Tag Archives: 100# weight loss

The Mind, Body, Spirit Connection

According to NOAA, a gustnado is a small, whirlwind which forms as an eddy in thunderstorm outflows. They do not connect with any cloud base rotation and are not tornadoes. Since their origin is associated with cumuliform clouds, gustnadoes will be classified as Thunderstorm Wind events. Like dust devils, some stronger gustnadoes can cause damage.

Have you had a little gustnado or wind event, in human form, spin through your day? A human gustnado can disrupt your good Zen vibes for days sometimes. Although irrelevant to your life, and usually to the rest of the world as well, a human gustnado can literally bend your path forward like rays of light trying to pass through a prism. Gustnadoes come out of nowhere like drive by shootings. Suddenly, you are sent scrambling to regain your balance, direction, and focus.

We all know that health and wellness is about balance and mind, body, spirit connection. Weight loss and weight control will not be acheived without a balanced and well cared for mindset. One piece of advice for weight loss success is to let those little human gustnadoes pass by. You may have to step aside a bit, maybe appreciate them for the entertainment value and curiosity that they are, but, just let them pass by. Then, refocus. Because you know better. Return to your plan, look at your goal again, and get your head back in the game. Do not look back at the gustnado, as tempting as it may be. It is simply not worth the sacrifice you will be choosing to make by doing so.

Pick the people you surround yourself with wisely in 2021. Do you know someone sharing your journey to a weight loss goal? Support each other and carry each other forward. I found a handful of people in my own 100# weight loss journey that always supported me in my moments of frustration and discouragement. They are the pillars and support poles of who I am today Find your circle, refine your goals, dig deep for the why behind your why. 2021 is going to be awesome!

Thank you for reading the Platinum Muse. Happy holidays and may 2021 move you forward on your journey to achieving your health and wellness goals!

The Weight Loss Plateau

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The inevitable weight loss plateau. It happens to all of us. You are spot on tracking your food and activity like a boss for days or even weeks on end. Maybe you have even noticed your rings getting looser and your jacket zipping up with room to spare. You hop on the scale with high expectations. You maybe even try to self- levitate as best you can. The number on the scale has stopped flashing blue in the early morning light. You glance down at the number. You stare. Exhale. You feel your facial expression drop and you step off of the scale. Hands on your hips you push the scale back up against the wall. Maybe a little name calling commences. You stand there in your birthday suite in the quiet dimly lit bathroom in the early morning hours. The cold morning air is beginning to sap your body heat. You start to chill. The number on the scale was not what you expected at all. Off to the shower to try and regroup under the warm steamy spray. You close your eyes. Argh! Why can’t I bust through this plateau?

We all know that there are a multitude of reasons your weight bounces around. Sodium intake, stress hormones, increasing exercise and building muscle, not drinking enough water. Or, sometimes your body is just plain being fickle for reasons we don’t yet understand. And, we all know that if you stick to the plan, as I have previously blogged about, your body will come around and bend and morph itself in to what you are working towards. I’m going to go ahead and share my before and after photos from my own 100# weight loss journey here for better perspective:

Just reflect for a moment on what I asked my body to do here over the course of 2 years. Reflection helps me gain a better perspective, and outright appreciation for my body, when I go back and look at these before and after pictures. I mean, my body has grown strong and continues to grow stronger even at the age of 64. It has given me 2 perfect children which have given rise to 4 perfect grandchildren. My body gets up every morning and continues to move me around and provide enough mental clarity for me to continue to work full and busy days as a Home Telehealth RN Care Coordinator at a major hospital. I feel good every darn day.

So, be patient with yourself and whatever it is that your body is working on that may not be visible to you at the moment. Your body is on track. It is innately set up for success even if you can’t see the change in the fleeting moment of your scale weigh in. Press on Platinum Muse readers. Stick to the plan and let the momentum begin to carry you. You CAN reach your 2021 goal!

Breakfast, I Salute You!

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For years and years (yes, I am that old) I skipped breakfast or started the day with black coffee. I just wasn’t hungry in the morning and this was likely due to late night snacking. In my overweight life, I started every morning with the best of intentions by severely limiting my morning and early afternoon calorie intake. Of course, by 3 or 4 in the afternoon I was stressed, tired, and hungry. This pattern typically ended up with me munching on whatever was at hand while cooking supper for my family. The pattern continued after dinner, during clean up, and then extended well in to the evening hours.

When I started my last (and successful) weight loss journey of 100# almost 3 years ago now, I started each morning with some kind of a breakfast. I didn’t yet really buy into the whole breakfast idea but decided to give it a go. It went against the grain for me to start my morning eating when I had identified that as a problem behavior.

Over the course of my weight loss journey and maintenance I have become a breakfast advocate. I don’t eat a large breakfast, but, I do eat breakfast–every single day. It holds me steady through a productive morning at work and keeps me balanced through the whole day. I don’t skip lunch anymore either. Yes, I’m ready for supper at the end of the day, for sure. If I can’t seem to hang on ’till supper is ready I grab a piece of fruit or some fat free yogurt to tide me over. After supper I know I’m good until morning. I sleep better, no more late night heartburn, and, the best part, I’ve sustained weight at my goal since the end of May.

My breakfasts are on the lighter side with one of the following: 1 serving of Cream of Wheat (my latest favorite,) fruit with yogurt, 1-2 boiled eggs, 2 shredded wheat biscuits with skim milk, or sometimes oatmeal. I head out the door for work fairly early so i’m not big into meal prep for breakfast. Of course, black coffee is still a must. I want to share one of the recipes I use in my crockpot that I make for breakfast or sometimes even take for my lunch during the work week. It’s easy, quick, and healthy. It’s great for fall and company likes it too!

SLOW COOKER APPLE CINNAMON STEEL-CUT OATMEAL

Servings: 7–3/4 cup servings (found at http://www.theyummylife.com back in 2013)

2 apples, peeled (optional) and cored, cut into 1/2 pieces

1-1/2 cups skim milk

1-1/2 cups water

1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats

2 T brown sugar (or brown sugar substitute)

1-1/2 T butter cut into 5-6 pieces (optional)

1/2 t cinnamon

1 T ground flax seed

1/4 t salt

Optional garnishes: chopped nuts, raisins, maple syrup, additional milk or butter.

Spray inside of slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Add all ingredients (except optional toppings) to slow cooker. Stir, cover, and cook on low for about 7 hours.

Nutritional information per 3/4 cup serving): 149 calories, 4 g fat, 27 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 5 g protein.