Defiance!

I have heard it called maintenance, I have heard it called guarding, and I have heard it called protecting. While all of these are good words, they just don’t seem to have a strong enough feel for what I have experienced the past year. I like to look at it as pure defiance. I DEFY myself or anyone else from messing with my 70+ pound weight loss!!!! On December 29, 2014 I recorded a 70 pound weight loss. Since then, I have DEFIED myself or anyone else from messing with that loss.

You may wonder why I say myself or anyone else. While I need to battle myself frequently, it is almost easier for me to take care of myself, as it is, for me to silence the “anyone else.” I have worked hard, struggled, cried, enjoyed, been frustrated, been encouraged, and basically all emotions in between in losing my 70+ pounds. Now I am hearing from, I’m sure with good intentions, folks that want to say, “Go ahead and eat that piece of cheesecake. You’ve earned that right.” "You deserve it." Or “You can have that Nacho Mountain off the menu, look how good you’ve done for so long. One cheat won’t hurt.” Or, my favorite, “You can’t stay on a diet for the rest of your life.”

What??????? Seriously?????? I’m not on a diet. I refuse to call it a diet. I have never called it a diet. It is a wellness plan, and I have retrained my body, mind, and soul that it is a wellness plan. It is what I do to stay healthy!!!!!!!! It is what I do to feel good!!!!!! It is what I do to maintain my physical activity capabilities!!!! And, yes, I can and will do this for the rest of my life. My answer to all the “you deserves” is, I do deserve! I do deserve! I do deserve!! I deserve to stay the course, eat healthy, exercise, and enjoy the rest of my life in a healthy manner. That is what I deserve. NOT A PIECE OF CHEESECAKE!!!!!

Here is what “I defy myself or anyone else from messing with my 70+ weight loss” looks like …

April 7, 2014 Weight 199.5
December 29, 2014 Weight 129.5

December 30, 2014 thru December 29, 2015 …

Physical Activity Calories: 154,225

Veggies Eaten: 1626

Fruits Eaten: 1071.5

Lean Proteins Eaten: 495.5

Whole Grains Eaten: 256.75

HMR Shakes: 275.5

HMR Entrees: 151


That is my “box”. My “box” daily is 7 to 12 fruits and vegetables, 2 lean proteins, one whole grain. Add physical activity calories to that, and yes, my nemesis … water!

Over the past year, I have struggled with what I want that magical number to look like on the scale. Even though I feel wonderful, my clothes fit perfectly, and I’m 2 sizes smaller than I was in high school, I still covet a certain number on the scale. I have been blessed to not only maintain and guard my 70 pound weight loss, but I have added a few more pounds to it over the past year. Depending on whether the scale is being a brat or not, I have now lost between 75 and 77 pounds. That elusive 80 is hanging there. I may never get there … it doesn’t matter!

Did I wake up on December 30, 2014 and say, “I’m going to do 154,225 Physical Activity calories for a year to maintain this weight loss?”  Or did I say, “I’m going to have to eat 1626 vegetables to maintain my weight loss”? Did I say, “I’m eating 3 fruits today, only 1068.5 left to go!” Of course I didn’t. What I did was get up each and every day, eat THAT DAY, what I knew was healthy for me, and exercise THAT DAY, what I knew was a good workout to keep my body moving. When I looked back at the numbers at the end of the year, the totals spoke for themselves. It is my wellness plan. It is my new healthy life … and I absolutely defy myself or anyone else from messing with my 70+ weight loss!

The other numbers that reflect this wellness plan are what I deserve:

BMI Before: 43.17
BMI Now: 27.16

Glucose Before: 120
Glucose Now: 97

AlC Before: 6.2
AlC Now: 5.2

Blood pressure medicine cut in half.

Cholesterol medicine cut by three-quarters.

Walked/Ran TWO HALF MARATHONS!!!

Walked multiple 5K, 10K, and 10 mile races.

Fitbit lifetime steps (since starting my wellness program) 4, 995, 080. That is FOUR MILLION, NINE HUNDRED, NINETY FIVE THOUSAND, 80 STEPS!!!!!!! My Fitbit is blowing up!!!!!

My goal for 2016 is to run, not walk a 10K. I bet I get it!!!!

I have been blessed to have many along the way as support, encouragement, and even shoulders to cry on. My mentor, coach, personal trainer, and friend, Brandon Howard, has, I believe, truly saved my life. God truly put me in the right place, at the right time, with the right people. It’s time for me to honor that grace extended to me, and I try to pay it forward at every opportunity!

So, I DEFY myself or anyone else from messing with my 70+ weight loss! Everyone is right … I most certainly do DESERVE it!!! But, I know what I DESERVE and in what manner, and it is that which I will defy myself or anyone else to mess with!!!

We Celebrate Him!

As Christmas draws nearer and is only a few days away, I think it serves us well to stop and reflect how we celebrate His birth every day!!!

In the sunrise, in the sunset we celebrate Him!
When we hear the birds, feel the breeze, smell the scent of a field of wild flowers, we celebrate Him!
When we count each individual star, admire a butterfly, walk in the snow, we celebrate Him!
When we see the expanse of an ocean, the peaks of snow covered mountains, and a brook trickling through a valley, we celebrate Him!

In the birth of a new baby, or the passing of an elder, we celebrate Him!
When we trudge through a busy day, or laugh when we are at play, we celebrate Him!
Through tears and through laughter, we celebrate Him!

When we break bread with friends and family, we celebrate Him!
When we comfort a loved one, tend the sick, feed the poor, we celebrate Him!

When we recognize and embrace each individual, as made in His image and likeness, we celebrate Him!
When we lock arms and stand strong in our faith, we celebrate Him!
When we join our prayers to others, we celebrate Him!
When we live every day to our fullest capacity, in His name, we celebrate Him!
When we simply love, we celebrate Him!

When I celebrate each of you, I celebrate Him!