Working Out, is….well, working out.

I know…I know, I wondered if I’d stick to working out, myself. But I gotta say…I am IN LOVE with working out.

Starting off with my little peanut for my lower back and core strengthening made ALL the difference in the world! I am so thankful I found it!

It seems I’m noticeably losing weight. I’m down 25 pounds in 50 days. I kinda think that’s cool. It doesn’t SEEM like a big deal, if I’m not really thinking about it…but if I think about it, WOW! TWENTY FIVE POUNDS! In less than two months…Never even imagined.

My pants, that were too tight for me, and prompted me to order the next size up…well, the ‘tight’ ones are falling off my butt, almost. I’m constantly doing the ‘hike’ up of my pants. I kinda like it, even if it’s a little tacky. 😉

I can actually IMAGINE myself in size 18, 16…and my happy dance will commence when I’m in a size 20! YES, 20! When I met my husband, I was wearing size 8 pants/skirts and size 10 tops. I had a 29 inch waist. (I am NOT attempting to get back to that spot, but it’s where I was 16 years ago.) I got up to size 26, I’m too small for 24, but too big for 22 now. And my waist…well, sure, I’ll be brave and share….47 1/4…there, I said it…GULP! LOL

So, right now, I just focus on BUILDING muscle and eating right, resting right and dealing with stress. Yay me! 🙂

Ok…so I’m off to the wonderful world of workouts! Planet Fitness, here I come!

Be blessed,

Karla Marie

GOOD READS

Notice my little ‘widget’, Good Reads?

On the right hand sidebar….maybe scroll down a little…ok, you see it now?

I just wanted to share a little disclaimer on my ‘to read’ list that I’m sharing here…I know I’ve said it in the past, but I wanted to reiterate it here, since I’m sharing titles that I don’t FULLY ascribe to…I love to garner information from MULTIPLE resources…however, I do NOT embrace EVERYTHING about any given ‘only way’…but instead LOVE to customized and research from good input and experience.

So, that being said, have YOU read any of those books?

You are (a product of) what you eat.

So, obviously, I’m not a salmon…or a miniature tree (a.k.a.: Broccoli). Yet, I do carry around the product of those foods…each nutrient that my body breaks down and uses to repair, nourish and heal my cells, bones, everything. The balance food can bring, and the havoc it can wreak on a body is AMAZING!

When I was eating foods that are INFLAMMATORY, I suffered a lot.

I still deal with sleep apnea. That’s not fun. However, I have been doing better. Just some days it’s bad. Waking up in the middle of the night, from not breathing. Headache. Thankfully, though, not as often.

One of the things I haven’t mentioned in much/any detail is the fact that I have removed SUGAR (refined, white, added) from my life, for the  most part. I’ve had several cups of coffee, in attempts to ‘enjoy’ myself while making changes for the better…and I’m a die hard (well, I WAS a die hard coffee drinker, but I’m also VERY PARTICULAR with my coffee preparation. 4 teaspoons of sugar, two tablespoons of half and half…SEVERAL times a day. I’d usually have 3-4 cups of coffee…ahem. If you do the math…it’s horrifying. I’ll do it for you.

4 teaspoons of sugar 3 times a day = 12 teaspoons of sugar a day (on a low day) (NOT COUNTING ANY ADDED SUGAR in processed foods I’d eat…DON’T EVEN get me started…THAT’S HORRIFYING!)

12 teaspoons of sugar a day times 35 days = 420 teaspoons

Since I’ve been cutting back, and eventually ELIMINATED my sugar intake, I’ve had 88 teaspoons of sugar, in the 35 day period.

Cutting my sugar by 332 teaspoons, not to mention ALL of the processed sugar! WHICH IS UNFATHOMABLY LARGE AMOUNT! I don’t EVEN want to think about it! Cutting sugar cuts INFLAMMATION! YAY!

So, chop! Cutting down my sugar. NEXT. I cut out flour and wheat. WOW, me!

Sugar.

Wheat.

Processed/ready made foods.

OH! And no milk products, either! Really. Especially compared to before.

Rice, potatoes. No more of those.

I just wanted to share that. I hadn’t really talked about it. So, my basic meals consist of fresh veggies, fruit, minimally processed meat (meaning, just butchered and cut up).

Better sleep. Dealing with stress. Walking more. Building muscle.

I feel like a superhero.

 

A little bit goes a long way.

So, it’s been a couple days. The Holiday is over. Life is returning to normal. Ish.

Long story short, I’m SO pleased with myself!

DISCLOSURE: I want to make it perfectly honest what I mean when I make statements

like that. LOL…If I’m brutal, let me just say, I was SO low key, activity wise before, that

it’s actually rather embarrassing. When I say I’m pleased with myself, really, it doesn’t take 

much. At all. So, just in case you were feeling lame for ANY reason, whatsoever, don’t. 

I tracked EVERYTHING, EVERYDAY….and I walked a lot more than usual two days. NOT today. Ahem. Let me check my step counter (keeping in mind, I use my iPhone and I don’t carry it around all the time, but TODAY was SUPER LAME on the stepfront.) Um….yeah. 529 steps counted today.

HOWEVER, I DID exercise today…! I did my Restore Core and Back workout. I ROCKED it even better this time! I was less than impressive (YET VERY impressed with myself!) on my first try, even though it was effective and fun…but this time, I did MORE of the moves completely, or at least maintained the simpler moves better, while the more advanced techniques were shown.

I have a muscle. Well, two of them, actually. My upper arms have some SHAPE to them now. Yes, I have the little (um, bigger than ‘little’ actually) flubby flab hanging down from my upper arm….but my biceps…wow. I’M SEEING PROGRESS! It makes me a bit giddy.

My legs, they are starting to FEEL sleek. Not bulging muscles or flabless, but DIFFERENT!

I spent a LOT of time on WHF (World’s Healthiest Foods) today. I LOVE reading about the broken down analysis of the foods I love and want to use for nourishing and healing my body, and supporting it. It truly fascinates me.

My husband told me I should become a nutritionist. Oh, HOW I LONG to do that. It’s one of those secret desires. I hadn’t even told him…more like a whimsical dream. But it made me giggle when he said it.

My hubby is proud of me.

I like that.

I think I’m getting ‘it’, guys. And that makes for a very special 35 days. I ‘restarted’ my path to a healthful lifestyle again, 35 days ago…and I’ve NEVER looked back. I have been TENACIOUS this time. Understanding more about the science of food and my body has been what it took to make it all CLICK for me. I’m so grateful that I’m learning everyday, what to eat, how to eat, why to eat, how to move, THAT I CAN MOVE without pain.

I’ve had chronic pain for years….(not as bad as a lot of people, but enough to really put me off working out and being active.) and not knowing HOW to work my body and knowing there are so many options and keys, I suffered. Suffered in my own inactivity. Clung to the chronic pain, in fear of creating MORE pain. And I’m so THANKFUL I’m able to actually see, I CAN DO THINGS that WORK and not only does it NOT hurt, but it HELPS! OMGoodness!

Thank You, Lord, for helping me see You in this part of my life. It’s such a blessing.

Be blessed, all.

Karla Marie

Hi, My name is (anonymous), and I am a PERSON.

Ok, so this post is about me. And, again, maybe you, too…?

I’m overweight.

By a lot. No, more than that…yeah…that…A LOT!

I have come to grips with my inner beauty. I have learned to appreciate my family and friends adoration regarding my outward beauty…(ahem)…and instead of stressing when I was getting too fluffy for my size 24 Lane Bryant jeans, I pulled out my LB credit card and order me some size 26 jeans, and was thankful.

HOWEVER…I am fat. (Don’t be offended. I can say it…lol.) I don’t LIKE being fat. But I was okay with it…until I started understanding, I’m not fat because I’m not strong enough to say ‘No’ to food, like it’s DRUGS or something…but instead, I’m fat because of SO MANY THINGS I didn’t even UNDERSTAND! And, here is MY LIST.

SLEEP APNEA

SLEEP ISSUES/INSOMNIA

STRESS (DEALING with stress, NOT suppressing OR passing over STRESS)

FOOD CRAVINGS

ENORMOUS PLATEFULS OF FOOD LATE AT NIGHT

INFLAMMATION (rosacea)

So, having done my Green Smoothie thing, and it being INSANELY effective, and then having done a lot with eating for my Blood Type, and that being effective, as well, I found myself back in my rut. Yep, that’s where I’d been, off and on for the last year. You? Where have you been?

BUSYNESS is what really happened, and not having an understanding of WHY my body ‘needs’ what it ‘needs’ or at least THINKS it NEEDS! 😉 I had parts of it right, but there was SO MUCH MORE to it.

I love my body. I TRULY DO! I think that is evident in my fervent searching for wholeness on my body’s behalf. And I’m finally learning, my body and what goes in and on and around it is one amazing relationship, and in a healthful, fulfilling relationship, two people SUPPORT each other…and I came to realize, I was NOT supporting my body in the way it needed. It was a messed up relationship.

The catalyst that really HIT HOME for me was this post by Wellness Mama. I found it on Pinterest…happy sigh. It helped me understand it’s NOT just about FOOD.

The Leptin Resistance that I was introduced to, showed me that even though I have plenty of hormones (leptin is a hormone in our fat cells (adipose tissue) that communicates with the hypothalamus to alert you that you’re satiated and full enough, so stop eating already.) to communicate, HOWEVER, the message wasn’t being RECEIVED! Oh, my…THAT’S why it’s been so hard.

Well, that sort of kicked me back into gear…and an issue I’ve been ‘ignoring’ for a while, I finally chose to address….sleep apnea.

I wake up with headaches. I wake up several times a night, and I’m completely miserable. Dry mouth from snoring, headache, and sometimes I have/had a problem going back to sleep. I was sleepy everyday. Going to bed wasn’t easy for me. I thought it was just because I’m a night owl…but really, my insomnia was contributed to by the hormonal imbalance in my body and my habits created by that, or visa versa…either way, it’s like I said in my previous post, it’s all CIRCULAR.

I went in to the clinic, to get referred to the sleep specialist, and he ran some blood work first, to be sure I didn’t have any extenuating issues, such as thyroid problems.  The blood work came back great, except an elevated red blood cell count, which is indicative of … drum roll please … SLEEP APNEA. 😉 LOL

Needless to say, for being what doctors call, MORBIDLY OBESE, I am VERY HEALTHY! ??? I know, right? Go figure. LOL Yet, I am JOYFUL over this circumstance!

That being said, after almost 4 weeks of really being devout to the Leptin Reset (and I was pretty darn amazing, if I do say so myself), I came to understand, the Leptin Reset is for people with major health issues, disease and debilitating things, like arthritis and such. So, I have since altered my customized plan. I have stayed EXTREMELY close to the recommendations. In particular, where timing  and environment are concerned.

To start with, once Wellness Mama got my desires rekindled, I adapted a plan for me that tried to include Blood Type eating, and anti-inflammatory eating as well as the recommendations in the Leptin Reset.

It was time consuming and fascinating! I’ve loved it.

I started up my myfitnesspal.com again, and started tracking my foods again. I got a fun app called Striiv on my iPhone to track my steps and motivate me to get off my butt occasionally. I was lucky and got it when it was still free, but it’s like $4.99 now. But, knowing what I know about the app, I’d totally buy it. It’s very fun and has challenges on it…and the best part, even when I ‘lose’ a challenge, I WIN! I got OFF MY BUTT! LOL Since I’ve gotten the app like, three weeks ago, I’ve tracked 64,105 steps altogether, been active 1,063 minutes, walked 29 miles, and burned 10,224 calories. Keeping in mind, I don’t carry my iPhone around with me ALL the time…there are a lot of steps and activity that don’t get counted…but HOW FUN IS THAT!?

(On that note, I am looking to get a fitbit, or a bodymedia sometime soon. Does anyone have a one of those and want to share what they think of theirs? I’d appreciate it!)

Anyhow..back to the plan.

After changing my food stuffs again, in 13 days, I had lost 13 pounds, while on my girly time, nonetheless. Which, ladies, in and of itself, is amazing…because the hormonal imbalance I was never regular…and that’s changing, as well! (Gents, sorry if that’s TMI.)

As of today, I’ve lost 17.4 pounds, 27 days in.

I did an audit of my menu for the first 26 days, and found some interesting inflammatory contributors in my foods. Oops. LOL…so, I am fixing that and altering some of my approaches, as I stated, with the less intense Leptin Reset and more balanced leaning towards anti-inflammatory foods.

I am loving it.

Here are some of the links I promised:

Watch this video first…it’s fun…and so easy to understand. 

Leptin Reset

Leptin Info

Wellness Mama on Stress/Hormones

Raw Food for The Beginner

Livestrong’s article about Leptin and Inflammation

I have several books that I use as resources:

Eat Right for Your Blood Type

Live Right for Your Blood Type

Cook Right for Your Blood Type

The Complete Idiots Guide Anti-Inflammation Cookbook

Becoming Raw 

My last note:

There are so many opinions and science to support them, but many plans and diets tend to be EXTREME or missing elements. I do NOT FULLY SUPPORT ANY of these resources as a fix-all or even good in and of itself. As far as I’m concerned, and speaking for myself, I use them as RESOURCES.

PLEASE, leave some feedback…I’d LOVE your input, as always!

The Ugly Truth about Me….and maybe you? ;)

Ok. So. That was fun.

You ever hit a ‘wall’ in your ‘journey’?

Awww, come on…NEVER?

It’s just me?

(Shakes head disbelieving…)

So…the last post was about the family getting sick. Nice little cold. Well, it totally knocked me off my rockin’ ness.

I didn’t have a smoothie for two, three days. Well, I didn’t go shopping either. I mean, I wasn’t about to drag my sick kids into public, and beg for some new and exciting illness to root in them…was I?

Needless to say, I was low on EVERYTHING, because you can’t really keep LOTS of fruit and veggies around. They go bad…and we just don’t buy a huge stock of them…we go shopping every couple of days for fruits and veggies. So…I was not nourished. I was on the mend, but not satisfied with nutrient rich veggies.

ENTER: THE CRAVINGS

Oh….the AGONY of experiencing cravings after such a POWERFUL period of just plain LIFE!

It’s been a battle, let me just say.

I am working at getting back in the swing of things. I MISS my satisfaction.

Today is our oldest’s birthday…we now have a 14 year old! Learners permit, here she comes…!

Our ‘previous’ youngest (I still have a hard time thinking of him as anything but my youngest….LOL) is turning 8 tomorrow! So, I’m trying to lessen the blow to my eating…wish me luck. Come Wednesday, I should be back on track. I’m SO looking forward to it.

Be blessed….and thanks for hangin’ with me anyhow…even if I’m not so (green) smooth(ie) lately. 😉

 

 

Ok…so BACK to the ONE SIZE does NOT FIT ALL topic.

So, I may have to revisit this topic often.

I thought I ‘got it’…but I was hit with an unexpected response the other day, and I lost sight of ‘One Size does NOT FIT ALL’…and I flubbed.

I was visiting a friend, and I off-handedly mentioned the book I was looking at, and asked if my friend had ever heard of it. She very quickly, in a not so delicate manner shared her,  ahem, MAJOR DISINTEREST in my book, ‘eating right 4 your blood type’…

Don’t get me wrong…she’s a really nice woman. I like her a LOT…and our daughters are friends.

But I think, since I was pretty much basically mentioning it in reference to MY life and merely asking if she’d heard of it…her response really SHOCKED me…and left me feeling ‘defensive’…if you will. I had brought my book with me, because I was still writing my shopping list, and I was trying to be sure I was looking for new items to try on my ‘HIGHLY BENEFICIAL’ list. That’s all. I wasn’t there, trying to convert her…or tell her my way was the only way…or anything.

However, her DEEPLY emotional response left me stunned. I stuttered, “Uh, why do you feel that way?”

She replied, “I just know that there are foods I am NOT willing to give up. So, why bother.”

Ok…right….I remember, I got this…”So, don’t”….Right?

I wasn’t asking HER to do it. I wasn’t implying she should. I was sharing.

HOWEVER…what I really started to realize is, as people,

1. We are constantly ‘comparing’ what WE do to what OTHERS do, and reconciling it…and evaluating it.
2. People TEND to think, “I know it all”, or “So and so THINKS they know it all” therefore, we have preëmptive responses.
3. Peoples relationship with FOOD is almost as intimate as their, ahem, excuse me for saying so, but, really…their sex lives.

Ok…chew on that for a second.

Breathe.

Just think.

Ok…What do YOU say to that?

Anyhoo…after her very clear statement that she was in no way interested in even HEARING about ‘ER4YBT’….the shock of her response sent me into a defensive tailspin. When she replied she wasn’t willing to change what she was doing, I could have just left it. Should have. But I didn’t. Because that’s not how I see the concept of ER4YBT…I see it as an arsenal of tools that I can arm myself with, that equips my body to DO WHAT IT’S DESIGNED TO DO. Fine, if you’re gonna eat ‘whatever you want’…doesn’t it make sense to support your body the best you can?

Yes…I should’ve left it at, “I am not interested, and I don’t even want to hear about it!”

I will, as well, in the future.

And, as I think about it more and as I research more, I will keep in mind what I’ve come to understand/believe about people and their food relationships. I have one. I had one. I like my new one better. Plain….simple.

What kind of relationship do YOU have with FOOD?

Is food a fill in for something that’s missing?

Is food a stimulant that is purely pleasurable and comforting?

Is food a tool?

A medicine?

A purposeful part of your life and lifestyle?

Be blessed.

Nutrition isn’t just for fat Mom’s.

Is that too harsh? 

Does it make it less harsh if I say, “I’m a fat mom.” ?

So, I’m guilty of eating healthy and leaving my family in the dust. In the PAST, I was, at least.

This go-round it’s different. I finally got it. They NEED nutrition to STAY healthy and have strong immune systems. What was I thinking? Hmmmm.

My kids are adjusting well. However, I have exceptional kids. They all really have big hearts and really respect mommy and daddy. We’re blessed. (Commentary from 13, going on 14 year-old daughter: You can put in there, “NOT JUST FOR PRETEND EITHER.”) (lol…lol…she makes me happy with her spunk and stuff.) 

It has been an adjustment, but more than ‘LOOSING’ foods, I have really tried to focus on supporting their whole bodies, while yes, admittedly removing major offenders, such as soda. Wow…and I just looked, the Capri Sun juices I was still allowing them to have, second ingredient, high fructose corn syrup…well, that started the hunt and the discussion about HFCS. Which then led to cleaning out the unnecessary HFCS FILLED beverages we have around, that I’m not interested in feeding my kids anymore. Which led to cleaning my bedroom bookshelf (I had made a mental note to do that last night before bed…so I figured, before I sat down to write an article, I better get my behind in there and do that.) I cataloged all the books on my shelf (LOVE LOVE LOVE my BOOKBUDDY app for my iPhone!). I dusted, organized and thinned out the ‘library’. Well, then it was time to find out what was for dinner…and I got sidetracked with the rice cereal my son dropped on the kitchen floor when he got the babies food. So, I vacuumed it up…and ended vacuuming the whole kitchen floor.

I finally made it to the fridge, and ended up having to clean it out…lol…and succumbed to my daughters idea of grilled cheese for dinner. Phewy, dinner was ‘dealt’ with…So, I sat down again, tried to finish writing today’s article…while waiting for the blender and juicer to be washed. I jumped back up and made the smoothie (oh, oh, and FRESH juiced grapefruit juice with ginger…num num.)…then hubby made it home. 

SIDE NOTE:

today’s smoothie was

pineapple juice

pineapple chunks

two juiced apples

a kiwi

tons of spinach

a cup and a half of blueberries

and a large sliver of ginger

Oh, yum yum yummy!

The boys came in, after running to the dump for a trash run, and said, “Can you please take us on a snow machine (or snowmobile, for you Lower 48 people….LOL…lol) ride!?” .. .. .. So, I did! 

Several hours later, I’m back…and I’ll get back on topic…k? 

Is that too harsh? 

Does it make it less harsh if I say, “I’m a fat mom.” ?

So, I’m guilty of eating healthy and leaving my family in the dust. In the PAST, I was, at least.

This go-round it’s different. I finally got it. They NEED nutrition to STAY healthy and have strong immune systems. What was I thinking? Hmmmm.

I am really enjoying this journey, along with my children. It’s a lifetime of health and then from there, likely, generations of health. I’m just sayin’. It makes me happy.

Healthful eating, healthful living is a family affair. I mean, really…I want my husband around as long as I can have him. Right? And my kids…well, sheesh…it all makes sense to me. I’m loving this new adventure. Shaking off the shackles of the ‘food chain’ of earlier life. Removing the wool from our eyes and our putting our thinking caps on. We can do this. And it’s fun.

The last time “YOU” went on a diet, or decided to eat healthier…did you include your family? Do they revolt? Does your husband refuse to eat ‘healthful’ food? Do you struggle finding ways to improve their diet without freaking them out? Do you, like me, try to control the amount of information that flows in about food and our manufacturers and food processors? That way you don’t freak out and stop eating? Or find yourself curled in a ball, rocking back and forth with trust issues…all over again.? LOL LOL

Where are YOU on your journey? Not just food, but life?

Be blessed.

KMD

My list of NEW things I’ve done lately:

Snow machining with my boys. (2x)

Playing outside in the full moonlight with my children.

Racing around the parking lot at the grocery store, pushing my son around like a crazy person.

Kinect Adventure on the Xbox 360

*Kettleball Workout

What the day brings.

*Spiritual discussion ALERT*

*Feel free to skip past this, if you’d like…I’ll get to some ‘other’ stuff in a moment… 😉 *

Living life is really a fascinating task. There is so many IMPORTANT tendrils that work their way through our lives and days. Some days I find myself feeling very successful and ready for the adventure, and other days, I really need some support.

It USED to be, other days I just want to stay in bed. LOL But that has thankfully changed. I’ve really began to find the CENTER of WHO I AM…through drawing closer to God and living true to His Word, as best I can, with HIS help, of course. 

I have come to realize that I really can’t do it on my own. My will power isn’t willing enough. My strength isn’t strong enough. My determination isn’t…well, determined enough. Feeling ‘not enough‘ was getting old. Then I finally GOT IT…ALL of ME is ALL He asks. He’s got the rest of it. Hmmmm. Ok. I can do that. . . . No, really, I CAN! 

Once I began living WHOLLY, ‘it’ got EASIER…my all was enough. It was MORE THAN ENOUGH when paired with His completing me. I am really digging this…ENGAGED living. 

That being said, since ‘it’s’ easier now…I’m really beginning to grasp the journey I’m on. I’m finding balance EVERY DAY when before, balance used to be a fantasy. The point here is, THIS journey of eating to NOURISH my body couldn’t begin until I got to THIS PLACE in my life, where I could LIVE completely engaged, and begin to learn a little about myself, as a person. Why I made the choices I did. Why I ate, what I ate, when I ate it. It was hardly EVER about nourishment. Meals used to revolve around convenience, ease of preparation, and just something that needed to be done. Snacking used to be mindless. Emotional. Comforting. Guilty ‘pleasure’. Secret. Over abundant. Drinking used to be mindless. I really only drank sodas, aside from a TON of water each day. Now that I’m in a place where I can listen to my body, and actually HEAR it…I don’t binge eat anymore. I don’t MINDLESSLY do any eating, actually. And I am quiet pleased with myself.

I find it difficult to separate my experiences with drawing closer to God and my personal ability to really live engaged. I won’t apologize for that, so, pretty much, I’ll just share it. I know we all have different opinions, and different experiences…and when people start talking ‘religion’ it may make some people’s hackles go up. And honestly, I understand. I came from a ‘legalistic’ expression of ‘religion’…so I get how certain things trigger feelings in each of us. 

I’m not interested in debating my beliefs. I’m not interested in being told what I’m doing wrong (according to….whoever.) (Who IS!?) And in the same vein, I’m not imparting in my articles that if you don’t do ‘it’ the way I do ‘it’, you’re WRONG. I am not opposed to having encouraging conversations that stretch my THOUGHTS and test my opinions, and my understanding…however, I just want to be ME here. And pretty much, the center of ME is HIM. Take it. Leave it. Don’t bash it. Click close if it offends. Hang out if you can deal but don’t agree with EVERYTHING I share. It’s up to you. 🙂 I love sharing. I love hearing. I’m not judgemental. I ask the same consideration in return. Thank you, in advance. 

Back  to the POINT of this post…Hmmmm….Maybe THAT was the POINT of this post? LOL 😉

Where was I?

Eating on purpose…that’s it. LIVING on PURPOSE.

It’s amazing what we hear when we stop, ask, and listen.

To our bodies.

To our God.

To our spouses.

To our children.

To our friends.

To ourselves.

When is the last time YOU stopped. Asked….and LISTENED? REALLY LISTENED?

Realizing that life is meant to be LIVED ON PURPOSE and CHOICES are OURS to make…and my avoiding making choices, it’s STILL making a choice. Placing our trust in KFC, or McDonald’s, or Sunkist, or Coke, or Pepsi, or Pillsbury, or General Mills, or Frito Lay, or Keebler, or Krispie Kreme, or Betty Crooker, or Taco Bell….you get the point….we bear the responsibility of those choices everyday. KFC isn’t responsible for ME choosing to eat it’s POISON…I chose to go there, pay them money and ingest their product. I carry the WEIGHT of that choice. Right? In the same way, when we THINK about our choices and sure, GO EAT at KFC…whatever, we can still make other choices that will minimize the effects of eating such and such.

I don’t condone looking at food SOLELY as POISON…but the truth is, food DOES EFFECT our bodies…and if WE’RE NOT SUPPORTING our bodies, and adding insult to injury…what do we really expect the outcome to be?

THAT was the point I was trying to make…LOL…LOL…it worked its way out!

The relationship I have with food is so different. I don’t look at my food as ‘can’t have’…I look at it like, “Ok, body…why do you want this? Have I supported you good today? Do I plan on supporting you good today?” I look at the hot wing and think, Hmmm…that’s delish looking. I have had my POWERHOUSE smoothie…and I’ve had HIGHLY BENEFICIAL FOODS all day long…Ok. I choose to enjoy the hot wing…and really…that’s all it was. ONE HOT WING. Before…it was oh, I’d say, 8-10. Ahem. Any food trackers out there? DON’T tell me what THAT comes to calorie and fat wise…please, keep it to yourself. 😉 HOWEVER, if you’re NOT a food tracker (I am from the past, and I’m NOT anymore, however, TRACKING really established a mindset of THOUGHTFULNESS…try it…it will SHOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF!)

When I DECIDE to eat something, I make a point to CHOOSE IT. A couple of friends of mine from church say that all the time, and I think it’s perfect…”CHOICE IT”. I don’t DENY myself anything…not anymore. HOWEVER, because I’m NOURISHING my body, I’m NOT CRAVING ANYTHING!

Where are YOU in your journey? Are you struggling with mindless eating? Emotional eating? Stress or comfort eating? Drinking? Soda, alcohol, empty calories?

What’s up with you?

Be blessed.

Karla Marie

“One Size” does NOT ‘FIT ALL’!

As I spend time reading, learning, searching and DOING nutrition, I’m finding the lie behind, ‘one size fits all’ that is sold to us EVERYDAY, from one article on health to the next…from one clothing brand to the next…from one way to parent to the next…it simply isn’t TRUE.

What works for ONE KID, doesn’t always work for another, in teaching, in learning, in speaking to who they are. We are ALL DIFFERENT! Why would we expect that ONE thing should work for all of us?

Reading through “Eat 4 (for) Your Blood Type, I see how and why that applies to dieting/lifestyle/food choices, as well. And I’m still amazed. I take a very ‘God CREATED the world’ position on life. I am not a person that subscribes to evolution…I see in our world, every day where God has DELIGHTED in US…and honestly, the PURPOSEFUL DESIGN of FOOD and HOW IT WORKS IN OUR BODIES simply fills me with joy.

Scientifically speaking, you can go ahead and disagree with me about ‘God’ and ‘design’…but look at the science of life. The effects REAL food has on our bodies…it’s astounding! Our bodies truly have the ability to HEAL themselves. We have simply forgotten HOW TO LISTEN TO THEM.

I cannot believe how MUCH TRUST I have put into food manufacturers and our government, and all the producers in our country (world) that have seduced us in, with ease of use, lazy living and basically death. Between packaged and processed foods, they’ve STRIPPED the TRUE NUTRITION OUT OF FOOD and REPLACED it with MAN MADE NUTRIENTS (if you can call them that)…and killed our bodies ability to take care of itself…!

I look at my babies formula…and see the first ingredient is corn syrup solids…um….really? WHEN DID THIS BECOME ACCEPTABLE? And when did I stop paying attention?

That won’t happen anymore.

Call me crazy. Go ahead. It IS different. But the truth is, I would rather SUPPORT my body and its immune system and it’s organs and its nervous system, WHOLLY…rather than blindly trust ‘them’ to take care of me and my family. That’s MY job, and quiet honestly, I can do it way better than anyone else…It’s just time I took responsibility and DID IT!

Do you ever just stop and think, “How did this happen?”…? Look around, at your body, at your kids, and your husband…at your friends.

I’ll tell you the most common responses I get when I start talking about VEGETABLES…and green smoothies.

“I could never do that.”

“That’s gross. I hate…(fill in the blank)…”

“I could never give up bacon!!!”

“I love (fill in the blank), I could never stop eating (fill in the blank)!”

“That looks nasty!”

It’s like talking to a bunch of deaf people. And all I’m doing is sharing about what I’M doing…and sharing what a difference it’s made in my life…and I think…Ok…NOW I see how ‘we’ became the way we have…we walked through our worlds ‘field of poppies’, as they did in Oz.  It’s time to MOW THE LAWN and get our capes on! Take charge of WHAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR and TO.

My responses:

“I could never do that.”    

Ok. Don’t.

“That’s gross. I hate…(fill in the blank)…”        

It’s not like (blank) is the only vegetable in the world.

“I could never give up bacon!!!”      

We all have priorities.

“I love (fill in the blank), I could never stop eating (fill in the blank)!”  

It’s called self-discipline. Try it sometime, you might like it.

“That looks nasty!”                                                                                                                

I know, right?! LOL LOL LOL

Those aren’t my ONLY responses…I have a few more…but I’m trying to be sensitive and NOT give the appearance that I know it all, or think “my way is ‘the only way’…”…I don’t think that at all…I just think it’s amazing how we pigeon-hole ourselves into INACTION and INABILITY to DO and CHOOSE different by the words we speak and the way we think.

So, don’t think that I think you have to do what I do…I’m just challenging you, and everyone I meet…(lol) to THINK about what they are DOING…period.

Eat? THINK!

Drink? THINK!

Speak? THINK!

Do? THINK!

If you don’t know HOW to THINK, ask Someone. 😉

In our home I am CHANGING the way we USED to live, to be PURPOSEFUL…ON PURPOSE! (No, I haven’t read, “Purpose Driven Life”…but I’m sure I should…LOL).

Rather than mindless eating, I am teaching my children to NOURISH their bodies and ENJOY what they eat. Sure, they can have a piece of cake, but ENJOY it. Don’t SCARF (sorry, I have scarfers…gotta get on to the ‘next thing’! boys.) Eat on purpose. If it’s NOT to nourish, it’s to ENJOY. Being MINDFUL is SIMPLE. Not easy, but simple. And I think it’s IMPORTANT. 

I don’t look at my A Blood Type “AVOID” foods as a loss…I look at them as DODGING A BULLET! I mean, REALLY!? Why WOULD I POISON myself, when I can find a gazillion items on my “HIGHLY BENEFICIAL” list that would SUPPORT my BODY and help me slim down to a healthful weight and NOURISH my whole being? Um…I don’t get why this is a hard thing for people to grasp. Aside from ‘timing’…I know sometimes in life, we’re so busy with TRIAGE and trying to function…that living on purpose seems crazy…or doesn’t even cross our minds. I guess that’s where I was, in my ‘before now’ ness.

Where are you in your life? Are you LEARNING to THINK? and THINKING to LEARN? Or are you in SURVIVAL mode?

Be blessed, drop a note.

Karla Marie