Sunday Slimdown: Shedding Weight Instead of Losing It

I'm a member of the writing team for One Roll At a Time.  I'm excited about this blessing at this time because I want encouragement in this part of my journey... shedding excess weight.  I'm tired of feeling alone in my efforts.  It's good to have company with whom to struggle along, don't you think so?

First things first... What is it with the phrase most folks use to talk about getting rid of fat.  They say, "Losing weight."  I'm not losing weight, my friends.  I'm working hard to get it out of my system and I am happy to get rid of it and pray I will be able to refrain from packing it back on.  When it finally does evacuate from my body/temple/system, I'm glad.  I don't feel upset or frustrated at all.  When I lose things I am unhappy.  So, when I refer to working toward a slender figure, I work hard to say, "Shedding excess weight."  Have you seen a snake or other skin-shedding beastie at their work of leaving behind their old outward parts?  It's rather difficult work to my understanding.  So, it seems super appropriate to use that particular phrase for my process.  Maybe, if enough of us use that phrase, we can bring about a shift in word use and thereby a slight change in the way the whole process is viewed and maybe even dealt with.  Yes, I know... highly unlikely to come about via my puny lil' blog.  However... YOU can talk about it and spread the word.  YOU can bring about this shift and change.  I'd love it if you tossed me a bone by referencing me here on We Keep Choosing Us, but you don't have to, for sure!

So, this past week was better than many recently!  I was actually able to get out and walk four mornings.  YEAY!  It would've been more, but my husband's schedule and activities cut in to my walking time.  ahwell.  I'm worried that I may be getting sick again... so we'll see about next week.  I'm okay with it either way.  I am, for the most part, making better food consumption choices, which is also going to enable me to shed the excess weight.

If you search #OneRollChallenge, you can see me as I am.  I'm going to do a side-by-side before and after for the month... I've posted my before.  MAN!  That was so difficult!  I didn't realize how truly horrible I look when comparing my figure to what is considered healthy and fit and slender and attractive.  I will admit that I still feel a bit sick about it... sick being a mixture of frustration with myself and disgust and... oh, so much STUFF!  Anyway... I encourage you to search that hashtag and join in on this month's series of challenges.  They are, really, quite simple.  I hope you will!

See you there!  :)  Oh... and tell me what you think about "shedding weight"!  :)

HFCS

High Fructose Corn Syrup is something to steer clear of and here's a link to an article I was guided to that you might find interesting. I think I've mentioned that the only sweetener I can consume right now is honey, but I've used Agave Syrup for my girls since not using sugar (because I think using them was increasing illness). As a result of the article, I'm dumping the Agave today.

I've been worried about our food supply for a while now. The more I read and learn I come to KNOW ever more clearly how the commandment from our Prophets to have a garden is truly inspired! I'm so glad Jessie is all for gardening and supporting my efforts at tight record keeping of our gardens (which takes a lot more time than just placing seeds in the ground wherever. I want to know what produce we like best so we can plant and consume that which we prefer.

I wonder less (after reading this article) why I was gaining weight so rapidly! MAN, I had no IDEA about fructose and it's implications to weight loss/gain. I didn't even read every word of the article and learned a LOT.

Did you read it? What did you learn that you didn't know before?

Last Night

I was able to attend Enrichment with JUST Tea! It's the first time I've been to any Church related function SO unencumbered in SO long. I didn't have a blast, exactly, at the function, but I certainly wouldn't trade the time to have so few littles around. It was really pleasant. I'm so grateful Jessie was happy to take over the Dance Stage Rehearsal trip and keep Kat to boot.

Another nice thing from yesterday... I wore some pants to enrichment that I haven't worn since before I had Ria (and some during the pregnancy with her... I've always lost weight when preggie). It felt so nice! And they were not tight in my legs at all and only a little snug at the waist.

This week's weight drop was less than last week (last week it was 6 pounds). This week it was 2. I'm totally happy about it still going down. I expect it will for some time. Part of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet that helps me stick with it even when I feel like stepping way off (like last night being around those chocolate brownies!) is that it helps regulate weight to be what is actually normal for the person on the diet. That would be nice. I don't think I've ever been what is "normal" for my body. I'm excited and curious to see what that looks like!! I'll try to get a picture sometime... but even though I may have it, it'll probably take a long time to get it up here. I've come to accept that lengthy computer time is not meant to be for me at this season in my life.

Weigh-In and Blessing Day

Weight
So, when I had my 2 week appointment (I believe that was Wednesday?), I asked Karen to weigh Tea. She was happy to do that for me and we found out that Tea was 11 pounds 14 ounces. Obviously, this girl doesn't have a problem eating! heeheehee ^_^ She's gotten longer lately, too, though I haven't taken a tape measure to her, I can see it! Makes sense since she had that growth spurt sleep and all!!!!

I lost 22 pounds since the last time I was in Karen's office (the week of Tea's birth)! YEAY!!! The funny part about that number is that I gained 12 pounds while I was preggie... so that leaves 10 that was lost off of my own personal blubber butt (ok, so maybe it was lost in a more well-rounded way than off just my butt, but still... ^_^). I'm happy about the weight loss, of course. If you have any concern over the possibility that I may not have been eating well during the pregnancy, let me remind you: Tea weighed TEN pounds FOUR ounces when she was born!!!!!! ;)

Name Blessing
Tea was blessed today. YEAY! Jessie's best friend in Bunnell Ward, Joey, blessed Tea. I felt this was most appropriate because Kat was blessed by Randal, who was Jessie's best friend in Norfolk Ward (because of his relationship with Jess). I really feel that the next best thing to their Daddy blessing them (which really is not anywhere near the preference of Daddy doing it, of course) is that our girls are blessed by the most important priesthood holder in thier Dad's life (his best friend). And Jess was pretty happy, I think, when I asked him if he wanted to ask Joey to do it. So, it's good all the way around.

The blessing was lovely! Joey and his wife don't have children of their own yet and Joey had not been asked to offer a name blessing before. Joey told me after the blessing that he was really nervous about it. His wife told me that she was very touched by the barely discernable, but real, difference in her husband after he acted as the voice for the blessing. So, it was a lovely experience for more than just the Mama, Daddy, and Grama of the baby! ^_^