another size down...this is really working!

I could not believe my eyes when I looked down at the scale this week. I have a lost a total of 16 pounds since mid-January. I have about 61 more pounds to go to reach my goal weight of 180 (thats what I am shooting for!). It amazes me that just by sticking to calorie counting and limiting my calories between 1000-1300 calories a day, has worked miracles in the weight loss department. It was extremely hard in the beginning, just writing everything down was such a bore and a waste of my time, so I thought anyways..but now since I have been more strict and disciplined, holding myself accountable for every little morsel that enters this BIG mouth of mine(lol), it is paying off and paying off nicely I might add. Don't get me wrong, I totally loved myself before but this new thinner Lisa emerging is most lovely. I feel so much better with way more energy than I had before, which is a blessing in itself! When I feel weak, I just pray that God will continue to give me the strength that I need to keep on moving forward with this beautiful new me that is coming forth. Having been diagnosed, as I have already shared, with pre-diabetes and Hashimoto's disease(hypothyroidism)..really put a fire under my booty to get myself on the right path to a better, healthier lifelstyle. With this new attitude and change in myself..I can do anything! So can you! Here is another book I would like to share. Enjoy and have a great Wednesday:)

Hungry Girl

I wanted to share another series of books I love right now! Hungry Girl is a great collection of recipes and facts for cooking low-cal. To date..I have lost another 2 pounds this week:) I am so excited about my new way of thinking, cooking and eating. I have more energy and feel as if I can conquer anything. Food does not control me anymore..I control food! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and until next time.....take care:)

Pre-diabetes..me?..not me?

Wow..when those words were said to me I felt exactly that way. I thought for sure they were talking about someone else because it certainly could not be me. I went through alot of emotions. I finally hit the "scared" emotion and that kick started my diet in the right direction.

What does being "pre-diabetic" mean anyway? Here goes: Prediabetes is a warning sign that you are at risk for getting type 2 diabetes. It means that your blood sugar is higher than it should be. Most people who get type 2 diabetes have prediabetes first, like me!

What causes it?: Doctors do not know exactly what causes prediabetes. It is believed that people who are overweight, not physically active, or have a family history of diabetes are more likely to get prediabetes. It is also believed that women who have had gestational diabetes are more likely to get prediabetes. (For me, I was definitely overweight..the only thing out of all of these that I had)

What are the symptoms?: Most people with prediabetes don't have any symptoms. But if you have prediabetes, you need to watch for signs of diabetes, such as:

■Feeling very thirsty.
■Urinating more often than usual.
■Feeling very hungry.
■Having blurred vision.

(I personally did not have any symptoms)


The treatment:

The key to treating prediabetes and preventing type 2 diabetes is getting your blood sugar levels back to a normal range. You can do this by making some lifestyle changes.

■Make healthy food choices.
■Eat foods high in fiber and go lower in fat.
■Try to eat good carbs and cut out the bad ones. This is important because keeping a steady level of carbs at each meal is essential to keeping your blood sugar level "happy"!
■Talk to your doctor to see what plan they would like you to follow or seek out a nutritionist to help you.
■If you are overweight, losing just a little amount of weight may help you.
■Be active. For me, just cleaning the house is alot of activity! You can also walk, bike, swim, join a gym, get the Wii Fit or Active..anything will help.
■Let it be..All in the Family!..For example, take a family walk after dinner. It will be easier if the family is eating well and gets exercise too. This may also reduce their chances of developing prediabetes.
Making these changes may help delay or prevent diabetes.

I really hope this helps and I will be back again sometime this week with more..thanks again for reading and being such a good support to me! Take care..:)

Eat This...Not That!

I thought on today's rant I would share with you a series of books that I feel have been very helpful to me in my weight loss challenge! The series..Eat This..Not That! is a wonderful collection of books that re-teaches you how to make better choices eating out and buying from the supermarket. There are certain brands I was buying that I thought was healthy but come to find out it wasn't. I am posting this website: http://eatthis.womenshealthmag.com/home for you to look at to judge for yourself.

I weighed in today and I am another pound down and have dropped a pants size! Yay me:) You can do it too. It's not easy but it is so worth it. I feel better already thanks to my thyroid being worked out..FINALLY!,calorie counting and eating healthier is going smoothly thus far too. The extra energy I have for exercise does not hurt either ;)So I pray a little prayer for all us today that the Lord will continue to gives us all strength for all that we do and are doing. Have a blessed Tuesday and I will see ya Thursday!

Thyroid..so small to be such a BIG problem!

For years, I have been battling the bulge, fatigue, heavy menstrual cycles, all over body pain, feeling of excessive hunger, slight sometimes severe depression and overall feeling of not being able to concentrate on one certain task at a time or "foggy brain". I had my thyroid checked many times by many different physicians but it always came back negative. I fit the profile for hypothyroidism, just like my mom who has had it all of her life since her 30's. I really noticed these symptoms coming on after the birth of my first child(which is common). Come to find out, these physicians were only checking my TSH level and not Free T4 / Free Thyroxine, Total T4/Total Thyroxine/Serum Thyroxine,Total T3/Total Triiodothyronine or Free T3 / Free Triiodothyronine. There are several more tests that they can do but I thought I would just list the ones they did on me. All of these tests taken together instead of just taking the one is more accurate. You can have a normal TSH level but still have thyroid disease. If you suspect that you may have thyroid disease, please ask your doctor to do a more thorough exam. Since I have been diagnosed and have started medication (Levothyroxine 25mcg), I started to feel a whole new Lisa emerge. I feel happier, more energized, thoughts are clearer, hunger is not as strong and an overall sense of feeling good which is such a blessing because for a long time, too long, I did not and at times just felt like giving up. Now, along with my new lifestyle change, I feel stronger and more in tune with my body and mind. Who knew that your thyroid being off, even a little, can throw your whole body off.

I also wanted to touch on the pre-diabetes a bit. This also was probably missed because they never have done a fasting blood draw for this and that can make a big difference in that diagnoses as well. I was checked during pregnancy and was fine, but after her birth had only had a simple blood draw, not fasting, and it always came back normal. Little did I know that they should have been doing the ones listed here: FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE (FPG) TEST,GLYCOSYLATED HAEMOGLOBIN TEST or ORAL GLUCOSE TOLERANCE TEST (OGTT). Well, I guess all that matters is that the Lord was looking out for me and sent me a doctor who really cares. I went in for a pre-pregnancy consult because we have had three miscarriages and wanted to know if there were any other factors going on that may be the reason why we were having them. This is why she ran the tests she did because your thyroid being off and diabetes can cause problems with having miscarriages. So, now that I am on the right track with my overall health..here's hoping for a new baby to cradle by next year.

Have a wonderful Sunday and I'll have another rant on Tuesday!

Thyroid disease, pre-diabetes, osteoarthritis, asthma, soy allergy...OH MY!

Just looking at the title makes me feel as if I am 80 years old. What is a 38 year old doing with all of these issues? I should be fit and trim..right? By whose or what standards?

I look at the calculators they have, calculating my BMI and weight. They say that a person my height should weigh 140-150lbs, give or take. That is insane! I would look like a skeleton and my family would be sending me to a treatment center for anorexia. I have lost weight like that and did look like that. Why do we have to look like starving super models to fit in to what society thinks we should look like? I have decided, for myself, to lose what I need to lose but not by these numbers. I am going to lose to get down to what is healthy for me which is around 170(at the lowest)to 185(at the highest) because for me this is healthy and does feel good and look good. I am going to keep my curves, thank you, and keep most of my boom boom booty and hopefully keep my "home-grown" Texas rack just and voluptuous as they ever have been!(psst..my husband will be very happy for that last comment!)

I decided to write a blog for anyone who wanted to follow my progress, ask me questions or just want to write a little something for support of what I am doing because without the love of friends and family..it is real tough to do but with it you can really succeed alot faster..along with God's help and support.

I started this diet..oops..."lifestyle change"..at 257 and am now 247. It sometimes teeters back and forth do your monthly cycle and all. I never really looked at my number and said wow..your fat..I guess because I always felt comfortable in my own skin and no one ever really judged me or put me down for it until I moved to Colorado. Here in Boulder, they are all about fitness, healthy living and outdoor life. I feel out of place sometimes because I am so much bigger than alot of folks here and when I do see another heavy woman I get excited and tell my husband.."Hey, there's a big lady!"..now I feel better. Jeez..how sad am I? I am just used to being in a state that is..sorry my sweet Texas..Heavier. it is sad, but true. We southerners just LOVE our FRIED foods! Believe me, this is one thing very hard to give up BUT I have to to live a longer life for myself and my family. Having younger children, I really do need to get it together so I can be the hottest older mom going into the elementary school..that's what I am talking about! Just kidding...no really...I really do want to be:)

Anyways..I will try to post everyday or every other day. I will post my feelings, progress and will answer or help anyone who wants to go on the journey with me or just give me a little pat on the back every now and then:) May God Bless us and keep us always and make sure we don't stray off the path to a New You and Me. Take Care!