Weight Loss 5

updates included with this article

Happy Holidays and May your New Year be the best ever!

Here we are, almost at the door to the next millennium. Where have I been and how far have I come?

Today I can look back and see that weight loss is not something that happens over night. It is a gradual process that involves first, recognizing that being over weight is not pleasant. It is recognizing that there are feelings in there that have been stuffed and buried. It is realizing that I have not been really happy. I may not know exactly why I am not truly happy, however, I do know that it doesn't have to stay that way.

I also must come to an understanding that while there might be a lot of fat people, there aren't many old fat people around. Health is a priority that up till now was shoved to the background.

As I look into myself, and my life, the journey gets more complicated and more exciting. I search for answers, for a "cure" for my overweight. I search for something easy, that I can do right now to change it. And then, I realize that there are no magic cures, no magic pills, nothing but hard work and determination that will get me to my goals.

It may start with Richard Simmons, include Dr. Weil's program, incorporate meditation, supplements, exercise.... but what I am experiencing is my very own journey of discovery. My path is not necessarily someone else's. My discoveries may not work for others. What I do is purely based on my own person. It includes my basic personality, my physical body needs, my emotional wellbeing , my spiritual needs, my finances, my occupation, my life style, & my social life. It is as individual as a fingerprint. While many of us may end up at the same place sooner or later, how and when we get there will differ widely.

So, where has this year's journey brought me?

I can now say, and with great emphasis, that I am a vegetarian. I am still not quite sure what that means, entirely. I am still a novice at it. What brought me to this conclusion? Trial and error, and a desire to feel better. The last three months, I have suffered greatly from reflux, heartburn, stomach distress. It has disrupted my sleep. It has disrupted my entire life. I knew that popping antacids was not the answer. Seeking a doctor who would prescribe drugs with many side effects was not the answer for me personally. I knew that there must be answer. Finally, out of sheer frustration I agreed to try it on a day to day basis. My chiropractor was elated! He had finally gotten me to the point I was ready to listen.

So, I have been meat free for 5 days now, except for Christmas day. I did indulge in the traditional turkey, gravy, dressing meal.

The results so far.... no acid on the days I was meat and dairy free, (I have not given up my ranch dressing). Other than that, I am meatless and milkless. No cheese, no yogurt, no cottage cheese, no sour cream. I am now drinking soy and almond milk. I am now cooking with soy milk. I am eating lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grain breads and pastas. We bought a bread maker and make our own breads. They are delicious and only take minutes to dump the ingredients into the bread maker and turn it on. The appliance does the rest.

It took a while to find just the right recipe we liked. Having done that, Jim, (our official bread maker), enjoys throwing a batch together when ever we need it. We have thus far only made whole wheat. We plan to experiment later on when time permits. We experiment by buying different brands of Soy milk. We haven't tried rice milk yet. We love the vanilla almond milk. I like to mix the soy and almond milk together. Some brands are better than others.

I have slept better than I have slept in months. No acid! No heartburn! No reflux! It is wonderful. I also have a lot of energy. I don't seem to get hungry and I am very satisfied at the end of a meal. It takes a bit of planning to make sure that we get protein and other vitamins, so we supplement and include kidney and other beans in our meals. We are busy experimenting with flavors and textures right now. It is very exciting!

It may seem like the path had made lots of twists and turns as we have gone along on our adventure. But isn't that the fun of it? Seeing where the path leads and trying to guess where it will take you next? I guess the journey never ends. I certainly hope that I never get tired of the adventures.

As far as the weight is concerned, I have not lost any, or gained what ever I have lost. However, I do feel that given another year, that issue will be drastically changed. Since being happy and living the life you love takes time to figure out, I figure that if it takes me another year to perfect it, I will have lost nothing and gained a lot in the process.

I have stopped hoping for weight loss and started wishing for health--health that will take me into my old age with a quality of life that will allow me to keep seeking out adventures and keep me excited about life for a very long time. Perhaps health takes a bit longer than just losing weight. Anyway, I wish Health for all of you for the coming Millenium!

Chris

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