Day 3 and 4

Day 3 was uneventful! It was so good to be without a headache all day! I hurt my knee some kind of way so I tried to take it easy all day after work. Today is Day 4 and the first think I noticed when I woke up- the Fibromyalgia pain is gone!!! What a relief! I feel so much better in my skin! Now to see this thing through to the end! I have been eating a sensible meal for dinner because of my headache. So I need to decide if I will continue that or if I will do the full Master Cleanse. Right now I'm hydrated and listening to my body! 

Day 2

Day 2 was rough... Goid news is I'm down 4 pounds. Yesterday evening I was bloated and I felt like a bag of ricks. I urinated constantly through the night and woke up 4 pounds lighter. I also woke up with a headache. This headache lasted all day long. So what was supposed to be a productive day ended up with me just being loving and kind to myself through the pain. 

Day One, again and again

I wrote today on my Soaring Through the Storms blog about the importance of getting back to basics. Part of my getting back to basics physically includes doing the Master Cleanse. Last year I got down to 206, the lowest I'd been in 18 years! However, this year brought marital issues, an unexpected, unplanned pregnancy and an unfortunate miscarriage which all resulted in me slipping back into poor eating habits, NO exercise and I am back up to 242 pounds this morning. I am officially ready to get back on the wagon, however, I am going back to what always works for me: The Master Cleanse. Most people are familiar with the Master Cleanse. It is a 10 day cleanse that works to purify the blood and kidneys and helps to lose weight. Some feel that it is extreme or a fad diet, however, I have discussed it with my Doctor and gotten the green light to do it several times a year. I know when I need to do a cleanse because my fibromyalgia will begin to act up. Fibromyalgia is am autoimmune disease that causes severe pain and achiness. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 2009 but I probabaly started suffering from flare ups as early as 2003, following a bad car accident. I describe fibromyalgia as feeling like you just worked out the hardest workout of your life and you wake up the next day and can barely get out of bed. That is how my body feels when I am having a flare up.

For whatever reason the Master Cleanse helps to calm the inflammation response in my body and helps to end the Fibro flare up. It also helps to clear the mind and calm the emotions. I am excited to be starting the cleanse today because it has helped me so much over the 10 years since my co-worker, Denise, introduced me to it. It is my go-to when I am tired and overwhelmed and in pain. I will keep you up to date on my weight loss plans and goals but today I am going to make sure that I drink 64 ounces of water, 64 ounces of lemonade and that I am kind and gentle to myself.

The Master Cleanse (also known as the Lemonade Diet) info:
http://themastercleanse.org/

Fibromyalgia info:
https://www.fibromyalgiapatienteducation.info/what-are-fibromyalgia-symptoms/?gclid=CJihtsbbqNACFQuSaQod4L4CnQ

Anit-Inflammatory Diet Info:
http://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/health-centers/aging-gracefully/dr-weils-anti-inflammatory-diet/

Define Happiness

Week 2, Day 4. Define Happiness. So many people if I asked them what's wrong will talk about being unhappy. But why? I believe many people have failed to define happiness for themselves. They are using unrealistic definitions of happiness that they've seen on a movie, in videos or on someone's social media site. But true happiness, or joy unspeakable comes from within, not without. If you think happiness is found in "stuff" google people who were rich but still took their life. Money and status does not equal happiness. What is happiness? Well to me happiness is living life on my own terms. Graduating when people told me to drop out; giving birth to what I was told to abort; leaving a relationship that looked perfect on the outside but was torture on the inside; marrying a man people warned me about; leaving a potential law career to follow my passion; and the list goes on. You have to define happiness for yourself but happiness for me comes from not having to wear the mask, being able to be fully myself- good, bad or otherwise. It is found in the loving relationship I have with my kids, husband, coworkers and friends. It is in knowing that anything I do- I give it my all. Are things perfect? No. Are there things I hope to improve? Absolutely. But the power to do that is in my hand. I am the captain of my ship, the master of my fate- and for a long time that was not my story. So today, take a few minutes and define happiness for yourself. When you find it. It will be better than any Disney Happily Ever After! 

Enjoying the journey

In weight loss you have to have goals. However, it's important to train yourself to find things you love while losing weight. What do I mean? If you hate the food you eat, dream about pizza all the time and cry after every workout (been there, done that) you WILL gain the weight back. Losing weight should not feel like you are on punishment. How I view it now it that I love myself enough to make these small sacrifices (that sometimes feel HUGE) so that I can walk without a cane in 10 years, or avoid insulin needles for-eva (in my Cardi-B voice). Last year was a sacrifice but the reward of losing and getting down to a 14/16 was soooo worth it. So I've gained and lost the same 15 pounds since last June/July. I was started to get frustrated until I realized how mych I've learned, and how proud I am of myself and how I haven't given up!!!! So let's keep on this ride, enjoying our success and learning (and loving) through our mistakes. I have the rest of my life to lose these last 20 pounds! 

Sometimes, food is love

Okay, I'll admit this may be the fat girl inside talking but I believe that sometimes food can be given and received in love. My cousin just posted on her facebook page that her neighbor made two slices of pound cake the same day she was cutting down on calories. You already know what my cousin did- what we all would do- start tomorrow. Lol. But seriously- sometimes food should just be enjoyed for what it is- a symbol of love. Throughout time we see food being used to bring people together, celebrate occassions, and comfort. Take care of ourselves and making our health a top priority does not mean that we can't enjoy meaningful exchanges with food. What it does mean is food cannot replace human nurturing. As Geneen Roth says food should nourish, people should nurture. So that food cannot replace love, but it can be given and received in love. Now go enjoy a great Sunday dinner. 

Me, Oprah and Weight Watchers

So most of you know Oprah has been my mentor since the 5th Grade. Although we've never met, she's provided hours of advice and been a role model just through the life she's lived. I decided in October to join Weight Watchers and was thrown back when I logged on WW and saw Oprah there smiling back at me! 

Oprah has alway been there along with Maya Angelou, Iyanla Vanzant and Tyler Perry. Together, they've helped me navigate an unplanned pregnancy in Undergrad, law school, divorce, starting over, failing the Bar exam and living my best life NOW! 

Over the last few years weight has remained the one thing that was always out of control. The external representation of my inner failings. Always knowing but never doing... Until now! I know with Oprah and Weight Watchers I will be able to love food and love my body, veg out and work out!  I can and will conquer this giant! Thank you Oprah for your constant love and support and through teaching by transparency! I teach everyday using the tools I've learned from her life! Consider joining weight watchers, it's scientifically proven the most effective weight loss method. What do we have to lose? 

Day 3 and 4

Still feeling good! The numbness and tingling I was feeling in my hands every morning is gone. I have plenty of energy! I'm feeling good going forward and I keep reminding myself that this weight loss thing is a marathon not a sprint. Let's get our goals for 2016 ready. What is your weight loss goal for 2016, and what are you willing to risk to attain this goal? I accomplished so much last year, but it came with sacrifice. I exercised when I'd rather be sleeping, I saved when I'd rather have been shopping, I sacrificed and it paid off. But it takes a while to see results! So you have to do the work even when you don't see results. Change takes time and you are so worth it!!!!!

Day 1 & 2

I love the Master Cleanse. After feeling so sluggish for months and dragging myself out of bed, I woke up this morning without an alarm. I feel so alive. And to not have to decide what to pack/cook/eat- it's a great feeling. I'm down two pounds. I woke up at 4am when I drank Smoove Move so I skipped it last night. I'm down 2 pounds. Excited!!!!

Biggest Loser

I set my DVR to tape Biggest Loser tonight. This show was a great motivation to lose weight. I will never push myself as hard as the contestants on Biggest Loser are pushed. It feels like nothing to work out and break a sweat after watching this show. Everyone has to live with what they choose to do to lose weight. I have family and friends who chose weight loss surgery and loved their decision and other who did the surgery and had regrets. At the end of the day each of us has to live with the decisions we make. 

I would really encourage you to do things you can live with for the rest of your life. Make choices that bring you some sense of enjoyment. I drag myself to the Wii to do yoga or dance aerobics or Zumba and as soon as I start, I'm loving it. Treadmill and weights- not so much. So I "earn" the fun workout by doing the treadmill and weights first, then topping it off with yoga (the reward) and a rest day. I can do that for the rest of my life. We have to build strong bodies and get our cardiovascular health in order. We have to see the Dr to get his/her approval before beginning any workout or diet plan. I am not a Dr and this blog should not be used as medical advice. I'm just a woman who got tired of seeing women that looked like me sick and dying. We will encourage each other and keep losing weight and making healthy choices! Join me tomorrow to see how Day one of the Master Cleanse went!

Reset

So what happens when you are unmotivated, tired, sluggish, irritable? This happens to be one of those times for me. I am so happy and proud of my hard work in 2015 but after taking the holidays "off" (something I'm rethinking for next year), I am having a really hard time getting recharged to lose these last 20 pounds to my goal. Times like this I call on the Master Cleanse to help me detox and refocus. I found the Master Cleanse in 2005. My friend and co-worker Denise introduced it to me. Denise was diagnosed with MS in her late 20s and told she would never have kids because of the rapid progression of her disease. Denise researched and found the Master Cleanse. Through the cleanse, as well as a healthy diet, which was a core tenet of her Seventh Day Adventist belief, she was able to halt the progression of MS and give birth to three healthy children. I was always more prone to holistic ways of healing versus medication and I knew that MS was a devastating disease, so my interest was piqued! I could not believe how I felt on the cleanse. How lemon juice, grade B maple syrup and cayenne pepper in distilled water could boost energy and improve your mood and the weight just fell off. I've done the Master Cleanse at least once a year for the past ten years. When I was diagnosed in 2009 with fibromyalgia, an auto-immune disease, I found that the Master Cleanse along with a semi-vegetarian or vegan diet took away all symptoms of pain, ache and fatigue. The cleanse must be followed for a minimum of ten days (the longest I've done is 30 days). Every night of the cleanse I drink Smooth Move, a detox tea. So to get out of this rut, caused by an overload on carbs and sugar and a lack of exercise, I will be cleansing for 10 days. Read my previous posts on the cleanse, google, or in Columbus visit HSU where you can find the items to purchase as well as the books. Take a day to research and we will start bright and early Monday morning!

Find Rest

It is so important that we find time to rest. For so many of us, between our careers, marriages and children, we are constantly on the go. But it is impossible to lose weight if we are not getting enough restful sleep at night. Take an accessment of how many hours you are sleeping every night. If it's not at least 7 hours you should consider changing your nightly routine. Here are things you can do to help: 

1. Go to bed at a decent hour. DVR that show or news broadcast and watch it tomorrow. 

2. Turn off the lights, laptop and TV. In order to get a deep sleep there should be no other lights on in the room. 

3. Journal or read before going to bed. Especially if you are prone to worry. Writing everything on your mind tricks your brain into thinking you did something about your problems. 

4. Medidate and/or pray: This puts you in a peaceful mindset to sleep.

5. Turn off the ringer on your phone- especially turn off notifications for facebook, messenger and email. 

6. Turn on white noise- if you have trauma in your past- every little nouse may wake you up. There are white noise apps to help you tune out the other noise in the house. 

7. Exercise: Exercising earlier in the day means a more peaceful sleep at night! 

Here's wishing you sweet dreams!

We've Got to Live!

My driving motivation for getting in shape and losing weight was to be in good health and live. In the 90s and early 2000s, I lost too many mentors and my friends lost too many Moms and Grandmas to illnesses that were traced back to diet, obesity and pack of exercise. Not to mention stress. My Mentors were strong back women who took care of their kids plus strays like me! I realized that I would be just like these wise, beautiful, strong wonen if I didn't start making some lifestyle changes. 

The first thing I did was to get rid of soda, then I added fruits and veggies. I then weaned myself off of fast food. I used to eat fast food 2 meals a day, most days. Then I started drinking more water. I hated water in the beginning! But now it's all I drink. Then I slowly started getting more active. I had to deal with the stresses as well but that's an entry for another day. I made up in my mind I was valuable and I had to do whatever it took to be here for my kids, Grandkids and Great-Grandkids. I want to be a happy, active wife for my husband, and I want to be proud when I see my reflection in the mirror. So change is necessary, but oh so worth it! 

What a difference the work makes!

Love Yourself Now

I've said it before but I must say it again. You must love yourself and your body in order to properly care for it. Everything in our culture, for a long time in the 80s  was the opposite of self-love. I went to elementary school and learned my nose was too big, my butt was too big, my hair was too nappy (and I had a perm since I was 4), I was too loud, too angry... You get the point. I was 8 years old. It took years to accept and love myself for who I am and to stop seeing myself through other's lenses. So before we move any further in getting healthy and losing weight let's make sure we are doing it from a place of love, not punishment or condemnation. We eat fruits and vegetables to nouish our bodies; we exercise to keep our joints used to moving and muscles engages and heart beating steadily. We buy ourselves clothes that fit so we can move without restriction. We should keep our nails neat, feet moisterized, hair conditioned, lips soft for us first- then for our spouses and the rest of the world. The most attractive thing to a woman is confidence. Confidence comes from knowing yourself and accenting those things you love about yourself. If you are happy with and proud of yourself, others will catch that feeling! 

How Much Do You Weigh? Really...

I used to be in denial about my weight. I weighed 198 when I left for college at 17 in Fall of 1992 and I was a comfortable size 14. I lost down to 175 right before I got pregnant with Kalia, thanks to my roommate Dayhna Carroll who would literally take the cheetos out of my hand and encourage me to exercise (Thanks, Dayhna!) I was a happy size 14 because I loved being the big girl who could move like a little girl. Jess Bergeman and Taishya Adams and I all bonded over this! I was an up and coming rapper and performer and I was treated differently when I lost those few pounds. The looks, the stares, made me feel naked and the real me invisible. With the babies came 30 pounds and my body was comfortable at 230 regardless of what I did. I got up to 270 after the Twins and after Benji but 2015 was the first year I was serious about doing the work it took to lose the weight. 

    Weight is just a number. It's not a reflection of who you are. But the times I went from 230 to 270, I would not have weighed myself for months. I was in serious denial until Nakea Hughes rescued me with a bag of clothes that were too small for her because I was a size 24/26. That was a wake up call. We have to face the numbers. Being obese or overweight puts us at risk for PREVENTABLE diseases. We don't have to get high blood pressure or diabetes or heart disease. What you do today will help to determine your fate. So how much do you weigh, really? 

Find a system

Part of planning for your weight loss is finding a system that will work for you. It needs to be something you can do for a long period of time and it should incorporate a healthy diet and exercise. The exercise does not have to be vigorous but you should plan to move your body on a regular basis. 

      If you do not have a system yet, start with keeping track of your food. There are apps such as My Fitness Pal and Noom or you can use a paper tracker. It's also great to track your steps. You should be getting in 10,000 steps a day. There are apps for that as well. This is a great place to start if you are just starting out. You can always use these apps to challenge yourself. I only walk 3-5K steps on average so I really need to push myself to 10,000 steps. Tracking and goals and finding a system that works for you all go hand in hand. Together they equal success. 

Triggers

How did preparation go? I did a good job getting food last night and starting the week off well. I was sidelined by the Brownies sitting on the counter when I got home from work. After work/before dinner (3-6pm) is the time I find myself mindlessly eating. This time if transition is one of my triggers. In 2014, I used to eat Resch's donuts everyday between picking up Kaissa and the Twins. I gained so much weight! I had a snack of Skinny Pop but I was not satisfied after that snack (and an apple)! What are your triggers? Is it a situation? Time of day? Experience? I need to figure out a way to get through those few hours. I may need to eat more for lunch so that I'm not hungry during 3-6pm. Let me know your triggers...

Preparation

Today is all about preparation! I knew what I needed to do but had a hard time executing. I was weak in two areas: preparation and follow through. Today we will talk about preparation. Make a menu, then make a grocery list. Do not give in to your cravings in the grocery store (don't shop hungry). Wake up early tomorrow to pack and prepare breakfast and lunch and take out your meat for dinner. Plan healthy snacks in between meals and don't forget water and tea. Chamomile tea is good for your nerves and Hibiscus is great for lowering blood pressure. Limit or eliminate caffeine and sugar in your drinks and make your snacks fruit and veggies. Also make veggies half of every meal! It's all up to you hiw slow or fast you want to lose weight but PREPARATION is the key! See you tomorrow!

2016- Recommitment

Last year I was talking to my cousin Tasha about how I was still struggling to lose weight. She said something profound: maybe you should stop talking about it and start doing it. I had been researching and contemplating and planning to lise weight but never stayed committed longer than two weeks. If I worked out and ate right for two weeks and didn't see results, I quit. What I realized last year was that I had to work on my level of commitment; I had to get accountability partners; I had to involve my family; I had to set attainable goals; and I had to find a way to eat right and still enjoy myself. I started last year at 247 and ended the year at 216. I have been as low as 202 this year and will get back down there. It has been a year of learning to trust myself and figuring out what works and what doesn't work. I will start piece by piece and blog through losing the 20 pounds until I get to my goals. I will utilize Daley Drops (hcg drops) and Iaso Tea along my journey as well as the Master Cleanse. Please resarch for yourself those products. Day one starts with the most important aspect of weight liss: WATER! Most of us are severely dehydrated. The first step to weight liss for me starts with drinking ONLY water. I will drink 72 ounces of water today to flush all the salty and sugary food from the holidays. Who is with me???