Habits

Yesterday I was more then just aggravated. I was super annoyed and frustrated. It probably had more to do with the fact that I'm at the beach and bored because it refuses to stop raining with the stupid tropical storm that's in the gulf....

So with all my time to think, I started thinking about my weightloss. I saw my sister for the first time since last Christmas and she looks awesome! I got jealous and continued to think about weightloss. Then I realized my mom always maintains her weight perfectly. Perhaps fluctuates that normal 1-2 lbs every now and then, but she really does a great job. I just realized that it's because even on vacation she walks. She never loses that momentum. Every morning after she eats breakfast or whatever she does, she walks for about an hour. No matter where we are, if she can walk, she does.

I've been maintaining for a good while and since I hit my 13lbs about 2 weeks ago. Now that I'm at the beach though, I'm like...not doing anything. At least when I was in Baton Rouge I was moving constantly even if it wasn't actual 30minutes of exercise. I need to develop something where my day can't even start if I haven't worked out....I know I can do it, but I have to get into the habit.

Anyway, I don't know the exact point of this blog...but I think I'm going to go for a bike ride, even if it's into the wind. I'm so bored! Ugh! Even the book I'm reading isn't keeping my attention. I think I need a good old pray bike. Just go with God and bike ride. Yeah...that's what I'm gonna do.

Later.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, and He does, so I can.

--Maggie Mae

I'm only 20.... (Chiropractor visit.)

Oh how stressful today was.

So, as many of you know, I have had back pain for some time now. I never understood why my back was so dang sensitive and why sometimes I could reach for something and be in pain for 3 days.

After the years of annoying aches and pains and trying to get any temporary relief I could from pain relievers, stretching, and cracking, I went to the chiropractor. He ran tests and took x-rays. The results were, kind of overwhelming to say the least.

In short...I have scoliosis (curvature of the spine, fortunately I don't need a brace or surgery), the first stage of osteoarthritis in my neck (which can be slowed down and helped), plenty of compressed nerves (most of my pain), and some bone spurs starting to develop along my neck where the osteoarthritis is beginning.

You can only imagine my joy upon hearing all of this. It was one thing to think I had scoliosis from a general exam when I was in middle school, it's another thing to hear it and be shown from the x-rays that that was true along with a multitude of other things. However, I am relieved because there was an actual reason for my pain. It wasn't just a "I'm sorry I don't know what's wrong with you" doctor visit, there's actual reasons and reasons mean you have problems and identifying those problems leads to discovering the solutions....right?

So basically I have started treatment, but I don't have all of the technical terms for the treatments so I'll update y'all when I know the actual terms over my terms which include "electrical shock treatment thing." Now that just doesn't sound ethical, does it?

Anyway, so far this news hasn't effected my movement or eating habits. It's just taken a tole on my mental well-being. I'm just...so overwhelmed right now. Hopefully the stress doesn't slow my metabolism or anything. Fortunately I have my family's support. Also I have my friends, whom I couldn't really tell today because I couldn't keep from crying.

Ugh...this is just sucky. Sorry this blog post is more of a venting thing where I can be hopeful one second and bitter the next.

Anyway, I won't bore you any longer, but please be praying for me. I'm only 20 years old. I'm not supposed to have these problems. These are "old people" problems. I'm just 20....that's the part that gets to me the most. I'm only 20...

I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me, and He does, so I can.

--Maggie Mae

Questioning the Program...

So, I'm reconsidering this cleansing diet...

Here are my reasons:

I don't understand it completely. Even through trying to explain it over and over again to people, I don't get it. Like, I understand trying to give your liver a kick start, but the diet takes out all "allergen foods." Foods like milk, soy products, starches, and tons of other stuff.

Also, with the suggested intake of food, I'm eating less then 1200 calories a day which isn't healthy for women. Women should eat a MINIMUM of 1200 calories a day to provide them with sufficient nutrients and energy. I went to work (gardening) the other day and had to leave earlier than I had planned because I wasn't feeling quite right. I had only eaten about 800 calories that day and then tried heavy labor. While I had surpassed my recommended 8 cups of water that day, my calorie intake just wasn't enough.

Lastly, my roommate finds it strange. See, she is a food science major who's mother is a nutritionist. I tried to explain it to her and brought up my concern about not taking the supplements they recommend (you can actually order the whole cleanse package at their website for like $400). I don't have the money to buy supplements and what not so I'm not taking the probiotics and whatever else they recommend with each meal. She told me she is always hesitant to recommend or try things like this because they are trying to make money and they recommend eating less. She said that she's always interested in programs that offer you more eating rather then less since the programs, like this one, recommend eating less then the minimum you should consume daily.

So here's what I'm thinking I will do for the next 18 days. I will continue to drink mostly water and no caffeine or sodas. I will continue to eat 3 meals a day with 2 being a liquid meal. I will continue to eat things with less preservatives or none (i.e. more organic type things as my budget allows). Lastly, I will continue to not eat for 12 hours (8pm-8am).

I don't have food allergens so I don't see why this is a good thing for me to do. I will help out my liver as much as I can by drinking lots of water (which it doesn't have to convert into something else giving it more time to metabolize other things....says my brother/trainer) and by trying to eat things with less preservatives and more protein and fiber. So, for right now, I will continue with "MyFitnessPal" (the app on my phone) to keep track of my weight and what I eat.

Also, on as far as the spiritual cleanse is going, it's going. It's just so difficult for me to sit and have actual QUIET and non-distracted times with Jesus. Some how today I managed to focus a bit on praying. I've been super stressed about this upcoming fall and whether God was still calling me back to my college. I just didn't know. I kept telling people,"Well I need to pray more about it." I haven't been praying about it, so I finally did today. I asked God if I were to go back to school and I felt I should. So, I am publicly letting everyone who reads this know, I will return to school in the fall. What else that entails, I don't know yet. I'm praying more about my extra-curricular activities right now (and I'm actually trying to pray for them).

Oh, and on a more related note to the diet part, I am completely addicted to caffeine. Kind of sucks when you start a detox that says no caffeine.... But, fortunately, my withdrawal symptoms seem to be fading. The headaches are shorter and the energy last a little longer even without the help of my energizing friend.

So, there ya have it. Things are moving along just fine right now. Still trying to cleanse my body of nasty and trying to cleanse my spiritual life of the lazy.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, and He does, so I can.

--Maggie Mae

Detoxification!

Hello friends and family!

So, it seems as though I have hit a rather long plateau in my weightloss journey. I have lost a total of 11lbs since January and I am absolutely thrilled about that! But...now it's time to get back into it. So, I'm doing a detox.

I read about this 21day Clean Program Detox (cleanprogram.com) in a magazine my mother had. It seemed like a good way to kick this plateaus butt...so I started that today.

How it works...you eat 3 meals a day: Breakfast and Dinner are liquids meals, like soup or shakes or smoothies etc. Lunch is a solid meal, which, for me, will likely be lean cuisines...however I don't know that that's the best idea because it's processed, but I don't know what else to eat...spinach salad I guess? Anyway, it also says to snack on raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts. So, today I snacked on a few blueberries and cashews (recommended).

At the end of the day I'm thinking, "This is a breeze! I can certainly do 21 days of this!" Then I re-read the article. It came with the website I put earlier and suggested looking at it to check out the "include/exclude" list for the "elimination phase (first week)" of the detox. OH MY GOODNESS! So many of the things I absolutely LOVE eating everyday were on the exclude list. Things like milk and chocolate. Even strawberries and honey were on the list! So, it's actually much harder then I thought it was going to be. But I know I can do it, it's only 21 days (20 after today).

So, my detox is going to be a little more difficult then I knew, but fortunately the elimination phase is only one week, or I can make it longer, but I guess that will be decided next week.

But I want you to know that I'm not only doing a physical detox, I am also doing a spiritual detox. I will not get on facebook for 21 days and will try to practice spiritual disciplines more, like reading my Bible and actually trying in my devotional times to be devotional.

So, 21 days. 1lb a day (says this is what you'll lose, which we will wait to see). 21lbs. Let's see if I can do this! And I can because...

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, and He does, so I can.

--Maggie Mae