Tuesday, February 28, 2017
We Are Who We Are
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Kae lost 43 pounds
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Risk factors for heart failure subtypes studied in new detail
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Can staying active help to prevent chronic pain? Physical activity affects pain modulation in older adults
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Involuntary urinary incontinence can discourage sufferers from exercise
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Living with COPD: Tips, activities, and treatments
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Monday, February 27, 2017
Don’t Stress Over the Post-Baby ‘Snap Back’
Take deep breaths, relax, and accept that the added pressure and shame for not having snapped back will not motivate you. It might actually do harm.
The post Don’t Stress Over the Post-Baby ‘Snap Back’ appeared first on A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss.
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Never too late: Reaping the benefits of exercise in early postmenopause
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Meatless in March Challenge
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Questioning my identity as a runner
A week of Michigan weather (not sure who to credit for this cartoon! If you know, please let me know so I can give credit) |
So, my last post was my Wednesday Weigh-in. I feel like I've been writing so much about my depression lately that I've just been avoiding writing any more because I'm tired of talking about it. After several hours of phones calls to the doctor's office and the insurance company, and jumping through many hoops, I was able to get my insurance to approve my new antidepressant. I am going to stay on the waiting list to see a psychiatrist, though, just in case this new med doesn't work out.
I'll keep this brief, and then hopefully as this new med kicks in, I will be feeling better and depression won't be such a huge part of my life at the moment--and I'll write about happier things! ;)
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Microgreens: Health benefits and growing tips
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Modupe lost 44 pounds
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The role of weight in postmenopausal women's longevity
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Chronic stress may raise obesity risk
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Sunday, February 26, 2017
Too Fat
I guess it's time for an update. And maybe a little self examination, because while I feel like I have done pretty well getting my food issues under control, all is not well in LynLand.
I lost 7 pounds in January and nothing so far in February. Today I weigh 253, same as I did on February 1. Part of me is starting to panic a little about this; I looked at the calendar this morning and thought, "okay, I have THREE days left until March 1. Surely I can knuckle down and cut carbs more and do some more exercise and get at least a couple of pounds off by then." Somehow, part of me still feels ashamed that I am still so fat. That I did not lose any weight this month. Even though I have found peace about food, my weight still bothers me. I have spent the last year (or so) lowering my stress level around all the weight stuff: food, tracking, calories, junk food, body image, the number on the scale. But what remains is the realty that I AM TOO FAT.
I am too fat for most of my clothing.
I am too fat for my circulatory system. My blood pressure is higher than it was 25 pounds ago.
I am too fat for my knees. They hurt when I walk.
I am too fat for pictures. Once again I find myself avoiding being in photos because I think I look awful, and unhealthy.
I am too fat for my comfort. It is hard to get up and down, I have acid reflux again at night, and my body is just too hard to haul around all the time.
I am too fat, and that makes me sad.
So much of the time I look around and feel thankful for all I have, my kids, my life. I don't want to be a negative Nelly or a complainer. But I also don't look at my body and think it is fine just the way it is. Maybe it is, on a "don't judge", self acceptance, love yourself kind of level. I mean there's no point in loathing myself or being down on how I look. My body has done a lot of great things for me. I love it. But it's too big to be truly healthy! And I haven't been acting like I love it... not really. Not all these years.
When I eat healthy foods it does feel like self care. I don't think I eat that much. But obviously it's too much, right? Or I wouldn't be this fat. Even if you want to put some blame on age, or hormones, or thyroid disease, or slow metabolism... I would NOT weigh 250+ pounds if I was really taking *good enough* care of my body.
Maybe I have been focused too much on my emotional well being (which yeah, it is important) and not on my body. I've said I was eating 90% healthy and maybe 10% carbier, sugary or junky stuff. But when I stopped and thought about that, there's an error in my thinking. It's not that 90% of the FOOD I eat is healthy and 10% is not. It's that 90% of the TIME I eat healthy. Like... there are about 90 meals in a month, right? So for about 9 or 10 of those meals I eat carby stuff. Maybe some pancakes with syrup, sausages and orange juice. Or a bacon cheeseburger with fries dipped in Ranch. Not overboard for a normal person... but HIGH in carbs, fat, and sugar. Same for snacks. Say there are 60 snacks in a month. Then 6 or 7 of those would be carbier. Like maybe popcorn at the movies, or a few cookies and regular hot cocoa, or a bowl of chips and dip. The calories, carbs, sugar and fat in those meals and snacks is SO MUCH higher than the nutrition in a regular meal or snack! So much higher. Like a 50 calorie handful of baby carrots versus a 200 calorie bowl of corn chips and guac. But eating those foods in "normal" portions is what helps me NEVER to feel restricted... because although 9 out of 10 times on "spaghetti night" I go with spaghetti squash, every once in awhile, if I really want it, I have the actual pasta... AND a piece or two of garlic bread. And it is so much easier to eat and be satisfied with small amounts of something like the spaghetti squash, but when I have pasta I want to eat a lot more. More calories, carbs, and fat.
The whole thing sucks because I felt like I have finally found peace with food by eating this way, and I DO NOT want to wreck it. But I am too fat! I am too fat. :(
Weight Loss
Shawanna lost 80 pounds
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Saturday, February 25, 2017
Low Carb Enchilada Casserole (with Low Carb, Grain Free "Tortillas"!)
Something I really enjoy is a good dinner of enchiladas. But I've been avoiding them while eating lower carb, because the corn tortillas are pretty high in carbs (about 11 grams each). Then the other day I was deciding what to do with my fresh, whole butternut squash and as I started to cut it up I thought... hey, the neck of this squash would look a lot like corn tortillas if I sliced it into thin rounds! And so I did! I peeled the neck, cut 1/4" slices, and tossed them with a tablespoon or so of avocado oil, salt, and pepper. I laid them on a cookie sheet lined with nonstick foil, ready to roast!
After 12 minutes at 450 degrees, I flipped the slices over. Then I continued to roast them for 12-13 more minutes, until they had just started to brown.
When they were cooled, I used them in place of corn tortillas in this recipe: Best Enchilada Lasagna.
Here is the basic recipe:
2 cups of shredded cooked chicken
2 cups of shredded colby jack cheese (reduced fat, if you prefer)
2 - 2 1/2 cups of enchilada sauce (check the carbs, or make your own using the recipe in the link above)
about 16 roasted butternut squash "tortillas"
Layer in a casserole dish as follows:
sauce
layer of "tortillas"
1/3 of the chicken
handful of cheese
repeat twice, end with "tortillas," sauce, and cheese. I also added some diced green chiles.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let rest about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
1 ounce of corn tortilla has 62 calories and 13 g carbs.
1 ounce of butternut squash has 13 calories and 3 g carbs, saving you 49 calories and 10 g carbs per ounce. Plus with the squash, you get all the nutrition of this delicious veggie, including 60% of your RDA of Vitamin A! Plus it just tastes better.
I will definitely be trying this again, using seasoned lean ground beef in place of the chicken. Hope you like it too!
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Alanna lost 24 pounds
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Virelena lost 53 pounds
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Friday, February 24, 2017
The Science of Motivation: How to Develop It, Keep it, and Achieve With It
I know why you think you aren't motivated to workout, and how to change it to achieve your goals.
The post The Science of Motivation: How to Develop It, Keep it, and Achieve With It appeared first on A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss.
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Maquwetta lost 56 pounds
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Mediterranean diet may decrease pain associated with obesity
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Brainy teens may be less likely to smoke, but more likely to drink and use cannabis
Smoking Cessation Feeds
Thursday, February 23, 2017
April lost 20 pounds
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Dayjelle lost 94 pounds
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Obesity reprogrammes muscle stem cells
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Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Veronica lost 25 pounds
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Q&A Wednesday: I Lost Weight, But Now My Clothes Don’t Fit!
Q: I can't wear my after baby clothes because they are too big and I kept all of my pre-pregnancy clothes hoping to fit into them one day soon. I am stuck in the "in between phase" and now pretty much NONE of my clothes fit me.
The post Q&A Wednesday: I Lost Weight, But Now My Clothes Don’t Fit! appeared first on A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss.
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Exercise can significantly improve brain function after stroke
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Light Caprese Spaghetti with Creamy Pesto Sauce
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Wednesday Weigh-in: Starting Anew
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Anelisa lost 54 pounds
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Is shrimp high in cholesterol? Nutritional and heart health information
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Exercise is best for reducing breast cancer recurrence
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After weight loss, a maintenance program could be the key to keeping off pounds long term
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Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Children inherit around 40 percent of parents' BMI
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Quesha lost 156 pounds
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Quality of life with those with advanced cancer improved through walking
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More steps mean less hospital for older Aussies
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Monday, February 20, 2017
On Serena Williams and Her ‘Porn Shoot’ Sports Illustrated Feature
Writer claims that "By baring all, Serena reinforces sexist view that what women look like is more important than their achievements." I couldn't disagree more.
The post On Serena Williams and Her ‘Porn Shoot’ Sports Illustrated Feature appeared first on A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss.
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Oliver and I.
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Motivational Monday #138
It's been a long time since I've done a Motivational Monday post, so I'm excited to bring it back today. For a while, I wasn't getting many submissions anymore, even though I was getting a ton of feedback from people saying they loved Motivational Mondays. So, I made the decision to stop doing it (I didn't enjoy scrambling to put something together each week). So, we'll see how this goes...
I was excited to kick off today's post with three very motivating stories! I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did :)
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Weekly Coffee Date
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Cholesterol test: Uses, what to expect, results
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Hope lost 134 pounds
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Nostalgia could help smokers quit, study finds
Smoking Cessation Feeds
Sunday, February 19, 2017
Jeanita lost 84 pounds
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Shaneika lost 70 pounds
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Saturday, February 18, 2017
Stuff
As of this morning, I have not lost ANY weight in February.
My blood pressure has been higher and my doctor increased the dose of my blood pressure medication.
Just eating what I want, in smaller portions, and choosing lower carb foods IS a good way for me to eat, but it keeps me over 250 pounds.
I have been fairly sedentary due to illness, weather, and just plain not being motivated to exercise.
And so the hamster wheel continues. The only thing improved, and it IS a big one, is that I am not experiencing any eating disorders anymore: no binges, no food obsessions, no compulsive eating. There's peace, but is peace enough?
I am quickly approaching that 10 year anniversary of blogging. In less than 6 months I will hit that milestone. I said if I was not at goal or making serious progress towards a healthy weight, I'd do weight loss surgery... and/or quit blogging.
I don't know what I am doing right now. I won't whine on about family medical issues and things that make it "hard," because all those reasons are not going to help me be the healthy, non-obese mom I need to be.
This week may turn back to restriction. I just have to do it without triggering ED. I also have to exercise whether I like it or not, because my age and health are big factors in... in everything. Everything.
Weight Loss
Glenda lost 99 pounds
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Friday, February 17, 2017
L’Keva lost 56 pounds
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The Excuse Brain
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Weight gain throughout life may raise risk of esophageal, stomach cancers
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Unsaturated fatty acid may reverse aging effect of obesity
Weight Loss
Thursday, February 16, 2017
How to design and hand paint a wooden sign (craft tutorial)
I recently made a gift for John and Ric (whose house I stayed at in San Diego) as a thank you for hosting me.
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Yolanda lost 163 pounds
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High levels of vitamin D may improve muscle strength
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Weight-loss surgery can get the blood flowing
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Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Q&A Wednesday: Exercise and Weight Loss Post C-Section
Q: I just had a baby by emergency C- Section. I was told by the doctors no lifting and I can only do limited cardio. What u would suggest I do?
The post Q&A Wednesday: Exercise and Weight Loss Post C-Section appeared first on A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss.
Weight Loss
Smoking cessation counseling successful when paired with lung cancer screening
Smoking Cessation Feeds
Akosua lost 105 pounds
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Abdominal fat may cause type 2 diabetes, heart disease
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Worm gene could be key to developing obesity treatment
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Tuesday, February 14, 2017
S. LaShae lost 22 pounds
Weight Loss
Valene lost over 70 pounds
Weight Loss
Nicotine changes how nicotinic receptors are grouped on brain cells
Smoking Cessation Feeds
Monday, February 13, 2017
Nicole lost 63 pounds
Weight Loss
Things you NEED to eat!
Greek Chicken Bowls |
It was amazing, soft, gooey, and didn't have an 'protein' taste to it, but it does have 15g inside! Plus is was a huge serving!
This made me so happy while I wrap up watching the last episodes of Project Mindy.
They drywalled the house last week, it's starting to feel more real, I walked in and could visualize myself there! Another friend of mine added these coffered ceilings in her living room, they are so beautiful, even Oliver agreed. I'm so glad we picked grey walls too!
My Mom picked up some 'easy' Valentines for Madison and brought them over to work on with her. Sigh. My idea of easy doesn't involve glue guns and have to cut a bunch of crap out. I'm like, just write names on them.
Pretty sure Madison agreed with me hahahahahaha.
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