My 111 Journey...come join me!

Still have problems with my blog but will attempt to post. I've been on my 111 Journey but haven't been able to post. It's not too late to join me. Leave me a message here on my blog or email me: janegiggy@comcast.net

My 111 Journey

I wanted to add an additional aspect to my blog this year. I'm on a journey that I have been traveling for over 45 years. I've had good times and awful times. Can you guess what I'm talking about?

What do people do the first of each year? They organize their house, office, life. Some make a resolution not to do something they have been doing but don't want to do any longer.

I don't think I have ever kept any New Year's Resolution for a entire year....so I don't make them anymore.  This is will be a journey not a resolution.

I will be posting information about myself and my weight loss journey. I will have tips, ideas, recipes and encouraging words.  I hope you will join me. It's always nice to have a buddy.

Five years in March, will be my 5th year anniversary since my Gastric By-Pass surgery. I lost 170 pounds in 3 years, but as time passes, I have not stayed with the food program and I have slowly gained back 30 pounds.

When I got on the scales  in December and saw how much I had gained, I was shocked. I knew I was eating foods I shouldn't  eat and much more of any food. It scared me to death! That's when I make the choice to get back on my healthy food plan. I hadn't been to see my doctor who performed my surgery in two years. I'm supposed to go each year, which I did the first three years but slowly got away from going. I was ashamed because I wasn't continuing to lose weight. I talked to myself in a negative way until I was convinced that I didn't need any one's help. I couldn't have been more wrong. I didn't and don't want to gain all the weight back I worked so hard to lose. It could happen, if I didn't change my behavior. Thus the 111 Journey.

Since January 1st I have been on a healthy food plan. I have lost 8 pounds. Yea! I have done some things that help me stay focused and still enjoy eating. I love to eat. Don't you?

Here's how I started:

1.Shopped for a journal

2. Decorated the journal

3.Got rid of all the "I can't have in the house" food

4.Shopped for tasty yet healthy foods and snacks

5. Weighed myself ,took my measurements, took a picture

6.Vowed to take at least 20 minutes to eat a meal

7. Listen to beautiful, soothing music

8. Exercise

My Journal

I decided to decorate my journal with Botanical Gazette, one of the new designer series papers in the new Occasions Mini Catalog; p. 26. I was able to completely decorate the journal with only one sheet of the 12" x 12" paper. I chose the image for the front first and then used the rest for the back and for spine. I added some white lace I had, then layered Baja Breeze 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon and then added pearls from the Basic Pearls package in the Big Catalog. I made a ribbon book mark using more Baja Breeze 3/8" Ribbon, Deck the Halls Designer Fabric from the Holiday Mini Catalog, Sticky Strip, and a retired button for the center of the flower.

I ran the fabric through the Big Shot using the Flowers Fold Bigz Die. I sandwiched the Sticky Strip in between the two pieces of material to give it stability.

Unhealthy Food

I packed all the unopened processed food and gave it to our daughters and their families.  The children eat processed food much of the time so they were happy to get ours. The opened food, I threw away.

Healthy Food

1.  Shop around the outside isles for healthy foods. 

2.  Don't go to the store when you are hungry.

3.If at all possible, don't take the little ones with you. They can be distracting and wear you out. This is one way to keep your shopping stress to a minimum. I love little babies and children and I had three and have seven grandchildren so it's not that I'm against children...but from experience I have found it easier and  more productive to shop without them.  For you eat due to stress, shopping along will be a great help to you.

  Buy fresh fruits and veggies that you really like. You might have to go to the grocery store more than once a week to ensure you have a good supply of fresh food.  More latter on this subject.

Getting weighed, measured and photographed 

I took my picture on December 31st, took my measurements and weighed myself.

The picture is just for you. You don't have to show it to anyone. Same goes with you measurements and record of your weight.  You can record them in your journal or find a place no one will think to look.

It's best to get weighed only once a week. If  you weigh yourself each day, you will get discouraged. If you don't have a scale, that's okay. You can always get weighed the next time you go to the doctors. Weight loss is only one way of showing that you have lost pounds. How you feel and how your clothes fit are two more.

I get weighed on Monday mornings each week. I will take my measurements on February 1st, one month from when I started my healthy food plan.  More on this later.

Eat Slowly!

This has been the hardest thing for me to do. I've always been a fast eater. That's probably one of the reasons I have a weight problem. Eating fast and not enjoying the food is a set up to eat more food than you need.

I'm making a conscious choice to chew each bite 20 times before swallowing. It was difficult at first. I was swallowing food that I hadn't chewed completely. It takes time, after all I've been woofing my food down for over 60 years!  I really like eating slower. I do enjoy my food more and don't have to go looking in the cupboards later.     More on this later.

Listening to beautiful, soothing music!

I love this group. And they aren't bad to look at either. Their music is so relaxing. I've taken to playing it while I'm posting on my blog or working on the computer. Some times I want different music. Right now I'm listening to The All Time Greatest Hits of Roy Orbison- Volume #1. The key is turn off the television and do something constructive. It can be a simple as taking a short walk, give yourself a facial, or read that book you have been wanting to get to.

I grew up listening to the great classics. No rock n' roll at our house...not when my dad was home. But like all teenagers, I turned on the local radio station and dance the day away! What fun! As I write this, it is becoming clear that when was younger and thinner I moved around more.....

Exercise

This is a tricky subject for not only me but many others. As we get older, we can have aches and pains that keep us from exercising, or we feel we don't have the time or we just don't want to exercise! At some time or other I have fit into all of the above.

Moving is the answer. Do as much or as little as you can. I can't walk or do typical exercises due to my knees. I have advanced arthritis. I'm going to have them replaced later this year. I can do upper body exercises and I go to the gym two times a week for water exercise. At our local gym, it's only $4.00 per session if your doctor will send a note saying you have arthritis. There is a hot tub that is available to enjoy before of after the water exercise.  More on this latter....

And those who know me, know stamping is my life... I rarely go a day without stamping.

Here are some Valentine cards...I feel stamping is a therapy for me.

More details later...
Until next time...Love yourself, care for you like you do others...take time for yourself and don't forget to Stamp!

Happy Stamping!
Jane