bad news June

I did really well this month in my classes but in the recovery of all night learning and lack of exercise for 3 weeks, I gained 10 pounds....grrr. I did, however, lose 3 this weekend playing in a racquetball tournament (took 2nd...grrr). I know how important exercise is to my overall health and the desire was there but so were the rattlesnakes (again, grrr). I ate well and controlled my portions but am still struggling with desserts...it's ice cream season. I look forward to finishing my last 10 page paper so I can get back to reading about healthy choices and getting on a better foundation for my future.

When you fall down, get back up

Look, it wasn't my fault. Well, I guess it was. But we had driven 2 hours over to a co-worker's home on the Chesapeake Bay, and it was an office picnic, and then it was another 2 hours before the food was ready, and I was starving by that time, and it just would have been impolite not to eat it, right? I mean, the fried chicken, the baked beans, the corn on the cob, and -- and you had to have seen it -- a 7-inch high chocolate cake. It was just too much to handle. And then, realizing I really had blown it anyway, the hostess came around and insisted I have seconds.

Which explains why I have not made any blog entries in 2 weeks -- shame.

But that was 2 weeks ago, and I have been pretty consistently good about things since, and am now down 5 pounds from the 170 I started at, and am back on track. My wife and I have been walking in the evenings, and that helps, too.

I do have a couple of challenges, and one is drinking the right amount of water. That water is going to go someplace, and it means a lot of trips down the hall at work, past the receptionist, to the men's room, back past the receptionist, back up the hall, etc. And then there are the meetings, which sometimes come after 3 or 4 glasses of water. As I say, this is a challenge!
-- Hank in VA

Fumble!

Wow, crazy stuff happened to me this week. I am teaching a nutrition class right now and I gave my class an assignment to bring a dish that contained components of all the food groups. I have been doing very well with Dr. A's diet, but the day the students brought their dishes, I ate very badly. There were a lot of pasta dishes and white flour breads. I tried them all. It was at 8:00 in the morning too! I noticed that by 9:00 am I was feeling really "ramped up!" I felt drugged. Not sleepy drugged.....hyper drugged. I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I couldn't focus. I couldn't sit still. I was out of my mind. It dawned on me that I had indulged in many of the foods that Dr. A tells us to stay away from. I felt horrible. I felt like I had drank a pot of coffee. It took a good two hours for the effects of eating those foods that I have avoided for the past four weeks to wear off. Then....I crashed. I barely made it through the day, had to leave work an hour early, and was sound asleep by 5:00 pm.

I was blown away that my body reacted that way. It was almost like the foods I ate were toxic to my system. I'm glad it happened because I now realize the role that my diet was playing in the way I felt, both physically and mentally, prior to adopting Dr. A's dietary suggestions. I am amazed at the difference in my mood, the stability of my energy level, and the fact that I don't feel fatigued and stressed like I used to.....as long as I stay away from the "blacklisted" foods. I think the majority of the stress I was experiencing came from the physical stress that my body was feeling because the pace of my life hasn't changed one bit.

I stepped on the scale this morning and was pleased to see that I am down to 143 lbs, after breakfast, and fully clothed. I haven't really spent any time exercising either, so it's strictly the dietary changes that are producing the weight loss. I am pleased to announce that I am only 8 lbs away from my goal. The weight loss has slowed down to about a pound per week, but that is to be expected and I feel good about that pace. I am excited that I may only be 7 or 8 weeks away from my goal.

All of my other complaints have subsided. I feel great! I have been sleeping great this week too! Thank you, thank you, thank you Dr. A.....for giving me this gift. It has truly changed my life. More importantly, it isn't hard. I thought I would struggle, but after my feux pas this week, I realize the impact that diet can have on your well being.

Plugging Along

You know what I just realized today? I haven't had any issues with heartburn since I started eating Dr. A's way. Three weeks now, and not a single bout of heartburn! Usually I get a little heartburn when I lay down for the night. I would toss and turn, get up a half hour later, pop a few Tums, and then go to sleep. I haven't had any trouble falling asleep, and I haven't taken a single Tums this whole time. I'm stoked!

I'm adapting to implementing his tips into everyday life. I'm so on task at home, but we went away for last weekend (my family enjoyed the perfect summer weekend at Bear Lake.) We were with several other families in someone else's vacation cottage, and all the food they brought was absolute junk. Chips. Hot dogs. Nachos. Sugary soda. I brought a little bit of healthy food with us, but it didn't last me the entire weekend. I did indulge in one s'more (bad Juli!) but I didn't gain any weight back over the weekend, so now I'm down 4 lbs. total. If I eat exactly the way Dr. A describes in the book, he says we can lose 2-5 lbs. per week. I've been holding at 2 lbs. a week, which is healthy and definite progress! I'm going to focus more this week and see if I can lose 5. I can introduce exercise back in this week, since I've given my body time to adjust to my new reduced calorie intake. I'm hoping that will help me reach my goal to lose 5 lbs. this week, and finally get me under the 200 mark.

Wish me luck! ~Juli

Totally Geekin'!

Two weeks into Dr. A's program and I'm totally geekin' at how good I feel. I was unable to join the conference call because my husband was in surgery, but wanted to report that I am down to 145 lbs! 5 lbs in two weeks?! That's very exciting. The food changes have not been difficult for me at all. However, I am still struggling with making sure that I am eating enough. As I said before, it has always been a very bad habit for me to eat just once per day, if at all. So eating every few hours has been a huge challenge that I know I will continue to struggle with. I don't know why, I guess years of bad training, but I don't get hungry like most people.

I quit smoking about a week and a half ago, and strangely enough, have had no difficulty with quitting. I have no cravings. Sometimes I miss the "habit" of smoking when I am stuck in traffic, or have a stressful day, but not the nicotine. I feel very blessed for it to have been so easy. My caffeine intake has been almost nothing most days, and no more than two diet sodas on a bad day. I think the change in diet may be helping me with some of my other bad habits because I DEFINITELY feel better.

My goals this week are to up my meal intake to at least four times per day. I am setting the timer on my watch for that. If I can get myself consistent with four meals this week, then hopefully by next week I can get where I need to be. The only bad thing, in case anyone has any suggestions, is that my insomnia has definitely gotten worse. I think I have slept a total of three hours since Thursday, but I seem to have all my faculties and I feel great. Maybe I'm just getting old!

As far as challenges, I miss pasta. I miss it a lot. But that is really the only craving that I struggle with. I don't know what I can do about that. I wondered about whole wheat pasta, or spinach pasta, but I couldn't get clarity from the book. If anyone knows, please leave a comment.

Hope everyone else is doing well.

SO FAR, SO GOOD

Well, it has been a little over a week now, and I am down 3.5 pounds, just about where I wanted to be by now. And eating right gives you a confidence in yourself that is satisfying. I saw a piece of chocolate cake in the window of an eatery yesterday, and for a moment I was tempted. But then I remembered how good it feels to see that needle on the scales inching down and, well, I passed on the cake. In my reading I am up to Phase II. Cool! -- Hank in Virginia

I am Non-Sick

My name is Sara, and I have arrived at a depressing realization: I am Non-Sick.

According to Dr. A's Habits of Health, you are non-sick if you can answer yes to any of these questions:

• Overweight
• Not sleeping
• Fatigued
• Weak
• Stressed out
• Consuming a lot of medications

I'm neither overweight or on a lot of medications. In fact, I tend to shy away from medications at all unless I am very sick. So I was a little startled to realize that I am very "non-sick." I answered a resounding YES! To every other question. I have chronic sleep issues, as a working mother of a now very mobile 9-month-old and horrible sleep issues, I am fatigued and weak.
I was recently diagnosed with severe panic disorder, which has led to feeling stressed out 24 hours a day.

Just thinking about non-sick makes me feel, well, sick.

However, I'm hopeful as I continue my path to optimal health with Dr. A. He sold me in Chapter 1 when he talked about high fructose corn syrup. I have been trying to eliminate ALL artificial sweetners and additives for a couple of years, when I was trying to have a baby. He is right. HFCS is awful. I can taste the difference in foods, and I feel different eliminating all of the "fake" stuff.

I am holding myself back from skipping to the sleep chapters now, because I know there is so much more to being healthy and not just "non-sick."

Week 2 Recap

Lots of good things are happening this week.

Rob is walking his kids to school instead of just driving them.

Hank was motivated by Dr. A's coaching last week to move him from "sick" to "healthy."

Juli is changing her eating habits.

Alicia has set goals to watch her portion control, increase her daily movement, limiting sweets and getting sufficient sleep.

Ann has discovered that reducing her sugar intake has lead to fewer headaches and migraines.

Woot!

I spent a good portion of last week trying to figure out how to implement the changes Dr. A recommends and not cheat. When I finally just did it, I was amazed. He was right! He says in the book that the first day will be rough, but once you shut down that insulin pump that keeps you hungry and makes you head back to the cupboard when you're not really hungry, you won't be as hungry. You won't need all that food. One day is all it takes to shut it down.

I was able to completely make it through one cheat-free day on Friday. On Saturday, I felt soooo much better. On Sunday I wasn't around much (I had a ton of family obligations, and wasn't around to eat the "Dr. A way," but I think I did okay under the circumstances.) So on Monday morning I checked the scale, and I was shocked...in a good way! Basically, I managed doing 2 full days of Habits of Health, and I lost 2.6 lbs. Yeah!!! I had to take my youngest daughter to day camp (and stay with her) for the last two days, so I haven't been doing the program full force. Fortunately, I haven't gained that poundage back. If I had planned ahead like he says in the book, I would have taken my food with me so I could still be making progress instead of treading water. Those two odd pounds have really motivated me. I feel better, and seeing a digital reward on my scale makes me want to keep trying. Hopefully next time I check in, I'll have more weight gone for good.

Happy thoughts! ~Juli

I think I'm enjoying a health benefit

I don't lose weight easily but I have lost 1 pound. Nothing to write home about but at least I didn't gain weight. But the thing I am most happy about is the fact that I haven't had a migraine or major headache since giving up sugar. I have 2 or more migraines a week so this is either a miracle or I have found something. My life is controlled by my migraines. I have tried every treatment that Doctors have to offer. The only thing that helps is Botox in my scalp and upper neck muscles which is very expensive because insurance will not cover it.

me time ;)

One of the aspects that Dr. A emphasizes is the fast-paced world in which we live and how we don't have time to relax or do anything for ourselves. I tend to overplan my days and then force feed myself (for nutrition??) and run out of time to exercise or sometimes even sleep adequately. Luckily for me, gas prices are horrendous and I am not planning on doing much with my teacher downtime for this summer. That leaves ample time to do other things.

This past week, I did okay with eating but highly craved sweets (ice cream, cookies, whatever) and did give in. The upside is I worked out for around 10 hours...did the best ever on the elliptical (8.5 minute miles), went for a 4 hour round trip hike in the Sandia mountains, and played some intense games of racquetball.

The next 2 weeks I will have less control over my food and exercise program because I will be in the field doing some professional development classes (astronomy and botany). If you have any advice besides situps and pushups, please share!

My goals: portion control, daily movement, limit on the sweets, sufficient sleep!

I call Uncle

Oh boy. Changing bad habits isn't quite so easy as it sounds. Today was the very first day since I started reading that I actually ate the way Dr. A recommends in the book. Turns out getting healthy isn't quite as easy as everyone in those TV diet and exercise infomercials make it sound! But I was so good today--no cheating! I've been following Dr. A's guidelines for the most part, but the afternoon is my worst time of day. I get the munchies; I sneak something I shouldn't. One little snitch of sugary food here and there is just enough to keep me off the right track.

I'm thinking the best part of this program, and the one I may end up using the most, is Dr. A really seems to understand how difficult it is to make it through alone, so he'll let us talk with a life coach to help keep us motivated. For me, to kick start my efforts, I think I need to try the portion-controlled meal replacements (PCMRs) he discusses in the book. I recently calculated my BMI (body mass index) and was shocked to discover that, by medical standards, I am considered obese. I am doing my best to eat healthfully, but my body is so used all the things that got me fat in the first place. So...I call Uncle. I am not afraid to admit that I need help.

In the mean time, I'm eating my 5 meals a day, all good stuff he talks about in the book. For dinner, I even fixed something my whole family could eat together--chicken, seasoned with sea salt, ground pepper, and some thyme for my picky daughters, and with cayenne and red pepper flakes for me and my spicy husband. Cucumbers and salad (dressed with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper) took up half our plates, the chicken and a whole wheat roll took up the other half. I've really cut back on the breads and cereals (my weakness) and added in more lean protein. I used the tips he gives in the book to make my grocery list for the week.

Keep your fingers crossed that I can stay on track! ~Juli

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, GOOD NEWS

This is one of those "good news, bad news" stories, except that it ends in good news. The good news is that Dr. Anderson's book has a fascinating health evaluation you can do on yourself to measure your own health status. The bad news is that, after running the evaluation on myself, I learn that I am "SICK." Kind of depressing. I would have to agree, though, with the results, if I am honest with myself. The good news, however, is that he really and truly does seem to have a program I can use to get well, and more than well, if I am willing to make a few changes in my life. And after the great motivation he provided on the telephone last night, I am more than willing. So here goes! I weigh 170 pounds, with a good portion of that in my belly, and I am going to lose 12 of those pounds, and be able to get back into some of my favorite clothes. This is going to be fun!
-- Hank in Virginia

Some changes....

Today I walked my kids to school instead of driving, and while it was kinda hard to get up a little earlier and do the walk, their excitement was more then enough to motivate me. Their school is .8 miles from my house and it took us about 30 mins to walk it (Took me 20 min to walk back home). I'll walk to pick up Maile and that'll be two trips (3.2 miles total) Angel will have to ride home, as three trips would be a bit excessive...

My goal is to do this everyday during the week with them. It felt good being outside and spending some quality time with the kids talking about all kinds of stuff. Other bonus is, I also feel like I'm saving money on gas and using the car a bit less. Both of which are good things in their own ways.

The other change has been in what I've been drinking. I've been drinking more grape juice. The ones with the heart label on it instead of the Sprite and Coke I usually drink.

These two little changes should make a big impact on my journey to Optimum Health...

~ Rob

A GREAT WAY TO GET CONSISTENTLY GOOD FOOD

I think I'm really going to like Dr. Anderson's program. While I think I am going to live pretty much forever -- I am 64 -- my wife seems to think I am soon going to be falling apart. She is really excited about the healthy eating aspect of the program, and I am confident she is going to see to it I eat right, and do so consistently. I weigh about 12 or 15 pounds more than I want to, but it is mostly in my belly -- not good! I haven't finished reading the book yet, but what I have read seems to make a lot of sense.
-- Hank in Virginia

Good News! My boyfriend broke his leg!

As part of my new "thinking patterns" about health and stress, I decided to look on the bright side of every situation. Having said that, I'm happy to report that my boyfriend broke his leg in three places and will be having surgery later this week. Unfortunatly, I've lost my workout buddy, but the good news is that WE GET TO QUIT SMOKING!!!! He has to quit so that his bones will heal, so he has made a request (more of a demand, actually) that I quit too.

So this is officially my "before" picture that I took last week with my new workout buddy, "Tank." He is my youngest child. I started the diet last Friday. I have worked my way up to 3 small meals per day. I have decreased my diet drinks to two cans per day which is a MIRACLE! It's funny, but I feel better without the caffeine. I was very tired for the first two days, but after that, not so much. I weighed myself today and I weighed 148 lbs. I'm sure the two pounds is water from my lack of sodium intake courtesy of Diet Coke....LOL, but hey, it's something. I suspect the impact of two pounds won't be evident in a swimsuit, but I'm on my way.

I'm not exactly exercising yet, but Tank and I walk......around the block.......once. As I said, it's a start. Hope everyone else is doing well. I'm almost finished with the book. I teach nutrition and metabolism (I should be ashamed to admit that) and the information in the book makes so much sense. I never really thought about things the way Dr. A presents them. I am really enjoying this journey.

Epiphany

This is Juli. I'm back!

I'm on chapter 3 of Dr. A's book, so the words he has written have been bouncing around in my head as I've been running around with my family this weekend. After my husband's company picnic at the state fair grounds (my kids had a total blast!) my BFF picked me up to treat me to a hair cut for my birthday. Since she was picking up the tab, I decided to let her pick my new 'do. Heaven knows she has listened to me complain about my hair often enough, so I gave her free rein. I love the way my hair turned out, and as I was thinking about this teeny little nothing moment in my life--someone else helping me choose--I had an epiphany, you know, kind of like Oprah's "Aha!" moments.

I started thinking that the reason I have not been able to lose the weight I want is because I start a new health program or exercise program with great intentions, but bad habits. Since we're all creatures of habit, my own habits are sabotaging my efforts. I think I read somewhere that it takes 3 days to create a habit, but a month the break a habit! Dr. A talks about these bad habits in the book, and how it's not so much our fault that we are surrounded with ways to create habits that are bad for our health. So with my new sassy 'do inspiring me, I realized that I always got a bad haircut because I always did the same thing. When I let someone else guide me, it brought about a much needed change.

I'm going to keep reading! Dr. A is going to be like my BFF picking my new 'do. I'm 5'9" and I feel like 150 lbs. is a very healthy weight for my height. I really think his Habits of Health can get me there.