme stress and threatened all I had done. More recently, I have fallen back into my binging due mostly to depression and feeling less than worthy. I have gained some weight. Now when I need support most, MyFitnessPal has begun predatory pop-up ads. I will not deal with advertising. I took the app, after almost seven years, off my devices. I still walk, lots of days over 20,000 steps. The pain I experience makes this a trial.

Now, I am not counting calories for the first time in ages. I know what to do. I am trained. So, I am working this in a new way. If I can avoid the binging, I will lose back down, but I am a sweet nut. Nutella, Airheads, Peppermint Patties, Hershey’s Chocolate, we could go on, binging is hard to give up.

Understand, I have worked so many programs since I was a teen. I know nutrition, I know exercise. Most of us do, the thing is staying stabilized emotionally so we can work the loss. Eating is comfort, consumption is companionship, food is the reward. This is a battle for our lives. Make no mistake, fat cripples, and obesity kills.

Today, I wanted to drive to Douglasville, go to Dairy Queen, and have a Large M&M Blizzard. I had a headache because I was craving so hard. I took a nap. I later made a glass of Almond Milk with Pure Honey, mixed and mixed and mixed. I did not have that over 1000 calories of Blizzard today.

It is the small victories added up over time that win the war. I am going to take that frigging hill again. You can too. We should never die young.

Advice from a Homebody

You can skip this if you have it all under control, but since many of you find yourselves sequestered at home, and I am a bit of an expert at staying in, I thought I might have something that would help.

Probably as you went into this, your housework was reasonably under control. As you are making a transition to quarantine, especially if you have kids, you might let yourself ease up a little bit. I say this so you can take time to adjust. Some movies, music, books, writing, may make being home easier. This is not to say let all your housework go, just set your standards for comfort.

If you have puzzles, coloring books, beading, drawing paper, crayons, colored pencils, pens, paper, blank cards, board games, cameras, things to repair or build, this would be a time to use them. If you find yourself homeschooling, these can be utilized as rewards for finishing assignments. If you join the kiddos, it will also be a bonding experience in a time of tension.

It might be an excellent time to launch a blog or website if you have been considering it. Both WordPress and Blogger are reasonably easy to start. I prefer WordPress. There are others as well, I just mention two I have used.

If your kids are home, now is a great time to get them involved in the chores, which they may typically find ways to shirk. You do not have to be a harsh taskmaster, just tie fun screen time to task completion.

If you need additional resources for educational materials, many of the colleges have things you can access for free. Coursera is a service tied to top universities that allows auditing courses without a fee.

Almost all of us could increase our activity. For low impact, walking is the best and can be done as a family. In eating, you may find the Yummly app has some suggestions which help you add variety when supply is limited.

To lower stress and anxiety limit your news content, and if your social media is caustic, take some breaks.

Books are everyone’s best friends at a time like this. Reading can help you soothe your mind, and with kids, it helps extend their concentration and attention span. If you have pre-readers, by all means, read to them. You can read their books, and you can also share your reads. This exposes them to the rhythms of language and vocabulary they may not have encountered.

Go outside. It is that simple. Find time in nature.

I will try to post some writing prompts and exercises over these days. I remind you everyone is creative. You have an ideal opportunity to explore what creativity means to you at this time.

If you have questions, I am fully willing to help.

Uh-Oh

The “Thin Mints” are gone,
Opened the box and kooky
Cookie Monster ruled.

Because I am the Hungry, Hungry Hippo.

Honest though, binging is an uncontrollable thing, and I cannot purge, so I pay a price. Keeping weight down is an endless war, and food has the winning hand.