Waaaayyy behind

Hmm - maybe I'm not as diligent of a blogger as I thought I would be.  It has been almost 2 months since I've posted ANYTHING.. I'm shocked at myself.

However - not much is going on. I'm working and looking for a teaching job. My DH is working as well. We both are taking our Plexus Slim.  I'm down about 17 lbs and untold inches. I've actually bought a size 16W jeans - which I haven't worn in years.  My DH is having to check his blood sugar several times daily because he is starting to bottom out during the day. This is scarey because it makes him feel HORRIBLE - but exciting because they are finally under some control..

I think that is all

Discouraged

Like anyone who is overweight - weight loss is a constant struggle. While I am enjoying the energy and weight/inches loss from my Plexus Slim, I am a little frustrated that I'm not having the "extreme" results some people are.


I know everyone is different. I think I may try the ProBio5.  There is information about having candida overgrowth. I have heard lots of people say that this overgrowth can stall weight loss even if you are actively trying to loose weight.  I'm going to grab a bottle of water and try it out the spit test tomorrow. I'll let you know how it is going once I do and start "treatment".

Later gaters!

Loser

I'm a loser!! And I couldn't be more thrilled!!!

Today I got on the scale and I'm down... AGAIN!! I think I'm down close to 15 lbs in less than 8 weeks!! So I also decided to measure (see below)

10/28                                1/10/14
R Arm - 18                          17.5
Chest - 37.5                         36.5 
Waist - 39                            37
Hips -54.5                           53 
R Thigh - 31.5                    31


This is a grand total of ...(drum roll).... 5.5 inches!!!! (I'm doing a happy dance - something between the Snoopy Dance and the Carlton!!) 

Amazing!

So I have not been the most consistent of bloggers, but my heart wants to improve.  I have been on Plexus Slim for almost 6 weeks now and I'm so excited with my results.


So far I have lost over 3 inches (overall - but still), and over 10 lbs. I can't believe it! It looks like a LOT more!!

Next - my DH, who is a type 2 diabetic, has also started taking Plexus Slim and accelerator for almost a week. It was something he was interested in so - why not. TODAY he called me and said he had a new experience. He had been shaky, and dizzy, so he checked his Blood Sugar. It was 50 !! While I know having a hypoglycemic episode isn't a GOOD thing - for us it was VERY exciting. He had NEVER had his sugars under control enough to truly get hypoglycemic! He is thrilled he is going to have to check it more often - and may HAVE to snack some!!

I'm so excited about this product I want to shout it from the roof tops. Please feel free to contact me if you want more information!!  My site is www.onepinkaday.com  and my ambassador number is 181869!!

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!!  I hope everyone had a great New Year! We were at the family homestead for a big bonfire! It was great! We played with sparklers as you can see in the picture!

I (like everyone else) made some resolutions:
1) To lose weight. (I'm doing my Plexus regularly! I have gained an ambassador and I'm trying to recruit)
2) Exercise more! I'm going to get back on the bike - or at least to the stationary one!
3) Find a job! Yes - still have my job - but now that I'm a PhD I need to find a teaching job!
4) Pay debt! About that PhD....it costs money! I need pay some of it back now!

Anyway - I hope you all had a wonderful day! Anyone make any resolutions they dare to share?

Fat Problems... the continuation

Now that I have talked about one problem with being fat/overweight/obese and trying to lose weight - I am going to talk about another issue.

EXERCISE

This really ought to be a four letter word. Most of us hate to exercise. While we might EVENTUALLY enjoy it - it is hard to get to that point.  I feel like the overweight are sabotaged.  Think about the types of exercise.

Walking - This seems to be everyone's answer to overweight people. "Just walk 30 minutes a few days a weeks." It sounds simple but there is SO much more than just walking. First - if you are overweight, and especially if you severely overweight - walking hurts. Knees, ankles, and hips all bear the brunt of our weight and the extra weight puts added pressure on these tender joints. So again, while we KNOW we could just walk - for some people this isn't an option due to severe pain. 

Other options would be something with lower impact. There are plenty of things that are lower impact but they have their own issues.

Water exercise - these are incredibly low impact, but unless you have access to a heated pool all year (or even just in the summer) it is going to cost.

Biking - This is a great exercise and one that my DH and I enjoy. But getting a good bike (which I now know is important) can be expensive as well.

Any home equipment - This is sometimes the option we pick. We will get a elliptical, or bike, or something that is lower impact, or something we can at least due in the privacy of our homes! But if you get to looking, most of this equipment has a weight MAX limit of 250-300 lbs. 

Then you have to consider the gear. With something exercises, you just need something to wear. But it can be very upsetting to go to a fitness store and realize you can't fit into anything! I have yet to really see fitness clothes for plus size woman (unless you order them online). So while our skinny counterparts can buy the yoga gear that is fitted enough to NOT flash everyone when you change a pose - we have to wear our baggy t-shirts and shorts and tuck everything in. Forget needing something special for an activity (like padded biking shorts) - they are NOT at the stores - I had to buy men's so they would fit - and the padding isn't quite right if you know what I mean!

Lastly - I personally think overweight people (woman specifically) aren't getting the right information about exercise! Yes, we need to move to burn calories because weight loss created by a calorie deficit.  However, most of us who are overweight have very poor muscle tone. Some of this can (and will) be built with cardio exercises, but strength training is (in my personal experience) MORE important. While increasing my heart rate will increase my metabolism for a while, if I build a muscle that needs more calories to function all day - I get that burn all day. The MUSCLES are what burns calories - so if you don't have much - that increase in heart rate and respiratory rate is only going to get you so far!!

So that is my rant. I'm sure I'll have something else to comment on later.  Do any of you have situations where you feel you were sabotaged before getting started?

Fat Problems

Currently, the focus on health in the US has been the rise of obesity. They are calling it an epidemic. We have old and young suffering from this ailment. They are predicting the younger generation will be the first to NOT outlive their parents because of weight related illnesses.  I want tell you something about being fat (and hang on to your hats - this may spiral into several posts)!

Yes - fat.
 
Because by today's BMI scale, I fall into the obese category. Now - if you look at me - you'd never believe I weigh as much as I do because I'm tall (thank god) and pear shaped (matter of fact my pants and shirt sizes differ by almost 3 sizes), but none the less - I'm obese.  Based on my BMI, I have been obese since high school even when I was in regular woman's 14/16 pants - but by my BMI I was still considered obese.

Let me clue everyone in on something... I know I'm fat. I know I'm overweight. I know I need to lose weight. In fact, I bet MOST of the people in the world KNOW when they are.  (I also know there are people in this world who are obsessed with their weight and size). 

I'm talking about those of us in the world who are truly overweight. It isn't a big secret - it didn't happen overnight.  We know we are, we watched it happen, and usually we didn't do anything about it. But I do want to share a few things that may have contributed to our size, and things that frustrate us when trying to lose weight.

Once you get to a certain size (and it is different for everyone), there is a HUGE variation from size to size. So you can be in a size 20W pants - and be in that size for a weight range of 20 to 40 lbs in some cases.  This range is why we sometimes don't realize we've gotten significantly heavier over a year or two because we don't seen drastic changes in sizes for just a few pounds.

This also works in reverse. We finally decide we want to lose weight, so we talk with our doctors, loved ones, friends, etc and make a plan. We decrease write down our weight, decrease our calories, and increase our activity. We are serious, motivated and excited. And then guess what -- nothing happens.  Oh, the scale might start to go down - but we watch with baited breath as 10, 20, 25, even 30 lbs seem to fade from the scale - and we see no changes in the mirror. We don't go down a size in anything, we don't see a smaller waist, we don't have to go clothes shopping... nothing. And as everyone knows, it may take MONTHS for this to happen. So imagine dieting and exercising (and feeling like you are depriving yourself to a certain degree), and getting NONE of the positive feedback you need to keep you motivated. This is why I HATE the Special K commercials (and other types of advertising) that promised losing a jeans size in a few weeks.  I can promise you that it is FRUSTRATING to listen/watch people who can drop a little as 5-10 lbs and they have to buy a new wardrobe because everything in too big!

So at this point that little voice pips up, "you've done good - I know you've tried. But it obviously isn't going to work for you - why don't you go ahead and have that second serving.. just for tonight. It obviously isn't going to make a difference in the size you wear or how you look. What can it hurt?"
And before you know we are back to the same weight (or higher) but still in the same size, and the world is oblivious to this.

So consider this when dealing with someone you know and/or love.  Our health isn't a surprise or shock to us - it is a constant source of frustration. You may wonder why we are always yo-yo dieting, or trying the newest fad. We do it because we hope we can find something to get us over the initial weight loss hump where positive feedback is achieved and can be used as motivation for us to continue on the "getting healthy" journey.  I know Plexus Slim isn't the wonder drug. I know I will have to maintain a healthy lifestyle once I reach my goal weight... Personally I just want to get to the point when 15-20 lbs down means a new pair of jeans.. so that I can keep my motivation up to continue losing!

I have a few other comments - but they will have to come in a later post.