Menopause

As you all know, I am 52. I have gone through menopause which is when most of my weight gain occurred. You also know that I work out. This has helped with my weight and muscle mass, but I still have some weight around the belly. When I was younger, at the rate I work out, I would have drop pounds fast. That flat stomach I long for would have appeared quickly. So I can only believe that some of my issues are post menopause related.

Today I went on a research of menopausal products spree. I do not really have hot flashes or night sweats, but I do have brain fog. As I read the responses to the top 3 products recommended, I noticed that most people only talked about the above symptoms. I really am looking for relief in the weight gain, brain fog and word memory area.

The top 3 products listed as the best are Menoquil, Menersa, and Amberen. I would love to hear from anyone who has tried these. Please write and give me your opinion.

Thankful for New Friendships

Each month as we complete our monthly OBC training, our team leaders host a graduation party. On that day early we complete a Physical Test showing the vast improvement to each camper. It is always so amazing to watch their faces when they see how much they have grown stronger. That evening is our party. The faces are bright and shiny; hair is fixed and the dress is perfect. We gather as a group of friends now. The process of the past month bonds us and forges our friendships. The room is filled with laughter of the memories of the past; our experiences, our accomplishments, our comedic moments.

I love this time, as each camper shares what the month has meant to them. At the end of the evening, I thank the Lord that He gave me these people to enter into my life. And I thank Him for allowing me to be a part of assisting their goals to be accomplished.

So on this day before Thanksgiving, I am so thankful for my family, extend family and friends. For without these people life truly has no meaning.

Happy Thanksgiving.....

Energy Bars

As I am getting healthier and more aware of the calories and fats that I am eating, I am longing to make more foods at home. I recently found this energy bar recipe in Prevention Magazine. I just made them and I would recommend not using as much sugar/honey/brown sugar as recipe. I would use 1/4 cup and substitute this ingredient with Ajave Nectar.

I choose to use dark chocolate instead of the second dried fruit as this gives me that chocolate fix that I sometimes want. Go to this link and see what you think of this recipe; http://recipes.prevention.com/Recipe/raising-the-energy-bar.aspx.

Also for my chocolate "fix"; I will melt dark chocolate and then drop whole walnuts into the chocolate. I remove the covered walnut to wax paper to cool. I then store them in an airtight container in the freezer. When I am longing for just a bite of chocolate, I will eat two of them straight from the freezer. I love the crunch and it slows down my eating so that I enjoy the treat.

I hope you enjoy these tips. I would love to hear your recipes so I can share with readers

Monday morning

I hope that everyone had a great weekend. Mine was busy with classes and then....hoorah....having to shop for a new suit to fit me. Dropped a dress size and needed a new suit for work. It was so wonderful looking for clothes.

This morning after OBC, a group of women met for breakfast. What a wonderful fellowship of new friends. In our conversation we came to the conversation of eating better. I thought I would share with you some of the ideas that were discussed so that you might incorporate them into your daily life.

Instead of using a yogurt with fruit or sugar, try Greek yogurt. It is a different taste and texture. I use the plain one since it has less sugar. In the beginning it was such a different taste from my previous "healthy" sugar yogurts, that I had to add Ajave Nectar to mine. As time has gone on, I no longer use the Ajave. But Ajave is a great staple good for your pantry. It is a natural sweetener that is truly healthy and a better choice than sugar.

We also discussed the use of eggs and vegetables into our breakfast. My new friend and I split a wheat toast, spinach, egg and cheese sandwich. And then added our fruit with it for a complete meal. For variety at home, I will add red, yellow and green peppers to my egg whites with a slice of hard white cheese. I stay away from yellow or soft cheeses.

What you eat today shows up in your workout the next day. For our intense workouts, I have to eat the required protein, vegetables and fruits. If not, I can barely make it through the workout.

I hope these few tips will help you as you evaluate your food plan.

Hello again

It has been a while since I have written. I hate to admit this....but I fell from grace. As I wrote in July I was busy staying active. Then August hit and everything went to the wayside.

We had family deaths, family illnesses and I fell into a depression. I was no longer motivated to exercise, eat right or write. Thank goodness my OBC leader sensed that things were not going good and called to check on me. In a sense that simple phone call changed my life. We spoke and I was totally honest with her about what was going on. And thank the Lord, September a new bootcamp near my home started up. I quickly signed up and challenged myself to pull myself from the deep well of misery I had fallen into. With prayer and encouragement I was back on track.

The first month, I struggled. But I lost a lot of inches. The second month, I lost 7 lbs. And the third month, my thoughts (as expressed on earlier blogs) of becoming an instructor came to be. I am now an instructor in training. And this month I have lost 5 more lbs. to date and more inches. I am now down two dress sizes and one shirt size.

I am happier again and I see hope. It is amazing how exercise can change your outlook. I say "exercise" because those who are thin or at their desired size continue to exercise. They are happy and energetic. I think of one of my fellow instructor. She has always been a runner and has run in races across the country. She plays tennis....single tennis. She has probably always been at the perfect size she is. But she is there every morning at 4:45 am with a smile on her face. She is an inspiration to me. And I find myself drawn to her kind and sweet personality. I am very fortunate that the director and the two lead instructors are so uplifting and positive. Their energy radiates through their encouragement and their leading our new group to their new goals.

As December begins, I am also adventuring into a new career path. I will continue to do the one thing I love, but I wanted to spread my wings and try the "other" career of choice that I have always wondered if I would have preferred more. I am starting an internship a few days a week. I am excited with new body form. fitting in fun clothes and new challenges.

For me, falling off the wagon was devastating but as God promises there is always hope. Thank goodness, He put my OBC director in my path to guide me ever so gently to hope.

And with that said, my blogging will begin again with more variety and hopefully, insight that will help you along your journey to becoming fit and thin.

Til next week....I have class tomorrow and training for my first 5K.

This Week of Being on My Own

This week I have been on my own. It is amazing how your body longs for exercise after it becomes acclimated to it. On Sunday, I ate unhealthy and I felt horrible. Not angry or disappointed in myself, but just horrible. I am taking this as a good sign.

I went to grocery store to replenish my pantry and refrigerator with healthy eats again. On Monday, I started back to my regime and today I feel energized. I woke up early and when the sun rises I will begin my run.

I have decided that for myself I need to set goals. To keep myself on track for OBC starting near my home in September (due to school schedule I will not be able to attend the one I started with) I must set an August goal. I have now ran almost 3 miles when I was at the beach, on flat ground. And I have ran over 2 miles in my mountainous neighborhood. So I think I am getting my goal for 3 miles run in my neighborhood, projecting to run a 5K in the fall.

Do you really think I could make an instructor for OBC by October?

Tuesday Morning...Getting back in the Groove

It is really amazing. I can feel my hip bones. A part of my body that used to stick out so much that I would be embarrassed. Please let me be that embarrassed again.

I am in a groove. When I was on vacation and I would not eat so well, I felt horrible. I like clean eating now. This is a term that my friend and I use. I feel so much better when I am eating healthy combinations.

Yesterday was my birthday and I was overwhelmed with work after being on vacation. Sometimes I wonder if it is worth taking vacation for you work yourself to death before you leave and upon returning. Then you need another vacation from being overworked.

Today, back on track I will plan my meals. I love eating six times a day. Then head to the grocery store at some point to replenish the refrigerator and pantry.

I am looking so forward to continued success. I am really starting to myself again...

Til tomorrow....keep on smiling... even when it rains sunshine follows