Along the Way

I have had many pitfalls along the path to getting healthy; some hurdles to jump over. None more challenging as laziness. I could also say that I got too comfortable in where I am.  I got to the halfway mark (86 pounds) and thought, I can just coast from here. Truth of the matter is I just now realized I was going up hill, not down. I also came to realization, that I am only halfway up. I can't stall now, or I will slide back down.
I have been walking for exercise. I was challenged by my cousins to walk a Half Marathon. I accepted their proposition with a joyous, child-like gusto! I was so excited and made a goal to be down in the 210s before I had to do it. October 7, 2012 was the race. I was not down in the 210s. I was 8 pounds away. I could blame it on the fact that it took four rounds of antibiotics and numerous trips to the doctor. I could blame it on the months of being very weak and sick. But the truth is, I was comfortable in my new size. I also went on auto-pilot. I stopped focusing on my diet and lied to myself that I was in control. I started not  posting my food on MFP (MyFitnessPal.com). I would calculate the morning calories and wing-it on the rest of the day. I didn't gain weight, so I thought I was doing okay.  Oh how easy it was to fall back into the lies I was living before I started this journey. Old habits were quickly returning. Old thoughts and feelings were inundating me!
I became discouraged, down and tired. Very tired.  I knew I wasn't eating correctly. But didn't want to have to stop and think about it.
Anyway, the day of the race came. I was going to walk with my sister, Sara. She and I have the same pace when we walk, and we kept each other going. Three weeks prior we walked eleven miles to practice. We were confident we could do it. We learned what we needed along the way to keep us going, and what miles we would start to wain in speed. I personally, had two goals. One, to walk it under 3h45m and two, maintain a 16 min mile. I accomplished both goals! I finished in 3h33mins. and maintained a 16.18 min mile.
However, at mile 12, my legs wanted to quit. My calves started twitching and burning. My knees started to buckle under me. I had to truly focus on every step. Sara was skipping next to me...So I sent her on. I knew I was holding her back. She finished in 3h29mins (my secret wish to be under 3:30!). I was so proud of her for finishing so strong. God had to carry me over the finish line. However, I healed/recovered very quickly and she didn't.
Here's a help if you ever walk a half marathon, take the Gatorade as often as possible and bring protein and Shock Blocks with you for along the way. Walk at least 11 miles three weeks before the event to learn when and where to expect certain things, like when to eat carbs, protein and when to rest, jog or maintain. Also I used a anti-friction cream on my feet so they didn't get blisters.
I will do another one. I figure one a year is good! lol, no more than that. I will stick with the 5K and 10Ks.
God is good and life is much better when I walk in His strength.

Sorry for the delay...It's been a long road

I truly sat down with the intent to write down everything I have been going through emotionally and physically, and now that I have taken the time, nothing is coming to mind...nothing.  But I shall try.

Okay, I might as well start where I left off last time. I said I felt a cold coming on...HA! It was no cold. It was my long neglected leg wound from the motorcycle (large honking "scooter") that we got and I tried to ride, and fell when I came to a stop. By the way, that was before Mothers Day.  My leg was severely infected and the next day caused me great pain and was horribly hot, red and oozing puss. Yuck! I know! Since then I have been on four different antibiotics (which require me to eat lots of greek yogurt and eat everytime I take them!!!!!) Someone who is trying to avoid food is now told to eat it. I know that it wasn't a free pass to eat whatever. So I didn't. But it did make me go over on calories a lot. So I have been battling that. Plus I really wasn't to do strenuous exercise and keep off my leg to let it heal...So eat more, move less...not a good combo. However, God is faithful and I didn't gain weight and even managed to lose a few more pounds.

New total for weight loss is (drum roll please!) .... .... .... 84 pounds!

I am enjoying my new size, but am fighting getting too comfortable here. I have that much more +2 pounds to lose. I know this, but it is easy and OH so tempting to go out and buy new clothes.

I am struggling right now. With a lot of things. I am upset, stressed, aggravated, and so not in the mood to write this. I also have a lot of thoughts going through my mind and don't know exactly how to say them. I am going to stop right now and write them down on paper to organize my thoughts.

God is Working in Me!

Just a quick update. I have lost 76 pounds as of yesterday. I am still working out with my trainer Ryan at Hammer Bodies and eating as best as I can. I have attached before and after photos, if you care to look.

What a difference 45 pounds can make!!

I have a headache and dizzy feeling today, so I think I might be getting a cold, but I hope it will pass soon. It is almost the 4th of July and I don't want to miss out on all the fun.
Have a great holiday everyone...

Been a while

Well, to God be the glory, I am down 62 lbs! That is right. If this chocaholic, food addict can change her ways, by the grace of God, anyone can! I feel like I have been set free. And I have been. Today I went to eat a cookie that someone set out in the breakroom at work. I took a bite and thought this isn't satisfying, but I took another and knew, it wasn't worth losing my peace of mind over. I threw it away! Me, Judi Neeley, threw a chocolate chip candied cook in the trash can! A year ago I don't think I would have had the will or the power to do such a thing. God is stronger, when I am weak. God is stronger than any addiction I have. He is my light and my salvation and my STRONGHOLD! I love the transformation my body is making. Slowly but surely the weight is coming off. My muscles are getting stronger, and my appetite is getting weaker and surprisingly my tastebuds are changing towards the healthier, "greener" foods.

Also I am training for my first half marathon in October. I won't be running it, but I want to finish under 3.5 hours. I plan on keeping a 16 min. mile. I have been able to maintain a 17 min. mile for 5 miles. I know I will do it. I hope to be down in the 210's by then and that will help tremendously!

53 lbs down!

As the title states I am 53 pounds down! I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for all the wonderful things he has taught me over the past few months. I have learned so much about myself and my relationship with food while taking this journey to better health. I still have a long way to go to get were I need to be, but I am that much closer to the prize.

Food Conversion Chart

After a little research and going to different sites I put together on One page an easy conversion chart for cooking with dry goods and fluids. I hope this helps you. Click on the image and it will get bigger.

By the way, I am 1.5 pounds away from my first 50 lbs lost! I am so excited. God has been so good!! Just two more times of losing 50 lb.s and I will be where I need to be.

Energized!

WOW a lot has gone on since I last posted!

First (thing I can think of not chronologically), I have started using MyFitnessPal.com . It is the most awesome site for helping with weightloss that is totally free!!! FREE! I am a little excited about it. You can log your food and exercise and they have a huge database. Plus  using the android (or iPhone) App you can scan the UPC and it will plug it into the database! So awesome. They have a blog where you can talk with other people who are also getting healthier. You plug in your stats and they come up with a plan for you to reach your goal. I use it all the time and 

Second, since the start of using it I have lost 10 lbs - that's right you heard me 10 lbs! 

Boo Yah! Feels so good to be off that plateau! No going back. God has been so faithful to keep me on track and providing the tools for me to reach my goal. Just today as I was driving home from my work-out with Ryan, I started rationalizing giving in to my craving for ice cream. Kept saying to myself I would get the low-fat yogurt, but truth is I knew what I wanted and I would have gotten it. However, God had other plans. About 1/4 a mile away, I was listening to Joy FM and one of my motivation songs came on...Josh Wilson started singing "I Refuse". Immediately I knew what God wanted me to do...Keep on driving! He is my best help. If it weren't for Him, I wouldn't have even began this journey.

Third, I have injured my shoulder, which means I can do all the exercises on the plan. But we (Ryan P. and I) did others and I have started cycling! Which, by the way, is a lot harder than it looks.

Fourth, speaking of craving, I have started a Bible Study at my church on Wednesday nights using the Bible (of course) and the book "Made to Crave" by Lysa TerKeurst. It is a wonderful book that I think I have talked about on here before, so I won't go on about it, except to say if you need the help and motivation read the book!

Ginger Chicken Soup Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and can also calm an upset stomach. 

Ingredients

• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 8 ounces unpeeled scrubbed ginger, cut into 1/2"-thick slices
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/4 tsp. Oregano & Thyme
• 1/4 tsp. Fennel Seed & Rosemary
• 1/2 Carrot chopped
• 1 pound Chicken breast
• 5 chicken thighs skinless and no bones
• Kosher salt
• Cilantro leaves chopped

Preparation

• Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large heavy pot. Add chicken, placing breasts on top. Add 6 quarts water (preferably filtered or spring water); bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover with lid slightly ajar. Reduce heat to low; simmer until chicken breasts are just cooked through, about 30 minutes. Transfer chicken breasts to a plate; let cool, then cover and chill. Continue to simmer soup, uncovered, until broth is fully flavored, about 2 ½ hours longer. Return breasts to soup to rewarm, about 5 minutes.
• Remove chicken from broth. When cool enough to handle, coarsely shred meat; discard skin and bones. Place a fine-mesh sieve over another large pot; strain broth, discarding solids in strainer (you should have about 8 cups broth). Season with salt.

• nutritional information

  One serving contains: Calories (kcal) 151.3 %Calories from Fat 16.9
  Fat (g) 2.8 Saturated Fat (g) 0.8
  Cholesterol (mg) 67.7
  Carbohydrates (g) 3.0 Dietary Fiber (g) 0.5 Total Sugars (g) 1.0 Net Carbs (g) 2.5
  Protein (g) 24.7
  Sodium (mg) 128.9

Insanity!

So, I have these sons that wanted the work out DVD's Insanity by Beachbodies for Christmas. Of course my husband and I got it for them...then they started saying "WE" need to start doing this together and "WE" will start on Jan. 9. I was amused and thought to myself, 'yeah right! I can't do that! It is way over my fat body's level'. Well, my wonderful sons didn't let me cop out and have held me to it. This is the fourth day and wow am I sore. There are a few exercises that I can't do, but I jog in place or modify it to fit my body, but I keep moving. It will be worth it in the end. We even took before pictures and plan to take after photos as well. I will post the two week results when they come. The work out reminds me of a saying I recently read - 'Sweat is fat crying'. My fat has cried A LOT lately!!! :D

God is so faithful because with His help, my eating is much more under control and I am following the plan. It hasn't been easy. Getting off of sugar the second time is difficult. I believe it might be more difficult than the first time. It doesn't help that I can't go outside right now (snowing) to get out of the house where the food is. However, I try to get into the word for my daily bread.

I am rereading the book Made to Crave and am getting more inspiration. I love this book. I am starting a Bible study in my home on Tuesdays using this book. I am excited about it. I know there are a lot of people who need this, like me.

The stress of life can knock me off course and shake things up every now and then, but God is my one Constant. There are a lot of things going on right now that have made we want to eat junk to stuff it all away. Food addiction really is like alcoholism. You think that it satisfying but truthfully, it lasts for only a moment and your stresses are still there, so you cram more stuff down your throat. If you are in this mode, please stop! It won't help. I know I have been there. The only thing gorging yourself will do is make you very fat and very unhealthy...cause let's face it, you never pig-out on carrot stick or celery! Oh no, it is that chocolate cake, cookies, ice cream, or whatever sugary delight you can find, that is going into your mouth. Stop the madness and go throw it away!  I know you paid good money for it. I know it would be a waste. But it will only adds to your waist!

Seriously, you were made for more! You are worth more! I tell this to myself every morning. Sometime there are tears...sometime there is confidence, but I know that I know, God has plans for me, and right now, I know getting healthy is my #1 priority. He loves me enough to help me through this, and He loves you enough to help you also. Trust Him. Rely on the God who created you and knows your weaknesses to get you through this. He never promised it would be easy, but He did promise He would be there with you. Please do not let go...I promise you there's hope. There is Victory! His Grace is Sufficient for today.

You may think you are alone in this battle, but you aren't. I am in that same boat with you. Let's get through today making healthier choices. You can do it, I believe in you!

Forever Relying on God's Grace,
Judi

New Year, New Attitude

It is a new year and that calls for a clean slate! If I have made a new resolution this year it is to GO FOR IT! I need to forget the past failures and press on to my goal. Also, while I am going for it, I WILL keep a good attitude! Remain in JOY! I have a tendency to get stuck in a rut of muck and mire and lose hope. Not this time. I am going to keep my focus on CHRIST and let him help me achieve my goal.
Too often I take things into my own hands and try to run with them. It amounts to the equivalent of a cripple running with scissors; I don't get very far and I seem to always end up hurt and worse off than when I started.

So if you are ready to press on for the prize with me, let me know! We can keep each other accountable.

My prize is to reach 80 pounds lost this year. I lost 40 last year and want to step it up a bit and really and truly practice what I know to be true and right. Which is Eat Healthy, Be Healthy and Move!

You should join me! Isn't it time for you to be all that Christ has called you to be? I know it won't be easy ~2011 proved that!~ but it is so worth it!

So to start the year off right - eat a salad for supper! ~don't pour on the dressing! Don't pour on the cheese and croutons! Do fill it with raw spinach, green leafy lettuce, carrots and cucumbers.~
And add 4oz of lean meat.

~TIP~

You have heard the saying, "You aren't supposed to wear white after Labor Day". Well, my nutritionalist has told me, "Don't EAT white after labor's done (when I get off work)". White being sugar, flour, and starches; basically all white carbs are out after 4:30 for me. Carbs from fruits and vegetables are limited.

Here is to a Happy, Healthy, Productive and Prosperous 2012!

In Christ,

Judi