A Fresh Start

*R*

It's time...it's time for me to make a fresh start. :)

I'm happy this week because with help from my parents (and a gentle "push" from a friend or two), I've been encouraged to make some health choices that hopefully in the long run will give me more energy and overall betterment for my body. Us girls have been enjoying watching this season of The Biggest Loser - we don't normally watch a lot of tv, nor have I been too interested in watching this show as much in the past, but this year they have 3 kids joining as well as people I like and my age and I've been greatly encouraged and learning a lot on the show this time.

Since I am faced with not one, but TWO health complications in having thyroid disease and carpal tunnel, I've been reading up on both and trying to see what I can do to improve my health. I'm tired of being tired, in pain, and miserable (at least health-wise). I've already been controlling how much dairy I eat for about a year I guess, but it was time to take it a step further.

What I've been doing:

• Eat protein with breakfast - keeps me from getting too hungry throughout the day and from feeling light-headed when I work out.
• Taking fish oil capsules for thyroid health, as well as making sure I take a multi-vitamin daily with iron for energy.
• Exercising every day for at least 30 minutes of a good hard workout.
• Not giving in to cravings or emotional eating.
• Choosing healthier choices in what I eat, with foods that I need for my chronic health troubles.

With my carpal tunnel I'm sometimes limited and have to be careful what exercises I do - no yoga moves that involve planting my hands on the ground flat (OUCH!), and no lifting heavy weights (if I can't lift a light-weight pot, I can't lift a heavy weight). So, I've been doing boxing and such on our Wii and arm stretches, a few 1-pound weight crunches occasionally, hoping that by gaining some strength in my arms, my carpal tunnel pain in my hands will lesson. Right now I'm taking non-prescription meds round the clock. This week I've been enjoying our Biggest Loser Wii game as it has lot's of good work-out exercises options that don't use equipment.

I'm happy to say I'm feeling a good deal stronger and with more energy these days. And the best part, I seem to be finally losing weight too! Confession, it's something I've always struggled with...any time I've tried to eat right and work out in the past something in our family situation would discourage me and I'd stop eating healthy/not have finances to eat healthy or not be able to exercise. Now I'm doing both and I really don't want to give up this time. I feel it's really time to do this and I *pray* that God will see me through this time for good. If I can lose 10 pounds, keep that off and keep going, I think I'll be okay. So far I've not even been able to do that in the past! :( I wrote a goal on the calendar this time to work towards...I accomplish more when I set short-term goals for myself.

Basically it's come down to the fact that I eat too many sweet things and not enough dark greens. :/ I don't avoid vegetables, I'm just not getting enough in my diet (partly financial troubles over the years, partly emotional eating habits) and not making wise choices. So far, so good. :) I'm drinking my almond milk more too - a *full* glass, not just a little taste. I've found lot's of yummy recipes to pin to my pinboard too.


New favorite recipe - these Cinnamon Raisin Protein Bites! *addictive* They are perfect for a work-out snack or to pair with fruit for breakfast. Hard to stop eating them. Be wary. {But seriously try them. ;) haha.}

My other favorite new recipe is this delicious creamy and oh so healthy green soup! I have NO GUILT eating this, as it doesn't contain any dairy (unless you add a pad of butter to the pot as I did), because it uses chicken broth! :D I added black pepper and another dash or two of the hot sauce. Perfecto! I crave this every day now. Yum.

Here's to healthy living!
~Rachel~