about me

In this blog, I commented on the attractiveness of the men from that city that gives me panic attacks. There's more... The one with the eyelashes and the girlfriend is getting married this weekend! He's also 28. So I would assume that makes the other one somewhere between 28 & 35... And as of yesterday, I developed a HUGE crush on the guy. The likes of which I've not had since I've been back East. (If you remember my crush on P., this one is just as bad!) He was in one day last week to pick out some tile for his bathroom. Then he was in yesterday to pick up said tile and he flirted. Today, he came back to see if he could get this other size in the same color. But I couldn't find anywhere that he could. I told him he should just get purple - on-going joke - and he says, "Oh my little girl would love that." I asked how old (6), but didn't ask about her mother. I just couldn't bring myself to that... :D

But enough about the crush.


Health-wise, I'm feeling better than I've felt in a long time. I've lost 6 inches off my waist & 7 off my hips. I think that is debatable because I'm sure my original measurement was lower than my current one. If I had really lost 7 inches off the original measurement, nothing would fit at all! Seriously! I've also lost 41.4 pounds since I started this program on 1 April 2009.

Yes, I gave up coffee on April Fool's Day and everybody thought it was a big joke. In the last 18 weeks, I've probably had 10 cups of decaf. I didn't believe it was possible, but the withdrawal was SO bad, I decided I never wanted to do caffeine again. Yes, I know. I also think I'm kinda crazy. I can't remember what all the health benefits are, but I definitely don't get sluggish in the afternoons anymore. Which is very exciting. I don't even stash chocolate in my desk. I gave that up too!

I also gave up soda, fast food, and all processed food. Basically, I just started eating "like I was supposed to", but, up until now, I hadn't been able to do it on my own.

When I was in Seattle, I walked everywhere. I also ate horribly and never got enough sleep. Once I got home, I didn't walk anywhere & I didn't eat quite as horribly. Nor did I ever get enough sleep. :/ I was feeling pretty crappy, but never did anything about it. I'd been choking on things like bread & my mom's dry chicken. Finally, I went to see a friend.

I've known Todd & Jenny for quite a few years. They were regulars in the drive-thru at Starbucks. He is a compounding pharmacist. They had a pharmacy in Binghamton. Then within the last year, they opened a health food store in Vestal. I made an appointment with Todd. He ruled out gluten-intolerance quite quickly and asked a lot of questions about my health, my level of activity, etc. He said that I was on track for Type 2 diabetes. I sat up and took notice. He suggested a life-style change - called it "lifestyle therapy." I thought, well, I like physical therapy, so why not give it a try?! It's called First Line Therapy.

Those first 3 days without coffee were agony. I was PMS-ing and therefore craving chips and pop. The ACA shooting happened. I work 4 blocks from there so it was a bit stressful. I went to bed really early that night. I woke up the next morning symptom-free. I thought it was just a fluke, but on Day 6 of the program, I flew to Seattle. (I don't recommend going on vacation at the beginning of this program, but, somehow, I survived.) I was up at 4 EDT, went into work for 1.5 hours, flew out of Syracuse, landed in Seattle around 6 PDT, had dinner & went to prayer meeting. I am usually totally wiped out when I get to Seattle, but this time, I wasn't. It was weird, but good.

In the following weeks, I have gotten onto an eating & exercise program that has enabled me to lose about 2 1/2 pounds per week. My upper respiratory conditions are improved. I'm sleeping better. I'm definitely eating better. My knees are better. My back still has issues, but they say that will take more time because I've had surgery.

"First Line Therapy is a specialized therapeutic lifestyle change program unlike any other.... in that the FLT system targets the underlying causes of chronic illness by incorporating a sensible eating plan, exercise, nutritional supplementation, and stress management." (from here)


Breakfast

I consume 1600 calories/day. They say I could eat more, but I'm rarely hungry, so I'm sticking with the lower number. It's helping the pounds come off! :) I eat eggs & toast for breakfast, a big salad with about 3 ounces of protein & homemade dressing for lunch, and dinner is protein & veggies. For my morning snack, I generally drink a meal-replacement shake and eat carrots with hummus. My afternoon snack is either another shake, or 2-3 ounces of protein with either fruit or nuts. I eat from 9 categories: concentrated protein, legumes, dairy, nuts/seeds, "water" vegetables, root vegetables, fruit, grains, and oils, plus 1 or 2 shakes/day. I often feel like I am eating so much. I rarely eat out during the week, and only occasionally on the weekends. Sometimes I really miss all the "bad" stuff, so I try a bite, and then I'm like "ugh! I can't believe I used to eat this all the time." Apparently, according to a guy I know, I am the only person in the world who can eat just 2 Doritos. I shrug & laugh.

I've been in the program for 18 weeks. I went through the detox and then onto "life". Life happens. There is going to be birthday cake and Tim Horton's chocolate-glazed donuts and Doritos. I eat it all, just in very small portions, and I get back on track as soon as I can. It's been tough going, but I'm so glad I made the decision to get healthy. Now if I could just keep my clothes on... :D



xo